Following a successful Australian tour, Manchester based anti-folk band Crywank returned back to the UK for a series of intimate shows.
According to their Bandcamp page, they have been told they are the worst named band in the country. This hasn't put off the fans, however, because both London dates sold out.
Both nights took place in London's Surya venue and support came in the form of Night Swimming and itoldyouiwouldeatyou. (I unfortunately missed the first act, sorry!).
London based indie-punk/emo outfit itoldyouiwouldeatyou performed a short but sweet set of eight songs. Lead singer Joey captivated the audience, introducing two new band members and then stepping into the crowd for one song.
itoldyouiwouldeatyou
The latest single, Mourn, was well received, and we even witnessed crowd surfing during the final song, Letters. This was particularly impressive considering the tiny size of the dance floor.
If you haven't had a chance to listen to itoldyouiwouldeatyou, I highly recommend you to do so! (The video for Mourn is below).
After a short break, Crywank took to the stage. Frontman James Clayton performed a mix of songs from his four LPs.
Memento Mori from the excellently named Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday and Everyday Is Stupid LP went down well. Starting with the lyrics 'Everyone I love is going to die', it was never going to be a cheery evening.
Crywank's James Clayton
Despite the sad subject matter, the atmosphere in the venue was anything but miserable.
Crywank bring people together. Fans who have been religiously listening to the releases since 2009 got the chance to chant the well-crafted lyrics back at the band. Couples slow-danced. There was no crowd surfing, more a state of gentle reverie.
For a few years Mirrors Festival has been a day event showcasing the best of indie music which takes place in Hackney, East London. Previous acts to grace the stage have included Bats For Lashes and Rhye, and this year Los Campesinos! and Pinegrove were headlining.
The first thing to note about Mirrors is the venue locations. There were four in total: one 'stage' was above a vintage clothes shop, another at the excellent Moth Club, the third in Oslo Hackney and finally at St John at Hackney (which is an actual church, fyi).
I spent the majority of the festival in St John at Hackney, eagerly anticipating my third LC! gig of the past year.
With the exception of compulsory carol services during my school years, this was the first time I've seen live music in a church. And it was really, really good.
Ultimate Painting took to the stage at 6:45. Their set effortlessly mixed genres; what started as gentle guitars transcended into an awesome amount of sound.
Ultimate Painting take on the church
Certain songs gave off an early Oasis vibe, which was perhaps helped by the fact the band is made up of two guys - Jack Cooper and James Hoare. (However during their live shows they are joined by Will Young and Juan Jacinto, so maybe my analogy doesn't help...)
A personal highlight was Central Park Blues, which really reminded me of Courtney Barnett - a big plus.
Ultimately, Ultimate Painting were a lot of fun, and whet the crowd's appetite for the imminent arrival of Los Campesinos!
Throughout the evening, I got the chance to chat to both Kim (vocals, keyboard) and Gareth at the merch stand. It is so lovely for a band to have such a close relationship with its fans. While proudly clutching my fifth LC! t-shirt, I asked a few questions about the show, and also a few literary questions...
Gareth admitted that the acoustics hadn't been great during sound check - an empty church doesn't lend itself to indie rock - but by kicking off with the loudest rendition of For Flotsam that I've ever experienced, it was clear that Los Campesinos! were going to perform a show to remember.
Incredibly intense guitar solos, light displays that would rival Aphex Twin himself, and mosh pits ensued over the course of the next hour. I loved every minute.
It's quite hard for a band boasting six albums - and a huge amount of unreleased crowd favourites - to please everyone in one hour, but LC! tactfully played a selection of songs from each era.
Los Campesinos! + pretty cool lighting = great evening
Here's To The Fourth Time was a particular highlight. Gareth unleashed a guttural scream which then reverberated around the entire church. (Not your usual Sunday service).
A whirlwind set culminated with an epic performance of The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future. The lyrics 'But you could never kiss a Tory boy without wanting to cut off your tongue again' were screamed by the entire crowd, what a beautiful moment.
I do wish they'd played Who Fell Asleep In, 'She turned her back on the church and put all her faith in me' would have been particularly poignant given the location.
When the set was over, Gareth said they'd temporarily head back to the merch stand until Pinegrove started. I only recently found out the bands are friends (or at least mutually respect each other a lot), which is nice. You can read an interview with both bands here.
I can't finish this post without saying a big congratulations to Kim, who is pregnant! I didn't think she'd be performing last night, but she was just as passionate as ever. Looking forward to seeing Los Campesinos! return in the new year, but until then I'll make do with my funky new t-shirt. #lc4lyf
Slightly hidden off Oxford's busy Cornmarket Street is The Cellar, a much loved independent music venue which has propelled the likes of Foals and Glass Animals to fame.
Last month, the venue's landlords applied for planning permission to convert the venue into a retail space. But The Cellar's fans came out in support and - thankfully - this application has been withdrawn.
The fight to save The Cellar continues, but it has become clear that the intimate venue means a lot to a great deal of people.
Bestival founder Rob da Bank shows his support
Following the release of their debut album, local two piece Cassels headlined The Cellar on Saturday night.
Support came from Fancy Dress Party and Lacuna Common. Encompassing the indie punk rock spectrum, both bands got the crowd going and set the bar high for Cassels' set.
Jim on guitar
With a setlist of nine songs - many from the newly released Epithet album - Cassels energised the crowd with a winning combination of apathy and pure punk joy.
First off was 'Coup'. Its politically charged lyrics (specifically about youth disenchantment) were well received by The Cellar's crowd. A mosh pit quickly opened up behind me - no mean feat considering the size of the venue.
The band certainly take no prisoners. "This song is about dementia," Jim (vocals, guitar) announced to the crowd. After a usual cheer, he quipped: "If you cheered you're a piece of shit, 'cause it's a terrible disease."
Cassels makes you think. They would be the first to admit that they're not an easy listening, pop band. Instead, their songs challenge you.
The penultimate song was 'Hating is easy', which was first released in 2015. 'And I would love you/ But loving is scary/ So I'll just hate you/ Hating is easy...' I like to interpret this song in two ways.
Firstly I see it as an ode to commitment phobia, where it seems easier to hate rather than mentally invest yourself in another party. Secondly I imagine it as a parody, criticising some of the terrifying attitudes we see today. Sure, let's just hate each other rather than sorting our differences out.
While I was checking out Cassels on social media post-gig, I noticed they're friends with the brilliant itoldyouiwouldeatyou and also supported Muncie Girls in February. As I get more acquainted with the UK indie scene, I constantly get more impressed.
I'll be back next Saturday to see Desperate Journalist and October Drift. In the meantime, please sign the petition to save The Cellar.
Ohio indie rockers, The National, are taking over London's Eventim Apollo this week with a series of four sold out shows.
For a band with seven albums in their back catalogue and over fifteen years of touring history, it was perhaps a brave decision to start the concert with four songs from their latest release, Sleep Well Beast.
The group clearly know their fans, however, because each song was received like an old friend.
This trend continued as frontman Matt Berninger moved on to old classics such as Sea of Love and Bloodbuzz Ohio. Without (memorable) exception, the audience applauded and cheered for an extended period after each song, which is something I'd never seen before.
When a band has such a strong range of albums to choose from, clearly each song on the setlist resonated with a different member of the audience. I met two women who have been fans of The National for ten years and have been to the same number of concerts, and one of the pair was so overcome with emotion when Graceless was performed for the first time this tour.
Matt's interaction with the crowd was second to none. On multiple occasions throughout the evening he descended into the standing area, and sometimes the audience lost sight of him for what felt like a depression-fueled eternity.
Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, who provided backing vocals on Sleep Well Beast, joined The National at multiple points during the night. Her enchanting vocals were sadly lost at first, but after a few adjustments she provided a haunting accompaniment to Matt's iconic baritone voice.
Matt's voice also reached new levels of emotion when it transcended into a guttural scream on certain songs.
As the night drew to a close, Matt announced that they were to sing 'the most depressing song we've ever written' - About Today. Hailing from their 2004 EP Cherry Tree, this was a particularly special moment. The crowd fell silent and eyes were drawn once again to the incredible light show behind the musicians.
The National's lighting was attention grabbing, switching from vintage-style live footage of the band to bright lights that at moments reminded me of Aphex Twin's set at Field Day festival.
Having performed a cover of Talking Heads' Heaven, support act This Is the Kit and Lisa Hannigan joined the stage for a beautiful, bittersweet rendition of Born to Beg.
The icing on the cake of a beautiful two hour concert was the final song choice - Terrible Love. Matt walked through the crowd as we all sang in unison 'it takes an ocean not to break'.
My only regret is that we didn't get to hear Mr November, my favourite song.
The National can be depressing, and there's no denying I felt slightly melancholy this morning, but in today's world it is simply impossible - at least for me at least - to pretend that everything is going swimmingly.
We need music that examines our deepest emotions to prevent us from burying our heads in the sand. And with that being said, we need The National.
