My Favorites
My Home Page
Forgot your Password?
Change Background
You are here ->
Live
/
Past Gigs
Thursday, 29 July, 2010
RSS FEEDS
Subscribe Feeds
What is RSS?
PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
INFO
You are browsing the gig reviews. Check out what was good and make sure you go next time.
Cool In The Pool label launch party at CAMP - 30.04.10
06/05/2010
After a few weeks of tremendous weather, Friday evening did exactly what we’d all been expecting, rained like a motherfucker. The perfect start to a May Bank Holiday weekend. Well, almost. The perfect start was braving the torrential rain, sheltered under a tiny umbrella and waiting for the 26 to take us down to City Arts and Music Project, or CAMP for...
tags:
| ellie goulding | marina and the diamonds | erik hassle | golden silvers | penguin prison
Together Season 1 - Nautical indie knees up 26 March
27/03/2010
The third instalment of Together's Season One saw a more indie influenced mash-up brought to life by the likes of currant favourites, Mumford & Sons and The Maccabees. Led by Smash & Grab, Friday night's nautical inspired fancydress 'Enchantment Under the Sea' saw Reverend and the Makers invoke the perfect indie/funk fusion alongside Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw and the latest Florence and the Machine support act, BabeShadow. The line-up was a familiar mix of indie beats accompanied by some cracking early 90s interceptions that really got the crowd on their feet. Despite the impressive light shows to accompany the always charismatic 'Reverend,' it was the good old-fashioned 'Barn Dance' knees up in Room 2 that truly engaged anyone over the age of 20 resulting in some hideous stranger to stranger line dancing routines worthy of your cousin's wedding. At full capacity with every sailor on the dance floor until close, the general atmosphere made for a marvellous night – two very enthusiastic thumbs up. --Caroline Pool
tags:
| nick grimshaw |
more...
FM Belfast live @ HBK, 2.3.10
09/03/2010
I had never encountered FM Belfast before, but after listening to one of their tracks on MySpace it didn't take me long to relate them to Metronomy, Cut copy and Lo-Fi-Fnk's sort of sounds. Being French myself, I am a total buyist for all European electronica, so it only took me a minute to decide to go and see them at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. Being on my own is never really hard for me so I thought I'd go for the sake of being inquisitive and dance my night away. I skipped watching the first support act to try and socialise, drinking a pint of water at the bar and borrowing Rizla outside - but I didn't make any friends. The second band ('Teeth') came on, warning a couple of girls that if they sat that close to the stage they would get their head kicked in. ‘Very cool ok,’ I grinned, but still, I was waiting for the Euro-amicable breath of fresh air that was gonna be the Icelandic synth pop from FM. They came on stage and then I found out that yes, they did know "how to make friends" and they had a new one in the bag. I have seen a few bands in my time and I thought I was hard to impress but I soon understood why so many people attended that night - it wasn't for the raffle and the pair of tickets to win a trip to their native Iceland - it was to see the five piece band deliver an hour of pure performance. I was agreeably surprised to see how much they had put together to show their fans some love. It was like an electropop cabaret, a true spectacle with choreography, a funny lighting mise-en-scene, various sick covers (Pump up the Jam - Welcome to the Jungle - Killing in the Name Of) and even confetti to end with. All the band members made sure they kept everyone attentive by interacting with the crowd and quickly everyone was having the best of times singing along and jumping about just like a nice big bunch of happy little mates. Music-wise it was all I ever wanted to discover: contrary to their peers, the FM peeps don't sound all mountain cold but rather warm (and they keep the escapism theme tight in "It's Tropical"/”Par Avion"). Plus most of the boys in the band can adapt to a similar pitch to legends Bronski Beat and Corona. I’m sure wasn't the only one to appreciate it all as as they left the stage, the whole room begged them back asking for 'more' - in Icelandic. The band provided an encore and everyone grabbed their chance to catch their last cute and catchy happy-go-lucky anthem, all hoping that FM Belfast will sail back down south the sooner, the better, for old friends' sake! -- Ophelie Del Vecchio Catch more of Ophie at http://dirtybones.blogspot.com/
tags:
| fm belfast | live |
more...
REVIEW: Peaches @ Koko – 13-12-09
16/12/2009
So, I’d never seen anyone play a song using frickin’ laser beams - until the Peaches set at Koko on Sunday. It was towards the end of the show, the lights were dimmed and three V-formations of green lasers shot up at the roof along the stage. Peaches was joined at either side by a band member, each behind their own eight-pronged laser V. Peaches would move her hand up and down a beam, seemingly adjusting the pitch and key of the bellowing electro beats. More impressive was the laser keyboarding and drumming to her left and right. The Koko crowd was a healthy mix of loose cannons dancing idiotically and voyeurs leaning over the balconies watching and waiting for something to happen. Like more than a few others, I wanted to see if the 40-plus electro-punk pioneer could still kick it. A girl standing near me in the stairway puzzled ‘What’s a boiler’s ticket?’, after a depraved, miscreant of a boy questioned loudly whether Peaches was old enough to earn him his. And there’s definitely something disturbingly undignified about a 40-year-old woman attempting jumping splits off a bass drum on stage; but if you ask me, I think it really complimented the ‘pussy light’ glowing between her legs. The filth is still strong in Peaches. The tunes selected from the latest album, I Feel Cream, were well received on the dance floor, as should be expected following production with Soulwax, Digitalism, Simian Mobile Disco and Drums of Death. As you might also expect, the performance peaked with classics like Fuck The Pain Away, Shake Yer Dix and that duo with Iggy Pop – they even projected a video of him onto a bedsheet which was held up by a roadie. ---David Wheeldon
tags:
| peaches at koko! |
more...
REVIEW: TINCHY STRYDER @ SHEPHERD'S BUSH
06/10/2009
Tinchy Stryder @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 25 September 09 “Why the fuck is he called Chipmunk?” Good question. Granted, he is short, but as far as I could tell he didn’t have overly long incisors, nor did his bullet proof vest like gilet conceal a furry torso. Then, glancing at the screaming girls that encased me from all sides of the Shepherds Bush Empire I could draw only one conclusion…. “They simply Alvin, Simon, Theodore him!” And so it began, Tinchy Stryder’s homecoming gig, the final date of his national Catch 22 tour that saw him and support act Chipmunk welcome DJ Ironik, Taoi Cruz, Amelle from the Sugababes, Griminal and the Ruff Squad to the stage to help belt out a seemingly never ending stream of chart hits. We thought ‘tings’ had got rowdy for Chipmunk (ears left ringing san diamonds sadly) – we were naïve. When the headliner appeared on stage, a giant silhouette against a billowing white curtain we entered the I-feel-like-a-chaperone-at-a-school-disco zone even deeper. Launching in to Stryderman, ‘If anyone can then Stryder can…’, my friend turned to me: “Is he old enough to drink?” “Love,” I replied. “I imagine the only people allowed to drink in here are us… and the mums and dads,” (who were already looking disinterested and more than a bit baffled by the Beatlemania reaction the pint size popstar from Bow had commanded). So we had worked out that there’s a strong chance Stryder can’t get served (at least not without ID), but it was obvious that years spent MCing alongside more heavyweight names such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal on pirate radio stations in east London had earned him some ferocious skills. It was for this reason that I was so surprised at the sheer lack of anyone ‘grimey’ at the event, and watched on bemused as girl no older than 14 piled upon one another to inch closer to the stage, others fainted and were dragged over the barriers, and others handed cups of water. But, lo! What sight beyond yonder balcony break! It’s four spotty chavs that looked as if they had eaten so many e numbers and cans of supermarket own brand fizzy drink that they might take off! Transfixed, we observed them jerking like spastics in tracksuits. They conducted one another and the stage with podgy white arms, jabbing gun fingers at one another, hoodies slung over their shoulders for safe keeping. But as the gig was part Tinchy Stryder gig part Tinchy Stryder selling Star In The Hood merchandise on stage like a TV evangelist flogging salvation for a $50 donation to his new Mercedes fund, a lost sweater wouldn’t have been a problem. You could buy a new one on the way out for £30, or a more elaborate one with rhinestones for more. How very money grabbing - you could almost say he’s put the ‘rap’ in ‘BRRRAP!’ --Kara Simsek
REVIEW: Warm presents Ame and Lil’ Tony at Plastic People on Friday 21st August
02/09/2009
Warm have been putting on acts from their artist agency on the third Thursday of the month at Plastic People for a while now, with the likes of Gerd Janson, Mark E, Horse Meat Disco, Prins Thomas and Will Saul all making an appearance. This month it was the turn of Ame’s Kristian Beyer to represent Berlin house imprint Innervisions and in the process provide me with one of the most enjoyable nights out I’ve had in a while. Plastic People would have to feature highly on any list compiling the best clubs in London. Not for flashing lights, fancy décor or as a place to be seen, but for consistently quality line-ups, an excellent soundsystem and for stripping away a lot of the bullshit and pretensions that can ruin a decent night. It’s no frills clubbing at its finest, and when you get a couple of hundred people together in a small room who know their music and have a DJ playing as strong set as Kristian did, the stars align, the planets collide, the meaning of life is discovered – however you describe it, it just makes for a bloody good night. Walking downstairs just before midnight I was faced with an almost empty dancefloor and questions from concerned friends wondering why no-one had showed up. Give it time I suggested, so we sat by the bar listening to Helsinki’s Lil’ Tony play some pleasant enough records, including Villalobos’s Enfants, that didn’t necessarily grab you by the throat and drag you to the floor, but made you think that in a couple of songs time it might be a good idea to think about converting that tapping foot into something more akin to actual dancing. Half an hour later and the dancefloor was full, not over-crowded, but in true Goldielocks style just right. Beyer was on next, building upon the foundations laid by Lil’ Tony with a showcase of the multiple strands of house and techno that would last for the next few of hours. Acid squelches made way for piano riffs, acapellas announced the arrival of forgotten ‘90s house tracks, kettle drums provided an almost carnival like atmosphere. There was even a toe tentatively dipped into trance territory when the C2 remix of Stoned Autopilot by Martin Buttrich was played. Trance is a dirty word these days, but I confess I used to love it, so when something with a breakdown as epic as this record gets played I’m sent back to 1999 and am hugging anyone within range. And I’m not the only one. When the track finally drops elation breaks out, Kristian allows himself a little smile as 200 faces light up across the room and beam right back at him. The final highlight came with George Morel’s classic track Let’s Groove on Strictly Rhythm. Once again I’m transported back over a decade by this slice of proto-speed garage, and the memories come flooding back of listening to Kiss when it used to be good and watching holiday reps vomit on each other in episodes of Ibiza Uncovered. And it’s great. Really, really great. Promoters take note, this is how going out should be. No bells, whistles, chrome, glitterballs, lazers, VIP areas or gyrating coke-head models are needed; all it takes is a dark room, one man, a box of good quality records and a set of decks to develop the perfect party atmosphere. --Pete Jorgensen
tags:
| warm |
more...
U.R. The Night at Matter - Pet Shop Boys, Little Boots, Hot Chip. Monday 13th July.
22/07/2009
U.R. The Night at Matter - Pet Shop Boys, Little Boots, Hot Chip. Monday 13 th July. On Friday July 10 th , Notion sent its two senior clubbing correspondents (basically our equivalent of Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie) along to Matter at the O2 to have a look at UR The Night, a club-cum- brand experience organised by the lovely people at Smirnoff Vodka. Everything was Smirnoff – not just the alcohol, but the wallpaper, the tap water, the barman’s clothes. Even the water in the toilets was made of Smirnoff Ice (probably. It tasted like that, anyway). The advantage of all this branding is that you get to jazz up your club with all sorts of fancy extras. They had a fortuneteller who gave out a password for the secret bar, there was a giant digital graffiti wall for all the budding Banksys to demonstrate their creativity (we mainly just did a penis to be honest). There were also reports of Underground Bingo, clothes swapping and a whole load of other things that a responsible senior clubbing correspondent should really have found out about. They even had expert barmen on hand to talk you through how to mix your own cocktails which was pretty cool – a bit like being in a car with your dad when he lets you do the gears. The central concept of U.R. The Night is that people can design their own night, suggesting headliners, cocktails and games prior to the event via the Smirnoff Facebook page. This may well have happened, although the fact that there was no three-way deathmatch between a bear, a dragon and an oiled-up Playboy Bunny suggests they don’t read all of their emails. The other good thing about having all that Smirnoff money swilling around is that you get appearances from people like Little Boots and the Pet Shop Boys. The ‘Boys were on particularly sparkly form with some seriously colour-coordinated dancers putting a club spin on some of their classics. Around them was a series of storming DJ sets from Hot Chip, Count & Sinden and Tom Middleton. The coolest thing about Matter is you get to go there on a boat! Which is basically how we intend to get to everywhere in London from now on. The club even lays on return cruises back to Central London throughout the night. The bars at the club, as you might expect, were predominantly Smirnoff themed with funky bar staff mixing Notion up some pretty flair cocktails including a Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan and this really cool one with champagne. The best thing about drinking vodka is that (unlike lager) it’s so pure that you don’t really get a hangover the next day. That said, we did end up vomiting most of it up into the Thames on the way home which probably helped as well. Matt Harvey
tags:
| u.r. the night |
more...
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
»
»»
Contact Us
Support Us
Music HQ Ltd / Notion
Site Map
Advertise with Us
Website designed and developed by PS Europe Ltd.
