ISSUE 9
W We ar The sou
3 JULY - 9 JULY 2018
Brighton’s not for profit radio station, broadcasting on 97.2FM DAB+ and radioreverb.com
LIVE & ALBUM REVIEWS
LET'S EAT GRANDMA Pop’s creative mavericks
MUSIC NEWS GIG LISTINGS OUT OF TOWN
ISSUE 9
CONTENTS LET’S EAT GRANDMA The teenage duo talk us through their journey from Norwich to Brighton as well as giving us an insight into their brand new album, I’m All Ears
5 LISTINGS
Our recommended listings and previews of this week’s gigs
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LIVE REVIEWS Starcrawler, Lionel Richie and Indigo Husk all feature in this week’s reviews
OUT OF TOWN
ALBUMS
BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU... CEO: Frank Sansom EDITOR: Daniel White PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd, Jonski Mason COVER SHOT: Charlotte Patmore CONTRIBUTORS: Jamie MacMillan, Jeff Hemmings, Iain Lauder, Ben Noble, Liam McMillen, Ben Walker, Christian Middleton, Kelly Westlake, Paul Hill, Chloe Hashemi, Dan Whitehouse, Annie Roberts press@brightonsfinest.com advertising@brightonsfinest.com Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.
Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
Check out the latest album releases
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NEWS
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Tom Odell returns to Brighton on 25th October with a headline show at the prestigious Brighton Centre. The former BIMM student is touring in support of his third album, Jubilee Road, due for release on October 12th.
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After the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album, Memories, Ady Suleiman is set to return with his biggest ever UK headline tour this autumn, which includes a Brighton date at Komedia, on 29th October 2018.
Skinny Pelembe is that rare quadruple threat: playing, producing, singing and MC’ing on his latest track, ‘I Just Wanna Be Your Prisoner’. Catch him live when his UK tour hits the Green Door Store on 26th September.
GIG LISTINGS The Hope & Ruin
PREVIEWS The Prince Albert
MSRY Monday 9th July Tickets: £6.88 Presented by Piglet Gigs
Robb Johnson Friday 6th July Tickets: £7.70 Presented by The School Bus
Thee MVP’s Thursday 12th July Tickets: £5.50
The Crippens Saturday 7th July Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Verbal Sludge
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Doyle (Misfits) Tuesday 3rd July Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Glasswerk
Hans Chew Sunday 8th July Tickets: £13.50 Caroline Rose Monday 9th July Tickets: £9.20 Presented by One Inch Badge
The Cosmic Dead Thursday 12th July Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Acid Box
Chelsea Friday 13th July Tickets: £11 Presented by FemRock
Vital Idles Friday 13th July Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Reckless Intentions Sunday 15th July Tickets: £4.40
Brighton Dome Burt Bacharach Monday 9th July Tickets: £50 Presented by One Inch Badge
The Haunt Bodega Thursday 5th July Tickets: £10 Presented by One Inch Badge Sons of Apollo Saturday 7th July Tickets: £22 Presented by Lout Promotions Preoccupations Saturday 14th July Tickets: £14 Presented by One Inch Badge
Brighton Rugby Club Music Mania Friday 6th - Sunday 8th July Tickets: £30
Hove Cricket Ground Little Mix Friday 6th July Tickets: £60 Presented by Little Mix
Martha and The Vandellas – Concorde 2 – Saturday 7th July 2018 One of Motown’s most loved and most successful acts who left behind a trail of classic hits including ‘Dancing In The Street’, ‘Nowhere To Run’, and ‘Jimmy Mack’. Martha Reeves served on the Detroit City Council from 2005-09, but has since returned to full-time performance, and this is a great chance to get sweaty on the dancefloor to some classic soul-pop, performed by one of the true legends of the Motown era.
Presented by Indigo Music
The Old Market The Jalapeno Bop Saturday 14th July Tickets: £17.50 Presented by Jalapeno Records
Green Door Store H. Grimace Friday 6th July Tickets: FREE The Contortionist Tuesday 10th July Tickets: £13.75 Presented by Green Door Store
Oh Sees – Brighton Dome – Tuesday 10th July 2018 They may keep changing their name but the main thing that has stayed a constant is their epic ability for an almighty live show. The creative mind and mainstay of the band, John Dwyer, has been making music under many aliases since 1997 and building a mammoth reputation for creating some of the best garage rock around. They play the Brighton Dome on the back of their 2017 Orc LP and the upcoming Smote Reverser.
The Wytches Wednesday 11th July Tickets: £10 Presented by The Wytches Aren Drift Thursday 12th July Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by Paralytic Promotions The John Hackett Band Friday 13th July Tickets: £13.45
Concorde 2 Lucky Chops Wednesday 11th July Tickets: £22.50 Presented by One Inch Badge
The RPMs – The Hope & Ruin – Saturday 7th July 2018 This hometown show kicks off a series of dates for young up-and-comers The RPMs, where each night they’ll be supported by a clutch of promising new talents, with the Brighton date including New York Tourists, This Party and Last Seen Alive. The RPMs have been buzzing around Brighton for a couple of years now, so this is a great time to catch them live, in a smaller venue, before they explode!
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LIVE REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth Out: 22nd June 2018
Heaven and Earth is an extraordinary work that takes The Epic and makes it even more expansive and eclectic. Its musical focus is ever-shifting from the serene to the chaotic but with melody always at its heart. It’s jazz for those who may not know or even understand jazz: Kamasi Washington is usually able to find a way through the often noose-tightening strictures of jazz to get straight to the heart of music.
A descent into sheer madness, Nine Inch Nails’ Bad Witch - the third instalment in their trilogy of releases since 2016 - is chaotic, distressing and aims to capture the entirety of American politics and destruction in just six short tracks. All in all, you can’t help but feel Nine Inch Nails aren’t what they once were, which is to be expected from a band who have been in the game for over 30 years and are constantly changing their sound.
Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch Out: 22nd June 2018
For a tour titled ‘All The Hits’, Lionel Richie sure didn’t disappoint. A show bigger than anyone could’ve anticipated, his performance was mind blowing to say the least, but the actual engagement and interaction he offers his fans is what turns it from a great performance into a brilliant show.
Indigo Husk delivered a passionate and thrilling display of indie meets garage rock during their Green Door Store performance. There’s a touch of fun about the band too and it’s clear there’s a real bond between them and their fans.
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Starcrawler’s lead singer Arrow de Wilde intensely stared down the audience, spewed fake blood everywhere and wildly screamed their fatal lyrics during a Haunt show that was erratic, exciting, and downright scary at times.
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/albums
NIGHTLIFE
OUT OF TOWN
Pavv / Hamdi Friday 6th July Patterns 11pm - 4am
Wookie / Mike Delinquent Friday 6th July The Arch 10pm - 4am
Dizraeli Thursday 5th July Cargo, London 7pm
Orchards (UK) Thursday 5th July Paper Dress Vintage, London 7:30pm
Elliot Adamson Friday 6th July Hideout 11pm - 5am
Lakuti / Mafalda Saturday 7th July Patterns 11pm - 4am
Therapy? Thursday 5th July Nells Jazz & Blues, London 7:30pm
Daniel Wakeford Saturday 7th July Boileroom, Guildford 7:30pm
Detlef Saturday 7th July The Arch 11pm - 5am
Channel One Sound System Saturday 7th July Concorde 2, 11pm - 4am
MGMT Monday 9th July Somerset House, London 7pm
Years & Years Tuesday 10th July Roundhouse, London 7pm
Between The Tropics X Discojuice Saturday 7th July Sticky Mikes Frog Bar 11pm - 3:30am
Ego Trippin / Vital / KY Saturday 7th July Hideout 11pm - 5am
Sigrid Wednesday 11th July Somerset House, London 7pm
The Orb on Space Music Friday 6th July Royal Albert Hall 7:30pm
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Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
LET'S EAT GRANDMA JENNY AND ROSA talk To JEFF hemmings About growing up in norwich, collaborating partners and their new album I’m ALL EARS
Childhood friends Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton are still just 19, and are about to release their second album, I’m All Ears, the follow-up to their stunningly inventive debut I, Gemini, which was written when they were aged 13-15, and was finally released just over two years ago. Born and bred in Norwich, they first got to know each other when aged just four. “We used to draw together,” laughs Rosa, “and do other creative stuff and make short films together.” Living in the ‘outpost’ of Norwich, with only friendly rival Ipswich for close company, has perhaps informed the duo’s maverick musicality, one born of encouraging parents, and a deep connection developed over the years. Indeed, they even went to the same music college in Norwich in order to further their fledgling career, one that that took shape at an unusually early age. “We went to Access to Music in Norwich,” says Rosa. I say that I taught at Access in Brighton for a while and enjoyed the freedom of spirit there, one that encouraged innovation and individuality. “Definitely,” says Rosa. “We went there after we finished our GCSE’s, instead of doing A levels. By that point we were so fed up with the education system, and we needed a bit of that.” I also tell them I nearly moved to Norwich before deciding upon Brighton way back in the day. “Brighton is the more hipster version. Norwich isn’t a Bristol or Brighton!” they laugh. “For some reason every time Norwich gets brought up, because
“I don’t mind people criticising our music, I don’t like it when they have to bring sexism into it”
no one knows where it is, it’s like ‘Are you moving?’ It was referred to as unfashionable recently in an interview, and that caused quite a storm on Twitter with the locals in Norwich. It’s really not unfashionable at all. It’s very cool,” laughs Rosa. “It is a city which usually surprises people when they find out. It has two cathedrals and a castle, and one of the lowest crime rates of cities in the world. There’s also a dragon museum. There are lots of dragons in Norwich. And also lots of mustard. It’s where the first Coleman’s mustard factory opened.” I, Gemini was a breath of fresh air when it came out in 2016. Its mix of fairytale folk, stark electronica and offbeat pop was the work of just these two girls, made in their respective bedrooms, with the help of Yamaha synths, recorders, xylophones, ukuleles, guitars and Logic. Songs such as ‘Deep Six Textbook’ and ‘Eat Shiitake Mushrooms’ were infused with a dreamlike quality, that was married to a unique musicality that understood space, texture and dynamics. They called it ‘psychedelic sludge-pop’, and it quickly caught on. “On this album, a lot of the instrumentation is the same, although we use old analogue synths more and music software more,” says Jenny. “Jenny plays cello on the intro track, but it’s distorted loads, so you wouldn’t necessarily be able to recognise it,” says Rosa. For the first time in their short career, Let’s Eat Grandma have been collaborating with different artists, an experience they were initially wary of, but which they ended up enjoying. “We wrote ‘Hot Pink’ and ‘It’s Not Just Me’ with SOPHIE (aka writer/producer Sophie Xeon, Charlie XCX collaborater). We wrote them in the studio with her, in LA. We’d
Let’s Eat Grandma I’m All Ears Out: 29th June 2018 never been. Definitely a very surreal place,” says Rosa. What about (The Horrors’ frontman) Faris Badwan? How did he get involved in the production? “He’s an old friend of SOPHIE’s,” says Rosa. “It worked out well. When SOPHIE was in LA and we were in London we’d work on the tracks with Faris in the studio. He co-produced and co-wrote them.” “We’d only ever written with each other up until that point. We thought that at first, we might be fighting with other people. But actually it felt really natural. The skills we have are very different from what Faris and SOPHIE have. We weren’t competing for space, we were complimenting each other. They are very cool and calm people,” says Jenny. Jenny and Rosa are simply two creative mavericks who have fashioned a wonderfully distinct and, often quite beautiful, music that is often dark, but also energetic. As two young women they have had to endure some pretty off-hand judgements. “I don’t mind people criticising our music, I don’t like it when they have to bring sexism into it,” says Jenny. “But, to be fair, although there have been a few patronising reviews, as a whole we’ve had quite a positive experience so far. More recently the way people have been talking about us has got better in that sense.” To read the full review visit Brightonsfinest.com/LetsEatGrandma
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