MANCHESTER: Hey! Manchester @ Low Four Studio

Saturday 4th November, 2017

7:30pm

Event information

Simon Joyner is among America’s best songwriters, so says Gillian Welch, Conor Oberst, Kevin Morby and others. With his new double LP, Step Into The Earthquake, the songwriter strikes for the personal while acknowledging that the times they are a-changin’ around us again. In fact, things are leaning shitty right now, and the characters in Joyner’s songs experience the dissolution of comfort amid anxious concerns regarding our turbulent times.

Joyner traverses the human predicament, in general, and the American psyche specifically, using fiction to tell difficult truths. Characters struggle through personal crises while absorbing America’s currently failing experiment.

To record, Joyner’s band, the Ghosts, holed up with longtime collaborator, Michael Krassner (Boxhead Ensemble), in Omaha’s ARC Studio, developing songs from skeletal foundations to full-on group efforts. Hence, each compositions’ power comes equally from the lyrics working in tandem with the subtle arrangements.

Joyner’s vision may be dark but it stops short of nihilism. Where do we go from here? The best move towards answering that question is knowing where we stand right now. Joyner’s expansive album offers a poet’s truthful view, however disconcerting, that to survive whatever is coming for us, we have to confront and understand it first. So, go ahead and step into the earthquake.

‘Omaha has given us the reigning heir to Henry Miller’s dark emotional mirror, Townes Van Zandt’s three-chord moan, and Lou Reed’s warehouse minimalism: his name is Simon Joyner’ — Gillian Welch

‘Simon’s always been a secret handshake amongst me and my peers. He’s a pioneer. He’s helped pave the way for many people, myself included. He’s an artist in its purest form – for his only concern is crafting a perfect song – which he’s done time and time again’ — Kevin Morby

Tour support comes from fellow Omaha musician David Nance. David Nance, Omaha veteran of warble and hiss, returns with Negative Boogie, his new concoction of chug, throb and greasy swagger. For Boogie, Nance trades in his beaten up Tascam 488 for the bullet-proof, glass walls of ARC Studios. Where else can you brew the negative boogie? And what exactly is the negative boogie? Well, it’s a bit like Canned Heat but with Pere Ubu‘s queasy rhythms and someone playing five finger fillet with Swell Maps. Ensconced in his ivory tower and soundproof rooms, Nance reached for unlikely weapons to tear down his own lofty experiment. He had his pick of rare guitars, cowbells, steel drums, vintage amps, Crazy Horse microphones, mellotron, and the restless but indefatigable rhythm section of Kevin Donahue and Tom May. They started at sunrise and recorded 15 songs by midnight. Maybe it’s his Midwestern work ethic, maybe he’s a sonic cheapskate. Maybe it’s just the sound of negative boogie.

‘Possibly the best songwriter in the United States that nobody outside DIY tape collectors and his friends has heard’ – Noisey

Completed in 1962, Low Four was built as part of the original Granada Studio. The live-room was originally connected to a control room above and was where The Beatles rehearsed for their first ever TV appearance. In its heyday, it was used to record theme tunes and soundtracks for classic ITV dramas such as Jewel in the Crown, Brideshead Revisited and Sherlock Holmes, often by sections of the Halle Orchestra.

Nowadays, it is used as a professional recording studio, and also streams one-off live performances by the likes of Jane Weaver, Mew, Jesca Hoop, Dutch Uncles, Polica, Alexis Taylor and Everything Everything.

This is a 14+ age restriction show. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Old Granada Studios
Security Lodge Entrance
Quay Street
M3 4PR

www.heymanchester.com