Category: Review

Live + Interview – His Lordship at The Hope & Ruin Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Interview, Live Music, Review

His Lordship at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 15th November 2023

Ahead of their show at Brighton’s Hope & Ruin on Wednesday, we caught up with James Walbourne and Kris Sonne to find out more about how His Lordship came to be, their pending debut album and life on the road. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of catching them live will know that the impressive list of artists they’ve played with so far (The Pretenders, The Pogues and Willie Nelson to name a few) take a side seat when it comes to this band; His Lordship are a new incarnation that are a force to be reckoned with on their own terms, raw rock’n’roll with a contemporary twist or two, and a frenzied energy that’s impossible to ignore. Oh, and they can really play too…

How has the tour been so far?

James: This tour’s been great – it’s relatively short, it’s been seven days, we’ve been up to Glasgow and up and down the country
Kris: Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, Nottingham, Leeds, it’s been amazing because I think it’s only our third tour and people are coming out for it, when you start out you have to convince people, you’re selling yourself and for the first time we had this great experience of people kind of knowing us a little bit and people liking it
J: It’s a reaction
K: We’re a band now

You’ve both played in other bands and done different types of music, so what’s brought you to do what you’re doing with His Lordship?

J: At first it was a lack of gigs coming in, we were sort of bored and just started a rock’n’roll band up, I personally was really bored, I didn’t have any touring or anything, in a bit of a lull and then just wanted to play some music so we got together a rock’n’roll band just to play covers up in a local pub in North London called The Boogaloo, and we played every Sunday and we just did it for fun
K: Six Sundays in a row
J: And more and more people started turning up and one night we’d have Paul Cook and Glenn Matlock, Chrissie Hynde, everyone turned up on this one day, it was quite something
K: There was real excitement in the pub with all these people there

Is that quite daunting playing to that crowd?

K: No, I think it’s not about us being good, the reason we started was honestly to have fun, just a fun rock band, all these rock bands now are quite serious and taking themselves a little bit seriously and we were the complete opposite, it’s also why we dressed in suits – anti rock’n’roll really, all the gestures, the posing, we just do it for fun
J: We started doing covers but then we got bored of doing covers because we are just those sort of people who like to write songs anyway so that got boring fast, so we just started writing and it morphed into this, we still do the odd cover because we like it

It feels like with some bands they’re a bit too cool for school, like they never fully let go

K: Too cool for school, and in this genre, you’re categorised and put in brackets with other rock’n’roll bands but we don’t think we’re anything like that, we just like the spirit of it
J: They’re going to be really upset when we do our avant garden jazz record… it’s just to entertain ourselves

That comes through

K: Hopefully
J: Otherwise you’re fucked, I’ve done it before in bands, I think we all have, you start overthinking things
K: You start second guessing what you really feel
J: Like, oh we need a song for the radio, and then you start going down a really bad path

There’s a lot of that now, a lot of bands just going for the number 1 album, trying to get people to buy 20 copies of their album just so they can get it, it feels a bit disingenuous

J: Calculated
K: It’s the same with social media, you can’t say to anybody on social media ‘that’s bullshit, ‘that’s insincere’, you can say all kinds of things like ‘I’m really grateful’, they’re not really though so it’s almost like just trying to stay away from the cliches

How much does social media impact, it can be a kind of necessary evil?

J: We talked about this before we made the band, it’s a whole different ball game now, you’ve got to do social media and people of a certain vintage don’t like doing it, including us, you know you don’t want to be on your phone all day, that’s not what it’s about – and people are, so we thought how do we do it, so we thought long and hard about it, and that’s when we thought we’ll wear suits, we’ll play loud rock n roll for 20 minutes and come up with a kind of an art idea, so it’s like Gilbert and George play rock’n’roll – and that was it and we really had a good time with it
K: We’re not going to speak, we’ll just do this art thing sometimes like Laurel and Hardy or Gilbert and George
J: But now we’ve hit a wall and we realise we have to speak – so watch this space
K: The mystery is what we love with the band, not that we are mysterious as such but like, Elvis has left the building, wow, you know, he’s not there signing and speaking to everyone, he’s in a helicopter
J: Where did he go?!

When you go back to when you were a kid, when did you first start connecting with music, where did you hear it?

J: For me it was my dad and he would take me to go and see music from when I was 5 years old, Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra, so many people
K: We went through the shows you’d seen at the Town & Country Club – where we play the day after tomorrow, it’s The Garage now…
J: We had a big list and it just went on and on, we went to maybe 3 shows a week when I was very young, I was very fortunate – and his record collection, it’s all my dad
K: Mine too really, I remember in school he was in a band so I would go to his rehearsals, I remember once I fell asleep by the bass drum while his band were doing their own songs
J: I think it’s just about being surrounded by music when you’re young, and we were obviously very lucky in that regard
K: It was just like this universe that opened, wow

Your album is being released soon, who else apart from you has made that happen?

J: Our manager’s been really great in helping us get it together – all the recording of it, we started it during lockdown and we just cobbled together studio time but we’ve had great help from a guy called Tchad Blake who’s a mixer, a great mixer, one of the world’s great mixers 
K: He’s done Los Lobos, many many big artists, he’s an American who lives in Wales now
J: He’s done lots of things, he helped us initially get started with mixes of our song All Cranked Up and a couple of other ones, and then subsequently David Wrench who’s another great mixer who we know helped us out, we’ve had help along the way, we owe those guys
K: We basically out of Covid started booking some shows, we always saw ourselves as a live band first, and then we had songs that we played live before anyone heard them, then we were like they’re ready to record now and these guys just made them sound great, so we just found ourselves
J: I mean we grew up in public really, we didn’t just come out with these songs, if you look on YouTube you can see draft versions of them, we just went and played them

I guess also people would know you are so they might be looking to see what you were doing

J: Maybe, you know it’s a funny thing because the other band we play in, there’s no real crossover, this is it’s own thing, we’ve noticed that
K: It really doesn’t rub off
J: It doesn’t rub off, no-one comes from those other shows
K: A few musicians and stuff but it doesn’t rub off in terms of ticket sales
J: It’s an interesting thing

It must be a nice thing because there must be a big risk that people would have expectations, maybe it’s because you’re doing something so different

J: Maybe, it’s just a funny thing that of the people who come along there’s no crossover, not that we’ve seen, this is it’s own organism and people come to see it, it’s great, it’s not the same thing at all
K: Another thing we stayed away from was, especially in the beginning, mentioning The Pretenders at all because we want this to be a fresh thing, we didn’t want it to be – you know when people are like ‘oh this is like a super-band’, no, it’s just a band

You’ve obviously played in some really big venues, what’s it like playing in the smaller ones now?

J: Love it, it suits the sort of music and it’s what I grew up going to
K: It can be much looser and still come across, I mean you can’t jam in a big place, it just doesn’t come across but here you can take it everywhere and people will be so close watching it’ll be much more of a closer connection

I’m a big fan of the smaller venue

J: And there’s not many left in London now with rooms of this size so there’s nowhere for kids to play, so we’ve been going up and down the country playing these places which is great, we want to keep them going

Apart from your own have you had a chance to go to other gigs to see anyone else lately?

J: Not this year, we’ve been touring since our first rehearsal on January 3rd and we’ve not really stopped
K: Well we did see Guns n’ Roses…
J: Many times we’ve seen Guns n’ Roses, we supported them – but not really, we’ve not had any chance, I’ve missed a bunch
K: We went to a couple of gigs in New York
J: We did, we went to the Village Vanguard
K: And watched Bill Frisell
J: That was good, it’s been mostly jazz, I went to see Kurt Elling the other day at the Union Chapel, that was great, he’a a jazz vocalist so weirdly… it’s quite odd actually isn’t it?
K: It’s almost like a cleansing of the palette
J: Yeah it’s a great thing to go and see, on the road we saw a bit of the Foo Fighters, we played a gig with them, can’t think of anything else though, we’ve been on the road for a long while

Any other newer bands that you like that you’d recommend?

J: I tell you who I love, they’re not really new any more but a band called Lankum, an Irish band, they’re probably my favourite band now and I think their album’s the best album of the year, it’s like Irish folk but it’s done with extreme noise, it’s beautiful, it’s like taking The Pogues into the 21st century, it’s mind-blowing actually, they’re on Rough Trade, they’re really great

So it’s Brighton for tonight’s gig – do you know Brighton well?

J: Yes
K: I don’t, well I’ve been here maybe ten times and I know the different venues, Concorde, The Prince Albert, The Dome, we played at The Old Market
J: I used to come down here in my 20s and go dancing
K: You almost moved here
J: I did almost move here, for about a second I was considering moving into my friend’s house…
K: And someone said don’t move to Brighton
J: And that was the end of it, that was one of The Pogues said that, so there you go

So you’re staying in North London, is it North London forever?

J: For me yeah I can’t see myself going anywhere, I love it too much, I was born and raised there… never say never, I could move… maybe down the road!
K Well I moved back to Copenhagen in 2018 so I’m definitely not going to move for a while now

So what’s next, you’ve got the album, you’re finishing your tour, have you got plans for next year or is it time for a break?

J: Oh god no, we’re just getting going; the album’s out January 26th on PIAS Records and we’ll be doing some instores around then, and then we’ll have another tour of the UK then we’ve got a bunch of American dates in July – we’re just planning the whole year so there’ll be a lot more to come from His Lordship

Their set at The Hope lives up to the hype. The pair are joined by Dave Page on bass and have the crowd on board straight away. Shapes are thrown, mics are swung, the drum kit doubles as a launch pad, and a masterclass in ferocious musicality is offered. There’s a call out to wish Shane McGowan well, and an almost relentless set of concise and cogent songs that hit the target with ease, recent singles Buzzkill and Jackie Works for the NHS going down a storm. Whatever comes next, we’re looking forward to it – you can catch His Lordship tonight at The Garage, Highbury and keep an eye out for that album release.

His Lordship

Photos and interview © Siobhan 16 Beasley St Photography

Published 17th November 2023

New Music – VLURE

Posted in New Music, Review

VLURE – Heaven Sent

When the front runner is so far ahead it’s obvious they could coast for a while and still leave the pack standing, you wonder how they could go any faster. But coasting is not in VLURE‘s vocabulary and once again they take no musical prisoners in their pursuit of palpitating songs with flawless production. New track Heaven Sent is already a crowd pleaser in their live sets, and offers a glimpse into what might be if more artists were prepared to welcome self-belief and channel it into their songs and performance. The build up is intense and the lyrics come complete with a host of challenges – let the angels fall, touch the sky with me, we will never die – none of which seem insurmountable, as the five piece have one of the strongest connections you’ll see. This isn’t just a band, this is a clan with the potential to not just win the race, but break every record along the way. At this point, it’s not inconceivable that they are in fact heaven sent.

Check out the track here, then, if you haven’t already, grab yourself a ticket to their remaining shows of 2023.

Words by Siobhan

Published 17th November 2023

 

New Music – Cardinals | HONESTY | Daisy and The Deadheads

Posted in New Music, Review

Cardinals – Roseland

Cardinals offer up their first release for So Young Records with Roseland, an accomplished  track with a raw sophistication and hints of folk tradition that make a refreshing change from mainstream indie. Likely contenders for the year end ‘ones to watch’ lists.

Vocalist Euan Manning says, “Roseland is the name of a ballroom in NYC, I took it from a Portishead poster I had hanging on my wall growing up. I think I was trying to write a folk song about Cork city and a story that took place there. It touches on some new aspects of our music, so it felt right to have it as our next release”.

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HONESTY – NIGHTWORLD

Hailing from Leeds, HONESTY‘s new track NIGHTWORLD mixes electronica with pulsating garage beats, producing a futuristic urban soundscape that would slot nicely into a Fritz Lang soundtrack. Vocals are from George Mitchell, formerly of Eagulls, so obviously worth a listen – release via Partisan Records.

HONESTY say, “This song is about how anyone can be affected by vices no matter their background. We’re all begging for the changes we need, but all we are offered, and the only route out is money”.

Video TW flashing images

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Daisy and The Deadheads – I Hate the Sea

Out now via Strong Island Recordings, Daisy and The Deadheads‘ new single I Hate the Sea is a heady mix of perfectly crafted melodic vocals with a hint of (in their own words) wonky folk pop. This will get stuck in your head for sure, and I suspect you’ll find it’s very welcome there.

Daisy Tortuga says, “The song is a break up song. I actually wrote the original version in about 10 minutes on an acoustic guitar, before the band was together. My music often references the sea. I grew up by the sea in Deal, Kent. The image of the sea on the single cover is the same beach mentioned in the song. We collaborated on the cover artwork as a band. Like a kids’ craft club. I found that image from a disposable camera I must have had when I was younger”.

Words by Siobhan (16 Beasley St)
Photos:
Cardinals by Emilyn Cardona
Honesty by Barney Maguire
Daisy and The Deadheads by Hal Haines

Published 8th November 2023

Live – Lloyd Cole at Brighton Dome

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Lloyd Cole at Brighton Dome, 31st October 2023

When Rattlesnakes debuted back in the 80s, its subtlety stood out in terms of musicianship and lyrical talent – obvious despite itself if you will. With latest album On Pain and a string of live dates, it’s a joy to see and hear that Lloyd Cole is still producing understated but beautifully eloquent music, his voice as smooth as ever, albeit aided on the night by Manuka honey and whisky if the description of his cup contents is to be believed.

With a veritable treasure chest of songs to dig into, the evening is split into two halves, acoustic set first. Opening with Don’t Look Back and Mr Malcontent, the opulence of The Dome is a perfectly matched backdrop to the purity of the music. “You’ve probably worked out by now that we’re your warm up act, then there’ll be an interval, and after that we’ll come back as your headliners”, Cole quips, noting, “It’s a bit chilly up here, literally not metaphorically – metaphorically it’s lovely and warm”.

There was certainly a warm response from the crowd with inevitable huge cheers for the likes of Perfect Skin, Are You Ready to be Heartbroken and a superb rendition of Forest Fire, but equally the newer tunes have clearly been taken to heart already with big reactions for The Idiot, Wolves, and frankly the whole show, which never dipped start to finish.

So as the face-painted ghosts and ghouls of Halloween trampled the rainy streets of Brighton, presumably someone else somewhere else got the trick, because we very definitely had the treat of a night of quality music and musings.

Words and photos by Callum and Siobhan (16 Beasley St Photography)

Published 1st November 2023

 

New Music – deep tan

Posted in New Music, Review

deep tan – xenomorph queen

It’s generally a good sign when a band’s sound is hard to describe, denoting that they’re producing something more than the ever prevalent music by numbers that insists on popping up relentlessly elsewhere. This has consistently been the case for London based deep tan, whose spiky flit between light and shade on this and previous releases invites intrigue, and challenges the listener to confront what’s going on around them. New single xenomorph queen is no exception. Pushed for a comparison, there’s a corner of my mind where this track sits next to Bis’ Kandy Pop with the saccharine removed and a sprinkling of The Slits poured on top. A very welcome return from the trio.

The band say of the song: “’xenomorph queen’ witnesses the real star of the alien franchise in a new context: in the throes of a lesbian romance. a sensual – but still punk – track about matriarchy, queer parenting and sapphic love, this close encounter offers a new, intergalactic perspective on #hotmilfsinyourarea #xenomilf”

xenomorph queen is out now, watch the video here…

deep tan set out on a UK & EU arena tour in November, supporting Queens of the Stone Age – UK dates here

Words by Siobhan

Published 27th October 2023

Live – Toyah Willcox & Robert Fripp at Assembly Hall Worthing

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Toyah Willcox & Robert Fripp at Assembly Hall, Worthing, 14th October 2023

Providing a warm glow on a cold night, Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp brought the Rock Party stage version of their much lauded Sunday Lunch YouTube series to Worthing on Saturday night. The couple have an enviable joie de vivre and a huge appreciation of the string of classic hits that they cover, though of course some of these are Toyah’s own songs and others the end product of Fripp’s collaboration or influence. 

Ever the punk pixie, Toyah is resplendent in sequins and lace as she skips around the stage interacting with the rest of the band, not least her husband. Fripp meanwhile has an air of nobility, resting on his stool with guitar in hand, only enhanced by the cluster of helium filled golden crown balloons at his feet. It becomes clear very quickly that the pair retain bucketloads of talent and this is no ordinary ‘covers’ night.

As well as still hitting a great vocal, Toyah is a charming raconteur with an apparently full deck of celebrity story cards, recounting how phone calls to their house from David Bowie and Mike Oldfield resulted in Fripp turning down opportunities to work with them, while on another call she jumped at the chance of touring with Billy Idol. Homage is paid to her first sighting on TV of Alice Cooper’s leather trousers and eyeliner, with a baseball bat wielding performance of School’s Out, and she playfully picks out the two longest beards in the crowd to receive a dedication of ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man. The musicianship from the entire band is noteworthy and there can be few gigs where the final trio of tracks comprises of I Want To Be Free, Heroes and I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.

There are still a bunch of dates left on this tour, all of which come with a guarantee that you’ll leave with a smile on your face, limited tickets available here.

Words and photos by Callum and Siobhan

Published 16th October 2023

 

New Music – Chilli Jesson

Posted in New Music, Review

Chilli Jesson – Icarus

I heard a radio discussion about Chilli Jesson’s new single, where the news of him having just finished a run of shows playing bass for Fontaines DC seemed to be feted as his main claim to fame. While I’m sure every artist wants to be appreciated for what they’re doing now rather than in the past, it would be a massive shame to think that there’s a whole bunch of people out there who missed the joy of Palma Violets and the credible follow up of Crewel Intentions. None the less, Chilli is very much in the next era of his musical journey as a solo artist, and Icarus steps up as perhaps his most accomplished piece in this incarnation so far. It’s a sharp few minutes of upbeat energy, and shows a certain merited confidence in the direction he’s now taking.

Check out the vide for Icarus, out now on Fiction Records, here.

Chilli Jesson

Words by Siobhan

11th October 2023

Live – Trigger Discipline | Polite Bureaux | BABY HAIR at The Prince Albert Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Trigger Discipline, Polite Bureaux & BABY HAIR at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 21st September 2023

An eclectic mix at The Albert on Tuesday, on stage and in the crowd, one of the things Brighton does so well. From performance art through electro wordsmith to danceable goth, the trio of acts were a hit to the senses for sure.

Opening act BABY HAIR look a perfect fit for the alt/experimental festival scene, coming complete with ritualistic chants, a wailing violin, recorders that play something other than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and a bag of feathers that fills the air in their closing bars.

Next up, launching onto the stage with a well earned confidence, Polite Bureaux have an infectious energy coupled with a whole bunch of tracks filled with cleverly sardonic lyrics. Loved this set from start to finish – keep an eye out for more live dates and catch them if you can.

Headliners Trigger Discipline are an intriguing mix of dark screaming goth and bouncy dance tunes, recent single Babble Babble Babble and a cover of  80’s anthem Cruel Summer getting the biggest response from the crowd. Still, vampire capes, saxaphones and a bit of Bananarama are a hard combo to beat, and the incongruity of the band is probably also the attraction. It will be interesting to see what comes next.

Hosted by Love Thy Neighbour

Words and photos © 16 Beasley St

Published 21st September 2023

New Music – Bill Ryder Jones

Posted in New Music, Review

Bill Ryder Jones – This Can’t Go On

One of those artists who just knows how to capture emotion and release it back into the wild in its purest form, Bill Ryder Jones shares new single This Can’t Go On ahead of the January release of album Iechyd Da.

If the single is anything to go by, we’re in for another treat full of leaps between the hopeless and hopeful, songs that will dig into your sides and refuse to leave until you promise to listen again.

Described as being ‘rooted in love, loss, pain, heartache and often a deep darkness, but also one that frequently ends up in places of profound beauty, hope and joy’, Bill says of Iechyd Da, “I love this album…I haven’t been this proud of a record since A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart… It’s my most produced record, it’s basically me carrying on with myself again, but this time around I’m a bit more competent as a producer”.

Watch the video for  This Can’t Go On below. Whatever you’re doing when you listen to this, you’ll forget you were doing it until you drop back into the world at the end. And the album? Can’t wait.

Tour dates announced as follows:

27th September – The Lexington, London

2024:
12th March – Room 2, Glasgow
13th March – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
15th March – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
16th March – New Century Hall, Manchester
17th March – Thekla, Bristol
19th March – CHALK, Brighton
20th March – Islington Assembly Hall, London
21st March – Content, Liverpool
23rd March – Paradiso, Amsterdam
24th March – Hafenklang, Hamburg
25th March – Kantine am Berghain, Berlin
27th March – Trix Bar, Antwerp
28th March – La Maroquinerie, Paris
30th March – The Workman’s Club, Dublin
31st March – Black Box, Belfast

Bill Ryder Jones

Words by Siobhan
Photo Marieke Macklon

Published 20th September 2023

Tiffcuff Festival 2023 (London)

Posted in Event Gallery, Festival, Live Music, Review

Tiffcuff Festival at The Roundhouse, London, 2nd September 2023

A festival with no need to worry about the weather or your favourite artists clashing, Tiffcuff set up home at Camden’s legendary Roundhouse on Saturday. With two stages and each set scheduled to start as the last one finished, there was an opportunity to catch all the acts from an impressive line-up. Something for everyone with performances on the day from (deep breath) Hongza, Manny, Kitty Trigg, Slaney Bay, Shelf Lives, October Drift, Snake Eyes, The Pale White, Sad Boys Club, Spector, Wings of Desire, Glasvegas, Another Sky and The Cribs.

October Drift

Snake Eyes

The Pale White | Sad Boys Club

Another Sky | Wings of Desire

Of the bigger names, Spector raised things up a level with a bunch of crowd singalongs and plenty of stories to tell in between to keep the crowd entertained. It’s no surprise that they have legion of fans who have stuck with them from early days.

Spector

Following on from them on the main stage, to have Glasvegas and The Cribs on the same bill was an absolute pleasure, and both bands gave immaculate performances.

10 years to the day since the release of Later… When The TV Turns To Static, Glasvegas left no doubt that they have become a force majeur on the music scene, every show a thing of beauty, every song a pull on the heart strings. Nobody else does what they do; an inspired booking.

Glasvegas

And speaking of inspired bookings, The Cribs never disappoint live and an incredible set-list full of songs old and new had the crowd bouncing from the outset to the end. A masterclass in no-nonsense, straight down the line perfect indie tracks, the Jarman brothers are a class act – always have been, always will be.

The Cribs

Big thanks to everyone involved for a great day – look forward to seeing what comes next from the Tiffcuff crew!

Tiffcuff Festival

Words and photos © Siobhan (16 Beasley St Photography)

Published 5th September 2023

 

Brighton & Hove Pride 2023

Posted in Event Gallery, Review

Brighton & Hove Pride and Community Parade, 5th & 6th August 2023

A storm incoming? No trains running into Brighton? If anyone thought the party atmosphere would be dampened by the weather or the extraordinary decision to ensure the safety of those travelling by (checks notes) cancelling public transport… they were well and truly wrong. Pride is such an integral part of the city that it will be there regardless of setbacks, and people will come, and they will party.

Kudos goes to all those not just taking part in the Community Parade, but lining the streets from Hove Lawns to Preston Park to cheer it on. A cavalcade of colour, the parade was well supported by local businesses, charities and voluntary groups, and an appearance from Suzy Eddie Izzard was well received by the crowd. A shout out also to those following on behind to ensure the route was spotless only moments after it was completed.

Onto the familiar yet almost unrecognisable territory of Preston Park, transformed into a festival village complete with fun-fair, big names on the main stage and plenty of hidden treats on the smaller stages across the park. A couple of downpours on Saturday made for the full festival experience, as many a pair of pristine white trainers muddied their way around the site – all in good spirit though and the smiling faces never let up. A good excuse if anything to head to the Gaydio Dance Tent to escape the rain, then stay for the tunes.

A speech from Peter Tatchell segued into a stand out performance from Confidence Man on the main stage in the afternoon, while over at the Strongbow stage, acts including Miss Leigh Ding and Elektra Fence entertained in style. The evening saw Black Eyed Peas having to literally Shut Up as they over-ran their set but gained a singalong from the audience to finish the night.

True to its name, the sun came out on Sunday, with an acoustic segment of Spice Girls’ songs from Mel C, and headliners Steps bringing the party to a close with H reminding us that not everyone in the LGBTQ+ community has a safe space but it’s something every person deserves.

Well done to all involved in making this year’s Pride happen. Protest or celebration, it brings an atmosphere to the whole city like no other event. 

From the post-event press release:

50 years after the first Brighton ‘Gay Pride March’ in the city, Brighton & Hove Pride defied the wind, rain and travel disruptions to return for another spectacular year and a weekend packed full of campaigning, protest and partying in equal measure.  After what has been a challenging year, it was a fantastic celebration with members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies across the city coming together for a safe and happy Pride.

Managing Director Paul Kemp comments:

“Following a challenging year for Brighton & Hove Pride, we were incredibly proud to see the LGBTQ+ community, our allies and the amazing people of Brighton and Hove come out in force to celebrate and enjoy a safe and happy Pride”.

Words / photos by Callum / Siobhan

Published 8th August 2023

 

Live – Pet Shop Boys at The Brighton Centre

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Pet Shop Boys at The Brighton Centre, 26th June 2923

The last time I saw a queue like that at The Brighton Centre, it was being used as a vaccination station – this time was a lot more fun. With a back catalogue bursting at the seams with hits from the 80s onwards, there would never be room for everything, but a two hour set full of one massive track after another kept the crowd singing and bouncing along from start to finish. The staging was perfectly executed, Tenant and Lowe ably backed by an accomplished backline and an ever moving pair of lamp-posts to lean on and spin around. There is sometimes debate about whether live performances should be called gigs or shows. This was undoubtedly a show but equally one of the best gigs I’ve seen. Pet Shop Boys are celebrating their greatest hits and it’s a party not to be missed.

Pet Shop Boys

Words and photos © Siobhan

28th June 2023

Live – M(h)aol at The Hope & Ruin Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

M(h)aol at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 26th May 2023

With their debut album Attachment Styles drawing together an unapologetic collection of hefty subject matters and genre-crossing musical modes, Dubliners M(h)aol have been out on a headline tour of the UK. Friday night was the turn of Brighton, and a packed crowd at The Hope & Ruin were treated to the band’s animated performance on stage and, before long, on the floor.

Kicking off with the heady trio of Kinder Bueno, Therapy, and Laundries, no time was wasted in warming things up. With lots of crowd engagement from the start, there’s clearly a lot of love for this band and it’s not hard to see why. Even if you didn’t care for the music, they seem like the loveliest bunch of people but honestly, what’s not to love about the music? Bringing back the time-honoured punk tradition of short, spiky tunes and throwing in some spoken word for good measure, the pace never lets up but keeps on surprising.

So we have big ticks for songwriting, production and performance but beyond this, what beats some of the too cool for school herd is that they look like they’re enjoying themselves, proving that you can make a statement and have fun at the same time.

Interspersed with tracks from the new album, the evening closes with Bored of Men and Jack Douglas, and it seems that M(h)aol have pulled off the magic combination of an intriguing collection of songs and a dynamic live show. Finding either one of these is a treat, both together takes things to a different level. Highly recommended.

M(h)aol

Review and photos by Siobhan

30th May 2023

 

 

Live – A Place To Bury Strangers at Patterns Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

A Place To Bury Strangers at Patterns, Brighton, 20th May 2023

Rolling into Brighton on a sunny Saturday evening, you get the feeling that summer is finally upon us. The beach is packed with people enjoying the last of the day’s sunshine, drinks in hand and singing at the top of their lungs to cheesy 90’s pop music. The cheery seaside vibe is infectious, however, walking into Patterns the light quickly disappears and any sense of summer is quickly forgotten.

As we enter the venue Camilla Sparksss is nearing the end of her set, with Are You OK? welcoming us to proceedings. Camilla’s music is propulsive, catchy and abrasive in all the right ways. It’s the very antithesis of the experience we were greeted with on our way to Patterns, and it prepares us nicely for what’s up next.

Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers (APTBS) take to the stage with frontman Oliver Ackermann politely introducing the band before kicking things off with new track Disgust. Not long into the song, Oliver is already throwing his guitar around and jabbing the air like a champion fencer defending his title at the Olympics.

Alone is next, and it’s here the rhythm section of bassist John Fedowitz and drummer Sandra Fedowitz come into their own and shine through. Their energy is the backbone of the band, with Oliver wielding crazy levels of fuzz and feedback over the top. You can hear the shoegaze, post-punk and shoegaze influences, but APTBS take that formula and dial it up to 100!

Tonight’s set is only an hour long, but it makes sense when all their songs are played with so much ferocity. We’ve Come so Far is another motorik banger aided nicely by the bands DIY light and visual show. Handheld strobe lights and boxes are thrown around with no concern, and disco balls of light are placed wherever the mood takes them. It all adds to the intensity and theatre, and it’s a perfect fit to APTBS’s artistic aesthetic.

You Are The One is played with a whole new purpose this evening; louder, more aggressive and totally mind blowing as the song builds. As soon as it finishes Sandra jumps over the barrier into the crowd, and from out of nowhere, a distorted drumming can be heard. Before anyone realises, the band members are in the middle of the crowd, and we’re being treated to an impromptu noise rave! It’s like those old Lightning Bolt shows where it felt like everything could fall apart at any moment, yet the band remain in total control of the situation.

Once the electro jam is complete, the band return to the stage and you can feel there’s a different energy in the room. Everyone is totally up for it now, and End of the Night causes the crowd to lose it. Hold On Tight does nothing to calm anyone down, and it really feels like APTBS are hitting their stride.

Closing things off with fan favourite I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of Your Heart and Have You Ever Been In Love, the strobe lights and volume levels are set to stun. There’s no letting up as the band franticly move around the stage in flipbook blasts surrounded by clouds of smoke. The music seems to be getting louder as we near the end of the show, with instruments and amps being picked up and moved around to create even more chaos on stage.

It’s brilliant to witness and it’s a cathartic experience I didn’t realise I had missed after years away from watching live music. APTBS are an incredible live band so catch them on the Nothing Left To Destroy tour if you can.

Review by Ryan Howarth
Photos © Hannah Mesquitta

25th May 2023

The Great Escape Festival 2023 (Brighton)

Posted in Event Gallery, Festival, Live Music, Review

The Great Escape, Brighton, 10th-13th May 2023

Every May the streets of Brighton are heaving with creativity as the Festival, Fringe and the biggest showcase of new music in The Great Escape all hit the city. With hundreds of artists playing showcase events at venues big and small, this year brought as eclectic as ever a mix of music from across the world.

Hard to know where to start but the first of three shows from Jessica Winter seemed as good a place as any on Thursday. With the crowd singing and dancing along so early in the day, a lasting impression was made that involved catching two more of her sets across the weekend.

Next up, The Umlauts and I swear each time I see them they try to add more band members onto the stage. Given that the stage at Revenge isn’t that big they did well to reach 9 people not to mention multiple instruments – novel to listen to techno at 3.15 in the afternoon rather than 3.15 in the morning, and a fun time for the crowd.

Following a recommendation to catch New York’s cumgirl8, it seemed the hype was widespread as they filled out not just the main room at Volks, but had probably as many people again watching from the bar. A popular choice for sure.

Another recommendation took us to The Paganini Ballroom for some dreamy shoegaze from Whitelands opening the BBC Introducing stage in style. Some strong choices from Steve Lamacq as they were followed by an accomplished set from Nottingham’s rising stars Divorce.

Whitelands

Divorce

The next act on stage was the mighty VLURE – the first of two outstanding sets from them over the weekend. To say all I want to say about them would realistically take over the review, so head on over to our separate feature here for more from Glasgow’s finest.

VLURE

On to Brighthelm for another tightly packed stage with The Joy Hotel and some serious musical talent on display. And for the third Glaswegian act in a row, Dylan John Thomas impressed everyone with some powerful yet understated vocals and melodies to finish the night – definitely one to watch.

The Joy Hotel

Dylan John Thomas

Friday started with a couple of ‘unofficial’ sets, always worth popping into some of the local pubs and breweries to see what’s happening. At Unbarred, Mary of the Junkyard kicked off another busy day with a deft mix of guitar riffs and violin, while The Pipeline opened with the silky vocals of Rosie Alena.

Mary of the Junkyard

Rosie Alena

On to Charles Street Tap and a smoke machine that wouldn’t have been out of place on Stars in Their Eyes. Once the haze cleared, singer-songwriter Childe held a rapt audience, the calm before the inevitable upcoming storm as next up VLURE were back to notch things up several levels with another stand out performance.

Childe

VLURE

Over at Revenge, Jessica Winter finished her excellent run of shows at the Gay Times showcase, GT written on her back in tape in homage. Then over to Komedia Studio for the beautiful soundscape of Pozi, the trio melting together their unique blend of calm and chaos.

Back to the mounds of dried ice at Charles Street Tap for one of the weekend’s most hotly-tipped acts in Heartworms. Some tech issues that seemed to run throughout the set didn’t stop a captivating performance, particularly impressive under the circumstances.

Heartworms

After a full day it’s easy to pack up before the later slots. However, worth the late night, PPJ definitely restarted the party bringing French house (more château than maison), Eurodance and donk to the table; a high energy end to Friday at Komedia.

No let up in the energy stakes on Saturday as Yabba took their hard-hitting, in your face act to the dark sweat box of Volks. Then over at The Hope & Ruin bar, although not technically part of the official TGE line-up, we were introduced to Dutch psych group A Fungus, who warmed things up nicely for the mayhem of Personal Trainer and surely one of the most packed and interactive sets of the day.

A Fungus

Personal Trainer

Continuing the fun at Inn on the Square, bigfatbig’s enthusiasm was infectious and ably backed by the sun streaming through the windows – a sunny day at the seaside finally joining proceedings.

Some much needed relaxation next as Canada’s Ellevator played in the fabulous setting of One Church, delicate tunes sweeping into something bigger and certainly memorable.

bigfatbig

Ellevator

With a list of production credits as long as your arm, it was James Ellis Ford’s time to take the spotlight at Chalk performing his own music with backing band. Everything blended well and the music was cleverly put together with a sense that you couldn’t quite put your finger on what some of the exact sounds were, a sax sounding like a synth just one of the many enigmas.

Staying at Chalk, Flossing offered up a confident stage presence and brooding tunes, while the room was unsurprisingly busy for the ever-popular PVA.

A stroll down the pier saw Holiday Ghosts bring their freshly released new album to their adopted home city in a packed out Horatio’s – a no nonsense fun time for all. And the latest incarnation of near locals Traams followed up, now playing their Krautrock inspired sounds as a five piece.

A strong finish from Nuha Ruby Ra at Revenge brought our Great Escape to a close with her traditional double mic set up, lighting befitting of underground nightclub status and an unexpected bugle – a fairly conclusive way to end proceedings.

Nuha Ruby Ra

Another successful year for Brighton’s annual festivities, another bunch of favourite artists revisited and new ones discovered, and now some sleep…

If you’re already thinking about next year’s TGE, earlybird tickets are available here.

Words/photos by Callum/Siobhan

16th May 2023

Brighton Fringe 2023 – Opening Weekend

Posted in Fringe, Performance, Review

Brighton Fringe 2023

Bringing hundreds of shows to stages big and small across the city, Brighton Fringe kicked off proceedings for 2023 at the weekend with a huge splash of talent from the world of theatre, comedy and performance. With multiple events daily throughout the month, there truly is something for everyone. Here are our early discoveries from this year’s Fringe, with more to come once we dip out briefly for The Great Escape.

The ever popular Spiegeltent is back, always a big draw for the crowds. On Friday night, we caught some famous characters as you’ve never seen them before in Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody – a whistle-stop tour of your favourite fairy tales with no pun unturned brought to you by The Hairy Godmothers. Over at the Bosco stage for Big Quiffy Bingo, Boogaloo Stu and sidekick Bertie Balls took bingo to a new level incorporating, as should be the case at every local Mecca hall, the occasional flash mob dance routine.

Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody

Big Quiffy Bingo

With plenty to choose from on Sunday night, we started off at the newest mini village of Caravanserai. A throwback to Camp Bestival, the space is cleverly structured from repurposed caravans and forgotten fairgrounds. A fittingly dystopian setting for the off the wall and slightly surreal comedy of Police Cops in Space, the trio of Nathan Parkinson, Zachary Hunt and Tom Roe making slapstick look easy, their talent as undeniable as the belly laughs from the audience. Then on to The Actors to see Drag Queens vs Vampires, shown to our seats by flight attendants, Eurovision contestants and well, drag queens and vampires Crudi Dench and Kate Butch, collectively Haus of Dench. As the mysterious Count threatens to ruin their attempt at Eurovision glory, some impressive audience involvement and a leaky lasagne save the day. All the fun of the Fringe, and the perfect escapism to leave the night on a high.

Police Cops in Space

Drag Queens vs Vampires

Check out the Brighton Fringe website for details of all remaining shows here.

Words and photos by Siobhan

10th May 2023

Live – Midge Ure at Theatre Royal Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Midge Ure at Theatre Royal Brighton, 27th April 2023

Amid the splendour of early 1800’s architecture and a haze of monochrome lighting and smoke, Midge Ure takes to the stage with excerpts from an extraordinary collection of songs spanning his solo career, time with Ultravox, and more besides.

There is a point in all artists’ careers when their live sets tend to start with an established track, cover some lesser know tunes in the middle, and aim for a strong singalong finish. In case of any doubt, it becomes apparent immediately that there is no need for any such planning here – within the first four songs he has treated the crowd to 80s’ classics Dear God and If I Was, Visage’s beautifully melancholic Fade To Grey  and his suitably emotional cover of  No Regrets.

Throughout the performance, Midge and his band veer seamlessly from moody and magnificent to no questions asked dance-alongs. His vocal is still impeccable, and the range of musical instruments appearing across the stage is impressive to say the least. The Voice and Visions tour is more than a greatest hits outing, feeling more like personal pickings from a vast, eclectic song book. And the strong finish? No concerns there as the encore takes in Astradyne, Vienna and All Stood Still.

There are some ‘one man and his guitar’ moments where it becomes obvious why, despite perhaps being best known amongst the electronic scene, it absolutely makes sense that Midge was drafted in to weave his magic with Rich Kids and Thin Lizzy on his musical journey. And when you take a moment to reflect, there’s no doubting that whichever project he was involved in at the time, the common factor is that he added something special to all of them. 

Following a distinguished performance in the most elegant of venues at Brighton’s Theatre Royal, the tour now moves on to Ipswich tonight, Aylesbury tomorrow, York on Sunday, then across the UK throughout May. If you’re still able to grab a ticket, it comes highly recommended.

Midge Ure Voice and Visions Tour

Review/photos by Callum/Siobhan

28th April 2023

Live – His Lordship at The Prince Albert Brighton

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

His Lordship at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 15th April 2023

On the last night of their current UK tour and their second Brighton show of the day, His Lordship play to one last packed room, no hint of fatigue on display despite the frenzied pace of every performance. The band are here to bring rock’n’roll back to its core, with not insignificant nods to the classic two minute punk song and the lure of primal rockabilly.

With the swagger and stance of Elvis on speed, James Walbourne slots easily into the lead vocal role and, given the range of guitar styles he plays effortlessly, it seems likely that he could pick up a Bontempi plastic six string and make it sound phenomenal. His recording partner in crime and not a drummer to be shuffled away on the backline for no-one to see, Kristoffer Sonne is as at home pitching lyrics down a megaphone as he is either behind or on top of the drum kit. It’s a formidable pairing, enhanced performing live as a three piece with Dave Page on bass and occasional drum swaps with Sonne. With the look of a next generation member of The Strokes (an Albert Hammond Junior Junior if you will) Page’s playing is absolutely on point and integral to the set.

At their fast and furious best on recent releases I Live In The City and Buzzkill, the band work their way through a 15 track setlist, barely pausing for breath and taking the crowd with them on every split second of the journey. Their merch T-shirts carry the slogan ‘Rock’n’Roll is not for everyone’ but that seems blatantly not to be the case for all of those squeezed into The Albert. A fine show indeed, let’s hope for more soon.

His Lordship

Review and photos by Siobhan

17th April 2023

New Music – Tapeworms

Posted in New Music, Review

Tapeworms – IRL

New from French trio Tapeworms, IRL manages to turn alt-pop on its head – there may be a pop undertone but there is certainly no saccharine sentimentality here. Reminiscent of Stereolab / Yo La Tenga, the track feels hypnotic and weightless, an accomplished soundscape of crashing synths and samples.

The band are heading out on a UK tour in a few weeks, catch them at the venues below:
May 2023
4th Manchester – Soup
5th Liverpool – Kazimier Stockroom
6th Rawtenstall – The Whip & Kitten
7th Birmingham – The Sunflower Lounge
8th Bristol – Crofters Rights
9th Hull – Polar Bear Music Room
10th London – Strongroom
13th Chelmsford – Hot Box Live

Tapeworms

Review by Siobhan

29th March 2023

Live – Suede at Brighton Dome

Posted in Gig Gallery, Live Music, Review

Suede at Brighton Dome, 20th March 2023

Since the release of their eponymously titled debut album in the early 90s, Suede have always run outside the pack, try to lump them in with the Britpop crew if you will but they’ve always been more than that. With a string of classic albums to pick from, choosing the setlists for their current UK tour can’t have been an easy task, but the inclusion of latest album Autofiction only adds to the mix and there is truly something here for everyone. To be fair, judging by the crowd reaction and singalongs, everything was for everyone – not quite a homecoming show but as near to Haywards Heath as you’ll get with a big enough venue, the welcome at Brighton Dome was justifiably warm.

There are few bands who could hold the audience captive with 30 year old B-sides and new album tracks, but from openers Turn Off Your Brain And Yell and Personality Disorder, the whole venue was enthralled, and the inclusion of The Living Dead  received a great response.

No worries for those searching out the hits though as Animal Nitrate, Trash, We Are The Pigs and So Young amongst others all featured, Brett Anderson as at home singing his way through the crowd and strutting across the balcony as on stage. And as a whole, the band couldn’t complement each other more, a unit so established that the production and performance is seamless.

It’s obvious that Suede love playing live and Brett’s intro to an acoustic The Wild Ones reminded everyone of why we go to gigs rather than just listen to music at home – it absolutely is a shared experience that can’t be replicated, and brings memories that can’t be recreated.

Returning to the stage to close their set with The Beautiful Ones, there was a sense that the crowd would have been happy to stay and listen to Suede play all night. Still, there was some solace to be found in knowing that we’d spent the evening at a phenomenal performance by a band at their best, and clearly still with so much more to give.

Suede

Review / photos by Callum / Siobhan

22nd March 2023