O2 Love Music Column – April 2013
As one half of London-based hip hop collective Task Force's sibling leadership, Chester P has already carved a niche following with his group’s series of Music From The Corner LP’s. From there, Chester released 2008 debut From The Ashes to similar acclaim, and though he currently remains a cult concern, the man himself holds no qualms with his mission to make it big. “I know world domination is possible with the right push,” he recently told BritishHipHop.co.uk. “And I believe more than ever the world needs someone like me.” See Chester put his money where his mouth is at 02 ABC on 17 Apr.
As someone who’s already had considerable world-wide exposure, Edwyn Collins (02 ABC, 18 Apr) needs no introduction. Recent years have seen the veteran Scottish song-smith talked about more for his health issues than his musical output, but with the recently released Understated, Collins has cemented his return with a trilogy of well-received albums on a par with any run in his back catalogue. With a particularly rapturous welcome no doubt in the pipeline for this home territory gig, Collins’ purple patch looks set to continue.
English singer-songwriter Charlotte Aitchison, better known as Charli XCX (02 ABC2, 18 Apr), has been bubbling under for some time now. Yet whilst her debut album True Romance has been a year overdue already, Aitchison has hardly been laying low, notably scoring an international hit, I Love It, with Swedish duo Icona Pop. This month, however, finally sees the release of her first album proper coinciding nicely with this Glasgow appearance. It’s almost as if she planned it all!
As a band who kicked off their 2009 eponymous debut album with a track called Set Guitars To Kill, Belfast’s And So I Watch You From Afar (02 ABC, 19 Apr) are far from the wilting, Gatsby-esque voyeurs their name may suggest. Their muscular guitar fretwork has been putting the rock into math-rock for three albums now, with last month's All Hail Bright Futures kicking off this UK tour. We suggest you get up nice and close when they arrive in Glasgow.
Public Enemy (02 ABC, 22 Apr) had already staked their claim in music history some twenty years ago with a string of polemically-charged and highly influential albums. Yet rather than rest on their considerable laurels, the hip hop collective have kept things active with no fewer than six albums since the turn of the century, with two last year alone. Socio-economic change just doesn’t rest for front-man Chuck D and his cohorts. Show your allegiance at this sure-to-be blistering evening. Yeeeah boooiiiii!