Roundup | Independent Venue Week 2020

Featuring | TOY, Hibou and Sinead O’Brien, Factory Girls and Egyptian Blue.

Words | Greta Kaur- Taylor 

Photography | Greta Kaur-Taylor 

This year's Independent Venue Week saw a multitude of packed shows, the protection of the 100 Club and the coming together of venues, people and artists across the country through music. IVW celebrates the spirit of independence and the culture of live music, with a plethora of gigs and tours organised to bring people in and supporting their local scene. 

This week we spoke to Egyptian Blue, Factory Girls and Independent Venue manager Jack Franklin about the importance of grassroots level venues and their local scenes. 

IVW highlights that venues aren’t just places for live music, but places for art, communities and cultures to thrive. Without grassroots level venues you wouldn’t have arena level bands.

Every artist must start from somewhere and your favourite artists were once that band you couldn’t be bothered to see at your local venue for a fiver. 

Without independent venues there would be no scene and none of your favourite bands would be where they are now, supporting grassroots and independent is supporting the future of music. 

So, spend that money you’d spend on a pint to support your local music scene and keep the industry thriving. 

TOY | The Cookie | 28th Jan 

TOY kicked off their Independent Venue Week tour in Leicester and it was big. Consisting of drummer Charlie Salvidge, Dominic O’Dair on guitar, synth by Max Claps, Tom Dougall on guitar and vocals with Maxim Barron also providing vocals and bass.

TOY brought their soothing goodness leaving the basement of The Cookie swaying and providing all the comfort and togetherness on a Tuesday evening, laden in layers of guitar and synth. The band are atmospheric, unique and Imaginative.  

Toy are a band to be felt. 

Catch the band supporting Fontaines D.C. at the 02 Academy Brixton later this month. 

Hibou | The Soundhouse | 31st Jan 

Hailing from Seattle, indie shoegaze dreamboats, Hibou  graced The Soundhouse with intricate guitar riffs and swimming vocals. Playing a set that you couldn’t help but groove to, it was hard to stop the beers flowing and the dance moves making an appearance. 

Hibou were received with open arms wrapping everybody up in their blanket of noise, leaving the crowd dancing away into the night. With support from Sorrell, Sister Bliss and Sweetbellechobaby it was a night that couldn’t have been better. 

Sinead O’Brien & Egyptian Blue | Co-headline IVW tour – The Firebug

With support from Factory Girls. 

Singer and Poet Sinead O'Brien and the ever energetic Egyptian Blue graced the Firebug stage nearing the end of an IVW tour that saw them play four shows consecutively, joined by Leicester's current buzz band Factory Girls.

Consisting of Noah Hopley-Jones (vocals and rhythm guitar), Will Astill (lead guitar and vocals), Joe Barton (bass) and James Parker (drums), the current buzz band of the scene drew in a crowd with their atmospheric intertwining of both instruments as a group and vocal lines delivered by Hopley-Jones.

Factory Girls gave a performance of duality, one that was filled with an undeniable grit but also held a softness, being both soothing, cathartic and loud within the space of half an hour. Factory Girls feel fresh and write songs to dance to and songs to cry to. If any emotional outpouring was a band it would be Factory Girls.

Sinead O'Brien followed the band with a hypnotic stage presence and a voice that needs to be listened to. O'Brien manages to create and perform songs with a poetic sharpness, refining the half-spoken/ half-sung style over touches of punk influenced instrumentals and songs that feel like mantras.

Sinead's music expresses and condenses the complexities of life, the uncertainty and the instability. It' sharp, it's clever and you can't help but listen to what she has to say, all while having a groove.

Rounding off the evening were the ever loud and chaotic, Egyptian Blue. The band unfurled on stage releasing an energy that couldn't be contained. Egyptian Blue gave a performance layered in fuzz and noise, captivating in the way they took to the stage and playing songs that could electrically charge any audience.

---

IVW interviews with Factory Girls, Egyptian Blue and Jack Franklin out soon.

The Cookie | https://www.thecookieleicester.co.uk/?

The Soundhouse | https://www.thesoundhouseleicester.co.uk/upcoming-shows-1

Firebug | https://www.facebook.com/pg/FirebugBar/about/?ref=page_internal

@thebandtoy

@hibouband

@factorygirls529

@_sineadobrien_

@egyptianblueinc

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCENE