Bat for Lashes, Brighton

Just a few months ago it was the Brighton Dome’s smaller and less atmospheric neighbour, the Corn Exchange that Natasha Khan and her band, Bat for Lashes were packing out. Now, with the second album Two Suns surely high in many a critic’s “top albums of the year” lists, a second Mercury Award nomination under her belt and even more loyal followers in tow, Natasha Khan has certainly taken her band to the next level. Despite the acclaim, Natasha is the same endearing creature she’s always been. When she addresses her home crowd, it’s with her disarmingly soft, sweet voice and her dance moves remain understated and perfectly fitting for the music . . .

The set includes many songs from Two Suns, with the single Daniel causing the adoring crowd to dance and cheer their way through most recent single Pearl’s Dream and into What’s A Girl To Do from Khan’s first album, Fur and Gold . . .

On the whole, I wouldn’t say this was a gig to vent your frustrations at the world and dance and thrash around like a thing possessed, rather it was a gig to allow the audience the time, space and stimuli to take a step back from reality and enter the strange, dark, uplifting, melodic world of Bat for Lashes. Personally, I would loved to have seen the band amidst the gothic arches of Brighton's Concorde 2 venue, I feel it would have suited the mood so much more - but I fully understand that the bigger venue was needed for this stage in the career of Bat for Lashes . . .

Please check out our clip of Bat for LAshes performing Daniel at the Brighton Dome, thanks to ShoegazerVideo, and let us know what you think and if you were there!

words&photos&video: Claire B of Shoegazer

Jack Penate

Jack Penate – iTunes Festival 2009, The Roundhouse

Gig Experience: 3.7.09 Roundhouse, Camden. iTunes Festival
Album review: Everything is New

I’m loathed to call these reviews... because one person’s experience at a live show can differ dramatically from the next. So please bare in mind that whenever we write about live gigs here on Shoegazer Music, we are writing “Experiences” rather than “Reviews”. Ok? Got that? Good!

Jack’s back in London after a busy start to the year which has seen him release Everything Is New, the follow up to his 2007 debut album Matinee. There’s no sign of “difficult second album” blues here, with pretty much every song worthy of being released as catchy, infectious and heartfelt stand-alone Singles. In the run up to the release of the album we had Let’s all Die, Tonight’s Today, Be the One and others enticing us in to Planet Penate. Now, with the album’s arrival we’re treated to brilliant songs such as Everything is New, Give Yourself Away and Pull My Heart Away. The album is worth every penny with not a filler track in sight. Development is the word of the day here, with Jack Penate proving the catchy rhythms of Matinee weren’t just a lucky fluke. His song writing has developed with numbers such as Pull My Heart Away and Body Down being bluesy in a perfectly Penate way.

And so to the live show, part of this year’s iTunes Festival where fans apply for tickets via Facebook/iTunes and are awarded them for free. Taking place at Camden’s Roundhouse on a warm and hazy sunny evening, Jack was supported at the gig by the Golden Silvers (last seen by Shoegazer supporting Florence & the Machine in Brighton). Their song True Romance is catchy and well worth checking out.

Prior to taking the stage, our man Jack could be spied relaxing on the roof terrace in the evening sun as excited fans mingled with those who had applied out of curiosity, and those who had simply applied for a great night out for the price of a tube ticket.

As Jack took to the stage, the crowd greeted him with rapturous applause as he confessed at how he hadn’t played his hometown of London for a while but that it was good to be back. Bursting through a set which included old favourites such as Torn on the Platform, Spit at Stars and Run for your Life, Jack was joined on stage by Kid Harpoon half way through the set to perform Give Yourself Away (“AYA YA-YA YA YA YA YA YAAAAA YAAAAAAA,” sorry, couldn’t contain it.) It says something for the quality of the new material that it by far outshone the old favourites.
In all, a really great gig and a fantastic album.

(Images: ClaireB of Shoegazer)

Check out video footage of Jack Penate with special guest Kid Harpoon performing Give Yourself Away, thanks to ShoegazerVideo: