|
|
PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
Gig Reviews -
CD Album Reviews - CD Single
Reviews
Gig Reviews
(top)
The Men They Couldn't Hang, Fareham &
Gosport Festival, 22nd March
 A
unique performance this, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Stefan Cush's
departure shortly beforehand due to a family bereavement meant that the Saturday
night audience at the Fareham & Gosport Festival witnessed a trimmed-down
version of the band, though lacking none of the usual energy of a band who have
once again become festival favourites since their reformation in 1996.
A slightly fragmented set list included numerous old favourites, notably The
Colours and Ironmasters, as well as a fair smattering of Swill solo acoustic
numbers, not least of which was a surprise cover of Bob Marley's Redemption
Song.
The Men They Couldn't Hang might have become a little less lithe and a tad more
weather-beaten since their days as punk-folk pioneers in the eighties, but even
as a 4-piece they showed they are still more than capable of sending even the
most hardened festival-goers away happy. Gig review by Martin Sirl
Roy Bailey, Fareham & Gosport Festival, 23rd March
 Roy
Bailey has been a mainstay of the British folk circuit for the last 50 years but
is only now beginning to receive mainstream recognition, mainly due to his
collaborations with Tony Benn and, more recently, Chumbawamba. But it is a
measure of his standing that he was able to comfortably fill the Ferneham Hall
on the Sunday afternoon of the Fareham and Gosport Festival.
Indeed, like other artists who have played the festival in the past Bailey cut a
strangely lonely figure in an auditorium somewhat larger than some of those he
might be used to playing. But the warmth of man is such that you quickly forget
the surroundings and are soon drawn into his very personal world of songs that
mix love and anger in equal doses, albeit the anger of someone old and wise
enough to know that the gentle touch is often the best.
Bailey charmed and amused the audience with songs such as The Poison Train and
the thought-provoking Palestine, all interspersed with often hilarious stories
from his musical career, showing that a life spent trying to change the world is
often about humour as much as it is about angst. But the fact that the man was
very much preaching to the converted was clear by the enthusiastic response to
the 'kids' section of the show, in which many who frankly are old enough to know
better were quick to join in gleefully on Skin and Kangaroos Like To Hop, from
the Why Does It Have to Be Me? album of children's' songs.
In keeping with the strength of the rapport between performer and audience
Bailey was persuaded to end his set with the gorgeous Beeswing (a number he had
not intended to perform) before returning to encore with the belligerent I Aint
Afraid, a song which sums up perfectly people's concerns over organised religion
and, in particular, the atrocities supposedly carried out in its name. Gig review by Martin Sirl
CD Album Reviews
(top)
CD Album review coming soon. Watch this space!
CD Single Reviews
(top)
BY MARTIN SIRL
Eyes Wide Terrified by Johnny Foreigner
Weird, wild and wonderful nonsense from Birmingham’s wacky Johnny Foreigner.
With much chopping and changing of style and tempo this is hardly music to
soothe a Sunday morning hangover. What this is, in fact, is punk rock with a
twist, the twist in this case being added by a male/female vocal partnership
which has no right to work, yet does. A much lauded South By South-West festival
appearance bodes well for the future for these daft Midlanders.
Back Me Up by Urbnri
The grim monochrome picture on the cover might suggest that Urbnri are all mean,
moody and left-field, but this is actually more Bay City Rollers than Joy
Division. Not that that is altogether a bad thing though because, like all good
pop, Back Me Up is simple, unchallenging on the ear and aurally quietly
addictive. The alternate mixes further enrich Urbnri's electro-pop credentials;
the radio edit soundsing a little like what was once known as power pop way back
in the early eighties.
Poverty by Hucknall
As someone who finds the idea of having their toenails removed with pliers
marginally more appealing than that of listening to a Simply Red album I had few
hopes for this, but it’s actually not too bad. Hucknall's voice may sound less
at home than normal on this Bobby Bland standard but the arrangement is tight
and energetic and song itself is infinitely greater than anything the
gold-toothed one has ever penned. As covers go, this is a worthy effort, though
why anyone would buy it when they could have the original is a different matter
entirely.
Seeing Ghosts (mini album) by Kick Box Riot
Full marks for effort, but ultimately this is pretty run-of-the-mill indie rock
from a young quintet who hail from the Cardiff area. Lots of shouting and a few
bits of nifty guitar work here and there, but in the end Kick Box Riot, like
their local football team are full of puff but lack an end result of any real
quality. Only the angular Fear Of Change hints at something that might hang
around in the memory for more than five minutes; the rest is just too easy to
ignore.
Kill The Captains EP by Kill The
Captains
Excellent debut from yet another bunch of upwardly mobile Sheffield indie-rockers,
this one coming across as somewhere between Buzzcocks and Orange Juice, with a
small dose of XTC’s English quirkiness thrown in. The best tracks here are Loud
In The Tooth, a deceptively catchy ballad, and the more punchy Fun Anxiety,
which fairly leaps from the speakers and which has understandably become a big
live favourite with KTC fans.
She Gives It Around by The Rivers
This Brighton 5-piece have that same kind of rough-around-the-edges feel
as US counterparts Kings Of Leon and The Strokes and the resulting sparse sound
means that this one takes a few plays to really register. But it’s worth the
perseverance as The Rivers clearly know a good tune when they hit upon one and
some rough and ready musicianship only adds to the charm of which is in fact a
pretty decent debut.
When I Return To The World by Lorraine
Spacey, hypnotic and not totally unpleasant offering from much touted
Norwegian electro popsters. A little bit Air, a little bit Pet Shop Boys, but
with the technological handle of a bunch of geezers whose hearts lie firmly in
2008. The numerous dubs and remixes on this CD are far too long and basically
superfluous, but the single edit, along with the haunting Beyond Sky, are short,
sweet and actually quite wonderful. Lorraine are named after a character in Back
To The Future, a phrase that goes some way to summing up their music better than
I ever could.
3 by The Brightlights
I really wanted to like this. It’s well played, nicely produced, the
singer has a really interesting voice and song is structured with a maturity way
beyond that of The Brightlights young years. However, even after mucho plays 3
never sounds like anything more than completely forgettable mainstream pop and
I’m afraid even Steve Power’s magic touch at the desks won’t be enough to
prevent this dropping instantly from sight.
Burn The Witch by Stone Gods
Debut EP from former members of The Darkness plus Richie Edwards (no,
not that one) on vocals. As the title might suggest Burn The Witch is the kind
of dark, moody heavy metal that fans of Justin Hawkins flowery rock anthems
might find a little too meaty, though just as many might think this is a is a
damn sight more interesting. Sadly the rest of this 4-track CD is less striking.
You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight has a title that’s a hundred times more
memorable than the song itself, while Breakdown and Heartburn just sound like
Bryan Adams on a budget.
The Alternative by IAMX
Another interesting offering from former Sneaker Pimp Chris Corner’s latest
band. I’m not quite sure what the song it all about, but this is modern music
with an unmistakable eighties feel to it, with multiple synths jockeying for
position over a throbbing bass line and the whole thing capped off beautifully
by Corner’s distinctive high-pitched vocals. Those of us ancient enough to
remember the wonderful Talk Talk might just have a tear in their eye upon
hearing this.
Do You Think It’s Right? by Look See Proof
A trio of mod-ish numbers from Bedford’s indie poppers. This is all cheeky-chappy,
sub-Small Faces nonsense (not that there’s much wrong with that) and is
perfectly likeable without ever quite grabbing one’s attention big-time.
Worryingly, the best track here is probably the remix of the last single
Casualty, which suggests that Look See Proof might actually be moving backwards
in terms of their musical development, or at best merely treading water, and no,
that can’t be right.
The Bears Are Coming by Late Of The Pier
Slightly screwy pop from Castle Donnington 4-piece with touches of Mika, Art Of
Noise, Zappa and even, at times, Plastic Ono-era Lennon. With its numerous
changes in tempo this is almost like three songs in one, each of them completely
silly but, at the same time, catchy as a hairball and quite charming. The Bears
Are Coming is one of those releases that leaves you wondering whether this is
sheer brilliance or just the result of a bunch of guys acting foolishly. But
I’ll stick my neck out and suggest that Late Of The Pier are a band that will
bear (sorry..) many more hearings.
We welcome you to submit your own CD, gig or venue reviews here at
POL. Simply
click on the link below and type away! Please include relevant details such as
your name, date of gig etc.
Click here to send in your own review
Looking for a different Reviews?
Click here for our archive
|
Featured artists:
see POL Articles
JOE LEAN &
THE JIN JAN JONG, WEDGEWOOD ROOMS, PORTSMOUTH SUNDAY MAY 25
DENNIS ROLLINS SALISBURY CITY HALL,
TUE MAY 29
TCHA LIMBERGER’S HUNGARIAN BAND TURNER SIMS
CONCERT HALL, SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY MAY 18
PLUCK
SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE,
FRIDAY MAY 30
& FOREST ARTS CENTRE,
NEW MILTON, SATURDAY MAY 31
PARK BENCH SOCIAL CLUB ASHCROFT ARTS CENTRE,
FAREHAM SATURDAY MAY 31
ANDY MCKEE
THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY MAY 25
JESSE SYKES & PHIL WANDSCHER RAILWAY INN,
WINCHESTER SUNDAY MAY 11 |
|
