British Music AUDIO ADDICT SPECIAL EDITION
INCLUDING An Interview With Funeral For A Friend
The Great British Night Out Roxanne L. Jones Chvrches Sam Brookes I Divide Exclusive interview with Good Work Watson
Contents Best Of British 4-7 News 8-9 Good Work Watson 10-12 British Buskers 13-15 Brother Goose 16-17 Funeral For A Friend 18-19 Album and Single Reviews 20-27
Thanks For The Byline 28-29 The Great British Night Out 30-31 Ticket Prices 32-33 Gig Douchebags 34-35
Audio Addict British Special Edition In this Special Edition of Audio Addict we pay homage to British musicians and let you in on what really grinds our gears - from douchebags at Brian’s gigs to the rocketing ticket prices.
News and Features Editor // Louise Egan Opinion Piece Editor // Samantha Fisher Reviews Editor // Katie Vowles Art Director // Heather Lewis Chvrches Photography By Bethan Miller
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ROXANNE L. JONES
songs as well as powerful tracks made for the clubbing scene. After her time in London Jones took the sensible step of combining her music with study and she returned to Liverpool to study for a qualification in Health and Social Care. With music being her passion Jones signed for R-Ola Productions in July 2012 after having received a number of offers, and continues to create music and singles in the hope of gaining even more exposure.
Combining soulful vocals and R&B beats, Roxanne L. Jones has been growing in notoriety since her 2012 debut single ‘Say Yeah’, with a management and record deal with R-Ola Productions in July 2012 allowing her to complete her first studio album ‘In My Words’, which she co-wrote. Roxanne gained this success after competing in a number of local talent shows in her hometown of Toxteth, Liverpool. Taking influences from female pop and R&B role-models such as Whitney Houston, Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey and Beyonce, Roxanne L. Jones moved to London to progress her talent and gain exposure through the local venues. Despite being partially deaf, Roxanne’s desire to become a singer/songwriter has propelled her powerful and honest vocals to success, with songs such as ‘Living A Lie’ and ‘K.M.L.Y.N.B.L’ highlighting Roxanne’s ability to create delicate and emotional
Best Of British
Louise Egan
I DIVIDE Leaving’ has gained the approval of Radio 1’s Daniel P Carter on The Rock Show. Last One Standing exhibits an energetic tone rounded off with slick production resulting in the ideal debut to gain the band further recognition. This band are tipped for great things with buckets full of talent and devoted fans on their side.
I Divide are a five piece rock group who are storming the UK much further than their Exeter roots since winning the Red Bull Bedroom Jam in 2012. The band is fronted by Tom Kavanagh, with Josh Wreford and Henry Selley on guitar, Dave Mooney behind the drum kit and Kristen Hughes on the bass. I Divide deliver a punchy sound that lies between the likes of Mallory Knox and the younger You Me At Six. Each song by the quintet has a melodic hook paired with a raw energy that is further represented in their live shows. I Divide have recently supported both Yashin and Blitz Kids on each of their latest UK tours on top of releasing debut album Last One Standing this April. The album is driven by pure rock angst and latest single ‘I’m Not
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Samantha Fisher
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CHVRCHES Who Are They? Chvrches are a synthpop band from Scotland, Glasgow, formed in 2011. This three-piece consists of members Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals, synthesisers and samplers), Iain Cook (synthesisers, guitar, bass, vocals), and Martin Doherty (synthesisers, samplers, vocals).
ber of Aerogramme and TV and film music producer, and Doherty previously toured with the Twilight Sad. Chvrches released their debut single, ‘The Mother We Share’, and after their EP release of Recover in March of 2013, and later their debut studio album, The Bones of What You Believe, Chvrches came fifth on the BBC’s ‘Sound of 2013’.
A Bit About Them Chvrches are inspired by acts such as Prince, Depeche Mode and Kate Bush. They’re peculiarly spelt name is still pronounces ‘churches,’ but spelt with a ‘v’ to differentiate in internet search results. Mayberry previously acquired both a Law degree and a Masters in journalism. Also, as well as Chvrches, she also played in Blue Sky Archives. Cook, however, is a former mem-
SAM BROOKES Who Is He? Having previously sung for the Queen at her private Chapel in Great Windsor Park, Sam Brookes has already secured himself as an outstanding singer. He is now a regular on the London gigging circuit and has friends in high places such as Newton Faulkner and Lucy Rose, the former of which he has toured with extensively.
What’s Next? Beginning and ending their UK tour in March this year, Chvrches will then go on to play festivals such as T in the Park on Friday, 11th July, and then Bestival and Unknown Festival in September. Heather Lewis
With only two albums under his belt, Brookes is technically still a newbie in the British music scene, but already this year he has toured with Newton Faulkner and embarked on a 19-date UK tour with Hot Feet. With all this exposure, it’s certain that Brookes will have a bombardment of new fans and, in turn, establish himself as an incredible British artist.
A Bit About Him His delicate vocal style and impressive musicianship are showcased incredibly in new album Kairos, with tracks such as ‘Breaking Blue’ and ‘Numb’ standing above the rest. The way in which Brookes crafts his melodies makes them irresistibly memorable while also staying clever and innovative – a rare quality for any musician today.
What’s Next? Sure to be moving on to even better things soon, Brookes is only known by a few right now, but there’s no doubt that will change massively in the coming months.
Katie Vowles
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Photography by Bethan Miller
Bury Tomorrow Relocate Show
Chart Toppers
Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini has topped the UK album charts for a third week running with his third studio album ‘Caustic Love’ (Atlantic/Warner Music). In just over three weeks the album has sold almost 200,000 copies according to the Official Charts Company, making it one of the fastest selling albums this year. ‘Caustic Love’ fought off competition from Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Imelda May with their latest albums, who placed second and third respectively. In the official singles chart Scottish DJ Calvin Harris has claimed the No 1 spot with “Summer”, the lead single from his forthcoming studio album. Everything has been looking up for Harris since his first appearance on a UK chart-topper when he featured on Dizzee Rascal’s 2008 “Dance Wiv Me”, with “Summer” being his second No 1 in seven months and eighth in his career. Harris has been praised for the sales of “Summer”, which sold 7,000 more copies than last week’s top single “Waves” by Mr Probz. Harris has been confirmed for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend on May 24th, with his set directly before Saturday headliners Coldplay. Paolo Nutini has been named on the line-up for this year’s T in the Park as well as Glastonbury and V Festival. Louise Egan
Lily Allen releases Album May 5th saw the release of Allen’s album, Sheezus after a five year wait. The album has been streaming for about a week now, and contains the singles, ‘Air Balloon’ and ‘Hard Out Here’ amongst others. Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper has previously released two albums, Alright, Still and It’s Not Me, It’s You under the name Lily Allen, including a few singles in the top ten. Alright, Still featured the singles, ‘Smile’ and ‘Alfie’. In September 2006, ‘Smile’ was made available on the iTunes Store in the USA. ‘The Fear,’ From Allen’s second studio album, It’s Not Me, It’s You (2009) reached number one and stayed there for four consecutive weeks after the album was released in the UK. ‘Not Fair’ was another single from the album and got to number nine in the UK charts. After five years, Allen has released her latest album after taking a break to focus on her family. She married Sam Cooper in 2011 has since become a mother of two: Ethel Mary and Marnie Rose. But now Allen is back with her forth album, Sheezus. Heather Lewis
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Bury Tomorrow have moved their forthcoming headline shows in Kingston following the closure of The Peel. The two shows on May 31st and June 1st will instead be held at Kingston College. As a result of this venue change, 100 extra tickets have been put on sale to compensate. Front man of the Southampton metal quintet gave a statement following the venues change: “It’s really unfortunate that The Peel is no longer putting on shows. However, it’s awesome we can now offer more tickets for both days and I’m excited to see what the venue is going to be like, as we are the tester for future shows, either way the show will be crazy!”
Arctic Monkeys Release Single
Arctic Monkeys have announced that ‘Snap Out Of It’ will be the next single to be released from latest album AM. Following the launch of the single on June 9th the band are set to play two live shows at Finsbury Park in London on Friday 23rd May and Saturday 24th. Other British acts to grace the stage over the weekend are Miles Kane and Royal Blood.
The headline shows are part of the band’s intimate UK headline tour preceding new album Runes which is released on May 26th. The band will play eight shows in total, starting at Stoke’s Sugarmill on May 21st, stopping off at Edinburgh, Liverpool, Oxford, Cardiff and Plymouth before two dates at Kingston’s College. As well as this, they will appear at Slam Dunk and Download festivals later this year. Katie Vowles
Arctic Monkeys will also be the only British act headlining the Reading and Leeds main stage August, playing at Reading on the Saturday and Leeds on Sunday. The festival will take place from August 22nd-24th and will feature the likes of fellow Brits Jake Bugg, You Me At Six and Enter Shikari. Arctic Monkeys’ largely successful album AM debuted at number one in the UK album charts following its release in September last year. This marked the band’s place in history as the first band from an independent label to achieve five consecutive number one albums in the UK. The album also gained the band a Brit award this year for Best British album as well as being nominated for the Mercury Prize for the third time. Samantha Fisher
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Good Work Watson
“Benedict Cumberbatch. I am a Cumberbitch.”
Heather Lewis
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y day – a Costa Coffee Barista. By night – a bassist in a pop / rock / punk band. Ryan Brookes: “It’s an amazing blend of all 3, it’s fast, slow, deep, and amazingly catchy.” “Blink 182, +44 is where i started, but we all have different influences, that’s what makes us so great and different, we all bring something different.” Good Work Watson are the amalgamation of their previous bands, including Bassist Ryan Brookes’ former involvement in Platypus Duck – a pop punk 4-piece who recently disbanded. Similarly, Vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Shawn Booker was previously such in another local band, L.O.S.T. – a similar style to that of Platypus Duck. These two former bands often played together at venues, especially the music bar in Stafford, the Grapes. “We knew each other from that. Shawn, Matt and I just kinda said, ‘hey guys, wanna start something new and exciting?” and here we are now, after finding our drummer, Harri” explains Ryan as he discards his apron over the back of the seat next to him and settles down with his Americano.
Who Are They? Vocals and Rhythm Guitar//Shaun Booker Bassist and Backing Vocals//Ryan Brookes Lead Guitar//Matt Trenfield Drums//Harrii Partington
Where Are They From? Staffordshire, West Midlands.
Where can I find them? www.facebook.com/goodworkwatson twitter.com/goodworkwatson http://www.reverbnation.com/ goodworkwatson
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supposed to be a 1950’s style pin up that ended up looking, according to his friends, a lot like Cumberbatch.
Ryan sits opposite, sunk into his chair – completely relaxed as he sips his coffee. Costa is relatively empty at this point, seeing as it’s 5:30 and the rest of the shops in the small town of Rugeley are closing up for the evening.
Ryan talks about his fellow band members. Shaun, who is now working in a law firm, previously worked with Matt in the local Superdrug and Harri is currently studying Music at college. “It’s not ideal, but we all start somewhere right? The hype and adrenaline [of recording and practicing], compared to the mundane day to day stuff brings you crashing back down.”
Good Work Watson refers to the classic novel and tv show, Sherlock Holmes, wherein the sidekick is John Watson. The band came up with the name when they were “toying around with a few ideas, and Matt, as a joke, said Good Work Watson. The more we said it the more we thought ‘bloody hell that’s a pretty wicked band name’.”
British Buskers
Louise Egan
“By next year we want to be playing festivals and touring. Ideally, V festival, Glastonbury, slam dunk, vans warped! The list goes on.”
So you’re a fan of Sherlock? “Benedict Cumberbatch. I am a Cumberbitch,” jokes Ryan, taking the last sip of his still-red hot coffee. As he does this, a tattoo on his right bicep reveals itself from under his rolled-up sleeves.
The band will be at Slam Dunk festival this year handing out their EP, their current project.
Catching my gaze, he tells me that he has a portrait of Benedict Cumberbatch. Disbelieving, mostly because of the stockings and red highheels, I question this and he replies with, “Yes, yes it is!” Then he laughs and explains that it was
And after that? “World domination.”
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F
rom the Dutch street organs to the one man bands of 19th century London’s cobbled streets, busking has been and continues to be a lively profession with the ability to brighten people’s days as they walk the streets and subways of the world. One of the most common forms of busking are the musicians found at underground stations, the most famous of which being the busker’s entertaining commuters on the London Underground. Contrary to naïve belief, busking is not as easy as standing and playing for money. UK Charity World Busk describes busking as a creative and opportunity-based pursuit in equal parts: “Busking is a little like fishing – picking the right time at the right spot makes all the difference”. Although a busker may want to pick a spot early, not everyone wants to hear a saxophone resonating down the tube walkways at 8 o’clock in the morning. Nearly 400 buskers can be found in tube stations throughout London every week, making it a true task to stand out from the crowd whilst attracting the masses that wander past. Thanks to a London busking initiative the London Underground now run up to 3,000 weekly time slots which buskers can sign up for, making the previously illegal activity safe and controlled for both the buskers and their audience. Modern day busking has however come under threat from legislation and a change in public taste. On the London Underground passengers opt for their earphones rather than the sounds around them, making it more difficult for buskers to reach their audience. Legislation too has made an attempt to quantify and order
busking by requesting that any public performances of music, whether the songs are copyright or public domain, have a license from the Performing Rights Society. Whilst this may increase the quality and traceability of buskers, it takes away the freedom and spontaneity associated with busking, too taking the profession out of the realms of the most disadvantaged people in society: the homeless. Surely it would be better for a homeless person to be able to express themselves musically and be allowed to provide more to society than mumbling about change to passers-by. Not only does legislation take busking out the realms of the needy, it stops nervous musicians from stepping out of their comfort zone for performance. As musician Billy Bragg commented while protesting against busking legislation in Camden, ““It’s the central part of not only the British spirit but the human spirit to keep the streets open for people to go out and give things a go”. One of the most popular places for buskers is Covent Garden, with the historic setting allowing for not just musical buskers to put on a show, but even this vibrant area has become crowded with staple visitors who repeat an act rather than engaging with the uniqueness of busker’s performance. Busking has been a truly bohemian pursuit since as far back as the Roman era with musicians telling tales of war, public issues and their lives, making busking one of the last popular forms of folk music that should be treasured all over the world.
“It’s the central part of not only the British spirit but the human spirit to keep the streets open”
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Louise Egan
Introducing...
Brother Goose
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enning a song for Wembley, winning a slot at this year’s Blissfields festival, all on top of writing and recording a new EP. If there’s any band keeping busy in Britain this year it’s Brother Goose. The Southampton based indie rock band were approached to write a song for Sholing FC to played at Wembley Stadium during the recent match against West Auckland on May 10th. “It was a pretty ridiculous thing to be asked [in a good way],” says frontman Calum Lintott still in disbelief. So what was it that inspired the fivepiece to write ‘Brothers In Arms’?
“We were a bit stuck to say the least,” says Lintott, “we’d been chatting to various people about the team to find some inspiration lyrically, we found out how close the team were. Someone described it to us as ‘brothers in arms’ and it stuck!” The singer tells Audio Addict that despite being a ‘football’ song focusing on the close dynamic of the team, ‘Brothers In Arms’ “can be taken in any way anyone wants to view it.” If you happened to catch the game and liked what you heard, the track is available to download for free via the band’s Soundcloud page.
“I’m most looking forward to driving golf buggies around.”
Next on the band’s agenda is touring. “We’re doing a few festivals this summer”, one of which is Blissfields, taking place on 4th and 5th July. The band won their slot at the Winchester based festival via the
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Southampton Road To Blissfields competition that was held at The Joiners on 19th April.
recognition and preferably for their music, not their buggy antics.
With only a few months to prepare what have the band got planned? “I’m most looking forward to driving golf buggies around,” jests the frontman. Aside from challenging other local bands to golf buggy drag races however Lintott is determined for the band to put on their best show yet. “I hope we turn a few heads, the right way of course.” The idea then seems to be to have fun whilst gaining some
Following shortly after this will be a show at Southampton bar Lennon’s on 12th July to launch EP number two. Despite telling us it’s very different to their debut, Lintott leaves us with a mere tease of how the EP is going to sound, “the production is a lot rawer, more guitar-y and more driven. You’ll have to have a listen!” What we do know is that it’s going to be very much ‘DIY’. “ We’re doing it all ourselves this
time; the recording, the artwork the distribution. It’s all a lot more work, but I think it will make for a better product.” Brother Goose may be relatively new to the game but what does Lintott believe is the secret to success? “Perseverance is key”, says the singer, reminding us not to give up. “If you believe in what you’re doing and you’re doing it to a high standard you’re halfway there, [otherwise], what’s the point?” Samantha Fisher
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An Interview With...
Funeral For A Friend Katie Vowles
W
hen a band announces exclusive shows playing their most popular album, their fan base is going to explode. That’s exactly what happened when Funeral For A Friend revealed they were to be playing their seminal album Hours in full around the UK this spring. “We thought rather than sitting on our asses we might as well do something that’s fun,” bassist Gavin Burrough tells me. Explaining why they chose Hours over their other albums, guitarist Rich Boucher says: “We all love [Hours], it’s one of the bands’ favourite records we’ve done, and we wanted to do something a bit different. Everybody else seems to really dig that record so it’s nice to give something back to the fans.” Funeral For A Friend have changed their style many times throughout their 13-year career, with each album presenting a new form of the band. Three albums in and the Welsh rock quintet noticed that they’d changed their sound, and they weren’t sure they liked it. “We realised where we took a detour in Tales Don’t Tell Themselves, so on Memory and Humanity we were trying to find our feet again,” Burrough recalls. “We were almost going back to the original concept of the band where we didn’t used to think about things too much. I think that’s where we’ve gone now. We know where our strengths are – we like aggressive music but we like it to have melody, and we like people to be able to sing the songs back. The new album definitely sounds more like a Funeral For A Friend record than the last four records.” With the British music scene constantly changing, the band realise that things aren’t what they used to be. “When we started out there wasn’t such thing as Spotify,” Boucher explains. “Now I find things a lot more disposable, you’re just churning over music so fast.” Recognising that the saturated market in Britain makes things difficult for upcoming bands, Burrough says: “Music’s a lot more
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accessible these days. It’s good initially so people can hear your band straight away, but you’ve got to sift through a lot of crap to get to it.” While their success is undoubted and their presence internationally known, the band remains humble about their work. “We’ll go to places like Japan and half of them probably haven’t got a clue what we’re on about because they don’t speak English, but music is a universal language. You come to a show and nobody really knows each other, but you’re all connected through the music,” Boucher explains, telling me his favourite thing about being a musician. “That’s the greatest thing about being in a band: being able to communicate with people across the world with your music.”
“That’s where the excitement and the drive to carry on comes from. Without that we would just disappear.” Without their fans, Funeral For A Friend would be nowhere, and Burrough knows this better than anyone else. “I think the excitement for me comes from when you’re playing shows, and you’re hearing people singing the songs back, or seeing someone get passionate about something that you’ve created,” he says, explaining how the band keep on going. “That’s where the excitement and the drive to carry on comes from. Without that we would just disappear.”
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You Me At Six Cold Night Heather Lewis
Foxes Holding onto heaven Heather Lewis
Those beautiful British boys have done it again. Their newest album, Cavalier Youth has found its way to fans after the nail-biting wait of dripfed single releases, one of which was ‘Cold Night,’ released at the end of April. The track contains the velvety smooth and seductive vocals of Franceschi along with those classic YM@6 guitar riffs that take you back to the beginning of their career – cue screaming fan girl. The progression through the first verse to the chorus is followed by a momentary dip in momentum, filling it with vocals and limited instrumentation. This acts as the calm before the storm of yet another memorable and beautiful chorus, typical of the pop rock five-piece. The boys have just finished their UK tour for their new album, but will be back to play for their adoring fans at Leeds and Reading Festival in August, so don’t worry, you haven’t missed them.
Foxes, British singer-songwriter from Southampton released her album, Glorious on May 12th. One beautiful single that the talented musician released was ‘Holding onto Heaven.’ Born Louisa Rose Allen, the 25 year old has already achieved great success after appearing in collaborations with producer, Zedd in his hit ‘Clarity’ as well as ‘Just One Yesterday,’ a track on Fall Out Boy’s newest album, Save Rock and Roll. ‘Holding onto Heaven’ is a beautiful song, showcasing her fantastic and uniquely brilliant voice. The track starts melodically slow, but gradually gains momentum until it bursts into “I’m holding onto Heaven” in a chart topping manner. The track contains heartfelt lyrics and perfectly poppy riffs that are destined for radio play and arena tours. The instrumentation grabs you and keeps you listening with the build and sway of violins and the recurrence of what sounds like a music box. Definitely a track worth a listen.
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Paolo Nutini Caustic Love
The inclusion of trumpets and backing vocalists give it a really full and energetic sound. The vocals, as always, are fantastic – beautifully showcasing Nutini’s rough, seductive voice. Another track with a full, rhythmic sound is ‘Let Me Down Easy,’ cleverly combined with Bettye Lavette’s 1965 version. Caustic Love also includes classic soul samples from Margie Joseph’s version of ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’ and Gladys Knight & The Pips’ ‘Giving Up,’ which pay homage to Nutini’s influences and the roots of the genre. ‘Fashion’ is another stand-out track, featuring James Gadson (Will Withers’ drummer) and American R&B singer, Janelle Monae. Although it’s a bit different from the more classic soul tracks on the album, the fun, funk rhythm throughout makes this another track for fans of Nutini. After so long, we were due our Nutini fix and he definitely delivered. Caustic Love offers everything we love about him and more. Heather Lewis
The beautifully untamed voice of Scottish singer-songwriter, Paolo Nutini will fill your subconscious with the folksy-funk tracks of his newest album, Caustic Love. Nutini stays close to his much-loved style of blues, classic motown and funk, the results of which are nothing short of beautiful. After nearly five years of silence, Caustic Love seems to go one further by somehow managing to create an even more musically diverse sound, often focusing on his softer, slower style – much like ‘Candy,’ from his second studio album, Sunny Side Up. Adele also showed her love for ‘Iron Sky,’ which includes Charlie Chaplin’s political speech from the 1940 film, The Great Dictator. She tweeted: “F**K!!! This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life hands down.” ‘Scream (Funk My Life Up)’ is definitely the most memorable of them all. It’s fun and catchy and the prominent and repetitive bass line and the ‘call and response’ style of ‘Funk my life up’ means that you won’t forget it in a hurry.
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Nick Mulvey First Mind Katie Vowles
tUnE-yArDs Nikki Nack Katie Vowles
Nick Mulvey is no stranger to playing an instrument. Having put himself through a guitar school in Cuba, his skills are more than up to scratch. Mulvey’s charming performance style has landed him touring slots with Laura Marling and Ben Howard, not to mention being on the shortlist for BBC’s Sound of 2014. The delicately intricate instrumentation present on his debut album, First Mind, is both moving and heart-warming, and that’s before you even hear his vocals. His rich, smooth and warm vocal permeates everything it comes into contact with, flowing endlessly over his simple, yet beautifully articulated backing. Mulvey’s frenetic picking style underpins the majority of tracks, the guitar lines embedding themselves in your mind. The soft, yet fast-paced ‘April’ uses dissonance to create an unsettling feel and close harmony to produce a thick, resonating texture while the charmingly rhythmic ‘Cucurucu’ feels like a celebration. No matter which track it is, you will always hear Mulvey’s superb talents coming through and it’s truly a delight to hear.
tUnE-yArDs have always produced strange music thanks to vocalist Merrill Garbus’ love of pop, passion for rhythm and tendency to include unusual sounds. Nikki Nack continues this, but brings a new fervour to tUnE-yArDs’ work. Bassist Nate Brenner’s insanely infectious hook characterises ‘Water Fountain’, its childish nature and calls of ‘Woo-hah!’ likening it to a playground song – couple this with its entirely nonsensical lyrics (“A two pound chicken tastes better with friends”) and you’ve got the most charming offering on this album. Whether it’s the complex layers of ‘Time of Dark’ or the jaunty beat of ‘Sink-O’, tUnE-yArDs have created a truly unique work of art in Nikki Nack, and one that’s exceptionally difficult to ignore. The utterly bizarre spoken-word piece ‘Why Do We Dine on the Tots?’ is a story about familial cannibalism, raising questions about meat and the ever-consuming generation who fail to look at the consequences of their actions. Despite the heavy subject matter, tUnE-yArDs come at it all from a light-hearted angle, leading to an enjoyable album whether you consider the lyrics or not.
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sections that add to the intense atmosphere on record did the band no favours in a live setting.
Beginning a set with a new track is always risky, especially if that track only went online the day before. For Arcane Roots this choice backfired a little as ‘Over and Over’ highlighted Andrew Groves’ notyet-warmed-up vocals and a mix not yet perfected - this meant the guitar lines blended in. Being that we hadn’t had much time to get to know the track, it was met with little reaction – leaving the crowd a tad underwhelmed and feeling robbed of a huge anthemic opener.
Saying this, Arcane Roots could hardly be faulted technically once warmed-up: from Groves’ ferocious, maniacal screams to his perfectly performed falsetto, his vocals were entirely faultless. Pair this with his enthralling solos and it was clear this man has more than just talent, and with his other bandmates they are masters of math-rock. Luckily ‘Triptych’ injected life back into the waning set and from then on they managed to redeem themselves with closer ‘You Keep Me Here’. As the acoustic section began all the low points were forgotten as the magnificent crescendo that followed washed away any sense of disappointment.
Incredibly impressive finger work marked the start of the real anthems, as crowd favourite ‘You Are’ proved to be an obvious highlight, while the slow build up to the explosive chorus of ‘Hell & Highwater’ was surprisingly huge. Their creative time signature changes coupled with their skilled use of syncopation made sure every second was as intense as the last – that was until they started to run out of hits. There was a definite lull in the middle of the set as the drawn-out instrumental
Arcane Roots@ The Garage, London
Arcane Roots will be playing at Download Festival in June. Katie Vowles
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Band of skulls Asleep at the wheel Louise Egan
The latest single by Bluesy Southern rockers Band of Skulls shows once again that their punchy riffs and resonating vocals cannot be ignored. Asleep at the Wheel shows a great focus from the band in anticipation for their upcoming album ‘Himalayan’, released in March 2014.
Flayed Disciple Flayed Disciple
With Tame Impala style howling vocals and trademark rhythmic shifts, Band of Skulls pull off their muddy blues style with electrifying power. As Asleep at the Wheel rumbles on it feels like it’s almost falling over itself between verse and chorus, but in a sleazy and remarkably classy way that makes Band of Skulls’ music a mix of well-crafted vocals and beautifully creative instrumentation, seen previously in the likes of Hendrix’s guitar genius. Asleep at the Wheel is exactly what you would expect from Band of Skulls, it is a raunchy assault on the ears that has an el bandito desert feel. Nevertheless each track from Band of Skulls is as exciting as the last, which holds great promise for ‘Himalayan’.
Calvin Harris Summer Louise Egan
“Summer” finds Calvin Harris bringing the promise of warmer weather and the freedom that comes with holidays. The single sees Calvin Harris returning to centre stage on vocals, although the lyrics leave much to be desired if “Summer” is trying to be an eclectic hypeup and summary of the season. The track is full of club-filling synth hooks that have become Harris’ trademark, although after Harris’ two year break, “Summer” feels and sounds disappointingly like most of the artists’ previous releases, and even more lamentably very similar to any of the club tracks making the rounds as fans prepare for drinking in the sun, scantily clad women and, according to the accompanying music video for “Summer”, having drag races with supped up cars in the desert. Calvin Harris is confirmed to co-headline Isle of Wight Festival this summer.
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as true thrash should get, but it still packs the brutal punch that Flayed Disciple deliver with their ever improving technical ability and tightness as a band. Closing track, ‘The Gates of Bedlam’ is powerfully chaotic, with screeching guitar solos and pounding bass drum at a fierce speed, closing the EP on a demonic down and dirty snarling note. All in all the self-titled EP is a fuming thrash onslaught, giving a true excitement to fans for their next album and the live shows which Flayed Disciple will undoubtedly perform their ruthless and take no prisoners style which make their gigs great to be at. Flayed Disciple have a UK tour confirmed from May 18th to 24th as main support to Earache Records’ Bonded By Blood. As well as exclusive festival appearances over the summer, Flayed Disciple will continue to bring their astounding thrash on a 13 day European tour From October 6th to 18th as main support to Earache Records’ ‘Cerebral Bore’. Louise Egan
The self-titled release from Somerset based Thrash Death Metal band Flayed Disciple is a three track EP of epic guttural and hispeed proportions, showing a technical progression from their previous album Death Hammer. The aggressive and at times groove driven tracks are to act as a taster for their next full-length release, and if offerings ‘Sick Abomination’, ‘The Maniac’ and ‘The Gates of Bedlam’ are what’s in store for fans of the underground thrash death metal scene, Flayed Disciple will become a truly promising outfit that you’ll need to take notice of. Opening track ‘Sick Abomination’ is a powerhouse of trashing guitar, growling vocals and drums that must have split the skins during recording, showcasing the power that Flayed Disciple put into their tracks and hints at the inspiration from prominent bands they have supported such as Gojira, Vader and a slot at Bloodstock Festival in 2012. ‘The Maniac’ is the most groove filled track of the EP and as laidback
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natives ghost Samantha Fisher
Twin Atlantic I am an animal Samantha Fisher
Following the release of debut album Indoor Wars, New Forest band Natives are all set to go on their own headline tour across the UK as well as playing at this year’s Slam Dunk festival. The band’s latest single ‘Ghost’, is a pop rock delight that’s easy on the ears and follows a somewhat disappointingly generic structure. Nonetheless, everything right down to the standard structure of ‘Ghost’ is indeed in perfect harmony. Each element of the music is played against the other so precisely, resulting in a well-balanced tone that sits nicely in your ears. Euphonious vocals work with an energetic beat to create a track that has the infectiousness of a pop song yet a raw dynamism that brings in a slight rock edge. Though this track isn’t the most creative to have been picked off the new album it certainly succeeds as easy listening with a difference.
Hitting Reading and Leeds festival as well as Scotland’s T in The Park this year are rock quartet Twin Atlantic. Though exploring the realms of pop with recent track ‘Heart And Soul’ the band seem to have returned to the rock side with latest release ‘I Am An Animal’. Though at times there are still hints of pop in McTrusty’s voice, the heavy drumbeat hits back with a vengeance and the manic vocals we know and love make a swift comeback. There is an abstract quality to the thrashing song, fitting with the title and creating an almighty beast of a track. Overall ‘I Am An Animal’ is much more in the vein of Twin Atlantic’s more established sound hinting towards an equally epic essence to come from the new album, Great Divide. The track is available for immediate download on pre-order of the album, which will be released on 18th August.
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Luminous The Horrors
Dubbing The Horrors as an indie rock band always seems to be the sloppy effort of an ignorant listener when really, the Southend five-piece are a rich blend of genres ranging from dream pop to post punk and shoegaze. Their latest release Luminous is most probably the greatest balance of all these with a selection of mushy vocals floating delicately on the surface of dynamic instrumentation. The album opens with ‘Chasing Shadows’, drawing the listener in with an epically eerie tone of synths that continually builds up to an almost tropical sounding melody that lends the feeling of spending a summer evening in a rainforest. Throughout the album there is a dreamy haze of guitars combined with the smooth melodic drone of Faris Badwan’s vocals, echoing throughout the verse. Though deep in tone, Badwan’s voice maintains a delicate nature creating a soothingly mystical air to the appropriately named album. Contrasting
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to this mellow tone in some songs are computer game and 80s synth vibes, mixed with delicious reverbs and elevating beats. This is particularly noted in ‘I See You’ that draws on a much more energetic mystical air, resulting in the feeling of floating through a fantasy world. The last minute of this track is a naughty little tease of a build up that leads up to an abrupt end before continuing onto the next song full of promiscuous and tempting tones. Also featured in the collection of different ambiances is an aggressive intro that doesn’t mess around and a bass line so think it’s impossible to ignore in ‘Jealous Son’ as well as a guitar with a blues kick featured in following track ‘Falling Star’. Luminous is abundant with songs that will leave your body in an array of transcendent sensations, each element at its utmost peak. Samantha Fisher
Thanks for the byline Heather Lewis
W
hy are journalists expected to write for free? Have you ever heard the phrase: “Come write for us, we’ll credit you in the Byline,” only to find out that they have no intention of paying you? We’re expected to write for nothing, when you’d never dream of asking a surgeon to do a surgery for free, or a shopkeeper to give away his groceries for ‘a Byline.’ So why? Because so much information can be found online for free, it’s assumed that we’re happy to give away that 1,000word feature that we’ve worked so hard on. You know, the one where you called the receptionist, for her to put you through to the PR, for them to tell you that they can only do an interview at 9pm Monday night, the exact time you’re supposed to be on a train home. Even if it was a relatively painless album review, you’re still expected to be okay with getting nothing in exchange for an hour of your time, not forgetting the extra hour you spent researching and either the time you spent trying to get hold of the album in the first place, or the money it cost you to buy. Well, it’s time to say ‘no’ to free work. People need us to tell them what’s happening, whose releasing albums, who’s playing Reading Festival this year and who’s worth seeing this week. It may not sound as pinnacle as, perhaps, a Lawyer’s job, but without us, where would the bands be?
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Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to help a friend out. Maybe they’d like me to review a track on my blog, but when you open an email from a publication promising that they’ll credit you by putting your name at the end... I should hope so – I wrote it. Getting your name out there into the huge sea of journalists, all trying to get the same interviews and column inches is difficult enough. No one wants to be writing for free when they’ve got their mortgage and car insurance to pay, and their kids need a new coat, and the washing machine just exploded all over the kitchen floor. That’s probably the scariest thing to imagine when you’re still writing about your friends first track on your blog that gets about 5 hits a week, but it doesn’t look any brighter on the other side of the degree. Not whilst we’re still getting calls about the ‘great opportunity their offering us and the contacts we’re building’ whilst we slave away at our computer for hours. All of this, just to see our name at the bottom of that piece of writing that we poured our heart and soul into. The icing on this disappointingly stale cake is when you see that the editor has cut a paragraph out. So go ahead, Steve Gullick, give away that photograph you took of Nirvana – it’s not like people should pay for it, you only put all your heart into your art.
The great british night out P
aying to spend the night in a room full of drunk people who can’t dance while the same songs are played week after week? No thank you! That’s not what the movies told us about clubs! Yet I still pay money into this industry even if it is just to partake in the activities rather than hear the dreadful monotony of it all booming from the club down the road. There is of course more to a good night than the music however one can only enjoy a Rihanna track so many times. Perhaps at this point it is the logical thing to go to another club but the majority of the time it seems that you’re getting served the same dish, just with different sides.
After a few nights of venturing to the alternative club further down the road it becomes apparent that they too are playing the same sets of their own songs every night. While this is enjoyable for a few nights, no matter how much you love those songs there is going to come a time when it just becomes ‘another one of those nights out’. I find myself retreating back and forth between the pop and alternative clubs in order to get into a cycle of different clubs to spice things up little. Even then though, that becomes yet another routine. The next option then seems to be to get so drunk that any music sounds acceptable and everyone is snared into a trap of repetitive beats,
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not wanting to waste that hefty entrance fee. As I’m writing this I remember my constant annoyance at people slating pop music when really it should be appreciated as a piece of entertainment. However my point in this article is not to say the music that clubs play is rubbish, rather there should be more of a variety and a shake up of playlists. Every once in a while you get a guest DJ and we pay a little more to essentially hear different music than we would on a regular night out. So while a good night out with friends isn’t largely effected by the music, it is clearly valued as a large part of the night when we are happy to pay more to hear something different. Or are people
paying this large sum just to see DJ alone, whether they’re a widely acclaimed musician or that dickhead from that TV show? I guess my point is that while I can enjoy a night out when I’m out there and in my element, it seems hard for me to understand this when I’m sitting at home and unwillingly listening to the drone of this so called music and club goers. How is it that we can hate music for all its worth, but when the time is right, we can be having the time of our life while listening to it? Be it the alcohol or the company, there is something quite mystical about the average British night out. Samantha Fisher
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TICKET PRICES Words By Katie Vowles
T
he days when you could get a ticket to see your favourite band on a part-time wage are gone. Gig ticket prices are becoming increasingly ridiculous, with some shows costing upwards of £100. Somehow this just doesn’t feel right. When a new high-profile show goes on sale, instantly you look for the price, and usually your heart sinks. But why is it that we are made to part with a kidney or two to see our favourite band? While it’s true that times are tight for musicians, hiking up the prices of their tour tickets just annoys the fans who can’t afford it. Yes there are understandable costs – lighting, sound, stage set-up, venue hire, equipment etc. etc. – but the fans are feeling the full force of this, and the concert experience we all used to love is being ruined. So, how come shows that break the bank still sell out? Imagine getting someone hooked on drugs at a set price, and then suddenly upping it tenfold. By gaining fans with affordable albums, the longing for the artist gets stronger, so when a tour is announced, the fan will go to any length to go. Take Kate Bush: She’ll play 15 gigs at the London Eventim Apollo beginning August 26 and tickets start at £49 for the worst seats – to get the best in house you have to fork out £135. To truly enjoy it you’re going to want to have the best seats, so essentially you’ve been blackmailed into spending an obscene amount of money on tickets you feel like you need to be a ‘true fan’. If the demand is there, artists think they can charge ridiculous prices. Sadly, by
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buying into these tours, we’re proving them right. But what other option is there? The Rolling Stones proved with their £375 tickets (£950 for VIP) that people will buy tickets to see them regardless, they’ll just be a bit miffed about it. Guitarist Ronnie Wood defended these extortionate prices, saying: “We’ve already spent a million on rehearsing in Paris. And the stage is going to be another few million. We feel no bad thing about ticket prices. We’ve got to make something.” Though some musicians are clearly obsessed with profit, there are exceptions to the industry blackmail. In 2013 Kid Rock refused to charge more than $20 for his tour with ZZ Top saying: “Shouldn’t we all take less and pass some of that money onto others? Think about firefighters, teachers and policemen.” And while ambitious rock stars Muse have always been known for their showy gigs, they charged only £33 for tickets to London’s O2 back in 2012. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme spoke out against ticket prices, saying: “You want to make some money but at the same time the most important thing is to go out and play live. We probably could make a lot more, if we went out with no production and charged ridiculous ticket prices. But it’s not all about that.” Just last month The Damned charged £1.70 for tickets to their gig at London’s The Forum – a tribute to their gig prices in 1977 to celebrate Captain Sensible’s 60th birthday. I suppose the comfort is that in an industry where people are just moneygrabbing bastards, at least some bands have the integrity to do things right.
Gig Douchebags Louise Egan
Y
ou drink too much, your elbows are permanently jammed into a stranger’s ribcage, and you watch the entire event through your phone screen. It is you, the gig douchebag, who ruins a gig for many people just by being an inconsiderate inebriate. I understand the excitement of going to a gig; the sound won’t be as great as the studio album you have on repeat but the atmosphere and tangible nature of being near a band is too tempting to pass up. You must realise
though that there are other people in the queue with you, and if not you must be able to comprehend that the shapes squished beside you in the less than ample sized standing area are people who want to have a good time just as much as you. It is arguable that the disdain towards overzealous and oversaturated gig-goers stems from the almost painfully overbearing British politeness. We know how to queue so why, gig douchebag, are you
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not mean it is fine to elbow and knee people just to get a metre closer to the stage: it’s not like you can’t hear the band. The pleases, thankyou’s and general courtesies found in Britain’s more cramped areas are even more lost on the gig douchebag when alcohol is thrown into the mix. Sober you are tolerable, the loud jokes in the queue are just people having a good time, but drunk you are rude to bouncers, you fall over in mosh pits while trying to drag unwilling strangers in, and you think stage-diving is a good idea. Stage-diving is NEVER a good idea, yet you revel in your limbs hitting people in the head whilst they try and get you off of them, only to elbow your way back into the crowd afterwards. As for the phones in the air predicament at every gig in this technological age: if you’re going to record and watch a gig through your phone why not save your money and watch it on YouTube through someone elses phone recording afterwards? Undeniably the best nights are the ones you will remember, even if the timeline is initially hazy, but you do not need to record an entire gig, because chances are that recording will sit on your phone untouched until you need to wipe the memory for your new iPhone 6GSCi upgrade. So please, gig douchebag, let other people enjoy the band they travelled and paid to see. I’m not saying you can’t have a good time, but there is a considerate, safe and very British kind of fun you need to be introduced to. The worst part is you’re already British.
switching between groups of friends along the line, constantly scrounging off strangers for cigarette papers, and worst of all, complaining about the wait with more than the British approved tsk and mutter. In small spaces such as the rush hour public transport and the tiny venue we know that no-one has enough space, so trying to elbow people in the ribs is nothing more than a rude and pointless attempt to give yourself more room. The brusies of being pushed against a front barrier may appeal to some people for nostalgia and being a badass purposes, but please gig douchebag, that does
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Out 23rd June 2014