Vol. 115
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Full Pelt Magazine
Tag: Music
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 114
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Beans On Toast
Kill Them With Kindness
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BEANS ON TOAST – KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS – ALBUM REVIEW
It’s December and we again have a year of horror and wonder behind us. It’s difficult to make sense of the realities of life but you can also rely on Beans On Toast trying to do just that at this time of year.
His traditional birthday album this year finds him releasing his eighteenth collection and in all of those years he has had plenty of inspiration – both good and bad. The past twelve month have been typically concerning, but throughout all of the big stuff, the fascination with life itself is what glistens on this record.
‘Kill Them With Kindness’ naturally has some pointed messages for those big players who heap misery on the world of communities that make humankind human and kind. It is his ability to highlight stories from the hearts of these communities however that make this an uplifting album. A reminder of what makes life special.
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‘The Glastonbury Oak’ may be the perfect Beans On Toast track – a song about a festival and a tree! ‘Taylor Swift for President’ represents his fantastic knack for pushing his tongue in his cheek whilst still making absolute sense. ‘Pelican Crossing’ is a fine example for his observational skills. ‘That’s Why I Don’t Drink Tequila Anymore’ is a fantastically fun new favourite and ‘Our Cat’ will ring true with many a dad out there.
Yes, there are personal stories, political commentaries and general experiences of existence on what is an all-round great Beans On Toast album. Made with his newly minted Beans On Toast Band, the music accompanying his words adds new levels of class to our yearly journal.
This does feel like a new pinnacle for an incredibly prolific artist.
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Skinny Lister
Norwich Arts Centre
Saturday 6th December 2025
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SKINNY LISTER – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW
📷Denis Gorbatov
It’s December, everything is festive, and Norwich folk in search of merriment need look no further than the Arts Centre because you can forget about the big red man for now – Skinny Lister are coming to town!
Word is obviously out because this fantastic former church is fully sold out and everyone packs in early to receive the everlasting gift of live music.
CLAUDIA KATE
Opening the show this evening is singer-songwriter Claudia Kate who claims this as a hometown show given her roots in the area. With her genuine charm and insightful tunes Kate is quickly able to endear herself to the townsfolk of Norwich.
With the audience onside, the likes of ‘Fat’ and ‘Stop the World’ are able to elicit real emotion in the room before ‘BIG TALK, little girl’ and set closer ‘Angry At Me’ stir even more belief. Kate sings of the personal and the political in a way that understands that they are often the same thing.
There is a wisdom and maturity in Kate’s songwriting which creates an air of confidence in her message and importantly in her talents. The reception provided by the audience tonight only backs that up.
VANDOLIERS
Main support for this tour comes from Texan country punks Vandoliers, who burst onto the stage with a passionate onslaught of their highly contagious musical blend. Punk attitude and country swagger merge into something uniquely engaging and from the first chords of ‘Life Behind Bars’ onwards their set is a blissful blur.
The six-piece are lively, and the songs are singalong inducing… so they fit in very well supporting Skinny Lister. The fans in the venue, many clearly already familiar with Vandoliers, all clearly think so too, and the atmosphere tonight just continues to grow in togetherness.
Frontwoman Jenni Rose is able to harness the good feelings in the venue to orchestrate their performance through a career-spanning set of enjoyable alt-country fusion. Rose then brings their set home by leading the audience through a big old sing-song – ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’.
SKINNY LISTER
The changeovers are all pretty swift this evening and that ensures that the spirit of merriment never wanes during the show. The arrival of Skinny Lister is therefore met with much joy, and the chaos quickly ensues with ‘Wanted’ and ‘Set Us Straight’.
Whether romping through punkier tracks like ‘Tragedy In A Minor’ or serenading us with softer singalongs ala ‘Colours’, Skinny Lister have the audience in the palm of their hands every step of the way.
Even with an aborted passage of the flagon during ‘Drinking Song’, the audience are still made to feel a part of the show. Singer Lorna Thomas steps into the crowd for a series of arm wrestling contests during ‘Arm Wrestling in Dresden’ and frontman Dan Heptinstall barters with the crowd for requests leading to a beautiful rendition of ‘Embers’.
Skinny Lister really do have an enate knack for making a sold out concert feel more like a close family gathering. A particularly drunken one where everyone has the best time and ends up singing arm-in-arm to their favourite songs.
Well, that’s how tonight ends anyway with Claudia Kate and Vandoliers joining in on final song, ‘Six Whiskies’, and the entire venue simply living their best lives. That’s the power of Skinny Lister and as you leave the venue and head out into the festive displays of the city you can’t help but reflect on what a magical evening that just was!
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 113
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Lacuna Coil
Epic Studios, Norwich
Sunday 23rd November 2025
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📸Denis Gorbatov
LACUNA COIL – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW
Back in February, Italian metal favourites Lacuna Coil released their tenth studio album ‘Sleepless Empire’. Now as the year reaches its climax, UK fans are able to hear this songs come to life on stage.
The bands UK tour kickstarted in Southampton following a European run and tonight they arrive in a wet and dreary Norwich. Playing host is Epic Studios which continues to impress as a modern and spacious venue.
NONPOINT
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The show is a sell out and the venue is already full as our special guests Nonpoint hit the stage. The Floridians made their mark in the early 2000’s and are also ten albums deep into their career.
The group are given a solid forty-five minutes to play with and deliver a good account of their catalogue of songs for those in the audience that are already familiar. The delivery of those songs is as passionate as ever from a band who clearly just love doing what they do.
What they do this evening is bring sunshine state vibes to autumnal Norfolk! Their heavy groove is enticing enough to get the fans warmed up and the likes of ‘In the Air Tonight’ and set closer ‘Bullet With a Name’ limber up some voices also.
Frontman Elias Soriano repeats a few times that the band will return to the UK next year and with the ongoing resurgence of love for the nu-metal era, Nonpoint once again seem to have a point to prove!
LACUNA COIL
Soon enough the lights go down again and it’s our headliners Lacuna Coil who are warmly welcomed to the well-prepared stage. With the venues dexterousness allowing bands to utilise the built-in video screens, Lacuna Coil embrace the opportunity with some really stunning visuals.
As with every show at Epic Studios, this is a nice addition that adds extra layers to the performance. But… it is very much the performance itself from the band that is so engaging this evening.
Again, you can tell the band enjoy performing and that makes a real positive difference. Watching vocalists Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia intertwining is mesmerising and is central to the uniqueness of the band. Equally however the fun being had by the other three members as they stalk the stage is just as noteworthy.
The key feature of the show tonight though is ‘Sleepless Empire’ itself with eight of the records eleven tracks aired. In a nineteen song setlist that represents 42% of the set and is truly an enormous vote of confidence in the album considering the vast range of material now in their arsenal.
This faith is well placed as the album is superb, and those sentiments are echoed by the responses to these tracks this evening. In particular ‘Gravity’ and ‘Oxygen’ are standout moments in the show tonight and ‘Never Dawn’ is given the prestige of the final song of the evening.
Whilst there is a good mix of tracks presented from the rest of their albums, it is ‘Sleepless Empire’ that shines tonight. This is clearly a good time to catch the band with fresh and exciting material and an experienced live capability combining to great effect.
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Vol. 122
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Seven Blood
Life Is Just a Phase
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SEVEN BLOOD – LIFE IS JUST A PHASE – ALBUM REVIEW
Germany’s Seven Blood may only have released their first music together last year, but you wouldn’t believe it given the maturity of their output thus far. A string of infectious singles has rightly garnered them attention and now’s the time for the quartet to make their first big statement.
That moment arrives in the shape of their debut album, ‘Life Is Just a Phase’, which gives a permanent home to many of those singles. There is therefore something of an instant familiarity that exudes from the record for those that are already on board with their journey.
For those only now waking up to this genuinely exciting new prospect, the album does it’s job very well by making that important opening statement. This is a band with their hearts on their sleeves passionate about creating an inspiring and identifiable sound.
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Again – mission achieved! Each track demonstrates a polished knack for writing hypnotic melodies, meaty hooks and personal yet relatable lyrics. You just need to absorb the likes of ‘Monsters’ and ‘Strangers’ to feel the emotion these songs evoke.
Seven Blood have also created something aesthetically bold and unique. These songs have the anthemic appeal of pop-punk but with a heavier modern-metal grit which emboldens the vulnerability of the lyrics.
With a runtime of thirty-six minutes, this is a succinct and direct declaration of intent from a band well worth investing your own time in; and ‘Life Is Just a Phase’ is an ideal place to start!
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Vol. 111
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