The Midnight Lycan Party / Baby Godzilla @ The Rigger 25th June 2011

Review by Emilia Rowley

Oh dear. I've never graced The Rigger with my presence before (I couldn't find the door!) but I was not hindered. This was a free gig, and I was dying to see The Midnight Lycan Party. Plus with support from a Nottingham band called 'Baby Godzilla' my interest was already heightened. Admittedly because I love Godzilla. I quickly gained my whereabouts by finding the bar of course, and with gin in hand proceeded to find a good viewing spot.

What can I say. Baby Godzilla are fucking awesome. I'm using swearing as an exclamatory here because my former statement is true. First impression: 'these look like nice young boys, I wonder what they'll sound like?'. Hold. The. Phone. They're straight in fast and loud making me smile and sit up to hear better. The Rigger isn't the biggest of spaces, but to these guys it's a field. They jump on/off the actual ceiling rigging, off the drum kit - later broken because they play so hard(!) - and leap about singing and screaming in your face, so even if you were in the way, they wouldn't care. Tune after tune of melodic belters, with a treat I was far from expecting: some acappella inserts! Oh me, oh my, my absolute favourite. Baby Godzilla are acappella pirates, using 'yo ho yo ho' in an original way. An excellent byline to an already impressive sound. And then the kick drum broke. It just goes to show when you play hard, there's sometimes a casualty. This however did not stop the set, a little tape-repair later and everyone's back on track and ready to welcome the headliners. If you like it hard, fast, and loud, then see Baby Godzilla. They deserve it.

The sun is setting on The Rigger, a golden light streaming through the stage-left windows. A perfect welcome for The Midnight Lycan Party. They seem to be mysterious. Dark and sexy and definately worth their weight in gold. A few tracks in and I can imagine being in a western film, but on a creeped-out ghost train; and this would be the soundtrack. All songs do not disappoint, favourites being 'Black Promise' and 'Down By The River' if I recall correctly. The lead singer has a deep, melliflous vocal drawl, and the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. He is elevated by a second vocalist/guitarist, creeping in at the exact right moments in order to make the songs even better, and with a drummer that looks like a Horror what more could you ask for at sunset. These guys are darkly intense, and we need to thank them for bringing not only Baby Godzilla to Stoke, but also for a sound that is far beyond the reaches of our little town.

Gravities / The Hiding Place / From Within @ The Sugarmill 24th June 2011

Review by Emilia Rowley

Photo by Kevin Percival

On first glance it seemed that this gig was set to both start and end with a skeletal number of audience members, half of which were supportive parents. With the maximum age of about 16, From Within graced the stage and were fully ready to please, but were halted by some "technical difficulties". This was definately met with a few quiet "awe! aren't they cute"s running through the crowd until they blasted out some heavy-riff noise which all of sudden made me listen. Their short set comprised of the sounds of an American high school prom band; major-chord rock that is easy to bop to. I immediately referenced 'Back To The Future' in my head. You know the scene, where Marty steps in for the injured band member etc. Well, lo and behold, what do I hear? The opening to 'Johnny Be Good'? No way? Yes way. Excellently performed, if not a little jovial, as the crowd began to increase in numbers and also in spirits (either mood or alcohol I couldn't tell). The lead singer/guitarist is an absolute ball of talent, his voice belongs in a young gentleman of 22 nevermind 15/16. You can tell these boys are passionate about music; I'd say check back in a year or two and these guys will undoubtedly keep you entertained.

From Within exited the stage to rapturous applause and were swiftly followed by The Hiding Place. Now, I've wanted to see this band for a while and was admittedly a little apprehensive as to whether they would get my vote. And they did. An incredible start, with undertones of hardcore-gone-by; referencing early Alexisonfire but with a little more swagger. Yes, swagger, I did just use that word. Vocally the lead was a little confusing at times, but not in a bad way. He swung his hips to the beat of his own drum, brought a little flamboyancy to the stage and proceeded to get intimate with the audience by leaping into the crowd and finishing a song. The Hiding Place's tracks hit you in the face with the right amount of force; slow intros followed by exciting verses and sing-a-long choruses. When the new EP drops expect it to sell out like hot cakes; they leapt about the stage wonderfully, and let the audience know that they were having as much fun as we were in the crowd.

In all honesty I hadn't heard of Gravites before tonight, but I was definately impressed. They sound like dirty, Deftones-esque, gritty, low pitched rockers. Very entrancing to watch. An excellent lead guitarist brings the songs from just a few chords to a more interesting sound, with solos at the right times, and then doesn't play them for too long (pet hate). The lead singer believes in the songs; almost singing past the audience, and rather to the person that the song was originally meant for. I truly believe that tonight's performance was only hindered by nerves, as sometimes the vocal range became a little flat. A complete unfortune as these guys really are something to behold. My favourite track of the night is definately 'Motion of Stars'; a beautiful song that rolls around a simple melody with a building undertone only enhanced by more vocal simplicity. Gravities are worth seeing again.

Fleet Foxes @The Civic Hall Wolverhampton 23rd June 2011

Review by John West

Photo by Simon Bamford

Tonight, Seattle six piece band Fleet Foxes take to the stage of the Civic in support of their new album ‘Helplessness Blues’. Their sound is a fusion of their own take of Americana folk, blues and hints of jazz, forming a mix of what I would call harmonic organic progressive folk music. They return to the venue they played a couple years ago, having seen their star ascend with exposure on Jools Holland, regular plays on Radio 2 and 6music. I do wonder if they are perhaps feeling somewhat uncomfortable with their ascent into the mainstream as their music reaches a wider audience. They are due to play Glastonbury tomorrow for what will be a much bigger crowd than tonight so they certainly are reaching out there taking their music to the masses. Tonight it’s a chance to be a bit more intimate with their audience.


The stage is spartanly lit throughout with warm glows of primary colours as they deliver a 90 minute plus set to a full house tonight. They are extremely talented musicians, which is bought out in the quality of their intricate playing as are the exquisite vocal harmonies, with main man Robin Peckfold leading the way on guitar. The set includes songs from their eponymous debut album including personal favourite ‘Your Protector’ crowd favourite ‘White Winter Hymnal’ and ‘Sun it rises’. ‘Mykonos’ gets the crowd swaying, joining in and singing along with their own “oh oh ohs” giving it an almost congregational feel. The band spend time throughout using an array of instruments including guitars, mandolin, percussion, upright bass and trumpet but without much communication with the audience it slows the pace somewhat and seems to cause restlessness. This is a band who are steeped in Americana and a rich musical heritage therefore their songs reflect this with touches of Crosby Stills and Nash, Van Morrison with almost hints of an acoustic Radiohead. It’s a shame when some of the crowd chat throughout some of the songs which really do need your attention, it’s even worse when some clown throws a beer glass across the audience. This is not what I expect tonight; I expect the audience to respect each other as they’ve all come to experience the sheer joy and passion of the band.....cue ‘He doesn’t know why’ which is sublime.

There is no denying how talented this band are, with their songs allowing you to listen and drift away in your own thoughts interpreting Penkfold ‘s songs of friendship, regret, closure, turmoil. From the new album is ‘Sim Sala Bim’ ‘Montezuma’ and the title track ‘Helplessness Blues’ which ends the night. Tonight Fleet Foxes delivered a strong set but may have perhaps over stretched themselves by cramming such a lot in, as talented as they are the delays between songs to tune up didn’t maintain the momentum. I feel that their music is better suited to more intimate surroundings and tonight the Civic seems too big. We may have got more of that if it had been seated or if – to return to my rant - if people had just listened more, shown a little more respect and simply absorbed the aural delights which Fleet Foxes deliver.

National Trevor: ‘Baby I’m Your Boy’ Album review

Review by Sian Eardley

Image courtesy of National Tevor and Darren Washington

National Trevor – not what was expected at all: a limitless candy jar of an album; a beautiful and transcending journey of the elegant, the educated, the real, the dark, the romantic, the light and breezy, and the wanting qualities of man – yes all under one umbrella. Si Waite, the Staffordshire University lecturer offers songs for the times: songs of the condition of the modern man, and upon listen it’s brilliantly uplifting and liberating.

The first half of the album sees Waite at his eloquent best. ‘Each Time I See Your Face’, the opener, exposes his clean, true, and heartfelt approach, which is continual throughout the whole musical experience. We get to celebrate his multi-dimensional voice, sometimes seeing hints of a husky ‘Beck’/’Ryan Adams’, and then sometimes the finesse of ‘Guy Garvey’ (‘Footprints’), and then again, ‘Sting’, this man manages to pull off the distinction of Sting’s 30 year career in his voice. He goes down like a fine vintage wine: sophisticated and warming. From the first track I refused to believe this was a product from Stoke. Nothing this delicate and ornate could come from this area, no way. Even his words: ‘We move like Heaven, we beings’ are simply divine; utterly moving and awe-inspiring, it must be unforgettable to witness live.

‘Take What You Need’ is a fine example of his very genuine style of songwriting. The tension created in this soulful love song is captured by the music, to lead you on with the lyrics to wonder where this story will lead: ‘Loneliness…waiting in the shadow of another day’. He works up to an almost Wordsworthian ending which puts him amongst Stoke’s elite performers.

A sweeping levity is then brought in by the comically titled: ‘I Love it When You Shave Your Legs’ – a wonderful insight into his quirky microcosm – very true and very modern attitudes to the running theme of love. The track may appear to be outrageous, but it fits into his works perfectly, and actually makes pretty good sense when you give it a spin.

‘The Hand of History’ was an intriguing highlight exploring his darker side, with otherworldly touches that could have nicely fitted on the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis. It’s talented and tangible. ‘Hey You’ sounded hauntingly familiar, that, or I’d already got and understood the album’s ethos entirely and lovingly. It has to be noted, that this track in particular, resonates Jeff Buckley’s ‘So Real’, with wondrous high notes and lifts to create a poetic ballet of sound.

‘I Don’t Want to Sing Along’, and ‘Restless Waves’, are his ballsy and bolshie tracks, like a young, fired-up Adams, where you really get into his rhythm and peaks of great musical magnitude. These songs of resistance and angst are easy to adore and become attuned to.

‘Baby I’m Your Boy’ has a comedown of more light, summery tunes towards its climax. With ‘Sunrise’, all troubles are gone ‘Throwaway your blues’, in this oceanic number, you can almost smell the suntan lotion. More happy acoustics come in the tranquil form of ‘Still Life’, ‘Made of Stars’ and ‘Time in my Hand’ – the finale.
This album can’t come recommended highly enough, so listen for yourselves.

National Trevor