Spring Break Tour 2014

Patent Pending, People on Vacation and Lacey

April 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th, 2014

Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, London, Bedford and Birmingham

I have always been a bit of a fangirl but I had never classed myself as a super fan until I met three bands that have become very important to me. 

When I heard that Patent Pending, People on Vacation and Lacey would be touring together I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Anyone who is a regular visitor to this blog will know that these are three of my favourite bands.

As this was a once in a lifetime chance to see all three of them together my sister and I decided to go to more than one show, starting with Nottingham's Hit The Deck Festival and finishing at the Birmingham show.  Our original plan was to do five of the ten dates but in the end we added Hit The Deck when they too announced all three bands and then added a couple more shows, meaning we ended up doing eight out of twelve.

Anyone who has ever seen these bands before will know that even if you go to every single night of the tour you will never see the same show twice!

Starting each night was Lacey.  A four piece alt rock band from Nottingham consisting of Graham Turner, Josh Lewin, Dave Pearson and Pete Maksymiw. 

These guys were the only ones who stuck to a planned set list each night. 

Starting the show with a new song called  'Won't Be The Last Time' from the album they are planning to release later in the year, they started the show with a burst of energy which they maintained throughout. 

We also had the pleasure of hearing another new song from the album called 'Get Me Out Of Here', as well as old favourites 'Hometown', 'Burning Out' and 'Contender' from last years' EP 'Outlaws'.

Each night they finished the set with their new single 'Reach Out', a very catchy and bouncy rock tune but listen closely to the lyrics and the story of the song is evident.  'Reach Out' is another song from the forthcoming album.  

If the three new songs are anything to go by, the new album will be well worth waiting for!  (You can download a free copy of 'Reach Out' from www.soundcloud.com/laceyofficialuk/reach-out/s-EsoZ8)

Even though we had the disappointment of their set being cut short at Hit The Deck due to bad organization by the festival (people were only let into The Forum 10 minutes after the advertised door time), they still gave the set everything they had and over the course of the tour have got even stronger and more confident. 

At the Bedford show Lacey looked slightly embarrassed and amused as they encountered the first bra to be thrown at the stage during one of their sets and they were slightly red faced again at the Manchester show when Joe and Corey from Patent Pending came on stage to join in with 'Burning Out' and Josh nearly took Joe out with the neck of his guitar as he spun around.  (Joe quite proudly showed his bruise off after the show). 

Although Lacey have not been around as long as their touring buddies it is evident that they are starting to get quite a following, as the same faces could be spotted at the front of the crowd for their set each night.  Their fan community 'Lacey's Outlaws' is growing at a steady pace and after the fantastic job they have done on the tour it can only grow larger and stronger.

During this tour Lacey really have shown that they have what it takes and with the calibre of the new songs they played I can't wait for the new album and their next show!

Anyone who went to the tour to see Jaret Reddick from Bowling for Soup doing his usual thing was in for a big shock.  You see People on Vacation are a million miles removed from Bowling for Soup's pop punk.

People on Vacation is a supergroup made up of Jaret Reddick (Bowling For Soup), Ryan Hamilton (Smile Smile), Rob Lane (Teenage Casket Company) and Michael Richards (Session Drummer).  These guys have a more acoustic and rather quirky folk vibe to them, but don't be fooled... listen to the lyrics and it is obvious that they have been written by Jaret and Ryan!

These guys started each night with 'Punk Rock World' from their forthcoming album 'The Chronicles Of Tim Powers' and ended each night with a cover of Slade's 'Cum On Feel The Noize', with the exception of the Birmingham show when they ended with 'All I Ever Really Wanted' (also from the new album, which until now only people attending the VIP sessions had heard).

Other songs included 'Prettiest Girl', 'Because Of The Sun', 'I Get You',  'We Are The Lucky Ones' and 'Back To Being Friends' from their album 'The Summer and The Fall'.

Another song from the new album was 'You May Not Believe In God', which soon caught on and had the crowd joining in with the choruses very quickly.

However there was one song that got everyone joining in and that was a cheeky cover of Bowling for Soup's 'The Bitch Song', which was played every night and was well received by crowd. (Not really surprising as most people's first encounter with Patent Pending was when they toured with Bowling for Soup)

During the Sheffield show Jaret and Ryan brought their acoustic guitars into the audience and treated us to a completely unplugged rendition of 'Where Do We Go'.  This song is quite a mellow and haunting song anyway but sung in this way gave me goose bumps.  Seeing Jaret and Ryan stood in the middle of the crowd like that was something I never thought I would see.

It's fair to say that the song that everyone seemed to enjoy the most was 'Lonely Fish', and you can't blame them as it is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard  (check out the official video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gijqq8f3UEA&list=PLy2UdCGg99hO6cDA8ilYpndYTiWaCQO0c). 

'Lonely Fish' was the song most requested at the VIP acoustic sessions and the one that got people moving during the full set.  It was during this song at the Newcastle show that they invited a young fan called Tom on stage to play the song with them after seeing his cover of it on YouTube.  I think it is safe to say that that show is a night that Tom will never forget! 

Considering that the rehearsal for this tour was done in two different countries, Jaret and Ryan in Texas and Rob and Michael in the UK, they played a seamless performance every night.

Whether you go to hear the songs or for Jaret and Ryan's banter (which usually contains at least one butt joke and couple of mentions of boobies) you can't help but come away with a huge smile on your face. 

I have a feeling the UK may see a lot more of these guys in the future! 

Since the 'One Big Happy Tour' in 2012 Patent Pending have been building quite a following and reputation for themselves here in the UK.  Their fan base the 'UK Second Family' is a tight knit community who attend shows not just to see and hang with their favourite band but it is as much about seeing other family members as it is hearing the music.

Whether you see them once or every night you will find that every show is different and that the time goes by far too quickly.

Patent Pending are made up of Joe Ragosta, Marc Kantor, Anthony Mingoia, Rob Felicetti and Corey DeVincenzo, five 'bros' from Long Island New York.

During this tour there have been three on stage proposals, two guest singers and one guest guitarist. Not to mention numerous shout outs and dedications from Joe to the diehard fans who show up at every performance. 

Then to top that you have Patent Pending's International Crowd Swimming competition, where Joe and Corey don diving masks and water wings (or as Joe calls them swimmy floats), part the crowd into two, run up the centre and then crowd swim/surf their way back to the stage in a bid to see who wins.

Throw into the mix a ton of catchy bouncy punk tunes and five band members who have seemingly unlimited energy and you have a show that you will never forget.

If I listed every song covered over the eight shows I would be here all night but ones of note are 'Psycho In Love' during which they do the crowd swimming,  'Spin Me Around' the song written by Joe for his wedding which Joe sings solo and a very upbeat cover of Andrew WK's 'Party Hard' which on a couple of occasions featured appearances by the Lacey boys.

Not to miss out on the guest appearances Jaret also joined Patent Pending on stage each night for 'Classic You' a song which was co-written by Joe and Jaret for the 'Brighter' album. 

Also making an appearance is Joe's younger brother Robert from 'This Good Robot', who provides extra backing vocals and guitar during the show.

There are three songs on the set list that never fail to move the audience.

'One Less Heart To Break' was written following the suicide of a close friend of the band and whether it is Joe's honest and open speech at the start of the song or the song itself that moves people I'm not sure, but this song rings out as one of the anthems with the entire Second Family joining in.

Many members of the Second Family are sufferers of depression and self harm and know only too well the significance of the lyrics.  If you look around the crowd during this song it is not hard to spot the members who have an affinity with this song and the countless members that it moves to tears.  (You can hear it for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5xwfMY6ork&list=TLlcrlV-MbV2vExR2szm3ErKl-WulJ8oYF)

Following straight after with 'Brighter' from their latest album, this song is the sequel to 'One Less Heart To Break' and reminds us that we can get through anything and come out stronger on the other side.  During these two songs at the Manchester show not only were there members of the audience visibly moved by these songs but even Joe shed a tear and had to regain his composure after seeing a kid at the front of the crowd with self harm marks along both of his arms singing his heart out.

'Second Family' is another song that really brings the crowd together.  This too has become one of the anthems of the Second Family community and raises the roof off of each venue as every member joins in as though they are taking a pledge of allegiance. 

Other songs across the night included 'Little Miss Impossible', 'Anti Everything' (complete with boy band dancing), 'Cut Copy Paste', 'The Whiskey The Liar The Thief', 'Shut It Down', 'I'm Not Alone', 'All Star Hipster', 'Dance Till We Die' and the UK's debut performance of 'Therefore I Party', to name but a few! 

If you have never had the pleasure of seeing these five charismatic long islanders then I dare you to attend one of their concerts and not fall in love with them.  These guys give it 100% every time they hit the stage and deserve so much more than they have already achieved, but something tells me that if they keep on the way they are going, they will get everything they deserve and more! 

This tour was a fangirl heaven as all of the bands hung around meeting people after the show and all of them are really lovely, humble, down to earth guys. 

They say you should never meet your heroes as they may not be the people you expect them to be, but what you get from these guys is everything you hope for and more.  There are no rockstar egos here just a three bands who love making music and cherish their fans.

I have my fingers crossed as tight as I can get them, that these three bands will tour together again some day as my aim will be to be at every show!  

 

LostAlone, Verses and The First

LostAlone, Verses and The First

Sound Control, Manchester

April 14th, 2014

Tonight's show took me back to Sound Control in Manchester to see three bands that I have previously reviewed but as tonight's show was so good I thought I would give them a little more blog space.

First up were The First, who I originally encountered at Hey Hey Hey in Nottingham's Rock City last October.  These guys really impressed me that night and tonight it is safe to say that they were even better.

The First played tracks from both of their albums 'Swimming with Sharks' and 'Take Courage' and gave the audience an amazing start to the evening.  Their set included 'William', 'Shark Attack', 'There's No Place Like Home' and my personal favourite 'Kicks'.

These guys played a blinding set with enough energy and catchy guitar hooks to lift the spirits of even the most deflated soul.  These guys are a must see band for me and I can't wait for the next time I get to see them.

Next up were Verses from Brighton.  These are another band that never fail to impress me although I don't follow them as much as I should.  Verses played a fantastic upbeat and energetic set, picking up the lead from The First and paving the way for LostAlone.

Headliners LostAlone were on top form tonight!  We have followed these guys for a couple of years now, so when they announced a headline tour to promote their new album, 'Shapes Of Screams' it was a no brainer.

Starting with 'The Bells The Bells' they played a good mix of songs including 'Crusaders', 'Hostages', 'Scarlet Letter Rhymes' and 'G.U.I.L.T.Y.' from the new album and 'Creatures', 'Vesuvius', 'Do You Get What You Pray For' and (my favourite) 'Paradox On Earth' from previous albums.

Mid way through the set Steven announced that the next song would be 'Put Pain To Paper' and launched into playing when Alan subtly reminded him that the song wasn't on the set list......  but in true LostAlone style they played it anyway! 

I have seen LostAlone do some things that most bands never do, like when Steven sat in the middle of the crowd last year and played 'Orchestra Of Breathing' completely solo, and tonight was no different.  Steven spent most of the first song playing his guitar in the pit surrounded by fans and then during 'Love Will Eat You Alive' he had about 5 members of the audience up on stage to sing with him and the band.  LostAlone really are a band that seem to thrive on their fans interaction!

Finishing the show with 'Dooomageddon' LostAlone left us wondering how the time had gone so quickly.  

Tonight's show was honestly one of my favourite shows of the year so far! 

The Wildhearts, The Von Hertzen Brothers and Hey! Hello!

The Wildhearts, The Von Hertzen Brothers and Hey! Hello!

The Academy Manchester

April 10th, 2014

Tonight took us back to Manchester for the second half of my birthday present.  Tonight's show was another band that we have been following for years, The Wildhearts.

The night started with Hey! Hello! which is a side project for Ginger Wildheart.  Fronted by Victoria Liedtke and Ginger, they have a good old fashioned rock vibe to them.  Victoria is reminiscent of Debbie Harry in both her style and sound. 

Hey! Hello! have a real energy which gets the crowd going and even with the questionable dancing throughout the instrumental parts they were a brilliant start to the night.

Next up were the Von Hertzen Brothers from Helsinki who, on their Facebook page, describe themselves as three brothers and two others.

The Von Hertzen brothers delivered a hard rock set with some fantastic songs, including 'flowers and rust' and 'Coming Home'.

These guys are perfect for people who love great melodies with a good kick of guitar.

Before headliners The Wildhearts could even take to the stage the crowd was already singing their songs in anticipation so you can imagine the reaction when they did appear on stage.

The first half of the set included all the old crowd pleasing favourites such as 'Caffeine Bomb', 'TV Tan' and 'I Wanna Go Where The People Go', which whipped the crowd into a frenzy of singing and bouncing.

The second half of the show took a slightly different turn as Ginger asked if it was ok with the audience if they played some of the songs that they enjoyed rather than more crowd pleasers, which it turned out were just as pleasing to the crowd, and included 'Geordie In Wonderland', 'Junkenstein', 'Nita Nitro', '29 X The Pain' and 'My Baby Is A Headfuck'.

Just like Therapy? last week it is easy to see from tonight's performance how The Wildhearts are still loved and going strong after so many years in the business.  It was a brilliant birthday present and a good time was had by all. 

20 Years of Troublegum

Therapy and Lonely The Brave

April 3rd, 2014

Academy 2 Manchester

When it was my birthday earlier in the year my little sister couldn't decide which tickets to get me as a present so she got me two sets, so tonight we went to Manchester to celebrate my birthday (a little late).  Over the next two weeks two bands that we have been listening to for a long time are touring and because my sister is indecisive tonight we are seeing the first one of them, Therapy? 

Supporting Therapy tonight are a band called Lonely the Brave, a five piece band from Cambridge.  These guys had a good old fashioned rock sound to them, very much in the same vain as the band they were supporting, however as much as I enjoyed them there were a couple of things that struck me as odd.

Firstly, the singer did not take centre stage, this place was filled by the lead guitarist, instead he stood off to the back of the stage by the drum kit.  He also never made eye contact with the audience during their set or spoke directly to the audience apart from a single word of thanks at the end of the set.

Although he had a fantastic strong voice his body language said the opposite.  Throughout the set he held onto the hem of his shirt with a clenched fist, letting go only to take a drink during the instrumental parts.  He also looked as though he had his eyes closed the entire time and never faced the audience directly, favouring standing sideways on to them throughout his time on stage, giving the impression that he was either extremely nervous or anxious about the whole performance.

Luckily, their music had the strength to redeem them of this distraction and they delivered a high energy full on rock set, before handing over to Belfast rockers Therapy?

Tonight's show was billed as the 20th anniversary of Troublegum, Therapy?'s 4th studio album, so as many bands do when the celebrate a milestone like this they played the Troublegum album in its entirety, treating us to favourites such as 'Stop It You're Killing Me', 'Nowhere', 'Isolation' and my personal favourite 'Die Laughing'.

After a short break Therapy? returned to the stage and announced that they would like to keep with the older songs for the night and had chosen a few songs from their early discs and EPs. Treating us to a selection of songs including 'Evil Elvis', 'Accelerator', 'Potato Junkie' and a cover of Judas Priests' 'Breaking the Law', they had the audience engaged and in the palm of their hand throughout the show.

The whole room had an amazing energy whether you were in the manic circle pits, crowd surfing or on the side lines bouncing along, you couldn't help but join in.

My only  fault with their set was that there was a lot of strobe lighting used but no warning signs for it anywhere in the venue.

After last night's performance it is easy to see why Therapy? are still going strong and still selling out venues after 25 years in the business. 

Radstock 2014

Yashin, Canterbury, Fearless Vampire Killers, LostAlone, Verses and Bentley Park

March 30th, 2014

Liverpool O2 Academy

Last year we decided to try the new one day music festival, Radstock, which was hosted by the O2 Academy in Liverpool and saw 24 bands across three stages.  It was a brilliant day and we were looking forward to this years following the announcement in October that Kids in Glass Houses, Funeral for a friend and Yashin would be on the set list.  Our excitement was to be short  lived.....

In February Kids in Glass Houses announced that they would be doing a final tour and then splitting up, which was quickly followed with an announcement from Radstock that Kids In Glass Houses had been pulled from the line up and that the festival would now be split across two shorter days, with only six bands appearing on each night. 

As there was only Funeral for a Friend that really held any pulling power for us on the Saturday night we decided to miss the Saturday show and just go for the Sunday.

I had seen all six of the bands on the bill before so I knew that we would be in for some good music but when we got there we found that it was in the small two tiered room and that each band would only be playing for half an hour each, with the exception of headliners Yashin who got 45 minutes.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of smoke and the lighting used in the small Academy room at Liverpool none of my photographs of the actual show are good enough to use, but I have included a few taken when I met some of the bands after the show.

Kicking off tonight were Bentley Park, from Manchester.  I saw these guys back in February when they supported White Clouds And Gunfire, and I wasn't over impressed with them, but tonight they did impress me.  Their performance seemed better rehearsed and a lot tighter than the last time I saw them.  If they continue the way they did tonight I think they will do well.

Next up were Verses, a band I saw supporting The Dangerous Summer last year.  I really enjoyed Verses the first time I saw them and I really enjoyed them again tonight.  Their music sounded great and they had a great presence on stage.  Although they are not a band I have paid too much attention to in the past, I am going to look see what material they have out there and invest in some.  These guys looked like they really enjoyed what they were doing which made us enjoy it more too.

Third band up are an old favourite of mine, Lostalone.  LostAlone used their Radstock set well by playing just the right amount of old songs to keep the fans happy ('Vesuvius', 'Creatures' and 'Do You Get What You Pray For') as well as showcasing a few songs from their new album 'Shapes Of Screams' which is released on April 6th, such as 'The Bells The Bells' and 'Scarlet Letter Rhymes'.  If the live songs are anything to go by then the new album will have been well worth waiting for.

Next up is another old favourite of mine, the Fearless Vampire Killers.  Kicking off with my favourite 'Bows Ties On Dead Guys', they got the girls (and boys) screaming and bouncing.  These guys really know how to put on a good show and never fail to disappoint.  Also taking the set as a good time to showcase new songs we were treated to 'Danger' from their album which will be out later in the year. Finishing with 'A War With The Thirst', they left the crowd on a real high.

Next were Canterbury.  I last saw these guys last April at the Deaf Institute in April and I will admit that they didn't really thrill me that night and I have to admit that of all the bands tonight these guys impressed me the least.  Don't get me wrong, they were good and had good melodies and lyrics, but they lacked a certain something.  Maybe if they had have been on the bill before LostAlone and Fearless Vampire Killers it may have been different but their less energetic set seemed a bit of an ante climax (although it did give us all a chance to recuperate before Yashin).

Last up were the Yashin, another band that never fails to impress.  Their blend of Kevin's screamo lyrics mixed with Harry's melodic singing are the perfect yin and yang.  These guys also treated us to some songs from their new album which is to be released later in the year as well as favourites such as 'Friends In High Places', 'Stand Up', 'Runaway Train' and 'New Year, New York'.  Yashin are a burst of energy and charisma, and whether Harry is climbing around the ledge that runs around the arches to the lower part of the room or hanging upside down from the lighting bar above the stage, there is never a dull moment when these guys are on the stage.

One thing that I love about the Radstock Festival is that the artists wander around the venue throughout the night and hang with fans or simply watch their friends perform. During the course of the show I got talk to Mark from LostAlone and found myself stood next to the lead singer of Canterbury at the bar.  After the show I got to chat to Alan Williamson from Lostalone, Drew, Kier and Laurence from FVK and Connor from the Yashin.

Radstock is a fangirl heaven and even though I wasn't a big fan of the change in the way it was presented over two days instead of one this year, I still had a brilliant time and would still go again next year.

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. 

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

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! 

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.