Johnny Marr: Islington Assembly Hall, London

Johnny Marr’s t-shirt on sale last night reads “Johnny Fucking Marr”. Say this is in whatever tone of voice and you have your review. He is just that good.

Part of it is the seemingly effortlessness of it all. The Townsend windmills, the Rodgers’ guitar licks, the glamour of Bolan or Jagger’s androgynous swagger, it all flows from Marr like it’s the most natural thing in the world. We mortals know better.

Effectively, this gig is a road test of his new album ‘Call The Comet’ and, as ever, it seems Marr has captured national mood. He has married the fire and desolation of the UK’s progressive thinkers with the teenage angst of The Smiths. This blend of despair, rage and hope is sure fire to increase his national treasure status.

Sometimes, with established artists, delving into the back catalogue leads to reworking of songs. So often this is met with negative responses. However, Marr’s interpretation of Electronic’s ‘Getting Away With It’ via a traditional band set up is remarkable. If anything, the ecstatic highs it was designed for in 1991 are surpassed in this format.

Marr is now heading for Scandinavia, it is not to be missed.

Image Source: Tracey Welch/Rex/Shutterstock 

https://www.ft.com/content/35b1011e-59c5-11e8-bdb7-f6677d2e1ce8

Get Cape Wear Cape Fly! Chinnerys, Southend

“What’s a battle cry / If it falls on death ears”

A telling lyric from Westcliff’s Get Cape Wear Cape Fly. Especially, 12 years into his career with new material aplenty. Launching your career with a cult classic (‘Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager’) can often have a damming effect. Just ask The Enemy and Glasvegas. Despite this, head honcho Sam Duckworth returned this year with ‘Young Adult’ and, this past Saturday, he brought it to his hometown venue Chinnerys.

Now backed with an 8 piece band (all outrageously handsome btw!), Get Cape sounds better than ever. This is particularly true of new material such as ‘Adults’, ‘Animate’ and ‘VHS Forever’. The youthful exuberance that bred so much hope and escapism in 2006 is still there, but now, the musicianship is on another level. These feel like staple set numbers of a decade!

This is further striking on ‘DNA’ and fan favourite ‘Lighthouse Keeper’. The latter, a great song about life in Southend, always breeds huge devotion from the Essex crowd. However, ‘DNA’, surpasses it with its older, wiser and reflective stance. Get Cape’s vocal is oozes into shore like the waves just a few hundred yards away with an elegant ease to marvel at.

Quite simply, this is the best version of Get Cape that’s ever materialised, go and watch for yourselves!

Trampolene: Scala, London

Gigs, so often enjoyable but seldom do you see the likes of Doherty, Hawley or Ashcroft bare their souls. In Jack Jones, Trampolene have a front man who did just that at London’s Scala last week.

Jones is Pete Doherty and Nicky Wire rolled into one. The combination of intelligent punk rock and free spirited poetry on stage is as emotive as it is life affirming. When they play new single ‘Hard Times For Dreamers’, a chord was struck. The sense of coming together to fight back against injustice is almost visible in the room.

During ‘Alcohol Kiss’ and the Beatles inspired ‘Imagine Something Yesterday’, the band display their ability to be tight but expansive with their playing. A hopeful signifier that bigger stages will be graced in years to come.

For the first time this decade, a master of social comment has emerged in Jones. As he sings “it’s not who am I / It’s who I’m going to be / How longs this song / Been living in me”, it feels powerful and inclusive. Trampolene entice you in so much that, when Jones tears up on ‘Beautiful Pain’, a collective hug goes out to him.

Brace yourself festival season, this three piece are going to make a mockery of your headliners with their brilliance!

Image Source: https://www.instagram.com/katrinejungphotography/

Manic Street Preachers: Wembley Arena, London

It's the longest running joke
In history
To kill the working classes
In the name of liberty

This trio of working class heroes are from killed off, if anything, the Cardiff outfit are as assured as death and taxes. They brought their outsider pop music to Wembley Arena last Friday and we were there to check it out.

This gig was consistently good, and occasionally special. The truly magical moments emerged when The Anchoress joined them on stage. Head to toe in leopard print, shades and deep red hair, she outdone Nicky Wire (until his pins got a stunning airing).

Having to don the roles of Nina Persson and Traci Lords is a feat most would cower from. So, to strut on stage and take ownership of these songs was incredible. The performance of 'Little Baby Nothing' was Julliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers) and Uma Therman (Pulp Fiction) rolled into one. The cuteness of the delivery of 'if I'm starving, you can feed me lollipops' switching to the immortal rock n roll goddess on the chorus (You are pure, you are snow  / We are the useless sluts that they mould / Rock 'n' roll is our epiphany / Culture, alienation, boredom and despair) is something that will live forever!

Then came 'Dylan and Caitlin', her duet from the new album 'Resistance is Futile'. A lesson to any aspiring artist, lyrical discourse can matter in pop music. It doesn’t have to be just love, loss and escape as this Chris Farlowe meets Phil Spector song proves.

It's well documented they struggled with their latest recording. On this kind of form, we can only hope they enjoy being Camus' 'Rebel' for a long time yet.

Image Source: https://twitter.com/eemrb

Frank Turner: Cliffs Pavillion, Southend

It’s hard to think of Frank Turner as part of the establishment but, after 11 years as a solo artist, he is punk rock royalty. With that comes pros and cons. The angst, the rage, and the fall to the floor desperation inevitably fades. However, being a massive Freddie Mercury fan, Turner is developing into the consummate performer.

Essex, a far too deprived county of proper gigs, is pumped and raring to go as Turner strides on stage. The ease at which he glides around the stage or leaps onto speakers on set opener ‘1933’ is, well, palm of his hand should cover it.

‘Making America Great Again’ leaves a big imprint on his Southend faithful. To be progressive of political thought in this county is not the norm so, to hear the chorus “Let's make America great again / By making racists ashamed again / Let's make compassion in fashion again” belted out is staunch reminder that we’re not alone.

Of all the classics he plays, its ‘The Ballad Of Me and My Friends’ that always shines brightest. For those who find no solace in this anthem we say this, you’ll never know the collective spirit forged in a dark sweat filled room that provides goosebumps for a lifetime or, as Frank might say:

"But if your all about the destination / Then take a fucking flight / Where going nowhere slowly but seeing all the signs / And we're definitely going to hell / But we'll have all the best stories to tell"

Image Source: Martin Neal

The Bluetones: Water Rats, London

When big bands come to small gig venues, it’s invariably a great night and, The Bluetones at Water Rats was just that. Filmed for Vintage TV, the Hounslow massive rattle through an hour of their greatest hits.

Any Rik Mayall fan will tell you that, the best things about their live shows were the cock-ups. Mayall’s wit and charm would shine brighter in these mercurial moments than during anything scripted. For this reason, we hope Adam Devlin’s guitar failure makes Vintage’s edit. It showcased frontman Mark Morriss in all his comedic glory.

It’s striking just how many charting singles they play tonight (and how many they don’t). Especially in Water Rats, a venue synonymous with This Feeling and their new music nights. So many new acts walk through these doors with great tunes and attitude, but, in the long run, to no avail.

Radio and TV outlets need to wake up to the new talent available. The indomitable Caffy St Luce and Heather Ferguson are here tonight, they dedicate their lives to breaking bands, these outlets should be trusting them (among others) as they did with The Bluetones in the 90s. Otherwise, they are denying generations of music lovers a chance to go on journeys with their favourite bands. The highs of the top 10, the lows of the fading 5th albums, and then their glorious live comebacks when the kids have grown up.

This just leaves us to say, in the Bluetones immortal words, “So it’s on with the show”.

Image coutesy of  https://twitter.com/markpinsent

W.H. Lung: Chats Palace, London

The Manchester outfit were surprise stars of 2017, emerging from nowhere to blow away crowds at the Green Man and End of the Road festivals. Last Saturday was their London debut, a feat often deemed (albeit wrongly) a huge landmark in a bands career. Was the hype worth it?

Pop music is a brilliant thing. It’s joyous but fleeting. W.H. Lung are a different animal however. Pop sensibilities loom but, their ethereal grooving like early Verve and the hypnotic synths of Can and Kraftwerk are clearly on a more substantive plain. When they break for applause, it’s disappointing, the yearning for the beatific Nick McCabe guitar work to continue is tangible.

Their sound is so engrossing, they transcend being in a band. It feels more like a social collective merging their vision to the sound of Talking Heads, Kraftwerk, Arcade Fire, The Verve, and Can. Despite the aggregated sound, front man Joseph Evans is an icon in the making. He’s unique and slightly awkward dancing immediately brings Morrissey, Ian Curtis and Jarvis Cocker to mind. He has the innate ability to channel the bands sonic through his dancing, akin to the loose natured dancing of Ian Brown when the Roses emerged.

Although they are in their fledgling stages, there is a fan base wholly immersed in their doctrine. At the heart of this is a clearly a willingness to follow a band who are fully committed to the creative process and the cultural change it can bring about. For the first time in a long time, rebels with a cause are on the march (Cabbage, The Blinders, Sisteray, Matt Edible) and it feels great.

Tom Clarke: 100 Club, London

Sometimes, when bands break up, it spells the end for everyone involved. However, when The Enemy said farewell in 2016, a chink of light shone through the sadness in the form of Tom Clarke. The diminutive front man has a colossal vocal and, if Tom gets creative with it, what’s to stop him doing what Paul Weller has done post-The Jam?

Last week at the 100 Club, Clarke, armed with a guitarist and keyboardist, came out fighting. The set largely consisted of the classic debut album ‘We’ll Live And These Towns’. The tightness of Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts’ playing was sorely missed on ‘Aggro’ and ‘Technodanceaphobic’.

However, the raw power of Clarke’s soulful punk rock vocal carries everything else to The Enemy’s standards. Furthermore, on ‘You’re Not Alone’ and ‘Happy Birthday Jane’, the earnest beauty of Clarke’s writing is illuminated more than ever. The dual acoustic guitars serves the gritty anthem ‘No Time For Tears’ better also, the reduction in rock swagger gives it a mortality that the Ken Loach-esque lyrics deserve.

So, what about the new songs? ‘Don’t Need Nobody Else’ is defiant and full of The Enemy’ you’re your face attitude. Meanwhile, ‘Back To The Start’ demonstrates how to funnel the angst of the struggle into a crowd uniting sing-along.

The man of the people has spoken and will return in 2019. You have been warned!

Breed: The Water Rats, London

“London. Who wants to get heavy?” decrees Breeds guitarist before swigging his mates beer and launching into a set of heavy hitting riffs.

As they tear through their set, you can see the spirit of so many great early 00s bands rising. The chaos of The Datsuns & D4, the punk of The Donnas, the playfulness Young Heart Attack combine with their natural BRMC stomp to deliver a rock music tour de force.

Former single 'Get With It', often threatens to spiral out of control with its dirty BRMC rock n roll pulsing through its veins. The combo of throbbing psyche and 70s garage music is perfection for Breeds image. They have a great old school blend of irreverence and wanting to shag everything in the room.

Get to Jimmy's early in Manchester (April 20th), they are not a support band to be missed.

Avalanche Party: Water Rats, London

When the music weekly magazines were at the peak, they uncovered 'scenes' in little pockets of the UK. In a disparate digital age, this seemed to have evaporated. However, what IDLES, Cabbage, Shame, The Blinders and now, Avalanche Party, are proving that they do, only on a more widespread level.

Avalanche Party, from Yorkshire, come from the garage rock end of the spectrum but, they undeniably belong to the 'punkadelic' movement taking over the UK. Leading them, the soon to be iconic Jordan Bell. He transcends music with his theatrics. Every hand movement and every foray into the crowd sends the message 'you will love and understand us'.

Through his antics and tight musicianship, they create a platform for the ferocious beat poetry to flourish. Expressive as this is, there is a litany of slogans roaring to the surface for fans to hang on to. 'You aint stopping a hero', 'revolutions high', and 'redefine your notion, of the best a man can be' form a holy trinity of moments this crowd want to rip from their intestines and wear as a badge of honor.

On 'Revolutions High', something truly special happens. They create a freeness to what is essentially a garage rock number. The passion and venom that emanates from them is tangible. It's now not enough to just play well, Avalanche Party have taken the familiar and forged a new path to fight against Daily Mail reading, Reece-Mogg appeasing wankers of this world.

The bar has been raised!

Image Source: Rhys Skinner https://www.rhysskinnerphotography.com/

Embrace: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

The bravado of their 1998 breakthrough may have dissipated but, Embrace, are as good live now than ever before. A calmness exudes from the ever beautiful Danny McNamara and it radiates through Shepherds Bush Empire.

Embrace have never been recognised for cult of status. They don't have the Charlatans tag of 'underrated' or Shed Seven's 'underdog. Nevertheless, not many bands can open with a new song (Wake Up Call) 20 years on and be greeted with a singalong.

It's become accustom for Richard McNamara to have his own section in the set nowadays. Despite all the early classic early songs, the moment Richard takes the spotlight, the anticipation of 'Refugees' hangs in the air. Dancing is inevitable with its post-apocalyptic rave production but, the brutality of the lyrics, in the wake of yet another chemical attack in Syria stops most in their tracks. A rare outing of 'Drawn From Memory' preceded this, by the end of his section, an overwrought of audience were delighted to sink their goosebumps into the anthemic 'Someday'.

Classics 'Save Me', 'Ashes' and 'Gravity' are given an airing. However, its during 'Come Back To What You Know' though the greatness of their past is really highlighted. Sometimes, songs become the fans as much as the bands and this is one. Especially, as Embrace fans age, the tumultuous romantic failure of the lyrics carts everyone back to that first love or to the unrequited love of teenage years.

It's clear at Shepherds Bush, Embrace are far from done!

Image source: http://www.flickofthefinger.co.uk/author/jason/

Model Society: Water Rats, London

London four piece Model Society made great inroads a few years back but, their lack of presence left a ‘what might have been feeling’ in the air. Thankfully, they are back, with a new bass player and new tunes to boot!

Old fan favourites ‘Horizons’ and ‘Sounds’, were always steeped in The Members and The Buzzcocks but, now, they’ve taken on a rock n roll desperation. The feeling of last chance saloon echoes around the room and, it only breeds more love for the band.

The time off has clearly done them no harm. The new material is on fire. Latest single ‘Valentine’, hones their pop instincts whilst ‘Forever’ could be a lost Strokes classic circa ‘Is This It?’

All of this should be enough for any gig but, Model Society have ‘Systematic’ in their arsenal. It’s a rare breed of great social comment and great pop chorus combined. With the hallmarks of classic Blur and The Buzzcocks pulsing through its blood, set closers don’t get much better.

Morrissey: Brighton Centre - Live Review

At 58, Morrissey could be forgiven for just going through the motions on the live circuit. With nothing left to prove, why should the fire still burn? As he eloquently puts, “because of you”.

There is something however, clearly more to Morrissey's colossus stage presence than the adoration of fans. None more prevalent than on 'The Bullfighter Dies'. Backed with extreme images of animal cruelty, the Manchester icon lays bare his anguish and hopes for change.

So often now, the press hones in Mozza's political views. Friday night at Brixton he professed a longing for 'free speech', and the worse was presumed. For the Brighton crowd, the lovable roguish Morrissey was the only thing on show.

'When You Open Your Legs', so embroiled in humor and melody, the crowd is either singing or laughing. After The Pretenders cover 'Back in the Chain Gang', he quips “the easiest song I ever wrote' and, when a rose is tossed at him, a one handed catch stuffs it in his pants. This is not the work of a man who has lost all sense of humour or hope, as discussed in the Guardian or the Telegraph.

Frankly, this charming man's light has not and will not go out!

Image courtesy of Jamie Macmillan & https://brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/component/eventgallery/event/Morrissey

The Blinders Live: Lexington, London

2017 began as the year Cabbage looked set to conquer but, ended up being the year The Blinders invaded our consciousness. The Doncaster trio, support act for so many gigs, upstaged all and sundry. Pulled from the great This Feeling tour last autumn (starring Shimmer Band, Blackwaters and Bang Bang Romeo) to head into the studio, would they emerge with the substance to headline?

The new material is greeted to a positive stunned silence. The Lexington crowd are fully aware that something special is happening. Not only have they continued their visceral punkadelic song writing, but now, the full package is emerging.

Frontman doesn’t do Thomas Haywood justice. He is a post-apocalyptic William Blake wrapped in the soul of Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain. The dank Orwellian poetry oozes from every pour so naturally it feels utterly spontaneous.

For those who imagine the other two In the band sit in the background and follow the coat tails, you imagine wrong. Bassist Charlie McGough is a baby faced Nick Drake who has adopted a Wilko Johnson approach to playing. He fires out behemoth bass lines with a venom and a style unrivalled today.

So, insert drummer joke here right? Wrong again. Matt Neale is hugely reminiscent of The Enemy’s Liam Watts. Neale looks great and like any drummer whoever mattered, drills the skins as though he’s life depends on it.

The Blinders already had half a great album made, it appears another great half is on its way. With only Leeds and Ramsgate left to play, we urge and deplore you to go see them!

Image from http://www.paulhusbandphotography.com/

Cabbage Live: 100 Club

With their debut album ‘Nihilistic Glamour Shots’ just around the corner, the Mossley outfit are back on the road. With no material in tow, can they pull off their status as a headline act?

At their best, Cabbage are that thing you have been waiting for. They have innate ability to pull together all the Manchester legends mentioned on ‘Tell Me Lies About Manchester’ with the volatility of the punk greats. ‘Terrorist Synthesizer’ combines the swagger and stagger of the Mondays circa ‘Bummed’ with the snot and snarl of The Libertines and the Pistols. This continues on ‘Kevin’ and new single ‘Arms of Pleonexia’ and, in this groove, the brilliant Idles, Shame and The Blinders cannot compete.

However, when they stray into the straight up rock n roll numbers ‘Indispensable Pencil’ and ‘Preach to the Converted’, their power fades slightly, and puts them back into the pack. it

What brought real hope was the undeniable ‘Necroflat in the Palace’. To witness such a young crowd lose its shit as one unifying entity, screaming the lyrics 'I was born in the NHS / I will die in the NHS’ has to be the most beautiful thing ever seen.

Mark Morriss Live: Spotlite Club, Southend

A strange gig in many ways. What was due to be an intimate setting with an icon became even more so with a poor turnout. This was Southend’s newest small gig venue, not a great sign of things to come. Nevertheless, Morriss took the ego hit in his stride and regaled stories and jokes in-between worthy of Live at the Apollo.

In-between the anecdotes and Bluetones classics, Morriss displayed his criminally underrated solo material. From his 2014 album ‘Flash of Darkness’, was ‘It's Hard to Be Good All The Time’ which kept the spirit of Crosby Stills and Nash alive. The sullen acoustic guitars of ‘Carry On’ and the brooding nature of ‘Dark Star’ combined with Morriss’ unique pop vocals.

From his debut solo effort ‘Memory Muscle’ came the more Bluetones-esque ‘I’m Sick’. The spritely melodies which embody all that is great about his band. More interestingly, there is sense of longing for something unfound, a notion that, with all the glory of the 90s, you’d feel Morriss would not have anymore.

The standout offering was the CSN styled ‘This Is The Lie (and That’s The Truth). A brilliant story of self-reflection and what it is to be a solo artist. Morriss’ ability to intertwine feelings of isolation with pop music have never been better here.

This was not a gig BBC4 will be making a documentary about but, for the small crowd, its one they will cherish more than most. Humble and hilarious, Morriss reminded them of the glory days and, better still, demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with as a solo act.

Get Cape Wear Cape Fly at Village Underground

A new bar has been set. If you’re going to make a comeback, you need a twelve piece band. You need to take everything anyone has ever known, and, as dear old Edwyn would say, rip it up and start again.

Sam Duckworth’s re-emergence as Get Cape at the village underground displayed everything that’s righteous about music. Jazz, soul, drum n bass, folk and punk all came together for a holistic party for the ages.

When Duckworth is on this kind of form, he transcends music. ‘DNA’ becomes a solemn stand of defiance, not just against Brexit, but for anyone who has ever been downtrodden. With his new band, he takes an indie-folk track like ‘Man2Man’ and makes it so freeing it could be an Ibiza classic.

After the early sing-along classics, a rousing speech about the NHS and new powerhouse single ‘VHS Forever’, one thing is strikingly clear, Get Cape is no longer the plucky underdog with a laptop. He is a musical pioneer and explorer with big adventures ahead.

Liam Gallagher: Ally Pally, London

Ally Pally, last week, was ventured to with a big sense of trepidation to see the immortal one, Liam Gallagher. The last Beady Eye gig at Brixton was only 3 quarters full, the stardust was fading. So, would this be a giant karaoke set? Will he be killing the memories of youth culture at its finest?

Fears were not put to bed on arrival. Ally Pally acts more as a wankers paradise than a gig venue. More people were queuing for a 15 quid burger than a pint. Then there was the support acts, Kyle Falconer, once great in The View delivered a bland set. Was this an omen? As for Rat Boy, give it up, just become a Jamie T tribute act, least then they can play some good tunes.

However, 'Fuckin' In The Bushes' drops, and there he is. This last great colossus front man. Enigmatic, angry, and disdaining of what he purveys. As “I live my in the city” leaves his lips all reservations float away. Yes, these are Noel’s songs, but without Liam, Noel would be still be polishing Clint Boon’s organ.

The opening pace is relentless, like Roy Keane tearing lumps out of Alfie Inge Haaland in his pomp. As a result, 'Paper Crown' becomes a welcome break. As do all the ballads of his new album. If there was a ‘mic drop, exit stage left’ moment, it was ‘For What It’s Worth’. The apologetic and defiant ode to brother Noel unites this packed crowd in a way that, previously only his brother could.

‘Rockin’ Chair’ was the only time Noel was missed, as the acoustic solo was butchered. Nevertheless, as soon Liam steps to the mic, the Lydon via Lennon vocal makes this blip irrelevant. No matter the song, no matter the writer, this crowd is one big Jager bomb boshing, bank card scratching party.

As you were!

The Spitfires - Chinnerys, Southend

All too often, The Spitfires are written off as just another Jam revivalist band. Anyone in Southend last Friday surely has to dispute this, loudly!

They are band steeped in the English greats such as The Jam, Specials, Billy Bragg, and Madness. Sometimes, The Jam comparisons shine a little too bright but, with this much melody and passion, they seem destined to outrun this tag. 

This is particularly pertinent on ‘4am’. This earnest tale of abusive landlords stops Chinnerys dead in its tracks. Social comment is always a plus point in the alternative music community but, this poetic, and with this much integrity, a rare thing indeed.

Former singles ‘So Long’ and ‘Move On’ go down well. The Clash via The Beat inspired ‘Move On’ has the Southend faithful skanking whilst ‘So Long’, reminds us all of when The Ordinary Boys first emerged and were not fame hungry whores.

Whilst we have all be lauding Liam Gallagher’s new found confessional song writing style (and rightly so), The Spitfires, Sullivan in particular, nail this one epic song. ‘Spoke To Soon’ recounts a tale of degradation and personal failure towards a loved one whilst all around it, is a swirling Who via Arcade Fire epic.

With new material on the horizon, watch out as this has to be their breakthrough year.

Apeman Spaceman at Old Blue Last, London

“A work in progress” decrees frontman Johnny Cooke at the end of the night. If he is right, then spectacular things loom for the London four piece.

Whilst their status as a band is relatively new, the heavyweight experience from Dogs and Razorlight is obvious. They know what works and waste no time flaunting their brilliance. ‘Have Not Love’ and ‘Spacecatraz’ stomp their way into a pack Old Blue Last’s hearts and minds their abrasive and infectious post-punks riffs.

Amidst the poetic degradation and fury, a nugget of pop gold, ‘Birthdays’. Cooke’s delivery is worthy of the paisley and c86 scene of the 80s. Whilst the melodic vocal shimmers, the guitars build to anthem levels as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Closing the set is the “bipolar express” ‘War’. Whoever wants more from a last song is one greedy cunt. Frenetic, poetic, and anthemic, it’s a drunken singalong triumph. Radio airwaves have to take notice of Apeman Spaceman, and fast!