Words by Ed King
On Saturday 10th March, Plaid… let me say that again, PLAID bring their live set to the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) – with support from Automaton, ADJ, Monoform (live) and Errorbeauty. Live visuals on the night will come from Plaid and Cromatouch.
Doors open to the Hare & Hounds main room at 9pm, with music going on until 3am. All Early Bird Tickets have flown the nest, but you can still get some Standard Tickets priced at £10 – as presented by Scratch Club. For direct event info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.
There are certain words that will set a portion of the electronic dance music fraternity all aquiver. ‘Warp Records’ are two of them, ‘Plaid’ is another. So, when the three appear on a poster together some ambient/electronica heads begin desperately scratching the corners of their minds for a trace of serotonin. I
t’s a big deal. And rightly so, as The Black Dog spawned two-piece have been a further cornerstone of the electronica evolution for over two decades. Or, at least, the good bits. I don’t think they had much to do with Tony di Bart or the Vengaboys.
Plaid formed in the late 80’s – back when rock was still rife, pills were still good, and raves were still illegal. Ah, the glory days. Made up of two thirds of The Black Dog (Messers Handley and Turner), the splinter duo jumped around a few monikers ‘post Dog’ but settled on Plaid for the release of their debut album, Mbuki Mvuki, in 1991. It means ‘the desire to take your clothes off and run around’ in case you were wandering. Plaid’s latest album, The Digging Remedy, was released through Warp Records in June 2016 – check out the album’s opening track, ‘Do Matter’, featured below.
Already revered from the pioneering techno of The Black Dog, Handley and Turner were quick to carve out a new and equally as respected corner of electronica with Plaid. Their second album, Not for Threes, went on to be an established EDM classic – featuring the vocals of a then rising Icelandic balloon, Bjork, on ‘Lilith’. But, for me, it’s ‘Rakimou’ all the way; if you can listen to that track without feeling the glory of God/Shiva/Primark, or whatever you pray to, then you are quite simply dead inside. Click here and see if you’re still pumping blood.
But nine albums, countless festivals, and a seemingly endless international tour schedule later, and Plaid are still at the very respectable sharp end of electronica – whilst having also garnered remix requests from artists including Goldfrapp, Bjork, U.N.K.L.E., and even Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.
So, the boys done good. And getting to see Plaid at such a superb suburban venue is somewhat of a Christmas come early situation. Just no more snow, please. Enough with the snow.
‘Do Matter’ – Plaid (from The Digging Remedy)
Plaid bring their live set to the Hare & Hounds on Saturday 10th March – as presented by Scratch Club. For direct event information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit http://bit.ly/2oRJuEF
For more on Plaid, visit www.plaid.co.uk
For more from Scratch Club, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/scratchclubbirmingham
For more on the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk
