The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 11 features cover stars Massive Wagons as they kicked off their UK Tour this week. We also review live shows from Millie Manders and the Shutup, Bob Vylan and Lonely The Brave.
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Neck Deep, Heriot, The Dollyrots, Guise, Defects, BIG SPECIAL, BLACKGOLD, Gen and the Degenerates and Greywind!
Plus new live announcements from Joanne Shaw Taylor, The Zutons, Tool, Lightning Seeds, The Nightmares, Dirty Honey and Peter Hook & The Light!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with Hunter Oliveri, The Cain Pit and Creature Cult!
The queue formed outside of Epic Studios in Norwich is a testament to the growing reputation of Massive Wagons. As is the observation of our photographer who last shot them as a support band in a pub in 2016 – “these wagons have become massive!”.
Yes the rise has been slow but steady for the Lancastrian five-piece with each album and each live show seeming to build momentum. Tonight marks the first night of their second tour in support of latest effort ‘Triggered!’, and the band have The New Roses in tow.
THE NEW ROSES
The German rockers have a similar pedigree to our headliners and their growing status will only swell further on the evidence of tonight. The group radiate a natural rock n’ roll elegance from the stage and singer Timmy Rough uses his understated charisma to engage the swathes of Massive Wagons t-shirts on standby for the headliners.
There is an effortless cool as the band showcase material from across their career including most recent album, ‘Sweet Poison’. Their forty-five minute slot flies by which is usually a good sign and they will have undoubtedly gained some new followers tonight.
MASSIVE WAGONS
Tonight probably isn’t going to be a night where Massive Wagons pick up many new fans as the crowd all appear well and truly initiated already. From the moment the band hit the stage with fan favourite, ‘Back to the Stack’ to the last strains of ‘It In Together’, the crowd are treated to the customary Massive Wagons experience.
That is a full throttle rock show with frontman Baz Mills playing the role of chief orchestrator to a tee. Mills flies around the stage, whipping up the crowd, whilst the band solidly unleash their rumbling alt-rock noise.
There are plenty of sing-a-longs in the setlist with the run of ‘Ratio’, ‘China Plates’, ‘Bangin in Your Stereo’ and ‘Nails’ particularly getting the audience going but there isn’t a relent in the pace of evening at any point. The songs from ‘Triggered!’ seem to get equal affection to older favourites, with the setlist well structured to keep that momentum going.
By the time it’s all said and done the crowd have clearly had a great time and both bands have delivered a memorable evening of rock for the fine residents of Norwich. You wouldn’t be surprised to see both bands continue building their momentum in the coming years, but Massive Wagons certainly appear to have established themselves on the circuit now as a safe bet for fans.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we are starting by rounding up the best live announcements from the past week and we begin with Halestorm.
Ahead of their performance at Download Festival the band have already revealed that they will return to the UK for a special one-off show at Wembley Arena.
It was a big week this week for Skinny Lister who had both new music and new tour dates to share.
Alongside a full UK tour later this year, the band debuted new single, ‘Down On The Barrier’, which you can check out below!
Skinny Lister – ‘Down On The Barrier’
Speaking about the message behind their euphoric, enlightening new track frontman Dan Heptinstall says:
“Music is a kind of religion to many gig-goers, and in “Down On The Barrier” we’ve tried to capture that feeling. The church in this case is the venue, the sermon is the song and the preacher the artist. It’s a nod to those almost spiritual moments when we gather to enjoy some communal rock’n’roll worship, as well as a healthy dose of support, release and camaraderie. See you down on the barrier!”
Another hot ticket later this year will be the ‘This Is How It Feels’ tour from Lottery Winners.
Announcing the tour the band said “We’re going to be throwing everything at this, with special guests and special production and doing our best to make it a special experience. So, please come. Bring a friend. Let’s spread the word and get these venues bouncing. We love you all so much! X”
After their appearance at Slam Dunk Festival, Yellowcard have revealed details of a new EP, ‘Childhood Eyes’ which will be released on July 7th.
Ahead of the release the band have shared the title-track, which you can check out above!
About the new single, William Ryan Key said: “I woke up in the middle of the night with the chorus ringing in my head. I grabbed my phone off of the night stand and started typing away, squinting in the dark. This was months before we even started demoing the EP. When we started writing I threw the idea in the hat at the last minute, picked up a guitar to try and put music to the melody in my head for the first time, and Childhood Eyes was born. This is a song about being defeating, let down, and deceived time and again, but still managing to find your creative soul and carry on. I think it captures the spirit of Yellowcard, both old and new.”
Another band with new music following their appearances at Slam Dunk Festival was Trophy Eyes.
The band shared their new single, ‘Life In Slow Motion’, which you can check out above!
“‘Life in Slow Motion’ is my assessment of life itself, and the way we as humans navigate life and time here on Earth.” says John Floreani. “Searching for meaning in chaos, I found myself seeing signs in number patterns and small examples of beauty in ordinary life; a hug at the bar exchanged between friends, a crinkled photo of a loved one kept close, a kindness or a smile. What they mean, I can’t say, but sometimes if you look hard enough and sit quietly enough, life reaches out and speaks to you.”
The release comes ahead of new album, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, which is out on June 23rd.
Currently touring stadiums with Arctic Monkeys, this week also saw The Mysterines share their latest new track, ‘Begin Again’, which you can check out above.
Grian Chatten shares ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’
Grian Chatten – ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’
Grian Chatten had more new music to share this week as he debuted new single, ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’, which you can check out above!
Chatten says: “’Last Time Every Time Forever’ is a weak knee’d 99th lap around a hellscape town of your own making. It’s haunted by seagulls and hoarse-throated slot machines from the 1980s and it breaks its own promise on every listen.”
The track comes from upcoming debut solo album, ‘Chaos For The Fly’, which is out June 30th.
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast alumni ANGER PARTY shared their latest new single this week.
Bringing this section of our News Report to a close is, ‘Save Myself’, which you can check out above!
“No matter how many times our intuition tells us to leave, no matter how much ourindiscretion speaks for itself, sometimes we’re inexplicably drawn to people that never fail todisappoint and betray us. ‘Save Myself’ tells a story of inner turmoil, treading the fine linebetween yearning for somebody that will never earn our affections, and having the selfrespect to realize that we’re better off alone.” – Guitar / Vocals – Owen Claxton.
Norwegians Fixation share new single, ‘Flat Earth’.
The band states, “Flat Earth is a track that delves into the minds of people who persuade themselves into believing conspiracy theories. People that are so centered around their own perception of the truth that they refuse to see it any other way. The lyrics sums it up: «Even if they see it, they probably won’t believe it.”
Kings County – ‘Holding On’
US band Kings County share new single, ‘Holding On’.
Singer Rob Dexter says, “’Holding On” was the song we needed to write. After our last release in 2022, we were constantly performing live for months and knew we had to get back to writing or we would become complacent. You are as good as your last song and “Holding On” was a pivotal moment for us. We needed to raise the bar and that’s exactly what we did with “Holding On”.”
Martiné – ‘Oxytocin’
Copenhagen’s Martiné shares debut single, ‘Oxytocin’.
“My inspiration for this song was the very powerful hormone Oxytocin, which is also released when falling in love or by physical touch. The lyrics reflect how to embrace the power of one’s femininity and learn how to use that to set boundaries. It is definitely a song about being in control and not getting blinded by Oxytocin” – Martiné
Welcome everyone to the final News Report for 2022! We hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year! Our action packed News Report will return in January, but before then we have plenty of delicious music news to dissect!
Up for this week, we look at the best tour announcements from the past week and we start with Kiss. The band has revealed that their ‘End of the Road’ World Tour will continue into 2023 with a new UK Tour announced starting in Plymouth and ending up in Glasgow.
This *could be* your last chance to catch the band live! Tickets are here.
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has revealed a full UK & Ireland Tour for next spring. The tour will showcase upcoming debut album, ‘Put Your Foot Down’, which is out April 28th.
On Friday, Colchester’s Pet Needs played a huge homecoming show which served as the 2nd ‘Fractured Party’. As the show concluded, the band announced the 3rd instalment will take place on December 16th 2023.
We move now on to festival announcements and up first is the return of Brits Week in aid of War Child. February will see bands playing intimate shows across the country with a focus on London.
The Hunna, The Snuts, Sea Girls, Frank Turner and Bob Vylan are amongst those on offer in 2023.
Another event doing a fantastic job in raising money for charity is Teddy Rocks festival in aid of research and direct support for children with cancer.
This year the event hosts Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Amazons, Those Damn Crows, Punk Rock Factory, Kid Kapichi, Dream State, Mason Hill, The Bottom Line and many more.
Penn Fest in Buckinghamshire also unveiled their line-up for next Summer this past week, including headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Bastille.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Johnny Marr, Gaz Coombes, The Skinner Brothers and Embrace.
The final festival news in our News Report this week comes from Firestorm Festival. The event has added Massive Wagons to the top of their Friday bill for 2023.
They join the likes of Royal Republic, The Virginmarys, Mason Hill, Hollowstar, Kris Barras Band, Black Spiders and Scruffy Bear.
Hell Is For Heroes share ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
Hell Is For Heroes – I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
New releases are up next in our News Report as we bring you the first new music from Hell Is For Heroes in 15 years. You can listen to their new single, ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’, above.
On the week of her highly anticipated ‘DEADGIRL’ mixtape release fearless Doom Trap artist Mimi Barks has unveiled her new track ‘ASHES’.
Talking about the meaning behind ‘ASHES’, Mimi Barks shares, “Women who posed a threat during the dark ages were accused of being witches, intimidated, burned alive, and sentenced to execution. Today, ever since the Age of Enlightenment, a creative, strong-willed, and self-assured woman still gets burnt to the stake verbally by those led by their own anxieties.”
XL LIFE – ‘Baby Steps’
XL LIFE shared new single ‘Baby Steps’ featuring Bob Vylan!
On working with Vylan for the new single, vocalist Traxx says: “We always felt a kinship with Bob because of his message, his boldness, and his morals, so with this song we took the opportunity to have him on the album and co-sign each other’s work. We will support him to the end.”
Commenting on the relevance of the new single, vocalist Traxx says: “We knew this song had to be made, because we had all been going through some heavy stuff outside of the band. The band has been stop-start/stop-start the whole time, trying to prioritise our health and coming up against some really traumatic circumstances, so this song had to address that. The healing journey. Baby steps. Holding onto the promises.”
Fountain Island – ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’
Pop-punk newcomers Fountain Island reveal their contagious new single, ‘Pretty Little Nightmares’.
The band remark about its creation: “’Pretty Little Nightmares’ explores the bittersweetness of the first time with a loved one, and the realisation that one day it will just be a memory and can never be experienced again. The track takes cues from Blink182’s ‘I Miss You’, with its melancholy gothic tone whilst retaining the youthful pop feel.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with festival announcements and start off with the incredible first line-up reveal for 2000trees Festival.
Headlining the Saturday night will be Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. They’ll be joined across the weekend by the likes of Hundred Reasons, Rival Schools, The Wonder Years, Bob Vylan, Holding Absence, Cancer Bats, Dream State, No Devotion, Saint Agnes, Press To Meco and many more!
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and begin with the iconic Duran Duran.
The group have announced a run of UK and Ireland Arena shows for next year.
Simon Le Bon said: “2022 has been an extraordinary year for Duran Duran – mainly down to the incredible fans we have around the world. In July we celebrated our years together at Hyde Park as part of the British Summer Time Festival. Next Spring we will be back on home soil once again to continue the party. It’s remarkable to me that as a band, we are still hitting new milestones, still able to introduce the sound of DD to new generations of music lovers. We are truly grateful that we get to do what we do on a daily basis, and that we still love our job as much as we did when we started out some four decades ago.”
The final tour announcement in our News Report comes from The Sherlocks who will be out on the road later in the year with an October/November tour revealed this week.
We turn our attention now to the best new releases from the past week in our News Report. Just the one to highlight this week with the new single, ‘On The Up’ from Sean McGowan.
Listen to the track above, and head here for more.
Scotland’s Dancing On Tables have released their debut album, ‘Colour In The Grey’, including the single, ‘So What’!
The band says, “It feels like the last 3 years of our life have all been building up to this album. You can hear the journey that we’ve been on as a group as you go through the tracks, with stories of love, happiness, loss and frustration sang on top of a sound that we have worked hard to define by combining our original rock influences with our favourite modern music alt-pop styles.
The album is a collection of songs that were put together over a time where as musicians, we were suddenly stuck at home after being used to being on the road for most of the year. Like most people, it was tough for us to stay motivated during this, but working together (remotely) on music was the highlight of each day and left us with over 70 tracks to choose from for this album.
For us, writing and recording this album really was the ‘colour in the grey’ of every day life at this point.”
Humour – ‘Jeans’
Fellow Scots Humour have released, ‘Jeans’, the final single from their EP, ‘Pure Misery’.
The band had the following to say about the single:
“Jeans is about a character who is internally trying to build himself up and convince himself that he’s a successful and confident no-nonsense man. But he periodically has lapses in this forced self-assuredness and realises that he is not any of those things and is in fact quite a sad, pathetic and laughable character. Much like myself.”
Jamie Beale – ‘Champagne People’
Jamie Beale has released debut album, ‘Hello Nimbus’ featuring the single ‘Champagne People’.
Speaking about the inspiration for the single, Jamie says: “ I feel that we are living in this weird age where people are willing to do anything for fame. You see it all the time on social media – it’s so easy to put up a veil and hide all the realities and imperfections of life that ultimately make us human. Quite often, in these industries that promote the idea of fame as success, people surround themselves with an entourage of fake people; people that are only really there to further their own careers. On the outside looking in, it seems that no-one in these circles are truly content, but instead are lonely and looking to fill that void with possessions or short lived moments of attention and gratification.
“I guess I can’t help but feel for these people, so I wrote a song about someone who’s trying to climb the social ladder, and ends up alone, hiding behind a pretty picture of how they want their life to look.”
Broadcast details and additional guests for the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Show
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with an update on the two Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts scheduled to take place next month in London and Los Angeles.
The two shows promise to deliver a spectacular celebration of the life of the legendary drummer. The already stacked list of special guests joining Foo Fighters grew this week with London additions including the likes of Travis Barker, Justin Hawkins, Brian Johnson and Lars Ulrich.
Those not lucky enough to have tickets were also provided details this week of both livestream and on demand options to watch the London show as below:
A singular piece of festival news in our News Report this week and it comes from Croydon event Cro Cro Land!
Our recent ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast guests BERRIES have joined a packed line-up with the likes of She Drew The Gun, Dream Wife, Bang Bang Romeo, Big Joanie, Wooze, Fraulein and more!
Red Hot Chili Peppers debut new single ‘Tippa My Tongue’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Tippa My Tongue’
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and where better to start than with the new single from Red Hot Chili Peppers?
The group surprised fans recently with the announcement that new album, ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, will be released on October 14th.
Now the iconic band have given the first taste of what to expect with new track, ‘Tippa My Tongue’, which you can check out above.
The Struts shared their new single, ‘Fallin’ With Me’, this week, and you can give it a listen above.
“The song’s lyrics were written down whilst on numerous nights out with someone that I was seeing at the time,” frontman Luke Spiller says. “We always kept meeting at the same place on the Sunset Strip and after a while I had a collection of phrases and lines that all had a certain feel to them.”
“The song’s lyrics were written down whilst on numerous nights out with someone that I was seeing at the time,” Spiller says. “We always kept meeting at the same place on the Sunset Strip and after a while I had a collection of phrases and lines that all had a certain feel to them.”
“Fallin’ With Me’ is something that The Struts have never done before. We’ve done a lot of straight-up rock, but this feels different,” Spiller says. “The response we have been getting while performing it live has been electric, so I’m excited for everyone to hear the studio version!”
As they prepare for the main stage at Reading & Leeds Festivals, DMA’s have shared their brand new single, ‘I Don’t Need To Hide’, which you can check out above.
Guitarist Jonny Took comments: “There’s a confidence you obtain when you find someone who loves you for all your faults, quirks and obscurities. They make you feel like you don’t need to hide anything from anyone anymore.”
The Murder Capital share video for single ‘Only Good Things’
The Murder Capital – ‘Only Good Things’
Our News report continues with news that The Murder Capital have shared the video for their single, ‘Only Good Things’, which you can watch above.
Speaking on the new single, front man James McGovern says,
“This track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. It’s so bright. It’s so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, it’s a love song. You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable.
We’re so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps it’s not what is expected of us. It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and it’s many seasons. Where ‘Only Good Things’ stands within the record is at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.”
Beth Orton has shared her new single, ‘Friday Night’, which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Weather Alive’, which is out September 23rd.
Orton states, “Friday Night is someone reflecting on, and trying to decide, what to give up or what to surrender to. Passion or ambivalence? Whether to “bleed or rust in the rain.”
“Most of us are struggling to make sense of where to put the love we have for those that are lost to us, let alone the ones that remain. Sometimes there is no right answer except to find the wisdom in the spaces between the endings and beginnings, in the remembrance of things past or in search of lost time, there are always re-percussions to the choices we make. We are listening to the internal dialogue of someone living it out, what is futile and what is worth fighting for, and trying to do as little damage along the way. Friday night being the night that makes the week more bearable, there is hope.
“Coming to realise what is real and what is out of reach can be unbelievably painful, waking up to the love that remains can be the greatest gift and the most wonderful surprise. Even in absence there is presence, there is no escape but to look for where the love is still alive within us.”
As ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist alumni, Liverpool’s Courting prepare to release their debut album, ‘Guitar Music’, on September 23rd, the group have dropped a new single.
You can listen to that single, ‘Jumper’, above.
Speaking on the new single, frontman Murphy-O’Neill says, “Jumper is an outlier on the album. It is a gentle story of true unrequited love, meant to playout like a 2006 romcom. It is about growing old and believing everything will fall into place, the mundanity of doing dishes, and leaving oppositional film reviews.”
There was new music on offer this week from The Skinner Brothers, who debuted the title track of their upcoming EP, ‘Lonedon’.
Zac Skinner says, “I wanted the EP to have a mixtape kind of feel. It’s four different songs which I feel captures the essence of the band at this point.”
You can listen to the track above, and pre-order the EP here.
Many Reading & Leeds performers are sharing new music, another being Witch Fever. The band has debuted their latest single, ‘I Saw You Dancing’, which you can check out above.
The song will feature on their debut album, ‘Congregation’, which is out October 21st.
On the track Amy Walpole says, “This is a song on the album that we’re really excited about as really it’s the first time we’ve written and allowed a song to have space and time to breathe! We’ve been so used to writing quick thrashy tunes it was fun to experiment and write slower ones for the album. We really love the drone of the guitar, the rattle of the bass and the reverb on the snare drum, as well as the vocals being a little more relaxed and expressive”.
Speaking on the video Amy adds, “Horror has always been a genre that we’ve drawn inspiration from for lyrics and artwork because it’s such a potent and multi-layered genre. Horror has such a potential for holding a mirror up to society to reveal the oppression it continues to uphold. Typical elements of horror include violence, suspense, fear and the abject which are powerful fictional tools to expose the dark underbelly of society. Horror isn’t known for being the most progressive or inclusive genre, often centring straight white men, and portraying women and people of colour as either helpless victims, monstrous villains, or a side story to push the male characters plot line forward. Furthermore horror has also historically ignored the existence of marginalised genders and members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Walpole says on the album, “As our first album we’re really excited to just get it out there. We feel that it’s a step above what we’ve done before as we had a chance to experiment with sound and structure. It was our first opportunity to explore writing a body of work which was challenging but has been so rewarding!”
She continues, “It pushed our creative process because we also had to think about the songs sitting side by side on an album! We tried to break out of what makes a typical ‘witch fever’ song whilst still being true to what makes our sound what it is.”
South London trio PVA have shared a new single titled, ‘Bad Dad’, which you can listen to above. The track comes ahead of new album, ‘Blush’, which is out October 14th.
Speaking on the themes of the single, Ella Harris says “Bad Dad explores the internal world of a new father checking in on his son at night, afraid of the lineage of masculinity and how it might impact someone so untainted.”
On their debut album: “We wanted to surprise people and do something more than just get across how we sound at a gig,” explains drummer Louis Satchell. “It’s quite an anxious record sometimes that is relating to mental health issues and carries within it the anxiety of making an album. It’s been a rocky ride but we always pick ourselves up.”
The new music continues in our News Report as this week The Beths presented their new single, ‘Knees Deep’, which you can check out above.
The track comes from forthcoming album, ‘Expert In A Dying Field’, which is out September 16th.
Liz Stokes shares: “I’m the kind of person who wants to go swimming, but takes like ten minutes to get all the way into the cold water, slowly and painfully. I hate this about myself, and am kind of envious of people who can just jump straight in the deep end. In a shocking twist, this is also a metaphor?! For how I wish I was the kind of person who was brave and decisive instead of cautious and scared.”
Glasgow’s Humour share their latest single, ‘live and well’.
Frontman Andreas had the following to say about how the song came together:
“Alive and Well came together quite suddenly after a prolonged period of trying to make it work. Jack and Ross had written the bones of the song, and showed it to me with the music in a more or less complete form. They sent me a voice note in which they were muttering along to the music, saying things like “I was so confused, I couldn’t understand it. Everyone’s pissed off at me,” and I could hear laughing, and didn’t think they were that serious about those being the lyrics.
Jack then suggested that I scream the lyrics as loudly as I could, which sounded right for the song when I did. I wanted the vocal to sound like somebody drunk and feeling sorry for themselves. I then wrote the lyrics to the chorus, which are loosely about getting away from a place and a feeling, but sensing that you won’t ever manage to.”
Dog Race – ‘Terror’
Bedford’s Dog Race have shared their debut single, ‘Terror’.
Vocalist Katie Healy had the following to say about the themes behind the single:
“Terror was written during a time of DPDR and anxiety episodes where I would frequently wake up screaming in the night due to night terrors. I tried to encapsulate something that spoke of a period of turmoil but important growth in my early 20’s, an experimental experience where I thought if I’d embrace these night terrors instead of hiding from them in the hope I could put them to rest completely.”
Young Fatigue – ‘love/them’
Punk trio Young Fatigue return with their latest single, ‘love/them’.
“love/them is a protest song against the parents of LGBTQ+ children who fail to accept and embrace their kids. It’s something that particularly enrages me because I remember when my mum came out to me and my siblings when I was a teenager. We found it so overwhelmingly easy to embrace and celebrate her; after all, she was our mum.
Yet time and time again I’ve watched as the families of my friends have failed to accept their sexuality and/or gender identity. My mum’s also an artist and kindly allowed us to use one of her wonderful pieces for the song’s artwork. She created it during a particularly difficult stage in her life and we felt it perfectly represented the power of turning something dark into something truly beautiful.” – Ash Dixon (Lead singer and Guitarist)
Welcome one and all to another edition of our weekly music News Report! This week we are starting with the latest tour announcements, so where else to begin, but with Volbeat!
This week saw the group announce a huge UK and European Tour that is set to take place later this year with the UK portion happening in December.
Volbeatcomment, “Finally, after so much time away, we’re thrilled to be able to bring a proper Volbeat headline tour to our friends across mainland Europe and the UK. We are so excited and cannot wait to see everyone out there! We’re extremely lucky to be able to bring Skindred, Napalm Death, and Bad Wolves along for the ride and share this experience with three incredible bands that we are fortunate enough to call friends.”
Support for the UK dates comes from Skindred and Napalm Death.
Killing Joke announced this week that they will be taking over the Royal Albert Hall next March to play their first two albums live!
“We are living in the most dangerous period in human history in which extinction from nuclear war could happen in the next twelve months. If we make it, then Killing Joke at the Albert hall in 2023 will give great meaning and comfort to all of us. Come share a moment in history with the prophetic and legendary Killing Joke.” – Dr. Jaz Coleman
This week Yungblud revealed a special run of intimate dates to road test his new material. Those dates inevitably sold out instantaneously with a tease of more dates yet to materialise.
A singular festival announcement in our News Report this week, and it comes from Leicestershire event 110 Above.
The festival this week added The Pigeon Detectives, Lauran Hibberd, The Lottery Winners and more to their 2022 event.
Also playing are The Amazons, Everything Everything, Sea Girls, Vistas, Spector, The Mysterines, Deco, Cassyette, Noisy, The Royston Club, The Native and plenty more.
Next, we move onto the new releases section of our News Report, and this week we start with Bad Wolves.
The band have debuted their latest track, ‘The Body’, which you can listen to above.
“When we were writing this song we had a goal of trying new things,” said drummer John Boecklin. “The slap bass and clavichord instantly was new territory for Bad Wolves. It feels good to know this track sounds like nothing we have ever done before. It’s a fun track that feels like a mix of Faith no more with a dash of Daft Punk. Enjoy!”
Fusion metal pioneers Dub War have released a new single titled, ‘Get Back Up’, the fourth track to be taken from their first album of all-new material in over 25 years, ‘Westgate Under Fire’.
Speaking on the new single, Webbe says, “I’ve always wanted to empower and lift those who are going through a tough time, and in days like this, who isn’t.. This is what ‘Get Back Up’ was created for.
I called Mike Bordin about him playing on this particular Dub War track. Mike has been a Dub War fan from way back. He eventually called me back and, with passion, said “I’m in”…
Together with us, Mike really set the pace for all the other drummers on the album. The style and sound of Bordin strikes hard and shines though on ‘Get Back Up’.”
Also speaking on the track Mike Bordin says, “In this time of isolation/alienation, it was such a pleasure to be able to groove and flow with my old friend, the mighty Mr. Benji Webbe. Welcome back Dub War, and thanks for bringing me along on your ride.
Webbe’s lyrics are on time and strongly on point, encouraging and inspirational in a time when we can all use a lift. Being asked to play on this Dub War song ‘Get Back Up’ couldn’t have come at a better time. This album ‘Westgate Under Fire’ is truly bringing the fire…”
You can listen to the track above, and pre-order your album here.
The final new release in this week’s News Report comes from form Delain vocalist Charlotte Wessels. Wessels has debuted new single, ‘Against All Odds’, which you can listen to above.
The track will feature on new album, ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’, which is out October 7th.
Wessels states: “Since May 2020, I’ve been writing and recording a new song every month down in my basement “Six Feet Under Studio”, fueled by – and released to – my tight-knit Patreon community. This album wouldn’t be there without them. I’m excited to team up with Napalm Records again to release a new collection of these tracks with a wider audience.
With ‘Tales From Six Feet Under’, I released my favorite tracks of the first year of this endeavor onto the world in 2021, and ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’ is its counterpart, with my favorite tracks from the second year. There are definitely differences between the two, with the second leaning more towards the heavier side, but they do belong together.
Together they represent a time of introspection and solitary songwriting in the basement. A time that has taught me a lot and has been very meaningful to me, but also a time that, as I started this project in the middle of Covid quarantine, has already – thankfully – started changing. Not because I won’t be writing and recording Six Feet Under anymore, but because as the world is opening up again, I too will come out of the basement and out of my shell again with live concerts, and collaborations are on the horizon.”
France based pop/rock trio, Oakman have shared their brand new single, ‘Murder’.
“The meaning of this song is deep and quite tricky to explain. It’s about sexual abuse and everything that is related to it,” says lead singer, Marine.
“I know that ‘Murder’ is a strong word, but I wanted to represent through it the hatred, anger and sadness that the trauma of rape or sexual abuse can leave on a life. The character in the song finds herself constantly imprisoned by her traumas, which end up killing her from the inside.
So in her dreams, she hopes to kill her abuser the same way that he ‘killed’ her. Very often, the extent of such acts is underestimated or even ignored for the abuser, while the victim will have to live with it all their life. I think this song can speak to anyone who has experienced a traumatic situation where they were the victim. The topic doesn’t matter. It’s your life, your experience. We all have dark times in our lives.”
CAT SFX – ‘Binman’
CAT SFX tread toward more infectious territory with their latest single ‘Binman’.
Of the new single, the band’s lead vocalist Cat Speranza explains:
“”Binman’ is about a toxic relationship: the one between me and alcohol. It’s about the fights that you have with your loved one because you’re so drunk again and have caused carnage, and you’re trying to pick up the pieces the next day. And you make up all these excuses, to yourself, to others. So I’m the Binman. I’m the trash that needs taking out.”
Grave Goods – ‘Come’
Grave Goods share new single ‘Come’ which is a song about revolution.
Singer Lois Macdonald says on the track, “This is one of the first tracks we wrote, and for me the one that helped to cement the feel of the music we make. I wanted to use the guitar in a percussive way, and I wanted the track to feel stressful and furious.
I felt frustrated at the time and had so much to express. I wanted the lyrics to reflect all this, and to come from the gut. The best noise I could imagine for this is ‘Ugh’ which I use towards the end – it represents frustration, disgust and sex.”
With the pandemic taking a hold back in early 2020, Download Festival became one of the first major festival victims. It was perhaps fitting therefore that the small Pilot version of the event was the first step on the road back to normality last year.
That does mean though that as we head into Donington Park in 2022, it is the first fully fledged festival since the 2019 edition. After three long years, it is finally time for rock and metal fans to convene again on these hallowed grounds.
There are a number of changes this year to the layout of the festival but the best change is the installation of a strange golden orb in the sky. The usual brown flooring has also been painted green. Yes, goodbye Drownload and hello sunburn!
The main changes to the festival relate to the layout of the campsites, parking and transport hubs. Given these new changes, a little extra signage may have assisted seasoned attendees finding their way around, but in general the changes work well. There is a lot of walking required, however there always is at Donington Park however the event is laid out.
Once inside the area the setup is pretty standard if a little cut back with smaller stages, fewer food stalls and no wrestling or other extra areas. But, it’s Download and everyone is just glad to be here.
So then, on to the music! Opening the main stage on Friday are NWOCR favourites Wayward Sons who make the most of their short time on stage. They are quickly followed by Canadians Theory (of a Deadman) who also only have a short time to show their stuff. Thankfully for them they are able to call upon some festival-perfect material as the crowd sing along to ‘Bitch Came Back’, ‘Hate My Life’ and ‘Bad Girlfriend’.
Recently rejigged Bury Tomorrow follow on the main stage and bring the first real taste of heavy to the festival. The band are clearly honoured by the opportunity and try their best to win over the audience, with our first pyro of the weekend helping to add to the occasion. By the time the band leave the stage and a pile of bodies in the audience, the set has to be considered a success.
We go walkabout next and visit first the second stage for a man who has already played Download Festival with both Alter Bridge and Slash, Myles Kennedy. With two solo albums now to his name, Kennedy only grows his legacy with another top class performance.
Secondly we head to the Avalanche Stage for something new. American pop-punk band Meet Me @ the Altar have intensifying hype around them, and keeping with the tone of the day they are able to grasp this opportunity with both hands. Expect bigger things from the band in the near future.
As day one begins to draw to a close with catch two of Download’s house bands with Skindred on the main stage and Airbourne over on the second stage. Both bands attract big crowds, because fans know what to expect from them. High energy, entertaining rock shows are delivered by both as fans get to revel in what they have missed over the last three years.
Having delivered an incredible headlining performance at the Pilot event last summer, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes return to Donington Park next to headline the second stage. Carter and co show the crowd what they missed last year with another stunning performance. This band must be considered one of the best live bands on the planet and who would put it past them headlining the main stage in the future.
Download Festival after all needs to begin focusing on that next generation of headline acts, because many of the old guard are saying farewell. It is the ‘End of the Road’ for KISS, but not before one final triumphant showcase this year.
The band are able to deliver all the pageantry of a KISS show with every party trick played with precision. As the fans walk away with ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ stuck in their heads, the band have brought the party and night one is closed out in style.
SATURDAY REVIEW
Day 2 at Donington Park in full swing now with @theravenage tearing up the main stage!
Saturday morning brings a fresh day with the sun still shining bright, but early risers at the main stage are left waiting with opening act The Raven Age almost forty minutes late. When the band do arrive they are able to show their continued growth with a matured performance.
This delay subsequently leads to a 30+ minute lag on main stage times throughout the rest of the day which plays havoc with fans carefully curated schedules. It does mean however that we can head to the second stage and catch the energetic Cassyette who is capitalising on the momentum earned over the last year.
It’s then back to the main stage for the classic rock sounds of Those Damn Crows and Monster Truck. Both bands continue the impressive start to the festival. Clearly every act is out to cast off the shackles of recent years and make an impression.
Both of these bands leave the fans wanting more, which is all a band can do with these early festival slots. It’s probably a good thing then, that these two bands will be touring the UK together later this year!
Up next for us is one of the performances of the weekend from Holding Absence over on the Avalanche stage. With songs like ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Wilt’ seemingly made for festival crowds to sing along to, the band completely own the packed tent during their time on stage.
Shinedown are also a band that knows how to control a crowd, and they have a large crowd to play with next on the main stage. With a new album on the way, the band incorporate new tracks ‘The Saints of Violence and Innuendo’ and ‘Planet Zero’ into their tried and tested, crowd pleasing set.
It’s then back to the Avalanche stage for another standout performance. This time it’s Creeper on the stage, the band again showing an innate ability to hold the audience in the palm of their hands. Creeper continue to grow and evolve and it will be interesting to see where the band head next.
We stick next to the Avalanche stage for headliners Funeral For A Friend. Perhaps it’s the fact that we’ve just witnessed two fantastic performances on this stage from Holding Absence and Creeper but something feels a little off for this set. It’s not a lacklustre performance as the band give it their all, but on a weekend full of great performances what is probably a really good one feels a little underwhelming.
There is never anything underwhelming however about Iron Maiden. The band are icons for a reason and their current stage show is possibly their best ever. With Maiden on form and a packed Donington Park in fine voice, this headline set was always going to be one for the ages, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Now onto Sunday morning, with hangovers taking hold, feet aching and stamina’s waning. It’s up to Wargasm to blow away any cobwebs as they open the main stage, and that’s just what they do. The band are developing into something of a marmite band, but there is no doubting the passion and energy that they put into every performance; and judging by the reaction they go down very well this morning.
Sidetracking from the music for a moment, we commented in our Neck of the Woods Festival review about the cost of food and drink this year. There are no surprises therefore that prices are high at Download Festival, but the quality on offer at that price is disappointing. Inflation is one thing, but shrinkflation begins to rub, and more than one meal this weekend leaves a sour taste in our mouth (figuratively and literally in one case!).
Well, if the amenities on offer are disappointing, thankfully the music isn’t. As we have said, the quality of performances this weekend is consistently high. Both The Velveteers in the Dogtooth tent and The Last Internationale on the second stage are fine examples of this quality from top to bottom.
Massive Wagons follow on the second stage and again appear on top form. As many bands have this weekend, they tailor their set list perfectly for their time on stage and it’s wall to wall bangers as the kids would say.
Tremonti next are more methodical as they display their technical prowess. Mark Tremonti and co are mightily impressive and the audience are equally receptive.
We shoot then across to the main stage where Rise Against are another band that fail to meet expectations. The band are an incredible force, but sadly today they struggle to translate from the stage for whatever reason.
Volbeat have no problems though as they are instantly able to grab the audience. They deliver a career spanning setlist to the delight of the field, which shows just why they have established themselves as potential future headliners.
We then find time to dart across to the Avalanche stage one last time as Trash Boat showcase one of the albums of last year, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’. Trash Boat have really come into their own and have the entire tent bouncing along.
Korn are the penultimate band to play the main stage this weekend and they make the most of their position with one of the best performances of the festival. The band are longtime Download Festival favourites and they evidence today just why that is.
There is another look at the future next as Yonaka pack out the Dogtooth tent. Those that have made the effort to catch the band are rewarded by an incredible performance from one of the most exciting young rock bands around.
Last but certainly not least with have Biffy Clyro who are one of the biggest rock bands in the UK, but seemingly another marmite band amongst regular Download Festival goers.
One thing for certain is that those that chose to the stay until the end are rewarded by way of a sublime headlining performance. Biffy Clyro are another level live act and tonight they deliver a superb closing show fitting of closing this event.
Consistent high calibre performances have encapsulated the return of Download Festival this weekend. The event has a special place in the hearts of its fan base and will celebrate next year with a special four day 20th anniversary celebration. We can’t wait!
Ed Sheeran & Bring Me The Horizon join on ‘Bad Habits’
Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits feat. Bring Me The Horizon
Welcome all to another edition of our weekly music News Report, where we roundup the best music news from the past week. We start this week with our new releases section and an unexpected collaboration.
Yes, this week has seen the team up of megastar Ed Sheeran and the constantly evolving Bring Me The Horizon. Following a noted performance at the Brit Awards the pair this week officially released the single, ‘Bad Habits’.
You can watch above or find listening options here.
Simple Plan team with Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley on ‘Ruin My Life’
Simple Plan – ‘Ruin My Life’ feat. Deryck Whibley
Sticking with collaborations and this week also saw Simple Plan debut their new single ‘Ruin My Life’. The track also features Sum 41‘s Deryck Whibley and comes ahead of an expected new album later this year.
“‘Ruin My Life’ is a song about overcoming adversity, going through a difficult life situation, and not only surviving it, but becoming an even stronger and more resilient version of yourself because of it,” the band shares. “It’s fun, catchy, energetic and empowering and we’re so excited to share it with our fans. Having Deryck from Sum 41 sing on it with us makes it even more special!
Watch above or head here for more listening options!
Having recently announced the upcoming release of new album, ‘Skinty Fia’, on April 22nd, Fontaines D.C. this week unveiled new single, ‘I Love You’.
Described as ostensibly a love song, ‘I Love You’ is written from the perspective of an Irishman abroad, unravelling to reveal a passionate sense of self-loathing. Frontman Grian Chatten describes the song as “the first overtly political song we’ve written.”.
You can check out the video above as Chatten elaborates, “It’s standing in the centre of our beloved home country as a multitude of things are brought to tragic ends in an apocalyptic state of affairs. That’s how it feels to me, and what I felt when I wrote it.”
Chubby and the Gang reveal new EP ‘Labour of Love’
Chubby and the Gang – ‘Who Loves Ya (Coup d’état)’
There was also new music this week from West London 5-piece Chubby and the Gang. The group celebrated Valentine’s Day with the digital release of new EP ‘Labour of Love’.
The EP features new single ‘Who Loves Ya (Coup d’état)’ which you can watch the video for above. Frontman Charlie Manning says of the song: “We had the idea to do a Valentine’s Day single and I sort of wanted to show all the angles of love. Warts and all. Quite often it’s not such a smooth experience. Can often feel scary and insane. So I wanted to write a bubblegum song about it but also show the duality of the emotion.”.
For listening options and physical pre-orders head here.
We move on now to to the latest show announcements as our News Report continues.
The biggest news this week came with the revelation that the iconic Nine Inch Nails will be heading to Cornwall this June for not one but two shows at the Eden Project.
Festival announcements now in our News Report and it’s over to Scotland for the latest line-up reveal from TRNSMT Festival.
The event is set to be headlined by Paolo Nutini, The Strokes and Lewis Capaldi, with huge slots scheduled for Sam Fender, Foals, Wolf Alice, The Snuts and Fontaines D.C..
Day and Stage splits have now been revealed with highlights set to include The Regrettes, Jimmy Eat World, Maximo Park, Self Esteem and Wet Leg.
We close out our News Report with news that Bastille will now headline Kendal Calling with The Streets no longer able to play.
They join a phenomenal line-up with fellow headliners Stereophonics and Supergrass plus The Wombats, The Kooks, Pale Waves, Sports Team, The Snuts, The Mysterines, Lottery Winners, Valeras, Lauran Hibberd, Massive Wagons, Skinny Lister and many more.
Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Skinny Lister
We are passionate about new music at Full Pelt Music. Check out the new additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist this week:
‘Pity’ – Out of Love
London punks Out of Love preview their upcoming debut LP, ‘So Far, So Good’ with new single ‘Pity’. Frontman Jack Rogers says “Pity is an observation about a person I know who does nothing but moan about life. It’s a response to the toxic outlook they have on the world and how I want nothing to do with them anymore. Even though cutting that person out from my life will be hard and conflicting, it’s necessary to surround myself with like-minded, forward-thinking people.
“It’s hard to watch someone you care about be so set in their ways and do very little to try and change even after helping them time and time again. Pity is a reminder for me to never turn into that person.”
‘Delirious’ – South Haven
Copenhagen natives South Haven debut new single, ‘Delirious’. Vocalist Christine Nielsen comments,“This song has a special place in my heart because I think the lyrics are open for interpretation. Personally, I interpret the song to be about dealing with a lot of difficult emotions all at once and not being able to get rid of them, which results in a feeling of deliriousness. The music video seeks to show this state of mind with the use of different locations and short and quick shots. Although it seeks to emphasize this, it also portrays a sort of beauty in the chaos with the use of neutral and calm colors and lighting”.
‘Turn It Up!’ – Romero
Melbourne’s power-pop group Romero preview their debut album with the title track, ‘Turn It Up!’. Singer Alanna Oliver reflects on the single, “I was watching a Debbie Harry [Blondie] documentary and one of the quotes was ‘she just gets on stage and she turns it on’. As soon as I heard this I paused it and started writing. The lyrics flowed effortlessly. It was such a simple idea to channel that inner power. When I sing this song I am now a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.”
Listen to all these songs and more on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlisthere.
Welcome to another edition of our weekly News Report. This week features a slew of festival announcements as events prepare for the 2022 season.
For many events, they are preparing for their first event since 2019 due to the pandemic. One such event is Kendal Calling, who this week revealed their comeback line-up and it doesn’t disappoint with headliners including Supergrass and Stereophonics.
Also featuring high on the bill will be the likes of The Wombats, The Kooks, The Vaccines, Pale Waves, Sports Team and The Snuts.
It’s lower down the poster however that the line-up comes to life with The Mysterines, Lottery Winners, Valeras, Lauran Hibberd, Pigs x7, Massive Wagons, Hacktivist, Skinny Lister, Deux Furieuses, Guise and Berries all set to feature!
Another festival returning after a two year lay-off will be Truck Festival, which will also celebrate the events 25th Anniversary!
Headliners for the special event will be Bombay Bicycle Club, Sam Fender, Kasabian, Blossoms and The Kooks.
They are set to be joined by the likes of Sports Team, Shame, The Subways, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Black Honey, Vistas, Kid Brunswick, Lauran Hibberd and Dream Nails.
Slam Dunk Festival reshuffled their 2022 line-up this week with previously announced stage headliners Rancid no longer available. Added to the bill however are two new headline acts in the form of Sum 41 and Dropkick Murphys.
They are joined by new and previously announced acts such as Alexisonfire, The Interrupters, The Used, Deaf Havana, Hot Milk, Dream State and Spanish Love Songs.
Our final festival announcement this week comes from Standon Calling, who have revealed they will feature a huge bill on the Thursday in 2022.
Headlined by Madness and also featuring The Subways and The Skints, the Thursday provides a sneak peek at what’s to come with 3 more full days of music to be announced.
Music Venue Trust reveal next set of ‘Revive Live’ dates
The incredible Music Venue Trust continue to work tirelessly to protect our vital grassroots music venues from threats pandemic related and sadly un-pandemic related. FYI, if you choose to move in next to an existing music venue, don’t complain about the noise!
Anyway, this week saw MVT announce the next slate of dates for their ‘Revive Live’ tour in conjunction with The National Lottery. Lottery playing friends can get a free ticket with each ticket buyer!
Huge acts playing this January include Bastille, The Coral, Enter Shikari, Feeder, Carl Barat, The Snuts, James & The Cold Gun, Strange Bones and many more.
Our News Report moves on now to a couple of tour announcements, and up first is Will Varley. Following the release of his superb new album, ‘The Hole Around My Head’, Varley will be hitting the road in May next year.
Time now to turn our News Report on to new music releases from the past week and we start with Twin Atlantic.
The band continue to build towards the release of their new album, ‘Transparency’ which arrives on January 7th. This week saw the band debut the latest track, ‘Dirty’, which you can listen to above.
There was more fantastic new music forthcoming this week from The Hot Damn!. The band debuted their latest single, ‘I Didn’t Like You Anyway’, which you can check out above.
We finish our News Report this week with a band we recently featured on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist. Lyoness, dropped another new track this week and you can listen to ‘Heroine’ above.
