Category: Review

Live – Hey Colossus at The Loft Portsmouth

Posted in Live Music, Review

Hey Colossus, The Loft, Southsea, 7th June 2019

Hey Colossus have been melting minds for 16 years now, and I’m led to believe that this is their first time playing in Portsmouth. It’s chucking it down with rain outside, but The Loft is absolutely rammed with eager punters tonight. The temperature is rapidly rising, and by the time the sextet hit the stage, most of us are already drenched in sweat. This is going to be good.

Tonight’s 10 song set draws chiefly from the band’s last four studio albums – Four Bibles (2019), The Guillotine (2017), Radio Static High (2015) and In Black and Gold (2015) – with an unreleased song thrown in for good measure. Sisters and Brothers gets things off to a steady start before the three pronged attack of new tracks, Four Bibles, Palm Hex / Arndale Chins and Memory Gore bring a heaviness and groove that sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

Hop the Railings deviates slightly by adding the motorik pulse of krautrock legends, Can, to proceedings before unreleased track Medal brings the noise once again. After that, it’s just one giant slab of noise rock after another, and the band really start to hit their stride.

Frontman Paul Sykes is clearly enjoying himself as he dances around and uses his microphone stand to engage with audience members filming on their phones. The rhythm section consisting of bass player, Joe Thompson, and drummer, Rhys Llewellyn, are the tight driving force that makes this band one of the best around. The addition of Chris Summerlin (Grey Hairs, Kogumaza, Haress) to the three guitar line-up adds another dimension of well-crafted tone and volume that ensures that last song, Back in the Room, is a bona fide skull crusher to end the night on a high.

Hey Colossus have worked incredibly hard to get where they are today, and they’re on a roll at the moment. Go see them in a small venue like this before they become colossal.

Setlist:

Sisters and Brothers
Four Bibles
Palm Hex / Arndale Chins
Memory Gore
Hop the Railings
Medal
Black and Gold
Experts Toll
Wired Brainless
Back in the Room

You can find more tour dates and the latest news from Hey Colossus here

Words by Ryan Howarth
Photos by Hannah Mesquitta

11th June 2019

Festival – Utopia (Brighton)

Posted in Live Music, Review

Utopia All-Dayer, The Green Door Store, Brighton, 8th June 2019

After a successful first year in 2018, the Utopia all-dayer was back with a vengeance at the weekend. Brighton’s much loved Green Door Store was transformed with psychedelic light projections by Innerstrings and played host to a great selection of live music throughout the day.

Prior commitments meant that I had to skip the opening acts but I’m reliably informed that Buddha Blood and Rainn Byrns got things off to a flying start and, having seen Mystic Peach before, I can vouch for the quality of their live performance. Happily, I arrived in time to catch Public Body – made up of familiar faces from other Brighton bands, their combined forces result in some infectious post punk tunes and drew a good crowd still early in the day.

Next up, John Myrtle proved a popular choice with a definite 60s lilt to his stories within songs. From How Can You Tell If You Love Her to Cyril the Slug, everyone was pretty much captivated from start to finish.

It’s rare to have an event like this without at least one act dropping from the bill and sadly Kagoule were unable to play as planned on the day. Disappointing as they’re always on point live and also, when you only have two females on the line-up, it’s a damn shame to lose one of them.

Nonetheless, no complaints about their replacement as local duo Skinny Milk were drafted in at the eleventh hour and played a blistering set as expected, an excellent substitution.

Beachtape’s fuzzy indie tracks have seen them become an established feature on the Brighton scene and continued support for them is apparent with tracks old and new in Slow and Fix It Up equally well received.

Much anticipation for new project Nancy turned out to be well deserved. Another familiar face on the local circuit was preceeded by the rest of the band set up on stage and a single mic stand placed strategically in the crowd. With live appearances starting to pop up, the mystery frontman has been revealed as Tigercub’s Jamie Hall but, make no mistake, this is a far cry from heavy grunge and ripped jeans territory. More akin to The Cramps mix of raucous punk and laid back lounge swaying, Nancy raised the pace and atmosphere in the venue to a different level; one to watch for sure.

Always compelling live, Hotel Lux bring a turbulent hybrid of post-punk and pub rock, lyrics writhing in humour of the bleakest variety. They were a big favourite on the day and it’s not hard to see why. Dystopian disdain at its best, Hotel Lux never disappoint.

And so to the headliners, Heavy Lungs. The band launched straight into Half Full and Jealous; the crowd launched straight into a mosh pit. Reminiscent of early Killing Joke, the Bristol four piece lived up to their reputation for providing a raw assault to the senses and a certain ordered chaos throughout the room. It’s a positive note to end the day on, the last charge of the party brigade before curfew.

I can’t fail to mention the impeccable timing throughout the day. Despite having 10 bands to accommodate and relatively short gaps between sets, everything ran to schedule, almost to the second (having the set times projected onto the wall between acts is also a stroke of genius). Add to this a nicely assorted mix of artists on the line-up and a really friendly crowd and Utopia can tick off their second successful outing on their way to becoming a regular event on the  Brighton music calendar.

Words and photos by Siobhan

10th June 2019

Book Club – David Byrne: How Music Works

Posted in Books, Review

With so many great books about and by musicians on the shelves, it’s difficult to gauge which ones will make the read as compelling as the music. Here, Ryan Bell reviews one of his favourites…

David Byrne: How Music Works

David Byrne’s How Music Works is much like his music. Whether it’s his solo work, his collaborative recordings with Brian Eno or St Vincent, or as the frontman for influential art-rock group Talking Heads, he is a consistent creator of music that is ambitious and intelligent yet enjoyable, and his foray into the world of music literature is no different.

Similar to the genre fusions found in the music of Talking Heads, Byrne chooses not to craft a by the numbers autobiography, instead he flirts between the role of rock raconteur, music history professor and pop culture sociologist, amalgamating observations, anecdotes, ideas and concepts gathered from his thirty plus years in the music business. Whilst this could result in the book becoming arrogant or rambling, his writing style is informative yet conversational, with a great sense of “believe me, I’ve seen it and done it” authenticity and an enthusiasm that can rarely be doubted, leading How Music Works to be a surprising breath of fresh air to read.

This can also be attributed to the nonlinear structure of the book, with each chapter focusing on a different musical talking point such as technology, collaborations, live performances, etc. Byrne states in the preface that he feels there is still a certain rhythm to the book, though acknowledges the merit of allowing for reader permitted chapter hopping, appealing to those readers with a shorter attention span. David Byrne writes attractively throughout, however I am such a reader, and the option to jump to learning about the recording of Remain in Light over Byrne’s thoughts on music industry finances, without the result of a jumbled narrative, was refreshing. 

Naturally, you would pick up the book because of the name attached, Byrne has made a career out of being one of pop music’s most revered auteurs, and some of the most enjoyable parts of How Music Works come from his success in pairing his music history research with his own personal observations. Reading about the televangelists who inspired the Talking Heads hit Once in a Lifetime, or his time spent watching Japanese theatre for the infamous “big suit” from the legendary Stop Making Sense live shows is enthralling, particularly after witnessing his spectacular American Utopia show, which only wet the appetite to learn where he gathers his inspirations from.

As well as these, Byrne is fascinated by the wider context of how shapes sound, how geography and performance and listening spaces can affect and influence the sonic nature. He describes the uneven wall, scattered furniture pieces and low ceiling that gave legendary punk club CBGB a “remarkably good sound” and how the percussive character of African tribe music would have turned to “sonic mush” in the stone walled gothic cathedrals of the west in the middle ages.

The book is typical of Byrne, as whilst other rock/pop musicians might opt for the sexy warts ‘n’ all page turner, his eyes and ears are tuned, almost academically, towards the physics and working parts behind music’s past, present and future. Knowing that some might scoff at the idea that by doing so he is ridding the art of its enjoyment, he insightfully remarks in the preface that “knowing how the body works doesn’t take away from the pleasure of living”.

There is a wide range of ground covered in How Music Works, which at times can leave it feeling a little uneven and scattered, but it’s rarely pretentious, he never gives the impression he is writing about anything for any reason other than it fascinates him. Its structure is particularly suited for travel reads or coffee table pick-me-ups, with his knack for great pop song writing translating into cushioning the trickier moments with anecdotes and titbits, and the musical wanderlust shown throughout his career making his search for the mechanics of sound eclectic and colourful.

How Music Works is published by McSweeney’s 

Words and photo by Ryan Bell

16th May 2019

Portsmouth Psych Fest 2019

Posted in Festival, Live Music, Review

Portsmouth Psych Fest, The Wedgewood Rooms, 4th May 2019

Making a welcome return this weekend, Portsmouth Psych Fest stormed into its third year with an event packed with another amazing array of artists. Throughout Saturday, eighteen acts played across the main stage in The Wedgewood Rooms and its more compact counterpart in the Edge of the Wedge, hosted by local collective Calamity Cratediggers. Kicking things off at the Edge, Fat Earthers, The Howlers and Number 9 gave us a glimpse into how diverse the day was going to be, from psych-punk to desert rock to 60s’ infused psychedelia all in the first few hours.

Over on the main stage, Drusila impressed once again with their unapologetically 80s’ tinged electronic dance tracks – big things ahead for this local duo surely.

With the room transformed by vibrant liquid colour projections from visual artist Inner Strings and psych mascots in the form of graffitied mannequins by street artist My Dog Sighs, the scene was set for poetry-fused guitar tunes from Freya Beer, melodic indie-pop from Mystic Peach and the unlikely but irrepressibly fun blend of Cumbian psych provided by Los Bitchos.

Back at the Edge, Japanese Television were a joy to hear and see, the self-proclaimed space surfers proving that lyrics aren’t always a necessity. Sleep Eaters continued the momentum, a great live band bringing Americana flavoured garage to the table, followed by post-punk four piece Egyptian Blue.

Space age psych up next from Brisbane’s Nice Biscuit, just about managing to squeeze everyone onto the stage, easily managing to impress.

Picking up the pace, Brighton’s GURU produced the most animated set of the day with plenty of crowd interaction and discordant tunes galore.

Over on the main stage, Black Country, New Road gave a more sombre performance pulsated by dark set vocals, before the costumed krautrock-influenced beats of Snapped Ankles lightened the mood and continued the mystery behind the woolly headed noise-lords.

Concluding proceedings at the Edge of the Wedge, Scalping provided some heavy techno-punk before handing over to the grittily wonderful world of Glasgow’s Sweaty Palms, an intriguing melee of cowboy hats, garage guitars and saxophone worthy of any stage headliner.

The last two acts on the Wedgewood Rooms stage completed the eclectic mix. Brooding shoegaze over industrialised visuals from The KVB followed by an energy filled set from indie rockers Yak brought the festival to a suitably intense close.

Joining the legion of psych fests up and down the country, Portsmouth has firmly staked its place amongst the more established events. The line ups every year so far have been solid from start to finish. When tickets go on sale for next year there’s really no need to wait for announcements on who’s playing; just buy one and thank yourself later.

Keep up to speed with Portsmouth Psych Fest here

Words and photos by Siobhan 

7th May 2019

Live – Suede + BC Camplight at Brighton Dome

Posted in Live Music, Review

Suede / BC Camplight, Brighton Dome, 23rd April 2019

Suede… the story behind the band’s rise, fall and emphatic comeback has been told many times. Still, there’s an intrigue as to what they might do next. With latest album The Blue Hour released last year and a huge tour underway, one thing’s for sure – Suede are far from done yet.

Opening support on this tour has largely come from the much lauded BC Camplight. The man behind the tunes and the piano is US born singer-songwriter Brian Christinzio; his tale of starting a new life in the UK, gaining a record deal then being deported before winning back his right to live here sounds like a fine set of lyrical fantasy but in this case is all true. Having had to pull a couple of dates through illness, it was good to see him back and well, providing an eclectic start to the evening with tracks from his latest album Deportation Blues.

The anticipation for Suede’s arrival on stage is met with a suitably atmospheric outpouring of smoke and dramatic lighting, from which the band emerge to the strains of haunting new track As One. The capacity crowd, many of whom have been there since doors, are rewarded with an ample dosage of songs spanning an incredible 30 years. It’s not long before some older material surfaces in the set – We Are The Pigs and So Young reminders that there is a back catalogue here worthy of its place in the music history books. As a frontman, Brett Anderson appears to have fallen into Neverland as his endless energy and off stage excursions seem no less enthusiastic than they ever were.

Anderson gives a thank you to the crowd, rightly noting that without a great crowd it’s hard to have a great gig. And the respect is clearly mutual; there are moments where he talks to the audience or during stripped back songs (Everything Will Flow / Europe Is Our Playground) that you could hear a pin drop, no background chat, no need, still it’s a welcome change to the annoying conversational hum that often accompanies performers. But then Suede have never been your average band. Oddly labelled with the Britpop tag in the early days, their refusal to conform has seen them become something of an institution on their own terms, an institution that puts on a show to be remembered as it turns out.  After a quick break, the band return to finish the evening with a huge singalong to The Beautiful Ones followed by closing track Life Is Golden, a track that Anderson says he wrote for his son but which it is likely everyone there is happy to take as a message for themselves. From the start, Suede were something a bit different, something a bit special. Turns out they still are.

Click here for remaining tour dates and all things Suede related

More from BC Camplight here

Words and photos by Siobhan

25th April 2019

Instore – Fontaines DC at Rough Trade East London

Posted in Instore, Live Music, Review

Fontaines DC, Rough Trade East London, 17th April 2019

The last year has seen Fontaines DC morph into the band that everyone’s talking about. Promoters are selling out live dates months in advance and desperately seeking venue upgrades; the Dublin five piece have already been announced as one of the headliners for Rockaway Beach Festival in 2020 – some achievement this early in their career (by way of comparison, 2019’s headliners were Maxïmo Park, Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen).

Inaugural album Dogrel was released into the world a week ago; a sharp and unrelenting reflection of the times we live in – an upward nod to the poets of the past, an incredulous sneer at the capitalists of the present. Fontaines DC will be a heavy presence on the touring scene throughout 2020 and come into their own in a live setting. If you can find a date that hasn’t sold out yet, grab a ticket while you still can. 

Gallery from their packed instore at London’s Rough Trade East this week below…

Keep up with the latest news from Fontaines DC
Dogrel is available now on Partisan Records – watch the video for Big here

Words and photos by Siobhan

19th April 2019

Live – The Slow Readers Club at The Haunt Brighton

Posted in Live Music, Review

The Slow Readers Club at The Haunt Brighton, 9th April 2019

With 3 albums under their belt and an ever growing following, it’s surprising that this is The Slow Readers Club’s first year as a full time band. They’re certainly making the most of their new situation, currently working their way through a massive 48 day tour, arriving last night at The Haunt in Brighton.

And so, as the strobe lights kick in to the sound of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love under The Haunt’s huge glitterball, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d turned up on 70s’ disco night. However, as the members of The Slow Readers Club take to the stage things come crashing up to date with the writhing pulse of Lunatic, an instant crowd pleaser. Next up is Lives Never Known – reminiscent of John Foxx’s Europe After the Rain, it continues a steady stream of singles and album tracks spanning The Readers’ career so far.

The band are a long way from their home town of Manchester but it doesn’t seem to matter where they play, they take an army of loyal fans with them. Having seen them play festivals at both ends of the country in Glasgow and Portsmouth, I can attest to the fact that the chants of ‘READERS! READERS!’ never dim wherever they are. There are people in the crowd who are following them around on as many dates as they possibly can, seeing their favourite band and catching up with friends old and new at the same time.

As the songs continue through the popular Supernatural, Start Again and Lost Boys to closing track On The TV, there is no let up in enthusiasm and the crowd respond in kind. It’s a clever juxtaposition created between hard hitting lyrics and ridiculously catchy riffs that make this a band to take notice of. The Slow Readers Club have always sounded like they were made to fill arenas and have a fan base dedicated enough to make sure they don’t regret that decision to make this their full time career. Catch them while you can.

Check the latest news on releases and live dates from The Slow Readers Club

Word and photos by Siobhan

Live – IDLES + Crows at Brighton Dome

Posted in Live Music, Review

IDLES / Crows, Brighton Dome, 29th March 2019

Some years ago, with a bit of time to kill at a festival, I wandered into a marquee to see what was going on. Even pre-IDLES’ mania, the band clearly had a strong following. Joe gave a shout out to ‘our bassist who can’t be here tonight’ and the crowd started chanting ‘Dev! Dev! Dev!’ It was loud, chaotic, late in the day and, not knowing who they were or any of their names, I thought they were yelling ‘Dead! Dead! Dead!’ A bit taken aback that this seemed like a shout of joy, I wondered what I’d stumbled into. It turned out that joyful shouting was pretty appropriate as things became clearer and I came out at the end with a chance encounter having turned into a festival highlight.

Fast forward to March 2017 and an army of people trying to find tickets for their sold out show at 100 capacity venue The Albert in Brighton, coinciding with but presumably booked way before the release of Brutalism. A night to remember, new fans picked up along the way and the start of widespread acclaim for the five piece now described by The Guardian as ‘Britain’s most necessary band’. It’s to their credit and fits with their ethics that their sold out show at Brighton Dome was booked with the same promoter and drew the same crowd (just with about 1700 of their friends joining in this time).

Opening up on the night, Crows made their second trip to Brighton in a week. Giving a formidable performance as always, their songs filled with brooding darkness had the crowd onside straight away. The support slots on this tour will doubtless open them up to a new audience and, with their long awaited debut album Silver Tongues picking up positive reviews and plaudits, perhaps it’s finally time for Crows to get the wider recognition they deserve.

With the instantly recognisable percussion and bass of Colossus filling the room, IDLES took to the stage to a huge welcome roar. If anyone had concerns that the band couldn’t scale up the usual chaos and interaction of their shows they would have been kicked straight into touch. The larger venue served only to magnify what’s gone before; a wider stage for Joe to pace, longer guitar leads to allow the forays into the crowd to go further, a bigger crowd to surf. Second up, Well Done lightened the mood and had the Dome jumping and singing along in full voice.

With no let up in pace and energy from the band or the crowd, we were treated to tracks old and new; Mother, Never Fight a Man with a Perm, Exeter and Samaritans all firm favourites and each sounding great. Despite the continuous mosh pit and conveyor belt of surfers, the atmosphere was good-humoured and offered up a bit of much needed positivity in a climate where oppression has been all too prevalent lately.

Where IDLES go from here is anyone’s guess. Right now they are more than holding their own as their reputation and following continue to soar and things don’t look like slowing down any time soon. Defining IDLES sound and ethos isn’t easy but their album titles do a decent job – Brutalism and Joy as an Act Of Resistance sum them up pretty well. Another step on the upward journey of chaos, another night to remember. Well done indeed.

See what else IDLES and Crows are getting up to here

Words and photos by Siobhan

1st April 2019

 

Instore – Crows at Resident

Posted in Instore, Live Music, Review

Crows, Resident Brighton, 24th March 2019

I first saw Crows back in 2015 opening for Slaves; one of a bunch of bands on the circuit with a buzz surrounding them, you had to wonder which ones would stick around and hold people’s interest. Since then, I’ve seen them play tiny venues and huge festivals and there’s never any let up in the intensity of their performance or their propensity to spend half the set in amongst the crowd. Playing in a record shop was never going to be any different and their instore at Brighton’s Resident was as untamed as ever. A very fine way to spend a Sunday evening.

Their newly released album Silver Tongues is a force of nature, bringing to mind strands of Killing Joke, PIL and The Birthday Party. It’s hard to choose a standout track as the quality runs right through but Empyrean and new single Wednesday’s Child would be up there for certain.

Crows will be giving another instore performance tonight at Rough Trade Nottingham before heading out on the road supporting IDLES on a string of sold out shows (Silver Tongues is released on Joe Talbot and Mark Bent’s label Balley Records), followed by headline dates of their own in April and May. If you have any chance of getting along to see them, don’t miss it.

Get the latest news on releases and tour dates from Crows here

Words and photos by Siobhan

25th March 2019

 

 

Live – Calva Louise + Kid Kapichi + Short People at The Prince Albert Brighton

Posted in Live Music, Review

Calva Louise / Kid Kapichi / Short People, The Prince Albert, Brighton, 13th March 2019

In Brighton for the last night of their UK tour and fresh from the shouts of acclaim for their debut album Rhinoceros, Calva Louise had a crowd full of anticipation squeezed into The Prince Albert.

Local support from Short People got the evening off to a solid start. Fronted by Rich Fownes (ex Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster / Clever Thing), their mix of rock and folk-punk eased us nicely into a memorable night in the making.

Kid Kapichi have been the main support throughout this tour which, conveniently for them, ended up pretty close to their home town of Hastings. Bringing along their own army of fans, their set was an absolute stand out ball of noise from start to finish. It’s a confident headliner that picks a band who are this good live to play before them. Firmly on the would love to see again list.

As the Countdown music hit the speakers, it was time for Calva Louise to show why they’ve gained a glowing reputation on the live circuit. With a pretty accurate prophecy, they hit straight into I’m Gonna Do Well, energy levels set to max from the outset. Sounding like Bis with Topper Headon on drums, their brand of indie-punk is refreshingly feel-good.

As the packed room got hotter and hotter, Jess stated that the temperature reminded her of home in South America; that didn’t stop her from jumping off the stage to join the party taking place in the audience. On or off stage, the trio were totally engaging and created a brilliant atmosphere with loads of reaction and reciprocation from the crowd.

Finishing up with the punchy Getting Closer, the set appeared to be over but the chants of ‘one more song’ received an unexpected rendition of Eleanor, despite being past curfew and with instruments already unplugged – clearly not a pre-planned encore but much appreciated anyway. We live in an age where social media can elevate a band’s status beyond its capabilities but, in the case of Calva Louise, you’d very much better believe the hype.

Check out more from  Calva Louise,  Kid Kapichi and Short People

Words and photos by Siobhan

18th March 2019

Instore – Drenge at Resident Brighton

Posted in Instore, Live Music, Review

Drenge, Resident Brighton, 28th February 2019

With the release of their third album, Drenge are well and truly back in business. The Loveless brothers have just completed a string of instore appearances at record shops across the UK, playing electro-pop versions of tracks from Strange Creatures under the banner of Drenge Philharmonic. It’s been an interesting diversion from the usual acoustic instore performances that tend to abound and a chance to see Drenge in a different light. A far cry from the mayhem of their regular shows but it would be great to see Drenge take this version of the band on the road in the future. For now, mayhem is reinstated with live dates booked in March and April which will doubtless be well worth an evening of your time. Strange Creatures is dark, fierce and addictive; it’s been a long wait but some things are worth waiting for.

Gallery below from their final instore stop-off at Brighton’s Resident:

Strange Creatures is available now and you can get the latest news from Drenge here. Upcoming tour dates as follows (with support from The Wytches):

March

27th – Glasgow, King Tut’s
28th – Northumbria, Institute
29th – Manchester, o2 Ritz

April

1st – Cambridge, Junction
2nd – London, Electric Brixton
3rd – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
5th – Bristol – SWX
6th – Birmingham – o2 Institute

Words and photos by Siobhan

1st March 2019

Instore – The Twilight Sad at Rough Trade East London

Posted in Instore, Live Music, Review

The Twilight Sad, Rough Trade East London, 24th Jan 2019

12 years since their debut Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, The Twilight Sad sound fresher than ever. Their latest album, It Won/t Be Like This All The Time, released last week is receiving huge acclaim; it feels like maybe this is the time that The Twilight Sad will get the wider recognition they deserve. Filled with tracks that call to mind the drums of Joy Division with a nod to the dramatic melodies of post punk / electro, the album is a masterpiece of haunting songs that it’s easy to be absorbed by – put in on in the car and you’ll want to keep driving. Recent release Videograms sounds a little like Kraftwerk might have if they were born from the Scottish rather than German scene and the gloomy undertones throughout are surprisingly uplifting.

Having recently completed dates supporting label mates Mogwai and before rejoining them alongside The Cure to play at the Glasgow Summer Sessions, the band have a headline tour of their own. During the last week, vocalist James Graham and guitarist Andy MacFarlane have been mesmerising fans with a run of acoustic sets played out in record shops across the UK. Last night brought them to Rough Trade East in London where a packed shop had the privilege of witnessing their stripped back set, kicking off with new track Shooting Dennis Hopper Shooting and including favourites like The Room and The Wrong Car. There is no doubting the power of the songs, even without the power of amplification and a full band – the performance was stunning. It’s clear that the band genuinely appreciate the ongoing support they receive; equally it’s an absolute pleasure to see and hear them play.

Now signed to Rock Action Records, their position at number 5 in the mid-week charts was indeed, as James said, a testament to independent labels and people loving music enough to go out and buy physical copies. Apparently their top 5 space has been scuppered by a band called Fleetwood Mac – I’m sure we wish them all the best in their career!

It’s easy at this stage in proceedings to say that this is one of the best albums released this year but it looks absolutely likely that this will still be the case come December. Stick with The Twilight Sad and it won’t be too long before you’ll be able to celebrate all of those fourteen autumns.

Check their website for the latest from The Twilight Sad

Words and photos by Siobhan

25th January 2019

Rockaway Beach Festival 2019 (Bognor)

Posted in Festival, Live Music, Review

Rockaway Beach Festival, Bognor Regis, 11th-13th Jan 2019

Rockaway Beach… almost impossible to say without adding rock, rock beforehand. Fast becoming an established player on the UK festival scene as well as a Ramones classic, Rockaway Beach is now in its fourth year, setting up camp without camping at Butlin’s Bognor Regis. Having moved from its original October slot to January, it’s the perfect antidote to the post Christmas lull and brings a plethora of respected acts and attendees to the south coast resort. For 2019 there were daily big name headliners in Maxïmo Park, Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen, along with a multitude of breakthrough acts (in the real sense, not the awards sense). Clever scheduling meant that there was no crossover in stage times so no need to miss any of the live music. The big plus to this is that every set drew a big crowd; it would be ideal if that hadn’t included a faction who were just there to chat to their friends causing an annoying background hum of conversation. However, on the whole the crowds were more vocal in appreciation rather than small talk and all the artists received a really positive reception from the start to finish of each day, something you don’t tend to see at other festivals, particularly on the early slots. At Rockaway Beach, it’s wise to be there for the openers to avoid missing something special; this year kicked off with pop garage and plenty of high jumps from Rapid Tan on Friday, cool electro from Winter Gardens on Saturday and Squid offering up one of the best sets of the weekend and doubtless winning lots of new support on Sunday. Elsewhere, Algiers gave us industrial gospel and Art Brut (a smart substitution for the now defunct Spring King) brought smiles to everyone’s faces with their own brand of punchy punk and tales to match.

For those looking to take a break or recover from their silent disco exploits, traditional holiday camp entertainment was replaced with film screenings (everything from Quadrophenia to ET), DJ sets from Terry Hall and Steve Lamacq, Q&As with Gary Numan and Will Carruthers and enough arcade games to recreate Toy Story over breakfast.

A tough call with so much to choose from but here are some highlights…

Madonnatron – amongst some class acts on day 1, Madonnatron stood out with a wall of ethereal post punk, if there was a Twin Peaks remake they’d be playing at the Roadhouse.

Maxïmo Park – still playing with the same energy levels they started with over a decade ago, the bands’ love of performing is clear. A touching farewell to keyboard player Lukas Wooller before he heads for sunnier climes in Australia, the whole set, all 90 minutes of it, was a party from beginning to end.

Menace Beach – brilliant pop set over dense synths that just seem to get better with every album, great to see them playing live again.

Squid – with an early kick off and a watermelon on the drum kit, Squid woke up the Sunday crowd beautifully, ordered chaos with a New York vibe.

Yassassin – mid-way through day 3 and a welcome wake up with loads of energy and the still present watermelon finally making its way into the crowd, Yassassin have a lot of fun on stage and it’s contagious.

The Filthy Tongues – stalwarts of the Scottish music scene, think Nick Cave does glam rock replacing the glitter with heavy tunes and a fabulous beard. What more could you ask for?

When the summer festival announcements start to come through there’s always a repetition of acts being booked through the same promoters. This kind of takes the edge off discovering new events only to find virtually the same line up at each one. Again, Rockaway Beach sticks out from the crowd here; it’s clear that this is a festival set up around a love of music to showcase acts old and new with no compromise made on talent or innovation. It also demonstrates without doubt to the bigger players that there’s no problem with booking a diverse range of great performers of different genders and genres (don’t know why this is still a thing in 2019 and even needs a mention but it is so it does).

With The Jesus and Mary Chain already announced to headline in 2020, it looks certain that next year’s line up isn’t going to disappoint; worth bearing in mind if your idea of a perfect festival includes an eclectic mix of live music, rows of indoor deckchairs and a roof over your head that doesn’t involve tent pegs. Until next time…

Keep an eye on the Rockaway Beach website for more details about next year’s event as they unfold

Words and photos by Siobhan

15th January 2019

Live – Glasvegas | Birthday Girl at The Old Market Hove

Posted in Live Music, Review

Glasvegas / Birthday Girl, The Old Market Brighton, 13th Oct 2018

It feels fitting to have spent National Album Day seeing Glasvegas play their eponymous debut album in its entirety at the weekend. An incredible collection of heartfelt songs delivered in James Allan’s unmistakable guttural tone; it stands up 10 years later as one of the best productions of the last decade.

Playing a sold out show at The Old Market in Brighton (Hove to be pedantic), Glasvegas had the crowd hanging on, and singing along to, their every word. An impromptu mosh pit for Go Square Go was even more impressive considering how hot it was while It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry and Polmont On My Mind saw the venue en masse singing its heart and throat out.

Support came from Stockholm based Birthday Girl, setting the evening up suitably with heavy guitar riffs aplenty, well worth getting along early for. Check out their recently released single Welcome Home Frank Bastard for a flavour.

All in all an emotional night, lots of past memories and some new ones in the making, not least for the couple whose onstage proposal was aptly followed by Be My Baby. Without question Glasvegas are a class act and the proverbial angel on all our shoulders; here’s to the next 10 years.

Find remaining tour dates and the latest news from Glasvegas; follow Birthday Girl and link to their music

Words and photos by Siobhan

15th October 2018