WE’D LIKE TO THANK….
Well guys, it’s been an emotional few months, and S&D 2010 was definitely one to remember!
We would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone involved…… in particular to our sponsors KR3W, G-Shock, Diesel, Sailor Jerry’s, Beck’s and Red Bull, our charity partner War Child, all the fantastic artists, venues, promoters, media partners, volunteers, and especially all of you who attended the festival and made it such a memorable weekend!!
We hope we see you all again next year, and in the meantime, sign up to the S&D newsletter to receive exclusive news of 2011 coming soon!
NICE TANLINES
Need something to brighten up your Wednesday night? Look no further than this Tanlines gig at CAMP tomorrow. We’ve got some special £5 concession spaces left – just drop us a line on staganddagger@margaretlondon.com to get your name on the list, or you can buy at seetickets here.
LONDON: TICKET COLLECTION & SALES INFORMATION
Well kids, the day has finally arrived!! We can hardly believe it ourselves…. Just so we all know what’s what later this evening, have a gander at this, like:
Pre-bought tickets (from Seetickets, Resident Advisor or record stores) must be exchanged at: Corbet Place, Truman Brewery, EC1, between 6-10pm.
For Ticket Sales / Press / Guest and Concession List go to: Hearn Street Car Park, Hearn Street, EC2, between 6pm-10pm.
Ticket sales will continue until 1am (or until they sell out) at Hearn Street Car Park.
Unlike scenes at polling stations in Hackney South & Shoreditch a couple of weeks ago, we promise to try and do a better job of handling the queues…
Both locations are marked on the maps that can be viewed on the venues page or in the programme (which you can download now!) and both ticket collection points will also be clearly signposted from all neighbouring Tube stations and main roads.
See you on the dancefloor!
LONDON LINE-UP: STAFF PICKS
As with any festival, you’re bound to have a list of bands you’re intending to check out, but what about the gaps in-between? Or perhaps there are several acts that you’ve been hearing good things about, but you’re struggling to decide between them? Well, maybe this’ll help. Here’s some of our picks, straight from the Stag & Dagger offices. Our best tip, though? Go and check out some new bands that you’ve never seen before. Who knows – like all those who were lucky enough to witness the likes of The XX playing last year’s festival, this time next year you could be bragging to all your mates about some of the bands you saw before everyone and David Cameron’s mum caught on.
Our Top 5:
BANJO OR FREAKOUT
Ultra-emotive electronic soundscapes from a man who performs juggling acts with the multitude of instruments, pedals and synths he brings to the live stage in addition to his laptop. Not literally of course, although that would be impressive. Animal without the Collective.
Banjo Or Freakout play the Sexbeat stage @ Cafe 1001 at 11:30pm
COMANECHI
The Dalston-based duo display a mesmerising post-punk dichotomy, with Simon Petrovitch’s drone-grunge guitar riffs and mostly-static stage presence providing the ultimate contrast to Akiko Matsura’s visceral drumming and raw, uncompromising vocals. But amongst all the bravado and ferocious bravado are moments of equally raw emotion and vulnerability – their debut single “My Pussy” is a childhood tale about the loss of a kitten. Seriously. Expect the unexpected.
Comanechi play the Feeding Time stage, Downstairs @ CAMP at 9:20pm
DOPPLEREFFEKT
In the age of the internet, and when Justin Bieber simply mentioning what he had for breakfast creates enough web traffic to crashTwitter server, any band that maintains a level of anonymity is worthy of respect. Even more so, however, when they’ve been doing it for over 15 years and they’re also one of the most legendary producers of Detroit Techno in the world. The whole “riddle within an enigma” thing may as well have been created just for these guys. We can’t even say ‘expect the unexpected’ here because we really don’t have a clue – all we know is that we wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Dopplereffekt play the Blogger’s Delight vs. Allez Allez stage @ Hearn Street Car Park at 12:30am
FM BELFAST
Iceland has had a lot to answer for in recent weeks – responsible for thousands of cancelled holidays, stranded tourists and plenty of general chaos and disruption. Just as well they can make it up to us then, as Icelandic electronica act FM Belfast won’t let mere volcanic ash stop them from tearing up London’s dance-floors with their since-fuelled, angst-ridden tracks of urban claustrophobia. Karma.
FM Belfast play the Club.The.Mammoth stage @ The Hobby Horse at 10:30pm
PRIMARY 1
Primary 1, aka British singer-songwriter/producer Joe Flory, should be a bona-fide pop star by now. He’s been responsible for some of the best pop/club crossover hits of the last few years, be it The Shoes’ remix of his track, “Hold Me Down”, released in 2008 on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label, or his collaborations with Riton last year (“Who’s There” and “Radiates”), both of which ended up in the top tracks list of every DJ worth their salt. There’s going to be no stopping him in 2010 though – new single “Princess” is without a doubt one of the best pop songs you’ll hear all year. The clubs have already taken note, the charts are next.
Primary 1 plays the Adventures In The Beetroot Field (in association with Time Out) stage @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen at 9:45pm
STAG & DAGGER CLOUDCAST #10
With the London leg of Stag & Dagger a mere 24 hours away, today’s mix marks the last in our series of 10 exclusive Cloudcasts that we’ve been releasing weekly in the lead up to the festival. There’s no time for tears though, as this mix is a celebration of another heavyweight collaboration, as regular Stockholm/London clubnight Top Nice join forces with the Off Modern collective of artists, writers and curators – the leading promoters of all things art/literature/music in the South East London area.
The result? Top Off. (Obviously). Not the most creative portmanteau you’ll ever hear, but their combined eclecticism more than makes up for it – their stage, at The Book Club, not only features “live Gameboy dancehall DJs” Hyper Black Bass, but also upcoming producer Sampha, Berlin-based pop artist Molly Nilsson, and a live photo-stream by Ivo Gormley & Gery Georgieva. There will of course also be residents from both Off Modern and Top Nice manning the decks, including the latter’s own Louis Enchanté, responsible for this week’s mix, “Made For Ravin’”, which is a thrilling ride through Hardcore circa 1991 and mid-‘90s Ghetto House, topped off (see what I did there?) with a track from the UK bass scene’s DJ du jour, Deadboy, who you’ll also be able to catch on Friday night at FACT’s stage at Scrutton Street Studios.
SET-TIMES FOR ALL VENUES NOW AVAILABLE
If you look to the navigation menu to your left, you’ll see that we’ve uploaded the programmes for both legs of Stag & Dagger ahead of London tomorrow (!) and Glasgow on Saturday. For those of you who like to plan ahead, it’s the perfect opportunity to figure out your schedule for the night, plan out the fastest routes between venues, and decide whether you’ll need to bring your running shoes. More realistically though, you can get a vague idea of how many pints you’ll be able to get in at each venue before you stumble off to the next must-see band. Alternatively, when another drink seems more appealing than that 30 second walk down the road to the next venue, you might just decide to stay put. We won’t judge.
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS…
…and all we got was this lousy interview. *rimshot*
Influenced by the likes of label-mates and compatriots Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, emotionally-charged indie-rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks are one of most hotly-tipped bands to come out of Scotland’s rock scene as of late. And if you want to know why, you need only check them out when they play in front of what is sure to be an incredibly enthusiastic home crowd at ABC1 on the 22nd, at the Glasgow leg of Stag & Dagger. They may have declined to tell us who exactly it was that promised them jetpacks (clearly still a sore issue), but all other questions were fair game – here are their answers for your perusal.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
For more than 7 years – we started when we were in high school.
You’re from Edinburgh originally but then relocated to Glasgow – you’ll be feeling completely at home at Stag & Dagger in Glasgow then?
Yeah, pretty much. We lived in Glasgow for four years and played everywhere. ABC1 will be a blast.
What’s your schedule like for the festival season this summer?
We’re mostly doing festivals in Europe. We did one in Groningen last week which was great fun, and we have a few more more booked. It’s much better than a proper tour again as we get to stay home and write some songs.
Your gigs are known for being very loud. Have you ever had any complaints?
One or two complaints, but that’s when you know that it’s loud enough.
You’ve drawn comparisons with other Scottish bands like Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad. Do you think this is just down to geographic proximity or is there a specific ’sound’ coming out of Scotland that links you all together?
I don’t know actually. I don’t think us three bands sound at all alike, but people keep mentioning it so perhaps we do? It’s hard to tell! We love those bands though, so we’re pretty grateful to be mentioned in the same breath.
You toured America earlier this year, how was that as an experience?
Exhilarating, exciting and exhausting.
Did you have any accent-related issues with making yourself understood out there?
No not really. That’s a common question for some reason, but no, never!
What else can we expect from We Were Promised Jetpacks in 2010?
Hopefully enough new songs for new a record in 2011!
G-SHOCK COMPETITION
We’ve joined forces with our sponsors G-SHOCK, to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the London leg of this year’s festival, plus an exclusive watch and EX-G1 camera, the world’s slimmest shock resistant digital camera, to use on the night. Not only that, but the winner’s photographs, taken with the EX-G1 camera, will be published on the S&D website!
To enter, all you need to do is send your name and telephone number to gshock@margaretlondon.com before Wednesday 19th May.
STAG & DAGGER CLOUDCAST #9
We’re coming at you with another 2-hit combo this week, with two (we’re too good to you) guest mixes from Blogger’s Delight vs. Allez Allez, who will be hosting Hearn Street Car Park, one of our new venues this year, with Simian Mobile Disco and Dopplereffekt guaranteed to turn it into one of the more memorable warehouse raves of the year. On the surface, the two acts might look as if they inhabit two different ends of the electronic music spectrum – Simian Mobile Disco of course hugely successful worldwide since their formation in 2005, whilst Dopplereffekt have kept themselves painstakingly out of the limelight despite having been active for at least 10 years longer! Nevertheless, they both share the same loving, almost scientific approach to all things both analogue and digital, and it’s no surprise that there’s lots of mutual respect between the two acts. Expect fireworks when they combine next Friday.
And Blogger’s Delight and Allez Allez have also linked up to produce 2 mixes that display a similarly exciting combination of all things electronic, underlined by a clear appreciation and knowledge of the genre that is obvious throughout both.
The Blogger’s Delight mix will give you a taster of what to expect at Hearn Street, with 2 tracks from Dopplereffekt and a new track from headliners Simian Mobile Disco, as well as some great tunes from the likes of Der Zyklus and Extrawelt. It’s electronic music, but with a focus very much on the experimental side of things. Eclecticism is the order of the day for the Allez Allez mix too – even when big names like Boys Noize and The Knife do pop up, it’s in the form of Chilly Gonzales’s piano-only cover of the former, and the latter’s foray into avant-garde nu-opera. That’s on top of orchestral-electronica from The Young Gods and visceral synth-punk from OP:L Bastards. 2 stunning mixes, what more could you ask for?
WICHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY & DAM MANTLE INTERVIEW
Wichita Recordings are turning 10, and what better way to celebrate than by taking over The Old Blue Last for a party with friends, family, and one of the most exciting line-ups of bands that you’re likely to see in a while? That’s right – Wichita are hosting a stage at Stag & Dagger as part of their ongoing 10th Anniversary celebrations, and it looks likely to be one of the highlights of the night.
First up on the bill is Dam Mantle – a Glasgow-based producer, whose brand of ambient, lo-fi electronica is characterised by a miscellany of analogue instruments and creative sampling. It’s a sound that transcends scenes – you’re as likely to hear it booming out of the soundsystem of a packed club as you are in a tiny independent record shop. We’ve even been lucky enough to interview him, which you can read below.
Next up are Cold Pumas, who borrow from the best of no-wave and punk-rock to make tracks characterised by relentless driving repetition. But repetitive does not mean boring in this case, each track is a masterclass in tension-building and likely to hook listeners long before the climax. Headliners Frankie & The Heartstrings need little introduction: dubbed the “sound of young Sunderland”, their brand of anthemic stomp-pop showcases the best in retro stylings, even if the singer’s Morrissey-esque quiff is slightly more ill-judged.
Rounding off the bill are Sky Larkin, champions of a more subtle, intelligent indie-pop sound, that has seen them tour with the likes of Los Campesinos! and Broken Social Scene. Wichita residents and a selection of guest DJs will of course be on hand to keep the party going ’til late.
INTERVIEW WITH DAM MANTLE
You’ve been playing music long before taking on the Dam Mantle moniker – what sort of projects were you involved in?
It evolved out of another solo project which was more based on guitar and vocals. I wanted to get away from guitar music – there’s so much of it. I played in a few bands previous to that also, playing drums/bass etc.
What prompted you to start your latest chapter as Dam Mantle?
The previous project was more autobiographical and now feels like my former self to an extent. Dam Mantle is my Adult Mask.
Is there any story behind the name itself?
Mantle means veil or outer layer, make of it what you will.
