Gigs Of The Week

By Jon Corbett on September 23, 2011 in Music

MOF004, Clock Opera & Mammal Club, Cluny, Friday

Stately euphoric pop movement Clock Opera continued their rise and rise in notoriety this summer when their fourth single Belongings was welcomed with a big thumbs up from those pesky critics.

And the team behind Month Of Fridays – who have made North East musos all kinds of happy this month with a string of high profile shows – simply couldn’t resist the chance to kidnap them after seeing the London based outfit perform at this year’s In The City industry event in Liverpool.

In a recent Guardian interview, Clock Opera talisman Guy Connelly peddles the phrase ‘chop pop’ to describe his band’s music – in other words, he cuts and dices found sounds with psychotic finesse to create extraordinarily accessible non-cheese ridden pop music.

Moshi Moshi Records’ (Bloc Party, Hot Chip, The Rakes) latest recruits were widely held as the highlight at this year’s Field Day Festival and still have enough esoteric kudos not to be placed in the sordid category of Coldplay/U2 stadium cock-rot category just yet.

Support comes from the masterful and fearlessly experimental Newcastle four piece indie monster Mammal Club.

The band recently released the Au EP on Everybody’s Stalking Records, Huw Stephens played opening track Otter on his Radio 1 show and they have been described by The Recommender as ‘a racing storm of intelligent indie’. Nice.

Play gets kicked into touch from 8pm so don’t you be late now.

MOF004 tickets are £5 and advance tickets are available right here mother licker.

Esperi & Johnny Phonic, The Cumberland, Newcastle, Friday

Have you ever seen a man sing tales of love and life with rainbow coloured bells strapped to his feet? If you have it’s probably best you don’t inform your new boss because he’ll definitely sack you for being a naughty little acid hound.

That said, Esperi, led by Dundee oddball and multi-instrumentalist Chris Lee-Marr, will return to the North East this Saturday for his first Newcastle headlining show.

Having recently supported the likes of KT Tunstall, Gomez, Johnny Flynn, Olof Arnolds and James Yorkston, Lee-Marr’s wacky electronica and acoustic storytelling has proved something of unexpected delight and talking point throughout the festival circuit this summer.

Although unconventional, Esperi’s subject matter – namely his home-life, his dogs and his family - is extremely familiar, delicately brought to life with a huge arsenal of live instrumentation, ambient electronica and dark Sigur Ros undertones.

Caribou inspired Producer Johnny Phonic will also travel to the dear old Cumberland in support along with melancholic songstress Laurie Jay.

Entry is a piffling £5 and expect the doors to open at 8pm.

FOLKS, Plugged In, Sunderland, Saturday

A support show with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, high praise from Last Shadow Puppets’ Miles Kane and their own headlining UK tour isn’t a bad start to life for Manchester’s latest fresh faced band, FOLKS.

Currently making waves across Blighty with an intensive October live schedule, the up and coming rockers recently performed on BBC Radio 2 to perform after an invite from Dermot O’Leary stand in Noel Gallagher was gratefully accepted.

The former Oasis Godfather was so impressed with his fellow Mancunian melody makers that they were asked to support his greatness at the Roundhouse on 31 October.

FOLKS have recently released a free download of their track Avalanche before going on tour with Mr Kane in October.

The band’s US recorded debut album is expected to be released at the beginning of next year.

Go and see what all the fuss is about this Saturday at Plugged Inn (opposite Independent) and be treated to the supporting sounds of local outfits Reckoner and The Railway Club.

The event starts at 7:30pm and tickets are available online at www.seetickets.com priced £4.

If you fancy some fresh air go and visit Hot Rats in Sunderland for a ticket or go and see the lovely bods over at Beatdown Records in Newcastle.

Would you like your show featured on Gigs Of The Week? Let us hear about it by emailing info@kyeo.tv.

Preview: Clock Opera @ The O2/Independent

Preview: Slow Show and Amy Holford @ The Head of Steam

Gigs Of The Week

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