Transgressive Records 10th Anniversary Concert, Barbican

Transgressive Records marks its 10th anniversary with sets from Mystery Jets, Marika Hackman and Johnny Flynn. Barbican Centre is the venue- don’t forget your party hat

London’s own premiere independent label Transgressive Records is celebrating its 10th birthday in style with a concert at the Barbican Centre featuring some of the best artists in their stable.

Since its formation in 2004, Transgressive has been finding and nurturing some of the most exciting indie talent in the UK. Currently signed to the label are Foals, Neon Indian and Two Door Cinema Club, while past artists include many who have gone on to achieve great things; Bloc Party, The Shins and Regina Spektor all called the label home at some stage in their careers.

Mystery Jets and Marika Hackman Gigs

For the special birthday celebration Transgressive favourites Mystery Jets will top a bill shared by Nu-Folk trendsetters Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Marika Hackman.

The event will be compered by Radio 1 DJ and independent music champion Huw Stephens.

Mystery Jets

Peddling poppy, upbeat rock with a psychedelic tinge, London’s Mystery Jets are one of the best known bands on Transgressive. The group have released five albums to date, with their most recent being 2012’s Radlands. While the group regularly hit the top 50 in the UK album charts they have been keeping a low profile recently. Rumour has it that their set will feature new material as well as liberal helpings from their extensive back catalogue. 

Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit

South Africa-born Flynn and his band kicked off the whole Nu-Folk craze back in 2008 with their debut album A Larum. His twee and affected take on folk music spawned an ocean of imitators on the UK folk circuit, and scene starlets Mumford & Sons are largely indebted to Flynn’s mock-country lyricising over a hybrid of folk instrumentation and driving soft-rock rhythms. 

Marika Hackman

A former Burberry model and school friend of It-girl Cara Delevingne, Hackman turned her back on a modelling career in favour of creating exquisite, nocturnal alt-folk. She may have been picked up by pied-piper of the Nu-Folk scene, Johnny Flynn, but where Flynn romps in the barn, Hackman’s music is inkier, sparser- she reaches for minor keys and chilling lyrics. Her debut EP That Iron Taste was released last year, and she has since followed that with two more miniature song collections.