Weeks highlights

Glaswegian post rock quartet Vasa come to Rocas on Tuesday the 13th. Having bonded over an obsession of Biffy Clyro at school the friends got back together years later and formed Vasa in October 2011. Since then they’ve been making waves in the Scottish music scene, catching attention with their own sublime brand of melodic, guitar-driven rock and a series of charged live shows across the country. Their rich sound and soaring instrumental style has seen them compared to the likes of Foals, Adebisi Shank and ASIWYFA.

With their debut album coming out next week, Vasa are embarking on their first European tour, so go out and see them and make sure it’s not their last.

Another Glaswegian band come to town next week, this time in the form of alternative rockers The Phantom Band who’ll be playing Rotondes on Friday the 16th. Their debut “Checkmate Savage” back in 2009 was mine as well as many others album of the year and they haven’t let up since. Last years “Strange Friend” album was nominated for Scotland’s prestigious SAY awards (our version of the mercury prize).

Sunday night sees Post punk, Krautrock, psychedelia and darkwave come to the Rockhal and all from the one man, Luis Vasquez who is better known as The Soft Moon. It should be a night of dark beats and heavy rhythms to disorient and thrill all at once.  

Weeks Highlights

Tonight the legend that is Snoop Dogg will be playing The Rockhal. Snoop has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and received multiple Grammy nominations. Since 1993, he has released thirteen studio albums, with his most recent coming out in May and produced entirely by Pharrell Williams. Don’t miss one of hip-hop’s biggest names.

After Food For Your Senses failed to find a home for their summer festival, they retreated to the city to create Capital Sounds. A three day festival over two venues in the city centre. It will begin at de Gudde Wëllen on Friday night with Napoleon Gold & Sekuoia. Saturday night will move to Rotondes with AV AV AV, Wanda & Dillendub to name a few. Then finishing up on Sunday with the likes of Natas Loves You, Monophona, Cyclorama & Birth of Joy as well as many more. It’s sure to be a great weekend of music in some of Luxembourg’s newest venues.

Weeks highlights

Tonight Mancunian band The Slow Show bring their dynamic arrangements with northern colliery brass touches and a nod to Americana, Indie Folk-Rock to Rockhal. Their minimal but epic songs swell from gentle piano-led Americana to roaring choruses accompanied by string sections. The band have recently released their debut album to critical acclaim.

On Thursday French/Cuban twin sisters Lisa and Naomi Diaz better know as XL Records IBEYI play Rockhal. They combine their roots in Yoruba music with a heavy modern sound that’s been described as ‘doom soul’ with mesmerising results. An Ibeyi show is definitely a soulful and personal experience you shouldn’t miss!

Also on Thursday night Frank Turner plays den Atelier. He has been a solo artist for the last ten years and In that time, he has been on a constant upward curve, propelled forward by a mixture of Turner’s force of will and his effortless craft of song. Each record now brings with it new landmarks for the 32-year-old from Hampshire. With a new album coming out in the summer ‘Positive Songs for Negative People’ be sure to catch him on his latest tour.

Weekend Highlights

Tonight sees grammy-Award winning band, TOTO come to Rockhal on the back of TOTO XIV, their first studio album in 10 years. Since forming in Los Angeles in 1977, the band has embarked on a legendary career that includes 17 albums and sales totalling more than 35 million worldwide. They have celebrated numerous chart-topping hits including ‘Africa’, ‘Hold The Line’ & ‘Rosanna’ to name a few.

New Orleans based singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton plays Konrad’s this Saturday night. Having toured with Paul Simon and received such praise from the likes of Loudon Wainwright III as “young up-and-comer… at the top of my list.” She is certainly on a roll at the moment. Her jazz-folk sound will be a great way to get your Saturday night started.

Weeks highlights

Dutch singer songwriter Jacco Gardner brings his slice of hazy washed out neo psychedelic songs to the Rockhal this Thurday night. His new album ‘Hypnophobia’ was released this week and you can expect much of the same summer vibes as the last record, keeping it 60s infused psych pop, think Syd Barrett Pink Floyd.

CarréRotondes are throwing a leaving party to celebrate the 7 years they enjoyed at Exit07 and to look forward to their new home. They’ll be joined by Blueprint (DJ set), Napoleon Gold (DJ set) & Sun Glitters to name just a few, I’m sure this will be a worthy send off for what I feel was one of the best venues in Luxembourg.

The Irish indie folk band Villagers, fronted by Conor O’Brien, will be playing Rockhal this Saturday night. Compared to Bright Eyes, O’Brien’s carefully crafted indie-folk being underpinned by an eerie sense of disquiet. “Darling Arithmetic” is the third album from Villagers, released on 13 April 2015. The follow-up to the debut, “Becoming a Jackal”, and its successor, “Awayland” – both hugely acclaimed and Mercury-nominated. Support from Luxembourg’s own ‘Seed To Tree’

Upcoming gigs in May

1/5 – 90’s Party (2nd Night) @ den Atelier

2/5 – 24H Electro for Kids (FREE entry) @ Rockhal

2/5 – The Four Owls (Hip Hop) @ den Atelier

2/5 – Alright the Captain & Cheap Jazz (Math rock) @ Café Rocas

3/5 – And So I Watch You From Afar (Post Rock, Instrumental) @ den Atelier

6/5 – Turn Back The Pages – Tribute to the music of Paul Lebrun @ Rockhal – Club

6/5 – Lily Luca (Singer/songwriter) @ Konrad’s

6/5 – Close Talker @ de Gudde Wëllen

7/5 – Jacco Gardner @ Rockhal – The Floor

7/5 – Patrice @ den Atelier

7/5 –Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

8/5 – Charlie Winston @ den Atelier

8/5 – Sun Glitters @ Exit07

8/5 – Rock Against Cancer @ Rockhal – Club

8/5 – Giora Feidman (Jazz clarinetist) @Trifolion

8/5 – Onyx @ Melusina

9/5 – Villagers @ Rockhal

9/5 – Medialuna Flamenca @ Kulturkabrik

9/5 – Rodriquez (SOLD OUT) @ den Atelier

9/5 – Angle at My Table (Final Show) @ de Gudde Wëllen

9/5 – Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson @ Philharmonie

10/5 – Two White Cranes (singer/songwriter) @ de Gudde Wëllen

11/5 – Jonathan Jeremiah @ Rockhal – Club

12/5 – Sophie Hunger @ Rockhal – Club

13/5 – Wiltz Session #3 W Corbi, Dillendub & WaIIace Dice @ de Gudde Wëllen

13/5 – Robin Schulz @ Däichhal Ettelbruck

14/5 – Joy Wellboy @ Rockhal – Café

14/5 – Patrick Watson @ Rockhal – Club

14-17/5 – Like a Jazz Machine (festival) @ Dudelange

15/5 – Rock Against Exclusion W Fréro Delavega & Isaac Roosevelt @ Rockhal – Club

15/5 – Retrace my Fragments @ Café Rocas

16/5 – 24hr Electro workshop for kids @ Rockhal

16/5 – Guy Noël band @ Ancien Cinema

17/5 – Katrin Scherer’s Momentum (Jazz) @ Neimënster

17/5 – Maceo Parker (Funk/Jazz) @ Opderschmelz, Dudelange

17/5 – Foxygen @ Rockhal – Club

19/5 – Quimby @ Melusina

19/5 – Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Afro beat) @ den Atelier

19/5 – Tops @ de Gudde Wëllen

20/5 – Blug plays Hendrix W Remo Cavallini & Bernard Allison Group @ den Atelier

22/5 – Gene Taylor @ Sang a Klang

22/5 – Shantel & Bucovina Orkestar (Balkan, Dance) @ den Atelier

23/5 – Calogero @ Rockhal

23-24/5 – Koll an Aktioun (festival) @ Martelange

26/5 – Mike and the Mechanics @ Rockhal – Club

26/5 – Ky-Mani Marley @ den Atelier

27/5 – Our Last Night (rock) @ Kulturfabrik

28/5 – Emmure + Caliban (metalcore) @ Kuturfabrik

29/5 – TOTO @ Rockhal

29/5 – Matisyahu (Hip Hop/Reggae) @ den Atelier

Weekend highlights

This Friday night Oscar & The Wolf will be playing den Atelier, no doubt still on a high after their debut album “Entity” recently went platinum in their native Belgium selling in excess of 20,000 copies. Their sound which is characterised by their downtempo electro groove and wispy vocals should work nicely in Atelier.

Saturday night brings Calexico to the Rockhal. The band from Tucson, Arizona has been cited as a melting pot for indie rock, country, various Spanish rooted sub-genres, jazz, and many other musical styles and with that exciting mix of genres comes a very entertaining live show. They also recently released this wonderfully bizarre video for their new single “Falling From The Sky”.

Sunday night sees the return of Kings of Convenience, where they will be promoting the launch of a book by Ørjan Nillsson about the making of their 2001 debut album “Quiet Is The New Loud”. The shows will feature Kings of Convenience performing “Quiet Is The New Loud” in its entirety at the Rockhal alongside a live interview and book signing. Known for their melancholic sounds and gentle voices, this show by Norwegian indie-pop duo consisting of childhood friends Erlend Øye and Erik Glambek Bøe is certainly not to be missed by all their fans!

Upcoming April gigs

1/4 – Moonspell (Death, Gothic Metal) @Kulturfabrik

1/4 – Another From Above (melodic hardcore) @ Rockhal – cafe

2/4 – Jaimi Faulkner @ The International (formerly Soulkitchen)

2/4 – Jessica Pratt (folk) @ Exit07

2/4 –Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

3/4 – Steel Panther @ den Atelier

3/4 – Jeff Mills @ Rockhal – Club

4/4 – Moofest – 4th Edition (Rock) @ Kulturfabrik

4/4 – Honningbarna (Punk, Rock) @ de Gudde Wëllen

4/4 – Tuys @ Rockhal – The Floor

4/4 – Sub Culture presents Vacum’s Birthday bash (Drum & Bass) @ den Atelier

5/4 – David Carreira @ Rockhal – Main Hall

6/4 – Steel Pulse @ den Atelier

7/4 – Fanfare Ciocărlia @ Neimënster

8/4 – Tom Bright @ de Gudde Wëllen

9/4 – Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

10/4 – The Barcodes (album launch) @ Rockhal – Club

10/4 – Yannick Noah @ den Atelier

10/4 – Flako (Electronic/experimental)@ Exit07

11/4 – Ibeyi @ Rockhal – Club

11/4 – The Stanley Clarke Band (Jazz) @ den Atelier

14/4 – David Blair + Heidi Browne @ Konrad’s

14/4 – The Ghost Inside @ den Atelier

15/4 – Nach @ Rockhal – Club

15/4 – Ryley Walker @ de Gudde Wëllen

16/4 – Rae Morris @ Rockhal – The Floor

16/4 – Cali @ den Atelier

16/4 –Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

17/4 – The Parov Sterlar band @ Rockhal

18/4 – Sharon Van Etten @ Rockhal – Club

18/4 – Klingande (House) @ den Atelier

19/4 – While She Sleeps + Cancer Bats @ Rockhal – Club

20/4 – Marcus Miller @ Rockhal – Club

21/4 – Moriarty @ Rockhal – Club

22/4 – Carmen Souza Quartet (Jazz, World) @ den Atelier

23/4 – Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

23/4 – Hannah Lou Clark @ de Gudde Wëllen

24/4 – Oscar & The Wolf @ den Atelier

25/4 – Out Of The Crowd Festival w Russian Circles + Helms Alee (Alternative, Math-rock) @ Kulturfabrik

25/4 – Calexico @ den Atelier

26/4 – Kings of Convenience @ Rockhal – Club

28/4 – Christine and The Queens @ Rockhal – Club

28/4 – Fantasy Talk @ Rocas

29/4 – The Roger Cicero Jazz Experiance @ den Atelier

30/4 – Gregory Porter (jazz) @ Philharmonie

30/4 – Selah Sue @ Rockhal

30/4 –Open Mic Jam Session @ Rocas

30/4 – 90’s Party @ den Atelier

Weeks highlights

Tonight sees German alt rock band Sizarr come to Exit07 to play Luxembourg for the first time. Sizarr had just left their teens when they sold out national tours in Germany, shared stages with acts like Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective and Editors, and stole the limelight from SxSW to Sonar, from Iceland Airwaves to Germany’s own Melt.

“We all want the world to be beautiful. We want scribes and songbirds to tell us so – and sometimes they do and then it is. They point their pens and focus their lens where they will and surprise us to our soul. On Your Own Love Again is a record that does it to us, with songs from a spine-thrilling new place and a gifted young singer with her own musical logic”. On Thursday sees the much lauded Jessica Pratt play Exit07, she has been compared to folk artists such as Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Sibylle Baier and Karen Dalton.

On the other side of the music spectrum we have Steel Panther, who will be thrusting their way through their set at den Atelier on Friday night. Steel Panther have brought back the glam rock days of the 80s but with their own stereotypical parody angle on the genre and hilarious lyrics, which most will find offensive on almost all levels. If you’re a fan of Mötley Crüe, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Poison, then no better way to get your weekend started than Steel Panther.

Also on Friday night techno legend Jeff Mills will be playing the Rockhal but in a change to proceedings he won’t be performing the Time Tunnel project as initially scheduled but instead a 3hr DJ set. I’ve been to a few Jeff Mills shows in my time and if you’re in anyway a techno fan don’t miss one of the true pioneers of the genre.

On Saturday night Norwegian punk rock band Honningbarna, who’s frontman rocks out with a cello as well as anyone can with a guitar, bring their energetic live show to de Gudde Wëllen. Although they mainly sing in their native tongue their energy will make everyone take note and watch. Great live act.

Now time for another EP release, this time from local indie pop band Tuys. There seems to be a real Foals influence running through some of the tracks I’ve heard from Tuys, so it will be interesting to see where they go with the new EP, which is aptly named “Carousel” referring to the band’s constant progress and artistic introspection.

Weeks highlights

Tonight sees the return of Underworld. Following unprecedented demand for tickets to their 20th anniversary live performance of ‘dubnobasswithmyheadman’ album at London’s iconic Royal Festival Hall, the band announced a series of additional shows. These unique and intimate performances will take place throughout Europe, landing at den Atelier when they reach Luxembourg. Underworld will perform their classic landmark album ‘dubnobasswithmyheadman’ in full tonight, it was hailed as a game changer on its release at the start of 1994. Two decades on, it is unarguably one of the most influential British electronic records of all time – a signpost for everything from dance music’s easy relationship with festival main stages, to the radio and globe-conquering EDM phenomenon.

Continuing on the electronic front this week Etienne de Crécy plays Rockhal this Wednesday. After the release of his fourth studio album earlier this year ‘Super Discount 3’ he comes to Rockhal backed by his long-standing friends Alex Gopher and Julien Delfaud for the third episode of his legendary French touch sampler.

This Friday night Rockhal bring another legend to Luxembourg, this time it’s every hopeless romantics favourite man with a moustache, Lionel Richie. Lionel’s shows feature songs from one of the most loved repertoires in music spanning his entire career from the Commodores through to the present day, with songs like “Dancing On The Ceiling”, “Say You, Say Me”, “Hello”, “Three Times A Lady”, “Easy” and “All Night Long”. The show really does deliver on its promise of ALL THE HITS ALL NIGHT LONG.

Now time for some afro-post punk from Luxembourg’s No Metal in This Battle at Exit07 this Friday. The band is very much influenced by deep down Nigerian afro-beat, post-rock and math-rock mixed to a punk attitude. Their sound merges from an unlikely encounter between Tony Allen, 90 day men, Tortoise and Fugazi. Their live shows always turn into a spiritual and powerful sharing experience with their audience. They have supported the likes of !!! (CHK CHK CHK), Calibro 35, Minot (ex-Monument to Masses), God Is An Astronaut.