It's a terrible love and I'm walking with spiders: The National, London, 26/09/17

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.

The Front Bottoms & Smith Street Band European Tour

For those who missed their tour with Blink 182 this summer (or who just can't get enough), European fans of the incredibly named indie rock band The Front Bottoms will be excited to hear that they're coming back over to see us early next year.

What's more, my favourite Australian rockers - The Smith Street Band - will be joining them. Could a gig get any more perfect, I hear you ask? Well yes, Brick + Mortar will be the other support act.

It is impossible to ignore the fact that TFB have changed a huge amount since their angsty early releases (for example Swimming Pool, Father). Fortunately, Brian's distinctive vocals still steal the show.

Having tragically missed them no less than three times during my university years, I finally saw TFB when they played at Kentish Town in December 2016. They certainly did not disappoint.

This tour will be our first opportunity to hear TFB's new album, Going Grey, live. With the album set to be released on 13th October, this gives fans plenty of time to know each lyric by heart. No pressure...

What makes me so excited about this tour is the support. I love The Smith Street Band and, after their incredible performance at The Garage in June, I'll certainly be attending February's show at Camden's Roundhouse.

Tickets go on general sale on 13th September. See you there?

For all dates and ticket info, click here.

They'll love in my shadow: Japandroids, London, 30/08/17

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.

And we're as happy as ducks in a storm drain: The Smith Street Band, London, 12/07/17

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, The Smith Street Band formed in 2010, originally under the name Wil Wagner and The Smith Street Band, in a nod to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. In 2011 the rock band changed its name to signify a whole-band songwriting style.

The band is currently made up of four members; Wil Wagner, Lee Hartney, Michael "Fitzy" Fitzgerald and Chris Cowburn. To celebrate the release of their 4th studio album, More Scared of You Than You Are of Me, The Smith Street Band have been touring in Europe.

I first discovered The Smith Street Band through the magic of Spotify. While stalking the band on Facebook, I came across a picture of a fan's tattoo which made reference to Ducks Fly Together, my favourite single, and realised just how much of an impact this band has on its fans.

As seems to be a trend with musicians I admire, The Smith Street Band's lyrics focus heavily on depression and heartbreak, and the intensity of the music both heightens and alleviates the sadness. There's something incredibly addictive about the band's style, and also I'm a sucker for an Australian accent.

Seeing The Smith Street Band live was an incredible experience, simultaneously exactly what I expected and 100 times more. Firstly, the venue (The Garage, Highbury Islington) was intimate, while providing enough space for dancing. They sold cider/beer in two pint glasses which certainly set the scene for the night.

Support came from Shit Present (who I unfortunately missed) and The Bennies, another Australian rock band who are slightly more punky than Smith Street. They were so energetic and got everyone ready for the evening. While waiting for The Smith Street Band to start, I noticed someone wearing a Los Campesinos! t-shirt and another with a Modern Baseball jumper. I was clearly in the right place.

The Smith Street Band!

Each song the Smithies (I'm getting more casual now) played got me more and more excited. I love loud rock music, when the crowd starts jumping and screaming together, and this is exactly what I experienced. It was beautiful.

Being conscious that I don't want to fangirl too much, I'll list some of my favourite songs for those who haven't had a chance to experience this band yet.

Calgary Girls, Forrest, Ducks Fly Together, Shine, Song For You, Passiona

I'm even more in love with The Smith Street Band than I was before, so much so that I'm considering a (permanent) trip to Australia to see them more regularly... Until then, I'll content myself with the great t-shirt I got from the show and the music.

Thinking about Manchester and looking to the future

It feels like I've had a crazy month or so and I feel sorry for neglecting this blog. I have been lucky enough to see The Jesus and Mary Chain, Los Campesinos! and Kate Tempest while I've been 'away'.

Before I continue, I must address the atrocities that took place in Manchester last Monday. As a huge fan of live music, and having lived in Paris when the Bataclan attack took place, it really affected me. To deliberately kill young children during what should have been the best night of their lives is both cowardly and sickening. I'm very grateful to my parents for allowing me to attend concerts on my own since I turned 14, and believe it is essential to keep living and enjoying the things that make life worthwhile.

I saw Kate Tempest on Saturday and would like to thank the staff at Brixton for making us feel completely safe. It was incredible to see such a diverse mix of people enjoying her politically and emotionally charged performance.

I've added a few more gigs to my calendar for this year including The Smith Street Band in July. I'm also considering getting The National tickets for September and Future Islands for November, and while I definitely want to see them I'm also finding it hard to think ahead to those cold winter days right now. That being said, I have bought tickets to see Enter Shikari at the end of the year.

During my seemingly constant train journeys recently I've stumbled across a band that I like, so thought I'd take a moment to enthuse about them. (I stress that, while they are new to me, they are almost certainly known to others).

Car Seat Headrest

My dad recently bought Car Seat Headrest's twelfth album, Teens of Denial, which was my first taste of this American indie rock band. I instantly identified with the music style, lead singer Will Toledo often shouts on the songs which reminds me of The Front Bottoms or Modern Baseball.

I'd recommend listening to Car Seat Headrest loudly on your headphones, it made a big impact on my commute to work.

As is often the case with me, I've discovered this band far into their career... Now it's time for me to go through their back catalogue!

Songs: Not What I Needed, Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales

Stay safe, keep doing what makes your heart race and stick together. As Kate Tempest eloquently put it: the point of life is live, love if you can, then pass it on.

Video: Los Campesinos! live on KEXP

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.

Now I'm trying to figure out when it was you gave me these Heartworms: The Shins, London, 29/03/17

I've been meaning to write about The Shins' latest album release for a few weeks now, but I thought I'd save my thoughts until I'd also seen them perform it live.

To my disappointment, I only discovered The Shins relatively recently. Last November a friend of mine told me I had to watch Garden State (which incidentally I loved and now have seen approx. five times), and The Shins figure heavily on its soundtrack.

In the film, Natalie Portman's character is a big Shins fan, and goes as far to say that listening to 'New Slang' will change your life. I wouldn't go as far to say the track is life-changing, but it is certainly life-enhancing.

To cut a long and potentially rambling story short, I quickly caught up for lost time and got my virtual hands on all their back catalogue and a pair of tickets for the London show on 29th March.

Five years since their last album, Port of Morrow, James Mercer & co. released their fifth record last month. I must have listened to the album at least 15 times, and while it's very engaging as you listen to it, I'm still struggling to pick out key songs or lyrics that really resonate with me.

Unlike earlier albums (Oh, Inverted World immediately springs to mind), Heartworms lacks urgency. Perhaps this is an obvious result of being five years in the making, but it did mean that I felt less 'sure' of myself as I headed over to the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo last Wednesday.

Despite my initial reservations, I was blown away by the concert. When a band has an extensive back catalogue you sometimes find yourself slightly disappointed when your favourite - often obscure - song isn't played, but this was not the case.

The band selected a roughly proportionate number of songs from each album to play, starting with 'Kissing the Lipless' which captivated the crowd. Other stand out moments were 'Mine's Not a High Horse' - also from the Chutes Too Narrow album and, maybe surprisingly, 'Mildenhall' from Heartworms.

The incredible 'Caring is Creepy' was the perfect 'final' song (we all knew they had to return for 'New Slang'). Since the gig I've been listening to a lot of songs from Oh, Inverted World. I love when a concert inspires you to return back to old favourites and doesn't just try to plug the newest release.

Also, because I tend to listen to the albums while walking around, I can't always associate the track names to the song itself, so reading setlists before doesn't always help and I found myself dancing away to every song.

Another point to mention is the intricate artwork found on the Heartworms album and subsequently repeated on stage. The skull lit up in various ways which added to the whole experience, I really appreciated how much effort they put in.

Following the gig I have been listening to a mix of Heartworms and The Jesus and Mary Chain, so I've been pretty content. My initial thoughts on the album were certainly changed by the concert, and having some time to reflect has made me realise just how great a band The Shins are. I'd really like to see them again soon.