PREVIEW: Liverpool Music Week 2017

Now in its fifteenth year, Liverpool Music Festival is back for its annual celebration of the cultural hub that is our North-Eastern city. On Thursday 26^th October the opening night of the week-long festival will commence with premium headliners themselves: CHIC feat. Nile Rodgers.

Playing in Liverpool for the first time since the flares and thrills of 1979, CHIC is the legendary headliner of the moment, having owned the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival armed with an artillery of hit tracks, including well-known classics ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Le Freak’. Add the multi-Grammy-winning composer and all-around musical maven Nile Rodgers to the mix, and the opening event at Liverpool’s Echo Arena holds its own, alongside the week of gigs, as an unmissable event for any music fans.

As well as CHIC, electronic duo Mount Kimbie, with their unconventional mix of ambience and post-garage resulting in an art-pop, are also fan favourites for LMW. On 27^th October, the pair is sure to astound their crowd at the Invisible Wind Factory with their quirky, methodical set. Similarly dubbed ‘quirky, but in a totally different manner, are Kero Kero Bonito. The London-based trio will present their unusual Japanese/indie-pop hybrid on 28^th October at EBGBs. Interestingly, Kero Kero Bonito’s lead singer, Sarah Midori Perry is prone to rapping in both Japanese and English, alongside the electronic tone of Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled’s keyboard and production techniques.

The following days play host to numerous acts, such as indie-rock messiah and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts graduate Dan Croll presenting his collection of folktronica tracks in the theatre of the renowned Liverpool Arts Club, 29^th October sees Glaswegian quintet Spinning Coin bring their shoegaze style and indie splendour to EBGS’s, for a perfect Sunday evening filled with bliss.

Next up is indie-pop threesome Girl Ray from North London, showcasing their self-proclaimed “Oestrogen pop” as part of LMW ’17 on 30^th October at EBGBs. The newly renovated Liverpudlian venue EBGBs is now quite the place-to-be with the consecutive night, introducing solo-musical project Japanese Breakfast and her band bringing their indie-pop experiment on 31^st October.

Starting November off with a bang on Wednesday 1^stare three gigs, from your choice of Motown-infused pop from Childhood at The Magnet, indie-electronica with a modern edge from Little Cubs at EBGBs or the supreme sounds of soul music collective Jungle at Invisible Wind Factory. Whichever you choose of the three, neither are to be missed or overlooked.

Building us up to the esteemed Closing Party are the likes of Goat Girl. Their enticing indie, anti-social-media prowess will reign supreme at EBGBs on 2^nd November. The penultimate night (before the Closing Party) sees Princess Nokia present an exclusive, outside-of-London UK show. The NYC native, with her independent style of rapping, has allowed her to be signed to the infamous Rough Trade record label – meaning she’ll a definite catch live at LMW.

Also on Friday 2^nd November are indie-darlings Gengahr with their collection of dream-pop tracks, which have cast them forward with the success of their debut album A Dream Outside.

Finally, the Liverpool Music Week Closing Party sees a complete host of different acts on 4^th November at the Liverpool Guild of Students. With acts including indie-pop icon Perfume Genius, infamous alternative four-piece Everything Everything, grime’s AJ Tracey, indie-come-surf-pop newcomers The Orielles and much more.

£65 for a full LMW17 Wristband gives access to all shows. Individual show tickets can also be bought too. All tickets and more information is available via www.liverpoolmusicweek.com

Hannah Tinker
@Hannahetinker