Sheogazer Music: Bat for Lashes, live

Just a few months ago it was the Brighton Dome’s smaller and less atmospheric neighbour, the Corn Exchange that Natasha Khan and her band, Bat for Lashes were packing out. Now, with the second album Two Suns surely high in many a critic’s “top albums of the year” lists, a second Mercury Award nomination under her belt and even more loyal followers in tow, Natasha Khan has certainly taken her band to the next level. Despite the acclaim, Natasha is the same endearing creature she’s always been. When she addresses her home crowd, it’s with her disarmingly soft, sweet voice and her dance moves remain understated and perfectly fitting for the music . . .

The set includes many songs from Two Suns, with the single Daniel causing the adoring crowd to dance and cheer their way through most recent single Pearl’s Dream and into What’s A Girl To Do from Khan’s first album, Fur and Gold . . .

On the whole, I wouldn’t say this was a gig to vent your frustrations at the world and dance and thrash around like a thing possessed, rather it was a gig to allow the audience the time, space and stimuli to take a step back from reality and enter the strange, dark, uplifting, melodic world of Bat for Lashes. Personally, I would loved to have seen the band amidst the gothic arches of Brighton's Concorde 2 venue, I feel it would have suited the mood so much more - but I fully understand that the bigger venue was needed for this stage in the career of Bat for Lashes . . .

Please check out our clip of Bat for LAshes performing Daniel at the Brighton Dome, thanks to ShoegazerVideo, and let us know what you think and if you were there!

words&photos&video: Claire B of Shoegazer

Shoegazer Music: The Maccabees, live

The Maccabees

Brixton Academy - 3.10.2009

For those of you who don't know much about The Maccabees, a band who last Saturday played their biggest and most triumphant London show to date, allow me to fill you in. Based in Brighton but originating from South London, the five-piece consists of Orlando Weeks (vocals/guitar), Hugo White (guitar), Felix White (backing vocals and guitar, brother of Hugo), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Sam Doyle (drums). After releasing their debut album Colour It In in 2007, the band gathered a loyal following of fans and received moderate critical acclaim thanks to songs that ranged from gentle and melodic (Toothpaste Kisses, Precious Time) to upbeat and infectious (Latchmere, X-Ray).

2009's follow-up, Wall of Arms marked serious progression for the band, and where Colour It In could have been unfairly overlooked amidst the barrage of indie releases, the band's second offering reallt made music lovers sit up and take note. Featuring the brilliantly dark and brooding No Kind Words and Love You Better, this is an album that steps forward from those of the band's contemporaries and embraces the dark side. With Arcade Fire's producer Markus Davis in tow, the band have developed their signature sound immensely and have delivered sophisticated songs for almost all moods. And, just as significantly, they've produced an album that men like - an album that speaks to the boys in the crowd in a year that's been dominated by female-based music.

And so to the gig itself - For the first time in a long while, we couldn't help ourselves but venture right into the heart of the throbbing crowd at the gig. We jumped, danced and sang along to song after song that the band performed with relish. Groups of guys threw their arms around each other's shoulders and cheered and grinned, their faces telling that, as far as they were concerned there and then, no other song defined their friendship; no other other band spoke to them quite like this. Of course, this could just be the hysteria of the moment, but it was wholly refreshing to see a crowd so engaged with the band and so willing to enjoy themselves. Many a girlfriend's face expressed the look of "I didn't know you liked them this much."

But don't get me wrong, this wasn't a crowd divided. Just as many girls and women were enjoying the music and dancing and singing their hearts out. This was a gig that pulled the audience in and gave them a sense of collective euphoria.

When the crowd drowned out frontman Orlando Weeks' amplified vocals on old favourite Precious Time, the band appeared visibly moved, hugging each other in deisbelief at their triumph. Felix White declared Brixton Academy to be "the best venue in the world," and as the final shords of Love You Better rand out, Weeks was clearly overwhelmed by the reception of the crowd and left the stage in humble tears. "I think you've given us the best night of our lives," he confessed. I'm sure they gave many of the 4,000 strong crowd one of the best nights of theirs too.

words&photo: Claire B of Shoegazer

Jack Penate - Gig and Album

Jack Penate – iTunes Festival 2009, The Roundhouse

Gig Experience: 3.7.09 Roundhouse, Camden. iTunes Festival
Album review: Everything is New

Jack’s back in London after a busy start to the year which has seen him release Everything Is New, the follow up to his 2007 debut album Matinee. There’s no sign of “difficult second album” blues here, with pretty much every song worthy of being released as catchy, infectious and heartfelt stand-alone Singles. In the run up to the release of the album we had Let’s all Die, Tonight’s Today, Be the One and others enticing us in to Planet Penate. Now, with the album’s arrival we’re treated to brilliant songs such as Everything is New, Give Yourself Away and Pull My Heart Away. The album is worth every penny with not a filler track in sight. Development is the word of the day here, with Jack Penate proving the catchy rhythms of Matinee weren’t just a lucky fluke. His song writing has developed with numbers such as Pull My Heart Away and Body Down being bluesy in a perfectly Penate way.

And so to the live show, part of this year’s iTunes Festival where fans apply for tickets via Facebook/iTunes and are awarded them for free. Taking place at Camden’s Roundhouse on a warm and hazy sunny evening, Jack was supported at the gig by the Golden Silvers (last seen by Shoegazer supporting Florence & the Machine in Brighton). Their song True No.9 Blues (True Romance) is catchy and well worth checking out.

Prior to taking the stage, our man Jack could be spied relaxing on the roof terrace in the evening sun as excited fans mingled with those who had applied out of curiosity, and those who had simply applied for a great night out for the price of a tube ticket.

As Jack took to the stage, the crowd greeted him with rapturous applause as he confessed at how he hadn’t played his hometown of London for a while but that it was good to be back. Bursting through a set which included old favourites such as Torn on the Platform, Spit at Stars and Run for your Life, Jack was joined on stage by Kid Harpoon half way through the set to perform Give Yourself Away (“AYA YA-YA YA YA YA YA YAAAAA YAAAAAAA,” sorry, couldn’t contain it.) It says something for the quality of the new material that it by far outshone the old favourites, couple this with the infectious energy of his odd-ball dance moves and you're left with a really great gig supporting a fantastic album.

(Images: ClaireB of Shoegazer)

Check out video footage of Jack Penate with special guest Kid Harpoon performing Give Yourself Away, thanks to ShoegazerVideo:

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