tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59986076582570886782024-03-05T04:23:30.323+00:00BwooooartunesLive reviews of Metal, Punk, Alt, Rock, Tech, Math, Acoustic and sometimes even jazz. Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-81880263038760276312015-07-19T20:28:00.001+01:002015-07-19T20:48:37.480+01:002000 Maniacs. Live review of 2000 Trees Festival<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2000 Trees<span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The middle of buggering nowhere.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Near Cheltenham. Apparently.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9th-11th July 2015</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because HTML and CSS are, effectively crap (especially on Blogger). I've started putting reviews and stuff into a much neater, nicer Ezine kind of format thru Issuu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a bit skeumorphic, but looks heaps better than a shitty linear blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It works nicely on a destop or laptop and will work on smartphones and tablets, but if that's where you want to look at stuff, then I recommend the Issuu app. It's much neater and you can access all manner of functions, and, of course other mags too. Oh, and it's FREE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to keep this blog open as a kind of portal to the new stuff, but won't really be writing directly on here any more. It's kind of the end of an era and over 400,000 of you saps have ogled my word farts and dribblage over the last 4 or 5 years. So cheers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, here's the link to the 2000 Trees Ezine:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Here are some of the pics. For old time's (skool's) sake. </b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers, Bwoooar.</b><br />
<script async="true" src="//e.issuu.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-69532219060589313992015-06-08T23:14:00.004+01:002015-06-08T23:16:50.390+01:00Slam Drunk - words & pics from Slam Dunk South and more<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Slam Dunk South </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Forum, Hatfield, May 23rd 2015</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pvris, Set It Off, Thy Art Is Murder, Shvpes, We Are The Ocean, Don Broco, Lower Than Atlantis, While She Sleeps, Architects, You Me At Six</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Been a busy month. Many shows. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many bands. Many friends. Many cold frothy glasses of medicine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the next 50 pages or so is a motley collection of iPhone pics from the pit and from the hip. Usually after many cold frothy glasses of medicine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along with the random word farts, hopefully the spirit, energy and joy of live rock music is captured. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, kind of. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dive in...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, to Hatfield. The second leg of what’s becoming one of the UK’s most important festivals. Definitely aimed at the younger end of the market, Slam Dunk has led from the front alongside other one-dayers like Hit The Deck, Takedown and a handful of others, but has grown a bigger beard and bigger set of danglers as it’s matured a little </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quicker than its notional siblings. The strongest line up to date boasts big names from just about every genre in rock pantheon. From pop punk and ska punk to deathcore and pop rock, there’s a leader of every pack here today. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While She Sleeps, Architects, YMAS, Don Broco, Less Than Jake, The Bronx...the list is as exhaustive as it is extensive, with the only problem of the day being who to actually watch and who to painfully forego. So, onwards and upwards...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Set it Off <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicking off on the nightmare opening slot on the main stage are the frothy and teeny Set it Off. An impressively sizeable crowd has already gathered and dutifully loses its collective shit as front man Cody Carson leads the poppy, pleasant enough and creditably performed set of sing-a-long soaked, smile-inducing sass. A bit cheesy and high school-friendly at times but a tasty starter on the packed menu that gets the hungry young ’uns digging in greedily. As a starter, think prawn cocktail. But washed down with a Blue WKD. Burp. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hype around this lot is unrelenting and gathering considerable momentum. So, is all the fuss worth it? Well, if big power pop with an electronica-infused and a smattering of faux-heaviness is your thang, then it’s easy to see why all the column inches and pixelated prose have been spouted and expounded. They’ve certainly got the songs, the hooks and the energy. A feisty and charismatic front woman. And a fairly original sound. There are moments of Issues or AWOL Nation, but generally they’re on a path of their own. Pvs mvl. Vrviment.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">SHVPES <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting things started on the ‘heavy ‘ stage are another band with an oh so cvrrent vse of the letter V. Shvpes (formerly </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cytota) And that’s pretty much all that’s terribly cvrrent. Their tuneful metalcore is far from unlistenable though. Ticks all the boxes. Well played, well put together and enthusiastically performed. A developing bvnd who will surely develop their sound as they continue to cook. Just need a bit longer in the oven. But palatably meaty.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Thy Art is Murder <span style="color: red;">**</span>***</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not really my bag. It may be deathcore. Or death metal. Or death of a salesman. Whatever it is, in reality, it’s little more than a bit of a din. Angry, gruff, sweary ‘singer CJ McMahon has a go at pop punk (fair enough) , calls just about everybody in the world a cunt and wild boar squeals, burps, roars, growls and screams through a heavy as a randy rhino’s balls set. There’s a lot of machine gun blast beats. Loads of downtuned riffage. Dollops of sub bass and a lot of finger pointing and of course, loads of cunting, fucking bastard swearing. As I say, not my bag. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We Are The Ocean <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, it seems the former darlings of the post-hardcore/ladcore scene (if that was actually a thing) from a few years back have been locked in a log cabin with a bong, an ounce of Lebanese or Moroccan resin, the complete works of Led Zeppelin, Free, Bad Company, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pendragon, Budgie and the odd T.Rex single. And, tell you what, the results are a proper grown up casserole of cock rock, prog, boogie, soul and good, honest hard rock. Led by gritty-voiced, snarling and sneering, gum chewing headbanging Liam Cromby, the Essex quintet produce a blistering, boisterous and big-balled set of proper bloody rock and roll. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not that most of the alcopop-swigging teenies gathered in front of the main stage seem to be totally captivated though. Nevertheless, a new found maturity, some </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sodding great tunes, smart grooves and frenum-tightening riffs hint that it won’t be long before this lot are headed for more grown up, and hopefully bigger, audiences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have no clue what an architecture of time is though. And certainly wouldn’t know how to build one. Pass that bong. Think we’re going to need it. Heady and hearty stuff.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Lower Than Atlantis <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A hugely busy schedule for the always entertaining and über-honest pop rockers seems to have blunted Mike Duce’s normal spit and spite this afternoon. Although they manfully plough through the prime fillets from their fabulously catchier-than-chlamydia eponymous last long player, something doesn’t </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">appear to be turned all the way up to eleven. Saying that, the biggest crowd of the day so far has gathered in a drooling and enthusiastic throng doesn’t seem to give a rodent’s anus. All the biggies from the album are given an outing </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the adoring crowd, bounce, mosh, jump, jiggle and sing back just about every syllable. Duce’s radio pick up on his acoustic fails during an aborted attempt to perform the always goosebump-inducing Another Sad Song from among his fizzy-drawered acolytes, but he brushes it off and the deservedly popular boy-next-door band crack on with a couple of old faves (Beech Like A Tree and the S.T.D. paean Deadliest catch)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">before ending with the brilliant Here We Go. For clearly tired lads, they do a bloody good job. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don Broco </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up on the main stage are the loveable perma-grin wearing and inducing Beds bad boys Don Broco. And from the off, it’s clear they’re here to party. Aren’t they always? Having been largely locked away for aeons concocting the next chapter in their manual of how to take over the world by seduction and being just bloody nice blokes, they’ve emerged on the run-up to the launch of their long-awaited new album Automatic to start the foreplay. And a typically boisterous and beautifully played set hints at what’s to come. New choons, Automatic, Fire and What You Do To Me from the album that are already out in the public domain are smoothly assimilated into the bill of fare alongside all the existing party tuneage with a wildly moist and aroused young crowd already fluent in the lyrics (albeit nowhere near as clever, smart or neat as their previous librettos). There’s even room for a Bad Rabbits/Hot Chocolate/RHCP soul explosion mash up new tune Superlove which is about as far from fan favourite Thug Workout as spit is to lube. We get the walk, the wall of death, the sass, the sing-a-longs and more bouncing than a fat lass’s buttocks on a trampoline before the final call to arms of You Wanna Know wrings the last energy and drop of Jager bomb infused sweat from the spellbound and smiling masses.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Architects </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Closing the ‘loud’ stage tonight are Britain’s very best heavy band. Architects. Having seemingly finally to have found themselves after wrestling with demons, identity issues, cancer and crises of confidence, the Brighton quintet, tonight are bringing down the curtain on the most successful stanza of their career so far. The absolutely spellbinding Lost Forever//Lost Together album chapter is coming to an end. But this evening, in front of thousands of baying and loved-up apostles, it feels as far from a wake or a pyre-lighting as one could imagine. In fact, it almost feels like the launch of a new ship before the old one has even been brought into dry dock. The ever-articulate, ingratiating and charming Sam Carter leads the ‘celebration’ from the front. A totally controlled, powerful, but expressive and emotionally charged set truly sets them apart from the chasing pack. It’s raw, challenging, visceral, thought-provoking, testicle twisting genius. A good handful of tracks from the last album are interspersed with older favourites, prompting frenzied sing backs, collective shit being not just lost but sent into orbit and, of course the bizarre nihilistic but neck hair erecting sights and sounds of thousands of collective throats roaring YOU FUCKING PIGS in unison, unity and unbridled affection. What a band. What a show. What a way to start the next chapter.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The rest </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so it ends. And what a day. The vibe couldn’t have been better. The rain more or less stayed away. Of course, there weren’t enough bogs; it wouldn’t be a proper festival if there were. I got to see most of the bands I wanted to. Caught some I didn’t expect to. Missed some I’d really wanted to (couldn’t get near the attic for either Baby Godzilla or Fort Hope). Drank far too much cider. Danced too much for a man my age. Met up with so many great buddies and bands and met some new friends too. All-in-all, a total triumph. And a marvellous celebration of everything that is right about rock music and the wonderful, weird, whacky and whacked-out people who love it. Long may Slam Dunk continue to support, celebrate and inspire the musicians and fans alike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS. Knuclepuck were alright. But although While She Sleeps were immensely popular and their set was tight, explosive and raw, poor Loz’s vox were really straining and just hope he regains some of the napalm-soused face-melting power he used to possess. Missed The Bronx, Gallows and a bunch of other great bands. Caught about half an hour of YMAS and must admit, did mouth along to more of the words than I’d ever admit to knowing. And I’m going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning. Cheers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Arcane Roots <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Oslo, Hackney, Friday 22nd Saturday 23rd May 2015</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>First Night</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hackney is a shit bunker. Let’s be honest. No amount of pop up shops, fixed gear bikes, no-socked beardies and pho bars will ever make it anything else. It’s rubbish. There, I said it. However, it is the setting for two hugely important nights in the career of one of the very best bands in the land. Two nights to round off an intensive and gruelling UK tour. Two nights with two different sets. On the Friday, pretty much a run through of the astonishing Left Fire ‘mini’ album from 4 or 5 years ago cut with quality cuts from the equally brilliant Blood & Chemistry album and a couple of new ones thrown in. From the off, Andrew Groves and co tear the place apart. And the enthusiastic, appreciative and sweaty crowd love every second. The band are note perfect but this is no slavishly dot-for-dot, indulgent muso fest; oh no, this is raw, emotional, important, soulful, joyous, integrity-drenched genius. Simultaneously ripping the flesh from our faces and caressing our soft bits. The perfect balance between technical virtuosity and heartfelt expression. There are few bands who can amalgamate the raw power, the fragility, the melody, the bombast, the light, the shade, the tightness and the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">expression in such a spellbinding way. Very few indeed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9hLENMs65AXmMuJgmeIsG_ZBDkCjKam28unOpPvvGVJjQ08hxySQVn6IidDCoGAQTdVTsgWc6sAbr1lDgnGzm-BviFpfjqHPv84fQJzzt-wZ8BTkEaI9P9aGlG1RpY29lOYPvOl4l4/s1600/AR2+lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9hLENMs65AXmMuJgmeIsG_ZBDkCjKam28unOpPvvGVJjQ08hxySQVn6IidDCoGAQTdVTsgWc6sAbr1lDgnGzm-BviFpfjqHPv84fQJzzt-wZ8BTkEaI9P9aGlG1RpY29lOYPvOl4l4/s640/AR2+lights.jpg" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Second Night</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely they couldn’t? Could they? It is too much to ask to improve on what, last night was nigh-on live perfection. Well, they’ve only bloody gone and done it. Seriously. Publicising tonight’s menu as a fans’ special, Messrs Groves, Burton and Wrench (the amazing last minute stand in sticksman for this tour) put together a set that is seriously from another planet. No, fuck it, from another parallel universe. Everything is, well, just perfect. The playing, the interplaying, the vocals, the emotion, every squealy and pinch harmonic, every razor-sharp time </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">signature diversion, every missed beat. Everything. Groves even treats us to a beautiful homage to BB King, further cementing him as one of the great contemporary guitarists who’s not afraid to play his instrument rather than just use it a s a blunt downtuned riff cudgel. An </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">impassioned speech half way through proceedings confirms that the lads know they’re in the midst of something pretty special too. And they proceed to shower the heaving crowd with gifts aplenty in the form of coruscating new tunes, slotted into a mesmerising and masterful collection of almost embarrassingly perfect contemporary rock music.Tonight, Arcane Roots have produced, not the nigh-on perfection but absolutely stunning, engaging, bowel-shifting, heart-melting genital stirring perfection.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NosbBasDksGxDV7X3sDxk2iExe2ERaDyTPHu6IoTgmteT61hT0o5SLVrbdPg_2bxpGnxxBYsNBcBvvZ0jQAjym3QKt_qTnB-aaIQYbg3jdzYhxeg-rpl0W0c9NnztkApSUzIWKdEEcg/s1600/SBP+close+up+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="559" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NosbBasDksGxDV7X3sDxk2iExe2ERaDyTPHu6IoTgmteT61hT0o5SLVrbdPg_2bxpGnxxBYsNBcBvvZ0jQAjym3QKt_qTnB-aaIQYbg3jdzYhxeg-rpl0W0c9NnztkApSUzIWKdEEcg/s640/SBP+close+up+art.jpg" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Sweet Billy Pilgrim <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, Thursday 28th June 2015</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They don’t get out much. But tonight, Sweet Billy Pilgrim are out and proud to support their dazzling latest long player Motorcade Amnesiacs with a show in the bowels of Hoxton Square. A decent sized crowd of industry types, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">accountants, not-so-young professionals and serious looking discerning, beard-stroking musos are gathered to worship at the pulpit from where garrulous, deliciously dry and ever-charming front man Tim Elsenburg conducts his preaching to the largely converted.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgVCFLZ2eCp44T86dz0inHfGiwvWSUIOHb3J12wnMFKhExF5FLwSHNLQR8gtJG09qdDLKlqamwd8dPq5mX_u9UY64Olq2atfgHAYYXET6varuddeQj2E1XjoRzVWWy5dMVhXyXqjQ0tM/s1600/SBP+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgVCFLZ2eCp44T86dz0inHfGiwvWSUIOHb3J12wnMFKhExF5FLwSHNLQR8gtJG09qdDLKlqamwd8dPq5mX_u9UY64Olq2atfgHAYYXET6varuddeQj2E1XjoRzVWWy5dMVhXyXqjQ0tM/s640/SBP+1.jpg" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new album is given a fair airing and the new songs, although shorn of the studio layers, instrumentation and massive production, sound </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">absolutely bloody splendid. Wearing their multi-inflences clearly on their wizard’s sleeves, the six piece live line up counjor up Steely Dan, Captain, The Kane Gang, Prefab Sprout and even moments of Tool: the result is a refreshing, comforting but wonderfully original creamy cocktail with traces of raw, powerful spirit not far form the lips. Elsenburg seems to be enjoying himself throughout and shows genuine emotion at the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">spine-tingling, tear-jerking multi-harmonic crowd participation in the spellbinding Blue Sky Falls. A truly gorgeous evening in the presence of a truly gorgeous and clever genre-defying band. Amen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGkwo3Axa991txFYq2BWwRy5WQH4Xmilu7QGrEViatC802KwV4Gi8C2vN3CleIqc3cAouXK-LolYy1MumUvDD0K6VjNGnObbRYSqk_9Zj1CnfYKOelB7CdtXtOy4WPjf_NP-DXOlWolQ/s1600/Eva+shake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGkwo3Axa991txFYq2BWwRy5WQH4Xmilu7QGrEViatC802KwV4Gi8C2vN3CleIqc3cAouXK-LolYy1MumUvDD0K6VjNGnObbRYSqk_9Zj1CnfYKOelB7CdtXtOy4WPjf_NP-DXOlWolQ/s640/Eva+shake.jpg" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Rolo Tomassi <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Our Black Heart, Camden, Tuesday 2nd June 2015</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s keep this brief. No one does what Rolo Tomassi do. No one. Their fucked up, thought-provoking, intelligent melange of metal, jazz, neo-classical, ambient, experimental, mathrock, mathcore and electronica either flicks your switch or it doesn’t. For the record, I’m firmly in the flicked switch camp. And tonight, I’m not alone. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxC89np9SH7DEpBbOrFtGmsGzKZqny4Z1_8JCIR6exWNWGZICjNZBeG9ylWSb9FYLVojAIXQFXLQAZyjIBWeeP6YyY0xT3PXppffcAp_dendmKy2nvOjYgMUgCyrwhnZOC2mRfO8jih8/s1600/RT+master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxC89np9SH7DEpBbOrFtGmsGzKZqny4Z1_8JCIR6exWNWGZICjNZBeG9ylWSb9FYLVojAIXQFXLQAZyjIBWeeP6YyY0xT3PXppffcAp_dendmKy2nvOjYgMUgCyrwhnZOC2mRfO8jih8/s640/RT+master.jpg" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sold out Black Heart fan oven is absolutely rammed with fellow supporters and followers of the oft weird but always wonderful Sheffield five piece. Tonight is the second date on a four date dart around some of the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">capital’s smaller and sweatier venues to get behind the launch of their stunning new album Grievances. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And although short and sweet (if you can call being eviscerated and having the top of your bonce brutally drilled into sweet), the gathered disciples are treated to a perfectly balanced set of mayhem and melody, brutality and beauty, vitriol and virtuosity. And, in short, it’s brilliant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, here's what the blog would look like if it wasn't designed in shitty HTML in Blogger:
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<script async="true" src="//e.issuu.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-58312887362551314462015-06-01T23:47:00.000+01:002015-06-01T23:47:44.196+01:00Camden Cocks - live review and pics of Camden Rocks Festival<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Camden Rocks<span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Bad Sign, Attention Thieves, Press to Meco, Samoans, Polar, Max Raptor, Axis Of, Skindred, Beer, Cider, Jagermeister. Oh dear.</span></b></span>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another book type thing with pics from the hip and a few words about some of the great bands at this year's Camden Rocks Festival. Just click and read...</span><br />
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<script async="true" src="//e.issuu.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-3507427000311552402015-04-25T18:09:00.000+01:002015-04-25T18:09:33.299+01:00Pit shots<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A bunch of drunken pics from a whole bunch of shows from the last 9 months or so.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All on the iPhone. All taken while probably a bit bladdered. All real. All great bands. Apart from THE HELL, who are obviously cunts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a look:</span>
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<script async="true" src="//e.issuu.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-54010487292632744292015-03-17T11:02:00.003+00:002015-03-17T12:31:58.558+00:00Take Me Down. Review of Takedown Festival 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2_Lu6LvYUxt44hbyya5YEhfPvRYigkVRLZoWeiSuV2g36Rs9y23o2NIAL0C58NR5wA844Tbkrysgloec0MpCbwsN1hrIdLmWEeZgRbsRgD15ssA_UnDSdNDl0SSprbQ6AbVcxsbzGjE/s1600/Inme+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2_Lu6LvYUxt44hbyya5YEhfPvRYigkVRLZoWeiSuV2g36Rs9y23o2NIAL0C58NR5wA844Tbkrysgloec0MpCbwsN1hrIdLmWEeZgRbsRgD15ssA_UnDSdNDl0SSprbQ6AbVcxsbzGjE/s1600/Inme+2.jpg" height="238" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Takedown 2015</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ft. Black Peaks </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** Hawkeyes</span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: large;">* InMe</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">* Rolo Tomassi </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span><span style="font-size: large;">* Arcane Roots </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*****</span><span style="font-size: large;"> And more</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Southampton University, Saturday 7th March</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well, It's been a while since I've pulled the quill out and emptied my brain bin's foetid and oozing contents onto the page in celebration of live rock music (other ongoing but exciting music projects have got in the way). But, I'm glad to be out of the enforced semi-retirement to be back at Southampton Uni for what promises to be a splendid and diverse day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However, true to form and due to the tardy arrival of certain colleagues, I'm a bit late starting, so sadly miss the playful and always good value Zoax.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqvLxOK4D4gsodWjIyVN5sXdn920oykUzWsuIAaYURec-JauYnlStGbXzu1N2I6AgThDNDYy2pQ8NODIohvSgFRf-PDFJmkYrs-2etxc8j85MeMVNYkXRwkuh7xDpGdGEL15_066NvN4/s1600/BLACK+PEAKS+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqvLxOK4D4gsodWjIyVN5sXdn920oykUzWsuIAaYURec-JauYnlStGbXzu1N2I6AgThDNDYy2pQ8NODIohvSgFRf-PDFJmkYrs-2etxc8j85MeMVNYkXRwkuh7xDpGdGEL15_066NvN4/s1600/BLACK+PEAKS+2.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So, cheap Cider in hand, it's into action and into the Stygian gloom of The Cube...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Black Peaks </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A cracking start to the day. A grungy, dirty, hugely enjoyable, twisty and turny journey through post-rock forest, mathy meadow and heavy hollow. So many influences and reference points. Think Bovine and Mastodon chucked into a silage tank then mixed with a good sludgy dollop of Intronaut and more than a whiff of Katatonia and Karnivool with surprising traces of Mogwai and even Blakfish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Throughout, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">mustachioed </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">charismatic front man Will Gardner impressively growls, cajoles, spellbinds and assaults ears and arseholes alike cutting sharply across the deep and involved grungescape.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A curious but surprisingly original and very fertile mixture. Can't wait to see how it matures and develops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, a quick waddle over to the main stage in the scout hut to see Alt metal spacey, fantasy-soused genuine top geezer legends </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">playing their seminal masterpiece <i>Overgrown Eden</i>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR-SaGrXu3a4hDIR7uBx0gOdRnN4vHlmfq7lNGHIuXvimknTvMy62-9pfXc74Fk_pEuB2cPEpAfoISNeJ78BmzEY42hfqA8Fo0zMBk7F-qUoaMXtDsWRP5qy_DIR1IiXv3sU9rXZks6A/s1600/INME+with+Mikey+Chapman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR-SaGrXu3a4hDIR7uBx0gOdRnN4vHlmfq7lNGHIuXvimknTvMy62-9pfXc74Fk_pEuB2cPEpAfoISNeJ78BmzEY42hfqA8Fo0zMBk7F-qUoaMXtDsWRP5qy_DIR1IiXv3sU9rXZks6A/s1600/INME+with+Mikey+Chapman.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>InMe</b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A surprisingly early mid Saturday afternoon football kick off slot hasn't stopped the punters careering through the turnstiles and a packed, sweaty room welcomes the Essex lads with the fervour normally reserved for a lager-pickled home end at Upton Park (or whatever the fuck it's called these days). Mercifully without bubbles - but with huge swollen rock God balls in their stead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The set is delivered perfectly, energetically and with huge clown-face grins. So stunning to think this record was produced so long ago. And it hasn't aged a bit. Still sounding fresher than a newly baked baguette smothered in that delicious French butter (never tastes the same over here). The playing, as one would expect from such sensational musicians is note-for-note perfect even allowing for Dave's mildly anachronistic flabby phased, flanged guitars on the slower ones. Just splendid though. Splendid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And to top off the loveliness, as an extra treat Mr Mikey Chapman from the fenland parish of Mallory Knoxville joins the boys on stage for a rip-roaring canter through <i>Faster The Chase</i>. Pure, timeless class throughout and an appetite whetter for the forthcoming tour and imminent epic triple long player. Brilliant stuff.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hawkeyes</span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I fucking love these bums. Unreconstructed, straight up and down, honest genital furtling and squeezing ballsy rock and roll. Massive riffs. Just massive. A truly dirty, filthy, hairy, sordid and brutal onslaught but with the heart the size of a watermelon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Playing the Obsidian stage rather than a more apt dingy, Jager-soaked hovel may not be the greatest venue for this blend of filth, but the boys manfully career through their canon of huge riff bombs with the new material off the sublime <i>Everything Is Fine</i> album regardless of the brightly lit, 'oh-so-funky' student bar setting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Honest and truthful brilliance. Oh yus.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rolo Tomassi </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There's nobody on the planet that comes close to this crazed, mashed-up, amalgamated and generally fucked-upness of this oh so special quintet. Seamlessly mixing mathcore, noise rock, jazz, screamo, metal, (and its core cousin), industrial electronica, brass band, kazoo orchestra and roadworks, the Spence siblings front up a truly original and breathtaking and magical melange that has to be on everyone's bucket list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The tiny and hyperactive Eva quacks, barks, roars and seduces as she almost epileptically spasms, contorts, flounces and hurls herself around like a crazed acrobat full of crack and speedballs being repeatedly stung up the arse by killer hornets. All backed with such tight and surgically sharp heaviness and power and mind melting electonic beeps, farts, burps and pads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">New drummer Tom Pitts ably takes over the reins from the departed Ed Dutton and pilots this fucked up tossing and turning heavily armed Hadean torpedo boat through the tumultuous and brilliant set. The new tunes aired, serve only to whet the slavering appetite even more for the next stage of this truly unique band's sensational career. Amazing stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wow.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Arcane Roots </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*****</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Next in the main stage scout hut are the incredible Surrey shredders Arcane Roots and they've come armed with an arsenal of new claymores, IEDs and napalm cluster bombs to launch into the packed hall alongside their tried and tested weapons of choice from the remarkable <i>Blood & Chemistry</i> and its equally incendiary predecessor, <i>Left Fire.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And what results is just ridiculous. Carnage. Destruction. Sodom and Gomorrah. But laser guided, precise and flawlessly executed destruction. Not random bomb tossing. Oh no. The playing, is, as always, flawless; as are Andrew Groves' searing and razor wire sharp vocals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All the way through, from the chugging splendour of <i>Resolve</i> through to the brooding malevolence and brilliance of <i>Million Dollar Que$tion</i>, the set is so beautifully and cleverly constructed. The pits open up, the bodies gyrate and contort: like Picasso's Guernica, there's a distorted, abstract, challenging and chaotic discomfort but the overall effect is mesmerising and, frankly, just remarkable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And if the hugely anticipated new album is even one iota as brilliant as the freshly baked genius of <i>If Nothing (Breaks Us, Nothing Moves)</i>, then the very cream of British rock music will be giving birth to one of the greatest rock records imaginable. I can't bloody wait.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seriously, live rock music doesn't get any better. Any.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So, That's the main stuff that I have managed to see. I must admit after the total splendour of Arcane Roots, everything else is going to suffer by withering comparison. But </span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moose Blood</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">**</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">***</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> and the always beautifully harmonised </span><b style="font-size: small;">Decade<span style="color: red;">***</span>** </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">strut their pop-punky, alt-infused rifftastic stuff with aplomb. </span><b style="font-size: small;">The Blackout<span style="color: red;">***</span>** </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">emotionally do their thang for the last time at a festival. </span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charlie Simpson</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">**</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> strums and croons through a typically melodic and mellow collection of niceness and I'm sure the always fabulous <b>Mallory Knox</b> slay it with their classy brand of pop rock - but by this time I am otherwise involved with beverages and chats with other boozers, losers and jacuzzi users and frankly too pissed to care.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But, once again, Takedown have produced, curated and delivered a spectacular day. The feel-good vibe here is like nowhere else. Brilliant diversity. Good friends. A top, top day. Oh, and did I mention how bloody amazing Arcane Roots were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now, if only they were doing a 30 odd date UK tour soon....</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-72218976145959633622014-12-16T12:47:00.001+00:002014-12-16T12:55:57.693+00:008 Wonders of the world. 8 of the best singles of 2014<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Singles, songs, EPS, odds, sods, widows and orphans of the year. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as some cracking long players (<a href="http://bwoooartunes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/long-players-of-long-year-best-records.html"><span style="color: red;"><b>top ten here</b></span></a>) , there have been some terrific tunes, songs, eps and one-offs sent out to infiltrate, violate and seduce our ear holes this year. Here are 8 (no reason) of my particular favourites:</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">8:</span> The Chronicles of Gnarnia - Gnarwolves</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A kind of gnarly, fucked up anthology of gnarly, fucked up brilliance rather than a true album or ep but fuller than a well stoked bong packed with mind-altering, nihilistic, raw, catchy, grimy noise. Real 'pop' punk. Fuck it, just real.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">7:</span> Here We Go - Lower Than Atlantis</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Down-tuned rifftastic first public offering from their brilliant eponymous fourth long player. A statement of intent and a life-affirming anthemic slug of raucous pop rock. Surely a staple for the sports channel music editors to accompany stirring, rallying victory montages. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">6:</span> Shaking In The Water - The Xcerts</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pop. With a huge throbbing cock. Catchy, radio-friendly and hummable but with heavy fish hook barbs stitched into its lapels. A stonking proper single from one of the most enduring, endearing and hardest working bands in the land. Culled from their amazing new album and set to become an absolute non-negotiable indelible inclusion in their sets to come as they rise to inevitable stadium and world domination.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">5:</span> Slipshod - Enter Shikari</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was going to be <i>The Last Garrison</i> from the forthcoming new long player, but then, those crazy cats from St Albans dropped this masterpiece. Armed with a Ren and Stimpy animator and a tale seeming inspired by frustrating sub optimal service, they go to places not even these most pioneering of mavens haven't dared to tread. Fresh, crazy, challenging, fucking hilarious (butchered chicken <i>cunt</i>). Lordy lordy.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">4:</span> Money Power Fame - Don Broco</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tantalising and majestic portent of more success to come? Oh yes. Having been squirrelled away writing, recording and perfecting a new long player set for release hopefully next spring, the lad core lovelies give us a taster of what's hopefully on its way with this riff-driven monster of a tune. Lyrically not their wittiest, cheekiest, driest or cleverest, but compensated by crushing guitar, slap bass and infectious melodic chicanery. Next year will be absolutely huge for these loveable rogues. Money. Power. Fame. Indeed.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">3:</span> Over & Over - Arcane Roots</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following up from <i>Blood & Chemistry</i>, their 2013 album masterpiece, a brilliant, heart-stopping, stadium-rocking and multi-layered single which hopefully indicates that Arcane Roots are well on the road to becoming even better and cementing themselves as one of the UK's very best proper rock bands.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZfddUG8yObgsdrWdk6EucoVaO-Crx59FetWSov0qCU1D_yUys93PY5g1iJWXTxZquJYMqtAXkSyyWjGwnEz5ZRzr0jSnPHNvwmH_qJhYvQlVqk5cqpzmEgVY77Gl7dkE-eVJM7xNL1s/s1600/Jamie+Lenman+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZfddUG8yObgsdrWdk6EucoVaO-Crx59FetWSov0qCU1D_yUys93PY5g1iJWXTxZquJYMqtAXkSyyWjGwnEz5ZRzr0jSnPHNvwmH_qJhYvQlVqk5cqpzmEgVY77Gl7dkE-eVJM7xNL1s/s1600/Jamie+Lenman+header.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">2:</span> </b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>It’s Hard to Be a Gentleman/All those things you hate about me, I hate them too - Jamie Lenman</b></span></span> <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm spent when it comes to superlatives and glowing, warm words when it comes to the UKs most brilliant and influential, challenging and charming genius. Suffice to say, this double headed Janus of a single is simply a masterpiece. (As an aside, anyone who hasn't checked out the amazing alchemy that happens when <i>Muscle</i> and <i>Memory </i>from last year's phenomenal album are played at the same time, find it online and listen to it immediately - as I say, Mr Lenman is just a bally genius.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">1:</span> </b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Drown - Bring Me The Horizon</b></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never truly know how I feel about BMTH. On paper, they're not my thing at all. But last year's Sempiternal was undeniably a work of considerable prowess. Bordering on genius. Well, this year, the shape has been cleverly shifted again and this single marries melodic pop sensibilities, electronica and shards of lingering metalcore to produce an undeniably catchy, memorable and bloody brilliant tune. And after all, that's what it's all about about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, isn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and here are my top 10 albums again:</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Long Players of a long year.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A purely personal take on the best recorded music of the last year. Not trying to be clever, trendy, outré or affected; just what I consider to be bloody good records from what's been a pretty bloody good year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqmUVZGYEMMbtxeoBquzMgdzJxYB5APfE65mqlq8Hkeq9nYOufKasXWRfu2L1kSNF3obySw2aMeiycN8h9_HCZ0BzFRWQ0YILPsfvCDnz9fkgWxCqXzieHirtNUm7Whm8EYnmrhxYXEM/s1600/The+people+the+poet+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqmUVZGYEMMbtxeoBquzMgdzJxYB5APfE65mqlq8Hkeq9nYOufKasXWRfu2L1kSNF3obySw2aMeiycN8h9_HCZ0BzFRWQ0YILPsfvCDnz9fkgWxCqXzieHirtNUm7Whm8EYnmrhxYXEM/s1600/The+people+the+poet+header.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">10: </span>The Narrator - The People The Poet. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not totally sure this was officially released in 2014, but certainly one of my most listened to albums of the last 12 months. A truly co-created effort, taking stories from their fans and building a stunning, narrative, deeply touching and emotional anthology. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Veering between Springsteenesque blue collar coal dust imbued grit to polished stadium-friendly bangers with beautiful and clever harmonies from the angelic Greta Isaac throughout lending the perfect counterpoint and complement to Leon Stanford's gruff, Joe Cocker like growls and deep brown soulful seductions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wearing a bright, unashamed cloak of multi-influences from Counting Crows, through to Coldplay and The Allman Brothers. Beautiful stories. Beautifully told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">9:</span> Rooms Of The House - La Dispute</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wonderful, illuminating and fascinating mash up of spoken word, US post hardcore, melodic jazzy reveries infused with a punky 'couldn't give a fuck' seam. Delicious, thought-provoking, melodic, off beam and truly original. A modernist masterpiece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">8:</span> Groovehammer - THE HELL</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SARDONIC AND KNOWING FUCKED UP WRY SHIT WITH A HUGE, HEAVY PAIR OF FURRY COMEDY BOLLOCKS. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>MUSIC BY CUNTS. FOR CUNTS.</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3uD7aZdIMGFdFTH92YtfjunrDkgh_e4cc8vexobsVyJtUCSfBJq0auWlkbXaaTBPYFM07YUQMsU8ou781o3p9XElgsJBgkq_WSUJcgbFNV6GTRfj8bxB_xRB0licb-xNgayNyryinpw/s1600/Maybeshewill+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3uD7aZdIMGFdFTH92YtfjunrDkgh_e4cc8vexobsVyJtUCSfBJq0auWlkbXaaTBPYFM07YUQMsU8ou781o3p9XElgsJBgkq_WSUJcgbFNV6GTRfj8bxB_xRB0licb-xNgayNyryinpw/s1600/Maybeshewill+header.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">7:</span> Fair Youth - Maybeshewill </b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As post rock goes (if it's actually a thing at all) it doesn't come any better than this. An emotionally charged <i>tour de force</i> of harmony, melody, texture and depth. Genuinely spine tingling at times and like a gorgeous warm hug at others. A record to get lost in. And to lose your shit to. A sublime, well-honed and hench semi-classical, moduar torso but with menacing rock gonads. A heady and intoxicating mix. Stunning.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">6:</span> Glory - Axes</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A spectacular instrumental collection of futuristic, mathtacular, technically stunning, choppy, polyrhythmic ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, riffs and rants, light and shade, melody and dissonance, power and seduction. If you do nothing else next year, catch this space-aged, grinning, other-worldly quartet live. Seriously a breathtaking and life-changing experience. Glory is about as close as the mesmerising live side of the band gets on record. Amazing.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">5:</span> Old Bones - Yearbook</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, by today's crazy rules, not technically an album, but fuck that. It's a wonderful collection of off-kilter, off-beam and off its tits alt rock. Clever, heartfelt, beautifully and thoughtfully crafted and packed full of originality and quirkiness. Displaying a songwriting maturity that belies the bands' callow yoof. A truly superb debut effort that sets the bar ridiculously high for the subsequent bombs they're hopefully loading in their bomb bay as we speak. Delicious. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">4:</span> Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A somewhat controversial album. But a bloody triumphant one. Selling out? Softening up? Wimping out? Nah. Just a superb collection of killer pop songs with a rock and punk skirt on. A clever shift and an opening of hearts and minds. The band claim that they just let the music they like come out, regardless of expectation or genre. Well, what did come out is a true work of poptastic genius. Hum them. Sing them. Shake your arse to them. Whatever. It's nigh impossible to get them out of your head. So good.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">3:</span> There Is Only You - The Xcerts</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An absolutely astonishing 4th album from the edgy alt power pop trio. Every song has a hook like Mike Tyson. But delivered with power, passion, integrity and hearts the size of cabbages. Murray Macleod's voice has never sounded better. Or more honest. There are heart-melting moments of tenderness and frailty married with massive riffs, stadium-friendly choruses and woo hoos. At least 5 of the songs are instant hit single material (if hit singles are still a thing!) If there's any justice in the world, this masterpiece should now catapult these loveable slackerpopsters to serious heights. Brulliant. Bluddy brulliant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">2:</span> The Weird And Wonderful - Marmozets</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mashing up mathcore with grungy northern pop replete with astringent, thrilling, eviscerating riffs, spikes and hooks and rhythmic fuckery, this isn't just one of my favourite albums of the year, but has carved its antisocial yet beguiling way into my all time list. So unbelievably confident and competent for a band so young. Every tune reeks of scuzzy and punishing life on the road. It stinks of sweat. Shit. Passion. Brio. Beer. Jager. And love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much love. Colossal sing-a-longs juxtaposed with H-bomb destructive violence and almost a simmering malevolence. You wouldn't wan't to pick a fight with this record. It'll tear your fucking face off. But might kiss it better afterwards. Wonderfully weird. And weirdly fucking wonderful.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">1:</span> Lost Forever // Lost Together - Architects</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In what has been a brilliant year for quality (if not quantity) it's just so hard to pick one album as the stand out. But, for me, even though I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool metal head and I abhor so much me-too metalcore, Lost Forever // Lost Together is quite simply a classic. Aside from the laudable and searingly acidic political and edgy subject matter of much of the content, the musicality, the braveness, the technicality and the middle finger in the air attitude set this astonishingly powerful and moving album apart from the chasing pack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aggression, pathos, anger, bewilderment, frustration and fuck you are all delivered almost concurrently; but it stays single-mindedly sharp. Clean. Pointed. Thought-provoking. And seriously fucking heavy. The drops, the sub bass, the bleuurghs (although maybe slightly overdone), the towering guitar work and crushing drumming all support Sam Carter's amazing talent for being able to scream like a Euro Fighter in a broom cupboard, but maintain melody, nuance and versatility. A huge, unapologetic explosion of a record that puts Architects in a place of there own. Genuinely stunning. In every sense of the word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's about that for the year. There were other great albums, songs, singles, soundfiles, demos and tuneage that nearly made the cut. Others that showed moments of enormous potential and promise for the future. Some that fell on stony ground. Some that ticked boxes but didn't quite break hearts. Some that were total shit. But all recorded with belief and a love for music. Overall a pretty decent year for recorded music. With this selection being at the very top of my personal tree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's to more next year.</span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-86126535702521496282014-12-15T16:47:00.002+00:002014-12-16T09:32:44.705+00:00Long Players of a long year. The best records of 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A purely personal take on the best recorded music of the last year. Not trying to be clever, trendy, outré or affected; just what I consider to be bloody good records from what's been a pretty bloody good year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">10: </span>The Narrator - The People The Poet. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not totally sure this was officially released in 2014, but certainly one of my most listened to albums of the last 12 months. A truly co-created effort, taking stories from their fans and building a stunning, narrative, deeply touching and emotional anthology. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Veering between Springsteenesque blue collar coal dust imbued grit to polished stadium-friendly bangers with beautiful and clever harmonies from the angelic Greta Isaac throughout lending the perfect counterpoint and complement to Leon Stanford's gruff, Joe Cocker like growls and deep brown soulful seductions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wearing a bright, unashamed cloak of multi-influences from Counting Crows, through to Coldplay and The Allman Brothers. Beautiful stories. Beautifully told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">9:</span> Rooms Of The House - La Dispute</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wonderful, illuminating and fascinating mash up of spoken word, US post hardcore, melodic jazzy reveries infused with a punky 'couldn't give a fuck' seam. Delicious, thought-provoking, melodic, off beam and truly original. A modernist masterpiece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">8:</span> Groovehammer - THE HELL</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SARDONIC AND KNOWING FUCKED UP WRY SHIT WITH A HUGE, HEAVY PAIR OF FURRY COMEDY BOLLOCKS. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>MUSIC BY CUNTS. FOR CUNTS.</i></b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">7:</span> Fair Youth - Maybeshewill </b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As post rock goes (if it's actually a thing at all) it doesn't come any better than this. An emotionally charged <i>tour de force</i> of harmony, melody, texture and depth. Genuinely spine tingling at times and like a gorgeous warm hug at others. A record to get lost in. And to lose your shit to. A sublime, well-honed and hench semi-classical, moduar torso but with menacing rock gonads. A heady and intoxicating mix. Stunning.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">6:</span> Glory - Axes</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A spectacular instrumental collection of futuristic, mathtacular, technically stunning, choppy, polyrhythmic ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, riffs and rants, light and shade, melody and dissonance, power and seduction. If you do nothing else next year, catch this space-aged, grinning, other-worldly quartet live. Seriously a breathtaking and life-changing experience. Glory is about as close as the mesmerising live side of the band gets on record. Amazing.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">5:</span> Old Bones - Yearbook</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, by today's crazy rules, not technically an album, but fuck that. It's a wonderful collection of off-kilter, off-beam and off its tits alt rock. Clever, heartfelt, beautifully and thoughtfully crafted and packed full of originality and quirkiness. Displaying a songwriting maturity that belies the bands' callow yoof. A truly superb debut effort that sets the bar ridiculously high for the subsequent bombs they're hopefully loading in their bomb bay as we speak. Delicious. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">4:</span> Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A somewhat controversial album. But a bloody triumphant one. Selling out? Softening up? Wimping out? Nah. Just a superb collection of killer pop songs with a rock and punk skirt on. A clever shift and an opening of hearts and minds. The band claim that they just let the music they like come out, regardless of expectation or genre. Well, what did come out is a true work of poptastic genius. Hum them. Sing them. Shake your arse to them. Whatever. It's nigh impossible to get them out of your head. So good.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">3:</span> There Is Only You - The Xcerts</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An absolutely astonishing 4th album from the edgy alt power pop trio. Every song has a hook like Mike Tyson. But delivered with power, passion, integrity and hearts the size of cabbages. Murray Macleod's voice has never sounded better. Or more honest. There are heart-melting moments of tenderness and frailty married with massive riffs, stadium-friendly choruses and woo hoos. At least 5 of the songs are instant hit single material (if hit singles are still a thing!) If there's any justice in the world, this masterpiece should now catapult these loveable slackerpopsters to serious heights. Brulliant. Bluddy brulliant.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">2:</span> The Weird And Wonderful - Marmozets</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mashing up mathcore with grungy northern pop replete with astringent, thrilling, eviscerating riffs, spikes and hooks and rhythmic fuckery, this isn't just one of my favourite albums of the year, but has carved its antisocial yet beguiling way into my all time list. So unbelievably confident and competent for a band so young. Every tune reeks of scuzzy and punishing life on the road. It stinks of sweat. Shit. Passion. Brio. Beer. Jager. And love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much love. Colossal sing-a-longs juxtaposed with H-bomb destructive violence and almost a simmering malevolence. You wouldn't wan't to pick a fight with this record. It'll tear your fucking face off. But might kiss it better afterwards. Wonderfully weird. And weirdly fucking wonderful.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: red;">1:</span> Lost Forever // Lost Together - Architects</b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In what has been a brilliant year for quality (if not quantity) it's just so hard to pick one album as the stand out. But, for me, even though I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool metal head and I abhor so much me-too metalcore, Lost Forever // Lost Together is quite simply a classic. Aside from the laudable and searingly acidic political and edgy subject matter of much of the content, the musicality, the braveness, the technicality and the middle finger in the air attitude set this astonishingly powerful and moving album apart from the chasing pack.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aggression, pathos, anger, bewilderment, frustration and fuck you are all delivered almost concurrently; but it stays single-mindedly sharp. Clean. Pointed. Thought-provoking. And seriously fucking heavy. The drops, the sub bass, the bleuurghs (although maybe slightly overdone), the towering guitar work and crushing drumming all support Sam Carter's amazing talent for being able to scream like a Euro Fighter in a broom cupboard, but maintain melody, nuance and versatility. A huge, unapologetic explosion of a record that puts Architects in a place of there own. Genuinely stunning. In every sense of the word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's about that for the year. There were other great albums that nearly made the cut. Others that showed moments of enormous potential and promise for the future. Some that fell on stony ground. Some that ticked boxes but didn't quite break hearts. Some that were total shit. But all recorded with belief and a love for music. Overall a pretty decent year for recorded music. With these ten being at the very top of the tree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's to more next year.</span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-15805988809431403742014-12-13T12:36:00.001+00:002014-12-13T12:39:08.355+00:00Koko pops. Live review of Lower Than Atlantis at Koko<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lower Than Atlantis <span style="color: red;">****</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">*</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lonely The Brave </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Decade <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Koko, Mornington Crescent, Monday 8th December 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a party. A Christmas party. Time for some pop music. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There, I said it. Pop. You 'eard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I dive into tonight's poptastic performances, just a small rant. What's wrong with saying pop?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Beatles were pop. The Rolling stones too. As were Abba. And so are Coldplay. U2. And so on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The biggest selling music on the planet? Pop. Why are we so derogatory about one three letter word? Yup, we all know it's diminutive of popular and it's a little facile to drag up that old semantic argument; but actually therein lies the crux: popular. So why has it become a dirty, cheapened word? Why do bands shy away from it? If they're after success, then surely becoming a pop band is the ultimate goal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Hi. I'm in an unpopular band. Playing unpopular music.' Might get you laid by some counter-culture bedroom-dwelling, black leather clad miserable goth emo groupie but it's not going to pay for the mince pies. Let alone the Champagne.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a world obsessed with badging, naming, branding, conventions, taxonomies and labels, we often forget to move up to the broader end of the classification system. Pop covers a multitude of music. Some good. Some shit. But it's popular.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, tonight, three popular bands are performing some popular music. Pop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Decade <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up are pop punkyesque Decade. A bit of a rum mixture. One minute pleasing pop rock with terrific harmonies and solid riffs, the next, clichéd double-time infused predictable <i>quasi </i>pop punk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A seriously schizophrenic bowl of cereal. Hearty and tasty as hell in parts. Watery and whiny in others. But it's true to say that tonight's huge Christmas cake of a venue with its legendarily brilliant hi-fidelity front of house sound quality seems to suit the band's sound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having seen them many times in smaller sweat bunkers and bogs, they appear to be far happier in plusher, fuller surroundings. Well, who wouldn't be? Anyway, I'm led to believe that their next step on the pop journey is well underway and they are moving further away from the predictable pop punk noodlings and maturing their sound. On tonight's meaty performance, between the annoying and needless double-time reveries, there's enough evidence to suggest that they'll only move onwards and upwards if this is the case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: lime;">Pop rating:</span><span style="color: red;"> Pop corn. Generally tasty but too much unnecessary noise in and among the good stuff.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lonely The Brave </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another interesting party selection on offer. Definitely well on their way up and fresh from their great joint headline tour with fellow tipped-for-the-top tyros Marmozets, this fenland five piece serve up stadium-friendly pop rock with a melancholic edge. But bizarrely seemingly without too many discernible choruses, hooks or refrains yet still capable of sending shivers and tingles down spines and up necks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's more than a hint of Elbow in their work, with limelight dodging David Jakes' mellifluous vocals covering the dense and rich guitar infused cake with smooth icing, but much of their oeuvre sounds too similar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like a box of delicious choccy bickies that have slightly different shapes but ultimately all taste pretty much the same. Tasty alright, but a little repetitive maybe and crying out for a change of accent or flavour now and again. Nice though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: lime;">Pop rating: </span><span style="color: red;">Pop socks. Warming, practical, functional, will be hugely popular, tantalising, but not as exciting as stockings and largely hidden from view.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lower Than Atlantis <span style="color: red;">****</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">*</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A collection of the most famous Chrimbo pop tunes get the huge sell-out crowd going in the run up to the headliner's Christmas address putting everyone in a pop party mood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicking off with the insanely catchy<i> English Kids in America </i>from their brilliant self-titled fourth album (definitely one of the greatest albums of the year) Mr Duce and his boys tear into a set so wonderfully constructed and cleverly thought through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marrying huge singable refrains with butch riffs and perfect playing, this is a s good as I've ever seen LTA. And they look like they're lapping it up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A box of goodies to truly deliver delicious taste sensation after taste sensation. Half a dozen or so taken from the newest long player are melded seamlessly into a joyous selection of feel good pop rock at its very, very finest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spiced up with tasty treats from earlier on their voyage with the punky vibes of <i>FarQ</i>, the almost post hardcore-infused <i>Marylin's Mansion</i> and firm face-splitting favourites like <i>Deadliest Catch, Motor( Way of life) </i>and <i>Beech Like a Tree</i>, there's not a fucking horrible coconut surprise or shitty coffee cream in sight: every one is a delicious favourite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's even a first ever live outing for the novelty Christmas tune <i>Merry Christmas (Wherever You Are)</i> to add to the party vibe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only slightly awkward moment of the evening is, because of the callow, youthful nature of a lot of the assembled throng, they have no idea what to do at the <i>faux</i> conclusion of the set. After the initial cheers at the end of the Christmassy 'set closer' there's an embarrassing silence. When did crowds stop shouting 'more!'. It's simple. Do the yoof of today consider it too rude, lame or uncool? Just fucking shout MORE! It says what it does on the tin. The One More Song thing that seems to have replaced it at more yooffull shows just feels too contrived. Nope, let's get folk shouting MORE again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, the hideously embarrassing moment where Mike Duce comes out from backstage to cajole the crowd like some sort of shifty pantomime character is the only tiny downer on what is nigh on an evening of pop perfection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The spine tingling sing-a-long of <i>Another Sad Song</i> kicks off the encore section with the whole glityzy chocolate box of a venue singing its very gonads off before bog rolls are thrown during <i>Beech</i> and finally the anthemic and driving dropped C rifftacular <i>Here We Go</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brings the house down for one last time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As LTA have developed, they've garnered a lot of deeply unfair criticism. Selling out? Getting softer? Even Kerrang! magazine churlishly, stupidly and unforgivably omitted the album from their top 50 of the year (guys, really?). But, you know what, if they keep producing such brilliantly crafted, considered and catchy pop as they are, then it won't just be any old Champagne with the mince pies, but a case or three of '69 Dom Perignon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight's performance has cemented LTA as true pop craftsmen. Without doubt national treasures in waiting. Without stigma. Without shame. Pop and proud,The songcraft has always been there, it's just been tightened up. The melodies and hooks better than ever. The smiles have largely replaced the scowls. Long live glorious pop and roll.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MORE!!!.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: lime;">Pop rating: </span><span style="color: red;">Pop tarts. Hot, tasty, addictive, unpretentious, fun, clever. Yum.</span></b></span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-10401163273745324742014-12-13T10:27:00.001+00:002014-12-15T12:21:45.162+00:00Rolling stoned - Live Review of Allusondrugs in Camden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseZtUuKQ5UYjEloL8ojsOTUZwTHQrhz1BmW3LZOz0pHGGVEkg_ZtgpBlML6KDuz_vddjfyBgjLUf_fdTErI2P-GqXKCDLaXWgUrsucXxUto1JEAAtHo4lPchtGR2eAE3lLM9w1xnHoaU/s1600/Allusondrugs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseZtUuKQ5UYjEloL8ojsOTUZwTHQrhz1BmW3LZOz0pHGGVEkg_ZtgpBlML6KDuz_vddjfyBgjLUf_fdTErI2P-GqXKCDLaXWgUrsucXxUto1JEAAtHo4lPchtGR2eAE3lLM9w1xnHoaU/s1600/Allusondrugs+1.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Allusondrugs <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lyger <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Beasts </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">**</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Our Black Heart, Camden Wednesday 3rd December 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December is upon us and the party season is in full swing. And what does every party have? Drugs. And tonight's party in the hands of the splendidly monikered hosts promises to be a mind altering and full on fucked-up festive freak out. Well, hopefully.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4EWckrov3heNhITY3hJ2jF3nV3N0npja3Zr1AIAOD1QghbOHEgilyT_QZPZMh2ffhyphenhyphenL3kG3GZLvj1x_txp8-e9PlkLOR6q-gxS7MnPGQ5wphN9rkEQpCS-bQTohBalBcBsqcNaGgXA4/s1600/Beasts+2++.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4EWckrov3heNhITY3hJ2jF3nV3N0npja3Zr1AIAOD1QghbOHEgilyT_QZPZMh2ffhyphenhyphenL3kG3GZLvj1x_txp8-e9PlkLOR6q-gxS7MnPGQ5wphN9rkEQpCS-bQTohBalBcBsqcNaGgXA4/s1600/Beasts+2++.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Beasts </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">**</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First out of the dealer's record bag is a mildly intoxicating grungy bong. An entry level narcotic which although there's nothing too wrong with it doesn't hit the euphoria levels needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing new at all here. Standard grunge. Standard downtuned fug. Think early Soundgarden or maybe even Mudhoney. Well played and performed though, but lacking in highs in every sense of the word. The vocalist, while perfectly competent has a vocal range like an idling diesel bus and is crying out for some spiky or dynamic counterpoint, but, sadly the higher range harmonies that would refresh and light up the stoner haze are absent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A terrific bass player does his best to get heads spinning, but ultimately they merely leave a smile or two on a nodding head rather than anything mind expanding or thrilling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFbVQI-5tBV4XGxNb3CkkB3feo8y8jFfyu_Xv9LghSQl3zLmXN9ybvG6VkzFa-9198Qj7GeH69z5y1kTQl3B_1RXHJ0TbEBHq42u8KD82dBc-zgXM7NOucCkFUJ2cwaPrsWCvAdsZqWg/s1600/Lyger+2+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFbVQI-5tBV4XGxNb3CkkB3feo8y8jFfyu_Xv9LghSQl3zLmXN9ybvG6VkzFa-9198Qj7GeH69z5y1kTQl3B_1RXHJ0TbEBHq42u8KD82dBc-zgXM7NOucCkFUJ2cwaPrsWCvAdsZqWg/s1600/Lyger+2+.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lyger <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what next to tickle the cranium and stimulate the dopamine and serotonin? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, our supplier has dug a bit deeper into his Alice In Wonderland back of headfucks and seems to have pulled out something all together more stimulating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another grungy trio, but this time infused with more relevance and contemporaneity. Altogether spikier than the bong water of Beasts, Lyger get the pulse racing with choppy, slightly off-kilter, pointy crackle cooked up and inhaled greedily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While their tub thumper is no Adam Betts (not many get close to be honest), it feels like this burning pipe is fuelled by the drums. Not all polyrhythms and math brain melts but passionate, energetic and totally losing his shit. He definitely appears to be calling the shots as we're taken on a multi-influenced journey with wisps of The White Stripes, vapours of QOTSA and massive tokes of Dinosuar Pileup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heady, exciting stuff. Not a new or wholly original wonder drug, but definitely one to try again. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblui0QJx-FwNuUbmtWErD_pPrh_PEYKMjK_ND_LtcY9jMxJdNnnKP73ZfnvwpnBQGzQ6xzgWF1dkXCN3L0NHM4lnyNTQQ_26SjoShAblQijhyphenhyphenGqMN6NmdyC7AkZw5E6H-vLoOm8LLp5o/s1600/Allusondrugs+8+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblui0QJx-FwNuUbmtWErD_pPrh_PEYKMjK_ND_LtcY9jMxJdNnnKP73ZfnvwpnBQGzQ6xzgWF1dkXCN3L0NHM4lnyNTQQ_26SjoShAblQijhyphenhyphenGqMN6NmdyC7AkZw5E6H-vLoOm8LLp5o/s1600/Allusondrugs+8+.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Allusondrugs <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a new high? Look no further. Right from the off, spilling out of this tantalising wrap are equal measures of powdered semtex, stomach acid, gripper rod tacks (and we all know how sharp those bastards are!) weapons grade depleted uranium, bleach, Afghani Black, strong cider, Yorkshire tea and probably Kurt Cobain's jizz. Wow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On record, Allusondrugs are a mixed bag. Veering from spastic pop rock, old skool grunge to incendiary alt noise rock. But nothing prepares you for the live experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything is extra heightened. Fuzzed up. Overdriven. Dynamic. Turned up to 11, nah, fuck it, 12. It's still challenging and at times a tiny bit shambolic. But in a good way. Oh yes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneVnnR3UhmBcCTZCEfq7UPGFiE9nlPQlt7VXUB9hniRFVISOKHmaWd2zsJtKzs_JJyFZWXNy7Is8-alIHAw3fWYM1fh_CAAppljNPKu1TNQdr3m1RMjWj8tbX31iUIM0MPaNzGBT5EGM/s1600/Allusondrugs+5+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneVnnR3UhmBcCTZCEfq7UPGFiE9nlPQlt7VXUB9hniRFVISOKHmaWd2zsJtKzs_JJyFZWXNy7Is8-alIHAw3fWYM1fh_CAAppljNPKu1TNQdr3m1RMjWj8tbX31iUIM0MPaNzGBT5EGM/s1600/Allusondrugs+5+.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frontman Jason Moules has it all going on throughout. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He always comes across as the coolest, most spaced out, über-cool, THC ridden rag bag of barbiturates. His banter is dryer than a nun's lady garden and more laid back than a Freak Brothers convention with 7,000 bongs being held in a Lazy Boy chair showroom. But when the music starts, he transforms into grunge's Optimus Prime. Totally losing his shit along with the rest of his fellow hairy bastards: there's more flailing hair on stage than in Teenage Bitch Fight 3 (so much better than 2).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wall of sound is unrelenting. But not sludgy, oppressive, blurred or homogenised. It's all so clever. Brilliant harmonies and counterpoint punch holes in shoe-gazy sections, there are moments of freak out psychedelia, huge heavy passages, breakdowns, spiralling cadenzas and more riffs than on The CrowBar's jager-soused jukebox. And Moules' voice is spot on throughout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, there are inevitable derivative moments and nods to Cobain et al, (<i>Am I Weird</i> is possibly the best Nirvana never written), but they're at their best when they're further away from the standard grungy vibe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not quite as nihilistic as the truly fucked up and as truly terrifying Baby Godzilla, but they're clearly derived and distilled from the same pharmaceutically head-fucking plant. And by the time the blistering, bewildering and ball clenching </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blitzkrieg of a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">set comes to an end with most of the band either in the crowd, lying prostrate or, (in the case of Moules) fucking about with live guitar leads and a mountain of fx pedals it's impossible not to be totally hooked. More please.</span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-35739381689738557152014-11-28T16:06:00.002+00:002014-11-28T16:06:49.036+00:00Applied maths. Advance maths. Pure maths. Pure genius. Live review of Axes, Delta Sleep and Wot Gorilla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Axes <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Delta Sleep <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wot Gorilla <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>The Islington, Friday 7th November 2014</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I embark on any word burps or farts about tonight's astonishing and peerless show, I must apologise for the math-heavy title of this post. And have a bit of a hackneyed and well practised rant. Bear with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I think I have the broadest musical tastes (well apart from most Hip Hop ) and my church's doors are open to a plethora of genres. But therein lies the problem: the genre. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The music industry's (and fans') obsession with narrow-minded taxonomy, classification and pigeon-holing. The never ending onanistic and pointless game of prefixes, suffixes, post this whatever core that. Mind numbing and frankly lazy and diverting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, in a watery vapid defence, it could be said that it helps as a reference point when trying to describe bands' oeuvres and vibes. And a broad-based signposting can be handy when deciding what to listen to or watch. But, when music is as spellbinding, multi-layered, complex, fragile, brutal, experimental, fresh and exciting as the fare on offer tonight, it makes a mockery of the whole obsession.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether tonight's actually quite disparate bands benefit from, like, agree with, adhere to or totally abhor the label, the 'math' thing seems to be an indelible and as difficult to shake as chlamydia or genital warts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, whatever they all are, math, prog, nu-progcore, pseudonoiserock, postmindfuckmathfusionjazzrockaltcore on a fucking hook, matters not jot. For only the second time ever in the thousands of shows I've attended since the 70s, I've been exposed to three five star performances on such a jaw-dropping and magical bill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wot Gorilla <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up are Halifaxters Wot Gorilla. A fire and brimstone trio who peddle impossible rhythms and all manner of technical chicanery. All cleverly fused with catchy tunes, melodic reveries and poppy and rocky sensibilities with heavy interludes, mesmerising playing and hypodermic sharp vocals. And the result is simply breathtaking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The playing is impossibly tight. There's a telepathic understanding between the three wizards which all the hardware and digital soul-reaping software in the world couldn't get close to matching. Every note, or section of a note is nailed to within a billionth of a gnat's dick hair. But it doesn't feel counted, quantised, sanitised or triggered, the true musical heart beats loudly and polyrhythmically at the core of real, hummable songs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a proggy DNA coding their chromosomes (not a true surprise given the band's early Genesis influenced nomenclature) but it's not shoe gazing wanking in a circle. There's genuine accessibility and even broader 'mainstream' appeal popping up all like goosebumps all over the flesh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocally there's more than a nod or resemblance to Coheed And Cambria (mercifully minus the fantasy comic book guy weirdness) or The Mars Volta. Lyrically, the material is spiked full of contemporary cultural references and relevance. In short, this cocktail is just about perfect. Complex yes, but delicious, warming, mind-altering and intoxicating. Just brilliant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Delta Sleep <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next is the turn of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Delta Sleep and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">their newish line up (new thing banger and low-end plucker) to take to the boudoir styled womb red bedraped stage. And, to be honest, they must be a little concerned about how to follow the wizardry and hemi-demi-semi-quaver perfect performance from Wot Gorilla.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No need for concern. They launch into a masterclass in alt vibe-infused gorgeousness. Slightly more stoner-relaxed than than the gorilla boys, but just as sensational. There's new material on show tonight and it's every bit as mesmerising and enthralling as the work on their incredible <i>Management</i> ep which pretty much makes up the rest of the bewitching set.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broken strings (beautifully and professionally dealt with) aside, this is near as godly perfection as live music gets. Staggering symbiotic and telepathic tightness, incredible musicianship and wank-free virtuosity all woven into off kilter, thought-provoking and delicious songs. Yup, songs. Some even with choruses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, I can't actually ever remember being at a show that's just so breathtaking and smile-inducing. My mouth and face ache so much from swinging between hanging agog and cracking with delicious grins and my jaw feel like Luscious Lynda XXX's after the world fellatio championships. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new line up, coupled with the new songs signals nothing but the rudest of health for this slightly crusty but truly original quartet. Their alchemic combination of almost grimy punk with the choppy, syncopated mathy sorcery laden with taps, pulls, sweeps, melody, quirk and mysterious arcane dark arts held together with a magical (poly)rhythm section seriously sucks the air out of one's lungs. Truly magical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Axes <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely, things can't continue at such a ridiculously rarified and elevated level? Can they? Can they?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course they can. And how.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up are the edgy, wild, unhinged, joyous and brain-melting quartet Axes. Fresh from the release of their stunning new long player <i>Glory</i>, they climb into blistering set of technically perfect, chest thumping, genre-defying, mixed-up, head bobbing, ziggy-zaggy, uppy-downy, cerebellum-fucking, mouth-opening, well, er, glory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tightness that's welded together all tonight's performances is right at the surface again. One half a beat out and things could </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">easily</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">become shambolic. But there's not a hope that'll happen. It's simply note and beat perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glued unbreakably by shuddering and temple-punching bass, the twin guitars take the full house on a psychedelic, lobe-scrambling white knuckle ride with more ups and downs than a week with Stephen Fry and a bowl of quaaludes and goofballs. Stunning. Eyewatering. Testicle-tightening. Brilliance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time a proper (unexpected) encore scorches the assembled faces for the last time this evening, it's time for the hardest fall of any post-gig comedown I can recall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was as good as it gets. No, seriously. I know in the world of editor-free, crowd sourced, co-created, open content on the tinterweb, there's no blue pencil hovering over every unsubstantiated superlative and it's easy to get carried away. But, honestly, tonight has not just raised the bar, it's catapulted it up towards that asteroid thing to join the probe that's batteries have conked out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The three bands tonight, be they math, mathcore or fucking altmathpostcranialpostcoitalpostmanpat have delivered one of the very best shows I have ever attended. Simply amazing.</span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-15892141107305034352014-11-22T10:15:00.001+00:002014-11-22T10:22:20.191+00:00Twin turbos: live review of Twin Atlantic & The Xcerts at The Roundhouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Twin Atlantic </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Xcerts <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, Monday November 3rd 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two bands. Both Scottish (ish). Full house. Chalk Farm. Caledonian invasion. Here goes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Xcerts <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three piece. Grunge pop. Huge sound. Ebola catchy. Brilliant album. Stadium bound. Big tunes. Sing along. Mann Equin. Woo woo. Ooh ooh. Song craft. Energy brio. Top blokes. Tom Petty. Blue collar. Sardonic wit. Open hearts. Laid bare. Honest integrity. Lyrically smart. Edgy charm. Warm reception. True class. Big future. Bloody fantastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Twin Atlantic </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">**</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bohemian Rhapsody. Brave intro. Huge anorak. Packed house. Full on. Stadium friendly. Adoring throng. Old songs. New songs. Big songs. Fizzy knickers. Sing backs. Community karaoke. Beast myself. Heart soul. Growing up. Inexorable rise. Rosy future. Show men. Power pop. Future headliners. Festival favourites. Flowery wellies. Radio friendly. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing unlikeable.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All good.</span></div>
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-27867995071850898002014-11-15T10:56:00.003+00:002014-11-16T14:36:15.643+00:00Nightmare of a day - Live review Nightmare Rocks in Camden <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvAXa1Bt2W2-Wz6-NRNUe2AP2bG0LJdHdCtN4DYwGEc4VsVUq7U3yWPrzcbIkjWt_PM3QV81L_SXUmInttPG1HBJSulmQxOgK9jdCTgs5R8HMgF2h1Ye7ZHnBQch9VMyIVXKBBR-yV5Q/s1600/THEHELLYOUDICK2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvAXa1Bt2W2-Wz6-NRNUe2AP2bG0LJdHdCtN4DYwGEc4VsVUq7U3yWPrzcbIkjWt_PM3QV81L_SXUmInttPG1HBJSulmQxOgK9jdCTgs5R8HMgF2h1Ye7ZHnBQch9VMyIVXKBBR-yV5Q/s1600/THEHELLYOUDICK2.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Nightmare Rocks <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>120 bands. 20 venues. 1 day. 1 bastard of a hangover. 120 words.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Various venues, Camden, November 1st 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't seem that long ago that we were scuttling up and down Camden's rat run for the brilliant Camden Rocks in the summer. Well, we're all back. And so's the sun. In November. Weird.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the spirit of today's relentlessly punishing festivities with 120 bands peppered all over NW1, I'm going to pointlessly and breathlessly keep 120 words for each of the acts. Right, I'm going in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Agent <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Underworld</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First on. Devil's own slot. Sadly pretty empty room. But huge proggy, trippy, spacey, djenty, tecchy sounds. Not at all bad actually. Moments of Tool and Karnivool. Odours of grunge as well. At times reminiscent of Queens Of The Stone Age if they actually grew some proper gonads. A bit light on hooks or refrains. But, as I say, proggy stuff, so labyrinthine meandering melodies more the order of the day. There's a screen showing the direct feed from the inside of a meth head's bonce to add to the bong-infused headiness. Strange choice as a first up act. Not really a party starter. Too classy. Too complex. In short, too good. But a really brave and laudable start. Man.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Leviathan </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Jazz Café</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never heard of them. And with the moniker they've got, was expecting a Mastodon/Krokodil/Bovine kind of vibe. How wrong. What we've got is a dirty bastard scuzzy trio banging out a grit in the foreskin, dirty, bluesy, funky concoction that really is captivating. A grungy throwback lead guitarist and gruff but explosive vocalist rips into all manner of filth including a mesmerising and funked and fucked up version of Sabbath's <i>The Wizard</i> accompanied by some solid tub thumping and an über dude on a Rickenbacker providing great counterpoint, grinding bass and surprisingly tight as an amoeba's arse harmonies. It's an unholy mix of Nirvana, Rory Gallagher, Budgie </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and even hints of The Jam. A bit bonkers. But a bit good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Du Bellows </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Proud</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regrettably, a pretty empty room. Mysteriously no drummer. More booze. Dog-on-a-string guitarist. Dreads. Bare feet. Sassy Welsh front woman. Huge, gorgeous, powerful voice. Reminiscent of Chicken Shack or Early Fleetwood Mac with spacey Fairport Convention wisps and strands woven into a bluesy, folky, stoner loveliness. Packed like a Camberwell carrot full of soul, sass and mind-altering trippyness. Although (maybe due to today's lack of a tub thumper) a little ramshackle and loose at times. A real comfortable cardy or care-worn, rock-burnt afghan coat of a band showing their forefathers' and mothers' influences by dipping into ma and pa's old vinyl collection, mixing it all up, packing into a bong and firing the beauty up for a brain calming feel-good session. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Death And The Penguin </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Proud</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art school. Math school. New school. Smart school. Blimey, what a grin-inducing, pleasant surprise. A brilliant set full of angular, polyrhythmic, über-tight, clever, beautifully played and energetically performed mathy splendour. Fresh, challenging, original and spellbinding trickery and fuckery. There's a real endearing intelligence to this quartet's work. Complete with ironic bow ties and 6th form common room geek chic. There's more than a trace of Everything Everything or even Franz Ferdinand (if they were actually any good!) mixed with Delta Sleep or Tellison and even a bit of OK Go. There's more chop than a Karate competition in an abattoir all deliciously served up with mesmerising harmony and counterpoint with poppy hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top. Absolutely bloody </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Calling All Cars </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Dingwalls</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully, more than quite a few have slipped down the gullet into the subterranean gloom of Camden's bowels for this </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brotherly love-led </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bristolian-based Oz trio. Quite simply why this band aren't huge is just mystifying. Hayden Ing is a born front man and backed by his brother James on 4 strings and the Bonhomesque skin smasher (he even sees off a snare this afternoon) Adam Montgomery they reek of stadium or huge halls. The music itself is massive. Joyous. Fresh. Unfettered rock and roll, crammed with hooks, riffs, melody, harmony and napalm-enriched face-melting power. Ing's vocals are flawless even though he throws himself around like a cattle-prodded mudskipper, performing from the crowd or even up a ladder (you 'eard). Fanbloodytastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Max Raptor </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Underworld</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">120 words. Go:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hot. Packed. Frenzied. Energetic. Clever.
Dry. Witty. Powerful. Fun. Chinese. Gervais. Sorry. Cider. Mosh. King. Dead.
Tight. Fresh. Heavy. Showmen. Sardonic. Wry. Dance. Shout. Cajoled. Seduced.
Thoughtful. Evangeline. Heart. Passion. Bombast. Punk. Rock. Original. Savvy.
Riffs. Bombs. Guts. Evacuation. Skidmarks. Oops. Fervour. Belief. Boner. Wide-on. Phwoooar. Honesty. Integrity. Performance. Grit. Political. Anger. Ire. Intelligence.
Beguiling. Frenzy. Gyrating. Response. Sing-a-long. Whooooa. Oooh. Anthemic. Powder. Wine. Sweat. Foist. Crowd. Surf. Yell. Drop. Bombs. Respect. Heart. Power. Meat. Raw. Fisting. Ouch. Vim. Vigour. Tune. Hook. Chorus. Melody. Anger. Principled. Smart. Savvy. Party. Dance. Clap. Scream. Dive. Pit. Delicious. Strong. Dark. Punch. Gonads. Kiss. Neck. Contrast. Handshake. Bird. Hug. Strangle. Seduce. Defile. Smile. Grimace. Love. Hate. Barrel. Wave. Two. Fingers. Proud. Brilliant. Fuck. Yeah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Brawlers </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Electric Ballroom</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, red beanie-toting frontman Harry George Johns is one of those ludicrously passionate, born-to-be-a-star types who bleeds music, but the sad fact is, his band is, well, a bit meh. Derivative and regressed-to-the-mean pop punk adding so little of anything new. Ok, there's melody and the occasional hook in here. But it's all so bloody me-too. Johns has the energy. He's got the neck. The star quality. but that's about it. The crowd (even the ones who are questionably manhandled to the floor by Johns) seem to share my opinion. A glazed, cider-induced smile or two and the brave attempts by a couple of fancy-dressed moshing chickens aside, no fires are lit in the cavernous hall this afternoon. Real shame. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOakQnd8S2okW16TWcCalDlm5MOHsvzTSsFW3Sk9tKcVb-mcrZKkuA1t3P070tJGhY83qOsWhFDC7ZmF6COJ0xpjDCg0J32-3CE6zpf96QaRUzUDuVyinVwklmhz8g06xcbNlzGM4SbQ4/s1600/INME3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOakQnd8S2okW16TWcCalDlm5MOHsvzTSsFW3Sk9tKcVb-mcrZKkuA1t3P070tJGhY83qOsWhFDC7ZmF6COJ0xpjDCg0J32-3CE6zpf96QaRUzUDuVyinVwklmhz8g06xcbNlzGM4SbQ4/s1600/INME3.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">InMe </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Electric Ballroom</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feels like the whole InMe army are packed in. And they're treated to a brief but blinding set of alt metally, dazzlingly played artillery lobbed into their adoring midst. However, although I've long been a fan, I can't help but feel that tonight is all a little 'knowing'. Introducing rarely played backnumbers is a treat for die-hards; this is a festival. Maybe (no matter how much Dave and the lads must hate trotting them out) a couple more 'big ones' like</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>Single of The Weak</i> and the one that kicked it all off, <i>Underdose </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">could get an airing, given that despite the fan-dominated room, there are a shitload of newbies here tonight. Minor gripe, but it feels like a convention rather than a celebration. Bloody good though.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As always.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0h9bykfRzYzgll-O6qLrwuTFMCbsGFUr-wQIgd059HnQ8fUpo-BxtJymjY6r7gwt0E7vCi4GXwHeQ06iJ-Zhn6Exh12WkKinBFBZyiRereExbvaE1FWzrbHsaT9HppYH0uFFiS6LTGg/s1600/THEHELLYOUDICK4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0h9bykfRzYzgll-O6qLrwuTFMCbsGFUr-wQIgd059HnQ8fUpo-BxtJymjY6r7gwt0E7vCi4GXwHeQ06iJ-Zhn6Exh12WkKinBFBZyiRereExbvaE1FWzrbHsaT9HppYH0uFFiS6LTGg/s1600/THEHELLYOUDICK4.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Hell </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Underworld.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">120 words you say? Ok:</span><br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CUNTS.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SPASTICS.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHInZmUaECcDKQErbVfsu7ykaAZWqf3uHxgjt03fe2RQVUK2CyNWtbyySpO-U1LBgz2X21JwJUpIPX8v4kNbG-h5UrsSsDSE3fMz619sboirGkblQiULKsgMrtpSOcGUmt_8gAM2lWQU/s1600/Allusondrugs+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHInZmUaECcDKQErbVfsu7ykaAZWqf3uHxgjt03fe2RQVUK2CyNWtbyySpO-U1LBgz2X21JwJUpIPX8v4kNbG-h5UrsSsDSE3fMz619sboirGkblQiULKsgMrtpSOcGUmt_8gAM2lWQU/s1600/Allusondrugs+2.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Allusondrugs </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Underworld.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last 120 words. In twos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last minute. Rhino replacement. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top blokes.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leeds lads. Bong water. Grunge infused. Empty room. Huge hearts. Tight as. Big tunes. Hilariously dry. Energetic bounce. Rock Roll. Likeable engagement. Great musicianship. Cousin It. Fun frenzy. Loud proud. True heart. Good songs. Party hearts. Catchy chlamydia. Roller coaster. White knuckles. Punk soul. Fucking fun. Dance inducing. Smiles grins. Big bollocks. Genuine talent. Original new. Fast furious. Hummable memorable. Light shade. Dark bright. Genuine passion. Feeling pissed. Shot arm. Pick up. Guitars loud. Loving it. Show men. Hundred percent. Respect due. Sweat brow. Giving all. Last act. Huge day. Broken liver. Fantastic fun. Brilliant acts. Live music. The Best. Totally fucked. More cider. Another Jager. After show. Hang over. Love it. Need sleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bit of a gallery:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f9bI2OvoA3AUnSmH56UKIxrbplJOxQTxQU6Wrfr2XwJd3EfBHWIafb7RNlbdV3YJSlg2kmClYyU_RkSzv-ZPZ58ItTzD63UE2-TcrGlKMLjeukmlT8tf9g2ZyLjIvpuJTJ4T3sHiHL4/s1600/Leviathan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f9bI2OvoA3AUnSmH56UKIxrbplJOxQTxQU6Wrfr2XwJd3EfBHWIafb7RNlbdV3YJSlg2kmClYyU_RkSzv-ZPZ58ItTzD63UE2-TcrGlKMLjeukmlT8tf9g2ZyLjIvpuJTJ4T3sHiHL4/s1600/Leviathan1.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></a></div>
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-13317678538802789832014-10-24T12:16:00.000+01:002014-10-24T12:16:49.578+01:00Definitely. Not maybe. Live review of Maybeshewill at The Garage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Maybeshewill <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>&U&I <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flood of Red <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Waking Aida <span style="color: red;">***<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Garage, Islington, 17th October 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear brethren, on a pleasantly balmy autumn evening, we are gathered here today to give thanks to the music gods for the rich harvest laid before us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who'd have thunk it, but we have a sell out for an evening of post and alt rock. You 'eard. A sell out. A full house. A brimming, drooling congregation of zealots, acolytes and good people (mostly with beards) gathered to celebrate the off beam. The challenging. The underdog. And, brothers and sisters, it feels bloody liberating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Waking Aida <span style="color: red;">***1/2</span>**</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First to the pulpit are genteel post rockers Waking Aida. Pretty much from the same clan and gene pool as Maybeshewill, they kick things off with a seductive set of soundscapes, noodles, time signature tomfoolery and lush pads. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing too novel or startling, but a solid and thoroughly enjoyable first reading to kick off evensong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Flood of Red <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the second reading from the book of Caledonians are Airdrionian alt rock tunesmiths Flood of Red. And we're treated to a spellbinding and intoxicating performance full of spiralling textures and meaty melody with big swollen balls. And all topped off by the almost angelic and seductive vocals of sideways-facing Jordan Spiers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a heady and evocative mix. Great swathes of superb musicianship, huge, anthemic tunes and deep, almost menacing heavy thunder painting an almost menacing biblical scene with Spiers' shaft of heavenly light cutting through and delivering salvation. A Flood of Old Testament proportions indeed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>&U&I <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next to preach to the agog congregation are the delightfully mixed up and agnostic &U&I. Tonight, they feel like a guest reverend from a hardcore fanatical or fundamentalist church among the other generally lilting and charming homilies. They deliver spit and fire. Brimstone and ball crushing, acerbic fervour. And it's brilliant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tighter than a 70's male TV presenter or DJ's ringpiece every time the doorbell rings, the trio produce a surging maelstrom of mathy mayhem with every stop, beat, fill and ghost note nailed to within hyper a quantized microsecond. There's so much skill on offer, yet it never sounds mannered or sanitised. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's roughness aplenty. But mainly vocally through screams and hellfire yells as a counterpoint to the mesmerising playing and head-spinning precision. And it works a treat. Oh yes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Maybeshewill <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the readings have been delivered. The offering received. The heady incense burned. It's time for the main sermon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the first tantalising notes of the opening to the phenomenal album <i>Fair Youth</i> ring out and then mutate into the majesty and splendour of <i>In Amber</i>, it's clear that this is no ordinary priest; it's pretty much as close as we can get to The Big Man himself making an appearance. Holy fuck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything here is as close to perfection as humble mankind can get. The raw nerve-shredding might and spine-tingling beauty of the Leicestershire quintet's work is definitely as near as dammit a religious experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How on God's earth can instrumental music generate so much powerful emotion? </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Mozart sat hunched at his candle-lit dais banging out his melodic masterpieces, he can only have dreamt that those same twelve notes he banged on about would still be being arranged a couple of hundred years later with the same fervour and heart-shifting splendour but with relevance, modernity and originality. Shivers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And to make things even more unfairly goosebump inducing and heavenly, tonight the lads are occasionally joined on stage by a perfect horn section just to wring more joyous tears from the bewitched and converted apostles. Everywhere around there are lumps in t</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hroats and pants, moist eyes and erect neck and arm hairs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The band themselves appear far from oblivious to the collective joy and fanaticism; they seem genuinely touched and even taken aback at the fervour and dedicated appreciation pouring forth from the converts at their feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They're all big tunes tonight, but the really 'big' ones like <i>Red Paper Lanterns</i>, <i>To The Skies From a Hillside</i>, <i>Critical Distance</i> and <i>Not For Want of Trying </i>bring the chapel walls down. In fact the whole town's walls. There are crowd surfers (yup, at a post rock show!), gyrating pits and general joyous and unbridled mayhem as each delicious chord progression, arpeggio and module milks us all dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lads return to the stage after the thunderous and passionate collective entreaties of the baying crowd before finishing the service by delivering the <i>coup de grace</i>; </span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>He Films The Clouds Part 2</i> with its sampled voicy bit which turns the awestruck mob into a massive community choir belting out every word with football fan gusto.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the final arpeggio fades into the ether and the crowd erupts for one last time, it's apparent that we've been in the presence of something almost spiritual this evening. A mesmerising, rousing, hugely emotional and moving miracle. At the risk of sounding like some sort of fucking Jehovah's Witness or cod Missionary: You need Maybeshewill in your life. See the light. Let them in. A-bloody-men.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>By the way, in no way am I religious. I concur with Mr Steven Fry: "Religion? Shit it!" Just thought I'd better clear that up.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>But if there was a God, he probably is 5 guys from Leicester.</i></b></span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-81731836840002807422014-10-22T23:47:00.001+01:002014-10-23T08:44:25.745+01:00Marmolized. Live review of Marmozets at The Scala.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI1h-VayGBbtUDNN9czzSagCUr_Q1RK6aW9s2fLUE2Wi8tnakFhfsV0dTvLN6vsKViOw5kPWGabtBX1g9qzIuJPMXe87kKvibNcfgJFeF71Let-w-PLVyBeCJSLVS9Sw78IKsLDvw5pw/s1600/Marmozets+Scala+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI1h-VayGBbtUDNN9czzSagCUr_Q1RK6aW9s2fLUE2Wi8tnakFhfsV0dTvLN6vsKViOw5kPWGabtBX1g9qzIuJPMXe87kKvibNcfgJFeF71Let-w-PLVyBeCJSLVS9Sw78IKsLDvw5pw/s1600/Marmozets+Scala+2.jpg" height="268" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Marmozets<span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lonely The Brave </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Scala, Kings Cross, London, Friday 10th October 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness stumbles towards that ceremony where we burn effigies of Catholic conspirators and spend fortunes filling the sky with cordite and burning holes in wooly gloves, it seems only apposite to draw an autumnal parallel between tonight's pyrotechnics and the impending night of the roman candle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, let's get the taper lit, the pets behind the sofa, the biscuit tin of air bombs and bangers out from under the stairs and get things lit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lonely The Brave </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
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First to be thrust into the bucket of soil to be sparked up on this alternating headline tour are Cambridge's movers and shakers Lonely The Brave.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't take long for the fuse to crackle into life and deliver its charge into the beefy payload as a huge sound cascades all over the packed confines of this grand old, whimsical venue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As fireworks go, Lonely The Brave are a slick, impressive well organised display bursting with oohs and aahs, filling every corner of the space with impressive and gut-vibrating booms and a glittering smattering of pomp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, if there's one minor gripe, this <i>son et lumiere, </i>while full of grandeur and spectacular fizz, gets, well, a little repetitive. The songs, while pretty much all stadium-friendly anthems and chest-beating canon fire lack a little nuance or definition. A bit like a really impressive long series of dazzling bright white Chrysanthemum-like fusillades; although captivating and hypnotic, it feels like there's a need for the occasional change of pace. Of colour. Of, dare I say it, key.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That all said, like any band with an original or specific sound, the line between trademark oeuvre and repetition is a difficult and precarious one to tread. Muse, U2, Biffy <i>et al</i> all emanate a clearly recognisable scent and it doesn't seem to have harmed them all too much. Anyway, it's horribly unfair to unduly criticise a band so early on their journey and without a whopping sac bulging full of backed up goop to draw upon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's such an engrossing and explosive show, that the always slightly rum positioning of singer David Jakes behind the guitars isn't particularly noticeable here, camouflaged by the cascading joy, emotion and explosions, he delivers a pretty much flawless vocal performance which is helped out in the big sing-a-long bits by the gawping display watchers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A crackling and cracking set which clearly puts this lot in the big cabinet of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fuck off serious </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fireworks behind the counter and certainly hints of even bigger and brighter things to come. I just hope they do dip into the weird and wonderful, slightly more challenging and dangerous part of the chemistry set to change things up just now and again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fiery and impressive stuff though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the lingering cordite and last wisps of Lonely The Brave smoke swirl into the Kings Cross sky, it's time for tonight's main display. Once again, the powder keg of a room is as full as a fat chav's grey sweatpants. And just about as hot. And stickily sweaty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lights dim and we're off. Right from the off, there's a different air. A different energy. Whereas Lonely The Brave were more pomp and circumstance, Becca MacIntyre and her ragbag collection of MacIntyre and Bottomley brotherly miscreants are more downtown Helmand. Full on, gloves off, pin out relentless bombast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicking off with the Ebola grade infectious <i>Born Young And Free</i>, the place melts down in the face of the incendiary assault. MacIntyre's voice has never sounded better. Swinging effortlessly between pitch perfect cleans and testicle rearranging growls and screams, the diminutive Tyke-ess leads her likely lads unquestioningly and loyally over the top into artillery saturated action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The set unabatingly keeps delivering spectacular explosion after spectacular explosion. The variety box that is the brilliant new album (<i>The Weird And Wonderful</i> - definitely cemented as one of the albums of the year) is virtually emptied of one fizzing banger after another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this is no spluttering, crackling family selection. Oh no. This is weapons grade stuff. Massive thunderfucks. Laced with the heaviest of metals, jizz, shards of tortured Sheffield steel, bile, phlegm, napalm and face-melting lava. Like some sort of fierce, snarling pyroclastic flow, engulfing all in its path while sardonically and mischievously flicking the middle finger up as it passes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not some dad-lit 3 inch fizzling back garden Mount Vesuvius, but the raging hard on of the real thing; right in the hellish pit of the ejaculating crater. And it keeps coming. The malevolent album title track, the angsty <i>Why Do You Hate Me</i> and the drop tuned majesty of <i>Hit The Wave </i>keep the bombs raining in on the shell shocked, sweating, writhing hordes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But like all pyrotechnic displays, it has to come to an end and seems too short. And, as a first album band and with only a couple of handfulls of previous math fuckery at their disposal, 10 songs is about as much as we can hope for. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But with two last songs like the brilliant blitzkrieg of </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Move Shake Hide</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and the astonishing neutron bomb set closer </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vibetech</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> there's no feeling of being short changed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The B52 delivered Vibetech leaves a huge circular crater on the floor as a spastically frenzied circle pit opens up to accompany the mathy, Dillingeresque explosion that wrings the last drops of sweat from the adoring and by now mutilated crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight, Marmozets have moved up a notch and rightly can take their place among the very best of British live bands, in fact, fuck it, among the very best live bands full stop. Their energy, tightness, melody, technical ability, maturing songcraft and integrity sets them apart from the pack by a country mile. Brilliant, bewildering, explosive stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boom indeed.</span></div>
Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-47849466567415076792014-10-04T21:08:00.001+01:002014-10-04T21:08:11.644+01:00Havana ball - Live review of Deaf Havana at Sub 89 Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Deaf Havana </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">****</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Attention Thieves <span style="color: red;">***</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">**</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Sub 89 Reading, 3rd October 2014</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, apologies to Hearts Under Fire; due to having to struggle out to the wilds of Berkshire for tonight's show, I didn't hit the dizzying bosom of Reading in time for the early set. But the buzz in the attic after their opening slot seems to suggest they'd set things up nicely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Attention Thieves <span style="color: red;">***</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">**</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing you notice about local lads Attention Thieves, well apart from bass player Ryan Davies, is that they're all bloody huge. They're like a performing New York sky line or an NBA team on a lads' night out (who've brought a wee friend out with them)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's not only physical hugeness that this quintet possess. There are chunky tunes, big drops, fat guitars, massive growls and impressive energy throughout their heavy alt rock infused set.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, maybe a little harshly, there may be not a lot too new or staggeringly original about their offering (and tonight, they're fighting a sound man who buries most of the vocal deep down in the bombastic mix), but they're tight, bang on point, slick - without being anodyne or soulless - vibrant and, at times as heavy as a frustrated rhino's blue balls. And judging by the enthusiastic and warm reaction from the packed room, it works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many glimpses of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">influential </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">underwear on show; from the sassy alt rock vibes of Hundred Reasons or even Reuben, the nu-UK rock sounds of Young Guns, tantalising hints of post pop punky ADTR chop and even a whiff of Alexis On Fire veering towards the lighter end of metal core <i>a la </i>Bury Tomorrow. Quite a heavy choice as an opener for the now far-from-heavy headline act, but, all-in-all, a bloody good big show from a bloody good big band. And little Ryan.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Deaf Havana </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">****</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">*</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know, it's a weird one that we're all here at all tonight. Not that downtown Reading is especially weird, it just feels like something must be going on in camp Havana. A couple of apparently random dates in a couple of smallish rooms in, well, provincial towns. A cancelled European tour. A new mini English tour coming up with no date in the Capital. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the last couple of years of apparent exponential growth, an evolutionary streamlining and defining of their blue collar 'people's rock' sound, a couple of brilliant and critically acclaimed long players, huge sell out shows at the likes of The Roundhouse, Clapham Grand and Shepherds Bush, even bigger main stage festival slots, support slots to some of the business's behemoths...now this. Back to basics. Rum indeed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not that it matters a jot tonight, as by now the room is </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bulging</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as packed as Ron Jeremy's budgie smugglers and there's a genuine crackle of excitement and anticipation hanging in the pheromone and sweat-saturated air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the opening banging bounce and beauty of <i>Boston Square</i>, any thoughts, fears or musing about why we're all here tonight are completely sublimated and eradicated. This is how to do a rock show. Oh yes. The small size and low ceiling simply serve to amplify and exaggerate the connection, the love, the energy and the consumate songcraft that these East Anglian buggers have dripping from every honest and integrity-filled pore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Veck-Gilodi's always special voice has seldom been better. I could swear he even smiles at least a couple of times during the riotous and perfectly executed set (although he hints at troubles, disgruntlement and has a pop at other bands' recent outputs - hmmmm, can't possibly imagine who he's referring to; maybe the spiky and wonderfully snidey paean to the toilet tour <i>The Past Six Years</i> is laden with extra bile and resonance this evening. Just sayin'.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever the reasons for being here, Deaf Havana sound as good or even better than they've ever sounded: every tune is an absolute banger with the salivating and cider-fuelled assembled bouncing, clapping and baying mob loving every second of the hour long rollercoaster ride.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are genuine tear jerking moments in the thought-provoking and pain-soaked <i>Anemophobia</i> and majestic set-closer <i>Caro Padre</i> mixed with unbridled joy of toe tappers like<i> Everybody's Dancing And I Want To Die</i> and the woo hooo hoo hoos of <i>I Will Try</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever travails The Veck-Gilodi brothers and their merry band may or may not be going through, tonight they have cemented themselves as national treasures. Again. Let's hope they manage to keep this electrifying theme park ride on its rails and keep providing thrills, spills, gut-moving and heart-stopping moments.</span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-13246529789519033742014-09-18T23:06:00.000+01:002014-09-18T23:10:33.109+01:00Got Cape. Wore cape. Flew. Review of last ever GCWCF show at The Forum.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Get Cape Wear Cape Fly <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Some Shit Rap shambles <span style="color: red;">*</span>****</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Xcerts <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Shane McGowan </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Forum, Kentish Town, Friday 12th September 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, it's finally here. The public pyre-lighting to see off a decade long 'project'? The <i>Up helly aa </i>of<i> </i>a <i>nom-de-plume </i>or<i> </i>stage name<i> </i>sobriquet? The gallows rites of an act? A band. A bloke? Tonight we are gathered to bury Get Cape Wear Cape Fly. And to praise him. (It. Them.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around 10 years ago, Mr Sam Duckworth from sunny Sarfend produced an album of such staggering influence, prescience and quality that he was going to make life very difficult for himself. Difficult to beat. Difficult to live up to. Difficult to follow up. Difficult to shake off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And by his own admission, the intervening years have oft been marinaded in that difficulty. But throughout the 'career' or tenure of GCWCF, he has cemented himself in the position of all round brilliant bloke. Caring bloke. Supportive bloke. Revolutionary bloke. Talented bloke. Honest, dignified and integrity-soused bloke.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager </i>is without a doubt, a modern masterpiece and should be on every self-respecting music loving being's shelf, cloud or iPod. And tonight we are seeing some of its hallowed contents </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">along with some equally sparkling further works from Mr Duckworth's later oeuvre </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">being laid to rest for the very last time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, while there's a party vibe in the air, there's definitely a lump or two welling in the collective throats. A frisson of sadness not far under the surface. Damn it, it feels like a wake, rather than a farewell party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before we turn to the main man and his death cape, Sam has curated, well, a curate's egg of an evening. Due to the early start I miss most of <b>Sean McGowan's</b> spiky, sassy and sardonic jamboree, but he seems to have pulled a decent smattering of the floating mourners away from the Red Stripe pumps and onto the floor to slap them with his socially sarf coast estuarine rants, raves and roams. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Xcerts <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mourners however are a little more insouciant and stand-offish for the always excellent Xcerts. Regardless of the relatively sparse floor dwellers, the trio's sound is huge tonight and a mix of older favourites and stunning tasters milk every dB out of the ballsy PA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Pop Song</i> and <i>Shaking in The Water</i> are genuine instant classics. Radio friendly enough but with a majesty, complexity and even a noir underbelly. If this is anywhere near what else is to come on their long-awaited new long player, then they won't be playing half empty support slots for much longer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like a diminutive and slightly gauche bastard offspring of Tom Petty, Sam Carter, Kurt Cobain and My auntie Lyn, frontman Murray Macleod shows genuine and heartfelt respect, friendship, comradeship and love for Duckworth and regales the crowd with anecdotes of how he was totally fucked up by Sam's 'appetite for life' early in their career back in the BSM era when Sam personally championed the band (I fondly remember one evening in a converted strip bar in Soho at a very late show....nuff said - well, it is a night for reminiscing as well as revelry).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The short but oh-so-sweet set ends with the anthemic and energetic <i>Slackerpop</i> during which an impish Macleod manfully manages to get the crowd to enter pantomime world and get involved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fitting and special performance, just can't work out why they're not on directly before the man himself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Some Shit Rap shambles </span><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won't rant. Or be too disrespectful. Rap is not really my thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I am more than a bit bewildered at Sam's choice of guests; even more so at their position on the bill. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't even know who they are. Which is, I admit, a little disrespectful. Forgive me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's kind of like two blokes having a syncopated shouty road rage argument in Peckham High Street bawling into each others' faces with some dude on a record player spinning bits and bobs of tunes that seem to have no rhythmic, melodic, structural or percussive link to what or how the shouty blokes are doing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An absolute shambles. Made worse by the conveyor belt arrival of other road ragey special guest blokes in anoraks who ramble on about weed and get the crowd (well, the scant few who show any interest whatsoever) to shout back 'SHIIIIT!' Exactly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I know Sam is very much a man of the people and is a no respecter of boundaries, borders, discrimination, demarcation or crippling taxonomy and genres. In short, he oozes diversity, respect and integrity and his diverse and inclusive influences are legendary and eye-opening. Know what he was trying to do. But, in all honesty, for once, he's dropped a bit of a bollock here tonight. Let me hear you say SHIIIIIT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Get Cape Wear Cape Fly</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, onto the main event. Hankies ready.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The venerable old Forum is now as full as a fat man's pants and there's a genuine feeling of love and magic in the air. Mr Duckworth bounces onto the stage to join a full horn section, drums and, of course, his laptop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving no Bohemian stone unturned from the incredible Chronicles, and giving most of them a completely new coat of varnish or gold leaf and tinkering with rhythms, arrangements, time signatures and ileum-loosening sub bass, the drooling and fine-voiced throng lap up every syllable and semi-quaver. Without being too glib, it feels like a massive, real time loved up Karaoke.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLbLnWG5Lxcl0j1xWD3qVl5mjhvoJ79b1kIt4qca-JtWFu-QWiqgvumCqrZNJJ3qsMsf2Sh8fvklkTx9yYnf4LkNPU8Om7AbD-_Lrn3Fb8C7wYSCZUosCILS39VQY4l5hxzXhPsCMp2E/s1600/GCWCF+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLbLnWG5Lxcl0j1xWD3qVl5mjhvoJ79b1kIt4qca-JtWFu-QWiqgvumCqrZNJJ3qsMsf2Sh8fvklkTx9yYnf4LkNPU8Om7AbD-_Lrn3Fb8C7wYSCZUosCILS39VQY4l5hxzXhPsCMp2E/s1600/GCWCF+3.jpg" height="252" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regularly adding and subtracting to the line up, often leaving his slight frame but massive presence alone on the stage peeking out from behind his well-love acoustic, the show tugs at heartstrings, provokes and allures, gets heads a bobbing and feet a shuffling like some massive dance like your dad at a wedding flash mob. And the wee man looks like he's loving every fucking minute of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full band add weight when called upon, faithful sidekick Mikey Glenister and his horny friends add honks, badaps and sheen, noodly keyboards complement the beeps, farts, wobs and real bass upon sub bass and real drums upon quantized clicks and booms all create a perfect storm. Add in Duckworth's flawless, raw, honest and eastbound A127 glottal-stop infused vocal cajoling, polemicising, philosophising and thought provoking vocals and, lest not forget, pretty fine plank spanking and the perfect storm becomes an irresistible tornado. And sounds as relevant and as original today as it ever has done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are genuine tears all around me for<i> Lighthouse Keeper</i> which is a personal highlight in an evening actually impossible to pick out highlights and voices finally gave out during the wonderfully apt and show stopping bas da ba da ba joy fest that closes this particular chronicle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not an unsullied larynx or a dry eye left in the house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kind of shot my emotional bolt when it comes to putting into words Sam's last show, as I was under the impression that a show he did at the New Slang event in good old Kingston earlier this year which left me as an empty quivering, tearful wreck. So I couldn't' fully put into words how delighted I was when I heard he was going to go out in the right manner here tonight. And what a way to go. What a night. A truly legendary performance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He has his reasons. And I'm sure they're as good as the bloke he is. And tonight is a fitting and celebratory end of an era. A monumentally important era. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a total joy and a privilege to have been here to be part of it tonight. And to have been there witnessing the growth, and regrowth over the past decade. And I wish him all the best in the next stage of the journey. Or the next stanza, verse, chapter or volume of his chronicles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hats of Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, whatever or whoever you were. You flew. Oh yes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And thank you. </span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-57519618284697316902014-08-11T10:39:00.003+01:002014-08-11T10:42:44.371+01:00Shit from the pit<div class="issuuembed" data-configid="4286944/8899673" style="height: 203px; width: 575px;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the third shoddy collection of even shoddier pics taken with an alcohol-fuelled shoddy iPhone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the above widgetty thing isn't working, then <b><a href="http://issuu.com/bwoooar/docs/shit_from_the_pit?e=4286944/8899673"><span style="color: red;">click here</span></a></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIWOthyphenhyphenJxW31Fm9ciPuwtYeLJjkweekzma14YCSOQ1k-LYkMQ5S6geXpyBogkkswtSxyhaxzIEa7C-xoCUIkzyJlNE09_rgrc8fTR-T3t9fGL4RMkg9m5uWH1N5MMFJFLOdB3ZKSTumU/s1600/GCWCF+Camden+1+mono.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIWOthyphenhyphenJxW31Fm9ciPuwtYeLJjkweekzma14YCSOQ1k-LYkMQ5S6geXpyBogkkswtSxyhaxzIEa7C-xoCUIkzyJlNE09_rgrc8fTR-T3t9fGL4RMkg9m5uWH1N5MMFJFLOdB3ZKSTumU/s1600/GCWCF+Camden+1+mono.jpg" height="272" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly, it’s not some kind of high art or pro quality photo journalistic <i>tour de force</i>. more like a pissed haze captured on the hoof while jigging, jostling, jagering and joyously sweating on the cider-sticky floors of gloomy stygian rooms filled with passionate noise and passion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The image quality is questionable, but the moments themselves often magical and moving.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxnciN7g1YJ4ykmaX9d6NdKW5uM9kfyW1lOBI3nmsskZLvQ8FtGFyDytUpJt04QJ8Ysgw6wcAAloQF2F3ce9vsf_8Md0bMvDbbzU19CXuBiD5YGSvOCHj42gqlwjK_ZpzAlYaPsJuAno/s1600/swimgood+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxnciN7g1YJ4ykmaX9d6NdKW5uM9kfyW1lOBI3nmsskZLvQ8FtGFyDytUpJt04QJ8Ysgw6wcAAloQF2F3ce9vsf_8Md0bMvDbbzU19CXuBiD5YGSvOCHj42gqlwjK_ZpzAlYaPsJuAno/s1600/swimgood+1.jpg" height="250" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the images are copyright free so feel free to steal, borrow, circulate, or to get tattooed on your </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buttocks, genitals or face. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqbWJYdgoYpOyR6m0ouhVxLwnh-pUZ7dKG8h411a65d0AU05bqtD1wkIdP6FONzFUIN4wU72cJKMfStPsNDvgR5PDmsbu5SgVfcS-Mcg3gbh1ErTf2iSZ-cvXZ7q0JfQfs7fcnogGWJA/s1600/Arcane+Roots+Garage+Master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqbWJYdgoYpOyR6m0ouhVxLwnh-pUZ7dKG8h411a65d0AU05bqtD1wkIdP6FONzFUIN4wU72cJKMfStPsNDvgR5PDmsbu5SgVfcS-Mcg3gbh1ErTf2iSZ-cvXZ7q0JfQfs7fcnogGWJA/s1600/Arcane+Roots+Garage+Master.jpg" height="263" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still can’t quite put into words how i stilll get off on the dirty, nosiy, honest and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heart-warming bands, acts, characters and assholes who ply their trades with integrity and dedication in shit bunkers up and down the country, night after night. hopefully this latest battered and bruised collection of images goes at least half way to capturing the mereset whiff of the soul, sentiment and smell of just some of the acts i’ve been lucky enough to haul my old arse in front of over the last few months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-21202795341184201302014-08-03T17:36:00.003+01:002014-08-04T09:36:57.513+01:00There they go. Live review of Lower Than Atlantis at Dingwalls 31/07/14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hnu6IfEGg9ZGrWURztAUVl0JW2qHZ9784ZoQFJcjjqcVLH4ZDPhyM05J8xWShC6bvdo0g9zUgQnzrhHK5bwTilPLEDvqgv-WikP8j1MwMM0hWwXPtFeR7fVHYGZYzZq4iL_qkr44lFA/s1600/Mike+Duce+Dingwalls+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hnu6IfEGg9ZGrWURztAUVl0JW2qHZ9784ZoQFJcjjqcVLH4ZDPhyM05J8xWShC6bvdo0g9zUgQnzrhHK5bwTilPLEDvqgv-WikP8j1MwMM0hWwXPtFeR7fVHYGZYzZq4iL_qkr44lFA/s1600/Mike+Duce+Dingwalls+2.jpg" height="219" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lower Than Atlantis <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Decade</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Yearbook</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Dingwalls, Camden, 31st July 2014</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some shows you look forward to for ages. You wait patiently as the tour swings along and suffer mildly jealous pangs as mates, journos, the bands themselves post pics, vids, tweets and head farts about the awesome show in Stoke or the high jinx in downtown Cardiff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, tonight is one of those nights. The expectation has been building since what feels like when the last king was alive. Yup. Last night of the tour. In the capital. In the venerable old sweat bunker nestled in the tummy fat of Camden market that is Dingwalls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, it must be said, a disparate and interesting bill of fare is laid out in front of us. Librarycore, Pop Punk and, well, who knows what LTA are at the moment (or, more pressingly what they're about to become).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju86HfWapfrRogT-9I1SQZRsGPNKLvdaJNhobFlqkIU2-wnYwOgIZXaL4ilrJcDh3m71raJZRjYru2K4BOLDASkw5xxv0ENb3uqVtAKc4SFSkrlPP5CxG02Fi0aI2XDrByayAwHAy17Bk/s1600/Yearbook+Dingwalls+5+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju86HfWapfrRogT-9I1SQZRsGPNKLvdaJNhobFlqkIU2-wnYwOgIZXaL4ilrJcDh3m71raJZRjYru2K4BOLDASkw5xxv0ENb3uqVtAKc4SFSkrlPP5CxG02Fi0aI2XDrByayAwHAy17Bk/s1600/Yearbook+Dingwalls+5+comp.jpg" height="243" width="575" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Yearbook</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, first up are the librarycore lads of the always splendid Yearbook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A decent sized gathering has already hauled its bits and bobs into the gloomy guts of NW1 as the quirky quartet chuck a blistering and sassy set into their gawping faces culled from their brilliant EP <i>Old Bones</i> and sprinkled with two or three old favourites from a bit further back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, as always, they sound on the bloody money. Choppy time signatures, big hooks, tight harmonies, counterpoint, syncopation, colon cleansing bass drops, stunning stickwork, searing vocals underlined by waspish and slit-eyed roars, screams and pain-fuelled yells. A crackling and cracking mix of outré and off-beam mischief with the rock spine of a brontosaurus.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-dgxGKbS6cJnnQ17-8EclCQ6TNlGTCgVoLDOJfxDedCSmAug2djvlrxU64GFlrmF6RfWVA-8un1OBnaGR9by4EzYgyVYu7Gq3cm_OOC7AcVV4rh3irL8iLd2r8S6WOeZmNFnv7mM4uY/s1600/Yearbook+Dingwalls+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-dgxGKbS6cJnnQ17-8EclCQ6TNlGTCgVoLDOJfxDedCSmAug2djvlrxU64GFlrmF6RfWVA-8un1OBnaGR9by4EzYgyVYu7Gq3cm_OOC7AcVV4rh3irL8iLd2r8S6WOeZmNFnv7mM4uY/s1600/Yearbook+Dingwalls+2.jpg" height="250" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All brilliant, BUT and it is a concerning BUT. This band aren't at all right for the mainly pre-pubescent, dip-dyed, nose ring-touting, emo teeny school assembly who've monopolised the barrier and the first dozen or so rows of tonight's prom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not right. Not right at all. They play intelligent, challenging, thought-provoking and angular music that feels like it should be being lapped up by a far more discerning and, dare I say older, audience. File alongside Brand New, La Dispute, Manchester Orchestra, Reuben - you get the picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young as these tyros are, their music is sophisticated way beyond their callow years and seems somehow their youth is, well, wasted on the youth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fabulous stuff though. Even though, stoically, Brooker played most of the tour with a busted finger. Ooh ya kipper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Decade</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to admit, I have a love hate relationship with what is lamentably labelled pop punk. While bands like Gnarwolves, Shockmaster and the sadly defunct Real Adventures lead (and led) the way in unashamedly challenging and mutating the DNA of the genre but leaving traces of obvious traits and common chromosomes, bands like Decade, along with <i>de jour</i> acts like Neck Deep and Brawlers seem to be happy trying to simply propagate the genre through selective, reductive breeding. The old defy/define argument I suppose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong, there's a lot right about all of the aforementioned, but it's all getting a bit, well, meh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decade do, however possess something fairly original in their oeuvre; amazingly tight harmonies and some bloody fabulous melodies - it's just the palm muted Offspringesque chugs followed by amphetamine laced spider fingered ascending and descending arpeggio-soused riffs doesn't go anywhere new. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, that may not be a problem to both the band, led cheerily and energetically by frontman Alex Sears (whose looking uncannily more and more like the bastard son of Dan Lancaster and Eddy Vedder), and the jumping grinning school assembly here tonight, but it just leaves you feeling a bit like you've opened a nice bottle of wine and found it's full of lager. It'll get you there, but lacks any true originality or challenge to the palate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drinkable and giddying stuff, but all a bit Fosters. Apart from the harmonies, which were definitely off north facing slopes from a damn fine year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lower Than Atlantis <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, to the main course. Tantalised and lubed by the contrasting starters of the nascent sophistication of Yearbook and the grungy Tennant's Super Brew imbued Decade, the absolutely rammed Dingwalls goes off its collective mammaries as the drop C kick-in-the cock thudding riffage of the latest radio friendly and, simply brilliant <i>Here We Go</i> opens Proceed-ings (ahem).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this sets up a vexed question straight from the off. Where are they going? Ok, as the sweat inducing partyfied set seduces and caresses the nether regions of everyone attending, it's apparent that this is a crucial time for this band.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From their first rough 'n' ready, energetic and punk/hardcore/indie offerings (<i>FarQ, Bretton</i> etc), it's obvious that they're a super talented band. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike Duce's lyrics on the whole ( lest not mention the, er, less than Tom Waits ish 'come and have a go' bridge in <i>Here We Go</i> - oops, too late) are among the very best of his generation. Always open-heartedly and self-punishingly honest. The band's playing is deceptively technically superb and Duce's voice possesses a quality and an originality most warblers would die for. BUT, where next?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I say, the set is mesmerising and energised by the choice of sticking to smaller cap venues. The oldies, the really oldies and the more recent offerings from <i>Changing Tune</i> all have a satisfyingly familiar and comfortable vibe and every word is yelled back by the infatuated and enthralled throng. But then another new one, <i>English Kids in America</i> is dropped like the second h-bomb on this evening's Nagasaki.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So hooky, so poppy, so smart, sexy, instantly memorable and hummable. Is this the portent of where they're really going?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's clear that a certain Mr Daniel Lancaster has had more than a finger or two of influence in the recent output (co producer/mixer on the eagerly awaited self-titled new long player). But, is it a gamble to take an edgy, grumpy, grungy, but ultimately hugely well-loved bunch of miscreants and move them so far towards sassy pop rock sophistication in one lurch?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pop rock (if that's actually a thing) is clearly far more appealing to a wider audience therefore potentially much more rewarding fiscally, but it's becoming a crowded market place. I</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ronically</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> thanks in no small way to the genius of Lancaster himself: Mallory Knox, Don Broco, those annoying bastard Aussie kids off the cover of Rocksound and soon, Mr Luke Friend</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great melody has always been near the surface of LTA's word, but so has sarcasm, malevolence, self-doubt, nihilism and attitude. Let's hope the future manages to mix those potentially explosive and reactive elements and make something truly mind blowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the face of it and hearing the evidence so far <i>(Here We Go</i>, <i>English</i> <i>Kids in America</i> and the recently slipped out but catchier than the clap, faux-live <i>Ain't No Friend</i>), it looks like they could well pull it off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight's show cements LTA as one of the best live bands around and they've seldom sounded better, </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and after a spine tingling version of <i>Another Sad Song</i>, where everyone from the venue's cranium to its rectum sings back every single word (check out the vid below!) and the apt paean to touring <i>Motorway Of Life, </i>tonight's show ends with a bog roll festooned love in at the hands of the guys from the tour supports.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as the final chords of <i>Beech Like The Tree</i> crackle and decay into the soggy and loved up room, it's clear no one really cares too much about where they're going. They've come such a bloody long way already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be interesting to find out though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great show. Great band. Let's hope for an even greater future.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="323" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w8VwF9VRWa8" width="575"></iframe>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-75836179420672854732014-07-24T16:45:00.002+01:002014-07-24T16:59:16.710+01:00XXXtra hot - live review of The Xcerts Camden 21/July/2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeT6GJhQgdbY95Wnd6NiKuhFgJrn2TyxGHMgRC5ACW1NpaslbpbKP2-VNOT-EmPAIqs682AifvXhT6sz0dbN06IL1RSaNBniyjZnTbpBfr2hBodP9l85qyyNRDiYdGCBhss1EpiDnnN8/s1600/Xcerts+4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeT6GJhQgdbY95Wnd6NiKuhFgJrn2TyxGHMgRC5ACW1NpaslbpbKP2-VNOT-EmPAIqs682AifvXhT6sz0dbN06IL1RSaNBniyjZnTbpBfr2hBodP9l85qyyNRDiYdGCBhss1EpiDnnN8/s1600/Xcerts+4a.jpg" height="228" width="575" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Xcerts </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">*</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Our Black Heart, Camden, 21st July 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hot. Bloody hot. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotter than a bus driver's polyester-clad arse. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With extra napalm dolloped in his cleft for good measure. So, it's rather apposite we're all gathered in front of one of the UK's hottest bands who also happen to be one of the most enduring, hard working, honest, talented and integrity-soused bands in the land too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it's great to see the dingy atelier that is Our Black Heart jammed to the dripping rafters with glowing folk desperate to share the hot love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicking off with the monumental and narratively thought-provoking <i>Cool Ethan</i> and catapulting straight into a breakneck version of <i>Scatterbrain</i>, messrs Macleod, Smith and Heron have the sweating, writhing masses eating out of their bath-wrinkled dripping hands. The crowd reaction is as hot as the stultifying air temperature and the shaggy, shiny Macleod looks genuinely taken aback in the full face of the fireball of love and support.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The set continues apace taking in back catalogue bangers <i>Do You Feel Safe?</i> which stretches the larynxes of just about every member of the joyous congregation and the rowdy poptastic syncopated splendour of<i> I See Things Differently </i>which gets feet tapping, heads bobbing and faces cracking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's the introduction of a newbie that gets moist hairs standing to attention. <i>Pop Song</i> is simply bloody fantastic. The true marriage of grunge, noise, rock and, of course, pop. If this, coupled with the astonishing new release <i>Shaking In The Water</i>, is anything to go by, the long-awaited new album will be rocketed straight into the rack marked classic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The perfectly balanced (if a little short for a headline stint) set grabs the genitals, massages the cerebellum and pours kerosene onto flaming emotions with hyper-infectious and raucous renditions of the anthemic <i>Crisis In The Slow Lane</i> and The Ric Ocasek-influenced <i>Carnival Time</i> both with their huge, throbbing refrains and sing-a-longs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Gum</i> gives us all a bit of breathing space before the absolutely splendid, heart-melting and final triptych of the tear-jerking pared down genius, <i>Aberdeen 1987</i> (with everyone in the room belting back every work, much to the oft taciturn Macleod's obvious delight), the aforementioned stonking new single <i>Shaking In The Water</i> and the oo-oo imbued genius of <i>Slackerpop</i> wrings every last drop of sweat, love, and emotion out of the drenched and thoroughly sated love puddle of acolytes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This trio are everything that's good about British music. In fact, fuck it, just music in general. They weld together energy, melody, pathos, joy, challenge and sublime songcraft into truly superb, original and honest works of art. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They eschew the bullshit attitude and clichés that so many pusillanimous, plastic and scene bands embrace and regurgitate with alarming regularity. They do it with heart. With passion. With every fucking fibre of their tour wearied beings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their dedication, application and passionate pursuit of giving pop a proper pair needs wider recognition and exposure. Which, if there's any justice in the world won't be too far away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a ball soupy, scorching, searing and unforgettable night. What a band. What a joy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phew.</span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="431" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Lq8s5evAfmc" width="575"></iframe>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-3725863022790125282014-06-03T15:27:00.002+01:002014-06-03T15:27:32.681+01:00Shaken and Stirred on The Rocks - review of Camden Rocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwOe2lZmWW_d4NUm-E0WO5m6fp6724WQO3a4Bki3luAWX2YGbjw5v2JESiKxZPwXVoGllYT8SGItjC4zXtf5-wqv36oc5wwVOp_f-c5yyMZNf7GSBe7SkPo0DkW8hft47rVgZH5oHMPI/s1600/Max+Raptor+Barfly+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwOe2lZmWW_d4NUm-E0WO5m6fp6724WQO3a4Bki3luAWX2YGbjw5v2JESiKxZPwXVoGllYT8SGItjC4zXtf5-wqv36oc5wwVOp_f-c5yyMZNf7GSBe7SkPo0DkW8hft47rVgZH5oHMPI/s1600/Max+Raptor+Barfly+4.jpg" height="241" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Camden Rocks Festival</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Straight Lines </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: large;">* </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Toseland </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">** </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gnarwolves </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Max Raptor <span style="color: red;">*****</span> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dinosaur Pile Up </span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> * </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Hell <span style="color: red;">*****</span> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Get Cape Wear Cape Fly <span style="color: red;">****</span></span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">All over Camden, Saturday 31st May 2014</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like any cocktail list, today's bill of fare is an object lesson in option paralysis; you want to taste all the delicious and heady brews on the list, but there's simply too much to choose from and so many intoxicating variations, flavours and ingredients to realistically get yourself outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, after a lengthy session studying the amazing list, a plan is hatched and the mayhem begins with a drop of Welsh moonshine.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuQoV8cjLH4oUL9cGjOwe1-XtaK5aNFu0Fcbhhull03VafU_8t-tAMTc5AkOWBMWx35DFalFh7Kyc4-iIoQlfN_09ydBxFsEPNhWgyqO8TuKUlm78OTIyENT_cgAvsBzus5ywm-3znOc/s1600/Straight+Lines+Barfly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuQoV8cjLH4oUL9cGjOwe1-XtaK5aNFu0Fcbhhull03VafU_8t-tAMTc5AkOWBMWx35DFalFh7Kyc4-iIoQlfN_09ydBxFsEPNhWgyqO8TuKUlm78OTIyENT_cgAvsBzus5ywm-3znOc/s1600/Straight+Lines+Barfly+1.jpg" height="232" width="575" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Straight Lines </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A heavy and straightforward looking cocktail. But deceptively complex.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a classical rock base. Infuse it with Sabbath salt, spice and riff bombs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add in a good dash of contemporary sharpness and relevance. Then c</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">huck it all into a hot and moist Barfly and shake the living shit out of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Delicious, heady, heavy but with a fresh aftertaste (even with the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath riff still on the tongue as a strong finish). Cracking start to a long, well-soused day. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5BbWgSMwtAr6Zym20stSYpJ-ZRTocYDQfV6qxPvJIjF62s56GSRmbqRDqegVPZ2nNVHa0sQv-Me8_GIDlaBwh_fUAgh-IP5X5u9CXIZqnMsmt3bfmzZ_B2qzhkt28b7ghEyuawIqKuw/s1600/Toseland+Barfly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5BbWgSMwtAr6Zym20stSYpJ-ZRTocYDQfV6qxPvJIjF62s56GSRmbqRDqegVPZ2nNVHa0sQv-Me8_GIDlaBwh_fUAgh-IP5X5u9CXIZqnMsmt3bfmzZ_B2qzhkt28b7ghEyuawIqKuw/s1600/Toseland+Barfly+1.jpg" height="247" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Toseland </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take the eighties. No, please take the eighties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where do I start? Take a bunch of very competent rent-a-rock band musos, throw in an impossibly hench ex world superbike racing dude, sprinkle with ridiculously clichéd, Jeremy Clarkson 20 driving rock classics collection CD from a petrol station lyrics and song titles like <i>Renegade</i> (seriously!), take a large slug of irony, but throw that away, chuck in some Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Uriah Heep, Thunder, Bon Jovi and mix it up into a beige but annoyingly tasty frothy mixture. Liberally spice with epic guitar solos, piano intros and, to be fair, a pretty formidable voice and you've got the ultimate dad-friendly rocktail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anachronistic. Competent. Perfectly played. But Bourbon biscuits rather than rock and roll moonshine Bourbon snorted out of a rusty petrol can.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuShnDKYTMDN451Jv_5U1MRCntpvzUvgnkCyq0Dk5_kJMrDZLMTm6eZt1wSGQ4yW51vwTZdhK6Ok_l3u6TG9-fOiW-TypEdKIrRdwe0I8DxpM4CV3mQAMbX0clX2wJhV0ilDgBogZDEQ/s1600/Gnarwolves+Barfly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuShnDKYTMDN451Jv_5U1MRCntpvzUvgnkCyq0Dk5_kJMrDZLMTm6eZt1wSGQ4yW51vwTZdhK6Ok_l3u6TG9-fOiW-TypEdKIrRdwe0I8DxpM4CV3mQAMbX0clX2wJhV0ilDgBogZDEQ/s1600/Gnarwolves+Barfly+1.jpg" height="231" width="575" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gnarwolves </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a glass. Stick it up your arse. Break the glass. Fill it full of quaaludes, hydroponically grown hyper grass, neat overproof rum, amyl nitrate and give it a fucked up spastic shake. Then drop the glass. Lick the contents off the sticky floor. And that's a Gnarwolvestini. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaotic, full-on, fun, dirty, fucked up and addictive. Despite tuning and technical cock ups, normal disorder is resumed with typical mayhem-infused aplomb. Big riffs, über-pop punk melodies and sing-alongs. The complete antidote to Toseland's low alcohol lager. The crowd a bit bemused rather than totally intoxicated but it is impossibly early for something normally so spicy, punchy and messed up. Burp.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nUkPdqzrOPSdhQzfOiofdezC_xVO3I1BjhnCs2thj19KN8tNoT0i9gUw6Y7zOW-ap7KFnS5poE5ZwGmYB2FaEqyw3LBxVCtwEPVrhC7om3L6f4irL5DRaCMLWYnTh2cm88H-nrAjbVw/s1600/MAx+Raptor+Barfly+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nUkPdqzrOPSdhQzfOiofdezC_xVO3I1BjhnCs2thj19KN8tNoT0i9gUw6Y7zOW-ap7KFnS5poE5ZwGmYB2FaEqyw3LBxVCtwEPVrhC7om3L6f4irL5DRaCMLWYnTh2cm88H-nrAjbVw/s1600/MAx+Raptor+Barfly+5.jpg" height="260" width="575" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Max Raptor </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to move to a distinctly classic part of the mixology list.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">Take some pointy fingers, a sharp, acidic shot of sardonic and knowing wit, throw in a dash of satire, a nod, a wink, some crystal clear, triple filtered extra strong cane spirit, cerebral fluid, a hint of Burton Ale, sweat, lube, a full bodied red, some needle-sharp shards of glass, industrial swarf, empty a bumper bag of Whoa Whoas and throw it all into a bath. Dive in. Frenziedly slurp the mind-blowing alchemic goo off the whiffy bridge and wobbly bits of a compliant bystander and lose your shit. </span></span><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A truly original, mind-melting, heart starting, knee bending, cock-grabbing, clever, proto-punk concoction that gets this NW1 party of all parties properly started. Brilliant. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhvJZ5BlTkg3-_yLhAz_cg1QzOfAxIRl0AlTxd524GvUPqghSUEAzlreBK86yTDWa-A3DqWW_C2QVIQshJvCoz5VmOHC5wH24-Mnz5Huvanltw0LkBfGsw3_X3_hB06Psle2cg89W5AY/s1600/Dinosaur+Pile+Up+Electric+Ballroom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhvJZ5BlTkg3-_yLhAz_cg1QzOfAxIRl0AlTxd524GvUPqghSUEAzlreBK86yTDWa-A3DqWW_C2QVIQshJvCoz5VmOHC5wH24-Mnz5Huvanltw0LkBfGsw3_X3_hB06Psle2cg89W5AY/s1600/Dinosaur+Pile+Up+Electric+Ballroom+2.jpg" height="236" width="575" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dinosaur Pile Up </span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> **</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take some grunge, add a dollop more grunge, mix in some, well grunge, throw in some big tunes, the odd white t-shirt, some jeans, a refreshing slice of piercing but surprisingly agreeable essence of vocal, serve on a base of solid riffs, butt-loosening bass and pour into a heaving Electric Ballroom. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sassy, bold, fruity an, of course grungy. Cheers.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9LSGqx1sW_yNK1-a_V8O8m3yh9UMqJnvGfNhzHq34bK0sJSbh_miqQCCJN3cmeWix9WAfVOzJ6ApGN206ZPiYiW2YW7jCEbWyfZjDrq2kiOPiliTUnag6UrwXIRTwZH6iw0VLmWXbPQ/s1600/THE+HELL++Black+Heart+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9LSGqx1sW_yNK1-a_V8O8m3yh9UMqJnvGfNhzHq34bK0sJSbh_miqQCCJN3cmeWix9WAfVOzJ6ApGN206ZPiYiW2YW7jCEbWyfZjDrq2kiOPiliTUnag6UrwXIRTwZH6iw0VLmWXbPQ/s1600/THE+HELL++Black+Heart+1.jpg" height="265" width="575" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Hell <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;">***** </span></span></span></b><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take four cunts. Two lots of two strings. Some alarmingly aubergine hair dye. A huge sprinkle of irony. Mix it with lager, piss, bile, Courtney Love's poisonous fanny batter, the grease from a thousand kebab shop owners' aprons, more lager and shake it all up in a tiny hot room full of semi naked hardcore dancing cunts. Yup, it's that fucking horrible. Dicks.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7w3fFhaLGEAupNuhDnSHrjPSf-rlw4trv5YXvGgxscB6xdBcpsCmN8N1kScwqoTyImPVkBrDOxMXvBvTtCkrC5nPNLUkrGMrNokZeFTpjsyBunfWOMcrUC_m-iwiXvUo8ZcdX3XadGGI/s1600/GCWCF+Camden+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7w3fFhaLGEAupNuhDnSHrjPSf-rlw4trv5YXvGgxscB6xdBcpsCmN8N1kScwqoTyImPVkBrDOxMXvBvTtCkrC5nPNLUkrGMrNokZeFTpjsyBunfWOMcrUC_m-iwiXvUo8ZcdX3XadGGI/s1600/GCWCF+Camden+2.jpg" height="255" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Get Cape Wear Cape Fly </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></b><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="background-color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">Take a small man. Some huge sing-a-long tunes. A massive dollop of distilled nostalgia, unbridled joy and some D&B wobs, beats and tst tst tsts. Heat it up to nearly boiling point. Pour in some der dub dub dub dubs. Spray over a flagging room full of singing soulmates to bring spirits, arses, brows, smiles, faces and dancing feet back to life. Enjoy.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">A wonderful sundowner to cap a full-on day suffused with variety, bizarreness and brilliance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">And so to bed.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">Camden Rocks has been an absolute triumph. 200 bands, 20 venues, 8,000 like-minded rock fans of every shape, size, taste and smell. A fantastic vibe throughout the whole day. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">The only downside was missing such mesmerising and intoxicating acts like A Plastic Rose, Baby Godzilla and the return of The mighty Xcerts. Shame.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">Brilliant organisation (even though the wristband exchange took up quite a lot of drinking, I mean rock and roll time. ) But all-in-all one of the very best one day festivals imaginable. Can't wait to get stuck in again next year.</span></span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-32634774137540248642014-05-14T12:48:00.001+01:002014-05-14T12:48:47.888+01:00Short. Live. Review. Of. The. People. The. Poet. At. The. Social. In. Just. Fifteen. Words.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Heartbreaks <span style="color: red;">*</span>****</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The People The Poet <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Social, London 13th May 2014</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tiny. Thin. Subterranean. Packed. Industry folk. Beards. Hush Puppies. Huw Stephens. Blitz Kids. Deaf Havana.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gallery Circus <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Royal Blood/White Stripes. Sorry. Guitar. Drums. Identical. Twins. The Darkness. Tim Buckley. Energy. Interesting.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The People The Poet <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harmonies. Banter. Tunes. Woos. Oohs. Integrity. Soul. Growls. Smiles. Anthems. Future. Stars. Grounded. Bloody. Brilliant.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Heartbreaks <span style="color: red;">*</span>****</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joyless. Derivative. Backward-looking. Pusillanimous. Indie. Dire. Po-faced. Tired. Nothing new. Waste of time.</span></div>
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-36975617437937562992014-05-12T21:45:00.003+01:002014-05-14T09:42:57.818+01:00London Live - a month's shows in one huge word burp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Deaf Havana<span style="color: red;">****</span>* The Maine<span style="color: red;">*</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>**** </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The People The Poet </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: large;">* Yearbook</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">* </span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Jamie Lenman <span style="color: red;">*****</span> Nordic Giants<span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sam Duckworth </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** Shane McGowan </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">** </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Get Cape Wear Cape Fly <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Lafontaines </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: large;">** Bad Rabbits</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">*</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Live in London during April and May 2014</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here goes then, a high speed, break neck word burp about a whole heap of great shows over the last month or so with no full stops, breaths, distractions or interruptions, so let's start at The Clapham Grand; last gig in this alcopop, J-Lo perfume and ketamine soused dance hall was Oasis apparently so tonight's show hasn't got too much to live up to following a few years after the middle of the road whinging, whining Manc Beatles wannabees anyway first up are the melodic and sweetly soulful South Walian blue collar, blue veined, blue bollocked <b>The People </b><b>The Poet<span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b><b style="font-size: small;"> </b>who, despite being given no ambience, lightshow or audio visual help produce<b> </b>a banging short set full from its head to its rectum with huge melodies, sing-a-longs, woo oohs and chest thumping grandeur, a truly great band in the making and with world beating tunes like the anthemic <i>Heart of A Lion</i>, it's not going to be long before total world domination, talking of the world, from the land of countless donuts, merciless drive by killings, styleless checked trousers and mindless gun laws, come </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRfGOaTEPmF4OkVtifFwJwFbxgpYS6HEdGUJES-d_yV6eY1nDdRyheFuwGSO6SW8BNiLlpE-C5Isr3XLttgwiPxaSWJx1F4MdRppGF_AsGfIIjfP6jWtJTOPGOuLTpGu7cqkQJkTNCJ0/s1600/The+Maine+Clapham+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRfGOaTEPmF4OkVtifFwJwFbxgpYS6HEdGUJES-d_yV6eY1nDdRyheFuwGSO6SW8BNiLlpE-C5Isr3XLttgwiPxaSWJx1F4MdRppGF_AsGfIIjfP6jWtJTOPGOuLTpGu7cqkQJkTNCJ0/s1600/The+Maine+Clapham+1.jpg" height="251" width="575" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Maine<span style="color: red;">*<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>****</b>, the less said the better really, depthless, heartless, witless, passionless, pointless wetness, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">no matter, next up are the always far from pointless <b>Deaf Havana<span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b> fully supported and surrounded by singers, string strokers and Hollywood flashing light bulbs burning the fenland fuckers' moniker into the adoring eyes of the assembled masses in the sold out sarf London dance hall who are treated to a fantastic, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">slick and sublime sashay through old ones, new ones, fast ones, slow ones, poignant ones, moving ones, catchy ones and even really old ones about fags and booze - brilliant stuff from one of the UKs genuinely top talents...talking of talent, and a young talent who should really have been on show with James Veck-Gilodi and the team tonight in a mad rush and sacrificing seeing the always amazing HawkEyes supporting Jamie Lenman, a quick catch up with the fabulous mucksters</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Yearbook<span style="color: red;">****</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">i</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n the sticky Soho love dungeon that is The Borderline - Ok, it's a support slot to Acoda and some old American EMO band that no one seems to give a shit about, but a decent crowd has assembled early doors to witness one of the country's most original and fresh talents and they take the place apart, tearing into a selection of wry, awry and wonky wizardry culling tunes from their fantastic EP <i>Old Bones</i> and slotting them into a beautifully curated short, sharp flavour fest suffused with chilli-hot fire of older bangers which certainly get the enthusiastic crowd wet of knicker and dizzy of head; splendid, quirky brilliance that merits a wider audience and soon, right into a cab and a mad dash to the grandeur and vaguely Politbureauesque surroundings of the Islington Assembly Rooms packed full of a million beards for the fabulous </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr <b>Jamie Lenman<span style="color: red;">*****</span> </b>who has some real work to do to even get close to the brilliance of his last tour which was one of the absolute jewels in the live crown of last year, but I tell you what, the genius only bally well goes and tops the fabulous excellence by being even more, well, fabulous and excellent, he rustles up a wonderful heady fucked-up but mind-altering brew of complexity, aggression, Reuben-infused nostalgia, fire, passion, quirk, cool, hard bop, jazz, face-melting metal, joy, vitriol, humour and passion that pretty much puts him so far ahead of the competition, that there is no competition just an empty horizon to look back on as he gallops into the distance </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so far away</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from the non-existent tired and straw-clutching, head-scratching chasing pack: genius, sheer bloomin, genius; right, no time to dwell on Mr Lenman, onto mysterious, a</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nonymous </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">off beat, befeathered and bizarre Brighton-based noodlers <b>Nordic Giants <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b> playing to a packed and sweaty Shoreditch hipster hideaway backed by the most astonishing visual experiences imaginable - and non imaginable- the towering, soaring soundscapes often topped by wonderful guest vocal performances (and pre-recorded, pre-filmed performances) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fill the Blade Runner set of a room and bewitch the achingly beard-stroking internet of things understanding, organic Peruvian commune collective beer supping quaalude necking, well, mainly assholes to be honest; seldom has such challenging and beautiful music soared above the heads of such a collection of oh-so-cool fuckwits - challenging music obviously needs to challenge, but the crowd needs to be capable of being challenged, there's a hideous air of emperor's new clothes in London's coolest borough tonight, not that the music or visuals are at fault, no, far from it, it's the blind and tacit acceptance of the assembled goons that this is 'just so cool': so, at one point, challenged by a marvellous and thought-provoking film depicting dark and sinister child abuse, instead of marking the gauntlet being laid down at their sockless brogue clad feet with acceptable contemplation or reflective, appreciative quiet, an almost One Direction crowd fervour breaks out with whooping and whistling - was any one actually watching? one sensible if slightly misunderstood plaintive voice hits the fatigued old nail on its bent head by screaming out 'why are you clapping?' - at least one of the crowd is not a goon then; that all said, the performance is bewildering and brilliant with the multi instrumentalists secreting themselves to the sides of the stage playing second string (and guitar and flugelhorn and god knows what else) to the eye popping and mind altering filmic splendour; a true marriage of sound and vision, such a shame it was mainly wasted on the wankers - roll on Arc Tan Gent in the summer far from the madding hipsters and sans the Shoreditch pseudo-cool cretins; </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as a complete contrast, next up over in a sticky carpeted student vomitarium is the redoubtable and loveable troubadour Mr Sam Duckworth playing, unbelievably his last ever show under the epithet Get Cape Wear Cape Fly (fittingly at a much loved New Slang event) , but before eyes get teary and throats get lumpy, our pocket sized mop haired hero treats the sparse student crowd to a wonderful collection of new tunes as <b>Sam Duckworth <span style="color: red;">***<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>** </b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cranked out on a lone SG with no laptop, loops or horns, this is as pared down and raw as it gets and it's great stuff and apparently a lot of it is about wrestling, well, who'd a thunk it, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">anyhow, Sam careers through the set before ceding the stage to Southampton's own yoof beat poet <b>Shane McGowan </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">***<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>**</b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> who stirs the crowd up with a clever, thought provoking and original collection of essentially street poetry set to jangly acoustic reveries, not the voice of an angel, but the words of a genuine artist and the heart the size of a watermelon, engaging, interesting stuff, which sets the appetite on edge for <b>Get Cape Wear Cape Fly <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b>; it's been a strange old time for Sam and GCWCF, from a decade or so ago being the new darling of the all new-nu-nu folk scene with a huge debut record on a major label without a slack track on the album then through some more indifferent but never less than interesting long players, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the recent schizophrenic diving between identities of Sam Duckworth as an artist and Get Cape, pledge records, serious life-threatening illness, an apparent falling out of love with the industry and making music, disillusionment and disappearance of identity playing with rent-a-bands and hangers on, but given all the shit and sadness, the boy's still got it and tonight is a genuine moving and, I'll be honest bloody sad, reminder of just how much talent this small package has stuffed inside its's callow frame, it has a feeling of back to the beginning as much as of an end, long time sidesman Mikey Glenister and his haunting and spine-tingling cornet, a laptop, an always superbly played acoustic guitar and Sam's sharp and at times painfully personal lyrics delivered in his best Westcliff 'awight you slag? Essex glottal stop infused lad speak adds up to a set of nigh on perfection, with slightly tweaked and re-jigged versions of all the big sing-a-longs (<i>why don't you sing along?</i>) that beguiled and thrilled stages at Glastonbury, The Astoria and Shepherd's Bush as well as every toilet and broom cupboard throughout the land, it's perhaps understandable that Sam is regrettably retiring the GCWCF sobriquet for reasons he tries to pint out this evening - relevance of lyrics written when still in his teens - but after having seen this pocket genius well over 30 times over the last decade, tonight feels a bit like a faithful dog wandering off to quietly die in a down-at-heel beer-sticky corner without his owner, in this case his wider and hopefully still faithful accolytes knowing that he'll never be seen again; so sad, but a hell of a last show and a genuine privilege to have been there to scream along to every bloody word, relevant or not- need to shake the sadness, so, it's back to Soho for some funk - you 'eard; Bad Rabbits at The Borderline should do the trick - ok, I'll keep it brief as I'm running out of breath, I also don't have any pictures from tonight's show as I accidentally got too drunk and couldn't get my shit together to get the camera out in the pit, anyway, opening are <b>The Lafontaines <span style="color: red;">***</span>**</b> a fucked up Glaswegian indie/lad rock/alt-spiced/white rap melodic bucket of weirdness, but quite a good </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fucked up Glaswegian indie/lad rock/alt-spiced/white rap melodic bucket of weirdness - big tunes, interesting harmonies, a charisma imbued front man and a tight joyous and lively band, but (cue grumpy old bastard rant) why oh why does a really nice and genuinely engaging Scot want to sound like Eminem when he raps? I dont get it, at all, Biffy, The Xcerts, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the recently anodised Twin Atlantic</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">even the fucking Proclaimers prove that you can sing convincingly in a Scottish accent without having to sound like an affected twat - u get me blood? Minor rant really as they're really half reasonable, but it still pisses me off, unlike the mighty </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad Rabbits </b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">****<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>*</b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who deliver a set of which I have never seen or partaken - a funk fest with a hardcore edge? no, seriously, moshing to schmoove and sexy riffs and stage diving to mesmerising mellowness - it really defies belief, but the house is brought down - Brother Dua, all Isaac Hayes and Gil Scott Heron with the most incredible and controlled vocal range leads his fabulous fucking funksters to squeeze every nut sack in the room and seduce Soho's grizzled coolites with soul, integrity, sass and balls; the crossover between rock and dance, metal and mellow magic and hardcore with harmony is only on show in attitude alone as the music never veers towards the loud, the scream, the deconstructed (although there is an hilarious Dillinger cover - all three seconds of it), this lot are true magicians, nope, hypnotists and while there's a breath in your body, you NEED to see them live; talking of breath, that's me done, the longest sentence ever written about live music? I doubt it, and who actually cares, what I do care about though is the amazing variety, depth and strength of live music in this vibrant city and count myself eternally grateful to be able to haul my hoary old arse out to be so royally entertained - apart from The Maine, obviously, they were shit, done.</span><br />
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-53205991369057796742014-04-13T19:19:00.002+01:002014-04-13T19:19:52.547+01:00Citizen Arcane. Live Review of Classic Arcane Roots show at The Garage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Empress <span style="color: red;">***</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">**</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>The Garage, Highbury and Islington, Thursday 10th April 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once upon a time a podgy man walked into a tiny mysterious dark and smelly room above a dirty tavern full of bearded trolls drinking intoxicating tinctures and drafts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The podgy man had gone to the tiny mysterious dark and smelly room above the dirty tavern to witness performances by several groups of miscreants and outsiders. Among them, a trio of ne’erdowells, one sporting a strong and almost magical beard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They made noise. Intoxicating noise. Original noise. Fascinating and wonderful noise. There weren’t many other human folk in the tiny mysterious dark and smelly room above the tavern but those who were fortunate enough to be there smiled. Nodded. Indeed, many of their number headbanged. Oh there was mirth, love and joy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After spending the next few years relentlessly following the shadowy trio in and out of mysterious dark and smelly rooms of many shapes and sizes, open smelly fields, magnificent smelly tents and even quiant, smelly farms in far away kingdoms, the podgy man had grown to love the trio of ne’erdowells.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few harvests later, the podgy man finds himself in a massive mysterious dark and smelly room full to the brim with bearded, tattooed men, exotic women and digital marketing Hipsters from Spitalfields. Despite the digital marketing Hipsters from Spitalfields, the podgy man is happy. Very happy. In fact, the podgy man has a small tear or two in his podgy eyes as he considers the journey that the trio of ne’erdowells have made. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arcane Roots are only bloody headlining at The Garage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, the podgy bloke was too busy getting podgier on meat products and intoxicating tinctures and drafts to get to the massive mysterious dark and smelly room in time for Boy Jumps Ship, but with fresh podge juice in hand, does manage to position himself in the middle of the massive mysterious dark and smelly room in time for Empress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Empress <span style="color: red;">***</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">**</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mysterious, dark, sludgy, monstrous and intoxicating riff potions, gases and grenades infused with essence of prog, Intronaut-like intricacy and Mastodonesque magic spill and spit forth from the stage. And the bearded hordes seem to readily fall under it’s heady influence. Eyes shut, heads bobbing, devilish symbols raised. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a joyous anachronistic tinge too this heady rite. The ghosts of 70s power pre-grunge prog are invoked, you can almost smell patchouli oil and Moroccan Black. But far from being a backward looking homage to desert boot staring and velvet loons, there’s a relevance and modernity to Empress’s booming, meandering, riff-heavy work that underpins all the sludge and mist with edge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only slight criticism is that many of the tunes appear to be constructed around similar keys and meters so you get the feeling you’re caught in the middle of a wandering 4 and a half hour song or, perish the thought, a concept portmanteau piece. Whatever, this podgy man, fortified with podge potion finds it all splendidly intoxicating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arcane Roots </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">****</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">*</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really does bring a lump to the podgy old throat to see one of London’s most venerable and important venues sold out and filled to it’s bursting teats for Surrey’s fab three. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as the drone that traditionally kicks off all recent Arcane Roots shows booms out over the gawping, expectant beards and weirds, the excitement reaches incendiary levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the intrepid trio burst on to the stage and let loose all hell. Well, the brilliant and stadium-friendly, soon to be released single <i>Over And Over</i> at least. A bold and clever move but one that pays off immediately. Despite the song only having been available to the great unwashed for less than 24 hours (thanks to the good people at Q magazine), the sing backs are incredible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though this is certainly no teeny audience and appears to be made up of predominantly slightly older and wiser musos, heads, industry types and more discerning cognoscente, the lyrics seemed to have been learnt in lightning time and delivered back with the fervour normally reserved for You Me At Six and the like. Spellbinding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, before I get too carried away, it is noticeable that the sound in the massive mysterious dark and smelly room is far from perfect at the beginning of tonight’s proceedings (would have been one of the most definite and clearest of 5 star reviews otherwise). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a band that pride themselves on producing such hi-fi sophistication, either the venue, the sound man, the front of house rig or a combination of the three have let them down. Which is unforgivable. If the bloke twiddling the knobs really is bouncing off the limiter as he seems to be protesting, then he really should adjust accordingly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, Empress had a much bigger backline, but their sound was clearer, louder and more defined. If the FOH is not up to the job, then sound blokey is somewhat forgiven, but Andrew Groves’ brilliant guitar playing and soaring vocals deserve to be heard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, slight moans and whinges aside,the jubilant crowd don’t seem to be affected at all by any apparent sonic shortcomings and the amazing set continues apace. Cruising through a delicious collection of massive tunes culled from 2013’s phenomenal <i>Blood & Chemistry</i> album mixed in with sizzling blasts from <i>Left Fire</i> era </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">including the coruscating </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Million Dollar Que$tion</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Long And Low</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> seamlessly segueing into the full blooded full version of </span><i>Habibty</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, the trade mark house bringer down, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You Are</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and even a stunning unknown song. New one? Cover? Who knows, as the normally garrulous Mr Groves hardly utters a peep between songs tonight - maybe he’s as overawed as most of us in the the massive mysterious dark and smelly room are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be fair to the man in the booth, the sound does appear to get better (could be the intoxicating brews and drafts though - weed bombs? Really? Three quid. Whatever the hell they are) and the crowd, while getting hotter and hotter and more and more animated are voraciously sucking up every atom. A couple of tecchy issues aside, the band have never played a better set and (despite the mildly sub optimal initial sound) tonight’s amazing performance truly plonks themselves at the very top of the British Rock tree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They really are now getting some serious momentum and building up a broader and wider fan base of converted acolytes. It feels like their time. Their sound is wonderfully stadium friendly without pomposity, indulgence or needless woo oos and vacuous radio friendly smarm. It is seriously sophisticated and dazzling music, flawlessly played but never sterile or studio dot-for-dot perfect. There's real soul. Fantastic chemistry between the three of them, stunning musicianship and a genuine air of impending superstardom. The Zeppelin of the next generation? Why the hell not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Resolve</i> brings the main set to a fevered end with it’s intestine-wrenching riff and the wonderful sing along to <i>You Keep Me Here </i>sends the throng out onto the streets of the ancient kingdom of Norf London feeling dazed, sated and safe in the knowledge that the shadowy trio led by its magical strong bearded angelic-voiced wizard will surely be playing larger and larger mysterious dark and smelly rooms and even huge fuck off smelly stadia in the very near future. Where we’ll all live happily ever after. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah verily.</span>Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-80513398098627766862014-04-13T11:23:00.001+01:002014-04-13T11:23:10.787+01:00At a canter: live review of Canterbury at Dingwalls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Canterbury <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blitz Kids <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Big Sixes <span style="color: red;">***<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Dingwalls, Camden, Wednesday 9th April 2014</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">The scene: </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the foetid belly of Camden Lock's most Stygian recesses, gather an unholy horde of dip-dyed fringes, grisly bearded bastards, plugged lobes, pierced and inked flesh and, well lots of terribly nice, respectable A level students called Josh and Katrina.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Cast: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The young, friendly, cheeky and slightly bohemian art student upstart <i>played by Big Sixes</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cock-sure, smoking, drinking edgy bigger brother who gets all the girls <i>played by Blitz Kids</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Big brother. Buttoned-down, suave and smooth intelligent trainee lawyer <i>played by Canterbury</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The plot: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The three young British brothers aim to seduce the assembled outsiders, beasts and ne'erdowells using merely the power of rock and roll. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Act 1: </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big Sixes <span style="color: red;">***1/2</span>**</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up are the tuneful tyros Big Sixes who deliver a melodic, quirky but uplifting and rousing short set of jaunty alty folky rocky indie goodness which gets the already heaving sweat bunker on its feet. There's a definite Turin Brakes influence with maybe even a hint of Twin Atlantic thrown in. Fresh, perky, tidy stuff.</span><br />
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<b style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">INTERLUDE:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before the second act begins, we're all informed that all Blitz Kids' gear has been stolen. The stealing of bands' gear appears sadly to be a relatively regular occurrence and it defies belief. Theft as a whole is obviously a moral and legal no-no, but if thieving low-lives are going to steal stuff, then they should pick their fucking targets more discerningly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stealing a band's gear is like breaking a painter's fingers and scooping his eyeballs out, lopping the cock off a porn actor or cutting the throat out of a mezzosoprano. It goes far beyond just theft. It is denying someone their livelihood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insurance aside, instruments, effects, laptops and other essential kit are often irreplaceable. Without sounding wanky, a musician forms a bond with their stuff. A favourite beaten up old Strat copy maybe the only guitar for a particular song. That rubbish old tube screamer pedal may have been the one that nailed the perfect sound on the seminal album. The initial rough ProTools demo of a future banger No 1 among the dodgy porn Mpegs on that old iBook. And now? Some miserable, low life arse wipe gets a few quid for it all at a pawn shop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social reasons for theft thrown to one side in this case as a specious distraction, it's just fucking outrageous and, though revenge and retribution don't help, I hope the miserable shits that jacked the stuff overdose from the cheap shit they'll buy with their ill-gotten gains or die fucking horribly of bowel cancer. Cunts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Act 2: </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blitz Kids <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, shorn of their gear, everyone could forgive the self styled naughty boys of the pop rock scene (if there is such a thing) for cancelling their slot this evening. But, as frontman Joey James informs us, playing, undaunted is a fuck you to the thieving fuckers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ever garrulous Jono Yates, squatting behing a borrowed acoustic gets in on the act too, proclaiming stoically that they won't be beaten. And what follows is testament to integrity, strength and huge, swollen testes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be honest, this particular jury of one is still out over the general Blitz Kids thang. I've seen them several times over the last couple of years, in toilets, dingy cellars, supporting bands further upstream at large venues, at festivals and, more recently headlining supporting their debut long player. And although there are many good bits, I haven't been wholly convinced about their true chop. Until now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pared down </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">three song ( </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On My Own, Sometimes </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never Die</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), mildly shambolic but passionate, genuinely moving and heartfelt set says more about this band than any PR, hype, bloody funny twitter banter from the taciturn and foul mouthed Jono ever could. This is a bunch of young, honest guys baring their hearts. No filler. No samples, triggers, rent-a-guitar extras or slick production, just three real songs, sung back by the adoring throng, showing the real lads behind the slick media persona.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can almost suffer every hard mile in a stinking van, taste every greasy service station cheese and ham savoury slice, feel every bump and creak on strangers' floors. They tear their chests open and show the real band behind the schtick. And it's honestly moving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Act 3: </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canterbury <span style="color: red;">****</span>*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following their younger upstart brother; the pop rock band <i>de jour,</i> was always going to be a potentially tricky task for Canterbury, but after Blitz Kids' raw, exposed, emotional acoustic baring of souls and fizzing of the front row's knickers, that potential difficulty looked like more of a hard threat of an upstaging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They needn't have worried though. The band stride effortlessly into full swing, opening with the raucous and anthemic <i>Expensive Imitation</i> from their splendid third album <i>Dark Days. </i>The sweaty, foisty gloomy bunker is brought to sparkling and vibrant life with passionate and loud sing backs to every song.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first three albums are all represented with a varied main set takes in the triumphant <i>Wrapped in Rainbows</i> before ending with a joyous and deliciously irony-soused crowdaoke version <i>Going Nowhere.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the ever-present awkwardness of nobody seeming to know how to ask for an encore (what the hell is wrong with simply shouting More!!!? - it seems to have served every generation up until now perfectly well), the band, clearly loving every second of the sold out love-fest and emerge for three final rousing sing-a-longs ending with <i>Friends? We're More Like A Gang</i> from their first album from what seems like aeons ago but sounds as fresh and relevant as ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canterbury are at the top of their game tonight. As they are at the very top of the radio friendly alt pop rock scene game. Their music is intelligent, infectious, often catchier than HDN-1 but has a sophisticated and grown up underbelly. Bigger venues and stages surely await. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the strength of tonight's overall performances, British Rock (whichever tiresome classification, taxonomy or genre-driven pigeon-holing you use) is in the rudest of rude health. And long may it continue.</span><br />
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<br />Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998607658257088678.post-1376999420512213982014-03-17T13:46:00.000+00:002014-03-17T13:46:11.652+00:00Bleeurgh'd vision - Live Review of Architects at Koko<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaBvAhO7gGPQAITJHhnk9gWjskRvM09bYv48mP6mmYoGvX3oLKZlhmPDx0Aae1XIdHdcIcnW8onGmGVTIkq1mYfuOYYQLlqHrVWpgT1SaMxjk2pxAagbot6CYtqGa6_Ri-HyfPJavkgs/s1600/Architects+1+mono.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaBvAhO7gGPQAITJHhnk9gWjskRvM09bYv48mP6mmYoGvX3oLKZlhmPDx0Aae1XIdHdcIcnW8onGmGVTIkq1mYfuOYYQLlqHrVWpgT1SaMxjk2pxAagbot6CYtqGa6_Ri-HyfPJavkgs/s1600/Architects+1+mono.jpg" height="236" width="575" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Architects <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Stray From The Path </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Koko Camden, Friday 14th March 2014</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, apologies to both Landscapes and Northlane. Due to the ever-frustrating club-night enforced early shows at the delicious faux Rococo Koko, I couldn't get to deepest Mornington Crescent early enough to run the rule over either of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No matter, there's already a packed pit salivating and drooling waiting for New Yoik's hardcore dahlinks Stray From The Path.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Stray From The Path </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">**</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicking off with <i>Badge And A Bullet</i>, there's no foreplay here. Frenzied fingers plunge straight for the love button. All bounce, brio and heaving heavy hardcore. Drew York leads the assault with guts and gusto, teasing and juicing up the supplicant and breathless crowd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They pile through seven or eight high octane bounce fests including <i>Negative And Violent</i>, <i>Death Beds</i> and, of course, <i>Damien;</i> which raises the fever pitch in the throbbing and circling pit to dog whistle proportions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That all said, and despite the obvious energy, vigour and relentless fondling and thrashing, it kind of feels like a solid teenage snog and a bit of a fumble rather than a full on grown up filthy </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bollock-deep</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> servicing. The delicious Eva Spence's cameo appearance notwithstanding, the whole thing stops a wee bit short of a shuddering climax and merely serves to tighten the testes and get the sap rising further in anticipation for the main rogering that we all hope is coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Architects <span style="color: red;">*****</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the scene is set. The lustful and lubed-up, expectant and heightened crowd assume the position, grit the teeth and spread the legs. This is going to hurt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Launching into the full-on frenzied <i>Gravedigger - </i> then, without a breath, dropping into the fearsome <i>C.A.N.C.E.R. f</i>rom the brilliant new album Lost Forever//Lost together, it's clear Sam and the boys are here to fuck and not to fuck about. The sound is immense, the reaction from the dripping and delirious packed room equally so. Something special is happening here. Something very special.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The assault is relentless. <i>Alpha Omega</i> brings the house down with every syllable sung back with heart and passion by the assembled love-struck sweaty orgy pile. A good smattering of material from the new album including the behemoth <i>Naysayer</i>, is wheeled out alongside work spanning the quintet's decade or so in the game, lending the set a perfect balance between downright brutality with blast beats and colon loosening sub drops and more melodic and harmonic reveries and seductions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The band themselves admit they've had problems refining or even defining their sound, but whether you file it under metalcore or any other sort of core, on tonight's jaw dropping display, they've landed right on top of whatever game they're in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout the astonishing performance, engaging frontman Sam Carter comes over as genuinely and charmingly humbled. He thanks the supplicant sweaty bastards in front of him at every opportunity and oozes honestly, humility and integrity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But despite Carter's warmth and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sincerity, he and his four mates continue, unabated, with the violation and destruction of our soft organs. Drew York joins the good time gang bang during <i>Early Grave</i> before the set ends with the triumphant and deeply penetrating <i>Broken Cross</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crowd is left twitching. Replete. Slightly confused. But ultimately satiated; indeed, the stench of love in the room clings to every fibre and sweaty limb. After a brief metaphorical apres-coital fag, they're back, briefly seducing the febrile throng with the post-rock infused instrumental <i>Red Hypergiant</i> before whipping out the ultimate priapic, throbbing kidney wiper <i>These Colours Don't Run</i> to finally fuck the brains out of what's left functioning among the giddy orgy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To hear 1400 or so excited miscreants bellowing in unison ' you fucking pigs' is a genuine bucket list moment and the most pithy and acute encapsulation of just how something so brutal and uncompromising can engender such genuine warmth, love and unity. Breathtaking. Spine tingling. Astonishing.</span></div>
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Bwoooarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16681563878239754573noreply@blogger.com0