Richard Hawley is on his best form yet, and delivers a storming crowd-pleaser set: dense guitar driven sound combined with beautiful ballads. I imagine that many others in last night’s audience at The Roundhouse had, like me, put the final episode of Downton Abbey on ‘Record’. I’m indeed thankful for such technological wonders, because I wouldn’t have missed this incredible…
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The Victoria and Albert Museum is holding a series of events to accompany the huge India Festival this autumn. Last night I attended the Music of India concert, an event held in the sumptuous Raphael Room, with a programme of two acts. The Rajasthani folk troupe, who closed the evening, also popped up in different spots of the museum earlier in…
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Set against a muscular, driving bassline and wall of dense synth/guitar, Weaver’s voice adds a spacey, ethereal lightness, the two elements balancing each other, creating almost visible layers.
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Breath[e]:LESS is a new kind of performance/gig experience, and dancing is very much allowed. It might be difficult not to, as it’s set to infectious electronic music by composer/producer DJ Kwah (above). The performance is the brainchild of Tessa Gordziejko, formerly Creative Director for the Yorkshire cultural Olympiad, a director and producer who has built a reputation for innovative…
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For blues guitarist Aidan Connell, the launch of his debut album Grio may be an important occasion, but his music career hasn’t exactly been short on seminal moments. Seasick Steve hailed him as “the only rock ’n’ roller in town”; he’s played with venerated California band Mazzy Star after Dave Roback took note of the talented youngster, and praise…
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A multi-media exhibition which examines a painful part of history, with a soundscape by Steve Lewinson. I talk to the show’s curator, Professor Lynda Nead, about the symbiotic relationship between art and sound.
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There has been an emergence of a Northern Powerhouse of festivals over the past few years, with Kendal Calling, a host of Yorkshire events – and one which has quietly made its way onto the circuit – Ramsbottom Festival. Being a Lancashire lass, I’m glad to see an event which gives a platform to so many established…
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Festival Number 6 feels as if it has fully got into its stride. It offers a dizzying array of intelligently-curated events, from bands and DJs to comedy, nighttime processions, workshops and talks, plus something this festival has come to excel in – interviews and intimate performances by a handful of the main-stage artists.
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Do you have a business that you think would go down well at festivals? I asked four such entrepreneurial types, with ventures in T‑shirts, vintage tents, gourmet coffee and holistic massage – about their experiences as festival traders. Is it a combination of fun and profit, and are you guaranteed enough time out to catch a favourite band? One…
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Minesweeping is Larry Love’s new album, co-written with Brendan O’Connell. How unusual of Love to dedicate an album to the practice of mine removal, I thought (and the album does contain many seafaring references). Inevitably Google led me to the more commonplace use of the word (not sure how I got to my age without knowing this). Ah, now we’re on…
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