Chasing Cadence - The Black Heart, Camden 29/09/2016 - REVIEW

Chasing Cadence

The Black Heart, Camden

29/09/2016

Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

London’s Camden has a big reputation for being the home of alternative creativity and, as such, it proved to be the perfect setting for Hertfordshire’s autonomously-creative Chasing Cadence to celebrate the release of their new EP, Destroy Something Beautiful.

Named for the band’s perception of the music industry as one that “shuts out the beauty of creativity, innovation and most of all, diversity” Destroy Something Beautiful, released on September 16^th, is another step in Chasing Cadence’s ambitious plan to lead the UK rock world.

As ambitious as that plan may be it is well within their reach and what’s remarkable is that so far they’ve done it with one foot firmly grounded by their roots. The result is an unpretentious, inventive, hook-heavy rock EP which plays gloriously live.  

Jack Harris, Vocals

The Black Heart, Camden

29/09/2016

Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

The Black Heart, in Camden’s back streets was the packed venue for this celebratory show, which the Chasing Cadence boys put on, promoted and sold out themselves before taking full advantage of the opportunity to unleash mayhem.

Undeterred by various technical issues, the five-piece gave this set everything they had which happens to be razor sharp guitar riffs, a whole lot of sweaty energy and the ability to command a proud and admiring crowd.

Explosive single Everyone Relax was a certain highlight (and has an intense video to match that you can see here) but new track Watching The World, the second instalment in the video trilogy) is a chugging masterpiece that has literally been on repeat in the Louder Now car ever since September 29^th (honestly, it has).

One poignant characteristic of both the EP and their live show is just how relatable Chasing Cadence are. These are songs about perseverance and the determination to not waste life or time and they are coming from a down-to-earth, hard-working band that can see their goal and are running towards it at full throttle. It’s inspiring.

As if covering Sia’s Chandelier wasn’t distinct enough, vocalist Jack Harris chose to scale the venue during the track, continuing to lead his troops whilst clinging to the back wall by his finger nails.

Those same troops soon dutifully carried Harris around the venue in a victory crowd surf before, of

Rob Barlow, Guitar

The Black Heart, Camden

29/09/2016

Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

course, extending the same courtesy to guitarist Rob Barlow.

Every member of the audience was visibly proud of all that Chasing Cadence have achieved, a fact that seems to humble and stun all five of the band’s members. But between performing at Download festival, playing Wembley Arena and now releasing a personal, relatable, explosion of an EP there is certainly a lot to be proud of.

Boys, you best start getting use to that love! 

The Mirror Trap bring their addictive melodies to London

Gary Moore - Vocals

The Garage, London

29/05/2016

Most bands can only dream of the opportunities that have landed at the feet of Dundee’s The Mirror Trap since they formed just two years ago. After meeting at Music College the five-piece quickly got to work on their debut album Stay Young and it wasn’t long before they were spotted by a music legend and whisked off to the other side of the world. As you do.

That legend was no other than Placebo’s Brian Molko who, after catching them in their home town, offered The Mirror Trap a support slot on their Trans-Siberian train tour to Russia.

Ben Doherty - Bass

The Garage, London

29/05/2016

It’s the stuff that dreams are made of but, when you see how talented The Mirror Trap are it stops being surprising that for them it was real life. That’s what we learnt when we caught the band at Islington’s Garage in May at the end of their latest UK tour.

A mix of modern indie-rock and its 90s counterpart, The Mirror Trap have an exciting rock ‘n’ roll sound but dressed up to the nines, inciting disco dancing both in the crowd and on the stage.

Vocals from Gary Moore gave an intensely catchy vibe to the performance, delivering the ultimate in brain-worm lyrics with American Dreams and Toys, both from that debut album. When not charming with his vocal prowess he’s doing it with his whippy stage banter.

Paul Markie - Guitar

The Garage, London

29/05/2016

But new track Piranhas took pride and place in the set list, from the new album Simulations. Recorded at the infamous Karma Studios in Thailand, this track stays true to the powerful style that The Mirror Trap have carved for themselves but with an even more forceful vibe to it. It’s performed with all of the steaminess that it deserves and that melody stays with you for long after the set is finished.

To see The Mirror Trap on a small stage like this one feels like a blessing. It doesn’t take too much imagination to envisage them on a much bigger platform with much more production. When that inevitably happens, count us in.

Monster Treasure land in UK ahead of debut album release

Briana Granados- Guitars/Vocals

The Lexington, London

23/05/2016

For the first time ever, Monster Treasure have touched down in the UK. Landing earlier this month the Californian trio have already played a string of notable British venues to prepare us all for Friday’s release of their hypnotically bittersweet self-titled debut album.

Monster Treasure have made no qualms about the record’s meaning, stating that it’s inspired by heartbreak, mortality and financial struggle. With that being the case you could expect a pretty melancholy result, and in many ways you wouldn’t be wrong.

But there’s another dimension to Monster Treasure, bordering on ‘sweet’, which also shined bright from the stage of London’s The Lexington on Monday night.

RJ Mar - Drums

The Lexington, London

23/05/2016

Monster Treasure’s layered vocal work, shared between Briana Granados (guitar) and Rachel Orimo (Bass), is engrossing to see live. Their harmonies give an almost psychedelic feel to the live performance, perhaps nowhere better then in Weird, the last track of the new release.

Catching up with the band ahead of their set drummer RJ said: “People that haven’t seen us physically think that we’re just an all-girl band…really there is a male drummer.”

That would be a male drummer that is infinitely present. A huge part of the perfect ying-yang that is Monster Treasure comes from the contrast between those psych vocals and the ferocious and fast paced nature of that rhythm section.

Rachel Orimo- Bass/Vocals

The Lexington, London

23/05/2016

The latest single from the album, Wake Up, is just one example of how that dimension works and also has a perfectly eclectic video to match.     

Using a healthy dose of distortion to nudge it all on its side, Monster Treasure perform live with just the right amount of personal reserve. The crowd could not take their eyes off the stage.

Utterly mesmerising soundtrack feels.    

 You can listen to Monster Treasure's The Salt for free, courtesy of Leisure & District, right HERE. 

Summer City impressed at London's Nambucca

Benji Adams - Guitars/Vocals
Nambucca, London
02/05/2016

As is the case for a lot of bands world over, several other artists have been used to describe Summer City but never has a “for fans of” tag line had the potential to be so long. These guys have taken inspiration from a huge range of genres and seamlessly fused them altogether to make something just a little bit different.

After just dropping their electrifying new EP Reprobates (April 22^nd, 2016) it was only right that Summer City took it out for a spin on a 6-date UK tour winding up in London’s famous Nambucca,  where they ran into us!   

Reprobates is a vigorously animated record which left a lot for Summer City to live up to on stage but they brought all the spirit, energy and attitude that these tracks demanded and more.

Kit Parker - Bass/Vocals
Nambucca, London
02/05/2016

First single, I’m A Wreck, was a definite highlight with one of the most engrossing electro-riffs I have ever heard (warning: will make you want to rave immediately) teamed with an unyielding drum section and a practically classic rock guitar solo which comes out of absolutely nowhere.    

But the pureness of Summer City’s punk-rock roots shine brightly in Burn It Down, a more stripped

back track with less electronic influence which really gives you a chance to appreciate the natural value of Benji Adams vocals.

Don’t worry, Summer City have got the all important acoustic track nailed as well. Sound of the Crowd is a really moving track heaped with emotion and really quite intense to watch on stage (even if we do phase into Hot Line Bling at some point, why not?!)

But title track from the EP, Reprobates completely stole the show. The perfect showcase of electro-pop-punk-british-hard-rock (yep, it’s a thing, see above) but with added sing-a-long lyrics. I call that perfection.

Reprobates is a fantastic second EP, an actual breath of fresh air, and it’s incredible to see that Summer City can more than pull off these tracks live. As they head off to film a new music video you can’t help to see what they come up with! Keep your eyes peeled!   

And obviously there was no way that we were letting Summer City go all the way back to York without facing the Grab Bag so if you're wondering which member once pissed himself on stage...well then this one is for you!: 

Benji Adams - Guitars/Vocals
Nambucca, London
02/05/2016

Eliza and The Bear performed a magical set at Bristol's Thekla

Eliza and the Bear
Thekla, Bristol
14/04/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

Seeing Eliza and the Bear has been on my “INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO DO LIST” since we criminally missed their set at Glasgow’s Hydro Arena last year. Since the London quintet just released their debut, self-titled, album I decided enough was enough, the time had come. I would see Eliza and The Bear at Bristol’s Thekla on April 14^th 2016.  The timing, as it turned out, was perfect.

At Louder Now we are no strangers to impromptu and slightly lengthy (yet never excessive) road trips. Whilst our jaunt to Bristol was by no means the most extravagant of these journey’s it might just have been the most bizarre.

Somewhere between castles that were actually train stations, closed roads that were actually open and boats that were actually gig venues I lost my mind and fell in love with the place.

Chris Brand - Bass
Thekla, Bristol
14/04/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

One of my favourite things about Bristol is that my very talented friend, Miss Lauren-Alice Golding,

lives just up the road, a situation that I took full advantage of. Lauren grabbed her 3-tonne camera and met me at the castle/train station for our first ever (and first of many please) collaboration!

And it’s just as well she did because the emotional rollercoaster that Eliza and the Bear were about to take me on was definitely not a ride to take solo.

My new favourite song, “Light It Up”, originally released on the 2014 EP of the same name and now sitting mid-way through the new album, kicked off the party. It’s the most upbeat, positive and encouraging track I have heard in a long time, the ultimate summer anthem and the perfect opener.

I adore that optimistic inclination that saturates everything that Eliza and the Bear do but it’s how they twist, variate and distort (key) which makes them special. “Make It On My Own” is a paramount example of this, a backdrop teetering on the verge of morose but still maintaining an affirmative energy and tempo to reduce you to tears. If you’re crying by song number two then you know the set’s magic.

Martin Dukelow - Guitar
Thekla, Bristol
14/04/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

Crowd participation is what takes a show from being great to being absolutely unbelievable, and we weren’t short of it tonight. Nevertheless the band challenged the audience with song “Where Have You Been” instructing them that it was their chance to prove that they had the album. It’s fair to say the audience passed the test.

Aside from the fact that it’s a blinding song with a parade-esque marching band beat, I have a huge appreciation for “Brother’s Boat” because live it was dynamite and also…we were on a mother flipping boat!

And just in case you doubted the bands determination (which I don’t think a single member of the crowd did for one second of this entire set) it’s worth remembering that vocalist James Kellegher asked his doting audience if they were “going to sink this ship or what?”

Whilst the tempo setting drum track from Paul Jackson maintains that addictive energy and Callie Noake’s keys add the optimistic tingles it’s the scratching guitars from Martin Dukelow that adds depth and sets Eliza and the Bear apart from the indie crowd.

James Kellegher - Guitar/Vocals
Thekla, Bristol
14/04/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

Live “Oxygen” was the best display of all of those attributes as well as a relentlessness where you could be sure that you’re being set up for a tempo drop that never, ever, comes.

Just as I was ready to declare that this performance could not possible get any more emotionally

charged Eliza and the Bear went and nailed a spine-tingling, tear-inducing, mobiles-and-lighters-up acoustic track that near enough broke my heart. For me, “Cruel” has been filed away in the playlist entitled “Beautiful songs that I must never listen to”.

After an equally beautiful chant of “YOU DIRTY SOUTHERN BASTARDS” the boys came back to play their defining tracks “It Gets Cold” and “Friends” to all the love, support and participation that a crowd can possibly give.

It was a remarkable set that, despite my months of waiting, really took me by surprise. If I ever get a chance to see Eliza and the Bear at a summer festival I will grab it with both hands because I honestly cannot think of anything that would be better.

But they are not just that summer band that you adore for festival season and then forget about. Eliza and the Bear are producing deeply meaningful and inspirational work and their live shows are nothing short of electric.

Martin Dukelow - Guitars
Thekla, Bristol
14/04/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding

Eliza and the Bear are a band that you need in your life. When the stresses of work, dreams, friends, family and life have dimmed your internal lights you’ll be thankful that Eliza and the Bear are there to do what they do best and light it up.

Thankfully I can tell you that Eliza and the Bear did not sink Bristol’s Thekla. But my word did they try.

Huge thanks to Lauren-Alice Photography who took all of the stunning photos shown as well as shooting and editing this weeks Grab Bag video! She can be contacted HERE!

Go Primitive Need a New Bassist

Tomm E Williams - Vocals/Guitar
Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
25/03/2016

Have you ever dreamt of joining an epically energetic band who can completely smash a live set? Do you have what it takes to tour with a seriously hard working outfit who have some amazing support slots lined up? Do you play the bass? Well then Go Primitive need to hear from you.

Hailing from Warwickshire, UK, Go Primitive have mastered their twist of emotionally charged melodic rock with attitude in abundance, and boy did they prove it at Leamington’s Zephyr Lounge in March.

Luckily we were there! But unluckily they announced that their bassist Ben Goodwin is to leave Go Primitive just days later.

It’s a mighty shame (and slightly troubling, hope it wasn’t something we said) but it does open the door for somebody new, who could be you!

But before you go polishing that music CV of yours, here are some things we learnt about Go Primitive, just so you know what you’d be getting yourself in to.

1)      Go Primitive write songs about dinosaurs and have been to outer space.

Correct me if I’m wrong but when a band announces on stage that “this next song is about dinosaurs” you know that they’re your new favourite band. ‘Velociraptor’ is a honed example of that tunefully classic hard rock sound that Go Primitive have nailed. It’s also called ‘Velociraptor’, do you really need another reason?

Go Primitive have also just released a video for their new single ‘In A Band’, cunningly titled because it’s about, you guessed it, being in a band. But in a shock twist, the video shows the boys turning their talents to space exploration.

Of the track the band said: “’In A Band’; the anti rock star song, is a contradiction to the cliché and a nod to our dedication and perseverance. The video represents our journey as a band, the struggle, the training to ultimately achieve our goal…you know…be astronauts!”

Well things are more entertaining in space.

Ben Goodwin - Bass
Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
25/03/2016

2)      Go Primitive seriously shred.

Dinosaurs and Astronauts aside, the whole set was saturated in raw energy and did not disappoint. Screeching guitar solos take pride and place on stage supported by a consistently solid drum track which makes it impossible not to head bang (and how many bands can you actually head bang to nowadays?)  

3)      Go Primitive do not allow slacking at shows.

And even if they did you wouldn’t want to. Music this good and performances this fun are contagious and the Leamington Spa crowd filled the dreaded floor/stage gap with bouncing, clapping and dancing on request.

4)      Go Primitive’s warm up makes them sound like llamas.

What? Oh you want some clarification on this point? No problem, check the video below.

5)      Go Primitive get encores.

Well you can’t get a crowd all hyped and sweaty and then leave them hanging. After a sterling performance you could be fooled in to thinking that Go Primitive had nothing left to give, but you would be wrong. Shouts of ‘one more song’ were not ignored and the GP lads clambered back on to the stage for another shot.

It was a spectacular performance at the Zephyr Lounge and clearly Go Primitive’s stints supporting the likes of Mallory Knox, We Are The Ocean, The Subways and Lonely The Brave have been just the experience they needed.

Tomm E Williams - Vocals/Guitar
Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
25/03/2016

Dan Teale - Drums
Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
25/03/2016

Not to mention that the EP ‘100 Ways’, released last summer, is ridiculously good with belter after belter.  The set list practically writes itself.

To pull off a show as high in standard as this one takes dedication and frank perseverance. Go Primitive are serious contenders in the scene and you don’t get this good without a lot of hard work (and clearly quite a lot of fun).

But if you think you’re up to this task then there may be no better band to join right now then Go Primitive so head over to their Facebook and send them a message.

Dan Teale - Drums
Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
25/03/2016

Cardinal Bay showcase new EP 'Answers'

Let's do things just a little bit different this time: 

Want to see that video on our YouTube channel? Of course you do!

Text from article reads: It’s obvious to anybody that has seen them play that Cardinal Bay are a force to be reckoned with. From thunderous new music to playing most of the show in the crowd, the Bridgewater 5-piece are nothing short of determined to deliver a good set.

Besides, it’s not as if they don’t have the experience to do just that. All five members have played in other bands in the local scene but joined forces in 2014 to make the post-hardcore super group that is Cardinal Bay.

Now they’re preparing to unleash their second EP ‘Answers’ on May 13^th 2016, which all but formed the set list for their incredible performance at Leamington Spa’s Zephyr Lounge last week.  

The set opened with new single ‘Answers’ which tackles a solemn and conspicuous social issue with all the energy that it deserves.

“The track ‘Answers’ is about divorce and how it affects any young children of those parents” the band have said “It’s about how a child might perceive the situation, perhaps believing or only hearing one side of a story … and not understanding until they’re older, trying to find ‘the answers’ themselves…”

With a vivacious drum track from Matt Ward, ‘Answers’ translates perfectly in a live setting and the dash of scream adds the edge that the topic needs.

Once the precedent had been set the rest of the night kept up the pace showcasing what could be the most promising EP release of the year.

Vocalist Josh Rogers complained of a scratchy voice but it didn’t hold him back one bit, launching into the crowd and staying there for a majority of the set you would have to be blind to miss his undeniable vigour.

‘Hold Tight’ and ‘Way Back Home’ from last year’s EP (of the same name as the latter) were also thrown into the mix. Both tracks have stood the test of that short time and stack up nicely against the new offerings. Somehow they add even more raw brashness to the live performance and it will be a sad day when either disappears from Cardinal Bay’s set list.

It was an electrifying performance and remarkably distinguished. If this is their output at 18 months then the potential here is staggering, they may well be able to outdo those artists they’re constantly compared to. Watch out Mallory Knox.

But yes, all of that is completely obvious to anybody who has seen Cardinal Bay live. But what might not be obvious is that they do really questionable things before they walk out on stage and would completely sell out given half a chance to tour with Justin Bieber. No seriously, you can hear all about it on our YouTube channel. 

• ·         Catch Cardinal Bay on the main stage at Teddy Rocks Festival at the Blandford Forum, Dorset,  on April 30^th 2016
• 
  
• ·         The explosive second EP ‘Answer’s will be released on May 13^th 2016
• 
  
• ·         Watch the video for new single ‘Answer’s on the bands Facebook

CARDINAL BAY CAN BE STALKED AT:
https://www.facebook.com/CardinalBay/...
http://www.cardinalbay.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/CardinalBayUK
https://www.instagram.com/cardinalbay/

Boy Jumps Ship vs the Grab Bag - we messed this up big time

So in reality this was the first interview we did at Vans Warped Tour UK 2015. As we all know, mistakes happen, especially on the first try. We all know that right?

So it turned out that the microphone was properly plugged into the recorder. Didn't realise that until the interview was over. It sucked a bit. 

Luckily the guys in Boy Jumps Ship are the nicest people in the world and they were happy to come and face it for the second time, and this time we even nabbed another band member. 

Watch it all unfold here:  

ROAM talked about DFS Beds with the Grab Bag...AND their new video of course

And here we see a Pop Punk band relaxing in their natural environment of Warped Tour before being pounced on by a jar of ridiculous questions. 

We met ROAM! What a crazy time those boys are having from touring with some huge names, releasing a typically hilarious video for new single Deadweight, and now playing Warped Tour. 

They completely ripped Warped apart when they took to the stage and even put out a lovely video of the highlights which is exciting. You can check that out on their Facebook but first, watch them face the Grab Bag...

Man Overboard vs the Louder Now Grab @ Warped Tour UK 2015 - THE MOVIE

Alright, we're not saying it's a feature length film or anything but we're still pretty stoked we caught all this on camera. 

We were lucky enough to meet up with Nik Bruzzese of Man Overboard at Warped Tour UK too and he had a chat with the Grab Bag about Rage Against The Machine, his several thousand injuries and the biggest influence in his life, his father. 

It does get a touch political, but then it always does when Rage Against The Machine are mentioned. 

Huge thanks to Nik for meeting with us! If you missed the first two Warped UK interviews with Black Foxxes and Tigress you can watch them right now on our YouTube channel. Interview number 5, with the so-pop-punk-we-bleed-pizza-sauce ROAM is uploading as I type.  

Watch Tigress go head to head with the Grab Bag at Warped Tour UK 2015

Believe it or not, their set at Warped was the end of Tigress' very first tour.

Not that you could tell because whilst they are a new band, they are no strangers to each other or the stage. 

Confused? Allow the Grab Bag to dig out the story for you in it's second video appearance! 

TIGRESS CAN BE STALKED AT:

https://www.facebook.com/TigressOfficial

https://twitter.com/TIGRESSofficial

http://tigress.tmstor.es/

https://instagram.com/wearetigress/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTev...

Did you miss the Grab Bag's video debut with Black Foxxes? Not to worry, here it is

Black Foxxes faced the Louder Now Grab Bag at Warped Tour UK 2015 and we filmed it!

It's no secret that the Louder Now Grab Bag has been getting a bit out of control recently but it came as a huge surprise to all of us that the lovely people over at Warped Tour UK allowed it to run havoc in their press room. 

As it was such a special occasion we decided that the Grab Bag finally needed to be seen in it's full glory so we got a microphone and a tripod, taught ourselves a few rudimental (and in no way impressive) Movie Maker skills, and headed over to Ally Pally. 

So here's number 1! First up we sat down with the sensational Black Foxxes after they rocked the Kevin Says Stage. We hope you enjoy it! 

Make sure you subscribe to our shiny new YouTube channel so you don't miss out on the rest of the Grab Bag's antics at Warped Tour UK, which will be posted sporadically between now and the regular posting day of Wednesday October 28th. 

We'll meet you back here then for a round up of our time at Warped and a nice little highlight reel! 

New Found Glory - Boardwalk Empire, Piano & 400,000 Likes

Cyrus Bolooki - New Found Glory
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015

It's not every day you get to meet the legends of Pop-Punk and see them warm up for Reading and Leeds Festival, one of the biggest dates in the musical calendar. 

So when we sat down with New Found Glory drummer, Cyrus Bolooki we put a pile of ridiculous questions in front of him. Obviously.  


What decade would you most like to have been born in and why?

That's a great question, and one that I don't think I've ever been asked! I'm currently in the middle of watching the TV series Boardwalk Empireand so I think in the spirit of that show I'll say the 1920s...obviously a very interesting time given how much has changed since then. I don't know about here in the UK, but in the US there was a lot of crazy stuff happening with prohibition and it just seems like it would be a fun time to be born in. However, that being said, I probably wouldn't have lived long (obviously healthcare was nowhere near as advanced as it is now), and I highly doubt I would have ever been able to be in a band and travel all over the world like I have been fortunate enough to do in my life. So on second thought, maybe I'll just stick to my current life, a kid from the 1980s!

Is there any musical instrument that you would love to be able to play?

I'm a drummer by trade yet played guitar before joining NFG, and I started my musical career by playing the piano.  I would love to become better at piano, to the point where there's no effort in playing almost any tune, because I think the piano is one of the best ways to learn music in general, and it is pretty accessible meaning that you can play anything from a small keyboard all the way up to a grand piano, instead of having to purchase an expensive (and/or large) instrument. 

Who is the last person on earth you would want to be stuck in a lift with?

There isn't a specific person, but rather a "type" of person. I would hate to be stuck in a lift with the uber-pessimistic person; the person who immediately would think worst-case scenario, and whose overwhelming anxiety would surely bring us both to a quick end.  Just relax and calm down buddy, and (hopefully) help will come!

What is your favourite memory of being in New Found Glory?

Fortunately we've had plenty of amazing experiences in NFG and it's really hard to pick just one memory. However being that I'm in the UK right now, I can definitely look back on our appearances at Reading Festival as some of the biggest (and best) shows we've ever played as a band. When we played Reading 2 years ago my drum tech posted a picture while we were performing on the main stage of the view from over my shoulders showcasing just how many people were actually there watching us. That picture was later reposted by the official Instagram and ended up receiving over 400,000 likes! It was truly an amazing picture, an amazing show, and an amazing memory that I will always cherish! 

What excites you the most about the future of your band? 

At this point, I'm excited about the fact that NFG has been going strong for almost 20 years now, and that there seems to be no end in sight. Every year we find ourselves traveling to new countries, new cities, and doing things that we never thought imaginable. We continue to write, record, and release new music constantly, and our shows are just as fun now as ever. We've been able to have an amazing career not only in the US but all over the world, and I am truly grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to us. Like I said, there seems to be no end in sight and I want to continue to do this for as long as we can, so just the thought of keeping this going is enough to excite me and hopefully does the same for all the NFG fans out there!

New Found Glory Facebook 

New Found Glory Twitter

New Found Glory Website 

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Australia, Anniversaries and Pink Floyd

Hardcore legends, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, came to London’s Borderline at the start of the month and we were honoured to sit down with guitarist Randy Winter before their nostalgic and impressive set. Of course, Randy faced the Louder Now Grab Bag, but luckily for him he grabbed some of the more sensible questions.   

What is your favourite memory of being in this band?

That’s sort of a tough question because there’s so many. I would say one of my top ten favourite memories, because I can’t really narrow it down to one, would be a collage of a few. My favourite memories of this band will always be travelling the world. It’s awesome to be blessed to even break even, or be able to make money for a living being able to travel the world doing something you love.

What country would you most like to visit?

I really enjoyed the Phillipines but as far as where I have enjoyed the most it would probably be Australia. It’s so similar to America and the UK. It’s like a hybrid of the two, if you took both and slammed them in to one and added awesome coast lines, with good waves all the time. I surf all the time so that’s a big thing for me.

We have never been to Alaska though, but that will probably change next year. We’re going to be doing an anniversary tour for our debut record Don’t You Fake It. Next year it will be exactly 10 years since it came out. So we’ll probably stretch out to some spots we haven’t been to, intentionally.

On a scale of 1 – 10, how weird are you?

Judging myself I would probably say a 7, being realistic. I’m really picky about stupid things. Be it, OCD, a ridiculous sleeping disorder that I’ve had ever since I can remember or food. I’m a low card guy, I’ve been doing that for almost 11 years. To an average person I guess those three things really add up because it’s something that reoccurs every day.

My sleeping schedule is literally non-existent. I can’t sleep longer than 2 hours sustained. I randomly get two hour sleep bursts whenever I get a chance. It’s actually optimal for this occupation but it was definitely a hard time whenever I was in school because my brain wasn’t getting REM sleep so whenever you’re not doing anything that requires a lot of attention and physical exertion my brain is like “alright, nap time!” I’m always a hands on person otherwise my brain is going to shut off.

Have you ever had an epic fail on stage?

Not really an epic fail but near epic fail, that’s for sure. Where monitors aren’t pinned down correctly and they’re hanging off the edge and you’re up there playing and, woosh, there it went! A couple of times I’ve almost flipped forward but I’ve caught myself with my left hand and caught the next note.

Sound tech issues with mic’s not even being on. I’ll just back hand it and then they figure out, oh there must be something wrong with that mic because he just threw it away. Sometimes they can’t hear what you’re hearing on stage or they’re working on a different part of the mix. Engineers get really into their job and I respect that a lot because I am also an engineer. They’re not just staring at one guy the entire time you’re listening to the mix as a whole.

This is really the fourth version of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. There were three different versions with different names and I think we got all of the epic fails out of the way then. The closest thing we’ve had to a disaster was recently when one of the strings broke on my guitar that’s tuned to C. I looked around and there was nobody there so I just threw it back into the boat and had to grab another guitar that was tuned to a completely different key and had to transpose, on the fly, and move everything up a full step. If someone would have told me that I was going to be thrown under the bus like that then I would have been freaking out and would have to think it through and maybe give it a test run but I just had to do it.

What’s your favourite album?

Again, this is one of those questions where I’m going to have to avoid answering with just one because that’s impossible. My absolute favourite would be, off hand, the one that I’ve probably listened to the most would be The Wall [Pink Floyd] and then probably from that point Final Cut, which was supposed to be part of The Wall. Anything Pink Floyd, I’m a stupid fan boy for Pink Floyd, David Gilmore and Roger Waters. It’s a shame that they couldn’t just make things work and continue on but I’m sure it was a pride thing. That happens when you have two amazing singer/songwriters in the same band, that’s rough I’m sure.

If the question was what album have I listened to the most than it would be The Wall. It’s definitely a favourite of mine but I can’t say it’s THE favourite because it’s very mute. If that was your favourite album, and that’s all you ever listen to, then you would be depressed and locked in an insane asylum. But it’s so perfect for when you feel that desperation when you feel that need for a light at the end. That’s the one. 

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Altered Sky - Shorts, Travelodge and David Cameron

We went and had a blast with Altered Sky in London’s The Garage last week and, you guessed it, forced the Louder Now Grab Bag on them! You can read what we thought about the show here, and you can stalk Altered Sky on their Facebook, Twitter and Website!

P.S Altered Sky Might be the nicest people in the world.

You’re feeling ill and can only have one home comfort. What do you choose?

Ross: Erm. Vivaldi Spring.

Rich: You’ve never listened to Vivaldi Spring.

Ross: Probably not intentionally, no.

Ryan: Shorts.

Ross: Aye! Shorts!

Ana: In all colours as well.

Ross: Yes so I can pick and choose.

Is there one thing you would like to become better at?

Ana: Probably answering questions. I find it so difficult to keep my mind on the question I just end up rambling but I would probably say reading.

Ross: That’s because you don’t read, ever!

Ana: I don’t! It’s hard, I have such a short attention span.

Piercings or Tattoos?

Ryan: Now I don’t have any piercings but I do have tattoos so I will say tattoos. The pain is simple depending on the area (Ana giggles here but we couldn’t tell you what on earth she could possible have found funny) , down to my wrists it wasn’t sore it was just annoying because of the vibration. I’ve basically planned out everything. I’ve got both arms planned and my chest. I’m thinking about my neck but it depends on my chest but…no definitely tattoos.

What do you prefer recording or playing live?  

Ana: Ooooh think of how many albums you could spit out! Or would you rather play in front of your mum?

Amy: Just my mum? I would probably have to say playing live. I love the response you get from the crowd playing live and just the sound you get as well is completely different. So as much as I love recording.

What is your favourite memory of being in this band?

Rich: Probably touring. Maybe not one single thing but being out on the road and playing gigs every night is brilliant and I couldn’t ask for anything more. The way things are going they’re getting bigger and bigger and better and better so I’m very much hoping that the best is still to come. That’s sort of a boring story. I could have told you about the time that Ryan set a bin on fire and that would been a better story but…

Who is the last person on earth you would want to be stuck in a lift with?

Ryan: The LAST person?

Ana: Can it be in the band? Haha!

Ryan: David Cameron to be honest.

Rich: Oooooh po-lit-i-cal!

Ryan: He would just have that posh accent and…just everything about him… and I would be like oh shut the…

Describe yourself in one sentence:

Ross: I really really love David Cameron. No but the singer upstairs really really looks like Boris Johnson, it’s scary so I had to leave.

How would you like your band to be remembered?

Ana: Well we’re not going anywhere! But if we were headed for guillotine I would thank our manager who is French and probably put us there. I would like us to be remembered for being real people still there isn’t a space between us and the fans or anyone else who comes to see us play we’re still human and we want to have fun all the time! We just want to chill out, e don’t want to have to run away after gigs or anything. That’s not a choice of ours and we do want to just chill out and be human.

Which decade would you most like to have been born in and why?

Ana: We talked about this yesterday!

Amy: I would have liked to have been around in the 60s because I love the music from the 60s and the clothes…and the furniture. I just wish I was around in the 60s.

Where’s the worst place you have ever woken up?

Rich: A Travelodge with Ryan’s tongue next to my ear. I turned around, it was right there.

Ryan: Are you sure?!

Rich: You were fast asleep!

Versus The World - Nirvana, Curry and Bikes

Backstage at the Camden Underworld 

We went to see Versus The World put on a true Punk-Rock performance at Camden’s Underworld a little while back and caught up with bassist Mike Davenport to answer some Louder Now Grab Bag Questions!

Donald (vocals) and Steve (guitars) also jumped in on the action, because the Grab Bag is just THAT much fun that it almost has magnetic powers.

Who is your musical hero?

Mike: That one’s really easy. That’s Kurt Cobain. I am a huge Nirvana fan. I started on The Beatles as a very young kid maybe 5 years old and that got me

Would have never guessed who Mike's hero is

into music and then I started playing by 9. By 12 I played in my first band but Nirvana came up and made Punk Rock mainstream. They made it so that bands like ours who were just playing in our garage, who didn’t really think we were going to be able to do anything more than play shows, could tour the world which I’ve been doing now for 20 years. Their song writing is genius his lyrics are genius. I don’t really like him as a person but I love him musically. I think he was kind of a whiny bitch and he should still be around.

I was in a band called The Ataris before I was in this band and when I was in The Ataris we got to play Reading and I remember thinking then “Wow, this is where Kurt played maybe 12 or 13 years before.” That was sort of, completing my journey.

What excites you most about the future of your band?

Mike: Probably touring right now. We just finished our third album I always tell people, if your newest album isn’t your favourite thing that you’re doing then you should probably change what you’re doing. I love our new record and I’m excited to play it for people. We hadn’t played shows in a year and half. We broke down to make this record and spend some time at home. We just started touring again two weeks ago and the reaction to the new record is so great! I’m just excited because we’re going to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, The US, Canada so it’s a lot of touring coming up and I can’t wait to play these new songs to everyone.

Where are you the most excited to see?

Mike: I haven’t been to New Zealand ever in Versus The World so I’m really excited about that. I’m tentatively excited about Canada because Donald has big problems getting into Canada all because of a DUI. We’ve been turned away, not for whole tours but for shows here or there because of that. It doesn’t help that Donald is a little bit of a smart ass so his smart mouth definitely has kept us from getting in a couple of times.

Donald: Canadians are the nicest people…but they just keep on throwing me out!

You’re feeling ill and you can only have one home comfort. What do you choose?

Donald: When I’m sick as shit, like I can’t leave bed, my favourite thing to do is to order a pizza in bed and then play video games for like a full day.

Mike: My total cure is Thai pineapple curry. That’s my chicken noodle soup. I’m not vegetarian completely but I was one for 23 years so I get a vegetable curry pineapple. It’s spicy and it will get rid of anything. Fuck Chicken Noodle soup.

Is there anything you know this week that you didn’t know last week?

Mike: Yes! Amsterdam! They say, about the canals, 3 meters water, 3 meters bikes. So many people throw their bikes into the canal that if you were to dive in you would probably get stuck by a bike. I’ll tell you another little tidbit, because I did a walking tour in Amsterdam, there are actually 16 men employed 24 hours a day 365 days a year to fish bikes out of the canal and they probably fish between 12 and 15,000 bikes every year. See what happens in Amsterdam is that the locals don’t like the bike rental companies so if they see one, and it’s not locked up, they throw it in!

Is there any musical instrument that you would love to be able to play?

Steve: Oh this is a cool one! I would love to be able to play the Cello, I think it’s such a romantic instrument. I think it’s because I don’t actually plan on playing the Cello anytime soon but I would like to.         

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