The Half Rabbits Album Review - High Voltage, May 2010

Islands Lost At Sea - Sun Song

Islands Lost At Sea are something of a family affair. So their press release states, they formed as long ago as 1958 “as the British answer to the American rock ‘n’ roll explosion”, but have gradually “gained a reputation for being woefully inept at every new genre of music as it arose”. Self praise indeed.

Their current incarnation consists of a trio of largely folk influenced musicians (although their MySpace pages lists near enough every artist in your local HMV as a favourite) who are joined by various friends and relatives, such is the alleged tradition of the band.

The twee, lo-fi vocals of Aidan Smith immediately spring to mind as Dan Lever sings over strings, bass and drums which pleasantly bounce along, but never really go anywhere. The basic production appropriately suits the quaint mood of the song, but there is little structure to truly whet the appetite for their debut album, Are Having A Lovely Time.

Islands Lost At Sea are by no means unskilled but it is apparent that the multitude of ideas they have accumulated as a collective over time have become increasingly convoluted. That said, they certainly have an abundance of charm, just not enough to overshadow their seemingly eternal uncertainty towards which route they should take with their music.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Kyte Album Review - High Voltage, April 2010

Kyte - Dead Waves

The release of Kyte’s debut album finally arrives after two previous releases from the Leicestershire four-piece: their self titled mini album and the critically acclaimed E.P., Two Stars, Two Sparks, both released in 2008.

‘The Smoke Saves Lives’ sets the tone for the album perfectly; falling somewhere close to ‘Our Smallest Adventures’ by I Was A Cub Scout, with the additional electronica of M83’s debut.

Recent single ‘ihnfsa’ (I have no idea what this stands for: answers on a postcard, please.) isn’t the strongest track on the album, but it nevertheless demonstrates an apparent newfound focus. It is lush and ambient in equal measure, with Nick Moon’s heartfelt vocals reciting melancholic verse.

From here on in the album continues a minimalistic yet layered trend to successful effect, with ‘Fear From Death’ and ‘Fake Handshakes, Earnest Smiles’ standing out from its twelve offerings, each having as close as Kyte get to a unit selling chorus.

‘Strangest Words And Pictures’ ends a barrage of atmospheric, dreamy soundscapes; a sound which Kyte have evidently mastered in their own right. Dead Waves is a blissful, shoegazing record on the surface, but its meticulous attention to detail, stark lyrics, and the often encapsulating melodies all gleam to intensifying effect.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Idlewild Live Review - High Voltage, March 2010

Idlewild W/ Sparrow And The Workshop - 53 Degrees, Preston

With a categorical lack of marketing and radio airplay accompanying last year's self-released album, Post Electric Blues, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Idlewild had split up some time ago. Thankfully, nothing could be further from the truth, and the band return to the live circuit with their melodic rock sound tonight on one of several mini tours in belated promotion of this new record.

Before they commence, Glasgow based folk-rockers Sparrow and the Workshop make a quiet entry on stage for their support slot on what is, surprisingly, their fourth appearance in the city to date.

Jill O'Sullivan's American drawl is delicately captivating from the opening notes of 'Into The Wild' (the title track from their current E.P.) until the end of their unexpectedly loud performance. During 'Swam Like Sharks' she apologetically stops for a few minutes due to a guitar glitch. To her credit, she charmingly manages to keep the crowd entertained (assisted by her drummer, Gregor Donaldson), which is done largely by means of some knowingly poor quality jokes. Their brief set is one of quality over quantity, with the charging drums of former single 'Devil Song' standing out in particular.

Idlewild are welcomed onto the stage like long lost friends. They coyly settle into their positions and burst into 'Younger Than America'; the opener to Post Electric Blues. From here they jump straight into 'You Held The World In Your Arms Tonight' and follow it with 'Roseability', at which point an inevitable mosh pit forms.

They proceed to run through an often ferocious set equal to performances of yesteryear, with the only noticeable difference in the band nowadays being the stage presence of their lead singer, Roddy Woomble. He has understandably become more laid back as the band have matured, but his vocal delivery still has the desired effect, although he does refrain from yelping as much as he did in his earlier days.

By contrast, the rest of the band continue to play in their original spirit, with Woomble loitering at the side of the stage when not required; retiring from the limelight as much as he can as a front man. The crowd naturally focus on him when he sings, and this selfless act is seemingly an attempt to serve the rest of Idlewild with his surplus, but nevertheless deserved attention.

With a seemingly endless list of hits and strongly favoured album tracks, there will always be divided opinion on highlights from their gigs. Objectively, however, the infectious riff of 'Too Long Awake'; the frantic energy of 'In Competition For The Worst Time'; and the calmingly reflective set closer 'Not Just Sometimes But Always' all stood out during tonight's consistently arresting display of talent.

The encore bursts into life with 'A Modern Way Of Letting Go', after which Woomble (perhaps unwisely) decides to accept requests from the now exhilarated crowd. Somehow he manages to decipher several tracks from the bombardment of titles being yelled at him, all of which happen to be tracks from the Idlewild vaults.

'Paint Nothing' keeps a couple of undesirable characters at the front happy (after slurring their request intermittently since they originally graced the stage), but its matured delivery now diminishes the angst ridden spark it has on its original recording. Their earlier track 'Satan Polaroid', however, is better in this respect, with its upbeat nature creating little strain on Woomble's vocal chords.

They part company with 'In Remote Part', regrettably without the 'Scottish Fiction' outro which has accompanied it in the past, but this is a minor complaint about a performance which was a prominent reminder that Idlewild are by no means finished yet.   

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Sophie's Pigeons Single Review - High Voltage, March 2010

Sophie's Pigeons - It's Gonna Bite

Much like the (stereotypical) residents of their home town, there's a charming quality to Sophie and her Pigeons' sound that is typically Mancunian: slightly rough around the edges, overly enthusiastic, excessively charismatic, and immensely likeable.

This debut single from their forthcoming album All Alarms wastes no time is grabbing its listener's attention: a keyboard is hit with weight, a rhythmic saxophone is blown incessantly and drums are coolly tapped on an evidently collaborative effort.

Sophie Nelson orchestrates a cheerily frantic, unadulterated demonstration of how true pop music should be written, adding a welcome theatrical quality as she skips through numerous vocal ranges with apparent ease in fast paced succession.

'It's Gonna Bite' duly stays true to the pre-warning of its title and immediately catches with its abundance of hooks, pausing only for brief moments to change direction and subsequently eradicate any complacency with those new to their music. Moreover, it is an unashamedly toe-tapping, hand-clapping sing-a-long, and a refreshingly carefree introduction to yet another group of Manchester hopefuls.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Editors Feature - High Voltage Fanzine, March 2010

Editors Live Review - High Voltage, March 2010

Editors - Guild Hall, Preston

Editors admittedly took a gamble with their third album, but five months after the release of In This Light And On This Evening, yet another sell out tour arrives in Preston; a true testament to their fans' admiration of their experimentation as a band.

The album's title track is the dark, stirring commencement of a lengthy set, followed by 'Lights' from their debut, which still has the raw energy it had five years ago upon its initial release. The crowd is rather slow to get involved in what was an arresting start (most probably due to it being a Sunday evening), but by the time the opening notes of 'An End Has A Start' are played the band appear to have fully gained control.

The industrial stage backdrop lights up for the first of only several occasions during 'Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool'; a confrontational (but badly named) track with a surprisingly melodic chorus. 'Blood' keeps those in the middle of the crowd happy before the sublime 'Escape The Nest' allows Tom Smith's vocals to soar as high as the acoustic theatre will allow.

Surprisingly, a new song is aired tonight. Whether it was written before or after the new album was released is uncertain, but 'Last Day' could well be a future single in some shape or form. It has a similarly dark feel to their current offerings, but with an infectious pop feel which is juxtaposed by sullen lyrical content.

The main set climaxes with a trio of superbly performed tracks which speak for themselves and surely left no member of the audience disappointed: 'The Racing Rats', 'Smokers Outside Hospital Doors' and 'Munich'.

Smith returns to the stage alone for a hauntingly beautiful rendition of 'No Sound But The Wind' (inspired by Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road') which commands the silence of the crowd that it deserves. The remaining three members then return for 'Bricks And Mortar', which is seemingly inspired by The Terminator soundtrack and bridges seamlessly into 'Papillon'; the obviously single from an album which never truly set out to have any. 'Fingers In The Factories' then closes the evening in the emotive, powerful style that brought them to where they are as a band now.

The band's set list strikes a fair balance between all three albums tonight, and whilst the new electronic material doesn't always gage a strong reaction, there is a definite appreciation of an album which is (by the band's own admission) a 'grower', and this will have no doubt increased by the time their next tour begins.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Editors Gig Preview - High Voltage, March 2010

Editors To Play Sold-Out Show At The Apollo

Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut, The Back Room in 2005, Editors have arguably developed into one of Britain's most successful and talented live acts.

After the grandeur, emotive sound of An End Has A Start two years later, they returned at the end of last year with the highly anticipated In This Light And On This Evening. Whilst the album still contained the previous elements of the band's distinctive sound, it was nevertheless a prominent  change of direction into electronic territory that the band were greatly aware of after its completion.

“It's a 'grower'; it really is,” concedes the band's drummer, Ed Lay. “It's not the most instant album, and nor were we intending it to be that way, but we're very happy with it.”

“We really wanted to change what we were doing. When we started to write for the record we realised we were going into the rehearsal room and the stuff we were coming up with was more than a nod to what we'd done previously,” he explains further. “We were finishing a session and going home unfulfilled so we knew we had to change something. We've definitely got variety now.”

The band are currently part way through the second U.K. tour of this current album campaign; the first one having took place shortly after the initial release of the record; at which point their fans had been given little time to familiarise themselves with the new tracks being showcased.

“On the last tour I think people had bought tickets on the basis of what we'd done before so you're always going to get a few blank faces staring back at you,” confirms Ed.

Despite having had an illustrious career to date, the band were still apprehensive about their fans' dedication after the noticeable neglect of guitars on the new album had been given time to settle in.

“I was a little worried about this tour,” admits Ed. “I didn't know how it was going to go but as soon as we got on stage on the first night I thought, 'This is absolutely what we should be doing'.”

Editors play Manchester Apollo on 16th March, with support from Cold Cave and The Strange Death of Liberal England. Tickets are sold out.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

Sunderbans Single Review - High Voltage, March 2010

Sunderbans - We Only Can Because We Care

This debut release on the consistently dependable Young & Lost Club label commences like a low budget film score attempting to create tension and impending danger. From this, it moves to the type of drum and guitar upsurge more commonly used as a song’s finale.

This curious and lengthy introduction leads to a minimalist sound which conjures up images of isolation on deserted plains. Unsurprisingly, it has suitably corresponding lyrics to match, seemingly inspired by the band’s adoration of India (their name comes from a mangrove swamp at the feet of the Ganges, don’t you know).

Once again, traditional structure is knowingly ignored, with the song’s repeated title forming a chorus of sorts, on which all three members of the Sheffield outfit contribute hesitantly for the final part of the track’s inspired duration.

‘We Only Can Because We Care’ is a ‘grower’ by all accounts, but one which slowly sheds its subtlety constructed layers to expose a track of great promise with an often incisive, yet elementary sound.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

The Sunshine Underground Live Review - High Voltage, February 2010

The Sunshine Underground - 53 Degrees, Preston

Fans of The Sunshine Underground are anything if not loyal.

In the four years which have passed since the release of their debut album, Raise The Alarm, their dance/indie hybrid (call it what you will) has been overshadowed by the numerous new musical movements and inescapable fads that the music press so regularly bombard us with. 

To their credit, the band have stayed true to their original ethos with their long-awaited second LP, Nobody’s Coming To Save You: it is guitar ridden, upbeat and largely dance floor orientated, with hooks that catch you (almost always) instantly, and has a live sound to match.

Regrettably with such music comes a slight football terrace mentality at their gigs, and this date on the current tour is no exception, with a male minority swaying and chanting as they embrace each other throughout. Fortunately, there is a clear segregation within the modestly sized club venue which seems to keep everyone in the good spirit needed tonight.

The four piece make a subtle and belated appearance on stage, commencing with the new L.P.’s opening track, ‘Coming To Save You’. It is everything devotees could hope to hear. A gradual (albeit simplistic) layering of sounds quickly kicks in: firstly guitars, then drums and bass, before Craig Wellington’s emphasised vocals build up to an anthemically sang chorus.

Despite a warm reception to their rejuvenated return, they quickly revert back to tried and tested material, with ‘Wake Up’ seamlessly continuing the lively atmosphere they have so far provoked.

Much like the sound of their opener, ‘We’ve Always Been Your Friends’ feels very much like a long lost acquaintance. It instantly evokes a feeling of familiarly within its opening moments despite only being in its infancy as part of their live sets. Once more, Wellington’s lyrics appear to be aimed directly at the crowd before them, and the wide eyed faces at the front appreciatively repeat them back to the band in unison.

‘Commercial Breakdown’ - a set closer of years gone by - receives an early rendition. It still packs the desired punch but on reflection it doesn’t deserve the place it once had it on the band’s set list. With the new material on offer tonight, and the time which has passed since its initial airings, it feels slightly dated, and thankfully the band acknowledge this.

The new album has only had a week to embed itself into the minds of its listeners, so understandably many of the tracks further along the running order are met with only moderate response. Pint refills and toilet breaks inevitably ensue during such moments, but several sharp tracks, such as ‘A Warning Sign’, effortlessly cut through these periods of momentary disinterest.

With the band being a dab hand at a catchy chorus, it was only a matter of time before a cliché sing-a-long with arms raised took place. This honour was bestowed to ‘Borders’, with four hundred voices singing together in not-so-perfect harmony. Cynicism aside, this was actually quite a meaningful moment in intimate surroundings, and an illustration of the their talents on stage.

‘The Messiah’ draws things to a close in a surprisingly slow and single paced manner, which is disappointingly anti-climatic after the generally impressive hour before it. Favourably, the encore of ‘Put You In Your Place’ makes up for this slight misjudgement, and any restlessness or despondence amongst the TSU faithful is remedied during a three minute summary of why they fell in love with the band in the first place.

Words by: Stuart Holmes

The Temper Trap Live Review - Counterfeit Magazine, September 2009

The Temper Trap: Manchester Ruby Lounge

written by STUART HOLMES

The doors at the Ruby Lounge tonight display notices warning guests that the gig will be “a tight squeeze”, which only increases the anticipation for the The Temper Trap’s headline performance. After heavy airplay of their current single ‘Sweet Disposition’ in recent weeks, this sleepy Sunday evening is guaranteed to be awakened imminently.

True to the notices’ claims, the venue is full well ahead of the support act’s entrance onto the stage. Goldhawks have a common set up, and give very little about themselves away, but have undisputable talent. They try their best to let the music do the talking, but their ambitious U2 influenced rock/pop hybrid sound is unfortunately lost on a crowd who are eager to see the ‘next big thing’ perform after them.

Seemingly unaware that the following evening is the start of a new working week for most of the audience, The Temper Trap make a belated appearance in front of the sell out crowd, but any annoyances to their nonchalant attitude to timekeeping are immediately forgiven as soon as their set commences.

If you weren’t aware before tonight’s gig, the stand out element of the band’s already impressive sound is the sheer beauty of lead singer Dougy Mangagi’s voice. The set varies in pace throughout this shuffled performance of their debut album ‘Conditions’, but Mangagi’s voice manages to change it accordingly whilst still remaining unique and captivating. The audience provide their full attention and participation at all times, which only adds to the atmosphere created by the soundscapes created on stage.

‘Love Lost’ is a slow building track, and typical of a formula which works so well for the band, with its melodic, introduction becoming a heavier, more anthemic affair by the time it ends. The excellent ‘Down River’ builds upon this success with the accompaniment of acoustic guitar and backing vocals, and has a simple but effective chorus which draws you into its lyrical tale.

Not surprisingly, ‘Sweet Disposition’ receives the biggest cheers of the evening, and rightly so, as it is arguably their most enchanting track. However, the band confidently plays the track two thirds of the way through their set, and manages to follow this up with a strong ending which climaxes with percussive, instrumental masterstroke of ‘Drum Song’. Building on the confident they have already gained from the enthusiastic crowd, The Temper Trap offer to play the expected encore without bothering to leave the stage. ‘Science Of Fear’ holds the most vigour of all the tracks on ‘Conditions’, and is the final burst of energy needed to conclude a memorable night from a band with a bright future ahead of them.

Athlete Live Review - City Life, July 2009

Athlete

By Stuart Holmes | Mon, 06 July, 2009

IN what was surely an ideal end to the weekend for them, devoted fans of Athlete were treated to an intimate performance at the Ruby Lounge last night.

After a decade together as a band, which has resulted in three successful albums to date, they return to the live scene once more, ahead of their fourth album, Black Swan, which is due for release next month.

Whilst many gigs of this nature have a tendency to focus largely on new material, Athlete instead treat the good natured audience to a gig comprising mainly of their greatest hits, with only a handful of new tracks being showcased.

Needless to say, the packed-out crowd respond well to this and the band appear to resultantly excel in their performance.

They ease into proceedings with their forthcoming single Superhuman Touch before playing You Got The Style from their debut album, which induces the first of many mass sing-a-longs.

Half Light continues the band's strong start, and is furthered by an extended version of Shake Those Windows, which begins with the soft vocals of lead singer Joel Pott, before building up to a crescendo of noise in its finale.

Hurricane

Their most recent album, Beyond The Neighbourhood, receives coverage with Hurricane and Flying Over Bus Stops, but it is material from their debut, and their breakthrough album Tourist that receive the greatest preference this evening.

New songs such as Black Swan Song and Magical Mistakes sound pleasant and typical of the band's sound, but are lost slightly amongst the commotion of people taking the opportunity to re-quench their thirst in the warm venue.

The attention of any unsettled attendees is soon recaptured as Tourist commences, however, which - like many of Athlete's songs - features a simplistic but well-constructed and effective chorus. The same is also true of One Million and Westside, which follow shortly afterwards.

Impressive finale

The finale of the main set includes an impressive performance of Twenty Four Hours, which sounds somewhat epic, and highlights the band's perfected ability in 'rise and fall' songwriting.

This is followed by The Getaway, from the new album, which ends with a melodic chant that the crowd continue in strong voice during the band's absence before their inevitable return to the stage.

El Salvador provides the greatest crowd participation of the night so far, but is soon beaten when the Ivor Novello Award-winning Wires concludes the encore, with Pott singing with genuine emotion, and the audience graciously following suit.

Tonight's performance is an indisputable success for Athlete. They are an experienced act who know where their strengths lie, and consequently play to them well, which results in a memorable evening for all involved.

Nine Black Alps Live Review - City Life, July 2009

NINE BLACK ALPS

By Stuart Holmes | Sun, 05 July, 2009

AFTER the heady heights they reached with the release of their debut album, Everything Is, Nine Black Alps end their latest tour with a homecoming gig in the modest but complimentary setting of The Deaf Institute.

Now on the verge of releasing their third album, Locked Out From The Inside - possibly named in line with their current unsigned status - the band return with a fresh batch of songs to add to their collection.

They nonchalantly creep onto the stage and greet the respectably sized audience, opening with their recent single Buy Nothing, immediately followed by Not Everyone from their debut.

Despite being recorded many years apart, the contrast between these two songs is minimal, but there is an evident increase in the energy of Sam Forrest's vocal delivery.

Heavier Sound

After extensive touring of Everything Is, their follow up album Love/Hate was tamer in comparison, and arguably failed to meet fans' expectations as a result.

The band have now opted to go back to the heavier sound of their heyday with their new material.

Salt Water, Vampire In The Sun and Porcupine all stand out from the new offerings played tonight, and are distinctly grungier than their previous efforts, which works well when they are mixed into the set list.

Strangely motionless

Forrest is clearly under the influence tonight, but this is only apparent when he mutters slightly cringeworthy observations between songs. He appears perplexed throughout; quite possibly because of the strangely motionless crowd.

Despite this, the band commendably put everything they have into their performance, but the crowd doesn't latch on to their ferocity as audiences have done in the past.

Strong tracks such as Unsatisfied, Get Your Guns and Cosmopolitan still sound great live, but do sound slightly dated years after their initial release.

This seems almost ridiculous to say given how recent they are, but compared with the plethora of sounds currently available, they are clearly in keeping with the trend of guitar bands at that time.

Sudden Ending

The band end with Shot Down and cause some slight destruction upon finishing the song, but don't return for an encore, leaving the crowd to slide towards the exit when it soon becomes apparent that the gig is over.

Its quite possible that Nine Black Alps are victim of the drastic change in trends since they released their debut; however, it is also just as likely that the current heatwave has left the crowd exhausted come late evening.

Regardless of the reason, the band remain a powerful live act with an impressive back catalogue.

On the basis of tonight's airings, their new material could well rekindle the success they experienced when they first hit the scene, but for now the sparks between the band and their fans aren't quite flying.

Gossip Live Review - City Life, May 2009

Gossip

By Stuart Holmes | Sun, 31 May, 2009

AFTER being relatively unknown in the UK for many years, Gossip quickly rose to prominence three years ago with their third album Standing In The Way Of Control, and the anti-governmental single of the same name which came from it.

Tonight the band play a sold out warm-up show at the intimate Club Academy in promotion of their forthcoming album Music For Men, but their performance is by no means a case of going through the motions.

Their now symbolic front woman Beth Ditto takes to the stage behind the rest of the band. She is in extremely good spirits, and clearly thankful for the warm welcome they receive after a long absence.

As expected, the band’s set largely covers their new offerings, but does not lack any energy despite it not yet being officially released.

Their current single Heavy Cross is performed half way through the set and is quickly followed by Jealous Girls, by which time Gossip have gained full momentum after already hitting the ground running.

Whilst the rest of the band plays their respective parts well, it is Ditto who is the undeniably star of the show. Her conversations with the audience between tracks are endearing and humble, and her vocals come across as being far stronger and more soulful than they do on record.

Not surprisingly, the main set ends with Standing In The Way Of Control, during which Ditto works her way around the crowd with the help of the security staff. This would have arguably been a good place to end proceedings, but after such an active set an encore was inevitable.

They make a brief return to the stage for a strong rendition of Listen Up! during which Ditto thoughtfully distributes bottled water to the crowd. It is a noticeable change of pace from the previous song but nevertheless concludes the show well.

The band exit the stage after theatre-like bows to the audience, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Joplin’s The Entertainer on the keyboard, which is a fitting summary of Ditto’s integral role in tonight’s performance.

Duke Special Live Review - City Life, May 2009

Duke Special

By Stuart Holmes | Fri, 01 May, 2009

DUKE Special (or Peter Wilson, to give him his real name) unassumingly performs to a near capacity venue tonight, strengthened by his backing band and intermittent contributions from the evening’s support acts.

The gig is in support of I Never Thought This Day Would Come, the recently released third album from the Belfast-based singer-songwriter.

The audience this evening consists predominantly of dedicated fans; his polite, softly spoken introductions to songs are applauded as much the songs themselves.

Whilst many of the songs tonight come from this new album, the set list does not cover it to the extent that you might usually expect from such a tour.

The recent single, Sweet Sweet Kisses is introduced surprisingly early to make way for a varied mix of material spanning his career to date. The song itself is nevertheless a highlight of the whole performance, with its jaunty sound juxtaposing the songs tale of a failed relationship.

This is followed by a pleasant version of the title track of the current album with assistance on vocals from the uniquely dressed Foreign Slippers.

Experimental

Whilst Duke Special’s more commonly known songs are generally traditional and radio-friendly in their composition, some of his material is questionably experimental, and this comes across strongly during this live show.

Sometimes this experimentation works well; namely in the recital of Nothing Comes Easy near the end of the main set. Diggin’ An Early Grave, however, spoils its promising start with prolonged sound effects at the end which turn Duke Special’s usually subtle idiosyncrasies into an overblown distraction from his true talents.

Theatrical feel

Despite this, the enclosed stage at Academy 3 is arguably the perfect setting for the more niche elements of his performance as they often have a noticeable theatrical feel to them, conjuring up images of the ‘music hall’ form of variety entertainment.

To counteract his earlier self-indulgence however, he later performs Why Does Anybody Love?, which manages to silence the room, with the rarity of such an occasion being highlighted by a man in the middle of the crowd looking around in pleasant disbelief.

The curfew is extended slightly for a long encore which commences with an inspired, piano-led cover of Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The night ends with crowd favourite Freewheel, which comes with another contribution from Foreign Slippers, and a rousing rendition of Last Night I Nearly Died (But I Woke Up Just In Time).

Whilst Duke Special may be an acquired taste at times, both the crowd and the artist himself leave the venue thoroughly satisfied, which is a truly fitting testament to the strength of tonight’s overall performance.

Bombay Bicycle Club Feature - City Life, April 2009

Bombay Bicycle Club are moving through the gears

By Stuart Holmes | Sun, 05 April, 2009

WHEN CityLife speak with Bombay Bicycle Club’s bassist Ed Nash the band are preparing for their latest headline tour.

After several changes in their line-up and their name, the band commenced playing gigs as their current four-piece in 2006 whilst they were still at school.

“Our first gig was at a school assembly and it took off from there, but we were just having fun.” says Ed.

“There were no intentions to do anything big when we started out at all. All of the lads have been in numerous bands before – just garage bands and stuff – and then we started this one in the same way that you start a band when you’re a teenager; because you like the same music.”

Despite the bands modest intentions, interest in them grew quickly whilst they were still studying. By the end of 2007 - whilst the band were at college - they had released two EPs, played a series of support slots for The Young Knives, took to the stage at both Reading and Leeds Festival, and played their first headline tour.

Their success continued the following year, with numerous high profile support slots and festival appearances, at which point the band had finished college and were free to concentrate on their music on a full-time basis.

After another large scale tour during August and November that year, the band signed a deal with Island Records, and later went into the studio to record their debut album with Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Editors, Kasabian), who the band had worked with on their earlier EPs.

“We know how each other works now,” says Ed of their successful collaborations with Abbiss.

Winning formula

This winning formula is evident from the short space of time in which the band completed recordings for the album, which is titled I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, and is due for released in early July at present.

“We did all of the recording really quickly; every day for a month in (Ray Davies') Konk Studios in London, and then it took about two months to mix.” confirms Ed.

With recording out of the way for the time being, the band can now concentrate on getting back out on the road and playing live, and are clearly looking forward to it.

“We’re practicing every day,” says Ed. “To have this opportunity is an amazing thing.”

The tour coincides with the release of the bands new single Always Like This, which was a firm favourite will all members of the band.

“We wanted to release it. It sounds different from our other stuff, and it was a new song so we thought that people would be into it.”

Once the tour is over the band are understandably looking ahead to the imminent festival season, and are very keen to make the most of this.

“We’ll pretty much do as many as we can do,” states Ed on behalf of his band mates. “I think we’ll probably do one in particular (to remain nameless for now), but we’ll do any that we get given.”

With the career that Bombay Bicycle Club has had so far it is hard to believe that the band is still in their late teens, but things are clearly going from strength to strength.

Bombay Bicycle Club's single ‘Always Like This’ (Island Records) is available on vinyl and download now.

Ed Byrne Live Review - City Life, March 2009

Ed Byrne: Different Class

By Stuart Holmes | Mon, 16 March, 2009

IN keeping with the show’s title, Ed Byrne places himself somewhere between working class and middle class.

He has a large television now, and has eaten ‘home-kill’ pheasant, but he still feels that he fits into neither group.

He also concedes to lying somewhere between obscurity and fame, having released a DVD which was (to his indignant dismay) outsold by the WAGs workout.

Byrne’s questioning of his own place within the class system acts as a starting point for this new show, and he uses this effectively as a framework for the remainder of his typically playful antics.

Pet Hates

The Dubliner favours a grungy, unbuttoned checked shirt worn over a T-shirt during the first half of his performance, which suits his adolescent-minded musings and exaggerated rants.

His light-hearted reflections on the 80s highlight flaws with much loved pop culture from the decade. In particular, he criticises the Back to the Future trilogy which he loved in his youth, with his justification of plot loopholes being a testament to Byrne’s talent for trivial, yet jovial analysis.

He lets off steam about his pet hates (such as the WAGs), and tests the water with some edgy material, but has already counteracted any potential offences made when mocking his own struggles to be quick-witted in real life.

Young Talent

After the interval, Byrne modestly (yet knowingly) strolls on stage in a plush purple suit and immediately introduces a short performance from a promising young comic named Lewis Costello.

The 16 year old from Blackburn admirably performs a five minute routine in front of the sell out crowd at the Lyric Theatre. Byrne has taken Costello under his wing due to the age restrictions in the clubs he would usually frequent so early in his career, and he copes brilliantly in front of the dauntingly large audience.

He is stylistically reminiscent of Jason Manford, with his broad Northern accent running through a mixture of laddish humour, original observations, and a particularly clever deconstruction of Biblical events.

He has both the confidence and material to go far in a competitive industry, and is certainly a talent to watch out for in the near future.

Marital Bliss

When Byrne returns, he speaks largely of relationships and the personal experiences of his recent marriage, relying on solidarity from the fellow married men in the crowd to good effect.

His varied tales of married life are both endearing and extremely amusing, with his analogy regarding the male perspective of small details on “the happiest day of your life” resulting in one of the biggest laughs of the evening.

Byrne returns for a brief ‘impromptu’ encore in which he recounts some of the baffling audience behaviour he has encountered on the tour so far.

While he may be unsure which social class he fits into, as a comedian, it is clear that Byrne fits into a class of his own.