2 Music


Pop ace is returning to the UK


Burt Bacharach


IN A landmark 50+ year run on the charts, Burt Bacharach’s music continues to set industry records and creative standards. Many top musicians have


worked with him and record- ed his songs, such as Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Di- onne Warwick and Aretha Franklin, the list goes on. And this year Bacharach will return to British shores at the Royal Festival Hall concert on June 26 and will give a rare in- sight into the man behind the music.


Bacharach will be perform-


ing with his full band and an orchestra at the Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre on July 5. He will perform some of his


greatest hits, including The Look Of Love, I Say A Little Prayer, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ OnMyHead and (They Long To Be) Close To You. Bacharach’s global audiences


span several generations, and he is viewed as the unique com- bination of one of the greatest composers of all time. He often has several songs on various music charts in many coun- tries simultaneously. Visit wmc.org.uk for details.


Tickets still available


IT’S not too late to catch Irish rock favourites Therapy? at Cardiff Globe. Bop the night away with


the men behind classic songs Screamager, Die Laughing and ill for £16.50 each from globe- cardiffmusic.com. They play on Monday, April 13.


Contact Us


EDITOR: Nicole Garnon 01633 777203 nicole.garnon@gwent-wales.co.uk


EDITORIAL AND DESIGN: Andy Howells andrew.howells@gwent-wales.co.uk


ADVERTISING: Andrea Hall 01633 777285 andrea.hall@gwent-wales.co.uk


ONLINE: www.southwalesaargus.co.uk www.twitter.com/argus_theguide


LIVE:


Friday, April 10, 2015 Follow us on Twitter @Argus_The Guide Meet The Band : TheMono LPs


NEW SINGLE: The Mono LPs Picture by Liz Phillips


CHAMPIONED by BBC Introducing’s Dave Monks, having recorded a sell-out live gig at the Cavern Club for the BBC’s Live Lounge sessions, The Mono LPs are considered one of Liverpool’s bright young prospects. The band will be releasing their next sin-


gle, Emilia, on May 4 with a new video in tow and burlesque-style launch night at Liverpool’s renowned venue Magnet. The Mono LPs have headlined for Alan


McGee (Oasis, Creation Records), per- formed at the legendary Notting Hill Arts Club, The Orange Unlit Tour and a wealth of festivals such as Kendal Calling, Liver- pool Music Week and Sound City. Among the group of highly talented, stunningly unique musicians is cellist, Vicky, who has performed with both The View and Blood Red Shoes on their last albums. You’ll feel the cello riffing its way through a barrage of sound. The Mono LPs showcase juicy guitar


riffs, intricate T-Rex-like swooping strings, sexually charged lyrics and an uncom- promising energy. The offbeat five-piece have established themselves as a group of major signifi- cance on the scene through their impres- sive work ethic and a dedication to an


ANDYHOWELLS chats to Vicky of Liverpool band TheMono LPs


ever-expanding fan base of ‘Monettes’. The band go from strength to strength having released their first single Die A Little Death on Cavern Records in Oc- tober 2012 which was recorded at the Grammy award-winning Parr Street Re- cording Studios, (frequented the likes of Coldplay, Pulp and Black Sabbath). They’ve worked with influential producers Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys) and Jon Withnall (Coldplay). Grounded in making music they love


and loving the music they make, The Mono LPs are riding high and showing no signs of letting up. Andy Howells puts questions to Vicky from the band.


How did you come together? It all started when I met our lead sing-


er/songwriter Ste in college, he wanted some cello on his acoustic songs and it all carried on from there. We kicked off by busking in the streets of the North West


during which time we met our guitarist Chris. After testing the water and playing a few gigs as a three we felt the need to ‘turn it up to 11’ and create more of a rock sound. Ste had been consistently writing over


this time and with so many songs at hand we set out to audition various drummers... after a few try-outs we found the amazing Dan and have never looked back since.


Where are you from? We are all from Liverpool but I am half


Welsh, my parents are both Welsh and were born in Cardiff.


How would you describe your music style? The best description we have been giv-


en was ‘Baroque Rock’. We seem to be gradually getting heavier over time...


What’s been your best live experience? This would be a close match between


Marika’s debut shows off


FOLLOWING the release of her breathtaking debut al- bum, We Slept At Last, Marika Hackman returns with new single, Ophelia, set for release on 27th April through Dirty Hit.


Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophe- lia sees Marika narrating a tragic story of spurned love, delivering a clear indication of her blossoming confidence as a songwriter and unmis- takable talent as a lyricist. From the tangled folk roots


of That Iron Taste through to the swarming psychedelia of Sugar Blind and Deaf Heat, there’s a distinct sense of adventure to Marika’s song-


writing. Over this trilogy of hugely revered EPs her extraordinary songs have continued to develop, while sretaining the same beauty and invention that make her vision truly unique. It comes as a surprise to


learn that not one of the 13 original songs on those three EPs has made it onto Mari- ka’s debut album, a decision that speaks of cussed self- confidence and a desire to keep moving and evade glib definition. We Slept At Last is an as- sured and endlessly intrigu-


playing in front of 3000 people at Liver- pool’s Matthew Street Festival, or play- ing at Norway’s Fosnavag Rock festival. Such a great festival they really love new British bands, and we cannot wait to go back soon. We also had the pleasure of supporting Space in Buckley, Wales last year...the Welsh crowds are always up for having at good time.


You have a new release coming soon can you tell us more about that? Yes that’s right- a double A-side, but


we are leading the release with the track Emilia, which according to Ste is an anti- love song. We have just finished filming the video which will be released next month, it will be our first multi shot video of which from what we have seen thus far looks amazing.


Will you be coming to Wales sometime in the future? Yes we would love to play Cardiff. It has


been a while since I have been back to the capital and visited various relatives.


Where can people hear your music? soundcloud.com/the-mono-LPs


great skill and confidence Singer/Songwriter


ing debut that rewards eve- ry repeated listen with new riches. Produced by long- term collaborator Charlie Andrew (Alt-J), each song uncovers an artist undaunt- ed to challenge traditional conventions to create some- thing that’s at once classic and contemporary. The physical editions will


be released with an art booklet (24-page vinyl / 28- page CD) containing a series of powerful images by Cali- fornian-born photographer Glen Erler, that are inspired by and resonate with the same dark narrative as We Slept At Last. Catch Marika at St John’s Church, Cardiff tonight.


CARDIFF: Marika Hackman by Pip


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