Lonely The Brave Play a Magical Set in a Beautiful Church

Sometimes, when a tour gets announced I can spend days on end agonising over what venue to get tickets for. I analyse the pros and cons of the acoustics, the location, the date and the capacity. Every detail falls under scrutiny.

This was not one of those times.

Lonely the Brave are one of the most magical sounding bands in the top 40 at the moment, not to mention the most intense performers around.

So when you see them billed to play a church – you go.

All Saints Church in Kingston is a beautiful place filled with architectural marvel and steeped in history (the first King of England – Athelstan – was crowned there in 925 AD.)

It continues to be at the centre of Kingston’s community, regularly using music as part of its day-to-day operations and playing host to some pretty special shows.

Lonely the Brave released their second album, Things Will Matter, earlier this month and have embarked on what appears to be a non-stop tour embellished with festival appearances.

The Cambridge quintet’s hypnotic melodies reverberated through the church and filled the otherwise

calm and tranquil venue.

The crowd were respectfully hushed, presumably breathless, only applauding at the end of every perfectly executed track.

That being said, grown men were heard to squeal in excitement as each song started.

Backroads, from the debut EP The Day’s War continues to carry incredibly well on stage, only getting stronger each time I hear it live.

As performer’s Lonely The Brave are exceptionally intense. Vocalist David Jakes tends to linger towards the back of the stage allowing his powerful voice to do the work for him.

Lonely The Brave are not the types for stage shenanigans. They don’t need to be. The stunning nature of their sound ticks all the boxes on its own.

Besides, how much performance do you need when the back drop is a giant stain-glass window lit up in pink glory?

Tonight Lonely The Brave also showcased their second album, Things Will Matter, in fervid style. As a band they are moving from strength to strength only becoming more entrancing as they do it.

This leg of the UK tour continues and a whole bunch of new UK dates have been announced for October too: 

New October UK tour dates:

03/10/16 - Brighton – The Haunt*

04/10/16 - Southend – Chinnerys*

06/10/16 - London – Camden Electric Ballroom*

07/10/16 - Bristol – Marble Factory*

10/10/16 - Nottingham – Rescue Rooms*

11/10/16 - Glasgow – King Tuts*

14/10/16 - Leicester – 02 Academy*

15/10/16 - Leeds – The Key Club*

18/10/16 - Oxford – 02 Academy*

19/10/16 - Hull – Welly*

21/10/16 - Birmingham – 02 Academy*

22/10/16 - Cardiff – SWN Festival. The Tramshed

*w/special guests Tall Ships

Please note: Tickets for the October tour will be available on Tuesday 31st May at: www.lonelythebrave.com

Yes! I got through the whole of this review without mentioning The Hydro show last May!

Oh wait. DAMNIT! 

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

EofE had a party!

EofE
Zigfrid von Underbelly - Hoxton
15/09/2015

It would be easy to say that EofE are talented beyond their years, but the reality is that the Black Country lads have got an extensive and electrifying career ahead of them. With so many milestones to reach, it’s for the best that they started out a little early.

The latest of those milestones came in the form of their sterling self-titled album, which dropped on October 9^th, and luckily they had a bit of a shindig to celebrate AND we went (this would be a really odd review if we didn’t…)

Tom Harris - Vocals 
Zigfrid von Underbelly - Hoxton
15/09/2015

              In amongst the new album tracks, that we hadn’t yet heard, the intimate venue was treated to some of the teaser songs that have been knocking about whilst EofE tour relentlessly. The thunderously sweet Bridges and Stars In Hollywood has been getting us excited for this album since we saw them back in March (FYI, that was the Grab Bag’s debut).

Turns out those songs were just pieces, and tonight we saw the completed jigsaw puzzle in all its glory. Live, this album is everything you want it to be: intense, theatrical and stunning.

It’s worth pointing out that if you like your vocalists with an outrageous range, have you met Tom Harris? Seriously, it’s extraordinary.

It wasn’t all about the new album though. Like I said, EofE have got a huge career ahead of them, and to get everything they can out of that they need to have as many plates spinning as they can, and that’s difficult.

Reece Luke - Vocals and Guitar
Zigfrid von Underbelly - Hoxton
15/09/2015

Oh what’s that? Perform a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Bloodstream and perform it as if you wrote it and blow everyone away? Yeah, no bother.

So, all things considered, EofE slayed this set, and just when you thought they had outdone themselves, that they couldn’t possibly have anything left in them, they played the “we’ve written an absolute belter of a song” card.

The video for Get Caught was unleashed at the start of September and both the video and the track are sultry and dramatic in excess. Live, EofE poured every inch of energy they had into this finale, with Reece deciding that a table top somewhere towards the back of the venue was a much better fit for him than the stage. Fair.

I’ll level with you, there’s a lot more to be said about this band. But seen as this is the very start of an incredible career, let’s call this review part one. Part two will come when they sell out their next headline tour, and that will happen soon, mark my words.

Dan Bremner & Tom Harris
Zigfrid von Underbelly -Hoxton
15/09/2015

Zigfrid von Underbelly - Hoxton
15/09/2015

 

EofE 
Zigfrid von Underbelly - Hoxton
15/09/2015

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus tear up London's Borderline

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus have had me hooked since the first time I saw them live in London, in 2008. Having had a rough relationship with their record label, who failed to produce on various promises, the band flew themselves to the UK and decided to remain independent “for as long as possible.”

I remember thinking, and still think to this day, that was the most impressive damn thing I had ever heard.

So when we heard that The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus were coming back to the UK it took us all of five seconds to decide we had to be there.

We were extremely lucky to catch them at London’s Borderline and from the minute that they launched into Damn Regret we knew that this was going to be a night to remember.

And that was just the first of many nostalgic gems from the 2006 album Don’t You Fake It.

Randy Winter - Guitar

What’s that? You didn’t realise that album was released nearly 10 years ago? Yeah me either. We sat down with guitarist Randy Winter before the set and he pointed it out to us.

“We’re going to be doing an anniversary tour for our debutrecord Don’t You Fake It. Next yearit will be exactly 10 years since it came out. So we’ll probably stretch out to some spots we haven’t been to, intentionally.”

And just three tracks into this set and we know why that anniversary tour will be a huge deal. In Fate’s Hand and Justify, both from Don’t You Fake It are, in a word, amazing. Those screeching guitars and aggressive drum tracks bring back the exact same attitude as when they were released.

It’s that attitude and forcefulness that made this band a driving force in the scene a decade ago and it’s what has made them legends now.

John Hartman - Drums

And with Choke from the 2011 album Am I The Enemy standing defiant in between those 2006 belters, it’s easy to see how this band managed to do so well even without a label. This track was the first of four singles to reach number 1 in the US after The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus left their record label, Virgin, in 2010.  

That’s not surprising. There’s something ultimately satisfying about screaming along the words “I hope you choke!” If you don’t believe me, ask the crowd at the Borderline that night. They did it remarkably well.

As we reached the half way point of the set vocalist Ronnie Winter grabs an acoustic guitar and everything gets a bit serious and wonderful. Cat and Mouse and Your Guardian Angel were pillars of my adolescence and it was a pleasure to hear them both played live, as beautiful as ever. When the packed in crowd chimed in to the latter with “Please don’t walk away, please tell me you’ll stay” you couldn’t hide from the spine tingles.

But they didn’t miss a beat launching back into the hardcore swirl of it all with False Pretense and You Better Pray. The former was definitely a highlight of the night, with the crowd jumping up and down and completely losing the plot as they were launched into that banging and infectious chorus.

Ronnie Winter - Vocals

The latter was a spectacular surprise. Ronnie points out on stage that You Better Pray, from the 2009 album Lonely Road, didn’t do extremely well in the UK charts “because you don’t have red necks here. But unlucky for you we ARE red necks and we’re going to play it anyway. So if you like southern rock, sing along.” Turns out we really like Southern Rock and we screamed that opening scream like we were Kid Rock, in a vest, wielding a gun and wearing cowboy boots. None of which The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus did, in case you were wondering.  

Matt Hunter - Guitar 

The set closed up, of course, with Face Down. THE song to define this band for many people because it is the prime example of hardcore sentimentality that The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus have had nailed for a decade.   

This set was everything I wanted it to be and more. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus played tracks that are iconic in this scene and they did it with all of the boldness and tenacity that you would want them too.

So tenacious in fact that more than one member of the band wore sunglasses on stage. In a basement venue. At night. It was perfect.

Unfortunately, the rest of the UK tour was cut short due to 'a family crisis'. We wish all the best to the whole band and hope that the situation has improved. If you missed out then do make sure that you get yourself to see these guys as soon as possible. You will not regret it, I promise! 

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Facebook

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Twitter 

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Website 

Buy '4' Here

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!

Altered Sky Paints London Multi-Coloured

Vocalist Ana takes a moment before the set

Last week London’s The Garage played host to an astronomical line up of talent headlined by Scotland’s Altered Sky who burst onto the stage in a rainbow of colour and charmed their way into our hearts.

After facing the Louder Now Grab Bag (which you can read here) Altered Sky introduced themselves to the crowd with I Know You Know from the 2011 EP In This World. It’s one of their grittier songs but has stood the test of time and sets just one end of the tone that this band can convey

Tracks Decay, Where I Belong and Traitor In Me blend forceful drum work from Amy Blair with impeccable vocals from lyricist and energetic entertainer Ana Nowosielska. Add in the backdrop of feisty guitar riffs from Richard and Ryan and some intense bass work from Ross Archibald and you have a post-punk band with appealing hints of pop brilliance running through it.

Richard - Guitar

A highlight of the night for us was Apple Tree the video for which you can see here. It’s another oldie and they are much more developed offerings from Altered Sky but there’s a charm to Apple Tree which is really infectious and we really hope that they carry this song through even when they’re playing the huge venues they deserve to be playing.

We were lucky enough to grab a copy of the 2014 EP Stop and Live (which you could get your hands on here if you’re lucky enough) and the production value is really impressive and for the most part, it conveys the sheer energy that they exert on stage.

However, if you get a chance to see these guys live then you must do it. Those clean vocals that exert passion and ferocity when it’s necessary are so much more explosive when they’re on stage and the flash of vigorous energy the band produce as unit is something you can’t record.

Ryan - Guitar

Luckily Altered Sky have recently teamed up with Pulp Clothing which is fantastic news because now they’re heading back out on an acoustic tour up and down the country. Check out the dates here and make sure you get yourself to a show and meet these guys.   

Closing track on Stop and Live and penultimate track of the night, Live For It, is an inspiring record which starts out on a rare quiet character but escalates into an explosive example of those impeccable vocals filled with passion and attitude when they need to be.

The night ended with new song Bury It All which the guys released a beautiful video for a few weeks back. It will be on the band’s first full length album which is expected to be released later this year and if it’s anything to go by then hold on to your beanies because you’re all about to get blown away.  

Altered Sky Facebook. 

Altered Sky Twitter. 

Altered Sky Website. 

Witchingseason - London's Quintessential Music Professionals

Tom Reynolds - Guitar/Vox

If you have an appreciation for real, determined, grungy and qualified rock music then, ladies and gentleman, we present to you, Witchingseason.

We caught up with the band last week at London’s The Islington, to see what all the fuss was about and can gladly report that the hype is completely founded.

Born just last year, Witchingseason have honed an expert skill of performing dark, gruff and passionate songs to an incredibly high set of standards. These guys know how music should sound both artistically and technically and strive to ensure that this is delivered on stage.

Spiders, is a key specimen of dirty guitar perfectly unified with those gruff vocals which will identify this band immediately for years to come. Impressively both factors come from leading man Tom Reynolds.  

The band's various influences scream through most of their tracks but perhaps no where more than in our favourite song from Witchingseason , The Healer, which channels Queens Of The Stone Age but with a grittier dimension which only a British Hard Rock band could add. That extra darkness really works and we've been singing those tiny high lines for a week.  

Wayne Summers - Drums

Honestly, it feels a little odd seeing Witchingseason on a stage of this size because they could, and should, be playing bigger. But one of the wonderful things about this band is that they are so focused on the music and getting that sound out that I genuinely don’t think they realise how big the venue should be. It’s a hard thing, to be a new (ish) band in London, but if you're going to do it…do it like these guys do. With the utmost respect for music, the willingness to constantly progress and blot out the schmoozing where you can.  

James Willans - Bass

The most remarkable thing about this band by far, is that it’s a work in progress. So much so that there was a song on the set list that drummer, Wayne Summers, could only refer to as ‘New One’. That excites us more than anything else because if this is what they're producing now then the future is going to be all kinds of amazing. 

Check out Witchingseason's Facebook here and listen to a few of their tracks on their Soundcloud here. Let us know what you think of them in the comments below! 

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