LIVE & ALBUM REVIEWS MUSIC NEWS GIG LISTINGS ISSUE 6 12 JUNE - 18 JUNE 2018
OUT OF TOWN
Orbital Going the distance
ISSUE 6
CONTENTS 5 BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU...
ORBITAL Jeff Hemmings talks to Paul Hartnoll about Orbital’s return and brotherly relations in the band
NEWS
Local releases and more news from the city’s music scene
CEO: Frank Sansom EDITOR: Daniel White
LISTINGS
PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd Jonski Mason
Our recommended listings of this week’s gigs across the city
COVER SHOT: Orbital PHOTOGRAPHY: Jamie MacMillan
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CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Hemmings Iain Lauder Ben Noble Liam McMillen Ben Walker Christian Middleton Kelly Westlake Paul Hill Tom Churchill Dan Whitehouse
LIVE REVIEWS ALBUMS Check out the latest album releases
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Patti Smith and Her Band and Beth Ditto feature in this week’s reviews
OUT OF TOWN
8 NIGHTLIFE Hitting the town? Check out our run-down of Brighton club nights this week
Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
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RADIO
NEWS
Jeff Hemmings Mon/Wed
The 1975 have released ‘Give Yourself A Try’, the first single from their forthcoming studio album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Matt Healy says the new record will be out in October, with a follow-up in May 2019. Brighton four-piece Orchards will release their new EP, Losers/ Lovers, on 6th July, proceeded by single ‘Double Vision’. “Beers, sunshine and good times is the vibe we were going for,” says guitarist Sam Rushton.
Tuesday: Interviews with Hell Is For Heroes and The Sugarhill Gang Wednesday: Interviews with Rostam and Waxahatchee
Johnny Marr coming to Brighton
The Smiths’ legendary guitarist, and all-round rock icon Johnny Marr is embarking on a major tour in support of his new album, Call The Comet, to be released on 15th June. He’ll be performing at Brighton Dome, 9th November, and he explained, “Call The Comet is my own magic realism. It’s set in the not-too-distant future and is mostly concerned with the idea of an alternative society. The characters in the songs are searching for a new idealism, although there are some personal songs in there too.“
SCHEDULE: 9 - 11PM
Kelly Westlake Tue/Thurs
Thursday: Interview with Life and Brightonsfinest Listener’s Chart Monday: Interview with Belly and Going up with... Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Brightonsfinest.com/radio
COMING SOON ON RADIO
While the world awaits Monsters Exist, the time is right for an exclusive conversation with Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll. With a special show at Brighton Racecourse in June, excitement is building for this musical extravaganza.
As very special closing night headliners to this year’s Love Supreme, Earth, Wind & Fire are sure to bring that party to one hell of a crescendo and we’ll be speaking to Verdine White beforehand, get ready for this!
DON’T MISS: PICK OF THE WEEK
Brighton four-piece Black Peaks have released their brand new single, ‘Home’, with news of their second album, All That Divides, set for release 5th October. The band are currently on tour in Europe with A Perfect Circle. Nearly a year in the works Folklore Volume 1 is set for release on 26th June. Jacko Hooper with Bess Atwell, George Ogilvie and Oktoba all contribute to the 7” vinyl release which will be launched at a gig at The Prince Albert.
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Waxahatchee - The Haunt - Saturday 16th June 2018 Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee, returns to Brighton after her storming set at Komedia last September. The indie-folk singer-songwriter will be bringing choice cuts from her fourth, and most autobiographical album todate, Out in the Storm, as well as some favourite’s from her back catalogue. Support on the night comes from power pop group Ex-Void, so don’t miss out! For more information visit Brightonsfinest.com/listings
Orbital
Orbital were (and still are) masters of the dance universe. An act that not only made mind-blowing progressive dance-techno fusion but who could do it properly on the live stage. Jeff Hemmings talks to Paul Hartnoll about the brothers’ return...
Paul and Phil Hartnoll are brothers from Sevenoaks, who have lived in Brighton for many years now. Taking their name from London’s orbital M25 motorway, they first came to notoriety with the era-defining ‘Chime’, a track recorded on their dad’s cassette deck. It immediately got a reaction and it wasn’t long before Pete Tong’s label stepped in and Orbital were called upon to do Top of the Pops, while Paul was still working in a pizza restaurant. That seminal 1990 appearance, where they both wore anti-poll tax t-shirts, was the moment when Orbital suddenly became emblematic of the nascent rave/dance scene. It’s been an incredible journey ever since, Orbital riding the highs of the dance music explosion, releasing studio albums such as Snivilisation, Insides and The Middle of Nowhere. However, in 2004, with their fortunes and that of dance music in general waning, the brothers split up, before reforming in 2008, and splitting again in 2014, announcing that they were, “Hanging up their iconic torch-glasses and parting ways for the final time,” despite releasing the excellent Wonky album in 2012. Yet, in early 2017 Orbital had risen again, with rave culture and post-punk back at the forefront of people’s minds. “As always happens,” says Paul. “You get fed up with working with your brother. It’s hard enough working with anyone, I should imagine, for
30 years, let alone your own brother. You have some time away, and then you think ‘it was better doing that’, having your brand, the thing that you have done for nearly 30 years is always going to be more fun. It’s a bigger creative weapon to wield, as it were. So, what’s the problem with this? Falling out with my brother is the only problem. If we can sort that out we’ve got this fabulous creative forum to go and be wild in.”
“It’s hard enough working with anyone for 30 years, let alone your own brother” At the end of May, it all started to come together, with a live appearance on the BBC before announcing a new album, Monsters Exist, plus a slew of festivals and shows around the globe, including one at Brighton Racecourse, 29th June. Does Monsters Exist refer to bad people, I wonder? “It’s a cautionary warning, although I’m not trying to preach to people,” says Paul. “I know who my monsters are, everyone’s got their own monsters. It’s a divided Brexit country at the moment. The fact is I wanted to remain (in the EU), and my monsters are Nigel Farage and people like that. But to some people, he’s
a hero. Part of me wants to make a record that points these people out. But then I remembered post-punk and getting on to when rave music first happened. It was more going back to the hippy ideals, the 60s and counter culture. Not stand around shouting about what we don’t like, and have a big shouty debate. That divides people. Yeah, monsters exist, but come over here and do something nice. Don’t become one of them. That’s my message, really.” Brian Cox also makes an appearance on the album, on final track ‘There Will Come A Time’, a hedonistic-meets-serious musical fusion that has fans seriously excited. “A cautionary tale for the end of the world,” says Paul about ‘There Will Come A Time’. “One of the things when I was growing up was listening to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I found I listened to that rather than Dark Side of the Moon. It’s a kind of return to that; music and Brian talking, a more sombre and gothic version of Brian Cox than you would get on the BBC. I wanted Brian, and his gravitas, saying something about the state of the nation or the world. It’s a global kind of thing, spoken from a position of knowledge and that’s what that represents, the rave generation’s David Attenborough.” To read the full interview visit Brightonsfinest.com/orbital
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GIG LISTINGS Concorde 2
Green Door Store
The Beat starring Dave Wakeling Sunday 17th June Tickets: £18.50 Presented by Concorde 2
Big Ups Wednesday 13th June Tickets: £9.90 Presented by Green Door Store
Miles Kane Monday 25th June Tickets: SOLD OUT Presented by SJM Concerts
Haggard Cat Thursday 14th June Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by Mathematical Promotions
Skids Friday 29th June Tickets: £25 Presented by AGMP
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Pkew Pkew Pkew Thursday 14th June Tickets: £7.70 Presented by sugar-free AJJ (Andrew Jackson Jihad) Friday 15th June Tickets: £11 Presented by Neat Neat Neat Courts Saturday 16th June Tickets: £11 Presented by CloseUp Promotions Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Monday 25th June Tickets: £12.50 Presented by Lout Promotions Valeras Friday 29th June Tickets: £6 Presented by Hidden Herd Doyle (Misfits) Tuesday 3rd July Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Duke of York’s Cinema Kristin Hersh Saturday 30th June Tickets: £22 Presented by Dictionary Pudding
Brighton Racecourse Orbital Friday 29th June Tickets: £39.50 Presented by VMS Live
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PREVIEWS
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Buddy Curtess and The Grasshoppers Saturday 16th June Tickets: £5 OTD Indigo Husk Wednesday 20th June Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Live Nation
The Sugarhill Gang - Concorde 2 Saturday 16th June 2018 Not content packing out Concorde 2 with just one group of American hip-hop legends, both The Sugarhill Gang and Furious Five have united for what is sure to be a spectacular and intimate show. With 2018 marking the 39th anniversary of The Gang’s hit ‘Rapper’s Delight’, this is sure to be an exciting trip into the history of hip-hop, from its very roots.
Ye Nuns Saturday 22nd June Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Dictionary Pudding Distant Monday 25th June Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Anivian Promotions Bongzilla Tuesday 26th June Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Green Door Store Samana Wednesday 27th June Tickets: FREE Presented by Green Door Store Femrock Fest 2018 Saturday 30th June Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Femrock
Life - Green Door Store - Sunday 17th June 2018 Popular Music, the debut album from Life, hit many of the Album of the Year lists in 2017 and quite rightly so. At The Great Escape, you could barely get near one of their sets, and now, following high profile support slots for Slaves and IDLES, it’s their turn to take centre stage as they return for another blast of passionate punk at the Green Door Store.
Idle Crooks & Englishmen Tuesday 3rd July Tickets: £4 OTD Presented by Hashcroft Promotions
The Prince Albert Folklore Volume 1 Sessions Release Show Tuesday 26th June Tickets: TBC Presented by One Inch Badge Thomas Wynn & The Believers Monday 2nd July Tickets: £10 Presented by Lout Promotions
Starcrawler - The Haunt Tuesday 19th June 2018 The Rough Trade signees started the year off with a bang, releasing their eponymous debut album and now, in between massive European festival slots and supporting the Foo Fighters, they’ve managed to fit The Haunt in their hectic touring schedule. This is going to be an exciting, loud and simply bonkers show from one of the most exciting young American bands.
GIG LISTINGS The Hope & Ruin
PREVIEWS Komedia
Red Deer People Thursday 14th June Tickets: £4.40 Presented by Brighton Noise
Lindi Ortega Tuesday 12th June Tickets: £16 Presented by One Inch Badge
Cape Cub Friday 15th June Tickets: £7 Presented by CloseUp Promotions
Mt. Desolation Wednesday 13th June Tickets: £13.50 Presented by SJM Concerts
Hear Lies Saturday 16th June Tickets: £6 The Ex Tuesday 19th June Tickets: £13.20 Presented by Dictionary Pudding Giant Peach Wednesday 20th June Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by TH&R Teen Creeps Tuesday 21th June Tickets: £4 Presented by Slippy H David Ford Friday 22nd June Tickets: SOLD OUT Wayne Snow Sunday 24th June Tickets: £8.63 Presented by One Inch Badge Fresh Wednesday 27th June Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by sugar-free Springhill Saturday 29th June Tickets: £5.50 The Len Price 3 Saturday 30th June Tickets: £9.90 Presented by SBD Promotions Arch Echo & Schiermann Sunday 1st July Tickets: £10 OTD Presented by Anivian Promotions Stonefield Thursday 5th July Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Acid Box The RPM’s Saturday 7th July Tickets: £6.60
Boo Hewerdine Tuesday 19th June Tickets: £17.50 Presented by A Startled Chameleon The Wave Pictures Wednesday 20th June Tickets: £13.50 Presented by One Inch Badge
Belly - Concorde 2 - Tuesday 19th June 2018 After 23 years, the same line-up that forged Belly’s 1995 album, King, have just released a new record, Dove, a work that shows that the fire is still there. As well as the songs, there’s a mix of turbo-charged indie guitar, country flavours, and intimate balladry in abundance. It’s a magnificent return and Brighton keenly awaits for this night at Concorde 2.
Lydia Evangeline Thursday 28th June Tickets: £6
The Haunt Rostam Wednesday 13th June Tickets: £10 Presented by One Inch Badge Modern Life Is War Monday 25th June Tickets: £10 Presented by Neat Neat Neat CW Stoneking Saturday 30th June Tickets: £16.88 Presented by One Inch Badge
Travis - Brighton Dome Wednesday 20th June 2018 19 years after the release of The Man Who, the album that defined the early 00s for many, Travis will be performing the entire album at a special show at Brighton Dome. The years will be rolled back and the songs that marked and defined a generation will be lovingly embraced once more, transporting everyone back to the heady days of a new century.
Sons of Apollo Saturday 7th July Tickets: £22 Presented by Lout Promotions
Hove Cricket Ground Little Mix Friday 9th July Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Little Mix
Rialto Theatre Mama’s Gun Thursday 28th June Tickets: £13.75 Presented by Mama’s Gun
Lionel Richie - Hove Cricket Ground - Saturday 23rd June 2018 Responsible for a string of timeless classics such as ‘Hello’, ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Easy’, Lionel Richie is one of the best selling artists of all time. Known for his feel-good live shows, his appearance in Hove is part of his ‘All The Hits’ UK summer tour, so you can expect an extensive selection of the tracks he’s best known for, along with other fan favourites.
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LIVE REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS Kanye West – Ye Out: 1st June 2018
The show had all of the unpredictability and eccentricity that fans have come to expect from Patti Smith. Amongst all the passion, there is plenty of humour. She may feel she never gets it perfect in Brighton, but that’s part of her charm and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Nothing is taken too seriously tonight, instead those in attendance simply give themselves over to the power and joy of music. Throughout, tonight felt like a truly mutual love-in, a relationship sparked up between Beth Ditto and the audience that I am certain will be revisited again.
This is a wonderful record, Boy Azooga – 1, 2, Kung and a gobsmackingly good Fu! debut album that any mu- Out: 8th June 2018 sician would be proud of. Davey Newington performs nearly every instrument on the record, as well as creating an honest, sincere melting pot of incredible ideas, influences and mesmerising sounds, Boy Azooga are not just a band to watch, they’re a band to stop and stare at.
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/albums
NIGHTLIFE
OUT OF TOWN
K-LONE Thursday 14th June Green Door Store 11pm - 4am
Hybrid Minds Friday 15th June Patterns 11pm - 4am
Animal Collective The Troxy, London Tuesday 12th June 7pm
Of Empires Friday 15th June Nambucca, London 7pm
Dulcet Tones Friday 15th June Hideout 11pm - 4am
Raw Records Saturday 16th June Hideout 11pm - 5am
Mt. Desolation Thursday 14th June The Borderline, London 7pm
Chasing Deer Friday 15th June The Brentham Club, London, 7pm
DJ Aphrodite Friday 15th June Concorde 2 11pm - 4am
Project Pablo Saturday 16th June Patterns 11pm - 4am
The Big Moon Thursday 14th June 100 Club, London 7:30pm
Stone Free Festival 2018 The O2 Arena, London Sat 16th – Sun 17th June 4:30pm
James Hype Friday 15th June The Arch 11pm - 5am
Trevor Nelson’s Soul Nation Saturday 16th June Concorde 2, 11pm - 4am
Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival, Southbank Centre, Fri 15th – Sun 24th June
Marti Pellow Assembly Hall, Worthing Tuesday 19th June 7:30pm
Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
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Ye is a combination of Kanye West’s past albums and influences and he manages to make it entertaining, insightful and at times humorous. While it’s a little dysfunctional in pace, it serves as a good representation of bipolar disorder due to the sudden changes in sound and is a worthy addition to a stellar discography.
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