Oliver Farrimond

Two Drummers Drumming

Where’s the six geese a laying and the five gold rings?

21 Aug 2008

Have you heard the one about the drummer? Maurice Bacon and Mathew Priest have, and they’re sick of it. Stick-bashing veterans of two notable bands of the 60s and 90s, they’ve brought their ‘Two Drummers Drumming’ show to this year’s Fringe to dispel…

It Ain't All Bollywood

Confused, overwrought look at mental health issues

14 Aug 2008

Part of this year’s InvAsian programme of Asian performance, It Ain’t All Bollywood depicts the trials and tribulations of Kiran, who has descended into an escapist fixation with Bollywood films following the death of her father. As a result, she…

The Automatic - This is a Fix

14 Aug 2008

ALT.PUNK (B-Unique) What a difference one little personnel change can make. After ousting squawk-happy keyboardist Alex Pennie, The Automatic drafted in Paul Mullen of the criminally-underrated yourcodenameis:milo, and his influence has leant the…

Exposure: Dan Black

18 Feb 2009

Of all the burgeoning talent waiting to dethrone 2008's vapid chart-botherers, Dan Black is perhaps the most intriguing. He strikes a pose somewhere between Jane's Addiction and Calvin Harris; a charismatic dancefloor-botherer unwilling to sacrifice pop…

Chiodos - King Tut's, Glasgow, 2nd February 2009

10 Feb 2009

King Tut's is a little sparse tonight. This is not entirely Chiodos' fault. There's a blizzard outside and this is a 14+ gig on a school night. Perhaps it's the recession to blame? The signs are all there – opening act Sonny Moore has had his funding…

Exposure: Passion Pit

2 Feb 2009

Penning a song for your girlfriend on Valentine's Day – the dictionary definition of a high risk/high reward scenario. Setting the bar impossibly high is Michael Angelakos, a songwriter from Cambridge, Massachusetts who did just this, and now finds…

Exposure: Crystal Antlers

27 Jan 2009

Commentators on the UK clubbing scene have made a curious prediction about what to expect on 2009's dancefloors. Apparently we can look forward to more specialisation, with greater stylistic promiscuity (ragga-house anyone?) and the further subdivision…

Midnight Juggernauts

Aussie trio hit the disco highway

21 Aug 2008

In the past few months, the globetrotting Midnight Juggernauts have toured with Bloc Party, been featured in stroppy lifestyle bible Vice and even cooked for Justice – friends in high places to be sure. While not the latest act to attempt to infuse rock…

Minotaur Shock - Amateur Dramatics

21 Aug 2008

There’s a pleasing, almost literary, conceit to this album. Bristol-based electronica artist Minotaur Shock – otherwise known as David Edwards – has given each downloadable track a pricing guideline corresponding to various criteria of his own choosing.

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

21 Aug 2008

This has been a while coming. With the recent flutter of cerebral pop acts with one eye firmly on the dancefloor, it was only a matter of time before the once-ubiquitous cowbell worked its way back into the mix – DFA would approve. This record bursts at…

Potted Pirates

Hilarity on the high seas

14 Aug 2008

Sensible pirate devotee Jeff just wants to give a serious, educational lecture about famous pirates. His crewmate Dan, while also a fellow fan of all things swashbuckling, has a different approach. An enthusiast of the Jack Sparrow variety of privateer…

James Campbell's Shut Up Stupid

Scatalogical comedy with scenes of mild peril

14 Aug 2008

James Campbell's latest offering calls itself a 'black experimental comedy', and you'd be right for wondering if this is suitable for children. Much effort has gone into scripting the warped chronology and fourth-wall antics of the plot, but they're…

Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

14 Aug 2008

ELECTRO (Infected) The cover art sums them up nicely: Late of the Pier are a heady pastiche of their influences. They flip from the sticky rock-fuzz eccentricism of Muse to the nostalgic clunk of Gary Numan’s vampiric electro, and back again, without…

Transient

14 Aug 2008

Theatre group Goose, Goose, Gander brings a claustrophobic exploration of the fractured geography of postwar Germany to this cramped cellar venue. But, once the novelty of the setting wears off, the narrative overstays its welcome. Despite this, a…

Please Don’t Feed The Models

14 Aug 2008

Preview-weekend jitters and some ill-judged characterisations hamper what would otherwise be a decent Fringe debut for former international model Sara Standring. She demonstrates some acting versatility, but her attempts to tackle some of the more…

Jaguar Love - Take Me to the Sea

7 Aug 2008

ALT.ROCK (Matador Records) Formed from the ashes of Seattle art-punk luminaries Pretty Girls Make Graves and Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love consists of veteran squawker Johnny Whitney, former bandmate Cody Votolato and Jay Clark. As the creative force…