Going Underground | September says summer isn’t over

As the festival season comes to a gradual end and the summer ebbs gently away, paving the way for the arrival of autumn, you’ll be pleased to know there are still quite a few events that’ll pique your interest in the city over the next month or so. Distortion Festival is back (if only momentarily for a minuscule late summer version), Red Bull will be throwing a huge event by Christiansborg, plus there are several very interesting rock-related gigs here and there. Here’s the best of the bunch.

Distortion Garden Party
Little is known about Distortion’s late summer garden party, the Havefest, other than it being a festival set-up complete with different tents and the well-known rave bus. The relaxing confines of AmagerFælled are as ideal a location as any, and with quite a few people committed to attending, expect a bright, breezy and entertaining evening.
AmagerFælled, DR Byen Metro station; Fri 16:00-22:00; 50kr or free to anyone with a street armband from this year’s Distortion

Chef Records
Chef Records, the Danish dancehall mafia, have been performing at almost every music venue in the city this year, backed by the popularity of the likes of Raske Penge, Top Gunn and Klumben, all of whom are enjoying booming success as artists. Expect a sold-out show and lots of dancing.

Store Vega, Enghavevej 40, Cph V; Sep 27, 21:00; tickets 200kr

 

Red Bull Copen’Waken
Red Bull are the maestros of cultural event design in the modern day, venturing into everything from arranging snowboarding championships to running a laissez faire albeit highly successful Formula One team.  Their Cliff Diving competition held earlier this year off the glitzy Opera house was a huge success. This time around, Red Bull will be assembling 16 of the nation’s most adroit wakeboarders for a competition that will leave many a spectator gasping at the array of trickery and showmanship. It all takes place by the canals alongside Christiansborg, the iconic Danish parliament, and is unsurprisingly free.
Christiansborg, Cph K; Sat 13:00; free adm 

Concrete Rockers #1 Soundsystem Release
Bolsjefabrikken or ‘The Candy Factory’ is about as close to the mirror-free grunge environment of Berlin’s revered cultural aesthetics as you can get in these parts. With the more popular Bolsjefabrikken on Lærkevej set to close soon, the good news is that the larger, more spacious of the two candy factories on Ragnildgade has got a revamped soundsystem that will be tried for the first time on the evening. ‘Concrete Rockers’ is the first in a series of musical events at the venue focused on showcasing heavy dub- based sounds.

Bolsjefabrikken, Ragnhildgade, Cph Ø; Sat 21:00; free adm from 21:00-23:00, 40kr afterwards

 

French Films
The Finnish alternative rockers French Films have got a new album out and return to Denmark following a solid showing at Roskilde’s pavilion junior stage last year. French Films sound like a sprightly concoction of the Beach Boys fused with indie influences not too different from bands like Vampire Weekend.  The band will be visiting Ideal Bar as part of their European/American tour, promoting their latest album, White Orchid.
Ideal Bar, Enghavevej 40, Cph V; Sep 19, 21:00; tickets 90kr

Shannon and the Clams,
Nørrebro’s Drone is one of the few clubs in the city dedicated specifically to rock music. Loud, intimate and smoky, the venue welcomes indie garage-punk trio Shannon and The Clams for what should be a lively night. The Oakland-based indie group sound like a mix between the cult psychedelic bands of the 1960s fused with an ecstatic modern-day touch that mimics the style and mannerisms of  synthpop act Santigold. They will be backed by local band Fright Eye.

Drone, Nørrebrogade 184, Cph N; Sep 26, 21:00; free adm

Danish Beatbox Championships
Beatboxing is a musical discipline that has yet to attain recognition as an independent form of expression. The recently formed Danish Beatbox Union (DBF) is, however, working on championing this cause locally and will be hosting an entertaining showcase of 16 of the nation’s slickest beat boxers, who have been selected on the basis of pre-sent video material. With rumours of a live stream of the event to a global audience rife, this is one show you’d like to say you had the pleasure of going to.

Pumpehuset, Studiestræde 52, Cph K; Oct 5, 19:00; tickets: 60-80kr





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