GIG LISTINGS Our recommended listings of gigs in Brighton
LIVE REVIEWS Meatraffle, Bloom, Blood Red Shoes and Slowdive all feature ISSUE 29
ALBUM REVIEWS From Pedro The Lion, The Twilight Sad, Method Man and more
MUSIC NEWS From QM Records, Bad Pond Festival and more
15 - 28 JANUARY 2019
THE
1975
THE HAUNT – FEB 1ST 2019 TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE –
This Is A Serious Party EP
Dish It Up CD
Live LP
ISSUE 29
CONTENTS THE 1975 Frontman Matt Healy opens up about his ‘party house’ upbringing, his struggles with drug abuse and creating art for the masses
BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU...
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NEWS Local festival news and more from the city’s music scene
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DESIGN: Kyle Moon PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd, Jonski Mason
Our recommended listings and previews of the upcoming gigs
COMMERCIAL: Lesley Lawrence advertising@brightonsfinest.com COVER PHOTO: CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Hemmings Anna Claxton Liam McMillen Jamie MacMillan Dan Whitehouse Annie Roberts Christian Middleton Kelly Westlake Paul Hill Rhys Baker Iain Lauder Joe Boothby
LIVE REVIEWS The latest album reviews from the recent releases
EDITOR: Daniel White
LISTINGS
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ALBUMS
CEO: Frank Sansom
Meatraffle, Bloom and Blood Red Shoes all feature in our rundown of reviews on the live circuit
press@brightonsfinest.com Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.
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OUT OF TOWN THE VACCINES Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
To read the full magazine online visit Issuu.com/brightonsfinest
brightonsfinest.com brightonsfinestpresents @brightonsfinest
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Arni Arnason talk to us about The Vaccines’ in-fighting, new members and The Rolling Stones
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brightonsfinestuk @brightonsfinest
NEWS
More news at Brightonsfinest.com/News
BAD POND FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE 2019 LINE-UP
QM RECORDS ANNOUNCE MOVES FESTIVAL AT TOM
HIDDEN HERD ANNOUNCE A NEW SERIES OF ‘SPTLGHT’ GIGS
After a terrific 2018 edition that took place over two days at The Arch, the team at Small Pond Recordings have gone bigger and better for their 2019 edition. Taking place at Brighton’s Concorde 2 over the weekend of 21st April, the line-up is certainly fitting of the bigger venue. Featuring Jamie Lenman, who impressed us at the beginning of 2018 with a frenzied show at The Haunt, as well as Three Trapped Tigers, Anchorsong, Kagoule, Natalie Evans (Full Band), Body Hound, Cassels, The Guts and Clt Drp, there truly is something for everyone. With first wave tickets already sold-out, act quick to snatch up the last tickets.
Always the purveyors of Brighton’s music and arts scene, QM Records are bringing back Moves Festival, following its epic inaugural year, which saw performances from Normanton Street, Half Crown, Bobbie Johnson, One Eyed Jacks and many more. Additionally, the festival is promising discussions as well as two club nights to cap the evening off in style, including the label’s trademark Nawa! event. Truly a celebration of Brighton’s arts scene as well as QM Records’ proud affection for the music and the city, this is set to be a fantastic night. There’s no sign of the line-up yet, but it’s sure to be brimming with brilliant talent.
Brighton-based music blog Hidden Herd are kicking off 2019 with a brand-new series of gigs called ‘Sptlght’ which promises to, “Put a spotlight on some of the UK’s most exciting new artists.” Taking place between 8th February and 26th April, the series of gigs consists of four different events, all taking place at Brighton’s Green Door Store. The first of which will be headlined by Ed the Dog, while the second edition will take place on 2nd March. The 22nd March edition will be headlined by Swimming Girls, the final edition, taking place on 26th April, will welcome The Vegan Leather as headliners. Tickets are available on DICE.
LIVE REVIEWS
Full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live Green Door Store’s Birthday – Saturday 5th January
When it was announced that legendary venue Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar would be closing, it sent shockwaves through the Brighton music scene. Thank goodness, then, for Green Door Store; a venue that has reached its eighth year by doing everything right. Showcasing excellent underground bands, as well as some of the most hotly-tipped in the world, as well as giving brilliant Brighton bands a leg-up. Their eighth birthday celebrations did exactly this, too, with a multitude of brilliant bands from across the country boasting one thing in common: a sense of uniqueness, moulded in the form of brilliant, grimey guitar-based rock and roll. Kicking the celebrations off were Public Body, who produced a gritty, if a bit nervous, assembly of punchy, dirty post-punk. Guru followed and continued their immense momentum built in 2018 to create one of the best performances of the evening. Brighton band Heirloom’s performance once again confirmed their status as Brighton’s best new group, however, Italia 90 proved to be the disappointment of the evening. Luckily, Girls In Synthesis, the hotly-tipped band who just provided support for Wolf Alice’s huge Brixton Academy show, followed and they performed the wildest and most thrilling set of the evening. That just left Meatraffle to perform a set of what they do best: wacky pop riffs, dirty vocals and an eccentric sensibility. Furthermore, it sent the Green Door Store’s celebrations into an entirely different direction. If this night taught us anything, it’s that the people behind GDS live and breathe music and it was an utter delight to see it packed to the rafters for the majority of the night.
Bloom – The Prince Albert – 19th December 2018 This Christmas-themed gig served as both a brilliant show and a way to raise awareness of Bloom’s new album, and this Brighton four-piece had the crowd’s full attention from the moment their performance began. Their set consisted of their existing hits and a few new tracks which displayed an added sense of depth and refinement. Their music, as always, was very catchy and made for an excellent live atmosphere.
Slowdive – Concorde 2 – 12th December 2018 An immensely tight live band, who sound as good on the night as they do on record, Slowdive’s shoegaze goodness brought a hypnotising nature to the 600-capacity venue. Opening with ‘Slomo’, and continuing into debut album cuts ‘Catch the Breeze’ and ‘Slowdive’, it was clear that the band were prepared to take the Concorde 2 crowd on a sonic journey from 1991 to now. Simply sublime from start to finish.
Blood Red Shoes – Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar – 11th Dec 2018 This was a night of mixed emotions at Sticky Mike’s, as Blood Red Shoes returned to promote their latest album while bidding farewell to the legendary venue. Sold out, and with many a long term fan in attendance, this was a show that, for the most part, concentrated on the BRS back catalogue. Looking throughout like they are thoroughly enjoying rocking out again, they revelled in the very low-ceilinged environment for the last time.
Ben Ottewell – The Prince Albert – 9th December 2018 A performer at ease with his audience, Ben Ottewell is truly superb, frankly far superior live than on record, if that can be believed. His voice is mesmerising and dynamic, showing off a power and distinctiveness that hasn’t lessened in a career that has spanned over two decades. Ottewell is lovable, natural and musically more than anyone could ever hope for. Special doesn’t even cover it; he left Brighton wounded.
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PREVIEWS
GIG LISTINGS Concorde 2
PICK HE OF T K WEE The 1975 – Brighton Centre – Wednesday 16th January 2019 What’s left to be said about The 1975? Global superstars, a truly stunning third album under their belt in the shape of A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and the excitement of one of their first shows since Latitude 2017. Matty Healey’s heroin addiction influenced much of the new material, which you’ll be able to hear on a night never to be forgotten, on what is undoubtedly the last tour that The 1975 play a venue of this size.
J Mascis Friday 18th January Tickets: £22.40 Presented by DHP Family
Tryptich Festival - Day Three Saturday 19th January Tickets: £5.50 / £11.00 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
General Levy Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £14.63 Presented by One Inch Badge
Slothrust Friday 25th January Tickets: £10.13 Presented by One Inch Badge
White Lies Thursday 31st January Tickets: £27.50 Presented by Lout Promotions
Just Like Fruit Saturday 26th January Tickets: £5 Presented by Fresh Lenins
King King Saturday 9th February Tickets: £22.50 Presented by The Gig Cartel
The Messthetics Sunday 27th January Tickets: £11 Presented by Dictionary Pudding
THE HAUNT
Dog Of Man – Green Door Store – Thursday 17th January 2019 Brighton’s very own alternative punk group, Dog Of Man, stand out as one of the more prominent local artists around. After releasing their Musically Transmitted Diseases EP back in March, this unique band have set their sights on the equally unique Green Door Store in January. With support from Hot Moth, Bluebound and The Case of Us, you can expect this show to be an inspiring start to 2019.
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Free Cake For Every Creature Monday 28th January Tickets: £7.70 Presented by One Inch Badge
Astroid Boys Tuesday 15th January Tickets: £13.50 Presented by One Inch Badge
Holy Bouncer Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £5.50 Presented by Acid Box Promotions
Mom Jeans Wednesday 16th January Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Lout Promotions
Dilly Dally Thursday 31st January Tickets: £11.25 Presented by One Inch Badge
James Taylor Quartet Friday 25th January Tickets: £22 Presented by One Inch Badge
Air Waves Sunday 3rd February Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Los Albertos Friday 1st February Tickets: £11 Presented by Punker Bunker
BRIGHTON CENTRE
White Room Saturday 2nd February Tickets: £7 Presented by Lout Promotions
Bastille Friday 1st February Tickets: £22 Presented by Kilimanjaro
The Delines Wednesday 6th February Tickets: £18.15 Presented by One Inch Badge
Tears For Fears Monday 4th February Tickets: £39.05 Presented by AEG Presents
Alfie Neale Thursday 7th February Tickets: £7 Presented by Scruff of the Neck Tryptich 2: Heirloom, Guru – The Hope & Ruin – Friday 18th January 2019 A three day festival at The Hope & Ruin in mid-January, presented by Love Thy Neighbour, is well worth putting on the snow shoes for. The Friday night is our pick of the bunch, with Skinny Milk kicking off proceedings before the punk psychedelia of Guru. Heirloom headline the night, and are known for their ability to put on a mesmerising performance definitely a band to catch live before they become superstars.
The Hope & Ruin
This Wild Life Saturday 9th February Tickets: £15.40 Presented by Lout Promotions
RIALTO THEATRE Lost Under Heaven Wednesday 23rd January Tickets: £11.50 Presented by One Inch Badge
BRIGHTON DOME The Vaccines Friday 25th January Tickets: £24.75 Presented by Crosstown Concerts
THE BRUNSWICK Jack Conman Thursday 24th January Tickets: £5.50 Presented by Folklore Sessions
GIG LISTINGS PATTERNS
PREVIEWS GREEN DOOR STORE
Fucked Up Thursday 24th January Tickets: £18 Presented by One Inch Badge
Tryptich Festival - Day One Thursday 17th January Tickets: £5.50 / £11.00 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Cloud Nothings Friday 25th January Tickets: £14.06 Presented by One Inch Badge
Iron Boot Scrapers Thursday 17th January Tickets: £3 OTD Presented by Really Cool Promotions
The PRINCE ALBERT
Bad Suns Saturday 19th January Tickets: £10 Presented by Lout Promotions
Hagar The Womb Friday 18th January Tickets: £7.70 Presented by Brighton Underground
Black Midi Thursday 24th January Tickets: £8.25 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
The Wave Pictures Saturday 26th January Tickets: £15.75 Presented by One Inch Badge
Octopuses Thursday 27th January Tickets: £4.95 Presented by Big Salad Records
The Fallen Leaves Saturday 2nd February Tickets: £8.80
This Is The Kit Tuesday 29th January Tickets: £17.60 Presented by Willkommen Records
The Murder Capital Sunday 3rd February Tickets: TBC Presented by One Inch Badge The Howl and The Hum Monday 4th February Tickets: £8 Presented by Lout Promotions
KOMEDIA Songhoy Blues Monday 28th January Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Neat Neat Neat The Magic Gang Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £14.30 Presented by Neat Neat Neat Charlie Winston Tuesday 5th February Tickets: £12.38 Presented by One Inch Badge
Swearin’ Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £9.35 Presented by Neat Neat Neat The Once Sunday 3rd February Tickets: £9.90 Presented by Good Lies Micah P. Hinson Wednesday 6th February Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Melting Vinyl Ed The Dog Friday 8th February Tickets: £6 Presented by Hidden Herd
Daniel Knox Tuesday 22nd January Tickets: TBC Presented by Melting Vinyl
LATEST MUSIC BAR
The Residents Thursday 7th February Tickets: £29.81 Presented by Melting Vinyl & Dictionary Pudding
The Vaccines – Brighton Dome – Friday 25th January 2019 Indie icons The Vaccines are hitting Brighton in January for a show at the Dome. One of the biggest indie bands of the last ten years, with huge hits such as ‘Teenage Icon’, ‘If You Wanna’ and ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ under their belt, this is set to be a post-Christmas treat. This tour is in support of their latest album, Combat Sports, and on a Friday night, with more indie anthems than you can shake a stick at, this one is not to be missed.
The GREYS
St George's Church Low Thursday 31st January Tickets: £32.45 Presented by Melting Vinyl
Cancer Bats – The Haunt – Wednesday 23rd January 2019 Canadian hardcore punk group Cancer Bats are especially loved in Brighton as we are lucky enough to have regular visits from the band. They became the catalyst for some glorious chaos at The Hope & Ruin back in May and, for those who missed out, they’ll be visiting The Haunt in January for the first time since June 2017. With killer support from Bleed From Within and Underside, this is truly one to look forward to.
Heavy Lungs Friday 25th January Tickets: £7.70 Presented by Lout Promotions Nov3l Tuesday 29th January Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
The Faim – The Haunt – Tuesday 29th January 2019 Founded in 2014, The Faim have worked very hard to get to where they are now. Their 2019 world tour will eventually lead them to Brighton where they will perform at The Haunt, and this show is a must see for any fans of Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco, as they are clear influences behind The Faim’s hits. You can also expect a deeply engaging set that connects the band with everyone listening in a deep and personal way.
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NIGHTLIFE Wonder Yeahs Friday 18th January The Haunt 11pm – 4am
Serial Killaz (Drum Safari x Biz E) Friday 18th January The Arch 11pm – 5am
Foundations x Shook Friday 18th January Patterns 11pm – 4am
Saturday Sessions Pt 2 Saturday 19th January Coalition 11pm – 5am
Frits Wentink & Laurence Guy Saturday 19th January Patterns 11pm – 4am
George Fitzgerald Saturday 19th January The Arch 11pm – 5am
Andy C Saturday 19th January Concorde 2 11pm – 4am
Strictly Reggae Monday 21st January The Volks 11pm – 5am
Trojan Soundsystem Friday 25th January Concorde 2 11pm – 4am
Boxed 007: Solardo Friday 25th January The Arch 11pm – 5am
Craigie Knowes Friday 25th January Komedia 11pm – 3am
Foundations: Mind Of A Dragon & K-Minor Friday 25th January Patterns, 11pm – 4am
Club Africa Saturday 26th January Komedia 11pm – 3am
Mr Bongo with Young Marco Saturday 26th January Patterns 11pm – 4am
Too Ill: Hedex Saturday 26th January Hideout 11pm – 5am
OUT OF TOWN
Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
London Blues Week Mon 14th - Sat 19th January The 100 Club, London (Blues) – 7.30pm
Gary Numan Wednesday 16th January Southbank Centre, London (Electronic Rock) – 7pm
Art Brut Thursday 17th January The Garage, London (Pop) – 7pm
Jo Harman Friday 18th January New Crawdaddy Club, London (Blues) – 7pm
Architects Saturday 19th January SSE Arena, Wembley, London (Metalcore) – 8.30pm
Gruff Rhys Thursday 24th January Roundhouse, London (Pop) – 7pm
Jah Wobble & The Invaders Of The Heart - Friday 25th January 229 The Venue, London (World) – 7.30pm
Eban Brown Friday 25th January Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham (Soul) – 8pm
Patti Smith Friday 25th January Roundhouse, London (Rock) – 7pm
Freak Power Saturday 26th January 100 Club, London (Funk) – 7.30pm
Songhoy Blues Sunday 27th January Hackney Arts Centre, London (African) – 7.30pm
The Wave Pictures Sunday 27th January Boileroom, Guildford (Alternative Rock) – 7pm
Childcare Monday 28th January Boileroom, Guildford (Indie) – 7pm
AK Patterson Monday 28th January Oslo Hackney, London (Folk) – 7.30pm
Willie Watson Tuesday 29th January Lewes Con Club (Folk) – 7.30pm
2019 FESTIVALS
After an action-packed 2018, the upcoming calendar year is filled to the brim with exciting festivals, both locally and nationally, and we’ve put together our run-down of what to look out for in 2019
Lewes Psychedelic Festival Friday 8th - Saturday 9th February 2019
The Great Escape Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th May 2019
Glastonbury Festival Wednesday 26th - Sunday 30th June 2019
Mutations Saturday 23rd February 2019
St Ann’s Well Gardens Spring Festival Saturday 18 May 2019
Love Supreme Jazz Festival Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2019
Moves Festival Saturday 6th April 2019
Funk and Soul Weekender Friday 17th - Sunday 19th May 2019
Womad Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th July 2019
Washed Out Festival Friday 12th - Saturday 13th April 2019
Brighton Festival Saturday 4th - Sunday 26th May 2019
Wilderness Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th August 2019
Bad Pond Festival Friday 19th – Saturday 20th April 2019
Doomsday Fest V Friday 31st May - Saturday 1st June 2019
Brighton Pride Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th August 2019
Brighton Music Conference Thursday 25th - Friday 26th April 2019
Utopia All Dayer Saturday 8th June 2019
At The Edge Of The Sea Friday 9th - Saturday 10th August 2019
Ladyfuzz Fest Friday 3rd May - Saturday 4th May 2019
Isle of Wight Festival Thursday 13th - Sunday 16th June 2019
Read our show previews at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
THE
1975 Matt Healy’s had the multiple hair-dos, the dazzling colour changes, the fashion makeovers, but what shines through this almost Bowie-esque chameleon is his intelligence of thought. Jeff Hemmings finds out more about The 1975 frontman’s issues with addiction, celebrating the mundane and breaking perceptions
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he 1975’s frontman Matt Healy is a very smart boy, albeit one caught up in the temptations of the human mind, exaggerated by the pleasures and pains of being a bit of a rock star. Yet, like all 20 somethings, he has energy, passion, and confidence in abundance. Along with the help of his childhood friends and bandmates, he also has the wherewithal to channel these qualities into artistic pursuits that, while having countless detractors, is pure and brilliant enough for The 1975 to become perhaps the biggest and most important indie band of the decade. They’re a very rare beast nowadays: an alt-pop band who can still generate top 40 hits. If they can keep it together, there could be no stopping them becoming bigger still, perhaps the biggest 21st century band of them all. However, while it’s been easy to garner fans, it’s not been so easy to win over critics, or an industry that had a hard time getting The 1975. With minor celebrity-actor parents (Tim Healy and 2012 Celebrity Big Brother winner Denise Welch) no doubt helping to handsomely feed a media-savviness and articulate bearing. Growing up in a wealthy middle-class area of Cheshire (part of the so-called Cheshire Golden Triangle),
has encouraged a decidedly frosty and cynical attitude towards a band who are the polar opposite of an Oasis or a Happy Mondays; both from gritty, working class families in nearby Manchester. However, you can’t help where you are from. It’s what you do with it that counts, and The 1975, whilst sometimes slyly underplaying their privileges, never shied away from expressing their love of all things middle-of-the-road; from Dire Straits to INXS, the Aussie band who The 1975 are most often compared to. Nor should it be forgotten that Healy’s parents are from a mix of extrovert/working class stock themselves. They just happened to make quite a bit of money, and Healy is unapologetic. “I liked my story,” he has said. “The whole thing of bedroom culture, making records, being stoner kids from the middle of nowhere, middle-class boredom. We don’t have parents to fight against, we don’t have the police to fight against. It became the celebration of the mundane.” Whilst ‘celebrating’ this mundanity, Healy became a young cocaine abuser, and drug use/misuse has plagued him ever since, including a recent spell in rehab courtesy of heroin, perhaps fuelled by witnessing the party days of his parents’ house, where thanks to his father’s role in the TV cult hit Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, many-a-star would be present. “I grew
up in a party house in the 90s. It wasn’t distressing. It was exciting. I was 18, I dabbled in everything. I wanted to be Jack Kerouac. I thought I was as decadent as all of that. I thought ‘the world will catch up’. And that stems from this: I remember once, I was sat in front of the TV – I must have been about six – and my dad’s mates are all welders. They were sat behind me watching a video of Michael Jackson. And they were expressing their opinions about how alien he was, how unrelatable he was. And I remember thinking, ‘I’m a lot more like him than I am you’.” Healy seemed to know what he wanted, was aspirational, and apologising wasn’t a factor. “I’m bored of indie bands that are terrified of doing anything that could be perceived as aspirational, so they don’t affect the status quo of their little cliquey band world; where everyone has to think that each band is as cool as the other band, and you’re not allowed to play to a show of over 30 people.” Both slated and feted, The 1975 are a band who have survived crises’ of confidence, and Healy’s intermittent drug dependency, to become respected by many of those who didn’t care for them in the beginning. They are, after all, a foursome who have been together since their early teens, making music for fun.
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“
The biggest struggles I have had are addiction, mental health and religion. Writing music is my catharsis. If something bad happens, I turn it into art.
At first though, the band (made up of Healy, Ross MacDonald, George Daniel, and Adam Hann) had no real idea of who they were, or whether it would work. “The first album just happened, behind closed doors. No one knew who we were, I hadn’t done it before. All these things aren’t real until other people know them. As soon as people heard it, I had a vocal style, I had a thing. We had an identity. “Weak messages create bad situations”, it says on the tattooed arm of Healy. “There’s no room for weak messages. I want strong messages, and I want people to really believe in them. I don’t want people to not care.” With a dog named after Allen Ginsberg, a band named after the scribbled date in the back jacket of a second hand Jack Kerouac novel, a proclaimed love of art, and a direct quote from contemporary British artist David Shrigley, emblazoned on the aforementioned forearm of his, it is perhaps no surprise that the music industry simply didn’t get The 1975. Yet, credit to Matt Healy and co, they didn’t pay much attention to that. They knew that, even in the late 2000s, big labels (and cynical journos) were still staffed by old-timers, those not fully appreciating the massive and irrevocable changes that had and were continuing to be made via the worlds of the internet, social media, tablets, smartphones, and streaming. The group felt that the industry simply didn’t understand the way that people now listen to music. After being rejected by the industry, their increasingly exasperated manager, Jamie Oborne, decided to set up their own label, Dirty Hit, and work towards licensing deals. Healy said, “It was like somebody saying you’re ugly, it felt really personal.” After the quick but steady release of four EPs, the band dropped their self-titled album in 2013, which proceeded to top the charts. 2016’s follow up featured the ridiculously long and unwieldy album title I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. Even that didn’t stop it reaching the top of the charts either, both here and in the US. Nor did the fact that each song was in a
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different style. “It’s art,” Healy said. “The world needs this album.” To blatantly emphasise the chasm between the band and their fans, and the so-called tastemakers and gatekeepers, The 1975 really let rip on a single released from that second album, ‘The Sound’, with quotes from early reviews and naysayers flashed on the screen such as, “Is this a joke?”. “Do people really still make music like this?”. “This band thinks it has a charismatic singer… they are mistaken”. “Unimaginative”. “Ridiculous contrived knock-offs”. “Punch-yourTV obnoxious”. And so it went on.
“I write about fear, sex, love, god, addiction, and talk about them in a conversational way. The biggest struggles I have had are addiction, mental health and religion. Writing music is my catharsis. It’s almost dangerous sometimes, because as soon as something particularly emotionally engaging happens... this is what I do and I have a license to do it. If something bad happens, I turn it into art. There’s the content, there’s the catharsis. Whether that is healthy or not, I don’t know. I try and make sense of things, and then share it with people, and see if they understand me. And they seem to.” The 1975 are weird, yet wonderful. A reminder that alternative pop can still forge interesting avenues in the right hands, with a frontman as extrovert and thoughtful as Healy, one who is not afraid to express his naivety, nor his new found knowledge. There is no saccharine froth to the band, just an exploration of what it means to be alive in the 21st century. For Healy, music is about changing society by inspiring individuals, “giving them a release from all the bullshit.” To read the full Q&A with The 1975 visit Brightonsfinest.com/The1975
With wide-ranging influences from gospel and soul, to INXS and Genesis, and from Talking Heads and Brian Eno, The 1975 have continued, via their third consecutive chart topping album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, to do whatever they bloody well fancy. “Whatever song we heard we loved, let’s make that song,” Healy explains. “If it’s a pop song, an r’n’b song, a dance song, it doesn’t matter. If we loved that song and it inspired us, let’s remake that song. How could we steal this and get away with it? There is no restriction. There is no rule. “(The band) really is a sum of all its parts. It doesn’t work without one of them, especially with writing. It starts with me saying we should do a song like this, (the band’s musical lynchpin) George making his version of it, then me grabbing it and working on it. We don’t usually write live, in a room playing together. (But) the other guys have to be there to make their feel for the record.” A Brief Inquiry... is outrageous and eclectic, veering from the jazz-based balladry to the sharp electric urban rock grooves of ‘Give Yourself A Try’, an anthemic call to arms, couched in various story vignettes, with authenticity and honesty at its heart. Part autobiographical, part observational, there is also plenty of humour in there. It cemented Healy’s role as an unelected spokesperson for millennials trying to get a grip on things, and just wanting to have fun, but also to try and understand themselves better.
The 1975 A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships Out now
ALBUM REVIEWS
Full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/albums
Pedro The Lion Phoenix Out: 18th January 2019 Phoenix is the first album from Seattle’s Pedro The Lion in 15 years. It is, therefore, obvious that it should be named after the mythical creature that symbolises a rebirth of sorts, a new beginning, which is definitely indicative of David Bazan’s creative process after such a long hiatus. Phoenix begins quite triumphantly. The pop melodies of recent single ‘Yellow Bike’ spark an uncomplicated pleasure and familiarity that signals a fond return for an artist who appears to be making a personal journey through storytelling. However, though touching and reminiscent, Phoenix becomes more monotonous as it progresses. Its lack of dynamism unfortunately detracts from the finished product and leaves it with a little less soul than it started with. Perhaps it’s now time for Bazan to lead Pedro The Lion forwards rather than look backwards if he is to really make any kind of waves in showcasing the stronger ability we know is there.
The Twilight Sad It Won/t Be like This All the Time Out: 18th January 2019 Although heavier than previous incarnations, It Won/t Be Like This All The Time creates something really quite beautiful and, as its title suggests, quite reflective. A deep-seeded wish to connect with people beyond technology fuels the core songwriting duo of James Graham and Andy MacFarlane. Inevitably, maturing as human beings and musicians has had a profound effect. The trademarks of their sound are still there but there seems to be greater confidence in what they are offering. By the time final track ‘Videograms’ arrives, the listener is trapped somewhere between wanting to pull some silhouetted shapes to the high class industrial rhythm and wanting to go out and save a life. What a spectacular way to start 2019. It Won/t Be... sets the bar high: fans won’t be able to tear themselves away and won’t want to because The Twilight Sad provide evidence that as long as there is music, there is hope.
You Tell Me You Tell Me Out: 11th January 2019 Out of the starting blocks with one of the first albums of the year, comes the delightful progressive folk-orchestral pop sounds of You Tell Me, a collaboration between Field Music’s Peter Brewis, and Admiral Fallow’s Sarah Hayes. Merging the new found lyricism of Hayes with Brewis’ typically fluid Field Music approach - where less is more - You Tell Me’s music is grounded within a shifting semi-theatrical meets art-rock approach. The duo have forged something bright and bold, a work that largely marries the personal lyricism of Hayes, with the production and multi-instrumentalist skills of Brewis. Low key on the surface, less grand than what we are used to with Field Music, and recorded in a very short space of time, it is still full to the brim of sparklingly short and inventive orchestral-pop vignettes that place melody at the forefront. A minor triumph.
Method Man Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium Out: 11th December 2018 As the title suggests, this album acts as a spiritual sequel to 2015’s The Meth Lab, and while a lot of elements (especially musically) are carried through from the first Meth Lab, this newest record feels a tonne more self-aware and is trying much harder to have more of a solid concept. With each of the main tracks being titled as ‘Episodes’ and a number of very humorous interludes to break things up nicely, it feels like the musical equivalent to watching a Netflix series. The majority of the album’s atmosphere feels very traditional and stays true to the era of Wu-Tang Clan’s golden years, which is what many members of the group have championed time and time again. In short, this album does an excellent job of giving the fans exactly what they want. It’s masterfully made in all of its areas, from Method Man’s clever bars to the brilliant production and narrative. In my mind, it is nothing less than a near flawless piece.
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The Vaccines The Vaccines’ Combat Sports was released in the spring of 2018. That it ever saw the light of day was a testament to the band’s inner belief, but a belief that had been badly dented by the departure of founding member Pete Robertson, in mid-2016, after the completion of their third album; the less-than well received English Graffiti. There had also been some well-publicised band in-fighting, most notably between Freddie Cowan and Justin Hayward-Young...
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” replies the Icelander Árni Árnason in triplicate, when asked of the in-fighting. Justin Hayward-Young had previously been more forthright, explaining that, “With a small group of highly strung men, for up to 15 hours a day, often in a windowless room, working on something you really care about, it’s inevitable that you come to blows.” Árni goes on, revealing, “When Pete quit, we were really tired of working the way we were doing. We had been trying to write that album (English Graffiti) for a while. We had a lot of material, but not a lot we could agree on. It felt like flogging a dead horse. Pete quit and that made the rest of us have an honest conversation about whether we wanted to continue or not, despite how it had all been going at that point. But we decided we wanted to keep going. We brought Tim (Latham) in, who had been touring with us for a year or so. And we got Yoann Intonti in as a replacement for Pete. He was someone who we knew loosely through (the band) Spector. And they fitted in like a glove, straight away, and brought a joyous spirit to the project, which had been lacking. Combat Sports was a result of that.” I tell Árni that I read somewhere that the title of the album was something to do with the in-fighting, or that it may have something to do with Intonti’s love of boxing. He dismisses this out of hand. “Oh, God, I hope that is not something people believe is the case. I cannot think of anything worse than commercialised fighting sports. I couldn’t possibly agree with that statement. It’s got nothing to do with that! It’s about visceral energy. It’s a reference to a lyric. It was going to be called Your Love Is My Favourite New Band (a song title off the album) until very late. I was a big fan of that, this strange and exciting phrase. At the very last minute that got thrown out for Combat Sports, which sounded energetic, visceral, and powerful, but had nothing to do with boxing,” he laughs. “I’m very happy to set the record straight!” Whichever way you look at it, Combat Sports was a triumph. An exhilarating return to form, it reeked of the youthful energy and pizzazz of their fresh-faced debut, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, an album that catapulted them into the mainstream. It was full of infectious songs, such as the rock’n’roll reverence that is ‘Put It on a T-shirt’, and ‘Your Love Is My Favourite Band’, just two songs that showed the band to be running on all cylinders, full of explosive rhythms, and sharp riffs. It was a brilliant fightback, a successful return to their guitar-based roots, replete with musical references to classic garage, punk, glam and new wave, but with plenty of modern songcraft and lyrical nous to compliment their growing maturity, and
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With a small group of highly strung men, for up to 15 hours a day, often in a windowless room, working on something you really care about, it’s inevitable that you come to blows
to make them still very much relevant in 2019. It probably also helped that they worked with producer Ross Orton (most notably known for the Arctic Monkeys’ AM) who “essentially banned” the group from listening to music, urging them instead to reference themselves. Indeed, most of the songs originally planned for the album were scrapped, and new ones were written. There must be some deep satisfaction within the camp about how it has all turned out? “You don’t really know the scope of the reception until you get a bit of distance on it,” says Árni. “I won’t really know how it’s done until the next UK tour. The last time we did a run in the UK was the week it was released, and that’s not indicative of the success of this album. So, we are very much looking forward to going on this January and February run. That will be the home run Combat Sports tour. “It’s been a very different and interesting experience, touring our fourth album. By this time you have solidified your relationship with your fans. Normally, at this point, there is no real curiosity, they come because they are massive fans. With this album, it seems to have struck a chord for very different reasons. It’s a very humbling and incredible experience. But, without trying to sound too cocky, we have proven our worth.” Already with the experience of supporting the likes of The Rolling Stones, Muse and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers behind them, as well as headlining both Alexandra Palace, and Reading and Leeds festival this year, The Vaccines are no strangers to rubbing shoulders with rock’s glitterati. However, although they recognise they are unlikely to be ever as big as the aforementioned, it’s not going to stop them from trying. Take ‘Rolling Stones’, the last track off Combat Sports. Is that a love letter to the kings of rock’n’roll? “We had a song on the first album called ‘Under Your Thumb’,” explains Árni. That song was supposed to be called either ‘European Son’, which is the Velvet Underground song, or ‘Under
Your Thumb’, which is a Rolling Stones song,” he laughs. “We chose to go with The Rolling Stones version. And shortly afterwards we were chosen to support The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park. And we knew that they were going to go on tour this year as well, and we figured the same strategy would work if we had a song on the record that was named after The Rolling Stones, we might get asked to support them again. And it worked! We supported them in Southampton, at St. Mary’s football ground.” Árni himself has further reason to be proud, as a new father, even if it meant him missing out on a glorious moment just this last summer. “It’s the only thing I’ve done that trumps releasing an album. Apart from that, just getting to the stage of releasing a fourth album. I don’t think we had ever imagined we would. But, I personally missed Reading and Leeds because I was having a baby, so we got a stand-in. That was a big moment for me, not to play Reading and Leeds! It was really uncomfortable. I hated it. My girlfriend was in labour.” I’m sure Reading will come again. “I hope so.” As long as she isn’t in labour again!? “Oh no, I’m not planning on doing that again!” he laughs. To read the full Q&A with Arni visit Brightonsfinest.com/TheVaccines
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