Category: Live Reviews

JME
Radioclit
Scala
24.03.07

Walking into the Scala and being confronted by a floor full of boys wearing girl’s hoodies and skin tight jeans, topping the look off with a bowl cut, isn’t the perfect way to start a club night I’d been looking forward to for weeks. Still, they’re good to laugh at. Am I elitest? Course I am, but at least I don’t look like some kind of pseudo-barbie eunuch.

Onto the music then, and Radioclit dropped bassline after bassline with their ghettopop anthems, throwing the likes of Bonde Do Role, Dizzee Rascal and other selected bangers into the mix. Apparently the two rudeboys who dropped by obviously to see JME weren’t feeling it, posing as they were like pissed off bouncers. My name was on son, I was in. Gutted.

JME then came out to do a short set sporting his pink “Boy Better Know” t-shirt. Now, I don’t mind a bit of grime here and there, but I was never a big fan of JME and didn’t expect anything special from him. That said, he basslines sounded heavy as hell and despite his constant bigging up of MySpace [seriously mate, its bad enough that I’m addicted to that site, I don’t wanna brag about it in public], he was a good way to pump up the energy for the French electro-hip hoppers.

TTC took to the stage with DJ Orgasmic on the decks and immediately blew the ear-drums out of my head with their glitchy tones. They kept the crowd entertained from the first minute til the last, knocking out old jams like Du Sang Sur Le Dancefloor [tastefully waving tampons around the stage] and Dans Le Club and playing out some of their 3615 TTC album, like the grimey Une Band De Mec Sympa, Paris Paris and the awesome single [Pas Le Peine D’appeler Je Ne Reponds Pas Au] Telephone.

Amongst all their own stuff, they threw in some absolute classics to keep everyone dancing non-stop. I’m talking about All That She Wants by Ace Of Base, the Outhere Brothers, Pump Up The Jam and Orgasmic’s reworking of Justin’s My Love. With Teki doing his solo track Les Matins De Paris and Cuizinier and Tido knocking out Only You it was definitely a showcase in how the French get down.

Right at the end, they invited girls up onto the stage for a bit of a boogie and one thing become immediately clear to me – The lego haircut chicks are the human anti-viagra. Seriously girls, stick to listening to Hadouken, there’s a good trendie. Them aside, the French contingent in the crowd helped out by singing every word, and dancing around like people possessed and ensured I felt right at home. Une bande de mec sympa indeed.

Abjekt
Photo courtesy of www.damagecontrolradio.org

Camden Barfly
21.03.07

Whoever the opening act were at the Barfly, they were awful. And that is basically that. Thankfully The Ripps came to save the day by walking on, plugging in and ripping up with their brand of shouty indie-punk. Opening with their last single Loco, they set their stall out for the rest of the set – Loud bass, sharp drums and some fuzzy guitars which blasted through the two minute track.

Without ever having to tie up their set with meaningless banter, the trio blasted their way through more short, sharp sonic blasts such as Vandals which proclaimed we are a generation of boozers and wasters, the sinister Vampires complete with its bassline which seems to come straight out of the Batfink theme tune and their tainted love song You Don’t Even Care.

They know how to have fun too, as proved by the Supergrass-like Holiday which was the most obvious example of Britpop influences filtering through their songs. All three members brought their own little individuality to the tracks, but no song would have been complete without drummer Rachel’s shrieking backing vocals.

Whatever you think of their hometown Coventry, The Ripps are belting. Like the title of their album says, Long Live The Ripps!

Abjekt
Photo from www.myspace.com/theripps

Sway
Fabric
16.03.07

I’ve seen Sway quite a few times now, so it’s a testament to the man that I’m still entertained whenever I catch one of his sets. This time round, I was treated to him rapping over Chamillionaire’s Ridin’ Dirty, cracking jokes at the expense of Tim Westwood and even blasting out some new material.

The favourites were still there, Up Your Speed always getting a crowd hyped, Little Derek proving the biggest sing a long of the night and Products getting everyone faux-skanking as much as their 2 inches of dancefloor would allow. His charisma was shining through as it always does, much to enjoyment of one guy in the crowd who was involved in a conversation about buying Sway’s album on limewire [a free downloading service] and he proved a brilliant warm up to the main event.

That main event was Mark Ronson and his unassuming frame slunk onto the side of the stage at the tail end of the Sway performance as he began setting up his stuff. Doc Brown bounded out on stage to introduce the main himself and even before the first song had been dropped people were baying for the DJ who duly obliged by throwing out a mix up of Ooh Wee‘s vocals and the original music to Radiohead’s Just that he’s covered on his upcoming album Version.

The set Ronson played was a brilliant mix of classic tracks [Mama Said Knock You Out being the pick of the bunch], some turn of the century tunes and his own production, from Amy Winehouse’s Ghostface remix to tracks off the new album. It was the new material that garnered the best response as he dropped his Kaiser Chiefs cover with Lily Allen’s vocals getting everyone singing the chorus, the horns on his version of Coldplay’s God Put A Smile Upon Your Face bringing a smile to everyone’s face and the emergence of Daniel Merriweather to accompany the upcoming single Stop Me with live vocals.

As if this wasn’t enough, Ronson still sound time to fit in a mash up of The Strokes and The Jackson 5 before blowing the roof off the venue with the full version of his Ooh Wee. Being a great producer doesn’t always equate to being a great live DJ, but thankfully for all of Fabric, Ronson is both and made sure everyone left having had a blast.

Abjekt

London Forum
15.03.07

Given the critical acclaim afforded to Mastodon‘s recent ‘Blood Mountain’ album, it was arguably inevitable that tonight’s show – originally booked for the Mean Fiddler – would be upgraded to a larger venue, but it’s still a surprise to see the sold-out Forum so packed. Never the most straightforward of metal bands, it seems that Mastodon may be gaining a large-scale cult following in much the same way as their former tour buddies Tool did a decade ago.

Saviours are a welcome treat for early arrivers; unleashing a clutch of Sabbath-esque grooves so thunderous that they could loosen the bowels of a constipated elephant. Your reviewer curses having eaten so much for dinner, but can’t tear himself away; and with good reason too. Whilst not as musically complex as the headliners, Saviours’ imposing stage presence and sheer power mark them out as ones to watch.

Mastodon are a blindfolded rollercoaster ride of a band; taking influences from all parts of metal’s rich tapestry and twisting them towards their own intuitive ends. Inviting enough on record, they sound utterly huge in the live setting; and as the opening hardcore blast of ‘The Wolf Is Loose’ whips the front rows into a seething frenzy, it’s clear that they can do no wrong tonight.

Maybe it’s the pulsing riffs of ‘March Of The Fire Ants’ that swirl around the Forum like a particularly turbulent ocean. Maybe it’s the way that drummer Brann Dailor pulls off the most complicated of rhythms whilst making it look so painfully easy. Or maybe it’s the shit-eating grin on bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders’ face as the sledgehammer groove of ‘I Am Ahab’ threaten to shake both us and the venue’s foundations into submission. Either way, Mastodon are nothing short of thrilling when they’re on such fine form.

“Thanks for coming, we’ll see you again in June!” declares Troy before the closing ‘Hearts Alive’. If that means what we think it means, then this year’s Download festival is looking more inviting than ever.

Alex Gosman
Photo credit: www.kindamuzik.net

The Albert
Brighton
10.03.07

The auspicious occasion is a birthday bash being thrown by two Brighton punkers celebrating turning the grand old age of 40 (and I should know!) who have organised none other than GBH for live entertainment. That one of the birthday lads is the drummer for Peter and The Test Tube Babies no doubt aided the cause in getting these Brit-punk veterans to sweat it out in the tightly packed and smoky sweaty confines of The Albert…. it’s certainly quite a coup.

By the time the band amble on to the tiny stage the clock’s about to hit 10, and the crowd are suitably juiced. Jeez, I don’t know when I last saw GBH – many, many years ago. Singer Colin is currently the only original member, although the powerhouse drummer has been with them for ages now. Guitarist Jock is currently in The States, but soon to return to the fold apparently, and his place tonight is filled by Karl from Billyclub (with previous in The Exploited) who makes tidy work of his responsibilities. And I dunno who the bassist is, but he gets his head down and does a solid job. Someone told me that the original bass man Ross has upped sticks to live in Hawaii – that’s one way of getting out of Birmingham I guess, and nice work if you can get it. But lest we forget, as a unit – GBH have pretty much been at it non stop since the very early Eighties, and bar maybe The UK Subs I don’t think you can say that for any other British Punk act… they deserve credit.

So, on with the show – and the band lay straight in to 60+ minutes of their trademark hard hitting punk with rocknroll edge – and the set is a mix of old shit from those landmark first records, a peppering of tracks from their most recent album “Ha Ha” and even a couple of new numbers that showed some form. Colin looks like he’s downed a few before the show and is as lubricated as many of the revellers, but he’s still got the moves and an ample set of growling pipes, but fuck it musta been hot up there in that leather jacket… !!! Birthday boy Dave (from the Test Tubes) gets behind the drum kit for a cracking rendition of “Give Me Fire” and that warms things up nicely as the band steam in to “I am The Hunted” “Sick Boy” “City Baby (Attacked by Rats)” a smoking version of The Stooges “1970 (I Feel Alright)”, “Knife Edge“… and although the requests for “Slut” (notably from the mullered head of Pig City) are ignored, there is a raucous reprise of that hoary old number “Big Women“, plus my all time fave GBH song “Generals“…. with the cuttingly topical “Britain needs you to die for her” chorus… and then it’s business as usual with “Alcohol” closing the set down. I think that was it anyways… I do recall my mate Dazza sticking another pint in my hand… and the DJ spinning Crass, Discharge, Zounds, Spermbirds, Nomeansno on the wheels of steel… dance floor classics one and all!

Thanks again Steve and Dave for sorting out a top night and welcome to the Roaring Forties boys….

Pete Craven

‘Joseph Donald Mascis’ is a legend in his own way. He has written some of the best songs ever throughout the many years that his bands and solo projects have been performing worldwide.

He started out in a hardcore punk band called Deep Wound, he formed the legendary Dinosaur Jr and now, here he sits in front of 250 people at Metro’s in Oxford Street on a windy Wednesday night in his very own signature Nikes and an Adidas track suit top ready to churn out a solo set that blew the entire crowd away. The crowd is made up of journalists and grade-A blaggers as tonight is all about a showcase apparently and it’s only industry heads in this venue.

So as he tucked into ‘Thumb‘ followed instantly by ‘Flying Cloud‘, both lifted from Green Mind, the crowd realised that this was going to be special, especially as the epic ‘Freakscene’ was thrust into the spotlight 3rd song in and J turned on the pedals to full solo guitar effect. The spine tingle i had when this kicked in matched the first time i heard this tune at college, absolutely amazing. I was not alone. The crowd was in awe of this opportunity and free beer only fuelled the feeling.

The solos rained on as ‘This Is All I Care To Do‘ from the new album Beyond kicked in. You will discover soon that this album is back to where they left off and this tune is definitely one of the best with J’s lazy vocals dipping in and out of classic 3 riff choruses. He then played another classic in ‘Little Fury Things‘ which brought the crowds attention to a stand still followed by ‘Amma Ring‘, one of J’s tunes with The Fog.

It’s funny how we register new songs. Once upon a time, the likes of imaginitive roll of ‘‘The Wagon’‘ was just another tune that whispered it’s beautiful chords though ears whilst people pondered on it’s quality, and here we are again 20 years alter doing it all over again! The accoustic sounds of ‘I Got Lost‘ is another tune from Beyond that was in this set and you could hear a pin drop as no one has really heard the record yet. Here Mascis does his high pitched, shoegazing vocal job to perfection, you know the one, there’s only one, it could not be anyone else if you heard it in the street. ‘Get Me’ from the ‘Where You Been‘ album is dropped next until ‘Quest‘ takes the limelight and rightly so, it’s a classic.

By now, 30 mins into this show, i’m realising i am really pissed and actually in heaven, but the cover of ‘Just Like Heaven‘ doesn’t make the cut tonight, i guess he could have played so many more, like my personal faves such as ‘Let It Ride’ or ‘They Always Come‘ from ‘Bug‘ but he ends tonights secret shindig with ‘Not You Again’ and ‘Alone’. For the record, the lyrics to the former go like this:

I thought of the Blob today
I thought of you
I thought of the mess I made again
How do I do it
Now when it leaves your hand
Just understand

…and on Thursday morning i felt like the blob due to the free Stella!

Look out for Beyond when it comes out this month, you should not be disappointed.

Zac Slack

To read a Crossfire interview with J.Mascis from 2005 click here…

100 Club

As a live act, Grace are a sure soon to be discovered British gem. Their relentless set at London’s 100 Club provides perfect energy for the 21st century indie-pop gig goer. And most importantly, they play like a band that are here to prove to London that they have arrived, that they are ready, and that their music is worth repeated listens.

Charismatic frontman JP Jones owns the stage, moving enthusiastically to his band’s music, passionately relishing the sold out crowd’s rapturous cheers and outstretched hands. He captivates in his mission to entertain, and delivers the goods exuding confidence in bucket loads. The crowd sway to Grace’s elegant, harmony laced slower sonics, and jump ecstatically to the gloriously frenzied faster numbers.

Last year’s indie buzz single, the irresistibly catchy “Stand Still“, which makes you want to do anything but, is greeted with raucous excitement, and the strong chorus explodes with the kind of vibrance many of their contemporaries can surely only dream about. “Pillars“, “Slowly” and “Alive” sparkle with sublime melodies, driving guitar hooks and crashing drum beats. What makes Grace so special is their accessibility – forget self indulgence pretension, each track showcases the band’s unashamed ability to perform fresh, uptempo indie pop to perfection.

As they end the night by launching into their forthcoming single with verve and vigour, JP proclaims ‘We’re Grace. And this is Wonderful’. They are. And it is.

Ali Norris
Photo by Kat Norris

Islington Academy
24.02.07

Photo by Amy Wiseman

It’s been far too long since Crossfire favourites Hell is For Heroes played a central London venue, and judging from the size of the queue outside the Islington Academy on Saturday night, they’ve been sorely missed. Inside the venue is seemingly buckling at the walls, fans old and young rammed up against the barrier, this is the kind of band that you need to be up front for.

Welsh upstarts Dopamine impress as support, their brand of guitar driven, bass heavy screamo pop is fresh, sharp and well worthy of this slot. Introspective lyrics and catchy tracks make them one to watch – they could well follow their fellow Welshman Funeral For a Friend and Lost Prophets into the mainstream.

Onto the main course, Hell is For Heroes. The West London five-some have picked up the pace in the last year, and their new self titled album is due out later in the spring. Having been released from EMI, the band released their last album on UK indy label Captains of Industry but have now found a home at Burning Hearts, with Epitaph signing them for releases in US. It seems that this post-hardcore act have hit the ground running, and tonight’s show, is a homecoming if ever there was one.

Justin Schlosberg has always been the consummate frontman on stage, you feel the anger, fear, determination from every lyric etched over his face, his body twisting, veins standing out in his neck – and tonight it no different. From the go word Schlosberg rules the stage, by the time the familiar chords of ‘We Can Climb Mountains’ drop in, he’s got the crowd reacting to his every movement, every swagger, ever twisted smile. It’s a mixed set of new and old, ‘You’ve Got Hopes’ stands out in the new material, and from the last album ‘ Models for the Programme’ has been ironed out to perfection.

Hell is For Heroes have the ability to take their studio sound and boost it skywards in a live setting, whilst never losing the crisp slant that they have on record. Tonight their sound thumps through your body, Findley’s bass lines reverberate through your ribcage, whilst the most presentable drummer in rock, Joe Birch, never drops a beat. The sheer intensity of sound hurling off the stage is breathtaking, ‘Disconnector’, ‘Night Vision’, ‘Sick/Happy’ ‘Kamachi’ and the wonderful ‘Slow Song’ lift us off our feet as Schlosberg launches himself into the crowd to howl out the lyrics.

For encore the band slink back all, grins in place, “We only play these on very special occasions…like tonight” Justin salutes the crowd and we’re diving heading into the sublime ‘You Drove Me To It’ from The Neon Handshake. A heart thumping, dizzying anthem if there was one, Schlosberg goes into overdrive once more,

‘They won’t break us..they won’t ground us’ feels like it’ll lift the roof clean off the Academy, whilst the floor below trembles under the ferocity of the show, ‘Three Of Clubs’ unites the crowds with the ‘us against the world’ mentality that Hell is For Heroes seems to magically entwine you with’ ” I’ll suffer…I’ll suffer with YOU MY FRIEND’ is launched out, the half the front row threaten to topple over the barrier.

Hell is For Heroes are survivors, they’ve been through highs and lows and come out fighting every step of the way. Having found a home with Burning Hearts they’re coming back into their own, determination and talent clearing their paths. Here’s hoping they get the recognition they deserve with this new album, and for gods sake guys…don’t leave it so long next time ok?

Dee Massey

Kid Sister
Flosstradamus

Cargo
22.02.07

The Catch An Attitude tour features a bill that should have had any club going hip hopper salivating at the mere mention of the line up. And whilst the majority of the crowd were braindead and leaden, those of us who bothered to have a little dance weren’t disappointed.

DJ Autobot and J2K, collectively known as Flosstradamus, opened up with some huge basslines, dropping the likes of Daft Punk, Spank Rock and even Flat Eric’s mentor Mr Oizo with Flat Beat. With their usual mash ups of Crunk mixed with anything they can get their hands on, the jams coming out of the speakers were enough entertainment alone, despite the fact the rest of the line up was still to come.

So when Kid Sister stepped onto the stage, clearly as drunk as she said she was, things could only go up that next level. Despite being under the influence, she rapped hard, she smiled sweetly and she rocked her body up and down the stage, which couldn’t have been easy with 90% of the people watching her lacking any type of energy whatsoever. Telephone and Pro Nails were the best tracks of her set, and as she bounced up and down to the final song, it was clear she’s going to be one to watch.

Then came the DJ main event – A-Trak, the world’s youngest DMC Champ when he won it at 15 and now wasting his talent by DJ’ing for Kanye West, and Craze, a huge name in his own right and one that garnered the biggest cheer from the crowd. As they traded scratches, with Craze running the crossfader with his elbows and his back and A-Trak simply letting his fingers do the talking, the sweat began to appear as my friends and I tried out the new moves – The Penguin and The Crab. It’ll catch on, don’t front. The night ended just as it started, with great booming club hip hop, and I can’t wait to see them all again.

Abjekt
Photo by Paul Williams

Tufnell Park Boston Arms
19.02.07

Given the somewhat sterile surroundings of the Carling-sponsored venues that seem to be on the increase these days, the more organic atmosphere of a DIY gig makes for a refreshing alternative.

Tonight’s show is held in the back room of a pub, with a small record stall set up near the entrance, and flyers for various other shows littering just about every raised surface. A throwback, perhaps, to the punk gigs of pre-internet days; although the half-full venue suggests that it could have been more widely promoted.

Still, those who do show up are not disappointed; not least due to the presence of a couple of video screens showing clips of classic live performances from many of the leading lights of punk rock through the years. Mansfield’s UK82 veterans Riot Squad are the sole support band, but their repetitive punk bluster fails to draw many of the unconverted away from the bar.

Back in the capital for only the second time (following a support slot with NOFX in mid-2004), The Epoxies don’t seem at all bothered by the lacklustre turnout and set about throwing a colourful new-wave party.

Clad in day-glo outfits and with green laser pens taped to their guitars, it would seem as if we’d been transported to a Laser Quest arena, except there’s a man by the name of FM Static bobbing about behind his keyboard like a child with chronic ADD. Oh, and the tunes aren’t bad either – the likes of ‘Radiation’ and ‘We’re So Small’ inviting several punters to join hyperactive frontwoman Roxy Epoxy down at the front.

Overall, the Epoxies are well worth leaving your house on a chilly Monday evening, and the band themselves are clearly grateful that we still remember them after all this time. Here’s hoping for a speedy return.

Alex Gosman
Photo courtesy of Fat Wreck.