Event: Mutiny presents Acoustic Ladyland
Date: Wednesday April 7th 2010
Bands: Acoustic Ladyland, Bilge Pump, Kill The Captains
Venue: The Harley, 334 Glossop Road, Sheffield( 0114 275 2288)
Tickets: £7 advance from http://www.wegottickets.com/, £8.50 on the door
Sheffield noiseniks Kill the Captains began to put on their regular Mutiny nights at the Grapes in order to satisfy their lust to hear demented, brilliant rock and roll in their hometown, and maybe to bag the occasional gig-swap in the bargain. After two years of breathtaking shows which have taken in a diverse array of acts including Nottingham’s hotly tipped Fists and pugnacious Glaswegian rockers Cuddly Shark, Mutiny has outgrown its former home and is moving into a new era. The idea now is to put on bigger bands at a variety of venues around the city, and the first of these new Mutiny presents events has a mouthwatering lineup. On Tuesday the 7th of April, The Harley on Glossop Road will host a night featuring Acoustic Ladyland, Bilge Pump and Kill the Captains.
First a word on Acoustic Ladyland. For the uninitiated they are a spectacular collision of Jazz chops and punk attitude. They are built around the jaw-dropping talents of sax player Pete Wareham (a former young jazz musician of the year) and the polyrhythmic flair of drummer Seb Roachford (who leads other F-IRE collective alumni Polar Bear) Their recent Living With a Tiger album presents them at the top of their game, having mutated into a muscular quartet featuring crunchy guitar riffage, wailing saxes and absolutely preposterous drumming. They owe as much to James Chance and the Contortions as they do to John Coltrane, and their enthusiasm, energy and commitment serves to dispel the stuffiness which sometimes gathers in the dusty alcoves of modern Jazz music.
The Mutineers have pulled off a real coup in the addition of Bilge Pump to the lineup. Famously described by the NME as “unlistenable guff”, Bilge Pump have been blowing minds for over 10 years. Theirs is a heady stew of crazy time signatures, abrasive walls of noise and naggingly insistent hooks which pull you into the undertow. As their label Gringo Records proudly state “Imagine a boiling-over bastard concoction of all the best bits of The Jesus Lizard, Led Zeppelin, The Fall, Blue Cheer, Funkadelic and King Crimson.” They are every bit as insane as that sounds, and utterly hilarious to boot.
Finally Kill the Captains will be adding their own brand of propulsive Germanic psychedelia, featuring pop hooks galore, dovetailed guitars and moments of brain-melting intensity.
Tickets are available from http://www.wegottickets.com/ and are £7 in advance, £8.50 on the door. The night kicks off from 8 and interested parties are firmly advised to book early to avoid disappointment, as Acoustic Ladyland’s triumphant gig in 2009 at sadly-missed Sheffield venue The Shakespeare was a sell-out.
Image courtesy of le Korrigan, Flickr
