Volume 2: Issue 22 May 2010
The Agitator gets our vote
MASSIVE FESTIVAL ISSUE GREAT ESCAPE, Brighton Festival, fringe Beachdown: Joe Pidgeon Speaks
Plus: Gigs Clubs Culture brighton’s best listings
Your Life is my vanity project by kevin mason - see art, page 34
a load of ballots There’s a lot of things happening this month – Great Escape, Brighton Festival, the Fringe, our party with The Recommender – but one event is more important than any of that. Yeah, sorry, we’re talking about the General Election. Politics hasn’t been so much on the agenda since Maggie Thatcher was tearing up the country so this is the most important political ruck for a long time. Whether you hate every MP in the country or spend your time canvassing for your party, it’s important to get into the polling booth. If you don’t vote you’re passing up your right to complain as well as getting your opinion heard. Not voting isn’t a protest, it’s simply apathy. If you want to express your disgust at the state of things spoil your ballot paper – that gets counted. But better than that, why not take some interest in who’s gonna make the rules of the next half decade. For the first time a vote for any of the three main parties will count, and there are also the Greens to think about. Think of it as X Factor with Paxman instead of Cowell.
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Personnel
Editor James Kendall ManageR Rosie Kendall Designer Matt Barker at Artwerk DEPUTY Editor Nick Coquet Sales Manager Lucy Kamper listings editor Fox Fisher NEWS editor Lydia Stockbridge Web editor Anya Sanders Cover James Kendall / Artwerk
Contributors
Mike Bradford, Ian Chambers, Dan Carnaby, Dan Chatfield, Charlotte Chorley, Zac Colbert, Danny Colyer, Dionne Elizabeth, Ben Gilbert, Nicole Holgate, Stuart Huggett, LomoKev, Lizzie Simner, Nathan Thomas, Dominic Valvona
Advertising
To advertise contact Lucy Kamper Tel: 01273 609090 Email: lucy@brightonsource.co.uk
Editorial Contacts Tel: 01273 609955 Email: james@brightonsource.co.uk Write or send promos to: The Brighton SOURCE PO Box 3313, Brighton, BN1 4BJ
Listings
Email: listings@brightonsource.co.uk
Contents
News 4 New In Town 6 Gig Previews 8 Interview: The Agitator 12 Club Previews 14 Club Review: Stay Sick 18 Club Review: Thursday Night Fish Fry 20 Interview: Tim Healey 22 Made In Brighton 24 Preview: The Great Escape 26 Preview: Brighton Festival 28 Preview: The Fringe 30 Preview: Open Houses 32 Art: Kevin Mason 34 Art: Human Endeavour 36 Critic 38 Preview: UK Festivals 40 SOURCE Virgins: Running A Marathon 48 Street Style 50 Street Style Extra 52 Consume: Kate and Aud 54 Unsung Hero: Lisa Lout 56 Secret Eater: Nick and Franco 58 In Conversation With: Beachdown 60 Listings 62 Six Of The Best: Brian Eno 78
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control
News words by nick coquet, lydia stockbridge
MANCS TAKE CONTROL OF DUKE OF YORK’S
THE THREE AND TEN’S A RIGHT LAUGH
MUSEUM ALL-NIGHTER
ALL GOING SWIMMINGLY
MANGA MAYHEM
‘BEES HIVING AWAY ON THIRD ALBUM
THINKING OF inking?
OPEN MIC AND ROCK YOU’LL LIKE
To mark the anniversary of the death of legendary Mancunian musician Ian Curtis of Joy Division, the Duke Of York’s is hosting an alternative Great Escape event. On Saturday 15th Anton Corbijn’s film biopic Control will be screened, followed by talks given by some of the infamous crowd from the Manchester music scene. Stephen Morris, Mike Pickering and Kevin Cummins discuss not only the impact of Curtis but the great musical influence Manchester bands have had over the last three decades.
Friday 14th to Sunday 16th sees museums across the country fling open their doors for unique evenings of entertainment within their hallowed walls, with a definite slant towards heritage and culture. Take your kids to see contemporary animations screened at Jubilee Square, scare yourself silly on Preston Manor’s ghost tour, take a voyeuristic performance tour around Phoenix Galleries Dream Home installation, or indulge your inner highbrow at Brighton and Hove Museum’s From Sickert to Gertler: Modern British Art exhibition. See culture24.org.uk/museumsatnight for info.
Moshi Moshi and Asahi bring a good-sized chunk of Japanese culture to Brighton up til Sunday 2nd at the Opticon. Celebrating all that is Japanese, from anime, Harajuku fashions and everything in between – karaoke sessions, a Japanesestyle game show, Gothic Lolita fashion show and a cosplay catwalk for fans of anime and manga to pay tribute to their favourite characters by dressing up in costume – and that’s just Saturday. Fill up on sushi and sake at this free jam-packed bank holiday event.
With most quality Brighton tattooing taking on more of a bespoke custom design approach, the days of wandering into a studio and saying “I want that one” and walking out an hour later with it on your arm are increasingly rare. So it’s with a definite sense of yesteryear needling that Magnum Opus are opening their doors on Saturday 22nd for a one-off day free of bookings and consultations – walk-ins are encouraged, and you can select from old school flash sheets and pay old school prices. That neck swallow never sounded so good.
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The Three and Ten have been awarded the title of ‘Best Venue In the South’ from prestigious comedy website Chortle. The venues were selected from a panel of the laugh industry’s movers and shakers before being put to a public vote via the website. Artistic Director Nicola Hayden says of the award, “It’s just great to have what we do validated.” From humble pub beginnings to becoming a muchrespected arts venue, check out what they have in store for the Brighton Fringe.
It’s been three years since the idea was born, but this August Brighton resident Angus Macfadyen will be swimming across the British Channel – no mean feat for a previous non-swimmer. Angus aims to raise an ambitious £14,000 for the Lawrence’s Roundabout Well Appeal. There are many ways to donate to this worthy cause, from a cabaret night at Rendezvous Casino to a South Eastern Schools’ art competition for the best piece depicting the great swim. Find out more at channelangus.co.uk
After touring extensively in support of their album ‘Wall Of Arms’, The Maccabees are temporarily disappearing from view to write and record their third album. Don’t be too disheartened though, as the local lads can be seen at Lovebox, Latitude and the main stage of Reading and Leeds festivals, where they plan to perform a few new numbers. Having played live with the likes of I Am Kloot singer Johnny Bramwell and Roots Manuva on ‘Empty Vessels’, expect exciting future sounds.
First Friday of every month starting on the 7th, Caroline of Brunswick hosts cock-rocking DJ night Bend Over I’ll Drive, swaggering to a heinous mix of metal, punk and good ol’ rock‘n’roll. Meanwhile, disparaged by the usual open mic lethargy, What Is This I Don’t Even Open Mic has emerged to combat it, banning all conventional cliché-pedalling instruments – guitars, banjos, ukeleles, pianos – to strive for a new sound. It starts on Wednesday 5th at The Iron Duke on Waterloo Street.
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New In Town Words by Lydia stockbridge
THE ROBOT HEARTS
BLEEDING HEARTS CLUB
RT2
HANDMADE CO-OP
DUKE OF NORFOLK
What started out as successful night at The Prince Albert, The Bleeding Hearts Club, has been taken by its promoters into the record label business. In their sincere interest to showcase the very best of Brighton’s downbeat folk acts, Bleeding Heart Recordings will be releasing The Robot Hearts’ debut six-track mini album ‘Dust’. Coming out on CD and 10” vinyl on Monday 31st, the launch party at The Hanbury precedes it on Tuesday 25th with support from Sam Genders, formerly of Tunng.
A crafty new co-operative opens up onto the fair streets of Kemptown from the beginning of this month. For those of us who revel in the unique charm of hand-crafted goods, the Handmade Co-op may just be the ticket. Featuring 20 local artists’ work in-store, from silver-smithing to screen-printing, these guys make it all, sometimes in the shop too. There’s also a downstairs space set aside for holding workshops in different crafting techniques and other happenings coming soon. For more info visit handmadeco-op.blogspot.com
MADAME GEISHA’S
Saturday 1st sees the final day of Madame Geisha’s re-emergence as a happening space for the most cutting edge urban artists. The three-day launch extravaganza in aid of the International Childcare Trust plays host to renowned artists Goldie, Matt Small and Zac Walsh to name but a few, working to the beats of Ninja Tunes’ Andreya Triana and The Dandylions. Kids are also invited to get stuck in with making their own precocious works of art to hang in the exhibition.
MIND
Leading mental health charity Mind have set up shop in St James Street with some damn fine goods in tow. Fashion students from UCA have designed outfits for the store, as well as sprucing up the interior to create a glorious charity shop boutique, the first of its kind. Stocked up with rare vintage and retro pieces, Mind boutique is a must to dip into for hunting down that one-off fashion bargain.
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The ever-ethical Retail Therapy has added another link in the fairtrade trading chain, opening up a new shop in Ship Street – a shop so green that Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas herself came down to the grand opening. The sustainably-refurbished shop offers a whole host of local and fairtrade goodies, from holistic therapies to lovingly handmade bags from the infamous baglady of Brighton – check her out at bagladyofbrighton.com. The first stop for a guilt-free shopping experience.
The Duke Of Norfolk on Western Road are set to tantalise tastebuds by serving some deliciously hearty fare. As part of their menu overhaul, you the diner are invited to choose from a selection of pies, variations on mash and different types of gravy too. Head down there to find out the ultimate combination, or if you’re in a hurry, snap it up to take away. Scrumptious.
MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM
After last year’s summer of disco-lovin’, champions of the scene Maxxi Soundsystem are returning to Brighton. They’re launching their residency at Funky Buddha on Saturday 1st with a warm-up party at The Globe, with limited free entry wristbands for Funky Buddha afterwards. Catch the action every Saturday, and expect some extra-special guests. If you’re more of a 24-hour party person though, Saturday 29th sees Maxxi Soundsystem launching their free all-day outdoor terrace parties at LIFE. Pretty good huh?
UK OK! LIVE
From C-Dogg, the flame-haired helmsman of eccentrically brilliant club nights Shameless and Snap, Crackle and Britpop, comes riotous evenings at new night UK OK! Live at Jam. It launches on Friday 7th in grand style, showcasing a genre-bending medley of unknown talents from around the country to play alongside a Brighton favourite. Watch upcomers Rob The Rich, Welsh lad Caesar’s Rome and LDN’s Dolphin Parade perform, and an as-yet mystery Brighton headliner. £3 entry before 9pm and an open-ended closing time, first Friday of every month.
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wolf parade
Gig Previews words by MIKE BRADFORD, IAN CHAMBERS, CHARLOTTE CHORLEY, DIONNE ELIZABETH, BEN GILBERT, NICOLE HOLGATE, STUART HUGGETT, NATHAN THOMAS, DOMINIC VALVONA
THE BRONX Concorde 2 Tues 4th
What more could you ask for your money than the same band on twice in one evening? Fiery hardcore punk group The Bronx and their fantastic alternative guise, South American-inspired Mariachi el Bronx, take over for an evening of sensational Californian hard rock. Since the release of their third eponymous album two years ago, and the spawning of their mariachi avatars last year, a tour has been hotly anticipated. Their presence at the seaside will tear the Concorde apart, twice over. (NH)
THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA Prince Albert Weds 5th
The latest in a long line of fine Canadian exports, The Wilderness Of Manitoba will be making their first trip to UK shores in support of debut mini album ‘Hymns Of Love And Spirits’. Their music is infused with a sense of wonder and lingering melancholy – all windswept vocal harmonies, gently finger-picked banjo, solitary guitars and cello, bringing to mind the likes of The Low Anthem and Red House Painters. Completing the lineup, support comes from highly rated local folks Thirty Pounds Of Bone and Twenty-One Crows. (IC)
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MR HUDSON
Concorde 2 Thurs 6th
When Kanye calls, do you answer? Are you envisaging the path to pop riches and fantastic musical innovation stretching ahead or a grinning death knell on the other line, that boorish, self-deluded foghorn wreaking havoc in your mind and career forever? Having ditched his Library and replaced it with the rap superstar’s wisdom, the jury is still out on whether the undeniably gifted Brit singer-songwriter is now going up or down. If you see Hudson tonight, ask him what he reckons. (BG)
THE FALL
Concorde 2 Sun 9th
In Britain, there is one label (Domino) taking the fight to the bad (all the others). Their recent signing of Mark E Smith’s rabble confirms that this man, who required just four words on the new Gorillaz album - “Where’s North from here?” – to steal the show, remains our most precious rock icon. Theirs is a marriage made in heaven and tonight the vows – new album ‘Your Future, Our Clutter’ – will be sprinkled upon Brighton like flakes of amphetamine confetti. (BG)
Wolf Parade
Concorde 2 Mon 17th
The task of assembling all four members of Wolf Parade together in the same room these days takes copious amounts of diary-juggling scheduling. Between them they front and play in over seven different bands of equal dedication and quality, though it’s with this incarnation that the quartet excels. Showcasing material from their eagerly anticipated third album and from their last two seminal LPs, expect a raw voracious performance of melodic twists and turns. (DV)
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tanlines
THE BUNDLES
Komedia Thurs 20th
Prepare for the most anti-folk night you will ever encounter. Post-punk coming out the rafters in the form of lovely, Juno-soundtracking Kimya Dawson and exuberant and acerbic Jeffry Lewis and band, whose combination forms The Bundles. Their album took mere days to record but has been roughly eight years in the making, and this is their first ‘official’ appearance as a touring band, having previously simply been resurrected whenever the two groups were found in the same room. This could be an unforgettable night, and history in the making. (NH)
HOLY FUCK
Digital Fri 21st
It would be the music festival we all dreamed of. Friday night headliner, Fucked Up. Saturday night, Fuck Buttons. Then, topping the bill and bringing the curtain down on our opera of swearing, SOURCE presents Holy Fuck, Toronto’s incomparable, krautrocking, mind-bending, machine-gone-mad, electro-spaz quartet, who are about to deliver on their hugely promising debut ‘LP’ with barnstorming follow-up ‘Latin’. Are there any promoters left in Brighton who haven’t gone bankrupt and are fucking brave enough to put this bash on? (BG)
TANLINES
Jam Mon 24th
It seems Brooklyn is currently the centre of a percussion-based disco explosion, but following the release of their impressive debut EP ‘Settings’, it’s clear Tanlines have a flavour all their own. A cyclone of polyrhythmic bongos entwine with afro-centric steel pan melodies and semi-incomprehensible vocals to create a sweltering union of tropical charm. Dwelling between a production duo and band (cited as Larry Levan meets Tears For Fears), they make a welcome Brighton visit to recreate that island glow. (DE)
FUZZBOX
Engine Room Mon 24th
There’s no earthly reason why We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It have reformed, but, hell, everyone else is doing it. A brief career trajectory, from C86 and the Peel show to momentary chart glory with ‘International Rescue’ and ‘Pink Sunshine’, saw Fuzzbox soar like a firework before fizzling out like a squib. Sod it though, if they can bring
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some sherbet-flavoured sunshine pop to the dark corners of the Engine Room then we can only be with them all the way. (SH)
HAYSEED DIXIE Concorde 2 Tues 25th
As a very stark contrast to Pendulum (playing on the same night), Hayseed Dixie provide the Concorde with their usual esoteric act of the month, proving that any genre can be a floor-filler, and that nothing is sacred when hillbillies are involved. Brew up some moonshine, get your dungarees on, and prepare for full-on, high-speed, bluegrass defamation of songs such as ‘War Pigs’, ‘Paint It, Black’, and many many more. (NH)
MARTHA TILSTON Komedia Tues 25th
There is nothing that so aptly and beautifully evokes the atmosphere of Brighton in the summertime than the dreamy, seductive folk songs of Martha Tilston. With her stories of wrapping up for a night ramble to go and stare at the moon, or heading to the park with “a frisby that glows in the dark”, her enchanting voice cannot help but carry you away. Next thing you know you’ll be swimming beneath a moonlit pier and you will remember why you live in Brighton. (NT)
BITTER RUIN • Hanbury Weds 26th
Bitter Ruin are hosting another spectacular evening in the suitably plush surroundings of the Hanbury Ballroom, this time centered around the launch of their first LP, ‘Hung, Drawn And Quartered’. As well as plenty of appearances from other Brighton talent (such as Jimmy of the Bobby McGees and Dominic of Sweet Sweet Lies), there will be more sweeties, champagne, darkly gothic humour and a hint of cabaret throughout this scintillating evening. (NH)
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The Agitator protest, polls and rock‘n’roll –the agitator unveils awords hard-hitting new manifesto for music by james kendall photo by james kendall / Artwerk
hair and make up by riccadao romano and janine witherspoon Cove at Square roots
Stomping. Hollering. A beat. If you’ve been lucky enough to see Derek Meins’ latest project live then you’ll have seen the most unique and arresting performance to come from the city for years. When the mildmannered Scot takes to the stage he seemingly gets possessed by a 50s blues mama, all passion and fired up indignation. So breathtaking is the no-holds-barred vocal assault that you’ll forget that there are no melodic instruments to back him up, only the intense drumming of former Maccabees sticksman Robert Dylan Thomas. Derek’s third project, following teenage years in the Rough Tradesigned Eastern Lane and a stint as a Famous Poet, couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. With a debut single ready to drop as the country
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goes to the polls for what seems like the most important election since Blair stuck the Tories into opposition, The Agitator is a rabble-rouser that wants people to sit up and take action. “I wanted to write songs that were more relevant to the time we’re living,” Derek says quietly. “I felt that there was no music summing up the time that young people were living in – to do with the banks and the government and people being very oppressed but nobody standing up and saying what they felt was wrong. I thought there was a place for somebody to stand up and say something about it.”
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Nowadays Rob knocks out his intricate rhythms on a drum kit (in fact there’s talk of a second drummer being added), something that has let his incredible skills really shine through. “If we didn’t have someone who could drum and write as well as Rob then it wouldn’t really work,” says Derek. “There’s no other instruments going on so there’s nothing to hide behind.” Rob is hugely influenced by hip hop, something that fits with The Agitator’s core values. Like the glory days of Public Enemy, The Agitator is an angry bloke shouting over a beat about how you shouldn’t get ground down by the injustices of society. Only this new project takes things back to the blues that originally informed Chuck D and co. As the pair continue to record the album the project is taking a step back towards hip hop. Still stripped back to a beat and a voice, there’s layers of programming from Roots Manuva and Wiley producer Amir Amor. The songs finished so far feel very different to the demos and the live performances we’re used to and could be a shock to long time fans, sounding not a million miles away from a stripped back Prodigy. “I wanted it to sound like a record that could be on the radio – a pop record – but one that still only has drums and vocals on it,” Derek explains. “I want to get the point of the lyrics across but to make it open for anyone to listen to.” Debut single ‘Get Ready’ shouldn’t have any problem getting the message across. It’s pretty direct. Derek describes it as The Agitator’s manifesto. “It’s what The Agitator is about,” he says. “Capitalism has failed, the way that our lives are being led now has failed – ‘Get Ready’ is our anthem for a little bit of change. We chose to use that song as our first single because it sums up the point of what The Agitator is about – people now wanting to change things and getting ready for a change.” So is that change going to come from the party politics or Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats? Derek doesn’t seem convinced but he would encourage everyone to vote. “This is a massive election because it’s got so much media coverage that young people wouldn’t have even bothered before,” he ponders. “It’s important that people are talking about it and that they’re getting together to MYSPACE: myspace.com/theagitatormusic cause some sort of LIVE: SOURCE vs Recommender, Black Lion action – that they believe Thurs 13th, plus various Great Escape gigs in something, which is a VIDEO INTERVIEW: www.brightonsource.co.uk good thing. But I do think that it’s a bit of a three-headed monster and that spoiling ballot papers might be a better thing, to take a stance. “It’s so American now,” he continues, on a roll but not a rant. “People no longer vote for their local party, they’re For someone who’s now so clearly fired up it’s surprising that Derek hasn’t voting for one celebrity figurehead over another. I’d been involved in politics before. But like many of us he buried his head in encourage people to take an interest and to go down the sand to concentrate on more arty endeavours. But now he’s had “a bit and make a vote because too many young people of a change of tactics” he’s eager to reach out and convert everyone to complain about things and bury their head in the sand. action. So it’s good for people to be causing some kind of The unusual format of the musical instrument-free performances has come action, even if it is sitting around with their friends and from that. Originally as Derek hollered out the lyrics Rob would be hitting a talking about ideas.” wooden box. The idea that the songs could be delivered without a transit
FYI
van full of guitarists and sound engineers was key. “The point behind it is that we can do it anywhere,” explain Derek. “It’s universal.”
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As he says on ‘Get Ready’ it’s “a prime time for a change of mind” – are you ready to agitate?
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the juan maclean
Club Previews Words by Dom Ashton, Dan Carnaby, Zac Colbert, James Kendall
BIG FISH LITTLE FISH CARDBOARD BOX •
Life Fridays
Wow, another massive month for plucky new electro and fidget night BFLFCB (even the acronym is huge). For May the highlights are Duke Dumont on the 7th and local Marine Parade post-breaks, electro rock heroes Evil Nine on 28th. But the one we’re most excited about is DFA’s The Juan MacLean on the 21st. His Human League-influenced LP ‘The Future Will Come’ has been a SOURCE office fave and although his overly techy DJ Kicks mix album didn’t excite as much we’re looking forward seeing what James Murphy’s favourite son can deliver. (JK)
DISCO OF DOOM
Honeyclub Sat 1st
It’s another bold booking for Seven Sins as Tom Real and The Rogue Element can get seriously heavy when they get together. We missed them when they played last time but they must have rocked it to be invited back. If you’re expecting breaks you’ll be in for a shock – this project is the pair turning their attention to nasty, dirty electro house. (JK)
SHOGUN AUDIO •
Digital Sun 2nd
Drum’n’bass’s boy wonder Sub Focus teams up with Bristol’s badman Joker, who’s recent remix of the former’s ‘Could This Be Real’
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probably brought the two together for this evening. Expect purple basslines and light refracted at speeds of 180bpm as both artists have new tunes and remixes to drop, including Joker’s ‘Tron’ track that would make even Jeff Bridges quake in his boots. Sigma, Spectra Soul, MC SP and Master are all on hand to help blow your bank holiday sky high. (ZC)
SWEATSHOP •
New Hero Thurs 6th
Basically the art of making music to dance to was perfected by hip-hop producers in the early 90s and everything that has followed has been rather unnecessary – you only need to watch Kid’n’Play’s House Party to realise that this is an indisputable fact. Sweatshop is a night that seems to share this philosophy and is in all likelihood the only place in town where you can get your grind on to Bobby Brown and En Vogue. Total win. (DA)
NICE AND NICHE MEETS OBSESSION • Coalition Fri 7th
Returning to Brighton after touring the country, N&N bring some of the hottest UK talent down to our sunny shores with Griminal, Scorcher and BBC 1Xtra’s Cameo doing their thing. Last time this happened it went off and tickets were gone sharp-ish, so best grab an early bird. Grime, funky, r’n’b and Afro beats all wrapped up for a tenner. See you there. (DC)
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benga
SUPER DUB PRESSURE • Concorde 2 Fri 7th
Boasting a 40K Dirt sound system, Clandestine Cultivations (the label behind Super Dub Pressure) may actually destroy the Concorde with this line-up. Loefah and N-Type headline, with Oneman back to back with Addison Groove plus Afterdark and Clandestine. With the second room bursting with local names as well, if want to rattle your ribs in May you know exactly where to go. (ZC)
CLIVE HENRY The Loft Fri 7th
Sharing a limo back from a festival in Montreal last year we discovered that since the Ibizan authorities stomped all over Circo Loco, the ex-peace Division fella has been busy taking his low slung post-tribal tech house around the world. So popular is he across the globe that he doesn’t get to play in Britain that much, and that’s due to the regard of residency at Ciro Loco. Expect an international crowd at this Inside Out appearance, and that’s a good start for any party. (JK)
DIGITALISM Concorde 2 Sat 8th
They’re responsible for that 2007 dancefloor smash ‘Pogo’, not to mention ‘Idealistic’ and ‘Zdarlight’ which made everyone’s electro summer in 2005. After cars, Digitalism are Germany’s biggest export, producing an excellent blend of dance punk that manages to be accessible while still retaining enough of an edge to be down with the kids. This evening’s hosted by Horse Power who are quickly making a name for themselves in Brighton by booking top global acts such as this and 2manyDJs a couple of months ago. (ZC)
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BENGA
Digital Sat 8th
Benga, one of dubstep’s pioneers over the last ten years, graces our shores for Sub Prime hosted by the Subsplash DJs at Digital. He’s certainly been a busy boy during the last few months’ globetrotting and Doorly, who’s best known for that ol’ ‘Bonkers’ remix, has been making earth-shattering reworkings of great dance tracks for a while now, and he doesn’t shy away from a good ‘womp’. (ZC)
ANNIE MAC PRESENTS… Digital Sat 15th
As part of The Great Escape, Annie Mac presents Jakwob and Seiji at Wax:On. The Radio 1 DJ and dance music darling needs no introduction, and Jakwob’s been resonating through the dubstep scene since last year when his remixes for the likes of Ellie Goulding started doing the rounds and garnering much critical acclaim. Sieji’s recent minimix for Annie’s show evidently made a very positive impression as he joins this heavyweight line-up of fresh talent for a night that will make any booty go bang. (ZC)
DONKY PITCH 1ST BIRTHDAY • Volks Thurs 20th
It really doesn’t feel like a whole year since the Donky Pitch crew first brought the wonk to Brighton’s dancefloors. Anyway, to celebrate becoming a one-year old they are hosting an extra-large party with a rather wonderful array of international artists. French wobbly-bass master Fulgeance will be co-headlining with Scandinavian skweee godfather, Randy Barracuda, who is worth seeing just so you get to drop his name into conversation. Brighton can count itself lucky – this kind of thing just doesn’t happen in many cities. Get down there and put a Donky on it! (DA)
HOUSE OF X-PRESS 2 • Coalition Sat 29th
Rocky, Diesel and Ashley Beedle – the three members of house music supergroup X-Press 2 – return, and what these three can’t do back-to-back simply isn’t worth doing. Six decks can sound like a right bloody mess but the trio have been playing so long together – since house was in its infancy with Boys Own – that they seem to have a sixth sense. Expect things to be deep, soulful and tribal. If you like proper house then you’ve probably already got your ticket for this new night. (JK)
www.brightonsource.co.uk/CLUBS
Club Review
Stay Sick
Words and photos by james kendall
and pin-up girls. And all this in what is essentially a pub. What’s causing such devotion and delirium?
Quite simply, it’s the music. Proper rock’n’roll garage sleaze from a set of DJs who know the era inside out (like the Ramones they’ve all got the same surname too – Sick). Throw in a killer band like the rockin’ King Salami & The Cumberland Three and you’ve got a seriously crazy night. Unmissable.
It might not be everyone’s barometer of a good night out, be there was a lot of falling over at Stay Sick and we think that might be the core of why it’s so great. Basically, the crowd go wild. Jumping on each other, throwing themselves around, dancing on tables – and they do it with such abandonment that they take a tumble now and The Cramps ‘Let’s Get Fucked Up’ again. You can The Gun Club ‘Jack On Fire’ tell from the Link Wray ‘Hidden Charms’ pictures that the The Sonics ‘Psycho’ crowd are into King Coleman ‘Alley Rat’ it, so many Mad Mike And The Maniacs ‘The people dress to Hunch’ the nines, The Trashmen ‘Surfin Bird’ embracing the Thee Midniters ‘Jump Jive And 50s and 60s vibe Harmonize’ of tattoos ? And The Mysterians ‘96 Tears’ The Swamp Rats/ Kingsmen /Sonics / Wailers / Stooges ‘Louie Louie’
Top Ten
FYI
Next EVENT: 8th, Hector’s House WEB: myspace.com/staysickbrighton KING SALAMI 7”: normanrecords.com/ records/109676
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download these photos: flickr.com/ brightonsource
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Club Review
Thursday night fish fry Words and photos by james kendall
One thing you don’t necessarily expect at a midweek night of rhythm’n’blues and old school Jamaican ska is a dancefloor packed with a young crowd going mental. But that’s exactly what happens at Thursday Night Fish Fry, a night that’s attracting both music lovers and revellers out for a dose of retro fun. It’s a balance that’s kept firmly in check by an excellent selection of tunes that sound like old favourites without being worn out. It’s proper party music chosen by connoisseurs – and the dancers respond by singing along to all the songs they know
FYI
EVENTS: Every Thursday, Jam FACEBOOK: tinyurl.com/fishfryface THEY SAY: “Blastin’ 50’s r’n’b, original Jamaican scorching ska, jump blues, rocksteady, calypso, gospel, roots of rock n roll and jazz!”
and staying in the groove for those they don’t. At no point does anyone seem to think sitting down and catching their breath is a good idea.
To give you an idea of the quality of the night, former Portishead DJ Andy Smith has brought his dusty crate-dug gems down. Not that he’s needed, the residents have got it firmly down pat.
TOP TEN
Dandy With Rico ‘Rudy, A Message To You’ Wynonie Harris ‘Lovin’ Machine’ Big Maybelle ‘New Kind Of Mambo’ Ruth Brown ‘As Long as I’m Movin’’ Howlin’ Wolf ‘Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy’ Don Drummond ‘Alipang’ The Isley Brothers ‘Shout! (Parts 1 & 2)’ Jeanne Demetz (Feat. Johnny Alston Orchestra) ‘Calypso Daddy’ Lloyd Price ‘Coconut Woman’ Sister Rosetta Tharpe ‘Jericho’
download these photos: flickr.com/ brightonsource
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www.brightonsource.co.uk/CLUBS
TIM HEALEY
Ex-Coburn producer is back with two great electro house-based labels Words by Zac Colbert and james kendall
Why did you call an end to Coburn? Coburn reached a natural conclusion, and it was time to fly solo. Coburn was a fantastic experience, but my current projects are just as exciting if not more so. What’s caused your huge creative surge recently? Moving my studio down to Brighton is pretty much the crux of it. I have a studio with ocean views and producers, musicians and vocalists come to visit from across Europe and the US, and they are all happy to hang out here and work in the facility. Brighton’s a real hub for electronic music, do you find it useful living here for inspiration, meeting people to collaborate with? Brighton’s a real hub – full stop. So many cool people settle here, and I love the vibe of the place. I go round the world several times a year but never regret coming back to this city. But the place I have met the most glitterati is when I take my daughters to school. I’ve met film stars, actors, all queuing up waiting to collect their children. You couldn’t make it up. You do a lot of work with garage legend Deekline and now Calvertron. What do you reckon makes a good collaborative relationship between producers? Mutual respect, and a desire to progress musically fused with a keen eye for musical fashion and retro styling. And most importantly there has to be a vibe or it’s a non-starter. I have engineered for many ‘big name’ DJs, but their creative input was zero, so the job was astonishingly well-paid but soulless. These days I only work with musicians I admire. You’re on your Giant Pussy tour over the next couple of months – looking forward to playing out anywhere in particular? Right now I am off touring Japan – which is always great, then on to Brazil for several dates there. In June I’m playing this killer festival in Germany called Fusion, which I’ve played for the last two years. It’s in a massive old airfield with aircraft hangers covered in turf. The hangers are stages for the bands and some morph into clubs after dark. There are crazy sculptures, treetop bars and about 80,000 people. Oh and the whole event is run by German anarchists – no joke. It’s amazing. What is the difference between your two labels? Giant Pussy Records is co-run with DJ Deekline and is the sound of ghettohouse. Surfer Rosa is my new baby, and I like to think it is the sound of the exotic beach party, where killer grooves collide head-on with the latest in zeitgeisty production. Forthcoming on Surfer Rosa are tracks featuring Calvertron, Krafty Kuts, Nom De Strip, Hatiras, Stripper, Felguk, and guest vocals from MC Sirreal. So, happy days.
FYI
Your recent Giant Pussy Party at Madame Geisha was a blast, how do you feel it went? Jez from Slackers Convention pulled off an incredible event – the soundsystem and visuals were spot on. The line-up rocked, with Deekline, JFB, LuQas and Pav delivering killer sets, and I really enjoyed playing there too. It was the perfect celebration of a year’s work at Giant Pussy Records HQ, and thanks so much to everyone who came down.
SINGLE: Tim Healey Vs Calvertron ‘Back To The Ghetto’ VIDEO: tinyurl.com/surfer001 MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/djtimhealey
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www.brightonsource.co.uk/clubs
blood red shoes
Made in Brighton •
If you thought you’d been seeing red dots all over our pages, relax – you’re not suffering the after-effects of a heavy night out. Made In Brighton is a new tag to highlight how cool Brighton is to live, create and play in, and since SOURCE has spent a decade telling you just that, it seemed a righteous thing for us to get involved with. We want to acknowledge the people in the city who are making, working and creating wonderful things in music, visual theatre, performance, design and new media, people who make the city the very lovely and creative place it is. So if you see a red dot next to a preview or review here in the mag – or see the Made In Brighton logo at, say, a Blood Red Shoes performance at The Great Escape and other festivals in the city – you know it’s a homespun hero and you can be that extra bit proud of them and yourselves for taking notice.
hurts
The Great EscapE thurs 13th – sat 15th words by MIKE BRADFORD, Dan Chatfield, Danny Colyer, BEN GILBERT, LYDIA STOCKBRIDGE, DOMINIC VALVONA
THE BIG PINK
In Brighton following the success of their debut album, ‘A Brief History Of Love’, whose one defining feature was their ability to charge up a sound so huge even Phil Spector would probably be a bit scared. It’s quite surprising when you consider there are actually only two of them in the band, pairing up with Pre’s drummer when playing live. Their powerful love songs and excellent, climactic singles will likely suit Digital’s superior soundsystem. (MB)
Broken Social Scene
Numerous leading acolytes of the Canadian music scene have served their time amongst the ranks of this behemoth-sized collective. At any one time the group can swell from six to 19 members and variously include two drummers and a mini orchestral suite. This timely headline performance ties in perfectly with the release of their first new album in three years, so expect to hear a plethora of unheard material amongst the grand and sweeping anthems of baroque pop that we’ve come to expect. (DV)
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CRYSTAL FIGHTERS
What are they? Some kind of electro, rave, indie, dance fusion is what. Add in a dizzying mixture of strange, earthly sounds made with Spanish wood instruments and the picture starts to become clearer. Perhaps that doesn’t help you all that much, but what we do know is this Kitsune-backed group arrive with a proven live reputation, with their ability to sweat the hipsters into drum-fuelled carnage at every gig. (MB)
DELPHIC
We caught them live in Oxford at the start of the year and were totally blown away by their majestic, artfully-crafted electro pop. What came across better live than on the home stereo is that they seem to jam like fury at the completion of each song. A few days later we saw the same set in Brighton to a rather muted reception. Tonight’s gig will perhaps depend on which Delphic, or indeed which crowd, turn up. (MB)
EGYPTIAN HIP HOP
This four-piece, alongside Everything Everything, Delphic and Hurts, emerge as part of a group of bands who share absolutely nothing, except they’re all from Manchester. Oh and that they’re hotly tipped for big things in 2010 and all probably now live somewhere near Shoreditch. Expect a strange but rather enjoyable set of songs that owe as much to The Cure as they do nu rave. (MB)
www.brightonsource.co.uk/bands
FENECH SOLER
Loved by blogs and getting releases through the French taste-making label Kitsune, this is one of Thursday’s highlights for sure. Like Delphic before them, this intelligent electro pop quartet, who occupy the slightly more danceable end of that genre’s spectrum, are aiming for the crown currently adorning Friendly Fires’ temples. (MB)
HURTS
At what point did style exit the music business? Was it when Johnny Borrell put on those white trousers? Or maybe Bono’s cowboy hat? Well, hooray for Hurts, the moody, monochrome and sartorially switched-on Manchester duo, sublimely described by one critic as “Tears For Fears, as shot by Anton Corbijn”. Happily, they have the tunes to match the sartorial hype, as anyone who heard Arthur Baker’s mix of their debut, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, will attest. Fix up, look sharp tonight people. (BG)
THE INVISIBLE
Despite a Mercury Music Prize nomination last year and seemingly ubiquitous adoration from critics, mainstream recognition has remained elusive for this London trio. The Invisible formed almost by accident, deciding to stick together after originally coming together to work on lead singer Dave Okumu’s solo project. Sometimes complex experimentation, sometimes melodic pop, but always rich and beautiful with a lyrical intensity that expertly captures the feeling of disaffection and uncertainty. (DCh)
THEOPHILUS LONDON
This native New Yorker has been ripping it up on the blogs in recent months, with his whirlwind of hip hop-tinged, bouncing pop songs. Always styled to perfection, mixing baseball caps with a studded leather jacket, he clearly applies the same delicate craft to his music. With tracks like the fearless ‘Humdrum Town’, darkly urban ‘Cold Pillow’ and the rip-up of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’, this is one slick, smooth and refreshingly talented motherfucker. Heading rapidly skywards. (MB)
MARINA & THE DIAMONDS
Initially, it seems everything is perfect about this one. She’s beautiful, she’s really attractive and she’s quite stunning. Plus, there is the talent, acclaim and unbelievable coincidence that her surname – Diamandis – sounds, like, almost exactly the same as Diamonds. Amazing! The one problem, however, is that voice. Is it not rather akin to a modulating foghorn? SOURCE plans to attend tonight’s gig with said device to see if anyone can tell the difference. Stand clear! (BG)
Nick Kent: Apathy for the Devil
Both loathed and revered in equal measure, legendary UK music hack extraordinaire Nick Kent lived out the same ‘last days of the Roman Empire’-type excesses as his famous subjects. With a career that spanned early assignments interviewing the MC5 and Lou Reed for Rolling Stone, to
www.brightonsource.co.uk/bands
chronicling the advent of punk for NME, Kent could always be relied upon to send sneering dispatches from the seedy side of rock’n’roll. See him deliver anecdotes and observations aplenty, as he reads passages from his latest memoir. (DV)
REAL ESTATE
One thing is for sure, this kind of washed out, sunny beach life music goes down particularly well in parts of America, so seeing as Brighton enjoys its own positive disposition, it would appear this may well go down swimmingly here too. At worst it’s perhaps a little like The Thrills, but at its best it’s a lush Beach Boys, or ambient Yo La Tengo delight. (MB)
Wild Beasts
Indie darlings of 2009, the Wild Beasts’ intricate and indolent prose drew many favourable and critical reviews for their second album, ‘Two Dancers’. Those high falsetto diatribes of diaphanous ethereal beauty and wry commentary on the trudges and dirge of modern life go down well amongst the sensitive, sophisticated fop fraternity. But even uncaring sorts can relate to those infectious, multifaceted rhythms that underpin their sound. (DV)
SOURCE VS THE RECOMENDER PARTY Black Lion, Black Lion St, Thurs 13th £FREE
If you couldn’t get a ticket for the Great Escape – or you did and you want to see some more quality bands late into the night for no money at all – then you need to get down to our party with premier Brighton blog The Recommender. Five of our favourite bands throw down between 10pm and 2am. Part of the Alternative Escape, you don’t need a wristband but get there early. Here’s who’s playing.
MIRRORS (10pm)
One of Brighton’s most promising bands, they make electro pop like the classic 80s acts (we hear a lot of OMD), with a serious edge and loads of style.
FOREIGN OFFICE
(10.50pm) The Clash meet the Fine Young Cannibals and form a band with an upbeat indie pop punch fronted by David Byrne. No wonder they’re causing such a stir in their native London.
THE AGITATOR (11.40pm)
If you haven’t seen our cover star live then you’re in for a real treat. No musical instruments – just hollering and hitting stuff, in a good way.
VELO
(12.30am) Few do synth pop quite as masterfully and well polished as this band made up of members from Marina & The Diamonds, I Blame Coco and Golden Silvers.
POPE JOAN
(1.20am) These former SOURCE cover stars are making a real splash in Brighton and London with taut, glitchy indie with a real pop edge and buckets of charisma.
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Brighton Festival words by LIZZIE SIMNER, BEN MILLER
Exhibition: Berlin Horse Lighthouse Tues 4th – Sun 30th (except Mondays)
Film forefather Malcolm Le Grice’s brand of eerie modernism is encapsulated in this experimental film, taking moving images of horses and repeatedly superimposing them, changing the sequence and colour of an 8mm original film and blending it with an early newsreel in a short barrage of imagery and sound. Conceived in 1970, the piece features an original Brian Eno soundtrack, and Le Grice will be discussing his theories in a preview of the installation at the Lighthouse on Sunday 2nd. (BM)
Theatre: Kim Noble Must Die The Basement Fri 7th – Sat 8th
Kim Noble, so legend has it, had cameos in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh, but he would have been miles too sinister for either of those. He doesn’t so much bare his soul as take his audience to the depths of manic depressive hell – masturbating, self-harming and stalking his way to an excruciating, staggeringly raw, surprisingly profound admission of despair. As a final pre-suicide gesture, he’ll also be writing you into his will and providing sperm to female viewers. (BM)
Event: Flickers: Off the Path Stanmer Park until Sun 9th
In Finland, where Rachel Henson’s “hyper-real”, animation-driven journey through countryside debuted last year, there were reports of participants feeling like they were trapped in a fairytale and generally freaking out at the filmic superimpositions appearing before their eyes. Such ordeals are unlikely to phase any Brightonians who spent the occasional adolescent afternoon sampling the fungal delights of Stanmer Park, and the UK premiere of this psychic jaunt even features an expedition kit complete with navigational flick book. (BM)
Talk: Martin Amis Corn Exchange Weds 12th
Wantonly, often predictably pompous, acerbic, pointlessly verbose and – perhaps worst of all – the spawner of any number of less adroit writers with designs on his style, it was still something of a relief when Martin Amis reappeared last year with The Pregnant Widow, a return to form inspired by the sexual revolution. Like him or not, it would be a bit of a travesty for any bookie to skip an appearance in person by the compelling, comic provocateur. (BM)
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berlin horse
Site Specific: Bodies in Urban Spaces Electric Hotel, New England Quarter / The Level Fri 14th – Sat 15th
A pair of free ones to baffle or enrapture, starting with a meeting at a secret location for Bodies In Urban Spaces, where 20 dancers, climbers and athletes reckon they’ll take you on a trip to transform your perception of the architecture of our fair city. Electric Hotel seems to have strayed from the poi garbage and battered tramps usually associated with late night performances on The Level, donning headphones for a voyeuristic glimpse inside a mocked-up outdoor residence. (BM)
Dance: Political Mother
Dome Thurs 20th – Fri 21st
Dance heavyweight Hofesh Schecter strengthens his allegiance with the Festival for the third year running with this new piece. After training in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Paris, Schecter’s dances beautifully stitch together influences from across the world. He manages to be progressive and disciplined, experimental without ostracising his audiences. This year 10 dancers will perform alongside a live score, a ‘Chinese puzzle of emotional complexity, a chain of surreal events’. Don’t miss it. (LS)
Theatre: Before I Sleep •
The Old Co-Op until Sun 23rd (except Mondays) Dreamthinkspeak are an associate company of the Festival, building a reputation for laying on the best kind of site-specific work in atmospheric, beautifully thoughtout previous pieces at Stanmer House and the backrooms of the Theatre Royal. Returning with a promenade show inspired by Chekhov’s apocalyptic The Cherry Orchard, this one has been specifically designed for the forgotten Co-Op on London Road, and the skeleton building should give them plenty of shadowy corners for the tense, spooky trips they specialise in. (BM)
www.brightonsource.co.uk/features
ARTISTS’ OPEN HOUSES WORDS BY NICK COQUET Photo by lomoKev for lomokev.com
emmaus brighton & hove look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful site during the Brighton Fringe Festival.
• Stencil & graffiti work by Milan Street artist Orticanoodles • Mosaic Exhibition - Needlework Exhibition - Friends Fringe Tree • Original artwork by St John Childs Room for thought - Sculpture Our second-hand superstore, chapel shop, and Community café will all be open Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4.30 pm
For more information click on www.emmausbrighton.co.uk or call 01273 426 480 Drove Road, Portslade, Brighton, BN41 2PA on the no 1 bus route
Part of the eclectic charm of the Festival is the Artists’ Open Houses, which this year sees a record 243 homes and venues opening their doors to exhibit the work of over 1,000 artists and makers. What’s this all about then? The Open Houses is a great idea. You get to meet the artists and buy work directly from them, which could save you a load of dough. You can also see the pieces in situ, on living room walls like your own. A lot of the artists offer tea and homemade cakes and stuff. That’s nice of them. I hope they wash their hands. Artists are always washing their hands, what with all the paint and everything. And you’re saying I can just traipse in whenever I feel like it, demanding tea and cake? Well, demanding isn’t quite the spirit. And this is only going on for the first four weekends in May. You can’t just rock up whenever you’re hungry. So where are these houses? All over the city. The online brochure at aoh.org.uk maps them out – you can do trails and take in a load at once. And it’s not just houses either; pubs, church halls and the more traditional galleries all take part. That’s cheating isn’t it? Open Houses, it’s called. No it’s not cheating. Don’t be pedantic. In fact there’s this HOUSE: Art and Domestic Space thing going on in conjunction with the Open Houses, it brings the concept of ‘domestic’ into small galleries and art spaces, sort of turning the whole thing on its head in an artsy manner. So let’s assume I can only be arsed to go to one. Which will it be? Well, LomoKev’s is a good one. He does the SOURCE Street Style photo montages and he’s opening up his flat for an exhibition of prominent Brighton folk done in the same way. Proper nice they are too. OK. Anything else I need to know? Yes, wipe your damn feet. Artists don’t want dog shit trod all through their houses.
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Emmaus Brighton & Hove is a Community of Sussex Emmaus Registered in England & Wales. Reg No. 3130876, Registered Charity No. 1053354; VAT Reg No. 699 3877 44
Aloha!
BRIGHTON’S EXCITING NEW ‘TIKI’ STYLE NIGHTCLUB
LOLA LO
ACTIVELY RECRUITING NOW! We require passionate “Mixologist” Bar Tenders to deliver great tasting cocktails and so much more. Other amazing positions include VIP Host/ Hostesses, Waitresses and Waiters with fun, magnetic personalities and a confidence to sell. We are also recruiting for the unsung hero’s of nightclubs: - Bar support. Lola lo Promotions Manager & Promotions team. If you have the personality to be the ‘face’ of the new Lola lo and your forte is generating corporate bookings, leading a promotional team, driving sales forward and building good networks then please apply now.
Please send a copy of your current CV and a recent fun photo of yourself to recruitment@lolalobrighton.com or call Andy 07793 778 254
Mahola
Art
Kevin Mason: Your Life Is My Vanity Project Garage Studios, 7th, 8th, 9th, 29th, 30th and 31st May WORDS BY JAMES KENDALL Photo by kevin mason •
When Kevin Mason met Georgie Hobday he was known professionally as DarkDaze, renowned for snapping pretty girls and bands in elaborate studio-based set ups that could take days to build. You probably remember his work from the last few years of brilliant SOURCE covers. But thanks to what became a regular weekly session, and now an exhibition, his work with the then 16-year-old model changed his whole professional outlook to the point where he even killed off his alter-ego and started using the name his mum gave him. The photos of his first solo exhibition in years are far removed from the staged work that climaxed with his incredible Ophelia Fancy Christmas cover for SOURCE last December. Simple, across a range of film-based formats, frequently black and white – he put aside the sets and props and make up artists to really get to know Georgie. If you think that there’s something a little sinister – or at least overwhelming – about a room with one photographer’s 100 plus photos of the same girl, then your brain isn’t going places Kevin isn’t expecting. The images are taken from over a thousand photos, suggesting a certain obsession that comes out of 30 photo shoots with the same model in as many weeks. ‘Your Life Is My Vanity Project’ has become life changing for at least one half of the pair, but perhaps not the person Kevin was expecting originally.
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www.brightonsource.co.uk/FEATURES
Art
Human Endeavour Crane Kalman Mon 3rd -Sun 16th
WORDS BY Lydia Stockbridge Photo by Alex Currie •
What resonates most with the works of contemporary photographers group Human Endeavour is their addressing of the relationship in landscapes between the synthetic and the organic. The buildings that feature in the photographs are often derelict, old and worn in their appearance, seen against the vivid greens of the surroundings they’ve been built in. Maybe it’s a wry take on man’s ambitious industrial trappings, in seeing these public buildings stand unwanted, a smudge on the horizon. It’s like witnessing a Banksy rip-off of Constable’s famous rural landscapes come to life, a bleak view of the way we live now. All five artists are working from a slightly different point of interest in portraying the transitions, changes and tensions between the commercial urban environment, forever encroaching upon nature and its rural surrounds that we take for granted.
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www.brightonsource.co.uk/features
bitter ruin
street; indeed they share a producer in Jason Rubal. It’s an engrossing experience from start to finish – far from a passive listen, one is drawn into the slightly scary world the band inhabit, yet with sufficient musical commerciality and charming Kate Bush-isms to prevent too much alienation. With the current TV penchant for spooky dramas about werewolves and vampires, all requiring lucrative music synchs, Bitter Ruin should be living in houses made of solid gold before too long. (NC)
ALBUM: BLACKFIN •
Shadow Chemistry
(myspace.com/blackfinmusic)
Clearly at home in the studio, the Blackfin boys have written, recorded and produced this epic piece themselves. No sonic stone is left unturned, from electronic bleeps and whooshes, ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’esque female vocal workouts, and sprawling gothic guitars. Beautifully recorded and designed, if there’s any downside it’s perhaps that it can tend towards sounding like something of a production CV rather than a heartfelt creation with emotional currency in its own right. But it’s an accomplished achievement nonetheless. (NC)
Critic
WORDS BY NICK COQUET, james kendall, lYDIA STOCKBRIDGE
ALBUM: BABY BUTTON EYES • Kill All Humans
(Last Minute)
This just arrived on our desk without any explanation as to its contents or intentions, so it was with an entirely open mind that we opened our ears to it. At once it stood out as one of the more interesting offerings this month. Swooshes of electronica and laid-back trip hoppy acoustics against dreamy, childlike male and female vocals, particularly nicely on ‘Hide Your Lies’ and ‘White Blank Rage’. We suspect this is a studio-bound project, but we’d be interested to see how it would translate live. Good stuff. (NC)
ALBUM: BITTER RUIN • Hung, Drawn & Quartered (myspace.com/bitterruin)
Bitter Ruin’s theatrical cabaret of vocal duelling – almost baroque and medieval in places – is firmly on the Dresden Dolls side of the
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EP: DOLPHIN PARADE • The Trilogy Of Happiness (Unlabel)
A trilogy of songs whose subtitles we’re hard-pushed to find fault with; (Cash), (Hot Food) and (Sex), the EP begins with ‘Pen & Paper’, a warm guitar fuzz that descends into some alarmingly heavy rock riffing. ‘Hot Food’ bustles along with early Arctics guitar-and-bass synergy and a similar tom-heavy drum assault. ‘Simmer Down’, the (Sex) song, starts off slowly and gently, then goes in hard and fast, then slows down again for a bit – a sequence that’s repeated for just over seven minutes. Have they been spying on us? (NC)
ALBUM: LIANNE HALL • Crossing Wires (Malinki)
There are many artists ploughing the various folk furrows at the moment, and its definition dilutes with every new emergence. Lianne Hall takes its earthy essence and peppers it with a surprisingly appropriate melange of disparate backings, from crunchy electronica beats and grungy guitars to jazz piano. Her vocal is the consistent standout asset throughout however, once described by the late John Peel as “one of the great English voices”. This is an outstanding piece of work and comes highly recommended. (NC)
www.brightonsource.co.uk/REVIEWS
SINGLE: LONDON COMMANDS YOU •
SINGLE: SWEET SWEET LIES •
Give Me A Sign (myspace.com/
Overrated Girlfriend (myspace.com/sweetsweetliesmusic)
londoncommandsyou)
Describing themselves as New Order meets David Bowie may be a tad ambitious – we did detect some lingering vibrato on the vocal that could be attributable to The Dame, but while certainly not any musical doppelganger for New Order, these boys certainly share their pop sensibility. We actually preferred back-up song ‘Can’t Stop Me’ to the title track, it seemed to pack a more immediate punch especially with the soaring chorus and piano (which veers a little too deeply into Coldplay territory elsewhere). We have to remind ourselves it’s merely a demo and as such a tantalising hint of promise to come. (NC)
SINGLE: LYREBIRDS • CATALYST (Chess Club)
‘Catalyst’ is probably the biggest release from a Brighton band this month, not just in terms of interest but in terms of scale. Guitars chug and chime, vocals soar and basslines brood. And the bridge – which carries the chorus refrain into true stadium anthemic glory – is slightly bigger than the Forth. The whole thing is given a real sense of hope that lifts it further. It’s the best parts of early U2 with a dose of Interpol and Arcade Fire. Stardom awaits. (JK)
ALBUM: THE MISERABLE RICH • Of Flight And Fury
(Humble Soul)
Jostling writing and recording an album whilst touring the globe is no easy task, but The Miserable Rich have done just that and made a gem of a record. Produced by folk-knowledgeable Al Scott, The ‘Rich have created an ambient, string-led pop masterpiece. Personal tales of joys and woes, woven around points of meaning and interest to the quintet in Brighton give added poignancy to the lyrics. ‘Of Flight And Fury’ is fit for a springtime frolic in the sunshine. (LS)
ALBUM: SAMSARA • The Great Unravelling (myspace.com/samsara5)
Most of the ska and reggae-based music we seem to get sent tends to veer towards the frenetic, so it makes a change for a slightly more laid-back affair to grace our stereo. Samsara plunder folk, rock and psychedelia and take it to Carnival to arrive at a polished finished product that defies categorisation outside of ‘entertaining’. One suspects it’s a sound best experienced in a festival setting, luckily for this year’s Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party ticket holders. (NC)
ALBUM: ROBERT STILMAN •
Master Box (myspace.comrobertstillmanshorses)
This was intriguing from the off – a weird package of hand-typed ephemera surrounding a stark CD. We read that the album portrays the piano as contraption, which made as little sense then as it does now, but loosely speaking it seems the innards of the instrument are all put to good percussive use. The result, we have to say, is eerie instrumentalism, with the emphasis on the mental, and although we can’t quite put our finger on why, to be honest we thought it was absolutely brilliant. A bit scary, very odd, but brilliant. (NC)
www.brightonsource.co.uk/REVIEWS
The songwriters in Sweet Sweet Lies met on the songwriting module of a music degree, and it’s easy to see that your taxpayer pound was well spent here. The title track rolls along like a filthy folk snowball, the vocal insistent and frenetic as it details the faults and foibles of a particular ladyfriend. Currently winding up a nationwide series of dates, it’s time for the triumphant truth about Sweet Sweet Lies to be known. (NC)
EP: THEDEALWASFORTHEDIAMOND • It’s Not Enough To Reproduce (myspace.com/thedealwasforthediamond)
A precursor to their anticipated album due this August, TDWFTD give us something to keep occupied with in the meantime with their double a-side EP. Having only emerged last year, they’re already making quite a name for themselves amongst critics and musicians alike. Their heady mix of heavy yet melodic post-rock instrumentals make something unique out of an already heavily plundered genre. They manage to create an epic noise, without being ruined by out-of-place whiney vocals which can be so unbearably commonplace these days. (LS)
ALBUM: TURNCOAT • An Adventure In Skill And Chance (Numb Skull)
Melodic indie guitar gets a decent outing here, as Turncoat ply a four-piece trade in the style of Gene and Bluetones from the Britpop years, while venturing closer to 21st century home with occasional arrangement nods to Bloc Party and Franz. There’s a definite old-fashioned naiveté about the whole production, which lends it an endearing charm that we like. They’ve been released on EMI before, we’re not sure what happened there but they’re probably best off out of it by the sound of things there. A regular on the local scene, you’d be wise to check them out. (NC)
ALBUM: VENETIA AND THE VOLTAGE • Keep Moving Or Something Will Eat You (Nearly Normal)
It’s often a tricky mix to pull off when an ostensibly live rock act brings some dancefloor vibes to the party, but Venetia and co tread the right side of the line with this debut album, following a handful of warmly received singles. The band are self-proclaimed twisted partiers, which comes across in the subversion of traditional pop across the tracks here. The selfproduction might have hampered the potential size of the sound – the hooks are all there and the playing’s faultless, but this will all come together as they inevitably evolve into a bigger prospect. (NC)
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vampire weekend – see latitude
uk Festivals
APPARENTLY THERE ARE FESTIVALS OUTSIDE BRIGHTON THIS SUMMER TOO... Words by Nick Coquet, James Kendall, Lydia Stockbridge
LATITUDE
MEADOWLANDS
162 miles from Brighton Headliners: Florence & The Machine, Belle & Sebastian, Vampire Weekend Don’t miss: The Maccabees, The Horrors, Mumford & Sons
11 miles from Brighton Headliners: Wave Machines, Engineers, The Bays, Transformer Don’t miss: Gloria Cycles, DJ Flevans, The Half Sisters
If you want to broaden your horizons a bit beyond the usual maindraw muddy music mayhem of the festival season, then Latitude is definitely for you. Firmly ensconced on the calendar as very much the thinking person’s event, it punches high with its band line-up and backs it up with something for literally everyone. Cabaret, literary and poetry arenas, theatre, comedy, film and even opera all conspire to instill some al fresco culture into your weekend in wellies. (NC) In a nutshell: Brain-food fest with cultural clout.
If you want to hammer your tent pegs into some local sod, Meadowlands is your closest opportunity this year. With a lineup that reads like SOURCE’s Spotify, it’s a rousing of emerging talent from the city and beyond, many of whom you’ll have read about within these past pages. It’s got to be one of the most picturesque events on the Sussex schedule too, set as it is in the grounds of an Elizabethan manor house on the South Downs. (NC) In a nutshell: Pocket-sized local essential.
July 15-18 / Suffolk / £155
SECRET GARDEN PARTY July 22-25 / Cambridgeshire / £149.50
134 miles from Brighton Headliners: Gorillaz Sound System, Mercury Rev, Marina & The Diamonds Don’t miss: Skatalites, Kate Walsh, Belleruche
When people put on their rose-tinted festival specs they remember friendly, small festivals where they bimbled around seeing weird shit and going on adventures with nutters. There’s only one festival that can guarantee that happening. Secret Garden Party has got a good line-up of music, but what makes it so special is the performance and spectacle of the whole site. And everyone gets stuck right in, this year on the theme of Fact Or Fiction. Bring a big smile cos your fellow Gardeners certainly will. (JK) In a nutshell: Bestival’s fancy dress day taking place in Glastonbury’s Green Fields
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MAY 29-31 / Lewes / £65
GLASTONBURY
June 24-28 / somerset / SOLD OUT
170 miles from Brighton Headliners: Stevie Wonder, Muse, U2 Don’t miss: Vampire Weekend, Pet Shops Boys, Faithless The biggest and arguably the best festival on the list, this is Glastonbury’s 40th year, and it’s come a long way since its 30-hippies-in-a-field beginnings. With an audience the size of a city every amenity is catered for, from cashpoint machines to mobile phone charge points. Far more than a mere music outing, its considerable clout nonetheless attracts some mega hitters – U2’s first festival headline, the immense booking that is Stevie Wonder and current stadium darlings Muse will all pack the Pyramid. (NC) In a nutshell: The outdoors. Owned.
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Hot chip – see lovebox
GUILFEST
July 16-18 / Guildford / £110
58 miles from Brighton Headliners: Orbital, Human League, Status Quo Don’t miss: Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Just Jack, 10CC A medium-sized camper, Guilfest has become one to watch over the last few years. They have a penchant for dad rock crowd-pleasers with some younger acts for the kids, and this year’s no exception – where else will you find Hawkwind rubbing patchouli shoulders with N-Dubz? And the confirmation of 10CC should prick up some older ears. Comedy, theatre, kids’ zones and cocktails round off a consummate festival experience where you’re just as likely to trip over a buggy as a hippie. (NC) In a nutshell: Sedate Surrey singalong
LOVEBOX
July 16-18 / East London / £99 62 miles from Brighton Headliners: Dizzee Rascal, Roxy Music, Grace Jones Don’t miss: Yeasayer, Hot Chip, Peaches
A three-day programme of one-day events, Lovebox is a winner in every sense. One of the least likely festivals to have pesky jugglers cluttering the place up, this one’s all about the music, with enough good food, booze and loos to make participation a pleasure. With its focus clearly on the line-up, it’s no surprise they’ve pulled off a great one – Roxy Music for one had genuine wow-factor on their announcement and the four stages are packed with goodies. (NC) In a nutshell: Unbeatable urban entertainment
BESTIVAL
September 9-12 / Isle Of Wight / £150
65 miles from Brighton Headliners: Prodigy, Roxy Music, Flaming Lips, Dizzee Rascal Don’t miss: Chic, Beardyman, LCD Soundsystem
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It could be said that since Glastonbury outgrew its pastoral noncommerciality, Bestival has taken on the mantle of unadulterated festival fun with some enthusiasm. Fancy dress is a big part of proceedings, and most seem to love getting involved, with strange and wonderful costumes emerging from the various tents, tipis, yurts and podpads. Great music, constant surprises, happy and chilled, this is kid-friendly festivalling with a smile all over its painted face. (NC) In a nutshell: Wig out with a wig on
THE BIG CHILL
August 5-8 / Herefordshire / £155 179 miles from Brighton Headliners: MIA, Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto Don’t miss: Alice Russell, Mr Scruff, Layo & Buskwaka!
As the name suggests, this is one for the reclining reveller – there’s no place for Fucked Up and their eardrum-worrying ilk here. The Big Chill has become one of the most respected leftfield garden parties of the summer, with a thoughtful laid back line-up of blissed out, family-friendly entertainment. If the sun’s shining, and the scheduling suggests it should be, there’s simply no better place to be as gentle beats drift through the countryside. (NC) In a nutshell: Earplug-free entertainment
OUT OF THE ORDINARY September 17 -19 / Hailsham / £53.14
28 miles from Brighton Headliners: Turiya and some great world music artists Don’t miss: Loads of great Brighton acts that are being booked now Set in the Sussex countryside close to our fair town, OOTOpia awaits. The family-friendly eco festival is back for its fourth year running. Embrace nature and all its benefits, shop ethically at the Green Market, sup at organic cider, chow down on locally produced foods or treat yourself to a blissful holistic massage. Alex Paterson of The Orb is rumoured to be headlining this year out of the solarpaneled stages, more acts to be confirmed through the coming months. (LS) In a nutshell: Like Glastonbury back in the days of yore
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liars – see standon calling
SOUTH WEST 4 WEEKENDER
August 28-29 / Clapham / £85 50 miles from Brighton Headliners: Armin Van Buuren, Fatboy Slim Don’t miss: Carl Cox, John Digweed, Erol Alkan
Three Trapped Tigers Everything that’s great about going to independent festivals is all included here, down to the last detail and then some. Quality is the aim throughout, from helpful staff to amazing food and site décor, plus a hardline no-advertising policy. Music is of the leftfield variety, you won’t find any hyped festival tour bands booked. Expect some Scandinavian delights musically, grab a snack at the Skandikitchen, or have a go at playing a good old Viking game of Kubb. (LS) In a nutshell: Cool, calm and collected independent
Clapham Common comes alive with the arrival of a busload of the world’s best DJs to bring some dance music sunshine to the August Bank Holiday weekend. Armin Van Buuren, DJmag’s most popular spinner on the planet for the last three years, rounds off the Saturday night after a day of Digweed, Oakenfold and Jules, while our Norm closes the party on Sunday to a crowd suitably warmed up by Carl Cox and Vitalic. (NC) In a nutshell: Clubbing on the Common
MAMMOTHFEST
PLAYGROUP
Newest metal contender Mammothfest aims to be the port of call for all things headbangy in the South East. Gaining exposure for emerging bands as well as bringing in the big guns, this is a festival run by a team who are passionate about metal, for metal fans. Twenty seven bands are set to play across the two stages at Hove Town Hall for the all-dayer event. If you’ve been to a Mammothfest local show recently, you know it’ll be good. (LS) In a nutshell: All-out metal line-up to sink your teeth into.
August 13-14 / secret/ £secret ? miles from Brighton Headliners : TBC Don’t miss: TBC
The organisers of the often outrageous, hilariously quirky festivalin-a-club nights around Brighton finally bring us the three-day outdoor event we’ve been craving. We’re promised golden castles, hanging gardens and mechanical towers of flame alongside cabaret, comedy and dirty dance music played out with the greenest of resources and the help of Brighton revellers. Previous bookings have included 30-piece carnival bands to international DJs, so who knows what could be in store? Head to playgroupfestival.com for your super-secret invite. (LS) In a nutshell: Mysterious fun led by party kings Playgroup
END OF THE ROAD
September 10-12 / Dorset / £130
101 miles from Brighton Headliners: Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Iron and Wine Don’t miss: Diane Cluck with Anders Griffen, Timber Timbre,
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September 18 / Hove / £40
2 miles from Brighton Headliners: Orange Goblin, Breed 77, Malefice plus more tbs. Don’t miss: Divine Chaos, Sylosis, Blind Eye Fury
STANDON CALLING
August 6-8 / Hertfordshire / £95
102 miles from Brighton Headliners: Buena Vista Social Club, Liars, Efterklang Don’t Miss: Esben and The Witch, Pica Pica, Anna Calvi
A boutique festival hidden away in Hertfordshire, specialising in unearthing the stars of tomorrow, with over half of last year’s Mercury prize nominees performing in 2009. With a late licence after the live music stops, it’s off to the cowshed nightclub til six in the morning. This year’s theme being Murder On The Standon Express, expect illicit tales of crime from the Spoken Ink stage, burlesque life drawing in the speakeasy or why not just lounge by the swimming pool. (LS) In a nutshell: Calling all super-sleuths, the game is afoot!
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lee scratch perry - see sellindge
SUMMER BREAK FESTIVAL June 6-10 / june 13-17 / june 20-24 / Newquay/ From £64
291 miles from Brighton Headliners: Chipmunk, Tinie Tempah, Subfocus Don’t miss: Example, Urban Knights DVJ, Jaymo and Andy George Celebrate the end of year exams in summery style, as Summer Break pitches up in Newquay for the whole month of June. Beach Olympics are held during the day with classic games like how many marshmallows you can fit in your gob at once. By night, the town is lit up with big name DJs set to entertain you for the evenings into the wee hours. Get involved and opt in for additional surfing lessons, abseiling and even coasteering. (LS) In a nutshell: Sun, sand, sea package for the savvy student.
SELLINDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL June 11-13 / Kent/ £79
90 miles from Brighton Headliners: Sugarhill Gang, Reverend & The Makers, Lee Scratch Perry Don’t miss: Elephants, Yousef, Eliza Carthy Tucked away in the Kent countryside, Sellindge music festival has it all. There are five music stages, with dance, folk and world music as well as BBC Introducing, with the best of unsigned bands from the North Downs area and Brighton acts Mean Poppa Lean, Heels Catch Fire, Achilles and a lot more besides. Frolic at the traditional fairground, dump your kids off at the Funky Gibbons activity area, and all for a price that won’t leave you broke for the rest of the summer holidays. (LS) In a nutshell: Best bargain by far this festival season.
THE WICKERMAN FESTIVAL
July 23-24 / East Kirkcarswell / £90
424 miles from Brighton Headliners: Ocean Colour Scene, The Futureheads, Sons & Daughters Don’t miss: Ed Tudorpole, Doll & The Kicks, Django Django A proper festival is what you’ll get at Wickerman. Away from the branded stages we’ve all become jaded by, Scotland’s finest alternative festival sticks to its own traditions. Inspired more by cult film The Wicker Man than Celtic Pagan rites, a giant wicker man is burned to mark the end of two days of merrymaking. An eclectic line-up of indie, punk and everything in between, it’s the whole community spirit of the festival that keeps people going back
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for an original experience. (LS) In a nutshell: A right proper knees-up with community spirit.
KENDAL CALLING
July 30 - August 1 / Lake District / £85
342 miles from Brighton Headliners: Doves, Calvin Harris, The Coral Don’t miss: Kid British, The King Blues, Doorly Kendal Calling has it made. Celebrating its fifth year open for business and growing at a steady pace each year, Kendal Calling is giving the big guns a run for their money. It’s hosting a whole load of acts to shake your tail-feather to, with Erol Alkan, DJ Yoda and Dub Pistols announced so far. The Kaylied Stage will be showcasing the best in contemporary folk for a good ol’ singsong at the end of the night to boot. (LS) In a nutshell: A rip-roaring good time, Cumbrianstyle.
THE 1-2-3-4 FESTIVAL
July 24 / Shoreditch / £15 (earlybird ticket)
55 miles from Brighton Headliners: Vivian Girls, These New Puritans, Rolo Tomassi Don’t miss: S.C.U.M, Dum Dum Girls, Bo Ningen Trust Shoreditch to come up with the trendiest of lineups around, with the freshest of underground international bands and DJs culminating in one big all-dayer, basking in the Shoreditch sunshine. The legendary promoter behind it all, Sean McLusky, is back to entertain the hipsters – 13,000 of whom flock to this event every year to see the finest of the East End’s artists. McLusky now operates 1234 records, releasing these fledgling talents, so you could be watching next year’s breakthrough acts this July. (LS) In a nutshell: Inner City trend-fest.
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Source Virgins
Running Marath
Words by Matt Barker Photo by james kendall
“My thigh muscles went from feeling like supple rubber bands to knackered car tyres.�
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gA hon
The Concept Simple, we do stuff we’ve never done before and tell you about it. Matt Barker is a young, fit guy, but he’d never tested his endurance over a 26-mile marathon before. The Reasons Far from the charity-work altruist or the Zen-like personal improver, I rather fell into the marathon – wimping out of an offer of a place from a charity seemed just too pathetic.
The Experience I was staring down the barrel of 14-week beginners training schedule, having run little more than a bath since school. I did play on several school sports teams, but ever since I discovered Guinness and girls, physical exercise has been a thing of the past. So I started sensibly and methodically, following the schedule timings, which involve starting easy at the beginning of each week, escalating to a ‘long run’ on the Sunday – three or four miles in the beginning, peaking at a couple of 20-milers at the end. After about seven weeks, coupled with keeping half an eye on my diet and giving up booze, I was feeling pretty OK – the stiffness and aching had faded to almost nothing, I could feel comfortable running up to about ten miles. The hardest thing about the training was finding the hours to run, but what I had dreaded more than the physical side of the running was the mental toughness it requires – if I’d simply run to the pub, had a pint and run back, no one would have known. Developing the willpower to do something unpleasant, physically demanding and boring was, to put it mildly, a stretch. Having said that, by week eight when training steps up a notch, I had come to look forward to that hour or so I had to myself. I’d even come to like pulling on my hideous professional running shoes (for a minor sneaker freak like myself, blowing a hundred quid on trainers I hoped never to be seen in was rough). They may be as ugly as sin, but god they are comfier than an armchair wrapped in a duvet.
pistol, we finally crossed the start line and made our way round the outside of Preston Park. I had my first experience of people shouting and clapping – very different to the solitary training and a massive boost. The narrow course made picking a path through the runners difficult at points, but mostly the sense of occasion, the moral support of hundreds of equally-out-of-their-depth runners had me feeling better than OK; when I passed my parents on the Steine I gave them a chipper wave and a “See you at the finish!” This was about mile 14. Miles 15 through 19 were the ones I had been dreading the most – a run up Grand Avenue, through Hove to Aldrington and back. The niggles in both my knees seemed to coincide with this demoralising turn back on ourselves. Given that I had no idea where we were turning, the idea that this road may well go on forever didn’t seem so far fetched. My knees were beginning to feel like they felt on the 20 miler I did in training, but I was determined to run through it. If I thought the Hove loop was bad, Shoreham power station had other ideas. Three-and-a half-miles around the yard would have been interesting under normal circumstances, but the lack of crowds and the bleakness of the landscape was just focusing my mind on the encroaching pain in my right knee joint. I began to develop a limp that was most unbecoming, not to mention annoying to maintain. My worry was compounded when I ran past a crowd of paramedics surrounding a guy lying rigidly in the recovery position, his eyes wide and petrified. I decided if I was going to finish intact I’d have to take a minute to let my knee recuperate. Walking was the one thing I did not want to do – it seemed totally against the spirit of the undertaking – but I walked about two miserable miles. I felt like I had the stamina to run and run – but the nuts and bolts had flaked out. Getting back onto Hove seafront helped – I knew exactly how much further I had to run. I’d done it in training a hundred times, and walked it a thousand. By the time I passed Palace Pier, I had begun to focus on the white lines in the road. Pouring all my attention into watching the line appear and disappear along the seam in the tarmac got me through the last 1,500 metres or so – so much so that I ran past most of my whooping pals, and actually carried on running for about 40 yards through the finish before my brain explained to my body that it was actually allowed to walk again.
During what were supposed to be weeks 9 to 12 of my schedule (the serious 50-plus miles a week bit) I ran very little. I had to spend my evenings during two of these weeks office hunting, moving office and then flat hunting. In the little time I had, I managed to squeeze in a Four hours 45 minutes couple of shorter runs, plus one was my finish time. It was 18-mile run before work. In week 12, way longer than I had I went on holiday. I know it was a hoped, but I finished. I stupid time to go, but I anticipated it hobbled over to see my as some relaxation and a bit of A marathon is 26.2 miles long – the point-two being parents and a few friends. swimming for low-impact loosening added in order that the 1908 Marathon could finish in front I was dazed and sore, and exercise. In the event, Moroccan of the Royal Box in Windsor and not over the moon tajine won out and I swam very little. 7,589 started the Brighton Marathon about James taking my Sponsor Matt here: www.JustGiving.com/MrMattBarker picture (see opposite), In an effort to purge my guilt, I ran 20 but I’d set myself a task, miles on the morning after I flew and completed it – albeit back. Previous niggles were rearing not in the dignified, athletic manner I’d hoped. their heads again – at 17 miles my knees started to feel worse than ever. My thigh muscles went from feeling like supple rubber bands to Was it worth it? knackered car tyres. Dragging myself along began to feel like trying I ran a marathon. Having a statement like that to back up to drag a wardrobe across a muddy farmer’s field. The soreness of what was a hugely out-of-my-comfort-zone experience my legs, plus a mysterious pain in my foot all added up to a pretty makes it totally worth it, even sitting here over a week later miserable run-in to the marathon. with a still-painful knee. The training was as solitary and mentally demanding as the race day was crowded and The morning of the race arrived after a day of restful carb-loading. physically challenging, all of which added up to something Walking up London Road towards Preston Park with scores of other remarkable. To quote 1952 Olympic Marathon gold medallist anxious amateurs introduced the all-in-this-together camaraderie Emil Zatopek, “We are different, in essence, from other men. that would characterise the rest of the day – a worried nod here, a If you want to win something, run 100 metres. If you want to shrug there. As a beginner, I started right at the back with the other experience something, run a marathon.” first-timers. About 15 minutes after Steve Ovett had fired the starting
FYI
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street style Words by James Kendall Photos by Lomokev for lomokev.com
If you’ve got a cute baby face like Josh here – isn’t he adorable! – then what better way to dress up a leather jacket than with a flowery jumper? Talk about letting girls know about your tough masculine side and your sensitive feminine side at the same time. A polka dot shirt and hooded top might seem like a lot to be dealing with, but that’s how we’re all rolling these days. If you think patterns and layers and materials might go together then give them the benefit of the doubt. Fashion’s the most fun when it throws out the rule book and has a bit of a laugh – although casuals and rude boys might disagree. Jacket from To Be Worn Again “I’d always wanted one but wasn’t able to find one in my size. I’m obsessed with James Dean and it’s got that that 50s rocker thing to it.” Jumper from Beyond Retro “I like the fact that it’s been customised by someone. I quite like mixing it up with the leather jacket.” Hooded top from American Apparel “It’s just one of those basics. I wear it with everything.” Shirt from eBay “I was obsessed by polka dots for a while. It kinda matches the rest of the outfit in a way.” Jeans from Topman “I wear them relentlessly. They now have a hole in the crotch which is quite sad.” Trainers from Topman “It’s difficult to find a cheap pair of patent trainers.”
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Street style extra Photos by Lomokev for lomokev.com
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SECRET EATER
Nick & Franco’s Deli Bar 12 Brighton Sq (01273) 723522 Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm
THE PLACE: Mostly the massive SOURCE distribution list is mainly laid out sensibly by shop, pub and café names but the spot that Nick & Franco’s now takes is simply down as “Nice meatballs deli”. We’d been grabbing cheap pasta there for years, so when someone suggested it for our food review this month we were pretty excited, and then shocked to hear it had changed owners. It’s still a place for cheap Italian eats but how will it compare?
THE MEAL: The good news about Nick & Franco’s is that it’s proper. Real Italian food served and cooked by Italians in an environment that feels like an upmarket Rome café. The bad news is that they don’t serve meatballs. We get to grips with the concept of change and order penne with spicy chorizo and peppers (£3.55) and more penne with bolognaise ragu (£3.55). Both fill the huge plates, with the former having warm flavours provided by the soft chorizo. The bolognaise is similarly tasty but isn’t as thick and meaty as the tomato-heavy sausage dish. We don’t need a sandwich to go with it but just for the experience (honest, we’re not gluttons), we order a freshly made Sicilian (£3.65) – crammed full of grilled Mediterranean veg and soft but sharp pecorino cheese on toasted ciabatta. It’s all washed down with hot chocolate (£1.80) and a can of Italian lemonade (£1). THE VERDICT: Why would you buy a pre-packed sandwich for lunch when you could have a lovely, hot cooked meal brought to you at tables in the sun or inside a cool café? It’s great value compared to, say, Pret A Manger and when the meatballs return – please! – we’ll be here every day. WERE WE SUSSED: Actually, yeah, we think we were. Sitting outside we weren’t as careful with our camera as we could have been and got clocked. No one said anything but we didn’t get charged the 40p eat-in fee. SOURCE pays for its meals and reviews in secret so we get the same food and treatment as everyone else.
Beachdown In Conversation With Joe Pidgeon of
WOrds by The James Kendall Photo by Trevor Dale at www.trevordale.net
The fallout from Beachdown is still being felt around Brighton, not least by the people who still haven’t had their ticket money back. We managed to get Beachdown’s rather elusive Joe Pidgeon – one of four directors of Future Festivals Ltd (Beachdown), the others being Joe and Darren Murphy and Neil Cranston – on the phone to ask when and how the money was heading to the ticket holders. He told us we were asking the wrong person. What we think people really want to know is what is the current situation with ticket refunds? After Beachdown had to be cancelled the only way of anyone getting any money back was to put the company into administration… so that someone could be found to take over the festival contract and get back money from suppliers that we’d pre-paid. I personally made sure that I got details for as many ticket holders as I could, which I supplied to [the administrators] Clink in November. They passed that on to Marks Bloom who are now managing the company in administration. So effectively I can’t
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answer the question of when people will get their money because it’s Marks Bloom’s jurisdiction. So they are responsible for both refunds and communication and you’re not responsible at all? Yes. After I handed the ticket holders’ information over to Clink and Marks Bloom I was promised that each ticket holder would be communicated with on an individual level and I understand that hasn’t happened. That’s very disappointing to me. If they haven’t been contacted then people are blaming me for that when you have to ask Marks Bloom [why that hasn’t happened]. Have Marks Bloom found anyone to run a festival on the site? They’re in dialogue with a number of people. So when this went into administration it was suggested that there was someone who was willing to spend £60,000 a year to put a festival on at the site. So what sort of debt are we looking at, that the money that’s coming in will go against? £1.3m? We’re just trying to work out what sort of percentage of the ticket money they’ll get back.
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That’s not the correct debt figure for a start [NB SOURCE contacted Marks Bloom to get the official figure, they didn’t retun our call]. You’re not going to be able to work out what the percentage is because there are so many sets of circumstances. The intention is that not only would the £60,000 come in but also those owed ticket money would be offered a free ticket to the festival in year one as well as a percentage of the ticket money back. There’s been no announcement from Marks Bloom but all the way along there doesn’t seem like there’s been much communication. Do you feel like you washed your hands of it? I think that’s unfair. I’ve spent four months of my life…[pause] I didn’t walk away. I fronted it out until I had to hand it over to the company that was supposed to liaise with everybody. Do you feel that the communication has been adequate? Because there’s a lot of anger around. I got all the contact details and handed it over. I’m one person. There were hundreds of people asking questions, all different. Also there were no assets – the beachdownfestival.com domain lapsed because we weren’t able to pay the people to maintain it. I’ve apologised so many times for the fact that Beachdown didn’t happen – there’s only so many times you can apologise for a situation. I hear the anger. I go back to Brighton and I’m constantly reminded of how pissed off people are. I don’t blame them but unfortunately for me I’m just as pissed off as they are. Do you feel that everything you have done has been ethical or do you have regrets about anything that’s happened? Do you have things you wish you’d done things differently? I wish that the festival had gone ahead. I wish that the bank hadn’t changed their mind and done what they said they were going to do and lent £37,000 to us three weeks before. I wish that our ticket company had transferred £47,000 like they said they were going to do but didn’t. I wish we hadn’t paid Grace Jones £100,000 upfront. There’s a lot of things I wish that hadn’t happened but we were trying to put a festival on. I don’t think that ethics come into it. The situation that we had to deal with, and that the ticket holders have had to suffer as a result of, didn’t need to happen. The festival site was basically built. Three suppliers chose not to come, probably because they hadn’t been paid by other festivals that year. So you think there’s enough revenue to get people a decent amount of their ticket money back? I’m not happy with circumstances but they will get something back which is better than nothing. If I was a ticket holder who hadn’t got their money back, if I got some money and a free ticket for another event, personally I would say that’s better than getting nothing at all. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you still waiting for a refund? Do you feel you’ve been treated fairly? Did Joe go the extra mile for ticket holders? Would you go to a festival on the Beachdown site? Email letters@brightonsource.co.uk with your views. Still waiting for your money back? You need to speak to these guys: Marks Bloom 60/62 Old London Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT2 6QZ (020) 8549 9951 insolvency@marksbloom.co.uk
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SIX OF THE BEST
BRIAN ENO
AS POP’S FAVOURITE BOFFIN HITS TOWN WITH HIS FESTIVAL FROLICS, WE SALUTE HALF A DOZEN INDISPENSIBLE ENO TUNES. WORDS BY NICK COQUET
A solo hiatus over the last few years has meant Brian Eno is probably now best known as the go-to record producer who used to be in Roxy Music, made music for airports and recorded the six-second start-up jingle for Windows 95 – inevitably the most widely known work of his career. But before all that our Brian was a quirky, innovative and genuinely unique solo performer. The albums featured here are all essential, so selecting just six tracks from them was tricky. The cards told us to choose these ones.
song structures that first enchanted us, and the likes of Bowie, Byrne and Bono before us. This touching gem, borne of Oblique Strategies experimentalism in 1975, is lyrically goofy, sonically beautiful and features one of the best guitar solo sounds we’ve ever heard. In fact, fellow pop chrome-dome Moby pretty much nicked it wholesale for ‘We Are All Made Of Stars’.
‘SOME OF THEM ARE OLD’
ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (1975)
HERE COME THE WARM JETS (1974)
As a man whose voice is perhaps not the most obvious of his many talents, it’s nice to be able to present one of the warmest songs Eno’s written to date, featuring his vocal at the forefront of the mix, multi-layered and chorused to delicious effect. The album from whence it came was apparently titled in reference to a small picture on the front sleeve of a lady having a crafty piss in a stream. Which was nice.
‘THE TRUE WHEEL’
TAKNG TIGER MOUNTAIN BY STRATEGY (1974)
Eno abandoned Roxy Music’s glam-stomping influence for much of his solo work, choosing instead to forage for inspiration in the electronic undergrowth. But ‘The True Wheel’ from his second album makes clear reference to Roxy’s stabbing glitter riffs and suggests he was still a man who could rock out, should he deem it an appropriate musical course of action. The refrain ‘looking for a certain ratio’ obviously inspired the Manc indie evergreens in their nomenclature.
‘I’LL COME RUNNING’ ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (1975)
The first time we heard this album we just knew we were going to love it, and Brian, forever. Famed as he is for inventing noodly ambient soundscapes, it’s nonetheless Eno’s more traditional
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‘ANOTHERGREENWORLD’ You already know this one, unless you’re an X Factor-glued cultural dimwit, for it’s been the theme tune for the BBC’s Arena programme since 1975. An instrumental, yet not quite the minimal nothing-really-going-on-ness of his ambient pieces, this has inevitably been many people’s entry point to the Eno oeuvre. Fans of Bowie’s much-admired Berlin trilogy of 77-79, on which he collaborated with Eno, will find plenty to love here.
‘NO ONE RECEIVING’
BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE (1977)
It may surprise some to learn that during his mid-70s purple patch for indispensible solo works, one of Eno’s favoured percussionists was Phil Collins. Unlike the ‘Easy Lover’ tub-thumping of later years, here Phil provides a jaunty and bouncy backing to a rhythm section whose style would later inform much of Eno’s Talking Heads production. On LP format the album was divided by sides and moods; pop like this song (as far as Eno really did pop) on the first and a lush electro serenity on the flip.
‘THIS’ANOTHER DAY ON EARTH
(2005)
After decades of ambient-only releases, during which Eno’s only real forays into traditional song were shaping those of others, he finally got back in the vocal booth in 2005 for his swansong in the medium so far. From the get go it’s unmistakably Eno, and this album opener takes us straight back to his glory years – retaining his 70s rhythmic blueprint with some sound tinkering for a new millennium. Don’t buy this album until you’ve bought all the others listed here, but do make sure you get round to it at some point.
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