Rachel Lipsitz | Rockshot Magazine

Ber Is More Than Halfway At The Lower Third

Rachel Lipsitz — Fri, 19 May 2023 19:14:13 +0000

Berit Dybing, known to her growing fanbase on both sides of the Atlantic as Ber has been on the rise since the release of her debut song Bad For Me just two years ago now. In that time, she has been both writing and developing her live performance in addition to releasing new music. This culminated in a Ber opening for Norwegian star Sigrid as part of a massive, high-profile tour of the U.S. last autumn and the release of E.P. Halfway, which dropped in February.

Of the E.P. Ber said: “I wrote this 6-song EP about not being over a boy that ghosted me (but really trying to be). They all come from that funny and uncomfortable place in between heartbreak/happy and paint a picture of how I felt when I finally felt like I was Halfway through my breakup.”

Originally hailing from Bemidji, Minnesota, Ber spent most of her early adult life residing in the U.K. before moving back home in 2021 where she lived in her uncle’s basement. During this unexpected transition, she began to create her debut EP, And I’m Still Thinking About That, remotely while collaborating with the likes of Sfven, Hazel English and Hot Dennis. Upon its release, the lead single, Meant To Be, immediately went viral and has since amassed over 70 million streams globally.

Ber has now taken her brand of indie-pop on a the U.K. road, as part of the recent Great Escape festival with a single headline show at London’s newly fashioned The Lower Third, in the heart of Tottenham Court Road. And that is where Rockshot Magazine’s Rachel Lipsitz found her.

Rousing Halfway cut Boys Who Kiss You In The Car opens up Dybing’s set before she dives into latin-infused debut EP tune I’m Not In Love, the 25-year-old having a relatable story she takes time to fill her audience in on with each tune.

Delicate Feels So Easy leads into even more delicate and deeply personal debut track Bad For Me, before Superspreader and EP title track Halfway demonstrate the growth in Dybing’s songcraft, “I’m quite unimpressed by all the boys that I’ve met” she sings. Ber endears herself to her audience, telling them about Minnesota in lockdown and her hometown in general, which informs a lot of her work and her identity.

Chicago-born, California native Jordy joins Ber on stage for a cover of his tune South Dakota, a tale of moving from California to comparatively sparsely populated northern mid-western state. Lyrics that seem simple like “We’re meant to be just not made to last” really hit you in the gut and belie the strength of her songwriting.

Night-closer Slutphase is an uptempo romp and a welcome change from the confessional songs of heartbreak.

Throughout the night Ber seems genuinely awestruck and flattered by the adulation her London audience shower upon her as she repeats how tonight is her best show. But what tonight demonstrates in spades is that the best from Ber is yet to come.

Live photography of Ber @ The Lower Third by Rachel Lipsitz on 17th May 2023.

Lissie Carves Canyons At Koko

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Frankie & The Witch Fingers From LA To Shacklewell In Photography

Rachel Lipsitz — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 09:55:17 +0000

On this exceptionally hot and sticky bank holiday Sunday, The Shacklewell Arms (where else?!) hosts Frankie And The Witch Fingers, from LA, who are on the second week of a four week European tour.

You might think it’s going to be some good psych/garage music but when singer/guitarist Dylan Sizemore plays his first note, an electric ferocity takes over him and he completely lets loose in a way that makes you think he was made for this.

After seeing half of this band’s other bad, Triptides, last year, I discovered FATW, an altogether lower-fi, scuzzier affair. Amazingly. my camera didn’t totally fog up and I used a long exposure speedlight to capture the frenetic energy onstage. This allows me freeze the action and show a bit of action and after the shot.

London has had their chance to see this band but many dates in Europe await. Their new album, Brain Telephone, on Permanent Records is a lovely 60’s blend of trippy sounds that transports you to a swirly, analogue era. But in the meantime see them live if you can!

https://frankieandthewitchfingers.bandcamp.com

https://www.permanentrecordsla.com/permanent-label.html

Photography by Rachel Lipsitz of Frankie & The Witch Fingers at Shacklewell Arms, London on Sunday 27th May 2018

https://rockshotmagazine.com/207370/guitar-god-robin-trower-plays-hometown-show-islington-assembly-hall/

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Photo Story: G L /\ S S M /\ P S

Rachel Lipsitz — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 21:11:35 +0000

One of the hottest, most oppressive days in London this summer made a trip to visit Joel Stein in Brighton an even more appealing prospect. Little did I know, this visit with Joel, formerly of Howling Bells, and now performing solo as G L /\ S S M /\ P S, would be one of the silliest photo sessions I’ve had in ages.

Having recently relocated to Brighton, Joel and his wife Sandra, who came along were great to hang out with and allayed any fears I may have had about the dreaded ‘awkward subject’ a common species when you shoot a lot of bands. He was super relaxed and up for anything, including climbing on to beach hut roof to stand in front of a giant plastic dog that I thought looked cool.

Doing the touristy Pier trip took on a new dimension when trying to shoot among old arcade games and dodgems lights whose retro style make for great settings. Between this and a walk up to some chip shops and bars for more photos, my respite from the stagnant heat of London was as productive as it was necessary.

Any photographer knows that it’s always good to have some ideas and locations in mind for any shoot but that it’s equally important to be open to incorporating ideas that crop up spontaneously. To this point, Joel had some great suggestions that never would have occurred to me and that worked really well. I was eager to shoot in the arcade but didn’t even think of shooting wide to include the whole scene around him which such a different feel to shooting up close which I would have done. What a great way to see a new city, especially when it’s full of breezy sea air on this hottest of summer days.

Photo Story by Rachel Lipsitz

The single Summer Rain is out now:

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Photography: Moon Duo @ Heaven

Rachel Lipsitz — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 15:12:23 +0000

Photographer Rachel Lipsitz went along to Moon Duo on Friday and got these exclusive pictures from their gig the cult London venue Heaven.

Moon Duo live at Heaven in London (Rachel Lipsitz)

Following the widely praised Volume 1 of Moon Duo’s two part psychedelic opus, Occult Architecture, Sanae Yamada & Ripley Johnson announced the release of Volume 2 for May 5 on the label Sacred Bones.

Moon Duo hail from Portland, Oregon and have made four albums so far. They have recently put together a BBC 6Music playlist and played live on the Lauren Laverne show. A lot of the recent attention that has been focused on them is because of this great track, Creepin.

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Sound Premiere: Bandini. Such A Night.

Rachel Lipsitz — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 20:53:16 +0000

Bandini Such A Night

Bandini is a singer-songwriter born and bred in Italy and based in London, raised on jazz and blues and the art of storytelling and song-writing from an early age. He began showcasing his talent on the London streets before building a presence on the Open Mic circuit with his individual blend of acoustic jazz and blues and distinctive vocals.

His new single Such A Night, a version of the Dr John classic is released on January 13th at a special gig at one of the coolest places around, the wonderfully bohemian, Jamboree in London. Bandini will be playing with his exciting live ten piece band.

The cd has two tracks and the second is Song Of The Devil (Live at Perry Vale).

Here’s the links to tickets to the Jamboree: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/382244

Here’s the link to the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/559517584243843/

Such A Night will also be available on iTunes and online store the 21st of January.

His band on the night features: Luigi Rignanese (Bass/Double Bass) Richard Blenkinsop (Guitar), Richard Castle (Sax, Flute) Meri Lathi (Clarinet) Oliver Presman (Mellophone), Georgia Piper, Jenny Lagerholm, Sandra Sorio (Choir).

Bandini (Rachel Lipsitz)

He is also recording his new album Barflies, which will be produced by Camelle Hinds (a stalwart of the UK R&B and funk scene who has played bass with many including the Style Council), at the Perry Vale studio in Forest Hill. Such A Night is the first single from the album.

You can pre order from iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1192593772?ls=1&app=itunes

Bandini has been described as ‘the bastard child of Tom Waits and Cab Calloway.’ How can you not be intrigued by that?

Here’s the links to tickets to the Jamboree: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/382244

Here’s the link to the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/559517584243843/

Photography by Rachel Lipsitz

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