The Smoking Hearts – Caught in the Crossfire

The weather is awful but there are plenty of shows out there worth leaving the house for, so get stuck into our recommended gigs for the reminder of March and spread the word. If you have shows you would like to put forward for April, get in touch.

HADOUKEN! – March 20th- Kingston

McClusky’s in Kingston alongside the good folk at Banquet Records will be hosting Hadouken’s album launch show for ‘Every Weekend’. Their gigs always bounce off the walls so go check out a band that have just been announced this week for Reading and Leeds main stage. You’d be a fool to miss this one considering how intimate the venue is. £10 for the show and a copy of the album. Visit www.banquetrecords.com for all ticket info and download this Koven remix for some deep dubstep and bass damage.

PARQUET COURTS – 19th, 20th, 21st March – London

American band Parquet Courts will be playing three shows in London towards the end of the month. 19th The Garage, Highbury (w/ The Men), Wednesday 20th March at The Shacklewell Arms, London New Cross and 21st at the Seebright Arms off Hackney Road as they make their mark on the UK. Follow your nose here to listen to their debut album. It’s a great blend of 70’s punk and trashy indie steez.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – Dublin, Belfast

The rest of the UK have missed out but just in time for their new album ‘Specter At The Feast’, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will be hitting up Belfast and Dublin. The American garage rock band will hopefully be back soon, but if you are in Ireland then get down to some shoegaze. Check here for dates.

BIFFY CLYRO – Tour across the UK

Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro will be heading off on tour from 20th March, heading to Newcastle, Birmingham, Cardiff, Sheffield, Manchester, Bournemouth, Dublin, Belfast, Aberdeen, Glasgow and London. Arenas are their kind of place and their shows are usually full of fire, smoke and rock and roll. Click here for full dates.

THE SMOKING HEARTS – Tour across England

British rock and roll band The Smoking Hearts will be doing a small tour at the end of March, visiting London (free show!), Bournemouth, Carthmathean, Cheltenham and Basingstoke. These newcomers are already known for their crazy antics of smashing guitars and drum kits sprawling across the stage. Click here for full dates.

JAGERMEISTER W/ GHOST, GOJIRA & THE DEFILED – Tour across the UK

Booze and rock and roll hits the road this month. A mere £5, the tour will be visiting major cities across the UK, bringing their A-game no doubt as they take everyone apart, piece by piece. For full dates click here.

GIDEON – March 20th – London

Heavy metal band Gideon will be showing off their stuff at The Garage, London at a one off show. Profoundly known for being aggressive and hardcore as fuck, £6 is most certainly a good deal. Click here for more information.

RED DONS

Red Dons are visiting for 3 shows in the UK this month bringing their unique incendiary hardcore with them. On Wednesday 27th March they play The Shacklewell Arms in London, Thursday 28th March at Wharf Chambers in Leeds and Friday 29th March TBA in Manchester. Read this killer interview and make sure you don’t miss this. Hyped.

Words: Sean Hendrie

Written by EMMA WALLACE

So Hevy is only a few weeks away and after several festivals (including Download & Isle of Wight Festival) being complete wash-outs this year, Hevy have decided to defy the elements and gain a roof!

A statement on the official Hevy website reads, “Using production wizardry and festival witchcraft, we’ve put a roof over every stage for this year’s Hevy Festival! We’ve merged our 4 existing stages into 3, with 2 alternating Main Stages under one roof (which means there are now no clashes for all major bands) and our Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage boasting it’s own tent. All this without compromising set times!”.

So now we know that we aren’t going to get too soaked at the festival, which bands are on the must see list? Obviously main stage headliners Andrew WK and Descendents should be seen- this goes without saying but there are plenty of other acts across the board that should make it onto your timetable. Crossfire reveals all.

Glassjaw

After tearing up Hevy in 2010, the mighty Glassjaw return to destroy the Rock Sound stage on Saturday. Although combining multiple genres including screamo, punk and psychedelic rock, Glassjaw are most often celebrated for their hardcore roots. The band are nothing short of iconic in the hardcore world, with many present day artists taking inspiration from these legends. Known for their emotive yet ferocious records and aggressive -and at times insane live shows- Glassjaw are definitely on our must watch list.

The Safety Fire

After touring relentlessly with the likes of The Arusha Accord, Periphery, The HAARP Machine and Xerath, The Safety Fire have slowly but surely started to make an impressive name for themselves amongst technical and progressive metal fans. Their debut album ‘Grind The Ocean’ has been complimented by many critics for its punishing riffs and soaring vocal melodies and will most certainly impress this year’s festival crowd too.

Trapped Under Ice

If there is one band on the line up that will demand you take notice it’s Trapped Under Ice. Last seen over in the UK as support to Your Demise where they dominated an obviously strong line up that also included Man Overboard & Basement, Trapped Under Ice define pure and gutsy hardcore. Hevy is the only summer festival in 2012 where you can catch this great band, don’t miss out.

Sharks

Raw and emotive, Sharks are a true DIY British punk band. Their critically acclaimed album ‘No Gods’ (which was released earlier this year via Rise Records) has finally got heads turning in the right direction. Although tamer than many other bands on the Hevy bill, Sharks do still have a strong bite to their The Clash/The Gaslight Anthem; Brit-pop infused rock and roll.

The Smoking Hearts

Despite a continuous touring schedule, every The Smoking Hearts show is just as crazy as the next. Famous for their rather destructive performance, expect to see instruments thrown around, the band in the pit and the crowd on the stage. Despite only forming in 2009 they have already shared the stage with huge names such as Gallows, Bring Me The Horizon & The Misfits. If you want some insane rock n roll to party to check these guys out on the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage.

Bleed From Within

If you are after a bit of straight forward metal with no strings attached, Bleed From Within are for you. This hardworking Scottish band have shared the stage with bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Suicide Silence, After The Burial, I Killed The Prom Queen and All That Remains and have 2 EPs and 2 Studio albums under their belts. Bleed From Within are currently working on their third album and will hopefully preview new material to the festival crowd.

Gnarwolves

Gnarwolves are awesome. Not only for having a brilliant band name and for their love of skateboarding but for their ridiculously energetic pop punk. Having already shared the stage with the likes of Touché Amore, Basement & The Wonder Years, hype has started to develop around these Brighton boys. Check them out as they open up the Punktastic stage on Friday and see why their latest EP ‘CRU’ recently entered out Buzz Chart.

Seahaven

Seahaven are a buzz band at the moment, one of those underground groups who will soon burst into the limelight for all to see. Forming in 2009 as the brainchild of singer/songwriter Kyle Soto, Seahaven caught the attention of Run for Cover Records (Tigers Jaw, Title Fight, Man Overboard) after self-releasing the EP ‘Ghost’ and went on to release their debut LP ‘Winter Forever’ via RFC records. Hevy have treated fans to a bit of exclusivity as Seahaven’s performance will be their first on UK shores!