Brighton after dark: 29 July 2014

BEN BAILEY
on noise punk, earplugs, and Jurassic Park

Perfect Pussy (Green Door Store, Tues 29 July) were formed when singer, Meredith Graves, appeared as the singer of a ‘fake’ band in the 2012 John Cusack comedy, Adult World. After the film, the band kept playing together and it became ‘real’. Since then they’ve been making a lot of noise over in the States; they’re now bringing it to the UK as part of a European tour, with Joanna Gruesome in support.

You’d expect a band called Perfect Pussy to get a certain amount of attention, but the building buzz has far surpassed the threshold of name gimmicks – it’s the power of their notoriously loud noise punk that has got people talking. That, and the fact that the bass player threw his instrument over a bridge into a river at this year’s SXSW festival. Don’t forget your earplugs.

Le Galaxie (Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Weds 30 July) are not to be confused with the late ’80s American rock band, Galaxie 500, nor the Canadian garage rockers, Galaxie, who themselves were formerly known as Galaxie 500. Got that? This lot are based in Dublin, and although they too started as a rock band, the introduction of more and more electronic elements has morphed the band’s sound into something much more like dance music. They still use live instruments – they just combine them with hundreds of channels of laptop chicanery. What’s more, their end-of-set finales are known to include flying glow sticks and the triumphant strains of the Jurassic Park soundtrack. Something for everyone, then.

Originally a rock covers band called Highway Star – named after a Deep Purple song – Stiff Little Fingers (Concorde 2, Fri 1 Aug) – named after a Vibrators song – formed properly in 1977, when they discovered punk. Although growing up in Belfast meant the band was cut off from the London homeland of the punk scene, it also meant they were uniquely situated to direct their musical ire into accounts of their experiences of the Irish troubles. It was songs like ‘Alternative Ulster’ and ‘Suspect Device’ which ultimately led them to be dubbed ‘the Irish Clash’. Having reformed long ago in 1987, the band welcomed back their original bassist in 2006 when his replacement, The Jam’s Bruce Foxton, left to tour a series of tribute bands. Stiff Little Fingers, on the other hand, are currently touring an album of brand new songs – their tenth studio album.

Follow: @latestbrighton

Brighton Noise
Chris Kuzmiski on the week’s best gigs

After a long day perusing the estate agent section, you will need some ‘me time’. Why not get a little light-relief from one of these Brighton Noise approved gigs?

The hardest working people in Brighton, perhaps even the world – Cable Club Promotions have a typically sterling line up of local talent this Tuesday at The Prince Albert. If you are partial to a bit of classic rock/metal, you could do a lot worse than catch Erotion, Directors Cut and Diamonds in the Rough.

Throwing a curveball are Brighton’s psychedelic folksters Fieldoftrees. They’re frighteningly recent on the scene, but have an EP for us already. They will be launching it at the Hope on Wednesday, with support from the equally lovely Joymask, who’s turning in a special acoustic set. Nice.

On Thursday at The Hope is the somewhat abstractly named We Have Band. Appropriately, WHB are slightly off-kilter, a little kooky, but none-more-hook laden synthpop. Would it be a stretch to suggest it might be worth seeing them while they are playing small clubs? Why not. At the very least you will get a few new earworms to play endlessly in your head.

On Friday at Fitzherberts, indiepop darlings Frozy will be making a rare live appearance. Support comes from equally darling local types Men Oh Pause, The Middle Ones and of course King Of Cats. And, its free! Pretty good.

Also on Friday is a classic punk band at Concorde 2. It’s none other than Belfast’s finest, Stiff Little Fingers. Despite never quite becoming the household name they deserve to be, they can still fill a big room. You know why? Because they rock, every single time!

Putting our detective hats on, what should we expect from a band called Jack Rabbit Slim? Quiffs, bowling shirts, double bass. It’s feral rockabilly of course. Which as we all know is one of the best genres to witness live – Saturday, at The Prince Albert. And suitably following that, self-styled ‘Tarentino rock’ spectacular Arkansas Dust are bringing their low-slung Americana to The Latest Music Bar on Monday. You want a whole bunch of scuzzy, swampy blues thrown in your face of a Monday night, right?

Twitter: @BrightonNoise