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Sunday 23 March 2014

The Welcome Home Tour

Heavens Basement, Glamour of the Kill and Dirty Youth
Academy 2, Manchester
March 22nd, 2013

Tonight took us to Manchester for the Heavens Basement Welcome Home Tour.


Kicking things off were Dirty Youth, a five piece, female fronted band from South Wales.  These guys played a good upbeat set including songs called 'Fight' and 'Alive'. 

The Dirty Youth have a rock sound to them but with a hint of punk here and there, which gave them an extra edge.  These guys sounded great and had the crowd joining in.




Next up were Glamour of the Kill, a band I have seen a couple of times before but always in a festival setting.  Glamour of the Kill hail from York and are a four man outfit. 

Glamour of the Kill played a full on rock/metal set including songs 'A Freak Like Me' and 'The Only One' from their new album  'Savages' and 'If Only She Knew' from their previous album 'The Summoning'. We were also treated to a great cover of Kiss' 'Lovegun'


Finishing with my personal favourite, 'Feeling Alive', Glamour of the Kill left the stage to a barrage of cheers and applause.  If you like your rock with a lot of great guitar riffs and catchy lyrics then these are the guys to see.  It was great to finally hear them play a full rather than an abridged set that you get at the festivals.

Headlining tonight are Heavens Basement, a British four man group, consisting of Aaron on Vocals, Sid on guitar, Rob on Bass and Chris on drums.

These guys played a very high energy set consisting of songs such as 'Jump Back', 'Fire, Fire' and 'Heartbreaking Son of a Bitch' from their 2013 album 'Filthy Empire'.

Midway through the set they slowed things down a little  with 'Price We Pay', which sounded great. Sid then took over with a rendition of 'Paranoia'.  The last song before encore was 'Reign on my Parade' and saw Aaron jump down from the stage and walk across the top of the crowd.



Heavens Basement are high in energy and volume and really put on a good show.  Front man Aaron's moves are very theatrical  (almost reminiscent of a mime artist at times) and all in all they put on a fantastic show.


I would recommend all of the bands on tonight's bill and will definitely be checking them out again the next time they hit town. 






Saturday 15 March 2014

Chasing Cadence, The Effect, Lacey and The Spangle Corps

Chasing Cadence, The Effect, Lacey and The Spangle Corps
The Intake, Mansfield
March 12th, 2014

Tonight took us to The Intake at Mansfield, which from the outside looked like an old auto shop. The only giveaway that it was a music venue was the sign above the car port.  However, once inside it was a decent sized venue with quite a big stage area.

The crowd tonight was probably around 30 to 40 and so tonight's gig really was quite an intimate one.

First up were the Spangle Corps from Nottingham.  These guys had a rock sound to them and plenty of energy, however their attempts to get the crowd joining in fell flat.





Next up were Lacey, who despite a small technical hitch during 'Burning Out' played brilliantly!  I have seen these guys before and I am never disappointed. Their set consisted of six songs including 'Reach Out', 'Reset to Zero', 'Contender', 'Let It Go' and current single 'Hometown'.




Following Lacey where The Effect from Swansea, who I enjoyed.  These guys played all original songs but even though I could not join in with singing I was tapping my foot along with them. They had a good stage presence and the audience received them well.



Headlining tonight were Chasing Cadence from Hertfordshire.  These guys were a heavier band and if I'm honest I wasn't overly enamoured with them.  Their mixture of sung and screamed lyrics had the crowd going a little but they didn't have the charisma that some of the other bands I have seen have possessed, and so I found I had lost interest by the end of their set.

All in all it was a good night and a great mid week treat. 


You can catch Lacey on the Spring Break Tour with Patent Pending and People on Vacation in April.


Fearless Vampire Killers, Bad Pollyanna, The Dead XIII and Don't Stop Go!

Fearless Vampire Killers, Bad Pollyanna, The Dead XIII and Don't Stop Go!
Sound Control Manchester
March 9th, 2014

Tonight I'm back at Sound Control in Manchester for a night of full on goth rock.



Starting things off where Don't stop Go!, a band that I saw for the first time just a couple of weeks ago supporting Ashestoangels.  The night started with lead singer Danneh performing a solo acoustic song before introducing the rest of the band and launching into a full on rock set.  These guys have an early Placebo sound to them and a fantastic sound.




Next up were The Dead XIII. They are a five piece punk metal band from Manchester and it is clear to see from their image and the music they play who their influences are.  Their set consisted of mainly original songs however they did throw in a cover version of Wednesday 13's 'Bad Things'. The Dead XIII have a great stage presence and a lot of energy. 


The third band on tonight's bill was Bad Pollyanna, a four piece, female fronted rock band.  Bad Pollyanna have just the right amount of rock and theatrics to wow the audience but without being tacky.  

Considering I'm not a fan of female fronted bands I found myself really enjoying this one.  Lead singer Olivia has a really strong voice but doesn't sing at too high a pitch.  

They played all their own songs including a song called 'Define Me' which was written in honour of Sophie Lancaster the young girl who was savagely beaten to death in Bacup, Lancashire because of her alternative life style.  Bad Pollyanna have been working with the S.O.P.H.I.E. Foundation who to help raise awareness of hate crimes towards people who lead alternative lifestyles.

Headlining were a band that I have now seen numerous times and who never fail to impress me and tonight was no different.  Starting off with my favourite, 'Bow Ties On Dead Guys', the Fearless Vampire Killer guys bounce into gear.

As usual Kier and Laurence shared the lead singer duties but instead of Kier playing the first half and then switching with Laurence they played three songs each and then switched so each of them had centre stage on more than one occasion.

Playing a set containing songs such as 'Could We Burn Darling?', 'Bite Down On My Winchester' and 'Fetish For The Finite' from their album 'Militia Of The Lost'  and 'The Mechanist - Headlung' and 'The Thief - Merchants Of Decay' from their EP 'Exposition- The Five Before The Flames', as well as their last single 'All Hallows Evil', and two new songs from their upcoming album which will be released later this year.


Every time  I have seen them they have always thrown in a cheeky 80's cover song whether it be their version of Elton John's 'I'm Still Standing' or Phil Collins' 'Easy Lover' and tonight was no different.  Tonight's song of choice was a rock version of Wham's 'Club Tropicana', which is how they finished their set as they ran out of time.

Fearless Vampire Killers left the stage to very loud cheers and applause (and a quite a lot of screaming from the teenage girls).

If you like your rock with a lot eyeliner and extra bounce then tonight would be right up your street!  I would not hesitate to go to see any of these bands again.



Fearless Vampire Killers will be touring  with Bad Pollyanna again on the Cabin Fever UK Tour  in April.


To find out more about the Sophie Lancaster Foundation click here:

 http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com

Saturday 8 March 2014

The Role Models Tour

The Bottom Line, Landmarks, Falling for Grace, Empty Space, The Molatovs and Koal
March 2nd and 3rd, 2014
Retro Bar Manchester and The Brink Liverpool.

In April last year I had the pleasure of encountering the Bottom Line during the 8 Bit Frenzy Tour, but unfortunately because of the dates that I attended I didn't get the chance to hear them play, however, I bought their CD and really enjoyed it.  Now almost a year later I finally got to hear them play live!

The Bottom Line are currently doing an eight date UK tour and are changing the support bands for each date of the tour, as they are being supported by local bands from each of the cities they are visiting.

We first caught up with them in Manchester at the Retro Bar Basement.  It was my first time at this venue which is a small pub/club on Stanley Street.  The basement venue is a small room at the bottom of a couple of flights of very narrow stairs and boasts a bar and a small stage.

The Liverpool venue however was much bigger and brighter.  The Brink was also a unique venue in itself as it is a 'dry bar'.  It was set up as a recovery venue to support people who have suffered through alcoholism and addiction, and therefore it has no alcohol on the premises policy.  It is a very light room and the complete opposite from the dimly lit room the night before.  Not your usual setting for a punk rock show!

I am only going to do very brief reviews of each of the supports as there were so many across the two nights. 



First up tonight were Koal.  These guys had a good sounds and some good guitar riffs.  They played original songs and last song they played had me tapping my foot along and sounded great!




The Molotovs were next and unfortunately it was not their night.  Their set was made up of covers including Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name Of' and Blur's 'Song 2' and they didn't do a very good job. The young lady singing was flat and out of tune on many occasions during the set and it seemed a little under rehearsed. 


Empty Space where next.  These guys only played four songs, consisting of two instrumentals that I really enjoyed, and covers of Bowling For Soup's 'When We Die' and Patent Pending's 'One Less Heart To Break', (which are two of my favourite songs by those two bands).  I openly admit that I am not a fan of female fronted bands as they can be too high pitched for my liking, and therefore I would have been happier if the young lady singing had dropped an octave or two as she seemed to be singing a little high for her range and it sounded strained in places.  From the style of their instrumental pieces they would really benefit from a good male singer.


The Landmarks played support at both the Manchester and Liverpool shows.  These guys had more of a metal feel to them, even if they did open their set with their metal version of 5ive's 'Keep On Movin', which strangely worked.  The rest of their set was made up of original material which if I'm honest had a much better sound at the Liverpool show than the Manchester show, but I think that was because of the venue, as the Liverpool venue seemed to have much better acoustics.

Also supporting in Liverpool were Falling For Grace.  These guys had a rock feel and did covers of You Me At Six's 'Save It For The Bedroom' and  Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Getting Back Together' as well as some original material of their own.  These guys had a good presence and a great sound.

For me the highlight of both night's were headliners The Bottom Line, who are a three man pop punk band from the UK's south coast consisting of Callum on guitar and vocals, Max on bass and vocals and Matt on drums. 

The Bottom Line hit the stage with album title track 'Role Models?' and continued to play through songs from their album such as 'When You're Around' and 'Life Of The Dip Guy'.

At the Manchester show we were treated to two of my favourites, 'Thursdays Bad Luck' and 'I've Gotta Quit Kidding Myself', whereas at the Liverpool show we got to hear 'Drive Thru Night', and both shows got a very energetic version of 'Teenage Dirt Bag' (originally by Wheatus).


Finishing with their latest single 'Record Player' (check out the official video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tupYHg94AAo), the guys left the stage to cheers and applause from the audience.

The Bottom Line guys had loads of energy and looked as though they were really enjoying playing. They had a great rapport with the audience and had the whole crowd smiling, bouncing and joining in.
 

I may have had to wait almost a year to hear them play live but they were definitely worth the wait! 




Saturday 1 March 2014

The Impericon Exposure Tour

We Came As Romans, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, The Color Morale and Palm Reader
Club Academy Manchester
February 26th, 2014

Tonight took us to Club Academy in Manchester to see the Impericon Exposure tour.  Of the four bands billed tonight I have only ever encountered one of them previously so I was looking forward to experiencing new bands with no pre conceptions.

Unfortunately, this review doesn't have any photos with it as the stage was lit from the back with strobes facing out to the crowd and every single photo I took either turned out under exposed and so dark you couldn't make out the people on stage or over exposed because of the strobes, and although I've never had brilliant photos from this venue I have had better than the ones taken tonight.

First up tonight were Palm Reader, the only band on tonight's bill that I had seen before.  I encountered these guys at Download in 2013 as they played before a band I desperately wanted to see so I had sat through their set in order to have a space at the barrier for the band following them.

Palm Reader are loud and gnarly and a great band to mosh to if you want to lose yourself in the moment, as the pits came alive even in this small venue.  However for me they were just as average as they were the first time I saw them.

Next up were The Color Morale.  I found all their songs very samey and it was hard to tell where one ended and the next started.  For me, their one saving grace was towards the end of the set when the vocalist told the audience of how a girl had approached him at the merch stand before the show and asked him for a selfie, and how she had taken the picture numerous times because she felt that she never looked good enough on the picture.  He then went on to tell the audience that this girl was beautiful, that no one should ever feel like they are not good enough and that even the biggest rock stars have their insecurities.  Maybe if more teenagers heard this more often from their idols they would stop trying to strive for the image of perfection that magazines and television dictate, and be happy with what they have.  The band then sang a song called 'Steadfast' which was unlike all the others and was a lovely song.  It's a shame that it was only one song that I truly enjoyed in their set.

Next up were Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! a five piece band from Paris.  These guys came on to a play on track that sounded like an old Atari game soundtrack, and launched into what I can only describe as a disco rock set.  All of their songs where very upbeat and bouncy and they had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they bounced and sang along.

Songs in their set included 'In Friends We Trust' and 'Haters Going To Hate' from their last album 'Pardon My French'.

I was really impressed with these guys and would definitely see them again.

Headlining tonight were We Came as Romans who earlier tonight announced that they would be playing this year's Download Festival.

These guys came on stage to a hip hop style backing track and their music can only be described as metal with a hint of hip hop. 

We Came As Romans have two vocalists, one who does the screaming lyrics and one who does the more melodic vocals. The melodies of the songs were strong and easy to listen to, and songs in tonight's set included 'Never Let Me Go' and a brilliant cover of The Wanted's 'Glad You Came'.

We Came As Romans had the crowd dancing, singing and bouncing throughout their set and I would not hesitate to see these guys again.  They are a real feel good band and made a brilliant headliner to the night.


The Dead Lay Waiting, Ashestoangels, Sleep Inertia and Don't Stop, Go!

The Dead Lay Waiting, Ashestoangels, Sleep Inertia and Don't Stop, Go!
Sound Control Manchester
February 25th, 2014

Tonight is my first ever trip to Sound Control in Manchester.  It is a very small venue situated next to Oxford Road Station.  With a maximum capacity of 400, looking at the venue you know that any gig here is going to be an intimate one.

When we arrived at the venue we were greeted by the guys from Ashestoangels who were casually chatting to the fans who were waiting to get in.

Tonight the venue is nowhere near capacity as the crowd watching is pushing 50 at most, but that didn't deter any of the bands on the bill tonight.



First band up tonight were Don't Stop Go!, a foursome from Manchester.  Don't Stop Go have a great sound with plenty of guitar and strong riffs.  It was obvious that they were enjoying what they were doing and engaged the audience throughout their performance.



Next up were Sleep Inertia, a band that would normally perform as a five piece however, tonight they were performing with just four of them as lead singer Jamie fractured his foot at the weekend and has been forced to rest, so instead they decided that rather than disappoint their fans they would play an instrumental set.  I have to admit that as strange as it sounded as they stood on stage stating that it would be an instrumental set, it actually worked! 

From the way they played I got the impression that the lyrics would normally be the loud and gnarly type but hearing just the melody was strangely soothing, and I really enjoyed their performance.

Next was the band that I had bought the ticket for.  I first became aware of Ashestoangels when they toured with Fearless Vampire Killers last year but unfortunately the show I went to was one of the few they didn't play support for. 

Ashestoangels are a goth rock band, consisting of Adam Crilly on vocals, Adam Falkor on guitar, Jim Baber on drums and Nico Venere on bass. 

These guys sound fantastic and have a great stage presence, even though not all of their performance is actually on the stage!  



Front man Adam Crilly is like a kid who has overdosed on Haribo and seems to have never ending energy.  Whether he is bouncing on stage, moshing in the pit or stage diving from the door frame (yes he actually did that), he never stops!

Ashestoangels played a brilliant set and I can't wait until I get to see them again.

Tonight's headliner are The Dead Lay Waiting, a five piece metal band from Swindon.  They played a full on metal set and kept the energy level up high. 

Blasting out song after song they had the small mosh pit raging, with vocalist Luke and guitarist Steve right in the middle of it. 





These guys put on a brilliant show and it is unfortunate that after this run of shows The Dead Lay Waiting are disbanding as they part ways with Luke Lucas, while the other members are going on to form earlier support band Sleep Inertia.


Tonight's show may be one of the smallest ones I have been to in number, but in energy it was as big as any of the sold out shows I have seen.