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The tour follows Eleni’s recent new EP ‘Above Deep Water’, which was released in September. Known for her lush vocals, the EP explores themes of solitude, acceptance, and loneliness, expressing both its desolation and its liberating aspects and often drawing inspiration from her Greek heritage and personal relationships. This release builds on the aesthetic in her earlier EP, ‘Surf The Sun’, currently expanding her sound to include more jazz elements, such as cello, which featured in her Camden Assembly show last night.

 

 

 

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The ’King Street’ singer’s stage presence remains reminiscent of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. Whilst a nervous performer, Eleni keeps up incredible control over her vocals. Camden Assembly’s setlist was the longest out of the tour so far, the singer revealed.

The amazing Eleni Drake at Camden Assembly tonight pic.twitter.com/FkQq8ymxVG

— Ali Krausova (@ali_krausova) November 20, 2024

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Greek parents, she moved to the UK as a teenager and later settled in Melbourne, Australia.  Eleni plays multiple instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, and flute, and is known for her unconventional “upside-down” guitar technique.

“‘I don’t find it hard playing upside down! When I was younger the only guitars available to me where right-handed, so I just flipped the chords and taught myself that way. I feel like there are pros and cons. I can hit notes that maybe I wouldn’t be able to if I played a left-handed, but equally sometimes I’m like, – f*ck should’ve just committed to left-handed. So now I have a left-handed too, but I much prefer my right-handed guitars.” Eleni told me in 2021.

Her music has gained a global following, particularly through platforms like YouTube, where she posts both original tracks and covers. She has released several well-received projects, including her EP ‘Vanilla Sky’ and album ‘Can’t Stop The Dawn’.

Despite her independent status, Eleni has achieved significant milestones, including selling out headline shows and gaining over 250,000 monthly listeners on streaming platforms.
You can listen to ‘Above Deep Water’ on Spotify to experience her ethereal and intimate sound.

Gallagher lived in Camden for multiple years and Creation Records who first founded Oasis in 1993, were based in the London Town for many years before they disbanded. He will feature alongside acts such as Dua Lipa, who is named as an executive producer on the show, Coldplay’s own Chris Martin, the Black Eyed Peas and members of The Libertines.

One of the most exciting music and expected to feature in the show is the UK’s iconic Boy George, lead singer of the 80s English new-wave band culture club. The press release for the show notes that “Camden reveals the untold stories of how the lives and careers of some of the world’s most iconic artists were influenced by this corner of London”

CAMDEN will tell the never before heard stories of the district as a hub of discovery and talent. It is a hybrid of archive footage, intimate filming and interviews from today where stars will reveal and relive their experiences in the area which gifted them the most memorable and transformative moments of their formative careers. Artists will speak of how Camden brought about their success and in turn shaped the music industry as well as how the industry shaped Camden into a town bursting with artistic value and a rich history. The show will follow the musicians as they recount the days they spent in the London town from their first gigs to the hectic nights out in the towns infamous nightlife scene.

The series is being produced by Lightbox in collaboration with One Day Pictures; the production company originally founded by the first manager of Camden’s own Amy Winehouse; Nick Shymansky. Winehouse loved Camden and fans from all over the world associate her with the town. You can even find a bronze statue of the singer at Stables Market in Camden Town.

Executive producer Dua Lipa, who celebrated the release of her new album radical optimism last month, grew up in the town and attended the same talent school as soul singer Amy Winehouse in Camden. Though she moved to Kosovo between the ages of 11 and 15, she returned to London in aid of her music career which was evidently a successful move for the singer as her new album sits at the top of the UK charts this week, and has secured the number one spot.

Disney+ is available from £4.99 per month and the series Camden will hit the (small) screens (positioned on top of our duvets) on May 29th on the streaming site. This week the company also announced that the show will debut on Hulu in the US on the same day.

Taking place in various venues across Camden between 17th-19th May, the festival promises to lay on an unforgettable few days. Following the success of the 2023 instalment, Desertfest will be returning with a bang as they prepare to host over 25 explosive acts.

Reflecting on 2023’s shows, the Desertfest team took to Facebook to share their gratitude, writing “The official Desertfest London 2023 recap is here & has us missing y’all so damn much already! As many of you know, Desertfest is a fully independent venture and your support of the event is the only reason we are still able to bring you a festival of this magnitude in a city like London. Thank you so much for continuing to buy tickets, merch, beers & everything inbetween.”

They continued, “We had so many amazing performances this year and the energy shared between the bands and you is what makes the festival so unique. Of course an extra special shout out to our amazing crew & venues, who not only put so much hardwork into make everything run flawlessy, but keep that extra special DF atmosphere alive.“

The enthusiasm for next year has already begun, as the Desertfest team announced their headlining act, Masters Of Reality who will play their first UK show in almost a decade. As expressed in a press release, “their combination of hard-rock blues with a progressive tinge makes no apologies for not sticking within the stylised box listeners would expect, yet simultaneously provides the perfect lesson in the musical ethos and story-telling of the Palm Desert scene.”

The lineup also includes heavy hitters such as industrial band Godflesh, California stoner-metal band Acid King and Italian experimentalists, Ufomammut.

Multiple other bands from the extensive lineup have taken to social media to share their excitement, including Maserati, Sergeant Thunderhoof and Sugar Horse.

Very excited to announce that we’ll be playing @DesertFest London in May 2024! @TempResLtd @voulezvouscie pic.twitter.com/eZp1OelYFX

— MASERATI (@MASERATI_BAND) November 10, 2023

A cold day in hell is upon us! The stars have finally aligned and we are delighted to announce we’ll be making our debut at Desertfest London in May 2024. We hope to see lots of you there to share some beers and riffs.

Tickets: https://t.co/77fZNU0fri #desertfestlondon pic.twitter.com/UnMnqSB5gb

— Sergeant Thunderhoof (@SgtThunderhoof) November 8, 2023

Hugely excited to announce we’ll be playing @DesertFest in London Town next May. TICKETS:https://t.co/aViazC5JwB pic.twitter.com/qSNEyF4NnK — Sugar Horse (@sugarhorse666) November 8, 2023

Tickets are available to purchase here.

Paying tribute to Nirvana’s third and final album, the album artwork has been recreated on a pink background. Fans are being encouraged to visit the mural and to leave their messages for the band, honouring the 1993 album.

A mural has been unveiled in Camden to celebrate 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s third and final album, In Utero https://t.co/4JX5whFC8N pic.twitter.com/xQV9QpzHSO

— THE LINE of BEST FIT (@bestfitmusic) November 1, 2023

In Utero was an instant critical and commercial success, debuting at No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and No.1 on the US Billboard 200. The album included iconic tracks such as “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Dumb” and “Rape Me.” To celebrate its 30th anniversary, a special edition reissue of the album was released last week.  

The 30th Anniversary Edition of In Utero is out now! https://t.co/OOTiUVYqsR The Super Deluxe box sets contains 53 unreleased tracks, including two never before released complete concerts from the In Utero tour. Find your preferred format here: https://t.co/OOTiUVYqsR… pic.twitter.com/GtCAIwagvF — Nirvana (@Nirvana) October 27, 2023

Speaking on the album’s impact, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said, “When you listen to it, it goes somewhere. It’s dark, it’s beautiful, it’s all points in between. It’s bittersweet. We recorded it in about a week and a few of the songs were the first take. We were well-rehearsed and loved playing together. That was our glue as a band. We played live and it was live to tape.”

Novoselic continued, “It’s amazing what can happen when three people with instruments get together. You could make so much sound in a way that captures the imagination. That’s the beauty of music: you invite people in. The record can be pretty, but it can also be dark. Going back to this record, I was just reminded of our humanity as a group. There were a lot of different statements on there and that’s what you get: the post-’Nevermind’ Nirvana, after becoming a world-famous band.”

The 30th anniversary reissue of In Utero has been released in several formats, including a limited-edition eight LP super deluxe box set, a five CD super deluxe box set and a digital super deluxe edition, amongst others.

Novoselic shared his thoughts on the reissue, saying, “This one’s got a lot of cool things like backstage passes and little things you can hold, like The Who’s ‘Live At Leeds’ record.”

He continued, “I’m excited about the live shows on there, because they used AI. We took the digital audio tapes from the soundboard in Rome, Seattle and Los Angeles, then the AI can separate all the instruments and we got a really good mix out of it.”

The In Utero 30th anniversary reissue is available to purchase in various formats here.

Stream In Utero (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe) below.

Nula, the third album by the duo of Janine Shilstone and Hamish Reilly, is a concept album set in the future and revolving around the story of alien Nula. Nula, captured by capitalists, plots her escape after more than two decades of imprisonment. The album spawned hit singles, “Hurt,” “I Exist” and “Lasso.” For the London show, Vukovi plan to not only play the entire album, but also perform fan favourites and, enticingly, a few new numbers as well.

Speaking of the special performance, front-woman Shilstone said, “Never imagined we’d get to the point of headlining a venue this size, but we know it’s what NULA deserves and we’re hungry to put on the best show of our careers.”

Such was the reception and praise for Nula that the band naturally caught the eye of American independent record label SharpTone-a company that features a number of successful metalcore and alternative rock groups. Vukovi are yet to release a full length with their new label but have released single “Creep Heat,” signalling perhaps an upcoming project by the band. The band also promise to let fans in on what they are working on during their upcoming live dates this autumn.

Elaborating on their new signing and the release of their new video and single, “Creep Heat,” Shilstone said, “We have both been fans of Sharptone throughout the existence of VUKOVI. Our paths finally meeting is a real pinch me moment. I want this to be a catalyst for more women to start believing they are more than capable of directing; the industry and future generations need us. I’m always learning and growing as I go, there is never a right time to start other than now. I’m very grateful to be so well supported and believed in by Hamish and our team. I feel seen.”

In addition to the London show in early 2024, Vukovi will be joining Babymetal on their run of UK dates and Nothing More in Europe. Tickets for the Electric Ballroom will go on sale Friday and can be purchased here.

Vukovi Tour:

27/11/2023 – Roundhouse – London
28/11 – Roundhouse – London
29/11 – Wolverhampton Civic Hall – Wolverhampton
26/02/2024 – Kulturzentrum Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, Germany
27/02 – Trabendo – Paris, France
28/02 – Live Music Hall – Cologne, Germany
15/03 – Electric Ballroom – London

What an honour to be inducted into the Camden Walk of Fame. Thanks to @carlbarat78 and @garycrowleyonair and everyone who came down to celebrate. #buzzcocks pic.twitter.com/wJzoCe7391

— Buzzcocks (@Buzzcocks) September 10, 2023

Buzzcocks, officially inducted into the Camden Walk of Fame on 8th September along with The Kinks, join other musical luminaries to achieve the accolade such as David Bowie, The Who, Amy Winehouse and Madness. The honour comes in recognition of the band’s considerable impact upon the music scene, both within the UK and beyond.

The group was further acclaimed and commended for their influence by fellow stars of the rock world, Liam Gallagher and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Both artists highlighted the importance of Buzzcocks and their ability to churn out hit songs while being true to the punk epithet of making it big through DIY.

Gallagher said, with good-natured tongue in cheek, “congratulations to Steve Diggle and The Buzzcocks for their inauguration in the Camden Walk of Fame. Love The Buzzcocks, second greatest band to come out of Manchester!”

Cook added, “The Buzzcocks booked the Sex Pistols’ first show in Manchester telling us we would be hearing about their band very soon and it wasn’t long before the world was bombarded with hit after hit of unique pure punk power pop energy. So a big thanks to Steve and the boys for putting a smile on our faces. A well deserved star on the Camden Walk of Fame.”

Great two days in Camden thanks everybody we met ! Sonics in the soul ! Onwards and upwards! pic.twitter.com/bnNkXJ8EtW — STEVE DIGGLE (@steveediggle) September 9, 2023

Buzzcocks celebrated their achievement by performing a set at the Camden Music Festival on 9th September and have announced that they will be playing a special one night show at Camden’s KOKO on 22, March next year. The band divulged that they will be playing their hit album, Singles Going Steady in full along with a selection of fan favourites. The band is also set to release a 45th anniversary edition of the album next year.

Tix on sale now for our @KOKOLondon show celebrating 45 years of Singles Going Steady. @Dominorecordco @steveediggle https://t.co/pfWoy0sCOg

— Buzzcocks (@Buzzcocks) August 30, 2023

Buzzcocks were formed in Bolton in 1976 by singer/guitarist Pete Shelley and singer Howard Devoto. The band went on to release three albums and a compilation of their hit singles which formed Singles Going Steady. The band broke up in 1981 following disagreements with their record label United Artists.

The band reunited in 1989 and went on to record six more albums before Shelley’s passing in 2018 however, the band has remained active with Steve Diggle (bass) taking over vocal and guitar duties. Buzzcocks released Sonics In The Soul, their 10th studio effort in 2022 and have stated they are currently in production of a follow up studio recording.

The 45th anniversary performance at KOKO tickets can be purchased here. Tickets for Buzzcock’s tour can be found here.

Buzzcocks Tour:

26/11/2023 – The Academy – Dublin
28/11 – Cyprus Avenue – Cork
01/12 – Salamandra – L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
02/12 – Shoko Madrid – Madrid, Spain
22/03/2024 – KOKO – London
27/04 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
01/06 – Manchester Academy – Manchester

The show was packed with special guests and a very excited crowd as Eilish herself had to stop the show four times and ask the crowd to calm down.

Amongst the guests was London-based rapper, singer and producer Labrinth who came out to perform their collaborative track, ‘Never Felt So Alone’ from Labrinth’s album Ends & Begins, released earlier this year.

Eilish wasn’t done with special guest appearances however as super group Boygenius took to the stage after wowing audiences at Gunnersbury Park just over a week ago (August 20) to perform ‘When the Party’s Over’, a single from Eilish’s first album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Another angle of boygenius performing When The Party’s Over with Billie Eilish at her show tonight!! pic.twitter.com/v3vO7CLSd3

— phoebe on tour (@bridgersontour) August 29, 2023

Her set comprised of huge fan-favourite singles such as ‘Bad Guy’ and ‘Happier Than Ever’ but she also performed rarities for the crowd such as ‘My Boy’ and ‘Wish You Were Gay’.

It wasn’t such a straight forward show however, as three songs into her set she stopped mid-performance during ‘Therefore I Am’ two times in order to encourage the crowd to check on the crowd amid crowd crushing, urging security to give out water to the crowd. “Can we get some water for these folks? Like where is security? Am I security now?” she frustratingly exclaimed to the audience.

The show was marred with crowd and security concerns from Eilish as she repeatedly addressed her frustration to the crowd by saying: “I haven’t played a small venue in literally six years. I’ve forgotten how to do this… I’m having an anxiety attack right now,” later following this up by adding “This felt like a good idea… Once. You guys look like you’re gonna die, take a step back.”

Her frustrations with security did not stop there as later on in the set she was still not happy as she addressed the crowd once more: “No one is answering me,”. She later had a break in the set to allow security to give out water and to provide a break for the excitable crowd, saying to the crowd: “Who needs an inhaler? I feel like I’m babysitting. Do you feel ok for me to keep going?”.

The intimate show was a surprise one that was only announced 3 days prior, in between her headlining sets at Reading and Leeds festival. Unsurprisingly, tickets for the show sold out instantly and fans were clearly fanatic about seeing a megastar such Billie Eilish at such a small venue.

Billie Eilish: One night only in London. pic.twitter.com/XawToR5z6D

— billie eilish (@billieeilish) August 26, 2023

Much to the delight of her scores of UK fans, Eilish teased a last minute performance at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London-a far more intimate setting than the star is accustomed to. Releasing a poster to go along with the announcement, the show is a one night only performance and will be followed by her brother Finneas performing a headlining show at the same venue the next night.

One night only in London! Tickets on sale this Friday at 10am BST https://t.co/86to0ZmLX6 pic.twitter.com/6Nbi0tD5rg — FINNEAS (@finneas) August 2, 2023

Eilish, speaking via social media, said, “London! Doing a special lil performance for you. If you signed up for email alerts at my pop-up this week, you’ll get an email with a unique code to access tickets.” Finneas, Eilish’s brother and notable for his award winning production work on her records, will play a sold out show the following night.

Eilish is fresh off her headlining gigs at Leeds festival (25th August) and Reading last night (27 August). At her show in Leeds, Eilish became the youngest solo headliner ever to grace the famous festival’s stages at only 21 years old and can now boast  both Reading and Leeds festivals and Glastonbury headlining slots. And the young performer certainly dazzled the crowd with a set that will live long in the memory for those in attendance.

The last time Eilish was at Reading and Leeds festival, the singer was only a teenager but, in the time since, she has become arguably one of the biggest pop stars on the planet-her albums and tours routinely garnering rave reviews and awards. Together with Finneas to accompany her on multiple instruments, Eilish treated the crowd to a massive setlist- containing a staggering 20 song set during both performances, which included the hit Barbie soundtrack song, “What Was I Made For?.”

But the singer showed a shrewd understanding of what her audience wished to see from her and peppered her setlist with career-spanning numbers that was sure to please both the uninitiated and die-hard fans. The set showcased what Eilish is both known for and what has shot her into super-stardom, particularly shining vocally on the more softer songs but then ramping up the excitement when belting party tunes that also had the crowd on their feet, jumping and dancing.

Those lucky fans that have been able to grab tickets to Eilish’s special Electric Ballroom performance are almost certainly guaranteed a once in a lifetime experience, the likes of which may not be repeated by a star who is only getting bigger and brighter. Tickets can be found here.

Billie Eilish Tour:

29/08/2023 – Electric Ballroom – London
01-03/09 – Electric Picnic – Stradbally

The underground shows will be held, as usual, in six iconic rock venues around the heavy-loving neighbourhood, this year compromising of The Roundhouse, The Electric Ballroom, The Underworld, The Black Heart, The Devonshire Arms and Powerhaus Camden. Some of which are a new edition to the yearly festival.

We’ve been granted news of the final bands to have joined the line-up, and once again, we have not been let down. The roster includes great bands such as, on the first day, the French post-metal band Year Of No Light playing their first gig in London since 2013, the hardcore-punk foursome Bad Breeding from the unbowed Stevenage, Electric Funeral covering Sabbath tunes and many more.

The second day, expect to be plastered by another series of significant rockers, together with one of Sweden’s first and most enduring stoner rock bands Dozer, the so-called ‘fathers or the desert’ Fatso Jetson and the American band Corrosion of Conformity bringing a slower, blues-tinged heavy metal to the table, who have not played on UK soil since 2018.

Following up on Sunday’s final blast we find the heavy groove trio Nebula, Antwerp’s stoner rock legends Gnome, the British riff-driven Uncle Acid and The Deadbeat, Japanese experimental-rock band Boris and many, many more.

It is a relished festival, which comes back round every year with great feedback from its regular fans. Desertfest winds way back to 2011, when its first event was ever made, always happening between the months of April and May. The first event, originally took place in London. However, after receiving such a response, as well as high demand, the event was extended to also take place in Berlin a couple months afterwards. In 2014, Desertfest Antwerp, Belgium was announced. Following its steady growth, the festival now also takes place in Ghent and even made it across the pond to New York.

Not only is it a publicly loved festival, however, it is also considered a safespace for repeatedly welcomed bands who return to the stage each year. Seen almost as a family reunion for most artists, they consider it to be a highlight of the year, in reconciliation with other fellow artists having played alongside each other throughout the years. The band Lowrider share in an interview last year; “Desertfest is always so relaxed and welcoming, it’s our third time here. We know lots of the other bands and it almost feels like an old school class or family reunion. The build up to Desertfest has been incredible, the most excited I can recall since waiting to get a Nintendo at Christmas when I was about 10-years-old!”

Tickets for both weekend and day passes are now available to buy online here.

Have that.https://t.co/ldY1kcuZys pic.twitter.com/LOAtMfuOTU

— HECK (@abandcalledHECK) September 2, 2022

HECK’s history has been no stranger to publicity in the few years they were in the public eye. In 2015, the group were sued by Japanese film company Toho over their original band name, “Baby Godzilla”. Obviously, it’s hard to argue the case when they own the copyright to a character literally called “Baby Godzilla” (or Godzilla Junior in a few places, but the point remains the same) so they became HECK to avoid the lawsuit causing any real damage. Once the change settled, they released their debut LP Instructions. The album was particularly reminiscent of early Dillinger Escape Plan, or even some more grindcore-esque names like Napalm Death. But the timeline didn’t extend much farther than that. The split came the following year, and no one really knows why.

The band’s return this time around seems to have come with even less chatter than the previous. “It means the damn world that so many of you are still here for this band. Thank you for your patience. Smashing will resume this Friday. Big love to one and all.” Reads the band’s returning statement for 2000 Trees. After 5 years off, the wordless surprise return goes to show that some things aren’t really meant to change. No answers. All we can do at this point is hope that some more information comes to light. Why did they go? Why are they back? Does this mean there’s new music? Will we hear it? We may never know.

We may never go beyond what we have here. Odd one-off shows popping up every now and then. The prospect of new music seems to have been squashed after nothing new was even alluded to at the previous show. Maybe things will change.