LOSTPROPHETS | WARPED TOUR | PLACEBO | BRAND NEW
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£3.80 SEPT. 2009 ISSUE 126
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MAIN FEATURES 38 PLACEBO 64 BRAND NEW
You asked for it! Fan dedication, being reincarnated as Steve Jones’ fingers and the death of Michael Jackson, we put your questions to Placebo…
With the release of fourth album ‘Daisy’ looming, ROCK SOUND caught up with Brand New to discuss the unknown future of the band…
54 PARAMORE 68 3 INCHES OF BLOOD
After testing friendships, almost splitting up and going through therapy, Paramore are back with their third and best album yet…
Now a quartet and with a killer new record, 3 Inches Of Blood are back and ready to slay…
60 MUNICIPAL WASTE
Celebrating its 15th year, Warped Tour has cited controversy by including the likes of BrokeNCYDE and Jeffree Star on the bill. ROCK SOUND GETS IN ON THE ACTION…
© Nigel Crane
© Nigel Crane
The new-school pioneers of party thrash return with their fourth record, but it would have been a damn sight easier had the studio been built…
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WELCOME TO MY WORLD 44 DESIGN DEVILS STEAK MTN THE BRONX BULLSHIT DETECTOR
46 48 THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND
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THE TWO OF US JAY REATARD Q&A
50 52 THE GET UP KIDS REVOLUTIONARIES
62 DEAD SWANS 70 LOVVERS “Does my bum look big in this?”
They’ve been to hell and back and come out at the other side as a leaner, meaner fighting machine. Rock Sound hooks up with Hayley Williams and co in Chicago to find out just how this month’s cover stars, Paramore, have managed to overcome their inner band turmoil and record the fantastic ‘Brand New Eyes’. Also this month, we’ve managed to dodge the dreaded swine flu (so far), to bring you another action-packed issue and it’s all systems go as we traverse the rock universe to bring you all that’s hot and happening. As we mentioned last month, there’s still a whole host of big releases to come that will crown 09 as one of the best years for music we’ve seen since, erm… 08, so strap in your ears because we’re going to take them for the ride of their lives as we bring the year to a close. Only a few more festivals to go – we’ve had Rock Sound stages at GuilFest, Supersonic and Truck festival, which have all been a massive success (read all about them in this month’s live section), and we’re very excited about the line-up for our stage at the forthcoming Damnation Festival in Leeds. Jesu, This Will Destroy You, A Storm Of Light, And So I Watch You From Afar plus more RS-approved bands than you can shake a stick at all playing the same stage on one day – it’s going to be immense and I’m going to be glued to the front (although not literally, hopefully) all day. We’ll see you there for an incredible day of music and mayhem. Darren Taylor, Editor
And their desert island disc... Rock Sound, Unit 22, Jack’s Place, 6 Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN Tel: + 44 (0)20 7877 8770 Fax: + 44 (0)20 7377 0455 e-mail: info@rocksound.tv twitter.com/rocksound
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6-7 RSVP Got something to say? Get that shit off your chest…
8-24 THE NOISE Who’s making a racket in the world of rock, featuring MEGADETH, LOSTPROPHETS, Rammstein, Deftones, InMe and more, plus the latest studio UPDATES FROM ATREYU, Skeletonwitch and recording news from around the world. Also this month: Win a load of band T-shirts and official band shoes.
25-36 EXPOSURE The best new bands you need to know about, featuring Set Your Goals, AUGUST BURNS RED, BROADWAY CALLS, Caspian, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, The 69 Eyes, NO CONSEQUENCE and more…
80–95 REVIEWS ROCK SOUND reviews and rates over 100 new releases in music, films, DVDs, games and books. Featuring The Used, Blakfish, Burnt By The Sun, Keelhaul, Pissed Jeans, THE WILDHEARTS and more, while Slaves To Gravity tackle tHIS MONTH’s SINGLES.
96–111 LIVES The hottest gigs from around the GLOBE reviewed, including GuilFest, Truck FestIVAL, SUPERSONIC, THE ROCKSTAR MAYHEM TOUR, Enter Shikari, THE [4] rocksound.tv RED CHORD and loads more…
EDITOR: Darren Taylor (Isis ‘Oceanic’) darren.taylor@rocksound.tv twitter.com/rocksoundtaylor DEPUTY EDITOR: Darren Sadler (Status Quo ‘Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon’) darren.sadler@rocksound.tv REVIEWS EDITOR: Darren Taylor SUB EDITOR: Jen Walker (NIN ‘The Fragile’) jen.walker@rocksound.tv EDITORIAL ASSISTANT / STAFF WRITER: Faye Lewis (Smashing Pumpkins ‘Gish’) faye.lewis@rocksound.tv GAMES EDITOR: David Jenkins (Queen ‘Greatest Hits’) FILMS EDITOR: Rachel Kellehar (Marmaduke Duke ‘Duke Pandemonium’) DESIGN: Alistair Cook (Neil Young ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’) alistair.cook@rocksound.tv ONLINE EDITOR: Andy Kelham (Sense Field ‘Building’) andy.kelham@rocksound.tv WEB DEVELOPER: Sonic Network ROCK SOUND SLAVES: Tarik Algin, Trevor Baker, Duncan Bryceland, Jim Burt, Richard Cartey, Helen Catchpowle, Richard Childs, Alex Deller, Mike Diver, James Dominic, Robyn Doreian, Victoria Durham, Lewis Fraser, Neil Gardner, Noel F Gardner, Eleanor Goodman, Shane Harrison, Mike Haydock, Chris Hidden, Darren Johns, Emily Kearns, Rachel Kellehar, Mike Kemp, Adam F Kennedy, Ronnie KerswellO'Hara, Jonathan Long, Amy Mcgill, Joe Marshall, Ken McGrath, Iain Moffat, Dan Morgan, Giles Moorhouse, Tim Newbound, Paul Raggity, Oli Robertson, Plum Woodard. HAPPY SNAPPERS: Tom Barnes, Duncan Bryceland, Nigel Crane, Steve Gerrard, Kate Hoggett, Zen Inoya, Mark Latham, Mei Lewis, Danny North, Owen Richards, Graham Smith, Andy Stubbs, Joe Watson, Gary Wolstenholme.
US & CANADA CORRESPONDENTS: J Bennett, Nick Green, Chantal Hennessey, Hardeep Phull, Kevin Stewart-Panko, Corey Taylor (8), Robin Laananen (photos) SPECIAL THANKS: Steph Senyszyn, Johnfold Wright, Claire Nice ADVERTISING MANAGER: Lianne Sparkes (Lostprophets ‘The Fake Sound Of Progress’) Tel: 0207 877 8776 lianne.sparkes@rocksound.tv EVENTS COORDINATOR: Chloe Brown (Never Mind The Pan Pipes ‘Indie Pan Pipe Hits’) chloe.brown@rocksound.tv PUBLISHER: Patrick Napier (Manu Chao ‘Clandestino’) Tel: 0207 877 8779 patrick.napier@rocksound.tv Newstrade distribution by Marketforce. If you have any trouble getting hold of Rock Sound in the shops please call: 020 3148 3333. Subscription rates are as follows: UK £34.97, Europe £46.00, US/Canada £46.00, Rest of world £66.00. To subscribe or if you have a problem with your subscription please call: 0844 249 0217 or email: rocksound@servicehelpline.co.uk Rock Sound cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited manuscripts and photographs or for material lost or damaged in the post. All material remains the copyright of Rock Sound Ltd. No part of Rock Sound may be reproduced in whole or part without the prior permission of the publisher (and that includes scanning and uploading it to the net, kids!). Or our lawyers will be round (and they’re very scary!). ABC Member of The Audit Bureau Of Circulation July-Dec 2008: Average net circulation 20,011 ISSN: 1465-0185 COVER PHOTO: Nigel Crane Printed in the UK by St Ives (Roche) Published by Rock Sound Ltd – a 100 per cent independent operation. Text printed on 100 per cent post consumer recylced waste.
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GUILFEST 09 Motörhead, The Ghost Of A Thousand, Kylesa, The King Blues, Telegraphs, Swound! and more talk to Rock Sound TV at GuilFest 09. Cracking.
A LIBERATION TRANSMISSION Lostprophets go DIY on album four
T
he long wait is almost over – Lostprophets are finally finishing up album number four. Work on the as-yet-untitled album began with John Feldmann in 07 but the Welshies weren’t chuffed with the outcome. “We want every record to be a progression from the last,” guitarist Mike Lewis told Rock Sound. “We had a finished record but we weren’t happy with it – not that it was shit, we just weren’t satisfied when we sat back and listened to it, it didn’t tick all the boxes for us and we felt like we could do better.” So the band, most of whom now live in Los Angeles, headed back to the green, green grass of home for inspiration. “There was something special about when we went back to Wales and being back in Ponty,” said the guitarist. “I was staying at my mam’s house and going to Cardiff to rehearse everyday and hanging out with friends in the evening. It definitely inspired us to write the songs that ended up making this record a bit more special. We went back to the drawing board,
scrapped a load of songs and started the record again.” After recording “didn’t work out” with both Feldmann and Bob Rock, the band took matters into their own hands and, with bassist Stuart Richardson at the helm, produced it themselves. “It was very liberating to do it ourselves, like going back to our first album where we didn’t have any outside influence telling us, ‘I’d change this part’,” Mike revealed. “Doing the album, it just seemed like we couldn’t see the wood for the trees, then it just dawned on us: we do everything else in the band ourselves – design our own artwork, do our own merchandise, run our own websites – surely the logical thing is to produce our own record.” The follow-up to ‘Liberation Transmission’, which will include ‘It’s Not The End Of The World But I Can See It From Here’ (released as a single in October), plus ‘Next Stop Atrocity’ and ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Felon’, is slated for release in January 2010. Catch the band perform at Reading and Leeds this month. www.lostprophets.com
KONG TOUR DIARY Rock Sound TV follows Kong on their UK tour and finds out that it gets dark out there on the road!
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA The Atlanta five-piece drop an acoustic version of Chicago’s ‘Saturday In The Park’ exclusively for our cameras.
BEST OF rocksound.tv
It’s officially summer time and despite the ever-changing weather www.rocksound.tv remains a constant and true source for all your news needs. Festivals, festivals, festivals are our trade at the moment. GUILFEST 09 and SONISPHERE 09 were smashed by Rock Sound TV who were on-site grabbing interviews with all your favourite artists. We also launched our FESTIVAL MEMORIES feature online and got members of BRIDES, SWOUND!, THURSDAY, FLOOD OF RED and MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA (to name but a few) to tell us their fondest recollections of summer music gatherings. What tales did we get? Killer Pot Noodles, handlebar moustaches, rock star tantrums and awkward urinal moments, not exactly what we planned for but, oh well… Safely back in the office we have been breaking exclusive news, announcing the new BIFFY CLYRO album title (‘Only Revolutions’ if you’re not in the know), the new YOUR DEMISE vocalist, the first STEEL PANTHER headline tour of the UK and the inside track on PANIC AT THE DISCO’s rebirth. Reading and Leeds are up next as we bid farewell to the summer of 09.
STEEL PANTHER LA’s finest entertain us with some acoustic renditions of your cock rock favourites and more…
For more news, reviews and exclusive interviews (hey, that rhymed) check out www.rocksound.tv on a daily, hourly or even minutely basis. [8] rocksound.tv
Twelve studio albums in, Dave Mustaine reveals that ‘Endgame’ could be Megadeth’s final album, penultimate at the very least…
RUST IN PEACE?
Could this be Megadeth’s ending game?
M
egadeth’s frontman Dave Mustaine has strongly indicated new album ‘Endgame’ may well be the band’s penultimate record of their career. “Now that this record is done I’m free to just slowly but surely piece together what is probably going to be my last record,” said the thrash metaller to Rock Sound. “I have one record left on my contract and I’m pretty much done. I’ll be 50 soon and I think it’s going to be a really, really, really hard task to beat this record, so this very one may well be the end of it and I know for sure this is my last record contract.” Dave stated that he intends to start producing bands as well as setting up a metal school at his new Vic’s Garage Studio near San Diego – where ‘Endgame’, Megadeth’s 12th studio album, was recorded. Currently setting up the school, Dave said there would be opportunities for some bursaries for underprivileged talent. “There are a lot of people like me who were living on food stamps and their parents were working pay cheque to pay cheque, now they’re living pay cheque to credit card to pay cheque. Far be it for me to not to want to do something awesome and give something back to the people who gave me my career.” Similarly to its predecessor, 07s ‘United Abominations’, ‘Endgame’ was produced by Mustaine and metal’s über producer Andy Sneap. While ‘United…’ was critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike, Dave says he’s as proud of ‘Endgame’ as he was of ‘Rust In Peace’. “The cool thing is that every once in a while a record comes along that knocks the music industry on its ass and I’ve done that twice so far, once with ‘Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?’ and again with ‘Rust In Peace’. I think it’s going to happen again
with this record. We really tried our hardest to think, ‘Well, I’m a fan of this music so what is it I like about this music? It’s playing the guitar parts that other people can’t do...’ And it’s not like doing these fret board calisthenic wanks, I’m talking about playing some really cool music that people can fuck or fight to, you know what I mean? And I think we’ve got a record that’s really going make a lot of people happy.”
“I’ll be 50 soon and I think it’s going to be a really, really, really hard task to beat this record.” Dave Mustaine ‘Endgame’ is the first to feature new lead guitarist Chris Broderick, who joins Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Shawn Drover. Dave explained that his favourite songs on the album are dependent on his mood. One song on the album was also penned for Mrs Mustaine, although it didn’t get the reaction Dave had hoped for. “I really love ‘The Hardest Part Of Letting Go... Sealed With A Kiss’. I wrote that for my wife and she hates it and I’m really pissed off about it! She said I had never written a song for her in 17 years so I finally wrote her one. The second half of it is about Edgar Allan Poe’s Cask Of Amontillado. The guy is a villain and they get him drunk and take him to the underground wine cellar and brick this guy into the wall. They leave him there, so this guy is sentenced to die, buried alive, in this wall. I think she thinks that part is about her and I’m like, ‘That’s not what it is!’” ‘Endgame’ is released on September 14 via Roadrunner. www.megadeth.com
rocksound.tv [9]
ON THE RE
THE BEST NEW MUSIC
ON THE RE
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•THEY ’ CD!
ON TH RE
With their second album to promote and a European tour with The Offspring imminent, the future is looking good for Broadway Calls…
BROADWAY CALLS Military Might
Broadway Calls emerged from a solid friendship formed by guitartoting frontman Ty Vaughn and drummer Josh Baird. As teens, the pair started playing music together in various punk and hardcore bands, establishing kinships within a US scene very much defined by its DIY roots. The pop-punk trio’s introduction to the European tour circuit was very different, heading out with Cobra Starship and All Time Low, before performing at 08s Give It A Name festival. “When we started this band it was mainly hardcore bands that we knew and were our friends from touring,” says Ty. “We had a lot of fun doing that, and we were accepted in that scene, but there’s nothing hardcore about our music, so we wanted to tour with bands that were more our style. Over the last couple of years we’ve been able to do that, met some great people, and we’ve got to open for some bands that have been truly inspiring to us and we grew up listening to.” This included UK dates with Alkaline Trio, and this month the
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LINE-UP: Ty Vaughn (vocals, guitar), Matt Koenig (bass), Josh Baird (drums) FROM: Rainier, Oregon SOUNDS LIKE: Classy pop-punk rife with ace lyrics. CURRENT RELEASE: ‘Good Views, Bad News’ (album, SideOneDummy. Out August 17) WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/broadwaycalls DOWNLOAD THIS: ‘Be All You Can’t Be’
band will be promoting their second album, ‘Good Views, Bad News’, by supporting The Offspring across Europe and opening the Radio One stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals. Rock Sound imagines they’re hopeful that the said fests won’t be promoting military recruitment, as was the case at last year’s Warped Tour, which, combined with similar drives in US high schools, inspired the lyrics behind the album’s first single, ‘Be All You Can’t Be’. “I think the fact that there are military recruiters in our schools, talking to 16 or 17-year-old children about their future, trying to sell them on joining the military, is really dangerous, when the rest of society doesn’t trust anyone over 18 to even vote,” explains the singer. “The fact that someone can’t vote on who’s in their local or national government but they can join the military, I think that’s really irresponsible.”
TIM NEWBOUND
OR YOURS?
TELEKINESIS
EASTSTRIKEWEST
SOUNDS LIKE: Breezy, sunny indie-pop melodies with DIY charm.
They come from Washington state, Chris Walla produced their new album, the singer has a highpitched, ethereal voice, and he’s been known to wear thick-rimmed specs. To be honest, Telekinesis aren’t doing a great job at avoiding the Death Cab For Cutie comparisons. “Yes, I think it’s inevitable,” says the frontman in question, Michael Lerner. You can feel him wincing. To be fair, it was actually Chris Walla who approached him rather than the other way around, contacting Michael through his Myspace page and then saying hello after a Death Cab show. Without Walla, Lerner’s album, ‘Telekinesis!’, may not exist. “If it weren’t for Chris’ enthusiasm and excitement about making the record, I probably would’ve never got these songs together and recorded them properly,” Michael says. “I wasn’t really planning on
making a record before he asked.” In the studio, Telekinesis is just Michael; on tour he sings from behind his drum kit while Chris [Staples] and David [Broecker] strum guitars and Jonie [Broecker] plays bass and keys. The next album will probably feature more of their input, but this one was recorded in haste, with Michael and Chris aiming to track and mix a song per day. “It forced us not to over-think things,” Michael says. “It forced me to give the best performance I could possibly give, and then move on. I was aiming for something that wasn’t totally glossy, and perfect, and without mistakes. Rock and roll is all about mistakes. I mean, we’re all human, we all make mistakes.” We sure do: your biggest of the day would be to ignore this record. CURRENT RELEASE: ‘Telekinesis!’ (album, Morr Music. Out now) DOWNLOAD THIS: ‘Awkward Kisser’ WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TELEKINESISMUSIC
MIKE HAYDOCK
ON THE RE
THE FEDERALS This York-based three-piece are picking up fans all over the place at the moment, with none other than Fearne Cotton being papped wearing one of their T-shirts (if that’s not good promotion, we don’t know what is). Performing an irresistible, fast and furious blend of indie-rock and punk – think The Vines mixed with The Stooges – The Federals will have played to the masses by the time you read this, having appeared at festivals all over the country. Their Myspace is pretty sparse in terms of information, but we happen to know that they’ve played with both Black Lips and Howling Bells in the past, and their three-minute snarls won’t be leaving your head for a while. JW WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEFEDERALS PLAY THIS: ‘Take It From Me’
•THEY ’ CD!
DARKER MY LOVE
ON THE RE
!• THEY’ CD
While their website quips anything ‘pre’ and nothing ‘post’, it’ll be easy to lump eaststrikewest into the post-rock camp – just ‘cos that’s easy for us journos! The good news is that their electronica / meandering / slow-quiet rock is more akin to the experimental nature of 65daysofstatic if they wrote pop songs. Having learned their trade with threemovements, the sextet has organically developed into an outstanding and exciting Brit-rock band. Having just inked a deal with Thirty Days Of Night, the future could be promising. DS WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EASTSTRIKEWESTBAND PLAY THIS: ‘Stumble’
SOUNDS LIKE: My Bloody Valentine travelling back in time to the 1960s.
The years after recording their first album weren’t easy for Darker My Love. They couldn’t seem to persuade anyone to release it, drummer Andy Granelli was knocked off his bike by a car, breaking both arms, and two of the band, Tim Presley (vocals, guitar) and Rob Barbato (bass, vocals), were temporarily lured away by Mark E Smith to go and play with The Fall. “Our first record was made and it sat around and nobody put it out for over a year. So there were times when we thought this was all in vain,” admits guitarist Jared Everett. Nevertheless, the record finally came out in 06 and the second album, ‘2’, is heavily influenced by the hard times that came before. Jared describes it as “a hitchhikers guide to LA”. “It was my personal guide to staying here and having that experience,” he explains. “It took us a long time to make that record.” While their moments of doubt are clearly audible in lyr-
ics like “Did you bury your needs in your own backyard?”, the music is supremely confident. With its layered guitars and sweet vocal melodies it sounds like The Byrds produced by Kevin Shields, or Verve before they became ‘The’ Verve. Jared says that the plan has always been to have a massive impact on the people who get it, rather than aim for mass appeal. “There’s such a broad range of music these days,” he says. “To have an impact on a massive scale would be tough, but I think music can still have a massive impact on individuals.” CURRENT RELEASE: ‘2’ (album, Dangerbird. Out now) DOWNLOAD THIS: ‘Northern Soul’ WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DARKERMYLOVE
TREVOR BAKER
LITANY FOR THE WHALE Hurtling out of the ever-fertile Californian underground with all the rending clamour of a derailed freight train, Litany For The Whale have served up the most potent dollop of rollicking post-hardcore that Rock Sound has heard in a long ol’ time. While it might sound like an odd concoction, the band’s equal-parts mix of Baroness, Unwound and pre-crap Hot Water Music fits together seamlessly and hits hard like a claw hammer to the back of the head, serving to make ‘em the kind of bleak-yet-ball-busting proposition you’d be hard pushed to ignore. AD WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LITANYFORTHEWHALE PLAY THIS: ‘Lord Of The Gallows’
Want to see your band featured in these here pages? Get yourself over to www.myspace.com/rocksound pronto and add us. It could be you next month... rocksound.tv [33]
YOU THE FANS ASK THEM THE BANDS…
PLACEBO INTERVIEW: Jen Walker / PHOTOS: Tom Barnes
Burping and farting at the cinema, being reincarnated as Steve Jones’ fingers and the death of Michael Jackson, ROCK SOUND asks Placebo what you want to know…
H
OW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FAN DEDICATION, LIKE PLACEBO-RELATED TATTOOS AND FANS TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD TO SEE YOU? WHEN DOES IT SWITCH FROM BEING NICE TO BEING CREEPY? Päivi Anttila, Finland
Brian Molko (vocals, guitar): “When they try and break into your fucking hotel room, that’s when it gets creepy. As Ali G once said, ‘There’s a very fine line between love and hate’, so I think that when people who are very much obsessed with you get the wrong signals it can very quickly turn very nasty and actually get violent sometimes. For some reason the most violent fans are the girls and I really don’t know why.” Stefan Olsdal (bass): “We’ve actually had some fans who’ve got jobs at magazines as photographers and writers and managed to get their way backstage that way.” Brian: “I suppose we put ourselves forward for that kind of attention, but the majority of people are very respectful and we appreciate their dedication to us. If people want to tattoo my face on their body or travel the world that’s their choice, it’s perfectly fine. I think some people just elevate you to such a point and forget that you’re actually human.”
IF YOU WERE TO BE REINCARNATED, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME BACK AS? Emma Berndtson, Sweden Brian: “Steve Jones from T4’s fingers.” RS: “Okay… why?” Brian: [laughs] “Why do you think?” Stefan: “I’d probably come back as a woman, just to see what that’s like.” Steve Forrest (drums): “I’d come back as… erm… a dog. I don’t know? I don’t really want to die, I just want to stay as me.”
WHAT’S THE ONE THING THAT EACH OF YOU LONGS MOST FOR IN LIFE? Daniela Margescu, Switzerland
Brian: “Balance and serenity, they both go hand in hand.” Stefan: “Peace of mind, quite simply.”
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Brian: [pointing at Steve]: “Druuuuums, more druuuuums...” Steve: [laughs] “To be the best drummer in the world, yeah!”
DID YOU EVER DO ANYTHING AS A CHILD THAT STILL EMBARRASSES YOU NOW OR MAKES YOU CRINGE?
Nadia Prokopjeva, Russia Brian: “Just a few of the outfits I wore on Top Of The Pops.” Stefan: “Not really. I think that’s the time to make a tit out of yourself and get away with it. When you hit puberty, that’s when you’ve got to start watching yourself.” Steve: “Yeah, that’s when stuff starts to stick with you. You might say one stupid thing and then you’re fucked.”
HOW DOES YOUR NEW DRUMMER, STEVE, INFLUENCE PLACEBO’S SOUND? Johanna Binder, Austria
Brian: “He’s got a different style to our previous sticksmen.” Stefan: “He hits harder.” Brian: “It’s definitely more of a North American style in comparison to the drummers we’ve had in the past, who’ve been Swedish and Mancunian. We wanted to rank up the power this time around, so it’s working out.”
I’M ALWAYS WONDERING WHAT THE MEMBERS OF MY FAVOURITE BAND ARE READING. DO YOU HAVE TIME TO TOUCH A BOOK DURING THE TOUR AND IF YES, WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT? Sophie Schulz, Germany
Brian: “I’m still reading a book that Stefan lent me, which is called Whatever by Michel Houellebecq, probably my favourite contemporary French author.” Stefan: “I’m just reading escapist crime thrillers by a Swedish author called Stieg Larsson, just to kind of switch off at night. You don’t have a lot of brain capacity after a full day of travelling and then playing a show.” Brian: “That’s why is takes a long time to read a book on tour.” Steve: “I’m reading Bukowski stuff because it’s just easy, dirty and fun.” Brian: “Just like the ladies you’re attracted to!”
Brian ‘the shredder’ Molko
“We used to put on our rider that there must be no yellow in the building because we wouldn’t play if there was.” Brian Molko rocksound.tv [39]
It’s been a difficult couple of years for Paramore but wounds are healed and friendships are back on track. ROCK SOUND speaks to the five-piece about their new record and what went right‌
[54] rocksound.tv
BACK FROM THE BRINK WORDS: Andrew Kelham / PHOTOS: Nigel Crane On February 27 2008 a new issue of Rock Sound magazine was placed in racks of newsagents, supermarkets and record stores across the UK, Paramore were on the cover. The issue was intending to celebrate the band’s 12-date UK tour and Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, but the band were far from jubilant. As their second album ‘Riot!’ continued to propel the band forward, fatigue set in and Paramore were struggling to cope with the pace and pressure that came with their position. “We know we need to be thankful for what we have, we are,” admitted vocalist Hayley Williams when the interview for the piece was done. “But it’s hard to figure out the line of being grateful for it and knowing that if you take everything you’re offered you’ll not last doing it.” The words proved eerily prophetic as six days before the magazine hit stands Williams posted a message online saying the band had “a lot of internal issues” and would be cancelling remaining tour dates because they weren’t “willing to risk the life of [their] band over one tour”. Strong words, but entirely necessary ones. “We went to counselling when we got home,” Williams recalls some 16 months later. “We sat down with someone who had known our band for a long time, someone who forced us to be honest and talk to each other about what we were feeling, who we were and what had happened.” Williams recounts the tale sat in the front lounge of the band’s tour bus as it sits in the loading bay of the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, a desolate and deeply uninteresting suburb 40 miles south of Chicago. The bus is third in a row of nine that house Paramore, Bedouin Soundclash, tour headliners No Doubt and their associated crews. Next to those buses are eight articulated lorries that carry the production across North America on a 44-date tour that will play to a combined crowd of well over half a million, while making the members of No Doubt considerably more each.
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BEST ALBUM EVER
“I
BAYONETS
‘WISHES & WISHES’
NEIL MAHONY (AMPLIFIER)
‘HERE WAITS THY DOOM‘
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ARCTIC MONKEYS ‘HUMBUG’
(CENTURY MEDIA)
www.arcticmonkeys.com
[8]
ARMS AND SLEEPERS ‘BLACK PARIS 86’
www.ahab-doom.de
[8]
Despite its transatlantic provenance, this debut full-length from Massachusetts two-piece Arms and Sleepers would fit snugly into a distinguished line of pastoral British electronic records, evoking a multitude of genre-defining acts without ever regressing into pastiche. Certainly, influences are easy to identify – ‘Lausanne’ owes much to the sea-sick nostalgia of Boards Of Canada while the climax of ‘71 Fragments…’ sounds like a genetically engineered hybrid of Slowdive and Epic45 – but ‘Black Paris 86’ also retains an entirely distinctive undercurrent of urban paranoia, with the uneasy dubstep-infused crackle of ‘Seems (If Ever)’ suggesting that the duo might just emerge from the their contemporaries’ considerable shadow. FOR FANS OF: Epic45, Boards Of Canada, Four Tet, Hood
www.myspace.com/armsandsleepers
SHANE HARRISON
[6]
‘DEAR FRIENDS AND GENTLE HEARTS’ (FAT WRECK CHORDS)
Bay Area quartet American Steel’s previous album, 07s ‘Destroy Their Future’, presented, if anything, a frustrating listen. The likes of Against Me! managed to get away with tin-drum and tennis racquet-guitar albums in their early days purely because of the quality of songs bubbling under the blurry mess. ‘Dear Friends And Gentle Parts’, while resembling by no means a marked turnaround, is at least listenable, if only as background music to a punk rock party in downtown Oakland. Skiba-like vocal cries envelop a set of decent tunes, but for a finer slice of this melodic punk rock pie may we suggest you consult the names below. FOR FANS OF: Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, Jawbreaker
[82] rocksound.tv
BEHEMOTH
(EXPECT CANDY)
(NAPALM)
If you’re not keen on your next door neighbour and want them to know you mean business, Ahab should shit them up a bit. Their brand of ferocious yet harmonious doom metal has the ability to grind every bone in your body with its spurts of distortion and grizzly vocals, then gently soothe with chant-like vocals and atmospherics. Taking inspiration from Moby Dick (they are named after the novel‘s Captain Ahab) seems quite fitting for such an act, whose sound can be pleasant and calm but also punishing and harsh like the seas that influence their music. This album is an essential item for any metal enthusiast. FOR FANS OF: Funeral, Pantheist, My Dying Bride
OLI ROBERTSON
ALEX DELLER
TREVOR BAKER
RICHARD CARTEY
www.americansteel.org
For those figuring Paradigms as sole purveyors of arcane and esoteric wares (and, after those Gnaw Their Tongues and Hjarnidaudi releases, who could blame ‘em?) the direct punch to the gut provided by ‘Nazarene Hallucinations’ will most likely come as a rude awakening. Having grumpily thrown together black metal, doom and weatherworn crust, Bosnia proceed to simmer it all down until they’re left with a thick, tarry and altogether toxic gloop that casts aside social niceties and belches up as many leaden Sabbath riffs as it does ravening Martyrdöd blasts, ensuring that it’s bound to be plenty monstrous whatever they’re doing. FOR FANS OF: Kylesa, His Hero Is Gone, Asbestosdeath, Cavity
(DOMINO)
www.3inchesofblood.com
AMERICAN STEEL
[7]
www.myspace.com/bosnia666
EMILY KEARNS
Maturity is an over-rated virtue for young bands. It usually means slowing down and losing the energy. Arctic Monkeys, however, have gone straight from the whippersnapper stage to debonair lounge lizards without missing a beat. The beat, in fact, is crucial. Drummer Matt Helders holds everything together with a rare swing as well as a swagger. Judging by the similarities between tracks like the louche ‘Fire And The Thud’ and The Last Shadow Puppets‘ album, though, this is very much Alex Turner’s record and he’s never sounded better. Half James Bond to half James Bolam, he’s still got the northern wit but ‘Humbug’ is also extraordinarily suave. FOR FANS OF: Pulp, Scott Walker
‘THE DIVINITY OF OCEANS’
‘NAZARENE HALLUCINATIONS’ (PARADIGMS)
[8] www.myspace.com/bayonetshowl
3 Inches Of Blood are wading into deeper waters here. There‘s still the presence of ‘Priest but with a slick, new 70s rock sensibility. The Vancouver group sound happy to lace in a feel of blue pentatonics and unafraid of hitting notes outside of traditional metal giving their riff gallops even greater thrills. ‘Here Waits Thy Doom‘ starts slow but the latter two thirds are both emphatically powerful and rich in texture, a highlight being ‘Preacher‘s Daughter‘. One day, 3 Inches... could become too much of a heritage act, but who cares when the people giving history class are this good? FOR FANS OF: Wolf, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Priestess
AHAB
BOSNIA
(WALNUT TREE)
Hereford four-piece Bayonets are bursting with potential. Their debut release, eighttracker ‘Wishes & Wishes’ pieces together fragments of Matchbook Romance, borrows from the earlier endeavours of The Anniversary (and the more mature of Brand New) and adds pinches of ‘Through Being Cool’-era Saves The Day into the mix. With heady melodies and lingering vocal lines, thought-provoking interludes and sincerely delivered verse, who knows what calibre of material could follow their debut. With clear potential to grow, these UK hopefuls are definitely worth keeping a beady eye or two on. FOR FANS OF: Matchbook Romance, Brand New
just can’t say which is the best album ever but I can categorically state which album, at the time, had the biggest impact on my life – ‘Appetite For Destruction’ by Guns N’ Roses. It arrived in the summer of 87 and just blew my 14-year-old brain to smithereens. My favourite bands were already Sabbath, Floyd, Zeppelin etc and I’d started getting into Van Halen too, but this just changed the rules. It told me I could do whatever the fuck I wanted and nobody could stop me. I used to play it really loud in my brother’s bedroom (because he had a better stereo than me) and purposely turn it up even louder for all the swearing parts.”
3 INCHES OF BLOOD
[7]
JOE MARSHALL
AUGUST BURNS RED ‘CONSTELLATIONS’
[8]
(HASSLE)
With familiar cascading riffs aplenty and breakdowns in all the best places, on the surface August Burns Red could appear to be just another cookie cutter metalcore band. Indeed, on first spin, the band’s sophomore record reveals little other than a generic trip through the kind of melodic metal territory ploughed a million times before but, with repeated listens, ‘Constellations’ reveals more and more until you wonder why you ever doubted it. ‘Ocean Of Apathy’ and ‘Marianas Trench’ utilise jazzy passages to devastating effect but are mere pit stops on the way to ‘Indonesia’, the single most face-melting track all year. Excellent stuff. FOR FANS OF: Atreyu, Unearth, As I Lay Dying
www.myspace.com/augustburnsred CHRIS HIDDEN
BEHEMOTH
[9]
‘EVANGELION’
BREATHE CAROLINA ‘HELLO FASCINATION’
(METAL BLADE)
[5]
(FEARLESS)
Lock up your grannies, Behemoth are back in town and they’re going to finish off God good and proper. ‘Evangelion’ is an inspired affair, with the brutality gauged perfectly. They’re not afraid to pull things back to stop the songs becoming a trundling wreck of noise. Nergal Darski’s vocals are brilliant, the occasional Eastern influences light textures in the shadows. Whether it’s a rain of fire (‘Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti’), atmospheric thump (‘Alas, Lord Is Upon Me’), marching to war (‘Lucifer’) or a Gojira-ish humpbacked, stomp (‘The Seed Ov I’) this is the most interesting metal album of the year. FOR FANS OF: Gojira, Bloodbath
The latest in joining forces of obnoxious boy-racer chav tunes and screamo rap-rock, Breathe Carolina prove that variety isn’t always the spice of life. The first 10 seconds of opening track ‘Hello Fascination’ sounds like a VNV Nation remix of Fall Out Boy’s ‘I Don’t Care’ until David Schmitt’s vocals set in and you have a ready-made Eurovision contestant (complete with rap-rock screams!). ‘Take Me To Infinity’ has to be a contender for the most unoriginal song ever, making a mid-song toilet break an imperative to allow listening to it in its entirety bearable. Still, it’s better than BrokeNCYDE… FOR FANS OF: My Passion, Metro Station, Kill Paradise
www.behemoth.pl
www.myspace.com/breathecarolina
KEN MCGRATH
FAYE LEWIS
BELLADONNA ‘HEY WEIRDO!’
[7]
BROADWAY CALLS
‘GOOD VIEWS, BAD NEWS’
[8]
(SIDEONEDUMMY)
(VANDAL)
Balancing riot Grrrl yells, art school haircuts and oh-so ironic rhetoric can be tricky, particularly when your chosen genre of music is garage punk. Belladonna however, take such scratchy challenges in their stride, and below their obvious exterior exert a wayward but tuneful debut. ‘Hey Weirdo!’ sounds like Yeah Yeah Yeahs but with more vigour and aggression (they are from Darlington). At times tracks like ‘Don’t Be Fooled By The Romance’ fly out of their Kill Casino-esque parameters leaving you with a sense of aural schizophrenia – but it’s mostly kept in check, resulting in a venerable debut. Nice effort – even from this ‘monkey hanging’ scribe. FOR FANS OF: Kill Casino, Kidney Thieves, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Double-layered guitar chords, punching drums and soaring vocal melodies can only mean one thing in this day and age: the latest Bill Stevenson-produced wonder-punk release from Middle America has hit the airwaves! Yes, Descendents’ perennial sticksman and producer extraordinaire (NOFX, A Wilhelm Scream, Smoke Or Fire) just keeps on setting the standard, and ‘Good Views…’ really is no different. Credit where it is due to the band of course, the likes of ‘Basement Royalty’ rocking with a melodic quality akin to some of Lake Michigan’s finest, vocalist Ty Vaughn’s ‘woahs’ soaring to grand heights amongst three chords and a whole load of heart. Super! FOR FANS OF: The Copyrights, Riverboat Gamblers, The Lawrence Arms
www.myspace.com/wearebelladonna
www.myspace.com/broadwaycalls
FAYE LEWIS
OLI ROBERTSON
B
‘
w
A
]
]
]
e
EARTH CRISIS [8] ‘TO THE DEATH’
BLAKFISH [9]
(CENTURY MEDIA)
When Earth Crisis reunited in 07 they must have known that if they of crossover metallic hardcore, lacking in none of the latter’s intensity wrote any new material it would be judged harshly by diehard fans but delivered with all of the former’s precision and dynamic clarity as and critics alike. The band who made history in the early 90s hardcore the band give people 11 good reasons to pay attention to them again. scene by marrying the sounds of Pantera and Sepultura with the CroYou may not care for the vegan straightedge life of activism that Earth (HASSLE) Mags and Final Conflict weren‘t going to get away with half-arsing a few Crisis shamelessly promote, but you can’t deny the sound of a band new songs so they could tour. If a new album was to be released it had Whereas most teams, including Rock Sound, at Big Scaryreturning to form. FOR FANS OF: Strife, Birthright, Cro-Mags to be good, Earth Crisis knew that and acted accordingly. New album ‘To Monsters Records’ recent five-a-side football tournament took The Death’ is a blistering hybrid of 95s album ‘Destroy The Machines’, www.myspace.com/earthcrisis it 96s surprisingly seriously, Blakfi shtheturned up, got shit-faced on KELHAM ANDREW album ‘Gomorrah‘s Season Ends’ and 98 Roadrunner offering cider, conceded a record goals ‘Breedand The Killers’. The album, their finumber rst in eight of years, is thewhile crispestplaying semi-
‘CHAMPIONS’
IN THEIR WORDS
naked. Champions of the beautiful game they most definitely are not, but this debut album brilliantly asserts their musical quality. Recorded in Seattle over five weeks with These Arms Are Snakes drummer Chris Common behind the production desk, the band have taken the promise laid down on last year’s ‘See You In Another City’ EP and focused it into an utterly exhilarating 10-track experience. Penning tunes that never stay true to the constraints of a single genre, the Birmingham quartet’s selfdescribed ‘death pop’ gives the songs on ‘Champions’ a pleasing polarity, veering between musical styles from track to track and within individual songs. The lyrics are consistently fantastic throughout, doing justice to song titles such as ‘Your Hair’s Straight, But Your Boyfriend Ain’t’, as dual vocalists Thomas Rock and Sammy Vile smartly rage about subjects ranging from bastard banks to crap jobs, parking fines, relationships, passing fashion fads, rubbish music, and beyond. ‘Champions’ is an awesome and truly distinctive record. Back of the net!
FOR FANS OF: Reuben, Dartz!, Youves, The Fall Of Troy
we’re pretentious, arrogant bastards. I mean, people still think we’re arrogant, that I can deal with, but we’re definitely not pretentious. We are a serious band in many ways, but we just don’t like to partake in the metalcore-style photo, where we all look like we’re imitating Grant Mitchell, or write songs about the Third World. We just haven’t got that in us; Blakfish will always be true to what the four of us are, and unless one us finds God or becomes a politician, don’t expect anything else.”
YOU WERE RECORDING IN SEATTLE FOR FIVE WEEKS; DID YOU SPEND THE WHOLE TIME IN THE STUDIO? Sam: “We only had three days off I think. We went there knowing we wanted it to be perfect and we didn’t want to cut any corners, so by having a long time there, we were able to make it organically.” Wiz: “A guy called Ed Brookes mastered it – he has an amazing CV, mastering records for bands like Pearl Jam to Mastodon. The studio was more like a science lab, with monitors making crazy shapes and a sound desk that looked like the dashboard from the Millennium Falcon.”
HOW DO YOU GUYS MANAGE TO HOLD IT TOGETHER FINANCIALLY WHEN YOU’RE TOURING? Sam: “I don’t think any of us have worked this out yet. I have become the Ray Mears survival expert at having no money, so I do okay. Rich [Hollywood, bass] just keeps getting credit cards. Where there’s a will there’s a way…” Tom: “…And our van is fuelled on moaning.” Sam: “On my grandmother’s life.” Tom: “Although our van, unfortunately, is NOT fuelled on moaning. It’s fuelled on Rich’s tears.”
TIM NEWBOUND
[7]
‘BY-’
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT PEOPLE NOT TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF YOUR JOKEY / FLIPPANT SIDE? GIVE A SHIT? Wiz: “I think I’d much rather that than people thinking
HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS PROVIDED IN THIS INTERVIEW BEEN ENTIRELY TRUE?
www.myspace.com/blakfish
BYGONES
THOMAS ROCK (VOCALS, GUITAR) / SAMMY VILE (VOCALS, GUITAR) & WIZ (DRUMS)
CALIBAN
‘SAY HELLO TO TRAGEDY’
(SARGENT HOUSE)
[5]
CASPIAN
[8]
‘TERTIA’
(CENTURY MEDIA)
(MAKE MY DAY)
CELAN
[9]
‘HALO’
(EXILE ON MAINSTREAM)
The latest in myriad projects from octopus-armed Sacramento drummer Zach Hill, joined here by multi-instrumentalist Nick Reinhart, Bygones blast out more volume than any duo ordinarily should. Intersecting excitable sonic threads evoking a cheery version of the sticksman’s main band, fiendishly complex mathrockers Hella, harmonic vocal similarities also echo the warp speed pop-tinged structures of another Hill collaborator, Marnie Stern. Though more song-based than Hill’s solo work, the end product still frequently veers into brain-shredding overkill; where freeform breakdowns are restricted, though, as on ‘Cold Reading’, there’s enough enjoyably hectic momentum to power a small town. FOR FANS OF: Hella, Marnie Stern
Germany’s Caliban know what they like and if you thought they were going to make any changes for this, their seventh full-length, you were miles off. Granted there are a few more ‘Obsolete’-era Fear Factory melodies floating in the mix and at times it’s heftier than previous releases but firmly rooted in metalcore they remain and you can see the big, swinging beatdowns coming from miles off. Consistent? Yes. Evolving? Slowly, at best. The odd banging tune aside (‘Love Song’), you really to ask yourself how many Caliban albums have you had to own since ‘The Opposite Of Within’? The answer: we'll let you figure it out... FOR FANS OF: Atreyu, Heaven Shall Burn, Fear Factory
For all this writer’s professed cynicism with regards to the current state of instrumental rock, it’s hard to deny the sheer visceral thrill of Caspian’s latest effort. Sure, the Boston five-piece are ostensibly similar to legions of other, utterly prosaic acts, but their music also displays a level of intensity so noticeably absent from many of their peers. Indeed, from the crushing waves of distortion that run through ‘La Cerva’ and ‘Ghosts Of The Garden City’’s labyrinthine structures to the cataclysmic force of ‘The Raven’, ‘Tertia’ is nothing less than an exemplary – and genuinely revelatory – exercise in emotionally devastating post-rock. FOR FANS OF: Mono, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You
Etched with traces of Unsane, Einstürzende Neubauten and Oxbow (which is only to be expected since Celan features members of the above), on the surface this unholy brew may sidle up as the hefty noise equivalent to a brutal battering ram. But penetrate further and you’ll find multi-textures and layers every bit as surreal, symbolic and complicated as the work of their Romanian-born French poet namesake (who actually wrote in German). ‘One Minute’ is a chilling, mind-spinning, head-fuck where Chris Spencer’s vocals bleed into an insane cacophony of glockenspiels and feedback, while the epic ‘Lunchbox’ is simply formidable. FOR FANS OF: Unsane, Oxbow, Neurosis, Einstürzende Neubauten, Treponem Pal
www.myspace.com/bygonesmusic
www.calibanmetal.com
www.myspace.com/caspiantheband
www.myspace.com/celanband
ADAM F KENNEDY
KEN MCGRATH
JOE MARSHALL
RONNIE KERSWELL-O’HARA
rocksound.tv [83]
ROCK SOUND CAVE GUILFEST
STOKE PARK, GUILDFORD
FRIDAY
© Nigel Crane
Kicking things off for the Rock Sound Cave and setting the classic rock tone for the afternoon in style are Surrey’s Draven [7] and Brummie rockers Voodoo Johnson [7], it’s a tone that continues with north-western quartet To The Bones [8], who have plenty of scuzzy oomph and QOTSA-styled riff action. Continuing to bring the rock are the bitchin’ and bloody good Hate Gallery [8], with loud guitars and psychedelic stoner jams. Local boys Stars Of The Search Party [8] appeal to the ever-expanding crowd with their Enter Shikari-isms, even sparking the day’s first mosh-pit. If sloppy, down-tuned grooves (He Is Legend, Every Time I Die) are your thing, look no further than Outcry Collective [9]. South Wales’ Attack! Attack! [8] are too an exciting proposition. The fact that a band who come across as a less melancholic Jawbreaker can manage to get the biggest circle-pit of the day is testament to the quality on display, the trend continuing apace with the extremely Scottish presence of Twin Atlantic [7]. We Are The Ocean [8] represent the last hardcore contingent of the evening, before rising stars You Me At Six [8] close proceedings. It would take a professional cynic to not be carried along with the saccharinesweet vocal melodies, hook-infested choruses and interestingly danceable cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’. They could be massive.
YOU ME AT SIX WE ARE THE OCEAN
[96] rocksound.tv
TWIN ATLANTIC
VOX ROCK We caught up with some recognisable faces at GuilFest to get their lowdown…
Mike Curtis, Fei Comodo WHAT’S THE HIGHLIGHT OF GUILFEST SO FAR? “Friday night. Jay and Tom [Fei Comodo] pissed all over Rob’s car. Oh, and lots of animal noises. Amazing!”
KYLESA
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Brighton’s Telegraphs [8] fight out a set against a less than standard crowd of ravers. Though audience numbers are thin on the ground suffering from Sunday festival blues, the band jump around setting an overwhelming pace. Likewise, Plymouth’s Brotherhood Of The Lake [8] push on with their short, sharp stabs of Norma Jeanflavoured noisecore. Sharks’ [7] Clash-inspired folk-punk sounds are a little lost on those looking for something more polished, which Hexes [7] most definitely don’t bring them. Their rock ‘n’ roll-flavoured hardcore is unfortunately lost somewhat on the crowd. Not that it bothers them as they still deliver with true professionalism. Swound! [8] are having a great time, providing us with some good, honest pop-rock. Lyrical content (“If a shark’s not swimming it dies”) is most definitely of the light-hearted variety. The Ghost Of A Thousand’s [9] set sees the tent fill up considerably and a ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations’heavy set is met with a huge applause. The day, however, belongs solely to The King Blues [9]. In a tent that is fit to burst, the spoken words of ‘Five Bottles Of Champagne’ wins over the abundant female contingent. Positive, sweaty and the perfect ending to GuilFest 09! Roll on 2010!
Aung Yay, Telegraphs WHAT HAS BEEN THE FUNNIEST MOMENT OF GUILFEST? “I’ve heard some horror stories about only being fed mash potato, dysentery and other similar things! For me though, I went to get some food and was sent on a yoyo mission either side of the main stage by different ushers, neither of whom knew where I was supposed to go! That lasted a very long time.” Jim Norris, Failsafe WHAT DO YOU HATE ABOUT FESTIVALS? “I don’t hate too much about them! Although we were at backstage catering and a massive tanker came to pump a load of shit out of the bogs. It smelt like tuna fish… and not a nice one!” Darcy Harrison, Telegraphs WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE SEEN? “The funniest thing I saw at GuilFest was a very drunk man stumbling out of a portaloo and running straight into a bin! He stood there for a second staring out the bin and then staggered off in search of more ’fun’.” Simon Humphries, Failsafe WHAT VISUAL SPECTACLES HAVE YOU WITNESSED AT GUILFEST SO FAR? “Girls with drawn-on beards, Brian Wilson and his two-piece band and Kylesa with their two drummers! Good times!”
OLI ROBERTSON / FAYE LEWIS
CATCH ALL THE BACKSTAGE ACTION AND INTERVIEWS AT www.rocksound.tv
Suited and booted foursome Eureka Machines [8] hark back to the glory days of proper Brit-rock (Terrorvision-stylee) and hard-hitting drummer Wayne Insane could well be Dave Grohl in disguise. Speaking of Terrorvision, frontman Tony Wright’s new outfit Laikadog [7] provide some laid-back, groove-laden rock ‘n’ roll à la Lynyrd Skynyrd jamming with Cream. Nice. Preston’s Failsafe [8] inject punk rock into proceedings with enough bounce and pace to keep the recently rain-soaked crowd warm and dry. Frontman Jim declares excitedly: “There’s nothing like this where I’m from!” Essex five-piece Fei Comodo [9] too are fairly excitable chaps, pint-sized guitarist Mikey sparking mass pogoing in the crowd. Crushing beatdowns tempered with über-melodic choruses is the order of the day, the best saved for last with a wall of death to ‘This One’s For Us’. Awesome. Equipment troubles don’t stop Devil Sold His Soul [9] from mesmerising those in attendance and precisely the same can be said for the stoner juggernaut that is Kylesa [10]. It takes time for the crowd to warm to the sheer wall of noise spewing forth from the stage. Frontwoman Laura Pleasants has some voice indeed and during a set that relies heavily on current ‘Static Tensions’ material, the sheer wow factor never lets up. Astonishing.
THE KING BLUES
THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND
rocksound.tv [97]
BC TGR - Rock Sound FP ad 30Jul09 2:Layout 1
30/7/09
17:20
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NEW SINGLE OUT
24TH AUGUST AVAILABLE ON: CD / 7 PICTURE DISC 7 COLOURED DISC DOWNLOAD FROM 23RD AUGUST www.biffyclyro.com www.myspace.com/biffyclyro