Bronze Medals at the Adam + Eve 28/04/2010

Another week, another free show at the Adam + Eve. It seems that The Other Woman's Club have taken a liking to the venue and can't contain themselves to one event a month, not that I am complaining of course.

First up this evening is Neil Ward. I'm not usually a fan of singer-songwriter types, but I really got into Neil's witty takes on what it is like to be young these days, and whilst I've never stalked a former lover home and thrown a brick at her car, there was enough character and charm in his performance to come to the conclusion that Neil Ward may have actually done said criminal acts. Whilst my initial reaction was that he had a lot in common with Frank Turner (he even looks a bit like ol' Frankie boy), it would be unfair to write off Neil as a sound-a-like, far from it. There was enough variation in style to his playing to avoid boredom, and his lyrics reminded me a little of Hot Club de Paris, which is a good thing in my books. In fact, it would be interesting to hear Neil backed by a full band, as I am certain most of his songs would sound fantastic with a bit more punch behind them. Great set, made even better by the fact he had free CDs, which happens to be the easiest way to get in my good books.

Second act of the evening was Savant. Now, I can summarise this band in three words: Savant fucking rock. These guys may be young, but don't let their age belie the fact they write amazing instrumental tracks (with the occasional vocals) that left me somewhat breathtaken. Opening with 'Little Omar Little', the band wasted no time showing what they are worth. Their drummer is easily the best I've seen in along time, creating textures and a weight to the music that pins down the dueling tappy guitars, stopping them from spinning off into infinity. They also, amusingly, played a cover of 'Undone (The Sweater Song)' which was a nice touch and a savvy addition to their set. I will be keeping a close eye on these bright young things, as if they are this exciting now, well, with time they could become something else entirely.

Bronze Medals have been around for a little while now and have been creating quite a stir. Some may now bassist Michael from his other project Boat to Row, or from Youves. Similarly, you may recognise guitarist Ben from when he stood in for Alex in Youves. However, despite the other projects, Bronze Medals are producing music which is totally different to anything else on the midlands circuit. They may even be my new favourite band. Recalling all the best bits of Tellison and Stapleton, there is a charm to these three that I find hard to put into words. Having listened to their demos on their myspace countless times, I was suprised to find they only played one of them (they closed with 'I Lost The Map'), but this isn't a negative, as the tracks they played were all excellent, especially the one which they introduced as the one "that used to be the new one but isn't that new anymore." There is an inginuity and intelligence that surrounds their music that could easily propel them to cult status. It will be great to hear these guys record more, and with a seemingly endless list of gigs (including a set at this years Off the Cuff festival), there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to catch them over the coming months. Who would have thought third place would sound so good, eh?

Rolo Tomassi at the Flapper 19/04/2010

Leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, the Rolo Tomassi headline tour rolls into its last port of call: the Flapper. Suprisingly it isn't sold out tonight, which is lucky for me as I hadn't got around to buying an advance ticket. Yet, despite this, the place is still packed to the rafters.

After grabbing a pint of Red Stripe and trying to maneuvre myself into a position where I can see the first act, Throats, take the stage. Well, I say the stage, their singer actually spent most of their set throwing himself around on the floor in front of the stage. Sadly, despite the energy these guys had they didn't do much for me. Their short bursts of noise remind me a little of Napalm Death, but not being much of a hardcore kid their 30 seconds of feedback and distortion did little to capture my imagination.

Trash Talk however were another kettle of fish. Rumour has it they got kicked out of the venue after playing. From where I was it looked like the guitarist started on the DJ or something. Anyway, it felt odd watching an American band (they are from Sacramento) as nearly all the bands I watch these days are from our home shores, but I was suitably impressed by their hardcore workouts which unlike the previous band had some good riffs going on to get my attention. Their singer liked to provoke circle pits around the room, which for anyone who has been to the Flapper will realise is near-lethal. He also had a penchant for grabbing fans by the head to let them scream down the mic. They were mental, and did have a real air of danger around them. I, for one, could understand why people like them so much. Certainly not a band I would listen to of my own accord, but as a live act tonight they worked well to warm up (most literally) the crowd for the mighty Rolo Tomassi.

I was little uncertain as of what to expect of Rolo this evening. Last time I saw them was one of the most intense gigging experiences of my life, an experience that cost me my brand new camera (lost in the mosh) and my dignity. Sadly, they don't sell the latter in Argos for £69.99. Since then, however, the band have holed up with Diplo and produced a new record. Now I quite like Diplo's work, but when I found out he was going to be producing Rolo I worried slightly. My thought was it would either be killer or catastrophic. Fortunatly, if tonight's performance is anything to go by, the fans have nothing to worry about. The band thrashed their way through their set, sprinkling new material alongside tracks from debut Hysterics. New tracks such as the excellent 'Party Wounds' show Rolo are as exciting as ever. They still remind me of Refused; it must be that guitar sound, or perhaps those jazz breaks which simply rule hard. The band seem also keen to prove they're not a one trick pony too, and some of the new material shows the band experimenting with their sound, such as in my new personal favourite, 'Kasia', which starts all post-rocky with chiming guitars before building up into a super-massive Envy-esque tune complimented perfectly by Eva's stunning vocals, backed by some oh-so-throaty screams from her brother. Finishing with 'Abraxas' it is clear to see why Rolo Tomassi are one of Britain's most formidable bands, both in technicality and originality, and from the sound of things Cosmology is going to be slaying some stereos when it comes out at the end of May.

Youves at the Adam + Eve 16/04/2010

As part of the Adam + Eve's 20th Anniversary the venue has been hosting an array of free shows, showcasing and celebrating Brum talent. Tonight's show has been curated by The Other Woman's Club, a female collective of DJs and promoters (amongst other things, who, as well as choosing the acts for the evening, were providing the soundtrack between the bands. This is the first time I've ever been this far into Digbeth, but nestled between a series of derelict looking factory units stands the Adam + Eve. At first glance it looks your stereotypical old-fashioned street corner boozer... and that's pretty much what it is. Inside, one side of the room a stage runs, hardly big enough to contain the equipment and kit that most bands drag along with them these days.

First up was Simon Gregory from Tantrums, who ran through some of his band's tracks, albeit stripped back to just vocals and a (borrowed) guitar. I'm a big fan of Tantrums, they are a group who are doing interesting and fun things on the Birmingham music scene at the moment, and they have made a great leap forward since Anna Palmer (of Little Palm fame) came into the fold. However, this evening, without the backing of the band's solid rhythm section and crazy guitar antics, even crackers like 'Make Ya Feel Hype' seem a tad lacklustre. That's not knocking the songwriting here, it's just that once you've seen Tantrums in their full glory, hearing their songs played like this just isn't the same.

Now, I haven't seen Your Biggest Fanclub for a year or so, and I remember last time feeling somewhat confused by their direction. Not tonight though. It seems since my last encounter they have found their sound, and bloody loud it was too. Then there is the riffs. Oh, the riffs. Imagine QOTSA flogging the corpse of Hendrix (If that makes sense?) and you come somewhere close to imagining how massive Thom's guitar sounds. You wouldn't imagine they are a three-piece, that's for sure. Ash and Ed provide a steady backbone for some of Thom's more interesting guitar workouts, with some especially nice sounds coming from Ed working his pedals to get some serious fuzz out of his bass. If my memory serves me right the last time I saw them I had been impressed by their stage presence, especially Thom's, and tonight was no different, with both Thom and Ed leaving the stage to pace predatorially amongst the crowd. This was topped during their last track where Thom pulled himself up onto the bar and played the rest of the song standing above the punters, much to the concern of the barmaid. All in all, a good solid performance which left me with a smile on my face. The only negative I could find, if I was to get picky, was that often their levels were too far in the red, and Thom's excellent guitar work gets lost in the ensuing wall of noise, which is a real shame.

Last up this evening are Nuneaten lot Youves. I've seen Youves a number of times over the last few months and I always find them great fun to watch. They play a sleazy, spikey dance-punk which joins the dots between Fugazi and A Certain Ratio, and despite several problems with the microphones, they deliver the goods. From the frentic guitar interplay between Michael and Alex, to Luke's funk-infused bass lines, Youves really are the total package. Again, presence is everything, and there is enough going on to keep your eyes busy. There is something about the way Stephen squares up to the microphone, before taking it in his hands and pretty much gyrating against it that could be considered perverse, but it's so visually arresting that I for one won't be making any complaints. Alongside material from last year's Holy Roar mini-album the band played several new songs which fitted seamlessly amongst their older, more well known tracks. Of course, as is often the way with a Youves show, by the end of their set they have stripped off their shirts, and are drenched in sweat, launching themselves around the tiny stage regardless of health and safety.

So, there you have it. A top show, made even more enjoyable by the fact it cost nothing at all to get in. It did however take me nearly 2 hours to get home due to M6 closures though. Swings and roundabouts right? And I mustn't forget to give kudos to the DJ of the evening who played 586's 'We Got Bored' which I hadn't heard in a long, long time, and is an awesome tune. Thankyou Other Woman's Club DJ!!