May 3rd
The fact that Americans have pretty much always seemed to do Punk Rock better than Brits has been something I’ve been trying to explain to people for a very long time and no-one seems to have quite caught on yet, which is annoying. They’ve always seemed to be in it for better reasons than most British punk bands, or if they aren’t, then write better songs or have a lasting influence on them. Contrary to popular belief, the first [...]
London, 24th April
Often I find good music at the Old Blue Last and last night it happened again. The upper floor scruffy room with the charming bad sound system was surprisingly crowded for a terrible rainy school night.
I arrived just in time for the second band on the list, Portasound. The young guy on the front line on the keyboard showed a confident involving smile.
Portasound is a 5 piece band from East London playing a very interesting and innovative mix [...]
London, 24th April
The Frolick is a London Baroque ‘n’ Roll ensemble with a modern innovative style, but also the sounds of an authentic 18th century classical performance.
It has a cellist, virtuoso violinists, lute and baroque guitar, triple and Celtic harps and an English songstress. They are directed by Emma Curtis and Andrew Maginley.
Here they headlined Classical Revolution’s April show, performing cabaret style songs from their acclaimed prize-winning album Calliope. These songs, once popular in the pubs and coffee houses of [...]
Rome, 18th April 2012
Evelyn Burke. Remember this name because you will hear from her in next months.
She is a Dublin-born, 21-year-old singer songwriter who plays cello and has recently graduated from Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Music. In addition to being selected for a co-writing session with Sir Paul McCartney, Evelyn Burke won the Songlink “Best Composition Award” for her song “Walk Alone”. She’s been writing songs since she was fifteen, [...]
London, 23rd April
So it finally happened. Since splitting up the 21st century’s best rock band, Jack White took something of a backseat in the public eye, retreating into his vanity label Third Man Records to put out albums from the likes of Wanda Jackson, Alabama Shakes, Tom Jones and an abundance of others. That restless desire to create and innovate of his would not stay dormant for long however, and two long years after the last album he recorded and [...]
Nottingham, 22nd April
Autumn in Disguise (Rock City) opening up the main stage and being the first band on is a hard task for anyone and this band just look out of place. Their sound doesn’t sound strong and they find it hard to engage with the audience. They have a little heaviness but then is watered down with melodic pop vocals that you can tell they want to sound hardcore.
With one last Breath (Rock City Basement) show why [...]
London, 11th April
L’arc en Ciel have been going for twenty years and have never played the UK so their is a great anticipation for tonights show. They have a massive video screen behind them producing amazing and fantastic images, before they come on they play instrumental songs over the Tannoy of the bands greatest hits just to get people in the mood for tonight Proceedings. They open with ‘Ibara no Namida’ which is greeted with a standing ovation before they [...]
London, 12th April
Tonight the Forum in Kentish Town is sold out for Andrew W.K. 10th anniversary show for the release of the album “I Get Wet”. In fact, Andrew and his band will play the famous album in its entirety.
When an artist is playing an entire album following the track order, the crowd is, in a certain sense, prepared to what is going to happen. As a matter of fact, it takes just the opening song to turn the Forum [...]
London, 11th April
Burials are a hardcore band that brings their onslaught at you in full force of shouting noise mongering. They are slightly more to the sound of the Gallows or Heights and are just gathering their live legs. Their CD was highly praised and tonights performance shows their is something their but this is not their crowd so they are a bit wasted on this line-up.
Silent Decent frontman might look like Jared Leto but they don’t sound anything like [...]
April 14th
Here we are again, it’s time for the first festival of the year and we’re heading down the Wiltshire highway looking for the love get away……. more commonly referred to as OneFest 2012.
Its a 2 stage affair (and I don’t mean platforms for entertaining, etc), firstly we arrive at the Barge Inn and head round the back to find our camping pitch, yes ladies and gentlemen its raining and forecast to be -1c tonight but this dedicated hardcore element [...]
London, 4th April
Jonny Cola and the A-Grades have a short set tonight and run through their set like a flash of lightning from a glam disco ball. I love the bands music but their is a distinctive lack of banter from them tonight which kind of kills the glamtastic ness of there normally display, I think this is due to lack of time. The songs really stand up and you realize why this band are award winning and are getting [...]
London, 13th April
When US producer Daedelus last brought his Archimedes live AV show to London – last September at KOKO – it transpired to be the best electronic dance music (EDM) show I witnessed in 2011 (and I witnessed many, believe you me – too many). Hell, it was one of the best EDM shows I’ve ever witnessed. So, expectations were incredibly high for the return of Daedelus, his Victorian inspired get up (including dandy-esque sideboards), and his mechanical moving [...]
Thursday 12th April 2012
Exit Calm are a moody brand of Jesus of Mary Chain noisy indie rock mixed with grunge and a Manchester 90’s feel that has been brought to the market before by bands such as Puressence. They have great off beat drumming inspired by the Beatles and technical problems tonight with the bass player Simon Lindley is getting rather annoyed about and keeps slamming his bass into things. They really do a good job of working through [...]
God help me… As a casual fan of the Victorian Industrial Emilie Autumn I can’t help but feel disappointed. And for the first time in my life I have actually thought to myself ‘maybe I’m just too old to get it’; that’s coming from an eighteen year old. A huge crowd of cheap wigs and lace amongst corset tops and striped shorts spills out onto the streets of Camden High Street; this forms the queue for this evening’s event. So [...]
London, 4th April
I personally had never heard of The Milk and as I got to the venue I saw posters and stickers containing people with cats heads so I didn’t know what to expect. They come onstage with a good stage presence and deliver a funk rock Maroon 5 Esq experimental type of rock. I seem to know the songs even thou I didn’t know the name of the band. They announce that tonights performance will not contain any breaks [...]
