LFC does RoTa - Saturday 30th January

On Saturday 30 January, Laissez Faire Club will once again be showcasing its favourite acts at Rough Trade Shops' RoTa at Notting Hill Arts Club. This weekly free afternoon event has been running for seven years now, and each time invites a label / fanzine / club night down to book the talent.

LFC has been invited back after a handful of well-received soirees over the last couple of years, and gracing the stage on this occasion are Tooting based indie pop maestros and LFC favourites Right Turn Left, Brighton's fiercest blues revivalists Ice Black Birds and newcomers The Jacquerie - who impressed so much at the LFC vs On The Bus show at Power's Bar in Kilburn last month I felt obliged to ask them back to do it all again.

I'll be flying the LFC flag from the decks, and Sam from Ice Black Birds will be putting the P into Party after the bands with his current electro set...

Here's what the folks at RoTa had to say about the bill - they know their shit so best not to argue:

"Super-savvy London and occasionally New York club night Laissez Faire brings their flavour of classic guitar pop songcraft with ultra-catchy angular jangling from hotly-tipped RTL, blues-dance mashers IBB and huge choruses and soaring Buckley-esque vocals from The Jacquerie. Laissez Faire's regular club nights have seen many future stars take the stage - don't miss tomorrow's big names today!"

The event runs from 4-8pm, and is completely free of charge. Happy hour drinks deals too, and sofas to sit on (in between the bands of course). Come along and make it the start of a big Saturday night out.

www.nottinghillartsclub.com
www.roughtrade.com

Hank & Cupcakes

Last October Laissez Faire Club teamed up with NYC's RethinkPopMusic to bring two of their premier bands, The Vanguard and Ambassadors, over to London for a week of shows. The trip was a great success - notable gigs were Communion at Audio (Brighton) and Notting Hill Arts Club, our very own showcase at The Legion and On The Bus at Power's Bar. In all cases the turnouts were good and crowds enthusiastic, boding well for any future trips and potential single releases here in the UK.

Over the last few weeks I've been booking London shows for another RPM associated act, Brooklyn-based duo Hank & Cupcakes. I first saw them in New York last September when I had to pleasure of DJ'ing at the RPM launch party at Crash Mansion on the Lower East Side, where they were playing alongside The Vanguard, Ambassadors and The Aviation Orange.

What struck me instantly was the rawness and immediacy of their songs - frontwoman Cupcakes sings with a wide-ranging, piercing voice and smacks the drums in a primal manner, backed up by some virtuoso bass playing from Hank.

They look great on stage and the hooks are ever present, never once allowing the listener to lose interest. And their Joy Division cover (She's Lost Control) is pretty spectacular, doing what many covers often fail to do - breathe new life into the original. This is what The Ting Tings would love to sound like.

File next to: YYYs, The Kills, DFA 1979



They'll be over in late March and appearing at the following venues:

Thu 25 March - Smash & Grab @ Proud Galleries, Camden (myspace.com/smashandgrab)

Fri 26 March - Ace Motel @ The Enterprise, Camden (myspace.com/acemotel)

Sat 27 March - On The Bus @ Power's Bar, Kilburn (myspace.com/onthebusatpowers)

Hank & Cupcakes MySpace