**New!!!**
SATURDAY 17 AUG, 2013 @ KRAAK, MANCHESTER (M1 1DB)
“PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER”
FREE SCREENING   //   2PM – 430PM

SUN 18 & MON 19 AUG, 2013 @ KRAAK, MANCHESTER (M1 1DB)
SUNDAY 18 AUG   //   3PM – 11:30PM
MONDAY 19 AUG   //   7PM – 11:30PM

AFTERPARTIES @ COYOTES BAR, MANCHESTER (M1 3HW)
SUN 18 & MON 19 AUG   //   11:30PM till late
(Entry £2 / Festival-goers £1 // £2 drinks)

Download full press kit HERE >>
Join Facebook event page HERE >>
Buy advance tickets (for KRAAK main event) HERE >>

SHATTERJAPAN presents this special non-profit festival of music and performance spread over 2 days at KRAAK venue, right in the heart of Manchester’s über-trendy Northern Quarter. Artists from various parts of the UK and beyond are working together at no fee to bring you this special event to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the sentencing of Pussy Riot and to celebrate the power of freedom of expression. * Any profit will go direct to Pussy Riot through THE VOICE PROJECT and donations are encouraged.

On 21 February 2012, members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot performed a “punk prayer” in a Moscow church for which three of them (Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova, Maria “Masha” Alyokhina and Yekaterina “Katya” Samutsevich) were arrested, detained for over 5 months and eventually sentenced on 17 August 2012 to 2 years imprisonment. Although Katya was subsequently released on a technicality, Nadya and Masha were moved to separate and remote penal colonies with restricted access to their young children and legal team. Appeals to release the two women have failed, and concerns rise as to the health and fate of the women, Masha having recently undergone a hunger strike. Other Pussy Riot members are campaigning for the women’s release, with the support of local and international activists, politicians and artists.

Over the 2 days, we will have 15 live bands, 8 DJ acts and 3 sets of performers (all from Toronto, London, Liverpool, Leeds, Warrington and Manchester), with direct participation by many local artists including: NAOMI KASHIWAGI (origami workshop), ROISIN KEOWN (live painting), ANDREW CHADDOCK (live painting), DANIEL GLASTONBURY (contact juggling), and CLAIRE KEOWN (poetry). Artwork by the following artists will be auctioned during the event (in addition to those painted live) to raise funds: TWISTED DREDZ, DAN BIRBECK, LEE PEARCE, and DAVID LOWTHER. MCs will be LUKE SLATER (Sunday) and ZOE IQBAL (Monday).

All of this will be preceded on Saturday 17 August (sentencing anniversary day) by a free film screening of 2013 Sundance award-winning documentary feature “PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER” (directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin). Screening takes place at KRAAK venue: doors opening 2pm, closing 430pm. Before the film, KERRI LAYTON (cabaret starlet and a performer with Banner Theatre) will treat us to a short live acoustic set of protest and love songs.

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST

SOPHIE DELILA: Sophie is our Sunday 18 August headliner. The high-energy London-based French performer boasts a successful music career, having performed as a member of French electro pop collective Nouvelle Vague, collaborated with the likes of Plan B and Nouvelle Star (French Pop Idol) winner Christophe Willem, and written for Duffy, and now she’s on the verge of releasing her third solo album. Expect a bit of jazz, funk, electro, pop and disco and get your dance shoes on!

WITCH HUNT: This Leeds-based duo of Louisa Osborn and Chris Mulligan have been gathering buzz with their recent standout sets at Liverpool Sound City and Live at Leeds, and are now due to impress at Sheffield’s Tramlines festival. Self-produced track and second single “Crawl” is hauntingly beautiful, with Louisa’s angelic voice melding with swirling guitars and sinister lyrics. Think black magic, dreamlike and captivating – if you like lilting guitar sounds that wash over you with sensuality, this is the band for you. In Chris’ own words: “We’re a bit like the Dead Weather, The Kills, PJ Harvey and Queens of the Stone Age put together” – YES.

ROUGHNECK RIOT: This stunning 6-piece from Warrington have everything a great band needs. Their contemporary hardcore folk-punk sound will blow the stage as they “generate a steam-rolling wall of melodic noise that hits you like a right hook” (R2/Rock’n’Reel Magazine). Often compared to The Pogues and The Levellers, with a dash of The Clash and Johnny Cash, not only will they blow your musical socks off, but they’ll put a smile on your face and fill the venue with the kind of powerful raw energy that the north of England is famous for.

MINUTE TAKER: Manchester-based songwriter/producer Ben McGarvey’s 2008 debut solo album “Too Busy Framing” was described by Manchester Evening News as “bursting with beautiful acoustic melodies and hooks” while follow-up “Last Things” (released April 2013) adopted a more expansive approach, drawing comparisons to James Blake, Bat For Lashes, Grimes, Björk and Thom Yorke – “a beautiful collection of electronic-orientated pop songs” (Notion).

ECHO BOOM GENERATION: This London-based energetic rock trio is fronted by Kate Nash’s lead guitarist Linda Buratto. Classic rock meets grunge with EBG, named after those born in the 80s and 90s – passionate daydreamers witnessing an era where technology makes anything possible while challenges increase. Get ready to headbang along with Linda, Abbe-Lee and Callum.

ILL: This Manchester five-piece band are roaring to go. With a strong feminist ethic, ILL have been known to indulge in the use of metal cod pieces, the sawing of nail clad limbs, bandaged bodies and explosive vocals to punch their messages home. With a mix of structured and spontaneous compositions, they’re taking no prisoners at this event. “ILL have a harsh Faust flavour that borders on the industrial… great music with a wayward edge. And yes, you can still dance to it.” (Cath Aubergine)

HEALD PLACE: This Manchester band is made up of musicians that love to jam, playing regularly at parties and gatherings at the legendary Heald Place, as well as hosting their own jam nights. Improvised sounds that will get your toes a-tapping, hearts a-pounding and fingers a-clicking.

BAD GRAMMAR: Formed in the hazy summer of 2012, this Manchester duo will dazzle you with their fuzzy riff-infused pop-style jams. The two-piece consisting of Ben Forrester (guitar/vocals) and Lucy Brown (drums) have so far shared the stage with bands such as Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Computers and Wet Nuns. With their new EP set to drop in October, plus being hyped up by John Kennedy on XFM & Huw Stephens on 6 Music, these guys are set to impress you on en route to big things.

ROBOT//ALIEN: This noise pop “urchin” from Manchester plays music in a similar vein to Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, The Cure, MBV and The Beatles. Featuring regularly on 6 Music and recently playing a BBC Introducing Session, RoBoT//aLiEn has just released 17-track debut album “You’re The Problem That Will Not Go Away” combining short lo-fi songs of different genres. Their live noise performance by Robot Alien and Alec Splatt consists of songs from the album interspersed with swelling distortions and odd soundbites.

LIVESTOCK JIHAD: Energy. Sleaze. Passion. A door slams in your face with all the grace of a thousand smacks before. So when you sidestep the menial grunts, you want to see or hear a band that makes your spine have a way of shocking the eyes wide open. While you were waiting for this, this band was sitting right beside you. Livestock Jihad are not a polemic petty cry for your gaze; they are a scream for you to join them – a scream for things that must change.

CIRQUE DU MANC MISTRESSES: This Manchester all-girl neo-burlesque and circus performance troupe are The Cirque du Manc’s sexy circus sideshow escapees. Getting you hot under the collar, these saucy stocking-clad vixens push the boundaries of burlesque performance, their bold fire performances featuring in music videos. With acts ranging from cheesecake burlesque to dark & dirty dubstep striptease, think beautiful and bizarre, weird and wonderful, surreal, fetishistic, kinky and daring!

CHERIE BEBE: The North West’s sultriest burlesque performer, she has performed for a wide range of burlesque evenings, festivals (Kendal Calling, Frank Fest) and corporate parties (Hervia Bazaar, Joe Corre (Agent Provocateur creator), SJM, Illamasqua). Cherie Bebe recently played one of the Raymond Revue Girls in “The Look of Love” feature film starring Steve Coogan, and also has a monthly residency at Thomas Restaurant and Bar, Manchester every last Thursday of the month.

SUNDAY AFTERPARTY @ COYOTES

¡THE BIRDS! DJ COLLECTIVE: All-female DJ collective/vigilante gang/desperate acidhousewives playing all-female tunes by girly girls, wicked women, virginal viragoes and feisty femmes. Resident DJs at ¡The Birds!, monthly Mancunian nomadic party/exorcism/coven.

ONE NOTE: Bringing an eclectic bass-heavy set ranging from House to Drum & Bass, Manchester duo One-Note specialise in keeping crowds dancing with clockwork beats and a penchant for on-the-fly mashups.

* Special burlesque from the wonderfully naughty CIRQUE DU MANC MISTRESSES and special Pussy Riot drag performance from CHEDDAR GORGEOUS

MONDAY 19 AUGUST

PRINCESS CENTURY (AKA MAYA POSTEPSKI OF AUSTRA/TRUST): Maya is our Monday 19 AUG headliner. Flying in specially to make her UK live debut at the event, the Toronto artist’s latest solo album Lossless (released April 2013) was inspired by the Charles Manson murders, lending a distinct intensity and creepiness to its dark synth vibes: “There are many things woven into the record that also have to do with my private life, the craziness of all the events of the last 2 years… I subconsciously attempted to reach into spaces I was working on myself by flirting with the Manson themes, using them as a veil.” .” In addition to having recently co-produced/written TRUST’s debut album “TRST,” Maya is currently playing to sellout crowds around the world as drummer for six-piece electro band AUSTRA.

DEATH RATTLE: Inspiring comparisons to The Knife, Sleigh Bells, Depeche Mode, Fever Ray, Massive Attack, Portishead and NIN, this London girl/boy electro-gloom-pop duo released their latest EP “Fortress” in April 2013, widely impressing music critics. Having already gained major praise from the likes of John Kennedy (XFM), Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6 Music) and Amazing Radio, Helen and Chris Hamilton are well on their way to smashing the industry with their heavily stylized sounds and look. Enjoy and appreciate.

LETTERS TO FIESTA: Fronted by Anna-Louisa Etherington, whose vocals have been compared to the likes of Kate Bush with shades of Karen O, this Manchester four-piece electro-pop band are justifiably gathering buzz in the city. Their sounds are, in short, beautiful, inspiring and ethereal: “electro-pop with streams of hysteria running through its veins.” (Guardian)

FACTORY ACTS: This Manchester post-punk dark-electro duo exist at the edge of the analogue-digital divide, sometimes dreaming, always dancing. They are SoS (aka Susan) on vocals/synth/gadgets and MD (aka Matt) on drum/bass section. Supporting the likes of GHXST, Severin, Humanizer and Ste McCabe, they plan to record their debut EP in the late summer of 2013. Passionate about the Pussy Riot cause, Factory Acts are also DJing on the Sunday 18.

TRIPHAZARD: The impressive stage presence and sharp talent of this Liverpool-based electro-pop trio has been getting many a tongue wagging back in their home city and beyond. Having already shared the stage with Alphabeat, Bastille, Franz Ferdinand and Nite Jewel, this band are fast developing into something of a live synth explosion phenomenon.

MONDAY AFTERPARTY @ COYOTES

PRINCESS CENTURY (DJ SET): Our Monday live headliner Toronto’s Maya Postepski (of AUSTRA/TRUST) treats us to a special DJ set.

LETTERS TO FIESTA: Also one of our fantastic local live support bands on the night, LTF step up and DJ a much-anticipated set.

SEAWAVES (DJ SET): Dreampop duo from Manchester, comprising of lead vocalist Si Van Brussel and lead producer Dan Traynor who united through analogous life experiences, paralleled with mutual appreciation of the emotional perceptions obtained within dreams and reflecting those same feelings in both audio and visual form. Currently near to completing their next full length release entitled “The Pistol Star,” they have imminent plans to begin live shows around the UK.

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THIS PRESS RELEASE IS PRESENTED TO YOU BY SHATTERJAPAN

SHATTERJAPAN (SJ) is an international online magazine featuring interviews, photographs and videos of artists in edgy music, film and culture. With reporting teams in the UK and Japan, this project is run by artists for artists, focused on injecting passion and ethics back into the media industry. This event is the fourth we have held to support Pussy Riot.

• SJ PUNK PRAYER COMMEMORATION CONCERT London (24 Feb 2013) report
• SJ FREE PUSSY RIOT TOKYO event (4 Nov 2012) report
• SJ FREE PUSSY RIOT LONDON event (9 Sept 2012) report

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* When using provided photographs, please credit where specified
** Logo & poster design by Lizzy Doe

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