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Photographs by Lucy Johnston
Yorkshire based soloist James Mabbett a.k.a Napoleon IIIrd pumps the auditorium full of his energetic loops and riffs, sneaking up on the audience and pounding them with a nimble performance of his particular brand of off-kilter alternative pop. He takes to the stage and immediately sets about winning hearts with a compellingly enthusiastic and involved performance.
He keeps himself busy – switching guitars, looping vocals, moving from keyboard to organ to trumpet and back again. The stage is littered with instruments and nameless pieces of techie gear, including his now almost trademark vintage reel-to-reel player. There’s an attention to detail in the compositions and an organized urgency to the performance, reassurance that the onstage clutter isn’t just here to look good – imaginative use is made of the varied resources. He paces about throwing together big, impressive melodies during his hookier numbers and folding rich layers of sound into some of his swirling soundscapes. He keeps up a sportsman’s’ pace through an original set, working hard and seemingly having an awful lot of fun in the process.
- End Of The Road Festival adds more names to lineup including Squid, For Those I Love, and Cryogeyser
- Wet Leg detail forthcoming second album, moisturizer
- Night Moves announce first album in six years, Double Life
- Jenny Hval presents new single, "The artist is absent"
- Bobby Weir to play first London show in 22 years at Royal Albert Hall with Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
- Ezra Collective announce Future Foundation initiative for young black women in music
- Gracie Abrams releases live performance of new song, "Death Wish"
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