Category: The Cuff

First there were clubs, then there were raves.

Then the clubs became superclubs and the raves became festivals. Then the superclubs went back to being clubs, and the festivals went back to being nothing but fields.

Except two, Global Gathering & Creamfields; both vying for the Midland’s festival spend this year.

Here’s a quick look at the last men standing.

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Global Gathering (July 27^th to 28^th)

First held in 2001, to a 25,000 capacity sellout crowd, Global Gathering started life as ‘ravers in a field’.

Spawned by the success of Godskitchen, the original organiser’s humble (and no doubt cost effective) pure DJ/dance music mandate was replaced by high profile live acts from 2005 onwards; a change that would see artists including Dizzee Rascal, The Prodigy, Orbital, Kanye West, Orbital, Mark Ronson, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada, Fat Boy Slim, Kosheen, Happy Mondays & Mylo play live sets, alongside the event’s continuously strong DJ line ups.

Globally, the Gathering has been (so far) been held in, America, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Australia, South Korea & Malaysia – with an annual event returning to the original Long Marston Airfield site, in England, during the last weekend in July.

Now held over two days, with an estimated 45,000 attending daily, the UK Global Gathering continues to partner with external music promoters; including labels, radio stations and other club brands.

Global Gathering 2012 sees, Toolroom, Rinse, Hospitality & the Detroit based label – Vision Quest, all hosting arenas.

Headline acts this year include live performances from; Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status, Friendly Fires, Maverick Sabre, Magnetic Man & Nero,with DJ sets including, Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Skrillex, Knife Party, Jaguar Skills, Above & Beyond, Gareth Emery, Annie Mac, Jamie Jones, Roni Size, High Contrast, Funkagenda & Paul Thomas.

Global Gathering 2012 takes place on July 27^th to 28^th, at the Long Marston Airfield in Stratford.

Tickets are priced between £65 – 180, varying with VIP & camping options.

For further details visit http://www.globalgathering.com/

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Creamfields (August 27^th to 29^th)

Cream; a club that needs no introduction across most of the dance music world, ran for 5 years before trying their arm at a festival.

Then, in 1998, the first ever Creamfields was held at Matterley Bowl in Winchester; to a 25,000 strong debut crowd.

The 1998 line up included performances from; Run DMC, Primal Scream and over 100 DJs including Daft Punk, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold and Sasha – representing a mix of live acts and DJs that would continue throughout subsequent events.

In its 14 year history, Creamfields has headlined live performances from artists including; Basement Jaxx & Pet Shop Boys (’99), Underworld & Faithless (’02), The Prodigy, The Zutons & Goldfrapp (’06), Chemical Brothers (’07), Kasabian, Ian Brown & Fatboy Slim (’08), Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal & David Guetta (’09) – before moving to a predominately DJ led bill in 2010.

Moving from Winchester to its ‘spiritual home’ of Liverpool in 1999, Creamfields has grown into a three day, 65,000 capacity event; making the initial jump after a two year hiatus in 2008. It has been held over the last Bank Holiday weekend in August since moving to Liverpool in 1999.

Worldwide, Creamfields has staged events in, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Peru, Republic of Ireland, UAE, Uruguay and Australia.

Creamfields 2012 will see DJ sets from, Deadmau5, Avicii, Tiesto, David Guetta, Axwell, Steve Angello, Tiesto, Ritchie Hawtin, Sebastian Ingrosso, Skrillex, Chemical Brothers, Paul Van Dyk, Above & Beyond,  Ferry Corsten, Calvin Harris, Kissy Sell Out, Maya Jane Coles, Benga, Caspa, John Digweed, Eddie Halliwell, Funkagenda & Kim Fai. Sub Focus is playing live.

Creamfields 2012 takes place on August 24th-26th, in Daresbury, Cheshire.

Individual day passes are already sold out, with remaining tickets priced between £110 – £250, dependent on hospitality & camping options.

For further details visit www.creamfields.com

Originally from Birmingham, Nerm cut his teeth in the clubs of our fair city; including residencies at Frequency and Ministry of Sound.

Moving down the M40 in the late 90’s, Nerm established Shiva Soundsystem along with DJ/producer D-Code. And through a series of East London warehouse parties, and Shiva Soundsytem’s own record label, celebrated an eclectic range of breaks, beats, drum & bass and dubstep.

Picked up by the BBC in 2008, through the ‘In New DJs We Trust’ showcase, Nerm has worked across the network ever since; including co-broadcasts with Zane Lowe and Annie Mac, standing in for Mary Anne Hobbs and Ras Kwame, and his ‘Electro East’ series for the BBC Asian Network.

Nerm‘s DJing has seen him performed around the world; including several tours of Asia and a slot at Glastonbury festival.

Whilst his production portfolio includes various original and remixed tracks, alongside two full length albums: ‘India One’ & ‘Phasmatis in Machina’ – released on Shiva Soundsystem Recordings.

Nerm has also written and presented two documentaries; ‘Out Of Africa’ and ‘Me and My Swastika’, and is a Music Consultant for films from Kidulthood director Mehnaj Huda.

Nerm stands in for Gilles Peterson on Radio 6 today, between 15:00 – 18:00

Click on the link above, or listen live at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kkn3f

For more on Nerm and Shiva Soundsystem, visit http://nerm.co.uk

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**Nerm’s festival soundtrack**

With one of the most eclectic record collections in Britain, Nerm has suggested a track for each festival we’re highlighting.

So, if you want audio accompaniment on your way to/from/over the fence at the Larmer Tree Festival, try listening to this:

Roots Manuva – ‘Witness’ (Modeselektor’s Troublemaker Remix)
http://soundcloud.com/redthreat/roots-manuva-witness-modeselektors-troublemaker-remix

Words by Holly Pyke / Picture supplied by Purple PR

There was a mixed audience for Marina and the Diamonds. One of teenagers, a small collective of fans in their 20’s/30’s, and a few parents begrudgingly accompanying their youthful offspring; heavy with the realisation they would be standing for the entire show.

The set reflected Marina’s kitsch and retro style: pink fluffy rug, old fashioned TV (which played black and white TV clips intermingled with footage of Marina and the Diamonds throughout the show), retro wallpaper backdrop, a maroon chaise longue and a massive pink neon Electra Heart sign hanging overhead.

The support act, an American singer/songwriter called Meredith Sheldon, was entirely forgettable; with one nearby fan expressing “nice pair of legs but that’s about it”.

(Ed – I like Meredith Sheldon, and I’ve never seen her legs. TO GOOGLE)

The lights went out and the crowd went wild, before anyone had even set foot on stage. When Marina entered in her pink leather mini dress, long white gloves and bridal veil, and began singing ‘Homewrecker’, the room erupted once more. The rest of the song was accompanied by screams of adoration.

From there on in, every single song met a room of people who knew every single word. However, the sublime ‘I Am Not a Robot’, from Marina’s first album – ‘The Family Jewels’, together with ‘Primadonna’, from her  current ‘Electra Heart’ album, generated particular excitement.

Around halfway through her set, Marina made a quick costume change into a beautiful emerald green vintage 1940s dress; thrilling one of the audience into throwing a pink bra and a Barbie doll onto the stage. She then thanked the venue for letting her play in “such beautiful surroundings”, before performing ‘Power and Control’.

Marina and the Diamonds closed with an electric performance of ‘Radioactive’, leaving the room in a state of delighted uproar.

An immediate call for an encore followed, inciting such fervent chanting it would’ve been dangerous not to come back on stage. I feared a teenage riot.

Obligingly, Marina walked back on stage, alone, in a full length silver sequined dress; before taking her seat at the keyboard for a moving performance of ‘Teen Idle’. ‘Fear and Loathing’ followed, before an energetic performance of ‘Hollywood’, complete with yellow pompoms.

Marina and the Diamonds were obviously well loved that night, by a venue full of people singing, clapping and jumping – even in the balconies (much to the frustration of security staff).

Marina’s vocals sounded better live than any recorded version I’ve heard, containing greater depth and expression.

Plus her performance was so energetic, interactive and completely enthralling, I have now joined the ranks of Marina’s hardcore fans. With only a few years (and my appreciation for seating) to tell us apart.

For more on Marina and the Diamonds, visit http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com

For further gigs at the HMV Institute, visit http://venues.meanfiddler.com/hmv-institute/home

Clue’s in the title but…

Editors are playing their ONLY UK DATES this year at the HMV Institute in Birmingham, on Tues 26^th & Weds 27^th June.

And those kindly souls at Birmingham Promoters, have given us greedy souls at Birmingham Review a pair of tickets for the opening show (Tues 26^th).

If you want ‘em, all you have to do is visit our new Facebook Page, click the ‘Like’ button and sit on your laurels. Simples – www.facebook.com/bhamreview

The pair of tickets will be given to one winner; who will be picked at total, unequivocal, too lazy to set a question, random.

Competition closes at midnight on Fri 22^nd, winner announced first thing on Sat 23^rd. 

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For more info on this and other gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://www.birminghampromoters.com

For more on Editors, visit http://www.editorsofficial.com/

Words by Victoria Perks aka ViX

I can’t remember when I was last so excited about a gig; we could be talking decades (I know, I need to get out more).

As a massive fan of both Elvis’s; with one of them no longer with us, Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus, 25 August 1954) was top of my list of artists to see before I – or they – die.

The stage was set in a vaudeville-come-big top style, and the band kicked off with 4 in a row; opening with “I Hope You’re Happy Now”. I was.

(Costello’s band, “The Imposters”, are basically “The Attractions”; with the bassist replaced some 10 years ago. Excellent musicians, they’re a neat little 4-piece; with the greatest extravagance being a dozen guitar pedals and half a dozen guitars – all belonging to Elvis Costello.)

Then Costello turns ringmaster and introduces his “Spectacular Spinning Songbook”, a large spinning wheel full of song titles and prompts (Ed – like a Costello Wheel of Fortune); an idea revamped from a tour 25 years ago.

“These songs are like my friends, but some of them have betrayed me” he says wryly, before a showgirl picks members of the audience to take to the stage and spin the wheel, selecting a song at random.

The lucky fan then gets serenaded on stage or dances with the go-go dancer; until their 15 minutes eventually expires.

“The great thing about this show is we have absolutely no idea what we are doing”, admits Costello. Although, whilst other bands debate ‘the perfect setlist’ for hours, weeks, even months before a tour; what an ingenious way of keeping things fresh and spontaneous – after 4 decades of music-making.

Other songs that got spun included; ‘Radio’, ‘Heart of the City’, ‘She’, ‘This Year’s Girl’, ‘Girl’s Talk’, ‘Poisoned Rose’, ‘Bedlam’, ‘Brother Can You Spare A Dime?’, ‘No Particular Place To Go’, ‘Oliver’s Army’, ‘Shipbuilding’, ‘Watching The Detectives’ and ‘Chelsea’, finishing with ‘(What’s So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?’ I don’t know Elvis, you tell us.

Costello is the host with the most, on stage and off, wandering through the audience with consummate ease. He is master of ceremonies and master of most things musical; sashaying effortlessly from crooner to cowboy, busker to punk, to whatever the mood takes him through much of his vast songbook.

And even with less than palatable vocal qualities, and at times iffy pitching, Costello delivers his lyrics in a way both beautiful and haunting.

One can forgive him the odd flat note; not only for his adventurous melodies and poignant poetic lyrics, but because when he does launch himself at those high notes, they wrench at the very heart of the listener.

My dad always advised me that when on stage, on show or on trial; one should, “Be yourself… only more so”. Well Elvis Costello is definitely himself… only more so. Long live this King.

For more information on Elvis Costello, visit www.elviscostello.com

For further gigs at the Town & Symphony Hall, visit www.thsh.co.uk