SHATTERJAPAN (www.shatterjapan.com) and POPULAR (www.popularcompany.co.uk) will present a special non-profit event to commemorate Pussy Riot‘s “punk prayer” on Sunday 24 February (6pm-11pm) at London’s HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN.
On 21 February 2012, members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot performed a “punk prayer” in a Moscow church for which they were arrested, detained for several months and eventually sentenced on 17 August 2012 to 2 years imprisonment. With two of the three members remaining imprisoned (Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova and Maria “Masha“ Alyokhina), SHATTERJAPAN and POPULAR have collaborated to create a whole evening of entertainment, including people from the international music, film and political worlds, to commemorate the 1 year anniversary of the punk prayer performance and to celebrate freedom of expression. With 4 live bands, 5 DJ sets by bands, and 3 speakers, the night promises to be a non-stop stream of music and culture, with artist participation from Canada, Sweden and all across the UK.
LIVE BAND LINEUP
MIDAS FALL (www.midasfall.com): Led by the hauntingly melancholic vocals of Elizabeth Heaton, Edinburgh-born and Manchester-based Midas Fall have sculpted a distinctive sound, combining elements of electronica and post-rock to create taut, shimmering soundscapes. Their 2010 debut LP “Eleven. Return and Revert” enjoyed critical acclaim internationally, with the opening track featured on the BBC drama “Lip Service.” This year sees the release of their long-awaited second album “Wilderness” on the eclectic Monotreme Records label.
AU PALAIS (www.aupalaismusic.com): Au Palais are a brother-sister duo from Toronto operating in London. They are currently completing their debut LP, an expansion of their dark, brooding, pop music that they first revealed on their Tender Mercy EP.
SKINNY GIRL DIET (www.skinnygirldietband.tumblr.com): SGD aresisters Delilah and Ursula Holliday, and Amelia Cutler. One of the most exciting new all-girl bands in the UK, these Riot Grrrls know how to roar! “It would be easy to link the girls to the Riot Grrrl movement and its recent resurgence, but the band take as much inspiration from bands like Dinosaur Jr and The Ramones as they do Bikini Kill and L7.” (Dave Rowswell)
CAT BEAR TREE (www.facebook.com/CatBearTreeBand): Deriving their name from a kick ass cat and a cowardly bear, Cat Bear Tree are a London-based trio whose indie, melodic, sometimes poppy, sometimes punky tunes nod to indie alt acts like Sleater-Kinney, Electrelane and Warpaint. They’re currently gigging across London and beyond whilst preparing for the release of their debut EP.
DJ LINEUP
CHVRCHES
KARIN PARK
NEUROTIC MASS MOVEMENT
THE VOYEURIST
SHEEN
SPEAKER LINEUP
KERRY MCCARTHY: Elected as the MP for Bristol East in 2005, Kerry is now a Shadow Foreign Minister.
MIKE LERNER: Mike Lerner is a 2012 Academy Award-nominated producer/director (documentary “Hell and Back Again”) and co-producer/director of 2013 Sundance award-winning film “PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER”.
MASHA KARP: Masha Karp is a trustee of Rights in Russia and a London-based freelance journalist with a special interest in relations between Russia and the West.
