65daysofstatic, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, Monday 10th May

65daysofstatic, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, Monday 10th May
[Printed in The News, entertainment pages, Tuesday 11th May 2010]

Who needs vocals when you have harmonics this infectious, guitars that roar this loud and a stage presence this intense? The only words 65daysofstatic need are the flickering samples and ridiculously long, yet ingenious song titles.

They’re the perfect soundtrack to your escapism. It’s hard not to conjure up your own personal imagery to accompany the eclectic sounds they produce, unless you’re too busy fixating on the band’s frantic stage antics; including lead singer Joe’s guitar-on-chin balancing act and haunting glare.
In fact words do them an injustice. ‘Crossover’ just doesn’t quite cut it, ‘Experimental’, well, that goes without saying, but how do you explain how incredibly mind-blowing yet easily accessible their music has become?

65DOS have always combined genres, but for their latest offering ‘We were exploding anyway’, they have developed an even dancier sound. Not that this puts off the fans; new tracks Mountainhead and Tiger Girl are equally as explosive as any of their earlier epic soundscapes.
They’re no strangers to the Wedgewood Rooms stage – and it doesn’t look as though they’ll be straying too far anytime soon – but one thing we can count on for definite is that live, this band are unstoppable.

Dan Le Sac VS Scroobious Pip – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

To onlookers Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip may appear simply as two dysfunctional mates onstage – one mashing up samples on a laptop whilst the other spouts almost incomprehensible rhymes into a mic at 100 miles per hour.

And this would be partially true. However, if you pay more attention you’ll realise that this unconventional pair’s lyrical messages are wiser than the somewhat gimmicky image seen at a glance.

Spoken word poet Scroobius Pip’s passion resonates through tales of suicide, politics and failed relationships, whilst dan le sac provides the powerful accompanying beats and harmonies (whilst fighting off ‘man-flu’).

Despite growing popularity and album number three’s imminent release, the awkward crowd banter and the welcome return of familiar on-stage props, (namely an armchair and an array of hats) ensures the show remains an intimate affair.

As with many acts, older material initially gets the best response but the crowd break from their reserved moods throughout and show some exceptional love for the duo’s latest releases ‘Get Better’ and ‘Great Britain’.

A dysfunctional pair though they might be, their intelligent mix of beats and poetry not only entertain, they also leave some thought-provoking content for the crowd to reflect upon, once the thudding bass fades.

[Published in The Guide (Portsmouth News), Friday 26th March 2010]

Hadouken! Portsmouth Pyramids, 2nd March 2010

A far cry from the DIY indie new-rave kids that emerged three years ago, Hadouken entered the Pyramids to an impressive back drop of smoke, lazers and reverb, following a momentum building DJ set full of dup-step and grime.

True to their accelerated culture, the crowd switched from standing attentively to jumping about with their hands wailing, as the 5-piece kicked things off by sampling classic nineties dance tracks, that many of the crowd are probably too young to remember.

Front-man James Smith stood centre stage, lazers rising from his sides like a modern day messiah of the electro movement, whilst his band-mates remained hidden in the shadows, lit sparingly by the strobe lights.

What followed was a truly unique mash up of euphoric trance, grimey vocals and heavy riffs; spurring on mosh pits and raves alike, beneath an array of erratic lights.

Hadouken hold the same raw energy that has propelled the likes of fellow crossover acts The Prodigy, Pendulum and more recently Enter Shikari into the limelight.

If they can hone their talent that little further, proving that they’re more than just a party band for a wasted youth, then they could certainly bring their music to the masses.

The Joiners, Music Venue

[Originally written for Solent Riot in 2007]

The Joiners Arms has simply got to be the best place in Southampton to see local and not so well-known bands play in an intimate environment. The bar can be crammed, the space can be restricted and don’t even mention the lack of air-con, but there’s something very special and somewhat homely about this particular venue.

The images and posters that are plastered around the bar area document the many bands that have played in this small-time setting since it’s opening as a music venue in 1968. These include large paintings of Oasis, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand and controversial Pete Doherty’s original band, The Libertines. Other well-known acts that have played this once quiet, local pub are Radiohead, Green Day, Suede, PJ Harvey and The Manic Street Preachers; proving that this place holds quite a legacy.

If you’re into bands of the alternative persuasion, or simply love finding out about new music, then there’s absolutely no excuse not to visit the Joiners as often as you can over the duration of your University life, especially if you’re living in halls as it’s literally a minute walk from Kimber and Hamwic, 5-10mins from Deanery/Chantry/Mercury Point and approximately 15mins from Lucia Foster. It’s the closest established music venue to Halls, followed closely by the Nexus [RIP – Ed].

Last year The Academy is… and Panic! At The Disco played a sell out performance at the Joiners right before they shot into the limelight, so keep an eye on the listings for bands of a similar buzz because you never know, tomorrow night’s headliners may be gracing much larger venues in no time at all.

If you live in Solent Halls of Residence, make the most of the Joiners being pretty much in your back garden!

Ticket prices vary depending on the artists and drinks prices are relatively low for a music venue (there’ll be no £3.50 pints here!) Check out the Joiners website for listings, artist previews and online bookings.

European Festival Guide 2008

[Written for a feature writing assignment in 2008]

European Music Festivals

Music festivals are a fantastic way to spend your summer and although there are plenty of British music festivals for you to choose from, venturing abroad is an entirely different experience. We’ve compiled a list of five highly recommended music festivals in Europe for you to consider, along with tips on how to survive festival life.

Bennacism Festival, 19th – 22nd of July, Spain.

If the British weather has been putting you off festivals, then why not venture to Bennacism? Also known as FIB, (Festival Internacional de Benicassim), this musical extravaganza is held on the coast of Spain, a short walk away from the beach; providing not only an eclectic line up, but the added bonus of a tan! Far from conventional, FIB is a holiday and a festival rolled into one and with camping tickets priced at £105 for four days or £97 for three days, it’s much cheaper than booking into an over-crowded, tourist-ridden hotel. Here you get to choose where to pitch your accommodation and have the likes of Babyshambles, The Rumble Strips and My Bloody Valentine as your evening entertainment, rather than a cheesy bingo caller. What’s more the festival ends with a massive, free beach party.

Nearest Airports: Valencia and Barcelona.

Festival website

Rock Am Ring and Rock In Park, 6^th-8^th June, Germany

If heavy music is your thing, then Rock am Ring in Germany could be the one for you. There are two simultaneous festivals which take place the same weekend in separate parts of Germany, with Rock am Ring held in Nürburgring, West Germany and Rock im Park in Nürnberg, in the South East.

Both sites share the same line-up and with a back-catalogue of varied acts, including Tool and Marilyn Manson alongside Amy Winehouse and Maximo Park, this festival combines line ups of several big UK festivals, alongside the relaxed German culture. This year’s headliners include Metallica and Rage against the Machine. Three day weekend tickets cost around £97 and there are various coach and hotel packages to choose from.

Nearest Airports: Cologne or Frankfurt Main

Festival website

A camping-flight to Lowlands, 18^th – 20th August, Holland

If you’re a fan of the UK Reading and Leeds festival line-up but perhaps fancy a different location then take a trip to Lowlands in Holland. This festival is held in Biddinghuizen next to ‘Walibi World’ theme park and if you’re up for spending an extra few quid you can get access to the park throughout the weekend. You could even make a week of it by visiting the cultural streets of neighbouring Amsterdam, before venturing to the site.

Other main attractions to Lowlands are not only its friendly atmosphere and in order to avoid bad weather, all of its stages are set under huge tents, including the main stage, ‘Alpha’, which is one of the largest festival tents in the world.

Nearest Airport: Schiphol International airport

Festival website

Roskilde Festival, 3^rd-6^th July, Denmark

Concerned about the struggle for a Glastonbury ticket this year? Fear not, Roskilde takes place the same weekend in June and has often been dubbed as the Danish equivalent, due to sharing the title for the biggest annual Rock festival in Europe and many of the same bands perform. Similar to Glasto, Roskilde started life as a hippy festival but now aims to cater for everyone with musical styles ranging from rock, hip hop and electronica to contemporary world music. Many big acts have performed over the years including Bob Dylan and Morrissey, with Radiohead currently confirmed to headline this year. However, festival organisers say they don’t rely on previous successes, but instead aim to be innovative and challenging each and every year.

Nearest Airport: Copenhagen

Festival website

Sziget, 12th – 18th August, Hungary

For experienced festival goers looking for something completely different or even first timers who fancy a challenge, Sziget festival in Budapest, Hungary is a six day festival incorporating a mixture of dance DJ’s, metal, punk and indie bands as well as blues and jazz stages. With drink prices beginning as low as 80p a pint, meals from £2 and tickets for the entire week for under £100 it’s perfect for those of you on a tight budget.

Up until this year Sziget lasted for eight days, but has recently had to shorten due to noise complaints from local citizens. Festival organisers say that ticket prices have been reduced from previous years but that their diverse sites and venues won’t change.

Nearest Airport: Budapest Ferihegy

Festival website

Mogwai at Southampton Uni

Mogwai, at Southampton University Students’ Union, Thursday 30th March 2006, supported by The Magnificents.

Tonight was my first visit to Southampton Student’s Union and despite the school-hall style decor and mild rumbling of the walls as the music produced copious amounts of feedback, it’s a decent sized venue and also fairly intimate.

This evening brought to the stage the 6-piece Glaswegian act Mogwai, touring in promotion of their newly released album, “Mr Beast”. In support were Edinburgh’s “The Magnificents”.

The Magnificents, in similarity to Mogwai, take some patience on a first listen. What initially appeared and sounded to be a somewhat Indie-rock based act assisted by large, heavy synth machinery, rapidly emerged into an almost drug-fuelled journey into the minds of the musicians. The vocalist, who also man-handled many of the guiding sound effects, gave an almost disturbing performance, sweating and flinching in his own twitchy manner – resembling some kind of scene from trainspotting. He seemed to like spouting some incomprehensible nonsense ramblings between tracks, but what may at first have appeared to be an incoherent front man surrounded by an odd selection of musicians soon became quite a compelling act, which could only lead to greater things to follow.

Mogwai entered in a casual manner, sporting matching green tracksuits (a stereotype gone too far?) Beginning with well known tracks such as “kids will be skeletons” Mogwai slowly but surely picked up the pace, leaving the crowd participating chatter behind as the music took control.

Seeing Mogwai live is quite possibly one of the most mind-blowing experiences any one person can have, the music almost seemed to read the soundtrack of our lives, leaving behind the distraction of words and letting the merging of sounds do the talking. Similarly to any given soundtrack Mogwai went through phases of melodic ambience, washing over the audience in a misty blue haze into sudden bursts of sound, much like a storm would create. It’s hard to witness such an atmospheric performance without visualising several scenarios which could have influenced this sound, from mellow skylines, to spurts of lightning crashing down from the sky. All these images just come to life in the form of music.

I have never jumped out of my skin in the way I did tonight. As the encore began in a naturally melodic manner, it gradually seemed to be slowing right down until the audience were led to believe the show was almost over. Suddenly the band burst back into life with a thunder of heavy sounds that circulated repeatedly, until all that was left was a pounding, ear-piercing concoction of noise and a deafened crowd, desperately trying not to cover their ears in fear of showing a sign of weakness.

Future Of The Left

Monday 30th November 2009, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

‘Where is everybody?’ shouts an excitable Future of the Left fan three songs into their set, noticeably unimpressed with the show’s devastatingly low turnout.

This random outburst thrown from the crowd reassuringly broke the ice of what began as an intensely wooden atmosphere.

From that moment on the comedic banter, for which FOTL are renowned for, was able to flow freely until mocking rowdy audience members (and drummer Jack Egglestone – a fan of Pompey FC) became almost mandatory between songs.

“We’re here”, shouts another fanatic, “So are we” replies Andy Faulkous, (keyboard/guitar) “we travelled further than you, all the way from Oxford.”

Formed from the ashes of previous cult bands McClusky and Jarcrew, Future of the Left’s quick wit transfers into eccentric, seamlessly overlapping lyrical chants about wizards, elves, sausages and pussycats, serving to soften their often biting satirical narratives, all spat out fiercely by front-men Kelson Mathias and Andy Falkous.

Beneath the light-hearted references, odd song titles and bouts of synthetic keyboard noise lie incendiary guitar bursts, driven by heavy, pounding bass riffs. This is true of their latest offering You Need Satan More Than He Needs You, from the album Travels With Myself and Another, which is made all the less sinister by it’s comedic performance.

This dynamic Cardiff trio deserve to be heard.

http://www.futureoftheleft.com

Photo by Ben Walker, http://www.flickr.com/photos/liveandloud/

Hundred Reasons

Thursday 12th November, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Touring isn’t something Hundred Reasons do a lot of these days and despite dwindling numbers, the group took to the Wedgewood Rooms stage as if they never left the scene.

The band celebrated their return by ploughing through old school material, noticeably evoking some intense emotions amongst the crowd, as lead singer, Colin Doran, explains, this is the band’s tenth year performing together.

Doran exemplified his strong vocal capability as he belted out tracks from the band’s back catalogue, with hard-hitting rock riffs from Kill Your Own interspersed with the epic sing-a-longs Silver and If I Could echoing the days of their debut album; Ideas Above Our Station.

A new release isn’t expected from the Surrey-based 5-piece any time soon, and given their unfortunate luck with record labels in the past, it is perhaps not surprising. However, this tour brought with it the fourth rendition of the band’s ‘Singles club’, a long-running tradition whereby new tracks are available in a split-EP format, alongside their energetic tour support; Scholars and Canterbury.

Longevity is key in the music industry and rumour has it Hundred Reasons are taking their time over new material, which is set to be ‘worth the wait’.

View on The News website

Ad-Hoc Music Reviews…featuring Jay-Z.

Jay Z – Run This Town

I’ll admit that I am not a huge rap/urban music fan but I like to think that I can appreciate a good song when I hear it and let’s face it, most if not all of us have at one time or another danced/sung along to ’99 Problems’, but this? Mister Jay-Z what WERE you thinking?

As a comeback track this is a poor effort. Rhianna’s nasally vocals grate on the ears, Kanye’s input goes pretty much unnoticed and Jay-Z just sounds as if he’s talking about a certain American hospital drama.

It just goes to show that even a collaboration of supposedly great pop stars doesn’t always produce a successful sound.

Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

This is a prime example of how much more effective a track can be when you select the right vocalist.

Alicia Keys would beat Rhianna in a vocal match any day – why this tune wasn’t chosen as the first single I have no idea. Perhaps Jay-Z just has a soft spot for working with ‘hip’ young artists but in my eyes Rhianna is over hyped. Alicia at least has some soul.

It’s a fairly typical lyrical choice – rap about one of the most famous capitals in the world and you’ll excite people. You wouldn’t, possibly, get the same sense of glamour if they’d chosen to sing about Essex.

Muse Night on Radio 1

Phenomenal. They always have been, still are and hopefully always will be.

MUSE.

I was fortunate enough to be involved in the creation on the Muse at Ten documentary for the Muse Night on BBC Radio 1, Monday 7th September, celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the band’s Showbiz album.

Radio 1 is currently playing 5 hours of Muse highlights from the past decade and celebrating Muse’s career, right from the start. As well as playing a whole hour of live music from their homecoming gigs in Teignmouth on the 4th&5th September.

The Muse at Ten documentary takes listeners through Muse’s new purpose-built studio by Lake Como in Italy as the band tell the story of their progression towards and the making of the new album The Resistance.

To find out more about Muse Night visit the Radio 1 website