The Skinny Northwest August 2015 by The Skinny

BOOK NOW: 0161 832 1111 MANchesteracademy.net THE JANOSKIANS - JAHOO JAHAA TOUR FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER

THE WILDHEARTS

PERFORMING P.H.U.Q. IN ITS ENTIRETY FRIDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

FORMERLY THE MDH

PEACE

FORMERLY THE HOP & GRAPE

FORMERLY THE CELLAR

WALK OFF THE EARTH

THE SUGARHILL GANG PLUS GRANDMASTER’S FURIOUS FIVE

AESTHETIC PERFECTION

STEVE HARRIS BRITISH LION

HAWKTOBERFEST 2015: HAWKWIND

ALVVAYS

MORDRED

THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST

THE TUBES

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER

SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST

FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER

+ RUTS DC SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER

DOORS 4.30PM / SHOW 5PM

BOYCE AVENUE

THURSDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER

PARADISE LOST

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER

HUNTER HAYES - LET’S BE CRAZIER UK TOUR

FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER

TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST

SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST

COMBICHRIST

SOJA

TUESDAY 11TH AUGUST

SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST

THE MEAT PUPPETS

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER

+ THE BLEEDIN NOSES AND GUESTS THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER

BEAR’S DEN

U2-2

MIGUEL

GEORGE THE POET

JUNGLE BROTHERS

GARY NUMAN

GAZ COOMBES

STEREO MC’S

PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

CLASSIC ROCK TRIBUTE TOUR

BUZZCOCKS

+ MARION +GOLDBLADE SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER

DOORS 4PM

TUESDAY 6TH OCTOBER WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER

THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER

SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER A “JOY DIVISION” CELEBRATION PERFORMING UNKNOWN PLEASURES & CLOSER AND FEATURING AN OPENING SET OF NEW ORDER MATERIAL + EL TEN ELEVEN FRIDAY 30TH OCTOBER

FEATURING HELLS BELLS, BLACK ROSE AND STATE OF QUO FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER

FROM THE JAM + THE UNDERTONES + THE BEAT

UNPLUGGED FOR AUTISM

+ LOUISE DISTRAS SATURDAY 31ST OCTOBER

DOORS 4PM

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE TUESDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

BLACKBERRY SMOKE FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER

SKINDRED

+ CROSSFAITH SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER

THE ICICLE WORKS SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER

THURSDAY 15TH OCTOBER

PROTOJE

FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER

CRADLE OF FILTH

THURSDAY 22ND OCTOBER

BATTLES

THURSDAY 22ND OCTOBER

SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER SUNDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER

GZA – ‘LIQUID SWORDS’ 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER

MACHINAE SUPREMACY

EVILE

THE SWORD

POSTPONED FROM 27TH SEPTEMBER 2014 - ORIGINAL TICKETS REMAIN

JOLANGA

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER

SATURDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER

WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER + FALSE ADVERTISING + LITTLE ILLUSION MACHINE + WE SIGNAL FIRE SATURDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER

EXTRACTION FESTIVAL FT: [SPUNGE]

+ WHITMORE + PHINIUS GAGE + FIGHTS & FIRES + RED LIGHT REBELS DOORS 6.30PM FRIDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER

FUSE ODG

HAPPY MONDAYS

HEAVEN 17

THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER

SATURDAY 31ST OCTOBER

MEGADOG: DREADZONE + EAT STATIC + SYSTEM 7

THIRD EYE BLIND

THURSDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

+ DJ MICHAEL DOG + MC TBAG + VJ’S PEEKA & EEFEE SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER DOORS 9PM - 4AM

YELAWOLF

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS

IMPERICON NEVER SAY DIE! TOUR 2015 FT: THE AMITY AFFLICTION

TUESDAY 24TH NOVEMBER

A TRIBUTE TO MANCH25STER FT:

THE CLONE ROSES - THE OASIS EXPERIENCE THESE SMITHS - TRUE ORDER

PLUS SPECIAL GUEST DJ PHIL BECKETT (STONE ROSES TOUR DJ) DOORS 7PM - 12AM FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER

NEW MODEL ARMY

+ THE DUB PISTOLS + GUN + TV SMITH SATURDAY 5TH DECEMBER DOORS 4.30PM / SHOW 5PM

THE DARKNESS - BLAST OF OUR KIND TOUR THURSDAY 10TH DECEMBER

FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER

+ DEFEATER + BEING AS AN OCEAN + CRUEL HAND + FIT FOR A KING + BURNING DOWN ALASKA MONDAY 9TH NOVEMBER

PERIPHERY

+ VEIL OF MAYA SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

THURSDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER

+ URIZEN SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

INSANE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP: LIVE FOREVER FRIDAY 30TH OCTOBER

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER

MONDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER

MOSTLY AUTUMN

REEL BIG FISH

+ THE VASELINES + CINERAMA + EMMA POLLOCK SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER DOORS 6PM

NATHAN GRISDALE LIVE

LA GUNS’ TRACII GUNS

THE WEDDING PRESENT

MONDAY 26TH OCTOBER

FEATURING DJ BIGGER, MIKE STEPHENS, PAUL MAC, BIZZY B SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST

+ JERAMIAH FERRARI FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER

DELAIN

SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER

SOUL BOUTIQUE 4TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

GARBAGE - 20 YEARS QUEER FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER

FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST

ELIZA AND THE BEAR HAYSEED DIXIE

FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER

NORTHLANE

+ VOLUMES + THE ACACIA STRAIN + HELLIONS WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER

HOFFMAESTRO

THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER

ENSLAVED

SCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER

WHEATUS

AGAINST THE CURRENT SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER

XENTRIX

+ ACID REIGN + SHRAPNEL SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER

AMBER RUN

RALEIGH RITCHIE

DARLIA

FRIDAY 30TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER

THURSDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

BLITZ KIDS

NORTHSIDE

FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER

SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

RAINTOWN

SEPULTURA - 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER

TUESDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

WOLFSBANE

HIATUS KAIYOTE

SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER

THE WOODENTOPS PERFORM ‘GIANT’

THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER

SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER

LUCY ROSE

MANCHESTER ACADEMY PRESENTS

MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER

KATZENJAMMER

DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN

SWEET BILLY PILGRIM

THE FRATELLIS

MY LIFE STORY

BITERS

SUNDAY 15TH NOVEMBER MONDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

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SATURDAY 31ST OCTOBER

SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER

FOR UP TO DATE LISTINGS VISIT MANChesteracademy.net

P.12 45 Years

P.21 Chelsea Wolfe

P.23 Laura Porteous

P.32 Florence Brewin - Fill My Cup (2013)

August 2015

I N D E P E N D E N T

C U LT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

Issue 29, August 2015 ÂŠ Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: hiya@theskinny.co.uk T: 0161 833 3124 P: The Skinny, Second Floor, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester, M4 5JW The Skinny is distributing 22,710 copies across Liverpool and Manchester, a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business are available. Get in touch to find out more.

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Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dec 2014: 22,710

Editorial Northwest Editor Film & Deputy Editor Events Editor Music Editor Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Deviance Editor Fashion Editor Food Editor Tech Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

Lauren Strain Jamie Dunn Simon Jay Catling Dave Kerr Sacha Waldron Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Daniel Jones John Stansfield Kate Pasola Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Faulkner John Donaghy Alecia Marshall Paul Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer Sub Editor Editorial Assistant

Amy Minto Thom Isom Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Will Fitzpatrick

Sales Commercial Director Sales & Digital Marketing Analyst Sales Executive

Nicola Taylor Caroline Harleaux Issy Patience

Lead Designer

Sigrid Schmeisser

General Manager

Kyla Hall

Editor-in-Chief Chief Operating Officer Publisher

Rosamund West Lara Moloney Sophie Kyle

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Contents

THE SKINNY

Contents Up Front 06

Chat & Opinion: Ahoy there! Welcome to the mag. Get your last-minute news, sad desk lunches, nice pictures and disturbing horoscopes all in one place.

Lifestyle 28

Travel: Our intrepid explorer discovers it’s chilly down in the deserts of Chile.

Deviance: Confessions of a sex shop clerk and the trials and tribulations of a female traveller backpacking across North America.

Fashion: A shoot from one of our favourite grads of 2015: queen of denim Jessica Campbell.

Showcase: Florence Brewin’s photography offers creative visual metaphors that illustrate the serious issues surrounding contemporary Britain.

Food & Drink: We compare the grub in Manchester’s Chinatown with the real deal, discover pizza fries at Portland St. 358 and give steak place Hawksmoor the once-over.

08 Heads Up: The best of the best things

happening over the next few weeks, all arranged in nice, neat calendar form.

Features 10

As Liverpool International Music Festival prepares to celebrate the life and work of Gil Scott-Heron, programmer Yaw Owusu and poet Malik Al Nasir explain why he is one of the most influential artists of the last 100 years. Andrew Haigh's last film, Weekend, was a deeply felt story of a fledgling romance. He changes tack with 45 Years, which centres on a long-standing relationship in crisis.

True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård talks about his role in vivid indie coming-ofager The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Hollywood’s irrational fear of bums and nipples. Enter the bleak imagination of comedy auteur Brian Limond, aka Limmy, ahead of the publication of his first book, the appropriately titled Daft Wee Stories. Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos and Sparks’ Russell Mael explain how a broken tooth and a chance encounter resulted in FFS, the year’s most unexpected collaboration. Following the story of seven siblings who’ve grown up confined to their parents’ Manhattan flat, The Wolfpack is the year’s most hotly debated doc. We catch up with its director, Crystal Moselle.

Peer behind the veil of Chelsea Wolfe ahead of the release of her new album, Abyss.

Mancunian beatsmith Garth Be discusses LP number two over a much-needed pint.

For the second year, August sees The Skinny Scotland’s selection of graduating artists go live as part of Edinburgh Art Festival. We meet the chosen artists.

Bryony Kimmings explains why she likes to make theatre from real people's real stories, while Bridget Christie mines jokes from bigots, who are apparently the comedy gifts that keep on giving.

Confrontational comedian Phil Ellis reflects on the success and future of Funz and Gamez, the kids’ show that’s not really for kids.

August 2015

Review 39

Music: East India Youth checks in postCulture of Volume, while Outblinker are our New Blood – both play The Skinny Stage at Electric Fields festival this month. Plus: Manchester International Festival reviewed, and records by Destroyer and Mac DeMarco.

Clubs: Veteran DJ Dave Haslam muses on clubbing past and present; The Black Dog take us behind the scenes of their latest album, Neither/Neither; and we gear up for The Garden Party, Leeds.

Film: The late Aleksei German’s swan song, Hard to Be a God, comes to cinemas, along with moving doc 52 Tuesdays.

DVD: Robert Altman’s trippy classic 3 Women comes to Blu-ray, as does Roger Avery’s breakneck heist flick Killing Zoe.

Books: Local orators Bad Language steer us around the best spoken word nights at home and abroad; plus we preview the month’s literary highlights and events.

Theatre: It’s the turn of Manchester International Festival’s theatre programme to pass under our critical eye, with Maxine Peake in The Skriker and more reviewed.

Comedy: Stepping into the Spotlight this month are self-proclaimed IT rock’n’roll consultants Foxdog Studios, who combine “the two greatest arts of all time: music and computer programming.”

25+26 camp

and

furnacE

blade

SEPT

factory

baltic

2015

DISTRICT

triangle,

liverpool

SPIRITUALIZED

FACTORY FLOOr. THE HEADS. HOOKWORMS. BLANCK MASS. DESTRUCTION UNIT. THE HOLYDRUG COUPLE. INDIAN JEWELRY. JACCO GARDNER. JANE WEAVER. K-X-P. Artist

Residence

ANTON

NEWCOMBE.

KAREN

GWYER. DENGUE FEVER. CARLTON MELTON. FEVER THE GHOST. LUMERIANS. BLACK DEVIL DISCO CLUB. tess parks + anton Newcombe. GALA DROP. SACRED BONES RECORDS VS BYM RECORDS. CARDINAL FUZZ SONIC ATTACK PLUS MANY MORE..... PLUS A FURTHER WORLD OF COMMISSIONS, CURATIONS, INSTALLATIONS + AUDIOVISUAL EXPLORATIONS... TICKETS + ACCOMMODaTiON PACKAGES AVAILABLE FROM SEETICKETS.COM PROBE RECORDS (LIVERPOOL) PICCADILLY RECORDS (MANCHESTER) + JUMBO RECORDS (LEEDS)

Art/Competitions: New shows at the People’s History Museum and The Bluecoat in review – plus win tickets to Liverpool Psych Fest and Leeds’ Garden Party.

Listings: All the things you could ever want to do in the month of August (er, and some of July) thrown together. Thoughtfully of course.

Out back: As Ratking circle back for another assault on the UK, founding MC Patrick 'Wiki' Morales lays out the full extent of the burgeoning Harlem rap crew's ambition.

Contents

Editorial

iverpool’s long history as a nexus of cultural and musical exchange is acknowledged this month in a series of Liverpool International Music Festival commissions, most notably a tribute to the life and influence of Gil Scott-Heron. Initiated by Malik Al Nasir, to whom Heron became a friend and mentor, ‘The Revolution Will Be Live’ brings together Malik and his band The OG’s with artists including Sophia Ben-Yousef and Talib Kweli to demonstrate that, as Malik says, “I got the message and I’m carrying on the work.” We explore the impact of Gil’s work and activism on music’s recent history on page 10. If you happen to be going up to Edinburgh for any of the Fringe, we’ve got a bunch of tips: Preston’s Phil Ellis, mastermind of last year’s Panel Prize-winning kids’ show that wasn’t really a kids’ show, Funz and Gamez, returns to the fray with Funz and Gamez Tooz; he tells us about the idea no one thought would work on page 26. Bridget Christie also pops up north with her ace book, A Book for Her, and Manchester-based actual IT consultants turned sketch duo Foxdog Studios head Cowgatehead-way with their attempt to turn the audience into one symbiotic theremin (possibly). Speaking of theremins, the publication that spawned us, The Skinny Scotland, celebrates its tenth birthday this year and as such has programmed a night of larks as part of the Fringe including a performance from the world’s leading theremin player. Of course. It all takes place at Edinburgh International Book Festival (Charlotte Square Gardens) on 28 Aug, it’s free and you’ll also get to hear firsthand the winner of The Skinny’s second Short Film Competition. Back to the magazine. Film brings us an interview with Famous Scandi Dreamboat Alexander Skarsgård, who also turns out to be really friendly and interesting, the bastard. Crystal Moselle describes her encounter with the Angulo family, the subject of her divisive documentary, The Wolfpack, a band of brothers who live out a sequestered childhood and adolescence with only superhero and action movies as a window on to the world. Iranian-American writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour relates how she conjured the unique atmosphere of unorthodox vampire movie A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night; and finally, director Andrew Haigh and Salford-born author David Constantine discuss Haigh’s new film, 45 Years, which, adapted from a short story by Constantine, asks questions of how well we can ever truly know our partners, and what the strength of even a half-century bond can withstand. Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling play Geoff and Kate who, in the week approaching

their 45th wedding anniversary, are informed that Geoff’s first love has been found where she disappeared 50 years ago, perfectly preserved in a glacier. The ensuing depiction of a lifelong partnership under strain is tender, sad, funny and deeply affecting. Short stories of an entirely different order are on offer in a new book from Weegie comedian and master of the unsettling Vine, Limmy. Choice line: “I have these burglars. They burgle my house. Or so they think!” Daft Wee Stories indeed. He talks to us on p16 about how the medium of the book allows his distinct brand of mania to run wild, flipping the bird to the watershed. Elsewhere, we continue our look at the region’s graduating art schools, with this month’s Showcase artist, Florence Brewin, impressing among the all-round excellent Leeds College of Art cohort. For the wordy among you who still have holidays to look forward to, Books offers us a guide to live literature around the UK and abroad. We’ve got comprehensive reviews of Manchester International Festival’s music and theatre programmes, while the scene is very much alive and kicking in Clubs, with interviews with Sweet Sticky label founder Garth Be, Sheffield techno veterans The Black Dog and Haçienda DJ Dave Haslam, who, doggedly determined to avoid nostalgia, is full of verve and support for the continued evolution of the North’s world-leading nightlife. Travel freezes its balls off in Chile; Fashion shoots pieces by MMU grad Jessica Campbell, and the steaks are high as Food visits Hawksmoor (I just had to get that somewhere in the issue, sorry.) Last but not least, thank you to everyone who came down to our night of Standup and sketch comedy, The Skinny Spotlight, at The King’s Arms last month. Even though we booked them we were still startled by how brilliant all of the comedians were. All that imagination and talent in one little room on a Sunday night; what a time to be alive. [Lauren Strain] ON THE COVER: Gil Scott-Heron at Edinburgh Picture House, 2010, by Markus Thorsen Markus was born in a small seaside town in the south-east of Norway. Growing up there he quickly realised how much he loved music and how to operate a camera. He has been taking pictures of musicians ever since. He is currently living in Oslo studying 3D animation and graphics.

The September Issue: Out 1 Sep

Mac DeMarco

Grab our September issue for a chat with indie oddball Mac DeMarco, who talks about finding new ways to connect with fans and giving a little something back to the community. Plus, Tame Impala stop by as they head out on tour, fresh

from ceaseless praise for new album Currents; and we consider the midas touch of Sacred Bones, as the label curates a stage at Liverpool Psych Fest.

Spot the Difference

Meet Lil Meepo, Hollywood’s hottest Iguana star. In the Hollywood reptile A-list, only the T-Rex from Jurassic Park and that scaly guy from Deep Space Nine have more clout. Meepo began his acting career in an Off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana opposite Stockard Channing before giving scene stealing performances in the likes of Aguirre, Wrath of God, Apocalypse Now and Predator. The two pictures above show Meepo on the set of his breakout film Rango, where he became BFF with Johnny Depp.

But the sharped-eyed of you out there might spot some slight discrepancies between both pictures. If you can spot the difference, you could be in with the chance of winning a copy of The Incomplete Tim Key... by (er) Tim Key, courtesy of our pals over at Canongate. Head across to theskinny/co.uk/competitions to take part. Competition closes midnight Sunday 30 Aug. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. The winner will receive the ticket by email. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny. co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

markusthorsen.com

Online Only Eyes to the website

Hyeonseo Lee talks about her sad and beautiful memoir of disenfranchisement and defection from North Korea, and Yuri Herrera explains America’s problem with its southern neighbours. theskinny.co.uk/books

Chat

Leeds five-piece Vessels tell us why they’re swapping guitars for synths. theskinny.co.uk/music We reveal the shortlist for this year’s Skinny Short Film Competition! theskinny.co.uk/film

www.jockmooney.com

There’s some Edinburgh Fringe or something this month, so our Scottish paper have been speaking to the likes of Stewart Lee, Alex Edelmen and Gein's Family Giftshop. theskinny.co.uk/comedy

Phagomania takes a deep fried look at fried food from around the world. Natch. theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

In a refreshing antidote to the closure of many public services, Salford can proudly announce that it has a new library. The Swinton Library, part of a ÂŁ5 million community-orientated redevelopment project, opened on 20 Jul and, in addition to a substantial selection of books, will also offer free wi-fi, exhibition space, community meeting rooms and free public access to computers. The building will initially be open from 8.30am to 6pm Mon-Fri, 9am to 1pm Sat. Todmordenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasant place to visit even at the quietest times, so consider a trip to the

Danny Sutcliffe at The Skinny Spotlight

hilly Yorkshire town a must for Tor Ist Das!, taking place all weekend between 14-16 Aug. Helmed by promoters Was Ist Das, the lineup features, among others, acclaimed Northeast troubadour Richard Dawson, Nurse With Woundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andrew Liles and violinist supremo Laura Cannell. Tickets are ÂŁ20 for the weekend or ÂŁ12 per day. Head to... wasistdas.co.uk/toristdas for more info. We had a ruddy ball at our comedy showcase, The Skinny Spotlight, at the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arms in Salford last month (pictured above). A huge thanks to all the comedians who so expertly brought the laughs: Norris & Parker, Sam & Tom, Will Setchell, Jayne Edwards, Jack Evans, Will Duggan, Danny Sutcliffe and master of ceremonies Freddy Quinne. Big thanks too to our

Jayne Edwards

Comedy editor, John Stansfield, for throwing the whole bloominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thing together, and to the Greater Manchester Fringe for having us in their programme. See you next time! The good folk at Liverpool music freesheet Bido Lito! have announced a series of free gigs at Aloft Hotel, showcasing up and coming talent from the region. First up, on 20 Aug, is singer-songwriter Marvin Powell, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawn comparisons with Nick Drake among others. The wistful slowcore of Bathymetry heads up the second show on 17 Sep, with John Joseph Brill following on 22 Oct. Tickets via Eventbrite; more info at bidolito.co.uk The Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge returns, with View Two art gallery again to be the

Sam & Tom

source of inspiration for this year's contenders. Following a public launch event on 12 Sep, entrants should submit a new, original song inspired by the art at the Mathew Street space; the top ten perform at the showcase final on 27 Nov. Details at challenge.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk Returning between 18 Sep-4 Oct, Liverpool Comedy Festival has now revealed its full lineup, which stretches from the Philharmonic Hall all the way down to regular nights like Hot Water Comedy Club and small venues like 81 Renshaw Street. Alan Carr and Dave Spikey are among the big headliners, but the intrigue lies further down with the likes of Rob Rouse, Geinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Giftshop and Rosie Wilby all performing, among dozens of others. More info at thecomedytrust.com/comedy-festival

BALLS. with Mystic Mark ARIES After years of the council ignoring your letters and online petitions, you decide to take matters into your own hands in August when you sneak out under the cover of darkness to drill holes into the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public statues and install a Fleshlightâ&#x201E;˘ in each sculptureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bronze groin.

TAURUS Waking up after the accident you find your entire body has been amputated from the neck down and replaced with a giant wheel. Standing at the bottom of your bed, the Police Chief announces that you have been recruited by a top secret division of the Police Force: Wheel Patrol.

VIRGO As the Voyager spacecraft leaves the solar system, it smashes through the crudely painted backdrop of stars God thought would â&#x20AC;&#x153;do for nowâ&#x20AC;? before he went to sleep for a bit and died of a stroke.

GEMINI Your tapeworm is getting so long you can now wrap it around your waist to see how much weight youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re losing. Also, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done it conveniently snaps back up your bum like a tape measure.

LEO You announce to your family that you will be getting married to your favourite porn scene as it plays on a loop over dinner, explaining that you wish to spend the rest of your life with that gurning, shivering bald man and riotous oiled up MILF whose breasts are like fists and who moans like an old colonel. At the ceremony, its director agrees to wheel it down the aisle on a veiled flatscreen as Bachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Air on the G String plays.

Shot of the Month East India Youth by Lucy Ridges

August 2015

CANCER Life is like a game of chess, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re shit at it and a computer can do it better than you now anyway.

LIBRA The best thing about having a pet is being able to blame it for the turds you left behind the sofa. SCORPIO Find out what you like doing best and pay someone else to do that for you.

SAGITTARIUS Since you bought that place in the sun, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve still not had a chance to get out there. So you lend your brother-in-law the keys and entreat him to send you a postcard as he jets off with the kids for a two-week journey into the heart of our nearest star.

CAPRICORN Snake oil is now trading at less than $2 a barrel.

AQUARIUS If only there was some way of predicting the future so you could make an informed decision on how to live your life. Then those predictions could be helpfully disseminated to the public via monthly updates from a regional listings magazine.

PISCES At last you finish your screenplay for Shawshank Redemption II, a hilarious buddy movie in which Andy and Red take the newly fixed up boat out on the open ocean to search for sunken treasure!

twitter.com/themysticmark facebook.com/themysticmark

Chat

Photo: Jenny Farquhar-Blessop

Do you know your suet from your sous vide? Can you write knowledgeably, accessibly and wittily about nosh and grog? Do you know the Northwest food scene inside out? The Skinny is looking for a new Food and Drink editor! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for someone with some editorial experience, but more importantly who wants to develop as a writer and editor. More details and how to apply: theskinny.co.uk/about/get-involved

Irish comedian Patrick Monahan must be one of the last standups still in England, what with Fringe season kicking off up north. He's making some very final tweaks to his show before joining the rest of his peers in Edinburgh, no doubt working around his usual fastpaced, observational standup routine. Unity Theatre, Liverpool, 7pm, £5

Transatlantic collaborators before everyone started sending a few .wav files back and forth, The Earlies make their much-anticipated return after eight years away. The Manchester via Texas psychedelic pop group are perfect for fans of Grandaddy, Mercury Rev et al. Band on the Wall, Manchester, 7.30pm, £12.50

The CAMRA-affiliated Bombed Out Church Beer Festival comes to St. Luke's, promising some 200 ales, beers and ciders from around the country. Taking place over four sessions, it's not yet been confirmed if prizes will be given out to those still standing at the end. St Luke's (Bombed Out Church), Liverpool, until 2 Aug, prices vary

St. Luke’s Church

Tue 4 Aug

Wed 5 Aug

Thu 6 Aug

Fri 7 Aug

After years collaborating and touring the world with the Afro Celt Soundsystem, N'Faly Kouyate has become a renowned artist in his own right. The Guinean musician comes to Band on the Wall amidst acclaim that labels him the "Jimi Hendrix of kora" – lofty praise indeed. Band on the Wall, Manchester, 7.30pm, from £13

The penultimate day of Dig the City, Manchester's urban gardening festival, sees Mariachi-inspired duo Jalapeño Hombres take to St Ann's Square, before liquor specialists The Alchemist run through an explosive cocktail demo (tasting included!) St Ann's Square, Manchester, 4pm, Free

With the practically minded group show Resource currently at the Bluecoat, affiliated event City as Resource looks at the practicality of housing, with Granby Four Streets – who work with Turner Prize nominated architects Assemble – explaining how to set up a community land trust and reclaim affordable housing. The Bluecoat, Liverpool, 6.30pm, Free

GoGo Penguin are the undoubted standout of a typically strong Manchester Jazz Festival lineup, which runs from 31 Jul until 9 Aug and is celebrating its 20th year this summer. The local trio were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize last year, for their exuberant, style-mangling v2.0. Festival Pavilion (Albert Square), Manchester, 8pm, £14 (£12)

The Bluecoat

Dig the City

N'Faly Kouyate

GoGo Penguin

Thu 13 Aug

Fri 14 Aug

The only northern date on the first UK tour of Arthur Russell's Instrumentals sees an ensemble featuring members of The Modern Lovers, The Lounge Lizards, LCD Soundsystem and more go through the late artist's concert piece, with a visual backdrop directed by Peter Gordon. The Kazimier, Liverpool, 7pm, £15

Two sets from the cult Turkish jazz explorers konstruKt grace the Mill tonight, with the highly regarded group making their Northwest debut. They'll be joined for the second performance by assorted members of the local Manchester music scene, in keeping with konstruKt's flair for improvisation. Islington Mill, Salford, 7.30pm, £8

Man Booker shortlisted and bestselling author David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten and Black Swan Green) drops into Oh Me Oh My to read from and discuss his latest novel, The Bone Clocks; a metaphysical thriller, meditation on mortality and chronicle of our self-devouring times. Oh Me Oh My, Liverpool, 6.30pm, £7

There's a melting pot of fine music, beer and food to be had at Northern Monk Brewery this weekend, with Fingathing, local label Hide & Seek Records, Cloudwater Brew Co and street food sensation Bundobust among the names signed up for the three-day party. Northern Monk Brewery, Leeds, until 16 Aug, prices vary

Arthur Russell

Illustration: David McMillan

Wed 12 Aug

Photo: Janette Beckman

Tue 11 Aug

David Mitchell

konstruKt

Fri 21 Aug

The fact that In Light of Sound's mysterious venue has the same postcode as the former Sways Bunker is interesting enough, nevermind an intriguing music lineup featuring French industrial-punk Terrine and visual art courtesy of Zoe Mclean, Rik Warren, Giedre Degutyte and Hannah Jeffs. Secret venue, Salford, M3 7LW, 7pm, £4

There aren't many better places to be in Liverpool over summer than the Kazimier Garden; doubly so when someone like future-tropical producer iZem drops in to play. The Portuguese beat-maker takes inspiration from Latin and African strands of groove-driven music for a suitably sun-kissed sound. The Kazimier Garden, Liverpool, 8pm, £3

With the gap between rich and poor stretching ever further in the UK, now is timely indeed for Merlin Productions' performance of the stage-adapted novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, a searing tale wherein the rich are the commended and the poor forced to live in abject poverty. Lantern Theatre, Liverpool, until 22 Aug, £15.50

iZem

Photo:

Thu 20 Aug

Photo: Zoë McLean

Wed 19 Aug

In Light of Sound

Lantern Theatre

Fri 28 Aug

Sat 29 Aug

NYC hip-hop collective Ratking have been making waves since their 2012 emergence. Touring off the back of their critically acclaimed second LP, 700 Fill, the collective have collaborated with the likes of Despot and Remy Banks, among others. The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 7.30pm, £8.50

An evening of celebration around the life of Gil ScottHeron, The Revolution Will Be Live comes commissioned by Liverpool International Music Festival and sees Talib Kweli and Aswad among the many artists paying live homage to the legendary songwriter. St George's Hall, Liverpool, 6pm, £18

It's no secret that the Manchester Pride fringe is frequently more interesting than the main event. Case in point? Mighty queer club promoters Bollox present the second edition of their new night Dandy, promising a typically raucous night of electro as part of Queer We Are Festival. Bangkok Bar, Manchester, time and price TBA

We're delighted to have teamed up with The Garden Party, Leeds, for the bank holiday weekend, with The Skinny Stage hosting some of our favourite acts like Errors, Dutch Uncles, Galaxians and more. Oh, and the rest of the lineup's pretty great too! The Tetley, Leeds, until Aug 30, prices vary

Chat

Gil Scott-Heron

Illustration: Sophie Freeman

Thu 27 Aug

Photo: Markus Thorsen

Wed 26 Aug

Ratking

Photo: Arlen Connelly

The Earlies

Errors

THE SKINNY

Photo: Tiny Giants

Patrick Monahan

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

It’s a pretty quiet August with most people rightly choosing to get the hell out of the country for a bit. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty to get excited about, not least Manchester Jazz Festival and Liverpool International Music Festival.

Thu 30 Jul

Photo: Juliet Buchan

Compiled by: Simon Jay Catling

Wed 29 Jul

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

Heads Up

Tue 28 Jul

Mon 3 Aug

Returning for its fourth year, Full of Noises Festival is a weekend of horizon-expanding music, sound art and installation, set in the resplendent surroundings of the Furness Peninsula in Cumbria. Minoru Satu is among those performing. Various locations, Barrow-in-Furness, until 2 Aug, prices vary

After last year's Cowbell All-Dayer was moved to Antwerp Mansion from Islington Mill at late notice, the collective have opted to keep on partying down in Rusholme, with A Love From Outer Space once again joining them for this ultimate summer rave. Antwerp Mansion, Manchester, 2pm, £27

The final day of new theatre festival Shiny New Festival climaxes with a last run-through of Faruccio Peru Is Extraordinaire, Leebo Luby's hilarious solo show, which hinges on the colourfully theatrical thanks to the help of acclaimed clown Aitor Basauri in putting it together. Lantern Theatre, Liverpool, 7pm, £8.50 (£6.50)

A man who never seems to be off the road, Mark Lanegan brings his band to Europe once more, this time in support of another new LP, Houston – a series of demos from 2002 recorded just as his time with Screaming Trees came to a close. O2 Academy, Liverpool, 7pm, £17.50

Faruccio Peru Is Extraordinaire

Mark Lanegan

Sat 8 Aug

Sun 9 Aug

Mon 10 Aug

For those wowed by The Skriker at Manchester International Festival, you could do much worse than take in another of Caryl Churchill's plays, Heart's Desire. Focusing on a family's wait for their daughter's return from Australia, it follows the playwright's typically non-linear writing style. Lantern Theatre, Liverpool, 7.30pm, £8.50 (£6.50)

Whether you're a fan of Nicolas Cage or even just the YouTube video 'Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit,' CAGEFEST is for you. R.A.D. present the critically acclaimed Raising Arizona and Con Air, alongside his more, um, outré performances in The Wickerman and Face/Off. Gorilla, Manchester, noon, £15 (£6 per film)

Although its Jackson Pollock exhibition is grabbing the limelight currently, Tate Liverpool's other current show Encounters and Collisions – works that inspired or are referred to in the abstract expressionism and minimalism of late American artist Glenn Ligon – is well worth popping into on a quiet Monday. Tate Liverpool, until 18 Oct, £10 (£7.50)

William Eggleston - Untitled (From the Troubled Waters Portfolio), 1980

Nicolas Cage

Heart's Desire

Mon 17 Aug

Tue 18 Aug

Delighting fans of festivals like Indietracks, Manchester Popfest takes over Kraak on Saturday and Islington Mill on Sunday. Our pick of the bill is either Londonbased fuzz pop troupe Slowcoaches or grunge group Pega Monstro, newly signed to Upset the Rhythm. Kraak, Manchester/Islington Mill, Salford, until 16 Aug, prices vary

Beacons festival decamps from the fields this year, taking over Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds for a series of urban showcases through the autumn. They're warming up in fine style too, with hardcore-influenced Sub Pop royalty Pissed Jeans heading up tonight's pre-curtain raiser. Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds, 7pm, £14

What's that they say, the only thing Manchester lacks is a beach? Think again! Come to the Beach is a huge mobile beach area, complete with deck chairs, rides and attractions. Not sure how they're going to import the sea across, mind. Heaton Park, Manchester, until 31 Aug, Free

One for fans of J Mascis or perhaps Kurt Vile, Jimmy Whispers is a Chicago-based lo-fi folk artist who bases his songs around rattling organs and his weary, cracked voice. Tonight is one of his first shows in Europe, following the release of his bedroom produced record Summer in Pain. Gullivers, Manchester, 7.30pm, £4

Pega Monstro Greg Wilson

Illustration: Rachel Davey

Sun 16 Aug

Photo: Sara Rafael

Sat 15 Aug

Pissed Jeans

Jimmy Whispers

Sat 22 Aug

Sun 23 Aug

Mon 24 Aug

Tue 25 Aug

Just one comedian left! At least that's what it'll feel like by this time of the month. Fear not, though; it's a good one. Adam Rowe brings his quick wit to the Hot Water Comedy Club, where he won their Comedian of the Year Award in 2011. Holiday Inn, Lime St, Liverpool, 7pm, £10 (£5)

Having played at Fat Out Festival in 2013, Dutch post-punk veterans The Ex return to Islington Mill for a special headlining show of their own, the group still as forward-looking and boundary smashing as they ever were back in the early 80s. Islington Mill, Salford, 7.30pm, £9

Influenced by the idea of watching those who are watching you, Ronan Devlin's Veillance is an interactive event that allows audience members to manipulate and alter the data on their own mobile phones, in order to mislead wider surveillance engines. FACT, Liverpool, until 28 Aug, Free

Seeking to cement links between art and science, Illusions Parade is a chance for technology-led visual artists worldwide to come together in conference and exchange new ideas. Several will be selected to exhibit their work on the evening of the event, which is part of the Visual Science and Art Conference. Camp and Furnace, Liverpool, 6pm, Free

Adam Rowe

Richard Downing - The Fractal Clock

Ronan Devlin - Veillance (Prototype)

The Ex

Mon 31 Aug

Tue 1 Sep

When it comes to organising a bank holiday party, a safer pair of hands than Zutekh and Tpot there couldn't be. The respective club nights come together for another marathon August session, this time with a three hour set from house collective Dungeon Meat. South, Manchester, 2pm, £15

Writing an album per American state was never going to be realistic for Sufjan Stevens, although we might've hoped for a return of more than just two full length LPs since 2005's (Come on feel the) Illinoise. Just as well that Carrie & Lowell sees the songwriter at his deeply emotive best, then. O2 Apollo, Manchester, 7pm, from £25

The ever prolific Ty Segall returns with one of his many projects, the American punk screwball seemingly at his happiest on the road. In this case it’s with the brilliant fuzzy discordance of, uh, Fuzz, all Black Sabbath-esque risks and thunderous percussion. Gorilla, Manchester, 7.30pm, £12.50

Dungeon Meat

August 2015

Sufjan Stevens

Photo: Ade Hunter

Sun 30 Aug

Fuzz

Chat

Photo: Ade Hunter

Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston (ALFOS)

Full of Noises Festival

Illustration: Alex Woodward

Sun 2 Aug

Photo: Eggleston Artistic Trust

Sat 1 Aug

Photo: Todd Diederich

Fri 31 Jul

S RE AT U FE

No Re-Run, Brother Three years in, Liverpool International Music Festival continues to grow in scope and ambition. We speak to programmer Yaw Owusu and poet Malik Al Nasir about their involvement in its launch event, The Revolution Will Be Live: A Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron

eyond its historical role as an exporter of globally influential pop music, Liverpool’s importance as a melting pot for global styles and its subsequent impact on the nation’s cultural landscape cannot be overstated. While events such as Africa Oyé festival have regularly provided a wonderful introduction to African and Caribbean culture, this year’s LIMF takes the theme further, exploring the idea of ‘music migrations’ through four special commissions. Routes Jukebox and Liverpool, Next Stop New York will both explore the city’s relationship with American music, emphasising soul, RnB and hip-hop (watch out for performances from LIMF Academy protégé Jalen Ngonda and sets from local legends Greg Wilson and No Fakin), while the Global Roots Mixtape challenges a range of DJs hailing from South Africa to Lisbon to create the ultimate mix. Occurring alongside the headline-grabbing free Summer Jam concerts in Sefton Park, which will host everyone from Echo and the Bunnymen to up-and-comers Hooton Tennis Club, these commissions will illuminate lesser known aspects of the city’s musical lineage while neatly avoiding the Merseybeat tub-thumping that has occasionally characterised similar events in the past. The opening event to kick off proceedings

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on 27 August is an enticing prospect in its own right: The Revolution Will Be Live – a celebration of Gil Scott-Heron’s music, lyrics and political activism put together by dependable Merseyside booker Rich McGinnis and Malik Al Nasir, protégé of the revolutionary wordsmith.

“This year’s theme is migration: how music travels all over the world” Yaw Owusu

Now that tribute shows are second only to musicals as a means of milking an artist’s legacy, it’s easy to be cynical about such concerts. Yet as Yaw Owusu, longterm curator of LIMF, tells The Skinny, there couldn’t be a more fitting event to begin the festival. “This year’s theme is migration: how music travels all over the world, whether it’s through traditional routes like the

Gil Scott-Heron at Edinburgh Picture House, 2010

sea or the air, or the internet. So it fits with the theme, yeah. Gil Scott-Heron is definitely one of the most influential music artists of the last 100 years. But it’s not just ‘Liverpool doing Gil ScottHeron,’ this has a really tight link to the man through Malik.” The purpose behind The Revolution Will Be Live is entirely bound with the fascinating life story of one of its chief organisers, which went viral in a Guardian article after the passing of the poet and musician in 2011. After being blown away by one of Gil’s incendiary performances with the Amnesia Express at the city’s Royal Court Theatre in 1984, Malik met with him backstage and the pair immediately struck up a friendship. Having suffered the worst of the 1970s residential care system, this encounter proved to be a lifeline for the illiterate and traumatised Malik, who under Gil’s compassionate mentoring and tutelage would eventually strike out on an impressive career path of his own. Now a published poet, producer and musician with a dazzling debut album about to be released, he has decided to give something back: “I wanted to demonstrate to Gil that I got the message and I’m carrying on the work. The fact that he’s from America and I’m from Liverpool is immaterial. He came here and touched my soul, guided me to

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be the guy that I am today. It’s time to put this all into practice and this event is the way that I intend to do that.” The idea for the festival first occurred to Malik while attending Heron’s funeral in 2011. Teething difficulties have meant it has taken a while to organise, having gone through several iterations and lineup changes. After being repackaged for LIMF, the show is finally being borne out in impressive shape, with Talib Kweli, reggae titans Aswad, Liverpool heroes The Christians and Craig Charles all testifying to the heavy impact that the towering Chicagoan’s music and character had across various disciplines. It’s an intriguing lineup, comprised of artists either directly influenced by or involved with Heron, “with a Liverpool flavour,” as Malik describes it. It’s also hoped that the spirit of the evening will challenge at least one of the preconceptions to have dogged the artist’s career. Gil is most commonly associated with hip-hop, with many citing him as ‘the godfather of rap,’ yet Malik is keen for the event to reflect his mentor’s refusal to be categorised. “I wanted to showcase the many different facets of Gil. He was a poet, he was a singer, he was a pianist. He also had an infusion of reggae in his repertoire on songs like Johannesburg.”

THE SKINNY

Photo: Markus Thorsen

Yaw Owusu

Photo: Kathryn J Lewis

Interview: Tom Short

Pieces of a Man Crunching four decades and 13 albums down into a greatest hits? We’d never dare. These are just a few stepping stones along the great poet’s path Words: Dave Kerr The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (from Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, 1970) ‘You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out’ How can we not start here? Overlooked upon its release, time has regarded the first track from Gil’s debut – a live album recorded in a Harlem nightclub – as one of the most enduring and referenced in hip-hop. The transient political and pop cultural players who populate this streamof-conscious proto-rap have faded in the rearview (which was kind of the point), but his fist in the air narrative remains ever-prescient. Talib Kweli

It’s also remarkable to see an event where spoken word is being given such a grand platform, as an art form often shunted into the basements of open mic nights or at best, an afternoon slot in a festival’s comedy tent. “The thing I like about spoken word is that it’s where hip-hop was before it got commercialised,” adds Owusu. “It has been great to see the resurgence in recent years of spoken word artists nationally. The movement has gone from underground, small venues to festival stages very quickly.”

“The fact that Gil’s from America and I’m from Liverpool is immaterial; he came here and touched my soul”

considerable emotional investment that this kind of project must entail, but the loquacious poet is keen to stay on message, emphasising the political significance of the night: “It’s happening at the epicenter of the slave trade and colonialism,” he suggests. “St George’s Hall represents this, the wealth of Liverpool. So we’re linking in with the Slavery Remembrance Day celebrations that happen at the Slavery Museum. Slavery, apartheid – Gil Scott-Heron spent most of his musical life fighting against these things. Both of those elements emanated from here in Liverpool. The music was incidental when Gil started out. His whole emphasis was about going down to the southern states and encouraging black people to vote so that they could change the political agenda and the Jim Crow laws. He had experienced that first hand, having gone to a whites only school. His fight was for civil rights, and his music was a vehicle for that.” As Malik sees it, what unites the concert’s diverse lineup is that “they have a drive in their music towards civil rights, some sort of drive in their music against racism.”

Besides the performances, the event will also feature Heron’s son Rumal Rackley and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Ndaba as guests of honour, underlining Gil’s rallying for the American civil rights and South African antiapartheid movements respectively. During a year in which unrest in Ferguson and political disenfranchisement at large have shown the obvious relevance of Heron’s work to the situation on both sides of the Atlantic, there is undoubtedly a timely political impetus behind The Revolution Will Be Live. Doesn’t it seem a shame that it will only be a one-off event? “The hope is, that if it’s successful this year, then it’s something we can make an annual event,” Malik considers aloud. “Or something that we could potentially take to other areas. We’ve had interest from people in New York, and also Paris. Where it goes from here, is anybody’s guess!” Liverpool International Music Festival takes place at various venues around the city between 27-31 Aug. The Revolution Will Be Live is at St George’s Hall, Liverpool on 27 Aug limfestival.com

Malik Al Nasir

Let Me See Your I.D (from Sun City, 1985) ‘The first time I heard there was trouble in the Middle East, I thought they were talking about Pittsburgh’ Back in 1984, offers were pouring in for western artists to play Bophuthatswana casino resort Sun City, and the E Street Band’s Steve Van Zandt was having none of that shit, deeming it complicit to South Africa’s apartheid rule and encouraging others to boycott en masse. Enter: Artists United Against Apartheid. Recorded at hip-hop’s apex, this track was a cross-genre fusion of trumpet solos and rugged verses (ranging from Miles Davis to Kurtis Blow) built for Gil to muse over an ugly international hegemony that the mainstream press rarely dared tackle. Message to the Messengers (from Spirits, 1994) ‘Remember; keep the nerve, keep the nerve, you talkin’ ’bout peace’ Unimpressed by the prevalence of gangsta rap but encouraged by the soapbox a new black generation had finally been afforded, Gil pointed out the absurdity of dog eat dog hate and sexism in a medium that was built for neither, then promptly dropped the mic and left them to it. Future visionaries like Black Star, Common and Flying Lotus, to name only a few, received the message loud and clear.

Malik himself will be performing in this genre on the night, debuting his new album, Rhythms of the Diaspora, with his band the OGs, ‘a combination of jazz warriors from London and the Amnesia Express.’ Taking inspiration from Gil’s early work and that of Harlem-raised hip-hop founders The Last Poets, Malik has chosen to write a series of songs using his multilayered poetry, backed by the starkest of accompaniments. “Some of it is true to the original Gil Scott-Heron, Last Poets style: straight poetry, straight drums. Some of it is making songs out of human voice, and drum and percussion. There’s different rhythms on the album from marching bands, to go-go, to reggae to rocksteady, to African rhythms,” he explains. Malik will be joined by another politically minded performer and LIMF academy alumni, Sophia Ben-Yousef, whose work has already had an unbelievable global impact. “She wrote a song about the Libyan revolution under the tyranny of Gaddafi, and the song went viral, they played it on national TV over there.” It’s tempting to quiz Malik further on his personal relationship with Gil, and the

August 2015

The Bottle (from Winter in America, 1974) ‘A dollar nine or a bottle of wine’ Borne from his observation that alcoholism is classless – as he watched folk of all professions line up outside his local liquor store with their empty bottles to get a discount on the next purchase – The Bottle was an unapologetic foreshadowing of Gil’s own run in with addiction and the prison system. Despite the heavy nature of its lyricism, the track’s driving Caribbean funk still kept the crowd moving every night that he dusted it down until his untimely passing in 2011.

Malik and Gil in Paris

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Me and The Devil (from I’m New Here, 2010) ‘And I say: hello Satan, I believe it’s time to go’ Steered by XL Recordings' Richard Russell, Scott-Heron’s first studio release in 16 years arrived seemingly by stealth with this chilling post-industrial expansion on Robert Johnson’s 1937 blues standard. Returning to an environment where true protest music was somehow back to its most marginalised, what transpired to be Gil’s last record with his full participation felt like unfinished business; a dark-humoured exorcism of personal demons shot through with the redemptive optimism of a new day.

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The Past Is Another Country Andrew Haigh, director of fine-grained romance Weekend, delivers another devastating relationship drama with 45 Years. We speak to him about the film’s powerhouse leads, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, and keeping his audience at arm’s length

ndrew Haigh, director of Weekend and creator of HBO series Looking, is discussing Charlotte Rampling, the leading lady in his latest film, 45 Years. “I was terrified when I first met her,” he confesses. “You know, she’s Charlotte Rampling. You feel like she’s going to be incredibly intimidating, because in so many of her performances there is this fierce strength.” After the filmmaker began working with Rampling, however, he realised this steely quality is really a kind of truthfulness. “That’s what’s so interesting about her as a person, and what I love about the way she performs, is that she invites you in to see what’s happening, but then she pushes you away. It’s like she’s saying, ‘You can know me, but I’m only going to let you know a little bit about me. I’m going to keep some things hidden.’ And that felt really interesting as a performer.” This slightly standoffish quality chimes with Haigh’s approach to filmmaking. He specialises in relationship dramas that refuse to be cloying, with a style that’s laid back and uningratiating. And, like Rampling, Haigh doesn’t let the audience in on everything his characters are feeling; we realise they are going through some emotional turmoil, but we don’t necessarily understand why. “What’s left unsaid is so important to me,” he explains. “I feel like cinema has the power to work on an incredibly emotional level with an audience, but you have to help the audience get to that level. That often means not giving them too much, and giving them a little bit of work to do within the film can have a greater emotional effect later on.” It’s a technique that pays dividends in 45 Years. Based on David Constantine’s short story In Another Country, the film centres on a comfortably well-off couple, Kate (Rampling) and Geoff (Tom Courtenay), who are about to celebrate 45 years of marriage. It opens with the arrival of a letter delivering a bombshell (in both senses of the word): Geoff’s first girlfriend, Katya, who disappeared while walking in the Alps 50 years ago, has been discovered. The kicker is that her body has been perfectly preserved in the ice – “like something in the freezer,” notes Geoff, whose memory of Katya has stayed similarly fresh. Soon he’s scrambling around in the loft in the middle of the night pawing over old

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photos of his lost love, leaving Kate feeling like it’s her turn to slip into a crevasse. What gives the film its power is Haigh’s instinct to resist melodrama. Kate clearly resents the hold this long-dead woman has over her husband, but Haigh chooses to show the foundations of the relationship cracking through the subtlest of means. “What I want the film to do is for you to watch it, then I want you to think about it the next day; I want it to linger,” he says. “I want [the audience] to be like, ‘OK, how would I cope in that situation, or what in my life has come up from watching that film?’” This approach gets the seal of approval from Constantine. “While watching Andrew’s film, I was interested very much in the way that fiction and film operate very differently,” explains the author. “The couple in my story are of a different social class to those in the film, and they’re actually older too, so they’re less able to say what’s happening to them, so the narrative voice is doing all that. Whereas in the film you have an awful lot of silence, but the actors have these extraordinarily expressive faces. That’s one of the chief differences [between the mediums]: the characters don’t need to articulate what’s happening to them, it’s all there in the faces, in the body language.” When the film had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, Darren Aronofsky’s awards jury concurred with Constantine’s assessment of the leads, handing Silver Bear acting prizes to both Courtney and Rampling. The reason Haigh was drawn to casting the pair was twofold. Firstly, despite each having careers spanning over 50 years, they both bring an enigmatic quality to the screen. “What I liked about both Tom and Charlotte is they’re known, and they’ve both done a lot of really interesting work, but they’re not everywhere,” he explains. “You don’t see them on TV all the time or in lots and lots of films, so there’s a lot of mystery about both of them as actors. And I think that of Charlotte especially – most of her work has not been in England.” At the same time, however, the relatively small bodies of work they do have is so iconic that it feels like we have a shorthand to their characters’ history. “There’s a scene in the film when they’re talking about dancing when they were in the 60s and when they first met,”

recalls Haigh, “and in my head I can just picture Tom in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and I can picture Charlotte in some of her films – it’s like their real life past in a way feeds into the film. They were, in a way, products of the late 50s and 60s, and that kind of energy and excitement of youth, and I think that helps the film a lot.”

“What I liked about both Tom and Charlotte is there’s a lot of mystery about them as actors” Andrew Haigh

Haigh shouldn’t be short-changed when it comes to praise, though. He deftly marshals the tension of this crumbling relationship through sound and image. Like in Weekend, there is no score. Music in the film comes instead from the characters’ environment, their radios and records. “I want the music to come out of a character, I suppose,” notes the director. And what these characters are listening to (Happy Together, Why Don’t You Tell Me, Tell It Like It Is, Go Now) provides a wry running commentary on the state of their marriage. But, more importantly, by eschewing score Haigh avoids spoonfeeding the audience. “I want the music to be embedded into the world rather than to be put on top of it all to elicit or force an emotion in the audience.” His use of framing and image is similarly objective: “I don’t like to cut that much,” he explains. “A lot of shots are left wider than would perhaps be normal and I don’t resort to going into closeups to create the emotion. I want it to be clear what the point of view of the film is, but at the same time I want to make you kind of lean in a little bit more.”

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Interview: Jamie Dunn The Norfolk setting, a change from the source material, which is set in North Wales, also gives the story subtle resonances. Through Geoff’s eyes, its landscape becomes a metaphor for his marriage. “I love the idea that his past with Katya was set in the mountains of Switzerland,” says Haigh, “and with Kate he’s settled in the flattest part of the UK.” When Constantine heard about the change in setting he had his doubts, but they vanished when he saw the movie. “I wondered how it would work, but it worked terribly well, I think,” says the author. “All the busyness of Norwich, with him and her wandering around in it rather lost, and also the Norfolk Broads, they looked absolutely desolating – they were flat, misty and obviously cold. It was a wonderful transposition.” The Broads’ beautiful bleakness were also part of the appeal for Haigh. “There’s something about the horizons out there,” he says. “I lived there for a couple of years up in Norwich, and they’re quite isolating, those landscapes, because you just see forever, and I think that’s quite a scary prospect sometimes. It just made sense to me emotionally.” 45 Years has not been universally celebrated. Up until this point, Haigh’s films and TV work have concerned the lives and loves of young homosexual men. This story about a middle-aged heterosexual couple has left some of his gay fans a bit miffed. “There are some people who are like, ‘I can’t believe you’ve turned your back on the gay community.’ But then, of course, you have people who are furious with me for Looking for representing the gay community in the wrong way. So you sometimes can’t win.” On the surface, Weekend may seem a completely different prospect to 45 Years, but Haigh doesn’t see it that way. “I still feel like both films are about how our relationships define us and how we use them to define us. And what they can mean in our lives and how we struggle within them to keep our identity, to work out who we are, and how we have to compromise within certain relationships. So they seem oddly similar to me.” 45 Years is released 28 Aug by Curzon Film World David Constantine’s short story collection 45 Years: Selected Stories is published 27 Aug by Comma Press, along with a novel, The Life-Writer

THE SKINNY

EVERYDAY OBJECTS & ACTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY ART Sat 25 July – Sun 18 October Gallery Opening Times Sun - Fri 11am - 5pm Sat 10 am - 5pm

thelowry.com/exhibitions The Lowry | Pier 8 | Salford Quays | M50 3AZ

August 2015

Soul City (Pyramid of Oranges), October 1967 © Roelof Louw

Free Entry Donations welcome

THE SKINNY

Skar’s Trek into Darkness In coming-of-age tale The Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Blood star Alexander Skarsgård goes from vampire to cradle robber. The Skinny talks to the Swedish hunk about teenage sexuality, Hollywood’s prudishness, Zoolander, and a moustachioed Tarzan

reaking through into public consciousness with the one-two HBO series punch of Generation Kill and True Blood, Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård’s star has been on the rise ever since. Alternating between independent fare (The East), wannabe blockbusters (Battleship), arthouse darling projects (Lars von Trier’s Melancholia), and, of course, Lady Gaga music videos, the 38-yearold is now very much a cinematic force to be reckoned with, far removed from the shadow of his father, beloved character actor Stellan Skarsgård, or the days of his first Englishlanguage role in Ben Stiller’s Zoolander (he played one of male model Derek Zoolander’s idiot friends who dies in “a freak gasoline fight accident”). Next year sees him lead a summer tentpole release with a new live-action Tarzan from director David Yates (director of the last four Harry Potter films), but his most interesting film role to date arrives this year on a much smaller scale. Adapted by debut writer-director Marielle Heller from a heavily autobiographical graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner, The Diary of a Teenage Girl follows a 15-year-old aspiring cartoonist, Minnie (rising British star Bel Powley), in 1970s San Francisco, whose sexual awakening involves an affair with the boyfriend (Skarsgård) of her partying mother (Kristen Wiig). All three actors give fine-grained performances, and the film, which ventures into dark territory, is often uncomfortable but free of exploitation, and funny without resorting to cheap mockery – think of it as a blending of Terry Zwigoff or Noah Baumbach with Catherine Breillat for an idea of tone. Most importantly, it’s a much-needed shot in the arm for a perspective grossly overlooked in American cinema: that of a teenage female’s coming of age. “Of course they are as confused as guys are, just as frustrated sexually going from a kid to a woman,” says Skarsgård, speaking to The Skinny at the Edinburgh International Film Festival where the film had its UK premiere. “I thought it was so unique, so different, so brave, and I felt like similar stories have been told many times through a young boy’s point of view, through his

August 2015

eyes – coming of age, dealing with your sexuality. But when it comes to girls, it’s usually, you know, they’re in their tower waiting for Prince Charming to come and save them... talking to Mari and talking to Bel, they felt like that doesn’t represent what [they were] like as a teenager. And I felt that it was written in such an unapologetic and direct way, such a brave story, without being didactic or provocative for the sake of being provocative. And I thought it was an interesting challenge to play a guy like Monroe, to make him real and three-dimensional and human, so it’s not too predatory.”

“I think it’s ridiculous that people are more upset if they see a nipple than someone bash a head in” Alexander Skarsgård

During the film festival, one prominent critic tweeted that the usual dictum about male movie stars being shorter and generally less impressive in the flesh did not apply at all to Skarsgård. Any initial intimidation regarding the handsome hulk, however, is immediately vanquished by his overwhelming friendliness and enthusiasm to wax lyrical about the joys of working with actor-turned-director Heller, which he does while reclined and sipping coffee in a private bar booth in one of the Scottish capital’s fancier hotels. “It was one of the best on-set experiences of my life,” he says. “And I’m not exaggerating. I would say everything about it... the details

of shooting a 70s movie in San Francisco, with those costumes, those sets – what a dream, you know? And it was also, obviously, a very small indie film, so it kind of felt like the movies I started out with in Sweden at the beginning of my career, where you lug stuff around together and it’s, like, a crew of 20. We all knew each other and everyone’s in it for the love of the project. And it’s a very eclectic, interesting group of people – our first assistant director was a legendary drag queen from San Francisco. Mari is from that area herself, so a lot of her friends were helping out on the movie, so every single person was there because they loved Mari.” It’s clear Skarsgård was similarly smitten. “In terms of directing, she was incredibly inviting,” he says of Heller. “She wrote this script, she played this character off Broadway. This has been in her head for ten years, so she could have easily been quite possessive. But that was never the case. When we came on board, she wanted us to come up with ideas and make these characters our own. If something wasn’t quite working, Mari would be the first one to throw out the scene and go, ‘Alright, let’s start from scratch. Let’s see what works.’ If ever something didn’t feel true, there was never any ego there. She would be like, ‘OK, let’s change it. Whatever works.’ And it was so gratifying to see the excitement in Mari’s eyes if we tried something on the day that was completely new, a choice to see where that was going, and genuinely how thrilled she was when something was happening.” As previously alluded to, trying to depict Skarsgård’s character as a fully rounded, nondespicable human was a particular challenge, considering the fact he sleeps with the teenage daughter of his partner. “It was very tricky!” he says. “We spent a lot of time thinking about it, talking about it, playing around with it. If that doesn’t work then the movie doesn’t work. You have to sustain it for an hour and 40 minutes, it has to be interesting. If it’s just a 35-year-old man preying on her and sleeping with her, I think emotionally and psychologically that would only be interesting for so long. And what really got me creatively excited was trying to figure out a way

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Interview: Josh Slater-Williams

to play him, find moments where he was weak, where he was more confused than she was, where, in many ways, he was a teenage boy and not the responsible one.” Also commendable about Heller’s film is its frankness regarding sex and nudity, with a degree of explicitness but, again, no exploitation. “The way we approached the sex scenes was about making it real and making it never gratuitous, never to shock people. There’s a point when she’s in her bedroom, looking at her own body... it was never supposed to be, like, sexy and hot or provocative. And I think that’s what’s so beautiful about it. It’s just a teenage girl looking at herself, you know. This is what it is. And the same thing with the sex scenes. It was never uncomfortable for Bel and I, because it always made sense. We knew exactly why we were doing it and why there was nudity when there was nudity.” Expanding on this, Skarsgård is quite critical of some of Hollywood (and America)’s more questionable moral standards. “I think it’s ridiculous that people are so prudish and are more upset if they see a nipple than someone bash a head in. To me that’s so hypocritical, and isn’t that more damaging to kids? Even in a sex scene, you can’t show a butt or a nipple. To me, I don’t understand that. I think it’s really stupid. But when you do that in a movie, when you show that, it’s always important that you do it for the right reasons, ’cause I don’t think it’s interesting if you just do it to shock.” Our chat’s conclusion sees some praise thrown the way of the film’s 1970s aesthetic: “Just to rock a moustache and the sideburns for a month... it was a real moustache so that was quite interesting on weekends. You know, going to restaurants and stuff looking like that.” The Skinny inquires as to whether his Tarzan will be a unique moustachioed interpretation, a question that gets a laugh and then a sad “no.” To the response of additional laughter but then tight lips, we also ask if he’s been offered a cameo as a ghost in the upcoming Zoolander 2. “I can’t say. That’s a good idea, though. Hamlet-style.” The Diary of a Teenage Girl is in cinemas 7 Aug via Vertigo Releasing

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Limmy’s Daft Wee Interview We brave the dark mind of Glasgow comedy hero Limmy to learn a little more about his new book: the appropriately titled Daft Wee Stories Interview: Jon Whiteley

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here’s some terrible fucking things I can write. Terrible things that pop up in my mind, but I chose to keep that a bit light for the book.” We’re inside the bleak imagination of Limmy: comedy auteur and Glesga’s favourite son. With a swarm of Twitter followers and a heaving trophy cabinet from his television work, he’s making the next big leap; he’s written a book. “I know it’s got violence and things like that, but I didnae go into anything too fucking dark.” Daft Wee Stories is its unambiguous title. It’s a collection of short short stories, ranging from several pages to a single sentence. The stories are dark, scatological, slyly satirical and frequently violent, and relish all of these things greatly. Petty arguments escalate to murder, horrible secrets lurk behind unfashionably tiled walls and shady cabals of masturbators poke their arseholes into a foaming frenzy. These aren’t your traditional short stories. He mixes up tenses, breaks away at a tangent, slips into his native Glaswegian dialect and generally keeps it loose and informal. “Like, ‘I’m here, I’m telling you this story.’ There were some stories that had a wee bit more of that. With me being in it. More like, ‘I’m in the story and I’m watching this’ but me, as if I’m looking at you while I’m telling the story, you know? ‘You’ll never believe this’ – that kind of thing. I like stuff like that. I like not taking it too seriously.” Following its launch at the end of July, he’s taking the book on tour, covering a handful of dates in Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester, London and, of course, Glasgow. “It begins with a few dates in Glesga and then it ends with a few dates in Glesga,” he says. “There’s some folks asking for other places, but I don’t know – if I go there, I don’t if they’d sell out or not.” His modesty is ill-justified: at the time of writing, almost all his live dates have sold out. Despite having something of a live background – he adapted his podcast Limmy’s World of Glasgow for the Fringe and Glasgow Comedy Festival in 2007 and 2008 – this will be the first time he’s performed live since before BBC Scotland’s Limmy’s Show broke. He seems unfazed: “I’m looking forward to it. At the beginning, because I haven’t done any live stuff for ages, I were like ‘Oh, what’s this gonna be like?’ And now, once you get round your heid that that’s what you’re gonna be doing, and you think a bit about what you’re rehearsing and planning out the right things that you want to do and everything; then you just get looking forward to it. Just wanna fucking do it right now rather than waiting for a month.” Fans eager to see him have had their appetites whetted over on Twitter the past few months, and interestingly it’s his web presence that got the book made in the first place. “I had a habit of doing these wee stories on Twitter, or on my webcam, or on Facebook. Typing stuff up or just making it up on my webcam, or something. Just kind of improvising, just sort of making anything up and then I slung these wee stories

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on my website.” Evidently, this caught the eye of someone at Random House: “The publisher got in touch with my agent and said, ‘Would you be interested in writing a whole book of them?’ So, that was it, and I decided to go call them Daft Wee Stories, because that’s what they are.” One story typical of the book is Your Shite Is My Shite, where a neurotic protagonist’s discovery of a stranger’s monstrous turd in the stall results in a full cognitive uncoupling. “It’s sort of based on a true story, I was in Oran Mor [Arts Centre] – which is where I’m gonna be doing the readings in in Glesga – and there was a shite so fucking bad that I almost did have to unhinge my fucking mind.” The disgraceful pan-splatter forces the narrator to imagine, what if that was his own shite? He wouldn’t mind the smell at all. He might even enjoy it. “You have to get kind of fucking psychotic, you have to lose touch with reality. And that’s how bad that shite was, and at Oran Mor I lost my fucking mind. I have to lose my mind in order to keep my mind.” It’s not the first time he’s played around with these ideas: “I did a sketch about this in Limmy’s Show. If there’s noisy neighbours and it’s kind of pissing me off, I’d sort of pretend to myself that we’re pals. Because if it was mates next door sort of making the noise, I’d be alright with it, I’d be able to get to sleep. But if it’s across the road; fucking inconsiderate bastards.”

“You have to get fucking psychotic, you have to lose touch with reality” Limmy

Television’s obviously given him a platform to explore these ideas before, albeit with less poo, but it comes with its frustrations. “I didnae come against a lot of opposition to stuff when I was doing Limmy’s Show, I just sort of instinctively knew. Though there was a sketch when we did the first series where there was gonna be this wee guy tells this guy who’s just came off the train to fucking walk the tracks,” he says. “You cannae really do that on the telly, you can’t do it on BBC in something that’s meant to be a comedy. If it was a drama, aye. But if it’s a comedy you’re saying this is funny, chucking somebody on a fucking train track.” Content restrictions aren’t the biggest challenge he’s faced, having stumbled trying to sell new sitcom ideas in the past few years. “Even if you did something really good, if they don’t have a slot for that, if it’s the wrong timing, if there’s something else kind of similar out there, if it’s a certain mood or something like that, or if they’ve already got something like that for that slot at nine o’clock

on Saturday night, that’s taken – naebody else can have that, that’s taken.” More than this, he’s happy to be let off television’s leash. “I quite like just the freedom of it. I like that I can write anything, pretty much, and that’s it,” he says. “Books, you just print the fucking things, you just put them on shelves or Kindle or whatever. So I just like the idea that I’ve got maybe a chance at doing what I like, which is coming up with ideas and people can see them and enjoy them and laugh at all of it.” Is he interested in writing more books? “I’d like to do more short stories, but longer ones. You can sort of get your teeth into it, and just think of one idea and get right into it. I’ve got a few ideas for that, and I’d like to do maybe a novel or two or three,” he enthuses. “Writing stuff, I just… I really like it.” He’s had the rare privilege of having complete creative control over his projects, making the leap from podcasts to live festival shows, to a television show that he wrote, directed and starred in. Even down to his latest project, Wee Video for the Lassies on iPlayer, he retains his trademark violent tone shifts and unapologetic

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Glesgaisms. The move to books has allowed him to continue creating without ceding control: “They never said, ‘Why’s that person getting hit by the side mirror of a bus? That’s a bit violent.’ I just don’t think you would get that with books, unless its a we’ans book.” Given his predilection for the dark, he’s not likely to be invited to write kids‘ books any time soon. “I would be into that. Have you seen them? I read them ’cause I’ve got a son and I’m like, ‘That, that’s fucking shite’.” But what would he write? “Something hopefully memorable, so they come up to you 20 years later and say, ‘Fuck, I remember that, was that you that did that?’” Never one to drop his patented style, he’s more than happy to horrify a new generation with hilarious brutality. “I think a safe bet if you want to put a scary thing in a book is something like, ‘There’s a monster under your bed and it’s going to come and kill you,’” he laughs. “It’ll fucking eat your guts!” Daft Wee Stories is published 30 Jul by Century. Limmy plays The Comedy Store, Manchester, 5 Aug

THE SKINNY

August 2015

MUSIC

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At Home, at Work, at Play Art-rockers Franz Ferdinand and Los Angeles veterans Sparks may be cut from similar cloth creatively, but few expected them to band together as FFS. We speak with Alex Kapranos and Russell Mael about making transatlantic collaborations work

Interview: Chris McCall Photography: Derek Robertson

he unsmiling visage of Ron Mael is one of the most recognisible in popular music. Famed for playing his keyboard while apparently motionless, it was something of a departure for the 69-year-old to take centre stage at the Glasgow School of Art and begin to throw his arms like a speed skater at a dance-off. Mael’s breaking character to bust a move was just one of several pleasant surprises for those fortunate enough to attend the debut performance by FFS: a collaboration involving the four members of Franz Ferdinand – skilled practitioners of chart-friendly art-rock – and the Mael brothers, who have made Sparks a captivating musical presence for more than 40 years. “Ron doesn’t require encouragement for standing centre stage and dancing, he was born with a centre stage personality,” notes Russell Mael, who shares vocal duties in FFS with Franz frontman Alex Kapranos. The Art School show was a triumph and reviews of the group’s self-titled album have been almost universally positive. While Franz and Sparks seem a natural creative fit, it’s easy to forget just how bad other high-profile collaborations have fared – from the genuinely grim Lou Reed/Metallica Lulu album, to David Bowie’s less than impressive Tin Machine supergroup. But FFS is a joy; working with the Mael brothers has pushed Franz to write some of their best songs in recent years. Fans of both bands can enjoy working out who contributed what line in which song, but crucially, the strength of tracks like Police Encounters means the album succeeds on its own merits, rendered more than a pet project by a group of friends for their own amusement. The warm welcome at their debut gig was satisfying for Kapranos. “Whenever musicians spout that ‘we play for ourselves and if other people like it, it’s a bonus’ line, they’re talking bollocks,” he tells The Skinny. “I have an ego the size of the Greek national debt, as do all musicians I’ve ever met. Some pretend they don’t, but they’re being mendacious. They are deluded into thinking that ego is an exclusively negative force when it is actually what drives you to create what you create in the first place. It takes a gargantuan ego to presume that your music should exist. I loved that show at the Art School, but I was intensely nervous beforehand. I think we all were. It was our first show, in a place that was so significant to us, to an audience that contained so many people we knew – friends, people we respected, family members. As soon as I’d sung the first line, though, I knew it was going to be a good gig. We’d been building up the Glasgow reputation for so long to Ron and Russell, I was so happy when they didn’t let us down.” FFS have toured vigorously since their Art School outing and return to Scotland this month for shows at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, as well as a sold-out night at Manchester’s Albert Hall. The Edinburgh gig is part of the International Festival – the serious elder brother to the Fringe – and is indicative of the respect both Franz and Sparks command. The story of how these two groups – one based in Glasgow and the other 6000 miles away in Los Angeles – came together to produce one of 2015’s most unlikely albums is an intriguing one. Like much of Franz’s success, it can be traced back to the release of their 2004 single Take Me Out. With its dramatic mid-song tempo change and killer chorus, it elevated the group above their more leaden contemporaries. Among those impressed were the Maels – who know

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a thing or two about writing great pop songs that take unexpected turns. “So many groups have lost their sense of adventure and prefer to stick to the basic formulas and clichés of pop music,” Russell explains when asked why Sparks first initiated contact. “Take Me Out, as well as countless Sparks songs, haven’t followed those conventions. There is a difference.”

“I wasn’t about to take up the harpsichord or Russell dabble with the flute” Alex Kapranos

The message was received with glee by Franz; a group of committed Sparks fans who had attempted to cover 1975 single Achoo in one of their first rehearsals. “When someone who has made music you appreciate turns round and appreciates something that you’ve made... it makes your world collapse in a way,” offers Kapranos. “You have built all your reference points upon them being over there in that distant unreachable place where mythical characters create those records that are stacked against the wall of your flat on Gray Street – back when Finnieston was still a pre-hipster, forlorn, forgotten wasteland.” Sparks and Franz met for the first time in the foyer of the Roosevelt Hotel, described by Kapranos as “a Hollywood relic from that Gothic age of dark, flickering silver.” There was immediate talk of a collaboration of some kind, which would lead to Sparks offering Piss Off – now a cornerstone of the FFS live set – as a tentative

starting point. But given the Glasgow band’s intensive touring schedule, they never got round to sending one of their own tracks in return. It would take a broken tooth and a chance encounter in 2013 before FFS would finally evolve into something more than an aspiration. Kapranos was wandering the streets of San Fransisco looking for a dentist when he bumped into Ron and Russell, as you do. “I’d broken a tooth in Uruguay. It was fucking painful,” Kapranos explains. “Our tour manager told me to hang on until we reached San Francisco as his pal knew a dentist there who’d sort me out. When we arrived he sent me off saying that it was Huey Lewis’s dentist – and Huey’s teeth seemed to look alright – so the dentist was probably pretty good. I got to the block I thought the dentist was on and couldn’t find it. Then I heard a voice behind me say: ‘Alex, is that you?’ I turned round and it was Ron, standing beside Russell and his girlfriend Emmi. They’d been watching me walk up and down the block, trying to work out if this hapless specimen was actually me.” Following this chance meeting, a new commitment to work together was forged. “We wrote in LA, and FF wrote in Britain,” says Russell. “We never sat down and wrote together. I think each band prefers not to look the other in the eye while creating.” The stand-out album track Collaborations Don’t Work is perhaps the best illustration of their process, with Mael and Kapranos exchanging lyrical barbs: “I don’t like your navel gazing!” “I don’t get your way of phrasing!” “It really came alive after we responded to each other’s songs,” confirms Kapranos. “We wrote and sang parts over Collaborations Don’t Work and they wrote and sang over Police Encounters. It went back and forth a little, but what felt exciting was that, listening to the music, it didn’t sound like either band and both simultaneously. It felt like something new – yet with the recognisable personalities behind it all.

MUSIC

We sent them the music for Man Without a Tan and Ron wrote the lyric – there were lots of different approaches. We tried to change it around to keep it fresh. All of the writing was done 6000 miles apart. Us over here, them over there. Neither of us had worked like that before, but it seemed to work.” A collective decision was made to keep FFS secret until recording had been completed and a release date confirmed. Even Domino, Franz’s long-term record label, was only informed of the project when the writing process was complete and the songs were ready to be recorded. Album in the can, the next decision was how to mesh the two bands together as a single live unit. With Ron occupying his customary position stage right behind his keyboard, and the rest of Franz fulfilling their usual roles of bass, drums and guitar, it was down to Kapranos and Russell to decide how best to share vocal duties. “We’re both frontmen, so it seemed pretty obvious,” the former says. “I wasn’t about to take up the harpsichord or Russell dabble with the flute. Thinking about it now, there aren’t many instances of double frontmen. The Specials, sort of... Abba... Happy Mondays? Is Bez as much of a frontman as Ryder... or was Bez the real frontman? I don’t know. I do know that it seems to work from our end.” Both Franz and Sparks remain tight-lipped when asked if we can expect another FFS album or whether attention will revert back to their respective bands. Kapranos sheds no light on the subject. “When we started working on this, we had no idea where it would end up, whether it would be a couple of songs – nevermind a full LP – or whether we would actually record them, and whether we would make an entirely new band. “I still have no idea what will be next...” he lingers. “But if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.” FFS play Albert Hall, Manchester, on 25 Aug ffsmusic.com

THE SKINNY

Home Movies Seven bright kids spent a childhood locked up in their apartment, with movies as their only friends. We talk to documentary filmmaker Crystal Moselle about her time with the pack

he ‘forbidden experiment’ is a concept familiar to sociolinguists: what would happen if you deprived a child of all social interaction from birth? What would that do to their language, their psyche? Could we solve the unsolvable nature v nurture debate? The experiment is, of course, forbidden for a reason: it is prohibitively unethical. The Wolfpack might not be as extreme as this hypothetical study, but it certainly skirts the same questionable ethics. In this debut documentary feature from Californian Crystal Moselle, there is a sense of having stumbled upon something truly unique. The Angulo family consists of six teenage brothers – Mukunda, Narayana, Govinda, Bhagavan, Krsna, and Jagadisa – and their sister, Visnu, sequestered in a Manhatten high-rise. Growing up, they are permitted egress exceptionally rarely. The father, Oscar, has the only key. The mother, Susanne, earns a bursary by homeschooling. For entertainment, Oscar allows a diet of movies on VHS and DVD, and the children – so enrapt – painstakingly recreate their favourites. Without the internet, they hand-type screenplays and fashion props from cereal boxes and yoga mats. It’s a remarkable real-world tale of resilience and escapism. We speak to the director before the film’s screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival. She’s a little jet-lagged but otherwise chirpy, her West Coast drawl peppered with liberal ‘like’s and ‘totally’s. Born in California, Moselle moved to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts, where an autonomous approach to filmmaking was encouraged. “I’m just more independent and I like to do my own thing,” she recalls. “They would give us cameras, and we could just go do our films on our own.” This fostered an opportunism that stayed with her long after graduating. Moselle recounts the fluke of encountering the Angulo children: “I was walking down First Avenue, New York City, and they ran past me. They had this long black hair, and sunglasses, and I think they were all dressed in black. Just something about it was very intriguing, and I instinctually ran after them.” She met them at a crossing, and was met with a portentous icebreaker. “Govinda asked me, ‘What is it that you do for a living?’ And I told them that I was a filmmaker. He said, ‘Oh, we’re interested in getting into the business of filmmaking.’ I didn’t know their backstory at all. They were interesting people; I liked hanging out with

August 2015

Interview: George Sully

them. They were very articulate, and had an openness that you don’t see every day in New York.” With some 455 hours of footage filmed over several years, “the biggest obstacle was probably whittling the story down,” Moselle tells us. “We didn’t even realise what it was until we got in the edit room. “I think the biggest change was when I had this talk with Makunda,” she explains. “He basically said that they grew up on fear, and that was getting in their way. And he saw that, which was amazing, ’cause that’s so self-reflective, to be able to see that.”

“I feel like the boys are doing really great on their own... I don’t feel like they’re helpless at all” Crystal Moselle

His vision was of a self-sufficient familytribe, inspired by his Hare Krishna background. He feared the corrupting influences of the materialistic outside world. When questioned in the film, his response is tragically ironic: “We are victims of the circumstances of life.” “I think there were a lot of great things that came out of it,” suggests Moselle. “These kids are articulate and creative and intellectual. But they didn’t wanna be cooped up like that. That’s the biggest thing: what would they want? Every day they wanted to go play outside. There’s footage of them looking down at the playgrounds and filming it through the window. It’s so sad.” The images speak volumes. “I think the window is a character in this film,” she posits. “Sometimes they said it was almost like a television... They were pretty far up so they could see a lot. Like they were caged in the sky or something.” The trailer, and most synopses, frame the brothers’ meticulous reenactments as a panacea for their imprisonment. We are invited to gawk at this peculiar brood and their cute obsession with cinema. When asked if there were any clips she wanted to include but couldn’t, Moselle replies: “Tarantino’s birthday. They celebrate all their favourite directors’ and actors’ birthdays.” But no humane metric would levy video reels as adequate compensation for a childhood starved of sunshine, friends, and parks, and very little conversation surrounding this film seems to tackle the enormity of this isolation. The boys say that Moselle is their first guest. That’s almost two decades without external contact. It’s an immutable facet of their upbringing, and as viewers we can only watch, helpless. Moselle maintains that movies are a positive force for them. “It’s like this language that we can all speak together,” she says. “That was one of the things that the boys discovered when they first started going out... ‘What’s your favourite movie?’ That’s always their first question.” The films that became their windows on to the world – the sweary hyperviolence of Tarantino and Nolan – might also be cause for concern. “I think that earlier on, maybe it wasn’t the best influence,” Moselle concedes. “But also they’re able to take on these characters that had a lot of power, and I think that maybe it helped them exercise that.” It could be argued that such ready acceptance of fictional personae belies a thirst for self-definition. Desperate for identity, the silver screen offered the siblings rich, though

false stimuli. And as warm and personable as these brothers are, it is clear that theirs is a learned sociability, incubated within a stifling family unit. Their language is declarative, stagey: in one light, like characters in a movie; in another, borderline autistic. When pushed on the ethics, Moselle is evasive. We ask about any legal or psychiatric followup, and she explains that “they realised... it’s not illegal to keep your kids in your house.” She relates an episode referenced in the film (where “the authorities had come in and child services did come in”), but ultimately resists committing to a detailed assessment. On the one hand, she is the chronicler, not the spokesperson for this family. But at the same time, she has taken a more active role than most documentarians, and has been instrumental in presenting the Angulos to the world. Does she feel this responsibility? “Yeah, sometimes I do,” she admits. “But I feel like they’re doing really great on their own... I don’t feel like they’re helpless at all.” She adds: “I feel like this film is like the first part of this journey that I’m taking with them.” The Wolfpack won the Grand Jury Prize for US Documentary at Sundance this year, and the director has been on the press rodeo ever since. While far from insensitive to the broader issues at play, her tone is somewhat detached and she is reluctant to answer some questions in depth. When asked about their mother, however, she lights up. “She became my friend,” Moselle beams. “I think that she probably had the biggest transformation of them all.” In many ways Susanne Angulo is the unsung hero of The Wolfpack: wrestling with the misguided philosophy of her husband as the mother to his children but also as the carefree hippy who fell in love with him all those years ago. By the present day, she is bubbly and forthright. “She really calls the shots at this point,” Moselle attests. In fact, the biggest lump-in-throat moment involves Susanne near the end, in the briefest of surreptitiously captured exchanges. The Skinny won’t spoil it for you here, but when we ask the director about it, Moselle gushes with a levity at odds with the film’s 90 minutes: “When my editor saw that, she was like, ‘That’s some fuckin’ realism!’” It may otherwise smudge the line between cinema and reality, but The Wolfpack’s human element is triumphantly real. The Wolfpack is released in cinemas 7 Aug by Kaleidoscope Entertainment

Much of the film’s tension stems from the father, Oscar Angulo. A shadowy, paranoid deityfigure, the boys speak of him in fearful tones; there are implications of domestic abuse and alcoholism. However, when he eventually speaks, almost an hour into the film, his presence is feebly mortal. “The first part of the film is [the boys], telling the story about their family through their eyes,” Moselle elaborates. “I think that if we brought the father in earlier to tell that story with them, it wouldn’t make sense... I feel like their dad, at this point, had been defeated.” The film may look back on their childhood (there are reams of home video footage), but it’s as hopeful and forward-looking as it is retrospective. Moselle had arrived at a juncture in their lives where they were beginning to seize independence out of their father’s loosening grip. Why had Oscar restricted his family so severely? “I think there was just a lot of control and, I think, fear,” she suggests. “He was saying that he didn’t want society to affect them, he wanted them to make their own choices.”

FILM

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≥ VERDI REQUIEM

AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER Saturday 3 October, 7.30pm Sir Mark Elder conductor | Maria Agresta soprano | Alice Coote mezzo-soprano | Giorgio Berrugi tenor | Alexander Vinogradov bass | Hallé Choir A response to the death of the great author Alessandro Manzoni – a figure Verdi revered – this is the most theatrical, agnostic and indeed popular work of its kind ever written. From the hushed beginning of its opening ‘Requiem’, to the tumultuous, apocalyptic vision of the ‘Dies Irae’ and the turbulent uncertainty of the ‘Libera Me’, Verdi brings his supreme skills as a dramatist to bear on the traditional liturgy to quite stunning effect ... ...

a Requiem not for the dead, but for the living.

www.halle.co.uk • 0161 907 9000

THE SKINNY

Surviving the Abyss Californian singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe is a byword for doom-laden gothic rock. Her new album, Abyss, takes inspiration from such cheery topics as sleep paralysis, extreme drought and exploring the depths of the mind. The Skinny peers behind the veil

helsea Wolfe appears to exist in an enigmatic, liminal space between the aloof and the uncanny; visually, she sporadically performs beneath a veil but musically, her ghoulish, propulsive gothic rock is more blatant: utterly American, structurally rooted in the geographies of her Los Angeles locale but also haunted by the pains and pangs of classic Americana country. While third album Pain Is Beauty was perhaps best described as a concept album in denial, Abyss, her staggeringly intense follow up, is a rich submersion in sonic intensity, verging on the industrial. “While I was growing up, I heard my dad’s country band practising harmonies and I fell in love with layers,” she reflects. “I started making my own music soon after and was always adding layers and layers of harmonies and sounds. I’m also a total water person – I love swimming, being in the water… Maybe those things are reflected? For Abyss, I wasn’t thinking about being submerged per se, I was thinking about the mind as an abyss to be explored, contrasted with the universe as a wild and unknown abyss itself. “ Throughout the recording of Abyss, Wolfe admitted to suffering from bouts of sleep paralysis, an affliction in which a person, either while falling asleep or awakening, temporarily experiences an inability to move, speak, or react. The notion that such a state can create mindaltering experiences is borne out by Abyss; the album is unquestionably Wolfe’s bleakest to date, her sonic trajectory reaching some hitherto unexplored tenebrous and arcane territories. Lead single Carrion Flowers is a suitably-titled exercise in gloomy perversion, all skeletal, repetitive percussion and Wolfe’s initially concussed vocals supplanted by multi-tracked harmonies; in fact, the track plays like an evil twin to Portishead’s Machine Gun from their third album and, as the opening track on Abyss, is a punishing announcement of what lies ahead.

August 2015

Anyone coming to Abyss and expecting the more comparatively plaintive laments of Wolfe’s previous album will be somewhat surprised by the upsurge in, well, pretty much everything. Nevertheless, the contrast is deliberate, according to Wolfe. “Abyss is actually pretty raw in comparison with Pain Is Beauty,” she confirms. “That album came from an experimentation with my bandmate Ben Chisholm – we intended to start a side project of electronic music but realised over time that this project doesn’t need any rules, so we started playing some of those songs on Chelsea Wolfe tours.”

“It’s really intimate to have someone’s voice in your head, telling you stories” Chelsea Wolfe

And does sleep paralysis continue to rupture her nocturnal reveries? “It does still,” she confides, “though it’s more off and on these days – it used to be really bad when I was living in Los Angeles. I lived in a big old house near downtown with a bunch of people, but last year relocated to a house in the mountains to write Abyss and ended up staying. My mind is much more calm there. I don’t ever want to live in a city again. I don’t write in that state of sleep paralysis, no, it’s not something I can control and it’s not something I enjoy. When I have sleep paralysis I see shadow figures in my room and there have been times I thought they were real in that confused state. It’s more just that the

experience of it creeps into my day, and affects my moods and perspective.” Indeed, the influence and impact of her immediate surroundings also forces a distinct sonic imprint on Abyss. The album was written while her immediate Los Angeles neighbourhood was immersed in scorching heat: the forests ablaze from fires and the lakes entirely arid. Accordingly, the imagery on the album is often parched and torrid, teeming with washed out roads, abandoned canyons and the limits of existence on the very edge of modern day America. “Abyss has a lot more real life samples we’ve taken on the road,” she confirms. “Thunder, electricity in the ground, atmospheres – the beginning of the song The Abyss is a sound sample taken while walking through Prague. And almost everything that did come from an electronic place was re-amped or run through guitar pedals. And yes, where I lived while writing Abyss was very reflective of the drought in California. We put most of that inspiration into the music video for Carrion Flowers, but I’m sure the feeling of the area made its way into the music as well. I am inspired by location and different spaces.” Of course, one of the issues with carefully crafting such an opaque and Delphic persona is that people are going to become even more focused upon breaking the spell and decoding the public guise. Wolfe has oft stated her interest in truth and honesty through music but does this shed any light on her actual life? The lyrics on Abyss are abstract, if rather standard issue for goth-tinged singers: Grey Days, Color of Blood, Simple Death and the epic After the Fall (sadly not a rumination on the lives of musicians post Mark E. Smith) all dwell upon the darker side of existence – is this a true reflection of Wolfe’s state of mind? “I get asked about this a lot,” she admits. “At this point I suppose my music is quite personal, but I still avoid writing directly about my own life. There is plenty of inspiration

MUSIC

Interview: Colm McAuliffe

coming from world news, books I read, and so on. My perspective on these things will always be in my own way of course, and I think of music as something really intimate. I listen to music on headphones mostly, and it is really intimate to have someone’s voice in your head, telling you stories. But this persona is not something I’m crafting – I’m just a private person and prefer to keep much of my personal life away from my musical life.” All of this seems tailor-made to make, at the very least, a sizeable dent in the more mainstream alt-music landscape. But is Wolfe prepared for an anointment as a totemic figure of goth-rock? Her response is typically coy. “We are a slow-growing band,” she says, “so any increase in audience or listeners has been really gradual and feels natural. I imagine it will keep going in that direction.” Certainly their more recent live shows have increased the band’s visibility; this perhaps contrasts with Wolfe’s affirmation that she is not so keen on the live element of her music and far more comfortable amid the more controlled setting of the recording studio. “I’m forced to embrace the element of playing live,” she admits, “and I do truly embrace it – I’m giving my all out there, but some nights I’m better at it than other nights.” Listening to Abyss is akin to being immersed in a fever dream. The stream of images conjures a bricolage of unbridled ruin, but Wolfe’s own voice is so closely miked and intimate that it serves to provide some re-assurance, some respite from the grimness elsewhere. Perhaps this dichotomy is key to Chelsea Wolfe: the closeness of her voice versus the distance of her true self and the relentless intensity of her music counterbalanced by her stacked harmonies, averting our gaze from the drop into the abyss. Abyss is released via Sargent House on 7 Aug chelseawolfe.net

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Hipnotony We get together with Garth Be over a much-needed pint to discuss album number two Interview: Daniel Jones

eat in Manchester is relatively hard to come by, so when the sun’s out you know about it. The streets fill up. Dogs pant. People wilt in Piccadilly Gardens. Sunken chests are on public display. Pasty faces go the way of the lobster and pollen runs amok. Meanwhile, Garth Be sneezes underneath the air con inside a vacant city centre bar. It’s been a good year for the man known simply on his records as “BE”. Last March saw the release of debut LP The Seven Movements: a necessary album for the local scene that ended up at the top of many end of year lists. Now second album Hipnotony – portmanteau of hypnotic monotony – is prepped, ready to land… and it’s another doozy. “To be honest, the response I got from the first record was incredible,” he admits. “It gave me so much confidence going into this one and made me believe I was doing the right thing. Maybe I overthink things too much but any niggles that used to plague the back of my mind were gone. I stopped thinking what was right or wrong – more what felt right or wrong, to me. Sitting down and putting tracks together with that frame of mind was freeing.” He takes a swig of beer: “The main thought behind this album is the repetition of things that can, on the surface, seem quite boring; actually, there are so many subtle things going on that you can tune in to different elements on every listen. You might hear a hi-hat first, then after a few minutes suddenly realise there was another hi-hat there all along. I love being able to look into a piece of music in that way.” Be’s introduction to the percussive side of life came at an early age, when he first got his hands on a pair of drumsticks. The only difference is that now he’s bashing out rhythms into a drum machine or trusty MPC. The off-kilter feeling that permeates his sound is something that has developed over the years and is the product of subtle tweaking here and there. “Getting the rhythm down is probably what I enjoy the most,” he reveals. “Sometimes things can be really out of place, and you know that it’s not right, but I’m happy to leave some odd-sounding bits in there that are a bit woah. Nothing makes me feel more disconnected to music these days than the drums. A lot of the time people are using Logic, or whatever software, for their percussion and it sounds very rigid – it’s easy to lose the essence of rhythm that way. You’ve gotta remember that nature is never on time, and that’s reflected in music too.” Searching for imperfection is a skill in itself and, as the man says, “the idea that everything has to be perfect is a bad one.” One of the driving forces behind Sweet Sticky imprint is to challenge models that are supposedly set in cement. That means moving away from strict deadlines, run-of-the-mill brand logos and demands for “complete, polished products.” “My good friend Rachel deserves a mention too. She was involved quite a bit on the graphic design front and her work really resonates with what I’m trying to do musically. One idea we had was to make sure we didn’t just present an immediately recognisable brand, like Nike or whatever, that’s shoved down your throat; we wanted to achieve a more interactive feel with the way it looks. The two records so far both have that. They both require a bit of a think, and encourage people to stop being so lazy.

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We wanted to challenge the idea of taking immediately the face value. “That’s also part of the reason for releasing this record in August: everybody’s telling me not to do it and that it’s the worst time to put a record out… so I’m going to do it to see what happens. I honestly don’t believe that a particular month in the calendar is more important than the content of the record itself. Ask me at the end of August, anyway!” he laughs before sneezing again.

“You’ve gotta remember that nature is never on time, and that’s reflected in music too” Garth Be

Brave guy, and you can’t say that freedom to decide when to release material hasn’t been well-earned. Going back a few years, Be’s first real break actually came through Myspace back

in 2007. Chicago label Stilove4music picked up four tracks from his page, which then became the Nocturnal Jam EP. Despite the early promise of that initial coup, things unfortunately took a turn for the worst and Be went through a pretty difficult few years by anybody’s standards. Following the passing away of his girlfriend at the time and getting all his studio gear nicked, music understandably took a backseat for a while. It was only after a bit of time away from production that the idea for Sweet Sticky gradually started to brew. Launching his own label was always on the cards, but it was after some gentle prodding from his close mates that Be decided to ‘push the button’ and go for it. “During that time I released a few things with friends that had sat for years and years but, in a way, it didn’t feel right to do the same with the album [The Seven Movements] because I always saw the music I was making as part of something bigger, something tangible and something I could define myself. I hate to use the term creative agency… but that’s kind of what I mean. The ultimate direction of Sweet Sticky is to use it as a platform to develop an approach to art that stands on its own – the label is just one side of the coin.” There are a few other guys on board with the artistic side too: Joe Whitmore, who handled the A/V side of things at the first album launch – expect another shindig soon – and Darren

CLUBS

Newman, another graphic designer with a broad portfolio who’ll soon be joining forces with the label. It’s clear, then, that Be is going for the whole artistic effect, rather than just one facet. And, while he admits production serves an insular purpose in relation to his “sensitive side,” bouncing off other people remains an integral part of his creative process – and that’s evident on Hipnotony. He cites tracks From S to R and Rachel as particularly poignant for him. The latter, named after the aforementioned designer, “was part of a creative session and really didn’t take too long to pull together. It’s one of those tracks that seemed to turn out exactly how I intended it to, which doesn’t happen often! I like the last track too, All to the Fools: it’s a bit of a cheeky piss-take of the egocentric feel often found in hip-hop. It’s slightly louder than the other tracks too, which adds to the boastful feel. It plays with the idea that the loudest man in the room is also the weakest.” If that’s the case then we’re certain there’s plenty more Garth Be is keeping under wraps; or maybe we just have to look a little closer, and listen a little keener, to breathe in the full effect of his handiwork – come to think of it, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Hipnotony is out 3 Aug via Sweet Sticky @SWEETSTCKY

THE SKINNY

The Skinny Showcase at Edinburgh Art Festival For the second year, this August sees The Skinny’s graduate Showcase selection go live as part of Edinburgh Art Festival

ast year, our annual graduate Showcase came alive, as our Scottish sister paper brought together its selected four graduates from Scotland’s foremost art schools in a super-early-career exhibition. This year, The Skinny Showcase returns for a second outing, again as part of the Edinbugh Art Festival and now functioning as the even younger sibling of their Platform programme, which focuses on emergent artists. The Skinny has once again travelled the length and breadth of the land, to degree shows in Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, to bring you our pick of each of the colleges’ shows – an artist from each DJCAD, Gray’s, GSA and ECA. We’ve again been kindly supported by each of the art schools – their financial contributions have been essential in allowing us to see this project through for a second year. If you happen to be up in Edinburgh for the Fringe, do drop by. Laura Porteous is a painter who graduated from Gray’s School of Art. Her degree show has been selected for the 2016 RSA New Contemporaries. “Spatial understanding and representation is the main concept behind my practice, and it is the research of this subject that determines the outcome of my works. A system-based approach is used where rules and guidelines play a key role throughout the entire process of making. “Mondrian is a great influence within my work and my interest in the subject of spatialism. His limited use of colour in its purest form is clean and bold, only using primary colours (blue, red and yellow) as well as black and white. This is something I have adopted this year as it allows me to focus on other aspects of my work such as the effects of different materials and the process used to apply and manipulate them. Origami techniques applied to the paintings are mainly what create the effects displayed. “Comprehending space and the fourth dimension, if it in fact exists, are regulative principles in my practice, encouraging viewers to consider the physical mass materials consume. Deterioration has become a significant aspect as it could be considered a visual representation

Interview: Rosamund West

of the fourth dimension, which many theorists believe to be time. Producing a work that can demonstrate age, or perhaps become a time based piece that transforms with duration is something I am keen to create.” spatialrepresentation.blogspot.co.uk John Farrell graduated from Fine Art Photography at Glasgow School of Art this year. He has been selected to show at the 2016 RSA New Contemporaries. “I use traditional photographic materials, text, found objects, music and sound in my practice in order to explore a range of themes and interests that deal with memory, history and heritage. Much of my work explores these ideas by analysing the collective cultural experiences of language and music as a starting point for my work beginning with works in direct relation to my hometown of Bellshill, Lanarkshire and Scotland in general. By exploring trace elements of these real or imagined histories and working in a vernacular way in terms of language and materials I hope to expand upon and address some of these concerns, seeking out points of cultural conflict and forgotten or imagined histories. By working both physically and conceptually within this landscape and in my studio I am beginning to unravel these possibilities.” Mary Watson graduated from Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2015. Also becoming Lady Mary of Glencoe in February 2015, she then went on to found the ‘Lady Mary of Glencoe Awards Association,’ an organisation which acknowledges and gives merit to all talents that walk through life under-appreciated. “My work explores the competitive nature of human beings. I am particularly interested in how we invent activities to express our obsessions and how we use objects to embody or to encapsulate our competitiveness. The ‘Prize’ represents the driving force behind our behaviour; it is the end goal and represents success. On a deeper level it is also a symbol of our selfconscious desire for validation and acceptance.

John Farrell

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Laura Porteous

Alice Chandler

Mary Watson

“Focused primarily on the more absurd competitions that capture people’s interest, my work highlights the arbitrary nature of these activities and the almost melancholy plight of the contestant. I am continually fascinated by how we distinguish what competitions are seen as culturally impressive and others that are seen as strange, almost pointless, highlighting the peculiar aspects of contestants’ personalities.” marywatson.co.uk Alice Chandler completed her foundation degree at Leeds College of Art in 2012 and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a BA Sculpture in 2015. Her degree show has also been selected for the 2016 RSA New Contemporaries. “My work focuses on the way in which many, predominantly domestic, objects are instantly recognisable. By changing features such as colour, scale and material, I subvert these familiar characteristics and allow them to become full of implied innuendo, and loaded with uncanny connotations. Through research into material culture theory, I have developed an understanding of the way domestic objects are often taken for granted, only functioning in creating an exterior environment for us to inhabit. It is this background environment that helps to shape and define who we are as people, as it quietly comments on the nature of the society and

ART

culture that it comes from. “When an object becomes removed from this background context, it begins to transform, becoming animated and fixed with personal meaning and associations. My work uses this as a way to reveal the potential hidden lives of inanimate objects, and contests the conventional layout or placement of the domestic setting. Through displacing the objects from their conventional context, I create things that are at once both functional and sculptural, with a hint of the absurd. Through careful selections of colour, material and placement, I also explore the flirtatious, seductive way that these seemingly banal products are often sold. The tactility, texture and colour of my materials, coupled with the use of a bold linearity, gives the work a drawn quality, and I consider my work to be a form of three dimensional drawing. In all, the work is accessible and fun in its nature, and I’m interested in creating undertones of humour. By using traditional sculptural mechanisms of placement and materiality, I elevate humble everyday objects and materials and tap into our natural object associations. This allows the audience to reconsider their own possessions, while subtly commenting on the quotidian rituals of domestic culture.” alicechandler.com The Skinny Showcase, Hill St Design House, 3 Hill St, Edinburgh, 31 Jul-23 Aug, 10am-6pm daily, free

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THE SKINNY

The Absurdity of Ideas With a new show on the way and her book – ‘a searingly accurate portrayal of 21st-century womanhood’ – out now, Bridget Christie talks about schadenfreude and the usefulness of bigots Interview: Cara McNamara

“I

No Fakin’ Theatre-maker Bryony Kimmings talks about mental health stigmatisation and making work about real people’s real stories Interview: Emma Ainley-Walker

“I

don’t write fake stories for fake people to perform in fake kitchens,” says performance maker Bryony Kimmings, calling The Skinny on her drive into London ahead of a preview run of her show Fake It ’Til You Make It at the Southbank Centre. Kimmings is talking both of the honesty of her work and of the collaborative trend that runs through some of her most recent pieces. “I don’t think it was a conscious choice to only work with people who weren’t performers, but I think I was just much more fascinated in the real lives of real people.” Fake It is “a love story, but not in a gross way.” Detailing the relationship between Kimmings and her partner, Tim Grayburn, it’s also “the story of his history of mental health issues. It’s the story of how I found out about those issues and how that changed our relationship, and how we cope with it day to day.” It’s a very personal piece. “Within that there’s lots of mental health facts and figures, there’s lots of dancing and laughing about,” says Kimmings, but there are also “lots of recordings of us having a very candid, honest conversation in our lounge a couple of years ago. It’s like coming into our living room and us telling you the story of our relationship – but I guess in doing so we’re not just telling the story of our relationship, but lots of people’s relationships across the world.” For Kimmings, telling this story and exploring mental health on stage are essential, and the latter is something that the wider arts community is recognising. “I think there’s kind of a surge of work around types of metal illness at the moment. It seems to be as funding gets cut to mental health services: as soon as something becomes politically charged in that way, lots of artists start to make work about it from their own personal point of view.” This political trend runs through Kimmings’ work, with previous work Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model responding to a lack of positive female images in the media. As well as mental health issues, Fake It looks at masculinity and at stereotypes. “Tim is very sporty, he’s very broad, very handsome. If you were going to draw a picture of

August 2015

someone that you thought looked like someone with mental health issues in that stigmatised, stereotyped way it would be the opposite of Tim. So I think it’s been very powerful to see what you think of a strong, real man talking about the fact that some days he can’t get out of bed because he’s crying and crying and crying and can’t stop.” “Tim talks very, very openly having kept his mental health issues and his depression and his anxiety a secret for almost eight years from pretty much everybody he knew, being in denial about that and not allowing anyone to see that part of him,” Kimmings continues. “I think one of the main points is like, if Tim kept it a secret for such a long time and no one ever guessed, who else do you know, no matter who they are, that might be labouring under the same illness of their own? Because it can affect and does affect all of us.” After the Australian run of the show, Kimmings and Grayburn came home with fivestar reviews, and the Best Theatre Award from the Adelaide Fringe Festival, feeling confident that the work wasn’t just important, or important to them, but that it was good. And the show stays with its audience members, who Kimmings says are reaching out to contact her and Grayburn after the show. “We stand at the door at the end just to fundamentally make sure that people are okay, because the show is quite funny but it’s also very moving and stirs up a lot in people. Lots of people share their stories with us and send us emails after the show. It’s really created this sort of community,” she says, adding that many people share not only their own stories but advice and suggestions as well. One thing that Kimmings stresses is that despite its subject matter, the show is not all darkness – it has humour and pathos. “It’s light as well as dark, it’s both, it’s everything,” she says. Past audience experience and critical acclaim seem to agree with her.

laughed so much I nearly got sick,” says Bridget Christie. “My bathroom is getting done and I had to pick a toilet. I was looking through these catalogues of toilets, page after page after page of columns and rows of white toilets. We were there for so long... about three hours, and I just lost it – flush push, handle flush, close coupled, wall mounted, pipe at the back, all the different names, and there was always some reason why the one I picked wouldn’t work in my bathroom. I couldn’t stop laughing at how mind-bendingly boring it was. Then I had to do the same for taps.” On a morning caught between buildingworks and small children, panicking about the impending Edinburgh Fringe is low on Christie’s list. “Oh, I don’t have a show yet. This year is a bit different because I’m talking about my book, and I was planning on doing a book-slash-show type thing, but then I realised... I have to do stand up. I’m a comedian, not an author – it’d be too weird. “We didn’t used to worry about preparing too much in the olden days, anyway – we didn’t used to do it a year ahead, we left it ’til the last minute. I need it to be topical, so I don’t panic. “I knew for my 2013 show I wanted to talk about feminism, then in the July, Malala addressed the UN, and I knew I wanted to talk about that. With 24-hour news now though, everything moves so fast – one awful story replaces another, then that story is usurped by the next one. The Rachel Dolezal stuff in the US, for example, is fascinating, because it’s brought up so many questions about identity – transexuality for example – but in such an unexpected way.” On mentioning to Christie that the Rachel Dolezal story recalls a character called D’orothea in Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City – where a black model is discovered to be a white girl who’s taken a truckload of tanning tablets – she becomes intrigued and curious to know when it was published and more details. (It was a San Francisco Chronicle serial in the 1970s about a group of people living in the city, and their transsexual landlady, Mrs Madrigal). “Oh, you’ll never believe this,” she says. “There’s this guy on Fox news in America called

Erick Erikson, who has managed – get this – to blame the Charleston shootings, which were clearly a race hate crime, on the fact the American left supported Caitlyn Jenner – and that because of this, the US is now unable to distinguish good and evil. How can you possibly even connect the two? It’s insanity. “I’m thinking of using it, actually. Things like that are a gift for me. If you’re trying to talk about difficult or controversial stuff, it’s really handy to have so many bigots around. The absurdity of their ideas – it’ll be interesting to see what terrible catastrophe same-sex marriage will lead to.” Is that absurdity, then, that her humour particularly hinges on? “I don’t know,”she says. “It’s not like you wake up one day at three and decide, this is what I’m going to find funny... I was a massive Laurel and Hardy fan, Harold Lloyd, slapstick, things like that. Although to be honest, I think it was just growing up in the 70s. Things were just more surreal and creative then – like, at school it just was the norm to do expressive dance. I think things have got really square since then. I mean, I went to a conservative Catholic school, but we still... threw some shapes. “I find awkwardness really funny – awkward people and awkward situations. My favourite thing to watch is a comedian going out on a limb... and it not working. Especially if it’s my best friend.” Then she gasps at the inadvertent hint of schadenfreude in what she’s just said. “I would never go and laugh at a young comedian dying on stage. I’ve had some really bad years, especially when I first started, where noone’s come and I’ve got piles. It’s stressful when you’re new... you try to tell yourself you’re doing alright – but your bottom tells you otherwise. “But now, amongst my friends – I love seeing them work it all out on stage, to go from disaster to creating a really great thing. We’ve all died loads of times... But you have to take risks. They might fail, but they might work, and you don’t know unless you try.” A Book for Her is out now, published by Random House. Bridget Christie: A Book for Her is at the Edinburgh Fringe, The Stand Comedy Club, 8-16, 18-31 Aug, 11am bridgetchristie.co.uk

Fake It ’Til You Make It is at the Edinburgh Fringe, Traverse Theatre, 7-30 Aug, then Soho Theatre, London, 22 Sep-17 Oct bryonykimmings.com

THEATRE / COMEDY

Feature

All the Funz of the Fair His kids’ show that wasn’t really for kids, Funz and Gamez, became the word-ofmouth success of last year’s Fringe, winning the Panel Prize and leading to a sitcom pilot. Confrontational comedian Phil Ellis prepares for Funz and Gamez Tooz

Interview: John Stansfield

at in the vast auditorium of dock10 at MediaCityUK for the BBC Salford Sitcom Showcase, I spy a tall, gangly gentleman in a surprisingly well-fitted blazer. Gingerly he gives me the thumbs up, though he really doesn’t seem convinced. He certainly doesn’t seem sure that all these people are here to see him and the show he created with some friends about a failed comedian trying to make ends meet by putting on a kids’ show that isn’t for kids. But here we all are, excitedly awaiting the premiere of the Funz and Gamez pilot; the word-of-mouth smash of the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe that won the Panel Prize and would surely have won more were the awards not sponsored by a ‘beer’ company when the show was ostensibly for kids. Introduced finally by the director of BBC England, Peter Salmon, Ellis enters in his usual awkwardly uncomfortable gait to present his work to the full room. Flashback two years or so to the back room of Sandbar in Manchester, where Phil Ellis was about to headline Red Redmond’s new material night. He is excitedly telling me about his new Edinburgh show idea, something he had come up with while at the Fringe in 2013 with his show Unplanned Orphan. It would be a kids’ show. Billed as a kids’ show. But it wouldn’t really be for the kids. He didn’t have much in place other than that he knew he wanted Mick Ferry to play a dodgy alcoholic uncle. It was a great idea, I thought. But it’ll never come off. “When people said it wouldn’t work I just got dead stubborn. Nobody tells me what to do!” he says, now sitting on the terrace above Knott Bar overlooking the busy interchange of Deansgate Locks. He’s just finished editing the Funz and Gamez TV pilot, so it seems the stubbornness has finally paid off. The idea for Funz and Gamez came from the notion – which a lot of performers have – that kids’ TV is a simpler route to stardom. “People think because of Horrible Histories, ‘I can get on telly easier.’ So ‘Phil’ would be doing a kids’ show to make money.” He refers to himself in the third person often, not in some arrogant sports star way but referring to the character he plays onstage. If you’ve ever seen Ellis do standup then you’ll be aware why he might need a stage name, though what with the manic shenanigans he’s gotten up to you’d think he’d choose one that

was further away from his actual given name. Playing a character one step removed from himself takes away “the pressure of people making you feel like you could be heckled. Like, ‘You don’t scare me, because I’m already broken.’” He plays the tragicomic figure well, and for great laughs, never dwelling on his own misery no matter how many times he mentions the girl that left him, Leanne. “She’s a real person. Should’ve changed her name for the pilot really. But she also married a builder named Jamie. That’s in there as well.” “If the audience think you’re a bit fragile they let you get away with more,” he continues. “If I get them on side then I just do what I want.” By ‘doing what he wants,’ he means the time he once drenched a woman with a bottle of beer for saying the show at The Frog and Bucket was boring; the time he chased a man around the room with his inhaler trying to get him to have an asthma attack at Baby Blue, or the time he washed a man’s hair in Shoreditch and charged him £25 for the privilege (“He thought, Yeah, I’m part of a ‘happening’”). At the last gig The Skinny saw, Ellis spied a dog in the crowd and just started walking it up and down, seemingly for his own amusement, then leaped behind an empty

bar and served a man a pint. It’s this fearlessness and spontaneity that have led to comparisons to Andy Kaufman, a comic who redefined what a comedian could do for laughs without ever actually telling jokes, and certainly led to Ellis’s 2013 show Unplanned Orphan. Based on the conceit that Ellis had discovered he was adopted and that his birth parents had died, the show was a series of errors that culminated in a fire alarm going off in the building it was in, causing ‘Phil’ to lead everyone outside and confirm that there would be no refunds. It was daring and all too convincing. Reviews were even more confusing, with one mastering irony within its first line: ‘Paul Ellis’s show is strewn with errors.’ “That’s my favourite review I’ve ever had, we put it on the poster, ‘two stars, reads like a four.’ We got momentum about two weeks in when people started to get what it was, but by then it was too late.”

“When people said Funz and Gamez wouldn’t work I just got dead stubborn. Nobody tells me what to do!” Phil Ellis

On the first day, at least, it looked like Funz and Gamez might suffer a similar fate. With no PR backing, and very little money, Ellis flyered the show himself with Will Duggan dressed as Bonzo the Dog, a character from the show. Having sold just four tickets on the first day to a family, Ellis heard one of the kids cry “I don’t want to be here,” so he generously gave them a refund. The experience was made easier, he says, “because we had a great group of people doing it. Duggan and Jim [Meehan] were great. It was nice to have a team rather than be up there on your own crashing and burning.”

Feature

COMEDY

Help also came on the second day when a few comedians turned up intrigued by the ludicrous and lurid posters, and the fact that Phil Ellis was doing what seemed like a genuine kids’ show. The second day was attended by standups Caimh McDonnell, Michael Legge and Silky, plus one family that left halfway through. The comedians then made it their business to make sure everyone came to see the show. To ensure that there was a healthy balance of families and adult comedy fans, Ellis started to give free tickets to kids. This was the last time younger audience members were to get a free ride, though, with Ellis taking his unruly, heckler-baiting style to a whole new generation. “You’re not talking down to them,” he comments. “You’re being rude to them. They love that. They find it funny.” The comedians continued their patronage, and those with offspring brought them too. “For a comedian to bring their kids is good. Steve Pemberton from The League of Gentlemen said, ‘My kids still talk about [the show].’ I told him that’s nice and that I used to watch his show when I was on my dinner from the airbags factory I was working in.” The second-generation name-dropping doesn’t end there. “I’ve arm wrestled Sean Lock’s son. There was another show where there was this one kid with long hair and I told him to stop showing off. ‘You won’t have so much hair left when you’ve been through a divorce. I bet your dad doesn’t have hair like that.’ I looked up and his dad was Julian Barratt from The Mighty Boosh.” This level of respect from the comedy world helped turn Funz and Gamez into the TV show that is currently circulating on BBC iPlayer, with a host of other hopefuls. Ellis is keen not to rest on his laurels, however. “It’s amazing how much four weeks can change your life. It can still turn back. That’s why I’m not taking anything for granted. I went up to Edinburgh worrying about being just another Manchester comic, you know, part of the furniture – ‘We like Phil, but he’s just there isn’t he.’ So when it started going well I just thought, thank fuck for that, because I was going to have to start thinking of a backup plan. And I can’t go back to the airbags factory.” Funz and Gamez Tooz is at the Edinburgh Fringe, Assembly George Square Gardens, 6-24, 26-31 Aug, 3.20pm Funz and Gamez is currently on BBC iPlayer

THE SKINNY

Chilly in Chile Our writer travels to the Atacama to test the hypothesis – do deserts get really cold at night? (tl;dr = Yes!)

ll I can hear is the sound of my teeth chattering. It’s pitch black. It’s 6.08am. Then I see a light, six feet up, dancing in the dark: it’s a headlamp, worn by my guide Diego. “Alistar?” he says. Alistar is a verb in Spanish, meaning ‘to get ready’; it’s also my name, more or less. Yes, I am. “Vamos.” Two hours later I awake with the light of the dawn, no longer chattering, and look around me. By both sides of the road are great big circular grey rocks dotted with cracks and collapses, like giant meringues pressed by a firm thumb. Behind them a wide open expanse, and behind that, snow-topped volcanoes. Actually, as I look around, there are volcanoes everywhere. “Good morning chicos,” Diego says. We’re about 4000m above sea level, he tells us, just a few miles from the Chilean border with Argentina. Chile is very easy to draw: it’s the western slopes of the Andes, to the sea, from where Peru’s Pacific jut comes back in, all the way to the bottom of South America. On the other side of the mountains – which are forever giving you directions – is Argentina. From the capital Santiago – roughly halfway down – it’s either two hours into the mountains or two hours away from them to the sea. In the south, winter brings heavy rains and freezing temperatures. In the north, where Chile meets the tropics, it almost never rains, and the desert can be stiflingly hot. But not where I am. I’m based in San Pedro de Atacama, a popular stop-off for backpackers heading north to Peru or Bolivia, or south to the

Words: Ally Brown

rest of Chile, that is both desert and mountain. Its height above sea level means the air of the night can’t hold the heat of the day, and neither are there clouds to do likewise, so it gets very, very cold after dark.

“At least three tourists have died in the geysers here, presumably lost in the fantasy that they are in fact natural Jacuzzis” The arrival of the sun brings with it alleviation, but four kilometres above sea level, it takes a while to reach us. So, shivering, we are led to admire a lagoon backed by four volcanoes, each nearly 6000m high, that from here look like mere hills. As my shadow appears, ten metres long, the bright sunlight highlights the yellow tufts of grass around us, turning them into a field of brilliant gold. Still unconvinced of the worth of the trip, we briskly walk through a short

winding valley, and are rewarded with the most glorious sight. Laguna Miniques is an otherworldly vision, a postcard-perfect view at this time of day, when the low sun throws shadows across the 6000m Cerro Miniques, the perfectly still lake reflecting it all beautifully. On the far side, a valley shape, and the yellow grass subtly adding a golden touch. Vale la pena, finally: it’s worth the pain. Diego lays out a huge breakfast on the shoreline, including grilled sandwiches and treasured coffee and coca tea, and we sit, mostly in silence, in awe of the view. It’s a breakfast none will forget, and not for the sandwiches. It’s 4.45am when my alarm rings again. Am I really paying for this privilege? I put on a long-sleeved t-shirt, a t-shirt, a shirt, a jumper, another jumper, and my jacket; jeans over my pyjama trousers; two pairs of socks; gloves, a scarf, and a woolly hat; and I step outside. It’s not enough. I get in the van and it’s not enough, and when we arrive, almost three hours later, and the driver slides the door open – my god it’s not enough! We’re at 4320m altitude before sunrise, and in the dark, over an area covering several football pitches, it looks like I can see dozens of frozen white trees. “They’re frozen!” others in the van exclaim. “They’re ice!” I can imagine anything turning to ice here. The geysers at El Tatio, close to the border with Bolivia, are a little underwhelming in the full light of day. They are geysers in a technical sense, but they do not project or explode water,

as the word usually suggests. They are pools of boiling water: when the superheated 180 degree water underground meets the very low atmospheric pressure outside, it instantly boils, and pillars of steam build up to 30m high above them. The landscape, a huge dusty field with up to 80 steam pillars, is somewhat interesting: ghostly, ethereal; but up-close, these ‘geysers’ aren’t much more than bubbling puddles. A nearby thermal pool invites tourists to bathe, but the gas rising from it is not steam, and the brave-or-stupid tourists who take the plunge are clearly shivering in the tepid water. “It gets to minus 25, minus 30 here in July and August,” says Jorge, today’s guide. “And people still get in the pool.” These people, who can’t identify steam, have a vote in general elections too. But here they’re overcome by wishful thinking. At least three tourists have died in the geysers here, presumably lost in the fantasy that they are in fact natural Jacuzzis. Nowhere needs a Jacuzzi more than here. Later we spend 20 minutes looking at the shadow of a mountain rabbit from 50 metres away, before commencing the long drive home, in many ways the highlight of this trip – and not just because every minute of it took me closer to the heavenly warmth of my dorm bed. The Atacama is a region of extremes: extreme aridity, extreme heat in the summer, extreme cold in the winter, dozens of the tallest volcanoes in the world. As we wound our way through dramatic desert valleys, past snowless peaks above and ducks skating across frozen lakes below, it was the scenery of the area, not the gimmickry of the geysers, that most impressed.

What travellers need to know: → San Pedro is a tiny town that now revolves

entirely around the backpacker industry. As such it’s more expensive than other parts of Chile, and certainly of nearby Bolivia. It’s also in the middle of the driest desert in the world, so in this area of extreme conditions, don’t expect high quality accommodation or reliable showers. Sometimes the ATMs run out of money, so bring more than you expect to need.

→ Meals can be found in the restaurants in the

touristic centre of the village for between £4-8, but if you go to the football pitch (look for the floodlights) just a block or two from the plaza, you’ll find several restaurants offering fantastic two-course lunch menus for £3.50. My lunches there were among the best I had in a month in Chile.

→ The weather can be extremely hot in sum-

mer and extremely cold in winter. Try to go in spring or autumn. Summer is also high-season, so accommodation should be booked in advance, and tours will cost more too.

→ There is almost nothing to do in the town

itself, so it’s worth visiting only for tours, or en route to Bolivia. In low-season, tours cost between £10-25 for half-day or full-day respectively. There are dozens of tour agencies offering essentially the same itineraries. Ally would recommend Grado 10, and would not recommend Turismo Kaulles.

Lifestyle

TRAVEL

THE SKINNY

LI FE ST

Another Day, Another Dildo

Y LE

Our former Clubs editor spins us a yarn or two about his time spent working in an adult shop

have recounted the story of my time working in an adult shop so many times over the years, I’m beginning to wonder whether the truth of it has in fact escaped me, and I simply experienced a particularly sleazy but dull fever dream. Often, at dinners, in the smoking areas of clubs, and in the taxis en route home, I feel the anecdote emerge on auto-socialise, and struggle not to roll my own eyes back in my own head before my closest friends get the chance. But there it was, nearly half a decade ago now, a shorter period than I often misremember, but longer than you might have hoped for any ambitious 21-year-old. Life was a joke at the time. Figuratively and literally. Still skirting the relatively bleak fringes of standup comedy, I’d pretty much do anything for the brief rush of identity it was possible to conjure from a decent story, often at the expense of my dignity. And I needed the money. Not that there was much of it in the post-recession wilderness of 2010, but

Words: John Thorp

with three managerial stints at three different stores under my belt within mere months, I quickly learned that the best way to get ahead in an industry was to get directly involved in one that nobody else wanted to touch. If you’re wondering what sort of person wastes their precious calories visiting a sex shop with so much dead eyed digital porn flying around, I can reveal some standout examples: the elderly customer who would wander in, pretend she had walked into the wrong shop, apologise, then blow a decent chunk of her weekly pension on increasingly complex tools of genital stimulation; and hey, why not? The wideboy purchasing a ‘shaggable’ inflatable sheep for an upcoming stag do. The electrician anxiously seeking advice or a device to satisfy his kind Thai bride. The ex-copper explaining his inability to maintain an erection without injecting a measure of saline into his own scrotum. But the core customer base was perhaps

even more of an increasingly rare breed. These were men – occasionally women, but almost always men – who truly valued whatever role pornography played in their lives. They hankered for the physical format, the artefact. Some were friendly, most were discreet, some were unusual or socially dysfunctional beyond cliche. Whoever they were, they had managed to take that moment of lonely clarity post-orgasm, and dedicate a portion of their furniture to it. I once spent a memorable and humbling afternoon chatting with a kindly rural caretaker. A lifelong closeted homosexual owing to both his profession and the ever decreasing circles he was established within, the hardcore pornography I sold was perhaps his only window into a world of abandon that would otherwise be unconjurable fantasy. It stands out as a rare moment of warm human connection, albeit from a period during which my biggest working achievement otherwise was untangling a large

bundle of bulk-bought leather wrist straps. When a fellow jobbing comic offered me the job, I was initially worried that perhaps I’d never want to have sex again, or worse, it’d turn me into a relentless deviant unable to forge basic emotional connections. But, it transpires that work is just work. At one particularly bleak branch, the counter faced a monitor displaying a recent highlights reel of releases. Forced to watch the same HD cum shots repeatedly, while listening to Steve Wright in the afternoon, I felt my consciousness begin to bottom out. A week later, I was advised by upper management to use a hammer to attack a local gangster insinuating he would beat me senseless with a used and deficient dildo, crudely wrapped in a Tesco bag. Whatever I had envisioned my life to be like after dropping out of university, this was not it. I soon handed in my notice, and I did not look back. Sometimes you can have enough stories.

Couchsurfin’ USA

Taking stock of the perks and pains that the patriarchy holds for women backpacking across America Words: Rianna Walcott Illustration: Nele Anders

his summer, I realised my birthright as a middle-class Briton by going backpacking. Over the course of three weeks, I travelled by trains, buses and planes from Los Angeles to New York with my stalwart companion, Abby. When I first presented the idea of travelling after my year abroad to my parents, the response was immediate and vehement: “You’d better not be planning on going alone!” I wasn’t planning on going alone, yet I was still incensed at the idea that I wasn’t capable of doing so. Retrospectively, they were absolutely right. Many parts of my journey would have been very difficult as a lone woman, and others certainly less pleasant. My first taster of the difficulties of travelling alone as a girl came on the greyhound from LA to San Francisco; no matter how aggressively you pretend to text or sleep, or how long it has been since you showered, you will always be the top candidate to sit next to. My first overnight bus was spent next to a woman who attempted to embrace me every time I fell asleep. I could not go on like this. As a result, our #squad was born; two plucky and polite young ladies couch-surfing and charming their way across America. On a superficial level, women receive perks such as expedited and free entry into nearly all American clubs, but at the cost of liberal harassment; in Toronto we found that we were expected to pay for supposedly free shots with kisses. One of our hosts captured the essence of our problem: a staunch feminist blogger, she worked as a ‘paid to party’ girl, essentially being paid to look beautiful at clubs and flatter men into buying fantastical amounts of alcohol. I asked her how she managed to reconcile this with her feminist beliefs, and she responded that it was the difference between benefitting monetarily from a patriarchal system, and becoming a victim to it.

August 2015

The benefits to being a female traveller cannot be discounted. We found that strangers were willing to host us on short notice, something they admitted they would have been less likely to do were we men. It is undeniable that we were largely treated with far more care and consideration than had we been men, by men and women alike. There was a whole lot of chivalry going on, with people insisting on giving us lifts, helping us with our bags, and seeing us safely inside our hostels. As we wended our way across the states, we Tindered. I couldn’t help but notice our propensity at every location to find safety in numbers, often finding at least one male friend to accompany us in each city. I wonder if this happened organically, or if it came from an unspoken desire for protection in a strange new place? In Detroit, Abby matched with a kind, erudite boy named August who did charming things like take us to museums and bookstores, somehow ending up in an apartment balcony on a warm night, drinking and laughing over erotic Chinese poetry. The convenience we found in aspects of travelling, regarding the implicit assumption of our harmlessness and general chivalric tendency to ensure our safety, was offset by guilt. By taking advantage of these tendencies, were we perpetuating a view of the ‘weak woman’? There is a duality to our perceived lack of threat: part and parcel of being assumed harmless is being assumed vulnerable. Yes, as a female traveller you are approachable, probably polite and easily helped, but you are also approachable, probably trusting and easily hurt. I had a fantastic time travelling with Abby. We made some life-long friends, or at least friends that I’ll be hitting up next time I’m in their state and need a sofa. But when I return to see the states I missed, I’ll probably still go travelling in a pack.

DEVIANCE

Lifestyle

Rosalind Nuala Swan shoots pieces by one of our favourite 2014 graduates, Jessica Campbell

Shoot Credits Photography: Nuala Swan, nualaswan.com Styling: Alexandra Fiddes, alexandrafiddes.co.uk Make Up & Hair: Caroline McKeirnan, cargocollective.com/carolinemckeirnan Set Design: Paul McGeachy Model: Rosalind @ Superior Model Management, superiormodelmanagement.net

Garments Left: Coat - Jessica Campbell, price on application Shoes - Topshop, £40 Socks - Nike, £9 Right: Jeans & Shirt - Jessica Campbell, price on application Shoes - Topshop, £40

Lifestyle

THE SKINNY

April 2015

FASHION

Lifestyle

Florence Brewin

“M

y work often concerns modern day social and political issues within Western society. Utilising photography as a medium to represent these, my images are often visual metaphors that allow me to be creative while still illustrating the serious issues surrounding contemporary British society. “I initially began the project The Manual to Labour with a strong sentiment for the injustice in Britain when regarding manual labour as a non-valued profession. I wanted to utilise the appreciation an audience has for visual quality, and present objects associated with manual labour in such a manner that an audience would see the worth the profession deserves. “Using sculptural qualities and graphic elements, I showcased professions within each image, utilising colour and linear aspects linked to each one. “My most recent body of work, The Golden Mile, focuses on a street in Leicester; the street is filled with saree shops, jewellers and Indian cuisine. This street and the multicultural community are celebrated in Leicester; this project utilises the street as a metaphor for acceptance (and the economic impact the community has

SHOWCASE

contributed to Leicester), questioning why other parts of Britain cannot have the same outlook on multiculturalism as Leicester. “Employing the street’s nickname, The Golden Mile, I was able to refer to objects as treasured and jewel-like in suggestion of both multiculturalism’s economic impact, and the community’s social value within Leicester. “The image that contains the swastika often causes some shock with its historical reference to the Nazi party; however, the image is of a 3D sticker bought on the street, often used on the front of doors in the area. It is a universal symbol for peace and welcoming within the Hindu faith and often recognised within the area.” Florence Brewin graduated this year with a BA (Hons) Photography from Leeds College of Art. She is one of the four person collective Round Table Collective. The collective’s ethos revolves around a print based outcome stemming from a shared interest in fine-art photographic practices and book making. roundtablecollective.co cargocollective.com/florencebrewin

THE SKINNY

The Golden Mile

August 2015

SHOWCASE

£5 ENTRY PER PERSON INCLUDES ENTRY & DRINK

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NOW OPEN! CURLING GAMES • ICE SCULPTURES PHOTO AREA • PRIVATE BAR Bookings call:

08455 333 000

www.thebierkeller.com/icebar FIND IT IN LEEDS | MANCHESTER | LIVERPOOL

Kowtow to the Provinces Returning to Manchester after five years living in China, a pair of food lovers take a whistlestop tour of Chinatown. How do the tastes compare?

Words: Lee Maxwell Simpson

August brings Vietnamese food, a delayed and enigmatic festival for Liverpool, and openings galore

n a first date in Manchester’s Chinatown 12 years ago I promised my unsuspecting ladyfriend a culinary treat of a night out. A Bacchanalian feast. A smorgasbord of Chinese treats, all on me. Yes, I selected an infamous Chinese buffet, enticing us through its gilded doors with its all-you-could-eat, MSG-laden, questionable-meat filled sticky dishes, all rounded off with unlimited bowls of vanilla ice cream. Maybe I was nervous, or just starving, but I gorged so much that on leaving I vommed behind a wheelie bin on Princess Street with my date as witness. We are now married with a child. Said lady and I have just returned from a stint in China, where we have pretty much relentlessly eaten for five years straight. Now, it’s a bit of a cliché to bang on about how totally different, bastardised or butchered British versions of foreign cuisines are (think chicken tikka masala or microwaved spag bol), but it is, of course, true – and in some cases, Chinese food can offer an extreme example. With British colonial influences and immigration to the UK from Hong Kong in the late 1940s, it was only natural that Cantonese food, with its home in Canton (Guangzhou), would filter through to the UK first, sweetened up to suit the delicate British palate. But what about the rest of the colossus that is the ‘Middle Kingdom’?

Words: Jamie Faulkner

ugust should be a time for relaxing at the tail-end of a hectic summer. School’s out, uni’s over, and our minds inevitably drift towards festivals and holidays. But against this backdrop the food and drink industry is a behemoth continually renewing itself. Hence, a slew of impending new establishments across the Northwest. The Corn Exchange will be a flurry of activity as it prepares to house its new residents in September: Thomasina Miers’ Wahaca, exporting its Mexican wares from London; a new Byron (in case you’d grown bored of the other two), and ‘street-food’ restaurants Mowgli and Pho bring Indian and Vietnamese vibes. On top of that there’ll be an expanded Salvi’s, who have been serving up their fantastic Italian plates al fresco on Exchange Square for a while now. cornexchangemanchester.co.uk There’s more Vietnamese action as MyPho has announced a Liverpool opening in Bold Place. Neon Jamon (@neonjamon) has pencilled in the end of August for its new Berry Street venture, which will showcase more of their exemplary Spanish tapas. Elsewhere, burger and generally dirty food joint Solita is looking to open a new site in Barton Arcade, so now the Mancunian gentry can get their beards coiffed, fine coffee, and meat fix all in one place. solita.co.uk

“This is everything fusion Sichuan/ Beijing food should be: mouth-numbing and messy, spattering vinegar and oil everywhere” It seems on the surface that, in our absence, Chinese food in Britain has experienced something of a revolution. London’s Michelin-starred stalwart Hakkasan continues to set a benchmark for top-notch Cantonese grub in the capital. Yes, Cantonese still seems to rule the roost, but things are changing quickly with the likes of Camberwell’s Xinjiang restaurant Silk Road, where cumin-infused lamb shish wafts across packed tables of Tsingtao-guzzling punters. But what’s happened in Manchester in the dozen years since my body rejected – and ejected – the state of play here? Fresh off the boat from Beijing and equipped with Sinophile food snobbery, I went out into Manchester’s Chinatown on the hunt for something ‘real,’ and also to be that loudmouth back from his travels. The first calling point was the George Street institution that is Hunan. After practising our Chinese on restaurant manager Hanni Hayes, she told of her optimism that the knowledge and sophistication of regional Chinese food is developing. “As China becomes more open and accessible, sooner or later people will realise that there is so much more to Chinese food,” she says. Hunan’s use of simple ingredients, including

August 2015

Food News

Pao

lashings of garlic and chilli, has delighted foodies in the area since 2010, and 80 per cent of their clientele hail from the local Chinese community. Altering the other 20 per cent’s preconceptions, however, is proving challenging: “A lot of British people might not like the idea of eating salmon heads or frog’s legs.” Lung features on the menu here too, along with intestines and pig’s feet – but don’t be put off. You must try the red braised pork. Accompanied with something as simple as their fried egg and tomato dish, it really doesn’t get more authentic than this, and at very reasonable prices. With our spirits lifted, we also checked out Oxford Road’s Red Chilli, another Manchester favourite, serving up good value northern Chinese and Sichuan food. You should race there to lap up their Gongbao chicken. Try the Beijing spring onion pancakes and excellent pork-filled dumplings, too. This is everything fusion Sichuan/ Beijing food should be: mouth-numbing and messy, spattering vinegar and oil everywhere. Bring an apron.

The same goes for Red N Hot on Faulkner Street. Here you can dispense with the chef and fish out pieces of meat from a boiling broth, known as hot pot or steam boat. This is fondue, Chinese style, and is the ultimate in Sichuan comfort food. Manchester does cater to the other end of the financial spectrum with the likes of Michelin Guide recommended Wing’s on Lincoln Square or, for a similarly glitzy taste of new China, Ocean Treasure 235 on Watson Street. The former has some excellent dim sum, though that aside, the menu is relatively dull and sits comfortably within the Cantonese norms at above-average prices (there is also a dress code); the latter has a slightly more adventurous menu than Wing’s but still, frustratingly, relies on set menus laden with black bean sauces. But what about the buffets, we hear you cry? Well, they are certainly still there, but we can’t say we’ve braved a return. Maybe an anniversary visit to celebrate our repatriation...? Nah.

FOOD & DRINK

There’s the Independent Liverpool Festival to look forward to on 22-23 Aug, at an as yet undisclosed location in the Baltic Triangle. They’ve also been just a little reticent about the lineup of food traders (despite numerous announcements that the info is imminent): there’ll be a popup gin garden, craft beer corner and whisky school. Tickets are available through EventBrite. independent-liverpool.co.uk You’ve still got time to catch the Ravenous Apparitions exhibition at PLY, Manchester. We’re not sure how the concept of the launch event played out (of making your “own animations on slip mats and then recreating these animations on pizzas fresh out of the PLY oven,” with the guidance of mixed media artist Andrew Salomone), but Salomone’s work will be on display until the 30 Aug. Pizza and art: it’s a nobrainer really. plymcr.co.uk Lastly, because we like to welcome new street fooders on the scene, a shout out to Pao in Liverpool, a new-ish outfit based on the corner of Flint Street and New Bird Street in the Baltic Triangle. Providing Asian dishes from Korean to Japanese, they’ve already piqued our interest with their professed love of Kimchi. @paofoodpower So if you can’t find something to live among all this, well, you’re very jaded indeed.

Lifestyle

Portland St. 358

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Would you visit a place that does pizza fries? We reckon you definitely, definitely should New eateries are popping up all over Liverpool lately, so you’ll have to forgive us for neglecting to pay a visit to Portland St. 358, on Smithdown Road, earlier. We’ve been aware of its existence for a while but it’s a little outside our usual haunts, so it just sort of fell off the list. That was until we saw a picture tweeted from a recent meal there. Two words: pizza fries. So, off we go. It’s not exactly peak time and we bag a table easily, though it’s not hard to imagine it’ll be quite a squeeze come busy periods. The menu isn’t huge; a reassuring sign for all the Kitchen Nightmares fans out there. Far better for a chef to hone a few dishes than cook dozens poorly. Despite the size of the menu, there’s a fair amount of non-meat options, which is a welcome discovery for vegetarians. In the end I opt for the Eastern burger – chickpea and pepper spiced patty, topped with melted cheese and mixed bean salsa for £7, and a side of the margherita pizza fries, which come with melted cheese, cherry tomatoes and basil. Even without trying the entire menu, it’s safe to say pizza fries are what Portland St. 358 would be remembered for if it were suddenly to vanish from Liverpool. That’s not to say the burger isn’t good. It’s just hard to beat a winning combination of carbs, cheese and tomatoes. My partner also chooses the pizza fries, but his are loaded with meat. For the main, he orders the Porky’s burger: two burger patties, sticky chilli barbecue pulled pork, bacon and chorizo (£8). Faux-pas or not, he’s forced to use a knife and fork to eat it, a indication of success for any dirty burger worth its name.

If the idea of yet another patty and bunbased meal fills you with disdain, then the various bunny chow options are a great choice. If you’re unfamiliar with bunny chow, it’s basically a hollowed out loaf filled with something delicious. Portland St. 358 offer five different fillings, including Mex beef bunny with beef chilli, garlic cream and chopped coriander, or the wonderful goat’s cheese bunny with chillies, garlic, mushroom, spinach and goat’s cheese (both £8). I consider myself a bit of a bunny chow connoisseur and this is one of the better ones in the city. When it comes to drinks, there’s plenty on offer, for teetotallers and boozehounds alike: cocktails, beers and wines as well as milkshakes, soft drinks and coffees. The bourbon coke float is definitely worth trying, even if it’s just an excuse to combine dessert and alcohol in one sitting. The cocktail menu has us like kids in a sweet shop: I eventually decide on an A.M Spritz – Chase marmalade vodka, Aperol, marmalade, lemon juice and Prosecco. It’s moreish to the point I have to order another two. My partner chooses the Blueberry and Maple Mash, a fantastic mix of fresh blueberries, maple syrup and Havana seven year old rum. At £6 a pop for the cocktails it’s worth trying a few to find out your favourite. We’d recommend Portland St. 358 to anyone, unless they’re considering a diet. For the pizza fries alone it’s worth the trip. [Claire Reid]

Hawksmoor

If you liked Portland St. 358, try: Splendid Kitchen, Manchester Solita, Manchester Free State Kitchen, Liverpool Portland St. 358, 358 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool, L15 5AN @PortlandSt358

Hawksmoor

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Can the great steak restaurant's first location outside London live up to its USP?

Portland St. 358

Lifestyle

So Hawksmoor’s been open a while now. And a bit like a jittery goalkeeper who just needed a couple of clean sheets and the fans’ approval (yes, this is a sporting analogy in the food section), it seems to have settled down into a solid dependability, with the capacity for the odd gaffe now and again. Now, if I’d judged it purely on the soft launch, there’d be considerably fewer stars attached to this review. In fact, there might not have been any at all. It was a pretty momentous occasion – at least for those who’d heard of Hawksmoor or been to their London locations – when the brand announced their intention to open on Deansgate. Presumably one of the business directors had deigned us worthy of a restaurant, after realising that steak didn’t have too many complex cultural, north-south divide barriers to transcend. I imagine the meeting went something like this: “Manchester’s a big city; big cities have people; people like steak; well, apart from the veggies but we’ll give them some heritage tomatoes and, y’know, we are a steak restaurant after all.” As is customary in the industry, introductory offers were brandished and the city lined up for cut-price meat. Already apprehensive about the quality of delivery – given the often inauspicious combo of a new kitchen and new chefs – I exercised my more forgiving side when the bonein prime rib arrived looking as though it’d been salvaged too late from a house fire. I’ve cooked steak less unevenly at home, four pints down, on a disposable barbecue. Memories of decent potted crab and steak tartare weren’t enough to erase the disappointment. First time around, egregious treatment of meat. The second time, we actually avoided steak entirely (well, sort of) and sampled the bar menu. The French Dip, a short rib sandwich that you dunk in a jug of bone-marrow gravy, is stupidly

FOOD & DRINK

delicious, if a little pricey at £12. The poutine, augmented by yet more rich beef gravy, needs to win some kind of award for chip dishes. Throw in a clever cocktail list, and it’s not hard to see yourself stuck in a dark corner until closing time, addled by whisky, clothes soiled with reduced beef stock that’s dripped from the ends of a hundred triple-cooked chips. On another visit, it seemed foolish not to have the best of both worlds, to warmup with a bar menu snack before the main event. That meant ordering the short rib nuggets – deepfried wheels of tender beef with creamy cheese centres of Ogleshield, which has similar stretching properties to a raclette. There’s something almost carnal about pulling them apart and watching the pale yellow filaments drape themselves in the air. This time the bone-in sirloin and ribeye steaks are far better cooked than on previous occasions, so either the chefs are getting better or the original lot didn’t make the cut. Sometimes, the modernist in me thinks, why not water bath them all to the ideal doneness for sake of convenience? But then you can’t allow for all the preferences of your inevitably fussy clientele. Avoiding beef? The Ginger Pig ribs are hard to fault, especially considering the quality of the meat. The sea bass ceviche leaves you feeling a bit short-changed but fish starters tend to do that. My only real gripe is that they don’t serve hanger steak, which has surely attained the status to be included on the menu. If I want steak, I’ll more than likely visit a good butcher and cook it at home. But, unless somewhere better comes along, if I want to eat a steak out it’ll have to be Hawksmoor. [Jamie Faulkner] If you liked Hawksmoor, try: CAU, Liverpool Hickory’s, Chester Volta, Manchester Hawksmoor, 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WB @HawksmoorMCR

THE SKINNY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Making a Mark A few months back, the owners of Spinningfields’ new modern Chinese restaurant, Tattu, told us about their plans to give traditional cuisine a novel twist. Head chef Clifton Muil checks in to tell us how it’s all going, and shares some cooking tips

attu Restaurant & Bar opened in Manchester’s Spinningfields in May, with visitors wowed by its opulent yet tasteful décor and attention to detail. Head chef Clifton Muil, who’s joined Tattu from Novikov in London, believes that the good reception so far is down to there being “a lot of integrity in the food – the menu has been carefully considered to provide diners with unique dishes and flavour combinations they won’t have experienced elsewhere.” Those combinations have certainly got people talking, and two new lunch menus adopt the same attitude, with traditional recipes like Tom Yam seafood soup and crispy shredded beef joining more unexpected contemporary flavours, like wasabi and truffle. “We have a young and enthusiastic team with a lot of good ideas,” Muil explains, adding that he’ll be “reconstructing and developing the menu as we progress” to keep things evolving. To mark the launch of the new menus, Muil let us in on his story – and some of his tricks of the trade.

Sounds delicious. How did you get involved with Tattu? I’ve been cooking professionally for around 17 years now. I was born and raised in South Africa and trained with one of the country’s most acclaimed chefs, Richard Carsons. I left South Africa when I was 21 to move to London and since then have worked in several Asian restaurants across the capital including Eight Over Eight, Buddah Bar and Novikov. I moved to Manchester specifically for this role and so far I’m really enjoying getting to know the city. Do you have a favourite dish from the Tattu menu – and what’s the secret to getting it cooked just right? The Angus beef fillet that’s served with caramel

soy is very good. The secret to any good dish is respecting your ingredients and going about the dish with integrity – the black Angus is no different. We respect the amazing produce we get from our suppliers and use components within the dish that complement the beef and enhance its fantastic flavour.

Chinese cooking techniques/ideas can you not do without? One of the most ancient and well-respected arts in Chinese cuisine is dim sum pastry work. We have chefs specifically trained to make the very complex doughs for the dim sum. It’s a skill and an art form that we could not be without.

As you say, there are a lot of unique flavour combinations on the menu. What’s the secret to pulling off some of these more unusual tastes? In my opinion, the key is experience and having the understanding of flavour and textures; knowing what works. It’s a combination of hard work and a natural flair for what you do, always pushing yourself in terms of research and developing new techniques.

Tattu’s two new lunch menus are available alongside the full a la carte menu Monday-Friday, 12pm-2.30pm. The Dim Sum Lunch menu is also available Friday-Sunday, 12pm-5pm. To book, call 0161 819 2060 or visit tattu.co.uk. Keep an eye on upcoming issues, where Tattu’s team will be sharing more cooking tips and recipes. Instagram and Twitter: @tattumcr tattu.co.uk

As a modern Chinese restaurant, obviously you’re putting a new twist on traditional Chinese cuisine. But which traditional

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The Skinny: Hi Clifton. Can you tell us a bit more about the lunch menus? Clifton Muil: The Dim Sum Lunch includes 18 dishes, from which people can choose any combination of two, three of four plates for

a lunch that’s light, quick and affordable but doesn’t compromise on taste. Some of my favourites include the refreshing duck and watermelon salad, chicken truffle shumai and the delicate Wagyu beef puff. Secondly, the Express Lunch menu is designed to offer something a little more substantial. There are three set menu (four-dish) options with some exciting new additions such as Taiwanese San Bei Chicken and wasabi scallop and prawn dumplings.

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A whole month of sonic art in dramatic surroundings, and proper DIY fests

ull of Noises brings bracing experimental music and sound art to Barrow-in-Furness across the weekend of 31 Jul-2 Aug. Guest curators Helen Frosi and Ryoko Akama have helped programme this fourth edition, including Andie Brown, who experiments in making sound with glass, and Lisa Skuret, whose recent project involves listening to and ‘playing’ a library. Two interesting workshops accompany the performance series: Simon Pomery introduces audiences to sound poetry, while acoustic musicians or vocalists may participate in Floodtide, the festival’s finale, where a submerged sensor at Barrow Dock Museum will gather information from tidal flow, which is then turned into musical notation. Also diving deep into the ear canal this month is Tor Ist Das! festival (15-16 Aug): a bunch of great noise, drone and other psychedelic disruptions in Todmorden. It’s pretty much the best news we’ve had all month, what with wandering wayfarer Richard Dawson, nightscape conjurer Kemper Norton and no-wave rioter Terrine playing in Todmorden Unitarian Church, with afterparties at the Golden Lion Hotel pub. The haunted pastoral of Isnaj Dui (Katie English of The Owl Service) and the tunnelling drone of Glen Steenkiste (of lauded Belgian occultists Sylvester Anfang II) only sweeten the deal. Sonic extremes, real ale and the Calder Valley: what more could you ask for? Don’t be misled by the name Manchester Popfest (15-16 Aug), meanwhile; this two-dayer at Kraak Gallery and Islington Mill offers scuzzy indie-pop and tunes with teeth courtesy of Slowcoaches, Spinning Coin, new Upset the Rhythm signees Pega Monstro and many more – and also includes a screening of the Sarah Records documentary, My Secret World. The annual FestEVOL takes over The Kazimier and Garden with nearly 40 artists across two days (1 and 8 Aug), conveniently separated by a week so you can pace yourself. Beloved local names – All We Are, VEYU, Natalie McCool, Dogshow – are joined by DJs including Abandon Silence’s Andrew Hill, who’ll keep the party going down Rat Alley and beyond. There’s a lot competing for attention August Bank Holiday weekend, but The Garden Party, Leeds, gets our vote; not least because we’re partnering a pretty fine stage across the two-day event, with Errors, Dutch Uncles and Galaxians joining a lineup that includes Todd Terje, Roisin Murphy and Fatima. Taking place simultaneously is the Liverpool International Music Festival (27-31 Aug) – check Gig Highlights (right) for our picks, and flick back to page 10 for an in-depth look at one of this year’s four commissions, a tribute to the life, lyrics and activism of Gil Scott-Heron. Full of Noises, various venues, Barrow-in-Furness, 31 Jul-2 Aug, £30 (£25) weekend, from £12 per day, fonfestival.org Tor Ist Das!, Todmorden Unitarian Church, West Yorkshire, 15-16 Aug, £20 weekend, £12 day, wasistdas.co.uk/toristdas Manchester Popfest, Kraak Gallery/Islington Mill, 15-16 Aug, £22.50 weekend, £13.50 day, manchesterpopfest.co.uk FestEVOL, The Kazimier, Liverpool, 1 & 8 Aug, £25 weekend, £15 day, @ClubEVOL The Garden Party, The Tetley, Leeds, 29-30 Aug, £49.50 weekend, £29.50 day, thegardenpartyleeds.com Liverpool International Music Festival, various venues, 27-31 Aug, some events free, limfestival.com

August 2015

Happy Meals

KRS-One

Gig Highlights Rare opportunities arise to see Micachu, Sufjan Stevens and a revival of a concert piece by Arthur Russell performed by original members of the ensemble

here’s one thing we’ll say for the quieter summer months – with the usual suspects off the road and in the fields, you’ve the opportunity to take a punt on something new. Some unexpected patterns emerge, too; for example, if you feel like it you can enjoy a string of formative punk rock, from The Offspring (O2 Apollo, 25 Aug) to Bad Religion (The Ritz, 3 Aug) via Misfits (Club Academy, 2 Aug). The Kazimier, as ever, leads the way in programming interesting, conceptual bills, this month offering the only northern date on the first UK tour of Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals (see our Do Not Miss, below, for more details). The venue is really preparing for its closure at the end of this year with aplomb; this month they’ve the Liverpool debut from Bronx rapper KRS-One (7 Aug), while in September ambient artist William Basinski presents two new compositions as part of a quarterly series, Saisonscape, which investigates the seasons through sonic art, and in October, Xiu Xiu play the music of Twin Peaks, fulfilling the fever dreams of sensitive outcasts everywhere. More on those gigs in the next couple of issues. As evident on our cover, Liverpool International Music Festival – or LIMF for short – also offers some quality lineups this month (the aforementioned Arthur Russell concert is in association with them). Besides their tribute to Gil Scott-Heron – skip back to page 10 for more on that – there’s Basement Jaxx on 28 Aug and Katy B on 30 Aug (both playing in Sefton Park), while admired local songwriter Natalie McCool appears twice over the weekend, at the Epstein Theatre on 28 Aug and on the itsliverpool stage in Sefton Park on the 30th. If you’re keen to make the most of the weekend, club promoters Circus take over Sefton Park’s leafy Palm House on the night of Sat 29 Aug, with Lewis Boardman among others bringing groove to the glade, while Cologne’s Lena Willikens, recently occupier of a prestigious FACT mag mix slot, will be found among the fronds the night after. For those having a chilled month in Manchester, this could be a good time to pop your head into Stuart McCallum’s residency at Matt & Phreds (19 Aug). The alternative jazz guitarist and Cinematic Orchestra mainstay has maintained a residency at the iconic jazz club for a few years with an evolving cast of musicians; he’s currently joined by versatile vocalist Rioghnach Connolly, and, for tonight, violinist Emma Sweeney. Entry is free, but get down at a decent time to secure a table, some wine and a civilised time.

Manchester also enjoys two long-awaited returns at either end of the indie spectrum this month, in the form of Micachu & The Shapes at Soup Kitchen (28 Jul) and Sufjan Stevens at the O2 Apollo (31 Aug). Having come clattering up through the tail-end of last decade’s gutsy London underground with her band of foundsound misfits, Mica Levi was most recently responsible for the chilling, alienated score to Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johannsson as a predatory extra-terrestial – and tonight will see her present new material from upcoming album Good Bad Happy Sad. If you’re either very lucky or very dedicated and have picked this Skinny up on the day we’re published, then you have a matter of hours – perhaps minutes! – to get yourself to this show. Unless it’s midnight, in which case the outlook is dim, my friend. American indie’s leading expert in wist and melancholy, Sufjan Stevens comes to the UK off the back of recent LP, Carrie & Lowell, his first in five years and a tender, precise exploration of his relationship with his mother, the titular Carrie. While Stevens has been seen to do little wrong for most of his career, even by those standards the new album was hailed as a return to form; hopefully the cavernous bowels of the Apollo won’t dwarf the tinderbox delicacy of tracks like Fourth of July. Surburbanites and people who like the tram can head to Chorlton’s Strange Brew bar on

Words: Elle Rockwell Barlow Moor Road for a performance from local noir-folk talent Elle Mary, who’ll be there with both her stirring voice and her band, The Bad Men (30 Jul). Levenshulme’s wonderful Klondyke Bowls Club, meanwhile, welcomes another ‘Box Social’ all-dayer courtesy of promoters Bad Uncle and Grey Lantern, this time headlined by Glasgow synth duo Happy Meals (recently nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award) and also featuring the criminally overlooked From the Kites of San Quentin, with their headmelting drone and glitch. Finally, at what will surely be a very special show, multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick appears solo and performing songs from his new album, Colours of the Night, in the intimate redbrick engine room of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation on 18 Aug. Broderick’s first LP for Bella Union in three years, Colours came out of time spent in Lucerne, Switzerland, a famously musical spot thanks to its annual summer festival, which classical music aficionados flock to every year for its famous patronage and serene surroundings. After completing a recording residency there, Broderick ended up staying in the small town for a few weeks longer and recording the songs with a band made up of entirely local musicians. We look forward to hearing them in their simplest form.

Do Not Miss Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals The Kazimier, 11 Aug

he musical range of Arthur Russell in his time – and its reach since his passing, in 1992 – cannot really be overstated. Traversing loose classical forms, warm-hearted folk and hugely human, sensitive disco, the cellist, composer and singer was a chameleonic figure; an artist free to explore as perhaps few are now able under the scrutiny of contemporary ultra-connectedness. Tonight, The Kazimier hosts the only northern date of a short tour of Russell’s concert piece Instrumentals. Written in the early 1970s at the suggestion of Shingon priest Yuko Nonomura, from whom Russell took guidance in Buddhism and whose nature photography helped inspire the piece, Instrumentals was originally conceived as able to last a potential

MUSIC

48 hours, with no specific playing order in mind – though in reality it was only ever performed in sections. This reading of it, directed by Peter Gordon (who played piano and organ in the original lineup), premiered at The Kitchen, New York, in 2012. Members of the Kitchen show’s lineup and Russell’s original ensemble join Gordon this evening. Between them, they have also been associated with such acts as LCD Soundsystem, The Modern Lovers, and Steve Reich. This is an opportunity to witness figures from New York’s seminal downtown scene in close quarters, and also to see some of Nonomura’s original photography, which is used in the live show. [Elle Rockwell]

Review

Photo: Scott Carroll

Photo: Vito Andreoni

Words: Laura Swift

MIF15: Björk

bustling scale. Fleshing out her live set-up is co producer The Haxan Cloak and percussionrrrrr ist Manu Delago but beats are in short supply Nothing can quite prepare you for the almost early on. Around the edges of the crowd, there uncomfortable normality of her entrance. Rather are pockets detached and oblivious: booze and than, as you’d hope, beam herself down from her chatter threatens to impact. But then, as the sun home planet or, inspired by the app-spawning sets, the atmosphere builds. The clatter and rasp tech adventures of 2011’s Biophilia, simply send of Notget gives way to a brace of tracks (Hunter along in her place a giant floating hologram of and Bachelorette) from Homogenic. Smoke herself, Björk pulls the rug and employs the bombs fire from above the stage, covering the everyday: she simply walks on stage and starts to venue in an unearthly pink mist. The masses on sing. If that’s just a little too normal, fear not. For the floor start to move. Possibly Maybe musa start, she’s dressed as a moth, modelling the cles its way in and suddenly everything starts to LBD re-cut for the season with must-have added feel reassuringly weird. wings and face mask/helmet. That’s not to say that there’s not this edge For this European premiere of her most rethat remains, that once we’re fully engaged you cent album Vulnicura, Manchester International worry that she might take it up only to bring it Festival gives locals their second Björk exclusive right back down. Even in the storming second in just four years, following the world debut of half, the tone is rhapsodic rather than rampant. Biophilia over six nights at Campfield Market A cheap shot now (Human Behaviour? Violently Hall in 2011. The step up to Castlefield Arena’s Happy?) and they’ll hear us in Iceland, but Björk’s gaping amphitheatre might swap her previous singular aesthetic has little room for comproshow’s intimate performance art for the unruly mise. In an era that demands the ribbons and demands of stadium season but Björk appears bows of crowd-pleasing commerce, there’s more to neither notice nor care. As punters squeeze chance of a Sugarcubes reunion than Björk: The into the bowl in their thousands and a column of Greatest Hits Tour. bars, questionable outside catering options and Hence, in the closing straight, there’s a portaloos add workaday grime to a venture so thrilling but undeniably nervy trade-off between grandiose, the (excellent) Heritage Orchestra set big beats (Wanderlust, an electrifying encore in motion a night of wonders. of Hyperballad) and scratchy chamber electro That voice: it still, after all these years, heats (Mutual Core). Still, would you have it any other the air around it. She might still sound like a way? Vulnicura is an album that asks a lot of the teenage girl channelling Dick Van Dyke when listener, but here it blooms in wholly unexpectshe speaks (“Thank yooww, Manchestahhh!”), ed ways and delivers a shared experience that but Björk doesn’t so much sing as simply exnavigates the awkwardness of tonight’s setting hale. Stonemilker, Vulnicura’s desperately tenwith overwhelming heart and soul. “I wish to der opening, sets an initially mournful tone. synchronise our feelings,” Björk sings within moLionsong, Black Lake and Family follow, and they ments of appearing tonight. Manchester is in no form an opening suite that scoffs at the event’s mood to argue. [Gary Kaill]

MIF15: Arvo Pärt with Manchester Camerata

MIF15: Arca and Jesse Kanda

agitative version found in There Will Be Blood. As one’s heart begins to slowly tighten, the strings Bridgewater Hall, 12 Jul fade to silence. rrrrr Stabat Mater’s introspection comes from This year, Manchester International Festival its ever falling melodies, its text lifted from 13thhas been graced by one of the most influential century compositions, as Mary stands at the foot and perhaps under-celebrated composers of of Jesus on the cross. Whereas minimalists are at the past century. Arvo Pärt isn’t quite on the lips times accused of musical naval gazing, there is no of many as much as his American contemporaries doubt that Pärt’s cellular technique never takes Philip Glass and Steve Reich; however, his music precedent over the theme, as Stabat Mater’s rephas arguably permeated through as much, if not etition dissolves in the drama of the choir. Past more, of today’s landscape, from fellow MIFers the interval, the Da pacem Domine is the final Clint Mansell and Björk to much of post-rock and showcase of Pärt’s deft simplicity as Como cierva various heart-rending film scores. His influence sedienta acts as a counterweight in its free flowis also noticeable outside the concert hall, with ing drama. For some this piece may be perhaps the typical classical audience tonight looking too conservative, and arguably overly ornamenslightly grungier than usual – as is the relaxed tative in comparison to the earlier programming setting within. – but fully immersed soprano Polina Pasztircsák’s As with Pärt’s musical works, the programenthralling performance brings the audience to ming is finely laced with religious intonations, be- its feet in a rousing reception. ginning with the UK premiere of Drei Hirtenkinder In our accelerated culture where most aus Fàtima. A simple Psalm reminiscent of remodernist composers’ obtuse structures are naissance devotional music, one of the characnear impossible to penetrate for the untrained teristic pillars of Pärt’s compositions, it settles ear, Pärt’s music is much like a guiding light, both the audience into a hushed focus. The plaintive in terms of creating blissful and moving music, chord cycle of Fratres, one of the composer’s and in his timeless religious devotion against the most notable pieces, grows in depth as each fractious manifestations of his contemporaries. timpani pattern breaks the swelling strings; and As he takes the stage for his bow, the audience the whole hall has a sense of stillness and unity. sustain their appreciation, with the frail Pärt The performance, skilfully directed by Gabor cowering slightly in reverence; a mutual appreTakács-Nagy, is at times magisterial and solemn, ciation of presence. [Jon Davies] maybe a surprise to those expecting the more

Review

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Photo: Joel Chester Fildes

Arvo Pärt with Manchester Camerata

Hallé St Peters, 4 Jul

Consulting the Notes app after Arca and Jesse Kanda’s appearance together in Manchester is an unhelpful exercise, revealing only a stuttered list of abstractions: “insectoid,” “demon babies,” “pain.” Okay... Earlier in the day as part of Manchester International Festival’s discussion programme, Interdependence, the two artists – in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist – talked about their disregard for the inextreme; only the furthest points of expression and emotion are of interest to Alejandro Ghersi, aka Arca, and his close friend and visual collaborator Kanda. This is evident tonight in a performance that lurches from pretty, febrile synth work to Ghersi dancing sadly with his digital alter-ego, to him rampaging down a specially built catwalk in thigh-high leathers, straps and girdle, gnashing indignantly through a slop of industrial gabba. Kanda’s presence, meanwhile, is muted, but it is clear that Ghersi draws energy from him being there. The pair first encountered each other as teenagers through online artists’ community DeviantArt (there is something nice about this boxy Myspace-era platform having spawned their properly post-everything work), and their bond is palpable in person as well as in their shared ideas of sensory play. Kanda’s video work is recognisable by a fixation on the body and its boundaries – likely in direct response to Arca’s own dysmorphic electronics, and not unlike an accelerated, internet-raised Chris Cunningham. Via keyhole imaging we peer over the frothy, bloody walls of indistinct internal chambers – of the heart? The throat? – while minutes later, oiled figures pulse in an oddly controlled orgiastic mass. As these stripped bodies grind and gyrate, the contrast between their exaggerated flesh and smooth, smelted heads renders them both confrontationally sexual and strangely alien. It’s a queering of the figure that Ghersi nods to in his own getup, his slight frame contorted by platform boots and quartered off or exposed

MUSIC

Arca and Jesse Kanda

by disproportioned garments, which he rearranges throughout the night. Part A/V display, part runway disruption and part performance art, this is a consistently interesting if disjointed show, best when – fittingly – deep within its own extremes of wounded metallics (the menacing cicada click of Xen) or sweet, spectral melancholy (Sad Bitch; Thievery). It’s also at these moments that the clean shell of Hallé St Peters feels unsuitable, and you wish you were underground; in the dark, exiled. However, after the following night sees their set’s beautiful brutalism lost in the echoey bowl of Castlefield Arena (in support of Björk), this Ancoats church in retrospect feels like a clever choice, the rose window blinking with aggressive strobe and the sparseness of the room lending a vulnerability to the audience. As Ghersi writhes offstage and stalks through the crowd, there is everywhere and nowhere to go. [Lauren Strain]

THE SKINNY

Photo: Lee Baxter

Björk

Photo: Carsten Windhorst

Castlefield Arena, 5 Jul

Running with Knives New psych heroes Outblinker on the intricacies of sound, music business malaise, and working with Ben Power on their forthcoming album

n industrial estate on the edge of the city. Up a rust-flaked staircase, the room large and dank, dubious stains on one wall, kitchen knives embedded in another – who said the music business is glamorous? Then again, we’re not here for glamour. And while there is a film crew present – The Skinny having been invited to document proceedings for posterity – there’s no chancer from daytime TV gormlessly appraising the décor to camera. For this is Outblinker territory. Less a physical space than something fluid, and a sound constantly toying with different states of being – sometimes solid, sometimes liquid, sometimes gas. “It’s pretty much psychedelic music played with lots of synthesisers,” deadpans keyboard player Luigi Pasquini; well, yes – and the sun is a big, hot thing in the sky. For despite such playful understatement, here reside sonic textures rich in form and magnetic in application. “We’re not really an electronica act. We’re an electric band, with amplifiers,” Pasquini grins. The Skinny gathers he’s rather a fan of underselling. Formed at the beginning of the year, the Glasgow five-piece nonetheless own a collective CV that reads like pages from a Scottish noise pop directory. Brothers Jason (guitar) and Graham Costello (drums) comprise Young Philadelphia. Pasquini is half of art-rock duo Kabobo, and beside him, amidst the banks of Korgs, soundboards and effects pedals, Chris Cusack and David Warner’s pasts include tours of duty in agent provocateur outfits Hey Enemy and Foreign Tongue. But don’t let their hardware suggest disenfranchised synth-pop posturing or Kraftwerkstyle musical statues; the Outblinker aesthetic is loud, edgy and dynamic. It’s how to fuse a primal, Krautrock urgency with subtle five-way interplay and a predisposition to drag each riff outside for a kicking. Also: attitude. In droves. “Something had to be done about the waves of

August 2015

Interview: Duncan Harman

soulless, corporate electro-shit masquerading as art, clogging up our creative veins,” begins the band’s press release; even allowing for hyperbole, it’s readily apparent how artistic principals don’t exist to be compromised.

“We wanted to have something that was dangerous. That could go wrong live. That could be different every time” Chris Cusack

“We all come from a DIY background,” Cusack explains. “We work independently of chain venues, chain promoters, that kind of system.” And as Cusack also manages one of Glasgow’s independent venues, you get the feeling he knows his onions. “I think that a lot of bands aren’t necessarily bands in the historical sense; they’re business ventures, focusgrouped, conclusions that have been arrived at via boardroom meetings between people who have nothing to do with those who are actually on stage. It’s frustrating for people like us because it’s skewing a lot of things about the industry, and making it very hard for ourselves and young musicians in general to actually break through and make something of their art.”

It’s a rebel attitude that’s exemplified in various ways. Firstly, everything is played live. No laptops, no box of tricks full of pre-recorded chutzpah to supplant the sound. “If we had a constitution that would be one of the main things; no laptops,” Cusack continues. “I think there’s been an element of performance lost in a lot of live music. Music is always a risk. Half the time you’re watching a band, especially if it’s something intricate, there is a danger. This could all go wrong. This is all being made right now, and if somebody drops dead, this song’s goosed. And you kind of get the feeling with a lot of bands that if somebody dropped dead on stage, nothing would change with the music itself – at least for a few minutes.” Which leads on to another important element: improvisation. “We wanted to have something that was dangerous. That could go wrong live. That could be different every time, had an unpredictable element, and was back to being visceral and created in the moment. “This is the first band I’ve played in with a strong electronic component,” guitarist Jason adds. “Getting this gear and playing about with it, trying to find new sounds that previous bands we’ve played with weren’t quite as centred around. Everyone’s coming to it with different contributions and cues. For me personally, there was a big element of minimalism that I really enjoy. I think it’s a melting pot of different ideas.” The traits of this egalitarian melting pot dynamic are more than evident on the band’s recent Pink/Blue EP; twin slabs of Teutonic grind, each ten-plus minutes in duration – detailed, playful and resolute. Yet watching them play live is to truly understand the bevelled dimensions they operate under; the intricate phraseology, the interplay between guitar and synth, synth and drums, drums and guitar. It’s as if the instruments are feeling each other out,

MUSIC

ascertaining parameters before committing to the synergistic sweet spot. In particular, Graham’s jazz-infused percussion stands out, eschewing the smooth lines of 4/4 motorik regimentation for a vivacity that belies a simple kit. It’s rhythm as equal component, the detail behind each snare drum or high hat manoeuvre intoxicating (Costello studies jazz at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; it shows). His beats represent the soul behind their material. Or as Cusack suggests: “We’re all from bands where there’s quite a lot of maths in the timings – you’re counting to five, then you’re counting to seven, and you’re waiting to see how long it will take for the drummer to pick up his next stick – and with Outblinker, it was like wanting something that people can dance to. I don’t mean that as in, ‘let’s turn into Fatboy Slim.’ Rather, doing something that is expansive and open to interpretation each time we play, so that every show is different and people can really get into this, regardless of their background or knowledge of music.” Next up; an album of similarly colour-coded psych grooves, and with Ben Power of Fuck Buttons/Blanck Mass signed up for production duties, their full-length debut already has more than a few aficionados licking their lips, even before it’s recorded. “In August we’re travelling into the countryside, trying to get away from other distractions,” Cusack confirms. “We’re going to do seven days working on these tracks, going to make a record that captures the focused level of being in an intensive situation, allowing for lots of experimentation and ideas to evolve very quickly rather than over a number of months. It’s opportunities like that and touring – spending time with the rest of the band – that’s a pleasure. The band doesn’t force me to hang out with these guys; the band’s an excuse to hang out with these guys. Going away for this little adventure, and seeing what comes out of our collective consciousness, with Ben included, will be really fascinating.” So how important has Glasgow been to their sound and foundation; isn’t the scene a little incestuous? “In some senses the idea of it being incestuous is an element of how we all met each other,” offers Jason. “It was all different bands that liked each other who thought of creating a new project.” “Incestuous is an interesting phrase,” adds Cusack, running with the theme. “There’s an irony in the sense that, the more incestuous a scene, the more it makes the quality of the bands better. People are all getting these other projects out the way, they’re working and learning with different musicians. No offence to Londoners, but the standard of band in Glasgow is much higher, and that goes for Leeds, Brighton, Bristol. Incest usually results in weaker genetic material, yet with music, it’s inverse in that respect.” There’s still much to discuss – how Pasquini’s work as a producer influences the mechanics of the band’s sound; how each mid-track exchange of glances channels momentum – but the film crew need more shots; time’s up. What have we learned? That Outblinker probably aren’t top of any list, should interior design be your bag. And as for acerbic sonic texture delivered with intuition, you may discover that they’re well up your straße. Outblinker play The Skinny stage at Electric Fields (alongside the likes of Blanck Mass, Vessels, East India Youth and many more), Dumfries, on 29 Aug outblinker.net

Review

Album of the Month Destroyer

nature is more nuanced and idiosyncratic, taking cues from a spectrum of influences from chamber pop to nocturnal jazz. The album’s wide stylistic sampling is foregrounded by the rerrrrr current Times Square, which studs the tracklisting three times in How do you follow a masterpiece? You go ahead and make another varied guises, as if Bejar couldn’t bear to narrow down the infinite one. That’s been Dan Bejar’s tactic anyway, with his latest Destroyer compositional possibilities to a single arrangement. The brass stabs release reflecting and extending the high-gloss beauty of 2011’s and wailing guitars of Midnight Meets the Rain, meanwhile, tread career peak Kaputt, and taking several more strides down an insimilar sidewalks to Isaac Hayes’ Theme from Shaft, albeit accomcreasingly peerless musical path. panied by an air of melancholy more akin to fellow night/rain Back in May, the stirring E-Street rock of lead single Dream enthusiasts The Blue Nile. Somehow, Bejar ensures all these pieces Lover suggested Bejar had liberated his inner Springsteen, setting fit together seamlessly, and the picture that emerges feels damn aside the previous album’s rich sophisti-pop for something more close to perfect. [Chris Buckle] openly heart on sleeve. But, true to form, Poison Season’s true mergerecords.com/destroyer Poison Season [Dead Oceans, 18 Aug]

The Telescopes

HEALTH

Mac DeMarco

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Hidden Fields [Tapete Records, 7 Aug] Behold thy glorious racket. In their various guises, psych veterans The Telescopes have constantly forged routes between melodic shoegaze and abrasive, full-on dissonance; almost as if Stephen Lawrie can’t quite fathom where allegiance should lay. Which is no bad thing, as eighth album Hidden Fields suggests. Slow burning rather than outright incendiary, yet each of the five tracks pulse in sly patterns; the dense, fuzzy contours are a riptide, licking its lips at unwary swimmers. Opener You Don’t Know The Way swarms across its portentous bass line, Lawrie’s vocals weary and porous, whilst Absence wraps itself up in a fugue eerily reminiscent of early Spiritualized. Strands of melody underpin much of this, but the undoubted highlight is the 15 minute closing track The Living Things, which eschews bright lights for a relentless, strung-out groove that could be twice its length and still not outstay its welcome. This is a complex, bruising burr of a record; a fine addition to canon. [Duncan Harman]

Death Magic [Loma Vista, 7 Aug] If brooding, primal opener Victim is anything to go by, you’d be forgiven for thinking HEALTH are going back to their confrontational roots with their first proper record in six years, but it’s not long before they begin to push their pop sensibilities to the forefront, as they did with their two DISCO LPs. Lead single Stonefist boasts the LA quartet’s otherworldly style of aggressive, sexy electronica, whereas the ethereal Life soundtracks heartache on the dancefloor. There are fewer sonic detours here than before – the aim is consistency, and thus it’s a much less daring outing than their previous output. Still, they continue to flirt with the sweet spot between electronic noise and dance music, a zone many never even knew existed before these boys showed up on the scene. Some will miss the disjointed playfulness and unpredictability of their initial output, but there’s something to be said for Death Magic in that this is the most human HEALTH have ever sounded. [Ross Watson] facebook.com/healthnoise

facebook.com/thetelescopesuk

Another One [Captured Tracks, 7 Aug] It’s not just summery vibes with a hint of melancholia in the Mac DeMarco camp; should you be looking for the playful intuitions that underpin his sound, then look no further than the epilogue of latest release Another One, when the Canadian singer-songwriter – now based out of Far Rockaway, NYC – drawls what’s presumably his beachfront address, then invites us round for a cup of coffee. Such feints provide an extra edge to the woozy, Nilsson-esque pop on offer. And while – as with predecessor Salad Days – it can take time to delve beyond vocal affectations reminiscent of John Lennon on a fairground ride (or Julian Lennon, if you’re being cruel), once you do, this is a mini-album loaded with emotional integrity, tracks such as The Way You’d Love Her, Just To Put Me Down, or the stand-out Without Me etched in wistful, lovesick posture, neither cloying nor disposable. Just eight tracks, it’s over far too soon; if you do pop round his for more, let us know if his brews match up to the records. [Duncan Harman] twitter.com/msldemarco

Radkey

Kagoule

Beach House

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Dark Black Makeup [Little Man, 21 Aug]

Urth [Earache Records, 21 Aug]

Depression Cherry [Bella Union, 28 Aug]

When Radkey emerged from their bedrooms circa 2010, the three teenage brothers from Missouri were hailed by many as punk rock prodigies. But are they the next big thing, or merely a punk Hanson? Dark Black Makeup, their first LP, is a collection of garage punk blasts that cement what the hype already told us – that Radkey do very competent, energetic retro rock. There’s an inevitable paint-by-numbers feel though, as though the brothers are instinctively mimicking the punk rock greats of old with little consideration for innovation. Ironically for a group whose trademark is their frenetic tempo, Dark Black Makeup’s promise rests in its slower moments. Feed My Brain takes a more focused approach to melody, albeit with a clunky chorus, and Dee Radke’s lovely subterranean voice is put to much better use alongside Hunger Pain’s smooth, funky bass and sharp riff. We know Radkey can do loud, but they’re more interesting when they try a little quiet. [Claire Francis]

There’s so much craft and character in evidence on this invigorating debut from the Nottingham trio. Picking the bones out of the early 90s US alt scene is easy meat, of course, but shaping it beyond low stakes tribute into something with identity of its own is a challenge shirked by the herd. Kagoule could pass, at first glance, for one of the many lost underground acts from, say, Boston or Washington state’s glory years. But riding on the back of a growing live reputation, they turn their noses up at the originals’ leftovers. Hence, the clamour and scrape of Adjust The Way recalls prime Sebadoh, and their fondness for quiet-loud dynamics draws a line back to the usual big name suspects. But Cai Burns’ and Lucy Hatter’s dead on boy-girl harmonies, a tight-as group dynamic and the quality of their songwriting throughout, make for a whole that feels absolutely fresh rather than re-heated. Seriously impressive. Get your coats, Kagoule – you’ve pulled. [Gary Kaill]

You have to admire a band that sees dreaming as a matter of principle. Beach House’s fifth album shows the Baltimore duo turning back the clock with a minimalist collection of songs that meditate on transience and loss. Opener Levitation is accurately named, reintroducing the instantly recognisable sound of Alex Scally’s circular guitar arpeggios and Victoria Legrand’s dusky voice over a ticking drum machine. ‘You will grow too quick, then you will get over it,’ Legrand comments over icy keyboards. This isn’t to say that they’re at a creative standstill, however: Sparks takes a sleepy vocal from Legrand and suspends it throughout the whole song, the pair running over it with an unexpectedly blazing guitar line and wheezy organ. It’s easy to fall into the effortless lull of these songs, from Space Song’s psychedelic carousel of futuristic bleeps and 10:37’s moody harmonies to Scally’s slide guitar solo in the waltzy PPP. A glorious hit of nostalgia. [Chris Ogden]

radkey.net

kagoule.bandcamp.com

beachhousebaltimore.com

Heathered Pearls

Laura Cannell

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Body Complex [Ghostly International, 7 Aug]

Beneath Swooping Talons [Front & Follow, 28 Aug]

Hills

Frid [Rocket Recordings, 28 Aug]

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You don’t have to listen to Jakub Alexander’s music for long before your mind wanders. It’s not that it’s boring. Rather, his hazy, ethereal soundscapes are like lubricant for the imagination, impressionistic mental architectures that prompt thoughts to drift quietly into the abstract. Abandoned Mall Utopia (ft. Shigeto) is ideal daydream material, a cushiony draught of subdued beats and warm blips. But there’s darkness in these tracks too. The shadowy synth swells on Holographic Lodge bring to mind Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack, giving rise to a mysterious, otherworldly atmosphere. Similarly ominous is the sudden syncopated bass on Warm Air Estate (ft. Outerbridge), which enters like an apparition. Interior Architecture Software is the most concerted effort at something catchy but its hook falls flat. Body Complex works best as alluring background music – the sort you tune out to rather than tune out. [Andrew Gordon]

Laura Cannell’s (bloody) chamber music is the kind of artistry that pays back the courageous listener in spades. Her album notes speak of “pure music without human interception,” and insomuch as Beneath Swooping Talons is entirely without artifice, seeming to emerge fully-formed from the earth itself, it’s a fitting description of her second solo album. But that, of course, would discredit her own achievement here. Performed solo on just fiddle and recorder, these ten pieces present as a daring reworking of ‘early music’ and while Cannell’s avowed love for medieval forms is evident, she’s playful with tradition rather than deferential. It’s a fragmentary work, reliant for its (considerable) impact on tone and structure rather than pinpoint narrative or immediate melody but, in how it seems to communicate a vivid rural idyll (All The Land Ablaze; Born From The Soil), it connects on a deeply spiritual level. [Gary Kaill]

These Gothenburg psych-rockers trudge, sleepyeyed out of the mist with their third album, before locking down and wailing in a manner both grimly portentous and sonorously cathartic. The blissed-out Anukthal Is Here is a highlight – beginning with the solemn air of a funeral procession, it suddenly bursts into undulating guitar explorations and flute passages dripping with folk-flavoured mysticism. Marvellous. Eastern tones and hypnotic drones abound – all par for the course in Hills’ chosen genre – but when they bust out ten-minute jam Och Solen Sänkte Sig Röd, everything comes together in spectacular fashion. Guitars weave in and out of a pulsating bass groove; stabbing, fluttering and flailing; while solemn vocal intonations punctuate a growing sense of wide-eyed wonder with curiously absorbing detachment. Ultimately you’ll get as much out of Frid as you’re willing to put in – may as well throw your whole consciousness into its moody, murky magnificence. [Will Fitzpatrick]

heatheredpearls.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/laurarecorder

hillsgbg.blogspot.com

Review

RECORDS

THE SKINNY

The Black Dog

Advance Base

Neither/Neither [Dust Science Recordings, 17 Aug]

Kelpe

Nephew In The Wild [Tomlab, 21 Aug]

The Curved Line [Drut Recordings, 24 Aug]

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Casiotone For The Painfully Alone’s Owen Ashworth Sheffield’s The Black Dog are as politically “fuckreturns to his Advance Base moniker for a second ing furious” as ever, the track titles on their 12th album doubling as album, following 2012’s A Shut-In’s Prayer. The futurist sheen of a hit list of the pitiless fear mongers and pedlars of disinformation CFTPA still lingers, but for all the schmancy electronics on display, country is the order of the day, all slow-burning chord progressions they accuse of perpetuating chronic societal uncertainty. with a heavyheart underpinning his second-person narratives. Their instrument techno music functions not to explicate This proves key to Nephew In The Wild's understated magic: their views on modern day psychological oppression but to measAshworth’s cracked California burr give the air of a barfly raconteur ure its emotional toll – and the results are compellingly bleak. From murky, brooding arrangements half to infectious, sledgeham- reading yellowed journal entries to strangers. Uncles who buy Danzig records for errant nephews (the elegant title track); Ouija board dalmer beats, Neither/Neither is a journey through confusion, paranoia and restlessness that concludes in ferocious stimulation. liances (Summon Satan)… the avalanche of moribund detail becomes The primal thrill of later tracks is as unsettling as it is eccompelling, indirectly illustrating a gnawing sense of isolation. Nephew certainly isn’t devoid of forgettable moments, but with the static, but resistance proves futile. Besides the occasional strain of dodgy synth strings, this is a stirring exercise in a different kind lights dim enough and the booze strong enough, you may just find yourself bewitched. [Will Fitzpatrick] of Orwellian boot stamping. [Andrew Gordon]

Such are the dynamics behind erudite, freeflowing electronica that with every addition we become even less certain of what year we’re in. Not that Kel McKeown’s fifth LP is deliberately retro, but the slippery crenellations of The Curved Line certainly imply 90s beats in a contemporary setting. This is no bad thing – especially when the soft, squishy bleeps interact with veiled chords and loose, shake-down detail. Opener Doubles Of Everything slinks across shards of haunting piano before descending into its gloopy pay-off. Drums For Special Effects wears a rictus grin, while live percussion adds extra zing and texture. McKeown toys with focus throughout this (while keeping abreast with the demands of bpm); the result is a mesh of understated but also unsettling timbres in which each dimension is pleasurably and irrevocably blurred. [Duncan Harman]

theblackdogma.com

kelpe.co.uk

advancebasemusic.com

Lorna

London’s Leaving Me [Words on Music, 7 Aug]

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London’s Leaving Me is Nottingham band Lorna’s fifth record, and it’s really lovely. Gentle, warming and sun-lit, there’s an endearing kind of sparseness to the nine tracks which is surprising, given that the band’s made up of six members. Violas, violins, bells, trumpets, flutes and the occasional electronics float in and out, with all the urgency of a lazy summer Sunday. Unabashedly twee song titles like You, Me and the Holy Ghost and breathy, twinned vocals from songwriters Mark Rolfe and Sharon Cohen-Rolfe (they’re married – adorable) add the sparkle of Belle and Sebastian at their most serene. The album’s namesake track is heartfelt indie-folk straight from the songbook, rising and falling, softly triumphant. There’s even a cover of Smothered in Hugs, transforming Guided By Voices’ trademark fuzz into something dreamier. The whole record feels effortless, soothing… but bordering on the passive. A few risks would have gone a long way, and could have sharpened something pretty into a truly wonderful album. [Katie Hawthorne]

The Mynabirds

Chelsea Wolfe

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Lovers Know [Saddle Creek, 7 Aug] After finishing her role as keyboardist on The Postal Service’s reunion tour, Laura Burhenn travelled the world to find herself again. Recorded over the course of a year in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree and Auckland, The Mynabirds’ third album shows Burhenn taking the itinerant life to heart, offering up a shimmering, open-hearted indie pop record for those wandering in the name of love. Her music is as spirited as ever, this time combining her familiar piano, chiming guitars and choral harmonies with cascading synths and R'n'B inflected electronic percussion in wounded tracks like Believer. Burhenn’s travels have clearly influenced her lyrical conceits, as she mines natural elements such as wildfires, storms and panning for gold; Semantics’ fluid relationship is compared with Siberian ice and London fog before the song ends triumphantly in Mariah Carey territory. Although her analogies don’t always convince, Burhenn’s soulful voice and emotional honesty can’t help but win out. [Chris Ogden] themynabirds.com

lornatheband.com

Abyss [Sargent House, 7 Aug] Density, weight and punishing intensity threaten to entirely submerge Chelsea Wolfe’s fourth album in a cloak of gothic camouflage. But peer behind the veneer and Abyss portrays a skilled songwriter at the peak of her game, capable of wonderfully harmonious, country-tinged laments – albeit drowning them in outlandish studio trickery and effects. Accordingly, Abyss works best when the dressing is toned down, particularly in the glorious Crazy Love, where Wolfe’s descending vocals are contrapuntal to a cascading howl of sighing feedback. The effect is staggering and casts rare light on an album otherwise shrouded in mist and echoes of Wolfe’s sleep paralysis. Elsewhere, Abyss veers from industrial stompers (lead single Carrion Flowers) to glitchy, skipping electronica (Color of Blood) through wayward violins and elegant, skeletal piano (The Abyss). This all teeters dangerously on the margins of self-parody as Wolfe manages to tackle all the traditional doom-laden goth touchstones over the course of the album. But when she emerges from the hue, the effect is often quite startling. [Colm McAuliffe] chelseawolfe.net

Titus Andronicus

\\GT//

rrrrr

The Most Lamentable Tragedy [Merge, 7 Aug]

Ultimate Painting

Beats Misplaced [Communicating Vessels, 14 Aug]

Green Lanes [Trouble In Mind, 7 Aug]

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In 2009, Titus Andronicus released The Monitor, a record which used the American Civil War as an allegory for modern life as an underdog. TMLT repurposes that same ambition as a blistering rock opera dealing with alienation, manic depression, body doubles and transformative soul-searching. What could have easily been an exercise in pretension is instead filtered through the appealing mediums of heartland rock and Jersey basement punk. At 29 tracks, this triple LP leaves more than enough room to toy around with the styles they’ve explored over the years. The raw, hook-driven Dimed Out captures the nervous aggression of their Airing of Grievances era, whereas More Perfect Union switches gears to a multi-sectioned slow-burn. Even on a tracklisting with room for Pogues and Daniel Johnston covers, this is an album at its best when head honcho Patrick Stickles spits his own brand of dark lyrical wit. [Ross Watson]

Messiness in rock music can be a powerful emotive tool. Raw, loose playing can feel transgressive and exciting; an unadulterated transmission of energy. Alabama’s \\GT// nail the ‘don’t give a fuck’ posturing of messy rock but are missing a crucial sense of urgency. Scotty Lee owns his groggy monotone but never seems committed to his subject matter. Lines like “life is not always alright”, delivered in a limp deadpan, are knowingly facetious but they come off disinterested rather than droll. On the title track, he blows a raspberry after cutting short a guitar solo as if to say ‘so what?’, dismissing a chance to get adventurous. An unhinged guitar passage on Something’s Wrong With My Mind builds a tension that in the hands of, say, Cloud Nothings might erupt into angsty catharsis; here, it peters out, the chorus comes back and the song ends. Agreeably rough around the edges but lacking the vigour to back that up. [Andrew Gordon]

You won’t need any prior knowledge of smart tunesmiths Jack Cooper (Mazes) and James Hoare (Veronica Falls) to recognise the blueprint for their collaboration – essentially ‘dudes with Rickenbackers and a perfect pop complex’. Happily, they’re smart enough to live up to the latter: there’s a pleasant scent of The Velvet Underground to Cooper’s contributions, as Kodiak replaces the lo-fi Krautpop of his primary outfit with ebullient twangs and spacious melodies. More meditative moments come courtesy of Hoare, whose gorgeous efforts Sweet Chris and Paying The Price evoke the gentle breeze of Gerard Love’s later work with Teenage Fanclub. There’s nothing new or challenging here, so it’s understandable if even the theory behind Green Lanes leaves you cold. A shame though, because Ultimate Painting’s second full-length radiates a very comforting warmth, either despite or because of its familiarity. Wistful jangling at its best. [Will Fitzpatrick]

titusandronicus.net

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Albert Hammond, Jr.

Paul Smith and the Intimations

Momentary Masters [Infectious Music, 31 Jul]

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Contradictions [Billingham Records, 21 Aug]

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Stars splintering from a band for solo outings don’t just risk unfavorable comparisons with the better-known body of their group’s work – they will, at some point, fail to measure up to fans’ desires. So Losing Touch, off Hammond’s third LP, would sound better as a Strokes song. Strokesian reminders are everywhere – littering or decorating the record, to your taste. But often enough Hammond wins on his own ground: lyrically, with Power Hungry’s collage of inversions; with Touche’s instrumental outro; with his vulnerable vocals (like an AC hum in his comfort zone, then surprising us with clear falsetto); he’s at his best covering Dylan’s beautiful Don’t Think Twice, though this promise sags. Drunched in Crumbs actually does the Strokes better than Casablancas & Co. Curious, yearning, direct, playful: Hammond’s best solo release yet, Momentary Masters is rooted in his past, but it grows toward other lights. [Aidan Ryan]

When vogue moves on, it’s not uncommon for guitar bands to spend years scratching around for their next sound. And should Maxïmo Park fit that description, then Contradictions – the latest side project from lead singer Paul Smith – serves as a valiant attempt to move that search forward, but without necessarily reaching any conclusions. Smith shifts between toe-tapping melody and neat, lyrical introspection, wearing a number of musical themes as the mood flits from Teesside to Coney Island and back. The problem being that the more deft touches here – Wendy Smith of Prefab Sprout on backing vocals; the hint of Cocteau Twins drift behind I Should Never Know – underscore a reticence to fully reveal the record’s identity; it’s like a novel picked up, put down, picked up again. Those who grew up with Maxïmo Park will no doubt appreciate the adult clothes Smith wears on this, but for the rest of us, any contradiction remains unfortunately untempered. [Duncan Harman]

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paulsmith.tmstor.es

August 2015

RECORDS

The Top Five 1

Destroyer

Mac DeMarco

Chelsea Wolfe

4 5

Poison Season Another One Abyss

The Telescopes

Hidden Fields

Laura Cannell

Beneath Swooping Talons

Review

No Fear of Pop East India Youth analyses Culture of Volume, his precarious live show, and how – sadly – we can’t all be Caribou Interview: Katie Hawthorne Photography: Lucy Ridges

illiam Doyle – aka East India Youth – is sat outside Glasgow venue King Tut’s, keeping his sharp blue suit admirably clean whilst posing for The Skinny’s photographs on a grey, drizzly evening. His sophomore album Culture of Volume dropped less than two months ago, and this stop off is toward the tail end of a lengthy traversing of American and European soils. The record is Doyle’s first release with renowned buzz label XL, and it’s an ambitious exercise in charting a spectrum of pop: colourful, meticulously crafted and brimming with confidence. Never one to shy from the p-word, Doyle wears his influences proudly, name-checking the likes of Eno and Bowie, as well as Soft Cell, Björk and the Pet Shop Boys – all to be found in a recent (excellent) playlist documenting the album’s heritage. You’ll have noticed we’re not talking Robin Thicke-styled popsters here; we’re definitely mapped in leftfield territory. Amongst that same mix you’ll find contemporary electronic experimentalists like Jon Hopkins, Daniel Avery and Perc, too – an indicator of Doyle’s love affair with dance music of all sorts and guises. He grins. “I think it’s about… not being afraid. One of the only reviews I’ve read [of the album] was Alexis Petridis’s one for the Guardian. It was a five star one, why wouldn’t you want to?! Anyway, he said that I seem like the sort of person who doesn’t see their love of pop music as, you know, detrimental to my artistic vision. Some people who decide they’re going to make slightly weirder music really do react badly to having their music labelled as pop. I’ve got absolutely no qualms about that at all. In fact, I was welcoming it.” His debut album, last year’s Total Strife Forever, was a largely instrumental amalgamation of glossy, pop-infused highlights and textured, techno-inspired, after-dark reverberations. The record saw him catapulted into the critical limelight, championed by The Quietus’s John Doran, billed on almost every festival and nominated for a Mercury award. Sophomore success seemed written in the tea leaves, and after such an exuberantly diverse calling card, you’d be forgiven for expecting Doyle to have relaxed somewhat. Instead, his magpie-like tendencies have been amplified tenfold. Culture of Volume is titled aptly: suggesting a greed for more, Doyle’s thrown down ten tracks of mountainous proportions. From the showbiz sass of Beaming White to roaring, techno-inspired introspection on Entirety, Culture of Volume’s complexities reward a patient listener – but many of the record’s treasures are held within slightly easier reach. “Yeah, I did what I set out to do this time,” Doyle confirms. “Which is to make pop music that on the surface hooks you in – there’s something very immediate about it, and the casual listener can get that. Then, for the person who wants to dig a bit deeper, there’s still a depth under the immediacy of it all.” There’s a strong sense of curation, a careful landscaping: the architecture of Culture of Volume is precise and “totally conscious.” Yet, despite his encyclopaedia of influences and interests, his approach to curatorship is far more organic than it is rigorous. He recalls a conversation with his sound engineer, George: “I asked him, ‘When you get a musical idea, do you write it down?’ He says yeah, he likes documenting it. I don’t. You put it down once, and

Review

then you forget about it, because you’ve got a record of it. But when you go back to it, you’ve only ever really thought about it the one time that it happened...? And usually it’s just not very good. I think the ones that remain in my memory, they’re the ones that are worth it. If they’re still in there, still swimming about, they’re the ones that are worth working on.” Kind of a Darwinistic approach to ideas, then? “Exactly. You let the ideas ferment. It’s about cultivating those ideas; lyrics, melodies, beats, styles. And if you forget something, you’ll always have a new idea.” The album’s certainly a journey, in the most genuine, least cheesy sense – this is no lazy journo-speak. Doyle’s emphatic about his love of the format, and it shows. Opening track The Juddering lays firm groundwork in an entirely purposeful way, influenced by the “old Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound test.” For comparison purposes, try Doyle’s mix of cinematic openers. Carousel, the slow-burning, emotional crux of the album, feels a sharp, measured intake of breath after its mammoth, dance-floor ready precursors. Doyle’s enjoyment of the deliberate structuring is infectious as he describes how, instead of having been a long-ruminated concept, the track burst to life far more urgently. “You’re just like, ‘Oh shit, something’s happening,’” Doyle laughs, gesturing energetically. “It’s like, ‘This is happening RIGHT NOW. BATTLE STATIONS! Everybody get on board right the fuck now, we need to get this down!’ Sometimes it just… happens.” Laughing, he admits that his enthusiasm often gets the better of him: “You start imagining the whole album before you’ve even made that much of it. But when you’ve got so many disparate ideas and influences, it does help to have some idea.”

“The idea with this album was that, tongue-incheek I suppose, I’m going to be a pop star now” William Doyle

In a monumental London show late last year, a culmination of the Total Strife Forever tour, Doyle experimented with how he would present his new material – with the performance of Carousel posing the biggest questions. “I knew I wanted a new live setup, like, ‘How am I going to redesign this?’ I couldn’t work out how to play [Carousel] live. And then I thought, why don’t I just press play and sing on top of it?” This simplistic description is beyond misleading. The East India Youth live show circa 2015 is, if possible, even more complicated. Doyle is known for his frenzied and unbelievably complex single-handed performances; he is a perfectionist when it comes to sound quality, visuals and the mapping of a set. Earlier shows were anchored, visually and sonically, by a table supporting a plethora of wires, cables and buttons – behind which he’d throw himself about, looking

in very real danger of taking out an eye. But even without the “shackles” of the desk, Doyle’s still “not quite free to roam.” With his equipment now supported by stands, he laughs, “Yeah, there’s four things that could fall over. Which is exciting actually. It is more precarious now, definitely more precarious.” Happily, Doyle doesn’t smash anything during the storming, sweaty set he plays to a rowdy, adoring audience later that night. He’s “re-tooled” material from Total Strife Forever to fit his newly super-sized, voluminous sound, and the result is magnificent. The dichotomy between surging, pounding tracks like Turn Away and the moment of calm that Carousel provides is both moving and welcome, a chance to regain breath and appreciate the intricacies in the colossal sound that Doyle is weaving. Unmistakeably at home in the belly of a dark, cavernous club, he makes no attempt to hide his feelings about playing where he doesn’t belong. “I did Unknown festival in Croatia the year before last. It was on the beach. At 4pm in the blazing fucking sunshine. How many people were watching my set, versus how many people were sunbathing? My music doesn’t fit that environment, I never imagined it to fit that environment. You know, I wish I could be Caribou. But I’m not. Caribou can do day and night, he’s that versatile.” He’s joking, but Doyle is extremely analytical and self-effacing of himself and his work. “It’s funny now, in hindsight. I know I say ‘in hindsight,’ and the album’s only been out for what, seven weeks? But the idea with this album was that, tongue-in-cheek I suppose, ‘I’m going to be a pop star now.’ I very quickly realised that,

MUSIC

although I love pop music and I love making it, and I hope that people have enjoyed my stab at it, I don’t think I’m cut out to be the popstar that I thought I was going to be.” Really, it all boils down to your definition of pop, doesn’t it? It’s possible that East India Youth’s precisely engineered, peculiar avant-pop is too left of centre to fit mainstream measurements. Yet, the muscular, juicy choruses of tracks like Beaming White and Turn Away are as soaring and as polished as any pop purist could hope for. Perhaps there’s tension between the ‘popstar’ Doyle expected to be and the artist he’s become, but when the result is a record like Culture of Volume, and a show like the one that left the King Tut’s crowd ecstatic, it’s clearly no bad thing. Most tellingly, when Doyle speaks of the artists – the popstars, even – that have inspired him, he never once suggests that he’s trying to mimic them. When he writes a song, it’s “an homage to a scene, but it could never be considered a part of that scene. It’s filtered through my own experience. To try to do something that feels like dabbling just seems wrong to me.” Pausing, he continues, “That’s all you can do as an artist, isn’t it? Otherwise you’re just making a pastiche of something. And it’s a fine line. I don’t even really know if I’ve worked out a) how to identify that fine line, and b) how to be on the right side of it either. I really don’t know! Maybe that’s the mystery that keeps me coming back to making it.” East India Youth plays The Skinny stage at Electric Fields on 29 Aug; End of the Road on 4 Sep and Beacons Metro, Leeds on 2 Oct eastindiayouth.co.uk

THE SKINNY

Machines of Loving Grace Martin and Richard Dust discuss the themes and working process behind The Black Dog’s latest album, Neither/Neither

Interview: Ronan Martin

“W

e were talking about the fact that there’s no difference between Labour and the Tories anymore, and the fact that you have three generations of people that have been taking empathy-inducing drugs, and now that just seems to turn into YouTube comments of spite and hate.” The problem of how to address issues of political ambiguity, and a culture of negativity and internet-fuelled paranoia, through the medium of electronic music is a tricky one. Yet being a project so intrinsically linked to the 90s rave scene, helping to soundtrack an era when partygoers defiantly eschewed the reactionary tendencies enshrined in the Conservative Criminal Justice Act, The Black Dog are perhaps fitting candidates to draw comparisons between the climate then and now. Despite both eras being clearly defined by a gloomy political landscape, the group’s new album reflects a peculiar uncertainty that seems particular to contemporary society. “I’d be hard pushed to tell you what Labour or the Tories stand for anymore,” says the trio’s Martin Dust, “whereas 25 years ago, that would have been clearly defined. They’re taking advantage of that and that’s the standpoint we came from with the album.” It is from a context of bewildering world events and the proliferation of ever more spurious wisdom that Martin, alongside his brother Richard and founding member Ken Downie, unleash Neither/Neither on the world. Speaking from their hometown of Sheffield, Martin elaborates further on the record’s themes, while Richard tends to his home brew at the other end of their studio-cum-microbrewery. “The more you go into it – political systems, propaganda and social media and how these things work – the more ridiculous it is.” The Black Dog’s latest release is partly a result of their interest in the work of documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis, whose accounts of disinformation and media manipulation attempt to explain the apparent stasis in modern society, where no one seems able to act with any real certainty. Having began dabbling in these themes, the group then developed a fascination with the ramblings of some of the more fringe conspiratorial figures vying for space online. “It’s kind of like there’s a new religion where fear is faith,” Martin continues. That air of paranoia among devotees of “snake oil salesmen” such as Alex Jones and the befuddled world view of those “truthers” who pray at the altar of David Icke are themes reflected in both the titles of these new tracks and in the dark ambience that courses through the album. “I wouldn’t say it was darker [than our last album], I’d say it was more intense,” argues Martin. This intensity is achieved in part by the use of beatless ambient interludes, at times containing garbled voice recordings which serve to buttress the notion that we are wading in a mire of conflicting ideas. A short sample from Adam Curtis himself – speaking about political control – can only just be picked out in one such break, though much of what is heard has been warped beyond recognition. The trio’s interest in the ideas of William S. Burroughs partly informed this approach to audio manipulation. But outwith these short and rather encrypted clues, the album’s commitment to its theme is reflected more in the emotional resonance apparent throughout – reflective and sobering musical arrangements at the outset give way to pounding techno in the latter part of the record. Of course, electronic music – particularly techno – has always had a quality to it that seems to suit a marriage with political ideas and countercultural movements. You need only look at the likes of Underground Resistance in Detroit to

Review

find this at its most overt. “There’s two qualities to it,” says Martin. “One, for me, is still that idea of the ‘angry young man’.” Techno has always had that association for some and this has perhaps lent a certain revolutionary angst to much of the music. On top of that, you have the influence of Northern Soul – “the emotion of strings and basslines and everything else – some of it is escapism,” he adds. “I guess a classic example from Sheffield would be ABC. They started off as Vice Versa – an angry punk band – and then went completely to the opposite end of the spectrum with ABC. To us here in Sheffield, that made perfect sense. It wasn’t an opposite; it was exactly the same thing on a different scale. You would go to punk gigs and you would go to Northern Soul gigs because that’s what people did.” Their South Yorkshire hometown has always been a key reference point for The Black Dog – the explosion of punk and the later emergence of acts like Cabaret Voltaire, Human League, Heaven 17 and Clock DVA brought an electronic edge to the city’s scene. “The amazing thing was that you went to the same nightclub as them – because there only was one nightclub,” Martin recalls. “So you could be in there and Cab Voltaire would walk in with Kraftwerk. It was fucking amazing. “The other big thing for me was that you could go up, buy them a drink, and talk to somebody that had made a record. I guess that’s not such a big thing these days. But getting in a studio and making a record was a massive thing for me. I guess Sheffield people are really grounded. There’s no airs and graces about it. It’s a working class night; it’s a party and people get it on different levels.” Neither/Neither should certainly appeal to different sensibilities, as the trio deliberately opted to keep its form varied and fluid throughout. “There are two definite strands going on,” explains Richard, having now finished the washing up to join Martin on the line. “There was a much slower, more musical side – definitely not club rhythms. Then we were also doing the club sound. There was a bit of tension as to whether we should mix everything to go club – or should we remix everything away from it? We did the Sound of Sheffield series of singles last year which were all very much aimed at the club, so we didn’t really want to set any rules. “What we ultimately ended up doing was just following what the tracks seemed to demand from us. We tried to be faithful to the track itself, rather than trying to force it into a style that wasn’t going to work, or was going to deviate from what we were trying to achieve.”

This reluctance to try and mould their music beyond their personal preference at any given time has been a constant of The Black Dog’s approach, resulting in a back catalogue of remarkable variety and depth. This commitment must be particularly difficult given the enduring praise heaped on Downie’s earliest work with the project – both Bytes and Spanners were released through Warp in the mid 90s before Richard and Martin came on board. “It’s really hard in that, every time you get written about, people will reference Warp and they will reference Plaid,” admits Martin, referring to the duo formed by Downie’s co-founders Ed Handley and Andy Turner. “You think, ‘Fucking hell, [Plaid] left 20 years ago.’ My kids have grown up and are at university and people are still referencing this stuff. How long do I have to be in this fucking band?

“I’d be hard pushed to tell you what Labour or the Tories stand for anymore” Martin Dust “As open-minded as electronic music fans like to pretend they are... fucking hell, they don’t like change. They’re just as bad, if not worse, than rock fans. ‘That’s not Black Sabbath, it’s not got the original drummer!’ We played around with the rockisms by sending different people to gigs and saying, ‘You don’t need to look at us.’ We’re not playing any old music. We will never, ever do a greatest hits album or a tour – that kind of thing. For us, that’s not what electronic music is about. It’s supposed to be forward-thinking and challenging.” Such a desire to remain focused on their own path, avoiding the trap of releasing substandard music for commercial gain, is a quality that keeps The Black Dog’s output as refreshing as ever. For Martin, there’s certainly no value in trying to shape up to match the kind of dance music that tops the lists of online sales. “Sometimes we occasionally go off and have a listen to Beatport’s chart and just wonder, ‘Who the fuck is buying that music?’ We wonder who is playing it, because we never hear it in any of the

CLUBS

clubs that we’re visiting. It’s kind of like a weird little universe. A lot of artists worry about the wrong things, about getting the right kind of coverage, and I guess that’s never appealed to us.” Another resilient aspect of their approach – alluded to in past interviews with Downie – is the importance they place on the album format and the effort they put in to ensuring that there is coherence to their releases. Many electronic albums appear to be loosely assembled collections of individual tracks, whereas Neither/Neither is best engaged with from start to finish. For one, the trio spent countless hours arranging the track order to create a unified work. In a sense, this could be considered a musical response to the problems of an increasingly non-linear and disjointed world. “We’re not against jarring the listener,” says Martin, “but it’s really got to work.” On this occasion, The Black Dog have certainly succeeded in delivering an album that operates in its own distinct realm. Whether delivering delicate mood music or penetrating club tracks, the record is underpinned by an atmosphere that is uniformly sombre throughout. In this way they have tackled those themes of repression and control, fear and anger, as skilfully as can be possible without recourse to the kind of unequivocal lyrical diatribes found in other forms. But what prospect is there for hope amid the gloom? Martin is quick to point out that, for all their reservations about the world at large, they very much take the view that “the glass is half full.” Just as techno, even in its most uncompromising forms, has those shards of light that peak through to guide a path to enlightenment, there is also room for progress and an escape from the world of Neither/Neither. For Martin and the group, coming from a traditional socialist standpoint, the answer lies with people. He talks of a need for decisions to be made at a local level and for power to be taken back by communities. Speaking within a week of hearing Scottish politician Mhairi Black’s opening speech to Parliament, his suggestion that things aren’t quite set in stone seems to hold true. “It just speaks of English politics where they’re not prepared to rock the boat,” he complains. “Then you have that young politician at 20 speaking out and you’re just thinking ‘fucking hell’... You just need lots more people like that to engage.” Neither/Neither is released via Dust Science Recordings on 17 Aug theblackdogma.com

THE SKINNY

Night Life DJ Dave Haslam muses on clubbing culture past and present ahead of the release of his latest book, Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs & Music Venues

ave Haslam DJed over 450 times at Manchester’s Haçienda throughout the 80s and 90s. It’s telling that he can recall that number so accurately. Yet, despite the Haçienda’s huge regional, musical and cultural influence, Haslam has always been keen not to be lumped in with the nostalgists still riding a filtered and fettering version of the acid house wave. To this end, he has published fanzines, launched labels, taught journalism and written celebrated books, such as 1999’s Manchester, England, which feverishly documents the much-mythologised city’s untold musical and cultural stories. Haslam’s new book, Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs & Music Venues, spreads the net further to document the seismic changes in our nightlife, from the music halls of the 1840s to the three-room mega-raves of the modern day. How does a writer so intrigued by the past fight the temptation to lose sight of the future? “Twenty years ago, the Haçienda decided to release a compilation and asked me to write for the sleeve notes,” recalls Haslam. “My only comment was that ‘nostalgia is a device created by old people to deny young people their dreams.’ And two decades later, that’s still how I feel. So look to the past and take inspiration from the past, but the notion that it has the monopoly on good ideas is just totally wrong. The thing with popular culture, all kinds of culture, is that it doesn’t work unless the young people are allowed their dreams and the tools. And the tools might be an axe to kill whoever’s in the way. Otherwise what you get is just people buying tickets to Rolling Stones concerts and Haçienda reunion nights. Just give people an axe, and say ‘fuck em.’” Life After Dark is an engaging historical document, but more than that, a strong ode to the seemingly timeless human desire to go out, drink and dance. It also resists sugar-coating the barriers that many new movements, from goths to gay clubs to New Romantics and, yes, acid house, have had to overcome in the face of the law and society. And while the rich details of the earlier chapters prove absorbing, the book undoubtedly peaks when Haslam himself begins his tenure behind the decks.

Interview: John Thorp

“Culture doesn’t work unless young people are allowed their dreams and the tools” Dave Haslam “When we started the Haçienda, there were lots of 1960s bands still around Manchester,” Haslam notes. “The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, Freddie and The Dreamers; they were still a thing. And so we had to create a kind of year zero. Music that wasn’t on the radio, music that nobody knew. At the Haçienda, people would turn up and say, ‘Play something we don’t know.’ That was what people wanted: an adventure.” But, as he happily allowed the misadventures and revolutionary spirit of the Haç to vanish into the rear view mirror, what further adventures did Haslam’s clubbing life take him on? “I would say, eight or nine years ago, walking into the Bierkeller on Piccadilly, investigating midweek,” he remembers. “And the place was packed, and I couldn’t work out what everyone was doing – the cut of the hair, and the trousers, the look of the girls – it wasn’t anything I’d seen en masse. And the music wasn’t anything I’d heard before; it refreshed my ears. And that was Will Tramp playing, and other people I didn’t know, and it was completely brilliant… If you’re in a situation when you feel like nothing is happening, you’re wrong. There’s always something happening.” Still, Manchester’s selection of small venues does undoubtedly seem to be shrinking, with some having to lessen their operation, others suffering noise complaints and The Roadhouse already ripped out for real estate.

“The irony is, I think, there are more venues around the city now than there have been for decades,” reckons Haslam. “Venues close, but venues open as well. People have used enough imagination to use secret warehouses, churches and function rooms. I think what is always difficult is the smaller spaces surviving. The Warehouse Project is kind of like the Ikea of clubbing. If you want a more underground or weirdo experience, that’s naturally going to be in a smaller space. And making that pay is quite difficult if you’re a promoter.” Haslam isn’t necessarily disparaging the likes of Warehouse Project, acknowledging the ambition and sea change it represents, but simply prefers smaller venues and admits that he “tends to lose interest in an act when they get halfway to a stadium.” It’s a contrarian streak that translates as both ceaseless curiosity and tenacity. Despite being involved in the Manchester International Festival for the past decade, he recently posted a passionate and necessary blog designed to trigger debate on whether the city’s current perceived arts boom is self-serving, only for “an enclave of culture vultures living in the same city but on another planet.” “I think the bigger problem is not to do with Manchester: it’s to do with the world,” suspects Haslam. “People are mesmerised by the big, obvious, mainstream, in a way that I don’t

think they have been in the past. So you’ll always have the very interested people trying to do things, but what you want is the half interested people turning their heads and paying attention.” Under the crush of the most right-wing government the UK has experienced in decades, might it be possible that the country’s creatives and a disillusioned public seek further refuge on the dancefloor, only to be denied of its power? Or, with the ‘night time economy’ booming, are clubs simply too embedded in society now to present any kind of radical allure? “I haven’t yet worked out, despite having written 160,000 words on them, whether nightclubs are a particularly potent form of resistance,” admits Haslam. “I think they’re a fantastic escape and a cauldron for new ideas. But whether they could be in any way revolutionary, I’m not yet convinced. Yet, when you look at the way the police and the government have dealt with nightclubs, they must have seen something revolutionary. “In the late 1960s, police began to raid psychedelic clubs like Middle Earth. That wasn’t about trying to catch a few people with a few joints,” he explains. “It was about society going to war with the hippie underground. And then in the 70s, black soul and disco really energised the white working class in the UK, which I think is a great story, as it was during an era of overt and institutional racism, and yet white people were dancing to black music and wearing badges with Black Power symbols on them. A whole generation or two of people who went to clubs and danced to that kind of music took home a different attitude.” One more note re: that big old club that sat on Whitworth Street West. As someone who witnessed firsthand the senses-expanding grip that ecstasy took on the Haçienda and beyond, does Haslam ever feel that the sheer power of the drug at its peak actually reduced the political and social impact of clubbing? (Alongside clubbers’ ability to walk straight.) “I’ve always seen nightlife, from the 1840s to now, as an opportunity to escape and enjoy a sense of community, to buzz off music, but to feel alive,” Haslam surmises. “And since the 1840s, people have not felt alive. They have felt either trapped by the mill or the workhouse, or now, perhaps trapped by austerity or they might have fluked themselves into a call centre job they hate. So the night time hours, when people want to feel alive, they want it as an extreme experience. And why shouldn’t they?” Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs & Music Venues is out 13 Aug, published by Simon & Schuster davehaslam.com/life-after-dark

August 2015

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Review

Behind the Scenes: The Garden Party The Faversham’s much-loved Garden Party celebrates its tenth anniversary with a fullblown festival this month. The Skinny speaks to co-organiser Matt Long to find out more The Skinny: This summer marks the tenth anniversary of The Garden Party in Leeds – how did the party start and how has it evolved over the past decade? Matt Long: The party started as a free Sunday all-day bank holiday gathering at The Faversham with residents and no guests. Back then no one else was doing outdoor Sunday parties so they always proved to be popular. We added new elements as each party grew in size, moving from The Faversham terrace to encompassing the whole outdoor area at The Faversham, bringing in guests, marquees, cocktail bars, BBQs and four areas of different music to create a mini festival. Musically we’ve always catered for a variety of styles throughout the party. PBR Streetgang have been on resident duties for the last ten years and we’ve had the likes of Todd Terje, Dixon, Chez Damier, Charles Webster, Matthew Dear, Omar S and Craig Richards all guest for us over the years.

Interview: Daniel Jones

Some great bookings there – what was your approach when putting together this year’s lineup? To offer and showcase a broad spectrum of music and artists to represent what The Garden Party has become. Who are you most looking forward to seeing? Personally, I’m looking forward to hearing Roisin Murphy perform her new tracks as well as her classics. I’m also looking forward to firm favourites Little Dragon and Todd Terje. On a DJ tip it has to be Craig Charles, Joy Orbison and finally having Kerri Chandler play for us. What’s special about the Leeds scene compared to that of other UK cities? Leeds is quite a small city but it has a really strong musical scene across the board with some great artists emerging at the moment.

Little Dragon

It looks like there have been some great art installations over the years courtesy of Mad Ferret Productions – what’s their story? Mad Ferret are a London based art and production agency. They have been involved with our projects for the last five years, including Hideout festival, Unknown and the launch of Canal Mills. They’ll be creating the on-site decor, installs and production for The Garden Party. We’re also working with local artists from Assembly House Studios, Medium and Emporium to create some installs and live art over the weekend.

Âme

“Leeds is quite a small city but it has a really strong musical scene across the board” Matt Long

Tasty grub too…? We’ve teamed up with the guys behind Leeds Indie Food Festival to curate the food offering. Leeds Indie held an amazing two week celebration of all Leeds food and drink independents in May and so it seemed only right to have them involved at The Garden Party. We’ve got some amazing food including stone-baked pizza from Pizza Fella, homemade ice cream from Northern Bloc, and fish and chips from the award-winning Fish&. Is the plan to make this festival an annual event? In short, yes – we’ve some big plans for it over the next few years. PBR Streetgang

Review

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Five tracks to look forward to Todd Terje – Inspector Norse [Olsen] The biggest hit by far – so far – from Norway’s second biggest export after the annual Christmas tree… the magical Mr. Terje. In years to come this will undoubtedly become known as an era-defining track, sold as part of The Sound of Teenies compilation CD on some warped late-night teleshopping network that doesn’t exist yet. Âme – Rej [Sonar Kollektiv] It’s hard to believe this track has been knocking around for a good ten years now. Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann have since gone on to dizzying heights, teaming up soon after with Dixon to form the oft-lauded Innervisions imprint. PBR Streetgang – J2thaB [ISM Records] Long time residents at The Garden Party, here PBR Streetgang do a job on James Brown’s funktastic 1980 effort, Body Heat. Bit of background on the lads: their bio states they are primarily influenced by ‘rum, vodka and adventures in excess’ and their name is actually a reference to the boat crew in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 epic Apocalypse Now. Basement Jaxx – Flylife Xtra [Multiply Records] Released a few years prior to their debut album Remedy, this track sums up what type of stuff the duo were making before they hit the big time. Fans of flange watch out because this will take you back to 1997 clubland in the blink of a pierced eyebrow. Sly Mongoose – Snakes and Ladder (Rub N Tug remix) [Mule Musiq] This came out on Mule Musiq a while back, one of many, many decent edits from NY’s infamous Rub N Tug duo, conquerors of the underground disco scene in downtown Manhattan at the tail end of last millennium. The Garden Party takes place 29-30 Aug, The Tetley, Leeds thegardenpartyleeds.com

THE SKINNY

Clubbing Highlights August is closely related to the word 'auger': a hole-digging tool used by farmers to dig earth for the coming season. Here is some other highly relevant information for the month ahead... Words: E. Jon Lanside Illustration: Joren Joshua

igan’s finest, Tom Boogizm, hosts the latest instalment of Pariahs beneath Manchester’s Soup Kitchen on 1 Aug – a rangy affair which promises everything from dancehall to dub, jazz to jungle and house to hip-hop. Boogz is a fantastic selector and seems never to feel the fear of trying out challenging records, which is well worth witnessing considering that entry is free in before 12pm/£3 thereafter. That said, there is some stiff competition on the same night in the form of Mr Scruff and Kelvin Brown’s spud-off at Band on the Wall (£12) or the disco plumber himself, Rob Mello et al, as part of an all-day-all-night foray at Antwerp Mansion (£22). This also includes a headline set from Andrew Weatherall as part of his A Love From Outer Space project... choices. In Liverpool, Constellations hold their own all-dayer on 1 Aug, welcoming highly-regarded selectors Martinez and Francesco del Garda, both of whom have been garnering much attention of late (£15). If tech-y minimalism ain’t yo thang then why not head to A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Birkenhead where reams of crusty revellers will be going at it, hammer and tongs, amid fairy woodland decorations and more psytrance than you can shake a hula hoop at (£10).

The following Friday (7 Aug), sees Zutekh continue their series of ripe bookings at Soup Kitchen as Ostgut Ton favourite Ryan Elliott steps up for the best part of the night (£8) – sure to be another memorable evening in the sweat box with plenty of kick. Towels advised. Elsewhere, there’s a 4x4 versus UKG ting on at Club IXIV, featuring the likes of Burgaboy, MC Kie and DJ EJ – will probably be a laugh if you feel at home among crews of pouting badmen. If you’re still raring to go on the Saturday then head down to Meat Free’s free monthly residency at Hold Fast, which promises inflatables and glitter by the pound. It’s also Caribbean carnival time in Alexandra Park on 8-9 Aug, so there’ll be plenty of sporadic events popping up around town, many on the surrounding streets. Other than that, the middle of the month looks fairly sparse as we go to print, but rest assured there’ll be a few giblets of fun knocking around for your consideration. NB: 13 Aug is results day for latepubescent teens across the country, so probs best to curl up on the sofa with a miserly cup of cocoa. Fast forward to the end of the month and you’ve got August bank holiday – huzzah! Freeze and mUmU join forces on 29-30 Aug for 48 Hours

in Liverpool, taking place across two venues: Bombed Out Church by day; New St. Warehouse by night (£25 per day). There’s a slew of jocks announced so far, including Paco Osuna, Black Coffee, Gary Beck, Tale of Us and Mind Against. Same weekend, Not So Secret Warehouse Party bring boogie-philes Horse Meat Disco and Late Nite Tuff Guy to Salford over the course of two

nights – £10 a pop. Then, on the Sunday, Hidden turn out their own slogathon with tINI, Sonja Moonear and Enzo Siragusa all on board. The night is forest themed, which presents an ideal opportunity to don your best decorative garland and douse yourself in lavender oil. Tickets going for £15; ewoks get in free.

accountant and someone else is really good at marketing, you swap your skills.”

new blood working alongside them... “Definitely, it brings fresh ideas, a different perspective, and people grow faster as a result.”

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Northern Greats: Central Working Have you got an idea for a creative project or business? Pay a visit to the Great Northern Warehouse, which houses a vibrant co-working space and lots of free events to help support your development

o-working has become a bit of a buzzword over the last couple of years; lots of concepts come and go, from makeshift rooms with free biscuits (but shonky WiFi) to cafes where you pay only for your time (to avoid the guilt of having bought one flapjack in four hours). Enter Central Working, a co-working space that aims to create a sense of community while also providing top-notch facilities. Founded in London, its first site outside the capital is a colourful, airy environment in the Great Northern Warehouse on Deansgate in Manchester. Working in partnership with Barclayssupported facility The Escalator, it provides three meeting rooms as well as an auditorium, which hosts free events covering everything from how to build apps to adapting your website for mobile devices, and a collaborative space with all you’d need from a regular office plus the opportunity to network (and fuel up at Grindsmith coffee, next door). The Deansgate location only launched in January but has already been so popular with entrepreneurs looking to hone their ideas that it’ll be expanding threefold later this year. We caught up with Kirsty Devlin from Central Working to find out why creatives find this environment so appealing.

August 2015

The Skinny: Hi Kirsty! Please introduce us to Central Working and The Escalator – what are your aims? Kirsty Devlin: “We help startup businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. We’ve created a really cool space designed for them to be as successful as possible.” Why is this kind of space important? “It’s important because it’s affordable and the creative minds that are inside the building are just phenomenal. At the moment we’ve got some international photographers, Comer, they work for Nike, Adidas, they’ve done Manchester United shoots... they’re just really amazing guys from Manchester and they use this as a space where they get their admin done! They might be two weeks in Vegas or New York doing a shoot and they’ll need to come back here to approach new businesses or tie up loose ends. “Most people are from Manchester, it’s a really good atmosphere. You know how the music scene in Manchester has always been from an earnest and vibrant place; there’s a really cool startup community that’s got that something special. It’s like a little family. You motivate each other. If someone’s having a bad day, you go buy them a coffee. And you use each other’s services: if someone’s a really good

You must get an interesting variety of startups coming through your doors. “There’s one individual who wanted to make personalised cycling wear; for artists to do limited prints on cycle jerseys, which is something that doesn’t exist right now so that’s one of the cool ideas! We’ve an accountant who basically quit his job and just started a football gaming app – you get all walks of life.” Does it tend to be mostly digital startups? “Mostly digital, but anything innovative. We’ve also got four clubs in London and we’ve had some success stories from there: Angry Birds was part of one of those clubs! We’ve got quite a few big companies as well, like Microsoft and Ernst & Young.” So as a startup, you could get advice from big, established companies? “It’s all about collaboration. We’ve created an environment where you could bump into the CEO of Skyscanner.”

Why did Manchester seem like the place to go after London? “I think it’s because we’ve got a huge community of students here; there are 100 thousand students in Manchester alone. It isn’t all about London! And there’s a lot of investment going into Manchester, if you look at things like MediaCity, and there’s a lot of focus now on [government-supported tech hub] TechNorth and the north being a powerhouse. It makes sense to move up north.” Want to give Central Working a go? Central Working, 235 Deansgate, Manchester. Drop in or make an appointment on 020 3095 6449, centralworking.com The Manchester Escalator, 231 Deansgate, theescalator.com thegreatnorthern.com | @gnwarehouse

That must be refreshing for the bigger companies, too – to have lots of enthusiastic

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Film Event Highlights You’ve a couple of al fresco cinema offerings this month with Secret Garden Cinema and Route 66 Drive-In. There’s also the opportunity to celebrate the unique acting talents of Nicolas Cage with CAGEFEST

Theeb

Hard to Be a God

Words: Simon Bland

Theeb

52 Tuesdays

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njoy movies but don’t want to miss the August summer sun? Route 66 Drive-In Cinema (just off Mosley Road, Trafford Park, in Manchester, and Waterloo/Regent Road, Atlantic Park, Liverpool) may have the solution, inviting you to park up and tune in to an outdoor cinema experience that harks back to the days before eye-popping IMAX and 3D tomfoolery. Here, you’ll be able to experience director Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, a big-screen reboot of Marvel’s first family that takes the subtle, grounded approach to blockbuster action. Catch it from 8 Aug either in a car or up a tall tree. Preferably the former. Costumed heroes not your thing? HOME have a more down-to-earth story to tell with 52 Tuesdays (4 Aug), a revelatory drama that was shot one day a week, every week for a year. Director Sophie Hyde used this unusual shooting method to explore the shared journeys of a mother undergoing a gender transition and the impact this has on her teenage daughter Billie. Hyde will be sticking around for a postscreening Q&A too. The Small Cinema group have two events for you. In Moston they’re screening Blood Cells (8 Aug), a quiet-epic following a young man’s struggle to pick up the pieces when an epidemic decimates his rural family life. In Liverpool, David Cronenberg’s visceral horror Videodrome returns to the screen (27 Aug), offering up a commentary on 80s TV media, political manipulation and censorship with a healthy dose of slippery blood and guts thrown into the mix for good measure.

The Breakfast Club

Also in Liverpool, FACT have a trio of retro-aces planned that are sure to please Droogs, romantics and Neo Maxi Zoom Dweebies alike. John Hughes’s teen classic The Breakfast Club kicks off the fun (3 Aug), followed by Kubrick’s twisted A Clockwork Orange (16 Aug) and the legendary Casablanca (23 Aug). Liverpool will also host a collection of Secret Garden Cinema events, with Reservoir Dogs (1 Aug), Fight Club (6 Aug), Pulp Fiction (7 Aug), Dirty Dancing (8 Aug), Stand By Me (13 Aug), The Dark Knight (14 Aug), The Hangover (15 Aug), Casino Royale (20 Aug) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (22 Aug) screening at the open air cinema atop Queen Square carpark. As if all that wasn’t enough, they’re even throwing in a viewers’ choice evening (21 Aug), the generous lot. And finally, those Retro and Dangerous guys have gone Cage crazy with their CAGEFEST: A Nicolas Cage All-Dayer (9 Aug, Gorilla, Manchester). Here you’ll find Raising Arizona, Con Air, Face/Off, The Wickerman and some of the most exquisite acting known to humankind. Unmissable.

Review

Director: Naji Abu Nowar Starring: Jacir Eid, Hussein Salameh, Jack Fox, Marji Audeh Released: 14 Aug Certificate: 12A

Director: Sophie Hyde Starring: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane Released: 7 Aug Certificate: 15

Revenge, loss of innocence and the conflict between old and new permeate Naji Abu Nowar’s terrific debut, Theeb. Set in the desolate if beautiful landscape of Hijaz during the First World War, Nowar’s picture focuses on the titular Bedouin scamp (impressive newcomer Eid): first he and his brother Hussein (Salameh) act as guides to a British officer (Fox) and his companion (Audeh), then must adapt when things don’t quite go to plan. Complementing those aforementioned and familiar thematic concerns, the director makes other nods to classic westerns in his audio and visual cues, some more playful than others: “Say your prayers, Pilgrims,” threatens a bandit during a shootout, rather wonderfully. And it’s brilliantly put together: one key scene scored by an onrushing steam train is particularly elegant, effortlessly correlating a burgeoning modernism and inevitable moral decay. That’s not to say this is pompous or too heavy at all – Theeb is a self-contained coming-of-age adventure at its core. A tense and really quite beautiful one to boot. [Chris Fyvie]

52 Tuesdays chronicles the relationship of 16-year-old Billie (CobhamHarvey) and her transgender mother, James (Herbert-Jane), who makes the difficult decision to transition from female to male – and, as a result, away from her daughter. Initially accepting, Billie agrees to live with her father and only see James for six hours every Tuesday. The film represents queer characters as fully human – selfish, virtuous, mundane; suffering the micro-aggressions of heteronormativity. Made on a minuscule budget with amateur actors, director Sophie Hyde employs an intriguing filming modus operandi. Shooting each Tuesday, actors would learn only their current scene, no reshoots. This production method lends the film a temporal, existential veracity; its narrative ebbs and flows, reflecting the queer identities on screen, always in flux. James and Billie both filmically document their personal transitions, from female to male and child to sexual maturity respectively, in an attempt to make sense of themselves. Frustrated at the ever elusive end point of “becoming” an authentic self, Billie fumes “It never ends!” James confirms, “No, it doesn’t.” [Rachel Bowles]

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

The Wolfpack

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Director: Marielle Heller Starring: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig Released: 7 Aug Certificate: 18

Director: Crystal Moselle Starring: Mukunda Angulo, Bhagavan Angulo, Govinda Angulo Released: 21 Aug Certificate: 15

Marielle Heller makes an impressive debut with this frank comic-drama, based on cartoonist Phoebe Gloeckner’s semi-autobiographical novel. Set in boho 70s San Francisco, precocious Gloeckner avatar Minnie (brilliantly played by Brit actor Powley) begins an affair with her flakey, free-spirit mother’s (Wiig) hot, if lug-headed, boyfriend (Skarsgård). Heller deftly captures this transition from newly sexually active teen to full-blown adulthood, and all the experimentation/fuck-ups that entails. The approach is disarming. It’s difficult to recall another example in the coming-of-age genre so steadfast in its lack of judgement, especially one featuring a female protagonist. It’s gorgeous, too: Brandon Trost’s hazy cinematography compliments detailed mise-en-scène to evoke the distinctive period, with Millie’s drawings – heavily influenced by Aline Kominsky-Crumb – occasionally coming to life in the frame to add a fantastical, dreamy element. Skarsgård and the astonishing Powley present complex characters, with the power dynamics of their relationship ever-evolving. The former oscillates between pathetic and alluring where others might have gone for creepy and dangerous, and the latter evocatively captures the naïvety and burgeoning self-confidence of late adolescence. [Chris Fyvie]

The Wolfpack profiles six homeschooled brothers who’ve lived their entire lives as shut-ins in a Manhattan housing project, a DVD collection their only connection to the outside world beyond occasional supervised local trips maybe once a year. Raised in social isolation by a hippie mother and an alcoholic, controlling father, the Angulo brothers, who remake their favourite movies for fun, prove interesting subjects and not all that different from many geeky teenagers, extraordinary living circumstances notwithstanding. One wishes, however, that debut documentarian Crystal Moselle made any attempts towards exploring this scenario beyond the boys’ affability. Larger socio-economic concerns and, particularly, real questions of abuse are skirted over or seemingly unasked, especially baffling given that the father doesn’t object to appearing on camera. Having been invited into this family’s private space over several years, Moselle, based on the shapeless final cut being released, seems to have been as evasive as some of the boys she filmed. The subject matter means The Wolfpack is inherently compelling for a while, but as a documentary it’s an increasingly frustrating shambles. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Hard to Be a God

45 Years

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Director: Aleksei German Starring: Gali Abaydulov, Yuriy Ashikhmin, Remigijus Bilinskas Released: 7 Aug Certificate: 18 Aleksei German spent 15 years directing this adaptation of the classic Russian sci-fi novel only to die before its release. Few filmmakers could imagine creating a more detailed, distinctive and expansive swan song; it can fittingly be called the work of a lifetime. Taking place on the planet Arkanar, a fetid Medieval hellscape vision of what our own planet would be like if there had been no Renaissance, it follows a scientist from Earth who has installed himself as a ruling lord with the intention of leading and guiding, but in practice is simply struggling to stay afloat in the squalid swamp. Touching on themes including primal wretchedness, anti-intellectualism, corruption and brutality, the film is a three-hour wasteland of violence, faeces, vomit, spit, non-sequitur and fourth wall-breaking. It’s bewildering, darkly hilarious, something of an endurance test, and made with such epic scale and precision that it’s also breathtaking. [Ian Mantgani]

FILM

Director: Andrew Haigh Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay, Geraldine James Released: 28 Aug Certificate: 15 There’s a ghost in the attic in Andrew Haigh’s haunting relationship drama 45 Years, but not the kind that can be vanquished with a séance. A week before Kate (Rampling) and Geoff (Courtenay) are due to celebrate their 45th anniversary, Geoff gets news that his first love, who disappeared while walking in the Alps 50 years ago, has been discovered, perfectly preserved. Cue late night trips to the loft to paw over dog-eared photographs of his former lover. Kate is left down below feeling a cold draft. Haigh quietly ratchets the tension as the foundations of their relationship begin to crack. Much praise should go to the two yin and yang leads. Courtenay plays Geoff as a man coming apart at the seams, physically and emotionally. Even better is Rampling, whose Kate is icy and composed even when her eyes are screaming in anguish. “I’d like to tell you everything I’m thinking, but I can’t,” she says, but these unsaid resentments echo loudly. The film’s final image, of Kate’s face, will leave you floored. [Jamie Dunn]

THE SKINNY

State of Grace

Cemetery Without Crosses

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Director: Phil Joanou Starring: Sean Penn, Gary Oldman Released: 24 Aug Certificate: 18 Phil Joanou’s Sean Penn-starring mob movie State of Grace was originally released around the same time as Goodfellas, so first time round it might as well have been staring up at Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci from the trunk of a car for all the chance it had of survival. A Blu-ray re-release gives it a second chance and it’s definitely worth catching in its revitalised form. Penn plays Terry, the prodigal son returning home to his old New York neighbourhood and falling back in with his old crew: Jackie (Gary Oldman), his wildeyed best pal; Jackie’s older brother Frankie (Ed Harris), who now runs the local Irish mob, and their sister Kathleen (Robin Wright). Joanou is no Scorsese but he successfully builds a satisfying crime flick around Oldman’s electrifying performance, rounded out by a great and varied supporting cast and topped off with a soundtrack courtesy of Ennio Morricone. [Ross McIndoe]

Killing Zoe

Director: Robert Hossein Starring: Michèle Mercier, Robert Hossein Released: Out now Certificate: 15 Revenge plots have an appealing simplicity – they clarify everyone’s motivation and streamline the story towards its inevitable conclusion. Their sparseness matches the western’s penchant for broad strokes. A small cast of characters can be quickly set up with battle lines drawn between them and a few visual idiosyncrasies to highlight the main players – Eastwood had his poncho and cigarillo, here Hossein’s Manuel has a leather glove and sits his gun backwards in its holster so that he can draw Southpaw-style. Like its hero, the movie does its talking through action. Manuel barely opens his mouth for the duration of the movie but his silence speaks a lifetime’s worth of hard lessons. When he is forced wearily into action, he dispatches of his foes with deadly grace. Just like him, Cemetery of Crosses spares few words and relies instead on stylish action sequences and elegant, atmospheric cinematography to achieve its ends. [Ross McIndoe]

Director: Roger Avary Starring: Eric Stoltz, Jean-Hugues Anglade Released: 3 Aug Certificate: 18

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It’s easy to guess why audiences are turned off by Roger Avary. He won an Oscar co-scripting Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, but if his two directorial efforts (this breakneck crime flick and 2002’s Bret Easton Ellis adaptation The Rules of Attraction) are anything to go by, it’s likely that film’s crypto-heroics came courtesy of its director. There’s none of Tarantino’s soft edges in Killing Zoe. We follow Zed (Stolz), a social and morally easy-going safecracker, as he’s dragged to Paris by his terrifyingly decadent childhood friend, Eric (Anglade), to help in a Bastille Day bank heist. Preparation for the job involves “living life,” which in Eric’s debauched world means losing your mind to hard drugs at an underground Dixieland joint. Avary’s filmmaking feels as out of control as its protagonist. It sweeps you up in Eric’s Dionysian revelry and, like Zed, you’ll be clambering for a shower afterwards. [Jamie Dunn]

Stalag 17

Colors

3 Women

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Director: Billy Wilder Starring: William Holden, Don Taylor Released: Out now Certificate: PG Greater than The Great Escape, American prisoner of war tale Stalag 17 is a darkly comic theatre adaptation from director Billy Wilder. Simultaneously fiery and farcical, it’s a fitting final third for Wilder’s 1950s hat trick that also includes Sunset Blvd and Ace in the Hole, each in their own way a cutting, cynical look at American nature. William Holden may never have been better than he is here as a cocky black marketeer concerned only with himself – and thus prime suspect when it seems someone in his barracks is feeding information to their German captors. Wilder’s fellow director Otto Preminger makes for a compelling villain free of comic-book Nazi stereotype, while gravelly voiced Robert Strauss is a riot as a lustful fool with Hollywood pinups on the brain. What lingers most is the film’s incisive study of American mob mentality, particularly potent considering its release at the tail end of the Hollywood Communism witch hunts. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Director: Dennis Hopper Starring: Robert Duvall, Sean Penn Released: 24 Aug Certificate: 18 Three years before Boyz n the Hood portrayed social problems in inner-city Los Angeles, Dennis Hopper’s Colors took a look at actual East LA gangs and the LAPD ‘CRASH’ unit trying to quell the violence. Robert Duvall is on fine form as an experienced cop with a more nuanced understanding of how to approach ghetto residents than his rookie partner, Sean Penn’s reckless and rather racist hothead. A young Don Cheadle, meanwhile, plays the gang leader they’re trying to stop. Simultaneously light on plot and over-plotted, Colors, featuring a title song by Ice-T, is an interesting time capsule regarding American gang culture (Hopper actually included some real-life gang members), but it’s too meandering as a whole for its moments of fiery rage to ever really sear, nor does the screenplay make much attempt to explore the root causes of the mob violence beyond a stray surface-level comment in one isolated scene early on. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Director: Robert Altman Starring: Sissy Spacek, Shelley Duvall Released: Out now Certificate: PG Reportedly inspired by a dream, 3 Women represents Robert Altman at his most experimental – the film’s eerie underwater shots (or, more technically, through-water) complement a moody, murky story in which characters try on new personae as often as they borrow each others’ swim suits. Altman’s signature telephoto framing, omnipresent murals depicting demon-like creatures, and an atonal score add a creeping menace to uncanny California desert settings. Those settings are populated by two of the most indelible cinematic characters of the past century: Millie (Duvall, a career-best performance), a ridiculously un-self-aware social striver, and Pinky (Spacek, deliciously erratic), a wide-eyed bumpkin who worships Millie and buys her delusions of sophistication. Speaking of persona, it’s undeniable that this is a riff on Bergman’s legendary film. But with 3 Women – part bizarre cringe comedy, part haunting psychodrama – the American auteur takes that riff and composes a sublime symphony all his own. [Michelle Devereaux]

Dracula: Dead and Loving A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Ana Lily Amirpour’s tale of a righteous, chador-clad vampire who’s cleaning up her one horse town, is the year’s most beguiling movie. She tells us about the film’s influences ahead of its UK DVD release Interview: Jamie Dunn

ngland-born, US-raised Iranian filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour has a tip for any immigrant alighting upon the shores of her adopted homeland: “You come to America, then you watch Coming to America, and then you kind of figure out what the American dream is, and you fall in love with those things.” Amirpour, who moved to the US as a nipper after growing up in Margate, is talking to us down the phone from LA. It’s easy to understand why her love for American movies is so ardent. They helped this young girl with Iranian parents and a weird English accent assimilate; they helped her understand her strange new home. “American movies, they have a very specific power of magic and adventure that you don’t find anywhere else, and when I came here I fell in love with them.” This infatuation runs through Amirpour’s debut feature, but she blends the Americana with an eclectic bag of more exotic ingredients, to create a dreamy fairytale that borrows iconography from westerns and horror films. It’s both a vampire movie and a hipster romantic comedy, but it’s a million miles away from

August 2015

Twilight. It’s shot in high-contrast black and white in a rundown Californian oil town. Oh, and everyone speaks exclusively in Persian. The film is called A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and if you haven’t already guessed, it’s one of the year’s most beguiling movies. That title is quite misleading: the eponymous girl with no name (Sheila Vand) is in no danger during her evening perambulations. Quite the contrary: she’s a blood-sucking avenger. Prowling the streets on her skateboard with her chador flapping behind her as she glides, she’s cleaning up her nowheresville hometown one lowlife at a time. The chador, Amirpour explains, was her chief inspiration for the story. “I had one on the set of another short film that I was making, it was a prop, and from the moment I put it on... it was so obvious: of course, this is an Iranian vampire. That was the moment I created the character and from there I just created the world around it.” And what a world! “I wanted to make an Iranian vampire film, but I couldn’t shoot it in Iran – obviously.” Instead, she created her own

comic-strip universe: a town called Bad City. “I wanted this stylised, archetypal place, like a Sergio Leone western or something.” She found the perfect setting in Taft, a threadbare oil town not far from Bakersfield, California, where she spent her high-school years. “It’s got thousands of oil derricks, so it kind of had this flavour of a Middle Eastern desert town. But it was also really economically depressed – there were very few businesses operating, and so there were very few signs on the street.” In other words: she had a blank canvas on which to put her stamp. “It’s a real joy to do that, too, because there are no rules when you make your own world. It’s like The Neverending Story or a graphic novel.” It’s a world that’s at once very familiar and wholly original. Amirpour explains that three movies feed directly into its DNA: Rumble Fish, Wild at Heart and Once Upon a Time in the West. “I had my DP, my actors, everyone watch those movies, and from them we developed a cinematic language. It becomes limitless, especially when you’re doing a full on, surreal, stylised fairytale. That’s what’s great about how many

DVD

movies there are: there’s so much to look at and take inspiration from and get excited about.” While its playful approach to genre and its overflowing abundance of style are more than enough to recommend it, Girl… succeeds most as a tender love story. The girl of the title is clumsily wooed by a good-hearted lad (Arash Marandi) with a James Dean fetish, and few films so evocatively capture the butterflies in stomach-feeling of sexual attraction. Amirpour is clearly a dyed-in-the-wool romantic. “It’s the best,” she says of capturing these feelings on screen. “It’s so cool when you undeniably feel this feeling of magic about finding a connection. But sometimes it feels like it’s impossible, you know? For me, if I like somebody, and then it ends, I really literally think, OK, I’m never going to like somebody again. It’s too impossible; it’s magic.” She’s right, it is, but we defy you not to fall for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. She’ll have you at šalam. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is released on DVD and Blu-ray 27 Jul by Elevation Sales

Review

Live Wire

With the tally of live literature nights growing ever bigger and seeming to cater for every literary taste, the host of Saboteur Award-winning spoken word night Bad Language picks some of the best at home and abroad

ive literature has evolved in the last decade. Moving on from the back rooms of dodgy, cramped pubs serving real ale to the back rooms of trendy, cramped pubs serving craft ale, the live literature scene in Europe is in the healthiest state it has been for some time. There are many thoughts on the reasons for this: whether it’s because the internet has spread the word that these nights are more open and engaging than previously thought, or down to the ‘I can do anything’ mentality of an entitled generation, who knows? Whichever way, the current literary climate has given rise to an exciting and diverse (as in poetry and short stories) collection of nights. Full disclosure: as the host of Bad Language (Best Regular Spoken Word Night in the UK *cough*), I have a vested interest in the wellbeing of live literature around the UK and have been well placed to see it thrive in recent years. From starting out sharing a stage with an open mic singer-songwriter set, we have managed to release four self-funded anthologies, perform at music festivals like Kendal Calling, commission award-winning writers and promote shows for writers like Kate Tempest. Manchester, the city we started in, has witnessed a multitude of nights pop up of late, many of which share guests, hosts, and audience members – but all of which maintain their own unique identity. Evidently (Eagle Inn, Salford, evidentlysalford.net) focuses on short, sharp bursts of poetry, and its spin off, World War Three, is gaining a reputation as one of the best slam competitions in the UK. First Draft (The Castle Hotel, firstdraftmcr.wordpress.com) promotes new, previously unseen works and wanders into comedy, music and theatre in the process. Tales of Whatever (Gullivers, talesofwhatever.com) asks its performers to share a true story between friends, no notes, ten minutes max, and was recently voted the number one storytelling night in the country by the Guardian. Stirred (Three Minute Theatre, stirredpoetry.wordpress.com),

Review

Words: Joe Daly Illustration: Heather More

meanwhile, maintains a feminist angle on proceedings and runs writing workshops before every event. Literary non-fiction can be found at The Real Story (Gullivers, therealstory.org), a night that has recently played host to Stuart Maconie and Laura Barton. More leftfield, experimental poetry can be found at The Other Room (The Castle Hotel, otherroom.org), and you can even head into the suburbs for Verbose (Fallow Cafe, verbosemcr.wordpress.com). And that’s all in one city – a city the literary reputation of which is helped by the ever growing reputation of Manchester Literature Festival, sure, but the trend is being replicated throughout the country and further afield. Let’s take a look.

“The current literary climate has given rise to an exciting and diverse collection of nights” Liverpool In the rambunctious city of the Northwest, the scouse traditions of oral storytelling and frank discourse continue to flourish. Storm and Golden Sky (The Caledonia, facebook.com/ stormandgoldensky) provides a platform for established poets of the literary high style, prize-winning variety. The monthly event pairs two poets, who each perform half hour readings, in the hope that ‘new metaphors will be forged, similarities caught, trajectories flown.’ One of Liverpool’s longest running live literature nights, Come Strut Your Stuff (Egg Cafe,

comestrutyourstuff.co.uk) strips away the ornaments of production; writers perform in the crowd, without a microphone, and ‘anything goes.’ Liverpool Poetry Cafe (The Bluecoat, thebluecoat.org.uk/events) hosts musings on contemporary themes of modern life, while Brink Speakers (The Brink, thebrinkliverpool.com/ events.php) has an ad-hoc vibe; expression is unfettered and newcomers are just as welcome as the more familiar faces of the scene. Around the UK Liars’ League has become one of the biggest nights in the UK and has even managed to find a home for itself in New York and Hong Kong as well as Leeds, London and Leicester. Winners of Best Regular Spoken Word Night at the 2014 Saboteur Awards, they have had a run on Radio 4 and are routinely hailed as one of the liveliest nights around. Most live literature nights see the authors reading their own work, but here the writers write and the actors act. Each event sees writers submit short stories and the best are then read by one of the League’s company of around 100 actors. This guarantees high class pieces and a rowdy audience. liarsleague.com | @liarsleague London’s Bang Said the Gun is another of the heavyweights; full of enthusiasm, excitement and very much steeped in the best of what slam poetry has to offer. bangsaidthegun.com | @bangsaidthegun No live literature lineup would be complete without including the international Literary Death Match, a night that straddles so many countries, with such a wealth of writing talent, that it plays to huge crowds wherever it ends up and aims to ‘showcase literature as a brilliant and unstoppable medium.’ literarydeathmatch.com | @litdeathmatch Hosted by a punk in York, Say Owt is one of the very newest nights around and is already creating a name for itself as one of the hottest slams. Selling out its first few events, this is a night on the rise. facebook.com/sayowtslam | @sayowtslam

BOOKS

By contrast, Word Life is a stalwart of the live literature scene. Situated in Sheffield and hosted by Joe Kriss, the night has welcomed Kate Tempest, Lemn Sissay and some of the hottest names from the US. opusindependents.com/wordlife Another London night, Book Slam is run by one of the best and most listened to literary podcasts and claims that it is one of the few – if not the only – literary nightclubs, fusing literature and music. Book Slam can certainly lay claim to hosting some of the biggest names, including Nick Hornby, Hanif Kureishi and Dave Eggers, as well as music superstars Adele and Kate Nash. bookslam.com | @bookslam Around the World Heading across the Channel, we find the night that showcases ‘literature on fire in the city of light.’ Paris Lit Up is a collection of live literature nights and literary happenings in the city that has embraced many, many writers over the years and is the first stop for any lit lovers finding themselves in France. parislitup.com Fridays at second hand bookshop Another Country in Berlin host nights based on discussion and speaking. Full of debate and lively discussions in the shop, the night has been chosen as one of the world’s greatest by BBC Travel. anothercountry.de The European Slampionship (the title giving you an idea of the high quality wordplay they promote) will be hosted in Tartu, Estonia in November. Each year, a wide variety of non-English language slam poets compete for the title of European Slampion. beslam.be/euroslam If you have a penchant for the literary, whether you’re a performer or audience member, there will be something to engage and entertain you in the UK or further afield. Translation dictionary at the ready. Bad Language is at The Castle Hotel, Manchester, every last Wednesday of the month badlanguagemcr.com For more on local spoken word and live lit events, check our monthly Book Highlights column at theskinny.co.uk/books

THE SKINNY

Book Highlights As August brings the last of the summer’s festivals, this month’s literature picks focus on all things musical, plus David Mitchell makes an appearance in Liverpool

J and author Dave Haslam launches his new book Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs & Music Venues in Manchester on 16 Aug. DJing more than 450 times at Manchester’s iconic Haçienda nightclub in its late 1980s heyday, Haslam is a legend of the ‘Madchester’ music scene. Having explored the city’s radical and musical heritage in his book Manchester, England, Haslam’s latest title is a broad history of Britain’s significant venues and nights: from Victorian dance halls through to the venues behind The Beatles and the Sex Pistols. Haslam is in conversation with an impressive panel, featuring drummer Bruce Mitchell (The Durutti Column), DJ Graeme Park (Haçienda), Kath McDermott (Flesh/HomoElectric) and musician Pete Wylie (Wah!). The launch will be followed by a DJ set in Manchester’s newest interdisciplinary arts centre, HOME, a stone’s throw from the Haçienda building itself. With their tenth festival just around the corner, Manchester Literature Festival have co-commissioned a bold multimedia work with Manchester Jazz Festival (now in its 20th year). An Ape’s Progress brings together three artists,

each established in their own field, to celebrate the anniversaries of both festivals. Irish poet Matthew Sweeney is joined by saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy along with Dave McKean, an artist and filmmaker, to combine words, music and visual art for the unique commission. The piece premieres at the Royal Northern College of Music on 6 Aug. The distinction between poetry and music has become increasingly ambiguous, with artists like Kate Tempest being nominated for last year’s Mercury prize after winning the Ted Hughes poetry award in 2012. Mixing stanzas and melodies, two hotly tipped spoken word artists are pushing poetry’s boundaries at music festivals across the Northwest this August. Listed fifth in the BBC’s Sound of 2015, George the Poet is an act not to be missed by literature lovers at this year’s Leeds Festival. Dubbed the ‘hippest poet in Britain,’ George Mpanga started out rapping before deciding to use his poetry as a force for social change. His powerful performances have already landed him more YouTube views than the Poet Laureate, as well as a nomination for this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards at the BRITs.

George the Poet

Elsewhere, Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) welcomes spoken word duo SPXKEN to their Summer Jam event this month. Citing influences from Kanye West to T.S. Eliot, Teesoulful and Jayyangelo combine their poetry with hip-hop, R&B, gospel and house. The pair were chosen as part of LIMF’s Academy programme, which seeks to develop emerging young musical talent in Merseyside. You heard them here first. Finally, the hugely popular and critically acclaimed author David Mitchell will be discussing his latest novel, The Bone Clocks, in Liverpool on 13 Aug. The Southport-born writer is best known for his book Cloud Atlas, which was made into a feature film starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent in 2012. Longlisted for both the Man Booker Prize (2014) and The Folio Prize (2015), The Bone Clocks tells the story of its protagonist, Holly Sykes, through Mitchell’s characteristically experimental form: the novel

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Requiem for a Soldier

The Bride Stripped Bare

Us Conductors

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By Sean Michaels

By Oleg Pavlov

By Rachel Kendall

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We must declare a conflict of interests here. Author Sean Michaels was, once upon a time, a writer for The Skinny, so a sense of solidarity has us willing a good write-up for his Giller Prize winning (Canada’s Booker) debut novel Us Conductors even upon cracking the cover. The problem evaporates as the pages that follow prove to contain an enticing, cross-continental escapade buzzing with the electric energy of the Jazz Age. So all’s well. Us Conductors is a version of the story of Lev Termen, inventor of the instrument that put the chill into countless sci-fi movie soundtracks, the theremin. It takes the real account of a life that was in no way short of excitement and inserts a few pulpier flourishes – a little kung-fu here, a murder or two there – to ramp it up into a really good time. It’s a romantic tale set in a highly romanticisable period and while the plot is a flurry of noise and motion under the big city lights, it also has a quiet, reflective side: though its story stands right in the middle of world history in one of its most tumultuous periods, the novel never loses track of the man at the centre of the madness. It’s the heartfelt humanity of Lev and the lens through which the novel views him that makes it so compelling. [Ross McIndoe] Out now, published by Bloomsbury, RRP £16.99

A grotesque, caricatural portrait of the last days of the Soviet Empire is offered by Pavlov in his latest work to be translated into English. Alyosha, a soldier who has completed his army service in a desolate land, is now serving in a military infirmary waiting to finally get ‘the finest steel tooth’ as an ‘eternal’ gift promised by his deaf commander. When he agrees to help a medical officer in a mysterious task, he ends up involved in a deathly journey that will lead to an unexpected outcome. Death, the human condition and the natural thirst for eternity are some of the main themes that emerge in a world populated by crazy doctors, opinionated drivers, drunken fathers and ravenous mice. An unordinary tale that, as with many of Russia’s finest novels, does not lack an interesting level of obscurity as well as deep introspection – seeming to reflect the author’s experience as a guard in a Kazakhstan military prison. Pavlov’s prose is graphic and powerful thanks to the fine translation of Anna Gunin. The descriptions of most characters are skilfully filled with tiny, significant details that tell us more about their inner selves. Requiem for a Soldier is the third volume of the award-winning thematic trilogy Tales from the Last Days, which includes Pavlov’s previous novels Captain of the Steppe and The Matiushin Case. [Vanessa Piras] Out now, published by & Other Stories, RRP £10

In the second of the 23 short stories of Rachel Kendall’s debut collection, a group of horror enthusiasts who have met on the internet gather to watch a body decay. Not satiated, the story’s protagonist is taken to a dog fight, and, still unmoved, to watch two men fight to the death, before he is made to observe a video of his own torture. The recommendations on the collection’s cover render the book “Disturbing!” and The Bride Stripped Bare is heavy going, with visceral, graphic depictions of violence, torture and extreme erotic fantasy. The collection’s cast are the disaffected, the alienated and the curious, who populate brothels cum laboratories, empty parking lots and sordid houses stained with bodily fluids. But dwelling for too long on the graphic nature of The Bride Stripped Bare does Kendall a disservice; this is a sophisticatedly rendered, confident debut. She writes with a cold lyricism and each of the stories, whether one page or five, is well-paced and tightly controlled. Her work, with a nod to Georges Bataille, ties the literary, the bodily and the vulgar. The Suicide Room depicts a potentially fatal search for personal enlightenment and has a skilfully implied horror. Eat Me, Eat Me is an Angela Carter style reworking of Red Riding Hood, with the girl ultimately copulating with the wolf. And the most memorable, IIIVVWVVIIIVV, is a single page, notable among Kendall’s otherwise terse prose for its stream of consciousness style, the meaning of its narrative chillingly oblique. [Abby Kearney]

is split into six parts, each telling a different chapter of Holly’s life through multiple genres and points of view. Fans don’t have to wait long for the next instalment. Slade House, a novella which began life on Twitter, is set to be published by Sceptre this autumn. Taking place in the same universe as The Bone Clocks, the book developed from a 280-tweet story known as The Right Sort. Expect another inventive, fantastical and gripping read. Dave Haslam: Life After Dark, HOME, Manchester, Sun 16 Aug, 8pm, £7, homemcr.org An Ape’s Progress: Manchester Jazz Festival, RNCM, Thu 6 Aug, 8pm, £17 (£7), manchesterjazz.com George the Poet, Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, 27-30 Aug, £66.50-£213.00, leedsfestival.com SPXKEN at LIMF Summer Jam, Sefton Park, Liverpool, 27-31 Aug, free, limfestival.com An Evening with David Mitchell, Oh Me Oh My, Liverpool, Thu 13 Aug, 6.30pm, £7 (£5), waterstones.com/events

Diary of a Hyperdreamer Vol. 2 By Bill Nelson

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A musician’s autumn years are seldom as interesting as their first flush of success, with all the pitfalls that go with it. Now that Bill Nelson, mastermind of 70s art rockers Be Bop Deluxe, can finally set his eyes on retirement, he’s keen to organise his recent past as neatly as possible. Hyperdreamer Vol.2 settles on a run of diary entries from 2005-2006, recording the reflections of a man up to his neck in nostalgic quicksand. The passages were initially meant for users of his Dreamsville website, as a reward for their fandom. Throughout the book, it’s heartening to see how busy the middle-aged Nelson is: conventions, records and professional favours swamp his thoughts on love and life, and his panic over making essential music in spite of the selfish world he’s appeared to have landed in. Despite wondering that we’re all “grasping, filching, fiddling while Rome burns,” dues are paid to other survivors of a once vibrant British pop scene – one of whom, Nelson’s brother Ian, sadly died during the writing of these memoirs. His loss is shatteringly close to the message of instinct and individualism Nelson brings up between accounts of his days, giving his prosaic grumbles (A bathroom suite doesn’t arrive! His studio has no air conditioning!) space to steam. Still, he’s an engaging character, ripe with energy and self-deprecation. If you’re interested in how to manage the strands of a creative twilight, you’ll eat it up. [Joshua Potts] Out now, published by Pomona, RRP £9.99

Out now, published by Dog Horn Publishing, RRP £9.99

August 2015

BOOKS

Review

Photo: Thurston Redding

Words: Alice Horne

MIF15: wonder.land

MIF15: The Skriker

Palace Theatre

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Royal Exchange Theatre

Much of the publicity leading up to this Manchester International Festival production leaned heavily on the play’s global warming themes, but there’s much more here to chew on. The Skriker appears to feed off mankind’s destructive emotions: greed, selfishness, anger. When the mood takes her, she can shine riches upon you – at one point, she makes gold coins pour from Lily’s mouth. To those out of her favour, however, she brings misery – when Josie rejects the Skriker she begins coughing up toads. In this age of austerity and social inequality, an anti-capitalism subtext makes for a more compelling reading. Churchill’s play is also a beautiful study in the intensity of teenage female friendship. The two girls care deeply for each other, they may even be willing to die to protect one another, but this bond is sullied by competitiveness and jealousy. Laura Elsworthy and Juma Sharkah, as Josie and Lily, add a warmth and a vulnerability to counter Peake’s hard edges. [Jamie Dunn]

It is notoriously difficult to represent the virtual world in physical art. A new musical scored by Damon Albarn, wonder.land, succeeds partly because its vision of cyberspace is bright and boisterous, borrowing more from platform-game aesthetics than frictionless 4G, and because it is – unexpectedly – very funny. National Theatre director Rufus Norris and lyricist Moira Buffini have upgraded Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland to the titular ‘wonder-dotland,’ an online role playing game that frustrated teenager Aly (Lois Chimimba) accesses via smartphone app. Populated by other insecure outcasts masquerading as ragdoll rabbits, dodos and mock turtles, and presided over by an emojilike Cheshire cat, it soon becomes an addictive escape from her bumpy home life and bullying at school. When her phone is confiscated by her headteacher, Ms Manxome (Anna Francolini), Aly must find the confidence to rescue her beloved avatar from its new, malevolent user. Hooking up Carroll’s theme of ruptured identity to the internet’s potential for self-reinvention, Norris and Buffini are able to refract the original, iconic Alice into multiple mirror images. There’s our protagonist, Aly, and the idealised but bland digital Alice she builds: blonde-haired, blue-eyed and slim; personality, “the kind that people like.” Initially, Alice (Rosalie Craig) is an absurd confection, tottering Sim-like around the

wonder.land is at the National Theatre, London, from 27 Nov

Photo: Brinkhoff Moegenburg

The Skriker opens with a verbal assault. In some nightmarish netherworld, the title character, played by a pixie-haired, wild-eyed Maxine Peake, delivers a baffling soliloquy of fierce intensity. She speaks in cut-up poetics – a dizzying Dadaist language that would make Beckett or Burroughs proud. “Weeps seeps deeps her pretty puff cream hole in the heart operation,” is a typical Skriker line. It’s not clear if this is meant to make any sense, but one thing’s for sure: Peake means every syllable. Things get more lucid in the next act. We learn the Skriker is an eons-old fairy with a sadistic side. She gets a kick out of snuff movies, motorway pileups and natural disasters. At the start of the play she’s already corrupted one innocent, Josie, a young mum who’s serving time in an asylum after seemingly murdering her child while under the Skriker’s influence, and the mythical being has her sights set on beguiling another target: Lily, Josie’s best friend, who is heavily pregnant. Peake’s malevolent creature is dazzlingly seductive, taking on many forms, from a loudmouth businesswoman in sunglasses to an old crone laden with shopping bags, to a needy orphaned child who wants Lily to take her home. These transformations are achieved by Peake simply changing jackets. Director Sarah Frankcom’s in-the-round staging of Caryl Churchill’s dark fairytale is bracing, set low in the bowels of the Royal Exchange Theatre. Two thirds of the audience look down on the debauched action, while the other third is in among it, sat at long wooden tables which Peake and her fellow players skip across with surefooted vigor. We are part of the audience at stage level, close enough to see the bruises and scratches on Peake’s limbs from throwing herself around the deck.

Photo: Jonathan Keenan

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stage in towering anti-gravity heels and a cobaltblue tutu; later, she becomes vulnerable to hijacking by Manxome – also called Alice, and this production’s Queen of Hearts – who is hell-bent on painting the roses red with pixellated blood. A lot of this is either achieved or enhanced by quite stunning projection work from 59 Productions, which risks dwarfing the action on stage. However, the costuming is more than a match for the technical wizardry, and some of the ensemble pieces attain a wonderful lightheadedness, in particular the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which is reimagined as a sort of hysterical pileup of cupcakes and LOLcats. It doesn’t all work. The story needs more bite – the braying tenor of the bullying feels dated, and its mode of display is less sinister than it could be. As comparison, effective scenes in recent TV dramas Cyberbully and Russell T. Davies’s Banana spring to mind, where the rapid accretion of chat boxes and notifications created a nauseating claustrophobia. Elsewhere, the Uni Lad Tweedledum and Tweedledee are a bit of a misfire (although they’re pretty accurate as comment-box morons), and the dialogue around the overlap between life online and ‘IRL’ is overstated. This is a kid-friendly production, however, so the signposting can be forgiven – and what it might lack in profundity it certainly makes up for in visual candy. [Lauren Strain]

MIF15: Neck of the Woods HOME

MIF15: Tree of Codes Opera House

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Tree of Codes does what Manchester International Festival does best: bring together several interesting artists and set them loose on an unusual project, in this instance a ballet based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book of the same title. MIF’s crack team here includes choreographer Wayne McGregor, artist Olafur Eliasson and composer Jamie xx, and the resulting ballet is exciting and mesmerising but, like the book itself, ultimately unknowable. The production starts with the dancers – made up of performers from McGregor’s own company and the Paris Opera Ballet – taking the stage in black body suits studded with lights, rather like those used in motion capture for CGI characters. As the performers move, the lights change in synchronicity, creating elegant patterns in the air. After this brief introduction things take on a more recognisable form, with dancers performing in a mixture of contemporary and ballet styles. They leap, intertwine and escape from one another, but to quite what purpose remains unclear. In fact, for the remaining hour of the ballet there are few stylistic changes, with the opening blacked-out sequence remaining the most memorable.

Review

What does change, though, is the set. Based on a complex series of mirrors, Eliasson’s design allows the dancers to dance with themselves, their reflections stretching off into infinity. Windows slowly open and panels rotate within the stage, creating holes and gaps similar to those in Foer’s novel (which was made by cutting out words from Bruno Schulz’s book The Street of Crocodiles). The stage is bathed in red and blue light, which refracts and reflects as the glass panels swing into motion. A spotlight roams the audience at various points, allowing people to see themselves reflected in the mirror at the back of the stage – a rather unnerving experience for some, judging by the embarrassed looks on their faces. Jamie xx’s music thuds along pleasantly enough, with rising and falling piano and organ that would make a great soundtrack to a new-age religious ceremony. It fits well with the choreography, and supports the spectacular staging without being too intrusive. By the end I find my energy flagging – it is hard to stay engaged for 75 minutes of anything without narrative, no matter how impressive. But, as previously stated, this is the kind of work MIF does well: art for art’s sake. [Andrew Anderson]

Prior to the performance of Neck of the Woods, an announcement is made that anyone uncomfortable with complete darkness should leave the auditorium. The audience initially responds to this with scepticism, but amusement shifts when the theatre descends into darkness and the uncomfortably loud sound of a huntsman chopping wood – his chopping and breathing becoming increasingly erratic and frantic – seems to last for an eternity. This is an eerie and deeply disturbing opening; the theatre feels completely empty and the unpleasant raid of the senses feels torturous. A collaboration between Turner Prizewinning artist Douglas Gordon, pianist Hélène Grimaud, Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir and actor Charlotte Rampling, Neck of the Woods juggles the familiar and unfamiliar in fragments of language, music and theatre. The production is much more a performance piece than a play. Various literary representations of the wolf, notably Sigmund Freud’s Wolf Man, Little Red Riding Hood and Angela Carter’s erotic The Company of Wolves, are recounted and added to as Rampling jumps between storyteller and frightened girl, who has been abandoned by her father. Unfortunately, the tension created by the first act is immediately lost amid the montage of disjointed images and mixed metaphors – and the various shock and awe tactics, the Miltonesque darkness of the opening passage and the transformation of the stage into a winter scene fail to be reconciled into a cohesive whole. Every time the piece engages with an interesting idea – the wolf as an analogy for threatened masculinity or the sensory process of memory (a theme across Gordon’s oeuvre) – the thought is interrupted and reduced by a competing

THEATRE

Photo: Ninon Liotet

Photo: Ravi Deepres

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element of the jigsaw. The continuous troughs and peaks are perhaps most evident in the odd use of a limp wolf teddy, which Rampling carries around the stage, serving to wholly minimise the presence of the wolf. Why spend an hour exploring the myth, enigma and complexity of the wolf, only to present the creature this way? Grimaud’s performance of Schumann and Rachmaninoff is enthralling, but remains unmatched by the other elements of the piece; Rampling is shamefully underused and any emotional momentum that she builds seems to be diminished by the proceeding set pieces. Veronica Gonzalez Peña’s script, an adaptation of Freud’s Wolf Man, desperately needs some of the choppy cadence and tenacity of Carter’s interpretation. Neck of the Woods is little more than a sheep in wolf’s clothing, its stylised interludes never matched by sustained emotional substance or intensity. [Holly Rimmer-Tagoe]

THE SKINNY

Spotlight: Foxdog Studios Self-proclaimed IT rock’n’roll consultants Peter and Lloyd combine ‘the two greatest arts of all time: music and computer programming’. And LOLs, of course

Another Great Season of Comedy at the Brindley

Interview: John Stansfield Illustration: Callum Scott-Dyson

Cheshire’s Award Winning Venue Only 25 mins from Chester, 20 mins from Liverpool, 30 mins from Manchester. Good road and rail links. FREE PARKING

Hardeep Singh Kohli Bigmouth Strikes Again Friday 4 September | 8pm | Studio | £12

uch is the excess of Manchester-based Foxdog Studios’ setup that the chances to see them gig are few and far between. They’ve even started gigging in their own home/office as it already has a great soundsystem and knows all their specifications. Genuine IT consultants, they moonlight as rock’n’rollers with a knack for computers, though that description does them a great disservice as they both have firsts in Computer Science. They know a lot about what makes digital things happen, basically. After getting caught up in the quagmire of ‘Cowgateheadgate’ (don’t ask), they now have an after-midnight show at the Fringe that will showcase their love of algorithms and power chords. Influences: “Comedy: The Muppets, Spongebob Squarepants, Vic and Bob. Games: Cosmo Wright, Double Fine. Music: Cyndi Lauper, Manowar, Mel Samba, Tenacious D. Software engineering: Andrew Ng, Doug Schmidt, m0xie.” First gig: “10th August 2013 at Fuel cafe’s open mic. We played Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Goofy Goober Rock. A promoter saw and booked us ten minutes into our career (we received no further bookings for a year).” Best gig: “Edinburgh Fringe 2014. An act in our venue was so popular that people would watch the show before to get seats for the next. When the preceding act had a day off we seized the candlestick of opportunity like a 19th-century landlord inspecting his property. We filled their slot with a show that no one asked for, expected, and in some cases liked. After the gig, the success was quantifiable: two new Twitter followers.” Worst gig: “June 2014, Fuel cafe open mic: The Bluetooth Incident aka The World’s Largest Theremin. In theory, we change pitch of a synthesizer by moving the audiences’ Bluetooth devices towards and away from each other. No matter where we moved, only a single, long, annoying note droned out of the speakers. It went so badly it became an art installation.”

Circuit favourites in the Northwest: “The open mic legends: Big Star Trek man (name unknown). Krazy Horse with his itchy, bare feet. Quiet keyboard guy with hat, scarf and invisible keyboard (name unknown). Synthesizer fish bloke (name unknown): for his song about how fish are changing gender due to hormone pollution.”

August 2015

Favourite venue: “Fuel cafe in Withington. You can rearrange the furniture in the performance space (upstairs), and there are plenty of wall sockets.” “Also they have a Yamaha MG16 mixing desk, which is a personal favourite.” (Peter)

Manford’s Comedy Club Thursday 10 September | 8pm | Studio | £15

Best heckle: “Compere: If you could have any job what would it be? Audience member: Cure meats. Voice in the back: *long groan* Cheshire Smokehouse.”

Chris Ramsey’s All Growed Up

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing standup? “Air crash investigator with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).” (Peter) “Pub quiz champion.” (Lloyd) If you could be haunted by anyone, who would it be and why? “The ghost of an accountant whose primary method of haunting is to order our receipts chronologically.”

Monday 21 September | 8pm | Theatre | £17.50

Manford’s Comedy Club Thursday 8 October | 8pm | Studio | £15

If you were on death row, what would your last meal be? And why are you on death row? “Repeated failure to submit our realtime PAYE filings by the 5th of the month. Our last meals would require, but be missing, sage (that’s one for the accountancy fans).” What’s the largest animal you think you could beat in a fight? No weapons. “Empirically, blue whale is the best answer. If the fight occurs in the animal’s habitat, victory would be impossible. However in a standard arena, you could dispatch a beached blue whale by waiting for it dry out. But this would be a PR nightmare: there’d be mean tweets about us. Instead, we’d have to batter something that people could get behind, like a wasp.”

Lee Nelson – Suited and Booted Monday 19 October | 7.30pm | Theatre | £20

Andrew O’Neill – Heavy Metal – a History Thursday 22 October | 8pm | Studio | £12

Question from past Spotlighter Kiri PritchardMclean: If you could change an aspect of the comedy circuit, what would it be? “The comedy circuit is like an electrical circuit with a ground loop. The path to earth has a nonzero resistance and acts a voltage divider between two otherwise independent subcircuits. A currency follows between the two, creating noise. I’d remove the resistance to ground so that both subcircuits can operate without affecting each other.” Foxdog Studios are at the Edinburgh Fringe, Cowgatehead, 8-27 Aug, 12.15am foxdogstudios.com

COMEDY

Manford’s Comedy Club Thursday 12 November | 8pm | Studio | £15

The Brindley, High St, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 1BG Box Office: 0151 907 8360 Online: www.thebrindley.org.uk www.facebook.com/brindleyartscentre www.twitter.com/TheBrindley

Review

RESOURCE

Show Me the Money

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The Bluecoat

From tins of paint to a piracy library, the Bluecoat’s current exhibition, RESOURCE, brings together a host of divergent practices offering audiences a glimpse into the working life of the UK’s oldest art centre. This show is inspired by the organisation’s own history: the Bluecoat’s founding manifesto from 1927 states that it was set up to promote not only the arts, but also the “diffusion of useful knowledge,” which presented an interesting point of departure for curator Marie-Anne McQuay. The result is an exhibition that provides a platform to artists whose work suggests or subverts a practical purpose, exploring and playing with notions of what is useful. RESOURCE is a substantial exhibition spread across all of the Bluecoat’s gallery spaces. The ground floor’s Vide is occupied by the work of Anne Harild and Bluecoat’s own Blue Room – a group of artists with learning disabilities who practice at the Bluecoat weekly. Along with a series of delicate collages titled Dwellings, audiences can also view model prototype shelters, all of which highlight the many collaborations and ways of working taking place at the Bluecoat. Daniel Eatock’s Leftover Paint Canned produces a wry smile. Tins of paint are stacked in front of a wall painted in a questionable hue of purple. Upon closer inspection, the purple paint was mixed from all of the leftover paint found in the Bluecoat from previous exhibitions, so, all considered, it’s a rather nice shade. You can bag yourself a tin for the mere price of a photo – that is, a photo of said paint on your walls at home. We’re sure the artist’s tongue remains firmly in cheek, however, we’re left perplexed about what previous Bluecoat exhibitions featured red and blue walls. The standout work is The Piracy Project, by Eva Weinmayr and Andrea Francke. This

People’s History Museum

Simon Roberts - Credit Crunch Lexicon

Daniel Eatock - One + One

international project collects publications in which the originals have been altered in someway, the changes signposted by green index cards. For example, in a perspex case on the table is a bible with all of the letters except S, O, R and Y Tippexed out, aptly titled Sorry Bible by Willum Geerts. One reservation about RESOURCE is that there needs to be more information provided about some works to help let in audiences. While the seasoned gallery-goer may be comfortable in its abstract nature, others may be glad of a little more context to really engage. Striking the balance between explaining and spoon-feeding is tricky, and some pieces in RESOURCE do it better than others. That said, there is something new and fresh about this exhibition. With a new head of programmes, curator and rebranding to boot, perhaps RESOURCE signals a new direction for the Bluecoat, while cleverly giving a nod to its unique and valuable history. [Jade French] Runs until Sun 27 Sep, Free thebluecoat.org.uk

Win Tickets to Liverpool Psych Fest!

What is money? There’s a tenner and some coins on my desk – £14.20. With a few clicks, there’s my bank account. Some money can be seen, touched; some is intangible, beyond our reach. Now, what is finance? That’s a trickier question. Show Me the Money looks at how artists attempt to depict money, banking and finance through illustration, photography and digital media. It examines how money inspires creativity and how we use art to make statements and ask questions about our financial experiences. It also asks us to consider the real value of money. Looking back at that cash, what is £14.20 really worth? It could be exchanged for three pints of beer or two months of Netflix. That’s what the money is worth, but only in financial terms. Simon Roberts’s collage of images and words drawn from the media coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, Credit Crunch Lexicon, makes for an overpowering visitor experience, perhaps just as confusing as the event itself. In 2008 it seemed like every front page had a picture of a banker with their head in their hands – we all understood that. But the copy that sat alongside the pictures had many people unsure as to what was really happening. Beate Geissler’s huge photograph of computers from a bank’s trading floor, meanwhile, shows that so much of the world of finance isn’t controlled by people at

all – it’s left to software to make split-second calculations. Geissler’s image of abandoned screens sends us a warning that the future of our financial wellbeing might not be in our hands. However, this exhibition doesn’t pass judgement on banks or on bankers. For a long time, banking was seen as a safe and respected career – and for many it still is. A 1978 advert from TSB proudly heralds the new era of women owning their own chequebooks and, it is implied, their freedom. The exhibition opens in the week of the UK budget and a Greek referendum about a bailout package, and it’s pleasing that it features something current, with a replica of a work by Greece’s answer to Banksy, Stefanos. Stefanos takes bank notes, draws subversive images on them – stick-people jumping off buildings, nooses – and returns them to circulation. Whether he’s defacing or decorating money is left to your own judgement of what art might be. The juxtaposition of pieces like Stefanos’s bank notes with objects such as a ledger book from 1729 documenting a payday loan to writer Daniel Defoe is partly what makes this show meaningful. Struggling to feed your family when short of cash isn’t a new problem. [Steve Slack] Runs until Sun 24 Jan 2016, Free phm.org.uk

Win a Pair of VIP tickets to The Garden Party!

Roisin Murphy

Taking place on 25 and 26 September, Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia is Europe's leading celebration of psychedelic subculture: two days at Liverpool's Camp & Furnace packed with the finest sounds from the outer reaches of the vibrant contemporary psych scene. The congregation includes Spiritualized, Hookworms, The Heads, Factory Floor and Blanck Mass, plus label showcases, art installations, a record store and an exclusive artist residency with Anton Newcombe. This is the must-attend event in the psychedelia calendar. In the city the Guardian has called “the great psychedelic capital of Europe,” a vital underground scene becomes an international counter-cultural event.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, simply head across to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: Psych Fest artist-in-residence Anton Newcombe is frontman of which legendary psych band? a) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre b) The Peterloo Massacre c) The Brian Jonestown Massacre Competition closes midnight Sunday 30 August. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

Summer 2015 welcomes the return of The Faversham Garden Party, celebrating 10 years this August with an exceptional two day festival over the August bank holiday weekend (29-30 Aug) at the Tetley Brewery, Leeds. Partnered with some of the biggest brands in music including Sound Channel, The Warehouse Project, Canal Mills, Chibuku, Metropolis, Now Wave, Eat Your Own Ears and The Skinny, The Garden Party will host a plethora of live acts including Roisin Murphy and Little Dragon plus DJ acts including Kerri Chandler, Julio Bashmore and Joy Orbison. We’ve got a pair of VIP tickets for the whole weekend up for grabs. A VIP ticket means you get to enjoy queue jump, exclusive bar and restaurant access, and luxury toilet and vanity facilities.

For your chance to win, simply head across to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: How many years has the Garden Party been running for? a) 8 b) 10 c) 12 Competition closes midnight Tuesday 18 August. Entrants must be 18 or over. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions thegardenpartyleeds.com

liverpoolpsychfest.com

Review

ART / COMPETITIONS

THE SKINNY

Manchester Music Tue 28 Jul KAWEHI

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £16

Hawaiian singer/songwriter big on the catchy hooks and soul-baring lyrics. THE LEWIS HAMILTON BAND

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

BADLY DRAWN BOY BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:00–22:30, FROM £19.50

Bolton’s Damon Michael Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy, takes to the road to celebrate 15 years since his Mercury Award-winning debut LP The Hour Of Bewilderbeast. TOM BLACKWELL

GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £5

Family trio currently earning their stripes on the Scottish circuit, playing a mix of rock covers and original material.

The Bob Harris-endorsed folk singer songwriter returns to Manchester.

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £8

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

MICACHU AND THE SHAPES

The ever inventive pop artist returns with some suitably spangled new material. THE COSMONAUTS

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £8

Dynamic Edinburgh quartet riding along on 60s-tinged rock, dark beats and brooding electro cello. DELLA MAE

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £14

MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Manchester Jazz Festival returns for its 20th anniversary, with another internationallysourced lineup of diverse jazz delights, from GoGo Penguin to Terri Shaltiel. For detailed listings head to manchesterjazz.com.

Sat 01 Aug

CHARLIE COOPER & THE CC’S

Grammy nominated all-female Boston bluegrass ensemble.

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £16

THE FRANKLYS

SOULFLY

The Phoenix metallers continue to channel unbridled rage through a cacophony of thrash guitars, grooves, tribal polyrhythms and Max Cavalera’s thunderous roar.

Wed 29 Jul

THE GORIES (THE HIPSHAKES + THE FRUIT TONES)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £15

American garage rock trio on the go since 1986. THE EARLIES

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, £12.50

Neo-psych lullabies produced on both sides of the Atlantic. KYLA BROX

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

UK-based blues and soul singer/ songwriter, redefining her sound as a duo performance, joined by Danny Blomeley on guitar.

Thu 30 Jul

JAMIE BROWNFIELD QUARTET

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–00:30, FREE

A mix of bebop, mainstream swing and New Orlean’s funk from British Jazz Award up-and-comer, Jamie Brownfield. THE SLOVAKS

KRAAK, 19:30–22:30, £5

Manchester’s garage rock trio The Slovaks headline bringing their suitable mucky riffs to a live stage once more.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (LITTLE ILLUSION MACHINE + TRAPPIST AFTERLAND + THE SISTERS + THE WOO WOO’S) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

Fri 31 Jul

PHRE THE EON (KANTEE)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £5

Experienced Indie rock funksters Phre the Eon fronted by Manchester born songwriter/ guitarist Gary Phethean. NEW YORK BRASS BAND

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

North Yorkshire’s only contemporary New Orleans inspired Brass Band. PIANO WIRE

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

Ex-members of the much-missed Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster get together for a new project of suitably raucous rock music. DARMA

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, FREE

Fuzzy grunge types.

THE DANDY WARHOLS

THE RITZ, 18:30–22:00, £15

The perennial psych-rockers return to the UK promising hits old and new.

August 2015

The vocalist returns with her eight-piece band. THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

Multi-national garage rockers hailing from exotic places like New York, Lidköping and, uhh, Milton Keynes. BOX SOCIAL (HAPPY MEALS + PETRELS + GREY HAIRS + FROM THE KITES OF SAN QUENTIN + MORE)

KLONDYKE BOWLS CLUB, 14:00-00:00, £10

Mon 03 Aug WILLIE WATSON

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £13

The Manchester Jazz Festival returns for its 20th anniversary, with another internationallysourced line-up of diverse jazz delights, from Gogo Penguin to Terri Shaltiel. For detailed listings head to www.manchesterjazz.com.

LUNA

BAD RELIGION

THE RITZ, 19:00–23:00, £18.50

Punk rock with teeth; formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, and known for their soaring three-part vocal harmonies and intellectual lyrics. KATE VOEGELE (TYLER HILTON)

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Cleveland Ohio pop artist comes to the UK. MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Tue 04 Aug N’FALY KOUYATE

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, FREE

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £18

A grand finale to mark the end of The Hallé summer concerts. RISING (DESERT MOUNTAIN + HELICON + MORE)

GULLIVERS, 14:00–02:00, £9

An evening of works performed by rising star of British South Asian Dance, Aakash Odedra, featuring solos choreographed by Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and Odedra himself. PEPE RIVERO TRIO

ALBERT SQUARE, 15:00–17:00, FREE

Part of the ‘new generation’ of Cuban musicians who’ve had their breakthrough in the international jazz scene, composer and pianist Rivero brings his trio to town. MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Sun 02 Aug ADORE DELANO

THE RITZ, 20:00–23:00, £30

The RuPaul’s Drag Race and American Idol contestant plays a full band set. THE SMITH STREET BAND

GULLIVERS, 19:00–22:00, £8

Melbourne-hailing folk-punk quartet. MISFITS

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £18.50

The longstanding American rock lot get back on the live circuit, playing a selection of horror and sci-fi hits from their bulging back catalogue. Most likely facepainted as skulls. MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £5

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £20

Back from hiatus, the American dream pop outfit alight in Manchester for the first time in over a decade.

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £7

THE HALLÉ: THE LAST NIGHT OF THE HALLÉ PROMS

POST WAR GLAMOUR GIRLS + DEPARTMENT M (EMPEROR ZERO)

The alternative Leeds quartet hit the road with dramatic synth-pop Yorkshire brethren Department M.

The ‘Jimi Hendrix of the kora’ comes to the UK . The long-time Afro Celt Sound System collaborator one of the most respected kora players in the world.

Rock’n’roll four-piece Gorilla Riot headline the night.

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

Founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Watson tours on his own playing American folk staples such as Midnight Special and Mexican Cowboy.

Bad Uncle and Grey Lantern team up for a third installment of music off the beaten tracks, with Night School’s Happy Meals and Denovalisigned live ambience from Petrels among the highlights. GORILLA RIOT

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (TIGERS OF PLUTO + NEON BEARS + CONNOR MOYLAN)

JON THORNE’S SUNSHINE BROTERS

Contemporary grooves from the Jon Thorpe led trio, playing songs from his most recent album, Watching the Well.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (SLIPSMITH & TWINE + WORKING CLASS + THE BINARY GIANT + CAL GUANT) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. JAMES GIRLING QUARTET

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 18:30–20:30, FREE

The quartet appear as part of Manchester Jazz Festival 2015. STUART MCCALLUM

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 20:00–22:30, £15

The Cinematic Orchestra guitarist showcases new material, no doubt skipping between beats, electronica, classical orchestration and jazz. SAMANTHA CRAIN

GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £8

The Oklahoma-residing singer/ songwriter navigates her American roots through song. AESTHETIC PERFECTION

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £14

Industrial electronic musical project created by the LA-based Daniel Graves back in 2000.

MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

The legendary Easy Star Records take their show on the road, with a triple bill of the latest reggae sounds. EFPI RECS + ONZE HEURES ONZE COLLECTIVES

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £8

Respected label showcase as part of the Manchester Jazz Festival.

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £7

GYPSIES OF BOHEMIA

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Foot stompin’ gypsy jazz.

THE MYNABIRDS (YOUNG WAR + ELLE MARY)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

Los Angeles pop rock and soul and, essentially the vehicle for the songwriting of Laura Burhenn.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (ELK + YOUNG MOUNTAINS + CHURCH PARTY + THE MIND AT LARGE) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. KALAKUTA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 18:30–20:30, FREE

The London afrobeat group play a free show as part of Manchester Jazz Festival. IAIN BALLAMY AND THE PEPPER STREET ORCHESTRA (MATTHEW SWEENEY + DAVE MCKEAN)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 18:30–20:30, £17

A new commission that sees Ballamy team up with Irish poet Sweeney and illustrator McKean to present a vivd audio visual experience for Manchester Jazz Festival. MORDRED

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £15

San Francisco-based thrash metal with added turntable action and the promise of funky basslines. HIDDEN CHARMS

EAGLE INN, 19:30–23:00, £6

The new four-piece play in support of their new single Dreaming of Another Girl. MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Fri 07 Aug LOVEBITE

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £5

BLOOD OR WHISKEY

Irish Celtic punk troupe who returned to the live circuit in 2012. THE JUGGERNAUT LOVE

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Aiming to bring love to a nation under the control of some seriously unfunky dudes, The Juggernaut Love Band have been tearing up the North East music scene since 2009 and bring the love to Manc.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (APOLLO DAWN + NIGHT PALMS + REDROOMS + THE SILENT HOUR) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

Wed 12 Aug HOLLYWOOD ENDING

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Young pop-rock scamps out for their final tour. SAMUEL C LEES

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Gypsy guitar playing, emerging as one of the leaders in the UK scene, playing a blend of originals and covers of modern classics. KONSTRUKT

ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–23:00, £8

Four 16 year-olds who cite Muse as an influence despite only being one year old when they released their debut album. Chillingly young.

Two sets from the cult Turkish jazz explorers KonstruKT grace the Mill tonight, with the highly-regarded group making their Northwest debut.

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £25

Thu 13 Aug

THE TUBES

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–22:30, £8

HANS PRYA

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £8

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £10

PAINTBOX FIRES (COMMON TREE FROGS + ROCK BOTTOM RISERS)

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, £6

Ten-piece genre-hopping band led by percussionist Felix Higginbottom.

MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

REGGAE SOUNDWAVES TOUR (PASSAFIRE + BACKBEAT SOUNDSYSTEM)

Sat 08 Aug

Thu 06 Aug

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Wed 05 Aug

Legendary San Franscisco rockers well-known for their 1975 smash White Punks on Dope and their theatrical live performances.

A Birmingham based band that combines sleaze, glam, metal and classic rock.

MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

GOLD JACKS

Black Keys influenced bluesy rock n’ roll which occasionally recalls Stereophonics Kelly Jones. Sorry about that. NICK CONN OCTET

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 18:30–20:30, FREE

The eight piece jazz group call in as part of Manchester Jazz Festival. ROBERT GLASPER TRIO

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 20:00–22:30, £20

The pianist, band-leader, composer, producer and all-round talented bugger plays in his acoustic piano trio format. THE SUGARHILL GANG

THE GET UP KIDS

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

The late 90’s American indie rockers return for a rare tour. KATCHAFIRE

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £17

The New Zealand-based roots/ reggae phenomenon cross hemispheres to the UK.

Fri 14 Aug

TERMINAL CHEESECAKE (THE ART OF BURNING WATER + KHUNNIT + BAD BODY + MORE)

ISLINGTON MILL, 20:00–02:00, £TBC

ALBERT SQUARE, 15:00–17:00, FREE

The Basque saxophonist comes up to the UK as part of the Manchester Jazz Festival. MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Sun 09 Aug

MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

Tue 11 Aug

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £10

Punk rockers from Wyoming formed in 2001 signed to Rise Records.

THE BOOGIE WILLIAMS TRIO GRANDE

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Boogie Williams is joined by Alan ‘The Hat’ Whitham on bass and Richard young on drums, playing soul jazz, boogie and 60s groove.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (KASPAR + THIS COUL KILL + THE PRIONS + CHINA TALKS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. FLOGGING MOLLY

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 20:00–23:00, £17.50

The seven-piece Irish punk band from Los Angeles take their fullblooded ditties on the road again. KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £12

The much-loved swing band call into town.

THE FLEX

KRAAK, 19:00–22:30, £6

Lockin’ Records signed hardcore punk types from the US.

Tue 18 Aug BLIND MONK TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Three Northwest musicians putting a fresh spin on the classic, chordless jazz trio format. PETER BRODERICK

INTERNATIONAL ANTHONY BURGESS FOUNDATION, 19:30–22:00, £12

Oregon-based muso with releases on the likes of Erased Tapes, Bella Union and Type, as well as collaborations with Efterklang and M.Ward (aka his reputation truly does precede him). JIMMY WHISPERS

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £4

The Chicago enigma comes across to the UK in a flurry of recent hype.

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

DEMONS OF RUBY MAE

The alternative folk duo hit the road again.

THE HOUGHTON WEAVERS

GORKA BENITEZ TRIO

Mon 17 Aug

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

A comedy folk band, keeping audiences amused with their family friendly anecdotes.

A weekend of scuzzy indie-pop taking place across two venues, Kraak and Islington Mill, with highlights including new Upset The Rhythm signings Pega Monstro.

Wed 19 Aug

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £22.50

THE PLAZA STOCKPORT, 19:30–22:30, FROM £11.25

VARIOUS VENUES, 13:30–23:00, £13.50 (£22 WEEKEND)

The avant-garde noise rockers return with more sonic malevolence.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (IN PIXELS + CASUAL AGENDA + DU DAUPHINE + PRESIDENT RAY-GUN)

The old school rap trio bring the ‘Rapper’s Delight’, playing a set full of hits and favourites.

MANCHESTER POPFEST (THE SCHOOL + PEGA MONSTRO + SLOWCOACHES + MORE)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

CAREFULLY PLANNED SOLOS (JUFFAGE + ROSALIE + THE GILDING + CHARLOTTE CANNON + MORE) FALLOW CAFE, 19:00–00:00, £4

A host of solo performers come to Fallow Cafe, as curated by the folks behind Carefully Planned Festival.

Sat 15 Aug PETER PERRETT

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £15

The former Only Ones front man and some-time pal of The Libertines heads out on tour.

PARTISAN (THE KAPTIVATOR + ELLIE BUTLER + BETH NICHOLSON)

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £12

Local showcase courtesy of Negart Records. TERRI SHALTIEL

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Terri Shaltiel returns to Manchester with her powerful and soulful voice, offering original 60s and 70s inspired sounds in the realm of Etta James and Roberta Flack.

MAN & THE ECHO (LUCKY T JACKSON + DANTEVILLES + LOUIE LOUIE) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:00–02:00, £5

Warrington group based around a vocalist who sounds not unlike Jarvis Cocker or Paul Heaton. ESPER SCOUT

FALLOW CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £4

The Leeds-based rockers make their return to Manchester.

WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?...THIS IS! (CHRIS POPE + SPEED OF SOUND)

THE KING’S ARMS, 21:00–23:30, £10 (£6)

The latest WTA? Night, which promises to reject corporate pop and revel in true independence.

STUART MCCALLUM RESIDENCY

Cinematic Orchestra guitarist trying out new material in the realm of beats, electronica, classical orchestration and jazz. IVAN OOZE AND KASPAR

KRAAK, 19:30–22:30, £3

The Austrialian rapper hits the UK.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (NO SUNLIGHT + SURROUNDED BY ANGELS + THE DISORDER + THE PRETTY DEAD) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. IN LIGHT OF SOUND

M3 7LW, 19:00-23:00, £4

An intriguing music lineup featuring French industrial-punk Terrine and visual art courtesy of Zoe Mclean, Rik Warren, Giedre Degutyte and Hannah Jeffs, taking place at the postcode of the old Sways Bunker.

Thu 20 Aug

JON CLEARY & THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £12

Born in England, bred in New Orleans, the pianist and vocalist brings his band to back to his place of birth. THE POLAR DREAM

KRAAK, 19:00–22:15, £6

The Mexico-based instrumental post-rockers make their way to the UK, telling their stories through sounds and textures. THE FALL OF TROY

GORILLA, 19:00–23:00, £13

The post-hardcore veterans who’ve been going at it for 12 years, in spite of front man Thomas Erak only just nudging the wrong side of 30.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (COMMONERS + ISLES + MAYFLOWER + HUSK) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

MANCHESTER POPFEST (THE SCHOOL + PEGA MONSTRO + SLOWCOACHES + MORE)

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

VARIOUS VENUES, 13:30–23:00, £13.50 (£22 WEEKEND)

Fri 21 Aug

A weekend of scuzzy indie-pop taking place across two venues, Kraak and Islington Mill, with highlights including new Upset The Rhythm signings Pega Monstro.

Sun 16 Aug

HALLÉ YOUTH ORCHESTRA

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–21:30, £10 (£5)

The Hallé Youth Orchestra, a group of musicians between the ages of 13-19 present a evening of Dvor&aacute;k and Shostakovich. SOJA

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £15

The Grammy-nominated reggae band who’ve been doing their thing since 1997.

NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, £SOLD OUT

Oregon-native born Nahko who originally drew influence from the likes of Conner Oberst and Bob Dylan.

RUM THIEF (SECOND HAND GUNS + UNO MAS + HIGH HORSES)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–23:00, £7

Solo garage rock from Chorlton.

Sat 22 Aug DANA ALI BAND

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–00:30, £5

Neo-soul group formed by husband and wife duo Dave Hewitt and Dana Ali.

FROM CARBON GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £8

Indie rock originating from the suburbs of Manchester. SARABETH (GLEN MITCHELL)

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £8

The American country singer crosses over to the UK.

WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?...THIS IS! (THE REMNANTS + SPEED OF SOUND)

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–23:00, £10 (£6)

The latest WTA? Night, which promises to reject corporate pop and revel in true independence.

Sun 23 Aug THE EX

ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–00:00, £9

The adventurous and inspiring Dutch punk/noise/jazz quartet who have defied categorisation for over 33 years.

RALPHSTOCK (SIXTY MINUTE MAN + PUSHER + DEJA VEGA + GREAT RECKONING + MORE) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 11:00–23:00, £8

Charity all-dayer with money going to Rethink Mental Illness.

Mon 24 Aug

YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £15

Globe-trotting, ten-piece ensemble, making highly progressive, energetic and riotous jazz. DEERHOOF

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £12

San Franciscan four-piece noise band, gradually evolving into something we’ve yet to identify or pin down, more’s the joy.

Tue 25 Aug

WILL REAGAN & UNITED PURSUIT

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £12

Musical collective from Knoxville with influences from gospel and folk. MICHAEL CRETU TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Known for weaving together contemporary, classical, folk and jazz styles, the internationally acclaimed musician and composer, Michael Cretu plays a special show as a trio. ACTION BEAT

ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–00:00, FREE

Multi-drum kit bashing noise rockers all sonically malevolent in their approach. CARDIKNOX

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £7

New York-based Cardiknox, the duo of Lonnie Angle and Thomas Dutton, bring their mix of classical training and punk sensibility to the UK.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (THE TAYLORS + PETER HANCOCK + LITTLE HERO + JAMES HORROCKS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. THE OFFSPRING

O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–23:00, £27.50

The veteran pop-punkers continue to try and turn back the clock to fondly remember days of wearing dubious Hawaiian shirts, three quarter lengths and soundtracking Sega Dreamcast games. FFS

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £27.50

Glasgow art rockers Franz Ferdinand and Los Angeles new wavers Sparks play tracks from their transatlantic new collaborative project.

Wed 26 Aug

YORKSTON THORNE KHAN

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £12

Following a 2012 experiment – where musicians from India and the UK were placed in a recording studio in Edinburgh for a week to come up with original songs – a trio of the artists unveil the fruits, amongst them Fife-dwelling folkie, James Yorkston. RATKING

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £8.50

NYC hip-hop trio made up of rappers Wiki and Hak and producer/ rapper Sporting Life. KYLA BROX

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

UK-based blues and soul singer/ songwriter, redefining her sound as a duo performance, joined by Danny Blomeley on guitar.

Listings

Manchester Music NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (THE WHITE CITY + JO JALEEL + SUDDEN SOUNDER + CLAIRE DELOON) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

Thu 27 Aug THE WINACHI TRIBE

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £5

“Imagine the psychedelic Funk of George Clinton oozing with the brooding menace of Massive Attack” supposedly. JAMIE BROWNFIELD QUARTET

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

A mix of bebop, mainstream swing and New Orlean’s funk from British Jazz Award up-and-comer, Jamie Brownfield. SAM WEAVER

ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–23:00, FREE

Liverpool Music

Manchester Clubs

Wed 29 Jul

Sun 09 Aug

Thu 27 Aug

Fri 31 Jul

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £12

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £12.50

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £15

BLUES PILLS

Swedish blues rock troupe who’ve previously supported Rival Sons.

Young pop-rock scamps out for their final tour.

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 19:30–23:00, £6

Tue 11 Aug

CLEAN CUT KID

New Liverpool band making waves after their debut single Vitamin C. BARS AND MELODY

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £20

Youngsters Leondre Devries and Charlie Lenehan (offa Britain’s Got Talent).

Thu 30 Jul

SOLSTAFIR (DIALECTS + ANTIMATTER)

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £12.50

The Icelandic metalheads brings their uniquely melodic brand of the heavy stuff to the UK.

Fri 31 Jul

The Mill resident and Tesla Tapes/ Tombed Visions recording artist presents a special live show.

COLLABORATION (THE POLYVELDTS + AFTER THE RUSH HOUR + INTERROBANG + SKYLIGHTS + THE BASEMENT EFFECT)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £8

Local unsigned showcase.

THE MOONLANDINGZ

An unholy and potentially calamitous union between members of the Fat White Family and the Eccentronic Research Council.

Fri 28 Aug THIRD WORLD

BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, FROM £18

The veteran reggae band from Jamaica bring a dose of summer sunshine with four decades worth of material to choose from. THE KVB + PINS + MENACE BEACH

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £5

Big triple headlining bill courtesy of Sailor Jerrys, with local postpunks Pins the chief interest.

Sat 29 Aug FRANKY EUBANK

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

A one-man blues explosion, Franny plays harmonica and sings the original Chicago blues. JOHN RUTTER

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 14:00–15:00, £10

Singers of all ages and experience are invited to join John Rutter in an exploration of his music and other favourites. INTERNATIONAL CHORAL GALA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC (RNCM), 19:45–22:00, £15

An evening of choral music performed by the Academic Students’ choir of the Ural Federal University, York University’s The 24, and Cambiata North West.

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:30–23:00, £4

THE FRANKLYS

BUMPER, 19:30–23:00, £5

Multi-national garage rockers hailing from exotic places like New York, Lindköping and, uhh, Milton Keynes.

Sat 01 Aug LIVERPOOL PRIDE

VARIOUS VENUES, 13:00–22:00, PRICES VARY

The sixth anniversary of the Liverpool Pride should be as colourful and celebratory as ever, with the ethos of the festival more community minded this year. Full details at www.liverpoolpride.co.uk.

Sun 02 Aug STRINGS AND THINGS

STUDIO 2, 19:00–23:45, £2

Stillhet Music return with their regular showcase.

Mon 03 Aug MARK LANEGAN

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Mr Lanegan brings his soulful baritone to bear, as the former Queens of the Stone Age collaborator continues a relentless touring schedule.

Thu 06 Aug LIVERPOOL LOVES

VARIOUS VENUES, 17:30–21:00, PRICES VARY

Sun 30 Aug

A brand new festival celebrating the culture of Liverpool through a series of talks, panels, musical performances, art, food and drink and more. Full details at www. liverpoolloves.co.uk.

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £13.50

Fri 07 Aug

DAWES

North Hills, Californian quartet of the Americana soul persuasion. BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL (THE NIGHTCREATURES)

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 20:00–00:00, FREE

The regular M+P bank holiday jazz special. NIGHT & ALLDAYER (SULK + HEY SHOLAY + TREMORS + MORE)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 15:00–23:00, £6

London psych pop-styled quintet Sulk headline an all-dayer of indie talent.

Mon 31 Aug SUFJAN STEVENS

O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–23:00, FROM £20

The mercurial solo artist takes to the road again, fresh from casually releasing yet another breathtaking addition to his canon, Carrie & Lowell.

Tue 01 Sep FUZZ

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £12.50

Ty Segall does Black Sabbathy riffs, which is totally fine with us.

HOLLYWOOD ENDING

LIVERPOOL LOVES

VARIOUS VENUES, 19:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

A brand new festival celebrating the culture of Liverpool through a series of talks, panels, musical performances, art, food and drink and more. Full details at www. liverpoolloves.co.uk. THE TWEED PROJECT

THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:30, £12

A newly formed folk outfit, combining the musical talents of English Folk Dui Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar with Scottish trio Mischa MacPherson, Innes White and Ali Levack.

Sat 08 Aug

BLACK DIAMOND (THE UNION DOLLS + RED DRUM CLUB) THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:30–23:00, £4

ARTHUR RUSSELL’S ‘INSTRUMENTALS’

THE KAZIMIER, 19:00–23:00, £15

A host of musicians who’ve previously featured in Arthur's Landing, The Modern Lovers, The Lounge Lizards and many others team up to perform Instrumentals, a cincert piece by Arthur Russell, 20 years after his death.

Thu 13 Aug

TOUCHE AMORE (LOMA PRIETA + DANGERS + NEWMOON)

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £12.50

LA-based post-hardcore rock quintet, led by vocalist Jeremy Bolm.

Fri 14 Aug BLACK UHURU

THE KAZIMIER, 19:30–23:00, FROM £10

Reggae band par excellence return to Manchester for a August bank holiday weekend special, bringing the sound of Kingston, Jamaica along for the ride.

Sat 15 Aug

THE SPRINGTIME ANCHORAGE

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:30–23:00, £7.50

The folk-influenced local fourpiece celebrate the release of their latest EP.

Sun 16 Aug

THE FALL OF TROY (ROLO TOMASSI + CHON) O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £14

The post-hardcore veterans who’ve been going at it for 12 years, in spite of front man Thomas Erak only just nudging the wrong side of 30. TRIO UROBORO

THE KAZIMIER GARDEN, 14:00–17:00, FREE

Varying forms of jazz and European improv goes into the melting pot of this three-piece.

Mon 17 Aug A WILHELM SCREAM

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £12

The melodic hardcore veterans from Massachusetts return to the UK. HALESTORM

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Hard rockin’ American quartet led by feisty vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale.

La-based, uhh, ‘indietronic’ outfit signed to caffeinated-drink brand Red Bull which probably explains WHY THEY WRITE THEIR NAME ALL IN CAPS. THE REVOLUTION WILL BE LIVE: A TRIBUTE TO GIL SCOTT-HERON

ST GEORGE’S HALL, 18:00-22:00, £18

An evening of celebration around the life of Gil Scott-Heron, with Talib Kweli and Aswad among the many artists paying live homage to the legendary songwriter.

Fri 28 Aug

LIVERPOOL FROM NEW YORK AND BEYOND

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 18:30–22:30, £10

As part of the Music Migrations themed commissions for Liverpool International Music Festival, the Routes Jukebox live show retraces the key influencing records that came to Liverpool from the US.

Sat 29 Aug

THE NEW SOUL MESSENGERS

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:30–23:00, £4

A mass collective from Ashton dealing in - you’ve guessed it - a big helping of soul music. WIGAN LIVE

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–23:00, FREE

The not-for-profit music festival returns with a genre-spanning line-up for a third year: more info at wiganlivefestival.com. LIMF SUMMER JAM

SEFTON PARK, 13:00–21:00, FREE

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £17

The drummer of the 70’s rockabilly Americans goes it alone.

Thu 20 Aug IZEM

KAZIMIER GARDEN, 20:00-23:00, £3

The Portuguese beat-maker takes inspiration from Latin and African strands of groove-driven music for a suitably sun-kissed sound.

Fri 21 Aug THE KOOKS

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Tousled-haired Brighton scamps with a kit-bag of guitar-based pop offerings, if anyone’s still listening? THE HOUGHTON WEAVERS

THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:30, £12.50

A comedy folk band, keeping audiences amused with their family friendly anecdotes.

Sat 22 Aug

LIVERPOOL LOVES

Local unsigned showcase.

VARIOUS VENUES, 10:00–22:00, PRICES VARY

Sun 23 Aug

UPSURGE!

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £9

BAILEY MCCONNELL

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £15

Teen songwriter with more than 12 million Youtube hits and 600,000 followers which is, quite frankly, more than we ever had at his age.

Listings

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, FROM £7.50

Amen-infused breakcore-inspired music. TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs.

VIBE OUT RECORDS LAUNCH PARTY (CYPHER + KING P + DECUS + BROTHER SMOKES + MORE) KRAAK, 23:00–04:00, £10

Cypher comes backed by a sixteen piece orchestra as part of this huge Vibe Out Records launch party. PACEMAKER

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Monthly rock’n’roll club night hosted by Two Weeks Running. FAC FRIDAY

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

HIT & RUN (STRAY + DRAE DA SKIMASK + SKITTLES + BLACK JOSH +MORE ) ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–03:00, FROM £3

The drum ‘n’ bass return for a special summer party.

Sun 30 Aug

Rebel Music’s Jacob Coid supplies an unpredictable mix of his leftof-centre collection, featuring Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop Dogg, Bowie to the Beastie Boys and anything in between.

WIGAN LIVE

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–23:00, FREE

The not-for-profit music festival returns with a genre-spanning line-up for a third year: more info at wiganlivefestival.com. LIMF SUMMER JAM

SEFTON PARK, 13:00–21:00, FREE

Free three-day multi-stage extravaganza of music featuring headliners Katy B, Basement Jaxx and Echo & The Bunnymen alongside a host of local music talent. SA TO UK (KOF + MORE)

DISTRICT, 19:30–01:00, FREE

KOF headlines this Liverpool International Music Festival commission. LIMF SUMMER JAM

SEFTON PARK, 13:00–21:00, FREE

Free three-day multi-stage extravaganza of music featuring headliners Katy B, Basement Jaxx and Echo & The Bunnymen alongside a host of local music talent.

Manchester Clubs Thu 30 Jul

GOLD TEETH: GARAGE & GRIME SPECIAL

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £5

All your favourite garage and grime from the Gold Teeth crew. F//CK

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. KEIRAN SHARPLES

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Motown, hip hop, indie and some old skool classics thrown in for good measure.

AMENTED (COUNTERSTRIKE + THE TEKNOIST)

Free three-day multi-stage extravaganza of music featuring headliners Katy B, Basement Jaxx and Echo & The Bunnymen alongside a host of local music talent.

Mon 31 Aug SLIM JIM PHANTOM OF THE STRAY CATS

Local four-piece fond of catchy riffs and heavy breakdowns apparently.

A brand new festival celebrating the culture of Liverpool through a series of talks, panels, musical performances, art, food and drink and more. Full details at www. liverpoolloves.co.uk.

AWOLNATION

JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Sat 01 Aug FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. MR SCRUFF KEEP IT UNREAL

BAND ON THE WALL, 22:00–03:00, £12

DJ set from the musical mastermind, known for mixing a junkshop bag of sounds and bringing his beats to life with squiggly, scribbled animations. GIRLS ON FILM

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a monthly club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose.

FAC 51: THE HACIENDA (DANNY TENAGLIA + FRANCOIS K + MIKE PICKERING + JUSTIN ROBERTSON + MORE) ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £20

All the usual old lads return playing all the usual old lads tunes from back in the day. Expect bucket hats. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. KEIRAN SHARPLES

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Motown, hip hop, indie and some old skool classics thrown in for good measure.

Fri 07 Aug

GOOD GATHERINGS (REBEKAH)

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, £8

A CLR artist, Rebekah has already been accepted into Chris Liebling's fold, and found her place by mixing a compilation using the back catalogue of CLR music under the Reconnected Series as well as her first EP on this influential label. TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs. THE DOG HOUSE

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

Alternative rock and metal night. HIGHER GROUND

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

The sounds of the 60’s from Motown to rock ‘n’ roll.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE FREE PARTY

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11:45PM

The Gorilla residents come together for their regular free party! FAC FRIDAY

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

TIM WRIGHT

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

New Saturday resident bringing the dancefloor classics all night long.

COWBELL ALL-DAYER (A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE) ANTWERP MANSION, 14:00–04:00, FROM £27

Another mammoth 12 hour long party put together by Cowbell Radio, with A Love From Outer Space topping the bill. CLINT BOON

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon.

STUART RICHARDS

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

ATLUS PROJECT MANCHESTER WITH EXHIBIT FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST (JEY KURMIS + NEWBIE NERDZ + ADAM MARTIN )

SOUTH, 23:00–05:00, £8

Record label owned by Lee M Kelsall, Thee Cool Cats and Sean Roman presents a showcase party. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Rebel Music’s Jacob Coid supplies an unpredictable mix of his leftof-centre collection, featuring Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop Dogg, Bowie to the Beastie Boys and anything in between.

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs. BREAK STUFF

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £3

Playing exactly the sort of music you’d expect from a night named after a Limp Bizkit song. CRASH THE WEDDING

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £3

All party, no bullshit night of everything from classic hip-hop to disco and funk.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms.

TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3

Where the DJ is set to wedding reception tunes every. Single. Night.

F//CK

FACTORY SATURDAYS

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound.

FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Thirdeye bring more house, tech house and techno to the JB basement, with Italian do Di Chiara Brothers headlining.

The very finest in 70’s Glam Rock and Pop.

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three.

DJ Caspa drops in, bringing with him 25 years of house and techno experience.

THIRDEYE (CRISTOPH) (DI CHIARA BROTHERS)

JOSHUA BROOKS, 22:00–04:00, FROM £7

Thu 06 Aug

ISLINGTON MILL, 14:00–00:00, £TBC

DJ CASPA

Sat 08 Aug

Fri 14 Aug

GOO

Monthly club night tribute to 90s indie – expect Pulp, Nirvana, Suede, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and more. YOUSEF

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

The house aficionado drops in for a summer set. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound. TIM WRIGHT

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

New Saturday resident bringing the dancefloor classics all night long. GRAND THEFT AUDIO & VOID PRESENT NOTHING TO LOSE + ANDY SINISTER (TOTAL RECALL + INTRAPSEKT + ATOMIK TAGS + MORE) ANTWERP MANSION, 21:00–04:00, PRICES VARY

Nothing To Lose (aka James Galloway) and Andy SinisterRecords McVicker combine forces and throw an epic joint birthday bash for themselves. CLINT BOON

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

JUICY

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

FAC FRIDAY

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Rebel Music’s Jacob Coid supplies an unpredictable mix of his leftof-centre collection, featuring Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop Dogg, Bowie to the Beastie Boys and anything in between.

Sat 15 Aug

HAUS22 + SECRETE PRESENTS: DALE HOWARD

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

Haus22 and Secrete join forces for the first time in their series of party’s to bring Dale Howard back to Joshua Brooks. FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. BARE BONES

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Three floor club night touting indie/electro, classic rock’n’roll and punk/rock. SONNY FODERA

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY SOUNDSYSTEM: MANCHESTER CARNIVAL (SHY FX AND MC STAMINA + TODDLA T B2B CHIMPO + DRE SKULL AND FOX + MY NU LENG + MORE)

The Mixmag-lauded Cajual Records man brings a night of new house to Gorilla.

ALEXANDRA PARK, 12:00–20:15, FREE

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound.

The Red Bull Music Academy Sound System returns to the Caribbean Carnival of Manchester this summer for the second year running, bringing an exclusive set fuelled by bass-heavy beats and sundrenched carnival rhythms.

Sun 09 Aug JSTAR FT SPIKEY TEE

THE LIARS CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £6

The Liars Club welcomes special guests DJ JSTAR and cohort Spikey Tee who hail from West London. The pair will be supplying a mix of tropical, UK bass, reggae, dancehall beats and much more.

FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

TIM WRIGHT

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

New Saturday resident bringing the dancefloor classics all night long. CLINT BOON

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Thu 13 Aug

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

Tue 18 Aug

F//CK

LEE FOSS

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms.

Hot Creations honcho Lee Foss returns for another night of pumpin’ house perfect for the summer.

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

STUART RICHARDS

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. KEIRAN SHARPLES

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

Thu 20 Aug F//CK

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms.

Motown, hip hop, indie and some old skool classics thrown in for good measure.

THE SKINNY

STUART RICHARDS

CLINT BOON

FACTORY SATURDAYS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. KEIRAN SHARPLES

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Motown, hip hop, indie and some old skool classics thrown in for good measure.

Fri 21 Aug TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs.

LIVEWIRE BIRTHDAY...PART 1 (SEFF + MARK JENKYNS) GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

The first part of two huge Livewire birthday sessions. ULTIMATE POWER

THE RITZ, 22:30–03:30, £8

Club night sweeping the nation, offering up nothing but power ballads. It’s like one big communal karaoke night. FAC FRIDAY

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three.

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon. SOUL BOUTIQUE

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 22:00–03:00, £8

A night of glamour and drop dead gorgeous dance floor-filling tunes. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

Thu 27 Aug F//CK

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. KEIRAN SHARPLES

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

STUART RICHARDS

Motown, hip hop, indie and some old skool classics thrown in for good measure.

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

Fri 28 Aug

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Rebel Music’s Jacob Coid supplies an unpredictable mix of his leftof-centre collection, featuring Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop Dogg, Bowie to the Beastie Boys and anything in between.

Sat 22 Aug FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. ABSOLUTE SH**E

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Proudly one of the worst nights in Manchester, expect some of the worst tunes known to humankind.

CRAIG CHARLES FUNK N SOUL CLUB (BOOKA BRASS BAND) BAND ON THE WALL, 21:00–03:00, FROM £14

DJ and actor Craig Charles will be manning the decks until 3am, playing his picks of funk and soul.

SOUP KITCHEN’S 5TH BIRTHDAY (OPTIMO)

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

Another year another massive Soup birthday party, with Glasgow legends Optimo joining them on the decks. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound. TIM WRIGHT

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

New Saturday resident bringing the dancefloor classics all night long.

SOLDIERS OF CORE (THE BRAINDRILLERZ + F.NOIZE + WARS INDUSTRY + UNREST + MORE)

ANTWERP MANSION, 21:00–04:00, £22

A UK based music brand specialising in hardcore, industrial hardcore, Frenchcore, terror and speedcore.

WAX FORMAT: SUMMER COURTYARD VINYL CLASSICS (MR SAM + OLIVER PRIME + PETRAE FOY + SAM MITCHAM)

SOUTH, 15:00–23:00, £10

Wax Format’s first ever outside day party, taking over the courtyard with a huge soundsystem rig and nothing but a mixer and 2x Technics 1210’s.&nbsp;

August 2015

TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs. BLACK ON BOTH SIDES

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £3

This month it’s back in time to Brooklyn, summer of ‘99. Most Def releases Black On Both Sides - this is the sound of that city at that moment. UPTOWN

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £3

The best in disco, funk, boogie and party classics.

GOLD TEETH BEACH PARTY SPECIAL

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £5

Another seasonal special from the Gold Teeth crew. PACEMAKER

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound. CLINT BOON

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

FAC FRIDAY

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–04:00, FREE

Rebel Music’s Jacob Coid supplies an unpredictable mix of his leftof-centre collection, featuring Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop Dogg, Bowie to the Beastie Boys and anything in between. MANCHESTER PRIDE: THE BIG WEEKEND

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–22:00, FROM £25

Three days of music, DJs and fancy dress as one of the largest pride events Europe takes to Manchester’s Gay Village for another year.

Sat 29 Aug FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. POP

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

The biggest hits from the last 40 years of popular music. CLAUDE VON STROKE

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

The towering tech-house king comes to Gorilla for a blistering summer set.

THIS FEELING (THE VRYLL SOCIETY)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–03:00, £3

The London rock’n’roll night takes a trip north with a selection of live bands taking to the stage.

PURE SATURDAYS CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Thu 06 Aug GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights.

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–22:00, FROM £25

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

MANCHESTER PRIDE: THE BIG WEEKEND

Three days of music, DJs and fancy dress as one of the largest pride events Europe takes to Manchester’s Gay Village for another year.

Sun 30 Aug SANCTION X KOOKY

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:00, FROM £12.50

Two rooms of deep house and techno for a special bank holiday collaboration. DOODLE (THE CYCLIST)

SOUP KITCHEN, 22:00–03:00, £5

UK producer the Cyclist heads up the latest doole night, described as making “lo-fi, opaque, analogue house”.

LIVEWIRE BIRTHDAY... PART 2 (WADE + MIGHUEL BASTIDA) GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

The second part of two huge Livewire birthday sessions. ZUTEKH V TPOT COURTYARD PARTY: DUNGEON MEAT

SOUTH, 14:00–02:00, £15

The respective club nights come together once again for another marathon August session, this time with a three hour set by house collective Dungeon Meat. MANCHESTER PRIDE: THE BIG WEEKEND

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–22:00, FROM £25

Three days of music, DJs and fancy dress as one of the largest pride events Europe takes to Manchester’s Gay Village for another year.

Mon 31 Aug

MANCHESTER PRIDE: THE BIG WEEKEND

VARIOUS VENUES, 12:00–22:00, FROM £25

Three days of music, DJs and fancy dress as one of the largest pride events Europe takes to Manchester’s Gay Village for another year.

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Monthly rock’n’roll club night hosted by Two Weeks Running.

Liverpool Clubs

Liverpool Clubs Thu 30 Jul GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 31 Jul

CHAMELEON FRIDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Get your weekend started with Chameleon’s host of resident and guest DJs. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 01 Aug BEAR GROWLS

ARTS CLUB, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Arts Club resident brings his shaggy locks and repertoire of disco classics, new grooves and few curve balls to the Bar. CHAMELEON SATURDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Chameleon’s host of guest and resident DJs drop a diverse selection of tunery. MODU:LAR OPEN AIR (MARTINEZ + FRANCESCO DEL GARDA + SCOTT GRANT + NERRAM + MORE)

CONSTELLATIONS, 14:00–04:00, £15

Part two of the Modu:lar crew’s open air series of parties Concealed Sounds/ Cocoon man Martinez join them, among others.

VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

Fri 07 Aug CHAMELEON FRIDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Get your weekend started with Chameleon’s host of resident and guest DJs.

Fri 21 Aug

CHAMELEON FRIDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Get your weekend started with Chameleon’s host of resident and guest DJs. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 22 Aug BEAR GROWLS

ARTS CLUB, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Arts Club resident brings his shaggy locks and repertoire of disco classics, new grooves and few curve balls to the Bar. CHAMELEON SATURDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Chameleon’s host of guest and resident DJs drop a diverse selection of tunery. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

TREND FRIDAYS

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Thu 27 Aug

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 08 Aug DRAWN

STUDIO 2, 19:00–02:00, £TBC

A night paying homage to underground dance music, taking it back to the early days when house and techno where one with focus on expression, possibility and open mindedness. BEAR GROWLS

ARTS CLUB, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Arts Club resident brings his shaggy locks and repertoire of disco classics, new grooves and few curve balls to the Bar. CHAMELEON SATURDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Chameleon’s host of guest and resident DJs drop a diverse selection of tunery. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Thu 13 Aug GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 14 Aug

CHAMELEON FRIDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Get your weekend started with Chameleon’s host of resident and guest DJs. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 15 Aug BEAR GROWLS

ARTS CLUB, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Arts Club resident brings his shaggy locks and repertoire of disco classics, new grooves and few curve balls to the Bar. CHAMELEON SATURDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Chameleon’s host of guest and resident DJs drop a diverse selection of tunery. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Thu 20 Aug GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 28 Aug CHAMELEON FRIDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Get your weekend started with Chameleon’s host of resident and guest DJs.

CREAMFIELDS (REBEL SOUND + ARMIN VAN BUREN + HARDWELL + JAMIE JONES + MORE)

DARESBURY, 12:00–23:00, PRICES VARY

The annual dance marathon returns to the Cheshire fields, with The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim giving things a distinctly late 90’s feel.

Sat 29 Aug

FREEZE AND MUMU PRESENT: 48 HOURS IN LIVERPOOL (PACO OSUNA + GREGOR THRESHER + GARY BECK + THEO KOTTIS + MORE) ST LUKE’S CHURCH (BOMBED OUT CHURCH), 13:00–05:00, £26.50

Two of Liverpool's leading club nights, Freeze and mUmU, have joined forces for a special one-off collaboration across the August bank holiday weekend. CHAMELEON SATURDAYS

CHAMELEON BAR, 19:30–03:00, FREE

Chameleon’s host of guest and resident DJs drop a diverse selection of tunery. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

CREAMFIELDS (REBEL SOUND + ARMIN VAN BUREN + HARDWELL + JAMIE JONES + MORE)

DARESBURY, 07:00–04:30, PRICES VARY

The annual dance marathon returns to the Cheshire fields, with The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim giving things a distinctly late 90’s feel.

Sun 30 Aug

FREEZE AND MUMU PRESENT: 48 HOURS IN LIVERPOOL (TALE OF US + PACO OSUNA + BLACK COFFEE + MIND AGAINST + MORE) ST LUKE’S CHURCH (BOMBED OUT CHURCH), 13:00–05:00, £26.50

Two of Liverpool's leading club nights, Freeze and mUmU, have joined forces for a special one-off collaboration across the August bank holiday weekend. CREAMFIELDS (REBEL SOUND + ARMIN VAN BUREN + HARDWELL + JAMIE JONES + MORE)

DARESBURY, 07:00–23:30, PRICES VARY

The annual dance marathon returns to the Cheshire fields, with The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim giving things a distinctly late 90’s feel.

Theatre Manchester Gullivers RISING

28 NOV, 1 AUG, 2:00PM – 2:00AM, £9

An evening of works performed by rising star of British South Asian Dance, Aakash Odedra, featuring solos choreographed by Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and Odedra himself.

International Anthony Burgess Foundation THOUSAND FURS

11 AUG, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, FROM £6

New experimental opera based on early European folk tales — in this case Cinderella — written for an ensemble of classically trained actor-musicians and developed in collaboration with Aldeburgh Music’s Open Spaces residency scheme.

BANJO MAN 28–30 JUL, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £5

A moving show about dealing with loss and celebrating life, Banjo Man combines drama, poetry and original live music. THE ALPHABET GIRL

3 AUG, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £10 (£8)

A play that stretches from wartime slums to the swinging 60’s and the here and now, its central character on the search for Mr Right and discovering what it is that makes her tick. WHAT’S IN A NAME

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 8-12 AUG, 7:00PM – 8:30PM, £6

WEST SIDE STORY

The Broadway musical favourite – featuring lyrics by Stephen Sondheim – returns to the stage 50-odd years after Jerome Robbins transposed a timeless tale of romance and rivalry to the streets of New York.

Royal Exchange Theatre THE SKRIKER

UNTIL 1 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £15

Maxine Peake returns to the Manchester International Festival in this classic Caryl Churchill production, with music composed by Nico Muhly and Antony Hegarty.

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) DEBUT ARTS ACADEMY: DANCE GENERATION

31 JUL – 1 AUG, 6:30PM – 9:00PM, £12

The Debut Arts summer production shows a variety of dance and performance by all students in the academy.

The King’s Arms BUMP

28 JUL, 9:15PM – 10:15PM, PRICES VARY

When two people collide can their lives become entangled? Bump explores the connection between two people, who are constantly sharing their thoughts with the audience throughout the dialogue. BLINDSIDED

27 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £7.50 (£6.50)

The story of a girl growing up in the arse-end of Stockport at the end of the 70s, navigating love, life, family and betrayal in one fell swoop as she falls in love with a man destined to break her heart. TUESDAYS AT TESCO’S

7-8 AUG, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £8 (£6)

Emmanuel Darley’s monologue as translated by Matthew Hurt, exploring the relationship between transgenger Pauline and her father as they take a weekly trip to the supermarket.

MARK MCGANN’S IN MY LIFE

30 AUG, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, FROM £26

25–26 AUG, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £3

THE HIDEOUT

A heady fusion of clown, live jazz, dance collides with Greek Mythology and the Kit Kat club. THE FEY

17–18 AUG, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £7 (£5)

The Lowry

13–15 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £18.90

Royal Court Theatre

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 28 JUL AND 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Palace Theatre Manchester

South African choral troupe Ladysmith Black Mambazo join forces with choreographer Mark Baldwin for a unique touring collaboration, featuring current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert.

A writer struggles to meet his deadline while all manner of craziness breaks forth around him.

20–29 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £15

New theatrical production of the O.T.T. musical adventure where two drag queens and a transsexual get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert. Now with added Jason-bloody-Donovan. Matinees also available.

INALA 31 JUL-1 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £11.90

Mark McGann returns to the city with his award-winning portrayal of John Lennon. Matinee also available.

A near future dystopia drama performed as part of Queer We Are Festival.

Opera House

Liverpool Theatre

FAULTY TOWERS: THE DINING EXPERIENCE

30 JUL – 2 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £41.50

A two hour interactive performance inviting you into the snobby world of Basil Faulty to enjoy a three course meal. Matinees also available.

The Lowry: Lyric Theatre BARNUM

4–8 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £26

Musical retelling of the life of Phineas T Barnum, the American showman/businessman remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Matinee performances also available.

The Lowry: Quays Theatre JANAK DULARI SITA

2 AUG, 5:00PM – 8:00PM, FROM £8

A dramatic staging of India’s timeless Epic tale of Sita told through musical story telling, choreography, animated backdrops, costume and dance. Featuring a cast of over 50 performers,

Waterside Arts Centre GHOST

6–8 AUG, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £12.50

Theatrical production based on the 90s movie of the same name, where a certain Patrick Swayze got all excited with the pottery kiln.

Liverpool Theatre Liverpool Empire LEGALLY BLONDE

21–22 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £16.90

All-singing, all-dancing musical adaptation of the hit movie featuring teen queen Elle and her trusty Chihuahua, Bruiser. DREAMBOATS AND MINISKIRTS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 11 AUG AND 29 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

60s-set musical singalong which finds two young musicians competing for the love of a certain lady. Matinee performances also available. LOVE ME TENDER

UNTIL 15 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

BADFELLAS

Brand new fairytale action in which the land of Talewood has become a murky place, a far cry from its creator Dalton Wisley’s dream of creating a place where heroes and villains from books, films and video games could exist together. MAM! I’M ‘ERE!

26 JUN – 1 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £13

The smash hit musical disco returns, with Sally on the search for her mum ahead of her big wedding day, having been left on a doorstep as a baby. Matinees available.

St Helens Theatre Royal BUGSY MALONE

31 JUL, 1 AUG, 27 AUG, 28 AUG, 29 AUG, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

A fresh adaptation of the classic musical gangster show set in 1930s Chicago.

The Lantern Theatre THE RAGGED TROUSERED PHILANTHROPISTS

21–22 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £15.50

A new two handed version of Stephen Lowe’s play based on Tressell’s classic book. Forever relevant and provoking, this gem of Edwardian humorous theatre, with its dazzling array of characters, is first class irreverent entertainment. STUFF

14 AUG, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10.50 (£8.50)

Mick Cooper’s story of love, life, family, friendship, and all the stuff in between – following Toby and Jess and their charismatic friend, Xav, as the latter suggests a plan that will allow the couple to have children. HEARTS DESIRE

8 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £8.50 (£6.50)

A play by Caryl Churchill that explores the monotony of everyday life, as a family wait for their daughter to return home after years in Australia. SHINY NEW FESTIVAL 2015

27 JUL – 2 AUG, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

The return of the new theatre festival, offering a platform for up and coming playwrights, actors and directors. Full line-up available at lanterntheatreliverpool.co.uk. OUR KYLIE’S GETTIN WED

15 AUG, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10.50 (£8.50)

A touching comedy surrounding the sort of tribulations every family goes through on wedding day.

Unity Theatre BROKEN BISCUITS

29 JUL, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£8)

Back by popular demand. A moving tale of two best friends who are torn apart when Rita’s son James takes a fatal bullet in Afghanistan saving Maggie’s son Paul. UMBRELEPHANT

31 JUL – 1 AUG, 6:30PM – 7:15PM, £5

The award-winning Unity Youth Theatre looks at issues of Mental Health and young people’s healthand-wellbeing.

Feel-good musical featuring Elvis Presley’s greatest hits, from the producers of Hairspray, Midnight Tango, West Side Story and The Rocky Horror Show. Matinees performances also available.

Listings

Comedy

Manchester Tue 28 Jul

LIP SYNCIN’ BATTLE (TREVOR LYNCH)

THE COMEDY STORE, 18:00–22:00, £6 (£4)

Comics, guest celebrities and the general public all battle to become the best Lip Sync in the City. WOMEN WHO WANK

THE KING’S ARMS, 21:15–22:15, £8

LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–21:00, £3

Improv from the members of CszUK – using audience suggestions a comedian will tell a story based on this, followed by improvised sketches from a troupe of actors.

Sun 02 Aug

KING GONG (MC MICK FERRY)

Tremarco takes you, gently, on a risky journey meeting things and people that inhibit, inhabit and surge to release.

A night of stand-up from some fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – be nice.

Wed 29 Jul

Mon 03 Aug

THE COMEDY STORE, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£7)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £3

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR’S COMEDY LOCK-IN

The Noise Next Door’s off the cuff madness comes to the Comedy Store.

Thu 30 Jul

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (CAREY MARX + MASUD MILAS + ROB COLEMAN + IVAN BRACKENBURY + MC MIKE WILKINSON)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians. STAND UP THURSDAY (DAVID HADINGHAM + SEAN COLLINS + MC PAUL THORNE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

Fri 31 Jul

BARREL OF LAUGHS (CAREY MARX + HARRIET DYER + IVAN BRACKENBURY + MC MIKE WILKINSON)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (DAVID HADINGHAM + STU GOLDSMITH + OLA + SEAN COLLINS + MC PAUL THORNE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18 (£12)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. WOMEN WHO WANK

THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–21:00, £8

Tremarco takes you, gently, on a risky journey meeting things and people that inhibit, inhabit and surge to release.

Sat 01 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (CAREY MARX + HARRIET DYER + IVAN BRACKENBURY + MC MIKE WILKINSON)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £17 (£10)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (DAVID HADINGHAM + STU GOLDSMITH + OLA + SEAN COLLINS + MC PAUL THORNE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. DAVID CROSS

GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

The Arrested Development funnyman brings his brilliant stand-up show to the intimate confines of Gorilla. This one’s already sold out, but seriously beat your friend up for a ticket if you know they have one.

Listings

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £6

BEAT THE FROG

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal! BRENNAN REECE

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:15–21:30, FREE

The Manchester comedian presents his energetic and often awkward approach to life.

Tue 04 Aug

THE WORST COMEDY NIGHT IN SALFORD

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:30, FREE

Keeping expectations low with this night of open mic stand up, opening up the stage to anyone willing to give it go.

Wed 05 Aug LIMMY

THE COMEDY STORE, 18:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

The Scottish comic and creator of daily podcast Limmy’s World of Glasgow takes to the live stage for s’more of his dark, surreal and absurd antics.

Thu 06 Aug

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (JEFF INNOCENT + RUTH COCKBURN + ADAM RUSHTON + STEVE HARRIS + MC DAVE WILLIAMS)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians. STAND UP THURSDAY (SEAN MEO + MC PAUL THORNE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk. COMEDY AT THE KINGS

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:30–22:30, £3

An evening of live stand up comedy and a cake raffle, what’s not to love?

Fri 07 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAN NIGHTINGALE + JASON SIMMONS + STEVE HARRIS + MC TOBY HADOKE)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (ROB DEERING + SEAN MEO + PRINCE ABDI + JOJO SMITH + MC PAUL THORNE) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18 (£12)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sat 08 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAN NIGHTINGALE + JASON SIMMONS + STEVE HARRIS + MC TOBY HADOKE)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £17 (£10)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (ROB DEERING + SEAN MEO + PRINCE ABDI + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC PAUL THORNE) THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (ROB DEERING + SEAN MEO + PRINCE ABDI + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC PAUL THORNE) THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sun 09 Aug

NEW STUFF (MC TOBY HADOKE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4 (£2)

A night of stand-up from some fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – be nice.

Mon 10 Aug BEAT THE FROG

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £3

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal!

Thu 13 Aug

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (LIAM PICKFORD + LEE BENNET + PHIL WALKER + MC DAVE WILLIAMS)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians.

STAND UP THURSDAY (JARRED CHRISTMAS + MIKE GUNN + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

Fri 14 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (VINCE ATTA + PHIL WALKER + MC DAVE WILLIAMS)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (JARRED CHRISTMAS + MIKE GUNN + STEPHEN GRANT + PADDY LENNOX + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18 (£12)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sat 15 Aug BARREL OF LAUGHS

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £17 (£10)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (MIKE GUNN + STEPHEN GRANT + PADDY LENNOX + ANDY ASKINS + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Mon 17 Aug BEAT THE FROG

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £3

SIDEKICK COMEDY (KATE MCCABE + BILAL ZAFAR + CALLUM MORRISGLUE + BECKIE FOX + RACHEL FAIRBURN) VIA, 19:30–22:00, £2

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal!

Your friendly,monthly, neighbourhood comedy gig. All comedians are hero-approved.

Tue 18 Aug

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (DAVID ALFIE WARD + MIKEY BHARJ + STEVE ROYLE + MC DAVID LONGLEY)

The Irish comic makes some final tweaks to his Edinburgh Fringe show.

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£7)

UNITY THEATRE, 21:00–22:00, £8

THE WORST COMEDY NIGHT IN SALFORD

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:30, FREE

Keeping expectations low with this night of open mic stand up, opening up the stage to anyone willing to give it go.

Thu 27 Aug

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians.

Thu 20 Aug

STAND UP THURSDAY (CAREY MARX + DAVE FULTON + MC IAN COPPINGER)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£7)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (STEVE SHANYASKI + DANNY BREAKEY + CHRIS MCGLADE + ANDY ASKINS + MC BARRY DODDS)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians.

STAND UP THURSDAY (ANDY ASKINS + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC MANDY KNIGHT) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

Fri 21 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (STEVE SHANYASKI + ADAM STAUNTON + ANDY ASKINS + MC BARRY DODDS)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (ANDY ASKINS + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + GORDON SOUTHERN + ROGER MONKHOUSE + MC MANDY KNIGHT) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18 (£12)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sat 22 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (STEVE SHANYASKI + ADAM STAUNTON + ANDY ASKINS + MC BARRY DODDS)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £17 (£10)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (ANDY ASKINS + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + GORDON SOUTHERN + ROGER MONKHOUSE + MC MANDY KNIGHT) THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sun 23 Aug

NEW STUFF (MC TOBY HADOKE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4 (£2)

THE BEST IN STAND UP (MIKE GUNN + STEPHEN GRANT + PADDY LENNOX + ANDY ASKINS + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

A night of stand-up from some fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – be nice.

THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22 (£16)

THE COMEDY STORE, 00:00–00:00, £5

BLACK COMEDY NIGHT

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Fri 28 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (STEVE ROYLE + MC DAVID LONGLEY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (CAREY MARX + DAVE FULTON + ROB ROUSE + DAVID LONGLEY + MC IAN COPPINGER)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18 (£12)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sat 29 Aug

BARREL OF LAUGHS (STEVE ROYLE + MC DAVID LONGLEY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £17 (£10)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (CAREY MARX + GREG BURNS + DAVE FULTON + STEVE SHANYASKI + MC IAN COPPINGER)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Sun 30 Aug

BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL (THE NIGHTCREATURES)

All-female line-up of comics from the Laughing Cow bunch; a group that has helped the likes of Sarah Milllican and Jo Brand launch their careers. THE BEST IN STAND UP (ROB ROUSE + CAREY MARX + MC IAN COPPINGER)

THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22 (£16)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Mon 31 Aug BEAT THE FROG

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £3

Sun 16 Aug

Mon 24 Aug BEAT THE FROG

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal!

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £3

Tue 01 Sep

LIP SYNCIN’ BATTLE (TREVOR LYNCH)

THE COMEDY STORE, 00:00–00:00, £6 (£4)

Comics, guest celebrities and the general public all battle to become the best Lip Sync in the City.

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal!

THE WORST COMEDY NIGHT IN SALFORD

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:30, FREE

Keeping expectations low with this night of open mic stand up, opening up the stage to anyone willing to give it go.

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

HAL CRUTTENDEN

Wed 05 Aug

PATRICK MONAHAN

As seen on The Royal Variety Performance, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and The Rob Brydon Show, Hal Cruttenden brings his usual brand of simultaneously warm and catty stand-up to the Northwest.

Thu 30 Jul

MAX AND IVAN: THE REUNION

UNITY THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £8

Foster&rsquo;s Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees Max and Ivan preview their Edinburgh Fringe show, that tells an epic tale of a small town, on the day of its destruction. As the end approaches, there are choices to be made&hellip; JOHN ROBINS

UNITY THEATRE, 21:00–22:00, £5

The firebrand, sometime DJ and all-time vibe magnet tweaks his material ahead of his appearance at the Fringe.

CAREY MARX (STUART MITCHELL + LIAM BOLTON + MC DAVE TWENTYMAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

Fri 31 Jul

CAREY MARX (STUART MITCHELL + KEVIN PRECIOUS + MC DAVE TWENTYMAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

BOILING POINT (JOHN GORDILLO + PHIL CHAPMAN + JAMIE SUTHERLAND + MC FREDDY QUINNE) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

SEYMOUR MACE (STEVE SHANYASKI + KEITH CARTER AS NIGE) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £15

Sat 01 Aug

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:30, £7

TESTING THE WATER (LEE GROUNDS + KATE TRACEY + ANDREW MARSH + COLIN HAVEY + MORE)

UNITY THEATRE, 19:00–20:00, £5

LAUGHING COWS (RUTH COCKBURN + ELLEN TOMLINSON + KATE MCCABE + JO SMILES + MC KERRY LEIGH)

The regular M+P bank holiday jazz special.

Sun 02 Aug

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

Trevor Lynch presents the latest in a series of comedy nights, aptly titled Laff ‘til Ya Fart.

Up and comers trying out their stuff before hitting the circuit.

Tue 28 Jul

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 20:00–00:00, FREE

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. NEW COMEDIANS (MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

Liverpool Comedy

CAREY MARX (STUART MITCHELL + KEVIN PRECIOUS + MC DAVE TWENTYMAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone. KEITH CARTER AS NIGE (STEVE SHANYASKI + SEYMOUR MACE)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £17.50

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY CLUB (MIKE NEWALL + RORY O’HANLON + CARL HUTCHINSON) THE ATKINSON, 20:00–22:00, £15

A triple-header of comedy descends on the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club.

BOILING POINT (PAUL F TAYLOR + ADNREW MCBURNEY + JOHN GORDILLO + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

THE LAUGHTER FACTOR (MC PAUL SMITH)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£3)

A monthly event giving comics the chance to try out new material before the weekend shows – it helps if you think of yourself as a comedic guinea pig.

Thu 06 Aug

JEFF INNOCENT (PAUL PIRIE + TONY BASNETT + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

BOILING POINT (JOE BROMEHEAD + MARK CRAM + RAY PEACOCK + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 15 Aug

SEAN MEO (PAUL MCCAFFREY + JARLATH REGAN + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone. DALISO CHAPONDA (MICHAEL FABBRI + ANDY ASKINS + MC CHRIS CAIRNS) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £17.50

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

Fri 07 Aug

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone. JEFF INNOCENT (PAUL PIRIE + NICK DIXON + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

GARY DELANEY (STEVE HARRIS + JOHN FOTHERGILL + MC NEIL FITZMAURICE)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £15

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (JOHN SIMMIT + NABIL ABDULRASHID + IAN COGNITO + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 08 Aug

JEFF INNOCENT (PAUL PIRIE + NICK DIXON + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

BOILING POINT (JOHN SIMMIT + NABIL ABDULRASHID + IAN COGNITO + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 09 Aug

TESTING THE WATER (SIMON BECKWITH + JULIAN LEE + SAM POTTER + JIM KELLY + MORE)

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Thu 13 Aug

SEAN MEO (PAUL MCCAFFREY + DOTTY WINTERS + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

Fri 14 Aug

SEAN MEO (PAUL MCCAFFREY + JARLATH REGAN + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

ANDY ASKINS (MICHAEL FABBRI + DALISO CHAPONDA + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £15

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (JOE BROMEHEAD + MR ANDY + RAY PEACOCK + MC PAUL SMITH)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 16 Aug

TESTING THE WATER (ERIKA BENNING + LUKE WRIGHT + VINNY MCHALE + REBECCA FEARNLEY + MORE) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Thu 20 Aug

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH (MATTHEW OSBORN + CHRIS BROOKER + MC PETER OTWAY)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

Fri 21 Aug

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH (MATTHEW OSBORN + STEVE DAY + MC PETER OTWAY)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone. STEVE ROYLE (GAR MURRAN + CHRIS CAIRNS + MC NEIL FITZMAURICE)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £15

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (ADAM ROWE + MIKE OSBORNE + STEVE SHANYASKI + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 22 Aug

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH (MATTHEW OSBORN + STEVE DAY + MC PETER OTWAY)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

CHRIS CAIRNS (STEVE ROYLE + GAR MURRAN + MC NEIL FITZMAURICE)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £17.50

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (ADAM ROWE + MIKE OSBORNE + STEVE SHANYASKI + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

THE SKINNY

Sun 23 Aug

TESTING THE WATER (SEAN PATRICK + BRADLEY KINSELLA + HARVEY HAWKINS + KEVIN CASWELL-JONES + MORE) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Thu 27 Aug

PETE JOHANSSON (JOHN LYNN + ADAM RUSHTON + MC MATT RICHARDSON) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

Fri 28 Aug

PETE JOHANSSON (JOHN LYNN + NOEL JAMES + MC MATT RICHARDSON) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone.

DUNCAN OAKLEY (MIKE WILINSON + BRENDAN RILEY + MC CHRIS CAIRNS) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £15

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (BENNY BOOT + CHRIS MCILLROY + PHIL BUTLER + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 29 Aug

MIKE WILKINSON (DUNCAN OAKLEY + BRENDAN RILEY + MC CHRIS CAIRNS) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:30, £17.50

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

PETE JOHANSSON (JOHN LYNN + NOEL JAMES + MC MATT RICHARDSON) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00-22:00, £18

Triple-headlining bill set to test your funny bone BOILING POINT

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB 18:00-22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 30 Aug TESTING THE WATER

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 18:00-22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don't mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Art

Manchester 1 Primrose Street NORTHERN ART CARBOOTY

30 AUG, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, £DONATIONS

A car boot with a twist, The Northern Art Carbooty returns for a day-long extravaganza of art, craft, live performance, and food and drink. There’ll be over twenty stalls of artworks from some of the region’s most promising artists.

Castlefield Gallery REAL PAINTING

UNTIL 2 AUG, 1:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of new and existing work by ten artists working nationally and internationally including Turner Prize nominee Angela de la Cruz (2010) and John Moores Painting Prize winner’s Simon Callery (1992) and Alexis Harding (2004).

Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art TING-TONG CHANG

UNTIL 2 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Former Breathe artist-in-residence Ting-Tong Chang returns to CFCCA to showcase a recent body of work investigating automatons (self-moving machines) as a means to explore utopian visions.

HOME

HOME PROJECTS: MAGDA ARCHER #GIVEMEEVERYTHING ANDNOTHINGBABY UNTIL 31 AUG, 10:00AM – 11:00PM, FREE

The much-loved Cornerhouse Projects becomes the HOME Projects, with print artist Magda Archer returning with a new show.

Imperial War Museum North WITHDRAW

UNTIL 6 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

New works by leading reportage illustrator George Butler explore the impact of British and US armed forces leaving Afghanistan. Butler’s past work has featured in media outlets across the world.

Islington Mill AURIGNACIAN

6 AUG, 6:30PM – 10:00PM, FREE

Installation by Joe Whitmore that aims to evoke the connection to the past felt from viewing artefacts from the Upper Palaeolithic age through the mediums of sound, animation, and painting.

KRAAK

AND/ORDER EXHIBITION

29 JUL, 5:00PM – 10:00PM, FREE

After two successful exhibitions at Kraak Gallery over the last yearand-a-bit, the group are moving into new territory, building upon previous explorations of humanness and ideas of the uncomfortable with new a exhibition.

MMU Special Collections

WE WANT PEOPLE WHO CAN DRAW: INSTRUCTION AND DISSENT IN THE BRITISH ART SCHOOL

UNTIL 31 JUL, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

This exhibition brings together manifestos and other forms of subversive literature that explore aspects of the history of British art schools since the Second World War, including items relating to The Slade School of Fine Art Women’s Group and more.

ARE WE THERE YET? 150 YEARS OF PROGRESS TOWARDS EQUALITY 17 AUG – 6 NOV, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition exploring the progress that has been made in the UK towards achieving equality, in terms of suffrage, gender, disability, sexuality and race, over the last 150 years.

Manchester Art Gallery ARTISTS IN THE FRAME

UNTIL 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

Self-portraits by artists including Van Dyck, William Hogarth, Angelica Kauffman, Wyndham Lewis, Sarah Lucas, Julian Opie and Grayson Perry. COTTON COUTURE

UNTIL 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection of designer dresses and suits commissioned by the Colour, Design and Style Centre of the Cotton Board, a Manchester-based organisation aiming to promote the use of cotton in fashion and to expand the export trade. BLACK ON BLACK

UNTIL 9 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition by 17 jewellery artists from 10 countries curated by Jo Bloxham. ABSENT PRESENCE

UNTIL 3 JAN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Inspired by Exposed Painting Green Lake by contemporary artist Callum Innes, this new display of works from the gallery’s collection takes its inspiration from this painting, looking at how art captures a moment in time.

Manchester Craft and Design Centre MESMERISED

UNTIL 29 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Mesmerising patterns take centre stage in this showcase of works in paper and aluminium by Rosie Booth, winner of Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s 9th annual MMU Graduate Solo Exhibition Award.

Manchester Museum

DANCE OF THE BUTTERFLIES

UNTIL 31 DEC, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

New art work by one of Africa’s foremost contemporary artists Romuald Hazoumè. It features swarms of multicoloured ‘butterflies’ which will take over the Museum’s Living Worlds gallery.

CHAPEL STREET THROUGH THE KEYHOLE UNTIL 27 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Depictions of the regeneration of Chapel Street and Salford Crescent for the past two years by Salford artist Anthony McCarthy.

The Didsbury Parsonage Trust STOLEN FIRE – INCITE ART COLLECTIVE

1–16 AUG, 9:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Hosted by Incite Art, at The Parsonage Trust, Didsbury, this new exhibition Stolen Fire features the work of 10 innovative Northern artists working in a variety of media.

The International 3 STUART EDMUNDSON

UNTIL 31 JUL, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Edmundson’s second solo exhibition sees the artist present an extension of his studio practice, exploring accepted binary themes of painting/sculpture, object/ subject, low culture/high culture, studio/gallery.

The Lowry EXTRAORDINARY

UNTIL 18 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection of renowned visual artists including Bruce Nauman, Karina Smigla-Bobinski and Willi Dorner present a mixture of work that incorporates every day objects and the human body.

The Portico Library

NORTHERN EXPOSURE 2015

UNTIL 31 JUL, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Northern Exposure 2015 showcases the skills of photographers based in the North of England and this year brings together the work of six artists from the region working on the theme of the landscape.

Liverpool Art

Lady Lever Art Gallery PICTURING VENICE

UNTIL 27 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

FACT

BUILD YOUR OWN

UNTIL 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exploration into how digital technologies come together with traditional processes of production to create new ways of working, sharing and collaborating. PLAY TABLE

Featuring work by Turner, Sickert and Brangwyn, this exhibition explores the stylistic developments of European art between the mid 17th century and 20th century through representations of the Italian city.

Open Eye Gallery

Charting the area between art and game, play table is a multiparticipant, audiovisual ‘workin-progress’ that Jamie Gedhill is developing iteratively through a programme of public events. VEILLANCE

24–28 AUG, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Ronan Devlin presents an interactive art experience that allows participants to alter the data on their phone, thus disrupting the surveillance on their lives.

Huyton Central Library ASPIRE

UNTIL 5 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of final project artwork by Art & Design students from Knowsley Community College.

Kirkby Gallery OUT OF THE ARCHIVE

UNTIL 12 SEP, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

John Davies curates an exhibition of photography from the archive of the Open Eye Gallery.

UNTIL 23 AUG, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Artists Billy MacRae, Deborah Kelly, Helen Marshall, Louis Quail, Richard Ross and Sonal Kantaria are the first to be featured in the Open Eye Gallery’s first of three open-call exhibitions taking place over the next year.

St George’s Hall THE ART OF FRANK GREEN

UNTIL 31 AUG, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, £2.50

A major retrospective exhibition of the work of Liverpool artist, Frank Green, who has been painting cityscapes since the 60’s.

Tate Liverpool

JACKSON POLLOCK: BLIND SPOTS

UNTIL 18 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £10 (£7.50)

The largest collection of the influential US artist’s black pourings work to be exhibited in the UK, with the Tate Liverpool exploreing a lesser known element of Pollocks’ work. GLENN LIGON: ENCOUNTERS AND COLLISIONS

UNTIL 18 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £10 (£7.50)

A collection of the American artist’s work, which relates to abstract expressionism and minimalist painting, remixing formal characteristics to highlight the cultural and social histories of the time, such as the civil rights movement.

UNTIL 27 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Excellent looking group show featuring Clay Arlington, Maurice Carlin, Daniel Eatock and The Piracy Project among others, which takes inspiration from The Bluecoat’s 1927-founding manifesto, of being a place for the “diffusion of useful knowledge.” HAPPENSTANCE WITH GALVANIZE ENSEMBLE

Happenstance creates a series of inter and un-connected performances based around the surrealist parlour game (exquisite corpse), using ‘cut up’ techniques. With improvised music by Galvanize ensemble.

NORTH WEST AND BEYOND: JAMES HAMILTON HAY

UNTIL 29 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of drypoint prints by 19th century Merseyside etcher and painter, James Hamilton Hay, documenting his travels throughout the UK with his striking landscape prints. THE AUDOBON GALLERY

UNTIL 19 DEC, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Permanent gallery of wildlife artist and naturalist John James Audubon. GYPSY PORTRAITS

UNTIL 26 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A series of Fred Shaw’s photographic depictions of the gypsy community during his lifetime. I LOVE YOU DAUCUS CAROTA

The Brindley

UNTIL 26 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

AUDREY SMITH — A RETROSPECTIVE

Flower heads and arrangements by artist Helen Sear.

UNTIL 29 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Trained in illustration at Stockport and Birmingham Colleges of Art, Runcorn based artist Audrey Smith has explored architecture and the environment, Liverpool, Norfolk and Whitby in her career spanning almost 50 years.

The Reader Gallery KAY WILKIN

UNTIL 2 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The local, mainly acrylic artist presents her third solo exhibition. JOEL BIRD

3–9 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Local artist show, with work that reflects a belief that art is the indestructible link between working creative humans and nature.

REBELLIOUS POETICS: A FRIEND TO LIBERTY, AN ENEMY TO OPPRESSION

UNTIL 1 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition celebrating the work of 18th century human rights campaigner Edward Rushton. RETROSPECTIVE

UNTIL 31 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition celebrating the career of Liverpool fine artist Peter Corbett.

Walker Art Gallery REALITY

UNTIL 29 NOV, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Walter Sickert, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, LS Lowry, George Shaw, Alison Watt and John Bratby are among the artists exhibited in this display which explores the role of painting within contemporary art.

Waterside Arts Centre R3VEAL

15 AUG – 19 SEP, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group show showcasing new work by Bella May Leonard, Gianluca Mingolla and Kris Meyer after they all came through the CIT (Creative Industries Trafford) Mentoring Scheme.

Whitworth Art National Football Gallery THE M+ SIGG COLLECTION: CHINESE Museum ART FROM THE 1970S TO NOW THE GREATER GAME: FOOTBALL & THE FIRST WORLD WAR

UNTIL 6 SEP, TIMES VARY, £1

Exhibition revealing the extraordinary story of football and footballers during the conflict, bringing together personal mementoes and first-hand accounts from the players, alongside rare objects from the museum’s collections.

UNTIL 20 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Eighty works and four decades of fast-moving art from China — one of the largest collections of Chinese in the UK.

OBJECT / A SEA VIEW

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 15 AUG AND 19 SEP, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

A new solo show from artist Rick Copsey.

PAPER Gallery EXPLORING PAPER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 25 JUL AND 5 SEP, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Do you love craft beer?

Vincent James presents a solo show around paper as part of the gallery’s artist-in-residence scheme.

Do you want to try all the beers? Join The Skinny Craft Beer Club to discover a range of new beers every month!

Salford Museum and Art Gallery

To find out more visit theskinny.co.uk/food

THE NOW, THE NORTH

UNTIL 6 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

A selection of the artist Hugh Winterbottom’s interpretations of regional cities and towns, from Manchester to Stockport.

@TheSkinnyNW

I N D E P E N D E N T

August 2015

Victoria Gallery and Museum

RESOURCE

31 JUL, 7:30PM – 7:30PM, £5 (£4)

OPEN 1

10–15 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Bluecoat

C U LT U R A L

/TheSkinnyMag

J O U R N A L I S M

Illustration: David McMillan

Listings

Designed to Kill As Ratking circle back for another assault on the UK, founding MC Patrick ‘Wiki’ Morales lays out the full extent of the burgeoning Harlem rap crew’s ambition

ew York is steeped in hip-hop history; from the block party turntablism of the early 70s to the multitudinous figures, groups and movements that since broke out of the city’s parameters to become iconic around the world. But its future belongs to Ratking – two precocious and hungry MCs by the name of Patrick ‘Wiki’ Morales and Hakeem ‘Hak’ Lewis in their early twenties, flanked by restless beat-maker Eric ‘Sporting Life’ Adiele, a decade their senior. Formed in Harlem in 2011, the trio draw disparate elements of the city’s heritage into a collage of irregular beats, oblique samples and abstract lyrics. Reaching across the Atlantic, the chaos of the resurgent UK grime scene is present, along with futuristic post-dubstep touches, and above all an abundance of uncompromising youthful creativity. It’s not quite rap, but it’s not quite like anything else either. Ratking aren’t trying to build on the past or posthumous reputation of its demigods – they’re attempting to reach beyond the mundanity of the present. “We all grew up on hip-hop but we were over it… Over the bullshit of it,” explains Wiki, currently back in the city after two months of touring Europe. “So the ideology with me and Sporting Life from the beginning was to do something different by creating a mix of everything that was going on in the same era. Let’s mix the uptown rap scene with downtown punk and No Wave and then give a modern perspective of how it is at street level now.”

Out back

Interview: Simon Butcher

They’re more likely to namecheck jazz punk fusionist James Chance – an idol of Wiki’s since his 13th birthday – than Public Enemy as a source of inspiration. It’s not just the noholds-barred experimentation of such No Wave progenitors they admire, but also the movement’s rejection of commercial popularity. You won’t find any bling-based bravado in Ratking’s message. “It’s not that we don’t want to make any money, but that’s not our main concern. It’s the art and craft of it,” says Wiki. There’s more an unruly desire to break the rules and strike crowds with visceral punk fury at their live shows. “You can’t dress in some crazy fashionista shit when you’re on the road carrying all your gear anyway,” he laughs. “We’re gonna go about this shit like we’re a band and do it head on.” And that’s where they sit, more Suicide than The Furious Five. Evey gig is a feral slice of youthful deterministic angst, which they’re currently tightening up for a UK return this August. In 2012, while Wiki and Hak were still teenagers, the reputation of their performances was such that the group bagged a tour support with fellow anarchic anti-establishment peers, Death Grips, who Wiki admits had a “massive influence” on the way they do things live. “It’s mad inspirational to see the intensity of their shows. The level they do everything on is unreal.” Onstage, Sporting brings the ‘band’ element, playing with midi hardware, a drum machine and other electronic gizmos to brashly

flesh out a futuristic punk-inspired cacophony that stretches from psychedelic Shabazz Palaces-style haziness to the syncopated abrasiveness of 2014 single Canal. “That’s Sporting’s influence from No Wave,” says Wiki. “He gets a kick from buying new gear and figuring new ways to configure it to create a completely new sound. We want to challenge our audiences, tell them to keep an open mind, then push just how open they can be,” he expands on their rationale as a touring force.

“We want to create our own culture” Wiki

Like the most vociferous punk and grime acts, Ratking want to connect the underground and effect social change on their own terms by making thought-provoking and uncompromising music – striding into the path of most resistance. Lyrically, there’s grit and idiosyncratic references to the city they grew up in – an aural assault, again similar to UK grime’s aggressive Bow council estate references, or the way punk and hip-hop initially gave voice to working class frustration.

MUSIC

Despite his Upper West Side origins, the lens Wiki places on New York presents a dystopian high-rise claustrophobia, where an underclass dwells amid drug addiction, depression and police brutality. Remove Ya, from last year’s full-length debut So It Goes (inspired by a recurring line pertaining to death in the Kurt Vonnegut novel Slaughterhouse-Five), is the most stark example of the latter – a stop-and-frisk commentary as striking as the Mitchell Brothers’ Routine Check before it. Beginning with a sample of a secretly recorded search conducted on a Harlem teenager, in which the police tell the accused that he’s being frisked because he’s a ‘fucking mutt.’ “I’ve had police stop me in the street and go through my pockets without asking, not as much as my friends because I look pretty white, but it really affected me when I heard about that. It was like, ‘Oh shit! This is happening in New York,’ and it related to us because we’re all some mutt shit too,” says Wiki (mutt being slang for a young civilian of mixed race). “In the UK it’s different because you’ve got the cameras on smash, y’know? You know you’re getting watched but it’s more subtle. With young black and Latino teenagers, it’s a real struggle on a daily basis.” Nevertheless, the source message translates around the globe. The group’s recent collaboration with King Krule on So Sick Stories saw New York contrasted with London as Krule sings the hook: ‘Now do you see this, the way the grey controls only the souls that go to sleep to sink and dissolve / Are set adrift in between the concrete and the mist / Just another inner city river bliss.’ Wiki chimes in on the group’s farreaching empathy: “I’ve noticed in a lot of places we’ve visited on the road there’s deprivation and hard times. There’s a lot of people out there who feel like they need a voice and whether we can be that or not, it’s nice that they can relate to us.” What legacy do Ratking want to leave? “We’ll be around for a long time and we’ll build the opposite to mainstream culture. There used to be a defined line between the mainstream and the underground but that’s becoming more blurred. Maybe we can unite the underground into a mass movement,” he ponders with unblinkered optimism. Though signed to XL, an underthe-radar ethos was typified with the release of their 700-Fill mixtape as a free download through BitTorrent this past March. The project was written and finished in six days but shows the abundance of spontaneous ideas at Ratking’s disposal. “We were just having fun and seeing what was good; we wanted to put it out for free and BitTorrent fucked with us in the past, so it made sense. It’s still some dope shit, y’know what I mean?” Like another major influence, Wu-Tang Clan, Wiki is looking to create a multi-functional cooperative that stands alone in the capitalist world. “Sport’s putting out a solo record pretty soon and I’m working on a solo project. Hak is doing some stuff, and whatever we do we’ll make it remain strong in the roots of Ratking – the way WuTang was. No matter what they did, they all went back to the Wu. There was a strong ideology that fortified what they did, and that’s where we want to sit with Ratking. We want to create our own culture and be defined only by our own music.” Ratking play The Deaf Institute, Manchester, on 26 Aug and Leeds Festival on 28 Aug ratkingnyc.com

THE SKINNY