Black Country, New Road Livestream

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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Black Country, New Road Livestream

6 March 2021

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Black Country, New Road have just dropped their long-awaited debut album. A carnivalesque take on post rock that incorporates influences from free jazz to Jewish Klezmer music, For the first time (Ninja Tune) sounds like nothing else in guitar music right now. To celebrate its release, the London seven-piece are livestreaming a set from the Southbank Centre on 6th March.

Alongside the likes of Black Midi and Squid, BCNR built a reputation as one of the unhinged must-sees at Brixton’s Windmill venue from 2018 to early 2020, before the lights of the entire music scene went out. The raw promise of those early sets was mirrored by their 2019 single, ‘Sunglasses’. “Welcome to the best new six-part Danish crime drama”, intoned frontman Isaac Wood by way of introduction, foreshadowing a sprawling and decidedly esoteric study in tension. Squawking saxophones, Slint-indebted guitars and sprechgesang vocals were mirrored by surreally funny, elliptical narratives that captured life in all its intimidating mundanity – from images of frail hands gripping Nutribullets to a couple arguing about Kanye West.

Along with twin single ‘Athens France’, ‘Sunglasses’ has been re-recorded for the album, having been refined over many months of touring. Tucked between them is ‘Science Fair’, a gnarly, almost malevolent track in which BCNR really stretch the limits of the ‘rock band’ format. Making ungodly mincemeat of genres, squalling guitars and saxophones trade blows as strings sleuth up and down like they’re examining the scene of some unsolvable crime. Meanwhile, Wood reals off impenetrable Lynchian vignettes about someone encountering various romantic crises at science fairs and Cirque Du Soleil performances. It’s at once maddening and captivating.

The biggest surprise of the album is a song that more-or-less lacks surprise. The penultimate cut ‘Track X’ is a hushed, off-kilter ode to young love, complete with angelic backing vocals, poignant strings and confessional lyrics. It’s the most cathartic and simply enjoyable track BCNR have released. The aptly-named finisher, ‘Opus’, meanwhile, is typically sardonic and freewheeling in its span of genres – end-times jazz meets Balkan dance music, anyone? With the band’s technical proficiency on full display, they oscillate between plaintive rumination and a kind of maniacal dance to the end of the world. “Everybody’s coming up. I guess I’m a little bit late to the party”, Wood wrenches over and over, as possessed saxes and strings reach fever pitch. But the centre cannot hold, and For the first time collapses into silence.

And in that silence, we realise that we are none the wiser as to what the hell has just happened over these past 40 minutes. There are no answers on this record; BCNR throw a thousand questions into the air and watch them ricochet off the walls, each one compounding the next. But answers are boring; questions keep you coming back for more, keep you searching for new ways to pick the locks. Aside from BCNR’s precocious talent, it’s this restless inquisitiveness that makes For the first time so interesting – new idea after new idea is launched into the unknown, each hurled with more ferocity than the last, until the record blacks out from overexertion. What more could you ask from a debut album?

Black Country, New Road have got plenty of live dates in the diary for 2021, but let’s be honest, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether these will happen. Their livestream performance at the Southbank Centre, however, is resolutely on, and it’s one of the highlights of our cultural calendar this March. It’s accessible from anywhere in the world, and tickets are available via DICE.

Where to go near Black Country, New Road Livestream

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Hern Food
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Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
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Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
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Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

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Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
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Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

Leeds Beckett SU
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Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
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Vue Cinema – Leeds Kirkstall Road

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

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