Upstairs live room
Tickets £10 + bf Skiddle / £12 on the door
Smote
‘Clyppan’ is an Old English verb meaning “to embrace” or “to clasp.” It also referred to an ancient ritual in which people gathered in a circle, singing together around a sacred shrine. It’s a fitting title for the latest release from Newcastle’s Smote – a visceral document of the band’s electrifying live set, captured within the walls of London’s Bear Bites Horse recording studio.
Following the release of their acclaimed 2024 album ‘A Grand Stream’, Smote embarked on an intensive tour schedule, refining their live performance along the way into something transcendental – a full-spectrum psychic voyage. Anyone who caught them at Supernormal, Supersonic, or this year’s Roadburn Festival can attest: Smote are an unforgettable sonic presence, a near religious experience.
Recognising the urgency and potency of the band’s current live form, Rocket Recordings encouraged Smote’s founder and sonic architect Dan Foggin to document their live set in the studio. It was a sound too powerful to be left undocumented – it was something that needed to be clasped for future generations.
On January 22, 2025 – the day before their thunderous performance at London’s ICA alongside labelmates Teeth Of The Sea – the four members of Smote entered Bear Bites Horse studio. With producer Wayne Adams at the controls, they laid down a live set brimming with raw, elemental power.
What emerged is ‘Clyppan’ – four drone-and-repetition driven incantations, distilled from the primal essence of Smote’s sound. These tracks channel something ancient and urgent, summoning spirits and revelations in their wake. It’s music as ritual, as invocation – pure aural sorcery.
So gather together. Form a circle. Join hands. And embrace the ecstatic, untamed energy of Smote in their most untethered and primal form.
https://smote.bandcamp.com/
Slow Knife
The soundtrack to your favourite B movie.
Noir jazz meets ham horror rock.
"Their live shows are enchanting and bizarre" - Louder than War
https://allhailtheknife.bandcamp.com/
DJ Sie Norfolk
DJ and occasional Shindig magazine contributor - recently opened for the Bees at their sold out Leeds Brudenell gig , played as a regular at the hugely missed Liverpool Psych Fest and a regular guest at Andy Votel's B-Music in Manchester . Also play my own nights / days in Lancaster . Owner of far too many records after spending most of my life looking for elusive and interesting sounds - expect to hear ... Eastern European Electronics , Anatolian Psych , Cinematic Soul , Italian Soundtracks , 60's Garage and much much more - all played from original vinyl
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