Download Festival 2016 - Friday

We arrived at Donnington in a blaze of sunshine, popped up our tent, made ourselves at home, kicked up a barbeque, cracked open the cider and sipped at it with sunglasses and sunscreen (but not enough) in our camp chairs ready for our second UK summer music festival of the year.

But after one whole day in the sun we decided we’d had enough of all that, pulled on our wellies (well one of us did anyway) and headed down to the main arena for our first official day at Download Festival 2016.

Unfortunately we did all of that just a little too late to catch Alien Ant Farm (completely gutted) which meant that the first band we caught were the almighty Babymetal.

I said it at Reading last year, and I will say it again. Babymetal are amazing and genuinely unlike anything you will ever see. It brings joy to a huge crowd to see those dance routines in front of shredding metal guitars. From the second Suzuka Nakamoto, or “Su-metal” as she is known, squealed “Hi Guys!” she had Download Festival eating out of the palm of her hand.

Crowd pleaser, and my favourite Babymetal track, Gimme Chocolate as well as brand new track Karate were particular highpoints but their whole set had the huge crowd forgetting that they were standing in the year’s worst weather and throwing up their horns in their thousands.

The original plan for post-Babymetal was to hang out for the rest of the day at the Zippo Encore stage (for reasons that will become apparent soon). However, when I say the year’s worst weather, I’m under-exaggerating. At the risk of sharing too much information on the internet, once the rain started it took approximately thirty seconds for every inch of my person to be completely and utterly saturated and, sadly, I was not quite as prepared as I had believed.

Turns out the very beautiful rain mac I bought especially for the occasion was in no way, shape or form water proof. My wellies were also very pretty but basically just little empty paddling pools waiting to be filled. But at least I had wellies on. RIP my colleague’s Van’s. You served well old friends, but you were no match for this occasion.

Clearly we had to head back to camp and attempt to pull ourselves together, but once we’d done that we jumped right back in and managed to catch The Amity Affliction who opened with a song called I Bring the Weather with Me, so apparently we’ve got them to blame.

The Australian metal-core act brought five tracks to a stage where they looked right at home. A more stern performance than our first of the festival, they performed to a crowd of loyal fans who screamed back both the roars of Joel Birch and the clean vocals of Ahren Stringer. The Amity Affliction proved that when looking for your new favourite music, get you a band that can do both.

Ever the suave performers, The Amity Affliction took this set in their stride with Birch pointing to a low-flying plane over head, muttering “that’s cool” and then unleashing pure mayhem less than two seconds later. Masters of a genre that is perfect for both the festival world and headline shows, I cannot wait to see these guys play their biggest UK tour to date in December.

Daryl Palumbo - Glassjaw

Download Festival, Donnington

10/06/2016

According to the plan, we stuck with the Zippo Encore stage where Glassjaw’s experimental and progressive rock was next. Known for their intense performances, the New York quartet wasted no time in launching into the classic Tip Your Bartender.

Forming in 1993, Glassjaw have spent well over 20 years leading the post-hardcore and underground scenes, shaping them both into what they are. But today they just did what they do best and, above all, enjoyed it. Relying heavily on the 2002 album Worship and Tribute, Glassjaw proved that they shared a core value with their hosts – a dedication and love of their genre.

It’s really important to me that you understand that the weather I mentioned a while ago had not improved during all of this. No. It wasn’t quite as dramatic as it originally was but it was still pouring. I just want to make sure you get that.

Luckily, I had a pretty huge coat. Luckier still, it was Twin Atlantic time.

Ross McNae - Twin Atlantic

Download Festival, Donnington

10/06/2016

You remember when I said at Slam Dunk that, although a line-up might be inundated with incredible bands, there’s always one that makes your attendance at a festival non-negotiable? Well, ladies and gentleman, I present to you the reason I went to Download Festival 2016.

I might have mentioned a few times that I really rather like Twin Atlantic. It seems like we’ve been waiting a million years for news of their new album, but in reality we only said goodbye to them 10 months ago when they announced they would be taking a break after their now legendary set at Reading last year.

But now the time has arrived. Twin Atlantic have announced that in September they will release their fourth studio album, GLA, and quickly unveiled two tracks from it before playing what can only be described as an incredible hometown show at King Tut’s in Glasgow before announcing a whole host of intimate shows on a UK club tour. Yeah. It’s been an exciting time.

To say I was dying to hear the new tracks, No Sleep and Gold Elephant : Cherry Alligator, would be ridiculous, because frankly it was all I could talk about and I am overjoyed to say that they both play to all of Twin Atlantic’s strengths. Live, vocalist Sam McTrusty surrenders his guitar for the new offerings and both the change in focus and new lease of life mean that he has never sounded better. Imagine that.

As soon as Twin were announced for Download Festival I hoped that they would take the opportunityThe Ghost of Eddie and when that opening riff reverberated from the stage just second in their eleven track set, the crowd went mental.

Sam McTrusty - Twin Atlantic

Download Festival, Donnington

10/06/2016

to play their heaviest track to date,

Given the environmental circumstances it seemed unlikely that the crowd would be getting on the floor ready to fly into the air when I Am An Animal kicked in for its finale. Who cares for likeliness nowadays? Every person in that crowd adhered to the request and knelt down in the mud that we would fester in for another two days because that’s what sets like this do to people.

I could go on about this band for days but luckily we got three more Twin Atlantic shows to cover over the next three weeks as well as something really special coming up for Louder Now too so I got the time to revisit this but let it be known that there was nothing more special then to hear that Heart and Soul chorus ring loud once again.

Jack Barakat - All Time Low

Download Festival, Donnington

10/06/2016

And from those that fit right in to the most unlikely of Download headliners, next was All Time Low.

When guitarist Jack Barakat announced during their arena tour last year that they were playing Download Festival I thought he was, characteristically, taking the piss. To be honest I still didn’t really believe it until I saw them up there with my own eyes.

Nevertheless, All Time Low are born headliners and, as it turns out, are adaptable to all situations. That being said, they did not compromise their trademark hilarity and good-time nature for one second. Having seen these guys a ridiculous amount of times now I have always loved Barakat for his tendency to go missing from the stage but I never appreciated just how bat-crap crazy he really is. This guy loves those fans more than any musician I have ever seen perform and he opts to spend most of the set just hanging out with them, and I’m talking fall blown conversations, getting his pecks out, cheek-kissing, hanging out.

As ever, they played a career spanning set, even pulling out Jasey Rae from their EP to a rapturous

Alex Gaskarth - All Time Low

Download Festival, Donnington

10/06/2016

reaction from the audience who lapped up every second of it.

No strangers to covering songs, we’ve seen All Time Low do it all but an impromptu cover of American Idiot was a pleasant surprise in amongst a sea of absolute bangers.

And if all of that weren’t enough they even brought some cosy fires to the stage with them which I’m sure those close enough to feel them were eternally grateful for at this late stage in the very wet day.

After All Time Low wrapped it up with the ever sterling Dear Maria, Count Me In we hobbled over to the main stage to see the last of Rammstein’s incredibly visual industrial-metal set.

If anybody wants to tell me that Download is a singular festival I refer you to my last sentence.

As first day’s go our Friday at Download Festival 2016 was pretty incredible but, with two more days to go, it was about time we took a towel to all of our clothes, scraped our hair on to the top of our heads and collapsed onto an inflatable bed somewhere.

Download Festival 2016 – Saturday will be uploaded tomorrow.

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.

What happened at Slam Dunk South 2016

FESTIVAL SEASON HAS BEGUN

It might not have felt like it for the past few days but summer has arrived and the UK festival season was officially kicked off on Saturday May 28th with the almighty Slam Dunk, now in its tenth year!

In celebration of the festivals birthday it unleashed its biggest line up to date in Leeds, Birmingham and Hatfield where we donned our party hats and joined in the festivities on Bank Holiday Monday.

As soon as we landed on site we were surprised to see how intimate it was, with no more than about a handful of food vans, one set of toilets and a main stage that would pass for a 3^rd or 4^th stage at most other festivals.

Now, Slam Dunk hasn’t been without its share of negative feedback this year and the grumbles are understandable. Your heart has to go out to anybody who was turned away from a capacity-filled stage or sobbed in the queue outside whilst listening to their favourite band play somewhere off in the distance.

Having said that, Slam Dunk has got to be one of the only big-line-up-festival’s where  you can actually stand within a 10 mile radius of the main stage, and all 5ft of me really appreciates that (particularly my non-stretched neck and unnecessary tippy toes.)

The fact of the matter is that you can’t put that many incredible bands on one line-up, retain that intimate-show feel that everybody loves and not run into a few capacity or queueing issues.

Personally, I would have been happy to make a few sacrifices for the ridiculously incredible day we had hanging out at that main stage.   

Gustav Wood - Young Guns

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

Young Guns have been up to all sorts over the past few weeks secretly writing and recording their fourth studio album, releasing the first single from it and sadly announcing that long-time drummer Ben Jolliffe has decided to leave the band.

With all of that happening I was dying to see the Bucks-now-four-piece for the first time since Warped Tour UK back in October and, it seems to me, like they were dying to perform. After their explosive return with Ones and Zeroes last year, the break has given them a chance to “get their shit together” before making their next move.

They took the more stripped back and upbeat nature of new single Bulletproof in their stride on stage and performed it with more energy and gusto than I have ever seen from this band (and that’s saying something because I was HERE).

But Young Guns also took this opportunity to showcase the art of audience participation. Last year’s album was full of crowd-pleasing shouts and woah’s and at this point both the band and the fans have their roles mastered. I Want Out and the now iconic Bones saw the crowd match the band’s vitality, jumping in the air, fist pumping and screaming at three in the afternoon. Only happens at a festival.

We sloped off to explore our surroundings and bought an almost obligatory pizza and burger before returning to the main stage for Mayday Parade, fully aware that we were not leaving that stage for a single second for the rest of the day. Bit daunting.  

Derek Sanders - Mayday Parade

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

For one member of the LN team, this was the main event. We’re talking, tears on the journey in,

playing all of their songs on my car radio before pointing out which ones were going to make her cry (SPOILER ALERT: it’s all of them). 

I suspect that Mayday Parade have not changed in over ten years. They’ve never needed to. This is a band who got right under the skin of its fan base and when they started to play Three Cheers for Five Years it was plain to see that all of those fans are still as in love with that song, and this band, as they ever were.

Typically performing without shoes, frontman Derek Sanders is potentially the bounciest of the emo-rockers and for a band who rode out that genre they did a fine job of sending out an undeniably positive vibe with their performance.

Sadly, drummer Jake Bundrick couldn’t make the Slam Dunk weekend due to surgery but the rest of the band didn’t let that hold them back smashing every song and soaking in the sounds of the crowd yelling back all the words.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague on getting through the entire set without shedding a single real-life tear and also for not punching me despite my laughing directly in her on-the-brink-of-tears-face. Yes, I’m a pretty awful person but don’t worry, her chances for revenge are plentiful this summer.  

Ryan Key - Yellowcard

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

But Mayday Parade weren’t the only band on the Slam Dunk line up with a long history and dedicated fanbase. Florida pop-punk Kings Yellowcard also turned back the clock be playing their 2003 album (yep, t-h-i-r-t-e-e-n y-e-a-r-s) Ocean Avenue from start to finish, which is frankly the things that dreams are made of.

Time restraints meant that it was a whirlwind trip down memory lane with little room for chit chat but Yellowcard made up for that with the sheer joy of nostalgia.

Violinist Sean Mackin is one of my all time favourite people, serving as band cheerleader when he is not musically needed or busy doing backflips (by the way, a lot of gymnastics went on at Slam Dunk.)

I’m a huge fan of the “playing an entire album” concept and really hope more bands decide to do it in the future (I’m looking at you Fall Out Boy). For Yellowcard it meant that their set-list had peaks and lows in unexpectedly perfect places. Playing the crowd-pleasing title track three songs in instead of to close was a bit strange but ultimately quite special, so it fit right in with the rest of the day.

From old-timers to the (relatively) new guys, up next was something completely different with Mallory Knox.

Mikey Chapman - Mallory Knox

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

It’s hard to define Mallory Knox, plenty have tried and many have failed but they sit somewhere in

between post-hardcore and alt-rock/indie-rock, kind of. I mean I suppose so anyway, for the most part it doesn’t much matter because whatever it is that they’re doing, they’re doing it very well.

They definitely brought a needed heavier edge to the main stage rounding off the line up impeccably.  

Funny thing though, I have never seen a band so unbelievably grateful for a show in my entire life. Lead singer Mikey Chapman was like a kid at Christmas hardly being able to address the crowd without thanking them for being there and telling them how excited he was. Guitarist Joe Savins spent most of the set connecting with the audience too but couldn’t contain his disbelief at the fact that every time he did they melted into a sea of giggles and screams. Someone should really let Mallory Knox in on what we all know. They’re damn good.  

But Mayday Parade AND Yellowcard weren’t the only bands on the Slam Dunk line up with a long history and dedicated fan base. The OTHER Florida pop-punk Kings, New Found Glory, had absolutely nothing to prove and put on a classic, no thrills, straight up pop-punktacular set.

Jordan Pundik - New Found Glory

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

Their set list spanned their 19-year career and they flew around that stage pulling stupid faces at the crowd, singing about being teenagers like they were 20-years younger. I’m sure I’ve said this before but I find it really special that New Found Glory still perform their cover of Kiss Me because damn I love that tune.

And just when you thought this band could not get any better they grab a fan from the crowd and have him choose a song before letting him perform it with them in front of the bat-crap crazy crowd. Let me tell you, that guy was remarkable.   

Now. This is where there is a small chance (miniscule really) that I might have, potentially, lost…my…freaking…mind.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for what happened next.

Often with festivals there will be one particular act that will sell me. Sure there’s likely to be a whole host of bands that I would love to see but more often than not there is one in particular that makes my attendance non-negotiable. For Slam Dunk, this was Panic! At The Disco.

However, that’s not to say that I was buzzing with excitement about the whole thing. I’ll be completely honest with you, I thought P!ATD would be good. I thought it would be cute to see a band that I was in love with when I was 14 and interesting to see how things were shaping up now that so much had changed.

What actually happened was one of the most spectacular, jaw-dropping WHAT ON EARTH sets I have ever seen.

Firstly, those MySpace classics (I Write Sins, Not Tragedies and Time To Dance) were nothing short of wonderful and I belted out every single word and danced my little heart out.

But that wasn’t even the thing. For the first time (I’ve been slacking for a few years) I heard the new(er) tracks. They. Are. Golden.

Brendon Urie - Panic! At The Disco

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

I realise that’s unlikely to be news to the majority of people but for me it really was. I literally stood with a hand covered mouth whilst the crowd took over the vocals for the opening of Victorious. I struggled to remember that I was supposed to be working whilst the hey-ey’s of Crazy = Genius rang loud through the festival. I considered just giving up and sitting on the floor so that I could assess all of my life choices whilst Nicotine was flawlessly played.

At one point, I actually turned around and screamed at the girls at the barrier “ARE YOU SEEING THIS?” True story.

The fact of the matter is that for a long time I considered the P!ATD situation a sad one. I knew that Brendon Urie was a very talented man but I didn’t really feel that he could run the show solo and I felt it was a pity that everyone else had left. Turns out, I was really wrong.

I can’t tell you at what point I had this realisation. It could have been when he obliterated some ridiculous high notes, or it could have been when he was singing baritone. Who knows? They happened in equal amounts and he made it look like no big deal.

It could have been when he pulled out a guitar. Could have been when the drummer evaporated from the stage and Urie practically somersaulted on to the kit and smashed out a drum solo. Then again, it could have been when he performed Nine in the Afternoon on the keyboard before sticking with it and just casually belting out the entirety of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Having said that, it could have been when he gave up on clothes and left very little to the imagination. Could have been when he back flipped off the drum riser, but maybe it was when he somersaulted off of absolutely nothing.

Frankly, if that man had flipped that microphone one more time I’m not too sure what I would have done.   

Whenever it was, suffice to say that, until further notice, I am all about Panic! At The Disco. Bring on November (I’m coming for you Cardiff.)                                                                                             

Brendon Urie - Panic! At The Disco

Slam Dunk South, Hatfield

30/05/2016

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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! 

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!