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  

Monday night SWX, Bristol played host to an international  star group in the shape of Mongolian Metal group, The HU. SWX was not the  original venue for The Hu’s Bristol gig but the extra capacity was needed for  the sell out crowd. As I walked in the arena was already bursting at it seams.

Recently the band have stated that they want their upcoming  album to be their passport to the world and with a performance like they  produced tonight they’re going to be traveling first class. The whole gig was  absorbing from start to finish, this was a rare occasion when you could feel  the excitement from the crowd before the band were anywhere near the stage. 

When the band appeared a roaring chant of “HU HU HU”  engulfed them and the chants only got louder as the band joined the roar, then  when the first heavy beats radiated from their instruments the crowd became  transfixed. The Hu seemed to hypnotize the crowd and kept them mesmerized  throughout. It’s hard not to feel like you’re joining the Hu army with the  screeching war cries of the fans around you, it’s only when you can draw your  attention back to the band itself that you realise the sheer noise that the  band makes as it shakes around your feet.

The Hu manage to blend a traditional Mongolian style of  music into a modern heavy metal that just sparks something special, a huge  number of different instruments were shown off tonight but the flute added a  layer of earthy natural sound within the thunderous sounds which surround it  and showed how a subtle sound can make a massive impact. I have never  witnessed such beautiful instruments and the wonderfully unique sounds which  they produce, this sets The Hu apart from any other band you go and watch.

The vocal performance of all of the band members is so  memorable, it is raw and pure in every sense but with a polished touch to make  it relevant, and when the crowd recognised the well known tracks the level of  excitement rose again. At the end of the gig it was hot, sweaty, loud, and  powerful and this is what every metal gig should be like! As the band walked  off after a round of claps and further chants of “HU HU HU” they left an eerie  quietness and an awestruck crowd, The Hu had clearly delivered on everyone's  expectations!

Written by Kess Anthony  .

A green neon glow bathed Moles club on Wednesday night with  an excitable atmosphere that something different was coming for the night’s  music fans, with three bands showing why metal is alive and kicking in the  city!

Back in the winter months earlier this year NO:IR tore up  the stage at Metal for the Masses which blew away us at Off the Hook Music and  this was made even more impressive when you learn the band was only formed in  November 2018. We came back for a second taste of their sound as we feel there  is plenty of potential in this roaring set up of Sam Davies, George Farley, Alex Roberts, Harrison Gazzard, and Jake Gazzard, and intend to do our best to  document it. 

With the dancefloor’s lights dimmed to a near pitch  darkness the band pierced the through with their trademark neon green painted  on the band members themselves to signal the event was here, NO:IR began with  an instrumental intro of spikey guitar notes and heavy drum beats, a taster of  what was to come. 

Second track into NO:IR’s set and they unleashed ‘Modern  Day Slaves’ which engulfed the crowd with heavy bass tones and demanding head  dangling drums which battled for the supremacy over the lyrics, which are  completely absorbing when the vocal performance is switching succinctly between  screaming and rap singing. Then two songs later we had a complete change in  direction with a cover of Gorillaz’s ‘Eastwood’, NO:IR dragged this record  from its roots and poured metal all over it, creating a unique banger in it’s  own right.

There was also time for a first hearing of a new song  called ‘Placebo’ where the guitars take centre stage at the beginning setting  a calmer environment for a softer key of vocals, but as you got comfortable  with the new path NO:IR was walking down they tore out the place and stomped  back to the soaring, screaming, and rap vocals which blended well with the  heavier riffs and beats that came before. The crowd responded well with  everyone in the venue applauding this new and interesting song. 

‘Hive’ is a great record which the core fan base of the  band has come to love, it is a track which highlights the bands lyrical talent  and want to drive heavy alternative metal into the attention of any listeners  they can get their hands on. NO:IR ended the show tonight with ‘Erase me’  which is the hardest track to sing but it feels like a fitting way to end the  night, at the end of the track the excitement grew as there was one last mosh  pit on offer which delighted the band and crowd in equal measure. 

Tonight’s support acts where Lest we forget and Myst who  both put on a good display of metal in two completely different ways which  warmed up the crowd nicely for the appearance of NO:IR. 

Written by Kess Anthony 

The sight of the massive queue to get into the O2 Academy, Bristol on Monday night was the first clue of what was to come. With 10 studio albums in the bag and over 20 years of making hits. Papa Roach deserve the title of Legends, but tonight they also proved that their still relevant in the music world by providing a spellbinding performance. 

Papa Roach kicked off the night in a roar of glory with tracks from their famous ‘Infest’ album which sent chills down the spines of the crowd, who have held a place for the band in their hearts and ears since their teenage years. There seems to be a shared devotion between Jacoby Shaddix and the fans of Papa Roach and this fuels Jacoby and the rest of the band members, the energy is grabbed and dragged through the performance, from first song to last with an amazing on stage presence. 

Jerry Horton, Tobin Esperance, and Tony Palermo have an effortless ability to change the style of the band’s sound between the heavier riffs and beats from earlier tracks to the more softer guitar and drums tones of the latest offerings from Papa Roach’s newest album called ‘Who do you trust?’, the new sound has an added layer of texture to the tracks with the addition of the keyboard taking a more prominent part in the records, which has been quietly growing on us since the album release.

Jacoby provided a brilliant vocal performance tonight switching between singing, rapping, and rock screaming which lit up the songs and added to his engaging personae on stage. Jacoby is a live wire running around and pumping his chest whilst challenging the band’s fans to chant the words back to him which they gleefully accept. 

Papa Roach have been on a long journey as a band, they have evolved and changed their sound and now come full circle, this is a brave thing for a band to do; to explore new corners and bring new direction to their tracks. From what we saw it worked, with different people singing along to different tracks from their favourite albums. The band seemed to be in awe when the crowd gave the same energised reaction to their lesser tracks as well as their most commonly known pieces. Papa Roach have an aggressive instrumental sound live with intelligent lyrical meaning which is tailor made for live audiences to go wild to. 

All in all, Papa Roach delivered an amazing gig on Monday night, they throw out a stadium sized sound and experience into a smaller venue and deliver an inspiring demonstration of what every band should try and emulate live, Jacoby uses the time on stage as a form of therapy explaining the meanings behind the bands songs and spreading a positive message. Just before the end of the gig Papa Roach paid a fitting and well deserved tribute to a under forgettable front man Keith Flint of the band Prodigy, covering the track ‘Fire starter’ the crowd went crazy and took on a new energy as the band thumped out the iconic sound of the track. It is a wonder to behold when Papa Roach send out their heavy beats and spiky riffs backed up by lyrics that ring true to so many people's ears, the crowd had mad energy tonight bouncing, moshing and singing back at the band with pumping fists in air. 

Nothing More was the support act for Papa Roach tonight and they more than warmed up the crowd the poked and started a fire in the heart of the dance floor with their heavy rock tones and smooth vocal exhibition. Nothing More are an intense band that absorbs you into their songs and spits to back out again with the energy of their tracks, there was added excitement when at the end of the set there was a hydraulic machine which set the lead singer up over the crowd where he roared out the last tracks before they departed the stage. 

Written By Kess Anthony and Jimmy Rock  

The Slow Readers Club entered new territory this evening, almost half way through a 3 month tour and not showing any fatigue, last Thursdays gig was the first time the band have ever played in Cornwall. The fairly packed venue shows the Manchester based band are developing a strong fan base, in in the furthest reaches of the country.

The Old Bakery is a strange and unique venue in the heart of Truro as you enter your engulfed by a black tunnel with brightly painted walls that lead you through the maze like building to the pit of the dancefloor.

It’s not until you watch The Slow Readers Club live that you understand how integral David Whitworth drumming is to the sound of the band, David sets a driving beat which is the foundation of the rhythm the band plays to, you then add the guitars of James Ryan and Kurtis Starkie and you start to get the well-crafted reverberations of the band’s signature sound.

Opening with ‘Fool for your philosophy’ and ‘Lunatic’ the crowd seemed transfixed on Aaron Starkie who was prowling around the front of the stage, it was almost a reserved appreciation from the music goers as they watched Aaron perform a quaintly vocal display. This didn’t last long as the crowd warmed up to the task very quickly and found their bobbing movements and singing voices with songs like ‘Sirens’ and ‘Supernatural’. Aaron is an intriguing frontman for the band, he is captivating and at times he appears lost in his own world, tortured by the lyrics he is trying to convey, but at the same time you can see an enjoyment which he is getting from seeing the crowd singing back his lyrics. James is also an interesting character on stage marching along to his bass beats with a focused mask over his face. The lighting display was a great added element, which lit up the band in time with Kurtis and his blaring riffs which really got the fans blood pumping.

The set list was a nice blend of older well known songs and fresh new tracks off their latest album, ‘Build a tower’. Their trademark big and anthemic sound maintained the a good momentum for whole gig. By the time ‘Plant the seed’ and ‘The Wait’ roared out of their guitars chants of “Readers” boomed from the crowd as they shadowed Aaron’s hand gestures. The sound poured out of the

band when the last two songs ‘Ghost’ and ‘On the TV’ were played, the band are a well bonded unit and blend well together musically, at this point of the gig and the crowd was reaching their boiling point after bubbling away nicely throughout and chorus of clapping to the bands beat provided a loud backing bass. Chants of 1 more song rang out and to the surprise and delight to the crowd The Slow Readers Club appeared and announced “as this is our first time here we’re going to play the first encore of the tour” and the crowd was treated to 2 extra songs ‘One More Minute’ and ‘Grace of god’.

A mention also to tonight’s support act, Alice Jemima who provided smooth tunes to start the

evening.

Written By Kess Anthony 

If you ever needed a rude awakening that the weekend starts on Friday night, it didn’t take long for Sœur to inform you as they tore up Friday night with roaring guitars and constant drum beats.

‘Moles’ is a legendary venue in the heart of Bath city centre, as you walk through the doors you're met by the faces of artists that have inspired the bands of today with their posters plastered to the walls. The place has a history of influential music that seeps into the foundations. 

Music when performed well can enrich the lives of the listener and engulf their lives with joy, and Sœur understand this concept and delivered on each and every track they provided.

Sœur has a haunting grunge sound drenched in heavy chords and backed up with well developed lyrics.

They produce a sound louder than the three piece band of Anya Pulver, Tina Maynard and James Collins should be able to, but together they come out with roaring and blaring guitars with a heavy drum beat added with an occasional softer cymbals which adds layers to their records.

Sœur exude energy and challenges the fans to match the momentum on stage, the regular faces in the crowd stood up to the challenge and the new faces in the crowd followed suit. All three members, gives a physical performance and seem to have fun and enjoy their time on stage. 

Anya and Tina dual front the band and seem to blend effectively together with Anya’s heavier riffs which mould well with Tina’s more spiky tones from her guitar, the same can be said about the tones of their voices which allows all three band member to grow on stage to form a dynamic force.

Sœur have beautifully crafted and written songs which bravely explore the complexity of our daily lives and the struggles which become entwined with our state of mind. This allows the band to demonstrate the emotion in their lyrics in tracks such as ‘Left living’, ‘Whole me’, and ‘No show’ which is the latest record released by the band. 

‘Fight’ was an excellent track to end a gig as it sent electric into the crowd that engulfed the fans into a frenzy, then the mosh pit ascended at the every crescendo of the record, the crowd were left wanting more but knew that Sœur had given everything and left to an applause of appreciation. 

Vrillon opened tonight with a good sized early crowd they have intense heavy tones and an angry booming vocal display which is great to hear.

ILL WILL provided non-stop guitar riffs and powerfully sung tracks without taking a break between songs but when you’re enjoying the sound of a chief support act why would you want to take a breather because you just want more music and this is what ILL WILL did really well. 

Written by Kess Anthony