Live Review of
Levellers
by Samantha from the midlands
I am a massive fan of the Levellers, have been since the 90's but only really started to follow them this year. Last night's performance at Jb's was fantastic, the atmosphere and crowd were amazing. These guys are true performers and give their absolute all in all their... [more]
Event Date: September 18, 2009
Event Venue: Jb's Dudley
I am a massive fan of the Levellers, have been since the 90's but only really started to follow them this year. Last night's performance at Jb's was fantastic, the atmosphere and crowd were amazing. These guys are true performers and give their absolute all in all their performances.
Earlier in the year, I also saw them at the Civic in Wolverhampton - where I must admit, the crowd needed a bit of a shift to get them going. To get a real taste of them though, you need to go to the Beautiful Days festival in Devon. This year they opened with an acoustic set and finished the festival off with a foot stomping set from "A weapon called the world" ending with a huge fireworks display. It was awesome.
I'm off to Brum to see them next at the new o2 and then onto the Cheltenham festival in June 2010, I really cannot get enough of them and my only gripe is that my albums now sound dull after hearing and seeing them in the flesh. Give them a whirl, you won't be disappointed. [less]
Live Review of
Surface Unsigned Semi-Finals: Uberstande, Ashes Rise To Ruin & more @ Academy - July 10, 2009
by Pixie from Doncaster
The two winning bands Uberstande and Trappist really captured the imagination and interest of the crowd.
Uberstande, with their bluesy rifts and Pantera influence, had the crowd singing their name from the rafters. Jon and Sean worked the stage like pro's making sure the Photographers in the audience got the... [more]
Event Date: July 10, 2009
Event Venue: Academy
The two winning bands Uberstande and Trappist really captured the imagination and interest of the crowd.
Uberstande, with their bluesy rifts and Pantera influence, had the crowd singing their name from the rafters. Jon and Sean worked the stage like pro's making sure the Photographers in the audience got the pictures they wanted.
Trappist got the crowd rocking with their heavy, individual sound. This three piece band work so well together that they make more noise than 3 men should! [less]
Live Review of
Joan As Police Woman
by John from Poulton
Anyone who has heard her recorded work will know that she is sublimely gifted as a writer and singer, but there's a certain distancing effect there that renders her admirable rather than likeable.
Live on Friday, though, she was warm and funny and elegantly sexy. And still sublimely gifted - To... [more]
Event Date: December 5, 2008
Event Venue: Brudenell Leeds
Anyone who has heard her recorded work will know that she is sublimely gifted as a writer and singer, but there's a certain distancing effect there that renders her admirable rather than likeable.
Live on Friday, though, she was warm and funny and elegantly sexy. And still sublimely gifted - To Be Lonely brought a sometimes-rowdy venue to breath-bated silence. Appearing with just a drummer and a bassist (both of whom were wonderful) gave her voice all the room it needed to sound even more expressive and rich-toned than it is on record. If you were looking for faults, the first part of Anyone, which sounds better the slower it's sung, was a little rushed, but even so it was still like heaven for ears; this is the best female artist working in popular music today. [less]
Live Review of
Pretty Things
by Andrew from Hailey
Pretty Things were the house band at the 100 Club in 1964 and 1965 so it was great to be able to see them play there. It wasn't quite the 'original line-up' that had been advertised but those that did show up put on a superb performance. The 100 Club's... [more]
Event Date: January 25, 2008
Event Venue: 100 Club. London
Pretty Things were the house band at the 100 Club in 1964 and 1965 so it was great to be able to see them play there. It wasn't quite the 'original line-up' that had been advertised but those that did show up put on a superb performance. The 100 Club's capacity is under 300 and it's a great venue to get close to the performers as most of the audience is within 20 feet of the stage. The sound was a bit muddy but it didn't detract from the experience.
Before the show, an old guy looking like a retired headmaster was tinkering with the guitar set-up. This turned out to be guitarist Dick Taylor. He really couldn’t look less like a rock musician if he tried and his playing style is somewhat awkward, but none of this can hide the fact that he’s an excellent rock guitarist.
The band kicked off with a rousing track from their latest album which didn’t sound at all out of place with the older material. They then went through a whole range of styles including the original R&B sound that most of these sixties rock bands started out playing via ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ and ‘Roadrunner’, a selection from their psychedelic period including ‘S.F Sorrow Is Born’, ‘Balloon Burning’ and ‘LSD’, the bluesy ‘Come On In My Kitchen’ and ‘Rainin' In My Heart’ and some later material such as ‘Havana Bound’ and ‘Passion Of Love’.
Original members Phil May and Dick Taylor have still got it and, together with the youthful rhythm section and long time guitarist Frank Holland, they put on a rousing show. With the atmosphere of the 100 Club, which doesn’t look like it’s seen a lick of paint since they first played there, you could almost imagine you were back in the sixties. Pretty Things are one of a dwindling number of classic sixties rock bands still recording and performing and, if this is a musical era you’re into, I recommend you get to see them while you still can. [less]
Live Review of
The Courteeners
by Ciaran from Manchester
Following the release of a couple early singles, at this time 'Acrylic' being the most recent, and a few well placed words by lead singer Liam Fray the atmosphere around this band was electric, and I was a fool if I wasn't going to see them live before they shot... [more]
Event Date: 04/12/2007
Event Venue: Manchester Apollo
Following the release of a couple early singles, at this time 'Acrylic' being the most recent, and a few well placed words by lead singer Liam Fray the atmosphere around this band was electric, and I was a fool if I wasn't going to see them live before they shot into the mainstream. And this was the perfect arena, at the majestic Apollo with Charlatans heading a (mostly) Manchester bill ('The Cribs' played lead support, they're from Wakefield) including Starsailor, Stepehen Fretwell and The Ting-Tings. There really was no better place to showcase their material to their home crowd.
Unfortunately, the gig was a disaster. So many things were wrong I can't start to give it's poorness credit, but firstly they hadn't made the step up from the tiny venues and failed to deliver to a 1000-strong crowd with too much instrument staring and failure to deliver the endearing arrogance that had given them so much column space in NME. The vocal, which I have heard other times sound good, on this occasion was passable at best. And while they had the hardiest of fans moving to their singles their remaining tracks had everybody staring, non-plussed, at there mediocrity.
They left the stage to luke warm applause to be followed on by seasoned pros, 'The Cribs' who instantly had everybody excited and jumping about again. This served to show how far they were from where they wanted to be and perhaps that something would always be lacking. There is nothing worse than going from excited anticipation to despondant depression, it was worse than England being knocked out of a major tournament or knocking over a pint someone else has bought for you. In short, I thought they were the saving grace of a rapidly declining Indie scene; in fact, they are part of the detritus bringing it down. [less]
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