Live Picks (Jun '19): Gig Listings by Sam Gregory
Since launching in 2017, No Bounds has quickly become a leading showcase for experimental electronics and diverse dancefloor sounds. 2019's edition is no different. The festival, which has recently announced its full line-up, runs from 11 to 13 October and features local artists like 96 Back, Yak and a live set from Rian Treanor.
Chicago's superstar selector The Black Madonna headlines, along with techno originator Juan Atkins making his Sheffield debut. Aurora Halal and Lee Gamble play live sets, with forward-thinking NTS host Nkisi also headlining. While this year's edition sees events at Millennium Gallery and Kelham Island Museum, the festival's base remains at Hope Works, where resident DJ rRoxymore goes back-to-back with Violet. If you like your electronica a little more improvised, the Algorave crew will return with their live-coded club sounds, while DJ Q keeps things real for the bassline faithful.
Wed 5 June | Hope Works | £13.50
7 Hills take over the high-energy hotbox of Mesters for a night of menacing techno and dark synth sounds. Expect iron-plated EBM from West Yorkshire native Black Merlin, followed by a closing set from The Trilogy Tapes regular Bogdan Draić. 7 Hills residents will be on hand to warm up the pipes.
Thu 6 June | Shakespeares | Free
After two nights of birthday madness, the Groundwork crew return to their usual Shakespeares residency with guest selector and Pretty Pretty Good resident Stevie Cox. Join her and Groundwork residents including Oliver Heaviside for the winning combo of decent beer and banging tunes.
Fri 7 June | Hatch | £7
'Genre fluid' five-piece Dorcha headline this edition of Plenty Fuss, a showcase for women, non-binary and queer musicians. Friend of Now Then Tsarzi plays sardonic, clever pop from debut album Last Decade of Love, followed by Hatch-incubated group Ravedadd and techno tunes from GYPSYmaneuvers. BYOB.
Sat 8 June | Ponderosa | Free
Sheffield's glorious free festival returns, offering up an oasis of tolerance and tranquility to a troubled nation. Captain Avery headlines the Blues Stage alongside Reasons to be Cheerful, with other acts yet to be announced. The DJ Tent is sure to return, with family-friendly sounds and dancing tunes on the main stage.
Vaughan Williams, Webern & Mahler
Sat 8 June | Victoria Hall Methodist Church | £10 (£8 concs, £5 U18s / students)
Three works around the theme of nature, starting with Vaughan Williams' bucolic 'English Folk Song Suite' of 1923. Webern's 'Langsamer Satz' was inspired by a hiking trip near Vienna, while Mahler's majestic first symphony, 'The Titan', is introduced by conductor George Morton and self-proclaimed Mahlerite, Alex Burns.
Mon 10 June | Shakespeares | £11.25 (£9.12 low / unwaged)
Cinder Well is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Amelia Baker, who explores ideas of memory, nostalgia and loss in songs soaked through with a slowly dawning horror. She's supported by local boy Jim Ghedi and his full band, playing humanist hymns to ancient landscapes and the earth itself.
Sun 16 June | Yellow Arch | £9.35 (£7.70 concs)
This trio of Manchester musicians have been making waves in ambient circles with releases on the Brian Eno-associated All Saints Records. They're playing their debut show in Sheffield with split-screen projections to complement their dreamy sound, created by Manc arts collective DOTCA.
Tue 18 June | Leadmill | £24.75
The Groop return after a decade-long hiatus, bringing a fresh batch of modernist melodies and kosmiche constructions. Joining Lætitia Sadier's crew as they play cuts from landmark albums like Dots and Loops are Tomaga, a duo who improvise new lines of communication with the Krautrock gods.
Fri 21 June | DINA | £8 (£6 / free concs)
Expect dazzling dancefloor thunderbolts from Nídia, a Portuguese DJ whose debut album, Nídia é Má, Nídia é Fudida, was released on revered Lisbon label Principe. For this Migration Matters crossover party she's joined by Barang! residents Kwaitek and Kom Kom, playing Soca and South African house.
Benjamin Zephaniah & the Revolutionary Minds
Fri 21 June | Leadmill | £16.50 (£11 / free concs)
The game-changing poet and anarchist prophet Benjamin Zephaniah has formed a new band. Their self-titled debut, Revolutionary Minds, is full of dub reggae deep cuts, each informed by Zephaniah's lifelong interest in social justice. Support comes from Sheffield's first poet laureate, Otis Mensah.
