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May 19, 2017May 19, 2017

ALBUM: Party – Aldous Harding

Words by Ed King / Pic by Hannah & Liv

I could spend half this review trying to come up with a suitable genre, but I won’t. Nouns come and nouns go, whilst adjectives jump around and in front of a puzzling need to define. Goth Folk has been used by Aldous Harding herself, apparently, and I’m not even happy with that.

But if Party – the sophomore album from the New Zealand songwriter – is to be defined by anything, it’s vocals; the range of empathy and emotion that Harding’s voice can conjure is the head wagon in this caravan. From the breathy (almost frightening) ethereal interpersonal whisperings of ‘Blend’ – the album’s opening song, across the Nicoesque timbre of ‘Imagining My Man’, to the see-saw strength and selected high pitch of the title track, Party is an album of controlled extremes. Oh yeah, and dark stories; can’t forget the bittersweet nightmares. And the winner of Best Album Track Title goes to…

But there’s the production too, which supports, matches and carries the sliding scale of this dark to light nine track endevour. With John Parish behind the glass – a man known for his extensive work with PJ Harvey (but keep This Is The Kit, Goldfrapp and M Ward in the back of your mind) – subtlety was always on cards.

And as Parish is so adept at achieving the firm bedrock here is partnership; enough confidence to step back and step up at just the right time. Again, ‘Party’ is an excellent example of this. But in the context of the whole album, when the drip release chords and power ballet vocals of ‘Horizon’ boom out of nowhere it’s impossible not to sit a little straighter. Like you’re awaiting instruction.

Aldous Harding’s eponymous debut was a sterling introduction, to an artist I suspect will have more years and surprises ahead in a carefully crafted trajectory. I hope, anyway. How many people get to open an album with Baudelaire and end with Mervyn Peake? And I’ll admit, the lack of a box-ticking-quick-draw-mainstream-marketing-strategy (née pact with the devil) is incredibly reassuring. I bet Lorde is kicking herself.

You could argue that the ‘cleverness’ with Aldous Harding will be her undoing, you could. You could call for more ‘radio friendly’. You could say that signing a three album deal with any producer backs you into a corner, and sit there waiting for the Faustian duet at an MTV event. It’s happened before. Probably not on 4AD but never say never, right?

Or you could listen, listen again, Google some references, feel foolish for Googling some references and go back to listening. For whatever compels the visceral forces of Aldous Harding’s songwriting I don’t think it wants to live in a box. So we have time and now two albums to play with, to explore an artist who should continue to avoid the iTunes taxonomy and survive on a more personal perception. You can stop reading this review for a start.

‘Imagining My Man’ – Aldous Harding

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Aldous Harding releases Party on 19^th May – out via 4AD. For more on Aldous Harding, including tour info and online sales, visit www.aldousharding.com

For more from 4AD, visit www.4ad.com

May 19, 2017February 27, 2019

OPINION: The making of European English

Words by Johnny Kowalski / Pics by Sarah Tohin

N.B. Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos play at the Hare & Hounds on Sat 20^th May – celebrating the run up to their third album, European English – out this summer. For direct info and online ticket sales, click here.

It all started in 2014. We’d just made and released our album Kill the Beast, and to anyone who was listening (which wasn’t many people) we were selling that album. Inwardly though, we were already groping towards the album number 3. Our first album had been cobbled together DIY style. Our second album, Kill The Beast, was made in a ‘big name’ studio, and although Gav Monaghan (Editors, The Twang) did a great job, it pointed us in the direction of the album we wanted to make next. Which was something more fucked up.

So we set off on a five week tour of Europe. The phrase ‘five week tour of Europe’ sounds impressive, but it was a crowning children’s crusade in a surprisingly long litany of daft adventures. We’d managed to book around 12 gigs for that entire period, and though we had sporadic lodgings sorted we were effectively condemning ourselves to periods of pointless homelessness.

The first show was in Paris where we narrowly avoided a fight with some children on the way in, and played in a tiny, packed basement to an audience who seemed to take me very seriously, observing us as if they were at the theatre. After playing in Orlean we had a 14 hour van journey to the French Mediterranean to play in a steak bar by the sea. We stayed a few nights, met a guy who could balance a bike on his face, bought cannabis off a police officer and dreamed of bank heists. From there we went on to a squatted football club near Milan, and then eastwards across Italy. We spent a sweaty night in the van near lake Garda drinking cheap wine, a night so bad I had to remind myself being in the Sexy Weirdos isn’t compulsory. This was followed by a weekend of spontaneous gigs in beautiful Verona, then onto Trieste, stopping in Slovenia and Austria, before landing in our temporary home of Josefov.

Josefov is an Austria Hungarian fortress town near the border of Poland in the north of the Czech Republic. It has over forty kilometers of tunnels beneath its surface, and a wall around the outside so thick that goats and sheep live on top of it. It’s under populated, inhabited only by a small group of Romani gypsies and a few artists – one of which is a classical sculptor that rides his horse bare back around the town every day. All of this, as well as the preceding tour, meant that the Sexy Weirdos were feeling pretty God damn epic when we set up our equipment and played whatever was going through our stupid heads.

I’ve got to admit it; at first it annoyed the hell out of me. It felt like everyone was self indulging rather than composing, and there didn’t seem to be a discernible gap anywhere for vocals. I had no lyrics prepared, and was spooked by having to sing them in front of everyone without obsessing over them in private for months on end first.

However, something was emerging.

So that’s the romantic genesis story behind European English. The middle part of the story involves us slowly improving and adding to the tracks we wrote in that Austro Hungarian fortress town over the next couple of years, in rehearsal rooms and on stages. Being of limited financial resources and having poor organisational skills has meant that the recording process has been incredibly trying at times. Hell, it took us far too long to even start recording. Multiple deadlines have been missed. We’ve screwed it up; other people have screwed it up too. Tempers have been frayed, and at times, harsh words have been spoken.

However, no blood has been spilled. And the end is in sight. At present, we have mixes being finalised, two potential covers being argued over, and several pieces of video to launch at you in the near future.

We also have a limited edition E.P featuring two entirely new tracks (‘Megahorse’ and ‘Flight Of The Juniper’), backed with remixes and collaborations that have not been given a physical release before. This will only be available at our gig on Saturday 20^th May at the Hare and Hounds (Kings Heath). We hope that you join us for that gig, buy a copy of the E.P and support the album when it’s finally released.

I’d like to leave you with the reasons for choosing the title European English.

The album is called European English for three reasons:

A) A reference to the dialect of English spoken between European people using English as a necessary second language.

B) An acknowledgement of the bands’ wider musical influences (see tracks such as ‘Serbian Rumba’ and ‘Sicilian Silian’). The cannon of cool guy bands we’re all supposed to like has been too narrow for too long.

C) A gesture of solidarity with those individuals from mainland Europe who have touched both our individual lives and our existence as a band, which includes our Greek percussion player, our violin player’s half French children, those that helped us stay at the Czech fortress town (Josefov) where we wrote most of the album, alongside many others from many different European countries. There is a good chance that without this support coming from overseas, our band may not exist today.

Our idea of Europe is wide enough to include anyone who comes here and peacefully makes it their home, of whatever persuasion, from wherever they may come.

This album is not a statement about the European Union.

‘Megahorse’ (taken from European English) – Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos. To play, click here or on the image below:

Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos play at the Hare & Hounds on Sat 20^th May. For direct gig info and online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Johnny Kowlaski & the Sexy Weirdos, visit www.sexyweirdos.bandcamp.com

May 14, 2017

BREVIEW: La Strada @ REP 08.05.17

Words by Damien Russell / Production shots by Robert Day

A road never truly begins or ends.

I’ve searched it and it’s a genuine quote from yours truly, which is a nice change from something I’ve heard in passing or on the T.V and accidentally claimed as my own.

In a conveniently representative way, the story of La Strada never truly begins or ends either.

For those who aren’t aware, the story starts as our protagonist (it’s early and I’m not feeling generous enough for ‘heroine’), Gelsomina, is sold to the (technically antagonist, but not quite) strong-man Zampanò. But there’s already history between them, with a missing sister (deceased) as well as some back story around an absent father (also deceased). Not exactly your ‘once upon a time’ beginning. The two have a dysfunctional relationship centred around Zampanò’s sense of superiority and power, alongside Gelsomina’s struggle to find useful skills and her devotion to a man who is, in a sense, abusive.

The story ends as abruptly as it begins, with Gelsomina leaving Zampanò. We follow his journey to the point where he finds out what happened to her – leaving him in a sadder, guiltier place than where we started, but still otherwise intact. So ‘happily ever after’ it certainly is not either.

Resolution and finality were never on the cards with La Strada. Luckily I have no problem with this since Waiting for Godot entered my life by accident some years ago; it’s something I’ve come to expect from a certain type of work from that era. I say ‘era’ as I’ve struggled with the definition of neorealism and why certain works of the time ‘are’ and some ‘are not’, so I shy away from the labels and go with my gut.

Equally, I have come to expect little in the way of major character analysis. The idea of that style seems to be the presentation of snapshots of life, events and the characters therein, with the rest discarded as irrelevant. So with that in mind, I also expected the actual content of the script to be quite fixed without any huge deviations from the original film.

I approached this latest representation of Fellini’s classic work hoping for innovative staging, with good character interplay through stage presence, lighting and direction. I also hoped for a good score, as I know the score for this version of La Strada was produced specifically for it. I was happy to see that all three things were present and correct.

The first thing before us as we sat and settled, was the stage. Stark wooden flooring containing a number of wooden boxes (reminiscent of old fruit boxes) and two telegraph poles, one front – stage right, one back – stage centre. Those, and the instruments, were all that were present and all that was needed. Any further scenery was provided by the clever staging and the cast members themselves playing the lead, support, orchestra, and setting as required. Naturally the odd tablecloth, light, bowl etc came into play, but the setup was minimalist.

The use of the stage was well thought out and through the flow of people (and the few props) they created open space, movement and separation in turn. I was particularly impressed at some of the scene changes and at the way so few cast members could bring fluid movement and change. I loved the fact that the stage itself had been left largely bare to keep space for the actions and people – and through those actions, they rendered additional staging redundant.

And while I mention fluidity, it’s worth saying that I found the transitions between prose and song to be very smooth indeed. I had expected musical pieces, but I’ve often seen musicals make stark changes leaving the audience wondering why that person had suddenly burst into song and spoiling the flow of the show. I never got that feeling in this production of La Strada; I was also impressed by the score itself, feeling both contemporary and appropriate to the setting. Excellent instrumentation (but then a double-bass and cello are a dead cert for me) and skilled musicians added to an unexpectedly positive element.

The cast themselves were the sort of people I like to call ‘annoyingly talented’. A full suite of vaudeville skills were displayed by all, and whilst some cast members were better at some skills than others nothing ever came across as being ‘bad’. My only criticism was that in some instances the acting itself was a little more wooden than I would have liked. However this may have been in part due to the multi-lingual cast and script; we saw English, French and Italian at various points, and I in particular loved the nod toward the play’s Italian origins.

A brief note on the direction and script use; I was pleased and surprised in equal measure to see that this production of La Strada followed in the fashion of a ‘no holds barred’ approach. There were sections including swearing (often humorously added), violence (less humorous) and sexuality, whilst the underlying theme of domestic abuse wasn’t undersold. I’m not entirely sure if the parents sat to my left regretted bringing their young daughters or not, but the kids themselves seemed engaged with the play. So all’s well that doesn’t bug the hell out of me, bleating or rustling sweets.

I walked into the REP excited but uncertain: knowing that a stage production of La Strada had a lot to live up to, knowing that we had been promised much, and hoping that the delivery would be half as good as it needed to be.

I left the REP surprised and pleased, thoroughly entertained and impressed by this production of La Strada. Absolutely recommend. Not necessarily for less worldly wise children.

The Belgrade Theatre Coventry’s Production of La Strada is presented by Kenny Wax Ltd, in association with Cambridge Arts Theatre & Bristol Old Vic. For more on La Strada, including details of the full UK tour, visit www.lastradalive.com

For more from the Birmingham REP, including full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

May 13, 2017May 13, 2017

BPREVIEW: My Country; a work in progress @ REP 16-20.05.17

Words by Charlotte Heap / Production shots by Sarah Lee

There’s no way that the REP could have known that My Country; a work in progress would come to Birmingham in the middle of a snap general election campaign. Running from Tuesday 16^th May to Saturday 20^th May, in the REP’s Studio, this new play directed by Rufus Norris promises to hold a mirror up to post-Brexit Britain. The timing could not be better.

In the chaotic days after the referendum, when the country decided whether to ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’ in the European Union, Rufus Norris – director of the National Theatre, contacted writers and directors all over the country and asked them to start conducting ‘long interviews’ with the public, capturing the feelings of our citizens after the vote. The project had personal resonance for Norris but seems particularly important given his role at the National Theatre – a company that, as Norris recognises, needs to “embrace the creativity and opinion around the UK.”

The fallout from the referendum is ongoing: embroiled as we are in an identity crisis which threatens to change the very fabric of our country; it is clear that our belief systems are dividing us. The Arts has always had a responsibility to reflect what is happening in society and this is what Norris set out to do. The interviews evolved into My Country; a work in progress, written in collaboration with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and based on more than 80 hours of transcripts containing the thoughts of the spectrum of society. Drawing from the emotional and, at times, extreme views of the community, My Country presents as a timely examination of where we are.

And where are we? According to Rufus Norris the overriding feeling garnered from the interviews was fury. Fury and a rejection of modern politics: worryingly, a selfishness and over confidence in our opinions also shone through the speeches that Norris listened to and transcribed himself before working with Duffy. My Country; a work in progress promises to reflect this reluctance to empathise: “With the death in belief of the great them – whether they are politicians, kings and queens or experts – what do we believe in? We believe in ourselves,” says Norris in an interview with The Guardian. “Cameras now are only used to take photos of ourselves – not of anything around us. We know we are in an age of extreme selfishness.”

The thoughts of the people interviewed will be interwoven with political sound bites, and Duffy’s involvement surely demands the dry humour and droll analysis that she, and perhaps the nation, is known for. It may be needed; Norris has “been incredibly diligent” carefully shaping a play which reflects the outcome of the vote. Individual actors will represent the six regions of the country, with the balance of Leave/Remain opinions represented on stage more in favour of those who voted to Leave. Not only because that was the end result, but because Norris and Duffy acknowledged that theatres can be seen “a liberal echo chamber” and they wanted to ensure “what will inevitably be perceived as our pro-remain bias is properly balanced.”

Perhaps realising that confronting the views of your political opposite may be an exhausting prospect, the play apparently uses Britannia herself to rally (or perhaps referee?) her people. It remains to be seen (no pun intended) whether there will be any light relief in such a seismic topic.

But in asking if there can ever be a United Kingdom, before a general election which is arguably leaving us feeling more at odds than ever, My Country; a work in progress certainly promises to challenge. Let’s hope it also entertains.

My Country; a work in progress – full trailer

Audience reaction to My Country; a work in progress

My Country; a work in progress runs at the Birmingham REP from Tuesday 16^th to Saturday 20^th May, as presented by The National Theatre.

Evening performances will be held daily at 7:45pm, with matinees at 2:45pm on Thursday 18^th and Saturday 20^th May. For direct event info – including full venue details, show times and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on My Country; a work in progress from the National Theatre, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/my-country

For more from The National Theatre, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

For more from the Birmingham REP, including a full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017

EP: ½ – Miccoli

Words by Ed King / Pics from AFA Records

Pronounced ‘half’, on Friday 12^th May Miccoli release their ½ EP through AFA Records – five tracks of solid and somewhat indefinable alternative-pop-indie-soul-generally good music. There isn’t an HMV shelf long enough.

Coming from Halesowen (a quick civic cheer) Miccoli are three siblings: twin brothers Adriano and Alessando, with their sister Francesca. Not really that important to their music but if you ever get invited round for dinner…

Miccoli had been ‘hotly tipped’ some years ago, but due to a nasty case of nearly dying on stage they had to embrace a hiatus and, you know, live. Five years later and the family are back, with some extremely slick looking and sounding material to make up for lost time. Seriously, my first question was which ‘Birmingham’ do you think we ‘Review’ – not that Alabama is the bastion of urban chic, but Miccoli do not present like your usual Midlands music act. They recorded in ‘off the coast of Malaysia’ for Christ’s sake; Robannas, Rich Bitch, Muthers… you get where I’m going with this.

So, polished, belt and braces; check. But are Miccoli any good. Yes. Reassuringly so. Their single ‘Lights’, which was given away in an act of generosity and publicity earlier in May, is a good introduction. Beautifully restrained, a hint of staccato, comfortable addiction behind the melody, the brothers’ lead vocals coated in Francesca’s harmonies; it’s the kind of song you’d pack your life into a car to, and then listen to on repeat until you’ve reached the ocean. Mental note – I must stop doing that. But it works. Then it works again, and again, and again…

‘Idle Stranger’, the EP’s opening track, was the first to be released back in March and may be more your preference. It’s not mine, but it packs a similar punch to ‘Lights’.

Track Two, ‘Undo’, is a variation on a theme, then comes the EP closer – ‘Devices’. A soft goodbye to a new sound; remember the first time you heard an XX track, and it crept into your brain, made a nest in the neural pathways, then dug in with squatter’s rights that would make a Bristol Uni student blush. Yeah, save some cerebral cortex ‘cos it’s happening again.

Miccoli’s ½ EP is out from 12^th May – with a curious selection of tour dates, focusing on America as opposed to the UK. But starting in Liverpool. A schedule that’s slightly unfortunate for this acerbic pen because the Achilles heel will be the live performance. As a wise man once said, when you sound that polished on a CD (they sent out a physical copy, result) it could mean you’re going to suck balls live.

Which, unless I’m prepared to travel to The Viper Room (oh yes, this band mean business) I’m not likely to find out anytime soon. Still there’s probably an album waiting in the wings to distract us. I get the feeling, with Miccoli, after an unscheduled stop in their trajectory, there’s a plan in place. To be continued…

‘Lights’ – Miccoli

On Friday 12^th May, Miccoli release their ½ EP through AFA Records. For more on Miccoli, including full tour details and online purchases, visit www.miccoli.co.uk