Tag Archives: Live Reviews

The Mission

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by Jill

Manchester Academy 2, 16.05.07

Reminiscence time. Twenty-one years ago I lived in a flat in Liverpool, upstairs from early Mission super-fan Ray Ramone. If the band played in town, the climb back up to our flat afterwards involved stepping over sleeping Eskimo bodies all the way up the stairs. Happily, The Mission have been slogging away ever since. Granted there have been several personnel changes since they sprang fully formed from the ashes of The Sisters Of Mercy, and Wayne Hussey is the only surviving original member. However, the newly released album ‘God Is A Bullet’ is being hailed by many as a return to form, and the current tour is pulling in the punters, from the old faithful fans to curious emo kids. In fact, this particular gig has had to be upgraded from the smaller Academy 3. The Mission are striding back into town, like bigger boys, here to show The Horrors and other young whippersnappers of their ilk just how it should be done.

It’s not a sell out, but the room is pretty full and the atmosphere is one of cheerful expectation. The band stroll onto the stage and open with ‘Hdshrinkerea’ with its classic Mission sound, all swirly intro into dramatic driving beats and archetypal grandiose Hussey vocals. It’s swiftly followed though by the familiar sound of ‘Hands Across The Ocean’, which has everyone in full voice. There are plenty of tracks on show from the new album, with perhaps ‘Blush’ and ‘Draped In Red’ as stand-out tunes, and they are all quite happily received. There are, no doubt, some Mission classics of the future among them. The older material is greeted rapturously with arms raised aloft, showers of paper confetti and some enthusiastic moshing about to the strains of ‘Severina’ and ‘Naked And Savage’. Hussey swigs from a bottle of wine and admits that he’s feeling nervous, although he has no need to be. Despite some slightly dodgy sound, he has a crowd hanging on every note that he and his fellow band members produce.

Between the main set and the encores, though, the stage backdrape of the new album cover is removed to reveal the familiar old logo, and there’s a buzz of anticipation that we’ll be getting down to business now. The three encores do not disappoint, as ‘Serpent’s Kiss’ and ‘Wasteland’ bracket the latest single ‘Keep It In The Family’. Hussey finally appears with a Manc-baiting Liverpool FC scarf held aloft, and climaxes with an epic ‘Tower Of Strength’, complete with wailing Eastern backing vocals. At the climax he professes his affection for the city of Manchester. As the lights come up and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ drifts mockingly from the PA, there’s a slight air of disbelief that they aren’t going to return one more time, but we spill out and down the stairs, hot, sweaty, happy, and feeling some twenty-one years younger.

The Young Knives

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by Jo

Norwich Waterfront 1.4.07

The strange threesome attack Norwich for the first time – and love our Morrisons! Hurrah!

This was something I’d been waiting for, circling and approaching with caution. You never know, do you, with some bands? I’d gone to the trouble of ebay for tickets, so the will and flesh were strong.

Blood Red Shoes were pretty good, I thought. I might go catch them again when they come back in June. Still got that female vocalist shouting vibe going. Aagghh. However, worthy of more attention than I gave last night, thanks to tiredness and a dodgy tummy.

The Young Knives. Check shirts, tank top, green tie – nice tidy dapper boys. Blimey, they rock. Starting with ‘Postcard’ they ripped their way through a bevy of tunes, some from the new album, with aplomb. Jumping round stage with the agility and energy of skaterbois half their age. It was packed in here, hot (but not quite as sticky as last time thank the lord) and good natured. Gentle banter and fine lyrics kept me well amused when my feet weren’t tapping.
Another Hollow Line, Weekends and Bleak Days and She’s Attracted To took the biscuit, and indeed the latter would have stolen the show for me if it weren’t for the final number MY Decision. My Sunday night ended happily with fine music in my ears all the way home.

Remember, I am the Prince of Wales, and you won’t go far wrong.

The Likeness

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by Laura

The Likeness are 4 men from my home county of leafy Cheshire. Simon Hall (Who is a hypnotherapist in his other life and goes by the moniker ‘Psy’) plays Justin, Chris Connolley is Dan (and has a guitar uncannily similar to the one JH claims ‘some cunt stole’ by the way……), Bryn Bardsley is Frankie (the group prefer the first Darkness album and base their shows and appearance around The Darkness of that era. Plus maybe Bryn doesn’t want to shave his head). Jamie Muncaster takes Ed’s place behind the drum kit.
Shamefully I had never even heard of the group until around Christmas 2006 when I came upon their website while googling something Darkness related that I can’t recall now. (Need to get on myspace guys!) With The Darkness themselves in a bad way as it were, The Likeness seemed to have followed suit and didn’t gig for about 6 months before, out of the blue, announcing a gig in a Macclesfield pub for 30th March this year. Jumping at the chance to turn back time, see my favourite songs performed live, celebrate handing in my last EVER university essay or at the very least have a good laugh, I decided to go. It wasn’t all plain sailing from there however. The first problem was to find someone to go with me. You would not believe how many people told me ‘I wasn’t into The Darkness so I definitely wouldn’t go to a tribute band to The Darkness.’ How rude! Finally I found a friend (with a car to drive the hour or so to Macc) and we were off. Well nearly. For rock star impersonators, even for pub rockers, The Likeness proved rather elusive and seemed to want to make attending their gigs more difficult than necessary. They didn’t post the times of their appearances on their websites nor any details such as whether it was paying entry. Nor did they reply to emails to their site or send out any information to the mailing list members as claimed. Eventually a telephone call to the pub landlord revealed that the band would be playing from ‘about 9/9:30’ and there was no entry fee.
In reality Dave and I arrived just after 9 (after walking straight past the pub and about half a mile in the wrong direction) and sat for an hour or more listening to strange bangings, laughter and microphone feedback from behind a huge white sheet that was stretched across half of the cleared pool hall area of The Old Millstone, ‘The Likeness’ projected onto it in the style of The Darkness’ name logo. Through the sheet we watched the band, in silhouette form, tune up their instruments, drink and get changed. Frequently one or other of them would come out from ‘backstage’ and stand around talking with significant others drinking and mumbling about the amps and the bass-line, how it wasn’t coming right and how Psy wouldn’t stick to the set list. Then came the ominous words from behind the sheet ‘Ok everyone we’re going to do a sound-check. Don’t worry- we always fuck it up.’ Laughter from the assembling audience, which consisted of already very drunk boys in their late teens – early 20s, a few older middle aged couples and a couple of die hard Darkness fans (I include myself here) wearing obnoxiously bright t shirts that proclaimed their love for said band and silently challenging The Likeness to live up to their music. I must admit that I half had it in mind to try and make The Likeness slightly uncomfortable by requesting something more obscure from the early days of The Darkness such as Hell’s Gazelle or a personal favourite, Dune Patrol. Maybe even a British Whale cover? But the band got in there first and immediately won my respect when their sound-check track, blasted out at stadium rock sound levels in the little pub, proved to be British Whale’s version of This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us. Well half of it anyway. As Psy’s glass shattering falsetto screamed through the highest notes like a banshee, I felt the proverbial shiver down my spine. This man can really sing. He may not be Justin Hawkins himself but he’s sure as hell the next best thing.
After a little more clattering around The Likeness came to the conclusion that they were ready. The lights went down and the audience stood up. As Bareback began to blare through the room, a dry ice machine began to spew out clouds and clouds of smoke and the white sheet finally came slowly down and was bundled away by the band’s ‘crew’ of wives/girlfriends. Looming out of the mist and ripping the hell out of their instruments, full of attitude and audacity, The Likeness made a stunning first impression.
Psy on a white Gibson Les Paul (what else?!) with long hair flowing free and outrageously terrible trousers was topless to display the Justin-esque flame tattoo adorning his lower midriff. Chris was going hell for leather on his own Les Paul wearing the tightest of tight trousers, obligatory Thin Lizzy t shirt and wristbands with his hair flying around his face in classic Dan Hawkins head banging head banging tradition. Bryn appeared, legs splayed and head swathed in bizarre but outstandingly accurate headscarves to make him appear scarily Frankie-ish. Behind Psy was Jamie, battering away at the skins of his ‘Likeness’ emblazoned drum kit, looking for all the world like Ed Graham at his most serious.
After this stunning entry The Likeness never looked back and steamed through an hour long set of Darkness tunes with barely a foot wrong. There were a few tiny lyrical discrepancies that only the most nitpicking purist would point out. (‘We’re not the same as we used to be’ in Love On The Rocks….. and a stumble over the exact positions of the extracurricluar activities in Friday Night. I think the infamous ‘need a wank on Thursday’ may have featured as well but I cannot be sure….)
The band had obviously done their homework and set was a faithful reproduction of a vintage Darkness gig with Psy strutting around harassing the audience, kicking Jamie’s cymbals, hugging the pillars, sprawling on tables and asking for a choice between the clean and dirty versions of Get Your Hands Off My Woman. They even included a gloriously extended version of Love On The Rocks With No Ice, complete with arm swaying, audience sing backs and a seamless meander into Queen’s We Will Rock You and back out again.
The Likeness’ bias was made apparent early on when Psy declared ‘One Way Ticket. That was point I realised That The Darkness, and we, could go no further. Let’s return to the first album and more familiar territory!’ The whole performance was punctuated with other such cheeky, good natured jibes from the front man – ‘I always used to say this is what the Darkness will look like in 10 years’ time. And this is where they’ll be playing too. I didn’t know how right I would be!’ And when Bryn retaliated to his comment that ‘ Frankie’s put on weight hasn’t he?!’ Psy retorted ‘Hey if you saw Justin at the start of the last tour I’m bloody sylphlike!’
After brilliant and faithful performances of such songs as Givin’ Up, Is It Just Me? and Love Is Only A Feeling, The Likeness crescendo-ed with I Believe In A Thing Called Love then finished with a spectacular rendition of the Darkness’ cover of the Radiohead song Street Spirit (Fade Out).
The only shame was that Psy didn’t dust off one of the catsuits that are apparently languishing in his attic. He explained as his band mates launched into the long version intro to Stuck In A Rut ‘At this point I would usually do a costume change but there’s nowhere to get changed here without showing you everything and trust me you don’t want to see that! So these guys are just going to play you a tune while I have a drink.’
After the last Darkness song the band retired for a drink and set list discussion while a dazed and grinning audience flocked as one to the bar. But the evening was far from over. After 15 minutes or so The Likeness were back on ‘stage’ looking less Darkness-like (Psy had put on a vest and Bryn had gone through a dramatic de-Frankie-fication by removing his facial hair and headscarves and changing his shirt). Declaring that they could no longer get away with 2 and half hours of The Darkness the band launched into 90minutes of sing-and-dance-along songs from the likes of Hendrix, Bowie, The Cult, Tenacious D and even Wheatus and Orson (‘The only new song we’ve learnt this year’ according to Psy).
The pool hall turned into a dance floor and whenever he was free of guitar playing Psy capered about amongst us with his microphone, dancing with whoever was closest to him and thrusting the mic at whoever took his fancy at opportune moments. (Incidently, guess who was singled out to sing the female part in Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag?!)
It was after 1am when The Likeness finally reverted to type and rounded off almost 3 hours of high quality entertainment with (of course) I Believe In A Thing Called Love. The ‘dance floor’ was suddenly filled with screaming air guitarists and the night definitely ended on a high note. (Pun intended sorry, couldn’t resist).
There are certainly those (The Likeness themselves included) who wonder how much demand there will be these days and in the not too distant future, for a tribute act to a band dismissed by many in their hey day as ‘novelty.’ A band who no longer even exist and whose popularity is apparently fast waning. But as far as I’m concerned there will always be a place for Darkness tributes if they are as much fun and as true to life as The Likeness. If they feel the need to add in some songs by other acts in order to retain their popularity and pull larger audiences that’s fine by me. And to be honest if you pay to see a band you might get an hour long set; ninety minutes tops. Getting nearly 3 hours of your favourite songs that you will never be able to hear live any other way, for free, has got to be worth another look. They’re playing next Sunday. I intend to go again…

(We did do a review of The Likeness back in the paper copy days – nice to see them back in OI. Jo)

Travis with Brinkman

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by Jill

Warrington Parr Hall, 22nd March 2007

“I’m sorry that you turned to driftwood

But you’ve been drifting for a long, long time”

What a lot of top gigs we’re suddenly getting in Warrington! Damon Albarn’s latest project, Arctic Monkeys, Editors in a few weeks, and tonight seminal Britpop giants Travis. It’s been a bit quiet from them lately, but with a tour to mark the impending release of their first album proper in four years, they’re back among us and looking good.

First though are rising London threepiece Brinkman. It’s hard to miss them as the roads to the venue are paved with publicity for their new single ‘I Wish’. They make an understated entrance to say the least, strolling onto stage in such a modest and nonchalant fashion that the houselights don’t go down until halfway through the first number. Powerful drumming coupled with tuneful guitar musings and witty lyrics serve to grab the audience attention and hold it. Their melodic harmonies are reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub, with ‘Pillow’ perhaps the most Bandwagonesque-esque. Elsewhere they hint of the Byrds and Squeeze, and they engage with the crowd between tracks, particularly telling the tale of ‘Carol Simpson’. I like a band who takes time to have a chat with us! ‘I Wish’ is received with some affection, showing that the band are already gathering themselves quite a following. Certainly worth checking out, which you can do here.

Huge cheers greet Travis as they join us, like returning heroes. They begin straight away with ‘Eyes Wide Open’, a number from the forthcoming album ‘The Boy with No Name’. It’s old-school Travis, melodic, crafted, both throwaway pop and anthemic singalong at the same time. The set is a satisfying mix of old and new material; new single ‘Closer’ and tracks like ‘Selfish Jean’ rubbing shoulders with the older, established classics like ‘Writing To Reach You’ and ‘Driftwood’. Fran Healy’s voice is sweetly powerful, sweeping effortlessly beween joyful and melancholic. Musically they are as close as ever, Dougie Payne and Neil Primrose providing a solid backline as Andy Dunlop indulges in rock god postures and power chords, falling to his knees, scrambling up to the balcony, rolling around on the floor, while still giving us those harmonious Travis breaks at the same time. A familiar chiming of bells heralds ‘Sing’ and the audience respond with a single united voice:

“For the love you bring won’t mean a thing
Unless you sing, sing, sing, sing”

The new album includes some intensely personal moments, named as it is after Healy’s new son (the boy now has a name, you will be glad to hear) and you get the impression that he is proudly introducing them to the world like new offspring: the celebratory ‘My Eyes’ is dedicated to the baby. The new material fits so easily within the back catalogue that ironically it is one of the older songs, ‘Good Feeling’, that sits least comfortably in this set. Healy gives us the pleasure of his harmonica playing during the Payne-penned track ‘Closer’ and actively encourages the crowd singalongs for the old Britpop anthems, hankering perhaps for those good old when they ruled the stadia and festival fields.

Healy returns to the stage alone for a sincere rendition of ‘Flowers In The Window’, before the rest of the band return to wind up with “Turn” and “Why Does It Always Rain On Me”. They leave the stage in triumph, aware now that they have a killer new album in the pipeline, and that the affection for them is still there.

Towers Of London at Bristol Academy 2

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by guest writer, Sez

Towers Of London, eh? A lot of mixed reactions are often received when mentioning the Towers – often such comments as if they are a joke. Let’s face it, they haven’t got the brightest of reputations.

Arriving at the Carling Academy in Bristol, it wasn’t to long before THE Rev of TOL made an appearance, strutting out of the venue with a blonde on each arm. He made a couple of trips around the block…. Each time passing the now growing queue, receiving the odd whistle and shout – there is something weird but funny about GUYS screaming out “rev, I want your babies!”.
So, Eventually entering the venue, once in this small room the wait was an hour…. seemed to go on forever.

First support arrives on stage, local Bristol band called ‘Bare Knuckles’- hearing influences of Ash maybe, but heavier. Playing for a good half an hour or so, cheers were often received and no bottles thrown. Not bad.

And so waiting for the second support, the sounds of Wednesday 13 was keeping the crowd entertained and a smile on my face…. The waiting continues.
A rather amusing set of people starts to appear on stage. A tall-ish skinny guy with a black glittery cardigan, a silly hat, and big blue glasses – accompanied by a dreadlock headed lead guitarist, a small lady with sunglasses and bear ears on her head and other band members. They start playing- the sound is very reggae-rock, perhaps a bit ska. This then carries on into a very Gogol Bordello sound and look. I didn’t catch their name.

Here it goes… myself and my mate get crushed as the crowd push and move forward, side to side and back, whilst the singer of this band jumps into the tide. Mind your glasses mate! He gets mauled and then dragged out by security.
And so the waiting game starts again. We decide to move further to the side, as obviously, the crowd antics are only going to get worse. The waiting music is appalling, and often chants of ‘towers, towers’ arrive, but are sadly short lived… were the towers ever going to appear?
At last, the glorious sound of an air raid siren…I’m A Rat!

Unfortunately we get totally crushed, and we have to manoeuvre ourselves to the back. Within the first two minutes of bursting onto the stage, Donny jumps into the crowd. He is strangely adored.

Each song played, was played well – and everyone was loving it. A couple of new songs appeared in the middle of the set, they are great- yet more sing along anthems for the future. Each sound from the band is great- considering what people may think. Guitar solos to blow your socks off and punk-rock anthems, what more could I ask for? Donny enters the crowd a second time- this time he gets swallowed up, and re-emerges what seemed like quite a time after he disappeared…. Security sweep in. As Donny is pulled out from the crowd, he is now vest-less, and very hyper… security struggle with him to stop him from entering the crowd again!

Their set seemed short… everyone was sad to see them go offstage, and no chance of an encore.
And so the slow struggle to leave the venue starts…. Whatever you may think of this band, their live performance is not to be mocked. Fans of TOL will love, and have loved seeing them. Although it is a shame that they are not playing the little bit bigger venue!
That was rocking indeed!

The Fratellis at The Carling Academy, Birmingham

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by Lucie

Oh, the anticipation! The rapture! The promise of sweet sweet rock! It was one of those gigs where I wanted to rewind and start it all over again as soon as it was over. Minus the support band, who were wank stains in trackies, and I simply stared indifferently at for a full half-hour.

An awesome-o gig was just what we (myself and my EMOtional gig buddy Leah) needed after a blustery day in sunny Birmingham, and adorned with feathers and sparkles we entered into the realm of Scotland’s finest. We were treated to a slide show of various famous images with the words “‘Mon The Fratellis!” photoshopped in to distract from hairy roadie arses (my favourite being the yellow ‘Baby Fratelli On Board’) sign, and we had to wait a mere thirty minutes before the glorious ‘Henrietta’ shagged our ears senseless. Perhaps a teensy bit of the effect was lost on Leah and I, who spent most of the song trying to find a spot away from the manic moshers thrashing in the middle, but once in a position where we should shake our finest bits, we let go and had, simply, THE most fabulous time! ‘Chelsea Dagger’ rocked the middle of the set big time, and our boas (which were bought exclusively for us to strut around in showgirl Dagger style) got a severe workout. We’re still washing pink feathers our of our hair.

The acoustic version of ‘For The Girls’, previously my least favourite Fratellis song, was a massive highlight, as little Jon Fratelli gave his bandmates a rest and took the limelight. It was a real lighter-in-the-air moment – “Lucie was there as well…”

We all went insane for ‘Baby Fratelli’, screaming along with “she was sucking fingers aaaaaaaaalll niiiiiiiight”, in grand Fratling/Fratelling/Frat-fan style. We were a fucking ace audience, if I do say so myself. If Jon congratulated us, I couldn’t understand, but I like to think he did. He did appreciate the two totally different shoes that were thrown onstage, if I remember correctly…

The band even showcased a couple of new tracks, which were more of the same and even better, excelling themselves again and again. Those buggers just can’t help being awesome! I’d been waiting for ‘Cuntry Boys and City Girls’ for about 45 minutes before they satisfied my craving, and I nearly lost my trousers and an eye from frantic jumping. But then, gigs were invented for dancing like a mentalist and nearly being blinded by your own breasts.

An incredible climax to the show was the fantastic threesome’s version of Goldfrapp’s ‘Ooh Laa Laa’, which gave me groinshock. TOO sexuous to even describe, too gorgeous an experience. Better than the original, but don’t tell Alison.

I truly would recommend seeing The Fratellis live, even if you don’t know their music. They’re so incredibly fun to listen to, as well as Jon’s side-to-side head bobbing being just quite cute. And he has such a lot of hair, which is worth it in itself. Every single song was just superb; the album alone gives me chills, so you can imagine the anatomical reactions that occurred hearing the whole thing live.
I pretty much wet myself.

“Of all the shitty little places I meet you, it’s here, and now I’m freaking out…”

www.myspace.com/littlebabyfratelli

www.thefratellis.com

James Morrison – Manchester Apollo

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by Jill

It’s a very couply crowd at the Apollo tonight, packed to the gills with gangs of girls dragging less enthusiastic-looking male partners. The age range is huge; I spot families with young children rubbing shoulders with the older members of the Cheshire set on their way up to the balcony seats, indicating the universal admiration that this soulful singer-songwriter has attracted since bursting onto the scene last year. Since the release of ‘Undiscovered’ in July 2006, Morrison has been riding the crest of a steadily growing wave of approval and recognition; the album is still high in the charts and scooping awards and acolades for its creator.

The band precede Morrison onto the stage, and his arrival is greeted with appreciative roars which drown out the first few bars of album-opener ‘Under The Influence’, followed immediately by ‘Undiscovered’. All of the familiar James Morrison elements are there: his fusion of jazz, blues and rock, the practised musicianship, the raw, gravelly voice, the honest lyrics hinting at a troubled upbringing – but tonight something seems to be slightly adrift.

Morrison has worked a punishing schedule over the last few months, no doubt pushed by a record company hungry to capitalise on his meteoric success, and it is apparent that the workload is starting to take its toll. I’ve seen him perform twice in Manchester since August, and a friend has seen him three times. I get the feeling that being on that endless touring merry-go-round, returning to the same cities again and again must have lost its novelty by now. When I last saw him, at the considerably more compact Manchester Academy 2, the singer seemed brighter and more relaxed, bantering and indeed flirting with the audience between every song and really enjoying the gig. Tonight, although he does chat to the crowd and assure us that we are a great, rowdy crowd, and makes fun of the male members, it does seem a lot more strained. Added to this is the fact that the sound levels appear to be poor and the audience chatter is clearly audible throughout.

It is by no means a bad gig – far from it. The band are perfect, and Morrison’s voice is flawless. Drawing comparisons with Otis Redding, Ray Charles and his namesake Van Morrison, he does, in fact, sound unique, showing that it has been unfair to lump him together on the current male solo singer scene with the likes of Damien Rice, Richard Hawley, Paolo Nutini and, inevitably, James Blunt. With only an album of songs to work from, he is hard pressed to stretch out his set beyond an hour, but the favourites and crowd-pleasers are there: after a singalong ‘You Give Me Something’, Morrison loses his guitar for a soul-yearning version of ‘The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore’, followed by equally refreshing renditions of, among others ‘The Letter’, ‘This Boy’and an outstanding ‘One Last Chance’. Throughout, girls’ voices call out encouragement, and Morrison now takes it in his stride – only a few months ago he seemed happily and endearingly bemused by all of the female attention. As the girl behind me demands that he take his shirt off, he winds up the set with a rousing ‘Wonderful World’.

Returning to the stage with only his keyboard player, Morrison remarks that he had forgotten how big the Apollo was. Maybe the muted atmosphere was due to him being slightly overwhelmed? But any doubts on the integrity of his performance are shelved by the subsequent rendition of ‘Last Goodbye’, his powerful voice enhanced by the solo piano, the atmosphere further charged by the glittering reflections from a pair of mirror balls. I would have been wholly swallowed up – were it not for the poor sound levels! I can hear people talking throughout this song, and lots of them. It actually makes me feel angry that fellow audience members could be so rude! Finally Morrison concededs to the multiple audience demands for ‘Call The Police’, then then he is gone, hopefully for a well-earned rest. All I can hope is that, now he has proved himself to be a talent worthy of recognition and has worked hard to put his music into the homes and hearts of a broad section of the population, that the record company ease back on him and give him time to develop his unique style to its next natural level.

CSS – Norwich Waterfront

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by Jo

CSS – Cansei der Ser Sexy

Bit chilly out last Monday night, but we popped along anyway to see CSS at the behest of Mr 2. MONDAY???? first day of the week and I’m out? blimey. Big crowd.. I’ve not seen such a silly collection of haircuts and clothes sense since the 80’s. Oh to be young.
First up we had Crystal Clear (i think. can’t find me flyer)Now, I do like a girl based band and we had two tonight. What I don’t like is girl vocalists who shout instead of singing. There’s no need! And that ballsy in your face angstvoice has been done so often. Tell you what, though, they made a bloody good noise. I didn’t dislike them at all.

CSS, fresh from Brazil and taking over the planet, bounce on, and they’ve got everyone jumping. SO much energy, punk disco singalongs exciting and pleasuring their fervent adherents beautifully. Crowdpleasers abound. This was a sweaty, dancy, moshy and friendly gig. As it should be. ‘Off the Hook’ and ‘Let’s Make Love’ made glorious appearances. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing this lot again!

But.. please.. SING if you’re a vocalist. Don’t shout, and don’t SPEAK your lyrics. It may be just a personal thing that… judge for yourself.

www.myspace.com/canseidersersexy

Arctic Monkeys, Warrington Parr Hall

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by Jill

28/02/07

Looking Good On The Dancefloor

“This town’s a different town today

This town’s a different town to what it was last night”

The long cold queue of the night before seems a long time ago in the warm crush this evening of the Parr Hall bar. With showers, food and a few hours sleep under our belts we are champing at the bit in anticipation of the climax of this escapade, one that started the previous day at noon when this secret gig was officially announced. The rumours that the Arctic Monkeys were coming to Warrington had been bouncing about for about a week, so the reality of actually being at the gig has ensured a sort of giddy euphoria amongst the crowd.

First up are the hotly-tipped Liverpool band The Little Flames. Firmly standing in the 80’s post-punk camp, they work at a high velocity, with evocative female vocals over stabbing guitar riffs and galloping drums. This appearance should win them over some new fans in good time for the release of their new single ‘Isobella’ and their debut album.

The crowd buzzes with excitement during the interval between bands, with people jostling for position and chanting. There’s a huge surge forwards as the Arctic Monkeys finally stride onto the small stage, and without ceremony they introduce us to a handful of numbers from the new album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’. These are received enthusiastically and are not a million miles away from the existing back catalogue, much to the relief of anyone who suspected a major change of musical direction. There is much joyful dancing and bouncing around at the front, but the place truly erupts with the choppy opening bars of ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’. It’s like the reunion of long-lost friends. Feet literally don’t touch the ground.

Alex Turner and the band don’t say much, other to greet us briefly and to introduce numbers, but they seem to be enjoying themselves as much as us. Every note, every riff is spot on. The Monkeys have given themselves a hard act to follow with their first album still receiving kudos. But it seems from the evidence here tonight they will deliver the follow-up everyone expects, seemingly effortlessly. The clever wordmanship and the artful, danceable licks are very much evident.

Any air of aggression, so often apparent in such a vigorous crowd is thankfully absent, perhaps due to the sense that we are all on a great big adventure together. The band play a mixure of classics and newer material: ‘Still Take You Home’, ‘When The Sun Goes Down, and ‘Leave Before The Lights Come On’ alongside new single ‘Brianstorm’, and it all triggers a jubilant audience reaction. Crowdsurfers roll regularly over our heads; in fact members of the local rugby league team are seen launching potential surfers skywards.

“I’ve had a nice time. A very nice time indeed” Turner confesses before introducing the final number ‘A Certain Romance’. And as the lights do indeed come on, we look at each other, and everyone is hot, sticky and sweaty, yet grinning, incredulous that it all actually happened. Yes, Alex, we had a very nice time too.

Nine Inch Nails with Ladytron

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by Jill

Manchester Apollo, 25th Feb 2007

Black As Your Soul

The first thing apparent on walking into the Apollo tonight is the a range of people that this band has attracted. There are old-school goths (*ahem*) and the multi-pierced long term, hardcore fans, through to indie teens and the odd achingly cool poseur. I pity the poor studenty neophyte standing behind me, whose friends have managed to convince her that a roadie’s torch, gripped in the mouth, is actually an oral implant that they have when they start the job. Boy, is she in for a surprise tonight!

I’m determined not to miss the support act, Ladytron, but by the time I am ensconced in the crowd clutching my frothy Carling, they are already one song into their half hour set. The Liverpool-based band do not disappoint. Their electronica vs. guitar-rock soundclash is clearly heavily influenced by 70s and 80s Krautrock, and their darkened set complete with a flickering black and white cine film behind the band completes the ambience. They draw heavily from their defining album ‘Witching Hour’, with a set that includes ‘Soft Power’, ‘Fighting In Built Up Areas’ and culminating with a driving ‘Destroy Everything you Touch’.

“You only have to look behind you

At who’s undermined you

Destroy everything you touch today

Destroy me this way”

It’s about 45 minutes before Nine Inch Nails take to the stage, and as the crew work, the arena is pumped with smoke to the extent that visibility is obscured to all but the first couple of rows. There are glimpses of a stripped-down minimalist set. ‘Like a cheap sci-fi set’ someone close to me says. Personally, I think it’s more reminiscent of a slaughterhouse, with low hung pendulum lamps that swing casting eerie Texas Chainsaw-type shadows below. Reznor and fellow band members eventually power onto the stage to raptuous roars, and the crowd of the pit surges forward to the high-turbo thrash of ‘Mr.Self Destruct’. It’s a full-on industrial rush for the first few numbers, including ‘Sin’, ‘Terrible Lie’ and ‘March Of The Pigs’ I am trapped in the crowd, I can’t move my arms, I’m soaked by flying drinks and almost crushed by a flying guitarist, but it’s wonderful. It isn’t until a haunting ‘Something I Can Never Have’ that there is a pause to catch breath. The respite is only brief though, as Reznor leads us all down the path of aggression and dark self-doubt that is ‘Closer’, and the venue resounds with the roared back lyrics:

“My whole existence is flawed

You get me closer to god”

There’s the sense that everyone is satisfied, that this gig has lived up to everyone’s expectations and that Reznor can do no wrong. With the band on the eve of the release of their latest album, ‘Year Zero’, it would have been very easy for them to indulge the opportunity to showcase their new material, but instead the set is heavily weighted towards the back catalogue, with ‘Ruiner’, ‘Only’ and ‘Hand That Feeds’ all making an appearance. Reznor takes to the stage with only a keyboard for a spiritual rendition of ‘Hurt’. The set climaxes with a ferocious ‘Head Like a Hole’; Reznor launches his guitar skywards, and then they are gone. There is no encore. I move away with the rest of the crowd – I’m drenched with beer and water, battered and bruised and I’ve a sneaking suspicion that the bloke behind me mistook the back of my leg for a urinal. It doesn’t matter. It’s only the end of February and I already feel like I’ve experienced my gig of the year. Other bands beware, you have a long way to go to top that live experience.

The Wildhearts –

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‘Christmas Vs The Wildhearts’ – Wulfrun Hall – Wolverhampton – 21 December 2006

This might be brief because I’m writing it two weeks after the show and am – almost unbelievably – still feeling the after-effects of too much festive cheer lately. Some might say this brevity is a good thing because my Wildhearts reviews are probably becoming quite tedious for all concerned by now.

A combination of dense fog, Wolverhampton ’s barmy one-way system and the box office being located in a pub instead of inside the Hall itself meant that I missed a good chunk of the God Damn Whores, one of the support acts for the night. From what I did manage to see, Jon Poole and chums played a typically punky, rocky, bonkers set with all tracks taken from their recent album, ‘We Are The Lucky Thirteen’. (There are rumours that The Loyalties opened up proceedings but as I was probably on my fifth lap of the ring-road at that time I’m unable to confirm this)

Next up were Beat Union who reminded me of a cross between The Clash and The Jam which was a shame because I’ve never been a huge fan of either. Very ska, a bit punky, a bit of reggae……and possibly a bit of a strange choice to support The Wildhearts. They didn’t really rock my boat but, to be fair, they did put on a good show with lots of energy, enthusiasm and volume.

By now the Wulfrun was pretty much packed. It was nice to see that even after all these years The Wildhearts can still prove to be a popular draw, even if it was for a one-off Christmas special.

The start of the show was fantastic with 5 mostly golden-oldies; TV Tan, Caffeine Bomb, Vanilla Radio, Sick Of Drugs, and Nita Nitro. This was what I’d come to hear so I was absolutely loving it. New bassist, Scott Sorry, while looking a good 10 years’ younger than the rest of the band seemed to fit right in and played a blinder. Ritch Battersby on drums was being as tight and powerful as ever (having said that though, I do prefer a more raw, looser style for The Wildhearts, such as provided by Stidi). And Ginger and CJ just did what they always do, i.e. go a bit mental and pose respectively.

However, the next few songs – Everlone, Greetings From Shitsville, OCD – seemed to take some of the momentum out of the gig, possibly because they’re long numbers. It was at this point that I started looking around the stage (just a dull skyscraper scene for a backdrop, been used before I believe) and hoping for something else to excite me which was unusual. Maybe the pyrotechnics at Scarborough Castle had spoilt me and raised my expectations too high.

Either way, it was a relief when the opening bars of ‘My Baby Is A HeadF*ck’ were struck up, swiftly followed by the thrashy ‘Suckerpunch’. Back on track once again. To conclude the main set ‘Caprice’ was chugged out before Ginger and co left the stage promising to see us in a minute.

The encore began with Ginger on guitar accompanying the crowd who had started singing the old favourite, ‘Don’t Worry About Me’. This naturally segued into ‘Geordie In Wonderland’, again with Ginger leaving most of the vocals to the punters. The next number was a first, as far as I’m aware; ‘29x The Pain’ with Ginger still on guitar on his own but leaving the crowd to do the singing. It’s always nice to see the boys do something different but I don’t think playing one of their best, if not their best, song in this way was a creative turn worth making. Played properly with the full band this can be a show-stopper, make no mistake.

A new song (taken from their forthcoming album – woo-hoo!) followed which sounded as good as all of the rest before proceedings were closed off in flamboyant style with ‘Love U Til I Don’t’ and ‘I Wanna Go…’.

For me it was a great gig, slightly let down by a few songs halfway through. Regardless of this I’d still recommend that anyone with an ounce of musical taste in their body goes to see The Wildhearts or Ginger solo……but you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?

Set-list;

Tv Tan, Caffeine Bomb, Vanilla Radio, Sick Of Drugs, Nita Nitro, Everlone, Greetings From Shitsville, Ocd, My Baby Is A Headf*Ck, Suckerpunch, Caprice, [Break], Don’t Worry Bout Me (With Audience Participation), Geordie In Wonderland (With Audience Participation), 29x The Pain (With Audience Participation), New Song, Love U Til I Don’t, I Wanna Go Where The People Go

Jimbob

© www.livemusicreview.co.uk

The Levellers

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Victoria Hall – Hanley – Stoke on Trent – 09 December 2006

I missed the 3 Daft Monkeys. Again. I have got to start making an effort to get to the venue in time for the warm up act, as by all reports the 3 Daft Monkeys put on a storming set, which reportedly got the crowd rocking and ready for the Levellers.

I did in fact hear the end of the 3DM’s set and it sounded good, but I was too intent on buying my pint from the “bar with the overstretched bar staff”.

Victoria Hall looks new from the outside and the entrance area is very plush. However, once you get into the main hall it is like an old theatre, but with the stalls removed to leave a large standing area, plus seating on the upper two tiers.

Last time I was at this venue I could have walked in without a ticket, the security was so lax, but this time it was a lot more strict and I had to dig around for my ticket while desperately trying not to spill my pint.

After a short wait the lights went down, the intro began and the huge backdrop was lit up by the rotating spotlights. The band appeared, the crowd erupted and we were launched into “100 Years Of Solitude”.

Mark seemed to be quite angry during the first three or four songs and really punched out his vocals quite aggressively and the whole band seemed to be on fire. Perhaps it was because it was the penultimate night of the tour and Christmas is coming, but it could easily have been because they’d all spent the afternoon in the pub. I suspect the latter as later on in the set Mark pointed at someone in the crowd and said “I recognise you sir, from the Albion”, a pub just around the corner from the venue.

My trusty setlist recorder (camera) had rather selfishly broken down earlier in the day (so you will be spared any photo’s), so I don’t know the full setlist, but up next came “15 Years”, an excellent version of “Last Man Alive” and “The Road”, before “61 Minutes Of Pleading” slowed it down.

The crowd had quietened down a lot by the time the next song was played. This was a new song (“Inevitable”, I have since found out) which seemed OK, but didn’t exactly thrill me. However, it normally takes me a few listens to get to like anything and at least it shows that the Levellers are in the process of lovingly crafting a new album together.

“What A Beautiful Day” followed a track which is a crowd favourite and sure enough we were bouncing around again almost immediately.

I often get asked when I announce that I’ve got a Levellers ticket “Why are you going to see them again?” and the next track answered the question.

As well as each Levellers being a completely different experience to the last, often with a different set-list and each with a different feel, there’s the fact that you never know what’s going to happen next.

What happened next was that it was time for the Simon solo spot and tonight we were treated to a storming version of “Sell Out”. During which Simon started off with one guitar, powered through what sounded very much like a bitten booming, took his guitar off while still singing, now unaccompanied (helped along by a slightly out of time crowd), put a new guitar on and motored through to the end of the song as if nothing had happened. The crowd went wild and justifiable so. The rest of the band reappeared to Simon’s ringing applause and Mark thanked him with the words “That was Simon and his invisible bass guitar”.

I think it was “The Boatman” next, or at least Mark on drums for “Crags Of Sterling” and then “The Boatman”.

A painted face appeared on stage and Stephen Boakes appeared for the didgeridoo warm up to “One Way”. The unexpected happened next in that everything stopped, Boaksey appeared to give Mark a cuddle, Mark jokingly announced that they’d all been on tour for three months and turned gay, while Boaksey gave Jeremy a kiss behind his back and Simon and John protested fervently that they hadn’t.

Good, funny stuff.

“One Way” got the same rapturous crowd reaction that it does every time it’s played, before Simon took over vocal duties again for “Men-An-Tol”.

A slightly over paced, to my ears, “ Hope Street ” followed. This seemed to slow down dramatically after the first verse as if Matt had realised they were going way to fast and slowed it down. It then seemed to be too slow, but it was good to hear it for a change and I enjoyed it, before being blasted into the excellent “Forgotten Ground”.

By the time the first notes of “Liberty Song” were struck even the most reserved people in the audience had been dragged screaming to the dance floor. There were people dancing in the balconies, in the aisles and on the dance floor. I was quite worried at one point by someone doing what appeared to be a one-armed salute, but this just turned out to be the warm up for a full on version of what appeared to be the chicken dance, which everyone around seemed to be much happier with.

Jeremy always seems at his best during “Liberty Song”, thumping his bass and adding his, seemingly random, backing vocals as if his life depended on it. A superb end to the gig and people started to drift towards the exit.

Then the band returned to the stage. I think it was at this point that Mark walked on with his lit cigarette and asked the audience “Is this a non-smoking venue?”. The crowd cheered and the security men looked annoyed. They looked even more annoyed seconds later as Mark threw his lighted cigarette to the eager inhabitants of the mosh pit.

The worlds most moving anti-war song “Another Man’s Cause” followed and charged up the emotion of the crowd for a blistering “Battle Of The Beanfield”, which ended superbly with Simon picking out a load of harmonics from his fret board.

“The Riverflow” finished us off nicely with Jeremy screaming “faster” all the way through.

But then the crowd knew it was going to be the end, the band was applauded off the stage and the fans headed for the exits.

Only to come dashing back in again, as the hardcore had waited, clapped and stamped for “What You Know”.

The Levellers re-appeared for “fiddle time”. John was accompanied by Athena from 3 Daft Monkeys and Mark announced that there were three members of 3DM’s on stage for the encore, one with a tambourine (I think) and one with what seemed to be penny whistle.

For me this was the best track of the night and they went out on a very big high. The “fiddle off” had no clear winner and got to such speeds that you wondered when, not whether, they were going to catch fire. And the penny whistle added that certain something that really made a full on sound. Everyone was enjoying themselves and there was no better way to end the gig.

(Approximate) Setlist;

100 Years Of Solitude, 15 Years, Last Man Alive, The Road, 61 Minutes Of Pleading, Inevitable, What A Beautiful Day, Sell Out (Simon Solo), The Boatman, One Way, Men-An-Tol, Hope Street, Forgotten Ground, Carry Me, The Game, Liberty Song, [Break], Another Man’s Cause, Battle Of The Beanfield, The Riverflow, [Break], What You Know.

courtesy of www.livemusicreview.co.uk

Tindersticks – 17.9.06 Barbican Hall

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by Jo

This was one of the ‘Don’t Look Back’ series organised by ATP, where a variety of artists play a one off gig. The setlist is the track listing of their iconic album. What a genius idea.. tonight, it’s the turn of a favourite in the Strange household. As the band are no longer in existence, we scrambled for tickets and headed off in the knowledge that a rare and beautiful event was about to unfold. The album in question was Tindersticks II… all agog and even shivery in anticipation.

We spent the day happily in Brick Lane and Spitalfields, watching the young and trendy. Sandwiches by the river at the Barbican, then inside to browse the shop, get warm, find the toilets.. and our seats.

This place is amazing. Built in an amphitheatre, with curved rows of seats made of the same golden wood as the floor, and in a seamless piece, it’s a beautiful, cathedric venue. Comfortable, yet clearly designed to focus attention on one place – the altar/stage. We were in the Circle, three rows back and slap bang in the centre for a fantastic view. Seats are fine. Tindersticks aren’t a band to pogo to – sitting back and reflecting, marvelling, is the way to go.

The warm up (‘support’ and ‘act’ aren’t really applicable) was a slightly rotund favourite mad uncle figure playing jazz on an old record cabinet thing that just folded up and got wheeled off at the end, all the instruments set up round him.. he bowed and waved at the end, his departure marked by goodnatured applause.

The arrival of the band caused a frisson –not like you normally get, most of us are of a certain age, you know – but a very excited buzz. There’s a mini orchestra.. cello, viola, violins, mostly. Apart from that they’re a simple band to stage manage. Instruments laid out, an extra guitar or two.. No one moves much anyway, except to swap instruments every now and again. They don’t say much, either. Stuart’s opening line of ‘We all know what’s going to happen now’ is all the banter we get, before the band swing into action. Tight, subtle sound, deceptively simple layers of it creating the mood. Each tambourine shake or tiny note is carefully considered . Stuart’s voice is as dark, slow and deep and treacle, with the sweetness of pain, not joy. There’s little hope in the lyrics, though you may find some in the music. This is not Emo sharing. It’s melancholic sharing of heart and mind. Inner stories, inviting no pity or even actually asking to be heard. The narratives are spellbinding and poignant – lives in microcosm that seem to be spoken even when sung. ‘My Sister’ even with its catalogue of disasters, holds individual events that you can relate to. And ‘She’s Gone’ can easily make me sniffle. The only one that fell flat was ‘Travelling Light’.. to me, it needs that second voice, and it lost some of it’s meaning, without.

This must be the only gig I’ve been to where the encore was longer than the set, and then we had two more encores! It was worth every penny and more. ‘My Sister’ was the last, played again because they weren’t happy with the first rendition. I went home without the usual wild joy and ringing ears of a good gig, but with a deep satisfaction that meant as much, and is less transient.

Tindersticks II

El diablo en el ojo
A Night In
My Sister
Tiny Tears
Snowy in F# minor
Seaweed
Vertrauen II
Talk To Me
No More Affairs
Singing
Travelling Light
Cherry Blossoms
She’s Gone
Mistakes
Vertrauen III
Sleepy Song

Any more than that, I was far too excited to remember, and quite honestly, it really doesn’t matter what, it’s HOW.

Rumours are of a comeback. Which would be lovely, thank you.

www. tindersticks.co.uk

www.myspace.com/tindersticksband (unofficial)

GiginthePark 2006

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by Jo

5th August

I’m there for the Saturday of this weekend extravaganza. Today’s running order..

Sevillian
Raindance
Rowan and the Crops Failed
Rosalita
The Kites
Beamer – (who pulled out)
crushdeluxe
vinyl Wave
Skankt
Urban Voodoo Machine
The Pirates
Suzi Quatro

I got there at about 4.30, which should have been in plenty of time to see crushdeluxe at 5.. someone moved them! I could hear them when I got out of the car and had to make a run for it. Still, didn’t miss too much. Had a good bop to all our old faves in the glorious sunshine.. must remember sunblock before I dance, really. Ow. Now there’s something new.. Ian, topless! Got pictures of that… Storming energetic set as always, much enjoyed. You should really be on later, guys.

There was a bit of a musical interlude on a tiny sidestage.. 3 members of Scott Moods gave a short set before their full one on the Sunday. 1st electric violin of the day.

Vinyl Wave on the main stage.. Folky influence here, with some very nice melodies. I had just noted ‘haunting and melodic’ when it all got lively! They outdid everyone with 2 violins and a cello!

Skankt – the sort of heavy beat and brass section you expect from skankers, with changes of tempo. It wasn’t as fast as some I’ve heard, but they did wake the crowd up again.

Urban Voodoo Machine – Now that’s what I call a festival band. All in black with red shirts, the odd hat, and a fetching leopardskin guitarstrap. Stomping, crowd jumping stuff, putting a grin on faces and grass stains on dancing shoes. More in tune with skank and blues than anything previous. A violin, but also a washboard AND a gong, so they got the prize.. 2 drummers for the main part, joined by another for the last couple of songs. They were standing up giving their all, jumping around, just like everyone else on stage. Cor. Energy for the masses.

After that, it was just a shame that The Pirates let the hi-energy bubble float away. It was in all honesty, just dull, and they would have been better on the Sunday with an older crowd who would have appreciated them more. There was nothing wrong musically, but to be quite honest, I didn’t want to hear a band whose claim to fame was supporting a popstar who died 40 years ago. And milked it on stage. Wrong venue.

Well, only Suzi could drag it back up.. She did, entertaining with flawless ease, bluesy rock and ballsy attitude. You get what you see with Miss Quatro, one feels, and she tells you all about it. Yeah, a wild child, who has grown up, but not out of it. I’m only familiar with ‘Devil Gate Drive’ and ‘Can the Can’ from my youth, but it all seemed to go down pretty well. There was some new stuff from the forthcoming album. Do you know what was missing, though? The ground, shaking from the dancing.

It ended late, and I drove home through foggy bits, and behind someone who thought
it was funny to drive at 35 mph through a 60 limit.

Oh.. next year, can someone make sure that there’s a chip van? Cheers.

The Longcut – Norwich Arts Centre

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by Jo

22.7.06

My god, the hottest night in history, and we’re indoors. The massive stone walls of this former church are not providing a chill, they’re holding the heat in and multiplying it! It’s not too bad for starters, so we get in place for the first support. The Shadow Project, local lads.. I dunno what we were expecting, but certainly not instrumentals for the first two songs! Made us sit up and take note.. they’re certainly tuneful, unlike many bands with a technical bent, and they don’t sit about messing with knobs and switches, either. Energetic and eccentric, ambient in a rock way. Their ‘Voices’ EP is available online, and is selling out. They’re very good, and should go a long way. Hope so.

www.myspace.com/theshadowproject

Mumm-Ra were on next.. managed by the same peeps as the Kaiser Chiefs, apparently. They were coming out of soundcheck when we arrived, and were promptly accosted by an enthusiastic fan. The five from Bexhill-on-Sea met at school, and have been a band ever since they knew what one was. It all sounded pretty good, but I’m really sorry lads. The heat was just too much, and we had to have a breather.. missed some of the set. They were very popular, and no doubt will be back.

www.mumm-ra.com

By now I was drinking water. Can’t stand the stuff, but needs must.

Right, here we go. The Longcut. These boys are emphatically not from Manchester, they met there. They’re not in the ‘Manc sound’ pigeonhole, and don’t want to be labelled as anything, one feels. Everyone in the place is too hot to move, but suffer gladly, especially the band, who bravely entertain. This is deeper, rockier and has a dirtier sound than the other two bands, although the ambient tones complement those of The Shadow Project. if you like Loop, it’s like a harder version of that, and faster. I wondered how Stuart was going to manage drums and singing, but it goes surprisingly well, switching from one to the other with practised ease. Keyboards thrown in as well! It’s pretty loud, good fun, the band are tight, and if it weren’t so hot there’d be an impressive moshpit. You really should see this lot live before they outgrow these venues. They’re getting a shedload of attention.

Hot off the press:

“We have an online EP available on 21st August. The EP includes four tracks, Idiot Check, Vitamin C, Lonesome No More! and The Kiss Off, which were recorded at Airtight studios. Available for the bargain price of £1.50 from iTunes/ Napster or free if you’re on the mailing list.
Our next single is out in Oct, ‘A Tried and Tested Method’. More details about the release dates and b-side details will be sent soon.”

Off you go and have a listen then.

Setlist:

Vitamin C
Late Night Bus
Gravity and Crisis
Transition
Evil Dance
Lonesome No More
Tried and Tested
Quiet Life
Spires

www.thelongcut.com
www.myspace.com/thelongcut

The Basement + The Isles +Sertoli

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by Emma

The Basement – Leeds Cockpit – 16 July 2006

A quiet Sunday evening in Leeds, not many people around. We went to the Cockpit to check out Irish folk rockers The Basement following the release of new (and excellent I might add) album ‘Illicit Hugs and Playground Thugs’.

First onstage were a melodic Sertoli, who were technically good and very entertaining but also rather tranquil. Their songs were well written and the vocals were excellent, but it’s more music to relax to, and the pace almost lulled me into an early Sunday snooze.

I was quickly snapped out of the trance and awoken with a bang by next band The Isles. The local boys put on an awesome show and within seconds of playing had brought in a bigger audience, turned up the volume and completely turned around the mood. The Isles played an impressive set with fiercesome levels of energy, dancing their way through their set with vocalist enchanting the small crowd with cheeky banter and a powerful presence. The songs themselves were upbeat, fun and down to earth and I would encourage anyone to take a listen at www.ilovetheisles.com. I would eat my hat if this band doesn’t make it.

The Basement entered the stage on an awesome vibe thanks to The Isles and they sure as hell weren’t going to let that slip! Playing several songs from ‘Illicit Hugs…’, the Basement played smoothly on and you would have to be half dead to resist dancing along with this band! Their folk rock combination provided a unique and feel-good soundtrack for the rest of the evening, husky vocals gravelly yet soft and soothing. The highlights for me were the gorgeous song ‘When Tomorrow Comes’ and ‘When The Night’s Gone Blue’. The Basement complete with beaming faces and straw hats look like a really happy set of guys, and this does project forward to the audience – I stood with a big smile on my face the whole way through. Music for the soul, no less, and I’m already looking forward to the next time.

You can find more information on the Basement at www.thebasement.co.uk , and I would highly recommend purchasing a copy of ‘Illicit Hugs and Playground Thugs’ as soon as you can.

Emma

White Rose Movement

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by Jo

Norwich Arts Centre 6.7.06

This is a band that I saw supporting The Rakes not so long back.. was impressed then, so the opportunity of seeing them again was greatly welcomed. It was a hot night without being jammed into the admittedly delightful Arts Centre.. we stayed outside for a while. Right, usual spaces at the back, hanging on the rail over and above the sound desk. Mm vodka..

WRM (who have a smashing logo) to my eternal delight, are steeped in 80’s class pop and rock… I recognised Bauhaus and Duran Duran without trying very hard, and it was all music (!) to my nostalgic ears. Most of this audience were waaaay too young for the full impact of memory.. (many thanks for ‘Love like Blood’ before the grand entrance!) There’s an 80’s look too… can I have Taxxi’s top? Please? Nice red completely see-through chiffon shirt worn by Finn. People ought to follow that trend. Ahem. Anyway.. those rock foundations with pop fancy brickwork gave the crowd something very solid to cling to as they jumped and moshed and partied their hearts out. And that was just the crowd on stage.. Finn’s manic, desperate running from wall to wall trying to escape the asylum, and Owen’s rocking to make the asylum more bedlamish.. heavens. I’ve never seen a bassist stand on the drum over the drummer before. Very slashy. My word, we were satisfied.. and hot and sweaty. I didn’t dance, being where I was, so lord knows what the moshpitters were like.. poo smelly.

I think we need lots more of that in our lives.

I don’t think I wore my emergency late night long sleeves at all..

Setlist

Kick
Girls in the Back (ooooo poss my fave)
London’s Mine
Test Card Girl
Idiot Drugs
Deborah Khan
Pig Heil Jam
Love is a Number
Alsatian

www.whiterosemovement.co.uk

debut album ‘Kick’ out.. see website

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.

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..

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

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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!