Brighton after dark: 4 March 2014

Sade Ali turns her attention to house parties

Top things never to do at a house party!
Brightonion or not I can guarantee you have all been to a house party or ‘after party’. Brighton is known for its extravagant nightlife and if you know the place well enough you know that if there is an after party ravin’ it’s going to be a night to remember. There are just a few tips I am going to share with you to save you from embarrassment…

DON’T DRINK RED LIQUIDS!
Carpets or no carpets, there is always going to be some form of material around you and there is nothing worse than spilling your drink and it leaving a stain. You don’t want to earn the nickname ‘red wine guy’ and have the reputation of being the ‘drink spiller’

IF IT’S FANCY DRESS…DRESS UP!
Don’t be the loser standing in the corner in jeans and a t-shirt saying you didn’t know it was fancy dress. Everybody knew, and everybody knows you knew too. Even worse, don’t throw on a pair of sunglasses, draw on your face and try to pass yourself off as a ‘raver’. Rubbish costumes are worse than no costume. You WILL be ridiculed behind your back. You and the ‘red wine guy’ WILL be judged. So just dress up and have fun!

DON’T MAKE A SCENE
Whether it’s throwing up, dancing on the sofa (which by the way are not for standing on), or using beds that aren’t your own for personal sexy times, you do not want to be the person to make a scene. And if your ex shows up with a new partner, be the bigger person. Nobody wants the screaming match of broken hearts to ruin their night. And if you’re the person that embarrassed yourself last time, eyes are ALREADY on you, so behave! Also proving you know all the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody is never cool. EVERYBODY KNOWS ALL THE LYRICS TO BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY!

DON’T TAKE OVER THE MUSIC
Quite often, being under the influence will have you thinking that you’re the next ‘Fatboy slim’. You’re not. You’re just an embarrassment with a lot of vodka in your stomach. Playing music at a house party is a big responsibility, and you could very easily mess it up. Crowds could clear, people could stop smiling, people may even just shout at you that you’re rubbish. Opt for more socially acceptable party music, don’t take risks, stick with the trends, and the vibe will stay solid. Also you should never quote ‘I should be a DJ’. Whether you’re good or not no-one really cares, they are just as drunk as you. You don’t want to spend your night in the corner with ‘the red wine guy’ and the dude that didn’t dress up!

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Brighton Noise

James McLarnon on the week’s best gigs
This week is dominated by the return of my favourite female artist of recent times, Anais Mitchell (Komedia, Tuesday, £14.) The Vermont-born singer-songwriter has been on an incredible run since the turn of the decade.

‘Hadestown’ is a folk opera set in the Great Depression. It’s based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and features Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver)‚ and Mitchell as the lead roles of a star-studded cast. Universally lauded on release, it marked the end of her apprenticeship in the folk-country scene and her breakout to a more diverse audience, receiving a rare 10/10 from UK based indie-website Drowned in Sound.

Expectations were exorbitantly high for her follow-up ‘Young Man In America’, released in 2012, but Mitchell surpassed them easily. This personal album may be understated in comparison to its predecessor, but it is nonetheless intelligent, beautiful, majestic and poignant. The song writing is exceptional and Mitchell’s Parton-meets-Lauper voice proved itself more than capable of carrying a record after the ensemble of Hadestown. The critics adored it again, most notably The Independent on Sunday who gave it a 5/5 review.

She excels in the live arena, be it with a full band as at the Blind Tiger in 2012, or with frequent collaborator Jeffson Hamer, as demonstrated at an acoustic show in the same venue last year. Her performance will remain wonderfully intimate at The Komedia, so expect tears and smiles from the audience.

It’s a good week for bigger gigs: pre-punk new wave veterans The Stranglers (Dome, Thursday, £24.50) make their annual springtime visit to Brighton, so expect a hit packed set including ‘Golden Brown‚ and ‚‘No More Heroes’. Brighton based Rizzle Kicks (Brighton Centre, Friday, £17.50) play with the promising M.I.A.-like Bang, Bang, Bang supporting. In addition, fans of Fleetwood Mac should love Haim (Dome, Friday, £16.50.)

There are some great cheaper thrills to be had as well, Trans (Green Door Store, Saturday, £8) is a collaboration between Bernard Butler of Suede and James Mckeown of Yummy Fur. Their ‘Red’ EP is an aural treat. Local noiseniks P for Persia (Bermuda Triangle, Wednesday, £3) make a welcome return in their first gig of the year. Finally, free gig of the week goes to Lutine (Wednesday, Brighton Arts Club), a minimal blend of vocal harmonies with quirky instrumentation.

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