Dave Giles, Joe McCorriston and Carl North

Dave Giles, Joe McCorriston and Carl North

September 9th, 2016

The Kings Arms, Salford, Manchester

For me a good night out at a concert is always a must and tonight promised to be just that as Dave Giles announced he would be playing an intimate show at the Kings Arms in Salford.

The Kings Arms is not a venue I had ever been to before.  It is an oddly shaped pub on a corner plot, hidden two thirds of the way up Bloom Street, which is off the beaten track and not a place you are likely to just stumble over.   It has a lovely bar area down stairs and a small theatre upstairs.  

Tonight's gig was in the theatre part of the building, which boasted a small tiered seating area and an enormously high ceiling.

Kicking the night off was Carl North although originally from Derby he now resides in Manchester.  Like all of the acts tonight he was performing solo but he had the job of warming up the crowd for the other two performers.

As Carl took the stage I settled back to casually listen to a few songs, but I wasn't prepared for what I was about to hear because when he opened his mouth he blew me away!  Carl is possibly one of the best blues vocalists I have ever heard, and although I didn't know the songs as he sang original material and a cover song that I wasn't familiar with, I thoroughly  enjoyed his set.  

My only disappointment was that he didn't have CD's for sale as I could have happily listened to him again.

Next up was Joe McCorriston from Morecambe.   Although I don't live too far from him and tonight was his 500 show, he is not an artist that I had come across until today but again I wasn't disappointed.  Joe has a fantastic voice and  quirky lyrics, but I have to admit that when he played 'Broken Yo-yo' I was unable to take my eyes off his fingers as he demonstrated some amazing guitar work during that piece. (It was almost as if he had grown extra fingers!)

Luckily Joe did have CD's for sale after the show and I went away with one knowing that I will probably be making a trip to Morecambe when he next plays there. 

Headlining tonight was Dave Giles, the tall, barefoot, hat loving singer from Essex.  I've seen Dave a few times now and have always really enjoyed his shows.  Tonight was no different.

Just before his set started he set up his phone so that he could live stream the set to his many followers and friends on Facebook. (A week or so before the show Dave live streamed one f his rehearsals and he was on air for two and a half hours)

Dave started the night with 'The Brew Song', which is one of my favourites from his discography.  He then went on to play pretty much every song that was requested as well as many others

Dave managed to play all of my favourites  including 'Whisky and Wings', 'I am What I Am' and 'The Girl Who Said Yes'.

He also slipped in a great cover version of Katy Perry's 'Roar'.

Dave has a great voice and his songs have relatable lyrics. I know I have reviewed his sets a couple of times before on my blog and I have always given him a good review as he is a great performer, and as he proves at every show, he just gets better each time..

If you have never checked him out head over to YouTube and check out 'Bangarang'.  This is always his finale song and my other favourite from his collection.  I guarantee you will fall in love with this song (and probably Dave).

So Long, Farewell Tour

Motion City Soundtrack, Dinosaur Pile Up, The Xcerts and Lacey

Manchester O2 Ritz and Birmingham O2 Institute

August 17th and 18th, 2016

Motion City Soundtrack are a band that have been on my 'to see' list for a few years now. I've heard so many people rave about how great they are but I never actually got round to seeing them, so when they announced their final tour I knew that it was now or never!

The tour then got even better as they announced support from Dinosaur Pile Up, The Xcerts and Lacey.  Now the tour was an absolute must!

I booked tickets for both the Manchester and Birmingham shows, and although I would have loved to go to the London show my finances just wouldn't stretch that far.

First up each night was Lacey.  Any regular visitors to this blog know that I have seen Lacey many times and they never fail to put on a good show. 

Lacey hail from Nottingham and consist of Graham on vocals, Dave on drums,  and Josh, Pete and Pete on guitar.

Although they had a relatively short set, they managed to cram it full with songs from their latest EP; 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing'.  

Starting with 'Hoax' they started with a bang and the energy and performance continued right the way through the set, which also included  'Ghost While I'm Alive' and 'Take Me Home'.

We also got an exclusive of their new song 'Carry Me On My Way', which was played for the very first time at the Manchester show and a cheeky cover of Blink 182's 'Dammit', before they ended with 'Shadow'.

I've seen many performances by Lacey and these two shows, although short sets,  were definitely their best performances to date.    These guys seem to get better and better each time I see them, and after hearing the new song I'm looking forward to hearing what they have in store for us with album number two.

Next up were The Xcerts from Aberdeen,  who are a trio made up of Murray on vocals and guitar, Jordan on bass  and Tom on drums. 

I had been introduced to the Xcerts by a friend a few weeks ago and after hearing their album was really looking forward to hearing them. 

Although they also had a short set, they managed to squeeze a whopping seven songs into it, including 'Live Like This', 'Kids On Drugs', 'I Don't Care', 'He Sinks, She Sleeps', 'Slackerpop' and my favourite 'Shaking In The Water', which I loved on the album and loved even more live.

Finishing with 'There Is Only You', they left me wanting to hear more and wondering how come the first two bands were over so quickly.

Third on the bill was Leeds based band Dinosaur Pile Up, comprising of Matt on vocal and guitar, Michael on drums and Jim on bass.

These guys describe themselves as post grunge and do have a very grunge feel about them.

This set again was a short set containing only 7 songs, including 'Arizona Waiting', 'Peninsula', Grim Valentine', 'White T-shirt and Jeans', 'Might As Well', 'Friend of Mine' and '11:11'.

Although I wasn't as familiar with this band I still really enjoyed their set and by the second show I knew I would have a trip to the record store and would most likely be seeing them again when I got the chance. 

Headlining tonight were American rock band Motion City Soundtrack, from Minnesota.

On the 11 March 2016, Motion City Soundtrack posted a simple message on their Facebook page explaining to fans that 'for now we are done'.

Following demand they are embarking on their farewell tour which is taking them across many states and countries, and this week they played their final three dates in the UK.

Consisting of Justin on Vocals and guitar, Joshua on guitar, Jesse on keyboards, Matthew on bass and Tony on drums, the quintet have had almost twenty years in the industry.

Motion City Soundtrack kicked their set off with 'Back To The Beat' and a whole heap of energy, which was maintained right the way through their set.

Once they took to the stage it became evident why the other three bands had only had short slots as they knocked out song after song including 'It Had To Be You', 'When You're Around', 'My Favourite Accident', 'A Life Less Ordinary (Need A Little Help)' and 'Everything is Alright' to name but a few.

Motion City Soundtrack managed to squeeze a massive 20 songs into their main set and a further three in the encore, ensuring fans heard at least one of their  favourite songs.

Finishing with 'Anything At All', 'Even If It Kills Me' and 'The Future Freaks Me Out', they left the crowd wondering why a band this good would be calling it a day.

It's a shame that the UK leg of the tour was only for three days as I would have happily watched all four bands night after night on a longer run. Although I may never get the chance to see Motion City Soundtrack play live again, the tour has led me to discover Dinosaur Pile Up and The Xcerts, who I will definitely be checking out the next time they are in town.  As for Lacey, I have already booked tickets for their next show.

Danny Gruff House Party Tour

Danny Gruff House Party Tour

Leeds and Mansfield

August 12th and 15th, 2016

A couple of months ago Danny Gruff announced via his Facebook page that he would be interested in doing a house party tour and asked for anyone who would be happy to host to get in touch.  I'm not sure he was quite expecting the response he got and two weeks ago embarked on his tour which saw him playing 24 shows in 11 days.

I would have absolutely loved to have hosted one of his parties but as my house is around the size of a shoe box I would not have been able to invite anyone and it would have been a waste of Danny's time.  I was lucky though as two of my friends had offered their houses to him and I was invited to both.

The first of the two was party number 10 on Danny's itinerary and was at Pam and Michael's in Leeds. 

Having been to a few house parties before I knew what to expect and was looking forward to a great but intimate show, and I wasn't disappointed.  Danny had asked each host to submit a list of requests from their guests so he would have a varied set list for each party.  I had asked Pam to add 'The Art Of Procrastination' and 'Figure You Out' to the her list and I wasn't disappointed as he played both.

He also treated us to 'Little Things', '9 Hours' and a few of his very early songs like 'Amsterdam'.

Danny played every song that was thrown his way and even had us all partaking his crowd participation song 'Smile', which he performed sat cross legged on the floor while we all did the 'flappy hand dance'; before finishing with 'Last Man Standing'.  Danny played for about an hour and then stayed to hang out for a while before heading off to house party number 11.

The second house party we went to was the 18th party on Danny's schedule and was hosted by Richard in Mansfield. Richard's house party was hosted as a garden party as there were closer to 30 guests at this one. 

At this show Danny sang from the gazebo while the fire pit and chimera added an atmospheric  glow. He also played with the format of this show by grouping his songs into sections, for example there was the 'Getting To Know You' section and the 'Hasn't He Done Well' section. Each section had well chosen songs to compliment the section, for example 'The Drinking Section' consisted of 'Drink, Drink, Drink', 'Drunk' And 'The Hangover Song'.

Although it was a different format Mansfield still had to partake in the 'flappy hand dance' that accompanies 'Smile'.

Danny Gruff has a charm and charisma about him that makes him really likable and whether you fall for his cheeky smile, funny lines, relatable lyrics or charming merchandising pitch he is a performer that can win over any audience.  He has a real talent and his lyrics are relatable to everyone.  He's adaptable to any audience and has the sort of charm and likability that would even win over your Gran.

I have been to quite a few house parties with various bands and all of them have been different as the guys that do this sort of tour adapt to their surrounding on each given night. Each show has different feel  and energy and with these sort of shows you also get an insight into the meanings behind the songs, which you never really get at a larger promoted show. 

I love the house party shows and these two shows were no different.  I had a fantastic time at both of them.

If you ever get the chance to host or attend one of these shows I would recommend  you to go for it as it is an experience that every music fan should get at least once in their lifetime. 

As for the lovely Mr Gruff, 2147 miles and 24 shows later he is now preparing to write and record his debut album, which I am now eagerly awaiting!

Ginger Wildheart and Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors

Ginger Wildheart Band, Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors, Massive Wagons and  The Main Grains

Brudenell Social Club Leeds  and the Deaf Institute Manchester

July 14th & 18th, 2016

It's funny how things work out and how social media can lead to unexpected opportunities and new friendships.

What started as an internet bromance between Ryan Hamilton and Ginger Wildheart has become one of the best and most enjoyable tours of the year. 

Originally the tour was eight dates and had support from the Massive Wagons, but due to popular demand they added a further four dates, three of which filled in the gaps of the current tour schedule and also added supports from The Main Grains for the extra shows, plus the addition of a grand finale at the Brooklyn Bowl in London with the support coming from one of Gingers other bands,  Hey! Hello!.

I had the pleasure of joining these guys on two of the dates of their tour last week, first one being the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and the second one at one of my favourite venues, the Deaf Institute in Manchester.

I would have loved to have attended the London show as I remember really enjoying Hey! Hello when they supported the Widhearts back in 2014, but work commitments wouldn't allow me to.

The first set of the tour was from the Main Grains.  The Main grains consist of original Wildhearts bassist Danny McCormack, John JJ Watt (Spill 16 and Whiskey Haze), Ben Marsden (Modern Day Dukes) and Ginna Rhodes (Psychobabylon). These guys describe themselves as punk and roll....  and that is exactly what you got!

The Main Grains started the show as it was supposed to by  launching right into upbeat  songs from the very first note.  Although their set was mainly original material you could bounce along to all of them even if you were not familiar with their work.  Their set was really enjoyable and their cheeky cover of The Undertones 'Teenage Kicks' had everyone singing along.

I would not hesitate to go see them again.

The other support band for the tour were the Massive wagons, made up of Baz Mills on vocals, Adam Thistlewaite, Carl 'Flash' Cochrane, Bowz Bouskill and Alex Thistlewaite.   Massive Wagons hail from Carnforth and describe themselves as hard rock.  They don't lie!  The Massive Wagons was a set of all original material , but whether you knew the songs or not you couldn't help but nod along.

They have a real enthusiasm and look as though they really enjoy what they are doing. They also make their presence felt as although they were on a stage the size of a postage stamp, they gave a really high powered and energetic performance that got the crowd really revved up.  I will be keeping an eye out for their shows in the future and will definitely be recommending them to anyone who likes their rock on the heavier side.

The tour's main support came in the form of Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors, who although individually have been on the music scene for years, are a relatively new incarnation.  As their title suggest they are headed by Ryan Hamilton (Smile Smile/People on Vacation) and he is accompanied by Michael Richards (Enuff Z'enuff/ Dollyrots/ People On Vacation) , Rob Lane (Teenage Casket Company/ People On Vacation/ Let Loose)  and Nat Webb.

To hear them play it is hard to believe that they live on opposite sides of the world and get few chances to rehearse together as they just fit together. They are totally in sync and at ease with each other and it shows.

Although their music is a little fluffier than your average Wildhearts fan is used to, these guys were really well received and won themselves some new fans.

Each night they played a jam packed set with songs such as 'Medicine', 'Be Kind Rewind', ' 4 Letter Verb', ' Oh My God'  and the songs that Ryan's fans seem to have adopted as their anthem, 'Freak Flag'.

We also got a glimpse of one of the songs from the album that they will be recording later in the year; 'We never should have moved to LA'.  If this song is anything to go by the  new album will be a must hear.

At the Leeds show Ryan also included a rendition of 'Cheaters Never Change ' by his former band Smile Smile, however at the Manchester show this was replaced by a cover of REO Speedwagon's 'Take It On The Run', where the guys were joined by Ginger.

The guys gave their set 100% every night and the friendship between them shone through in their performance. I honestly could not pick a favourite song from their set as I enjoyed all of them and now can't wait to hear the new material when the album is released.

If you like your rock with a hint of Texan country then these are the guys for you!

Headlining each night was Ginger of the Wildhearts, and his band consisting of Conny Bloom of SilverGinger 5, and Denzel and Toshi from Hey Hello!

Ginger played an amazing set  that seemed to be over far too quickly, even though he crammed a massive 12 songs into the main set and three into the encore.  During the set Ginger made sure that all fans were catered for by not only playing songs from his solo material such as 'Mother City',  'No One Smiled At Me Today' and my favourite 'Only A Problem', but he also included  songs such as 'Anyway But Maybe',  'I Wanna Be New' and 'Sonic Shake' by SilverGinger 5.

Wildhearts fans were not disappointed either as he included 'Mozel Tov Cocktail' and 'Top Of The World' in the main set.

Wildhearts fans got a double whammy as the entire encore was a compilation of Wildhearts songs, however those at the Leeds how got an added bonus as Ginger was joined onstage by Danny McCormack while they played the show out with 'My Baby Is A Head Fuck', ' Suckerpunch'  and '29 x The Pain'. 

Although the Manchester crowd didn't get Danny they did get treated to a rendition of 'Geordie In Wonderland' as well as 'Suckerpunch' and '29 x The Pain' for their encore. 

Ginger had the crowd bouncing so much at the Manchester show that his microphone kept moving away as the floor below it vibrated, and I'm pretty sure the people in the bar below were expecting the crowd from the pit to land in their laps at any given moment

I have seen Ginger perform with the Wildhearts on numerous occasions and I have never been disappointed and tonight was no different. 

Being familiar with both Ginger 's and  Ryan's work I had to admit that it seemed an unusual pairing at first but it worked and I can honestly say that those two shows were up there on my list of favourite shows.  If you ever get the chance to see either of these guys live I would urge you to go. You won't regret it! 

Lacey Headline Tour

Support from Speaking in Shadows, Forty Four Hours, The Idol Dead, Cut The Heroics, Alterverse, A Mouthful of Matches and Danny Gruff

June 3rd, 4th, 5th 6th and 7th

Leeds Key Club, Nottingham Rock City, Newcastle Think Tank, Manchester Sound Control and London Surya.

One of the things that I have always wanted to tick on my bucket list was the chance to say that I have followed one of my favourite bands for every date of a tour and when I saw Lacey announce that they would be embarking on a mini tour I knew that this was my chance.

Lacey announced five dates in five cities with static supports from Speaking in Shadows and Forty Four Hours.  To add even more value for money they also added a different local support for each city.

Support choice for Leeds were The Idol Dead. 

The Idol Dead are a glam punk rock band from Leeds and consist of Polly on vocals, Tim, KC , Dan and Nish.  It was my first time seeing these guys as I had missed them at a couple of festival dates in the past and after feedback from friends I was looking forward to their set.  They did not disappoint!

They played a jam packed set of original material which had you hooked from the first note through to the very last.  They were upbeat and, even at such an early time in the run, managed to get the audience participation going. 

I will definitely be checking these guys out again when I get the chance.

Nottingham's local support was Cut the Heroics.  I've encountered Cut The Heroics before as they have supported Lacey on a couple of occasions and I've always enjoyed their sets.  Cut the Heroics are a three piece made up of Joe, Kieran and Stephen.

These guys also played a set of original material, which had catchy tunes that you couldn't help but tap your foot to.  They sounded great and put in a performance that shows how much they have progressed since the last time I saw them. These guys are one to watch.

Newcastle's support came in the form of Alterverse.  I had the chance to see these guys in the recent Patent Pending tour and I wasn't really impressed, so I was looking forward to them proving that the last time was an off night.  

Unfortunately that wasn't the case.  Their music and onstage banter was awkward and disjointed. The lead singer didn't have much in the way of charisma and they failed to hold my attention.

A Mouthful of Matches were support choice for Manchester. They are a five piece from Manchester consisting of Tom, Helen, Jane, Mark and Steven.  These guys had loads of energy and put in a really solid performance.  The lead singer had a cracking voice and all of their songs were catchy and well played.

London's support came in the form of solo artist Danny Gruff, who I have seen on quite a few occasions before. Danny has the kind of personality that can captivate and win over any audience. He is naturally funny as well as being a fantastic performer.  During his set he played songs such as the 'Hangover Song', 'Silence In The Storm' and crowd pleaser 'Smile'.   

'Smile' unfortunately has its own dance which many people aptly name the flappy hand dance, as you have to raise your arms in the air and wave your hands when Danny gives the 'secret wink' at the start if the chorus.  However as the venue has to be one of the warmest, sweatiest venues I have ever been in, he changed this to the dinosaur dance so that people would hold their elbows into the side of their torso while waving like a T Rex; so they didn't have to smell 'sweaty pits'. 

During this song Danny got Grazz, Josh and Dave from headliners Lacey up on stage to demonstrate the dance which had the audience rolling round with laughter as none of the Lacey guys could quite get the hang of the dance.

Danny never fails to deliver and tonight was no different!

I can honestly say that Forty Four Hours were a band that I have never come across until this week.  

Forty Four Hours are currently based in Manchester however they actually hail from my hometown of Blackburn.  Having never checked them out before or heard anything about them I really didn't know what to expect and I have to admit that on that first night I was pleasantly surprised.

Forty Four Hours are Joe, Alex and Alix who describe themselves as an alternative band, however their mellow rock tunes have a slight reggae undertone to them.  Forty Four Hours set is packed with music from their debut EP 'Only Just Holding On', my favourite track being 'Difficult', which they played each night along with the other tracks.

They held the audience's attention  throughout every show and should gain quite a following from this tour as I never heard anyone say a bad thing about them.  I definitely feel that these guys have a good career in front of them.  Grab a copy of their EP and see for yourself.

Main support came from Speaking In Shadows who I've had the pleasure of seeing a couple of times before as they have played with Lacey previously.  

Hailing from Nuneaton the quintet made up of Adam,  Lewis, Paul, Sam and Grant really know how to get the crowd warmed up.

 

Their set included a good range of songs from very early 2013 single release  'Sweet Gemini' to  'Scatter' from their latest EP 'The Anchor', as well as many more between.  Their songs are fast paced and full of energy, with great chorus lines and loads of 'whoa ohs' for the crowd to sing along with.

Looking round the crowd it was obvious that they have built themselves quite a following of loyal fans and I have a feeling I could be amongst that number in the future.

If you have visited this blog before or have read any of my past reviews you will know that Lacey are one of my favourite bands  and so the temptation of five consecutive nights of the boys was too hard to pass up.

Each night Lacey performed two sets.  

The first being a pre-show VIP acoustic set which cost fans an extra £5 on top of the general ticket price, however for the VIP experience you got a five song acoustic set which included 'Tonight', 'The Last Time', 'Hoax', 'Burning Out' and their cover  of Jimmy Eat World's 'The Middle'. 

The acoustic set each night sounded fantastic and was well received by everyone. I've mentioned before on my blog how much I really enjoy Lacey's acoustic sets as they show just how talented they really are. 

The VIP also included a signed poster (currently £4 each on the merch/web store) and the chance to hang out with them until general admission doors.  It was the perfect deal for any Lacey fan and an absolute bargain.

Lacey's main set was crammed full of songs from their debut album 'Under The Brightest Lights' and their current EP 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing', including 'My Eyes Are Open', 'Change The Story', 'Older', 'Contender', 'Hoax', 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing', 'Ghost While I'm Alive' and 'Take me Home'.

We also got treated to Lacey's cover version of Blink 182's 'Dammit', which was requested by fans on their Facebook page after the debut of this cover during the Bowling for soup tour earlier in the year.

One thing fans hadn't counted on were the two solo performances from lead singer Graham 'Grazz' Turner, who took to the stage to play 'Wait Till Tomorrow' from 'Under The Brightest Lights' and my favourite song from 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing';  'You Know Nothing', which is a haunting and honest song that is calming and soothing but with enough emotion and power to take your breath away.

The whole performance is laced with emotion and honesty and it is fair to say that all of the songs, with the exception of Dammit,  mean a lot to these boys.  When they say that they have poured their heart and soul into their craft they are not lying and it is obvious why they are attracting the growing fan base that they have.  This is one band I have recommended to countless  friends and will continue to do so as they get better and better each time I see them

Some people think I'm mad for doing more than one night of any tour but in all honesty I do not want to miss a single Lacey show.  I've now seen them 61 times since I first encountered them in April 2013 and as I finish this entry I'm eagerly waiting for the next show to be announced.

 Photography courtesy of Phil Procter

How About Another Round Tour 2016

How About Another Round Tour

Bowling For Soup, The Dollyrots, Lacey and MC Lars

February  2016

In 2013 Bowling For Soup announced their farewell UK Tour and left thousands of fans across the UK devastated..........  but now, two and a half years later,  THEY ARE BACK and even better than before!

At last summer's Download festival BFS fans were surprised with the announcement of a reunion tour which immediately sparked a buzz across the internet and various fan pages.

The anticipation grew even further following Bowling For Soup's announcement that they would be bringing  long time pals The Dollyrots and completing the line up with Nottingham based band Lacey and rapper MC Lars.

If you look at the various fan pages and internet sites, this tour has generated a huge buzz and although it has been greeted with speculation as to why the Bowling For Soup boys have made a return to the UK, it has only added to the hype for those eager to be re-united with their heroes and spend an evening in the company of their favourite Texas quartet.

The tour spreads across 15 consecutive nights in 15 different cities, starting in Glasgow on the 1st of February and ending in Bristol on the 15th. Being a fan of BFS for quite a few years I immediately purchased tickets for the three closest shows and following the announcement of Lacey for the support, I made sure I attended a few more!  I have been lucky enough to see 7 shows in total on this run.

Warming up the crowd each night has been 'post pop punk lap top rap' artist MC Lars, who spends the first few minutes of his first set doing just that by leading the crowd in a series of gentle stretching exercises before launching into the  very energetic 'Hurricane Fresh'.

Unlike most gigs I have been to, MC Lars lives up to his name as master of ceremonies on this tour, as rather than doing one set he actually does three short sets,  introducing each of the other bands.

Across his sets he is consistently upbeat and full of energy and (with the exception of a rather narrow minded crowd at Manchester), he really does get the energy flowing, the vibe at a high level and his set includes many crowd pleasers such as 'This Gigantic Robot' and 'Signing Emo'. 

Many of his songs call for crowd participation and whether you are chanting to along to 'Mr Raven' or bobbing your rock hand dragon in the air to 'Dragon Blood' you are guaranteed to have a smile on your face.

I have never been a fan of rap music but after finding myself singing 'Download This Song'  the morning after each show, I found myself searching ITunes for his back catalogue and I think it is now safe to say that he has won me over and has gained a new fan! (check him out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1ZSdYxdLO8 )

Next up is one of my favourite bands, Lacey!  Anyone who has read my blog before will know that I have seen these guys on quite a few occasions and they have never failed to impress me but this time they have excelled themselves.

Following the release of their debut album 'Under The Brightest Lights' last year, Lacey have continued to make a name for themselves in the music industry and on the 5th of February they released their new EP 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing', with their set including three songs from the EP.

Lacey's subtle multi part harmonies, striking guitar hooks  and catchy chorus lines have always been present in their music but it is clear when listening to the new songs that their sound has matured and grown along with them.  The new songs included in the set;  'Hoax', 'Shadow' and 'Ghost while I'm Alive' highlight this perfectly.  

Also included in the set are fan favourite 'Contender' and 'Tonight' from their debut album,  as well as a cheeky cover of Blink 182's 'Dammit'.

Lead singer Graham Turner has a unique and powerful voice and can hit notes some singers only dream of, and the intricate guitar lines add a uniqueness to their sound . Take a listen to Shadow here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09uWFZTR3d8

This is the longest and most prestigious tour of Lacey's career to date, and they have proved that they deserved to be there. 

Lacey received a fantastic reception from the crowd on each night that I saw them and given that they have just announced that they will be embarking on a headline tour in June, this can only mean even bigger things for them. 

Next up are Los Angeles pop punk band The Dollyrots.  I first discovered The Dollyrots on the 'One Big Happy Tour' that they did with Bowling For Soup back in 2012, and although I have always stated that I do not generally like female fronted bands, I have always enjoyed the Dollyrots and found them really listenable.

Made up of Kelly and Luis and joined on this tour by drummer Rikki Stixx, The Dollyrots play a very highly charged set. 

The relationship between Kelly and Luis is very clear to see and adds to the dynamic of the band.  Add to that the appearance of River the 'Dollytot', each night and it is clear to see that why the fans love this little pop punk family, and not just for their awesome music. 

The Dollyrots set was packed full of old favourites including 'Jackie Chan', 'Twist Me To The Left', 'Satellites' and 'Because I'm Awesome', as well as some newer songs such as 'Get Weird' and 'Come And Get It', from their last album 'Barefoot And Pregnant'.   (check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZnfIrY2tGg )

The Dollyrots have recently completed a successful pledge campaign for their new EP 'Mommas Gonna Knock You Out' and their tour DVD.  Included in their set is 'Save Me' from their new EP.

The Dollyrots are pure pop punk and never fail to impress me.  I would highly recommend seeing these guys live as they always produce a fun and exciting set.

Topping the bill are the founders of pop punk.......  Bowling for soup!

Any Bowling For Soup fan will try to explain the excitement they feel and the goose bumps they get as they hear the opening chords of Bowling for Soups play on song, but until you see them live you will never fully understand the anticipation and thrill of hearing that song.

As the curtain drops a full pub scene is revealed complete with beer barrels, dart board, onstage bar and walls adorned with photographs of the bands (which looked to be personal photos rather than posed especially for the set).  On Valentine's Day the walls of the set were also adorned with hearts,  and valentine message boards had been added to the drum riser.

Starting with the song that launched their career, Bowling For Soup are greeted with cheers and screams from the crowd as they kick off the show with 'The Bitch Song'. 

Then, without giving the audience time to get their breath back,  they head right into 'Emily' and lift the roof off the venue. 

And that's just the start!  More high energy fun ensues with raucous choruses in the form of crowd pleasers 'Ohio', 'Last Rock Show' and 'Punk Rock 101'.  They even throw in the theme tune to cartoon 'Phineas And Ferb'.

At this point Jaret takes a moment to bring the energy level back down a notch and is honest and upfront with the audience as he tells them that it is his fault that they took a hiatus as he had been experiencing personal problems and that he didn't know where he was headed personally.  Jaret's speech is open and honest and is a stark reminder that the rock stars we idolise and look up to in today's society  are still human and prone to a wobble, just like anyone else.  Personally I think it takes guts to hold your hand up and admit something as personal as that to thousands of people, but it is this kind of honesty that earns Jaret the respect that he has among his fans. 

Following his speech with a beautiful rendition of  'Turbulence', Jaret lifts the room again by announcing that he loves nothing more than to play songs with his best friends every night, but as his friends weren't there we would have to make do with Bowling For Soup, before launching into 'Friends O' Mine'.

Anyone who has seen BFS before will know that you don't just get a night of music with these guys but you also get a lot of onstage banter, which can (and has been known to)  go off at a tangent at any moment.  Whether it is Jaret's observation that when English men cheer it sounds as though they are about to go into battle, at which points he encourages the cheering as he yells 'Storm The Castle' or a nicely improvised song called 'Swampy Balls' after Chris' statement that he was too sweaty in the room at Liverpool, there is never a dull moment and no two shows are the same.

Following a recent statement that 'Pop Punk is dead', the Bowling For Soup boys set out to prove otherwise by playing  a medley of songs by prominent pop punk bands including Blink 182, Greenday, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World and Good Charlotte before launching into their cover version of 'Stacy's mom' (originally by Fountains Of Wayne).   All of these covers are met with raucous applause and crowd participation to which Jaret  cheekily comments about how they get a better response for the songs they didn't write.

It doesn't deter them though as they go on to perform 'I Don't Know' and 'Almost', before inviting the Dollyrots to join them on stage for 'Love Ya, Love Ya, Love Ya' from the 'One Big Happy' collaboration album.

Ending the set on 'High School Never Ends' the guys go off to the on stage bar to await their encore!  As they come back on they explain that they no longer go and wait in the wings for a few minutes as they now have an onstage bar with beer and the side stage doesn't have beer!

The encore consists of very high energy performances of 'Shut Up And Smile' and 'Girls All The Bad Guys Want' before they take their final bow and actually leave the stage. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGRxmYXi4Io)

The guys have spared no expense with this show.  During the show we find that the beer barrels hide steam and fire cannons (which they couldn't use at all the shows due to fire regulations, but looked fantastic when we saw them in action at the Birmingham show).

Throughout the Bowling For Soup set the onstage bar is populated by Lacey, The Dollyrots, MC Lars and the rest of the stage crew, leading you thinking that you are actually watching a pub band at your local with your mates. Even with the smoke/fire cannons, fantastic lighting and couple of thousand strong crowd each night you still get the feel of an intimate show.

Bowling For Soup have always been a firm favourite of mine since I first discovered them back in 2002, and no matter how many times I see them live, I will never get tired of seeing them.

If you love music and a good time, I would recommend that you see all of the acts on this tour as I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!   

  

Mӧtley Crϋe The Final Tour

Mӧtley Crϋe, Alice Cooper and The 100

Manchester Arena

November 3rd, 2015

On the 28th January 2014, Mӧtley Crϋe shocked the rock world by announcing their final tour and were the first band in history to sign a 'cessation of touring' contract confirming that Mӧtley Crϋe would not be undertaking any more tours after 2015. 

Although this does not mean the end of Mӧtley Crϋe as the contract allows them to make studio albums, it did mean that fans worldwide only had a few more chances to see them play live.

The band decided that if they were to cease touring (attributed to Mick Mars ongoing health problems), it was only fair to give the fans that have supported them throughout their 34 year long career one last chance to see them, and so they have embarked on an 18 month long world tour, playing shows in all of the cities that mean something to them.

The tour started in Michigan on July 2nd 2014 and will end at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on December 31st, 2015.

This week they are in the UK playing Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and London, and last night (thanks to an early Christmas present from our friend) we got the chance to go to the Manchester show.

When we entered the arena the first thing we saw was the huge track for Tommy Lee's famous drum coaster. The track stretched right across the front section of the standing area to a platform about two thirds of the way across the standing area. Just the sight if this structure alone told you that it was going to be a very special night. 

Opening the night were London band The 100, who played a very energetic set of original songs.  Their style reminded me of Enter Shikari with undertones of metal.  Unfortunately as people had come to see the other two bands on tonight's bill the lead vocalists attempts to get the crowd jumping fell flat.

They did however play a song called 'Downfall' that I really enjoyed and had they been supporting a lesser know tour they would probably have gone down a storm.

Alice Cooper however, had no problem getting the crowd going!  Cooper hit the stage amongst a shower of sparks and continued to dazzle his audience throughout his set. 

He played a fabulous set of crowd pleasers including 'No More Mr Nice Guy',' Billion Dollar Babies', 'Poison', 'Feed My Frankenstein' and 'I love the Dead'. 

Anyone who has seen Cooper before will know that he has his own personal style and doesn't just sing songs, he tells a story with them. From the incarnation of Frankenstein to his spiral into madness and final beheading the songs never stop and neither does the pace. 

I have never seen a support act bring a full headline set before and Cooper does not travel lightly. From the macabre doll heads that decorate the set to the 7 foot Frankenstein, the electric chair, guillotine and even a live snake, Cooper really pulls out all the stops. He also brings enough pyrotechnics to raze the arena to the ground and that's before we get on to his impressive collection of swords.

Alice Cooper also likes to get the crowd involved, whether he is throwing dollar bills, fake pearls or giant balloons into the pit there is always a reason not to take your eyes off him.

Alice Cooper finished his set with one of his most famous songs, 'Schools Out',  which had the whole arena joining in and bouncing, whilst being showered with bubbles.

I've enjoyed watching and listening to Alice Cooper for years and have seen him live quite a few times. The thing I always forget is his age.  Last night, at 67 years young,  Alice Cooper proved that he can give any of the younger bands and performers a run for their money as his endless energy and charisma shone through throughout his performance. 

There are many elements of his performance that people find bizarre when you describe them as you wouldn't expect swords, snakes, a guillotine, bubbles and balloons to fit together but somehow he has managed to make it work, and it obviously does as Alice Cooper has been entertaining people for over forty years.  It is easy to see how he has managed to sustain his career in such a fickle industry.   Each time I see him he manages to amaze me and tonight was no different.

Headliners Mӧtley Crϋe have also earned their crown at the top of their game and after 34 years of entertaining rock fans all over the world we knew that tonight's show was going to be something very special.

Not ones to be understated Mӧtley Crϋe kicked their set off with 'Girls Girls Girls' and enough pyrotechnics to wipe out half of Manchester, before driving on with a fully packed set of crowd pleasers,  old favourites and a crafty cover song.

Their set included 'Wild Side',' Same Ol' Situation', 'Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)', Smokin' In the Boys Room', 'Shout At The Devil' and 'Dr Feelgood'. 

Every song was delivered with full power and full on showmanship and really got the crowd going. 

Not to be outdone by their touring Buddy Alice Cooper, Mӧtley Crϋe also brought their A game and whether it was Nikki Sixx's flame throwing bass guitar or the colour changing light show on Tommy Lee's drum kit, there was always something going on.

Nikki Sixx took the time to have a little heart to heart and pep talk with the audience telling us to work hard and never give up on our dreams. He also made a personal thanks to the audience for believing in them, being loyal to them  and allowing them to live their dream.

Tommy Lee's spot light time came in the form of a drum solo, which was no ordinary solo. It had the usual aspects of a drum solo such as the backing music and stick twirling, however this one was performed on his drum coaster. Tommy's kit was set up on a platform which moved along the suspended track while he played.  However, it also rotated while it was moving meaning that he was in constant motion while he played and quite often upside down.  (Click here to watch the video footage:  https://youtu.be/XX5Dj0eNxf4  )

Mick Mars also got his moment in the spot light for his guitar solo and really show cased his skills.

During the set Crϋe also managed to sneak in a cover version of the Sex Pistols 'Anarchy In The UK' which had men dressed in orange boiler suits squirting the front rows of the crowd with water pistols.

Ending with my personal favourite 'Kick Start My Heart', Mӧtley Crϋe really ended their show with a bang.....  quite literally! 

During the song suspended platforms dropped down from the ceiling of the arena and took Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx out over the audience where they finished the song.  By this point the atmosphere in the arena was electric and everyone was on their feet and singing along.  The song was brought to an explosive conclusion with more pyrotechnics, flame cannons and streamers which dropped from the ceiling, before Sixx and Neil were taken back t the stage where they took their final bows and the lights went out. (You can watch it here:   https://youtu.be/pBXVrEb9Iec )

It didn't end there though.  Torch lights were seen at the back of the arena and when the lights went up the foursome appeared on the platform in the middle of the crowd for one last song.  Their last song was, quite aptly, 'Home Sweet Home'.  This is a beautiful song at the best of times and with the knowledge that this was one of their final shows it had a bittersweet edge to it, which brought a lump to this fan girls throat and gave me severe goose bumps. 

The whole show blew me away and I found myself completely transfixed on the stage to the point where I was completely unaware of anything but what was happening in front of me.

I'm so glad that I got to experience Mӧtley Crϋe one last time before they bow out of touring. It is a night that I will never forget and even though I will never have the chance to see them again, their songs will always be their legacy and will continue to be played for generations. 

Mӧtley Crϋe certainly know how to start the party and go out with a bang! 

Ryan Hamilton House Party Tour

Ryan Hamilton House Party Tour

Hull, Ilkeston and Malvern

September 5th, 6th and 11th, 2015

On August 25th 2015, Ryan Hamilton released his first solo album and embarked on a tour of the UK to promote it.  However, this was no ordinary tour!

A little while ago Ryan took a brave decision to rebel from the music industry standards, start his own record label (Fanny Pack Records) and try and break down the barriers between the artist and fans.  So rather than booking small venues and leaving the decisions to a tour manager, Ryan took a different approach and posted a message on his Facebook page asking for volunteers to offer their lounges and kitchens, as he wanted to do an entire tour of house parties, as this would allow him to get to know the people who support him and give him the opportunity to pursue the career that he loves. As Ryan says, after all, it is the fans who pay for the tickets to go to shows and buy albums and merch that help him afford to do what he does! 

To add even more to the tour Ryan took along People On Vacation band mate Micky Richards to accompany him on drums.  Ryan also later announced guest supports for some of the shows including People On Vacation band mate Rob Lane, Lacey, Dave Kerr, Danny Gruff (Stafford), Scarlet (Liverpool and Leeds) and Fisti Kuffs(Great Yarmouth). Other venues included Newcastle, and Knaresborough.

House party shows usually play host to between 30 and 50 people depending on the size of the host's home. I have been to a few house party shows in the past couple of years and they usually consist of a set from the band (usually acoustic due to noise regulations in residential areas) and then everyone mingles and gets to spend time with the band.  I have always enjoyed them as they are pretty unique and different to a normal concert or expensive VIP experience.

Initially the tour was to be 7 dates but ended up as 9, due to popular demand, and I was lucky enough to attend three of the parties; Hull, Ilkeston and Malvern.  I was also supposed to go to the Stafford party but was unable to get there, and ended up spending the night sat in a traffic jam due to a motorway closure, which meant I missed that show and seeing Danny Gruff.

The first party I attended on the tour was the Hull party.  This party was a very intimate party which Ryan performed as an acoustic set.  The show was performed in low light and was lit with fairy lights and candles, which gave the party a really good atmosphere. Only Ryan performed at this show and it was a really well hosted party.  Ryan took plenty of time to mingle and spend time with people after the show.

Due to demand, the Ilkeston party was moved to the room above 'The Brewery Tap' and was hosted by Dave Tonge the host of the Noize Level Critical Radio Show, which is an internet radio show. Although the room was larger than the average living room it was only the size of your average bedsit, so it still allowed for an intimate show.

Joining  Ryan and Micky as support at this show were Dave Kerr and local band Lacey. 

Dave Kerr played a three song set including 'The Devil Wears Perfume' and 'Don't You Know Who We Think We Are'.  It was the first time I had heard Dave play and I really enjoyed his performance.  His songs were catchy and fitted perfectly with his fellow performers.

Also supporting tonight were Lacey.  I've seen Lacey play many times before both full band sets and acoustic sets.  I have always enjoyed their acoustic sets and tonight's was no different.  

The acoustic set they played fit well with the other performers on the bill, however, tonight's performance was something I had never seen Lacey do before. Tonight Lacey got a fit of the giggles during the first song, 'Burning Out', and the giggles and silliness continued right the way through their three song set, which also included 'Hometown' and 'Tonight'. 

Lacey are usually very serious when it comes to their music but the giggling fit tonight made them relax and let down their guard so what we got was a snap shot of who the guys actually are and not just the usual image we get of them on stage.  Even with the giggles the boys played a brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable set, but I think tonight's set is one of my favourite sets of theirs that I've seen to date!

Ryan and Micky's set was also very laid back at this show as they too indulged in a bit of silliness and also let the audience see the real Ryan and Micky and not just the professional musicians they normally see on the stage. 

Whether the silliness was in the form of Ryan telling Micky not to show off when he spun his drumsticks in the air or whether it came from the banter that was going on between the performers it made for a really enjoyable night.

Mid way through the set Ryan and Micky were joined by Rob Lane, as they 'just happened to have his bass guitar' there!  The three of them belted out some People on Vacation favourites and treated the audience to an alternative version of 'Lonely Fish' as you have never heard it before....

During the introduction to 'Lonely Fish', Ryan announced that it had come to his attention that the song 'Lonely Fish' could be played in any musical genre, and so they proceeded to take suggestions of genres to prove that theory, meaning that we heard a heavy metal version, a reggae version and a version in the style of R Kelly! 

However, the funniest part of the night was when Ryan played his cover of the REO Speedwagon classic 'Take It On The Run', which Ryan performs as though it is his own and is a great song, until he changes the words to 'Take It Up The Bum' and then it hits a whole other level!  There was not a dry eye in the house after this song as everyone ended up in fits of giggles!

The Ilkeston show was one of the most enjoyable shows I have been to in a long time.  I have not laughed so much in ages.  My cheeks and ribs were aching from laughing at the end of the night.  

All of the artists stuck around after the show and hung out with anyone that wanted their time.  It was so refreshing to see musicians that didn't take themselves too seriously and who were happy to ignore the music industry rules that state they shouldn't get too close to their fans.

The Ilkeston show was recorded for the Noize Level Critical show and will air on the 15th September (rockstarsglued.com).

The last night of the tour was in Malvern and again, this venue was upgraded due to popular demand ad was held at the Malvern Town Football Club.  Although this room was larger it still only held about 100 capacity and although the tickets had sold out again it was not oversubscribed to allow for a more casual show.

As it was the last night of the tour, Ryan's Facebook post confirming times and details, confirmed that they would be being joined by Rob so they could end the tour with a People On Vacation set and the we should bring our 'party pants'!

Ryan and Micky kicked the night off with songs from Ryan's debut solo album 'Hell of A Day', and consisted of songs from his new album including, his new single, '4 Letter Verb', 'Be Kind Rewind', 'Freak Flag', 'Records and Needles' and 'Respond To My Email (You Bitch)'.

We also got another rendition of Ryan's alternative cover of 'Take It On The Run', which now had additional sound effects from Micky, just to make us laugh even more!

Half way through the set Rob joined them on stage and they performed all the People On Vacation hits including 'Because of The Sun', 'Punk Rock World' and 'Rainy Day', along with another rendition of 'Lonely Fish', which they again took genre requests from the audience. Tonight's genre requests included opera, rap, metal, reggae and grunge (You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdV4yaICTqA )

 Although all of the shows stuck to pretty much the same set list each night (they were open to requests), all three shows were unique and thoroughly enjoyable. I found that although the parties lasted much longer than billed they were over way too fast!

If you ever get the chance to go to a house party on a band's tour, I would recommend that you do so.  The tickets aren't over priced like many VIP/meet and greet tickets you can get for other shows and you get a much better experience for your money.  I have been to quite a few meet and greet/VIP  shows which have cost the earth and for most you get to spend about 2 minutes with the band, where as Ryan would probably have spent all night talking and hanging out had you let him.

I think Ryan's approach to his fans and relationship with them is amazing and really refreshing.  I agree with Ryan, why shouldn't we, the fans, be able to get to know the people we support?!  I spend the majority of my income on bands and music so why shouldn't I be able to meet or get to know the people I spend my hard earned cash supporting?

My only regret with this tour is that I didn't go to all the dates.  It was an amazing tour and a unique way of engaging the fans. 

Ryan will be back in the UK for a full Ryan Hamilton band tour (consisting of Ryan, Micky and Rob), covering 9 dates, with support from Danny Gruff.  After this tour I don't think Ryan will have any problems getting his second solo tour a sell out!