London Zine of Music, Arts and Miscellaneous Happenings. Monthly updates & seasonal physicals.
01
___Pindrop Presents: Wing! @ Windmill Brixton £6 - Christmas comes early with Pindrop’s Xmas Party! Our headliners, Wing, are some of our favourites in the scene. Their deeply psychedelic triphop soundscape has been honed over months of improvising, making them truly one of the tightest bands London has got. Sink back into the folding, glitching textures as drums and bass ricochet. The Glowworms are on main support, bringing a beautiful marriage of folk and post-rock while Frank Lloyd Wleft (our favourite Lexington DJ) brings his internet-age beat poetry and Americana country twang with his ever so iconic orchestra. Last but not least, we have the solemn, solo slowcore project of Sharkpit. tickets
___ORII Jam: In Tribute To D’Angelo @ Colour Factory £8.5 - We’ve had our eyes peeled for this one. Absolutely no one is more suited to honour the immense musical legacy of D’Angelo than the seasoned veterans at ORII Jam. For the majority of people who would not have been able to see the goat of R&B, this will be an interpretation of his canon that you should not miss. tickets
03-05
___Bleech 9:3 @ The Blue Basement £8.8 - Rising Irish four-piece have been making a name for themselves in the capital as of late, since moving to Streatham. With 3 nights in the Third Man Records basement already on waitlist, it is clear something is brewing. Coming off the back of a support slot for Shame, BLEECH 9:3’s grunge blends in emotionality in the form of bold melodies rather than shouted verse. tickets
03
___Santa Claws 2025 @ Windmill Brixton £6 Blitzcat Records - A stacked lineup put on by an independent label that clearly has its finger on the pulse! Blitzcat celebrate the winter merriment with headlining soft-rockers big long sun, whose timeless, infectious songs could see them break into any era’s charts. ashnymph’s trippy, electroclash-inspired dance-pop will have you dancing like you’re in an iPod advert, while kiss gem.burn will throw you against the walls with their massive post-rock ensemble. If it wasn’t for the openers, London slowcore group Mry (fka Mary), it would appear Blitzcat only co-sign bands stylised in lower case! tickets
04
___Loraine James @ Ormside Projects £17.15 Bird On The Wire - James’s unique mix of personality and technicality is not often seen in the oft-instrumental world of electronic music. Her passions and stories burst through the chopping and warping blend of IDM, neo-soul and drill, recounting angst with her perspective as a queer black woman remaining central. Catch this intimate show where exclusive unreleased numbers will be played… tickets
___Harvest Fest (Pecan Charity Fundraiser) @ Rough Trade East £10.3 - Raising money for Peckham’s Pecan Foodbank, which lost thousands last year after being burgled, West London’s indie icon Lava La Rue leads the charge with their infectious, unabashedly pop charm, perfect for anyone who needs a local surrogate for 2024’s “rediscovery” of MGMT and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Check out the opener, SE London’s tall child (their name and some inspiration taken from Mitski), whose beautiful debut EP Somehow You Grow came out earlier this year! tickets
05
___BLACK FONDU EP Launch @ Bermondsey Social Club £6.18 - Pindrop’s favourite abstract grime artist and producer celebrates his debut EP, the aptly named BLACKFONDUISM, with a stacked lineup. His style live, if you haven’t read our reviews, is wild: half boxer – half crazed northern soul dancer, his energy is so infectious, even if it's your first time hearing his maximalist hyper-rap, you’ll come away changed. The EP seems to progress sonically from his debut singles in every direction possible: impossibly harsher, louder, yet catchier and more melodic (just compare ‘holla back girl’ with ‘#music’). Make sure to check out all the supports, but most notably the Manchester poet and underground legend Isaiah Hull. tickets
06
___Dim Wizard @ New River Studios £9 / 14 Divine Schism - A pop wizard who knows no genre, David Combs, of the DC power-pop group Bad Moves, uses collaboration to unlock endless musical possibilities. The project spans alternative country, post-punk, hyper-pop and indie-folk, with different partnerships for every song. tickets
07
___Daltons Fen & Jawharp “Piss Hat” Split EP Launch @ George Tavern £9 - What better way to end your weekend than with two of London’s wildest bands? Jawharp erupt with gargles, screams, and abrasive guitars, harkening to the darker, violent side of emo. Possessed by the mayhem, their gigs often develop into primal gymnastics as bodies wriggle and guitars lay strewn across the stage. Daltons Fen, on the other hand, turn down the volume with their absurd outsider pop, barking psychedelic stories over wiggling synths as if John Lydon had served a tour in the Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. How the two sounds will complement each other on their upcoming split EP, we will just have to see. tickets
___Ambient Sauna | o•rbyss w/ sibi-lo & anrimeal [MISC] @ Sauna Social Club, Peckham £24.99 - Bored of the same old venues? Perhaps you’re prioritising wellness now, or maybe you just don’t want to be freezing in a smoking area. This gig may be for you. Located within the healing walls of Sauna Social Club in Peckham, where each Sunday the afternoon and evening feature curated events. o•rbyss alongside sibi-lo and anrimeal are sharing their works that may be too tender and soothing for regular setting gigs. tickets
08
___Compost Compost Compost / Potato / Crook Decker @ George Tavern FREE Big Richard Records - Big Richard Records are taking over The George for the last few gigs of the year. Although not totally festive, apparently the music is as sparkly and whimsical as Christmas spirit, and what says happy holidays more than free entry?! Featuring Compost Compost Compost, a group which beautifully embody gentle introspective melodies. With support from Potato, who champion blissful folk-pop with lyrics to match. And to start the night, Crook Decker, a wonky pop beat star who’ll hopefully be playing tunes from their new album, “Graffiti Lagoon”. So please come, cosy up to feel good vibes at the George with your pals. rsvp
11
___Lost Property & Die Quieter Present: A Winter Ball [MISC] @ Rivolli Ballroom £13.7 - Combining the ersatz intellectualism of Lost Property, the literary glamour of Die Quieter Please, and the skittish, folky charm of south London’s favourite My New Band Believe, this winter ball goes beyond a simple gig experience into something more. Expect readings, sharp little lectures, and offbeat performances tucked inside London’s last surviving 1950s ballroom. tickets
___No Tags [MISC] @ ICA £12.5 - No Tags, a podcast-newsletter project from music writers Chal Ravens and Tom Lea, bring audiences a rare live show to celebrate the release of their second book. Covering everything from the foibles of Boiler Room sets to the ingredients of a perfect night out, this event is for audiences who want to dissect what music subculture means in 2025. tickets
12
___Senrab / Scadenza / Magda @ Sebright Arms FREE Scream/Shout - Senrab conjure a noisy grime while the young group Scadenza prove that emo is on its way back in, and about time! No, not that grandiose pop-punk nonsense, nor the twiddly Midwest king, but the real thing: dissonant, screaming, and melancholic. Check out openers Magda and their crunching slacker. rsvp
13
___A Hideous Christmas – All Dayer @ Windmill Brixton £15 / 20 Hideous Mink - 2pm til 2am. The party don’t stop. With only half the lineup announced as of yet (but half the tickets gone too!), make you sure you get moving or else you’ll be missing some of London’s loudest. Dog Race, Legss and Y are the bands to note, each encapsulating the new wave of “crankwave” in a different way – expect sprechgesang, unison riffs on the harmonic minor scale, and plenty of moshing. Don’t get caught waiting for the headliners to be announced! tickets
14
___Our Dear Friends: Christmas Spectacular @ George Tavern £9.5 Our Dear Friends - A night of Christmas cheer and carols sung by a one-off choir/supergroup comprised of Abigail Morris (The Last Dinner Party), Clari FT (Mary in the Junkyard), Rowan Please (The Femcels), Ash Kenazi (Hank), Joseph Darley (The Slow Country) and more and more! A charity raffle will be held to raise money for the free homeless shelter Shelter From The Storm. tickets
15
___Pindrop X Improv’s Greatest Hits: No Clique #10 @ Folklore Hoxton £6 OTD / £7 - We’re so excited to be collaborating with a project we’ve been following for quite some time. Improv’s Greatest Hits, organised by Harry “Iceman” Furniss (kingpin of the Bristol improvisational scene, free-genre cornet player, and collaborator with bands like LICE, Bingo Fury, and Glaxo Babies), have been setting up ‘No Clique’ nights, where one-night-only improv bands are given the space to conquer unknown territory. What each band will bring, no one knows; however, with the talented musicianship that lines the London underbelly, you’re in for a treat. Tickets to be released imminently!
17
___Thistle @ The Lexington £11.33 product 85 - If you’re seeking: ripping guitars, striking drums, hued with yearning vocals, get yourself to the Lexington and swear amongst the crowd to this mega lineup of the UK’s finest offerings. Thistle, a melancholic yet fast-paced three-piece, ignite an emotional fury within you. Check out supports Kissing On Camera, who embrace midwestern emo with hearts bared at the forefront of their lyrics and sound. tickets
18
___DIGI_005: es.cher / MAY / Maiden @ Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes £6.5 - At DIGI, a new scene-staple event held below Jaguar Shoes, you’ll find yourself meandering around amps, laptops, and cables, finding a good spot to absorb different approaches to beat making as you watch in the round. Headliners es.cher design a soundscape that meshes sonic maximalism with intimate songwriting, while supporting is MAY, a pop princess who cherishes lush beats that amplify her lyrics of life’s highs and lows. Maiden open the night with their reimagination of experimental dream-pop with a hint of goth energy. tickets
31
___New Year's Eve ft. Powerplant + More! @ 100 Club £17 Far From Presents - What a way to start your 2026! For your awkward New Year’s kiss/mosh-pit concussion, the frenetic synth-driven egg-punk of Powerplant will throw you in 2026 with their gothic, woozy infectiousness. And there’s far more raucousness where that came from! University, the frenetic emos from Crewe will pummel you with splanking chords and perfectly OTT drum fills; Leeds’ Bathing Suits will have you boogying to their harsh post-dance; Uncle Junior will rock you with their eclectic noise; and Baby Doll Dead Beat will open the night with their moody synth bangers. tickets
by JR
Having played cult venue Ormside Projects last year, Los Thuthanaka return to London for Pitchfork Music Festival. The Ormside gig was a decidedly stuffed affair, with people packed tightly enough to make a sardine tin seem cavernous; the ICA clearly have a stronger incentive to honour capacity restrictions, and so there is far more space amongst the audience before the show even begins. Still, the familiar dull roar of anticipation is present, and the audience is eager to see what Los Thuthanaka have to offer: having received the highest Pitchfork score since the release of Fetch The Bolt Cutters for their self-titled surprise Bandcamp release, expectations are high.
Composed of Bolivian-American siblings Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton, the Los Thuthanaka project focuses keenly on a reimagination of traditional Andean music and Cumbia. “Reimagination” is the operative word here: through the incorporation of sampled digital ephemera and a strong trance sensibility, Los Thuthanaka produce something wholly unique. The project exists in the same expansive and hauntological archival realm that artists like Oneohtrix Point Never inhabit, but take the politics of hauntology to a decidedly anti-colonial space.
It is a testament to their compositional ability that they manage to produce such a full sound with only two musicians on stage. Indeed, the very immersive quality of their sound makes it difficult to fit this set into a typical linear review format–summarising the songs which were played and how the audience happened to react. Instead, the boundaries between songs completely collapse as the siblings play, with only the rolling Cumbia beat to mark the time that has passed. This circular rhythm is never repetitive, especially not in a live setting; instead, it produces the sort of full and immersive experience which compels the audience to dance. It’s a dissolution of the distinction between the mind and body, the sort that works to dismantle the very dichotomies which Los Thuthanaka seek to dissolve in their work.
by JR
In the canon of experimental rock music, My Bloody Valentine are at this point more fable than reality. Loveless has never really left the rotation of critically acclaimed albums, and Kevin Shields’s near-bankrupting of Creation Records to produce the album is the stuff of legend. There’s a reason listeners latch onto this parable: MBV offer a vision of music so ecstatic and otherworldly that it requires a great sacrifice to bring it about in the world, whether that be permanent hearing loss or 22-year dry patches between records. Of course, MBV are more than just an urban legend. They’re a real band, with all the glory of intermittent technical issues as they enter the stage of the Wembley Arena.
Of course, MBV know their audience well, and begin the gig with Loveless crowd pleasers “I Only Said” and “When You Sleep.” It’s a blessing to have gotten to grown up with music like this: the wistful swooping of the latter song’s main riff contains a nostalgia that, although immediately apparent upon first listen, benefits from the compounding of decades of listening on top of it. The vocal mixing would be considered hideously low if this were any other gig, but the illegibility of the lyrics only adds to this inscrutable sense of out-of-placeness or aching melancholy. It’s as though the literal experiences these songs are based on are less important than the sensory experience produced by the sound, which encapsulates the lyrics themselves.
They don’t only play tracks off Loveless, however, and the sludgy march of “Slow” has the crowd rocking back and forth in unison. There’s a blatant sensuality to these early MBV songs, which are so explicitly sexual in nature that they feel easier to associate with university accommodation and odd fresher’s week flirtations than with the ineffability of the band’s later output. Yet, the live iterations of these more vulgar songs are just as fulfilling to hear: the beat reverberates through the physical body in a way that implies a more embodied sort of passion. “Feed Me With Your Kiss” further inhabits an almost goth-rock ethos, keeping with MBV’s early style, but is played with such convincing force that the audience can easily overlook otherwise structurally unsound lyricism.
Shoegaze is a genre associated with extreme introversion, notoriously taking its name from the literal act of averting the gaze and withdrawing from the demands of the crowd. Yet, MBV produce a kind of music which feels almost incomplete until experienced live, and in the presence of others. Although not quite at the decibel level of the gigs of their heyday, their performance is still loud. But it’s not a loudness for loudness’s sake. The band make full use of the dynamic scale, receding into hushed tones to draw out the ambience of “Who See You” or playing up the clipped rhythm of “Wonder 2” until it feels like a DnB track being spun at a rave. Still, there is plenty of time for sensory experience, which simply overpowers. The most notable example of this is ten whole minutes of sheer noise on the closer, “You Made Me Realise.” The song is sawed in half by this noisy abrasion, and the audience is suspended in the physical vibrations such volume inevitably produces. It’s this element of sensory overload that allows the performance to transcend beyond a mere live performance into something more.
The primary feeling associated with My Bloody Valentine is that of desire–but desire is an intensely multifaceted state of being. There is the melancholic lack of “When You Sleep,” the streamlined intention of “Soon,” the adolescent horniness of “Slow.” In the hands of lesser artists with weaker visions, these affective states would seem childish, maybe even stupid. The subjects MBV write about should be the sort of thing you discard right around the time you open your first savings account. And yet! There is a profound alchemy which happens on the level of form rather than content, transmuting otherwise naive feelings of longing, lack, and sexuality into something which can penetrate into the deepest parts of the psyche. It’s ecstatic music in the truest sense of the word–music embodying a pleasure external not only to the self, but to the world of rational thought. It is a vision from somewhere else, somewhere which can only be reached through sensory experience. To even try and capture this effect in words feels somewhat futile.
SE
___Black And White by The dB's (US, 1981)
___Expectations by Belle and Sebastian (UK, 1996)
___You Got to Have Money by The Exits (UK, 1967)
MLT
___Remember the Time by Michael Jackson (US, 1991)
___A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing) by Romeo Void (US, 1992)
___The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers by Charles Mingus (US, 1972)
JR
___Lebanese Blond by Thievery Corporation (US, 2000)
___Maddington by bar italia (UK, 2023)
___Slow by My Bloody Valentine (Ireland, 1988)
JK
___Please Forgive Me by David Gray (US, 1998)
___Scientists by Four Tet (UK, 2017)
___Sorrow by Life Without Buildings (UK, 2000)