Gift Horse + Bloom + Josh Thorpe
Entry Requirements: Over 18s only
Those who have had the chance to catch Gift Horse live will already be familiar with the duo’s trademark garage-rock sound, and the darkly comic lyrical exchanges between guitarist Audrey Bizouerne and drummer David Maxwell.
But there is room, too, for the unexpected. ‘Last Dance’ is a ghostly piano waltz, and ‘Sock It To Me’ invades the brain with a tight, taunting melody and vocals that reach a feverish intensity. A lush cover version of FR David’s ‘Words’ gives the French 1980s synth-pop hit a ‘60s girl-singer twist: slowed to a melancholy rhythm that is still unmistakably bubblegum pop, the lullaby vocals recalling Twinkle or Marianne Faithful.
Brighton-based Bloom is a culmination of entwined passions: layered harmonies, 80’s synths, heavy dance rhythms, a touch of bubblegum pop, PC Music, love, the universe, moss, thunder, lightning and magic. Bloom are touring their new single released 26th April. Double-A Ground/Escape is the first single to be released from Bloom since their debut album ‘What Is Life’ (self-released in 2016) which garnered attention from tastemakers such as The Quietus, The Line of Best Fit and BBC Introducing.
'Astral space-pop worthy of Bjork' - The Quietus
Known primarily for his work as a visual artist and experimental music composer in Toronto, Thorpe moved to Glasgow and released his debut album of songs, Scrappy Art Rock You Can Dance To.
Scrappy Art Rock You Can Dance To recalls ‘60s psych-rock, ‘80s post-punk, and is influenced by sources as wide-ranging as Lou Reed, John Cale, Kinks, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, and Mary Margaret O’Hara.