CONCRETE ISLAND DISCS with DISLOCATOR
Barnsley metal behemoth, Dislocator will soon be releasing their new long player Devouring the World upon the world, but before that they will be opening the Lid Up Stage at Coalfields Festival on Saturday 14th July.
I caught up with Andy, Mai, Rob and Rich to chat about their favourite and most influencial albums.
The first album I bought was…
ANDY: Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water. It was around the same sort of time as I was getting into pro-wrestling, when i first got into music, and since Undertaker had Limp Bizkit as his theme tune, i got into the big style. They were the first band that I really connected to, and they remained my favourite band for a good four or five years.
RICH: Babylon Zoo, i liked the Spaceman song haha. Mostly borrowed dad’s, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden cds though. Didn’t really buy many cds.
ROB: Papa Roach- Infest.
MAI: Slipknot- Slipknot. It was copied… I was a bastard back then, and skint.
The album that got me through my school was…
ANDY: Probably Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water, Papa Roach’s Infest, Korn’s Untouchables, and System of a Down’s Toxicity, couldn’t get it down to just one album, since that’s five years haha.
RICH: We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll - Black Sabbath.
ROB: I can’t really think of a certain album, but most of the bands I listened to at school I don’t really listen to now, e.g. Blink 182, Green Day, Nirvana, I moved on to heavier bands by college.
MAI: System of a Down- Toxicity
My favourite album artwork is…
ANDY: There’s too many I like. Savage Messiah’s Plague of Conscience artwork is pretty sweet. Just springs to mind cause I have that t-shirt on, so i’ll go with that.
RICH: It would have to be Pantera, Live 101 Proof. It’s just cool that they made it look like a JD label.
ROB: I can’t decide between God Hates Us All, Rust In Peace, or Master of Puppets, although, Dislocator’s Devouring The World is shit hot.
MAI: Limp Bizkit- Significant Other
My favourite movie soundtrack album is…
ANDY: Off the top of my head, the Daredevil soundtrack is pretty decent, and I also have the “Best of James Bond” soundtrack, with all the songs from the first twenty films, prior to the Daniel Craig reboot. Also, being a massive Bond fan, I want us to cover the Goldeneye theme tune, yeah it’s a Tina Turner song, but it was written by Bono and The Edge; could be quite cool with a more metal sound to it.
RICH: Queen Of The Damned.
ROB: Steel Dragon - Rock Star, or a joke answer, the Scarface soundtrack, good God it’s cheesey!
MAI: Sweeney Todd
The album I heard and made me realise that I wanted to play music was…
ANDY: The one album that made me decide to play metal, and form Dislocator was Metallica’s …And Justice For All; the first time i ever heard One I was blown away and got the album based off that song. Then i got all the other Metallica albums, then Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax etc.
RICH: Slayer’s Reign In Blood. Hearing those solos for the first time made me wonder how fast I could play, and if I could ever create anything that epic!
ROB: Cliff Burton era Metallica, the Primus albums, and Dream Theater.
MAI: Slipknot - Slipknot
The one album I have that people would laugh at, but I ain’t embarrassed about is…
ANDY: I dunno, i’ve got some stuff that most people would think is pretty shit to be honest, but i just like a mix. Urm… i’ll go with Hot Chip’s record… Don’t remember the name, but it’s a cool electro(y) record.
RICH: That would probably be Boy Hits Car. They were the first band I ever saw, at Leeds Fest 2001, though they are a bit nu-metal.
ROB: Probably the Scarface soundtrack again!
MAI: I don’t think I have anything that bad, i’m far too cool.
If my house was on fire and I was only able to save one of my records, it would be…
ANDY: My Evile - Five Serpent’s Teeth Limited Edition Vinyl. All the other cds and stuff I have are replaceable, (actually i guess that one is too), but FST Vinyl means a lot to me. And since they’re stored together i guess the Savage Messiah’s Plague of Conscience vinyl too.
RICH: Probably Slayer’s Soundtrack to the Apocalypse and Megadeath’s Warchest. Technically it’s more than one cd, but they’re all in one box.
ROB: I can’t pick just one, i’d grab as many as I could!
MAI: The one that’s closest to my harddrive. Or System of a Down’s Toxicity, that was my first original album.
If I was to define metal with one record, it would be…
ANDY: Metallica …And Justice For All. If it wasn’t for that record I might not have ended up playing metal, so to me, it’s the defining metal album.
RICH: …And Justice For All by Metallica. Mainly because it’s got everything from fast, thrashy ridiculous solos, to melodic bridge sections.
ROB: Probably Master of Puppets, or Number of the Beast or something, classic albums.
MAI: Is there a best of Metallica album? If there is, that one!
The record I lost my virginity to was…
ANDY: Haha an Oasis record, but I don’t know which one. It was the girl’s cd not mine. I don’t own any Oasis.
RICH: Sadly no music on when I lost it. Just that awkwardness and the sound of the bed shaking for about two minutes haha.
ROB: Wasn’t listening to music when I lost my virginity, so pass.
MAI: If i could remember it would be an insult to the girl.
One amazing new record I’m listening to right now is…
ANDY: One! I can’t pick one! Haha. I’m gonna rebel against the question and list my favourite records at the moment; Savage Messiah’s Plague of Conscience, Lamb of God’s Resolution, Municipal Waste’s The Fatal Feast, Evile- Five Serpent’s Teeth (Not that new but fuck it, it’s an awesome album). And going to plug our buddies too, REDMIST DESTRUCTION - NOBILITY IN DEATH!
RICH: I’ve started listening to a lot of death metal at the minute, and there’s loads of bands that i’m listening to that i’m undecided on. But if I put them all on this I’d be here for hours! Haha. I can’t really name one, but i’m loving Aborted, Black Dahlia Murder, Necrophobic, and Destroyer 666. Still love thrash metal though.
ROB: I don’t think i’ve bought any new albums this year! Actually Redmist Destruction’s is good, listened to that a good few times. I bought a few new albums last year, Primus, Megadeth, Machine Head, Dream Theater. Gonna have to look for some new albums now!
MAI: Now I just feel bad. I really should get into new stuff before I turn into one of those bitter old metal heads. But then again they do have cool beards.
You can visit Dislocator over at their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wearedislocator or on at their bigcartel page.
KATHRYN ROBERTS & SEAN LAKEMAN - HIDDEN PEOPLE
Barnsley’s Kathryn Roberts and her husband, musician and producer Sean Lakeman, are very much considered British folk royalty and are part of the same mid-nineties scene that gave birth to the careers of Kate Rusby, Sean’s brother Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillion, Eliza Carthy and the modern folk revival.
In the past though, they have been overshadowed by their contemporaries but now, after a year-in-the-making, their new scene steeling album shows that it is definately now their turn to shine. This strong collection of self-penned songs could surely only have come from the kind of changes and experiences (Kathryn and Sean became parents to two twin girls in 2007) a couple can have during a nine year hiatus; so much so that this mainly self-penned album only allows for one traditional arrangement and one cover version. Hidden People only confirms what we already knew. In Kathryn Roberts we have a very versatile and beautiful voice and in Sean, one of the finest producers and instrumentalists in Folk today.
Opener, Huldra is the kind of atmospheric and sparse set that I have always loved about the Lakeman brothers. It fuses together perfectly a traditional English folk melody with the Scandinavian. Huldra (literal translation meaning Hidden People) has next to no instrumentation and only slowly building layers of female vocals. It is a haunting and daring way to start the album.
The album manages to incorporate many different influences and genres with ease. On Oxford, N.Y. and Hang the Romance, there is more than scent of Fleetwood Mac, but that suits Roberts and Lakeman down to the ground. Their fusion of rock and folk is for the most part earthy and soulful. It’s only when it moves into a slightly over-produced pop territory that it starts to stray slightly from the path. Lusty Smith has a great beat to it; one that I can imagine going down a storm in a live setting.
Highlights for me here are easy to pick. The White Hind is an amazing collaborative effort and despite the many vocal contributions from Jim Moray, Dave Burland and Caroline Herring, the song never loses sight and is one of the strongest performances on the album.
However, here it is The Ballad of Andy Jacobs and the closing track Jackie’s Song beats them all. I had the pleasure of seeing Kathryn and Sean perform at last year’s Folk By the Oak Festival and even though then the songs were unknown to me, just like here they stand out as the highlights of the set.
…Andy Jacobs is a very real and heart wrenching tale of miner’s strikes and affect it had on families and Jackie’s Song, with just its solo voice and acoustic guitar shows that this couple never really needed the tricks of the studio to be affecting.
With that voice and those arrangements, you can see why we have an album that easily stands up as a classic alongside Kitty Jay and The Girl Who Couldn’t Fly.
SCORE: 8/10
BLACK VINES - BLACK VINES EP
Black Vines’ four members have all played in various bands over the years ranging from punk to Blues and electronica to grunge; and it’s here they bring all of those influences to the table in Black Vines, on their first EP - and a taste for their forthcoming debut long player.
Opening with Asylum, an infection groove laden riff that is not unlike The 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, until it fills out and conjures up the sounds of the bulkier, raw sound of Queens of the Stone Age. The vocals though have much more in common with classic rock territory. The mid section has great use of a sample from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest intertwined with an early grunge beat and plenty of wah wah.
Book is a much different kind of monster. The verse’s clean, reverb drenched guitar is psychedelic and marries together those distorted vocals perfectly. The jump from verse to chorus and those opening bars of the following track Pensacola pull heavily from the first Foo Fighters debut album; but it’s the heavy contrast between that and the vocal that means it never goes down that punk-lite route and retains that vintage sound throughout.
Each track is a short three minutes and of the three it would be the closer that would have benefited from being lengthened by a minute or so; sounding like they wanted to go into a jam but never quite do. The highlight here is easily Book and it’s the sublime vocal hook in the chorus that really grabs you and don’t let go. I can imagine that then they play live, without the restraints of a studio, they are a much bigger and heavier beast.
Black Vines headline at The Courthouse Barnsley, Friday 6th July.
You can get in contact with the band on their facebook group here.
CONCRETE ISLAND DISCS with CHRIS SCARFE of MYNAS
Chris Scarfe is the bassist for indie band Mynas. He also plays bass in The Richard Kitson Band with fellow Mynas drummer Steve Booth and also run popular acoustic open-mic night One Over the Eight; which started off life at the Hush Bar in 2011.
When you see Chris play live, you’ll tell straight off that this is a gyy with a wide taste in music. Elements of blues, funk and rock make their way into the band’s music. I caught up with him to find out about some of his favourite records.
The first album I bought was…
Thriller by Michael Jackson. I had some birthday money to spend when I was about nine and it was a choice between Thriller or ‘Daley Thompson’s Decathlon’ for the Spectrum +2. Can’t remember what swung my decision…
The album that got me through my school was…
Anything by Blur, but mostly ‘Parklife’. I was 13/14 and a mate gave me a mix-tape of Oasis. I spent a week listening to Definitely Maybe, plus a few B-sides, thinking it was alright. When another friend heard, he spat and insisted on giving me ‘Parklife’ and ‘Modern Life is Rubbish’. They had me at the intro of ‘Girls & Boys’. I was one of only a handful of Blur fans that I knew of at school when they beat Oasis to number one in ’95. I’ve since become something of a Blur nerd and own well over 50 cds and vinyls.
My favourite album artwork is…
A Perfect Circle’s ‘Mer de Noms’. What looks like random symbols throughout the insert can be translated into English. And, yes, I spent an afternoon doing so.
My favourite movie soundtrack album is…
Trainspotting. ‘Lust For Life’, ‘Sing’, and of course ‘Born Slippy’, brilliant!
And regardless of what the purists say, I think Sleeper’s version of Atomic is rather good.
The album I heard and made me realise that I wanted to play music was…
Difficult to pinpoint, but I’m going to blame ‘The Frenz Experiment’ by The Fall. In my third year at school we had to get into groups and write our own songs. I’d hated music lessons up to this point; I couldn’t play anything or sing. But I took it upon myself to write the lyrics for our song. I basically ripped off ‘Carry Bag Man’, with a few alterations, and me and another kid ‘sang’ it to a backing of percussion (cos none of the other lads could play either). It went down a storm - for comedic value. Not long after that I picked up a bass and ended up choosing Music as one of my options.
The one album I have that people would laugh at, but I ain’t embarrassed about is…
It depends who I’m talking to. For example, the rest of Mynas think Dream Theater are ridiculous and my girlfriend Sarah rolls her eyes if I mention Limp Bizkit.
But I think my guilty pleasure is ‘High Times’ by Jamiroquai. Del does his nut whenever one of their songs comes on my ipod. Yes, they’re cheesy, but I love Stuart Zender’s basslines.
If my house was on fire and I was only able to save one of my records, it would be…
My limited edition of ‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead. Simply cos it cost me more than any other record I own!
My Saturday Night/Sunday Morning records are…
Saturday night – Graham Central Station, self-titled album. Sunday morning – ‘Asleep In The Back’ by Elbow.
The record I lost my virginity to was…
Probably something by 5ive or whatever garbage said girl was listening to at the time. I do recall putting on ‘Make Yourself’ by Incubus at every opportunity at my first girlfriends house, though. She hated it! Does that count?
One amazing new record I’m listening to right now is…
I really like Esperanza Spalding’s ‘Radio Music Society’, everything about her oozes cool.
One Over The Eight will have a new home by September, where the Acoustic/Open Mic nights will be starting up again. www.facebook.com/OneOverThe8
Mynas will be recording new tracks at the back end of July but in the meantime you can visit www.mynas.co.uk for gig dates in July/August and previous recordings.
Mynas headline Rocket:Ball at The Metrodome on Friday 6th July.
CONCRETE ISLAND DISCS with CAVORTS guitarist Dale
Dale plays guitar in CAVORTS and used to play guitar in GU Medicine. Cavorts are currently recording an EP at Orion Studios, Rotherham due for release autumn 2012. Cavorts will be going on a UK and Ireland tour in support of Dragon Force with Alestorm and The Defiled.
The first album I bought was…
Appetite for Destruction by Guns ‘N’ Roses. I’d love to say that it was because I was a super cool 9 year old with my little finger on the pulse of rock but in truth it’s because it had swearing in it. After I’d finished sniggering at “Fuck” and “Motherfucker” I got into the guitars and the attitude and it’s been a favourite ever since. One of the all-time greats.
The album that got me through my school was…
Where You Been – Dinosaur Jr. It’s heavy in places it’s always tuneful and with a generous pinch of melancholy thrown in. 1,000,000 guitar solos in there too. J. Mascis rules all jams. Gandalf Motherfucker. When I was a teen it seems like all I wore was my XL Dino T Shirt. I must have fucking stunk. Not to worry I smell good now.
The album I heard and made me realise that I wanted to play music was…
Like many of my age it’d have to be Nevermind by Nirvana. I think this was the album that said to me, “This is simple, a few chords, a solid drummer, a £10 distortion pedal, you can do this” Of course it’s not simple, it’s hard to be so simple. That’s why we sucked arse. But we gave it a go.
My favourite album artwork is…
Animals – Pink Floyd. An album that I heard A LOT as a kid and the artwork used to fascinate me. It awesome that it’s all real too, They had to make a huge inflatable pig and float it near Battersea Power Station. They even had a sniper to shoot it down if it broke free and floated away too. (which it did, when the sniper wasn’t there. It floated into a farmers field and scared some cows!) When I first went to London and saw that place I was as blown away by that as by any of the traditional “London Sights”. I love Pink Floyd.
My favourite movie soundtrack album is…
Top Gun. Almost the ultimate film. Love story for the ladies, Jet Fighter battles for the chaps and some good clean volleyball based homoeroticism for the gay chaps. Disappointingly no lesbian touchstone though. Stevie Stevens who plays guitar on the Top Gun Theme is Billy Idol’s guitar player. Fact!
The one album I have that people would laugh at, but I ain’t embarrassed about is…
Tangled Up – Girls Aloud. Yes, shocking.. However it’s just a beautifully crafted pop album. There are some real pop gems on there, “Call The Shots” is such a good song I wish I’d written it! I’ve seen them live twice too. Yes I know this makes me sound like a cunt. Maybe I am a cunt… Shit.
If my house was on fire and I was only able to save one of my records, it would be…
My blue vinyl 7” single of I Never Sleep by Nick Oliveri and His Mondo Generator. I was given it on the last day of our tour with Nick when I used to play in GU Medicine. Nick is a super nice bloke, as are the rest of Mondo. I was going through a rough time before that tour but we had such good fun that it got my head back together. It reminds me of the very good times.
If I was to define metal with one record, it would be…
I have an on off love affair with metal. Most modern metal is terrible and there’s only a small portion of it you should devote much time to for fear of becoming a true dick. Basically much of what has been released post 1989 is gash. I can’t pick one record but I’m going to go with the duo of Ride The Lightning / Master of Puppets by Metallica. Metal should sound like metal, it should go chug chug chugga chug and have some fucking great guitar solos in there. I love these two albums nearly as much as I love my children.
The record I lost my virginity to was…
The Blue Album by Weezer. I still listen to this album regularly. I love how it’s so fat and heavy but super tuneful. Rivers Cuomo is a genius songwriter, I’m not altogether down on modern Weezer so much but if anybody slags this album I’ll glass them. Hard. As for the losing the virginity bit it was pretty much like “My Name Is Jonas” a fingerpicking intro, some heavy fuzz and over in 3:24.
One amazing new record I’m listening to right now is…
Dead Set On Living – Cancer Bats. They always deliver the goods. I’ve loved Cancer Bats right from the start and this record is still getting a heavy rotation in my car stereo. They sound like they love doing what they do, they rage hard and play loud. Liam is a great frontman and Scott’s a super talented riff master. What’s not to like?
P.S. Cancer Bats, if you’re reading this please take us on tour. We bring booze.
Visit CAVORTS’ facebook page here
…and see details of their tour with Dragonforce here
CONCRETE ISLAND DISCS - CRY VOCALIST DAVE PEARSALL
Dave Pearsall is the vocalist in Barnsley rockers CRY. Origially formed in 1985, the band had a number of chart hits and even headlined London’s famous Marquee. They disbanded after a few years but now nearly twenty five years later, they are back with a new album.
I caught up with Dave to see which albums have influenced him over the years .
The first album I bought was…
The first album I bought with my pocket money was the debut album by The Clash. I had been secretly listening late at night to the John Peel show and I still remember the night I heard ‘White Riot’ and ‘Career Opportunities’. I saved my pocket money until I had enough and caught the bus into town and proudly walked into Casa Disco and asked for the Clash album. I went straight home and played it non-stop for 4 days until my dad took it off me. I loved it then and I still love it now.
The album that got me through my school was…
I was 14 in 1977 when punk broke big time and over the next few years albums by The Clash, particularly ‘Give Em Enough Rope’, The Jam ‘All Mod Cons’ and The Stranglers ‘Rattus Norvegicus’. Before then my schoolmates were listening to Deep Purple, Rush, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin etc, bands I didn’t come to appreciate until much later in life.
My favourite album artwork is…
‘London Calling’ by The Clash because it harks back to another of my all time idols album, the debut album by Elvis Presley in 1956 when he was the coolest dude on the block by a country mile.
My favourite movie soundtrack album is…
Has to be ‘Detroit Rock City’, a film about four teenage KISS fans trying to get to a gig at the Kobo Hall by their heroes and the ‘escapades’ they get up to. Gene Simmons directed the film too I think.
The album I heard and made me realise that I wanted to play music was…
I don’t want to sound like a cracked record but again The Clash debut album. It was the record that made me want to go out and buy a cheap second hand guitar; a cheap combo from the catalogue and start bashing out three chords. Before then music seemed to be played by technical virtuosos and out of reach of kids like me.
The one album I have that people would laugh at, but I ain’t embarrassed about is…
Probably ‘Slayed’ by Slade. My mum bought it for me coz i was a huge Slade fan as a kid, but it rocks and has songs on it that are still being covered by bands over 40 years after it was released, and that can’t be bad.
If my house was on fire and I was only able to save one of my records, it would be…
I’ve already had 2 full record/cd collections stolen over the years and the first record I always replace is ‘Earth v The Wildhearts’, it is a classic and much underated debut album that should have made Ginger and the boys as big as Guns n Roses…..but at least they stayed cool :O)
The record I lost my virginity to was…
Fleetwood Mac ‘Rumours’ and thats all i have to say about that.
One amazing new record I’m listening to right now is…
I love the new Slash album featuring Miles Kennedy, its old school rock n roll but sounds fresh and now. Slash is still one of the best guitarists in music, not just rock, and Miles Kennedy is a top singer. Check out the track ‘Anastacia’ and tell me that don’t hit the spot.
Dave and his band CRY’s album Growing Old Disgracefully is out now. They play The Lucorum on Friday 22nd June.
http://www.facebook.com/CRYbarnsley
INTERVIEW WITH OLYMPIC TORCHBEARER HAYLEY YOUELL
This week I caught up local musician and arts and health worker Hayley Youell. Hayley is one of the chosen few that were recently selected to be one of the Olympic Torchbearers who will run through Barnsley this coming Monday 25th June. I wanted to find out about why she was selected and also about her work in the community which encouraged her nomination.
Hi Hayley. So, how did you get chosen to be a torchbearer? Do you know who nominated you?
I was nominated to be a torchbearer by Jude Mitchell, who is the lead Occupational Therapist for the local Mental Health Trust. I have worked with her for years developing arts and health locally. My nomination is shown online (link here).
The nomination reads,
‘Hayley is an inspirational artist who has made a huge difference to the lives of many individuals in South Yorkshire with mental health and substance misuse problems. She works tirelessly to promote the value of creativity in health, linking with national organisations such as the Kings Fund and Breakthrough but also working with individuals through local projects and groups. Within the ‘Live Arts Cafe’ Hayley’s beautiful voice, positivity and enthusiasm rub off on the people who attend and it is wonderful to see the participants of all ages, who are often nervous and in distress when they arrive leaving with smiles on their faces and looking forward to the next event when they can come together with people with similar difficulties to share creative opportunities. Hayley deserves acknowledgement for her contribution to this.’
How long ago was that?
I think I found out I was nominated last summer, autumn time.
Will you get to keep or buy the torch?
My family have bought the torch for £200 to keep as a family heirloom. My argument was what was I going to do with it; where was I going to put it, especially as they take the fun part (fire mechanism) out of it once you have ran with it. I was also considering auctioning it for charity to raise funds but I am under strict instructions that it is to remain in the family.
Have you done any training? Do you run anyway?
It is soo funny. Everyone is asking me if I am in training and officially NO. I do go to the gym and I’m constantly running about but since I have found out this week that I have a hill to negotiate and a motorway bridge I am going to have to test it out and see how the lungs and legs get on. I am more concerned about my clumsiness and fire starting reputations.
So, how did you get involved in therapeutic arts?
Music has always been a way for me personally to release emotions, express what I could not say and relax. I became increasingly interested in the links between the voice and emotions; especially as a singer and as a tutor. When I was at university I experienced a deep bout of depression and it was through this experience and my understanding of how creativity can support recovery that I really became interested. These ideas and connections were reinforced when I started working as a singing tutor and worked with people who came for singing lessons, but essentially wanted to “find their voice” and feel better about themselves. I became enthused and began my campaign with anyone who would listen. I began to link with like-minded people and started to develop workshops using my experiences and skills.
What are the different organisations and groups you’ve been involved with?
Action Space Mobile is the arts organisation that I develop and deliver work through in Barnsley. Their projects include:
ARTS on Referral Programme, whose creative approach to mental well-being, includes Creative Well-being Sessions/Programmes, UPLIFT Events, tickets on Referral, links to what is happening in the community and public engagement. We are working to link people with creativity, places and others in their community. We are also working to ignite community spirit- get involved. Tweet @UPLIFTBarnsley
My role on this project is around strategy, promoting the message and mustering involvement. I also am a group facilitator and practitioner.
Re:Sound and The Alternative Nite Out (both funded and supported by the Barnsley DAAT and managed by ASM). Re:Sound is a music project supporting and promoting Recovery in Barnsley. It has been running for just over a year, working with individuals in recovery, carers and families. We meet weekly and explore how music and music-making can help us to relax, re-energise and reflect on feelings and life experiences. We are developing the Re:Sound Band with many learning new instruments and developing their songwriting/composing skills. Through this project the need and scope for a safe, sober night out in Barnsley that differed from the norm - drink infused night on the town was highlighted. This was matched with the general public also having an interest in something different, too and The Alternative Nite Out was born. This is something we are now working to develop and build on, providing a chilled, creative evening for all.
Another organisation I work with is Reflections Art in Health and Breakthrough. They a national charity, based locally, that strives to showcase the creative talents of individuals who have used the arts as a tool to aid recovery from any health condition. They also work to raise the profile of the arts and health sector and promote social inclusion through tackling mental health stigma positively. I have been an active part of forming the charity and running fundraising events and exhibitions over the last year.
I also work for Barnsley Hospice and the Mental Health Trust that provides services for Barnsley and many surrounding towns. They are committed to creative approaches and my role is to support the co-ordination of the strategy and to develop projects.
I am working on a project this Summer which is connecting inpatients and individuals in the community at different stages of their mental health recovery through the use of digital media. Creating podcasts, mini-films, inspired by experiences, stories and creative approaches/projects on the wards and in the community to engender hope, present opportunities and develop confidence. It would be great to hear from anyone who is keen to share their story of their recovery and would be happy to speak to our group who will be collecting these stories.
I have volunteered for years at the Hospice, singing at events in the community and at the Hospice to raise funds and support therapeutic activities.
Wow! You do a lot. How are you even going to fit in being a torchbearer? So, have you got any forthcoming events?
The Re:Sound Band album launch and next Alternative Nite Out will be at the Civic Cafe Bar on Thursday 28th June (details below). There will be cake, coffe, tapas and lots of music. The event is free but of course, donations are welcome.
We will be celebrating Re:Sound’s achievements in the afternoon, sharing music from the album, our film about experiences of the last year and there will be a performance from Not Dead Yet, which is a group that one of our members has had the confidence to join and is now out and about gigging with. Later, there will be open mic opportunities so it would be great to hear from other local musicians who wanted to get involved and can rock up with their guitars after work. It will be first come, first served.
We are trying out the Civic Cafe Bar as a venue for the first time and they are keen to develop a monthly event there.
We are also looking at doing events over the Bank Holiday weekend in August; ‘Birds on a Wire Fringe (An Alternative to the Binge)’ including a mini-festival at Sparrow Park with music, stalls, food and art!
I’m sure you’ll all agree that Hayley is more than worthy of her nomination. Below are links to many of the organisations mentioned. Over the coming weeks Alternative Barnsley will be providing support in promoting the forthcoming ‘Alternative’ events, so keep an eye out for details and updates.
The Olympic flame will arrive in the borough at 1:25pm on Monday afternoon in Lundwood and will travel through Cundy Cross towards the town centre, travelling up past the Town Hall, along Huddersfield road and towards Darton before it crosses the county border and enters the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The full route can be seen here.
- http://www.actionspacemobile.org
- http://www.barnsley.nhs.uk/news/creative-activities-to-boost-wellbeing-in-barnsley.htm
- http://www.breakthroughmhart.com
- http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/creative-minds/
Alternative Nite Out will be @ The Civic Cafe Bar on Thursday 28th June, 2012
3:30pm - 8pm. Entry is FREE! (Donations Welcome) Cake tapas, coffee and snacks and lots of music.
28° - UCB Interdisciplinary Art and Design Degree Show.
University Campus Barnsley held their Interdisciplinary Art & Design Degree show at The Civic for the first time this week. Titled 28°, the exhibition showcases students work in various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, illustration, printmaking, ceramics and jewellery making.
With work displayed in both the Gallery and on the Panorama; this is the perfect opportunity for a young artist to have a first exhibition in one of South Yorkshire’s finest galleries and also to showcase the students talent to our town. There is literally something for everyone here and as always with a degree show, it’s a real mixed bag.
I have a few personal highlights. The first was Michael Sheer; one of his works attracted me from the other side of the Panorama. It looked like an ornate mirror from a distance, until you got up close and you realised it was a framed collage of used lottery scratchcards. Awash with shimmers of blues and silvers and the grey of the latex; it not only reminded me of the repetition of Gilbert and George’s recent postcard collages but also of Damien Hirst’s Judgement Day; a high gloss gold cabinet filled with diamonds. It’s strange seeing yourself in the reflection of objects like that.
One of my favourite works on display incorporated product design, wood work and metal work. Peter Robert’s stunning chessboard and box had been produced as a game for three players, using three sets of playing pieces made out of what looked like steel, bronze and brass; each being constructed out of nuts, bolts, ball bearings etc. The base being made out of small cut sheets of alternating coloured metal made this object a beautiful work of sculpture and not just a perfect piece of product design.
Jan Gwillam’s pair of maps; one a strict black and white print reminded me of Stanley Donwood’s maps. This was juxtaposed with a second which was sold white with the only variation of hues laying in the shadows created by the reverse image impressed into the paper. Part of the maps were recognisable as possibly Barnsley town centre roundabout and I literally was stood in front of these two prints for ten minutes with my head spinning, trying to work out which way round they were. Chance is they weren’t even of Barnsley and probably constructs of the imagination. Regardless; I really enjoyed them.
My absolute essential works there were by Lorrinda Mills. The first was a beautiful painted portrait of a girl; partly referencing art history with Vermeer’s blue head scarf but with a modern face, it tells a different story of feminism with the girl’s blouse being made of collages of torn pages from what I think was Little Women. And with that 100% Pure bangle, it brings the portrait right up to the 21st Century with a potential reference to a straight edge lifestyle.
Her other works included a series of small Schiele inspired figurative sketches and a life size plaster sculpture of a woman sat a sewing table, stitching her lips together. Part body horror; part literary inspired feminism; it was hard not to be drawn to this as it sat in the middle of the gallery as it looked almost like a marble statue from afar.
One other artwork which I quite liked was an installation set up in the first room just off the entrance of the gallery; usually set up for showing films. Through the cut out window in the wall (it normally houses a plasma screen) was a collection of many, many tagged and labelled and jars and shells and a table but all looked like the kind of images you see in a olde ship wreck; each coated with many decades and layers of sand and debris. It was reflective and beautiful and reminded me of Louise Bourgeois’ Cells and also partly of Tracey Emin’s framed found objects about her father.
When I asked Natasha Taylor about her work, she said that she loves beaches and beach-combing and her work is inspired by ‘the idea of ordering things and linking them to how we live our lives and bringing an obsession inside and taking over a person’s life so they eat sleep breathe something. I looked at the work of Mark Dion; mostly with his collections and trying to emulate that effect in my own way.’
The rest of her graduate exhibition included framed works, near 500 sketches and collages. When I asked her about her thoughts of having the chance to exhibit in The Civic, she said ‘it was really good seeing my work in a real gallery space and to be given more space to spread out my work more. I was a little pushed for space in uni. I wasn’t there when they were setting up in The Civic (I would have been more of a hindrance with my wheelchair in the way). Seeing it in that space was amazing. People thought I was a bit mad getting all those jars but I think it really needed them all. The Civic is more likely to get more of an audience there which is always good!’
I think it is fantastic that an arts space like The Civic is giving local students the chance to exhibit their degree collections there and I certainly hope that this is the first of many collaborations with the UCB.
There is much more on display and not just the personal highlights of mine that I have mentioned. Wall sculptures, some beautiful prints by Stephanie Edmunds which reminded me of Louis Wain, wonderfully crafted jewellery, some stunning photoreal paintings are among the many work displayed for all to see; literally something for everyone and if you have a spare hour this week, I really recommend a visit. Support our local talent.
28° runs until Fri 13th July.
@ The Panorama and The Gallery in The Civic.
Time: Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 10am – 4pm
Visit The Civic’s website here…
Visit Huddersfield Univeristy and the UCB’s website here…
CRY - GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY
Over a number of years in the mid-eighties, CRY garnered quite a following; meeting critical acclaim from the likes of Kerrang and other rock magazines of the time. They had two popular singles, Crazy Days, Crazy Nights and Give Her An Ice Cream And Watch Her Melt.
Originally forming in 1985 with Lotus Cruise singer/bassist Dave Pearsall (they also had a hit with Billy’s Got a Gun), CRY even headlined the famous Marquee Club in London and now nearly twenty five years later, the band are back together and releasing a new album.
Opening with A Year and a Day, you got the riffs and harmonics of early Van Halen with the melodies of The Wildhearts until you bump into that sudden and unexpected Ska-like middle section; and that catchy chorus has those multi-layered vocals Def Leppard did so well. Supermad and Sin City both have elements of Motley Crue and Don’t Get Mad, Get Even is Alice Cooper’s snarl fused with Priest’s groove.
I’m not a fan of all of the samples clipped from movies that start many of the songs and Rocket Baby 54321 and Last Train to Rocknrollsville are all massively cheesy but most of this classic rock, glam metal schtick is and if you know that before you dive in, it’s quite enjoyable. Lines like ‘perfect bitch fuckin’ round with my head’ made me laugh out loud and you can see these guys take as much from new bands like Steel Panther as they do the original metal bands.
However, it is actually light relief to have a ballad end the record and more throughout the record would have been welcomed and a good balance. Take Me With You is played with heart and panache, with lighter swinging backing vocals and the obligatory cliff-top guitar solo.
Barnsley’s Cry first full length album is like a homage to the finest British rock groups of yesteryear; whether it be the NWOBHM era or the amazing BritRock bands of the early nineties such as Therapy? A fine achievement.
http://www.facebook.com/CRYbarnsley
NEW MESSIAHS EP REVIEW
New Messiahs open their self-titled EP with Nobody Wants Me (‘till I’m Taken); a big and brash anthem, laden with a horn section and trumpet solo! It’s real upbeat and the perfect sounds for summer; bringing to mind bands like Babybird, Divine Comedy and Lightening Seeds. It’s unashamedly old-fashioned and all the better for it.
On The Kids Are With You, Paul Manion comes over like Jon McClure doing big band soul; with the clean wah-wahs and the funky bass lines. On Long Way Home he even sounds like Neil Hannon. The track has a great marching beat; something similar to Paul McCartney’s Dance Tonight; with its nostalgic lyrics ‘of plastic soldiers and paper planes’, it is also reminiscent of Beatles’ tracks like When I’m Sixty Four and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.
The closing Lost Weekend starts off a much more sedate affair but soon kicks it up a notch and ends up like some 70’s glam Mott The Hoople stomper. ‘Her black eye matches my black eye’, the perfect lyrics describing a debauched night out and as the song fades out there are even bongos!
You got to listen to it a few times to be able to take everything in. There are many layers, many instruments in what is a very well produced and very British record. Stuck in a time warp somewhere between 1974 and 1994; New Messiahs do a good job of producing a collage of off the best bits of Britpop and Glamrock; and you have the added element of a brass bringing to mind recent Chamber Pop luminaries such as Ben Folds and The Divine Comedy. Very enjoyable and I’ll look forward to seeing if they can pull it off live.
WTF? Facebook making you pay? Don’t think so…
If you have a band, artist or business page than I’m sure you’ve seen messages flying around on facebook in the last couple of days about the ‘promote’ button at the bottom of your post, wherein you can pay £4 or £7 to promote a individual post tor a page and reach more people, rather than the meager 20-30% it normally does.
While this isn’t spam, it definitely isn’t a case of facebook ‘making’ you do anything. The option of paying to promote and advertise has always been available in some form or another, but it’s been hidden away in your page settings.
It does however coincide with facebook shares being floated on the market and the need to make a quick buck. Nothing new then? Right now though, it has just been brought to the forefront and attached to each of your posts.
Average hits rates for posts have always been around 20-30%.
Right now my Alternative Barnsley facebook page has around 425 ‘likes’ with an average direct hit of around 30% of these daily. You might not that that is much, but I’m indirectly hitting 1500 and 3300 people daily. This is called the ‘viral reach’ and the number of people sharing or making stories about your page by seeing in on their friends pages.
Two years ago, long before this started, I was the admin for Bob Dylan Art facebook page. With around 4,250 likes and we hit under 2,000 of those daily; however, at it’s peak an indirect reach of around 30,000. Even though we only had new artworks released once or twice a years, I made sure there was new content on the page daily. This was achieved through posting youtube videos of other other band performing Dylan’s songs, publicly discussing the artwork, competitions, posting images of fans artwork of Dylan and each time tagging bands or people in the posts. When you tag someone, you will appear of that person/band’s page too, meaning more people will see you page and potentially more people that will eventually ‘like’ you page and in turn sharing it.
I think what people need to remember is that facebook, in regards to business and artist pages at least, is and always has been about social networking. ‘Networking’ being the key word.
People seem to have become complacent and only use their page when there is a new product to sell. get interacting people.
If you don’t give those that ‘like’ your page something new and interesting everyday then you will fall by the wayside. If you have a page for your band and you only have 100 likes, get working. Only 20 of those are seeing what you do. Even if you don’t have a new song or a gig to show, post things you like; videos by other bands, start a pinterest acount, link up with twitter… and get tagging. No one will see you otherwise; and you never know… those you’re tagging and interacting may end up doing all the hard work for you.
I think for some companies or individuals, their company pages and posts have just become routine. Interact… It works. It’s the reason why some companies now employ people solely to work on their social networking site.
Link up with twitter, soundcloud, pinterest, spotify etc etc. these are all things that people will see and maybe interact with.
Done now. Sorry if I’ve bored you. But I’d also like to know what you think.
SINGLES/EP REVIEWS - THE EXHIBITION, GOULSOUL, THE GLAVINS, IMOKO SET, THE BLACK LAMPS
THE EXHIBITION – THE CROWN. 8/10
An amazing four minutes of The Dears-esque vocals bound with all the urgency and prowess of what made Bloc Party’s debut so important. It’s majestic, skywards melodies and has rolling thunder of a Peter Hook-like rhythm. B-side Coma has a great disjointed, off-beat rhythm and while nowhere near as amazing as its A-side, is still on the better side of Barnsley’s indie scene; showing rare originality and a soaring vocal which pleasing goes nowhere near Gallagher land.
http://ofnationalimportancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-crown-coma
GOLDSOUL – BLOOD RED. 8/10
Debut single Blood Red kicks off with a reverb drenched, floor shaking rumble back with a Tom Meighan like snarl. It soon falls into a feedback laden stomper; something in-between Oasis and Jesus and Mary Chain; the right attitude and the right beats. On the B-side is the fuzz monster that is Waiting a Lifetime; BRMC goes BMBC and nothing short of a great single.
http://ofnationalimportancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/blood-red
THE GLAVINS – THE GLAVINS EP. 8/10
Released in 2010, The Glavins’ self-titled EP is five tracks of Mersybeat influenced skipping rhythms, much like that of The Coral. I Still and The Boy You Sold shows the bands love for The La’s in a summer of ’97 ode to the bright side of Britpop.
On the other hand you also have tracks like February, which starts off with an Ian Brown-like soft croon but ends with an Eastern tinged take on Arctic Monkey’s; incorporating the same Indian influence that bands like The Beatles or The Stones Roses so often used.
Closing on Time Machine, with a vocal that’s a great mix Liam Gallagher meets Alex Turner and a middle-section of over the top Russian folk influenced solos and oomph, similar to that of DeVotchka and a blinder of a track to end on.
http://www.theglavins.com/No.7/The_Glavins.html
The Black Lamps/Imoko Set - Stereomatic EP. 9/10
A beautiful split EP with a track from both bands and then both remixed as well. Opening with Black Lamp’s Scissor Paper Stone; it’s a swooning, atmospheric ride with hints of Stephen Morris drums by Deano, Explosions in the Sky guitars courtesy of Lyndon and a haunting, medative vocal from Liam.
Imoko Set’s Hazards of Motion is pure induldgent pop. Reminscent of underated groups like theaudience, The Delgados and Salad; the song has perfect boy/girl harmonies from Emma and Jamie and a chorus and bridge to die for with flourishes of keyboard fluttering over the climbing distorted guitar. Along with Mynas; Barnsley here has two of the finest pop groups around.
Of the two remixes here by Dr. Technical; the latter is the best, completly altering Imoko Set into a Saint Etienne fusion of 90’s dance rhythms with 60s pop.
http://www.facebook.com/TheBlackLamps
ALVAREZ KINGS - COLD CONSCIENCE EP. 7/10
Getting somewhere close to emulating the energy of the scene that saw Kings of Leon, The Killers, Razor Light, Kaiser Chiefs and the Kooks emerge in the first half of the noughties; Alveraz Kings have garnered themselves a substantial fan base following the release of their successful 2011 EP Patience in Strength. Having gone on to play SXSW, the Isle of Wight Festival and the O2 Wireless Festival, they are now about to launch their new EP on Of National Importance Records. The Sheffield indie-pop four piece are making serious waves.
While some of the bands from that period, such as Kings of Leon and The Killers, have gone on to both water down their sound and become U2-like stadium monsters; others like Razor Light have stopped bothering the charts so much and are now playing the more low-key festivals such a Crooked Ways. Some like Arctic Monkeys are still successful, while evolving their sound with each albums, something that these bands needs to do if their careers are to survive.
Reverend and the Makers, another example, now have elements of drum n bass and dub-step in their new indie disco floor fillers and after a long break are now riding back into the mainstream, following a successful support slot with Noel Gallagher and it’s on the coattails of this current wave of indie that Alveraz Kings could possibly ride into mainstream success. The indie pop scene is a difficult egg to crack, so do the Alvarez Kings have the right ingredients to make it?
While the Kings aren’t offering anything that hasn’t been done before; and let’s face it, who is right now in the world of indie pop, what they do have here is summer laden, infectious and enjoyable tunes for the masses.
The title track’s bass driven groove has a similar urgency to that first Kings of Leon album and vocally, you are firmly in something like Pigeon Detectives territory. Second track Fractured Bones & Reputations is more of the same, with more emphasis this time of the faux accents.
The EP really comes into its own on The Other Side of Sadness, which sees elements of funk seep into the mix a la Foals and the Reverend. It’s quite good and the kind of change in direction indie bands should be doing to help them stand out in that massive crowd. After a great mid breakdown, the track rolls out into a massive anthemic slice of goodness that is worthy of any festival stage; an easy highlight of the EP.
Closing on Picking up the Pieces, an acoustic number which holds the focus of the lads’ voices and some twinkling lead guitar; it’s a real treat through it is the secret track which surpasses everything here for me. What sounds like a totally stripped back and solo performance from band frontman Simon; it is not just an amazing vocal performance but a showcases for a real knack at song writing.
In what is the most commercial area of indie-pop, Alvarez Kings offer a shot in the arm and something of quality to appeal to those pop masses. While, in the larger scheme of things, The Other Side of Sadness is a real step in the right direction in staying on top of their game. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Kings of Leon, The Kooks and Reverend and the Makers.
http://www.facebook.com/alvarezkings
http://www.facebook.com/ofnationalimportancerecords
TRUDGER - MOTIONLESS IN DIRT. 9/10
Formed only nine months ago, Barnsley five-piece Trudger have done what no band does on their first attempt and have released a debut EP that blows everything and everyone else out of the water.
Recorded only a month ago at Silent City Productions in Leeds, Motionless In Dirt is an absolute tour de force of aggression, mammoth bass heavy production and a tirade of vocals which switch at will between post-hardcore and booming Blackened-Death.
Opener, The Opaque Light starts off as if Mastodon had never grown up listening to Rush as kids. The drums are pulverising, the riffing is as good as anything Meshuggah have churned out and the vocal delivery here is crushing Behemoth backed by the growl of Wade MacNeil or Everytime I Die’s Keith at his most vitriolic. At the three minute mark, dust settles in a Jesu-like moment and it would have had a welcome stay for a few minutes more but instead ends at four minutes twenty two and that track is perfect in execution, production and is a fine example of original song writing.
Second track Misery Labyrinth is another brutal depth charge; while not as sonically pervasive has the opener; it’s still totally relentless and reminds of the sounds of Soilent Green or EyeHateGod but here once again, the vocal harmonies really make this stand out as something unique.
Closing track, the epic ten minute Crusade on the Tides of Hades starts with a clean guitar – something similar to Machine Head’s Halo - then pummels straight into the heaviest sound to ever come out of this town. Coming across like Decapitated playing with Gojira until the tracks fizzes out hail of ambient fuzz.
What Trudger have done here, is not only created one of the finest slabs of metal I have heard in a long time but they have fuses together perfectly Blackened Death, Doom, Sludge, Technical Prog and Post-Hardcore and the last time I heard an album do this so successfully was probably Tombs’ Path of Totality.
This EP is essential and comes from a band that, assuming they can pull this sound of live, have all the potential to be fucking massive. This is a fine achievement and I really look forward to more.
154 COLLECTIVE @ THE COOPER GALLERY
The 154 Collective is a group of artists with varied backgrounds who have come together to collaborate on a variety of artistic platforms, including Theatre, Film, Publications, and Exhibitions. Not only that but 154 is also the number of miles that separate Barnsley and Newham and is the name of a new exhibition currently running at Barnsley’s The Cooper Gallery. This is very unique event celebrates not only the Newham Barnsley Partnership, but the aspirations of the people in both towns.
This is exactly the kind of all-inclusive exhibition I’ve been hoping to see at The Copper for some time and I don’t mean inclusive like the annual Open Exhibition is. I mean inclusive in a way that this exhibition is about everybody.
On entering the exhibition space, you can see that the Cooper has been totally transformed. Not only has the shape of the space changed but also the colour. Long gone are the standard white walls; now transformed into hot pink and a contracting black. It’s simple but stark and a reminder that it doesn’t take much to keep the space fresh and exciting.
In the (very pink) first room there is wide variety of medium on display, including two sets of mounted prose on the wall about experiences of both Newham and Barnsley. As someone who is born and bred Barnsley but has also been lucky enough to live in London for nearly six years, you’d initially assume how different each town is. Indeed, they are both very different in terms of culture, heritage and ethnicity but everything on display here shows actually how similar both are as well.
Hung next to these is a framed photomontage of thirty-five alternating images of Newham and Barnsley town life. It was actually something I’d love to have hung on my own wall and it was only on leaving for the next room that I noticed the skirting board was completely coated with cigarette card sized photographs too.
The back room was solid black and on the floor in one corner was over a hundred (154 maybe?) tiny easels and canvases, each inked images of what looked like royalty. I was aware that 154 Collective had held art workshops with children from Birdwell Primary School and Gallions School in Newham; this could well have been the results of their wares. Each tiny painting has lashings of charm and character and flows perfectly into the next display of five black and white photographed portraits. Each had a brown tag and on each side was a handwritten a story of a life in Barnsley and one of in Newham. Those stories may or may not have belonged to those pictured but I suspect that they belonged to each one of us; a collective we and our collective story.
On the opposite wall, many (154 again maybe?) miniature black and white artworks created using ipads. This was an amazing collaborative effort wherein artists can draw together over an internet connection, wherever in the world they may be. The images of fantastical landscapes have been produced in much friendlier version of cubism; all featuring the interactions of people, animals, transport, buildings, castles and also a crown motif and this all reminds me very much of Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat; one of my favourite all time artists and this is no bad this of course. Basquiat has always been the perfect mix of high and low culture and is the kind of art that everyone from adults to the youngest child can get something from.
Before entering the final room, you are invited to sit down and leaf through a small album of postcards while listening to a recording. Each postcard has a poem-like passage written on the back of it about the town and the recording; a story of the aspirations of a young man and that is generally the idea the exhibition.
Whatever differences there maybe between Newham and Barnsley… and there are many, the artwork on display focuses on the similarities between us and the shared aspirations and hopes; those of our own and those of our children. The juxtaposition of the images of the different towns go on to concrete the shared notions of hopes and dreams (both real and fantastical).
This is shown again the final room, which although I think doesn’t fit into the whole scheme of things as well as the rest of the show, it is still as enjoyable. Four photomontages are made to look like paintings and a digitally painted landscape has a skyline which shares both Barnsley town hall and the equally majestic Newham town hall.
Then there are two strange artworks; one a triptych of images featuring a mythical boat under a sky raining tennis balls, floating down a London river straight into an altogether stormier landscape. Who knows whether or not that stormier landscape is Barnsley but it did remind me of Stanley Donwood’s woodcuts of an post-apocalyptic London. And then there are two very random mixed media works of creatures in a red forest which appear to have absolutely nothing to do with the exhibition but are enjoyable for me all the same as they remind me of the wonderful illustrations of Mary Blair.
There is much I have missed out on, but I’ll leave that for you to discover in what is a highly recommended, thoughtful and interactive exhibition and I hope one of many art interventions to come from the Newham Barnsley Partnership. It is also the highlight of The Cooper Gallery’s displays so far this year.
The exhibition runs from 2nd June to 1st September.
http://154collective.blogspot.co.uk/
