Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in January 2010
Words - Suzy Sims
(c) mINtSOUTH.com
SHED SEVEN + THE HOLLOWAYS @ PORTSMOUTH PYRAMIDS 17/12/2009
I’m showing my age now. In 1996 I was a young teen and an avid Top Of The Pops viewer, as were all my school pals. Back in the playground on the following day, you’d discuss the things you’d spotted, such as the Gallaghers swapping places on Roll With It and sticking their tongues out instead of miming, the cheeky scamps. We all witnessed Shed Seven’s appearance in sparkly suits to perform Going For Gold. I don’t remember if we discussed this – after all, it was just Shed Seven, and they weren’t the key movers and shakers. If you’d told me that I’d be seeing them live, 13 years in the future, I would have told you to jog on (or whatever the mid-Nineties equivalent dismissal was).
Shed Seven were on the whole, a thoroughly decent sounding, if slightly average, Britpop rock band. If you want to find their fans, try yelling ‘SHE LEFT ME ON FRIDAY!’ to see who correctly responds with ‘IT RUINED MY WEEKEND!’ “Yes, they’re still going,” I found myself answering to everyone, and was curious to see what the experience would be like.
Opening the night were The Holloways, the perfect example of what Shed Seven were like a decade ago. They are a cheerful band with uplifting music, who toured with the likes of the Pigeon Detectives. Highly tipped and great fun live, with little sweaty moshpits and cheerful fiddles and singalong choruses, they always leave you in a good mood.
Then something changed. Generator received a bit of Radio 1 play, and was subsequently re-released approximately 400 times. Then fiddle player Rob Skipper left. Now they’re opening for larger acts but instead of a fond fanbase waiting for them at the front of the Pyramids, they find a crowd of mature indie kids, arms crossed, waiting for the headliners. One man dances over to his friends, beer aloft, and the band regard him hungrily. They appear desperate for more people to be enjoying the show. “This is one you should recognise,” says red hatted singer Alfie Jackson as they start Generator and the crowd wakes up. I’m not sure if I‘m just imagining a bitter note in his voice.
The band open with Dancefloor, play Two Left Feet and a couple of newbies off recent album No Smoke, No Mirrors, but the crowd is quiet and the band try to rise above it but seem slightly disappointed in the reception.
Then we’re back in 1996 as Shed Seven stride out to bursts of light and cracking shots of noise. The crowd parts and men with curtains and sports jackets take prime positions in the audience.
Singer Rick Witter has turned into a wiry chap and is sharp witted and charismatic in a slightly waspish way. Some girls at the front start whooping and ask him to do a shout out to one of their friends. “This isn’t a fucking meet and greet. We’ll be here until midnight if I say hello to everyone...“ he responds, and spends a good portion of the night making lewd comments about someone else’s mother, who may or may not have been waiting in their tour bus.
I found myself recognising little snippets (‘It’s like I’ve never been born’ – On Standby, ‘Shame on you...’ - Dolphin) from songs which otherwise I would have been hard-pressed to recall. It’s amazing how little melodies suddenly bring back memories and whole lines of songs you used to sing to. Most of the crowd were in their early 30s; obviously 16-odd when the Shed were at their peak, now reliving the moments when they had few responsibilities and were about to step into the world as fresh-faced adults.
In bad moments it all gets a bit pub rock, sounding like Oasis b-sides when they weren’t really trying. However the songs are warm and familiar friends to most of the crowd, rocking along fuzzily with the odd psychedelic loop. The Heroes is a quirky epic, Getting Better and She Left Me On Friday still make you roar along, Disco Down sees a moshpit kicking off and a pint of what we all hoped was lager descending on our little group, but everyone is waiting for the sweet tune of Chasing Rainbows, a touching song that can still bring a tear to the eye, and is performed with some fantastic colourful lighting.
Shed Seven do (and did) get knocked for not being quite up there with the Britpop elite – Blur, Oasis, Pulp etc – but it’s evident they made an impact on their fans. Rick Witter shakes hands with a guy in the front row who has seen the band 25 times. And I bet he’s not the only fan who keeps coming back.
Shed Seven
The Holloways
Showing posts with label the holloways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the holloways. Show all posts
Friday, 7 May 2010
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Gig Reviews 2006 - Carling24, The Holloways, Vital
In an attempt to build content before the website launched in 2007, I began writing gig reviews of the places I'd been in 2006. These are gigs I was going to anyway, I was there for fun and not work purposes. Unfortunately for anyone who likes variety, as a committed fan of the Pigeon Detectives and a bit of Kaiser Chiefs, the content all started looking rather familiar...
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv in Jan 07 http://www.native.tv
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CARLING 24
Kaiser Chiefs / Captain / The Pipettes @ Brixton Academy, 24th April 06
This is the kind of ‘24’ that Kiefer Sutherland wants to be doing
“Excuse me, have you got a lighter?” slurs a man as he staggers towards the queue at the Brixton Academy. “I just want to light my joint.” No, sorry. A security man asks him to leave and stop harassing the crowd.
“Or what? You gonna fucking fight me?”
“Yeah.”
My friend panics and turns his back slightly, as if that’ll protect him from a crazed and drugged up Londoner tussling on the floor with a hefty bouncer about five feet away from us. Luckily that fight doesn’t materialise, so we can all breathe a bit easier. Thank goodness.
For those who haven’t heard of it, the premise behind Carling 24 is simple. 24 hours of solid live music in one city, hence the 24 part; and it’s quite obviously sponsored by Carling. That means a free drink, unless you skip the bar and run straight to the front row. Either pick and choose one gig or go to as many as you can.
Ian Brown, the Ordinary Boys, Larrikin Love, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Dirty Pretty Things and co. are setting up to play in venues across London, but we only had tickets for the first match. Kaiser Chiefs – Best Live Act at the Brits, moshpit fans - promised to be a stunning opener.
My partner-in-crime on this trip shyly let on that he’d never actually been to a proper concert before (What?!) so I gave him tips in clinging onto the barrier and prayed he wasn’t going to get a crowdsurfer on his head.
If there’s one thing which can liven up a few hours waiting outside Brixton Academy, it’s the Wall of Cock. (We knew what it was called as someone had thoughtfully written it in large letters on the bricks). For those of you who have never seen it, the name pretty much describes it – 6ft plus of dirty jokes, band names and drawings of quite impressive appendages, which almost help take your mind off the fact it’s actually quite cold out and you didn’t bring a coat. We were slightly jealous at the people who seemed to have backstage passes slung round their neck, until we were given one and discovered it was just a list of times that bands were going onstage.
The Pipettes had the honour of kicking off the whole event, although sadly they missed out on being filmed for Channel 4’s coverage. The three girls Rose, Becki and Gwenno sing sunshiney 1950s pop, aided by various groovy dance moves, stylish polka dot dresses and an indie backing band called the Cassettes. Cute and fun, especially ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.’ What are cassettes?
Channel 4 presenter Alex Zane then walks on, trying to bellow ‘Hello Brixton!’ in a microphone which isn’t on and he looks suitably embarrassed. Ooops.
Next onstage were Captain. They didn’t look entirely comfortable, although rumour has it most were suffering from colds. Captain have been hyped up everywhere over the last week, which has timed quite nicely with new single release ‘Broke’. Poppy, with a dreamy fairground keyboard at times, lead vocals are shared by the sweet-voiced Clare and the big hatted Rik. The stage is then hidden away by a sweeping red curtain with ‘KC’ on it.
And at last – the Kaiser Chiefs came on. The crowd goes crackers (we tighten our grip on the barrier – without this, we might be a blob under someone’s trainers in no time) as Ricky Wilson strides down the centre to begin ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less.’ The last year has been amazing for the band, who went from boisterous unknowns to even more boisterous Brit-winners and Live 8 openers.
Of course it’s not only Ricky’s band; the man lording over the back of the stage on drums and backing vocals is Nick Hodgson, a favourite with the ladies for his cheerfulness and shiny hair; Peanut (aka Nick Baines) is on keyboards in his traditional hat, clapping away and loving every minute. Big-haired Simon Rix is rocking away on bass to the right, while Andrew ‘Whitey’ White is calmly playing his guitar and occasionally smiling in quiet amusement.
It’s nearly the end of a long tour for t’Chiefs – they’re closing in their hometown of Leeds in a couple of days – and Ricky is starting to look a little worn, although he still has the energy to climb the odd speaker stack, run along inciting Mexican waves, start a few crowd singalongs, dance with a fan during ‘You Can Have It All’ and lean into the crowd while trying to prevent his trousers being ripped off by a) fans and b) the bouncers.
Ricky announces they will play one of their new songs, although he’s less than happy about the media taping it and walks over to a camera, randomly pressing buttons to turn it off. The band is grudgingly allowing cameraphones, as trying to turn off 5,000 of those is a little trickier. The audience is a little quiet during the new songs, possibly because the only recognisable parts are the clips that a sharing person has uploaded to YouTube.
Things get a little worrying during ‘I Predict A Riot’. For obvious reasons some people think the name of the song is an invitation to charge at the person in front, maybe swing a few elbows or try and climb up someone’s back. Looked round to see a crowdsurfer heading for my face, so ducked while the bouncer made a grab for them. A couple of people become ill and have to be pulled out. Later on while speaking to someone who had the luxury of an upstairs seat, they asked: “What was going on down there? It looked mad!” One man is attempting to push his way to the barrier by putting his hands very close either side of me and practically mounting my back. I pull a face which a bouncer notices – he bounds forward and starts yelling at the bloke to give me some space.
The Kaiser Chiefs also play ‘Caroline, Yes’, ‘Time-Honoured Tradition’, ‘Modern Way’, ‘Sink That Ship’ and ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ before closing with a storming ‘Oh My God’ which has the whole audience screaming that they’d ‘never been this far away from home’. My friend has a bruise all the way across his chest from the barrier. I have an elbow mark in my back. The night has been amazing fun, but we really feel for anyone going to the next gig (Ian Brown in Islington) and the ones after because we’re knackered already.
On the train home, we compare badges bought and text everyone to tell them to look out for us on the TV coverage. A woman moves away from us to sit with her boyfriend and says: “Sorry, you don’t smell or anything.” We point out that yes we do; we’ve been sweating and dancing for hours. She seems to think we’re joking and laughs. We honestly stink.
A fantastically lively start to Carling 24 – but will people still be feeling this buoyed up at 8am? To be honest we don’t care – we’ve had a great time and are looking forward to more alcohol, a decent sleep and watching the gig again on telly. Hurray for telly, and Kaiser Chiefs.
http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk
http://www.thepipettes.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/captaintheband
http://www.carling.com
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THE HOLLOWAYS / THE PIGEON DETECTIVES / SIXNATIONSTATE
@ Southampton Joiners, 18th July 06
Summer heat and stage invasions
Five stage invasions, three water pistols, one fist fight. It’s possible the July heatwave which is lazily covering the south in some sort of thermal blanket is affecting people’s brains.
Tonight is a revolving headline tour between the Pigeon Detectives and the Holloways, promoted by the Joiners as ‘Two NME Faves… One Great Bill.’
First on stage are local band SixNationState, whose lead singer has a belting voice. There’s lots of comedic bobbing up and plenty of knees-up in turn to their summery indie ska. They are joined on stage by two girls bouncing up and down (these two make a regular appearance through the night. Luckily it’s the bands getting a cut of the ticket price, not them).
Next are the Pigeon Detectives, the band I was most looking forward to. The member of this fast upcoming Leeds band are singer Matt, Oliver and Ryan on guitar, David on bass and Jimmi on the sticks. Matt was clearly hot already, one his first acts being to pour a bottle of water over his head and then sprinkle the rest at the crowd. Someone in front of me threw water at Oli. He looked seriously pissed off. The band has been seriously hyped up, mostly by NME and an overexcited Kaiser Chiefs drummer, but they’re worth it (just like L’Oreal).
This band are so in demand, apparently even the members can’t buy a copy of their new single ‘You Know I Love You’ because it’s sold out everywhere. The Pigeons play a nice raw slab of rock music with the biggest, sweatiest mosh pit I’ve seen for a long while. Matt is full of energy, running from one end to the other and leaping face-down into the crowd.
The girl in front of me turns round and shouts: “I’ve never been to a gig before!” She loves it, bless her cottons. There’s another teenager stood on a stool at the front, blocking a lot of people’s views. (Stool Boy later apologises nicely to the people and said he realises it annoyed everyone).
Pigeon Detective fans tend to have a large number of tracks in their collection (hurray for MySpace) and so there are a considerable number knowing the words. The band tear their way through ‘I Found Out’, ‘Wait For Me’, ‘You Better Not Look My Way’ and ‘Don't Know How To Say Goodbye’ among others, getting the crowd to join in on various choruses.
Matt amuses himself by climbing the speaker stack and sitting on the shoulders of a stage invader, dropping the mike and motioning until someone passes him another. “Thanks to the guy who let me rub my sweaty bollocks on the back of his neck for the last song,” he announced. Charmed, I’m sure.
The Pigeon Detectives finish with ‘I’m Not Sorry’, a cue for everyone to climb on stage (shortly followed by a few security personnel).
And inbetween bands, there is a mass exodus outside. People collapse on the cool pavement holding drinks and chatting across the road. Cars are driving through the centre real slow, looking nervously at the gig goers. Perhaps they’re expecting a riot, but it’s far too hot for that type of shit.
Back inside, the heat is heavy, the Holloways are chatting by the bar in fetching straw hats and a group of guys are walking past the bar singing Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’.
And here come the Holloways, ready to cheer up the crowd with some upbeat indie. “Anyone here not sweating?” asks chatty singer/guitarist Alfie, and the drummer picks up an enormous water gun and fires at the audience. The other band members are Rob on vocals/guitar/fiddle, Bryn on bass and Dave on drums (luckily their names fit the part). Alfie walks around the stage randomly commenting on the previous act until the band say: “Just pick up the Mustang and play a song.”
And tonight’s songs include ‘Diamonds and Pearls’, ‘Great Britain’, ‘Generator’ and plenty of others I don’t know (sorry). We’re told they’ve played Southampton lots before and we’re usually rubbish, but tonight we’re, oooh, second best on the tour.
The Holloways should also be highly commended for using an electric fiddle, an underestimated instrument in indie rock (although it keeps detuning in the heat so is only brought out on special occasions).
The heat was affecting a few people the wrong way, with two guys choosing a break between songs to try and punch each other. “What are you doing? You daft bastards,” Alfie says as the crowd try to separate them. One of the guys keeps trying to launch himself at the other, but is being held back by an audience member. The mosh pit, which seemed so frightening ten minutes ago, completely empties.
“He’s trying to punch him… Stop that!” says Alfie. The band decide the heat and the energy is a bit much and play a slow track to chill things down a bit. The gig’s overrunning and they’re not allowed to play everything, but of course there’s time for new single ‘Two Left Feet.’
“If you’re here for the music, take a step forward. If you’re here for a fight… er, just fuck off,” says Rob, who receives a round of applause for his wisdom.
Singer Alfie is having such a good time chatting he forgets to play, then imitates the crowd yelling at him in a high-pitched voice: “Alfie! ALFIE!” So the rest of the band (mainly Rob) blast him in the face with water pistols. The last song is greeted with a queue of people climbing on stage, patting Alfie, trying not to fall off, waving at their friends then launching into the moshpit. It’s overrun by half an hour but no-one cares.
Indie ska is here, boys and girls. And never underestimate the power of sweaty summer rock.
http://www.theholloways.tk
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
http://www.sixnationstate.co.uk
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TENNENT'S VITAL FESTIVAL - DAY ONE
The Tides, The Pigeon Detectives, Mumm-Ra, Be Your Own Pet, The Raconteurs, Kaiser Chiefs.
The Botanic Gardens, Belfast, 22nd August 06
Norn Iron’s biggest rock/pop festival comes into town
Why are major festivals always sponsored by lager? I am a girl. I don’t like lager. I don’t want lager. I want more choice than warm cider or lemony vodka in the bar. Nothing against any brand in particular, I just don’t like it. Sorry.
If I did have to choose a lager right now though, Tennent’s is the best, judging from the events they put on (think I got out of that one all right).
There had actually been plenty of complaints, not over the choice of beverages, but over the line up for Day One of Tennent’s Vital Festival in the beautiful city of Belfast. Who knows why, because it seemed very impressive. Any line up with Jack White and the Kaisers is not to be sniffed at. ¡Forward, Russia! were headlining the second stage, although I didn’t catch them because I was stuck in front of the main one.
First on stage were Northern Ireland’s rising stars, The Tides. Rising Tides. Arf. They had brought a number of screaming fans/friends along with them for the ride; well, it’s not every day you open the biggest festival in the area. They were pretty enjoyable with catchy songs and looked proud to be up there.
Next up were the Pigeon Detectives, who frankly deserved a bigger audience. I found myself standing slightly apart from their main bunch of fans, so I held my own mini mosh pit (with just me in it, I had no chance of getting crushed/killed. Now that’s festival luxury). The band opened with ‘Romantic Type’, charging their way through ‘You Know I Love You’, ‘Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’, ‘I Found Out’ and more, saving best known hit ‘I’m Not Sorry’ until the very end. Plenty of jumping up, getting tangled in the mike lead and leaning into the crowd from seriously energetic frontman Matt Bowman. The girls in front of me chose to ignore the band because they could see the Kaiser Chiefs watching from the side of the stage and they were trying to take pictures of them. Little bit rude, but there you go.
Up popped Mumm-Ra, the best band from Bexhill-on-Sea, and with one of the best names on the bill (I’m afraid the Pigeons take top honour there, but only after gaining points for surrealism). The lead singer stood on the amp on tiptoe, leaned forward and almost plunged headfirst into the crowd. He also made use of a plastic duck on stage, singing to it and putting it on his head. The audience looked confused. Tate, Noo, Oli, Niall and Gareth play a bewildering yet beautiful mix of styles in each individual song, and everyone is impressed. I'd most definitely go and watch their curious set again.
In the break, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson decided to wander across the stage, wearing shades and sporting an enormous grin. When he was done, one of the girls in front of me turned around screaming ‘Oh My God… I think I just saw Ricky!’ There’s nothing like an overexcited fangirl almost weeing themselves on your shoes to make the time spent waiting between bands pass oh, so much faster.
Be Your Own Pet are probably a fantastic band if you’re a rebellious 15 year old. I’m not, and I found their rolling on the floor, hand gestures and spitting slightly ridiculous. But hey, if it’s what the kids like. Good shouty punk though, which got the crowd going. Tough frontwoman Jemina Pearl was booed for thanking the audience with a drawled ‘Thanks, you’ve been great. NOT!’, but as this was the lady who also reportedly started a gig in Newcastle with a phrase along the lines of ‘I hear all Geordies are wankers’ this was most amusing and actually good manners on her part.
The Raconteurs caused a few crowd surges well before they came onstage. It’s amazing the effect a golden curtain with a logo on can have on several thousand festival goers. On walked Brendan Benson and the crowd went wild, but it’s the sight of Jack White which caused a frenzy. The band launched into ‘Steady As She Goes’ fairly early on and the place was bouncing crazily. Jack White is a superb guitarist and the band play together tightly. One of the highlights is a corking, spine-tingling version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ featuring White’s screeched vocals and some heavy guitar hanging in the air. There’s one reviewer here who has made it a mission to get hold of their album. (Well, when the stores start their 3 for 2 sales anyway).
And it seemed to be raining again. It’s been on-off all afternoon, but luckily the organisers have put some metal flooring down to stop the first few metres of fans disappearing into some kind of quickmud (“The audience members seem to be barely a foot tall, but it’s because most have sunk into the grass and will next be seen arriving feet first in Australia”).
And look who bounded onto the stage next. That’s right, they’re the Kaiser Chiefs, and boy do they look pleased to be here. The headlining act exploded with ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ and everyone went wild. Sadly I had arrived a minute too late to hang onto the barrier, so I spent most of the night gripping the person in front with fear in my eyes (spot the mosh pit coward).
The Chiefs treated us to many a track off ‘Employment’, including ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, ‘Caroline Yes’, ‘Born To Be A Dancer’ and ‘I Predict A Riot.’ There were new stage lights (oooh) which were lit to a cry of ‘Kaiser! Chiefs! Kaiser! Chiefs!’ The band also made UK debuts for several new tracks, including ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ and ‘Heat Dies Down,’ which went down well.
Things went a little awry later on during ‘Modern Way’. Ricky was crowdsurfing as usual when suddenly the vocals stopped and he fell from sight. Turned out a fan girl had leapt on him and wouldn’t get off. Security craned their necks and the band carried on playing but looked a little concerned. Eventually Ricky surfed his way back to the front. He landed squarely on a girl’s head a foot away from me, doubling her up so I reached out a hand to try and lift his weight off her. Unfortunately the only part of him I could reach was his bum. Damn shame, but I honestly wasn’t making a grab for it. “Thank you,” he said sheepishly after making it back on stage. Keyboardist Peanut laughed at him.
It ended with a lengthy version of ‘Oh My God’ (always amusing to the KC Hardcore Massive when some of the crowd launches into the chorus a verse too early) with everyone screaming their lungs out. A top class finish to the day, with the Kaiser Chiefs living up to their excellent live reputation and the Raconteurs proving a fantastic choice and one of the highlights.
I got lost on the way back to my hostel and asked police for directions into town. My legs hurt, my wet hair looked like there were birds nesting in it and I had accidentally spent nearly £20 on a new band t-shirt. A nice man by the cashpoint offered me some chewing gum, so presumably I smelt bad too.
I like this festival. It’s a lot smaller than Reading/Leeds which makes it a lot nicer, seemingly more about the bands than about how many people you can cram into one field. Shame it’s quite short and isn’t suitable for camping or a longer stay though – but maybe next year…
http://www.vital06.com/lda.php
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv in Jan 07 http://www.native.tv
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CARLING 24
Kaiser Chiefs / Captain / The Pipettes @ Brixton Academy, 24th April 06
This is the kind of ‘24’ that Kiefer Sutherland wants to be doing
“Excuse me, have you got a lighter?” slurs a man as he staggers towards the queue at the Brixton Academy. “I just want to light my joint.” No, sorry. A security man asks him to leave and stop harassing the crowd.
“Or what? You gonna fucking fight me?”
“Yeah.”
My friend panics and turns his back slightly, as if that’ll protect him from a crazed and drugged up Londoner tussling on the floor with a hefty bouncer about five feet away from us. Luckily that fight doesn’t materialise, so we can all breathe a bit easier. Thank goodness.
For those who haven’t heard of it, the premise behind Carling 24 is simple. 24 hours of solid live music in one city, hence the 24 part; and it’s quite obviously sponsored by Carling. That means a free drink, unless you skip the bar and run straight to the front row. Either pick and choose one gig or go to as many as you can.
Ian Brown, the Ordinary Boys, Larrikin Love, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Dirty Pretty Things and co. are setting up to play in venues across London, but we only had tickets for the first match. Kaiser Chiefs – Best Live Act at the Brits, moshpit fans - promised to be a stunning opener.
My partner-in-crime on this trip shyly let on that he’d never actually been to a proper concert before (What?!) so I gave him tips in clinging onto the barrier and prayed he wasn’t going to get a crowdsurfer on his head.
If there’s one thing which can liven up a few hours waiting outside Brixton Academy, it’s the Wall of Cock. (We knew what it was called as someone had thoughtfully written it in large letters on the bricks). For those of you who have never seen it, the name pretty much describes it – 6ft plus of dirty jokes, band names and drawings of quite impressive appendages, which almost help take your mind off the fact it’s actually quite cold out and you didn’t bring a coat. We were slightly jealous at the people who seemed to have backstage passes slung round their neck, until we were given one and discovered it was just a list of times that bands were going onstage.
The Pipettes had the honour of kicking off the whole event, although sadly they missed out on being filmed for Channel 4’s coverage. The three girls Rose, Becki and Gwenno sing sunshiney 1950s pop, aided by various groovy dance moves, stylish polka dot dresses and an indie backing band called the Cassettes. Cute and fun, especially ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.’ What are cassettes?
Channel 4 presenter Alex Zane then walks on, trying to bellow ‘Hello Brixton!’ in a microphone which isn’t on and he looks suitably embarrassed. Ooops.
Next onstage were Captain. They didn’t look entirely comfortable, although rumour has it most were suffering from colds. Captain have been hyped up everywhere over the last week, which has timed quite nicely with new single release ‘Broke’. Poppy, with a dreamy fairground keyboard at times, lead vocals are shared by the sweet-voiced Clare and the big hatted Rik. The stage is then hidden away by a sweeping red curtain with ‘KC’ on it.
And at last – the Kaiser Chiefs came on. The crowd goes crackers (we tighten our grip on the barrier – without this, we might be a blob under someone’s trainers in no time) as Ricky Wilson strides down the centre to begin ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less.’ The last year has been amazing for the band, who went from boisterous unknowns to even more boisterous Brit-winners and Live 8 openers.
Of course it’s not only Ricky’s band; the man lording over the back of the stage on drums and backing vocals is Nick Hodgson, a favourite with the ladies for his cheerfulness and shiny hair; Peanut (aka Nick Baines) is on keyboards in his traditional hat, clapping away and loving every minute. Big-haired Simon Rix is rocking away on bass to the right, while Andrew ‘Whitey’ White is calmly playing his guitar and occasionally smiling in quiet amusement.
It’s nearly the end of a long tour for t’Chiefs – they’re closing in their hometown of Leeds in a couple of days – and Ricky is starting to look a little worn, although he still has the energy to climb the odd speaker stack, run along inciting Mexican waves, start a few crowd singalongs, dance with a fan during ‘You Can Have It All’ and lean into the crowd while trying to prevent his trousers being ripped off by a) fans and b) the bouncers.
Ricky announces they will play one of their new songs, although he’s less than happy about the media taping it and walks over to a camera, randomly pressing buttons to turn it off. The band is grudgingly allowing cameraphones, as trying to turn off 5,000 of those is a little trickier. The audience is a little quiet during the new songs, possibly because the only recognisable parts are the clips that a sharing person has uploaded to YouTube.
Things get a little worrying during ‘I Predict A Riot’. For obvious reasons some people think the name of the song is an invitation to charge at the person in front, maybe swing a few elbows or try and climb up someone’s back. Looked round to see a crowdsurfer heading for my face, so ducked while the bouncer made a grab for them. A couple of people become ill and have to be pulled out. Later on while speaking to someone who had the luxury of an upstairs seat, they asked: “What was going on down there? It looked mad!” One man is attempting to push his way to the barrier by putting his hands very close either side of me and practically mounting my back. I pull a face which a bouncer notices – he bounds forward and starts yelling at the bloke to give me some space.
The Kaiser Chiefs also play ‘Caroline, Yes’, ‘Time-Honoured Tradition’, ‘Modern Way’, ‘Sink That Ship’ and ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ before closing with a storming ‘Oh My God’ which has the whole audience screaming that they’d ‘never been this far away from home’. My friend has a bruise all the way across his chest from the barrier. I have an elbow mark in my back. The night has been amazing fun, but we really feel for anyone going to the next gig (Ian Brown in Islington) and the ones after because we’re knackered already.
On the train home, we compare badges bought and text everyone to tell them to look out for us on the TV coverage. A woman moves away from us to sit with her boyfriend and says: “Sorry, you don’t smell or anything.” We point out that yes we do; we’ve been sweating and dancing for hours. She seems to think we’re joking and laughs. We honestly stink.
A fantastically lively start to Carling 24 – but will people still be feeling this buoyed up at 8am? To be honest we don’t care – we’ve had a great time and are looking forward to more alcohol, a decent sleep and watching the gig again on telly. Hurray for telly, and Kaiser Chiefs.
http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk
http://www.thepipettes.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/captaintheband
http://www.carling.com
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THE HOLLOWAYS / THE PIGEON DETECTIVES / SIXNATIONSTATE
@ Southampton Joiners, 18th July 06
Summer heat and stage invasions
Five stage invasions, three water pistols, one fist fight. It’s possible the July heatwave which is lazily covering the south in some sort of thermal blanket is affecting people’s brains.
Tonight is a revolving headline tour between the Pigeon Detectives and the Holloways, promoted by the Joiners as ‘Two NME Faves… One Great Bill.’
First on stage are local band SixNationState, whose lead singer has a belting voice. There’s lots of comedic bobbing up and plenty of knees-up in turn to their summery indie ska. They are joined on stage by two girls bouncing up and down (these two make a regular appearance through the night. Luckily it’s the bands getting a cut of the ticket price, not them).
Next are the Pigeon Detectives, the band I was most looking forward to. The member of this fast upcoming Leeds band are singer Matt, Oliver and Ryan on guitar, David on bass and Jimmi on the sticks. Matt was clearly hot already, one his first acts being to pour a bottle of water over his head and then sprinkle the rest at the crowd. Someone in front of me threw water at Oli. He looked seriously pissed off. The band has been seriously hyped up, mostly by NME and an overexcited Kaiser Chiefs drummer, but they’re worth it (just like L’Oreal).
This band are so in demand, apparently even the members can’t buy a copy of their new single ‘You Know I Love You’ because it’s sold out everywhere. The Pigeons play a nice raw slab of rock music with the biggest, sweatiest mosh pit I’ve seen for a long while. Matt is full of energy, running from one end to the other and leaping face-down into the crowd.
The girl in front of me turns round and shouts: “I’ve never been to a gig before!” She loves it, bless her cottons. There’s another teenager stood on a stool at the front, blocking a lot of people’s views. (Stool Boy later apologises nicely to the people and said he realises it annoyed everyone).
Pigeon Detective fans tend to have a large number of tracks in their collection (hurray for MySpace) and so there are a considerable number knowing the words. The band tear their way through ‘I Found Out’, ‘Wait For Me’, ‘You Better Not Look My Way’ and ‘Don't Know How To Say Goodbye’ among others, getting the crowd to join in on various choruses.
Matt amuses himself by climbing the speaker stack and sitting on the shoulders of a stage invader, dropping the mike and motioning until someone passes him another. “Thanks to the guy who let me rub my sweaty bollocks on the back of his neck for the last song,” he announced. Charmed, I’m sure.
The Pigeon Detectives finish with ‘I’m Not Sorry’, a cue for everyone to climb on stage (shortly followed by a few security personnel).
And inbetween bands, there is a mass exodus outside. People collapse on the cool pavement holding drinks and chatting across the road. Cars are driving through the centre real slow, looking nervously at the gig goers. Perhaps they’re expecting a riot, but it’s far too hot for that type of shit.
Back inside, the heat is heavy, the Holloways are chatting by the bar in fetching straw hats and a group of guys are walking past the bar singing Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’.
And here come the Holloways, ready to cheer up the crowd with some upbeat indie. “Anyone here not sweating?” asks chatty singer/guitarist Alfie, and the drummer picks up an enormous water gun and fires at the audience. The other band members are Rob on vocals/guitar/fiddle, Bryn on bass and Dave on drums (luckily their names fit the part). Alfie walks around the stage randomly commenting on the previous act until the band say: “Just pick up the Mustang and play a song.”
And tonight’s songs include ‘Diamonds and Pearls’, ‘Great Britain’, ‘Generator’ and plenty of others I don’t know (sorry). We’re told they’ve played Southampton lots before and we’re usually rubbish, but tonight we’re, oooh, second best on the tour.
The Holloways should also be highly commended for using an electric fiddle, an underestimated instrument in indie rock (although it keeps detuning in the heat so is only brought out on special occasions).
The heat was affecting a few people the wrong way, with two guys choosing a break between songs to try and punch each other. “What are you doing? You daft bastards,” Alfie says as the crowd try to separate them. One of the guys keeps trying to launch himself at the other, but is being held back by an audience member. The mosh pit, which seemed so frightening ten minutes ago, completely empties.
“He’s trying to punch him… Stop that!” says Alfie. The band decide the heat and the energy is a bit much and play a slow track to chill things down a bit. The gig’s overrunning and they’re not allowed to play everything, but of course there’s time for new single ‘Two Left Feet.’
“If you’re here for the music, take a step forward. If you’re here for a fight… er, just fuck off,” says Rob, who receives a round of applause for his wisdom.
Singer Alfie is having such a good time chatting he forgets to play, then imitates the crowd yelling at him in a high-pitched voice: “Alfie! ALFIE!” So the rest of the band (mainly Rob) blast him in the face with water pistols. The last song is greeted with a queue of people climbing on stage, patting Alfie, trying not to fall off, waving at their friends then launching into the moshpit. It’s overrun by half an hour but no-one cares.
Indie ska is here, boys and girls. And never underestimate the power of sweaty summer rock.
http://www.theholloways.tk
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
http://www.sixnationstate.co.uk
-----
TENNENT'S VITAL FESTIVAL - DAY ONE
The Tides, The Pigeon Detectives, Mumm-Ra, Be Your Own Pet, The Raconteurs, Kaiser Chiefs.
The Botanic Gardens, Belfast, 22nd August 06
Norn Iron’s biggest rock/pop festival comes into town
Why are major festivals always sponsored by lager? I am a girl. I don’t like lager. I don’t want lager. I want more choice than warm cider or lemony vodka in the bar. Nothing against any brand in particular, I just don’t like it. Sorry.
If I did have to choose a lager right now though, Tennent’s is the best, judging from the events they put on (think I got out of that one all right).
There had actually been plenty of complaints, not over the choice of beverages, but over the line up for Day One of Tennent’s Vital Festival in the beautiful city of Belfast. Who knows why, because it seemed very impressive. Any line up with Jack White and the Kaisers is not to be sniffed at. ¡Forward, Russia! were headlining the second stage, although I didn’t catch them because I was stuck in front of the main one.
First on stage were Northern Ireland’s rising stars, The Tides. Rising Tides. Arf. They had brought a number of screaming fans/friends along with them for the ride; well, it’s not every day you open the biggest festival in the area. They were pretty enjoyable with catchy songs and looked proud to be up there.
Next up were the Pigeon Detectives, who frankly deserved a bigger audience. I found myself standing slightly apart from their main bunch of fans, so I held my own mini mosh pit (with just me in it, I had no chance of getting crushed/killed. Now that’s festival luxury). The band opened with ‘Romantic Type’, charging their way through ‘You Know I Love You’, ‘Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’, ‘I Found Out’ and more, saving best known hit ‘I’m Not Sorry’ until the very end. Plenty of jumping up, getting tangled in the mike lead and leaning into the crowd from seriously energetic frontman Matt Bowman. The girls in front of me chose to ignore the band because they could see the Kaiser Chiefs watching from the side of the stage and they were trying to take pictures of them. Little bit rude, but there you go.
Up popped Mumm-Ra, the best band from Bexhill-on-Sea, and with one of the best names on the bill (I’m afraid the Pigeons take top honour there, but only after gaining points for surrealism). The lead singer stood on the amp on tiptoe, leaned forward and almost plunged headfirst into the crowd. He also made use of a plastic duck on stage, singing to it and putting it on his head. The audience looked confused. Tate, Noo, Oli, Niall and Gareth play a bewildering yet beautiful mix of styles in each individual song, and everyone is impressed. I'd most definitely go and watch their curious set again.
In the break, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson decided to wander across the stage, wearing shades and sporting an enormous grin. When he was done, one of the girls in front of me turned around screaming ‘Oh My God… I think I just saw Ricky!’ There’s nothing like an overexcited fangirl almost weeing themselves on your shoes to make the time spent waiting between bands pass oh, so much faster.
Be Your Own Pet are probably a fantastic band if you’re a rebellious 15 year old. I’m not, and I found their rolling on the floor, hand gestures and spitting slightly ridiculous. But hey, if it’s what the kids like. Good shouty punk though, which got the crowd going. Tough frontwoman Jemina Pearl was booed for thanking the audience with a drawled ‘Thanks, you’ve been great. NOT!’, but as this was the lady who also reportedly started a gig in Newcastle with a phrase along the lines of ‘I hear all Geordies are wankers’ this was most amusing and actually good manners on her part.
The Raconteurs caused a few crowd surges well before they came onstage. It’s amazing the effect a golden curtain with a logo on can have on several thousand festival goers. On walked Brendan Benson and the crowd went wild, but it’s the sight of Jack White which caused a frenzy. The band launched into ‘Steady As She Goes’ fairly early on and the place was bouncing crazily. Jack White is a superb guitarist and the band play together tightly. One of the highlights is a corking, spine-tingling version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ featuring White’s screeched vocals and some heavy guitar hanging in the air. There’s one reviewer here who has made it a mission to get hold of their album. (Well, when the stores start their 3 for 2 sales anyway).
And it seemed to be raining again. It’s been on-off all afternoon, but luckily the organisers have put some metal flooring down to stop the first few metres of fans disappearing into some kind of quickmud (“The audience members seem to be barely a foot tall, but it’s because most have sunk into the grass and will next be seen arriving feet first in Australia”).
And look who bounded onto the stage next. That’s right, they’re the Kaiser Chiefs, and boy do they look pleased to be here. The headlining act exploded with ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ and everyone went wild. Sadly I had arrived a minute too late to hang onto the barrier, so I spent most of the night gripping the person in front with fear in my eyes (spot the mosh pit coward).
The Chiefs treated us to many a track off ‘Employment’, including ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, ‘Caroline Yes’, ‘Born To Be A Dancer’ and ‘I Predict A Riot.’ There were new stage lights (oooh) which were lit to a cry of ‘Kaiser! Chiefs! Kaiser! Chiefs!’ The band also made UK debuts for several new tracks, including ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ and ‘Heat Dies Down,’ which went down well.
Things went a little awry later on during ‘Modern Way’. Ricky was crowdsurfing as usual when suddenly the vocals stopped and he fell from sight. Turned out a fan girl had leapt on him and wouldn’t get off. Security craned their necks and the band carried on playing but looked a little concerned. Eventually Ricky surfed his way back to the front. He landed squarely on a girl’s head a foot away from me, doubling her up so I reached out a hand to try and lift his weight off her. Unfortunately the only part of him I could reach was his bum. Damn shame, but I honestly wasn’t making a grab for it. “Thank you,” he said sheepishly after making it back on stage. Keyboardist Peanut laughed at him.
It ended with a lengthy version of ‘Oh My God’ (always amusing to the KC Hardcore Massive when some of the crowd launches into the chorus a verse too early) with everyone screaming their lungs out. A top class finish to the day, with the Kaiser Chiefs living up to their excellent live reputation and the Raconteurs proving a fantastic choice and one of the highlights.
I got lost on the way back to my hostel and asked police for directions into town. My legs hurt, my wet hair looked like there were birds nesting in it and I had accidentally spent nearly £20 on a new band t-shirt. A nice man by the cashpoint offered me some chewing gum, so presumably I smelt bad too.
I like this festival. It’s a lot smaller than Reading/Leeds which makes it a lot nicer, seemingly more about the bands than about how many people you can cram into one field. Shame it’s quite short and isn’t suitable for camping or a longer stay though – but maybe next year…
http://www.vital06.com/lda.php
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Single Reviews - Jan 07 and earlier
I have always enjoyed single reviews more than album ones, mainly because my mind seems to wander. You can be doing an album review and an hour later realise you have completed fifty games of Solitaire but only have five lines of text to show for your work. On singles, you can't not pay attention (unless they're particularly shite).
All words - Suzy Sims
First published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv/
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Meroc Recordings, 2006
First listen: Oh dear God. What is that noise??
Third listen: Oh dear God. This is genius!
Following on from 'Xan Valleys' and the sparkling joy that is 'Gravity's Rainbow' comes the crazed 'Atlantis To Interzone.' It's like being bundled inside some sort of neon tumble drier, spun around crazily and spat back out into an exhilarating mess on the carpet. This song has so many parts, from the guitar bridge into the roared chorus, accompanied by demonic angels on backing vocals; a wild intro giving you no pause for breath before those sirens kick in, and the tuneless crash at the finale. Fantastic. Forthcoming album 'Myths Of The Near Future' is bound to be a cult classic.
http://www.myspace.com/klaxons
-----
¡Forward Russia! - Nineteen
Dance To The Radio, 13th November 2006
Now where's that upside-down exclamation mark button when you need it? ¡Forward Russia! are a favourite of mine due to their habit of naming all their tracks after numbers. 'Give Me A Wall's opener? 'Thirteen'. And track five is 'Nineteen'. Their music is a fascinating mix of heavy, thought-provoking tunes passing by majestically before being broken up by soaring clear choruses with more than a whiff of U2 about them. 'Nineteen' opens with a mildly-depressing synth broken up by random drum beats before the guitar thumps crisply, sending your mind into a paroxysm before being soothed by delicate keyboards. Good stuff to get your teeth into.
http://www.forwardrussia.com/
-----
Little Man Tate - Man I Hate Your Band
V2, 13th November 2006
I have a bit of a soft spot for LMT. 'House Party At Boothy's' was one of my songs of the summer, with its catchy tune, 'naaaaa... na na naaaa's and cheeky little lyrics. I had high hopes for this optimistic number. It turned out to be, well, not as exciting as 'What? What You Got', or as witty as ‘…Boothy’s’, and frankly the title is asking for trouble. But it’s a good solid track which is definitely a grower and keeps the LMT standards flying high above others in the indie murk. 'No knickers underneath.' I bet they haven't, the cheeky buggers.
http://www.littlemantate.co.uk
-----
The Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out
Dance To The Radio, 6th November 2006
Sounding a little tamer than the raw demo which has been kicking about for some time, this is the first full release from the excellent Pigeon Detectives. This is one of their crowdpleasers. Try and listen without a) joining in the 'GOING OUT WITH's; b) holding your breath on the hand-clapping jobby in the middle and c) leaping about headbutting everyone present when the guitars roar back into life - it isn't easy, trust us. Then put on repeat and jump about again. Go catch them live if you can, to see what the fuss is about...
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
-----
Good Shoes - The Photos On My Wall
Brille Records, 25th December 2006
Poor Good Shoes. Someone's decided to release this single on Christmas Day, which means the only people to buy it there and then will be the ones stuck at home playing on the Internet over the festive season. And everyone will ignore it on the shelves later because it's not in the sale. Which is a shame, because it's a cheerful, friendly and jangling slice of indie pop guaranteed to rouse anyone out of their post-Xmas slumbers. It's also nice and short, leaving you wanting more - you won't get stuffed sick on this particular Christmas treat.
http://www.goodshoes.co.uk/
-----
The Holloways - It's Christmas It's Christmas Everybody Loves It
TVT Records, free download over Christmas 2006
OK, so this isn't strictly a release. It's a free track available on their MySpace during Christmas. It begins with wintery jingle bells before some near glam-rock guitars thump in and the cheeky chaps start singing along. 'Eat your food and drink your beer and laugh until you cry.' As Christmas tracks go, it's a more sensible-sounding Wizzard singalong. Far better than that awful 'The Power of Love' which is on every stupid Christmas album. Or even - shudder - a David Hasselhoff. There were a couple of versions bobbing about - we like the one which finishes with the New Year plan squawked out at the end - 'I'm going to get shit-faced down the social club.' We're with you sonny, we're with you.
http://www.myspace.com/theholloways
-----
The Cooper Temple Clause - Waiting Game
Sanctuary Records, 8th January 2007
The latest offering from the Cooper Temple Clause sounds to me like someone's about to be dumped. '"Is this the end?" is all I can say... I promise I never meant to turn you away,' says Dan Fisher. 'You can begin on your own…' It’s pumping yet slightly downbeat. There's also a bit of an '- oh, it's finished' ending. But it's a solid thumping piece of indie rock which many a teenager may be weeping along to in their student digs accompanied by a few cans of whatever beer's on special. There's something gloomy yet comforting about this track, and that's quite nice.
http://www.thecoopertempleclause.co.uk/
-----
Keane - A Bad Dream
Island, 22nd January 2007
Oh dear, it sounds like Keane have been eating too much cheese before bedtime. Keane are always good at those sweeping, dramatic choruses and this is no different to their others. Maybe that's the problem - it's actually no different. Heard it all before. To be honest, it starts a bit soft and weedy. Slightly mournful and downbeat, this will please Keane fans who haven't already heard it on 'Under The Iron Sea' but it's not really strong enough to win them new listeners. It is available on USB ministick though, music collectors/computer boffins; so bonus points on the format front for the Keane boys.
http://www.keanemusic.com/
-----
Klaxons - Golden Skans
Polydor, 8th January 2007
Lots of 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' like the Klaxons lads are at a pleasant indoor firework display. ‘Golden Skans’ should do a good job attracting people to their album, people who might not be quite so aware of their other tracks. This song has 'Radio Friendly' scrawled across it in a big old marker pen. But does that make it any worse than previous offerings? It's certainly different. There's something a little unsettling about this, something simmering under the surface. It's peaceful in a strange way, as in if you lay down to sleep next to it, you might not wake up again. But to me the song doesn't quite get where it could be and I'm left unsatisfied.
http://www.klaxons.net/
-----
Koopa - Blag, Steal & Borrow
Unsigned, 8th January 2007
Ahh, I see by the title Koopa know exactly how to get what they want on their rider. Couldn't write the new single reviews without mentioning this band, who have made headlines by becoming the first unsigned band to get a top 40 song, thanks to the new chart rules on all downloads. But is it any good? Reminiscent of Busted, there are definite US rock tones and chord progressions throughout this. It's all right, a solid rock track. 'The industry is on its arse...,' Koopa moan, later citing displeasure 'if your first single don't make number one.' Could be onto something boys. I'm sure sales of this will shoot up further because of countless reviewers looking to see what the fuss is about.
http://koopatheband.com/
-----
Mika - Grace Kelly
Casablanca Music, 8th January 2007
Right, what have we got here. Mika has been voted the BBC's 'Sound of 2007' which isn't bad seeing as it's only the second week of January. Instant thoughts - Queen. This has you simultaneously tapping your feet and grinding your teeth. It's fun, it's catchy and cheesy, yet a sinking heart says this is what the radio will be playing for the next 18 months. The potential to be the most stress-causing song of the year, and could do without that 'ker-ching!' on the end. 'Why don't you like me, why don't you walk out the door?' he asks. It's because we're riveted to the spot, and we're not entirely sure whether to pat you on the head or flee with dignity intact.
http://www.mikasounds.com
-----
My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words
Reprise, 22nd January 2007
Maybe MCR have been playing those MySpace quizzes which tell you what your last words will be (mine are apparently "So I press this button and..."). Rock pomp; possibly the band have been reading from the Muse Bible of full-blown, melodramatic pieces, while the guitar solos are borrowed from hairdresser's nightmare Brian May. It's pretty good actually, which I wasn't expecting; an enjoyable crash through the Black Parade. Check out the quieter bit three minutes into it and prepare to weep along with the rest of their fans when the song rises up again from the dead. "I am not afraid to keep on living." Go for it!
http://www.mychemicalromance.com
All words - Suzy Sims
First published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv/
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Meroc Recordings, 2006
First listen: Oh dear God. What is that noise??
Third listen: Oh dear God. This is genius!
Following on from 'Xan Valleys' and the sparkling joy that is 'Gravity's Rainbow' comes the crazed 'Atlantis To Interzone.' It's like being bundled inside some sort of neon tumble drier, spun around crazily and spat back out into an exhilarating mess on the carpet. This song has so many parts, from the guitar bridge into the roared chorus, accompanied by demonic angels on backing vocals; a wild intro giving you no pause for breath before those sirens kick in, and the tuneless crash at the finale. Fantastic. Forthcoming album 'Myths Of The Near Future' is bound to be a cult classic.
http://www.myspace.com/klaxons
-----
¡Forward Russia! - Nineteen
Dance To The Radio, 13th November 2006
Now where's that upside-down exclamation mark button when you need it? ¡Forward Russia! are a favourite of mine due to their habit of naming all their tracks after numbers. 'Give Me A Wall's opener? 'Thirteen'. And track five is 'Nineteen'. Their music is a fascinating mix of heavy, thought-provoking tunes passing by majestically before being broken up by soaring clear choruses with more than a whiff of U2 about them. 'Nineteen' opens with a mildly-depressing synth broken up by random drum beats before the guitar thumps crisply, sending your mind into a paroxysm before being soothed by delicate keyboards. Good stuff to get your teeth into.
http://www.forwardrussia.com/
-----
Little Man Tate - Man I Hate Your Band
V2, 13th November 2006
I have a bit of a soft spot for LMT. 'House Party At Boothy's' was one of my songs of the summer, with its catchy tune, 'naaaaa... na na naaaa's and cheeky little lyrics. I had high hopes for this optimistic number. It turned out to be, well, not as exciting as 'What? What You Got', or as witty as ‘…Boothy’s’, and frankly the title is asking for trouble. But it’s a good solid track which is definitely a grower and keeps the LMT standards flying high above others in the indie murk. 'No knickers underneath.' I bet they haven't, the cheeky buggers.
http://www.littlemantate.co.uk
-----
The Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out
Dance To The Radio, 6th November 2006
Sounding a little tamer than the raw demo which has been kicking about for some time, this is the first full release from the excellent Pigeon Detectives. This is one of their crowdpleasers. Try and listen without a) joining in the 'GOING OUT WITH's; b) holding your breath on the hand-clapping jobby in the middle and c) leaping about headbutting everyone present when the guitars roar back into life - it isn't easy, trust us. Then put on repeat and jump about again. Go catch them live if you can, to see what the fuss is about...
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
-----
Good Shoes - The Photos On My Wall
Brille Records, 25th December 2006
Poor Good Shoes. Someone's decided to release this single on Christmas Day, which means the only people to buy it there and then will be the ones stuck at home playing on the Internet over the festive season. And everyone will ignore it on the shelves later because it's not in the sale. Which is a shame, because it's a cheerful, friendly and jangling slice of indie pop guaranteed to rouse anyone out of their post-Xmas slumbers. It's also nice and short, leaving you wanting more - you won't get stuffed sick on this particular Christmas treat.
http://www.goodshoes.co.uk/
-----
The Holloways - It's Christmas It's Christmas Everybody Loves It
TVT Records, free download over Christmas 2006
OK, so this isn't strictly a release. It's a free track available on their MySpace during Christmas. It begins with wintery jingle bells before some near glam-rock guitars thump in and the cheeky chaps start singing along. 'Eat your food and drink your beer and laugh until you cry.' As Christmas tracks go, it's a more sensible-sounding Wizzard singalong. Far better than that awful 'The Power of Love' which is on every stupid Christmas album. Or even - shudder - a David Hasselhoff. There were a couple of versions bobbing about - we like the one which finishes with the New Year plan squawked out at the end - 'I'm going to get shit-faced down the social club.' We're with you sonny, we're with you.
http://www.myspace.com/theholloways
-----
The Cooper Temple Clause - Waiting Game
Sanctuary Records, 8th January 2007
The latest offering from the Cooper Temple Clause sounds to me like someone's about to be dumped. '"Is this the end?" is all I can say... I promise I never meant to turn you away,' says Dan Fisher. 'You can begin on your own…' It’s pumping yet slightly downbeat. There's also a bit of an '- oh, it's finished' ending. But it's a solid thumping piece of indie rock which many a teenager may be weeping along to in their student digs accompanied by a few cans of whatever beer's on special. There's something gloomy yet comforting about this track, and that's quite nice.
http://www.thecoopertempleclause.co.uk/
-----
Keane - A Bad Dream
Island, 22nd January 2007
Oh dear, it sounds like Keane have been eating too much cheese before bedtime. Keane are always good at those sweeping, dramatic choruses and this is no different to their others. Maybe that's the problem - it's actually no different. Heard it all before. To be honest, it starts a bit soft and weedy. Slightly mournful and downbeat, this will please Keane fans who haven't already heard it on 'Under The Iron Sea' but it's not really strong enough to win them new listeners. It is available on USB ministick though, music collectors/computer boffins; so bonus points on the format front for the Keane boys.
http://www.keanemusic.com/
-----
Klaxons - Golden Skans
Polydor, 8th January 2007
Lots of 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' like the Klaxons lads are at a pleasant indoor firework display. ‘Golden Skans’ should do a good job attracting people to their album, people who might not be quite so aware of their other tracks. This song has 'Radio Friendly' scrawled across it in a big old marker pen. But does that make it any worse than previous offerings? It's certainly different. There's something a little unsettling about this, something simmering under the surface. It's peaceful in a strange way, as in if you lay down to sleep next to it, you might not wake up again. But to me the song doesn't quite get where it could be and I'm left unsatisfied.
http://www.klaxons.net/
-----
Koopa - Blag, Steal & Borrow
Unsigned, 8th January 2007
Ahh, I see by the title Koopa know exactly how to get what they want on their rider. Couldn't write the new single reviews without mentioning this band, who have made headlines by becoming the first unsigned band to get a top 40 song, thanks to the new chart rules on all downloads. But is it any good? Reminiscent of Busted, there are definite US rock tones and chord progressions throughout this. It's all right, a solid rock track. 'The industry is on its arse...,' Koopa moan, later citing displeasure 'if your first single don't make number one.' Could be onto something boys. I'm sure sales of this will shoot up further because of countless reviewers looking to see what the fuss is about.
http://koopatheband.com/
-----
Mika - Grace Kelly
Casablanca Music, 8th January 2007
Right, what have we got here. Mika has been voted the BBC's 'Sound of 2007' which isn't bad seeing as it's only the second week of January. Instant thoughts - Queen. This has you simultaneously tapping your feet and grinding your teeth. It's fun, it's catchy and cheesy, yet a sinking heart says this is what the radio will be playing for the next 18 months. The potential to be the most stress-causing song of the year, and could do without that 'ker-ching!' on the end. 'Why don't you like me, why don't you walk out the door?' he asks. It's because we're riveted to the spot, and we're not entirely sure whether to pat you on the head or flee with dignity intact.
http://www.mikasounds.com
-----
My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words
Reprise, 22nd January 2007
Maybe MCR have been playing those MySpace quizzes which tell you what your last words will be (mine are apparently "So I press this button and..."). Rock pomp; possibly the band have been reading from the Muse Bible of full-blown, melodramatic pieces, while the guitar solos are borrowed from hairdresser's nightmare Brian May. It's pretty good actually, which I wasn't expecting; an enjoyable crash through the Black Parade. Check out the quieter bit three minutes into it and prepare to weep along with the rest of their fans when the song rises up again from the dead. "I am not afraid to keep on living." Go for it!
http://www.mychemicalromance.com
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