The Tokyo, Japan based 4-piece Instrumental Rock band MONO was originally formed in 1999. Their unique approach of combining moving orchestral arrangements and shoegaze guitar noise is held in extremely high regard; so much so, that the band’s musicianship and the diverse musical palette has eclipsed the Rock genre and exists within its own realm. As British Musical Magazine NME once stated, “this is music for the Gods”.
Over the first decade, MONO rapidly established a well-acclaimed status, especially with their live performances. Through their annual world tour consisting of around 150 shows, visiting now over 59 countries, both critics and fans of Rock music agree their sheer euphoric, dynamic resonance of performance make MONO one of the best live bands in existence. A particularly monumental early live memory was special set of orchestra shows celebrating the 10th anniversary in New York, Tokyo, London and Melbourne; which was later immortalised as the live album “Holy Ground”. MONO now also proudly holds the title of being one of the most internationally successful bands in Japan.
The unpredictable and always captivating Dan Bejar, the soul behind Destroyer, arrives in town to present his twelfth effort. Known for never making the same record twice, Bejar offers ten songs on Have We Met, produced in the company of his guitarist John Collins. Without abandoning the theatrical tone that has always characterized his work, nor his Bowiesque aspect, Destroyer is slightly less sinister or gothic than on his two previous records, with a few pieces showing a much more lighthearted tone. Without saying that this album – initially conceived to be entirely instrumental – is downright playful, it remains perhaps more accessible for anyone who’s not familiar with Bejar’s strange work. By his own admission, the Vancouver-based musician and singer was inspired by Leonard Cohen’s last records, soundtracks such as Pretty In Pink and White Nights, as well as… 1980s hip-hop.
Harlem MC Cameron Ezike Giles, now 44, enjoyed some fame in the 1990s and 2000s; rapper Cam’ron (his stage name) was one of the hopes of the Roc-A-Fella label, and then… he stopped releasing albums between 2009 and 2019. Perceived as a veteran who’s been around a lot of hip hop’s big names, the rapper is now trying to relaunch his career with the still-fresh Purple Haze 2 – his first album with the same title dates back to 2004. What will it be like on stage… a decade later?
