Got a couple of winter-warmer gigs to throw your way today. One is a totally fresher than fresh new act and the other is a band that’s about as established as it gets – both are totally way-way-out-there cool! The Dome, one of Brighton’s larger venues, seems to be stealing the best of the big bands these days. On the other end of the scale the smaller New Hero club seems to be the most cutting edge, due in no small part to the excellent work done there by Henron.
ELBOW
Following their fantastic collection of the much-sought-after Mercury Music Prize earlier this year they are continuing on their UK tour. It hits Brighton at the start of the next leg at The Dome, a venue that I think will prove to be the perfect size for their atmospheric, hopeful, powerful music. Catching them live you will be able to hear Guy Garvey’s vocals punch the notes perfectly – a sight that is truly remarkable when witnessed in person. Not that the album’s production doesn’t also do him justice, its just that this fella really can sing so bloody well live. There’s a fantastic juxtaposition when you see a big, working class, northern man, create a sound so beautiful with his voice. A band in the true sense, sharing all writing credits and the subsequent royalties five ways, they bond on stage brilliantly. The gig may be three months away but I list it here now as tickets will surely sell out fast, so make sure you catch the award-winning album, plus the best of the rest of their brilliant back-catalogue, as well as the awesome show closer, On A Day Like This.
ACT: ELBOW
VENUE: THE DOME, Brighton
COST: £ 22.50 (plus booking free)
DATE: Saturday 28th February 2009
WEBSITE: Myspace Last.fm
THE GOLDEN FILTER
It seems a lot of new artists are coming through this year with their identity kept a total mystery. The Golden Filter do just that. Perhaps a lack of an identity creates a buzz as people search for info on them? Perhaps it’s just to shunt us busy bloggers? Perhaps, in this age of communication and profiling, a lack of names and faces adds a refreshing touch? For once you cannot pigeon hole them, dress like them, replicate them or judge them as people, you can only cast opinion on the music. And what a fantastic sound it is too. They deliberately pursue being secretive, but there is no doubting that the music is enticing enough. I will be giving them their own Recommender posting in the near future, where I’ll be elaborating more about their contagiously cute Electro-Disco-Pop. Go hunt them out and discover the big reveal for yourselves at New Hero this November.
ACT: THE GOLDEN FILTER
VENUE: Somewhere In The Universe… @ NEW HERO
COST: £ tbc
DATE: Friday 21st November 2008
WEBSITE: Myspace Last.fm
Two great gigs, one this year, one in 2009. At least we can bridge the new year with plenty to look forward to in Brighton.
Mike
