NME Radar Tour The Joy Formidable / The Chapel Club @ The Sugarmill 7th October 2010

Review by Sian Eardley

Photo by Tish Scripps

A spectacular treat lay in store for avid gig-goers tonight as ‘The Joy Formidable’ marvelously presented themselves at The Sugarmill as part of the NME Radar Tour, making for a very splendid evening.

‘The Chapel Club’, the main support, in their half an hour (or thereabouts) set offered a very middle-of-the-road performance, with their gentlemanly name painting enough of a picture of these moody boys in suit shirts. Singer Lewis Bowman looked incredibly pensive, trying to hard to aspire to the tortured soul of Ian Curtis. Their attempt at becoming the new ‘Boy Division’ didn’t pay off in the respect that they tried to take on Editors’ Chris Urbanowicz’s reeling guitar style either. You just don’t go there. They’re the sort of fashionable band you’d here when perusing through Topshop (listen to ‘Bodies’ and “All the Eastern Girls’), but their complex structures didn’t bring any spark to make them stand out and succeed nowadays. Lady Gaga, however, who’s as mad as a box of frogs, plus, makes good music, is popular for her different and extreme tactics.

The stage transformed and blossomed with birdcages of twinkling fairy lights for a beautiful and delicate ambience for tonight’s main entertainment. It was as though TJF were set to play in your very own living room, that, or it was an impression of the MTV Unplugged stage from back in the day. Thankfully there was also a much healthier crowd numbers wise, as opposed to any other night at The Sugarmill this week which added to the atmosphere. ‘Lovely, lovely Stoke’ we were addressed as, and as for front woman, Ritzy Bryan, well couldn’t you just keep her in a box!? Their rapport with the crowd was delightful and the genuine bond between the band themselves came across as genuine, none of this pretence rubbish, they just perpetuated talent.

Their appeal is obvious and they’re bound to be big in 2011. It’s hats off to NME for finally backing an act on musical merit rather than fashionable merits which quickly fall out of trend. They’d probably be quite fitting on a Twilight soundtrack for their melodramatic, awe-inspiring, dark, transcending, eloquent and sensational qualities. A bit like our ‘Metric’ from this side of the pond; absolutely kaleidoscopic in sound. It’s obvious that their rockin’ out style comes ‘oh so naturally’, with Bryan comfortably and sensually thrusting the guitar like Juanita Stein (Howling Bells) who’s also graced this very stage in the same manner.

Throwing themselves straight into it, their opening track was like an encore performance. They gave it their absolute all, and this was a consistent factor throughout the whole night. I was surprised they were able to play on after putting so much energy and soul into song one alone, and even a slamming guitar from the lead vocalist from the top of speakers. Needless to say the applause was deafening and only grew track by track. On they strode with drum pounds like a call to arms for fans, straight into ‘Cradle’. Ritzy certainly celebrates the return of the female in alternative music, making way for future pioneers. As soon as she picks up that guitar she assumes the position of sonic sorceress and all who listen are weak to her musical prowess.

Announcing the release of their first record in January (and a follow-up tour in February including a Stop at Ye Olde Stoke – injecting yet another buzz into the audience), I only wish it was now as I’d run out and secure a copy and run back for the remainder of the gig. And why? Why do they work? They’re out of the box, not too similar to anything at present, not boring and not unconventional, etcetera, etcetera (see Lady Gaga debate earlier in review). It’s no surprise that for the entirety of the gig all band members wore a stupidly wide grin on their faces as everybody was lapping them up, earning themselves the biggest response to any headlining act at The Sugarmill this week.

Their feisty bassy and punkish beats are ignited by the wild eyes and hair flicks of Miss Byran adding a sultry fire to their strong sound. The standard was so above and beyond expectation, I thought choirs of angels, flowing champagne, cascades of glitter, rainbows and fireworks would appear from the venues ceiling at any moment: true perfection. Then, for a bit of variation, out came the old acoustic guitar for a song intended to be about Christmas, with a Stevie Nicks ‘Edge of Seventeen’ feel to the start. It produced chills of mystery, a song for city nights with big city lights in the heart of the coldest and darkest time of year as it holds a sinister side to it. ‘You make my spirit full’ she repeats at the end; the exact sentiment any crowd member would relay to TJF tonight judged on their appearance, and this can be my Christmas number one any time, any year.

Ritzy really does come across as the pivotal force to the group, kicking some really good rock ass, as we’re all right with her there in the moment as they sing and play with the utmost conviction. As for their energy levels, whatever they’re on I’ll have some; their stamina and consistency was spellbinding let alone their material.

Ending on ‘Whirring’ – ‘All these things about me you never can tell’ resonate as lyrics, as they make you feel compelled to grow a loving connection with the band as a whole and their music. Her whirring contraption was another matter indeed but see that for yourselves when they next stop by. It all came full circle, they started as they meant to go on, giving 10,000% effort, being professional and a true pleasure to have on stage, spoiling us with instrumental flourishes of colour and feeling – if only they could play on!

Last week I said I wanted to marry Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), this week I shall aspire to be Ritzy Bryan.

Dinosaur Pile Up @ The Sugarmill 6th October 2010

Review by Sian Eardley

Photo by Simon Bamford

Yet another music-packed night at The Sugarmill this week; the kind of night where the quality of music lovers in the crowd defines the quality of the band, and in this instance tonight, they were both rather sound! It’s definitely that time of year again where all the good stuff gets put out there for us to lap up.

The first support act (admittedly I missed the name) were pleasant; they had that feel-good summer vibe thing going on, projecting from their poppy riffs, holding a much more mature sound than one would presume from looking at the young group.

‘Everything on Red’ roared onto stage as a huge explosion of sound featuring vocals similar to that of Futureheads front man Barry Hyde which then declined into fluff, as they came across as heavier Enter Shikari after holding high hopes. There was nothing drastically wrong with their performances, but nor was their particularly significant about them to make you fall in love with them and their material. They were just decent filler before the climax. ‘My Lifeline’ was more like it, a song featuring on their EP, abusing the synth for that pop rock sound that sells so well at the moment, with a bit of chunky guitar smashing thrown in for good measure; all perfectly fine and dandy until the closing screamo impression; posing as a poor Alexisonfire tribute act. ‘Forever’ also seemed to hold promise until it was followed by plug, plug, plug, which led to yawn, yawn, yawn.

Dinosaur Pile-up lived up to expectation however, launching straight into the epic ‘Headspinner’; simple, formulaic but effectively infectious, contagious in pure amp sound. If you like the musical explorations of Ash, and really appreciate Kurt Cobain’s whiney angst in vocals then this is the band for you. Paying homage to Nirvana, ‘Mona Lisa’ is a fantastic kick start to getting the bodies moving and you can almost hear the echoes of ‘Sliver’ throughout. It’s an interesting experiment that you should really try; especially with the verses.

Loud, quirky and different, they hold energy like Nine Black Alps where the mere touch of their guitar is like electricity feeding into the crowd when the sound gets loud, and if you play their newly released album ‘Growing Pains’ it’d wake up the neighbours for sure, but we should celebrate; it’s groups like these who are making underground rock cool again!

The massive bass solo from Harry mid-set matched the awesomeness of the bass-off scene from Scott Pilgrim, getting right into your bones until you can’t shake off the feel and sound of them. The penultimate ‘slow’ song, which they don’t usually favour apparently, was truly show-stopping. The crowd was silenced by the lush tones of Matt Bigland in this romantic number, before reaching the beautiful instrumental crescendo, touching and different in the good kind of way. This was followed by ‘Traitor’, a smashing and triumphant ending where head banging, foot tapping and finger drumming never felt so good. Ending on a good note would be an understatement.

Heavy, yet smooth, loud, yet tender, they can deliver everything you want from a decent gig at The Mill on a Wednesday as a solid alternative rock act, serving up a pleasant trip down memory lane of the 1990’s heyday of grunge.

Acey Slade / Sworn to Oath / Hollywood Tease / The Honour Roll @ The Sugarmill 5th October 2010

Review by Sian Eardley
Photo by Leo Mazzocchio

A night of rock with four bands on offer: and 75% of which were pretty darn good, and that includes the main headliners ‘Acey Slade and The Dark Party’, so we didn’t do badly.

First up was local trio ‘The Honour Roll’, who I have to say did a stellar job and they turned in quite a few friends/fans who came especially for them. Including the old hits which everyone knows, (i.e. ‘Hey Bitch’), they dished out exactly what the local scene is crying out for: more bands where vocals can be heard and there’s excellent musical talent to boot, and not just one or the other. They held a classic rock vibe along the lines of Ozzy, Alice Cooper and G ‘n’ R; the good stuff from the 80’s and the early 90’s, y’know, the sort of music you’d find on a Wayne’s World OST. They were of a high standard and exhumed that American rock feel. They didn’t just thrash chords about frivolously, their melodic solos put emotional soul back into the heart of rock ‘n’ roll. They were the perfect preparation for Hollywood Tease; Stoke’s finest rock Gods.

But then what is this? Hollywood Tease gone dark? They’ve donned dark hair, ditched the platinum, and were wearing relatively more clothes than usual. How very queer indeed. However, this may be to add to their maturity level as they reeled out some new material into their routine. It’s been somewhat of a while since a big headlining show for the boys and admittedly their normal gathering was nowhere in sight tonight, nor the ladies in the latex pants. They really are the best act Stoke has to offer, and I might say it every time but they prove it every time. This said, I do prefer their former image as their Glam Rock look further supports the notion that they play the part and also become it. Their newest: “Ballad” as Ashe referred to it was simply astounding, having a similar powerful effect to that of Velvet Revolver’s ‘Pieces’. You’d really think they’d been a top act for years and I want to see them make it so badly, and every time I wonder ‘how the bloody hell did Stoke manage to produce something like this?’ (Swooning babes included) And, for a relatively quiet set, they sure did ‘Turn it Up Again’ for the next act.

Sworn to Oath leapt on to ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ which immediately rang alarm bells, and if that’s not a warning sign of how bad they’d be, I don’t know what is. How they came after Hollywood Tease I’ll never know…They had OK vocals, but were mediocre at best. It’s the same old, nothing set them apart from the usual metal rubbish of today, it was pure amp-munching shredding, and shouting down the mic like a dinosaur. The only track that seemed to rouse the crowd was “Leave you 4 Ted’ – I tried to find what could be attractive about it but nothing unique jumped out at me. To make matters worse, the lead singer had a total lack of charm and wit, and so when addressing the audience as ‘C*nts’, he couldn’t really pull it off. It wasn’t big or clever, so I think I’ll ‘leave you cause you’re pants’. I just really wished the set away, and haven’t been as agitated by a front man since seeing Gerard Way where ‘f’ing’ this and ‘f’ing’ that were the only words to leave his mouth. Good job I’d left the rotten tomatoes at home. They just tried too hard to be too metal and too badass, resulting in no energy, no drive and no spark. NEXT!!!!

As for Acey Slade, I expected to see more bodies, as he was a pretty big deal back in the heyday of ‘The Murderdolls’, yet he really pulled it off, thus being great for making maximum effort to a minimum crowd. He still hasn’t lost his cool edge, especially seen when strangling co-players with a mic lead. Nice touch. He’s quite the performer and very interactive, holding an air of grace. He’s a soft spoken cool dude (not what you’d exactly expect as ‘he’s so weird, he’s so strange’), coming across as a dark Garth Elgar.

Still the crowd seemed to be dispersing, up to the point where it got uncomfortably embarrassing as he’d come all this way to unleash his new solo project and debut album: : a mix of electronic and rock, like a NIN/ Manson revamped sound, fitting for a Matrix soundtrack, and just as you’d want to leave, out comes a diamond of a cover; wickedly good. Acey told the crowd he never set out to sound manufactured (ahem STO!), as they wanted to push the boundaries and do something different, therefore their take on The Cult’s ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ was a belter. This is a personal favourite of mine and even I’d go as far to say it nearly succeeded the original; bringing the remainder of the audience to life with this out of the world performance. Come to think of it, maybe it was a good thing not many were in as it gave the opportunity for Mr. Slade to be more intimate with crowd and even leap onto walls. Now he’s the kinda guy you don’t mind being called a ‘C*nt’ by as we warmed to this charming miracle man. ‘She Bring’s Down the Moon’ was another stunning piece; a good guitar tune with a sexy and intoxicating feel; a heavier ‘To the Moon and Back’ (Savage Garden).

We really have been blessed by so many good gigs just lately and this is just one of them. With the classic rock glimpses of tonight, we really can Keep the Faith that there IS and always will be good music out there.

Lacuna Coil @ The Sugarmill, Hanley 1st October 2010

Review by Sian Eardley

Photo by Tigz

Lacuna Coil… I’m a little lost for words, they were THAT good. And, if their happening to be in ‘crummy old Stoke’ appearance wasn’t enough, they promise to come back after recording their next studio album. Could it get any better? Not ruddy likely…

Absolutely packed to the rafters, and needless to say the vibe was hugely intense, everyone came together to hail these glorious rock gods who were unbelievably gracing our very own Sugarmill stage.

The standard, the sound and the atmosphere was amazing; looking effortless for them to culminate, making the whole affair more outstanding up the point where I thought both my eyes and ears were deceiving me. But yes, the ‘Coil ARE ‘that good’. Their natural talent combined with the natural beauty of Cristina Scabbia left fans in utter awe, males and females alike bowing down to worship the metal masters. I’ve never witnessed such adoration from a crowd for this rock royalty in this venue but it was heartwarming to see. Tonight Lacuna Coil could do no wrong. Any track they played, any conversation made and even the good old throwing the drumsticks and picks into the crowd fired everyone up even more.

The whole thing was just magical. Like I said, you’d struggle really to sum up tonight’s festivities, it was ‘unbelievably good’, the wide variety of hits they fit into their hour and a half(ish) set amongst Miss Scabbia’s charms ranged from ‘Shallow Life’ tracks, “Karmacode’ and the rather marvelous ‘Comalies’ and ‘Unleashed Memories’. It was ‘This is your life’ for the band on stage; all their triumphant releases unleashed on stage to amaze the fans from over the past decade, blazing as a brilliant success story.

Of course there were the biggies; ‘Swamped’ which was purely explosive and their take on Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy the Silence’ which is just a completely different kettle of fish – this being ‘ridiculously good’. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a ruckus coming from merely hearing the opening line, and the crowd sung along louder than a row of teenage girls at a Muse concert at Wembley Stadium. Rock on.

Lacuna Coil certainly sparked something, and given tonight’s performance, they’ve definitely earned themselves a spot in the top gigs of all time for the area. Everyone left with chills, and even thinking about it now I’m excited for their return! Fan or not, you’d have been bowled over by their offering and by the obvious mutual love between the crowd and themselves. It was the dog’s you-know-what, practically perfect in every way. You are a fool if you were absent from tonight’s metal sensation and even more so if you miss out next time round! Now go forth in search of Lacuna Coil material and start worshipping!