With Pram’s unfortunate and unavoidable cancellation, fans who had travelled as far as Manchester could not help but feel a little disillusioned. Although, nobody could foresee the treat that Pram’s Matt Eaton, under the name Micronormous, was about to lay out in front of us.

Armed with Scott Johnston’s (Film Ficciones) visuals, Matt began directing us on his quest into the magnificent, the dark and the alien world of Micronormous. ‘Rainland’ provided a real journey of amazement. Slow foot steps and progressive guitar riffs, accompanied by Hawaiian-sounding beauty and twinkling glockenspiel fairy dust, lulled a relaxed and dainty dream world into a state of reality.

“What is the magic that makes ones eyes, sparkle and gleam, light up the skies” sings a 1920’s sample, as though a spell is about to take place upon the stage itself. While creepy black and white visuals allow the journey to deepen into a wispy specter of twirling dresses, bringing both femininity and coldness to the reposed venue. Cutting and pasting a mismatch of genres, Micronormous is abled to whirl together the likes of dub-step, soul, jazz, funk and lounge rock into one swoop of a song, creating a genius blend of atmospheric sounds that can faultlessly lead horror into elegance and back again.

By now, Micronormous was becoming a legacy himself, readying the multi-inspirational Silver Apples to take over the stage.

As Simeon began playing ‘The Simeon’, a wire-cluttered home made synth created by a series of oscillators, the origins of dance music commenced, revealing themselves through industrial electronic repetitiveness.

It became clear how influential Silver Apples were on so many genres, planting the seeds with early elements of krautrock, punk and psychedelia, along with the pre-Throbbing Gristle avant-garde-esque ‘Dust’. The indie-sounding ‘Misty Mountain’ gave a cheerful and romantic experience “If you will stay with me, with my love and with my mind” sang Simeon, as though he was trying to bring us an affair from his heart. Yet the whole experience seemed a little unconvincing without Danny Taylor’s percussive elements, who sadly passed away in 2005.

Leaving Simeon purely oscillating synths gave only one half of the phenomenal Silver Apples experience.

Review - Ross Cotton
Photo - Kate Fitzgeorge

After almost 2 years since their last UK tour tonight was highly anticipated. Although playing in the smaller Academy 3, this tour was set out to be an up close and personal tour with the adapt name ‘Close Encounter’ tour. As I arrived I saw many of the regular devoted fans but there was also a new crowd of the younger generation, which was lovely to see.

As the crowd started flowing in the first band came on. Rhesus a 4-piece band, never really got the crowd going and the band themselves looked bored. The girl bassist didn’t look like she had even thought of an outfit for the night wearing what one could only call an ‘office top’ with her hair scraped back and no make up. The drummer spent the entire set looking like he was going to pass out and the remaining two members of the band were very static. Eventually they left much to the delight of most of the crowd.

The next band on Allbright didn’t have much competition to be better than the previous band and having never heard them before I was intrigued to hear them. A 5 piece pop punk band from our hometown of Birmingham they set out energetically and immediately got the crowd entertained and joining in. By mid-set they had got a nice little mosh pit going in the middle and the lead singer ‘Liam’ spent the whole time having a laugh and a joke to keep the audience smiling. Although they were missing some of their actual band members (being replaced for the night by friends) the crowd could tell they had put a lot of effort into making a great set.

During the break I spoke to a lady who had a tattoo for every Army of Freshmen album which was rather impressive and we discussed the set list which we could see on the floor of the stage and we both agreed it would have been nicer if they played some of their older songs but it still seemed like a good list.

After what seemed like an eternity, Army of Freshmen burst onto the set receiving an uproar from the crowd as they did so. Army of Freshmen, an electric pop punk explosion from California have 6 members including 2 keyboard players to contribute to their unique sound. They kicked off with ‘Don’t Fall asleep tonight’ from their 5th album ‘Above the Atmosphere’, during which Chris, the lead singer moved the speakers so he could jump between the stage and the crowd every two seconds which the crowd were only too pleased for him to do. Halfway through the set however, something unexpected happened and Chris started to ask for requests for songs instead of obeying to the list! The crowd went wild at this and people were shouting songs from all across the floor and whichever one they heard loudest they played, which was awesome. It meant my wish of them playing older songs came true, heaven!

Once they had done 3 or 4 requests they asked who was the youngest person in the crowd. What Chris hadn’t noticed was a little boy around the age of 10 has snuck in front of the barriers and was sitting in between the two so he could see the band, at this point everyone in the crowd pointed at him and Chris laughed and got him up on stage to request a song, poor thing looked like he was in shock but as he left the stage he was grinning from ear to ear. Liam from Allbright came on stage to help with a song shortly after this and received a warm welcome back from the crowd. After what had felt like only 2 minutes the band were coming to the end of their energetic upbeat dancing set and played one of the first songs I remember hearing, ‘Get Um Up’. During this song Allbright reappeared on set and Dan and Owen (AOF) did solos on their keyboards.
I took a video of this so please watch it to understand the madness of the night!

After less than 5 minutes of chanting ‘AOF’ the band reappeared to play one more song… or if you were listening to Chris’s nonsense chatter it was ‘1 more song, 1 more song, 2 more songs, 2 more songs’, all the way up to 10 when he said ‘Nah 1 more!’ with his signature cheeky grin.
For their encore song they played another all time favourite, ‘Spring break’ which had the entire crowd going crazy bouncing up and down as well as the band!

After the gig something strange happened, hardly anyone left. As they had finished 15 minutes before curfew they decided the best thing to do was to go meet fans and sign autographs and sell everything off which just made everyone extremely happy including two of my friends that hadn’t heard the band before tonight who ran off straight after the set to go get some money to buy c.d’s and t-shirts! As 11 o clock hit the crowd realised all good things must come to an end and the security started moving the crowds out of the venue but everyone leaving, left with a happy smiley face. All in all this in my opinion out of the 200+ bands I’ve seen, this was one of the best gigs and I encourage anyone and everyone to see these guys when they come back.

Review, photos & videos - Shaz Rafferty

Converge are still only soundchecking but already frontman Jacob Bannon is prowling the stage like a cage lion about to be unleashed. The anticipation in the room is palpable. Everyone knows it’s about to get crazy.

Before all that though there’s been a solid line-up of bands to get things well and truly warmed up for the hardcore legends. Salt Lake City boys, Gaza, are obviously enjoying their first visit to these shores and throw down an intense and determined set which goes down extremely well with Converge’s audience – an audience who won’t suffer fools gladly either. Tracks from their He Is Never Coming Back album sound even more powerful and elaborate in a live setting and older, rawer songs bring the energy levels up nicely.

Kylesa make a welcome return to Birmingham after recent shows for Capsule and, although their slower, more intricate music could possibly have alienated this hardcore crowd, tonight it’s clear there’s plenty of people in the room who are already converts to the Kylesa cause. Performance-wise they may lack the in-your-face attack of other bands on the bill but musically they measure up well. Joint vocalist and guitarist, Laura Pleasants, naturally steals most of the attention while her bandmates hammer out a solid wall of sound beside her. Great stuff.

“Are you ready for a hardcore show?” Converge’s vocalist leaves no time for an answer before launching into a frantic and intense hour-long set which solidifies their reputation as one of the finest live bands on the planet. And whereas many hardcore bands will stick to the tried & tested formula, Converge’s music is anything but predictable or formulaic. It twists and turns and draws you in before biting your head off or giving you a quick kick to the chest (literally in the case of two photographers who get between Bannon and his audience!)

“Sorry about this barrier” says Bannon, but it doesn’t stop him from physically connecting with the people in the front rows in ways which suggests he’d rather be in the crowd than up on the stage. There’s no fake posturing here. This is the real deal and, after 20 years in the game, Converge deserve the respect they get from anyone with an appreciation of extreme music.

They may be known for their frantic, relentless sound but, in some ways, it’s when they slow things down and the lyrics become more important that Converge are at their finest. There’s a structure and meaning to their music that continues to set them apart from so many of their contemporaries.

Bannon repeatedly thanks everyone for coming out and supporting the gig “even if you’ve never heard of our band” and seems genuinely grateful to be doing what he’s doing. It’s safe to say everyone in the room is thankful he and his bandmates are still making music and delivering performances as immense as tonight’s.

Words & photos – Steve Gerrard

Little Fish are the support act for tonight’s show, and I must commend their management company as they are landing tours with some big names, having previously been Hole’s support too.

If there is one word to sum up Little Fish, it is enthusiastic, with Juju leaping around the stage and passing her energy onto the crowd. Even though the hall is only part full, the audience are won over by Little Fish’s pop rock played by the duet; which consists typically of drums, guitar and vocals and, at the moment, with the addition of a keyboard player on a Hammondesque organ. Unfortunately, the guitar was very low in the mix and this left their music sounding thin and, with the organ, bordering on the realms of obvious.

When Little Fish sound at their best is on the darker and more sullen tracks, which would have been enhanced further by some distortion and volume from the guitar. All in all, Little Fish warm the crowd up in preparation for Blondie, which is the job they are required to do, and as noted earlier they certainly do it with enthusiasm.

During the break, I am uncertain as to what is to follow; I don’t want to expect great things in case I am disappointed, however, it is Blondie I am here to see, and they haven’t kept their legendary status intact for no reason. As the lights go down and the band enter the stage, it hits me, that this is Blondie! The opening track, D-day, is taken from their forthcoming album Panic for Girls and is a catchy number with the pace and grit you would expect from an early Blondie track.

Debbie Harry commands the stage wearing a platinum wig and glistening shades, and dancing like a robotic doll; reminding everyone in the venue that she’s the icon and she’s still got the voice. D-day leads into the classic Hanging on the Telephone, which instantly gets everyone moving, partly out of shock as I had this track penned in for the encore, but mainly because it sounds fantastic. The band have an additional guitarist and keyboard player to allow all the effects to permeate through each song, and they are stood in front of a graffiti backdrop with a lightshow that has been lifted from a naff 70’s disco; however, it serves the purpose in not detracting from the music.

The set is a mixture of tracks from the differing stages in the band’s career, cleverly positioned to ensure that they carry the audience on a high-energy ride. Maria demonstrates that Harry is still more the able to reach the notes in the upper register, whilst Burke still hits the living crap out of the drums with as much vigour as he did 30 odd years ago. Admittedly, the older songs stood out, possibly because of their place in my psyche but also their calibre of well-constructed tunes that don’t seem to have aged. Atomic and One Way Or Another were the highlights of the evening for different reasons; Atomic for extended guitar solo which gave it that extra element for a live performance whilst Harry demonstrated her sense of humour, and One Way for the pure grit and determination encapsulated in both the lyrics and vocal display.

After an hour long set, which has included the classics Tide Is High, Rapture and a slightly miss timed Call Me, Blondie leave the stage to overwhelming and well-deserved applause. Luckily, they return, after a brief intermission, with Picture This and Danger Danger, followed, surprisingly, by a Taio Cruz cover Break Your Heart. Despite staying fairly true to the original, Blondie bring that New York edginess to the track that makes it far more palatable than Cruz’s version.

The finale is unsurprisingly Heart of Glass, mirrorball and all. By this time, everyone is singing and dancing, willing the song to continue for as long as possible and Blondie proceed to give it their all right to the very last note. In a way, I am glad I approached this gig with an air of caution as Blondie shattered my expectations and they have fully justified their legendary status. Furthermore, it was great to see Blondie as a band not just Debbie Harry; yes, once upon a time, she was the most beautiful woman in the world but throughout the show she stood back from the limelight and let her bandmates have their deserved share of the adulation, emphasising it is the tight unit that creates the music.

Review - Toni Woodward
Photos - Steve Gerrard

It’s the first date on The Gaslight Anthem’s UK leg supporting their new album ‘American Slang’ and it’s an almost sold out show. A year ago they were playing to 300 people at the old Academy 2 so tonight is a huge step up as they take on a 3000 strong audience who are all more than ready to be charmed by Brian Fallon and co.

It’s a sweatbox in the Academy and as I snake my way through the packed crowd Twin Atlantic are already on stage. They take a while to get the crowd on their side due mostly to the terrible sound with only the drum and bass coming through, it’s a muddy mess. However when the sound issues are overcome Twin Atlantic has their chance to win over the Academy crowd with their angular, Biffy Clyroesque rock and they do just that. A Scottish band with a lead singer singing in a broad Scottish accent is refreshing to hear and with killer tune ‘Where is Light, Where is Laughter’ getting an airing tonight I’m reminded once again that I should be listening to these guys more often.

There’s no big, flashy entrance for the The Gaslight Anthem, they just stride on to the stage with their respective instruments and take their mark. With no introduction they head straight into the title track and first single off their new album ‘American Slang’.

For the second time tonight the sound is terrible but it seems to be overcome after the first couple of songs, it doesn’t stop the crowd from singing along though. Mixing in the new with the old seamlessly The Gaslight Anthem blast out tune after tune and it’s only after the first 4 songs that they actually stop to take in everything. It’s in this break that the chanting of ‘Brian, Brian, Brian’ from the crowd is heard by the guys on the stage. As the smile on Brian Fallon’s face gets bigger he asks ‘Did I just get a chant? This shit is getting weird!’ and with egos boosted the intro to their biggest hit to date, ‘The 59 Sound’ rings out across the Academy and the crowd go crazy.

A discussion between Brian and guitarist Alex Rosamilia about who they would want as a dad is an interesting choice of topic for the onstage banter. Turns out Tom Petty would be cool but Brian changes his mind at the last minute and opts for Tom Campbell, Tom Petty’s guitarist. ‘Miles Davis & the Cool’ is brilliant and Fallon shows off his knowledge of British geography as he introduces ‘The Queen of Lower Chelsea’ with ‘Chelsea, you have one of those over here!’

Time seemed to fly by, as they walked off stage after ‘Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts’ the whole crowd were praying for just a little bit more, 14 songs just weren’t quite enough! It wasn’t long before they were back for the encore and with ‘We came to Dance’ and ‘Wooderson’ off their debut being played, pleasing the older fans no end. Closing the show with ‘The Backseat’ The Gaslight Anthem left the stage to rapturous applause and the crowd left satisfied with what was an amazing show!

The Gaslight Anthem are on to something big, it’s probably going to be the last time they will be playing a venue this size, there is no stopping them now and with a bit more radio play they will be headlining arena sized venues in the not too distant future. You want nothing more than success for those New Jersey boys.

Set List
American Slang
Old White Lincoln
The Spirit of Jazz
Stay Lucky
The ‘59 Sound
Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
Miles Davis & The Cool
The Queen of Lower Chelsea
Bring It On
Old Haunts
Boxer
Orphans
Great Expectations
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Encore:
Casanova, Baby!
We Came to Dance
State of Love and Trust (Pearl Jam cover)
Wooderson
Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kid
The Backseat

Review - Hannah Sebestjanowicz
Photos - Steve Gerrard

The support act for tonight’s show is singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik, a Grammy Award nominee, who plays acoustic guitar with the addition of an electric guitarist to add some depth in places.

Unfortunately, I only caught the last three songs which comprised of two covers from his latest album that celebrates his love of English music, Depeche Mode’s Stripped and Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees. Both tracks capture the essence of the songs whilst demonstrating the beauty of simplicity, complimented by an original composition, Such Reveries. Duncan Sheik is worth checking out if you appreciate laid back, understated yet beautifully constructed songs performed by a mellow voice. His style and talent is the perfect support for Suzanne Vega, and despite his success in the US, hopefully, he has gained more followers in this country courtesy of this tour.

Nearing 8.30, Suzanne Vega wanders onto the stage with the additional support of an electric guitarist, who had been seen previously with Duncan Sheik, and a bassist. She starts with Marlene on the Wall, which is a fantastic opener, and sets the standard for the evening’s events. The three piece create a rich sound which is not missing anything with the absence of drums, in fact it allows them the freedom to play with timing to enhance the dynamics of the songs. Vega’s voice is enchanting, the smooth qualities of her voice permeate around the hall with ease and her descriptive lyrics present a visual element.

This tour is in support of her latest album, which consists of reworkings of old songs connected to the theme of love and that Vega has put out on her own record label. The explanation leads into Small Blue Thing which, after brief applause at the beginning, is listened to in complete silence by everyone in the audience. Between each of the songs, Vega engages in banter with the audience, either to explain the purpose of penning Tombstone is in order to stop her mother floating her corpse down the East River Viking style or to quiz us as to what sort of person Birmingham is. According to someone, Birmingham is a spiteful little man which contrasts with New York being a woman that wears too much make up and would happily steal your wallet! This exchange between artist and audience demonstrates how comfortable Suzanne Vega is on stage, as she exudes friendliness with a wicked sense of humour.

The evening proceeds with awesome track after awesome track ranging from one of her newest songs with Sparklehorse and Dangermaus, The Man Who Played God to songs from her self-titled debut album, which is having its 25th year anniversary, such as The Queen and the Soldier. The arrangement of each song has been considerately thought out, and mixes up the use of the trio, for example Blood Makes Noise’s frenetic bassline is raised until the break when the electric guitar solo clashes dischordantly with it. The set draws to a close with the emotionally charged Luka and the illustrative Tom’s Diner. The audience call Vega back on stage for more and, after a brief discussion with the other players, she brings out Calypso and Rosemary which are greeted enthusiastically by all. She skips off the stage, only to be forced back on by the audience’s response and finally finishes her performance with Freeze Tag and In Liverpool.

Suzanne Vega’s ninety minute performance was fantastic and if you have any interest in singer-songwriters, you should definitely make the effort to see her perform live. Not only does she manage to convey emotion lyrically and musically, she also brings an edginess to many of her songs with her arrangements.

Review - Toni Woodward
Photos - Steve Gerrard

I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Anvil until last year when I saw their documentary. And I also admit that for the first 10 minutes of the film, I thought it was Spinal Tap for the 21st Century. It was only as the story unfolded that Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner’s humanity became wholly endearing, and their story, uplifting. The final scenes where they play the Rock Festival in Japan, and you don’t know whether they will have an audience or not, made me cry like a baby.

For that reason alone I am standing in the Slade Rooms tonight, happier to be here with Anvil as headline, than their original position as their support to Ratt at the Wulfrun. I am anxious to see whether Anvil’s warmth and unpretentious attitude is as real as it appeared on film.

However, before Anvil, the support band Heresy bring their own brand of Dudley metal to the proceedings. Winners of April’s Battle of the Bands, they are certainly cock-sure, to a point of arrogance, which does not sit well with me at all. Granted, they are all gifted musicians, but maybe I don’t like being referred to as a ‘muthaf**ka’ between every song. It could also be that they are all just a bit too serious; you will bring a crowd closer to you much more quickly by smiling and looking like you are enjoying yourselves, rather than beating them into submission. The award for ‘MOST POINTLESS BAND MEMBER’ has to go to Heresy’s keyboard player: he had three keyboards and looked like he could really play, but apart from a couple of song intros, I could not hear him at all above the incessant noodling of the lead guitarist, who even turned his volume up part way through the set, despite it already being louder than everything else. But fair play to them, they are tight and well rehearsed and clearly work hard at what they do. I can’t criticise that, but zero kudos for originality: in the Black Country, home of metal, there are dozens of bands churning out this stuff. Which one will rise to the top is anyone’s guess, probably none of them. My only suggestion to Heresy would be, next time don’t sit in the bar while Anvil are playing, stick around and watch the original masters at work, you will learn the invaluable lesson that integrity endures and copycat wannabes will not prosper.

The first time I see Anvil guitarist and singer Steve Kudlow, he is carrying two guitars and shuffling across the stage. I initially think it is a guitar technician or roadie, until I catch sight of his unmistakeable long, thin curly hair. No sign of the rockstar primadonna here, just a real, working musician doing his job. After a few minutes he is joined by life-long friend and world’s best drummer Robb Reiner, (you can see why I thought this had a connection with Spinal Tap) and bassist Glenn Five. No smoke machines or lasers or models of Stonehenge; Anvil don’t need it. What follows is just over an hour of joyous rock music played with passion and juggernaut force, but always with a mile wide grin on the face of the frontman. ‘Lips’ speaks of his dreams coming true tonight playing in Wolverhampton, presumably making the link with this area being the true birthplace of Heavy Rock. When he mentions listening to Black Sabbath records you know he means it and is not just name dropping to curry favour. From the rapturous applause from the half full room, it feels more like our dreams have come true, finally getting to see our heroes in such intimate surroundings. So yeah, maybe the venue isn’t rammed, and maybe some would say that Anvil are still small timers, busting a gut for little return. But success should never be judged on numbers, rather on the amount of real affection created: and Anvil somehow manage to produce this emotion in abundance from their loyal fans.

Anvil perform songs from their 30 year career, including: ‘School Love’, ‘Winged Assassins’, ‘Thumb Hang’, ‘666’, ‘Forged In Fire’ and ‘13’ from their latest album. ‘White Rhino’ contains a stunning drum solo by Mr Reiner, and although these were seen as over-used, irrelevant set-fillers and consigned to the tip by decades of indie-kids, this is actually extremely entertaining. He really lives up to the title, ‘world’s best drummer’ (bestowed on him by Lips by the way). Other highlights of the set are the vibrator guitar solo, where we get to do a call and response with this golden rod and Lips using his guitar pick-up as a microphone… it just sounds great! ‘Metal on Metal’ is also a stand out track as it is just the greatest signature tune of the heaviest, metalist band ever (after all, an anvil is the heaviest metal!), and they storm through the song with pure unabashed energy.

Anvil may have recently reinvented themselves in the public arena as the ultimate under-achiever and the interest they have now been granted comes off the back of the documentary. However, you cannot underestimate that these three men are a great live act. They envelope the audience with their enthusiasm and it is infectious. The fact that they are still genuine decent guys, despite working their nuts off for so long and not finding success, is testament to their unquenchable belief in what they are doing. And I find that completely engaging. So what if 97% of the world has no clue what you do? To me they have more substance than the handful of globally successful bands that followed them. Maybe that is because as an old failed rocker myself, I really identify with the band.

I just hope that Anvil aren’t labelled in music history as the perennial joke support band to the superstar rock band. As music becomes more corporate, more of a device to sell a soft drink, more watered down and less and less about passion, honesty or basic big balls rock and roll, it is inspiring and life-affirming to know Anvil are somewhere out there rocking out on their own terms. I prefer the intimate atmosphere of the Slade rooms to standing in a field of 70000 strangers any day.

Review - Al Neilson
Photos - Katja Ogrin

Tonight was a perfect summer’s evening for going out to watch a live band, the type you long for during the long, cold, dark winter.

Opening tonight’s show are Oregon duo, The Helio Sequence. From the first notes of ‘Lately’ you’d be tricked into thinking that there are more than two of them on stage, OK I think that the use of loops and laptops helps to create the Wall of Sound effect but it’s a very pleasing sound. Frontman Brandon Summers really puts his all into the songs and the guitar work he plays is very infectious - ‘The Captive Mind‘ is the best example of this. ’Shed Your Love’ is a mild-paced, mellow-mooded song - its a perfect summer’s evening ballad with a dream like quality this goes down really well with the crowd, and prompts Summers to announce “this is the first time we’ve played here and you guys are very kind”. ’Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ - the title track from the bands fourth album - has drummer and second half of the duo Benjamin Weikel smashing his skins like an angst stricken teenager who has the weight of world on his shoulders. The duo close their 35 minute set with’ No Regrets’.

A little after 9 o’clock Keane take to the stage and by this time the room is a heaving cauldron. I look around at the audience to find a mixture of all different ages, this shows the wide appeal the band has. The band launch straight into ‘Back In Time’ from the Night Train EP, the pace is frantic as singer Tom uses every inch of the stage. Then we get the first sing-along of the evening when ’Bend And Break’ is delivered. You can tell singer Tom Chaplin was physically moved “wow I’d almost forgotten what a great crowd Birmingham are “this is the first city we ever sold out back in 2007” as you can imagine the crowd responded to this with chants of “Keano,Keano Keano” reverberating around the room.

At the midpoint in the set Tom hands over vocal duties to Tim Rice-Oxley for a beautiful version of ‘Your Love’. He showed he has a very rich tone to his voice, and when the crowd gave him a wild round of applause singer Tom remarked “ ok that’s enough I wasn’t that good” then stripped down versions of ‘Hamburg Song’ and ‘Clear Skies’ slow the pace down this gives us the chance to hear Tom’s voice as he delivers both songs note- perfect.

‘Everybody’s Changing’ sounds fantastic it has the audience bellowing out the words whilst Tom grins from ear to ear “if you carry on singing like that we’ll be back in Birmingham sooner than you think” he tells us. ‘Is It any Wonder‘ and a few tracks from the EP split the old and new songs in the set. .I think they both sit perfectly together, although a lot of the audience seem to prefer the sing-along tracks.

Keane close their set with the spine-tingling’ Bedshapped’ this was a wonderful spectacle as hundreds of lighters and mobile phone illuminate the way and when Tom stops singing the Birmingham crowd deliver the rest of the song for him “magical” is the only word to describe this memorable moment.

As I make my way to the exit with the rings of “whoah Whoah” in my ears I think that the band delivered a set of quality and were technically excellent, with the added edition of a guitarist this gave the sound a rocky feel.

I would like to thank Keane’s PA ,the lovely Beth Warren for making this review possible.

Setlist:
Back In Time
Bend & Break
The Lovers Are Losing
Spiralling
Your love
This Is The last Time
Stop For A Minute
Hamburg song
Clear Skies
You Haven’t Told Me anything
Everybody’s Changing
Is It Any Wonder?
Atlantic
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only we Know

Bedshapped
Frog Prince
Crystal Ball
My Shadow

Review and photos - Ian Dunn

” You should be bigger than you are Kidda …’kin AWSOME”.

Blokes like the guy who shouted this out at the end of the gig tonight night make a reviewer’s job easy. I could sit for ages trying to put over what he managed to express in a few words and he was right; Exit Calm are a fine live band and are bordering on something special.

If there was any justice they would also be much bigger in terms of success and exposure to match the reputation that they have built over the last few years. Serious gigging and recent supporting roles with Echo and the Bunnymen, the Charlatans and Modest Mouse have helped build up a loyal fan base.

Even though the audience were very much on-side it was hard to shake off the feeling that the four band members were not altogether happy with their lot tonight. Mind you at times it was hard to tell; singer Nicky Smith should have his own entries in the dictionary against intense and aloof. He chose to keep the chatter to a bare minimum piping up only to tell us that he was going to “let the music do the talking” and later to ridicule pundits comparing With Angels to an Oasis song.

Maybe it was the wag chanting “Leeds - Leeds - Leeds” from the back who upset the Barnsley lads.

Thankfully their music did speak for itself enveloping the crowd with the driving bass and drums underpinning Rob Marshall’s soaring guitar effects, together making the perfect backdrop for Smith’s torn, tight vocal. But was there enough of it? These are no three minute pop songs but a set list comprising just eight tunes from their eponymous album doesn’t seem suitably substantial for a headlining band.

Perhaps the venue could have reduced the crowd scene of support bands to give Exit Calm a bit more space rather than have them jammed up against an 11 pm curfew.

The support line up was a local affair. Wolverhampton’s Dogfight Revolution seemed to be fighting sound and technical demons from where I was standing so they need to be seen again to make any judgement and they should have the opportunity to make an impression supporting Exit Calm on future dates. Cannock’s Guile proved to be a more accomplished prospect wandering between a gruff indie and a BRMC -like garage sound with Neal Sawyer really looking the part of the front man; at least from what could be seen of him in the dark.

The Lines have been around for a while and are already established as a prominent Midlands band with the benefit of media exposure, particularly on the back of their debut release Domino Effect. They brought their own following, which was no bad thing, and a few were soon leaping around to their relentless indie rock. The only disappointment was that I never did see the guitarist use his portable theremin.

Like The Lines, Exit Calm have been somewhat spuriously and perhaps unfavourably compared to The Verve. I can’t really see the big references in either band’s music myself although the influences are obviously there. If I’m going to play the dangerous “sounds like” game then to me Exit Calm have more in common with early Levitation or maybe the guitar sounds have echoes of Dark Star era Christian Hayes.

Visually they are a mixed bag with Marshall cutting the most striking figure. He has a somewhat alarming resemblance to Jeff Beck although obviously somewhat younger. The way he hunches over the guitar in concentration is very similar.

Whatever, the resulting sound is distinctive and imposing. Opening with Don’t Look Down the band changed the atmosphere immediately and by the middle of the song with the effects and guitar rising to a deafening crescendo they were well into their stride. The two singles We’re On Our Own and the recent Hearts and Minds were the most accessible songs in the set but Reference and Forgiveness both have the hallmarks of the epic about them. Perhaps this is where pundits make the Richard Ashcroft connection.

Recovery ended the set with vocals and guitar vying for superiority and Smith screaming “you’re never really alone ’cause we all are” over a maelstrom of guitar drums and bass before the sound faded away to “keep the light alive”.

No encore - no time. They should have had more.

Set list
Don’t Look Down
You’ve Got It All Wrong
Hearts and Minds
Reference
Forgiveness
With Angels
We’re On Our Own
Recovery

Review - Ian Gelling
Photos - Steph Colledge

It’s that time of year again as Download Festival is once again upon us. It promised to be an amazing festival and it sure didn’t disappoint.

FRIDAY

36 CRAZYFISTS- Opening with’ In the Midnights’ and joined on stage by Killswitch Engage’s Howard Jones for a surprise guest appearance for a killer performance of ‘Elysium’. It’s clear though which song everyone is waiting for and the crowd are left waiting but finally the penultimate song ‘Slit Wrist Theory’ rings out from the speakers and goes down a treat with the crowd singing along to every word.

A DAY TO REMEMBER- As the intro for ‘Downfall of us all’ kicks in, Jeremy yells ‘If you know this, sing-a-long’, and the crowd don’t need asking twice. ADTR’s buoyant pop-core goes down a treat especially in the sun with pits opening up it all gets a little crazy down the front. Playing the same stage last year the size of the crowd seems to have doubled reflecting on how far they have come in such a short time. Closing the set with the ‘Plot to Bomb the Panhandle’ ADTR can leave the stage knowing they have probably garnered a fare few more fans.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE- Stepping in at the last minute to replace Wolfmother and with a set full of the usual suspects like ‘This is Absolution’, ‘My Last Serenade’ and ‘My Curse’ they are determined to have a good time. Adam is once again kitted out in a cape and entertaining the crowd with some suspect jokes and toilet humour which can get a bit tiring. Howard seemed to be struggling with some of the vocals leaving it up to the crowd to sing the high notes. Closing with their inspired cover of Dio’s ‘Holy Diver’ which is the highlight of the set. All in all a slightly disappointing performance, there just seemed to be something missing.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE- The South Wales metallers do an excellent job of closing the second stage on the first night of Download. They pulled in a big crowd and throwing in hits like ‘Tears don’t fall’, ‘Scream, Aim, Fire’ and ‘All these things I hate’ complete with flames bursting from the stage. They truly are a band on the top of their game with a seemingly effortless performance. Matt Tuck thanks the crowd for buying Fever, having it chart at number 5 is pretty impressive feat for 4 lads from the Welsh valleys and promises big things in the future.

AC/DC- Distancing themselves from the festival as much a possible with no mention on official merchandise, demanding their own stage and treating it like their own headline show AC/DC have a lot to live up to. Kicking off their set with an animation of a runaway train shown on the big screens and with a huge train on the back of the stage and opening with ‘Rock and Roll Train’. I think they may have been trying to make a connection there! All the big hits get played ‘Back in Black’, ‘Thunderstruck’, ‘T.N.T’, there’s a strip tease from Angus Young ending with him flashing some very fetching ACDC pants at the crowd. For ‘Whole lot of Rosie’ a huge inflatable big-breasted woman joins them on stage. Closing the set with ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ and a very expensive looking fireworks display. It’s a great show but not without it’s flaws especially Brian Johnson’s voice sounded strained and gravely.

SATURDAY

ATREYU- A mix up with the stage times meant missing the first couple of songs as they on over an hour early with no warning from the festival organisers which seems a bit of a joke. Having listened to Atreyu on record I was never particularly impressed but live they are a different prospect. Dan Jacobs dressed like something out of the Karate Kid is an impressive guitar player and fun to watch. ‘Bleeding Mascara’ and ‘Bleeding is a luxury’ have the crowd singing along. They do well with early slot blowing away the cobwebs and helping to cure the hangover blues.

MY PASSION- Probably getting one of the smallest crowds on the second stage what with their fan base being predominately teenage girls not exactly the demographic Download is aimed at. The best part of this set was lead singers ‘chaps’ ripping and having his boxers on display, the music is not so great, and with poor vocals and some uninspired sampled beats you kind of feel sorry for them because they were obviously trying their best.

CANCER BATS- The perfect remedy to My Passion with their high-octane rock. Lead singer Liam spent the majority of the set in the audience and when on stage was head banging like a lunatic, which was an impressive sight with his Mohican. ‘Hail destroyer’ and ‘Lucifer’s rocking chair’ get the crowd moving with an intense circle pit opening up. It’s the superb cover of the Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’ though that steals the show; with the entire crowd singing along it’s an impressive sight to behold.

VOLBEAT- The Danish rockers did a great job of entertaining the Download crowd going down really well with their catchy rock and roll. Closing with probably one of the weirdest choices of cover of the entire festival ‘I only wanna be with you’, yes that one by Dusty Springfield!

THE BLACKOUT- With a ‘FUCK THE BLACKOUT’ backdrop and 2 huge inflatable hands with their middle fingers up they are trying the best to be ironic. Unfortunately it falls flat on it face as both Sean Smith and Gavin fail to hit the majority of notes. I’ve heard this band be praised so many times for their live performances but high energy can only take you so far.

DEFTONES- Back and better then ever, their latest effort Diamond Eyes is a killer album. Kicking things off with ‘Rocket Skates’ followed closely by ‘Diamond Eyes’, Chino bounded round the stage with seemingly endless energy, he definitely looked very happy to be there with a big smile plastered on his face the entire time. ‘Be Quiet and Drive’ and ‘My Own Summer’ sound amazing. Deftones are defiantly back and here to stay.

30 SECONDS TO MARS- Opening with ‘Night of the Hunter’ with its epic drum intro it’s a great choice and as Jared Leto struts on to the stage complete with pink Mohawk and beige trench coat the crowd go wild. It’s an absolutely gorgeous evening with the sun setting behind the crowd making the experience all the more fantastic. One of the highlights of the set is a cameo appearance from Chino Moreno for ‘The Kill’, an unlikely pairing but boy does it sound good! The new songs off ‘This is War’ are impressive live especially with the crowd singing the group parts. They are joined on stage by 6 guys on marching drums for ‘This is War’ but its finale that is truly a showstopper as Jared gets about 30 kids out of the audience and onto the stage for ‘Kings and Queens’, definitely a special end to an amazing show.

SUNDAY

TIGER PLEASE- These guys are defiantly ones to watch and there’s more than a few people who are already onto them with the Red Bull tent filling up. It’s no easy job opening up on the Sunday especially when they know their the least heavy act on the Download bill but that by no means hampers them in any way. A very sunburnt Leon leads the band with superb vocals and the trio of songs; ‘There’s No Hero in Heroin’, ‘City Lights’ and ‘Without Country’ are brilliant and they even have some of the crowd singing along. The crowd have defiantly been rewarded for getting up early today.

STRAIGHT LINES- The second Welsh band of the day and only just second best to Tiger Please. The crowd had definitely got bigger as their definitely the more well known of the two bands. ‘Loose Change’, ‘Antics’ and ‘All my friends have joined the Army’ are all great and with his distinctive vocal style Tom Jenkins ensure that once heard Straight Lines won’t be easily forgotten.

CRIME IN STEREO- The Long Island rockers could be not be faulted on the energy put in. Lead singer Kristian Hallbert writhes around the stage like a man possessed getting a serious sweat on. Opening with ‘XXXX (The First Thousand Years of Solitude)’ and throwing in some new tracks off their latest ‘I was trying to describe you to someone’ there felt like there was something missing with Kristian struggling to hit some of the notes but they can be forgiven because they still put on a great show.

SLASH- With Myles Kennedy from Alterbridge on vocals and Slash on guitar duties they smashed out hit after hit with covers of ‘Sweet Child of Mine’, ‘Paradise City’ and Velvet Revolvers ‘slither’ mixed in with Slash’s new stuff. It’s the classics that get the crowd going though and the Gun and Roses covers are sung back by the crowd.

AUGUST BURNS RED- With kids sprinting into the pit to get a piece of the action their not disappointed as August Burns Red Metalcore/Hardcore sound rings out. Its brutal and its not pretty but it definitely does the job as heads bang and limbs flail around to songs like ‘Thirty and Seven’ off their latest album Constellations.

THE DAMNED THINGS- One of the most interesting prospects Download has to offer as the super group formed from members of Fall Out Boy, Anthrax and Every Time I Die show us what their made of. Keith Buckley’s singing voice is not the greatest but they shine on songs like ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Grave Robber’ that are heavy and full of dirty riffs. It’s going to be interesting to hear what these guys sound like on record.

DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN- These guys literally blew everyone out of the water, with the heavens opening up as they started playing the whipped the crowd and the weather into a frenzy with their insane guitar work and mental onstage actions. Both guitarists spend equal time between the stage and the speaker stacks, whirling around like mad men but still managing to hit every single note. Vocalist Greg Puciato prowls the stage looking up at sky and exclaiming ‘What the F**k!’. ‘Black Bubblegum’ and ‘Room Full of Eyes’ are brilliant but it’s closer ‘Farewell, Mona Lisa’ with its twists and turns that marks the perfect end to a heart stop display of musicianship.

ZEBRAHEAD- The Pepsi Max tent is fit to burst (most likely due to the appalling weather) as Zebrahead take to the stage, If you’ve seen them before you know what your in for and tonight is no different. Ali knows how to work a crowd and promises a $100 million if he can get 5 circle pits going and he comes close. The crowd are certainly up for it and calls from the stage for minges to be thrown into the air don’t go unheeded. Zebrahead are a middle finger to the Great British summer as their unashamed punk pop helps everyone to forget that the festival site is now a mudbath.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES- With literally no idea what to expect I was definaltly pleasantly surprised. The thrash legends fronted by a huge Mike Muir absolutely killed it. With one of the best drum solos I have ever heard complete with some insane drumstick twisting and turning by one of the biggest drummers around. Mike Muir prowled the stage and turned into a very eloquent preacher between songs, teaching the crowd a few life lessons. ‘You can’t bring me down’ and a shout out to all the skaters in the form of ‘Possessed to Skate’ get the crowd moving. It’s a perfect ending to a great festival.

Bring on Download 2011.

Big thanks to Steve at Birmingham Live! For sorting everything out!

Review - Hannah Sebestjanowicz
Photos - Steve Gerrard

Tonight, the queue for tickets at the LG Arena, was incredibly long, despite the box office being fully staffed. Needless to say this meant I only got to see the final couple of songs by Drake; however, he had obviously won overthe crowd as most people were up and dancing. Drake’s enthusiasm and passion is noticeable and it is easy to see why he is flagged as a future star of the hip hop scene. His band are a tight unit whilst he walks the length of the stage giving his all to Best I Ever Had. Before he leaves the stage, he suitably encourages the crowd to get ready for Jay-Z and thanking him for the opportunity to play, fulfilling all the criteria for a successful support act.

Ten minutes before Jay-Z enters the stage, the screens show a clock counting down which adds to the anticipation flowing throughout the arena. As the clock hits zero, the band take their positions and hip hop’s golden boy rises in the middle of the stage, lit by a solitary spotlight. After a brief introduction he launches into Run This Town, demonstrating why he is at the top of his game with smooth lyrics that drip off his tongue in perfect rhythm. He owns the stage, striding from side to side in a laid back yet dominant manner, and the crowd, who are, instantly, under his control as he commands them to bounce. Jay-Z’s band add a real depth to the tracks, particularly the two drummers who at times play in accurate synchronicity giving the songs an added weight which relays perfectly in the arena.

There is no excessive complexity to Jay-Z’s backdrop or stage attire, just some well placed lights, that come into their own during Empire State of Mind, and fine pair of shades that remain on for the majority of the set. This simplicity keeps the focus solely on the man and his words, which is where the talent lies. The first half of the set predominantly consisted of his more recent work including On To The Next One and the awesome 99 Problems, which saw the arena erupt, rightly so. Each track flowed with ease into the next and you can visibly see the enjoyment on the band’s faces to be playing in and be involved in the show. Halfway through, Jay-Z pulls out the massive hit Empire State of Mind, with Bridget Kelly admirably stepping into Alicia Keys shoes. Despite the success of this song, he accentuates each word with such passion that it adds another level to the track.

The second half of the set is dedicated to Jay-Z’s earlier work including tracks such as Izzo (H.O.V.A.), ’03 Bonnie and Clyde and Jigga What, Jigga Who, which has the audience participating to the maximum. The energy levels, both on and off stage, fail to dip throughout the set, which demonstrates what a skilled showman Jay-Z really is; and you get a sense that both parties are feeding off one another’s vigour. After Show Me What You Got, heading towards the end of the set, Jay-Z turns the camera onto various people in the audience, praising them for their clothes and attitude in a sincere manner, resulting in one bloke being called up onto the stage to rap with his idol.

Regardless of his wealth and status, Jay-Z shows nothing but respect to his loyal fans and is genuinely grateful for their support over the years. The set draws to a close with Big Pimpin’, Hard Knock Life and Young Forever, that sees Mr Hudson join in the party on stage. After a rammed hour and a half set, Jay-Z leaves the stage to rapturous applause, which is wholly deserved as he appears to have given his heart and soul to the performance.

I am not usually drawn to this genre of music, but Jay-Z has illustrated the true lyrical beauty and skill of hip hop when it’s at its finest. Furthermore, his eclectic selection of backing tracks, which ranged from Bhangra Nights to The Doors’ 5 to 1, shows his vast knowledge and appreciation of a range of musical styles and the part they have to play in his creation. Jay-Z is the master and long may he reign. My only moan about the whole event is that I wish people in the audience would appreciate music without having to watch it or record it through their phones; immerse yourself in the live experience instead of trying to capture it on a tiny screen.

Review - Toni Woodward
Photos - Steve Gerrard

Tonight’s gig is another in a long line of gigs Rogue States have played at The Hare & Hounds. The Birmingham four-piece could well call it a spiritual home, and tonight’s gig has them on top form.

First up tonight are Australian quartet Blackchords. On record, the band have a much mellower sound - more Coldplay-sounding than anything - but live they are much more raw, and much more enjoyable. After a bit of a false start with the first song due to sound issues, they quickly got back on track. The second track, an untitled new one, is uptempo and melodic, and other new ones dot the set. The real highlights is the acoustic Raise Your Hands, backed with ebowed guitar, before bursting into bluesy life at the end. The closing song’s intertwining guitars rounded out a very enjoyable, if not short, set.

Unlike Blackchords, Rogue States burst right out of the blocks; the storming, synthy opener The Tongue Is A Fire leading straight into the widescreen guitars of Second Wave make for a pretty intense, exciting opening to the set, which contains mostly new songs along with a couple of tracks from their earlier Lights EP. The title track now swaps one of the guitars completely out for synths, but the soaring, Sigur Ros-like middle eight is still as wonderful and organic. Faultline is another great, atmospheric number, but everywhere the band did well on the first attempt they’ve managed to outdo themselves with the newer material, no thanks in part to the guitarist David Wright really finding his sound more - his echoing guitars fill every song, and they’re all the better for it. Rumours/Secrets is a slower-tempo song which bursts into a huge sounding chorus, and elsewhere there’s even more atmosphere. Black Lightning is the most unusual song in the set - starting out with just a droning organ and vocals, before bursting into waves of sliding guitars. Echoes Of The Great Empire is another new one, and probably the closest to the older songs the band wrote, but as with all of the other new material, it’s much more propulsive, with more powerful drumming and basslines that help lead the song more.

The real set highlight, saved right for the end, is the magnificent Favourite Son - a culmination of those guitars, the drums and the bass into one tour-de-force of bluesy atmosphere. A pulsing bassline runs underneath a twanging rythmn guitar, while Michael Clarke’s singing is at it’s most dark and brooding. The song explodes into one of the biggest choruses of the evening, and the climax is even better - it’s not even worth trying to put into words. It’s just incredible, and with an ending like that it’s no wonder most of the people leaving that night were wondering when the record labels would come calling.

Review - Matt Elton
Photos - Lee Jordan