Pages

Tuesday 23 July 2013

School's Out for Summer

School's Out For Summer Festival
Central Station Wrexham
July 22, 2013

As a seasoned concert/festival goer I can honestly say that I have never attended a concert quite like this one before.

Wrexham Central Station is located in the centre of Wrexham, and boasts to have hosted concerts for many well known names.  This weekend they were being host to the Schools Out for Summer Festival which had a lineup of twenty one bands across two stages.

When I entered the venue I was blown away by the prettiness.  The whole room comprises of red brick walls and the stone floor is stepped ensuring  a good view of the main stage.  It has a high apex ceiling which provides excellent acoustics and the main stage, which is built into the back wall, adds even more character.

On arrival I searched for a running order to see what time the bands I wanted to check out would be on, but I was unable to find one so I asked a member of staff and was met with a blank look.  Usually you can purchase a programme or at least see printed running orders on venue walls, however this venue didn't offer either.

I saw/heard most of the bands on the programme today but unfortunately I was unable to identify who was who, due to the lack of bands being introduced/not stating who they were or a lack of backdrops showing the bands logos.  Of all the bands that played I only saw one band that used a backdrop to tell you who they were, and that was Laguna Sunrise.

A few of the bands did tell you who they were but with the exception of a couple they were not always audible.  So the only bands I actually recognised (because I've seen them before) were the Fearless Vampire Killers, The Yashin and Glamour of the Kill.


While I am still focusing on the negative aspects of the show I feel I need to comment on the stages and sound checks. The stages were timed so that no bands actually clashed which is a positive as I often find I miss bands because of clashes, so they had a band playing on one stage while the next band set up on the other stage which was a great idea, until they decided to do the sound check which bled over into the music of the performing band.  As it was an L shaped room both stages were in close proximity to each other  and it would have worked much better had there been a five or ten minute break between sets to run sound check, as it not only spoilt the performance for the audience but it was also disrespectful to the performing band.

The day wasn't all negative though, I saw some brilliant bands (Unfortunately I can't write about them though as I don't know who they were).

One of the stand out bands for me was Glamour of the Kill, a quartet from York.  I saw part of their Download set and have been wanting to check them out ever since.  They did not disappoint!  They filled their thirty  minute set with full on rock.  They even finished their set with my favourite of their songs 'Feeling Alive' (check them out on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orTKy0FwoGQ ).  This is a band I would not hesitate to go and see again.


The other two bands that stood out for me where the Yashin and Fearless Vampire Killers, both of which I have seen before on numerous occasions. 

The Yashin never fail to impress me and always look as though they enjoy every second that they are on stage.  I was also lucky enough to meet Harry, Kevin and Connor during the course of the day and they were really lovely guys.  If you have never heard of them check them out here http://www.youtube.com/user/yashinmusic











My favourite set of the whole day had to be Fearless Vampire Killers.  Like the Yashin I have seen and met these guys on numerous occasions and I have never been disappointed.  If you like your rock with a little more Goth then these are the guys to see.


Fearless Vampire Killers throw their heart and soul into every performance they do, filling the set with energy, enthusiasm, catchy choruses and killer riffs....  Oh and the odd bit of eyeliner and talc!
 
Today was no different.  Singing songs such as 'Handlung', 'Bite Down On My Winchester', 'Could We Burn Darling' and 'At War With the Thirst'. 

Kier and Laurence share the front man duties each bringing their own character and qualities to their songs. 



One thing is guaranteed they will give you one hell of a show! (check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfldw83alCY&list=TL17HyTnQXr-w )


All in all I had a good day at the Schools out festival and if they were to make a few changes to the set up (such as sound checks in breaks and a printed running order) I would happily go again.

If you visited this venue for a show where all of the band s perform on the stage area rather than being split across two areas I think this will be a fantastic venue.  I may have to see another gig here just to check it out under non-festival conditions.


Emily's Army, Lacey and Fierce Morgan

Emily's Army, Lacey and Fierce Morgan
Rock City, Nottingham
July 20th, 213

On Saturday night I found myself at the doors of the famous Rock City music venue in Nottingham waiting to check out tonight's show.

First up were a band called Fierce Morgan, a quartet currently located in Sheffield. 

Fierce Morgan had a pop punk vibe with very subtle ska undertones.  These guys (and girl) had loads of energy and certainly got the crowd warmed up and the night off to a good start. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/FierceMorgan?fref=ts


Next up were Lacey, a quartet from Nottingham.  Anyone who has read any of my blog before will already know about these guys as this is the sixth time that I have seen them this year. 

From their opening track of 'Hometown' to the closing notes of 'Let It Go', Lacey never fail to deliver.  These guys put their heart and soul into every performance and are going from strength to strength.  Lacey always look as though they thoroughly enjoy every minute that they are on the stage.


It is safe to say that Lacey are building a following as I saw members of the audience singing along.  These guys never fail to impress me and tonight was no exception as the songs were performed flawlessly. Check out Lacey at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqB3xu65NzdZMcwuXbVaaWA



Headlining the night were Emily's Army, from Oakland California. These guys are true unadulterated pop punk.  They sound very early Greenday (which I guess isn't really surprising considering the father of drummer Joey is none other than Billie Joe Armstrong of Greenday).


Emily's Army have a great stage presence and an abundance of energy and I think we will be seeing much more of these guys in years to come.  Check them out here http://www.youtube.com/user/emilysarmymusic


Saturday 13 July 2013

Lacey

Lacey
July 12th, 2013
Manchester Academy 3

Tonight's show consisted of 5 bands but I was only interested in one and that was Lacey.  Recently Lacey came second in the annual Rock the House competition and are doing everything they can to make their dreams a reality. 

Having seen Lacey four times already this year, as soon as I heard that they were in town I knew I had to go, so this review will probably be quite short as I am only reviewing their set rather than the entire show.

Unfortunately, Lacey only had a twenty five minute slot for their performance so they were unable to play the whole of their repertoire but what they crammed into that twenty five minutes made up for the shortness.


Lacey hit the stage to 'Hometown', the first song from their latest EP Outlaws.  Hometown is an upbeat song and is a great show starter as it really gets the crowd moving and involved. 

The Lacey cover version of Ellie Goulding's 'Anything Can Happen' always goes down well at their shows.  The synthesized melody from the original is replaced by an amazing guitar line and teamed with Graham's voice  turns a run of the mill pop song into an amazing rock song.  I just hope that they record their version of the song for release at some point as I personally feel that it is better than the original.


It's a shame that Lacey have not had too much radio exposure as yet as the song 'Burning Out' has all the opportunity for the audience to participate and really be a part of the song, with the repeated mantra of 'We all fall down, we all do nothing', which given the right crowd could lift the roof off a venue!

The Third song from the 'Outlaws' EP is 'Contender' and although it offers a slower pace it doesn't lose the enthusiasm that they put into every song.  An honest and passionate song that it is obviously sung from the heart.  This is one to check out on YouTube.  Once you hear this song you will be hooked. (Check out their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqB3xu65NzdZMcwuXbVaaWA )

Lacey Finished with 'Let it Go', a song that got them through to the final fifteen of the Red Bull Studios Competition to win a place a Download 2013.  Unfortunately they didn't make it to Download but  getting to the final fifteen from hundreds of applicants is something they should be proud of.    


Their high energy, enthusiasm and three part harmonies mean that you will end up singing these songs for days.


Some of their previous shows have had minor technical issues that I have overlooked in my reviews as they have not been the fault of the band but tonight's performance was flawless!  The world needs more Lacey and I need them to tour again soon as I already have withdrawals.



If you wish to find out more about Lacey you can find them at https://www.facebook.com/Laceyofficialuk
or on Twitter @LaceyOfficialUK