Live Reviews - GIGWISE.com

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:19:33 GMT

In many ways the indie bands economy is still suffering from its credit crunch equivalent resulting from the 00’s boom of 'rock' outfits. Yet after nearly a decade of what has seemed like an endless mire of faceless and unoriginal music we seem to be emerging from the swamp. Enter Bastille, an outfit headed by multi-instrumentalist producer Dan Smith who last night played a sold out Scala on the strength of a few EP’s and one mixtape.

Following support from To Kill a King and American rapper F.Stokes Dan emerged with full Eraserhead style hair and appropriately coordinating T-shirt representing the David Lynch film. Accompanied by his band and a full on string section the crowd were going ballistic with barely a hint of provocation, Bastille have legions of fans and as the set kicked off with their seminal ‘Icarus’ every word was reciprocated and hung upon. This momentum was maintained for the duration of the show which came in at just under an hour in length.

Dan is what can almost be described as a shy character contrary to the cockiness seen at such gigs, he lets the music speak for itself the majority of the time seemingly coming out of his shell as the set takes over. Speak the music does, as Dan has a truly beautiful voice that is layered with the emotion of lyrics that hit all the right notes yet never descend into sentimentality. At the same time the sound is the perfect balance between rock, electronic elements, superb covers and soaring, pitch perfect vocals. There really is something for everyone with Bastille with their blend of live show truly being something to behold.

It was a great vibe in Scala last night, complimented by perhaps the most exciting prospect in indie for a long time. Watch out for their show at Koko in October and be prepared for the debut album release in September which will undoubtedly redefine the scene.

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Thu, 14 Jun 2012 05:14:44 GMT

After making a small splash (a splosh?) in last weekend's chart with debut single 'Is This Love', Aiden Grimshaw last night performed tracks from his debut album 'Misty Eye' to a packed Proud Galleries in Camden.

The singer made his name on X Factor 2010 and the quirky stage mannerisms are still in place as Grimshaw jerks through his set. An attractive lad, he suffers slightly from Jessie J-face syndrome, his features contorting through each track from his debut album. As the songs finish, his face drops to a smile however, much to the appreciation of the fevered fans packing the front section of this small gig, who are enamoured as much with his good looks as they are his cracking take on dark, electronic pop.

Bouyed slightly by the wonders of alcohol (three pints to calm the nerves, he tells us afterwards), Grimshaw is a massively confident performer - and with good reason. His voice is spectacular, and had he not been pitted against the likes of One Direction, Rebecca Ferguson and Matt Cardle during his reality TV stint, he had all the makings of a talent show winner. However, that he slipped out of the show in ninth place allowed him to disappear and return with a stunning collection of tracks to match his vocal talents.

'Is This Love' sounds heavier and harder live, with more emphasis on the drum and bass elements, with Grimshaw jumping from deep notes to falsetto with ease. His tracks blend the darker elements of electronic dabblers such as Moby and Hurts, with tracks such as 'This Island' and the haunting 'Poacher's Timing' impressing among the seven-track set.

Closing with album standout 'Curtain Call', a goosebump-inducing number drenched in a level of melancholy no healthy 20-year-old should be able to muster, it is fairly evident that Aiden Grimshaw is no mere reality TV cast-off taking a half-hearted crack at the pop world. There is talent here - in both songwriting and vocal skills. Here's hoping the UK record-buying public sit up and take note. We don't want to be filing this alongside Siobhan Donaghy's 'Ghosts' and Nicola Roberts' 'Cinderella's Eyes' album in years to come on the shelf marked 'too bloody intelligent for it's own good'.

Below: Aiden Grimshaw - from X Factor flop to our favourite new popstar of 2012

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Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:58:15 GMT

The rain fell from early Thursday and didn’t seem like stopping as Saturday welcomed the first day of Manchester’s Parklife - a Platts Field Park conquering Northern equivalent of London’s Field Day - which despite bad weather and organisation still managed to be a success; mainly because of the music.

First up was DJ Yoda on the main stage, whose predictability in no way lessened the enjoyment of his mash-up of old school classics, turntablism and party tunes. Over at the Now Wave tent Django Django did a good job of building on a burgeoning reputation with their strain of avant-garde psychedelic pop. Singer and guitarist Vincent Neff is an intriguing figure: a weird of mix and debonair and mad and engaging, and the calming harmonies of ‘Waveforms’ or the bric-a-brac ‘Storm’ revealed the band’s hidden depths.

Chic immediately got people in the party sprit, never mind that their set was almost a carbon copy of the one they played here last year. Consisting of ‘La Freak’, ‘I’m Coming Out’, ‘Good Times’, a slew of classics such as Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and an appearance by Johnny Marr on guitar, It was pretty hard to fault.

Busiest audience-pull of the day award on Saturday went to Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Orlando Higginbottom plied his retro house at the Now Wave tent as security had to stop people entering - whilst biggest strop of the day belonged to Kelis, who mumbled about the stage after coming on late then stormed off after the promoters cut her sound.

AraabMuzik at the Thrasher tent tore into his MPC2500 sampler, fingers moving at breath-taking speed as he beat out much of his fine debut Electronic Dreams, whereas Noah and the Whale gave a lesson in understatement, ‘Blue Skies’ dissecting heartbreak and ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N’ closing things with aplomb.

The Flaming Lips also played it quietly, reclining into a set in which they spent long passages barely playing a thing, or dancing around maniacally. It was almost boring – a quite lovely ‘Yoshimi’ aside – but mattered little as they eventually break into a closing couplet of ‘Race For The Prize’ and ‘Do You Realise?’ As cannons burst confetti outwards and lights shine out onto the smiles of the crowd below, a truly breath-taking festival moment flowered.

On Sunday the sun shone, though Joy Orbison used the Wax:On Tents dark recesses to run through a set of speed garage bass, his own gurgling ‘Sicko Cell’ and Caribou’s ‘Sun’. Annie Mac meanwhile, shifted over onto the main stage, played a little more lightly. Skrillex aside, her set mainly consisted of party bangers: no less A-Trak’s skilful staccato take on the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s ‘Heads Will Roll’.

Over at the Now Wave tent Gold Panda bashed into a sampler no less dextrously than Araabmuzik did the day before. His songs rely on the silence in between sounds, however, and long swathes of crackle and static chatter used as rhythm and melody. An early ‘You’ is a highlight, its orient inspired fidget pop willing the crowd into hearty cheers.

The sound was much less finely tuned over at the main stage, as De La Soul became another headliner to suffer from a misfiring PA during the weekend. It doesn’t help that they don’t play their best material for a crowd that clearly want to hear it. Erol Alkan, however, did what he knows best, splintering Metronomy’s ‘The Bay’ into a hundred different ideas and adding songs until his woozy electro forms a woven tapestry of warping sounds.

Finally Sunday’s sun started to fade and the fields finally gave up, mud and liquid filled the final few hours as Dizzee on the main stage entertains the last of the moon-eyed revellers and Maya Janes Cle over at the Wax:On tent plays a set so taut you feel it might just snap. It’s a fitting end to a good festival, which with a few improvements might just be great.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:21:19 GMT

Fresh from being playlisted on Radio One, Gaslight Anthem rolled in to London last night to give a sold-out Koko full of faithful fans exactly what they were after.

Gaslight Anthem have broken out of the punk scene, expanded their horizons and aimed for the big time - and it shows tonight. They sound huge. They have a great light show. Some of the gig borders on arena rock. They've even drafted in Ian Perkins (Brian Fallon's professional other half from The Horrible Crowes) to provide extra guitars.

And it all pays off. The show sounds great, Fallon has a fantastic voice, and the band have got an excellent back catalogue to fall back on.

Songs from early in their career get good responses, however, it's the tunes from The 59 Sound and American Slang that really get the crowd whipped-up. New single '45' also sounds excellent, with a hook that'll stick in your head for days - and it's clear that the band are really enjoying playing new material.

As well as a strong set of their own songs, we also get a couple of extras - a verse of Brand New's 'Jesus Christ' mixed in with 'Angry Johnny and the Radio', as well as a full cover of 'House of the Rising Sun' by The Animals.

The third guitarist means that Brian can put down his guitar and throw some frontman-shapes, which he does with a moderate degree of success. Although, when he spits his water into the air during a crescendo, the speed with which someone appears to towel-dry the stage floor is not exactly rock and roll. Health and safety first people.

To make up for it, a few songs later he launches himself off one of the balconies and into the crowd - to be met by a sea of hands who all want to ruffle his hair.

The final song of the night is a triumphant cover of The Who's 'Baba O'Reilly' and as the band wave goodbye, the lights come up and everybody is grinning from ear to ear.

Below: The Gaslight Anthem at Koko, 11/06/2012

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Sun, 10 Jun 2012 15:20:19 GMT

Anyone who grew up in the nineties and early noughties has at least once appreciated a Blink-182 song. The band had last night pulled in a mixed crowd with ages ranging from preteens (who would have been mere toddlers when the band broke up) to the well-aged, at their show at London's O2.

Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic opened the proceedings in style, impressing the awaiting crowd with band classics ‘Make A Beast Of Myself’, ‘Yes I Was Drunk’ and their album title track, ‘Free’.

The All American Rejects followed but were far from impressive. Opening straight off the bat with ‘Dirty Little Secret’ the sound was poor and vocals were sloppy but they did get better as their set went on - but sadly not enough to win the audience over.

When the curtain finally fell for Blink 182, the trio flew straight into ‘Feeling This’. Mosh pits formed and crowd surfers were dragged away by security, as people sang along to every word, an occurrence that happened during nearly every song.

The set list was well worked with classics infused with a few notable tracks from the latest album ‘Neighborhoods’, a hard task to do with so many classic songs sitting in their back catalogue. Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus kept the crowd entertained inbetween songs with tongue-in-cheek jokes as well as a slight joke at Tom DeLonge’s unpopularity among many Blink fans (relating back to the break up). We were even treated to ‘Happy Holidays, You Bastards’ completely in the dark after Tom DeLonge asked for the lights to be turned off. Travis Barker proved to be one of the worlds best drummers, and at some points you could not keep your eyes off him in wonderment.

While waiting for the encore, fans at the back of the standing section went nuts as Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus travelled through the crowd, making their way to the sound booth to perform a guitar-only version of ‘Reckless Abandon’ in the centre of the arena before Travis Barker hit out an epic drum solo to allow Hoppus and DeLonge to make their way back to the stage for the rest of the encore.

Blink 182 are a band who deserved their reputation as rock icons, they truly are are modern greats.]]>

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:48:41 GMT

The Maccabees have never really won any awards but this, their largest ever London show, will surely mean more to the band than any trophies or mantlepiece gongs ever could.

Speaking to the audience with palpable fear but also pride, lead singer Orlando Weeks comes across like someone handed an Oscar without even knowing he'd been nominated, thanking "everyone I've forgotten" and the massive audience who have gathered to watch the band leap over their latest hurdle with ease and style.

Mixing moments from new album 'Given To The Wild', their most accomplished work to date, with the scrappy underdog sounds of their 2008 debut, tonight is a celebration of all things Maccabees. Latchmere's wave machine is set to tidal, toothpaste kisses greet the sugary sweet 'First Love' and the choir of thousands prove they can truly give it, matching each chorus and even guitar riff for size and volume.

Bands tend to earn slots like this, not deserve them but it is hard to think of a band better suited to rising up through the indie ranks than The Maccabees. The five guys on stage were almost certainly at this very venue ten years ago to see their predecessors step up the ladder and nothing feels like it is taken for granted. Though tempting to see this as an overview of The Maccabees career to date, they storm things on the night too. Having transformed into a fierce live band there is a bite to their latest album cuts such as 'Feel To Follow' and 'Glimmer' that was unimaginable from the animated cuteness of their debut.

The Maccabees may not be the most obvious of 'big' bands, they lack the pomp of, say, Mumford & Sons and the sheer force of Florence + The Machine, but this show is yet another confirmation that the Londoners are one of the most enjoyable and deserving bands around today. Beaming from ear to ear as they depart, they know they've earned this one.

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Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:34:53 GMT

Whilst it is hardly noteworthy when a rapper is running late, there is a delicious irony to someone calling himself A$AP Rocky running over an hour late on the second of his two night stay in London.

Warmed up by an often brilliant, though rarely appreciated, set from Manchester’s Star Slinger, Rocky is given the ideal intro. Mixing his own productions into reworks of the likes of Drake, Usher and Jessie Ware, Star Slinger adds a healthy dose of bass to his samples building things nicely and throwing the odd WTF? in along the way (the look on people’s faces as ‘Crossroads’ by Bone Thugs N Harmony plays is priceless).

Despite ignoring his own moniker, A$AP Rocky’s eventual arrival on stage is greeted with rapturous applause. The energy levels, helped by the fact Rocky brings an eleven strong crew onto the stage with him, amp up a rapid-fire take on ‘Pretty Flacko’ with barely room to shake a leg on the now crammed stage. Riding on a high as one of the most talked about and respected new rappers around, Rocky then proceeds to run through many of the prime cuts from his ‘LiveLoveA$AP’ mixtape on a night destined to be remembered for anything but the music.

Of said cuts, it is the rowdy and energetic tracks which work best tonight. ‘Bass’ and ‘Wassup’ combine well, leaving the audience seeing stars whilst the unreleased ‘Goldie’ delivers the KO. That said, there is a feeling that Rocky is letting the hype and excitement do the work for him, with little in the way of performance skills on display. If this is hip-hop karaoke though, then it is of the highest order.

A woozy middle section illuminated by purple lights and the flicker of zippo lighters is soon shaken back to reality however when Rocky’s Rolex is stolen by an audience member and a chaotic search to retrieve it ensues. It’s a frustrating end to what was building into a great show. Fingers crossed Rocky’s return will see less crime and more steps toward seeing the next big hip-hop icon live up to his billing.]]>

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:48:43 GMT

A Tuesday night in a rainy Kentish Town following a grey tinted jubilee was certainly a surreal time to witness a newly reinvigorated Cypress Hill take to the stage. Nevertheless battered livers resulting from four days of regal abuse were nothing short of inconsequential with the huge crowd of punters baying for some retrospective Hip-Hop fun. There was a tangible air of apprehension mixed with excitement following the band’s lengthy absence from the contemporary music scene, it could certainly have gone either way.

Yet when they emerged a little grizzled by the years it was back to the old school as B-Real and Sen Dog emerged one by one to a blistering furore. It was abundantly clear that the band have lost none of their skill in terms of crowd interaction with songs cutting out at the exact point for audience to shout “I could just kill a man” or ‘insane in the brain” where appropriate. Along with gun-fingers firing in time to strobes and the audience bouncing all over the shop the show was nothing short of a spectacle to behold. The mood recalled the kind of fun the golden age of Hip-Hop was synonymous with, represented by hands swaying from left to right in time the bands “yo’s” and “ho’s”.

As for the set itself, it was any Cypress Hill fan’s wet dream totalling one hour and forty minutes in total with a short interlude in the middle. The first half consisted of what can only be described as back to back classics with the second half descending predictably into Dubstep territory. Cypress Hill have never been ones to shy away from innovation, often choosing to make risky decisions sometimes with huge pay-offs and sometimes an unfortunately forgettable phase of Nu-Metal drivel. Yet in pairing with Rusko for their new material the group have actually fallen into the credible denomination of bass driven music. So despite it being a common choice for artists nowadays, Cypress Hill are perhaps the best suited for the sound (unlike Justin Bieber). The resulting showcase of new material sounded great, riffing on the grimier and more credible edge of the genre. Skrillex it is not. Although it did seem to rub a few hardcore skinhead fans up the wrong way which can only be a good thing.

It was great to see Cypress Hill back, especially playing what to them is undeniably an intimate show. They appear to show no signs of slowing down, at one point indulging in their trademark process of smoking what can only be described as a Camberwell Carrot during ‘Hits From The Bong’ into "I Wanna Get High". Maybe it was all the second hand smoke but B-Real (apparently the “highest man in the world”) and company proved themselves to still be a force to be reckoned with in the ever-changing world of rap.

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Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:37:19 GMT

As you enter the dark venue that is Oxford Street's 100 Club, it is immediately obvious that the crowd are an eclectic group. The grup vary from generation to generation but needless to say the energy issn’t lacking. The room is bursting with excitement from fans that seemed to have followed the young Jake Bugg for a long time, anticipating his performance in this iconic venue.

Cheering as the diminutive star Jake makes his way onto the red stage, the crowd welcome him with open arms. Not stopping to chat, Bugg creates a sound which could be considered as a mixture of Johnny Cash, Don Mclean and Jamie T, with his own modern, unique twist. The intimate setting really helping engage with him and his classic sound, the audience holding on to every word he sings.

The 18 year old singer songwriter performed many soon-to-be-classics from his catalogue of deep south folk infused tracks, including the brilliant 'Lightening Bolt' and 'Trouble Town'. Although fairly short in duration, Bugg's fantastic collection of songs, including set closer 'Saffron', delve deep and explore his life, which really secured the attention of the audience throughout the set.

Relatively new to the scene, Bugg's set is short (something of a relief in a venue not exactly set up for the high temperatures outside). Incredibly humble and almost unaware of how talented he really is, Bugg creates an unpretentious and friendly atmosphere as well as sitting on a huge talent; a fresh change from the music scene today.]]>

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 05:41:02 GMT

Like a fishing net held up to catch all that has been hot, blogged and buzzed about in the last twelve months, Field Day saw the great and good of London hipsters descend on Victoria Park for a day of badly timed but entertaining musical treats.

Summer Camp and Jessie Ware provide mid-afternoon thrills; the latter impressing with a relaxed set of tracks including the breezy trip-pop of '110%'. A packed out tent for the relative unknown showing off perfectly Field Day’s USP of being the festival to catch the next big thing first

Over in the Bugged Out tent Hudson Mohawke stands unassuming behind his laptop but soon shows the bombastic skills that have seen Kanye West become a fan and Bjork seeking to collaborate. ‘Cbat’s minimal beat warms up an audience living like it’s early morning in the late afternoon before ‘Thunder Bay’ blows the roof off with weapons grade power. Later in the same tent SBTRKT lays claim to owning the festival outright with a set played out to fans literally fighting to get a glimpse. Sardine like personal space aside, the masked producer’s set is fantastic, seeing vocalist Sampha bring the crowd together on ‘Hold On’ whilst ‘Wildfire’ causes an inevitable surge in atmosphere and the strange sound of people trying to sing the electronic beeps and loops.

Causing a similar crush across the park is Grimes, performing in a tent far too small for this year’s alternative cover star of choice. Technical problems lead to her set being delayed nearly half an hour (a problem which blights a majority of stage times today) but 4AD’s closest thing to a popstar delivers a fun set topped off nicely with performances of ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Vanessa’. Word of warning to the white-hot star of the last six months however; most people watching seem curious rather than entertained.

With so much to see it is easy to grab a pick n’ mix selection of sets at Field Day. Toy, Chairlift, Beirut, Metronomy and the cult-disco of Austra all impressing in small doses.

Spector and The Vaccines may have the monopoly on reviving the mid-noughties indie revolution over on the second stage, however, it is all about Franz Ferdinand’s live return as the night draws in. Battling against driving rain and a technical fault which sees the band’s backdrop temporarily showing the desktop wallpaper of a crew member presumably still on the naughty step, the band deliver with a set of arched classics including ‘Tell Her Tonight’, Do You Wanna?’ and ‘Dark Of The Matinee’.

Points go to the band for being brave enough to test new songs on a festival audience, it is, however, slightly worrying how anonymous some of the fresher material sound tonight - the now revived backdrop flashing up a bowl of fruit during ‘Fresh Strawberries’, the image more enticing than the tune.

A song as good as ‘Take Me Out’ could rescue any festival set however and, amidst a now torrential downpour, the jerking rhythms and still threatening cut of Alex Kapranos’ jib sends a soaking wet audience home happy ,safe in the knowledge that next year’s Field Day stars may not even have formed yet.

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Tue, 29 May 2012 10:36:23 GMT

It may be terribly British to keep mentioning the weather but, as temperatures rise to near unbearable levels tonight it’s hard to ignore. Still, if there is a band more apt for feeling like you might melt and die than Girls we can’t think of one.

Stopping off in the UK for a one-off date, Christopher Owens and Chet White display their increased profile physically and roll deep with a full backing band as well as three backing singers. This increased presence boosts the two kinds of Girls songs there are impressively with the catchy, throwaway pop tunes adding muscle to their bony bodies and the smacked out blissful melancholy of their longer moments sounding gargantuan.

Watched on by a veritable feast of fellow indie stars (we spot members of The Maccabees, Yuck, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Veronica Falls, Spectrals, Los Campesinos and Jack Penate) we worry that, should a bomb go off in here quite a few festivals would be in trouble. For a bit. They however, along with plenty more, are treated to nothing more explosive than a master class in turning music-blog hype into genuine, soul shaking brilliance.

First album moments like ‘Laura’ and ‘Lauren Marie’ offer a Summery lilt to the bittersweet tonic that is the murky blackhole of ‘Hellhole Rat Race’, just one of the many songs that every last member of Girls look like they’re giving their entire soul over to performing.

It is the 2011 album ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost’ which contains Girls greatest moments to date though and, fittingly, brings out the best in the band tonight. ‘Honey Bunny’ impresses; a quick fire and upbeat ode to rejection, Owens wraps his legs around his guitar as if he wants to ride it out of the door and away from that which he is confronting. However, it is ‘Vomit’ that steals the show. A wall of noise sees the flowers wrapped around each mic stand shed petals to the floor only for one of the aforementioned backing singers to step forward and take it to church at a volume somewhere between ‘rocket launch’ and ‘apocalypse’. They may look like unlikely collaborators and we’d pay good money to see a reality TV show made of their offstage activities (The Real Backing Singers Of Girls anyone?) but in that moment everything makes perfect sense.

Often a dreamer, Owens ends the night on a high by chasing a better life for himself and giving one to his audience via the pizza and wine anthem ‘Lust For Life’. We might now have the suntan but it’s sure going to be a long time before we see something this good again.]]>

Tue, 29 May 2012 09:47:05 GMT

With the news that rock festivals are in decline as big players like Sonisphere closed their doors this year, it's no wonder that Slam Dunk festival came back bigger and better than ever. Held at both Leeds and Hatfield universities, over 40 bands descend on seven stages in an 'intimate' environment which makes Slam Dunk an utter gem.

Camping? No. Drinking,sun and heavy sweating? Yes! With the UK having a rare glimpse of hot weather - rock, punk-pop and ska fans descended onto Leeds' University for Slam Dunk (North) 2012.

Like many music festivals the intentions of seeing as many bands as possible is always a good start but due to Leeds' labrinth system this turned out to be difficult. Plus the distractions of the glorious beer terrace had to be taken into consideration.

Kicking things off Straight Lines took to the Atticus / Jägermeister Stage at 2.45pm and previewed tracks from their latest effort 'Freaks Like Us'. Having already seen the young Pontypridd quartet a few weeks prior I knew that I was yet again ready to witness one of the finest rising bands around.

Refuelled by cider, San Francisco’s Heartsounds pulled us to the Macbeth stage for their debut UK show. Live they are second to none and it can't harm that the band's bassist Laura Nicho is one hot young lady with an enviable Thrice t-shirt.

Cancer Bats' 'Dead Set On Living' is probably one of the greatest releases of the year so far for rock fans. Liam Cormier and co reeked havoc on the Honour Over Glory stage. It may have been their debut Slam Dunk appearance but from the smiles reflected back from the packed-out audience, they loved every second as much as we did. As Cormier dives into the crowd during 'Sabotag', a tribute to Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, their fans can't wait till the band return for a full UK tour later this year.

Transit and The Story So Far were next on the list. As sunburnt students soaked up the rays and booze replaced food, the afternoon rolled on. California’s The Story So Far launched into their energetic and aggressive pop punk with fans craving more by the minute. Their final track, 'Quicksand', was a highlight, with its infectious chorus.

Headliners Taking Back Sunday packed out the University's main stage, while others headed to see the the Gallows new material with new frontman Wade McNeil. They may have left fan favourites 'Cute Without The E' and 'Make Damn Sure' till the very end of their hour set but their was some moments along the way.

Spending most of the set on ground level and then heading to the balcony (destroying a glass table on the way) frontman Adam Lazzara looked like he'd been enjoying the northern beer prices. And as the festival rounded we all certainly had too.

Yet again Slam Dunk delivered. Bring on next year!]]>

Mon, 28 May 2012 10:30:50 GMT

The Horrors must be ruing their own timing, as well as their exclusively black attire, as 5,000 fans swap a Summer’s evening for the sauna-like Brixton Academy this evening to see the band headline their biggest London date of their career.

However, there is a heady euphoria to Faris Badwan and co’s latest album ‘Skying’ that is somehow in keeping with the glistening foreheads and clammy air in abundance this evening. It has certainly had an effect on Badwan himself, who chats freely throughout - more than we’ve seen him say in nearly ten or so performances previously. Perhaps a pre-show Calyppo gave him a confidence boosting sugar rush.

It’s good to see The Horrors open up personally, as their music has certainly become more expansive over the years. ‘Skying’ album cuts such as ‘Moving Further Away’ and ‘Endless Blue’ add soul to the murky bluster they perfected on 2009’s ‘Primary Colours‘ and, combined with a nod to Kevin Shields style volume control, sound monumental tonight. It is hard to imagine that this is the same band that just years previously were trust up in more hairspray and makeup than a backstreet drag club but The Horrors are a band that love to defy odds.

It is the group’s second album that provides the highlights this evening, however. The zombie-fied Phil Spector romp of ‘Who Can Say’ hits straight into the heart of the hardcore masses gathered front and centre whilst the expansive, jittering soundtrack to a robot uprising we hear on ‘Sea Within A Sea’ is aided by an epilepsy-inducing lightshow. The more rotund, elder statesman audience The Horrors have surprisingly picked up along the way averting their eyes into their lager as the music shakes their body.

As the set ends with a positively monumental ‘Still Life’ you can’t help but think of Blur, Stone Roses, Foo Fighters et al. Whilst it is understandable that festival organisers are keen to play it safe with their bills someone needs to take a punt and book a fresh, original and untried band to top their Summer event soon. On this kind of form, The Horrors fit the bill perfectly.]]>

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:05:15 GMT

Transforming Koko into an amazing room drenched in light and sound, the electro genius that is Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, provided more of a spectacle than a gig.

As TEED took to the stage, immediately the crowd belted an almighty roar, which never left the room as the DJ made his presence known. Having been to many great gigs at Koko, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs didn’t disappoint. The talented producer captured the room from the start and almost every track was met with a cheer. The venue, was literally heaving with excited fans jumping and dancing ecstatically to the beat of tracks from his debut album, 'Trouble'.

Dressed in a magnificent costume of scale armour, (which made for a pretty amazing opening outfit), transforming as the night progressed into a huge glittery lizard-like frill neck piece, which looked fantastic, if a little uncomfortable. The stage was a combination of giant lights, strobes and dancers, blasting streamers into the crowd. Playing track after track, he kept the crowd full of energy, dancing and cheering, which hit an almighty high when the hit ‘Garden’ came on, accompanied by a giant ball of lights floating across the crowd.

The sound was incredible and with the occasional involvement of bongo drums and synths, created the feel of an almost tribal ceremony, with the DJ surrounded by religious followers. Watching Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs was definitely more of an experience and a tribute to electro, making the show memorable. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, a mouthful to say and one hell of an electro performance.

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Wed, 23 May 2012 12:22:51 GMT

Pond released new album Beard, Wives, Denim earlier this year and after widespread critical praise, the Australians bring their sunshine drenched power pop party together on their first UK tour.

Diminutive and not lacking in showmanship, front man Nick Allbrook wears his over-sized shirt almost like a straight jacket to begin with, the sense of impending fun is palpable. The stoner doom intro of ‘Zanman’ is heavy. Heads rock back and forth and then the freewheeling psych jam takes over.

Purple flashing lights shine as the band drip into the slow dreamy ‘When It Explodes’. Despite them claiming “everything that could have gone wrong, did” the crowd don’t seem to mind.

It’s a set with a healthy mix of new singles and older joints. ‘Betty Davis’ from 2010 album Frond starts with crowd assisted clapping transporting us to a mid 60s jamboree. Allbrook brushes off the previous audio mishaps and shouts one of many encouraging “come on mother f**kers!” before wielding a flute as Pond launch into ‘You Broke My Cool’.

The band’s movement on stage is free as they switch places and yell in unison into a single microphone, barely audible in amongst the cacophony of sound, all smiling in delight. The sheer noise of all these guitars and drums is noticeable.

‘Moth Wings’ opens with face melting reverb and feedback and the set closes with the brilliant ‘Eye Pattern Blindness’, a track ended in an explosion of confetti, flashing lights and cheers.

Yet still, the massed ranks want more. Sweaty and slightly embarrassed, the Aussie’s come back onto the stage and decree they only know one more song. They scorch the surrounding exposed brick work with belting cover of MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’. Allbrook – well free of his earlier self imposed shackles - jumps from the stage and his dive takes him crowd surfing almost halfway across the room, microphone in hand and still beaming.

If there's ever a band who knows how to have fun, it's Pond.]]>

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:54:15 GMT

With support from up and comers the Cymbals, The Temper Trap descended on Camden’s Koko club last night with both excitement and precision. With their new self-titled album released in stores on the same day, what better way to celebrate its release than with an hour and a half set packed full of fan favourites, dramatic drumstick karate, and a light-show with more colours than Vanilla Ice’s pants.

Looking like he had been kitted out exclusively by Topman, lead singer Dougy Mandagi walked the stage with a confident swagger launching straight in to ‘London’s Burning’, to which the ridiculously rammed audience couldn’t help but get rowdy for. Still with his infectious effeminate vocal tone, Mandagi is easily one of the finest vocalists of the past few years - even if he is a tad underrated. Still able to perform live as well as he does on record, once the opening cut comes to a close the Aussie vocalist tells the crowd how good it is to be back performing in the UK and how he’s missed it, to which the reply is an almighty cheer.

After playing one of their more recognisable tunes in the form of ‘Love Lost’ the band went through a few of the newer tracks taken from their latest offering. Running through the likes of ‘The Sea Is Calling’, ‘This Isn’t Happiness’, and ‘Trembling Hands’, the introduction of the band’s new single ‘Rabbit Hole’ was met with jubilation. Already knowing the lyrics word for word, there were members of the audience quite literally barging through one another to sing the song back to the band.

Easily the most memorable segment from the evening, the band towards the end of their set played the closing three cuts from their debut album Conditions - ‘Science of Fear’, ‘Resurrection’, and ‘Drum Song.’ With the latter mentioned being the best example of pure showmanship - Mandagi could be seen pouring water on a huge bass drum and then banging it in time with the strobe lighting effect which gave it an almost music video look, every member of the group was doing something different to better their craft.

With the obvious encore being the band’s breakthrough hit ‘Sweet Disposition’, instead of just one closing record there were in fact three. While one, ‘I’m Gonna Wait’, was again a new composition, it was ‘Soldier On’ that left some members of the audience in a higher state of emotional consciousness. The way in which the band played it, and their front man sang it, dry eyes were more likely to be the minority on this occasion.

With everything mentioned above, as well as some rhythmically confined shuffles that were interpreted as dance moves, as well as some instrument throwing, The Temper Trap proved that they are not a band to be taken lightly. As far as live bands go... they are one of the best.

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Sun, 20 May 2012 06:05:01 GMT

Jay-Z and Kanye West quite simply do not understand the idea of a mid-set lull.

That moment where you become bored of the third album track in a row does not exist at Watch The Throne, a concert that plays out like a greatest hits of the last ten years of hip-hop.

Ostensibly, we're here to revel in the 2011 album Watch The Throne and, standing on two individual blocks raised twenty feet in the air in the middle of the O2 Arena as they perform the dramatic 'HAM', we're thrown straight into the luxury bravado of that joint album. 'Otis' is performed in front of a United States flag and constant blasts of red hot fire whilst 'Who Gon Stop Me' asks the question that can only be answered, 'Nobody'.

However, one album relatively thin on 'the hits' is not enough to fill a two hour plus arena show. Luckily, both men standing on the stage dripping in black and gold have more than enough in their respective lockers to keep things going.

Kanye shows why, amidst the media meltdowns and borderline parody personality, he remains one of the most fascinating musicians of his generation pulling out hit after hit after amazing hit from his back catalogue. It would be vulgar to list them all but then, that's kind of Kanye's deal, so let's say that 'Runaway', 'Golddigger', 'Touch The Sky', 'Power' and 'All Of The Lights' all send the sell-out audience wild.

Jay-Z has a fair few moments of his own to enjoy too with the Brooklyn don showing his superior flow and rap skills on 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.), 'On To The Next One' and 'Big Pimpin'. As 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' scratches into life we're told "You are now tuned in to the mother f*cking greatest'. It is very hard to disagree.

Inevitably some form of competition is established, with each rapper juking for the definitive moment. It's difficult to seperate the two with West arguably having more in the way of hits but, at the same time, he still has nothing with quite the same power as, say, '99 Problems' or 'Empire State Of Mind'.

For an album, tour and concept that can be boiled down to a stunningly enjoyable celebration of vulgar wealth the set ends with 'N*ggas In Paris' played five times in a row. This should be ridiculous but every time Jay-Z shouts "Again!" the crowd go wild. You get the feeling, quite rightly, they'd stay here all night to keep the party going.

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Fri, 18 May 2012 06:10:16 GMT

Gliding onto the stage, Zulu Winter were tasked with rejuvenating the crowd after their support band seemed to mesmerise and send the audience into a hypnotic state. Yet they managed to restore the energy to the room effortlessly.

The line-up of Will Daunt (vocals & guitar), Iain Lock (bass), Dom Millard (keyboards), Henry Walton (guitar) and Guy Henderson (drums), have only performed a small selection of shows in the UK. However they were genuinely upbeat and excited, which helped wake up the mass of people in the hall. Keeping the crowd on a constant high throughout; the band performed well live and seemed confident in their performance.

Considering the constant rising temperature of the room, the band kept the attention of everyone well. The songs were pitch perfect and occasionally frontman Daunt would address the crowd with a plea to move nearer or what to expect from the next track they played. However, what can only be described as a sort of sporadic sweaty, sensual dance, from the lead singer, did have the crowd looking bemused.

The band performed most of their new album, including the crowd pleasers ‘We Should Be Swimming’ and ‘Let’s Move Back To Front’, which immediately had everyone cheering and singing along. The visual display aided the overall experience. Projected on the screen behind them were what seemed like an insight into a dark subconscious. With imagery that linked in well with the bands set yet didn’t distract from the performance.

The penultimate track played and was met with an almighty roar, as their lead single ‘Silver Tongue’ from their new album had been long awaited and abetted the crowd to forget how extremely hot the small hall was becoming.

Overall Zulu Winter’s performance at the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park was executed well. The live routine was almost flawless and the only criticism could be if they acknowledged the crowd a little bit more…. And perhaps better air conditioning.

Zulu Winter’s debut album ‘Language’ is now available on ITunes.

Below: Zulu Winter - 'Silver Tongue'

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Thu, 17 May 2012 07:55:50 GMT

After tweeting about attending Scissor Sisters' Shepherds Bush gig, a Gigwise follower said: 'I didn't know straight people went to Scissor Sisters gigs'. Well, they do - there's no reason why gay people should have all fun.

Need any more proof that straight people go to Scissor Sisters gigs? Well, perhaps the section when a fan (male) proposed to his girlfriend on stage. She said yes, obviously. It was a cute moment, but it is still beyond us why people do these things...

The rest of the night, however, was anything but cute as Jake Shears and Ana Matronic thrusted and pouted through a breathless 75-minute set, showcasing tracks from new album 'Magic Hour' among classic hits and fan favourites. Leaving much of the onstage banter to Matronic, a one-woman vault of sparkly smut, who discussed how 'sore' she was after a session with her personal trainer and revelled in telling the audience how pleased she was to be back performing in 'Shepherds M*nge'. Cute, she ain't.

Having lost none of their energy over 11 years and four albums, their new release is their best since their debut, and it was tracks from 'Magic Hour' which stood out across the night. While great to hear 'Take Your Mamma Out' and 'Comfortably Numb' again, the fun felt fresher on tracks such as 'Keep Your Shoes On' and 'Shady Love'. The highlight of the night was, without question, new track 'Let's Have A Kiki', an Ana Matronic track which has already become something of an anthem among fans - and perhaps the one most likely to terrify the more conservative, heterosexual attendees with it's outrageous lyrics and ridiculous chorus.

Watch: Scissor Sisters perform 'Lets Have A Kiki' at Shepherds Bush

New single 'Only The Horses' was saved for the encore and proved another standout in the same week the track is set to score the band their first Top Ten UK single since 2006. Produced by Calvin Harris, the track makes the band feel modern and relevant while at the same time maintains the energy and enthusiasm that made Scissor Sisters so appealing when they first hit the charts back in 2003.

A spectacular show, and if straight people aren't going to Scissor Sisters gigs - they should. They've got no idea what they're missing.

Below: Scissor Sisters live, Shepherds Bush Empire 16/05/2012

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Wed, 16 May 2012 09:31:18 GMT

Beth Ditto is clearly in a chatty mood tonight, telling her London audience of friends all about her life to the point that her Gossip bandmates regularly have to cut her off with music, as if she has overrun an Oscar winning speech.

Laughing at the fact the bands guestlist was half of the entire XOYO capacity, Ditto spots old friends in the crowd throughout the show in the city she calls her 'home away from home'. Here in earnest to launch new album 'A Joyful Noise', it soon becomes apparent that tonight is all about having a good time.

That's not to say the new album is ignored, with new tracks 'Move In The Right Direction' and 'Melody Emergency' impressing early on. Elsewhere we are treated to recent single 'Perfect World' and the glam-house floor-filler 'Get Lost'. The new material goes down well but struggles to impress any real identity on an audience who clearly favour the 2006 album 'Standing In The Way Of Control'.

Aside from the obvious track (more on that later), it is 'Yr Mangled Heart' and 'Listen Up' that stand out tonight. Both pack a genuine punch with the huge soul influence that never distracts from the wild punk edge both songs are laced with. It is a shame that the band have rounded off these edges in recent years, as displayed by the lacklustre material from 2010's 'Music For Men' album played tonight.

It seems harsh to call Gossip a one-hit wonder and to many who have followed the band for over ten years they are anything but, although it is also hard to believe they will ever top 'Standing In The Way Of Control' either. Joking that "it is the only song people actually know" Beth and co. clearly know this too and it's not hard to see why as the disco-diva stomp that is *that* song clatters and flashes for three brilliant minutes, overshadowing nearly everything else played this evening.

Reminding your fans of former glories at the launch of a new release should be bad form but somehow Gossip just about pull it off.

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