Concorde 2, 26 August 2010
How can one not have a soft spot for The Maccabees? From their two album releases to date, the Brighton-come-South-London five-some exude such ebullient warmth on record it should be enough to make even the most hardened, crusty of souls enjoy them. Their live show however is in a different stratosphere [...]
Komedia, 25 August 2010
Whilst a barrage of torrential late summer rain pelts down onto the gritty streets of our fair town, Komedia is keeping its collective self warm with conversation, whiskey and some of the most soulful, captivating folk music perhaps to have ever graced these shores. Providence’s prodigal sons (and daughter) The Low Anthem [...]
Prince Albert, 24 August 2010
Upon arrival, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really in the mood for being knocked about by hundreds of sweaty students at a punk gig, but the warm-up bands were fantastic and I started to come alive. The crowd were in good spirits (if slightly sweaty) and all fitted the usual Brighton [...]
Concorde 2, 21 August 2010
Hip-hopping from Long Beach to Brighton beach, Ugly Duckling are MC’s Dizzy Dustin, Andy Cat and DJ Young Einstein, whose birthday it is tonight. The nice boys of hip-hop introduce themselves with humility, thanking the audience for making it out to an early show.
The group focuses around Einstein’s skilful scratches and [...]
Concorde 2, 19 August 2010, with support from Samsara
Well folks, summer is nearly over. The tans are fading and the dodgy swimming trunks will soon be shoved to the back of the drawer, only to be dragged out next year and instantly slung out in self-disgust. All is not lost though. The nights are bright [...]
Prince Albert, 17 August 2010
To some, hardcore is a four-letter word. The anti-social sound of disaffected youth, the characteristics of which are beyond comprehension for parents and older siblings alike. To others though, it’s not just a genre but a way of life. A constantly evolving line that’s traceable way back to its origins in [...]
Concorde 2, 17 August 2010
“I saw the news today old boy… but I saw it on my HDTV ya know…” Who wouldn’t love to hear Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Radiohead all in one set and on one stage? But the scene was set for a tight reggae concert; marijuana smoke in the air, [...]
Latest Music Bar, 16 August 2010
Acoustic performances are easy to come by in this town. You can stroll into a bar on any given night and find all manner of performances. The only problem of course is that with increased frequency, quality control goes out the window. You can never be sure if you’re actually [...]
Komedia, 15 August 2010
Colorado born Laura Veirs has gathered a cult status over her past seven albums with magical realist lyrics and folky handpicked charm. Support tonight comes from the backing band’s solo projects tonight, firstly from guitarist Karl Blau and then from experimental viola player Alex Guy.
Blau’s socially awkward attempts to chat with the [...]
Digital, 14 August 2010, with support from Evil Nine
Seldom do our gloriously international-approved seafront clubs attract Brighton talent for headlining slots, let alone a banging double bill that draws much respect from the gathered faithful this evening.
Krafty Kuts has become a mainstay on the global clubbing scene since a certain Norman Cook snapped up “Gimme [...]
near Tunbridge Wells, 13-15 August 2010
When the yellow eco buses drew up to the secret location just outside Tunbridge Wells, no one knew exactly what was in store for them at the first music and arts festival to be hosted by the Brighton collective Playgroup. What unfolded was a superb array of performers, musicians and [...]
Standon Lordship, 6-8 August 2010
Arriving at Hertfordshire’s Standon Calling festival after a stuffy six hours in traffic, the atmosphere was electric - even in the car park with sparkling lights around us and the hum of music not too far away, the journey dissipates and you are able to respond to the call of Standon’s [...]
Central Brighton, 07 August 2010
Photography by Victoria Fulton
brightonpride.org
Life, 06 August 2010
Photography by Keith Trigwell
myspace.com/joyorbison
Concorde 2, 29 July 2010
Mary Portas, the monarch of marketing, recently stood outside a hair salon in Rochdale and said, “It looks like it was at its best in the ‘80’s and it just hasn’t moved on.” The same could be said about tonight. The audience isn’t littered with young, hip electro-spectives with haircuts and [...]
Concorde 2, 28 July 2010
What did you think of the gig?
Rachele: “Very lovely… Interesting but not the sort of thing I’d normally listen to. Scrag were awesome though.”
Ed: “Well, I think they have a retro vibe. Appeal to a mellow, happier audience. Upbeat.”
Lydia: “Pains Of Being Pure At Heart were very serious but having fun. [...]
Old Paddling Pools, 21 July 2010, with live music from Maximo Park
It most certainly isn’t every day that you get to see the pioneer of vert skateboarding and creative brains behind one of the decade’s largest video game franchises, Tony Hawk, doing his stuff with our very own West Pier as his backdrop. The buzz [...]
Hilton Metropole, 21 July 2010
As part of a European tour Tony Hawk made his only UK stop on Brighton beach, with a few world champion friends in tow. Arranged by Quiksilver, Tony seemed happy to have landed in Brighton. “They [Quiksilver] chose the cities but now we’re here I can see why. Obviously [...]
St. George’s Church, 21 July 2010
Doors opened at 7pm; being still at home at this point was risky. Home is far from St. George’s, and with no real concept of geography meant at this point to get to the far-flung venue was a charge straight through Kemp Town. Upon arrival it was in fact a [...]
Concorde 2, 12 July 2010, with support from Clock Opera
“Is that the only song you know?” Yeasayer’s softly spoken front man Chris Keating is responding to an audience member’s cry for “Ambling Alp”, perhaps the band’s most accessible, sing-along song to date. But an hour or so before one of experimental music’s most exciting bands’ [...]
Jam, 12 July 2010
Food Fighters
Food Fighters
Food Fighters
What did you think of the gig?
Emily: “Really love ‘em, I go to lots of their gigs, and Ruderalis’ as well. Great night…”
Will: “F**king amazing. Best Brighton band I’ve seen in months.”
Matt: “Best Brighton band I’ve seen in hours. They are the best superhero rock and roll band I’ve [...]
Concorde 2, 10 July 2010
This certainly was not a show to miss! Even with surprisingly early doors (being a Saturday at the Concorde) and a beautiful hot summer’s day in our beloved town the crowd were there. This was most likely due to a fantastic line up with support from Kvelertak, Gaza and the mind [...]
De La Warr Pavilion, 10 July 2010
The evening began slowly with some fine-tuning, some muffled whispers from the crowd and sense of understated musical high culture. This was perhaps symptomatic of the venue more than anything else. The De La Warr Pavilion located in Bexhill-on-Sea was ideally suited to a night at the opera. The [...]
Corn Exchange, 9 July 2010
There is a palpable excitement filling the room this evening. The National, five albums into an already illustrious career, are slowly but surely being elevated into the musical stratosphere. Having sold out the Royal Albert Hall two nights running several months ago, clearly the prospect of seeing such an enormous band [...]
Central London, 03 July 2010
Photography by Liz Chambers
pridelondon.org
Hector’s House, 27 June 2010
As the majority of the country shuts itself indoors to have a good old sulk at yet more World Cup disappointment, a hundred or so rockin’ souls have gathered on this baking Sunday evening to witness one of psychobilly’s hidden gems, Detroit’s Koffin Kats. The first chance for the assembled faithful [...]
Concorde 2, 26 June 2010
Maccadano, maccadano, dano dano dano. These are some of the words you won’t hear at an Elliot Minor gig. Others include “you’re not alone” and “I’m falling too deep.” Just kidding, these are, of course, things you’ll hear at an Elliot Minor gig. Apart from the “maccadano” part but a man [...]
Digital, 24 June 2010
Kele Okereke, the singer and front man of indie band Bloc Party, has always fought those stereotypical circles that make any music journalist’s job a breeze. Being both black and gay were not normal things to be in the scene in which Bloc Party formed and Kele’s refusal to talk about his [...]
Marwoods Cafe, 23 June 2010
Photography by Liz Chambers
myspace.com/z-starmusic
Freebutt, 20 June 2010
As I stroll hazily towards one of Brighton’s most cherished, yet unfortunately endangered venues* I’m secretly praying that this monumental hangover of mine doesn’t get the better of me. Luckily, tonight’s show at the infamous Freebutt is of the acoustic variety, so I can take comfort in the knowledge that this fragile [...]
Concorde 2, 17 June 2010
On a balmy summer evening on the Brighton seafront, one cannot bring to mind a more suitable live act to serve as the soundtrack to the sunset. Since forming over four decades ago, Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert and his Maytals have been revered by both peers and fans alike for pioneering the [...]
Concorde 2, 15 June 2010
What did you think of the gig?
Franklin and Ruby: “Quite eclectic with a hip-hop undertone.”
Jack: “He’s way off track!”
Lauren: “Really attractive… some good words in his songs.”
Photography by Gus Manzano
St Andrews Church, 13 June 2010
“This song is for Ganesh, the remover of obstacles” speaks Susheela Raman, composer, interpreter and tonight singer with her new London-based band. Raman has experienced much success already across Europe and it is certainly justified: her voice is an instrument that she controls with apparent ease, and this year sees [...]
Concorde 2, 12 June 2010
Photography by Pornrutai Lohachal
myspace.com/therealdannyltjbukem
Prince Albert, 07 June 2010
If you’ve any common sense or value for your own opinion, then the words of critics should for the most part be disregarded completely. After all, who is to say that one man’s word is worth more than another’s? Just because one individual gives a band a bad rapping, doesn’t [...]
Concorde 2, 5 June 2010, with support from Zinc and SBTRKT
The sub-genres that drum ‘n’ bass threw out onto dance floors and squat parties a couple of years ago are beginning to converge like never before. Tonight’s Supercharged line-up is testament to that, a diverse and upbeat crowd snaking its way through the Concorde 2’s [...]
Freebutt, 5 June 2010
Photography by Emmest
myspace.com/smithwesterns
Komedia, 4 June 2010
Photography by Pornrutai Lohachal
dreadzone.com
Komedia, 1 June 2010
As a hub for diverse, wide-ranging forms of entertainment, from theatre and comedy clubs through to spoken word evenings and live concerts, one finds it hard to imagine a more suitable venue in which to witness the reggae/soul/ska/hip-hop being that is Natty, a softly-spoken North Londoner who has quietly been taking the [...]
Komedia, 25 May 2010
Photography by Emmest
marthatilston.co.uk
Komedia, 25 May 2010
Another slice of humble pie for Mr. Johnny Flynn please? The slight of built blonde boy made it nervously to his microphone, and his opening gambit, “Nice to see you…” was almost inevitably followed up with “…to see you nice!” As a witticism it was successful in its spontaneity and no doubt [...]
Audio, 25 May 2010
After being informed that Club NME was no longer, The Foxes booked Audio themselves to help promote their new EP “Depression, Joy And Moment Of Fame” alongside brand new band Pirate Sky (their first ever gig!) and Sculptures.
The Foxes open with “Get Me”, with its pop punk structures and shouting chorus. Guitarist [...]
Brighton Centre, 25 May 2010, with support from Sub Focus
Often criticised by drum’n’bass purists as a lesser respectable act due to their commercial success, genre-spanning and accessibility, eclectic Anglo-Australian rock and d’n’b mash up superstars Pendulum have attracted a most diverse crowd this evening. The spectrum of age starts at the late pre-teens and ends [...]
Concorde2, 23 May 2010
The Damned have been around for 34 years and they have had their ups and downs in regards to success and line ups but they’re still soldiering on and playing to respectable audiences to this day, and tonight was no different at the Concorde 2.
It seems the longer a band have been [...]
Freebutt, 23 May 2010
In the deep and dark Freebutt, lurked a band who came from a far away island in the Pacific to play Brighton, and revelled in their punktastic repertoire of riffs. They are known as Shonen Knife. This Japanese pop/punk trio of women from Osaka are touring the UK and Europe in support [...]
Digital, 22 May 2010
Canadian quartet Holy Fuck have been causing quite a stir in recent months, after taking the reins as the showcasing artist at SXSW back in March, they are on their spring/summer tour and joined us by the sea after partying with the scouses at the Sound City festival. People here tonight don’t [...]
Freebutt, 18 May 2010
The bass drum sat centre-stage at the Freebutt is more than just a musical instrument. It’s also a billboard that bestows an unassuming name; Dan Sartain. The young American is a relative stranger to these shores, having visited the U.K just a few times before for previous tours. The emblem embossed beside [...]
Digital, 15 May 2010, with Jakwob and Seiji
That you find yourself reading these words at all is a small miracle. Upon arrival at a bustling and typically chaotic seafront scene that is rendered even more so by the fallout from the Great Escape festival, XYZ is told in no uncertain terms by several extremely [...]
Various venues, 15 May 2010
Keep an eye out for the next issue of XYZ Magazine for photos and our reviews from The Great Escape 2010, but for now check out some of our photos from the Saturday night…
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
Krupa
Angus and [...]
Various venues, 14 May 2010
Keep an eye out for the next issue of XYZ Magazine for photos and our reviews from The Great Escape 2010, but for now check out some of our photos from the Friday night…
Alex Metric
Alex Metric
Alex Metric
Alex Metric
Alex Metric
Darwin Deez
Darwin Deez
Darwin Deez
Darwin Deez
Woon
Woon
Delphic
Delphic
Delphic
Delphic
Delphic
Delphic
Dead Confederate
Dead Confederate
Dead Confederate
Everything Everything
Everything Everything
Everything Everything
Warpaint
Warpaint
Warpaint
Warpaint
Warpaint
Rose [...]
Various venues, 13 May 2010
Keep an eye out for the next issue of XYZ Magazine for photos and our reviews from The Great Escape 2010, but for now check out some of our photos from the Thursday night…
Avi Buffalo
Avi Buffalo
Avi Buffalo
Avi Buffalo
Avi Buffalo
Gaggle
Gaggle
Gaggle
Gaggle
Hungry Kids From Hungary
Hungry Kids From Hungary
Hungry Kids From Hungary
Pulled Apart By Horses
Pulled [...]
Jam, 12 May 2010, with Pope Joan, Sweet Sweet Lies and Sophie Madeleine
As the sun sets on a gorgeous May evening, an ever-expanding gaggle of scruffily-suited middle-aged men with laminate passes round their necks, semi-wasted indie kids and the just plain confused begin to appear amongst the nooks and crannies of the Lanes. It can [...]
Hector’s House, 12 May 2010
“Anyone in here watch Hollyoaks? We were on it in February and it was probably the best episode ever…” Probably the best episode ever? Lead singer/guitarist Billy Wright should perhaps be a little more confident in his band’s abilities to lift the sheer monotony of British soap culture. Though the irony [...]
Concorde 2, 10 May 2010
Bradford Cox is sick. “Sick and fucked” in his own words which, it transpires, is less an attempt at some kind of ultra-macho street bravado, but the voicing of a genuine medical complaint. Such maladies underpin a performance tonight that is at once beguiling, powerful, hypnotic, vulnerable, funny and downright strange [...]
Concorde 2, 9 May 2010
The Fall’s appearance is pre-empted by a mash up of video footage and distorted sound. It begins with a fragment of a French film. A face projected large moves fractions, as it plays back, looped endlessly. The noise develops and Donna Summer joins this staggered dance. The sound gets heavier, enter [...]
Concorde2, 8 May 2010
Either there a lot of young Tories at Concorde2 tonight, or someone has been slipping something into the bottles of water clenched tight in hipster hands, as the mood of celebration in the air is palpable. Though the doors have only been open for around an hour, the dance floor is already [...]
De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, 8 May 2010
Magic realism. A waking dream. A trip down the rabbit hole. Or even The Magic Roundabout, given the whirling merry-go-round that spins as the VT backdrop rolls and sisters Sierra and Bianca Cassidy with their band take the stage.
CocoRosie were formed and recorded their first album in Sierra’s [...]
Concorde 2, 4 May 2010, with support from Mariachi El Bronx and Ghost Of A Thousand
When you exude as much onstage (and indeed on-record) energy as The Bronx do, one can imagine the difficulty in having to act as support band for yourself every night for any lengthy touring period. That Los Angeles’ finest mariachi [...]
Concorde 2, 3 May 2010
If Alabama 3 have something to prove tonight (which, of course, they don’t), then it is that they possess more than just that song in their arsenal. The conscripts filling up the Concorde 2 this evening are clearly here for reasons other than they like The Sopranos (“Woke Up This Morning” [...]
Concorde2, 1 May 2010
You can’t not remember Ash. They were, like, so cool for a month or so, but not in a one hit wonder manner, more like a writer-starts-epic-trilogy-and-sort-of-forgets-to-finish-it scenario, or so it would seem. Where have they been the last ten years? To all of us non-extremist fans they seemed to just [...]
Life, 30 April 2010
The Chicago house legend returns to Brighton, and I’m expecting something pretty big. To get the Wikipedia bit out of the way (and to put Felix Stallings Jr. in some sort of context for the unenlightened reader) Felix is largely credited with being at the forefront of the second wave of Chicago [...]
Concorde 2, 29 April 2010
What ever happened to their rock ‘n’ roll? Their records are hacked out with an embedded aggression symptomatic of all the purest rock artists. Yet the BRMC sound is also laced with a mesmerising level of relentless psychedelic white noise that fails to fully do itself justice through the sound system [...]
The Engine Room, 29 April 2010, with support from Drone Rebels
Discharge are a British punk band, formed in 1977, and have influenced many bands throughout their career; most notably metal bands such as Metallica (they covered a few Discharge tracks on their Garage Days album), Sepultura, Anthrax etc. They even spawned a genre in itself [...]
Freebutt, 28 April 2010
The thought of standing in one of Brighton’s most sweltering venues is anything but appealing. But when the band you’re there to see is as talented and challenging as Three Trapped Tigers… well, let’s just say not much convincing is needed.
It is always refreshing to see artists making an effort to push [...]
Brighton Dome, 28 April 2010, with support from I Blame Coco
It is safe to say that XYZ feels rather old this evening. As we take our seats high up in The Dome’s circle seating area, alongside rather confused looking parents and fellow guests of the record label, the venue’s floor is awash with youthful abandon [...]
Komedia, 27 April 2010
Whilst the words ‘brass ensemble’ normally invoke sentiments along the lines of “it’s grim up North” or Ewan McGregor’s smug face wrapped around a trumpet mouth piece in the mum-friendly 1996 film Brassed Off, for this balmy Tuesday night they have acquired new meaning. Ushering in the sunshine vibes of April come [...]
Concorde 2, 27 April 2010, with support from Pearl And The Puppets and Eliza Doolittle
A camp clean-cut caricature of a pop group, a band that obtains so little edge that the likes of the Sugababes seem like death-metal compared to them, a band solely empowered by a rigorous PR campaign to circulate the over-subscribed chart [...]
The Engine Room, 25 April 2010
Eclectic Mancunian quintet Sonic Boom Six have gained themselves quite a reputation with music journos previously citing them as a “hefty shot of ska-punk, hip-hop, reggae and jungle” (Kerrang!) and “simply the most exciting live punk band in the UK” (NME). Tonight’s show then, in the tight confines of The [...]
Freebutt, 22 April 2010
Austin, Texas is the only city in the U.S to have no laws against woman appearing topless in public. Fact.
Brighton has the prettiest girls in the UK. Fact.
Well, that is according to Strange Boys front man, Ryan Sambol, who came from Austin to the Freebutt to serenade the Brighton locals with scratchy [...]
Freebutt, 21 April 2010
After arriving to a barely full Freebutt with one man, a lot of expensive equipment on stage but making a pretty dire noise, I can’t wait for Bear In Heaven to play. Finally at 9:50pm the band come on stage, two guys with moustaches and a drummer. They don’t say a word [...]
Concorde 2, 20 April 2010
Danish avant-garders, Efterklang, are quite probably the most overlooked artists on the western hemisphere. Prepare yourselves, judging by this performance at Concorde, they look set to whitewash the global music scene with jet after jet of ubiquitous aural pleasure.
Their music has evolved rapidly since their debut in 2004; starting out with [...]
Freebutt, 20 April 2010
We here at XYZ do jolly well love a good genre mash-up, that colossal breaking down of musical barriers that has the ability to produce something quite extraordinary sounding. Tonight’s gig pleases us greatly, for these particular genre-bending San Franciscan psychedelic/garage/whatever journeymen have not only chosen to play in Brighton, but have [...]
Audio, 19 April 2010
By the time I hit Audio the second support band, Cold Pumas, are on stage and immediately I can tell this is going to be a loud one. With two battling guitarists and a drummer wailing into the microphone I’m already impressed by tonight’s line-up. Cold Pumas finish their set and four [...]
Concorde 2, 17 April 2010, with support from Jack Beats and Nero
The volcanic ash cloud currently hovering precariously above Northern Europe may have left various DJs and musicians stranded away from scheduled gigs, club nights and loved ones, yet this homegrown triple-whammy of a bill ensures that the Concorde 2 is packed out and ready [...]
Digital, 16 April 2010
Elevating from underground open-mic nights to great heights (which can simply be defined by winning the highly acclaimed Brit Awards Critics’ Choice and recently being named the BBC Sound of 2010), there is always going to be a lot of expectation and hype surrounding 23-year old, fem-tronic, folk-princess Ellie Goulding. A large [...]
The Engine Room, 15 April 2010, with support from Trash Talk
Trash Talk
The Engine Room hosted a night that intrigued me somewhat. Sheffield’s Rolo Tomassi are a quintet I had only listened to on other people’s stereos while being told what a great band they are but I had never seen them live and I must [...]
Stags Head, 15 April 2010
Photography by Liz Chambers
myspace.com/foreignofficemusic
Concorde 2, 13 April 2010
With only one single floating around our radio airwaves, it is hard to understand how Brighton’s Concorde 2 was able to sell out. Is it the numerous Joshua Radin songs appearing in popular television programs such as Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy that has sealed the deal? Or the fact that the [...]
Duke of York Picture House, 12th April 2010
I am not a fan of clichés, but in this case the phrase ‘it runs in the family’ could not be more apt. The brother and sister partnership from Newport (on Sydney’s northern beaches) graced Brighton with their presence as part of their ongoing tour to support the [...]
Concorde 2, 11 April 2010
The youth of Britain have treasured Plan B as a national gem for years, charmed by his worldly acoustic hip-hop and down to earth image. However it’s only since his recent collaborations with Chase And Status and his compelling act alongside Michael Kane that he has earned a not-quite-but-almost household name [...]
Fat Face Brighton Store - Ship Street, 10 April 2010
Photography by Emmest
fatface.com
Digital, 08 April 2010
The femmebots in subject pass me by just as they’re due on, dressed in matching blue suits they jump up on stage. Robots In Disguise have graced the front covers of countless fashion magazines honing into the electro-mod engines. The show looks fired up and ready to go. The bass is ringing [...]
Concorde 2, 08 April 2010
The invitation to watch the cheeky pop-punk outfit Bowling For Soup “stripped” is not usually an offer I would get excited about (I envisioned 38-year-old punk-rockers thrashing around the confined Concorde 2 stripped of their skater-boy, Americana clothing and dignity). But it came apparent as I entered the Concorde 2, that [...]
Resident, 07 April 2010
Photography by Keith Trigwell
myspace.com/peggywho
Freebutt, 7 April 2010
Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum cuts an extremely awkward figure. Halfway between computer game shop nerd and speed dating nerd, Elverum is flanked by a duo of keyboard players and backed by two drummers. Baggy shirted and slightly receding, the singer shuffles forward towards the microphone with a slightly stunned and perplexed look [...]
Concorde 2, 4 April 2010
Before I start, allow me first to express just how much I was looking forward to this gig. I’ve been a fan of the talented Mr Finley for years. His debut album, 1996’s Maverick A Strike, is one of my favourite albums and I’ve tried to see the man live on [...]
The Hope, 1 April 2010, with support from The Perils
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
Ice Black Birds
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
The Perils
What did you think of the gig?
Tommy [on Ice Black Birds]: “Brilliant, I’ll buy the album.”
Mary: “Brilliant… times two, in fact. Quite [...]
Brighton Train Station, 1 April 2010
To celebrate the launch of the new Fat Face clothing store on Ship Street - opening April 9 - street artists Fark FK and Snub spray-painted and stencilled a beach hut slap bang outside the train station.
Photography by Marta Vidal Riera and Gus Manzano
fatface.com
Digital, 1 April 2010
Since the tail end of 2009, dance floors across the UK have been brought to their knees by the sounds of Joy Orbison. Last year in British bass culture no tune went further to the other side of (what you call it?) 2step/ dubstep/ garage/ house/ grime than ‘Hyph Mngo’. His debut [...]
The Good Ship, London, 31 March 2010, featuring Foxx Bandits with support from Galley Beggar and Heg Doughty
Foxx Bandits
A PR company showcase is a risky fare. There are generally too many bands and the quality is drastically inconsistent. To make matters worse, this night’s entertainment was themed as a ‘folk and acoustic night’ as if [...]
Engine Room, 30 March 2010, with support from Outcry Collective
It’s a small miracle that anybody has managed to make it down to tonight’s show, full stop. The howling gale blowing in from the briny deep that engulfs Preston Street renders walking down to the venue all but impossible, the odd Chinese takeaway box or fag [...]
Concorde 2, 29 March 2010, with support from B-Dolan
Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip roll into damp dank Brighton for the last night of their UK tour. Their latest studio offering dropped two weeks ago, entitled The Logic of Chance, and with exciting support from Sound Of Rum and B Dolan the masses swarm [...]
Audio, 27 March 2010
Photography by Keith Trigwell
myspace.com/transformertransformer
Concorde 2, 27 March 2010
Few bands have done more for acoustic folk rock than Turin Brakes. Since the release of their debut album nearly a decade ago, the hugely talented duo have effectively re-vamped the style for the mainstream market and breathed new lease of life into what was fast becoming a genre only the [...]
St Georges Church, 27 March 2010
Photography Frankie Jones
myspace.com/asilvermtzion
Audio, 27 March 2010
“Hello and thank you for having us Brighton, did we play our first show with you here Paul?” Lead singer and bassist of The Automatic Robin Hawkins seemed in a sentimental mood. He is of course referring to their relatively new band member Paul Mullen (of Yourcodenameismilo fame) playing on the guitar [...]
Audio, 22 March 2010, with support from Baddies and Airship
“The imminent death of BBC 6 means you lot are more important than ever in the discovery and support of new music. It’s great that you guys are here tonight and please, keep coming out to shows like this one.”
If venues like Audio continue to host [...]
Komedia, 21 March 2010
For someone who writes such tortured, pensive and (at times) self-deprecating lyrics, WHY? front man Yoni Wolf is in a surprisingly chirpy mood. Throwing spazzy robot shapes on stage to the instrumental breaks within ‘The Vowels Part 2′, Wolf is clearly having fun – a far cry from the fractured persona evident [...]
Brixton Academy, 20 March 2010
In the depths of urban Brixton, nearing 7.30pm, I avoid the hoards of pre-show, ardent, adolescent girls and slip through the stage door into The Academy (eyes were glued to me as the aficionados mistakenly assume my separate entrance as being a romantic association with the band). Tonight London’s flagship venue [...]
Concorde 2, 20 March 2010
Now into it’s sixth year Carbon has maintained a firm reputation for playing uncompromising drum ‘n’ bass, the sort you rarely - if ever - hear on those bloody ’stadium d’n’b’ CDs. It’s precisely this that makes it great.
After taking time out of its regular home at the Volks for various [...]
Brighton Dome, 20 March 2010
The make up of tonight’s sell out audience at the not-insignificant in size Dome reflects greatly how the perception of Editors, once the darlings of the music press, has changed over the past five years since the release of their stunning debut, 2005’s ‘The Back Room‘. Largely dominated by thirty-something professionals, [...]
Komedia, 20 March 2010
Brighton’s dancers, artists, miscreants and general troublemakers gladly dusted off their top hats and sprung out like jack-in-the-boxes for Trailer Trash’s Baz Luhrman themed party at Komedia. Entering the upstairs venue, we are hit by the sounds of the crowd as salsa dancers circle each other like lions. And the smell. It [...]
Freebutt, 18 March 2010
In a world where a lack of talent increasingly appears to be a prerequisite to stardom in the ‘creative’ fields, it is sometimes worth taking time out from your X-Factor induced rage to consider the benefits.
One of these is that while hip hop’s most famous and least talented sons are gallivanting around [...]
Concorde 2, 17 March 2010
‘For advanced students only’ could be a worthy description of Four Tet AKA Kieran Hebden’s sold out set at Concorde 2.
When I arrive I can hear some pretty chunky beats emanating from the art deco structure, filling the foggy air with a deep bass thump. Bugger, I’m late and have missed [...]
Concorde 2, 13 March 2010
Bearded Kitten’s - winner’s of the £5K Smirnoff Creative Grant - Forties To The Noughties evening was not something you can just make assumptions about. What I mean by this is that it was the illusive mix of music that stands the test of time, crazy performance artists, installations, multi-dimensional post [...]
Concorde 2, 12 March 2010
It’s common knowledge that musical genres, no matter how popular, eventually expire. Over a course of time what was once fresh, new and exciting can, having been pushed to its limit, die a self-prophesizing death. The same goes for musical instruments themselves. Over hundreds of years music has evolved from valued [...]
Coalition, 12 March 2010
The stage at Coalition doesn’t seem big enough for this ‘uber-cool’ eight piece band from New York. They get everyone rushing down to the dance floor in a matter of seconds when taking to the stage. The Phenomenal Handclap Band are like an infectious piece of New York noise mixing funk, soul, [...]
Concorde 2, 9 March 2010
Who really knows what they were or what they are now? In the earlier days of their career, Idlewild were a dirty, heavy indie band who produced a sound that bordered on punk. In 2002 the Scottish quintet put out their fourth and arguably most popular album ‘The Remote Part’ which [...]
Komedia, 8 March 2010
Brighton’s Komedia was packed to the rafters as Kate Nash fans jammed into the venue to hear the singer’s new material. And new material was exactly what they got. Kate played only three of her old songs and dedicated the rest of the set to giving fans a peek at the tracks [...]
Hope, 8 March 2010
Sporting contrasting red and blue hipper-than-thou dresses, fraternal duo Klara and Johanna Söderberg AKA First Aid Kit are frighteningly young. Backed by an understated, impossibly calm drummer, the Swedish act plough the final of their 18 UK dates this evening with around an hour of country-tinged mournful folk in the vein of [...]
Audio, 6 March 2010
Photography by Rosie Christos
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Komedia, 6 March 2010
Photography by Pornrutai Lohachal
guiltypleasures.co.uk
Hanbury Club, 5 March 2010
One of the problems with creating an album as dense, ethereal and sonically ambitious as The Antler’s Hospice, is that at some point you will need to replicate its charms in a live environment. Not only this, but as the album is the kind of work that could only really become [...]
Coalition, 3 March 2010
Summing up the night in one word… Electrifying. Little Dragon are a band that are worth being popular. I was hugely amazed and felt alive when I walked into the room surrounded by people all waiting for one band. The performance of the whole band was well worth turning up for. Why [...]
Freebutt, 3 March 2010
Since their 2006 formation in London’s unlikeliest of musical hotbeds, Kingston upon Thames, Tubelord have garnered themselves something approaching a cult following. Signed to popular UK label Hassle (Rolo Tomassi, Alexisonfire, Cancer Bats etc.), the band arrives in Brighton for their first headline show here since the release of their fantastic debut [...]
Brighton Centre, 2 March 2 2010
“When we say hay! You say ho! When we say hay!” - I say “cliché”. The ego of the man on the night was unmatched. It was somehow not outweighed by the bass speakers which rattled your ear drums and the girly screams which split them. But disappointingly his performance [...]
Komedia, 1 March 2010
Photography by Ed Isaacs
Freebutt, 1 March 2010
With a stage time of 9.45pm, tonight’s appearance by Glaswegian electronica upstarts Errors more resembles your typical seafront club night than residential backstreet live show. Yet what we actually get (15 minutes earlier than scheduled, too) are four nondescript looking young chaps walking casually onto the stage and without saying a word, [...]
Concorde 2, 28 February 2010, with support from This City
I just saw my first glow stick. I’m surprised that the numbers of them are low; perhaps they’re endangered? What I think more likely is that they’re downing them in the newly furnished toilets of Concorde 2. Breaking them open and gushing them down in an [...]
Brighton Dome, 26 February 2010, supporting The Noisettes
Being a warm up act can probably be a mixed blessing. Ultimately there is a limit to how many members of your half capacity audience will be really paying attention as they wait for who they paid for to appear. On the other hand you may perform out [...]
Concorde 2, 26 February 2010
Local Natives shook the foundations of Concorde 2 as they gave a performance which will only enhance their reputation as the next big thing in the indie music scene. With amazing harmonies, at times involving all members of the five-piece, but usually coming from the voices of keyboard player Kelcey Ayer [...]
Digital, 26 February 2010
Hailing from Brooklyn and after a tour supporting MGMT back in 2008, the bar for Yeasayer has been set high. Hyped and anticipated, their style borrows sounds from across the globe. On record, the tin carnival drums, ethereal keyboard effects and gently woven harmonies form a happy and light mixture, but live [...]
Digital, 25 February 2010
Hang on, is that a dubstep version of the Marioworld theme? Wait, no - it’s Woo-ha vs. the Indiana Jones theme vs. Aerosmith! And I think I can hear Hall & Oates coming into the mix… Such is the Yoda experience; combining styles, genres and era’s into a seamless soundscape – usually [...]
93 Feet East, 24 February 2010
Eight Legs seem to be a completely average, run of the mill, nothing to see here, indie guitar band. You would be forgiven for assuming they had rolled straight off the North London post-Libertines production line. After all, they are currently being fawned over by all the same rags that [...]
Freebutt, 22 February 2010
Japandroids describe themselves as “a two piece band trying to sound like a five piece band.” Rather than merely attempting to sound like they have a fuller line up they achieve something else. They create their own unique emotive sound, which packs more of punch than many five pieces. Whilst they share [...]
Komedia, 17 February 2010
Owl City is the musical project by Minnesota-based songwriter Adam Young; an insomniac who has polished the perfect ingredients to sugarcoated pop. Infectiously addictive, the fusion of euro-pop, synth instruments and sweet harmonic vocals has instantly painted the pathway of success for this artist.
Taking to the stage after an ensemble opening of [...]
Audio, 15 February 2010
Utter the words ‘Welsh chanteuse’ and images of a certain operatic young female livening up the streets of Cardiff (might) spring to mind. However, try again, because as Marina Diamondis of Marina And The Diamonds proves tonight, though she may be the capable owner of lungs of steel and a sweeping vocal [...]
New Hero, 15 February 2010
I arrive early to a pretty much empty New Hero, just a few kids waiting for the arrival of Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club, fresh from their NME date at the Dome and BBC’s star of Gavin and Stacey, Mat Horne. As time passed, the club filled up until the much [...]
Featuring The Drums, The Big Pink, Bombay Bicycle Club and Maccabees
Brighton Dome, 15 February 2010
Love it or loathe it, the NME’s obsession with the newest, most zeitgeist-hugging acts has helped launch numerous careers that would otherwise have faded into mediocrity. In some cases (Kasabian) this has clearly been a curse, yet the track record of [...]
Hope, 14 February 2010, with support from The Wellingtons
Valentine’s Day seems, for many, to have lost its charm. Handed out year on year like an unwanted, corporate present to a mass of ungrateful customers. ‘I didn’t want that one!’ people seem to shout - we wanted the home made and heartfelt, not the mass produced [...]
Hastings Crypt, 14 February 2010
If there was an antithesis of everything that is St. Valentine’s day, Frank Carter of Gallows would be it. Skulking around the sweat-soaked labyrinth of a venue that is the Crypt, the famously confrontational frontman looks like he has more on his mind than saccharine greetings card as he watches main [...]
Prince Albert, 11 February 2010
Ramona are a band cursed by the need to indulge in prolonged decadent choruses, singing about places they have never been. However, this could be unjust, the band do have a slight air to them, are they people of the world? Do their choruses spark certain romanticism, good things for the [...]
Audio, 12 February 2010
I walk into Audio and there is a woman helping set up the stage who is dressed like Karen O. It is not that she doesn’t look cool just… eugh. And then I look around and realize the entire audience is a crowd of maths teachers and their arty girlfriends, wearing striped [...]
The Hydrant, 12 February 2010
The Hare And Hounds is dead! Tonight’s shindig represents the official re-launch of one of our favourite little pub/venues as The Hydrant, a seemingly smarter, more organized proposition. It is Friday evening, the place is packed and it is clearly time for a party! And what better musical accompaniment for the [...]
Prince Albert, 10 February 2010, with support from DKH
It is 9pm and our wintery Wednesday weeknight host is the familiar Prince Albert. This week PA is offering it’s confined cavern of dark intimacy to rock’s most underrated, loudest and lethal acts; DKH, Trippin’ Violet and Dopefight. As if the devil had summoned every avid rock/metal [...]
Freebutt, 10 February 2010
As far as run-of-the-mill indie bands go, Liverpudlian troupe Hot Club De Paris are anything but; for this is an indie band that wear Iron Maiden t-shirts, employ guitar finger-tapping and poke fun at both the NME and themselves. With a sound more akin to the likes of the jerky ‘fight-pop’ of [...]
Audio, 10 February 2010
Sometimes it is both a blessing and a curse that this fair city of ours has one of the most uniquely diverse music scenes in the entire U.K. Being spoilt for choice with so many great venues and bands has (on occasion) lead to some rather heated debates among friends as to [...]
Komedia, 10 February 2010, with support from Beth Jeans Houghton
So, it is snowing. Again. Thank God that Twisted Folk hand-picked some wonderful heart and hand warming pop-folk bands to scare the snow blues away.
First to support are Foxes. They look and sound every bit the American-small-town-British-inspired band, apart from the fact that they are actually [...]
Brighton Dome, 9 February 2010
Firstly let me say that this concert had the most impressive light show EVER. This doesn’t really come as a shock; if there’s a group that is going to have that sort of epic respect within the industry, enough to be able to work with whoever they damn well please, it [...]
Concorde 2, 9 February 2010
The most positive outcome to draw from Charlie Simpson’s pop-fuelled misery was the creation of Fightstar. Over the past seven years, Simpson’s post-rock inspired band has struggled to gain the respect that they deserve; finally a sold out Brighton venue proves quite the opposite.
Walking on stage to a pre-recorded track, it [...]
Oceana, 9 February 2010
Twenty-year-old Jamaal Noel Fyffe, otherwise known as Chipmunk, is the headliner for Oceana’s Student Referesher’s Party, and his peers seem rather excited. The star has been rising rapidly over the last year. After winning the MOBO Newcomers Award in 2008, he went on to beat the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West [...]
Audio, 8 February 2010, with support from The Hornblower Brothers, Munich and The Lyrebirds
Audio have really been pulling out all the stops line-up wise at the start of 2010. Not content with showcasing some of the year’s most exciting talent in Delphic and These New Puritans in recent weeks, tonight they are offering a recession-busting [...]
Engine Room, 7 February 2010
Sunday evenings are, to all intents and purposes, designed for curling up in front of the telly, cup of tea in hand, desperately attempting to keep tense thoughts circulating around the head regarding another tough week ahead at bay, right? Wrong! When the sensible amongst us retreat into the warmth and [...]
Bistrotheque, 7 February 2010
It is not often that you walk into a venue and gasp at its elegance. It is also not often that you have Oestrogen pills spat at you from the mouth of a naked androgyne, but who’s counting?
This was Winter Rites; a night in support of the Five Years art collective. We [...]
Phoenix Gallery, 6 February 2010
Photography by Noorali Hirani
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Concorde 2, 06 February 2010
If you are not sure who Adam Green is, he’s one half of the Moldy Peaches. If you are not sure who the Moldy Peaches are, they’re that band that did that cute song about having “shiny happy fits of rage” which they sang at the end of Juno. Their style [...]
Engine Rooms, 6 February 2010
What did you think of the gig?
Sophie: “Very cool. Im trying to get my own band The Adam Seed started doing the same sort of stuff.”
Kaitlynn: “Loud, energetic and fun. ANL never let the crowd down.”
Laura: “So where’s Winston?”
Neville: “Totally awesome with lots of swearing”
Photography by Keith Trigwell
Pontins, 5 February 2010
First SFX Weekender has landed…
SFX Magazine launched their first sci-fi convention weekend at Pontins, Camber Sands. There was not a huge amount of famous actors but perhaps that is to be expected from the virgin run, however overall the weekend was a huge success with over three thousand fans in attendance.
The most [...]
Audio, 5 February 2010
With undoubtedly one of the strangest band names ever conceived, it is no surprise that Fuijya & Miyagi are purveyors of a sound that is as inventive as it is classic. Difficult to pigeonhole, these fellow Brightonians have a vast array of influences varying from seventies Krautrock to eighties synth-pop, and they [...]
Hobby Horse, 4 February 2010
There is something very odd about reviewing the same band twice. Like a second date. We had fun last time. I said some very nice things. They gave me presents and walked me home. We didn’t kiss at the door. It seemed a bit soon for that, I am just not [...]
Audio, 1 February 2010
BEWARE: TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE USES STROBE LIGHTING
No really. Prepare to be plunged into an evening akin to one spent in a Super-8 film. Singer/preacher, Jack Barnett, flickers before your eyes for about an hour spitting Crowlian sentiments as his sickly pale skin flashes from a chalky white colour to a seasick sapphire [...]
Concorde 2, January 31 2010
The Brighton Tattoo Convention Aftershow Party was held at Concorde 2 and the crowd was entertained by the likes of Urban Voodoo Machine from London who in their own words serve up a large dose of “bourbon soaked gypsy blues.”
The band consists of Paul Ronny Angel hailing from Norway as the [...]
Racecourse, 30-31 January 2010
It is not often you get the chance to have fantastic tattoo artists from all around the world come to you. The Brighton Tattoo Convention is a great chance to be able to take your pick of the amazing talent available and get a world class tattoo. Of course there were also [...]
Coalition, 30 January 2010
Electronic dance group XPress2, who’ve had dance chart hits with ‘The Sound’ and ‘Lazy’, were back in Brighton this weekend for another late night session under the Arches.
The evening kicked off with some deep throbbing bass tracks that would grind on for ten minutes or so and then climax before blending into [...]
Digital, 30th January 2010
Due to unforeseen technical difficulties tonight, Digital opens its doors almost two hours later than planned and as a result, the gathered fans of recent NME paramours Miike Snow are freezing and somewhat agitated. This situation doesn’t fare well for stomping synth-disco, London-based support act Ali Love. Between-song interludes slow down proceedings [...]
Prince Albert, 28 January 2010, with support from Thomas White and Turncoat
Despite the fact that tonight is one of those most typical of winter weekday evenings (drizzle, wind, empty streets etc.), the good souls of this fair town have gathered en masse inside the Prince Albert’s cosy confines to enjoy a truly warming mix of [...]
Engine Room, 27 January 2010
“I don’t want to sound like an artist or anything, but this is the last time we play this fucking hole, it sounds like it’s made of paper. Right, well, this is our new single but you won’t be able to tell!”
Lead singer and guitarist Rich Frownes seemed far less enthusiastic [...]
Audio, 27 January 2010
Photography by Keith Trigwell
Concorde 2, January 27 2010
If you are not aware of the recent Pan-Brighton Neighbourhood Watch Meeting that took place in Brighton you should probably stop reading here and go back to living your normal lives in peace, because I assure you you will not have a clue what I am on about. I couldn’t even [...]
Prince Albert, 26 January 2010, with support from Alessi’s Ark
On a freezing cold evening at the end of January, it’s a wonderful relief to step into the packed out and cosy Albert for some heart-warming, folk inspired treats. Alessi Laurent-Marke, known musically as Alessi’s Ark, steps quietly onto the stage, and with hardly a moment [...]
Digital, 23 January 2010
As we walked into Digital, the terrible hypocrisy of the Brighton drum and bass scene hit me. It is very easy to slate nights like Devotion which are full of pill munchers not music lovers but at least you don’t have to worry about feeling self conscious on the dance floor with [...]
Digital, 21 January 2010
Before I start this review, on a quite random note (though it didn’t seem it whilst I was taking notes), just a little niggle here Digital, the girls toilets have now gone from having minimal toilet seating to none at all. What I mean to say here is you wouldn’t expect much [...]
Audio, January 19 2010
In theory, Delphic should have well and truly missed the boat by now. Having almost made it big as wide screen melodic guitar outfit Snowfight In The City Centre a few years ago, the band have re-grouped and re-invented themselves as a dance-rock hybrid some two years after new rave was foisted [...]
Hoxton Bar and Grill, 18 January 2010
Giving a band too firm a label, can be a mistake. MEN are a ‘queer’ band. MEN are a ‘political’ band. Both of these labels are appropriate, but I would that to derive from what it is they do. MEN are a really brilliant electro pop band who put [...]
Freebutt, 14 January 2010
Vivian Girls arrive in Brighton for the first leg of their UK tour with a fair amount of hype behind them. Their debut album was released to favourable reviews in the Indie music press in 2008, and their live shows, including a set at last year’s Great Escape festival, have helped push [...]
Concorde 2, 14 January 2010
OK Go are one of those great things - a pop band with a sense of humour. They don’t take themselves too seriously - and neither should you.
“I have heard that Brighton is famous for its LOVERS!” shouts charismatic front man Damian Kulash. “So let me ask you Brighton - ARE. [...]
Freebutt, January 13 2010.
The members of Saxon Shore display formidable musical prowess. Starting each song softly and gradually building up in volume and intensity. The music from this post rock band is very cinematic and emotive, producing layered sound scapes and they clearly love what they are doing. They have great presence on stage, the [...]
Coalition, 20th December 2009
Adam Freeland
“I feel like I’m playing Tetris.”
It could have gone either way at the Marine Parade Christmas Party. All the students have gone home for the holidays and most people at home eating a good non-Christmas/roast related meal or some student version (takeaway or fajitas) to flatten their stomachs for the Christmas [...]
The Brunswick, 19 December 2009, with support from Wide Eyed Order
What an exciting night this should turn out to be. Brighton has a good number of willing skankers and it shows as more and more people start flooding through the doors. Trilby hats worn by colourful individuals squeeze together in an effective deterrent against the [...]
Unitarian Church, 19th December 2009
Six days until D-Day (Christmas) and therefore Brighton city centre should be prepared for an invasion of the Christmas shopper kind. But as if to save our seaside city from the chaotic crowds, slippery ice was summoned to cover every pavement block in The Lanes and thus making shopping very hard [...]
Concorde 2, 18th December 2009
Photography by Emmest
Brighton Centre, December 17th 2009
It’s 8pm, I’m in the Brighton Centre and we may or may not have just spotted Hayley Williams at the side of the stage watching the support bands, disguised craftily wearing a big hoody. Looking back it’s hard to tell if it was her or not but it was then that [...]
Cargo, London, 16th December 2009
A rumbling bass rages through the tunnelled venue, reverberating off the huge industrial pipes, leaving every audience member distinctly uncomfortable and a little bit terrified. “Sometimes we write things that are deliberately difficult to listen to” says Dan Copeman, one part of Brighton three-piece Esben and the Witch.
He’s not wrong. Esben [...]
Concorde 2, 15th December 2009
They were a long way from their home town of Detroit in the United States, but Electric Six nonetheless seemed right at home on stage at Brighton’s Concorde 2. Their sheer comfort with themselves and their music was evident by Dick Valentine’s crowd banter and comedy routines between each track. If [...]
New Hero, 12th December 2009
Scandalously funky sex-obsessed party tunes from a perverted genius, Har Mar Superstar combines charisma and carnality with the virtuosity of the most accomplished of funk soul brothers. His defiant sexiness and uncanny knack for irresistible R&B hooks has seen him transcend entertainment mediums, from spokesperson for Lynx and Vladivar vodka to [...]
Audio, 11th December 2009
“It’s just…be super loud and you’re all set” Brian Gibson
Lightning Bolt are a Rhode Island noise band that mostly play really fucking loud. The Brians suck you in and pound you with frantic but precise drum loops tag teamed with deliberately awkward and imaginative bass riffs. Bass riffs so heavy they physically [...]
Hanbury Club, 10th December 2009, as part of The Hoochie Coochie Lounge
What’s our name?
M.P.L.
What are we like?
Fucking mental!
Where do we live?
Down the shops.
Who do we love?
Sheryl Crowe!
Why?
She’s fucking boss!
The Hanbury Club, strikes me as a civilised venue; Herbie Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man’ wafting from the instruments of the in-house band, mojitos being lovingly created behind the [...]
Jam, December 9th 2009
It’s no secret that Sweden has an eclectically diverse musical history; from the unashamed wedding reception classics of Abba to the inspired scruffy rock ‘n’ roll of the Hives. But as we say hello to the dawn of a new decade it seems our European cousins have produced yet another successor of [...]
Komedia, 8th December 09
I’m late, it’s pissing down with rain, I’m running through Brighton, and water is seeping into my hole ridden trainers. It is worth it though right? Of course it is! I am on my way to see Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks. I can’t deny my excitement, I have seen The Jicks [...]
Freebutt, 8th December 2009, with support from Guided by Lights and The Robot Heart
It’s always a challenge for the opening band at the Freebutt, unfortunately there is no exception for Guided by Lights, a Brighton based band with an unfairly small audience. With a sound a little like early Bright Eyes, and an interesting array [...]
Concorde 2, 7th December 2009
Bathed in blue light and with a rumbling wall of sound shaking the very foundations of the six hundred capacity Concorde 2, up onstage the eight members that comprise múm display an almost childlike appearance as they embark upon their hour and a half long odyssey of a set. Punctuated by [...]
Komedia, 07 December 2009
When your a twenty something singer/songwriter from Devon, it’s risky business. Well-travelled John Mayer types who like surfing and Joni Mitchell are about two dreary heartfelt songs away from becoming the next James Blunt. Sorry about that (to any James Blunt fans who aren’t thinking ‘fair call’ right about now), but for [...]
Engine Rooms, 6th December 2009
Brighton based progressive/alternative/psychedelic band, thedealwasforthediamond comprises of Adam Cawdrey, brothers Alistair and Dary Scott - all guitarists and drummer Eldge. Their influences include Tool, Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Deftones and, of course, the ubiquitous Radiohead. Speaking of which, some bands defy genres and thedealwasforthediamond is one of them. The [...]
Brighton Centre, 5th December 2009
“Merry Christmas and bah humbug!” Cooper’s cynicism towards the fast approaching festive season, which is probably symptomatic of the fact that he turned sixty-one last February, was the only fleeting indication of his age while on stage at the Brighton Centre. “Bah humbug” brought to a close a night that essentially [...]
Freebutt, 4th December 2009, with support from Tubelord
It would appear that the audience for punk, and indeed straight-up rock music as a whole is rapidly diminishing. True, the Freebutt does feel pretty rammed from my vantage point tonight, but on closer inspection this is largely due to the massive supporting column that has been handily [...]
Concorde 2, 2nd December 2009
Vincent Frank, aka Frankmusik, is not one for keeping his private life private. The trancey ‘Time Will Tell’ and the twitchy ‘Better Off As Two’ were both written for his muse and very ex-girlfriend, Olivia. Unsurprisingly perhaps, Vincent is now estranged from her after discussing her abortion in a national newspaper. [...]
Freebutt, 2nd December 2009
These days, it seems unsigned bands require colossal force to ‘break’ into the music industry; opening doors to a more prolific and profitable career. Yet, the astounding amplitude of immense progressive rock Exit Ten propel into their fans faces at live shows still has not been enough to smash through the professional [...]
Engine Rooms, 1st December 2009
The musical career of Kid Congo Powers is nothing short of a legacy, boasting an epic history as guitarist to the ultimate in sultry punk acts - The Cramps, The Gun Club and Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds to name but a few, and it comes as no surprise that [...]
Concorde 2, 30th November 2009
We Are The Ocean are a band I have seen rise like a ferocious, phoenix of screamo/post-hardcore rock out of the ashes (where many juvenile, like-minded bands from the ‘MySpace era’ rest).The quintet were once valued only as a slightly faulty Alexisonfire but they didn’t take the criticism to heart, and [...]
Concorde 2, 30th November 2009
Seeing vast amounts of apathetic teens in skinnies sipping cider was not a surprise. As I walk through the empty bar and into the half empty Concorde 2 I’m greeted with a familiar sight. Straightened hair glistens as moody eyes follow me to the front. I wait for Flood Of [...]
The Hope, 27 November 2009
It’s almost ironic that The Antlers are standing in front of a banner plastered with the word ‘Hope’ in foot high letters across it. Their brand of searching ambience, their breathtaking, album-of-the-year-contender record ‘Hospice’, and their intimate live show – it all seems to evoke a certain sense of hope. Not [...]
Engine Rooms, 29th November 2009
Panic Cell’s Black Juice Tour exploded into the Engine Rooms with their brand of upbeat hard-edged metal. Formed of lead singer Luke Bell, Rob Hicks on drums, Harjeet Virdee and Nathan Wood on guitar and Bobby Town on bass, it is surprising this band is not better known.
They seem to be [...]
Concorde 2, 27th November 2009
Have you ever had the perfect night out? You know, drinks, smiles and dancing until the sun comes up. One of those moments where you and your friends feel on top of the world? When I first moved to Brighton three years ago, I had one of those nights. The soundtrack [...]
Hectors House, 25 November 2009
Monotonix are a volatile trio of musicians who incorporate such unparalleled madness and versatility into their live acts, it is difficult to conjure up the words to form an adequate description of the events that unfolded at Hectors House in Brighton. On reputation they are what a venue’s health and safety [...]
Komedia, 25th November 2009
Alice Russell comes from a musical family, her father was a classical music teacher and her sisters were classically trained. Alice was nine when she began receiving classical music training. Today Alice’s career is burgeoning, her reputation growing as one of the hottest British soul singers who can command large audiences worldwide. [...]
Digital, November 22 2009
So, did you know that Mr Scruff actually has a tea company? No, seriously, he actually does. makeusabrew.com is full of helpful hints and step by step advice on making the most perfect cup of brew around, product of the highest quality and brand t-shirts and mugs, of course. This might actually [...]
Hope, 21st November 2009
In 1999 Anvil rose like a phoenix out of the ashes of Crime Club Records. The tiny independent label is serious in its ambition to find and support extremely accomplished performers, introducing them to the music industry and audiences interested in talent with a difference. Ten years later, Anvil celebrated at The [...]
Komedia, 20th November 2009
It was with much excitement that we approached the Komedia on the night that highly acclaimed Dreadzone came to town! I hadn’t seen Dreadzone live before and was full of anticipation about what they would be like, and I wasn’t disappointed as they delivered a set of epic proportions, playing the full [...]
Brighton Dome, 19th November 2009, supporting Alesha Dixon
“What’s up Brighton!” strutting onto stage in Bowler hat, wetlook leggings and shoe boots, Nicol cuts a small and determined figure. She launches into her first track, ‘My Story’, at the piano and her skills as a vocalist and songwriter become clear. A husky voice, pared down pop [...]
Concorde 2, November 19th 2009
The mosh circle, such as it is here, is like some kind of crèche for kids with attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder. Tiny limbs fly around in joyous abandon even during the two support acts, whose mediocrity is rewarded with a display of exited adoration by those already crushed together at the front, thrilled to [...]
