Category: Review

Saloon Dion, Tigers & Flies, Francis Pig & Nil By Habit at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 2nd October 2024

Hosted by Hidden Herd

If anyone was expecting a quiet night on Wednesday, they came to the wrong place!

And if anyone turned up late, they have only themselves to blame because from the moment locals Nil By Habit started their set, the pace was set for energy levels heading through the roof. Their self-description of ‘gritty disco-punk’ is pretty on the ball to be fair – streaks of The Skids, The Blockheads and Viagra Boys all fusing together with Curtis-style dance moves getting the crowd on board immediately. Oh, and then becoming part of the crowd for their final number with three of the band on stage and two performing in a hastily formed circle on the dance floor. (Plus points always added for the inclusion of a Cribs T-shirt). Their new single Do It Yourself came out yesterday if you want an insight (and something to throw shapes to) – do also check them out live if you get the chance, and expect the unexpected.

Nil By Habit

A tough act to follow, but tapping again into the vast Brighton artist pool, Francis Pig switched the mood to a darker setting with some sonically 80s’ goth vibes. Visually, hard to pin down their mix of identity/influences but if you were to throw Courtney Love and Izzy from Black Honey through a wardrobe blender you might be some way to finding vocalist Alana’s stylist of choice. Newer to the scene, they seem to be building up a fanbase keen to extol their virtues, so it looks likely that they’ll be popping up on the live circuit more frequently if you want to be a part of it.

Francis Pig

Changing the pace again, Tigers & Flies presented their own mini big-band if such a thing can be. Plenty of crossover on instruments and not displaced from how Gang of Four might have been if they’d chucked in some more dance moves and a splash of XTC. There was loads to watch and pull your attention – fans of the Keg/Duds art school of musicality would surely enjoy this band and, given how much they look to be enjoying it themselves, why not.

Tigers & Flies

Last up, and proving worth the wait, the smoothly named Saloon Dion took the headline slot in style. Off topic but is there an opening for a celebrity name-based supergroup featuring Saloon Dion, Meryl Streek and Dead Sheeran – these are the thoughts that run through my mind when I’m supposed to be doing other things. Back to the subject in hand, I attempted to avoid the much-used comparison to The Stone Roses but the vocal likeness can’t be ignored. That said, this is no tribute band and their growing catalogue of hook-laden tracks shows clearly that they have something all of their own to offer. New EP Where You’ll Find Me feels like a box full of hopeful anthems just waiting to jump out into the world. Continuing with tour dates around the UK as we speak, grab a ticket if you can for an assured good night out.

Saloon Dion

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 5th October 2024

Polite Bureaux, COWZ & Dead Sheeran at The Green Door Store, Brighton, 24th September 2024

Bringing the penultimate night of their Broke Britain tour to current hometown Brighton, Polite Bureaux gave a clear message that they’ve no intention of treading water as their live shows give something different every time. Tuesday’s visit to Green Door showed the sound getting bigger, the performance getting bigger and the crowd rightly so getting bigger. Love to see the word spreading and all their hard work paying off; debut album Cunt Monday is crammed with great tracks, respectfully carrying the mantle of John Cooper Clarke’s early punk poetry socio-economic commentary firmly into the current political landscape. And at the risk of repeating myself, Broke Biscuits is the perfect anthemic closing track. Hard recommend.

Shout out to the rest of the line-up too. Locals COWZ took the middle slot, their sugar-coated sharpness reminiscent of Shampoo’s mid-90s power pop offerings proving a popular choice. Opener for the night, the excellently named Dead Sheeran wasted no time getting the crowd onside with a bunch of abrasive reflections on the state of the country and some exquisite swearing throughout. Proof if needed that you should indeed always get down early for the supports.

Dead Sheeran

COWZ

Polite Bureaux

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 27th September 2024

Mandrake Handshake, Baby Gem & Ruby Doomsday at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 18th September 2024

You could be forgiven for thinking you’d worn some flowers in your hair and transported back 5 or 6 decades at last week’s Hidden Herd showcase at The Hope & Ruin. Starting off with some dream-pop charm, the eloquently named Ruby Doomsday impressed with some on-point melodies in their own compositions, and a direct hit back to ’63 with an artful cover of arguably Roy Orbison’s best song In Dreams.

Locals Baby Gem introduced the folk-psych segment of the evening, with a hint of prog and plenty of hypnotic tunes under their belt, their set was a fitting precursor for what was to follow – a blast from the past with a modern twist in the tail.

Headliners for this one were the multifarious throng that makes up Mandrake Handshake. A generous helping of psychedelia as the stage just about catered for its multiple occupants, and always something different to catch your eye as the sheer volume of instruments, vocals and dance moves worthy of Woodstock matched the visuals to the music. I suspect the crowd would have stayed much longer into the night given the chance – maybe a little nostalgia is what we all need right now.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Ruby Doomsday

Baby Gem

Mandrake Handshake

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 23rd September 2024

VLURE & Frozemode at Colours Hoxton, 5th September 2024

Dork’s latest Home and Away showcase called in at Colours Hoxton last week, London outfit Frozemode bouncing onto the stage to start things off. With a fusion of garage/hip hop and a front row of regulars singing along, they’ve clearly made an impression since their formation a few years ago, ASBO BOYS released a few months back jumping out as the biggest crowd pleaser.

And though they’re from much further afield, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was a homecoming show for VLURE too based on the crowd reaction start to finish, chants of ‘one more song’ lasting way beyond the closing number. For a band yet to release their debut album, they have a treasure trove of songs each with its own intrinsic value, the newer material complementing the old while continually challenging the heights already achieved. Never just a gig, always an experience, VLURE are already leaving an indelible mark on electronic dance music. It’s a constant privilege to see their journey unfold, and that album that’s on the horizon is surely set to propel them further into the hierarchy of all that is exciting about the current UK music scene.  

Frozemode

VLURE

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 11th September 2024

Lip Critic & Polite Bureaux at Dust, Brighton, 2nd September 2024

Dropping in from NYC, Lip Critic came to make some noise and get people moving, and dutifully succeeded in both missions. With a symmetrical set up of two drum kits and two mini synths punching a big sound, their potent mix of thrash-punk, hip-hop and electro-dance music on an industrial scale is fused with elements of humour, fun and even a transient art installation as all four band members play musical statues and hold the frozen pose for much longer than you’d think feasible. A call for audience participation doesn’t always pay off but Brighton gig-regular Fiona was more than up for the challenge, and some fine dance moves were executed alongside vocalist Bret Kaser. Lip Critic’s album Hex Dealer is available now – check it out and give it some Spinal Tap shaped love by turning it up to 11.

Support for the evening came from Brighton’s finest Polite Bureaux. Fronted by Joe Smith, the regularised band line-up of Maya Lili (usually on keys but backing vocals tonight as the synth has temporarily entered into its own game of hide and seek), Viv Maher (bass) and Connor Griffiths (drums) is working a treat; as a four-piece they complement each other without taking anything away from the delivery of the visceral lyrics and reaction to the realities of social stratification across the UK right now. Closing with what I maintain is one of the best tracks of 2024 from anyone, Broke Biscuits, it’s great to see things starting to take off for Polite Bureaux. Look out for pending new single release Mift and more Brighton dates soon.

Polite Bureaux

Lip Critic

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 6th September 2024

Jaws The Shark, Dumfun, SULK & Triple Drain at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton,14th August 2024

A wake-up for the senses on a Wednesday night with four acts drawing on the heart of garage rock with undercurrents of grunge, dirge, sludge and any other mucky descriptors you might wish to add. 

Starting proceedings, the first trio of the night Triple Drain added an essence of heavy 80s’ goth, their thrashing guitars softened by the vocal and switch ups in pace between tracks. With an undeniable nod to the chaos of Hole both visually and sonically, SULK were up next, a tight-knit session from the whole band with all the energy that comes from working hard on the gig and festival circuit. Another three-piece in Dumfun followed, really reminded me of the Brighton scene 10 years or so back when the likes of Demob Happy and Tigercub were hitting a wider radar, clearly popular with the crowd and a great segue into the headliner.

Speaking of which, last act up was Jaws The Shark. With songs filled to the brim with an amalgam of nod-along riffs, catchy indie melodies and a sound crossing multiple rock-centred genres, this was a fitting end to an evening that never dipped. It’s evident that this is a project that’s evolved since its inception in lockdown; take a listen to latest album Wasteland (out now via SO Recordings) for more.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Triple Drain

SULK

Dumfun

Jaws The Shark

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 19th August 2024

ELLiS-D, Velvetine, Oral Habit at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 24th July 2024

Jumping back about seven years or so, it felt like Strange Cages were due the title of Brighton house band, popping up on line-ups around the city and further afield on a very regular basis. I recall someone saying that seeing their drummer Ellis play was like watching Animal from the Muppets in human form, the frenetic pace of the backline adding the edge that pulled the band together. So it’s perhaps not a total surprise to find that the transition to front person is proving so successful. Now better recognised as ELLiS-D, this week’s headliner at The Albert rolled through last year’s Straitjacket Blues to new single Carousel, via a pumped up version of Elvis Costello’s (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea. Elements of rock, psych and I felt a real leaning into early 70’s glam mixed with the tenacity of The Cramps (glamp anyone?) made for an excellent set and a definite leap forwards in music and stage presence. Great connectivity between the whole band too.

Support on the night came from the talented Velvetine and Oral Habit – gallery from all three sets below.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Oral Habit

Velvetine

ELLiS-D

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 26th July 2024

Children of the Pope, Canned Pineapple & Red Ivory at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 17th July 2024

A night made for dancing and tunes to fill the (dare I say it out loud) summer evenings. Repping the South London scene, Red Ivory seemed pretty happy to have escaped briefly to the coast. Their set jumped from lulls of shoegaze to indie-grunge reminiscent of Hole and the like, and kicked things off nicely.

Next, taking the middle slot, the 60s came alive with some very fine outfits bedecking locals Canned Pineapple, and moves to make the Ready Steady Go-ers of the era proud. Lots of fun, not to mention some big singalong songs with great melodies and cut-throat riffs.

Headliners Children of the Pope ensured there was no let up in pace, with a heavy psych twist and bags of energy. Their capacity to command the room kept things elevated till it was time to pile back out onto the balmy streets of Brighton. Gallery from all three bands below.

While we’re here, can I just highlight again the importance of the grassroots venues that consistently offer a platform to acts like these, and the opportunity to find your next favourite band before they go on to bigger things. Having successfully batted away a planning application on the property next door, The Albert is once more in need of support, as an appeal has been lodged. There is more information here – please add your voice if you can.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Red Ivory

Canned Pineapple

Children of the Pope

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 19th July 2024

CSS & Vanity Fairy at Chalk, Brighton, 28th June 2024

Motorhead, Madonna and a most enjoyable evening as CSS brought their reunion tour to Brighton on Friday.

Opener for the night was the inimitable Vanity Fairy, shimmering gladrags and falsetto disco tunes capturing the imagination of the equally glitter-clad audience. Increasingly it seems that she is the perfect act to support a range of big names (Altered Images, Toyah, Electric 6 to name but a few). Always a happy crowd set up for what comes next, but don’t be surprised as she starts to pull the headline slot away with a sequinned leash as she surely will.

Vanity Fairy

And so to CSS – with their first live dates in the UK for over a decade, the huge wave of anticipation was met head on with equal amounts of energy, fun and ridiculously infectious tunes. From the moment they walked on stage to greet the crowd with CSS Suxxx, the pace was set and never faltered. Lovefoxxx, Ana Rezende, Carolina Parra and Luiza Sá have reformed CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) to focus on live shows while celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band. Their camaraderie is evident, and the stories shared made it feel like everyone there was a part of the journey. Lovefoxx talked about going to band practice fearing she would be asked the inevitable ‘Can you name 3 of their songs?’ about her Motorhead T-shirt, though it proved never to be mentioned, with a Madonna cover instead on the cards. Kudos though to seemingly the one person in the crowd who was able to come up with 5 Motorhead songs off the top of his head, and received a beer and several chants of ‘Ian! Ian!’ for his efforts. We got the Madonna track too – Hollywood segueing nicely into City Grrrl and Teenage Tiger Cat. 

Almost 20 years down the line and perhaps their best known and still revered track Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above unsurprisingly received a massive reaction, the floor bouncing on and off stage, then a triple whammy encore of I Wanna Be Your J-Lo, Art Bitch and Alala finished an outstanding night of music and frolics. Raise your glass to a reunion worth the wait.

CSS

Words and photos by Callum and Siobhan

Published 1st July 2024

Dog Race, Media Giant & Paris Blue at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 19th June 2024

Last week’s new music showcase at The Albert saw Hastings band Paris Blue take a trip along the coast to Brighton, bringing angular, catchy tunes to the stage. Lots of riffs, lots of melodies; they got the dancing in the crowd started early and set the pace for the acts to follow. Next up, Media Giant released their debut EP Market Research a little over a year ago, and continue to finesse their blend of experimental funk with a hint of punk. It’s a big sound and immediately infectious, and you can never have too much cowbell in the mix. Impressive stuff.

Their reputation preceding them, headliners Dog Race are creating quite a buzz on the new music scene. Hard to pin down, sonically they veer from spiky and slightly off-kilter at the start, to Katie Healy’s vocal progressing through to capturing elements of goth queens Siouxsie and Patricia Morrison – it’s no carbon copy though, and it’s what makes the band’s sound their own. Finishing with latest single It’s the Squeeze, Dog Race are not here to be ignored and look set for much bigger things.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Paris Blue

Media Giant

Dog Race

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 24th June 2024

The DSM IV, Owners Club, Jopy & Ringards at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 12th June 2024

Another great evening at The Hope & Ruin from Hidden Herd, all 4 acts playing to the max. First up, Ringards have a distinctly new wave feel to their music, with punchy, catchy tunes from start to finish and surely a nod to Buzzcocks in there somewhere. Next, fronted by Jo Parnell, Jopy bring a jagged Cramps-esque vibe to the stage. And with the pending release of their debut EP on Goo Records, definitely ones to watch. Stepping up a gear since their last Brighton performance, Owners Club seem to be comfortably finding their place in the indie hall of fame. Not too leftfield to include a Venga Boys tribute though amidst the guitar rock poses; it will be interesting to see how things will develop for them moving forward.

Headliners for this one, the revered DSM IV. It’s been too long since I saw them last, and their stage presence is still as wide as their ties. Trips on the shoulders of the crowd and a cape crafted from the ceiling fabric were just a couple of the added visuals, Guy McKnight ever the entertainer. But this takes nothing away from the music – industrial beats with more than a sprinkling of electronica keep a heady gothic sound alive, and I am all for that. An accomplished performance and solid ending to proceedings.

The next Hidden Herd showcase brings Dog Race, Media Giant and Paris Blue to Brighton’s Prince Albert this Wednesday 19th June – if you’re quick you can still grab a ticket here.

Ringards

Jopy

Owners Club

The DSM IV

Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 17th June 2024

Richard Hawley at Brighton Dome, 9th June 2024

There are a few select artists who you could see at any point in their career and be sure that they’d never disappoint. Increasingly, Richard Hawley stakes his place as one such artist, his current tour showcasing his songwriting talent and velvet-smooth vocals in equal measure. He’s funny too, an added bonus. 

The opening trio of songs, She Brings the Sunlight, new tracks Two for his Heels and Prism in Jeans, set the pace nicely and just as the crowd start to relax into the set, he throws in big favourite Open Up Your Door. Hawley’s latest album In This City They Call You Love is well represented and seems popular and recognised already; he has the ability to make his sound pioneering and familiar at the same time, a depth of accomplishment disguising itself as effortless and breezy.

Plenty of space for the old songs too. Ahead of Just Like the Rain, he says, “This is probably the oldest one we do. I wrote this many years ago, on my 16th birthday in fact, which just goes to show I was a miserable fucker even then”. And after some back and forth with the audience about the failings of the government and Sunak’s absurd trip down national service lane, his announcement of, “Tonight Matthew… the streets are ours” receives an expectedly huge cheer.

Having already played for close to 90 minutes, the set ends but the lights stay down, and a 3 song encore ensues with People, I’m Looking for Someone to Find Me and Ocean. A serious display of talent from the whole band, an excellent night of music, and a reminder of why so many other artists cite Richard Hawley as an influence.

Richard Hawley

Words/photos by Callum/Siobhan

Published 12th June 2024

His Lordship at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 30th May 2024

Following the release of their thundering self-titled debut album in January, His Lordship are back on the road (it seems they rarely take a break). Blending exceptional musical ability with an enigmatic performance, their show at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton Thursday was another runaway success, including all the by now familiar favourites and featuring a poignant new instrumental track written for Shane McGowan. An fusion of rock ‘n’ roll with punk undertones, the sound is all their own and getting slicker by the minute – a great night’s entertainment.

Hosted by Stay Sick  

Photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram

Published 3rd June 2024