The Monograph - Issue#07 by The Monograph Music Magazine

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

hen the Monograph went out of print, I felt disheartened, as though years of energy was for nothing, It wasn’t until it went that I realised how much this magazine means to me. The thing that gives me the most joy and I appreciate more than anything is how so many photographers, writers, venues and musicians give up so much of their time. They go out of their way to offer their support and help put together this magazine. I would like to thank Jon Dodd for trusting me to continue with The Monograph print and cannot thank him enough for everything he has done to get us to this point. I look forward to moving forward but could not do so without my team. Alex Scoppie and Scott Choucino have saved my bacon more times than I can count. We have an amazing competition for you guys this issue thanks to Premier drums and new events taking place the first Friday of every month at the O Bar. I hope you enjoy reading our brand-spanking new magazine.

ince the last issue of The Monograph was published, lots has happened in Leicester we’ve lost Summer Sundae but gained Simon Says, the city’s been nominated as City of Culture 2017, and then there was that whole thing with Richard III being found under a car park round the corner from Rockaboom. Never a dull moment here! We’ve also seen a lot of new bands and solo artists popping up on the scene, as well as some familiar faces returning, and it was this (coupled with the tenacious leadership of Tash, without whom this magazine would not exist) that prompted us to drum up support, fire up the printing press and return to the fray. We’re honestly glad that we did, as everyone who contributes to this magazine enjoys what they do and we all feel that this city’s fine, sometimes forgotten music scene deserves some dedicated fish and chip wrapping masquerading as constructive criticism. We hope you continue to support local music, and if you’re new to the city’s scene (Hi there, students!) we really hope you take the time to investigate it - there’s a lot here to love.

dine Tash Walker

Alex Scoppie

TEAM MONOGRAPH CO-EDITOR: Tash Walkerdine - t.walkerdine@themonograph.co.uk CO-EDITOR: Alex Scoppie - a.scoppie@themonograph.co.uk FEATURES EDITOR: Raegan Oates - r.oates@themonograph.co.uk EVENTS: Mark Lisle- m.lisle@themonograph.co.uk CO-FOUNDER: Jon Dodd - j.dodd@themonograph.co.uk FONTS: NEVIS, LATO, FUTURA STD BOOK PRINTED BY: SHARMAN PRINTERS

MAGAZINE DESIGNERS: Jon Dodd, Tash Walkerdine GIG GUIDE DESIGNER: Scott Dillon COLUMNISTS: Gabby Miller, Alex Scoppie, Mark Lisle, Raegan Oates, Tiernan Welch COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Scott Choucino FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITING: Scott Choucino & Tash Walkerdine PHOTOGRAPHERS: Scott Choucino, Gareth Dakin & Paul Barrett - Rococo Imaging, Amy Brammall, Davey Wilson WRITERS: Alex Scoppie, Mark Lisle, Liam Sexton, Raegan Oates, Gabby Miller, Becca Bryers, Lindsey Kent, Jessamyn Witthaus, Glyn Allen, Gareth Dakin, Rachael Scarsbrook, Maria McDonald, Becca Lunn, Jordan Thompson

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Angus Wallace. Danny Lint, Nigel Roberts, Jon Dodd, Colin Tennant - Premier Drums, Lesley Pilling, Emma Ward, Jack Richardson, Laura Walkerdine, Nick Sharpe, Tom Hodgson. Ben, Lauren, Melanie & Joe - Orange Tree Group. Gaz Birtles, Warren McDonald, Ryan Button, De Montfort Hall, Dan Nicholas, Simon Walsh, Tom Williams & Jon Dodd.

7 9 11

31 Boy Kid Cloud 34 Nijah 35 Haus 36

Team Picks: Clubs/White Giant Spotlight

Buskin’ makes me feel good

Tattoos are for sailors & women of the night

14/15

The Monograph asks...

Surrender the Coast/ By the Rivers

40 The Non music

19 Getting... Technical 20

fans guide to...

Chris Karloff: Black Onassis

The Interrobang: The Daydream Club

45 Where it’s at 46 The Soundcheck 58 Gig Guide 62 Crossword 63 WIN!!!

26 Blurred Lines 29 The less glamorous side of the music industry

30 Demons of Ruby

Premier Drum Kit

Mae

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CLUBS C

lubs, a five piece band from Leicester, are Joe, Dan, CJ, Ben and Chris. They’ve created a sound that we absolutely love. “Progressive, Patience is a virtue” – this is how Clubs describe themselves, and it’s very fitting to their music. We had a brief chat with the guys, this is what they had to say…

time. That kind of sums us up, we’ve been pretty lucky so far. We have seen the video and it’s up on Monograph.TV what was it like shooting your first video? Strange, really cold to, we were outside on top of a car park for an hour or two and it was the coldest day in February. It’s nice to do those things though because we always like to feel like the visual side of things represents our music well, and really adds to the whole imagery of the band.

Why not Spades? Probably could have been, the list of names was pretty big. Just luck we suppose. We like to think we’re up-to-date and dancey - Dan hated it!

Is it enough to be a good band these days? Or do you need to know the right people to get anywhere? You can’t have one without the other. You’ve got to be a good band otherwise you’ll get found out at some point, and people can see through it. But yeah it definitely helps to know people. Getting to know the people is hard, but if you apply yourself in the right way you can make things happen. You could be the best band in the world but if you’re not willing to say “Hi” to someone that has a genuine interest in what your doing then what’s the point? The more you give the more you get.

You have been together a year, what do you hope you will have accomplished this time next year? We’re not entirely sure, as we didn’t expect the reaction we’ve received so far. So probably to be better than we are now, live and on record, and venture out into other cities. To play some shows with good bands and people we look up to would be nice too. Also more festivals, preferably when the sun is going down, because that’s when all the best things happen and things start to get weird.

So what’s the future for Clubs? We wanna be bigger than the internet! Failing that, we’d like to be self sufficient, whatever happens we want to be able to give up the shitty day job. We also wanna become best mates with Steven Fry or Tom Hanks. Or Bieber! Justin Bieber is the future of rockn’roll! (At this point an argument begins between band members and the interview stops)

Talk us through how you write your songs. It’s really just organised chaos. For the song ‘Colour’ we’d been canoeing all day and were late for practise, and we just quickly came up with this rolling riff. It was crap to start with but eventually we just developed it, and that’s how a lot of them come together to be honest! Pick a film which best reflects your band and why? Forrest Gump, because he doesn’t really know what’s happening, but somehow manages to fall on his feet all the

Words: Tash Walkerdine/Alex Scoppie Photo: Scott Choucino

WHITE GIANT J

agged, pulsing guitar music floats out across the streets of Loughborough a couple of nights every week, emanating from homely real ale pub The Organ Grinder. Inside its hideously wallpapered upstairs room, four lads from northern Leicestershire who go by the name of White Giant can be found hard at work.

straight-ahead rock, Colin loving hip hop and funk, Elliott digging old blues records and Kieran favouring folk. Their new EP, Shadows, reflects this variety according to Elliott: “We could have gone for similar songs but we wanted a cross section instead, so we’ve got a dark, dancey track on there, something harder and rockier, something softer and one track that sounds like gypsy rock – each one’s different.” They’ve already had one of these tracks, the angular, breathless Need To Know played by the BBC’s Dean Jackson on his show The Beat, and are eager to progress. Colin describes where they are now as “a transitional stage.” “We should have enough good material for an album soon, and we want to get down to London, do some shows there, grab a manager, that would be the ideal.” he says, before Liam clarifies with, “We’re under no illusions though, we know it’ll be hard work. But we think we’re ready.” Along with their tight sound, White Giant are becoming recognised for the distinctive, intricate, geometrical artwork on their EPs and t-shirts. “My mate Martin Rayment from Oblivion Art does them,” says Kieran, “and hopefully they’ll evolve and get more colourful with each release we put out.” The band have played several shows already in the Midlands – especially Loughborough and Leicester, often with Melton blues rockers Cream Tangerine and young funkers Mattayoux, both of whom the band rave about. “We love Leicestershire’s music scene, and we feel it’s been so supportive to us,” says Colin, “and though we started with a lot of friends coming to our gigs we feel that now we’re getting noticed more for our own merits.” Liam is warier however, “We don’t really know though people might just be being nice to us and really thinking we’re shit !” Trust us guys: they’re not, and they don’t.

“This place has been instrumental in our coming together,” explains drummer Colin Miller, “we get to use it for free because Elliott (Briggs, guitar) works on the bar. We sometimes stay here for hours, just coming up with riffs, forming them into songs and getting them as tight.” It’s a tactic that’s paying off – White Giant’s sleek, funky indie sets are turning heads wherever they play, and drawing compliments from their peers. “Bands we play with live say they can tell we practise a lot,” say Elliott, “and it lends itself to the way we write songs – each time we rehearse we’ll come in with no expectations and by the end there’ll be a new song.” The band’s other members, bassist Liam Jones and singer/guitarist Kieran Fowkes met at Leeds University where Kieran was busking, and through various pub job connections Elliott and Liam joined up in 2012 to play some of Kieran’s songs at a gig. Rather than being referred to as “Kieran + Band”, Liam suggested White Giant, and the name stuck. “After that first gig we quickly realised we had the potential to mix things up a bit more, so we all started pitching in with ideas during our sessions and it just fell into place,” says Liam. Their debut, eponymous EP came out just a few months ago.

Words: Alex Scoppie Photo: Rococo Imaging

They’re a musically diverse bunch, with Liam enjoying

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o hopefully some of you music people like listening to podcasts? Yeah? No? Does anyone really care? Well, John Sinclair from BBC Radio Leicester is doing a podcast about the Leicester music scene. Believe it or not, it’s called the Leicester Music Podcast. The Monograph’s Mark Lisle spoke to John about it. He said this:

complete crap. I’ve had rap artists on recently. I think I’m a bit John Peel-y. Actually I interviewed him in ‘92 - I went to Radio 1 to do that! I used to see him at festivals, as I used to do a Friday night show, between ‘91 and ‘96, then I went onto football commentary, then I did local and national bands on Sundays, people like 10cc. I think I had Skam come in once, and they mentioned Kevin Gaughan and that’s how the old show happened. Then last year, everything changed, the station decided that the show wasn’t pulling in the audience at Radio Leicester. So they made me do November and December, and then that was that. But you have to go through things like that, and now I’m thinking, “I’ve got the podcast, that’s doing well, I’m doing what I like to do, so I’m happy.”

Tell me about the latest podcast. Well, we’re at 2,497 views… as of two minutes ago. The most we’ve had before that is about 500 or so - I was okay with that. Then it went on YouTube and it went crazy. I’m waiting for it to hit 2500. It’s at number 9 now, it started in April this year and I’ve been doing it as much as I can since then.

So locally, who stands out? I like The Fores at the moment, The Tennysons too, they have like a rough edge 70s punk style attitude, The Faces are a bit like that, they were pretty drunk when they played Strawberry Fields Festival. I can’t really favourite people though; I’m not interested in favouring people.

Where did the idea of the podcast come from? The whole idea came out of not having my old show (on BBC Radio Leicester). Kevin Gaughan left for Takeover Radio, and we’ve kind of formed a bit of an alliance now, he mentions my show, I mention his, it’s all about trying things together. It’s nice that it’s gone a bit viral, as it’ll help out everyone involved. The Tennysons were on the last one, and they have a great following in the city, so it’s hard to know how it’s got around. I do the interviews the same as a radio show; it’s just a radio show on demand, and it’s all the same process. We had the Simpletones on last week, who covered Bastille, but due to legal issues I could only play a few seconds. We’ve had people downloading it all over the world - America, Japan, all kinds of places!

How do you feel about the local music scene? Well I did Summer Sundae last year, and that was a brilliant festival for the local scene as it attracted national acts. The issue that the Leicester scene seems to have is bands getting people into the venues. I’m planning to do some more gigs with O2 academy, I had The Fores and The Javelins last year there, and not many people showed up, so I said to the bands, “You need to work hard, flyer and poster, promote, and you’ll get people at your gigs.”

You seem to be the only people in the city that are doing an audio podcast? Well, it’s a crazy thing to say as it’s only just started, but why can’t every bloody city do one? It’s a way of unsigned bands getting out to the public, and it’s a kind of normal environment for me, with my radio history. I actually spoke to Pukaar news yesterday, and they said they’ll be fine with me doing a nonstop Leicester music video program.

There’s a point in a band’s career, when they approach you, or the Dean Jacksons of the media world, what do you say, are you approachable? Yeah I’m always up for getting new bands on the podcast, and the nice thing about me working with the BBC is that I can be like a conduit for Dean. If I really like something, if it stands out and sounds good, I’ll pass it onto Dean. He’s responded to a few tracks I’ve sent him, so it’s doable. But yeah if the bands send me a link, iTunes, SoundCloud, CD, whatever - but send me something I can listen to. JohnSinclair32@ yahoo.co.uk is the email, it’s at the end of the podcast, and I’m thinking about putting it in the middle too. Or, just come to Radio Leicester and drop something off. Words: Mark Lisle Photo: Rococo Imaging

Is it not BBC introducing an obligation to do that? You see, my whole problem was that when I started my show, Dean Jackson was already doing that on his show, but I’m not interested in doing four counties, I’m interested in Leicester. So when my show went, his became two hours. Everything is networked now, that’s just how it went. Do you think there’s a demand for Introducing to do each city individually? I think Radio Leicester considered doing that, there was talk of doing a late Sunday night version, but the thought they had here is, “Why bother? Dean Jackson’s already doing it, in Nottingham and Derby and Lincoln.” To be honest I went away and thought of what to do and someone mentioned podcasting and I thought, “Why not? It’s better than nothing.” With the podcast, what’s the structure, what’s the genre? Anything, anything! I’m not too bothered, as long as it’s not

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“ T was freezing.” remembers Calvin

Jeffrey of his first time around Christmas one year. “I was wearing three pairs of socks and gloves it was so chilly that day. I was supposed to be playing at a bar on Braunstone Gate but when I got there it wasn’t even open.” “I was fired up though, ready to play, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I just do it in the street and see what happens?’ I had no amplification, I just tuned up and started playing, and like that - I was busking! Someone threw down some money and I thought, ‘This is the thing to do…’”

Words: Alex Scoppie With more than 100 published reviews to his name, a weekend hospital radio show, a dusty journalism qualification and a constant ringing in his ears, Alex has a proven dedication to both music and writing, though not to common sense or planning. He can often be found in the pub, asleep.

music, Sarah found herself sat indoors, strumming a guitar to herself and watching the walls. Soon she’d had enough. “It was a nice day outside, and I thought, ‘If I’m going to practise anyway, why not do it in the sunshine?’ I soon realised it’s the best practise you can do – you’ve got an instant crowd who’ll give you honest feedback, and if you ever mess up a song it doesn’t matter ‘cos you just wait for the next person to come along!”

For some, performing to the elements (and an endless stream of shoppers, commuters and tourists) is a way of life, a calling almost, though from what I’m told it can’t really be called a living.

Buskers are quite territorial, and don’t stray onto each other’s turf if they can help it, though more because of potential sound-clashes than any reasons of dispute.

“I’ve certainly never made more than a few quid in one day,” Calvin - a guitarist and singer who’s busked and gigged in Leicester for years - admits, “but it’s not really about that. If you’re a real musician you should be happy entertaining people and if there’s a little income as well, that’s great too.”

“Last year I tended to play on New Walk,” says Calvin, “’cos I value places where there’s a bit of ambience - I don’t want to be in people’s faces or outside shops, I prefer more to be part of the mood of a place. Having said that, I do sometimes play around St. Martin’s Square and Silver Street.”

Fellow busker Sarah Bird agrees: “I’ve never lost money doing it, but there are some days when I barely break even. But then, that’s not why I do it.”

Meanwhile Sarah favours High Street. “The acoustics along there are great, I’ve had people ask how I can sing so loud

After quitting her office job last year and deciding to focus on

without using any amplification and a lot of it’s down to how your voice bounces off all those shop fronts.”

She shows me multiple documents full of bullet points about the do’s and don’ts of playing in cities around the Midlands, including maps with specific designated busking zones (or ‘pitches’) highlighted. There are different rules and regulations for each city, and even a Busker Hotline.

Real success though seems to be about being at the right place at the right time, and playing to the right crowd. “I once got a £20 note off Dave Bartram from Showaddywaddy,” Jonathan Brown, another New Walk entertainer, reminisces proudly, “he was walking past and asked me if I knew Streets of London, and when I played it for him he handed over the note!”

“I’m a certified Birmingham City Council Street Entertainer,” she says, with a hint of pride, “and they’re quite demanding there, I actually had to audition for it! I was told to play at a certain place in town, and I didn’t know it but they were watching me to make sure I was good enough to play there! I guess I passed…”

“My best experience busking was outside a market where free coffee was being given out.” recalls Sarah, “I thought: ‘instant audience!’ and I provided a soundtrack for them as they queued and got loads of applause. The guy giving out the coffee kept gearing up the queue and shouting “Let’s hear it for Sarah!”

Here in Leicester’s city centre things are more relaxed – currently. The Monograph has learned from a Leicester City Council spokesman that, “At present, there are no formal regulations governing street entertainment in Leicester City Centre.”

For Calvin, it’s a certain type of audience member who brings the most reward; “Children don’t have any pretence. They’re innocent and sometimes it’s the first time they’ve seen anyone playing live music.

“We will take action on buskers where a noise nuisance arises...” and, “….will investigate complaints received from nearby businesses. Generally, complaints can be resolved with informal advice to the entertainers.”

“They often just stop while their parents are busy shopping, and the kids make the parents stop and listen too. Children may not have any money but if they love your work you’ve still won something.

“We are, however, looking at developing a code of practice for street entertainers, which would require them to get a permit from us and perform at specified locations.” This new permit system, if adopted, might not go down well with the city’s street entertainers themselves. “It’s just another way to infringe on our civil liberties,” says Jonathan, “there’s enough rules as it is, and permits could ruin things for buskers.”

“Leicester’s great to busk in because you don’t need a licence to do it,”

Calvin agrees. “Does that mean buskers should be prevented from making honest money by sharing their talents? I’ve seen people happy to hear some music while in the city centre and for the council to try and control that would be a shame.

“Once, this old couple asked to take my photo, and for their little grandson to have a go on my guitar in the middle of the street. He’d never used one before and I was amazed how quickly he clocked how to use the strings. He could be the next big thing musically, or maybe just go on to achieve some other way; whatever - I’d like to think that moment inspired him. “

“Only last year a government minister made headlines by saying more people should busk as a means of boosting their income. Buskers don’t beg or even ask for anything except to be allowed to be free to do what they do best, and make the city a better place to be in.”

It seems not everyone is such an unqualified avid music fan however, as there are some who are intent on placing restrictions on busking.

“I think permits scare off decent performers,” says Sarah, “so it brings the general level of quality down. I agree there should be certain rules, but I think bringing in permits makes for less vibrant street entertainment. It would be really boring if there wasn’t something to look at on the street.” People in city centre businesses, who might be affected by busking, have different opinions on the subject. “I’m quite happy for buskers to perform outside my bar,” says Mel Palmer, owner of cafe bar Bossa on Granby Street “but I don’t want them approaching or pestering customers. It should be up to the individual concerned though, not the council.”

“Leicester’s great to busk in because you don’t need a licence to do it,” explains Sarah, “but other places like Nottingham and Birmingham are much more strict about it.”

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Kevin Robinson, who works at Gallowtree Gate retailer Evolution, agrees with new rules if they improve the standard of music. “Generally they’re OK, but sometimes you hear someone trying to sing outside and it’s awful. If permits

mean people with no talent for music can’t perform, I’m alright with it.” Indie Prasad of Lush has her own reasons to disagree. “I’ve actually been thinking about doing some street performance myself,” she said, “but I think I might be put off by any rules and regulations. I suppose the people who really want to will get a permit and do it anyway, but I think lots more wouldn’t attempt it if they had to go through all that.” Any such regulations might at least stop people from performing who perhaps shouldn’t, like one of Sarah Bird’s unwelcome musical collaborators. “One time this paralytic drunk came over to ‘perform’ with me,” she recalls, “you sometimes get that wherever you are. Normally they’re fine, but this one started singing right in my face at full volume! At that moment an old friend of mine from school walked past and said, ‘Alright Sarah?’ I was so humiliated - I wanted to shout, ‘This isn’t what usually happens!’” Life for buskers certainly isn’t carefree all the time, which brings us back to Calvin Jeffrey and the cold. “In the winter you have to wrap up and wear the right footwear or you can get ill,” he advises, “although if you’re playing guitar it actually keeps your fingers warm.

What do you think about the possibility of permits for buskers in Leicester? You can join the debate at www. themonograph.co.uk Sarah Bird sings with The Sarah Bird Band as well as other musical projects. Her debut solo EP, Tattoo, is available now via iTunes and Bandcamp, and you can visit her website at www.sarahbird.org.uk for details of her local (non-busking) gigs. Calvin Jeffrey plays regular gigs in Leicester, and will be performing as part of Oxjam in October. Jonathan Brown is a Leicester musician and writer. He has published a book called The Little Bible of Stress. Buskers in photos: Calvin Jeffrey & Sarah Bird Photography: Scott Choucino

“The worst thing for me though is singing about happy stuff when you’re not really feeling that way. You can’t have the stars lined up all the time, but the best way to get through it is to keep on singing.”

SURRENDER THE COAST E

arlier this year, we sat down with Andy from Surrender The Coast to talk about their plans for the 2013. Following a whole lot of worry, harassing the internet for votes, and a few weeks of tension, the band secured a slot at the prestigious Download Festival. We thought we’d catch up with him again and see how they enjoyed the gig of a lifetime…

What made you want to enter the Redbull competition? We have always followed the previous incarnations of the Red Bull Bedroom Jam online. This year when the new Red Bull Studios: Live at Download opened, we felt that we were in a good position to maybe advance at least past the first round, so we just threw caution to the wind and entered. Tell us about the process of elimination - how did you earn your spot at Download? The first round was open to any band that wanted to enter. Then, after two weeks of voting, a panel of judges including people from Rocksound, Kerrang! and Red Bull Records, chose 15 bands from the 100 most popular bands in the voting. Each of these bands recorded a track at Red Bull Studios and that was the put into a video that was produced throughout the day. With these finished, it was down to another week of public voting. The bands that finished in the top six, qualified for a place and then an additional two wildcards were selected again by the judging panel. Luckily, we finished 6th and won a place!

How was the festival itself? Any highlights? The festival was crazy! We saw and met so many people that are so respected within our style of music. We saw a lot of bands play that we look up to as well, like Bury Tomorrow, Heart of a Coward and Cancer Bats. I think my personal highlight was the Rammstein set though. They sounded huge and their stage show was just incredible as well! Oh, the endless amounts of free Red Bull was quality too. Has anything exciting happened as a result of your Download experience? We have a lot of exciting things going on right now, but the best things to come out of the Download experience was the amount of potential tours that we have been offered. We have always been a hard-working band and this has boosted our profile enough to give us the chance to work with better bands in the UK and Europe. What’s in store for you guys the rest of this year? We have a few one-off gigs through September and the start of October. We have five days away at the end of October and then a two-week tour in Europe during November. This is all going on while we write a new six track EP that we hope to have finished and released by October or November. So, all in all, we have a really busy finish to the year, but that’s the way we like it.

How did it feel playing the biggest rock festival on Earth? The feeling of playing such a huge festival was amazing. The organisation behind the scenes was amazing so there was no pressure on us, other than just to play our set as well as we could. It was huge confidence boost for us because there is always the thought that no one will come and see you, especially when there are four other stages full of huge bands

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playing at the same time. But, we could hardly believe how busy the tent was when we played.

Are you careful about what you put up there? Of course we have to be a bit more guarded. You get more people that look up to you and you gotta respect that. Words: Liam Sexton Photograph: Scott Choucino

BY THE RIVERS B

y the Rivers have always been on The Monograph’s radar as ones to watch, so it was no surprise this summer when they were asked to play the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury. With a string of festival slots, a recent tour of the Netherlands and with their own headline tour promoting their self-titled debut album they’re continuing going from strength to strength. Nile and Jordan tell us what is was like playing at the Ultimate UK festival Glastonbury and the last six months in the By The Rivers camp. How was Glastonbury? Nile: It was amazing! The actual getting there was a bit of a worry. We nearly didn’t make it. We weren’t expecting the amount of people that were there! We knew the kind of impact that the BBC introducing had but we hadn’t anticipated that kind of crowd! It was a great introduction to us to play such an amazing festival. It was awesome! What’s it like the day after such a great show? N: I always try and keep busy after a show like that because I’m still buzzing from it. You do hit low points sometimes because you’ve done something so big and its back to sitting in your room thinking what am I doing here? What do I do now? (smiles) Is it a festival that you’ve ever been to before? N: A few years ago and I loved it back then but to play was amazing! It’s got its own charm as a festival. You can’t put it in a category with other ones. Jordan: It was my first time at Glastonbury. It’s such a great experience because it’s so many different people from different cultures. That’s why festivals are amazing and why we love them so much. It’s the perfect way to get across to every single crowd really.

You’ve proved with your show at Leicester O2 Academy that you’re popular in your hometown, it must be rewarding to see your following growing on a national scale? J: The O2 was a highlight of the year. The first time I saw the huge crowd was when I walked out onto the stage and I stood behind the kit and the lights went up and I just thought ‘Shit - we’ve GOT to be great’. So yeah moving that experience further a field is awesome. It’s a special thing. What’s the BTR long term plan? J: Since the beginning we’ve always had a set goal. We’ve always thought wouldn’t it be great to bring reggae back to the majority to people our age and the mainstream and be back in the media. Be a name that people are talking about. Back in the 80s when it was all big, when Bob Marley really blew it up, there was a talk and everyone listened to it. We want to get everyone talking about the reggae. Do people appreciate the hard work that you’ve put into getting where you are? N: We’ve not got where we are without a lot of hard work. We haven’t got a load of money and just been given all this stuff. J: Yeah, we have nothing apart from our own minds to take us to the places that we want to go. We’ve always got goals and work towards to complete that goal. That’s all anyone really needs to do. We don’t have anyone else behind us. With that we wish them the best of luck for the rest of this year and we hope to see them soon in November, when they’re planning something special for their return to Leicester. Words: Raegan Oates Photograph: Amy Brammall

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hen is it time for your band to move away from the bedroom, and hit-up a recording environment? This is a questions that all bands need to address at some point. However, do we need to leave our bedrooms to record a decent track? Dave Grohl records in his garage currently, but we don’t all have thousands to create our own home recording studio. But it CAN be done on a budget. It’s just about getting it all for the right price and the right reasons. The biggest and most obvious consideration is cost. Recording in a professional studio can cost some serious cash, anything from £100, £200 to even £500 per day. Unless you have a record deal, or at least a trial period with a label, it can be daunting to look at recording. However, for a few hundred quid, you can do it at home, and many bands do.

So what are the pros? 1. Time. With a home studio, you can re-record as much as you want. You can spend days perfecting a track, without the worry of time constraints. 2. DIY - Doing it yourself will make to learn. Use the technology - Pro-tools, Logic or whatever software you use. Develop your own techniques, learning the fundamentals will help you understand the processes, and once you understand it, you can explore more options. 3. Owning your own kit is never a bad thing. How about some negatives? 1. Quality. At home, more than likely, you won’t have great acoustics; you’re bound to have some unwanted bleed, hiss or echo on your recording. Plus, you’re not going to have the highest quality microphones that a studio may have. 2. Space. Most bedrooms won’t have much room. Recording drums in a single bedroom is not easy. 3. Expertise. One thing that your money will pay for is an experienced engineer. This is the person who can pick the microphones, turn knobs and sit behind the desk for as long as you pay them. They will however, know everything you could possibly ask. So what are the basics that you’ll need for a home studio? A computer that can handle the stuff you will need it to. The cheapest and quickest option is recording digitally rather than via analogue. I would explain more about analogue vs digital,

Words: Mark Lisle A Northerner at heart, Mark is a recent graduate of DMU Radio Production and now works for BBC Radio. His speciality for the past 3 years has been recording bands for radio play, along with promoting and managing gigs around the city. He loves Leicester, however he says “t’ pies just ain’t same ”

but that’s a whole other column waiting to be written. So, get yourself a computer that preferably has a Firewire connection, high-speed USB, MIDI and some hardware that can process efficiently. You’ll need an audio interface. These come in all shapes and sizes. They connect your input (XRL or TCR) cables, and turn them into signals that your computer can process. You can get anywhere from two channel, to 16 channel interfaces. Some come as stand-alone modules, some come built into small mixing desks. For an idea on these, look up the Alesis Multimix 16 FX Firewire, any of the M-AUDIO interfaces or the Mackie Onyx Blackbird. When looking for kit, Google is your friend read reviews! You’ll need microphones. These are the foundation of your recording. Microphones are built for a purpose, so research what does what. You CAN buy good microphones for decent prices. The Shure SM57 is a standard for electric guitar, snare and even live vocals and it’s affordable. Be sure that the mic’s you buy can be used for more than one purpose, you may as well get the most out of your money after all! You’ll need to edit, mix and, potentially, master. To do this, you’ll need something decent to listen to your tracks on. A good pair of headphones and a good pair of monitors (speakers) are essential for fine-tuning your music. Finally, learn to listen, and be patient. Don’t be afraid of starting again, and don’t avoid asking your band mates and friends - even your family - about the recording. Good luck...

Surfing! Football! Drumstick threats! Head wounds! It seems thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never a dull moment for Adam Pickering & Paula Walker, AKA The Daydream Club.

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THE INTERROBANG?!

THE DAYDREAM CLUB

dam and Paula moved to Leicester after meeting in Liverpool during the noughties. They formed The Daydream Club as a duo and released their debut album, Overgrown, in 2010 on their own Poco Poco record label, quickly picking up plaudits and attracting the attention of reviewers, DJs, and even a certain major fashion label.

Since then they’ve been touring, writing and recording, and are hoping to attract the same kind of buzz with their imminent release. It’s a beautiful sunny weekend in Leicester city centre, possibly the last of the year, when Alex Scoppie met the pair, who are as relaxed and easy-going as their graceful, soothing songs suggest, for a coffee and a catch up. So you’re back with a new EP (Found), and to my ears it’s a little more upbeat than anything off Overgrown. Adam: On Overgrown we wanted something that was intimate, close and stripped back, and that worked really well for that record, but after touring those songs, some of which were a little downbeat, we decided to write stuff that would come across a bit better live, that we could have a bit of fun with. Paula: I think we wanted more ups and downs, more of an emotional range, and some bigger, louder moments people can get into as well. There’s one song on the EP, Little Face, that just builds and builds, which has been coming across really well live ‘cos I get the crowd to sing along by pointing at them threateningly with my drumsticks. So it’s you who plays the drums on Found? There was hardly any percussion on Overgrown and it’s a noticeable change.

P: Yeah, it’s been great getting back into drumming because that’s what got me into music in the first place, through the Notice Ensemble as part of Cirque Du Soleil. Although drumming and singing at the same time is proving tricky. Adam provides the bass drum, and we kind of do it between us, so we’re having to play even tighter than we did before, but we’re getting there. You used Fan Funding to drum up support for the EP, whose idea was that and did it work? P: Our manager came up with it, but it was something we’d been thinking about for a while. The campaign formed itself as we went along on social media and we found it was a brilliant way of engaging with fans naturally. When people made donations we posted photos online thanking them and built up a collage for the EP’s artwork. We thought we’d aimed a little too high to start with by asking for £4,000 but we just managed to make it. A: It worked better than we could have imagined, and we’d recommend it to anyone who might be thinking of doing the same thing. We’ll be using the money to produce and promote the record and everyone who donated will get a copy. We’re so grateful to them.

When’s it released? P: October the 28th, and we’ll be having a launch party at The Donkey in Leicester on November the 7th. It’s close to us (they live in Stoneygate) and it’s a great community venue with a crowd who appreciate live music. We’ve only ever played one gig there before, but we went down really well and sold a lot of records so we’re hoping for a repeat! The video for it sees the two of you mucking about on the beach with surfboards. Who’s the Point Break fan? P: ME! I love Point Break! And I’ve always wanted to get into surfing after living with an Australian who was into it, so this video seemed like a perfect chance to finally give it a go. Over the summer we went up to Redcar and Saltburn, where I’m originally from, and just went for it with the camera. So, were you any good? P: Erm… nope! Can’t you tell from the video?! We just paddled into the surf and splashed about. I got wiped out! A: The whole thing took nine hours and was exhausting. I got snapped on the back of the head by my board at one point and it split my head open, there was blood everywhere, dripping down my face, onto the board, in the sea… we were going to keep it in but it would have made for a very different feel to the video. I wore a hoodie after that. P: The point was that we didn’t just want to do another of those “Band In A Room” videos that everyone does, I think a video should be a chance to have fun. (see also their bizarre backwards vid for early single On The Move) With so much more happening musically on your new songs, have you thought about expanding as a band and getting more musicians on board? A: I’d love to, and we’ve already used a violinist and drummer for some of our recently re-worked tracks from Overgrown, but we don’t have anyone specific in mind just yet. We certainly piled in more instruments this time around, we played got accordion, bass, mandolin, strings and synths

on Found - there’s a lot more stuff going on than there was on Overgrown, where we kind of held back a bit. P: Our vocal harmonies are still in there though, and hopefully that’s the common thread between our old and new stuff. You’ve received support from some pretty big names and had great airplay for Found and for Overgrown, how has that come about? A: Tom Robinson’s put us on his BBC 6Music Introducing Mixtape which has been incredible. Now we’re gunning for Dermot O’Leary and the Radio 2 crowd! Our music was used by Burberry as part of their promotions not once but twice, and we noticed Jamie Cullum was listening to us on Spotify recently, so yeah, we’re slowly infiltrating our way into bigger things. We’re using what we’ve earned so far to boost our own promotion now so hopefully we’ll see that pay off soon… You even got onto Football Focus once… P: Yeah, our TV debut - that was just weird! We know someone who’s an editor for the BBC and he asked if he could use On The Move (Part 2) because he thought it worked well on this feature piece they were doing. We were both at a wedding when it eventually screened and we couldn’t actually watch it, we were so gutted! We kept telling friends ‘Watch Football Focus! Record Football Focus for us!’ which got us some odd looks, as we’re not into sport at all! And has all this success led to more opportunities? A: Well, later in the year we’ll be supporting The South (formerly The Beautiful South) on their UK Tour, as well as Birdie Jackson and The Arbour (winners of this year’s Emerging Talent Competition at Glastonbury) on theirs, so yeah, some opportunities are there. P: Plus we’ve had the chance to play some places we’d never have dreamed of getting in, like Milan, Liverpool’s Sound City and Union Chapel in Islington. You’ve alson played previously at Leicester’s Summer Sundae and this year at Simon Says at De Montfort Hall; how did the two festivals at the venue compare in your opinion? A: Summer Sundae obviously had bigger acts and it’s a shame it’s gone, but to be honest as long as one of them is there that’s great. They’ve both been brilliant for local acts like ourselves just by allowing them play to bigger crowds right on their doorstep. P: I think at Simon Says the crowd was more loyal to Leicester’s scene, like a community - we knew everyone and it was like our own little playground. We thought nobody would come to see us as we were on so early (11am on the Sunday) but the tent we played was full and people were really chilled out, it worked so well. You’re one of the most prominent new acts coming out of Leicester at the moment. What do you make of Leicester’s bid to become City of Culture 2017? Do you think it has a chance?

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A: Oh, definitely, Leicester’s full of culture, but it always seems to get overlooked nationally. It’s far more diverse than some other cities, and there’s always something going on here. P: Liverpool got named City of Culture just as we were leaving, and we kind of wish we’d been there to experience it and be a part of it because we know from friends who remained there that it really boosted Liverpool’s arts and music scene.

Daydream Club’s new four track EP “Found” is released on October 28th on Poco Poco Records. They will be playing in Leicester at Embrace on October 10th and The Donkey on November 7th www.thedaydreamclub.com Words: Alex Scoppie Photos: Scott Choucino

A: Yeah, and if Leicester won it and got all that attention and financial support it would do the city so much good. Well, here’s hoping. What does the rest of the year hold for you two? P: Right now we’re just full speed ahead on the EP, we’ve just had a full-on production line with the mail-outs – we almost closed Queens Road Post Office when we sent it out! We’d like to do something close to home around Christmas, but we haven’t really planned anything yet. So, as well writing songs and touring together, you live together AND work together (they both teach at Leicester College) – does that work well for you both? P: Yeah, it’s lucky we get on so well really! It’s been vital the last couple of months - I’m not sure how other bands, who only see each other every so often, manage to do it. It can get really tiring though ‘cos if you’re not careful you never switch off. A: Daydream Club never really stops for us, we’re always coming up with new ideas and songs together, just because it’s what we love doing. And even if we do expand the band it will still be Paula and me at the core.

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his month Leeds University banned the song Blurred Lines from being played in its Student Union citing that it ‘undermines women’ and demeans them referencing to them as ‘bitches’ and ‘animals’. Not for the first time this song has hit the headlines, with it facing criticism for implying that good girls really want to be treated rough and that we do really want it even if we imply we don’t. So with Thicke now claiming after the media frenzy that the song is a ‘Feminist movement within itself,’ I can’t but help think… really? This raises questions - Is sexism and the objectifying of women becoming more acceptable? And is mainstream music becoming more sexualised? This is a tough one to look at for starters because I’m just as guilty (if that’s the word) as the rest of you and I’m a woman. I liked Blurred Lines. It’s catchy and danceable. However is this because I’ve become a product of desensitisation? A reflection of a slow drip, drip since a young age? If we look back in music history then yes you’ll find that over the decades in most genres of music there are lyrics that talk about women as sexual objects or have misogynistic undertones. It’s nothing new. Take my own record collection for starters, Bob Dylan’s Just Like A Woman, The Beatles’ Run For Your Life, All Women Are Bad by The Cramps, Smack My Bitch Up by the Prodigy, and I have a sizable collection of hip hop records that set women’s rights back by about a 1000 years. So it looks like it’s always been here. So is it just that attitudes to it are changing and is it becoming more and more socially acceptable in mainstream music? Therefore more people are noticing or less depending on your viewpoint.

#Now we know sex sells The thing is looking at the above sexualisation in music is nothing new. Music has been about sex since the dawn of time. It’s always been sexualised. If you don’t agree then you probably don’t know your Mozart operas very well. Try listening to Don Giovanni or the Marriage of Figaro. Take even these popular 16th century lyrics “A fine dapper

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

tailor, with a yard in his hand, Did proffer his service to be at command, He talked of a slit I had above knee, But I’ll have no tailors to stitch it for me.” Sex and music have always been happy bedfellows with each generation thinking that they invented it and that they’re having much more fun doing it. But is the difference that through modern media we’re becoming more and more openly obsessed with it and its becoming overly and unnecessarily graphic? Now we know sex sells. Think back to Elvis, marketed with his thrusting pelvis, the difference is he wasn’t singing about splitting your ass in two or getting a good fisting. Could it be that the media are latching onto it now because what was once in the underground like rap music is part of the mainstream? Or is it simply that modern music reflects the society it comes from. So if you think mainstream music is soulless, vapid and over sexualized you don’t have to look very far to find out why? Music has always been about sex and rebellion but more recently is it becoming too much about exploitation. And is this the issue? With sexual barriers broken down we now have it graphically spelt out what it’s about. Golden oldie Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow is a song about one night stands but it’s not so blatant. It doesn’t talk about finding yourself ass up with a condom wrapper stuck to your backside. These type of lyrics leave very little to the imagination…. I think the issue is not so much that it’s over sexualised as in my open discussion about sex it good. Healthy attitudes to it are good. It’s that we’re teaching the younger generations

though modern music a distorted view of what is healthy and good. And there seems to be a lack of boundaries about what information we all share with each other. Another is that unlike some I can make a balanced choice. I have the education and the moral compass to sing along to a song and ignore its underlying sexism if it’s good to dance to and if someone disrespects me I can tells then as a result that they’re an arsehole. When it changes is when age comes into it and life experience. What are we telling children when we have lyrics on mainstream radio about ‘splitting her ass in two?’ Where do lyrics go from here? We face a fact that good or bad we are living in an overtly sexualised world, the question should be do musicians have a social responsibility to think about what they are writing about? I think yes. But then are we discrediting people with their own decision making process and are we on the cusp of a whole minefield of censorship which I’m wholeheartedly against.

#Music has always been about sex and rebellion To be honest there is no simple answer. Is it that I’m turning into my parents running the risk of moral panic? Or am I allowing sexploitation of women by listening the single? Or am I generalising because Daily Mail readership is on the up and these days they’d have us believe that illegal immigrants are pole dancing their way through your community to Blurred Lines causing house prices to drop and that Poland is just a desolate empty country? Is it just that the media is really responsible for this peak as a result of excessive coverage of the issue, or does pop music just aim for the lowest common denominator? Jeez… I have a feeling that I could be here all day, or week or year with these questions.

Words: Raegan Oates Raegan Oates is our Features Editor. Starting as a staff writer for Fd2d magazine she quickly worked her way up to Music Editor. With 5 years of writing and editing experience behind her she joined The Monograph Team in early 2011. She has worked for a number of magazines andbut occasionally contributes Thesay that Lady work both ways can you hand on heartto ever Local Mercury. Gaga made you feel like a sexual object? We’ve had thousands of years on this issue and I very much doubt that you’re going to face a plethora of women grinding behind you to this song mouthing they want to tear your ass in two. The simple answer to this is there is no simple answer. All I know is there’s this little voice in the back of my head that pipes up and says “Raegan, are you sure you’re 100% comfortable about all of this?”, and the simple answer to that is no. I’m not sure that I am…… annoyingly catchy song though.

#The simple answer to this is there is no simple answer Leeds University SU

And yes guys before you start moaning about my semi feminism (yep it’s a play on words) I appreciate that it can

Photo: Betty Longbottom

DAN NICHOLAS始 CONVERSATION GARDEN

PART I:

CHIT

DAN NICHOLAS始 CONVERSATION GARDEN

Part II (Deux):

CONVERSATION

CHAT

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Upstairs At The Western 02/11/13

NATION UPSTAIRS 28 AT THE WESTERN

30/11/13

sat having a coffee with one of our technicians at work the other day, as Adele’s Set Fire To The Rain came over De Montfort Hall’s speakers in the foyer. “Ah, I like this one. I got a private performance of this one when she came”, she said. “I was in the lighting box when she was soundchecking and there was only a couple of other people in there.” “Cool, that must have been quite good”, I casually replied. “Yeah, I suppose. I didn’t really pay much attention. I’ve been here too long, they all blend into the same”. “Quite good”? “Blend into the same”? This is the Oscar, Grammy, Brit Award winning, biggest selling female artist in the world you’ve had a private performance from and you remember it with a blasé shrug? Some people could mistake this for disinterest, but the truth is when working in a venue this is how you have to be. I can guarantee you that if the sound and lighting technicians ran up to artists while they were rehearsing and asked for photos and autographs we’d soon have some very disgruntled tour managers on our hands. Don’t get me wrong, when I started working here a few years back I was quite convinced that given a few months I’d have befriended a whole host of stars and it wouldn’t be long until I was touring round the world with McFly as part of their crew… or as a wife? I didn’t mind which. Unfortunately though, I’ve also had to learn to maintain a slight sense of professionalism. Not that that stops me occasionally wandering around backstage to grab a wee glimpse of people sometimes. People have often said to me, “Wow your job must be so much fun”, and if I’m having a good day I’ll agree with them. I’ve been very fortunate to help promote some amazing shows whilst working here. But people forget that a venue isn’t just about the show night. The show night is just the pinnacle of what you’re working towards. There’s

a team of us up in the offices at De Montfort Hall that work on everything from agreeing contracts with music agents to booking advertising, from working on health and safety, to ordering in all of the technical equipment, from managing the finances to organising stewarding positions. For the most part it’s a normal office job; you sign in, log on and set about your task list. It’s just that on some days you find yourself emailing Gary Barlow’s tour manager whilst listening to Paloma Faith soundcheck. They’re obviously the better days. The same is true of venues all around town. Leicester’s music scene isn’t as recognized as it should be, there are some great things happening in the city and it’s only improving! The music scene isn’t just about the bigger venues or the festivals, it’s about the gigs that are going on every day in the venues around town. But if you’re reading this then chances are you’re probably a music fan and already know that, right? Venues around the city are doing a great job of putting on must-see gigs. From exciting homegrown talent in the likes of By The Rivers to 90s indie-sing-alongs with Mark Morris and the best of upcoming acts like Drenge. We even had festival headlining Foals playing the 200 capacity Lock 42 not so long ago! It’s all on your doorstep if you choose to go out and watch it. And just like at De Montfort Hall, these other venues and promoters are working behind the scenes to make sure the city is buzzing! We always get approached by people asking about opportunities and wanting to work at the venue, and the best piece of advice is to go out and get involved in the local music scene. Watch lots of bands, talk to promoters, set up a blog and start reviewing shows, or maybe even think about putting on some gigs yourself. Everyone in the music and events industry starts somewhere! So next time you’re sat at home on a Tuesday night, bored, flicking between The One Show and your Twitter feed, take a look at the events listings in town and get out and start making some contacts. You never know where it might lead.

Words: Gabby Miller With questionable beliefs like “just because I sometimes sing along to a boyband it doesn’t mean I’m clueless about music” Gabby decided to waste a law degree on a career in the dependable field of entertainment. Having been Press & Publicity Officer at De Montfort Hall for over 5 years she’s been part of some great shows in the city, from Adele to sold out festivals. Oh, and she got to meet Jedward.

feel a little scruffy when I meet up with The Demons of Ruby Mae both Jonny Gavin and Adam Rowley are dressed up in their finest. They assure me it’s not their usual look - they’ve just been performing at a friend’s big day. So once we’ve discussed and completely dismissed the idea of them setting up as a professional wedding band, we start.

J: We’ve recently signed a production deal with a company based in Birmingham to sort us getting signed to a major label. Coinciding with that we’ve bought loads of different people in to record string instruments and trumpets and god knows what. A: Next will be a new single in November and maybe another four track EP next year. I think the single will be quite a milestone for us - I’m hoping for some big things with that - I want a yacht by January!

So who is Ruby Mae? Adam: Ruby Mae can be whoever you want it to be. It’s not a person, it’s kind of an object that’s not there. Whatever our lyrics fit into your mind, that’s kind of what Ruby Mae is.

What do you think of Leicester’s music scene? J: Leicester’s music scene in my opinion is not what it was five years ago. Everybody is still driven and motivated, which is good, but the city doesn’t get the exposure. We need another band like Kasabian to draw people’s interest. I’m a bit disappointed in Kasabian if I’m honest. If we want to make anything of Leicester and the talent we have then as one of the biggest bands in the world today, they have a responsibility to support and to make Leicester what it should be - to put it out there. Words: Becca Bryers Photo: Rococo Imaging

Did you have a certain sound in mind when you set out? A: We wanted it to be quite dark and haunting. Jonny: We don’t think about the music that we want to write or want to play. As cliché as it sounds, it’s just something that we enjoy, something that comes naturally. Before Ruby Mae you were in The Chairmen and had success in the OBS, then Surface Unsigned. Have you learned lessons from these? J: For me, it just made me realise that it wasn’t the sort of music that I wanted to play. I don’t see the experience as negative whatsoever - I had an amazing experience, we achieved a lot and we wrote some good songs. But creatively I’ve had the opportunity to understand what I want to do musically and that is a blessing really. A: I learnt that it’s not all about playing a gig every weekend just for the sake of it. You’ve got to make sure when you play live it’s phenomenal. I think it’s the most important aspect of being in a band, that when you play live it’s something that’s going to stay with people forever. I’ve done it for such a long time, that’s all I want to do - make a living out of music - but at the same time, it will take as long as it takes for it to be right. You played Strawberry Fields, Handmade and Simon Says this year, tell me about that. A: We stripped it back this summer because we got asked to play - we’re obviously not going to say no because they’re good festivals and lots of people came down to watch us. You’ve had a good response to Heliacal, the EP you released in January, is there an album on the horizon?

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man we think is a potential local electronic music genius. Boy Kid Cloud is his name, and Leicester is his home town. He used to be known locally as one of the members of These Furrows, but he’s now making a solo name for himself, and doing it bloody well! So we thought we’d have a quick chat…

Room. It’s coming out really soon so look out for that on my Soundcloud/Facebook/Youtube.

Boy Kid Cloud, cool name! How did that come about? I really don’t know, I wish i had a stock answer I could give you but I was 18 and making music at college and wasn’t really thinking about anything really, then a few years down the line I realised even I don’t know where the name came from! You have a load of remixes under your belt, what is the process involved? Usually it’s something that comes about because of a label getting in touch or an artist liking my music, like the Plan B remix I did a few years ago. He rang and asked me over the phone because my brother (Frank ‘Uncle Frank’ Benbini) had played him my music! The musical side of it can be anything really, something catches my ear from the original and I’ll have to capture it in my style, whatever style it is that day! Remixes are a lot of fun because you get a little starting point whether it be the vocals or a stab on the piano to go mad with. We see you have some tattoos. What do yours mean to you? They either have very personal meanings or none at all, some of them are just because i like them. I have this one of a girl with an octopus on her head - it means nothing, I just like it!

How do you feel about the Leicester music scene at the moment? And how do you think it can be improved? Hmm. Most of my musical life with Boy Kid Cloud has been spent outside of Leicester, not out of choice but if I had to say anything it would be that Leicester is a very unaccepting place. A lot of good people live here but the bad outweighs the good most of the time. I think a lot more independent nights with proper thought and money behind them would help. People coming together and being happy for everyone, helping each other out, sharing knowledge and just looking after one another rather than keeping to close groups and not sharing. Leicester is a lovely place - don’t get me wrong! You released two singles this year including your latest ‘This Way’ - what’s next for you? Lots of dubstep and lots of live music! I started Boy Kid Cloud as a house alias and got picked up by labels for my dubstep, that’s what people want from me, so that’s what I’m gonna give them. I’m writing an EP right now and just shopping around labels to see what fits best. So lots more music, very soon! Words: Mark Lisle Photo: Scott Choucino Stylist: Harriet Mann

You have your own night, called ‘Show Me Love’. Tell us a bit about it. I’m glad you asked! Show Me Love is an all 90’s house/garage/ techno/euphoria club night I started at Sophbeck (King St, Leicester). I have more fun there than most gigs! It’s like a house party, with lots of friends, friends of friends and strangers! I never thought when i started it that it would do so well but so far everyone has been more enjoyable than the last. It’s always rammed and so much fun! The next one is being arranged now, but if you want regular updates you should visit www.facebook.com/ShowMeLoveLeicester You also drum for Uncle Frank, how do you feel about the spandex you have to wear? (Laughs) I love it! Frank is my brother and I’m sure he enjoys it too! Doing anything with my brother is always a pleasure even if it’s wearing yellow spandex! Speaking of Uncle Frank I have just remixed a song of theirs entitled Step Into My

Boy Kid Cloud Stylist: Harriet Mann Photo: Scott Choucino THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

Nijah is a rapper based in Leicester who is currently being backed by ‘Youth UK’, a charity dedicated to supporting young people. Nijah’s latest mission aims to inspire the younger generation to reach their potential by providing a platform to have their voices heard. We caught up with Nijah to discuss his split personality and Youth UK.

Describe yourself as an artist in three words? Unorthodox, universal, unrestricted. What is the RT 5000 Campaign? Tell us a bit about it. Reaching the 5000 is a campaign I set up myself. The aim is to use it as a platform to fundraise, raise awareness and support charities through my music. I’ve always wanted to do more charity work but the traditional cake bake fundraising isn’t really my thing. Mainly because I can’t bake! The name comes from the famous bible passage about ‘Feeding the 5000’, which to me shows that you may feel like what you have can only help a few. But you’ll be surprised how a little can go a long way with a bit of faith. This is my first charity campaign. It’s had its ups and downs but I’ve never given up on it. The Far Trek walk (hiking over 100 miles from London to Leicester) will be a massive accomplishment for me and for the good of the campaign. I hope everyone supports and gives generously to the cause.

Why is ‘UK Youth’ so important to you? It took me a long time to pick the ‘right charity’ but when I stumbled across UK Youth I knew they were a charity I wanted to support. They understand that not every child thrives in a classroom setting and that more nonconventional ways of learning should be provided to accommodate every child’s individuality. I relate to that. I’m not the most academic and I feel like throughout school especially I was pigeonholed as disruptive because the classroom setting was like a prison to me. However, if you put me on a stage or in front of a microphone, it was a different story! It’s a shame more isn’t done to push the creative development of young people. Having done our research, you seem to talk about two sides to you, is this a bit of a Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde situation? (Laughs) You could say that. I haven’t given separate names to them yet though so you’ll have to figure out who’s who for yourself. Persona, alias, secret identity - they all relate. Some of mine which may clash. Usually an artist interested in making people dance wouldn’t also want to preach about world issues, and vice versa. But I’m passionate about both, so why only show one side? What was it like performing alongside, Tinchy Stryder, Stooshe & The Hoosiers at Live Fest? It was an amazing experience. The biggest opportunity I’ve had so far but I know bigger and better things are on the horizon. I learned a lot from seeing them work the crowd and their stage presence, so that performance was a significant learning curve in my music career. How do you get over stage fright? I don’t really (laughs). I just let the Mr. Hyde take over. I feel some of my best performances were achieved by just allowing the music to take over, as poetic as that may sound. There should be no room in your brain for thoughts as they stop the creative side from doing what it does best.

Words : Tash Walkerdine Photo : Scott Choucino

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aus are Leicester’s hottest set of electro magicians. Comprising two ex-Minnaars members and a third fresh face, they are ready to start sending shockwaves through music fans who might be expecting more fast paced guitar havoc. Following their debut gig at Handmade Festival, it’s clear though this trio are moving in a very different creative direction. As they prepare to release their first EP on November 5th, the band’s Adam and Gavin tell us more about their sound which combines danceability with a darker edge. You were a bit of a pain-in-the-arse to research. There’s basically one sad, serious photo and now a flowery photo? Gavin: We’ve very deliberately done that. The flowers are a reference to the title of our record, Flowers For. We made a conscious point - before we went “Hi, we’re a new band” - to write a record first. If you come out and only have one song you look like a set of cocks! How was Handmade Festival in Leicester earlier this year? G: We hadn’t been on a stage for about three years. Adam: You’re used to being good and you become terrified about starting again. G: The last time we played was finishing off a 30 date European tour and then we had a break for three years. And then fuck, we’re in a little shit rehearsal room. But it was nice to play the festival. How different sound-wise are you compared to Minnaars? G: Minnaars was relentless. Now the majority of the writing has been done in our lounge on our sofas, usually late at night with a crying baby next door so we had to keep the volume down. There’s a lot more space in it all. And yet,

strangely, the singing sounds quite familiar (laughs). A: Interestingly, the very first track of the EP was written right at the cusp of the end of Minnaars. G: It was fun to work with Jamie (Ward – producer) again. The first time we went in, with six notes, and said ‘Hey look what we’ve done’, he just said, ‘Oh… you shower of shit’. But after an extensive period of time a good song came out. Before it was, “You’re in a residential for seven days and it’s costing a LOAD of money”. Whereas with Jamie the first thing we did was drink tea. Some of your interviews for Minnaars were a bit spiky and you got yourselves into bother... A: The lesson there is, think about what you’re saying and how it might be perceived by other people. A lot of it was out of context. There were some valid points in there. Unfortunately, we can be arrogant, cocky bastards and we came across that way! G: People can focus too much about your hometown. We just sort of wanted to aim a bit higher. My favourite thing you used to do in interviews was invent a silly genre. You we’re math-rock-pop ‘Mop’ and ‘dark dance’. What are you now? A: The things you toss off in interviews that follow you around for fucking ages… Despite the fact the Haus sound is dark, personal and complex do you still just want to make people dance? G: My biggest self-criticism of the last band was that it was all one pace and that pace was fucking fast. In Haus we have darkness and light. And on that note, we leave Haus to finish their pints and get their tats out for the photographers eagerly awaiting the appearance of the Flowers EP

Words: Lindsey Kent

Photo: Rococo Imaging

“

attoos are for sailors and women of the night” is a phrase that has stuck with me, ever since my grandparents initially disapproved of the anchor I had stained into my thumb at the age of 18. Six years on and a lot of tattoos later I wonder could this opinion be but a distant memory of the past? With Rihanna’s recent visit to renowned London tattooist Valerie Vargas making the gossip columns and the hubbub around Justin Bieber having his mum’s eye tattooed on his arm, could we be in the beginning of a new era of acceptance or is this just another passing fad? 30 years ago, during the height of punk, tattoos were reserved for those on the outskirts of society and struck fear into the heart of the average person. Arguably though this was the birth of the relationship between musicians and tattoos, and even today you can still see the influence this era had. Ask any guy with a snapback and a skateboard to see his Black Flag tattoo, and you’ll understand. Later in the 80s, there was still stigma around tattoo culture, but this took a turn when the music industry brought body art further into the limelight when Boy George and Motley Cruë openly showed their ink, causing the general public to become desensitized to tattoos and thus became far more accepting. During the late 90s you could find a tattoo on practically any guy or girl involved in a game of hacky-sack. It was a time of small, inconspicuous ‘phish’ inspired tattoos and rainbow-coloured dolphins swimming around a full moon, as well as the hellishly uncreative black spot known as ‘Tribal’ (thanks Pamela Anderson and Spice Girls).

Looking at today’s artists it’s easy to understand how their tattoos influence and affect their fans. There’s a sense of connection by having a shrine to your favourite band, artist, or lyricist scored into your skin. Coupled with the wonders of social media, it’s now even easier for fans to show off the new ink to their favourite artist and fan-base over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, allowing them to feel closer to their idols, and the community built around them. From a personal point of view, I believe that musicians have helped to influence the acceptance of tattoos in modern society. It’s thanks to people like Travis Barker and Oli Sykes that I became interested in tattoos and as a result am considerably well covered (including a subtle ode to the hardcore band Your Demise) and I have no intention of stopping soon. Now thanks to an increased perception of celebrity culture, everywhere you look you can see blokes with Beckham-esque religious sleeves, or girls with the Cheryl Cole hand tattoo; Hopefully we won’t see too many imitations of the latest addition to her posterior. Due to the influence of people in the public eye, from artists and musicians to reality TV stars and sporting personalities, it seems tattoos becoming more commonplace and acceptable. However don’t celebrate too soon, there are still elements of dissension. For example, it’s still legal for an employer to fire an employee on the grounds of having a visible tattoo and oddly enough, it’s illegal for a tattooist to apply ink to customer’s hands or neck in Camden Town. I even got kicked out of a restaurant in Leicester Square for my ink once... Words: Liam Sexton Photo: Rococo Imaging

(Left to Right) JOE WEST - Bassist, Surrender The Coast. ALEX HURD - Drummer, Glass Cannons. LIAM SEXTON

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Yes way!

knew that after all since he started a whole separate band sans masks. Image is integral to the branding of a musician’s product, from the album covers to the merchandise and, more often than not, the style of the listeners. But, I hear you interject, what about Joe Bloggs who appears from obscurity and simply wears a hoodie and jeans while crooning to a crowd of equally casual listeners? Well, he may not have outlandish sartorial sensibilities, but his lack of image is still just that, an image. Just as Slipknot’s leather and spikes galore speaks to some people and makes them feel part of something, the down-to-earth nature of a hoodie and jeans will do exactly the same thing to the other side of the coin. In fact it doesn’t enormously matter what an artist wears, their fans will pounce on it and dissect, imitate and glorify it with gleeful abandon. Justin Bieber hair, Jessie J style crop tops, Gwen Stefani 90’s chic mimicked a generation later. Now the question actually gets interesting, because it seems the world is getting increasingly image obsessed, and the music industry is not immune. I know there are artists out there whose image is solidly grounded in their personal style and it just happens to be what works, and that’s all great and healthy. There are still others whose image is almost a kind of art, adding to the music in a symbiotic way. However, there’s an ever-increasing proliferation of the fashion victims, the makeovers necessary to make people viable artists in terms of reality singing contests. There are also the people whose

Words: Jessamyn Witthaus

“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language” – Miuccia Prada The above quote is by someone who designs clothes, but I think it applies just as much to the world of music as it does to the world of fashion. In answer to the question of whether image is important for musicians, my answer is unequivocally yes. Image has always been important, and as far as I can tell, is getting increasingly significant. I could hammer on in great detail about the obvious, the iconic images of Michael Jackson and his lone glove, the aggressive and disturbing masks of Slipknot, Bowie and his glittering face paint. All of these things are part and parcel of the persona of the musicians in question. They are the instant language that marks them out among the crowd, the visual symbols that called out to their tribe of followers and became iconic. But, that’s just the surface of it. Image is a tool for musicians; one if used wisely can capture worldwide attention. People don’t just listen to music in a bubble, absorbing it with just their ears, they have other senses that need to be satisfied too. It’s synonymous with the performance. You go to a Slipknot gig not just to hear the music, but to see those masks up close and personal. It wouldn’t be quite the same without them, and Corey Taylor

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image is seemingly what got them catapulted to stardom in the first place, regardless of musical talent. The real question is perhaps not “is image is important?” it’s, “What does it mean to be part of the worldwide audience in a time where the resounding answer to that question is, yes?” When Miley Cyrus jumping out of teddy bears and twerking about the stage in latex underwear becomes national news, and the source of much goggle-eyed sensational debate, what does this say about image and music? Give it some time for the scandal of it all to die down, and people will say it was “iconic”. But is it iconic in the same way as when Michael Jackson rolled up his trousers, donned a sparkly glove and decided to moonwalk across the stage? Well, I’ll leave you to decide the answer to that, and just what it says about the music industry today.

No way!

output. Back in the stone age, as a teenager, I would often listen to John Peel on a Friday night and record songs just because I liked the intro. This is how I came across PJ Harvey, Nirvana and The Pixies. End of discussion. Move along now!

Darren Clewes via Facebook “What James says. I think not being a dickhead is more important than being cool. The days of the aloof rock star appear to have gone but I always do add the caveat that Reuben (rip) traded on being ‘one of us’ and made no secret that they had day jobs etc...did this result in being taken less seriously? They certainly had a hardcore cult audience but never managed to break beyond this.”

Words: Glyn Allen

Is image important in the grand scheme of things? Nope. As I’m sure someone once said: “It’s all about the tunes man!” Seriously, though, let’s consider the facts (not actual facts, just my opinion, which is as good as). A prime example of a musician who’s been well-known throughout his career for pushing the envelope visually would be David Bowie. But surely the onstage personae of Ziggy Stardust et al wouldn’t have had anywhere near the impact if all of his songs were as dodgy as “The Laughing Gnome” instead of having the all round awesomeness of “Heroes” or “Space Oddity”. As a slightly more contemporary example, the Manic Street Preachers appear on the surface to be the ultimate culprits of substituting style for substance, but even from an early stage they pulled out some monster tunes to allay those fears (how many of you losers have written a song as equally daft, bombastic and downright hummable as Motorcycle Emptiness?) Without a gift for songwriting they’d just be King fucking Adora and no one wants to remember those pillocks. Stylists and makeovers for bands need to stay put in the sinister world of manufactured pop music. I have no problem with pop in its purest form as snobbery has no place here, but young people are moulded into an image, usually by creepy middle-aged men with dodgy agendas, and thrown to the internet wolves as the next One Direction/Little Mix. Image comes first, then if we can afford it we’ll get Xenomania or Cathy Dennis in to write the songs. The ultimate example of a band with a complete nonimage would be US hardcore’s geek poster boys Fugazi who have never even produced a t-shirt with their name on or seemingly ever changed their clothes throughout their career. Fugazi’s ethos was always to be 100% about the music without any concession to image. If you haven’t got the songs to back it up like them, you’ll end up falling on your face. These may not be the perfect examples for the argument, but it would be a sad sad world if we judged musicians purely on a photoshoot instead of recorded

Rizz James via Facebook ‘Image makes no difference to the actual music ,but it helps in promoting the artist” James Shrig via Facebook ‘Visually I don’t think so, but personality is important I think, if I find out a band’s a bit dickheady behind the music it puts me off them” Rob Cronin via Facebook “Yes, live performance and video are visual as well as aural. Image helps a potential audience member identify artists they might like before hearing the actual music.” Joe Haywood via Facebook “Unfortunately it is” @labormaus69 via Twitter “Important for what? Success? Yes!” Pi Bar via Facebook “yeah - the many guises of Bowie for example - music would have been the same whatever he wore but he wouldn’t be iconic if he wore a t-shirt and a pair of jeans” Illustration: Ryan Button

s I sit here in my acid-washed jeans, Doc Martens, oversized jumper and high peaked baseball cap I can’t help but think two things. One, my God I look like an insufferable prick, and two, haven’t we seen this before? The answer is yes. It was called the 90s and it was a bleak time characterised by a Gulf War, a crippling recession and a relentless and out of touch Conservative government. While the thought of this might seem beyond comprehension to us now in 2013, its influence is clear, especially with today’s music.

Regular readers will be aware that I am by no means a music fan and prefer New Balance to New Order, WH Smiths to the Smiths and Maoam to Duran Duran, however the never inaccurate Wikipedia reliably informs me that 90s music was a time of convergent ‘alternative’ styles of music. From across the Atlantic we welcomed ‘grunge’; its pioneer Burt Cobain who was tragically lost during a gang related drive-by but his influence is far reaching and recognisable amongst popular acts such as the Foo Fighters. Meanwhile, the UK scene was exploding with a Britpop shaped IED, spearheaded by the likes of Oasis, Reef and Menswear. The 90s were halcyon times with cocaine on cornflakes, dating members of All-Saints and befriending Jimmy ‘Five Bellies’ all considered acceptable norms. But over time the ‘mod’ imitation haircuts grew out into ‘curtains’ and ‘undercuts’, and by the mid-point of the decade boy-bands were ten a penny. With music as infectious as their STI’s, young girls across the land were put into frenzies not seen since the Beatles, Slade or the Proclaimers. Such wholesomeness was characteristically followed by a full scale revolt and by the Coal Chamber hoodie epidemic of ’99, numetal was all the rage. But these collective flames could only burn so brightly for so long and sadly the talent, momentum and most of all interest simply ran out. Or so we thought… History has been fairly consistent in reminding us that remakes, revamps and reunions have a tendency to be in the main, shit. Recent revisits to Star Wars, Indiana Jones and ITV’s Catchphrase firmly back this up, and we can’t overlook the horrors of the Total Recall, Arthur, Italian Job, Halloween and Alfie remakes. But music is a different, somehow more personal, and because of this some reunions don’t just damage the memory, but also the integrity and legacy which were once so precious. The past year saw Blur, Pulp and the inexplicably popular Primal Scream returning to the stage, but none came close the madness which accompanied the reunion of everyone’s default favourite band The Stone Roses who come in as my fifth most disappointing reunion. Fans flocked to catch a glimpse of the now literal ‘second coming’ and while I have no problem with them per se, I also have no problem with magnolia, chicken korma or Nokia. Reunions are big business and the Stone Roses were reported to make £10m for their recent live shows. Though

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not in the same league (but still obscene), the Libertines are also thought to have received £1.5m for their Reading and Leeds performances. That will buy you a hell of a lot of military jackets, Ray Bans and smack. The thing is, with falling CD sales, easy access to pirated material and streaming sites it’s easy to see why bands continue to return to the densely populated scene. I mean, how else are these stars going to afford to put rocket fuel in their space ships? But while money must be a motivating factor, it can’t be the only reason and we are often told that new tours and albums are ‘for the fans’. Indeed the recent Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath comebacks both proved incredibly popular with their huge international fan base as well as being tasteful and respectful to their catalogue. Therefore, with ‘metal’ in mind, the fourth most disappointing reunion has to go to Limp Bizkit. While their return has been ultimately successful, it does somewhat undermine their very public and acrimonious split which culminated in guitarist Borlan going as far as to call his next musical output ‘Big Dumb Face’ - no doubt a reference to the vast, stupid face of man-boy frontman, Fred Durst. While da Bizkit’s albums are certified meccas to cringiness, fans say that to fully appreciate their brutality they must be witnessed live, but then the same could be said for murder. But the ‘real’ bands weren’t the only ones enjoying the nostalgia-wagon and after the surprise success of professional waistcoat wearers Take That, it was the time for

other defunct manufactured bands to prove their worth. Fuelled by a passion to be taken seriously, what better way was there to solidify integrity than to appear in ITV2’s reality show, The Big Reunion? The series saw many of the 1990s ‘stars’ compete for a second chance at stardom, and collectively they take up third position in my disappointment run down. Amongst the quagmire of double denim and repressed homosexuality that was Blue, best remembered for their hit singles All Rise, One Love and Butchered At Birth, as well as their unparalleled stupidity. But I guess it’s easy to be cynical about Blue, so long as no elephants are being harmed, eh? Self-styled boy-bands’ bad-boys 5ive added to the murky mix. Undeterred by the fact that the one who rapped decided not to join in, the band soldiered on as a four piece thereby entirely undermining their USP and indeed name. The aptly named disaster that was 911 also featured, singing like angels but looking more like drug dealers and dog fighters than we remembered. It’s hard to say who the winner of the Big Reunion was, not just because I don’t know and because such a term seems a bit sarcastic. Perhaps most controversy (for those who think that what bands choose to do of their own free will is news) surrounded the return of fair weather anarchists Rage Against the Machine. The 90’s was a time when Rage ruled, and their idealistic worldview and social commentary frequently wound up tippexed on many a teenager’s rucksack. However the 2008 X-Factor winners were heavily criticised. Whether this was due to their lacklustre live sets or the fact that the nihilism of 20 years ago just felt forced or wasn’t relevant anymore - frankly I can’t say. I do however understand that similar feelings were evoked by the surprise reformations of At the Drive-in and Refused, who had both maintained that reunifications were off the table. This station is now profitable I suppose. But no run down of crushing musical disappointment would be complete without mentioning the big guns. Fronted

by archetypal rock blueprint Axl Rose, Guns N’ Roses dominated the 80s and 90s and the band came to embody the spirit of very spirit of rock and roll. Axl (whose name is an anagram of Roal’s Ex) was such a badass that he had been known to go as far objectify women as well as use full four letter swear words in his lyrics. But after two top 10 singles and inclusion in the Ones To Watch 1986 things fell apart after Axl unceremoniously fell out with the other members of the band while on a Strepsilfuelled temper tantrum. After a wilderness of seventeen years the much anticipated Chinese Democracy was released, costing $10m, as well as every single other member of the band. The album, which was universally acknowledged as uninspiring, was supported by a vigorous and relentless touring schedule and Axl (who now resembling something between Mickey Rourke and a hot meat pie) promised their live return would be every bit as exhilarating as the new album. He was right. Live performances also came under fire for Axl’s aggression towards the audiences and consistent lateness, clearly unlike Rihanna and Justin Bieber the world’s greatest rock band just weren’t cool enough to pull off this level of tardiness. It’s not like people had waited 17 years or anything. Perhaps I sound bitter, but then not every comeback has been bad. As I write I’ve just read that Through the Keyhole is to be remade and presented by one man 18-30s holiday, Keith Lemmon. Also, get excited kids, Shed Seven are said to be discussing their imminent return! And while we’re at it I imagine it’s time to wheel out Dirty Den, Harold Bishop and Hulk Hogan. That said, while there’s life in some old dogs yet, I think the lesson here is that sometimes the memory of things are better than the real thing. Some things are simply best left in the past. Forgotten. Buried. Like Noel Edmonds.

Words: Tiernan Welch

hris Karloff takes the time to have a transatlantic chat about his upcoming new album with Black Onassis, and life post-Kasabian. If you’re looking for any bitterness about missing the boat on such a chart topping and stadium filling career, you won’t find it here. Instead, you’ll find a refreshingly frank and honest home-grown talent who seems to have survived the years and the industry with a healthy attitude and no lack of musical material left to give.

dynamics of their voices you can sort of match with certain ideas that you had.

Chris Karloff takes the time to have a transatlantic chat about his upcoming new album with Black Onassis, and life postKasabian. If you’re looking for any bitterness about missing the boat on such a chart topping and stadium filling career, you won’t find it here. Instead, you’ll find a refreshingly frank and honest home-grown talent who seems to have survived the years in the industry with a healthy attitude and no lack of musical material left to give. Jessamyn Witthaus: So first of all tell me in a nutshell about the new project with Black Onassis and the new LP. Chris Karloff: Well basically it’s a project that’s been brewing for the last couple of years, we sort of just got an album together with numerous collaborative vocalists and stuff. Something we’ve played around New York for a short time and basically we’re looking to push the album out in the autumn sometime (see the reviews section). JW: So why did you decide to use multiple vocalists on the album as opposed to a set band line-up? CK: I do enjoy playing with a set band, I can adapt to many situations but we sort of had tried a few vocalists with it and what I found was that it was really difficult to move around the sound a little bit. I don’t always sit on the same things when I’m writing, so I found it really difficult. You’d be like “I’ve got this great idea”, but then the singer we’ve got sounds cool on some other tunes, and then some other really good ideas you have didn’t really work out. So I found it a bit more liberating with different people because the different

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JW: So talking about the lyrical content of the album and its themes, is that something quite personal to you or have you drawn from other areas for that? CK: It’s bizarre - the vocal collaborations I wrote the music to - it was kind of weird that when I got them all back together and they all had a kind of a thread. It was very much about an individual in a way – problems and life and stuff. A lot of the lyrics I could definitely relate to on a personal level which made it even more special really when it all came together. The theme of it was very much about the individual and in his or her head. It’s kind of cool how it worked out. JW: There seemed to be a lot about not necessarily rebirth but positive changes and that kind of imagery, is that something that’s important to you? CK: Like a positive rebirth? Not really, like I said because the collaborators wrote the vocals it was something that just totally came back to me. Buy yeah, a lot of those things I can very much relate to like positive new beginnings and stuff. I think that is something that anyone as they get on in life can relate to in some way or another, you know? JW: So the move to New York, how did that influence your music and your writing? Do you find that changed a lot or opened your eyes to new ideas and new things? CK: Yeah, I think it did, it definitely opened my eyes. I think a lot of the way you write things and that, the old methods stay with you, they always stay there. Since moving here - well it’s so different to Leicester in the fact that it’s so fucking loud all the time, there’s always something going on. So I think a lot of that alertness definitely made its way into the more musical stuff, a lot of the sounds were just interpretations to things going on outside my window. It was very much different in that kind of way. Whereas writing in the country, when we used to live at the farm, you had fields and stuff but it forced

you to get into your head a bit more. As opposed to being smacked in the face as you are out here with certain things. JW: Going back then, what does Leicester mean to you in terms of your early career and musical history? Do you have quite a fondness for Leicester? CK: Yeah, massively. One of the most interesting things - and I even found this early in the touring days when you would leave the country for periods of time - when you remove yourself from it you look at it in a completely different way. Often in a far more fond way than you did when you actually lived there. So even with the sounds I use now, especially with drum sounds, they are very sort of thick and hard sounding. That’s something I take from Leicester because I find it to be a very tough place. A lot of the people are very blunt, very honest, and that’s one of the things that I love about Leicester and I love about the people there. I definitely miss that, and also some of the funniest people I’ve ever met and the smartest people are from there too. That’s one thing that I really do reflect on a lot. JW: You seem very at peace with the decisions that came about with regards to Kasabian and your past in Leicester. Is that something that’s always been the case? CK: It’s a transition isn’t it? When you spend a lot of time with a group of people and then all of a sudden you don’t see them anymore, obviously it’s a very up and down kind of aftermath with such a thing. You always have to make some peace in order to carry on in whatever you’re doing, with relationships with people and friends, with anything. So the main thing is being happy in your everyday life and I’m very much that way now, so no complaints. JW: So do you think that being compatible with the musicians that you work with as opposed to just being able to make good songs or hit songs is important? CK: I think primarily, however you need to get a good track out, whatever you have to do… Even if you’re in a room with a bunch of people that you hate, that you want to knock out at every second, the main thing is the result at the end of it. That’s the thing with music, it’s not always like everyone’s all pally and this and that. It’s not always easy and it’s not always magical. It can take many turns, and it’s the same with life when you get to go to somewhere. I think that’s what makes it so amazing. Yeah, to me it’s definitely more important that what comes out at the end, that what people are going to be listening to and what they can get into is the most important thing. Absolutely, however you get there. JW: Obviously you took quite an extensive time away from music; did you ever feel the need to just stop? Or is it something that you keep being drawn back to despite how tough the industry can be? CK: The industry side of it is very hard, but that’s typical of any industry. I’m always writing, because it’s a compulsion. It’s something that you always do, if you’ve got something in your head. The beauty of modern technology is you can just run to your computer or even pick up your phone and press record and get ideas down. So they’re constantly there, it’s always in your head. I’ve never wanted to stop writing on any level. The industry thing, that’s often something that you

think about last. For the time that you’re in that headspace and that bubble all you’re thinking about is getting to the point of that track sounding the best it can be. JW: If you had to single out one thing that keeps you writing and keeps you going what would it be? CK: That’s a very good question. With things that you’re so compulsive about it’s hard to have an objective point of view. I think most of all it’s about the passion, when it’s the rooted passion to do it that’s the one thing. As long as that’s still going you’ll keep doing it, that’s the thing that really motivates me. When you’re doing it you feel like this is what you’re supposed to be doing on this earth. That’s very much what drives me, you feel like yourself. You’re wearing the right shoes. JW: So do you feel any pressure to make a comeback at this point? How do feel about that idea, of people coming back after previous careers and time away? CK: It’s one that I suppose people can look at in a strange way perhaps. Like I say I don’t really think about it. One of the things I don’t massively think about is what other people think of me, or of what I’m doing. I do what I do because I love to do it. I’ve always had the attitude that if people like it, that’s amazing and I’m really happy that people are into it. Anyone who thinks badly of me can fuck off really. That’s genuinely what I think, I don’t really let what people think or their thoughts dominate what I’m going to do. So even if I was sixty years old and wanted to do an album and come out again, I’d do it. It would probably be as angry and as good an album as anyone I’d ever done before. JW: Does it try your patience that people often seem more interested in your past than in what you’re doing now? CK: Sometimes, but it’s natural curiosity I guess. It’s a big part of my past, and again it’s one of those things that is a proud part of it as well. Everything I did with Kasabian I’m massively proud of, even to this day, even though it didn’t end the best. It doesn’t really make me angry. It’s the first time I’ve really seen it in that light as a comeback. I suppose my head is so into doing whatever I’m doing, and it’s always been something I’ve done since I was young anyway. In my own world I don’t really see it as anything but that. JW: Do you have any parting words about the new music and the album that you would like to leave us with? CK: Just go out and listen to it really, that’s all I can say about it. That’s the most important thing. Words: Jessamyn Witthaus Photos:Davey Wilson

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

The Y Theatre Where’s It At? East Street, Leicester, roughly opposite the Railway Station

he age and rather sophisticated atmosphere of The Y sets it apart from other Leicester venues, as does the fact that it’s part of the city centre’s YMCA. It’s a favourite place for local acts wanting a grander than usual setting and for touring bands looking for somewhere a little different.

When Was That? Built in 1900 as a lecture theatre, it became a commercial venue in the 1980s.

Its modern lobby and bar are adorned with works by local artists and furnished with comfy sofas, while the opulent old theatre itself may appear quirky but has great dynamics and a sturdy sound system. Its beautiful balcony remains one of the cosiest, intimate vantage points for audiences in the city. Besides its varied and intriguing live music line-up, The Y regularly hosts comedy acts, performance art, poetry and reading and performances for children and families.

Capacity: 350 in total, with 140 seated in the upstairs balcony and 210 downstairs. Most Likely To Play: Jazz, Folk, Blues, Prog Rock, Indie Rock Least Likely To Play: Open to all styles, only issue is capacity Biggest Names: Spiritualized®, British Sea Power, Wild Beasts, Fairport Convention, The Magic Numbers, The Zombies, Newton Faulkner, Jimmy Webb

Sumo Where’s It At? Braunstone Gate, Leicester

long-standing part of Brauny Gate’s scene, with three floors, four bars and a heated outside area, Sumo is a bar, a club and a live music venue rolled into one. Its basement is the principle live music location, and is suitably murky and seedy, but in a good way. Low ceilinged and small staged, this underground hideaway boasts a bar that opens for big names and a heavy-duty, bone-shaking PA that is not to be underestimated. Its upstairs area has recently been soundproofed and is now available for private parties, while DJs tend to play a mix of crowd-pleasing tunes on the ground floor and occasionally outdoors.

When Was That? Opened in its current form in 2002. Capacity: 200 in the downstairs basement venue, though 500 people can fit in the entire club. Most Likely To Play: Punk, Funk, Hardcore, Hip Hop, House Least Likely To Play: Open to all styles. Biggest Names: Alt-J, Kasabian, Ghostpoet, The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster, Hope Of The States, The Kissaway Trail, Kill It Kid, Sam Sparro

James Hill, The Other Tribe Photography: Rococo Imaging

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL

or one weekend this August, the fields of Heather, Leicestershire came alive with music as over 5,000 music lovers headed to the annual Strawberry Fields Festival. Now in its fourth year the festival is doing its upmost to get bigger and better - with headlining sets from Jaguar Skills, The Enemy and The View - backed up by a whole array of talent from over 160 bands, artists, DJs and spoken word lyricists. Friday afternoon was the calm before the storm, kicking off across the festival site with bands that seemed expertly selected for the early young audience making the most of their summer holidays. Just James on the main stage with their energetic, upbeat style were clearly a crowd favourite and got the spirit of the festival spot on - the festival organisers must have agreed as they were the only band all weekend to play twice. Into the Big Top Tent, Fitz and then Mia and the Moon offered a smooth and soulful sound within their sets, with voices that you could easily listen to all day. As afternoon passed to evening the festival party atmosphere stepped up a notch. Tyler Mae, were given the task of warming up the crowd for the main act. Up there with the best of the weekend, these high-octane chaps from Birmingham and London literally got everyone up with a live mash up of dub step, heavy metal, dance, electronic and rock. And what better way to end the first night on the main stage than with Radio 1’s Jaguar Skills. The usual arcade game stage set was revealed and it felt like everyone on the whole festival site was there to see this show. The ‘ninja’ duly delivered with his usual mix of every single genre of music known to man, this was the set of all sets. Saturday saw the return of the sun, and for those still dozing in their tents the brilliant Laguna Sunrise provided one hell of a wake up call. The post-metal core band from Derby delivered their unique style with perfection. In the Big Top Tent Charlie Drew, Empire and Park Bench Society all absolutely nailed their respective sets - it was fantastic to see these upcoming artists showcased here at SFF. Leicester’s Jersey Budd once again produced a solid performance and had the crowd singing and dancing along to his classic rock sound. An experienced performer supporting the likes of Kasabian and playing in front of a sell out crowd at Leicester City’s King Power last year, he just seems to produce something special every time and his SFF set was no exception. As the night drew in the excitement was building, looking forward to the lads from Coventry - but before them was the amazingly talented Lucy Rose. Taking her seat on the main stage she belted out some fantastic songs with that absolutely stunning voice of hers, backed with an equally talented band. As the headline act, The Enemy really had something to prove, and the lads from down the road gave it their everything. They kicked off with some of their classics and had the crowd bouncing from start to finish. The lads hammered those instruments with real intent and it rubbed off across the festival from the pit right back to the bar at the back of the field.

After two hard days of fantastic bands and unbelievable DJ sets, there was a very chilled atmosphere on the final day. After a wonderful year of supporting artists such as Ed Sheeran and Rizzle Kicks,, Mahalia started the day off superbly with her absolutely glorious voice - it was very easy to see why she is held in such high regard. Then came a complete contrast of musical genius with Preacher and the Bear - with such a unique style of rock, blues, gospel and punk all mashed up into one crazy set these boys were experts in delivering the perfect festival set. The Donkey pub hosted Sunday’s Strawberry Jam Tent, with a line-up that reflected their usual musical brilliance. Leicester band The Junipers grabbed my attention with a sound similar to Metronomy, but more psychedelic than electronic - no wonder they have been busy playing gigs and festivals around the country this summer. Arthur Rigby and the Baskervilles were another major musical ‘find’, these guys were excellent - each song different in it’s own toe tapping, no, foot stomping way. Later followed my act of the festival, The PeteBox, by far one

“As the headline act, The Enemy really had something to prove, and the lads from down the road gave it their everything.” of the most talented artists witnessed this year. A perfect set produced using just his voice and pedal loops, delivered so expertly it was literally jaw dropping stuff,. With painted faces, Bristol band The Other Tribe played out some of their latest hits including My Girl and We Should Be Dancing which had the full crowd dancing around the field. As a fan already, I was very surprised to see how good they actually were live. Warming up for the final act of the weekend on the main stage were The Cuban Brothers, whose entertaining performance included standup comedy, expert dancing and superb tracks. These guys really know how to perform and get a crowd worked up - if the festival were to end with them headlining, it wouldn’t have been bad thing. But that job was given to The View. A lot like The Enemy, these guys haven’t been around as much of late, but the guys from Scotland delivered some of the classics from their three studio albums and gave us a professional, experienced set. A very energetic performance capped off a wonderful main stage for this year, and clearly proved they are still up there with some of the best indie bands around today. Strawberry Fields 2013 - a definite success! The music, organisation and atmosphere. Each and every act who performed can be very pleased with what they produced. The most noticeable thing from the whole weekend was the talent of both up-and-coming, and established acts. SFF definitely achieved a bigger and better party this year, and already the excitement grows over whom they can attract for 2014. It is firmly putting Leicestershire on the music map. Words: Gareth Dakin

BY THE RIVERS

THE FALLOWS

By the Rivers Words: Alex Scoppie

Liars and Kings Words: Rachael Scarsbrook Coventry might not jump out as being home to many folk bands but if you thought that concrete and distinctive accents were all the city had to offer then you would be greatly mistaken. For The Fallows are by far one of the most exciting bands to be emerging out of the city at this very moment. The band’s second album; ‘Liars And Kings’ opens with the track of the same name launching straight into an almost full blown sea shanty packed to the brim with vibrancy that will make you think of men with beards playing accordions on boats. Folk music and soul music wouldn’t seem as a possible crossover genre and whilst there are no soul sounding nuances in the actual music, the depth of the lyrics and humanity of the melodies and harmonies are reminiscent of old style soul singers such as Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, whose heart on sleeve attitude has been given a folk edge which works incredibly well. Folk music is now the modern version of blues for the Mumford & Sons loving generation and The Fallows have created a record that is as uplifting as it is melancholic and it’s almost a sad thing to realise that this record will go unheard by many when by comparison it has everything that the second Mumfords record lacked and more.

It’s been a long, meandering course for these six Leicester lads, from the trickle of excitement playing local bars to the swell of popularity after (twice) storming Summer Sundae and the gushing praise which swept them on a very Special UK tour, By The Rivers now finally surface from the studio with their debut LP. (Sorry, no more river puns, I promise) So have they managed to bottle their live lightning, nail down that infectious, good-time reggae pop which has won them many a fan in their hometown and beyond? Emphatically. Can it sustain them throughout an entire album? Not quite, but I’ll get to that in a bit. First, the good points – By The Rivers bursts with superior tunes; Vulture, the frantic opener, Take Contol, the cock-sure call to arms, and Hit’n’Run, a glittering pop nugget with an unexpected dub drop-out, all hit heady heights, while the killer closing salvo of Run Home, Don’t Say You Love Me and Rocksteady sees the boys effortles sly switch gears between afrobeat, two-tone and, um, rocksteady respectively. Unfortunately some of the other tracks suffer by comparison, and similarity starts to creep in. For all Nile Barrow and Jordan Birtles’ lush duets, the barrage of brass and the spandex-tight rhythm section, there’s something about Rise Up and You Got It Wrong in particular that sound as if By The Rivers are going by the numbers. But this is a minor gripe, especially when one considers how many reggae albums can suffer from this problem of uniformity. A follow-up album full of familiar skanking may get tiresome, so perhaps a foray into darker, dubbier depths next time might be worth considering. But for now this is a fun, first rate first album from a band with an unnervingly accurate ear for melody, harmony and rhythm, and the balls to embrace an unashamedly unfashionable genre with open arms and beaming faces. So why not buy The Rivers’ record… or even just stream it? (Sorry, sorry, I’ll go now)

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

FURIES Death Valley Words: Alex Scoppie Naming your album after the most inhospitable place in the world immediately suggests your music is not going to be the most friendly and welcoming - and yet The Furies’ latest effort is surprisingly accessible. The exhilarating opener War In The City, with its undertow of chanting and wailing siren guitars conjure urban strife all too well, and it’s closely followed by the equally pleasing of Fade Into Nothing. For most of the album, Alex Beattie’s vocals are clear and insistent, his and Joe Connor’s guitar work is menacing and organic and Matt Wright’s bass and Neale Hill’s beats pulverising and propulsive, and there are enough compelling gear changes, especially on The Punisher and the seductive, shape-shifting Ride to keep listeners guessing. Unfortunately there are times, particularly in quieter moments on complex numbers like The Fear and Ignite My Soul, when the band members simply don’t quite play to the same rhythm as each other, to the point it becomes distracting. While any attempts at pushing the limits are admirable, a band should at least play within their capabilities. Or buy a metronome. It’s a shame, as there are enough straight-up, innovative tracks here for a really strong EP, but The Furies over-reach themselves by extending its natural life and run out of steam by their final, title track, a disappointingly uninspired dirge about sweating pores and circling vultures. It’s quite fitting,

BLACK ONASSIS

T E MORRIS

Desensitise

And You Were The Hunter

Words: Maria McDonald Many of you reading this will not have heard of Black Onassis, and possibly not even Chris Karloff. You will have heard of Karloff’s first band though; Leicester’s biggest musical export Kasabian. Karloff left the band in 2006, with no real explanation only ‘creative differences’, and left the midlands for the bright lights of New York. He has now resurfaced with his new musical venture Black Onassis and album Desensitised. A new team of musicians and a mix of guest vocalists working alongside him, Karloff has stuck with the electro influences he favoured on the two Kasabian albums he worked on. Although it is clear that Black Onassis is not, and will not be, a follow up to his previous band, there are tracks on the album that sound similar to their first album, just more polished versions. Desensitised, an album set to distance itself from Karloff’s previous work, at times lacks structure and has you reaching to turn the volume down. The beats seem disjointed and rather than being in your face, it becomes hard to listen to. There appears to be a 80s/90s influence, ‘Minus Humans’ could be the darker, older brother of any music used on a Sega video game of the era. Black Onassis’ take on electro music is something that will appeal to a niche crowd. For those who aren’t into their beats and synths, this album tends to be brash and in your face and probably is not for you. But if brash and in your face is what you’re after, then check it out.

Words: Maria McDonald

On first listening to T E Morris’ album ‘And You Were The Hunter’, I was quick to write this album off as another folk sounding album which has emerged in the wake of Mumford and Sons. However, as difficult as it is to admit, I was wrong. It does not leave you with images of groups of people swinging each other around but rather with the impression that T E Morris is a man who has taken time and effort to produce an album covering several genres that showcases his talent as both a singer and a guitarist who uses both instruments to lay down beautiful, melodic tracks. The opening tracks ‘Bright Spark’ and ‘The Long Distance Runner’ set the tone of the album. Soft vocals against hypnotic melodies ease the listener into the album before tracks ‘Provenance’ and ‘Haven’ smash through with their heavier, rockier sounds, proving that Morris is able to provide an edge that makes this album distinct. Delicate vocals contrast against strong beats, which make these two stand out tracks. Title track ‘And You Were The Hunter’ is by far the bravest and most interesting track on the record. With only the sound of waves as his tune, Morris uses vocal harmonies as his instrument, singing acapella about ‘animals that became the hunters’. The final tracks of the album see the continuation of the slow, harmonious songs with the introduction of strings and female voices, but they do have a tendency of rolling into each other if you’re not giving the album your full attention. A successful album that allows Morris to display his talents as a solo artist, it’s definitely one not to immediately disregard and demands your full attention to truly appreciate it.

SMOKIN THE PROFIT A Joint Effort Words: Becca Lunn This is the first studio album from the Leicester band who have built a reputation as a raw, good-time live act, as their recent Western Park Festival set demonstrated. The album opens with Knuckle Down, a brief instrumental with widdly guitar that takes me back to my teens and the sounds emanating from my brother’s bedroom. The influences on the band are broad, with elements of ska, punk, metal and blues. Second track Guilty Minds edges towards the metal/blues end of the spectrum with frenetic guitar playing. It is clear that all the band are capable musicians, keen to demonstrate their individual talents. Frontman Tommy Bee has the swagger of Kasabian’s Tom Meighan, and the throaty rasp of Caleb Followill. There’s also some impressive riffage that wouldn’t be out of place in the Pumpkins’ canon before Billy Corgan’s ego took over. The overall effect is one of a band with many ideas, though it feels like they’re trying to cram too much into each song. Passing Time is one of the simpler, pared down tracks and is all the better for it, a jaunty, concise ska-tinged instrumental. On the whole though, it lacks coherence, with individual elements of each track pulling in different directions. There’s the fast, Rapture-esque bits, the sludgy, heavier bits, the ska elements, and the harmonica that makes an appearance on many songs, blustering in like a drunken uncle at a wedding. A Joint Effort then, anything but weedy, but a tad dis-jointed.

Oscillations

FLYING KANGAROO ALLIANCE

Words: Rachael Scarsbrook

Hit The Wall / Waste

Oscillations is a bit of a daunting word to come across musically and at first glance sounds like the kind of title you’d expect from a band like Foals. But let’s not judge a book by its cover for Oscillations is the title of new EP by the hardcore Juniors. In the wake of the successes of bands like Lower Than Atlantis, You Me At Six and the rise of Don Broco, UK hardcore has become an incredibly thriving scene and Juniors should be the next band on your radar without question. Opening an EP with a track named ‘F∆ND∆M∆NT∆L∆ST’ seems so Alt J but there’s not a triangle to be heard of on this belter of a track. The use of a double aspect vocal sounding like a stream of conscious is a stroke of genius but there just seems to be something at the back of my mind that wants more of what Juniors are offering and it isn’t until the closing three seconds of the track that the track really takes off. There is a lot of build up yet Juniors fail to really smash through the glass ceiling in terms of being truly hardcore and riotous. ‘Holy Caspian’ and ‘This Was For My Amusement’ almost break through into amazing territory and the result are two tracks that follow on well from each other suggesting that Juniors thought long and very hard about the compilation and it plays to their strengths. Too much music these days is rush released and so to come across a band biding their time in order to give listeners the best experience makes Juniors a band with integrity as well as a stellar line up of tracks that one can only imagine would blow the roof off any venue they play.

Words: Alex Scoppie

JUNIORS

WANT YOUR ALBUM / EP / SINGLE REVIEWED? EMAIL US AT: SUBMIT@THEMONOGRAPH.CO.UK

OR POST IT TO: THE MONOGRAPH 129 BURGESS HOUSE 11 BURGESS STREET LEICESTER LE1 4QG

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

OK, so they’ve got a good, memorable name, but can this Leicester four piece back it up on their first single with equally memorable songs? Can they walk the walk (or even hop the hop)? No worries – turns out the boys and girls of FKA know exactly how to make a great grunge record: simple, hookladen tunes full of lolloping drums and guitars so fuzzy you could cuddle them. Respect goes to writer/singer Meri Everitt, whose strungout lyrics about dying inside and turning into her mum are snarled with just enough knowing self-awareness, bolstered by yelps of which Karen O herself would be proud. Of the two tracks, the wild, whirling Wasted edges ahead of the more ponderous Hit The Wall, despite its slightly inferior chorus – but there’s so much fun being had here comparisons become irrelevant. Seek out this assured, amiable debut you’d be roo’d not to.

JONNY PRECIOUS To the Carnival Words: Glyn Allen Feeling the creeping inevitably of winter in these darkening evenings? Well, let Jonny Precious funk it out of you! Featuring the talents of ex Dirty Backbeat Lee Spreadbury and erm, ex Happy Monday Mikey Shine it’s no surprise that this EP is a danceable affair. Opening track ‘Let The Light In’ oozes out of the speakers like a sexier cousin of Black Grape’s ‘Big Day In The North’ with in yer face horns, wah-ing guitars and a beautifully unhinged bluesy vocal call to arms. It’s upbeat, daft, dumb and immensely good fun. Title track ‘To The Carnival’ rides in on a wave of South American-sounding percussion before giving it some warm Money Mark-style vocals/keyboard married to just the right level of background beats; more cowbell? Nah, just the right amount thanks! ‘Let Go’ kicks off with an almost mediaeval horn fanfare before relaxing into a lovely mid-paced dub reggae affair with a vocal not unlike Tom from Kasabian, perfect for the summer evenings of this time of year. Joking aside this is a band tailor-made for a sunny chilled-out festival Penultimate number ‘Reason Is You’ is a more sedate, sad feeling, tune but still underpinned by a nagging four-four beat and what appears to be a an unexpected flute solo mid-song. It gives off an almost eighties vibe; you could image Tears For Fears kicking out after a few too many disco biscuits. The EP finishes with the Imitri dub version of ‘Let Go’ which does what it says on the tin to great effect; echoey, bassy, with stretched out vocals and clicking drumbeats and the odd sparse guitar lick pared down from the original. An album is promised in 2014 and if they keep up the quality of this record it could well be a highlight of next year.

YOUNG KNIVES

WE THREE & THE DEATH RATTLE

We Could be Blood Words: Maria McDonald

Alligators

With fourth album Sick Octave due to drop in November, Young Knives whet our appetite with the release of the new single We Could Be Blood. This haunting, sometimes eerie track shows a grown up, sophisticated side to the band. Gone are the plucky guitar riffs, replaced with melancholic organ harmonies that linger and lace the vocals. The lyrics, relaying a relationship so close that the sense of becoming indistinguishable from one another, only add to the unnerving elements of the track. However, Young Knives haven’t totally dispensed with their guitars, as the interjection of a sound customary to the band emerges after the intense organ lead opening. If this lead single from the upcoming album is anything to go by, Young Knives are moving away from the post-punk/indie sound they are known for by treading into new territory, the results of which should be very exciting. old style soul singers such as Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, whose heart on sleeve attitude has been given a folk edge which works incredibly well.

Words: Rebecca Lunn Those who are used to WTATDR live will know they’re a force to be reckoned with; loud, brash, raw, inyour-face bluesy noise. Compared to some of their songs such as Hey Detonator!, Alligators comes across as something of a surprise. Sparse, stripped back with organ replacing the theremin cacophony of previous songs, this signals a potentially interesting change of direction for the trio. Lyrically the song seems to allude to a dysfunctional, unhealthy relationship, with an element of gibberish thrown in for good measure, though the final line “Honey I’m your ace of hearts” recalls the card game/gambling imagery of older song “Double or Quits”. Clocking in at barely two and a half minutes long, this is a snappy (pun intended) earworm of a tune, the “Elevator/ Alligator” chorus managed to crawl into my brain and lodge itself there after only a couple of airings.

SURRENDER THE COAST Conscience Words: Jordan Thompson

EMBRACE THE TIDE Bad Blood Words: Liam Sexton In recent years the trend within the metal scene has been to produce songs which only serve to provide a backing track to throwing your fists around in circles and stomping your feet. Unfortunately, it seems to have become a case of style over substance. The latest single from Embrace The Tide titled ‘Bad Blood’ doesn’t do much to step away from this stereotype. Crushingly heavy from the get-go, there is very little to hold onto until the chorus provides some semblance of a structure and a hook. Bearing in mind the DIY nature of this release it does show potential given the sleek production and subtle use of strings and synths. It seems that they are still trying to find their feet and although ‘Bad Blood’ doesn’t set them apart, there is a lot of potential for growth.

Step aside indie musicians, Leicester based Surrender The Coast are back with their new track Conscience, leaving your speakers on loud and your ears wanting more. This is the second single to be released by these guys, filled with even heavier drum beats, aggressive bass and vocals that would leave pop princes hiding underneath their covers. With its continuous and intense ‘screaming’ vocals from their lead singer Andy and commanding instrument playing from the band, this track isn’t for the faint hearted, easy listener – you have been warned readers. As this track has a similar sound to their first single and heaviness of post-hardcore band Bury Your Dead, it has become obvious that Surrender The Coast have already niched themselves into a particular genre, leaving no signs of them taking the gentler rock road. Though this single maybe too intense for some people, it will leave a taste of anticipation in your mouth on how heavy their album will be.

The Magic Numbers @ THE Y - 15/09/13

Children and animals guys, children and animals - never share a stage with them! After a decade of touring you’d think the Numbers would know this most basic of rules. But no, bearded band chief and new father Romeo Stodart insists on carting his nonplussed toddler Archie onstage mid-set to share the spotlight, and the little tyke even plays (or rather accidentally kicks) his first guitar chords as he wriggles in his proud dad’s arms, to the delight of the Y’s cooing fans. Luckily this spontaneous act of parenting, which would totally derail most other gigs, is just another sweet little moment in a set by the nicest band in the world, The Magic Numbers, purveyors of indie rock so saccharine you could use it to dissolve teeth. The night starts with duo Gold Heart Assembly doing a passable Simon & Garfunkle impersonation, complete with polo necks. Their confusingly cheery cover of Tom Waits’ Clap Hands and their only hit to date, King of Rome, go down well, despite the bantering pair being short three regular bandmates. Following an intermission The Magic Numbers themselves bound purposefully on, all wide grins and flowing locks, and launch into the slow swing of Try, its contemplative pauses allowing their lush dynamics to grind gradually into gear. The night is ostensibly part of an acoustic tour, but really it’s more of a Turn The Amps Down A Bit tour, and it suits this band of brothers and sisters just fine, their overwhelming harmonies hardly needing amplification in the theatre’s close confines. “We’ve just finished recording our fourth album,” confides Romeo, almost apologetically, “and we’re going to play you some songs from it, we hope you like them.” New material tends to be an awkward subject, as the consensus remains that they have yet to match the promise of 2005’s incredible eponymous debut. It seems the Numbers may finally be back on course though, with zesty toe-tapper We Never Had THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

Words by Alex Scoppie / Photo: Scott Choucino

It, heartbroken cracker Roy Orbison and the storming Shot In The Dark proving to be their best new songs in years. There’s an urgent passion to all three, emphasised by the swing in each player’s step, and pretty soon the acoustic pretensions of the evening are all but forgotten. They’re keenly aware of how beloved their early works are though, and strategically slip their breakout debut Forever Lost and the choked-up tear-jerker I See You, You See Me into the mix to wild applause, though the goofy gait of Long Legs is still the clunker it was when it was written, worsened tonight by Michelle Stodart’s irritating attempts to twizzle her double bass. Frustratingly one or two of the Numbers’ numbers trundle on way past the six minute mark without developing, particularly the confused, percussion laden Crying Shame, a song whose most memorable moment comes when a roadie performs strap surgery on Michelle bass while she’s still playing it. They rally toward the end though, lifting the room’s spirits with two well-known songs by other people. The first, a hazy, shimmering Harvest Moon, has them join up with the Gold Heart Assembly boys for crooning duties, while the somewhat neglected Sean Gannon (drummers must HATE playing acoustic sets) finally gets to shine on harmonica. The second song? Happy Birthday, to a member of the audience. Did I mention they’re the nicest band in the world? Rounding off with the tried, tested, impeccable She Don’t Love Me Like You is the very definition of ending on a high, and the clapping, singing, grinning room resembles a gospel congregation by its joyous conclusion. Yet they eke out one final song afterwards, a knockout lullaby called Damned Always, recalling the brilliant simplicity of their early demos. On the strength of songs like this, it may be that this band’s days of damnation by diminished returns are finally at an end.

FLYING KANGAROO ALLIANCE/ BOBCATS @ Pi Bar 20/09/13 Words: Alex Scoppie It’s the end of a long week and at the end of Pi’s long bar a couple of blokes are playing a loooong cover of a Led Zeppelin tune. They’re Bobcats, and they’re not much to write home about, or write here about for that matter.

Things slow right down for the sultry, swinging menace of Prince Of Darkness, and the rest of the band wander off completely leaving Meri to perform the aptly-titled Lonely, which wouldn’t sound out of place during an introspective episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

The mumbling, grunting singer (who seems to be impersonating Jeff Bridges) and his six-string bassist never move out of second gear, perhaps because of their lack of a drummer, but even with beats this would still be a turgid, tortuous hour of identikit 12 bar blues with no destination.

After the false re-start of Drunk (Iggy Pop’s Passenger played at half the speed) the Kangaroos bounce back with their EP tracks Hit The Wall and Wasted, both of which demonstrate the best of Keeley Knight’s barrelling bass, Ali Findlay’s sloshing guitar effects and the determined drumming of Ivan Hunt.

Thankfully, Flying Kangaroo Alliance come to the evening’s rescue, riding in on the feedback squalls of Bloodflow, before switching to Mr Sik’s frenetic punk rhythms, singer Meri Everitt nearly tripping over her snarled stream of lyrics.

Throughout the show Meri comes across as an aggrieved, put-upon heroine, exorcising her demons with a Courtney sneer one moment and an Alanis falsetto the next. Accessible, tuneful and surprisingly likeable - thanks to some betweensong banter and the clear impression that they love playing together - FKA don’t just demand attention, they thoroughly reward it.

“This next song’s called Get The Fuck Off,” she informs the room, helpfully summing up the band’s direct, aggressive attitude.

TURTLE BAY LAUNCH NIGHT @ Highcross 12/09/13 Words: Jessamyn Witthaus The recent tropical summer may have come to close, but tonight the party atmosphere was still well and truly in full swing. Turtle Bay is the latest addition to Leicester’s city centre dining scene. The restaurant is Caribbean in theme, with a range of authentic dishes encompassing a myriad of unusual flavours and a dizzying array of rum on offer. It seems they pulled out all the stops to guarantee their residency in Leicester would go off with a bang, and upon arriving the red carpet had been rolled out and everyone was greeted with the warmest of welcomes.

cheerful and efficient. The food on offer is bite-sized, but showcases all the flavours on the menu, including spicy ribs and morsels of beef and pastry. Soon the second band is up, this time outside, attracting quite a lot of attention from passers-by. In contrast to the earlier music, Laid Blak are a very modern twist on reggae. No brass section this time, and heavy on the synthesisers and urban vibes. With an enigmatic frontman, they brought the crowd outside as the evening wore on and there were definitely more than a few people dancing.

The interior of the restaurant is rustic but still impressive, with a wall of speakers dominating one half of the space. All colourful accessories and light wooden features, it definitely tries to emulate a beach bar atmosphere. Most impressive though is the array of music on offer, with the first band in full swing as I arrive. Troy Hollis and Hail Jamaica may have only travelled from Bristol for this particular gig, but Hollis himself has authentic roots by merit of his Jamaican birthplace. This is old-school reggae, heavy on the well-known standards. The band come complete with trumpet and saxophone and blend perfectly with the complimentary cocktails on offer, the rum punch being a particular highlight.

All in all, a great evening that captured the spirit and theme of this brand new dining experience in Leicester. The night was definitely made by the music on offer, bringing life and gravitas to what is often quite a played-out theme. The generous drinks on offer certainly helped, and the small taste of the food definitely left me curious to try a full meal sometime.

The venue is filled to the brim, and the atmosphere is great. Despite the sheer volume of people crowding the bar and every bit of available table space, the staff are tirelessly

Clubs / Jaws @ The Soundhouse Photograph by Scott Choucino THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

THE SOUNDCHECK JAWS / CLUBS/ HALLOWED PEOPLE @ Sound House Words: Tash Walkerdine / Photo: Scott Choucino I enter Sound House to quite a cheery eyed young crowd, a Jaws banner covering the back of the stage. A good sized crowd gather towards the front. Clubs are sat at a table writing out their set list when first act Hallowed People take the stage. They confidently pull forward the crowd asking them to come a little closer. Quickly setting the upbeat atmosphere for the evening with catchy intros that quickly grab everyone’s attention. They talk to the crowd throughout their set, building up the momentum for Jaws, the audience applauding in response. A few tracks in, I can’t help but feel they need a little tightening, they seem a little loose around the edges and are not quite finely tuned enough with one another. Yet there was something mystifying about them, as though they hadn’t quite worked out their sound, but the potential in them could lead onto something incredible. Hallowed People perfectly lead onto Clubs. Now I have heard Clubs tracks before now. But almost felt a little worried to see them live in case they disappointed me. I shouldn’t have worried! For a band not even in their 20’s they sounded exactly live as they do on their recordings. I have to say they blew me away! I have not heard a band all year that are this tight. Their lengthy introductions and well timed lulls are perfectly mastered, building the audience up

for something better and better. The lead singer, CJ’s voice carries the band well ahead of the competition as though he has been playing gigs for years. The crowd look and listen on in wonder as though there’s a secret in the lyrics. CJ even purposefully wobbles his voice and pulls it off, I am amazed and it just gets better… When Jaws come on stage, the crowd don’t seem too interested in seeing them at all, but surely that’s why they came? Maybe it’s because Jaws seem to play it down. They don’t interact with the audience and everyone just accepted that they were there. Musically they play perfectly, well versed and practised in themselves. It was the last gig of September for me, it was the perfect last band of the Summer, nostalgic sounds and cheery tones.

THE BRANDY THIEVES / NAOMI PERERA / THE MIDBEATS / THE GHOULIES / THE SIMPLETONES @ Basement 31/08/13 Words: Jessamyn Witthaus The Basement in Leicester is normally a late night haunt, and generally has a very definite club atmosphere. Tonight though people are here at a more civilised hour for the launch of Leicester band The Brandy Thieves’ EP. The more relaxed setting takes full advantage of the underground space and for a change it’s obvious how suitable The Basement is as a gig venue. Naomi Perera kicks of the night with an acoustic set. She has an easy confidence, with music that falls just shy of easy listening, and her vocals have a hint of Lily Allen about them. Although the songs are rhythmically repetitive in a catchy way, her range in tone and pitch saves them from monotony. Swiftly following are The Midbeats, indie boys with swagger that sound just a bit too much like an Oasis tribute. Although musically competent, lyrically their songs are evocative of tales of love lost after WKD fuelled nights and chip shop altercations. Next up, a total change of pace in the form of The Ghoulies. Complete with barefooted bassist; they are pirate rock with considerable vocal hijinks. Looking at them I find myself wondering idly, is it a bear, is it a man, is it a frontman…? They’re all rather hirsute. With a hint of Alice Cooper’s bile, they’re certainly entertaining. This metallic vibe doesn’t last long, next up we have barbershop with The Simpletones. They may be a mismatched

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

group in stature, but their vocal harmonies are on point and they have matching waistcoats. Particular highlights are their renditions of The Circle of Life and Lovely Day. They get everyone up and singing along, and soon it’s time for the main event. The Brandy Thieves are almost effervescent, with their diminutive and heavily tattooed lead singer belting out throaty then surprisingly delicate vocals. As their name suggests, they have an air of mischief about them. A quick word with them yielded an answer as to the rather erratic line up of the evening, the performers they had chosen had all been along for the ride at various points in their musical journey so far. This would definitely explain the supportive atmosphere of the evening, almost like a private house party. Their original material is captivating, and when they launch into a cover of The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams, the crowd reacts with appropriate glee. There’s a hint of ska thanks to an ever present trumpet, but the band aren’t confined to that genre. As is the case with the song White Knees and Pasty Arms, which has a sing along chorus easily remembered, it’s in the verses that their true timbre lies. Their EP, Stories from the Cellar, suggests But overall they’re a band that you can’t help but get up and dance to, thanks to their infectious energy.

LIVE CLUB MILK @ The Cookie Jar 21/09/13 Words: Glyn Allen / Photo: Scott Choucino It’s a strangely sultry night for the time of year which makes the confines of the Crumblin’ Cookie’s basement suitably clammy for Little Night Terrors’ new night Club Milk. For your rock dollar you get two up-and-coming out-of-towners plus your aforementioned local hosts. If it looks like Ride and it sounds like Ride surely it must be Ride? Erm, no it’s Young*Husband’s endearing reimagining of 90s shoegaze via House of Love and 60s psych. Appropriately enough the Cookie’s smoke machine is belching on full blast much to the hilarity of the guitarist but that can’t dent the feeling that despite wearing their influences pretty openly they’ve added enough of their own DNA to the indie melange to give a fresh slant which should see them headlining venues of at least this size very soon. Little Night Terrors are the filling of the sandwich, as it were, but are damn frustrating to watch; despite playing to a loyal, up-for-it crowd and being clearly a tight, proficient unit they play it painfully safe with their set. A few songs threaten to stick in the brain but peter out into politeness rather than

giving us the smack in the teeth we crave; the closest they get is one number which recalls the early swagger of Kasabian but forgets to have a killer chorus. Sadly, unless the Terrors grow some balls, they’ll be filed under ‘landfill indie’, forever drowning in the parochial soup. Speaking of balls, headliners Superfood have a truckload of attitude which could fill arenas. Their frontman bears more than a passing resemblance to a young Damon Albarn and oddly so does the music, which has a spiky, discordant almost baggy swagger to it. Thankfully the guitars have a crunch to them that keeps them from heading down a dark, Soupdragons-filled alleyway.

THE SMOKE STACKS / SMOKIN THE PROFIT / ONE SUSPICIOUS MONKEY @ The Font 27/09/13 Words: jessamyn Witthaus For tonight’s triple bill gig, The Font is bustling, the a crowd anticipating a long awaited treat with the return of The Smokestacks. The bands tonight are all local to Leicester, and have known each other for quite some time. They often play musical chairs with band members for different projects and line ups, lending tonight a real community feel. A testament to this is when a group soundcheck briefly becomes an improvised jam, with members of all three bands picking up a familiar tune.

forethought. Notably, the presence of a harmonica player definitely lifts these guys out of the ordinary.

Up first are One Suspicious Monkey, a moveable feast of a band, whose members can differ on any given night. On paper, they sound improbable. There’s a wild eyed and enigmatic frontman, whose gravelly vocals tell vivid stories of gypsy queens and drunken excess. They’re one part flamenco, two parts haunting tin whistle and insistent violin. They’re grown men in crying clown makeup and a whirlwind of flaming hair, but somehow they have the conviction to pull this all together and make it work with great showmanship.

Finally, it’s time for The Smokestacks, who have apparently been in hibernation for some time. They’re a simple line up; drums, bass, guitar and vocals. As soon as they start to play, it’s clear there’s something special here. Their rapport musically is not pre-planned, but like a totally new conversation between the musicians. It’s dirty blues at its best, with blistering bass lines and plenty of funk. They top off the night on a high. My only complaint was that due to the venue there really wasn’t room to dance, which is a crying shame, since all three bands really have the material to make people want to move and participate. That to me is the mark of not just a good band, but a great one.

The crowd suitably warmed up, Smokin’ the Profit are on. They’re a band perhaps more suited to a proper stage and dance floor set up, but the seated crowd are definitely listening, even if they’re not up and dancing. A blend of ska and blues tinged rock; they’re most impressive quality is their cohesiveness as a band. They don’t miss a beat, as their song changeovers are handled with military precision and great

TUE

WED

TITANIC JAZZ BAND 12:00pm | The Donkey

WED 9

JOSEPH ARTHUR 8:00pm | The Musician

THE MEN THAT WILL NOT BE BLAMED FOR NOTHING 8:00pm | The Musician

THU 10

BRILLEUX 8:00pm | The Musician

DEAD MEADOW + WE THREE & THE DEATH RATTLE + HEY NOSTRADADMUS 8:00pm | Firebug

THU 3

STEVE TILSON TRIO 8:00pm | The Musician SONG CLUB WITH SARAH BIRD BAND + OTHERS 8:30pm | The Donkey OLIVER WILDE + HUMBLE HE + JOE SUMMERS 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN 8:00pm | The Musician

FRI 4

S AT 1 2 SUN 13

ZZ TOPS 8:00pm | The Musician

MON 14

SPECTOR 8:00pm | The Musician

TUE 15

TITANIC JAZZ BAND 12:00pm | The Donkey

JOHN OTWAY 8:00pm | The Musician

BABYSHAMBLES 7:00pm | O2 Academy

ROYAL BLOOD 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar

WED 16 THU1 7

FRI 18

CHINA RATS 7:30pm | Lock 42

TUE

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE 8:00pm | The Musician

S AT 19

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K TITANIC JAZZ BAND 12:00pm | The Donkey

THU 24

VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS 8:00pm | The Musician

FRI 25

LUCY SPRAGGAN 6:30pm | O2 Academy

JOHNNY & THE GOODTIME BOYS 8:30pm | The Donkey SUBTITLES + THE PALE FACES + SUPER SOUL 7:30pm | Lock 42

IAN SIEGAL 8:00pm | The Musician

S AT 2 6

SHAM 69 7:30pm | The Soundhouse QUADROPHENIA 7:30pm | O2 Academy

FEROCIOUS DOG 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar SLIM CHANCE 8:00pm | The Musician

CLUB MILK: SPLASHH + CLUBS + KAPPA GAMMA + THE TWANG (DJ SET ) 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar ECHO MARLEY & THE MUSICAL WARRIORS 7:30pm | Pi Bar

GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN 7:00pm | The O2 Academy

NEW WAVE OF BRITISH GRUNGE 8:00pm | The Musician

TITANIC JAZZ BAND 2:00pm | The Donkey AZZ MORLEY 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar

LEICESTER JAZZ HOUSE PRESENTS: ALEXANDER HAWKINS 8:00pm | Embrace Arts

GROHL FEST 7:00pm | O2 Academy

MON 7

TUE 22

AHAB 7:00pm | The Musician

BASTILLE 7:00pm | O2 Academy

STACKS OF SOUL 8:30pm | The Donkey

SUN 6

OPEN MIC WITH MIA & THE MOON Pi Bar

FRAGILE (YES TRIBUTE) 8:00pm | The Musician

ALUNAH + MAGE + SLOW WORM + TEMPLE OF LIES 7:30pm | Lock 42 ALLADINSANE 8:00pm | The Musician

OUTPATIENTS 7:30pm | O2 Academy

GENO WASHINGTON & YO YO BLUES 8:00pm | The Musician

DJ MALCATRAZ Pi Bar

S AT 5

THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar

FRI 11

THE PLATFORMS 8:30pm | The Donkey THE MONOGRAPH PRESENTS: 7:00pm | The OBar

EMILY BARKER & THE RED CLAY HALO 8:00pm | The Musician KGB JAZZ 7:30pm | The Donkey

PARKIN PRESENTS 8:00pm | Embrace Arts

MADINA LAKE 7:00pm | O2 Academy CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN 7:00pm | O2 Academy

SUN 20

SUN 27

THE HOLLIES 7:30pm | De Montfort Hall

MON 28

WOLF ALICE 7:30pm | O2 Academy

OXJAM LEICESTER MAHALIA PRESENTS... SHANNON SAUNDERS 7:30pm | The Cookie Jar DIZZY LIZZY 8:)0pm 58 | The Musician

TUE 29

THE FEELING 6:30pm | O2 Academy

WED 30

GORDON GILTRAP & OLIVER WAKEMAN 8:00pm | The Musician

THU 31

THE YOUNG ’UNS 8:00pm | The Musician NOWT FLASH WIT THE MOONLIGHTS 8:45pm | The Donkey BOOTLEG JAZZ PRESENTS: TEH FLAT FIVE STORY 9:30pm | The Cookie Jar

TO ADVERTISE YOUR FULL GIG LISTINGS EMAIL: ADVERTISE@THEMONOGRAPH.CO.UK

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THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

So, it’s that time of year again when musicians, artists and other performers get together to showcase their talents in order to raise money for a very worthy cause. On Saturday 19th October, Leicester’s Cultural Quarter will once again play host to the Oxjam all-day spectacular. Over 200 bands will be performing, mainly from the Leicestershire area, though some travelling from as far afield as Sheffield, Manchester, Northampton and Bristol. In addition to this there will be other artists and performers, along with an outdoor marketplace featuring craft, food and furniture stalls. Various venues in and around the Cultural Quarter will be hosting shows, including a jazz stage at the Ramada Encore Hotel. Organisers are hoping that this year’s event will build on the amazing success of last year, which raised £12,000 for Oxfam. Venues include: Orton Square, Exchange Bar, Manhattan 34, Ale Wagon, Ramada Encore, Firebug, Sound House, Curve, Midas, Halford Square & The Shed. With Afterparty at Basement

The event also demonstrates the variety of venues that the Cultural Quarter alone has to offer, and of the acts in Leicester who are willing to come together for one day and support good causes. Anna Webb - Festival Organiser said: “Oxjam reaffirms faith in mankind. It is all about one day to demonstrate how locals are willing to come together.” Anna also mentioned that Oxjam has a huge variety of activities to offer, there’s something for everyone. There is also an outdoor stage which everyone can access without a wristband. The entry price for the event is £10, with tickets available from all participating venues or from wegottickets.com. The after-party will be at The Basement, free to anyone with a wristband. The official sponsor for the event is Unison, and further information can be obtained from http://www. oxfam.org.uk/Oxjam The organisers would like to thank David Norris, Simon Lubkowski and Billy Oates, without whose help the event simply couldn’t take place. Also they would like to thank Alpha for kindly donating the programmes for free and to Moving Studios

Crossword Answers: ACROSS 2 The Tee leaves 9 Ferris 11 Englebert Humperdinck 12 Bonecult 15 Titan 16 Busker 17 Crowd Surfing 18 Yellow bean Studios DOWN 1 Leicester Photographic Gallery 3 Mia and the Moon 4 The Cream Tangerines 5 BBC Introducing 6 Grace Petrie 7 Preacher & the Bear 8 Clubs 10 Simon Says 13 Dark Dark Horse 14 Arms of Atlas

ACROSS

DOWN

2 Local Band: Mix golf with something that makes a brew 9 Local Band: Ride at a fair without the wheel 11 Famous Leicester singer known for single ‘Release me’ 12 Local Band: Fibia Religion 15 Local Band: Recent competition winners from Greek Mythology 16 Name for a sidewalk musician 17 Water sport done at gigs 18 Local studio: 57 Varieties of cowardly

1 Gallery in Leicester recently used for gigs 3 Local Band: Missing in Action with a natural satellite of the Earth 4 Local Band: Top of milk that’s zesty 5 Say hello show about 2 Bee’s beside the Sea 6 Local singer: Will’s best friend grown in a chemical dish 7 Local Band: A man of god and a scary creature from the wilderness 8 Local Band: A suit of cards 10 Leicester based Festival that is also a game 13 Local Band:Underdog that is double as unlikely not to succeed 14 Local Band: Tools to hold up the world

THEM ONOG RAP H .C O. U K

Our good friends over at Premier Percussion have given us an amazing prize that to give away! Premier are proud to offer a Spirit of Maiden kit that was used by Nicko McBrain during a promotional tour in 2011. The prize is a five-piece drum set along with stands but NOT cymbals. The “Spirit Of Maiden” drum kit depicts the iconic imagery of Eddie, the mascot from very first Maiden album that featured Nicko playing drums. This is a brilliant prize for us to give away for the re-launch of The Monograph, and we cannot thank Premier enough!

HOW TO ENTER: 1. Like Premier’s Official Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/PremierOfficial 2. Like The Monograph on Facebook. - www.facebook.com/TheMonograph 3. Upload a video, to The Monograph Facebook, of up to 30 seconds, of your best Drumming skills! Mark has done a little demonstration for us above! Use whatever you want, pots, pans, spoons, draws! Just be creative, you can even use a real drum kit to if you own one! The winner will be chosen by the Premier and Monograph team, so in the spirit of Maiden, go forth and Rock!! Competition closes on the 16th of November at Midday. Multiple entries are allowed.

“Leicester’s full of culture, but it always seems to get overlooked... It’s far more diverse than some other cities, and there’s always something going on...”