London Gigs Diary: 30 July - 5 August 2012

In a year where summer in London has been dominated by the Jubilee celebrations and the run up to the Olympics you couldn’t have blamed the Southbank had they chosen a safe, mainstream choice as curator for this year’s Meltdown festival, capitalising on the mood of national self-satisfaction. Their decision to invite Antony Hegarty to programme the fortnight of music was therefore something of a welcome surprise and has resulted in one of the most interesting and leftfield line ups for several years.

There may not be a show solely featuring Antony & The Johnsons but they do feature as part of a show on Sunday that is part music, part dance also featuring choreographer Yoshito Ohno and tape loops from William Basinski (who will appear in a separate event during the following week). The first week also sees performances on Friday from Joan As Policewoman and Laurie Anderson (the latter presenting her new Dirtday! Show) while Planningtorock opens the festival on Wednesday with a show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Diamandas Galás also makes two appearances – a show at the Royal Fetival Hall on Thursday focusing on her music and an evening on Friday at the Purcell Room involving a lecture and showing of her latest film Schrei 27. There’s also a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Thursday by Turkish singer Selda Bagcan whose music has enjoyed renewed exposure in recent years, being sampled by hip hop artists and re-released by crate-digging label Finders Keepers. CocoRosie also appear at the Royal Festival Hall on Friday (read what we thought of their last album Grey Oceans here). Get full details of the festival here.

This week also sees the start of the Converse shows at the 100 Club. Tickets were allocated by ballot at the start of July with the highlight seeing Blur play one of their smallest shows in recent years on Thursday (with support from Savages, The Bots and Swiss Lips). On Wednesday there’s a show featuring an impressive line up of Paul Weller, Spiritualized, 2:54 and Japandroids. Plan B kicks things off on Monday (read our review of his latest London show here) and Tuesday has a punk theme with a show involving UK Subs and Discharge.

Also taking place this week:

Tuesday

Fixers – Birthdays

Wilderness Of Manitoba – Windmill

Wednesday

Chapel Club – Birthdays

Benoit Pioulard & Felix – Wilmington Arms

Martin Creed – Dalston Victoria

Thursday

Bardo Pond – Cargo

 

Just announced:

This week might see the Southbank Centre open their Meltdown festival but they also announced details of the Ether festival, their annual celebration of innovation, art, technology and cross-arts experimentation. Highlights include Tyondai Braxton playing Central Market with the London Sinfonietta, John Cale playing from his forthcoming album, a double bill featuring Soap & Skin and Ghostpoet, a shows focusing on the music of John Cage, Michael Gordon and Jonathan Harvey. You can read more here. Others shows recently announced include:

The xx – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 10^th September

Alison Moyet – Ronnie Scotts – 8-10^th October

Exitmusic – Lexington – 6^th November

BEAK> - Lexington – 21^st November

Elbow – O2 Arena – 2^nd December

London Gig Diary: 16-23 July 2012

This week sees the conclusion of this year’s Somerset House Summer Series with arguably three of the highest profile shows of the 2012 event. Charlotte Gainsbourg closes the fortnight of gigs on Thursday with a show alongside Connan Mockasin (the pair collaborated together on Gainsbourg’s last album Stage Whisper).  A headline show of this size suggests that she may soon be known as much for her music as well as her acting.

Earlier in the week on Monday Anthony Gonzales (aka M83) brings his dazzling live show to London once again (read what we thought of his recent shows in Brighton and London). Meanwhile Paloma Faith promotes second album Fall To Grace with two shows on Tuesday and Wednesday. You’ll find coverage of all three artists on musicOMH later in the week.

There’s plenty going on elsewhere, not least the (not so) small matter of Madonna appearing at Hyde Park on Tuesday. Expect to hear selections from latest album MDNA alongside some of her superlative pop hits on Tuesday. Let’s hope the conditions are suitably rain-free...

Elsewhere, Lianne La Havas plays a pair of shows at Village Underground on Monday and Tuesday (with support from Mara Carlyle) while there’s also appearances from Penguin Cafe’s Arthur Jeffes under his Sundog guise at The Vortex on Tuesday, Nite Jewel at XOYO on Wednesday and Atlas Sound at the Scala on Thursday.

The Queen Elizabeth Hall is the setting on Wednesday and Thursday for two collaborations between Malian singer Oumou Sangare and Amercian banjo-player Bela Fleck, whilst the Barbican welcomes back Rokia Traoré after her trio of shows in the capital last month (on Thursday and Friday she’s appearing in shows based on the story of Desdemona from Shakespeare’s Othello).

Also taking place this week:

Monday

Dylan LeBlanc – Lexington

Andre Vida, Rashad Becker & Bass Clef – Cafe Oto

Tuesday

Civil Civic – Power Lunches

The Pharcyde – KOKO

Toy – Madame Jojo’s

Touch records night with Maia Urstad, Jiyeon Kim, Sandra Jasper & Dawn Scarfe – Cafe Oto

Wednesday

The Boy Least Likely To – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Thursday

Kimya Dawson – St. Giles-in-the-Fields

Friday

Cold Pumas – Power Lunches

Sunday

Elliott Sharp & Philip Jeck – Cafe Oto

Just announced:

At The Drive In – Brixton Academy – 28^th August

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Scala – 10^th October

Balam Acab – Birthdays – 10^th October

Errors – Heaven – 18^th October

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – KOKO – 23^rd October

Gaz Coombes – KOKO – 24^th October

Owl City – Forum - 25th October

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – York Hall – 9^th November

Purity Ring – Scala – 20^th November

Band Of Horses – Hammersmith Apollo – 20^th November

Tinariwen – Union Chapel – 29^th November

Orbital – Brixton Academy – 15^th December

Alt-J – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 13^th January

London Gigs Diary: 9 - 16 July

This week sees the Somerset House Summer Series get properly underway, with shows taking place in the historic surroundings of the courtyard on each night.

Tindersticks extend an already successful year to date with a show on Sunday night. They had to cancel a series of intimate gigs at the Soho Theatre earlier this year due to singer Stuart Staples’ laryngitis but this larger show should more than make up for any previous disappointment. Their 9^th album The Something Rain was widely acclaimed as one of their best upon release earlier this year and alongside occasional older favourites should make this show rather special (you can also read our Q&A with David Boulter from earlier this year by clicking here).

Earlier in the week it is shows from female vocalists that stand out – Monday and Tuesday American see double platinum-selling soul star Jill Scott welcomed whilst later in the week on Thursday Anna Calvi appears with support from Eugene McGuiness and Cold Specks. On Wednesday Australian quartet The Temper Trap appear ahead of the release of their second album, with support from the highly-regarded Alt-J. With shows from The Enemy on Friday and an evening concentrating on music from the Afrobeats scene on Saturday it’s a busy week. You can get full details here (the shows continue throughout next week also - watch out for our preview in next week’s diary).

Elsewhere Hard Rock Calling takes place in Hyde Park over the weekend and sees shows by some of rock’s heavyweights. Bruce Springsteen appears on Saturday (read our review of his Manchester show here) whilst on Sunday Paul Simon celebrates the 25^th anniversary of his Gracelands album by playing it in full. Soundgarden get things under way on the Friday. Read full details here.

On Saturday there’s also the Eurostar Traction festival taking place at Granary Square by Kings Cross. Gilles Peterson has curated the line up which features the likes of Sébastien Tellier, Ghostpoet, Benny Sings and The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble. Get more information here.

Two more of the week's most eye-catching gigs are right at the end. The collaboration between Neneh Cherry and The Thing has been one of the more striking link-ups of the year so far, each artist showing a pleasing willingness to venture outside of their usual musical territory. We were impressed by their album The Cherry Thing and talked to Cherry about it in this interview. You can catch them at Village Underground on Sunday. A gig of similar intensity takes place on the same night up in Kentish Town as The Mars Volta promote latest album Noctourniquet at the Forum.

Earlier, Sweet Billy Pilgrim play from their much-praised Crown & Treaty album at Bush Hall on Wednesday, whilst on Monday the week begins promisingly with gigs from ex-Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadier who plays the Scala and Still Corners who play the Dalston Roof Park.

There’s plenty going on in from a more jazz/experimental/esoteric angle – Cafe Oto is the venue for a show on Friday featuring ex-Led Zeppelin bassist Jon Paul Jones uniting with Norwegian musician Helg Sten (aka Deathprod) under their Minibus Pimps name. On Monday the venue opens the week with a show by the Dead Rat Orchestra who will play a live score to The Guga Hunters Of Ness. Elsewhere, Zoe Rahman plays from current album Kindred Spirits at the Vortex on Thursday and Friday sees Adrian Sherwood, Africa Hi-Tech and Kwesachu (Kwes and Micachu) all appear at Village Underground.

Finally, a mention for a small show on Friday at the Hope & Anchor in Islington by The Death Of Six By Seven (previously known simply as Six By Seven). Their emotionally charged, proto-drone-rock won them a decent fanbase back in the late 1990s (indeed, this writer remembers seeing them at the sadly-now-gone Astoria at the start of the millennium). The last decade has been less kind to them but this offers a rare chance to see them back in action again.

Also taking place this week:

Monday

Lianne La Havas – Rough Trade East

Kimya Dawson – Bush Hall

Tuesday

Born Blonde – Power Lunches

Wednesday

Dawes – Scala

Yeasayer – Lexington

Thursday

Poliça– Rough Trade East

Sunless 97 – Old Blue Last

Teebs & Nosaj Thing – XOYO

Friday

Deaf Club – Old Blue Last

Wu Legends (Method Man + Ghostface + Raekwon + GZA) – Forum

Saturday

Remember Remember – Dublin Castle

This Is The Kit & Rough Fields – Windmill

Sunday 

Remember Remember – Hackney Picturehouse

Just announced:

Oren Ambarchi – Café Oto – 3rd September

Clark – Scala – 8^th September

Squarepusher – Hackney Empire – 20^th October

I Like Trains – Cargo – 22^nd October

Actress & Evian Christ – Village Underground – 24^th October

Patrick Watson – Village Underground – 4^th & 5^th November

Beth Orton – Union Chapel – 5^th December

NEWS: Blur unveil new songs The Puritan and Under The Westway

Last night, ahead of their Olympics closing ceremony gig on 12th August at Hyde Park and its attendant warm-up events in Wolverhampton, Plymouth and Margate, Blur performed two new songs live through their Twitter account @blurofficial.

Damon Albarn said: “I wrote these songs for Hyde Park and I’m really excited about getting out there and playing them for people.”

Alex James explains these events in a video, below, where you'll also find lyric videos for Under The Westway and The Puritan.

First, Max Raymond listened to the stream and wrote some words...

Are these really the last two Blur songs ever? That is a question that seems increasingly more difficult to answer on a day-by-day basis. These two new songs, Under The Westway and The Puritan, don't really give us any real conclusive evidence of the band's future – they were written especially for the Hyde Park concert, after all – but they are both mercifully better than the lacklustre comeback single, Fool's Day, released in 2010.

Under The Westway is nothing new in the grand scheme of things – another Albarn-penned ode to London – but it's also something truly wonderful. Whether or not this will get as euphoric a reception as the likes of Tender and Song 2 in a month's time is questionable but it is hard not to get swept up by its emotion. The lyrics in particular are some of Albarn's most touching for a while (“Where I stood watching comets' lonesome trails/Shining up above me, the jet fuel it fell/Down to earth where the money always comes first”).

On the contrary, The Puritan is a much more jaunty affair that substitutes grandiosity for lo-fi guitars. Driven by a very basic-sounding polyphonic keyboard that could have only come from a flea market of some kind, it allows Graham Coxon to really let rip with his guitar in a way that recalls some of the energy of their heyday in the mid-'90s.

Whearas Fool's Day was the sound of a band still trying to recapture some of the old magic, both Under The Westway and The Puritan have enough passion and punch to get people excited about Blur again. Which makes it a shame that it's all coming to an end. Or is it? These are two worthy additions to their back catalogue, either way.

Blur 21: The Box will be released on 30 July 2012 through Parlophone.

London Gigs Diary: 2-8 July

The announcement of the BLOC festival earlier this year was one of the most striking and ambitious of 2012. It takes place over Friday and Saturday in the London Pleasure Gardens, a new custom-built, hi-spec venue in Royal Victoria Docks that makes it sound unlike any other festival in the UK (some stages will be floating on water and we are promised spectacular audio-visual effects). It offers uniqueness and exclusivity both in location and line-up. It has a dizzyingly good line up of acts, predominantly electronic in nature but with some additional wildcard entries. Flying Lotus, Orbital, Richie Hawtin, Snoop Dogg, Steve Reich, Gary Numan, Nicolas Jaar, Squarepusher, Four Tet, Actress and Battles are the names that initially spring from the page. You can get full details here; our full preview will appear soon.

In terms of gigs the highlight undoubtedly takes place at the Royal Albert Hall where Regina Spektor plays her first UK show in several years. Sixth album What We Saw From The Cheap Seats saw her continue with the quirky, beautiful songs that have been a feature of her recent albums. The grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall should suit her and you can catch her there on Monday.

Later in the week on Friday Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys plays a show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall where he will play all of Hotel Shampoo. Meanwhile, M. Ward is also in London this week, promoting latest album A Wasteland Companion at a show at KOKO on Monday (read about his show from earlier this year here). The following evening sees Tallest Man On Earth appear at Hackney Empire, playing from latest offering There’s No Leaving Now. Shepherd’s Bush has a trio of gigs this week also. Metric play tracks from new album Synthetica on Monday, The Wailers appear on Wednesday fresh from supporting The Stone Roses at their Manchester shows and Gossip make their London live return on Thursday (read our review of latest album A Joyful Noise here).

There’s a selection of smaller, yet no less enticing shows also happening this week. Echo Lake experienced tragic news earlier this month with the death of their drummer Pete Hayes, just before the release of debut album Wild Peace. They appear at the Lexington on Wednesday in what is sure to be an emotional evening.  Up in Camden, Twin Shadow plays a date at Dingwalls on Wednesday whilst singer-songwriter Mara Carlyle plays a show at the Green Note on Thursday. On the same night meanwhile, Gaggle promote current album From The Mouth Of The Cave at Village Underground.

Also taking place this week:

Monday

Japanther – Birthdays

Wednesday

 This Is The Kit – Green Note

Thursday

Active Child – Village Underground

Bleeding Heart Narrative – Shacklewell Arms

Friday

Fred Frith – Cafe Oto

Saturday

Fred Frith – Cafe Oto

Laura Marling – Royal Albert Hall

Just announced:

Lower Dens – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – 16^th August

Howlin’ Rain & Sleepy Sun – Garage – 12^th September

The Beach Boys – Royal Albert Hall – 27^th September

Aphex Twin & The Heritage Orchestra – Barbican – 10^th October

Hot Chip – Brixton Academy – 18^th October

Tim Burgess – Union Chapel – 24^th October

World Party – Royal Albert Hall – 1^st November

Damien Dempsey – Electric Ballroom – 1^st November

∆ (Alt-J) – Electric Ballroom – 5^th November

Swans & Sir Richard Bishop – KOKO – 15^th November

Alabama Shakes – Coronet – 16^th November

Supersilent & John Paul Jones – Village Underground – 18^th November

Hundred Reasons – Coronet - 22^nd November