LIVE: Swim Deep @ The Roundhouse, Camden 22/10/15

Written for Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/103437/swim-deep-live-at-the-roundhouse-review

Brummy five-piece Swim Deep were born out of the B-Town wave that emerged in 2012, but were always slightly in the shadows of their contemporaries Peace. That being said, Swim Deep did form part of a bigger picture that, at that time, was hazy dream-pop at its best.

Two years on, Swim Deep are back, touring with new album Mothers, (an ode to, you didn't guess it, “the mother of the universe”). It's a startlingly different offering - less drizzly Brit-pop, more, in their words,”psychedelic sex music”.

Austin Williams and co emerged onstage to the Jurassic Park theme; a momentous entrance that reeked of confidence, albeit a necessity if they were to pull off this huge swerve in sound. The need to double-take was in order, it was Swim Deep... on acid, as it were, no more knock kneed indie sensibility, more space ships and holograms – an unbelievable transformation.

From the Human League frenzy of ‘Grand Affection’ to the sassy saxophone accompaniment on ‘One Great Song and I Could Change The World’, it was a bonanza, with a pirouetting dancer, no less, amid the stage for their epic new psychedelic trip of a song ‘Fueiho Boogie’, an eight minute long banger that has to be heard to be believed.

Swim Deep’s show was an absolute mashup of genres, managing to be ravey and retro all at once. With a few years on the scene and, (we could be forgiven for thinking) their fair share of opiates, it seems that Swim Deep have made a point of actively casting off the shackles of their B-Town routes, and in turn are shining in a way that we could never have anticipated.

LIVE REVIEW: Darlia @ Thekla, Bristol 26/09/14

Written for Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-review-darlia-thekla-bristol-260914

Blackpool trio Darlia have been touted “The most exciting new guitar band in the UK” by various, high-profile media platforms. Trouble is, these grandiose statements are thrown around so loosely these days that they don’t carry nearly enough clout as they should. That said, Darlia are a very important band right now, their gig at Thekla provided an insight into why, and to the steady momentum that Darlia have built up nationwide.

Front man Nathan Day’s dead bleached hair could be spotted under his black fedora, his heavily charcoaled eyes oozing confidence and almost derisory nonchalance toward the on looking crowd - who in stark contrast were a sweaty mangled mass of anticipation, hysteria and post-teen angst.

It really is quite hard to find a new band to believe in, to invest in and to obsess over – a lot of us are left feeling quite un-stimulated by today’s guitar music. It seems that new bands are completely transient - as the underlying ‘money making’ aim from their labels seems to stifle and dilute, making sure that they don’t lean too far into a particular sound, as to not alienate anyone who might come under the ‘alternative music market’ umbrella that they're trying to engage. Darlia has somehow managed to cling onto a strong sense of identity, with their dark lyrics and 90’s grunge bravado.

What Darlia upheld throughout the gig was an unmistakable confidence in what they were doing. Storming through their string of absolute blinding tracks including ‘Dear Diary’, ‘Candyman’ and ‘Queen of Hearts’, drummer Jack Bentham was topless and gleaming with sweat, Day strutted around the stage with an air of pure arrogance whilst guitarist Dave Williams seemed almost turned on by the sound of his own guitar. It was dirty. It was conceited. It was absolutely perfect.

LIVE REVIEW: Jagwar Ma @ Old Crown Courts, Bristol 12/06/14

Originally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/91787/jagwar-ma-@-old-crown-court-bristol-12062014

Last night, Jagwar Ma played an old crown court in the backstreets of Bristol – and as you can imagine, it was unbelievably awesome. The gig was part of the Lumia Live Sessions, their concept – to showcase emerging artists in the most unusual of settings. Before this show, the sessions have hosted Ella Eyre in a fairground museum in Devon, and Years and Years in a disused tube station in London.

The abandoned courthouse still has its original courtrooms, holding cells, jury boxes and grizzly ageing decor. It made for an incredibly eerie setting, but highly complimented Jagwar Ma’s grungy, almost anarchic presence. A rave in a courtroom, made up of competition winners, who collectively seemed to be their most diehard of fans.

The band were situated in front of the judge’s bench, with fans surrounding them all the way round the courtroom. The room was darkly lit and the acoustics provided by the incredibly tall rustic ceilings were amazingly brilliant.

Jagwar Ma, made up of front man Gabriel Winterfield, guitarist Juno Ma and bassist Jack Freeman played with everything they’d got, opening with ‘What Love’, a ravey little number to get the crowds juices flowing. Gabriel bought his typical ragged, Stones Roses frontman attitude, wearing classic Adidas and leopard print socks.

They played all of their best-known tracks including ‘Uncertainty’, ‘Man I Need’, ‘Exercise’, ‘Let Her Go’, ‘Come Save Me’, and ‘Four’. It was incredible, made up of hit after hit, making for a neat little set, performed with passion, soul and irresistible beats. The volume was incredibly loud and the energy from both the band and energised fans was electric.

Finishing with ‘The Throw’ – their breakout single - the crowd completely lost it. There was one guy in particular, who was almost in tears at the pure elation at how good the whole thing was. Jagwar Ma had obviously clocked him, and noticing how passionate he was, signed his vinyl and gave him one of their plectrums. From a live show, there was nothing left to give. It was perfection, and pretty much iconic.

Photo credit: Rebecca Cleal 

LIVE REVIEW: Anna Calvi - Komedia, Bath - 12th February 2014

Armed with shimmering second album One Breath and her Fender Telecaster guitar, British singer/songwriter Anna Calvi is back on tour, playing a modicum of European and UK dates. Her self-titled debut album won the once-shrinking-violet countless awards and a 9/10 from NME, a modern day rarity. 

With a blue sunny sky graphic as her backdrop, Calvi looked every bit as stunning and intriguing as before. As a performer, Calvi is irresistibly alluring – effortlessly commanding the attention of everyone present with an entrancing yet humble stage presence.

The Domino Records protégé opened with ‘Suzanne and I’ - a firm fan favourite from her debut. ‘Sing To Me’ oozed confidence and unmistakable sincerity about her craft, and the stunning ‘Cry’ was every bit femme fatale as it needed to be when played live.

Her cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ’Fire’ was the moment of the night for most, and her version of ‘Desire’ was incredibly special. Calvi’s encore was a real chance for her free, less inhibited side to shine. She barely spoke throughout the performance, which added even more to that undeniable mystique that wasn’t compromised once throughout the evening.

Calvi has previously spoken about once having a phobia of singing, and called it a ‘block’ on wanting to hear her own voice, this is probably the driving force as to why her vocals and guitar are now so acutely in harmony, having learned both skills at different times. Tonight was an intense, un-punctured performance from an incredibly exciting artist.

LIVE REVIEW: Kodaline @ O2 Academy Bristol 18/11/2013

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-kodaline-o2-academy-bristol-18112013

Radio friendly. Soft rock. One for the mums. These are some of the connotations that your mind may subconsciously throw up at the mention of Kodaline, and you could be forgiven for this for it’s certainly how they’ve been packaged. You’ll probably recognise them from tracks like ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Love Like This’, which are played religiously on the hour, every hour on Radio One.

Essentially, the Irish four-piece are all of these dreadful things, but (hang on in there) they were bloody good live, and their album In A Perfect World is bloody fantastic too, despite it all. They’ve been compared with Coldplay, Muse and The Script, so they really are a mixed bag of what some people might call 'easy listening'. 

The gig was comprised of 30 something’s and swooning teenage/a little older girls. Their album washed appreciatively over the crowd as they fiercely and some a little too intensely (listen to ‘High Hopes’ and imagine the person next to you wiping a tear from their eye and singing along in a rather wobbly voice)  lost their minds to their biggest hits.  

It was easy, it was pleasant, and for a gig on a Monday night after a rather messy weekend, they were just what the doctor would have prescribed, if doctors dabbled in events based remedies.  I entered the building jaded, over it before it had even begun. I left a fan, and listened to the album on repeat for upwards of a week. To all your high-brow muso's out there, initial thoughts deserve to be cast aside on this one. 

LIVE REVIEW: Disclosure @ O2 Academy Bristol 16/11/2013

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-disclosure-o2-academy-bristol-17112013

The Disclosure brothers, Guy and Howard Lawrence kicked off their eight-date UK tour at Bristol’s O2 Academy on Saturday night. The pop/house duo have been extremely busy since the release of their debut album Settle (which reached number one in the UK back in June) and their smattering of top 10 singles including ‘Latch’, ‘You And Me’ and ‘F For You’. The pair also played just about every summer festival going, and have just finished off a string of US and European dates.

Support came from Aussie music whizz- kid producer Flume, could there have been a better warm-up? Flume set the tone of the evening with his experimental and avant-garde beats, and took it beyond a gig, coupled with the fact is was a Saturday night, his tracks ‘Sleepless’, ‘Insane’, ‘Holdin On’ and ‘On Top’ went off in a huge way.

Disclosure’s sound was crisp, their set flawless, yet there was noticeably a certain lack of atmosphere. The boys didn’t really talk much between tracks, and it felt as if they were hammering through their set in the same fashion a check-out operator might idly scan through someone’s grocery shopping. It lacked a certain something, and although a joy to hear all of their summer infused tracks in succession, it felt as if you may as well be hearing them in some club played out by the resident DJ.

The highlight of their set was on last track ‘Latch’, which debuted at number one in the UK back in spring. Vocalist Sam Smith came to join them on-stage and his silky smooth vocals echoed around the room. The Disclosure album seemed to divide opinions, some found it amazing, some even stated it the best thing to happen to current dance music, others found it monotonous and sterile. This difference in opinion may well be true of their live shows too, but coming from a huge fan of the album, it was overall rather disappointing.

LIVE REVIEW: Peace @ The Fleece, Bristol 22/04/2013

Originally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/81188/peace-@-the-fleece-bristol-22042013

Monday night saw Peace, one the most talked about new bands of the year take to the stage at Bristol’s most intimate venue, The Fleece. The Birmingham band released their debut In Love a couple of weeks back, toured with the NME Awards and have subsequently sent fans and critics into a frenzy ever since. Their astoundingly strong debut has resulted in a near sell-out tour, and this small and personal show was something to be very excited about.

Their backdrop was a large peace symbol, the lighting moody and atmospheric. As the band took to the stage, dressed like 90’s grungers with their starburst electric guitars and shabby hairstyles, they certainly looked the part.

They began with ‘Delicious’, a Stone Roses-like, gently thudding intro that’s chorus quickly sent the crowd insane. The sound quality was spectacular; Harry "Harrison" Koisser, the bands charismatic and incredibly rock n roll frontman revealed to the audience a camera lodged into the neck of his guitar, filming them throughout the show.

‘Follow Baby’ took the energy in the room to an unbelievable level, while they sang, “Follow baby, we’re gonna’ live forever baby,” it felt iconic. As they blasted through their album, thrashing about the stage and kissing each other (a lot) Peace put on a first-rate show.

The frontman then claimed that this was, “One of the best nights we’ve ever played” much to the delight of everyone present. They ended with the 10- minute- long, Binary Finary cover of ‘1998’ taken from the EP Delicious. Normally, if a relatively new band were to drop a mostly instrumental track of this length at a live show it would go down like a lead balloon. Yet, Peace’s rendition had the adverse effect.

The encore was ‘California Daze’, a dreamy, melodic rock track that was written whilst the frontman was promoting a club night in their native Birmingham, standing up all day with one of those big arrows pointing to the venue. They wrapped up their most killer track and biggest hit ‘Bloodshake’, inviting everyone to come and join them at a nearby pub afterward.

It was one of those gigs that just felt special. The kind of show that you will brag about to your friends in the future and say, ‘I was there’.

LIVE REVIEW: Of Monsters and Men – O2 Academy Bristol 27/02/13

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-monsters-and-men-%E2%80%93-o2-academy-bristol-270213

It’s not often that a band all the way from snowy Iceland grace the stage of The O2 Academy Bristol. The blissful Of Monsters and Men played this venue as part of their 10 date UK tour. Their debut album My Head Is An Animal was released last year and peaked at number three in the UK, number one in Ireland and Austria and a succession of other high positions across the globe.

The band, who have been together since 2010 were signed to Record Records after  playing a number of dates in their native Iceland and being invited to perform on the radio station Iceland Airwaves.

It was an opportune time to unleash their brand of thoughtful and beautiful folk music upon the world, in the wake of bands such as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers, our ears were ripened to these dulcet and sensitive tones.Their singles ‘Mountain Sound’, ‘Little Talks’ and ‘Dirty Paws’ were received with a burst of adulation from the crowd. The six-piece frequently interacted with the audience in their very Icelandic manner, being softly spoken, thankful and humble.

Co-female vocalist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, sounding much like a softer Florence seemed almost startled by the crowd, but her rendition of ‘Skeletons’ by The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s was unexpected and chillingly superior. They had hired a young, blonder haired girl to tour with them, and every five minutes she would change instrument, from a big drum to an accordion to a trumpet.

Co-male vocalist Raggi" Þórhallsson was also a pleasure to behold, a favourite moment was when he told the crowd, “This song is about a very tall man, a lake and a house, and it’s called... Lakehouse.” As a band, and their music says the same, they seem very innocent and unspoilt, possibly a product of their rural and simplistic upbringings in Iceland. It must have been a culture shock to tour the UK.

Of Monsters and Men were played absolutely blinding set, and there was a strong sense of pleasantry and peace amongst the crowd. On the way out, all that could be heard was how amazing they were live, and how it more that exceeded people’s expectations. 

LIVE REVIEW: Everything Eveything @ Thekla, Bristol 09/02/13

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-everything-everything-thekla-bristol-90213

Everything Everything have finally cemented themselves within the currently thriving indie/electro popular music scene with their extraordinary follow up to their 2010 debut Man Alive. With Arc in tow, the world is at this bands feet.

 It must have been surreal for the quartet, going from major support slots at arenas with the likes of Muse and Snow Patrol, back down to academies and smaller music venues including Thekla Bristol, which is a music venue parked on the river in the artsey and cultural city of Bristol.

This is however, a wise choice and one they have publically spoken about being more comfortable with. The dingey and intimate setting did wonders for them, keeping their image, sound and the music’s soul intact. For a sold out show, as part of a sold out tour, the venue didn’t seem anywhere near capacity. For huge fans of the band, this would no doubt have been a real treat.

Starting with their current single ‘Kemosabe’ and being greeted with what could only be described as a wave of hype and elation from the audience. They sounded as they do on record, even down to the placements and delivery of the vocals, it was wonderful to behold these four young northern lads doing so bloody well for themselves. The audience recited every line, even from Arc’s lesser-heard album tracks.

They played a well-placed set consisting of their debut and second album, each track going down an absolute storm with the excitable crowd. The set lasted 75 minutes, and was short, neat and sweet. They did however fail to play their monster track ‘Final Form’ and during their en-core, the crowd screamed for it, but it was to no avail. They finished with ‘Don’t Try’ an absolute blinder from their current album. As they left the stage, it was clear to see the audience hadn’t quite had their Everything Everything thirst anywhere near quenched.    

LIVE REVIEW: San Cisco/ Van She - Club NME, Koko 05/10/12

Orignally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/76854/san-cisco--van-she-@-club-nme-koko-05102012

Friday night’s Club NME at Koko played host to two of Australia’s most exciting bands. The first was San Cisco, a twee adolescent five- piece from Perth, the second: Van She - hailing from Sydney.  

At the bar I got chatting to an Aussie guy who couldn’t contain his excitement for San Cisco of which he assured were, “absolutely massive back home “, using the word stoked to an excessive amount. It’s easy to see why this man was so hyped for San Cisco, and how they are doing so well – firstly their drummer is a girl, a winning trinket to the coolness of any band and secondly, their blend of low-fi pop is just incredibly easy to enjoy, requiring little thought or concentration.

 They seemed a little daunted – but played well and if anything, their jitters made them even more endearing.  The clear highpoint was their biggest hit ‘Awkward’, which has clocked up around two million hits on YouTube, a tongue in cheek, teenage ode to stalking your love interest.

 Van She released their second LP ‘Idea Of Happiness’ a couple of months ago. Their show was brilliant, captivating the audience from beginning to end, and filling the room with tropical rhythms and sunshine, the perfect antidote to outsides rainy and blustery London. They were a mix of Friendly Fires and Foster the People – a great place to subsist for any band.

 ‘Calypso’ ‘Jamaica’ and ‘Idea of Happiness’ went down an absolute storm, uniting the crowd in chorus. Lead singer Matt Van Schie didn’t seem to be much of a mover, standing transfixed in one spot for nearly all of their performance. What tonight did best though was to reinstate just how on point Australia seem to be with their imaginative and interesting pop, long may it continue. 

LIVE REVIEW: BIGkids - The Renaissance Hotel, Kings Cross 13/09/12

Originally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/76332/bigkids-@-the-renaissance-hotel-london-13092012

You may remember Mr. Hudson from his high profile collaboration with Kanye West on smash hit ‘Supernova’ back in 2009, or Kanye and Jay Z’s recent hit ‘Why I Love You’ taken from their latest album ‘Watch The Throne’. Mr. Hudson has also previously teamed up Kid Cudi, Dizzee Rascal, N-Dubz, Tinnie Tempah and Caspa, so you really should remember him from somewhere.

Mr. Hudson is nevertheless back in a different guise, this time with new outfit and Camden born BIGkids. The band is comprised of Hudson on piano and vocals, and Rosie Bones on vocals. The pair treated us to an energetic, albeit slightly odd show, last week in London.

Rosie Bones has a very rock ‘n’ roll, husky voice, and with it an undeniably strong stage presence. As she knocked back Champagne straight from the bottle, wrapped herself around the mic stand and gave ‘come to bed with me’ eyes to the audience, one couldn't help but to wonder if Mr. Hudson and Rosie Bones were more than just friends. At times, they were singing so profusely into each other’s eyes, you rather felt that it might be a good idea to just skedaddle and leave them to it. ‘Band chemistry’ aside, the show was a brief blast of finely tuned pop with more than a touch of cabaret.

It’s hard to work out who exactly BIGkids are targeting with songs like ‘Superhero’ and ‘Drum In Your Chest’. A little too twee for the 18-25’s, and a little too developed for the teen market who would be the ones that'd buy into the more acquired pop stuff. The look on most people’s faces present seemed that of mild enjoyment, and the band kept the audience's attention by keeping their set, like their songs, short and sweet.

LIVE REVIEW: The Big Pink - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

Published at: http://sonarmagazine.co.uk/2012/03/live-review-the-big-pink-wedgewood-rooms-portsmouth/

I have very mixed feelings on the Big Pink as I struggle to work out what their meant to be about. The fact that they have added elements of dubstep to their new album, if I’m honest is rather comical. It’s as if their chasing after a band wagon that left town two years ago.

 The sound was bad at their Portsmouth show, at times unbearable. I actually covered my ears at one point. I felt genuinely bad for them, as they had no idea. The sound trouble wasn’t strictly their fault, so someone really needs to have a chat with their technician, a serious one.  As singer, Robbie Furze ran up to enthusiastically turn the sound up, the crowd winced.

‘Stay Gold’ was a nice moment and they got the audiences interest back. ‘Hit the Ground’ was another moment where the crowd sang the lyrics back to them, along with ‘Dominoes’ and ‘Velvet’. Other than that it was just white noise and it was hard to differentiate between tracks as the sound was so terrible.

All in all I would hardly describe their gig as mind-blowing. I think the fact that they left it two years before releasing a new album lost their fans momentum. People like them, but I didn’t see anyone who looked like they loved them. That’s what a band need, passion and audience interaction. They didn’t seem to embody either qualities, and it was all just a little too stale.

It’s such a shame after such a great debut album, songs like ‘Velvet’ and ‘Dominoes’ which were moody dark and powerful, why did they not stick with their signature sound? It all just seemed a little wishy washy, and was very disappointing for an old fan like myself. I feel bad for them, but at the same time, there is footage of Robbie Furze smacking a kid in the face whilst at a show in Atlanta a few years back, so I think I can live with myself.