Halloween. If there was ever a night of the year best suited to a night of face melting rock music, this is it. The perfect opportunity to create the loudest, angriest line-up of support for the constantly evolving and rapidly rising Bring Me The Horizon. Mallory Knox, not so much.
I must say though, I’m kind of surprised…ok, they’re not as heavy as the headliners, but surely they share a large portion of the same fans? If so, I assume most of them are out trick or treating. There is a small cluster of appreciative fans at the front for the Clockwork Orange attired five piece, but nowhere near enough to get the band excited. Maybe this is why they don’t seem to be trying that hard, or is the lacklustre crowd reaction a result of a lazy performance. Whatever the reason, I can’t help but feel they would be a lot more exciting to watch in front of their own crowd. They storm through their set of admittedly solid pop-rock, with a few short attempts to win the crowd with some sing alongs, though it doesn’t really change anything. Thanks for coming, but you’re just not what we’re looking for.
When it finally goes dark again (eventually!) to play Bring Me The Horizon’s introduction, that’s when the real screams start! By the sound of it, this must be a one off idea for Halloween, introducing the band as mutant bat/human hybrids thanks to a nuclear disaster. The band blast off, slamming the crowd in the face with a great wall of noise. This is the chaos that we expect from the scariest night of the year! Drawing from their last three (and in my opinion, best) albums, tonight is more about their epic, heavy post-hardcore than their scatty rage of old. It’s huge, with the lights and the smoke, it really is a spectacle to behold. The whole band is covered in fake blood, wearing deformed bat masks to ensure they stick to their opening story…a true Halloween special. There’s times when I can’t help but think that Oli becomes more of a hype man for the crowd than the lead singer of the band with the amount of choruses he leaves up to the paying customers to sing for him. But there are times when it’s definitely well warranted, as during the massive sounding Can You Feel My Heart where the crowd involvement perfectly replicates the recorded version’s atmosphere. Oli conducts the crowd through the “I’m scared to get close…” refrain in to a mighty crescendo that raises the hairs on your neck. Powerful stuff!
There’s no lull in tonight’s set, the intensity is held up throughout…so when the last song is announced and the band leave the stage nobody believes a word of it. There’s more to come and they know it, it’s standard practice by now. Free of the bat masks, the band return to say a proper two song long goodbye. Oli instructs the crowd to raise their middle fingers in the air before launching in to a seriously fired up version of Antivist. The moment the smoke shoots out and confetti is fired in to the crowd in perfect sync with the mid-song declaration that “…I think you’re a cunt” is just phenomenal! If anyone was worried that the tamer start to tonight was an indication of what was to come, Bring Me The Horizon have just thrown those doubts right out the window.
It’s amazing to think how far this band has come, and how much they’ve changed for the better. Songs like the epic Sleepwalking won’t sound out of place in a sprawling stadium, they blow the roof off this ‘intimate’ Guildhall show!
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
In what is quite possibly the most bizarre choice of support act of 2015, we have Professor Green playing before Fall Out Boy. Excuse me? That’s right, we have a quirky, wonky toothed rapper turned mainstream success with a very good dentist supporting pop-punk legends Fall Out Boy. No, I don’t get it either…
It’s quite obvious after a look around the packed out crowd that they don’t really care about the Prof. He’s not who they’re here for and half of them have probably never even heard of him. The look of total disinterest fills the room between instructions on how to move. When the crowd is asked to wave their arms, or jump, or raise their phones and lighters they happily oblige…but otherwise the overall mood here seems to be utter confusion.
None of this is Professor Green’s fault, he actually puts on a really good show! Alright, he looks a little lost on this big stage, but luckily he brought along his hype man, backing singer, DJ and running shoes in an attempt to fill it out. He rarely stands still and has a massive grin plastered on his face at all times, so you have to give him props for trying! Let’s be honest though, he doesn’t have the strongest voice, so would definitely be more suited to a smaller venue…and possibly a crowd of actual hip-hop fans. Something this crowd is not. It is all very over rehearsed, and of course there’s nothing wrong with knowing your songs, but when you’re using pre-written stage banter that doesn’t really seem to apply to the situation at hand, it all gets a bit embarrassing. Case in point: “Hope you guys have got enough energy left for the rest of the night!” (or something along those lines)…Yes Prof, they do. They haven’t moved.
But then enter Fall Out Boy. All it takes is for the intro video to be played to set off the deafening screams…these boys are a big deal! Kicking straight in with the mega hit that made them famous, Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down, it’s clear they’ll be throwing in some crowd favourites. The set is a sight to behold; big lights, steps, video screens and even fire! Low key, this is not.
There’s minimal between song banter tonight, and like Professor Green, what is said all seems a bit rehearsed, a bit too slick and all planned out. But again, this isn’t to take away from the amazing show! It looks great and it sounds huge! Even old classics like Where Is Your Boy sound beefier when played by Fall Out Boy of 2015. This is a band who have surpassed their punk rock roots and evolved in to epic, arena rock anthem playing superstars. They have a full hour and a half with us tonight, but rather than hang about, they play everything! I mean, not literally EVERYTHING…but they cram in a crazy amount of music here. This crowd is certainly getting their money’s worth and more! They dip in to just about every album, almost becoming a bit of a greatest hits tour…old fans and new are all catered for.
Absolute hysteria is created when after the room goes dark, and a stage wide video of what looks like the band in hockey masks is played, people start to notice Patrick, Pete and Joe have gotten a little closer while their backs were turned. Setting up right behind the crowd at the back of the room, the three axe-wielding members of the band launch in to a mini acoustic set. It’s a nice touch, and one not normally expected from a band like Fall Out Boy. But as awesome as this is, they are completely shown up when the lights switch back to drummer Andy, who is back on stage atop his flashing staircase. Pounding out an epic drum medley to a perfectly mixed selection of popular song snippets, all sandwiched between a larger than life, drum heavy version of the Game Of Thrones theme. It features a stunning display of lights, lasers and video that leaves the quieter moment we just witnessed an already distant memory.
Of course there is an encore, this goes without saying these days. The pace never seems to slow down though, and tonight ends on a massive high with old school fan favourite Saturday. Pete Wentz passing his bass duties over to the guitar tech so he can say a proper goodbye in the form of screaming his vocal parts from the front row of the crowd. Girls faint (probably), the crowd goes wild. Great success.
This is a much bigger, much louder and much flashier version of the Fall Out Boy I remember from Take This To Your Grave…it’s a different beast entirely. But without question, it is epic!
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Bullet For My Valentine + While She Sleeps (O2 Academy, Bournemouth – 01/10/15) ★★★★★
October 2, 2015
Whilst Bullet For My Valentine were born to play the arenas, While She Sleeps are definitely the sort of band I believe thrive on the smaller scale dingy sweat boxes with near non-existent stages. It’s not that they don’t deserve it, or they look lost on the bigger stage tonight, it’s clear that they make the most of having all that space to run around in! I don’t know, I guess it’s just the mood the music sets…they still pull off an incredible set though. Barely letting up the whole time, it’s fast and it’s heavy, broken up briefly with a mini speech on unity within the rock scene, very nice. It’s not long though before front man Lawrence is once again roaring, crowd surfing….and coughing up blood? Brutal! Ace work from these heavy as fook northern lads!
Tension builds in the darkness before Bullet For My Valentine emerge from a great wall of white light like some sort of metal messiah’s second coming, diving straight in to their trademark riffs, screams and duel guitar attacks. It’s fitting in a way, seeing as a lot of those who had been fans in their early years had most likely lost track of them until they heard they were making their debut appearance in Bournemouth…I know I had! They make up for this lost time though for sure, treating us to the oldies that made us fall in love with them in the first place; Four Words To Choke Upon, Suffocating Under Words Of Sorrow and Tears Don’t Fall all make the cut, and to a riotous response. Bournemouth has been waiting for this.
I have to admit, at one point it did occur to me that their performance seemed a bit too rehearsed, a bit clinical, something which I guess comes from over 15 years on the road. So it was a nice reminder that it hasn’t got to that point when after acknowledging that a trip to Bournemouth has been a long time coming, maybe the crowd should decide which classic track from debut album The Poison the band should play next. It was a close vote from where I was standing!
I think it’s safe to say that Bournemouth went ape shit crazy for these guys’ first trip here, so hopefully it’s been enough to encourage them to return. It seems that more and more well established artists are heading this way, so fingers crossed we get another chance to see the mighty Bullet For My Valentine….it’s been loud.
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Will Young – 85% Proof ★★★★☆
July 2, 2015
With the stigma that seems to surround acts featured on the still very popular talent shows like X Factor, it’s an impressive feat in itself that Will young is still going. But he is, helped largely by the fact that he’s actually very good and never seemed to fall in to the generic sound that I guess is inevitable when all these acts are owned by the same person.
Where most of Simon Cowell’s experiments have become cookie cutter unit movers, Will Young has been moving further and further in to more mature sounds. 85% Proof is no different, bringing to mind epic pop ballad titans Hurts on many occasions.
Though this is certainly where he’s at his finest, he does tread a cheesier path at times. He doesn’t go full Stilton, but it’s almost enough to feel disjointed when he goes from serious and broody to all out northern soul….not enough to be a major complaint though. These songs are best appreciated as stand alone moments of shamelessly happy pop music. In the context of the album, I only about 80% sure it works….they’re insanely catchy though!
Really, this is more of Will Young doing his thing and doing it well! May his reign continue.
★★★★☆
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Joywave – How Do You Feel Now? ★★★★★
June 23, 2015
How Do You Feel Now? kicks off with a brilliantly sassy fuzzed up riff, backed by an appropriately punchy beat on opening track Somebody New. A very strong start and an encouraging welcome. My first thought? If Kasabian had developed the gritty electronic influences they broke out with rather than turn in to just another generic indie/Brit-pop band then maybe they could have sounded as good as this. Where that band were afraid to tread though, Joywave gladly venture out barefoot to dance on the graves of other’s missed chances.
You know what, it’s not a word I use to describe music often, but I’ll say it again. This is sassy as hell! How Do You Feel Now? oozes confidence, turning what are quite often pretty simple ideas on the surface in to mighty pop-rock anthems.
Parade is another perfect example of this sass, this attitude….if music could smile, Joywave would be sporting a knowing smirk and would more than likely wink at you. Possibly followed by a gentle caress of the leg. You would be powerless to resist.
It’s great to see a band with this level of accessibility doing something a little different. It may not be totally new ground, but it’s certainly a lot more exciting and different to the samey generic chart hunters clogging up the radio, while still being mainstream enough to ensure they don’t lose out on those listeners. Edgy pop-rock. Rocky synth-pop. Grunge pop? Whatever this is, it’s awesome!
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Leftfield – Alternative Light Source ★★★★★
June 9, 2015
Leftfield has returned after a daunting 16 years away, and now with only one half of the legendary duo (Neil Barnes) carrying the torch…with a little help from some friends taking guest appearances. Alternative Light Source deals with a more chilled out brand of electronic music. The hard beats are still there, but this isn’t really music to bounce around like a loon to. Basically, this is electronic music that’s tailored for the listener rather than the dancer and that’s all good in my book! Think Salem gone pop.
This drop in speed combined with the pulsating beats and distant throbbing bass lines give it a numb, almost dreamy sound. Almost as if you’re only semi-conscious, floating through a cloud of fluffy sound (that’s a thing) and struggling to really focus on anything tangible. Occasionally, Alternative Light Source injects a bit of volume and power to bring you out of your hypnotic trance, but soon sucks you back in to it’s own blurry dimension.
When an album can take your mind away from you like this, to have you totally zone out of the real world and spend some quality time with the music, you know you’ve hit jackpot.
Leftfield has created a work of synthetic beauty, one to truly get lost in. Simply stunning!
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Cosm – The Aptatude Test ★★★★★
June 8, 2015
Bournemouth’s home grown hero Cosm is back, he’s not brought producer buddy Cheebo with him this time though. After two top quality releases together he’s decided he needs to break free and see other people….though hopefully it’s more open relationship than full on break up. For this outing Cosm has teamed up with the equally as awesome Aptatude, hence the title reference.
It’s not really a massive departure from his work with Cheebo, there’s still the laid back boom-bap style and lazy vibe. Aptatude seems to favour the simplistic approach to beat making; piano and drums for the most part. This is no bad thing, it suits Cosm’s carefree lyrical style and delivery perfectly. It helps to keep things chilled out….these aren’t club bangers, these are clever, more thoughtful pieces of fine hip-hop. Made for the real hip-hop heads, not necessarily the people getting down to Lil John in the clubs. It’s humble with a real world level of attitude, none of the puffed out chest bravado prevalent in the genres more mainstream offerings.
Cosm is keeping it old school, real….and he knows how to pick the right producers to compliment his style. A true hidden gem that needs to find its way in to every self respecting hip-hop fan’s collection. And this is free! Can’t go wrong!
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool ★★★★★
May 30, 2015
My Love Is Cool is a wonderfully dreamy collection of spaced out indie pop songs. Pop songs with the occasional slab of snarling, grungy rock and roll attitude. Think Queen Adreena meets Explosions In The Sky…is that possible? Wolf Alice seem to have done it!
One minute they’re floating through the music amid haunting vocals and chilled out guitars, then their dark side shows itself and all out riffage smacks you in the face. It’s a great combination that brings variety without sounding disjointed and random. Wolf Alice have a serious knack for trying everything and having it flow seamlessly throughout, experimental done properly.
This is an album you could really get lost in, it’s begging for repeat listens! There’s so many different layers here I want to re-visit, there’s just too much to take in and fully appreciate on the first time….My Love Is Cool is an album that just expands every time you listen to it, getting better and better with every play through. My Love Is Cool is a fine wine, only getting better with age. Wine doesn’t go off, right?
These guys don’t play it safe here, they take risks, and these risks have paid off big time! It’s these surprises and strange directions that have made this album the masterpiece it is. Too many bands are afraid to try different things, to step out of their comfort zone. They know what’s safe and they stick to that. Those bands get boring after 5 minutes, My Love Is Cool may have what it takes to become timeless….I certainly can’t see it getting old right now.
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Generally you expect the quality of a gig to rise as you make your way through the line up, culminating in the moment everyone has been waiting for, the headliners. Tonight though, we reach that high point of this sold out show very early on, but rather than go downhill, somehow this level of awesomeness is sustained from start to finish.
First up are Dead Harts, hailing from Sheffield, they are the only band tonight from these fair shores. Riding in on a wave of F-Bombs, lead heavy guitars and a sea of heads (quite literally, complete with body board making regular trips around the ceiling beneath one ecstatic member of the crowd or another). By the first song they have already incited a circle pit. By the second song, vocalist Bax is getting more closely acquainted with the ceiling atop a sea of hands. In a venue this size it’s crazy to see this sort of response to the opening band! But it’s well deserved, Dead Harts deliver a weighty, almost apocalyptic brand of hardcore through one of the most exciting live performances I think I’ve ever witnessed, leaving the unmistakable aroma of sweat lingering in the air as the dust settles. The goosebumps remain.
Representing the US, The Color Morale bring some melody to proceedings. Some clean vocals to accompany the guttural screams. They are also shockingly polite by comparison to what came before them. None of that Sheffield expletive laden charm. The Color Morale love you all very much and they demand you know about it. They may break out all the Americanisms here, dedicating songs to emotions, declarations of love and appreciation, but that’s not to say the music they play tonight is any less designed to get bodies flailing and heads banging. There’s riffs here that were made for moshing, and the crowd duly delivers.
Beartooth however, need no introductions to this crowd and minimal need for between song banter. It becomes abundantly clear by the sudden swelling of the crowd, stretching to half way up the stairs, who they’re here to see. The band don’t leave them hanging either, kicking straight in to their frantic mix of raw screaming, catchy choruses and towering instrumentals.
The body board is back.
It’s safe to say that everyone here is going bat shit crazy for these guys. At one point the crowd starts bouncing so high I worry heads are going to go through the ceiling. But in terms of crowd madness, the icing on the cake is still to come. The icing being their guitarist Kam, the cake being the crowd, as he rides their hands on his back whilst continuing to play flawlessly. The whole band play with a tightness that can only come from relentless gigging, these guys are working hard and it’s paying off!
But the choruses. Oh, the choruses! When I first heard single In Between, I couldn’t help but imagine the song along moments that chorus could lead. I was so right. The whole crowd singing in unison with the band, it’s a beautiful moment and one I can’t help but envy seeing happen through the band’s eyes. To have something you’ve created sang back at you with such passion has to be the best feeling in the world.
Beartooth give everything they have tonight. Literally. They actually run out of songs to play, re-christening their parting gift Body Bag as the encore so as to not cheat all the friends they’ve made tonight. The energy hasn’t let up once since Dead Harts hit go, everyone leaves with a huge great smile on their face and I can’t help but feel like I’ve just been a part of something special. Bournemouth has been spoilt here…maybe our live music scene isn’t dying Let’s do it again some time.
★★★★★
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Native People – Tapes ★★★☆☆
May 13, 2015
Take That? Oh no, too indie.
Tapes takes the indie blueprint and throws in some clean cut boy band sounds with a dash of subtley funked up guitar and some chilled out synths. Its still very much generic radio indie though, albeit going for the more indie-dance side of things. It sits very comfortably in the middle of the road and never really mixes up the pace.
There are a couple of interesting remixes thrown in at the end here, and weirdly these are the highlights for me. Adding two chilled out dance versions of opening track Tapes.
Don’t get me wrong though, Tapes isn’t a bad EP. There’s nothing particularly wrong with these songs, but there’s no risks being taken, no experiments. It’s all very airy fairy mid paced indie that I’ve heard a million times before. But all very good if you like that sort of thing! But not interesting enough to hold my attention…
★★★☆☆
FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!
Mo Phonic 