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“Read all about it” Stephen Manderson is back like he never left. Promoting his highly successful album “At Your Inconvenience” after massive chart filler “Alive Til Im Dead” the professor was back and in his prime. Chart topping English rappers are no longer the rarity they once were. But Professor Green has got the talent and the commercial success to contend in the grime scene. |
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It seems that synth legend Gary Numan has become very popular again in recent years and 2011 is no exception. With the release of ‘Dead Son Rising’ the album has received the best reviews for any of his previous albums. |
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Gym Class Heroes were late for the gig and therefore came all the way from New York to perform for less than an hour to a busy HMV institute (busy not sold out) leaving the audience with the ska support band. |
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Well, how the music scene goes through phases. You can be cool. Then incredibly uncool. Then go though a really tough time. And then, by hook and by crook, you’re sneakily cool again – almost übercool when the right (currently) cool people cite you as a musical influence. And so to a Sunday night out in Wolverhampton in the Wulfrun. Here to see the proverbial introvert who’s followed this path over a thirty plus year career. A person who flatly refuses to give up; Mr Gary Webb – better known as industrial techno innovator Gary Numan. |
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When most people think of Gomez they think bluesy mid-90s indie pop, a Mercury Prize, and a rapid decent into relative obscurity. But Gomez have been leading a secret life for the past decade or so, touring relentlessly in the States and building a sizeable and loyal following on the US gig circuit. So it must be a little strange for them to return having to play to a relatively cold crowd in the Library at HMV Institute. |
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Tonight it’s down to the 02 Academy for The Man of the Moment - breakthrough multi-award winning artist Tinie Tempah. The big break came after a stunning performance at the Wireless Festival in 2009, with his debut single ‘Pass-Out’ UK Number 1 for two consecutive weeks and his debut album ‘Disc-Overy’ straight in at Number 1 in October 2010. |
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The room is pretty empty when Diamonds kick off, but that doesn't stop the impressively talented frontman from storming into the crowd from the first beat. The band really set the tone of the night, it's all about spazcore ADHD indie-metal tonight. |
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For the second time in my life I have struggled to find a willing person to attend a Gilbert O’Sullivan concert with me. The Birmingham Town Hall is host to the opening night of Gilbertville Tour 2011, and a willing reviewer or photographer is harder to find than the aurora borealis. However, I am happy to step up to the mantle, alone again, naturally. |
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It’s that time of year again as the annual Kerrang Relentless tour rolls into town bringing with them the pop-punk stylings of The Wonder Years, Framing Hanley, Four Year Strong and Good Charlotte. It has all the makings of a great evening and I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold February evening. |
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There’s a lot of love in the room tonight. Not only the very obvious love for tonight’s headliners from the crowd, but also love for two excellent support bands, not least from Band of Horses frontman, Ben Bridwell, himself. He describes Mojave 3 as one of his favourite bands of all time! Add to that the amount of loved-up couples in attendance, hugging and smooching as they watch the Seattle five-piece’s impassioned performance, and it’s safe to say love is in the air. |
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I had about five minutes to respond to a very frantic review request from Brum Live for this gig and so I weighed things up. I’ve never been a particular Simply Red fan but, I've always enjoyed the big hits; was admiring of Mick Hucknall’s candid confessional in an interview recently that his bedding conquests were in need of apology to said young gals, (Don’t be too hard on yourself Mick, being a millionaire, international pop star does go to girls’ heads, as indeed other parts.) and that to share a bit of Pop history with a sell-out crowd seeing an iconic, mega-shifting album performer was too good to miss. |
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Opening solo act, Gravenhurst, aka Bristolian, Nick Talbot, on guitar and a foot-forest of effects pedals was rather peculiar. Giving the appearance of the stereotypical, bespectacled, lank-haired college geek, but very far from it, his self-penned songs explore dark places with dystopian Gormenghast-like imagery and are far removed from the Folkie archetype. |
