Review: NO FUN

"This is anything but a straightforward comedy night," intoned Samir Eskanda, co-organiser of The George Tavern's No Fun, a monthly event showcasing an eclectic mix of comedy, music and poetry. He wasn't joking, either; in the space of only a couple of hours, the upstairs theatre at the George was treated to a veritable performance-art smorgasbord: six comic acts, ranging from observational humour to surreal parody.

Compere Zoe Griesdale presided over the event; fresh from a stint at the Edinburgh Fringe, she bounded around the stage whilst for some reason providing the audience with a pantomimed imagining of Michael Barrymore's sex life before announcing the upcoming acts. Little bit weird, big bit funny. We were off to a good start.

No Fun's opener was South Londoner Gemma Beagley: on the face of it, her set at first seemed to be almost stand up by numbers but her wry talent soon manifested itself. Beagley has mastered the knack of combining the laugh with the wince by constructing risqué jokes concerning premature ejaculation (referred to as 'seagulling' - yeah, I know) and anecdotes about convincing women to have abortions simply to get one over on pro-lifer nuns, as she is a lapsed member of the church herself. A newcomer, having only been on the circuit for about 10 months, Beagley is a new face worth watching.

Molly and Fuffkin soon followed, making for baffling and slightly uncomfortable viewing. The two sketch actresses' bizarre send up of David Lynch's Blue Velvet characters seemed far fetched and overly nonsensical, with only a few laughs to be had; as a result, the small audience seemed more confused than amused by their capering.

Liz Bentley managed quickly to pick up Molly and Fuffkin's slack by charming the room with her girlish irreverence. Introducing herself as a musical poet and not a stand up, Bentley remarked, in reference to a noose-like rope hanging from the wall of the theatre, "and if it goes badly, I can always hang myself." Coercing a small, self-conscious audience into joining you in a ukulele-led chorus of "cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt" is no mean feat, but she pulled it off with ease and had the audience eating from the palm of her hand with her idiosyncratic yet oddly appealing lyrics ("I used to travel but now I can't be arsed/My verruca fell off in the foot spa at Center Parcs"). Frenetic, fast-paced and funny make for a winning combination and Bentley's set left the audience chortling as they exited for the interval.

* * *

After the break, we were welcomed back by Kishore Nayar, a young Asian comic who relayed awkward tales of trying to conceal his ethnicity in front of a crowd of BNP supporters and not being very good at arguing, despite being a full time employment lawyer (incidentally, his trick for getting out of this is simply to invent complicated sounding words). With a twitchy and self deprecating stance, Nayar used his apparent self-awareness and on-stage confidence to portray himself as a shy yet likeable character.

Jamie Glassman's cab driver alter ego Tony Izzit delivered slick, if a little laboured, one-liners concerning the best way to surreptitiously look at women on the tube and "pitbull stereos". A convincing character was a solid vehicle for a well put together sequence.

Somali-born headliner Prince Abdi (his real name) confessed to only having got into stand up comedy because his friends told him he was funny, "but they were really taking the piss," he laughed. "I invited all my friends to my first gig and just died." Abdi said of No Fun, "I met Zoe in a comedy club and from there we just became friends. She told me about the event and I said I was available . loved it, there was a friendly audience and everyone was really happy and came out to have a good time. I mean, because I did another gig and there were loads of hoodies coming up to me going 'are you gunna be funny?' and I said 'let me get on the stage first!' so this is different." Prince Abdi's warm yet razor sharp delivery was different too: his humour and timing are whip smart and his knowing grin allowed him to get away with some racially edgy gags (allusions to Somali pirates and kidnappings were breezily dealt with early on in the routine).

As Abdi's set wound up, my suspicions were confirmed: the night's snappy headline act had sealed the deal, and I knew then that No Fun was and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the London comedy club circuit, and it might be a little unknown now but catch this event and its acts soon, before they all go stellar.

CLUB: Electricity In Our Homes_The Murder Act_Joseph Coward_Bastard Sword

Interview: JESS BRYANT

Jess Bryant creates haunting and ethereal acoustic folk music. She lives in London. Construction House caught up with her to talk classical music, her new album and the future.

You've spoken before about being trained classically and being brought up by classical fans, what's your relationship with classical music like now? Do you feel like it's still within the roots of your music or is it something you try to distance yourself from?
I still feel the way in which I write songs and the way I sing are influenced by my classical upbringing but maybe less so now. I think this is a good thing. There was a point when I did try to purposefully distance myself from it, as a teenager. I felt quite pressured when I was in that world to get good exam grades, to sing and perform perfectly and I felt a sense of freedom when I taught myself guitar, started writing my own songs and started to sing more naturally. But I think I understand more how that classical influence links in to how I write now and I feel very lucky to have had that kind of musical discipline. I don't think that I could distance myself from it. It is part of how I compose even if it is sometimes only on a subconscious level. I do think that being too aware of the key or time signature that you are in can hinder coming up with something new and unexpected so it's about a balance between composition and creativity.

Female singer/songwriters are currently very much in vogue (with the likes of Florence et al storming the charts), why do you think this is? Do you see yourself as being in any way affiliated with these soloists who're currently making a name for themselves?
I think that there have always been inspirational female musicians. It’s not just a trend. I see myself as a musician first of all and I don't think the fact that I'm female should mean that I have to fit into some niche or current trend. I don’t really identify with anyone who is in vogue at the moment. However, there are a few female musicians who really inspire me. People like Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond, Cortney Tidwell and PJ Harvey. They are musical heroines of mine and I suppose if I wanted to be affiliated or compared to anyone, it would be to them. However, I don't think I am a fan because they are female but because they are amazing musicians and talented at what they do. I am equally in awe of male musicians like Thom Yorke and Mark Linkous.

You're currently in the process of making an album, how's it going?
It's very nearly done which I can't quite believe! I had no idea what it would be like to make an album; how many twists and turns there would be, what it would sound like and so on. As a solo performer and someone who started by recording demos at home, it took me a while to come around to the idea of working with someone else and sharing ideas. I like the idea of getting something done on my own. However I quickly realised how rewarding it can be to have a second opinion and another ear. It has been a great experience recording with Daniel Lea at Golden Hum and I have learnt a lot from it. It has been particularly good to do the album with someone whose musical judgement I trust and whose music I admire. I think I've now firmly left behind the idea that I have to do everything on my own and everything has to be played by me. Sometimes something so much richer can come out of collaboration and experimentation and a willingness to take on another person's ideas.

What are we to expect from the release in terms of sound and concept?
I think the feel of the album has gradually taken shape as songs have been added or put aside. The sound is quite dreamy and lush in places and there are songs on there about the sun, time, sea, rivers, ghosts, dusk and night. Those themes have come up before in previous songs of mine. I think it might be because they hold mystery for me. I tend to come back to them when I’m writing lyrics. There are also some quite upbeat songs on there which is something new for me. I’m not known for being upbeat and that’s not where I naturally tend to go when songwriting. I’ve said before that songwriting is a catharsis for me and I normally feel the need to write when I’m feeling upset about something. So it was nice to listen to some of the songs and realise that I could tap my feet to them!

Though your songs are all very different from one another, your overall sound is arguably quite specific, will you be departing from your established format?
I think I probably have moved away from the format in a sense. It’s very different in terms of instrumentation. I don’t think there’s a single acoustic guitar on there, which is not something I had anticipated. But the parts worked on electric guitar and there was no reason not to break with tradition and try it out. There is also a lot of vibraphone as there happened to be one in the studio and I love the sound. I’ve never had drums in my music either and that has definitely changed the feel and helped to lift some of the songs. I’m also lucky enough to have beautiful string arrangements on some of the songs which adds a lushness to the music. There’s still a lot of vocal harmonies on there and plenty of ooo’s and mmm’s which I couldn’t do without! It was fun to come up with some of the songs in the studio – far more experimental than just me and my acoustic guitar at home and it meant a lot more freedom in terms of arrangement. I feel that in terms of mood and the songwriting I am not straying too far from my usual path – the music is just a bit more expansive.

What does the future hold for Jess Bryant?
I have been a solo performer for a long while now and I hope the future holds a band and a fuller sound live. This is not something I have tried with my music before. I think it's time, particularly as the album has that fuller sound and it would be lovely to bring that out live. As for the album I hope that it gets released and that people like it. I feel in a way that the biggest achievement has been (nearly) finishing it. I just hope that the people who have listened to my music before will enjoy the album.

VISIT MYSPACE.COM/JKCBRYANT FOR ALBUM UPDATES, SHOWS AND MORE

Club:BLOOD MUSIC + ROMANCE @ CATCH (FREE SHOW)

The Construction House club returns on the Ides of March, with the fallout from VEGAS Whores in the form of Blood Music and what's set to be a killer DJ set from Romance's own Samantha Valentine. Support from Miss Cosmos and Joseph Coward, free entry at Catch. Check it out!



Click HERE to RSVP to the Facebook event.

Interview: MISS COSMOS

Construction House met with "sensitive punk" trio Miss Cosmos in Mile End's Victoria Park to discuss cassette tapes, money and girls' music. Here follows the result of our encounter.

Is the name Miss Cosmos a reference to any feminine aspect of your music or your personalities?
Danny (Stead, guitar/vocals): I think we're all quite feminine and quite sensitive. I think a lot of the music is quite soulful and quite deep as well, in a way.

So you think you can relate more to your own femininity, as opposed to your masculinity?
Danny: Yeah, definitely. We're never going to be really brash or stereotypically masculine, because none of us are. It's... music for girls.

You're definitely a lyrical band, does being so focused on your lyrics ever take away from your musical content? Is it particularly important if it does?
Danny: It does and it's not important.
Josh (Stevenson, bass/vocals): I think [the lyrics] are more important. For us, anyway.

So, do you think that the music could be described as a vehicle for the lyrics?
Josh: Pretty much, it's just a background really... Obviously it's important but not as important.

Would it be fair to say that you've put quite a lot of yourselves into your music?
Danny: Yes.

As such, is it ever annoying or irritating that bands can become successful by coming up with annoying or stupid stuff?
Danny: No, it's not annoying because everyone sings about what they want to sing about. If you're quite passionate singing about those things you relate to then that's fair enough.
Josh: If it makes them happy it's not really a problem. It's not really anything to do with us.
Danny: I'm not going to say that anything doesn't sing like this doesn't have anything to offer because that's a sort of narrow minded way of looking at it...

What I'm getting at is, is it ever irritating when someone in the charts sing songs that don't seem to make much sense becomes successful?
Danny: Well, it's quite ambiguous in a way. Just because it doesn't mean anything to me doesn't mean it means nothing to them.

Having experimented with cellos, electronic drums and other instruments and ideas in the past, where do you see yourselves progressing musically?
Josh: I think over the past six months or whatever we've really experimented quite a lot so I think it just depends on what ideas pop into our heads.

So you don't plan anything in advance?
Josh: No, I think it just comes with the situation that we're in at the time.
Danny: If you try to plan it, or have a set way of doing things it tends not to work out that way.
Josh: It can turn out pretty messy, as well.

So it's better just to be spontaneous?
Danny: Yeah.

Seeing as you all sing together both live and record in a fairly equal measure and you all play instruments that are integral to the band's sound, is anyone considered a front man in any way? Do any of you ever want to be more prominent within the band?
Danny: I think we're all the front man.
Josh: Yeah, I think that's the most important part, that we're all just exactly the same. We all sing everything, any one of us could be at the front and it wouldn't matter.

So the reason that you all sing everything to do with the sound or more to do with the fact that you care about being equal?
Josh: Probably more to do with the sound. It sounds a lot better, not a lot of people do it... [We momentarily pause to admire a passing jogger's tomato red running suit.]

So the whole front man thing is something you've never really given thought to?
Danny: I don't think any of us are really natural front men. No one's going to say, "that's the front man"...

Do you prefer it that way?
Danny: It's not something that's really important.

Do you have any plans to release any of your music and where can people get hold of copies of your songs?
Josh: I imagine in the new year, that'd be an obvious next thing to do. Not in a big way or anything, we'd just give it away for free or something and if it works out then maybe we'll put out a tape with someone else.

So do you just want people to hear your music? Are you concerned about money at all?
Josh: Not really. Obviously it'd be nice if we didn't have to work or worry about rent and things like that. It's never really a big issue; as long as we can carry on playing and we're satisfied with what we're playing...

Other than the release, what are your future plans?
Josh: I'd quite like to go to Europe, just to see how far afield we can go.
Danny: I'd like to take the music really far... Really concise, with a lot packed into it. Conceptually, so it's really perfect... Perfect by our own standards, pushing it as far as it can go.

Find songs and show updates online at http://myspace.com/misscosmos

REVIEW: Amoriste, 'Amoriste' EP

From listening to piano pop quartet Amoriste’s self-titled EP, one gets the impression that front man Liam Tolan fancies himself as a bit of a lyrical dandy; a nu-Morrissey, if you will. It’s a shame that the self-confessed Moz fan’s words lack the biting wit and delicate musings of that charming man and instead, so often, fall almost completely flat. Surely, music fans have progressed far enough so that they no longer find lines like “Every single bird that flies over makes me want to grow my own wings”, and the various other twee ramblings that follow about cricket and the countryside at all interesting or endearing (“This Park Is Mine”). In an attempt to capture the spirit of the quintessentially English, Tolan has succeeded only in making his beloved rural life seem rather limp and inherently annoying.

When the listener is not being bludgeoned over the head with jumpers-for-goalposts, Maypoles and old ladies serving tea at the village fete, it must be noted that Tolan’s musical accompaniment is not completely without it’s charm or nuance. The group display their sound knowledge of a pop back catalogue (little-known bands like Sparklehorse being a fairly constant reference) and the Essex boys compliment each others’ instruments with an uncommon finesse, clearly no strangers to well thought out song arrangement.

Yes, the song-after-song dramatic swells and reverberating “oh oh oh” choruses (“Berlin”) reek of Top 40 aspirations but the soundtrack shows promise and will surely not fail to please fans of “big sounding” bands like Snow Patrol, The Script, et al. and with a burgeoning fan base of squeaky clean teens following them around the circuit, Amoriste are going to be a tough bunch to shake off come 2010.

REVIEW: An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump - Buy A Life EP

Since 2008’s debut release, These Sins, and the media hype-orgy that entailed, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump have kept relatively quiet. Mostly playing abroad, giving time to other projects and having very little to do with the press, the self-proclaimed minimalists have been biding their time.

It is with great pleasure that Construction House can reveal that the art-grunge trio’s sophomore release, the Buy A Life EP has arrived, and in such style too.

The record puts the pedal to the metal with ‘Smear’; AEOABITAP’s trademark bass string scratching feedback serves as the overture, the deep rumble of X-Bird’s drums further accelerating the track and impacting like a kick to the guts. D-Bird takes the lead vocal for this one and it’s immensely pleasing to see that her strength as a singer has increased tenfold, when before her understated performances often struggled to match the weight of the bass-heavy, distorted clatter.

Taking a leaf from the Nirvana ‘quiet-loud-quiet’ school of thought comes ‘Silent Hour’, beginning with a seductive and melodic bass line, accompanied by a sparse yet effective use of a single floor tom and the introduction of X-Bird’s sultry vocal work. The track suddenly roars to life, X-Bird’s delivery remaining calm above the storm of high octane guitar-noise. Ending on a frenzied note, the Birds reprise an oldie in ‘Only In Death’, C-Bird’s yelping vocals heavily distorted in a nod to the way in which the track was originally recorded with inexpensive equipment.

An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump have proved with their latest release that they are nothing if not forward thinking, and that what some derided as a format that would quickly tire has endured and evolved into something even more exciting than before.

Get the point, and don’t try to buy a life – but most certainly buy this.

Back soon...

There will be a new issue this month, I swear! Featuring Goodnight And I Wish, as well as loads of other good bands and whatever. It'll get sent to you in the post if you're a subscriber, you can get it in Revival if not. Lovely.

J

Construction House @ Last Days Of Decadence

Issue 7 out now!

Issue 7 of Construction House features interviews with ddd and Wild Palms, along with the usual live reviews and introductions to new bands like Etai Keshiki and more!

Get your copy from Revival now, or order one quick sharp.

An Experiment On A Cunt In The Air Pump

Click the link below to see what happened when Martin Tomlinson of Selfish Cunt joined Birds D and C onstage at The Macbeth's Ghost School.
12/6/09

WATCH

Issue 6 and we are back in print!

The problems with printers and distributers are officially sorted and we're back in print, so sorry about being lax last month.

Anyway, NOT COOL are this month's featured group with introductions to Joyrides and The Bacchae as well as words from Selena Kyle and art from A Softer World's Emily Horne & Joey Comeau.

Issues should be with you within the week.

A challenge

Some of the most interesting books and magazines I have read are the ones that I find lying around in public: on trains, on park benches, I even found a lovely little book called A Gift From The Sea once in a public toilet.

So, my challenge to you: leave Construction House in a public place once you've finished with it. You never know who will pick it up.

Spread the word.

No print, amongst other things

This month, we're sorry to say, Construction House will not be going to print due to cost and the printers and post office causing difficulties... The zine will be available from the blog to download as a PDF file, though, so you'll still get your monthly dose of Construction House goodness.

In fact, it'd be really cool if, when you download the PDF, you could print one or two copies and share with your friends.
Sorry for being shitty, let us know how the promotion goes!

Anyway, this month will feature Reflections Of Elephants, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Cats In Paris and mooooore.

Construction House and P.i.X join forces

P.i.X is a fanzine and a poster rolled into one. Very cool indeed. From this month onwards, we will be mailing out a copy of said postzine with each issue of Construction House for your reading pleasure. Hanna Hanra, co-founder of P.i.X, had this to say:

"Fanzines have long been a way of connecting people - from the early days of punk, riot grrrrl, to modern day blogging (which in itself is the most basic version of a fanzine.) To collaborate with another fanzine is an amazing opportunity - because at the end of the day, thats really what it's all about, bringing people together via the medium of paper and ink."

She's right, too.

Check them out online here

Construction House Club

The Construction House club has arrived. The opening night will be held at the Seaxe, Brentwood on the 18th April.

Featuring: VON JERGO, PICTURE PRETTY, REFLECTIONS OF ELEPHANTS.



The resident Construction House DJs will be spinning records from the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's (noise, kraut, electro, punk, art).

Entry is £4, MESSAGE on Facebook for the cheap list.

We'll see you there.

Issue 4 coming soon

Good morning everyone, just a quick update to let you know what you can expect from April's issue of Construction House.

Issue 4 will feature interviews with S.C.U.M and Relics as well as a big fat review of S.C.U.M's headline spot at Shoreditch Church's Worship festival. We've also found some great new up and comers that go by the name of Not Cool, plus more new acts for you to check out. If you see us out and about in the next week or so, do stop and say hello!

Construction House needs your help!

Fellow architects:

So, we're three months in and very pleased by the direction in which things seem to be going. Copies at Revival Records in Berwick St are moving really quickly and we now have readers all over the country requesting copies of the zine.

However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay on top of orders and get all the articles completed by the beginning of every month (which is, incidentally, why issue three is a little later than we would have liked) with such a small team. Hopefully, this is where you come in.

If you are an aspiring writer or photographer and would like to sign up as a card carrying Construction Worker, we would love to hear from you; this fanzine would be a great way by which to cut your milk teeth, as it were. Particularly, we need live reviewers, and new band scouts and tippers. Your suggestions for new things to include in Construction House would be most welcome, too.

All you need to do to get our seal of approval is send a small sample of your work (half a side of A4, perhaps a little less depending on what it is you do) either via post or through the Facebook page, or through the blog.

So get scribbling and snapping, whatever, we anticipate your responses.

Daisy Ellis & Construction Nights

I've just heard a demo new to MySpace by a girl called Daisy Ellis - that name should sound familiar - and I felt compelled to share it with you.
Highly recommendable acousto soul pop, do add her if you like her, you can find her page here

On a tenuously related note, Construction House may well be hosting nights of music in London soon, featuring our favourite bands and artists. Watch this space, we'll keep you updated.

A Slight Delay...

Unfortunately, there will probably be a couple of days delay on your orders for this month's issue. The Royal Mail are never quite up to scratch at the best of times, and with the recent onset of heavy snow they now seem to be nothing short of useless.

But don't panic because we're aiming to get everyone's copies sent out by Thursday, which means you should all receive them by Monday at the very latest.*

In the mean time, for regular updates and general social networking fun, you should join Construction House on Facebook. Just type in "Construction House" to your Facebook search engine and sign up.



*Subscribers ordering from the far North and South of England should allow up to two days more than the specified time.