Category: Review

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

 

 

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