Hectic Night review
As previously mentioned, Hectic Night (out now on Bandcamp) is a free download live LP we recorded in January, live in the studio. I was saving it for a rainy day, and this has to be the rainiest year…
Plugged in Brighton have given it a track-by-track review, link here – “a troubled troubadour running in and out of dark alleyways being chased by god knows what seeking who knows what.”
Read and see if the music matches the words… I reckon so, but then I’m biased.
Feb gig review / visuals
“Matt played his guitar with menace tonight”
The gig went really well – thanks to Leisure Tank and headliners Skinny Milk. We got reviewed, too, courtesy Plugged In Brighton – link here. A brief video:
And a few pix (thanks to Mik Hanscomb. The out-of-focus shots of the other bands are mine – I’m a musician, not a photojournalist… clearly):
…Onward to the next one.
gig & EP review, Dec ’19
MF, Barney, Stephen, 11 Dec
On the whole, I’ve really enjoyed putting on some DIY gigs this year – it’s been stressful at times (for purely organisational reasons – all the other bands have been lovely)… but very much worth it. This last one went very well, and here’s a review from Plugged in Brighton to testify:
So thanks to them – and to Idle Bones and Adam & Elvis for being fucking superb.
On the subject of reviews, here’s one of the EP from Whisperin and Hollerin:
Well, hope so. This year’s not over yet, of course – couple more gigs to come – and in January we’re back in the studio. So who knows? If nothing else, be interesting to see what happens next.
local kudos!
Thanks very much for kind words on the Vanishing Island album, from Brighton Source: “a prolific songwriter with an array of excellent self-produced independent releases. He’s influenced by the darker side of indie rock, but puts his own stamp on things […] strong and well-structured, with a memorable and distinctive sound”.
& also Plugged in Brighton:
…Not bad, not bad at all.
[EDIT: PiB now has a website – links added, but check it out here]
LP/single: 1st reviews
Stencil issue 54
Stencil Magazine reviews Vanishing Island here (p. 153) …”for those looking for something that’s outside of the box and scratches many levels of atmosphere”. Ambivalent but interested – my favourite kind of review, quite often (as it implies a genuine effort to engage).
Plugged in Brighton gave the single, Perilous Seat, its first write-up in their 13th issue: “pop through a prism […] It’s almost a waltz, not quite a sea shanty but certainly quality, adult pop”. Wonder what they’ll make of the album? (That’s by far the most accessible, song-shaped track on there, as you’d expect. Even scored some airplay on Kerrang Radio.) We’ll find out…
Otherwise, doing another free improv Safehouse gig as part of the Wildcard Quartet, on 24 April at The Verdict. Comfort zone? I have none.
More band gigs coming up too – news on them as & when.
EDIT: Another review came in just after this post, from Whisperin & Hollerin. It’s very generous indeed – “tidy hooks and imaginatively-crafted moments of atmosphere and even pangs of emotional depth“, among other things. Always cool when someone sees what I was aiming at. Read it here.
video interview & EP review, Oct ’18
Here’s a stranger to daylight, staring back at a camera and talking to Mass Movement about his 10 favourite LPs. I now understand why vloggers do that thing of having loads of apparently pointless fast cuts even if it’s just them talking (to edit out all the times they blew their lines or dried up. Try giving a semi-improvised speech for a quarter hour without deviation, hesitation, repetition or several annoying facial tics… even the most glibly confident would struggle. Still, interesting to try – although I don’t think I could make a “career” out of it). These aren’t the definitive 10 – more the ones that seemed significant that day – but I hope this small addition to the huge reef of pop cult lists is entertaining, anyway. And it’s nice to be asked.
From abundance to rarity – here’s a review of Disquiet from Issue 8 of Plugged In Brighton:
…Reproduced here because it’s bootleg as fuck – a paper zine with minimal web presence, and if you don’t live in Brighton you’re unlikely to see a copy. Both ends of the magnet!
[EDIT: as of July ’19, PiB now has a website – check here]
Back soon with gig news…
gig review, Plugged In Brighton 4 (June)
The 11 June Hope & Ruin gig, written up in issue 4 of Plugged In Brighton. Grab a copy round town, unless distance and/or the forces of entropy prevent you (you’ll just have to move to Brighton). Anyway, it was a very nice night, good to see the other acts getting due credit. While we’re here… Can I direct you once more to the zine’s latest Mixcloud, which features an old track of mine? Here it is.
next gig / Monolith Cocktail & Plugged In Brighton / next gig
photo by Lewis McKale
The Hope & Ruin gig was superb – as were Pink Narcissus, Peter Cat and Lewis McKale. A wonderful night, and thanks to everyone involved.
Two more upcoming local gigs:
Wed 20 Jun, The Prince Albert – electric band (Octopuses single launch) – wegottickets
Fri 22 Jun, The Brunswick – solo acoustic (Real Music Club)
What can I say – I’m a greedy bitch. To soak up the folly, the gigs will be poles apart in sound, feel and setlist (very different venues too). For the first, there’ll be electricity, bass and drums; the second, I’ll be alone up there… After that, it’s oblivion for a little while.
Meanwhile, a track from the new EP’s featured on Monolith Cocktail’s Quarterly Playlist Revue, alongside Dr Octagon, Grimm Grimm and Crayola Lectern, to name a few – it’s an immersive, intelligently-structured listening experience; switch that phone off and strap in for a journey by tracklist.
An oldie, Lilith, features on the third edition of Plugged In Brighton’s Mixcloud in a rockier setting; Young Francis, Big Slammu et al bring the scuzz.
The two programmes are very reflective of the two nights – one’s adrenaline noise, the other’s a head trip. Explore!
EP review in Monolith Cocktail, May 31
The new EP’s scored a great review in Monolith Cocktail, which describes it as one of my “best releases yet” – and the in-depth write-up concludes I’ve “seldom sounded better and more imaginative”. Have a look, see if you agree (and read all the other stuff too… It’s a great gateway into loads of interesting music).
On a related subject, another shout out for Plugged In Brighton Mixcloud 2 – which features a track from the EP. Here’s the playlist: Frank & Beans – Card Song/ Big Slammu – Chicken Pocks/ Young Francis – Short Hair Girl/ Bitch Theme – Tigerlily/ Rotten Foxes – Mullet/ Matt Finucane – Not Too Far/ Sit Down – Candy Bar/ Ditz – Two/ Negative Measures – Chained/ Red Shores – Cold War/ Clt Drp – Merry Go Round/ King Bee Buzzkut
Interview & front cover, Plugged In Brighton
There I am on the cover of Plugged In Brighton 2… And here, with their kind permission, is the interview from the same issue:
It was lovely to be asked, and they had some kind words about Ugly Scene too:
“the songs are art rock without being limp and inhabit a weird version of our world […] Matt is raging against whatever is there” … among other things.
There’s good info on local bands in there, so pick up a copy if you live in this hipster gulag – or check their facebook page (link above) and mixcloud, if not.
