UK Flavours Press Release

UK Flavours Festival – British-Russian festival of new culture

The territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint-Petersburg

A new type of festival set in the Russian heartland of Saint-Petersburg is set to promote multiculturalism through music this summer. Lily Allen tops the impressively varied mix of acts, with Dub Pistols featuring The Specials’ Terry Hall also on the line-up.

UK Flavours Festival, organised by The British Council, will celebrate the positivity of diversity in society. However, it doesn’t want to force-feed these values, preferring to allow an eclectic musical line-up to illustrate its message. The all-day festival will attract a wide range of people from Saint-Petersburg; its 4.7 million population includes over 50 different ethnicities.

The line-up depicts the evolution of multicultural influence in British music. With reggae, ska, dub, bhangra and jungle all developing into fashionable music trends as the decades have passed, as a consequence they have integrated into mainstream music.

The Russian public will see this first-hand in headliner Lily Allen’s work. Debut album Alright, Still owes its ska-tinged melodies heavily to the influence ethnic minorities living in the UK have had on British culture. Lily says: "I listened to punk, ska and reggae when I grew up, courtesy of my parents' record collections.” Heavy radio rotation has made Lily a rising star in Russia, while the huge popularity of her MySpace site also extends to the country.

Lily’s status as a successful mainstream artist is seen as the culmination of a cultural and musical progression that is reflected in the line-up. This journey is shown from Glaswegian bhangra outfit Tigerstyle Sound System, via London’s reggae stalwarts Misty in Roots, right up to Dub Pistols hip hop, dub and ska concoction. There are also two Russian bands on the bill, W.K.? and I-Laska. It is completed by militant hip hop collective Fun-da-mental and dub artist/producer Mad Professor.

The festival takes place in the stunning setting of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Founded over 300 years ago, it stood as a symbol of oppression. It was used as a jail for political prisoners including Trotsky and Dostoevsky. Now, as host of the UK Flavours Festival, it will stand as a symbol of a new, multicultural Russia.


Fans will watch acts while standing on the picturesque beach, looking out to the Baltic Sea. They will be able to gaze on the musical portrait of the city the line-up represents, while costume parades and 22 hours of daylight will add to the carnival atmosphere.A conference will be held by the British Council in Saint-Petersburg the day before the festival to promote its purpose. The day after the main event, Franco Rosso’s classic 1980 film Babylon will be screened. Biographies of artists playing are below:

The British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.
We operate in 233 towns and cities in 109 countries and territories worldwide.
We build relationships and understanding between people in the UK and other countries and increase appreciation of the UK’s ideas and achievements overseas.
The areas we focus on are creativity, education and civil society.
We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government.
Our income in 2005/06 was £517 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government is £189 million.

Lily Allen: Having conquered the UK, the USA and most of the Western world, Lily is setting her sights on Russia. Her flowing pop style, which incorporates the ska and reggae music that influenced her from a young age, has become a mainstream sensation. Her first single ‘Smile’ reached Number One in England, while debut album ‘Alright, Still’ cracked the American Top 20. The singer-songwriter is now as well known for her outspoken antics and the devotion of her MySpace fans as for her music. However, her incisive lyrical observations, youthful exuberance and laid-back delivery make her a fascinating live performer.

Dub Pistols featuring Terry Hall: The band formed after Barry Ashworth and Jason O’Bryan realised they shared a love of The Clash, The Specials, Andy Weatherall, King Tubby and Public Enemy. These influences, together with hip-hop, dub, techno, breakbeat ska and punk are all thrown into the Dub Pistols sound. They soon attracted the attention of Terry Hall, singer with iconic band The Specials. After collaborating on a single, Hall is now an integral part of the line-up. His laconic singing style is now inspiring a whole new generation as Dub Pistols genre-mashing style brings them more and more success.

Fun-Da-Mental: One of the few uncompromising bands in terms of not only sound but also politics, Fun-Da-Mental are fiercely anti-racist and outspoken. Since 1991, this variety of rappers, poets and singers has been crafting music that melds Eastern and Western influences into a hip hop sound.

Misty in Roots: A reggae institution, Misty in Roots have been at the forefront of the genre in England for four decades. They are noted for their powerful roots reggae sound and uncompromising lyrical vibrations. The group are active supporters of the Rock Against Racism movement and their social awareness comes through in the music they make.

Mad Professor Ariwa Posse: Mad Professor is one of the country’s most prominent dub producers. He launched his own label, Ariwa, which consistently produces some of the Britain’s most important reggae and dub acts. Many of these will join Mad Professor at UK Flavours Festival, bringing a different sound to the people of Saint-Petersburg.

I-Laska: Playing a home town show, this 6-piece band delivers unorthodox reggae and funk. The multinational line up is open to experimentation, making every gig a unique experience.

W.K.?: Meaning ‘Who Knows?’, the name signifies the determination of this Moscow-based band to create their own musical style. The result is a mixture of Break Beat, Drum’n’Bass, Electro, Funk, Hip-Hop, Dub and Reggae. No strangers to entertaining big crowds, they even organised their own festival of live electronic music - ‘Vdokh.’

Tigerstyle Sound System: Scottish DJs, who blend their roots in Bhangra with trip-hop. Using rap music as inspiration for their own sound, they have cut white label mixes for rap stars including Busta Rhymes, Eminem and 50 Cent. Notably they contributed to a remix on Raghav’s hit single ‘Angel Eyes’ which charted at No.4 in the UK charts. Their music makes people dance, but is also an exploration of their identities.

Operator Please & Good Shoes Live

Operator Please & Good Shoes
Concorde 2, Brighton
Tuesday 20th November


Operator Please sound sketchy, rough and natural. They look fresh, if a little bit frazzled, and genuinely animated. They sing a song about ping pong called ‘Just A Song About Ping Pong.’ It’s fast, jumpy eccentricity with an Aussie twang and a violin.

There are certainly more inventive bands around; some of The Maccabees are inside Concorde tonight, for a start. The five-piece may include a violinist, but this isn’t affecting Arcade Fire grandeur and doesn’t intend to be. ‘Get What You Want’ is a bass-driven canter to a bouncy chorus, showcasing the band’s style. The aforementioned table-tennis tribute is well-received, while new single ‘Leave It Alone’ shares its charged pop sensibilities. They may not be ground-breaking, but as the keyboardist giddily galumphs around behind her instrument, their quirky enthusiasm is infectious.

Operator Please have the beguiling advantage of striving to elevate their exposed potential. Good Shoes have long since passed the point of acceptance and acclaim. The kids strutting around in the groups patented ‘I’m in a band but I’ve got no talent’ merchandise emphasises this. Yet recognition seems to have gleaned an edge from the Morden outfit.

That t-shirt slogan contains an endearingly gentle insecurity that seeps out of tracks like ‘Blue Eyes.’ The jerky lure of the song’s angular (it’s impossible to write about Good Shoes and not call them angular) riffs is joined with lyrical nervousness that transfers onstage in physical form. Now though, frontman Rhys Jones looks confident, unnervingly comfortable. He beckons the crowd to join in a frantic ‘Never Meant To Hurt You’, while the band climb aboard speakers.

This newfound showmanship has distinct advantages. The audience is active and laps up the energy swirling around the pillared cove of a venue. The band are more direct, notably on ‘Nazazin’, all sparring guitars and gabbled lyrics. But they also relax enough to slow down, with melodies forming more frequently and lyrics resonating more clearly. ‘Morden’, the band’s most thoughtfully-shaped song, has the room to breathe and sounds increasingly striking with this space.

A couple of new tracks are aired, not departing from the trademark snappy dizziness of older songs like closer ‘All In My Head.’ They leave without encore or fuss, content at the crowd’s thirst for more. Good Shoes are in transition, no longer hot new things, not yet established. Their catalogue of hits, snapshots of suburbia, are easily liked and impressively performed. As they continue the bravado will swell, but they need to combine it with the nervous energy that made them so exciting originally.

The Raveonettes - Lust In Music

Sune Rose Wagner is a pretty insouciant character. Not surprising really – last year he accepted death.


When a Hawaiian holiday went wrong, there looked to be no way back. “I was surfing, but I can’t really surf. My board almost knocked me out; I was stranded for half an hour, nobody could see me. I just let go, I felt very warm and calm. I wasn’t afraid.” Thankfully for him, and for devotees of his band’s inimitable brand of garage-pop, some fortuitously-placed coral reef intervened. A few months on, The Raveonettes have returned with a new album. It’s no wonder the pressures of a hectic touring schedule seem a rather minuscule grievance. Gigwise has found a genuinely humble rock star.

Don’t confuse this humility with contentment though. New album Lust Lust Lust is the result of a brooding, self-examination for Sune, its sole songwriter. As the title suggests, it deals with issues of relationships. “It’s primarily based on personal experiences,” he admits. “It’s a reflection of my life in New York City.” As he glances around at the stuffy underground changing room we’re sitting in, it’s clear he’s a long way from home. The cosmopolitanism of The Big Apple can be heard in the variety of influences and styles The Raveonettes utilise. But so can a more sinister side; the paranoia of frenzied city life, the claustrophobia that can destroy relationships. Sune remarks: “Sometimes I wonder, is it natural for a man and a woman to spend their entire life together?”

This gives away his need for solitude. “I never write when I’m on tour. I can’t write unless I’m alone, all my ideas go away when I’m with other people.” Does this explain the lack of songwriting involvement for Sharin Foo, The Raveonettes' demure female singer/guitarist? “I tried writing with Sharin; we went away to a winery to write together. But I just froze…..She’s happy that I write the songs, it’s always been that way.” The personal feel of tracks such as ‘Blush’ and ‘Black Satin’ – Sune’s ode to his near-death experience – is rooted in Sune’s insular but prolific songwriting style.

While Sune lives in New York, Sharin, his fellow Dane, resides nearly 3000 miles away in Los Angeles. He ponders the make-up of The Raveonettes. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a band as we’re often apart. Yet we always seem to be doing something together.” Onstage, the duo is a much clearer partnership. When thinking of boy-girl two-pieces in modern rock, The White Stripes immediately spring to mind. The musical make-up of that pairing mirrors The Raveonettes in that the male is the songwriter and driving force behind the sound. But live, the connection between the two bands ends. Whereas Jack White dominates, a virtuoso performer, Sune and Sharin are grounded in parity, as their harmonious singing and sparring guitars illustrate. “We never even talk about it,” assures a perplexed-looking Sune. “It’s just natural.”


Sharin brings luscious vocals and a carefree stage presence to the band, complimenting Sune’s reserved manner in front of a crowd. But they aren’t born entertainers, believing the intricacy of the music they create is enough to enrapture their audiences. “We just got off a tour with The Cribs, they were really cool guys. They play with such energy, just go crazy. I was like, ‘Why don’t we have that?’ But we have a different style; still intense, just different.”

What overrides everything Sune does is a delight in control. He took personal command over Lust Lust Lust’s artwork, convincing The Raveonettes label to spend the cash to make it 3D. “I thought there’s no way Fierce Panda would agree to it, so I did a sales pitch to them, and they bought it.” Being in charge onstage is also important to him. “I prefer our own gigs, where if we fuck up, we can laugh about it. I’m more nervous at festivals, where people might not know our band and you don’t know how many will turn up. We’ll hopefully do lots of festivals this summer – Reading, Glastonbury – I’ll be checking the schedules to see who we’re up against!”

There are few bands in direct competition with The Raveonettes style. They’re still all B-Movie chic, fashionably alternative with just enough substance. Groups like The Ronettes influence their 50s/60s vibe, though the experimentation and melodious tendancies of The Velvet Underground are equally evident. “I still listen to the same stuff I always have, but everything around me influences. Recently, I Googled Best Screenplay Oscar winners from the 1970s, got hold of these obscure films and now some of them are my favourites. I like searching…”

This absorption of pop culture extends to technology, which Sune is keen to use to involve fans in the band’s progress. “We posted lots of demos onto MySpace, and we take the comments from fans into account. I love that closeness.” They are also giving away tickets to their current UK tour to fans that send messages asking for them. For a band four albums and seven years into their career, they have a remarkable openness. This extends to critical responses to their music. “I don’t mind if reviewers give the album two out of ten or eight, as long as they have an opinion. Don’t give it a six, have something to say about it. Give me something I can use.”

The urge for feedback of any kind stems from a writer’s mindset. The Raveonettes new album is barely released, but Sune’s attention is already turning to how to make the next one better. “I wanna go home and write really fucked up songs. More fucked up than these ones. I wrote 100 songs for Lust, and will have that many again for the next one.” But surely his enthusiasm wanes with the constant grind of touring and recording? “I get to write and to play music, I don’t have to get up in the morning and I get to hear my songs on the radio – I love that shit!” If nearly drowning leaves everybody with such intensity, creativity and enthusiasm, maybe we should all take up surfing.

The Raveonettes Live

The Raveonettes
Brighton Barfly
Thursday 15th November 2007

“I used to live in Brighton,” says The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, with a wry smile to some friends in the crowd. Maybe this is how a rock gig in a raw little venue has appropriated this homely, wholesome feel. The band play nostalgic music with an ear to the future, garage rock with an eye on ‘50s pop; there’s something for everyone to enjoy – and everyone seems to.

As Sune saunters onstage, he appears distant but at ease. Fellow singer/guitarist Sharin Foo glides into view looking equally comfortable; a radiant muse for Sune’s understated persona. They plough into new material with little introduction. ‘Blush’ stands out as a showcase for sun-soaked guitars and simple rhythms. The duo is joined by a drummer who provides a platform for their gentle two-pronged guitar combination.

Old favourite ‘Love In A Trashcan’ allows those whose tapping feet desire more strenuous movement to scratch their itch. The more aggressive, direct performance gets bodies jumping and adds an increased energy to the setting. New single ‘Dead Sound’ has a similar catchiness that maintains the momentum, but with increased subtlety.

The negative of two combating guitarists is that the noise they create can overawe the harmonies they perform. They sing in unison, Sharin’s ethereal voice soaring over Sune’s lower murmurs, making a distinct and charming vocal pairing. However, on more raucous numbers like ‘Attack of the Ghost Riders’ and thunderous closer ‘Aly, Walk With Me’ these voices are lost under a blanket of noise.

There’s a relaxed atmosphere that swallows up any annoyance at unpolished playing and dodgy sound, aided by the band’s eagerness to interact. Sune reacts to glowsticks being thrown at Sharin by defining The Raveonettes as “old rave.” Later, they play Stereolab’s ‘French Disko’ because they believe their cover to be far superior to Editors’ attempt.

Where they excel is in delicacy and minimalism, times when Sune’s hauntingly intimate lyrics can be heard and Sharin’s ghostly presence savoured. ‘Black Satin’ provides such a moment, its pulsating riff matched by considered, refined singing. ‘Here Comes Mary’ is another captivating song of oppositions. It’s dreamy refrain hides sinister undertones in a gentle but edgy saga of suicide.

The Raveonettes mould their live show into a nuance of passionate intensity and passive melancholy, always keeping a flow to proceedings. This makes every melody float past but remain ingrained; the show does likewise. It’s unspectacular and not instantly striking, but the Danish duo and their songs have a captivating allure that warms the crowd – friends of the band or otherwise.

XFM Big Night Out - Maximo Park & The Maccabees Live

Maximo Park’s second album was rubbish. The Maccabees have been plodding out the same set for the last two years. The chances of this night out being as big as its name suggests are slim. The possibility of everyone staying in the pub to watch the rugby is high. So how was this gig so bloody good?

Regretfully, Pete and the Pirates are sacrificed in favour of Jonny Wilkinson and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”, meaning Gigwise is left with a mad dash to catch The Maccabees. They are already onstage as throngs of patriotic gig-goers bustle into the Academy. With the excitement of greetings and jubilation of English victories, the band struggle to press their authority over the hubbub. ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is lost beneath its own daintiness and the boisterous crowd’s inattentiveness.

Their set needs something to trigger a turnaround. This duly arrives with ‘Latchmere.’ The childish purity of its refrain echoes around with gleeful contagiousness. There’s a gripping nonchalance to Orlando Weeks’ vocals that compliments the jarring riffs and anomalous stage presence. ‘Precious Time’ combines insecure build-up with a tumultuous climax, ‘First Love’ buzzes with a zealous energy that spreads to the crowd and the recovery is complete.

As Maximo Park burst onstage with archetypal enthusiasm, Paul Smith leaping and leering, it’s soon clear their show won’t be typical. Opener ‘The Coast Is Always Changing’ is tight and focused, Smith looks positively manic and the most dismissive of observers can’t help but be hooked. They almost ruin it by playing ‘A Fortnight’s Time’ next, a painfully feeble song including the chorus, “five times five equals twenty-five, don’t you know your times-tables by now?” However, solid playing and Smith’s undeniable passion carry it off.

He orchestrates the tone of the set. When he races around the band is frenetic, when he screws up his face in pantomime anguish they are subtle, giving his showmanship a platform. The bass player still looks like he’s wandered onstage and nobody dares ask him to leave, but with Smith’s histrionics and a hyperactive keyboardist the visual spectacle matches the musical performance.

The explosive catchiness of ‘Apply Some Pressure’ and ‘Our Velocity’ are dispatched amid expected bedlam. ‘Books From Boxes’ adds a winning earnestness to proceedings, while other past singles ‘Going Missing’ and ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’ appease the masses. But the surprise is the triumph of Maximo Park’s less-lauded tracks. ‘Limassol’ is a paranoid riot, while ‘Russian Literature’ manages to be more captivating than pretentious.

‘Graffiti’ closes powerfully, before the night continues with a DJ set from everyone’s second-favourite curly-haired ex-Popworld host. Alex Zane has an easy job; after sporting success, impressive bands and cheap Carling, the mood is elated and the dancefloor full.

Jack Penate - Live Review

Jack Penate

The Old Market, Hove
Sunday 7th October

With his debut album’s release only hours away, Jack Penate looks nervous as he meanders onstage hid beneath a hoodie. Soon though, fuelled by the screams of an adoring crowd, pure adrenaline releases the born performer inside him.

His anxiety is shown when he races through ‘Spit at Stars’, often a centre-piece of his sets, to open the show. The tension, coupled with Jack’s own frenetic style, makes it seem over prematurely. Soon though, he is charming his way through anecdotes about “breaking in his new guitar” and throwing up last time he came to Brighton. Phew, he’s finally relaxing.

This is clear as he rumbles into a tumultuous rendition of ‘Got My Favourite.’ It includes an extended intro that burns away the image of Penate as sensitive songwriter. The alteration of numerous tracks, while showing rapid musical progression, suggests he is tiring of them already. The readiness to rearrange and alter is as much for his own enjoyment as for the audiences.

When performing balladic numbers, such as the sparkling delicacy of ‘My Yvonne’, there is restlessness in the room that makes the arrangements seem even sparser. However, Penate’s voice proves emotive enough to resonate over the hubbub and deliver passable presentations.

The songwriting contains an innocence that the setting exaggerates. The Old Market - complete with makeshift drinks desk - resembles a school disco, especially as it is brimming with excited teenagers. The shaky lyrical simplicity of ‘We Will Be Here’, including “Embrace your sleeping sweetheart with hush/The words I love you mean so much,” manages to be poignant rather than mushy.

The whole set seems an appetiser for the combination of much-loved singles ‘Torn On The Platform’ and ‘Second, Minute or Hour.’ Both are accompanied by the elated backing vocals of a satisfied crowd, plus the bandy-legged joyfulness of Penate’s chaotic dancing. In these tracks, he achieves the middle ground between affecting subtlety and electrifying showmanship.

Nevertheless, they are overshadowed by a cover of The SOS Band’s ‘Just Be Good To Me’ sandwiched between. Backed by a deep, throbbing bass line and a frankly giddy drummer, Jack’s high falsetto slides over the track with a cheeky sneer. The choice is inspired, the delivery audacious, the night complete.

The fact a cover proves the highlight illustrates the lack of a strong catalogue of songs, but Jack Penate’s endearing manner and the few dazzling tracks he does possess make him a flawed yet enduring live treat.

The Killers - Sawdust

‘Tis the season to be jolly – unless you’re a music reviewer. In a plentiful period, pickings are slim. While children look forward to presents, the music industry gives gifts of turgid greatest hits churned out with tedious inevitability. The Killers haven’t sunk this low, disguising their cash cow as a B-Sides and rarities collection.

The Las Vegas quartet’s albums are notorious for their lack of consistency. They mix bona fide pop classics with misplaced overindulgence on sub-Springsteen epics. Sawdust has a similar variety of quality. ‘Under The Gun’ is a pulsating cut of gleaming synths and vociferous drums. An Abbey Road recording of ‘Sam’s Town’ shines similarly, showcasing Brandon Flowers’ underrated vocal exuberance.

Yet also present are versions of ‘Where The White Boys Dance’ and ‘Glamourous Indie Rock and Roll’. This record is going to appeal to existing fans, not attract new ones, so why include old album tracks as familiar as Brandon’s bristling moustache? Plus, as anyone who has visited a cheesy nightclub knows, dance remixes of ‘Mr. Brightside’ are less fun than spending Christmas with that aunt who has more cats than sanity.

The covers included summarise the inequality of the 18 tracks. Dire Straits’ ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is poorly executed, oozing lethargy and lacking bite. Then, inexplicably, ‘Shadowplay’ defines how to cover a song, altering it significantly but preserving its heart. The Killers take Joy Division’s gloomy genius and marry it with a neurotic fizz that brings glam, while maintaining just enough positive tension.

Sawdust is the shavings on the studio flaw that have gathered as the band has crafted a career. It lacks precision and flow; it’s overlong and inconsistent. But it does have inspired moments, namely Lou Reed singing gibberish lyrics of “Ring around Rosie,” on the quirky paranoia of new single ‘Tranquilize’. For a moment, it’s 1972 again.

The Killers are a band that wears their influences on their silver-sequinned sleeves. Although Sawdust is only essential for superfans, if it turns them on to Reed’s eccentricity, or Joy Division’s electricity, it’s a worthwhile exercise. And at least it’s not a bloody greatest hits.