Lee turns up the Heat

While it was inevitable that The Fall would appear on the bill for Stewart Lee's ATP weekender in April (with Bridget Christie, Giant Sand and Josie Long also predictable recent additions, alongside Mission Of Burma and Flamin' Groovies), two rather more surprising names have been announced.

First, Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen of This Heat will be reuniting to reinterpret old songs under the title This Is Not This Heat. Despite them frequently cited as influential post-punk pioneers, This Heat are not a band I'm at all familiar with. As a result, this article on their history and music, written by Russell Cuzner for the Quietus, was an invaluable introduction. 'A New Kind Of Water' (from final release Deceit) is on its own more than enough to make me want to investigate further.

Second, Charlotte Church will be inviting festival-goers to enter her Late Night Pop Dungeon. Given how mental her own music is these days, it's likely to be a memorable experience for anyone who's lured in.

In other Stewart Lee news, the fourth series of Comedy Vehicle is apparently recorded and scheduled to begin airing next month.