MICACHU & THE SHAPES Freebutt Fri 3rd
Championed by the likes of Bjork and ‘discovered’ by Matthew Herbert himself, Micachu & The Shapes achieved almost instant critical acclaim, long before their urgently anticipated debut album Jewellery was released. Rough Trade’s latest signing returns to Brighton with a snarl that could melt a thousand hearts. Described as ‘junk punk’ they shift within a maze of dirty grime, scuzzy electronica, clumsy (yet perfectly composed) percussion and achingly addictive melodies. Expect homemade instruments and the inspired use of a Henry Hoover. (DE)
THE RASMUS Concorde 2 Mon 6th
Remember 2004? The overplayed annoying pop-rock single In The Shadows was so bad, and so ubiquitous, it led to The Rasmus being bottled and having to leave the Reading stage after playing just one song. Five years later they’re playing the Concorde on a joint bill with Backyard Babies, possibly for safety in numbers, as there are still plenty of people would only go to see them to hurl objects at them. This, we feel, is reason enough, however if it’s too expensive, you can always wait outside and get them leaving the tour bus. (JC)
THE ENEMY Dome Weds 8th
The young Jam tribute act from Coventry rock up to play the Brighton Dome this month, touring their new album Music For The People. For a band whose first album contained songs about despair, unemployment and general woe (who says it’s grim up north!) tickets edging £20 seem a bit strong, especially in the current climate. Look forward to songs from their first album, about how tough life is, and expect new songs, on a similar subject if they can remember that far back. (JC)
THE COMPLETE STONE ROSES Digital Sat 11th
“I would rather lick the Queen Mum’s fanny than reform The Stone Roses”, Mani told SOURCE at the Great Escape in 2007. Well, it looks like the Royal family might have to exhume the old girl’s corpse, judging by his idiotic recent volte-face. “Me, John and Reni are up for doing it and Ian just needs some working on. It’s something I would love to do before we are all fat and bald”, he stated on the eve of the 20th anniversary of their debut masterpiece. The potential for disastrous desecration is such that you would surely be better off remembering them like this tribute act. (BG)
THE BLOCKHEADS Old Market Sat 11 th
The passing of your lead singer might make most bands head straight for the benefit office, especially when he’s as irreplaceable as Ian Dury. But the Blockheads have manfully soldiered on, with a succession of guest vocalists filling the Essex bard’s inimitable shoes, including the most annoying and cloying man in showbiz, Phill Jupitas. Now firmly ensconced with a full-time front man – Dury’s former minder Derek Hussey – the band have a new record deal and are releasing their second post-Dury album. Expect old hits and new bits, like a pretty decent tribute band with four actual original members. (NC)
THE JUSTICE FORCE 5 Prince Albert Sun 12th
At their jam-packed EP launch extravaganza at Coalition recently, it was immediately apparent that the JF5 are a bionic superhero leap above most of the city’s rock hopefuls. It was just the best thing we’ve seen in a long time. Their larger than life Marvel showmanship is all very well and good, but it’s backed up by an immense sound that kicks the comic side of it into the backseat. With typical disregard for pompous rock convention, this show features an Easter Egg hunt at 3pm and the band onstage at a school-night friendly five o’clock. (NC)
THE PRODIGY Brighton Centre Tues 14th
During “Kill Your Friends”, John Niven’s bloodthirsty portrayal of the Britpop-era UK record industry, the book’s lead character murders a fellow A&R who dares commend The Prodigy’s Music For A Jilted Generation artwork. Death may appear an unreasonable consequence of fandom to Howlett and co, currently touring No.1 album Invaders Must Die, the latest instalment of their presumed deceased cartoon electro-punk. But SOURCE has now been waiting 12 years for the band’s leader to schedule an agreed interview. Saying “Liam out of The Prodigy called” was no good in the pre-ringback days, unless you left a contact number. Grrrrrrrrrr. (BG)
PJ HARVEY & JOHN PARISH Dome Weds 15 th
A rare chance to see probably the most lauded and influential female artist the UK indie scene has ever produced, this gig also features long-time Harvey collaborator John Parish. The pair has released dual-credit albums before and this tour is to support the latest, A Woman A Man Walked By. These releases have tended to end up as lesser-explored backwaters of her catalogue but remain highly worthy of investigation, certainly as more than just completists’ fare. As the pair’s work together covers more than the sum of these parts anyway, this should be more of a varied PJ set list than one might initially imagine. (NC)
DOVES Dome Thurs 16th
Man-rock has a bad reputation. A top-secret teen rugby fetish (all that muddy grabbling) leads inexorably to an ecstatic climax as you take a male chum by the balls to the sound of Oasis and effortlessly luzz a fire extinguisher at the nearest McDonald’s. Actually that sounds pretty awful. Happily, Doves are from the more celestial end of this maligned canon, as forever delayed comeback album Kingdom Of Rust attests. Tonight you can expect stately atmospheric indie, bountiful melancholia, masculine, foghorn-style vocals and the overwhelming desire to embrace [insert best friend’s name] and do things your girlfriend just will not allow. (BG)
THE WAILERS Coalition Fri 17 th
Now, here’s a gig the smoking ban puts a bit of a damper on. Elan Atias, a regular recent Wailers vocalist, leads the legendary Bob Marley backing band through the Exodus album, with extra bonus Bob bits thrown in for good measure. It’s easy to think of Marley as an over-merchandised hall-of-residence poster boy for novice dope heads, but a lot of those 70s albums were pretty darn good. Time Magazine called this one “the greatest album of the century”, so even with its original lead singer burning little holes in the great duvet in the sky this should still be well worth seeing. (NC)
WE HAVE BAND Freebutt Fri 17th
This London trio, two of which are husband and wife, are all ex-employees of the EMI label. Cutting themselves loose, forming the band and already getting releases through the uber-cool French label Kitsune, they are found touring their bass-heavy synth-pop with a swelling of hype surrounding them. Their upbeat, lively set, (played whilst facing one another, Foals-style), will follow a short trip around America and a batch of performances at SXSW, in Austin. Drawing excitable comparisons to New Young Pony Club, as well as LCD Soundsystem, this gig should show off a band truly experiencing lift off. (MB)
THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE Digital Sunday 19th
Those of you who missed out on last year’s WBA show are probably now sick of hearing your mates bang on about how it was the greatest gig ever. Worry no more – you’ll soon be able to join them in reverence because the very huggable King Of Convenience singer Erland Øye is back with his Berlin-based indie/disco outfit. They’ll be showcasing new material from their forthcoming, absolutely joyful Rules LP, set to become the sound of summer. Expect taut grooves, lots of grinning and plenty of hyperbole on the walk home. (DA)
THE RAKES Concorde 2 Tues 21st
There are some who proclaim Sgt Pepper’s, Pet Sounds, Velvet Underground & Nico et al as rock’s highest art. There are others (SOURCE, basically) who believe only The Rakes’ debut Capture/Release deserves such exulted standing. As we await said masterpiece’s inevitable Royal coronation in a tickertape Wembley Stadium ceremony before Sir Macca and friends, there is new album Klang! to relish. Despite de-camping to Berlin to seek refreshment in the dizzy altitude of Berghain etc, the band remain heroically entwined with epic indie tear-up not bleepy rave-up, double whiskies rather than double dropping. Consider tonight a prelude to the words “Arise Sir Rakes!” (BG)
CALVIN HARRIS Concorde 2 Sun 26th
Any remaining respect Calvin Harris was clinging onto over his standing within pop culture must have been extinguished at the NME Awards recently. Already running on empty following the cheese board electro-pop stylings of his obnoxiously arrogant debut I Created Disco, the Dumfries producer was an ignominious absentee at the bash, despite winning Best Dancefloor Filler for Dance Wiv Me, his Dizzee Rascal collaboration. The rock weekly blamed it on an administrative cock-up, while Harris himself Twittered: “They didn’t invite me because I am the worst producer on the planet and also a cunt, their words”. Such beautiful words. (BG)
ESSER Komedia Mon 27th
Hackney based Esser’s song Headlock (“Oh you’ve got me in a headlock” etc) could be a about inner city domestic violence, or just being deeply in love. We’re not sure which it is, although the former is something that would be difficult to be tackled in such an upbeat way, But if anyone could, quiffed Esser could be the one to do so. Catch him at Komedia before his grime-tipped wonky pop is huge/disappears without a trace. It could go either way. (JC)
WORDS BY DOM ASHTON, MIKE BRADFORD, JACK CASSIDY, NICK COQUET, DIONNE ELIZABETH, BEN GILBERT,