Six gigs, three cities, sixteen bands and copious amounts of alcohol

So, it occurred to me the other day that my good intentions of keeping a record of my gig going adventures in the form of this blog, have really gone to pot. I’ve been to five gigs since I saw Frightened Rabbit in March, and now its time to play catch-up! In chronological order: 

31/03/2009

Hundred Reasons + Johnny Foreigner 

Derby Rockhouse 

I managed to catch Johnny Foreigner at a handful of packed out shows in 2008 including a couple of festivals, so it was really nice to catch them again in a more relaxed slot supporting Hundred Reasons. Playing their own brand of jangly indie pop, reminiscent of early Rainer Maria, Johnny Foreigner really are a class act. Despite the short set, JoFo played a great show that undoubtedly won them some new fans. 8/10 

And so the turn of Hundred Reasons came. I remember loving this band as the hype of their soon-to-be released debut album was sweeping across the country. With some great EPs under their belts, they were going to be mine (and a lot of other peoples) new favourite band. When it finally landed in 2002, and remember feeling mightily disappointed as the album played in my stereo for the first time. They had been over-hyped, and the major label factor had obviously influenced the content of their eagerly awaited first full-length. So I left it for a bit, discovered new bands, before I decided to revisit Ideas Above Our Station. And without the hype in the forefront of my mind, I found a really great album from a post-hardcore band who had been given the chance to bring some Brit rock to a bigger audience than their peers. Their live show was assaulting, with Colin Doran bounding around stages like there was no tomorrow. Their second album saw them take a slightly different direction, which ultimately was panned by the critics and, despite my wholehearted love for the album, Shatterproof is Not a Challenge was the album that the label didn’t want. And so they were dropped. They still toured relentlessly, with some fucking fucking awesome bands including Biffy Clyro, and carried on holding the torch for British post-hardcore music. In 2006, the band released Kill Your Own, and their presence in the UK music press seemed a lot less these days, and with their fourth (and most recent) album Quick the Word, Sharp the Action being released on such a low-key scale in 2007, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Hundred Reasons were has-beens who were screwed over by a major label. 

In 2009, their QTWSTA album is set for a re-release, and they return for a fair length tour across the UK. I worry this show will disappoint me, and finally weld the nails in my coffin of opinions. They certainly look a little rounder these days, older and tired, but from the opening bars of their set through to the very last note of the evening, Hundred Reasons proved that they still have it. Colin is the driving force of the band, with his soaring vocals prompting mass sing-alongs from the packed venue. Playing a wealth of songs from their extensive back catalogue, the hits keep on coming. The material from the latter half of their career is surprisingly great live and inspires me to go home and revisit these albums I didn’t much chance when I bought them. The old ‘classics’ are obviously present, with I’ll Find You, Falter and Silver all sounding as fresh as they did seven years ago, which are sung back to the band with conviction.  Despite not seeing them live since their Shatterproof tour, I’m glad I decided to step back in and give them another chance…they did not disappoint! 9/10

 07/05/2009

Shapes + The James Cleaver Quintet + Talons

Nottingham Chameleon Arts Café

 

Having missed many of gigs I wanted to see at the Chameleon Arts Café, I finally visit the quirky venue situated above Clinton Cards in Nottingham’s Market Square. The venue is run-down, with a European feel to it, and they sell real ale in cans and it is ULTMATELY cool. The (who I assume to be) drunken owner of this very establishment is very friendly and even makes Neil a huge bowl of vegi chilli and rice for three humble pounds. Admittedly the chilli did feature peas and green beans, and took about 5 minutes to cook, but I was assured it tasted lovely. Very good.

Tonight, the Chameleon is host to three bands. It’s the Shapes EP release tour, and this Nottingham date has been put on by the lovely Saurus Promotions. The show starts late as the fourth band are nowhere to be seen. A pull-out apparently. So, Talons take to the stage first. And when I say stage, I mean the floor of a tiny room above the café/bar area of the venue, a room wich has sofas scattered lining the room’s edges, and unmatching velvet curtains draped from the walls. And a piñata dangling above the crowd. Anyway, I digress. All I know about them is that they are an unsigned band that Kev at BSM seems to bang on about a lot. Talons take to the floor as a three-piece with apologies for being two members down. The missing members I’m assured are the violin players, and tonight Talons play as a meat-and-potato style guitar/bass/drums band. Their first song launches them into an epic frenzy of enduring math-rock with the sensibilities of post-rock thrown in to create the sound of a beast battling under water before bursting through the waves into the atmosphere. The sound is huge, and the bassist breaks a string in the very first song of their set. Not letting that deter him, he battles on with his three-stringed bass for the remainder of the jaw dropping set. The band is wholeheartedly passionate, introverted then extroverted and they writhe around the stage admist the fight music they are blasting out. I’m left feeling that if a band could impress me this much with a duff bass and two members missing, then this band are surely going to be my new favourite band. I picked up their two-track demo immediately after the band stopped, and what I didn’t know then would be the amount of play counts its achieved between then and now on my Last.fm account. Winner. 10/10

The middle slot tonight is taken by The James Cleaver Quintet, who brutalise the ears of anyone who has the pleasure of hearing them. The singer’s in-yr-face antics are backed up by the roar of the instruments, creating a ferocious assault. The band climbs on speakers, pounding on their instruments, the volume cranked to the highest setting, and the amp stack looks like it is going to topple at one point. The piñata above the crowd is finally stuck and a shower of sweets lands on the crowd and band alike. The singer throws lolly pops into the crowd, and struts around some more. Definitely worth checking out. 8/10

Last, but not least, the band Shapes head up the bill in support of the BSM released The Pasture, The Oil EP. Opening with You Butcher, an epic track from the aforementioned EP with jagged guitars, pounding drums and snarling vocals. Shapes have arrived! Their songs blister throughout the room’s atmosphere, and the crowd unite in dancing, fingers raised in the air. Like the two bands before them, Shapes are a band I’ve never witnessed live before, but have impacted on me so much I know it won’t be the last time I see them. Their set features intricacies, brutalities, spasms and vocals that could rip yr ears off, and convinces me that watching bands at the stage of their career where they play tiny shows to rooms full (and sometimes rather empty) of gig-goers with such raw passion and enthusiasm just for the fun, is truly the best thing in the world. 9/10

 08/05/2009

Johnny Foreigner  + Tubelord + My Psychoanalyst

Derby Rockhouse

Its been many weeks since watching Johnny Foreigner play at this very venue in support of Hundred Reasons. Their tour, featuring Tubelord as main support and My Psychoanalyst as local support, is one I’ve been eagerly awaiting. There was genuine worry in the days leading up to the gig, as my tickets had arrived and I had tickets 1 and 2, and I thought Derby would let down some awesome bands and convince them not to tour in these parts again. This worry was pointless, as when we arrived midway through My Psychoanalyst’s set, the venue had people in it! This gig had meant to be in the small room, but I’d heard it had been upgraded due to ticket sales. These people didn’t seem to be out in force for My Psychoanalyst, but there was still time!

I hadn’t seen My Psychoanalyst for a while, but they seemed a bit thin on the ground - there were definitely more members in the band last time, but that didn’t stop them from conjuring lush soundscapes and launching them forth into our ears. 7/10 

Next up are Tubelord, a three-piece band I wholly adore. Their jaunty, angular Biffy-esque pop has been stuck on repeat on my iPod ever since I bought their Square EP in 2008. Picked up by Big Scary Monsters, Tubelord have been drip feeding me music in the form of two 7”s released on the aforementioned label, and a threat of an album has been looming for what feels like ages. It’s widely known that educational ties prevent Tubelord from a full time schedule of touring and releases. But with summer on the brink of arriving, Tubelord will no doubt be thrashing out their goodness to the gig-going public country wide. This support slot means a short set, but they deliver a storming one, which includes new songs to whet my appetite. Joe gets into it as ever, climbing over the barriers for some guitar action amidst the crowd, and the band seem genuinely surprised at the crowd as lyrics are sung back to them. They finish on the wonderful I Am Azzerrad, and I instantly know that 2009 is going to be a great year for them. 9/10

Heading the bill tonight are Brummy heroes Johnny Foreigner in the half-full main room of the Rock House. Alexei comments on how awesome it would be to have played the gig in the smaller room, which would mean a heaving, squashed in crowd, which certainly makes for a great occasion in my opinion. But despite the empty space at the back of the venue, JoFo has an army of fans before them bouncing around and singing along to every word. I’ve said this before, but the boy-girl vocal dynamic coupled with Alexei’s guitar playing style and stage presence, really makes me think of early Rainer Maria, which makes me SO happy. Always fun, always happy, JoFo put on a lovely show. The gin-drinking band play a selection of songs from EPs past, their album and also throw in some new tunes too. It’s nice to see them mix it up a bit with swapped instruments, and Joe from Tubelord also ends up onstage to play a second guitar. And during their final track sees all of Tubelord take to the stage for a love in. What a show! 10/10

 

15/05/2009

Juliette and the New Rmantiques  + The Gay Blades

London Koko

 

I turned on to Juliette and her music when the Licks had released two albums and an EP already. They had toured the UK relentlessly and I never saw them, so was really looking forward to them releasing their third and experiencing them live. Sadly, last year Juliette announced the Licks were no more but she’d be endeavouring to continue with her music. When I found out her new Project, Juliette and the New Romantiques, would be doing some low-key European shows, I quickly snapped up tickets the the London show. 

So at London’s famous Koko venue, on a Friday night, Juliette would play her first UK show with her new backing band. But first, the Gay Blades open up the late show. A two-piece comprised of a drummer and guitarist, play a handful of songs to a crowd that on the whole seems to lap it up. For me, however, the band don’t affect me. Nothing exciting here, but for their apparent passion I’d give them a 3/10

When Juliette and her band take to the stage, the evening begins to look up. A lot. Dressed in sparkly leggings, ridiculous heels and covered in some feathery garment Juliette owns the venue as soon she sets foot on the grand stage. She is captivating, quite possibly insane and she struts her stuff in a manner Mick Jagger would be proud of. The set feels short, but the quality of the show certainly makes up for it. I’m relieved to hear classic …Licks songs, and excited to hear …Romantiques as yet unreleased material. Whilst I found the Romantiques to be quite stagnant, Juliette commanded the stage like few can and proved that she can put her hand to anything. My only regret of the evening is remaining on the balcony for the show, instead of joining the throng of followers at the front of the crowd. 9/10

 

21/05/2009

BlakFish + Hot Bone + These Waves

Nottingham Seven

 

Tonight, Seven is host to a brand new club night, bUTTONpUSHER. It’s the first time I’ve been to the venue since it was Junktion 7, and it’s safe to say it hasn’t changed much. We were enticed down early with the promise of a free CD to the first 50 people here. And half an hour after doors, we popped upstairs where the bands would be playing, to find an empty room. So back downstairs we go to prop up the bar and wait for more people to arrive. Some time later, the floor above us seems to rumble and signifies a band have taken to the stage. There was a score of people up their at most, tapping their feet along to These Waves, a band from Derby. They played very well, and their talent was clear (especially the guitarist on the right), but I felt they weren’t a band for me. I think this was largely due to the vocals not complementing the music as well as they could have. The band was young, and I’m sure their still honing in on their sound. I’d certainly be interested in seeing them again in a year or so, to see how they develop. 6/10 

Hot Bone are another band I had never heard of. Comprising of a drummer and guitarist wearing lamb and fox masks respectively, Hot Bone played a weird yet wonderful set of music, which was a cross between Lightning Bolt and That Fucking Tank. Wholly entertaining, especially when the drummer blew into a stuffed lamb and to create some weird sonic noises whilst turning the demonic lamb’s eyes red, Hot Bone really stood out as ones to watch. If I had one criticism, it would be that they possibly played a little bit too long. A bit of crowd interaction would have helped overcome this feeling. 8/10

Headlining tonight are BlakFish, a band I have come to love since first watching them support Marmaduke Duke back in 2005. Their progression as a band has been clear over the years, and tonight they are a well-oiled machine who have found their sound. The four-piece describe their own music as death-pop, and its fair to say that they have killed pop in one fell swoop. Their sound shreds through the air, as they brutalise their instruments. The band are a pleasure to behold, and always keen on crowd interaction. A witty bunch that keeps the crowd laughing and dancing all at once. Their set includes some new tracks from their upcoming album on BSM, which really made me eager to hear the August release. A highlight for me was shouting for Preparing for Guests and receiving. The crowd really got during this song, and a mosh broke out in epic fashion…I even ended up drenched my some poor soul’s pint of lager! BlakFish finished on Shit On My Face and Tell Me I’m Simon Cowell, which ended up with a band and crowd chant that set grins on faces that the Joker would be jealous of “It could be worse, we could be dead. I don’t know how we survived, but all I know is – we did!”. 10/10

 

22/05/2009

Colour + Pennines + Calories + Swizerland

Nottingham Chameleon Arts Café

 

Ah yes, back to the Chameleon again (this place is fast becoming my favourite venue in Nottingham) for another Saurus Promotion with a great fucking line-up, and a piñata. We turn up slightly late, and enter the packed room whilst Switzerland were mid way through their set. There’s not much of a view for me, but this very young Derby band (and self-confessed Cap’n Jazz ‘tribute’ band) sound rather good. 6/10 

Next up are Calories from Birmingham (is it me or are all the best bands from Brum at the moment?), who really manage to impress me. A three-piece on Small Town America Records, play a set featuring a lot of their Adventuring album. Their tight indie-rock sound is reminiscent of the The Appleseed Cast and The X-Certs, with some Kyle Fischer-style goodness thrown in from the bassist/singer. The drummer is the star of the show tonight, who despite being completely drunk, plays flawlessly and provides us with much entertainment. Calories also have the pleasure of the piñata being penetrated during their set. This time the pencil shaped piñata spills sweets and chocolate, which the crowd scrambles to get their share of (and also to throw some at the drummer). Classic! Their song Drugged, delivers my highlight of the evening, with a three man vocal assault sharing with the crowd their wisdom “Everything is beautiful and it then its gone, and then its not!”. 8.5/10

Now here’s where it gets hazy…

Pennines are the penultimate band to play tonight, and it’s during their set my drunkenness kicks in. My memories aren’t great apart from remembering I really enjoyed the singer’s voice! 7/10 

When headliner Colour take to the stage, I am VERY drunk! But I remember really enjoying them. Sadly we didn’t get to watch their whole set due to tram timetables, but what we did see was really very good. 8/10

 

 

Frightened Rabbit @ Leicester Musician, 29/03/2009

Scotland's best kept secret play a show in support of their new acoustic album.

Frightened Rabbit are an incredibly talented band, who are fast gaining critical acclaim since the release of their second album Midnight Organ Fight. Following support slots on both Death Cab For Cutie’s tour of Britain last November, and Biffy Clyro’s pre-christmas jaunt around the UK, Frightened Rabbit have since spent a large chunk of 2009 making waves playing headline shows in the States. Now, back in ol’ Blighty, Frightened Rabbit are preparing to release Quietly Now! The Midnight Organ Fight Live & Acoustic which was recorded last year at the Captains Rest. It’s the eve of its UK release (fans in America had the pleasure of an October 08 release date), and Frightened Rabbit arrive in Leicester for some acoustic goodness in an oddly long, but tightly packed out venue.

Taking to the stage in the low-lit Musician, singer Scott Hutchison is very apologetic to the crowd, as he has realised the poster advertising tonight’s show doesn’t mention it’s going to be an acoustic affair. The crowd doesn’t seem to mind, and the four-piece begin the evening with My Backwards Walk. This stripped-down song sets a precedent for the rest of the evening, which promises to be an evening of real music, played by salt of the earth musicians. And the crowd just lap Frightened Rabbit right up, who seem far from frightened tonight. In fact, Scott is a rare frontman; quietly confident, incessantly witty and brimming with genuine charm. Making jokes between songs and finding quirky new ways to store his guitar on stage, Scott really embraces the crowd. And the whole band are just so warm, and it feels more like a gathering of friends than an indie band playing to a faceless crowd.

FR play through Midnight Organ Fight’s highlights, including The Twist, Heads Roll Off and Fast Blood before support act and good friend of the band Ross Clark takes to the stage to play the mandolin on Old Old Fashioned. Spirits are raised, both onstage and in the crowd. Small laughs are stifled when Ross’s red strap on his mandolin breaks and he misses his part to fix it. Its no good however, as it just won’t stay attached. He does his best to make the best out of a bad situation, and is an entirely good sport!

Midway through their set, Frightened Rabbit break the rules of touring bands and give the crowd a magic ticket; the band will take requests for the second half of the show. Shout-outs for tracks from their debut album Sing the Greys are made, and Scott is pleasantly surprised to hear that people in the crowd have that album. The band happily oblige and play Go-Go- Girls and Square 9. There’s a lot of instrument swapping throughout the show, with each member of the band (apart from the drummer) having a go on the Nord Electro 2 keyboard, showcasing what a multi-talented band the really are. And anyone who can take N-Trance’s god awful Set You Free and turn it into a quality piece of music deserves a great deal of praise!

An entirely honest band, Scott announces that Modern Leper is their ‘last song’ but they’ll be back for an encore afterwards. And a few minutes later, Scott returns to the Musician’s stage alone and gets right up to the front of the crowd to play Poke. Scott’s guitar is out of tune, and he comedically tries to tune it, before the crowd hushes as he opens his mouth to sing a song which, in my opinion, is the best on the album. His voice rings out delicately in the quiet, quiet room, his strong Scottish accent sending shivers down my spine. And I’m just as surprised as he appears to be when the crowd take up backing vocal duties, even if in a slightly out of tune manner, which Scott picks up on and cheekily halts the song to tell us all so! But he encourages us to improve, and he carries on playing the song. This is a poignant moment is tonight’s show, and completely and utterly the highlight. They really could have stopped there. However, his band-mates come out from the fire-escapeless backstage area to play the remainder of the set, which is chosen from crowd requests. Oldies Be Less Rude and Snake get a run out, and there’s a rather funny story to go with Snake, in which Scott tries to convince the crowd that the song isn’t about his penis. Nice try, but I’m not sure the crowd were convinced! But the song certainly raised some smiles.

Finally, Frightened Rabbit are ready to say goodbye, and they play fan favourite Keep Yourself Warm, which prompts a mass sing-along which hears the crowd chanting ‘You won’t find love in a hole’ in unison. They leave the stage to claps, whistles and whooping before five seconds later having to come back onstage to get into the crowd as its their only escape route! Classic. It won't be long before the whole world is adoring this band. 10/10

Red Light Company + Prego, Leeds Cockpit 15/03/2009

Two of the UK's most up and coming bands play a perfectly matched show together

We arrive at Leeds Cockpit in good time tonight, a precaution to prevent us from missing Prego, who I've brought Neil to see as a surprise birthday present. After a short queue to get into the venue, we are ushered through the bar where merch stalls are being set up and into tonight's main room. Reminiscent of a war time bomb shelter, with corrugated arched ceilings, the Cockpit is littered with a handful of people both old and surprisingly young, waiting for this evening's spectacle.

Tonight's bill is only two bands strong, so the wait for Prego is quite lengthy. We take up spots at the front left, right next to the huge speakers and in front of one of Prego's guitarists. Such a small gig doesn't warrant barriers between the band and the fans, nor is there a need for bouncers. As Prego take to the stage, there's not much initial stir from the crowd, and the five-piece begin their thirty minute set on the Cockpit's small stage. The opening couple of tracks include upcoming single The Longest Calm and another track I don't know the name of, and Prego proceed to build their post-rockery sound into peaks of pure musical bliss. Taking the meat and potato instruments of any band, Prego transforms the musical menu to five star cuisine with guitars fed through pedals (of which they had in droves on stage) and the presence of Edd Simpson's obscure omnichord, making Prego one of the most interesting bands around at the moment.

The band play through their set, losing themselves in the music. Each and every member introverting themselves into what they are doing, possibly even forgetting they are playing to anyone but themselves. The guitars change from brooding to intricate to epic, lifted by the melodic drums and bass, and throw each and every song into a giant wall of sound. From the pulsating guitars of Cause and Resolve to Edd Simpson's haunting vocals in Answers. Prego's penultimate track is new song Air Castles is a tease to fans eagerly awaiting the long-overdue debut album, and set closer Here's to You is five minutes and nine seconds I wanted to last forever. The band's passion is clear to see, and with music this epic its hard not to get swept up in it all. The crowd seem to lap it up, and no doubt Prego's six song set will have won them many new fans. And they deserve it. 9/10

Half an hour or so later, Red Light Company enter stage left, and I struggle to see having moved further back in the crowd to take up a spot near the bar. It's been nearly two weeks since I last saw three of the five members play a small acoustic set in Nottingham's Fopp record store, and its clear to see the band have all been to the barber's since then! Looking fresh faced and back to the full five-strong line-up, Red Light Company launch into set opener Words of Spectacular. It is great to see that Chris Edmonds and Shawn Day have returned to playing their usual instruments of choice. Always atmospheric, Red Light Company have built a big, indie-pop sound with bellowing guitars, pounding keyboards with a big vocal presence. And looking at the enthusiastic crowd packed in to this small venue, it is clear people are really beginning to cotton on. The reactions to songs such as Scheme Eugene, Arts & Crafts and With Lights Out is testament to this. The band even seem surprised at the reaction the Leeds crowd is giving them, which is great to see when Richard Frenneaux passes the vocal duties onto the fans during upbeat anthem Meccano for the line "for crying out loud, the weekend is over" which is the perfect sentiment for a Sunday night show. Looking genuinely humbled by the fans singing back their song, I would hedge a bet that they wished they had saved this number until last. Several songs later, the band finish up on When Everyone is Everybody Else and leave the stage. It's quite a shock, however to see them return for one song encore, as in my opinion their strongest songs had already been played. Yet they take to stage for the last time this evening and play album closer The Alamo, which is a drum pelting affair and not such a bad set-closer at all. And it dawns on me that perhaps I have just heard the whole album played in full, in order. A shame I don't have a set-list to confirm my suspicions, as I could be wrong!

So, a great - if not a little short - forty-five minute set which leaves me feeling positive for a band who are clearly on the brink of something big. This is the fourth time I've turned up to a Red Light Company show, and it really won't be the last. 8/10

Gaslight Anthem + Frank Turner + Polar Bear Club @ Rock City, 03/03/2009

Fast-rising American band arrive in Nottingham for penultimate night of their European tour

Arriving a little late to this gig, me, Neil and Dave enter the venue towards the end of Polar Bear Club’s set. After heading straight to the bar for a beer, not much attention was made to tonight’s opening band. Until they launch into a cover of the Get Up Kids, that is. A young band on the brink of earning themselves enough fans for a headline tour of their own, Polar Bear Club are nothing original but play with enough conviction to warrant further interest. A couple of songs later they leave the stage, and yet again I wish I had arrived in time for a promising support band. 6/10

Twenty or so minutes later, Frank Turner is on stage without his live band beginning a surprisingly lengthy set featuring songs old and new, with a Lemonheads cover thrown in for good measure. Full of praise for his touring buddies the Gaslight Anthem and Polar Bear Club, Frank found himself drinking whiskey straight from the bottle at the request of his newly found friends. This is the penultimate night of a lengthy European tour after all.

Always appreciative, Frank is bowled over by the voices singing his songs right back at him. From upbeat tracks such as I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous, and lyrically genius track Father’s Day to the tear-jerking tribute to his friend Lex on Long Live the Queen, Frank really grabs the crowd and they really give it back at the top of their lungs. Ever the story teller, Frank informs the crowd of his first gig at Rock City, where a Pitchshifter fan once heckled “Fuck-off and don’t come back!” – tonight there is no such feeling, as I’m almost certain the majority of the crowd would venture back to this very venue to see Mr Turner play a headline show of his own. A great time to announce such a show then – Sunday October 18th, Frank’s biggest Nottingham show yet. Frank’s preview of new material that is set to appear on third album proper is a great listen; two instantly identifiable, upbeat tracks approaching subjects such as friendship and actively following your dreams. Frank is truly an inspirational watch tonight (despite the limited view of the stage). 9/10

After Frank’s set, Dave decides to leave, so Neil and I head to the bar for a top-up. Upon stumbling across Phil, we all head to try and get a decent view of tonight’s headliners the Gaslight Anthem. Thinking back to six-months ago, the Gaslight Anthem made their first ever UK appearance at Leeds and Reading festivals, follwed by a short debut tour of the British Isles. I was lucky enough to catch the band playing a show in the basement of tonight’s venue. Just over half full, it was a rip-roaring show for long-time fans and new fans who were there off the back of a extremely complimentary article that appeared in Kerrang the week before. It was amazing to think that here the band were, about to play a near sell out show in Rock City’s main hall to an extremely receptive crowd.

Taking to the stage, the Gaslight Anthem appear as a thankful band, who genuinely appreciate the support from the fans that have showed up this evening. A band with old-fashioned ideals, and a sound that reflects this fact, the Gaslight Anthem play a set of crowd-pleasing tracks. Like true all-American men, they play tracks including breakthrough track The 59 Sound, Senor and the Queen’s Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts and ska-infused Boomboxes and Dictionaries with admirable conviction. Like the two bands before them, they also play a cover; Ben e King’s Stand By Me. The crowd lap it up, with chants of ‘Darling, Darling!’ and Brian Fallon spreads his millionth grin of the evening.

Full of praise for the bands they have shared the stage with the past five or six or so weeks, the Gaslight Anthem seemed happy to have shared many stages with the Polar Bear Club and Frank Tuner. It was very nice to see from my position in the crowd that the support bands had taken to the side of the stage to drink whiskey from the bottle and dance to their newly acquired friend’s set. Towards the end of Gaslight Anthem’s performance, I noticed that the dancing support bands clothing was starting to disappear. And lo-and-behold, during Gaslight’s final song, several men took to the stage in Y-fronts and began gay-dancing in a fashion that would make Mark Hoppus extremely jealous. What a show! What cheesy grins that spread across every crowd members face! 8/10

---

After the show, I fled to the merch stand where I had earlier spotted limited edition tour posters, Being the second to last date of the tour, I knew they’d be in short supply. Printed onto thick black paper, the limited to one hundred posters looked awesome on the stand. Luckily, I managed to get my hands on one (despite the German sounding merch guy claiming I’d be lucky to get one after the show). Mine was hand numbered 13 of 100, and I managed to get Frank Turner to sign it close to his name on the bill, making it all the more valuable to me. It shall certainly be appearing in a frame in my flat very soon!

Marmaduke Duke @ Leeds Brudenell Social Club 05/03/2009

The finest men in rock unite for a short UK tour in support of new single

Marmaduke Duke have been surrounded in mystery until recently. Known only as The Dragon and The Atmosphere, with a plan to release a trilogy of concept albums, the mighty Duke have now been identified as JP Reid (Sucioperro) and Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro). Of course long time fans of Sucioperro and Biffy Clyro have always known the bands previously secret identity, but only now has the mainstream cottoned on. With articles on highly regarded online magazine Drownedinsound.com and (inaccurate) features in the NME, Reid and Neil have been revealed as the conspirators behind Marmaduke Duke.

Beginning their promotion for their long-anticipated second album Duke Pandemonium, the magnificent Duke have released their first ever single Kid Gloves. And in honour of this (and presumably to cash in on the recent media exposure), Marmaduke Duke has headed out on a small tour of underground venues across the UK. On the penultimate night of the tour, Marmaduke Duke play one of Leeds most legendary venues, the Brudenell Social Club.

The venue is rammed, and the crowd eagerly anticipate tonight’s headliners. And as always, The Dragon and the Atmosphere need a little help when playing live. Cue the remaining members of their respective bands, Sucioperro and Biffy Clyro. Six-men strong (if you include the mysterious Duke wandering the stage), Marmaduke Duke really cram themselves onto the Brudenell’s stage tonight. Adorned in mutli-coloured tights, shawls, feather boas and faux knee-high boots, the Duke take to the stage and launch into Fridge & Fromage and I am instantly launched from the middle of the crowd to the front, right in front of live bassist, James Johnston. There’s little security here tonight, so no barriers are in place to keep the crowd’s distance from the band. And I am there, at James’ feet with a perfect view of the band rocking out on the stage. I can already tell that tonight’s show is going to be a highlight of my gig-going year.

The Atmosphere (aka Simon Neil) is on top form tonight. His energy and passion is flourishing in ways they have lacked since his full-time band Biffy Clyro started touring Puzzle in 2007. In Marmaduke Duke, he is really able to let himself go, which is evident by the first of many stage dives into the crowd. The Duke really are back.

Playing a mix of favourites from debut full-length The Magnificent Duke, along with tracks from upcoming long-player Duke Pandemonium, the crowd lap up a rare live appearance from Marmaduke Duke. Music Show is an upbeat track, fulfilling the promise that Duke Pandemonium is the ‘party album’, and current single Kid Gloves is great despite being sans female vocals. My personal favourite track, The Red and the Number, is as good as it ever was, as Simon chants random configurations of numbers into his mic. The tempo is briefly brought down to an acoustic level, with the reminiscent A Conspiracy and a Devil, and the vocal tennis of An Impostor and a Magician, before the party atmosphere is back once again with Everybody Dance.

Their set is fast paced, and flies by so fast. The Atmosphere gives his all during The Kill and The Kure, pulled back onto stage by the ‘Duke’, and ends the song writhing on the floor. And in no time at all, set closer Blunder and Haggis is ringing through the sound system, hypnotic and grinding, then the band are gone.

After the show

A couple of pints of Fosters, and some lost games of table football later, me, Dan and Andy find ourselves hanging outside the venue. Minutes later we are joined by members of the Duke preparing to leave the venue, who were kind enough to pose for the following photos:

Red Light Company @ Fopp, Nottingham 04/03/2009

London band play Fopp instore to support the release of their debut album

I've been to instore signings before, but never an instore gig, so I didn't really know what to expect. Maybe a long queue to get in, perhaps having to peer over CD racks to see and certainly wishing I had been able to get there earlier in order to avoid the former.

How wrong I was. After racing down the M1 from work to Nottingham, I arrived pretty darn close to the scheduled 6pm instore gig. Despite posters advertising Red Light Company's appearance, Fopp music store looked pretty empty, bar a handful of people congregated in the far right hand corner of the store. I thought perhaps I had arrived on the wrong day, but the posters told me I hadn't. So I grabbed Fine Fascination, paid a humble £6 for it on CD (great value from Fopp as always) and headed to the corner of the store.

Minutes later, Richard Frenneaux, Chris Edmonds and Shawn Day appeared on the tiny square area which was raised 4' or so off the ground. Three members short, the Red Light Company trio began their set with With Lights Out, played on a small acoustic guitar, keyboards and backed up with some vocals from all three band members. As always, Frenneaux's voice is distinct, delicate and perfect for the band's sound. The keyboards assisted the acoustic guitar to make a big, big sound and Day's backing vocals helped make the performance sound warm and atmospheric. A faultless yet modest performance, the small crowd clapped along at the end before they shyly introduced the next song, their latest single Arts & Crafts. They followed this with set closer Scheme Eugene. It was nice to see people mouthing along the words and it was a great song to end with. Almost abruptly, they then left the 'stage' to a more enthusiastic round of clapping.

I looked around to see maybe 20 or 30 people in the store. Looking at them I could tell it felt as odd to them as it did to me, to be in a record store watching a band play a short acoustic set. Odd but satisfying, especially as there was such a low turn-out. It was as though we'd been let into a little secret.

Turning back to the area that was the stage minutes ago, the missing members of the band had appeared and lined up to sign albums for tonight's attendees. After congratulating Frenneaux and Edmonds on an enjoyable set, they revealed to me they don't play acoustically very often hence keeping it short yet sweet. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been told. Next thing I knew, I was being ushered to the end of the line, passed members of the band who hadn't performed this evening, to collect my album inner which was kindly signed with gold and silver pens by the entire band.

I wouldn't have predicted it, but at half past six, I was back in my car heading home almost as if it hadn't have happened.

March is music month:

A preview of new releases and live shows expected in March

So far, 2009 has been an extremely disappointing year for me musically. After attending less than a handful of gigs worth mentioning in January and February (underground indie rockers The Themals at Sheffield’s Raynor Lounge and Brazilian metallers Soulfly at Nottingham’s Rock City), coupled with the fact that only a couple of new release albums and singles have so far whet my appetite (namely The Thermal’s debut 7” Now We Can See for the Kill Rock Stars label and Thursday’s fifth studio album Common Existence), I was beginning to think that I might struggle to hit 10 favourite albums in my end of year lists, and beat last years bench mark of attending gigs into their double figures (37 to be exact).

After this disappointing slow start to the musical year, March promises to make up for lost time; New Jersey punkers the Gaslight Anthem round up their European tour supported by UK hero Frank Turner and relative newcomers the Polar Bear Club with three last UK dates before they head back to the US for another lengthy jaunt. Their stop-off at Nottingham Rock City on the 3rd of the month promises to be an upbeat sing-a-long show, which I would not miss for the world.

The following day, London based band Red Light Company play one of three instores this week at Fopp records. This particular date brings them to Nottingham in support of their debut album Fine Fascination, which is released on March 2nd. Despite being much preferable on record (lead singer Richard Frenneaux has always come across as very arrogant at gigs I have attended in the past), I am very excited to be following up my purchase of Red Light Company’s first full length with an intimate set inside a record store. This is just the beginning of the band’s promotional schedule, with a string of proper dates planned in mid-march supported by a band I’m even more excited about – Prego. Fellow Londoner’s Prego will be playing on a few dates of Red Light Company’s tour, taking them out of London which is rare in itself. I hope to attend the date at the Cockpit in Leeds on March 15th, which is guaranteed to be an evening of both luscious and epic music from two up and coming UK bands.

The first week of March also sees Scottish duo Marmaduke Duke (featuring Sucioperro front man JP Reid and Biffy Clyro front man Simon Neil – aka The Dragon and the Atmosphere) release their first ever single Kid Gloves, which precedes their upcoming second album Duke Pandemonium, after finding a new home at 14th Floor Records on CD and 2 x 7”. With Duke Pandemonium being hailed as the ‘party album’, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Kid Gloves didn’t quite fit that claim. Laden in beats and synths, Kid Gloves is a very warm track which features guest vocals from Connie Mitchell - Marmaduke Duke really do sound like a British Postal Service. This 3-part release also promises to bring brand new b-sides to get fans in the mood for their short jaunt across the UK, playing six live dates which include a stop-off at Leeds Brudenell Social Club on March 5th. Marmaduke Duke’s shows are legendary, and I’m really looking forward to see what shenanigans they get up to at this date of the tour (plus, I hope to wrangle James or Ben Johnston for some gossip on Biffy’s Clyro’s forthcoming fifth album).

Rounding off this first week, I plan to stop by the Bodega Social Club in Nottingham on March 8th, where French band Underground Railroad are supporting Fight Like Apes. Having bought their second album Sticks and Stones off the back of a set at last years Leeds Festival, I’m really looking forward to being able to sing along to Underground Railroad in a small venue - plus, I’ll finally be able to pick up the EP they released earlier this year.

Brighton-based Scots The Xcerts release new single Crisis in the Slow Lane on March 9th. Having been more than impressed with the singles they have released thus far, I eagerly anticipate this release, which is followed on the 30th by their debut full-length In the Cold Wind We Smile. Akin to 90’s American bands Pop Unknown and Cap’n Jazz, the Xcerts are certainly high on my list of ones to watch in 2009.

The Xcerts touring buddies and fellow Scots Twin Atlantic head off on a short tour in March. Playing a few dates with Flood of Red, which sees them swing by the Bar Academy in Birmingham on March 11th. Having seen some brilliant gigs at this venue in the past (which includes Marmaduke Duke, Brigade and Blakfish), I hope Twin Atlantic will follow suit when previewing new tracks from their forthcoming debut album.

Another Scottish band, Sucioperro, release their download-only single Don’t Change (What You Can’t Understand) on March 16th, which previews their forthcoming Pain Agency album. And if you thought JP Reid and his fellow Sucioperro bandmates (who moonlight as extra players at Marmaduke Duke live shows) hadn’t been busy enough recently with Marmaduke Duke related activity, then you might like to know they head off on a tour of their own in April.

And whilst there’s a lot of talk of Scottish music, another band worth mentioning is Fat Cat Record’s Frightened Rabbit. They are set to release live album Quietly Now, featuring acoustic tracks from last years masterpiece Midnight Organ Fight on March 30th. Despite being available in America since 2008, I have yet to preview this album, but will make sure my copy is ordered in time to land in my post box on the release date. In celebration of this release, Frightened Rabbit play some acoustic shows which includes a date at Leicester’s Musician on March 29th – a gig I’d be a fool to miss!

Rounding the month off, Hundred Reasons return with a tour in support of the re-release of their 4th album Quick the Word, Sharp the Action. Having not been very impressed with Hundred Reasons on record over the years, I can’t deny that their live shows are a different story. Having seen them last in 2003, I’m really excited to be attending their show at Derby’s recently reopened Rockhouse, where Brummy indie-poppers Johnny Foreigner also share the bill.

So, March is set to be a corker of a month already, and I’m sure there will be a plethora of additional singles and albums being released and gigs played in the month of March that I have yet to learn about.

07/02/2009 - Warming to The Thermals new material at Sheffield's Raynor Lounge

Portland's finest indie-rockers, The Thermals, play to a small yet enthusiastic crowd in Sheffield

Taking time out from their support slot with the Cribs,  The Thermals roll up in Sheffield for one of a handful of headline dates on their trip to the UK. A smaller venue than they have been playing with tourmates the Cribs, the Raynor Lounge is the small back room on Sheffield University's Bar One. To get to the Raynor Lounge, there is a sea of students in fancy dress costumes listening to Kylie "anthems" to wade through. The Bar is heaving, with the in-crowd all dressed up and throwing down shots whilst listening to popular music, which jars with the more chilled back-room where the underground kids are dressed down and drinking pints whilst listening to an indie band that 99% of the students next door have never heard of. 

The Thermals play a late set, arriving on stage at around 11pm to a crowd eagerly awaiting a rare headline set. Playing a mix of tracks from their three studio albums, the Thermals also give some new songs a test run back by their brand new drummer Westin Glass. The Thermals don't waste much time with crowd interaction apart from a "thank-you" here and there, opting instead to relentlessly play songs from a lengthy setlist including  "Here's Your Future", "How We Know" and finishing off with "Pillar of Salt".  Faultlessly played, the songs are well received by the audience and the band themselves seem happy to be rocking out on this chilly Saturday evening. 

There's no encore tonight, despite a few chants. In spite of this, it is safe to say that tonight, the modest-musicians Hutch, Kathy and Westin, warmed up a small Sheffield crowd and left grins on a lot of peoples faces.