KoP doing GoS

The best Michael Jackson clip you'll see over the coming weeks and month of media coverage.

Marshall Allen exclusive ticket offer

The legendary saxophonist and de facto leader of The Sun Ra Arkestra Marshall Allen plays a one-off UK show at London’s Café Oto on 6 July. Allen, who is touring Europe with the Arkestra during July, will be joined by the Arkestra’s piano player Farid Barron as well as some of London’s leading free music players for this exclusive and extremely rare event. Tickets cost £16 in advance, £18 on the door.

But in an exclusive offer, readers of The Wire can claim a special discount and get tickets for just £14.

To buy discounted tickets, click on either of the links below (NB Discounted tickets are limited and available on a first come first served basis): We Got Tickets or SU Tickets For more information on the event click here

Sonar 2009: Omar Souleyman

Fresh from the successful Sublime Frequencies UK tour last May, Omar Souleyman continues on through Europe, kicking off his set at Sonar 2009, 19 June:

Sonar 2009: Konono N˚1

Another new vid: Congolese group Konono N˚1 were set to play at last year's Sonar festival but unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute due to visa problems... The video below is of their soundcheck about a half hour before their scheduled set on friday 18 June. Though the lighting is low it's definitely the clearest view I could get as once the hall filled out it was nearly impossible to stay still from everyone dancing!

Sonar 2009: The Wizard (aka Jeff Mills)

Check out an exclusive excerpt from Jeff Mills's DJ set as The Wizard at Sonar 2009, 18 June:

Sonar 2009

If you're in Barcelona for Sonar today & this weekend, come by The Wire's stall in the editorial fair (it's in MACBA's main building) and say hi... We'll be around all today and tomorrow selling back issues + free CD w/each issue, T-shirts and earplugs (!) checking out the music and generally hanging out. Inspired by the artistic environment, we've constructed an interactive sculptural installation as an added attraction (see below)


Stay tuned... We've got some rough and ready video excerpts of Jeff Mills's DJ set as The Wizard, Luomo (Sasu Ripatti aka Vladislav Delay) and Konono Nº 1 live onstage to upload when we get a chance.

Rowe Words

Interesting link forwarded to me recently of Keith Rowe describing in detail the thoughts and ideas behind his recent ErstWhile/ErstLive release. Some fascinating ideas here, but such is their conceptual density throughout each minute of the piece, you wonder how (or if) a listener is expected to gain access to this extraordinary inner world of ideas and schemes from the relatively austere music on the disc.

This rare glimpse into this artist's inner monologue is nothing like my experience of playing onstage, though. Most of my thought processes were along the lines of 'what shall I do for the next few minutes/where do I want to be in ten minutes'.