How long does it take for a free Pixies show in Berlin to sell out? The answer – less than 10 minutes. At close to midnight two weeks ago, BLY received an email about the show yet despite a frantic digital dash to the Arte site (the show was being filmed for TV), all tickets had already been snapped up. Anyway, there’s plenty of good stuff going on to appease those who didn’t manage to see the alt-rock icons. Read on to find out more…
Friday 5th
Kaurna Cronin @ Art Stalker
Kaurna Cronin is one of Australia’s most promising young folk musicians, and is a veteran of many tours both throughout Europe and his homeland. He’s got a bunch of great tunes, too. Imagine a lively Fleet Foxes with a dash Ryan Adams and a nod to Neil Young. Currently in the midst of a summer jaunt through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, Cronin is stopping over in Berlin for two concerts. On Friday he performs at Art Stalker in Charlottenburg, the next day he’s at Madame Claude in Kreuzberg.
Click here for all the details of Kaurna Cronin’s gig and whet your appetite with Cronin’s new single below:
Saturday 6th
Deaf Flow / Sickpop @ Wild at Heart
Saturday night’s alright for… stoner rock. Get down to the legendary Wild at Heart venue at Görlitzer Bahnhof and catch two of Berlin’s riffiest bands. Opening the evening are Sickpop, who mix their appreciation for post-hardcore bands with a love of old school stoner and alternative rock. Kreuzberg-based Sickpop have been gigging since 1997 and, as with many things (apart from hairlines), they’ve only got better with age. Headlining the evening are Deaf Flow who describe their sound as ‘poisoned ear candy’. These guys have crafted their own unique sound which can be heard on their 2014 EP The Tesla Complex. These guys are pretty deep into their own PR, and request that they be described as if ‘Prince pairs with Pearl Jam’ or ‘QOTSA fucks Queen’. So there you go!
Deaf Flow begins at 10pm at Wild at Heart. Get the details here. (No idea why this link has a strike-through…)
Sunday 7th
Steve Waitt @ Grüner Salon
Currently on tour with his ‘dangerously good’ band to support the release of his new album, Strange in a Stranger Land, Steve Waitt is a celebrated New York musician. Waitt is something of an establishment in NYC and is a regular performer at some of the city’s most legendary venues, including the Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room. The elegant Grüner Salon plays host to this seasoned piano-playing storyteller this Sunday.
Find out more about Steve Waitt’s Grüner Salon gig here.
Wednesday 10th
Gemma Ray @ Bikini Berlin
Berlin-based radio station Radio Eins are hosting daily open-air events at Bikini Berlin this August. Their ‘Sommer auf dem Dach’ (Summer on the roof) series takes place every weekday from 7pm until 9pm. As well as talks, readings and exhibitions, there’s music. This Wednesday, one of Berlin’s most striking songwriters, Gemma Ray, takes to the stage. Blending searing guitar sounds and pop-noir melodies, Ray’s songs twist and turn in unexpected ways. Having recently released The Exodus Suite, an album conceived and recorded in Berlin, Ray’s performance at Bikini marks the beginning of a busy few months of touring throughout Europe and the USA. Don’t miss this one.
The roof terrace opens at 3pm – admission is free. For more information on Gemma Ray at ‘Sommer auf dem Dach’, click here.
Hear ‘There Must Be More Than This’ by Gemma Ray below:
Thursday 11th
Black Fawn / Astral Tide @ Schokoladen
Fans of Cocteau Twins, Silver Apples and Suicide should not let this special performance from Black Fawn pass them by. Performing at Schokoladen, the ever-reliable source of excellent live music, this Maltese (yet Berlin-based, naturally) psych-noise-pop duo recently released the single ‘Generations 14′. Playing alongside Black Fawn are a new Danish-Italian-English band called Astral Tide. Enjoy a bit of dream punk? Partial to some brutal doomy shoegaze? This band is for you.
Click here for more on Black Fawn and Astral Tide at Schokoladen.