[GIG REVIEW] Birdy @ Muffathalle, Munich

Having just released her third album “Beautiful Lies” in March, Jasmine van den Bogaerde, a.k.a. Birdy, performed to a sell-out crowd at Munich’s Muffathalle on Monday.

 I went to the concert expecting to be surrounded by teenage girls. The diversity of the crowd, however, proved once again that true talent – which Birdy has in abundance – is appreciated by people of all ages.
The teenage singer-songwriter who turns 20 on 15th May kicked off the evening with “Growing Pains” from her new album followed by her 2011 hit “People help the People”. The 90-minute performance included “Shelter”, “Wings” and “Words of Weapons” (both from her second album “Fire Within”) as well as “Wild Horses” and “Unbroken” – Birdy’s favourite track from her new album.
Birdy is a somewhat shy performer which is not surprising perhaps given her age. She makes no attempt at the banal chit-chat of some artists, but lets her music speak for her – with one good song after another. “Keeping Your Head Up” saw her leave the comfort of her piano (and guitar). It was back to the piano for the encore which finished with the wonderful “Skinny Love”.
Birdy’s final words were “Thank you so much for coming”. Ditto, Birdy.

Gig review by Roberta Brown

[GIG REVIEW] Fickle Friends with KYKO @ 100 Club, London, 27th April 2016

The 100 Club, one of London’s premier and historical venues sits obliviously amongst the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. Positioned awkwardly next to an Anne Summers, the downstairs establishment is only noticeable due to the growing queue outside. This week on the 27^thApril, it was home to lively Brighton five-piece Fickle Friends and the talented KYKO as support.

KYKO, aka Scott Verrill, is a South London raised musician far beyond his years. Fusing funky rhythms and relatively soulful lyrics, the youngster revels in the experience and can only come across as casually confident. Backed by a full band, the multi-instrumental Verrill explores African drum beats, summery melodies whilst maintaining a minimalist, lo-fi indie core. The result is something that has gained traction on BBC Introducing lately, and would not be out of place on a Made In Chelsea soundtrack (you know, that sort of thing). Running through tunes such as ‘Mexico’ and ‘Native’, the set is fun and bouncy, with the only pause being for some punter to fall off his mate’s shoulders.

The night does however belong to Fickle Friends. Only just returning to the UK, the band are backed with pink and blue and a new lighting rig evoking an 80s brand to match the evolving indie-pop. Taking to the stage, the band launch straight into usual set-opener and fan favourite ‘Say No More’ – the first song of an hour long set, which craftily and refreshingly balances up-tempo peaks and slower moments. Lead singer Natassja Shiner dominates the stage, baggy t-shirt and all. After a weak and unobtrusive start to her vocals, she eases into it quickly and soon finds top form, working through ‘Could Be Wrong’. The audience mixes in with the laid back atmosphere, contributing to a lot of fun and also a few awkward moments in-between songs – there were people on shoulders thrusting umbrellas in the air, there were irritating mosh pits (I mean, seriously), there were also balloons and glitter thrown on stage.

Written on the road, new tune ‘Cry Baby’ goes down a treat; a modern take on groove and pop. The band continue to thrive, pushing back any doubts of excessive travel – “I think we may have jet lag, but fuck it”. The sound is well balanced and impossible not to dance to, and dance the audience did. With their lustre and resourcefulness in electronic exploration and synth-pop sensibilities, the band maintain strong bass grooves and compact pop melodies. ‘Play’and ‘Freak’ are perfect examples of the 80s inspired new era – flirting with the old school but remaining contemporary throughout. Fickle Friends’ sound is even bigger live, with percussion and bass leading from the front. Looking around the venue, I could not see one person with arms folded – that’s the effect, infectious dance and an uncompromising desire to sing along.

Instagram - @richmaver

Over halfway and the show is taken down a notch with a striking rendition of ‘Paris’; performed under dimmed lights and intentionally much slower than on record. The song builds into a gratifying crescendo before finishing abruptly to move into oldie ‘For You’. This section of the set is dominated by the guitars with disco-tinged inflections. Following on from a technical halt, “Our keys have turned off… it’s a recurring theme at our gigs”, the band swiftly and almost perfectly deliver ‘Brooklyn’ and personal favourite ‘Velvet’. The latter leading to the whole place jumping up and down in tandem. ‘Velvet’is arguably the blueprint to any great pop tune, using simple catchy dance beats to work in tandem with harmonious lilts and a memorable chorus. Finishing in wild fashion, the set is closed by new single ‘Swim’. Before beginning, Natassja revises the lines to the song as a solo in order to envision a huge singalong. The result - half the audience belting the lyrics back at her, the other half throwing themselves around the room (some in time, others far too aggressively). A group of teens successfully storm the stage, and to the amusement of everyone else, are thrown directly back off.

It’s a strong and powerful set, full of energy. Fickle Friends win you over early doors and don’t let go. The sign of a great set.

Fickle Friends played:
Say No More
Could Be Wrong
Cry Baby
Play
Freak
Paris
For You
Brooklyn
Velvet
Swim

Written by – Richard Maver (@richmaver)

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[GIG REVIEW] I Heart Sharks @ Strom, Munich

All photos by Benjamin Brown

I Heart Sharks are back with new music. We were very excited to see the Berlin-based band on tour with their latest EP "Hey Kid", so we stopped by at their show at Munich's Strom.

After answering our (and your) questions at our pre-gig interview the band took to the stage at the small Munich club to perform a setlist containing their much-loved old songs and new ones - receiving a warm response from the Munich-crowd. Before going on tour, I Heart Sharks had offered fans the chance to have their say on the setlist - which a number of fans did! You can read the bands' reaction to the fan's wishes in our interview: HERE.

Unfortunately Munich's fans didn't show huge energy levels or a great desire to party - this was definitely not down to I Heart Sharks' performance as they managed to play in a energetic and exciting manner.
Singer Pierre beckoning the crowd on stage to sing and dance along amidst the band and their equipment, provoked the loudest reaction of the evening and was undoubtedly the highlight of the set.

I Heart Sharks are a fantastic live band and definitely worth seeing on tour. Combined with a more appreciative crowd, they'll help provide a fantastic night out.

Benjamin Brown

[GIG REVIEW] Bel Esprit/The Wholls/Submariner @ The Joiners, Southampton, 1st April 2016

The Joiners in Southampton is a legendary venue championing new music and the gig on 1 April run by This Feeling featured 3 live bands followed by DJ sets until the early hours.

Quick recap on The Joiners. Many great bands have played here including Coldplay, Radiohead, The Vaccines, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, The Maccabees and less than 2 years ago, Catfish and the Bottlemen. This place is steeped in history, great bands start out here. It may only hold 200 people but it has had a massive influence on today’s music.

Bel Esprit

The Joiners recently featured on Radio 1 as part on the Independent Music Venue week which saw Steve Lamacq visiting The Joiners for an evening of live music. More recently Rob Da Bank has been there to judge the Common People Festival heats which has given bands the chance to compete for a slot on The Joiners sponsored Uncommon People Stage. Passion for new music oozes from the building. It might be tiny but the great acoustics and history attracts great bands. Recently Pretty Vicious, The Sherlocks and Eliza and the Bear have contributed to this venue’s continuing success in supporting new music.

It also seems to provide many a band member with a bar job when required, sort of like a band youth club for the seriously talented!

First up Submariner who are becoming well known on the local circuit recently supporting Fatherson at The Talking Heads in Southampton. Good songs and crowd engagement meant Submariner set the night up perfectly for The Wholls and Bel Esprit. Definitely one to catch again and apart from their guitar malfunction (see below) they were great openers for the evening.

I love how these bands pitch in for each other. The Wholls didn’t hesitate in lending Submariner a guitar when a broken string threatened to end their set prematurely!

Next band to appear, and reclaim their guitar, was The Wholls. Billed as a cross between The Foals and The Clash this Bedford band has been in the studio with LA producer Steve Baughman who has worked with Michael Jackson, Usher, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. Potentially a bit good then! Bizarrely The Wholls played to a 2 billion world-wide audience when they performed X21 at Miss World in December 2015.

The Wholls

These guys know how to work a crowd, from the moment they hit the stage they controlled the place. They were engaging, charismatic and seriously good! 9 songs including their best known tracks Angry Faces and X21. Big vocals, big drums, big guitars these guys are heading for major success. Their cover of Nirvana’s Lithium was inspired. The Wholls didn’t disappoint they were every bit as good as their hype. I’m still not clear on why they performed at Miss World though!!

Onto the headline act Bel Esprit who are currently on a mini tour to promote their new single ‘Leave Me Here’ (out on 8 April). Bel Esprit are riding high after great reviews and first play of their new single on It’s All Indie. Whatever ‘It’ is Bel Esprit have got it! Gearing up for festival season and playing on the Uncommon Stage at The Common Festival in May alongside Lonely The Brave this band is on the brink of massively deserved recognition.

Bel Esprit

Inspired song writing underpins Bel Esprit’s music with lyricist Billy Herklots starting the writing before the whole band works on the music together. Bel Esprit owned that stage at The Joiners and 10 thumping good songs had the crowd dancing, jumping, moshing and singing the words back to the band. Awesome! Rock star drumming from Sachin Croker, thumping bass from George Wardley and massively energetic lead guitar from Fahad Siddiqui who is one of best guitarists I’ve heard for a long time. Billy fronts the band with guitar and controlled vocals that draw you into the music. Bel Esprit has an impressive range of their own music to choose from and also include a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ in their setlist. ‘Lose My Mind’ has been the band’s biggest success so far with a recent play on Steve Lamacq’s show on BBC 6 and is the song that whips the crowd up into crowd surfing/stage invasion mentality.

The only criticism I have of Bel Esprit is that they’re not on the stage for long enough. The audience didn’t want Bel Esprit to stop playing and I’m looking forwards to more song writing and longer gigs.

All 3 bands complemented each other so big respect to whoever combined these acts.  DJ sets completed the night’s entertainment. The Joiners knows how to have a party!

Words and Photos by - Rhona Murphy

[GIG REVIEW] VYNCE @ The Garage, Highbury, London, 12th April 2016

Taking to the small, but at least elevated, stage in the upstairs venue of The Garage in Highbury was a paisley clad four-piece known as VYNCE. But whilst the band comes from the provinces of Bebbington, a small town on the outskirts of Liverpool, it didn’t matter to the fully formed, and fully up-for-it crowd filling the venue.

It is no surprise that one of the busiest young bands out there have managed to garner such attention in the capital, given the fact that they have been up and down the country more than Virgin Trains’ train driver.

It showed, as after a quick beer break for the gig goers between VYNCE and the hard to spell Dance à La Plage (I mean, come on) the room had emptied out somewhat. But the room filled with waves of people as soon as the band’s first couple of notes were played showcasing VYNCE’s myriad of harmonised guitar riffs.

The set’s beginning was taken to by and large by a huge applause from the crowd of mostly young girls. VYNCE’s sound being constantly simplistic and poppy, when they premiered their latest single, which was left unnamed, fans were taken aback. It was reassuring to see that though the band love to employ grooves of a tropical kind, they still haven’t forgotten that they’re playing electric guitars.

There is an underlying theme of contentment, whilst an overlying theme of already well groomed professionalism, when the band is on stage. What’s more, is that the band truly do not receive enough credit for how tight of a performance they give. It’s cliché to say, “Oh the band didn’t put a foot wrong”, but the band really didn’t.

Kudos is in order for drummer, Tom Davis, for keeping the set as tight as it was. But a real stand out moment was ‘Fall For You’, it may be a slower number, but it’s one that really grips audiences. Given that their set is in a constant waltz, a contemplative song laced with sentiment is all the more welcomed by their fans and singer, Peter Pegasiou, coming into his own at this point in the set, is oddly memorising

Yet when they did take their set up a notch, the crowd were either shuffling, or twerking, or whatever it is young people do these days. After the audience’s session of promiscuous dancing has ended, singer Pete, rather coquettishly said, “I don’t know what’s going on there”. He continued to laugh before introducing the sets closer, ‘Lust’ – which is probably the nearest thing you get to pub-rock from a band with such guitar endorsing swagger.

Starting with their more adorned songs, VYNCE slipped in and out of their debut EP playing tracks such as ‘Taste’, ‘Fall For You’, and ending on ‘Lust’. Even though VYNCE didn’t play what used to be set staples, ‘Not My Girlfriend’, and ‘April Showers’, the band gave The Garage everything they could have wanted. It was short, sweet, well-drilled and well-dressed.

Reviewed and Written by - Sam Meaghan 

[GIG REVIEW] MINT @ The Spiders Web, Grimsby, 2nd April 2016

Now the dust has settled on this gig and the venue's owners have probably just got back to some sense of normality, I thought I'd try my best to sum up what happened that evening. Chaos... yeah that seems about fair.

The venue (small pub) was most certainly sold out (300+) with a crowd that will be used to witnessing debaucherous behaviour on 'Geordie Shore' and 'TOWIE' so maybe it shouldn't have been any surprise that multiple shoes were thrown around, beach balls appeared out of nowhere and the crowd surfing tots were cascading over the barrier like Lemmings! (Google them kids, we only know of them cos of the game innit).

For the rare glimpses of the band that I got they seemed to buzz off the energy in fairness. I don't think many gigs get that out of hand for 'MINT' at the minute however they have all the hallmarks of getting ever more rapturous crowds if they continue in this vain, in a kind of 'Catfish & The Bottlemen' rowdy crowd tour? I only gained one picture and it's certainly camera phone quality...

...but the girl in this pic (top right) does enhance my previous description of said crowd I think.

The evening was the launch for their new single 'Living and Dying For' which I urge you to get stuck into below. This new single and arguably their flagship single of 'Wolves' are a wonderful mini CV of what this band are doing and I hope they go from strength to strength with exciting things in the pipeline. 'Jimmy' live is still belting and I wouldn't except the lads to do anything but get sentimental with it. 

'MINT' have made any Grimsby home town gig now unmissable but can they extrapolate that to the wider world? Listen below on the usual socials and see if they're coming near you some time...

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Cheers,

Jase Hare

[GIG REVIEW] Kiran Leonard @ The Lexington, London 04.04.2016

Kiran Leonard is super clever. And that’s not just because he’s managing to play the part of emerging indie darling whilst simultaneously studying for his degree at the Oxford University. His music is super clever- lyrically, rhythmically and harmonically. Whilst legions of slacker-garage-rock fans might turn their noses up at the ambitious and complex way Leonard chooses to tell his perverse musical stories, there’s no denying the artistic talent and dedication evidenced in his weird and wonderful sonic creations. Seeing him live is the most startlingly apparent way to recognise this.

A full to capacity Lexington eagerly await for this young man to take to the stage and blow them away, such has his reputation travelled. The people next to me say they discovered him at a festival, walking past a tent and simply having to go in and check out what on earth was making that sound. Since then they’ve been hooked, and it’s likely a similar story for many of the people in attendance. Take to the stage he does, and as is commonplace his opening track is one his most recent singles. However, as is not so common this recent single is the 16 minute long mind-melt-fest ‘Pink Fruit’ from his recently released second album ‘Grapefruit’. 

Photo Credit Nigel Kinnings

It proves an exhilarating way to begin the show, with the numerous dynamic/rhythmic/stylistic u-turns executed perfectly throughout by Kiran and his merry men. Merry men who spend the entire show bundled together in a 3 on the left side of the stage watching Leonard out on the right, scanning for cues as to when exactly their frenetic axe-wielding conductor will signal the transition to the next ‘movement’.

More of these zany maths-psych songs come and go, keeping the crowd enthralled throughout, touching on reference points ranging from Jeff Buckley, to Mercury Rev, to tech metal (purely in the  glitchy-style of the guitar and drum work- but hey maybe he is a huge fan of Trigger the Bloodshed and Knights of the Abyss).  There are times when the relentless skittishness and intimidating rhythms begin to verge on the cold and calculating, but there always seems to be a release into a softer and more emotional eye of the storm around the corner, one highlight being the repeated line of ‘I know it seems false, but I would do anything’  just over halfway through ‘Don’t Make Friends With Good People’, a track which clocks in at a concise 9 minutes long.

The high-point of the set for me comes soon after Kiran manages to charmingly and competently deal with an overzealous heckler in his soft mancunian drawl, as two of the more chilled out gems from his back catalogue get an airing. The organ lead ‘Bowler Hat Soup’ highlight ‘Port-Ainé’ and then most recent single ‘Secret Police’, which bears a passing resemblance to Radiohead’s ‘Pyramid Song’, and is also reminiscent of the best cuts from Sufjan Steven’s imperious ‘Illinois’ album. Perhaps it is because of the stark contrast they bear to the hard-thinking-inducing (whisper it softly) prog nature of the preceding songs that the softer and more approachable tunes filter through more easily to strike a soulful chord.

There is however a limit to the outsiderness that Kiran showcases as he conforms to type and chooses his most straight-up ‘rock’ number to close the main set in ‘Geraldo’s Farm’. Whereas on record the plonky synths make it sound like the song could be sound tracking an early nineties video-game (no criticism!), when stripped back to guitar, drums and bass live it takes on an almost classic rock life of its own, complete with cheesy tongue-in-mouth introductions to the band during a breakdown, before the symphonic finale.

Photo Credit Nigel Kinnings

It’s an explosive ending that a mind-expanding show deserves, however it’s not truly the end as Kiran comes back to charm the crowd further in a solo encore (well I say comes back, but he never really leaves the stage “I’m not very good with encore etiquette”). The two tracks he plays include one cover, ‘60s number ‘His Actions Speak Louder Than Words’ by The Tammys, and ‘Bowler Hat Soup’ opener ‘Dear Lincoln’, stripped back to a solo guitar a vocal performance. However, it’s still not simple. 

As he himself admits “I tend to over complicate things”, as he fiddles with the notionally straightforward chords. It reminded me of something I’d read him saying, that he is a bit disdainful towards people who claim that a good song can only ‘come to you’ and that it should simply happen. Kiran Leonard thinks otherwise and works hard and experiments to create the music he puts his name to, and it is this music that has kept the full room at The Lexington hanging off of his playing and singing from the first note to the last.

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[GIG REVIEW] Wet @ Scala, London, 23rd March 2016

Ever since the release of their eponymous 2013 EP, Wet have been key players in the new found lounge-friendly soft-pop movement, dominating the blog scene and flirting with the mainstream. Mixing 80s R&B and earlier soft rock influences, the band’s name has been bandied around with the likes of The XX, Jessie Ware and Rhye. The recent surge in popularity for Wet has only been aided by the release of blissful debut album ‘Don’t You’. Credit must go to the strength in intricacies, production and patience surrounding this album, since it has managed to overpower an arguably fading trend and come out triumphant. In lieu of this, it is no surprise their show at Scala was a sell-out.

With headphone-friendly fine points being very difficult to recreate in a live and large setting, Wet didn’t overcomplicate their set. Instead, the Brooklyn trio (backed on the night by a second percussionist to boost the steady beats) delivered a clear and powerful show. Opening with crowd pleasers ‘Deadwater’ and ‘You’re The Best’, the band overcame early tech jitters and overly loud crowd members. Vocals from Kelly Zutrau were clear, with an endearing quaver, maintaining her powerful, ringing notes of affection and pro-apathy. Backed by beaming blue lights, seemingly expert in hitting every audience member directly in the eye regardless of location and build, the band seemed to gain confidence hiding in the shadows.

Instagram: @richmaver

With her figure dissolved into darkness in front of the textured background, a shy Zutrau could still command attention when singing alone during ‘Small And Silver’. With no additional voices, nothing to hide behind, her drifting vocals rose above the increasingly irritating crowd; where the reintroduction of the quiet thundercrack drum, reverb, and pealing guitar completed the carefree dreamscape. Personal favourite ‘Move Me’ and ‘Body’ swiftly followed, with the latter being drawn out for a bigger and punchier finale. With one track weaving into another, only to be broken up by fluttering wildlife echoing in the monitors, the sound became more anthemic with a stronger low-end punch. The notably bolstered sound is helped by the addition of a live drummer; which shows the band have clearly thought of how to up their normally downtempo, flowing songs in an attempt to not be swallowed by the countless festival stages they’ll be playing over the next year.

Album closer and band favourite ‘These Days’ dismisses any concerns of Zutrau’s ability to control the crowd. On stage she’s at the core of every song, being significantly more connected to her songs than any audience member – which is not a bad thing. Although only rarely varying from her innocent and default position, she invites you to enter her world and get lost there. ‘Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl’ goes down a treat and holds the strongest sing-a-long of the evening – in fact, it went down so well that I swear I even saw some rave hands being periodically thrown up on the floor. Swiftly following the appreciative applause and some nervy murmurs of “this is so fun” and “this is the best London show we’ve ever done”, the band worked their way through ‘All In Vain’. Eyes fixated on the stage in hypnotic gaze, an intimacy developed, which was unexpected in a rather large venue. However, what was expected was Wet’s ability to thrive on this, with every note laced in precision.

‘No Lie’ and ‘Island’ finish the first part of the show, where Zutrau leaves the stage to allow the band to finish off in grandiose fashion. After a short break, Wet returned to the shadows to reveal ‘All The Ways’, a comparatively upbeat section of the evening. Through these lyrics, the present happiness can’t wipe away uncertainty and the expectation of future despair. In closer ‘Weak’, the drummers and shimmering guitars free the mist and consolidate the well-executed and consistent concert. There is something comforting in knowing that we have a band in Wet that go out and execute what they have set out to do; rather than attempt to dress themselves up and lose focus on their key template.

They may not create tracks you can head bang to or be accompanied by blinding strobe lights, but it’s a gig well worth the value and more.

Wet played:
Deadwater
You're The Best
Small and Silver
Move Me
Body
These Days
Don't Wanna Be Your Girl
All In Vain
No Lie
Island
--------
All The Ways
Weak

Written by – Richard Maver (@richmaver)

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[GIG REVIEW] Will Joseph Cook @ Barfly, Camden 23rd March 2016

Fresh from three mega-hyped and mega-packed shows at this year's SXSW in Austin Texas, including a prime time slot at Spotify's showcase, Will Joseph Cook and his band returned to London for a sold out headline show at the Barfly in Camden.

An extremely accomplished live performer, and now with an extremely tight band behind him, WJC played a handful of songs from his debut EP "Beach" as well as his new single "Girls Like Me" which received a massive cheer from the crowd and led to a huge singalong. Other highlights included as yet unreleased "Take Me Dancing" and "Water's Gone Cold", the latter an incredible solo acoustic track that silenced the crowd.


Seeing WJC live is a must in order to understand his unique talent, especially vocally, but his skills as a songwriter. As much as Jeff Buckley is an unavoidable but legitimate comparison, there are also hints of Everything Everything, Mystery Jets and Talking Heads. It's also worth checking out the video for "Girls Like Me", which WJC wrote and directed himself (see below). The scariest part is he's only 18... go figure!

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[GIG REVIEW] James Bay @ Zenith, Munich, 16 March 2016

James Bay's concert on March 16th was a mixture of powerful tones, happiness and emotional lows – with the crowd not being able to hold back “the river” any longer and letting tears stream down their faces.

The first insight in the vigour of this evening was given by supporting artist RM. Her strong voice and self-written songs impressed the crowd and warmed up the atmosphere song by song. Her cover of the Weeknds 'I can't feel my face' and her last title 'Money', which she wrote on tour, got the crowd dancing. Finally she went off stage leaving an applauding and screaming crowd behind.

Photo by "svenii_bxll" on IG

“Chaos and the Calm” is not only the name of James Bay's album: it's the perfectly played out motto of this tour and also represented in his setlist. The contrast between fast and powerful songs and slow and sentimental tunes was there right from the beginning and lasted right until the end. At first glance the varying content of James' songs is also contradictory – but it's completely harmonious in the context of the total of his work. The topic of the song 'Craving' (indifference, loneliness and missing love in the society) covered the total opposite of the spirit inside the venue, but had the crowd partying to the sound of the fast and fresh song from the first note onwards. James Bay's warm and catchy voice flooded us with emotionality and feelings, so that we left all our problems to the breeze and opened our hearts for the journey James wanted to take us on. 'Scars' – a fan-favourite – was performed using only vocals and a guitar and proved the authenticity and talent James Bay has. We weren't surprised to see members of the audience crying for joy. And the mood didn't change for the next song, with James Bay asking the crowd to hug the person next to each other and sway with this person while he was singing 'Move Together'. His message of the necessity of love, individuality and realness is omnipresent, and especially prominent in one of his last songs 'Incomplete': the attractiveness of not being perfect, but human, loved, faulty and still satisfied. You have to be real is the message of this song. And James Bay is real. He has this naturalness, authenticity  and realness as he proved at the concert in Munich. He managed to catch the public with the first note and not only entertained them, but made them feel the deeper message of his songs. He sent the audience on a journey to find their own peace of mind and overcome inner conflicts – and it worked. We were on fire.

Chapeau, Mr. Bay.

Review by Svenja Boll

[GIG REVIEW] Friends w/ Clean Cut Kid @ Fruit, Hull 7th March 2016

Looking forward to gigs can always be a double edged sword I find. You either build it up too much in your head that the evening ends up letting you down or your excitement has been totally justified and the bands blow you away. Safe to say this gig lived up to the previous weeks excitement for certain. 

I was lucky enough to interview Clean Cut Kid before hand aswell which will naturally be a separate piece to this in the coming days, be sure to check that out as it was a great laugh! Questions were asked, water was thrown and tattoo's were shared! 

Gig review abound though and for me CCK just suit being on a stage... period! For a band that have risen quickly to be one of the most exciting prospects around right now they just ooze comfort. 

I professed to the band that I was a huge fan of '20 years from now', I was naturally gutted when they didn't play it! However this disappointment was over shadowed by nailing 'Brother of Mine'. A similar type of song in terms of tone and construction but with a ridiculously great guitar solo thrown in the mix that mesmerised me straight away. Backed up by other great songs that I was shamefully unaware of such as 'Stay' and 'Make Believe', I was pleased that their set had a lovely warmth about it, throwing in the new single 'Pick me up' aswell as 'Runaway' and obviously 'Vitamin C' for good measure. 

Genuinely nice people with tunes that should rocket me into the conciousness of the music buying public, I'd easily class these as one of my favourite bands right now! Jump... On... Board!!!

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Completely selfish choice below haha.

Moving on to Fickle Friends I immediately want to write about how they come across as more mature than they look! I mean that in a way that they clearly have a distinguished 80's vibe going with artwork and subtle sounds for their tunes but they have a maturity in their structures which I am uber impressed with, looking as though they have all the youthful vibrancy of being straight out of college.

Natti's voice is subtly eloquent and certainly works on their recordings, I was ever so slightly gutted that all her intricate notes were slightly forced under by the rest of the band.

That said it did not detract from how good they are on stage perfectly executing tracks such as 'For you' and 'Say No More'. I felt as though they just appeared to want to have a laugh on stage and really enjoy what they were churning out.

By their own admission it has been a long tour which is coming to an end however the chance to hone their skill set further, bash some new songs out live and gain new admirers around the country has been great for the band and I for one really look forward to what comes next with this band.

 Stick some of their songs in your playlists and you won't regret it!

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Photo Credits to Joe Brumby as always!

Cheers!

@jasehare

[GIG REVIEW] Yuck @ The Moth Club 26.02.2016

If you imagine a really camp version of the social club that plays host to Does It Offend You, Yeah?’s amazing 'The Monkeys Are Coming' video, then you’ve got a pretty good picture of the Moth club. The ceiling is laced with gold glitter, the word MOTH is written in secondary school style cut-out cardboard at the back of the stage and there is the kind of sticky wooden dancefloor no self-respecting wedding reception would do without. In short, it’s the perfect venue in which Yuck launch their new album, ‘Stranger Things’.

Two support acts play to the slowly building crowd. First up is the fantastically named Shark Dentist, who open with one of the least accessible songs I’ve ever seen at a concert (and I’ve seen Bo Ningen) before cruising through a selection of thrillingly wonky slacker-punk anthems. Theirs was a compelling set, which had me whipping out my phone and hitting ‘like’ on their Facebook page (what times we live in!) so I can keep track of what these upstarts get up to.

The second act up are the loud and proud Puppy. I guess the name is some kind of intentional juxtaposition  as I wouldn’t describe their sound as ‘cute’. What they do deliver is a fine platter of tasty riffs and epic songs pitching somewhere between Deftones, REM, Green Day and even Iron Maiden in some of the unabashedly placed pinched harmonics and harmonised guitars solos.

Finally, scuzz-indie legends Yuck take to the stage and Max Bloom strums the fuzzy opening chords to ‘Stranger Things’ opener ‘Hold Me Closer’. From here, Bloom, bassist Mariko Doi and guitarist Ed Hayes continue an aural assault with their combined axe-work and vocals, backed by pumping drums. Signature tune ‘Get Away’ gets an early airing, inspiring the first mass sing-along of the night, as well one of the most awkward stage invasions I’ve ever seen, leaving the band totally bemused.

Further set highlights include recent single ‘Hearts in Motion’ replete with infectious hooks, and the monolithic ‘The Wall’ taken from their self-titled debut album. The band close their main-set just as the crowd is reaching its raucous peak, causing the oft times routine chants for an encore to feel genuinely desperate. And the band don’t disappoint as they return to perform two more tracks. The first a mellower cut from their most recent album, the second, and final track of the evening, the invigorating poptastic barnstormer ‘Georgia’.

Bloom had earlier revealed he lives just 5 minutes from the venue, and I don’t have time to find out whether his offer to the crowd of ‘after party at my place?’ was genuine or not as I have to dash to catch the last train home (which I missed... Worth it.). However as we burst out of the venue we see the frontman chilling outside with his parents,  which seems apt considering the fun all-ages brand of uncool the venue radiates. The entire night is pleasantly free of any pretension in any of the acts, or indeed the beer soaked audience. There’s some solace in that as I tackle basically every form of public transport to get home (and also in the fact that my mate had a worse time of it, sorry Cameron). 

[GIG REVIEW] King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards w/ YAK @ Electric Ballroom 18th Feb 2016

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards and YAK graced the Electric Ballroom in Camden last week to perform a one of the wildest gigs I have ever been too. With King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards headlining, the show was already set to be an intense one, however YAK as support only made the line up more explosive.

When I heard YAK were on before King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards I could not have been more excited. I've read numerous reviews about their ridiculous and over the top stage performances and they did not disappoint. YAK not only bring a new breed of dirty grunge rock to the scene but also the most entertaining show I have ever seen live. I lost count at how many time the lead singer, Oli Burslem, threw himself backwards into the audience. It is entirely refreshing to watch a band who aren't precious about their instruments, or bodies for that matter. YAK served perfectly as a crowd warm up and had the entire audience throwing themselves into each other moments into their set. I have the highest hopes for these guys and their future as a band.

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards begun their set with a very tension heavy rendition on what I thought was music from Star Wars - but it worked and was more interesting and anticipation building than most other bands I see headline shows as big as electric ballroom.

The experimental Melbourne groups opening song, Danger $$$, chimed 70s guitar vibes that took me back in time. Together with their psychedelic - static tv - back drop King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards set an atmosphere that is completely unique to their invented genre. It couples acid trip rock with modern grunge indie and even laces in some poppy hooks. They're quick changes from melodic, ethereal melodies swaying in and out of tune to dark, overdriven thrash rock kept me reeling. 

My favourite aspect of their set was when lead singer, Stu Mackenzie, whack out a flute and begin performing the most rock and roll flute part in existence. I honestly never thought I would see a flute be played so gracefully on a swelling psychedelic back drop but I guess there's a first time for everything. It was as though I was watching a drug-fuelled jam session.

The crowd, and myself included, were most excited for Hot Wax and the atmosphere in the room burst into energy as the bass line kicked in. Viciously fuzzed guitars weaved in and out and solidified my primary opinion on King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizards: completely unhinged and utterly fantastic.

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[GIG REVIEW] Okay Kaya @ St Pancras Old Church, London, 11th February 2016

In today’s hedonistic world of social media, we are force fed Instagram feeds and twitter spats; where mystique is solely absent. But within this cloud of knowing, we are drawn to searching for that new, rare spark. Okay Kaya is this refreshing project. Without knowing too much about her, she brings an aura of intrigue and subtle darkness. The Norwegian born, but New York based, artist has stepped onto the scene with her ethereal and somewhat dejected music.

After support act James Canty throws us a mixture of acoustic, electric and acapella; Kaya Wilkins steps into the room, taking in the glowing atmosphere that has built up in the small and bare church. St Pancras Old Church stood tall, organ et al, only lit by candles and the odd stage lamp. Being located only 5 minutes away from King’s Cross St Pancras station, the venue seems out of place in a big city, but did not seem out of place to host the spidery love songs of Okay Kaya.

Having concentrated on recording vocals and guitar for the soundtrack of the Manchester ballet ‘Tree of Codes’ (composed by Jamie XX), the 23-year-old hasn’t the biggest back catalogue to choose from. Instead she opts to play a short and sweet set (approx. 30 minutes) in virtuous fashion.

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The fragility of the first song renders the audience silent, as she echoes words of hurt and dismay. The subterranean nature of the songs nestles well into the dark and cold church, where only the odd whisper would break the peace. Going straight into personal favourite ‘Clenched Teeth’, she sticks to the same spot and performs with no backing band or accoutrements to speak of – just her and her guitar. The downbeat, bedroom pop (or incorrectly described ‘adult jazz’) makes a fine parallel to the likes of Tobias Jesso Jr. with similar tones and unobtrusive murmurs. The minimalistic and nervous approach works wonders, as she draws the crowd slowly into her world. Through the wispy and tense song, she seamlessly moves into Norwegian-vocal ditty 'Durer', making the language seem like the most romantic of them all.

Using the church echo, she steps away from the mic and carefully alternates vocals to suit her pitch. Being fairly new to the scene, and still young, Kaya exudes a naïve and nervous body language; where she is barely able to open her eyes or look up from the ground – “If I look up, I might freak out”. The innocence of her performance, is only helped by her brief thankyous and introduction to ‘I Die Slow’ – “this song is about how I feel right now”. Continuing her subtle yet trapped wit, she brings with her a stunning and heart-breaking cover (a regular theme of her live shows) – ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’ is nothing like the Leo Sayer original. It’s chilled, unpretentious and would serve anyone well on a long night bus home. New single ‘I’m Stupid (But I Love You)’ is the softest track, where the omittance of the piano-lead core does not impair the overall outcome. It’s only until now that she really grows in confidence and her insecurities evaporate away. The devastating song details a love unrequited over a sparse beat. Every word strikes the core. Making a mockery of bottling-up any emotion.

After taking some time to find the tempo. Okay Kaya’s set closer ‘Damn, Gravity’ is tender, and just all round beautiful. The dark, slow requiem floats away in reverb until it is met by the chimes of 10pm from the church spire. Not letting this overpower her final song, she uses the rather loud chimes in tandem with her sequential chords to close on a powerful and peaceful instance.

Sharing a bench outside after, she is comforted in the knowledge that her show was a success. By trying to hide my inner-fanboy, I was able to be in discussion with Jamie XX and label-pal King Krule, while Kaya admits that she might “find it hard to write a happy song”.

I, for one, do not mind if she never writes a happy song. Why change something that works.

Written by – Richard Maver (@richmaver)

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[GIG REVIEW] The Crookes w/ Misty Miller & Affairs, 10th February 2016

I've probably bored my acquaintances over the years stating that one of my favourite places to be is at a live 'The Crookes' gig, last night was no different in Hull's unique The New Adelphi Club.

Before I get to the Sheffield lads, there was the support acts which firstly came in the form of Hull's very own Affairs. I believe these lads will go far and I've have said this for agesss! Hard working and getting technically better with every release, they now have a great repertoire, strong branding and those key stand out attributes (mainly James' dancing but I genuinely mean every aspect of their set aswell)

I posted an interview with the lads on here the other day, ermm just let me find it... Interview. I still forgot to ask about the gravy story!

Catching up with the guys they mentioned some exciting things in the pipeline so if you're in the Manchester area, no doubt you'll be able to catch them sometime soon. You won't regret it:

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Misty Miller was up next and as a self confessed novice in terms of listening to her art, I was intrigued to see what was about to happen when she took to the stage wearing a 'Pixies' shirt, acoustic in hand, strong attitude and not alot else...oh and her boyfriend (i think) on another guitar.

What followed was her undeniable ability to hold not only her voice but the crowds attention with minimal effort. Cleverly constructed lyrics, dare I say, made my head think of 'Jagged Little Pill', whether she would be happy with that comparison i'm not sure but I mean it as a huge compliment.

Totally enjoyed her set though and this wouldn't be the last we would see of her for the evening. Like, follow etc below, you know the drill by now:

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'The Crookes'... well what can I say that I haven't already over the years. I don't think there are many more complimentary terms that I could spit out right now. As a fan, the chaps just have my buy in constantly. They cannot do any wrong in my eyes. **Fanboy Alert**

New Album 'Lucky Ones' has not moved from my playlist since its release a couple of weeks ago, even the morning of my dads wedding I woke up and played him it! He loved it aswell, he knows he did!

In the build up of this gig I managed to grab an informal interview with Daniel and Adam from the band (will be posted on IAI soon) which was a personal highlight for me as I so eloquently told them that they're "my second favourite band".

Anyway this is a gig review so let's do that! A great mixture of old tunes throughout the years and obviously new hits from 'Lucky Ones' kept a very diverse crowd happy throughout. Personally I loved the fact they played "When You're Fragile" which I don't recall hearing live before. I love the lyrics to that song despite being relatively dark.

'I Wanna Waste My Time On You', 'Lucky Ones', 'Roman Candle' and my personal new favourite 'The World Is Waiting' all went down a storm and the guys seemed to be having a good laugh on stage even though George's mic stand was twirling around more than I was with my dodgy dancing.

This new album has some more keyboard/synth sounds thrown in the mix and i'm sure Daniel used these within a couple of older tracks such as 'Afterglow', I may be totally wrong and just never noticed this previously but it gave those hits a new cheeky twist.

You know I said earlier we hadn't seen the last of Misty Miller for the evening? This is because she joined forces with The Crookes on stage to perform "Ex-Lovers" a B-Side of 'I Wanna Waste My Time On You'.



Recorded just using one microphone, George and Misty unintentionally ended up sharing one microphone again but it worked abit better in my opinion as a live spectacle. This was THAT moment mid-gig that the crowd get drawn in and soak up what's happening in front of them. Very special.

All in all a fantastic evening for me personally, especially spotting my face on the front of one of their single covers, no royalties coming my way despite my best efforts but it's safe to say I can't wait to see them live again asap.

If you're not a Bright Young Thing yet then their world is waiting for you here:

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Photo Credit: @JustBrumby87

Many thanks,

Jase Hare

[GIG REVIEW] Lisbon w/ King No-One, Victors & Indigo Velvet @ Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, Saturday 6th February 2016

Either i'm going mad or the Brudenell Social Club has venue has moved. Yet nobody i spoke too seemed to confirm this for me. Anyway despite my uncomfortable feeling that i was possibly at the wrong venue, i instantly heard the reassuring sounds of Indigo Velvet coming from the room behind the bar.

Their sound caught my ears instantly and even made me skip getting an early Guinness in for fear of missing another second of their set stood in a queue at the bar. A couple of people had said these lads were good (shout out to the Lisbon street team @LisbonFC) and for me they didn't disappoint. Technically great, young and enthusiastic, I thought they carried themselves really well. Keep it going boys!

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Victors were next on the bill and they for me personally didn't hit home as much. I can't slate them because they actually played a great little set, there was just that spark missing for some reason that even a couple days after the event i can't quite put my finger on. Maybe the tunes that had the familiar 'ooo's and ahh' sing along sections just made my brain switch off.

That said I genuinely loved the bassist! From the moment go he was just exuberant about being on stage. 1UP on everyone else's efforts.

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What can I say about King No-One that I haven't already. For anyone who has read my previous posts about them will know i love this band so this is going to read pretty samey.

The lads know how to deliver their tunes now with almost surgical precision and I always enjoy a good mic stand twizzle!

The guys played their newest tunes "Stay Close" and "Say My Name" which went down rather well with a Leeds crowd who no doubt will now try pop along to the single launch in the same city. Headrow House / 17/3/16.

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Headline Act - LISBON certainly showed their prowess in terms of headlining an evening of good music by treating the crowd to some sensual, almost seedy at time, proper good indie tunes. The lads know how to get the crowd involved whilst still singing about subjects to make you think.

New tune 'Vice' has a vibe that means your hips move even if you don't want them too! A natural progression from a tune like 'Good 2 Me'. You cannot stop this, nor should you want too. 'Khaleesi' and 'Blue Love' and had the crowd continuing to move and get involved.

In turns out the lads are really really nice guys from speaking to them afterwards and i hadn't realised that I am apparently a doppelganger for Matt Varty (Lead Singer)... see this link: PICTURE

@lisbonjoe was superb at the merch stand appreciating the fact i'd traveled a fair distance, told me to have a safe journey home and chucked a t-shirt at me! On stage he was a class act aswell, as were the rest of the lads.

Would recommend catching them at some point in the near future if you can. Apologies for the poor pictures btw, i'm no cameraman unfortunately so i let the iphone do it's best. Must try harder in that respect but when the bands had my attention all night i always forget to take good piccys.

Hit LISBON up here:

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Jase Hare

[GIG REVIEW] The Milk Carton Kids @ Union Chapel, London, 22.01.2016

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan make up the LA indie-folk duo The Milk Carton kids, who recently came on a jaunt to the UK to play at the atmospheric Union Chapel in London. Naturally the style of music has drawn comparisons to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, which the band acknowledges (… “no one wants to be Garfunkel…”  Pattengale sighs). This type of comparison, as well as my prior listening to the wonderfully skilled yet somewhat over-perfect studio recordings, meant that my expectations weren’t exactly sky high as I made my way into the upper tier of the cavernous venue. The challenge was set for them to win me over, which they ultimately did.

It’s not unusual to be played raucous lo-fi punk, or perhaps experimental industrial electro by a friend and then be told on revelation of a nonplussed facial expression that “really you’ve got to see it live” in a grimy pub, or a  grimy warehouse, to really appreciate it. However, one doesn’t often associate this kind of thing with acoustic music, which basically sounds the same wherever you hear it, and in whatever context. Tonight is an exception though. The venue, infused as it is with spiritual significance as well as possessing amazing natural reverb and acoustics acts as an invisible third member of the group. With soft light bathing both the stage and the ceiling, sight and sound come at you from all angles in perfect cohesion. The true talent behind the pin-point vocal harmonies and finger-picked guitar work shines out. Usually I’m all for a bit of rough around the edges, adding  a human element to any performance, but in this case the synchronicity between the two men is entrancing.

Stand out tracks include fan favourite ‘Monterey’ and the track written about Joey’s as yet unconceived daughter ‘Charlie’. The playful topic of the latter (“we’ve been playing this for 4 years now”) highlights another unexpected positive of the night  (for me, as an uninitiated at least)- they are really funny. In fact about as much weight as is put on the songs is put on stand-up routines in between tracks. Extended musings on child-birth, cats and crappy tours draw great laughs from the audience, and are skits any professional comedian would be proud of.

So, for an hour and a half I find myself transfixed by these two guys performing a kind of music I’d never really considered myself a fan of. And to be honest, I still wouldn’t consider it. I haven’t rushed out to buy Milk Carton Kids records (or rather, listen to them on Spotify) but I would definitely take notice for the next time they come to perform near me as I now know it would a night filled with calm transcendental music and charisma. The closing cover of Pink Floyds ‘Wish You Were Here’ is a beautiful moment, and after the closing notes echo into the dark corners of the chapel, the audience rise to give two genuine music men a deserved standing ovation.

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