Week Commencing: 21/6/04
Alwite,
A condensed (and belated) version of our usual selves this week; soz - we have a club to promote this Thursday, doncha know. Enjoy Glasto, those that are attending - I myself have ducked out this year (a wussy, yes), but we'll have a review online next week from a couple of our trusty regulars that are in attendance.
So the latest big news: The Libertines have announced details of their second album. Hallelujah. It's not too pseudo of us to brag that we've been there since the beginning - rockfeedback provided the band's first live-review after their signing to Rough Trade, following a set at London's Cherry Jam right at the start of '02. They were sensational - ruffled, scruffy, shambolic, messy, noisy - yet, somehow - with songs poking out at us. We loved it, and soon went on to stalk the band to form the basis of their first ever interview (read the results in the 10,000 words-plus opus here).
The hype-machine set in thereafter. Then a huge backlash.
But, now, The Libs are perceived as the UK's brightest, most important band. We couldn't agree anymore. Shame about the traumas associated to their belligerent Pete Doherty (a prison-sentence/rehab-madness/flick-knife possession/increasingly suspect hair-styles), but we wonder if it's a chicken and egg with that lot: is the incendiary madness they inflict upon us at all possible without the sheer danger and anarchy that their souls are seemingly very consistently attracted to? Who knows.
What's for certain is that their second album, 'The Libertines', will be a classic in the making, as per their debut-LP, 'Up The Bracket'. It's out on August 30th and features the following track-listing: 'Can't Stand Me Now' (first single to be lifted from the release: August 9th) / 'Last Post On The Bugle' / 'Don't Be Shy' / 'The Man Who Would Be King' / 'Music When The Lights Go Out' / 'Narcissist' / 'The Ha Ha Wall' / 'Arbeit Macht Frei' / 'Campaign Of Hate' / 'What Katie Did' / 'Tomblands' / 'The Saga' / 'Road To Ruin' / 'What Became Of The Likely Lads'. We can't wait.
Gigs This Week, London: well, there's the aforementioned Basement Club, featuring Ed Harcourt and The Magic Numbers at our resident venue, the Highbury Buffalo Bar, N1 (Thurs 24th; sold out); Television and Lach at the ULU on Wednesday 23rd (sold out); a Carling-related knees-up at the Hammersmith Apollo, featuring BRMC, The Rapture, The Stills and Kasabian (Thurs 24th; sold out); the irrepressible Queens Of Noize stage a pre-Glasto romp at the Barfly, Camden on Friday (25th; £5:00), which features London faves The Fades and Metro Riots; and, oh yeah, there's a big festival happening in Somerset this weekend. Can't remember for the life of us what it's called.
Out Now: the new LPs from a whole slew of commendable peeps - Badly Drawn Boy, The Concretes and Chikinki. All worthy, four-star purchases.
Current rockfeedback playlist: The Hidden Cameras' glorious classical-pop, sophomore attempt to last year's sterling 'The Smell Of Our Own' - 'Mississauga Goddam' (it's genius); Beastie Boys' 'To The 5 Boroughs'; and a visual treat from Sonic Youth via their new DVD-compilation, 'Corporate Ghost' (all these reviewed on the site very shortly).
Thank you, one and all. Have a great seven days.