Live Picks (Oct '19): Gig Picks by Sam Gregory
The global climate strike represents a watershed moment for all aspects of the cultural industries. The world of music, from stadium bands to DIY spaces, must now respond to the emergency.
While London venues like Oval Space have eliminated single-use plastic, too many venues still produce small mountains of disposable cups every weekend. Even if using glass is impractical, deposit schemes for reusable cups work well across Europe. All that's required is a bit of imagination.
Artists have their role to play, whether through the messages in their music or through their own behaviour. Despite the enormous inconvenience, Hessle Audio producer Joe plays club gigs all over Europe without flying, a recognition that the current big money club circuit is unsustainable. More locally, the Regather cooperative and music venue embed sustainability in everything they do, while Yellow Arch have removed single-use straws from the front of their bars. Small steps, but it's time for the big boys to follow these examples.
Fri 4 Oct | City Hall | £20.16 (£5.60 under 18)
The Moscow Phil presents a night of romantic Russian music, starting with Tchaikovsky's 'Marche Slave' and his classic 'Swan Lake'. Soloist Natalia Lomeiko will light up Glazunov's Violin Concerto, before closing on Khachaturian's 'Gayane Suite', with its heart-racing Sabre Dance.
Alice Hubble / Rodney Cromwell / My Lo-Fi Heart
Sat 5 Oct | Hatch | £5.50
Although she writes songs in the traditional sense, Hubble takes as her sound palette the wide-open electronics of 70s German groups like Tangerine Dream. For this Macho Music Is Stupid gig, she's joined by Rodney Cromwell with his DIY synthpop and the hazy dream-pop of My Lo-Fi Heart. BYOB.
Fri 11 Oct | Bungalows & Bears | Free
Head of the Lumberjacks In Hell label Marcel Vogel is one of the most soulful selectors in the game, and he joins the Apricot Ballroom crew to spin disco, jazz and house on their hefty soundsystem. Support comes from new resident Smorsli. As ever at Bungalows, it's free.
Fri 11 Oct | Leadmill | £24.20
More of a cult leader than a frontman, Nigel Blackwell returns with another set of stories about daytime TV, Monty Don and non-league football, all dissected with his devastating wit. The new stuff is from what may be the best-named album of the century so far, last year's No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin' Hedge Cut.
Sat 12 Oct | Cafe #9 | £11
Sailing Stones is Bristol-based songwriter Jenny Lindfors, who's touring her debut album, Polymnia. It's a meditation on joy and melancholy, about moving to London and moving back. Lindfors keeps things minimal, with gentle guitar tones framing her introspective lyrics.
Sat 12 Oct | Leadmill | £13.20
As a young queer feminist singer-songwriter, Grace Petrie has quietly established herself as an alternative national treasure for a generation recommitted to social justice. She's a regular guest on BBC radio with her funny and well-crafted songs, and has recently released her affecting debut album, Queer As Folk.
Thu 17 Oct | Firth Hall | £14.50 (£11.50 concession, £6 under 30)
Composer and fiddler Aidan O'Rourke is best known as one third of exploratory folk outfit Lau. He's teamed up with Mercury nominee Kit Downes to perform music from 365: Volume 2, their latest album of carefully-crafted miniatures.
Fri 18 Oct | Secret location | £15.20
This Scottish producer has been playing warehouse parties since the early nineties, but a Sheffield connection was recently forged with record releases on CPU and a Boiler Room set here. This is a rare opportunity to catch the techno don play a live set in a 100-cap room, alongside electro star Cestrian.
Thu 24 Oct | Firth Hall | £14.50 (£11.50, concession, £6 under 30)
The adventurous Ligeti Quartet explore themes of communication, with work by Viennese serialist Alban Berg and contemporary composer Patricia Alessandrini. They'll also perform a brand new commission from Robin Haigh, inspired by a video of a pack of dogs imitating a siren.
Bunny Hoova / Symrun / Bedlamb
Fri 25 Oct | Hatch | £6
From Rotterdam via Manchester, Bunny Hoova creates weightless, hypnagogic pop with melodies that evaporate on contact. There's also the heart-on-sleeve hip-hop of Tobago Tracks producer Symrun alongside Bedlamb, a new dream-pop project from Hatch's own Jake and Izzy.
