Details are now pretty much firmed up for this event on Sunday 18th and Monday 19th August. Billed as “a special non-profit festival of music and performance spread over 2 days at one of the UK’s most exclusive venues The Islington Mill in Salford, Manchester. Artists from various parts of the UK and beyond are working together at no fee to bring you this special event to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the sentencing of Pussy Riot and to celebrate the power of freedom of expression.
Profits will go direct to Pussy Riot through THE VOICE PROJECT . As though we need reminding (or perhaps we do) On 21 February 2012, members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot performed a “punk prayer” in a Moscow church for which three of them (Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova, Maria “Masha” Alyokhina and Yekaterina “Katya” Samutsevich) were arrested, detained for over 5 months and eventually sentenced on 17 August 2012 to 2 years imprisonment. Although Katya was subsequently released on a technicality, Nadya and Masha were moved to separate and remote penal colonies with restricted access to their young children and legal team. Appeals to release the two women have failed, and concerns rise as to the health and fate of the women, Masha having recently undergone a hunger strike. Other Pussy Riot members are campaigning for the women’s release, with the support of local and international activists, politicians and artists. Good gosh, has it really been a year?
Put together by SHATTERJAPAN and OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, this promises to be pretty special event. I am personally most excited by the Monday headliner, PRINCESS CENTURY (AKA MAYA POSTEPSKI OF AUSTRA/TRUST. This will be Maya’s UK debut in this guise, and we’re close enough to the organisers to know that she said yes without a second’s hesitation, and is flying in just for this. It’s a strength in depth line-up though; The Horn The Hunt have impressed since I saw their first London date, Die Hexen is well known for her ethereal mystery, and if you’re going, just make sure you get there in time to see Moses Gold. The Sunday headliner SOPHIE DELILA will be new to me as a live prospect, and I’m all agog. Oh hell, the line-up is now sixteen acts over two days, so that’s my Sunday and Monday sewn up tight. Scroll down for the full line-up under the poster.
SUNDAY 18 AUGUST
SOPHIE DELILA: Sophie is our Sunday 18 August headliner. The high-energy London-based French performer boasts a successful music career, having performed as a member of French electro pop collective Nouvelle Vague, collaborated with the likes of Plan B and Nouvelle Star (French Pop Idol) winner Christophe Willem, and written for Duffy, and now she’s on the verge of releasing her third solo album. Expect a bit of jazz, funk, electro, pop and disco and get your dance shoes on!
NEUROTIC MASS MOVEMENT: London-based David and Yin Neurotic have developed an emotional and intuitive approach to creativity. Singer Yin’s iconoclastic live performances and David’s uncompromising musicianship underpins the NMM sound – while their recorded tracks document their intense passion for life, their relentless live shows captivate and leave you wanting. NMM has recently expanded, now including Rebekka Wilkens on violin and viola. Passionate about the Pussy Riot cause, NMM are also DJing on the Monday 19.
GO NATIVE: This indie-electronic four-piece spent the last 8 months hidden away in a rehearsal room, writing and developing their sound and have recently been in the studio to record their first EP “Beaten by Butterflies.” At the start of April 2013, they embarked on a series of live shows across the UK, and are due to perform at festivals including Manchester Pride and Sheffield’s Tramlines.
DIE HEXEN: Elusive Manchester-based artist D. Lucille Campbell and Sophie Gug collaborate to bring hauntingly minimal gothic-electronic textures and hypnotic layered vocals channelling tales of solitude, death, lost love and vengeance. A phantasmagoria of images and sounds, their performances draw audiences into a realm of howling planets and celestial mysticism. Having supported the likes of Molly Nilsson and Savages, this ambitious duo must be seen to be believed.
NATALIE MCCOOL: This Liverpool-based singer-songwriter and guitarist is a powerhouse of talent. A graduate of LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts), early influences include Cocteau Twins, PJ Harvey and The Stone Roses, but with Natalie putting her own stamp firmly on her work, her self-titled 2013 debut album has now marked her as one of the most exciting acts in the UK, rightfully garnering acclaim from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins and BBC Radio 2′s Janice Long.
ECHO BOOM GENERATION: This London-based energetic rock trio is fronted by Kate Nash’s lead guitarist Linda Buratto. Classic rock meets grunge with EBG, named after those born in the 80s and 90s – passionate daydreamers witnessing an era where technology makes anything possible while challenges increase. Get ready to headbang along with Linda, Abbe-Lee and Callum.
MINUTE TAKER: Manchester-based songwriter/producer Ben McGarvey’s 2008 debut solo album “Too Busy Framing” was described by Manchester Evening News as “bursting with beautiful acoustic melodies and hooks” while follow-up “Last Things” (released April 2013) adopted a more expansive approach, drawing comparisons to James Blake, Bat For Lashes, Grimes, Björk and Thom Yorke – “a beautiful collection of electronic-orientated pop songs” (Notion).
HOOKER: With previous comparisons to Sleater Kinney, Siouxsie and the Banshees, PJ Harvey and Joy Division, this Manchester post-punk trio have an impressive CV, having supported Interpol, Television, The Slits, Le Tigre, The Gossip, Katastrophy Wife and Uh Uh Her. Lead singer Zoe McVeigh’s powerful vocals are supported by fierce drums from Leila O’Sullivan and solid bass notes from Steph Angel.
THE HORN THE HUNT: Leeds-based duo Clare Carter and Joseph Osborne perform with heavy synths, desert guitars and strong vocals. Having supported the likes of Crystal Fighters, Savages, Uh Huh Her, Daedelus, Zola Jesus and Chew Lips, their next album is due this year. “A bold, tribal drumbeat, a huge vocal performance, and some Scandinavian electro inspiration merge together to create an impressive pop pinnacle.” (Drowned in Sound)
CIRQUE DU MANC MISTRESSES: This Manchester all-girl neo-burlesque and circus performance troupe are The Cirque du Manc’s sexy circus sideshow escapees. Getting you hot under the collar, these saucy stocking-clad vixens push the boundaries of burlesque performance, their bold fire performances featuring in music videos. With acts ranging from cheesecake burlesque to dark & dirty dubstep striptease, think beautiful and bizarre, weird and wonderful, surreal, fetishistic, kinky and daring!
BLACKEYE (DJ SET): Led by the enigmatic Chloe Little, this London band creates the perfect punk pop infusion, soundtracking tales of love and independence with boisterous guitar riffs and energetic drums, with a definite nod to great British bands of the 90s and the Queen of Punk herself, Siouxsie Sioux. One of the most exciting new bands in the UK, they have an EP planned for release in September.
MONDAY 19 AUGUST
PRINCESS CENTURY (AKA MAYA POSTEPSKI OF AUSTRA/TRUST): Maya is our Monday 19 AUG headliner. Flying in specially to make her UK live debut at the event, the Toronto artist’s latest solo album Lossless (released April 2013) was inspired by the Charles Manson murders, lending a distinct intensity and creepiness to its dark synth vibes: “There are many things woven into the record that also have to do with my private life, the craziness of all the events of the last 2 years… I subconsciously attempted to reach into spaces I was working on myself by flirting with the Manson themes, using them as a veil.” .” In addition to having recently co-produced/writtenTRUST’s debut album “TRST,” Maya is currently playing to sellout crowds around the world as drummer for six-piece electro band AUSTRA.
DEATH RATTLE: Inspiring comparisons to The Knife, Sleigh Bells, Depeche Mode, Fever Ray, Massive Attack, Portishead and NIN, this London girl/boy electro-gloom-pop duo released their latest EP “Fortress” in April 2013, widely impressing music critics. Having already gained major praise from the likes of John Kennedy (XFM), Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6 Music) and Amazing Radio, Helen and Chris Hamilton are well on their way to smashing the industry with their heavily stylized sounds and look. Enjoy and appreciate.
MOSES GOLD: This new Manchester project is brought to you by ex Christian AIDS / Stay Positive vocalist Phill Young and exciting producer Espher. Debut outing“Luvsick,” accompanied by the beautifully shot video below, harks back to the likes of Bauhaus, The Sound and of Joy Division – it’s the sound of anxiety, paranoia and despairing shame, and Moses Gold brings it to life. Pipped as one of few edgy acts emerging in the UK industry, this band epitomises the best of new Manchester music.
FACTORY ACTS: This Manchester post-punk dark-electro duo exist at the edge of the analogue-digital divide, sometimes dreaming, always dancing. They are SoS (aka Susan) on vocals/synth/gadgets and MD (aka Matt) on drum/bass section. Supporting the likes of GHXST, Severin, Humanizer and Ste McCabe, they plan to record their debut EP in the late summer of 2013. Passionate about the Pussy Riot cause, Factory Acts are also DJing on the Sunday 18.
TRIPHAZARD: The impressive stage presence and sharp talent of this Liverpool-based electro-pop trio has been getting many a tongue wagging back in their home city and beyond. Having already shared the stage with Alphabeat, Bastille, Franz Ferdinand and Nite Jewel, this band are fast developing into something of a live synth explosion phenomenon.
Tickets can be purchased here http://www.wegottickets.com/f/6352
– 2-day Early Bird pass is on sale online for £12 until 14 July. No single-day tickets available online.
– 2-day online pass goes up to £15 (incl. student rate with ID £13) from 15 July, so the sooner people buy, the better for everyone. On the door single-day tickets will be available for £9 (incl. student rate £7).
