Reviews of Habibi Funk 031, Kayatibu, and The Good Ones
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Still some fire in Donelly's Belly
SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
Belly
Leeds Beckett University
TANYA DONELLY was recording a series of swansong EPs and planning her retirement from the music industry when the opportunity arose to tour with a re-formed Belly in 2016.
The Rhode Island quartet, who’d burned out after the commercial failure of second album King, had such good fun that they decided to work on some new songs. The result is the just-released Dove, their first original material in 23 years and their most collaborative effort to date.
This isn’t the only indication that time has healed any rifts among the personnel. The two-part set is characterised by the affectionate teasing families indulge in. Bassist Gail Greenwood is the ringleader, walking on stage and immediately informing drummer Chris Gorman that he can text during the largely acoustic Thief.
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