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Day: 11 May 2012

Preview: Download Festival

Written by Tom Geddes on . Posted in Music.

Download
8th-10th June
Donington Park

Tickets: £200 w/ camping

Whilst competition in recent years has led to a, perhaps, watered down line-up for Download, this year sees its rock/metal festival dominance restored. Boasting headliners Black Sabbath, Metallica playing the black album in full and, surprisingly, The Prodigy, as well as one of the strongest undercards in a fair while, Download looks ready to slay this year.

Covering just about all of rock and metal, you can pluck any sub-genre you like and find it on display this year. Fancy some old-school thrash, well there’s Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. Want to blast out some classic rock, go see Slash, Europe and Sebastian Bach. Even the obscure is covered, with Ghost, Opeth and Devin Townsend covering the death metal/prog crossover geeks, Skindred satisfying the ragga metal demand and Tenacious D and Steel Panther sorting the laughs.

Atmosphere wise, it’s just like any other large festival; loud, crammed and for the most part jolly; though there may be a few more shouts of “SLAYER!!!” at 5am. But really, who cares about the line-up. When you throw all the above in the mix with Soundgarden, Dropkick Murphys, Kyuss Lives!, Rise Against and Machine Head, who’d be turning this one down?

Visit the Download website for more details.

Preview: Hideout Festival

Written by Hugo Nicholson on . Posted in Music.

Hideout
29th June – 1st July
Zrce Beach, Isle of Pag, Croatia

Tickets: £99 with camping

Having enjoyed a sell-out debut in 2011, Hideout Festival returns to Croatia’s beautiful Dalmatian coast this summer, boasting another enticing line up featuring the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice, Art Department, and Julio Bashmore (as well as not-so-special guest Skrillex). This year’s boat parties appear equally alluring, and feature, among others, Manchester’s own Zutekh and Drop the Mustard as hosts (though the Crosstown Rebels’ party looks set to be a high point).

Along with its sublime line up, the prospect of the festival’s sublime location is a considerable draw; most people would probably take the white pebbles and clear waters of Zrce beach on the sunny Isle of Pag over a field of shit in Yorkshire. At £99 per ticket for three days of sublime music, Hideout promises to be superb value for money, especially in comparison to many UK festivals (£195 for a Secret Garden Party ticket is, frankly, absurd), and cheaper than some of its high-profile Croat contemporaries such as Soundwave and Outlook.

Set to become a mainstay on the overseas festival circuit, Hideout can surely equal anything a UK festival can offer, and then some.

Visit the Hideout website for more details.

Preview: Latitude Festival

Written by Alexandre Briand on . Posted in Music.

Latitude Festival
12 – 15 July
Henham Park, Suffolk

Weekend tickets: £175
Day tickets: £75

For those of you still bitter about Glastonbury’s obligatory year off, Suffolk’s Latitude festival might just be your best bet.

Now in its sixth year, Latitude has rightly made a name for itself in the festival calendar. This year the line-up includes headliners Bon Iver, Paul Weller and Elbow, among other favourites like M83, The Horrors, The War on Drugs, Battles, SBTRKT and Wild Beasts.

Music not your thing? Well, probably don’t go. But if music is your thing and you’re in the mood for something different, Latitude’ll probably have it covered. Their comedy tent this year will house Tim Minchin, Jack Dee and Reginald D. Hunter, and apart from that there’s the poetry, cabaret, dance and film tents, as well as art exhibitions and late-night DJ sets in the woods.

Since it’s pretty family-friendly, you might need to be prepared to act sober on cue, but don’t let it put you off. Complete with neon sheep and extensive arts events across the site, there’s more than a weekend’s worth to get involved with.

Visit the Latitude website for more details.

This year's Latitude line-up.

Preview: Parklife Festival

Written by Katie Shepherd on . Posted in Music.

Parklife Weekender
9- 10 June
Platt Fields Park, Manchester

Weekend tickets: £64.50 

Only a few weeks left now until what will most likely be the third-annual sold out Parklife Weekender here in Manchester. On June 9th and 10th, Platt Fields Park will be home once again to the two days of debauchery coupled with this year’s stacked lineup. No doubt, well-known names like Nero, Dizzee Rascal, Justice, and The Flaming Lips will draw crowds, but it’s the names in smaller print on the flyer that have most people talking.

Newer arists like Tom Vek , Delilah, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs are destined to have successful performances based off the buzz around them while DJs such as Annie Mac and electronic music artists like Gold Panda will be the main sounds coming off the stages.

With what appears to be an immense list of dance and heavy hitting music, Noah and The Whale are definitely the wild card in the mix. Granted, their oh-so-catchy ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’ will more than likely reel in those interested in a good old fashioned sing-along if Azealia Banks’ “Imma ruin you, cunt” doesn’t do the trick.

Kudos for good planning if you managed to get a ticket and look forward to what promises to be a great weekend.

Visit the Parklife website for more details.

Preview: Vans Warped Tour 2012

Written by James Birtles on . Posted in Music.

Vans Warped Tour UK
10th November 2012
Alexandra Palace, London

Tickets are on sale now for £40 + booking fee.  

The Vans Warped Tour is one of the biggest travelling festivals in the US with bands including Asking Alexandria, All Time Low, Enter Shikari and Paramore to name but a few.

But the tour often received criticism for only touring across the pond and European fans have been pretty pissed off to say the least. But 14 years since the last UK date of a Warped Tour, it’s back and promising to be bigger than ever.

While only one band has been announced so far – Sheffield metal mob Bring Me The Horizon – if the US dates are anything to go by, it will not be a letdown. It is also the only appearance in the UK of the Steel City metallers of 2012 as they are busy working on their follow up to critically acclaimed 2010’s There is a Hell, Believe Me…

Love or hate BMTH, the reason to buy a ticket is that there will be many more bands announced within the next few weeks or months and with the hype of a Vans Warped Tour date being so high, the tickets, on sale now, are bound to be like golddust.

Visit the Vans Warped Tour website for more details.

Preview: Hop Farm Festival

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

Hop Farm Festival
29 June– 1 July
Paddock Wood, Kent

Weekend tickets: £162
Day tickets: £65 

After last year’s amazing line-up, with the likes of The Eagles, Morrissey and Prince on show, it’s safe to say I was a little excited to see the line-up for 2012. And how do you follow such a line-up of legends? Well, Hop Farm just bring in some more, but this time a little more left field.

We still have a healthy mix of legendary artists, with the main headliners consisting of Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra, 70 year old Bob Dylan and Suede. However, there are so many other artists which have me staring at the poster, mouth open. Everything from the iconic Patti Smith to the weird and wonderful world of Gary Numan and if you prefer something a little more bluesy My Morning Jacket should suffice.

Having only been established 5 years ago, it’s very impressive to see how many big names are gathered in this charming field in Kent. Hop has taken things back to basics, making the festival experience all about the fans. With no sponsors or VIPs it’s all about the music, and my gosh what music there is.

Visit the Hop Farm Festival website for more details.

Preview: Reading and Leeds Festival

Written by Patrick Thornton on . Posted in Music.

Reading/Leeds
24 – 26 August

Tickets: from £197.50 for weekend + camping

And so, to another August bank holiday weekend and the youthful anarchy of the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Another awe-inspiringly unoriginal line-up from FestivalRepublic, but who’s actually complaining? This year sees stalwarts such as The Cure, Foo Fighters and Kasabian headlining the steadfast festivals; the latter drawing some distinct criticism from certain blogging circles. However, it’s the reforming of At the Drive-in that has arguably stolen the spotlight this year. The post-hardcore royalty of Cedric, Omar et al will eloquently hit the NME/Radio One stage on Reading’s Saturday and Leeds’ Sunday. Make sure you don’t miss out on these true masters of their art.

One thing is for sure, FestivalRepublic know how to throw a scintillating party. Apart from the disastrous Kings of Leon set of 2009; these age-old curators have a strong judgement in providing rock n roll crowd pleasers. If you want new-age, avante garde electronic sounds produced by an ugly bastard hiding behind a laptop, then you’re probably better heading elsewhere. Maybe to one of those new European dance festivals full of art-school students that seem to keep popping up. But if you want to hear gritty rock n roll music, sodden from the British summer torrential downpours while pissed as a parrot, then the Reading and Leeds Festivals will certainly not fail to please.

Visit the Reading and Leeds websites for more details.

Preview: Bloodstock Festival

Written by Tom Geddes on . Posted in Music.

Bloodstock
9th-12th August
Catton Hall

Tickets: £115 w/Camping

Perhaps this is the most niche festival you’re going to see on these pages, but Bloodstock, at least for the metalest of metalheads, is holy ground.  The independent ‘true metal’ festival has been going since 2001 and has recently managed to pull in biggish names. This year, they’ve bagged Alice Cooper for this spot, as well as Behemoth and an as yet unrevealed headliner – we’ll have to wait until 6PM on the 6th June to find that out.

Others on this heavy, heavy line-up include Testament, Dimmu Borgir, Watain and Hatebreed as well as Orange Goblin, Corrosion of Conformity and Anvil further down the ranks. Whichever way you look at it, there’s going to be little to no chance of delicate numbers all weekend.

Much smaller than your average festival, Bloodstock delivers what it promises. A small, tight-knit festival where, if you like the music, you’re bound to run in to somebody you know at every turn.

Visit the Bloodstock website for more details.

Preview: Optimus Alive Festival

Written by Tom Hickman on . Posted in Music.

Optimus Alive
13-15th August
Lisbon, Portugal

Tickets: £103 with camping

Only five years since its inception, Optimus Alive is fast becoming one of Europe’s biggest festivals. This really can come as no surprise, considering that The Cure, The Stone Roses and Radiohead have already been penned in as headliners this year.

Okay, there is more than your fair share of standard landfill indie, and criticisms can come with regards to the cheesy nature of the bill, as Noah and the Whale, The Kooks, and Snow Patrol find themselves on the main stage. Nevertheless, the line-up possesses more than enough big name attractions.

Electronic heavyweights come in the form of Justice and Caribou, whilst respectable riffs come from The Kills and The Maccabees. More electro-pop is scattered across the three days as Metronomy, SBTRKT, Santigold, and Sebastian display the depth of talent on show at the main stages throughout the weekend. Throw into the mix the £103 ticket price and the nigh-on guarantee of great weather, you’d be mad to miss it.

Choosing your summer festival destination is undeniably one of life’s toughest decisions. Even so, if you want a week in the sun, away from the pilled up Eastern European destinations, Optimus Alive must be the choice.

Visit the Optimus Alive website for more details.

Preview: Y Not Festival

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

Y Not Festival
3 – 5th August 2012
Peak District

Festivals are great experiences; there are people who see 30 bands over 3 days and those who see about 3 all weekend. Regardless of what category you fall into, the cost of major festivals can be a bit much, but when a weekend ticket with camping is just £75, why not?

With headliners The View, The Wombats and The Scientists, there is a great mix of established acts, as well as those on the cusp of breaking through. There is, as ever, an eclectic mix, from the solid crowd pleasers like The Pigeon Detectives, to the raw blues spirit of acts like Vintage Trouble – making sure there’s something for everyone at this charming little festival. And even if you just want to get pissed in a tent for a weekend, Y Not is a lovely place to go and do so in the beautiful Peak District greenery. From August 3rd-5th all this goodness will be going on, and even if you’re going to a big festival, Y Not is just unbelievably tempting, and with no Glasto this year maybe these smaller festivals will get a bit more attention.

Visit the Y Not Festival website for more info and how to get tickets.

Live: Blood Red Shoes

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

5th May 2012

Academy 2

8/10

Blood Red Shoes got themselves into a spot of bother recently. Drummer Steven Ansell – not known for shying away from giving an opinion – voiced some forthright, and absolutely accurate, concerns about the negative influence of successful bands making ‘safe’ music, naming You Me at Six as a prominent offender. The Twitter backlash from Six’s Bieber-esque army of followers was as vitriolic as it was swift.

For me, the incident epitomised everything I like about Blood Red Shoes. They emerged as a DIY band from Brighton’s punk scene, but aren’t afraid to be ambitious, both on record – see their new one – and in terms of popularity. They’re happy to wear their influences – predominantly American – firmly on their sleeve, and they’re where they are today because of 8 years of prodigious touring; there’s been no leg up from money or undue press attention. In an age where rock n roll posers have become the norm, a band this genuine is a tragically rare commodity.

Tonight’s the latest in a long line of Shoes shows at the union, and their first since third record In Time to Voices dropped; I’m intrigued to see what effect the new songs will have on the band’s traditionally frenetic live dynamic. The answer’s very little. Their first two records remain healthily represented – their formula of very loud rock songs with poppy hooks and melodies, instigated on the first LP and perfected on the second, was devised with live shows firmly in mind. Only the new tracks that keep the tempo sufficiently high make the cut – the hip hop groove of ‘Cold’ and the simmering-verse-into-explosive-chorus of the title track amongst them. It’s a tad disappointing – the evening’s one mellow moment, the inclusion of the shimmering ‘When We Wake’ from their second album, only serves as a reminder of how spectacular the epic newie ‘The Silence and the Drones’ could have been, whilst the overlooked ‘Two Dead Minutes’ is surely destined for live-stapledom, its woozy harmonies giving way to explosive guitars half way through, like a grungy Fleetwood Mac.

The move to bigger venues is a natural step in the promotion of a record as honest in its aspiration as In Time to Voices, but it’s hard not to miss the edge the barrierless rooms lent these shows; tonight’s crowd is lively, sure, but still a far cry from the days of twenty-odd people leading a midset stage invasion in the Academy 3.

Minor quibbles aside, this is still about as blistering a live show as you’re going to find in 2012, as evidenced by incendiary closer ‘Je Me Perds’ almost taking the roof off. If you’re into 80s-obsessed, synth-ridden pop music, you’re sadly very well catered for these days. But if you fancy a good old-fashioned rock show? There’s always Blood Red Shoes.

Blood Red Shoes – Cold

Live: Ladyhawke @ Ruby Lounge

Written by Shauna Botrel on . Posted in Music.

Ladyhawke
Ruby Lounge
2 May
3 stars

Dressed in an oversized paisley flannel shirt, Doc Martens and skinny jeans, the blonde-headed natural beauty in front of me could have been plucked straight from any vintage shop from within the Northern Quarter.

The bombshell I speak of is New-Zealander Pip Brown, better known as Ladyhawke. As she stepped out onto the tiny stage, I noticed that she oozes talent and lacks the pretentiousness which entombs the Oldham-Street-goers quirky souls. This down to earth aura is probably why she is so easy to chat to; and why she has “been thrown out of my own gigs countless times from the scary security” who don’t realise that she is actually a starlet.

After reading several reviews, I expected to witness a dull and lifeless performance, owing to her supposed shy nature. Ladyhawke graced the small stage of Ruby Lounge on the 2nd May and this gig was the complete opposite of what I expected. It left me wondering if others before me had been watching the same Ladyhawke as me.  She appeared comfortable and at ease from the offset, often engaging with the audience and joining in with the crowds’ chants.

Ladyhawke performed effortlessly yet impeccably. The upbeat, electro pop songs ‘Paris is Burning’, ‘Magic’ and ‘My Delirium’ were instant crowd pleasers. Forthcoming material went down a treat and did not lose the crowd’s attention, probably due to a combination of their catchy nature and Ladyhawkes’ captivating stage presence. Pip said “I have really enjoyed doing this album taster tour and I will be back playing bigger venues very soon!”

Her new album Anxiety is set for release this month. If this performance is anything to go by, I envision that certain songs will be played repetitively within the indie club scene.

Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning

Live: Steps @ MEN Arena

Written by Hugo Nicholson on . Posted in Music.

Steps
MEN Arena
10th April
5 Stars

It’s been over ten years since Steps, arguably one of the most iconic British groups in recent memory, first split, breaking hearts not just across the nation, but across the world. It should come as no surprise, then, that tickets for their STEPS: On the Road Again tour sold out within days of going on sale – indeed, tickets for their shows at the MEN Arena this April were going for upwards of £70. It would have been a price worth paying.

There can be no denying that the levels of excitement, anticipation and (perhaps) fear inside the MEN were at a high, as an extraordinarily broad demographic eagerly awaited the appearance of these giants of pop music. They were greeted, instead, by supporting act Shockolady (murmurs of “she’s just a shit Rihanna” rippled through the arena), whose groundbreaking lyrics – “I like it like that, do you like it like that? All the boys in the club say ‘we like it like that’” (repeat thrice) – made me quite glad I’d turned down the opportunity of an interview with her.

Following Shockolady’s timely departure, there came a period of nervous waiting for the myth that is Steps to appear onstage. There were literally hundreds of questions on the audience’s lips: “Would Faye still be attractive?”, “Has Claire put on weight?”, “Is Lee still a nice man?”, “Why are we here?” Before long, they would be answered. The house lights went down, the speakers began to rumble and the people wept: it was time.

The formerly famous five of Faye, Lisa, Lee, H and Claire (in order of preference) appeared onstage in individual clear plastic tubes, in a manner oddly reminiscent of Spinal Tap. In what can only be described as a heart-stopping moment, Lisa’s opened early, but her showbiz experience meant she recovered well. Meanwhile, Lee was either struggling to do ‘the robot’ or having a panic attack, while Claire was struggling to move at all (yeah, so she’s put a bit of weight on, but who gives a shit? She’s in Steps!) It was the opening everyone had dreamed of and the following 2 and a half hours were nothing short of magnificent, although for the first time in my life I felt like a dick for not knowing Steps’ dance routines.

While the ‘solo’ section was perhaps a bit filler (with the exception of H’s heartbreakingly moving cover of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’), everything else was banging. For their encore, they naturally played ‘Tragedy’, although frankly this was an evening which was anything but tragic. And anyway, there are certainly much worse ways to spend a Thursday night in Manchester…