London Afrobeat Collective

If, as the great Fela Kuti once said, ‘music is the weapon’, then you’ll need to wear armour to withstand the full sonic force of London Afrobeat Collective (LAC) – this politicised party machine are an incendiary live act who channel the spirit of the Afrobeat founder via bass-heavy rhythms guaranteed to make you move. Their name may include theUK’s capital but their sound goes far beyond theBritish Isles. A line up including members from as far flung asNigeriaandIranmakes for a unique, global sound sharpened through constant gigging and captured in a self-titled debut album. Recorded in 2010 with respected producer Sonny Simpson (Tony Allen, Polar Bear, Portico Quartet), the record cemented their reputation as one of the UK’s most promising new acts and gathered them much love from high places.Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis personally invited the band to perform at the festival while BBC 6 Music’s Craig Charles has since championed their cause. But it’s in the live arena where they’ve attracted the most attention – they’ve blown away festival audiences at Green Man, Secret Garden Party,Glastonburyand Shambala while connecting with indie stars Bombay Bicycle Club to lend their percussive beats and horns to the rising band’s performances at Latitude,ReadingandGlastonbury’s Other Stage. LAC’s take on Fela’s original blueprint remains traditional but includes modern injections of raw funk, latin and even dubstep in latest single Occupy, all glued together by bold brass and dancefloor sweat. With a catalogue of new material ready for release and the festival season on the horizon, the rise of LAC looks unstoppable – you won’t be able to resist them… http://www.lacband.co.uk