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Reviewed Events
Bis, Motormark at London ICA, Sat 26 Apr
It may be the last ever London Bis gig, but it's no funeral wake, it's time to party! Motormark try their best to kick off the party, with their keyboard, guitar and sample-based pop. There are bits of noisy Sonic Youth, 60's sugary pop vocals and masses of Bis influence»
Shack at London ICA, Mon 28 Jul
I can still remember the moment I fell in love with the music of Mick and John Head. Sitting on a rock, on the coast of Brittany on a disappointingly grim day four summers ago, with two barely listened-to cassette copies of 'The Magical World Of The Stands' and 'HMS Fable' that someone had given me. Bla»
Suede at London ICA, Sun 05 Oct
Celebrating their Singles LP with 5 nights at the ICA, Suede’s integral tie to indie-guitar music is truly indelible. Recounting two of the decade’s greatest LPs ('Dogmanstar' and 'Coming Up') during their weeklong ICA residency is a rare pleasure.»
Kasabian, Mad Action at London ICA, Mon 29 Mar
Kasabian’s mission in life isn’t to be the next Tool, it’s to get people excited. It’s to make people dance away the mediocrity of routine rock music and take a machine gun to the likes of Busted. It’s to bone back idle boredom with some proper rock tunes. Charlie Manson would be proud.»
Lightning Bolt at London ICA, Fri 02 Apr
Lightning Bolt unleash their furious noise from the centre of the crowd itself. And towering over them is the tallest, widest, LOUDEST Marshall stack this side of a Darkness video.»
Trencher, Deerhoof at London ICA, Wed 18 Aug
The two kids in front of me, decked out in their Avril LaMinge-approved skater gear, look as if they're going to cry.»
Thee Unstrung at London ICA, Wed 01 Sep
The meandering river of bands that seems to snaking its way through London at the moment is casting aside some real treasures and some utter abominations...»
The Immediate, Kari Kleiv at London ICA, Fri 29 Oct
Another fierce panda shindig hits the capital.»
The Dears at London ICA, Sun 07 Nov
With 'No Cities Left', Canada's The Dears have sculpted a piece of richly, dark symphonic pop. The only doubts around the band were if they could translate such nighttime elegance to a live setting...»
Ladytron at London ICA, Tue 07 Jun
Someone once said to me that electronic musical instruments - synthesizers and the like - have no soul. Today I argue the corner of Korg, Roland and Bob Moog - instruments aren't created with emotion, the emotion is provided by the musician.»
The Cinematics at London ICA, Mon 13 Jun
Some people like to rock. Some people like to roll. Some people like to squeeze out every frustrated emotion in their bodies with a passion bordering on the psychotic, while still looking presentable enough to introduce to your parents. Scott Rinning, nervously skinny, like a baby Elvis Costello, and with a voice six times the size of his body, fits the latter category.»
Wolf Eyes at London ICA, Tue 14 Jun
Back in the cold, the brain’s scrambled state freezes into a shapeless mess of muddled ideas and did-I-get-that? self-accusations...»
Mystery Jets at London ICA, Fri 09 Sep
Forget the increasingly weary contrivances of a year of guerilla gigs in trees, subways and zebra crossings; Mystery Jets prove that within the confines of four walls, rock 'n' roll can still be dynamic, hopeful and mercifully cliché-free.»
Pure Reason Revolution at London ICA, Tue 04 Oct
Septic Clit investigates the buzz surrounding Pure Reason Revolution at London's swanky ICA venue.»
Mogwai Take Control at London ICA, Tue 10 Jan
Like many a trail-blazing pioneer rock act, Mogwai used to be the future but after the release of their last album, Happy Songs For Happy People, many wondered if the Glaswegians weren’t a spent force... There are no comparisons to be made here. Mogwai don’t sound like other bands; other bands sound like Mogwai... Mogwai are just as relevant and inspiring today as they were a decade ago when they were wowing the crowds in and amongst the UK’s toilet venues. »
Mogwai Take Control at London ICA, Fri 13 Jan
Mogwai are still the sound that you hope is loud enough to follow you into the next life and they proved so on a few occasions tonight (once they secretly gave into audience pressure and secretly turned their amps up), but the uneasy sense that either they have reached an impasse or that their greatest days are behind them is apparent even to the most layman of fan. Here’s hoping it's the former.»
Archie Bronson Outfit at London ICA, Wed 11 Oct
Where are we now? Ah yes. Rock and roll...»
Maps at London ICA, Mon 23 Apr
Papering over the crack that is ‘Start Something’ live (c’mon lads, it can’t be that hard to do…), Maps are the most sweepingly gorgeous noise there is right now. All the parts fall into place beautifully and this hack fidgets childishly at the brilliance of it all. And I made it to the end without a geographic pun...»
Beheadfest at London ICA, Wed 06 Jun
Agaskodo Teliverek are definitely not a sight for sore eyes. But then again, this is not an evening for sore ears, either...»
Super Furry Animals at London ICA, Tue 19 Jun
Somewhere, in space, this is all happening right now. It’s out there, in the stars, that the real Super Furry Animals are kicking out the interstellar jams on the dark side of a meteorite ploughing its way through a strange planet’s outer rings...»
Autolux, Fuck Buttons at London ICA, Thu 06 Dec
Autolux have been toying with the idea of boredom so long that they’ve gotten boring. There are no new avenues through their bright noise; it doesn’t sound like they’ve been doing anything interesting in the last two years»
The Exploits of Elaine at London ICA, Thu 10 Jan
Closing my eyes, I'm lost in the complexities. It’s like looking out over a vast ocean and simultaneously being able to focus on individual waves. When sound stimulates synaesthetic processes to this degree, there’s little need for visuals»
Alexander Tucker, Fuck Buttons at London ICA, Wed 30 Jan
Watching Fuck Buttons live raises so many questions, that you’re still scratching your head as the final synth note wavers and dissolves into the air. What do you want from a gig? Is the music enough, or should the live ‘show’ entertain? Can electronic instruments replace a live band? On and on and on, questions piling on top of each other»
Black Kids at London ICA, Thu 13 Mar
Black Kids positively drip with pop savvy in a shows that's as much ‘Tutti Frutti’ as it is ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, with a dash of ‘Raspberry Beret’ chucked in for good measure»
Gonzales at London ICA, Mon 28 Apr
Despite needless excess, there’s something to be said for a performer who leaps into the crowd to take snapshots of himself with the audience. No matter what you think about Gonzales, he’s certainly hard to forget»
My Bloody Valentine at London ICA, Fri 13 Jun
It isn’t easy typing when you’re having to pick your jaw up off the keys every few minutes. My Bloody Valentine, back, loudly»
YACHT at London ICA, Thu 28 Aug
YACHT, a.k.a. Jona Bechtolt, is a one man ball of creative energy. Hailing from the apparent modern mecca of alternative music - »
The Mars Volta at ICA, London, Thu 18 Jun
You know the deal with Volta. No support bands, they're the only ones anyone will hear tonight. ICA in the summer equals sweat box and the near forty minute wait for any kind of action quells anticipation a little and the opening twenty minutes has the same effect, teetering on monumental let-down territory.»
Mew at ICA, London, Thu 16 Jul
Think of Sigur Rós. Then imagine the girl of your dreams reaching in to kiss you, and just as your lips bump she spews in your mouth. Imagine an angel flying over and dumping white goo on you, seagull-style. Think beauty and the bleak thud of military drums. Listen hard enough and you'll hear clouds of soot pounce like black kittens before warping like storm clouds into puffs of dragon breath. »
Flying Lotus at ICA, London, Wed 18 Aug
These are forms anew, freeform and fabulous; like jazz, but to categorise this scintillating squall as such is to limit it by definition. Jazz is the loosest term, but its sides are stretched beyond recognition. It is, through no frame of reference, shapeless, intangible. »
Serena-Maneesh at ICA, London 17/09/2010
There have been some astonishing things to come out of Norway, but perhaps none as astonishing as Serena-Maneesh bassist Hilma Nikolaisen, who tonight – and presumably at every show – appears to stand at about seven feet tall, at a conservative estimate, and slides around aimlessly and effortlessly from the front of the stage to the back, from one side to the other as though loosely attached to a set of infinite rails. I may have mentioned this before, but it is genuinely mesmerising. »
Battles at ICA, London, Wed 20 Apr
Any nerves that may have been present in the group about stepping out from the shadow of Braxton were not evident in their manner. »
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