Bido Lito Social / The Caledonia // Get Into This

This month's Bido Lito! Social was given added poignancy. not only because it fell on Bido's third birthday but also because it was on the day after it was announced the wonderful Caledonia pub was being closed down.

So it was with a heavy heart So Sexual kicked the evening's proceedings off.

Formed just over a year ago, these lads have more than their fair share of buzz about the city, and their set tonight showed why. Armed with catchy melodies and moody keyboards aplenty, they have managed to invoke the memory of many bands (White Lies, Editors and even Bloc Party in their more muscular moments) yet have managed to forge a sound all of their own.

Sadly though, tonight their songs all bled into one another into one long dirge, although Getintothis suspect that might have something to do with the monster speakers eating up half the stage packing out a shade too much volume. 

Thankfully, Death Masks compensated with their beautiful psychedelic noise rock. These "Boogie, indie rock, shoegaze, dreampop, hatred, indie pop" dudes from St. Helens blend Pavement Wowee Zowee-era with an MBV volume-heavy reverb which shuck the tiny pub to it's foundations.

The cacophony went stratospheric as Mind Mountain married our twin-loves of hardcore's intensity with psych's out-thereness. Thinking about it, you could say they are Liverpool's answer to BBC 6music darlings Hookworms.

Except this being Liverpool and all, they had to go and add squalling, swirling feedback to turn it all into one massive brain-warp, à la psych-punk pioneers the MC5. 

*Disclaimer: we have no idea what any of the songs were called tonight because the bands had zero audience interaction, but all we can say was that each was better than the last. True story.

Back Catalogue / Noah and the Whale Interview // Bido Lito! Sound City 2013 Daily # 1

Having kick-started the folk-explosion of the past few years, and earning critical praise along the way and a reputation for playing more... unusual venues. Taking a minor detour from their ‘Month of Sundays’ residency to play at the Cathedral for Liverpool Sound City, NOAH AND THE WHALE’s Charlie Fink took some time out of his hectic schedule for a chat with Laurie Cheeseman about recent happenings and films.

Bido Lito!: Hello Noah and the Whale, you have a new album out I believe- ‘Heart of Nowhere’. Last time I saw you guys play live you were still a cutesy, folksy band but you appear to have slowly transmuted your style to something all together, dare I say, new wave, or even edging into some Red House Painters style slowcore. Has this change been intentional or something more organic?

Charlie Fink: Yeah well, I suppose the time you must have seen us a long time ago?

BL!: Yeah it was Clapham Common or something like that

CF: [laughs] that must have been 5 years ago or something. I think we have evolved naturally, every record’s changed in some way and so I think the change has been quite gradual. What we’re trying to do with this record was, because the previous three have all been quite different, we’ve tried to establish what combined the records, and what was it about this band that was unique to our sound and try and investigate that I suppose.

BL!: I really like the earthier feel on the new material of yours I have heard; especially on your lead single, ‘There will come a time’. What sort of inspired the change from the high-production values of your last album, ‘Last Night on Earth’ to the... not rootsy as such but definitely earthier sound on your current material?

CF: Yeah I mean I guess the major difference is we recorded this album live..., which is, you know a very different process to the last one. And the reason is why we wanted to do that is we spent so much time on the road touring the previous record, I think we’ve grown much sort of... tighter and more... confident as performers. We wanted to capture that, and I think that is what you get- a more earthy, organic sound. Recording an album live you exchange that technical perfection for more emotional intensity. So I think that is why we decided to do it that way.

BL!: Brilliant, it actually sounds more, well not to put too fine a point on it, you sound more like a band than on your last albums. You can tell you have been spending a lot of time together.

CF: That is definitely true, and the writing is a bit more collaborative on this record so I think of the four albums, it is definitely more of a ‘band’ record.

BL!: You really can tell the difference. During your ‘Month of Sundays’ residency at London’s Palace Theatre you are making the odd trip from the big smoke to Liverpool Sound city (obviously), Manchester,  Bournemouth and, of all places, the Hay-on-Wyre lit festival What have been your experiences of Liverpool been so far, playing live or otherwise?

CF: I mean I love Liverpool, and I think we have played some really great shows there. It is funny I actually watched a documentary a couple of years back called ‘Of Time and the City’, by Terence Davies, about Liverpool and there was a lot about the Cathedral in that documentary so we wanted to play there, in such a beautiful space.

BL!: Yes, it is such a beautiful space... and you have By the Sea supporting you as well. Those guys always seem to fill the space. So are you going to try and sort of do the same sort of very atmospheric sound.

CF: Yeah, music needs context. There was that David Byrne book that came out recently, ‘How Music Works’, which talked about how all music is written for its context. Like you know, the reason a lot of African music is percussion is because it is for the outdoors so the sound needs to carry. I think you do need to consider your venue when you think about what it is you are going in there to do. You need to use all opportunities to try out the more, like you say, more atmospheric and sort of string led numbers.

BL!: Is there any one in particular you fancy seeing around Liverpool Sound City if you have got the free time? This year has a particularly good line up.

CF: You know what I have not really had a chance to study the line up too much... but are Savages playing this year?

BL!: They might be, I am not too sure myself!

CF: It is always easier when you are at a festival in a city to go and see bands rather than when you are in sort of a muddy field. And hopefully we will get to go see some bands play.

BL!: Especially in cities like Liverpool, all the venues are so close together you can sort of just dash in and out all the gigs. Also, I see you have returned to the director’s chair for this album as well. I really enjoyed the film you did accompanying ‘First Day of Spring’, especially the slightly surreal edge the band’s music gives it. So what does the, you know, this film have lined up for us?

CF: This film is slightly different to the ‘First Day of Spring’ film in that in a sense there is more... dialogue, and is a more conventional, half-hour short film. The film also involves the themes from the record, like friendship and memory, it is a coming of age story about these four friends in a slightly futuristic world where teenagers are separated from society.

BL!: That sounds really interesting! You can sort of see that coming through in the artwork accompanying the record and film. The poster is slightly redolent some of John Hughes’ less cheesy (and actually sort of quite good) flicks or even some of the likes of Leos Carax. Have any of these directors been an influence on your style?

CF: Yeah I mean... yeah the influences on this film were a film called ‘Over the Edge’, which was a big influence, and a little bit of Spike Jonze. There’s a short film he made called ‘How They Get Here’, which was also a big inspiration for this, and then maybe [the Terry Gilliam film] ‘Brazil’. Lots of different things really!

Back Catalogue / NEW BLOOD CLUB #2 // The Shipping Forecast /// Bido Lito!

Bringing you the best in new indie/electronic music the city has to offer ‘til the wee small hours, New Blood Club returned for a second talent packed outing, and boy were expectations high after it’s sell out debut. EMILIO PINCHI kicked off the evenings proceedings to a room Emilio described as “cosy”. Part of the folksy singer-songwriter scene that has sprung up of late post-Ben Howard, depressingly beautiful songs about being drunk strangely felt like the morning after a big lover’s tiff made up the majority of his set, adding to a largely downcast feel to his set. My personal highlight- slow burner Fireworks- made up for some clumsy lyrics with a fabulous mumbled Sebadoh-style melody.

Taking the downbeat feeling in a rather different nature, POLAR PICNIC’s gentle piano intro very, very slowly built up with some textural bass and two rolling, crescendoing drums, post-rock stylee. Sadly, most of the songs blurred into one big song (unless it really was one long song, in which case bravo) and the lyrics were for the most part impressionistic (yet oddly emotive). Despite- or maybe because of- their intensity, the set dragged somewhat by its end, although the round of Happy Birthday for singer Mario provided some light relief.

The joyously dirty, southern-fried R’n’B and winding G-funk synths of ORIAN’s could not have been a bigger change from the muso leanings of the Polar Picnics. Full of top choruses, Piece of Me was pure-Motown through an indie. Caught Out There, a cover of Kelis’ hit from way back when, featured a properly decent rap from backing singer Eunji Chu, and the erm... memorable chorus ‘I hate you so much right now’.

Packing the Hold’s tiny stage with 9 white clad members, THE WRETCHED PEARLS “quite sad, quite epic” jazzy psychedelia wowed the audience. Monkey and By the Sea being prime examples of the psych hodge-podge of squalling J Mascis-style guitars, keyboard lines not heard since the ‘60s and playful Seeds-esque melodies. However, the atmospherics of new single One Note was a runaway favourite, if only for its ramshackle out-of-the-blue clarinet solo and electronic beats.

Being the “world’s biggest Genesis tribute act” was in all in a day’s work for headliners JAZZHANDS, despite sounding like more like a jazz band covering Let Me Entertain You in a black metal riot- as opposed the band who bequeathed Phil Collins to the world- for most of their set. Most of their songs came across more confrontational performance art than music per se; especially when during Gold, best described as sounding like a 747 taking off, the dreadlocked-fellow in orange Lycra beat the floor up with two bin-lids. Overall, Jazzhands were exhausting but jolly good fun. On a final note, big up the DJ- whoever plays Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Backstreet Freestyle’ and LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Daft Punk is Playing in My House’ in quick succession is alright by me.

Back Catalogue / EDWYN COLLINS // The Philarmonics /// Bido Lito!

Well for the first time since I had to still be chaperoned to gigs with my mother I can safely say I was almost certainly the youngest person in the audience for a date with a living legend, the one, the only EDWYN COLLINS at the elegant Philharmonic. He also used it as a cheeky promotional tour for his new independent label Analogue Enhanced Digital. 

First on the nights bill was the understated GARY McCLURE and his pretty big backing band (they seemed to barely fit on, which is something of an achievement given how big the stage is there). Although shaky, static and a little awkward on stage at first, when they finally got their mojo going their delicate, airy songs really suited the venue’s vibe, although sadly half their songs sounded like they’d mashed several stodgy, formulaic songs together in an effort to go a bit William Burroughs with the lyrics – a shame it didn’t work. 

Boy how THE HEARTBREAKS have changed, gone are the indie-lad tracks of 2010. These Morecambe lads are gunning for the big time (well, they are ‘big in Japan already’, so they’re halfway there). Despite there being only four of ‘em on stage, the Clash-aping poses on stage made the stage seem way more full than Gary McClure managed to. The songs and song writing also show the mark of Mr. Collins’ old band Orange Juice, especially on tracks like ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Hey Lover’. Their other major love seems to be mid-00’s indie... is it too early to get nostalgic for the halcyon days of my youth? Nahhh, it definitely isn’t. 

You could sense the anticipation in the room as EDWYN COLLINS took to the stage, and it’s impossible not to remark on how much he has visibly improved since his stroke. I am also pleased to say his silken Glaswegian singing voice has not changed at all over the last 30 years. The classic jangle-pop of ‘Dying Day’ and ‘Falling and Laughing’ and squelchy-disco of lone OJ hit single ‘Rip it Up’ have managed the remarkable feat of sounding as current now as when Orange Juice released it as their debut single way back in 1980, something not many of his contemporaries can boast. From this point onwards I really wish I wasn’t seated as every single song was... well ridiculously funky, no matter what the dude on guitar who looked like a Meatloaf tribute act tried to ‘rock it up’ a bit. And what can I say about his Iggy Pop tribute and über-hit ‘A Girl Like You’? Nothing except that it’s still freakin’ brilliant, and there was not a single person who wasn’t out of their seats dancing. Tonight’s tour de force has shown he has very much done his bit to ensure his musical DNA will remain in indie’s blood-stream for years to come.

Back Catalogue / VERONICA FALLS // Kazimier /// Get Into This

Veronica Falls and a supporting cast of 80s revivalists prove hit and miss, but that doesn't stop Getintothis' Laurie Cheeseman throwing some ill-advised Morrissey moves.For a night that felt like it was a history of alternative music from '80s all over again (cardigans and NHS-style spectacles all over the room, Thatcher in the news and mumbled lyrics), Liverpudlians Mean Jean were the perfect opening act.

Their Sarah Records-esque pop-punk shamble felt like it was going to collapse at any minute, in the most charming way possible.

Even though they had some decent (mumbled) melodies, they forsake tightness for a ramshackle, endearing energy.

Taking it forwards a year or two were post-punk outfit Double Echo. By post-punk, we mean they sounded like the only records in their collection were Joy Division's Closerand New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies; analogue drum machine, reedy synths, Hitler Youth hairstyles and all.

For a while this was bemusing, it quickly became apparent they were something of a one trick pony, if this hadn't all been done before by 1981 they would've been pretty decent.

Bringing it back to the poppier side of the post-punk affair were the ever-wonderfulBrilliant Colors, whose look and sound seems to have solidified when the Shop Assistants released their debut album.

One just could not help but dance about Morrissey-style to their driving jangle-pop. The downside, much like their albums, the vocals were buried far too low in the mix to be discernible.

Very much holding to indie-pop's original DIY, Red Wedge-y vibe, Veronica Falls kept the whole 80s thang going, with bowl-cuts and charity-shop clothes just that bit too small for them.

The opening tracks (a duo of Tell Me seguing into Heartbeats) was a tour de force for their newly blissful song-writing - the loss of the macabre, almost gothic undertones that they used to have has translated surprisingly well live.

The much loved Beachy Head and new favourites Waiting for Something to Happenand Broken Toy demonstrated the tightness of the boy-girl singing, which was already extremely tight last time they played Liverpool, in Leaf last year.

For a genre whose parameters ossified from fanzine culture 20-something years ago, their surf lilted jangle-pop sounds surprising fresh; Teenage in particular was pure ecstasy to hear played in the flesh, however the highlight would have to be the classicFound Love in a Graveyard.

This surprisingly chirpy number, a tale of falling in love for a ghost (as you do...) got every last person dancing, quickly followed by a rather excellent encore with Right Side of My Brain proving once again the 80s revival refuses to die.

Back Catalogue / THE VILLAGE RESSURECTED // Camp & Furnace /// Get Into This

A village fete complete with vintage vinyl, post-hardcore riffs, dream-pop lullabies, the odd spot of folk and a giant Scalextric. Yep, a giant Scalextric. Getintothis' Laurie Cheeseman absorbs all he can muster and returns a happy Easter bunny.

The Village returned to Camp & Furnace in true style over the Easter weekend; replete with all your favourite fête festivities, brand spanking new vinyl 12s, vintage clothes stalls and even an interactive Scalextric tournament.

Yep, that's right, we said Scalextric. A massive whopping track of superfast cars wazzing round a corner of Camp and Furnace.

Sipping on the super-local Cain's Pilsner, there were plenty of distractions available at this Village, however, it was the music that kept everyone entranced. 

Sadly, due to transport issues (Bank Holiday buses, we're looking at you) we missed the marvellous Hey Carrianne, but arrived in time for Cousin Jac's country-folk stylings; fitting neatly into Liverpool's unusual edge to the folk revival.

Their beautifully atmospheric folksy sound was wonderful in the cavernous room, and some of their more - how do we phrase this - sea shanty numbers were leant a beautifully psychedelic edge by The Beautiful Briny Sea (from that most surreal of childhood films, Bedknobs and Broomsticks), being looped constantly in the background. That and all the lasses walking around dressed as bunnies. Wonderfully weird. 

By The Sea's delayed entrance can be forgiven, as Thomas J Speights' 'one of a kind record collection' was massively entertaining, spinning cuts from Purity Ring through to Toro Y Moi.

By the time they made it on stage, By the Sea's C86 jangle-jangle was as superb as the other million times I've seen them around Liverpool.

Whatever space they are in they always use it to maximum effect and tonight was no exception. Their huge, psych-tinged reverb-drenched sound of (our personal highlight)Dream Waters filled the vast room, while By the Sea recalled the lst 90s dream pop of the Pale Saints.

One thing that jarred slightly, however, was the distinct lack of interaction with the audience, though this is a band that made Wild Nothing seem chatty at their Kazimier gig a few weeks back.

That aside, By The Sea represent a guitar band putting Liverpool psych-pop back on the map; in-keeping with Mersey heritage yet forging ahead into a new dawn.

Noise glorious noise, how refreshing after all this glorious introversion for headlinersVasco da Gama to sound like nothing that had gone before.

An At the Drive-In cacophony with added psychedelic atmospherics and nautical melodies.

As a testament to their quality, even their between-song tuning was rippingly jazzy, verging on Talk Talk-style post-rock which led us right the way down to Payper Tiger's listening stall and a new purchase for the collection. We've had it on repeat all week.

If only Liverpool had more innovative post-hardcore. Scratch that - everywhere needs more innovative post-hardcore. Vasco are leading the charge.

Back Catalogue / FIESTA BOMBARDA // Leaf /// Get Into This

The Williamson Tunnels Fiesta continues it's charge to Bold Street as Spring Offensive head up a night of pageantry at Leaf. Getintothis' Laurie Cheeseman dabbles in a spot of alt-folk and face paintingThe Mumford and Sons assisted UK folk-pop explosion hasn't bypassed Liverpool. Thankfully, Merseyside has become somewhat immune to the wave of beige over-zealously smudging out all the beautiful, more intricate, edges folk can produce. Fiesta Bombarda, after a riotously successful outing at the Williamson Tunnels a few weeks back brings some of Liverpool's finest in the scene to one carnivalesque place - the fabulously glitter-balled Leaf Tea Shop.

Silent Sleep - one of those bands these ears have repeatedly missed despite a succession of gigs around Liverpool - thankfully tonight this changed, as they brought the party early doors with a set replete with good-time footstompin' indie folk and what sounded like an insane cover of the evergreen Come on Eileen (really?!? - Confused Live Ed).

The carnival atmosphere intensified with the arrival of Great Plain Sundance, and what with all their jigging going down they recalled our primary school discos back in Bangor, County Down. Perfect for every self respecting student having a quarter life crisis.

The carnival atmosphere intensified with the arrival of Great Plain Sundance, and what with all their jigging going down they recalled our primary school discos back in Bangor, County Down. Perfect for every self respecting student having a quarter life crisis.

Spring Offensive soon rectified that. Their acoustic post-hardcore Not Waving But Drowning was the clear highlight of the night inducing an entire room to sing-along. Elsewhere, the lovely breakdown on Worry For My Heart was the idyllic soundtrack to a crisp winters morning.

As Getintothis began to get carried away by the ska-infused soundtracks the DJs were spinning, while also indulging in a spot of face paint action, we failed to even notice Hedda Aronssen's understated entrance on stage.

Reminiscent of Beach House - especially with the elegantly sultry Victoria Legrand-alike vocals. Her set came to a peak with Someone - any track which could sound twee yet menacing was bound to stand out from the monolithic slab of dream-like wonder. Still, no idea what the French horn player was doing on stage, though.

The Harlequin Dynamite Marching Band increased the frenzy within the audience with their keys-assisted jazzy gypsy bangers. Imagine the Balkan Beat Project composing a dub version of the Ground Force theme - they were frankly awesome.

Sadly, the fey Bob Dylan stylings of James Canty dampened the fiesta spirit - and while there were intriguing elements to his work, he was an ill fit to a night which had built up a terrific momentum.

Secret guests, All We Are, emerged fresh from losing in the table tennis final of Noisy Table to Clinic at FACT.

Their surprise set from the balcony of Leaf was thrillingly polyrhythmic alt-folk which was simply breathtaking, despite playing to a noticeably emptier room. All that was left to wrap up an action-packed Bold Street Fiesta was Highfields, who completed the long evening in characteristically sprightly fashion. A triumph.