Monday
Witch Fever – Jacaranda Records Phase One – 7pm
Getintothis presents ‘Independent Women at independent Venue Week 2019’ with this opening party. Headlining are Manchester’s all-female punk spirits Witch Fever. Mersey Wylie, Niki Kand, Sara Wolff will all perform, along with spoken word by Cath Holland, Janaya Pickett, and a pop-up screen-printed poster art stall from That Girl Who Prints.
https://www.skiddle.com/e/13441327/
http://www.getintothis.co.uk/2019/01/independent-venue-week-2019-tim-burgess-witch-fever-cancer-bats-and-more-top-picks-for-the-north-west/
 
Tuesday
Crazy P – 24 Kitchen Street – 10pm
A school night DJ set from the beloved, playful, celebrated soulful UK dance band, Crazy P.
skiddle.com/e/13412737
 
Wednesday
Bassekou Kouyate – Philharmonic Music Room – 8pm
A true master musician of the ngoni – the ancient, traditional lute instrument of West Africa – Bassekou Kouyate presents here his band currently containing three ngoni players and two percussionists, plus singer Amy Sacko.
https://www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/bassekou-kouyate
 
Thursday
LIMF Academy Live – Philharmonic Hall – 7pm
The Ignition Orchestra will be backing up local hand-picked Liverpool International Music Festival artists including LUNA, Kyami, Raheem Alameen and alumni Sub Blue. Original songs and covers pepper the evening’s programme, arranged by composer Katie Chatburn. A local female music talent incubator and rare moment to see the fusion of pop songwriting with a contemporary orchestra.
https://www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/limf-academy-live-with-the-ignition-orchestra
 
Ross From Friends – 24 Kitchen Street – 7pm
Adding on a second live date the day before a sold-out appearance at this Baltic venue means hype for the lo-fi electronica producer’s release on Brain Feeder records must be real. Eschewing the self-deprecating descriptor of ‘cheap house’, RFR will exposit his new more dramatic, technicolour sound palette in a live setting, perhaps flanked – as recent video footage suggests – by a backing band.
 
False Advertising et al
 
 
Eyesore & The Jinx single launch party – Outpost – 7:30pm
Jo Mary and Hannah’s Little Sister play before local post-punk trio Eyesore & The Jinx at the first Bido Lito social event of the year of their 100th issue.
https://www.skiddle.com/e/13413335/
 
Friday
Mugstar, Mincemeat, The Cubical – Craft Taproom – 7pm
An IVW outing for lauded local innerspace psychonauts Mugstar, now in a fresh five-person incarnation. Joining them in this Smithdown Road dispensary will be two more explorers of the cosmic sonic spectrum.
 
Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart – Philharmonic Music Room – 8pm
Nominated in 1990 for the Mercury Music Prize for their debut record, Jah Wobble’s east-meets-west ensemble truly cemented him as a serious player on the global music stage. They regroup in the intimate extension of the Liverpool Phil for a night of Chinese Dub and other world fusions.
https://www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/jah-wobble-and-the-invaders-of-the-heart
 
Saturday
Omar Souleyman – 24 Kitchen Street – 7pm
An early doors club showing for the Syrian wedding singer, an artist well known for his infectious melding of Middle Eastern music and acidic subgenres of dancefloor-inclined electronica. Opening DJ slots from Jacques Malchance of Upitup Records, and Giovanna from the SisBis party collective.
https://www.skiddle.com/e/13355351/
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Friday
Spare Snare, Mono Sideboards, Lazy Mary – 81 Renshaw St.
The Dundee lo-fi band are back after roughly 25 years away from making music, with a record named ‘Sounds’, suitably subtitled ‘recorded by Steve Albini’.
 
Refreshed with Royzy Rothschild and others – Kolbox (Hus’ basement) – 6pm
Big Condo Records presents Refreshed, a showcase of hip-hop artists from Liverpool and the surrounding area. Hosted by Royzy Rothschild, other acts include Tiffany Riddell, Kay Frances, Seas of Neptune, Michael Dumbell, Demi Harkness, Danger Dolly, Sarah Henry, Junior Dayvis, and myriad more up-and-coming talent.
 
Dense & Pika – 24 Kitchen St. – 10pm
This UK techno duo marked their 2018 with an album released on Kneaded Pains (who host the night), Dense & Pika have previous EPs on the Drumcode label and conform to that roster’s particular brand of sparing yet punishing sound system music. Dysart is on support duties at what will be the first party at 24KS of the year.
 
Bowie Birthday events:

• Big Baltic Bowie Night – The Baltic Social – Friday 11th Jan
• The Late Wake Club: David Bowie – Camp & Furnace – Saturday 12th
• David Bowie’s Birthday Party – 24 Kitchen St. – Saturday 12th

 
Thursday 17th January
David Bramwell’s The Cult of Water – Gibberish Brewpub – 7pm
A hydromantic tale spun through original music, film, art, and archive footage alongside solo spoken word narration, all inspired by the River Don. A pay-what-you-want affair taking place at the Caryl Street brewery tap.
 
 
Friday 18th January
Loka, After the Flood, Gorp – Sound – 7pm
An evening of experimental and progressive music from three Liverpool-based live acts. Instrumental group Loka headlining, a band that have made a welcome return to the local circuit after a few years respite.
 
Deep Cuts Second Birthday – Jacaranda Phase One – 7pm
Hannah and the Wick Effect, Blurred Sun Band, Shards, Yammerer, Lonesaw, Yank Scally and Bobby West all round out this truly eclectic combination of the GIT blog’s ‘best of 2018’ versus ‘ones to watch 2019’. In the still-fresh Jacaranda Records venue at 40 Seel Street.
 
Karen Gwyer, Object Blue, Danielle – the White Hotel – 11:59am
A Berlin-style start time for an inspired night featuring five female electronic music artists taking us through the cutting edge of live-set round-the-corner techno and its club-music children.
 
Mun Sing, Hesska b2b Clemency, Iceboy Violet, BFTT – Aatma – 11pm
Another inspired night of harder electronic music with half of Bristol’s brilliant guitar-pedal-bashing dancefloor-destroyers Giant Swan, Mun Sing, performing live, with some really intriguing artists on the warm-up run-up immediately before.
 
Sunday 20th January
Redwood, A Burial at Sea, Good Problems, Honeyspider – Sound – 7:30pm
Post-rock, shoegaze, grunge and other shimmering alternative roc k moves all boxed together here in the Duke Street basement venue. A cosy record-release celebration for the headliners, with some skilled Merseyside opening acts beforehand.
 
Wednesday 23rd
Clube do Choro – The Caledonia pub
Friends of the show rattle through their speedy renditions of centuries-old Brazilian jazz-folk – Choro music – in septet format. Led by percussionist Milena Sa of Amile Trio.
 
Thursday 24th January
Mahler 5 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall – 7:30pm
Majestic and triumphant, nuanced and roof-raising, while Mahler’s 5th Symphony isn’t typical PMS radio fair, it’s a great opportunity to catch the gateway early modernist composer in his most rousing, accessible and crowd-pleasing best. A series of love letters made into sound. With ‘Classic Intro’ at 6:15pm in the Philharmonic’s Music Room.
 
Friday 25th
Soft Issues, Lonesaw, Prison Behaviour –  Drop the DumBulls
Mark Greenwood’s spoken word rhythm box post-punk project (P.B) gives way to sheer power electronics, harsh noise hardcore and a free industrial cult in the North Docks gallery spec.

-- G.M.