Issue 11 by Soundcheck Magazine

SOUNDCHECK Issue v2.4 | July 2011

FEATURING:

Signature Maid // This Is Eleven // Carina Round // The Clocktower // Funeral Party // The Whiskey Syndicate // Newton Faulkner & more www.wlv-soundcheck.com

Soundcheck Magazine

INDEX Issue v2.4 | July 2011

Editor: Glenn Rossington glenn@wlv-soundcheck.com Sales: Glenn Rossington glenn@wlv-soundcheck.com Front Cover: Carina Round by GR Designer & Webmaster: Kate Farrell kate@wlv-soundcheck.com Photography: Glenn Rossington Writers: Glenn Rossington Andy Gillard & Kate Farrell Soundcheck Magazine Flat 5 3 Park Avenue Wolverhampton West Midlands WV1 4AH Tel: 07599 475 111 info@wlv-soundcheck.com www.wlv-soundcheck.com

Thank You’s Sincerest thanks go out to Jonn Penney, Press Officer at the Civic Halls Wolverhampton for his assistance in obtaining the various permission in order to cover live events.

Contributions: Article and photo contributions are welcome. Prints and transparencies are sent at the owner’s risk and although every care is taken, Soundcheck accepts no responsibility for loss or damage. Please email photos to: glenn@wlv-soundcheck.com.co.uk (all images must be at least 300dpi) or post them to us. Legal Bit: Copyright ©2011 Soundcheck. All rights reserved. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission from Soundcheck. Information on events, products, reviews and anything else does not nessicarily imply recommendations by Soundcheck. We have done our utmost to make sure all the content in this magazine is correct and accurate, but would emphasise the we, Soundcheck, accept no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. All opinions expressed in this magazine are that of the individual contributor and are not nessicarily shared by Soundcheck Magazine

Index:

P 5-7 News P 8-10 Exposure: Signature Maid: Bespoke Crafting P 12-15 This Is 11: At New Blood P 16-24 Top 100 Tracks of All Time - Part 2 P 26-27 CD Reviews P 28 Local Music Reviews 2nd Side Made & Loutish Lover

Comedy P 30-31 Wolverhampton On The Fringe Live Music P 32-33 Carina Round P 34-35 The Clocktower P 36 Funeral Party P 37 The Whiskey Syndicate P 38 Newton Faulkner P 38 Kasabian Tom Vek P 41 Live Listings P 43-44 Cinema Reviews www.wlv-soundcheck.com

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NEWS Soundcheck Is Now AWARD Winning! As you may have noticed following last month’s issue, our website has recently undergone a bit of a re-jig and is now looking rather fancy and swish, with lots of bits to play with! Well the news we received recently is that our web designer, Kate Farrell, has now won the Express & Star’s Award for “Digital Editorial in Graphic Communications” at this years University of Wolverhampton Degree Show showcase. She will be presented with the award and will get a £100 prize at the graduation ceremony in September. Needless to say that us here at Soundcheck are proud of Kate and her achievement, and the fact that with the most sincere thanks to her, we now have an Award Winning Website! This is just the next step in bringing things into a more accessible means for you guys out there who read the magazine, and trying to make things more interactive. If there is anything you’d like to see added to the site, or you want to get involved with us, please drop us a note and we will have a chat. Afterall, this magazine is for you and your opinion really really matters to us!

Got Some News To Share? If you have an item of news that you wish to share with us, whether you are in a band and have a gig or a new e.p out, let us know! If you know of a band who needs some exposure, wants their live act reviewed and photographed, if you are a solo artist with the same aspirations from your local online music magazine, get in touch! We have the ability to cover you whatever your needs are, use the contact details on the index page to get the ball rolling! www.wlv-soundcheck.com

NEWS Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Noel Gallagher has confirmed at a press conference in London that his brand new album ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ - the first of TWO recently completed albums - will be released through his own label, Sour Mash Records, on October 17th. ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ features ten new songs and was recorded over the past year in London and Los Angeles. It was co-produced by Noel and David Sardy, who Noel has worked with previously. Noel said his band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, will tour this autumn after the release of the album. Noel also revealed in the press conference that he has completed a second album which is a continuation of his collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous. This as-yet untitled album will be released in 2012. The tracklisting for ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ is below: 1. Everybody’s On The Run 2. Dream On 3. If I Had A Gun... 4. The Death Of You And Me 5. (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine 6. AKA... What A Life! 7. Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks 8. AKA... Broken Arrow 9. (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach 10. Stop The Clocks

Henry Rollins Returns Henry Rollins’s spoken word performances – “talking shows” as he calls them – are a seamless mix of humor and outrage; pop culture, political commentary and personal anecdote; healthy skepticism and rugged realism. In describing Henry Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence. “Rollins is many things,” says the Washington Post, “diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humorist, even motivational speaker…his is an enthusiastic and engaging chatter.” Entertainment Weekly’s list includes “Punk-rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ. Is there anything this guy can’t do?” TV Guide has more concisely called him a “Renaissance Man” – but if Henry Rollins could be reduced to a single word, that word would undoubtedly be “workaholic.” For better than a quarter century, Rollins has toured the world as a spoken word artist, as frontman for both Rollins Band and Black Flag and – without a microphone – as a solitary traveler with insatiable curiosity bypassing the resorts in favor of places like Siberia and Senegal, or Burma and Bangladesh. Tickets priced £17.00 are available from Midland Box Office: 0870 320 7000 or online www.wolvescivic.co.uk

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Lucy Rose Wants To Meet You Once in a while a singer comes along who reminds us that the foundations of great, long-lasting music are simpler than we’d like to admit. Lucy Rose is just such a person: deeply musical, scarily direct in her writing, free of hipster-ism and scene allegiance in her outlook and in possession of a uniquely poignant voice. As her growing numbers of early adopting fans already know, her music is a pure thing, and a lovely thing and a thing to get you through the times when the world hasn’t gone your way… Lucy Rose is coming to town and heading for the rather intimate setting fo The Slade Rooms on Wednesday 3rd August 2011. Tickets priced £5.00 are available from Midland Box Office: 0870 320 7000 or online at www.wolvescivic.co.uk

Erasure’s New World Erasure have announced details of a 16 date UK tour this autumn, following the release of a new album, Tomorrow’s World, out on Mute on 3 October 2011. They will be returning to Wolverhampton Civic Hall on their Tomorrow’s World Tour, playing here on Sunday 23rd October 2011.

The Saw Doctors

The award-winning duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell unleashed on the nation a succession of both influential and chart-topping pop anthems. Songs like “A Little Respect”, “Sometimes”, “Victim Of Love”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Chains Of Love”, “The Circus”, and “Breathe,” ensured a formidable presence. Tickets priced £30.00 available from Midland Box Office: 0870 320 7000 or online www.wolvescivic.co.uk

The Saw Doctors is a group of songwriting musicians from the West of Ireland, hell-bent on celebrating, observing, recording and sometimes poking fun at their own locality, accent and idiomatic use of language whilst dressing their songs up in their favourite sounds and styles from their years of musical fandom… In their own words… ‘Born into a repressed, catholic, conservative, small-town, agrarian, angst-ridden and showband infested society we’re trying to preserve the positive elements of our background and marry them to the sounds which have culturally invaded our milieu through TV, radio, 45’s, fast food restaurants, 24 hour petrol stations and electric blankets’. The Saw Doctors play Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on Sunday 11th December 2011, tickets priced £21.50. www.wlv-soundcheck.com

EXPOSURE

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SignatureMaid

If the delights of intricately hand crafted works of art are your thing, then step forward into the world of Signature Maid. The brainchild of West Bromwich artist Joanna Grainger, we took a few moments out with her to discuss her work on your behalf, here’s what she has to say: So what can you tell us about ‘SignatureMaid’? Who is she? And what does she do? ‘SignatureMaid’ has challenged herself to share as much of her creative flair with the world as possible! She has an obsession for collecting, beads, ribbons, fabrics, sequins, lace, canvases, jars, paint. You name it; she’s got it! And mixed with a passion for Textile Design, decorative crafts and all things handmade, she’s raring to create and share! She just so happens to be ME! After a great deal of discussion, I came up with the name to represent me and my work. I am a designer, maker, artist, crafts-person and by selling my work, I am offering a service. A ‘signature’ is something original, I sign all of my work, and my signature is unique and an original marking. My work is all handmade, and initially I decided on ‘Signaturemade’. I changed it to ‘Maid’ to become a service and a title of which I am providing... ‘SignatureMaid’.

Have you always wanted to be a designer/crafts person? I’ve always doodled, painted, constructed and decorated things since I was knee high! So I think I knew from an early age I wanted to do something ‘arty’, that said, it has only been recently that I’ve had the self-confidence to accept I have a talent and that it would be a waste not to use it! Where do the ideas for your various pieces come from? Having studied GCSE Art & Design, A BTEC National Diploma in Art & Design and then specialising more and achieving a HND in Textile Design, all the way through my journey I’ve experimented with all kinds of medium and techniques. Ideas come from everywhere! Past projects, shop window displays, latest fashion trends, stationery, all sorts! And being able to incorporate the knowledge I gained whilst at college and university. My ideas are endless! Is there a specific area of craft that you are interested in, or have yet to try? Oh yes! Ideally I would LOVE to be able to offer some kind of ‘Wedding service’, where by I design and create anything from invites, name places and centre pieces to incorporating my creative sparkle www.wlv-soundcheck.com

and eye for detail by dressing the church pews and reception venues to look just, beautiful. With more self-belief, this is something I hope I can work towards. In the meantime, I still have masses of fields to explore! Jewellery, floristry – (which I’ve already had a go at and love!) and mosaic work are just a few! What drove you to focus on craft making specifically? My drive has been the need to introduce ‘SignatureMaid’ and by creating small tasters in different areas of craft, that is exactly what I have done. What do you find to be most fulfilling about the work you do? The most fulfilling thing is seeing the finished product, feeling happy with it and receiving encouraging feedback. What would you consider to be the least fulfilling aspects of crafting? That would have to be tidying up the mess I have made afterwards! What magazines do you read for ideas? I always have a flick through the Marks & Spencer’s ‘Home & Furniture’ issue; Cath Kidston is another one I like to mooch through. Do you have any favourite styles you like to always use? I am very much a girly girl, who likes her floral

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prints! Floral never seems to go out of fashion and is forever feminine and pretty, so I do use floral quite a bit. I love to use ribbons and beads, sequins galore! I pay particular attention to detail and I am a perfectionist, I like to detail my work using simply a fine liner pen. Is there anything specific you would like to achieve in your career as a crafts person? * Ideally I would like to be more involved in local craft fairs; this is next on my ‘to-do’ list! * Gradually developing ‘SignatureMaid’ as a brand and running alongside a service specialising in bigger occasions such as: weddings. I understand that this is a long term desire. I can only hope, one day to open a small yet successful boutique. How can people contact you for more information? I have a page dedicated to ‘SignatureMaid’ at: www.facebook.com/signaturemaid. If anything on my page does catch your eye, why not e-mail me your feedback? signaturemaid@hotmail.co.uk Signaturemaid.blogspot.com is my online ‘diary’ if you like, archiving everything creative I come across, including updates and photographs of new pieces from ‘SignatureMaid’. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Soundcheck for their time to talk to me and learn more about who I am and what I do. Joanna. Thank You for your time Jo!

www.wlv-soundcheck.com

Soundcheck Magazine

this is

s 11 at

new blood

By Kate Farrell

D&AD New Blood Exhibition

Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London. Thursday 30th June – Monday 4th July 2011

hursday 30th June 2011, the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London opens its doors to the pick of the UK’s creative graduates. Of course, such a festival celebrating the cream of the creative crop would not be complete without the presence of Wolverhampton’s ‘This is 11’ collective. Flying the flag for the West Midlands, with the notable absence of BCU and Coventry, This is 11 put on a vibrant exhibition of cutting edge, innovative artwork, professional enough to rival the likes of the predominant London based graduate exhibitions. www.wlv-soundcheck.com

s readers of the previous issue of Soundcheck may be well aware, This is 11 are a collective of very talented graduate designers from Wolverhampton University, manifesting themselves in changing the world through design, by re-educating the masses, abolishing ignorance and altering the opinion of the creative industries. All enjoyed a very successful weekend, as well as being privileged enough to exhibit with D&AD, the graduates enjoyed many personal successes in their own right. Many representatives from high profile agencies including Pitcher and Sink, Grafik Magazine, The Partners, Poke, Crayon, LBi and Gyro gave inspiring group talks as well as personal advice, portfolio critiques and discussions with the lucky members of This Is 11. The graduates also made commissions from their exhibited pieces, most notably Liam Murphy, selling multiple prints from his ‘International Year of Chemistry’ collection. Amongst all this business networking, the team found time to take part in some healthy competition against fellow exhibitors. A special mention must go out to Shellsuit Zombie – a collective of creatives whose aim is to bridge the gap between the graduate and the professional, and creating opportunities for fresh new talent. This quirky team hosted the ultimate ‘University face off’, setting tasks that pitted talent from across the UK’s best creative courses against each other, officially championing the quick thinkers of This is 11 who ultimately Soundcheck Magazine

reigned supreme. Wolverhampton won two consecutive branding brief concepts, initially promoting a hilarious viral endorsement of Gary Glitter’s post-it notes, followed by the final immense task of thinking up a winning branding campaign for London based advertising agency; ‘Golley Slater’. The agency hailed the idea as a winner, with joint first place going to the very talented Grays School of Art, hailing from Scotland. Both teams were awarded with a well-deserved bar-tab prize at one of Brick Lanes trendy drinking venues. The weekend hosted an immense range of activities and talks, including a zine-making workshop by FeverZine, Cocktail making competitions by top agency Cherry, Calligraphy workshops, Portfolio critiques and lots of fun, games and design related debauchery. New Blood is a fantastic opportunity for young talent to get noticed, network, and generally get yourself out there, it’s fully recommended a visit at least if you’re a dedicated creative. We look forward to 2012… www.dandad.org/talent/new-blood www.thisis11.co.uk

Exhibiting Creatives from This is 11 included: Lisa Barrett www.lisa-barrett.com Kam Chana www.kamchana.com Kate Farrell www.kate-farrell.com Kayleigh Hadley http://cargocollective.com/ kayleighhadley Emmerson Mahoney mahoney38@hotmail.com Meg Mankowska http://cargocollective.com/meg_ mankowska Catalin Margarit http://www.cata-m.com Sian McGivern http://cargocollective.com/sianlilian Liam Murphy http://cargocollective.com/ goldenarmour Satinder Singh http://cargocollective/sat_design Gavin Weir http://cargocollective.com/GavWeir www.wlv-soundcheck.com

Top 100 Tracks

By Glenn Rossington

Of All Time (For The Moment Anyway!)

PT.2

Following on from last issue’s beginning’s, we are moving on to the second part of our top 100 tracks of all time (well for the moment anyway…) feature. Again, these are in no particular order as they are songs that just evoke great memories and fun times to be had by all. Let us know your feedback and whether you think any of thes should/shouldn’t be included, or what you’d replace them with via twitter and we’ll publish your list of top 100 later on! So as with last time, add this next lot to your playlists and crank them up loud for the summer! Soundcheck Magazine

THE FLAMING LIPS

THE FLAMING LIPS RACE FOR THE PRIZE

Admittedly I was late onto the Flaming Lips scene and only caught pu with them around the release of ‘Yoshimi’. ‘Race For The Prize’ though was always one of those songs that I had heard but never knew who by. It has such a happy feel to it, and just fills you with gladness all over. Wayne Coyne’s vocals have never been the strongest, but suit the track perfectly. No one else could do it justice! It certainly has enlightened my life for knowing the Lips.

COLDPLAY SHIVER STEVIE WONDER

Love them or hate them, Coldplay have released some cracking singles over the years. ‘Shiver’ was the song that drew me into them back in the day. Always superior to ‘Yellow’ in my books. I remember them supporting Muse at the Civic Hall back in 2000 promoting this single!

STEVIE WONDER SUPERSTITION

THE SPECIALS GHOST TOWN

BEASTIE BOYS INTERGALACTIC

IAN BROWN F.E.A.R.

What hasn’t already been said about this track? It’s a classic in anyone’s books. Steeped in Motown history, and always guaranteed to get a party started, and pretty much the only song that guarantees me to get on a dancefloor when sober! A very happy memory of this song was one night at Snobs in Birmingham with a couple of mates and we cleared the dancefloor by ‘mod’ dancing… probably VERY badly, hence the clearance!

Many people tend to prefer ‘Sabotage’ to this, but on a personal level, ‘Intergalactic’ is the track the restarted my love for a bit of the Beasties. I had lost touch with them, and the Power Rangers inspired video and the suits just pulled it all back. The humour makes them a more accessible, more sustained and American version of Goldie Looking Chain…

Many people think that this is a track about Coventry, but infact, it is about Glasgow! Inspired by turning up for a gig and seeing an old lady selling all of her posessions on the street, it influenced a wider look at the culture in the UK questioning how we could have got to this state. One of the band’s most iconic tracks, and a staple of the live set from its conception up to the recent comeback reunion shows. Another dancefloor classic.

For those who do not know Ian Brown’s solo career, this is probably the track you need to know. Every line is brilliantly crafted from the initials of the title. Pure lyrical genious. ‘Fallen Empires Are Ruined, Find Earth And Reap’ is a brilliant example. Always goes down well and helped to propel Brownie back into the public gaze with his ‘Solarized’ album. www.wlv-soundcheck.com

SEX PISTOLS DEPECHE MODE GOD SAVE THE QUEEN ENJOY THE SILENCE Punk at it’s most obsurdly best from back in the day. The anti-establishment single was banned by all radio stations and still managed to get to number one in the charts. Jonny Rotten’s delivery is pure spitting bile and demanding. It grabs your attention and you cannot help but listen to it. This is how music changed for the better, not the over polished stuff of today. The rawness in the song is perfect. Everytime it’s played you can imagine them in your front room selling butter… sorry playing it!

Unashamedly electro, everything about the 80’s I hated. Even down to the camp tinged vocals and drum beats, but there is something brilliant about the song. Another guaranteed to get you moving on the dancefloor. It seems to slowly build into a massive crescendo. There have been many nights in Blast Off and Cheeky Monkey where this has become a soundtrack to the evening. On release it sounded futuristic, today it has aged well and still sounds vibrant and fresh.

THE CLASH LONDON CALLING

DIZZEE RASCAL BONKERS

A proper stomp of a song that really gets your feet tapping along to the driving undercurrant. The simplistic chords really power the track along well. The sliding bass in the intro brings you closer then the vocals kick in. A conflict of ‘real London’ vs the showbiz lifestyle. It can be read in so many different ways. Joe Strummer’s sound hushed yet punky and howling. A good time song guaranteed to get you in a party mood.

Soundtrack to summer 2009, after selling out and becoming more mainstream, no one can deny it is a proper party anthem. A song to signify the summer and guarantee a good time amongst all. Always a fan of his earlier material however, it perfectly crosses the bridges between fans of old and fans of new. Aarmand Van Helden did this track wonders.

PINK FLOYD

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL The thunderous grooving bass became almost a trademark of the ‘Brick’ era, but on this track, the haunting school choir and main vocals propell the song into new limits. Couple this with such an iconic video and you don’t need any more of an explanation into why it is a great track. The guitar solo is perfectly sublime too.

GENESIS I CAN’T DANCE

One of the first tracks I remember being used in an advert on tv. The great iconic guitar riff is what drives the song along. Phil Collin’s vocals today sound a little disjointed in parts, but the track brings happy memories from my youth. ‘I Can’t Dance’ set Genesis back into the public domain at the time of release. Accompanied by the stupid ‘walk’ in the video, but nonetheless a stunning track all round.

DEPECHE MODE Soundcheck Magazine

GENESIS

RIHANNA

RIHANNA UMBRELLA

KULA SHAKER TATTVA

LONGPIGS SHE SAID

IGGY POP THE PASSENGER

I cannot put my finger on why, but I think this is a great song. It must have been great for the Manics to cover it back in 2007 too. Such a simple lyric and goes against everything I said about polished material under the Sex Pistols tag, but there are very few exceptions. It really thrust Rihanna into the mainstream after the success of her debut album. This worldwide hit made her a household name and gained her new fans. The addition of Jay-Z is just perfect too.

Back on more familiar ground to me anyway, this is a lost 90’s classic. A hit from back in 1996, it still sounds timeless. Amongst the mix of Mansun, Manics, Supergrass, Oasis and more were these guys. It sounded bit and roared onto the scene. Another soundtrack to nights in Blast Off back in the day. Always a song to get groups of lads hugging and falling over with arms in the air and beer going everywhere.

When this hit the airwaves back in the day, they were so different and cool. The use of Indian influences in modern indie wassomething not touched on since the late 70’s and Kula Shakers use of it was so fresh it propelled them into the mainstream. The song itslef is like a lament to the summer and simplicity of life, but the music behind it is complex. Flanged guitars and that 60’s keyboard sound. A great great track from a fantastic band who are now sadly under the radar but still producing great music.

If anyone has not yet heard his song, do yourself a favour and whack it on your playlist now! A great slice of indie/ rock from one of rock’s greatest frontmen. Forget the tv adverts from today, just concentrate on the music. The vocals are sublime and the guitar riff is one of the most famous in rock ‘n’ roll history. Another song that never fails to gain a reaction from a crowd of people. A proper festival anthem thanks to Iggy’s constant touring. www.wlv-soundcheck.com

SLADE

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS

Wolverhampton’s biggest export to date, and still just as legendary. Noddy’s sideburns and distinct vocals became their trademark. ‘Mama’ actually started life as ‘My My We’re All Crazy Now’ but their manager misheard them according to legend and the new name stuck. I have heard plenty of tales about Slade over the years, but I can only begin to imagine how brilliant their homecoming shows at the Civic Hall were. This and ‘Come On Feel The Noise’ have to be my favourites… ever!

A track from back in 2008 which saw Artic Monkeys frontman and The Rascals frontman join forces to create a retro sounding outfit. This track alone was worth the collaboration. A great jump for Alex Turner, and a great way to make a name for himself in the masses for MIles Kane. Some of the guitar work combined with the drumming does make it sound like Muse’s ‘Knights of Cydonia’ but it is still a great track propelled by the addition of the orchestra.

LED ZEPPELIN WHOLE LOTTA LOVE

THE AUDIO BULLYS ONLY MAN

MAMA WE’ER ALL CRAZY NOW AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT

Another local export, Sir Bob of Stourbridge’s legendary group and once THE biggest rock band in the world. The legendary opening riff is one of the most played all over the world. Robert Plant’s vocals are shown off to full extent on this record and get a full work out across the scales. Amongst others, this track was sampled by P.Diddy and used as the Top of The Pops theme. The breakdown then return to fore is an amazing slice of rock ‘n’ roll history. Soundcheck Magazine

Recently revived thanks to a tv advert, but this Audio Bullys track stood out the first time around. A nice slice of electro-indie that started the crossover and allowed the two genres to mix a bit more. A sublime guitar undercurrant drives the song with electro beats tapping away on top, crossed with asubdued vocal arrangement. Another song that lends itself to the summer feeling. I remember this being quite effective performed live.

DEATH IN VEGAS AISHA

PROCAL HARUM

NEIL YOUNG HEART OF GOLD

DIVINE COMEDY NATIONAL EXPRESS

Another version of a modern dance/indie classic and featuring distinct vocals from Iggy Pop. Death in Vegas lended themselves to the beginnings of electro-indie in the early 2000’s. A great dance track with really haunting lyrics about a murderer stalking a new target. This was massive at the time and ensured a few more hits for the duo. This song really has to be played loud, really loud.

A classic and a moment of modern pop history. Neil Young once part of the legendary Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young quartet, now a mega successful solo artist. A perfect slice of acoustica. Filled with melodrama and sadness, a key player in the singer-songwriter model. Definitely a song for those summer camp-fire nights.

WHITER SHADE OF PALE

Wrongly mistaken as a Christmas song, but always reminds me of Christmas time. A sad lament to a lost love. It is the organ that propels the song along, but the vocals and the lyrics add new dimensions. Hard to believe sometimes that this track is from 1967. Not really a major influence in modern music anymore, and not really a dancey upbeat track, but still a classic in my books.

Divine Comedy were an act who created some sublime yet funny tracks in the late 90’s. This was probably their biggest hit and still sounds great today. Initially done as a joke track, but got blown out of proportions when the nation took it to their hearts. Neil Hannon has to be one of the most underrated performers of modern music.

JERRY RAFFERTY BAKER STREET

Sadly we lost Jerry last year, but this has to be his most iconic release. The saxophone solos through it being one of the greatest in modern history. Jerry’s vocals are sublime and lends itself to the song perfectly.

BOB DYLAN

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ One of the original players in the singer-songwriter mould. Lent himself greatly to the acoustica movement. One of his most poignant singles that encapsulated the era of America and the world. Not being the biggest Dylan fan, this still stands up as one of the greatest tracks of all time.

DIVINE COMEDY

BOB DYLAN www.wlv-soundcheck.com

JIMI HENDRIX NEW ORDER CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC BLUE MONDAY Now a track from the legend of the guitar, he had to be included for both personal reasons and his track alone. Probably my favourite Hendrix track along with ‘… Watchtower’. The speed and frivolity of the vocal delivery add a dynamic to the track’s title, and of course the stunning guitar playing goes without saying! It is a crime that the song only lasts for 2 minutes and 24 seconds though, but the speed of it again goes with the title of the song. A great slice of history.

After Joy Division came New Order. Keeping some of the original Joy Division sound but progressing on further, New Order made more of name for themselves in the mass media eyes. ‘Blue Monday’ became their most loved track amongst hardcore fans. Although very 80’s sounding, it sounded very forward of the times. Although a little dated now, it was given a new spin when Kylie Minogue mixed her ‘I Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ with it at the Brit Awards a few years ago.

JOHNNY CASH HURT

FUN LOVING CRIMINALS

Although the song is originally a Nine Inch Nails track, the delivery was so poignant, especially recorded just before his death. Although a song about passing, this version transcends to be about life in general. Bizarrely uplifting and filled with emotion. The acoustic tinge to the song sits perfectly with everything else he ever did. It sits alongside if not infront of ‘Ring of Fire’ for me in it’s stature.

JOHNNY CASH Soundcheck Magazine

SCOOBY SNACKS

One of the most iconic tracks from the mid 90’s. Huey’s smooth vocals over clips from the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ was different to most things in the charts of the time. It coined the phrase ‘Schmooove’ with all the cool kids holding Huey as a new icon. The change in styles for the chorus added another layer to their performance over the hused spoken tones of the verses. Always a live classic.

RAZORLIGHT GOLDEN TOUCH

The first major single from Razorlight propelled them into the limelight thanks to endless campaigning from the NME and various other magazines. Deemed the nicer friendlier Libertines, they took off on sell out tours off the back of this track. It has a great build up and Johnny Borrell’s delivery was fascinating for a modern performer. The guitar work was a modern classic riff, even though it was nothing too standout looking back. Another Blast Off soundtrack piece that brings back memories.

TOM JONES SEX BOMB

Some may question this track as an inclusion, but quite frankly, it is a great song! Tom’s ‘Reloaded’ album was a fantastic mix of collaborations with artists of the time, but this track with ‘Mousse T’ was a slice of brilliance. Slight disco and slight pop, it showed off his vocals perfectly and how they haven’t changed at all over the years.

BRITISH SEA POWER REMEMBER ME

This is another ‘modern’ classic in the respect that it is still rated today and has been around for the best part of a decade. From the opening bars you can feel the drive behind the song just as the lead guitar kicks in. The vocals match the overall sound of the band, being disjointed and echo the past with a modern twist. Their live shows are a joy to watch in the intimacy of a small venue.

JOY DIVISION TRANSMISSION

Joy Division were the seminal Manchester band. Later giving way to New Order after Ian Curtis’ untimely death. ‘Transimssion’ was one of the ultimate anthems the band created and was always a treat to watch Ian craft his way through the performance.

CATATONIA ROAD RAGE

After the success of ‘Mulder & Scully’, Catatonia were riding high on the crest of a wave which would see them sell out tours across the land following a string of hits. ‘Road Rage’ was another track that helped to launch them to the masses. The chilled and distilled intro and verse before the chorus kicks in being groovy and danceable. But Cerys’ distinct Welsh twang and rolling r’s on the title in the chorus became her trademark. The song has a cracking guitar solo and shows off the delights of Welsh Indie-pop to a tee.

TOM JONES

STEPHEN FRETWELL RUN

‘Run’ had been around for years before it was made famous by Welsh comedy ‘Gavin & Stacey’. It is a sublime slice of acoustic songwriting which really shows of the delicate vocals from Stephen. I remember back in 2002 I saw Stephen support Damien Rice in a Church in London, he was a shy and quiet character and lacked confidence. Oh what a change a few years can do!

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THE BLACK CROWES HARD TO HANDLE

Pure rock ‘n’ roll brilliance is this track summed up in a few words. The guitar slides the listener into this track and Chris’s vocals take over sublimely. I remember buying a ticket to see them at the Civic purely because they were supporting Stereophonics the following weekend and I hoped Kelly would turn up. He didn’t but by the end of the gig I was converted and didn’t care! ‘Hard to Handle’ will always remind me of that gig.

QUEEN

TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN

One of the albums I was brought up on as a child was ‘Queen’s Greatest HIts’. My partents leaned more towards Volume 2, but ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ has always been one of my favourites that was never included. Although I never saw Queen live in any format, I was privilaged to see Brian May & Kerry Ellis perfom this at work and Brian May’s guitar was loud and perfect. It’ll never be the same without Freddie, but it was good enough!

PAUL CARRACK

PAUL CARRACK EYES OF BLUE

Paul Carrack has one of those voices that everyone knows, yet they do not know his name. I came across him via his vocals in Mike & The Mechanics. This solo track of his from his 1996 album ‘Blue Views’ has always been one of my most favourite ever. It is the melody and the piano playing that gets me, Paul’s vocals add the final piece to a perfect track. I urge everyone of you who reads this to give this track a listen to at least once, for me. Soundcheck Magazine

THE COUNTING CROWS MR JONES

I never got in to The Counting Crows heavily but I saw them live twice. Mr Jones was the stand out track everytime. With the exception of their cover of ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, this is their biggest hit. With ‘Mr Jones’ it’s the gentle acoustic feel of a big rock song that propels the track into the fore. The vocals are sugary sweet (for a bloke) and carries the weight of the song along perfectly. This is more of a cult classic than a traditional classic though.

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REVIEWS

Kaiser Chiefs

Foster The People

The Kaisers have returned from a mini hiatus to deliver possibly one of the strongest albums after their debut ‘Employment’ all those years ago. Sounding more mature and focussed than the last album, the break really has done them a bit of a favour.

Foster The People have already gained a fairly big uprising in their native USA, and are starting to make a few waver over here. ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ is the make or break track which really does have a nice summery feel to it. They have been drawing many comparisons to MGMT which they are taking on the chin, but is inevitable really as MGMT were the last band to really capture that ‘Summer Sound’.

The Future Is Medieval

Kicking off with the latest single ‘Little Kicks’ leads in nicely to the rest of the album. A strong and fun single that has been going down well at the Summer gigs so far. ‘Out of Focus’ admittedly sounds like the riff has been stolen off the Manic’s ‘This Is My Truth…’ album, but suits the new tone to Ricky Wilson’s vocals. That is the key to this album, the vocals are more tuneful and less shouty than previous material. ‘Things Change’ and ‘Kinda Girl You Are’ show the range he now has. Someone has been in training for this album, with the objective to impress. It’s working!

Torches

The album ‘Torches’ does take a short while to actually get into, a couple of plays, but when it starts to get a grip, it really does get a grip. ‘Call It What You Want’ has a very disco/pop undertone with undercurrents of hip hop. ‘Don’t Stop’ sounds like it could have been done by either The Dandy Warhols or even Beck.

In my opinion, some of the stronger tracks from the 20 ‘Pick Your Own’ have been left off, but all in all this is a very strong ‘comeback’ for the lads from Leeds. It should prove they are still major players in the live circuit too.

‘Miss You’ does seem to sound like something we could expect from a Chris Martin solo record, but there is a lot of potential from FTP. Whether the British music buying public buy into it though remains to be seen. They are gaining a respectable live reputation and will be over here later in the year touring the record properly. Let’s just hope the success of the single doesn’t overshadow them and become a burden though.

7/10

6/10

Soundcheck Magazine

The Horrors

Incubus

The Horrors have always had a sense of them becoming a modern ‘cult’ band on the Indie circuit. Album three sees another level to this status. They have moved on a bit from the Indie hardcore sound to an almost catchy 80’s synth pop sound.

Incubus are back with new album ‘If Not Now, When?’. In all honesty, I am left asking the question myself, but about the Incubus of old. Their sound has moved on beyond all comparison to their legacy, it’s a dirty phrase, but they’ve moulded into U2 with this release!

‘Still Life’ no matter what angle you look at it from has a sense of Simple Minds about it. The tones in Faris Badwin’s vocals echo Jim Kerr’s perfectly, and is in literally the best vocal point of his career so far. Opening track ‘Changing The Rain’ shows this off perfectly. His voice suiting the sublime synth sound more than previous incarnations of their career.

The main question fans should be asking with this is, ‘Is it really worth the 5 year wait?’ My response would be a disappointing ‘no’. But there is a divide amongst the fans.

Skying

Highlight of the album has to be ‘Take Endless Blue’. It starts off on a bit of an edge, you start to wonder whether it is just album filler, then something explodes and it sounds like a pumped up Oasis with Ziggy Stardust on vocals. It then takes on a new dimension as it slides into grunge and sounds like Neu! and New Order and early Nirvana. Simply sublime!

If Not Now, When?

Tracks like ‘Defiance’ and ‘Adolescents’ are the standouts. “Defiance’ is a quiet acoustic number that shows that sometime being minimalistic is powerful enough. The latter is a stark contrast, it is loud and proud and hints at the old skool rock in them. It has a lot of energy. ‘Friends & Lovers’ is probably the weakest of the album and is too slow and acoustic in comparison to the rest of the album, it just doesn’t fit in.

If this album does not win them a mercury nomination and more exposure, it’s a crime!

Incubus have morphed into a more mature band than of old, but still have the power to try something new, I’m not sure this one worked.

9/10

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LOCAL MUSIC

2nd Side Made

Loutish Lover

50.50.90 starts with strong riffs and instant thumping drums. The vocals kick in and sound rugged and hurt. There is a fantastic rock undertone to this raw track. My only gripe is the drums are ‘too live’ and the guitars could be a little louder in the mix.

Bastards kicksoff proceedings and already we get a sense of the ‘midland twang’ in the vocals, but makes it that bit more endearing!

Scoliosis

Been Too Long starts with a gentle acoustic strum, but has that gentle Nirvana undertone. The vocals don’t stand too strongly on this one until it kicks in at the chorus. Nice fade out at the end after the track builds up. Empty Symptom opens with another strong guitar riff, but sounds better as it’s higher in the mix. The stop/start jagged riff propels the song along with the drumming. Vocals sound more defined and have more of that ‘oomph’ that was missing on the first two tracks. The hushed vocal into a scream works very well too Gemini follows on nicely and keeps the stron vocals, guitars, drums and bass in the mix. The chunky riffs and extra momentum.

Bastards / Victory Song

The opening guitar refrain echoes something that the Libertines would be proud of. In fact with the exception of the harmonied vocals in the chorus, you could mistake this for a lost Libertines demo. The track moves along at a great power and speed, the vocals mixed well with the other instruments and are delivered with a great gust and momentum. Victory Song is taken from a live YouTube video as they only have the last track on their MySpace page atm. They have a fantastic stage presnce and know how to write a song. It is driven along by a thunderous beat and smooth guitar riffs.

2nd Side Made are very much a rock band and should be blowing audiences mind’s very soon!

The Libertines references are still evident, but they have a quota of the famous Manchester swagger too, Very defiant track, sounding like something from the early 2000’s. I am sure as with The Lines we will hear more of these guys.

7/10

8/10

Soundcheck Magazine

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ON THE FRINGE

Sally-Anne Hayward/Susan Murray The Light House, Wolverhampton Time is fast running out for performers now, the Fringe is due to begin with the final previews taking place in Edinburgh just prior to the official launch on August 5th.

Sally-Anne Hayward – Don’t Judge Me

Sally-Anne may be a relative unknown, but according to Sir Norman Wisdom she should be a Superstar. A cheeky smile hides some occasionally barbed gags, such as the every cloud has a silver lining, Jade Goody may be dead, but on the bright side we don’t have to see her mom on TV anymore. Harsh maybe, but lets not get carried away, nothing you haven’t heard worse on Nevermind The Buzzcocks or Mock the Week. She is sort of like a Frankie Boyle mixed with a little Russell Howard, meshing together horrifically dirty tales but then referring to the male genitalia as “his winkie”, a nice dichotomy of character. However, where Frankie may have gone off the ball over the last year or so Hayward’s observations are a lot more succinct and relevant, without being truly offensive. Don’t Judge Me, whilst very funny does lack a bit of Soundcheck Magazine

directionality. The idea of the show isn’t exactly obvious; it is more like a collection of Sally-Anne’s funny musings, which isn’t a bad thing, but there doesn’t seem much of a “journey” with the performer. There are some very funny bits to the show, but it could just do with being tied up a little better, having a thread throughout would give the audience more of the performers personality; whereas as it stood tonight, it was more of a collection of random assortment or tales and jokes. At this years Fringe Sally-Anne will be performing at The Stand III & IV at 12:05-13:05.

Susan Murray’s - Photo Booth

Was a well structured show, taking us on a journey of Susan’s obsession of collecting passport-sized photos; from her early years, through her Goth days to how she is now – peppered between each step of her journey was photo’s of friends, family, ex-boyfriends, complete strangers and hated Christmas decorations. Each collection of photo’s are accompanied by tales and anecdotes, some of which made even funnier by

Susan’s own mother and father being in the audience – her admission to breaking their beloved Singing Santa Clause was a particular treat. Seeing this show in Edinburgh will be very different though, where comedy can be derived in the wonderfully artistic settings of a cinema in Wolverhampton, it is unlikely that The Stand Comedy Club will be quite as appreciative of tales of growing in Willenhall. Taking nothing away from Susan, she is clearly a good comedic performer, having a quote from comedy God, Stewart Lee, on her website surely attests to this, however the promise of the blurb which accompanies this show was somewhat wide of the mark, maybe being a home town show led to some material being ditched in favour of more crowd and (her own) family pleasing routines. Unfortunately Susan’s laptop power had been drained and as the show had an accompanying PowerPoint presentation, the curtain was prematurely lowered on her performance. Better it happened tonight than in Edinburgh though, after all this is why Preview shows are

done, so performers can learn about their shows – on conclusion the only this Susan Murray needs to learn is to plug in the laptop as batteries don’t last forever. The show itself has a wonderful premise of seeing a life through a photo booth lens, and delivers – however, doesn’t quite reach its full potential on this night. Reviewed by Andy Gillard

Want To Review? If you would like to review something you’ve seen in and around Wolverhampton; a new band, a film, something fun and exciting, if you have bought an album and want to send us your thoughts on it, drop us a line at any of the following: twitter.com/wlvsoundcheck facebook.com/wlvsoundcheck glenn@wlv-soundcheck.com www.wlv-soundcheck.com

LIVE MUSIC

Carina Round The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham The name Carina Round might not be very well known around these parts today due to her living out in LA now, but those in the know were in for a treat at Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds venue. Wolverhampton’s ‘girl-gone-stateside’ had returned to the UK to play 2 shows. One in London and one in Birmingham. Here to promote the 10th anniversary of her debut record ‘The First Blood Mystery’ and preview new tracks off the forthcoming, self-financed new album due sometime in the next year. A Carina Round gig is always something a bit special to Midlanders who have grown up with her music as a soundtrack to their lives. Tonight is no exception, in fact it is something of a landmark for Miss Round. It is her first gig back on home territory for 2 years, and her first full band gig for 5 years. Something the crowd here are craving to see and experience again. The power of Carina is something that is really hard to describe. Soundcheck Magazine

Tonight the show opens with a short set from Brummie lad Vijay Kishaw. A talent who reminds me of an early Damien Rice. His vocals are heavenly and slightly ‘other worldly’. It is nice to hear this style of music coming back every once in a while, and his track ‘Tornadoes’ is one that still sticks in my mind now. Next up is the sublime Dan Whitehouse. Playing with a small backing band, he sounds majestic. So with the witching hour upon us, Carina, glammed up in a stunning Blue dress and flanked by additional backing singers takes to the stage and launches into a brand new track called ‘You & Me’. It has a steady build up but keeps the refrain ‘I miss you, I miss you, I do do do…’ ringing in the ears long after it has finished. There is a sense of magic in the air tonight, she seems the most relaxed on stage I have seen her in a long time. It is good to see. Although the move to LA has divided her fans due to the lack of time she now spends over

here, I think it has done her confidence wonders. ‘Motel 74’ strikes up and carries the groove of the opener. An ode to Ryan Adams after a gig they played together in the Flapper in Birmingham many years ago, the line ‘I stole into the eyes of a boy singing the blues’ could relate to no one else. The couplet of two new tracks ‘Girl & The Ghost’ and ‘Pick Up The Phone’ show that her songwriting has retained the depth and humour from the first days of her career, and still show so much more is yet to come. A new version of ‘How I See It’ and the majestic ‘Paris’ close the first half of the set, and then comes the very very special treat. Midlands legend and frontman of The Wonderstuff, Mr Miles Hunt strides on stage. Him and Carina then proceed to play a duet recorded 10 years ago for Miles’ solo record. ‘Four To The Floor’ has only ever been played live with the two of them once before tonight. It is so nice to see the two friends enjoying

playing together and giggling amongst themselves. As Miles leaves the stage, her band return and play another newie ‘Mothers Pride’ which Carina enforces is NOT about her Mum who is in the audience tonight. ‘Into My Blood’ closes the set and sounds as vital and as urgent as ever. A great set closer. The band walk off then instantly return for an encore. We are given a choice of songs, but it is the úber rarity ‘On Leaving’ that the audience goes for. Carina’s performance is spectacular, screaming and wailing, stomping around and putting her heart and soul into it. After the 10 minute performance ends, the audience are left very very happy. It is a rarity these days that Carina returns home to play for us, but next time you see her advertised, do yourself a favour and go and see her. You won’t regret it! Reviewed by Glenn Rossington www.wlv-soundcheck.com

LIVE MUSIC

The Clocktower Alchemy, Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is slowly beginning to crawl out of the woodworks on the music circuit. Not since the likes of Slade and Led Zeppelin have we had a proper INdie band to lead the way. But after the success of The Lines last year, step forward The Clocktower. A bunch of lads steeped in Mod history and approve of the Mod way of life are beginning a revival if Saturday night at Alchemy was anything to go by. The venue was fairly full following a recent closure and change of hands, which is great because it is a fantastic venue. Tonight we are treated to a Beatles inspired ‘rooftop’ gig in the back bar/garden area. The last Rooftop gig in Wolverhampton was back in the early 2000’s by a Beatles tribute act, I think to promote the lauch of the ‘1’ album if memroy serves me correctly! Anyway, with the advancement of technology, tonight the people ‘on the floor’ are able to get up close and personal with the band via a giant video screen which Soundcheck Magazine

also means that the band can watch themselves playing at the same time. Billed as a 9pm start, the first support; Luke Brown takes to the stage nearer to 10.30. We are treated to a variety of acoustic covers and a couple of solo tracks which to be fair sound cracking. The boy can sing and play and entertains the crowd no end. Next up we get a full band set from The Underground who again have a bit of a swagger and play more original material amongst a few covers. I cannot help but feel that their set though was muddy in sound though at the start. By the mid-way point though, all was clear and sounding far much more relaxed. At this point I venture down into the bar and audience to soak up the atmosphere. There is a real party mood going on and everyone saying just how great it is to have a rather unique gig happening here in Wolves tonight. It did have an air of something special to be fair, and all credit must go to Dave, the

Clocktower’s manager who’s thought and drive behind the night mnaged to get a good following. Good promo works, simple as! So onto the main act, The Clocktower take to the stage as the sky is clear and the revellers below are geared up for some tunes. Opening with ‘Nostalgica’ and ‘Trouble In Your Eyes’ shows that they hold a wealth of material and credible songwriting to match the big guns. Singer Ryan has a special voice. Sounding loud and proud, there are echoes (amongst others) of Noddy Holder. There’s something about the ‘Yam Yam’ growl that sets them aside from everyone else. To spice the set up a little, they have added a few covers to the setlist. The first is a nod to the Beatles’ own rooftop gig and a cover of their ‘I Saw Her Standing There’. Ryan’s voice lends itself nicely to the tone of the song and certainly gets the crowd enjoying themselves. ‘She Got Scatters’, ‘Other Side of The Coin’ and

‘Pink Dotted Rose’ again show the strength of their individuality. I am certain that with the right PR people behind them and a wealth of support from back ‘home’, these lads can begin to make a decent name for themselves on the live circuit. ‘That’s Entertainment’, ‘You Really Got Me’ and ‘Wonderwall’ pad the set out into a ‘modfest’, but it’s their own tracks again, the sublime ‘Lucyella’ and the riotous ‘Suburbia Skies’ that add element and fire to the night. Anyone can bang out a cover or two, but alongside their own material, they become their own songs too. The Clocktower played a frivolous set and I think will be the next success story for Wolverhampton. Keep an eye out for these guys and help to build the fanbase. They are destined for bigger things and if tonight’s performance is anything to go by, it won’t be long before it takes off and we see them selling out bigger and bigger venues! Reviewed by Glenn Rossington www.wlv-soundcheck.com

LIVE MUSIC

Funeral Party The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton I admit that tonight I was a bit disheartened. not with the gig/band itself, but with the lack of a crowd! For a band that are making HUGE waves at the moment, the succcess of ‘New York Moves To The Sound of LA’ in the charts, the appearance at almost every festival that opened the festival season this year, it was a shame that the venue was barely half full! I arrived as the support act finished unfortunately, so this time I can’t review them for you. But FP took to the stage a mere five minutes earlier than scheduled which might account for the lack of bodies in the room! They walked on to a played out sample and kick off the show with title track off the album ‘The Golden Age of Nowhere’. The mini mosh pit down the front, aware of the band’s reputation to put on a lively show, are really going for it, which catches a wry smile from frontman Chad Elliott. This New York band know just how to get a party started. The opening track segues Soundcheck Magazine

into the recent single ‘NY Moves To The Sound of LA’. (Admittedly at this point I look behind me and the room is a lot fuller, but still nowhere near selling out). The band are a lively bunch when performing live. Chad in particular, jumping all over the place and leaning across the edge of the stage singing into the microphone, just that little out of reach to the fans on the barrier. Tracks like ‘Postcards’, ‘Car Wars’ and ‘Giant Song’ show how strong their songwriting is and just how ‘punchy’ the album is. ‘Finale’ receives a massive cheer in it’s mid set place. ‘Came To Tell You’ closes the set before ‘Just Because’ closes the night. So as the night closes, it’s fair to say that not many were here, but to those who were, it was special performance, count yourselves lucky. Next time it will sell out! Reviewed by Glenn Rossington

The Whiskey Syndicate The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton It is always good to see a local act gaining a good bit of recognition, and tonight it is the turn of The Whiskey Syndicate, playing as part of the regular ‘Emma Scott Presents…’ series. Special mentions go out to the two of the three support acts I saw, Spearmint 6 and Mantis Defeats Jaguar. Spearmint 6 were a great little act. They had some hefty tunes and the dual vocals between the two guitarists were a good contrast, yet worked well together. My only criticism may have been how static they were, but it might have been nerves at the end of the day. I will certainly be checking them out again, they have a lot of potential in them! Mantis Defeats Jaguar are simply one of the most striking acts I have seen in a while. Covered in body paint and jumping all over the place whilst applying WBR to rock and metal riffs. Certainly something a bit different for me! It even shows how down to earth they are when the

singer admits to leaving the setlist back in the dressing room too! A short improvisation later and they’re back in full swing. So onto the headliners. The are billed as ‘The Loudest Act In The Midlands’ and I am not going to dispute that! Amps turned up to 11 and yes, they know how to rock! The first two tracks blend into one and are filled with wondrous riffing and loud vocals. The Bass player holds my attention for his wanna be Gene Simmonds sticky out tongue-isms and mini Gene doll sat on his amp. They sound like a mix between ACDC and Metallica, which is not bad thing at all. They certainly kept the crowd’s attention and put on a damn good performance. It will be interesting to see where all of these bands go to next, so make sure you catch them at some point. Reviewed by Glenn Rossington www.wlv-soundcheck.com

LIVE MUSIC

Newton Faulkner The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton The venue for the evening was the intimate setting of the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton. It was full to the brim owing to the release of more on the door tickets. The stage was full of Faulkner’s amazing set up (foot pedals galore). Which for support David Ford meant a lot of leaping about! Which only added to the eccentric way in which he creates his music. Having seen Newton once before at the Victoria Halls, Stoke I was prepared to enjoy some fabulous music and a laugh. His on stage presence is huge, which is staggering as he’s one person with a bunch of guitars. Using his feet (socks only) to supply backing to the amazing sounds from his guitar you’d be fooled into thinking he had a full accompaniment. Playing songs from both albums (Hand Built by Robots and Rebuilt by Humans) the crowd we’re suitably pleased. In addition teasing us with snippets of new songs, and treating us to his version of Bohemian Rhapsody (something of a party trick). His friendly approach to performing is Soundcheck Magazine

echoed in the way he shares stories, both through his songs and the anecdotal nature of his audience rapour. The evening wasn’t short of events either, with marriage proposals (she said yes!) And someone fainting. It spoke volumes for Newton that he listened to the calls of “someone’s fainted” and he made sure all was well before continuing. This wasn’t the only audience participation with dance moves alongside UFO and pogoing and rabid one legged hostile tribes people upon an island (we were pirates getting closer) scaring them with our passionate singing of Gone in the Morning. All in all it was a beautiful evening of music and chatting, humbling to see someone with such success being so down to earth. With no encore (he did say if we needed to we could pretend it had happened) you get the sense that he has a handle on reality and a sensible grasp of the qualities that make him unique. Reviewed by: Katy Smith

Kasabian

Tom Vek

As a preview to the Isle of Wight festival a few days later, Kasabian return to the intimate setting (for them) of the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Last but one night of a 4 date mini tour, they are also previewing two new tracks off their forthcoming new album due in September.

Having taken a 5 year hiatus since his breakthrough debut, “We Have Sound“, it would be fair to assume that Tom Vek might have to work hard to drum up a big following at new tour dates. But it seems that Vek’s debut has managed to maintain a very strong cult fanbase, and coupled with quality new album “Leisure Seizure” and the excellent singe A Chore, the Institute fills up quickly with a mix of early noughties indie fans (now a little older and perhaps smug that they were there first time around) and a new generation of kids looking for a more interesting alternative to Friendly Fires-style landfill dance-rock.

The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Opening with ‘Club Foot’, there is already a sense that they have rejigged their set and are gearing up for the masses again. Tom Meighan has the crowd in the palm of his hand within seconds. ‘Underdog’ and ‘Shoot The Runner’ signal mass singalongs. The night is going to be a loud one! First new track (and the new album title) ‘Velociraptor!’ is as catchy as hell. A short stomp through a mix of Glam and Indie sees Tom shouting ‘Velociraptor, he’s gonna get ya, he’s gonna eat ya’. Not the best lyrics in the world… but the music stands taller. ‘Cutt Off’ and the gentle acoustic ‘Thick As Thieves’ follow and bring the raging temperature in the venue down a little bit, allowing everyone to breathe. The only problem tonight is the fact it has been one of the hottest days of the year so far and subsequently it is boiling inside the Civic Hall.

The HMV Institute, Birmingham

Vek rifles through his hour long set with a minimum of fuss, and little interaction with the crowd. The new songs from “Leisure Seizure” come across strongly, especially the sudden burst of speed midway through A.P.O.L.O.G.Y and the ping-pong bounce of Aroused. Of course, the biggest crowd reactions are saved for tunes from his debut, especially the storming I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes, but all the old songs seem to have much more weight to them. Vek’s band are adept at beefing up the tunes, and as he closes out with A Chore the crowd are left baying for an encore. It’s a shame Vek doesn’t give it to them, but doesn’t that old adage say ‘always leave them wanting more’? If that’s the case, mission accomplished.

‘Empire’ allows the band to steadily rebuild the pace again, getting everyone up from their seats to join in the mass moshing down in the stalls. ‘I.D’ crashes in and ‘Fast Fuse’ ends the frantic trio of tracks. ‘Vlad The Impaler’ brings on the stomps and arms in the air again, I hear one naive young sol next to me ask her dad ‘Where’s the man with the face paint’? I could not help but let a smile cross my face on hearing this. Then remarkably, moved from it’s traditional place as the concert closer, ‘L.S.F’ is played to end the main set. It allows the audience to sing the refrain for about 6 minutes whilst the band tease us with an encore. Returning to the stage, they open with the more interesting of the two new songs, ‘Switchblade Smile’. It sounds more industrial than anything they’ve done previously, but is so much better for it. “Stuntman’ follows on. Serge takes to the mic and treats us to a full rendition of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’, before Tom returns for the final closer of ‘Fire’. It works so much better with this set change, and still leaves everyone singing the refrain. I’m interested to see what comes of the new album… Reviewed by Glenn Rossington

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LIVE LISTINGS What’s On In

Wolverhampton? July 13th 13th 14th 14th 15th 15th 16th 16th 16th 18th 19th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 23rd 23rd 23rd 26th 26th 27th 27th 27th 28th 29th

Bad Religion OFWGKTA Macca Band Tribute And So I Watch You The Best Elvis… Hill Valley High Blast Off Clubnight Hookah The Fuzz Hard House Element Who’s Who Vintage Trouble Tom Tom Club Slash Judas Priest Catch The Rainbow Dream Theater Blast Off Clubnight Loutish Lover We Are The Ocean Wish Anti-pop Consortium Wish Room 94 Ash We Start Partys Quill

Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall Birmingham HMV Library Bilston Robin 2 Birmingham HMV Temple Bilston Robin 2 Birmingham HMV Library Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Birmingham HMV Institute Bilston Robin 2 Birmingham o2 Academy 3 Birmingham HMV Library Birmingham o2 Academy Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Birmingham o2 Academy 2 Wolverhampton Civic Hall Birmingham Hare & Hounds Wolverhampton Civic Hall Birmingham o2 Academy Coventry Kasbah Birmingham HMV Temple Bilston Robin 2

30th 30th 30th 30th 30th 31st 31st 31st 31st

Blast Off Clubnight European Folk Night You & What Army? Johnny 2 Bad Summer Sounds Boxing Bollywood & Bhangra A Day Overdue Athlete – Stripped Back

Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Bilston Robin 2 Birmingham HMV Institute Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall Birmingham o2 Academy 3 Birmingham HMV Library

August 2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 5th 5th 5th 5th 6th 6th 6th 6th

Eli Paperboy Reed The Jayhawks Lucy Rose

Birmingham o2 Academy 2 Birmingham HMV Library Wolverhampton Slade Rooms The Raghu Dixit Project Birmingham HMV Institute Carribbean & Ska Night Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall Everybody Looks Famous Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Vintage Glamour Night Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall Cheeky Monkey Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Queen on Fire Bilston Robin 2 Jello Blafra Birmingham o2 Academy 2 Blast Off Clubnight Wolverhampton Civic Hall The Rimes Wolverhampton Slade Rooms Jameson Raid Birmingham o2 Academy 2 Kaduga Birmingham HMV Temple

CONTACT DETAILS: The Civic/Wulfrun/Slade Rooms:

w: www.wolvescivic.co.uk t: 0870 320 7000 e: boxoffice@wolvescivic.co.uk

The Robin 2:

Birmingham HMV Institute:

w: http://venues.meanfiddler.com/hmv-institute/home t: 0843 221 0100

Birmingham Hare & Hounds:

w: www.therobin.co.uk t: 01902 401 211

w: www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk t: 0121 444 2081 e: info@hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

Birmingham o2 Academy:

Coventry Kasbah:

w: www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk t: 0844 477 2000 e: mail@o2academybirmingham.co.uk

Soundcheck Magazine

w: www.kasbahnightclub.com t: 024 7655 4473 e: info@kasbahnightclub.com

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CINEMA 6/10

Green Lantern Green Lantern is a character which has been around almost as long as Batman and Superman, however has never had the light shone onto him, in fact it wasn’t until Geoff Johns came onto the comic in 2005 that the Green Lantern moved up to Comic Book royalty, whilst not in King Superman or Queen Wonder Woman’s league, the Green Lantern was definitely becoming the heir to their throne. Hal Jordan (Reynolds) is the first Green Lantern of earth; there are actually 3600 members of the Green Lanterns Corps throughout the universe, they act as an intergalactic police force keeping their sectors safe. Whilst in sector 2814, Abin Sur is fatally wounded, and crashed on planet Earth, the sentient ring which Abin Sur wore then searched for a replacement: enter “Highball” Hal Jordan. The only thing which a Green Lantern must be able to do is to be able to overcome great fear and fear is something Hal has dealt with throughout his life in the Air Force and as a Test Pilot. The antithesis of Hal Jordan is Hector Hammond (Sarsgaard), where Hal is handsome and heroic, Hector is fearful and weak willed; but, whilst Hector is autopsying the body of Abin Sur he becomes infected with the fear entity – Paralax. Even though the movie was 2 hours long it flew by, from the moment the ring chose Jordan as the next Green Soundcheck Magazine

Reviewed by Andy Gillard Lantern of sector 2814 the rest of the film zooms past, which is unfortunate really as there is a lot of story to tell. Green Lantern is an epic tale on a grander scale than even Star Wars, Green Lantern needed an extra hour to let the tale unfold, but rather than that the story was crammed into a two-hour run time, thus cutting short Kilowog (Clarke Duncan), Tomar-Re (Rush) and Sinestro’s (Strong) screen time, Kilowog and Sinestro especially are important characters in the Green Lantern Universe and deserve the screen time. Whilst Green Lantern has received some exceptionally sniffy and hoity-toity reviews, whilst it may not be Shakespeare it is not Ed Wood either. A lot of recent reviews seem to show the extremes of the reactions to the film, inevitably it falls somewhere between the two. It is good, but not great; going the Christopher Nolan route of putting the story foremost should have been done, however it feels like there was a bit too much studio intervention in keeping the running time down and not letting the story evolve, something which is vital in this series as it is very densely layered, so the casual fan is missing out on a lot of back story here. All in all, Green Lantern is a good pilot for what is sure to be an epic series of films. Whilst it has its problems there is enough evidence here to believe that the future will herald the brightest day for this franchise.

7/10

Xmen: First Class The X-Men film franchise started with solidly in 2000, unfortunately since then it has been in a slow decline, gradually getting worse and worse ending up with the disorganized X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). First Class then was the film which studio execs were hoping would revitalise the franchises aching limbs. The original plan was to do a trilogy of X-Men Origins films, starting with the Wolverine movie and then to do a film about a young Magneto - X-Men Origins: Magneto eventually became X-Men: First Class. First Class is less about X-Men as a team and more about Professor X/Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Fassbender), so much so, it could be easily re-titled, X-Men: When Charles Met Erik. First Class starts with the tales of a young Magneto and Professor X and their very different backgrounds; the privileged Charles and the holocaust surviving Erik, the film is about how two people from very differing backgrounds can become friends, if only for a short while. First Class is set in 1962, at the height of the Cold War and Sebastian Shaw (Bacon) and the other members of the insidious Hellfire Club are trying to engineer World War III; a plot which CIA’s Moira MacTaggart (Byrne) stumbles upon whilst investigating the Hellfire Club’s nefarious activities, also whilst inside their inner sanctum MacTaggart inadvertently stumbles upon the existence of the next stage of evolution. Seeing a woman turn

Reviewed by Andy Gillard into diamonds leads MacTaggart to finding an expert in genetics – namely Xavier. Bringing Xavier and his friend Raven Darkholme/Mystique ((Lawrence) over to America, and starting a group of super-powered mutants, including The Beast (Hoult). Originally, Bryan Singer was due to return to the directors’ chair; Singer was the director of the X-Men and X2 (2003), leaving the 3rd film for Bret Ratner whilst he went off to butcher the Superman film, killing the franchise before it started. Instead, Singer decided to take a more hands-off approach on this movie by taking a Producers role and leaving the writing to Jane Goldman and the directing to Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn and Goldman have worked wonders together previously collaborating on the excellent Stardust (2007) and the superlative Kick-Ass (2010); unfortunately this First Class doesn’t quite live up to either of their previous. Best bits of this film are when Xavier and Lensherr are together, which ironically is the same as the original films. Whilst McAvoy and Fassbender may not have quite the same gravitas as McKellan and Stewart, they have captured the essence of their characters much like Sir’s Ian and Patrick managed to. Whilst the film will not go down as a great Comic Book movie, it is still the strongest in the X-universe and does leave the audience with the feeling that there is a bright future for the franchise. www.wlv-soundcheck.com

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