Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
I don't much care for the current trend of 'branding' venues, and I won't refer to a venue by including its ephemeral brand. But Sailor Jerry Rum is not merely adding its name to an event, it is throwing a series of Christmas parties. Each gig, including tonight's ...
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Friday, December 18th, 2009
I arrive early for tonight's Slow Club gig. The promoters didn't send tickets to the agencies in time, so I want to leave enough time to pick up the tickets on the door. The gig is in the Union Chapel and has unreserved pew seating, so getting early ...
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
Hope Sandoval is wonderfully talented but equally shy and reclusive, leading to playing far fewer concerts than I am sure she could attract audiences to. Her shyness is reflected in the arrangements of the performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. There is a screen ...
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Thursday, October 1st, 2009
The Highbury and Islington Garage has been refurbished. The small and dingy venue is now small and airy, the low ceiling remodelled to be an arcing ceiling that allows for a proper lighting rig in front of the stage, black walls repainted white, and wooden flooring everywhere. Overall, ...
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Sunday, September 27th, 2009
Too long ago I consider telling my China Drum story, and now seems like an appropriate time.
Many years ago, for two or three years in a row Radio 1 held a week of gigs for new bands and artists, broadcasting the music live. The best and brightest of new ...
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Friday, September 25th, 2009
The house lights go down but the band don't appear on stage. A little longer passes before a ripple of excitement passes through the audience, just as Slow Club does. Strumming acoustic guitars, Charles and Rebecca squeeze their way from a side door to the centre of the ...
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Monday, September 14th, 2009
There is not much I can add to my previous reviews of Emiliana Torrini gigs. Her voice is still wondrous and the songs beautiful, capturing times and emotions with vivid imagery reflected in the lyrics and music that alternates between optimism and confusion. But this time we find ...
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Friday, June 19th, 2009
Ah, I see. In the small print on the ticket the venue is listed as the Academy 2, even though the banner text mentions only the Islington Academy. This explains why I went to the wrong entrance. I'm not entirely sure why the distinction between the two ...
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Touts are outside Camden's Electric Ballroom selling 'tickets for the Cold War!', which doesn't sound terribly appealing so I scurry inside. This is a great venue, relatively small yet surprisingly open for its size and offering good views of the stage. The only disappointment is the sturdy metal ...
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Friday, May 15th, 2009
As far as I am aware, Holy Fuck have only one album release and as it clocks in at a little over thirty five minutes I travel to the venue hoping I'll enjoy the songs I won't recognise to fill up what must be at least a one-hour set. ...
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