Reviews and Recommendations: rock

The John Jorgenson Quintet have just played two stunning sell-out nights at Le Quecumbar in London. These were the opening shows of  a short UK tour, with dates to follow in Scotland, Wales and the North of England. Theirs is musicianship of an exhilarating level in an accoustic set... [more]

Event Date: February 23, 2009
Event Venue: Le Quecumbar, Battersea, London

The John Jorgenson Quintet have just played two stunning sell-out nights at Le Quecumbar in London. These were the opening shows of  a short UK tour, with dates to follow in Scotland, Wales and the North of England. Theirs is musicianship of an exhilarating level in an accoustic set that samples the flavours of music from many countries: Balkan, South American and of course the core Gypsy Swing of Django Reinhardt. Many of the songs are John's own compositions ranging from the lyrically haunting to the wildly passionate, evocative of a spirit of dancing to abandonment. Two guitars, violin, bass and drums are the main line-up; with occasional contributions from clarinet, bouzouki and vocal This is a set that is so uplifting in its sheer exuberance and joie-de-vivre that it is not to be missed. [less]

After catching a sublime performance at the O2, capped off with a surprise appearance from Gary Numan, I was ready for anything at Sonisphere. What followed was the most unique and heartfelt set I've seen. Trent Reznor always goes against the norm, and chose to play a brave low-key, and... [more]

Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere, Knebworth

After catching a sublime performance at the O2, capped off with a surprise appearance from Gary Numan, I was ready for anything at Sonisphere. What followed was the most unique and heartfelt set I've seen. Trent Reznor always goes against the norm, and chose to play a brave low-key, and sombre set in front of a field of metal heads and Metallica fans. Including songs such as Something I Can Never Have, I Do Not Want This, and closer Hurt, the only uptempo song seemed to be Wish. Clearly frustrated, and at times sad, this was a gig Trent seemed to be dreading. Maybe because it was his last ever UK gig, or perhaps he just doesn't want to grow old. Either way, I have the utmost respect for his craftsmanship, and loved each song he chose to play. This was a message to his fans; if you weren't at the O2, you missed our proper gig, this was purely a melancholy coda to remember us by. [less]

Bryan Ferry's Concert on 13 April 2007 was one of his best yet.

A local lad, who was one of the original members of Roxy Music (drummer), Paul Thompson turned up.  He was to play on the last three songs.

Guitarist Guy Pratt was also there. he has played in... [more]

Event Date: April 13, 2007
Event Venue: Newcastle City Hall

Bryan Ferry's Concert on 13 April 2007 was one of his best yet.

A local lad, who was one of the original members of Roxy Music (drummer), Paul Thompson turned up.  He was to play on the last three songs.

Guitarist Guy Pratt was also there. he has played in the past for Robert Palmer and Pink Floyd.

I had a front row centre seat. We all stood up on the first song and I was against the stage right next to Bryan Ferry with an excellent view of him, Guy Pratt and Andy Newmark. I couldn't really see the others because of speakers and stuff at the front of the stage blocking my view - it is a high stage.

The whole place was rocking from the first note of The In Crowd and Bryan was loving it! He said how he had been going to the City Hall since he was 10 years old and hadn't seen an audience as good a us.  He sang a jumping set through Dylan covers from his new album to Roxy's Tokyo Joe and Casanova  and old classics Love Is The Drug and Jealous Guy.  All Along The Watchtower and Gates of Eden were great tracks from his new album, Dylanesque. I was disappointed that he had dropped Just Like You from the set list, but it was brilliant. There were huge cheers when The Great Paul Thompson joined the band on drums for the last three songs! One of the best gigs yet.

Bryan Ferry loves to have the audience on it's feet. So be prepared to stand up and have a dance along to some of his amazing music. [less]

An unfortunate aspect of every festival is the possibility of bands pulling out or having problems reaching the event, and Sonisphere was no different. The festival had proven rather unlucky over the past few months, with various bands cancelling for a number of reasons (even including the dreaded 'suspected swine... [more]

Event Date: August 1, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere, Knebworth UK

An unfortunate aspect of every festival is the possibility of bands pulling out or having problems reaching the event, and Sonisphere was no different. The festival had proven rather unlucky over the past few months, with various bands cancelling for a number of reasons (even including the dreaded 'suspected swine flu'!), and many Coheed fans' hearts were firmly in mouths when the main stage compere announced that there was a line-up change just as the band were scheduled to perform.

Luckily, however, Coheed and Cambria were not forced to pull out of the festival; there was a problem with the ferry they were travelling on, and as a result Sonisphere had brought FACT up to the main stage, giving Coheed the Japanese rockers' slot in the Bohemia tent later that evening.

Although a set in the tent made for an amazing atmosphere and a better sound than the main stage would have offered, it also unfortunately meant that many Coheed fans were left out in the rain as the tent had reached capacity. And, despite the fact that many casual spectators left the tent once the weather had calmed down, the security team refused to let anyone else inside the tent, despite the increase in space available. For those lucky enough to be rammed inside the tent, however, Coheed's set was a sure-fire highlight of the inaugural Sonisphere festival.

Opening with a blistering rendition of crowd favourite Welcome Home, the New York four-piece rattled through an impressive set which included barnstorming  renditions of No World For Tomorrow and Gravemakers & Gunslingers. The band surprised many in the crowd with The End Complete III: The End Complete, a near-8 minute epic which was lengthened further with a cover of Iron Maiden's The Trooper in the middle of the track. Between songs, humble frontman Claudio Sanchez took a quick break from whipping the crowd into a frenzy by apologising for the band being late, and thanking everyone for checking the band out.  

This all reached to an epic climax as the band finished their set with In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 - a song which is, in many fans' minds, Coheed's signature track. Being part of the audience when this song is performed is always a pleasure, and Sonisphere was no different. The heat inside the tent was sweltering as fans belted out every lyrics and pumped their fists in unison; a dizzying display of euphoria and community falling over the sweat-soaked devotees.

At festivals, Coheed and Cambria always manage to pull off an impressive mix of accessible hits for casual fans or newcomers to the band, while throwing in enough favourites to satisfy the hardcore of their fanbase. This was accomplished with ease at Sonisphere, and the atmosphere of the Bohemia tent purely added to the experience. The entire crowd left buzzing, knowing that they had witnessed one of the most cerebral and ambitious bands in rock music today. [less]

Oh...my...god.  This was quite possibly the best gig I have ever been to, and I've been to a lot of gigs.

Gojira are a phenomenal band; they manage to combine expert technicality with face-melting heaviness, some of the best riffs you are likely to hear and refreshingly intelligent lyrics for... [more]

Event Date: 12th March 2009
Event Venue: The Classic Grand, Glasgow, Scotland

Oh...my...god.  This was quite possibly the best gig I have ever been to, and I've been to a lot of gigs.

Gojira are a phenomenal band; they manage to combine expert technicality with face-melting heaviness, some of the best riffs you are likely to hear and refreshingly intelligent lyrics for a death metal band.  They are truly original which is very rare in today's metal scene and since discovering them late last year, they have become a firm favourite of mine.

The Classic Grand is a small, fairly intimate venue (450 capacity) and this only added to the electric atmosphere.  It seemed that everyone, like me, was
a coiled spring just waiting for the fireworks to start.

And start they most surely did - I had been looking forward to this gig for ages and I was not disappointed.

Gojira kicked off their set with the mightly 'Oroborus', the first track from their latest album 'The Way Of All Flesh' and continued with a variety of tracks covering all of their four records.

The highlights for me were 'Backbone', 'Clone', 'The Way Of All Flesh', 'From The Sky' and of course the excellent 'Flying Whales', all of which were delivered with amazing precision and raw passion.  Gojira live are the sonic equivalent of a collapsing star and it took me a couple of days just to come down from the high of this show.

Anyone who is a fan of extreme music should not miss the chance to see Gojira live - I just can't wait until they come back to Scotland and I most definitely will be back to see them again. [less]