Gig Reviews

On a gloriously sunny evening in Somerset we found  ourselves engulfed in the excitement and delight of Frome Festival. We looked  forward to an evening at the Cheese and Grain who were to play host to The  Coral, adding themselves to the ever increasing list of well established bands  to have played the venue. 

It is a gem of a  venue which is establishing itself as one of the most go to venues for well  known bands and artists. It a great size with a great viewing space, a good  sized bar, and good acoustic, it has been known to get a little hot at times  but what’s a little bit of shared perspiration between music lovers!

So now let's talk about The Coral’s performance tonight;  the band came on stage with purpose and the swagger of a band that has full  confidence that they could entertain the sold out crowd who had amassed.  You’ve got to be envious of any rockstar that has the authority to wear  sunglasses in a dark venue even though there is no chance they can see out to  the crowd but knowing they don’t need  to see the faces of the fans to know that their going to have a great night  listening to your music.

The Coral were straight to business opening with the smooth  guitar chords and crisp vocal tones of tracks from their first two albums  which has made the band a household name. These immediately drew a reaction from the fans as  they sang along and gestured towards the stage. The band seemed to progress  with ease through their earliest albums to their newest material, keeping  momentum at a high level with no time to take a breath as they rolled out hit  after hit which the gig goers knew off by heart.

During the set the band amazed everyone watching with a  number of instrumental jamming sessions between songs, which appeared to  replace the time that is usually used for the front person of a band to engage  with the crowd, the instrumental jamming was so good that the fans ended in a  hypnotic respectful state that only exploded when James Skelly rang out the  lyrics of the next track.

By the time the track ‘Dreaming of you’ came around on The  Coral’s setlist the crowd was ready to sing along to every word while dancing  to the drum beat, this turned out to be the last track of the show and after  which there was a ringing call for “one more song” which lasted for a long  time and never got answered. There was  a hint of disappointment in the crowd and I overheard one fan say “It was a  great gig, but £25 for an hour I thought they would of played for a little  longer”. A sentiment I felt rang true for the majority.

Tax the heat were the support band at the gig and they set  a good tempo and engaged the audience really well with very polished rock  songs by the time they finished they had got the crowd hyped for the  headliners, a good job well done.

Written by Kess Anthony  

The Den in Bath was the perfect venue for the final gig of  the Drawn Together tour with ivy hanging from the walls and soft lighting,  it’s a bohemian hide away for music lovers to discover new music. The Drawn  Together tour is the brainchild of HAVVK which aims to give new and  established female and non-binary artists a platform to be seen, and more  importantly heard. Tonight we had three gems of performers delivering  different sounds but entertaining in equal measures.

Delight a Thief was the first band on stage tonight and  instantly the psychedelic vibes blasted around the dancefloor and with a big  sound, spacey guitar, and smooth vocals, there a was a good sized group of  fans which enjoying the vibe. Harmony, Alejandro, Jake, Sindbad and Danny are  a tight band with a polished progressive rock groove. With songs like ‘Keep it  alive’ and ‘animal’ the small space was filled with energy and momentum, with  so many different instruments in one band Delight a Thief have loads of layers  and want to reach into every corner to explore where their music can go. Delight a Thief ended their set with an  unadulterated jamming session which allowed Harmony to join the crowd dancing  and enjoying the music on display. 

With haunting and confronting lyrics at the forefront of  HAVVK’s tracks it hard not to be affected by the words when listening, the  experience only gets better when your blown away from the vocal range of Julie  Hough as she processes tones in her with power that allows her to bang out  that volume which makes your hair on your arms stand on its ends. HAVVK were  mesmerizing with their grunge filled indie songs, most of which are from their  recently released new album Cause & Effect Part One. HAVVK impressively  fill their sound with rough guitar riffs and booming drum beats from Matthew  and Sam. This was the first time the band played in Bath and from the response  from the crowd, who hardly managed to take their eyes of the stage as they  soaked in the music will definitely want a returned visit. Another treat for  the crowd was a cover of ‘Can’t get you out of mind’ and I think this is the  best way to describe this band and the how many will feel after being part of  the Dawn Together Tour.

Ending the night’s entertainment was Menstrual Cramps with  their yellow uniform they smashed out punk attitude and snappy beats. Filled  with political lyrics which allows this band to be confrontational but at the  same time shine a light on the areas of life which some would not like to talk  about but that light needs to be shone bright as the message behind the songs  need to be heard. Normally a five piece band, tonight Menstrual Cramps played  as a four piece as their regular drummer was away, but the band did not need  to be worried as Beth one of the bands guitarist stepped into the drum seat  and provided a drum platform for the rest of the band to blare the punk sound  around the room. There’s something enjoyable about a band who have short  snappy records with loads of energy and Menstrual Cramps process this rare  gift.

A mention needs to be given to Angus who stepped in for a  unfortunately ill Ju Ju Jones, Angus warmed up the crowd nicely.

Written by Kess Anthony

Photo by George Rose 

Like many others of a certain age Beth Orton has been part of the soundtrack to my life for the past 20 years. So when the ‘Queen of comedown’, who's collaborated with the likes of William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers, comes down to the South west I had to go and see her. 

She is best known for her come down tracks of the 1990s, and in a concerted effort to please the crowd at the start of the gig she announced that the performance would consist predominantly of these works. There was not a synthesiser or very much else on stage, just Beth with husband, Sam Amidon and two acoustic guitars. 

This was a stripped back, intimate performance and to listen to acoustic guitars

playing in such perfect harmony was a delight and a real crowd-pleaser. Simplicity not polished was the watchword, and it was delivered in this rustic set.

Kicking off the set with ‘Someone’s daughter’ and ‘Sweetest Decline’ before moving onto other favourites including ‘Pass in time’, ‘Sugar Boy’ and of course possibly her best known number ‘Central Reservation’. One of my particular highlights was ‘Call me the breeze’ from her 2012 album ‘Sugaring season’ which was delivered with particular panache.

There was a real honesty about the performance which self-effacing at times and conveyed a rare and endearing vulnerability, something Beth Orton wears very well indeed.

Written and pictures by

Drew Gardner

What an amazing gig! That is all that needs to be said! But I will expand, and tell you about ‘Area 11’ and the supporting bands who gave their all and showed off what they are all about, when each of them tore up the Fleece on Monday night.

Outside the venue, before the doors were opened we were met by an army of ‘Area 11’ fans stretching back around to two sides of the building, and ‘Area 11’ are by far the best merchandise selling machine I have seen in a long time with every member of that army sporting their band’s colours.

The Fleece, the venue for the night’s action is a building with a dominating and historical presence in the heart of Bristol. Inside you find black walls and strangely placed pillars, which are convenient  for the listeners to hang onto when the roaring vibrations of the music rattles through the space. 

‘Area 11’ owned the stage and had the crowd jumping, singing, and shouting for more. The band was full of energy which radiated out to their fans who responded in equal measure. Lead vocalist, Tom ‘Sparkles’ Clarke mentioned during the set that he had been suffering from a cold but there was no need to worry as he provided a great vocal display and there was no suffering for anyone else to be had. They have an aggressive and atmospheric sound, driven by a heavy drum beat from Leo Taylor and that provided the base to the amazing performance, then added to by Alex ‘Parv’ Parvis who provided his layer of high clarity guitar riffs which sent the crowd into a frenzy. While Jonathon ‘Kogie’ Kogan stead heavy tones tied everything together.

This was a homecoming gig for ‘Area 11’ and it is clear they have built an impressive fan base which welcomed with a chorus of singing along to the bands lyrics whenever Tom pointed the microphone towards them. Their sound allows them to be highly charged with loud heavy beats and a mixture of vocal volumes and tones to press home the fine points of their lyrics and the crowd loved it, when the door opened after the last song the pure wonder on the faces leaving the Fleece was great to see.

October Drift were the support act on just before ‘Area 11’ and these wild animals rampaged on and off the stage and really got the crowd going, you could physically feel the crowd buzzing from the performance Kiran, Chris, Alex and Dan gave tonight. All of the band members have an energy that is a natural talent any band would love to have. October Drift’s sound is raw and exciting, with nonstop guitars and drums hammering beats out with beautifully crafted lyrics. 

They bring everything which is good about bands like ‘The Editors’ and ‘Joy Division’ and moulded them into their songs to create their own unique sound. The fans didn’t know where to look as Kiran was in the crowd, on the dance floor, and on the bar where beers had to be stopped serving to allow this defiant musical performance to take place, then the listeners would turn to see Chris, Alex and Dan playing full speed on their instruments.

‘Misery Kids’ provided a fun element to tonight proceedings with their crafted alternative pop/rock they had the crowd in the palm of their hands for all of their songs. They eased between tracks when they chatted with the crowd to produce a solid overall performance. The green and pink lights bounced off the bands summer shirts and informed the listeners that there was a party about to start. Their alternative rock and disco vibes and pitch perfect vocals from Nic and Alex blended well together.

First on the stage was ‘Sinclair’ and they had a very good size crowd and rewarded the early birds with a great indie display, the band played their first ever track which was intriguing listen and a brand new one. I can’t wait to hear this song released as it’s a banger. The band is driven by a bass beat that keeps giving, and a softer toned guitar and drums, Olivia has a good vocal range which she showed off during Sinclair’s own original tracks and a couple of polished cover copies which meant the band provided great entertainment.

This was a very good gig and we encourage you to book a ticket to see any of these bands live.

Written by Kess Anthony

Hy-Brasil played host to an exciting young singer songwriter on Friday evening, the small stage covered with fairy lights was the perfect venue for Emily Capell’s first gig in Bristol. She provided the audience with great music in an intimate and personal setting. Hy-Brasil is in the centre of Bristol’s busy city centre and is becoming the hub of a very active music scene.

The first thing you notice of Emily is not the beehive hairstyle or her Mod style, it’s her massive personality which is fun, active, and interesting. Emily seems at ease on stage and engages fantastically with her crowd; between songs she was providing antidotes about her song lyrics and sharing her amazement about Bristol accruing four Nandos restaurants in one city.

“101 Walteron Road” the track that kicked off Emily’s gig is a new song which will be included in her upcoming album, due for release in August this year. We quickly understood why the track is on the album as the song is fast paced and easy listening with a strong vocal performance. 

Emily is an intriguing wordsmith, with her style of observational lyrics, she manages to bind messages from modern culture and political worries with a burst of a celebrity gossip to drive the messages home. Tonight her tracks explored people wearing band t-shirt who have never heard of the band before, to not being able to pay rent prices in London, Tupac wannabes, and a plane which crashed with an amazing group singers onboard.  

The sound that Emily and her band make is a mixture of so many genres but they have handled these well to develop a polished sound,  we felt the best way to describe Emily was a mix of Ska and Indie with catchy quirky lyrics.

Emily also has a impressive vocal range which we witnessed today in songs like ‘Calypso’ and ‘Until Monday’, she was able to maintain her sound and the balanced tones of her voice throughout all of her 12 track set. 

During the song “Joey” Emily playfully pointed out her special guest Joey Barton, albeit a cardboard cutout of the footballer, who when he originally heard the track tweeted saying the song is about him and has since become a running joke that comes with a track that is playful and well worth a listen. 

Emily sent the listeners home happy with her last song ‘Bonanza’ which is driven by a guitar beat and is a fitting way to finish the gig, as it’s a bubbly, fast paced and layered with a strong and reaching vocal display. 

A mention must also go to the nights supporting act, Hush Mozey, this is a young band developing their craft and they are developing well. With a tight musical performance driven by a steady bass beat and backed up by the rustic tones of the lead singer. They have added the harmonica and trumpet within their sound which provides an extra layer to their music. They also seem to enjoy being on stage and showing people what they can do.

Written by Kess Anthony and Matt Nicholson

On a cold winter’s Monday night music lovers who braved the weather were rewarded when ‘Island’ heated up the atmosphere at the ‘Rough Trade’ venue and almost sent their fans to a musical meltdown.

The small intimate venue with its pitch black walls and beer keg stands for speakers to sit provided a up close and personal gig which fans of ‘Island’ won’t forget for a long time. Tonight was a display of ‘Islands’ developing an adoring fan base as the place was sold out before the doors were even opened.

‘Island’ have a hypnotic ability with their songs, they drift off to a dream like state and carry you along for the journey. It is a none stop high tempo ride with the band producing the same energy and power for each and every song.

‘Island’ are a band who enjoy their craft and bring a lot of fun to their gigs, the ease with how Jack Raeder and James Wolfe play their guitar and bass is fantastic to watch and they’re backed up by the absorbing drumming style of Toby Richards, which is then balanced by Rollo Doherty who along with his guitar brings a rustic tone from his voice which engages the listener in every track.

Every single member of this band displays their individual personality on the stage and they combine them all to make a sound that can equally light up a party or settle you into a calm musical mood. During certain songs the band were delighted to jam along together with a drum stick flying in the air and  the odd guitar face off.

‘Island’ have developed a polished sound and have an understanding of what makes their music appealing, a drum beat that drives the tracks along with guitar strings striking out recognisable tones and lyric which are easy to sing along too.    

‘Island’ are a rock band so I wasn’t surprised to see how at ease they found it to communicate with the audience between songs at the same time as having a quick swig of a beer before the next song started. 

‘Island’ provided a stable of their hits, such as, ‘Day I die’ and ‘Ride’ but they saved a treat for the end, by playing one of their earliest songs ‘Girl’ which had their diehard fans singing along before they departed the stage!

I must also mention Eliza Shaddad who received a very positive reaction from a large crowd at the start of the gig, I have got to say Eliza is one of the best support acts I have seen for a while with lyrics which are personal to her and honestly sung which gave Eliza a great authenticity as a songwriter.

Eliza is a performer who feels every beat and chord she produces, standing on her tiptoes to belt out the notes of her songs and dominating the stage without a band to supporting her. She supplied the volume needed to get the audience’s attention and keep it for the whole of her set.    

Written by Kess Anthony