Brighton After Dark: 29 October 2013

Bmusic

Tom after Tom
The popularity of the male singer-songwriter continues to endure. With a lineage stretching back and taking in artists like Johnson, Waters, Cash, Walker, Lennon, Dylan, Waits, Smith, Adams and Mars (not actually Mars), sensitive men singing songs about love and life continue to be relevant for the public, critics and other artists alike.

Here at Bmusic we try to twin impartiality with a tubthumping love for new music. As such, we don’t always tie ourselves too tightly to one particular artist’s mast. In this case, however, we’re going to drop that approach and give you the name of one guy you need to down tools and cutlery to check out as soon as possible: Tom Rosenthal.
The chances are you won’t have heard of the London-born singer-songwriter. Commercially he hasn’t made too much of a dent, but he’s been quietly forging a career for the last six years, and building a dedicated online fan base who hang on his every chord.

This week saw the release of his second album, Who’s That In The Fog?. It is the sort of release that kicks sand in the face of a million strait-jacketed X Factor wannabes who would put their faith in Cowell before Zimmerman. Crucially, however, it’s packed full of enough accessible weepers to ensure its place in the hearts of the kind of fan that gets their kicks from Murs et al.

The tracks take their influence from his life and the extended around world Tom. ‘Ian’s’ brief meditations on the sadness inherent of a man (Ian, duh) dying before he’s ever really lived, should move all but the most granite-hearted souls. Just before that, Tom drops ‘Sex, Death and Landscapes’, and its “don’t cry, nothing’s gonna take you away from me now” chorus would have festival crowds reaching for tissues two seconds before the lighters.
All in all, an unmitigated triumph. The sort of music that will make your life better.

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Words: David Hillier

Sade Ali praises Ms Dynamite

Ms Dynamite (aka Niomi McLean-Daley) grew up in North London, listening to reggae and turning to hip-hop at the age of 12. Even when she wanted to become either a primary school teacher or a social worker, her passion for music was much stronger. After starting out in a pirate radio station – RAW FM – Ms Dynamite met Richard Forbes (aka Sticky) in a West End club. The two began working on her debut single, ‘Boo!’, licensed from DJ Jason Kaye’s Social Circles label to London Records.

Her first full-length track was produced in Miami, New York, and Jamaica. A Little Deeper featured the hit singles ‘Dy-Na-Mi-Tee’ and ‘It Takes More’. In 2002, Ms Dynamite became the first black female artist and achieving a Mercury Music Prize, beating The Streets and even music legend David Bowie. Three years later, she released her second album, Judge.

To this day Ms Dynamite has taken her place as one of the industries great entertainers. I was lucky enough to see her perform at Coalition on 15 October. As you may know by now FADED has been running since Freshers’ Week every Tuesday at Coalition, but they thought they would throw in a little treat for us. When Ms Dynamite took the stage the whole crowd charged to the barrier to get as close as possible. Although she did not perform for long she definitely hasn’t lost her touch. I think the crowd’s favourite performance was ‘Wile Out’ featuring DJ Zinc, even when the song is played in a club it never fails to hype up the crowd. My favourite part of her performance had to be her new track. Featuring Shy FX she has gone back to her roots and put a reggae spin on a garage beat.

She even taught us the chorus before she performed it so we could all sing along. When she finished performing she then joined Maverick Sabre and Shy FX in the VIP area for a few drinks. DJ Larizzle then carried on spinning the freshest R’n’B, hip-hop, basement and Afrobeats.

Now that Freshers is over, to wind down from the madness, over the next few weeks I will be featuring DJs, artists and dancers, giving you an insight to their world.
Pic: Ollie Ellis, OKE Photography

>Don’t Miss<

Donuts
Looking to break your school night rules? Get down to the Green Door Store on a Tuesday as the resident DJs play a playful mix of hip-hop, funk and electronic beats. Party like it’s the weekend.
Green Door Store, Tues 29 Oct, 11pm, Free

Secret Discotheque
Hopelessly nostalgic about the songs of your youth? Secret Discotheque is here to indulge every crazy dance, every victim of fashion and dig out some of the best loved songs of the past.
Coalition, Thursday 31 Oct, 11pm–3.30am, £4/2

Stay Beautiful – The Real Hallowe’en Party
One of Brighton’s regular nights is being taken over for the one scary night of the year. Enjoy as monsters and ghoulish goths take over the usual night of glam and guitars. It will be a scream.
Caroline of Brunswick, Thurs 31 Oct, 7pm, £3

Fat Beaches
If you had to miss Halloween celebrations on Thursday due to work, let this weekend be one of gleeful horror and scary fun times as you get down to some terror-ibly good techno and house.
The Loft, Sat 2 Nov, 10pm, £5/4

Brighton Noise

Alastair Reid on Halloween gigs

Jack, a carefree fella who manages to turn up in every fairy tale, for good or ill, had a salacious night out, full of ales and wenches and shots a-plenty. Let’s say in Brighton. The Mash Tun. Seems to fit. Staggering home in the dark with a chicken shwarma and a warm can of Stella he bumps into a bouncer who threatens his soul. West Street. “I’ll knock your head off if you don’t watch out,” says the bouncer, eyes growing darker, horns growing out of his skull. “Dint mean nuffin by i-” says Jack, cut off by The Devil Bouncer grabbing his throat. Quick-thinking Jack plunges meat into face, rubs it in with a grin and escapes up a lamp-post forthwith. Revealing his true form with a roar, the Devil attacks, just as Jack scrawls a cross in the post. “Gotcha now, Devil!” our drunk hero cries and strikes a deal with the Devil that, whenever he dies, Satan cannot take his soul. A long life of sin and debauchery passes, of swearing and drinking, so Heaven will never take Jack.

Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell (Yates’s), throwing a coal through the litter strewn doorway to send him on his way.

It was a cold night. Jack puts the coal in a hollowed out pumpkin to stop it going out. Since then Jack and his lantern have been stalking the streets, looking for a place to rest. That’s pretty much how it happened.

If you manage to escape the sugar-fuelled cannonballs of greed that will inevitably be knocking on your door and the students dressed as hookers staggering around town then we recommend the Green Door Store for Halloween. Local luminaries Tiger Cub will be headlining ‘Hallowiener’ playing Rated-R by Queens Of The Stone Age, supported by a local supergroup, including members of Claw Marks, Sealings, NOVELLA and Boneyards playing songs by The Cramps. Smashing.

Elsewhere, Tuesday has far too much to offer with Youth Lagoon’s metaphysical pop at The Haunt, scratch punk Waxahatchee at Green Door and post-rock/black metal crossovers Deafheaven at Sticky Mike’s.

In between, Nordic Giants return from their nationwide tour, book-ended by the release of their double EP ‘Build Seas/Dismantle Suns’, on Wednesday at Concorde 2. They will be playing with an orchestra. Holy moly.

Twitter @BrightonNoise