Newsflash, kids: Cambridge HAS a gig scene.

I must echo Sandy's apologies concerning this long drawn-out blog-silence, and have no apologies to offer up except copious amounts of work. And ladybirds (but we won't get into that).

So, what has Chiara been up to, if not sitting before pale blue PC light bringing you all the news from the music front? Well, she has been busy being at the frontlines of the music itself. Yes yes, kids. And there is a reason for this blog title: namely that you Cambridge kids don't appreciate live music nearly enough. So, here's my little push to get you out and dancing and blowing your minds. This term has already offered up a wealth of great gigs of various scales, and there is more to come. Here's a few highlights:

The Bosun's Locker Tour (Cambridge Barfly, 06/10/07)
If you've been listening in to CUR1350 Breakthrough at all, you will no doubt have heard myself and Sandy ranting and raving about this gig, which took place at the new Cambridge Barfly (formerly The Loft). Opener was Marcus Mumford, who took us on an acoustic journey of dreamily incredible proportions. With a sweet voice of every imaginable emotional nuance, he lulled us into smiles and made our hearts ache. Following this was King Charles, maniacally twisting and jumping around on stage, tangling himself up in his cords and attempting a rather impressive guitar-playing-with-his-legs-wrapped-around-a-column stunt, all the while delivering fast paced rhymes that move smoothly between a number of musical influences. Then came Noah and the Whale with some absolutely awesome folk-y-indie sounds: a feel-good infusion. Then of course the beautiful Laura Marling with her smoky voice and folk acoustic songs that reach far beyond her years (is that a fair comment to make? Should age play a role when debating talent/skill? I don't know. All I know is that it certainly humbles me. And it sounds good). Finishing is Jesse Quin , who delivers a number of stunning acoustic tracks and finishes on a track ('More To Life') that has the entire room singing along: "lalalala-la-lala..." . Did I mention that all of these kids play in each other's bands and are constantly switching instruments? It's a musical circus of pure happiness and talent and I hope it reforms for another tour.

Laura Marling (Opening for The Maccabees at the Junction, x/10/07).
Not satisfied with the dose of Laura we got, Sandy and I headed down to see her again only a week later. This was a completely different setting from the intimate Barfly. And a completely different (scary) crowd. I felt old. Ancient. Laura & co braved the stage in a most admirable fashion, with very polite requests for at least a minimum of silence for her acoustic tracks to be heard (let me just say: had I been in her shoes, many many things would have gotten broken on stage, and possibly some bones in the crowd as well). Massive credit to her & band, and her singing even went up a notch in power which was nice to hear. Anyway, it's not every day you get to see multiple crowdsurfers to acoustic folk. We skipped the Maccabees, in case anyone was wondering.

The October Game (the Portland Arms, 30/10/07)
Sandy has already said all that can be said about this (see previous post). It was good. It was more than good. It was mindblowing. And sooo sooo disappointing that not more than a dozen or so people turned up. Seriously, Cambridge kids, shame on you! You missed out. Catch them next time, and you might be forgiven. Also keep an eye out for their first single, which should be coming out sometime next year.

2Hot2Sweat, The Puncture Repair Kit, Pony Up (Cambridge Barfly, 07/11/07)
So, I have a definite weak spot for Pony Up, which means I wasn't about to miss them on their way through Cambridge. Have I ever mentioned that I generally go to gigs on my own? You're right if you're thinking I'm about to head towards another bit of 'GO TO GIGS KIDS' propaganda. It is perfectly possible to have a good time watching live music on your own, so don't feel like you should miss out just because none of your friends will come along. Anyway, back to the point: opening up are young duo 2Hot2Sweat with their own brand of spunky, quirky electro-pop. The song-writing talent and creativity is all there, but lead singer Mia's voice falls flat. It's obvious her voice is untrained: it lacks strength and more often than not is quite a bit off. Mind you, off-tune voices can be convincing, but only if they have a certain amount of power behind them, and only for particular types of music. In conclusion: if you're going to make plastic disco pop, you need a polished voice to go along with it. Following these two kids are Cambridge-based ensemble The Puncture Repair Kit. The mere memory is happiness-inducing. Bringing out everything from your traditional acoustic guitar/bass/drums to a glockenspiel to a flute to various sizes of recorders to a melodica to a cornet (that tragically decides it has 'had enough' and disintegrates into parts halfway through the first song and is replaced by something that may or may not have been a xaphoon)... these kids have it all. Led up by a fiery red-headed girl and a lanky blond boy, they are full to the brim with mischievous and fun talent and energy, playing off each other and each other's individual personalities with smooth ease that makes the entire thing more like a theatre performance than 'just' sound. They put the life back in music and a wide grin onto everyone's faces. They will be supporting Emma Pollock (remember The Delgados? Yes. That Emma Pollock.) on December 5 at the Cambridge Barfly, and I expect anyone who is in Cambridge to be there. Finishing are Canadian girls Pony Up who deliver everything a good girl band (that capitalizes on that image, anyway) should: they are sexy, playful, and provocative with lots and lots of attitude. It's all keyboard-driven indie-pop-rock about the perils of life, love, and being a girl in general. Standout for me is probably the bitter-sweet-angry-sad (I know: quite an emotional spectrum. They pull it off, somehow.) non-album-track 'Wet' about getting turned on by a rock star. Rawr.

My Passion, Plastic Toys (Man on the Moon, 11/11/07)
My first encounter with My Passion was a bit less than a year ago at this very same venue. I had showed up to check out Cambridge band This Is My Honesty and consequently found what would be one of the most-played bands on CUR1350 Breakthrough as well as my own stereo (well, laptop). It's easy to attempt to discredit these guys purely on the basis of their style and (excessive?) use of Myspace and emphasis on current trends, but take all that away and you're still left with innovative song-writing and tight, rock-solid live performances. Taking elements from punk and disco and mixing them with 80's synths before welding the entire thing together into what the kids nowadays are calling new-wave(/rave?) using a massive electric shock (they say it's hairspray, but I think that's a lie), they present us with an explosive audio assault that is exciting, pushes boundaries, moves bodies, and is basically really f***ing good. Frontman Laurence Rene seems poised for stardom, not afraid to touch hands with the screaming fangirls in the front row and get up close and personal. The five of them redefine what 'playing your heart out' means, leaving sweat, blood, and possibly tears on stage and leaving the heads of those present reeling. I was lucky enough to catch up with Laurence post-gig for an interview that should be airing on CUR1350 Breakthrough this Sunday (18/11/07) so tune in between 9-11 PM on www.cur1350.co.uk . These kids are going big. [photos | 1 | 2 | 3 ]. Also playing on the night were Plastic Toys, another band that I've spun a few times on CUR1350 Breakthrough if you've been paying attention. They deliver grimy but shiny disco tunes with a metal/industrial inflection and damn, their lead man is sexy. Another one to look out for, basically, in every sense of the phrase. There were even some long-haired headbangers in amidst the emo kids watching. [photos | 1 | 2 ].

Conclusion #1: Cambridge live music contains many many precious gems just waiting to be found and admired and tasted, which is why you should be out there taking advantage of our venues for absolutely fan-f-tastic nights out.
Conlusion # 2: People who go to gigs and won't shut the hell up should be strangled using the closest lead . Preferably while it's still plugged into the closest instrument. We'll call it a murderously experimental performance. The NME will be all over it.

That's it from me for now, folks.

lovelovelove.
-C

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Coming up shortly: a review of Oi Va Voi at the Cambridge Junction (13/11/07).

Upcoming gigs you shouldn't miss: The Raveonettes at the Cambridge Barfly, 16/11/07 ; Emma Pollock & the Puncture Repair Kit at the Cambridge Barfly, 5/12/07 ; My Passion at the Man on the Moon, 14/12/07 and at the Cambridge Barfly, 29/02/08 .... and probably a lot more that you can quite easily find by just sniffing around a little on the internet. GOGOGOGOGO!

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Soundtrack ---> Neil Young