FR EE
NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY’S OFFICIAL MUSIC MAGAZINE Issue 33
FRESHER’S SPECIAL the
mic
BLUR JAKE BUGG DOG IS DEAD CAVE PAINTING FESTIVAL REVIEWS
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CONTENTS Page 6-8 | Venue guide Introducing Nottingham’s best venues as well as shops and cafes of interest. Page 9-11 | Highlights of 2011/12 The Mic racks its brains to discuss our favourite Nottingham gigs of the last academic year. Page 14-17 | Feature: Nottingham artists The Mic interview Nottingham’s own Dog is Dead and Kappa Gamma, before taking a look at new sensation Jake Bugg. Page 18-19 | Interview: Cave Painting Cara McGoogan interviews the band whose name has been popping up everywhere recently. Page 20-21 | Feature: Blur Has the end finally come for Blur? Joe Sweeting investigates. Page 24-29 | Reviews After a summer filled with festivals and new album releases, the Mic team review their favourites. Including Bestival, Edinburgh Fringe & Mercury Award nominated Lianne La Havas. Page 30-31 | Feature: Coco Tang
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EDITORIAL
very warm welcome to any newcomers at the University of Nottingham. To everyone else, welcome back and thanks for picking up (a very different) issue of The Mic again. Last year’s editors had a difficult path but worked hard to rectify the financial situation so we are lucky enough to start the year in a much stronger position and as you’ll see there have already been some major changes. Firstly, we’re printing in colour! Secondly, we have a website in the making which will mean you can keep up to date with us all year round. Search ‘Themicmag’ on Facebook and like our page where we’ll
be flaunting the new site in the coming weeks. We’re going to have regular meetings this year which will not only make the passing of CD’s and guestlists over easier, but will also make our society far more communal. Thanks to our friends at Rescue Rooms we’re also putting on our very own gigs – check out our first on the 12th October – see the FB or SU page for more info. For starters though make sure you come to our first social on the 2nd October at Pressure 2-4-1 which will be totally nuts. We’d like to take this moment to suggest checking out High Soc, UoN’s alternative music society. They put on lots of great gigs themselves and always have cool things to do; chances are if you’re interested in The Mic, you’ll be interested in High Soc. We’ll be running some socials with them later in the year. All our wonderful team is missing now is designers. We have a space for a Design Sec on the committee and need many more to help them out. So if you fancy designing, don’t hesitate in getting in touch. As always thank you to Ben Ryles at Rescue Rooms, Alec Wilson at Bodega, The Malt Cross’ Matt Buck, Alistar at Alley Café, Robin at Wild, Claire Coster at Atlantic Records and everyone else who has given us their unbridled support. Also special thanks to Spectrum printing and the guys at The National Student for guiding us on our first issue, you know who you are. Let’s make this year the one where we’re noticed as a great student publication.
Cara McGoogan and John Bell Like Themicmag on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @themicmaguk
Your committee. Editors: Cara McGoogan and John Bell. Treasurer: Melissa Wade. Features Editor: Esther Moriarty. Reviews Editor: Matthew Stiff. Web Editor: Luke Atkins. A big thanks to Jordie Bokor and Jennifer Yu from High Soc who helped design this first issue.
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1 The
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1 The Rescue Rooms
01158283173 Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 5JT. http://www.rescuerooms.com/
4 The Bodega
2 Stealth
01158221313 Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 5JT. http://www.stealthattack.co.uk/
5 Alley Café
3 Rock City
6 Wild
01159506547 8 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GG http://www.rock-city.co.uk/
08454134444 23 Pelham Street, Nottingham, NG1 2ED. http://www.bodeganottingham.com/
01159551013 Cannon Court, Longrow West, Nottingham, NG1 6JE. http://www.alleycafe.co.uk
01159418282 4-6 Broad Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AL.
7 Malt Cross
16 St James’s Street, Nottingham, NG1 6FG. http://www.maltcross.com/
3
9
16
5 6
8 Sir John Borlase Warren
01159474247 1 Ilkeston Road, Canning Circus, Nottingham, NG7 3GD http://www.sirjohnborlasewarren.co.uk/
4
9 The Glee Club
British Waterways Building, Castle Wharf Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH http://www.glee.co.uk/nottingham
10 Coco Tang
07825889370 45 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2GN http://www.cocotang.co.uk/
11 The Maze
01159475650 257 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FT http:// www.themazerocks.com/
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OUR VENUES Anyone upcoming on NME, or whoever’s radar for that matter, will most likely be playing at the Bodega. One of the more intimate venues, it still boasts one of the biggest sounds in Nottingham, and is a must for the live music lover and club head alike. Gigs finish early here (10pm) because every night there’s a different event where you can enjoy a genuinely eclectic soundtrack, Sister to the Bodega, ‘Rooms’ puts on a similar range of acts but on a slightly larger scale. Think Noah and the Whale/ Head Automatica. It’s also home to the infamous ‘Pressure’ which will be our first social! The Rooms are connected to Stealth and on Saturday nights the venues go head to head with ‘Stealth vs. Rescue Rooms’.
Intense, hot and bassy. This is the venue for fans of house/d’n’b/tech/post-everything. Expect acts such Bondax and Disclosure.
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Yes, the same Rock City that holds the notorious Crisis. Don’t be put off by any embarrassing Fresher’s experiences here though, because it’s where the big names in the rock and indie scene will be playing (Deftones, Coheed & Cambria, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Maccabees etc.) Its oval shape makes the acoustics perfect and also easier to get to the front (but avoid the mosh pit).
You can find entertainment at The Maze every night of the week. With the best local and underground acts playing alongside some legendary bands and artists, plus weird and wonderful comedy, burlesque and cult DJ nights. All of which are beautifully accompanied by helpful and friendly staff, splendid Castle Rock real ale and a fine range of spirits, bottles beers, ciders and wines.
Set in an authentic Victorian music hall, Malt Cross is a unique venue hidden in the heart of Nottingham. Just off Market Square, head to this cafe bar for homecooked food, premium ales and regular live music in a truly historical setting.
Found on the other side of Nottingham behind the station, the Capital FM Arena is Nottingham’s largest venue. With a capacity of 10,000 people this venue attracts the biggest names on the scene as well as the largest variety of acts. Staging the likes of One Direction, Cheryl Cole and Justin Bieber, the arena is not completely void of musical talent with performances from Elbow, Lionel Richie and Alanis Morissette coming up this term.
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Nottingham’s top venue for live comedy and music, the Glee Club is in a beautiful area of the city by the canal. A cosy place built for intimate comedy nights, the Glee Club also makes for great up close and personal music performances.
For all vegetarian and vegan types, Alley Cafe is the ultimate chill-out spot to get a coffee or organic beer and of course some great veggie food. They love their music too, and put on lots of great events on throughout the year, so it gets The Mic’s seal of approval.
Situated in Canning Circus, the centre of the well-beaten track between Nottingham University and the city centre, the Sir John Borlase Warren is a great pub for chilled out evening drinks or just one on the way to town. Be sure to check out their quiz on a Wednesday: if you can boss their challenging music section you’re on to a definite winner with the chance to land yourself £30. From the 11th October you can also enjoy some local musical talent at their first of many new Open Mic nights.
A certain stop on a shopping trip, particularly if you’re after urban and vintage clothing. Wild stocks various vintage wear for men and women as well as brands such as Stussy. Located in Hockley, Wild is close to the city centre and near lots of other interesting little shops
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2011-12 HIGHLIGHTS DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL @ Various, 03/06/12
Nottingham’s Dot-to-Dot festival showcased a variety of local and national talent at some of Nottingham’s best venues. One of the stand out performances came from locals Dog is Dead who had Rock City brimming with ecstatic fans. Bastille also caused an early stir by delivering not only a sensational set inside but performing acoustically outside in the rain. This event seemed to bring music to a personal level with the smaller venues producing some of the best acts. The Acoustic Rooms at our very own Rescue Rooms saw Joshua Keogh enthrall the audience with his vulnerable lyrics, while Kyla La Grange stole the limelight at The Bodega with her unique voice and entrancing stage presence.
By Francessca Newton
RAE MORRIS
@ Rescue Rooms 03/03/12 Rae drew a small crowd of fans to The Rescue Rooms’ Red Room for a rather intimate performance. Following two talented support acts, including London’s young artist in the making Marie Naffah, Rae approached the stage. as people gathered around to be as close with this lyrical goddess as they possibly could, some even sitting on the floor right in front and cramping along the side. As eager listeners homed in, Rae sang a short set of stories with great sincerity. Her timid stage presence and evident nervousness were placebos to her performance. A skilled pianist combed her incredibly versatile vocals into beautiful compositions, each one increasingly emotionally impacting. Listeners clung to every word and note, hypnotised by this young woman with a lot of passion. On finishing her intimate set, this friendly Blackpool girl was eager to chat with locals at the bar, beginning with ‘I want to know more about Robin Hood’.
By Annie Davis
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NME AWARDS TOUR @ Rock City 14/02/12
On Valentines last year the lonely hearts of Nottingham and less romantic of us were kept entertained by the NME Awards tour at Rock City. Showcasing the acts from all areas of the eclectic British music scene we were regaled by hip-hop star Azealia Banks, new guitar band Tribes, electronic Metronomy, and indie-rock stars Two Door Cinema Club. Dispelling the myth that Rock City is incapable of employing a good DJ, the intermediary DJ did a great job of working the crowd to a frenzy with flashing lights and dance classics, such as ‘Sandstorm’. Surrounded by so much energy and excitement, my original opinion of Metronomy was blown out of the water as I danced under a sea of manic green lasers, entranced by their iconic flashing badges. By the time headliners Two Door Cinema Club reached the stage the atmosphere in Rock City was electric, exploding at their opening into a mass of bounding fans. Don’t let your Fresher’s Crisis experience ruin your opinion of Rock City, it’s truly meant to be a live music venue, and one of Britain’s best according to them.
By Cara McGoogan
THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS @ The Bodega, 14/12/11
TTNG have been one of my favourite bands since the days of drifting through MySpace, checking out anything that sparked my interest when I should have been doing homework. I was therefore really looking forward to seeing them with the intimacy of The Bodega. The band had changed a lot, mind you, since the (good old) days of MySpace, most notably the lack of original singer Stuart Smith who had recently decided to give the honourable role of fathering a go. But with the soft tones of ex-Pennines singer Henry Tremain onboard I was even more excited to witness a new dimension of the band. Not to disrespect Smith as I’d argue that his voice was an integral part of TTNG’s ‘sound’ (along with the noodly guitars and fast drum fills) but in the words of a good friend of mine: ‘he’d always been more of a lyricist than a singer’. That’s not a euphemistic way of saying he was a bad singer, but I couldn’t have helped but notice in the past that Smith sometimes struggled to hit certain notes. This was not a problem for Tremain, and it was with a gust of both relief and pleasure when songs such as ‘Chinchilla’ and ‘Mnspector Iorse’ were nailed. It was obvious from the couple of new songs which included awesome off beats via an impressive percussion rack that the new line-up are working well together; I only hope that they stop off at Nottingham on their next tour.
By John Bell
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FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE @ Capital FM arena 06/03/12 Florence and the Machine gave The Mic a completely unique experience at the arena as she wowed the crowd with both music and spectacle. The stage was designed with a back drop of art deco screens which changed artistically with every song, while she was perfectly attired in a cape and cat suit. She managed to completely control us with her airy assured nature as she gracefully swirled around the stage. We were jumping in a Mexican wave on ‘Dog Days are Over’ and swaying mournfully to ‘Heartlines’. Although it’s such a large venue, the gig was very personal, helped by Florence’s own anecdote of walking around our city earlier in the day. Her extensive band and powerful voice would have been enough for us alone, as was exemplified at the end in the crowd’s screams for Florence’s harpist.
By Cara McGoogan
THE BLACK KEYS @ Capital FM Arena 03/02/12
Procuring tickets to see The Black Keys is no easy feat these days, but in February The Mic was lucky enough to join 10,000 others at their sell-out gig at the Capital FM Arena. Although very excited to see the duo live, I was slightly dubious about only managing to get seated tickets. In spite of my doubts I was astounded by The Black Keys’ performance. The atmosphere was no less enjoyable from our seats and if anything it gave us a much better view of the whole performance. Utilising the arena’s sophisticated lighting system they brought the rock n’ roll atmosphere to life under a glittering disco ball. It was amazing how just two musicians were able to command such a large crowd and space. Their endless talent undoubtedly made this my favourite gig of the year.
By Cara McGoogan
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DOG IS DEAD D
og is Dead have just finished the summer of a lifetime with the completion of their debut album and playing some of the most popular festivals in Europe. As the figureheads of new and young musical talent in Nottingham it seemed only right that The Mic caught up with the band. John Bell spoke to singer Rob in Costa. Over the phone. It’s been a year since The Mic last spoke to Dog is Dead. We spoke about the upcoming tour with Bombaby Bicycle Club and of the single launch of ‘Hands Down’. What’s been new since then? Yes we had that chat at the Bodega didn’t we! We’ve been touring relentlessly, we put out a few singles since then. We’re having a really great time getting to know knew places and playing Europe as well as all over the UK on our own and with other bands. We’ve been working on a debut album for a long time and we’ve finished making that as well as playing 24 festivals. We’re just about to wrap up the festival season, so that’s where we’re out at the moment. Let’s talk about the new album then, ‘All Our Favourite Stories’, what can we expect to hear because last year you told me there’d be some psychedelic sounds. Can we still expect them? Yeah, when we spoke last the records
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would have still been there in part but the depth and dexterity probably wasn’t as developed as it is now. There’s a lot of depth to the record, I think it’s a bipolar record, about the obvious highs and lows of growing up. And that got a unique experience from where we come from. But yeah as much as it is upbeat and anthemic it does have a psychedelic twist to it, we’ve been really pushing ourselves to make new sounds and find new noises. We used gospel songs in a few of the songs and pushed our voices to do different things. We had fun with that. You mentioned growing up, is that where the name of the album came from? Yeah it was a lyric from Two Devils. When we started out when we were sixteen we didn’t set off to write a record we just wanted to play gigs. So we just wrote songs to play gigs with, not necessarily for an album. So when you get five years down the line or whatever then you just have a collection of songs and working that into an album is quite a challenge, making that into one body of work that represents everything you’ve been through and everything that’s current and you’re really proud of. So I think picking the name is just as hard because you don’t know where to start. So All Our Favourite Stories was what we pulled out of Two Devils which was quite an all-encapsu-
lating lyric I thought and summarized what the songs are and they all mean and they all have chapters of what we’ve done so far. Let’s talk about Reading and Leeds festival. I heard you have a choir onstage, how much preparation did you have for that? Yeah we had a six-piece choir. It’s totally nuts but those girls are pros, they’re usually on tour with Blur and The Kills and loads of bands that we’re really in love with. We had two girls sing a couple of tracks on the record so they were a bit more prepared but the others didn’t and we made them sing four tracks. We just wanted to make Reading and Leeds the most ridiculous incredible live experience we could to give the audience the equivalent of what we would have received at Leeds fest growing up. You’re off on tour soon. I see there’s no Nottingham date but can we expect some surprise gig or party? Yeah expect some sort of surprise fun thing that’s going to happen that we’re going to tell you about soon.
and our touring experiences have been great and we have a great passion for it. So when there’s a whole body of material out there that people have been listening to for a while and have got to know, then when we play them live it’s really going to heighten their experience. How often do you manage to get back home in the year when you’re touring? It’s a weird one because we’re always here and there. The festival season’s been quite cool because we’ve been having these mental weekends like the other day was Belgium on Friday, Leicester on Saturday and Somerset on Sunday, just all over the place. But then we’d come back to Nottingham to finish the record in weekdays. It’s almost like a school routine, obviously really twisted, but a lot of fun all the same. We were originally recording the record in London and Whales, then we took a complete U-turn and came back to Nottingham where we made the original demos, so that’s been really nice. We’ve got to make it in the most organic way possible in Nottingham.
Great. What are you looking forward to most?
‘All Our Favourite Stories’ is released 09/10/12 on Atlantic Records Pre-orders at iTunes, Play, Amazon, & HMV
We’re going to have the album out by then
By John Bell
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ΚΓ
Interview
H
ello Kappa Gamma. How has Nottingham treated you this Summer? What did you get up to?
We spent a lot of this summer cooped up in our favourite dark spaces writing music and recording sounds. Ransacking old buildings in search of ghosts has also taken up a fair share of our time. Ghosts? Is Kappa Gamma superstitious? More than one of us is not superstitious. Those of us who do adhere to superstition outnumber the ‘other’ contingent by threeto-one. If there are four ghosts remaining, how many Kappas go into the same number of Gammas? The answer is easier than you think... Erm, well we digress. To anyone who hasn’t heard you guys before, what sort of sound can they expect to hear (without using the abstract, please)? Not abstract? Our sound at its heart resembles the aural transmission of us playing on guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and very occasionally a violin all together. Oh, whilst ululating, let’s not forget. Your single ‘Just Another’ is awesome. It’s coming out on Vinyl with help from Destination Moon is it not? Who are they and how did that come about? Well hey thanks very much there John... J-ball. Our debut single was a split release which came out over the summer on our beloved Denizen Recordings, headed by Pete Fletcher, and Destination Moon which is a Rolo Tomassi imprint-label headed by James Spence. James saw us play Rock City last year with Dog Is Dead and we were lucky enough that he was interested
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in doing a release with us. The single looks super-rad on half-clear, half-black 7” vinyl and are a bloody steal at under four quid! What’s the follow up to the single? An EP/ album? Over the coming months we’re searching high (and low, obviously) for the missing jigsaw pieces of our first EP. It’s all pretty much there and will be out in October/November. But we’re saving a few bits for the album which we’ll be hobbling together in a mad way over winter. I’ve heard through the grapevine about a spool film music video. Does it have a story yet? Yes, the grapevine oft returns wonders in fruity truths. We’re working on a video with Nottingham’s answer to the Coen brothers: Tom and John Turrel. We’ve had a lot of discussions, cigarettes and mini-adventures concluding in what we think will be an awesome video for our song Akira (which looks like it’s going to be on the album). Filming starts next week. Thanks Kappa Gamma, we’ll be seeing you support the great Johnny Foreigner in October. Just don’t open any umbrellas inside or break any mirrors, yeah? Yes, we ask anyone coming to our shows not to bring pocket mirrors or step ladders or anything else which might incur bad luck. If it rains, please, just get wet. Julian’s broken several mirrors in Adrian and Max’s house - who are still trying to shake of his bad ju-ju. In aid of this, on Sundays, Saf and Tom go round door-to-door doing the dishes for free. “Karma isn’t interchangeable with Superstition”, I said. They wrinkled their noses at me giving me the impression that they secretly liked it and that, close up, their noses looked like sand dunes.
By John Bell
http://destinationmoon.bigcartel.com, The Chameleon 20/10/12 w/ Johnny Foreigner.
JAKE BUGG ‘TWO FINGERS’
F
rom the heart of the English midlands a cosmopolitan wonder has appeared in the form of Jake Bugg. Emerging from Nottingham, Jake and his acoustic guitar have been seamlessly weaving multiple genres together to create a sound that can only be described as astounding. With his summer of festivals culminating in a set at Reading and Leeds then Bestival, 17 year old Jake is riding on a high just before the release of his debut album ‘Two Fingers’ on the 15th October. In our ever-continuing interest in local talent, we at The Mic decided we’d give you a small preview of this upcoming album. The opening song on the album is Jake’s recently released single ‘Lightning Bolt’. The maturity of this song epitomises everything that is astonishing about young Jake’s talent. In just his first album he has managed to fuse all his influences together to create a new and completely beautiful track. In a journey through musical history ‘Lightning Bolt’ will remind you of high Belle and Sebastianesque indie pop, low Libertinian classic indie and of the folk rock of Bob Dylan, all at the same time. And he even manages a small infusion of something close to Jimi Hendrix in a gritty electric guitar solo.
While Jake’s music is unbound by his context his lyrics are wrought with claustrophobia and discontent. This is only too clear in ‘Trouble Town’ where Jake finds himself “stuck in speed bump city/ Where the only thing that’s pretty/ Is the thought of getting out”. Supplying Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, Editors and even The Wanted with members, it can’t be said Nottingham doesn’t have a rich music scene. You only have to look at Jake’s up and coming town-fellows Dog is Dead and Kappa Gamma to see that. Yet the fusion of Jake’s rhythmical freedom with his physical and lyrical entrapment work perfectly together to create music that is on the edge of something great. Without his itchy feet Jake’s music wouldn’t be as rhythmically ambitious or lyrically poetic so I guess we shouldn’t complain about his antagonistic relationship with Nottingham. What we should hope for is that his success doesn’t drive him so far away from home as to make him lose his inspiration. On his return from touring Europe with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Jake Bugg will be playing an already sold out show at the Rescue Rooms on the 23rd November.
By Cara McGoogan
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Interview: Cave Painting Just before the release of their debut album, The Mic caught up with Brighton-based Cave Painting. Having spent the summer touring with Mercury Award nominees Alt-J and with a growing following on Radio 1 and 6 Music, the band are about to hit the most successful year of their career.
F
or those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of hearing Cave Painting’s debut single ‘So Calm’ they described it to The Mic as “atmospheric without being too epic”, a song that radiates a “purple hew”. With an interesting mix of influences including “both Bon Iver’s records, The National, Yeasayer, Drake, The Arcade Fire and Kanye West”, it’s hard to really condense Cave Painting’s sound into just a few words. They gave it a go, expanding that even with popularity and success they hope their music “will hold epic-ness back, maintaining its ability to fill big spaces with just its space. It’s never going to be in your face, it just sort of breathes over you”. Still none the wiser? Neither was I until I took a listen of their brand new album ‘Votive Life’. On listening to their first single, ‘So Calm’, you can see why their confusing descriptions are wrought with dichotomies. ‘So Calm’ is an entrancing, rhythmic wonder which allows Adam Kane’s soothing yet eerie voice to float to the fore. Until it is smashed open by a dizzying reverb loop that’s more energetic than the opening but no less hypnotic. These elements fuse together at the end of the track when higher pitched vocals prevent the
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hypnotic bass from lulling the listener into a false sense of inescapable calm. Cave Painting’s refusal to allow the listener to become ‘So Calm’ is mirrored again in their lyrics. Juxtaposing the refrains “feel so calm in the way you are” and “I’m not wasting time” forces an uncomfortable restlessness in amongst their calm. And what’s more, Adam’s accent, whether intentional or not, makes the chorus almost sound like “feel so cold in the way you are”. An album that makes you feel calm, restless, happy, sad, energetic and uncomfortable all at once, it’s a cacophony of different sounds which somehow manage to fit perfectly into one, managing to do much more than just “breathe over you”. When it came to discussing the fun that went into the creation of ‘Votive Life’, Cave Painting became far more expressive. Not having a set process for creating each track, they have spent hours messing around and playing with different ideas. Adam told me that for this reason their favourite track is “a little track towards the end of the album, an interlude, called Me You Soon. It’s our favourite because it was an idea that Sam Simon (keyboardist) had for ages and I saved it onto my laptop a couple of years ago and always thought it had to be used in some way, somewhere. And towards the end of the recording we had a little go at it and all just sort of made it up really late one night. The little bit at the beginning is the track that we recorded
straight onto the laptop with a microphone and the rest was built around it just on the spot. There was something really nice about doing that, we were very proud of it”. It’s not just the creation of songs that they messed around with though. Looking at the names on their album cover you’d be right not to understand them. Adam revealed to me “sometimes when you’re writing a song you’ll have the name ready and sometimes you just make it up off the cuff. People feel you have to put lyrics in the title but I think it can be funny if the name just means something funny to you. (Laughs). When we first started jamming ‘Gator’, Rich Snabel (bassist) and Sam were messing around and kept shouting ‘GATOR!’ in the chorus which then stuck as its name as we all found it so funny”. I’m sure there are plenty more in jokes to be found on there as well, not least in the fact that they nearly ended up being called “Catfish”. Cave Painting have been writing and performing together for five years, but only for the last year has it been under their current name. When they were younger they were called Rob the Rich, a name they decided to move on from as they developed: “when we were the old band we were all at a certain age and we’ve all sort of grown up since then. We took a break and instead of rehearsing to play shows we started writing and just naturally changed. Then everything else changed with it and we’ve gone from there, a new start”. Before they finally landed on Cave Painting after a drunken brainstorm, they spent hours deliberating over names: “There was a time when our manager would be on the phone (he lives in America so we have to communicate with him through video calling). We’d sit outside
the rehearsal room and he’d be on the other end of the phone saying ‘have you come up with a name yet? I’ve got some suggestions. And we’d be sat round the table grimacing at each other, trying not to laugh, while John would be writing down really ridiculous ones and passing them round”. Finally, before Cave Painting left me they decided to denounce a rumour going around that they blew off a Dog is Dead gig to wreak havoc in a hotel. “Aah that sounds bad. No, we couldn’t get into the Dog is Dead gig because it was packed. It was at Great Escape and one of the last shows so we were like what else can we do? And usually at the Great Escape everyone reconvenes in this hotel on the seafront where all of the bands and reps go. And we were drunk and ended up in a lift singing barber shop quartet stuff, getting everyone to join in and just riding the lift up and down until they kicked us out. We were in there for ages though. And I think this year the boys tried to do the same thing and they moved a sofa into the lift and got in trouble again. That’s like a yearly occurrence”. To keep up to date with the chaotic trail the band will be leaving around England on their upcoming tour with Gaz Coombes, check out the ‘Land We Love’ section on their website. Currently containing Sam’s photos of their tours, he told The Mic “that’s currently in the process of being developed so keep your eyes peeled for that becoming a lot bigger”. Make sure you catch Cave Painting’s debut album ‘Votive Life’ from the 24th September ahead of their Nottingham appearance with Gaz Coombes at The Rescue Rooms on 25th October.
By Cara McGoogan
The Mic | 19
Retrospective “over two hours of class and energy, proving that in the intervening years, the band have lost none of their edge”
Blur
“………To the End”
...then
J
uly 2009. Blur have just played two sold out shows to 80,000 people per night at Hyde Park, a reunion which many thought would never happen following the way Graham Coxon was ousted in 2003 during recording sessions for Think Tank. The month before, Blur headlined Glastonbury, a celebration encompassing the best of their back catalogue with swagger and vigour, an event not just for the die-hards but also the uninitiated, the people too young to experience the band the first time round and those who may have preferred the brashness of the Gallaghers in Oasis.. It was merely coincidental that the resurrection of Blur in summer 2009 occurred alongside the dissolution of Oasis, a reflection of the changing tides in music, heralding the end of the battle of Britpop.
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...and now
Blur reigned over the summer of 2009 and as the closing notes of ‘The Universal’ made their way across Hyde Park, it wouldn’t have been churlish to say that perhaps the shows marked an end to the band, a finality which was denied to the fans in 2003.
...Fast forward to August 2012
Blur are once again back in the public consciousness, playing more shows and releasing new music in the form of a double a-side (‘Under the Westway’/ ‘The Puritan’). A box-set, ‘21’, encompassing all seven studio albums, b-sides and rarities has recently been released, the biggest hint yet that the band are putting a full stop over touring and recording commitments. Listening back through the Blur cannon provides a musical insight into the fragility of the relationships not only within the band but also between the band members and girlfriends, not least that of Albarn with Justine Frischmann, the fracture between the two documented on ‘13’. Blur have always been at their best when dealing with adversity, and Albarn produced perhaps two of his best songs during 1999 and the recording of the album, notably ‘No Distance left to Run’ and ‘Caramel’.
...continued overleaf
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What you gain from listening to all seven albums is how much the band grew in the 12 years between ‘Leisure’ and ‘Think Tank’, both musically and lyrically. One of Blur’s strengths was that each album was a departure from the last, each of the four members constantly pushing themselves in different directions to create four quarters of a whole. The results could be mixed, as with several tracks on 1995’s ‘The Great Escape’, but could also become anthems, songs which attacked the charts and invaded the radios across the country, ‘Song 2’ and ‘Parklife’ respectively. People of a certain vintage will say that these were watershed moments in Britpop, but retrospectively, they represent the band engaging across two different areas of the musical spectrum, be it the lo-fi nature of the former or the social commentary of British culture in the latter. Blur could often be brilliant, but these shows, especially now in 2012, have seemed to cement their status as one of the best bands our fine country has ever produced, with recognition in the Brit Awards for Outstanding Contributions to music. Forget the shambolic and raucous nature of Damon’s acceptance speech, and the performance of the band following that middle finger of Adele, to be in the same company of U2 and Paul Weller signified a major recognition by the music industry for the 21 years of blur’s recording career. Setlist (Wolverhampton 6th Aug): Girls & Boys, London Loves, Tracey Jacks, Jubilee, Bettlebum, Coffee & TV, Out of Time, Young & Lovely,Trimm Trabb, Caramel, Sunday Sunday, Country House, Parklife, Colin Zeal, The Puritan, Pop Scene, Advert, Song 2, No Distance Left to Run, Tender, This is a Low, Sing, Under the Westway, Intermission, End of a Century, For Tomorrow, The Universal
August 4th, 2012.
Blur play the first gig of their week-long summer tour in Margate in a venue holding little more than 5000 people. Damon admits to being “a little bit scared, a little bit apprehensive” playing the band’s first gig in almost three years; yet he needn’t have worried. The gig is just over two hours of class and energy, proving that in the intervening years, the band have lost none of their edge Two days later, Wolverhampton is the next stop, which this lucky writer was fortunate to have a ticket for. Taking the stage to ‘Girls & Boys’, the band proceeded to slay through the very best of their back catalogue, bringing out a rarely played b-side in ‘Young and Lovely’ and culminating in a triple tour-de-force of ‘For Tomorrow, End of a Century and The Universal’, the crowd screaming every word back to the band in what was one of those, and I use the word very loosely, moments. To this writer, the gig felt more like a celebration of the band more so than a wake, although with Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave all seemingly involved in other projects, be it in music (Damon and Graham) or Farming and Legal aid (Alex and Dave), the future of the band is once more under question. Blur returned to Hyde Park on the day of the Olympic closing ceremony, playing another farewell gig to 80,000 people as part of the official celebrations, yet this time, despite all the bonhomie between band members and despite the reactions they have received from the crowds and the fans, it really does look like we’ve made it to the end.
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When Albarn sang “I’ve got to get over… I’ve got to get better… will love you forever” on ‘Caramel’, hearts broke across the country. With the songs’ revival in the set list of their recent short tour of the UK, those hearts are once again aching at the sight of one man’s emotions being bared in public.
Joe Sweeting
photos: www.blur.com/info/gallery
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transcendence of Three Trapped Tigers, an infinitely captivating act to close.
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here came a moment on Friday night during the biblical 12-hour downpour drenching the scenic Cotswold countryside, which so beautifully cradles the 2000trees festival, when I had to question whether I was quite in possession of my full quota of senses. I found myself standing shin-deep in liquid mud in a sodden field listening to an instrumental band with a strange name while the heavens relentlessly, and repeatedly, opened. But glancing back at the stage, and embracing 65daysofstatic’s breath-taking post-rock soundscapes, it was impossible to care about the deluge, the mud, or anything else. With the lights and the rain combining to create an electric atmosphere, the headline act’s trademark instrumental onslaught was little short of mesmerising. 65daysofstatic’s emphatic triumph over the elements is representative of the whole irrepressible spirit of 2000trees. From the lovingly hand-crafted signposts and Big Lebowski-inspired bars to the impromptu swingball games and criminally fun silent disco, this is a festival that knows the entire reason for its existence is to ensure that every punter, whatever the weather, has a great time. And judging by the record ticket sales and the friendly atmosphere, they are getting it absolutely right. Hopes were high for a meteorological miracle on Thursday, but by the afternoon it was looking unlikely, setting the tone for the schizophrenic weather that was to become so trying. Operating only a single stage for those with VIP tickets for the first day, the festival eased into gear, before being violently kick-started by Imperial Leisure’s infectious brand of demented ska-punk-hip-hop. They then made way for the madcap genre-
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With the mud already beginning to thicken, Friday marked the start of the festival proper. The People the Poet impressed with a polished and confident folk-rock set and with a glimpse of sun it was just possible to pretend it was a real summer. Fearsome punk outfit the Computers staked a strong claim for best show of the weekend, as charismatic frontman Alex Kershaw unleashed most of his buzz saw vocals from amongst or on top of the crowd, instigating absolute chaos in the Cave. Gallows, with new frontman Wade MacNeil, reprised this mayhem, their mix of old and new songs showing them still far ahead of most of the scene. The Futureheads followed an a capella set at the Leaf Lounge with a crowd-pleasing blast through their classics on the Main Stage. Saturday offered the chance for those of a certain vintage to reminisce in style as Hundred Reasons romped through their debut album ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ before headliners Guillemots enchanted the audience. Elsewhere, bright young things Lower Than Atlantis overcame technical difficulties to give a resounding signal of what is to come, while the James Cleaver Quintet brought arguably the most unhinged set ever to grace the stage, making a subsequent trip to the nonemore-chilled Greenhouse area absolutely necessary. Local heroes and 2000trees veterans Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun blasted through the clouds, powering through an enthralling set with no small assistance from an adoring crowd packed tight inside the Leaf Lounge.
By Joe Ponting
Gardens. They brought a hurdy-gurdy, a 7-foot tall bearded violinist, plentiful horns and an 80-year-old in a fez screaming about a ‘Hole in the Universe’ to thousands of suddenlyenergetic cider-drinkers.
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n my socialist utopia every city would have a yealy Tramlines Festival, a completely free festival that takes over the entire city centre. An incredibly inclusive event, the organisers are completely committed to making sure everyone has a brilliant time experiencing a great variety of art and music. With at least 60 different venues involved and some with multiple stages, it’s impossible to write a comprehensive review of the whole thing, but I tried to squeeze in as wide a range of events as possible. Although the last two years of the festival featured somewhat stronger line-ups, I found that the comparative lack of big names allowed me to explore more freely, not having to negotiate clashes or sneer from the back at some indie-rock up-and-comers on the New Music Stage (which was in the square outside City Hall!). I saw some excellent sets from Future of the Left and 65daysofstatic, but it was the tiny free-for-all hip-hop stage which was more refreshing and memorable, covering all four pillars of hip-hop plus street poetry and spontaneous dance parties.
Elsewhere, warehouse DIY punks The Audacious Art Experiment were a must-visit if you’re into scuzzy house shows (‘Queer’d Science’, ‘Nope’, and ‘Endless Rope’ were particular highlights), and although I only caught half an hour of Demdike Stare’s digital soundscapes at Yellow Arch Studios, maybe I should’ve pulled a second all-nighter to absorb myself in that incredible venue. I also caught some sprawling free-folk from Ghedi & Heppleston in the Cathedral, two sets of Afro-noise “aggrobeat” post-rockers Blood Sport (watch out for this band, seriously), and a great set of rowdy post-punk from Nottingham’s own Nordenfelt. I just wish I’d had more time – I never even made it to the Main Stage or the Busker’s Bus, and probably visited less than a tenth of participating venues! Next year, if you have friends in Sheffield whose floor you can sleep on, I urge you to come and check out Tramlines. I spent most of it yelling about how “you wouldn’t get this in Nottingham!”, which could easily be replaced with any other city. Sheffield has a friendly richness I’ve never truly experienced anywhere else and Tramlines was the best time to experience it. Fingers crossed it survives austerity for another year.
By Stephen Wragg
The best part of the weekend was 11-piece Balkan folk-punk band The Destroyers who tore apart the World Music Stage in the Peace
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Laurel Halo - Quarantine
Nobody has ever made an album
like ‘Quarantine’ before. Laurel Halo approaches sound like a sculptor, labouring over every angle, as if the entire song is one nonlinear moment, until it hangs, one suspended entity, a fusion of human and digital. There are almost no beats or percussion on the record because it is so ambivalent, so cerebral; it’s a far cry from dance music, in spite of her previous work’s hazy reimaginings of IDM and techno. The purpose is to create and sustaina very specific and abstract mental (cyber)space, to carve it out, to invite the listener to align themself with the tangent Halo is exploring. Similar to James Blake’s self-titled debut, she organises sounds around her prominent vocal lines, but unlike Blake, she leaves her voice raw and exposed, fully baring every flaw and nuance. On ‘Years’ it is painfully direct: “You’re mad cause I will not leave you alone” – but Lianne la Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough
The Mic’s Top Albums of Summer 2012
what a bizarre, deliberately uncatchy melody. The piercing effects on ‘Carcass’ twist the knife deeper; yet closer ‘Light & Space’ is immaculately produced, spine-tinglingly gorgeous.The record is full of contradictions: it’s spacious and impressionistic at the same time as being tense and claustrophobic. It’s lush and dreamlike but haunting, wilfully discomforting. It calls to mind at once sci-fi and sentimentality. It’s straight from the bottom of uncanny valley. But it’s so unprecedented that I’m no closer to adequately describing it. Suffice to say ‘Quarantine’ is fascinatingly daring and it will do things that music has never done by Stephen Wragg for you before.
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track, but don’t go into the album expecting to be dancing around the room with the n the busy releases of albums this year, hairbrush as a microphone. To say the it is likely that the debut from Lianne La music is understated would seem to be Havas would have passed you by, pretentious, BUT it really is understated, released in July to relatively little fanfare fine-crafted and produced so that the but great reviews from music critics. listener goes on that metaphorical journey Bursting onto the scene following an with la Havas through all stages of a appearance on Later With Jools Holland relationship. You don’t need to have last October, la Havas crafted this album experienced heartbreak to enjoy the music, in relative peace from the press, and and for la Havas to be singing about it at the what emerged from these sessions is age of 23 can be seen as pushing it, but really, one of the best albums of the year. The when a debut album that is this good arrives, highlights are ‘Age’ (An ode to a boyfriend any gripes can surely be forgiven. La Havas several years her senior), ‘Forget’ (Written will be around for a long, long time to come. about an ex boyfriend) and ‘No Room for Doubt’, co-written with Willy Mason, by Joe Sweeting which is an aching lament to relationships There are upbeat moments however, not least the title track, but don’t go into the Mercury Prize Nominated album expecting to be dancing around Lianne La Havas the room with the hairbrush as a microphone. There are upbeat moments however, not least the title
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The House of Coco Tang I
t would be true to suggest that here at The Mic we tend to focus on the current rock and indie music scene above the other illustrious list of events going on around the city and indeed the country. That’s not to say we ignore other genres - just look back to Issue 32 for Nancy Bukasa’s insightful views on A$AP Rocky – and it doesn’t mean that for us as students a good night out means a good gig out, does it? So as the new academic term begins, so turns a new page in the Mic; let’s take a break from single releases and hiatuses and look into the lanterns and cocktails of Coco Tang’s Vice as we discuss what makes it a great night out. For the Freshers who are reading, I’ll start from my first experience of Coco Tang. Unless you’ve been told of its modest entrance (secretive is perhaps too ominous), you might be somewhat at a miss as to where the club actually is. On those cobbled lace market steps approaching a mere red oriental lantern with solitary doorman beneath it, it’s hard not to think of Victorian opium dens and the like. The English student aside, it’s clear from entering the club that it knows class. But class and student nights hardly seem to go hand in hand. As cringe-worthy as it may be to say, a student night out is typically defined by cheap, excessive drinking and all its other vices. And yet it is exactly Vice that Coco Tang seems to be flaunting every Monday: not the vices that come with sticky floors, WKDs and Carly Rae Jepsen but those that come with the sleek look of a private club. Adorned with cocktail barrels and Chinese lanterns, it appears that the vices here are of those of a 20’s prohibition bar or a Chinese opium-den
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(although rest assured there’ll be no illicit narcotics here). Design and decor however can only go so far in the reputation of a bar because ultimately it must come down to the quality of the drinks, and my god does Coco Tang deliver. Vice has a huge array of cocktails which are of excellent quality. I do not wish to adopt the tone of a salesman but their raspberry mojito may be the best I’ve ever had. What’s more at £4 a cocktail it is excellent value for money, although admittedly the price of the night could rack up sneakily if you’re not careful. But then again that’s the nature of the vice, isn’t it? With a smallish dance floor set in underground tunnels, Vice nights can get stuffy but it is with a breath of proverbial fresh air to mention that the recently renovated soundsystem does not churn out chart hits but rather decent European House and all its derivatives. OK we’re back to talking about music but it would be wrong if we missed it out. The likes of Jamie XX, Disclosure, Deadmau5, 2ManyDJs and Fake Blood keep the rhythm of the night upbeat and far from the dreary zone that other student club nonsense puts you in. It’s evident from looking around that Vice’s crowds dress up a little more than they might do for any other student night, so it seems that its punters view Coco Tang as a classier joint than the rest. This may be off-putting to some but there is by no means a need to wear a suit or your finest dress and if anything, this signifies that its crowds want to look the way the club makes them feel. With the various deals available this doesn’t have to come with more of a cost than any other night. If any of this has intrigued you then you must check out Vice for it may turn into just that: an irresistible temptation. Vice will see its first night of the year on Monday 24th September, then following will be every Monday of the term.
By John Bell
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