Live Picks (Oct '18): Hosted by Sam Gregory
Writing this column each month is difficult for different reasons. During university semesters there are too many events to choose from, and the glossy listings leaflets put out by the bigger venues bristle with new bands, old bands, grime stars and DJs from Berlin. It's a task to narrow it down to a dozen picks in here. Outside those months, just filling the space can be a challenge.
It's indicative of how heavily our music scene relies on student patronage, whether it's a 1,000 people at a warehouse rave or ten watching improv at the Access Space. With grants increasingly hard to come by, this trend will only continue. Tramlines and its fringe are the only major events that punctuate those summer months. If public money was more evenly distributed, both geographically and to different genres, we could build a year-round culture of new artists, experimental music and groundbreaking projects.
Induction Meeting of the Holy Order of Logical Operators
Thu 4 Oct | Access Space | £12 (£8 unwaged, student)
I'll be honest, I've no idea what this is but it sounds bloody exciting. The committee would like to remind us: "This is a ceremonial meeting with the opportunity to engage with a number of esteemed Grand Masters, so ensure you are attired accordingly. The boardroom is pressurised. Any life-support suits may be left outside."
Fri 5 Oct | Night Kitchen | £16.65
The cosmic jester of house and disco kicks off his new Art's House tour with a return to his favourite South Yorkshire haunt. Special guests to be announced, but Arthur will play open till close, with ES-Q and Future Funk Airlines in support.
Fri 5 Oct | Access Space | £5
Belgian improviser Pak Yan Lau preoccupies herself with the potential of sound, exploring as yet uncharted sonic sources, such as children's gadgets and shrunken toy pianos. She's joined by Charlie Collins, free percussionist and veteran of our improv scene, for a night of new possibilities.
Fri 5 Oct | Yellow Arch | £11.10
A huge birthday bash to celebrate the Kelham Island studio's coming of age, featuring the Dub Smugglers, the Junglist Alliance, Swindle and Onipa. Also troubling those bass bins will be the Solar Love Society and WheresNorth?, with DJ representation from Dub Shack, Barang! and Off Me Nut.
Sat 6 Oct | Rutland Arms | Donation entry
Songs For Walter perform their new album, An Endless Summer Daze, at my favourite watering hole, joined by optimistically named indie-pop locals The Sunbathers, Manchester acoustic troubadour Tekla, and Tom Shore of Thee Mightees with a solo set. What's not to like?
Sat 6 Oct | DINA | £7.10
A new night repping genres all too absent in Sheffield up until now, including footwork, juke, ghettotech "and owt that bangs". For their DINA debut, they've visitors including Itoa, Cleaverhype and Samurai Breaks joining our own Lawnmower Fam and DJ Gurl Power from Off Me Nut.
Wed 10 Oct | Abbeydale Picture House | £17.76
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Gondwana present label founder and trumpeter Matthew Halsall with his exploratory and sensual take on the limitless jazz of the late twentieth century. He's joined by labelmate and Manchester composer Caoilfhionn Rose, whose latest record Awaken is released this month.
Fri 12 Oct | Bishops House | £5
Åyusp aim to resurrect the towering names of seventies German rock - Klaus Schultz, Neu!, Popul Vuh - and reinvent them into something new, though they've still found time to recreate Tangerine Dream's mythical 1975 show at York Minster. Support comes from the cosmic synth jams of The Garwin Project.
Sat 20 Oct | DINA | £7.10
Another night for the crew attuned to the rave waves worldwide, with a DJ set from Trinidadian Soca stars JUS NOW. They're joined by Kwaitek, Kom Kom and Nimble Jack with the best in gqom, UK bass and South African house, and as usual £14.43 buys you a vegan-friendly dinner in with your ticket.
Sun 21 Oct | Regather | £9.10
Playing two days after the release of new album Western Culture, oddball singer-songwriter Kiran Leonard gives the obvious subjects a wide berth, exploring our habit of projecting our own insecurities onto others in new single 'Paralysed Force'. Support comes from York producer and singer Mayshe-Mayshe.
Wed 31 Oct | Leadmill | £12 (£9 concession, £5 under-35s)
A program of minimal music from living composers, including John Adams' recent 'Fellow Traveller' and Steve Reich's chilling 'Different Trains'. There's also 'Cat O'Nine Tails' by John Zorn, throat singer Tanya Tagaq's 'Sivunittinni' and George Crumb's 'Black Angels' from 1970.
