LIVE REVIEWS *3
The Rakes / White Rose Movement / Duels
@ The Leadmill, Sheffield
Let’s get through the preliminaries quickly. Duels are starting to command more on stage and 'Pressure on You' is a textbook perfect pop song. White Rose Movement do a beautiful job of alienating the crowd with charming use of the F-word and general contempt for anyone who fails to appreciate their bland sub-prog meandering. There, done.
The Rakes, on the other hand, are probably the most fun band you could watch at the moment. The only rival to Alan Donohoe's claim to be the best Artrock frontman must be Maximo Park's Paul Smith, but the former swings it for me on the grounds of being slightly mental. He's a bundle of ritalin-deprived energy. I would like Jim to fix it for me to dance with him and then I could die happy. The fun he and the band are clearly having is infectious, and album tracks like 'T-Bone' and 'Binary Love' are greeted with as much enthusiasm as dancefloor regulars 'Retreat' and '22 Grand Job'. Every word is sung right back at the band and the atmosphere is particularly party-like during the finale of 'Strasbourg'.
90% of the audience tonight are probably students to whom 9-5 is just a Dolly Parton song they hear at cheesy club nights, but this doesn't dent the pertinence of what the Rakes sing about, and they are pretty unique in their subject matter. Once I'm done dancing and Jim fixes it for me to be Prime Minister (and why not?), I'm putting 'Capture/Release' on the national curriculum, partly as a useful careers lesson but mainly just because this band are so bloody good.
Katy Goodwin
Rainfly/ The Chased / Alexis Blue /Auxiliaries / Black Apple
@ The Boardwalk, Sheffield
Tonight’s showcase of up-and-coming bands displayed a variety of influences making for a surprisingly good night. First band on, Rainfly, set the tone with a blend of rock and punk, and thrashed out tunes such as the 7minute long track ‘awakening’. However, the band played a somewhat disjointed performance, and at some points found it difficult to keep up with each other.
The Chased, tonight’s second band, pulled off a much better set, and seemed to have brought with them an entire entourage of teenage fans. Their style mimicked that of many of the teenage emo bands around at the moment, Panic! At the disco and fall out boy to name but a few. Although bands like this are seen almost every day, The Chased still produced a standout performance, their charismatic lead singer controlling the dedicated crowd. And with a cover of Enrique’s ‘Hero’ that would make Less than Jake proud, these young kids really showed potential, as well as most of their underwear!
Alexis Blue, tonight’s only band not from these parts of the woods, successfully pulled off their first gig outside of Liverpool. Despite missing their lead singer, unable to make the journey, Alexis Blue played a blistering set that included stomping tracks such as ‘Passive Aggressive’ and ‘Close Windows Open Doors’. The guys certainly impressed the local celebs that came down to see them especially, and quite rightfully so.
After a recent line up change involving an adolescent drummer dressed in a superman costume, the Auxiliaries’ performance was certainly not affected. Yet another top band performing an amazing set, fusing their synth-style influences of the Killers with guitar rock inspired by bands such as the Arctic Monkeys. As somewhat of a tribute to their influences, the band attempted a cover of the Strokes ‘Last Nite’ which although seemed to struggle in places, was brought together perfectly at the end, showing everyone in the room this band’s potential.
Last band on, the Black Apples, were easily the oldest and more experienced of the bands playing tonight, with a more chiselled and rehearsed performance. Searing guitar solos and a blend of pure rock that is quite the hit in today’s music scene could have made this band the best of the evening, yet missing the reception that previous bands had received, Black Apples seemed to give a half-hearted performance which showed signs of being much better were they not playing to a practically empty venue.
Laura Strong
Sidewinder / Dazed Dakotas / Tonik
The Sesh @ Linnet and Lark, Hull
Tonight’s Sesh maintained a particularly high standard opening with a genuinely impressive set from Grimsby’s Dazed Dakotas. Tonik followed with a strong performance played well to a packed house. Good honest indie rock with Zeppelin vibes was given a twist with some funkier numbers. Decent patches of originality were also shown in a full package that will probably earn Tonik a regular place on the Hull circuit.
Headliners Sidewinder, who have lately received interest from a London based record company, fulfilled their potential as a local band that’s close to the verge of something bigger. While ultimately nothing radical, their sound bridges the gap between 90s guitar indie and the newer, punkier indie sound. Their set spanned a number of styles starting with shades of Ocean Colour Scene and the Bluetones, moving through to a more American rock sound, even with a pinch of country. While writing accessible songs, this band is certainly not afraid of a decent guitar solo, vocal harmonies or the odd extended rock n’ roll outro, features which are sometimes lost in the recent return to a more anarchanistic indie sound. Sidewinder’s strongest asset however remains the fact that their songs are memorable, even just returning to see them a second time you’ll be humming along to familiar riffs and lyrics.
So thumbs up to the Sesh! Tonight was an excellent local showcase showing why the venue is gaining the credit and recognition it deserves for developing the Hull music scene.
Joe Young
Shatner / Ric Neale / Captive Audio / Dirty Vinyls
@ Josephs Well, Leeds
Bit of a mixed bag at the 'Well' tonight, with one 'known' band and several unknown quantities. Never mind, I like surprises.
Opening to an unfortunately vacant room are the Dirty Vinyls, a five-piece that look very Madchester but sound more like The Almighty. It's good old fashioned rock and roll, played with vigour, verve and a slight amount of frustration. At one point the drummer stands up and makes an impassioned if profane plea for more people to come in from the bar. Sadly, they don't, and it's their loss. The Dirty Vinyls make a good sound and if they ditched the coats and complacency, they'd be mighty fine.
Next on stage are Captive Audio and these guys are heavier but lighter than the previous lot. Their style is heavy rock, but the lead singer, though she possesses a very nice voice, doesn't quite have the necessary strength to cut through. The songs start well but tend to meander rather than pummel. All in all, Captive Audio have got an okay thing going, but need to be punchier and angrier.
Ric Neale. I'm sorry, but I can't stomach this kind of MOR rubbish, which is so bland that it offends. I know lots of people like this stuff, but I don't. If you like music that has about as much challenge as a two-piece jigsaw, fill your boots.
Looking at the gathering all-ages audience, I'm not sure what to expect from Shatner, but once I've heard the customised Star Trek intro, I don't care. These guys are okay by me. Billed as 'Yesterdays Music - Tomorrow,' they're part Squeeze, part Proclaimers and all fun. They're the sort of band that want to please rather than impress, though they do that as well through their musical complexity that never strays into arrogance. Even the prospect of an intricate guitar solo is defused by the guitarist standing on one leg throughout said solo. The songs are witty and energetic and 'Girls Like You,' complete with do-be-dos, needs to be a single. I want to see these guys play festivals - make it so!
Rob Wright
Soledad Brothers / The Drones / The Sugars
@ Fibbers, York
York Fibbers on a Saturday afternoon's much like York Fibbers at night, except for the odd snatch of daylight and more people are drinking coffee. The Sugars always look like they've either come from or are going to a wedding reception, but their tight boy/girl rock’n’roll is going down well to a smallish early crowd. Songs about breaking up and hating TV. Yeah, I can dig it. Snappy dudes and sharp tunes.
Aussie rockers The Drones are a complete contrast - psych out garage rock where guitars are thrashed within an inch of life, words are howled and the rhythm's pounding, all pretty exhilarating.
By now the place has filled up as Detroit's blues groove machine Soledad Brothers take the stage. "It's Saturday afternoon, but we're gonna make like it's Saturday night!" says Johnny Walker, and they do. A full-on rockin' set culled from new album The Hardest Walk plus old favourites 'Cage That Tiger', 'Goin' Back To Memphis' and closer 'Gospel According To Johnny' where Oliver Henry's blasting out warnings to nearby shipping from his massive sax, and everything ends in glorious chaos. A damn fine way to spend Saturday afternoon.
Tony Woolgar
The Somatics / Champion Kickboxer / Buen Chico / Napoleon IIIrd
The Somatics Single Launch. The Engine Rooms @ The Brudenell
Single launches bring out the best gigs. The promoters make a concerted effort to get the finest support bands that they can lay their mitts upon, and the headliners inevitably try to up their game, in the hope that they can flog a few more copies of whatever they are launching. So, how can we not enjoy the prospect of a new single by The Somatics and this line-up? Nope, no matter how hard I try, the anticipation is far too much.
It’s a good job that Napoleon IIIrd is on as fine form as ever. His nifty reel-to-reel tape player conjures the sounds of a small brass band, a choir and many flicks, ticks, buzzes and whirs, meanwhile, the man himself alternates between a keyboard and a guitar, creating baffling multi-layered pop genius that Brian Wilson may well have made had he been born a good few decades later.
After the complexities of Napoleon IIIrd, Buen Chico fail to impress. While their songs are undoubtedly catchy little ditties, there’s just not enough diversity or charisma to keep them interesting for a whole half hour.
Now that we live in the state of New Yorkshire (hurrah for ill-defined, useless, geographical generalisations), it is necessary for us to unite Leeds and Sheffield as regularly as humanly possible. So, Champion Kickboxer, the tallest band in the world, come to Leeds and make us all very grateful for the Yorkshire indie exchange system. They’re an oddly understated bunch, using minimal quirky guitar lines and intricate over-lapping four way vocals that sound rather like The Futureheads covering Super Furry Animals. A mouth watering combination, no?
So then. The single launch. The stage is covered in unfeasibly huge amps, table lamps and vintage microphones. So far, so over-the-top. But then, that’s what we expect from Leeds’ premier prog-rockers. Watching The Somatics is like taking a trip back to the late Sixties (I’d imagine). Sweet harmonies and surprisingly catchy tunes mix with crashing big riffs that can suddenly collapse down into intricate atmospherics. At their best, on new single ‘Elemental’ they create a thrilling psychedelic noise. At their worst, they can veer dangerously close to the wrong side of self-indulgence. But that’s really just a minor quibble, when they make such a sublime noise.
Tom Goodhand
The Gary Steward Band / Mickey Charbagz Band/ Captain Wilberforce
@ Sandinista, Leeds
Ah, some acoustic fair is just the thing to ease one into the weekend. The dashing Captain Wilberforce is up first, although I’m not sure why. His set has the distinct tone of being the main event. There are flyers scattered three-to-a-table and the Captain continually bigs up his album, Mindfilming. He also plays us some new material, such as opening song ‘Confetti, Champagne and Roses’ which, with its lyrics of a girl who can’t get a date, will surely be soundtracking the next Bridget Jones movie. The new stuff is presented to us without the embellishments provided by the Captain’s four-track and they suffer from sounding comparatively bare. The benefit of this is that older songs like ‘Algebra, Take Me Dancing’ and ‘Teaching You to Swim’ (excellent sexual metaphor) have now taken on a classic quality which fits very snugly with their brooding early-‘90’s R.E.M. melodies. ‘Vaselined Eyes’ is still his most accomplished composition however, and elicits the greatest response from the crowd. The audience, it has to be said, do not give up their undivided attention tonight, and this why I find the Captain a little unsuited to these acoustic nights. With its mix of straight-ahead melody and swooning balladry, his music would surely benefit greatly from a full band setup? I’d like to see it. That said, Captain Wilberforce continues to be an engaging live presence and his brand of pop classicism is always welcome down my way.
I find the next two bands to fit more closely with the traditional setup for acoustic nights, by which I mean they both have a tendency to slip into the background. Mickey Charbagz Band is accomplished in the folksy yearning school of songwriting, and there isn’t much that stands out about them for me. One positive point is the use of percussion, which gives otherwise undistinguished songs a sense of urgency. By third band the Gary Steward Band I’m finding it a little hard to maintain full attention and perhaps I’m not the only one, as some members of the band themselves look less than thrilled to be here tonight. Their Irish folk-pop is friendly and warm though, and songs with titles such as ‘Traveler’s Jingle’ are trotted out without blushes. All fine then but I did feel that tonight the main talent had been somewhat mystifyingly been sidelined.
Richard Morris
The Strokes / Shout Out Louds
@ Nottingham Ice Arena
Whenever I go to the NIA I don’t know why I always opt for standing as I can never see due to the tall person in front, my feet hurt and I am guaranteed to get squished in the mush mosh pit. Tonight is no exception. Support came from Sweden’s latest export; Shout Out Louds! I found the songs interesting with absorbing melodies. Although an irritating xylophone and blend of sounds, sometimes overcrowding the songs which would have benefited from being more simplistic. When The Strokes started the arena was full and it is the tightest mosh pit I’ve been in there, you can smell the sweat and feel the love. There are also enough people in stripy t-shirts to instigate a Where’s Wally revival. But that is what you get in the pit, a pure adrenalin rush and nothing compares! The light show is minimalist and a little unimaginative. In the centre there is a diamond shaped screen like Superman’s logo playing images to accompany the songs but there are no screens at all, which means I can only glimpse at the band through the gaps in the crowd and we’re seven songs in before I spot Nick! The songs blended together well and there was very little movement on stage with Julian staying in the same spot. Julian is very appreciative and thanks the crowd several times showing that they are not as offish as is often made out. Strangely though, every time Julian speaks to the crowd the lights go off and you can see nothing. Very peculiar – stage fright anyone? For me the highlights from the set were; ‘New York City Cops’, ‘Reptilia’, ‘12:51’, ‘Juicebox’, ‘15 Minutes’, ‘Heart In a Cage’, and ‘Last Night’ – even though it was played early on in the set. The biggest cheers were for the new material and surprisingly through the older material people were chatting between the songs. The mellower songs were obviously not captivating the audience enough, although I felt this is where the band were at their strongest. The band finished on ‘Take it or Leave it’. I will definitely take the music but possibly leave the show as I left feeling exhilarated but a little uninspired. I needed to see more of a sparkle. Saying that, if they had played in a venue the size of Rock City it would have been amazing!
Gemma Hammond
Tera Tora / Blood Red Shoes / Not In This Town
@ Stealth, Nottingham
Not In This Town are still very much in embryonic stages and it sounds like everything is happening a little far apart from each other, like the instruments are on separate tape machines slipping in and out of sync. Whereas this might have been a bonus in members’ previous bands like Little Girl With Cherries or Shooting Victor Francis, where spreading a little confusion was part of the game plan, it seems to make them fall between two points as though trapped by rules of their own making. It’s engaging nonetheless because of its uniqueness but it’s like they need to rid the desire for everything to be so unique and complex that it becomes impenetrable. That way the pop tunes that are definitely in there would rise to the surface where they belong.
Blood Red Shoes are a boy/girl duo from London/Brighton. Singer/guitarist Laura-Mary is a lady equipped with a voice about twice as scary as your Mum screaming “have you been DRINKING?” at you when you’re 12 and you’ve been on the Woodpecker after school. That girl can HOLLA. The guitar n drums line-up means it’s always stripped down and direct but most importantly it is catchy, despite its occasional anger or spite. Whereas Steve’s old band Cat On Form had an intensity that was claustrophobic and easy to reject if you weren’t in the mood, this seems deliberately opposite, like the intention is just to be free and not put rules on themselves.
It seems increasingly like Tera:Tora are making a conscious effort to straighten the kinks out of their sound. Watching them play, you feel that effort somehow, like a magnetic pull distracting you from enjoying it. The first time I saw them they seemed a lot stranger and front man Shaun a lot wilder somehow. Or at least they were less caring about keeping it together. That gave them a real edge on other bands working with similar sounds (post-punk wiry guitar and disco-tinged drums). Seeing them play with Forward Russia! was a good example in that they were so much more exciting than the ‘bigger’ band. On a record it’ll sound great no doubt, but live there’s a spark missing and you feel each member is playing to some new rules. That said this was in Stealth, which is a little like playing on the set of Tron, an experience guaranteed to sterilise anyone.
Chris Summerlin
Vib Gyor / All My Friends Are Dead / Johnny Poindexter / Vessels / Gazelle
Tea Time Shuffle @ HiFi Club, Leeds
It’s the same old cliché. Gazelle are ten years too late. The Ian Brown swagger, jangly guitar and the silly dancing on show tonight are a reminder to us all not of Britpop’s headier anthems, but of just how damned ordinary a lot of it was.
It’s absolutely pointless endeavouring to work out Vessels’ time changes after a few (too many) drinks. It’s much better, and in my opinion easier, to allow yourself to be taken along for the ride. When Vessels go big, they go huge. When they do tender, it’s tenderly huge. Mostly instrumental with some occasional job-share vocals thrown in, Vessels could be scarily good as soon as the latter are sorted. Entirely absorbing.
I’ve never seen Johnny Poindexter. The next day I can’t remember many of their songs, but I do recall a pulsating set, with sounds darting off in all sorts of directions and some nice contrasts between the guitars. That’s to say there was some big old noise from one and some intricate counter melodies from the other, and this listener will certainly be heading back for more.
The nursery rhyme-like melodies of All My Friends Are Dead are there to lull us in to a false sense of security, kids. Beneath these lush, sweeping songs there’s a noose getting gradually tighter. The cello adds an eerie touch that (thank God) never becomes overkill. It’s a well measured set that still needs a bit of welding together, but there’s plenty of promise here.
Watching Vib Gyor is like being on an aeroplane. The anticipation is there in bags, and the first ten minutes are exciting, heading up, up and away. But then you reach a certain altitude, things settle down, and that’s how it stays for the duration. Everything sounds reliable and there are no worrying sounds you may get on a cheaper aircraft, but after a while the noise just becomes a background hum. Flying with Air Vib Gyor is a smooth, solid journey. But a maverick in the cockpit might make it more fun for the kids.
Ric Miller
Wildside - Nothin' To Lose / Rattlesnake Remedy
@ Junktion7, Notingham
Having established itself as a glam rock haven at Spiders, monthly cock-rock night Wildside has re-established itself at Junktion7, and a good thing this is too as DJevAL can now bring a dose of live sleaze to the night, something which could never be managed at the claustrophobic Spiders. Tonight's offering began with Camden's Nothin' To Lose, dressed in uniform black leathers, and blasting out big, goofy, brainsaw riffs. They offered a strange dichotomy of a nervous frontman with a great dirty voice crossed with an over elaborate guitar sound that was far too complex for NTL's overt punk influences. A massively obvious cover of "Shout At The Devil" didn't really help the set which had strength enough in songs such as "Cheap'n'Nasty". For sure there is some low slung talent here if only they could persuade singer Max Pornscar to come out of his shell more, whilst at the same time talking Mick Priestly into ease up on the solos. Birmingham's Rattlesnale Remedy were an altogether property. Whilst Nothin' To Lose adopted the sleaze of the late eighties Hollywood scene, this Brummy lot took the swaggering blues of Aerosmith, Quireboys and Black Crowes and injected some high energy in the manner of current UK favourites Roadstar. Singer Lee Stone was a well and truly fired up frontman who made great use of Junktion7's limiting stage without ever looking cramped, he certainly took a great deal of the moves of Tyler/Spike/Robinson, and had a stunning range to match. Guitarist Ben Bartlett handled axe duties magnificently, never getting into danger of fret-wanking, knowing exactly how to keep a crowd fevered without dropping into self-indulgence. There was an over-riding sense of professionalism about the stage presence of Rattlesnake Remedy - this was a seasoned band despite their youth who offered a uniquely British take on the so often Americanised blusey take on rock'n'roll.
James Wright
Wolfmother
@ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Wolfmother are romping and rolling heavy rockers who have already made a big splash back in Australia, but are now testing the waters in the UK with their cosmic, classic rock sound. Their pitch shifts from sprawling stoner rock, more reminiscent of Led Zeppelin than Kyuss, and onto balladeering in the style of Jack White. The gig really hits stride with White Unicorn, as the bassist flings himself into the tune, whilst the lead singer struts his stuff across the stage, swinging his mic before mounting the barrier. Whether or not the crowd knows the band, their appeal and energy is infectious and by the time they get onto Dimension there is no question that the Wolf is a pure, delirious phenomenon. The three piece group is disarmingly unselfindulgent and manages to produce an awesome, sweeping and irresistible momentum, thatgoes back to what heavyrock is fundamentally about. The gig eventually winds up into an apocalyptic encore with the Joker and the Thief, wrapping up everything that had come before it with epic abandon. Wolfmother
are going onto great things in the house that rock built.
Mike Simon
Wolfmother
@ The Cockpit, Leeds
When it comes to rock music, there’s something about three-piece bands which pretty much guarantee that they’re going to make an impression on me. A lot of that is to do with my admiration for economy, with doing a lot with a little, apportioning responsibility for melody and rhythm to as few a practitioners as possible and getting the fuck on with it. Of course, that particular line of argument logically requires me to favour The Kills over Nirvana, but what does logic has to do with something as guttural and (dare I risk saying something so hippy-ish?) ‘elemental’ as riffs, crashing cymbals and flailing hair?
Wolfmother are an Australian power trio currently starting to make waves in the Northern Hemisphere after (by all accounts) making quite a name for themselves in their Antipodean homeland, a rise to prominence which included bagging a record deal with Universal subsidiary Modular into the bargain. Judging by how packed out the Cockpit’s small room is tonight, their advance press in the UK has been pretty favourable (coverage in The Guardian this weekend, no less) and the British love affair with its own past certainly seems undimmed even by the unsightly (though thankfully now fading) presence of The Datsuns and Jet in our pop-cultural consciousness over the last few years. I say this because it’s hard to see where Wolfmother are taking their cues from if it isn’t from Led Zeppelin, whose blues-metal-by-way-of-new-age-symbolism approach to songwriting in their ‘60s/‘70s heyday looms large over almost every song dropped on us this evening. I mean, check out these song titles: ‘Woman’, ‘White Unicorn’, ‘Joker and the Thief’…‘Tales From The Forest Of Ghomes’? They’re not technically a tribute band, but you do wonder.
Indeed, by all rights I should hate Wolfmother a great deal more than I do, but they perform with such unashamed, youthful exuberance that it’s hard not to let at least some of one’s rock buttons be pushed by their unrelenting barrage of frenetic riffs and ludicrously enjoyable arsing about on the electric organ. Andrew Stockdale certainly has a set of pipes on him too; at points he sounds like he’s impersonating Robert Plant (naturally), Axl Rose (horrifyingly), Jack White (on the suspiciously Stripes-esque ‘Apple Tree’) and, bizarrely, The Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler Zavala (with whom he shares an impressively voluminous hairdo). And he does them all very well. But is that really enough?
Greg Elliott
Carl Woodford
@ Stone Roses Bar, York
“Anyone here like Nick Drake?” enquires singer/songwriter Carl Woodford. The majority of the audience, fans of the Kaiser Chiefs and The Artic Monkeys, enthusiastically affirm they do. They are impressed as Woodford delivers a beautiful rendition of Drake’s ‘Cello Song’. Next day, inspired students scour record shops all over the historic city, to buy copies of the original.
‘Curves’ is an affecting and gentle start, Woodford sings with moving modesty and clear dictation. When the song ends with “I hope someone curves this way again”, our ears prick, we’re ready for more. Discussions about the Kaisers are abandoned as he fingerpicks his guitar through ‘Coconut Shy’, gaining momentum as it flows into ‘Rock Song’.
Woodford apologies for a mistake in ‘Time Obsession’, but it is doubtful if any of the audience noticed, apart from some followers from his hometown in Scarborough. The moment is forgotten as Carl plays a cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Friends’. Imagine my surprise, it’s not the easiest song in the world to attempt, but tonight he breezes through it with newfound confidence and ease. It’s as if he’s received tuition from Jimmy Page himself.
‘Soothing Song’, an acoustic cousin of Super Furry Animals’ ‘Golden Retriever’, wows the students. It’s almost as if Woodford grows another pair of arms, using the guitar as a percussion instrument, whilst simultaneously playing chords. Definitely a sight to see - as is the punter with a broken nose I encounter during a call of nature - whilst Woodford plays ‘Carry The Stone’ the title track from his latest album. “I bet you don’t often see a sight like this on a Tuesday night in York,” groans the poor bloke.
I nod in agreement as Woodford sings ‘Bridge Song’, containing decisive and reflective lyrics we can all relate to. Waves of sadness engulf me, but I soon brighten, encouraged as I watch indie fans studying the singer’s black and white flyers.
“Have we time for one more?” enthuses Carl. The sound guy shakes his head sideways, but an audience cheer ensures another with ‘For Coloured Walls’. Woodford strums and slaps his guitar like a conga and the indie kids clap him on to a dramatic climax. Things haven’t changed; they still worship the Kaisers and Artic Monkeys, but after tonight, they may add the name Carl Woodford to that list.
Dave Wright
Wild Beasts / The Scarlet Tuesday / Guy Honeymoon
@ The Mixing Tin, Leeds
Before we get onto spraying positive adjectives about the later two bands around like a hyperbole mad machine gunner, we have tonight’s opener, Guy Honeymoon to assess. And the assessment? It’s looking pretty positive. A long haired bloke in a Cheap Trick t-shirt plays a collection of songs, presumably composed for a classic rock band, not a solo acoustic performance. Nevertheless, he has an impressive voice and plays at fantastic speed. Jolly good.
While Guy Honeymoon is worthy, but slightly funless, we can take a childish delight in The Scarlet Tuesday. The are cacophonous, but strangely alluring. One can’t help but feel like a proud parent at their child’s orchestra (despite having no links to this band whatsoever, other than casual fandom) - in the opening song they even have the instruments to match this poor simile, as a recorder, flute and clarinet are put on show.
Geography, and their singer’s voice, are always going to combine to cause problems for The Scarlet Tuesday. While the bands’ sound is rather different from that of The Long Blondes, the vocal similarities are undeniable, and a lazy listener is going to jump to conclusions rather quickly. Fear not though, for I am devoted to the cause of indie music, and thus able to see beyond my first impressions, and appreciate The Scarlet Tuesday’s love for the more discordant side of indie. They may be buried underneath the slightly warbled vocals and chirpy keys, but vicious guitar parts and an interest with greater noise than simple pop music lay in wait for the more devoted listeners. It’s worth the effort.
If you dare to think that a bit of woodwind is the most interesting thing you will hear tonight, then it’s probably about time you braced yourself for the vocals of Wild Beasts. While the band play an interesting jazzy take on the modern indie sound, the singer makes a shocking sound come out of his voice. Shocking, but wonderful. Somehow this singer (male, you should note) manages to combine the sound of Kate Bush, Anthony (of ‘& The Johnsons’ fame ) and that bloke out of Sparks. Yes, it is mildly ridiculous, but also, utterly brilliant.
Musically, yes, they are tight and rather interesting, but it’s Hayden’s vocals, veering between occasional bursts of throaty growls and a disconcertingly ethereal falsetto that really catch the imagination and lift the music off into the realms of the spectacular.
Tom Goodhand
The Wrens / The Favours / The No Nothings
@ The Adelphi, Hull
Woah, where did that come from? The No Nothings stormed through a set of intense, occasionally fuzzy but always powerful songs. There were nods to the seventies, to Americana, and to goodness.
Quite recently The Favours skipped away from Hull to give their talent the chance it deserved in the big smoke (or just London to most) and tonight they return. Unfortunately, they have misplaced a guitarist on the way and this responsibility falls on Sara for only the third time. They still managed to retain a great repertoire moving from indie-pop to AOR to teen angst and to more “weepy” ones. They lose a few points for rhyming “glue” with “you” but make this up with great sexual allusion in the line: “I will be the one down on my knees. I will be the one making you bleed.”
Hang one, amongst the casual between band banter someone has snuck one of The Wrens on stage. Slowly he begins to serenade our unsuspecting ears with a quiet refrain; drawing emotion. Suddenly the whole room falls as the slightness builds and the collective consciousness of the room awakens to such sweet tunes. Then the rest of The Wrens join, the second song begins with a change of both singer and as all of a suddenly it is in your face. They continue the pattern of alternating the hushed songs with the louder freak outs. It manages to make you miss all the people you have met and adore, and as thoughtful lament sets in you begin to miss all those people that you will never meet.
Mike Reynolds
Yellowcard + Engerica
@ Rock City, Nottingham
With the recent release of their major label debut “Ocean Avenue”, Yellowcard have gradually emerged from obscurity and are entering the musical spectrum of many young people up and down the country. The quintet from California was meant to play this gig in December of last year but due to the ill health of a band member, had to reschedule so tonight is a greatly anticipated show.
Engerica. An interesting name and interesting people to start the night and to boost some excitement into the adolescent crowd. The UK’s own trio from Essex show off their bizarre concoction of genres to the expectant mass. With the rolling drums of a classic Nirvana song, the backing vocals and riffs of Pre “Conspiracy of One” Offspring sprinkled with lead vocals worthy of a System of a Down album… I did mean it when I said bizarre concoction! Not only is the sound of the band unique and different, the band members follow suit. Guitarist, Dave displays many strange facial expressions and noises that could keep a baby entertained for hours and carries the stage presence of a children’s TV presenter. Jokes aside the band did give the set their utmost energy with the audience soon catching on. With the release of their new album “There Are No Happy Endings” out this week too, the band had a lot to prove and when they thrashed out their new single “The Smell” from that album, it was received well and they seem to have made a lot of new friends and maybe a few enemies too as their hybrid style didn’t really compliment the main band of the evening.
From the very first song that pop-punkers, Yellowcard produce, it is evident that the Yellowcard fans form a large part of the band, and this show is no exception. They hang on to every word sang by vocalist and guitarist Ryan Key and sing them back to him with as much passion as he delivered them with. Anyone new to Yellowcard would instantly notice the presence of a rather unusual instrument on the stage. Violinist Sean Mackin runs around the stage with a smile that never leaves. It has to be said that the violin adds a sense of individuality to a band that might otherwise be tarred with the same brush as “seen it all before” bands such as Lostprophets and New Found Glory. The Californian bunch managed to drag up some songs from very early in their career such as “October Nights” which Key says is the “…oldest song we know how to play” and also surprise with a gaggle of new hits from their brand new album “Ocean Avenue”. Many of the songs induce the feeling of a fresh start, a life changing split second, each chorus heart-breaking in its own way, whether it is the bass drum shaking your heart in its cage or the deep lyrics pulling at your Adam’s Apple. One consistency through each song is the bands ability to be heavy and melodic at the same time, with most songs feeling like a brainstorm, followed by a moment of clarity, a breath of fresh air. As the gig draws to a close, Key decides to play infantile party games with the audience by splitting them in half and seeing who can shout the loudest, but bearing in mind the average age of a Yellowcard fan is around 15 years old, it is quite fitting. The band leave their adoring fans with new single and love song “Ocean Avenue” with outstanding solos from every band member thrown in, including an incredible drum solo by drummer Longineu Parsons III.
At the beginning of the gig, Ryan Key tells Nottingham that he is “…Here to rock your fine city” and to “…Make sure everyone has the best night of their lives” and taking cues from the reaction of Rock City, Yellowcard achieved precisely what they aimed to do. They brought a hub of hysteria, excitement and energy to an otherwise rainy, dull and cold night in Nottingham.
Abi Lambton