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NEW Bullet for My Valentine plus Guests, Leeds Refec.
Well, I gone and done it good now haven't I? despite the fact that at the last gig I said the Leeds refectory had improved as a venue, here I am taking it all back to say it's fucking wank.
Protest the Hero were the main reason I went to this gig, and other than the fact that the sound system had all the power of a small torch of some kind, they were brilliant. Some of the in between track banter was lost on me and most people, but musically this is a great band, and worth their share of the ticket price.
Next on were As I Lay for my Valentine, who are ok, but I'd rather watch Bullet for my Valentine than this band who sound exactly the same. Their real name by the way for the record is Bullet for my Lay Dying.
Bullet for My Valentine are the UK band that look most likely to succeed, legions of rabid teen/pre-teen fans screaming their every move, and when Matt Tuck can be bothered to sing the words instead of letting the pre-pubescent do it they are ok... if a little, well, boring. It is the curse I guess of being a past it beardy muso bastard like myself, but they ticked all the boxes and were proficient, I just wanted a little more than that. OK, but £20 a ticket is a gip. And the venue is shit. Awful sound, terrible layout, wank wank wank. Warm beer is only ok at a festival.
I've blogged a bit more abut this night on mi myspace.com/djtrev page, if you are into that...
NEW Anderson & Wakeman acoustic tour, Manchester
So now I'm old and it's official, I like to go to gigs where you get to sit down, and this one was a beaut! At a Theatre in the City centre, me and mi dad were not too sure what to expect of the night, both being huge Yes fans, but (I speak only for myself here) having been somewhat disappointed by the acoustic section of the last Yes gig attended. We needn't have worried, the onstage rapport between Jon and Rick made the whole night fit together perfectly and there were no dull points, indeed the 2 1/2ish hours they played for flew by. The both did solo bits and again both were excellent, filling the time easily, Rick Wakeman's nursery rhymes in the style of classical composers was brilliant, as were his stand up comedy bits in-between, I was surprised at how good he was on the mic inbetween songs, but then he is forever on Jongleurs and Nevermindthebuzzcocks and that kind of thing, clearly a man of many talents, not least of all of course his stunning piano playing... Jon is sometimes a little forgetful on stage but that wasn't in evidence this evening, and the in-between song chat was so relaxed and comfortable it made this possibly (and I do hold back a little and say possibly ) better than a full Yes gig. I certainly hope these guys keep playing for a very long time indeed.
Superb.
The Automatic - Leeds Refectory
Oh man, I hate the Refectory, it's a wank venue. Blah Blah.
Now then, I've said that a couple of times, but now I must hold my hands up and say - fair play, they've sorted it out. It's still not ace, but is probably as good as the met, which is pretty good! The sound is loads better, and while it's still ultimatly a long fucking room, they've added some bars and it's much better then it was, so good work whoever done that.
Shame tonight's bands are so wank really. Alterkicks come from Liverpool. That is I assume they do. They sound like The Coral or The Zutons on an average day, and close their set with their slowest song. Great.
Mumm-Raa have a great name and NME think they are edgy and exciting and challenging. If you've never heard an indie band before they probably are.
The Automatic have penned one of the biggest tunnes this year in "Monster", and with that plus "Rauol" and "Recover" they have three truly great tracks. Unfortunately the rest of their set sounds like they all could be those 3 songs with a different chorus, and there are hardly any actual tunes on display, a dance beat and a shouted chorus being a poor substitute. Their cover of "Golddigger" by Kanye West is brilliant however, and their showman ship promises there might be better to come from these guys, they are certainly good, but not really headline stuff yet, just a band with a fucking huge anthem. This band may be truly fucking massive too in another albums time as they seem to have it where it counts, just for now it seems a bit thin on the ground.
Afterwards we went to Oceana (Leeds' current most popular club)'s indie night, which was fucking dead. Wankfest all round then.
NEW Klaxons / NME Shockwaves Tour
Good grief, Middlesbrough is grim though innit? As we rise over the cusp of the hill to behold it in all it's rusty piped glory we wonder if perhaps there wasn't a better town nearer where we could see this tour. However upon getting to the venue all our worries are dispelled. Middlesbrough Empire is one of the coolest venues I've ever been in. You know when you go to Harrogate Theatre and think it'd be ace if they put live gigs on here, that's what they've gone and done in M'Bro, and it's great. The wait for the first band is less interesting, we discover that the advertised Simian Mobile DJ's have cancelled, and instead of getting a resident DJ to play we can only assume that there is some Databeat DJ 2000 programme forcing the tunes together. Later on it transpires that this actually was a DJ, just one armed with good tunes but no real ability. Never mind, after a dull and beat clashy 45 minutes Datarock take to the stage. They open with a number performed on a £3 fisherprice keyboard which is quite funny if a bit confusing, and their first 4 songs are similar in vein if not content. This is essentially dance music performed with the aid of a guitar and a few vocals, and it seems promising. However then mid set they totally change format and become a formulaic indie band. This is what often confuses me about some of the "New Rave" bands - this is just indie - albeit wearing matching sports wear. Frankly, I'm disappointed.
Next are Shitdisco, who have already disappointed me with their recorded output. However, live they are brilliant. A great set makes me go back to their recorded stuff and think again.
It's all about the Klaxons however. They tear through opened "The Bouncer" at high speed and don't ever really let up. Whether or not the set had any variations from the one they played at Leeds I couldn't tell you, neither do I care, because it's as flawless and breathless and stupidly ace as that one was. This is the future son, right here. And whilst the do play a mixture of Dance and Indie, the delivery is punk as fuck. Not twatting around, no let up, chaotic, almost falling to bits, brilliant!
After the bands some DJ's take over, clearly indie kids messing about with mid nineties cheesy dance music, not really mixed, more thrown together with current electro and sub techno classics, and it's great fun. One of the Klaxons takes over to DJ later on, the mixing improves even if technically I could stand and be Scottish Craig about it and say that their DJ skills really do leave a lot to be desired - but since I started watching DJ's it's not about the mixing, it's what you play, and this is just good good fun. Like dance music used to be. When it was called rave. Just less drugs, but more glowsticks. Brilliant night out!
Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, August 2006
Mastodon (4) are a band I do like, but opening a festival mainstage with their prog jazz metal noodlings they just sound muddy and baffling. Blood and Thunder is of course excellent, and there are moments of clarity where it all makes sense, but generally it’s too much like hard work, and not a great start. Confusing sums it up.
Far more like it are Killswitch Engage (8), resplendent with comedy ramblings of the guy with the side burns, who is comedy genius. Po faced journos can slag him off in Kerrang all they like, he’s funny and it works. KSE own the stage and are fucking great, Holy Diver is a truly welcome inclusion too.
Tapes and Tapes are a band that there is a huge buzz about on the indie scene, but they sound dull from where I am stood, just outside the tent, and so I don’t venture in. !Forward Russisa! (7) Sound loads better, and whilst we can’t get in the tent, thoughtfully there is a great big screen outside and we watch most of their energetic impassioned show, the best bit being also the worst, when the girl yelps like Paris Hiltons dog. It’s annoying. And half and hour later I want to hear it again.. What’s that about?
You Say Party! We Say Die! (5) start off brilliantly, looking the epitome of cool indie art rock, but 3 songs in I realise all their songs sound exactly the same, and I'm soon bored and heading for the exit.
Having half and hour to fill we venture in to see Lady Soverign (9), we're not expecting much in the way of brilliance, yet brilliant she is. Already the surprise treat of the festival not only does she have the skills to do what she does live, she's got stage presence by the shed full, and some great tunes. Furthermore she uses a band to actually play the songs, as opposed to just rapping over a CD or DAT, which is what a lot of MC's do and are generally pretty dull because of it. You couldn't say that about Lady Sov, and for a 4 foot high teen in a trakkie she's very impressive indeed.
Bullet for my Valentine (7) sound like they have made it, a set of great songs and a good strong show to mark them as definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Slayer (9) do however prove that they are the most metal band on todays line up, the day that is the heaviest of the three this weekend. No "Angel of Death" but then that doesn't really matter, new single "Cult" is stunning as are all the tracks they do play, perhaps the one from God Hates us all that goes "God Hates us alll" and indeed is probably called that, but I can't find my CD, being the best most sacreliciose moment. Bludgeoning and massivly powerfull, and the best band of the day.
We catch some of Lethal Bizzle's (6) set in the rush to make sure we see The Klaxons, and to be fair he sounds well, it's not my bag, but he certainly can flow live as well as he does on Cd, and I look forward to seeing him later with the Rakes. The Klaxons (8) are cracking, opening with their dodgey cover of "The Bouncer" by Kicks like a Mule, we break out the glo sticks and go nuts, this feels like something you'll be able to say "I was there" for. Grace's "Not over yet" is thier other cover and is better than the original, yep, one of the bands for the future.
The Rakes (6) are good but a little un exciting, the strength of their songs carrying them through, but only just, "Retreat" and "Strasburg" being the only real contenders with little in the way of surprises, and they probably should have had another rehersal with Lethal Bizzle for "22 Grand job" as it seemed to go to sleep in the middle.
Final band for the day on Friday for me are Maximo Park (7), it's great to finally hear their album played live, but that's all they've got to offer, good but not great, though to be fair if they'd only played "Going Missing" and "Apply some pressure" I'd have been screaming genius, as those two songs deserve more than a shitty seven n brackets. But hey, if you are sat there cursing me for not watching Pearl Jam, that's fine, sso long as you went to the fest and yu watched them. If you had the weekend off, smoke me.
Saturday starts with a band I've been wanting to see for nigh on two years, The Long Blondes (6). They are god, and sexy, but after such a wait anticipation outweighs end product and only on the superb "Dizzy Stratospheres" do they really meet my expectations.
Panic! at the Disco (9) however blow any preconceptions out of the water. While their album is a case of good, but light, live they perform songs from it with abundant skill and poise, working tracks together beautifully, and throwing in a Radiohead cover and a Smashing Pumpkins one too. Utterly brilliant, if you are busy caring about the fact you don't think they are punk, grow up, they are fucking good, isn't that all that counts?
Later on the it is a case of will Fallout Boy (7) manage to match them. For me Fallout Boy have the better songs, but whilst it is a good show, it's a bit straight forward when i was hoping for a bit more energy. That's not to say they weren't very good, as they were, tight, and with great vocals. It's just Panic! were lots lots better, and the best band of the day.
The Kaiser Chiefs (5) are annoying for a reason I can't put my finger on, perhaps it's the one albumness of it all, and I don't stay for above half of their set Instead I swing by to catch a little of Bodycount (6), who do the job, but can't stop me from going to see Dizzy Rascal. Dizzy Rascal (6) also does the trick, lyrics flowing at high speed to perfection, but it's a case of him, his mate, and a DJ you can't here on stage, with songs being performed over a DAT mix tape. It's clever when he does his own bootlegs, such as "Fix up look sharp" over "Crazy" by Gnarles Berkley, but when he does "I Love you" over a DAT, the answer back lyrics with a recorded female voice cross the line and I leave in disgust. That's not even trying is it?
Franz Ferdinand (7) are good but not headline good, awards for trying but there is nothing epic enough to round the night off properly, so it's fortunate that I also get to catch the last 20 minutes of Sick of it all (7) who are certainly not epic, but punk as fuck and a nice treat for the end of the evening.
Sunday starts off with grindie hero Plan B (9) who reminds you of Eminem before he got shit and boring. Playing his accoustic guitar while spitting his bile infested lyrics such as "I'll stab you in the eye with a birop, the same fucking biro you just used to sign your giro" he's fascinating to watch and a great start for the last day.
Milburn (5) merely serve to make me want to see Arctic Monkeys right now, so off we wander to check another NewYorkshire act, The Cribs (8). Whilst some of their set plods a bit "Mirror kisses" and the awesome "Hey scenester" are so strong that coupled with their numerous Wakefield references make this a great show.
The Futureheads (7) are good enough, strong enough for a mainstage set, and the time of day is right for them too, Maximo Park would have fared well here too. Of course it's all about "Hounds of love" though...
Dirty Pretty Things (8) - Karl Barat's band - are breathtaking, even with the man himself in a sling and a replacement guitarist looking like he's the luckyest man alive. Are you watching Pete?
The Streets (10) are a band one year ago I'd have avoided, and wouldn't I have been quite the fool. Even songs I detest (Dry your eyes mate?) come across brilliantly and Skinner is a legend, a truly engaging cunt of a frontman who rules the weekend with his drug and litter references. Band of the weekend by some way, the Slipknot esq "Go lo" moments - oh yeah he milked it - are as spectacular as the whole show. "Fit but you know it" as the encore gets everyone dancing despite the rain. Decent!
Arctic Monkeys (7) are not as spectacular, but the do a straightforward rock n' roll show that you can't complain about. Very good, though perhaps a bit to "no frills", nevertheless this is no bad thing, they need to show they can rock the mainstage, and they do.
Finally for the weekend it's Muse (?) who start on a (10), but then, almost inevitably the booze and the rest wins, and the memorise become a vague mess of arguments and walking home. What I recall of Muse was near perfection, but then events took over and the second half of their show could have been anything... Still, what a fucking great weekend! If you would like to know what this last bit means read my blog on myspace.com/djtrev or at www.djtrev.co.uk as that is a personal diary of the weekend, with pictures and everything!!