ISSUE 28 11 DECEMBER - 14 JANUARY
BEST OF 2018
THE HAUNT – FEB 1ST 2019 TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE –
This Is A Serious Party EP
Dish It Up CD
Live LP
ISSUE 28
CONTENTS BEST OF 2018 After an incredible year in the local music scene our writers look back at 2018 to pick their best bits from the past 12 months of album releases, live gigs and festivals
BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU...
6 NEWS
LISTINGS
Local band news and more from the city’s music scene
RAZORLIGHT PHOTOS: Andy Hughes CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Hemmings Anna Claxton Liam McMillen Jamie MacMillan Dan Whitehouse Annie Roberts Christian Middleton Kelly Westlake Paul Hill Rhys Baker Iain Lauder Chloe Hashemi Joe Boothby
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LIVE REVIEWS Ride, Twilight Driving and Ryley Walker all feature in our rundown of recent reviews on the live circuit
press@brightonsfinest.com
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OUT OF TOWN RAZORLIGHT Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
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Johnny Borrell chats to Brightonsfinest about his reason for returning after a decade away from the scene
PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd, Jonski Mason, Kyle Moon
FEATURE PHOTOS: Jamie Macmillan, Liam McMillen, Adam Kidd, Chloe Hashemi and Jonski Mason
4 12 The biggest and best club nights in Brighton during the festive period
EDITOR: Daniel White
COMMERCIAL: Lesley Lawrence advertising@brightonsfinest.com
Our recommended listings and previews of the upcoming gigs
NIGHTLIFE
CEO: Frank Sansom
Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.
To read the full magazine online visit Issuu.com/brightonsfinest brightonsfinest.com brightonsfinestpresents @brightonsfinest
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NEWS
More news at Brightonsfinest.com/News
LOVE SUPREME ANNOUNCE FIRST ACTS FOR 2019 The first three acts for the 2019 Love Supreme Jazz festival have been announced and feature a return for jazz-pop star Jamie Cullum, legendary disco-soul diva Gladys Knight, and threetime Grammy Award-winning jazz and funk collective Snarky Puppy. The three-day event will run from 5th – 7th July 2019, following a hugely successful weekend in 2018 that saw over 45,000 in attendance at Glynde Place.
BRIGHTON FOUR-PIECE KUDU BLUE RELEASE ‘AURAS’
“The festival delivered on so many levels this year,” explained festival founder Ciro Romano. “Confirming Jamie Cullum, Gladys Knight and Snarky Puppy for next summer is a fantastic start and a big step towards our aim of delivering an even better event for 2019.”
Kudu Blue are a band that we’ve championed for some time at Brightonsfinest. Now, after some time out, they’ve followed up 2017’s ‘Call Out’ with the excellent ‘Auras’. It is another dub-meetssoul banger from the Brighton quartet. Like a fusion of Little Dragon and Massive Attack, with a beautiful and captivating refrain of: “I really want you to say it baby, tell me that you love me” it’s another winner from one of Brighton’s finest.
Limited early bird tickets are on sale now.
FUNK AND SOUL WEEKENDER ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF ACTS
THYLA ANNOUNCE DEBUT UK TOUR AND SXSW SLOT Things are really heating up for Brighton’s buzziest band, Thyla. After recently dropping the superb ‘Blue’, they’ve announced their very first headline tour of the UK and their first trip to the USA. The UK tour will feature a hometown show at The Hope & Ruin on 16th February, launching debut EP What’s On Your Mind?, out 1st February. Furthermore, the’ve just been included in the second wave announcement for the Austin festival SXSW, which will take place between 11-17 March next year.
With genres explored such as Northern soul, disco and big brass sounds as well as the very best of neo-soul, hip-hop beats and the UK’s flourishing jazz scene, Funk and Soul Weekender has become a favourite over the years. This year marks the beginning of the festival’s expansion, moving to a brand new location on Brighton Beach, and the line-up is an absolute corker. Taking place be-
tween 17th-19th May, the festival will play host to headline act Kamasi Washington, fresh off his incredible album Heaven and Earth, as well as Maribou State (DJ Set), Lee Fields and The Expressions, Gilles Peterson, Alice Russell, The Pharcyde and many, many more. It’s set to be an absolute blast on the seafront. Funkandsoul weekender.com
LIVE REVIEWS
Full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live Ride – St. George’s Church – Thursday 29th November
Shoegaze legends Ride aren’t known as an acoustic band. St. George’s Church represented just the second ever time that Ride had performed a full band acoustic set. Kicking off a short acoustic tour in celebration of 30 years since forming, there may have been a few 50-plus members of the audience all too glad to have a seat. However, tonight’s show was also a reminder that behind the huge amplification of their recorded songs, there are some proper tunes in there too, deserving of an acoustic outing, where the voices and harmonies can cut through a little more. It’s a long set, comprising 19 songs, culled from their relatively small back catalogue of four albums and a few EPs. With founder members Loz Colbert and Steve Queralt dexterously providing the rhythmic backbone, on drums and acoustic bass, respectively. This is, for all intents and purposes, a semi-acoustic performance that showcased the fact that beyond the rhythmic shoegaze and dream-pop sounds they are best known for, they also dipped their toes effectively into the waters of psychedelia and garage. All done with a topping of pop nous that enabled them to bother the charts back in the day, with songs such as the feel-good jangly pop of ‘Twisterella’, and tonight’s finale, the epic, keyboardinfused and driving bass groove of ‘Leave Them All Behind’. They are not resting on their laurels, as they perform some tracks from last year’s comeback album Weather Diaries, and their subsequent EP, Tomorrow’s Shore, as well as a new number, all displaying their continuing knack for making discerning music.
Gently Tender – Sticky Mike’s – Sunday 2nd December Due to their reputation as a brilliant live act, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar had a buzz around the basement venue as Gently Tender arrived on-stage. Impressively, this aura continued throughout their set despite the fact that the band were playing largely unheard songs. An exceptionally tight live band, with an aesthetically pleasing ramshackle approach, on this performance Gently Tender were thrilling, gripping and surprisingly moving.
Twilight Driving – The Hope & Ruin – Friday 30th November Twilight Driving ripped into third single ‘Between the Sheets’ after arriving on-stage. No doubt their catchiest song, it was an excellent decision and one that got the crowd moving and singing along instantly. This night is all about ‘Dangerous’, though, and the brilliantly euphoric track is given its due as the final song. Twilight Driving owned the stage from start to finish, exhibiting their stadium-ready pop-rock to their passionate crowd.
Ryley Walker – The Old Market – Friday 30th November Ryley Walker did a fantastic job, pouring his heart and soul into his music, creating an impressive atmosphere while also being incredibly entertaining and charismatic on stage, providing the crowd with many laughs in-between songs. There was an excellent blend of dynamic, complex riffs and more laid back melodies in each and every track. Yet, the key focus was atmosphere, as this live show was choc-full of it from start to finish.
Matt Maltese – The Haunt – Monday 26th November Matt Maltese is a classic songwriter in every sense of the word. The likes of ‘Guilty’ and ‘Bad Contestant’ are breezy, buoyant numbers that evoke the great Father John Misty, and tell such beautifully weaved stories that he needn’t sing on the night, such is the size of the singalong. Affected and affectionate, but with enough musical nouse to not become overly schmaltzy, Matt Maltese is a star.
Brightonsfinest.com
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Johhny Marr
BEST OF 2018 IT HAS BEEN ONE HELL OF A YEAR. FROM THE INFLUX OF THOUSANDS OF ARTISTS DURING FESTIVAL SEASON TO WATCHING MANY OF OUR MOST-LOVED BRIGHTON BANDS BLOOM INTO GENUINE WORLD BEATERS, 2018 HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR MUSIC LOCALLY. OUR BRIGHTONSFINEST WRITERS NOW LOOK BACK OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS TO REMEMBER THEIR HIGHLIGHTS ON RECORD AND IN THE LIVE SPHERE AS WELL AS THE ONES WE MISSED
JEFF HEMMINGS
ANNA CLAXTON
LIAM MCMILLEN
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Anna Calvi – Hunter A fiery, no-holds barred writer and guitarist of extraordinary skill and inventiveness, Hunter combines a harsh brutality with moments of serene beauty, as she oscillates between displaying strength, and understanding weakness all underpinned throughout by strong melodies and carefully crafted arrangements. Anna Calvi is a rather disarming artist, and perhaps a little too much of an acquired taste to really strike home in the mainstream, but we should be very thankful for the likes of these increasingly thoughtful, and mesmerising musical personalities.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man World’s Strongest Man is simply a gorgeous album, full of texture and variety, to knock socks off any more obscure or supposedly clever releases this year. Coombes is a classic British songwriter who puts so much thought into what he does that it will take all that I have not to kneel at his feet when he plays his show at St Paul’s Church in Worthing next May.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts One of the best records to come out of the self-proclaimed “Yeezy Season” was Kids See Ghosts, a collaboration between Kanye West and Kid Cudi. A record that evokes West’s 808’s and Heartbreak and shows a human side to both artists. Exploring both of their struggles with mental health, it’s a beautiful record that is as thrilling as it is innovative. Featuring Pusha T, Ty Dolla $ign and Yasiin Bey, too, it’s an excellent example of where we’re at with 2018 hip-hop. FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Black Honey – Concorde 2 – 14th October 2018 Truly one of Brighton’s finest, 2018 was, without a doubt, Black Honey’s greatest ever year: with the release of their immense debut record and a very special show at Brighton’s Concorde 2. This gig was a celebration of the group between both the band and their adoring fans and a huge statement of just how far they’ve come as a band. This Concorde 2 show was testament to the incredibly well-rounded machine they’ve become.
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Idles – Concorde 2 – 27th October With a roaring, groove-based post-punk band behind lead singer Joe Talbot, Idles are one of the best live acts around, as they mesh up Swans, with The Birthday Party and The Fall, and transport this to the 21st century. They were able to transcend splintering genres to sell out this gig in one day, and next year’s follow up at the Dome, also in almost no time at all. A remarkable band for these extraordinary times. ONE WE’VE MISSED: Paradise: The Sound of Ivor Raymonde Simon put together an exquisitely compiled package representing some of the best known moments that featured the hand of composer, arranger and songwriter Ivor Raymonde. With tracks, including a few hit smashes, from the likes of Billy Fury, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Tom Jones, Walker Brothers, and even Ian Dury & The Blockheads, it’s an extraordinary 26-track document of the work of a man who made brilliantly, and pain-stakingly, crafted music, all pre-computer, and pre-digitalisation. TOP THREE TRACKS: Calexico - ‘Under the Wheels’ Courtney Barnett - ‘City Looks Pretty’ Mothers - ‘Pink’
Idles
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Britney Spears – Brighton Pride The most highly anticipated show the city’s LGBTQ festival has possibly ever seen, it was as crazy as it was wonderful. Britters in a corset and suspenders, lip-syncing to her biggest hits, in front of an ‘up for it’ crowd, on a balmy summer’s evening after one of the best days in BN1’s calendar. So what if Southern Fail cocked up the end of the evening in the most spectacular fashion? Ms Spears had us partying on the beach for at least a few days afterwards, right? ONE WE’VE MISSED: Biffy Clyro Unplugged – Le Bataclan, Paris Hardly surprising that Brightonsfinest missed this one, I guess, but I was there and, not only was it highly emotional due to the location, but the audience was a family, wrapped in a truly beautiful bubble like nothing I had ever experienced. When they played their finale of ‘Many of Horror’, the goosebumps really arrived and I’m pretty sure that everyone was crying, a sea of people standing with arms raised, singing at the top of their voices, letting anyone listening know that live music is freedom, even if we were dancing amongst ghosts. No gig in my lifetime will ever come close. TOP THREE TRACKS: Gaz Coombes – ‘Oxygen Mask’ Justin Timberlakee – ‘Say Something’ The Prodigy – ‘Need Some1’
ONE WE’VE MISSED: Anderson .Paak – Brixton Academy – Tuesday 13th March 2018 From joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on stage’ at Primavera Sound, to witnessing Noel Gallagher join YOTA at the 300 capacity XOYO in London, 2018 has been a hell of a spectacle for me personally. One gig - and moment - comes to mind straight away, however, and that is Dr Dre joining Anderson .Paak at Brixton Academy. A free show, for Apple Music dubbed as “presented by Dr Dre”, it was a huge surprise to see the hip-hop icon join his protege onstage for an exceptional version of ‘Still D.R.E’. An incredible moment that will stay with me forever. TOP THREE TRACKS: Janelle Monae - ‘Make Me Feel’ Childish Gambino - ‘This is America’ Kanye West - ‘Ghost Town’
Black Honey
Brightonsfinest.com
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JAMIE MACMILLAN
ADAM KIDD
KELLY WESTLAKE
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance The second album from Idles was a game changer. Taking the savage intensity of their debut, Brutalism, channelling its ferocity into a series of barbed socio-political anthems, they have helped to shape much of the musical conversation in 2018. Whether it was the pro-immigrant ‘Danny Nedelko’, the cry to change generations of attitude towards masculinity in ‘Samaritans’, or the sheer bruising power of album opener ‘Colossus’, they produced a record as near-perfect as possible.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer There’s only one record this year that’s had true staying power for me, and that’s Father John Misty’s God’s Favorite Customer. Josh Tillman followed up the magnum opus of 2017’s Pure Comedy with a record that’s a little homelier, a little looser and a lot more personal; dissecting a difficult time in his marriage that saw him move into a hotel for a six week bender. There’s just something about his witty and emotional Americana that keeps pulling me back in for more, making me constantly wonder what’s next for Josh and Emma Tillman?
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Darwin Deez – Ten Songs That Happened When You Left Me With My Stupid Heart Darwin Deez’s brilliantly-titled fourth album, Ten Songs..., showcases a raw, post-break-up Darwin in an endearing meditation on male identity and self-expression. This is especially poignant in these times of increased mental health awareness and discussion and is backed up by Darwin’s podcast. It has been my go-to, get-happy album of 2018. For every bittersweet reference to reticent, affection-shy girlfriends, there are joyous, singing frogs and tentative yet contagious hope for future love. There is nothing not to love here.
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Shame – The Haunt – 20th April 2018 2018 saw the usual mix of legends and newcomers appear across Brighton. At one end of the scale, Patti Smith’s Brighton Dome show was an absolute treat, while, Jarvis Cocker’s surprise Patterns gig was one of those moments that you can’t miss. However, as a live moment, Shame at The Haunt is unbeatable. The explosion of a band grabbing their moment with both hands, in a venue that became woefully too small for them in the period between announcement and performance, the intensity of that night was unbelievable. ONE WE’VE MISSED: Lily Allen – No Shame The finest record that slipped through the net was No Shame by Lily Allen. A fantastic return to form, after Allen’s hiatus from music following an identity crisis in the wake of 2014’s poorly received Sheezus album. It’s an electro-pop record, with those hints of dancehall and reggae that mark this out as classic Allen territory, and excellent lyrics which chart her personal battles alongside social and political issues.
Shame
Brightonsfinest.com
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: 12 Stone Toddler – The Haunt – Wednesday 10th October 2018 12 Stone Toddler’s album launch at The Haunt in November was a real riot. Cementing the new line up of the band with a performance which included a longer set than they’d ever played before, they gave us a tour-de-force which drove home just how great their long awaited third album Idiolalia really is. ONE WE’VE MISSED: Yumi & The Weather – Yumi & The Weather A record we really ought to have reviewed is the eponymous debut album from Worthing’s Yumi & The Weather. It’s a power pop record that has a fresh modern electronic sound and great songs with huge staying power from songwriter and producer Ruby Taylor. It’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of what’s been produced from this totally independent artist. Unfortunately the mid-September release date was an insanely busy period in our schedules, but I’ve been listening to it ever since, and can assure you it’s a corker that’s well worth revisiting.
TOP THREE TRACKS: Idles - ‘Danny Nedelko’ Black Honey - ‘Midnight’ Architects - ‘Death Is Not Defeat’
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12 Stone Toddler
TOP THREE TRACKS: The Fiction Aisle - ‘Some Things Never Die’ Fierce Friend - ‘Lies That Comfort You’ Father John Misty - ‘God’s Favorite Customer’
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Gazelle Twin – Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts – 11th October In a knock-out and characteristically unsettling visual spectacle, Elizabeth Bernholz stalked the stage and scanned the audience like some cretaceous avatar, in keeping with the sentiments of her latest album, Pastoral. This was a show with more than just one toe in performance art. The end result was thrilling, haunting and yet strangely reassuring. ONE WE’VE MISSED: David Byrne – American Utopia Tour Without a single cable in sight and entirely mobile on a minimalist stage, this tour saw David Byrne boldly redefine what live music is and has the potential to be and did not fail to wow at each and every turn. An exhilarating mix of new and old material, the setlist spanned Talking Heads to Byrne’s latest solo album, American Utopia, and harked back to Stop Making Sense days, with identical grey trouser suits worn by each of the dozen musicians on stage. TOP THREE TRACKS: Art School Girlfriend – ‘Moon’ David Byrne – ‘Every Day Is A Miracle’ Eliza Shaddad – ‘My Body’
IAIN LAUDER FAVOURITE ALBUM: Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Five and a half years since their previous album, the Arctic Monkeys return saw the inclusion of soulful jazz-tinted ballads from a surreal science fiction ideal without a standout single in sight. It’s a concept album of sorts, exceptionally crafted with glorious layers of sonically spectacular sounds which are warm, precise and hold theatrically unnerving tone throughout. Alex Turners’ voice throughout epitomises the confident swagger we’ve come to know from him and is as strong as we have ever heard.
Passenger FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Sam Evian – The Hope & Ruin – 24th October 2018 The New York-based band came to play Brighton’s The Hope & Ruin with their second album in tow and gave one of the most audibly pleasing, captivating and damn right impressive shows I’ve seen in years. The band’s musicianship was immense, the songs incredibly strong, and they somehow managed to sound like so many of the great rock acts from yesteryear whilst still sounding totally unique. I cannot wait for the next time Sam Evian comes through our city to perform in front of a bigger audience. ONE WE’VE MISSED: Ross From Friends – Family Portrait Being a mainstay of the UK’s underground electronic scene over the past few years has led Ross From Friends to sign a record deal with the Brainfeeder label and a debut album quickly ensued. Family Portrait is an entrancing epic which repeatedly goes from golden vapourware euphoria to the nostalgic four-to-the-floor old school. It’s an immersive, cohesive and engaging first LP from one of the most exciting emerging talents, which gives a truly exciting glimpse of what the UK producer is capable. TOP THREE TRACKS: Mush - ‘Alternative Facts’ Kokoroko - ‘Abusey Junction’ Nu Guinea - ‘Parev’ Ajere’ Dream Wife
Kurt Vile
Porridge Radio
Paul Weller
DANIEL WHITE
CHRIS MIDDLETON
JONSKI MASON
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Anderson .Paak – Oxnard Following the incredible Malibu release in 2016, Oxnard delivered the highly-anticipated return and it didn’t disappoint. Teaming up with Dr Dre for his third fulllength album, .Paak created a feel-good album full of catchy beats and impressive collaborations, featuring a melting pot of funk, hip-hop, jazz and plenty of other influences in this outstanding record of West Coast hip-hop.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: The Lemon Twigs – Go To School The band label Go To School as a musical, and what you get is equal parts bizarre and charming with plenty of classic rock chops. It is an incredibly bold move, but The Lemon Twigs seem to traffic exclusively in bold choices. Its ambitious music and quite silly storytelling is a perfect combination and a certain stand-out from this year.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Afro Celt Sound System – Flight This is the first album in ages that has made me want to go around telling people “You have to listen to this album all the way through at least once”. Having also seen Afro Celt Sound System live for the first time recently at the Dome and really enjoying the gig, this band get my overall band of the year award. They seem to be a fun group who enjoy making music and it’s infectious. My choice of album was between this and Black Peaks’ All That Divides, which is also an impressive album.
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Kendrick Lamar – The O2 Arena, London – 12th February 2018 An unbelievable level of talent was on show at the 2018 Great Escape festival and some live shows stood out particularly, including Kojey Radical, Mahalia and Jimothy Lacoste. However, it is the big 02 Arena show that has taken the crown for me this year. Seeing King Kendrick rise out of the smoke on-stage before a light show and flame explosion, launching him into ‘DNA’, was something I’ll never forget and the show only reached higher and higher peaks. ONE WE’VE MISSED: The Streets – Brixton Academy, London - 25th April 2018 After a decade out from his work as The Streets, Mike Skinner, Leo the Lion and the rest of the original line-up joined forces once again to take the show on the road for a greatest hits-style return, ahead of a reported new album in 2019. Opening with ‘Turn the Page’ from Original Pirate Material, the night featured the very best of the best from The Streets’ back catalogue, with massive moshpits, raucous singalongs and beer flying through the air all night, this was an amazing celebration of a much-loved artist and was certainly worth the wait. TOP THREE TRACKS: Mac Miller - ‘What’s The Use?’ Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - ‘A Little Honey’ Leon Bridges - ‘Mrs.’
Kendrick Lamar
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Hinds – Concorde 2 – 20th April 2018 When reflecting on shows I’ve seen this year something always brings me back to seeing Hinds at Concorde 2. The band exude positive energy and carefree fun and, after seeing them for the first time, I completely get it. Their live show is energetic and generally a very wholesome experience. Their music is simple, fun and relatable and their love of being in a band overflows into the audience. It was a show that brought smiles all round and it still does to this day.
ONE WE’VE MISSED: Daniel Blumberg – Minus The debut solo album from the former Yuck frontman was seemingly overlooked for most of this year. Blumberg essentially disappeared for several years and slowly rediscovered his voice and passion in the meantime. Minus is a tricky and abrasive listen to say the least, it’s an album that sounds broken and jagged, held together by thin pieces of wire. It’s liberatingly free from structures and almost any expectations. It’s unfortunate that Minus is clearly the product of a very dark time for Blumberg. It’s an album that’s stone cold and at points even feels tragic. However, for all its cold broken moments it’s energising and inspiring. Minus is a unique album from a musician exploring and rediscovering himself and continues to be my favourite album from this year.
FAVOURITE LIVE GIG: Love Supreme Festival – Glynde Place – 29th June – 1st July 2018 Another first for me, a trip to the local Love Supreme festival to see Mr Jukes, Tom Misch, Zara McFarlane, Mavis Staples, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Level 42, James Taylor Quartet, Elvis Costello and more all in one blistering hot weekend. The weather was as good as the music and so much talent on the stages that I’ll never forget that weekend. In fact, I’ve seen a great number of impressive performances at some of the smaller festivals in Brighton too this year including Utopia All-Dayer at Green Door Store, Bad Pond Festival at The Arch, SPECTRUM: All Day Special at Brighton Dome and one of my favourite festivals, At The Edge Of The Sea at Concorde 2. ONE WE’VE MISSED: Therapy? – Cleave If nothing else because a new album from Therapy? is another excuse to listen to ‘Screamager’ again. It’s good to see a band like this is still going and still turning out good music. The album has made me fall in love with the band again and after all who doesn’t need a bit of Therapy? TOP THREE TRACKS: Afro Celt Sound System - ‘Thunderhead’ Black Peaks – ‘Home’ Heirloom - ‘Femme’ Tom Misch
TOP THREE TRACKS: Noname - ‘Blaxploitation’ Pan Amsterdam - ‘The Lotion Song’ Kero Kero Bonito - ‘Only Acting’
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PREVIEWS
GIG LISTINGS Concorde 2
Melt Dunes – The Hope & Ruin – Friday 14th December 2018 There’s no other way to describe a Melt Dunes live show than a sensory attack. Having caught their electric show at Lewes Psych Fest, we’re massive fans of the Portsmouth psych outfit. Starting the year off by releasing their brilliant EP Flesh, they’re ending it with an exciting show at The Hope & Ruin for Acid Box Promotions’ fifth birthday. Also on the brilliant bill are Ghum, Egyptian Blue and Les Bods.
K PIC HE T OF EK WE
Grace Carter – The Haunt – Friday 21st December 2018 With hits such as ‘Why Her Not Me’ and ‘Silence’, Brighton’s Grace Carter has proven herself as one of the finest voices in the country. Which makes it even more exciting that she’s returning to the place that she grew up for a special show before Christmas. Her first since this year’s The Great Escape festival, where she played on the beach, this is set to be a very special show for the young star and her adoring fans.
Razorlight Tuesday 11th December Tickets: £27.50 Presented by Crosstown Concerts
Swoon Tuesday 11th December Tickets: FREE Presented by TH&R
Slow Dive Wednesday 12th December Tickets: £31.35 Presented by DHP Family
The Dunwells Wednesday 12th December Tickets: £9.20 Presented by One Inch Badge
Grandmaster Flash Sunday 16th December Tickets: £22 Presented by Global Beats
Cousin Kula Thursday 13th December Tickets: £6.90 Presented by One Inch Badge
Pop Will Eat Itself Friday 21st December Tickets: £22.50 Presented by Mute Elephant Music
Melt Dunes Friday 14th December Tickets: £5.50 Presented by Acid Box Promotions
Bad Manners Sunday 23rd December Tickets: £20 Presented by Family Ents
Tess Parks Saturday 22nd December Tickets: £11 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour & Acid Box Promotions
Slade Saturday 29th December Tickets: £25 Presented by Black Rabbit Productions
STICKY MIKE's FROG BAR Hardskin Thursday 13th December Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Dictionary Pudding Bloom Wednesday 19th December Tickets: £TBC Presented by Bloom Peter And The Test Tube Babies Friday 28th - Saturday 29th December Tickets: £11 Presented by Bloom
Daley Wednesday 12th December Tickets: £17.30
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Midlight Friday 4th January Tickets: £6 Presented by One Inch Badge
The PRINCE ALBERT
THE HAUNT
Madness – Brighton Centre – Saturday 22nd December 2018 Formed over 40 years ago in Camden Town, this iconic institution is to British music what fish, chips and intense seabirds are to Brighton. One of the top 20 best-selling UK groups of all times, with a slew of massive hits in their artillery, we can’t think of a better act to see on the last weekend before Christmas as they skip into our fair city on their ‘The Sound of Madness’ tour. Altogether now: “Welcome to the house of fun”.
The Hope & Ruin
Steve ‘N’ Seagulls Saturday 15th December Tickets: £16.50 Presented by MyTicket
UNITARIAN CHURCH Liela Moss Friday 14th December Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Blood Red Shoes Tuesday 11th December Tickets: £16.88 Presented by One Inch Badge Oh Sees vs King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Saturday 29th December Tickets: FREE Presented by Acid Box Promotions
Green Door Store Miho Hatori Wednesday 12th December Tickets: £11 Presented by Cupboard Music Warmduscher Saturday 5th January Tickets: FREE
BRIGHTON CENTRE Jools Holland Saturday 15th December Tickets: £45 The 1975 Wednesday 16th January Tickets: £36.75
NIGHTLIFE Berlin Friday 14th December Green Door Store 11pm – 4am
Eclair Fifi Saturday 15th December Patterns 11pm – 4am
Soulful Strut Saturday 15th December Green Door Store 11pm – 4am
Foreign Concept Friday 21st December Patterns 11pm – 4am
The Last Night Of Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Monday 31st December – NYE Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, 9pm – 4am
Horse Meat Disco / Ross From Friends Monday 31st December – NYE Patterns, 8pm – 5am
Gilles Peterson Monday 31st December - NYE Concorde 2 9pm – 5am
Darius Syrossian Monday 31st December - NYE The Arch 8pm – 8am
English Disco Lovers Monday 31st December – NYE Komedia 10pm – 3am
Fever Club ‘Salon Of Soul’ Monday 31st December – NYE Rialto Theatre 9pm – 5am
Strictly Afrobeats & Bashment Monday 31st December – NYE The Western 9pm – 3am
Beat A Maxx Monday 31st December – NYE Coalition 11pm – 5am
DJ Cut La Vis Monday 31st December – NYE Fortune Of War 9pm – 3am
Luke Brancaccio Monday 31st December – NYE The Tempest Inn 10pm – 5am
Billy Nasty Saturday 5th January Patterns 11am – 4am
OUT OF TOWN
Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
The Yes Mess Saturday 15th December 2018 Mascara Bar, London (Alternative) – 7pm
Orbital Saturday 15th December 2018 Eventim Apollo, London (Electronic) – 7pm
Paul McCartney Sunday 16th December 2018 The O2 Arena, London (Pop) – 6pm
DMA’S Monday 17th December 2018 O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (Rock) – 7pm
George Ezra Tuesday 18th December 2018 Union Chapel, London (Singer Songwriter) – 7pm
Wolf Alice Wednesday 19th December 2018 O2 Academy Brixton, London (Alternative Rock) – 7pm
Nile Rodgers Wednesday 19th December 2018 The O2 Arena, London (Funk) – 7pm
Adam Ant Thursday 20th December 2018 Roundhouse, London (Pop Rock) – 7pm
The Brand New Heavies Thursday 20th December 2018 The Jazz Cafe, London (Acid Jazz ) – 7pm
Thunder Friday 21st December 2018 Roundhouse, London (Rock) – 7pm
Wolfsbane Sunday 23rd December 2018 O2 Academy 2, Islington (Heavy Metal) – 7pm
The Correspondents Saturday 29th December 2018 The Old Queen’s Head, London (Electro Swing) – 8pm
Enter Shikari Saturday 12th January 2019 O2 Academy Brixton, London (Alternative Rock) – 7pm
China Crisis Saturday 12th January 2019 Ropetackle Arts Centre (Pop) – 8pm
London Blues Week 2019 Mon 14th - Sat 19th January 2019 100 Club, London (Blues) – 7.30pm – 11.00pm
RAZORLIGHT
Returning to music after a ten year absence, Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell tells Jeff Hemmings why he’s bringing the band back, why he’s not happy with the modern music scene and his disdain for the internet...
G
uitar music has had a bit of a rough time of late. The 00s represented its last great heyday, when the likes of The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, The Zutons, Arctic Monkeys, and The Kooks et al, bestrode the world stage, with guitars, drums and bass at its beating heart. The internet was young, smartphones did not exist, singles still mattered, Britpop a fresh memory, and mainstream radio continued to shine a light on the classic pop-rock formula, via beat combos with six-strings at their epicentre. Johnny Borrell still loves his rock’n’roll, but he is under no illusions that the landscape is still the same. “It’s not very fashionable at the moment. Every song in the charts is by Rita Ora, isn’t it?” he claims. “It sounds like it, I can’t really tell the difference. There’s no B or C list anymore. There’s A and D. A is absolute bullshit right now, bands pretending to be electro-pop or that millennial electro-pop thing which is the same fucking melody for every song, which is dog shit. Or you’ve got D, which is really underground, and alternative. I can see those things going on, but B and C is just being wiped out. I think the thing that was great ten years ago, even on mainstream radio, you would have some big Dre-produced thing, followed by Kaiser Chiefs, followed by Outkast, followed by Gnarls Barkley, followed by The Zutons or Razorlight or Libertines. There was much more variety.” Still opinionated, and still with a fire in his belly, Borrell has recently re-ignited Razorlight. Their first album for ten years, Olympus Sleeping, is an unashamedly guitar-pop album that is full of sharp guitars and dancefloor-ready rhythms. It sounds like a throwback to the 00s, with Borrell describing the album as a, “Love letter to rock’n’roll,” he says, “This time, it was about embracing English indie guitar pop. That’s what I love about it. That’s what Razorlight is. That’s the DNA of Razorlight. I watched other bands, and I just formed the band that I wanted to see live. In terms of arrangements, the early blueprint was early Buzzcocks, early Pixies. Very short songs, very tight arrangements.” Following Razorlight’s huge success the first time around, which included three top five albums, Borrell slowly but surely fell out of love with his band, finding it increasingly hard to deal with the stardom and the huge pressures. Following the re-
lease of their third album, Slipway Fires, in 2008, the group continued to stutter along, shedding members, recruiting new ones, and somewhat losing its way, before Borrell finally called it a day in 2014. He embarked on a solo career, which resulted in two albums, both of which failed to make much of an impact. So, what was the reason for getting Razorlight going again a decade on? “I knew I really wanted to make a new Razorlight album at some point. It was always in the back of my mind. I felt that our third album - although it had some real moments - didn’t feel like it was very Razorlight-y, and I didn’t want that to be the last one. That was always in the back of my mind. I was just waiting for it to be fun, you know?” Olympus Sleeping, whilst not quite reaching the commercial success of their previous albums, represents something of a renaissance for this singer and songwriter. His joie de vivre is apparent throughout. It’s an album packed full of cracking, accessible, and energetic songs. ‘Brighton Pier’, for instance, is a love letter of sorts to the city that’s been a big part of his life ever since he was at school. “When I was a kid, when we used to bunk school in London, obviously you couldn’t go to each other’s houses, so we had to figure out where to go. I used to spend a lot of time in Swiss Cottage Library in North London, but then they started twigging on to us. Then my friend had this great idea; the Thameslink back then had no ticket machines, so we could get the train down to Brighton from Kentish Town. We could go to Brighton for nothing, and just kick around, and then get the Thameslink back in time for three o’clock. Then you could say to your mum you had been to school. That was my first experience of Brighton. I remember driving there for no reason, with Pete Doherty, before The Libertines or Razorlight were anything, in one of his dodgy vans. We went to the beach, threw stuff into the sea. Then I was down there with my girlfriend, and had an unexpected moment of pure trust, and I wrote the song, ‘Brighton Pier’. The song had seven verses originally, but we pared it down for the album version.” Things have obviously changed, radically, even in the space of just a decade, with the internet now the source for most sales of music. Just mentioning the internet though, sets Borrell off, in inimitable fashion. “I think the internet is shit, man. I genuinely do. I think it’s bullshit. I live half the time in London, and half the time in a
Razorlight – Olympus Sleeping
little village in the south west of France, and I don’t have the internet there. As soon as I am away from the internet, I am twice as happy. I’ve never had a smartphone. I think it’s bullshit. I think the proof is all the guys who work in Silicon Valley, whose job is to create things that get you addicted. They won’t let their children anywhere near it! You’ve got people whose job is to make these things compulsive, working out how to prey and play on desires, wants, to keep you fucking clicking. It was great for a bit, but it’s total fucking consumerism. I think it sucks. I think everyone being hooked on smartphones is bullshit. I feel strongly about that one! How many times have I swore? I was polite up to then. But honestly, it’s terrible. Fucking rubbish. Show me the thing that is going on culturally that is so brilliant, right now, in music or whatever.” Borrell is a natural frontman and performer, who loves nothing more than getting up on stage. Before the success of Razorlight, he was involved in the early stages of The Libertines, and performed solo, at open mics, even on the streets. “I think I learned a lot doing that. You had to learn how to hold a room. The thing that inspired me the least, when people would sit there, with an acoustic guitar, on a solo night, and they would go ‘shhh’ to the audience. I wanted to be that person, and I did want that audience to shut up and listen like anyone, but you had to figure out a lot of chicanery and ruses to try and win an audience over. I think that translated into Razorlight. I used to busk on the tube, from when I was about 19. I’ve always played in front of people. I wasn’t as good as loads of my mates, but they never seemed to want to go out and play in front of people. If I was playing, I just wanted to be in front of people, from a very early age. That helped me out a lot. I love playing in public. I love playing on the streets. I really do. I know where my heart lies, and I want to be there still. I’m not fussed about being in the pop world, particularly. We should just be a good rock’n’roll band.” To read the full Q&A with Johnny visit Brightonsfinest.com/Razorlight
Brightonsfinest.com 15
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