Category: Live Reviews

Brixton Academy
15.11.2006

If you’ve not heard of this band or any of their material, then you are missing out on a music revolution! You should definitely sync your ears to their digital cassettes, as their debut album is a work of genius that portraits rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form.

They seem influenced by an early Black Sabbath, 2 lumps of Zeppelin, a pinch of Hendrix and a stir of White Stripes. It’s a tasteful blend indeed, but their individuality shines through and they have a very unique sound that makes them so accepting to the rock ‘n’ roll family.

Live at Brixton, the Southern Hemisphere trio knocked out a performance that put me right back in the 70’s, of which I really don’t remember much as I was merely an infant, but I experienced a sense of nostalgia of an era I’ve only read about. They belted out every song of their new album and it really set the place on fire with an electric buzz burning throughout the shinny halls of Brixton, it kicked arse to say the least!!! These guys sound so good live, I honestly can’t wait to witness them again.

They rolled in with ‘Dimension’, a powerful opener that set the rest of the evening off in style. My flatmate, who kept going to bar every 5 minutes, is a direct offspring from the 70’s, but one with more energy than 4 year old on Columbian Blend, Red Bull and enough speed to jump a 100ft gap with a school bus…He’s a loon and made sure that we don’t suffer the slightest symptoms of drought.

Halfway through the set they hit up ‘Woman’, a timeless classic already and we were raging away like it was 1999, a year when time was an uncertainty! My hand-eye coordination was slightly damaged by the end of the gig, at which point they thought it good to play ‘Colossal’, another fucking brilliant track and a great way to draw the curtains on what has arguably been my favourite gig of 2006.

Like I said, if you haven’t got it, go and get it…its fucking worth every penny, unless you’re skint, in which case you’ll have to go to their myspace page or website to stream the tracks online.

Wolfmother – A blast from the past with a fresh stamp of approval

2P

Yungun & Mr Thing
Scala
02.11.2006

The packed out Scala warmed up with Imperial Leisure, a shockingly bad ska band who, as far as I’m concerned, should never have been on the bill. After they’d finished however, the real show got into full swing with Yungun and Mr Thing taking the stage with Devise on hype duty. Opening up with Jackin’ For Breaks, the UK act showed their worth, rapping over various other tracks and getting the crowd that bit more excited.

Mr Thing busted out a nice solo, hitting some one-handed scratch routines, before Devise got a chance to do his thing over some faster paced music. But their highlight was the brilliant Dancing Shoes, cutting the audience in half for some hugely well received call and response, before having the entire place bust out their moves for the track.

With the audience suitably ready, Ugly Duckling took to the stage with DJ Young Einstein throwing up some People Under The Stairs as their introduction. Andy Cooper then proclaimed that King’s Cross was the first place they stayed when they first came over 6 or so years ago… and it was still as shitty as it was back then! With the opening salvo of Let It Out, Yudee and Pass It On, the crowd were dancing and hollering before they’d even got into full swing on the stage.

But when Einstein brought out his trust dookie gold rope and Eye On The Gold Chain rang out, we knew we were in top gear. Rio De Janeiro and A Little Samba came either side of Pick Up Lines, where Dizzy attempted to chat up a girl using first an American line and then a British one – Do you work for the Royal Mail? Because I swear you were checking my package – before finishing up with Turn It Up and Smack.

One thing you know you’ll get when you see UD is a brilliant live show, packed with fun and smiling people, and this time didn’t disappoint. Though it was full to bursting point, there wasn’t one push or shove as everyone found their own tiny bit of space to dance in. A brilliant performance by an always amazing live act.

Abjekt
[Photo from www.myspace.com/yungunmusic ]

Islington Academy
01.11.06

It has to be said that the Islington Academy’s abundance of shiny fittings and polished surfaces don’t make the ideal environment for a dirty rock n’ roll gig. Still, Ladyfinger soon banish such concerns from our minds, testing the early arrivers’ eardrums with raw nuggets of twisted, bass-heavy rock n’ roll. Impressive stuff, but this party’s only just getting started.

Winnebago Deal are clearly not out to take prisoners as they rip full-tilt into ‘With Friends Like These’; with drummer Ben Thomas a mass of flailing limbs and long hair, and vocalist/guitarist Ben Perrier seemingly in possession of Satan’s own larynx for the evening. Arguably sounding louder, faster and meaner with every gig they play, there’s an almost tangible aura of aggression to the Oxford duo’s musical maelstrom, and it’s a joy to watch as songs like ‘Cobra’ constantly teeter on the brink of pure sonic warfare.

However, it’s the headliners’ party, and tonight The Bronx are nothing short of a revelation. Not since the heyday of the Icarus Line has LA spawned a band that thrives on chaos as much as these guys, whose arrival heralds utter mayhem in the pit. Vocalist Matt Caughthran tears around the stage (and occasionally into the crowd, too) screaming his throat raw as his band make like the bastard children of Black Flag raised on a diet of cheap speed and Stooges records. If you’re wondering what happened to the menace and danger in punk rock, then it appears that the Bronx have snorted it up and spat it out in the form of vicious mini-anthems like ‘Shitty Future’ and ‘Heart Attack American’

Clearly realising that a conventional three-song encore would be pointless after the bruising full-stop of ‘History’s Stranglers’, the band’s return only lasts about thirty seconds before Matt hurls himself into the drumkit. As finales go, It makes for a brief but highly potent fuck-you to convention – and heaven knows that’s worthy of applause.

Alex Gosman

Bush Hall
01.11.06

In case you were not aware, The Secret Show is Matt Davies of Funeral For A Friend’s wee side project. A 6 piece, atmospheric country group that offers a side of the FFAF frontman’s musical talent, fans have yet to witness. So, like many other curious cats, we ventured out to a miniscule, yet overwhelmingly gorgeous venue deep in Shepherds Bush, and awaited a new sight, Matt Davies with a guitar.

Let me talk more about the venue. It truly added a big fat notch to the atmosphere’s bedpost. Headed by a low, intimate stage, complimented beautifully by the stunning array of chandeliers that lurked above our heads. It almost seemed like a secret show itself, a very small, but polite crowd gathered the stage area peacefully, and gave the show a greater sense of comfort. I couldn’t emphasise enough how the atmosphere added to the quality of the show, it was an act in itself.

First up for the curious crowd’s judgement was solo act Broken Leaf, AKA 24 year old Rhodri Viney. Hailing from Cardiff, he brought with him a selection of well thought out melodies, not too cliché lyrics and an incredibly powerful voice that kept the crowd entertained for his rather short set. All be it quite melancholy a times. Though he was unfortunate to be placed before next band, Gethin Pearson And The Scenery who snatched the limelight before it had any time to settle in. Like Bright Eyes, it’s the work of one musical fellow backed up by a few of his musical comrades. The result was fantastic; a noticeably unique voice which was truly brought to life by female companion and violin artiste, Niamh Ferris who provided a subtle, yet very moving backdrop, or ‘scenery’ to Gethin’s heartfelt music.

Then came the moment the crowd had eagerly waited for. The Secret Show dons the stage to a rather hopeful applause. Not having been recognised for very long, and their only outlets being a section on the frequently visited Funeral For A Friend forum, and a few songs on the groups’ Myspace, these two debut shows meant everything for the future of the band. Opening with the swaying ‘We Blaze A Trail’ Matt and his gang preached the real talent they definitely possess.

The show demanded body movement, in the sense of a good ol’ hoedown rather than the circular mosh pits Davies would have been used to. Throughout the set, the band seemed like they’d played together all their lives, no clashes and possibly one of the sweetest, harmonious dual vocal team of Matt and Lianne Francis. As ever, Matt demonstrated how he was born for the stage by always keeping the crowd entertained with his innocent, witty banter in between songs. And even during the last song’s breakdown, commanding the entire crowd to get their feet moving otherwise they would never finish. Cunningly well done.

While the stand out song had to have been the epic ‘Manana’, the delightful cover of a gorgeous acoustic FFAF track, ‘I Am The Arsonist’ was a pleasant surprise of the evening, NBD! Matt showed his music potential tonight, his voice was on top form, and I can only imagine what he’s capable of in a few years time. Bring on February for the debut album. Here’s hoping this is a permanent side-project.

Joe Moynihan

Camden Barfly
16.10.06

The Barfly is not the best ventilated of venues, and hence the room’s beer-to-sweat ratio is rapidly evening out by the time Takota kick off tonight’s double helping of Orange County rock n’ roll.

They’re an entertaining bunch, with widescreen tunes like ‘Satellite’ and ‘The Ivory Tower’ seemingly written with stadiums in mind, and vocalist Grant Arnow seems to have taken a lesson or two in rock star posturing from Jon Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, the venue’s notoriously dodgy PA serves as a reminder that Madison Square Garden is still a long way away.

Bullets And Octane, however, are a far more filthy and fun proposition. Heavily tattooed vocalist Gene Louis is clearly drunk as hell, offering up plenty of sleazy between-song banter, and even pouring some whisky into the upturned mouths of the front row. It only serves to lend an even stronger air of debauchery to this most decadent of bands, as they whip the front rows into action with sleaze punk gems like ‘Going Blind’ and the bastard son of Motorhead’s ‘Civil War’ that is ‘Save Me Sorrow’. Sure, it’s all been done before, but few contemporary bands provide sweaty rock n’ roll thrills as effortlessly as B&O do tonight; with all the confidence you’d expect from four guys who are clearly on their way to big things.

Alex Gosman
Photo by Phil Wallis

XFM’s Big Night Out
Brixton Carling Academy
14.10.06

These flashy big music/clubbing/getting wasted affairs never do bands justice.

Naturally, massive Carling Academy events only do justice to the free flowing pints of Carling beer. The bands’ job is to supply a more worthwhile reason than alcohol for being there.

So I felt extra sorry for the young Milburn band being first up to play before a swarm of drunken teenagers. It was a challenge to get any tune past the heaving sweating moschpit and to make themselves heard, let alone sounding good.

So did Milburn manage it? Kind of. They were certainly no better or worse than the bands which followed: The View and The Fratellis, but many of their songs sounded the same. Sure, the rabble of the crowd did not make their task easy, but any band which truly wants to make it needs to be able to make the uniqueness of their voice sound loud and clear from any stage.

With a year old record contract and a debut album Well Well Well released only two weeks ago, Milburn have already made it in one sense of the word. But if they want to last beyond the big debut, then the four-man band will have to move away from the Artic Monkeys’ shadow and develop their own style. Milburn’s Artic Monkey reflection is understandable since both groups were born in the lovely city of Sheffield, but folks, a constant stream of individuality and originality is the key to a long-lasting marriage with your record label.

Milburn have a lot of growing up to do, and with the oldest band member being only 20 this is really no surprise. Though their raw youth leaves a lot to be desired it also gives them a lot of space to develop, more so than most new bands have the luxury of. For Milburn, their debut tour is more a right of passage than a claim to fame. “Almost famous” is the phrase which springs to mind.

Rebecca Geach
[Photo courtesy of www.myspace.com/milburnmusic]

London Forum
13.10.06

Storming the set with ‘Downtown‘ Peaches unconventionally starts her set above the crowd on the stairwell in the same mask as on her flyer. Sliding down the banister, onto the stage, in a provocative manner for ‘Fuck or Kill’ she breaks her robot moves to spunk it up a bit for the million photographers adoring her every move.

Cleary the teaches of Peaches is no longer just about fucking the pain away, and pimping her tracks to randy adolescents, as the unlikely mix of crowd covers a broad balanced spectrum for a change. An older, mature, and definitely still sexy woman graces the stage fully clothed, and without the strap-on she wore thin behind a white veiled screen over the last tour.

Playing 80s guitar with her wild retro hair the mix of eclectic sounds could be somewhat confusing. Ranging from the almost dub-esque beats of ‘Felix Partz’ to the rock out song, non-surprisingly, called ‘Rock Show’, Peaches is a definite 1-off with no other band braving the same raw and crude sound. Another example of self-produced success, which has paved the way for other bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

This tour round, the stage sports more eye candy as Peaches is supported by the 2 Le Tigre look-alike twin guitarists, and the Blondie look-a-like drummer Sam Maloney (you may know her from The Hole), who is stuck under a wind machine and breast insinuating drum kit. After the catchy shouting of ‘You Love It’, the Berlin goddess launches into infamous 2 Many DJs track ‘Fuck the Pain Away’.

Tattooed sex gods grace the stage to peel off the remaining leg warmers whilst Peaches straddles a roadster bicycle to the track ‘Lovertits‘. ‘Shake yer Dix’ gets the crowd…*ahem* in some instances gyrating…true story! Just when you think things will settle down a huge blow up dick is kicked into the crowd, as Peaches strips off yet another layer of clothing whilst ‘AA XXX’ plays in the background. ‘Slippery Dick’ is played in tribute to the missing blow up consumed by the crowd. The sequence runs so smoothly you would think she expected it to go missing. Perhaps trial and error from previous shows?

A suddenly chatty Peaches snarls something about Peaches Geldof, and then breaks into ‘I U She’, ‘Stick it to The Pimp‘ whilst busting her finest pole dancing moves, stripping away yet more layers…you would think she would be naked by now as she rages on stage in her black knickers set…but she keeps it coming.

After a further 3 songs in her encore she comes back with 3 medals proudly mocking “I would give out 2165 medals tonight to say ‘I love you’…but I don’t!…I only have 3 medals…”. More rock than disco inferno, Peaches proves she is still punk as fuck and a hell of a lot of fun to catch live!

Words and photos by Niki Kova’cs

Mean Fiddler
15.10.06

“What’s up London?!”, screams a impossibly tiny redhead from centre stage in the humid Mean Fiddler.

It’s the final night of Paramore‘s first ever full UK tour and, so 17 year old singer Hayley Williams later reveals, also the last time the five-strong Tennessean teenage rockers will tour with debut album ‘All We Know Is Falling’, released earlier this year.

But before the climactic and somewhat saddening headline performance, fans are required to hold up their already sweaty, bruised bodies for the two supports. I’m not exaggerating – the venue is absolutely packed even before The Riverclub’s entrance. The predictable power pop rockers from Kent start up with a lively thirty minute set of songs, to surprisingly good reception. The reception is surprising because it’s clear to anyone with ears that this band is going nowhere. Their music is not original and cannot even compete lyrically or instrumentally with the bands they’ve been thrown into the same category as (Fall Out Boy rings a bell).

It’s somewhat relieving to know that there’s another group due on before Paramore’s entrance at 9.30. But that relief quickly sours into despair with one look at the musicians before us. Madina Lakes is, on appearance, a less fleshy/rebellious Towers Of London. Their music, it transpires, is also exactly that. Slushy, nonsensically-worded From First To Last-esque cliché emo with a much softer (but still irritating) vocalist. One of the guitarists stopped us outside to announce that they will be supporting My Chemical Romance next year. Thanks for warning me; I’ll know not to turn up in time to see you.

It’s getting irritably late – over two hours have passed since everyone entered and it shows, security having to squirt bottles of water down throats of fans in the first few rows to stop them passing out from the strain of keeping their great view of the stage. Finally the band emerges, a little sheepish. Guitars are plugged in and the fiery songstress begins thrashing her head in time to the opening of previous download single ‘Emergency‘. Cue frantic screams and the show kicks off…

After having recently cancelled their Reading and Leeds festival appearances, as well as many shows in the US, due to the intermittent fragility of Williams’ vocal chords, it’s almost a blessing that Paramore have managed to make it thus far. Incredibly, despite the fact that this is their last appearance, Hayley’s voice is completely top notch – she hits difficult pitches with enough struggle to show that she’s putting her all into it, but is still safely able to pull off every word she sings. The setlist is similar to that of their Give It A Name (Introduces) set earlier this year but, considering only about 30 people turned up to see them then and there are over 800 people in the room now, it’s doubtful that many of those here tonight have heard any of the record live yet.

The set flows through highlights of the album including ‘Conspiracy’, ‘Pressure’, ‘Franklin’ and title track ‘All We Know (Is Falling)’. Also featured is an acoustic cover of the Foo Fighters’ ‘My Hero’ – a risky but impressive rendition.

All comes to an end just under one hour later with a surprisingly moving rendition of ‘My Heart’, the lyrics of which are dedicated to fans of the band. I’ve yet to work out why my stomach flip-flopped at that point – perhaps it was seeing Williams and her band up on stage, clearly putting all they had into this performance, emotional not just because it was their last this year but also because it meant that, finally, they would be able to return home. With an average age of 18-19, it’s pretty incredible that this band have survived an entire year without touching base.

Although the reference is quite obvious, I can’t help but flashback to this time three years ago. A certain pint-sized, loveable but aggravated pop punk princess was on that very stage belting out very similar songs. Six months later, she had a number one album and a year after that, she played Wembley. However much anyone tries to deny it, Hayley Williams is the new Avril Lavigne. Paramore are a fast-blossoming, soon to be stadium-ready band. And that’s really not a bad thing.

Cathy Reay
[Photos from www.myspace.com/paramore]

The Colony
Micall Parknsun
Jazz Café
13.10.06

After having to stand through an hour’s worth of ridiculously shit nu-soul – is that what you call it? Well, I’m not a 40 year old middle class woman who thinks she can boogie with the youngsters, and that’s the target audience I imagine listening to it – the festivities finally got underway with the opening act of the night at the not-as-packed-as-usual Jazz Café – Micall Parknsun and Dubbledge. They were fun, the brilliant Dunya blasting out as a crowd favourite and some tracks from Fist Of Jah sounding pretty fresh, but the sound didn’t help matters.

The problems continued for Sir Smurf Lil and Conspicuous where continual feedback ruined their quality tracks. Hearing the two rappers break it down to accapella style was cool and they showed their talent, but not hearing beats made the experience that little bit less impressive. Still, the tracks from Smurf’s upcoming album, such as City Night Life, promise a hell of a lot from the record.

Jehst was last out, flanked as always by his hype man Asaviour and they went through the classic live joints – Citizen Smif and People Under The Weather – which became more karaoke from the crowd than performances from the rappers. With material from both MCs albums, including Nuke Proof Suit and Vice City from Jehst and So Northern from Asaviour, the night was full of great tunes. However, being kicked off stage early and not being able to perform High Plains Anthem was a hell of a shame.

This wasn’t the best Jehst show I’ve been to by a long way, the crowd seemed dormant and the sound problems made it hard to get really into the set, but as ever Jehst proved just why he stands head and shoulders about this country’s other wordsmiths. Always a pleasure to be in his presence.

Abjekt
[Photos courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra]

Manchester Academy
12.10.06

This years release ‘Karmacode‘ may be their most lethargic effort yet but the Italian goth metallers are still one of the more compelling bands around if tonight’s performance is anything to go by.

This is one band that the crowd are fanatical about and as the lights lower, the screams from the floor are almost deafening. Strolling on stage dressed in matching ties and swathed in red light Lacuna Coil certainly look the part.

At just three songs in as ‘Swamped‘ unfurls it’s powerful chorus, the swooning masses duely chip in and are putty in Cristina Scabbia’s hand. But as they continue to treat the swarms of fans to numerous tracks past and present, the thundering riffs and pounding beats pulse along and draw attention to the fact that Lacuna Coil isn’t just about Ms Scabbia anymore. Lacuna Coil are indeed a band of epic proportions and highlights ‘To Live Is To Hide’ and ‘1.19’ find Andi Ferro poised, confident and very much still in control of the crowd.

All in all, tonight’s show is about a band right at the top of their game. With no glitzy backdrops and no fancy lights, they appear, perfectly deliver a collection of impressive songs and leave. It’s no nonsense metal, and you can’t ask for much more than that.

Jane Hawkes