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Music Music News Preview

Converse Represent Events Streamed Online Here


Converse Represent got off to a flying start yesterday with singer Plan B opening up proceedings. The event which runs nightly between 30th July and 10th August at London’s iconic 100 Club gives a nod to past legends by including nights headlined by UK Subs, Toots & the Maytals and Paul Weller. The best of the new breed are also showcased with Pulled Apart By Horses, The Safety Fire, Santigold, Best Coast, Japandroids and The Bots also featuring.

The highlight of the event has to be Blur’s ridiculously intimate gig on August 2nd. For a chance to be at this incredible show, fans will need to visit www.converse.co.uk/blur between 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Wednesday 1st August.

For those unable to get their hands on sought after tickets, Converse are kindly streaming the shows online here, you also stream the shows by scrolling to the bottom of the page.. The full line up for Converse Represent is as follows:

July 30 – Plan B, L Marshall, Jacob Banks, Yuna
July 31 – UK Subs, Discharge, Anti-Nowhere League, Goldblade, Ed Tudor Pole, Dumbjaw
August 1 – Paul Weller, Spiritualized, Japandroids, 2:54, Towns
August 2 – Blur, The Bots, Savages, Swiss Lips
August 6 – SBTRKT, Rudimental, John Talabot, Man Without Country
August 7 – Santigold, Django Django, Best Coast, Citizens!, Friends
August 8 – Toots & the Maytals, Natty, The Heatwave, Janice Graham Band
August 9 – Overkill, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Safety Fire, Wet Nuns
August 10 – Nas, Kano, Speech Debelle, Spoek Mathambo, Children Of The Night

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE


Free live streaming by Ustream

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Music Music News New Releases Preview

Quicksand’s ‘Slip’ to be Reissued on Limited Edition Vinyl

On September 11, 2012, ShopRadioCast (an online store specializing in new and limited run vinyl records) will release the first official vinyl reissue of Quicksand’s major label debut, Slip, since its original pressing in 1993.

Fronted by Walter Schreifels (also the driving force behind Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today and Rival Schools) and known as major players of the 90’s NYC hardcore scene where they found their roots, Quicksand’s Slip is spoken of as classic, an influential release for current hardcore bands.

The re-mastered record is to be pressed on limited edition 180 Gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket which includes a Euro inner sleeve. The vinyl colours and track listings are as follows:

Vinyl Colors
First Pressing
180 Gram Red/ Black Swirl (LTD 500) – Shop Radio Cast Exclusive
180 Gram Green/ Yellow Swirl (LTD 500) – Shop Radio Cast Exclusive
180 Gram Black (LTD 500) – Dine Alone Records Exclusive

Track Listing
Fazer
Head to Wall
Dine Alone
Slip
Freezing Process
Lie and Wait
Unfulfilled
Can Opener
Omission
Baphomet
Too Official
Transparent
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths cover)

The pre-order launches on Tuesday, July 31 at 2pm EST here.

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Live Reviews Music Preview

D.R.I. Live at The Dome, London

D.R.I.
The Dome, London
26th July 2012

Sadly The Dome is dishearteningly only three quarters full tonight for this rare London gig from classic Texan hardcore outfit Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, touring to celebrate thirty years’ service to hardcore punk and thrash. D.R.I. are, without doubt, one of the most important and influential hardcore bands to have spewed out of America in the early eighties. So where was everybody?! Their first EP released in 1982 crammed twenty-two songs onto one 7” EP and it redefined hardcore. The songs were intensely short and fast, bristling with anger and venom. Likewise, their first full album ‘Dealing With It’ came armed with a better production but was just as pissed off and vengeful.

After that the band, like most hardcore bands of the early eighties, started incorporating more metal and rock elements into their sound. Some did this more successfully than others and thankfully, D.R.I. made the transition better than most, alongside bands like C.O.C., Ludichrist and The Crumbsuckers, they spearheaded the ‘Crossover’ movement within the thrash metal scene and combined the socially aware lyrical content of punk with longer, more complex songs influenced by the first wave of thrash bands such as Metallica, Exodus and Anthrax.

Tonight’s set is drawn from every era of the band’s long career, although thankfully it leans heavily on their early material, which despite some good moments on later albums, it’s still the first few recordings that pack the most punch. Tonight, with original singer Kurt Brecht still pacing the stage and spitting out the lyrics with the attitude and venom of a man half his age, D.R.I. play for over an hour and half, a set that includes god knows how many songs all played at hyper-speed and with ultimate precision. Not bad for a band in their 30th year. On top of that, original guitarist Spike Cassidy has recently made a full-recovery from a terrible brush with cancer and plays every song with a look of pure joy on this face. This is a man that probably never expected to get to get the chance to play these songs again and his happiness infects the whole room.

Despite the venue not being as rammed as the band might have liked it to be, those in attendance go completely crazy and and respond to classics like ‘I Don’t Need Society’, ‘Couch Slouch’ and ‘Snap’ with a tornado of energy at the front of the stage as the band feed off the crowd’s lunacy and respond accordingly.

Still dirty and rotten after all these years. Long may these imbeciles reign!

WORDS: James Sherry

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Preview

Justin Brock Pushing North Carolina

realskateboardsBrock rules and returns home. This does what is says on the tin.

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Music Music News Preview

Walnut Tree Records To Close


Unfortunately, another piece of sad news to bring you… Independent record label Walnut Tree Records announced yesterday that they will be putting out their final release this summer and then closing doors.

No clear reason for the closure was given in the company’s statement, though with the music industry and general economy coming under increasing pressure, it’s not a shock that another label has suffered. The full statement reads:

“After five years, working on 27 full and 14 distributed releases that featured 68 bands in total, Walnut Tree Records will be calling it a day. I’m working on one final release that will see the label out at the end of the summer, bringing together all of the bands that I’ve been proud to represent since 2007. Thanks for your support.

Tom, Walnut Tree Records – Losing Sleep. 2007-2012.”

Walnut Tree Records have worked with some great names in the industry such as Burn The Fleet, Don Broco, Four Year Strong, Francesqa, Samoans, The Maple State, The Wonder Years, Tiger Please and many more. Here at Crossfire HQ we are sad to see the label go, it’s yet another bold reminder that its important to support independent music.

See Walnut Tree Records out with a bang and pick up one of their releases here.

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Music Music News Preview

Seahaven UK Tour Dates

If you read our preview of Hevy you’ll notice that we highly recommend Seahaven as a ‘Must Watch Band’. The Californian quartet combine post-punk, indie sensibilities and a touch of hardcore to perfection (think Brand New/Crime In Stereo) and have an impressive reputation when it comes to live shows.

Hevy is the bands’ debut performance over on our shores but Seahaven have just confirmed they will extending their stay in the UK by joining Balance and Composure, Pianos Become The Teeth and Departures on tour. The dates are as follows:

August
4th Kent, Hevy Music Festival
5th Bristol, The Fleece
6th Leeds, Cockpit 2
7th Glasgow, Stereo
8th Manchester, Moho Live
9th Sheffield, Corporation
10th London, The Borderline

WORDS:EMMA WALLACE

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Music Music News Preview

Hevy Festival Announces Final Additions To Line Up

Brutality Will Prevail, Broken Teeth, Demoraliser, Napoleon, Brotherhood Of The Lake, Grade, Acoda, Page 44 and Never Means Maybe are the last of the bands to be added to this years Hevy which takes place between August 03 and 06 at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent.

Although all are worth watching, out of the latest additions, the bands we most recommend catching are Brotherhood of the Lake and Demoraliser. Brotherhood of the Lake for their heart-wrenching emotive hardcore that commentates on dark subjects such as depression with great honesty. And Seige of Amida Records signed Demoraliser for their bone-crushingly heavy metalcore.

So the final line-up is insanely strong with the bill including Deez Nuts, Deaf Havana, Sharks, Bury Tomorrow, Feed The Rhino, Madball and Devil Sold His Soul plus all the other bands we mentioned above and on our must watch list. Here at Crossfire HQ we’re pumped and if the weather stays this beautiful (fingers crossed!!) Hevy is sure as hell going to be a weekend to remember. Tickets are still available, what are you waiting for? Pick one up now!

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Music Music News Preview

Rock T-shirt Banned From Olympic Celebration

The Olympics appears to be a non-stop controversy creator at the moment, whether it be for the authority’s placing missiles on residents’ homes, obscene traffic chaos or going massively over the original £2.3billion budget. But the thing that’s really got our blood boiling is the tale of a young woman who was asked to remove her t-shirt that brandished the logo of 80’s rock band Weapon “as it might offend people.”… Wow. How Ridiculous!

An eye witness reports:

“A young girl and friends go to see the Olympic torch go through their borough. After a couple of hours a steward comes over and asks one of them to a tent. All four girls go to where several police officers are waiting. The girl is asked, ‘What does the writing on your t-shirt mean?’ She says it’s a rock band’s name. She is told she will have to remove or cover it up, as it might upset other people since it advertises weapons. This is happening as the army is standing around with guns…”
When the Olympics are supposedly a celebration of all culture, not just sport, this story sounds even more ludicrous.

On July 26th Dizzee Rascal, Mark Ronson, Katy B, You Me At Six, Rizzle Kicks, Wretch 32, Morning Parade, Little Comets and many more are set to perform at Hyde Park for an Olympic celebration show. God forbid they or any of their fans should appear wearing anything that could be seen as mildly offensive, the authorities would have a field day overdosing on political correctness!

If the only thing the organizers have to worry about is a t-shirt logo it should mean the Olympics will run smoothly without even the tiniest of glitches… We won’t hold our breath!

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Features Music Preview

READING & LEEDS: MUST SEE BANDS – BBC INTRODUCING STAGE

Reading & Leeds Line Up Poster 2012

BBC Introducing Stage, Reading & Leeds 2012

As always Reading & Leeds has an impeccably strong line up. Headliners The Cure, Kasabian and Foo Fighters are joined by numerous big names across several stages including Cancer Bats, At The Drive-In, The Gaslight Anthem, Enter Shikari, The Maccabees, Every Time I Die… The list goes on! But for those who are more interested in finding some fresh blood, the recently announced BBC Introducing is the place to be.

33 up and coming bands have been selected by various BBC Radio Introducing shows and the festival promoters Festival Republic. We’ve handpicked our favourites below with the full stage line up as follows: Attention Thieves, Backyards, Bearfoot Beware, Black Moth, Crooked Tongues, Cut Ribbons, Danica Hunter, Dear Prudence, Dingus Khan, Empror & Duppy Beatz, Escape To New York, Escapists, The Establishment, Family of the Year, Fish Tank, Glassbody, Hawk Eyes, Hildamay, Ifan Dafydd, Lady Lykez, Marmozets, Marsicans, Max Raptor, Mikill Pane, Park Bench Society, Proxies, Rachel Sermanni, Samoans, Sarah Williams White, Seasfire, Wet Nuns, We Walk On Ice, We Were Frontiers.

Proxies:

After selling out physical copies of their EP ‘The Lost Demos’ in a matter of minutes, having toured with the likes of Hadouken! and Canterbury, releasing a single featuring The Blackout’s Sean Smith, and, with over 16,000 followers on Facebook is a bit of a surprise that Proxies are on Reading & Leeds smallest stage! Well we can assure you they won’t be there for long, watch this electric young band up close and personal while you still can!

Hawk Eyes:

Describing their debut album as, “sleek and modern and hardcore and suitably post-post-everything,” and themselves as, “Band, four people, Leeds, riffs, spend a lot of time in a van,” Hawk Eyes are a no frills, yet exceptionally fun, British rock band. We can guarantee that Hawk Eyes won’t be playing these smaller stages for much longer so catch their intimate set while you can…

Samoans:

Samoans are masters of the fretboard. Their distinctive brand of progressive math-rock draws influence from the legendary Reuben and Maps & Atlases. The raw emotion in the vocals is comparable to early Biffy Clyro, making Samoans are compelling and intense live band.

We Walk On Ice:

After featuring on Fred Perry’s Subculture ‘Best New Music’ section and filling out some of London’s coolest venues, We Walk On Ice are one of those buzz bands that you need to catch. Renowned for surf-pop-soundscapes, We Walk On Ice are the perfect accompaniment to a British summers day (weather permitting).

Attention Thieves:

Born in the vibrant Reading music scene, Attention Theives combine straight forward rock with some gutsy punk spirit. You may recognize front man Alex Green from tech-metal band The Arusha Accord, but Attention Theives are on a completely different end of the alternative spectrum with a much more accessible sound. Constantly living life on the road and frequently treating fans to new music videos, Attention Thieves deserve this exposure.

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Preview Skateboarding News

Paddle Round the Pier 2012 – Brighton mini ramp sesh

Nothing like a Brighton beach mini-ramp session. Click play for beach fun featuring Rich West, Sam Roberts, Stevie Thompson, Mitch Wheeler, Mikey Wright, Jesse Thomas and Matt Ransom