CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK
By: Thomas Hannan
CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK was and still occasionally is the name for a series of live nights run by the Rockfeedback team beginning in 2008, initially alongside and then continuing after the Basement Club nights run at the Buffalo Bar in Highbury. The name initially applied to a set of monthly shows at the charming Cross Kings venue in Kings Cross, north London. Here we featured bands such as Four Tet, Foals, Black Kids, Metronomy, Eugene McGuinness, Beach House, Wild Beasts, Pivot, Die! Die! Die! and many more in the back room of an intimate, cosy public house. They made for wonderful shows. The event moved house to The Monarch in Camden Town for a couple of shows where Pete and the Pirates, the Virgins, The Research and These New Puritans populated the bill. Rockfeedback still uses the Club Rockfeedback title from time to time, but now runs nights more regularly at The Lexington in Angel. Below is a selection of news pieces we used to announce the shows. Look out for a redesign of Rockfeedback.com in the coming weeks which will incorporate reports on all our live nights, as well as streamable footage from the many that Rockfeedback TV cameras have filmed.
We don't like to brag at Rockfeedback (you know we're the humble sort), but we did have a little thought the other day that we've had the likes of These New Puritans, Pete and The Pirates, Foals and Wild Beasts play Club Rockfeedback shows in just the last few months alone. And, you know, we thought we'd put that out there...
So while last night (23rd Oct) saw us wave farewell to our already historic Basement Club (gosh, we're getting a hang of this arrogant thing) we welcome in the new RFB world order right here, in the shape of the continuing Club Rockfeedback. Sorry, did I say we were humble - clearly we've changed... Check out November's bill at the Camden Monarch right beneath these very words:
THE RESEARCH - This greatly adored trio from Wakefield (no not the Cribs - although there have been collaborations a plenty), this fantastic girl-boy-girl trio are real titans of British indie-pop. Since their first release three years ago, the band has spent a bit of time out of the spotlight, that is until now: realising their greatly anticipated second album next week. In short, it's a true good 'un, and their catchy, timeless, bittersweet pop songs are some for us to really cherish. This'll be all kinds of fun... www.myspace.com/theresearch
burningpilot - These folks make some fine dark but danceable post punk, and release an album on our marvellous twin label Transgressive Records next month. Anonymously known only by their mixer channels (channel 1 - drums, channel 2 - guitars, etc) they're perhaps most akin to the likes of The Stranglers or PiL with a distinctly gloomy, contemporary edge - perfect credit crunch rock!
**STOP PRESS** Gold Teeth have had to pull out after breaking every bone in each of their bodies (why Barack, why would you let such a thing happen!?). So we got this fine lot! --->
THE PITY PARTY: This two-piece from LA are currently in town playing a string of exciting dates. We said "wanna play"? They said "sure thing". Wikipedia says they're the first band without representation to score a full page feature in NME. We say they play fast and super trashy new wave pop, and do things like make limited edition hand sewn record sleeves out of recycled billboard vinyl sleeves using individualized artwork on each one. Hell yes.
Plus some fine guest DJs in the form of Sex Beat, Transgressive Records DJs, The Siegfried Sassoon Sound System (TSSSS) and our trusted Rockfeedback Regulars. Playing the best in Friday night mixtape disco, and probably the whole of Michael Jackon's Dangerous, apart from maybe 'Heal the World', because it just doesn't work however loud you play it.
That's all at the THE MONARCH, 40-42 Chalk Farm Rd, Camden, London, November 14th 2008.
Super cheap advance tix can be purchased for £6 HERE - http://www.wegottickets.com/event/38381 - otherwise a little more on the door.
PAST CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK EVENTS HAVE INCLUDED:
After a pair of triumphant sets headlining the Underage and Field Day festivals last weekend, our sister label Transgressive Records' very own Foals are announced as the headliners for our sixth Club Rockfeedback at the Cross Kings (126 York Way, Kings Cross, London), taking place on Wednesday the 20th of August.
Foals have had one hell of a year, coming from playing riotous, legendary house party shows to entertaining crowds of tens of thousands of people the world over - not to mention releasing, in the shape of Antidotes, what many are rightly calling one of the most impressive British debut albums in recent memory. This intimate, festival warm up show is the smallest London venue the band have played in over a year.
Support comes in the inimitable form of That Fucking Tank, Leeds' cacophonous answer to Lightning Bolt, who will be playing the downstairs 'dungeon' section of the Cross Kings. They're pictured above. Also expect the usual aural shenanigans courtesy of the Rockfeedback DJs.
Doors open at 8pm. Tickets cost £12.50 and are available from WeGotTickets.com HERE.
PAST CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK NIGHTS HAVE INCLUDED:
Rockfeedback has a smile on its face - the very distinct, particular kind of smile that we only get as we announce another great line up for a Club Rockfeedback evening.
Taking place on Friday July 11th at the Cross Kings in Kings Cross (126 York Way), London from 8pm til 2am will be the musical stylings of this formidable bunch..
EUGENE MCGUINNESS - After a stunning solo set at Club Rockfeedback's sister night The Basement Club, Eugene's back to show us what he can do with a full band at his disposable. The inimitable, charming, Domino-signed singer songwriter is currently putting together his second record - have a sneaky listen on us. http://www.myspace.com/eugenemcguinness
WILLIAM - Having just released their debut LP on Tough Love Records, William's mashing up of the styles of Pavement, Blur and Dinosaur Jr has Rockfeedback in a giddy panic over how good it'll be to chuck them on a stage and have 'em play for us. The best new indie band in Britain, we reckon. http://www.myspace.com/williamtheband
POST WAR YEARS - My my, how they've grown! First appearing at a Basement Club evening for Rockfeedback many months ago, then as a promising bunch of young upstarts, Post War Years have become the finished article quicker than you can say 'Chess Club Records' (who released their ace debut single). Witness the well oiled but none the less vital, vitriolic rock and roll machine they've become, and smile inanely. http://www.myspace.com/thempostwaryears
SPECIAL GUESTS - Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?
Tickets cost £7.00 in advance, a few quid more on the door. They're available right now from wegottickets.com HERE.
Rockfeedback is tickled right pink to announce the complete line up for its fourth instalment in the already infamous Club Rockfeedback series.
BEACH HOUSE: From the constant plaudits awarded them by press the world over (including ourselves), you might well be familiar with Baltimore duo and their shimmering, arresting dream-pop. Over three years and two albums released via the rightly revered Bella Union imprint, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have induced a not inconsiderable amount of swooning in audiences around the planet, and this special, intimate one off date at the end of a sell out tour with label mates Fleet Foxes will, certainly, have the same effect on what will be a transfixed Cross Kings. www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic
WILD BEASTS: Newly signed to Domino records, Wild Beasts are making some of the most chaotic, operatic and thrillingly ramshackle rock and roll to ever emerge from the Lake District. Or anywhere else. About to hit the road with Pavement fella Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, they'll be bringing their Talking Heads meets The Sundays brand of falsetto ridden wrong pop to the Cross Kings for a rare London date, not to be missed. www.myspace.com/wildbeasts
PIVOT - STOP PRESS!: Keeps getting better and better, this one - the latest addition to the bill are Sydney's guitar-tronica masterminds Pivot, the first Australian act ever to sign to the consistently rewarding Warp Records. Thrillingly, they've a lot of common ground with label mates like Battles and Autechre, but with an added playfulness - not so surprising as they did, after all, pick Prince's Purple Rain as their favourite ever record for a recent Rockfeedback feature. As with many bands at Club Rockfeedback nights, Pivot are sure to ascend to massive stages very soon - in fact, they're playing the Royal Festival Hall but two days after this unmissable set. www.myspace.com/pivotpivot
TEAM ROBESPIERRE - STOP PRESS!: The final addition to our bill comes in the formidable form of the hard house meets frantic punk stylings of potential show stealers Team Robespierre, a Brooklyn five piece soon to release their debut EP on Club Motherf**ker Records. Here as part of a brief four day tour of, well, London that will see them attempt to demolish the city venue by venue, one can expect boundaries between crowd and audience to be treated with as little respect as they deserve. www.myspace.com/teamrobespierre
DJing on the night will come courtesy of BIGDJs, The Siegfried Sassoon Sound System (TSSSS), and the Rockfeedback regulars spinning between bands a mix of alt-rock chin-strokers and the greatest hits of Prince, Bruce Springsteen and the Fine Young Cannibals.
For those who haven't visited yet, the venue is the marvellous CROSS KINGS, located on 126 York Way, Kings Cross, London, N1 0AX, five minutes walk from Kings Cross Station. A weird, wonderful and totally unique space spread over two floors - a fairy lit upstairs with curious wall hangings and its own mini-library, and a downstairs decked out like a comic book depiction of hell - it's our favourite new venue in London by a distance so considerable it stretches beyond the M25.
Dates, times... Friday 13th of June (don't be scared!), 8pm - 2am.
Tickets cost £7.00 in advance (a couple of quid more on the door if there are any left, so getting them beforehand makes all the sense) from WeGotTickets HERE.
Of course, there's no dress code, but we recommend donning glad rags given that the evening is being filmed for future use on Rockfeedback TV.