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Music Music News

The Camden Crawl moves to Dublin

For the second year, the annual Camden Crawl event is set to take place in Dublin, Ireland.

The annual event which usually takes place every May in Camden, London, has decided to move to Dublin this year. Instead, there will be a ‘special edition’ of the event in London this October. It first took place in Dublin in 2012 .

The Camden Crawl Dublin will take place 3rd to 5th of May 2013 in Camden Street and Temple Bar areas. Event organisers have said: “More than 150 ground-breaking music and comedy artists and special guests traveling to Ireland from the UK and around the world alongside the best new Irish talent over 20 neighboring venues located from the city’s famous Camden Street area to the popular Temple Bar locale.”

The line-up is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Camden Crawl event recently picked up the award for Best Metropolitan Festival in the Festival Awards. Tickets for the Dublin leg of the event will be on sale 11th February at 9am. For more information visit www.thecamdencrawl.com.

Categories
Live Reviews

Fidlar live at Dingwalls

Fidlar
w/ Drenge
Dingwalls Camden, London
4th December 2012

Hidden away is Dingwalls, but tonight Fidlar and support band Drenge are determined to make their voices heard. Drenge are made of two brothers from Sheffield who capture the familiar indie sounds of the steel city tonight. While taking elements from indie veterans The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines, making Drenge sound like a distant relative of theirs.

Dashing through like lightning bolts Fidlar burst into the hysteria and ear-piercing guitar rhythm of ‘Cheap Beer’, before pounding every ounce of energy and mutiny in ‘Stoked and Broke’. Lead singer Zac Carper tells the storming crowd “I want everyone under 30 down at the front” and within seconds the stage gets completely gate-crashed. There are limbs being pulled in agonising directions as one member of the audience even manages to yelp that they’ve broken their hand. Well that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll for you!

Oozing from the L.A quartet comes ‘No Waves’ which prides itself on the birth of a sea of mighty mosh pits. Guitarists Brandon Schwartzel, Elvis Kuehn and drummer Max Kuehn at one point even attempt to make a deal with the security who have been taking a firm monumental stand centre-stage to fight off crowd surfers. This promise comes with trying to make peace with security by getting them out of the way if the crowd “turn it down a notch”. All is well for the first verse of ‘Max Can’t Swim’ then it is back to pure teen destruction.

The likes of rowdy tracks ‘Got No Money’ and ‘Carnivore Girls’ take a blow to the 500 capacity venue, soaking the walls in sweat. The stage diving continues song after song as the band advise kids to “drop out of school and start a band”. It’s Fidlar’s rendition of Blink 182’s ‘Damn It’ though that eats up the venue, swallowing the stage whole by the end of the truly exhausting set.

The rising skate-punk four-piece released their official video for ‘Cheap Beer’ last month. Check them out.

Jenny Chu

Categories
Features Music

August Burns Red Live In Photos


Back in late October one of the heaviest shows of the year graced London: headliners August Burns Red joined by two infamously brutal live acts, The Devil Wears Prada and Veil of Maya for a night of metalcore mayhem.

Naturally, Christian metallers August Burns Red destroyed the night with hard hitting tracks such as ‘Leveller’, ‘Internal Canon’ and ‘Empire’ blowing away the audience with sub-drops resounding in ear drums long after the show closed. We sent photographer Tim Easton to capture the night’s events. Here’s what he saw through the lens…
Photos: Tim Easton

Veil of May, Electric Ballroom
Veil of Maya
Veil of May, Electric Ballroom
Veil of Maya
Veil of Maya
The Devil Wears Prade, Camden
The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada
August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red

Categories
Live Reviews Music

Negative Approach Live at The Underworld

Negative Approach
w/ Blasted
The Underworld, Camden
15th October 2012

Boasting former members of Winnebago Deal and Do Me Bad Things amongst their ranks, Blasted’s high pedigree kicks off tonight’s proceedings in an incendiary manner. Their furious, two minute, hardcore rock n’roll songs are face-rippers delivered with a sweat soaked brilliance that bodes well for the future.

Detroit hardcore legends Negative Approach return to London for the third time since their 2006 Thurston Moore approved reunion, and despite a heckler calling them a ‘covers band’ (only two of the four original members remain) they are greeted with a suitable maelstrom not often seen on an autumnal Monday night.

Vocalist John Brannon’s face is a picture of hate and distain as he bellows through a set of classics that includes ‘Sick Of Talk’, ‘Ready To Fight’ and the pit enraging ‘Tied Down’. This band may be over thirty years old but they still play with a fire and conviction that would put their younger contemporaries to shame. Guitarist Chris Moore stands with his back to the seething crowd for the duration of a set, perspiration pouring from his brow. Like the bands original three year career, their set is short and sweet, climaxing in a rousing gang vocal of Sham 69’s ‘Borstal Breakout’.

Shows like these are largely based upon nostalgia or the term ‘heritage bands’, but for 45 minutes tonight, it was 1982 again in the Underworld. More bands should take a leaf out of NA’s reformation book.

Words: Miles Hackettt
Photo: Greg Wheeler

Categories
Live Reviews Music

Don Broco live at Electric Ballroom, London

Don Broco
Electric Ballroom, London
11th October 2012

‘This has been the one date on the tour we’ve been most looking forward to,’ frontman Rob Damiani cheekily tells the sold out venue. Anyone would think this was their show and everyone was here to see them. But in actual fact they’re just on a support slot to their good friends Lower Than Atlantis.

Not even half way through opening song ‘Priorities’ and Rob takes the lead to begin their distinguishable routine of ‘The Walk’, which see’s three of the members walk in unison on the spot. There’s something convivial about their practiced dance routines. And before you know it the majority of the 1100 people here tonight seem to be in a festival mood, singing back every lyric on their pals’ shoulders. It’s a scene to remember.

Future single ‘Hold On’ is well received and if the boys ever had doubts previously, tonight they have certainly got their foot in the door and one day managing pop-punk-world-domination wouldn’t shock us.

Of course though, it wouldn’t be a Don Broco performance without ‘Thug Workout’. Almost four years since its release the much heavier track calls the shots, enticing fans to get to the centre of the floor and simply, work out.

One thing Don Broco definitely are not short is being strangely entertaining. Playing ‘Whole Truth’ off their recently released first full length album, the performance is built around an abundance of sheer fun and a solid good hook which everyone takes a massive liking too. They excel at delivering an unpredictable energy that nobody would expect from a pop rock band, truly deserving a pat on the back.

Red faced, sweaty palms and a dose of adrenaline does not make the four-piece relinquish just yet as they go out with a bang with ‘Actors’. Sure, sometimes they may behave and look like a boy band but they’re making a name for themselves the right way with their fans ranging from young teens to those experiencing adult life; Don Broco have the ability to engage with every single one of the audience.

Expect to see much, much more of Don Broco.

Words: Jenny Chu

Categories
Live Reviews Music

We Are The Ocean Live at Camden Barfly

WE ARE THE OCEAN
w/ Giants

Barfly, Camden
19th September 2012

Giants have been gigging for sometime and have firmly established themselves as a band to be watched with their latest effort, the mini-album, ‘These Are The Days‘. The Essex band storm the stage with Ed Parker, their highly energetic front man, leading the charge. The riffs are fast and heavy, the bass shakes your teeth, and this mash up of skate punk and hardcore blast your brains out of your ears (but in a good way, if you can imagine that?). You can see that hardly anyone in this room had heard of them before tonight, but one thing is for sure, they won the crowd over completely by the time they left the stage. They are definitely ones to keep an eye on.

Giants Live Barfly

Giants Live Barfly

Then it’s time for the headline act to take to the stage. We Are The Ocean have lost a vocalist since I last saw them, and I’m not quite sure what to expect from the live performance. The band start with ‘Machine’, a solid new track, and the crowd loves it. However, the set comprises the old for the new, and although the bands new screamless line-up is as polished and as slick as Simon Cowells hair, yet there is definitely something missing…

The real problem lies in the fact that the new material is lacking edgey excitement and anxiety. You wait for the songs to reach their heights and then burst through a barrier and stand balls out in front of you, but they don’t. Now that’s not to say the performance is bad, in fact the band are great, it’s the simple fact that they’re not We Are The Ocean anymore. They’ll be people wanting to guillotine me for saying this, but if it was another band you couldn’t complain about the evening. It’s when they stand they’re old material up against their new that you see a sort of sleek and polished decline, and the fact they’re missing that raw, rasping voice in certain parts to push the songs into the stratosphere is noticed.

Like I said, if this was any other band and you’d have had me singing praises. I just have such fond memories of other live shows of theirs that this one was more of a damp squib. Regardless the new line-up works as a polished unit, its just not We Are The Ocean of old.

We Are The Ocean Live Barfly

We Are The Ocean Live Barfly

We Are The Ocean Live Barfly

We Are The Ocean Live Barfly

Words: JJ Nattrass
Photos: Alex Langworthy

Categories
Live Reviews Music

Pierce The Veil Live at The Underworld

PIERCE THE VEIL
w/Crown The Empire, The Getaway Plan

The Underworld, London
21st September 2012

It’s a great feeling when you can sense excitement in the air. Tonight’s show at Underworld sold out long in advance and every punter inside this dungeon like venue is experiencing the same static charge that makes neck hair stand to attention. Senses are heightened as the show kicks off.

First on are Australian rockers The Getaway Plan. After a short hiatus the boys are over on our shores to seduce with their impressive melodies. Definitely the most mainstream of all acts on the bill tonight, but there’s no shame in that when the sophisticated ‘The Reckoning‘ is delivered to perfection. The Getaway Plan perform solidly, and will most definitely have drawn in a few new fans with their set.

Crown The Empire are what many dislike about metalcore these days. Their gimmick laden nonsense wins the hearts of the crowd but would see metal gods of the past turning in their graves. Random dustup elements, generic riffs and mock brutal breakdowns with dual clean and screamed vocals defines their music. Imagine The Blackout combined with Asking Alexandria finished off with an overdose of American sleaze. In their matching suits and styled haircuts Crown The Empire are every scene kid’s wet dream. Fair play to the band, they know what is working in the market currently, they will develop a loyal following from younger metal fans, but their musical integrity is questionable.

Just like with Crown The Empire, the average age of a Pierce The Veil fan at the Underworld tonight seems to be about 16. But the difference with Pierce The Veil is that their music can appeal to a much wider audience than those screaming in front of them; their music isn’t made to target a particular market, their sound feels sincere and a genuine combination of heart-felt cultural and musical influences.

With tracks from ‘Collide The Sky‘ now making a welcome appearance on PTV’s set list, their repertoire has been turned up a notch. The fast paced ‘Hell Above‘ makes for a triumphant opener that instantly portrays the bands intent to make this show a great one. ‘Bulls In The Bronx‘ contains one of this years sweetest solos and proves to be song structure excellence in a live environment. Old favourites like ‘Caraphernelia‘ and ‘Bulletproof Love‘ result in mass sing-alongs and crowd surfing frenzies. Ending with ‘King For A Day‘ sums up Pierce The Veil’s dominance, they own this show and have performed impeccably tightly in this crowed sweat box.

Pierce The Veil provide a masterclass tonight. Although they could be battling in an over saturated market, they are carving their own way, breaking out and away from stereotypes with something unique and undeniably special.

Words & Photos: Emma Wallace

Categories
Skateboarding News

Tim Prozorov’s DC Flow To Pro edit

timprozorov

Estonian tech head and Camden local Tim Prozorov has a new edit put together by Guy Longbottom for the DC Flow To Pro video comp. Vote for his skills here.

Tim Prozorov-DC Flow To Pro Entry from Guy on Vimeo.

Categories
Skateboarding News

10 tricks from Salar Kooshki at Cantelowes

Cantelocal Salar Kooshki lays down 10 tricks at Cantelowes Skatepark in Camden this morning. 10 points to those who know what gets played on those earphones.

Categories
Features Skateboarding

A Day in The Life of illustrator Mr Gauky

Filmed and edited by Matthew Bromley
Photo: Lee J

Well, you are in for a treat this week as London based artist Mr. Gauky has allowed us into his studio to see what goes on behind the scenes of his incredible work.

Mr Gauky is the man behind the Battle Royal themed Superdead decks that are currently out right now and has become one of the most talked about artists in town this year. So, with this in mind, we decided to get the lowdown from the man himself as he is also one of the artists we have picked to be involved in our Toxic Wasters sticker art show at this year’s Halloween Massacre.

Watch this Day in the Life video that will give you a sneak peek at some of his drawings, illustrations and work in progress followed nicely with some dangerous rooftop coffee and cake time and a few pumps at his local cement hole- Cantelowes skatepark in Camden.