SWELL MAPS C21

“In December 2021, I organised a performance with ten musicians to perform Swell Maps music for two concerts on consecutive nights at Cafe Oto, a fine venue in Hackney, internationally renowned for it’s live presentations of alternative music.  As well as performing a selection of the better-known Maps material, it gave me an opportunity to present material that had never been performed live before, such as “Bronze & Baby Shoes”, “Ghost Train”, “Jelly Babies”, “Wireless”, “Don’t Throw Ashtrays”, and “Collision With a Frogman”.  

It was a brilliant opportunity to feature some of Epic’s piano-based pieces, because we had Lucie Rejchrtova, a fine keyboard player, and Oto’s grand piano!  The other contributors:  Dave Callahan and Luke Haines (both guitar & vocals), Cos Chapman (lead guitar), Jeff Bloom and Ian Wadley (drums), Jasmine Pender (electric cello), Lee McFadden (bass & guitar), Jon Hodgson (bass), Gina Birch (vocals).  Both sets at Cafe Oto were recorded, and I mixed the performances for an exciting live album, which is now available on the Glass Modern record label. 

Dave, Luke, Lee, Jeff, Lucie, Gina and I got back together at Rough Trade East in March 2022, to perform at the launch party for my book on Swell Maps.  This ongoing project is now known as Swell Maps C21; further concerts took place at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Paris, and more are planned.”  

Jowe Head

03-12-21 Cafe Oto, London

04-12-21  Cafe Oto, London 

24-03-22  Rough Trade East, London

03-9-22  Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow

04-9-22 Bannermans, Edinburgh

31-3-23 Paris, L’Echangeur

29-4-23 Cafe Oto, London

15-03-24 Moth Club, London

Cafe Oto, 3rd & 4th Dec 2021 / Images by Peter Tainsh

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