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
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.
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.
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
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/
THE DODWORTH AND DISTRICT MINERS MEMORIAL FUND FESTIVAL
After a Saturday full of fundraising and musical shenanigans over in Elsecar, Sunday was the turn of Dodworth to hold their own charity music extravaganza in the form of the Dodworth and District Miners Memorial Fund Festival. Catchy title aside; the event organised by Soundwave and Indiemand (Mark Oats and Ryan Thompson) is another chance to see quality local talent and to dip your hands in your wallets to help a worthy cause.
Originally planned to take place on the sports fields outside of the Dodworth Miners Welfare, the now waterlogged fields meant that both stages had to be moved into the club’s lounge and taproom. Although Alt.Barnsley couldn’t stay the full duration, we did manage to take in a lot of acts and here a just a selection of the ones we caught.
And so as the smell of frying burgers pierced the damp air; soggy folk flocked into the taproom to catch the opening act, K.B.E. Opening with a surf rock instrumental that sounded like it could have been a cover of the Russian folk song Korobeiniki (also know at the theme of Tetris). Their set which fused mod and the heavier end of indie was refreshing and anthemic and a great way to start the day. On the Acoustic Stage, curated by One Over the Eight, is THE BAR-STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN, who started their set by playing to just a handful of people. However, by mid-set, K.B.E. had finished their set allowing for a bigger audience and the wise choice of ending on Darn Tarn and Arse Is On Fire had the audience laughing; especially the ones munching away on their curries.
Two bands which were a real joy and a pleasant surprise to watch were the young and talented Exit Strategy and Northern Way. The first up, EXIT STRATEGY, describe themselves as ‘prog punk’ and with a lead singer/guitarist prone to spending just as much time playing in the crowd as he does on stage, they certainly have the attitude. Although sometimes a little shambolic, the band are exciting and likable and certainly have a pocketful of well written songs in the vein of Blink 182 and All Time Low; and in their singer a vocal that is perfectly fitting for that genre. They end their set on a high with a cover of Nirvana’s Breed. Next up are NORTHERN WAY and they kick things off with a very well done and faithful cover of Fake Tales of San Francisco. These guys must not be any older than sixteen but in Tom Hale, they have front man who sings and plays like he’s been doing it for years; he is modest and likable and is definitely one to watch in the future. Living in a Dream sounds like their own composition and leans more towards an Oasis style but the band are at their best when throwing down angular, punky riffs and understated northern swagger and it’s their song High as a Kite that slots perfectly in the middle of a set laden with classics by Arctic Monkeys and The Undertones.
Over in the acoustic lounge, INVISIBLE GREASE impress with a short set of covers (Pictures of Matchstick Men) and their own songs which come over as a mix between the guitar and lyrical rhythms of both The Libertines and more traditional comedy folk. And with the genius that is rhyming ‘freezer’ with ‘please her’ and ‘gravy’ with ‘baby, their Sausage Song is a sure fire future classic.
KIZIAH AND THE KINGS hits the main stage like a breath of fresh air; in a town that is swamped with indie and metal, having the chance to see a band that fuse funk and soul with jaunty indie guitar is one not to be missed. A set full of their own beautifully crafted songs such as the fantastic Baby Don’t Go is balanced perfectly with covers American Boy and classics such as Heard It Through the Grapevine and Proud Mary. They went down extremely well and they’ll be welcome back to Barnsley anytime they please.
Up next was Barnsley’s austerity king of punk poetry MARK JACKSON’S CRIMINAL WASTE OF TALENT. Mark’s short set of songs about pasties, being dumped by text, having a very bad day and shed-based machismo is backed by guitarist Steve Dalton who is one minute thrashing out a The Fall-like cacophony of mess and the next, shoe gaze on a shoe string psychedelia. However, playing to an almost totally unfamiliar crowd leaves half bedazzled and half bewildered.
Someone who isn’t unfamiliar round these parts is event organiser Mark Oats and here he performed with his band THE GLAVINS in a semi-unplugged set comprising of acoustic guitars, a cajon (that’s the percussion box for those that don’t know) and a whole manner of flanger and phaser effects. Vocalist Carl Stott is a traditional indie singer in the same vein as a more subtle Gallagher or Brown and he does it well and with the addition of Sameer on cajon, the set was inventive and full of eastern folk and Indian influences; reminiscent of The Stone Roses and The Beatles. Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with the band’s music prior to this set but now I’ll be making sure I catch more of them.
The last time I saw BLACK ECHO I was a little indifferent about their set. Here however, and this is despite a faulty microphone that made Terry’s voice sound shot, I enjoyed them much more. I admit I prefer guitarist Tom’s growl of a vocal compared to Terry’s as I have never been a fan of that over-emotional vocal that you seen in the more ‘emo’ leaning post-hardcore bands. However, their songs and their anthemic choruses are known to a good section of the crowd and got some good singalongs and even bad dancers. Breathe Out and Stars were definite set highlights.
The last band I saw were MAJORITY VOTE who played a set much improved on their last one over at Rocketball in May. The band was visibly enjoying themselves and that showed in their high-energy set of grunge tinged punk. Emily took lead vocals of a ramshackled and fun version of The Subways’ Rock N Roll Queen and although it is the songs from the Playtime’s Over EP that usually stand out as the best songs in the set; here Dia De Los Muetos is real highlight and matches the might of Clarity, their finest song to date.
Many other bands played the festival that I didn’t get chance to see but regardless of that, I had a fantastic time and judging from the great turnout, it sure looks like they made a lot of money for their charity.
And that is end of the start of what looks like a great festival season in Barnsley. Over the summer months we have BOMfest, Coalfields festival, the debut of Shindig Festival and also the Elsecar MADFEST folk festival. There will be many smaller festivals also taking place in town and we’ll be there to cover many of them.
Hit the following links to get more infomation on the bands:
The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican official website
Kiziah and the Kings facebook page
Mark Jackson’s Criminal Waste of Talent facebook page
Black Echo official myspace page
Majority Vote official facebook page
THE ALTERNATIVE ELSECAR JUBILEE
The Alternative Elsecar Jubille started of life a couple of months ago as The Party In the Park; a fundraising event in Elsecar Park organised by the Hoyland and District Royal British Legion in a way to raise money for the local Poppy Appeal. Local musician and teacher Scott Heald (vocalist in Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican) was given the task of organising the live music by the chairman of the Legion after he had organised a number of smaller and similar live music events in the past for them.
A number of talented local singers, bands and also The Yorkshire [brass] Band of the RBL were lined up to play. However, after received a number of protests regarding rock bands being associated with the Legion, the formation of two separate fundraising events happened; one official and one not so.
Scott and now his sister Sarah (of local toy/accessory makers Gobo & Sock) took the newly christened Alternative Elsecar Jubilee to the Milton Hall; however after a tirade of abuse from local Councillor Franklin about ‘punks’ and the use of the name of the Legion, they were once again venue-less. Fantastic then to see a local uprising of support from local entrepreneurs, venue owners and people willing to donate their time, allowing the event to now take place in the much superior Fitzwilliam Arms. Steve the pub landlord did a sterling job in supporting a worthy course and local talent and also in donating fresh BBQ and pizzas for all!
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Starting proceedings on the main stage was Sheffield five piece BIG STRIPEY LIES. Any band named after a Kate Bush song can surely do no wrong; opening with an instrumental and a song called This Is My Life that felt like a cover but surely it wasn’t the Shirley Bassey number? Whatever, this was perfect pop folk with hints of Steve Nicks and The Corrs but the real highlight was Full Circle; fusing the rhythms of Britpop, folk and skiffle.
In-between main stage acts were performers on the Acoustic Stage; first up CHRIS SAMMON who has the quality of a spoken word performer and tones of Billy Bragg (without the politics). Songs like Acoustic Tent and White Van Man gets the crowd singing along.
Richard Kitson is arguably Barnsley finest bluesman and here, flanked by Mynas’ Chris Scarfe and Agga Booth on bass and drums is THE RICHARD KITSON BLUES BAND; now with arguably Barnsley’s finest rhythm section as well. The group thrust onto us the sounds of Rory Gallagher, Hendrix, Cream and a number that has a vocal melody that sounds uncannily like Without Love by The Doobie Brothers; certainly no bad thing and Lay Down is a fine rocker of a number. Following them is GEORGINA GILMARTIN, whose nerves are evident but when she announced that the first song she ever wrote is certainly not her best, she actually had all the hallmarks of early Jewel and that fragile vocal on the last song about ‘life and a guy named Jimmy’ is just wonderful.
MYNAS are a slick beast of a boy/girl indie band. Seemingly influenced by 60’s girl groups and indie pop groups of the early 80’s; Sarah Evans voice has echoes of the beautiful Tracey Thorn and Del’s complicated riffs come from the Johnny Marr school of knocks. Sleep Tight, Bliss and the set closing latin tinged Wherever You Are Not prove that this band are indeed a first class indie pop pedigree. Following Mynas is a tough as but over on the acoustic stage is Lewis Ryan’s latest band THE ROLLING DOWNS, whose grunge-lite Americana comes over as a cross between Pearl Jam and Mumford and Sons, with Lewis Ryan being more than a little influenced by Eddie Vedder. Skinny Jeans and Speak When You’re Spoke shine and although the odd inclusion of The Verve’s The Drugs Don’t Work felt like an attempt at crowd pleasing, they definitely didn’t need it as Feelings and a brand new song called The Honey and the Bear had all the ingredients to be classics and certainly blew me away.
It was at this point that the jubilee weekend rain started and while the Main Stage got shifted into the shed-like marquee, a handful of acoustic acts took to the stage. First up was BRANDON GRAY. Now, the first time I saw Brandon was back in March supporting Mynas. You could see the potential then; the right songs and a really likable personality but in the end his nerves got the better of him. Here… it’s all change. The set list is stronger and his confidence has grown tenfold and with that comes not one ounce of arrogance but instead a cheeky smile and a very humble performance. Opening with a couple of Kooks numbers, a version of Under the Bridge and The White Stripes’ Conquest; each cover version is made his own but the real highlight was the inclusion of his own song called Progress; a genuinely catchy chorus and hopefully a sneak preview of things to come. SHANNON LASSU starts of well too, with a great cover of the amazing Kate Nash’s Foundations and even pulls off the southern accent, which isn’t easy for a northerner. In fact the accents go on to change with each song but she makes up for that with great selection of songs including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Train’s Drive By, which suits her perfectly. And it seems that the cover versions are there while she finds her own voice and if the closing self-penned Big Girls Don’t Cry is anything to go by, the wait will be very much worth it; and as her short but sweet set comes to a close, the main stage is now set up in the sheltered area way from the rain for POCKET FULL O’NOWT who are definitely not my kind of thing. My idea of a good comedy record is Peter Cook and Dudley Moore or Flight of the Conchords. These guys are about as far away from what I like as possible. However, The ‘Nowt’s sound today is richer, fuller and even heavier with the inclusion of ex-Housemartin’s drummer Hugh in the ranks but for me, Mike’s performance still feels too forced. However, despite my feelings, the second half of the bands’ performance really pulls in the crowd with the double whammy of Michael Jackson’s Doctor and When Did We Want It?; a rip roaring song about Thatcher that got the crown singing along.
I’d heard a lot of great things about THE SILENT GESTURES in just the last couple of months but this was the first I’d managed to see them and they didn’t disappoint one bit. Their impressive sound slots comfortably somewhere between Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes. Expectation is a great example of their wares; all angular rhythms and cool northern swag. Playing at the same time over of the Acoustic Stage was STEPH SHAW. She has fans aplenty and it took me a while to get round to seeing her initially but once I did I saw that she’s one of those Eva Cassidy types who easily pleases many but me being the eternal miserablist that I am, needed a little more than the cover of Kings Of Leon’s Use Somebody that you hear on ever episode of every talent show. I think Steph Shaw is better than that though, so it is great when she pulls out those lush tones of Suzanna Vega and when she sings ‘just don’t ask me how I am’, it’s convincing. But when she asks if there are any Rod Stewart fans in the audience and you just know she’s going to do The First Cut Is The Deepest, which is a little too predictable for me. She is however, for the masses and the set goes really well.
Festival organiser Scott Heald takes to the stage with his band THE BAR STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN and for those who don’t know them, their shtick is knitwear, wigs, taking popular songs and bastardising them into little tales about the ins and outs of Barnsley life. I’ve seen Scott do this and similar acts over the last fifteen years and it is very much an acquired taste, but I’ll give him this… he has new material practically every month and so keeping it fresh is never a problem. In fact, part of the fun for me is seeing how quick he can turn an audience. It usually takes a few songs for a new audience to understand what is happening to them and here in what is a very well selected setlist, Tarn Life (Blur), Avon Calling (The Clash) and a great number using The Monkee’s I’m a Believer to tear Justin Bieber to shreds goes down a storm. You Got To Fight For Your Pint In Barnsley is dedicated to The Beastie Boy’s MCA and the finale of Jump Ararnd really does get the floor shaking. A success by all accounts and this time he even bloody converted me!
I had been looking forward to catching headliner’s GOLDSOUL for sometime after seeing their videos on line and catching a great set from guitarist Mike Mulholland recently. Opening the set with their fantastic debut single Blood Red is a great idea but the amount of reverb on vocalist David’s guitar and voice is over the top, out of time and drowns out just about every other sound on stage. Even in-between song banter is rendered inaudible. It’s refreshing then when Mike sings with clean vocals and when they play their latest and actually very good single Kill All Love Songs, you can just about make out the great song that lies beneath the noise and how’s Brady’s back beat manages to keep in time I don’t know, but those fills are superb. I’ll look forward to catching them again in hope that the venue was partly to blame. In the meantime, do check out their single here, because regardless of the sound here, Gouldsoul are an incredible band.
Overall it was a fantastic festival and everyone was luckily to get a decent amount of sun. They also raised £660 for the Poppy Appeal, which is a fantastic achievement.
Check out everyone who took part below.
BIG STRIPEY LIES facebook page
GEORGINA GILMARTIN facebook page
LEWIS RYAN and THE ROLLING DOWNHILLS facebook pages
POCKETFUL O’ NOWT facebook page
THE SILENT GESTURES soundcloud page
THE BAR STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN official website
COPY CAT COSTUMES official wesbite
THE FITZWILLIAM ARMS facebook profile
The Hoyland and District Poppy Appeal
THIS CONDITION - SELF TITLED EP 7.5/10
Barnsley’s This Condition are one of a number of indie band in town and when I got asked to check them out, I did roll my eyes a few times.
No need to worry; the first listen of their new EP was a corker. Crucified, with its droning, chime-like guitars and a nice Kasabian like beat are flanked by anthemic backing vocals. Sure, it’s darker than the usual indie fair but that is definitely no bad thing. Along with Barnsley’s Toba Caldera and Exit Calm, it’s nice to see that we have bands that aren’t afraid to step out of those sometimes strict indie Britpop boundaries. That slick 60’s illustration belays the psychedelic rock below.
Moral Panic takes that well trodden T-Rex guitar riff that Oasis built a career out of and takes it to that territory where Madchester collided with shoegaze with bands like Ride. Throwing Stones is definitely buried firmly in The Stone Roses’ back garden but that is no bad thing; they’re totally faithful to the craft of that sound and is definitely a credit a credit to vocalist Johnny Walman for holding his own and not really sounding like any particular vocalist.
Hide From the Sun follows the same pattern; a lush tripped out introduction of sea sound samples and a bass line a la I Wanna Be Adored or early The Verve. I’d happily lay in a field in 1994 listening to this with a beer.
Closing track This Tortured Soul doesn’t offer much different but nevertheless, it and the rest of the EP is done well.
This Condition are at their best when they tread the darker path; fusing a number of early 90’s genres in reverb and tripped out sonics. I’d love to hear more variation on future recordings but at the same time, I’d love to stumble across those bass lines in a sun drenched festival this summer. Cracking.
RATING: 7.5/10
MAJORITY VOTE, BLACK ECHO + INDIGO @ ROCKETBALL, BARNSLEY
Rocketball has apparently been going for about six months now. How did I not know about this; beer for a quid fifty and proper bowling for a penny a game?! How do these guys make money? Surely the bands can’t make any money? Not when there are four on the line-up. Regardless, I was up for it and also a great chance to see one of my new favourite local groups; Majority Vote.
Okay, so one band pulled out very last minute. So, last minute they even pulled out while they were in the venue!!! So, first up is a new band called Indigo.
INDIGO (9) sound old beyond their years. Totally faithful to that early 90’s psychedelic grunge a la Blind Melon mixed with Kyuss-lite stoner rock; Looking back on it, it totally belied their sound but their cover of Beastie Boys’ Fight For Your Right was 100% note perfect in every way and was a joy to watch. Every single member of this band was technically superb. There wasn’t really anything to fault with this band and you wouldn’t believe these eighteen year olds had only been together month. If I was a total bastard, I’d say look like a band and stop wearing matching beige chino short; but maybe it was the heat wave that made them do it.
Definitely a band to watch out for; though it does seem that a twenty minute set is their maximum right now as they don’t have any more songs. I’d have loved to have heard them play more…
…unlike BLACK ECHO (6), whose set feels like it ran on for hours. Now I’m sure if you asked someone else, they’d say they were fantastic but they melodic poppy, post-hardcore bands are ten-a-penny and the whole genre for me is starting to lag and needs a shot in the arm with something original. It’s definitely not my thing. It also felt like the in-between song banter lasted as long as the songs did. But… despite my misgivings and the band are technically talented and the fans/friends enjoy it. There is even an attempt at starting a pit. A few numbers towards the end of the set even impressed me; especially Luke on drums doing a sterling job.
MAJORITY VOTE (7.5) have played here a few times now and already have over fifties gigs to their name. Their amazing debut EP, Playtime’s Over has just been released and it did a magnificent job of fusing vintage pop punk of last 70’s such as The Runaways with post-grunge bands such as Paramore.
Here they open with that title track; even slotting in a few bars of Daphne and Celeste’s Ooh Stick You for shits. There are timing issues with the drums and it sounds like the engineer can’t balance the sound at all.
However, Sell Out is much rawer than the version on the EP but is still a well rendered slab of grunge-lite punk. The band dish out versions of their earliest songs and Visitors even has a an element of Offspring to it and despite this, a great song that has a Stooges like beat to it and a great cover of The Subways’ Rock ‘n Roll Queen, bad sound and out of tune guitars plague the set.
Clarity, the final song from their EP is their finest and most mature piece of song writing to date and here it ends the set and through the ramshackle noise there is a fine band underneath there who can really pen a great song and also two girls with just as much balls as the boys.
The crowd call out for more and as they throw themselves into Territorial Pissings, it’s like tuning never even mattered and I’m still looking forward to hearing the band play again at the Miner’s Festival next month.
http://www.myspace.com/blackechouk
IMMOVABLE BARNSLEY… fourth and final part
So this is my final day covering the IMMOVABLE block. Today will feature many of the performers and local people that have been involved in this weeks intervention.
I’ve managed to speak to a lot more people today including both performers and facilitators. First up is Chris who is 37 years of age and is one of Mind the Gap’s actor/performers.
Chris was on top of the block this morning. He described how he sat on top the block in a wheel chair. Chris isn’t a wheelchair user but many of his friends are and so he says the message is the same regardless. ‘Many people stopped and watched and some even came up to me and chatted. A couple of kids shouted “are you going to get arrested for being up there”, which was funny. I played along with their perceptions and pretended I didn’t know how I got up there. Lot’s of people took photos and I really enjoyed performing up there for everyone.’
I asked Chris what kind of message he would like to get across to people by being on top of the block. He explained, ‘I have a learning disability and I hope that anybody that also have a disability will think that they can do anything on that block; like when the people ask how someone in a wheelchair got up here… Well why can’t someone in a chair get all the way up there?’
Chris has travelled down from Bradford daily to be here. Chris has been a member of Mind the Gap for around seven years. Originally he wanted to go into engineering but couldn’t because of his disability. His social worker introduced him to the group and since then has completed work experience and training in all aspects of stage production and has also taken part in a number of productions, including Animal Farm. He goes on to say, ‘Mind the Gap has taught me skills in public speaking; I now go into schools and talk about the group. I’ve been so much more confident now since I came to Mind the Gap.’
Another person I have really wanted to speak to was Dave Searle. Backstage Dave is the Production Manger for Mind the Gap. To the audience, he is one of the manager Shifters wandering around his in cap and brown workcoat. Dave doesn’t usually perform and is more often than not backstage but because this is such a big production with many interventions, this was the best way to be in the middle of the action.
Dave had just been helping group performer Alan Clay off of the block after a second performance this week of him playing in an inflatable paddling pool on top of the block. This time round he was much more adventurous in splashing the many passers by. It was absolutely hilarious.
Dave has been with Mind the Gap for just over three years now. Dave controls every technical aspect of Mind the Gaps productions. he explains that ‘all of the Shifters that you see here work for Mind the Gap. All of the people involved in our interventions are either that of the theatre company or on the student training course.’
I asked Dave how he originally got involved with Mind the Gap. ‘I was originally a freelancer and had a job for Mind the Gap. I thought the place was amazing but cheekily told them that they really needed a technician. Two months later I was working with them’
‘How often do you do shows outside of Bradford?’ I asked.
‘Well, me are nationally touring company. We tour once or twice a year. Last year we toured our productions of Of Mice and Men and Stig of the Dump.’
‘Other than IMMOVABLE, what other projects do you have lined up for the Cultural Olympiad?’ I asked.
‘Immove sponsors us and they are a Yorkshire based initiative that is part of the Cultural Olympiad. Irresistible which is Immovable’s sister show, which you will see part of later, will be shown at the Unlimited Festival which takes place just before the Paralympics. We’ll be performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Soutbank, London and also at the performance space outside of the National Theatre.’
At that point Dave had to rush off and prepare the next performances. What followed was a number of staged interventions that all featured Mind the Gap performers. A couple sat on top of the block and had a romantic meal, Alison Short did a horticultural based performance(!) and the Shifters one again attempted to solve the knitted Rubik’s Cube; this time with company actor Susan sat on a bench on top of the block knitting away new squares.
After the performance, I got a few words from Shifters Howard and Amjad. Howard 44, has been with Mind the Gap for three years, and is currently on a four year training course in theatre production. As well has performing, he and the many others on the course, get the opportunity to learn stage craft, film making, confidence building in areas such as communication and working in groups and support in other practical skills such as using computers and travelling independently. Amjad is 26 and is also playing the part of a Shifter and has been with the group for one year now. He had done a little acting before at school but being a part of the group has allowed his confidence to grow in a way it may never had before
The final performance of the week saw every Mind the Gap actor and performer present take to the streets to accompany Jez Colborne’s production Irresistible. Jez is an actor and musician and has a learning disability called Williams Syndrome and has very sensitive hearing. However, that hasn’t stopped him composing a symphony of songs using air raid sirens! Here we got a taster of a show that will be playing, not only at The Cow & Calf Quarry Theatre in Ilkley next month but also at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank in September as part of the The Unlimited Festival in the Cultural Olympiad for the run up to the 2012 Paralympics. The performance was a great achievement, not only in song writing but in bringing a smile to everyone who saw it.
And is the end of IMMOVABLE. I’ve really enjoyed it and have found it both humbling and enlightening. I’ve met many very inspiring people from Mind the Gap and many people from the local area who have contributed their ideas and talent and time.
When I started Alternative Barnsley six months ago, I was hoping to cover as much art and theatre and music and unfortunately there hasn’t been enough to compete. However, this week has seen a plethora of street theatre, yarn-bombing, surrealist comedy and some fantastic painting.
Hopefully, there’ll be another project soon.
CHECK OUT THESE LINKS FOR MUCH MORE INFOMATION…
http://www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/immovable/
http://www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/irresistible/
http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/festivals-series/unlimited
also read my previous blogs about IMMOVABLE, featuring interview and images:
IMMOVABLE BARNSLEY… PART THREE
