Theatre Royal

The Shop Window – It’s A High

In November of last year, The Shop Window released their sophomore album album ‘A 4 Letter Word’ to critical acclaim. Distinct discerning updates on the C86, baggy, and Sarah Records scenes made it one of the albums of the year.

Images courtesy of the band.

Not resting on their laurels, they are set to release the new single ‘It’s A High’ on August 18th via their label Jangle Shop Records. With singer/guitarist Carl Mann behind the producing and mixing, can they recapture the form of 2022?

The dual vocals, acoustic and jangling guitars bring their Medway peers Theatre Royal to the fore. The ecstatic rumble of ‘Caught Me At The Wrong Line’ and ‘The Story Of My Life’ combined with the playfulness of the early days of REM. On a tale of being hopelessly in love, this combo, plus flourishes of Byrds era John Squire and Pale Fountains’s brass meander to great effect.

Form recaptured? A resounding yes!

Their third album ‘Daysdream’ can be pre-ordered from August 18th.

Theatre Royal – 1994

Medway’s Theatre Royal recently supported the Human League at Rochester Castle. To celebrate this triumph, they released the lead single ‘1994’ from their EP ‘Beneath The Floor’.

The single & EP are available from their Bancamp page.

Johnny Marr is the undoubted king of riffs. However, loitering behind him are the guitars of Oliver and Robert. Single after single they find a new way to bring mod revival and c86 glory into the modern world. ‘1994’ is no different. The warming guitar parts alongside the dazzling brass conjure images of Graham Coxon joining Orange Juice. Meanwhile, the solo fires out from Steve Cradock’s majestic OCS cannon circa 1996.

The use of brass (Chris Kingman) is not new for the band. To be in full carnival mode is though. It’s the perfect accompaniment to this tale of an erratic friend. It places the wayward soul in the middle of a party they most likely should never have arrived at. The edge of darkness lurking beneath the celebratory atmosphere is a joy to behold.

‘1994’ confirms we’ve known for a decade and what Louder Than War professed perfectly:

 “why the fuck are they not really famous?”

Theatre Royal - Portraits

Medway's Theatre Royal returned last week to release their fifth album 'Portraits'. Out via Vacilando'68 Recordings, their ebullient pop music has already won high praise from Bonehead, Lammo and John Kennedy.

With life as we know it going round in ever decreasing circles, Theatre Royal's opener 'A Marvelous Death' is a triump of the human spirit as defiance oozes from its pores. With covid making the worst comeback since Take That's tax dodge adventures, the chorus “I wont let the outside keep me in / I don't want the undertaker stealing my sins” is certain to capture hearts and minds. In the same week that Cast's debut 'All Change' turned twenty five, they have channeled it's Mersey beat bombast and drawn a Churchillian line in the sand for everyone to unite behind.

Theatre Royal have so many single contenders across all five albums, you do begin to question them. Have they been taking performance enhancing steroids? Cut them, and they'll bleed pop hooks. The forlorn tale of political homelessness of 'Together We're Alone' is a lost George Harrison classic. Angelic and infectious, it jangles with supreme perfection.

Former single 'TV Blind' is the perfect bridge from their Mersey psyche classic '...and The It Fell Out of My Head' from 2017. Summoning the lusher side of The Coral circa 'Jacqueline', it tantalises you with the threat of a Who-esque eruption but, remains joyously in realms of guitar pop. Frontman Oliver Burgess' vocals sit eloquently between early angelic Liam Gallagher and Ray Davies' wistful 'Village Green' era.

There are moments where they play with psychedelia alongside their effervescent pop. The echoing vocals on 'Count Your Blessings' and sparkling production on 'Splinter' splice in variety that lifts them above most bands. Their adventure in the studio culminates on the sexy 'Callow'. Fusing mod sensibilities with Talking Heads daring. Prepossess idea on paper, landed with aplomb.

Five albums in, they show no signs of fatigue. The hooks keep coming, even Johnny Marr must be thinking “slow down a bit lads”. They instantly forge a path to your heart, but, the key to them is the depth of meaning. Their tales of British life bring the grit and wit of the big screen to life and prove, a working class hero is still something to be.

Theatre Royal - TV Blind

The time has come, once again, to find new words to say, Theatre Royal are effing marvellous! The Medway outfit released TV Blind yesterday. It’s taken from their 5th studio album ‘Portraits’, due out this summer. The single is available on their Bandcamp page.

The video (see below), a remarkable piece of art, was made by friend of the band Oliver, a 12-year-old. That kid is going places us mortals simply cannot imagine. Take a bow kiddo!

‘TV Blind’, although written before the breakout of Covid19, it’s aptly about the best laid plans. It’s hard not to be struck by the lyrics ‘But when the time comes to pass, you shrug off what you hold dear / Scatter brained, your mind interferes”’ The artists conscious, forever pulling against real life commitments is displayed expertly.

With a discourse of life ebbing away from the big ideas you plan, it would be a melancholic affair. Theatre Royal though, musically, are so light of touch, they can turn anything into dreams of sunnier climates. Lyrically, they offer the chink of light this lockdown period needs:

“You’re back to square one and although it’s no fun / You won’t come to regret it in years and years and years”

This is the indie-pop equivalent of Shane McGowan’s inspirational page in the Sideburns fanzine.

Covid19 has shown us all, just how mortal we are. Theatre Royal, through ‘TV Blind’, has displayed how counter it. To live, to do, to create. We must all try. Few will hit the quality levels of Theatre Royal, but, on the day you die, you can say, at least I fucking tried!

Theatre Royal - A Marvellous Death

Last summer, we published out top 5 Theatre Royal singles (full review here). Comfortably the hardest article we have ever written. Take nothing away from their albums, their 3rd made out top 30 of the last decade but, they churn out pop magic every time.

As if to mock our choices, they release another impossibly great pop single on 28th February via Vacilando 68 Recordings. It’s no wonder Louder Than War said:

“why the fuck are they not really famous?”

Why not indeed. This is a tale of an old man rejecting the inevitability of life. It’s his life, and he chooses to leave it young at heart!

Melancholic in subject, utterly triumphant in delivery. It’s one last attempt at scoring the winner, one last bet of all in and one last chance of your name up in lights. Death or glory becomes just another story!

The Medway boys have done it again. Be sure to catch them on their live dates this spring/summer.

Live dates:

Saturday 14th March - The Billabong Club, Rochester

Saturday 2nd May - Maidstone Fringe Festival

Saturday 25th July - Faversham Beer Festival

Theatre Royal - Turn From Sleep

One of Medway’s true greats, Theatre Royal, returned last week with ‘Incidental Friend’ (Vacilando 68 Recordings) the lead single from their new EP of the same name.

Today, we look at the second track from the EP ‘Turn From Sleep’. Another fine example of what should be considered mainstream. infectious heartfelt melodies shimmering in the winter sun. It’s what we all thought The La’s might have achieved had they held it together.

Combining the spritely acoustic guitars of the The Woodtentops classic ‘Good Thing’ with the shimmering warmth of The Stands’ ‘I Need You’, they once again breathe fresh life into the Medway and Paisley genres.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Theatre Royal don’t make bad songs! Be sure to check them out at the Lexington supporting their Medway brothers in arms The Claim, January 4th 2020.

Theatre Royal - Incidental Friend

One of Medway’s true greats, Theatre Royal, return today with their new single ‘Incidental Friend’. It’s the leadoff single from their upcoming 4 track EP, released 22nd November via Vacilando 68 Recordings.

It’s the first release since 2018’s spritely jangle pop double A-side release of ‘All For Forward’ and ‘Better Say Goodbye’. Jarring in comparison, as, gone are their archetypal Big Star melodies. However, the adopted slower pace serves them well. It’s a chance for front man Oliver Burgess to prove just how adorable his vocals are. Full of romance and idealism, you’ll be hard pressed not to think of your one true love has he sings ‘dreamt of the places we’d go / we walked in the untouched snow’.

The stripped back, almost bluesy affair brings to mind their Medway peers The Claim, who they will be supporting in January at the Lexington. It’s almost the perfect sonic for them. The sumptuous harmonica anchors them into their grey industrial landscapes which, in turn, allows the lyrical romanticism to escape further.

I you can’t wait for the January gig with The Claim, they will be supporting the legendary Woodentops at The Lexington 9th November.

The Claim - The New Industrial Ballads

“And now a song of hope / Despite despairing hearts”

The Claim are to release their first album since 1988’s ‘Boomy Tella’ via Turntable Friend Records on May 24th. Release date-wise, it’s perfection. Nothing is more British than a bank holiday, as the band they heavily influenced once sang:

“Bank holiday comes six times a year
Days of enjoyment to which everyone cheers”

Recorded at Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios in Rochester, they look set to reignite the Medway sound. At the heart of the original Medway boom were great pop instincts, nothing has changed.

Lead single ‘Johnny’ is the perfect link to this past. The urgency of Jam permeating their spiralling pop guitars. Meanwhile, Dave Read’s vocal hook on ‘When The Morning Comes’ chorus demonstrates pop music can emerge from even downbeat affairs. ‘Smoke and Screens’ and ‘The Haunted Pub’ is a display of pop music transcending to art. A flurry of polemic and social comment wrapped up in working class British life collides with sun-kissed production and sprightly guitar hooks. Whereas, the sparkling Grandaddy production and Bluetones' pop sheen of 'Just Too Far' is the album’s cherry on the cake. The Smiths methodology burns bright.

In 2015, Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly) released an EP and album under the moniker ‘Recreations’. It tapped into a feeling of alternative and lost souls along the estuary in Essex. The Claim, a five-minute hop across the Thames, has struck a similar chord. Opener ‘Johnny Kidd’s Right Hand Man’, drifts down the estuary ignored and downtrodden but never losing hope. The mod-cum-blues on ‘Estuary Greens and Blues’ recalls Blur’s ‘End of Century’ and ‘To The End’ as it drifts out to sea. So blissful is album closer 'Under Canvas', that all those sneering looks for wearing DM's or having to tolerate Farage lovers drift away into insignificance.

The Claim, despite obviously being a band of brothers, have, in Dave Read a vocalist that perhaps only Morrissey and Michael Head can rival. Unique in sound, he has the ability to find a melodic hook in unexpected places. 'Light Bending', as the guitars saunter like British Sea Power circa 'Open Season', finds a choppy Dr Feelgood vibe. Whereas, 'Mrs Jones', Read delivers his most emotive vocal on a loving character-driven tale.

The subtlety of The Claim’s polemic gently caressing the infectious melodies is truly remarkable. Blink and you’ll miss the band’s appeal to be nicer to immigrants on ‘Journey’. Couple this with the righteousness of ‘I will stand and fight / for what I know is right’ and Read’s gut-wrenching alienation on the line ‘where do I fit in…………where do I belong’, you have one of the social comments of the year. On ‘Hercules’, the nuance turns to anti-austerity polemic (“boarded up shops / Run down housing / There’s your big society”) but remains forever pop friendly. This is how to mix pop and politics without an embarrassment of excuses.

It’s been 30 years since their debut ‘Boomy Tella’. Countless fans will have pondered what might have been having they got a bigger break back then. We defy them not to see this 30 years wait as positive now. Integrity in tack, The Claim have delivered a pop music masterpiece.

Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:




Theatre Royal - All Fall Forward / Better Say Goodbye

“Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut / Not everyone was born to be a king / Not everyone can be, Freddy Mercury......but on the day die I'll say at least I fucking tried”

Eulogy, Frank Turner, 2011

Four albums in, Kent's Theatre Royal are well established without being, well established. They have honed a Go-Betweens via the classic Medway of their forefathers. Their back catalogue is littered with “should have been” alternative pop singles. Alas, it hasn't happened.

Undeterred, the Medway boys are back and at it again with their new double a-side. 'All Fall Forward' chronicles theirs and, many other bands plight at present. The lack of chance and backing available, their discourse of “takes us nowhere / nowhere fast” seems all the more resounding.

'Better Say Goodbye' has a directness and an effortless that newcomers will undoubtedly say “haven't heard tunes like this for a while”. Whilst the sun still shines, the free flowing guitars allow for that extra spring in the step.

Both tracks fleeting and light of touch, the romance of Kerouac's 'On The Road' is almost tangible. The underdogs capture his yearning for something meaningful in this life. Their quest, for now, is beset with the tragedy of almost but not quite. With John Kennedy and Steve Lamacq onside, that breakthrough is surely imminent.

All Fall Forward / Better Say Goodbye, an album by Theatre Royal on Spotify

Theatre Royal - Locked Together On The Lines

Objectivity is a great thing but, fuck that, this is the single of the year! We knew it as soon as their album ‘And Then It Fell Out Of My Head…’ came out in March this year.

This is a true story of front man Oliver’s Nan discovering two dead bodies Chatham’s war memorial. One a sailor, and the prostitute, they lay “locked” as one may well imagine.

Vocally and lyrically, the human touch shines through on this tragic tale. The second verse opens with ‘a silent face / ', such bleakness has not been shrouded in pop majesty since The La’s ‘There She Goes’.

The blending of such grey English characters and landscapes with the colourful paisley guitar playing and indie harmonies is joyous and should be celebrated across the land. 

The double A-sdie also includes ‘All I Need’. A short emotive blast of English pop music. Fronted by guitarist Robert, this luscious romantic ode is further proof that intelligent pop music must have its place in the mainstream.

Theatre Royal - Is That For You?

Yearning for pop music that matters? Well, Theatre Royal are for you. In fact, their recently released album ‘And Then It Fell Out Of My Head’ is littered with so many potential singles, it’s impressive they managed to pick one.

‘Is That For You?’ is yet another fine example of their Byrds via Primal Scream debut ‘Sonic Flower Groove’ guitar sound. Although relatively new in the consciousness of many, it’s taken from their 4th album so, don’t be surprised by the maturity of the song writing on display.

Like the great Verve songs, its hooks come from sublime use of the violin and it works with the impassioned vocal to tug at the heart strings. The emotive vocal delivery builds to a touching crescendo, which must leave frontman Oliver in a heap of his own tears each time.

The single and album are available on their bandcamp page:

https://theatreroyal.bandcamp.com/album/and-then-it-fell-out-of-my-head

Be sure to check them out at this year’s Shiiine On Weekender too!

Theatre Royal - ...And Then It Fell Out Of My Head

The Rochester outfit are back with their fourth album 'And Then it Fell Out Of My Head'. They have been a secret for far too long, but, with backing from Steve Lemacq, this record seems set to spread their message far and wide.

Despite their lack of coverage, their confidence has certainly not diminished. It is an album packed with potential singles (if only people bought them). So, its only fitting they lead off with the former single 'Port Bou'. It bristles with their archetypal Mersey-psyche sound and has the feel of a beloved underdog.

'Locked Together On The Lines' recalls the tale of frontman Oliver's Nan finding a dead sailor and prostitute at Chatham's war memorial, The Great Lines. Every facet oozes brilliance. Vocally, the human touch shines through on what is a tragedy. Sonically, the guitars blend the breeziness and haziness of The La's with the pop instincts of The Bluetones.

The real star though is the lyrics. They build the intrigue immediately with brilliant opening ‘did he woo her / did pay her’. Prostitutes are so often viewed as second class citizens which, is deftly portrayed here with anonymity:

‘a sailor lay with a stranger now frozen in time’

This album’s real success lies with 'Standing In The Land'. The bravery alone to talk about fear and confusion over refugees should be applauded. The opening line will stop all in its wake:

“it seems clear to me / how can we be free/ when there is dying in the sea / Because of you and me”

Usually, the social comment is reserved for political angst or sub-cultures in full flow. This goes one further and relays an actual conversation with the accessibility of Gogglebox. It's laced with anguish, guilt, and regret, it is a triumph of inputting pure feeling into a song not seen since Primal Scream's 'Damaged'.

At times, on 'Teardrop' and 'Will Someone Please Write Me A Song', your left with a sense that their magic has waned somewhat. Upon further reflection, it's a testament to how many potential singles they have. Few can deny the brilliance of the harmonica on 'What Has Become of Me', witty lyrics, and the dejected isolation projected in its closing moments.

Theatre Royal may not be new, but with this album, they have certainly arrived.

The album is out now. Find it on their Bandcamp page here:

https://theatreroyal.bandcamp.com/album/and-then-it-fell-out-of-my-head

 

 

 

Theatre Royal - Port Bou

Sometimes, bands can play but lack the human touch and vice versa. Theatre Royal have both, what they’ve lacked is just that little bit of luck. With their new single ‘Port Bou’ though, they have got their breakthrough on day time BBC6.

Its blend of the Paisley and Medway scenes is far more revitalising than rehashing. It injects them with an ‘us vs the world’ spirit that makes you want to ride into battle with them. It’s the immediacy of the opening riff which fires everything up, much like The Jam’s ‘Running On The Spot’ or ‘The Gift’.

‘Port Bou’ is not solely about its chest out bravado. Far from it. This is pop music! The jingle jangle guitars shimmer throughout which simultaneously, conjure visions of hope and loneliness. Couple this with an early John Squire solo and a final third which has a brief, but glorious Ian McCulloch vocal drag, you clearly have one of 2017’s (grandchildren) nuggets of gold.