Seven days, seven great gigs, seven great venues. Well, technically I’ve only been to six of the seven personally, but I’m sure the Finsbury is loverly too.
Hidden Cameras / Melissa Laveaux – Bush Hall Wednesday 29th January
Canadian indie pop band The Hidden Cameras bring their gay church folk music to the Bush Hall.
They were part of the best live gig I have ever seen, supporting Broken Social Scene at a festerval of Canadian indie music in Vevey, Switzerland, organised by the Canadian government for Reasons Unknown To Me.
The vid to their recent single Gay Goth Scene is excellent btw, as is the tune.
Rachael Dadd / Ichi – Green Note, Camden Thursday 30th January
Experimental folk multi-instrumentalist Rachael Dadd splits her time between Japan and England, constantly touring, constantly writing, skipping from one fleetingly romantic show to another- whether it be a church in England, a gallery in Japan or atop a mountain in Switzerland.
Her recordings are often born from late nights at home plugged into her 4-track.
When she’s not playing, she’s sewing album sleeves and record bags – a true DIY artist in every sense of the word.
Her time in Japan has had a great impact on her sound, and this influence is most apparent in the songs on her recent album Bite The Mountain.
Rachae is supported by her husband Ichi, and by that I don’t mean he pays all the bills, I mean he will be playing some songs before she comes on.
John Otway – The Ivy House, Nunhead, Friday 31st January
The Ivy House in Nunhead is London’s first co-operatively owned pub, which makes them worthy of your custom straight away.
Even better than that, rock’n’roll’s most talented failure John Otway is playing.
This clip from the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 is nothing short of genius.
Cat Bear Tree – The Finsbury, Saturday 1st February
Named after a kick-ass cat and a cowardly bear (and for all we know, an even-tempered oak), Cat Bear Tree have got … something about them for sure.
This is the launch of their debut single “Spces In Between” following on from the “Let’s Share Hearts” EP. Sweet and tuneful to begin with but builds brilliantly.
Stabbing A Dead Horse Tour – Slight Return – Barfly, Camden, Sunday 2nd February
A few months ago three superb new prog-rock bands Knifeworld, The Fierce & The Dead and Trojan Horse set out on a UK tour under the banner “Stabbing A Dead Horse”, the banner title coming from a conflation of the three bands’ names. And possibly, lots of beer.
Billed as “Stabbing A Dead Horse – Slight Return” this one-off London date promises to be the first great live gig of 2014.
Here’s the vlog from the previous tour. And as always at a Sunday gig in Camden, you can spend the day in Regent’s Park or dahn the markets. Or in bed, it’s up to you, whatever.
Maximo Park – Sebright Arms, Monday 3rd February
Indie faves Maximo Park descend upon us once again to tour their new album “Too Much Information”. Sounds a LOT like it was made in 1981, which is just fine and dandy by this old punk.
Stealing Dan & Don – Bulls Head, Barnes, Tuesday 4h February
Excellent to see the new owners of legendary jazz/blues music pub the Bulls Head are maintaining the tradition, seemingly with quite a few of the regular acts retaining their regular slots – Alan Price and the Humphrey Lyttleton Big Band later in the month and on Tuesday, the best Steely Dan tribute band you’re likely to hear.
Hope you can still get a curry delivered to the front bar from the Thai restaurant next door, mind.
Gotta be something in there for everybody, surely? See you dahn the front !