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.
If I was trapped on a desert idea and could only listen to three artists for the rest of my days, they would be The Cure, Los Campesinos!, and The Killers. While differing in style, all three have an extensive back catalogue so boredom would not be an issue.
This theory was proven last night by The Killers' wonderful wonderful performance in London. Touring in support of their latest album, Wonderful Wonderful, Nevada's most successful rock band took over the O2 arena for two nights only.
Support came in the form of Australia's Juanita Stein. After a 45 minute wait, a brightly lit triangle rose up to reveal Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass), Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mark Stoermer (bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. (drums, percussion).
The view from Level 4
What followed was two hours of music that took the audience on a journey of the last 15 years. Starting with the title track from the new album, and then racing back to Sam's Town with the much-loved 'Read My Mind', Flowers' left little room for a breather between each song.
'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine' was well received, and 'Somebody Told Me' got the whole crowd screaming along. It really did feel like I was listening to my Killers-filled iPod on shuffle for two hours. Live, Flowers' voice comes across excellently.
The staging saw Vannucci drumming on an elevated platform at the back. He was a spectacular tour de force, at one point actually climbing onto the kit itself. Seeing as they formed in 2001, the band are seasoned rock stars by now.
Also on stage was: a rusty water tower with 'London' emblazoned on the front, three female (Venus) symbols for each backing singer, a male (Mars) symbol in front of Flowers, and two huge neon arrows. Add to that multiple confetti canons and projected images of cowboys. Old-school Killers had certainly come to town.
Luckily NME got a better photographer. Image Credit: Rob Loud, NME
Before playing, 'All These Things That I've Done', Flowers' explained the inspiration for it came from Lou Reed. When he was working at a Las Vegas casino, he would try to imitate Reed's iconic vocals, ultimately ending up humming 'Don't you put me on the back burner'.
The Killers' set came to a close with the incredible 'When You Were Young'. For the encore, the band invited New Order's Bernard Sumner on stage to perform 'Bizarre Love Triangle'.
The evening concluded with 'Human' and then, of course, 'Mr Brightside'. Whether you like it or not, no Killers set would be complete without it.
Overall, every song was excellent. There weren't even too many people desperately filming every second on their phones. For two hours, the audience was definitely smiling like they meant it.
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.
For a two piece band, the Canadian rockers that make up Japandroids certainly know how to make a lot of noise.
Formed in 2006, Brian King and David Prowse's band caught the public's attention through a combination of an interesting portmanteau, angry lyrics and energetic live shows.
Incredible artwork
In celebration of the band's third studio album, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, which was released in January this year, the duo headed to London for a special gig.
A secret East London venue, a 360° pit design stage and the promise of a very late night set the scene for Wednesday's antics.
Supported by the wonderfully angry Yowl (known for such songs as My Headache Likes To Speak) and the even angrier Bad Breeding, Japandroids entered the pit just after 10pm. What followed was an explosive evening of old classics and new material.
The title track from the new album kicked off proceedings and was well received. As is often the case certain songs pleased the crowd more than others, but on the whole the setlist was well chosen to encourage everyone to keep dancing.
It became clear that, while in theory the 360° stage meant everyone would get a good view of King (guitar, vocals) and Prowse (drums, vocals), there was one side which got particularly rowdy. Intrigued, I headed over to investigate.
What followed was a sweaty and intense dance/mosh experience. Crowd surfing and general (lighthearted) crushing ensued, and I amusingly noticed a lonely deodorant rolling along the beer-covered floor. We definitely needed that by the end of the evening.
The duo managed to keep the intensity going throughout the hour and a half set, finishing with a energetic rendition of The House That Heaven Built. A sweaty yet euphoric audience screamed along to the chorus 'And if they try to slow you down/ Tell 'em all to go to hell'.
And that was very much my takeaway from last night. When we were in the pit, nothing mattered apart from the music and how much enjoyment we get out of it. Nothing can slow down Japandroids - or its fans - at the moment.
The best band ever, Los Campesinos!, were recently touring in the US (on an awesome looking tour bus, I wish I'd been there...) I thought I'd share with you a video of their live performance at the KEXP studio in Seattle.
Enjoy listening to 'I Broke Up In Amarante', 'Here's To The Forth Time!', 'The Fall Of Home' and '5 Flucloxacillin'.
LC! sound even more emotional and desperate when performing live and this video really moved me. You can also hear a mini interview with the band halfway through.
Happy Tuesday everyone! I'll be back next week with thoughts on my next gig - The Jesus and Mary Chain - which is tomorrow.
I discovered Modern Baseball around the same time that I found The Front Bottoms (approx. August 2013). I'm a big fan of slightly nasal American pop punk artists, what can I say. Modern Baseball and TFB supported Brand New on a tour of the states last year, I wish I could have been there!
On Saturday 18th February I made my way to Kentish Town's o2 forum (potentially my favourite gig venue in London - I love how I can arrive quite a while after door's open but still get really near the front and just love the atmosphere). Modern Baseball came to the UK to promote their latest album, Holy Ghost, which was released last year.
Support came from Thin Lips and Superweaks, the latter coming on stage a few times to sing with Modern Baseball. Prior to coming, I didn't know either band that well (just a quick Spotify stalk a few days beforehand) but they definitely got the crowd going.
I really loved Modern Baseball's set. To me they represent the start of uni, when things were going really well yet I still remembered how unhappy I had been at school previously. Their lyrics often concentrate on the impact of social media on my generation, which I can obviously relate to.
A highlight of the set was when they played 'Hiding'. This is one of my favourite songs from the Holy Ghost album but I wasn't expecting them to play it. It's always a great feeling when you recognise each song that is played, and it seemed like the crowd were loving every minute.
Following an energetic rendition of 'Your Graduation', the concert finished with an incredible cover of The Killers' 'When You Were Young'. (See shaky video below, I was very excited).
While the gig was really enjoyable, and Sean, Ian and Jake did a great job, it was still sad to not see Brendan perform. Anxiety and depression are not to be taken lightly, and I think I speak on behalf of all the fans when saying I fully understand his decision not to play.
Additionally, a few days after the gig Jake posted a message on Facebook saying that the band will be taking a break while they all individually focus on their mental health. My heart goes out to you all, stay strong.
"If music be the food of love, play on." Now I've got your attention with a cheesy, over-used quotation, I can introduce myself. Hello, I'm Alice and I'll be using this blog to chronic my musical discoveries and concerts I attend.
I wish I could say that I've always had a finely tuned taste in music, but it would be incorrect. I'm unashamed to say that I go through phases. In the last ten years I've had a Twilight phase (the least said about that the better), grime phase, theme park phase and Lady Gaga phase, to name but a few.
My first live music experience was at the Cbeebies prom in the park in the early 2000s (deadly serious). The day was slightly tainted by losing my Dad halfway through which resulted in much panicking and tears, so I didn't make a lone venture into the world of concerts until I was a 'cool' (read: loser) teenager.
At 14 I dragged three friends to Shepherd's Bush's Empire to see Tinchy Stryder. I remember feeling very young compared to other attendees, but it definitely started a love affair with live music. In the years that followed I saw an eclectic mix of artists including Bullet for My Valentine, Ke$ha, Gorillaz and Lady Gaga.
When I finished sixth form, I moved to Paris for my degree. A few months after my arrival, I saw The 1975 play at a tiny venue (La Maroquinerie). This made me realise just how much I prefer intimate venues and since then I jump at the chance to see up-and-coming artists just for the experience itself
While 2016 was truly an awful year for a myriad of reasons, it also turned out to be 'the year of the gig' for me. I entered some competitions and was lucky enough to win tickets to a few concerts including Låpsley and a tiny Enter Shikari acoustic set at the Deezer HQ in Paris:
The night before the acoustic set, a friend and I saw Shikari at Le Trabendo. This was the polar opposite to the chilled out Deezer set, and probably the most fun gig I've ever been to (it also helped that we'd had quite a lot to drink beforehand).
While in Paris I also got the chance to see Hozier, The 1975 (again) and attend a UK grime night which was super fun. Shortly before I left in September, I went to Rock en Seine - a three day festival in the Bois de Boulogne (a huge park on the outskirts of Paris' bourgeois 16th arrondissement). Particular highlights of the festival included CHVRCHES, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Anderson .Paak, Little Simz, Sigur Ros, Bring Me The Horizon, Birdy Nam Nam and Peaches (look her up if you don't know her, you won't regret it).
I'm lucky enough to live about 30 minutes from London, so once back in the UK I kept buying tickets for various concerts in the capital. I saw Jamie T and Jack Garratt which went well, and then I finished off 2016 with an 'epic' three day weekend consisting of The Cure, The Front Bottoms and Los Campesinos!
LC! are my favourite band (I talk about them far too much for them not to be). This was however the first time I'd seen them live and I wasn't disappointed. It took place in The Moth Club, Hackney, which was a great intimate venue. I got the chance to chat to lead singer Gareth at the merch stand and loved the fact we could talk so easily. I don't know many other bands who invest such time in their fan base.
So now you're a little more up to speed with my music tastes, I can start to get excited about what 2017 will bring. Tonight marks the first gig of the year for me, I'm heading up to London after work to see Two Door Cinema Club at Alexandra Palace. I've never been there for live music so looking forward to seeing how it goes.
I'll write up tonight's gig comments over the weekend. In the meantime you can check out the other events I'll be attending by clicking here.
