Rockfort presents,
Léonore Boulanger & Howie Reeve
Friday 25 October – doors 8pm – start 8.30pm | £8 adv – £10 otd | BUY TICKETS
Rockfort is a column on The Quietus presenting the best in underground French music, and now presents the first in a new series of regular shows showcasing some of France’s incredibly vibrant alternative and avant-garde scene. Léonore Boulanger will supported her special guest, Glaswegian songwriter and bassist Howie Reeve.
Léonore Boulanger
Ph Credit: Pierre Acoba
Léonore Boulanger studied drama, experimental jazz improvisation and Persian music in Paris. Her music reflects her wide interest in African folk and in composers such as George Crumb, Teiji Ito, Harry Partch and singer Meredith Monk.
After many tours in Europe she is back on stage with a fourth album Practice Chanter (on the Le Saule label). It’s a four-handed album with Jean-Daniel Botta who was the main composer of the previous albums. Léonore bring languages into corkscrew-shaped dances.
An organic music that flounders with the most serious childhoods, she sings french like a foreign language which becomes universal.
“As with an artist like Brigitte Fontaine, it begs the question of how far chanson can go while still being considered as such; perhaps it remains so only in the fact that chanson was the point of departure. » The Quietus
Howie Reeve
Ph Credit: Javier Martin-Romo
New album ‘Cracks’ was co-released in May 2019 by three DIY labels – Red Wig (Germany), Et Mon Cul C’est Du Tofu? (France) and Bar Marfil (Spain). Past and present collaborators include G.W. Sok (The Ex) and Mike Watt (Minutemen).
“As inventive and playful as it is richly emotional…his approach to bass is beautifully expressive, melodic and thoughtful, but also takes in flamenco-style flourishes, charging post-punk grooves, choppy, percussive passages and surprisingly violent bouts of chaos.” (Matt Evans, The List)
“Life affirming…fragile, funny, oozing with empathy and above all fantastic songcraft.” James T McKay (The Cosmic Dead)
“Unplugged-punk genius Howie Reeve is a linchpin in Glasgow’s DIY community…a breathtaking bass player.” (Nicola Meighan, The Herald)
“Howie Reeve is a unique and singular figure in the current British underground. Having spent over 20 years playing in a number of key Glasgow bands, since 2012 he has been performing solo on acoustic bass guitar, delivering a fragmented and dexterous music that takes in post-punk, avant-folk. Increasingly turning to songwriting, he further engages audiences with cryptic, intimate and unsettling lyrics. Resolutely DIY in his approach to music, he lives in Glasgow but appears to be perpetually on tour, whether in the UK, Europe or Japan.” (Chris Joynes)
Léonore Boulanger’s latest album on Bandcamp
QUIETUS interview with Léonore Boulnager
