Conti confirms its first gig for 2018

One of Preston’s main arts venues has named its first gig of 2018.

Branded as a ‘noise supergroup’ UUUU include former members of Spiritualized, Wire, Coil and Tomaga.

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The band, who play the Continental in South Meadow Lane, includes some of the biggest cult names in avant garde and post-punk music.

‘Edvard’ Graham Lewis has been the bassist and core member of legendary alternative act Wire since the band’s formation in 1976, also forming half of Wire offshoot Dome and impressing with solo project He Said in the late eighties. Guitarist Matthew Simms also hails from the Wire camp, having joined the band as a permanent member in 2010, and is also a founder member of It Hugs Back.

‘Thighpaulsandra’ is the nom de guerre of multi-instrumentalist Tim Lewis, who started out his career working with no less than Julian Cope before joining legendary avant garde / industrial noise combo Coil in 1999, until the death of key member John Balance saw the band permanently fold in 2004. The same period was also spent as a member of cult psychedelic act Spiritualized. Aside from solo work, he has since also played keyboards for Wire on their 2013 tour. Last but not least, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Valentina Magaletti is best known as both the drummer in psych band The Oscillation and for her work with Tom Relleen as experimental band Tomaga.

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Collectively these artists have formed UUUU and created an experimental and challenging self-titled debut album. Elements of prog, noise, rock and jazz are in evidence, with a heavy sheen of Krautrock and spacey pychedelia. It’s been described as ‘heavy and visceral’ by The Quietus and a ‘freewheeling and disorienting affair’ by the Brainwashed site. This Preston show at The Continental marks the band’s only excursion into the north, with the only other tour dates taking place in Bristol and London.

They play at the Conti on Wednesday 24 January, doors at 8pm and tickets are £10 in advance and £12 on the door.