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Live Reviews

Laurence Jones

Laurence Jones

The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds

Sunday 4th February 2024

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

LAURENCE JONES – BURY ST.EDMUNDS – LIVE REVIEW

The British Blues scene is booming and it’s young acts like Laurence Jones that are leading the charge. Tonight finds Jones taking over The Apex in Bury St. Edmunds, a beautiful venue which with its stylish look and unique ability to mix a predominantly seated audience with a handful of standing spaces make it an ideal venue for this style of music.

SWEET CRISIS

The venue whilst intimate gives a grand feeling to the show and makes it a more elegant evening than a standard dark and packed-in venue would. Something which opening act Sweet Crisis use to their advantage as they fill the room with their iridescent blues rock sound.

The Cambridge five-piece have the audience in the palm of their collective hands as they serenade them with graceful guitar licks and stylish songs such as ‘Ain’t Got Soul’ and ‘Misty Haze’ from their debut album, ‘Tricks On My Mind’. Their set is mesmerizingly good and flashes by in an instant. Indeed by the time they finish with the title track of that album they’ve etched themselves into the consciousness of the attentive audience.

LAURENCE JONES

A short turnaround soon finds our headliner Laurence Jones and his band arriving onstage to an anticipant applause. The group jump straight in with last year’s rocking single ‘You’re Not Alone’ which instantly showcases the controlled intensity that will define the evening.

A true power trio, Jones and co are able to bring his songs to life and add even greater depth to the likes of ‘Gone Away’ and ‘In Too Deep’. The threesome give off enormous Jimi Hendrix Experience vibes throughout which materialises with a stunning cover of ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ towards the back end of the ninety minute performance.

The bulk of the set tonight is made up of recent album, ‘Bad Luck & The Blues’ which sees Jones’ virtuosic guitar work at the fore. The album is a real modern meshing of blues and rock and the songs work incredibly well live. So much so that a good old fashioned standing ovation entices Jones to deliver an encore finale of Lead Belly favourite ‘Good Morning Blues’.

As fans file out of the venue they are left to reminisce about a superb evening of the blues with two acts waving the flag of British blues music. The scene really is flourishing and it will be interesting to see where the likes of Laurence Jones take it next.

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 22

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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!

Volume 22 is features our cover stars Saint Agnes as they take ‘Bloodsuckers’ on tour. We also have album reviews for The Last Dinner Party and Florence Black.

Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Download Festival, Reading & Leeds, 2000trees, Slam Dunk, Victorious Festival, Beautiful Days, Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Demob Happy, Bury Tomorrow, The Last Dinner Party, Troy Redfern, Trophy Eyes and iDKHOW!

Plus all the best new releases including Bowling For Soup, Indoor Pets, Royal Tusk, VENUES, The Cheap Thrills, From Ashes To New, ERRA, Banks Arcade, Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties, Normandie, The Farm and Job For A Cowboy!

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Gallus, Loose Articles and IRKED!

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Album Reviews

The Last Dinner Party

The Last Dinner Party

Prelude To Ecstasy

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THE LAST DINNER PARTY – PRELUDE TO ECSTASY – ALBUM REVIEW

Any self-respecting music aficionado will have clocked the name The Last Dinner Party filling ‘next big thing’ and ‘one to watch’ lists over the past year. In fact, the name seems to have become somewhat inescapable with the band topping the BBC Sound of 2024 poll and taking home the Rising Star Brit Award.

The previous winners and nominees for that BBC award in particular read like a who’s who of post-2000 music. Some winners like Adele, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, HAIM and Keane have gone on to fill arenas around the world. Others however haven’t fulfilled the early promise. Does anybody remember The Bravery? They won it in 2005!

So whilst these prestigious awards can be an enormous launchpad, they can also be a millstone around your neck. One of the hurdles that these awards actually put in the way of the winner is the distrust of certain music fans. The Last Dinner Party have already been accused of being ‘industry plants’, ‘flashes in the pan’ and other derogatory terms used to belittle their success.

The most important next step for any new band though is the release of their debut album; and with ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ that moment now arrives for The Last Dinner Party. One hugely successful single and a handful of well received tracks have built anticipation ever higher, which really begs the question of the moment – can the record and the band live up to the hype?

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘CAESAR ON A TV SCREEN’
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’

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Well the instrumental opening title-track instantly sets out the incredible ambition of the album before ‘Burn Alive’ and ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’ really commence the journey that the listener is about to engage in. At twelve songs and forty plus minutes this isn’t a mere introduction to the band, it’s their magnum opus being unfurled and implanted into the subconscious of British music!

As the album progresses and you take in all of the subtle influences, the majesty of their sound really elevates with each listen. The aesthetic of the band ties in with the sonic expression found on this album to create a grandiose experience that is hard to shoot down. Indeed the self-fulfilling prophecy of topping major awards has provided an opportunity that on the smallest percentage of artists get, but, and it’s a big one… The Last Dinner Party have delivered an album that fully justifies every accolade.

So, does ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ live up to the hype? In our humble opinion, absolutely it does and anyone arguing otherwise are clutching at some rather thin straws. Whether the band (or any act) can reach Adele levels of success will remain to be seen but we’d expect them to last longer than The Bravery!

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Florence Black

Florence Black

BED OF NAILS

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FLORENCE BLACK – BED OF NAILS – ALBUM REVIEW

Florence Black have been threatening to breakout for a few years now and the impressive tsunami of pre-release singles for new album, ‘BED OF NAILS’, has set some high expectations.

Three of those tracks open the album with ‘START AGAIN’, ‘DON’T HOLD ME DOWN’ and ‘BED OF NAILS’ setting the tone early. Each track brings something different yet they all feel intricately connected. ‘TAXMAN’ is then the first unknown taste of what’s to come and it continues an unrelenting pace that won’t wane over the whole twelve tracks and forty plus minutes.

The remaining two singles follow succinctly with ‘LOOK UP’ giving of some grandiose AC/DC-esque vibes, and the superb power ballad ‘WARNING SIGN’ rallying the listener to overcome the hurdles of life. The first half of the album grabs the listener by the hand and leads them towards enlightenment.

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Florence Black – ‘WARNING SIGN’

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It’s at this point that the album really comes into a world of its own. Given the strength of the first six tracks, the band perhaps could’ve rested easy knowing that they’ve got a decent album in the bank. Rather than sit back and phone in a half-hearted back end though the group have instead strived to create something special.

Producer Romesh Dodangoda has a magic touch and this album can be heralded as another stunning success. ‘BEAUTIFUL LOVER’ provides another tender moment, before ‘THE WAY HOME’ picks things up once again. That theme of familiar yet unique flows throughout the sonic essence of the album and ensures that your attention is never sapped.

There really is so much to dissect in these twelve tracks with southern rock inspired ragers interspersed with nu-metal bangers and radio friendly rockers. The impressiveness of guitarist/singer Tristan Thomas’ dexterity is only matched by the powerful soundscape offered by bassist Jordan Evans and drummer Perry Davies.

These three individuals have come together on ‘BED OF NAILS’ to capture a touch of the extraordinary. Those high expectations haven’t just been met, they have been far exceeded and this album deserves to be the one that thrusts Florence Black into the stratosphere.

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Live Reviews

Saint Agnes

Saint Agnes

Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Tuesday 30th January 2024

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

SAINT AGNES – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

It’s Independent Venue Week and our lifeblood of grassroots music venues are celebrating the community and experience that these rooms provide us. Our escape from the scary realities of life, the breeding ground for the next big thing, without independent music venues the whole ecosystem of the industry is broken.

It’s incredibly tough out there for these venues, it’s becoming more and more difficult to survive and that is adding to the pressures on young acts trying to prove themselves. Not all is lost though and it’s incredibly refreshing to see this show is sold out!

Tonight is exciting for a number of reasons, of course our headliners Saint Agnes are an enticing prospect as is our support act BEX, but tonight is also the first gig at this newly relocated venue.

Voodoo Daddy’s has been building its name over the past few years and has now given itself an upgrade across town. Unlike the old venue with its music room upstairs, here we head down into the basement and can see the makings for an essential stop off for new acts in Norwich!

BEX

Up first is BEX, who immediately and ferociously grabs the crowd by the horns and commands their attention. The three-piece create one hell of a noise as they conduct a valuable test on the buildings infrastructure!

Last year’s cutting debut EP ‘SCUM’ is at the heartbeat of her set tonight and the likes of ‘Filthy’, ‘Trust No One’ and ‘SPDYD4 K1NG’ truly create a primeval connection between BEX and the energetic audience. Let’s face it though, it’s hard not to let go when faced with the otherworldly force emanating from the stage.

BEX ends her set with a new single and you’d imagine that 2024 is set to be a big one for an artist with the youthful tenacity required to thrive in the current landscape.

SAINT AGNES

Another band that has been thriving of late is Saint Agnes, our headliners this evening. Last year saw the group launch their new era with ‘Bloodsuckers’ and they’ve been building momentum ever since. It’s always good to see a show like tonight sell out and that indicates that their support slots with the likes of Skindred and their festival appearances are paying dividends in terms of new fans.

Of course everyone knows the band here tonight and as they propel themselves into opening duo ‘Bloodsuckers’ and ‘Animal’, you instantly feel the intensity levels turned up a notch.

The crowd have been up for it all night and they really ramp the energy levels up as the evening progresses. ‘Bloodsuckers’ really is an album built to be enjoyed live and the likes of ‘I Mean Nothing to You’ and ‘At War With Myself’ go down particularly well.

The Saint Agnes live experience is a visceral, in your face one and singer Kitty Austen is able to enthral the audience with mystifying ease. Indeed, the new breed of rock band is able to create a sense of something bigger than just the music, be that the community around the band or the aesthetic and presence of their artistry.

Our headliners seem to be well on the way with both of those points and again if you were looking to put your money on rocks next stars you’d have to think it’s more than worth a punt on Saint Agnes!

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 21

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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!

Volume 21 is a special edition celebrating our ‘Discover’ New Music Week! We also have album reviews for Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Alkaline Trio, an EP review for Dream State and live reviews of The Sleeping Souls & Sean McGowan in Nottingham and the Slam Dunk Winter Jam in Norwich.

Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Latitude Festival, Y Not Festival, Truck Festival, Kendal Calling, Wychwood Festival, Live At Leeds, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, Billy Talent, Eagles, The Black Crowes, Placebo, October Drift, Pitchshifter, The Wildhearts and Alkaline Trio!

Plus all the best new releases including Frank Turner, Courting, The Zutons, Bad Wolves, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Don’t Panic, Blackout Problems, Shannon & The Clams, Scott Stapp, Bruce Dickinson, The Longest Johns and Amongst Liars!

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with a special bumper update including El Moono, Ashen Reach, SWARM6IX, Shooting Daggers, Feral Family, Attendant, VENUS GRRRLS, Gürl, Neversaid, The Gems, FLOYA and Defects!

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Slam Dunk Winter Jam

Slam Dunk Winter Jam

Waterfront, Norwich

Thursday 25th January 2024

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SLAM DUNK WINTER JAM – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

January is always a touring wasteland, with most fans nursing festive hangovers and following a month of sobriety. This year however Slam Dunk have decided to kickstart 2024 and truly get the party started with their ‘Winter Jam’ Tour!

MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP

Tonight the circus rolls into the Waterfront in Norwich and literally getting the party started are local favourites Millie Manders and the Shutup! The opening slot on a four band bill with doors as early as 18:30, may not usually be all that it’s cracked up to be. Manders and co though have absolutely no problem whatsoever in getting the crowd up to the desired level.

Manders and co have a strong following tonight and they make the most of their short opening set with the likes of ‘Rebound’ and ‘Bitter’ getting everyone dancing and singing along. ‘Bacchus’ encourages everyone to “have another drink”, and not being the only drink themed song of the evening probably ruins a fair few dry January’s!

The band are a force of fun-inducing nature and are the ideal band to open up a line-up such as this. Equally our next act [spunge] are well versed in getting a crowd to liven-up with their infectious pop-punk revelry.

[spunge]

Songs such as ‘Jump on Demand’ and ‘Skanking Song’ are built with a purpose and the Norwich crowd are more than happy to oblige this evening. When you throw in a cover of ‘Monkey Man’ and the bands signature song ‘Kicking Pigeons’, you get another super fun set from a band that can only be described as underground national treasures!

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET

The bands selected by Slam Dunk for this tour are all regulars at the summer spectacular, except for the main support act Teenage Bottlerocket. The group did play this past summer but they are a much rarer prospect for UK fans and the good folk of Norwich certainly seem appreciative of the chance to bang their heads to their intense punk rockers.

As expected, the pace is unrelenting throughout their time on stage and people’s ear drums may take a little while to recover. That’s down to the pure velocity of their sonic onslaught which is rough, ready and able to hypnotise a punk from 1000 metres!

ZEBRAHEAD

The changeovers are relatively quick tonight which doesn’t allow much respite for the audience, but that also means that the four band bill breezes by. Three fun sets down already, and the crowd are ready for their pop punk heroes Zebrahead to bring proceedings to a close.

The group are more than capable of topping a line-up such as this and more than prepared to deliver the knockout blow that will destroy any remaining festive hangovers. They kick off their set with ‘When Both Sides Suck, We’re All Winners’, ‘No Tomorrow’ and ‘Hello Tomorrow’ which sets their pace early on.

Again, as expected, because you know what you are going to get on the Slam Dunk Winter Jam, that pace never really drops. There is no lethargy in the crowd and their hour or so on the Waterfront stage is a joyous celebration of both Zebrahead and the pop punk movement. Whilst the genre may be maligned by certain sections of the musical elite – a night like this will always produce a fun evening of frivolity!

An encore of ‘All My Friends Are Nobodies’ and ‘Falling Apart’ is the perfect cherry on top of the pop punk cake. Tonight that four-tiered cake has been tasty as hell and Slam Dunk have perhaps baked something up which could become as traditional as dry January!

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EP Reviews

Dream State

Still Dreaming

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Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio

Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs

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ALKALINE TRIO – BLOOD, HAIR, ANd EYEBALLS – ALBUM REVIEW

While Alkaline Trio remained active during the Matt Skiba era of Blink 182, Skiba himself has admitted that they took something of a backseat. It’s perhaps not surprising then that the gap between 2018’s ‘Is This Thing Cursed’ and new album, ‘Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs’ is the longest one in the groups history.

Recent times have been particularly transitional with Skiba’s untimely departure from Blink 182 and the exit of long time drummer Derek Grant of particular note. Thankfully though for fans, the band continues to persevere and their tenth studio album is now out in the world.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘BLOOD, HAIR, AND EYEBALLS’
Alkaline Trio – ‘Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs’

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The title-track gave fans a glimpse of the band at their best when it acted as the lead single for the album, which is named after a phrase coined by Skiba’s nurse mother. Thematically the album explores the similarly grotesque nature of what the band have referred to as “apocalypse culture”.

The concept of fear-inducing bad news in the media creating a toxic environment will surely remain apt as both the US and UK prepare for a year of election frenzy.

Yes the world is always going to focus on the bad, but the fact that Alkaline Trio are still pushing out new music is something good that we can all focus on. Music is such an important distraction and the eleven tracks on ‘Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs’ can certainly keep you entertained for half an hour or so.

Ten albums in and any band will struggle to deliver an earth shattering new record. This album ultimately is decent without being that standout release. It does have its moments though and feels now like a solid reset moment for the band.

With Skiba now fully invested again and the accomplished Atom Willard on board, you feel it won’t be that long between releases this time around; and that future really does seem more exciting now with this album feeling like a timely reminder of what the trio can offer.

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Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Dark Rainbow

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FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES – DARK RAINBOW – ALBUM REVIEW

Frank Carter has never been one to simply take the road of least resistance, especially when it comes to his musical direction. After all this is the man that left one of the hottest breakthrough bands to push his boundaries and experiment with a wider sonic palate.

With his own name on the posters now though he has a near frictionless opportunity to fully explore whatever direction he feels like taking. That is of course ignoring the noisy minority who will forever pine of an angry Carter full of rage and a desire to burn the world down.

That though isn’t a healthy mindset to carry through life and Carter’s own life has reached a point where he can suitably reflect on the ups and downs that have paved the way for the fifth Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes album – ‘Dark Rainbow’.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘BRAMBLES’
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – ‘Brambles’

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Musically the album sees Carter and co-conspirator Dean Richardson indulge the softer elements that have gradually crept in over the first four records. There are still some headbanging moments for good measure but if you’re somebody looking for another ‘I Hate You’ then you’re going to be disappointed.

If however you have an open mind and a willingness to soak in the suave aesthetics of the album then your curiosity will be rewarded by Carter’s ambition. This is certainly an album that needs your full attention, but you will be rewarded if you stick with it.

Indeed the pre-release singles may be some of the weakest in relation to the immense depth shown across the album. This record will divide opinion for sure, but as a snapshot of an artist formerly known as a hellraiser, this collection is as genuine as it is brave!

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