The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth 10th December
When I sneaked into Gallow’s soundcheck last night, Frank Carter was nowhere to be seen (which was a shame, because I was going to ask him for a tattoo). However, the rest of the band from Watford instantly deafened me, and I mean instantly. The sheer sound they produced was like being hit in the face with a giant wok, only more profound - and evil. I rounded to stage front expecting to see the remaining members rocking out and was mildly amused to see them all stood completely still, resembling human-sized monoliths or guards at Buckingham Palace. The truth is, these boys have been on tour for a while now, and as Drummer Lee Barratt told me before the show, they were all extremely tired, trying to save their energy for the gig itself, hence the unanimated soundcheck.
This told me one thing; these boys mean it. And boy did that become clear as they came onstage, virtually breathing fire and blood through a wall of violent intensity. Gallows ripped through their setlist without ever letting up. The crowd went bonkers, and so did the band; with stage dives and bloodied faces, shamelessly screaming and roaring into the faces of those who paid to see them, begging for more. There were walls of death in the crowd, shoes and legs flying everywhere – somewhat resembling and old cartoon fight - you know the ones - just a ball of smoke with arms and legs poking out of it. Carter was mesmerising; the inked - up ginger psycho is the heartbeat of Gallows, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. With that distinctive voice, standout tracks Misery, London is the Reason, The Vulture and In the Belly of a Shark brought a new meaning to the word intense. I left the venue with my ears ringing and my mouth open.
4/5
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Miike Snow - album review
From Columbia to the moon! Straight out of the space-pop stratosphere come’s the self-titled debut album from Miike Snow. The Scandinavian three-piece offer up a lushly uplifting ethereal and electronic experience once the countdown ends and you are shot into outer space.
With weaving synth lines, urgent patch drum grooves and straightforward but strangely effective vocals, Miike Snow’s hooks catch you unawares, despite becoming tedious at times. Standout tracks include the opener Animal, Song For No One and Plastic Jungle. With their crisp production and dreamlike vocal deliveries, they succeed at bringing 80s synth to a new melodic, futuristic age – and there is even a slice of Crystal Castles and Wave Machines thrown in for good measure.
If intense yet spacious landscape electronica is your forte, then this grand offering from Miike Snow will have you sonically blissed-out long after touchdown.
3/5
Ian Easton
With weaving synth lines, urgent patch drum grooves and straightforward but strangely effective vocals, Miike Snow’s hooks catch you unawares, despite becoming tedious at times. Standout tracks include the opener Animal, Song For No One and Plastic Jungle. With their crisp production and dreamlike vocal deliveries, they succeed at bringing 80s synth to a new melodic, futuristic age – and there is even a slice of Crystal Castles and Wave Machines thrown in for good measure.
If intense yet spacious landscape electronica is your forte, then this grand offering from Miike Snow will have you sonically blissed-out long after touchdown.
3/5
Ian Easton
Band of Skulls - album review
After a whirlwind year since signing to the Shangri-La label, Band of Skulls hit the ground running with their debut album, but is it all it’s been hyped up to be?
Having gone from playing club nights in their hometown to touring America, with a few gigs in Moscow and Tokyo in between, the music of Band of Skulls has travelled from Southampton to iTunes at breakneck speed. The hook-driven I Know What I Am was single of the week on iTunes in April, and exposure of their track ‘Friends‘ on the Twilight – New Moon soundtrack has also helped things along nicely. You could say that things are going well.
Although - if I’m completely honest - I had never heard of Band of Skulls until recently, and now I find myself wondering which rock I’ve been living under for the last year. Facepalm! A minor slip you may think, considering when I heard the name Band of Skulls I instantly bracketed them inside some kind of extreme Skank/Grindcore/Death Metal genre. Previously known as Fleeing New York, the band must deliver their new name with a wry smile, because little did we know, we have a gem of a band here. Discovering their true musical identity is like uncovering a thousand-year old Inca relic and taking it to the Antiques Road show – yes, it’s that special.
Band of Skulls are a reminder of our digital, disposable age; demonstrating that an album can be successful - through the correct marketing and promotion - when sold on an almost exclusively digital format. Their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey also sounds exactly like you might think - which is playfully ironic. It is pure Rock ‘n’ Roll; raw, badass, sexy, and melodic. At times it’s euphoric and powerful, at others it’s whimsical and unkempt. At all times it’s brilliant, with the duo vocals from guitarist Russell Marsden and bassist Emma Richardson reaching some spine-tingling moments in standout tracks Fires, Patterns, I Know What I Am and Honest. With three songwriters in the band, BOS have access to endless melodic possibilities, and the album sure is an exhibition of that fact.
You will find it hard to find another debut album with such an astounding and complete collection of songs this year, besides Fleet Foxes, The Dead Weather and Mumford and Sons (all with obscure names as well, might I add). Band of Skulls repertoire reads like a who’s-who of classic rock/alternative influence, yet each song is wax-stamped with their own unique identity and a modern twist. This one’s a keeper.
4/5
Ian Easton
December 2009
Having gone from playing club nights in their hometown to touring America, with a few gigs in Moscow and Tokyo in between, the music of Band of Skulls has travelled from Southampton to iTunes at breakneck speed. The hook-driven I Know What I Am was single of the week on iTunes in April, and exposure of their track ‘Friends‘ on the Twilight – New Moon soundtrack has also helped things along nicely. You could say that things are going well.
Although - if I’m completely honest - I had never heard of Band of Skulls until recently, and now I find myself wondering which rock I’ve been living under for the last year. Facepalm! A minor slip you may think, considering when I heard the name Band of Skulls I instantly bracketed them inside some kind of extreme Skank/Grindcore/Death Metal genre. Previously known as Fleeing New York, the band must deliver their new name with a wry smile, because little did we know, we have a gem of a band here. Discovering their true musical identity is like uncovering a thousand-year old Inca relic and taking it to the Antiques Road show – yes, it’s that special.
Band of Skulls are a reminder of our digital, disposable age; demonstrating that an album can be successful - through the correct marketing and promotion - when sold on an almost exclusively digital format. Their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey also sounds exactly like you might think - which is playfully ironic. It is pure Rock ‘n’ Roll; raw, badass, sexy, and melodic. At times it’s euphoric and powerful, at others it’s whimsical and unkempt. At all times it’s brilliant, with the duo vocals from guitarist Russell Marsden and bassist Emma Richardson reaching some spine-tingling moments in standout tracks Fires, Patterns, I Know What I Am and Honest. With three songwriters in the band, BOS have access to endless melodic possibilities, and the album sure is an exhibition of that fact.
You will find it hard to find another debut album with such an astounding and complete collection of songs this year, besides Fleet Foxes, The Dead Weather and Mumford and Sons (all with obscure names as well, might I add). Band of Skulls repertoire reads like a who’s-who of classic rock/alternative influence, yet each song is wax-stamped with their own unique identity and a modern twist. This one’s a keeper.
4/5
Ian Easton
December 2009
Lé Martells; from Solent to the stars?
Do ‘music career’ courses really work? Is the craft of making money from music something that can be taught, and are there pitfalls? Ian Easton talks to Solent University-bred band Lé Martells to find out.
If you take the long walk through the history of popular music, you will find it easy to cherry-pick one or two shining stars. However, what tends to be overlooked on the cultural music and media landscape is the struggle bands/artists have had to go through in order for their music to become recognised to the world. The discipline they set as a prerequisite and the sacrifices they make are things that most people are unaware of.
Now, some bands and artists are blessed with a little help from people in the industry. The number of music and music industry-based degrees on offer to the public is becoming astronomical, and to be quite frank, it has to be. In an age where anyone and everyone can play the guitar and get their music onto the worldwide web, it is ever more crucial for artists and bands alike to be able to stand tall in a room full of sheep.
Enter Lé Martells, a four-piece guitar-based pop-rock band formed in 2006 at Southampton’s Solent University. Drummer Jon Cox is full of praise for what Solent University has done for the band, from free rehearsal space to forwarding the band for Island Record’s 50th Anniversary Unsigned Act competition, in which they reached the final. ‘Island requested demos and we got into the top 10 from around 450. We were then asked to go and showcase our music in London. We absolutely nailed it and we got a fair few compliments by their A&R staff. In the end we didn't win but was still great to go to London representing the university and playing one of the best performances to date.’
All four members of LM are currently completing their final year at Solent, studying the Popular Music Performance course there. The PMP course aims to give bands the tools they need to make the grade on a professional level. Taught by established lecturers armed to the teeth with vast amounts of industry experience such as Patrick Ainsworth - Ainsworth is a senior lecturer on Solent’s PMP course - LM intend to make that grade. ‘It’s not just about giving them help on the industry, it’s about taking apart classic songs, and thinking about why and how they were performed and recorded like that. We’ll ask why certain guitar sounds are good to use, or why is a song written in a particular way. There is a lot of theory as well as the advice on the industry,’ reveals Ainsworth.
The evidence is there that Solent University and others like it can offer important opportunities to bands and artists studying their courses. The knowledge and knowhow provided by lecturers is invaluable, yet it is still down to bands like Lé Martells to make the grade on their own talent and determination, as is true for every other band or artist in history. Whether LM can progress from here and become pop-rock avatars is now down to them. Solent University can lead them to water...and well, you know the rest.
Ian Easton
December 2009
If you take the long walk through the history of popular music, you will find it easy to cherry-pick one or two shining stars. However, what tends to be overlooked on the cultural music and media landscape is the struggle bands/artists have had to go through in order for their music to become recognised to the world. The discipline they set as a prerequisite and the sacrifices they make are things that most people are unaware of.
Now, some bands and artists are blessed with a little help from people in the industry. The number of music and music industry-based degrees on offer to the public is becoming astronomical, and to be quite frank, it has to be. In an age where anyone and everyone can play the guitar and get their music onto the worldwide web, it is ever more crucial for artists and bands alike to be able to stand tall in a room full of sheep.
Enter Lé Martells, a four-piece guitar-based pop-rock band formed in 2006 at Southampton’s Solent University. Drummer Jon Cox is full of praise for what Solent University has done for the band, from free rehearsal space to forwarding the band for Island Record’s 50th Anniversary Unsigned Act competition, in which they reached the final. ‘Island requested demos and we got into the top 10 from around 450. We were then asked to go and showcase our music in London. We absolutely nailed it and we got a fair few compliments by their A&R staff. In the end we didn't win but was still great to go to London representing the university and playing one of the best performances to date.’
All four members of LM are currently completing their final year at Solent, studying the Popular Music Performance course there. The PMP course aims to give bands the tools they need to make the grade on a professional level. Taught by established lecturers armed to the teeth with vast amounts of industry experience such as Patrick Ainsworth - Ainsworth is a senior lecturer on Solent’s PMP course - LM intend to make that grade. ‘It’s not just about giving them help on the industry, it’s about taking apart classic songs, and thinking about why and how they were performed and recorded like that. We’ll ask why certain guitar sounds are good to use, or why is a song written in a particular way. There is a lot of theory as well as the advice on the industry,’ reveals Ainsworth.
The evidence is there that Solent University and others like it can offer important opportunities to bands and artists studying their courses. The knowledge and knowhow provided by lecturers is invaluable, yet it is still down to bands like Lé Martells to make the grade on their own talent and determination, as is true for every other band or artist in history. Whether LM can progress from here and become pop-rock avatars is now down to them. Solent University can lead them to water...and well, you know the rest.
Ian Easton
December 2009
Saturday 10 October 2009
Mumford & Sons, The Talking Heads, 08.10.2009
Well, apparently they they’re coming to the end of a long tour, and are very tired indeed. You could have fooled me. This barn dance is packed to the rafters and good on Mumford and Sons for putting everything into it.
Standing two feet away from Marcus Mumford, it is clear to see the frontman is brimming with talent. Whilst subjecting the crowd with his cold gaze, not even breaking a string in the first song can put him off his stride, his voice is in tune and full of raw fire and passion. This band is tight, and all the back-slapping that has occurred during 2009 is deserved. This team of new hip and young folksters sure know how to spin a tale or two, and people seem to want to join the ride.
Now there is no getting away from it, M&S are taking an important step into the spotlight now that people are finally starting to listen after two years of touring and promoting. They have risen from the much talked about ‘anti-folk’ scene and brought their music to the forefront of the media gaze. They are plastered everywhere you turn now; Myspace, Amazon, iTunes to name but three. Banjos and upright Double Basses seem to be the new black and the big money-making machines are right behind that. Will the spotlight change them, now that they have signed to major label Island Universal? Who knows - it is clear that their debut album ‘Sigh No More’ is far more polished than their previous two EPs. However, does this mean we can automatically categorise them as being mainstream? I don’t think so. These guys thrive on breaking down genre barriers, and they are doing that tonight with foot stomps, hand claps and ‘yeehaas’ galore!
Standout songs include album title track and gig opener Sigh No More, the gloriously uplifting Little Lion Man, the almost euphoric Roll Away Your Stone and the emotional The Cave. A blistering set by a group of men on a mission.
What a breath of fresh air, I needed that.
Standing two feet away from Marcus Mumford, it is clear to see the frontman is brimming with talent. Whilst subjecting the crowd with his cold gaze, not even breaking a string in the first song can put him off his stride, his voice is in tune and full of raw fire and passion. This band is tight, and all the back-slapping that has occurred during 2009 is deserved. This team of new hip and young folksters sure know how to spin a tale or two, and people seem to want to join the ride.
Now there is no getting away from it, M&S are taking an important step into the spotlight now that people are finally starting to listen after two years of touring and promoting. They have risen from the much talked about ‘anti-folk’ scene and brought their music to the forefront of the media gaze. They are plastered everywhere you turn now; Myspace, Amazon, iTunes to name but three. Banjos and upright Double Basses seem to be the new black and the big money-making machines are right behind that. Will the spotlight change them, now that they have signed to major label Island Universal? Who knows - it is clear that their debut album ‘Sigh No More’ is far more polished than their previous two EPs. However, does this mean we can automatically categorise them as being mainstream? I don’t think so. These guys thrive on breaking down genre barriers, and they are doing that tonight with foot stomps, hand claps and ‘yeehaas’ galore!
Standout songs include album title track and gig opener Sigh No More, the gloriously uplifting Little Lion Man, the almost euphoric Roll Away Your Stone and the emotional The Cave. A blistering set by a group of men on a mission.
What a breath of fresh air, I needed that.
Glade Festival steals the mantle
What: Glade Festival ‘09
When: 16-19 July, 2009
Where: Matterley Bowl, Nr. Winchester
Spread the word like wildfire, okay? This is the message Glade festival has been peppering out to all four corners of the UK since becoming a festival in its own right in 2004. Originating as one stage at Glastonbury Festival, interest in the open-air electronic music festival has shot through the atmosphere in recent years, and it appears that it has now found its home in the site of Matterley Bowl, near Winchester (formerly the home of Homelands Festival).
As you enter the made-for-electronic-music amphitheatre, you can feel the electronic vibe and grassroots history through the basslines shuddering the ground. However, Glade Festival has more to offer than Homelands ever did. With the now-iconic Glade stage, Avalon, Vapor, Carmageddon, the mesmeric Arcadia and Pussy Parlure still featuring, there is enough to keep you going all night.
Solent University do a sterling job this year on bringing the Solent Stage to the forefront of the must-see list of every punter. This success is a credit to the crew workers/students and lecturers alike. A truly professional job, here’s to 2010!
Underworld, Booka Shade and Squarepusher headline this year, bringing the largest crowds from the 16,000 or so ravers, but another act not to be missed is Venetian Snares – wow. With more chillout areas than ever before and fireballs and shooting stars galore, Glade Festival in 2009 is a new, futuristic wonderland in Electronic Music exhibition. There is something for everyone here, and it is this diversity that will keep ravers coming back year after year, forevermore. This festival is a serious party.
Laughing Gas, anyone?
When: 16-19 July, 2009
Where: Matterley Bowl, Nr. Winchester
Spread the word like wildfire, okay? This is the message Glade festival has been peppering out to all four corners of the UK since becoming a festival in its own right in 2004. Originating as one stage at Glastonbury Festival, interest in the open-air electronic music festival has shot through the atmosphere in recent years, and it appears that it has now found its home in the site of Matterley Bowl, near Winchester (formerly the home of Homelands Festival).
As you enter the made-for-electronic-music amphitheatre, you can feel the electronic vibe and grassroots history through the basslines shuddering the ground. However, Glade Festival has more to offer than Homelands ever did. With the now-iconic Glade stage, Avalon, Vapor, Carmageddon, the mesmeric Arcadia and Pussy Parlure still featuring, there is enough to keep you going all night.
Solent University do a sterling job this year on bringing the Solent Stage to the forefront of the must-see list of every punter. This success is a credit to the crew workers/students and lecturers alike. A truly professional job, here’s to 2010!
Underworld, Booka Shade and Squarepusher headline this year, bringing the largest crowds from the 16,000 or so ravers, but another act not to be missed is Venetian Snares – wow. With more chillout areas than ever before and fireballs and shooting stars galore, Glade Festival in 2009 is a new, futuristic wonderland in Electronic Music exhibition. There is something for everyone here, and it is this diversity that will keep ravers coming back year after year, forevermore. This festival is a serious party.
Laughing Gas, anyone?
Super Furry Animals interview/feature for Blissfields Festival
TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
They may not DJ at festivals in their tank anymore, but Saturday night
headliners SUPER FURRY ANIMALS are still up for the free party vibe of Blissfields. Ian Easton checks out their armoury…
Not being ones to shy away from a good party, yet still absolved from the
tank-raving-festival days of the mid nineties, Welsh rockers Super Furry
Animals have had a splendid start to 2009. With positive reviews on their
9th studio album, Dark Days/Light Years, the quintet has a busy summer
ahead, with roughly less than a single working week off between now and
September.
So is there any chance of the band raving inside a tank at Blissfields?
‘Haha no! Back in ’96, we had a tank - or an armoured vehicle - for the
summer.’ Says Super Furries bandmember Cian. ‘We took it round various
festivals like Reading and some others that don’t exist anymore.
Glastonbury wasn’t on that year, but I think we did about six or seven
festivals that summer. We’d sort of park on site and then we’d get some
decks inside and drive around partying!’
Its fair to say that the Super Furry Animals have had their fair share
of festival experiences, both big and small, but what does it mean to them
as a band to headline an independent festival such as Blissfields? Cian
continues, ‘Festivals for me have changed a lot – Glastonbury being one of
the more notable ones. At independent festivals, you can’t make for a
better vibe, because it’s like a private party y’know? Everyone who is
there is up for it. It’s more of a family affair. Well, a musical family
anyway, haha.’
So, with a headlining slot at Blissfields in the midst of their busiest
summer for some years, this promises to be a great chance to catch the epic
Super Furry Animals on top of their game. Not to be missed.
Super Furry Animals are on stage at 9.30pm on Saturday night.
Their latest album Dark Days/Light Years is out now. Buy it from their
website www.superfurry.com
They may not DJ at festivals in their tank anymore, but Saturday night
headliners SUPER FURRY ANIMALS are still up for the free party vibe of Blissfields. Ian Easton checks out their armoury…
Not being ones to shy away from a good party, yet still absolved from the
tank-raving-festival days of the mid nineties, Welsh rockers Super Furry
Animals have had a splendid start to 2009. With positive reviews on their
9th studio album, Dark Days/Light Years, the quintet has a busy summer
ahead, with roughly less than a single working week off between now and
September.
So is there any chance of the band raving inside a tank at Blissfields?
‘Haha no! Back in ’96, we had a tank - or an armoured vehicle - for the
summer.’ Says Super Furries bandmember Cian. ‘We took it round various
festivals like Reading and some others that don’t exist anymore.
Glastonbury wasn’t on that year, but I think we did about six or seven
festivals that summer. We’d sort of park on site and then we’d get some
decks inside and drive around partying!’
Its fair to say that the Super Furry Animals have had their fair share
of festival experiences, both big and small, but what does it mean to them
as a band to headline an independent festival such as Blissfields? Cian
continues, ‘Festivals for me have changed a lot – Glastonbury being one of
the more notable ones. At independent festivals, you can’t make for a
better vibe, because it’s like a private party y’know? Everyone who is
there is up for it. It’s more of a family affair. Well, a musical family
anyway, haha.’
So, with a headlining slot at Blissfields in the midst of their busiest
summer for some years, this promises to be a great chance to catch the epic
Super Furry Animals on top of their game. Not to be missed.
Super Furry Animals are on stage at 9.30pm on Saturday night.
Their latest album Dark Days/Light Years is out now. Buy it from their
website www.superfurry.com
Laura Marling interview/feature, for Blissfields Festival
LAURA MARLING takes a break from recording her new album to make a
close-nit relationship with the Blissfields crowd. Ian Easton got her thoughts on her much anticipated headline slot.
From Laura Marling’s perspective, could 2009 possibly top 2008? A year that served up a Mercury Award nomination and a cracking debut album that succeeded in shooting her to the forefront of the folk media spotlight? Well, with the recording of her new album underway, the current darling and alpha female of the English folk resurgence is setting her sights even higher it may seem. Yet in the midst of all the limelight, she remains humble – an attribute that aided her rise to fame in the first place.
Whilst being very excited about her headline slot at Blissfields, LM concedes that she is not one for attending festivals herself, ‘I have to admit that I would never go to a festival by choice, they absolutely terrify me!’ she laughs, when I asked if she is attending any festivals as a fan. Saying that, she is excited about the crowd atmosphere at Blissfields, ‘It’s funny for me because I have to strain quite a lot to be heard. I have to shout a lot louder and play the guitar a lot harder, so it’s a little different. Although its worth adjusting to I think, for the benefit of playing to lots of people from around the country all at once.’
Off the back of a recent European tour with Andrew Bird and his band, the endearing-and-wise-beyond-her-years Miss Marling has set aside time from a schedule of recording, nitting and reading P.G Wodehouse books for this special headline slot. Sure to showcase some new songs from her as yet untitled new album, Laura Marling is set to enchant us with the darkly humourous songwriting style that was fundamental in her rise as the current ‘queen of folk’. This one’s a keeper.
Laura Marlng is on stage at 9.30pm on Friday night.
Her latest album Alas, I Cannot Swim is out now. Buy it from her website www.lauramarling.com
close-nit relationship with the Blissfields crowd. Ian Easton got her thoughts on her much anticipated headline slot.
From Laura Marling’s perspective, could 2009 possibly top 2008? A year that served up a Mercury Award nomination and a cracking debut album that succeeded in shooting her to the forefront of the folk media spotlight? Well, with the recording of her new album underway, the current darling and alpha female of the English folk resurgence is setting her sights even higher it may seem. Yet in the midst of all the limelight, she remains humble – an attribute that aided her rise to fame in the first place.
Whilst being very excited about her headline slot at Blissfields, LM concedes that she is not one for attending festivals herself, ‘I have to admit that I would never go to a festival by choice, they absolutely terrify me!’ she laughs, when I asked if she is attending any festivals as a fan. Saying that, she is excited about the crowd atmosphere at Blissfields, ‘It’s funny for me because I have to strain quite a lot to be heard. I have to shout a lot louder and play the guitar a lot harder, so it’s a little different. Although its worth adjusting to I think, for the benefit of playing to lots of people from around the country all at once.’
Off the back of a recent European tour with Andrew Bird and his band, the endearing-and-wise-beyond-her-years Miss Marling has set aside time from a schedule of recording, nitting and reading P.G Wodehouse books for this special headline slot. Sure to showcase some new songs from her as yet untitled new album, Laura Marling is set to enchant us with the darkly humourous songwriting style that was fundamental in her rise as the current ‘queen of folk’. This one’s a keeper.
Laura Marlng is on stage at 9.30pm on Friday night.
Her latest album Alas, I Cannot Swim is out now. Buy it from her website www.lauramarling.com
WE’RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER - Blissfields festival - published in festival programme
Blissfields Festival is paving the way for a hungry pack of up-and-coming independent festivals. Ian Easton examines what it means to be independent, and why Blissfields Festival is the leading example of that exclusive niche.
So, you have V Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Download Festival and Reading/Leeds Festivals - what of it? These are branding festivals, moneymaking whirlpools displaying massive advertisements and keeping punters enclosed by intimidating and impenetrable fences. Do you want to be a cog in that corporate advertising machine?
Sneaking in through the backdoor across the country is a range of smaller, non-branding, independent festivals that are quickly becoming highly celebrated for being closer to the original grass-roots spirit of a music festival. That is where you want to be, and that is where you are. Welcome to Blissfields festival.
If you look at the short forty-year history of music festivals, you can see a changing trend over time. It may be hard to believe but Reading festival was once a blues and jazz festival, which only later morphed into a heavy metal festival. Festivals began as small gatherings of people, sometimes less than 100 strong. These gatherings took place in the countryside, keeping any brick cityscapes with concrete carpets at arms length. They brought with them a feeling of exclusivity for those attending, for they were of the select few who were there to experience those magical events in time.
There has always been independent festivals, yet it is the recent rise of independent festivals that may overtake the cult status of indie-turned-commercial festivals. Some say it is the spirit pooled together from promoters and artists wanting to bring something authentic to the forefront of festival-goer’s minds. Yes I say, this may be so, but what is it exactly that is bringing events such as Blissfields to the forefront of the independent festival infrastructure?
After only an eight-year existence, Blissfields produces that so sought after feeling of a communal counterculture. The winner of 2007’s Best Small UK festival award boasts some of the best independent artists on the market, and since 2001 fans and artists alike have been brought together by word of mouth and ingenuity. Blissfields is an independent music festival that has grown from a single nucleus of friends, an idea brought to fruition through a dream and success. How Blissfields has booked acts such as The Super Furry Animals, Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons in 2009 is a credit to its cult status and the fantastic name it has gotten itself over the last eight years.
So what does it mean to fans attending an independent festival such as Blissfields? It lets us distance ourselves from the transnational corporate festival machines raking in revenue. It lets us escape to something authentic, something grass roots that is truer to the original spirit of festivals of yesteryear. It is a return to true festival form in every aspect. These are positive times, with Blissfields paving the way and spreading the word about the independent festival again, at last. Never forget that right now Blissfields has a modest capacity of 3,000, giving it that illustrious and sought-after air of a private party. Those who are here should be honoured and excited, because who knows, in forty years time you could be saying ‘I was there!’
So, you have V Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Download Festival and Reading/Leeds Festivals - what of it? These are branding festivals, moneymaking whirlpools displaying massive advertisements and keeping punters enclosed by intimidating and impenetrable fences. Do you want to be a cog in that corporate advertising machine?
Sneaking in through the backdoor across the country is a range of smaller, non-branding, independent festivals that are quickly becoming highly celebrated for being closer to the original grass-roots spirit of a music festival. That is where you want to be, and that is where you are. Welcome to Blissfields festival.
If you look at the short forty-year history of music festivals, you can see a changing trend over time. It may be hard to believe but Reading festival was once a blues and jazz festival, which only later morphed into a heavy metal festival. Festivals began as small gatherings of people, sometimes less than 100 strong. These gatherings took place in the countryside, keeping any brick cityscapes with concrete carpets at arms length. They brought with them a feeling of exclusivity for those attending, for they were of the select few who were there to experience those magical events in time.
There has always been independent festivals, yet it is the recent rise of independent festivals that may overtake the cult status of indie-turned-commercial festivals. Some say it is the spirit pooled together from promoters and artists wanting to bring something authentic to the forefront of festival-goer’s minds. Yes I say, this may be so, but what is it exactly that is bringing events such as Blissfields to the forefront of the independent festival infrastructure?
After only an eight-year existence, Blissfields produces that so sought after feeling of a communal counterculture. The winner of 2007’s Best Small UK festival award boasts some of the best independent artists on the market, and since 2001 fans and artists alike have been brought together by word of mouth and ingenuity. Blissfields is an independent music festival that has grown from a single nucleus of friends, an idea brought to fruition through a dream and success. How Blissfields has booked acts such as The Super Furry Animals, Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons in 2009 is a credit to its cult status and the fantastic name it has gotten itself over the last eight years.
So what does it mean to fans attending an independent festival such as Blissfields? It lets us distance ourselves from the transnational corporate festival machines raking in revenue. It lets us escape to something authentic, something grass roots that is truer to the original spirit of festivals of yesteryear. It is a return to true festival form in every aspect. These are positive times, with Blissfields paving the way and spreading the word about the independent festival again, at last. Never forget that right now Blissfields has a modest capacity of 3,000, giving it that illustrious and sought-after air of a private party. Those who are here should be honoured and excited, because who knows, in forty years time you could be saying ‘I was there!’
City and Colour, Bring Me Your Love - album review
If you had only heard City and Colour’s debut album, you could almost be forgiven for presuming that listening to too much of the new album would send you into an irreversible melancholic emotional daze. Your life would be filled with heartache and sorrow, bookended with beautiful prose and wistful metaphor. You would be completely misunderstood and looked down upon by a far too narrow-minded society. You would want to get impromptu tattoos on your neck and walk through town with your hood up claiming that no-one understands you or what your music means to you.
Ah, the classic teenage guise; Dallas Green’s Bring Me Your Love is the perfect soundtrack for such a state of mind. However, there may be a little more under the bonnet of this beat up Cadillac than just offshoot Emo acoustic songs to feel sorry for yourself to. Since embarking on his solo journey, City and Colour’s Dallas Green seems to have matured; Bring Me Your Love is a far-cry from 2005’s two-dimensional debut album Sometimes.
The songs still portray the same troubled and heartbroken man we have met before, but there is something different here. Something which was lurking in the shadows before has now come into the light and shown its face. That something is fantastic songs. Now, coupled with one of the most beautiful male voices of a generation, this gives us one heck of an album. Interweaving harmonies and luscious guitar melodies sprinkle this album with a consummate sheen of dynamic that was much needed and missing before. Standout tracks Confessions, Waiting, The Girl, and As Much as I Ever Could make this album stand tall in a room full of people on their knees. A classic in the making, this one’s a keeper. Now where’s my hoodie…?
Ah, the classic teenage guise; Dallas Green’s Bring Me Your Love is the perfect soundtrack for such a state of mind. However, there may be a little more under the bonnet of this beat up Cadillac than just offshoot Emo acoustic songs to feel sorry for yourself to. Since embarking on his solo journey, City and Colour’s Dallas Green seems to have matured; Bring Me Your Love is a far-cry from 2005’s two-dimensional debut album Sometimes.
The songs still portray the same troubled and heartbroken man we have met before, but there is something different here. Something which was lurking in the shadows before has now come into the light and shown its face. That something is fantastic songs. Now, coupled with one of the most beautiful male voices of a generation, this gives us one heck of an album. Interweaving harmonies and luscious guitar melodies sprinkle this album with a consummate sheen of dynamic that was much needed and missing before. Standout tracks Confessions, Waiting, The Girl, and As Much as I Ever Could make this album stand tall in a room full of people on their knees. A classic in the making, this one’s a keeper. Now where’s my hoodie…?
Jay Jay Pistolet, Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
A swift set from Jay Jay Pistolet was the warm up for Laura Marling tonight. The solo singer-songwriter only played five or six songs but still managed to keep the slightly-rowdy crowd quiet for a few of them. Through a vintage microphone (taped hurriedly to the microphone stand five minutes before) his vocals sounded straight out of a post-war vinyl recording, and the songs from his Happy Birthday You EP really captured my imagination on fireworks night.
The funny thing is that there was nothing new or even fresh about his approach to singing, or even his songs, but that does not necessarily mean it was poor or unimaginative. He has clearly borrowed the best parts from a lot of his folk peers, but moulded them into his own style, and I was left thinking ‘this bloke has something rather unique and special’. This snippet of a set was just the injection of acoustic-folk ballads I needed to get me into the mood for the main event.
JJP has an array of endearing onstage habits. In between songs he comes across so painfully shy that it could be confused with a form of autism or mental problem. His disheveled and shy demeanor caught the eye of most around me, and for someone who was relatively unknown to most of us there; he achieved a collective top-marks score!
Monday 2 March 2009
Peter Doherty - Grace/Wastelands album review
At a time where the music media is filled with the ‘will they/won’t they’ hope of a Libertines reformation, eye-of-the-storm Peter Doherty has coolly released his most ruthless album to date. So apologies folks, but he hasn’t pressed the ‘self destruct’ button just yet.
Filled with the ambience of lost dreams in albion, Peter’s suprisingly atmospheric masterpiece Grace/Wastelands springs forth images of him beavering away in that broken mansion of his, on songs which might just bring him back from the brink of ruin.
Grace/Wastelands seems quite samey on first listen, but make no mistake, Doherty is the master of writing the ‘grower’. After a few listens your ears become exquisitely attuned to his key changes and sombre vocal tones which gives you the well-earned opportunity to sit back and enjoy his exhibition of mesmeric acoustic songwriting. Exploring new avenues of songwriting but also keeping a firm hold of his unique throwaway offbeat strumming style, the album is not as stripped back as you might expect.
Recorded at Olympic Studios in London by legendary producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur), Grace/Wastelands features a few collaborations including Dot Allison, who co-wrote and provides vocals on the wistful Sheepskin Tearaway. Peter’s Babyshambles band mates, Mik Whitnall, Adam Ficek and Drew McConnell also contribute to tracks on the album. Another fresh surprise is the accompanyment by Graham Coxon on guitar. As Peter explains, “Graham Coxon ended up playing on most tracks. He was probably in the studio more than I was, to be honest. I was absolutely horrified when he said he was actually a fan of some of the things I’ve done.”
The truth of the matter is, this is Peter’s most diverse, atmospheric album to date. A far cry from the frantic Babyshambles style. It is ruthless and kind, whisking pirate, jive and doo-wop influences into a melting pot of vintage Doherty ambles. Grace/Wastelands is sure to win over any doubters of this man’s ability to write and perform, as Peter continues, “I’m really curious to find out what people honestly think of the songs, particularly critics, because in a way you can kind of bank on certain people’s opinions, you know? You know that if someone’s into you then they’re into you, whereas critics are gonna look at it less subjectively and pick holes if you like. That’s what I’m waiting for really.”
Most of the songs have been played live or been leaked in demo form, but here they are in all their livery:
ArcardieLast Of The English Roses1939 ReturningA Little Death Around The EyesSalomeThrough The Looking GlassSweet By and ByPalace Of BoneSheepskin TearawayBroken Love SongNew Love Grows on TreesLady, Don’t Fall Backwards
The first single from the album is one of the standout songs, Last of the English Roses, which is out on 9 March (watch the video above). In truth there isn’t a bad song on the album. The sheer quality of songwriting, execution and production is remarkable. Although if I had to pick favourites, 1939 Returning, Salome, I Am the Rain and New Love Grows on Trees would be my choice.
Do not miss this album, for it is Peter Doherty back on form and at his very best. He may have been caught behind enemy lines, but make no mistake; Peter Doherty is now on a one way road back to Blighty.
Filled with the ambience of lost dreams in albion, Peter’s suprisingly atmospheric masterpiece Grace/Wastelands springs forth images of him beavering away in that broken mansion of his, on songs which might just bring him back from the brink of ruin.
Grace/Wastelands seems quite samey on first listen, but make no mistake, Doherty is the master of writing the ‘grower’. After a few listens your ears become exquisitely attuned to his key changes and sombre vocal tones which gives you the well-earned opportunity to sit back and enjoy his exhibition of mesmeric acoustic songwriting. Exploring new avenues of songwriting but also keeping a firm hold of his unique throwaway offbeat strumming style, the album is not as stripped back as you might expect.
Recorded at Olympic Studios in London by legendary producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur), Grace/Wastelands features a few collaborations including Dot Allison, who co-wrote and provides vocals on the wistful Sheepskin Tearaway. Peter’s Babyshambles band mates, Mik Whitnall, Adam Ficek and Drew McConnell also contribute to tracks on the album. Another fresh surprise is the accompanyment by Graham Coxon on guitar. As Peter explains, “Graham Coxon ended up playing on most tracks. He was probably in the studio more than I was, to be honest. I was absolutely horrified when he said he was actually a fan of some of the things I’ve done.”
The truth of the matter is, this is Peter’s most diverse, atmospheric album to date. A far cry from the frantic Babyshambles style. It is ruthless and kind, whisking pirate, jive and doo-wop influences into a melting pot of vintage Doherty ambles. Grace/Wastelands is sure to win over any doubters of this man’s ability to write and perform, as Peter continues, “I’m really curious to find out what people honestly think of the songs, particularly critics, because in a way you can kind of bank on certain people’s opinions, you know? You know that if someone’s into you then they’re into you, whereas critics are gonna look at it less subjectively and pick holes if you like. That’s what I’m waiting for really.”
Most of the songs have been played live or been leaked in demo form, but here they are in all their livery:
ArcardieLast Of The English Roses1939 ReturningA Little Death Around The EyesSalomeThrough The Looking GlassSweet By and ByPalace Of BoneSheepskin TearawayBroken Love SongNew Love Grows on TreesLady, Don’t Fall Backwards
The first single from the album is one of the standout songs, Last of the English Roses, which is out on 9 March (watch the video above). In truth there isn’t a bad song on the album. The sheer quality of songwriting, execution and production is remarkable. Although if I had to pick favourites, 1939 Returning, Salome, I Am the Rain and New Love Grows on Trees would be my choice.
Do not miss this album, for it is Peter Doherty back on form and at his very best. He may have been caught behind enemy lines, but make no mistake; Peter Doherty is now on a one way road back to Blighty.
Friday 27 February 2009
Howling Bells - Radio Wars Album Review
G’day folks! Howling Bells have succeeded in expanding their range of melancholy graininess into a forte of songwriting which is both formidable and peculiar. Radio Wars showcases some of the old genius from their self-titled debut album, yet also imbeds new and unexplored shades of beautiful darkness into their style. The first album was certainly not a one-off then.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Juanita Stein’s sumptuous and wistful voice is like melting chocolate throughout Radio Wars. Gee, I could listen to her voice for hours. However, it is that voice bookended with clever lyrics and unexpected guitar hooks that makes this album so listener friendly, maybe more so than their first album. It may be slightly less intense and more diluted, but I have a feeling this will draw more listeners, hmm. The masses need pleasing folks, and Howling Bells are pulling out all the stops to do just that.
The spectrum of Australian rock is growing ever wider with the psychedelic timewarp that is Tame Impala on the west coast and Howling Bells on the east. It’s all positive stuff - along with many other bands coming out of the woodwork on the far side of the world, it’s like a pleasant burst of hot air in the face to see a resurgence of good guitar-based rock bands coming into the fray from anywhere other than the UK and USA.
So, Howling Bells have still got the attitude and the songs. They paint their music on a technicolour canvass of love and loss and create a dreamlike outback landscape that you can lose yourself in for fifty minutes. They are possibly the best thing to come out of Australia since Nicole Kidman. Nice work!
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Juanita Stein’s sumptuous and wistful voice is like melting chocolate throughout Radio Wars. Gee, I could listen to her voice for hours. However, it is that voice bookended with clever lyrics and unexpected guitar hooks that makes this album so listener friendly, maybe more so than their first album. It may be slightly less intense and more diluted, but I have a feeling this will draw more listeners, hmm. The masses need pleasing folks, and Howling Bells are pulling out all the stops to do just that.
The spectrum of Australian rock is growing ever wider with the psychedelic timewarp that is Tame Impala on the west coast and Howling Bells on the east. It’s all positive stuff - along with many other bands coming out of the woodwork on the far side of the world, it’s like a pleasant burst of hot air in the face to see a resurgence of good guitar-based rock bands coming into the fray from anywhere other than the UK and USA.
So, Howling Bells have still got the attitude and the songs. They paint their music on a technicolour canvass of love and loss and create a dreamlike outback landscape that you can lose yourself in for fifty minutes. They are possibly the best thing to come out of Australia since Nicole Kidman. Nice work!
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Hot Leg - Red Light Fever review & interview with Justin Hawkins
Never judge a book by its cover, for falsetto-voiced-boy-wonder Justin Hawkins has created something very much like his previous stadium-filling band The Darkness, only better. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Hot Leg. I thought I told you never to judge a book by its cover?
Spandex leotards have been demoted in favour of attire that would be more at home on Centre Court in W1, and Hot Leg has certainly served up a few aces here. And yes, I am being serious!
Hot Leg’s debut album Red Light Fever - released 9th February - is a return to rock god form with classic blues rock licks stimulating your musical clitoris mercilessly throughout.
Hawkins’ larynx has been rested over the last year or two, but it gets a good workout throughout the album. His impeccable high-pitched wails intertwine with trademark over-the-top guitar solos like never before, and from the first listen it certainly does sound like a return to form. Debut single I’ve Met Jesus is a scorcher of a song, but will Hot Leg always be compared to The Darkness? I recently caught up with Justin to ask him just that, and his response was positive:
‘We have just started in this band so the only thing people have to compare us to are The Darkness,’ he said. ‘However we are our own animal and I think eventually the comparisons will stop.
‘We have more drive and more focus, and the songs are more channelled to the ‘Man Rock’ vibe we’re giving out. I think we are better all round. I really do.’
Man Rock vibe? Red Light Fever is set to take spring by storm and if they live up to the hype and the songs, it will be game, set and match. 7 /10
Spandex leotards have been demoted in favour of attire that would be more at home on Centre Court in W1, and Hot Leg has certainly served up a few aces here. And yes, I am being serious!
Hot Leg’s debut album Red Light Fever - released 9th February - is a return to rock god form with classic blues rock licks stimulating your musical clitoris mercilessly throughout.
Hawkins’ larynx has been rested over the last year or two, but it gets a good workout throughout the album. His impeccable high-pitched wails intertwine with trademark over-the-top guitar solos like never before, and from the first listen it certainly does sound like a return to form. Debut single I’ve Met Jesus is a scorcher of a song, but will Hot Leg always be compared to The Darkness? I recently caught up with Justin to ask him just that, and his response was positive:
‘We have just started in this band so the only thing people have to compare us to are The Darkness,’ he said. ‘However we are our own animal and I think eventually the comparisons will stop.
‘We have more drive and more focus, and the songs are more channelled to the ‘Man Rock’ vibe we’re giving out. I think we are better all round. I really do.’
Man Rock vibe? Red Light Fever is set to take spring by storm and if they live up to the hype and the songs, it will be game, set and match. 7 /10
The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die
Ah, I remember my pill-popping days of old; raving into the night at Homelands and Creamfields with my chin sticking out a metre in front of me, dancing into a sweaty, frothy frenzy and telling everyone profound, chemical-induced thoughts on life and activism. I loved every minute of it. I have been taken back there over the last couple of days. The Prodigy’s new album Invaders Must Die is responsible.
This is simply vintage stuff. The Prodigy have made a welcome return to the 90s pill-popping rave scene and chucked a few genre-splitting riffs into the melting pot for good measure. They may have been at their peak of fame when The Fat of the Land was released, but they are on the crest of something far bigger here; something that mixes the current urban punk culture with a burning spark of the old skool rave generation. The two collide and make a black hole. That black hole is this record. People with Isle of Wight Festival tickets are in for a treat!
Liam Howlett describes the opening title track Invaders Must Die: ‘The first tune on any Prodigy album has to be got to be something that just tears and smacks you round the head really. Spitfire was like that on the last album, Smack My Bitch Up on the one before. This does it in a different way. It’s a very abrasive sounding electronic track, kind of different to anything we’ve done before.
‘I wrote the riff about a year ago on my laptop when I was on a plane. It sounds like the kind of thing I would have written in 1992, it sort of has that rave melodic feel with a tearing track underneath. I had the track 80% there and hooked up with James from Does it Offend You Yeah and he pulled a few sounds out of the bag and helped put it together. It’s one of my favourite tunes on the album.’
Yes, the rumours are true; Dave Grohl features on the track Run With the Wolves, but until now very few people know how such an unlikely relationship was formed:
Keith: ‘It all started with an email to Liam saying ‘Listen man, I’ve finished touring and I’m bang up for doing something. Liam said he was just finishing the album but Dave said listen, I’m just going to go in the studio and put down some drums, which he did. A hard drive arrived at our studio and out of that came the process of writing this. We had the vocal on another track already but they just weren’t working. They had too much venom for the track. But we still enjoyed the excitement of it and what it was saying and this was the ideal opportunity to make it work. Liam re-did the track, then we re-did the vocals and we sent it over to Dave who was like ‘Yeah I was really hoping it was going to be something like this.’ He was really excited and worked some more on it.’
Liam: ‘I think you were angry the day you wrote this weren’t you?’
Keith: ‘Yeah I was’
Liam: ‘Yeah it was definitely written about a certain someone, we don’t know who it is but Keith does.’
Maxim: ‘Was it about me?’
Liam: ‘Nah, don’t get para. Hah, when I listen to this tune I just want to smash my head against the wall. It kind of like when the riff drops in its, just violent you know?’
Some of the tracks on Invaders are less aggressive and even verge on the anthemic; Omen is the melodic, lovechild of Breathe from TFOTL. With a classic vocal hook, this track is somewhat less intimidating than the sinister sister track Omen Reprise which is,according to Liam, ‘An orchestrated version of Omen but it really reminds me of the music from Scarface. It’s got this 80s Vangelis sound.’ And ‘like a dark Bladerunner’ according to Keith.
It’s great to see these guys back on form and hungry to start the machine again, and they certainly have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep you on the ropes for the duration.
Piranha is a personal favourite. With its 60s garage-meshed-with-old-skool-rave vibe, its urban punk at its absolute best, and Liam likes it too. ‘Piranha is a metaphor for something living off of you, you know, chewing off you. That was the concept of the track. We wanted to have 1960s B-movies vibe to it.’
Maxim made a big move forward with his vocals on this track, ‘For me it was a chance to do different vocal ideas rather than the monotone rap. I tried injected more melody into the vocals. This track, like the rest of my vocals on the album is a real step up for me.’
Already fan favourites, World’s on Fire and final track Stand Up prove this album is not front-heavy. These tracks have a quality that is reminiscent of previous albums, yet they carry a sheen of new hooks and synthetic riffs that bring them to the forefront of where The Prodigy are now; on top of their game. Liam explains: ‘This is the real wild card on the album. I think people will go ‘is that the Prodigy or isn’t it?’ but its got this real victorious feel. It’s a tune I really love and it’s like being wrapped up in a warm blanket before you fuck off home.’
Someone asked me recently if the record sounded big. It’s fucking colossal!! Its like an interstellar war between punk rock, rave, drum’n'bass and breakcore. These electropunk beats batter your skull and shudder through your spine until you are begging to be let go, only to be left with a tremor for days. The Prodigy’s knack for a thousand yard stare will have droves of gurners travelling the miles just to catch a glimpse of a punk band back to their best. They have successfully given the media and mass pop culture a big crooked middle finger. As Liam describes the album title, its clear to see that The Prodigy aren’t quite ready to make their final stand just yet…
‘People were starting to infiltrate our unit, starting to bleed into what we were and we needed to re-establish ourselves as a unit. I can’t remember whether it was Keith or Maxim that said it, but one of them went, ‘fuck it, invaders must die!’. I was like that’s the album title right there. It stayed with us. It’s about protecting what’s yours.’
Well, they have certainly done that. The only way to describe Invaders is contorted electronic genius. The g-word word gets thrown around willy-nilly these days, but I’ll be frank; this album takes you to the edge of an oily, metallic, cliff of bones and sinew, holds you over by your ankle and lets go with a big grin on its face. It absolutely murders your senses and hits you hard right in the keister. It’s a head-shaking mesh of destruction and flag-waving madness.
Phew, I’m glad that part is over, but for all you future listeners and ex-ravers, the writing is most certainly on the wall.
This is simply vintage stuff. The Prodigy have made a welcome return to the 90s pill-popping rave scene and chucked a few genre-splitting riffs into the melting pot for good measure. They may have been at their peak of fame when The Fat of the Land was released, but they are on the crest of something far bigger here; something that mixes the current urban punk culture with a burning spark of the old skool rave generation. The two collide and make a black hole. That black hole is this record. People with Isle of Wight Festival tickets are in for a treat!
Liam Howlett describes the opening title track Invaders Must Die: ‘The first tune on any Prodigy album has to be got to be something that just tears and smacks you round the head really. Spitfire was like that on the last album, Smack My Bitch Up on the one before. This does it in a different way. It’s a very abrasive sounding electronic track, kind of different to anything we’ve done before.
‘I wrote the riff about a year ago on my laptop when I was on a plane. It sounds like the kind of thing I would have written in 1992, it sort of has that rave melodic feel with a tearing track underneath. I had the track 80% there and hooked up with James from Does it Offend You Yeah and he pulled a few sounds out of the bag and helped put it together. It’s one of my favourite tunes on the album.’
Yes, the rumours are true; Dave Grohl features on the track Run With the Wolves, but until now very few people know how such an unlikely relationship was formed:
Keith: ‘It all started with an email to Liam saying ‘Listen man, I’ve finished touring and I’m bang up for doing something. Liam said he was just finishing the album but Dave said listen, I’m just going to go in the studio and put down some drums, which he did. A hard drive arrived at our studio and out of that came the process of writing this. We had the vocal on another track already but they just weren’t working. They had too much venom for the track. But we still enjoyed the excitement of it and what it was saying and this was the ideal opportunity to make it work. Liam re-did the track, then we re-did the vocals and we sent it over to Dave who was like ‘Yeah I was really hoping it was going to be something like this.’ He was really excited and worked some more on it.’
Liam: ‘I think you were angry the day you wrote this weren’t you?’
Keith: ‘Yeah I was’
Liam: ‘Yeah it was definitely written about a certain someone, we don’t know who it is but Keith does.’
Maxim: ‘Was it about me?’
Liam: ‘Nah, don’t get para. Hah, when I listen to this tune I just want to smash my head against the wall. It kind of like when the riff drops in its, just violent you know?’
Some of the tracks on Invaders are less aggressive and even verge on the anthemic; Omen is the melodic, lovechild of Breathe from TFOTL. With a classic vocal hook, this track is somewhat less intimidating than the sinister sister track Omen Reprise which is,according to Liam, ‘An orchestrated version of Omen but it really reminds me of the music from Scarface. It’s got this 80s Vangelis sound.’ And ‘like a dark Bladerunner’ according to Keith.
It’s great to see these guys back on form and hungry to start the machine again, and they certainly have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep you on the ropes for the duration.
Piranha is a personal favourite. With its 60s garage-meshed-with-old-skool-rave vibe, its urban punk at its absolute best, and Liam likes it too. ‘Piranha is a metaphor for something living off of you, you know, chewing off you. That was the concept of the track. We wanted to have 1960s B-movies vibe to it.’
Maxim made a big move forward with his vocals on this track, ‘For me it was a chance to do different vocal ideas rather than the monotone rap. I tried injected more melody into the vocals. This track, like the rest of my vocals on the album is a real step up for me.’
Already fan favourites, World’s on Fire and final track Stand Up prove this album is not front-heavy. These tracks have a quality that is reminiscent of previous albums, yet they carry a sheen of new hooks and synthetic riffs that bring them to the forefront of where The Prodigy are now; on top of their game. Liam explains: ‘This is the real wild card on the album. I think people will go ‘is that the Prodigy or isn’t it?’ but its got this real victorious feel. It’s a tune I really love and it’s like being wrapped up in a warm blanket before you fuck off home.’
Someone asked me recently if the record sounded big. It’s fucking colossal!! Its like an interstellar war between punk rock, rave, drum’n'bass and breakcore. These electropunk beats batter your skull and shudder through your spine until you are begging to be let go, only to be left with a tremor for days. The Prodigy’s knack for a thousand yard stare will have droves of gurners travelling the miles just to catch a glimpse of a punk band back to their best. They have successfully given the media and mass pop culture a big crooked middle finger. As Liam describes the album title, its clear to see that The Prodigy aren’t quite ready to make their final stand just yet…
‘People were starting to infiltrate our unit, starting to bleed into what we were and we needed to re-establish ourselves as a unit. I can’t remember whether it was Keith or Maxim that said it, but one of them went, ‘fuck it, invaders must die!’. I was like that’s the album title right there. It stayed with us. It’s about protecting what’s yours.’
Well, they have certainly done that. The only way to describe Invaders is contorted electronic genius. The g-word word gets thrown around willy-nilly these days, but I’ll be frank; this album takes you to the edge of an oily, metallic, cliff of bones and sinew, holds you over by your ankle and lets go with a big grin on its face. It absolutely murders your senses and hits you hard right in the keister. It’s a head-shaking mesh of destruction and flag-waving madness.
Phew, I’m glad that part is over, but for all you future listeners and ex-ravers, the writing is most certainly on the wall.
Should 2009 be Glastonbury's 'Fallow Year' ?
What can we expect from this year’s Glastonbury Festival? It is almost a given that the heavens will open for at least two of the five days, Pete Doherty will turn up late and someone will fall into one of the many festering toilet pits, but I’m talking about the music, and to be more specific, the headliners.
In the midst of an even longer wait for 2009’s festival - and wanting to play the Gallagher brothers at their own game - Michael Eavis was quoted this week as saying ‘We’ve got four headliners at the moment. If they all confirm, then I’ve got two headliners for Saturday’. Ah, so he’s got TWO headliners this year then, interesting. A brand new feature for a festival that is quickly becoming out of fashion with ye olde faithful and in fashion with a new generation of multi-coloured-welly-donning youths.
I’m slightly concerned; is Eavis trying too hard to make Glastonbury Festival fashionable? I thought one of the main attributes of the festival was the fact that it stuck its proverbial middle finger in the establishments face and said a big fat NO to conformity?
Well, as much as it pains me to say it, I think its high time we all came to realise that Glastonbury Festival is now commercial. There… I’ve said it. Eavis (Michael and Emily) appear to have been trying to spruce up the whole Glastonbury experience over the last decade, and it’s a totally different festival to the one I first attended in 1999.
Yes, there are some positive signs of improvement to the experience as a whole:
1. People aren’t jumping the fence to gain access to the site anymore.2. The new ticket regime this year seems to be fairer than previous years, giving buyers more chance of being able to log onto a website that was previously harder than getting into a nun’s knickers.3. More and more donations are going to Greenpeace and Oxfam every year, so it’s fair to say that Eavis still gets top marks for his green message.
However, what’s all this ‘you wont know who is playing until you have bought a ticket’ nonsense? Michael please, give us a chance mate! Last year attendance was at an all time low because you wanted to look ‘cool’ and added Jay-Z to the Saturday slot when you could have drawn thousands more with Muse, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin to name a few world-class bands.
Is watching someone rap to a CD classed as a real Glastonbury experience? The majority of people said it was refreshing but I think in the backs of their minds they knew it was a slight letdown. Now I’m not saying Jay-Z isn’t a good artist, rather that he doesn’t belong at Glastonbury Festival just for the sake of having something different in front of our eyes. Are the days of booking the best acts in the world gone? Is there any thought going into booking these headlining slots?
Last year I had more fun watching bands on the Park Stage than I did on the Pyramid Stage. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think having ‘The Boss’ as a headline this year is the way to go. Landscape rock dinosaurs will draw the crowds for all the wrong reasons.
As I stand with the Fields of Avalon before me, I want to know that in one hand I have a slightly warm can of Carling, and in the other I have a festival programme that boasts the best acts on the planet. Reading/Leeds, V and Isle of Wight are nicking all the good acts now it seems; The Prodigy, Kasabian and Radiohead? What choice do we have at Glastonbury so far? Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West – do me a favour! We need acts to bring an excitement back to the Pyramid Stage. What Eavis has got to be careful of is having people watching the headline acts out of interest rather than love. It shouldn’t be such a gamble, should it?
With new plans to move the ‘fallow year’ back until 2012 to avoid the Olympic clash, it seems Eavis would be better off taking time out now to seriously rethink things. I hope I am proven wrong, but Eavis, you are too old to start trying to be cool now.
In the midst of an even longer wait for 2009’s festival - and wanting to play the Gallagher brothers at their own game - Michael Eavis was quoted this week as saying ‘We’ve got four headliners at the moment. If they all confirm, then I’ve got two headliners for Saturday’. Ah, so he’s got TWO headliners this year then, interesting. A brand new feature for a festival that is quickly becoming out of fashion with ye olde faithful and in fashion with a new generation of multi-coloured-welly-donning youths.
I’m slightly concerned; is Eavis trying too hard to make Glastonbury Festival fashionable? I thought one of the main attributes of the festival was the fact that it stuck its proverbial middle finger in the establishments face and said a big fat NO to conformity?
Well, as much as it pains me to say it, I think its high time we all came to realise that Glastonbury Festival is now commercial. There… I’ve said it. Eavis (Michael and Emily) appear to have been trying to spruce up the whole Glastonbury experience over the last decade, and it’s a totally different festival to the one I first attended in 1999.
Yes, there are some positive signs of improvement to the experience as a whole:
1. People aren’t jumping the fence to gain access to the site anymore.2. The new ticket regime this year seems to be fairer than previous years, giving buyers more chance of being able to log onto a website that was previously harder than getting into a nun’s knickers.3. More and more donations are going to Greenpeace and Oxfam every year, so it’s fair to say that Eavis still gets top marks for his green message.
However, what’s all this ‘you wont know who is playing until you have bought a ticket’ nonsense? Michael please, give us a chance mate! Last year attendance was at an all time low because you wanted to look ‘cool’ and added Jay-Z to the Saturday slot when you could have drawn thousands more with Muse, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin to name a few world-class bands.
Is watching someone rap to a CD classed as a real Glastonbury experience? The majority of people said it was refreshing but I think in the backs of their minds they knew it was a slight letdown. Now I’m not saying Jay-Z isn’t a good artist, rather that he doesn’t belong at Glastonbury Festival just for the sake of having something different in front of our eyes. Are the days of booking the best acts in the world gone? Is there any thought going into booking these headlining slots?
Last year I had more fun watching bands on the Park Stage than I did on the Pyramid Stage. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think having ‘The Boss’ as a headline this year is the way to go. Landscape rock dinosaurs will draw the crowds for all the wrong reasons.
As I stand with the Fields of Avalon before me, I want to know that in one hand I have a slightly warm can of Carling, and in the other I have a festival programme that boasts the best acts on the planet. Reading/Leeds, V and Isle of Wight are nicking all the good acts now it seems; The Prodigy, Kasabian and Radiohead? What choice do we have at Glastonbury so far? Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West – do me a favour! We need acts to bring an excitement back to the Pyramid Stage. What Eavis has got to be careful of is having people watching the headline acts out of interest rather than love. It shouldn’t be such a gamble, should it?
With new plans to move the ‘fallow year’ back until 2012 to avoid the Olympic clash, it seems Eavis would be better off taking time out now to seriously rethink things. I hope I am proven wrong, but Eavis, you are too old to start trying to be cool now.
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