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Thursday 21st & Friday 22nd May 2015

BUILD YOUR OWN:Tools for Sharing

Exhibition at FACT4 June - 31 August

#BuildYourOwn

Statutory Funders

Exhibition Funder

fact.co.uk/BuildYourOwn

FREE Entry

MUSICROOM

The new 160-250 variablecapacity space will host a widerange of concerts and eventsincluding folk roots, unplugged,experimental music and concertsby Liverpool Philharmonicensembles.

It will allow LiverpoolPhilharmonic to present music incollaboration with many morecity-based artists, festivals andpromoters. The Music Room willbe an exciting new addition toLiverpool’s musical life.

A new contemporary,intimate and flexible venueat Liverpool Philharmoniclaunching this autumn.

FotheringayMonday 22 June £22.50St George’s Hall Concert Room–Mavis StaplesSunday 28 June from £22.50–Rufus WainwrightMonday 13 July from £37.50–Rosanne CashSunday 19 Julyfrom £19.50

Liverpool PhilharmonicJune - July

NEW GIGS

Giant³ SandWednesday 3 June £16.50St George’s Hall Concert Room–Holly JohnsonThursday 4 June £21.50–Heritage BluesOrchestraFriday 5 June from £19.50–Elvis CostelloMonday 15 June from £37.50–Suzanne VegaThursday 16 June £28.50

Box Officeliverpoolphil.com0151 709 3789

Sound City Ad.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2015 15:05 Page 1

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liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

Ticket InformationReady for all that Sound City has to offer this year? Of course you are, but first of all you’ve got to get in. The wristband exchange and box

office will be situated at the main festival entrance on Regent Road. The site opens at 3.30pm on Friday (and at 11.30am thereafter), with last

entry to the site at 9.30pm each night. Registration for conference delegates opens at 9.30am at the Rum Warehouse, closing at 10pm on

Thursday, and 9.30pm on Friday.

Site CelebrationsIt’s not just music that will be bringing Bramley-Moore Dock to life over the next few days, there’s also a series of pop-up events and parades

planned to entertain you between the acts. Irreverent band of swing dancers THE MUDFLAPPERS (pictured) will be performing their New York-

themed Lindy Hip Hop show and offering free taster lessons for anyone who wants to give it a go. Elsewhere, the KASKELOT tall ship will serve

as a floating venue for parties and intimate shows. Keep your wits about you to see how you can claim special tickets to get aboard.

Generator NI ShowcaseGenerator NI is Northern Ireland’s music business support programme, and on Friday they have a showcase of some of their most

exciting talent over on The Cavern Stage (5pm-7pm). EMERALD ARMADA are a five-piece fusion of traditional Irish rock and folk sounds,

and promising teen indie gang THE CLAMEENS have an infectious brew of tunes. Heartbreaking balladeer HIS NEW ATLAS (Eoghan

O’Hagan) completes this fine showcase.

Rocking The ConferenceThe Titanic Hotel will be hosting two stages of music each day alongside the Sound City Conference, with a late-night delegates-only party

planned on Thursday to round off the festival’s first day. Veteran Sound City party beasts the MIXNOTS will be in charge of rounding off the

festivities, which will also feature LEAF RAPIDS, JPNSGRLS, OCELLOT, DEAD BUTTONS and CARNIVAL YOUTH. Meanwhile, over at The Plaza, some of

Liverpool’s brightest talents will be performing acoustic sessions, including SHE DREW THE GUN, LUKE CUSATO, DOMINIC DUNN and PADDY CLEGG.

Getting HomeIn case you were worrying, getting to and from Bramley-Moore Dock is taken care of. Sandhills train station is the nearest Merseyrail link,

just five minutes’ walk from the site, and there will be a shuttle bus service running from Lime Street station to the site between 3.30pm and

10pm on Friday. If you’re planning to return by train, the last train times from Sandhills station are: towards Liverpool Central (23:55); towards

Southport (23:44); towards Ormskirk (23:46); towards Kirkby (00:01). For up-to-date train times head to merseyrail.org

THURSDAY 21 st MAY & FRIDAY 22 nd MAY

What is Bido Lito!?Bido Lito! is Liverpool’s very own independent monthly music magazine. We are here to celebrate the highs and highers of Liverpool’s emerging music scene,

and champion the bands, artists and creative minds who make our city one of the most inspiring places to make music in the entire world. We are delighted

to be producing Sound City’s Official Daily Magazine once again, this time in the festival’s exciting new home of Bramley-Moore Dock. Make sure you check out

bidolito.co.uk for photo galleries and extra content over the weekend, and tweet us on @BidoLito when you’re out and about at Sound City.

News

c a m p a n d f u r n a c E - b l a d e f a c t o r y - D I S T R I C Tb a l t i c t r i a n g l e , l i v e r p o o l

2 5 + 2 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

S P I R I T U A L I Z E D

C H I C O S D E N A Z C A . T H E C U L T O F D O M K E L L E R . D E A T H & V A N I L L A . E T I E N N E J A U M E T .

T H E F E E L I N G O F L O V E . f o r e v e r p a v o t . F U M A Ç A P R E T A . G A L A D R O P . T h e g a n j a s . H E Y C O L O S S U S . J . C . S A T A N . k a n d o d o 3 .

M A G I C C A S T L E S . m a m u t h o n e s . m a i m a i m a i . M E N A C E B E A C H . T H E M E G A P H O N I C T H R I F T .

N O J O Y . P I N K S H I N Y U L T R A B L A S T .R . S E I L I O G . s l u g . t e s s p a r k s .

T H E U N D E R G R O U N D Y O U T H . V I R G I N I A W I N G . V I S I O N F O R T U N E . V U E L V E T E L O C A . w e i r d o w l .

Y O U N G K N I V E S . Z U N Z U N E G U I .

P L U S A F U R T H E R W O R L D O F C O M M I S S I O N S , C U R A T I O N S , I N S T A L L A T I O N S + A U D I O V I S U A L E X P L O R A T I O N S . . .

A r t i s t I n R e s i d e n c e A N T O N N E W C O M B E .

C A R D I N A L F U Z Z S O N I C A T T A C K .

F A C T O R Y F L O O r . T H E H E A D S . H O O K W O R M S .B L A N C K M A S S . T H E H O L Y D R U G C O U P L E .

K - X - P . J A C C O G A R D N E R . J O E L G I O N .D E S T R U C T I O N U N I T . j a n e w e a v e r .

D E N G U E F E V E R . K A R E N G W Y E R .c a r l t o n m e l t o n . L U M E R I A N S .

B L A C K D E V I L D I S C O C L U B . I N D I A N J E W E L R Y .

S A C R E D B O N E S R E C O R D S V S B Y M R E C O R D S .

T H E A L T E R E D H O U R S . b o n n a c o n s o f d o o m . T H E C A L L A S . C H A R L E S H O W L .

C O R E Y B O W E N . c r o w s . D R E A M W E A P O N . E Q U A T I O N S . E V I L B L I Z Z A R D . G I A N T S W A N .

G I R L S W E A T . H O L O V R . H O L Y .K O G U M A Z A . L U C E R N R A Z E . N O V E L L E R .

t h e O C T O P U S P R O J E C T . P A U W .P H O B O P H O B E S . P L A S T I C M E R M A I D S .

R O Y & T H E D E V I L ' S M O T O R C Y C L E . S E X S W I N G . S T R A N G E C O L L E C T I V E . T H E T A M B O R I N E S .

T A U . T H R O W D O W N B O N E S .T U R Z I . Y U N G . z h o d .

T I C K E T S + A C C O M M O D A I T O N P A C K A G E S A V A I L A B L E F R O M S E E T I C K E T S . C O MP R O B E R E C O R D S ( L I V E R P O O L ) + P I C C A D I L L Y R E C O R D S ( M A N C H E S T E R )

+ J U M B O R E C O R D S ( L E E D S )

8


This is a big year for Sound City. The journey we have

been on so far has now led us down to the River Mersey.

It was always going to happen.

As a city we have often been accused of turning

our back on the river. For years it seemed like we

were endlessly peeking over the garden fence at our

neighbours down the other end of the M62 and looking

at what they were up to. It could be argued they also did

the same thing. By doing this it took our eye off the ball.

We forgot about what made us different and distinctive.

Liverpool is a port city. We have a long and chequered

relationship with the Mersey. It is our gateway to the

world.

That is why moving Sound City from our home in the

Ropewalks part of the city and into the docklands of

Liverpool Waters was, in the end, an easy choice. It is

transformational change that we welcome with open

arms. It allows us to create a new template and a whole

new experience, one that cannot be easily imitated.

Our new festival site is situated on the fantastic

Peel Holdings land of Bramley-Moore Dock, nestled

in the industrial landscape of forgotten docks and

tobacco warehouses. We are bringing this land to life

and turning it into a post-apocalyptic world: think Mad

Max and Warriors. We are smothering it with music and

stages from over 25 different countries. Amongst all of

this we will also be delivering our widest-ever arts and

culture programme, which will include comedy as well

as installations and spectacles, to entice and delight. It

will be a completely immersive and total experience.

Our acclaimed Conference also moves to our new

home and into the magnificent setting of the Titanic

Hotel. This is adjacent to our new festival site and allows

our delegates to make the short journey by foot or by

water taxi. At what other festival in the world could you

arrive by boat?

Our themes this year include the relationship between

Liverpool and New York, two great cities with a special

relationship. We welcome many New Yorkers to the city,

including long-term friend and Liverpool ambassador

Seymour Stein, and punk legend Danny Fields.

We will also be looking at the notion of the unsung

hero – those mavericks who changed everything but

often do not get the full credit they deserve. We are

delighted to welcome to our bosom Wayne Coyne and

Scott Booker, Edwyn Collins, Mark E. Smith, Julian Cope,

Viv Albertine and James Barton.

As ever, our focus is on the zeitgeist. Our aim is to

inspire and breathe new desire into the next generation

who will shape the 21st-century music business. Our

Conference programme is always designed with this

in mind. We are proud of the money and jobs we have

generated for our city and for the music and digital

business sector (over £16 million to date). We are proud

of the companies we have inspired from around the

UK and the globe, ones that have now located their

business here because they came to Sound City and fell

in love with the city.

At Sound City we are all about keeping the business

talent in the region and in the North. Technology and

fragmentation of the industry means you are nearer

than ever to your customers and can more easily

connect and drive business. Our aim is to make Sound

City the conduit to drive these connections and this

business. This is also a key aim when it comes to our

overseas strategy and working with our new partners in

Korea and New York.

Finally, Sound City just happens to be in Liverpool but

this is the obvious place for us. We are proud to be in

our city. We are helping to define the future of the city

and put Liverpool firmly on the world map as a place to

come and do business. We hope you fall in love with

Sound City and ultimately with Liverpool – enough to

make you bang the drum and come again next year.

Have a great time and see you on the dancefloor.

DAVID J PICHILINGICEO Sound City

Editorial

Photography: John Johnson / johnjohnson-photography.com

LCBE2015_BidoLito_Advert_v1.indd 1 19/05/2015 17:49

10


Beat City, The City That Rocked, Wondrous Place, the

great psychedelic capital of Europe: call it what you

want, but you can’t deny that Liverpool is a city built on

sounds. In recent years it’s been football that has defined

the region’s fierce passions, but music will always be its

first love. We’re proud of our Merseybeat/Eric’s/Cream/

Deltasonic heritage, but it was the clank and grind of

industry that was once the dominant beat in this city,

dictated by the workings of the extensive network of

docks on the side of the busy River Mersey.

When it bestowed World Heritage Site status on

Liverpool’s Maritime Mercantile City in 2004, UNESCO cited

the city and its dock system as “the supreme example of

a commercial port at the time of Britain’s greatest global

influence.” In the 18th and 19th centuries, Liverpool played

a leading role in the development of dock construction,

port management and international trading systems,

laying the groundwork for the city to become the globally

recognised hub it is today.

Sound City’s new home is in this once-bustling dockland

sprawl, bringing its buzzing musical Pleasureland to

an area that has long been overlooked. Bramley-Moore

Dock was opened in 1848 as part of a major expansion

scheme of the Port of Liverpool’s docking system north

of the city. Named after John Bramley-Moore – a former

Lord Mayor of Liverpool who turned down a knighthood,

and was chairman of Liverpool Docks at the time it was

opened – the dock was primarily a hub for coal export

before it fell into decline in the wake of the Miners’ Strike

and subsequent shutting down of the UK’s coal-mining

industry in the mid-80s. Having been left largely derelict

since then – when what was left of the Port Of Liverpool

moved further north up the river – the dock, as well as the

surrounding area, is set for good times once more, under

the banner of the ambitious multi-billion pound Liverpool

Waters regeneration scheme.

As a port city Liverpool has always been a city of flux,

one that has served as Europe’s gateway to the New

World, and one that brought the influence of the Cunard

Yanks to our ancestors’ record collections. But what of

today? Where once there were warehouses full of traders

selling goods to be shipped all over the world, now there

are musicians, artists and cultural hives tucked away

in silos in various dark corners of the city’s underbelly,

creating a new wave of sights and sounds that define

Liverpool in 2015.

ALL WE ARE, perhaps the brightest lights of this current

crop, found themselves darlings of the music press upon

the release of their self-titled debut on Domino imprint

Double Six in February. The Irish-Brazilian-Norwegian trio

have twisted a funkily taut groove into their disco-boogie

melange, and the adopted Scousers capped off a fine few

months when they picked up the GIT Award gong in April.

Having played on The Label Recordings’ showcase stage

at last year’s festival, HOOTON TENNIS CLUB have probably

made the most progress of any Merseyside act since 2014.

The five-piece have just released their second single on

Heavenly Recordings, and they’re currently at work in the

studio with scene godfather BILL RYDER-JONES (who’s

also got a new record on the way) to turn their fizzing

potential for guitar pop majesty into a full-length album.

JANE WEAVER has taken a long-winded independent

route to critical acclaim, which has come mainly off the

back of 2014’s stunning record The Silver Globe (which

was recognised by Piccadilly Records as their album of

the year). Though she’s now based closer to Manchester,

we’re more than happy to claim the Liverpool-born

dreamweaver, even though it’s probably a few years

too late (sorry about that Jane – at least we got there

eventually). CIRCA WAVES and THE SUNDOWNERS have

also taken the slightly circuitous route, having released

debut albums in 2015 after long gestation periods where

they’d been treating their ever-expanding fanbases to

tight-as-hell live shows. STEALING SHEEP and OUTFIT have

also returned to the fray in 2015, both of them clearing the

‘difficult second album’ barrier with a flourish.

Sound City also welcomes some old faces in new

guises this year: former Zuton DAVE MCCABE teams up

with THE RAMIFICATIONS for his madcap new electro

project, while McCabe’s old bandmate Paul Molloy joins

The Coral’s Ian Skelly in SERPENT POWER. Both projects

have new albums out in 2015, continuing the legacy

started by all three artists’ old Deltasonic label boss and

mentor Alan Wills, who sadly passed away last spring.

Wills was always looking to the future, to nurture new

talent, so he’d be happy to see that, in the new wave

of THE VRYLL SOCIETY, STRANGE COLLECTIVE, GULF, VEYU,

CAVALRY and KOF, we have plenty to be excited about.

Away from Sound City the riches are plenty too, with

LÅPSLEY, ESA SHIELDS, XAM VOLO, BLUE SAINT and HOLY

THURSDAY all having some impact on the musical

buzzosphere over the past twelve months. Now, of course

I’m going to be biased when assessing all these acts,

but the sheer weight of quality music being produced in

this region isn’t just a blinkered view. Bella Union label

boss Simon Raymonde, who ran his eyes over most of

these artists as a judge on the GIT Award this year, said

in January: “the most consistently exciting bands right

now ARE from Liverpool. That is an irrefutable fact.”

It’s been a fascinating twelve months for our music

community since last year’s festival: a period where we

saved the Bombed Out Church, but lost Wolstenholme

Square and The Kazimier, and The Invisible Wind Factory

gave us a glimpse of a possible new future down in the

rusting warehouses of Vauxhall, close to Bramley-Moore

Dock. It’s all change for Sound City too, moving down to

a part of the city where the streets once thronged with

activity and trade as thousands of workers oiled the

wheels of commerce through Liverpool’s docks. A bit of

that former bustle and noise will return this year, with

Liverpool’s famous skyline of the Three Graces forming

the perfect backdrop to the festival’s main stage – even

the Cunard Line’s Three Queens will be joining us for the

celebration, as they dock in the new-look city, a place

where pride, business and music collide (much like they

always have).

Welcome to Liverpool.

WELCOME TO LIVERPOOLWords: Christopher Torpey / Bido Lito! Magazine Editor


Editorial

o2academyliverpool.co.uk11-13 Hotham Street, Liverpool L3 5UF • Doors 7pm unless statedVenue box offi ce opening hours: Mon - Sat 11.30am - 5.30pm • No booking fee on cash transactionsticketweb.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com • ticketmaster.co.uk

facebook.com/o2academyliverpool

twitter.com/o2academylpool

instagram.com/o2academyliverpool

youtube.com/o2academytv

Sat 30th May • £25 adv 9pm - 3am • over 18s only

De La Soul + Pete Rock + No Fakin’ DJs+ Renegade Brass Band

Sat 30th May • £20 advThe Undertones

Wed 3rd Jun • £20 advCourteeners

Thurs 4th Jun • £10 advCoasts

Fri 5th Jun • £15 advChameleonsVox What Does Anything Mean? Basically? Tour

Sat 13th Jun • £12.50 adv

The Godfathers

Thurs 18th Jun • £9 adv

Electric Eel Shock

Thurs 18th Jun • £20 adv

Tony Visconti & Woody Woodmansey with Glenn Gregory and Marc Almondperform David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’

Fri 26th Jun • £17.50 adv

Dead Kennedys

Thurs 9th Jul • £21.50 adv

Alkaline Trio+ Strung Out

Thurs 16th Jul • £35 adv

Beres Hammond & Bunny Wailer

Fri 17th Jul • £15 adv

Phil Jones Live

Sat 25th Jul • £17 advTyketto

Wed 29th Jul • £12 advBlues Pills

Mon 3rd Aug • £17.50 advMark Lanegan

Thurs 13th Aug • £12.50 advTouche Amore+ Loma Prieta + Dangers + NewMoon

Sun 16th Aug • £14 advThe Fall Of Troy+ Rolo Tomassi + Chon

Mon 17th Aug • £12 adv

A Wilhelm Scream

Wed 19th Aug • £17 advSlim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats

Fri 21st Aug • £19.50 adv

The Kooks

Sat 5th Sept • £14 advCud

Thurs 17th Sept • £12.50 adv

State Champs

Fri 18th Sept • £18 adv

The English Beat starring Dave Wakeling

Thurs 24th Sept • £15 advPeace+ Splashh + Yak

Sat 26th Sept • £15 adv

The Icicle Works

Sat 26th Sept • £24 adv Over 18s only

The Burlesque Ball UK Tour

Sun 18th Oct • £15 adv

Ruts DC

Mon 19th Oct • £13.50 adv

The Shires

Fri 13th Nov • £28.50 adv

Happy MondaysPills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches

25th Anniversary Tour

Tues 24th Nov • £13.50 adv

Slaves

Sat 28th Nov • £10 adv

The Hummingbirds

Tues 1st Dec • £15 adv

Courtney Barnett

Sat 12th Dec • £25 adv

Echo & The Bunnymen

Sat 19th Dec • £16 adv

The Beat

Tues 26th Jan 2016 • £22.50 adv

Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock

Wed 9th Mar 2016 • £22 adv

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox

Sat 30th May • £25 adv

De La Soul Thurs 4th Jun • £10 adv

Coasts

Thurs 24th Sep • £15 adv

Peace

Wed 15th Jul • £24 adv • Liverpool Guild

Bombay Bicycle Club

Mon 19th Oct • £13.50 adv

The Shires Tues 1st Dec • £15 adv

Courtney Barnett

12


LUKE BAINBRIDGE is a man of many hats. As an author,

he has fashioned his niche as a sub-culture-musing

aficionado. As a hack, he lends his pen to the pages of

The Guardian and The Observer, founding The Observer

Music Monthly back in 2003. And as Head of Arts and

Culture at Festival No.6, he specialises in giving whacked-

out revellers the time of their lives. Little surprise, then,

that when Sound City were looking for someone to help

animate their post-apocalyptic dockside vision for this

year’s festival, there was one name at the top of the list.

“It’s a big year for Sound City,” muses Bainbridge, who

has headed-up the arts programme for this year’s festival.

“Moving to the new site is a big and brave decision, and

I think people are going to be blown away by the plans.”

An exciting endorsement then, especially coming from

the man whose vision has led to Festival No.6’s both

wide and unanimous critical and public acclaim over the

past three years. Nestled within a tiny bay on the Welsh

coast and tucked beneath the bosom of Snowdonia,

Festival No.6 brings a galaxy of frivolity to Portmeirion’s

idiosyncratic, faux-Mediterranean village each summer. If

you’ve not been, go.

Bainbridge understands that the days of a hastily-

erected stage in a field with a handful of burger vans and

a single bar kicking out warm, overpriced gnat’s piss in

wafer-thin pint pots passing as a festival are, thankfully,

resigned to the past. The discerning modern hedonist

demands more – oh, so much more – and this, according to

Bainbridge, is indicative of the changing role of festivals

in British life: “Twenty years ago festivals only appealed

to a small percentage of the population, but they are now

a key part of the cultural life of the country. The UK now

boasts thousands of festivals of every description, taking

place every weekend across the UK, attracting a diverse

demographic. Twenty years ago your typical music

festival-goer was probably in their teens or late-20s, quite

probably a student, but now there’s no such thing as a

stereotypical festival-goer – your parents, possibly even

your grandparents are going to music festivals.”

So as festivals become ever-more ubiquitous – and

the chance of bumping into your Aunt Gretel at Field

Day becomes a distinct possibility – the importance of

ensuring a festival has its own unique and individual

vision, a succinct and crafted identity, is paramount.

“Visual identity is part of it, but only a part of the whole

identity of the festival,” says Bainbridge. “In a crowded

marketplace you have to create an identity that helps

festival-goers identify with your festival and want to go

there. You can’t simply find a field and book a few bands

anymore. If someone is only going to one or two festivals

a year, that’s quite a big commitment to make, so in a way

they are buying into the whole package.”

As we explore Bramley-Moore Dock, it’s evident that

this thinking must be central to the decision to move

Sound City here. As a canvas, it’s unlike any festival site

we’ve visited. It may not have the Tuscan embellishments

and terracotta romance of Portmeirion, but what it does

have is an honest, bruising and brutal connection to

Liverpool’s rugged past. The site provides the opportunity

to craft a new vision for Sound City: a hard-faced,

hedonistic Mecca, a dockside lotus-eater’s paradise, a

decaying Dionysian dystopia. OK, I like a turn of phrase,

but you get my drift.

It’s fine having a gift of a canvas to work with,

but bringing the site to life is the challenge; it’s the

installations, interventions and creative happenings on-

site which make the difference. As Bainbridge explains,

“They’ve become as – if not more – important than

the headline acts at some festivals, particularly with the

pot of bands that can headline festivals of a certain size

becoming smaller and smaller, especially with exclusivity

clauses. It’s another way of defining the identity of

your festival and enhancing the experience for the

festival-goer.”

But we can’t overlook the central cog of the festival

experience: the bands. After all, that’s really what people

pick their festivals based on, isn’t it? As we immerse

ourselves in the festival experience this summer, many

a seasoned reveller will afford themselves a customary

daydream to curate their own dream festival line-up

on the back of a beer mat, living the job of a festival

promoter for five minutes. Booking all your favourite

bands for your ultimate weekend must be the best job

in the world, because that’s what festival organisers do,

don’t they?

“Personal taste is very subjective,” Bainbridge admits.

“Very few people will be into every band or artist that

you love, so if you book a festival purely based on

personal tastes you’re only catering for one person.

There are certain artists that I’m not a huge fan of but

I appreciate that they work particularly well at festivals.

On the flipside, there are some artists that I love who

might not be particularly suited to festivals. With Festival

No.6 we always strive to have a mix of iconic acts and the

best up-and-coming acts. Over the years, you build a trust

with the audience so that even if they haven’t heard of all

the up-and-coming acts they trust your taste.”

Such trust is a foundation stone of the Sound City

experience. Over the years, the festival has made it its

raison d’être to introduce us to artists who would go

on to become musical heavyweights. The new Bramley-

Moore Dock site offers Sound City the opportunity to take

this one step further; to blossom into a kind of industrial

dockside musical Nostradamus. And with a creative mind

such as Luke Bainbridge helping to guide and shape

the artistic vision, it is with great excitement that we

plough forth into a brave new Sound City world of audio

prophecies.

LUKE BAINBRIDGE Cue The Discerning HedonistWords: Craig G Pennington


Editorial

Because all these serious faces’ll only drive you mad, the only TRUTHis MUSIC– the only meaning is without meaning – Music blends with the heartbeat universe and we forget the brain beat.

Jack Kerouac, Desolation Angels, 1965

Edge Hill University is the Industry ConnectionPartner for the 2015 Liverpool Sound City Festivaland Conference, building on the success of anexisting two-year partnership.

Saturday 23rd May, The Baltic Stage, 8pmEdgeFWD Dance Theatre perform REVOLT, a dance piece taking its inspiration from the 1984British Miners’ strike with a powerful, splintering explosion of Northern, working class grit.

Sunday 24th May, The Kraken Stage, 6pmThe Label Recordings Showcase: SeaWitches | The Little Secrets | Bathymetry | Oranj Son

Liverpool Sound City Industry Connection Partner

22.05.15 EHU Ad_Layout 1 15/05/2015 14:17 Page 1

Sound City educational partner

In 1825 a small institution was founded that was to revolutionise education in Liverpool and provide opportunities for the working people of the city. The Liverpool Mechanics School of Art was founded by men of power and influence who recognised the transformative effects of education and the impact that learning and aspiration could have on individuals, on communities and on society. This small, pioneering movement laid the foundations for Liverpool John Moores University, an institution that has grown and flourished to become one of the UK’s leading civic universities. The University may be based in Liverpool but we have a global reach and international ambitions, and we are proud to be the educational partner for Sound City 2015.

Our innovative three-year partnership with Sound City will enhance scholarship and provide students with opportunities to put their learning into practice. Across the festival you will be able to spot the efforts of our students. Third year spatial designers have co-developed some of the innovative indoor and outdoor performance areas and media students are undertaking a variety of paid internships working across the festival’s creative outputs.

If you are interested in finding out more about the University, check out our website: ljmu.ac.uk

15

bidolito.co.uk

Running hand in hand with Sound City’s

music feast is the acclaimed Conference, which

has been responsible for bringing millions

of pounds of investment to Liverpool over

the past seven years. The world-class series

of debates, How To? panels, In Conversation

events, Roundtable sessions and Keynote

addresses bring together a host of industry

insiders and forward-thinking minds to chew

the cud over what’s going on in the business

today, and shape its tomorrows. Whether

you’re a musician, a blogger, a booking agent

or just an interested fan, the range of topics

being discussed this year will have something

to pique your interest.

This year the Sound City Conference takes

place over two days (Thursday 21st and Friday

22nd) in the stunning setting of the Titanic

Hotel and Rum Warehouse, guided by the

general theme of the Unsung Hero. We’ve

picked out some of the Conference highlights

in the following pages.

WELCOME TO CONFERENCE

JANE WEAVER

Conference

We asked kaleidoscopic chanteuse JANE WEAVER to explain why

Conference is a great source of inspiration for emerging musicians.

For Liverpool Sound City, aside from watching bands, it’s good to

explore some of the Conference stuff on offer.

I’ve always been a bit sceptical about music industry conferences

and anything with “panels of experts”: not very punk, is it? As far

as music goes, I like the fizzy bit on top, the record in my hand, the

song in my ears.

The first music conference I attended was at Liverpool Poly in

the early 1990s. It was pretty drab, to be honest, very masculine,

and there certainly weren’t any bands to watch. I wanted to go

because my band at the time had a record and publishing deal and I

found myself thrown in at the deep end; I could grasp the basics of

songwriting shares, but record company royalties, mechanicals and

recouping were all new terms. As a musician this side of things was

pretty uncreative and boring and didn’t involve backstage passes,

dinner and drinks, so I kind of switched off.

I even had a manger and lawyer who spent some time explaining

stuff to me, but it took years for the penny to drop, so much so that

I didn’t really feel connected and wasn’t in control. My decisions

were based on trust and, in hindsight, I wish I’d have spent more

time listening instead of clocking up thousands of miles on the

funometer (although I wouldn’t change this bit for the world!).

If you’re an artist or in a band, there’s no point thinking that this

side of the industry doesn’t affect you. As soon as you have even a

small amount of success and have to involve other people in your

art, it’s your responsibility to know what’s going on. Ultimately, you

will be the one paying for it.

Listen to people’s experiences: everybody has a tale to tell. Artists

and ‘experts’ can actually help you decide what you want to do (or

don’t want to do). Success is also about survival and, especially now

under this government, you’re going to have to be more resourceful

than you’ve ever been. If you have access to money for your music,

don’t waste it: be responsible with it (most of the time).

Even at an independent level, everything costs money: recording,

manufacturing, packaging, radio pluggers, publicists, touring,

marketing… The list is huge. Surely you owe it to yourself to see if

there’s a way for you to not lose (too much) of your hard-earned cash?

As Jah Wobble once said to me: “money-lending, the oldest trick

in the book.”

Jane Weaver is in conversation on Friday in The Magic Piper Suite at

1.30pm, and plays live on The Atlantic Stage on Sunday.

If you’re interested in any of the themes raised here, head to the

PPL and PRS panel session on Friday in The Terror Lounge at 12.30pm.

16


Taking to the stage to give a Keynote address on

Thursday at this year’s Sound City Conference, indie icon

EDWYN COLLINS serves as a model example of how to

carve out a successful, decades-long career in the music

industry by operating to your own set of rules. Jokingly

describing himself as “an old hand, a raconteur!” at

speaking engagements, Collins’ appearance here at

Sound City follows on from the Q&A sessions that

formed part of his UK tour last year.

That Collins was able to continue making music at all

is breathtaking, given the two devastating strokes he

suffered in 2005. In the ten years since the events that

rendered the singer unable to speak, read, write or walk,

Collins’ recovery has been remarkable. Aided during his

recovery by his wife, Grace Maxwell, the only words

he was able to form at first were “yes”, “no”, “Grace

Maxwell” and “the possibilities are endless”. The latter

became the title of a highly-acclaimed documentary,

released in October of last year, which followed Collins’

outstanding recovery and return to music.

Created by filmmakers Edward Lovelace and James

Hall – who are better known under the moniker DARYL

– the documentary was exhibited to a rapturous

reception at festivals including SXSW in Texas and the

London Film Festival. Featuring Collins’ narration and

a soundtrack co-written with Sebastian Lewsley and

Carwyn Ellis, The Possibilities Are Endless (which will be

screened following Collins’ Keynote session), provides

an impressionistic view of the singer stitching his life

back together amid his gradual return to music.

The hallowed surroundings of the Philharmonic Hall

were the setting for Collins’ last visit to the city, a warmly-

received headline show in April 2013, part of which was

filmed and included in The Possibilities Are Endless.

Intrigued by the candid nature of the film’s depiction of

his recovery, I ask Collins what his reaction was when

he was first approached by the filmmakers with a view

to making the picture. “I wasn’t sure what they wanted

to do, neither were they!” he says. “I liked them though;

they were young, they listened to me intently, so, what

the heck? I decided to trust them completely. I didn’t see

it until it was finished and was so impressed. An arty

masterpiece! All the credit goes to Ed and James.”

The film followed on from the release of a celebrated

LP in 2013, the northern soul-powered Understated,

itself a follow up to 2010’s Losing Sleep, which was the

first record written and recorded after his recovery from

illness. Losing Sleep featured a score of friends and

musicians Collins had influenced, including luminaries

such as Johnny Marr, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos,

The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman and Aztec Camera main man

Roddy Frame. With a time gap of roughly three years

between those two albums, Collins hints that the next

instalment may arrive sooner. “I might do an acoustic

album in Helmsdale while I wait for my new studio to

be completed,” Collins notes. “I’m impatient.” Following

their relocation from London several years ago, the

rugged backdrop of Edwyn and Grace’s home in the

Scottish Highlands provides fecund inspiration.

One of the most memorable lyrics of Collins’ oeuvre

– “Too many protest singers/not enough protest songs”

– from touchstone 1995 hit A Girl Like You, seems

particularly fitting in election year some twenty years

since the song lodged itself in the Top Ten. I wonder

if he thinks the lyric is particularly relevant, given that

many so high-profile musicians are seemingly scared

of having an opinion on politics? “Politics? That’s up

to them,” he grunts. “For me, it’s the stuff of life, as an

international socialist! I have always been polemical in

interviews, even when I was young. It got me in trouble

a lot but, looking back, what a laugh!”

Something likely to be touched on in Collins’ speech

is AED, the outlet for the singer’s recordings which

has become a quietly successful venture. Founded by

Collins and Rough Trade alumnus James Endeacott in

2011, AED (Analogue Enhanced Digital) Records recently

celebrated four years of vinyl production. Issuing all of

Collins’ albums since that date, alongside his entire back

catalogue, the label also releases for the storied likes of

punk/new wave innovator Vic Goddard, and long-term

friend Paddy McAloon, who first met Collins when the

pair were 16 and 21 years old respectively. Next on the

release schedule for AED is the new project from Joe

McAlinden, the Teenage Fanclub associate and former

leader of Glaswegian indie pop group Superstar.

This is the second time the singer has been

instrumental in the creation of a label: Collins was

co-founder of groundbreaking indie set-up Postcard

Records in 1980. Home to Orange Juice, Aussie ex-

pats The Go-Betweens and Aztec Camera, the label,

along with Factory Records and Rough Trade, helped to

reshape the music industry landscape in the UK.

In Postcard and AED, Collins has the unusual

distinction of being heavily involved in two completely

separate independent record labels, but I want to know

what the secret behind the success of each of them

is. “That’s hilarious, I’m glad you think they are both

successful!” he laughs. “The only really important thing

is, they are both totally independent. No meddling, just

good ideas and good music.”

Following this appearance at Sound City, the small

matter of supporting treasured influence Brian Wilson

on tour takes up most of the autumn for Collins. “What

a privilege,” he notes, which is something that we could

say about his own appearance here in Liverpool. I’ll

wager that, after taking in Edwyn Collins’ talk and film at

the Sound City Conference, the words “the possibilities

are endless” will prove hugely prophetic for us all.

edwyncollins.com

Edwyn Collins’ Keynote address takes place on

Thursday in The Terror Lounge at 5.45pm, followed by a

screening of The Possibilities Are Endless at 7pm.

EDWYN COLLINSWords: Richard Lewis

Conference

17

bidolito.co.uk

THURSDAY’S CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTSIn Conversation: Mark E. SmithThe legendary, and curmudgeonly, savant MARK E. SMITH is the driving force

behind iconic Manchester post-punk band The Fall, who have released thirty studio

albums under Smith’s authoritarian stewardship. Smith is widely regarded as a God-

like genius, and in this exciting interview he will share the pearls of his accumulated

wisdom. Expect fantastically bewildering discourse and some colourful choice of

language from a man who epitomises the DIY ethos.

The Magic Piper Suite / 1.30pm

The Alan Wills Innovation AwardsA year has passed since Merseyside mourned the tragic loss of much-loved

Deltasonic founder Alan Wills, the man who launched the careers of The Coral,

The Zutons, Candie Payne and many more. In tribute to his creative legacy,

Sound City have established The Alan Wills Innovation Awards to honour

inventive thinking. Six young entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to

pitch for investment from potential investors and industry mentors, with the

winning project awarded a £500 cash prize.

The Terror Lounge / 2.45pm

The Rise Of The Cyber GenerationThe influence of online journalism is growing: tastes are shaped and

reputations are made by increasingly pivotal web-based gatekeepers, and their

role in informing our listening habits should not be underestimated. This panel

explores the influence and responsibility that online journalists have in the

modern music industry, as well as examining the social authority the sector

gives them. Panellists include music journalist Carl Stanley, digital promoter

Rev Moose, PR expert Miz Deshannon, and Bido Lito!’s Christopher Torpey.


Another Brick In The Public School WallPublic spending cuts and the harsh cost of living are pricing the working

classes out of careers in the arts. The level playing field has been privatised and

now only the affluent can apply. With these so-called ‘Rock Toffs’ becoming the

prevalent forces in popular culture, are we returning to a time when the arts are

the preserve of the chattering classes? John Robb moderates a panel of dyed-

in-the-wool class warriors, including Ed Lilo (Head of Events at VICE) and John

McClure (Reverend And The Makers).

The Terror Lounge / 10.15am

Musicians’ Union: Bring Me A Hire, LoveWhether they’re a hired hand for the studio or touring the live circuit, session

musicians are the unsung heroes of the music industry. The Musicians’ Union is a

global organisation whose aim is to support and advise those aspiring to make

a living from music performance. Matt Wanstall, MU Regional Officer, and Kelly

Wood, MU Live Performance Official, host this session, which is designed to explore

and unpack the role of the session musician.

The Magic Piper Suite / 12pm

18


Liverpool’s cultural history is filled with people who

have capitalised on the locals’ appetite for a great

night out. Those individuals are often closely entwined

with a particular club and a musical genre. Lennon and

McCartney had The Cavern and beat music, a brand which

came of age in Liverpool and then conquered the world.

In the 80s, characters such as Ian McCulloch and Julian

Cope launched out of Eric’s nightclub. In the early 1990s,

acid house was capturing the imagination of the nation’s

youth and Liverpool was not to be left behind. In fact, it

was once again set to lead the way. Cream grew from a

weekly club night to a global brand, spawning nightclubs,

classic compilations and Creamfields Festival, which now

spreads its tentacles around the world through various

spin-off events. The story of Cream owes a lot to the

ambition of one of its founders, JAMES BARTON.

Now living in the US, Barton’s return to his home

city for the Sound City Conference sees him due to talk

about his ascent within the music industry, his influence

on electronic dance music and the view from the top

today. Barton may not be a name as widely known as

McCartney, Lennon or even Dodd, but his footprint on

music and popular culture is more than comparable. This

influence was recognised last year when Barton topped

a Rolling Stone magazine poll naming him as the most

influential man in dance music. As well as his admirable

track record with Cream and Creamfields, this title can be

attributed to his current involvement with Live Nation,

one of the world’s largest live events companies.

Having achieved so much with his Liverpool-born

dance brand, and now holding the grand title of

President of EDM at such a major player in the industry,

it was a relief to hear that Barton is not resting on his

laurels: “I genuinely love the music. I really get a kick

off seeing the music grow and seeing it now turn into a

genre that is considered to be one of the big titans of the

music industry,” he says from his adopted home of LA,

where he has resided for the past three years.

Having brought dance music to the masses in the

UK and Europe, Barton now sees himself having a role

in establishing the genre in mainstream US at a crucial

point in its history: “Here in North America, dance music

is in a transitional period. It’s leaving behind the phase

of development of the last five years and now I think

the audience is going to get more sophisticated; the

music is changing, musical tastes are changing, the

experience is changing. Unlike in Europe where we have

had electronic music on a major level for 20-25 years, it

really feels like in the US, on a mainstream level, dance

music is pretty new.”

Holding office in Beverly Hills seems a long way

from building a kingdom from scratch in a Liverpool

backstreet office, but his latest role is obviously a

natural progression from what Barton was doing with

Creamfields. Barton, whom author Paul Du Noyer

described in his book Wondrous Place as “a Liverpool

entrepreneur in the tradition of its top-hatted Victorian

merchants”, continues to adhere to certain ethics as

well as a flair for building key relationships in the world

of dance music. “Everything is much bigger in terms of

the scale and size of business here; also, the level of

income and expenditure is much bigger,” he explains.

“But at the same time I learned a lot with Creamfields,

and the principles of how I run a business are still the

same. I’ve worked with most of the major international

DJs, whether that is Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, Tiësto,

Deadmau5, or even today with the likes of Calvin Harris.

The company is always turning over and helping to

develop new talent. Those relationships which are really

strong relationships, I’ve worked hard to cultivate them.”

Much of Barton’s history and that of the Cream brand

was galvanised in the Liverpool nightclub Nation, and

the former DJ returns to the city in the wake of news

which shocked many. Nation (along with another club

which has won the hearts of Merseyside’s musical

fraternity, The Kazimier) is to make way for a new

development on its Wolstenholme Square home. While

The Kazimier looks to be relegated to the pages of

history, Nation will work with developers to try and keep

the institution alive. Barton is typically forward-thinking

about the plans. “On a personal level, I like progress.

I’m not really Mr Nostalgic. I know that Cream has got

a place in the history of music in Liverpool, I know that

we need to continue to provide the city with what we do,

and at the same time I am excited that we are getting

an opportunity to do that in a new venue.” It’s clear that

the club, which played a major role in last year’s Sound

City festivities, hosting the likes of Fuck Buttons, East

India Youth and John Hopkins, is special to the man

who did more than most to ensure it has played a key

part in Liverpool’s nightlife for the past 22 years, but

he is philosophical on the subject of its evolution: “The

building is very old. As much as there’s the nostalgia

and the memories, there needs to be a solution and

unfortunately that solution is to do what is happening.

But look, we’re not the developers and we don’t own the

building, we have a lease, so we will see what happens

in the coming months. But as far as I know I think it’s

passed the first phase of the planning, so we’ll see. We

want to support what the city is trying to do in terms of

that vision, but we’re also aware that history and culture

is a big piece woven into that fabric.”

Those going along to hear Barton’s conversation with

DJ and presenter Dave Haslam will hear how some of

that fabric’s integral threads were woven. Barton is a

character whose ambition and passion for a genre of

music drove EDM to become a truly global phenomenon,

and turned a club night into a household name. Friday’s

talk will be a rare opportunity to get insight into the

workings of an international movement.

cream.co.uk

James Barton’s In Conversation session takes place on

Friday in The Magic Piper Suite at 2.45pm.

JAMES BARTONWords: Sam Turner / @samturner1984

Conference

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bidolito.co.uk

FRIDAY’S CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTSKeynote: Wayne CoyneAhead of his band’s much-anticipated festival headline slot on Saturday

night, Flaming Lips talisman WAYNE COYNE talks about his three decade-strong

career in music. The creativity and originality with which Coyne has made his

name in the industry has won him legions of devoted fans all over the world.

This will be a fascinating talk from a true character who has never had a

problem realising his ideas.

The Terror Lounge / 5.30pm

The Momentum Music Fund – The Story So FarWith purse strings getting tighter and tighter, the PRS For Music Foundation

and the Arts Council are delivering the much-needed cash to enable musicians

to get their work heard. The Momentum Fund, which offers grants of between

£5,000 and £15,000 to emerging talent, has had a real impact on the careers of

many exciting artists in the last two years. In this How? Session, we will hear

from some of the initiative’s success stories.


Viv Albertine In ConversationVIV ALBERTINE shared some of her first-hand experiences of the punk

movement in her acclaimed memoir Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music,

Music. Boys, Boys, Boys., released last year. The Slits’ guitarist pulls no punches

when describing her role during a revolutionary epoch, in which she spent a

day chained to Sid Vicious, hung out with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm

McLaren, and toured with The Clash.


UK Music Question TimeSound City head honcho Dave Pichilingi plays David Dimbleby in this

altogether more fun version of the BBC political slanging match. UK Music is

the organisation which bridges the gap between government and the music

industry, and the panel at this event will also feature representatives from both

worlds. This lively discussion should provide a good barometer for the current

state of the industry and the help it is likely to get from the powers that be.

The Terror Lounge / 11.15am

The Thankless Job Of The Rock N Roll ManagerThe topsy-turvy world of music management is on the agenda in this How?

Session. Various industry heads, who together have experience dealing with

artists as diverse as Franz Ferdinand, The Chieftains, Macy Gray and Chvrches,

will discuss the key skills needed to succeed as the manager of a rock band.

One person who will know more than most about the trials and tribulations of

such an occupation is former Ramones manager Danny Fields, who is also In

Conversation on Friday.

The Magic Piper Suite / 11.15am

MUSIC PANEL

Question

time

Featuring:Martin Isherwood – Head of Music at LIPA

Jo Dipple – Chief Executive UK Music

Mike Smith – President of Music, Virgin EMI Records

Dave Pichilingi – Festival Director, Sound City

With more special guests to be announced

UK Music and Liverpool Sound City have now joined forces to hold a special music ‘Question Time’ to give fans and industry a

chance to talk about your priorities for the future.

Send your questions ahead of the debate to us via Twitter @UK_Music using the hashtag #musicqt

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL

Have your say on what industry or Government could do better. Liverpool Sound City

Friday 22nd May at 11.15am

International success and maximising your revenue potential

Moderated by Keith Harris, PPL With Myles Keller, PRS for Music, Irwin Sparkes of The Hoosiers, and Gabriella Cilmi.

In such a competitive marketplace, this session explores the key opportunities available to artists internationally, including crucial advice on how to increase global revenue streams. It is open to all LSC attendees and will be informative for artists, labels, publishers, and managers.

Spaces are limited so come along early to grab your seat.

Friday 22nd May 2015 12:30 -13.30The Terror Lounge

Together, we are working to ensure performers and songwriters, record companies and publishers are fairly rewarded for the use of their music.

prsformusic.comppluk.com

Forge links with the industry in which you strive to succeed at The City of Liverpool College. Follow our real students’ stories and apply now at

liv-coll.ac.uk

Jason, Music Technology

Liverpool is at the forefront of music and arts - and I’m part of that.

Follow my story #COLCJason

0151 252 3000@COLCollege #COLC2015

COLC Sound City Bido Lito full page.indd 1 14/05/2015 11:44

22


LSC TICKET INFORMATION

Festival walk-up prices -3-Day Passes - £85Single-Day Passes - £45

• Wristbands will be available

at the Wristband Exchange

Point from 3pm on 22nd

May 2015. Queuing may be

required.

• The event is strictly over 16s

only. This event adheres to

the Challenge 25 policy: proof

of age may be required and

admittance will be refused if

not provided. The valid forms

of ID are Passport, Photo

Driving Licence, PASS Card and

Military ID.

• Sound City entrance grants

entry to Liverpool Sound

City 2015 branded gigs on a

first come, first served basis

subject to the individual

venue’s capacity.

• Purchased wristbands /

accommodation cannot be

refunded.

• ALL wristbands will be

attached and clamped at the

Wristband Exchange point

and won’t be handed out

without being attached to the

wrist of the customer.

• Wristbands MUST be collected

in person by the lead booking

name, with a valid proof of

purchase.

• Once on the festival site we

will be working to a no re-

entry policy. Last admittance

to the site will be 21:30 each

night, anyone arriving after

then may not be allowed

access to the site.

• The festival reserves the right

to add, withdraw or substitute

artists, and to vary the

advertised programme and

timings without being liable

to pay compensation.

• Ticket holders consent to

inclusion in official photographic,

visual and audio promotion /

recording of the festival.

• Exposure to loud music may

cause damage to hearing,

please bring ear defenders /

plugs if you require them.

Map

first come,first served.

24


Early recognition and success is, for many, a particularly sharp

double-edged sword. Sure, it delivers a degree of attention,

something invaluable when a band is starting to find its feet, and

provides a platform from which an act can promote their art and

themselves. With all those extra eyes, however, comes the extra

weight of expectation, which either makes or breaks a career in the

industry. As such, when Clash Magazine labelled London four-piece

THE VACCINES “game changers” after only a year of being a band,

you held your breath. Appearances on the likes of Later… With Jools

Holland prior to an album release – the first band to do so – qualified

the notion somewhat, though you still feared for them. That was

back in 2011. Now, in 2015, we are two albums and an EP down the

line, with a third LP, English Graffiti, due out on 25th May. Already this

year The Vaccines have treated us to the dashing singles Handsome

and Dream Lover, and festival appearances where they’ve handled

the tag of headliners with aplomb. It’s fair to say that The Vaccines

have survived.

Describing the lifespan of The Vaccines as survival, though, is to do

them a severe injustice. During our brief but engaging conversation

with guitarist Freddie Cowan, what becomes increasingly clear is

the profound sense of development since the release of What Did

You Expect From The Vaccines? back in 2011. When reflecting on that

debut, Cowan describes how “The first album was such a whirlwind

of energy… we were just really lucky, you know. We got in a room

together and Justin [Young, The Vaccines’ frontman] had all these

amazing songs. I was listening at the time to what I considered to

be amazing music, and we all got together and something really

amazing happened, just a pure ball of energy.” Early releases If You

Wanna, Wetsuit and Post Break-Up Sex instantly caught the attention

of a generation of youthful deviants, cultivating a numerous and

incredibly dedicated fanbase. Only a year later Come Of Age dropped,

an album which maintained the hooks and rowdy charm of the

debut, though dressed it in a more sophisticated garb. As Cowan puts

it, “The second record was kind of coming to terms with how that

kind of thing doesn’t last forever. You have that really kind of fresh

first round of energy but that only really works on your first time, and

then you really have to get to terms with being musicians, do your

other things and find your quality in harder-to-seek-out places.” Led

by barnstorming singles Teenage Icon and Bad Mood, The Vaccines

proved that they could do that rare thing: change and develop

without compromising their sound.

Such a point has only been reiterated time and again in the period

since that record was released three years ago. In fact, it was on

2013’s Melody Calling EP where Cowan seems to feel that the most

evident sense of progression was made: “The EP kind of took me

by surprise a bit because it was kind of unexpectedly something

we wanted to do. But I remember listening back to it the other day

and thinking actually it was a huge progression; that it was really

explorative, maybe with, like, less direction than the third record, but

it was still a kind of wonderful adventure.” This sense of adventure

is something which seems to particularly resonate with Cowan, as

he goes on to explain. “That’s the best thing about it because you’re

seeing someone on their journey. It’ll be no fun if someone locked

themselves away for ten years and tried to do something that was

perfect, because, you know, human interest isn’t much interested

in what’s perfect; it’s kind of what’s human and what’s imperfect,

what’s like a journey, and that’s why it’s so great.”

THE VACCINESWords: Ben Lynch / @benlynch07

Features

25

bidolito.co.uk

With English Graffiti, The Vaccines’ own journey has led them

to making a record with its roots very firmly in the music of today.

Working alongside Dave Fridmann – who has a history of producing

bands such as The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala and MGMT – and Cole

M. Grief-Neil – who has a similarly impressive catalogue working with

Ariel Pink, Beck and Nite Jewel – in Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studio

in upstate New York, the band’s record exhibits a noted increase in

the emphasis on production and utilising modern equipment. The

decision to indulge in such a sound was, as Cowan explains, a wholly

intentional one: “What we ended up listening to was a lot of modern

pop music and hip hop and just things that were very much utilising

computers. I think we just felt like we wanted to create a produced

record, a record that could only have been made in 2015 or 2014,

and I think that was our main objective.” Working with Grief-Neil in

particular, Cowan tells us, was a conscious part of this process. “The

reason we wanted Cole to be on board was because we wanted

someone who was really well versed in that type of thing, because

when we came into the record we definitely – although we were

willing and wanted to make this transition – had no idea how to do

it.” The result is an album which professes the same sort of mentality

and ethos which ensured The Vaccines have succeeded thus far:

namely, progression without compromise.

It is, in fact, exactly this notion which Cowan seems to find

most satisfying. He takes great pride in the fact The Vaccines have

developed their own sound, something with which a great many

bands struggle throughout their entire careers. When discussing

the third record, he explains how: “We explored and explored and

explored, but we came back to a sound which was really very

distinctly The Vaccines, and I feel that’s a very special thing because

it’s amazing to have something like that.”

Throughout our interview, Cowan comes across as a dedicated,

articulate and passionate member of his band, his sense of artistic

duty coming to the fore when he notes that, “A lot of people care

about this, and a lot of people I care about care about this.” Never

does he seem more proud, however, than when discussing how

The Vaccines have successfully carved their own niche in the nigh-

on-impenetrable mesh which is the music industry, a feat which he

sums up well: “I think we’ve cemented that [sound] while going in a

completely different direction,” he states, a point that is impossible

to dispute for anyone who has given the band even the most cursory

of listens.

Looking forward, there is much lined up to keep fans of the band

satisfied, not least the full and proper release of Modern Graffiti.

Plans beyond this, Cowan believes, depend on the success of the

new record. What is certain, however, is that The Vaccines are not

going to be standing still. For a band where change and development

from one album to the next is a key feature of their sound, remaining

static is never likely to be an option. Amidst all this development

is also the essence of what it is to be The Vaccines, the beating

heart which has drawn audiences thus far, and which truly marks

this special band out as distinct. Lead singer Justin Young put it best

when, as mentioned in a recent Guardian review of their show in

Nottingham, he pronounced to the crowd: “We’re The Vaccines, and

we’ll always be The Vaccines.”

thevaccines.com

The Vaccines play The Atlantic Stage on Friday / Onstage at 10.30pm

THE VACCINES

26


Listening back to ICEAGE’s debut album – 2011’s

New Brigade – it’s easy to see why this band of Danish

teenage punks caused such a stir when first they

appeared, seemingly out of the blue. Although things

like lyrics, harmony and instrumentation were at times a

struggle to extract from the clatter, their songwriting and

unbridled energy was – and still is – genuinely exciting.

Lead singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s snarls across

the clanging guitars and cacophonous drums were an

aggressive panacea to the mild-mannered output of their

contemporaries. Under the murky surface their potential

shone through like white gold and had listeners and

critics alike rabid with anticipation for where they’d go to

next. It was blood, sweat, testosterone and the promise

of a return to genuinely threatening music.

Although it was their brutish aggression, stellar

songwriting and flirtations with fascist imagery that

brought them notice and notoriety in equal measures,

it was perhaps their age that got mentioned the most.

At an average age of just 17 when New Brigade was

released, journalists seemed fascinated to figure out just

what was going on with these fresh-faced, vitriolic punks.

“People tend to romanticise people at a young age doing

something that gains international recognition. I think

that some people would still prefer it if I was seventeen

years old and doing these things, but that’s not the

case,” says guitarist Johan Surrballe Wieth. Even around

the release of their latest album, Plowing Into A Field

Of Love, much of the press had been focused on this

being the point which they “mature”, marking a kind of

natural progression from snot-faced kids into some form

of adulthood. “I suppose it depends what you mean by

maturing,” explains Johann. “Maturing is just another

word for progress. Perhaps it’s maturing in the sense that

we’ve played together for so long, we’ve gotten better

playing and better playing together. We have the tools

and the knowledge to play the things we want now, but I

don’t see us any more mature in the conventional sense

of the word.”

Though there are many similarities across all three

of their albums, their latest showcases a very different

kind of energy. Less frantic, more comfortable with

themselves and with a broader emotional spectrum,

Plowing Into A Field Of Love feels more complex than

anything the band have released before. For Johann this

marks more of a natural progression than any contrived

development. “I think what we did then suited our state

of mind at that time. What we have now reflects our

state of mind now. I wouldn’t go back and change either

of the first two albums, but we have to keep moving.

Standing still is one of the most unpleasant things I can

think of, especially when it comes to creating.”

It was always hard to see how the band would

move beyond the brutish post-punk of their first two

albums. It was a sound that they had forged and

which had come to define them, and yet here they

are, having retained their style but pushed it into new

territories. The twenty-somethings now have a new air

about them, their palette expand beyond the fizzing

hardcore of their earlier releases, including things like

mandolins, violas, and discernible lyrics. Plowing Into

A Field Of Love certainly feels like a step forward for

the band, fostered by their ever-strengthened working

relationship. Though bordering on atonal and filled

with the kind of antagonistic energy that would make

GG Allen proud, there is a definite sense that the group

have sought to draw out more of the sweetness from

the tar. Vocals are clearer, harmonies are more prominent

and structures more complex. Though they may shirk at

the suggestion, there is almost something romantic

about the album. “We don’t talk amongst the four of

us about how something sounds. There’s not a whole

lot of talking about it, we just do it. It’s about us as

individuals having the tools to do exactly what we

want and then channel that in an intense way. Playing

together for so long, too, the writing process has

become almost symbiotic.” From the country-tinged

single The Lord’s Favorite through to the string-backed

Forever, their sonic touchstones have grown to include

bands like The Birthday Party, Gun Club and even early

Libertines, but it is their ability to take such simple

and universal sounds and truly make them theirs that

makes the band unique. “There’s all this talk about all

these elements and different genres we’ve taken from,

but really we don’t just sit down and say we want to

take this and this. We write it and then we sit down and

think about it. There’s no prescribed recipe.”

Moving forward again, it’s anyone’s guess as to where

the band will end up next. “From the end of the first

record we started writing immediately. The same thing

for the third. This time around we’ve taken some time

off. We’ve been touring a lot and needed some time

before we engage with the new material.” What will be

interesting is to see how this time to reflect will change

the sound of the fourth album. Perhaps they will eschew

their post-punk roots entirely in favour of something

softer, or plough back into the cacophony that they’re so

comfortable with. Whatever the case, hopefully we won’t

have to wait too long. “We’re already back onto writing

new material again, and we’re all definitely back into it.

We’re not drained yet.”

iceagecopenhagen.eu

Iceage play The Baltic Stage on Friday / Onstage

at 8.20pm

ICEAGEWords: Dave Tate

Features

22nd – 24th May 2015

AQUASERGE (Psych-Pop)North Stage / Sat / 3.50pm

C.A.R (Indie/Electro-Pop)North Stage / Sun / 5.30pm

HOLLYSIZ (Pop-Rock)North Stage / Fri / 3.30pm

NLF3 (Post-Rock)Cargo Stage / Sat / 1.15pm

GASPARD ROYANT (Rockabilly)Atlantic Stage / Sun / 2pm

THOUSAND (Indie-Pop) Mail Chimp Record Store / Sat / 10.15pm

bureauexport presents

F R A N C E AT

L I V E R P O O L

S O U N D

C I T Y

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28


Hailing from Thurso in Caithness, a town that’s located

only a few dozen miles from John O’Groats and faces out

to the North Atlantic, diviners of melodic psych folk NEON

WALTZ have spent the past two years in their rehearsal

space honing their sound to perfection. Sounding like

a less angst-ridden version of The Walkmen jamming in

their NYC loft with The National and The Coral, the band’s

SoundCloud page serves notice of a group fully formed

despite being only 18 months into their live career.

Consisting of vocalist Jordan Shearer, bassist/co-

vocalist Calvin Wilson, guitar-playing brethren Jamie and

Kevin Swanson, organist Liam Whittles and sticksman

Darren Coghill, the six-piece have hit upon a rich seam

of sun-baked indie jangle, ranging from the beautifully

restrained sway of Bare Wood Aisles to the subtly

anthemic Sombre Fayre and the beatific Perfect Frame;

the buzz around the group at present is sizeable.

“We’ve just done two days, starting at ten and finishing

at ten at night; we’re having a day off today,” Shearer

explains over the phone from the band’s home base in

Thurso. After hundreds of hours spent workshopping

in their rehearsal room-cum-studio, the band emerged

blinking into the light to make their live debut early

last year. “It’s basically an abandoned old croft house,”

Shearer explains of the splendid wilderness in which

the band practice. “It’s in the grounds of Calvin’s mum

and dad’s farm; it’s always been sitting there. It’s got no

heating or anything.”

Rather than them falling over each other in such

cramped conditions, Shearer believes that working

at such close quarters has definitely helped the band

progress to where they are now. “If it wasn’t so isolated

we might never have started a band, cos up here it’s so

isolated that everyone sort of knows everyone. We were

kind of the six dudes who were into the same kind of

music, could play instruments and write music. That’s

how we formed in the first place and we were mates

anyway. I would say there’s a lot of people up here who

like the same music we do, but of people who started

bands, we were six out of only a few.”

The isolation Shearer talks of was instrumental in

shaping the band’s influences and formulating their

sound. “Back in the day I remember having to borrow CDs

– if you couldn’t afford to buy them out of Woolworths,

you had to do a swap. It’s way easier to broaden your

horizons nowadays, which is for the best, I think. Back

then it certainly made us like similar stuff.”

The band played their first gig at legendary grassroots

Glasgow venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in January 2014,

a landmark gig which might be considered by some

groups to be a long time in the making. “We’d been a

band for maybe just under a year before the gig and we

didn’t just want to throw ourselves out there and play a

show without being completely ready,” Shearer states. “I

think it’s quite tempting for bands to do that now; they

get a couple of songs and they’re like, ‘Fuck, let’s just

go and play!’ We were like, ‘No, we’ll take as much time

as we can’. We just locked ourselves away for nearly a

year and made sure the songs were perfect for going out

[live], and the sound as well.”

Half a dozen of the band’s current tracks were

pulled together in April to make up the EP First Light, a

clutch of demos and live versions the band have been

working with for some time. And they’ve stockpiled

more than enough material for their first full-blown LP,

which Shearer reckons is likely to surface early next

year. “We’ve got a lot, some that are more finished than

others. Totally finished, we’ve probably got about fifteen

or sixteen tracks. Then we’ve got loads that are nearly

there, then some that are at opening stages, but we’re

always writing. It’s hard not to be prolific when there’s

six of us.”

“It’s completely shared; everyone in the band writes,”

continues Shearer. “So, for example, if I write a song for

the band, I write it by myself, no-one sort of teams up

and writes together, really. If I write a verse/chorus, then

send it around the band, then at practice we’ll learn it,

jam through it a few times then start thinking of ways

we could improve it. Maybe take something out, add a

middle eight in or whatever. It’s very, very shared, so by

the time the song’s finished, it’s gone through such a

process it really is everyone’s song.”

Citing the trio of New York bands The Walkmen,

Deerhunter and The National as treasured influences,

Shearer also highlights Timber Timbre’s most recent

LP Hot Dreams (via a recommendation from The Coral’s

Nick Power) and the work of former Walkmen Hamilton

Leithauser and Peter Matthew Bauer as recent practice-

room stereo staples. The inspiration of another of Neon

Waltz’s formative inspirations, The Coral, has endured to

this day too, and the Merseyside denizens are among

many connections the Highlanders have formed with

this region. “They were one of the new bands at the

time that really got me into music and wanting to start

a band,” Shearer recalls. “Big John” – tour driver and

flatmate of Dave McCabe – has also been credited with

giving the band some pointers, as he pointed Shearer

towards what many view as the shiniest jewel in Mick

Head’s glittering back catalogue, The Magical World Of

The Strands. “We were in some shithole by a motorway

outside Leicester. We [were] walking round going,

‘Fucking hell this is depressing!’ We were sitting in a

Travelodge; the rest of the boys had gone to an Indian

restaurant,” Shearer remembers. “The first song from

that album John put on was Something Like You. I was

like ‘I’ve got to hear the rest of this’.” The band were so

smitten that, at their Shipping Forecast show in Liverpool

last year, they were joined on stage by Bill Ryder-Jones

for a rendition of the track.

Beyond musical influences, Neon Waltz are connected

to Liverpool through co-manager Howie Payne – former

frontman of The Stands and more recently a songwriter

for Ren Harvieu – who initially discovered the band. “He

heard some songs on the internet, we put some tunes

up and he found them and got in contact with us; it all

just happened from there,” Shearer states.

A further connection was made through being praised

by the elder brother of Beady Eye’s former lead singer, as

the Caithness group now share the same management.

“Howie put the idea across that this guy Marcus Russell

wants to co-manage us,” Shearer recalls. “I don’t think

any of us knew who he was and then he said, ‘He

manages Noel Gallagher’, and we said, ‘Err, OK!’”

Neon Waltz’s upcoming Liverpool fixture, effectively

kicking off this year’s Sound City, takes place amidst

some reasonably frantic live activity for the six-piece, as

they have a gig in Manchester the same night. Expect

crowd numbers to be high for the group’s early-doors

appearance, mind, as, going by present form, it’s highly

probable that Neon Waltz will be one of the most talked-

about new acts at this year’s festival.

neonwaltz.com

Neon Waltz play The Atlantic Stage on Friday / Onstage

at 5.15pm

Words: Richard Lewis

NEON WALTZ

Features

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30


Though you may not be acutely aware of them, London-

based trio YAK are one of the few groups in Britain today

capable of justifying their own press hype. “It seems now

that we’re almost definitely in a situation where we can

do ourselves proud and put out a really good record,”

says lead singer and guitarist Oli Burslem, with the air of

a man who knows the tipping point between confidence

and arrogance. If the quality of the group’s output so far is

anything to go by, then the group’s success seems almost

certain. To date, Yak have released a series of singles and

an excellent EP (Plastic People) on two of the UK’s finest

independent labels, which points to a validation of sorts

of what Burslem claims. “Our first [single] was put out by

Fat Possum, which is a bit of a curveball, but everything

else is Rough Trade.”

The group’s sound can be described as an eclectic

mix of the very best psych, krautrock and garage rock,

but their range of influences spans far beyond that. “Me

and Andy have been playing since we were quite young

and I remember my first obsession in music was Elvis!”

laughs Burslem. “I mean, it probably sounds quite cool

now, but at the time I think people were puzzled as to

why this 6-year-old had a quiff and was singing Elvis

songs… Bands like The Cramps, The Birthday Party and

The Gun Club we picked up along the way, but you get

to the point where you don’t consciously think of any of

them… I just get the guitar and write a song, which is

what I prefer, really.”

What separates Yak from a lot of their peers is their

urge to experiment instead of sticking to tired psych

and garage-rock traits. “The EP Plastic People I pretty

much just wrote at home and then when we got to the

studio the guys put their input in,” Burslem explains, with

disarming easiness. “The song Distortion was actually

the last notes of a song we demoed… I went home from

the studio and I couldn’t get to sleep one night so I

looped the last five seconds of this guitar and organ riff,

which was much better than the rest of the demo of the

song. I put it through a reel to reel: I sped it up, slowed it

down and tuned it to different notes, took it back to the

computer and made a song out of a drone being sped

up or slowed down.” The group have a clear “anything-

goes” approach to songwriting, as they are keen not to

restrict themselves by their abilities as musicians. “The

hardest thing is working out what you’re good at and

not so good at,” Burslem continues. “When you’re really

passionate about music you think you can do it all, but

you can’t really. That’s why I think we sound the way we

do. It’s why we never play a song the same twice! We

keep it quite loose because we get restless and quite

bored easily. I’ve actually written two songs today… one

of them sounds alright actually, so that’s not bad!”

It was this restlessness that resulted in the band’s

formation in the first place, as well as Burslem’s

own desire to fly the nest. “I didn’t want to stay in

Wolverhampton, where I’m from. I really like London but

I don’t have any money. So I was working on a building

site, as a handyman, on the market selling furniture,

Stringfellow’s strip bar – just to sustain the music! It just

proved harder and harder to balance the two, really. Now

we’ve sold everything we own just to keep going! I still

don’t have my own guitar! A friend had to loan one to

me.” The band’s limited recording budget has become

one of their defining traits, and they are all the stronger

for it, and their bizarre idiosyncrasies are perhaps partly

inspired by Burslem’s days working on a market stall in

London dealing in antiques. “I used to buy and sell shit,

really. I would usually go to one of those weekly auctions

with a van and come back with some bits and pieces

to sell in London,” he says. This occupation has proved

useful for the band as a means of acquiring recording

equipment and instruments, not least a new organ after

destroying one at a show in Glasgow. “There was once

this organ with a big fish on it which was about five quid

and I thought was amazing, so I had to have it. The organ

ended up back in the shop and people would come in

and play it. There was one kid who would come in and

we would sit him on this organ and he would play it for

hours; it was complete noise! He would just completely

empty the shop but he really, really enjoyed it so we

didn’t want to sell it… I don’t have a shop anymore and

that’s probably why.” The band still has the fish organ

to this day, as well as a synthesiser that they only kept

because its dire condition rendered it unsellable.

Burslem was keen to express his love for the North

West’s music and culture, stating that he thinks “Liverpool

easily has as good a scene [as Manchester] but people

just don’t tend to go on about it as much.” Interestingly,

Yak as a group claim that they wouldn’t be where they

are today if it wasn’t for the help of a Scouse pal of theirs,

Levi: “He’s the person who built our amplifiers, some of

our pedals, and did some of our recordings and just got

us going really… He’s into his amateur radio stuff and

uses this big antenna to pick up truckers in America on

it! A sample from it is actually on the last song on the

EP… He used to work at Eric’s too!” Despite his love for

the city, Burslem’s band have never played a show here,

which makes Sound City the group’s Liverpool debut.

“We’re really looking forward to it. We really wanna see

Iceage, and we’ve never seen Swans before so we’re

really excited for that too… really brutal. Look out for a

man in a stupid hat that looks a bit like me!”

Interestingly, Yak have developed a relationship with

John Coxon from legendary space rockers Spiritualized.

“We first met when I was working on the market in

Spitalfields a long time ago, it must have been six years

now,” Burslem remembers. “I had a mixtape in my van

that had old electronic stuff on it like the early Human

League and that got us chatting and we ended up down

the pub together. He’s been a great help for the band, and

through him I’ve met Jason [Pierce]; they’ve both been

very supportive… Knowing people who do music or have

done it is quite inspiring in itself because when you’re

stuck somewhere it does seem like possibility of actually

doing it is just not believable.”

Thankfully, more people are catching up with Burslem’s

belief in his band, and the future does indeed look bright

for Yak. Be sure to catch them here, as it can only be a

matter of time before Yak are recognised as one of the

leading lights of alternative music in Britain today.

@yak_band

Yak play The Baltic Stage on Friday / Onstage at 6.45pm

YAKWords: Dan Brown / @danbrownnn

Features

Travelling by train to Sound CityGetting the train to Liverpool Sound City couldn’t be easier with Merseyrail. Bramley Moore Dock is in walking distance from Sandhills station.

Our Day Saver ticket starts from £3.70 for all day off-peak travel, tickets can be used during weekends and bank holidays.

If you’re planning to return by

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last train times from Sandhills

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Towards Liverpool Central ... 23:55

Towards Southport .............. 23:44

Towards Ormskirk ............... 23:46

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SAT 23RD MAY 14:45 - 17:45 THE CAVERN STAGE

Be among the first to discover our emerging talent at the festival’s Cavern Stage from 2:45 to 5:45. Alongside these five acts we shall also be taking this opportunity to launch our 2015 BIMM albums.

BIMM LONDON PRESENTS

FRIDA WALLIN - Swedish traditional folk

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RORY INDIANA – Alternative rock

17:20 - 17:45

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CURATED BY THE LSC INDUSTRY A&R TEAM

Start-up for Summer Coursesn Are you a current LJMU student or a recent graduate from LJMU?*n Would you like to start your own business?n Have you ever considered freelancing?n Do you need help and funding to get started?

Then LJMU’s free two day start-up courses this summer could help you take the next step towards achieving your goals.

You will also have the chance to apply for £250 start-up funding to get your ideas off the ground.

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To find out more and to request an application pack, email [email protected] or call 0151 231 3300

Course Dates:

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29th & 30th July 2015

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36


Canada, the world’s second-largest country by

area, often gets a raw deal when it comes to national

stereotypes, with the friendly Canadian natives often

resigned to accepting their lot with a shrug. This week,

Canadian music agency BreakOut West are at Sound

City to show that it’s not all maple syrup, Mounties and

ice hockey in “America’s Attic”, bringing a showcase of

musicians from across western Canada that will have

you thinking more along the lines of Neil Young, Leonard

Cohen, Feist, Deadmau5 and Drake than Avril Lavigne

and Justin Bieber when it comes the country’s musical

exports.

So, how do you define the music of western Canada

when it’s a region that covers an area ten times the

size of the UK? The simple answer is, you don’t. The

combined talent produced in British Columbia, Alberta,

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, The Northwest Territories and

the Yukon Territory is simply too vast to unify under

one theme, as this showcase on The Cavern Stage will

prove. Along with the Western Canadian Music Awards,

BreakOut West’s aim is to promote and celebrate the

eclectic glory of Canadian Prairie music across the globe,

and on Friday it’s Liverpool’s turn to be wowed.

36? (pictured) started out as the solo project of Calgary-

based basement-dweller Taylor Cochrane in 2006, finally

reaching its pinnacle in 2014 with where do we go from

here?, the group’s first full-length release as a quartet

after four solo albums by Cochrane. With its mishmash

of art pop and psych-jazz stylings, the record captures

the group’s fast and loose approach in the most thrilling

way, so make sure you catch them in full flow (10.30pm).

On a subtler note, CLOSE TALKER’s spindly earworms

with orchestral ambitions have drawn comparisons

to Local Natives and Bon Iver, and the quartet from

the great plains of Saskatoon have their sights set

on winning over European audiences this summer.

Following on from 2014’s debut LP Flux, Close Talker

have played showcase events at Canadian Music Week,

SXSW in Texas and The Great Escape in Brighton, with

this Liverpool show coming at the end of a period of

extensive touring. If you like your indie pop plush and

full of yearning sentiment, Close Talker are ones for you

(onstage at 8.50pm).

Also hailing from Saskatchewan, infectious indie

trio YOUNG BENJAMINS brew up a catchy concoction

that will captivate even the most discerning of crowds.

On their debut full-length album, Less Argue (released

on Dollartone Records in March), Neusha Mofazzali,

Veronique Poulin and Brynn Krysa mix violin flourishes

and robust vocals with dashes of math-rock rhythms to

create a refreshing sound that has seen them dubbed

Saskatchewan’s “indie folk darlings”. Young Benjamins’

compelling stage presence and renowned live show

have begun to attract some very positive attention for

this young band, so get yourself in place from 8pm to

make sure you catch them.

Proudly committed to making music real people can

relate to, Manitoba hip hop artists THE LYTICS (pictured,

onstage at 7.10pm) have never been ones for empty

boasts and bravado, preferring instead to promote the

same brand of street-level optimism espoused by early

influences Mos Def, The Pharcyde, and A Tribe Called

Quest. Their live shows, in particular, are straight-up

life-affirming affairs, during which the group’s easy

beats and infectious enthusiasm can win over the most

hardened of cynics. That same penchant for positivity is

reflected in the act’s sound — an amalgam of old-school

soundscapes and boom-box bangers that celebrates,

inspires and challenges.

There goes a saying in North America, that an act of

tedium can be said to be “as dull as a Sunday in Canada”.

This BreakOut West showcase will be anything but.

Words: Frankie Muslin

BREAKOUT WEST@ The Cavern Stage

Previews

36?

The Lytics

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bidolito.co.uk

One thing Sound City has always done is promote the best of the wealth and

depth of the city’s vibrant scene, and this is no different in 2015. They may not be

household names yet outside of the city, but with everything from “the future

of British soul” to post-everything rock being covered, it’s clear the city is in rude

health – and this lot are just some of the cream on the top of the cake.

First up, BARBEROS (The Baltic Stage, 5.15pm): taking in influences from

Tangerine Dream to the Locust, their sound is nigh-on impossible to pin down

– something that is vanishingly rare outside of dance music these days. To really

get to grips with what their madcap ball of two drumkits, Lyrcra bodysuits, gnarly

electro stabs and flailing limbs is all about, you have to catch them live.

A few years of hiatus is an unusual career move in a band’s embryonic phase,

but BAD MEDS (The Baltic Stage, 6pm) have used it to their advantage, honing

their brand of punk, which harks back to a time when punk was fracturing into all

the sub-sub-sub genres we have now; sometimes fast and sometimes slow but

always intense. Besides, how many punk bands cover the KLF on a cassette-only

release? Precisely.

At the more accessible side of things you have POLAR STATES (The Record

Store, 9pm). Stadium-sized, atmospheric emoting is a thing that’s been going

on for quite some time now, but there is always something new to be said and

this quartet have garnered recognition from both XFM and BBC 6Music, so they’re

clearly hitting the right notes.

In between these two extremes, there is KOF’s London-via-Liverpool (and

MOBO-approved) neo-soul (The Cargo Stage, 7.10pm). His wayward youth spent

DJing UK garage and house music has taken him on a journey; picking up myriad

other genres along the way has helped him push the envelope in one of pop’s

most treasured genres.

LOCAL ROUND-UP

KOF

38


FIST CITYFlying the flag for North American alt. rock, supercharged Alberta natives FIST CITY wade into some personal

topics with gut-punching candour. The quartet, led by twin siblings Kier and Brittany Griffiths, have the skill

to make their hyper-local topics (Canadian politics, small-town life, etc.) relevant to all who listen, all with a

healthy side-order of buzzsaw guitars and ridiculously intense rhythms. It’s a joyous punk rock brew, which

comes highly recommended.

The Cavern Stage / 9.40pm

RONI SIZE/REPRAZENTDrum’n’bass has been having something of a moment again. Who better to re-enter the melee, then, than

big beat don RONI SIZE, who has reunited his groundbreaking old band REPRAZENT for a series of shows

around the release of his new solo material. The 1997 Mercury Prize-winners are up there as one of the best

electronic acts in the business, and they helm the first of Sound City’s warehouse raves, which runs until 3am.

Late Night Warehouse Party / 12.30am

STORMZYGetting a spot on the BBC Sound Of… list isn’t always a harbinger of success, but occasionally Auntie

Beeb hits the nail on the head. Enter STORMZY, who featured high on 2015’s poll. Riding the wave of grime’s

resurgence, Stormzy has translated the hype machine’s love – and some insane YouTube viewing figures – to

Radio 1Xtra playlisting and MOBO awards. His ascent has been rapid, but, as 1Xtra DJ Charlie Sloth declared

after Stormzy delivered an insane cypher on his Fire In The Booth session, “a star is born”.

The Cargo Stage / 9.40pm

SWANSFour decades has not dulled the sheer confrontational noise and boundary-pushing blitzkrieg that is SWANS. Following

the release in 2014 of what is considered their finest album yet (To Be Kind), they have been re-affirming that live, too, they

are a force to be reckoned with. Plugging the gap between the esoteric and the visceral is something that Swans have

proven themselves to be unparalleled at, led by sole constant member Michael Gira. Prepare those earplugs.

The Baltic Stage / 9.30pm

GARBONOTAS BOSISTASHailing from Vilnius, Lithuania, GARBONOTAS BOSISTAS relive the acid-soaked 60s that the former USSR

never had a chance to live first time round. Through their latest album Above Us, and various live performances,

the band have consistently and intelligently married the freedom of psychedelic 60s rock with tones of fluid

jazz, heavy blues and gospel-like passions. Their music, which inhabits drones, cavernous spaces and liquid

guitars, proves that music transcends language boundaries if only you dance hard enough.

The North Stage / 8.50pm

EVERYTHING EVERYTHINGPurveyors of indie-ish art pop at its finest, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING have amassed a devoted following

through a constant stream of thought-provoking yet easily relatable music. With two critically acclaimed

albums under their belts (number three, Get To Heaven, drops in June), and a string of insanely catchy singles

that stretches from Suffragette Suffragette to Distant Past, via MY KZ YR BF and Kemosabe, they are one of the

few bands who’ve kept their cool and conquered the charts at the same time.

The Atlantic Stage / 9pm

Previews

Wed 17 June 7pmTest Dept: DS30 Film Screening & Book Launch

www.thebluecoat.org.uk / 0151 702 5324 / [email protected]: @thebluecoat I: @the_bluecoat

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Summer atLiverpool’s centre for the contemporary artsHighlights include:

Sat 18 July - Sun 27 Sept Open Mon-Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 11am - 6pm. Free entry.RESOURCE: a group exhibition that provides a playful set of resources for visitors.

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LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITYCreative & Performing Arts • Creative Writing • Dance • Design• Drama & Theatre Studies • Film & Visual Culture • Fine Art • Media & Communication • Music

2015 Open Days:Wednesday 24th June Saturday 27th June

www.hope.ac.uk/opendays

YOUR FUTURESTARTS WITH HOPE

Official Partner:

at Liverpool Sound City

The Momentum Music Fund supports artists at a tipping point, helping them to reach the next stage of their career.

ALL WE ARELONELADY

FEMMEATTAQUE

Saturday 23rd May 2015The Cavern Stage, 7.30pm til late

PRS for Music Foundation and Arts Council England present

prsformusicfoundation.comliverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

LIVERPOOLSOUND CITYNZ@

FRIDAY 22ND MAYKRAKEN STAGE

BRAMLEY MOORE DOCK

Lucklesswww.luckless.co.nz

www.facebook.com/soluckless

20.00 - 20.30

Louis Bakerwww.louisbaker.co.nz

20.50 - 21.20

Jesse Sheehanhttp://jessesheehan.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/

jessesheehanmusic

21.40 - 22.10

NZMC - SCITY 2015 - QTR - 21_4_15_NZMC - SCITY 2015 - QTR - 21_4_15 22/04/2015 09:39 Page 1

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PRESENTED BYALBERTA MUSIC MANITOBA MUSIC BREAKOUT WEST SASKMUSIC

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