Showing posts with label Live Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Live Reviews. Show all posts
Review: Data Select Party - Guildford Boilerooms - 24/02/2009
Tonight's opening band Mathematics get the evening off to an energetic start, with the three-piece playing their own brand of infectious indie-pop. By the time, Look! Im A Ghost, hit the stage however, the venue had packed out considerably, (possibly owing to the fact it had been advertised as an eight start, not seven) and the extra bodies in the room add somewhat to the atmosphere, which, despite Mathematics' best effort, had remained stagnant for the entirety of their set. Look! Im A Ghost fare much better in the crown reception stakes, with their pop-punk tinged songs striking a chord with many in the crowd. Colour, are very, very impressive. The band sound much heavier live than on record, but rather than detract from the intricacies of their music, instead the live setting reveals a raw edge to the band. 'Run Like You're Being Chased' goes down a storm with the 18+ crowd, many of whom had come specifically for them.
This tour though, is all about Data Select Party. The London based band are clearly on the ascendancy, with anticipated release 'Hanging Out With Humans' finally available, alongside airplay on Radio One, few would deny Data Select Party's headline slot. Despite the age restrictions on tonight's show, (several are left outside for being too young) DSP can clearly pull a crowd, all of whom, are up for a good time.
Performance wise, the band are extremely tight, with soaring vocal hooks, and impressive fretwork. (Guitarist James, taps like a madman for instance.) 'Ultra Swing' and 'No Girls Allowed' provide the biggest sing-alongs of the night, whilst also cementing Data Select Party's place as one of the UK's top indie-rock bands.
It's probably only a matter of time before DSP are gracing much larger venues across the country, and on the evidence of tonight's performance, the transition wouldn't be a hard one to make for the London four-piece.
The remaining tour dates can be found here.
Chris Powers
Review: The Gaslight Anthem - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms - 07/02/09
Despite being snowed off nearly a week earlier, the rescheduled date of this tour finally went ahead on the second time of asking, albeit without opening support act Polar Bear Club.In light of PBC's absence, local favourite Frank Turner was given an extended set, taking his stage time up to nearly an hour.
Perhaps its something about the sentiment he holds to Portsmouth, at a venue he frequented throughout his youth, or the passion he conveys through lyrics close to his heart, but tonight, Turner really is superb. In an ultra stripped down performance (featuring just Frank and his guitar) he plays a mixture of old songs, and also throws in two from his forthcoming album.
To put it bluntly, on tonight's evidence, Frank is one of the country's top singer songwriters. His lyrics are personal, and by throwing in a joke or two, he's a born entertainer. Whether his usual full band shows can live up to the intimate feel of his acoustic performances remains to be seen. What is clear however, is that Frank Turner is a national treasure.
The Gaslight Anthem are currently riding high, on a sea of hype. The new NME darlings are receiving airplay on top radio stations, and the band show no signs of slowing down.
Their rapid rise to fame though, has caused an apparent resentment among older fans unhappy with the band The Gaslight Anthem have become. Perhaps they have a point, as many in attendance appeared to only show vague knowledge of the critically acclaimed album 'The '59 Sound,' and, material from the band's first album appeared completely alien. Having said that, the singles went down a storm.
Through no fault of their own, TGA find themselves in an awkward situation. They play flawlessly, and the media attention they have received is justly deserved. With influences ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Charles Dickens, its hard to dislike The Gaslight Anthem, and Brian Fallon has emerged as revered lyricist in his own right.
A perfect live performance is a great addition to the band's CV, and in the coming months, they will continue to rise and rise. For their sakes though, hopefully the begrudging 'older fans' will swallow humble pie, and accept that when music as good as this is being played to masses, the world will be a better place for it.
Chris Powers
Review: Better Dressed Than Adam - Bournemouth Mr Kyps - 29/01/09
Its the final round of The Red Battle in the not-so-sunny seaside town of Bournemouth; a battle of the bands competition which sees the very best 17 unsigned bands of the local area perform head to head in 3 rounds, which will determine a winner to face off against the other city champions across the UK. Every band tonight is going all out for the chance to win a combined prize of studio time, a sum of cash, instruments and all-expenses-paid dates across the UK. The winner is selected by votes, which means that every band has gone all out to invite as many people as they can.And this is where one of Better Dressed Than Adam’s strengths come to play. These indie-rock local heroes pull one of the largest crowds of the night, many of the fans having seen them 4 or 5 times before. And if that isn’t dedication from fans of a band that hasn’t even released an EP yet, then I don’t know what is.
Differing from their norm of opening with their oldest song ‘Miles and Miles’, the band take to the stage with smiles all round kicking in with ‘This Town’, causing the crowd to be in awe of eccentric vocalist, Mat Byrom’s singing during the chorus “So let it rain/let it rain/let it rain!”. Other bands of the night walked on, played there songs, plugged themselves with the clichéd “Yo, Check us out on MySpace!” then amble off, however BDTA are all about giving the crowd a fun performance and making it as enjoyable as possible. ‘Sit With Me’ continues to open up Byrom’s enigmatic charm, but it’s when they begin to play a cover of Sugababe’s ‘About You Now’ that the crowd, ranging from youngster metal fans in band t-shirts where the band’s font name is unreadable, to the parents of the bands who are there to support their kin, that the crowd begin to bop and dance to the song, shamefully singing along with the pop-turned-rock chorus. This has an echoing effect as guitarist Dave Giles steps in to duet with the frontman. And as they both humorously sing “Can we bring yesterday back around?/Cause I know how you feel about you now.” to each other, you know that this is a tightly-knit band, with many inside jokes and have had many long lasting experiences together; The bread-and-butter of staying power in any band.
After playing a new untitled song, they burst in to showcase their latest recorded song ‘God Save The Princess’ and announce that this is the first time that they have played it live. The gigantic chorus of “I am a hero/I am spiderman/I am this cowboy/and you are the villain” may look wordy and complicated to read, however each line is sung with more passion than any band with the average age of little over 18.
However, due to set slot times and another 3 or 4 more bands to play, Better Dressed Than Adam’s set was cut short, missing out their chance to play their highlight song ‘Unsinkable’ which has become their house finishing tune. Despite not finishing their full set, as the judge asks for the crowd to raise their hands to vote, you can see from the stranded look on his face that he has trouble counting each hand from the large sea of palms that have been raised high for their local champions. One fan having seen the band 6 times before in just under a year claiming that “It was the best time I’ve seen them and I’m planning to see them twice more in the next month!”.
Instead of buggering off to the backstage area to attempt to live an amateur ‘rockstar’ moment, the band come out into the crowd, to great their family and friends and to support the other bands playing. The Bournemouth unsigned local scene is full to the brim of inter-band friendships, discussing their next gig together at one of the member’s schools or the many various pubs or dingy venues in the area. And even though BDTA were snubbed from victory and came second with an enormous 674 votes (Not as much as the confusing 1637 votes from the winning band who didn’t have as much crowd participation), the smiles that the band walked on stage with and the smiles that they performed with, are the same ones that they wear to this day.
You can check out the band on their myspace. Click here.
Andy Touch
Review: Kris Roe - Bournemouth iBar - 19/01/09
'So Long Astoria' was a record that once packed out music venues globally, yet on a cold January evening on the south coast, it's being played in its entirety to a crowd of little over 100. Perhaps it demonstrates how far The Ataris have fallen from their heyday, when this record was released, the iBar probably wasn't open, fast forward nearly six years and its playing host to an acoustic rendition of this classic pop-punk record.
The show itself is great, crowd surfing to an acoustic show doesn't happen very often, and the audience reaction serves as a testament to the strength of 'So Long Astoria's tracks half a decade after its release. The highlights are perhaps obvious, as 'In This Diary' and 'Boys of Summer' inspire the largest singalongs, with pint glasses held aloft. Nostalgia is clearly the formula for the evening, and Kris Roe's set is a resounding success.
The contemporary setting though, serves as a harsh reminder that Kris Roe's musical career has been overshadowed by his past work. The Ataris are currently in the process of recording a new album, yet it seems likely that after its release they will yet again revert to the back catalogue to draw a crowd.
Will this song live on forever? No, but for this one tour, were all quite happy living in 2003.
Chris Powers
Live Reviews
3OH!3 - London Koko - 26/02/09
A
A Day To Remember: Norwich Waterfront - 22/02/09
The Academy Is: London Islington Academy - 17/09/08
Alexisonfire: London Camden Barfly - 17/08/2008
All Leather: Los Angeles The Smell - 11/01/09
All Or Nothing and Chaos Days - Milkwoodjam, Swansea - 11/12/09
As Tall As Lions - Camden Barfly, London - 11/12/2009
Architects/Misery Signals - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms - 27/01/09
The Arusha Accord/TheSafety Fire/Biolith - Winchester Railway Inn 22/01/09
The Audition: London Koko - 17/02/09
B
The Banner: Kingston Fighting Cocks - 29/10/08
Better Dressed Than Adam - Bournemouth Mr Kyps - 29/01/09
Blackhole - Bournemouth The Gander - 22/02/09
Brand New, Kevin Devine & Moneen - Manchester Academy - 23/06/09
Brand New, Glassjaw & Thrice - Wembley Arena, London - 23/1/2010
Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember and August Burns Red - Bristol O2 Academy - 18/11/09
D
Dartz - Middlesbrough Uncle Alberts - 21/03/2009
Data Select Party - Guildford Boilerooms - 24/02/09
E
Eastpak Antidote Tour (Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag, Four Year Strong and The Ghost of A Thousand) - Portsmouth Pyramids - 21/10/2009
Enter Shikari: London Underworld - 30/09/08
Enter Shikari - London Borderline - 26/02/09
F
Fall Out Boy/Hey Monday - Brighton Centre - 08/03/09
Forever The Sickest Kids: London Underworld - 22/09/08
Funeral For A Friend - Exeter Lemon Grove - 8/10/2009
G
Gallows, Trash Talk, Sharks & Crossbreaker - TJ's, Newport - 07/12/09
The Gaslight Anthem - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms - 07/02/09
GIAN Incoming - Brixton Academy - 17/04/09
J
Jack's Mannequin - London KCLSU - 10/03/09
K
Kaki King: London ICA - 03/10/08
Kevin Devine/Jesse Lacey: Music Hall Of Williamsburg - 25/11/08
Kimya Dawson: London Union Chapel - 11/09/08
Kris Roe: Bournemouth iBar - 19/01/09
L
The Locust: London Astoria - 08/12/08
Lostprophets - Preston 53 Degrees - 13/02/2010
M
Maps & Atlases: London Bardens Boudoir - 14/10/08
Metro Station: London Electric Ballroom - 29/01/09
N
New Found Glory/Four Year Strong: Nottingham Rock City - 28/11/08
P
Polar Bear Club, Shook Ones, Title Fight, The Arteries & Harbour - Newport, 17/02/10.
Propagandhi, Protest The Hero, Strike Anywhere and Blackhole - The Coal Exchange, Cardiff - 02/12/09
R
Reading Festival (28/08/2009 - 30/08/2009)
Radar 2009 - Aldershot Princes Hall - 16/04/09
Reggie and the Full Effect/Leathermouth: New York Highline Ballroom - 07/09/08
Rise Against, Thursday and Poison The Well - Cardiff University - 22/11/09
S
The Secret Handshake: London Astoria - 01/11/08
Smudge, Lost On Landing, Eat Sleep Attack, They Sink Ships, Kyoto Drive and mynameishero - Manchester Retro Bar - 26/10/2009
Set Your Goals, Broadway Calls and Fireworks - TJ's, Newport - 09/12/09
T
Tegan Quin: New York Housing Works Bookstore - 04/09/08
U
Uh Huh Her: London Koko - 19/11/08
Underoath: New York Terminal 5 - 26/10/08
V
Vans Warped Tour 2009 - Home Depot Centre, Los Angeles- 23/08/2009
W
The Wildhearts - Nottingham Rock City - 19/09/2009
Y
You Me At Six: London HMV Oxford Street - 06/10/08
You Me At Six - Portsmouth Pyramids - 12/03/09
Z
Zebrahead: London Astoria 2 - 17/10/08
