The Velvet Hands: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Cornish outfit The Velvet Hands have been lighting up stages all year promoting their fine new album ‘Sucker Punch’ as well as supporting The Rifles and Trampolene. The hard graft resulted in a headline slot for This Feeling at Truck Festival.  

The latest single ‘Emotion’ has clearly gained traction as the packed tent came alive to their decadent basslines and playful take on The Strokes. As had former single ‘Telephone Love’ took themes of excess to the mayhem of The Hives and guitar majesty of The Ramones.

Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

With every song they play, the crowd becomes more intoxicated with the songwriting duo of Toby Mitchell and Dan Able. Mitchell’s anarchic persona and powerhouse vocal intertwined with Able’s CBGB’s coolness to produce back-and-forth vocal magic not seen since Pete and Carl.

Closing out the set is their classic ‘The Party’s Over’. A slacker anthem worthy of bringing the curtain down on any set on any stage. It made the halcyon sunset of the Oxford skies feel like a beer garden with the world’s greatest jukebox blaring. The crowd swayed, staggered, and drank its way to heaven with the Cornish gang greeting them leather-clad at the gates.

The Velvet Hands were and are the real deal. Their party is just getting started!

Pynch: The Market Stage, Truck Festival

Opening the Market Stage early at 11:30 to a very damp Truck Festival were London four-piece Pynch. Having released their debut album ‘Howling At Concrete Moon’ via Chillburn Records back in April, Pynch were looking to kickstart So Young magazines hosting with a bang.

Their set was awash with motoric styles. From Kraftwerk to Jonathan Richman, their tales of being left behind in the modern world eased a sodden crowd into Saturday’s bleak skies. ‘Karaoke’ twisted and turned effortlessly, withstanding its lyrical isolation. They trod a similar path on the anti-greed polemic of ‘London’. Harsher synths and lyrics of despair combined with the pop instincts of Golden Silvers on this satirical reflection of modern city life.

Perhaps the weekend's crowning moment came via their set closer ‘Somebody Else’. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobious Pip beats injected vibrancy and technicolour into their motoric guitars which set about a groove in the huge tent. It was though, through Spencer Enock’s lyrics and guitars that the magic took place.  For so long, an unwritten social contract was present for younger generations. Toil and struggle early on, reap the rewards later. In recent times, no such carrot has been dangled. In fact, a closed sign is almost permanently on display. Mortgages, record deals, travelling, you name it, the boomers had it and took it back. Pynch, like no other, got this across via their melancholic poetry this past Saturday. No matter how hard you try or even succeed, life is just about survival at present (“'Cause this is not what I'm supposed to do / And no one cares where I went to school / It doesn't matter how you get paid / As long as you can make it through the days”). Yet, the Market Stage filled up, it danced, it through fists aloft. It was a tear-inducing moment. The sheer defiance of it all. To be kicked when you when you’re down and still find beauty in the world, in people, and in music, generated enough energy to solve any crisis.

Pynch professed “I wanna die doing what I love / I wanna feel like I'm doing enough” last Saturday. They needn’t worry, they have and they will. A genuine triumphant of the human spirit!

Bag Of Cans: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Norwich five-piece Bag of Cans strode on stage a cornflake, a patient, a sailor, another sailor, and a drummer. What followed next was nothing short of brilliantly bizarre. Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

Not since Les Incompetents threw themselves around the 100 Club in 2006 with such comical recklessness has indie-punk been so engaging. Bag of Cans tapped into the indie-punk licks of Good Shoes on the former single ‘Spin Cycle’. This tale of a spin cycle was coupled with rousing brass and the carefree indie warbling of cult indie outfits Cajun Dance Party and Larrikin Love. Inch by inch, the This Feeling crowd creeps forward with intrigue.

Despite the intent to induce laughter, there were some serious musical chops on display. The harmonies on ‘Milk and More’, a tale of a coked-up milkman making ill-advised advances, sounded like Graham Coxon had joined Super Furry Animals for a Beatles jam.

‘Hostage at the Dinner Table’ brought to life the mayhem of Fred MacPherson and Billy Leeson In those innocent Les Incompetents days. Riotous like the Libertines but, always with a wry sense of humour.

What began as an unexpecting crowd most definitely finished as one of future curiosity. Who was that? What was that? With their debut album already out, thousands will be about to find out more.

The Utopiates: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

It’s been quite the year for The Utopiates. A sold-out tour, debut album release, and now headliners of the ‘This Feeling’ stage at Truck Festival. Our paths last crossed at their homecoming show at London’s iconic 100 Club. Would their condensed headline set live up to that famous night?

With the shorter set-in-place, it allowed The Utopiates to mirror the emotional ebb and flow of their debut album ‘The Sun Also Rises’ with greater impact. The immediate uplift generated from Josh Redding’s guitar playing, so often emulating the Greats is now entering a realm of its own. The spirals of Hendrix and Squire on ‘Only Human’ drag the audience into their despairing, yet illuminating world. Redding is beginning to develop a funk and soul swagger to his rock ‘n’ roll on stage, increasing his magnetism to that of the mesmerising frontman, Dan Popplewell.

At the 100 Club, with time on their side, ‘Ups and Downs’ thrilled with its piano loops but descended into an apocalyptic ‘XTRMNTR’ meets Jagz Kooner tear-up. At Truck, it stays it’s in lane but, to no less effect as the rammed tent grooves towards the heavens like it was 1991. Its effortless flow into album closer ‘Simple Minds’ was masterful, the kind that begs for sunsets on mainstages.

Frontman Dan Popplewell’s vocal was on point all night but, at this juncture, went from indie also ran to a magician toying with its artform. His soul power flashed its teeth but, with the essence of the song about drifting off poetically into the sun, he softens his snarl, allowing his vocal to transcend music and become a vocal breeze kissing the cheeks of onlookers.

There is such confidence, such exceptional precision to everything they do now, 2024 simply must see The Utopiates pack out big top tents and open main stages to the more casual music fan. Their melody, intensity, and ability will them over with ease. It’s inevitable.

Vega Rally: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Singer, songwriter, producer, one man band extraordinaire Vega Rally played This Feeling’s stage at Truck Festival last Thursday and we were there to check him out. Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

The sight of one man, a laptop, and a green-striped Adidas guitar seemed to perplex a few initially but, once the booming beats and ‘Waterfall-esque’ guitars of ‘Infinity 93’ chime, his charm and self-belief infect the room. ‘This Moment’ took it to yet another level. The heartfelt melody began to soar across the Oxfordshire skies as Rally really began to cut loose.

To date, part of Rally’s appeal has been his remixes. Pastel’s ‘Deeper Than Holy’ and Marseille’s ‘Jungle’ have added extra dimensions to two of the UK’s hottest prospects. On set closer ‘Feel Alive’, the dynamism and swagger he’s shared with his peers come together for himself via the heart of Wilkinson and subtle nods to the early 90s rave scene.

Click the image below to see Vega Rally headline for this year's Humber Street Sesh:

Holy Youth Movement: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Bristol’s Holy Youth Movement played This Feeling’s stacked Thursday night line-up at Truck Festival last week. Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

There had been some stand-out performances from Bag of Cans and Vega Rally earlier in the day, but this was Truck Festival’s lift-off moment. ‘Tranquilizer’ unleashed the devil of Primal Scream’s ‘XTRMNTR’ and sent a packed tent into a pure state of mayhem.

‘Information Is Beautiful’ and ‘You Thought I Was Dead’ buzzed and throbbed with the warped ambition of Kasabian and the deranged melody of Radio 4. The pulsating basslines and the iconic moves of frontman Tom Newman continuously whipped up a fever that echoed long into the night and the hearts of all who witnessed.

Mentor and Producer Jagz Kooner was looking on, with what must have been immense pride. His 00s remixes have been reimagined for the modern day by Holy Youth Movement’s dynamite vision. It can’t be long until the Bristol outfit have the same respect put on their name as his.

Click the image below for tickets to their Shiiine On show this November:

Megan Wyn: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Anglesey’s Megan Wyn walked on the This Feeling stage last Friday at Truck Festival mortal. She left it anything but!

Some singers have the vocal power to wow but often lack substance and vice versa. Not Wyn! She is blessed with the startling ability of Linda Ronstadt, the pop instincts of Stevie Knicks, and the lyrical fire of Laura Marling.  

Wyn went beyond just singer-songwriter talent last week. The knowing and sniping looks during ‘Better of You’, the playfulness during her next release ‘You Don’t Get It’, and the supreme confidence during the set closer ‘Polaroid’ projected the whole package to an awe-struck audience.

We’ve seen many an act via This Feeling who are destined for bigger stages. Never have we seen a dead cert for the Pyramid Stage quite like Megan Wyn. Emily, Michael, over to you.

Pre-save the new single here: https://push.fm/ps/mw-ydgi

The Lilacs: The Good Mixer, London

Wigan outfit The Lilacs took to Camden’s iconic boozer The Good Mixer this past Thursday to headline an intimate This Feeling gig. Image courtesy of This Feeling.

There was an ambition to the guitars which made the intimate Mixer feel like an arena gig. The infectious and raucous guitars have never sounded so far-reaching. On their recent single ‘Sticky Dancefloors’, the jagged edges of The Courteeners St. Jude and the rumbling power of The Rifles’ drums set sail for a drunken sense of freedom which the tightly packed crowd followed with glee. 

Frontman Ollie Anglesa’s vocal was blessed with the kind of guts and glory to see the masses line up to throw pints and fists aloft. To date, his stage power has yet to really shine through on the record. However, on a sticky night in Camden, he let the world see the essence of the band and their songs, wrenching their humble beauty from his soul for rabid fans to feast on. This do-or-die spirit launched Liam Fray, Joel Stoker, and Tom Clarke in the 00s, now it’s his and The Lilacs turn!

The night climaxed with their instant classic ‘Vicarage Road’. Dave Gomersall’s drumming lent a rock ‘n’ rolls vastness to the pulsating indie-floorfiller guitar and bass licks of Matt Johnson and Sam Birchall and had the Mixer bouncing.

The Lilacs walked on stage as a promising band. They left it verging on immortal. Click on the image below to witness them steal the show at This Feeling’s By The Sea festival.

The Utopiates: 100 Club, London

A week ago, The Utopiates played the final leg of their UK tour at London’s iconic 100 Club. Fresh from the critical acclaim of their debut album ‘The Sun Also Rises’, could they cement their place in the hearts and minds of the packed London crowd.

Images courtesy of Elena Torrano

Last October they headlined This Feeling’s ‘Test Transmission’ night with The Velvet Hands, Holy Youth Movement’, and The Facades. It marked the departure of a band in its infancy to one of main stage ready. A headliner had been born.

The months since have witnessed an array of fine singles championed by Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy. All that they needed now was, the people. Neither failed to disappoint at the 100 Club.

Josh Redding’s psychedelic intro to the set was nothing short of breathtaking. Regaling in the warped magic of Hendrix, his icy cold veins remained unmoved by the occasion whilst a sense of greatness became tangible all around him. The plucky upstarts from Shiiine On’s Summer party in 2021 were now in full Darth Vader mode announcing, “now I am the master”.

The Utopiates, like The Charlatans, Primal Scream, or The Stone Roses before them are a band of brothers. At any point, one of them can step into the limelight to prove their worth and, on ‘Making History’ they demonstrate this collective power. Luke Nottingham’s killer bassline signals to the audience to get moving whilst frontman Dan Popplewell brings punks fire to his message of now or never. Together they create a welcoming defiance that is made undeniable by Ed Godshaw’s Rob Collins-esque keys and the effortlessly fluid Joe Jeffreys. The funk and punk is all blown sky high once Redding steps forward with his ecstatic release of Hendrix via Squire and Prince guitars.  

Despite Redding’s prowess, The Utopiates are not just another guitar for the landfill. On ‘Illumanise’, they blend the 00s nu-rave scene with the early 90s baggy scene for a moment of groove-laden joy. Then, they do something truly special on the latest single ‘Ups and Downs’. Sounding like a rave classic from the early 90s, they set fire to the crowd who in turn scorch the 100 Club in pure hedonism. Popplewell strutted in unison with the crowd as Godshaw’s classic piano looped as per the single but, in the closing moments, a glorious descent into the post-apocalyptic world of Primal Scream’s ‘XTRMNTR’ emerged. It married so well with the darker moments of the set and pointed to an intoxicating future.

The Utopiates, like all great bands are desperate. For your attention, love, and ultimately, to survive as a creative gang. On this showing, they are on the precipice of having everything they have ever dreamed of.

You can buy their debut album ‘The Sun also Rises’ here https://merch.theutopiates.com/products/the-sun-also-rises-album-pre-sale

DMA’s: Wembley Arena, London

“I find it sad that there’s a whole generation of kids, working-class kids who have got nothing of their own to buy into and they’re projecting all that onto a couple of 50-year-old fellas. Where’s the new Oasis? Where’s that? Where is that, where are those guys?”

(Noel Gallagher taking on Jonathan Ross 2021)

DMA’s. DMA’s are those guys and on Friday night at Wembley Arena, they crossed the threshold from academy venue-filling indie band to generation-defining stars they’ve been threatening to do since 2016’s ‘Hills End’.

The unlikely Australian heroes walk on stage with the intro to ‘How Many Dreams?’ already pulsating through the huge crowd. The electricity in the room is tangible. The sudden realisation that the Sydney trio were about to transcend to immortality.

All bands have die-hard fans. They’ll jump to prove their love no matter what. Front and centre, every gig, they are there. The signifier of a band crossing over to that moment of gigantic glory is when it filters further and further back. As Tommy O’Dell’s angelic vocal decrees “how many dreams?”, the raptures are found a way beyond the sound desk and up in the seats. It’s bedlam. Only England winning knockout football breeds this loved-up debauchery. Togetherness is love, and DMA’s have it in abundance.

The set openers mirror the new album’s tracklisting with ‘Olympia‘ following. Matthew Mason’s rippling guitars send a feverish crowd into utter delirium. Two tracks in and best friends and lovers are hugging in disbelief. Their band was doing it. Their band was the style and the substance! Their band are it!

With every passing track their power grew culminating in previous albums ‘The Glow’ and ‘Silver’. ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ at some point in British history ceased to be Oasis songs and became folklore handed on to future generations as beacons of hope. ‘The Glow’ and ‘Silver’ are rapidly approaching this territory.

‘The Glow’, with that crowd, became the archetypal two fingers up work and government. This was the people’s moment in the spotlight, and no-one missed their opportunity to rid themselves of the day-today. On the flipside ‘Silver’ felt more like a hymn than an indie-anthem. O’Dell’s presence was barely required as the crowd unified around the tracks uncertain and searching lyrics.

Four albums in, DMA’s power should really be fading. New songs should be becoming piss breaks not set closers. Oasis always failed to integrate the good work of ‘Heathen Chemistry’ onwards into a set alongside the power of ‘Definitely Maybe’ or the hysteria of ‘Morning Glory’. The DMA’s however, albeit to smaller crowds, are marrying the raw power of ‘Timeless’ and ‘Lay Down’ alongside the pop majesty of ‘Olympia’ and ‘Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s The Weekend’ effortlessly.

It was supposed to be Brixton Academy, a venue half the size. Through tragedy and corruption (at Brixton), DMAs were forced to move to Wembley. They rose to the occasion and delivered a gig that will echo down the ages.

Rolla: Lower Third, London

Manchester’s Rolla kicked off their UK tour at London’s Lower Third last Wednesday to celebrate the release of their debut EP ‘Nothing Less Than Everything’.

To say anything short of a brutal onslaught developed would be tantamount to treason. As their guitars howled with a bludgeoning power and real sense of defiance grew. Death-defying and fearless, Rolla announced themselves as the next headline act powerhouse on the UK scene.

Amid what is a staunchly powerful set, ‘What Kid’ and ‘Explain Yourself To No One’ emerged as behemoth rock ‘n’ roll beasts. The early Oasis and Kasabian machinations ‘Thinking of Tomorrow’ and ‘Sweet Lullaby’ were left looking redundant by their supreme stature. The guitars had an innate ability to cause a fog, a descent into the mire where lost souls became directionless on their own intoxicating terms.

It wasn’t all just blistering psychedelia though. ‘Hey You’, indebted to the twisted funk of ‘Gravity Grave’ grooved around its ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ rhetoric with an ease that oozed a coolness we all dream of, but few possess. ‘No Violence’ showcased a more melodic cadence to the vocals and bigger key changes which conjured a freeing euphoria the set desperately needed. The set’s real point of difference comes from the new EP’s ‘When Life’s Thunder Striking’. Slower in build, and gentler in sonic, it’s a gift-wrapped ticket to the big time. Despite it being the only rest bite in the set for the crowd, they’re not letting it pass without arms aloft and larynxes left in the gutter as badges of honour.

With lucrative record deals and charting singles, a thing of the past, a band’s way out to a better life is far less likely than ever before. What Rolla proved in London is it is still a worthwhile cause. Laying your soul bare to strive for creative greatness despite the world’s race to the bottom is perhaps the only pure thing left to do, and Rolla are showing us the way.

The K's: Lafayette, London

Back in 2020, The K’s headlined This Feeling’s Big in 2020 showcase. The promise was there in abundance, but, in a world where record contracts absconded the galaxy and radio airplay is so difficult to come by (despite 4 national alternative stations), fans were left hoping maybe.

For many, the pandemic became a reason, an excuse to fold. Not The K’s. They produced the solemn ‘Valley One’ which grabbed a generation of guitar music fans by heartstrings. Five more singles later and they have a national sold tour to their names. Catch a break? Nah mate, talent plus graft every step of the way.

From the Newcastle fans’ stage left to the die-hards chanting “the K’s are on fire”, the sense of anticipation was oozing from every corner of London’s Lafayette. As anticipation gave way to reality it became obvious that The K’s are not a band of promise anymore. They’ve arrived in the hearts and minds of rock ‘n’ roll fans. Limbs and vocal chords are sacrificed alike as they blast out of the traps with ‘Picture’, ‘Got A Feeling’, ‘Relying On You’, and ‘TV’.

The set is utterly relentless as they follow with new single ‘Chancer’ and fan favourite ‘Glass Towns’. New singles on tour can be tricky, has anyone heard it yet, will it become a piss break. For bands on the up, it’s the chance for the fans to take ownership of it, and man, did they ever. The tale of a risk-taker living for the moment captured the dreams of the sold-out crowd yearning for their own escapism.

Former single ‘Hoping Maybe’ acts more as a lifeline to a crowd feverish with a desire to prove themselves to their new heroes. The singalong anthem has a hymnal quality and its boisterous congregation rejoiced in its illustrious stature.

A special night, a special tour, both sold out. The K’s are indeed on fire and the UK’s cumbersome radio stations are going to have to pay attention now. With an album on the way, it’s inevitable this will be The K’s year.

Badly Drawn Boy: Shiiine On Festival

Amid the mainstage anthems at Shiiine On stood Bolton’s multi-instrumentalist icon Badly Drawn Boy on Sunday afternoon. Hangovers were rife among the large crowd which prompted the question, would this crowd go for him?

Images courtesy of Toni Underhill

The former Mercury Music Award prize winner was in an unusually talkative mood. He warmed the hearts of the main stage with stories of visiting Joe Strummer’s house and jokes about how he really should be with his mum on her 80th birthday.

There was a looseness to his introverted contemplations on stage, unrehearsed but open. A trait that seemingly doesn’t come easy to him. Gough’s shyness and free spirit became his greatest weapon during the Shiiine On set, however. The stories and set changed as the mood took him. The crowd was being let into his innermost feelings and thus, the love in the room grew to a tangible state.  

Once he had let the room in, there was no turning back for the Dylan-inspired section of ‘The Shining’ and ‘A Minor Incident’. Gough dedicated the former to his brother who tragically passed away in July 2021. As his gorgeous north-west tone decreed “remember seeing your face shining my way” the room wept as one.  

When he announced ‘A Minor Incident’ would follow, thousands of onlookers looked to the floor, the sky, or their pint. Anywhere but the loved ones they were with. The emotion was about to spill over. Mercifully, Gough regaled how he was tasked to write a Dylan-esque track for the suicide scene of About A Boy because they couldn’t afford the real deal. That flicker of humour steadied a room of souls who were picturing lost lives. His deep vocals go to the edge of Dylan’s drawl but vocally, he is blessed with empathy and sorrow like no other.  Twenty years on, the way in which he places himself in Fiona Brewer’s position is still astonishing. During his harmonica solo, images of Toni Collette’s guilt-ridden and distressed performance flood to the fore but, the warmth in his acoustic playing and the melody embedded are so fine that they overcome.

This was not a set purely based on life’s darkest reflections though. Although performing alone, the technicolour vibrancy of ‘All Possibilities’ hope-drenched message resounded out like a beacon of light on the Somerset shores. The righteous punk of ‘Born In The UK’ took us through the seventies and the melodic splendour of ‘You Were Right’ dished out the fuzzy feelings cider no longer could on day three of a festival.  

Sometimes it’s hard to love someone, not Badly Drawn Boy though. Gigs come and gigs go. Only the special ones can leave you with lifelong memories and this was one. The naturally hibernating soul of Gough was lured out for an embracing hug with like-minded souls. Post-Covid, this middle-aged crowd can see eternity for what it is, a fallacy. What he did on stage was reignite ageing souls with the purest form of themselves. The formative teen, wide-eyed, and longing to change the world for the better. Although his songs might quite be the answer, they were the soundtrack of many lives that Sunday afternoon.

Ecko: Shiiine On Festival 2022

Scotland’s Ecko were second on in The Inn On Green This past Saturday at Shiiine On. It was, unbeknownst to them (and us), to be the start of something truly magical.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Many bands attempt to be Oasis. You can spot them a mile off. They don’t have it. No matter how good a tune they write, they’re plastic punks. Not Ecko. They look the part, they walk the walk, and they have the tunes but crucially, their souls are forged in the working class turmoil and that led to the Burnage boys’ glory.

Destiny awaits!

The noise and confusion of those early Oasis years hissed across the tightly packed pub. The devil shimmered through their guitars, satan has found his purpose and is going to lead us to the promised land once more. A quick glance around the room observed the 4am hungover looks of bewilderment. Was this really happening?

‘Psycho Candy’ pumped with the blood of ‘Alive’ and ‘Cloudburst’ was interjected with the sumptuous stoner noodling of John Squire. It was happening!

‘Get Out’ took Keith Richards for a ramshackle jam with explosive blues of 22-20s and threatened violence throughout, ‘Teenage Trip’ throbbed with raw power and demanded academy-sized venues immediately. Then, on the latest single ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, they rendered all 00s bands dead as they took indie-rock to stomping new heights. People left the venue singing in Scottish accents their power was instantaneous.

The crowd was small, but, this isn’t any festival. This is Shiiine On! You’re looking at a generation who sought music out on the evening session, Peel, and at gigs. People sang to snobby record store owners in order to find the white-label demo of their favourite band that never made it. This crowd bleeds new music!

A group Real People Brummies stopped us for The Institutes (who were insatiable btw) set time, 20mins of Ecko chat later, they got it. Glancing around, Supercool Indie Night, Shiiine On management, and many from the Shiiine Thursday club are doing the same. One by one Ecko are making it before our eyes.

Sunday morning, the news filters through that Ecko are standing in for Shambolics on the Centre Stage. The potential for 1800 people was on the horizon for the band. Should be fine, wasn’t like they were dancing to 4am with their old man in Reds the night before.

As The Fannies signed off the main stage in style, the Inn on The Green loyalists filtered to the dancefloor upstairs. If was to be just us again, so be it. Their rise is only a matter of time. What happened next was astonishing.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Saturday’s crowd had all studiously revised for this exam. Their Soundcloud demos had been pillaged, words had been learned. We were going down swinging for them. Some fledgling bands can falter in this light, Ecko are not one. They grew in stature as destiny flocked to them like a gravitational pull. Swagger oozed through their shoulders. Somehow the slight 18-year-olds looked colossal now.

By the set close, that 1800 mark was virtually amassed.

They weren’t done yet!

They could have walked off into the sunset heroes. Instead, they partied until 4am with the Inn on the Green loyalists to Utah Saints. Celebratory yes, but, to rock ‘n’ roll lovers, it felt more. It’s not enough to be at the party, if you’re going to leave an impact, you need to live that party like it’s your last. Ecko knows it and did it. Shiiine On!

Marseille: Slaughtered Lamb, London

Derby’s Marseille made the trip down to London this Tuesday to The Slaughtered Lamb. After the buzz of their latest single ‘Freedom’, they came with hefty expectations. Could they live up to them?

Tom Spray’s cascading drums and Felix Moxey’s divine bassline on ‘Freedom’ gave them a great protected intro and a set opener for life. The whiff of something special hovered enticingly in the air and was duly met by guitarist Joe Labram.

The transition between ‘Shout It Loud’ and the next single ‘Monkey In The Middle’ awoke something not seen in the UK since Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and The Roses ruled the airwaves. Spiralling psychedelia bore its way to the sun from the London basement. The intimate crowd looked on in utter bewilderment, did that just happen? You bet your life it did!!!

Anyone left wondering if it was a fluke was duly pummelled into submission on set closer ‘State Of Mind’. What began as an angelic homage to the C86 movement descended into rock ‘n’ roll devilment of the highest order. The kind that will see promoters look for something bigger than Knebworth.

Labram’s playing is utterly magnetic. For ten minutes he went from Squire to Bell to early Noel waving at them from on high. At recent Ride shows, Andy Bell has discovered the form of his life, Labram just rendered him redundant with his spellbinding psyche.

The scary thing about Marseille is, you feel the penny-drop moment hasn’t happened for them yet. This level of brilliance is emanating from a position of creative exploration. Their time, their sound still feels on the horizon, the beauty is, their horizon looks down upon almost everyone else ensuring greatness is coming to save us all from the grey decaying landscapes we reside in.

The Chase: Lower Third, London

After the success of their debut EP ‘Not The F**king Game Show’, Nottingham’s The Chase recently played This Feeling’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig and we were there to check them out.

Roaring out of the traps with ‘Black Cloud’, they dazzle with the devilish bluesy rock n roll of The Jim Jones Revue. The guttural guitars of 22-20s are met by frontman Tyler’s powerhouse vocals which found a place between Hugh Cornwell and the devil.

On ‘Live and Die’ and ‘I’m The Man’, they hit a groove that ignites the seaside fury of The Horrors and the escapist brutality of Spector. Whereas, on the ‘Im The Man’, Tyler nods to Fred McPhersons’ playful but compelling vocals whilst all around him is a flurry of attacks on the guitars and drums. It was BRMC vs Jim Jones Revue in a fight to the death!

Many bands can excite via raw angst. All young musicians should possess this quality. On ‘I Just Can’t Believe That We Share The Same Name’ The Chase begin to prove they can funnel the power into moments punters relish turning up for. The Ska-punk of the Specials and The Ordinary boys build a relentless stomp for all to revel in. It’s awash with wit, charisma, and the charm of The Coral’s debut; the very definition of being on the cusp of something great.

The Chase are not to be missed on their upcoming dates click venues for tickets):

November 3rd with Spangled – Dead Wax (Birmingham)

November 12th – Roadtrip (London)

LOCK-IN: Lower Third, London

Lock-in began their life as a band in far from serious circumstances. Fast-forward a few years, the Essex outfit now residing in London and have a string of festivals to their name. They recently supported The K’s for This Feeling’s Teenage Cancer Trust night at Lower Third and we were there to check them out.

On record, a teenage innocence permeates their lyrics. Riddled with heartache and angst, they transport the oldest of souls back to the slumber of relationship woes. Live though, Lock-in are joyously learning to beef up their 00s revival sound.

‘I Caught Feelings’, via Ollie’s drumming builds to a raucous Milburn-esque crescendo. The lovelorn characters are built up to the fringes of rock ‘n’ roll with the shimmering guitar licks and frontman Benjy Leak’s swagger. The intro to set closer ‘Yours Sincerely’, more muscular than ever, adopts the angular mod riffs of The Rifles’ ‘She’s Got Standards’ and the punk of Good Shoes. The as yet unreleased ‘Sweet Love’ is their most bullish track to date and seemed to signify a departure from their cuter intonations.

On ‘Know The Score’ and ‘Get Over It’, they have serious weaponry to unleash on indie fans. The formers disco stomp hooked in the London crowd before frontman Benjy wielded his refreshingly ambitious stage presence. On ‘Get Over It’, something so instantaneous which allows them to dial down the bravado and thus, lets the audience feel a bigger part of their journey.

On this showing, it won’t be long they are headlining venues like this.

*image courtesy of the band

The K’s: Lower Third, London

Last Wednesday, live music returned to Soho for what felt like an eternity. Just 100 yards from the site of the dear departed Astoria, Earlestown’s The K’s headlined This Feeling’s Teenage Cancer Trust night at the new venue Lower Third.

Whilst the packed intimate crowd was deep below ground, the government was falling apart, again! Hour upon hour a new catastrophe was unfurling, culminating in the now ex-Prime Minister not voting for her own bill. That crowd needed The K’s more than ever!

In the same week ‘Up The Bracket’ turned 20, it was fitting The K’s headlined This Feeling’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig at Lower Third in Soho. Rock music has a new great duo to call upon Ryan Breslin and Jamie Boyle. Performance-wise, they share more with Brown and Squire than Pete and Carl, the superstar on the guitar and the polemicist on vocals. Like the early days of the roses, Breslin and Boyle know when to step back and let the other shine. They exist to serve each over and it’s exhilarating to watch!

The room explodes into life again and again as they rattle through classics ‘Sarajevo’, ‘Glass Towns’, and ‘TV’. Pulling from Slade, The Courteeners, and The Rifles is a surefire way to make a name for yourselves but, their ability goes way beyond their influences. They’ve consigned the 00s to the bin in the same way the Pistols and Clash did to the 60s. Lyrically, they eclipse the last great wave of bands with Weller’s Jam era sharpness. Only Tom Clarke can stand up to them but, Boyle’s rapid-fire delivery includes so much more depth, he is surely in his rearview mirror now.

Breslin’s playing has the power of Pete Townsend and the technicolour of John Squire. It should render him untouchable and aloof yet, he has a playfulness and charm that makes him the cool kid that lifts you up to happier climates. On ‘Picture’, he takes the indie-punk of The Courteeners’ debut and blows it up to stadium-sized euphoria. Heaton Park beckons!

On ‘Valley One’ they have an iconic pin drop moment! Hardcore fans boisterously singalong to begin with but Boyle’s vocals are beset with so much emotion they step back. They’re carted back to lockdown, trapped, and alone when this song was released. It was the mood of a generation, lost, down, but defiant to come back and be heard.

Encores, frankly, are a pain in the arse at rock ‘n roll gigs. The adrenaline dissipates and often struggles to come back. However, when ‘Hometown’ was demanded by a fan on the microphone, the sense that the band are one of us was palpable. Except for the drummer who was visibly bricking it as he’d never played it live before.   

Working-class grit was lit up by this gang of humble escapists. The perfect release from the myriad of doom we’re all facing!

*Image by Kristopher Tolley, courtesy of Songbird PR

The Enemy: Kentish Town Forum, London

September 16th 2016, The Enemy played their last London gig “for the foreseeable future” according to the band. It was a bitter pill to swallow as thousands traipsed out of the venue that night. Powerless and downtrodden, the northern line exploded into bouts of ‘This Song’. We did not go quietly into the night. It was a fuck you to XFM and 6Music who ignored ‘It’s Automatic’, a criminally underrated album. They were supposed to have ours and their backs!

That angst had not subsided upon return six years later. Back in the same venue, Coventry’s favourite sons were celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut album ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’.

So many bands pussy foot around with music between the support acts. Not The Enemy. No one understands the plight of the working classes as they did/do. Train tickets, booking fees, and 7 quid for a pint, the band get they we’re being mugged off. They play monster hits from Kasabian, Oasis, and eventually return to the stage to The Who’s teenage desolation classic ‘Baba O Riley’. Bang. For. Buck!

Many anniversary album tours are a party; a nostalgia trip to relive great memories. The combative power of album opener ‘Aggro’ brought back feelings of yesteryear, but for different reasons. Back in 2007, the band played 5 sold-out nights at The Astoria (RIP). They were electric nights, the feeling of conquering the world was palpable. The destructive playing of the band in 2022 brought those feelings flooding back. Bodies lay strewn across the padded seats, beers flew as beacons of hope, and sweat fell with joy. This wasn’t a dewy-eyed trip to a misspent youth, this is real, this was for the here and now. The feeling of surmounting the bores was tangible but, it was fresh, the Tories, corporate greed, polluting water companies, no one feels safe!  

Grown men cried in the arms of their best mates and partners as top 10 hits ‘Had Enough’ and ‘Away From Here’ assaulted the senses. What, because we’re 15 years older, you think we’ve all grown up and enjoy middle management? Fuck off!

‘This Song’ was reprised by the band for the final song but, was by the crowd whenever a moment’s breath was allowed to be taken. This sold-out crowd was not letting their heroes out without them knowing how much they had been missed. As it was an album playback gig, it was peculiar to hear the classic ‘You’re Not Alone’ at the mid-point. It takes added potency in 2022 as the world falls down around ordinary people.

During the encore the volatility of ‘Gimme The Sign’ was a thing of pure beauty. The snap of the neck as Tom Clarke snarls ‘penguin’ and the colossal drumming of frayed edges of humanity. Meanwhile, ‘Saturday’ set the encore ablaze as Clarke demands we all fulfill our dreams.

What the future holds remains unclear for the band at present. As most of us lie awake thinking about bills to pay, the world needs The Enemy. There’s just too many dreams in this wasteland to leave album five behind.

*Image courtesy of Fear PR

The Skinner Brothers: Chinnerys, Southend

Back in June, The Skinner Brothers opened for The Music’s all-dayer comeback at Temple Newsum in Leeds. Much like The Coral did in 2002 at Finsbury Park, they announced themselves to many as pretenders to the throne. They blew the Snuts off stage and edged The Coral and The Cribs off too. Nothing that day was stopping The Music from being triumphant though.

Fast forward to this past Thursday and they were headlining Chinnerys in Southend. With home county support from The Lucettas and hometown support from San Quentin, you’d have been forgiven for thinking the same could have happened to them.

Not a chance!

In support of their latest EP ‘Lonedom’, they played the title track and ‘Mellow’. ‘Lonedom’, ironically ignores its message and unites a crowd in a sweat-ridden singalong. Meanwhile, the guitar hooks of ‘Mellow’ resound out like Carl Barat playing lead for the Arctic Monkeys

The acclaimed ‘Soul Boy II’ album makes up the bulk of the set. ‘Culture Non-Stop’ and ‘Iconic’ see Zachary Skinner’s laconic drawl drift through the seaside air to remind everyone who the mortal ones are. Whereas on record, the band often gets into a soulful groove, here, they are harder and faster. It takes their soulful sound towards The Reytons but with far more depth.

In 2002, The Libertines launched their good ship Albion. Not many fellow bands got it. The Skinner brothers did. Their rapport, free beers, and demanding people on their shoulders (and fuck the consequences) brought rock ‘n’ roll closer to the punters for the first time in a long time.