Tag Archives: Shacklewell Arms

LONDON Gig Guide w/e Mon 20th Jan 2014
13
Jan

Here’s seven great gigs in seven great venues on seven different nights for your live music pleasure!

 

Tuesday – Slaves – Madame Jojo’s

White Heat is one of the most regularly reliable club nights in the indie calendar. Yeah, you have to walk past a lot of dodgy sex shops to get there, and I’m getting fed up of the assumptions that the reason a middle-aged Asian bloke is in Soho is to get his cock sucked.

This evening’s entertainment is way better than that are Slaves. A duo from Kent, Slaves are making a lot of noise as an unmistakably British punk act. They have gained a lot of attention for bringing raw and exciting performances that have a distinct lack of pretentiousness in a British music scene flooded with bands that are leaning more and more towards American-centric influences.

You can put that on the posters if you like, guys. “Better than having your cock sucked”. Just get the URL right.

Wednesday – The Curst Sons – Tommy Flynn’s (previously The Crown), Leytonstone

The What’s Cookin’ brand together with it’s predecessor Come On Down And Meet The Folks has been providing quality live music of a (semi-) acoustic nature for ten years or so. Upstairs at The Crown (as I suspect it will be known by locals for a good while yet) is a great room in which to drink and listen to music.

The Curst Sons drew the following praise from the occasionally-cynical-but-not-when-it-comes-to-music Mark Lamarr :

“Purveyors of good-time Americana, inspired by early American folk music – don’t matter if it’s Blues, Bluegrass, Old Time or Gospel – with a shot of urban grit and a dose of wry humour. Absolutely fantastic”

Thursday – Laura J Martin – Sebright Arms, Hackney.

Down an alley off the Hackney Road that will certainly confound your sat-nav if arriving by car, the Sebright hosts a variety of styles of music, Laura J Martin’s gig there on Thursday being one of the quieter ones of the year, but no less intense for that.

Multi-instrumentalist LJM spins oddly affecting lyrics around some bonkers combinations of instruments – ukulele, flute, harmonium and trumpet among many, many others – which always work perfectly for the needs of the song. Unmissable. I”ll be the big bloke down the front glaring at people talking during the quiet bits.

Friday – Slim Chance play Ronnie Lane – Borderline, Soho

The warm, wooden panellings of the Borderline give a country vibe to the venue, making it the perfect setting for ex-Small Face Ronnie Lane’s band. Lane formed Slim Chance on splitting from the Faces in 1974 and they produced some beautiful, reflective and occasionally rocking music. This should be a cracker.

Saturday – Dub Inc – Cargo

I love Cargo. Always have done. Some belting evenings here – Simian (before the Mobile Disco days with Fat Truckers supporting springs to mind.

Dub Inc are a troupe of highly energetic musicians hailing from St-Etienne and fusing dub and roots reggae with dancehall, ska and hip hop.

Sunday – Chris T-T & The Hoodrats, Oxygen Thief, Smallgang – Lexington

Emerging from roots in late 90s lo-fi and psych-folk, Chris T-T first gained acclaim for sarcastic, city-obsessed urban folk.

More recently he has developed into an influential figure of UK song; crossing barriers between punk, psych-pop and English folk.

He writes scathing, witty lyrics and is excellent live whether with full band The Hoodrats or solo.

Monday – Volkova Sisters – Shacklewell Arms.

Synth-based Hungarian band with some excellent tunes. I’m told by mates who take a drink that the beer at the Shack is excellent too, but I wouldn’t know anything about that now, sorr.

 

Something in there for everyone I reckon!

 

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Gig Guide – w/e Sun 1st September 2013
26
Aug

Plenty of great live music on the capital this week as the best summer in years draws to a close (slowly we hope!)

Monday – Freddie McGregor, Hootannany, Brixton

Freddie McGregor has managed to dip a toe in every different flavour of Jamaican music, be it rocksteady or roots reggae, dancehall or dub. His biggest UK hit was “Just Don’t Wanna Be Lonely” which went To Ten back in 1987. Here’s a live clip of it from a couple of years ago – the man still has it!

Tuesday – Stanley Brinks & The Wave Pictures – Shacklewell Arms

Stanley Brinks is the current identity of André Herman Düne, formerly of the French folk rock band Herman Düne. He has recorded and played shows in Europe, the UK and the US under various other names such Ben Dope, Ben Haschish, Klaus Bong, John Trawling, Lord Stanislas.

Since leaving Herman Düne in December 2006 he has been championed by the likes of Jeffrey Lewis (who wrote a song about how Herman Düne were better when André was still in them) and in 2012 he collaborated with The Wave Pictures for their debut joint release. The follow up album is due to come out on Fika Recordings next year.

Stanley Brinks will be joined by The Wave Pictures as his backing band for this show. The Wave Pictures are David Tattersall, Franic Rozycki and Jonny “Huddersfield” Helm. Formed in 1998 when Franic and David lived in a village called Wymeswold, the band played with several drummers until Jonny became a permanent member in 2003 replacing Hugh J Noble. In the beginning the band learned to play together by covering Jonathan Richman songs.

Their new album, City Forgiveness, will be out in October on the Moshi Moshi label.

Tuesday – California X – Borderline

Punk power trio formed last year in Amherst, Massachusetts.. They wear their influences proudly – eighties indie rock like Dinosaur Jr and seventies metal a la Motorhead (one of them even appears to be called Lemmy). Expect them to rock the Borderline (and the Old Blue Last on Wednesday)

Wednesday – The Barr Brothers – Borderline

Breathtaking Canadian folk quarter. Check the playing on this.

Thursday – Frankie & The Heartstrings – Birthdays, Dalston

Sunderland’s FATH have been around a couple of years, crafting perfect indie pop songs that make you think of what might have been had Edwyn Collins and Kevin Rowland been in a band together. They’re excellent live as you can see here :

Thursday – Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra – Union Chapel

New Zealand’s cult music-comedy sensation the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra makes its London debut this summer with an unmissable show at Union Chapel, fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe.

If there were a Ukulele Orchestra Olympics, NZ’s team would be suspected of steroid abuse, with their high-octane solos, outrageous outfits, batty banter and unstoppable musical mischief. Joining forces seven years ago, these freaks of the four-string have become a cult favourite, causing a mad scramble for tickets wherever they go and sending audiences into a euphoric state.

Delighting crowds of all ages, the orchestra’s signature sound features ten ukuleles, a double bass and a choir of gorgeous voices performing harmonious and hilarious renditions of modern and traditional tunes. Their comedic wit is famously spontaneous, and when they burst into song, it could go either way – the sweet sounds can silence a room in a nanosecond, or bring a crowd of thousands to their feet.

This is their take on Kings Of Leon.

Friday – Violet Class – New Cross Inn

Sounding like the soundtrack to football in the 1970s, Violet Class are a proper guitar band, like Oasis. With killer riffs, like Oasis. And you can dance to them.

All door proceeds to the charity set up for Jon Brookes, the drummer with the Charlatans who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago.

Saturday – Damien Jurado, Bush Hall

With its perfect acoustics, The Bush Hall should provide the ideal setting for Seattle indie singer-songwriter Damien Jurado, who released his tenth album last year.

Sunday – Los Pelos Rizos – Half Moon, Putney (13:00 – 16:00)

A couple of free gigs for Sunday, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Los Pelos Rizos is London’s critically acclaimed Gypsy Funk band with their sound described as: “bursting with layers of eclectic energy wrapped in Latin rhythms”. Featuring violin, trumpet, guitars, mandolin, bass and cajon, they have a regular following, a residency at The Troubadour and played to jubilant audiences at The Edinburgh Festival. So come on down for a some Latin-fuelled Curly-haired Gypsy Funk!

Sunday – Diabel Cissokho – Hootannany, Brixton (evening)

Rootmaster presents a genuine musical genius from a long line of griots + long time kora player for Baaba Maal! Diabel Cissokho, from Senegal, toured internationally with his family’s band Bannaya leading to his stint as Baaba Maal’s kora player, as well as acclaimed musicians like Kandia Kouyate, Pee Wee Ellis, Nuru Kane, Daby Balde, Omar Pene and Abdou Diop. Now well established in the UK, Diabel’s virtuosic talent, his “resonant voice and rocking kora style” (Songlines), have been welcomed everywhere.

Should be something there for everybody, even metal fans.

See you down the front!

Gig Guide – w/e Sunday 18th August
12
Aug

It’s not peak time for gigs in London at this time of year but here’s a few cracking nights out you may be interested in.

Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine – Dingwalls, Monday

One for all of us ageing punks at a loose end on a Monday evening. Jello fronted classic punk band the Dead Kennedys and hasn’t mellowed with age as the new album “White People And The Damage Done” attests :

Nadine Shah – Shepherds Bush Empire, Tuesday

Supporting Bat For Lashes, you could say this was too obvious a pairing of Britain’s foremost Asian female alternative musical talent. One thing that is certain is that Natasha “Bats” Khan will have her work cut out to match Shah, who has produced an excellent debut album “Love Your Dum And Mad”, a title worthy of 70s progsters Caravan (“Cunning Stunts” being their wordplay highlight).

Shah is a different animal entirely from Khan, though, with a deep, soulful voice that maybe shows the influence of her Pakistani father (her mother is Norwegian and she was raised in Newcastle)

Velcro Hooks – Shacklewell Arms, Tuesday

I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. Loud scuzzy guitar but not so loud that you can’t hear the dislocated, punky lyrics. Would not sound out of place in the New York punk scene circa 1976 – somewhere near Television or Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.
Signed to Fierce Panda records, usually a guarantee of quality, this should be good.

Rose Elinor Dougall – Shacklewell Arms, Wednesday

Two great acts in a row at the Shacklewell. It’s all very well but over the past ten years, while I’ve been loosely based in West London on and off, which was fine circa 2006 to 2007 when all the cool gigs were in Camden. But unfortunately the centre of hip has since relocated East. Twice. First to Shoreditch and now it’s Dalston where the haircut kids mainly hang out. Hang around long enough and they’ll all be living in Colchester.

Rose Elinor Dougall was an original member of the superb Pipettes but since leaving a few years ago has been writing and recording pop songs of astounding quality that deserve a far wider audience. Her new single “Strange Warnings” could be the best thing she’s been involved with.

This gig is free, so if you’re anywhere in the vicinity, there’s no excuse for not turning up, really.

https://soundcloud.com/you-records/rose-elinor-dougall-strange

Mr Cat And The Jackal – Half Moon, Putney, Wednesday

This top South African band offers a theatrical show of pirates and beggars who sing ancient songs for music bootleggers. “For our massive repertoire we all pass around three dozen instruments to create our own sound. It’s salvation we dread, we’re five from the Cape where we ate, drank ‘n read and practiced our good ‘old folk tales from the sea and the land. Our songs will set sail with a whisky in hand – a spectacle of paradox-like discord to soothe, designing our songs for your soul to groove on”. Could be great – here’s a sample choon.

Cauls – Windmill, Brixton, Friday

Intriguing combination of post-rock and 80s melodic melancholia at the Windmill, also featuring Bloody Mammals, Great Cop and Pippos Progress. You can download Cauls’ latest EP from here :

http://cauls.bandcamp.com/album/ep-2-2

Skatalites – Jazz Cafe, Friday

The Skatalites were one of the biggest of the original Jamaican ska groups of the mid-sixties. There’s only sax player Lester Stirling of the original lineup of the band left standing but as this relatively recent (2003) live version of their best known song Guns Of Navarone shows, they’re still pretty tight. This music is eternal.

Deep Sea Arcade – Hoxton Kitchen & Grill, Saturday

Psychedelic Aussie five-piece owing no small debt to baggy, which seems to be making a comeback (see Swim Deep). You can guarantee that when an Aussie band plays London they will draw a crowd of homesick Ockers, and that doesn’t always mean they’re actually any good, but Deep Sea Arcade are the real deal. I’d pitch them somewhere between the slower stoner anthems of Tame Impala and the faster, poppier beats of Cloud Control.

This is the bargain of the week I’d say – eight of your English pounds only, what are you waiting for?

See you down the front!