Biffy Clyro gig review: 22/03/13

First off, as you can tell I haven’t posted in a while. Unfortunately I have been quite busy lately, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t got lot’s to post. I’m going to be doing an epic load of publishing posts that need to be published in the next day or so, including a Tall Ships gig review, an album review, and an interview. But for now, I want to come on to the latest gig I went to, which was Biffy Clyro on Friday.

I’ve got a confession to make: I never used to be a big fan of biffy. 

WAIT PLEASE BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME.

I am now. it’s ok.

Until recently, I didn’t really get the whole Biffy Clyro hype. I liked Many of Horror, but the little else I’d heard, I didn’t love. Then my boyfriend got me into them, and i’m so glad he did. I fell in love with Only Revolutions and the love for the older stuff came naturally. And opposites came out and it didn’t disappoint me one bit. I’m glad I found this love because it meant that seeing them in Cardiff on Friday night was bloody awesome. Plus, City and Colour were supporting, a band I’d always wanted to see.

City and Colour came on stage in the Motorpoint Arena at about 7.15. City and Colour, a band formed by Alexisonfire lead singer Dallas Green, are acoustic, so naturally, don’t sound a lot like Biffy Clyro. While they started off ok, I have to admit, I found myself getting a bit bored. They didn’t play their best songs, in fact, they played hardly any of their older stuff. it was dry, disappointing, everything blurred in to one. I don’t think it helped that when City and Colour started, it was just Dallas Green and his guitar, but now it’s a full fledged band and a lot of that magic from the early days has gone. None-the-less, I still did not enjoy the loud football talk coming from a group of lads stood near me through the entirety of their set (see my upcoming post on gig etiquette for more on that!). 

Dallas Green/City and Colour

When City and Colour finished performing, everyone was eagerly anticipating Biffy Clyro. The entire building had filled out with people. When they eventually came on, just after half 8, I saw probably the most impressively designed stage-set I have ever seen. A curtain dropped to reveal a huge constructed tree, all branches with no leaves like the one on the Opposites album cover art, taking up the back of the stage. Simon Neil was naturally wearing no top, revealing his many tattoos and making all the girls swoon. They opened with new song ‘Different People’ followed by ‘Golden Rule’. The crowd instantly started moshing. It was a rowdy gig all the way through and by the end my light grey nikes were almost black. Biffy played plenty of older stuff which was great for the dedicated fans, and plenty off of Only Revolutions, which was awesome for people like me who saw it as their greatest album. They played a good song of heavy tunes to mosh to like 'there's no such thing as a jaggy snake', songs to feel instantly passionate about like ‘Bubbles’, and slower, sad songs like ‘Many of Horror’. They obviously played a few new songs, but without letting it rule their entire set.

They closed their main set with one of my Favourites ‘The Captain’, but then of course, did an Encore which consisted of ‘Skylight’, ‘Stingin’ Belle’ and lastly, ‘mountains’, which was a perfect song to close on. 

Biffy Clyro

All in all, it was a brilliant gig not simply in terms of the music but in terms of the stage design. I was impressed and it’s fair to say I’ve been completely converted to Biffy Clyro fandom, and I can not wait to see what they offer as a Reading festival headliner in August. 

FIDLAR album review

Originally posted in Quench Magazine.

FIDLAR’s self-titled debut album packs a punch right from the off, jumping straight in the deep end with ‘Cheap Beer’, a fast paced song which sums up FIDLAR’s raw nu-punk/thrash sound and attitude. Cheap Beer is a song I’ve been listening to pretty much on repeat for the last few months, so I hoped the other singles I hadn’t heard much of would live up to it. I didn’t need to fear. It seems to slow down a bit after the fast intro of Cheap Beer, with songs such as ‘Stoked and Broke’ and ‘Max Can’t Surf’ but while ‘Stoked and Broke’  has a slower, more drooling, sound, it still encompasses FIDLAR’s nonchalant attitude, with lyrics such as ‘I’m ditching school’ and ‘I just wanna get high’. Despite this mixture of fast and slow paced songs, the danger of FIDLAR’s distinct sound is that their songs can begin to all sound the same. This was saved however when last track ‘Cocaine’ played, finishing with soft, slow, and surprising vocals in the last 3 minutes of the song, which, despite being about cheap cocaine, sounded pretty emotional. Throughout, the album is unpretentious, unapologetic, and refreshing, with FIDLAR’s LA roots resonating within the music. 

8/10.

Gig Review: NME Awards Tour on the 17/02/13

This post was originally written for Hypewriter

The NME awards tour happens every year, and attending it is somewhat of a rite of passage for NME fans and alternative music lovers. Every year it gives a chance for NME to showcase some brilliant new, upcoming, and growing artists.And to see 4, usually fabulous, bands for only about 20 quid is a nice bargain. However I have to admit this year I was a little skeptical. While some of the acts on the bill are brilliant (Peace, Palma Violets, Miles Kane), I wasn’t sure about Django Django headlining. Django Django make some great music, however I wasn’t sure how strong they would be as a headliner. While The NME tour isn’t exactly Top of the Pops, previous headliners for the tour such as Two Door Cinema Club, The Maccabees, and once upon a time, The Killers, could be argued to be much more accessible. Despite that, I knew people who had rated them pretty well live so it would be interesting to see how they performed, and if their live set would provide something different from their recorded tracks.

Peace opened the set at 7.20, and were a nice opening act to wake up the crowd. The band walked on dressed in clothes which spoke of a retro 70’s hippy look, perfectly suited to the bands name. They played some tracks from their ‘Delicious’ EP and newer single ‘Wraith’, however they also played loads of newer songs which I can only presume will be from their upcoming album, opening and closing the set with lesser known songs. While this is expected, as they want to advertise their upcoming album on the tour, it would have been nice for their set to be opened and/or closed with songs from ‘Delicious’, rather than offering songs fans didn’t really know yet. However, they sounded pitch perfect, and their high quality sound present in their recordings was not compensated live.

Next up was Palma Violets. If Peace were the band to start the night and grab the crowds attention, Palma Violets were the band to get the crowd jumping, moshing, and singing (or shouting) along. The band walked on looking ridiculously disorganized, and a bit lost. But it worked for them. They provided a nonchalant attitude which matched their punky music. Palma Violets opened with a song which, from the reaction of the crowd, apparently only a few die-hard fans knew, offering a sample of what we can expect to hear on their new album. Palma Violets proved that they are definitely a live band. Their brash tones and deep voices were meant to be heard live. This was matched with a great stage presence, with the two singers using the space of the stage to their benefit. Half way through their set Palma Violets played ‘Best of Friends’, followed by ‘Step Up for the Cool Cats’, arguably their two most well known songs, which sufficiently got the crowd going. Finishing their set on ‘14’, Palma Violets had prepared the crowd for the rest of the night successfully. They’re a band I would definitely recommend seeing live, especially while they are still relatively small. The only way they could have been better is if they had played in a smaller venue, allowing for a more intimate experience.

The third act on was Miles Kane. Before I saw him live I thought that maybe he should of been last on the bill instead of Django Django. After seeing him live, I knew this. Miles Kane delivered the kind of performance that was worthy of finishing a show. This was evident even after only playing one song. Opening with ‘Give Up’, he had everyone singing along to the lyrics ‘you’re pretty, good looking, but i’m looking for a way out’. He induced plenty of crazy dancing, moshing and jumping. There wasn’t a single still body in the building. Miles Kane’s distinct, 90’s indie sound and look was completely unpretentious, and he protruded pure fun and talent within his set. He played a good mix of new songs and better well known songs such as ‘Inhaler’. Closing the set with ‘Come Closer’, he kept the song going for as long as possible, and totally engaged with the dedicated crowd.

Miles Kane was so good, in fact, that as soon as he and his band walked off the stage, about half, maybe even more, of the crowd walked out. Clearly, most people had only come to see Miles Kane, proving that maybe NME had got it a bit wrong with the order of their bill. Even if people hadn’t come to the gig just to see Miles Kane, it wasn’t too surprising. After such an incredible performance, I found myself questioning how anyone could top it. It was the sort of performance which you hear at the end of a gig and leave on a complete high.

Nevertheless, some dedicated Django fans stayed, and I’m sure were glad of the better view of the stage from half the crowd clearing out. Admittedly, Django Django did dispel some of my worries. Django Django had clearly made an effort with the image they protruded on stage. They were dressed uniformly, and had made use of clever visuals at the back of the stage and a great use of lighting, yet the visuals didn’t obscure the performance at all, which a lot of bands don’t manage to pull off. Django opened with Hail Bop, a safe opening choice. Django Django had a great and unique use of instrumentals,such as tambourines and maracas. There was also a greater use of synths present than in their album, which gave their live performance a more ‘dance-y’ sense. My main worry was that they’d be a bit dry live, but the use of electronics made them a good band to dance to. Django Django’s performance really grew after ‘Cairo’. There was a great mixture of synths and drum beats. The microphone had an echoed effect, giving a new dimension to the sound.

Despite Django Django being better live than I expected, they still failed as a headliner of the tour. Of course, after seeing Miles Kane, anything would be a bit of a let down, but I really found Django Django’s performance quite boring. While their electronic elements gave a ‘dance-y’ and lively feel, and while the use of instruments gave a unique live listening experience, I couldn’t get in to it at all. ‘Default’ was their high point, and a firm favourite amongst the crowd, yet after that I felt myself willing the end of their set to hurry up, which is something I’ve never felt before. All the other artists that performed are acts I would make an effort to go out of my way to see again, but as for Django Django, I can imagine enjoying them from the sidelines at a festival, when not much else is going on, but they don’t suit headlining the NME tour, especially when the supporting acts were, quite frankly, much better.

CHVRCHES

for some obscure reason I've only just HEARD CHVRCHES. considering I mostly blog about music, this is pretty shameful. I've seen all the hype on twitter and facebook and other blogs, yet I've only just bothered to type them in and listen. And I'm gonna join in with the hype and say, yeah, i like them, a lot. 
They sound a lot like a new Passion Pit, to me, apart from maybe better? Passion Pit used to be amazing but then the release of the second album marked a sharp downturn. Let's hope CHVRCHES don't end up with the same fate, dying before they've even had a chance to properly showcase all of their work and talent. 

what an amazing week for music...

Unfortunately, at the beginning of this week I was pretty ill, which prevented me from posting, but this did NOT prevent me from being excited about all the great musical news that has been happening this week...

Beyonce's tour (and her kick ass superbowl performance)
Who HASN'T been excited about this? Beyonce is an absolute goddess. Her performance at the superbowl was incredible, and now she's announced a 'Mrs. Carter tour'. While people have questioned the name of the tour (husband Jay-Z's real surname is Carter) and how it might inflict on her feminist credentials, she's still DOING A TOUR OMFG. Tickets go on sale on 23rd February and UK dates are late April - early May.

Fall Out Boy are back!
Some people refer to Fall Out Boy as a guilty pleasure. I don't understand what there is to feel guilty about. I shamelessly love Fall Out Boy and couldn't be more excited about their comeback, which brings me to...

...The Reading and Leeds Line Up Announcement!!
Yes! Fall Out Boy are on the bill, along with Foals, Jake Bugg, Bring Me The Horizon, but thats nothing really, compared to System of a Down!! I've been dying to see System of a Down live ever since I discovered them when I was 12 or 13. It will be insane. and of course, the headline announcement, Biffy Clyro. With their fifth album released, and the fact they totally deserve a headline spot, it's no surprise. I have a feeling this may be the best Reading fest yet.

Fidlar's album released!
Fidlar finally released their album, yay! I'm currently listening to it now, as I type. And so far, it's sounding pretty damn good. 

Plus...Bestival Line Up.
Ok technically this was last week, but I still think it deserves an honourable mention. Another absolutely incredible festival line up!! This summer is set to be a good one!!

The Joy Formidable Gig Review

Last night I went to see The Joy Formidable in Cardiff’s Student Union, and they played an exceptional show. I’d been dying to see them since I have missed them at Reading Festival for 2 years in a row, and the gig last night definately made up for it. In fact they went beyond my expectations.

 WE//ARE//ANIMAL, a welsh band who have been praised by the likes of NME and Radio 1, opened the set. They were pretty good, with what I can only describe as a ‘rocky-indie’ vibe. They were the perfect warm up for The Joy Formidable, suitably getting the crowd going.

By the time The Joy Formidable came on stage, the room was packed. When the band came on to the stage, they came on with a bang. Playing ‘Cholla’ straight away. The music completely filled the room, helped not only by the guitars, drums, and not to mention lead singer Ritzy’s electrifying voice, but their entire stage presence. They were jumping around and completely enjoyed themselves, instead of just standing there, which makes all the difference. Plus the mixture of the light effects, the montage of images playing on a screen behind the band with a hanging outline of a wolf’s head (to match the title of the bands new album Wolf’s Law), and Ritzy’s completely sequined golden dress, made for an overall performance.

It was clear that The Joy Formidable had put effort in to every single aspect of the show, not letting one detail surpass their attention, yet they still managed to maintain a down to earth light-heartedness, talking to the audience, and both smiling and swearing constantly. The gig wasn’t just about the music, but about the overall effects, yet these effects didn’t drown out the music at all. The loud drums and guitar thrashes, and Ritzy’s pitch perfect voice, still came out on top. 

Although the entire gig was amazing, my favourite moment had to be their performance of a song from the new album ‘Maw Maw Song’. This song has a bit of a rock edge, and they put so much life in to the performance. Although I think it was the slightly weird, fucked up, montage of images in the background, that made the performance for me, which showed images such as twisted barbed wire being held in a women’s mouth, a fat man eating chocolate, images from Pan’s Labyrinth, and falling dollar bills. It made no apparent sense, and thats why I loved it.

The Joy Formidable managed to sell their new record well, without letting it overshadow the gig or skimping on their old stuff, which is tricky to do. I’ve always noticed bands either pay lots of attention to old stuff, or play a lot of new stuff without giving dedicated fans the older material they want to hear. The Joy Formidable struck the balance perfectly. They played plenty of tracks from the first album, yet quite a lot of songs from the new album, which they really sold. Of course, after an encore, they closed the show with ‘Whirring’, which is a firm favourite amongst The Joy Formidable fans. I’m so glad I finally got the opportunity to see this band. They know how to play live and how to appeal to a crowd, and I’d urge anyone who gets the opportunity to see this band play live. It’s an experience worth watching. 

New Albums for 2013

As I wrote in my last blog post, 2013 is the year for new music. It’s also the new year where loads of new album releases from some top bands are on the horizon. Some we can just predict, but some are coming out really really soon, and it’s about time too...

Bastille.

Bastille are a band I can not stop listening to. They’re indie-pop music and emotive lyrics makes for extremely addictive listening. Bastille are releasing debut album Bad Blood in March. After some highly praised singles such as Flaws and Overjoyed the album is much anticipated. I’m equally excited about their upcoming headline Bad Blood tour.

Daughter

Another band I can not stop listening to. Daughter produce emotive, beautiful songs like ‘smother’, ‘youth’ and ‘candles’. I’ve been listening to Daughter since the summer so their debut album release in March makes me extremely excited.

Palma Violets.

Everyone obsessed by music is obsessed by Palma Violets, so their debut album 180 released on 25th of February is sure to be a high seller. I’ve been banging on about this band for months so I can’t wait to see what songs fill their album. 

Fidlar

On my last blog post I was raving about Fidlar, and their debut album will be coming very very soon, in february in fact, and will include all the songs that their fans have been enjoying for months, like Cheap Beer and Max Can’t Surf

Biffy Clyro

2013 may be a big year for the upcoming artists of the world, but it’s not all about the debut releases. Biffy are releasing their 5th studio album, Opposites, in 2 days!! (the 28th January) with a tour to match. Their songs... have already had great reviews. Personally, when I listen over Biffy’s material I much prefer the later stuff, their 4th album Only Revolutions being my favourite, so I feel I will definately enjoy this album.

Stereophonics.

Stereophonics are back!! How excited am I? VERY. How can I not be excited to hear new releases from the band who brought us Handbags and Glad-rags and Dakota? Awesome. They are releasing Graffiti on a Train on February 4th with a tour to follow in March.

Frank Turner

Frank Turner is also releasing his 5th studio album, entitled Tape Deck Heart, in April. Frank Turner just keeps on delivering amazing songs time and time again, which are both lyrically enriching and bringing folk music back in to the mainstream, so no doubt this album will live up to it’s expectations. Many of his fans will of already heard his new song Four Simple Words, which is just classic Frank Turner, heart warming and capable of getting a crowd going. 

four simple words - Frank Turner

The Strokes

Nothings been confirmed as to when, as it’s relatively new news, but it’s looking likely that The Strokes will release a new album this year, after unveiling new song 'One Way Trigger'. The Strokes are often hit and miss with fans, but i personally love their gritty indie sound, and thought they were a great headliner at Reading 2011.