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CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
TUE 19 SEP
When you’re a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, your own abilities and imagination are the only limits. If you’re two or three albums in, you’re not restricted by the HR/contractual issues of dealing with other band member’s significant drug addiction or “finding something for the mandolin player to do”. Unfortunately, music history is also littered with examples of musicians getting stuck in a rut, or worse still, going a little too far on their own musical odyssey. So, last month's first single ‘Fireproof’ and this month’s sneak album preview ‘Down (Is Where I Want To Be)’ is encouraging output for Alec Ounsworth's fifth studio album 'The Tourist’. Having a less-is-more mentality the tracks are pared down with some well chosen keyboards being the only embellishment. We’ll be able to hear for certain when the album comes out on 24th of this month and further transformed with specially selected collaborators in September.
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BLAWAN
FRI 3 MAR
Since Blawan last played Superstition in 2015 he’s been a very busy man indeed. Not only has he spent last year releasing on his own label Ternesc, he’s also started releasing under two new aliases Kilner, releasing on Shifted’s imprint, Avian and Bored Young Adults on Trilogy Tapes. In a rare interview with Red Bull Music Academy in December Blawan explained that the process was liberation "Everyone knows that it was me who wrote the record, but people who do multiple aliases find that when you attach a different label and name to a production or project, you’re immediately in a different frame of mind in the studio and your goals are very different.” If you want to see if the new multiple-hat-wearing approach has affected his tune selection come and see him in March where he’ll be playing with the masked Headless Horseman and co-founder of Manhigh Henning Baer.
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LISA MITCHELL
MON 25 SEP
It would be fair to say that Lisa Mitchell has jumped onto a distinctly different musical conveyor belt. After being a finalist in Australian Pop Idol in 2009, she decided to stick to her acoustic roots and teamed up with the likes of Ed Harcourt and Ant Whiting to produce her critically acclaimed debut album. Last year's third album ‘Warriors’ was less po-faced and unplugged than previously with more of a cleaner teen sheen. The albums first single ‘Boys’ set the pace. The sweet electro-pop ditty about hanging out with friends in Sydney took Snapchat by storm as the promo video showing her lying in the grass and kicking her legs around leading to a “Boysing” meme explosion with Lisa herself proving she could out-meme her meme. But there’s nothing lightweight about the track, like all good teenage songs there’s a touch of darkness - Boys is an autobiographical tale of friends coming together after the loss of one of their parents. Lisa’s new material may be less determinedly offbeat than previous efforts but there’s also a strong story that’s worth telling.
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SHOBALEADER ONE
THU 23 MAR
It’s just over six weeks until Convergence is back bringing their winning formula of Music + Art + Technology back to London for 2017. We’re going to send you more details of some of the excellent additional artists booked into our three VU nights next week but Squarepusher’s Shobaleader One live project will surely be a highlight. Coming across as a kind of Daft Punk who have studied futuristic jazz, Shobaleader One’s live show will be an eyeball blazing display of musicianship. And if you don’t believe us check out this excellent video teaser.
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HOPSIN
TUE 21 FEB
The hip-hop game is full of players who are pretty outspoken, yet it’s quite common for many to be playing by the same rules. Hopsin has always taken a strong straightedge stance against drugs and alcohol. This attitude doesn’t come from a position of keeping clean to sell records, it’s more based on life experience. For example, 2009’s hard-hitting and pun-loving ‘Chris Dolmeth’ tells the story of a friend who becomes addicted to Ice. Former actor Hopsin has gone his own way in other parts of his career, storming out of Ruthless Records in 2009 to start his own label Funk Volume and when he was unhappy with the administrative setup in that company, he started Undercover Prodigy. This largest European tour is the first chance to catch new material from Savageville and more proof that he’s courting the right kind of controversy.
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DEERHOOF
MON 4 SEP
Sadly this month’s Deerhoof gig has been cancelled due to illness. But fear not, the band are confident of a full recovery and promise to return fighting fit on the 4th September. Existing ticket holders, please click here to re-book at face value. The rest of you who now have a second chance to catch any returns should click the link below.
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INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK REVISITED
We were proud participants of Independent Venue Week, a celebration of small music venues across the country. For Friday, Saturday and Sunday our venue was covered in posters, banners and our bar staff wore their t-shirts proudly. We’ve also added a few more events to our archive including Simian Mobile Disco performing live. Check out the reviews and photos in our Past Events Section.
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FROM OUR FRIENDS
PUNKT
Rich Mix / Sat 11 Feb
The creators of PUNKT Festivalen bring Norway’s experimental live remix festival to London for a truly special performance, featuring Three Trapped Tigers, Mira Calix, Ståle Storløkken, Arve Henriken and many more, in what promises to be a thrilling sonic and visual sensation…
Tickets
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