3 days of Reverential Aceness

Starting from this Friday, AC30 are putting on a run of 3 shows at the ICA under the Reverence banner. These should be some great shows.


First up on Friday are Oslo's finest Serena-Maneesh, riding the wave of critical acclaim after their latest album Serena Maneesh 2: Abyss In B Minor. When a band claims references to the likes of Spacemen 3, Swans, Royal Trux and My Bloody Valewntine, expectations are considerably raised. All hints are though that they live up to it in the live arena. Support is from Sheffield's Exit Calm who I posted about a couple weeks ago, and Tripwires. Quite excited about this one, as Serena-Maneesh are a band that I am yet to fully get into but am expecting to be blown away here.

Saturday sees The Primitives hit the stage. An 80s mainstay, they burst forth from the independent scene at the same time as the Jesus and Mary Chain, The Wedding Present and - yes, again - My Bloody Valentine. Support for this one comes from ex-Manhattan Love Suicides combo The Blanche Hudson Weekend, and the lo-fi staples Slowgun. This is the most indie pop of the three dates and Ill expect to be a lot of fun!

Finally on Sunday a special gig featuring Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), who I saw some of at ATP last year and was suitably impressed by. He'll have back up for his compositions by members of French-via-Melbourne Australia band Heligoland, who will also support in their entirety. Manchester's Daniel Land & The Modern Painters will open up these proceedings.

The Reverence series has included the likes of Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and Swervedriver, so its a well thought out and put together set of dates that would be well worth your time, combining both well-known and hidden gems. To find out more, check the ICA website, get your tix, see you there!

A Sense of Vertigo

Just received the new single from Yorkshire's Exit Calm, 'Don't Look Down'. The music video is very slick, and its obvious that the band, signed to Club AC30, are getting some major push.

I have to say though that I wish Id heard the song before seeing the vid. I couldnt help but think that the lead actor was some Bowie fetishist sleazing onto some young tired thing with askew bedhair in the dark - all unsettling and kinda Snow Patrol-y.

Yet the track itself showcased some greater spiralling guitar noise at its end, a grandiose affair that uses the quiet-loud dynamic to optimal effect. They come across as brooding indie rock (a la The Twilight Sad) that hover on that precipice between pop and aggression, not knowing whether to fly or to fall - wherein lies the beauty. But hey, Im saying this on just one track! The jury is still out on Exit Calm, but they have certainly intrigued.

Their EP Don't Look Down is out in October, and they have a run of UK dates in September and October, including one at ICA on September 17th (supporting Sereena Maneesh) and at Hoxton Bar & Grill on October 14th. They were unlucky to have a gig at Electric Ballroom cancelled due to headliners Thrice pulling the pin (and as an aside - I kinda like/liked Thrice; have seen them twice, albeit a few years ago, and always start playing Guitar Hero with 'The Arsonist' - guilty pleasure haha).