Established in 2008, Sweden’s Dragonfly Festival has grown in small steps from a personable gathering in the woods of Ekehagens Forntidsby to offer a one-off London performance aimed a popularising the event before Dragonfly 2010.
Tonight’s city showcase presents seven musicians who, due to time constraints, each have a stage time of about 20 minutes. The changeovers are fluid and the evening succeeds with the air of a variety show, a cabaret in which clapped-out comedy is replaced by engaged, emotive artists.
Belfast’s John McGurgan opens with a mature and thought-provoking selection from independently-released albums Alone, In Two Minds and Gipsy Street. New song ‘Two Up, Two Down’ gets …
Posted on: March 10, 2010
There’s much style and maybe a little substance at this pretty boy parade, which is no bad thing, of course – quite frankly, life would be boring otherwise. Ed Zealous fulfil their criteria of a little substance for the evening by reeling in a few glitches to play the kind of punchy, solidly performed set we’ve come to expect from them, preparing us well for a bit of style from Hockey.
Despite last October’s Mind Chaos being hugely amicable but vaguely disappointing offering, the Portland, Oregon band need the swagger and presence of singer Benjamin Grubin to propel them beyond the niggling feeling that they sound like one of countless hipster bands …
Posted on: March 2, 2010
One thing is for sure: Hurts are going to get a reaction. Tonight, the Manchester duo are performing their first-ever gig, and it has been a sell-out for weeks. But, and AU may be being a little ungracious, this has primarily been built on an air of intrigue instilled by clever marketing by their major record label. First single, ‘Wonderful …
more »Manchester has always been considered a sacred ground for the kind of deep, dark, brooding techno that is often considered to be as important as early braindance music. This bold notion can be well understood though with a quick glance at the back catalogues of Mancunians such as Autechre, 808 State and the Modern Love label, to name but …
more »With the barrage of electro-rock bands currently casting their neon dazzle in our eyes, you could be forgiven for wondering what need for Two Door Cinema Club. On paper there seems very little to mark the Bangor trio out as distinct from their peers. On record, though, the difference becomes glaringly apparent. Namely, they have the tunes. What’s more, the songs on …
more »Having previously brought you the likes of Mogwai, Arab Strap and The Delgados, Glasgow-based Chemikal Underground has one outstanding current star. The Phantom Band (pictured), headlining tonight’s extravaganza, were one band widely labelled as 2009’s ‘One to Watch’, and they produce a stirring performance riddled with diverse percussion, and fronted by the flamboyant persona of lead vocalist Rick Anthony. Anthony’s gun-pumping antics …
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