PREVIEWS
Pet Deaths by Andrew G Hobbs
MUSIC
EVENTS
MUSIC
PET DEATHS @ COBALT MIDDLESBROUGH MAN ON MAN @ THE LOCAL HISTORY MONTH STUDIOS CLUNY Words: Michael O’Neill Taking equal influence from Alice Coltrane, Bitches Brew-era Miles and the sacred duo of Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, the London-based folk/art rock outfit Pet Deaths are a dream prospect for those who prefer music that challenges the boundaries of the art form, but still remains delightfully unpretentious and wholly enthralling. Consisting of duo Graeme Martin and Liam Karim, their 2019 debut LP To The Top Of The Hill and Roll… won plaudits from the likes of Huw Stephens (who described it as “beautiful, understated and special” – noting it as one of his favourite albums of the year) and bagged them support slots with acts as prestigious as Elbow and Arab Strap. Their upcoming sophomore effort, unhappy ending (due for release 27th May) is a worthy successor, finding the duo further ploughing the depths of introspective innovation. They consider it to be “both explored and sat with [and] deliberately and acutely considered to be a journey of its own; nine new songs but one whole immersive piece for the listener to climb inside.” It’s an ambitious undertaking, and one that will indisputably make for an immersive experience on-stage when they play Cobalt Studios on Saturday 28th May. Pet Deaths play Cobalt Studios, Newcastle on Saturday 28th May. www.petdeaths.co.uk
Words: Robert Nichols This year’s Middlesbrough Local History Month will be really important for the future as well as a celebration of the past. In this Jubilee year, the Teesside town looks back through all seven decades of the reign as they impacted on local places and faces. The month-long focus will look back to the early pioneering years of the new planned town while also peering back through time to discuss tantalising clues unearthed recently by archaeologists from a far earlier Middlesbrough. The will be a diverse programme of events that aims to have widespread appeal; walk in the footsteps of a young James Cook, explore the resting place of some of the town’s celebrated engineers or open a scrapbook of footballing memories. The hidden history of town buildings is unveiled and the roles of women at work and in war are uncovered. Recent social history will also be explored through individuals interviewed in a recent Leeds University Northern Exposure project. Many of the events of this annual festival take place in a town centre that is still redefining itself after the pandemic. It is now vitally important that we get out and about and fully utilise our venues again – this local history month can be an important step to help regenerate Middlesbrough. For all walks, talks, open day and events of the month-long Middlesbrough Local History Month check out the website or Discover Middlesbrough social media pages. www.wearemiddlesbrough.com
Words: Michael O’Neill It’s slightly difficult, in so few words, to try and surmise the staggering influence that metal auteurs Faith No More have over the last thirty-odd years of left-field riff-laden tuneage, with the likes of the anything-goes opus Angel Dust still being as vital now as it was in 1992. Those with a keen ear will be readily familiar with the key role that keyboardist Roddy Bottum had to play in all this, with his complex, multi-layered washes of keys being a key ingredient in what made them so unique, both in the pantheon of metal, and further afield. That very same anything-goes spirit is alive and well in Bottum’s new project Man On Man, which he co-founded with boyfriend Joey Holman, and will be bringing to Newcastle’s Cluny on Sunday 15th May. The duo’s eponymous LP, written and recorded at home, is an evocative and eclectic exploration of their love, separation, fear and isolation in the face of Covid-19, that deals in euphoria, liberation and introspection. It’s a brilliantly intimate collection of deeply personal and compelling music, which will readily appeal to disciples of Bottum’s past work and anyone who loves their tunes to be eclectic, thought-provoking and euphoric. Man On Man play The Cluny, Newcastle on Sunday 15th May. www.manonmanmusic.com
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