The gig worth seeing this month comes from a man who turns thirty whilst he is in the country. Beirut is the brainchild of Zach Condon, who recorded the first album under the moniker by himself, largely in his bedroom, ten years ago. Gulag Orkestar was an instant indie hit, sounding mature far beyond the reality of a fella who had only just left his teenage years.
The temptation for Condon might have been to release an LP full of records called “I Never Asked to be Born” and “Can I Borrow Twenty Quid and Take the Car for the Night Please Mum?”, but his debut, and the four LPs that have followed, just sound so worldly and complete that I get the idea he’s actually a grizzled 55-year-old in a convincing young man suit.
I mean, what kind of 20-year-old mixes traditional Balkan instruments with indie folk in such an expert fashion. Really? Well, this one apparently:
The Beirut tour dates are:
- Friday 12th Feb – The Roundhouse, Camden, London
- Saturday 13th Feb – Albert Hall, Manchester (Zach’s birthday – take some cake).
- Sunday 14th Feb – BBC Radio 6Music Festival, Bristol
Keep an eye on the Dad Gig section for future recommendations and, if you like good music and want to avoid the scourge of nursery rhymes, take a look at the Alternative Toddler Playlist, now available on Apple Music and Spotify.
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