Author Archives: OI

The Pleasures EP

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by Davey

‘Cuming Out’ EP

Glamorous attention whores The Pleasures released their EP ‘Cuming Out’ in 2005. With their mini UK tour rapidly approaching, this is a naughty little taste of their wares.

The band are claiming to be the resurrection of previously stone-cold glam rock (which I will judge for myself when I see them in July), and their EP, true to form, is a swift high-speed slap in the face and a scream for attention. Confident opener ‘Yes It’s Us’ is a true rock anthem, fast paced and heavy, making sure everyone knows their name, with the aid of an official announcement to open the record. The vocals are typically manic, the music dripping with sex and eyeliner, the guitars wail and screech and the glitter flies. When you hear The Pleasures, you see The Pleasures. And yes, they do look how you imagine them to look (www.myspace.com/thepleasures). The whole EP maintains the energy displayed in the first few seconds, the most stunning song, ‘Parade Parade’ placed somewhere in the middle and radiating its hard-rocking glow far and wide.

Along with the EP, the band have recorded a couple of tasty cover versions, ‘Big L’ by Roxette and a particularly stonking ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ (originally by the wondrous Slade, of course), both perfectly, deliciously wild and worth looking out for if you can find them.

Have no doubt, The Pleasures are cuming to get you.


Robin Black Rockin’ The UK

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by Louise

What’s more exciting than going to see Robin Black on their first UK tour in over two years? Going to see Robin Black on their first UK tour in over two years… Twice. That’s right!

The tour kicked off on Friday April 7th, at Nottingham’s Junktion 7, which, as I discovered that night, is a great venue. –Not too small, not too big, and the bar is the length of the room! From the word go, the place was heaving with rockers of all varieties, some blatantly hardcore RB fans, some relative newcomers (like myself).
Stepping from the street into the venue was like switching realms, cool night air to hot hub of electricity.

The crowd; a cocktail of weird, wonderful, gay, straight, English, Australian (and that’s just the handful of people that I spoke to) were a friendly bunch who just wanted to rock. And rock, they did.

Zen Motel opened the show with a virtuous set. The best performance I’ve seen from them yet. Though I am usually stuck riiiiight at the back of Stoke’s Sugarmill, avoiding those who find it necessary to beat themselves and one another to a pulp whilst the band provides their soundtrack. This time, however, I was front row, in a much more civil (but no less enthusiastic) audience, which was rather nice. The place seemed to glow, the band resplendent in the glare. Zen Motel are nice guys what play good, solid, likeable rock. Their crowd pleaser is an infectious number with a compelling rhythm, known to one and all as ‘The Devil Song’. Live performance of this one traditionally involves two boisterous audience members being hand picked and welcomed to the stage to help sing the chorus. Tradition was upheld at this gig, and two enthusiastic fans took to the stage and sung their hearts out. It was a wonderful moment. Long may Zen Motel reign. They did themselves proud and it was a shame their set had to end, but Disarm were soon to follow and having discovered them via the mighty networking tool that is MySpace, several months previously, I knew I liked their sound and was looking forward to seeing them in action. Their loud, raucous, high-speed performance did not disappoint.
They’re sleaze rock with a tinge of punk.
They abuse your eardrums and make you want more.
They were a great choice of tour support for Robin Black!

By now even the building was beginning to sweat, and by the time Robin Black hit the stage, the assemblage were gagging for ‘em. And what can I say? They played like mother effers and rocked the place to its rafters.
Robin was clearly born to be the frontman in a filthy rock band. He has stage presence. He works the crowd. He bounces off his bandmates (and shares info about their sexual habits). He radiates an air of untouchable cool… but somehow you know he’d be your best friend if you just bought him a beer!

Whilst the whole set had the entire room shakin’ its collective ass, highlights for me, were; Over You and Shoot ‘Em Up Now. The latter will forever remind me of donning some of my best moves with my friend-for-the-evening by the side of the stage, boy did we put the masses to shame with our grooves!

Despite a few technical glitches throughout the night, to the slight dismay of the bands, the night was brilliant all-round. The atmosphere kept its neon buzz for the entirety and I was so bewitched by Robin and his crew that I just had to go back for more when they played at Crewe’s Limelight, a few days later. And I’m so glad I did. Having expected a club as crammed as Junktion 7, I was surprised at the minimalist turn-out, but the small crowd that there was made ample noise, and it only seemed to serve to push Robin to play harder. The collective mood was just as lively as the Nottingham gig, but much more ‘intimate’. Many more references were made to Starboy’s sucking predilections, and the street-teamers were treated to a fair bit of sweat, which Robin lovingly scooped from deep within the murky depths of his pants and flicked their way, at various intervals. Lovely.

Nicolai Prowse

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by Jo

AAGGHHH! He’s back! Running up fast, anyway.. Nicolai’s been a very busy boy. Writing, recording, working hard. Let’s have a look, shall we? There will be a website shortly, but for now there are four songs on myspace – www.myspace.com/nicolaiprowse – so just check that out. Don’t expect any DMBT stuff.

Actually, if you take the four as a whole and want to see/make up a story emerging, listen to them in reverse order. I have no idea if that’s intentional, or true, but it works for my tiny mind, and this is MY article!

Running Away is easily the rockiest, fastest track of them. Upbeat, but sort of a kind of fragile hope in it.. things aren’t always gonna turn out better, no matter hard you try, but you have to try. And try together.

Heart Like a Wheel is my favourite. There’s selfdoubt in here, an apology for things that could never be, delivered in that sweet, soaring voice of Nicolai’s that you should just open up to and let into your life.. sad realisation and reluctant acceptance that it ain’t gonna work. It just isn’t.

Feel So Good has slow breathy, shivery vocals. A lament for what has passed / is passing, still in the throes of grief. Watch out for the chorus, it’ll make you jump.

On to Blue Eyed Boy, then. Trying to move out the other side of that once sweet, doomed, unforgettable relationship, with a clearer view of it, anger, resignation and some bitterness. Ouch. Smooth silk of a voice, again, so versatile. There’s a bit of hope in here, too. Just a bit.

You need to pay attention to lyrics around our Nicolai’s work, and not just be seduced by light, simple tunes and harmonies. That voice is capable of a hundred emotions, but in some places, the words don’t need any special inflection to carry them home. There’s nothing where it shouldn’t be, and so much where it should. Careful, Nik, or you’ll be beseiged by those convinced they can alleviate the pain of a certain Blue Eyed Boy.

None of that may be true, so don’t sue me. Listen, instead. Wait for more. Let’s get him onto a stage.

Little Shop of Horrors..

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by Jo

Now then, amateur dramatics is not usually our thing to review, but when there’s an offer to see two of our beloved crushdeluxe in the company of another member and his delightful family, who can refuse? The bar was very cheap, with the barman quite taken with his wares.. This musical is a classically funny piece, so it bodes well.

Not really knowing what to expect, I was tickled pink to be shown my seat by ushers wearing suits and bow ties. Sweeties to the ready.. It’s a very nice little theatre, actually. Curtain up.. ooo radio mikes! The Chorus is pretty much on stage all the time, delivering tongue in cheek lyrics in perfect harmony. They don’t need mikes! This far better than I expected.. plenty of puns, knowingly delivered by a wonderful cast. Seymour steals the show, and Audrey’s blonde goofy girl trying to climb at least up to gutter level is just spot on.. and if there was a note sung out of line all night, I didn’t hear it. I laughed a lot though.

Sarah is in that Chorus, with a naughty twinkle in her eye.. pretty much a constant stage presence, completely unfazed, and more than capable of delivering. Give her to do next time! Ian, crush’s entertainer/singer/general idiot, is the psycho-sadist dentist. There IS typecasting… it truly exists. We all agreed that he became his character far too easily, and his showcase song brought the house down. Give the boy leathers and a quiff, and he’s off! I think it was the manic cackling with the gasmask that finished us all off. No one would have guessed that this was their first time with anything like this! All kudos is due!

Standing ovation, what more can I say? You really should check out some local stuff yourselves, you might be surprised. Acting is part of rock ‘n’ roll, you know..

Superreal

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by Louise

I was only vaguely familiar with Superreal’s existence, until I saw them play at the UK Unsigned Rock event in Birmingham on May 26th, then I was witness to how good they look on stage and how infectious their music is; good ol’ guitar driven rock with a punky edge. They were certainly one of the very best bands (out of 9) to play that night, so I decided to track them down… Singer/Guitarist John answered a few questions for us…

1. How are you?
Good thanks, just busy rehearsing and writing for our upcoming gigs.

2. Where did Superreal get its name from?
Well, a regular at my local called Mark, was charged with the task of thinking up a name for us. He came back to us a couple of weeks later with about 30 ideas, each with their own logo design. We liked Superreal, and like the logo with the stars in. If anyone needs a band name, he’s definitely the man.

3. How did it all start?
Now that’s a long story, the short version is: Me and Chris (Guitarist) have been in a band together since we were 18, but we started Superreal in 2000, with the same drummer (Scott) from our first band and a new bassist (Dan). Then Scott moved to America and got married, so after months of searching, enter Zammo. Then Dan left to go to uni, so then we found Bex. We have now been in the same line up for about 5 years.

4. Has your sound changed much since you first started out?
Not too much, we have just got better at performing it. In the start I was writing the songs, but now it is very much more a group effort.

5. What’s been the highlight of your time with the band, so far?
Probably supporting Ginger from the Wildhearts, and then being asked by him to play with him again.

6. What are the band’s goals/aspirations?
Basically, be in a band for a job. This doesn’t involve shit loads of cash, but enough to survive would be good.

7. If you could tour the world with any band, who would it be?
Foo Fighters would be good, I heard Dave Grohl is the nicest bloke in rock.

8. Who would you have in your ideal festival line-up?
If we include bands that obviously can’t play, it would be (in no particular order):

The Clash
The Ramones
The Beatles
Cheap Trick
The Wildhearts
Nirvana
Queen
Green Day
Metallica
The Stray Cats
The Living End
Terrorvision
Everclear.

Oh, and us….. I could probably complete 20 stages, but that would be good enough for now.

9. What one song do you wish you had written?
The one that sticks out in my mind is “If you want my love” by cheap trick. The confess it’s the best beatles song that they have written, but it’s a work of genius.

10. What are your plans for the rest of 2006?
Gig, record and pick up more fans and experiences, but most of all have fun doing it.

Thanks to John for the interview.
For more info & to hear some Superreal tracks, check out:

www.superreal.co.uk
www.myspace.com/superreal

Blast From The Past

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by Davey

Those Swedish kings of rawk, Europe

I simply HAD to do an article on Europe. The following is an average Europe-related conversation:

“Hey, do you like Europe?”
“Who?”
“You know…*hums ‘The Final Countdown’*”
“Oh yeah! I know that song. That band were a bunch of one-hit-wonders, weren’t they?”

Well, that’s the average Europe-related conversation in my own experience. Someone says Europe, you think of that one piss-poor song that got them famous. Maybe piss-poor is a bit harsh, but I’m bloody sick of it. They have so many better songs that should be recognised! Perhaps the odd person will mention ‘Rock The Night’, but that’s often the best I can get out of anyone.
Now, as is sometimes necessary, I’m going by a “best of”, here (namely ‘Europe 1982-2000), but that just means the kick-arse choons on this album are particularly kick-arse, and stand out from the rest. The album smashes through to a storming start with the classic ‘In The Future To Come’, a personal favourite of mine; I’ve always been rather keen on songs that tell backward or forward looking stories (see: ‘Seven Seas Of Rye’, ‘The Prophet’s Song’, ‘Black Shuck’), as opposed to just endless empty sentiments (see: ‘Carrie’ – not sure about that one…). But the song that really stands out, for me, is the hard-rocker ‘Seven Doors Hotel’. On its release, it got into Japan’s top ten, which some might say was a triumph, but during the height of the rock scene in Britain, the lads should have been shipped over here from the start. When I first listened to them, I thought they were very much like Whitesnake – and though I’ve decided against that now, they still hold some similar elements. I think it’s the whole playing-their-instruments-like-raging-motherfuckers thing. Oh, and all the hair.
Anyway, let’s add a little history. Vocalist and keyboardist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno started off as a band called Force, Stockholm 1979. The lads were, as the story so often goes with the underdog rock band trying to be different (see: The Darkness), suppressed by the record companies, who would only sign them if they cut their hair short and sang in Swedish. Luckily for us, Force told them where to stuff their contract, and carried on alone, regardless. There was a revolving door of musicians popping in and out, but by the time the band were entered into a Swedish rock talent contest in 1982 by Tempest’s girlfriend, they were settled with the original line-up, minus Peter Olsson, who was replaced by John Levén. Competing against 4000 bands, Europe won (they had been forced – har har – during the contest to change their original name), and their prize was a record deal. Tempest also won an individual award for best lead singer, and Norum for best lead guitarist. Mic Michaeli was soon employed as a keyboardist to play at Europe’s live concerts, and was then offered a permanent place within the band. Tony Reno turned out to be a lazy bastard, and was sacked.
Now, skipping a few years… ‘The Final Countdown’ was released in 1986. It became a worldwide hit, selling more than six million copies. The title track was number 1 in 26 countries, and the ballad “Carrie” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA. So… I guess I shouldn’t hold a grudge against people who know nothing else about them.
My message is, if you’re a heavy/classic rock fan, GO AND GET SOME MORE EUROPE. And if you’re not so sure, just get the Best Of. Europe are still going, with the addition of Ian Haugland on drums – perhaps slightly less hairy, but truly one of rock’s greatest treasures.

Posted in OI

Kula Shaker 16.5.06

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by Jo

Norwich Waterfront

One of my favourites! Back in Norwich after too many years. Reformed, with new songs, and a new album later this year. Right at the last minute I got into a sold out gig, and it was hot and sweaty and really quite smelly right from the start. A very mixed crowed, tonight – the young, the much older, and me.

A bit of history, here. In their (previous) day, Kula Shaker were more reviled than The Darkness are today. Everyone hated them. Because they came from a pretty privileged background, people dismissed them as little rich boys who had bought their way into music. Could afford to buy whatever instruments and amps and equipment they needed. Now THAT definitely went against the grain – musicians were supposed to be on the breadline, struggling patiently against all the odds to succeed. As if that wasn’t enough, their fascination with Indian culture and mysticism left them open to all sorts of ridicule. (Actually, that was one of the things that interested me.. ) A pop song entirely based on a meditation mantra? How.. pretentious… and so on and so forth. The Darkness have their humour and self-deprecation with which to endear themselves to people with. Kula Shaker, while not dour by any means, aren’t the silly buggers that TD are (not very easy), so they had nothing that the critics would let them fall back on. So, there you are. A band, making good, different, well crafted music that people had stuck in their head, yet reviled and ridiculed. Familiar? I saw them live at the UEA, and they were so tight musically they could have snapped. At Glastonbury, they filled in at the last minute on the Pyramid stage, having already performed on the Other Stage. They gained a lot of respect for that – not necessarily for the music, but for being ready, and for their skill.

Back to the gig then. I stood through the support band, whose songs all sounded the same. Well performed, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. There were some really odd – well not odd, but unlikely – people in. Shaven heads, beerboy builder types. I was amazed when they sang along, word perfect. Just shows you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.. After a few songs, I slipped off to the front, which was surprisingly easy. A girl needs to be able to see the band she’s reviewing, and IMO, that means right at the front. I should have a spot reserved.

Sound of Drums is a great way to start. It’s quite a hypnotic song, in the way that a heartbeat is. It’s instantly recognisable, beautifully singalong, and sets out all the intentions for the night – excellence and enjoyment (apologies to any teachers reading this). The next three had a much more rocky, bluesy thing going on (I’ve handily starred the ones that appear on the new EP, below) which got the dancing going, and more singing. 303 and Shower Your Love just make you want to smile so much, DiKtator of the Free World socks politics, and it’s all just so full of energy. So much more so than I remember K being, but on stage, rock will out.. They know exactly what they’re doing and why, and their experience shows. We save a lot of our jumping about for Tattva, Hey Dude, Hush and a harder faster version of Govinda that gloriously seems to go on forever.. wallowing in a bit of nostalgia and lots of rock tunes is bloody good for you. Alleviates the pain, you know. Mr Mills jumped round the stage like a divinely inspired dervish . There’s not a lot of chat, but with this much rocking to do, who cares? The beautiful madness of mysticism and moshing raises smiles and consciousness like nothing else can. I went home, wanting more, so job done to the lads. Nice organ interlude as well.

Confession time.. have long had a little crush on Crispian. This is because when I first saw KS on the White Room back then, he was the spit of my husband when I first met him. So, I fancied someone because they look like my beloved… hee.. oh well. Better that than the other way round. He still looks pretty fine, and indeed apologised for not dressing up for us.. the capes are at the dry cleaners, apparently.

Come back soon, please. There never was anything to forgive.

Setlist:

Sound of Drums
Big Bad Wolf
Revenge of the King *
Die 4 Love
303
CB Operator
Shower Your Love
Craving Heart
108 Battles
DiKtator of the Free World *
Last Farewell
Tattva
Organ Intro – 6ft Down *
Hush

————
Hey Dude
Hollow Man
Govinda

Lots of photos etc at

www.kulashaker.co.uk

If you can get onto the message board, you’re a better person than I!

Richard Ashcroft

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by Jill

Blackpool Empress Ballroom
9th May 2006

It took a heroic drive up the M6 to get us to this one on time, flying through the miles to this iconic Northern seaside resort. Well done Stew, and all hail the mighty silver Ford Escort! We park and hit the gig with minutes to spare. The venue is packed to the gills tonight, although there is still opportunity to marvel at its over-the-top Victorian splendour, with its balcony, high vaulted ceiling and chandeliers. And a few moments on we are also able to appreciate the bouncy qualities of the wonderful sprung dance floor, once the scene of genteel tea dances and chaste romantic dalliances, now host to a hoard who roar with the lustiness of a football crowd for their Wigan god.

Richard Ashcroft takes to the stage to the strains of the current album’s title track ‘Keys To The World’. Dressed like Man At Milletts, he nonetheless roams about with the swagger of one who is all too aware that he is currently riding the crest of the wave of success. He is not, however, afraid to nod back to his earlier days with the Verve, following the opener immediately with a crowd-pleasing ‘Sonnet’, while an incredibly moving ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ is something of a show-stopper. The new album is thoroughly showcased: ‘Music Is Power’, ‘Cry Till The Morning’ and ‘Sweet Brother Malcolm’, among others, all making appearances. The audience is word perfect on every track. Ashcroft chats to the crowd between numbers, and dedicates the ‘Alone With Everybody’ track ‘New York’ to the heroes of 9/11, apparently his own birthday. He effortlessly strolls down the fine line between cocksure, mouthy scally and humble poet; for all of his arrogance, he can still turn out a gentle ballad like ‘Words Just Get In The Way’ that has the rowdy mob hanging on his every word.

A short break is book-ended with Verve songs, the band leaving the stage with ‘Lucky Man’ to return minutes later for the first of two encores with ‘Space And Time’. Ashcroft and his band seem to be revelling in the positive attention, and the second encore, commencing with ‘Break The Night With Colour’ winds up with an eagerly anticipated ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. Ashcroft leaves us on this high.

Ashcroft is currently experiencing a level of recognition that eclipses all but his greatest achievements with the Verve. With ‘Keys To The World’ a permanent fixture in the album chart and his singles regularly charting he has crossed over into popular success. The timing seems right for him to headline his own stadium gig – whether this will be remembered as fondly as the Verve’s classic Haigh Hall outing remains to be seen – but the forthcoming Lancaster Cricket Ground concert will certainly be a landmark in this much revered artist’s career.

www.richardashcroft.com

TAKE THAT REVIEW –WEMBLEY ARENA – MONDAY 8TH MAY 2006

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by Caroline Graham

After a long ten years and countless speculation Take That are back!!! The crowd of mostly women aged between 15 and 45 had been warmed up nicely by Beverley Knight and were eagerly awaiting the arrival of “our boys”.

The boys didn’t disappoint and made a fantastic entrance in blue suits, they seemed really excited to be back on stage and they all look toned, happy and relaxed. ‘Pray’ showed us that they can still dance, ‘Why can’t I wake up with you’ proved that they can still hit the harmonies as well as they did 10 years ago. ‘It only takes a minute girl’ was the first surprise of the evening with three tango dancers taking to the stage and the song being performed to a tango beat, the lighting rig on this song also moved down to provide the dancers with a platform on which to dance on. All the boys danced with Kicca, a fantastically toned tango dancer, showing that they must have learned to tango whilst they were away!!!
The next surprise of the evening was the Beatles medley, for which the boys had now changed into maroon Beatle suits, the boys moved to a circular stage that was lowered from the ceiling to the middle of the arena gaining access to this by a runway, everyone was on their feet by this time and we were very close to the circular stage (queue hysterical screaming from myself and Enya) bras, knickers and glow sticks were thrown onto this from the crowd!!! All the band thanked everyone for being there and said that they were so surprised that people wanted to them to reform and that they were shocked at how well the tour had been going. After telling the crowd they had to make their way back to the stage they came down into the crowd and walked back to the stage, kissing and hugging and talking to everyone along the way. (We were not close enough to enjoy this – boo hoo!!)
After another change of outfit to some figure hugging leather look suits we were given an a tongue in cheek insight into what makes a boy band. Some pumping techno music and some robotic moves from the lads went into a spoof audition for who could sing and dance and what made a boy band; this was the start of ‘Sure’, also proving that they could bring the band into the 2000’s.
‘Relight my fire’ for me was the best song of the night, Beverley Knight and a scanty clad guy descended from the circular stage and made their way to the stage which by this time resembled a circus with fire-eaters, acrobats and dancers, the guys and Beverley looked stunning in black and red PVC and feathers. Beverley stole the show with her Lulu solo!!!
Another costume change and the light rig now tilted to an angle it started to rain!!!! The guys did Back for Good in the rain and they had a great time with all the water, kicking it into the crowd and sliding all over the stage (this is the point when I wanted to be on stage too!!) After a quick dry down we were joined by Robbie Williams (all be it a 20 foot hologram of him) for Could it be magic, the crowd went wild for this one proving that everyone still loves Robbie and what a shame he couldn’t make it in person!!!
After a quick mop over of the stage the boys were back for the finale and Never Forget which had everyone joining in with. The band again thanked everyone for being there and took a bow with all of the musicians and that was it!!! I just hope that this tour will get the boys to think about reforming and doing a few more dates as it seemed everyone there left with a smile on the faces, a new Take That t-shirt on their back and their favourite songs ringing in their ears.

Hard Fi

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by Jill

Manchester Apollo
8th May 2006

I think we’d got a bit besieged by all the live stuff by this stage. Six in ten days … it all starts to blend into one great big band by then. And this was the one out of all of them that we had the lowest expectations for. Could this really be a £20 gig? WHY was this a £20 gig? My Gig Mate was so underwhelmed by the prospect that he was actually asleep when I went to pick him up. Still, I managed to keep him quiet on the long journey up the M62 by showing him how to get EBay on my mobile …as a result I missed the turning off the ring road and we were even later …arrgh! Not looking good so far!

But once inside we still had time to peruse the merchandise store (top bright yellow Hard Fi lighters with built in bottle openers!), get a couple of pints in each and find somewhere to stand. It’s the second night of two for the band at this venue, and the Apollo seems packed tonight, although it’s maybe not a capacity crowd. So we wait to see whether this particular Staines collective can make good, or whether, as we suspect, that they will simply plod their way through the album.

But hey! They make good! And more! The band arrives onstage to a driving ‘Middle Eastern Holiday’, complemented with projected images of the Gulf War. The first of two new songs tonight is similarly accompanied by crowd-pleasing images of Manchester, while singer Richard Archer attempts to rouse the audience with assurances that they are so much better than the previous night’s mob. Album favourites ‘Tied Up Too Tight’ and ‘Feltham Is Singing Out’ have everyone singing along, while the second new number (possibly called ‘You And Me’) slots in nicely. It’s always a danger with bands touring with their debut album that they are constrained by their lack of material and end up playing a setlist-by-numbers. Fortunately, this is far from the case. Archer banters with the crowd and he and his fellow band members look as though they are enjoying themselves, putting as much as they possibly can into the performance with jagged guitar riffs complementing their tales of Smalltown England: accounts of teenage pregnancy and permanent lack of cash, young offenders and far off wars, fractured love affairs and the weekend club culture. Current single ‘Better Do Better’ is joyously received, and is followed by a cheeky cover of the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’. Everyone is bouncing by the time that we reach ‘Cash Machine’; perhaps overexposed on TV and radio, but here sounding fresh and exhilarating. An ecstatic ‘Hard To Beat’ puts everyone into a party mood, and the band leave the stage to roars from the crowd for more.

Archer returns alone to the stage for a moving acoustic version of ‘Move On Now’, which, I’m sure, has people actually holding their breath for 3½ minutes. The rest of the band reappear for ‘Stars Of CCTV’, projecting grainy black and white images of audience members on the screen behind them. Archer implores us to party like it’s Friday night, and the room erupts with the anthemic ‘Living For The Weekend’. Then they are gone, albeit with the revelation that a lot of their enthusiasm tonight may have been due to the fact that the show is being broadcast live on the Steve Lamacq show.

No matter. A £20 gig? Absolutely! Would we see them again? Without a doubt! It’s one of those shows where everyone leaves on a high. They done good, the Staines lads. They have managed to touch the zeitgeist, the souls of disaffected teens and twenty-somethings, just discovering that the worlds of adulthood and work do not quite live up to the golden promises that they have been fed through their youth.

Festival season beckons – my guess is that Hard Fi will be one of the highlights.

www.hard-fi.com

Morrissey

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by Jill

Opera House Manchester
7th May 2006

Quay Street in Manchester is awash tonight with hoards of bequiffed sensitive young men. A cliché, I’m sure, but we do spend an amusing twenty minutes in the Opera House foyer counting Morrissey look-alikes until, joy of joys, we discover one complete with NHS glasses and hearing aid! Sadly he has neglected to stuff half of Delamere Forest into his back pocket, but what a good attempt!

I had been warned already by some who had caught him on an earlier date that the set was short, that the performance was not that great, that it wasn’t a patch on the glorious Move Festival show of 2004 … but this is Manchester, the third show of four in the great man’s home town. So optimism and expectation are running high tonight.

The intro track is an interesting choice for this Manchester venue: ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, predictably greeted by a crescendo of boos which still sounds as the band takes to the stage. Morrissey, resplendent in a lime green shirt, is unfazed by the reaction and promptly launches into a stirring rendition of ‘First Of The Gang To Die’, following it straight away with a universally approved ‘Still Ill’. But, although the openers may give the impression that Morrissey is happy to delve deeply into his back catalogue, the set is actually heavy on tracks from the new album ‘Ringleader Of the Tormentors’, with a smattering from ‘You Are The Quarry’ and a trio of Smiths songs to keep the diehard fans happy. Single ‘You Have Killed Me’ is greeted with enthusiasm, and is followed by a fistful of the newer songs: ‘The Youngest Was The Most Loved’ and ‘The Father Who Must Be Killed’ among them. Moz introduces the band before giving us an emotive ‘Let Me Kiss You’ and a very welcome ‘Girlfriend In A Coma’. His backing band exercises their musical muscles and ‘I Just Want To See The Boy Happy’ concludes with a lively burst of trombone. ‘Ringleader….’ Is duly showcased, with most of its tracks getting an airing tonight, but a meandering piano introduction heralds ‘Trouble Loves Me’ from ‘Maladjusted’.

Morrissey has concentrated on his music tonight, with only a few asides to the rapt audience; however he reminisces about this particular venue, where he once saw a fledgling Queen supporting Mott The Hoople. He subsequently unleashes a gloriously eastern-tinged ‘I Will See You In Far Off Places’, giving the drummer the chance at last to sound the enormous gong that has been hanging behind him all night … and then everyone is on their feet with the familiar, choppy first chords to a breath-taking ‘How Soon Is Now’. The band leaves the stage, but is roared back on to give a storming ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’, after which Morrissey’s shirt is predictably flung into the crowd. He brings his fellow musicians to the front to bow off, and then they are gone, just over an hour after they first took to the stage. Perhaps not a classic Morrissey show, but by no means a poor one. I spoke to a couple outside from Sweden who were following the tour around, and they seemed more than happy and were delighted to have seen him in Manchester. I’m looking forward to his V festival appearance.

Oh…and we did see him getting into his car outside. Not that we’re stage-door hanging groupies or anything…

Snow Patrol

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by Jill

Manchester Ritz
2nd May 2006

Not much good at making it for support bands, us. Pretty good at getting in, getting a beer, finding a spot and having the main act come on straight away…but supports…nah! Somebody will have forgotten their tickets / left the hair straighteners on / got stuck in work …and we can never find anywhere to park! So, typically we missed the support here too. And it was The Fields – damn!

Still, it’s not long to wait for Snow Patrol. The Ritz is packed tonight, and tickets have been changing hands for hugely inflated prices in the weeks running up to this hotly anticipated, long sold-out gig. Album ‘Eyes Open’ came out a day ago to overwhelmingly positive reviews and it looks as though they are going to be one of the bands of the year. It’s been a long haul since their debut album release of 1998, and they have been able to build upon the success of ‘Final Straw’. Now the full to capacity venue waits to see if they can deliver this promise. With the arrival of the headliners heralded by John Cooper Clarke’s ode to the venue and its more dubious patrons, the crowd are edgy with expectancy.

They hit the stage with ‘Wow’ …and immediately run into technical difficulties, with Gary Lightbody hopping from mic to mic, trying to find one that works. When he finally does, it is to appreciative cheers from the crowd, and the band settles down into their set. Gary chats to the crowd between numbers, genuinely delighted with the response that they are receiving. He is the perfect frontman, exploding with so much energy during ‘Hands Open’ that he launches himself Bono-like into the crowd to shake hands with his following and manages to split his trousers. Many seem familiar with the new album already – tracks such as ‘Chasing Cars’ and ‘It’s Beginning To Get To Me’ are hailed with the fervour normally reserved for familiar numbers like ‘Spitting Games’ and ‘Chocolate’. The venue erupts for the current single ‘You’re All That I Have’ with everyone bouncing on the Ritz’s legendary sprung dance floor like the Tigger family reunion. This is followed by a poignant version of ‘Run’, sung in most part by the audience while Gary and the band look on with positive joy.

A few technical difficulties aside, the band sound fantastic, beefed up by new members and working together tightly. They seem to be grooming themselves for stadium success, eyeing the crown currently belonging to Coldplay in that respect. After this time they deserve it: it’s been eight years since their first release, and they now have four albums to be proud of, with Gary notching up a further two with The Reindeer Section. It’s only fair that 2006 will be remembered as Snow Patrol’s year, and on tonight’s evidence, they have gone a long way towards staking that claim.

M’aidez

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It’s almost ironic that this is the month of new birth, growth, springy baby lambs, etc., as we’re a little thin on the ground this time. So it’s a good job that here at Optimum Impact H.Q., we favour quality above quantity.

 

Blast From The Past is back, after skipping an issue (that may have had something to do with me…), featuring the most arse-kickingest bunch of Swedes in the history of rock, Europe. Also, we’ve got the usual array of top notch reviews to quench your rock lusts until June.

 

Next month, you can look forward to a review of The Pleasures’ EP, ‘Cumin Out’, as well as many other tantalising musicular delights.

Aforementioned Germanic sex-gods-in-fishnets have secured a UK mini tour, thanks to our very own pint-sized rock whore Louise. These guys are glam rock Messiahs, so don’t miss out.

 

The dates for their mini tour are:

 

13th July – Junktion 7, Nottingham

14th July – Lark In The Park, London

15th July – The Attik, Leicester

 

http://www.myspace.com/thepleasures

 

 

Now, just a few more essays and a 19th birthday to get out of the way (it’s on the tenth, in case you’re interested…), then I’ve got all Summer to hunt out steamy piles of hot rock for the good ship O.I.

 

The dark side is with you all, my friends.

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getAmped

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by Louise

Postcards From Hell

Getamped are a hard rocking trio from the UK. Their sound is a little reminiscent of “A”, in its heavy catchiness. I guess that’s why they describe it, on their website, as power pop. But I fail to see the ‘pop’ part……yes, it’s catchy, infectious stuff, but not in a poppy kind of way. It’s definitely much more of a rock entity. Fittingly unvarnished vocals are the veins and arteries that twine their way through the meaty structure of dirty, heavy, angry guitars, resplendent against the weighty backdrop of percussion that is the throbbing heart of this rock machine. And this rock machine is on tour in China for the first week of this month, after which they will return for some more UK shows throughout May, finishing their tour with two shows in June. Check out their website for more info: www.getamped.co.uk

 

plus

 

EP’s and mini albums
King Furnace
Bangkok

 

(This also appeared in April 2006 issue 17)

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The Needles

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by Davey

‘Dianne’ (single)

A jerky, angular single from Aberdeen’s finest, ‘Dianne’ does The Needles proud, throwing them into techno-colour light (none of this lime shit) for all the world to see. They seem to be grabbing the trendy genre by the balls and just twisting them a little, adding some seasoning (a dash of fizzy synth pop) into the mix. The stunning b-side, ‘Delivery Day’, takes the energy displayed in ‘Dianne’ to a simmering new level of crazines (not to mention the fucking awesome guitar solo).
They’re like Franz Ferdinand, but with talent, and far more panache. This is the kind of jumpy pop rock that gives you images of four kids in skinny jeans spazzing out in their garage. Surely, that can only be a good thing.

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The Crimea

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by Davey

‘White Russian Galaxy’ (single)

Oh yes, I like The Crimea. This single is cool, quirky and melodic, like the slightly rougher side of a Travis-esque emery board. Davey MacManus’s charm is enough to entrap the listener into sticking it out, and rather delightfully, the song evolves into a vibrantly pretty, huskily gentle tune, soon to be an indie favourite, in my humble opinion. ‘White Russian Galaxy’ lovingly examines the problems of teenage alcoholism on girls, in such a sweetly harmonious way, that there’s no way it could be even slightly offensive. This is going on my MP3 right now.

Adem

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by Davey

‘Love And Other Planets’ LP

Riding the wave of the soulful male solo artist, Adem comes out on top, outstripping the likes of Jack Johnson and James Blunt (that’s Cockney Rhyming slang, you know) simply with the level of his talent. Employing the bluesy Jamie Cullum type vocals with a tender, country acoustic backdrop, Adem’s ‘Love And Other Planets’ LP focuses on The Big L when others are afraid to – they all seem content to whine. Adem unzips the heart and has a good dig in there, to scoop out every emotion he can find; and I’d say he had the right idea. Isn’t that what music is about? His album is honest and simply beautiful. Not bad for a mono-aural Londoner.

Sisters Of Mercy

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by Jill and a bit of Jo

Manchester Academy
4th May 2006

“OK hippy scum, here it comes”

Well, having managed to miss yet another support band we rolled up to a surprisingly full Academy. It’s certainly one of those gigs where the majority of the audience have gigged and aged together. Everyone is very polite and a bit too concerned about their failing knee joints to put up too much of a fight as we squeeze our way through to the front. Sadly the mosh pit isn’t without its hazards. Flanked by knots of genuine hardcore Sisters fans, including a fair showing from the Heartland contingent, is a pocket of absolute idiots, determined to cause havoc, touch up the girls and push the lads around. The sad thing is that I have Sisters T-shirts older than some of these fools. Kids and beer! Tchah!

So the lights dip, the intro track booms up, and …well, I love the smell of dry ice in the evening! Then the band are on stage, and we’re swirled around like the buoys in Falmouth harbour, riding the waves of the crowd, but no sign of Andrew Eldritch … but hold on … the fog on stage parts for a moment, and there he is, already halfway through the opener ‘Crash And Burn’. How many other people didn’t see him come on? And the sound is just awful! The vocals are far too low down in the mix, the drum machine programming is lacklustre and the two other band members appear to be on automatic pilot, playing along to a sort of Sisters karaoke.

OK. It’s not a bad show once you accept the fact that it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to work out what the band are playing. An interesting choice of songs. The opener is followed by a personal favourite, ‘Ribbons’ (‘Pain looks good on other people. That’s what they’re for …’). Not many early numbers on show, it must be said – there is still a bit of a Wayne Hussey taboo – but there’s one or two of the first few singles in evidence, particularly the very welcome inclusion of ‘Anaconda’. ‘Dr. Jeep’ segues into ‘Detonation Boulevard’ and ‘Dominion’ into ‘Mother Russia’. ‘’Lucretia My Reflection’ is a popular choice, and the opening notes of ‘Alice’ are the start of an ecstatic four minutes that has everyone front of stage bellowing along and struggling to keep on their feet. Eldritch interacts with the crowd very little, a disappointment for those who remember his acidic asides of the 1980’s gigs.

They leave the stage for the first of two encores, returning with ‘Never Land’ and a thundering ‘This Corrosion’. The second encore climaxes with a sublime ‘Temple Of Love’, which Eldritch deems to be a fitting point to leave us.

Was it a £20 gig? I wouldn’t say so. I’m glad I saw them, but I’m not sure that I would want to again, notwithstanding Eldritch’s own threats that this tour will be his last. My Gig Mate commented that ‘Temple’ was the track that got him into the Sisters, so it felt a fitting point to leave their live world behind. He’s probably not the only one there. An interesting exercise in nostalgia tonight, and an enjoyable one – we all got battered and sweaty – but a reminder of how far off the present day band is from the glory days of the 80’s.

Jo’s bit… Norwich UEA, May 6th
yes.. indeed. I must concur with that. There were a lot of reports of really bad sound on this tour. Personally, I was DEAD excited to be going to see them at last. First time was at Reading 1991, and I still have the T. This was the 25th anniversary tour, not some usual run of the mill tour, and I wanted hits. I wanted to jump about to the songs, not just cos it was the Sisters. I was spellbound, but even so, I felt that the tempo was too slow to start, that the mix of songs wasn’t varied enough.. For me, 1991 was better. I gloried in Alice, and Temple, and the rest, though…

Yar boo sucks to the Sisters anoraks. I wanted Silver Bullet, not a starters pistol. You can’t rest on your laurels.

Love is always over in the morning. The black wind can carry you away, too, Von.. but thank you for all the good times.

Black Wire – Glasgow Barfly

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by Keith

Supported by two bands, The Ad’s (Glasgow) & Every Move A Picture (San Francisco),
both of whom weren’t bad at all (indie based guitar/rock/pop), Black Wire took the stage at 10:15, God of Traffic opened the set, the crowd took a song or two to get going, but by the time “I don’t Feel Well” and “Attack Attack Attack” were over the jumping had started, it would be hard not to be enthused by the Bands obvious energy and…..well…..talent, they really were as tight as a Drum………well, a Drum Machine!!, which they prefer to a Beer swilling tub thumping neanderthal usually to be found rear of stage!!!!, great rapor from the singer (Daniel Wilson), particularly with the two “Followers”, Andy, trying hard and succeeding at looking like Steve Albini!!, and, to quote the Vocalist, “..the Mad psycho Lesbian..”, I didn’t catch her Name!!!, created a really good atmosphere.
The High points, for me were:
Brain Dead
Hung Up (released on 15th May).
Attack Attack Attack
Promote The Happy Hour.
There wasn’t a flat spot in the whole set to be honest, the band enjoyed it, the crowd (some 100ish) enjoyed it, especially the young guy who invaded the stage during the penultimat song for a Dance with quite welcoming band members!!!!!, not as good a dancer as the singer, think somewhere between Ian Curtis in a good mood and Timmy Mallet….I kid you not!!!
The set finished 55 minutes later with “Very Gun”, no encore?, shame.
So….was the six hour round trip to see the Leeds three piece worth it?, absolutely!!!
Will I go and see them again, absolutely!!!
The set list was:

The set list was:
God of Traffic
I don’t feel well
Attack! Attack! Attack!
Crime Scene
Broken Back
Hung Up
Brain Dead
Happy Hours
Hard To Love Easy To Lay
Very Gun

Old pleasures are the best

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by Jo

News from the dark side..

Echo and the Bunnymen, the tightest band you’ll ever see, are on tour soon. Both the new single ‘Scisssors in the Sand’ and album ‘Siberia’ are released on May 29th, too. Go, if you can, because you truly will get a masterclass in live performance.

May 2006

29 – Whitehaven, Civic Hall
30 – Newcastle, Academy
31 – Edinburgh, Queens Hall

June 2006

2 – Nottingham, Rock City
3 – Oxford, Zodiac
4 – London, Koko
5 – Brighton, The Old Market

Tickets from Ticketmaster. ooo… Koko’s a cracking venue. Has a sex toy vending machine in the Ladies. Right by the door so everyone can see you buying… not that Six did. just curious…. careful,lovies, the dancefloor may well be dangerous.

Siouxsie and the Banshees’ fans can look forward to several remastered albums being released on 1 June.. ‘The Scream’, ‘Join Hands’,’Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Juju’. Unreleased tracks will be included. There’s also a DVD of the ‘Nocturne’ video due out soon. A LOT of work has gone into this… expect the very best from some of the masters of musical experimentation and and you won’t be disappointed. I never have been with the originals!

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