Category: Music

London Scala
18/10/05

It’ll be a shock – and possibly even a crime – if Danish groove-masters Hatesphere aren’t headlining venues of this size themselves come October 2006. Despite the venue’s sound system having what can only be described as an epileptic fit on crack, the hard hitting quintet waste no time in inflicting whiplash upon the masses with their own unique brand of fist-pumping metal magic; with the likes of ‘The Sickness Within’ and tooth-shattering ‘Murderous Intent’ leaving no spine in tact.

Soilwork may have enjoyed what some consider moderate commercial success in recent times, but there appears to be little evidence that they’re a band keen to escape their past as a result. While curtain-raiser ‘Stabbing The Drama’ provokes scenes of limb-flailing hysteria from the jubilant pit faithful, set staples ‘Figure Number Five’ and ‘The Flameout’ are promptly offered and gratefully received by all; with even the relentless ‘My Need’ from 1998’s ‘Steel Bath Suicide’ debut propping up the set for the somewhat scarce yet well-voiced elitists in attendance.

The gods may not have been smiling on a frankly shocking mix desk this evening, but with an hour-long performance that leaves few grumbling and even fewer standing still, the Swedish sextet ensure that almost everybody leaves doing just that.

3/5
Ryan Bird

Giant Drag
Camden-Electric Ballroom
1 November 2005

Electric Ballroom. The venue verdict-always rad, but if I see anyone wearing stripes for a while I’m gonna hurl! What is it with Camden and friggin stripes. TopShop Capitalism has spread into punk-rock! When I 1st arrived there was a 1 piece giving it all he had on stage…so I hit the bar. I still have no idea who he was or if he was actually supposed to be there?!

Opening for Nine Black Alps is Giant Drag. This was different…very different. In fact so refreshing, for a minute I thought they would completely steal the show. It’s an unassuming 2 piece with the drummer playing-*get this*-drums AND keyboards at the same fucking time!!! If you pay close enough attention you will notice it ain’t just any old melody he is conjuring up on the keyboard-the guy was coordinating the entire bass-line while simultaneously playing the drums. Neither drums or bass suffered the consequences either. The quirky singer seems cute-in a 17yr old innocent girl kinda way, but she has the sweetest, sexiest voice that just fills an entire room in a Hole-Mazzy Star-Juliette and the Licks kinda way. The contradiction of their low-profile image on stage vs. their lyrics was the highlight as they hit off with “You fuck like my Dad”. They pulled it off with humor, elegance and most importantly have been the most un-pretentious band I have seen in a long, long, very very long time. Ok, I’ll admit Annie (lead singer) is probably certifiable, but you cant put a price on humor. Its so annoying seeing a band that takes themselves too seriously. They even finished off with taking a photo of the crowd *how sweet*. With such a great sound from such a budding band it is no wonder they sold out of EVERY single demo CD. Its pretty new, so hopefully it will hit retail pretty damn soon, cause I’m dying for a copy!

Nine Black Alps are up next. The venue starts flooding. Not sure where the heck they came from but it filled up within minutes. The local Manchester group kicks off with some top hits from their new album. Everyone was going mad with teenage angst! It’s the kind of gig that makes you feel old if you are over 12! None-the-less they were so damn good I even forgot which song they played first, last, 7th-who cares, they completely rocked!!! Their sound filled the room with a clean Nirvana reminiscent sound. A lot of their songs sounded better live than off their CD’s.

It’s not a new or revolutionary sound, lets be honest, but they still pull of a commercial sound with their own personalized flair. It was a good mix of full-blown rock, acoustic, melodic and finally a mass explosion of sound leaving no songs left to play for an encore. The guitarist and bass-player were showing off by swapping roles, and proved they can pull off each song effortlessly no matter where they landed up in the order of things. While NBA pull of each subtle flavour, I get the feeling that they are still searching for a sound to grow into. Judging from their live performance, once they find their unique path their will be no stopping them! Clearly they are a versatile band that we can expect great things from in the future…but the fact that the gig sold out in a well sized venue is word enough!

Niki Kova’cs

ICA, London
31/10/05

“Aww, look how cute I am. Touch the Sov, touch the Sov!” shouted the diminutive MC as she stared at her run of looped videos filling up the giant screen behind her drummer. After tonight’s showing, it seems that everyone wants to get a bit of Sovereign, as she drew a crowd from all parts of the music spectrum – indie kids, grime kids, rockers and even a seventy year old granddad in shorts – but they were all united in amazement as Sov took them on a punk rock ride through old and new.

DJ Cameo opened the night by dropping some grime anthems to get the crowd warmed up, mixing in Kano’s “Ps & Qs” with Crazy Titch’s “Singalong” and blasting out the Mizz Beats remix of Sov’s latest single “Hoodie”. He was soon joined on stage by JME and Spekta who rinsed verse after verse of hard hitting rhymes over bass lines that defied the crowd’s digestive systems. After a good set of back and forth rapping, a solitary verse by Tinchy Stryder and the non-appearance of Wiley [who sat at the side of the stage for the duration], JME departed telling everyone it was time for the S. O. Veeee.

She took her time coming out but after her DJ had dropped a few bangers and her band strode out to get the party started, Sov appeared in a garish orange tracksuit sporting a Chucky mask, leaving us in no doubt what time of year it was. As soon as she’d taken it off though she was right up at the front of the stage and let the guitar kick in as she reeled off the massive old skool Sov cuts of “Blah Blah” and “Random”. The live band made a big difference to the songs and got the crowd moving in time with her movements, as she showed a seamless energy slicing through the beats with her high pitched distinctive touch.

The crossover hit “9 to 5” was next and the bouncy bass had everyone dancing without abandon before she hit us with some more older songs, the fantastic “Tango”, which asks what network you’re on, what’s your favourite colour and telling us she knows what our favourite fruit is, the Jentina-diss “Sad Ass Strippa” which she claimed laid to rest that grudge as she was moving on to Jessica Simpson next, and “Broom” which she said was a result of her knocking someone over with, you guessed it, a broom.

She finished with three new songs, “My England” had arms waving as she declared that we’re not all posh like the queen, her new single “Hoodie” which looks to be even bigger than her previous effort and the punk-laced “Public Warning”. Ordinarily, no grime MC could bring off songs like that, but the heavy crunching guitar and snapping snare allowed her to create an atmosphere unlike one you’d see at a rave, and would more likely see down the local rock venue.

Sov has also learnt how to handle the crowd. When I first saw her she didn’t know how to fill the time between songs, but this time round she had clearly mastered the art, getting a burping competition going, coming face to face with a girl in a gorilla suit and trying, unsuccessfully, to do a flick with a beer can. If anyone can save the hoodie, as she’s planning to take on Blair & co to do, its her. After tonight’s performance, everyone was in no doubt she’s got what it takes to go a long, long way. She is indeed, as she puts it, the biggest midget in the game, and we’d have it no other way.

Sam Hesketh

Shepherds Bush Empire
19th October 2005

What a difference a year can make. A year ago The Magic Numbers were just entering the studio to record their debut album, enjoying an ever growing cult following playing low key shows. Fast forward 12 months and the band have played every major festival, supported Brian Wilson, played a sold out tour of the UK and had their eponymous debut album nominated for the Mercury Music Award. Not bad for two sets of siblings from West London. Fronted by Romeo Stoddard, flanked by his sister Michele on bass, Sean Gannon on drums and his sister Angela (melodica and vocals), the ‘Numbers have been described as the feel good band of the year, combining a laid back west coast Mamas and Papas vibe (by the by the Mamas and Papas were once known as ‘The Magic Circle), and beautifully penned songs of love, heartache and loss.

As the lights drop in the Empire and the backdrop lights up the crowd seems to swell in anticipation, the roar that greet the band is deafening, and the band seem genuinely taken back by their reception. Tracks like ‘Love Me Like You‘, forthcoming single ‘Love’s a Game‘, and ‘Don’t Give Up The Fight‘ are sung back word perfect, album tracks have new life breathed into them on stage, Romeo’s one line quips to his sister and the genuine warmth you can feel rolling off the stage is enough to raise a smile of even the most sceptical audience members. Angela’s vocals on ‘I See You, You See Me’ brings goosebumps to your arms, clear lines sung back to Romeo. “I never wanted to love you, but that’s ok. I always knew that you’d leave me anyway..”..The songs border on melancholy, a great love lost but not forgotten, but it’s the upbeat turns and twists, that make the crowd’s spirits soar. The lyrics might be of heartbreak, but the hooks and chorus tell a different story.

A live version of their track recorded with The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Close Your Eyes‘ adds another string to their bow, ‘Gone are the Days‘ which was recorded for the Warchild album is a stunningly simple arrangement, whilst ‘Forever Lost’ has the crowd dancing, and looking around the packed venue, there are grins on every face in there, not least of the face of Romeo and Michelle’s father, standing proudly in the middle of the crowd, watching his children.

Their take on Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love‘ is nothing short of genius, ‘Mornings Eleven‘ introduces Anne Harrie on violin and her brother of harpsichord, bringing moments of poignancy and tenderness to the set, girls in the crowd appear misty eyed, but just as the tempo drops The Webb Brothers lope out on stage for a deafening rendition of ‘Wheels on Fire’, the harmonies soaring off the stage and under your skin.

As the last track ‘ The Beard Song‘ soars onwards and upwards, faster and faster, you can’t help but get lost in the music, the guitars soaring higher and higher, pounding off the stage and washing over you. All too often bands are hyped as the best new band, , sold to you as your new favourite band, and all too often, one foot out of the studio, the initial buzz wears off and it’s clear they’re not all that. But for The Magic Numbers, everything they say..well it’s true. Try as you might, there is simply no denying that these gracious, humble West London kids have really got something special, and with the nights drawing in and the cold winter upon us, they are the perfect ray of warmth, who needs Prozac when we’re got The Magic Numbers?

For further info check out www.themagicnumbers.net

Dee Massey

The Horror
The Dome, London
20/10/05

‘The eighties are over, get over it,’ someone shouts from the front as Municipal Waste steam into yet another slab of prime thrash metal from an era before things were Nu and metal was metal and metal was fast. Yes, the eighties are over but the crimes that have been committed against metal over the last few years by bozos like Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Alien Ant Farm means that it’s time to start looking back to a time when metal was at it’s most vital and start drawing on the energy and enthusiasm and injecting it back into the music today. Municipal Waste draw their inspiration from a period in heavy music when the extremes of metal, hardcore and punk merged to create a genre then described as Crossover. By fusing the raw attitude of punk with the speed and simplicity of hardcore and power of metal, bands like Agnostic Front, Corrosion Of Conformity, Crumbsuckers, D.R.I. and Nuclear Assault created a whirlwind of energy as the bands played faster and faster. Combine this with the influence of speed/thrash metal like Exodus, Megadeth, Slayer and the like and you had a scene that rivalled the first wave of punk in the energy and attitude stakes.

But first, the incredible Horror lay waste to the entire venue tonight, showing us all exactly how this hardcore thing should be, and used to be done before somehow lame chugga-chugga metalcore started getting passed off as hardcore. From the moment they hit the stage they are lightning fast, stupidly tight and just so fucking powerful it makes you want to grab every other two bit hardcore band in the UK roughly round the back of the neck, shove their faces in it and scream ‘look, this is how it should be done!’ One minute they’re so fast you think they’re going to become air-born, then the next they kick into a comparatively more mid-paced stinging riff that just makes you wanna go wild and break stuff. The Horror are as good as any band from the golden age of eighties UK hardcore (Ripcord, Heresy, The Stupids) and their next album will peel your skin off. You have been warned.

Municipal Waste’s sense of fun is utterly addictive. They hit the stage amongst a barrage of flying bodies, lager and sweat. At one point someone surfboards off the stage before trying to surf across peoples heads as the band bombard us with crisps from their rider saying we all look too skinny and need fattening up. And all around everyone is thrashing and smiling and just getting off on the fun and energy of it all. This is how metal gigs should be. This is how metal gigs used to be. A riot. Thank you Municipal Waste for bringing the feeling back.

James Sherry

93 East – London
17th October 2005

The venue is rammed meaning that the current single The Great Escape has done it’s duty and turned heads, not really difficult though when you have a tune that good but hey, better ones have not even touched the sides in the past but these guys are lucky, they were in the right hands at the right time.

3 piece bands that play high temp disco indie sounds like hard work for all members involved but tonight, these 3 guys make it look easy. With tunes like the classic Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt and This Scene is Dead the band roll through this set with ease with a sense of humour thrown in for good measure. For some reason though this set is not likely to hit arenas in the future, or at least you could not imagine them playing to crowds of that size but for now, even at this dodgy east London venue they have already started to climb capacities. The debut album that just came out is one to have, check them out live when they next visit, you will not be disappointed.

Finnan Crispy