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You are here -> Live / Past Gigs Friday, 05 December, 2008
PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!
Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.
 
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Lupe Fiasco at KOKO, April 2nd
Lupe Fiasco at KOKO, April 2nd
14/04/2008
Lupe Fiasco KOKO April 2nd April 2008 Lupe Fiasco has been called everything from a lyricist to a terrorist. The one word you wouldn't associate with him is energetic. But you wouldn't think that on the evidence of this gig, as he leaps around the stage, his energy so infectious that the audience forgets he was an hour late. Lupe’s energy spills over into every song and none more so than ‘American Terrorist’. Allusions to George W. Bush drew the loudest cheers of the night, which in turn drew one of his best performances. Every word was said with so much passion you wouldn't believe Lupe was accused of being lethargic a couple of years ago. He makes full use of the stage, dancing like James Brown impersonating a pastor; adopting The Godfather of Soul’s routine of using the mic stand as a dancing prop, before leaping onto some speakers during a band instrumental. Lupe's six-piece band is extremely strong, making each song fuller rather than making them sound like demo versions. They even go into a neo-soul breakdown at the end of ‘Sunshine’ that wouldn't be out of place on an Erykah Badu album. There were some faults with the band approach, ‘Dumb It Down’ was spoiled by a wailing guitar, but these were minor in a gig that could easily turn a sceptic to a fan. From the double time rapping of ‘The Cool’ to the acoustic version of ‘Superstar’, it's clear that Lupe has grown since the ‘Food & Liquor’ days and is now a fully fledged performer. And all the better for it. Words: Jason Dike / Photography: Uzo Oleh
tags: | lupe fiasco | more...
Gallows at The 100 Club, 5th March
Gallows at The 100 Club, 5th March
13/03/2008
Gallows The 100 Club 5th March 2008 Some would say that the spirit of Punk died in 77 only to be taken over by second rate bands drudging sound-out without the ethos and attitude of their predecessors. I guess that’s kind of true. I mean, the Sex Pistols were so fresh and exciting when they kicked-off, that people were literally Cumming in their pants (possibly), and they’ll probably say that the magic of 76 will never be repeated. Sure, that’s sorta true; the whole collective attitude of Punk will never reach the dizzy heights of that bygone age. But we can still take solace and huge relief in the fact that Blink 1-8-fucking-2 aren’t the only ‘so called’ Punk band around. For Gallows are just about keeping the spirit of Punk alive, baby, and they’re doing it mighty well. You only have to look at Gallows to realise that each member has his own sense of style; a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that sets him apart from his peers; a certain panache, if you were. I mean, sure, Gallows don’t exactly dress with safety pinned trousers, pink winkle-pickers and torn and frayed tees, but they’re definitely Punk. I mean, the whole point of Punk is that you and you alone are an individual in the way you dress and act and look but share a certain ethos, attitude or interest with the rest of the Punk fraternity. This ethos and attitude is clear in Gallows performance and a huge reason for their failure to disappoint at London’s historic 100 Club. The Watford lads’ performance is as wrought with energy as a night in the sack with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the guv’nor dripping hot wax on your back, shafting you up the arse and calling you his “bitch”. A choice metaphor when you consider that Gallows are a hardcore Punk band. You may think that means thrashing guitars and drums blending together like some schizoid brain-fuck, but you’d be wrong. It’s accessible hardcore and, like an onion, it has multiple layers of attitude: Intelligence, rhythm, dare I say it… Soul? Frank Carter, as I’m sure anyone with a knowledge of Gallows will testify, gives a raucous, full-throttle performance. As Brian May would say (seriously check out his blog), when Frank is performing “you can almost touch him… eat him… delicious!” I guess the wee fella’s kind of akin to Johnny Rotten, and not just because of the ginger bonce. No, both break the boundaries between artist and audience, interacting on a level rarely seen in live performance. Exposing his tattooed frame, Frank swings from the light fittings, spits, crouches, and leers in the face of the baying crowd. The whole performance is flawless and even ‘ol general of grime Lethal Bizzle shines as he collaborates on ‘Staring at the Rude Bois’. Despite having a beefy entourage who appear to be preventing a Bizzle attack from the masses, the ‘rude boy’ still took time to crowd-surf; both highly amusing and in-keeping with Gallows band meeting audience philosophy. Have Gallows brought Punk crashing into the new millennia? Planet Notion says yes, and anyway, they shit all over Blink 182. Who called them Punk anyway; fucking ponces!
tags: | gallows | more...
Islands at Hoxton Bar and Grill, 26th February
Islands at Hoxton Bar and Grill, 26th February
07/03/2008
Islands Hoxton Bar and Grill 26th February I walk through the door of the Hoxton Bar and Grill just as Damn Shames are walking off the stage which is literally a Damn Shame as from what I’ve heard of them their twitchy, funky disco-tinged post punk grooves would have definitely put me in the mood for a night of music. Alas it wasn’t to be. I have always thought of Islands fondly, their debut album Return to the Sea was a permanent fixture in the CD player of my car as I cruised around my home town a couple of summers ago. At once poppy; but with a ‘quirky’ darker side to it, it was the perfect antidote to the saccharine crap that usually swamps the airwaves during the warmer climes. Ah… Memories. However, things don’t get off to a good start. The mic’s on the stage don’t appear to work and after a bit of faffing around we hear singer Nick Diamond’s voice come through the monitors. “That was excruciating” he declares before the band launch into a new track from the forthcoming album ‘Arm’s Away’. Immediately it’s obvious that they’ve moved in a slightly different direction to what has come before. With the addition of two violinists the new material has a far more orchestral tone to it. Gone are the light-hearted melodies and the delightfully absurd synth squelches. Indeed, the new numbers have a more muscular feel to them. However, I find it hard to really get into the music being played. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that I’m tired after a day at work, the unfamiliarity of the songs, or the rather muted response from the crowd, but something feels a little off. They manage to redeem themselves with ‘Where there’s a will (there’s a whalebone)’ which features the delightfully menacing line “going down to my tropical hideout / if anyone finds out I’ll turn their lights out”. On the album this song features a mid-song rap from Subtitle; he isn’t here tonight so instead the band have a wig out jam, which actually works a lot better. All of the musicians go crazy on stage and seem to really enjoy themselves for the first time since they started playing. They leave the stage with a knowing wink reassuring us that they’ll be back for an ‘encore’. When they return they play the opening song from Return to the Sea, which was my first introduction to the band. It’s wonderful to see ‘Swans’ being performed live, and it benefits from an extended instrumental mid-section. The band are clearly enjoying performing it, the violinist jumping up and down by the side of the stage and the guitarist pulling amusing faces as he peels out the last few notes. Alas, I still can’t shift the feeling that I haven’t seen Islands at their best. Hopefully if/when they return to tour the 'Arm's Away', following its release, I’ll be able to see the band I know they’re capable of being.
tags: | islands | more...
Trencher at The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Trencher at The Portland Arms, Cambridge
05/03/2008
Trencher / Spin Spin the Dogs / MicroPenis The Portland Arms Cambridge March 1st. The ‘hilariously’ moniker’d Mircopenis are a boy/girl duo who make noise using vox/bass/drum machine. They’re a sort of post-modern, performance art, piece, with lyrics like “I’m in love with the communist war machine. Supersonic. Sex. Attack”. The problem is that singer Louise has very little stage presence; she mainly stands in one spot looking like she wishes she was somewhere else, which doesn’t really help when delivering lines like that. I don’t know if you’ve seen the ‘Bad Uncle’ episode of Nathan Barley, but Micropenis sound like the girl from that fronting a Big Black tribute band. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as they’re quite enjoyable, assuming it’s all a little tongue in cheek and, dare I say it, ‘ironic’. Spin Spin the Dogs are another interesting spectacle. The singer can only be described as ‘eccentric’ as he stomps around the stage as if afflicted by some sort of petit mal, and barking (no pun intended) out lyrics, whilst the band play something akin to neo-jazz in a similar vein to Mr. Bungle. Sadly their frontman is no Mike Patton and his attempts at being ‘zany’ are a turn-off; introducing each song with an anecdote before running out of steam and demanding his band play the next song. Considering how ‘normal’ the three young men that form Trencher look, it’s surprising how evil they sound, especially considering their sonic arsenal is comprised merely of drum kit, bass and a tiny Casio keyboard. They tear through a set, comprised almost solely of tracks from last years Lips album, and it’s enough to make your skin crawl. Aside from myself, and a few other brave souls, the rest of the audience watch from the back of the room; secure, safe and trying to avoid having their ears flayed. Quite a shame as they miss an incredible display by all three musicians. I never thought it possible to create so much dread from so small a device but singer/keyboardist M.Shit manages to do just that. His fingers are a blur as the machine spits out what can only be described as a ‘dark carnival’ sound; like the Pied Piper luring poor children to their doom. You’d be forgiven for assuming that Drummer ‘Lock Monger’ ( Trencher obviously don’t use their own names) were some sort of multi-limbed demon, unleashing an assault on all parts of his kit. The dirty, fuzz-bass, grooves, which are wrenched from Pox’s instrument, are enough to send a shiver up your spine as you try twitching and contorting to the music. A particular highlight is Nightmare on Crack St, a lurching beast of a song, akin to a merry-go-round gone horribly wrong. They finish their set in the manner it began, all screams and noise, and I wander into the evening, my ears ringing delightfully and my soul slightly stained; but all the better for it. Words: Andy Devine
tags: | trencher | more...
Transient at The Horse and Groom
Transient at The Horse and Groom
29/02/2008
Transient The Horse and Groom Shoreditch February 16th Spray-painting a lime, silver and blue logo here, there and everywhere, Transient showed the party had arrived in style at The Horse and Groom; their Valentine’s soiree an intimate evening of good music, laid back lovers and speedy drinks. The Horse and Groom proved both a warm and inviting venue, with leather sofas and ambient lighting making the evening an unpretentious affair; the sunglasses thankfully left at home. Resident DJ Dan Kinasz warmed up the Groom, getting the feet agrooving and the atmosphere atingling with the infectious 'Albertino' by Guido Schneider. Ad Jones literally worked all and sundry into a fevered frenzy with his aptly named reproduction of ‘Fever,’ a deep, sexy, woman’s voice perfectly pleasurable to the steamy crowd. Guest DJ Tom Taylor (one half of 2020 Vision’s excellent Electric Press) continued to satisfy, perhaps more so, with his unique mix of deep house, techno and funk, well received by The Horse and Groom faithful. The evening was an ideal combo of laid-back boogy and party-hard, without the pub turning into the usual Shoreditch sweat box; considering the popularity of the night, quite an achievement. So the next time you’re bungling about wide eyed around the East-End of London tahn, take more than a Transient look for the party that invites you to get involved, and get involved. Words: Hannah Wiltshire
tags: | transient | more...
Les Savy Fav, The Astoria, 10th February
Les Savy Fav, The Astoria, 10th February
22/02/2008
Les Savy Fav The Astoria Sunday 10th February I would like to preface this review with the following admission: I love Les Savy Fav and have done for many years. This confession may lead you to believe that what you're about to read is steeped in personal bias and narrow-minded self-interest. I assure you it's not, you have my word. Having played together for 12 years the musical arm of LSF is incredibly tight. The music sounds pitch perfect. However, they're not afraid to demonstrate their improvisational skills, allowing set closer '(Rome) Written Upside Down' room to breath and adding in their own technical flourishes. I've seen this song performed live six times now and it's always different. Never the same. Despite their musical brilliance lead singer Tim Harrington is (of course) the man to watch. His boundless energy, wit and showmanship are worth the entry price alone. At the start of their set he bemoans the barriers at the front of the stage keeping audience and band separated. This doesn't stop him from plunging into the crowd at any given opportunity, allowing the baying fans to take the mic during the wolf howl section of latest single What Would Wolves Do? (I urge you to check out the video for this song, already a contender for best music video of the year) and generally mucking in with the dancing and sweaty crowd. I have to say there's nothing quite like watching a band in the middle of a group of people, who are all as excited as you are, and who are also singing along to every word. It shows how much attention Harrington commands that on his frequent trips to the back of the Astoria the entire crowd are watching where he's going and not the band; although they don't let this phase them. Les Savy Fav play a set which relies heavily on latest album 'Let's be friends' (naturally) but this is by no means a bad thing. 'The Equestrian' is a rollicking beast of a song and 'Patty Lee' begins the first sing along of the night. Follow this with the decadence drenched 'Raging in the Plague Age' (sample lyric "draw up the drawbridge draw down the blinds everyone inside is getting high tonight") and you have a powerful brace of song. The band still delve into their back catalogue and songs like 'Reprobates Resume', 'The Sweat Descends' and 'One Way Widow' are received like old friends. Les Savy Fav play each show as if it were the most important one they've ever played. There are no shortcuts or half measures. Tim Harrington's frequent costume changes add to the show rather than detract from it and never come off as contrived, or 'try hard', as could be the case with other bands. The fact that he's a slightly corpulent fellow, with a balding head, huge beard, and demeanour of an ADD afflicted child, helps add to his charm. After playing an exhausting hour long set the band still come back on for a four song encore. This includes a cover of The Pixies ‘Debaser’, which has the worn out crowd using the last of their energy reserves to dance along to it. It's a sign of a great band that as soon as I've walked out of the Astoria I want to listen to them on my iPod; Les Savy Fav definitely rock the party that rocks the party! Party! PARTY! Words: Andrew Devine
tags: | les savy fav | more...
Levi's OneToWatch at Camden Barfly
Levi's OneToWatch at Camden Barfly
21/02/2008
Levi's OneToWatch Camden Barfly Tuesday 19th February Levi's OnesToWatch took their ‘breaking new talent’ type shindig to Camden’s Barfly on Tuesday 19th. Cazals and Cut Off Your Hands were the main bands on offer; the first time I’d seen any of them play. First up we had the support band, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man, who seemed pretty impressive. They were a lot heavier than first predicted, granted, but not bad really. Dark, brooding, that kind of thing; sort of Nick Cave style... I can’t honestly say a lot more than that. I know, I know - that’s pretty lame - but don’t shoot the messenger, right? I have an excuse. See, I was ordering a drink downstairs when the band kicked-off, and obviously in Barfly the bands play upstairs so I missed their set. But it was jammed up there, and a lot of people seemed to be getting down to their music, so that suggests that they’re pretty damn good. Next up were Cazals. Now, I’m going to lay to rest the old adage about journalists being all professional. I mean, this is music for Christ sake. You can’t go to a gig and write a review without getting involved in the whole sha-bang. Alas, as always, a wee bit of drink entered the equation. Unfortunately, I still didn’t feel totally comfortable getting involved in the music. I guess that’s the problem when you’re all alone. Anyway, by the time Cazals kicked-off I decided I quite liked them, which is weird because originally I had a preconception of them being a bit crap. Anyway, the point is, I wanted to get up and join the rest of the masses. Go mental; dance like a prick. That kind of thing. That was the effect of the band, you see. Basically, Cazals really surprised me; really, really surprised me. I mean, it was good music with semi-good lyrics. Take ‘New Boy in Town’ for example. I immediately felt a kind of kinship with the band when they started to play it, you know? I thought I’m “the new boy in town because I don’t really know anyone here”. Anyway, the Indie kids were loving it; bless ‘em, and that’s enough for me. If people are responding to the music its all good, even if the vocalist does have a sort of bum-fluff moustache/beard thing going on. But I do too, so there we go, I could relate to him instantly (as well as his music). In fact, he was quite a presence on the stage, a real performer, no doubt about it. Anyway, as I say, I wasn’t totally professional on the night and I lay the blame solely on Cazals, because they made me want to express myself to their music and that. But, from what I recall, the band were pretty friggin’ sweet. One of those mass-appeal kind of Indie/rock/dance outfits, or ‘grapes’ as I like to call them. Everyone loves grapes right? Whatever man, they were good... The final band was Cut Off Your Hands. Now, the name made me think that their music would be all depressing, like “slit your wrist” music retagged for ‘08. Anyway, I was wrong, which was good because I was starting to feel the urge to get more involved in shenanigans. The singer looked quite young, sort of like a pretty-boy scholar. In fact, the band generally looked posh, well-to-do types. Anyway, their music was surprisingly good. I mean, crowd surfing kicked in, I got an elbow in the mouth, and everyone was going mental. Which says a lot, really, doesn’t it? In a nutshell, Cut Off Your Hands are a pleasant band; so take that as you will. Fast paced, energetic, and pleasant. I briefly remember a tambourine, which is always good. Verdicts? Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man: I didn’t see enough of them to really comment but I heard that they were a-okay. Cazals: I liked the lyric - “All I've got is vices knocking at my door” - because it seemed pretty relative. Plus, they’re music far exceeded expectation. A thumbs-up from me. Cut Off Your Hands: I liked them. Even though they looked like well-to-do types, they had the masses kicking-off and their music was pretty impressive. The night ended with me serenading some blonde chick with Bohemian Rhapsody and being rugby tackled by some guy with no hair. The chick disappeared. The rugby guy brought me a drink. I left a happy man. I reckon a big chunk of that was down to the music. Nuff said. Words: Dave Dryden Photography: Cazals – New-Noise / Cut Off Your Hands – Rae Pinx
tags: | levi's onetowatch | more...
Athlete with support from Boy Kill Boy
Athlete with support from Boy Kill Boy
29/01/2008
Athlete Supported by Boy Kill Boy January 2008 Now that their hotel room trashing days are behind them, Boy Kill Boy, on tonight’s evidence, have settled into a lazy melodic groove. Chris Peck’s vocals retain their dramatic, lofty thrust, as is especially evident through ‘Civil Sin’. Energy levels rise and “Whooo-hoos” are let out from the masses, as the digitally toed ‘Suzie’ hits home. An unspectacular, but catchy warm-up seems to do the trick and Boy Kill Boy are now trying to catch attention onstage rather than in hotel rooms. This is undoubtedly a step forward for the East London four-piece. Five Charlton Athletic fans, whose combined thrust makes up Athlete, stride into view led by the bearded and bright singer/guitarist Joel Pott. Immediately they show pride in their latest and third album ‘Beyond The Neighbourhood’. By settling comfortably into the sturdy drum driven ‘Tokyo’, with percussionist Stephen Roberts immediately taking control and showing his worth to the group. Rumours that Joel is “giving his all on this tour”, seem to be well-founded upon the airing of the full-bodied, second album stomp, ‘Half Light’. Between songs, jovial graciousness and light humour demonstrates that the lead man has given a great deal of attention to stage presence. This seems to be paying dividends tonight. One of the most striking elements of the new approach to song construction, displayed on the recent third album, is the swerving key-led prominence. This is illuminated through the melancholic ‘Best Not To Think About It’ and Pott’s vocals become laboured; almost to the point of painstaking. This lower key approach seeps into the keys and acoustic dominated, old favourite ‘Beautiful’ that is nudged along by a swooning crowd chorus. Pott encourages audience participation and warns the enthralled balcony dwellers that they cannot stay sat down all evening. When the full band returns, bassist Carey Willets steps up to dominate the floor shuddering, bass pushed ‘Wires’. This nifty number brought success and attracted a wider appeal to the second album and, as always, its impact steps up in a live setting. An Editors type climb to ‘Twenty Four Hours’ is greatly appreciated. It serves as yet another example of the continuing vocal power of this quivering quintet. As the main set draws to a close the whole room is beckoned to their feet and little resistance is shown. An encore inclusive of the jam frenzy, poetically punchy ‘Flying Over Bus Stops’ puts the lid on a bracing evening. Words: Paul Hall Warrrington
tags: | athlete | more...
DJ Krush @ KOKO
DJ Krush @ KOKO
22/01/2008
DJ Krush at KOKO London . 19 January 2008 When Krush steps to the stage, there's a powerful aura that radiates off this iconic Japanese DJ as he rests, poised, behind the turntables, his hood up and the synths beginning to swirl into that unmistakeable sonic Krush vortex. The big news for his first London gig of 2008 is that Krush has left his records behind and is using a laptop instead. This may be the norm for many DJs these days, eschewing the heavy record bag and leaving the jockey sluts chasing some skinny indie guitarists, but for Krush, the move represents a quantum leap. He's the man who brought hip hop to the Japanese, making vinyl his passion and selecting, his art. Despite the absence of wax, it's clear Krush's signature touch has by no means waned as he adopts the mantle of the digital age. He doesn't quite take the deep journey he carved out at his Koko gig last year, but his selection is heavy and suitably tenebrous all the same, throwing in classics 'Kemuri' and 'Only the Strong Survive' to keep the crowd happy. Perhaps his soundscapes sound a little flatter this time as he's preceded by Memory 9, a man called Gadi Sassoon who's stupidly adept at the sampler, mashing up everything from techno to hip hop with a well-timed flick of the wrist. Vadim's there too but sadly fails to tear the roof off like he's done at previous parties. His set's essentially a One Self gig, and the tunes are sounding a little tired ('Bluebird' is the only one still standing strong), only very subtly hinting at the production power this man's capable of. Listened to 'The Soundcatcher' lately? That's what we're talking about. The Herbaliser round the night off nicely, playing a friendly set including Das Efx and a wicked big band version of the Jackson 5's 'ABC'. It's danceable. Fun. The ring of Krush's enigmatic soundscapes getting fainter with each samba step the drunk couple on the balcony upstairs fumble through, while spilling pints of numbers over each other. WORDS: HELENE DANCER
tags: | dj krush | koko | more...
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