The Futureheads - Institute Dec. 6 '19

Cut Glass Kings
It was so odd to be in a nearly desolate Institute. Seriously, it seemed like there were 25 people in the whole place when we entered at 6:20pm on a Saturday night in December. Too bad for those that had tickets because the two-piece guitar and drum duo were putting on a decent show. Loud and full of classic rock (not Classic Rock) riffs they powered through the set, seemingly not put off by the attendance that didn't even double during their short set.



Indoor Pets

Still playing to a cavernous (and cold!) space, this four-piece put on an enteraining set of poppy, indie rock somewhere in the realm of Weezer Green-era, though perhaps that was just the singer's Rivers glasses that got me thinking that. His glasses sat upon his nose which did most of his singing, in a very distinct, minorly annoying, nasal fashion. It was definitely unique but once I got over it I was happy to report that the boys did a fine job of beating their recorded-music expectations.




The Futureheads
Celebrating a fifteen-year anniversary of their beloved self-titled debut the Sunderland quartet, that often sing a-cappella like a barbershop quartet, were playing it in its entirety on this evening. Having caught them way back in the day, originally as Franz Ferdinand openers and after that whenever they toured through Toronto, it was definitely a night rooted in nostalgia. And even though they did play through the old tunes it isn't a band strictly revelling in the glory days as they still have the musical interplay that always set them above the rest. Not to mention comical interplay too as they interluded songs with origin stories and any chance to get a lick in on each other. One such story did both in telling how The City Is Here For You To Use was about the then-sixteen year old drummer crying in a tube station in London when they first started gigging there. Another revealed that the singer used to have to write the bass parts as well since the bass player wasn't good enough yet and they remarked that one with a particuarly "fruity bass line" (their words) must have been as a punishment for pissing him off. "Here, try and learn this, ya tall c*nt." From opener Le Garage, through highlights such as Decent Days & Nights, "not every song needs to be about something" Alms, nearly instrument-free Danger of the Water, and frenetic First Day they proved that they've still got the magic. Yet it was in the closing two tracks that they absolutely won me back over. As always the split-chanting crowd gave their amazing take on Hounds of Love true glory but equally good was Man Ray to close it all down. Their quote-unquote lead singer was battling a throat infection so they rightly took a break following the album but were gracious enough to return and burn through a few more for us. Fittingly they played three highlights from the recently released Powers that you'd think they would be touring, and the material held up. I'm particularly partial to Good Night Out but Jekyll and Electric Shock were good too. As a finale they threw another classic, Beginning of the Twist, before waving us off having surely pleased longtime fans and excited those catching them for the first time alike.

Fontaines DC - Institute Nov 25, '19

Fontaines were.. rather disappointing, I have to say. Hardly any words were spoken - he might have said 'thank you' after the final song and he did grumble something about we they do encores before it but literally those were the only words (and I couldn't understand them anyway). The first half was all the shitty songs from their only album (starting with Hurricane Laughter, followed by Chequeless Reckless) which are basically one-riff on repeat and 1 line repeated over and over until line 2 which gets repeated and then back to line 1. They stood stock still except the singer who acted like a bored little boy, pacing in small circles and looking at his nails and stomping his mic stand. That was literally the "show". They did add an unreleased song in Televised Mind which was interesting for its novelty, at least.

The second half was only saved 'cuz it was better music, songs that had more than one chord each, but the on-stage was the exact fucking same. Zero interaction with us, or with each other, except when the singer cut not one but two songs from their already brief set. Following the previously mentioned new tune they were presumably going to play another new track (seeing as they played all 11 Dogrel songs) but it got axed. Then the guitar tech had already tuned them up for a track but the singer called an audible and then told us this was their last song meaning he cut another one right at the end. The whole thing came in well under an hour which if you're headlining a massively sold out gig in a decently big hall you've got to give us something more. Musically it was fine - the sound wasn't that great in this venue though. Stand-outs like Too Real, Boys in the Better Land, and closer, Big, got the crowd going and rightfully so, but to me it shouldn't have taken much given the anticipation to get people into it and yet the crowd seemed rather reserved for much of the night (from my vantage point just off the edge of the sometimes-pit.) One standout track was the slightly more nuanced Television Screen that at least showed the guys had a different gear.

I can see if they had opened for Idles and just straight rocked for 30 minutes and only played the good stuff that it would have been a great "surprise" but as headliners I'll give 'em a bit of a "fuck off". At the End of the Road festival this summer they also got a pass from me 'cuz they were in a massive fucking tent in the middle of the day and I was stuck at the back trying not to be anti-social. I just assumed that if I was up front that it would have been great but, alas, now I know my answer - No.

---
Warm Drag opened and while I only caught the final song and a half (having previewed them before arrival) I think I got the gist of it. Playing music akin to The Kills the male worked a synthesizer over a drum machine while the woman sang and shrieked into the mic. Not entirely bad it wasn't anything for me to get excited about.

Pup, Sløtface, Fresh - Academy 2 Nov 23, '19

It's no secret that I love Pup. Tracking them down whenever they come near and so I was first in line when they finally announced a proper gig in Brum. Stefan acknowledged this early on - no shit, the last (and only?) time they headlined was in the basement of The Rainbow. Anyhow that was the past and this was now and as always they were here to rev it up and so they did by launching into Morbid Stuff with as much abandon as ever. The Kids were incredibly stoked for the set as they shouted along to every lyric, even those from this year's Morbid Stuff through which the band understandably did a deep dive (considering they toured the hell out of the last two albums already). With a captive audience, Babcock took full advantage to espouse on politics, encouraging us to vote even if it sometimes seems fruitless ("we're Canadian and we adopted your shitty system so we understand" Steve added), and eliciting a Seven Nation Army "Jeremy Corbyn" chant. They also encouraged donations to their European charity Sea Watch. On other topics, Stefan admitted he likes being a shit-disturber and repeated his slagging off their first album despite receiving negative feedback for doing the same thing the previous night. He did say that there were a few tunes they still liked, presumably Dark Days and Reservoir considering their inclusion in the set. But back to the music, despite Stefan's sick throat they didn't hold back and threw in a few from The Dream is Over as well, highlighed by Familiar Patterns. Now road-worn they can really rip a set without looking too weary for the effort. This included ventures out into the constant mosh pit by Stefan and Steve while the crowd literally carried them, physically and with "backing" vocals throughout. By the time it came around to sign off, Stefan was still being purposely unlikeable and clearly voiced the band's stance on encores, even going so far as to suggest that other bands should stop doing them and encouraging us to chant "No More Songs" at future gigs. All that to say they didn't leave the stage before playing their "encore" of the still-incredible one-two punch of If this Tour Doesn't Kill You directly into DVP. If anyone in the crowd had any breath left in their lungs beforehand it was all spent by the end of this sweaty, raucous set from this band that three albums and innumerable in give no appearance of coasting in any regard yet.

Sløtface have been on my radar for a few years now and so I was really excited to catch them again. And they brought it, despite not having yet unleashed their second album. Everyone involved did their part though it is their pint-sized frontwoman who sets the scene. The crowd was appreciative to start and got more and more into it, with moshing and the like. Finally I couldn't take it anymore after one of the new singles Telepathetic rolled into Nancy Drew as I ran in to join them for the closing of the set. A perfect set-up for Pup.


Arriving partway through the set from Fresh I got a good dose of what I expected based upon their recorded stuff - decent indie rocking music with a melodic female voice atop it all. They didn't blow me away but I wouldn't shy away from them in the future either.

Pup Setlist

Morbid Stuff

Kids

My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier

Back Against the Wall

Free at Last

See You at Your Funeral

Sleep in the Heat

Dark Days

Scorpion Hill

Closure

Familiar Patterns

Reservoir

If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will

DVP

Weakend Friends - Baby G (Toronto) Nov 12, '19

Weakened Friends
It was a frigid Toronto winter evening outside but the lucky and the brave were inside the Baby G. Consisting of Sonia singing and guitar, Annie on bass and backup vocals, plus fill in drummer (Zack?) these were the Weakened Friends. Super grateful for the small gathering who had come to see them they delighted with a perfect set of punk rock. Relating with us by Sonia having grown up in an unnamed Toronto suburb ("you know where Canada's Wonderland is?") the band is now based in Portland, Maine but holds a special spot for Toronto. Having just played a warm up gig for Pup in Halifax (where those Haligonians bought up all the vinyl!) I'd have thought the city taste makers would be all over this trio but they are obviously sleeping. That's alright, I'll be the one saying "I saw them play on a Tuesday at the Baby G and it was superb.

Baby Band
Baby Band the band, playing at Baby G the bar, are still teething. Literally giggling over with enthusiasm they can't quite make up for the lack of polish. The songs were straightforward enough yet it seemed that each of the four of them was stumbling on the regular. The backup vocalist ought to stick to the fringes and the whole crew really needs to hit the rehearsal studio hard before pushing out into the real world. There are some novel ideas here, the Sad! Gay! Broke! chant intro for one song seemed to resonate with some in the room, including the headliners, but the whole set could use some work.

Owen Pallet - Longboat (Great) Hall, Toronto Nov 9, '19

Camille Elle from Army Girls took to the stage first with a couple of electric guitars for herself. At first it didn't seem all that inspired singer-songwriter but after she introduced herself and admitted to some of her anxieties leading up to the show the crowd got behind her and things improved. The start of the upswing was when she played an Army Girls song that had some more oomph, followed by a self described "It Gets Better" song addressed to her teenage-self that further endeared us to her. From there it was smooth sailing as she got stronger with her stage presence, vocals, and just the overall flow to the set.

Owen came to the stage in a long, see through black robe of sorts. While tuning up he introduced himself and warned anyone who has attended the previous night (added due to popular demand) that it would be a near identical repeat "but I'll play it better." In his charming manner he explained that it was a cohesive set, best run uninterrupted and kindly asked us to hold any clapping until he gave us the go-ahead. With a guitar strapped on his back and a violin hung from his mic stand he began as a projection faded in from black behind him. It was a new, lighter take on an In Conflict track to start us off. From there he followed with mostly new songs through the main set, much of the instrumentation coming from the guitar, although his signature violin still featured well. Overall it was a more soothing sound than his earlier frenetic Final Fantasy music, still building songs layer upon layer via his looping pedals as there were no other musicians, yet it showed a lot more restraint. The base layer of the songs was often from the guitar before adding the violin and finally that beautiful, delicate voice of his. The visuals, by a woman named Trudy, continued in their very slow panning through abandoned towns, fields, valleys, and coasts. It was all lovely though it may have been better suited for a sit-down show due to the pace and the fact that it was predominantly new material.


Later on, he did include a couple of released songs, primarily from In Conflict including an album highlight The Passions, some as originally recorded while others got a new take. Finally he broke and was washed over with applause before playing one last song - I believe this was the moment of a personal favourite, Lewis Takes Off His Shirt. Taking a small pause backstage I really wasn't sure what to expect from this evening, whether that was it, but alas he returned for a few more which helped to make up for the indulgent first half. But first he had a chat with the audience and took questions, including "when is It out?" to which Owen gave the unclear response "It. Funny thing is, it's been finished for nearly two years. I listen to it sometimes; it's really good." Another was "when are you playing Toronto again?" which was met with mock outrage "I haven't even finished this set!" There was also banter about how he lives five minutes from the Great Hall and that he actually walked over, though the question about an afterparty at his was met with a laugh "Afterparty? There will be copious amounts of herbal tea." In terms of music he introduced I Am Not Afraid as "my favourite song that I've ever written; I'm just happy I finally learned how to play it." To close it all off was the song that has had many renditions and is a live show stalwart, This is the Dream of Win and Regine, which reminded me of the amazing way Pallett's violin loops and voice can draw me in and take me on a musical wave all while stood in a darkened club. Thanks Owen, looking forward to It.

Murder Capital - Castle & Falcon Oct 12, '19

One of the hottest tickets going was this intimate venue gig nearing the end of the Murder Capital's breakout tour. Managing to snag a pair at the nth hour excitement was high in the room, and for me a chance to catch up on a clash from the End of the Road Festival at the tail end of the summer.

The openers, Happy Couple, did no favours though. While the guitarist and drummer were skilled, just having a female singer in a rock band is not enough to make you interesting. Her monotonous singing, mostly washed out anyhow, and lack of stage presence made us all anxious for it to end and get to the goods.

Murder Cap eventually came out of the dark slowly (very slowly) to rapturous applause from the surprisingly mature audience. They were very methodical in the approach to the set, taking a tact of extremely slow everything to begin with - from the one by one entrance to the music. It was a little anti-climactic in my opinion as everyone who wanted to go off was stuck plodding along. Dressed to impress the boys showed class and poise, giving much love first to each other and then to the crowd. Finally in the third song they reached a tempo that could fire up the crowd and a small mosh got going. Overall they sounded quite good, as everyone says they are set for the big time and you can both see and hear it. (Immediately following this gig they announced a new tour playing the much bigger Institute in their return in the new year.) With only 43 minutes of recorded music in their debut album they played every song and managed to draw it out to a 50 minute set which seemed acutely short after all the build up. I hoped there might be an encore - throw in a cover or a new track - but it wasn't meant to be and we filtered out. Overall it was enjoyable and the guys are worthy of the praise but I'd still like to see the next step bring them to the lofty levels of expectations that they may already be falling under.

Slowdance I

Slowdance II

On Twisted Ground

Love, Love, Love

For Everything

Green & Blue

Don’t Cling to Life

More Is Less

Feeling Fades

End of the Road 2019 - Friday - Pottery, Spiritualized +

Pottery
Kicking the festival off for me was Pottery, an all-male five-piece from Montreal (and no, I didn't go see them just because they're Canadian). With every one of them contributing on vocals I quite enjoyed their set in the Tipi Tent. Even intra-song they kept things interesting with shifting tempos and enough musical changes to keep me guessing and earn that "genre-defying" label.

Flamingods
A last-minute addition to the bill I wasn't familiar with them but had heard some applaud the announcement. Despite my open mind I couldn't really get into them as they seemed to be jam-band that just wandered rather than leading me to any musical heights. When their finale seemed to be winding down I turned to leave and did not look back when after a few moments pause they picked back up into more of the same.

Spiritualized have apparently been gazing into the galaxy for ages, as have I, and yet I've never caught a glimpse of them. Friends were pumped for this and I'll admit there were moments of grace and beauty, as J. Spaceman guided the journey via his guitar from his seated position. Across from him was a line of guitarists which layered all on top of each other. Furthermore there were three women raising their voices to the heavens while performing synchronized shimmies, and a drummer. It was quite ethereal and worked under the stars of the late summer evening. Familiar with I'm Your Man it stood out though the rest seemed to all come back around in a similar vein. The most disappointing part was that they closed on a long-winded take on a gospel song that did not pack much punch.

Someone from the Green Man Festival had post that Jockstrap was a standout for them which is why I ducked out of Spiritualized to give them a try. Wasn't worth the two minute walk over to the tent for a smorgasbord of "art" that was all a load of crap. Nobody needs a multi-minute flute solo, the very reverbed rap of the lead female singer hit no marks, meanwhile the four-piece string section went essentially untouched. The final straw was when they played for about 30 seconds before being cut out completely and returning to the flute. What a load of shite.

Spielbergs, Yr Poetry, Wood & Nails - Sunflower Sep 21/'19

S

Speilbergs were a strong musical presence, with blistering rock music coming out of their drum, bass, guitar, keys and massive hair. They weren't overly animated but sounded great, almost recreating a good chunk of their debut album This is Not the End (maybe even in order?) The biggest disappointment was that after already having their venue downgraded from the Flapper the room was only partly filled which perhaps contributed to the singer cutting a song towards the end of the set before wrapping up in under 40 minutes. In conversation he claimed to be getting over a bad cold though blaming the lacklustre music support from the Brummie indie scene on a Saturday night might still be appropriate.


Yr Poetry were not something that I thought I was going to like at first blush. Perhaps it was that they were just a guitar and drum duo and I thought the previous act, Wood & Nails, deserved the sweeter opening slot or perhaps it was the singer's voice and demeanour. However, I very quickly warmed up to them and all of those things flipped to be positives. Their songwriting was surprisingly varied despite the basic instrumentation and the guitar-neck-only playing through his pedals sounded surprisingly excellent. Apparently they were/are members of Johnny Foreigner which meant nothing to me but might to you.

Wood & Nails came out and instantly sounded like a bunch of great bands all at once, not in a generic way but a familiar way that drew me to them instantly. I tried to play spot the influences but couldn't put my finger on it.. maybe something like The Ataris? Regardless all four appeared as polished and poised musicians playing earnest indie punk rock and I loved the entire set.






Mutt were on when I got in and I quickly realized I'd seen them rather recently opening for Press Club. That time I'd given them a full chance but had found their female-fronted rock sound to be very straightforward with little to differentiate it or interest me so I bowed out after a song.

Glass Ceilings, Myriam Adams, La Dharma, Crymson - Hare & Hounds - Aug 11/'19

Glass Ceilings were a split gender four piece. The bassist was business like in her playing while the guitarist happily played his parts. I wish the singer had shown some more pizzazz or stepped up the vocals that were audible but could have used some oomph. Their music is great and I enjoyed the 8 or so song set though it didn't feel like it brought anything more than is already on record. All in all I wouldn't go out of my way to catch them again, at least not until there's new music released.

Myriam Adams - A bunch of kids but sounded pretty sharp and the music popped. Singer definitely had a presence and though I only caught the final two songs it was enough to make me wish I'd arrived earlier. For the closer they tried to get the crowd jumping and to be fair it kind of worked out, even if supplemented strongly with friends and family.

La Dharma - This four piece make some really slick, slightly synthy, pop rock with their shoegaze guitar but rock elements otherwise, stemming in part from their intense drummer. Fronted by a guy that could probably do a decent 1975 karaoke, who also tickled some keys, they went through about 7 proper tunes that everyone seemed to enjoy, in as laid back way. Highlights were Sirens and Need Me to Know You early from the EP, but their "most dance" tune, Perfume, was also a treat and Devil was a perfect way to close out. 

Crymson - Four lads playing some reasonably straightforward pop rock. Nothing super compelling recorded from what I had heard and the live show started off with me wondering if I'd be bored too. Once their gimmicky outfits - a sailor shirt and baby sailor hat, sunglasses drummer etc. wore off after 30 seconds it was time for the music to fill the room. Granted it didn't smash expectations but I didn't leave and the second last song featured some standout drumming, nicely interspersed with the guitar work. The last songwas catchy enough to get the crowd moving so they did alright. 

Press Club, Koji - Dark Horse May 3, '19

What was this gig?? A free Friday night show from one of the best up-and-coming punk bands, and they'd come all the way from Australia for it? Boy, was I happy that I caught wind of them a few days before and not afterwards or I'd have been sore.

An American fellow, Koji, opened the show by first going around the group and personally introducing himself to the small assembled crowd. It was an odd but inclusive way of doing things and his zeal shone through for the entire set. Admittedly I'm writing this months later and musically I cannot recall much about it but the vibe was wholesome and real, connections based in people and in music. When he smiled at you it was true pleasure in sharing that moment alive together.

Mutt played next and to be brutally honest it was very mundane. Nothing was particularly bad about it but it felt like they wanted their schtick of having a female singer in a rock band to carry them through. Unfortunately for me there just wasn't anything there to grab my attention.

Oh my goodness, what a set from Press Club. I mean I knew I enjoyed their music (having only discovered them that week) but I wasn't quite ready for the raw energy that erupted. The lead singer roamed the room like a ghoul - a snarling, Aussie ghoul and it was incredible how she commanded that room. Backing her up the band were tight with their aggressive punk-rock riffs rumbling the room. A highlight in a blistering set was Get Better, a tune not yet even released but with a phenomenal hook of a chorus after the chunky timing changes. The music, the energy, the swagger, the good spirits, it all added up to a stellar performance for a band on the up. How the heck was this put on for free!?

Laura Veirs - St Pauls Church - Feb 8, '19

Sam Amidon
The opener, Sam, varied his guitar playing throughout to cover a few different genres between folk, indie and traditional. Quite skilled and professional he was a match for Laura who he would have up on stage with him nearer to the end of his set. 

Laura Veirs
Laura came on to the cheers of the church crowd. Commenting on the pulpit, layered in candles, she made the space her own. Her guitar playing is understated and appears effortless even when she is bending it to her whim while mixing music from her catalogue. I'll admit I only gave her latest album a proper go based on my love for the Case/Lang/Veirs disc from a few years ago but fortunately she played a healthy selection from each of these and the other cuts were in no way lacking either. Swapping between acoustic and electric the show seemed to fly by, as we were entranced by her musical prowess. Repaying the favour she brought Sam back up on stage to join her again partway through and he stuck around for awhile. Although they were a good fit I may have preferred solo Veirs to the duo. Either way it was a beautiful show in both setting and show.

Vistas, Circa Waves - Institute - April 23, '19

Vistas
As promised the Edinburgh buzz band of the moment, Vistas, took to the stage with the 4 of them at a combined age under 70. The kids in the crowd about the same vintage were pumped up and before the end of song one were pushing back to start a pit. Perhaps not yet commanding the stage with swagger they at least looked comfortable up there and properly played their instruments to boot. The drummer seemed to be taking his job very seriously and it paid off while the singer was just as good with his electric axe as the mic, chatting Birmingham up a little too. Guitar and bass to the sides diligently did their jobs while everyone ate it up. To be honest, the first half of the set was above average but not necessarily standout, however by the time they hit their groove it got real good. Calm was the highlight for me, both recorded and live now, though Retrospect and closer, Tigerblood, were also done real well. By the time they're done with their autumn headline tour I'm sure they'll be fully set and ready to take on the world.


TNC - The Night Cafe
The four lads had the crowd pushing around from the get go, but it was one of those kind of shows as between sets felt like a club night at Snobs with the chanting along and jumping up and down. I'd be fine with it but the activity didn't match the music. It was fairly straight tempo rock, sang with a decent voice that wasn't as Liverpudlian as their banter. The singer and drummer chatted a little, mostly drumming up sales for their upcoming headline tour and merch. The penultimate song had all the womenfolk singing along "you're addicted to me" while the finale brought the tempo up slightly for people to bop around to again.


Circa Waves

This might be the type of showmanship that the guys from Vista could draw inspiration from. The four members came on stage with swagger - I mean you've got to when you have enough strobe lights to brighten a coal mine and five cannons spewing pyrotechnics meters into the air. Musically I would hope that Vistas will take their strong start and surpass the offerings from these fellas - not that CW are bad with their upbeat indie rock but there are higher heights to hit. Time Won't Change Me went over well with me, while most anything else went down with the hyperactive young crowd. I'll admit that I sheltered just under the overhang to avoid dripping beer and too much of the constant swell that consumed most of the dance floor. That wasn't even when the band tried to split the audience to have them collapse on each other as a singalong hit. The set closer was Fire that Burns, appropriately using orange strobes and a spray of sparks as background. Despite one of the quietest, most lacklustre encore breaks (grumble, grumble, entitled generation..) Circa Waves came back for a couple anyhow, of course. Sticking with the literal they played Goodbye - not sure if it's a normal phenomenon for half the crowd to get on the shoulders of the other half to sway along to this ballad. As true finale they asked the seated upper deck (of a near sellout) to stand up and singalong as they fired up the pyro again.

Rufus Wainwright - Symphony Hall - April 22, '19

Rachel Eckroth opened from behind a slew of boards. Primarily a keyboardist she also built the songs on the fly through loops, drum tracks and vocoder. Her voice wasn't bad and neither were the songs but there also wasn't much to set her apart. I ended up closing my eyes to take in a chunk of the set and it worked just swell.

Rufus Wainwright
The band assembled on stage before Rufus' silhouette, top hat and all, fell onto the giant projection that backed the stage. In a striped suit he took to centre stage surrounded by a drummer (wearing giant over-ear protection), a bass player, two keyboardists including Rachel, and an older gentleman with white hair (dyed red and black like a crow had bloodied it by diving into him) who was the musical director for the show and excellent guitarist to boot. That booming voice filled the giant symphony hall with his signature sound as they played through a good selection of songs from his debut and others from the catalogue. Between the man and the ego he bantered about all the times he'd played this room and told interesting stories about his mother Kate McGarrigle, as well as Leonard Cohen (though not before Hallelujah, I will note). A highlight had to be telling the story of playing Joni Mitchell's 75th birthday party before launching into stand-out of the night, Both Ways, which he funnily lamented he didn't actually play for her because Seal stole that honour. He sang this after removing his jacket to reveal a dazzling and sparkly sleeveless golden shirt. "Pretty good for 45," he quipped. Seemingly part of the act now Rufus gave off a holy (or holier than thou?) presence, built up by having his tech not only bring his guitars when changing but also plugging them in for him. 

Following the intermission he came back in a similar manner but with the projection, the top hat and the jacket changed. The opener of Poses was the song I was here to see more than any other and he nailed Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk. Unfortunately for me it was all kinds downhill from there as the life of the set was lost as they stuck to the Poses track list and, good as it is, I'm not intimately familiar and it stagnated. Even the ridiculously large jacket made of a million jewels which he needed help taking off and replacing with a similarly adorned black one that covered the entire piano didn't spice it up that much. Following another hour plus in the second set alone they wrapped Poses and the set opened up again. A near standing ovation greeted his first departure though not all joined in. The entire band returned for one or two, including his version of Across the Universe which awkwardly saw a handful of fans (?) standing on stage with a candle but they failed to wave it when appropriate despite Rufus' prompting. It was a nice ending, no Hallelujah, but provoked another ovation perhaps larger than the first and the grand master left for good.

SWMRS, Destroy Boys - Institute - Mar 11, 2019

SWMRS have carved out a niche for themselves in the under-18 crowd. A strong mixed-sex crowd showed up downstairs at the Institute (some lugging their parents along to stand, roped-off, at the back). From the get-go these four fellas had the crowd eating out of their hands, despite the somewhat straightforward banter although I did like after an individual cheer for each of the openers they said "and now the most important cheer... for your moms!" It was good clean fun with a giant swell of a pit going for pretty much the entire night that cleared those of us not feeling as into it to the sidelines or back beside the sound booth while the rest moshed about. Picking from only two albums the hour long set-list consisted of pretty much everything, though my favourite moment was probably the Bloc Party cover of Helicopter that really proved their chops to me in how tight they were. Earlier in the set they were not very impressive musically but it may have just been the sound, with the vocals lost deep in the mix. For the most part it was upbeat and rocking, new tracks including the title from last month's Berkeley's On Fire hit their mark, though they did mix in their brooding Miley Cyrus loving tune later on, and the chilled first album closer, Lose It. I won't pretend to know all their songs but they probably hit their high point on the third from last when I expected them to call it. Seeing as they didn't encore I could pretend that this was their set closer and the next two which didn't match quite the intensity were the encore. All in all they were pretty good but I may just leave them for the kids next time and stay home with the record.

Zuzu definitely pushed the punk out of the room with some more straightforward songs. I'm not even sure how to classify it as despite her decent vocals the music was rather blasé. Her speaking voice on the other hand.. I couldn't make sense of it. She claims to be from Liverpool but that didn't sound like any Scouse I've heard before. Is she putting it on? Am I that sheltered? 

Destroy Boys are a bunch of girls out to destroy the male dominated punk rock world. Maybe not destroy it but show that they definitely deserve their own place in it. Every one of them demonstrated their way around their instrument and as a whole they write a solid rock song. With long hair and tees they played their way through an entirely too short set and had the kids in the audience moshing along (not that this was too hard, but still). I'd keep an eye out as they seem like their just at the start of a fruitful career.

Big Character were up first once we got through the queue of teenagers out on the sidewalk. There was very little to set these guys apart from much of anything else.

Art Brut - Hare and Hounds - Feb 15, 2019

Art Brut

I knew it was going to be a good set when they opened with Formed a Band which to me is their signature sound even over a decade later. By song two Eddie Argos was already off on a tangent with a meandering story about being in the Van Gogh (which he repeatedly pronounced Van Goff, and as he is reportedly a big fan perhaps we're all saying it wrong?) museum in Amsterdam that ended with him licking a painting and being escorted from the premises through a security exit. Throughout the telling of the story he had to repeatedly ask for "Softer, Art Brut!" and I found it endearing that he referred to his band by their name all night. The story truly ended with My Little Brother which reassured me after the five minute banter after only song one that it would still be a good show. Perhaps their timing will improve as this was the kickoff show of the tour and judging by Eddie's verbosity he was obviously excited to be back out on the road. Some of these ramblings spoke of chats with his mother trying to convince them to get the new album out because 'yelling music' is back in. "'Have you heard Sleaford Mods?' Yeah, Ma. I've heard Sleaford Mods. 'Have you heard Idles?' Yes, Ma. I love Idles."

Following this they broke out a couple from the new, refreshingly strong album, Wham! Bam! Pow! Let's Rock Out! including She Kissed Me (and it felt like a hit) and I Hope You're Very Happy Together, and far as I was concerned their bases were now covered. It carried on with good humour and good music that entertained all, even my non-familiar, non-gig-going mate. Partway through Eddie asked the crowd for suggestions and once he heard what he was waiting for he said "Put away your setlists, Art Brut, we're gonna do Emily Kane!" At which point a cheeky audience member shouted out "Get over it!" much to everyone's amusement. After a few others from the inner albums that weren't too familiar to me but still sounded alright we came towards an end. With an early Friday night curfew they were aware of the time and forwent their finale for an 8-minute rendition of Modern Art that saw Eddie out in the crowd telling stories and getting laughs. Everyone seemed to be beaming on the way out as a band very much known for its yesteryear had put on a very good time today.

Luke Wright
Luke Wright burst onto the stage with energy and enthusiasm, quick to get things underway before he lost the crowd. Nearly apologising for being a spoken word artist at a music gig his wit and self-deprecating humour shone through but it was the poetry that really hit home. Modern, political (left), British and sharp he hit on the modern experience with jabs that came so quick that people were silent and straining to pick up on each one. A take-down of a British celebrity that I'm unaware of that utilised only one vowel throughout the entire piece was as ridiculous and impressive as that concept sounds. Luke confided that he had tried to open for Art Brut many years earlier and had been bottled off the stage but on this evening with perhaps a more mature crowd he had us rapt.

Exotic Pets
A local three-piece, Exotic Pets played some rocking indie music. It was rather straightforward but that wasn't a bad thing. The finale changed pace slightly but they still did not stray into overly memorable material.

The Burning Hell - Sunflower Lounge - Dec 13, 2015

Starting as the truly duet show that was advertised Mathias and his partner, Ariel, treated us to "love songs" fresh from their Don't Believe the Hyperreal album. With Mathias on acoustic and Ariel on clarinet, both lending their complementary voices, it was instantly engaging even only having heard the new songs once the night before. Following these they did break out some classic Burning Hell tunes, eschewing a set list and instead taking requests from the intimate and engaged audience. This brought a variety of songs to the stage but with a catalog like his it's hard to go wrong. Old World was played, and Amateur Rapper in finale. I hadn't shouted out during the first call but now was my chance as in the small room we cheered them back for a one song encore - "Florida!" Sure enough they complied with "possibly the first Burning Hell song" and had us sing love along. Beautiful.

Reel Big Fish, Less than Jake - Academy Birmingham - Nov 11, 2018

Suburban Legends tongue-in-cheekily introduced themselves as "The Opening Band" but in reality it seems like a role they were built to play. And that's not a knock on them but an endorsement of the kind of energy and instant likeability that they exude, enough to win over new converts in the span of a set, or even a song. They played slick punk rock with a trumpeter and tromboner running around in synchronisation for much of the set, including a mock sword fight with their instruments. The entire band got in on some of the choreography which was so cheesy it was actually rather entertaining. The surprisingly mustachioed lead singer sang clearly and was confident yet humble in his banter. Doing exactly what they were meant to do they went from being "who's this?" as we walked in the door to "well those guys were fun! Who's next?" by the end of it.

Zebrahead were another of those bands that I surely saw by happenstance opening for someone like Goldfinger back in the day. Judging by the lack of familiarity with the set it must have just been in passing. With their duo of emo singer and kinda spit-rapper, they had a unique dynamic but didn't really impress me. No dance moves. They did have a couple guys dressed as beer bottles on stage just to drink and have drinking contests with crowd members but I wouldn't say it added anything to the set. I think I walked out of it at Slam Dunk in the summer but this time around that wasn't an option. It wasn't terrible it just didn't really speak to me.

Up next were Reel Big Fish, as I guess it's a co-headlining tour where they swap closing roles. Consummate professionals after all these years, (decades would be more appropriate) they played a fun, polished set of hits and cover-hits spanning their catalogue. From the most recent 2012 release we had Everyone Else is an Asshole and then they also dug back into classics like their famous Brown-Eyed Girl cover. Speaking of, of course they did their own tunes too like Sellout, after their now ritual round of playing choruses of other people's 90's hits first - this time Smashmouth's All Star and Semisonic's Closing Time. Later during their tune that tables similar topics of being dumb but not a dweeb, Beer, they also managed to integrate Offspring's Self Esteem seamlessly. Good fun was She Has a Girlfriend Now, although really just about everything they do is fun. And after all this time if you're not having fun then what's the point? After nearly selling out the Academy it proves that there's still an appetite for ska or at least having a laugh and a skank at a show. To be honest, it probably wasn't all that different from the half-set I saw at Slam Dunk this summer or the Fireball tour from last year but if it works then tinker but don't change it!

Again I expected to know more of the Less than Jake tunes than I ended up (almost none) but it didn't really matter because they are that good and know how to put on a show. Being the night-of-the-morning-after for me I wasn't keen to mosh around and so stayed to the outside, but just skiring the edge of the shenanigans. The frontman did a few stupid things, presumably to entertain himself as much as us at this point in his career, like turning up the house lights to call a female security guard from the upper deck down to the stage (she did not oblige), attempting to vape (although he called it something much more vulgar) from someone's pen in the crowd, and even calling out a massive dude from the crowd to come on stage and proceed to just kill it by being an amazing hypeman. A bit of showmanship, a bit of interaction, a lot of solid punk rock, all added up to a good time had by all.

The Arkells, Joel Hagan and the Family - Hare & Hounds - Nov 28, 2018

The Arkells
It felt like a warm-up tour for these guys who are playing hockey arenas across their homeland in the new year. By no means is this a bad thing, especially considering this was a few hundred person capacity room at the Hare and Hounds (for a tenner.) They seemed to play a lot of the new stuff which makes sense if you wanna polish it up, but completely omitting the debut, even in encore, seemed like an oversight for those there from the start. Michigan Left was the oldest track from their catalogue all night. Max does have the showman vibe yet still manages to have a few awkward moments within, not necessarily terrible but a little distracting in telling random stories or trying to hush shrieking Canadian female fans. "Represent our country respectfully." He also tried to win us over based on geography with a call for our best English accents on Leather Jacket (uh, English people don't have English "accents") and not pronouncing the city of Birmingham properly doesn't help. Using a bunch of other modern tricks, Max went into the crowd early to sing a song while stood on a stool (say that 5 times fast!) at the back, and the whole band returned later for an "acoustic" (though more like unplugged since they were still electric instruments) version of Book Club that was an unscripted request while the drummer tended to a broken snare with duct tape. There was, of course, some clap- and sing-alongs, as their brand of stadium rock is wont to have, and the crowd happily obliged on these. Now a staple of Foo Fighters shows, the boys asked for anyone who played guitar to stick up their hands. It wasn't exactly a stampede to get on stage but one woman did put her hand up and once she told them she didn't need their stinking guitar picks - she used her fingers - she played the part rather well, literally and figuratively. People's Champ was alright and a sign of where they have gone as a band with the chant-along accessibility and polished soar. They played a solid hour and some before faking the encore "we don't have anywhere to go" and bringing most of opener, Hagen and the Family, back onstage, minus Wonder Woman. They did a fan-voted cover "Theresa May stole it from Abba and we're stealing it back!" (I will put on record that I voted for Whitney.) The rendition was a bit of a hot mess, with Hagan forgetting some of the lyrics and everyone else trying to share mics, but it seemed joyous. After booting those guys back out I thought we might get John Lennon, alas it wasn't meant to be and I don't even recall at the moment the closer that took them minutes past curfew.

Joel Hagan and The Family

This was the only time I've ever queued at the Hare and Hounds at all, let alone down the stairs, out the door, and into the street. There must have been some anticipation for the openers, Joel Hagan and the Family, despite it not even being a fully sold out gig. The glitter on the faces of a large smattering of people stood in front of me was explained when this five-piece, all-male band took the stage with a bedazzled, glam rock singer plus a couple of female backup singers and dancers that were distractingly placed right at the front and ran around fake fawning and performing terribly choreographed dances. The crowd, old/young/male/female alike, ate it up and cheered and clapped along but my black heart remained stoic to this bashing over the head. The music was as you are imagining - upbeat, keyboard-heavy, with obvious electric guitar and bass solos. Joel did have a strong singing voice even if he dressed and spoke like a posh pirate. not too far off Johnny Depp who I channelled Keith Richards, but this seemed exactly like I wrote it - an homage to an homage.

The Burning Hell - Sunflower Lounge - Nov 29, 2018

The Burning Hell played a short but thoroughly enjoyable set at the Sunflower, although I tend to feel that way about many of the bands that I cherish, especially in great venues. As only a three piece, Mathias on guitar, of course, with Ariel drumming, bass-clarineting, and singing too naturally, plus Darryn Brown on bass and mandolin. It's the songwriting that sets this bands apart however, so although it was pared down the bright side is it gave more room to the stories in the lyrics. Mathias chatted a little with the crowd, primarily urging us to give generously to Parkinson's UK for whom the evening was a fundraiser. He did reveal that he'd received many requests for the evening and despite lots of them having fallen out of their repertoire they did their best to oblige. Opening with The Stranger from 2016's Public Library, with its excellent plot twist, they also did The Things People Make, Part 2 by request, which went down well. An interesting choice was the extended story of Barbarians, even with the passage of time being sped along by Kom unwinding his first string to strum it signifying as much. It also medleyed in some Rage Against the Machine before merging directly into a cover of Dolly Parton's 9-5. To exhibit that Mathias still has it he spit Amateur Rapper with the hilarious "whip out my diction" line. Ariel also got to give us a vocal performance too by singing a solo song and then a duet with Mathias in their also-requested finale of Baby closer, Everything Will Probably Be Okay. An encore would have been nice as there's always more songs to choose from but I believe the full room was happy with all that they did get.

Nine Dart Finish were the middle openers (we missed the bottom bill band) and did a hearty job of rocking us. Three down-to-earth Birmingham blokes who were happy to be playing for us as they admitted they'd be playing in their gardens anyhow, oddly saying "naked" in unison. Mind you. they did take full advantage of the slot given them, playing at least a dozen songs rooted in rock, pop and punk without too much individualisation.

Metric - Institute 2 - Nov 17, 2018

For some reason I expected this to be upstairs in the big room at the Institute, perhaps because it had sold out so far in advance. That said, I prefer a smaller gig most times so was excited to see them in this intimate setting, having only caught them from the other main stage at Riot Fest, Toronto a few years back, that I can recall. Expecting the room to go nuts on Emily's appearance it was a polite, if subdued reaction. Speaking of her appearance, she had a blonde bob and a semi-revealing belly top on which comes into play later. Even after a few tracks the audience didn't seem to be giving them much to work off, although the setlist of primarily new stuff off the top could be at least partially to blame. Em even called it out herself in asking if we were with her and saying we were kind of just staring at them expectantly (besides this one tall dude who kept taking his ball cap off and repeatedly doffing it at her, even after she acknowledged it, to the point of her saying "yes, I see you.") Early in the set was Youth Without Youth which was alright and new tunes like Risk and Love You Back. I quite like the new album so I wasn't complaining, especially with personal highlight Dressed to Suppress. Thankfully they forgot about the bomb that was Pagans in Vegas and nearly skipped it completely (though I wouldn't have minded The Shade.) Jimmy was in fine form, taking a few solos but nothing outlandish. After Now or Never Now there was time for a little monologue from the leading lady. Things were said about being a professional, at which point she turned around, pointed at her bare lower back and joked about getting "Professionalism" tattooed across it. However, that wasn't the weirdest bit as she just kinda kept going and rambling about how when she wrote Gimme Sympathy she was about the same as now "but probably tripping and a little meaner" or something to that effect. Then she began espousing about how a concert is meant to be an escape from the real world but broke that whole vibe by complaining about the real world politics.. "and I can't even imagine what you guys must be feeling, with the future of your country and all" she rambled, at this point to audible grumbling and groans from the crowd. She took the point and got on with the song finally. Whether that diatribe woke us up or the likeability of the songs in the latter half perked up that much I can't be certain, but things definitely flowed much better. Hell, after Sick Muse not too long later, I thought they could easily walk out on a high, albeit early. However they stayed and I was glad they did with Monster Hospital and then Em grabbing a guitar for Gold, Guns, Girls though Jimmy stole the show with his work on that particular one. Coming fast and furious for the encore they did the obligatory Dark Saturday on an actual Saturday night, followed by Combat Baby that was probably the precipice for me but still jammed Dead Disco too. As a finale, with the crowd properly fired up and shouting for more, she introduced Help, I'm Alive and they tore it down to close out. Coming at this show as a cherry picking casual fan who really liked the most recent release I could have been happy by dropping all but the new tunes from the early part of the set but down the stretch and the encore they showed the power of what has gotten them to where they are, and some staying power to boot.


The opener from Vienna, whose name escape me, had some earnest singer songwriter tunes though his personality was better than his music overall. He personally handed out free download links to some B sides but I can't say I'm going to load them.

Slam Dunk Festival Midlands - May 28, 2018

Templeton Pek
These three gents told the tale of the tough go they have had after their manager ran off with all their money and yet they are still at it. The only band on the lineup properly from Brum - rehearsing in the Jewellery Quarter no less - they did a decent job of representing to a sparse, early-afternoon crowd out in the open air. Playing straight ahead punk rock they were solid.

Woes
Only managed to catch the last song Never Change, the group had a couple youthful singers bringing out the energy their pop punk. Keep it up!

As December Falls
Out on one of the up and coming small stages, this female-fronted five piece stayed on the rock side of punk and did an alright job of it, without breaking much new ground. The guitarist with the dazzling white axe on backing vocals stood out as doing a better than average job.

Guttermouth
It has been a long, long time since I used to listen to the aptly named Guttermouth on my discman in high school and I’ve done a lot of growing up since then. The singer of this band has not. Well, besides judging by the look of him, in which case he has aged significantly. This may be why he’s the only (barely) standing original member unless the others have somehow taken an age-defying elixir. Appearances aside, there was more quote-unquote "banter" in this set than actual music - and definitely more laughter than intelligible lyrics from the ringleader. Before even singing a note he was going around the crowd and taking the piss out of everyone and everything that he saw. Then once the band kicked in this commentating just continued, as he’d mumble some of the lyrics and then either break off into titters on his own, pointing at anything walking by or trying to have an interaction mid-song. It got old fast. It was borderline funny from time to time but mostly just inane, and besides, this was a concert not an amateur comedy night. On top of that, they didn’t come prepared and so were inefficiently choosing songs on the go, either out of the air or from crowd suggestions. This meant we didn’t get much - Destroying the World and Slam were some slurred highlights, if you can call them that. At one point the singer declared they’d sing Lucky the Donkey twice in a row. And after 4 minutes of its juvenile and crass lyrics it ended and there was some silence. They looked at the drummer who was looking back at them expectantly for direction when they said “Lucky.” He responded with “I thought you were kidding...” and when they assured him they were indeed going to waste another few minutes of this half-hour set on it, he went ahead. Maybe my opinion was further soured by being singled out soon after this for standing near the front with my hands in my pockets. “What - this isn’t forwarding your liberal agenda?!” the singer jabbed at me before essentially telling my to lighten up. “We just sang about my mother fucking a donkey!” he continued, to which I retorted “Yeah, twice” and walked out. (Or at least wished that I’d been that quick.) Don’t meet your quote-unquote heroes, kids.

The Audition
I’ve never been an Audition fan but decided I'd give them a check. They were playing some slick rock, fronted by a very earnest, long-haired singer. Apparently they’ve been away for awhile and at least the front man was very happy to have the opportunity to strut in front of a few hundred people, sometimes pandering to us but seeming to be keeping the good times going. Can’t say I’m converted but it wasn’t bad.

Four Years Strong
Four beards strong were Four Years Strong. With a couple of different singers they played good guitar rock, at times reminding me of Rise Against. Later in the day two of the members played a separate acoustic set of which I caught a couple tunes which goes to show I was well enough impressed. The acoustic were from their recent acoustic release aptly titled something like “Some of you will like this, some of you won’t.”

Save Ferris
A group that I’ve been aware of forever, likely because of the obvious Ferris Bueller reference, but have never caught or properly listened to. This was my chance and it started with all the right elements - a punk rock band with a proper ska section and a mature female lead who gave us something to look at. The tunes were fine, not super high-energy ska but some middle of the road stuff, and the crowd liked it well enough. It was the singer though that started to grate on me with her over-the-top flaunting of her sexuality, giving it more of a burlesque feel than a punk rock show. I don’t like to think of myself as a prude but after the third costume change, which came across more like a strip tease each time, and gratuitous ass-shaking I couldn’t take it anymore and left.

Creeper
Joining this set partway through there was a woman playing acoustically by herself before trading off to a male who started another song before all six of the band members came back in. The final song, Misery, seemed like it had the structure for greatness with the opening solitary guitar but the singer spoiled it by barely singing at all and leaving it on the late afternoon crowd to carry it. As a not-yet fan I’d have been more won over if he’d actually pulled it off instead of shirking it off.

Capdown
Capdown had the odd juxtaposition of screamo and ska. It was exactly what I was expecting though. Judging by the crowd that these guys have built up over the apparently many, many years it was what the crowd wanted too. Utilising the trumpet to add the brass element from time to time, the singer would usually be screaming if not playing it. They weren’t bad but again I was listless and strayed before they finished.

Twin Atlantic
Here are my notes “standard rock group. sounded alright”

ROAM
Only catching the end of their set it was what you’d expect from the youth at a punk rock festival and gives hope for the future.

Zebrahead
I’m sure I’ve caught these guys in decades past opening for the likes of Goldfinger and yet never got much into their catalog. This day they were pretty silly - first coming out with two guys dressed as beer bottles who mostly just drank, danced and then had a weak chugging contest. The music was throwaway so when they started “celebrating” the royal wedding by bringing out Meghan and Harry for surely some other immature gag I hightailed it.

Sleeping with Sirens
SwS were the best set of the day to this point - a sentiment overheard as the lights came up that I could wholly agree with. They just were tight when needing to be, played really well musically and made it enjoyable so that the crowd got into it with a big circle pit. At times sounding like Coheed and Cambria, I was very impressed and will keep my eyes open for another shot.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
After a day that had been marked by decent-to-disappointing, Frank was a breath of fresh air - no, a true shot in the arm to get the evening portion going. Dressed like a tool in his massive leopard fur I thought he was going to be an absolute lad, and yet the things that he said and the way that he lead the set were anything but. He commanded us from start to finish but did so in a way that endeared us to him. Whether he was stood atop the crowd singing, moshing with the mic, or running out into the centre of us to direct first the biggest mosh pit (not quite around the sound booth cuz that was WAY at the back) we ran lengths for him. Well, at lease until the first dickass stopped moshing and started trying to take a selfie and then the circle pit chaos turned into touch-the-singer chaos to which he shouted my favourite quote of the night “Stop touching me fuken head; I’m not a leprechaun!” His music with The Rattlesnakes is some loud rock that isn’t extraordinary in any certain way but the energy that they bring to the set really is. The guitarist also took a turn standing on the crowd and playing a solo. Frank dedicated one song to the women and invited only them to crowd surf if they wanted to, especially if they’d ever wanted to but were too nervous and he promised that the men would treat them with respect “not because they could be your mother, sister, niece or cousin but because they are your equal.” I don’t think I stopped putting women up for the full song. On another he spoke of mental health. Overall it was a solid set where not only did we have the biggest circle pit but also the most circle pits. You try not having fun with thousands of like-minded people all running in tight circles around each other with reckless abandon.

Trash Boat
I'd caught these guys opening for Seaway a year or two back and if anything they’ve gotten even better. Only got to see one tune at the end of their set this time around but it was a very good one. This back Signature Brew stage seemed to be doing the trick by churning out these young punks.

Goldfinger
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen Goldfinger but it had been awhile and in this interim an apparent rift has left Feldman standing alone with a mix'n'match backing band from the old punk world. Bass now covered by a guy from MXPX, while guitar is from Story of the Year, and apparently the drummer from Atreyu learned the entire set in a day and a half for this gig. I decided to get over my feelings of betrayal to Darryn Pfeiffer and the rest and enjoy myself. They actually played a new song, Million Miles, early in the set and it went over well but also included plenty of “classic” GF, even having the brass from Reel Big Fish. “Those guys played my wedding twenty years ago!..I’m old!” recalled Feldman. Of course they did Superman so everyone could skank to their fave Tony Hawk jam, Wake Up - a song that helped me go veg, and he even played the first half of Fuck Ted Nugent solo as a lead up to an obvious and almost obligatory “Fuck Donald Trump.” Not planning to stay through to the end, there I was hearing the opening of 99 Red Balloons anyhow. Good fun all around even with the replacement cast - including a German speaker who sang the classic Nina verse on the finale.

Taking Back Sunday
In leading up to this fest I’d really been digging back into TBS yet the unexpected full set from Goldfinger plus the massive hike from one end of the NEC to the other only allowed me to catch two and a half songs. On the bright side one of those was in my top two requests - Cute without the E (Cut from the Team). The finale was not my other request but their hit from their next album chronologically. It was pretty good too. And I tell ya, they were really solid and I would have enjoyed the set I’m sure but you can’t win all the clashes.

Reel Big Fish
Somebody said Reel Big Fish had to be the most entertaining band going and I say, they do not disappoint. Not only is there the music, but the comedic banter, and the combination of both in the hilarious lyrics such as on Everyone Else is an Asshole. Naturally this was a newer tune but they knew to pull back I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend, and their classic cover of the classic tune Brown Eyed Girl. They’d joked earlier asking why there were so many of us there in the crowd. “You do know Jimmy Eat World are playing in the arena just over there? Good Charlotte are playing The Anthem right now, probably” at which point the brass section filed out to go watch. Jokes aside I did nip out early as I’d seen them play last year and a few times before that, but had never seen the two aforementioned bands.

Good Charlotte
I cheated and checked the set lists from the previous days of the festival to try and come up with my attack plan for splitting Good Charlotte and Jimmy Eat World, who were playing at exactly the same time in two rather different places. In the end I had to pass up a couple JEW bangers to just get a taste of GC. I think it was worth it to see Benji and the boys burst on stage to confetti cannons and pyro blasts for The Anthem. I was halfway back of the arena in order to duck out the side door but I liked what I saw, though probably would have tired of it before they reached Boys and Girls 90 minutes later. I heard he jabbered through a lot of the set anyhow. So off I went.

Jimmy Eat World
This band got a lot of backlash back in the day, I assume simply because they were super popular and this was high school. Because really they’re a good rock band that know how to write a song. Much less pomp and circumstance than GC, they used their instruments to entertain. To be honest, I knew only about half the songs while I may have heard the rest in passing but it didn’t so much matter. The other guitarist took the reigns for Blister and did a swell job of it. Futures was excellent and I had forgotten just how nifty that riff on Sweetness is. Even without checking set lists I could have told you The Middle would shut it all down and I ran to the train-replacement-bus floating on nostalgia.

The Streets - Academy Birmingham - Apr 19, 2018

The Streets

The build-up on this one was immense. After announcing the end of The Streets some six years ago Mike Skinner decided to dust off the mic and do a short string of gigs, promising to bring the party with "all the old shit." Opinion varies on whether this is a cash grab or a valid calim that he really missed the road but does it really matter? Tix went in a flash and were selling for five times on the resale market (Yeah, in excess of £200 a piece. And plenty of stories of overpriced tix ending up being fake. Fucking scam artists and scalpers make me sick..) Having signed up to all the lists and alerts a miracle happened a couple weeks before the show as a new block were released from the actual retailer for face value - jumped all over that. The Streets return in Skinner’s hometown? I do think so.

With electricity in the air all day online and in the city, the venue was actually a bit oppressive - there were a lot of lads and football chants and jostling before the lights were even lowered. The opener was pretty mediocre - hip hop sets can really be bad when it’s just a guy who can’t even spit his own raps live - however when the main event came on things took a massive turn towards stellar. Right away Mike was right out at the edge of the stage, soaking it up and the crowd surged towards him to catch a spot of his charisma. On looks alone there’s not much to say, a little lad with sweat pants and a football tee but he’s written some hits and perhaps more importantly has produced some true bangers. The full live backing band filled the room with energy and as promised, he played the hits, and showcased some friends along the way. He didn’t exactly take the lad mentality out of the room, even starting up some opposing football chants but he also was a showman. He kept asking crowd surfers how the waves were and promising to take a ride soon. In the crowd itself I think the entire Academy floor was a mosh. I started near the front on the left and at one point was almost to the back at the right, and hopped my way everywhere in between. Things were surprisingly friendly as everyone was just so bloody excited for these songs. We barked along to the lyrics and pumped our fists. It was honestly a bit berserk at times and I felt proud of my adopted town of Brum to represent so well.

Near the end Mike detailed his plan to us a dozen times or more - we were gonna split down the middle, he’d run to the back and then surf back up to the stage. A few hardcore fans tried to make way for him early but everyone else was doing their thing and kept crushing it back in. About the same happened when he finally hit the floor, the narrow passage opened for about four tenths of a second as he started down the middle and then everyone realised they could touch a piece and pushed in toward him. About 2/3 of the way to the back he gave up and motioned to put him up. Thousands of people collectively held aloft their hometown hero until they collapsed on themselves as the excitement tipped a massive wave of the crowd over; M.S. on top. Dusting themselves off Mike finally got back onto the stage with a bit of a “what the fuck is wrong with you guys?!” in the best way look. The encore was basically insanity as there were guests, rapid fire beats, singalongs and a massive outpouring of love. More than I actually could have hoped for. Walking back across the pagoda subway drenched in sweat - some of it my own - under the Radisson Blue, past new Snobs, and around New Street station it made me truly proud to be a Brummie.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! with Murray Lightburn - Hare & Hounds - Oct 24, 2018

Murray Lightburn
Opening was Lightburn of The Dears with just his acoustic guitar. To be perfectly honest I was a casual Dears fan at best, really liking the odd track and trying to get into them but not being able to otherwise. However this guy, stripped back, was strong. He admitted that he doesn't find his own guitar playing particularly good just functional enough to allow his songwriting and, most importantly, that excellent voice of his to be heard. It was like warm honey in the ears (that's a compliment). Playing mostly new tracks from the record he was plugging that he whined a few times wouldn't be out until the new year despite being done already because of the music industry, he did impress and fortunately the crowd paid him mind. Unassuming and appreciative of us it was an excellent display and I wish him the best and will keep an eye out for that album whenever it does drop.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!
My partner was bugging me to go to this even before it was rescheduled and I wasn't opposed so off we went. Besides that, I really enjoyed The Tourist from last year (2017). It's interesting how a band goes from the hottest tip, with all the fallout of a perfect Pitchfork review, to playing to partly full small rooms in Kings Heath on a weeknight in a decade. In fact, a few years more than a decade since this was the ten year anniversary of their second record, Some Loud Thunder, which they were playing in full. To be honest, it's not all that strong and doesn't deserve the full-play treatment, though I could see it being afforded to the 10/10 (rated) self-titled debut. Anyhow we slogged through with only a couple of highlights like Satan Said Dance before they could actually open the set up. The singer, I'm pretty sure the only remaining original member but the owner of that signature nasal voice, was in a tattered suit, ugly shoes and a poorboy cap, while his band-for-hire mates were dressed normally and probably that decade younger than him (or perhaps the fame has been particularly hard on him?) There still weren't a lot of hits per se, but a group of girls nagged about Yellow Country Teeth until he finally relented/it came up in the setlist, and they came to the front to sing drunkenly before finally returning into the ether. I believe there was an encore but it didn't provide much more to get super excited about. With the first and last albums being head and shoulders above the rest, in this blogger's humble opinion, they were not paid nearly enough attention. So though the band were completely able and actually sounded pretty good the gig didn't leave a big impression overall. I should have spent the months between rescheduling listening up to the second disc I suppose.

Top Ten 2018 - Year in Review

1. Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
A triumph from front to back, this album is melodic and driving. The piano and spoken word opener may lull you in but even when unleashing the guttural screams it still washes down smoothly with stellar guitar work and pounding drums.

2. Tune-yards - I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
What a vocal performance this is! It makes you want to sing along as best as you can to every song. I may be new to Tune-yards but this record has made a convert out of me.

3. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
What a strong, confident, and important album that Janelle had made this year. The fact that it's infinitely repeatable and danceable push it's reach to the masses.

4. Donovan Woods - Both Ways
What else can I say about this songwriter that I haven't already lauded upon him in previous years? Well Donnie has done it once again with a collection of stories that draw you in and grab you by the heart, one way or another. There are a dozen journeys taken in each listen, including Next Year - oof, and all to the tune of his excellent folk rock voice and guitar lines.

5. Lowell - Lone Wolf
Lowell has made a confident, powerful, and slick record in Lone Wolf. Plenty of hooks, a few tunes to dance to, and lots of alt-pop goodness on each track. I feel like there's an audience for this album.

6. Sandro Perri - In Another Life
On paper this album would not be something that I would be interested in: a 24 minute song followed by Everybody's Paris Parts 1-3 and that's it - 4 songs, 43 minutes. And yet it is so relaxing, drawing the listener in through repetition with variation, that it just takes me away every time I put it on.

7. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
Admittedly I was very excited for this release after Young Fathers topped my 2015 List and it was beloved throughout this year. Slightly more polished production than their earlier outputs they maintain their independent and eclectic styling throughout. Perhaps missing a couple more danceable bangers it is still an excellent disc.

8. The Wonder Years - Sister Cities
First coming across this band as Pup was opening for them across the UK, I didn't mind at all what I heard. However this album seems to be The Wonder Years at the top of their game. Rocking, emo, and thoughtful (for fans of Brand New but without the guilt) this is a great album all the way through.

9. Superorganism - Superorganism
Don't fear the collective. Putting hordes of musicians in a studio to throw it all at the wall can payoff in dynamic pop such as this. With all kinds of sounds used as instruments it is a fresh and fun debut, all under this exciting new female voice. Short and saccharine; listen to it twice. 

10. Joey Purp - Quarterthing
Such promise from his iiiDrops EP that this debut has bated much breath and - hallelujah - it was worth every moment. Swagger over beats, often skewering the hip hop tropes for a modern and forward view. Deserves a sub-woofer and a dancefloor.

Dan Mangan - More or Less

What a comeback for my beloved, gruff-voiced, singer-songwriter. Not to slight the Blacksmith album but this sees Dan shed the band and return to his roots. It's what made him famous for good reason.

Dream Wife - Dream Wife

Yes, Dream Wife. Do what you're doing. This growling punk rock from a charismatic feminist serves 2018 perfectly. 

Idles - Joy As An Act Of Resistance

In quick succession on the back of last year's Brutalism, in a year that has seen their following explode. I would have waited another month or two to upgrade the odd throwaway on here but still plenty of brilliance. And with another record already written they may just be back on here next year for a third year running. 

Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

This album is strange and challenging at times which is actually where it succeeds. The more straightforward back half tends to lose my attention, keeping it out of The Ten.

Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears

A fun, new band with an in your face album that will rattle you onto the dance floor. Standout vocals too, all interestingly mixed together, if only it maintained the gas throughout.

Frank Turner - Be More Kind
This troubadour has done what he's always done, taken on this world with a guitar and a smile. The politics of the day are obviously top of mind for Frank but he doesn't want his audience to be held back by it as he encourages, Be More Kind.