Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Music News
We love a bit of Strange Victory here at Ultimate Ulster Towers*. The promoters have put on some of the most interesting concerts we’ve been to over the last 20 years – whether it makes them money or not. This time is sure to do well though for it’s not often a band as cool as SUUNS get to shine on these shores. The psych-rockers from Montreal were part of the Secretly Canadian set that took in acts as varied and out-there as Antony and the Johnsons, Jagjaguwar, Jens Lekman and Yoko Ono and like all the others they plough their own furrow. They moved to a more synth-based sound that channels Krautrock and electro but the threat of garage floats around like mist and they could get heavy at any point. It’s good. They play the Ulster Sports Club, Belfast, next Thursday (May 26) doors 7pm. Get down early to catch our own psychedelic superstars Junk Drawer in support. *Lonely box room in my house.
Another week, another reason to rock down to the Big House in Belfast. That’s right, SO:NI is back with a bang tonight at Ormeau Road’s Pavilion bar with North Down indie rockers Peace Evan playing their first headline slot with The Fake Flirtations, SO:NI debutantes Loss Of Signal (“feelgood pop-punk”) and pysch-garage band The Cornerstones – also making their debut. Doors 8.30pm, admission £6. Where else would you get it?
Gender Chores announced a gig at The American Bar with Kit Trigg and Brodie Milner filling (or is it thrilling?) out the roster. The punk trio, Sam, Sophie and AJ, released one of the most engaging singles of last year, a super-catchy broadside at crummy landlords called Night In The Woods. But they won’t have their normal line-up for the show on Saturday, June 11, tweeting: “We* are delighted to be joining Kit Trigg and Brodie Milner for some craic on June 11. *Except our Soph, who will be lounging on a beach in Barcelona listening to Peggy Gou – special guest guitarist TBA.” Who could it be?
What is it with rock stars getting their gear nicked? A fortnight ago The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe got about $50,000 worth (but largely irreplaceable) of rare vintage guitars stolen in Portland before cops recovered them at a murder scene. Now Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things’ Carl Barat has been relieved of two of his beloved vintage Gibson guitars which he described as having “an unfathomable amount of sentimental value” from a rehearsal space. It seems unlikely these instruments could be sold on without arousing suspicion in London and in theory they could even end up here. So on the offchance you come across some shady characters trying to offload a pair of beautifully aged Melody Makers, you know what to do – pass on my number and ask how much they want...