Anticipation is high around Wembley tonight, and not just because the League Cup final is tomorrow! Tonight, the famous Wembley Arena in London plays host to a sold out show from alt rock anarchist YUNGBLUD, and itâs his fans that make their mark around Wembley Way.
Soon enough the hordes of brightly coloured fans file into the venue and await their hero. First up though they are treated the special guests Neck Deep, who could under the right circumstances probably make a go of headlining this venue themselves.
The mission for the Welsh rockers this evening is to win over a new cross-section of the rock audience and make a load of new fans. Through openers âMotion Sicknessâ and âLowlifeâ, itâs clear that whilst there are some existing fans in attendance, the work will need to be done to get the whole arena on board.
Thankfully for Neck Deep, they are a well rehearsed touring machine and they are well versed in winning over audiences. As their time on stage progresses the audience becomes more engaged and by the time we get to mid-set sing-a-long âDecemberâ, they have an open goal to score in.
While they round out their set with the hat-trick of âCanât Kick Up the Rootsâ, âGold Stepsâ and âIn Bloomâ, itâs obvious that itâs victory and mission achieved for Neck Deep. As singer Ben Barlow delivers his final team-talk to the crowd, the response is affirmative and perhaps soon the band will be on their way to Wembley for their own show.
Attention is then turned back to YUNGBLUD who is set for his biggest headline show to date following his meteoric rise over the past few years. If we are sticking with the football analogies then YUNGBLUD has been fast-tracked from the youth team to the first team and is now making his international breakthrough. As such anticipation is at a fever-pitch as the packed Wembley wait to see if he can deliver the goods!
If there are any doubts in this venue, which you get the sense there isn’t, then it only takes mere moments for YUNGBLUD to dispel them. Kicking off with â21st Century Liabilityâ, âThe Funeralâ and âparentsâ, the crowd are instantly in awe of the raw talent on display.
The quality of the music is great tonight, but itâs the incredible stage presence of YUNGBLUD and the stunning presentation of the show which makes this an elite level concert. All the bells and whistles are here as the likes of âfleabagâ, âCaliforniaâ and âmarsâ are interspersed by some dramatic imagery.
To his credit YUNGBLUD is able to make this rather large venue feel as intimate as possible. His charisma has many of the audience members zombified as they take in the spectacular experience that is created tonight. Even an enforced break due to an emergency in the crowd canât dampen the atmosphere.
By the time the show closes with âLonerâ, youâd think YUNGBLUD had just won the World Cup! Even if we strip away the football theme, what is clear on tonightâs showing is that YUNGBLUD is here to take over the world as one of rocks next superstars!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with a handful of festival announcements and one of the line-ups that got a little bigger this week was the above, belonging to Bearded Theory!
Fresh names include Pretenders, Billy Bragg, Jealous Nostril, Witch Fever and more.
They join a packed line-up including Interpol, Primal Scream, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Gary Numan, Yard Act, The Mysterines, Pigs x7, The Undertones, Beans On Toast, Grace Petrie, Skinny Lister, Millie Manders and the Shutup, Pet Needs and many more.
Also making several line-up additions this week was Suffolk’s Latitude Festival which will see headliners Pulp, Paolo Nutini and George Ezra take to Henham Park in July.
This week has seen James, Yard Act and more join a bill that now includes The Kooks, Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott, The Big Moon, Lightning Seeds, The Proclaimers, The Murder Capital, Bob Vylan and many more.
The Boardmasters line-up grew exponentially this week including Lorde joining the already announced Liam Gallagher and Florence + The Machine as a headline act.
The full line-up now includes Cypress Hill, Bob Vylan, Yard Act, Nova Twins, Kid Kapichi, Lottery Winners, Cassyette, Black Honey, Squid and more.
Live At Leeds: In The Park has this week revealed the final acts joining their 2023 line-up set to be headlined by Two Door Cinema Club.
New additions Maximo Park, Kate Nash and Lottery Winners join a bill featuring DMA’s, The Hives, Black Honey, Gengahr, Low Hummer and many more.
Speaking about joining the Live At Leeds: In The Park lineup and Live At Leeds memories of years gone by, Lottery Winners said:
âLive at Leeds is always one of my favourite festival line ups. Itâs always crammed with all of my favourite bands, so Iâm almost more excited to just go than to play. But I am proper excited to play – might even do a crowd surf.â
Speaking about the final names added to Live At Leeds: In The Park, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said:
âCan it be May already? Weâre delighted to add even more names to the Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023 lineup – really bringing together an amazing array of names from across Live At Leedsâ history whilst remaining true to that core belief we all have to champion and support the most exciting new names in modern guitar music.
Having the likes of Maximo Park and Kate Nash (who have soundtracked countless memories and influenced a ridiculous amount of artists) alongside the likes of acts like Lottery Winners, James Marriott and Medicine Cabinet really nails what Live At Leeds is all about – and these names joining an already packed bill makes me very excited indeed. All coming together on one day, itâs going to be a special party indeed. Weâll see you there!â
A new festival is coming to Chelmsford as Hideaway Festival reveals its inaugural line-up including headliners Clean Bandit and Bastille.
They’ll be joined by the likes of James Bay, Texas and Jake Bugg.
Speaking about the first ever Hideaway festival, organiser Roy Trickett said: âEveryone on the Hideaway team is so excited to bring this family friendly, boutique Festival to Chelmsford. Headliners have all been hand-selected for their unmissable performances and the venue provides a perfect escape in a central Essex location. Weâre very proud to be hosting the first ever music festival in this unique space – and have a few surprises in store for our festival guests!â
We move our News Report on now towards the best live announcements from the past week.
Having already confirmed support acts for their first sold out Wembley Stadium date this summer, Blur have now confirmed they’ll be joined on their second date by Paul Weller and The Selecter.
This summer promises to be a packed full of great live music and this week Placebo added another night to the mix. The band has confirmed that they will play Dreamland in Margate this June.
Tigercub have just announced that their third album, ‘The Perfume of Decay’ will be out on June 2nd. You can listen to their brand new single, ‘Play My Favourite Song’, below.
The also revealed a full UK tour set for this autumn.
Tigercub – ‘Play My Favourite Song’
Speaking on the single, frontman Jamie Hall says, âI realised that without music I am alone, without sounds to occupy my brain intrusive thoughts begin to swirl and unease and sadness rises within me, so play my favourite song because silence makes me feel low.â
The next tour announcement in our News Report comes from the iconic Glenn Hughes, who will be hitting the road this October. The special shows will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of classic Deep Purple album, ‘Burn’.
This week Blood Red Shoes revealed that they will be playing a run of club shows including a date at the famous 100 Club in London.
The band said: “We decided it ain’t right that we’ve never played the 100 Club in London. So we booked it! And then it spiralled and we turned it into a 25 date tour of smaller punk venues, in 9 different countries”.
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Pet Needs who will be out and about playing acoustically over the next couple of months.
Our News Report heads now across to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Blind Channel.
Following the release last year of their ‘Lifestyles of the Sick & Dangerous’ album, Finlandâs Blind Channel are kicking off 2023 with their new standalone single ‘FLATLINE’.
âThis is the beginning of the next chapter of our career,âsay the band.âFlatline is Blind Channel on steroids. We captured the energy of last yearâs 130 shows into one song and threw it to a Berlin rave. The song was written with songwriting duo Blyne and itâs one of the heaviest tracks weâve ever made. This is pretty unique from scratch. If youâre sick and tired of ups and downs, this song might help you.â
Next up in our News Report are Canadians Softcult, who this week shared their latest single, ‘Love Song’, which you can check out above. The single comes ahead of new EP, ‘see you in the dark’, which is out on March 24th.
“This is an anxious love song,” Mercedes explains. “Itâs about loving someone so intensely that you find yourself in constant fear of losing them. Sometimes love and happiness can feel like these unattainable things that are too good to be true. Once weâve finally found something our hearts have been yearning for, itâs hard to shake the thought that we will inevitably have to let it go. But these gnawing thoughts can get in the way of us allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, or enjoying our relationships for fear that they wonât last.”
On the video Mercedes says, “We wanted the video to tell the story in a different way, focussing more on getting carried away with our own imaginations when it comes to falling in love. We filmed in a small legion hall and tried to make the ambiance a little depressing and mundane. Our main character is an elderly man whoâs sort of given up hope. Heâs there having a beer alone while everyone else is playing bingo. When he lays eyes on Gina, his co-star, he gets lost in fantasy, imagining not only the love they might have together but the type of person he could be if he had love in his life.”
Alternative Horror Rock band ANGER PARTY are back with their sophomore single âHad Enoughâ!
“Everyday we wake up and have the same conversations, with the same people, on the same subjects, with no purpose or profound effect on our lives. We create a state of perpetual monotony and anxiety, while wearing masks to hide our every emotion. All this is done to make prying onlookers think that everything is fine. âHad Enoughâ reflects on the deepest, darkest ways to break this cycle and exercise our true feelings on the world. It shows our desire to remove the mask, wipe away the make-up and reveal our true fears, frustrations, aggressions and vulnerabilityâ –Lead Vocalist, Ashley Wilson
Militarie Gun – ‘Do It Faster’
Los Angeles’ Militarie Gun share a thrilling new single in ‘Do It Faster’.
Speaking about the song, vocalist Ian Shelton states: “It is about my overall impatience with life. The agonising wait for things to materialise⊠so before resigning to do it myself, Iâm imploring the world to just move faster.â
De’Lour – ‘No One
South Wales based band DeâLour share their staggering new single âNo Oneâ.
“No One was one of the first songs we wrote together as a band in a room and not remotely. We got together at the first opportunity we could when lockdown was lifted in 2020. When we wrote No One, we wanted to express our thoughts on society’s lack of self reflection. We all worry about what everyone else thinks of us, but when you boil it down, no one is paying attention, no one really cares. People are only really concerned with what’s going on in their world, inside their own heads. So we wanted to express the feeling that we shouldn’t care about what other people think, we should just go for it if it’s what we want or what we think is best.â – Deâlour
Iâve always held a belief that whilst the enormous success of Nu-Metal brought great attention on rock music, it also buried what was an incredible British rock scene. That scene was packed full of fantastic bands that whilst they had success they never reached the levels that their output deserved.
One key band of this scene was Hundred Reasons, who wonât register on many young rock fans radars these days, but are likely your favourite bands favourite band! The influence of the likes of Hundred Reasons stretches far and wide even if you donât know it.
Having entered a hiatus well over a decade ago, it seemed that Hundred Reasons would remain a wonderful memory from the past. That is, until late last year when the band surprised fans with news of a brand new album, âGlorious Sunsetâ!
Well, that album is now with us and itâs time for the band to show a new generation of rock fans just what made them so special the first time around.
As soon as you press play, you are instantly sucked in to those beautiful soaring hooks, those delicate, emotive moments, those brash riffs, those all out rocking flashes and just the pure majesty that the band is able to create.
Whilst naturally the pre-album singles like âGlorious Sunsetâ, âNew Glassesâ, ‘Replicate’ and âThe Old School Wayâ lead the way, there really isnât a bad track on this album. At just thirty-six minutes, the album absolutely flies by and leaves you eager to hit the play button again.
So many criminally underappreciated rock bands from the early 2000âs have sadly been lost to the ages, but thank goodness that we have Hundred Reasons back in our lives and that they return at their magnificent best!
In December, folk favourite Beans On Toast broke with tradition slightly and instead of releasing a new album on his birthday, released a collection of well received childrenâs stories! Well, another tradition for Beans On Toast is touring and as per his latest single, that tradition is intact with the singer now âBack out on the Roadâ!
The road this evening leads to Norwich Arts Centre, a fantastic venue in the heart of the city and tonight is all but sold out. Early attendees are treated to a delicate and delightful opening performance from Ann Liu Cannon. You could hear a pin drop as the crowd absorb the tender words of a talented young songwriter.
BEANS ON TOAST
Soon enough itâs time for Beans On Toast to take to a stage complete with new backdrop, lighting and a table! Yes, Beans has gone big for this tour and even has a loose setlist written on the table.
The loveably unpredictable nature of a typical Beans show remains however with the singer regularly going off-piste with audience requests and stories from the road. Beans has always impressed with his ability to improvise and tonight he deals with some rather inebriated fans with veteran aplomb.
As for that setlist, there is a good mixture of old and new as youâd expect from a musician constantly churning out topical content. New songs include anti-war protests, odes to fabled venues and considerations of an AI future. The packed crowd hang off of every word and note, as Beans On Toast demonstrates his natural ability to hold an audienceâs attention.
Old favourites are present too with the likes of âThe War on Warâ, âThe Chicken Songâ and set closer âOn & Onâ enticing some of the bigger sing-a-long moments. All in all, tonight is yet another successful show for a musician who has long since established himself as an underground national treasure!
Tonight is a sell out and anticipation is high for one of rocks brightest prospects as Nova Twins commence their UK Tour at the Waterfront in Norwich! This was already a hot ticket, but the added attention the band received at the Brits recently has raised the bar further.
Entering the venue, you know full well that this will likely be the last time Nova Twins are playing venues this small. A rocket has been strapped to their backs and rightly so, because they fitted it themselves. Everything coming their way has come from their own DIY ethics, their own creativity and their own natural talents.
Fittingly, the band has selected two more acts that fit that bill to open on this tour. Up first are Uninvited, who on their showing tonight will be invited to many more shows in the future. Not previously on our radar, they very much are now after an assured and intense opening set. Quickly winning the packed crowd over with their blistering pace, keep an eye on this band, we certainly will be!
Next up are a band further down their career path as it were. Opening slots with My Chemical Romance last summer may have placed Witch Fever on many peopleâs maps, but the group has been making a noise for a little while now with a steady stream of increasingly impressive singles.
Tonight, they are clearly playing to a crowd in the know and that creates a fantastic atmosphere as the band demonstrate the raw power that has been the base of their early work. The likes of âBloodlustâ, âCongregationâ and âBlessed Be Thyâ sound absolutely massive in this relatively small venue and you again would expect Witch Fever to be moving on to headlining these sized rooms in the near future.
Nova Twins have quickly established themselves on the scene through two very well received albums and a string of support slots and festival appearances. Having caught them play a number of these shorter sets, our main question tonight is how do the band translate over a full headline set. The answer, as was expected, is very well indeed!
Starting off with the likes of âFire & Iceâ and âCleopatraâ, the band quickly asserts their ferocious energy on the stage. Audience participation comes naturally and at times it feels like the band and audience are in fact one with each other.
The likes of âTaxiâ and âPlay Fairâ still go hard and the likes of âSleep Paralysisâ simply leave you in awe of the majesty emanating from the stage. Even we opened this review by calling Nova Twins prospects, but that isnât the case, no, this band are the present and they are ready to take over the world!
An encore of âAntagonistâ, âUndertakerâ and âChoose Your Fighterâ is just the cherry on top of the cake. Tonight has shown the sheer quality of new rock acts out there at the moment, with all three bands clearly set for bigger things. Â
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the 20th Anniversary of Download Festival which just got a whole load bigger! Yes 40+ new acts have now joined headliners Metallica (x2), Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot across the special four day event.
Newly announced acts include Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep, Bob Vylan, Jinjer, Hot Milk, The Amity Affliction, Empire State Bastard, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Deaf Havana and more!
Also on tap will be the likes of Architects, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Pendulum, The Blackout, Nova Twins, Disturbed, Placebo, Ghost and so many more!
Ahead of their appearances at this August’s Reading & Leeds Festivals, You Me At Six will perform two intimate warm-up shows in Leicester and Bournemouth.
Our News Report moves now to the best new releases from the past week and we get things started with the latest single from Bury Tomorrow!
‘Heretic’ featuring While She Sleeps frontman Loz Taylor debuted this week and you can check it out above. It was also revealed that Bury Tomorrow will join WSS at their huge Alexandra Palace show in September.
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, which is out March 31st!.
Speaking on Heretic, lead-singer Dani Winter-Bates states âHeretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. Itâs right up there with the most aggressive and visceral tracks on the album, with an inherently dark feel, both lyrically and musically, which allowed us to delve into some of the more brutal elements of The Seventh Sun. All in all, weâre extremely proud to showcase this track and canât wait to see what people think.â
Dani continues âfrom the off, we knew this song merited a guest vocal spot, and Loz Taylor of While She Sleeps sprang to our minds straightaway. Already an absolute legend in our eyes, working with him on this track has only confirmed that status further. His voice incorporated perfectly and has undoubtedly taken the song to the next level â we couldnât be happier.â
The Raven Age have announced that their third studio album, ‘Blood Omen’, will be released on July 7th. To coincide with that announcement, the band unveiled their new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can check out above!
âParasiteâ is bolstered by a blistering solo from guest guitarist Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch. âI’ve known the lads in The Raven Age for years now,â says Andy. âI really like the direction they are heading with this third record and enjoyed doing a guest solo for âParasiteâ. Itâs a heavy but memorable track that hits you right between the eyes.â
For the Essex quintetâs âall-important third albumâ, as George Harris puts it, they have expanded on every level.
This motivation is written into the albumâs concept. Following the theme of its two predecessors, the raven motif looms large, this time centering on the overthrowing of old masters, with the bandâs Raven King character coming to prominence. Even in the artwork, things are bolder, a close up of The Raven King, says George, âtaking his rightful place on the throne.â
The theme weaves itself throughout ‘Blood Omen’, kicking off with âParasiteâ as MJ explains, âThereâs the legend about the ravens in the Tower Of London, that if they were ever to leave, the monarchy falls. Without being too political, âParasiteâ is hinting at these dark notes of the hierarchy, the bottom feeders that tend to run everything and then screw everything up. Our Raven King, he’s basically ascending to the throne to bring down the monarchy, bring down the establishment, weed out the parasites, as it were.â
âIt’s a heavy track,â MJ continues, âWe knew we wanted to come back with a real punch between the eyes. Itâs the full introduction to our Raven King, and it touches on elements of everything to come. It really shows where weâre going on this album.â
The album also sees the recorded debut of new guitarist Tommy Gentry, the prodigiously talented axeman â whose previous work includes stints with Marco Mendoza and former Judas Priest six-stringer KK Downing.
âTommy was in our sights from day one,â says George. âHe’s, without doubt, the most talented musician I know. Not only is he an amazing guitarist, he’s a grade eight pianist, he can score orchestral music, and all that brings something to the table.â
‘The Price of Progress’, the latest album from The Hold Steady is out on March 31st. This week the band continued to preview the record with new single, ‘Sixers’, which you can check out above.
ââSixersâ was written in the first days of the pandemic,â says frontman Craig Finn. âItâs basically a song about knowing your neighbors. Two young professionals meet up in their building late on a Friday night and spend the weekend partying together. They try to find a love connection, but itâs not quite there. Itâs hard to make friends when your job is so demanding. Tad and Steve chime in with some beautiful guitar harmonies.â
This week saw The View return with news of their first new album in eight years! ‘Exorcism of Youth’ will be released on June 9th and was preceded this week by the single, ‘Feels Like’, which you can check out above!
Frontman Kyle Falconer says, âWorking with Youth on our third album ‘Bread and Circuses’ was one of the best experiences of my career so we jumped at the chance to revisit the opportunity with him in Spain. To be able to go into the studio again as a band with added experience was just magical.”
On the single Falconer adds, âThis one felt anthemic from the get go. Even though under the surface itâs about somewhere everyoneâs been in their life before: regret of losing someone amazing due to your inner demons and seeing them moving on with their life, when youâre stuck in a ânightmare not a dream.â When I first sat down to write it I had Holden Caulfield from âCatcher in the Ryeâ in mind. Itâs playing out in his mind and itâs his own paranoia destroying him from the inside out when in reality sheâs the perfect woman.”
Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton has shared his latest single, ‘Asshole’, which you can check out above. The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Haunted by the Holy Ghost’, which is out March 10th.
A music video for the track features World Champion Barrel Racer, Ryann Pedone & Conor the badger. Ryan says, âItâs not everyday you shoot a music video with a badger! Why a badger? Because badgers are assholes. Theyâre adorable assholes. Haha. So proud of this song. The self sabotaging title will keep it off most radio stations⊠which is a shame, because it deserves to be a big hit.”
The Dollyrots have released a brand new UK single titled ‘Still Holding On’ to kick off their first ever UK co-headline tour with Don’t Panic and special guest Royals.
You can listen to the track above!
ââStill Holding Onâ is the first song weâre releasing off our newest recordings, from the first full album sessions since 2019! Itâs a hint of a flavor for the next LP to be released later this year. Since weâll be touring the UK this month we thought weâd give our friends here a treat and release it exclusive to the United Kingdom.”â says singer Kelly Ogden.
This week saw Millie Manders and the Shutup share their new single, ‘Rebound’, on Valentine’s Day! You can of course listen to the track above!
An ode to toxic online dating, as Millie explains: âRebound reflects my experience with online dating, but most people I have spoken to have had similar and worse experiences with it. I wanted to write a song that was in solidarity with those on the receiving end of a rebound relationship and let them know they were never the problem.â
The comes ahead of the bands upcoming UK Tour in April.
The steady stream of fantastic new music in our News Report continues to flow from iconic Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. You can check out his latest solo effort, ‘Black Top White Lines’, above now!
This week also saw Pet Needs revealed as the special guests on Lottery Winners upcoming UK Tour. That wasn’t the only news for Pet Needs this week however, as they also debuted their video for ‘Ibiza in Winter’, which you can check out above!
New album ‘Primetime Entertainment’ available here.
Watch Episode 11 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs!
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – ‘Episode 11’ – Pet Needs
Glasgow four-piece Spyres return with their new single, ‘Sleep Forever’.
Vocalist/guitarist Keira McGuire explains:
âSleep Forever is a song about blocking out the realities of life and living in your own world, not wanting to grow up, becoming an adult which puts an end to teenage daydreams and fantasies.â
FUDGE.- ‘Y.F.F.G.’
FUDGE. release their new single, ‘YOUR FALL FROM GRACE’, taken from their forthcoming ‘THATâS JUST IT, THIS IS NOW’ EP!
Commenting about ‘Y.F.F.G.’ singer Cam says: âItâs different to our usual songs but itâs a fan favourite and shows a very atmospheric, abstract vibe and I see it as a rebellious love song. The feeling I get from this song is the same as the almost surreal sensation you get when youâre on your own late at night or early morning. That may sound strange but some of you might get what I mean.â
Guitarist Otto expands: âI call this our quiet song. I wrote it whilst someone was sleeping in the same room as me, so I picked something sweet sounding and played it with compassion. Luckily, the outcome was one of our most palatable songs for the listener and, honestly, one that I never meant to write but am grateful that I did.â
Drummer Angus adds: âYou get to hear Camâs sensitive side on this song, which is usually hidden behind his radginess. Itâs a lot smoother in its ebbs and flows and playing drums to this is actually quite a relaxing experience because, for once, I can sit back and let the song do the work. For that reason, itâs bigger than its constituent parts. A bit of a banger in other words.â
IKONIK – ‘Wall of Stone‘
‘Wall of Stone’ is the debut single from IKONIK, the brainchild of Copenhagen’s Katrine Wachmann.
ââWall of Stoneâ is a song about commitment issues and being stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere, though knowing that vulnerability might be the only way to make a relationship work. Whatever the listeners get from this song Iâm just truly humble, amazed and excited that IKONIK is off on its wings and ready to fly out into the worldâ.
Ipswich isnât a regular touring stop, especially for rock acts, so itâs a nice treat to get this three band bill in town. There is certainly an opportunity for growth in this area for live music and hopefully the Corn Exchange in Ipswich can pick up some more shows like this.
Opening the evening are Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, who work hard to get the early attendees warmed up. Consummate professionals the band are slick and tight, the proverbial well-oiled machine if you will!
New singer Joel Peters seems to have fit in very well with the Campbell clan and handles material from their first two albums extremely well. The best crowd reactions may be reserved for Motörhead classics âBorn to Raise Hellâ and âAce of Spadesâ, but the highlights tonight are the likes of âFreak Showâ and âDark Daysâ. With two quality albums already under their belts, itâll be interesting to see what the band has up their sleeves next.
MICHAEL MONROE
Our second act is Michael Monroe, who has undoubtedly influenced many over the course of his career and who the fans in attendance welcome warmly. Monroe though is an act that has passed me by over the years and tonight itâs hard to see what the fuss is about as he calamitously stalks the stage like a rock n’ roll Jar Jar Binks!
A health and safety nightmare waiting to happen Monroe manages to get stuck in a scarf, hit himself in the head with his mic, spill drink over the stage and causes many band, audience and crew members to duck for cover with his various escapades.
During all of this there is some classic rock by numbers played by a competent collection of musicians but the cartoon caricature strutting the stage proves more of a distraction then a centrepiece. Again, though there are those in the audience that lap up the performance, so Monroe must be doing something right! A niche act perhaps, and whilst not mine, many others would be (and were) delighted by this performance.
BLACK STAR RIDERS
Finally, itâs time for our headliners Black Star Riders who are celebrating both the past and the future with their set tonight. First, there is their fantastic new album, âWrong Side of Paradiseâ and arrival of new guitarist Sam Wood. Then, there is the small matter of their 10th Anniversary and return for this tour of original members Scott Gorham and Jimmy DeGrasso.
The first portion of the show focuses on the new with main man Ricky Warwick leading Wood, DeGrasso and bassist Robbie Crane through the likes of âPay Dirtâ, âBetter Than Saturday Nightâ, ‘Riding Out the Stormâ and âWrong Side of Paradiseâ. This early selection showcases the future of the band and confirms that there is still plenty in the tank. Wood fits the mould and helps to breathe new life into the group.
Soon enough though the iconic Scott Gorham strides across the stage to take position for the next hour or so of celebration. Seeing Gorham and Warwick side by side again is a treat and itâs nice that the band throw in a couple of Thin Lizzy numbers in a nod to the roots of the band.
Throughout the set though you are reminded just how good of a back catalogue that Black Star Riders have amassed in the last ten years. âAll Hell Breaks Looseâ, âThe Killer Instinctâ, âBefore the Warâ, âTestify or Say Goodbyeâ, âKingdom of the Lostâ and âBound For Gloryâ all sound huge tonight as Warwick and co prove that they were right to believe in themselves and the new music they could create together when faced with such criticism a decade ago.
Closing the evening with Lizzy classic âJailbreakâ and Black Star Riders favourite âFinest Hourâ, the rock fans of Ipswich are sent into the mild evening having witnessed one of the most consistently good bands of the past decade at their finest. The past decade has been sublime and thankfully the next decade looks just as good!
Some nights and certainly some gigs are just special. Tonight is one of those!
For a start we are all here for a vital cause, War Child. The work that this organisation does is incredible and any time we can support them is important, but to do so through music is special. Itâs an exchange in values, an exchange in love and itâs a sobering reminder that many of the activities we enjoy are being unjustly stripped away and denied from children all over the world.
Then, hey, those with tickets are getting that exchange. For their support by way of the cost of admission, they get to spend their Friday night in an amazing small venue tucked down a little London side street enjoying a phenomenal live act.
The venue in question is OMEARA and that act is Bob Vylan. The tiny venue is a thing of beauty and Bob Vylan are an act well beyond venues of this size now, so that recipe for magic is all set.
All that is left is for the duo to deliver the goods, and boy do they do just that. The intimate venue is somehow made to feel even smaller as the crowd unifies as one to bounce and move along to the ferocious music coming from the stage.
The set is a good mix between their two albums, with the likes of âI Heard You Want Your Country Backâ, âGDPâ, âWe Live Hereâ and âPhone Tapâ, eliciting some of the biggest reactions, but in fairness the atmosphere just never drops!
WATCH ‘THE DELICATE NATURE’ ON YOUTUBE
Bob Vylan – ‘The Delicate Nature’ feat. Laurie Vincent
Bob Vylan show that they can hold the audience in the palms of their hands and control a crowd as well as anyone else. A big part of this is the strong connection between band and fans and a mutual belief in the message this beautiful bond represents.
New track âThe Delicate Natureâ sounds massive and builds excitement for what is to come next from the duo. The set is rounded off by âEnglandâs Endingâ, âPretty Songsâ, âWicked & Badâ and an obligatory stage invasion, which sends those lucky enough to be in attendance off into the cool London night beaming with joy at what theyâve just experienced.
In a world full of injustices, we need organisations like War Child, we need artists like Bob Vylan and we need special nights like this both to escape the cruelty of life but also to refocus our minds on the battles that need fighting!
For more information and to donate to War Child head here.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
“Finding ‘Lost’ was like finding a favorite photo you had forgotten youâd taken, like it was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.” – Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their seminal ‘Meteora’ album with a special edition out April 7th.
This week the band shared a previously unreleased track that will feature in the new collection. You can listen to ‘Lost’ above now.
Enter Shikari recently announced their upcoming new album, ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, will be out April 21st, and this week saw the band share the latest taste.
You can listen to new track, ‘It Hurts’ above. Of the track, Lead vocalist and producer Rou Reynolds explains:
“It Hurts came to me in a dream. Literally. Melody, chords, and fully-formulated chorus were all part of a dream that, thankfully, remained with me when I woke up. I was hiding under the duvet at 3AM, singing it into my phone, much to the bewilderment of my girlfriend.
Lyrically, It Hurts is about perseverance, and the importance of reframing failure as a fruitful and, in fact, pivotal route to progress. Society teaches us we should avoid and criticise failure, when defeat and honest mistakes can actually present us with insights that light our way forward.
In reality, we should be taught that simply to try makes us more than enough.â
This week saw the return of Gengahr as the band shared their brand new single, ‘A Ladder’, which you can listen to above.
Frontman Felix Bushe comments: “A Ladder is a fun, trippy little song soaked in cartoon-like imagery. Essentially it’s about the power of true love and its ability to not only change the way we feel but also the way we see and interact with the whole world around us.”
Dream Wife have announced details of their next studio album with ‘Social Lubrication’ set to be released on June 9th.
This week the group preceded the release with new single, ‘Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)’, which you can check out above.
‘Social Lubrication’, in the band’s words, is âHyper lusty rock and roll with a political punch, exploring the alchemy of attraction, the lust for life, embracing community and calling out the patriarchy. With a healthy dose of playfulness and fun thrown in.â
Vocalist Rakel says, âDating musicians is a nightmare. Evoking imagery of late night make-outs with fuckboy/girl/ambiguously-gendered musicians on their mattress after being seduced by song-writing chat. The roles being equally reversed. Having a laugh together and being able to poke fun at ourselves is very much at the heart of this band. This song encapsulates our shared sense of humour. Sonically it is the lovechild of CSS and Motorhead. It has our hard, live, rock edge combined with cheeky and playful vocals.â
âMusic is one of the only forms of people experiencing an emotion together in a visceral, physical, real way,â says Alice. âIt’s cathartic to the systemic issues that are being called out across the board in the record. Music isn’t the cure, but it’s the remedy. Calling the record Social Lubrication harks to that. It’s the positive glue that can create solidarity and community.â
âThe album is speaking to systemic problems that cannot be glossed over by lube,â says Bella. âThe things named in the songs are symptoms of f-ed up structures. And you can’t fix that. You need to pull it apart.â
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and of course we have to start with the above dates from Fall Out Boy!
The group will make their way to the UK and Europe this Autumn with five UK Arena shows in scope finishing up at The O2 in London.
Support for the tour comes from both PVRIS and nothing,nowhere.
The tour will follow the release of their upcoming new album, ‘So Much (For) Stardust’, which is out March 24th.
Our News Report looks now at the best festival announcements made over the past week and we start by the coast with Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival.
Jamiroquai and Kasabian are already announced to headline with one more headliner yet to be revealed.
They will now be joined in August by the likes of The Charlatans, Jake Bugg, Circa Waves, The View, Newton Faulkner, Blossoms,Alt-J, Kaiser Chiefs, Amyl & The Sniffers, The Coral, Pale Waves, Shame, The Vaccines, Sea Girls, Johnny Marr, The Enemy and Hard-Fi!
Steelhouse Festival this week confirmed that Those Damn Crows will be heading up the mountain as Saturday’s Special Guests. Also added this week was Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners.
They join the likes of Airbourne, Black Stone Cherry, Kris Barras Band, The Answer, Blues Pills, Florence Black and many more.
UK metallers, Electron, draw a line in the sand with their explosive new single, ‘Sick and Wrong’, which is out now!
On the single, frontman Jason Payne discusses: âThe track symbolises solitude, melancholy, madness, anxiety and fear. The persona in this song (inspired by âThe Scream, E. Munchâ) is suffering a lot of pain. In the beginning, this person has hope that they will escape from the terror of its own mind â however, as the song evolves, they grow aware that the melancholy is eternal, and revolt with their agony.â
This Dying Hour – ‘Age of the Coward’
Modern metalcore 4-piece This Dying Hour have shared their blistering new single âAge Of The Cowardâ.
“âAge of the Cowardâ challenges the way we see ourselves – how we can either perpetuate or abolish the feelings of nihilism and guilt through the way we understand personal accountability. Over the years I have personally battled with self-identity and purpose. I donât think these things are exclusive to me, but a journey we all must take. This is why we shouldnât settle with your shortcomings, but instead with discipline and hard work we can lace their linings with gold. You canât make the world a more meaningful place, until you see through who you truly are.â – Vocalist Steve Kerr.
Creature Cult – ‘poster boy’
With just one single out in the world – the powerful and rousing, ‘ughly’ – Creature Cult have shared new single ‘poster boy’ – another message delivered loud and clear: in the face of bigotry and hatred, be uncompromising in your self-expression.
Commenting on the new single, Connar says: “Poster boy is my hate letter to homophobia. It takes all the disgust and discrimination from vicious people and spits it right back at them. Itâs basically saying Iâm going to be the fucking biggest and loudest version of all the things you hate about me because I really donât care what you think and I know that scares you. Being able to express yourself and love who you want to love should be treated by everyone as the basic human right that it is.”
Xtra mile recordings 20th anniversary – london – live review
There are a number of Anniversary celebrations taking place tonight at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. This is a Brits Week show raising funds for the incredible work conducted by War Child, who this year are in their 30th year of action.
Secondly, itâs the 20th Anniversary of the brilliant Xtra Mile Recordings and finally later on in the evening we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our headliner Frank Turnerâs stunning album, âTape Deck Heartâ!
WATCH ‘DON’T COME BACK FROM GUISE
Guise – ‘Don’t Come Back’
Lots to dissect then, and lots of action to pack into a short space of time, starting with our first artist this evening, Jess Guise. Guise serenades the early attendees with a number of tracks from her debut album, âYoungest Daughterâ such as the fantastic âDonât Come Backâ. A short yet delightful performance from an artist who continues to develop into one of Xtra Mileâs hidden gems!
WATCH ‘WE ARE MACHINES’ FROM BERRIES
BERRIES – ‘We Are Machines’
Following on from Guise after a short changeover are BERRIES, who released their stunning debut album, âHow We Functionâ, last year also. Tonight London is treated to some of the fantastic tracks that make BERRIES such an impressive force such as âCopyâ, âWe Are Machinesâ and âSpiral’. Again, their time onstage may be only fleeting but BERRIES make the most of it with a thoroughly enjoyable set.
WATCH ‘GET ON THE ROOF’ FROM PET NEEDS
Pet Needs – Get on the Roof’
Next up are Pet Needs who are fast acquiring themselves a fanbase as dedicated as our headlinerâs. Yes, the usual swathe of Pet Needs t-shirts are present and from the opening chord to the last strains of feedback, every song is greeted with wild abandon from the packed crowd.
The quality of their songs combined with the energy offered onstage make a Pet Needs performance a real experience. âIbiza In Winterâ, âToothpasteâ and âGet on the Roofâ are all superb tonight as the band are once again on fire.
Soon enough itâs time to focus on that final Anniversary as Frank Turner takes to the stage to play âTape Deck Heartâ in full. An album that solidified Turner as somebody able to fill some of the UKâs largest venues, itâs a treat to see him play it in the relative intimate surrounds of Shepherds Bush Empire.
Mixing up the order of songs, Turner regales the crowd with snippets of insights into the record whilst delivering some rarer tracks like âBroken Pianoâ, âGood & Goneâ, âOh Brotherâ, âThe Fisher King Bluesâ, âTell Tale Signsâ and âAnymoreâ. The crowd savour these moments just as they do the plethora of favourites that the album created such as âRecoveryâ, âPlain Sailing Weatherâ, âPolaroid Pictureâ, âLosing Daysâ, âThe Way I Tend To Beâ and âFour Simple Wordsâ!
The evening doesnât finish there though and ever the entertainer, Turner blasts though a selection of hits to close out the night. The sing-a-long for âThe Ballad of Me and My Friendsâ is spine-tingling as Xtra Mileâs most famous son honours the label in style.
Itâs been a fantastic evening celebrating âTape Deck Heartâ and Xtra Mile Recordings 20th Anniversary and we should be thankful for Xtra Mile sharing artists the calibre of Turner, Pet Needs, BERRIES and Guise.
What we should be most thankful for though is for organisations such as War Child and the incredible work that they are doing. For more information and to donate head here!
