Action Beat(UK, now fronted by GW Sok of Dutch legends THE EX) touring the U.S. with NYC’s OPENING BELL – dates and RSVP below..
Action Beat are an improvisational noise rock act from Bletchley UK who usually perform with 1-4 drummers and an inordinate amount of guitarists, now fronted by GW Sok of Dutch post-punk legends THE EX. They began playing together in 2004, and have played over 600 shows throughout Europe, releasing work through noteworthy labels such as Southern Records. This is their first U.S.Tour.
“A Remarkable Machine, the new collaboration between British noiserockers Action Beat and G.W. Sok – frontman of legendary Dutch postpunks the Ex – is the rare album that’s so intense that you can only listen to it once all the way through without taking a break. Some people will take one a lot earlier. It’ll clear a room in less than a minute. That’s why it’s so awesome…. To say that this is the best album or most whatever album of the year is beside the point: it’s in a class by itself and will probably someday be regarded as a classic, at least by the people who can stand to listen to it for more than a few minutes at a time.” – New York Music Daily
www.soundcloud.com/actionbeat
G.W. Sok (born 1957, real name Jos Kleij) is a Dutch singer, best known for his 30 year career as the frontman of the The Ex. G.W. Sok left The Ex in 2008 to focus on a solo career and collaboration projects with other musicians, participation in theatre performances and spoken word performances. Apart from his musical career he’s also active as a writer and a graphic designer. After leaving The Ex, Sok started to collaborate with several acts among which the French experimental free jazz band Cannibales & Vahinés and the Italian band Zu. In 2010 the single “2-2-3 Fridges/Rid” appeared on Sickroom Records. He joined the Dutch collective Beukorkest on their 2011 tour. In 2011 Sok released the book A Mix of Bricks & Valentines, a 400 page collection of The Ex lyrics and other lyrics he wrote. Also in 2011 De Eeuwige Optie (The Everlasting Option) was published, an experimental film by SpOp featuring Sok as an actor. He also wrote the words for the film’s ending track “Illusies”. This track was also released as the 7 inch “Illusies 1 & 2″ under the bandname Zoikle, consisting of Sok, guitarist Lukas Simonis, cellist Nina Hitz, drummer Cor Hoogerdijk and Maarten van Gent on metal percussion. King Champion Sounds arises from the ashes of the band that was called The Bent Moustache, the musical act of Krommenie-based, Kenya-born, UK-raised Ajay Saggar. This incarnation sees Saggar teaming up with, amongst others, Oli Heffernan (Year of Birds, Shrug) and G.W.Sok. In 2014 he published a double 10” with the UK noise act Action Beat.
Opening Bell are a three-piece from NYC whose members have collectively performed and recorded in countless underground bands over the years and have accumulated too many touring miles to count throughout too many parts of the world to remember. This project has them exploring new realms of challenging sound while maintaining footing in the worlds of heavy, meditative, and electronic musics.
https://vimeo.com/146048978
-Friday July 1 – Brooklyn – Acheron w/ Dälek, The Austerity Program
-Saturday July 2 – Philadelphia – The Pharmacy
-Sunday July 3 – Washington, DC – The Pinch w/ Suppression, Radiation Blackbody, The Wayward, Drugs of Faith
-Monday July 4 – Baltimore – Asian Taste w/ The Wayward(Multicult members)
-Tuesday July 5 – Richmond – Strange Matter w/ Conflation
-Wednesday July 6 – Charlotte – Snug Harbor w/ Power-Take-Off
-Thursday July 7 – Wilmington – Scrap Iron Bicycle Gallery
-Friday July 8 – Atlanta – The Basement w/ Bang Trim, Cave Bat
-Saturday July 9 – Birmingham – Spring Street Firehouse
-Sunday July 10 – New Orleans – Circle Bar w/ Sunsrise:Sunset, Druids
-Monday July 11 – Houston – Notsuoh w/ Rusted Shut, Rough Sleepers(ex Balaclavas)
-Tuesday July 12 – Austin – Barracuda w/ Quttinirpaaq, Coma in Algiers
-Wednesday July 13 – Dallas – Texas Theatre w/ Most Efficient Women
-Thursday July 14 – Kansas City – Record Bar(miniBar)
-Friday July 15 – Chicago – The Burlington w/ ONO
-Saturday July 16 – Detroit – Trinosophes
-Sunday July 17 – Cleveland – Now That’s Class
-Monday July 18 – Pittsburgh – Belvedere’s w/ Microwaves, Come Holy Spirit
-Tuesday July 19 – Buffalo – Dreamland Arts
-Wednesday July 20 – Binghamton – The Brass Rail w/ 100% Black
-Thursday July 21 – Portland – Empire w/ Mouth Washington
-Friday July 22 – Boston – The Record Company w/ Neptune, Mothertongue
-Saturday July 23 – Providence – Machines with Magnets w/ Neptune, Blevin Blectum