Frightened Rabbit Posted on February 26, 2013 by phoward It was the first time Frightened Rabbit played in Portsmouth but they acted as if they were at home when they were on stage. The Scottish Indie band played a selection of songs from all four of their albums, with emphasis placed on their latest release Pedestrian Verse. When I interviewed the lead singer Scott prior to the gig, he admitted that he was surprised that the album had reached number 9 in the UK album charts. But judging by the crowd’s reaction to the album’s songs, he shouldn’t be surprised at all. Pedestrian Verse’s first single ‘The Woodpile’ was the crowd’s most popular song of the set. Other more gentle and acoustic songs weren’t met with as much enthusiasm. Its not that they weren’t liked but rather that the crowd was polite and content with listening; only showing enthusiasm by clapping at the end of each song. I would want to see Frightened Rabbit with a more enthusiastic crowd as they may manage to play even better than they did in this gig. Overall it was a confident and strong performance by a band, which is steadily improving over time. Written by David Jardine, Pure FM Music Team.
Maximo Park Posted on December 4, 2012 by phoward Playing in what they described as ‘the weirdest venue in the world’ this eccentric, talented, alternate rock band certainly stunned the Pyramids stage last weekend. Maximo Park opened with the single ‘National Health’ from their newest album ‘The National Health’ described as a method to take back control: “The nation is out of control and the record is about taking this back, and being a force for change in your own life”. Although this sounds profound, lead vocals Paul Smith always ensures the show is a fun, entertaining rave, full of dancing and singing along, prompting the crowd with his signature hip swinging moves and always interacting with the audience. After a long year, having released their fourth studio album in June, and touring Europe and the UK, Maximo Park certainly didn’t show any signs of fatigue during this last show of the tour. It is clear the entire band writhed in the fun bubble they created on the stage, with keyboardist Lukas Wooller involving the audience with typical drum beat claps, and prancing around dancing with air guitar moves. The audience certainly reciprocated this energy, finding it hard to resist reflecting the rave going on on-stage. Second song in, the classic ‘Girls who play guitars’ from the second 2007 album ‘Earthly Pleasures’ definitely sparked off the gig, with everyone blaring out the lyrics. They definitely played a huge variety of hits, from unforgettable singles such as ‘Graffiti’ and my personal favourite ‘Going Missing’, to brand new hits such as ‘Take Me Home’ described by Smith as “one of the most clever, or most stupid songs ever written”! One of the later tracks played, seen as an aggressive song by the band was ‘The Kids Are Sick Again’, from the third album ‘Quicken the Heart’; a song about the affect current worldly advertisements have on today’s youth. This song had a serious meaning but an amusing tone, so was a cool one to note, and with part of it sang Muse-styled through a megaphone, was a unique aspect to the gig. With a psychedelic light back drop, in an intimate decent venue, the Newcastle boys thrived in the last show of the UK tour, concluding with ‘Apply Some Pressure’ and encoring with ‘Our Velocity’; finishing on a hype, and leaving the fans buzzing and forever devoted to the upbeat tunes and excellent performances of Maximo Park. Written by Emma Huskins, Pure FM Music Team. Photos by Jake Ratcliffe.
Dj Fresh Posted on December 4, 2012 by phoward It was Thursday night, and that age old student debate rumbled on once again, Tiger Tiger or Liquid? However on the 15th November, there was no competition, because DJ Fresh was in town, gracing the Pyramids with his live show – Fresh/Live, and a support cast worthy of headline shows themselves. Having had the pleasure of interviewing the man himself and witnessing the sound check earlier in the day, I turned up at The Pyramids centre expecting big things, and I was not disappointed! Bringing along young rapper Maxsta, Drum & Bass titans Drumsound & Bassline Smith, who themselves were debuting their live show on this tour, and also the mysterious Electro & Dubstep duo South Central who made a surprise unbilled performance prior to Fresh/Live coming on stage. Drumsound & Bassline Smith got the crowd well and truly going with all their classic tracks, opening with the 2011 Drum & Bass song of the year ‘Close’, and packing the set with gems including ‘Freak’, ‘Daylight’, ‘What Can You Do For Me’ & ‘Through The Night’, bringing along vocalist Tom Cane & MC Youngman to add to the live element of the show. After leaving the stage, equipment was quickly shifted, and almost straight away the mysterious hooded chaps walked on stage to a small desk crammed with live tools, and set straight to it, not losing any of the momentum created by Drumsound & Bassline Smith. This duo, more than likely unknown by many in the crowd, was South Central. Having seen them support both Pendulum & The Prodigy on previous tours, and they did not disappoint, playing their original tracks alongside their many live remixes including ‘Invaders Must Die’. I even ended up chatting to their manager during their performance, the result of this being an exclusive copy of their new EP, which I’ll play out on my next show! With the crowd well and truly warmed up, the scene was set perfectly for Fresh/Live to make their entrance. All of a sudden, the lights go up, and the band enters the stage, to an instant cheer from the crowd. Ex-Pendulum drummer Paul Kodish tickles his cymbals; Richard Da Rose cradling his guitar holds a stone-cold pose, whilst hosts Fleur and Messy MC stalk the stage with deadly intent. In the centre behind his set up of keyboards, stands Dan Stein, aka DJ Fresh, who give the signal and the band dive head-first into ‘Gold Dust’. The giant wall of pyramid shaped strobes flash behind them, with the roars of the crowd cheering them along. The set rolls relentlessly on for an hour, featuring tracks from the new album ‘Nextlevelism’ such as ‘Louder’, ‘Skyhighatrist’, ‘The Edge’, ‘Forever More’ & ‘Turn It Up’, as well as some of his classic tracks like ‘Hypercaine’ & ‘Lasstitude’ and if that wasn’t enough, they then surprised the crowd with live remixes of Avicii’s ‘Levels’ & Coldplay’s ‘Paradise’. The set is a full throttle ride that doesn’t give the crowd a moment’s rest, keeping their attention at every turn with Fleur & Messy MC expertly entertaining them, who even at one point took my phone from me and filmed some of the show from the stage, brilliant touch! After briefly leaving the stage the bad return for a final encore, the band and DJ Fresh take a bow, and leave the stage for the final time to a chorus of euphoric cheers from the overwhelmed crowd. As he said in his interview, he loves playing in “concrete venues with glass pyramids on top” , and those that turned out to see him at The Pyramids certainly loved his performance too. I think it’s fair to say, nobody went home unhappy! Written by Luke Myers, Pure FM Music Team. Photos by Jake Ratcliffe.
Lostprophets Posted on December 4, 2012 by phoward The venue is Portsmouth Guildhall and just before five p.m. I arrive ready to meet the two founding members of Pure Love, Jim Carroll and of course Frank Carter. I am not ashamed to say that I was particularly nervous for this encounter as I am a great admirer of Frank and all of his music. I was soon led by their tour manager into a room upstairs and met the pair of them and almost awkwardly started asking them the questions which I had penned earlier. They are the first band billed to come on stage later that evening and seem relaxed with all that is going on, neither of them new to the game although Pure Love’s debut is due to come out in February 2013. The nerves I felt were unjustified as they are both extremely grounded and pleasant people and a joy to converse with. After the interview they definitely seem more relaxed and have always been accommodating. Unfortunately as Pure Love take to the stage I am still stuck in the reception area of the guildhall as by a lack of understanding or communication a photo pass is yet to be provided to us. But eventually as the first song is nearing its end we gain entry and the sight that I behold does not disappoint. Frank Carter is nowhere to be seen onstage, but has in fact climbed down into the crowd and proceeds to sing every song bar the final number in amongst the crowd. It seems as though he has not lost any of his showmanship from his prior exploits. The crowd are unfortunately not so responsive, although the album has not been released, three singles have emerged and it is during Bury My Bones that the crowd properly responds to Frank’s awesome crowd skills. “You probably don’t know what a circle pit is!” Frank accuses jokingly when a fast song is about to be played, and I would probably be inclined to agree with him. The fan-base for Lostprophets has indeed changed since their first two albums and it now appears that pop-rockers are on the scene. “So I’m going to make this easy for you, we’re going to have a snail pit!” Frank then encourages the crowd to get down on their hands and knees and crawl as fast as they can in a circle. This is the first ever time I’ve seen anything like this happen and it’s occasions like this that make Pure Love the highlight of the evening, they keep things fresh and entertaining, even though they had the shortest set time, they connected with the crowd and offered up a highly entertaining show. We Are The Ocean take to the stage next. Their reception is slightly more noticeable from the crowd as the lead singer makes them clap along with little encouragement. Their set compromises of good hooky riffs and a good few sing-along tunes. Two songs stood out in their set for me and these are What It Feel Like, from their newest album ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’ and of course Nothing Good Has Happened Yet from their original EP. Although I have to admit that when their set was finished there was no memorable moments that stuck out. Not saying that it was a bad set at all, but coming on after the attention grabbing act of Pure Love it simply didn’t live up to the same standard of show. However, the crowd left them with loud cheers and seemed to have truly enjoyed it, and I found myself bopping along too so all in all it was an enjoyable performance. As Lostprophets take to the stage the guildhall cheers the loudest since the night began, opening up with the stirring anthem Where We Belong held hope for where the night was going to lead. Even so, straight from the get go it seemed as though Ian Watkins was not trying his hardest. He didn’t even try to hit the big, higher notes, either leaving them for the crowd to sing or singing them lower than on the album. That said the crowd did a good job of taking the reins when needed. Even if during the entirety of the set Ian doesn’t think so. He keeps urging the crowd to cheer and when they respond always says it isn’t good enough or that they can do better. After a while this just seems repetitive and as though he’s just doing it for an ego boost. The beginning of their set was a confident performance and the crowd were lapping it all up, it was when they started playing songs from their newest album Weapons that people seemed to die down in their reactions. Jesus Walks being a perfect example of how disappointing Ian’s performance was, his voice seemed lost behind the instruments and it seemed as though he was having trouble getting the emotion of the song across to the audience. Whether it was that the sound was out of balance so the mic was being drowned out, or that he simply wasn’t giving it enough I don’t know, but something was lost in its delivery. The highlight of their set was when they went back to their 2000 debut album The Fake Sound of Progress playing mosh-anthem Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja and The Fake Sound of Progress. Hearing these being played live is usually intense and it wasn’t Lostprophets’s fault that the crowd didn’t fully engage with them. I would think it’s down to their newer material being far from their old and making a difference in taste with the fans. The vocals on Shinobi were saved due to the keyboardist Jamie Oliver’s input. His singing, roars and screams were, in fact, better than Ian Watkin’s and whenever he unleashed himself onto a song it was immediately better because of it. Luckily things picked up again when Rooftops and Last Summer were played, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed and screamed the lyrics back to them with passion and loyalty. The only other time I got this feeling was with the two closing songs Last Train Home and Burn, Burn. I have to admit that I lost all inhibitions for these last two songs and did my vocal chords a lot of harm during Burn, Burn. They then left stage and didn’t return. The expectation on an encore was evident in the crowd but when the house lights came up and roadies started clearing the gear it became clear that they weren’t returning. This was a bit of a sudden end to the set but at least it meant that they ended on a high. The night was a very enjoyable one, the highlight being the first support act Pure Love and with Lostprophets leaving an unsatisfied taste in the mouth. Yes the band was good and the crowd loved every minute but I couldn’t help feeling as if there was something missing throughout their performance. If I had to pinpoint what it was it would have to come down to the lack of conviction and power in Ian’s vocals. So it was a good show, but not the best I’ve seen them at by quite a long shot. Written by Nicolas Waring, Pure FM music team. Photo by Jake Ratcliffe.
Terry Emm – ‘Gently’ Posted on December 3, 2012 by phoward A dramatic change in style under the same project moniker is a dangerous move. Terry Emm, on his new single ‘Gently’, seems to have ditched the band-oriented folk rock of previous full length ‘Petals Fallen Off The Sun’ for a more stripped down affair. Following the path trodden by frequent mainstream folk interchangables, Emm slides gracelessly through the same bland formula. ‘Gently’s opening is actually quite reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s track ‘A Pillow Of Winds’, with the gentle twinkle of acoustic guitar and peaceful accompaniment. However, it is here where the comparison ends. Two minutes into the track and you’ll still be searching for a dynamic shift, a slight jolt or a more peaceful melodic croon. You won’t find either. Whilst fans of folk may be a bit more forgiving, for anyone else listening, the cringe-worthy Christmas references, drab sounds and general air of pretention will grate and bore. The B-side of the single highlights these points perfectly. Sounding so incredibly similar, I kid you not I had to double check the cd wasn’t on repeat, Terry Emm plods through another unsubtle track. Like a ten year old who recently discovered an acoustic guitar and a “Chords For Dummies” handbook, the familiar and awfully dull chord progressions repeat consistently. The tempo, atmosphere, tonality; absolutely every aspect is a copy and paste job from the previous track. The monotony is almost sickening. Whilst a stylistic change works wonders for some, like the move to total prog rock for Baroness or the jump to all out arena rock for Kings of Leon, poor Terry hasn’t be quite as successful. Without the support of a band, Terry Emm deafens himself under the mediocrity of his own poor song-writing, destined to be another chop from the cutting-room floor of folk history. 4/10 Written by Andrew Kilpatrick, Pure FM Music Team.
Kate and After – ‘Stand Up Kneel Down’ Posted on November 28, 2012 by phoward It’s hard to sound unique in the indie rock world these days. As a result, crossing genres tends to be the go-to for bands looking to stand out. Bloc Party weave in electronics and dance, Arcade Fire practice Baroque pop and MGMT mix progressive rock and electro into their broth. Kate and After take a different approach, instead relying on 60s psychedelic and Brit-pop. Whilst this HAS been done before, it has never been done like this. Kate and After’s USP’s are their phenomenal organ player and highly original vocal delivery. These elements meld themselves to the very best aspects of indie rock, forming a catchy, the choruses are made to be shouted by crowds, and uniquely exciting take on the indie pop/rock genre. Tracks like ‘Ten Feet Tall’ and ‘Wrong Intentions’ are quite literally some of the best indie rock around. The album plays out perfectly. The abundance of styles juxtapose to a perfectly harmonious whole. The sheer number of influences and borrowed sounds is staggering on the first listen, and it took a few listens before the Franz Ferdinand staccato of ‘Weekend War’ revealed itself or the ‘Arcade Fire’ sultry atmosphere of ‘Swaying Birches’ came to the forefront. It’s honestly surprising how British this Swedish band sound. The influences don’t end there however, and some come from far odder fields. The tempo and bass work of ‘Never Take Me Home’ sound very similar to Black Sabbath, and the climactic organ solo is a brilliant and distinctive touch. ‘Ten Feet Tall’ nods to calypso music and the entire record, due to the organ, has the slight hint of stoner rock about it. These all equate to the album’s apparent purpose, a love letter to the history of rock music. And a beautifully written one at that. The only small grievance is the last track fizzles out, providing a weak ending to an otherwise fantastic listen. That’s still nine outstanding tracks, however. I don’t use this phrase lightly, but this is quite possibly one of the best releases of the year, and this is only their debut. If this is a starting point, then this band’s journey promises to be an outstanding ride. 9/10 Written by Andrew Kilpatrick, Pure FM Music Team.
Eugene McGuinness – ‘Sugarplum’ Posted on November 28, 2012 by phoward Releasing his third album, ‘The Invitation to the Voyage’, earlier this year to the popular indie label Domino, Eugene’s most recent single from his ode to Britain and the 60s, is ‘Sugarplum’. The style itself is one of peakless non-surprises; an undynamic voyage into indie rock and electro-pop. That being said, the pace that is kept is quite refreshing and the well written lyrics of the verses collide effortlessly with the chorus which are themselves harmonically robust. The vocals are the most impressive feature; melodies are excitingly diverse and the lyrics have a rhythmic flow of their very own, harmonising perfectly with the musical partnering. There is also a satisfying syncopated groove in the verses, sounding remarkably similar to a stripped down version of a ‘Demon Days’ –era Gorillaz, mixed with an atmosphere of baroque pop extravagance not too dissimilar to a value-priced Arcade Fire. Altogether, the track, whilst nothing neither exciting nor featuring any form of genre reinvention, plays well. The problem however, is that the feeling that this has not just been done before but done one hundred times better never lets up. In a genre as over-populated as indie rock, it is extremely difficult to stand out from the pack, and if anything this track sums up how hard it actually is to appear unique in such a scene. Unless you’re already a McGuiness convert, I’d recommend instead checking out his label partners Arctic Monkeys, Hot Chip or Villagers before resorting to this, whilst well written, still uninspiring track. 6/10 Written by Andrew Kilpatrick, Pure FM Music Team.
Jake Bugg Posted on November 26, 2012 by phoward Hailed as the ‘next Bob Dylan’, 18-year old singer-songwriter, Jake Bugg has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. In some circumstances, too much media hype can hinder an artist, as expectations are often too high. However in this case, Jake has taken the attention in his stride. With supports slots for The Stone Roses and Noel Gallagher, and a number 1 debut album under his belt, he is certainly living up to the buzz. The Wedgwood Rooms is completely sold out tonight- no surprise there. His entrance music is slightly predictable though, with Bob Dylan’s hit ‘Stay Lady Stay’ blaring out the speakers before he takes the stage. Due to amount of media comparisons he’s had to Dylan, the track has probably been chosen a little tongue in cheek. Jake doesn’t waste any time getting the audience’s attention, playing the upbeat latest single ‘Two Fingers’ only three songs into his set. His voice is strong and powerful throughout, with such lyrical wisdom that it’s almost hard to believe he is so young. With the lines, ‘I’ve seen it all, I’ve seen it all, nothing shocks me anymore’ and ‘Stuck in speed-bump city, where the only thing that’s pretty Is the thought of getting out’ – we’re given an insight into his Nottingham council estate upbringing. He says he’s had enough. And you believe him. His backing band is simple – a drummer and a bassist. No need to sugarcoat something that already clearly works. Jake alternates between his acoustic and electric, showing he is not only a fine finger-picker but also solid electric guitarist. The crowd grew a little stale at times and an unnecessary murmuring happened during a few of his quieter, more thoughtful tunes. The hit single ‘Lightening Bolt’ seemed to kick them all back in action, provoking the biggest crowd sing-along of the night. It’s almost certain that Jake will not be playing venues of this size for much longer. He slouches off stage with a swift ‘thanks’, which only makes him appear even more mysterious. There is something compelling about Jake Bugg and tonight has firmly confirmed his raw talent. As one overheard punter rightly claims, ‘I think we just witnessed something really special’. Written by Mattea Mckinnon, Pure FM Music Team. Photos by Joanna Franks.
Feeder Posted on November 20, 2012 by phoward Portsmouth Guildhall was packed and excited for the appearance of Feeder last Tuesday night. The Welsh rock band was on the third leg of their ‘Generation Freakshow’ UK tour, after the release of their album with the same name earlier in the year. The headliners were supported by new wave band, The Boy Royals and much talked about, The Virginmarys. The Boy Royals, hailing from Newport, Wales, were the first support band on stage. With the band being personally chosen by Feeder to support them on their tour, there was much anticipation about their choice. The Newportians put on a fair set. However they were not a suitable sub headliner, with limited catchy guitar riffs to get the ‘Pompey’ pop-rock crowd warmed up. The Virginmarys, who have been compared to iconic rock band, Led Zeppelin, in Kerrang Magazine, were the second band to hit to the stage. The three man rock ensemble really grabbed the attention of the young crowd with Rory Gallagher sounding, ‘My Little Girl’. The blues inspired band left the pack inside Guildhall ready for an electrifying night with Feeder. Feeder walked out to football like chants of the band’s name and opened with ‘Oh My’ from their ‘Generation Freakshow’ album. Surprisingly the song was received well by the enthusiastic Feeder crowd, considering it was a completely different sound to their earlier, heavier music. But importantly, it proposed a great gig. The alternative rockers got the mosh pits started with the best song of the night, ‘Sentimental’, which had an excellent, catchy grunge riff, but which consisted of soft lyrics. The second largest cheer of the night went out to the nostalgic hit, ‘Buck Rogers’, from their ‘Echo Park’ album. Most of the crowd sang in unison with lead singer, Grant Nicholas, whilst the more energetic members of the crowd found it challenging to keep their feet on the ground. During the gig the frontman announced that he considered Portsmouth to be his second home and admitted his love of the ‘Pompey’ crowd, because of their support. The great support of the Portsmouth crowd was shown with the largest cheer of the night in reaction to Feeder closing the encore with arguably their best known song, ‘Just a Day’. The smile could not be wiped of the faces of groups of people who were dancing and singing along, nor could the adrenaline and pleasure be taken away from the people in the ‘pit’. Grant Nicholas reminisced about the ‘good music in the 90’s’ on a few occasions, perhaps referring to the grunge era. Feeder recreated this 90’s rock sound during the performance; the grunge like sound was made apparent in some songs. Significantly, the crowd left very happy from a very enjoyable Feeder gig. Written by Charlie O’Connor, Pure FM Music Team.
Deftones -’Koi No Yokan’. Posted on November 19, 2012 by phoward Sixteen years after the release of Deftones first album Adrenaline, they have shown with their new album, Koi No Yokan, how much wiser the rock outfit from Sacramento, California have become. The album opens with the heavy-crashing sound of ‘Swerve City’, which makes it clear that this is going to be a strong and aggressive metal album. The guitar riff is thick and much distorted, interestingly sounding similar to a track performed by sludge metal band, Melvins. However, frontman, Chino Moreno, impressively still keeps a pop melody to the song using his unique singing voice. Deftones have become famously known for mastering the quiet-loud sound since their formation Twenty-Three years ago. The quiet-loud dynamic is used well in the second single of the album, ‘Tempest’, where Moreno sings the beginning of the song very softly and then suddenly breaks into a assertive singing style with guitarist Stephen Carpenter thrashing out an attacking guitar riff. The other songs that stand out on Koi No Yokan are ‘Poltergeist’ and ‘Rosemary’ which both contribute to the fresh sound of the album. Koi No Yokan is Deftone’s most prolific album since the release of their platinum selling album, White Pony, as it truly sticks to their heavy rock roots but still gives the listener something new. If you enjoy listening to Linkin Park’s early albums, but want something heavier and more honest you will be addicted to this album. 8/10 Written by Charlie O’Connor, Pure FM music team.
