Funeral for a Friend / Rise to Remain / Tiger Please @ The Sugarmill 28th March 2011

Review by Matthew Tilt I’ve had my share of fears about tonight, knowing very little about the opening band, knowing enough to dislike Rise to Remain and the horrible knowledge that the only truly good Funeral for a Friend albums were Casually Dressed... and Hours and yet here we are celebrating their fifth album Welcome Home Armageddon which is possibly the blandest album the Welsh quintet have released, with Memory and Humanity coming a pretty close second.

Tiger Please do nothing to calm these doubts, their mid paced emo rock failing to grab anyone, with supposedly charismatic vocalist Leon pretty much been ignored even as he climbs into the crowd. Speaking of boring and generic Rise to Remain are on next. Forgetting for a moment just who Austin’s dad is, let’s give them the fair review and look at the music. Boring metalcore, with plenty of unnecessary guitar solos taken from some crappy Maiden B-sides and to top off the embarrassment, one lonely guy in the pit being an absolute arse whilst the rest of the crowd quietly look on, with the occasional head bang. It’s kind of nice to see that who your dad is can get you a lot of things, but it won’t get you much support when you bring unoriginal shite like that to the table.

It’s a fair wait for Funeral for a Friend to come on, then that oh-so-recognisable riff for Roses for the Dead kicks in and things really go mad. Despite the fact that two minutes ago it was so packed that I was uncomfortably close to accidently penetrating the man next to me, a pit somehow breaks out and bodies are flying everywhere. Dusting off classic tracks like Juneau and Monsters and mixing in tracks off the new album, which, possibly due to the energy in the room, are revitalised and sound much better than on the record.

The security struggle to cope with the barrage of crowd surfers, and all the while Matt Davies smiles, clearly enjoying the response they’re getting. He cracks jokes, and completely commands the full-to-bursting pit, creating conga lines and circle pits with the minimum of effort. It’s a performance that completely saves the night and an encore of Into Oblivion and Escape Artists Die is the perfect end, leaving the crowd sweaty, exhausted and desperate to pull up the good FFAF albums on Spotify.

Kitten Pyramid /Another Rhythm Jesus / Bullet @ The Star and Garter, Burton 26th March 2011

Review by Pete Callaghan


Somewhere in Burton lurks an innocuous English pub, right in the center of a housing estate. And lurk it did, as if it were hiding behind several houses laughing at me, before I decided to call this game of hide and seek with a venue off and scream “I’m not playing anymore!” like a spoilt ten year old. Once again, it appeared as if I had “rocked up at the local”, yet, these venues are vastly becoming familiar grounds to me and, preferred grounds to be honest. A million miles away from the cavity searches and blinding torchlight of the bigger venues, these smaller, local gigs have a better sense of intimacy between the bands and the spectators. But, I’m not going to spend a second review extolling the virtues of local gigs because sooner or later, you’ll all see where I’m coming from, as those quarter of a billion pound laser shows don’t shine quite as brightly as they once did.

Anyway, after much jostling to find where the bands were actually playing in this venue (upstairs evidently), I headed in to find a small compact room where a handful of people stood waiting and chatting away next to a small stage. I was glad of this, due to thinking that I wasn’t at the gig at all, but instead had travelled to Burton for a head full of confusing directions and a pint of fosters. It wasn’t long before the first band were set-up and ready to go, which for me was happy times, as I am never on time for anything.

But the first band were anything but happy times. I was told just before they got started by one of the crowd that they had no idea what the band were like and this, I thought, did not bode well for the coming performance.

While I’m all up for promoting local bands and passionate musicians doing what they want to do, the way they want to do it, what I’m not down with is bands that shamelessly promote themselves constantly throughout their performance and then leave once they’ve finished their set, not sticking around to hear the other bands they share the line-up with. So as much as I dislike the idea of slating unsigned bands, (if they were signed, I would go to town on them) but Bullet are hereby named and shamed. They need to get their act together and stop thinking they are the only band worth hearing in the Midlands. Oh, if you want to know what their sound was like, if they were a parody of U2, it would have been a funny joke, but unfortunately they weren’t. And it wasn’t.

So after that fiasco, I went to grab another pint, drowning my sorrows in the frothy wetness of the stale ale. In all honesty, and fortunately for me, I had not come all this way just for Bullet, as it were the other two bands I was looking forward to. Another Rhythm Jesus were highly recommended to me on good authority and I had heard a couple of Kitten Pyramid tracks on their Soundcloud before coming, so I was looking forward to progressive psychedelic rock freak-out to pull me out of this despair induced waking coma.

Another Rhythm Jesus did precisely that with their punctuating vocals and blistering guitar screeches. They mix a wide range of the alternative rock format from all eras creating a very timeless sound, which I could quite happily listen to as a hypothetical monkey taps away on an imaginary typewriter ad infinitum. Throughout this primo performance, which was as tight as dick’s headband and as relaxed as dick’s slacks, members of the band mixed up the format by swapping instruments with each other, creating an evolving performance and experience. The highlight was pretty much the whole performance, with killer tracks “Wooden Box” and “Dark Helmet”. Another Rhythm Jesus brings together all the best elements of grunge, noise rock and prog, and fuses them together with an echoing, percussive vocal blend. Like the best fruit based alcoholic cocktail you’ve ever had, delicious and refreshing, but lets you know it means business, because it’s probably got some gin in it that you weren’t aware of.

Last on and headlining were Kitten Pyramid, who, short of lead singer Scott Marson climbing on stage in what looked like his Nan’s Sunday best, are a band which I had checked out and thought I knew what to expect. Evidently, this assumption made a fool of me and all of a sudden I was catapulted into a world where Saturday morning cartoons roam freely and the suns goofy face laughs down on me. The band combines these musical soundtracks with short stories, photography and art; so seeing them live is just part of everything that is going on with them. Yes, Kitten Pyramid sure are odd though, mixing a range of surreal indie, folk, pop, crazed wailing (more about whales shortly) and incessant sampled drum beats. I have never before seen a room so full of happy people, as every member of the audience was grinning from ear to ear, myself included. It’s a wonderfully strange experience as the band takes you on a journey with their soundtrack; through a sketchily drawn world of colours, clouds and pick ‘n’ mix. The last track they played completely shook the foundations of the innocuous pub, getting everyone bumping and grinding along to the pounding drums of “W.H.A.L.E.”... Yes, “W.H.A.L.E” is one hell of a stomping, rampaging tour de force for this band. I would definitely recommend checking out their demo soundtrack, the whole thing is on Soundcloud, so now you have no excuse. And with that, there is only one thing left to shout from the rooftops in a crazed manner and that would be... “WHALE!”

The Cartellos / Borders / Carnation / O.K. Corral @ The Underground 25th March 2011

Review by Jake Carter

The first band to take to the stage on Friday and play to an unfortunately bare room were The Cartellos, who had a lively, but pretty standard sound. There was really nothing wrong with their performance and they did have some rather nice, catchy riffs, although it did have me thinking about where to draw the line between your usual pub rock band and The Cartellos. That being said, it didn’t help that The Underground was pretty barren at the time, and I’d like to see these lads playing to more people with a healthy rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere, which is what they needed on Friday night.

Borders were the next band up and were for me, musically, the best band of the night. Lead singer Greg Poole is one of the coolest, laid back and most nonchalant front-men I’ve ever seen. Performing with one hand in pocket and the other grasping mic, he had the perfect vocal style to suit the music amazingly and had a certain way with words that is hard to describe. His words seemed to float above the music in a gracious way similar to that of Morrissey/The Smiths and never took the obvious root. The band knew their dynamics well and I really loved the sudden change of direction during songs that kept me constantly engaged with the music. I realise that every other band around here are ‘ones to watch’, but trust me on this one, these boys are definitely, definitely ones to watch.

The third band up were Carnation, who stated their set off with a mighty powerful riff and not before long the place was bouncing with lots of super ecstatic young ‘uns jumping all over the show. The lads from the band were also very enthusiastic, and as far as I could tell were putting as much effort into their performance as possible. This effort paid off and resulted in a great energy which both band and audience were feeding off. Song of the set had to have been ‘Too Cool For The Dancefloor’ and pretty much summed up the band’s overall sound and vibe.

By the time headliners O.K. Corral took to the stage The Underground was truly abuzz and you could just tell that everyone was ready for the lads to tear things apart. I was curious myself to hear what they sounded like live, after hearing them play a nice acoustic session on Six Towns Radio last Monday evening, and also because they describe themselves as ‘Stoke blues’. So after kicking into their set with confidence and swagger it was clear that these boys were certainly up to the task of tearing things apart, and the frenzied audience were there to help.

Musically the lads did a great job, with the guitar and bass playing off of each other creating a sturdy, robust sound. They were certainly the most powerful and controlling band of the night and it’s easy to see why they were the headliners. For a band with just three instruments, they did a grand job of being as loud and in you face as possible. Lead singer Jack Veltom was very confident and unafraid to strut his stuff onstage, and had a powerful voice with just enough dirt and grit behind it to complement their ballsy sound.

‘Butterfly’ was the closing song and highlight of the night, and was a great song for O.K. Corral to wrap things up with. It had a great vibe, good energy and lots of presence. I also have to mention their amazing cover of ‘Black Betty’ which was a nice surprise and was the perfect choice for a cover song. All in all, O.K. Corral did a great job of headlining The Underground on Friday, and did so with a vast amount of energy and rock ‘n’ roll style.

Kate Nash @ The Sugarmill 20th March 2011

Review by Sian Eardley

Photo by Alex Mulliner

Kate Nash. Now here’s a lady who doesn’t really need any introducing; she’s blissful, she’s delicious, she’s the strawberry to anybody’s trifle, and she fell from Heaven to play a night at Stoke Sugarmill, which she called an ‘overdue’ date, having not been here since late 2007 when ‘House of Bricks’ was at its peak.

On a personal note, a regret of mine is that I had a ticket to her ’07 performance, but never went due to my then-boyfriend having waited too long to get himself sorted with a ticket, and so missed out. NEVER, EVER, again will I choose mush over music (it rarely lets you down!), and Nashy is just so delectable, I’m glad I finally had the chance to redeem myself last night.

I was told that the secret of her charm lies in her ‘homemade’ approach- by that I mean, her feminine, delicate and domestic ways that makes her a strong woman icon; cute yet poignant, unique, and her wiles reflect in her songs of heart and truth in her organic fashions.

Following on from the night before (Seth Lakeman), the good vibes continued to fill the air in The ‘Mill, with everybody in their best attire in honour of the lady herself, and the whole thing was a splendid affair. It was so special, only one support act fronted: the wicked ‘Brigitte Aphrodite and The VOBs’. With the funfair intro theme unleashed, everyone rolled up to hear her musical offerings.
The reasons for her as support were clear, it was Nash in her early days, with a little more punk spirit, fire, and on-the-nose attitude. Every word was heightened with a Cockney flourish: a wonderful celebration of dialect and language on stage (as we find with Kate). In fact, she reminded me of a poetically colloquial Cribs, others said a female fronted Sex Pistols, Juliette Lewis singing out an Eastenders episode, or a Del Boy persona clashed with Arctic Monkeys backing. Whichever way, it was a performance art piece. Take ‘Bromley’ for example, talking of your common ‘MacDonald’s’ and getting grotesquely ‘f*ngered’ (similar to Kate Nash’s ‘We Get On’ – doing‘some really nasty stuff down in the park with Michael’), and it may be vulgar, but then, like Nash, she has her endearing moments of humanity, talking of men who smell like ‘digestive biscuits’, i.e. the thoughts and workings of our minds, making these musical marvels accessible to us for putting themselves on our level.

Like ‘Sons and Daughters’ front woman Adele Bethel, Brigitte used her strong sexuality to work the stage, pulling at her dress, her hair, and her mic, and she totally nailed it. She was springy, fun, and full of spirit, feisty and fantastic. Although the distinct image she left me with was the ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ moment – ‘you sound like you’re from Laaannnnndannnn’, she did leave me with a smile on my face, and so Brigitte and her VOB’s certainly fulfilled the task of filling the big shoes before Kate Nash took to the stage.

Then, it was the moment we’d all been waiting for…Kate Nash with her female band in tow, sticking it to the woman, liberation in motion, girl power and all that sh*te, and I don’t think I’d choose anyone else but Nashy to front it. I felt sick in anticipation for all others in the crowd too, let alone myself, just waiting for her to put those rosy red lips to the mic. Instantly a smile comes to everyone’s faces, as she played a cracking rendition of ‘I Just Love You More’. Enigmatic, electric, and downright sexy ‘Waahhhhhs’ bounced off the walls, along with the sultry bass line, seeing Nash use her vocal abilities like an extra instrument as the likes of Robert Plant just might. She’s delicious. She’s delightful. She sounds superb and she’s gorgeous! Can I marry her…?

She conveys in her image and songs a sweetness, a sweetness that shines like distant planets and future hopes, her music prevails that life can be good, and kind, and full of love and cupcakes. We’re taken into her rose-tinted world where all is well, and it’s pleasant to escape today’s damning headlines. We certainly need more Kate Nash these days…

‘Do Wah Doo’ was up next; 60’s rockabilly swing that sounded huge, and paramount in quality, doing her second album ‘My Best Friend is You’ so much justice; look and sound both adorable.

‘Mouthwash’ made an appearance to a legion of fans. From ‘This…Is my face…’, everyone was on board. This song truly captivates and catches her at her best, getting right into the psyche, a true female picking at her appearance and then taking it into a positive light (like the Gok Wan effect), which is every girl’s dream. The standard is outstanding, and the cutesy projector with cutesy images glittering, is the cream on the cake. Every detail has been tended to, and by the ‘Oooh Oh-Oh-Oh on a Friday night’ chorus clencher to Mouthwash; the party has arrived with added crowd surfers rocking on up to Kate Nash bay. It’s still obvious today why her debut album ‘House of Bricks ‘ was so huge, with material of this caliber.

The woman on stage with the heart-painted cheeks, I don’t think I’ve ever been this bowled over by a musician, and it’s bettered by her modest approach. She should be tag lined like Mary Poppins, minus the ‘practically’, to become: ‘Perfect in Every Way’, weaving polkadot ribbons of sweet music into the airwaves. To close your eyes and hear her, you envisage strawberries, cream ties and bon bons. How does she pull of the domestic Goddess and Rock Queen thing so well!? I wanna be her, I want that voice, that look, that aura, that sweetness and the whole dollhouse life- it’s brilliant!

Her acoustic number: ‘Don’t You want to Share the Guilt?’ was fit for film, an Audrey Hepburn moment, inspirational, every last bit of it. She’s good for the heart and soul is Kate Nash. Even the fans were making hearts with their hands in the air, sending their unconditional love and gratitude for tonight – very cute – and I totally get it. I love her even more now too. I hold a whole new level of respect for her now too. ‘House of Bricks’ was always a personal album to pie and signified a pivotal point in my life, but it really is cherished and put upon a pedestal now it’s been seen live.

‘Birds’ had to be one of the finest tracks of all night, (again a personal one to myself); it’s very real, moving and heart clenching. Added to the fact that this song could bring a tear to your eye, the softness of her vocals and the gentile melody was mesmerizing: ‘Birds…when you look at them and you see that they’re beautiful – that’s how I feel about you’. It’s not so melancholy, it’s eye opening, she shows us in song that there’s so much more to this world, we take too much for granted and we should hold onto love.

Nash was a bright, twinkling star in her sequined get-up, she was more Karen O than Karen O, and ‘I’ve got a Secret’ was a more successful political, homophobic rant than Gaga’s ‘Born this Way’- which is just plain trying too hard. Nash’s childish allure somehow managed to also empower her statements and make them more monumental. ‘Mansion’ was as cool as John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Evidently Chickentown’, performed in much the same style; creating her whole belief system on stage before our very eyes; as authoritative and iconic as Fanny Craddock, you can see why this pretty lady is a happy lady, because she’s sensational, and Stoke Suagrmill knew it!

‘D*ckhead’ was slick, even Samuel L Jackson couldn’t have made it cooler, and ‘Mariella’, with piano-tastic times, reignited the rebellious brilliance that made the skeleton of the song – soft, but punchy, and downright delightful. The climax ‘Ever, ever, ever, ever… ever, ever, ever, ever, ever…’ heard live, and amongst a sea of fans highlighted the genius before her lyrical songs and the emphasis and effect upon the listener. Needless to say ‘Merry Happy’ was well received as well. It was all wonderful.

‘Foundations’ of course was what everyone was waiting for. Some even left after she played it, just so they could get their fix of the anthemic tune. The instant thought pattern assigned to Kate Nash is ‘Nash – Foundations-Mint!’, so really you could see where these listeners were coming from. Better then Lily Allen in dialect, more tuneful than Jamie T, and unbelievably beautiful, ‘Foundations’ is a classic hit from the 00’s, and is as memorable as seeing The Killers perform ‘Mr. Brightside’ live, it’ll stay with you, and makes you all warm and fuzzy inside.

Post encore, she finished up with the sassy ‘Pumpkin Soup’, and I’m sure every male in the audience would have given her their kiss. She proved that sisters are indeed ‘doin’ it for themselves’. After taking her heels off (a girl after my own heart!), she clambered onto her keyboard and plinky-plonked the finale with her feet. There is nothing this woman can’t do? As Carly Simon would say: ‘Nobody Does it Better’. Furthermore, she went out dishing free tour merch to all her crowd, getting in touch with her adoring fans. Why isn’t she a superhero again…?

It’s true, feminine icons are back to dominating the music world: Kate Nash, Florence and the Machine, and Rihanna – all strong, sexy and successful. What a brilliant time to be female and to love music!

She wooed us and won us over with her live performance, shooting her cupids arrow into the Sugarmill sky. I’d give her 10/10; she’s right up there in the favoruites. Whit-woo! We love you Kate! x