RITA DI SANTO draws attention to a new film that features Ken Loach and Jeremy Corbyn, and their personal experience of media misrepresentation
Piroshka promise much on assured debut
MASTERFUL: Piroshka
JULIA TOPPIN recommends Patti Smith’s eloquent memoir that wrestles with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime
MARJORIE MAYO welcomes an account of family life after Oscar Wilde, a cathartic exercise, written by his grandson
KEN COCKBURN guides us through a survey of Chekov’s early short fiction, and the groundwork it laid for his later masterpieces
ANDY HEDGECOCK revels in a hugely enjoyable but deadly serious examination of the 1930s, that is an indictment of our own era
The bard distills our hellish times into fiery words
Piroshka
The Lexington, London
LONDON'S Lexington markets itself as a classic British boozer turned lounge bar. Its upstairs room has hosted all manner of groups and doubles as a go-to venue for showcases, allowing bands to get up close and personal with the audience and that's what Piroshka do as they make their live debut.
Named after the Hungarian for Red Riding Hood, they are self-confessedly not an indie supergroup, even though they comprise shoe-gaze stalwart Miki Berenyi from Lush, Justin Welch, ex of Britpoppers Elastica, KJ McKillop from Moose and Modern English's Michael Conroy.
Live, the four-piece expand to six, adding keys, percussion and harmonies to the line-up. Their 45-minute set takes the audience on a roller-coaster ride through the band’s forthcoming debut album Brickbat and it's a mix of ethereal vocals, shimmering guitar and caustic commentary on the state of the nation.
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