Review by Matt Kitten
Having not been to the Sugarmill before and not being a Stoke local I soon fell in love with the venue even though when we first arrived there was no-one around and the music was low. I won’t go on about this as you all know what it’s like, but I will compliment them on the sticky floor and would advise that they advertise their secrets so other small venues could do the same and make the gig experience just that bit more authentic.
The place had filled up quite a bit when supporting act, Headquarters took to the stage. Their first two tracks just left me bemused and emotionless and the fact they all had the blankest of expressions on their faces made me not dislike them so much, but feel as if they were unimpressed to be there. Very gradually I started to warm to their odd features and could easily picture them in a David Lynch film and at one point I'm sure I saw
The Mystery Man from Lost Highway walk past me. All of a sudden Headquarters bashed out a tune so fractured and bizarre that I instantly wanted to hug their cartoon faces. Now they all looked so interesting all I wanted to do was have a drink with the odd looking tribe.
We had a break and debated which was a better classic action film; Aliens or Predator (jury’s still out!) and waited for Everything Everything to take to the stage. Now, this band have been walking a tightrope for a while and I, being a fan since they first got aired on Zane Lowe’s Radio One show, have been constantly concerned by their output. When I say tightrope, what I mean is that they are on a knife edge of being an accessible pop/indie band and a quirky, progressive muso’s band. Knowing that they were testing some material tonight and now being signed to a major label, I was worried that they might have fallen off the tightrope down the side of the commercial pop song.
They played maybe six new tracks at this show and every one of them was an extension of their quirkier side, which I was very relieved about. Tight, energetic and obviously having a great time up there made the night a great one for people who have been listening to them for a while but people seeing them for the first time may have been left luke warm.
For me, they can stay balancing right on that tightrope but whether they want it or not that might keep them from reaching the dizzy heights that some bands get rocketed into very early on in these celebrity radio driven times. I am looking forward to a new album from them safe in the knowledge that they haven’t fallen over the side that Noah and The Whale are on and hope to catch them playing places like The Sugarmill in the future.
However I am sceptical of how the dullard Snow Patrol fans will take Everything Everything on their next gig outing.
..
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Giro Junkie / Dinosaur Dancefloor / The Nanateas @ The Full Moon 30th September 2011
Review by Charlotte Lunt
For me, unashamedly this is a long awaited gig. Those of you
who tune into Stoke Sounds on 6towns (Monday’s 7-9pm, hint hint) will know that we’ve been
long term champions of Giro Junkie, and also that Dinosaur Dance Floor have
recently seeped into our aural consciousness. Couple this with the fact that
Giro’s album ‘Taxi for Dave’ hasn’t been out of the CD player for the last week
or so and you have an idea of the levels of anticipation I have.
First on were the Nanateas, to whom I owe an apology as the
impromptu meeting of so many old friends and familiar faces from gig's gone by that I missed the bulk of their
set, but I did catch respectable covers of The Cure’s ‘Friday I’m in Love’ and
Pulp’s ‘Disco 2000’.
With the dance floor filling up for Dinosaur Dance Floor,
the atmosphere really took hold as their dancey indie rang out. On a slightly
critical note, it would’ve been good to hear the vocals higher in the mix as
this really did detract from the performance. Within the first few songs I can
see domination of the current Stoke Scene well within these lads grasp – jangly
melodic feel good indie pop – perfect for a late summer evening. They are
clearly a band who practice hard but also and refreshingly don’t seem to take
themselves too seriously, and seem to be as much about having fun as they are
about the music. This evening see’s them delivering a set of little gems to an
audience with their dancing shoes on, and is more than an appropriate prologue
for the main set.
Tonight’s performance by Giro Junkie, serves very much like
the stories they tell in their lyrics. Starting with 'Murder of Logistics' as the 2
piece they have been performing as for 18 months or so Rich Bloor (vocals and
guitar) and Mark Stevens (drums and vocals) they guide us through an album’s
worth of songs starting with some simple numbers I remember hearing in The
Glebe many moons ago, to the fuller and richer sound they are now achieving
with the addition of several new colleagues.
Rich’s ability to use lyrics to tell stories straight from
the coal face brings an earthy strength to the songs, notably 'Oh-Dae-Su' and it appears that as the set
progresses their music is gaining attention from the venue's patrons. One
thing that is fabulous about this evening is the ‘love in’ feeling from so many
people who have come out to support the band, and the recognition that as a
first album release this is a celebration of their achievements. There is
always a pleasure about watching an artist and friend performing, but to see a
band develop and grow like this is a real privilege.
Welcoming an abundance of guest artists to the stage to
complete the full line up for the last three songs, Giro Junkie showcase the
new directions that some of their songs have undertaken. The introduction of
more voices and instruments has brought an earthly feel to the music, and a
feeling of shared experience, akin to that heard in sea shanties. Although
about contemporary issues, songs such as ‘Hands for Feet’ appear to have now
grown their roots firmly in the folk tradition, in a way that melds two worlds
simultaneously.
Leaving the stage to rapturous applause and one or two ear
piercing whistles, Rich, Mark et al. Should be rightly proud of this evenings
gig and launch of their album – which in case you didn’t know is available in a
limited edition from the band, and also on itunes.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Review by Sian Eardley
This was a rewarding evening on multiple levels, for what would have been a quaint and ordinarily boring Sunday. Not only did Abyss stride in to save the day from an afternoon full of a multitude of ridiculously monotonous and poor renditions of indie tribute act drivel, from pre-pubescent teenagers, but Fat Cats has risen it’s head as the best new venue in town; in terms of music quality and setting.
Upstairs, waiting for the dire sounds
echoing from the basement to drown out, summer vibes of 60’s soul music flowed
throughout the above bar, and it was a thrilling experience as opposed to the
apparent dying-out Underground and the same-old Sugarmill. Fat Cat’s has got it
going on, and with more and more gigs being put on each month, it’s sure to
take the lead for hottest local music venue. The fact that they do something
fresh, and have the ability and style to put on whatever they want in a
grandeur fashion, instantly puts them ahead of the crowd.
£4 for an afternoon full of sounds (not all
good by far – see above) got you hours worth of entertainment, and Abyss as
usual were that prolific cherry on top indeed. Hand on heart, I was expecting
the interesting lot of teens to perform the same set list as executed at the
past few shows I’ve seen them at, I was pleasantly surprised. Again, like the
venue, this passion and flair makes them stand out, all this for such a
premature yet groundbreaking local band is astonishing, and I’m very sorry
Hollywood Tease, but these guys, are my new favourites. It’s also great to see
an expanding audience each time these guys play. The word sure is spreading.
They opened with an old corker of theirs,
then whipped out a roaring version of ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, and my gosh did it
make the hairs on you arms stand on end – it’s always a tune. The Hetfield
inspiration is clear, as I’ve referenced before, especially in Breakout with
those intrinsically experience riffs. Having recently acquired a new drummer,
you can tell they’ve also worked hard to come together as an even tighter unit,
and even treated us with some new material, showing bags of more promise, it’s
like they’ve been upgraded perfectly. The future IS bright,
and the future IS Abyss, and with even more dates coming up, including a
Sugarmill slot soon, be sure to keep an eye out to witness the sheer talent
that is known as Abyss.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Troops of the Mafeking / The Control / Faux Feet @ The Sugarmill 10th September 2011
Review by Peter Callaghan
So since I began this gig reviewing lark, I’ve heard certain
names banded about the local music scene. These, I thought, must be the bands
that have earned their stripes or whose brand of stuff was particularly
appealing to the local music masses. This, in all honesty, usually puts me off.
Anywhere the masses go, usually sends me running in the opposite direction.
But, not long ago, I realised that in this business, I can’t afford to hold such
judgements without actually listening to the music these bands were producing.
So, I made my resolve to shake off my presumptions like a dog caught in the
rain, and decided to check out the launch party for the new Troops of Mafeking
EP “Fake Glamour”, at the Sugarmill.
First up were Faux Feet. They have a twee, indie rock sound
and are pleasant to listen too. It’s not offensive and the heavier rock aspects
work well with Mathews’ vocals. Faux Feet did a good job of opening this gig but
heart sank a little for them as the audience were still slowly filtering in
whilst they were playing. I think with the right atmosphere and right slot on a
line up, Faux Feet would truly come alive as their sound would emanate immensely
throughout the venue as they’ve definitely got that in them. But opening a gig
is hard, especially when the crowd aren’t giving you anything back.
The Control are another band that I’ve heard the name of
time and time again but not actually seen them live. So when they started up with
an almost tropical indie sound (or maybe that was just the lead singers Hawaiian-esque
shirt?) I thought “Oh, this isn’t going to be for me”. But once again,
assumptions made a fool of me and I found myself smiling along to their
enticing indie sound. I liked it, mainly because it’s not all just standard
indie riffs but they’ve got some interesting dischorded, off-beat passages as
well as lead singer Joseph Brennan Hulme being an excellent
frontman, whose tourette-like antics on stage were simply fascinating. It must
be mentioned that they did not have their regular line-up and instead had to
mix it up a little, putting bass guitarist John Burgess on the drums and
recruiting a friend to play bass. Overall, I enjoyed their set, especially
their banter about “glamorising the monotony of working class life” because it’s
almost strangely self-referencing of the Indie scene itself, since most bands
write songs about making your Nan a brew or playing football with your mates
and then eating pie and chips afterwards. That’s some non judgemental behaviour
for you.
Anyway, with The Control done and dusted, it was
time for the main event. Troops of
Mafeking started with an almost stadium like entrance; the only thing it was
lacking was the flashing search lights and sirens. The guitars roared with
feedback as they announced themselves to the waiting audience and then... They
exploded. I knew, from what I had been told, that their guitars weren’t the
only thing that was electric on stage but I reckon that if you wired the Troops
up to a generator that runs off the ambient energy they produce whilst playing,
you could probably run every house in Stoke-on-Trent for weeks. I would
probably classify them as stadium rock and their appeal is in having a good
time, as many of their fans would testify; they play fast and loud and everyone
in the ‘Mill loved it. They are an intense live experience and I particularly
enjoyed their heavier songs the most as they really seemed to get that electric
energy flowing at its peak rate. If this performance was anything to go by,
their new EP “Fake Glamour” might blow up your CD players as the condensed
electricity fuses the disc drive and surges the national grid... Or maybe not.
I half expected them to collapse when they finished but instead, they delivered
an encore with as much enthusiasm as when they first started with lead singer
Samuel Woolley jumping into drummer Josh Jones’ lap, taking out the drum kit on
the way.
On leaving, I felt genuinely knackered, and was
half glad that my bus was an hour late because at least it gave me some time to
catch my breath in the grimness of Hanley bus station. I can certainly see why
these are the bands that people talk about in Stoke-on-Trent because they do
put on a good show.