GIG LISTINGS Our recommended listings of gigs in Brighton
LIVE REVIEWS From The 1975, Triptych, Dog of Man, Astroid Boys and more
ISSUE 30
29 JAN - 11 FEB 2019
WHITE LIES Harry McVeigh talks about the early days and the new album
STEVE MASON Discusses his new found focus and vigor for making music
ISSUE 30
CONTENTS THE SPECIALS
Ska’s favourite sons are back with a new album, Encore, and with an upcoming Brighton show, Jerry Dammers talks about this special return
6 STEVE MASON
The biggest and best club nights in Brighton this fortnight
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DESIGN: Kyle Moon
COVER PHOTO: The Specials
LIVE REVIEWS The 1975, Astroid Boys, Dog of Man and more feature in our rundown from recent reviews on the live circuit
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 press@brightonsfinest.com Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.
To read the full magazine online visit Issuu.com/brightonsfinest
OUT OF TOWN WHITE LIES Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
EDITOR: Daniel White
COMMERCIAL: Lesley Lawrence advertising@brightonsfinest.com
Our recommended listings and previews of upcoming gigs
10 4 NIGHTLIFE
CEO: Frank Sansom
PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd, Jonski Mason
LISTINGS
Brighton resident Steve Mason talks about depression, politics and his new album
BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU...
Harry McVeigh speaks about the new White Lies album, and the band’s early beginnings.
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NEWS
More news at Brightonsfinest.com/News
LAURYN HILL TO HEADLINE LOVE SUPREME 2019
FUR REVEAL SECOND SONG FROM THEIR DEBUT EP It’s an exciting time for Brighton quartet Fur. Not only are they just about to embark on their first ever headline tour across the UK, but they’re also gearing up to release their first EP. They’ve now released ‘Him and Her’, another delicate number from the doo-wop group. Fur EP will be released on Valentine’s Day, while the band play Brighton’s Patterns the day after, on 15th February 2019.
Located at Glynde Place, it has been an honour to watch Love Supreme Festival go from strength to strength over the years. In the past it has featured legendary headliners from the likes of funk, soul and hip-hop, with sets from some of the finest experimental jazz maestros, and now, amazingly, this year’s edition looks like it could be the best edition yet. Already boasting Jamie Cullum and Gladys Knight as headliners, outstandingly, it’s just grown monumentally bigger too.
to be this summer. The three-day event takes place from 5th to 7th July 2019.
Hip-hop and r’n’b superstar, Lauryn Hill, is set to take the headline slot on Sunday 7th July. Her work with The Fugees, as well as her five-time Grammy Award winning solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, mark her as a global superstar that is sure to bring the festival to a close in some style. Simply, Love Supreme looks the place
PENELOPE ISLES SIGN TO BELLA UNION & SHARE TRACK Having enchanted audiences with ease over the years, Brighton-based outfit Penelope Isles have now announced that they’ve signed to local indie label Bella Union, and 2019 will see the release of their debut record Until the Tide Creeps In.
MUTATIONS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE FULL LINE-UP AND VENUE
Since announcing its return, with a lineup consisting of White Denim, Snapped Ankles, Josefin Ohrn and Goat Girl, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Mutations Festival. Now they’ve revealed it will take place at Hansen Hall in Portslade as well as completing their line-up, which includes Flamingods, TVAM, Saint Agnes, Tamu Massif, Orchards, LibraLibra and Jacko Hooper. We expect this to be a sell-out, so you better be quick if you want one of the last remaining tickets.
They’ve also released the lead single for the album, ‘Chlorine’, which comes in the form of a live performance video from Brighton’s Bella Studios. A potent, expansive and soaring track, it’s a wonderful gateway to a brand-new era for Penelope Isles. While the release date for Until the Tide
Creeps In is yet to be revealed, they’ve also announced the band will head out on a mammoth UK tour, starting in London at the end of January and leading all the way up to a homecoming show at Brighton’s The Great Escape.
PREVIEWS
GIG LISTINGS Concorde 2
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 those listening in a deep and personal way.
General Levy Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £14.63 Presented by One Inch Badge
Holy Bouncer Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £5.50 Presented by Acid Box Promotions
King King Saturday 9th February Tickets: £22.50 Presented by The Gig Cartel
Dilly Dally Thursday 31st January Tickets: £11.25 Presented by One Inch Badge
Ruts DC Tuesday 12th February Tickets: £19.80 Presented by SJM Concerts
Air Waves Sunday 3rd February Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
The Dead South Thursday 14th February Tickets: £19.80 Presented by SJM Concerts
Oli Spleen Saturday 9th February Tickets: FREE Presented by Oli Spleen
Blue October Tuesday 19th February Tickets: £27-77 Presented by Lout Promotions
Gaffa Tape Sandy Thursday 14th February Tickets: £7.00 Presented by Scruff of the Neck
The PRINCE ALBERT
Low – St. George’s Church – Thursday 31st January 2019 12 albums in, the Minnesotan trio are not done yet: their recently-released Double Negative represents another peak in their long career. A brilliantly produced work that pushes and pulls throughout, oscillating between gentle and brutal washes of sound, pounding electronics alongside ethereal vocals. St. George’s Church has been witness to countless solemn dedications in the past, but this will be altogether more religious.
PICK OF THE WEEK
The Fallen Leaves Saturday 2nd February Tickets: £8.80 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 Willie J Healey Wednesday 13th February Tickets: £8.00 Presented by Lout Promotions Lala Lala Thursday 14th February Tickets: £8.05 Presented by One Inch Badge
COALITION
White Lies – Concorde 2 – Thursday 31st January 2019 In 2018, White Lies returned with their first album in four years, Friends. In support of that record, they arrive at Concorde 2 at the end of January for a show that’s been sold-out for months. Showing there’s still excitement around the band, it’s set to be a terrific spectacle. With the likes of ‘Farewell to the Fairground’ from debut album To Lose My Life as well as already established new favourites, it’s set to be another night of indie classics.
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The Hope & Ruin
The Murlocs Saturday 9th February Tickets: £13.50 Presented by One Inch Badge
Thyla Saturday 16th February Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Metropolis Music Cub Sport Monday 18th February Tickets: £8.05 Presented by One Inch Badge Petal Tuesday 19th February Tickets: £8.80 Presented by One Inch Badge Mothers Thursday 21st February Tickets: £11.00 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
PATTERNS Fur Friday 15th February Tickets: £8.25 Presented by Neat Neat Neat Toy Tuesday 19th February Tickets: £13.50 Presented by One Inch Badge Sports Team Thursday 21st February Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
St George's Church THE RICHMOND The Residents Thursday 7th February Tickets: £29.81 Presented by Melting Vinyl & Dictionary Pudding
Meg Lawrenson Band Thursday 31st January Tickets: FREE Presented by Inbrighton Live
GIG LISTINGS THE OLD MARKET Lamont Dozier Wednesday 13th January Tickets: £32.45 Presented by AGMP
KOMEDIA
PREVIEWS GREEN DOOR STORE This Is The Kit Tuesday 29th January Tickets: £17.60 Presented by Willkommen Records Swearin’ Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £9.35 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
The Magic Gang Wednesday 30th January Tickets: £14.30 Presented by Neat Neat Neat
The Once Sunday 3rd February Tickets: £9.90 Presented by Good Lies
Phobophobes Saturday 2nd February Tickets: £11.00 Presented by Komedia
Micah P. Hinson Wednesday 6th February Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Melting Vinyl
Charlie Winston Tuesday 5th February Tickets: £12.38 Presented by One Inch Badge
Ed The Dog Friday 8th February Tickets: £6.00 Presented by Hidden Herd
Andy Burrows Monday 11th February Tickets: £15.75 Presented by One Inch Badge
Vein Friday 22nd February Tickets: £13.20
Allusinlove Wednesday 13th February Tickets: £8.05 Presented by Small Pond & Sugar Free Night Flowers Thursday 14th February Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Dictionary Pudding Wild Nothing Tuesday 19th February Tickets: £15.75 Presented by One Inch Badge
BRIGHTON CENTRE Bastille Friday 1st February Tickets: £22.00 Presented by Kilimanjaro Tears For Fears Monday 4th February Tickets: £39.05 Presented by AEG Presents
LATEST MUSIC BAR Nov3l Tuesday 29th January Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Neat Neat Neat Surfbort Saturday 9th February Tickets: £7.70 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Bastille – Brighton Centre – Friday 1st February 2019 Formed in 2010, Bastille blew people away with their breakthrough style of indie-pop, instantly garnering success after the release of their debut album Bad Blood, which topped the UK Album Chart in 2013. With a brand new album titled Doom Days coming in 2019, as well as a live album and mixtape, this Brighton Centre performance will surely be an epic spectacle with equally epic tunes from one of UK’s most distinctive bands.
THE HAUNT Los Albertos Friday 1st February Tickets: £11.00 Presented by Punker Bunker White Room Saturday 2nd February Tickets: £7.00 Presented by Lout Promotions The Delines Wednesday 6th February Tickets: £18.15 Presented by One Inch Badge
Alfie Neale – The Haunt – Thursday 7th February 2019 Alfie Neale has become a bit of a local hero on the South Coast. Packing out every show he plays, he’s impressed with everything he’s turned his hand to. His debut single, ‘Liquor Dreams’, in particular, is a beautiful slice of neo-soul that showcases his soothing, melodic vocals. Things are certainly heating up for Neale and to celebrate he’s headlining Brighton’s The Haunt. Chloe Bodur will provide support, with Pollon also performing.
This Wild Life Saturday 9th February Tickets: £15.40 Presented by Lout Promotions Polyphia Sunday 10th February Tickets: £13.20 Presented by Lout Promotions Bill Ryder-Jones Monday 18th February Tickets: £16.88 Presented by One Inch Badge
The Quadrant Oh Mama Friday 15th February Tickets: £5.00 Presented by Fresh Lenins
Steve Mason – St Bartholomews Church – Saturday 9th February Having forged his own solo success over the last half decade or so, we are really excited that Steve will close the UK leg of his tour in such a gorgeous setting, a tour where the congregation also get to rejoice in material from his new album, About The Light – in record stores from 18th January. Mason will be delivering some rousing choruses and fantastic indie-pop rhythms, wrapped up in a cosy blanket of soul-searching goodness.
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Four decades since they released their debut record, The Specials are back with a brand new album, Encore, packed with new material. With an in-store performance at Brighton’s Resident in February, Jeff Hemmings looks at why the time is right for a Specials return...
When The Specials first came to notice, they were a revelation, and for so many, a phenomenon they were unlikely to ever experience again. Coming off the back of punk, and very integral to that profound movement, the Coventry band were of mixed race, a rare beast in the 70s, and a band seemingly everywhere for a few short and heady years. Initially known as the Coventry Automators, the band came together in time honoured fashion. Jerry Dammers was looking for some help with a music project whilst at Lancaster Polytechnic. Bassist Horace Panter answered the call and, in those heady
days where the spirit of punk and DIY ethics were alive and quickly evolving, a band were soon born. Within a couple of years they coalesced into the classic line-up of Dammers, Panter, Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding, Roddy Radiation, John Bradbury, and horn players Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez. The band leader Dammers was not only responsible for much of the music, he decided to set up a label, 2 Tone - with the backing of Chrysalis which became the vehicle for this new hybrid of music, that fused ska with rocksteady and punk, with a socio-political stance. With its simple black and
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white imagery - reflecting the mixed race of The Specials, as well as other bands who were signed to it such as The Selector, The Beat, as well as Madness. With this line-up, and in the space of just two years, they created seven consecutive top ten hits, including songs that remain stone cold classics to this day; ‘Gangsters’, ‘A Message to You Rudy’, ‘Too Much Too Young’, and ‘Ghost Town’. In particular, this final track is one of the truly great, and important, pop songs of all-time, released at a time when pop music played a far more important role in people’s lives, especially for young people. It immeasurably helped to foster a sense of identity and subculture. It came around at the same time when unemployment, inner city and industrial decline, and rioting were taking hold in the early years of the Thatcher Government. ‘Ghost Town’ became an instant musical editorial, following on from the Bristol and Brixton riots of 1980, with 35 more riots in the summer of 1981. Dammers has said about the seeds for the song, “You travelled from town to town, and what was happening was terrible. In Liverpool, all the shops were shuttered up, everything was closing down... We could actually see it by touring around. You could see that frustration and anger in the audience. In Glasgow, there were these little old ladies on the streets selling all their household goods, their cups and saucers. It was unbelievable. It was clear that something was very, very wrong. The overall sense I wanted to convey was impending doom. There were weird, diminished chords: certain members of the band resented the song and wanted the simple chords they were used to playing on the first album. It’s hard to explain how powerful it sounded.” With the band falling to bits, the touring fraught, violence a regular feature of gigs, and the band infighting, essentially revolving around Dammers versus the rest, particularly Terry Hall, The Specials imploded when Hall, Golding and Staple decided to leave just when ‘Ghost Town’ was being played everywhere, eventually forming the successful Fun Boy Three. Dammers continued the band, as The Special AKA, releasing a new album in 1984, before washing his hands of the project for ever more in ‘86. Subsequent-
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ly, various versions of The Specials have sprung up, reunions taken place, and the occasional album released, but always featuring exclusively covers. When Hall rejoined a reunited band in 2009, The Specials took off again, riding a wave of nostalgia, with the sound of financial systems creaking around the globe, re-awakening old fans, and winning new admirers. The problem was, however, new songs. In their initial heyday, their songs came from a combination of the genius of Dammers, as well as adapting ska and reggae classics. It’s been nearly 40 years since anything original has been released but, finally, a new album is about to see the light of day. Encore, perhaps unexpectedly for some, delivers on a long-held promise. Centred around original members Terry Hall, Horace Panter, and Lynval Golding, The Specials are firing on all cylinders, their creative sparks rejuvenated, and once again they seem utterly relevant in these post-crash, rising nationalism, and Brexit times. There are some surprises along the way; ‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’ is pure vintage funk, and with a strong message for 2019. “People wont be black and white, the world will be half breed,” they sing. ‘B.L.M.’ is a no holds barred spoken word track, also married to classic funk, concerning the story of West Indies immigrants, and Lynval Golding in particular,
It was clear that something was very, very wrong. The overall sense I wanted to convey was impending doom. It’s hard to explain how powerful it sounded.
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who was born in Jamaica, and who came over as part of the British Government supported Windrush generation, and the subsequent difficulties of integrating into a hostile environment. There’s also the blatantly political ‘Vote For Me’, more of the classic Specials keyboard and organ, with those ska and rocksteady beats and rhythms at its heart. All through the album there are songs about freedom, living in harmony, and calling out those who wish to do harm, to foster animosity. The seeds for the album had already been planted by original drummer John Bradbury, who sadly passed away in in 2015. However, early last year the current Specials line-up, Golding, Panter and Hall, were joined in a London studio with the familiar touring band that have joined them on-stage for the last few years; including Nikolaj Torp Larsen on keyboards, who also helped with much of the songwiting, Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller guitarist Steve Craddock, and Kenrick Rowe, the multi-experienced ska/reggae drummer. The resulting album, whilst cheekily incorporating Fun Boy Three’s ‘The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum’, and an homage to The Doors’ ‘Riders on the Storm’, is moody and dark, but underpinned by those slow poppy ska and reggae rhythms, as well as pop, funk, soul, and carnival-esque rhythms. The Specials were always a band of anti-racists. The problem of racism was still huge back in the late 70s, but the reggae-embracing punk movement, and bands such as The Specials did incalculable amounts for the better. Back then, music really did move mountains. While it is now fragmented, and much more diverse than it’s ever been, The Specials are indeed special, a band for all times. To read the full interview visit Brightonsfinest.com/TheSpecials
NIGHTLIFE Dimension Friday 1st February The Arch 11pm – 5am
QZB / Data 3 / Charli Briz Saturday 2nd February Hideout 11pm – 5am
2 Many DJ’s Saturday 2nd February Concorde 2 11pm – 4am
Enzo Siragusa / Sidney Charles Saturday 2nd February The Arch 11pm – 6am
Or:la / Roi Perez / Mehtola Saturday 2nd February Patterns 11pm – 4am
Holy Goof Friday 8th February Concorde 2 11pm – 4am
DJ Storm Friday 8th February Patterns 11pm – 4am
Brame & Hamo Saturday 9th February Patterns 11pm – 4am
Serum / Unglued / Deadline Saturday 9th February Hideout 11pm – 4am
Craig Charles Funk & Soul Saturday 9th February Concorde 2 11pm – 4am
Sonny Fodera Saturday 9th February The Arch 10pm – 6am
Sonic Switch (Tru Though Records) Saturday 9th February Green Door Store, 11am – 4am
OUT OF TOWN
Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
Goat Girl Wednesday 30th January The Windmill, Brixton (Indie) – 7:30pm
Field Music Thursday 31st January Imperial War Museum, London (Pop) – 7pm
Lice Friday 1st February The Social, London (Punk) – 7pm
Skinny Milk Friday 1st February The Fighting Cocks, Kingston Upon Thames, (Metal) – 7pm
The Wombats Friday 1st February SSE Arena, Wembley, London (Indie) – 6pm
Swim Deep Friday 1st February Boileroom, Guildford (Pop) – 7:30pm
Snow Patrol Saturday 2nd February SSE Arena, Wembley, London (Rock) – 7pm
Dark Horses Saturday 2nd February O2 Academy Islington, London (Rock) – 6:30pm
Chvrches Thursday 7th February Alexandra Palace, London (Indie Pop) – 7pm
Anna Calvi Thursday 7th February Roundhouse, London (Singer-Songwriter) – 7pm
Kaiser Chiefs Friday 8th February O2 Academy Brixton, London (Indie Rock) – 7pm
Cancer Bats Saturday 9th February 100 Club, London (Metal) – 7:30pm
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STEVE MASON With a new-found focus and vigour, Steve Mason has thrived since moving to Brighton, as his latest album, About the Light, demonstrates...
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Steve Mason has decidedly come out of the dark, and into the light. After years of cult acclaim with The Beta Band, and then years of debt, depression, and isolation whilst living in Fife, Scotland, he’s found a new home in Brighton. He’s even got a three-yearold child to contend with, born and bred here, and he’s still making extraordinarily powerful, moving, and simply brilliant music. With the recent re-release of much of The Beta Band’s back catalogue last year, Mason’s already sizeable following continues to expand, in awe and/or in love with one of the best songwriters of recent times. Reflecting the group nature of The Beta Band’s output, Mason has belatedly tried to re-capture those heady days with About the Light, his fourth solo album. Produced by Stephen Street, who has helped steer everything from Black Uhuru to Blur to The Smiths over the years, About the Light represents Mason’s best album yet: a record that combines an upward shift in his personal positivity and confidence, along with a strong band vibe; recalling those Beta Band recordings, but also his reignited confidence and positivity. Why the new direction? “It’s about shedding the past, and wanting to be less of a control freak, and everything that entails,” he says. “I wanted the making of the record to be a more communal experience, and maybe have some more fun on the way, rather than just being me, on my own in a room, patrolling the darker recesses of my mind. I still wanted to make an important and legitimate record, but that doesn’t have to be a miserable experience to make. Maybe not a miserable experience, but a hard experience.” Mason is already rehearsing a band up for their upcoming dates, including a long sold out show at St. Bartholomew’s Church, in Brighton. “It’s sounding immense,” he says of the run-throughs so far, rehearsing up songs such as the intriguingly titled opening track, ‘America is Your Boyfriend’. “It’s about watching the whole Grenfell thing unfold. There’s a line in that song that goes: ‘It doesn’t tax
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the memory, a bouncing baby’. And that’s from that terrible scene. I think a mother had to throw her baby from a burning building, and luckily someone caught the baby, but the mother burnt to death. It’s the most brutal face of capitalism. It’s horrific. I remember driving back into London on the Westway, and seeing this black building, this burnt out building. It just looked like a monument to capitalism to me, this horrible rotten tooth sitting there. And the way people were treated was appalling.” Why is the song called ‘America Is Your Boyfriend’, then? “When I think of capitalism in its most extreme form, I don’t know why, but I always think of America. There you had a capitalist democracy, but from the ground up, via genocide on the indigenous population. That always adds a whole new twist to the idea, when they are marching around the globe, imposing freedom on different countries, just as we did, back in the day. “Don’t get me wrong, if I was back in the Empire day, I would be writing about that. This is my lifetime now, this is what I feel. There are few countries in Europe who aren’t guilty of these crimes. My generation literally grew up with this idea of America being this fairyland, where only great things happen, where everything was big and everything was wonderful. And then you eventually realise it is literally a massive PR campaign that happened in the 70s and 80s. The reality is that it is brutal to its own people, as much as it is to everyone else. The poverty that happens in America, that you don’t see on the television, is horrific.” I’m guessing you don’t really need to tell me your views on Trump, then!? “Yeah, that has
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been done to death. He’s just another madman at the wheel. Anyone with an ego that is that fragile should be under quite intensive observation. They certainly shouldn’t be allowed to run a country!” Still political then, and still with strong opinions. However, Mason has mellowed out considerably over the years, particularly since moving to Brighton. This was immediately reflected in his last album, Meet the Humans, and this more confident and positive path has continued with About the Light. Why is your songwriting less politically-orientated these days? “You can literally tie yourself in knots thinking about all that stuff, and it can drive you to the point of complete despair. The thing is, when it takes you to that point, then they’ve won. And, I don’t want them to win. I want us to win. And what you have to do, or at least what I have to do, is to just keep it local. Concentrate on yourself, concentrate on your friends and family, and the people you interact with on a daily basis, and make those interactions special, make them count, and make them compassionate. That can help win the day. ‘Cos when you’re wandering around in this cloud, wondering how you can fix the world, it’s never going to happen. You have to change your own little world, that’s how you can do it. Change your own world, don’t worry about the world as a whole.” So, moving down here was all about trying to get away from that? “Definitely. It’s too much to take in everything. I was thinking about it all the time, and studying, and reading, and you’re just sitting thinking ‘what can I do, what can I do?’
I came to Brighton four years ago. It’s a place I always loved to come and play and visit, and it’s always had a little bit of a spark of magic about it. For me, that has not changed.
And it drives you mad. That’s not helpful, you end up not thinking clearly, and developing this negative energy. So keep it local. “I came to Brighton four years ago. I was desperate to get out of Fife, and just change my life and move somewhere that had a decent social scene. I had friends here; Martin Duffy was here, Pete Wiggs (St. Etienne), and a very good friend of mine from school. It’s a place I always loved to come and play and visit, and it’s always had a little bit of a spark of magic about it. For me, that has not changed. I’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future.” There are some wonderfully soulful and uplifting songs dotted throughout
About the Light. Such as the paean to love, ‘Walking Away From Love’, and the story-like ‘Fox on the Rooftop’. “The idea came from a friend of mine whose daughter - who is about three - said to her that this fox would come to see her in the night. She couldn’t get a lot out of her, whether it was a dream, or she was imagining it, or something she had seen in a book or on television. It was the summer in London, and hot, and she was sleeping with the window open. One evening as she was about to go to bed, and she went to check in on her daughter, and the whole room was bathed in moonlight. And curled up at the bottom of this girl’s bed was a fox. I just imagined before the terror sets in, and you kick into protection mode, that it must have been an incredible scene to witness. I imagined it to be
this beautiful black and white scene, with the moonlight shining in on the fox, and the little girl fast asleep. There is something very beautiful about that.” Why did you call the album About the Light? “I was going to call it America Is your Boyfriend, but I didn’t want to give people the wrong impression, as it is not a particularly political record. I decided to make it more positive, as it is a more positive record, and wanted to get that idea over straight away. It’s a beautiful, confident, positive, angry, loving and gentle album which once again moves, what I do, forward.” To read the full interview with Steve visit Brightonsfinest.com/SteveMason
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LIVE REVIEWS
Full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live The 1975 – Brighton Centre – 16th January
From their studio output, to their impressive live outlays, The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has become the true orchestrator of something quite special. Their Brighton headline show exhibited not only that the band are the best British guitar band since Arctic Monkeys, but they’ve got the musical capacity to join pop’s elite. On this evidence - from the outrageously large scope of their stage design, including treadmills, huge screens and a titillating light show - they’ve created a sheer pop bonanza on the scale of Kate Bush or David Bowie. What struck me about their show was the sheer entertainment of it all. From opening number ‘Give Yourself a Try’s anxiety-riddled riff, to ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’s almost hip-hop beat, the band not only have the live hits in abundance, but they know exactly how to use them. Most refreshing and, honestly, quite passion-inducing, however, is the band’s connection with their fans. It’s there, too, because the band have always treated their mainly teenage audience as adults and, lyrically, they’re writing songs that are relatable and important to them. Whether it’s with a politically-charged statement on ‘Love It If We Made It’, or on mental illness with ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’, the band are truly the voice of this generation and Healy is the first true frontman of the millennial era. From start to finish, the band are a sonic lesson in the pain of 21st century life; both visually and thematically they encapsulate the state of the world as it is right now and, crucially, young people are fully devoted. Simply, The 1975 are innovators of emotionally-charged pop music - and they do it in some style.
Triptych 3 – The Hope & Ruin - Saturday 19th January This three-day festival saw such an amazingly eclectic mix of Brighton’s favourite artists play, that it is vital to provide a platform for up-and-coming talent. The night featured sets from dream punks Winter Gardens, local students Radidas and headliners Hollow Hand, who deliver some charming tracks full of retro harmonies, hooks and riffs, however, their lack of charisma means offstage chattering is louder this evening.
Dog Of Man – Green Door Store – Wednesday 17th January Dog Of Man really championed the psychedelia theme of the night in not only their music, but their surreal mannerisms and humorous banter between songs. DOM are a very talented group and they conveyed a very high level of energy during their performance and because of this, so did the crowd. It’s always a pleasure to see live shows like this unfold and it was a very unique performance that did their style of music justice.
Astroid Boys – The Prince Albert – 15th December This show might honestly stand as the most chaotic that I will ever witness at The Prince Albert. Stage dives, mosh pits, this live set had it all. Thanks to the intimacy that the venue always provides, this was definitely the most unique, and quite possibly my favourite, Astroid Boys show, as well as the last ever in Brighton. The kind of energy that it created was extremely rare and, from start to finish, it was a thrilling spectacle to behold.
The Electric Soft Parade – The Hope & Ruin – 11th January Having successfully crowdfunded their next record you’d expect a few of those new songs dropped into the set tonight, however, ESP are a band who like to avoid doing exactly what you’d expect. It was a set that was seamlessly sown with rich melody throughout, closing out with a quadruple dose of the first album’s big singles: ‘Silent To The Dark’, ‘Empty At The End’, ‘Start Again’, and ‘There’s A Silence’.
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ALBUM REVIEWS
Full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/albums
Sharon Van Etten Remind Me Tomorrow Out: 18th January 2019 A lot has happened since Sharon Van Etten released Are We There, one of the best albums of 2014. The romantic decay she had alluded to on that album has given way to a new found romance, child rearing, acting, as well as a yearning for other career pastures. ‘I Told You Everything’, the lead track, sees SVE bare it all to her partner, wrapped in a slow and somewhat mournful approach, while ‘No One’s Easy to Love’ expands on that. There are some slightly more experimental turns, such as on the spooky psych of ‘Memorial Day’, and the similarly 60s-inflected and out there ‘You Shadow’. Remind Me Tomorrow may put off those who hanker for the younger, more wispy acoustica of Van Etten. However, like we all do, when we find new relationships, it marks a decisive step forward. At once it’s a work that is infused with the ghosts of America’s rock’n’roll past, and yet it’s a thoroughly modern sound.
Steve Mason About the Light Out: 18th January 2019 About The Light sees Steve Mason move further away from his previous modus operandi of working alone and this time has brought on board a live band to help “capture the energy that we produce when we play live shows.” With producer Stephen Street at the helm, he’s succeeded in fully realising the innate soulfulness of his music, with ten organic tracks that pay respect to the turn of the 70s, the post-rave era, psychedelia, and new wave. Beginning with the anti-establishment ‘America Is Your Boyfriend’, it hints at the psychedelic soul era of the late 60s/early 70s, as does second track ‘Rocket’. The eclecticism of the live-feel shines through on ‘Stars Around My Heart’, while ‘Spanish Brigade’ is perhaps the most straightforward, and pop-friendly song here. This record feels like a result of years of turmoil, depression, isolation and anger that have finally given way, to a new found confidence, and joie de vivre.
Deerhunter Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? Out: 18th January 2019 A temperamental and cynical record, that sees Deerhunter try to emulate America’s newest heroes such as DIIV and The National, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? brings Deerhunter straight up-to-date with their contemporaries. The album is, at times, an atmospheric delight. Certainly not as deep as the band were intending, or hoping, but it is most definitely a return to form for the group. Featuring gloomy numbers that create a genuine sense of dread, alongside brighter, sunnier outlooks, Deerhunter explore tone impressively well. Importantly, too, the record is yet another indie romp into the mind of Bradford Cox - one of America’s finest modern lyricists. A jangly pop record, that takes you through a sonic adventure of modern indie sounds, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? is, crucially, a whole load of fun from a band that seemed to have had that sucked out of them.
Perch No Step Out: 12th January 2019 No Step is the second full-length album from local art rock/post-grunge group Perch and clearly displays a progression in their style, whilst keeping that Brighton band aesthetic that made their past efforts so brilliant. Seemingly combining the softer and folk-inspired atmosphere of their debut album Umbra with the energy and grunge-influenced nature of their 2012 EP, the writing for the tracks on No Step began directly after the release of Umbra in mid-2016. The album shows versatility throughout, with a nice mixture of upbeat and softer tracks, all of which have their own character, while consistently sharing atmospheric similarities. While all of these tracks are great, my favourites would include the warm and soulful ‘Amber’, the exhilarating ‘Kite’, and the wonderful instrumental of ‘Magic Sun’, where the band showcase a more technical composition. Despite the album’s title, No Step is in fact a giant step forward for Perch.
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Charles Cave, Jack Lawrence-Brown, and Harry McVeigh met whist still at school, eventually forming Fear of Flying, who achieved some early success, before they decided that they needed a new name, to reflect their maturation into adulthood. White Lies was the result. Harry took some time out to discuss the new album and those early beginnings.
H
ello. I understand you’re living in the States now? Coming up for two and a half years, in San Francisco. My wife and I. It was my wife’s work that forced her out here.
What’s it like? I love it. But, we’ve realised we’re going to move back, I think before the end of this year. My wife is tying up a few things with her work, and then we’ll move back to London. But, for the time we’ve been here, it’s been incredible. I think we’ll
make a lot of effort to move back here in the future. So, how did it work, making this new album, while you’ve been out there? A lot of transatlantic flying. I came back for two, maybe three long sessions with Charles, coming back for a month at a time, and we wrote as much as possible in that time. Tell me how you approached this new album. We always approach songwriting in the same way, especially now that we have
figured out our process. How the record turns out is shaped by what we do in those initial writing sessions. When you have six or seven songs you have a feel for the direction of the record, and what you need to do with other songs to make it balanced. This time, early on we realised we wanted to push the songs more in the direction of how we first started out. We threw the kitchen sink at the songs on the first album, really fleshed them out, made them quite pompous, with a little over-the-top production. We tried to do that same thing with a lot of this album, where we’ve asked ourselves what we
can add to this, to make it not necessarily a wall of sound, but again, a little overthe-top, production-wise. It sounds more eclectic than your previous albums, more going on... Yeah, it is more varied. We thought it would be something that would work, to have these songs pull you off in a number of different tangents, and taking you to different places. And the production leans towards more guitars on the album. It’s a bit heavier, like how we explored on our first two albums. And we tried to do a few stranger things, with songs like ‘Time To Give’, which was the first song we released. What are your other personal highlights? I also love ‘Finish Line’. Again, I think it takes you on a bit of a journey. Every section of that song takes you to a new scene, like a fresh palette of sounds at every turn. I’m really pleased how it turned out. It’s a really complete song. And with ‘Tokyo’, we felt right from the outset we had that classic 80s pop song strangeness. But honestly, we’re proud of all the record. A lot of people might complain that the album is only nine tracks long, rather than at least ten, which
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Tommy. He’s just about to open a micropub in Hove, which we will be visiting! You all met while at school, is that right? Yeah, about 15 years ago. Jack and I went to the same school as each other, but I became close with Charles first, and used to hang out with him, play records, and we’d play guitar and bass together. Charles was playing with a few bands, and I was starting to do a bit of singing with some of those bands, so we just decided to play together. And Charles had heard that Jack had got a drumkit for Christmas. He was the only person nearby who had a drumkit, so we started playing together. First you were called Fear of Flying, you released a few records on Jack’s Chess Club label, and developed a following. Why did you change the name? It was a bit of a gamble, even though we had had some success with Fear of
People might complain that the album is only nine tracks long, but that is a reflection of the songs being really good quality, and sitting very well together. All wheat and no chaff!
all our others have been, but that is a reflection of the songs being really good quality, and sitting very well together. All wheat and no chaff! We’re excited for everyone to hear it. But ask us in a year’s time to see if we still like it or not! You’re gearing up for the UK tour, the first date of which is in Brighton, and the first time that many people will get to hear some new tracks... Yes, we’re starting to put together the sounds for the live show, and getting some new guitar pedals! They are like new toys. That was the thing I was most probably jealous of when we were first starting out, and seeing other bands play, and the guitarists with their nice big pedal boards. It was something I always really wanted. Our keyboard player, Tommy, lives in Hove. We spend quite a lot of time there, not just as a band, but with
Flying. But that name tied us to what we were doing when we had first started. I think there are age ranges where everyone steps up and moves into adulthood. The story is, we had some studio time, and a really good friend of ours’ dad, Stephen Street, had a wonderful studio, Olympic in Barnes, and we had some time with him. One of the songs we had with him was ‘Unfinished Business’, which ended up on our first album, and it just felt immediately that that was a huge step up, and so we made the decision to change the name, and go out with that song. It caught people’s attention very quickly. Less than a year later we had signed a record deal, and we were touring the world. And you’re still here! I think a lot of people would tell you that the music industry can be a managed
decline. You have to ride that wave of your initial releases. With us, we’ve stuck to the course. We haven’t necessarily grown any bigger, but we haven’t gone anywhere at the same time. We still attract new people. Mexico seems to be particularly big for us at the moment. It’s where we will likely play our biggest shows. Jack and I were there recently, in Tijuana, making a couple of videos for the last album, doing interviews. It was crazy. They have press conferences! It’s wonderful! You never know what’s going to happen. A song can suddenly catch the imagination. Same with the Netherlands, where ‘Time To Give’ had been playlisted on pretty much all of the major radio stations, playing the full seven and a half minute version. To read the full Q&A with Harry visit Brightonsfinest.com/WhiteLies
White Lies Five Out: 1st February 2019
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