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NARC. Fest is this Saturday!
NARC. Fest takes place across 7 venues in the Ouseburn Valley area of Newcastle on Saturday 19th July. Here's the full line-up and comprehensive details on the festival - and remember - it's all FREE!
Adem
NARC. Presents – Adem, Cats In Paris, Black Flashes, Spencer McGarry Season, Spraydog, Jukebox DJ’s @ The Cluny
Headlining the festival as a whole (on stage at 11pm), Adem brings his beautiful songs and innovative arrangements to The Cluny in Newcastle for a very special performance, definitely one not to miss. Featured in NARC. back in April, Mancunians Cats In Paris are a curious bunch, fusing Broken Social Scene’s melodic tendencies with Deerhoof’s plain weirdness they’re a unique live act! Black Flashes is the new group from three ex-Kubichek! members, a riotous mix of exuberant synths and energetic guitars they’re exciting and invigorating. Spraydog surely need no introduction, one of the North East’s most treasured bands their mixture of loud drums, supple bass, fuzzy guitars and boy/girl vocals is a pleasure to listen to. Poised to release their 6th album soon, catch them at the top of their game. Ever Since The Lake Caught Fire will also bring their rock and roll thrills and spills to the table. DJ duties for the evening are taken on by Jukebox who will play a wide variety of electro and rock classics.
6pm – 12pm midnight (Adem onstage 11pm), free entry.
www.myspace.com/weareblackflashes
www.myspace.com/lakecaughtfire
www.myspace.com/jukebox_redrooms
Killing Suite Presents – Razmataz Lorry Excitement, Model Horror, Karoshi Bros, Moira Stewart, Cold Seat, DJ Finn @ The Cumberland Arms
The Killing Suite have done it again! Bringing you the best national, regional and local electro talent to one stage for NARC. Fest 08. This will be one big electro-fest(ival) of a party with freebies for all...including the second instalment of The Killing Suite ‘Team Offit Megamix’ featuring an exclusive track from each of the bands performing...Here’s the contenders:
Razmataz Lorry Excitement - THE LOCAL HERO
RLE has hit the scene like a barricade storming electro army after a string of fantastic low-key releases on Fake Dream records.
Model Horror - THE NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Based in Hertfordshire, five guys playing tronic-wired tunes! The band were cited as the best band of the week when they were featured in the NME Radar section earlier in the year.
Karoshi Bros – HEATON’S VERY OWN ELECTRO REVOLUTION
The band are being courted furiously by record companies the length of the country but, after parting company with the high flying Sony last year, are reluctant to sign away anything more than a single at a time...too right...this time they’re doing it their way.
Moira Stewart - BUT THE GEORDIE VERSION
After a sold out album launch last month, getting glitter banned from any future gigs at a venue that shall remain nameless, and also having a song used in the 'cult' TV show Skins, these guys are ones to watch...not just for their New Order meets Hot Chip-esque sound and beautifully crafted songs, but for sheer entertainment value and the full on party atmosphere they create!
Cold Seat - ELECTRO REGIONAL RIVALRY FROM SUNDERLAND
After gigs with the oh-so hot Crystal Castles, Tiger Picks and Kapt 10 Kurt, the fight is on to see which of the local derby teams can rival the might of southerners Model Horror.
DJ Finn
Finn is becoming a regular name on the North East clubbing scene, with residencies at Revenge @ The Red Rooms, The Ritz, Red Go Blue, Art House, Bernaccia and yours truly The Killing Suite. Expect to hear electro/electronica/indie-dance/disco-house...basically anything to do with beats, bleeps, phat basslines and a pair of decks.
6pm-10.30pm, free entry.
www.myspace.com/razmatazlorryexcitement
www.myspace.com/themodelhorror
www.myspace.com/moirastewartmusic
Jumpin' Hot Club/The Tyne Presents – AJ Roach, The Toy Hearts, Los Yobos, Ratty & The Shitkickers, Staggering Jon Lee & His Lo-Life Drifters, Shipcote & Friends, Caroline Mary, Mark Beserk, Jack Wilkinson @ The Tyne Bar
The Jumpin' Hot Club has put together a stellar line-up at The Tyne, headed up by country great AJ Roach.
In August of 2003, AJ Roach released his debut full-length album, Dogwood Winter, on his own New Folkstar Records label. The response to Dogwood Winter over the next three years – from hardened critics and music lovers alike – would be overwhelming. Legendary BBC Radio 2 personality Bob Harris would place Dogwood Winter in regular rotation on his weekend radio show and would later name the record as one of his year-end favorites. AJ’s sophomore effort, Revelation, debuted on the Euro-Americana chart at number 16 and quickly found it’s way to the number one spot.
Roach was raised in the deep hollows of mountainous Scott County, Virginia, home of such legendary acts as The Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers. Growing up, AJ was fed a steady diet of bluegrass and traditional mountain music that strongly flavors his own vivid and haunting, yet contemporary tunes.
In May of 2004, he was the winner in the general category of the coveted Chris Austin Songwriting award at MerleFest, placing him in the company of such seasoned veteran artists as Gillian Welch and up-and-comers like Tift Merritt and Adrienne Young.
Joining AJ on the ‘Yard Dog Country Alldayer’ are young country band The Toy Hearts, the fabulous Hot Western Swing Quintet Los Yobos, rockabilly sounds from Ratty & The Shitkickers, the J Richman meets Joy Division sounds of Staggering Jon Lee & His Lo-Life Drifters, gentle Geordie country songs from Shipcote & Friends, banjo picking songbird Caroline Mary, alt. folk songster Mark Beserk and mainstream country from Jack Wilkinson.
1pm-late, free entry
www.myspace.com/staggerin39jonlee
www.myspace.com/ladycarolinemary
Cuckoo’s Nest Presents – Hot Silk Pockets, Navvy, Shin Jin Rui, The Colt 45s, Them Amazing Babies @ Retreat at St Dominics
Over the past three and a half years, the strange collective of the Cuckoo's Nest have tried to bring the most exciting new music to Newcastle. Each gig is cultivated from the outset to be a unique and memorable experience, and their stage at this year’s festival will be no different. Headlining the stage are Hot Silk Pockets, who peddle exciting alt. pop with hints of Blondie and Love Is All. Their charming electro fuzz is guaranteed to delight! Sub-headlining are Navvy from Sheffield. Much like Angular Recordings label mates These New Puritans, Navvy are minimal and jarring, but have the ability to turn that abrasive wall of noise into perfect pop tunes much like the best moments of The Fall or Bis.
More local entertainment springs from the most incredible Shin Jin Rui, whose recent debut album is an unafraid soundtrack to all weak of knees and exploding of heart, loose bass strings, Coxon-esque melodies, and thunderous guitars. The Colt 45s bring their explosive and brilliant disaffected songs, a weirdly perfect hybrid of Sleater Kinney and Hadouken!.. can you imagine? And finally the loud and dark Them Amazing Babies, driving home frightening and wonderful Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Pavement inspired anthems…
There will also be several stalls of cakes, zines, a tombola, plus full venue decoration and party music from their hip little sister, the Caster Sugar Soundsystem.
6pm-10.30pm, free entry
www.myspace.com/hotsilkpockets
www.myspace.com/shinjinruinewcastle
www.myspace.com/themamazingbabies
Butterfly Cabinet Presents – Prince Rama Of Ayodhya, Magic Arm, Beth Jeans Houghton, Mary Hampton, Major Dawson @ The Tanners
White Cat Music is proud to host the The Butterfly Cabinet stage at this year’s NARC. Fest. The line-up features the best alt-slacker pop/contemporary folk and psychedelia for your listening pleasure.
Prince Rama Of Ayodhya - Prince Rama of Ayodhya (pronounced Prince RAHM of eye-OH-dee-yah) was spawned during the summer of 2007, growing with fomenting rapidity from the vernal heat of the Florida swamps, weaving melodies from the patterns of pine orchards and pre-Columbian artefacts, and tapping rhythms out of ancient trance techniques and chants. This is PROA’s first visit to the UK. There is an album due out imminently on Cosmos Recordings.
Magic Arm - Hailed by Iron & Wine's Samuel Beam as 'the master of the loop pedal', multi instrumentalist Marc Rigelsford, AKA the Manchester based Magic Arm, is set to release Widths And Heights on Switchflicker Records in July. Splendidly eclectic, Widths And Heights is a masterpiece of musicianship, with layers of sounds, bleeps and vocals all fighting for supremacy over eachother, yet working side by side to produce a playfully organic gem, whilst at the same time serving the best interests of pop music.
Beth Jeans Houghton – Local favourite and soon to be national favourite BJH has forged a sound that can only be described as alternative folky slacker-pop. With her debut EP out on Bird/Finders Keepers in July and appearances at The Green Man Festival and a spot supporting Bon Iver at Shepard’s Bush Empire in the near future, it would be a mistake to miss her at such an intimate venue.
Mary Hampton – Brighton-based songstress Mary Hampton’s debut album My Mothers Children has been described as – "songs, which recline with shimmering sensuality in various shady cloaks of weirdness...fragility, desolation and humour...scurrying around Dartmoor under cover of darkness" (Telegraph), "spectral and spartan...an exotic, gothic drama" (Q Magazine), and "rich in poetry and passion" (Record Collector) – need we say more?
Major Dawson – Another local favourite, Major Dawson aka John Nellist brings his unique alt. folk for one last time before he hangs his hat to concentrate on his new band Balao, not to be missed!
6pm-10.30pm, free entry
www.myspace.com/princeramaofayodha
www.myspace.com/bethjeanshoughton
EatDisco Presents – WARP & Wheels Instead Of Hooves, More Brains, Detroit City, Viva City DJ’s, plus EatDisco Residents @ The Ship
Having spent the best part of 2007 into 2008 building up EatDisco into one of the UK’s most exciting and important underground club nights (features in London’s Notion magazine, Chicago’s Trash Menagerie and VICE affirming this) promoters and resident DJ’s Paul P and The Ladies Gift (AKA Team Skull/Dead or just straight-up EatDisco DJ’s) have put together a storming event for NARC. Fest 08.
Bringing the combined talents of DJ’s James Nichols and Rich Workman (WARP/Wheels Instead Of Hooves) to the North East for the first time! Both Nichols and Workman have been at the forefront of London’s club scene for a number of years, promoting huge events such as Acid On The Sea which in 2007 featured a truly mind blowing set from Berlin’s Modeselektor as well as guests ranging from Aphex Twin through to Prince William.
Joining them will be the newest additions to the EatDisco roster, DJ team More Brains and Detroit City plus Viva City DJ and of course the residents themselves! Expect the best in cutting edge electro, house and techno with added elements of fashion and death.
6pm-12pm midnight, free entry
www.myspace.com/wheelsinsteadofhooves
Born Snapped Presents – The Laughing Windows, Sam And The Plants, The Eye Jab, Sunday School Adventure Club, Dot To Dots, Lanterns On The Lake, The Small Screen Light Show, Doug Shipton DJ @ The Star & Shadow Cinema
Celebrating their first birthday this summer, Born Snapped will be helming the Star & Shadow stage with a headline performance from Twisted Nerve-signed London psychedelic experimentalists The Laughing Windows. United by a love of Krautrock and Italian horror movies, and fronted by London based duo Luke Insect and Rob Polak the group take their name from a classic giallo movie, so you pretty much know how they're going to sound before they even take to the stage, but that doesn't make songs like last year's debut, Opel Hair, any less stunning. The tune is a slab of crumbly, slightly discordant, psychedelic mystery, the sort of wonky Germanic pop that Goblin re-interpreted so wonderfully in the 1970s giving it an Italian flair and humour it was impossible not to be endeared to. Despite channelling a range of otherworldly influences, The Laughing Windows add a sense of London to the tracks, and by the time their samples start flowing over dark analogue synthlines and tight drum breaks you'll be ready for the carnage. Adding their own weirdy tones will be labelmates Sam And The Plants and Finders Keepers/B-music DJ Doug Shipton. New XL signings The Eye Jab will be heading up the North East contingent alongside some of the very best acts from the region including Sunday School Adventure Club, Dot To Dots, and Lanterns On The Lake.
6pm-10.30pm, free entry
www.myspace.com/thelaughingwindows
www.myspace.com/samandtheplants
www.myspace.com/sundayschooladventureclub
You can pick up your copy of NARC from almost every music venue in the region as well as record shops, pubs and selected shops. For the full list see OUTLETS in the left panel
