Two nights of indie bliss

Featuring an eclectic line-up of bands and DJs over two nights, the Nil By Mouth Sessions are surely a must-go-to event for anyone with even the slightest of inclinations towards alternative music. Staged by Hairy Amp and The Goo Boy, this two-day music festival will be held at popular live venue V-Gen in Paceville on December 2 and 3, home to a good chunk of this island’s foremost live action.

Indie folk outfit Stalko, whose gorgeous vocal melodies and organic sounds have been making inroads within the local scene, thanks also to recent single In A Hurry, will be kicking off the proceedings on the first night. The second band on will be Lumiere, whose recent reunion gig was ecstatically received as much by their ‘old’ fans as well as by a new generation of indie fans with an ear for music with a unique twist.

Lumiere’s brooding art rock will surely provide the perfect ambience ahead of the first night’s main act, Eimog.

Hailing from Sicily, this six-piece band is possibly the first post-rock band to play in Malta. Eimog’s debut album Scenario has been critically acclaimed, with internet music magazine The Silent Ballet even suggesting that “in time, Eimog will unleash its unique voice unto the world”.

Currently spending a lot of time in the studio recording its second album, the band will be taking a break to come and perform in Malta. Veteran indie rock DJ Wayne Flask and experimental musician Karl Baldacchino will be playing sets throughout the evening.

The second night promises to be a more upbeat and buzzing affair.

Dolls for Idols are expected to start off the second night in typical style and swagger. Next up, The Areola Treat will serve up generous helpings of their relentlessly loud and occasionally brutal music. Hot on their heels, the festival’s second foreign act, Scottish rising stars Discopolis will take the stage.

This relatively young Edinburgh trio formed less than a year ago, yet they have already performed at Scotland’s largest festival, T in the Park, the renowned Reading and Leeds festivals in England and opened for established artists such as Metronomy, Fenech-Soler and The Futureheads. Blending indie guitar sounds with electronic dance music, Discopolis’ music was described by NME’s Matt Wilkinson as sounding like “the banging bits of Friendly Fires and Deadmau5 colliding in some student halls”.

To round off the night (and the festival), the mighty Danjeli and UK-based Capitol K will be serving up some unique DJ sets.

Tickets for the Nil By Mouth Sessions cost €12 per night (advance) or €15 for both nights and are available either from Coach and Horses (B’kara), V-Gen (Paceville) and Blush and Panic (Valletta) or by calling 9984 6382 or 7986 1473. Ticket prices will be higher at the door. First bands are on at 10 p.m. sharp. For more information, look up Nil By Mouth Sessions on Facebook.