Indie music label and distributor
Release Date: 16 February 2009
Format: 7inch Vinyl Single
Label: Fiction
A. Checkmate
B1. Pigeon Foot
B2. The Drop
London Blackmarket are Nicholas Long (singer and main songwriter), David Holland (Bass), Nicholas Gibbs (guitar) and Brad Verlander (drums).
Spread throughout the darkest corners of Essex, the band coalesced eighteen months ago in their local White Room Studios in Rainham, Greater London - roughly halfway between somewhere and nowhere and part of an endless sprawl of industrial estates and satellite towns - Grays, Thurrock, Purfleet, and Dagenham. All possibly twinned with Dante's Cania.
Named after a 19th century book, these soul/punk incendiaries need no gimmicks or props. Rich with classic and contemporary musical references from the raw passion of Tamla Motown to the swagger of early Kings of Leon, from the garage-band vigour of New York Dolls or the Strokes to heart-wrung heroes Elbow and the Doves, all tied up in early Springsteen storytelling. Cinematic masterpieces like All About Eve, Birdman of Alcatraz, and Woody Allen's direction infuse the band's black and white songs of twilight isolation, rebellion, unfulfilled relationships and love stories to a city.
Their blistering everyman indie rock speaks of and to the have-nots, the underdogs, forgotten sons, couldabeens, also-rans, and nearly were's. Long's rasping voice and captivating lyrics are a cut above most current indie jangler try-hards as he sings of hopes, fears, secrets and lies, last chances, missed opportunities, Saturday night highs, Sunday morning lows, big dreams and small towns and the familiar yet eternal theme of being fenced in and wanting out.
Their intense and captivating live shows are where they flex their muscle and their riotous club night Seaside-Riots in their hometown of Leigh-on-Sea is fast becoming the indie mecca of the estuary.
"calm before the storm, the union jack torn, and fire raging through tired hearts"
