LIVE: Baby In Vain – Camden Assembly, London 09.10.17

Copenhagen trio Baby In Vain brought their dueling guitars, corrosive vocals and manic percussion to Camden Assembly on Monday night, and they took us ‘To Heaven and Back’. We’ve been following Andrea, Lola, & Benedicte since they released their EP For The Kids in 2016, and we’re hooked on their achingly cool sounds.

After the polished performance of support act Do Nothing, the girls took to the stage and kicked things off with ‘To Heaven and Back’, the lead single from their debut album More Nothing, which was released on Partisan Records earlier this year. Fans of the record were spoiled for choice when it came to the set list, which featured the swirling goodness of their latest single ‘Low Life’, a mesmerizing rendition of ‘Transcendent’, the melodic ‘Last Of The Turner Girls’ and the abrasive glory of ‘Not For You’.

Baby In Vain’s performance style is as captivating and eclectic as the tracks they’ve produced, and our only criticism is that they didn’t play the mind-melting ‘Martha’s View’, the lead single from For The Kids. The jagged synths on ‘The Urge’ and the visceral glory of ‘Jesusfreaks’ live however, acted as fair compensation for this oversight. Their current UK tour ends on October 21st in Oxford, so don’t miss out on your chance to see one of the coolest live bands around. Grab your tickets here.

Follow Baby In Vain on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Charlotte Carpenter – ‘Shelter’

“I feel like I’m becoming more aware, more confident and sure of who I am as a woman and a musician” says Charlotte Carpenter of her new track ‘Shelter’, and after listening to and watching the accompanying video for the single: we couldn’t agree more.

The song is taken from her upcoming EP of the same name, which is due to be released both digitally and on vinyl on October 20th. ‘Shelter’ is an immersive, cathartic, blues-soaked listen that promises to “lay with you, but never keep you still”. Charlotte is touring the UK throughout October, so check out what date you can make below and grab a ticket to see her live here.

Charlotte Carpenter October 2017 UK Tour Dates

Thursday 5th October – The Bodega Nottingham (with Sam Brookes)
Friday 6th October – CCA, Glasgow (with Jarrod Dickenson)
Sunday 8th October – BBC Amplify
Monday 23rd October – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
Tuesday 24th October – Open, Norwich
Wednesday 25th October – Star Inn, Guildford
Thursday 26th October – Record Junkee, Sheffield
Friday 27th October – The Cookie, Leicester
Sunday 29th October – Surf Cafe, Tynemouth (free entry)
Wednesday 1st November – St Pancras Old Church, London

Pre-order the Shelter EP here, and follow Charlotte Carpenter on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: The Pretenders – Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, 08.10.17

This shamelessly flattering review is probably the kind of review that would make vocalist and guitarist Chrissie Hynde heave, but The Pretenders aren’t just ‘Special’ – they’re fucking incredible. Die hard fans and newbies were hooked on their timeless rock tunes at their Hammersmith Apollo gig on Sunday night.

Walking on to the stage in a dazzling sequin blazer, Chrissie Hynde kicked off proceedings with ‘Alone’, the title track from The Pretenders’ latest album and an anthem that champions independence. Original drummer Martin Chambers smashed away on his kit in a vest that read “cocaine & caviar”, while stood up front with Hynde were the equally as cool bassist and guitarist. It didn’t just sound like rock and roll, it looked and felt like it too.

Unpretentious and unapologetic, Hynde’s between-song observations were delivered with the slickness of a stand-up comic. She said she wouldn’t name drop as she mentioned Dan Auerbach, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young – and Labour MP Angela Eagle who ran to the front to join in the party as the band began playing ‘Back On The Chain Gang’. Security tried to guide fans back to their seats unsuccessfully and Hynde was more than happy to aid their anarchy: “I’m 65 and I can barely stand, if they wanna stand up, let them! – Okay, I’m 66.”

If fans weren’t dancing and cheering at the front with Hynde, they were applauding her from a distance, and something which warranted a standing ovation was her mid-song take down of a fan filming the band. There were notices throughout the venue asking fans not to record the show on their smart phones, but several people ignored the request until Hynde reprimanded an individual about ignoring the policy. She (quite rightly) reminded everyone that live music is about dancing and having a scrap, before reassuring security “if anything bad happens, you can sue me.”

The band proceeded to tear through classic tracks ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, ‘I’ll Stand By you’, ‘I Hate Myself’ and a superb rendition of ‘Tequila’, which Chrissie proclaimed to be the first ever Pretenders song. It was clear from the crowd’s reactions to lesser known songs however, that this gig was more than a greatest hits record played live. Chrissie handed over her mic to an eager fan who wanted to tell the venue about the time she took her 16 year old sister to her first Pretenders gig decades ago, and now they were both back watching the band together again. Hynde labelled the memory “Heartwarming” before continuing to sound impeccable whilst singing and playing guitar & harmonica throughout the set.

The band performed a double encore before closing the night with the inimitable ‘Brass In Pocket’, proving that The Pretenders are still as vital and adored now as they were in 1978. If you ever get the chance to see them live, take it – and leave your smart phone in your pocket where it belongs.

The Pretenders latest album Alone is available now.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Dog In The Snow – ‘Child’

There are few things in life as satisfying as repeating the line “Fuck your TV family” in time with Helen of Dog In The Snow on her new track ‘Child’. Through measured synths and vocals, the Brighton-based musician “comes to terms with the mixed expectations of women’s roles in society,” and the accompanying video is reflective of the cold clinical nature forced domesticity often brings.

Dog In The Snow’s debut album Consume me will be released on October 20th, and Helen will be playing two live dates to celebrate. First up will be a free gig at The Waiting Room in London on October 25th, followed by a hometown show in Brighton on the 28th at The Basement.

Part protest song and part tongue-in-cheek observation, ‘Child’ sounds like a Handmaid’s Tale-meets-Bjork hybrid. Watch the video for the single below.

Follow Dog In The Snow on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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