O2 Love Music Column – October 2013
Variety’s the order of the day, with jazz, soul, synthpop, and some good old fashioned gee-tar on the menu at Glasgow’s O2 ABC this October. First up is a man who can’t seem to stop touring; the indefatigable Simon Green returns to Scotland as Bonobo (O2 ABC, 4 Oct), trusty live band by his side. This year has found Bonobo justly high atop festival bills around the world, and this gig is set to be yet another refined affair for the doyen of instrumental trip-hop. Expect to be captivated as the Brighton maestro blends electronica with his live band.
The following night welcomes on stage a man who once performed as a James Brown impersonator in the late 90s, under the name ‘Black Velvet’ – now that’s smooth. Charles Bradley and his Extraordinairies (O2 ABC, 5 Oct) bring the funk, reviving that 70s sound with honest flair as they treat us to highlights from latest album Victim of Love.
Surely to cope with demand, we’re getting not one but two nights of Glaswegian synthpop trio CHVRCHES (O2 ABC, 10 & 11 Oct) this month, hot on the tail of rabidly anticipated debut The Bones of What You Believe. Prepare for a dynamic set as increasingly confident pixie frontwoman Lauren Mayberry dazzles through fast loved hits such as The Mother We Share, Gun, and Lies; a firecracker pair of evenings not to be missed.
Stepping down in tempo but not in quality, a night with John Grant (O2 ABC, 19 Oct) – aka former frontman of The Czars, or simply "the greatest motherfucker you’ll ever meet" – will be a bracing, intimate event. While his new LP Pale Green Ghosts pulses with a mostly electronic backing, Grant’s forte is in his naked songwriting, particularly on more guitar-centric ballads.
To round off the month, the guitar baton is passed to Californian indie quartet Warpaint (O2 ABC, 28 Oct), who take the previous soloist’s poignancy and turn it into swooning psychedelia – think Melody’s Echo Chamber meets Haim (even though they predate the pair, you fashionistas!), with mesmerising all-girl vocals that evoke the more spine-tingling moments from our much missed Cocteau Twins. This tour marks a return to performing after a hiatus, in advance of their upcoming second LP, slated for release in January 2014. A busy month all round, then. [George Sully]