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Due to the ridiculously early start to the show, 6.30, I miss the majority of Steel Panther’s set; but then again I have been subjected to their spoof hair metal act on more than one occasion and do tend to get bored after a couple of songs. |
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Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses) roll into the second city to play the grand 'ole' symphony hall as part of the tour promoting Earle's latest album 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive' (there is also a debut novel of the same name that I’m beginning to regret not having bought and had signed at the ‘after show’ signing). |
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In its commendable ninth year now, the Capsule-curated Supersonic festival goes from strength to strength with its latest installment. The usual mix of bands from within the spheres of doom, electronica, post-rock and straight-up barminess were all present and correct, but a few slight changes were made. |
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A bright-eyed, and all together reinvigorated, vocally bushy-tailed Simon ‘Foxy’ Fowler (Ocean Colour Scene) brought to St. Paul’s Gallery, Jewellery Quarter, a consecutive two-night showcase of semi-acoustic new material performed alongside musicians/vocal/ harmonies, The Merrymouths. |
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The Specials are back in Wolverhampton. The pioneering two-tone band reformed in 2008 and played Wolverhampton in 2009. They must have liked their reception because now they’re now back again for a two night run in the city (whoops, nearly called it a town!) and I am privileged to be at the first gig! |
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It’s NME Emerge Tour time once again and the venerable (but pretty crap these days to be honest) old institution dishes up some new bands for your delectation and delight. |
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The Subways were upstairs in the village hall like Academy 2. The siren turned as Billy, Charlotte and Josh bounced on stage to Chariots of Fire. Every note pitch perfect the awesome trio from Hertfordshire showed why their fan base is so loyal and still, 5 years after “making it” with not much commercial success, the Academy was packed out with more than likely Reading and Leeds festival goers. |
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Taking Back Sunday are in Birmingham tonight to take the crowd on a nostalgia trip as we travel down memory lane back to the days when emo was huge and bands like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New were the forerunners of the genre. Things have changed since, but as we find out tonight they still know how to turn back the years as the play a career spanning set of hit after hit. |
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SOUNDkitchen’s conceptual poly-sonic sound-scapes and audio-visual conceptual expressionism found a worthy setting for their all-dayer ‘SONICpicnic’ at Digbeth’s VIVID installation location. |
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The thing that most aptly summed up this evening’s three band soirée came from final act Against The Wheel’s bassist, Jeff Gowen, who name-checked 2nd Side Made and in particular shebrew, ‘Who were pretty fucking amazing!’ And indeed with his generosity being an inter-band camaraderie default setting so often seen at The Hare we need to see why he was spot on. |
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Tinchy Stryder, Wretch 32, Her majesty and the wolves, Soundgirl , Talay Riley, Six D and Oh My were in Leamington Spa at the acute setting of The Assembly. A great idea from “Future Hits Live” as the intimate setting provided a great atmosphere with big stars for a reasonable amount of money. The show had variation and introduced new and well known acts to the mainly young audience. A great idea and overall a great night! |
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Edinburgh, July/August 1968. I’m fourteen years old. The Soviets invade Czechoslovakia, Cream’s ‘Wheels of Fire’ Toad drum-solo is proscribed by The Hague Convention for being a crime against Humanity and CBS release the definitive album sampler ‘The Rock Machine Turns You On’. And then, and on pain of death if I leave finger-marks or scratch it, my elder brother allows me to listen Simon & Garfunkle’s ‘Bookends’. It saved the life of a child. |
