The story of Django Django sounds a lot like fate in its own way, like there was some higher power behind the scenes keeping the band members together wherever the four of them might go. If there is a higher power involved then we owe them quite heavily, cos the world would be an ever so slightly duller place without the bands understated yet ecstatic indie-electronica. The quartet, consisting of David Maclean on drums and production, Vincent Neff on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Dixon on bass and Tommy Grace on synths, originally met in Edinburgh, Scotland while studying at the Scottish capital’s world famous college of art.
All four of them decided to move down to Dalston, East London together after their course finished in 2009, when not only was the area starting to become seriously cool, but also a hotbed for new music. When Maclean and Neff decided to form a band together themselves, the only line-up changes they’ve ever had to make was to stick Dixon and Grace, the other people they’d moved from Edinburgh to London with, on the bass guitar and synths, respectively. The band immediately gelled, and by the end of 2009 they’d released their first double A-side single “Storm/Love’s Heart” and were already attracting a local following with their debut live shows.
Since then the band have been unstoppable in their rise to the top. Their live shows got bigger and bigger and their single started to get the attention of mainstream press like The Guardian and the NME. By 2011, the band had signed to Because Music, making them label-mates with Metronomy and Justice, and their debut album was released in January 2012. An instant hit with critics, it was given five stars out of five by the aforementioned Guardian and nominated for that years Mercury Music Award. By 2013 it was starting to pay off commercially as well, going platinum in France and the campaign for it was capped off by a headline slot on the NME Awards Tour and a second on the bill slot on the 2013 Glastonbry Festival’s Park Stage.
Truly, Django Django are a band with the world at their feet. Where they go next, not to mention the music they’ll create, will be a fascinating and exciting thing to watch and hear. Them at the peak of their powers will be unlike anything we’ll ever see, and for that reason, they come highly recommended.
It may not be immediately apparent, but the Scissor Sisters can safely be called one of the few genuinely subversive pop stars in recent years. Think about it, how many other bands have won three BRIT Awards and one Ivor Novello, sold two million copies of their debut album in the UK alone, have completed several sold out arena tours and have headlined major festivals in the same country, all the while being named after a lesbian sex act? The list, dear reader, is very short. The best way of directly experiencing just how expertly they straddle the line between mainstream pop sensations and edgy, underground club fiends, I hear you ask? You need only see them live. Both Jake Shears and Ana Matronic were born to front a band and together, they’re unstoppable. Shears dances up a storm with his falsetto ringing out perfectly, losing more and more clothing as the gig goes on, while Ana takes a more commanding role, toasting the audience mid song while providing lead and backing vocals for every pulsating disco classic. Every aspect of the band is magnified in the live arena, transforming every venue they play from theatre to arena to festival into a club night at the end of the world, that no-one’s going to be quite the same after, but no-one would have it any other way. For the kind of fun that you can’t wash out afterwards, nobody does it quite as well as the Scissor Sisters.
London rockers Django Django caused huge waves with the psychedelic sounds found on their self titled debut album which was released in 2012. Since then they have seen their international reputation explode thanks to the support of British publications including The Guardian and NME magazine.
With the opportunities to tour extensively and globally, the quartet has crafted a live show that is described more as an immersive experience as opposed to a simple rock gig. From the opening warped tones of 'Hail Bop' the audience are captivated by the other worldly instrumentals and psych-heavy lighting display.
They go about recreating material from their debut but with extended instrumentals and long, warped bass lines there is a feel of no rush when they perform. The audience cheers in all the right places and applaud enthusiastically yet during the kaleidoscopic tracks they appear in a state of entranced sedation. It is broken for fan favourite 'Life's A Beach' perhaps their most recognisable track as the crowd surge and dance as one. Django Django have a unique sound and an even more unique live show that must be seen to be believed.