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!!

Three records that changed my life

I was recently asked to put together a small piece on the three records that I would consider to have had most impact on my life for Wolverhampton promoters Out of Step. After much nail-biting I managed to get it down to three, as there were a few others who I felt deserved the priviledge of being listed, but here we go, here are what I consider to be the three most important records in my musical development...

Vex Red - 'Start With A Strong and Persistent Desire' (I Am/Virgin, 2002)
2002. I had just turned 15. I was pretty much like any other 'alternative' kid in the school at the time. I liked all the obvious stuff that those 'alternative' kids liked. I even dyed my hair red like Kurt Cobain. I was ignorant to music from our own shores. Then I heard Vex Red. If there was one song that I could blame for my musical ephiphany, it would probably have been the first time I heard 'Itch'. I was blown away: here was a British band that I felt I could get excited about, who were making music unlike anything I'd heard before. They mixed alt-rock and electronic influences together to create an album which to me, was the closest thing to perfection I had ever heard, like some hybrid of the Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails - but from Surrey. They were also the first band I ever went to see. Sadly, in late 2002, the band split after being dropped from their label, leaving just this album and two singles as their legacy.

Joy Division - 'Unknown Pleasures' (Factory, 1979)

I went to University in Aberystwyth, and accordingly I spent most of three years there shrouded in sea-mist and surrounded by the slick-grey of wet concrete. Until I had lived in such bleak surroundings I had never really understood the bands' music. Yes, I had listened to it, processed the lyrics and knew it was a brilliant piece of art-as-music/music-as-art, but it is a whole lot more than that. Late 70s Manchester transposed itself over mid-00s Wales, and I loved every moment of it - from the insistent beat of 'Disorder' through to the last industrial throbbings of 'I Remember Nothing'. I would go as far to say it is the greatest record every commited to tape. Also, as an aside, Peter Saville's design for the record sleeve is probably my favourite of all time.

Mogwai - 'Rock Action' (Southpaw, 2001)
I've been a long time fan of Mogwai, and whilst most of their albums (and my love of them) is based on the building up slices of intense sound, this release was a lot more subtle in its experimentation with dynamics. There is a greater use of electronics, as well as a whole host of instrumentation outside of your traditional guitar/bass/drums combo, which leads to the creation of a densely textured soundscape. It's great music to get lost it, headphones on, eyes closed. To this day I would find it hard to name a more perfect instrumental track than '2 Rights Make 1 Wrong' - that banjo during the coda is enough alone to make you weep. Also, the time I had sex to this record was one of the most incredible, beautiful, and unforgettable moments of my life.

~~~

You can read other people's choices over at the Out of Step blog here or perhaps even submit your own. They will be producing a little zine of their findings to give away at their next night on the 25th Jan, which will also be the first night they put on with bands.

Tubelord at the Hare & Hounds 05/11/2009

Maybe it's because it's a Thursday. Maybe it's because it's raining. Or maybe it's because it's Bonfire Night. Somewhere out there a Guy is on fire. And maybe a towerblock too, as I saw a few fire engines surrounding one on the way into Kings Heath. Either way, by 8:30 there's still only about 30 people tops in the second, smaller room upstairs in the Hare. There is another gig on in the room next door, but that seems quiet too. What's wrong with people, £5 for an awesome line up? Words fail me sometimes.
First up this evening are 3 lovely boys from Birmingham who go by the name of Shapes. Not so long ago they released their second EP on Big Scary Monsters, which gives the uninitiated an idea of what they've got in store. They seem somewhat amused by the fact they have never played at the Hare, and despite the lacklustre turn out they play with as much energy as they can muster, but not before asking everyone to stand up and move from the comfy sofas that line the room. "It is a gig after all!" guitarist Steve Bachelor reminds the crowd. This evening the band tend to favour their newer material over the old, which is a shame as their first EP was immense. However, they still treat the amassed with their slabs of spastic prog-metal, launching from the stage into the front row with reckless abandon. Closing with 'You Butcher', I can't help but feel a little let down as they were nowhere near as exciting as they were on my last encounter with them, though I must commend their manners, for they thanked everyone for chosing the gig instead of a bonfire. Bless.

Now, something tells me either Tall Ships are new to this game, or maybe they are just having a touch of really bad luck (I think it may be the latter option): guitar strings break during the first song, keyboard in another, several moments where everything seems (to paraphrase the Shapes song) to be more out of tune than everything else... yet simultaneous to this there are moments of clarity where Tall Ships shine, showing themselves to be a magnificantly forward-thinking and creative outfit (albeit, their choice of clothing may leave a lot to be desired). It's an odd set-up with two facing keyboards in the middle and an assortment of pedals underneath. There are also bits of drum in places other than at the drum kit. It's hard to explain, look on their myspace and you will get a better idea of what's going on. Anyway, the great thing about Tall Ships is that all their songs are built out of loops ie. play a bit of guitar, loop it, play some more over the top and so on. It will be interesting to hear how this translates on record, as tonight some of what they were doing was simply lost in the live setting. Their last song was my favourite simply on the merit of how messed up it was. There was instruments being swapped like wives, a dirty distorted keyboard loop, and the bassist climbed up the PA system to hit a cymbal. They were also joined by Joseph and Sean from Tubelord who helped make even more of a racket and brought their set to a close. I clapped a lot.

Finally Tubelord take to the stage and those in attendance finally act like it's a rock show, getting on their feet and moving forward in the general direction of the stage. The Kingston three-piece work their way through tracks from debut Our First American Friends, and it's upon hearing these tracks live you realise how fun and creative a band they are. I personally felt a little let down by their album, as it didn't for me capture them as acurately as their live show - which sometimes wanders in to the raw and rough around the edges. Yet, it is the live Tubelord which really captivates me. There is something of old Biffy in Joe's guitar riffs, whilst his lyrics remind me of Reuben, somewhat cryptic in places but always anthemic. The subtle use of glockenspiel on a couple of tracks draws the band in another direction, a much more chilled an laid back one, whilst these slower songs are easily balanced out by their bouncy emo-pop in tracks like 'I am Azerrad' and 'Night of the Pencils', the latter of which they sing "three is the magic number" over the final chorus, to much amusement and big smiles. Towards the end of the set Joe decided to read some poetry, and asked everyone to sit down on the floor. Which, strangely, everyone did. There was something a bit surreal about a room of people at a gig sitting on the floor whilst listening to a poetry recital, but at the same time it's touches like this that make Tubelord so special. I did whip out my camera at this point to take a photo but got a little embarresed when Joe pointed at me and told everyone to check out the art student (I wish). And almost as soon as it had begun, it was over, as the gang smash their way through the last song regardless of having broken several strings. And as I stepped out onto Kings Heath High Street with the smell of fireworks in the air, there was no way I could consider that tonight, despite low numbers, anyone had been short-changed.

Passion Pit at the O2 Academy 01/11/2009

My second time in the O2 Academy in a matter of days, and this time I at least felt a little more aware of my surroundings. It couldn't be any more different a crowd either - quite a diverse mix was filing into Academy 2, probably due to the amount of hype and/or airplay that Passion Pit have received over the last few months. But, first things first, we have an odd gentleman on the stage who is surrounded by keyboards and boxes with leads coming out of them. That man is Max Tundra (real name Ben Jacobs, fact fans), and whilst knowing the name I had never heard his music. By honest first impression was "what on earth is this?", and it's a good question if ever there was one. This balding 30-something makes music which sounds like a cross between a Nintendo 64 and Nathan Barley's ringtone, or (just so I can use another silly similie) the soundtrack to Vince Noir's wet dreams. It's not bad stuff, his 90s rave track being my highlight, but it's too early on a dreary Sunday evening, and Max sems to be too much for most and more faces painted a picture of confusion than anything else. He finished his set with his rendition of the Goodbye Song. Irony, much?

Next up were one of my highlights of Hop Farm festival, The Joy Formidable. Despite only having a mini-album to their name, the show the Welsh power-trio put on comes across like a greatest hits set. 'The Greatest Light...', 'Whirring' et al. all sound fresh and absolutley vital in the live environment, singer/guitarist Ritzy is every inch the rockstar, despite being tiny... and very cute. They remind me very much of the late great JJ72, with the smallest smattering of Smashing Pumpkins heaviness for good measure. Drummer Matt Thomas is a powerhouse of a drummer and pummels the kit within an inch of its life. TJF should be huge, and with a self-financed live album on its way, we will all be able to relive the excellence of their live show in our bedrooms. I'm looking forward to catching them again in the future, but will have to get used to the fact they will be moving into larger rooms sooner rather than later.

Hype can be a double-edged sword. It can build you up, but it can also knock you down, and tonight it did the latter. Despite the high expectations I had from from the rave reviews about the band, and from their enjoyable debut record Manners, tonight Passion Pit fell short of the buzz that surrounds them. Although there are moments of pure electronic pop beauty in singles like 'The Reeling', other songs are lost in the ether in the live setting, missing the fragile layers that exist on the LP itself. That's not to say the band weren't playing well, but after The Joy Formidable's set it was hard for me to get as excited about them as the previous trio. A faulty mic lead also led to mayhem for the band played through 'I've Got Your Number' (one of their most popular tracks) as an instrumental, oblivious to the crowds blank response and shouts that there were no vocals. Luckily, following some swapping of cables the band obliged the crowds calls of "Again!" and played the track through once more with the vocals. Its probably the only time I've seen a band play the same song twice, with possibly the exception of Let's Wrestle, but they are a whole different kettle of fish. Maybe another time Passion Pit would shine, but for tonight at least the politely bow out, knowing that it wasn't their strongest show, but still an enjoyable evening.

Funeral for a Friend at the O2 Academy 30/10/2009

Right, I pretty much knew what I was getting myself into when I bought a ticket for this event. Organised by Vans, and heralded as the "Off the Wall New Music Night", I was almost certain of what the music would be like and what the demographic of the audience that matched this music would be. On both of these accounts I was not let down. Yet still, I made my way to the new O2 in order to catch two bands: one new, and one old. I would probably have tried to catch some of the smaller acts playing in Academy 3 if doors hadn't been so early, meaning that by the time I actually managed to get home from work, change, catch train, walk across Birmingham, get into the venue, I had missed a large chunk of the evening. Luckily, chances are I wouldn't have missed anything exciting. As I made my way through the maze of corridors between rooms, trying to a) find my bearings, and b) not get knocked over by marauding teens, I found myself in the smallest of the Academy rooms watching a band called Prego. They were playing fairly average/instantly forgettable alt.rock/emo, and looking at my watch I realised that local heroes Blakfish were about to start in Academy 2. I was excited. I left and made my way upstairs.

I love Blakfish, and tonight's performance just acted as fuel to the fire of my interest in them. The sound wasn't fantastic, with there being far too much bass in the mix, however they were just as mouthy as ever, levelling insults towards the other bands on the bill, Vans' merchandising policy, and members of the audience who had the audacity to leave the room mid-set. And there wasn't that many people in the room to begin with. They even managed to break part of the monitor. Playing through a set which comprised mostly of tracks from Champions, the band threw their all into 'Jeremy Kyle is a Marked Man' and the classic 'Economics', as well as the almighty group sing-along that is set closer 'Ringo Star: 2nd Best Drummer in the Beatles' with band and (what remained of) the crowd joining together with the cries that "it could be worse, we could be dead. I don't know how we survived, all I know is we did." Of course, it could be worse than that - they could be in any of the other over-the-top, over-produced, Americanized groups which littered the bill (they threw down several cheeky bars of a Green Day song, before laughing themselves out of it). Instead, Blakfish present something real and raw, it may sound unpolished tonight, but they are still fascinating and unpredictable to watch. It just seems that this crowd aren't that interested. And in one final act of rebellion Sam and Thom left the stage, walked to the back of the room and climbed on the bar, still singing the "it could be worse..." refrain... before they were promptly told off and asked to get down by security staff. Brilliant.

Following all that I was left at a bit of a loss. There was nothing that really took my fancy at all, and it was only roughly one set away from Funeral for a Friend who were obviously the old band I wanted to see. Cutting my losses, I decided to try and get a decent spot in the main room, which also meant having to watch Fightstar. It appears that to be a fan of Fightstar you either have to be an obnoxious teenager or approaching middle-age and trying to recapture your youth. Either way, their appeal was lost on me. Perhaps it's due to the fact I had little knowledge of their music outside of the odd single, or maybe it's just because to me most of their material sounded like sub-standard Deftones covers.

So it is left to Funeral for a Friend to lift my spirits. Considering I've been following the band off and on since the release of their first EP way back in 2002 I'm not sure how I've never managed to catch them live before. I'm not sure what the significance of the guy dressed as a banana was (Blink 182 video anyone?!) who came out to introduce the band to Stevie Wonder's 'I Just Called' but that aside, the band thrashed their way through a well thought out set which incorporated plenty of classics as well as some of their more recent tracks. This was a stroke of luck, as admittedly after their second LP my knowledge of them falters slightly. I was stoked to hear that tracks like 'Juno' and 'Bullet Theory' still rip it up and sound as fresh today as they did 7 years ago. In many ways, it's seeing bands like this that make me realise I am getting older. Corr, can you believe how long these guys have been around now! But hey, seeing them has helped fill the FfaF shaped void that has existed, and maybe just for that hour I was just like those obnoxious teens again, if only in spirit.