Category Archives: Music

Fest Watch > Festival No.6

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ImageWords > Lyssa Rutherford
Photos > Festival No.6

Festival No.6 is the ultimate in luxury arts and music festivals. Set in the Mediterranean-inspired, Welsh white sand coastal village of Portmeirion, it’s surrounded by 145 acres of sub-tropical woodlands and sits right between Snowdonia and the Dwyryd River Estuary.

Music aside, expect fire gardens, cinema, stand up comedy, art trails and installations, cedar wood hot tubs, swimming pools, Italian architecture, a Chinese lake, exotic gardens, street theatre, Gothic pavilions, expansive white sandy beaches and so much more. Pretty Litter are heading there tomorrow to enjoy this festival in its inaugural year and we can’t wait. Never have we seen such an idyllic setting for a festival in the UK!

A slice of the musical lineup includes New Order, Primal Scream, Spiritualized, Mr Scruff, British Sea Power, Death in Vegas, Gold Panda, Jessie Ware, Summer Camp, King Creosote, Carl Barat and Derrick Carter. The festival are also partnering with Electric Elephant, the Croatian summer dance music festival, who are curating the dance tents here.

Unbelievably there are still tickets available. To join us on our adventures, head to the No.6 website which will guide you through all you need to know.

Weekend tickets are £136.50 including the booking fee and you can book up to 8 tickets per transaction.

http://www.festivalnumber6.com

 

Raptors, Space and Bile: The Fever Fever Story

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Words > Will Furdas
Photo > Koury Angelo

I’ve never known how to pronounce the term Riot Grrrl. Do you roll the ‘R’s? Maybe give it a bit of a Spanish accent? Probably the best place to start is actually asking a musician that plays it, but I got too distracted talking about raptors with one of the most highly anticipated acts of the 2012 Great Escape, and the moment seemed to have passed.

Smacking music in the face with its bratty indie RIO punk barbwire baseball bat, comes Norwich based shouty trio Fever Fever. In their four years of existence, FF have notched up a rather impressive résumé of playing the likes of Glastonbury and SXSW.

Following their triumphant performance in front of a full capacity crowd at the The Hope, I caught up with the band Ellie, Rosie and Smit, who, nursing sore heads after a night of celebrating, were still buzzing about their performance. “People were queuing! (to get in)” says guitarist and part mouth piece, Rosie, “It blew our minds!”. This didn’t stop one crowd member getting a little more than they bargained for – “I sat on someone’s feet” smirks Rosie “I didn’t purposely do it, but I quite enjoyed it so I stayed, I think they felt quite awkward”. “They shouldn’t come to our show then” laughs Ellie: Fever Fever’s other shouting vocal contributor and musical guitaring Batman sounds of KA – to Rosie’s POW  “That’s what we like to do with our audiences, make them feel as awkward as possible.” Along with the pointing? “And staring” Ellie adds, laughing. “No, it’s brilliant“ she reassures me, “was really good fun”.

Fever Fever’s take on music is incredibly different to their peers’ as they shy away from singing about nice things, which I am quick to address while making the school boy error of implying all their songs follow this formula; “Sweeping statements” Rosie says in the style of Rumpole of the Bailey. I quickly backtrack and ask them why are a good majority of their songs are about knobbing and fighting, and whether is this is just a reflection of their home town of Norwich? Smit, the band’s thriving backing beat, is quick to agree that it is. Rosie adds that “writing about love and stuff is boring” before adding that the “music itself lends itself to the visceral lyrics”. The band then seem to try and outdo each other; “we also don’t know how to love”, jokes Ellie, “Hate, we’re full of it… Full of poison and erm –” “ – bile” adds Smit. It seems like if there’s one thing the band can agree on it’s that there’s bile in there somewhere, but this could just be a reflection of the hangover.

As the band talks about their musical influences, it’s clear to hear them throughout their sound: Smit is a powerhouse behind the drums, taking nods from the likes of John Bonham and Dave Grohl. Rosie and Ellie, on the other hand, list out a who’s who of loud alternative with the likes of Sleater-Kinney, Be Your Own Pet, Distillers, Sonic Youth and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Even though their new single “Chair” limited edition cassette version sold out before its actual release, FF still find themselves between labels. This doesn’t seem to faze the band much “We will get one for the album hopefully (due to emerge kicking and screaming into the world at some point in 2013), but we’re not tied down” before Ellie adds that “different audience comes with different labels, so that’s not a bad thing”.

Despite the hangover from partying above and beyond the previous night, the band are still not beyond answering the difficult question of If you were an astronaut, or Buzz Aldrin, what myth would you make up about outer space? “It’s made of black Play Doh” shouts Elley, “ There’s a McDonalds’ on the moon” says Rosie, “That the moon is really tiny” adds Ellie, “Size of the football” Rosie clarifies. At this point, Ellie has sunk her teeth into her answer and is drawing it out point by point: “It’s really close to the earth, but the McDonalds is tiny, so you have to order 15 thousand cheese burgers to make up one usual cheese burger and they have to take it out one at a time, but you can order online”.

feverfever.co.uk
soundcloud.com/feverfeveruk
www.facebook.com/FeverFeverMusic

No Escape from the Great, 2012

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Trippple Nippples, Photo > Chloe Batchelor

Two days of glorious sunshine and one day of what can definitely be described as weather, saw out the hot to trott 2012 Great Escape festival; a hell-of-a-lot-a gigs happening over a hell-of-a-lot-a places (over 300 artists and over 30 venues respectably), over a three day stretch.

Words > Will Furdas

With seemingly more international acts than ever before playing this year’s event, the ongoing global economic crisis doesn’t seem to be affecting Europe’s impressive musical output. Spain’s noise makers Furguson make emphatic, fist pounding post punk rock, whilst Finland has discovered its own version of the Mystery Jets in the form of Big Wave Rider with well crafted subtle indie pop melodies. France displayed why it’s still the go to place for phat dance tunes as proven by College (College proved why France is still the go-to place for phat dance tunes) and the 17 year old Madeon, stacked more layers than a Scooby Doo sandwich of WUB bass as he rocked the Corn Exchange. This isn’t to say that France has rejected its gold medal status for beard stroking music, as Cheveu provided an angry take on Kraftwerk’s synth sound that’s been shut in a tiny cupboard with 80s progressive rock and poked with a stick.

Indie rock also seems to be on the up and up with the prize-fighting punch in the musical face of Norwich-based rrriot girl grrrr of Fever Fever. Lo-Fi coordinators of the early 90s alternative sound of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr going down a waterslide before being merged forever in blurry photographs are Virals. The second coming of Jack White also seems to have shown a resurgence of bluesy rock ‘n’ roll given the ridiculous queues for most people 3rd favourite new band of the moment, Alabama Shakes. Yet the new distinct feel of ’12 is that the new trend for guitar music is moving in a Black Lips influenced direction, with the likes of Mujeres & Hooded Fang, making skuzzy 60s punk rockers with the added bonus of loads of fuzz and noise baked into it, like a cake you should have been able to buy at CBGB’s before it got outlawed for having glass in it.

Never let it be said that TGE is not an education in itself. If hanging out at the Canadian showcases at Blind Tiger has taught me anything, it’s that there’s a big difference between Canadians, French Canadians and the French. Throughout the three days, Canadian showcases held a huge variety of sounds from both the East and West Coast scenes, and served up everything from the crowd indoctrination of Rich Aucoin, whose set was a battleship of viral video feel good pop dance madness for karaoke greatness, to the wonderful Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers, a blissful blend of heart warming country folk melodies, foot stomping fun times, with terrific banter between songs as the surly whiskey based growls dripped from Ben’s bushy beard.  However Ben’s beard paled in comparison of Born Gold, who threw out the rule book of what an instrument has to be, and making even those weird cubes Bjork likes to play look prehistoric by comparison. BG’s set up is made up of the standard drums, synthizer sequencers and a jacket from the future which looks more like what would happen if Ironman was sucked into the Lawnmower Man universe. Using a convicted Microsoft Kinect Sensor (a motion sensing input device which works a bit like a webcam meets a Wii remote), Cecil Frena’s harness the power of LED lights and sequencers wired into the jacket to follow his movements to trigger samples, pitch shift and edit his voice and the music around him to create affluent electro pop from beyond the stars. Whilst the French Canadian collective of Quebec’s finest five piece known as Misteur Valaire are in a party league of their own, seamlessly blending hip-hop, electro with jazz funk and serving tennis aces of Hot-Chip, Beastie Boys, Soulwax and Bently Rhythm Ace for good measure whilst dressing to impress in matching outfits and literally bringing the house down with their fantastic party vibes through a sharp French accent.

Seemingly being the benchmark of what all music now has to be compared against were Trippple Nippples. An ‘only in Japan’ level of creativity, as if you weren’t sold on the name alone you were the second they walked out on stage. Dressed in matching flesh coloured body stockings with African tribal markings painted all over them, topped off with an overly elaborate penis adorning the chest area, the band dropped the first notes of techno, punk rock, hip-hop chic. Their stage shenanigans ran the spectrum of Mighty Boosh style performance art before transcending into tribal rhythms and out and out mayhem that blur the lines between raucous and art. Whilst it’s hard to pin point everything that happened during their performance (and that’s not down most of the songs seemingly being in their native Japanese), I presume the pinkie touching gesture with the audience is an attempt to reclaim the high 5; Drink To Forget (is this a song?) was self explanatory which had one of the Nippples parading through the crowd politely knocking back all the drinks in her path from all present patrons, but as far as the moments of spitting burgers into the crowd and stuffing one of the Nippples with Strawberries until she nearly vomited? No idea. TN are the post child of innovative performance art, strapping your subconscious in for rollercoaster ride of amazement whilst cutting some shapes along to the always crowd pleaser of L.S.D.

More info: escapegreat.com/

Fest Watch > The Hanging Gardens of Brighton, by Babylon Festivals

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This May Brighton can undoubtedly hold the mutha of trophies for the city that most brilliantly entertains her people, as she closes the Brighton Festival Fringe, this weekend, with a decadent three day love affair with music, arts and mayhem, in a festival, smack bang in the middle of the gardens of The Old Steine.
Words > Lyssa Rutherford

‘The Hanging Gardens of Brighton’ is the name this week on everybody’s sun-kissed lips, brought to us by Babylon Festivals, they promise to serve up their ‘utopian’ and ‘hedonistic’ offerings of Jamie Catto (co-founder of Faithless) The Go! Team (Brighton’s very own 6-pack of feel good school yard indie rock hip hop), plus, Molotov Jukebox, Alabama 3, Ska Cubano, Gabby Young & Other Animals, The Dub Pistols – just a few fantastic names set to headline the weekend, within the 50 or so line-up. Could this be the actual start of the 2012 summer we’ve all been aching for? Damn straight!

When it comes to garden parties the Chelsea Flower Show ain’t got nothing on this. Three beautiful days of gardened musical immersion and fresh sea sunshine, gently contained in a walled and semi marqueed exotic wonderland. Smash that with circus, cabaret, fancy dress and art, from the weirdest and most wonderful, and all the refreshments you could need from the ‘Bars of Babel’ – whether you are in Brighton this weekend or have plans elsewhere, this is one party I recommend you not miss out on. At a 1500 daily capacity, you won’t lose yourself too much, and five minutes from your house – or the train station – can you really afford not to allow yourself this pre-summer treat?

Enter Brighton’s Babylon through the ‘Gate of Ishtar’ for just £25 for a day ticket on Friday (gate opens 4pm til 1.30am), £30 for the Saturday (12.30pm til 1.30am) £25 for Sunday (12.30 til 11pm) or £69 for the weekend. Tickets can be bought through their website www.babylonfestivals.com and from the Brighton Fringe Box Office, tel 01273 917272, or from its three ticket outlets across the city

Fest Watch > Nova

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INTRO > It’s that time of year again and the UK festivals have entered their seasonal domain, but with so many popping up across the country, how does one newcomer stand out from the rest? Well, just ask Nova, because they’re doing it!  Words > Rosie Davis

Created by the producers of the original Big Chill, Nova festival pieces together a series of artistic, natural and flamboyant building blocks to offer an escape from the social norms and take you into a creatively affluent environment in naturally vibrant surroundings. This is an intimate gathering set within Bignor Park, Pulborough, a twelve hundred acre privately owned estate within the new South Downs National Park, where five thousand people will be hidden amongst gardens, lakes and historic architecture.

The location is undeniably a selling point, but it’s not only the scenery that makes this shiny new festival so special, it’s the festival’s focus on all creative forms – and not solely music. Nova is bringing some of the highest caliber of artists to this festival for us to listen to, talk to, learn from and meet, in a relaxed and unique environment. To see Damien Hirst and Rankin on a festival programme is not your usual line-up and it doesn’t end there; immerse yourself in film, music, spoken word, photography, sculpture, life drawing, painting and the list goes on and on and on. This is why Nova has been catapulted onto the first place pedestal.

What also brings me to praise the team behind Nova is how they like to encourage a creative relationship with the festival’s fans, (something we feel very passionately about ourselves with Pretty Litter). Their Facebook limerick competition was not just an ordinary competition, it has presented someone with the chance to have John Hegley, the poet laureate, to write a limerick using the opening lines that they have written. How often does that happen? There will be open creative salons where anyone can expand their minds and imagination, allowing their creative juices to flow freely with a series of workshops, as the Nova team says, the festival is for “makers, lovers and doers”. Salons include The Hunger creative salons, Afri-kokoa drum sessions, Blinkarts craft sessions, Andrew Logan jewellery salon, cocktail making, foraging, wild running and if you feel a little bit more risqué then the Rude Workshops will be ready and waiting! Have you considered erotic photography, bodypainting, boylesque or stripping and teasing?

Explore the grounds and watch live music on a stage stretching out into an idyllic lake, find the pop-up casino, Kubla Kahn’s Coffeehouse, watch Rankin and Hirst’s collaborative film Myths, Monsters and Legends or hear Rankin in a rare Q&A session.  Fill your belly with a dose of hard-hitting laughter with a wide range of comedy acts or lose yourself in a musical trance. Ghostpoet, Speech Debelle, Fionn Regan, Crazy P, Belle and Sebastien DJs, the tUnE-yArrDs and Jessie Ware are just a few names that will be playing for you. Not bad for the festival’s inaugural year!

If relaxation is much more up your street then find the hot tubs, massage and soul pods in the Zen Gardens. The pods will be home to trained spa therapists, so why not have some reiki or reflexology. The Bliss Dome is also an immersive bath of sound and light with essential oil sprays with 360 degrees of audio and visuals. Learn some basic breathing techniques and energy points to release tension and regenerate your body and soul.

This festival is stretching boundaries and is enabling all abilities and styles to meet. Nova isn’t isolating anyone, it is welcoming everyone. Every time I look at the line-up and think about this new breed of festival I become overly excited. What other festival will you find Rankin, Swedish style hot tubs and Adventureland Golf?

Get onto the Nova Facebook page now to see what other surprises they have for us this weekend: www.facebook.com/novafestival Tickets are £139, but for more info about the festival visit: www.novafestival.co.uk 

The Band Stand > Metronomy

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INTRO > Metronomy’s third and latest offering, ‘The English Riviera’ features new addition Anna Prior; hoofing live rhythms up where the drum machine left off and Gbenga Adelekan on bass duties. His soul funk riffs wine and dine your ears so much so that even your mother tells you you’re punching above your weight just to be seen in the same room as them.

WORDS > William Furdas   DATE > 19/04/011   VENUE > Digital

The two now join part of the original band line up Joseph Mount & Oscar Cash, who are now moving on from their wonky pop white saw tooth synthesizers that clutched at Kraftwerk’s Tax Return record, and have traveled via super sonic jet to the island of 80’s David Bowie. This isn’t to say the band have forgotten their bouncy roots. Efforts like The Bay are not just for their latest direction, which has them firing off the delicate tinge of a delicious retro French Hammond organ electronic pop, as if it chauffeurs itself in circles of 80’s European vacations in a VW hatchback only to eventually be chewed up the dodgy rental car tape deck on that long summers ride back from the beach. For me it has to be their live shows, or the extent of their live show props. Previously, before their enormous success, the band would provide their own pound shop roller disco light show by placing battery powered self touch click porch lights that were attached to their chests. This set of visuals turned their performances into a Morse code representation of that one episode of Noel Edmund’s House party where Noel lost it and spent forty minutes weeping in the gunk tank. Of course, now the money’s come in the term manual is frowned upon and automated sequenced lights have replaced the old, which now play out like the official Jean Michel Jarre smart phone app where you have to lead Jean down a dark tunnel whilst playing several intense rounds of peek-a-boo with a flash light.

Judging by their touring schedule, expect Metronomy to be hitting most festivals this year and making your summer that much better.

You can catch Metronomy next in the UK on June 12th in Manchester at the Parklife Festival and then on June 24th at Glastonbury Festival.