SOUTH COAST SPECIAL EDITION The Post Tribal Bible Special Edition / May 2013 / FREE
SPECTRAL PARK
WELCOME Hello and welcome to the south coast special edition of Audio Addict! For this one off southern extravaganza we have scoured the sea-side lands to bring you the newest and best in music news. Inside the issue you will find a comprehensive guide to the best festivals the south has to offer, as well as a look into the great coast’s most notable subcultures and scenes. We also caught up with Brighton’s Hot Glass and Bournemouth’s Yoofs to ask them just exactly why their city rocks as they take us on a personal tour of their hometowns to show us some of the most important locations of their city. If that wasn’t enough we’ve also delved into finding some of the greatest acts that have ever emerged from the south, past and present, and had a look in the dying breed of small pub venues, focussing primarily on Southampton’s legendary Joiners Arms. Remember to check out the Audio Addict website for more Q&A’s, features, reviews and news: www.audio-addict.co.uk Enjoy! Piers Le Moignan, Editor Editorial team Piers Le Moignan - Editor Adam Bouteloup - Features George Percival - Reviews Aidan Ducker - Design Twitter @ AudioAddictMag
Audio Addict magazine and blog are produced by students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism course at Southampton Solent University. The views expressed in the magazine and blog are the students’ and contributors for which the University and its staff can not be held responsible.
Audio-Addict.co.uk
Contributors
To advertise or for press enquiries contact us at: AudioAddictEditors@hotmail.com
Piers Le Moignan//Adam Bouteloup//George Percival//Aidan Ducker//Will Keenan//Joe Madden//Indie Shaw//Rory Gilbert
CONTENTS PAGE SIX
We talk to Luke Donovan, the man behind Southampton’s own psychedelic 60’s throwback Spectral Park
PAGE EIGHT
Audio Addict takes a tour around the hometowns of some of the south coast’s best bands to find out why their city rocks!
PAGE ELEVEN
Audio Addict’s guide to the south coast’s best summer festivals
PAGE SIXTEEN
Audio Addict looks at the most famous albums to come from the south coast, past and present
PAGE EIGHTEEN
is the UK’s toilet venue under crisis? Audio Addict investigates
NEWS
DIZZEE RASCAL ANNOUNCES FIFTH ALBUM AND UNVEILS NEW TRACK
TYLER, THE CREATOR’S UNDERGROUND CLUB CONTROVERSIAL MOUNTAIN CABLE FORCED TO CLOSE DEW ADVERT PULLED ITS DOORS
Dizzee Rascal has posted the first track from his forthcoming album The Fifth online; ‘H Town’ features rappers Bun-B and Trae The Truth. Produced by A-Trak, it first debuted on Dizzee’s Dirtee TV Vol.2 mixtape earlier this year, ‘H Town’ will be officially released on iTunes on May 5th
Tyler, The Creator of Odd Future notoriety has had his new commercial for Mountain Dew pulled from air after receiving complaints for perpetuating racial stereotypes and belittling violence against women.
The advert features a badly beaten woman looking at a police line-up when a talking Dizzee said of the track: “The goat in the line-up starts collaboration for this song intimidating the woman, started with Bun, I came to shouting “Snitches Get Stitches” Houston and had a good time and it stuck with me, I was doing and “Keep ya mouth shut.” The woman eventually runs away a mixtape at the time and I screaming, “I can’t do this!” ended up writing about it and recorded it, I sent it to Bun and the ‘do’ being the supposed he got on it straight away. When reference to the company’s new slogan, ‘Dew It’. I came to Atlanta to record the album I saw Trae in the studio and we decided to do the video.” Tyler and a spokeswoman for Mountain Dew’s parent company PepsiCo both issued The Fifth is due to be released apologies and pulled the advert this summer. after learning people found it offensive. Tyler, The Creator released his latest album Wolf last month.
The London underground club Cable has been shut down. Cable has officially closed its doors with immediate effect due to Network Rail’s redevelopment of London Bridge Station. In a statement released on May 1st, Cable explained how they have been forced to close after two years of legal battles with Network Rail; the venue’s closure has left 70 without jobs. This is devastating for the clubbing community as a whole. Cable delivered talent from all over the world, keeping the SE1 rave scene current and producing different styles of music. The Cable team have assured that ticket holders for future events at the club are not to worry as further information regarding refunds will be released soon.
FREE GIG TICKETS IN EXCHANGE FOR SOCIAL ACTIVISM
NYC PLAYGROUND TO BE NAMED AFTER BEASTIE BOYS’ MCA
KRISS KROSS MEMBER CHRIS ‘MAC DADDY’ KELLY DIES AGED 34
Last year’s Global Citizen Festival was just the starting point for Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis and humanitarian Hugh Evans. Featuring performances from The Black Keys, Neil Young and Foo Fighters, the event raised a massive $1.3 billion.
Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn’s Heights area is set to be renamed the ‘Adam Yauch Playground’ after deceased Beastie Boys member Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, who died last year after a three-year battle with salivary gland cancer.
Chris Kelly, who found chart success as one half of hiphop duo Kriss Kross was pronounced dead at an Atlanta medical centre after being found unresponsive at his home earlier in the day.
During the event’s planning, Curtis and Evans came up with the concept of The Global Citizen Tickets Initiative, their goal is to raise awareness about global poverty, hoping to inspire people to take action. The idea has had promising response; big name acts such as Kings of Leon, The Vaccines and Foo Fighters are just a few of the artists getting involved, all acts are donating two tickets for each gig they play over the next three years to people who can ‘earn points’ by signing petitions, writing to politicians and raising money for charity.
A ceremony for the re-naming is taking place on May 3rd, just a day after the anniversary of the musician’s death. The two remaining Beastie Boys, Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond are expected to be in attendance along with the Brooklyn borough’s president who has stated that he is huge Beastie Boys fan and that the renaming is a “great testament to a great leader and musician.” The group’s seminal album Licensed To Ill would go on to be the first ever rap album to go to No.1 on the Billboard album chart.
The group, who spearheaded the short lived ‘backwardspants’ trend of the 90’s were best known for their 1992 hit ‘Jump.’ Although the cause of Kelly’s death is unconfirmed, Cpl. Kay Lester, a spokesperson for Fulton County police stated “It may be from a possible drugs overdose.” A joint statement by Kelly’s label So So Def as well as Kelly’s mother reads; “Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music.”
Audio-Addict.co.uk 5
SPECTRAL PARK
E
merging from the post-industrial port city of Southampton, Spectral Park is one man with an unflinching love of both sixties and contemporary psychedelia, married to a keen ear for skewed sixties pop hooks. His music exists in a kaleidoscopic utopia of hyperactive samples and infinite quantities of cavernous reverb that transcends eras and styles. His debut self-titled record has been almost unanimously feted as a unique, and often bewildering piece of work with hipster Bible Pitchfork declaring it a “wild ride” that “teeters on the edge of chaos.” Emerging from a Southampton scene where he claims “everyone’s friends and there are very few egos,” Spectral Park has been steadily gaining an underground following despite a lack of live shows to support the record. An accidental discovery lies at the heart of Spectral Park, aka Luke Donovan’s psych-pop excursions. Upon finding a box of battered LP’s that spanned some forty to fifty years of music Donovan began chopping warping and rearranging, adding strange and often otherworldly sounds to songs that he had already been working on. Despite this potentially game changing discovery, Donovan insists that the difference between the record he envisioned and that which emerged with the inclusion of his contorted LP samples is less substantial than most people would think, even going on to admit that “its make-up would have been less scattershot.” Despite Donovan’s hectic music, his output seems almost logical when you consider his influences and his production ethics. Psych-minded bands such as 13th Floor Elevators and Love sit alongside MGMT and Of Montreal whose ‘cut and paste’ ethos he most admires. “It’s just a pile of stuff I like, recorded on cheap gear” he iterates. His lo-fi approach may bamboozle some listeners when you consider the sheer amount of nuances and instrumentation that occur in his songs at any one time, but he sees the merits such a production approach brings, “I like records that un-veil new things the more you listen to them.” Donovan however, is well aware that many people may see his technique as a detractive factor; “maybe with so much going on and the production being so lo-fi it’s not the easiest ride to finish or return to,” He admits he was taken aback by the reaction his record garnered online before being picked up by respected independent label Mexican Summer.
triumph. The birth of Donovan’s daughter in early 2012 and complications after the birth meant that Spectral Park was in doubt of ever becoming a realization of Donovan’s musical vision; “I couldn’t really think about music for a lot of last year so everything has kind of happened backwards.” Thankfully, Donovan’s daughter is now doing great and he can once again turn some of his attention towards his obvious talents as producer and musician.
“I couldn’t really think about music for a lot of last year” The second Spectral Park record is nearly ready to be put to tape and although he has recently enrolled the assistance of a troupe of musicians to make Spectral Park a ‘proper’ live band, the yet-to-be-titled album remains solely Donovan’s project so as to avoid complication. His farsightedness extends as far as a third album, which he insists will come to fruition as a collaborative project between himself and his new bandmates. As for his unique approach to production, the lo-fi aspect will be toned down in what he describes as a “less chaotic frenzy of snatched moments.”The songwriting approach has also undergone a drastic turnaround; “A lot of the first record was songs built around experimenting, whereas the second record is more experimenting built around songs.” Despite an unorthodox introduction to the music world, Spectral Park’s psychedelic genius is certain to gain him a huge cult following from the underground music sphere, even if his music is dismissed as “balderdash” by a few dim-witted bloggers. George Percival
The fact the record even emerged into the public at all is a
Audio-Addict.co.uk 7
T
WHY MY CITY ROCKS! PORTSMOUTH with LUKE FERRE
he south coast of England is a concrete starting ground for young talented musicians to kick-start their music career. The delicate city of Portsmouth has a thriving music scene with plenty young musicians finding their feet in the city. With a large student population and various bars and clubs, this city has a selection of successful music venues where artists are gaining high recognition throughout their local area. Luke Ferre, a young singer/songwriter from the city, is an inspiration to young musicians. A successful performer who began his career in Portsmouth is growing in popularity and impressing the people who matter the most. #1 The Cellars The cellars is a popular music venue in the city, an intimate music and comedy venue with a programmed to suit all performers and their audiences; from the novice to the signed artist. A place which Luke refers to as his “second home - I’ve played there more times than I can count, I love everything about the place”. This venue has been a huge influence to the artist, and one in which Luke enjoys playing in the most. A key venue in his fresh music career. #2 The Kings Theatre “The Kings Theatre, an elegant Edwardian playhouse in Southsea is another significant venue for the artist. The elegant space linked in with it’s old Shakespearian design, help the artist to feel more professional when he performs. One memorable moment for Luke was when he played to an 800 seated crowd; “Always makes me feel like Johnny Cash when I’m playing to 800 people in a big, seated theatre” #3 The Wedgewood Rooms His first ever gig which gave him a real taste of what being a musician is like was at The Wedgewood rooms. A well-established live music venue, playing host to many national and international live acts in the world of music. “That was the first time I had a taste of what it was like to be a proper musician, not just a kid that played guitar”. This first ever paid gig for Luke gave him a feel for this career, Given a tenner to do something he loved was more than enough! Will Keenan
8
B
BOURNEMOUTH with YOOFS
ournemouth is known as the south coast’s stomping groud for the elderly, but it’s not all dire retirement homes, run down fish and chip shops and closed down water sport businesses; Bournemouth is also home to one of the most talented music scenes on the south coast. With the crowd steadily becoming more bohemian and less mundane, I had a look into why Bournemouth is rapidly becoming a popular music hot spot.
May I introduce our ‘BoMo’ correspondents; pop-garage duo - Yoofs. MJ, Rich and Jamie formed the band almost two years ago, and by the sounds of it Bournemouth was not the ideal place for a small, DIY band, at the beginning of their career. In Yoofs’ eyes, a majority of the local venues have only just recently kicked their arses into gear; “they haven’t always been into giving local bands a chance to play, but since they found out that there were actually decent bands playing around town, they soon changed their mind.” With the fat cats’ minds now changed, I asked the guys which of these venues are Bournmouth’s finest. #1 O2 Academy “A good place to go if you want to see proper bands. It’s one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever been to, as it’s an old Victorian dancehall.”
#2 Sixty Million Postcards “We put on gigs there every month, and they are so much fun, as we just bring down a lot of friends to play some tunes, and we also get in some decent upcoming names. For example, we’ve got Wolf Alice appearing in June, which should be fun!”
#3 Chaplin’s Cellar Bar “Cellar Bar is basically the downstairs of a Charlie Chaplin themed bar (the upstairs is called Chaplin’s), and the venue has been there for over a hundred years. It’s pretty small, but it’s got this unique charm that is unlike any other place in the local area. The manager does an absolutely fantastic job. He manages to get bands playing every night almost, and always has a different line-up. Whilst we probably disagree with some of the acts he puts on, he is such an inspiration for promoters around the area, as he’s probably the only person I’ve met who actually gives a shit about the bands on the stage. The room has a lot of history, and it really feels like it does. It is one of the most under-rated places in Bournemouth. You should definitely give it a go someday.” Indie Shaw
Audio-Addict.co.uk 9
B
BRIGHTON with HOT GLASS
righton is the beating heart of the South for art and new music culture. A haven of creativity and home to some of the UK’s greatest bands, the town is an inspiration for many artists from from all corners of the globe.
Hot Glass comprises of one solitary man on a mission to make ‘fuzzy buzzy DIY’ shoe gaze, comparative to the likes of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Ryan Balch’s self-proclaimed love of bedroom acoustics and the DIY ethos has already helped to land him support slots around Brighton and London with notable acts such as Joanna Gruesome, Tigercub and Birdskulls. February saw his first recorded efforts arise in the form of cassette tape; ‘I Wouldn’t Forget’ is 5 tracks of fuzzy shoegazing excellence. I had the pleasure of escorting Ryan around his beloved seaside city as he allowed me a peek into a few of the places that helped inspire him to create Hot Glass. #1 “The Green Door Store” “Ever since it opened in the first half of 2011 i’ve had a natural affinity with the place, as have many others, as the home of alternative music in the city. It’s kind of an experience being there, from the smell, to the ironic corporate logos and unconventional design. It’s a great little space and you’re guaranteed a good time no matter what!” #2 “My bedroom” “As i’m not really a studio kind of person I like to record everything at home on my own, sometimes on not up to scratch equipment, which I did for my last EP. It’s a perpetual hub of creativity with no time limits or costs (bar rent of course), and I wouldn’t want it to be any different. In my eyes it’s the most suitable place for creating the most personal sounding record.” #3 Brighton Train Station “I spend what seems like an eternity on trains/waiting on delayed ones. Usually this is a great time to reflect listen to some music, and is usually the prime time I come up with lyrics as there’s no other real distractions, and the impersonal nature of the station seems to create some kind of conduit of brain activity. I sometimes completely zone out and rewrite entire songs in my head. It’s the only time i’m grateful for cancellations and delays!” Piers Le Moignan
10
AUDIO ADDICT’S
SOUTH COAST FESTIVAL GUIDE
The Great Escape Where: Brighton When: 16th - 18th May Who: Bastille, Billy Bragg, Everything Everything. Boasting a line-up that features over 350 upcoming bands from all over the world, the Great Escape Festival is spread across 30 venues throughout Brighton, which are all accessible with one wristband. This festival layout allows the crowds to pick and choose from hundreds of gigs over the weekend and offers the chance to explore one of the South Coast’s cultural hubs. Tickets to the festival’s Alternative Escape events are also available to the general public, so if you can’t afford a full ticket you don’t have to miss out on the festivities.
ATP Curated by Deerhunter Where: Camber Sands Holiday Centre When: 21st - 23rd June Who: Deerhunter, The Breeders, Tom Tom Club.
Deerhunter are curating the second of the ATP events at Camber Sands Holiday Centre, following May’s event by TV On The Radio. Deerhunter are to exclusively perform the albums Cryptograms, Microcastle and Halycon Digest in full before being joined by The Breeders who will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Last Splash. Expect Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox to be wearing his sundresses during the curators live show, this being the penultimate event at Camber Sands before ATP’s End of An Era couplings that see performances of Television, Dinosaur Jr. and The Pop Group over the two days.
Blissfields Where: Winchester When: 5th - 7th July Who: Bastille, Mystery Jets.
Starting out in 2001 as a free one-day event with a hand made stage and borrowed sound system; Blissfields has since evolved from its humble roots into the full-fledged music festival it is today. Being family orientated Blissfields has plenty to do for all ages, with all sorts of arts and crafts activities and trained staff to keep the younger kids busy so the parents can make the most of the music or chill at the new Hobgoblin beer festival. Every year they have a fancy dress theme, 2013’s theme is anything to do with film, so expect to see an army of James Bond’s, Marilyn Monroe’s and Obi Wan Kenobi’s.
12
Takedown Where: Southampton When: 11th May Who: The Blackout, Don Broco, While She Sleeps.
The Southampton based one-day festival returns, attracting a long list of the usual grunts of British hardcore and metal ready to ride the pits. 30 bands and four stages have been announced at Southampton University, this year’s line-up welcomes Your Demise, heading a bill alongside Don Broco and Tesseract. For this one, think of any three words that emote some kind of angry statement and you’ve pretty much guessed half the band names on the bill. It’s all too dramatic isn’t it? I thought hardcore punk meant ‘TV Party’...
Shakedown Where: Brighton When: 28th September Who: Rizzle Kicks, Labrinth, DJ Fresh.
Shakedown Festival will be bringing the summer to a close this year, set in the picturesque town of Brighton, this is the perfect setting to celebrate the last of the warm weather. This small day festival is primarily aimed at ravers, steppers, hip-hoppers and drum and bass heads, the bill already features big name acts Rizzle Kicks, DJ Fresh and Labrinth but there is still plenty more to be announced, including the line-up for a dedicated House Arena. Sorry younger readers, Shakedown is strictly over 18s only, but to everyone else, this is one dance festival you don’t want to miss!
Bestival Where: Newport, Isle Of Wight When: 5th - 8th September Who: Elton John, Snoop Dogg, M.I.A.
The ‘fan’s favourite festival’ of 2011, Bestival closes the summer season with four days of music at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight. Since its inception, the ever-expanding site has been offering new music stages for its goers to explore, catering for smaller bands and artists. This year’s dance and techno acts will be embracing the converted carcass of HMS Bestival, a new arena boasting the world’s leading DJ’s. 2013 has Elton John and Snoop Dogg on the bill for the main stage, Wu-Tang Clan and the Flaming Lips are also set to perform.
Audio-Addict.co.uk 13
GoldCoast Ocean Fest Where: Croyde, North Devon When: 21st - 23rd June Who: Xavier Rudd, Willy Mason, Bastille. Beginning in 1999, the 15th annual GoldCoast Ocean Fest brings three days of beach sports and music to the idyllic Croyde Bay area. Unfortunately, there is no on site camping and festival goers will have to seek their own local accommodation to fit themselves nice and close to the weekend’s action. Between surfing and skating, ultimate Frisbee and the midsummer beach volleyball fiesta, GoldCoast charges focus towards an array of local bands and small acts with Bastille embracing the Saturday evening sun as main headline.
Isle Of Wight Festival Where: Newport, Isle Of Wight When: 13th - 16th June Who: Stone Roses, The Killers, Bon Jovi.
The iconic Isle Of Wight Festival kicks off right in the middle of June and is plainly salvaged by Friday’s headline set with the reformed Stone Roses, Saturday’s pop rock dribble is The Killers and plastic rock heritage of a tour crazy Bon Jovi on the Sunday is just really bad I’m afraid. So, if you’re not totally thrilled by the big weekend’s headliners, the Festival offers its Big Top stage, featuring performances by your favourite pop chart larvae like Ellie Goulding, Rizzle Kicks and Sub Focus. Thursday’s campers receive a special treat with the Happy Mondays and Ian Drury’s Blockheads performing early.
PhoneyFEST Where: Eastleigh When: 24th - 26th May Who: Badness, Alvin, Oasish.
Have you ever wanted to see Elvis, Amy Winehouse and George Michael on the same line-up? PhoneyFEST wants to give you that experience. Well, it’s not quite the real thing, but over the last two years PhoneyFEST has been reeling in some of the best tribute acts the UK has to offer. The event is being held at the Concorde Club in Eastleigh and it’s the only tribute festival across the south coast of England, PhoneyFEST is the only place you can see the coming together of these legendary dead ringers. Adam Bouteloup & Joe Madden
14
SONGS OF THE SOUTH
From the likes of already established megastars including the likes of Bad Company frontman Brian Howe and Coldplay drummer Will Champion alongside bright up and comers such as Bury Tomorrow and The Holloways, the south of England has no shortage of musical heritage to draw from and look up to. Here’s a brief guide to the key figures you should already know and a shortlist of up and comers from the coast’s biggest musical hotspots.
B
PORTSMOUTH
orn in Portsmouth, Hampshire Roger Hodgson is best known as former co-frontman and founding member of progressive art-rock group Supertramp.
Supertramp started off with keyboardist Rick Davies placing an advert in weekly music newspaper Melody Maker where he found guitarist Richard Palmer and drummer Keith Baker, who would go on to be replaced by former stage actor Robert Millar. Their debut record Supertramp was released on 14 July 1970 in the UK and Canada. The band went on to sell over five million records over a 30 year recording career, with the majority of sales blooming from their sixth studio effort Breakfast In America which became platinum in the US, four times platinum and the UK and was even certified as a diamond record in Canada. The record remains the biggest selling English language record and third highest selling album in France of all time. Supertramp still tour infrequently from time to time, albeit without Hodgson who has gone on to tour on his own and is due to perform solo at The Royal Albert Hall on May 25 as part of his solo European run. Ivyrise was formed in 2007 by frontman and keyboard player Ban Falinski and began touring the UK with Kula Shaker before even beginning to start work on their debut record. First single ‘Tips’, released on 28 April 2008 entered the BBC Radio 1 Independent Chart at #5 and also entered the HMV and 7 Digital Top 20 Bestsellers List during the first week of release. Then in May 2008 the band underwent a tour in support of their first single and ended up winning a competition to open for Bon Jovi on their Lost Highway tour at Twickenham Stadium. The debut album was released in September 2011 with lead single ‘Line Up The Stars’ being specially recorded in both English and French featuring Dania Gio was released in France and peaked at #90 in the French official singles chart.
16
B
SOUTHAMPTON
orn in Southampton, Hampshire Craig David’s musical background came from his father who played bass in a local reggae outfit called Ebony Rockers. As a teenager, Craig David began accompanying his father to local dance clubs where DJs would let him take the microphone and perform.
David’s first taste of chart success came with a guest spot on the Artful Dodger record It’s All About The Stragglers where lead single ‘Re-rewind’ hit number 2 on the UK singles chart, paving a way for his imminent solo career. First single ‘Fill Me In’ was released through Wildstar Records and the success of the track lead to David becoming the youngest male solo artist to reach number 1 in the UK (he was eighteen at the time). Debut album Born To Do It soon followed and reached the top of the UK album charts with follow-up single ‘7 Days’ also topping the singles chart. Craig David would go on to release four singles from this album that would consecutively hit the Top 10 and the record went on to sell more than seven million units worldwide earning multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries. In April 2009 MTV viewers even voted Born To Do It at number 2 on their “Greatest Album of All-Time Poll” behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Four albums followed leading David to sell over 10 million records over his career and with album number five and a world tour, including a stop at the Southampton Guildhall on May 21, the R&B juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Formed after meeting in college, Southampton four piece Band of Skulls initially started out playing clubs in the Greater London area and recorded demoes under the name of Fleeing New York before changing their name to Band of Skulls in 2008. Skulls’ debut album Baby Darling Face Honey was released exclusively on the iTunes store on 6 March 2009 with lead single ‘I Know What I Am’ chosen as iTunes’ free single of the week to coincide with the digital release. The single was also featured in the soundtrack for TV Series ‘Friday Night Lights, Volume 2’ and in video game “Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock”. Another track which didn’t actually make an appearance on the final album, ‘Friends’, was included on The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack release in November 2009. Touring for this record would see them support musical heavyweights including the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Dead Weather. Second record Sweet Sour, produced by Ian Davenport (Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy) who also produced their debut, was released on 21 February 2012 and in April of that year Channel 4 broadcasted a short documentary offering a rare and intimate insight into Band of Skulls, focusing on their success and achievements over the years.The band are currently taking a short break from touring their latest record, but are set to return to Southampton on August 1st to play a homecoming show at local venue Joiners. Aidan Ducker
Audio-Addict.co.uk 17
LEGENDARY VENUES FACE THE CRUNCH Historic venues face closure under financial stress but the underground network is alive and well
I
n the contemporary economic climate of triple dip recessions and controversial governmentled austerity measures, music venues seem to be dropping like large, empty and underappreciated flies. Southampton is relatively well endowed in terms of music venues, with musician friendly establishments catering for most niche genres as well as mainstream acts. Head to the Talking Heads for a touch of jazz, the Guildhall to see bands who are just one step from arena level, or The Cellar for a bit of the old wob-wob-wob.
However, it is surely a sign of hard times when The Joiners Arms, as prestigious a grimy toilet venue as you’ll ever find, is threatened with closure due to an apparent under-attendance of shows in recent years and the financial problems it now encounters as a result. The venue may be set to join countless other independent establishments who have been forced to shut their doors, denying greenhorn acts a place to hone their skills and further monopolising the live music sector. The Bull & Gate, a tiny pub venue in Kentish Town, is at the time of writing, the latest casualty. A venue that once hosted Nirvana and Manic Street Preachers is now being turned into another posh gastro-pub.
18
Elsewhere many independent venues seem to be balking in the face of the conglomerates. O2 and others who are keen for a piece of the juicy live music dollar as recorded music revenue slumps and the industry is left to franticly swipe at the air for the next lucrative investment. Is the latest spate of closures just a continuation of the constant cycle of venues and the subsequent musical trends they house, or a result of a much larger problem- driven by a culture of superfluous social media and home entertainment capabilities, where having a night in is the primary economically viable option for those seeking entertainment? On the south coast however, in towns and cities such as Brighton, Portsmouth and even Plymouth there is still a network of independent live venues ranging from spacious expanses to clubs with hardly enough room with which a small cat can be swung. Each town and city can boast its own specific scenes, although you may have to search the sordid underground and ominous musical backstreets harder to uncover them.
George Percival
LIVE REVIEWS
Kerouac - Joiners Arms 09/02/13 The freezing drizzle falling outside Southampton’s endangered Joiners venue could easily have been a signifier to the sadness of tonight’s show as local heroes Kerouac play their last ever performance in aid of the beleaguered venue, where thousands of local and national bands have cut their teeth. But tonight’s display of supremely talented local acts is thankfully devoid of any morose inclinations and instead resembles a massive celebration of the local scene. Local upstarts Burn The Fleet specialise in slick post-hardcore with soaring vocals and the odd breakdown thrown in for good measure. The most enjoyable moments of their set though, comes from the hilarious quips of frontman/bassist Andrew who perfectly captures the party mood of tonight’s show with the band even playing a quick impromptu cover of R. Kelly’s ‘Bump N’ Grind’ to much hilarity. Our Time Down Here waste no time in covering every inch of the stage with their supremely energetic punk, front man Will spends most of the set bouncing back and forth between the drum kit and monitors. The first stage divers finally pluck up the courage to launch themselves on the crowd
who otherwise heartily sing back the lyrics of their endearingly rough-around-the-edges punk blasts. Kerouac are one of the slew of bands that emerged in recent years with an artistic vision and grasp upon hardcore that is intrinsically forward thinking yet still maintains a punishing aural aggressiveness. There is palpable excitement as the band set up their gear and so eager are the crowd that they start moshing to the opening riff of ‘Heavy Hearted’ before the band properly kicks in and all hell breaks loose. Heads bang and bodies are hurled around the tiny dance floor as vocalist Thom throws himself into the crowd for the first of many times during their bitterly short set. The band’s ode to Southampton, the self-explanatorily entitled ‘Lay of the Landfill’ sees furious scrambles for the mic whilst ‘Fiends’ has bodies piling on top of each other at the foot of the stage. As the set draws to a close Thom resembles a broken man along with most of the sweat-saturated crowd and he takes the opportunity to lambast those in the scene who are all to keen to declare it devoid of talent or support. ‘A Sheep. A Well’ finishes proceedings in unmitigated chaos, leaving band and crowd looking decidedly worse for wear; a perfectly unceremonious ending. George Percival
Audio-Addict.co.uk 19
My Bloody Valentine - Hammersmith 13/03/13 Four of them, static for most part of the show,
dipping in and out of mainly old and few new m b v songs, clippings of the most sought after shoe gazing noise vistas around. The night would perfectly blow away any possibility of making out the live settings’ vocal line apart from a graceful elegance to Belinda’s voiced mourning that could be caught now and again, dusting the crest of the noise; a slight frame dressed in black, a pair of gleaming diamond earrings flashes amidst the rumble, the wall of amplifiers panning away at a thirty degrees from Colm forming an almost half diamond shape. Not only did they hoard all kinds of little amps, they seem to have been thrown on stage as if to say “f**k it, why not?” then the array of sparkling glittered Fenders that anyone with a care towards the wood and strings might have melted into an envious oblivion at Belinda’s constant interchange between tracks, Kevin favouring a line of beaten Jazzmasters that have definitely seen the light of the late 80s, battered and weary, but still able to spark a fit of ghastly screeching before the entrance to songs, a demons claw hanging down through your gullet and scraping at your bowls.
20
If you hadn’t the height to peak above the skyline of peeping heads that were slipping down the incline towards the stage set, then the backdrop, splashing in all kinds of colours and ghostly jump shots of seeming nothingness became a seeming blooming perfection in parallel with the noise engulfment blasting your mind and rolling the pit of your stomach to make ill. There is no myth behind just how loud this band are, My Bloody Valentine are absolutely vociferous and it’s a scary phenomenon to at last experience this noise circus live, ‘You Made Me Realise’ holocaust still turns people to the door and it’s goodnight from them until the next time, unable to clear that sonic glop from their heads for a week at least, unable to remember just where they had been for the last two hours, so much so that they only wish to return to the f***ed up clutches of this noise atrium once again, perhaps in another 20 or so years. Joe Madden
Swim Deep hit Southampton’s beloved venue- The
Swim Deep
Joiners Arms 14/02/13
Joiners, on Valentine’s Day, and believe me they spread the love. With a fan base itching for their UK tour, there’s no wonder why this gig was an instant sell out. ‘F**k It’ by Eamon fills the intimate venue as the crowd eagerly await Swim Deep’s arrival. You can only imagine the looks on hipster-ridden crowd’s faces. Austin, Zach, Cavan and Higgy surface and wade through their slightly baffled, yet still adoring fans onto the stage. Swim Deep have arrived. Although they’re still fresh to the music scene these guys have already got their rock star entrance down to a T. Offering a taste of both old and new material, the boys float through their dreamlike set list; ‘Beach Justice’ and latest single ‘The Sea’ are definite crowd pleasers. As they come to the end of their sweat drenched performance, the now half naked band members ask for a volunteer to play tambourine for desperately awaited track, ‘King City.’ The chosen crowd member gets a mere few seconds in the limelight with the boys on stage before the rest of the crowd take this as a sign to join them. Impressively Swim Deep makes it through to the end of the track, despite the interrupting hugs and barges from the swarming sea of fans. Indie Shaw
Tonight, Avondale House plays host to an evening of musical virtuosity booking up a wall-to-wall evening of blossoming post rock for all present. Billed as having “brass-infused synth drenched megatunes, exploring everything from drones to barbershop harmonies along the way”, none of these particular traits are on show from main support Olympians. Small glimpses of what may be considered barbershop pop up as all four members join together throughout the set to sing along with their shanties but it comes across less of a barbershop medley and more four mates singing drunk on the end of a pier. Boasting twice as many instruments as members, The Physics House Band feature in their arsenal drums, guitar, bass, two laptops and two synthesisers but no vocals. What they lack in a frontman they make up for with dizzying musical virtuosity and a drummer with the frenetic energy of a whole nursery group fed blue smarties. The band make minimal effort to connect with the audience verbally, letting their music gently reverberate over the audience and jump from song to song seamlessly transitioning between their post-rock soundtrack-esque material. When the music finally comes to a halt the guitarist modestly thanks the crowd for sticking around, proclaiming they “always love to come and play a show in Southampton” and promises they will be back soon, and everyone leaving the venue should hope so too. Aidan Ducker
The Physics House Band Avondale House 25/04/13
Audio-Addict.co.uk 21
ALBUM REVIEWS
Foals Holy Fire
Transgressive
After a lengthy 2 and a half-year wait since the
release of Total Life Forever, Foals finally unveil their magnum opus, Holy Fire. After our appetites were thoroughly moistened with the releases of ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My Number’, it was fair to assume that Holy Fire would do exactly what it’s two younger siblings demonstrated- an exciting progression and evolution in Foals’ now veteran career. Foals have been a band who have literally never failed to disappoint – emerging from mathy uptempo early demos to produce Antidotes (which pretty much validated the existence of some form of creativity within modern indie rock), and then the release of the swelteringly beautiful ‘Spanish Sahara’, a near-perfect track that was the first born from the near-perfect Total Life Forever. Holy Fire is an astonishingly beautiful record, elegant and patient, it is a much more developed album than Total Life Forever, however eerily similar. ‘Prelude’ is a powerful introduction to the album with damn catchy guitar hook that then bursts forth into a heavy on-beat jam that gets your head nodding. Next, duo of singles ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My number’. The two songs are easily the most stand out and fully formed tracks on the album, the former wielding an unprecedented heaviness and the latter leaving its alluring chorus in your head for days.
The delicacy of the song is almost tear jerking with the majority of the 5-minute masterpiece spent building up to the spine tingling release in its final third. Super up-beat ‘Out Of The Woods’ acts as a stark contrast to the brooding genius of ‘Late Night’ and features a highly pleasant percussion solo. Of similar design is ‘Milk & Black Spiders’, which will be a standout moment of the band’s live set when it bursts with intoxicating vibrancy at its climax.
‘Providence’ is another of the few truly standout tracks on the album, ending in a relentless heavy-on-‘Inhaler’-scale breakdown which tricks you into thinking its all over about 3 times and arrives just in time before the climactic pair of closing tracks – ‘Stepson’ and ‘Moon’ act as ‘Bad Habit’ is a let down. For a track that is uptempo it lacks the catchiness, hooks and buildup to adequate closers to the album. Both are united reach eruptions of musical potency that Foals have by their delicate nature with beautiful sweeping become renowned for and continue to demonstrate guitar landscapes and subtle synth swells that are sequenced to impress. throughout the rest of the album. The bootyshaking funk choruses that Foals promised in early It’s really hard to put my finger on it, it seems interviews are succeeded in mid-album pick-up ‘Everytime’. Far from a standout track, and arguably like less, but so much more at the same time one of the more forgettable songs on the album, it just as we said TLF was a massive step up from still eases us comfortably though the mid-section of Antidotes, Foals somehow managed to achieve the record and encapsulates the sound of preceding a massive step up from TLF in Holy Fire. They seem to have shed their edgy post-punk vibe record TLF. ‘Late Night’ stands out like a shining and stepped up the mass appeal of their sound gem as the centrepiece to the album, just like without dumbing it down, resulting in something ‘Spanish Sahara’ did on TLF. magnificent. Piers Le Moignan
22
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Mosquito Interscope
New York art-rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs began as
scrappy punk’n’rollers, but with each album the band leaned further towards the mainstream. On their third studio album It’s Blitz they went all out electro-pop, allowing them to experiment with synths, samples and electronic beats to create heavy electro and soaring ballad tracks that arguably have just as much attitude and beauty than anything on their previous records. With Mosquito the band promised a return to basics, and whilst this isn’t exactly what the album is, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released their inhibitions to create a record that shows the band moving forward whilst acknowledging their past. Album opener ‘Sacrilege’ captures the over-the-top stage persona of singer Karen O; you can almost see her acting as conductor in her sparkly red suit when the gospel choir kicks in. Title track ‘Mosquito’ sounds like it could have been taken from Yeah Yeah Yeah’s first album. Its rock swagger, youthfulness, simple four-chord chorus coupled with Brian Chase’s layered tribal drumming and Karen O yelling about sucking peoples blood makes for an almost perfect Yeah Yeah Yeah’s anthem.
Much of Mosquito harks back to It’s Blitz’s electronic sounds. ‘These Paths’ features a spacious synth line that repeats and builds before everything begins to fall away and we’re left with just Karen O’s glitching vocal. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a knack for slower paced songs, ‘Subway’ strips back the sound and crawls to the sample of a slow moving subway train, allowing room for a barely-there bassline and spacey synth sounds, this is one of the better slow songs on Mosquito, ‘Always’ and ‘Despair’ touch on similar sounds but none offer ‘Subway’s’ visual connotations or the spine-tingling epic of previous single ‘Skeletons.’ ’Area 52’ takes the wackiness overboard with tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi themed lyrics and punk rock guitar. Respect for Yeah Yeah Yeahs wanting to display their playful side, but this track only just falls short of being cheesy and sounds as though it should be played much faster. Overall Mosquito is like It’s Blitz on acid, wearing even more Day-Glo and although this isn’t a perfect album the band remain as energetic and ambitious as ever. Adam Bouteloup
Audio-Addict.co.uk 23
Nu-rave, grime-punkers Hadouken! are back with their Hadouken! Every Weekend Surface Noise
third studio album Every Weekend. Their eclectic fusion of genres proved to be a hit amongst the indie-teen generation and could be heard penetrating the mist of cheap cider and pubescent sweat at house parties across the globe for the past 5 years. Returning with a more developed sound that reflects perhaps the maturity of their audience, Hadouken! have infused their trademark nu-rave sound with a striking blend of genres resulting in one of the most varied sounds available. Including ‘Mecha Love’ and ‘Levitate’ of viral internet fame, the album is a refreshing 140bpm rollercoaster of uplifting synths, flexing bass lines brought together with frontman James Smith’s lyrical competency united with grime brutality. It’s a tried and tested formula that bears bass-heavy indulgence. ‘Daylight’ features Drum and Bass stalwarts Drumsound and Bassline Smith on production duties which results in a hard hitting festival pleaser, whereas ‘The Comedown’ and ‘Bliss Out’ are some of the tracks to feature Loadstar and Noisia who contribute to a spectrum of bass music merged with intelligent lyrics throughout the album. Hadouken! have once again created an album that incorporates their musical interests to form a potent concoction of bass and harmonic lyrics. Rory Gilbert
Cold Spring Fault Less Youth sees Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, AKA post-dubstep innovators Mount Kimbie, return, this time, in an attempt to inject some of their uniquely innovative techniques upon the infinitely varied genre that is electronica. Upon first listen the duo’s foray into uncharted waters seems to suggest they haven’t sailed far from their roots. However, with a sound that’s notoriously hard to pigeonhole, Mount Kimbie have fashioned a unique corner of future electronica fused with their markedly ambient, trademark sound that incorporates heavy dub elements. It’s electronica- but with that Kimbie edge. Featuring the vocals of King Krule on some tracks manages to create a sound that could rival The xx yet Krule on You Took Your Time actually sounds like Arnie and ruins the atmosphere of the album momentarily. Aside from that the album works with Made To Stray particularly standing out as an outstanding piece of forward-thinking music- displaying the duo’s impeccable ear for the deep and atmospheric. In its entirety, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth is a testament to Mount Kimbie’s proficiency in pioneering “out-there” production. But as is inherent with electronica in general, just listening to a single track from this album doesn’t compare to the entire product. Rory Gilbert
Audio-Addict.co.uk 24
Mount Kimbie
Cold Spring Fault Less Youth (Warp)
Do YOU have what it takes to be MTV’s student of the year and earn yourself a placement at the MTV HQ in Camden this Summer? APPLY NOW: studentoftheyear.mtv.co.uk