Audio Addict

ISSUE 8

GLASVEGAS . DOES IT OFFEND YOU YEAH . EXAMPLE .

REEL BIG FISH . GALLOWS . KING CHARLES . JAPANESE VOYEURS . BLANCMANGE . NEVER SHOUT NEVER . SMILE WEEK

www.audio-addict.co.uk

Friday 1st July - 3rd July 2011

TRICKY - FRANK TURNER FENECH-SOLER - GOLD PANDA

DELAYS - ANDY BURROWS - SUMMER CAMP CRAZY P SOUNDSYSTEM - ALEX CLARE - CHAD VALLEY SUBGIANT - DUB PISTOLS - MAN LIKE ME - SOUND OF RUM

KING CHARLES - JAMES YUILL-DAVID E SUGAR - IMPERIAL LEISURE CHRIS T-T - SIXNATIONSTATE - SEAN BROSNAN - DOM CHUNG VARIOUS CRUELTIES - EMILY AND THE WOODS - BEANS ON TOAST

COLIN MACINTYRE LEAH MASON - TOM BUDDEN - GARY BENNETTON FEAR OF THEYDON - RIDNEY - TREETOP FLYERS - MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM THE RIFF RAFF - SOMBRERO SOUND SYSTEM - OLLY SALTER AND BENZO I DREAM IN COLOUR - POLLY & THE BILLETS DOUX - D-WARRIOR SOUNDTRACKS - HANDSOME DAVE ROCKER - LITTLE CHIEF - STEVE O’CONNOR ZOO LOOK - STU CLARK / WOLF MUSIC - ALLY WOLF - SWEET DREAMS - REMNANT PSYCHE

THE WIDOWMAKER - ACHILLES - BOB FLETCHER - BURNING IDOLS - CHARLIE AYLIFFE - FLY FRANKIE FLY HEATHWARD JOHNNY P. TAYLOR- JOHNNY P. TAYLOR - THE MOHO - KOZMIK KEN - KINGMAN COUNTY DEAD RED SUN

Blissfields 2011 Weekend Ticket Prices:

Adult: £65.00 + Booking Fee £4.95 - Youth: £42.00 + Booking Fee £4.95

Under 6: Free No Booking Fee (Please note a nominal fee of 1p is charged to register the purchase)

The Park, Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott, Winchester, SO21 3BL www.blissfields.co.uk

Picture Credit: Tara Perera

SMILE 2011 IDENTITY THIEF JOINERS SOUTHAMPTON 01.03.11 www.audio-addict.co.uk

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14 16 6 20

8

DOES IT OFFEND YOU YEAH?

NEWS

CONTENTS

8

26

25

12 24

smile

Reel Big Fish Gallows Never Shout Never King Charles BlancMange TessaracT 32 The Great Escape

4

28

30

Audio Addict

Picture Credit: Rich Cook, Mr Exploding, Darcie Tanner, Michael Radley

24

10

10 Nate Dog

EXAMPLE LIVE

30 26

27

22

22

GLASVEGAS

6 Front Section

12

18 32

Welcome to another addition of your favorite student music magazine, Audio Addict.

With Spring finally here we can all look forward to lighter nights, the smell of bbq in the air and, most importantly, festival season. (Check out our preview of this years Great Escape Festival) In this issue we have for you an exclusive interview with Indie giants Glasvegas, stop off for a quick chat with electronic noise outfit, Does It Offend You, Yeah? And have a catch up with legendary ska band Reel Big Fish. On top of that we have all the latest news and reviews, including this year’s Smile Festival.

With summer just around the corner, why not take a load off, dust off the deck chair and enjoy this months Audio Addict.

Enjoy x

Georgia Weaving Sophia Roberts Michael Radley Keeley Bullis Sub Editor Design Editor Features Editor F/S Editor

Hello all :)

Liam Martin Reviews Editor

THE TEAM

Richard Cook Editor

Tara Perera.

Tom Quickfall.

Rachael Pottle.

Carl Gwynne.

Katy Ladyman.

Ben Radcliffe.

Rachael Anderson.

Nick Pollard.

www.audio-addict.co.uk

5

6

Audio Addict

Picture Credit: Ben Mizraya

forty characters

THE WORLD in one hundred and

Hype Williams Tom Quickfall

Braids and Star Slinger Rob Ferguson

James Vincent McMarrow Rachael Anderson

Yaaks Elliot Muharrem

TesseracT and Periphery Ben Radcliffe

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO

WE’RE DESPERATE FOR CLUES AS TO WHY THIS BAND IS RELEASING ANOTHER ALBUM

WHAT’S MORE INTERESTING? LOOKING AT A ONE THOUSAND YEAR OLD TREE OR LOOKING AT THE BACK OF THIS WIRELESS?

FOUR WINDOW FAMILY PUB

GUESS THE BANDS

GOBSTOPPER IS NOT ENOUGH

FRONT SECTION

7

www.audio-addict.co.uk

Japanese disaster sparks celebrity fundraising Japanese death toll reaches 10,000 with thousands of bodies still missing Almost 3 weeks since Japan was struck by

relief” in just 48 hours. Bowling For Soup

death toll confirmation exceeds 10,000 with

the proceeds going to the relief effort and

thousands of bodies yet to be found.

On the 11th May a 9.0-magnitude earthquake

struck the north-east coast of Japan and triggered a giant tsunami which left the entire country in turmoil. Collectively, the two natural disasters have killed over 10,000

people with over 12,000 still missing and thousands left homeless after approximately

14,000 homes were destroyed. BBC reports state that “the quake was the fifth-largest

in the world since 1900”. Further tremors

Blink 182 set up a charity auction on eBay

selling their old lyric sheets, backstage passes and clothing from a music video. Liam

Gallagher and his new band Beady Eye were first to announce a charity gig which will

take place on the 3rd April at Brixton O2 Academy. The gig features performances from Beady

Eye,

Richard

Ashcroft,

The

Coral,

Primal Scream, Graham Coxon and Paul Weller.

Tickets are sold out but further information can be found on Beady Eye’s website.

from the earthquake caused a nuclear power

A further fundraising event will be held

miles north-east of Tokyo. A radiation leak

the 31st March. The Help Japan gig sees a

plant in Fukishima to explode situated 140

seeped into the water and air but after initial

concern

over

nuclear

crisis

the

incident didn’t prove to be as disastrous as

the Japanese government first thought. Many

music artists have shown their support by launching fundraising campaigns, performing at charity concerts and selling specialised merchandise in an attempt to raise money for

at The Hoxton Pony in Shoreditch, London on variety of performances from acts such as Kyle Falconer (The View), The Subways and Ed

Sheeran. There will be DJ sets from Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson, Olubenga (Metronomy) and Huw Stephens (Radio 1) plus many more.

Tickets are on sale now and the full line up can be found on The Hoxton Pony website.

those effected in Japan.

Money raised from the two events will be

Lady Gaga designed a Prayer for Japan bracelet

Appeal. If you wish to donate please visit

which, according to her twitter, had raised “a quarter of a million dollars for Japan

8

and Linkin Park designed t-shirts with all

given

to

the

British

Red

Cross

Tsunami

their website.

www.redcross.org.uk

Audio Addict

Michael Radley

Picture Credit: Red Cross

two catastrophic natural disasters and the

NEWS

Reading and Leeds line up announced The summer bash will be providing top name acts, the almighty MUSE, new jersey popmetalists

MY

CHEMICAL

ROMANCE

with the three headliners MARS,

THE

VACCINES,

NEW

and

one

of

indie

rock’s

finest

THE

STROKES.

Along

we have been offered the likes of PULP, 30 SECONDS TO

FOUND

GLORY

and

FRIENDLY

FIRES

to

name

a

few.

There

have been mixed feelings towards this years line up, fans of the festival disputed

this years line up on the Reading & Leeds Twitter page with the following tweets..

Emilytheloser said: ‘Is it just me that thinks the Reading and Leeds line up is a bit crap?’

Jacobstweet10 said: ‘Omg what is with the Reading & Leeds line up , every year it gets worse’ Either way READING & LEEDS covers a spectrum of musical tastes and genres, something to please every music lover out there. It is sure to be one of the biggest music festivals this summer.

Floods new video and Redbull Bedroom Jam When we first met Floods, they were just a happy go lucky band from St. Albans, but today they are much more. With the release of their new track, ‘You Convinced Me I Needed It’, with an hilarious video, the lads are on a mission; to conquer the Redbull Bedroom Jam.

Picture Credit: Tara Perera, Darcie Tanner

The video has been shoved up on the website for all to glare in awe at, and compared to

the rest of the acts on there, if Floods don’t get to the top of the chart pronto, there is some real internet voting manipulation going on. The rest of the bands on the roster

show no imagination, or talent, and in comparison to these lads, they haven’t got a chance!

The new track boasts guitarists Joe Page and Colin Cooper’s incredible ability to harmonize,

a quality they should not have hidden for so long! This band are continuously developing

further and further, getting more in tune with each other and manipulating their sound to levels way beyond their capability. They’re incredible, and we think you should think so too, so go to http://redbullbedroomjam.com/band/videos/you-convinced-me-i-needed-it and vote 5 stars, because this is a band you are going to want to see!

Sophia Roberts, Tara Perera www.audio-addict.co.uk

9

NEWS

endofa

G-Funk Era

A rib rattling beat pounds from the speakers,

One of those to be

plaster from the ceiling of the room below.

was in-house crooner

Before

too

long,

a

high

frequency

synth

line enters, exuding swagger over a sample

from any one of George Clinton’s various ‘70s

projects.

You’re

listening

to

Dr

Dre’s seminal 1992 album The Chronic. Or perhaps it’s Snoop Dogg’s (nee Snoop Doggy

Dogg) explosive debut Doggystyle from the following year. Either way, the music bares the hallmarks of a sonic approach and general aesthetic that became known as G-Funk, one

of the most iconic sub-genres in rap music history;

one

that

dominated

commercially

- predominantly from its LA birthplace throughout the ‘90s.

Its G stood for ‘gangster’, and its name refers to Clinton’s self-styled P-Funk (often etymologised as ‘pure’ funk). Its rhymes were

tough and its beats were tougher. However,

as you may have noticed, it is now being discussed in the past tense.

This is because, to many, the G-Funk era has

Nate Dogg (known to

his hoes as Nathaniel Dwayne

Hale),

whose

untimely death at the age of 41 may just be G-Funk’s in

the

one

of

was

final

nail

coffin.

responsible

most the

the

Hale for

genre’s

enduring 1994

hits,

karaoke

favourite ‘Regulate’ (with

cousin

Warren

G), a song so good it even managed to make

blue-eyed yacht rock star Michael McDonald sound song a

‘street’

was

sample

built of

(the on

his

MOR classic ‘I Keep Forgetting’).

been on the skids since its last great volume

Hale’s passing - along

released in 1999. Here, Dre, the eponymous

latest

–

Dr

Dre’s

blockbuster

2001,

confusingly

producer and MC at the head of the G-Funk

family tree, dispenses with the upbeat-yet-

mean strut of those early classics in favour of

a brutal, murderous sound that also served to introduce his new generation of protégés, most

significantly Eminem. The commercial appeal of the young Detroiter distracted Dre, pulling

him down a path of nihilistic gangster poprap; 50 Cent and The Game gleefully in tow.

10

left by the wayside

Audio Addict

with Dre’s catastrophic Snoop’s reality

Detox

forays

TV

and

and

into

Katy

Perry collaborations -

will finally close the G-Funk chapter. But has it happened too late to leave it with the legacy it once deserved?

Tom Quickfall

Picture Credit: GenKaku

its bass line removing a large amount of

30 VENUES 300+ NEW ARTISTS

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dj shadow

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www.escapegreat.com

TickeTs also available from see, Hmv, rounder records & residenT in brigHTon.

MONDAY The week begins at Hamptons bar, if I’m honest

solo behind his head, the results were less

in and all the acoustic balladry tends to

loss, our saviours appeared in the form of

blur into one big foray of heartfelt lyrics

and soft strumming. Cue the first covers act, a brother sister duo specialising in naivety and lack of talent, summed up when

the guitarist daringly attempted to play a

than electrifying. The day wasn’t a complete Red Skye a shockingly young cover band that displayed talent well beyond their years,

the guitarist was only sixteen but displayed impressive finesse and timekeeping with the rest of the band following suite.

Day two saw a band showcase comprising of

we’ve already heard “Everlong” (Foo Fighters

yet again almost every song was a cover,

talent was top notch with one female vocalist

Solent’s very own music performance students,

they pulled them off impressively well but two days in and it’s got to the point where

defining track) at least three times. The vocal

in particular matching Beth Ditto’s voice in terms of sheer falsetto.

TUESDAY

Day three was an opportunity for Solent’s music promotion students to organise two events in tandem with each other, one taking place in Pop in aid of Teenage cancer trust and the other over at Soul Cellar. Unfortunately the event at Pop was riddled with misfortune, for a start The Beatitudes had already pulled out, then to shake things up even more opening act Sincerity arrived, played two songs then promptly vacated. Over at Soul Cellar supporting headliners Arp Attack delivered a scorching performance perfectly setting the stage for signed artists Laurel Collective, with their blend of vocal harmonies and folk stylings they stole the show and for that matter raised the bar on previous performances.

SMILE had really started gaining momentum by this point.

12

Audio Addict

Picture Credit: Tara Perera, Smile

it was something of a slow start, five acts

Thursday played host to potentially the most obscure event, a series of live events in unusual locations.

The penultimate venue was Oxfam music, although it had relatively small floor space it still managed to accommodate a variety of acoustic acts, the final stage was set up inside Quilters Vault, a landmark of local historical significance, boasting intense atmospherics the music that followed help accentuate the mood providing a truly unique experience.

SMILE

FRIDAY

The final night was supposed to be culminating

Frankie Fly performed a set consisting of nu

manager Alan McGee on the decks, however due

years ago, sorry boys you missed the boat.

in a very special appearance from ex Oasis to “medical conditions” he was “forced” to

rave sentiment, a movement that fizzled out

cancel, not that it mattered much, the calibre

The week took a while to build momentum but when

to see the night through, The Widowmaker in

the prospect of next year being even bigger I

of the remaining acts was more than enough

particular delivering to an expectant crowd, disappointingly the act that followed Fly

SMILE Liam Martin

it did it became thoroughly enjoyable, with

can honestly say that I’m looking forward to the surprises in store from SMILE week 2012.

2011

www.audio-addict.co.uk

13

New blood splatters onto the music scene in the form of the raw and gritty London five piece, Japanese Voyeurs.

14

Audio Addict

Picture Credit: The Jaymo

oyeurs apanese

J

FEATURES Having been compared and associated with

progressed a lot musically since releasing

publicised as having a suggestive motive to

However, the thing that’s puzzling fans

grunge

bands

in

the

past,

they’ve

been

resurrect the genre. However, bassist Johnny Seymour emphasises, “we like those bands, but I wouldn’t say we are particularly grunge as a style of music.” If you listen to their

sound you’ll be able to hear that Japanese Voyeurs craft more rhythm and complexity, compared to your usual grunge conventions.

But it’s not surprising to see why these connections have been made. Vocalist Romily Alice oozes similarities to Hole’s Courtney Love. Her voice echoes eccentric shrieking,

which may sound slightly annoying to some but it’s definitely distinctive and key to capturing your attention. Her feisty screams combined with an almost child-like whine, creates an intriguing character.

In a dingy, dark room upstairs at Southampton’s

most famous intimate gig venue, The Joiners, Romily, Johnny and guitarist Thomas Lamb sit casually, looking a little tired, as they prepare for the last day of the RockSound Exposure tour, featuring rotational headline

spots with Dinosaur Pile-Up and The Xcerts.

the ‘Smother Me’ and ‘Milk Teeth’ singles.

the most is when it’s actually going to be released. The band initially planned to

release the album late February to coincide with the RockSound Exposure tour, but fans

are still waiting. The vocalist clarifies why

they’re

holding

onto

their

finished

album just that bit longer. “Obviously we’re happy with it and want to put it out but with downloading and stuff now, it makes

sense to hold off as long as possible and hopefully build up enough fans who actually really love it so that we can make the

most of it.” But to feed the fans music addiction they’re releasing their latest

single “Get Hole” as a 7” vinyl on April 18th via Fiction Records.

Though despite the album still having no fixed release date, the band are already

eager to start writing new material. “I’m always working on the lyric side of things,

I don’t think any of us are anxious about it, we’ve got ideas going on, it will just come together,” explains the vocalist.

Having already played shows with both bands

With festival season fast approaching the

Voyeur’s drummer Steve Wilson being an ex-

The Camden Crawl and 2000 trees festival,

prior

to

the

tour,

as

well

as

Japanese

member for Dinosaur Pile-Up, Thomas explains how it’s been an enjoyable tour on the road

with friends. Romily adds, “It’s way more

band have already confirmed appearances at

but Seymour hopes they’ll “get a good amount of festivals in the summer.”

fun with it not being one band’s tour. It’s

With more touring planned for the rest of

order you play it can be someone’s crowd.”

will slaughter the underground music scene

weird in different places, no matter what

Their debut album Yolk is certainly something

to look forward to as they feel they’ve

Rachel Pottle

the year, 2011 is the year Japanese Voyeurs

and inject it with their feisty and abrasive noise attack. And who knows, they might just get their album out too!

www.audio-addict.co.uk

15

The name of the young alternative electronica

Recently the band have felt they’ve gone

means

man James Rushent told me he thrived on, “I

absolutely

nothing,

merely

a

line

or

not,

from British comedy mockumentary The Office.

It

does

however,

coincidental

reflect the bands attitude towards the music

industry. After splitting with Virgin over disputes about their second album, ‘Don’t

fucking love a challenge, I’m more excited about the band now then I think iv ever been, because its up to us, there’s no one their pushing us.”

Say We Didn’t Warn You,’ the band told me

The band started out as a Myspace band that

(Major Labels) more designed for singers

They soon got signed by Virgin and released

“there were a lot of arguments.”

“There

like Katy Perry so when a band turns round

and says they want to do a four and a half

minute weird instrumental there like, no.”

16

back to basics but it’s a challenge front

found stardom through their Myspace fan base. debut album. ‘You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into,’ which was an instant hit.

Audio Addict

Rolling

Stone

magazine

named

them

Picture Credit: Richard Cook

outfit, irrespective of what many believe,

as

act

breakthrough

of

2008,

an

band told me was all

“smoke

and

who

won

Brit

mirrors.” “People awards they’re not actually

winning

anything, it’s all back scratching.”

After

the

album

release they went on tour along with

playing countless festivals, they

where

have

for

been

the

most

part of the last three

years.

It’s the touring festival

gather

is

of

they

the

I

one

reasons

formed

a

band in the first place. They told me

stories

of

guitarist Matty Derham’s first stage dive “he

just

completely

missed

it

and

went

straight down into the pit.” They admit the best thing about being in a band is “having a laugh.”

ONd

FFe

YoU

ah

With the festival season coming up the band

were unsure of where they might actually be playing however it’s a sure bet they won’t be playing this years Glastonbury. “We got

banned from Glastonbury, but they offered it us back and we were like ‘nah your alright,’

because it’s going to be shit.” The band prefers

festivals

Richard Cook

abroad

Exit

in

Serbia

highlighting

www.audio-addict.co.uk

and

Optimus in Portugal exclaiming there were “no

restrictions.”

“It was so loud and everyone campfires could

was

doing

smell

weed

at

each

and

you

everywhere, we were looking other

and

saying

this is like Reading festival in the 90s”

So Does it Offend You, Yeah? have returned, but

they

might

find

to

where

they

once

it hard getting back were, a bit more of a struggle this time

YE

and

lifestyle

De it

their favourites as

s

honour which the

o

FEATURES

around. Not that the band

are

they’re to

be

bothered,

just

doing

happy what

they love. Departing the

mainstream

re-entering alternative something

the

and

the is

band

couldn’t be happier

about. Where do you want

to

years?

be

“A

in

ten

klaxons

cover band” guitarist

Matty jokes, somehow I doubt it, the Reading based

continue the

band

will

offending

industry.

It’s

what they do best.

17

V

GLAS VI

A

EGAS

Picture Credit: Big Mouth Publicity

Glasgows second biggest export after Irn Bru is heading to our shores once more

18

Audio Addict

FEATURES After being absent from touring for just

over a year following the success of a phenomenally acclaimed debut album, most bands would follow up the release with

a big comeback gig, maybe in London, New York or L.A.? Not Glasvegas. The Glaswegian band chose Kirkwall, a small town on the Orkney Islands, just off the

north east coast of Scotland. In fact

the band chose to do a whole tour of the most obscure Scottish towns at the start of the year, giving their most patriotic fans the first glimpse of their highly anticipated second album. Towards the

end of last month, the band embarked on England and began a tour around the UK. I caught up with bassist Paul Donoghue

‘

the

first

date

of

their

Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms.

tour

at

‘

on

In America they always say ‘are you guys Irish?’

So we say yeah it’s lovely being here in Canada.

Their debut self titled album reached

number two in the UK charts, got the band a comparison with the Arctic Monkeys and

The Libertines from NME and jammed the radio airwaves of Britain back in 2008.

Not even the band themselves expected

it to be as big as it was, “we knew that people would like the record but

we certainly didn’t expect the praise we

got from it.” Since then the band have visited every crevice of the globe after

touring for two years and Paul assures me that “thing’s got a little crazy.” He

went on to tell me how “some security

Richard Cook

www.audio-addict.co.uk

19

guys had to physically carry me into the taxi and then carry me into the hotel room,” on a quiet night out in Amsterdam and how he was found “sleeping with

my trousers round my ankles in the toilet” after an all day drinking session at Euro Disney.

Their antics on tour are becoming a standard part of

the band and being Scottish is part of the reason they always manage to get away with it. “Being Scottish

you can get away with so much all over the world and you can play on the people think your Irish thing.”

With a sense of content, he explained how “In America

they always say ‘are you guys Irish?’ So we say yeah it’s lovely being here in Canada. Americans hate it

‘

‘

if you say it’s nice to be in Canada.”

we’re going to bed at night knowing we’ve done everything to make that record special

Now after a three-year wait, their second album, ‘Euphoric Heartbreak’ is released next week. The band spent most of 2010 on the golden kissed beaches of

Santa Monica recording their latest LP, “It was such a great journey and we had a lot of fun doing it, and

there was a lot of Euphoria and a lot of heartbreak.”

The album took 14 months to complete and now they’re

just hoping that everyone will like it as much as they do, “we’re going to bed at night knowing we’ve done everything to make that record special.” The

albums already been getting rave reviews all round,

so I doubt the indie rockers have too much to worry

2011 looks set to be a good year for Glasvegas,

they’ve headed back on the road, a new album on the way and of course were coming up to every music lovers favourite time of the year, festival season.

“We’re definitely doing Rockness and V festival and then there are a few other things happening, I think Lattitude but I’m not sure if that’s been confirmed yet.” No go ahead for the bands favourite festival,

T in the Park, this year then, although I was assured “there’s one other but were just getting the final details now, so I better be careful.”

18

Audio Addict

Picture Credit: Georgia Weaving, Mr Exploding

about.

FEATURES

‘

‘

It was such a great journey, there was a lot of euphoria and a lot of heartbreak

This could well be the year that Glasvegas go from the middle to the top. The year we see

Glasvegas name across the broadsheets and on our TV screens. For Paul and the band, “I hope to survive it, I hope were still as energetic at the end of this year as we have been for

the last three or four years and I think we just want to have fun. We do our job which is our passion and if you can’t have fun doing that then your fucked man.” Amen.

Richard Cook

www.audio-addict.co.uk

21

R B EEL

g I fish

It’s been a long journey for the funny,

during their last UK gig at The Stag’s Head

off in California as small timers, news of

Within the Hacky Sack playground of a dressing

them

quickly spread through word of mouth.

Headed by the band’s main songwriter and front

man Aaron Barrett they’ve released tracks that could be deemed as party classics of the latter day generation, always serving us as a

‘

constant reminder of the good times, the badass

times

and

the times when you

at Southampton University in early March.

room, Chris Lucca of Suburban Legends and Jamie Kyriakides of The Skints invited me to play, having never played beforehand.

Ryland popped out with his tour manager and lead us to a small room at the back, I

‘

energetic, six piece, ska punk band. Starting

we don’t have to answer to anybody but ourselves so the album making process is really for us

embarrassingly had the

from

reddest

face

frantically

kicking a small bean

needed to tell someone ‘Fuck You’ and you

bag around the room not two minutes before.

it easy, they’ve had a rough time with record

We did get down to the brass tacs though, Reel

being released from Jive Records in 2006 have

Us...For The Rest Of Us’ after recording their

just didn’t quite know how. They’ve not had labels

throughout

discovered

the

their

daunting

career

and

since

responsibility

of

becoming independent. However, these dudes with remarkable and fashionable hairstyles

have it cracked and have confirmed that they are releasing a new album, though they’re not too convinced it’ll be all that great. Ryland

first independent album ‘Monkeys For Nothin’ and the Chimps For Free’ through independent

label Rock Ridge Records. Given recent issues

between the band and Jive Records, Reel Big Fish re-recorded all their old hits.

“When we were finally off Jive Records we

Picture Credit: Robbie Gresty

Steen and Aaron Barrett told us us about it

Big Fish have recently released ‘The Best Of

20

Audio Addict

FEATURES

were able to go independent”, says Ryland.

were only half joking” says Aaron.

tours with us and slowly over the past few

“Yeah, it’s a necessary evil, you’re always

hits. It was easier for us to record all the

stuff and you’re always gonna have those

“We have our own studio and our own engineer years we’ve been re-recording all our old old hits and release them ourselves because what happens when you record all your records with the old labels they end up owning all

the masters, we wanted to skip the process of having to deal with calling up labels and get permission to use material for release. we also wanted to give our fans something new to listen

gonna have those fans that want the new fans that thought the old stuff was always better, “ explains Ryland, “Reel Big Fish is

at a point where we have our own studio, we don’t have to really answer to anybody but ourselves so the album making process is... it’s really for us!”

to and not listen to the same old recordings.”

“We could always write another F U song, people

“Without writing new songs” adds Aaron,

one, write ten more of those!” says Ryland.

“See we’re smart and we know that our

like that one” adds Aaron. “People love that

fans don’t want new songs, you wanna hear

“It just goes to show the more ridiculous it

the same feeling that the old songs did”.

you think is absolutely stupid and ridiculous

a new album but knowing it won’t give you

“The old stuff is always the best stuff”

seems, the better, you know? Write a song that and it can probably be a hit song”

Ryland concludes. Would that mean that Reel

They’re looking forward to their release of a

“Oh, we’re going to make a new album, we

is available in 2012.

Big Fish are not going to keep up the game?

Carl Gwynne

new album.‘The Best Of Us...For The Rest Of Us’

www.audio-addict.co.uk

23

L os a g w L in the

To some, Gallows are thought of as that punk

portrayed in the media. “He’s like an artist

hard nut, Frank Carter, that spit, kick and

tattooing.” Steph adds, “The only word you

bleed their way through live performances.

To others, their music sounds just like a

brutal, chaotic mess. But there’s far more behind their fierce riffs and tattooed flesh.

Their last album Grey Britain allowed them

to escape this image and present themselves

in his truest form, he loves painting and

‘

as a unit. Guitarist Laurent “lags” Barnard

explains how “people were so focused on our image as a band, there’d be photographers asking Frank to take his shirt off so they could

see

his

tattoos.

The

Grey

Britain

suits were a way of stepping away from that, rather than being one of those scene bands.”

Rumours flooded message boards and magazines at the end of last year stating how Frank was starting to lose interest with the band.

Guitarist Steph Carter jokes how his brother

tends to turn up explaining how he’s had enough of Gallows, but “give him a week and

he’ll come back.” They continue to discuss

how Frank is nothing like the way he is

24

can use to describe my brother is passionate.”

’

there’d be photographers asking Frank to take his shirt off so they could see his tattoos.

They ended 2010 by performing two hugely

memorable shows in London (17th December),

playing each album from start to finish. The

evening show was an unforgettable moment, as they finally gave Grey Britain the performance

it deserved by having an orchestra live on stage. “It was so rewarding, mainly because

of the strings, it’s been something we’ve always wanted to do,” says Barnard.

The band will spend the next few months working on new material in time for festival

season. After causing the biggest circle pit that saw the crowd running in and around the tent, it was a sure thing they’d be asked

back to Sonisphere this year. With a few European festivals planned too, it’s safe to say Gallows are planning on hanging around.

Audio Addict

Rachel Pottle

Picture Credit: Smile

band from Watford, fronted by the ginger topped

Example

16.03.11: Guildhall SOUTHAMPTON

Prior to the gig I had an idea about Example and thinking him a complete tool was perhaps a bit unfair.

His so called ‘talent’ has been widely acknowledged and to his credit Mr

Mainstream has built up a solid fan base over the past year. Fans love him; critics applaud him, so why do I dislike him? Maybe it is his monotonous voice or his over-use of hair gel?

I think the most frustrating thing about Example is his arrogance. Videos and interviews

show that his rapid rise to stardom has gone to his head and his aim to be a ‘global, worldwide sensation’ just reinforces the fact that he is a delusional donut. Nonetheless I approached the Guildhall with and an open mind.

To be fair, he really does know how to work a crowd. What he lacks in voice and musicality

he makes up for in performance. His arrogance aids his swagger and he makes a cracking

host to what is a party rather than a performance. From start to finish he had the crowd singing along and bouncing.

Crowd favourites ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ and ‘Kickstarts’ were stand out songs but the best of The Foot Again’. New song ‘Changed the way you kissed me’ seemed to be a potential chart topper and Example showed a bit of versatility.

He rapped with grime artist Wretch 32 to

his new song ‘Unorthodox’ and he even made me laugh when joking at the bras being thrown

up on stage at him. Example is a lot better live than recorded. His confidence on stage

justifies his sell out tour and I can’t fault his ability to create an intense festival atmosphere in a venue like the Guildhall. I just wish he was less smug about it.

26

Audio Addict

Michael Radley

Picture Credit: The Jaymo

the night had to be Example’s most recent, collaboration with Skream – ‘Shot Yourself In

LIVE REVIEWS

Never Shout Never

16.03.11:Concord 2 BRIGHTON

We first heard of Christopher Drew when his MySpace track Bigcitydreams had over a million plays. The American boy stole our hearts with tracks ‘smelyalata,’ ‘dare4distance’ and

‘What is love?’ He toured with HelloGoodbye and Forever the Sickest Kids. His most recent album ‘Harmony’ reached #14 on the Billboard album charts. Now he’s touring the UK for the

first time with Californian boys, The Maine. As Christopher walks onto the stage the room is filled with screams. He breaks straight into ‘What is Love?’ and chats with the crowd,“no I can’t take my clothes off, I’m trying to do a gig!” The band went onto play ‘Can’t stand

it’, ‘First Dance’ and drug driven hit ‘This shit getz old’. There’s something different

about the tattoo covered singer, his style has matured with age. Christopher is confident

as he leans into the crowd singing ‘On the bright side’. There’s something almost British about the performance, he sings with attitude and independence. Never Shout Never the

crowds favourites before ending with their hit song ‘Bigcitydreams’, leaving the audience craving more of the 20 year old.

BlancMange

15.03.11:KOKO CAMDEN

Picture Credit: WheelzWheeler, Candice Linkie

Nearly thirty years ago, British synth-pop band, Blancmange stormed the charts with the classic anthem ‘Living on the Ceiling’. They have made a triumphant return with a UK tour,

playing to jam-packed venues to celebrate the release of their new album ‘Blanc Burn.’

The experimental trio pops by the KoKo venue in Camden tonight to bring back memories

of the forty- something’s glory days. Blancmange are a man down tonight as the original keyboardist Stephen Luscombe has severe medical problems, but he has joined the audience

tonight instead. With their replacement, they still sound as great as they did back in the

eighties. They hold their ethnic image, featuring the highly talented Pandit Dinesh with

Indian drums as their main source of percussion. Front man, Neil Arthur performs favourites ‘Blind Vision’ and ‘God’s Kitchen’ to a cheering loyal crowd. He may have gone slightly

grey and lost the eighties do, but he still knows what he is doing. It has been an enjoyable

walk down memory lane tonight, especially for the front man himself as he tells me “I have been having a fantastic time and savouring every minute of this tour.”

Sophia Roberts, Katy Ladyman

www.audio-addict.co.uk

27

LIVE REVIEWS

King Charles

09.03.11:Soul Cellar SOUTHAMPTON

Google images of King Charles, you get dogs and a king. This sums up the man that played in Soul Cellars top bar.

He had a band behind him, but he seems to consider himself a solo artist. Or maybe a double

act. Him and his hair. Very long and wild. It looked as if it smelled.The start wasn’t bad. The sound was acoustic and gentle. Almost reminiscent of Mumford and sons minus the magic. Soon, the

music lapsed into the realms of metal. The beat got heavier and his hair came down. Guitar solos

got more frequent and it seemes he had simply run out of material. Every song was different, a quality I imagine he finds pride in. It does mean that the genre is difficult to pin down, not

because the music is so fluid and different but because it is confusing and as arrogant as the man playing it. There was one song I would happily add to my ipod, ‘Love Lust’ which is his

biggest ‘hit’. It’s nice and upbeat with layers of sounds. A song which you enjoy on hearing but

will forget it until shuffle happens to bring it around again. If I had heard the music without seeing it I would have liked it a lot more. We left as soon as he finished for fear of an encore.

26.03.11:The George ANDOVER

The band’s first gig back for 6 months, In Perfect Silence reclaim the stage.

For such a small venue, The George radiates energy. The crowd don’t know what to expect,

as this is the first time In Perfect Silence have played in Andover…and this quiet town won’t be disappointed. From the second they hit the stage, the band throws themselves

into “Salvation”, and from that moment, you know they are committed to giving a blinding performance. At first, the crowd don’t know how to react to In Perfect Silence’s brand of melodic metal, but they soon fall into rhythm. Despite battling a chest infection, Barry

delivers some truly devastating vocals, combined with guttural screams - a perfect match when combined with the bullet-like rhythm section rib-shaking drums. With the exception

of some minor technical hitches, which saw Barry running to the other side of the stage

to snatch a spare mic, The George was treated to a flawless performance which will hold them in good stead for a triumphant return some time in the near future.

28

Audio Addict

Georgia Weaving, Keeley Bullis

Picture Credit: Georgia Weaving, Keeley Bulis, album art

In Perfect Silence

ALBUM REVIEWS

Fresh off the back of SXSW festival, the New York five piece grace us with their latest showcase Angles.

The ten-track album is a highly anticipated rock replenishment after 5 years of deprivation. We have

all waited long enough for what should be an album rife full of the brilliance we grew to love in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Luckily, the album isn’t a complete let down and we are gifted with a few crackers equal to those heard on their debut album ‘Is This It’ back in 2001. Two Kinds Of Happiness optimises The Strokes’ sound.

The raw, gravelly and distorted vocals from front man Julian Casablanca carries what is an electrifying rock number likely to cause crowd chaos at Reading and Leeds festival this summer. ‘Life Is Simple In

The Moonlight’ is a soft and more subtle rock song but none-the-less it packs a punch. ‘Take Me For A Fool’s’ toe-tapping rhythm is the highlight of what is essentially an electric blues track and you can’t

help but admire the skills behind the guitar riff and solo in ‘Call Me Back.’ Despite being blessed with moments of genius, there are a few disheartening hiccups. ‘You’re So Right’ depicts a psychedelic ghost train that you hope will end abruptly. The tempo is brought up a notch in ‘Metabolism’ and like ‘Call Me Back’ they both sound like something from The Killers album ‘Sam’s Town.’ ‘Machu Picchu’ is cool but this track sounds too similar to the works of Vampire Weekend. ‘Games’ is an electro-80s record with New Order type synths lacking lyrical ingenuity. ‘Gratisfaction’ doesn’t make the grade and ‘Under Cover Of Darkness’ is merely a rescue attempt to re-discover the lost Strokes’ style.

This five-year follow up to 2006 album ‘First Impression Of The Earth’ is remarkably better but I can’t

help but feel let down. ‘Angles’ is a solid album but for me it is like buying a kinder egg and finding

no toy. The variance in styles complicates the sound and I can’t help but wonder if we will ever hear anything like the tracks we first fell in love with some ten years ago.

Michael Radley

www.audio-addict.co.uk

29

Prolificacy can be a curse amongst musicians.

track with elegance and grace. Single ‘Jesus

unnecessary

harmonic progression and sentiment similar to

EPs

and

hastily

compiled

first-time

listener.

albums, and obscures anything that might be

of

value

Sometimes,

to

the

however,

it

can

serve

as

a

perfect barometer of an artist’s musical development, as in the case of the muchlauded Kurt Vile. During his short recording career,

Vile

has

produced

four

albums

and two EPs of glorious and effortlessly

leftfield Americana, each one building on

the merits of the last. While artists like Animal Collective and Deerhunter look to

construct the enjoyable idiosyncrasy that

comes so naturally to Vile, Smoke Ring for my Halo sees the Philadelphian heading in

the opposite direction, resulting in his most accessible work to date while still remaining utterly distinctive.

Opener ‘Baby’s Arms’ is as close to a love

Childish Prodigy-era track ‘He’s Alright’: a

perfect example of Vile’s progression from riveting potential to proficient songwriter in full-bloom. ‘Puppet to the Man’ is a

quick-witted piece disguised as an anarchic

mid-paced rocker, while ‘On Tour’ begins a string of tracks that deal with nostalgia, introspect and autobiography. The attractive finger-picking work of previous releases makes sporadic but effective appearances here, most

notably on ‘Peeping Tom’ and highlight ‘Runner Ups’, while the insistent acoustic plod of the

title track nails down wistful slide guitar embellishments and piano. ‘Ghost Town’ serves as an appropriate climax to Vile’s finest work to date; its two chord verses filled with such non-committal admissions as “Christ was born, I was there/you know me; I’m around”.

song as Vile’s ever going to deliver, albeit

Had it been released 35 years ago, Smoke

production

the list of ‘Great American Songwriters’

via his own understated inimitability. The familiar

is

pitched

shimmering

and

perfectly; distant

Vile’s

acoustic

work restrained by soft percussion and gentle

harmonies, coated in a mandatory helping of reverb. Smoke Ring...flows from track to

30

Fever’ is a glorious slice of Americana, its

Ring... would have cemented Vile’s place on

alongside those the album brings to mind: Petty, Seger, Springsteen. As is, the singer will have to be content sharing the mantle as the missing link between past and present.

Audio Addict

Tom Quickfall

Picture Credit: album art

It often floods their back catalogues with

ALBUM REVIEWS This year saw the release of One, the eponymous album of Milton Keynes djent

metallers, TesseracT; in the minds of

many as one of the best British bands

of the moment. Another 5 track EP of new material, with the re-djenerative

Concealing Fate sextet placed ever so gently in the middle. The best material

on the album, and although already

given to us when the EP was released last year, now along with these new

tracks like chilling ‘Nascent’ and the

cataclysmic

ender

‘Eden’,

the

songs have been given a new lease of life. Wrapped up nicely in a shroud of

complex arrangements, endless tone and stratospheric vocals; this can only be

the start of our musical relationship with TesseracT. With the best to come

in the not too distant future, it’s not

there just yet. We’ll have to leave it to Periphery for the time being.

Smile Festival enjoyed its third year last month and it was the best yet. The

event attracted big names to venues

across the city. The organizers released a compilation album with tracks by a

few of the artists. The album offers

a bit of something for everyone, featuring up and coming artists in the

Southampton area. It opens with hip-hop act DIO UK Productions before moving on to pop-punk band Fly, Frankie, Fly,

who are set to appear at this year’s Blissfields and Bestival festivals. The album has Solent student artists such as The Widowmaker, who has appeared at

Camp

Bestival

and

Glastonbury.

With intricate indie melodies through

Cardinals’ ‘Numbers,’ and high-speed electronica in Jenerate’s ‘Symphonic

Cymatics’ this album is a must for music lovers wanting to get the best out of Southampton.

Ben Radcliffe, Richard Cook

www.audio-addict.co.uk

31

FESTIVAL PREVIEW

The sea is sparkling in

impromptu street gigs, unique collaborations

reflecting a City that’s

industry showcases. The festival plays host

bars

and

bustling

venues

with

are

music

lovers on the lookout for the next big thing .

This could only be a summer’s

weekend

in

Brighton and this is The Great Escape Festival.

Starting this

the

season,

internationally

recognised

festival

showcases the best in new

music

with

over

300 bands playing at 30

to a huge diversity of acts, many of whom go

on to be successful the following year or so after. Artists from previous years include

Mumford & Sons, Kasabian, Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah to name just a few.

TGE is not just a music festival; it is also

a music convention, attracting 3000 from across the globe. It features master classes,

networking opportunities and guest speakers such as Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis.

2011’s highlights are set to be acclaimed

Frank Turner and Brit Award winning producer Paul Epworth ‘in conversation’.

venues over the 3 days.

This year’s festival is set to be the most

addicts descend to the

confirmed including Katy B, The Vaccines, Ed

Every May 15,000 audio seaside City to watch the

latest

emerging

talent storm the music world and your IPod’s!

The Great Escape is a breathe of fresh air to the UK festival scene and

your festival experience.

As well as your prearranged gigs there are

1

as well as club nights, label parties and

exciting

yet

with

over

100

acts

already

Sheeran and Mona and Example. Friendly Fires and DJ Shadow are also confirmed to play the infamous ‘Big’ Dome shows.

3 days, 30 venues, 300+ bands – this year’s Great Escape Festival is un missable and you’d be a fool not to attend.

Tickets are just £45. For more info, line up and to buy tickets,

head to www.escapegreat.com

Audio Addict

Rachel Anderson

Picture Credit: The Great Escape Festival

the sumptuous sunshine

LEVELLERS Audio Addict meets up with The Levellers bass player Jeremy ‘Jez’ Cunningham

Audio Addict: So, you’ve been going for the last 23 years, when you started did you see yourself carrying on this long?

Jez: Not really. We didn’t really think about anything other than getting from day to day but, we didn’t not think we would be here. It’s

just something that wouldn’t have occurred to us back in the day.

to friends of ours who come

from

Brighton,

which is where we live.

AA: When can we expect your new album?

Jez:

We’ll

finished of

have

by

the

the

summer

it

end

and

hopefully get it out by this time next year.

Making a record that’s

AA: Was it not a long term plan to start with?

Jez: We wanted to make a living out of music.

If we could sign off the dole that would be great. We’ve always had a plan but we never really thought about it that seriously until it started to happen.

better from

Jez: We’re half way through writing a new song

but we haven’t got any aims we set ourselves.

The last aim we had was to get Beautiful Days,

our festival, up and running, then we sorted out this Levelling the Land tour. Next, I suppose, it’s our 25th anniversary! We’ll probably have a box set or something!

than

the

Letters

Underground

is all I care about. If

we’ve made the best we could, I’d be happy.

AA: Does it bother you that

AA: Do you have plans or a target today?

people

label

you

to your song ‘What a Beautiful Day’?

Jez:

We’ve

Beautiful

Day

played for

years and we do often rest

it.

It

doesn’t

bother me that much as a label. You can’t stop people labelling. What

AA: What keeps bringing you back to Southampton?

Picture Credit: Carolien C

Q&A

people say about us, that’s their business.

Jez: It’s a really nice venue. It’s close enough

Nick Pollard

www.audio-addict.co.uk

33