After two visits to Norwich last year, as part of the Bizarre and MOBO tours, Joseph Junior Adenuga — aka Skepta — returns for his own headline date. Plus Plaid, Noah & The Whale and Ugly Duckling.
SKEPTA
Waterfront, October 15
After two visits to Norwich last year, as part of the Bizarre and MOBO tours, Joseph Junior Adenuga — aka Skepta — returns for his own headline date.
The Tottenham MC, producer and founder of Boy Better Know, who cheekily called his 2007 debut Greatest Hits, is a charismatic and distinctive MC, who has also produced some of the decade's most seminal grime beats.
He has gone from appearing on pirate radio stations and at grime raves to a mainstream career with seemingly unstoppable momentum.
Though he now one of a slew of grime artists who've made the crossover, he was one of the first to make it big when he attracted the eye of none other than P. Diddy who took to Twitter in search of an artist to give his new Diddy Dirty Money project's lead single a grime twist.
His debut was followed a year later by Microphone Champion, also released on his own crew's independent Boy Better Know label, as was this year's Doin' It Again. He has also put the hard yards in when it comes to live performance. A stint supporting Chipmunk earlier this year was instrumental to the expansion of his fan base. Support comes from Logan Sama
t Further listening: www.myspace.com/skepta
PLAID
Norwich Arts Centre, October 18
After a packed show last year, British electronic music duo, Plaid return to the Arts Centre to headline this latest Spectro electronica night.
Old school friends, Andy Turner and Ed Handley, have been recording together since 1988. Their work has been released under various guises over the years; Atypic, Balil, Repeat, Tura amongst others.
Most of their early recording years were with The Black Dog, a group and recording label they had started with Ken Downie.
In 1993 they were signed by Warp Records and have continued to work with them since.
They have remixed and collaborated with many artists, including Bj�rk, Goldfrapp, The London Sinfonietta, Nicolette and UNKLE.
Unusually for an electronic act, Plaid tour extensively, often with the video artist Bob Jaroc, whose work has often accompanied their music during their live performances and with whom they developed a DVD entitled Greedy Baby, released in 2006.
In the same year they also completed their first soundtrack for the award winning Japanese animated feature TekkonKinkreet.
Their new album, Scintilli, has just been released.
t Further listening: www.plaid.co.uk
UGLY DUCKLING
Norwich Arts Centre, October 19
After five albums and more than a decade of touring, Ugly Duckling continue to hold underground hip hop integrity and are huge favourites in Norwich.
Young Einstein, Dizzy Dustin and Andy Cooper formed Ugly Duckling way back in 1993 in their hometown of Long Beach, California. Growing up in the 1980s, they were raised on a classic hip hop diet but were especially influenced by the mostly New York-based and production-focused groups of the late 1980s and early 90s such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Beatnuts and Gangstarr.
The trio still remain happily naive when it comes to the latest industry attitudes, fashion trends, and state-of-the-art production techniques preferring instead to develop and stand by their own signature sound.
'We've seen so many phases come and go that it all seems silly to us now,' says Andy. 'Good music and top level live performance are really our only concerns.'
They've earned acclaim and respect and done so completely on their own terms. What's the secret? 'Stay young at heart and never stop moving,' says Dizzy.
t Further listening: www.uglyduckling.us
NOAH & THE WHALE
UEA, October 19
It's been quite the year for Noah And The Whale. The critical acclaim of their third studio album, Last Night On Earth in January, has led to sold out shows both at home and in America.
Meanwhile, a summer of high profile festival appearances has marked the London-based five piece — singer-songwriter Charlie Fink, violin player Tom Hobden, bassist Urby Whale, guitarist Fred Abbott and drummer Michael Petulla — as this autumn's biggest live draw, and it's no surprise it's returns only for this date.
Fink admits success on this scale was never in his mind when he first started sketching the songs that would make up his band's debut album.
'I never really anticipated playing venues that big, not at the beginning,' he says. 'If someone had suggested that to me a long time ago, I would have laughed.
'What's exciting is that we feel ready for this and it feels like it's the right time for us to be doing these shows. We've got the songs to suit it and as performers we're ready for it.'
After the lovelorn moping on their second album The First Days of Spring, Last Night On Earth that builds on their nu-folk roots and adds gleaming choruses, buzzing synths and infectious melodies.
t Further listening: ww.noahandthewhale.com
SOUNDS IN THE CITY
October 14
Rise Up: feat. Zion Train (reggae) — Arts Centre
White Heat/Munked Up Funkies ( — Brickmakers
We Ghosts (indie) — Brewery Tap
Killer Hurtz (metal) — King Edward VII
The Myrmidons (rock) — B2
Barking Spiders (indie/rock) — Blueberry
The Hicksville Bombers (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights
Music House: feat. Uncle Stash + more (acoustic) — Wensum Lodge
Norwich Folk Club — Christ Church Centre
Vic Salter — Gatehouse
Chrissy — The Farmhouse
Tracey Dean — Perseverance
October 15
Skepta (hip hop) — Waterfront
The Magnets (pop/vocals) — The Playhouse
Magazine Gap/Killamonjambo (indie) — Arts Centre
RACPA Charity Gig: feat. Avosetta + more (indie/rock) — B2
Raw Edge (rock) — Brickmakers
The Burning Crows + more (rock) — King Edward VII
Worlds Apart (rock) — Boundary
Replica (rock) — Angel Gardens
She/Sez (rock/pop) — Lakenham Cock
Beat Deluxe — Arkwrights
Back 2 Back (charity) — Wensum Community Centre
Debbie Lee James — Royal British Legion
Johnny Valentine — Heath House
Tony Cann — The Windmill
Jonesy — Gatehouse
Shannan — Quebec Tavern
October 16
The Pierces (folk/rock) — Waterfront
Sarah MacDongall + more (folk) — Olives
Neil Daniels & Dave Morrison (jazz/blues/2.30pm) — Brewery Tap
Johnny Jump Band (skiffle/punk) — Silver Road Cottage
Bryan of Note — Royal British Legion
Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers
October 17
Bowling For Soup (rock) — UEA
Tribes (indie) — Arts Centre
Crafted Acoustic Tour: Cole Stacey and Chris Woods (acoustic) — Bicycle Shop
Jazz N Jam: feat. Lee Vasey + more — Blueberry
Brickie Sessions (open mic) — Brickmakers
October 18
Spectro: feat. Plaid (electronic) — Arts Centre
Depth + more (metal/rock) — B2
Blind Tiger (rock) — Brickmakers
The Hicksville Bombers (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights
Sarah Ellen Hughes Quartet (jazz) — Rackheath Green Man
October 19
Laura Marling (folk) — Norwich Cathedral
Noah & The Whale (indie/rock) — UEA
Ugly Duckling (hip hop) — Arts Centre
Lynn Miles (folk) — Olives
Rival Promo Presents (indie/rock) — B2
Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers
Rock'n'Roll Jam — The Windmill
October 20
Ivyrise (rock) — B2
Access To Music Showcase (local artists) — Brickmakers
Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Speed Limit (country) — Royal British Legion
Part-Time Blues Band (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades
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