Part Two of Getintothis‘ chat with the cats that make the Liverpool music clock tick, as they ring the bell for the sounds which mattered to them during the last 12 months.
Venya Krutikov: The Kazimier
Bit of a strange year, for Huyton-based Venya, or Ya, to his mates. Having given up his job as ‘visual merchandiser’ (window dresser) in Topman, he decided to devote all his energies into The Kazimier ‘brand’.
The ailing octogan needed a spruce up after a disastrous 2009 and things went from bad to worse when in March, an estimated five and a half thousand scallies ‘bumrushed’ the place in order to see Paul Gallagher‘s infamous DJ set.
‘We’ll never get involved in that type of fandango again,’ Ya, told Getintothis. ‘We knew Gallagher was a bit leftfield for Kazimier, but we had no idea how much appeal he had – the place was bouncing and when Clint Boon and Mani turned up unannounced we quickly realised we’d bitten off more than we could chew.‘
Fortunately, the rest of 2k10 passed off uneventfully, as Ya and the rest of the Kaz Krew turned the place into a daytime soup kitchen where mature students mixed with the unemployed in what local media described as ‘a commune with a heart.’
Venya’s Top 5 Albums of 2010:
1. Gonjasufi: A Sufi And A Killer
2. Matthew Dear: Black City
3. Caribou: Swim (Getintothis review of Caribou at the Kazimier)
4. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
5. Foals: Total Life Forever (Getintothis review of Foals at the Kazimier)
http://www.thekazimier.co.uk/
Matt Smith: Hive Collective
Aside from running electronic oddball cult, Hive, Matt’s 12 months have been entirely built around his Gonzo Iron Man Challenge scheduled for this April.
Taking place in Arizona, Matt informs us he’ll be swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running 26.2 miles – but as is always the case with the Arizona challenge – it’s not universally recognised within Iron Man classification – the Gonzo element takes form in the place of a naked mud slinging finale were contestants have to cross a wooden pole 100m in length as bare-breasted ladies hurl chunks of slop at the exhausted competitors.
‘I’m only doing it for a laugh,’ Matt chuckled down the blower to Getintothis. ‘My friends think I’m daft, but the jokes on them when they see naked women slinging shit at me – it’s every guy’s dream!‘
Matt’s Top 7″s of 2010:
1. Moon Duo: Motorcycle I Love You
2. Toro y Moi: Talamak
3. Forest Swords: Miarches
4. Factory Floor: Lying
5. Die Antwoord: Beat Boy
Matt’s Top 12″s of 2010
1. Caribou: Swim
2. Oneohtrix Point Never: Returnal
3. The Knife: Tomorrow, In A Year
4. Chris Carter: The Space Between (Reissue)
5. Hype Williams: Find Out What Happens When People Stop Being Polite, and Start Gettin Reel
Matt’s Top Gigs of 2010
Shackleton: Unsound, Krakow
Oni Ayhun: Unsound, Krakow
Low: Brudunell Social Club, Leeds
Dieter Moebius: Islington Mill, Salford
Mercy The Coooperative and loads of other fantastic DiY action in interesting spaces all over the city, long may it continue.
http://www.thehivecollective.co.uk/
Paula Stewart: The Masque Theatre
Avid Kop season-ticket holder, Paula, couldn’t have had a worse 12 months. Not only did her beloved football team go from bad to worse but her big past-time, horse riding, suffered a considerable knock when her four steeds were killed in tragic circumstances.
‘Every Friday I’d treat them to a curry; nothing too spicy, just a korma – or maybe a pasanda,’ Paula dribbled to Getintothis. ‘Then one Saturday, I went down the stables to see Len, Ben, Freddie and Eddie were just all lying down in a pool of creamy sick and four uneaten naan breads. I’ll never forget that image as long as I live.‘
Bad times. Getintothis predicts a brighter 2011 though, as Paula’s beloved Reds now have King Ken back in the hotseat and she’s recent switched horses for courses, studying A-Level philosophy. ‘It’s what I need – a clean break and something to take my mind off things.‘
Well in, Paula.
Paula’s Top 5 Tracks of 2010
1. The Vaccines If You Wanna
2. The Drums: Let’s Go Surfing
3. Sleigh Bells: Tell ‘Em
4. Young Rebel Set: If I Was
5. Hole: Skinny Little Bitch
Top 5 Gigs of 2010
Paula said: ‘Really, really hard to narrow this down. There were so many good bands and so many good gigs. I feel like I’m leaving out classics like Youngblood Brass Band, Delta Maid, Martha Tilston, Nick Ellis in Tabac, but these were the top 5…‘
1. Sugar Hill Gang: The Masque Theatre, Liverpool
2. Cast: O2 Academy, Liverpool
3. Blondie: The Apollo, Manchester
4. Tea Street Band: Heebie-Jeebies, Liverpool
5. That Fucking Tank/Hot Club De Paris, Binary Cell
Paula’s Memorable Moments of 2k10:
‘The highlight of the year for me was the anticipation of Beady Eye‘s download. I was literally wetting myself in excitement. The office said they’ve never seen me so manic. I told everyone I loved it because of my unfaltering love for Liam Gallagher, and I needed to keep up the front, but to be honest, it was pretty poor. This makes me feel like crying!
‘I’m most looking forward to the release of Delta Maid‘s album in 2011. Her EP was mega and her live shows are always amazing.‘
http://www.masque-liverpool.com
Dave Pichilingi: Liverpool Sound City
Dave – or Lingi to his mates – took it easy in 2010. After a mildly busy 2009, Lingi decided it was time to ‘take stock’ with Liverpool Sound City, cramming everything into a 24-hour period with just Peter Hooton, Ian McNabb and the bassist from Cast performing in what the national media described as a ‘conservative scouse love-in.’
‘I thought it worked,’ Dave told Getintothis. ‘Not only was it progressive but it retained that intimacy that the likes of Glastonbury and other so-called big festivals can’t produce.‘
Getintothis can’t wait to see what Liverpool Sound City 2011 throws up with Lingi touting the likes of Pink Floyd, Britney Spears and Captain Beefheart as potential headliners.
Dave’s End of Year spiel: ‘Album tracks would mean I have to listen to some albums beyond what I usually listen to, like the Velvet Underground, Joy Division, Talking Heads, The Jam, Television or Bowie – pre Let’s fu*kin Dance)! I guess of the new kids on the block – or new music by old bastards – I’m still listening to include Bon Iver, The Shins, The National, Edwyn Collins, Teenage Fanclub, Metronomy– and Laurel and Hardy DVD remastered collection.’ (Thanks, Dave, that was 2010, comprehensively covered – Getintothis Ed)
Getintothis coverage of Liverpool Sound City.
http://www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk/
Mike Deane: Liverpool Music Week
Mike’s 12 months were relatively eventful. After attempting, and failing to buy out Bill Kenwright, as main share holder of Everton Football Club, Mike ploughed all his money into South African hip-hop novelty band Die Antwoord. And despite, condescending guffaws of derision from his peers, Mike – or Mickey D to his mates – proved he was quickly on to a winner as the band became an overnight interweb sensation.
‘Look,’ Mike told Getintothis, sounding ever the Cowell protege, ‘People don’t have the insight into the mechanics and inner workings of the industry that I do. If Die Antwood don’t go giga-platinum in 2011 I’ll backflip down Bold Street in the buff – and believe you me, I do an impressive back flip.’
Away from Die Antwoord, Mike’s sideline Liverpool Music Week was hailed ‘absolutely average,’ by the Guardian with among others Kula Shaker, Sting and a Pavarotti v Run DMC (minus the dead one) DJ set the notable highlights.
Mike’s Top 10 Albums:
1. Warpaint: The Fool (Getintothis review)
2. Beach House: Teen Dream
3. Caribou: Swim
4. Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid (Getintothis review)
5. Darwin Deez: Darwin Deez
6. Forest Swords: Dagger Paths (Getintothis review)
7. Fang Island: Fang Island (Getintothis review)
8. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today (Getintothis review)
9. Foals: Total Life Forever
10. Owen Pallett Heartland
Mike’s Top 10 Gigs of 2010:
1. Warpaint: The Kazimier, Liverpool
2. The xx: The Kazimier, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
3. Darwin Deez: Mojo, Liverpool
4. Wild Beasts: The Kazimier, Liverpool
5. Villagers: The Kazimier, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
6. Tallest Man on Earth: St Phillips Church, Manchester
7. Efterklang: O2 Academy, Liverpool
8. Liars: Static Gallery, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
9. Miike Snow: The Masque Theatre, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
10. Yeasayer: Leeds Faversham
http://www.liverpoolmusicweek.com/
Gary McGarvey: Horse Designs
Gary developed what is commonly known in the artistic world as Van Gogh Syndrome in 2010. Of course he didn’t fall in love with one of his contemporaries, nor did he cut off his ear – or any other limb – but what he did do was develop an accute love of a specific inanimate object. In Van Gogh’s case it was a chair, in Gary’s it was a Pentel Graphgear drafting pencil.
What began as a slight fixation (Gary was seen chewing, stroking, sucking his pencil at gigs, in pubs etc) turned worrying when he was caught talking to it in one of Static Gallery‘s upstairs creative units.
‘I’m over it, Gary candidly told Getintothis. ‘People made a big thing out of nothing. All artists develop relationships with their medium – Lucy – my pencil – was just a phase, people made a mountain out of lead-based molehill.‘
Getintothis talks to Gary McGarvey.
Gary’s Top 5 Albums of 2010:
1. The Redneck Manifesto: Friendship
2. Adebisi Shank: This is the 2nd album by a band called…
3. Continuous Battle of Order: Pattern Seekers
4. Warpaint: Exquisite Corpse EP
5. Emeralds: Does It Look Like I’m Here (‘After missing them at ATP, I listened and then grieved that I had done!‘)
Gary added: ‘Two of these bands here are Irish which has been churning the bands out the past year or two. This has been a hard year for me to write this up as I’ve been delving through old German and Japanese archives and listening to some really obscure stuff, building up my krautrock collection and getting to grips with the origins of noise music.
‘Saying that, drone, math rock, prog, post-rock is always gonna be grabbing my attention which is reflected in my top five. The Redneck Manifesto are one of the most under-rated bands Ireland has ever produced.‘
http://www.youresomehorse.com/
Getintothis Liverpool heads part one.
Getintothis‘ Albums of 2010
