The Forum presents:

Forum Basement: Club Fandango Presents Shama

Shama + The Caress

The Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells

£5 ADV £7 OTD
Entry Requirements: 18+

Line Up

Shama performs with her electro-acoustic band with live Sitar, uniquely taking it out of the traditional context, across genres including jazz, live electronics, psychaedelia, pop, afro latin worldbeats & Indian/Western melodies. Her music has been championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Songlines, Arts Desk and the BBC (quotes below) Her new album 'Truth BeTold' is the first live album to be recorded throughout using the pioneering wearable technology 'mi.mu gloves' - famously publicised by Imogen Heap. Shama was the first artist-in-residence and along with only a handful of 'glovers' in the worldwide community, she uses the gloves to create sounds and FX by hand gestures. The recordings therefore have live electronic manipulation with improvising musicians including MOBO-winner Moses Boyd, capturing an electric live atmosphere with the polish of a studio album. This infectious energy is what is translated in her live shows with the electronic wizardry of 'Slowly Rolling Camera' producer Deri Roberts

Her multimedia performance of the album at the Southbank was featured on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch and most recently, she performed the album on an expedition as the first Sitarist in Antarctica as part of the first Antarctic Biennale - which made The Times and Radio 4's Front Row.

Fresh from a festival performance at Bestival she has also played at the London and Manchester Jazz Festivals, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Wilderness, Green Man and extensively at international jazz, beats and world festivals.

Songlines: 'the triumphant expression of a unique vision and inimitable sound’

Songwriting Mag: 'Imagine DeadCan Dance and Björk getting together in a folk club, to make jazzy trip-hop records...with sitars.’

Wonderland Mag: "You’re about to get goosebumps, seriously. Releasing the title track to her upcoming album, “Truth BeTold” is the haunting new track from Shama. With stunning melodies and a dream-like vibe, Shama switches between English and French vocals ... An absolutely gorgeous track, prepare to have it stuck with you long after you’ve finished listening."

"Love It All. Brilliant!"-Gilles Peterson

"Impressively inventive...Shama Rahman's band performing quirky, intelligent tunes", - Arts Desk "Beautiful and Intoxicating.I've completely fallen for this lady.I love it", - Michelle Hussey, BBC Introducing

"..consistently able to combine new elements & sounds with what is already present to create an incredibly unique record... a musical & paramusical strength that many others could take valuable lessons from, may her own work continue to show those strengths for a long time to come."- 7bitArcade

'New, creative work by Shama Rahman or soon to be Dr Rahman!' - Lopa Kothari, BBC3 World Routes

"Truly outstanding and original music...to the next level" - Gigs and Festivals

'Sunny and Shay':"Wow..that was amazing! We could have you on all day!" - BBC London Radio

The Caress are still very much an alternative three piece combo based in New Cross, South East London, comprised of brothers Tom Easton (guitar and vocals), Ben Easton (bass and vocals) and Sam Easton (drums and vocals).

‘Suffragette Look’ is their first single from their forthcoming second Caress EP. It sees them continue to mould influences of ‘60s soul, Motown and ‘80s indie with an emphasis on combining the dark and the danceable. Stylistically, it is built on a soul beat, handclaps and a pulsating bass line with melodic-yet-jarring guitar parts and ethereal keys. ‘Suffragette Look’ deals with themes of teenage insecurity and negative body image with a message of hope at its core. It was recorded at The Gravity Shack in South London, and is the first from a collection of songs recorded by the band in late 2017.

‘Suffragette Look’ follows hot on the dainty heels of the ‘You Say I Kiss Like A Girl’ EP which gave the world the thunderous sub-gothic excellence of 'Breakfast With Leather Apron' , which itself followed hot on the cuban heels of the brilliantly sardonic 'Man Up' single, the video for which starred Laurie Kynaston, an actor who has previously played both Danny Baker and Johnny Marr (although not at the same time).

‘You’re Always Miles Away’ meanwhile was the first single off the first EP with its reverb-drenched tambourine, atmospheric guitars and handclaps inspired by Northern Soul stompers. It was Steve Lamacq's Livener on BBC 6 Music and premiered by Clash who described it as "a coy blast of melodic wordsmithery".

Come get miles and miles away with The Caress when they play these shows here:

'Suffragette Look' is a coy, stylish return, reminiscent of the way Fortuna! POP used to sluice together Northern Soul and indie pop.' - Clash Magazine