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Tag: Indecision

  • Diary: Shura // Live at KOKO, Camden

    Diary: Shura // Live at KOKO, Camden

    Shura_nessymon_Main

    Shura // Live at KOKO, Camden // Jun 1 2016

    It’s a while since I’ve seen Shura live, last time was the Electric Brixton in September of last year. This gig was originally supposed to be in Shepherd’s Bush Empire but due to renovations, was moved to KOKO. A fact I was kinda happy with, especially as it takes over an hour and a half to get home from Shepherd’s Bush.

    Pumarosa did a fine job of warming up the crowd as they filtered in, but really all 1400 people in the venue wanted to see Shura.

    First stand out of the night for these ears were the choice of pre-gig tunes, 80’s rock galore, Don Henley’s Boys of Summer, Toto’s Africa, Billy Idol’s White Wedding. If this was Dublin, the party would have already started.

    I’m not going to do a song by song review. Shura is really good at what she does. The sound in the venue was a lot better than it had been in Brixton. The band are tight and Shura’s voice seems to be growing in strength. And, to cap it all off, we get every track from Shura’s upcoming album ‘Nothing’s Real’.

    All these mixed with great lights, both from the stage and the trippy house discoball lights that filled the venue, make it all a special night.

    Personally, this was a major pick me up in a week that was pretty shit (more of that to come later), I danced and sang the night away with new best friends. It was also the day that Shura unveiled the new video for ‘What’s it Gonna Be?’ and everyone was feeling the love.

    Highlights – you could tell the tracks people really liked. The phones came out. ‘2Shy’ and ‘Touch’ led the charge. ‘Indecision’ has always been a fave of mine but the more I listen to the Extended Mix of White Light and then hearing it here live, just take it out of this world.

    Everyone needs a night like this at least once a week. Can’t wait for the album.

    …

  • Tune of the Week // Shura feat Talib Kweli – Touch

    Tune of the Week // Shura feat Talib Kweli – Touch

    Shura-Touch

    This song has been rolling round my head for longer than when Annie Mac made this version with Talib Kweli her ‘Hottest Song in the World’. The original version has been knocking round for two years now but hasn’t been available to purchase for the past while.

    As the Indecision, 2Shy and White Light were released, it became apparent that a re-released ‘Touch’ would probably be the track to run up to the release of Shura‘s debut album.

    ‘Nothing’s Real’ hasn’t got a definite release date yet but it’s looking more like May, just before the Shepherds Bush Empire gig on May 26th, I suspect.

    This remix or ‘alternative edit’ of Touch features Talib Kweli and really does add a different dimension to the track. Touch is a sultry ‘let’s get it on’ track, Talib Kweli’s contribution funks it up, lifts it and will bring the track to a different audience.

    Did I mention it’s addictive? This track is so so addictive, put it on a loop now and save yourself the trouble later.

    Check out her new website here.

    Picture from here

  • Shura: Live at Electric, Brixton // Review

    Shura: Live at Electric, Brixton // Review

    Shura, Live at Electric Brixton

    Shura, Live at Electric, Brixton, September 17 2015

    It’s been a little over three months since I headed to Brighton to see Shura. In that time, Aleksandra Denton and her band have been honing their set, with a never ending string of dates and festivals. In front of the 1400 punters at Electric Brixton, it’s paying dividends.

    The night was opened by Roseau and Clean Cut Kid. If my information is correct, Roseau hasn’t done that many gigs, but her electronic soul vibes fit in beautifully and Roseau proves herself to be an artist to watch. Onstage, Roseau and her band are visually striking and her use on an old style Shure 55SH microphone, (like the one Elvis used) adds a timeless edge to her set. Check out her album, it’s out now.

    Next up where Clean Cut Kid, known for ‘Vitamin C’. The Liverpool quartet play a solid set, with some great guitar work from the lead singer, who also possesses one of the finest beards I’ve seen this year. Clean Cut Kid are really good at what they do, they have a good rock grounding, layered with melodic instrumentation and vocal lines. At times, it does seem like it could be a slightly odd choice for an opener for the more electronic, Shura but they work well and your scribe would definitely go see them again.

    Shura and her three piece band take to the stage and the growth in confidence is easily seen. Shura is now also playing guitar and seems to like rocking out a bit, duelling with her guitarist. She also seems like she’s now really enjoying what she’s doing and that’s rubbing off on the crowd. For these ears though, I’d cut back on the rubbling bass a little and bring Shura’s voice a little more to the fore in the front of house music mix.

    For a hot sweaty crowd, a reworked down tempo 2Shy, provides a breather. All the tracks we know from Shura are included in tonight’s set, Kids n Stuff, Indecision, Touch, and an epic set ending ‘White Light’. It’s pretty awesome to see an artist grow in stature, and throughout the night, Shura reaffirms her importance on the music scene. The sold out Electric crowd also bear witness to rather awesome, sometimes blindly beautiful lighting.

    Shura is obviously still working on different mixes and structure of songs, which versions make it to an album and which stay only in a live format remains to be seen. Shura, herself, is now playing guitar and dancing around the stage. Her set has grown at an immense rate since last time. This bodes extremely well for the future. I wonder what size venue she’ll play next?

  • Diary // Shura – Live at Bleach, Brighton // Jun 2 2015

    Diary // Shura – Live at Bleach, Brighton // Jun 2 2015

    Shura In Bleach Brighton photo © nessymon.com

    Stardate 02062015, time 0645, it’s the day you wake up and remember you’ve bought tickets to a gig in Brighton. Me and my buddy Alex had purchased tickets to go see Shura.

    I’ve been playing Shura for a while now on the radio and Alex raved about her Village Underground gig in March so there was no Indecision on our part to get tickets. Yes, I know that was a terrible pun. Plus, attendees of these couple of dates around the UK would also get their mitts on some free limited edition vinyl of a Warpaint-Steez remix of 2Shy, pressed on one side only. #YummyVinyl

    So working in London, myself and Alex legged it out of the office at 5.15 and got the Gatwick Express to Brighton, which I have to say, was a quite relaxing journey, fuelled by music discussion and goss. We arrive in Brighton, find the venue and find an eaterie.

    We go to the venue, get our hands on our vinyl and pop out to say hi to Shura and get our vinyl signed (fangirl or wha?). We head back upstairs, hopefully proving we’re not psychos and wait for the show to begin.

    It’s a small venue, maybe 200 people in there. The band have added an extra guitarist for live duties. The short eight song set starts with ‘Figure it Out’.

    It’s Shura’s first time playing in Brighton and the crowd react well to the opening notes of ‘2Shy’, ‘Indecision’ and ‘Touch’ but for some reason never completely let loose.

    In reality, these shows are probably good run throughs for festival season and set lists change and evolve. Included in today’s is a Fine Young Cannibal Cover, She Drives Me Crazy, while a good cover, if someone is driving you crazy, you need a little more Grr!

    Honourable mention must go to the guitar at the end of the second track of the night, ‘Kids n’ Stuff’, if Top Gun needed a new piece of music for when the plane takes off the runway and Tom Cruise is on his motorcycle, well, this is it. This leads really nicely into ‘Indecision’.

    Shura’s sound is definitely eighties throwback, with Ms Janet Jackson sprinkling her fairydust over everything. But it’s when the last song of the night kicks in, I realise what was slightly lacking. A few more uptempo tracks.

    When people go to to gigs they want to dance and ‘White Light’ definitely makes you want to do that. (I might be wrong as I recall the evening but there could have been a Madonna sample thrown in to the live mix there). Shura is a new artist and it’s fascinating to see artists change and evolve in the time before they even get to release an album and then between a first and second album. ‘White Light’ seems to be the sound of an artist maturing, getting to know where they want to go, how to manipulate and create to be exactly where they want to be. It works, it’s bloody great live. The following night it got it’s debut on Annie Mac on BBC1.

    Good night’s entertainment, if Shura keeps producing stuff like this, she’ll have a decent career.