ADRA Promotions as part of The Victoria Theatre’s Antidote series presents…
An Antidote Double Bill
a day of experimental and leftfield live music across two Halifax venues
Afternoon session at The Grayston Unity, with
Billy Mahonie: Return of first-wave British instrumental post rockers touring new album Field of Heads.
Lands & Body: Instrumental Baritone Guitar and Drums Duo from Halifax and Leeds.
The Grayston Unity, 8 Horton St, Halifax HX1 1PU
3pm Doors. First act 3:15pm. Finished by 5:30pm.
This event is part of a double bill, with an evening session in the Victoria Theatre Green Room Bar, Featuring Rattle, Bulbils and The Silver Field.
DOUBLE BILL TICKET FOR BOTH EVENTS - £15 - discount applied at the checkout
CLICK HERE TO ADD THE EVENING SESSION TO YOUR BOOKING
The Antidote series is on tour as part of Calderdale Year of Culture 2024.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Billy Mahonie. Formed in the first wave of British post-rock alongside the likes of Mogwai in the late 90s, John Peel favourites Billy Mahonie are set to return with the first new music from their original line-up in some twenty-four years. Whilst their debut album ‘The Big Dig’, released in 1999 on Too Pure Records, is considered a classic of the post rock genre, Billy Mahonie always crafted their intricate music with memorable hooks and melodies and performed it with energy and gusto. Theirs was not an aimless, meandering sound, instead the songs and attitude were rooted in punk rock, and still are. Billy Mahonie put the rock into post-rock.
Set for release this coming May 24th via Whistling Sam Projects, ‘Field Of Heads’ sees the band returning with their classic original line-up of Gavin Baker (guitar), Howard Monk (drums), Hywell Dinsdale (bass and guitar) and Kevin Penney (bass and guitar). Whilst this line-up has been semi active for a few years, no new material came to fruition. After their last gig in 2017, however, the band decided it was time to get back into the studio, but with two members living abroad new challenges were faced, but ideas were shared, old ones were resurrected and finally in October of 2019, Billy Mahonie were back in the studio.
Recorded over two long weekends on either side of the Covid 19 lockdowns, the band tracked at The Church studios, owned by their former collaborator and front of house engineer Paul Epworth, with senior engineer Luke Pickering at the controls, allowing ‘Field Of Heads’ to quickly take shape.
New single ‘Kaiju’ gives the music world the first taste of ‘Field Of Heads’ and right from the off, it’s classic Billy Mahonie. Immediately bursting into life with the energy and melody that is so unique to their sound, Howard’s driving drums thrust the music ahead as the guitars and synths weave their way around them. Intricate and shifting, but never at the expense of a tune that sticks in your head.
“This one came from a chord progression myself and Gav first tried out jamming in 2010,” explains drummer Howard. “Needless to say, when Hywell and Kev got their hands on it, it became something no-one ever envisaged. Kev's great title is, of course, the Japanese name for the subgenre of monster-based science fiction. A frenetic riff opens the song and for a counter guitar part only two options remain, play in the minimal gaps or find an overarching theme. We chose both. Kaiju films influence the additional Synths, echoes of those early Japanese movie themes. Some people we have played this to in advance have suggested this track is one we should lead with, as it is kind of where we left off. We agree. It rocks pretty hard. And is a bit funky too. What’s not to like?!”
Watch the video for ‘Kaiju’ HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awU3bwnyKUM
Furthermore, Billy Mahonie now have their own label, Whistling Sam Projects, set up for global distribution through SRD, an almost sold-out London launch show at The Lexington on May 4th, and they are confirmed to play Portals Festival Saturday May 25th in East London. After nearly quarter of a century, Billy Mahonie are very much back.
Lauded by many as one of Britain's Finest Live bands in the late 90s and early 00s, Billy Mahonie are back on tour. Taking in many of the towns and cities previously played (Glasgow, Leicester, Cambridge, London, Brighton) and some newer places, the band members have never felt so stoked to get out on the road.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Lands & Body. In 2024 - over 20 years after making their debut as a noise-rock duo, James Islip and Andy Abbott returned with new project Lands & Body. The gear remains the same - baritone guitar played through multiple amplifiers and drums. The approach, however, has matured like a fine Cask Ale. Math-rock riffs have become interlocking fingerpicked patterns and rhythms, ear-bleeding noise has given way to spacious dynamics. Double-digit song lengths and twin-neck guitar appearances up the prog factor. The signature Tank groove and interplay underpins an expanded palette of influences drawn from post-rock, minimalist folk, free jazz and desert blues. In a scene of reformations, legacy acts and ‘classic album replays’ James and Andy have decided to leave the past where it belongs and start afresh, the same but different and in the process carved out a new genre of dark mild-core.
