Perc @ venue TBC, Newport
Sat 18 Nov
Newport, musically speaking, has always punched above its weight. From Radiohead’s stop-off on the Kid A tent tour in 2000, Metallica’s visit 1988, Korn bringing a nu-metal travelling circus comprising of a pre-megafame Limp Bizkit and Korn with them on their Life Is Peachy tour in 1996, everyone in south Wales has at least one Newport yarn in them. Yeah, there was something about Kurt Cobain proposing to Courtney Love in TJ’s as well?
Banging electronic music, however, hasn’t always been synonymous with Newport. But big props must go to Perc mainstay Paul Blandford, formerly of long-running Cardiff breaks crew Sumo, for not only taking a punt on a prospect which many less optimistic souls would have balked at, but also making a massive success of it. (He’s also found time to co-run the prolific Death Proof record label, which has been putting some great stuff and recently celebrated its 50th release.)
After some large-scale events at the Neon, a former Odeon cinema east of the city centre, Perc is going back to its dark, gritty basement roots, with Cardiff’s Kofi Tarris [pictured] – a new alias for former Backroom man Dave Little – taking over the first room with Perc residents (Mr Blandford included) in support. Elsewhere, the club’s second room is being curated by Newport future bass whippersnapper Krupa. Safe!
Tickets: £6. Info: facebook.com/percclub (KD)