FAC E B O O K . CO M / WA R R I N GTO N M U S I C
@T H I S I SWA M
[WAM]MAGAZINE T H E M AG A Z I N E A B O U T M U S I C I N WA R R I N GTO N • i ss u e 1 • s u m m e r 2 0 1 3 • f re e
Slydigs prepare TO TAKEOVER the FESTIVAL
+ Reviews:
• Exile Parade • 7 Day Weekend • Conquer Rio • Cheap Cuts Venues of Warrington • history of music festival • roughneck riot • reviews • ones to watch • Happy mondays • gig guide • kim jennett 1
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
[wam]’MAG
CONTENT Welcome, issue 1 • summer 2013 • free editorial Team Lee Harman additional writers: Josh Booth Sean Bailey Ian Pollard Greg Dixon JOSH BOOTH ADAM HARDMAM
photographers: luke addison mel @ mudkiss
after many months of planning I am very pleased to present to you, the very first [WAM] Magazine. Very early on when I was setting up [WAM] I felt it was important not to just have a presence online but also something physical... tangible!
printers: -
In this issue we bring you all you need to know about the Music Festival in July, highlights from the websites but lots of original content, exclusive to the magazine. Read, explore, enjoy!
Advertising/ marketing: WArringtonmusic@gmail.com
Have a good summer of music, and
magazine design: Equilibrium producions
facebook: /warringtonmusic email: warringtonmusic@gmail.com twitter: @thisiswam Youtube: /WArringtonMusic Music: WarringtonMusic.bandcamp.com Soundcloud: /WArringtonMusic [WAM] would also like to acknowledge the invaluable help of The Lounge, Friars Court, Agave Rumbar and everyone else who has helped contribute to this amazing magzaine.
make sure you head to our
03 Warrington music in good health 04 So what is [wam] all about? 06 ones to watch at wmf’13 (main stage) 08 Phil State: Do not bend this 09 the history of warrington music festival 10 venues of warrington 12 Kim jennett: DOll laid bare 14 the roughneck riot: this is their day 16 ones to watch at wmf ‘13 (plugged stage) 18 the ambersons: Ben & housecat 20 Gig Guide 21 Slydigs: wmf interview 22 reviews: the albums 25 reviews: the singles 26 the happy mondays 28 lineups for wmf#13
facebook page and give us a like to keep yourself updated!
Lee H
- Editor of [WAM]
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Copyright © 2013 [WAM] Photo Credits: p2, Luke Addison @ Evophoto p14, Tony Wooliscroft p22, Mel @ Mudkiss p1 ,21 Chris Bibby
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Feature
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
with more venues in the town with regular live music and Warrington based acts being signed onto record levels, how strong is the warrington music scene becoming we ask WHAT A YEAR ITS BEEN... and since [WAM] started last September, I have certainly seen there has been a positive uplift in the towns music scene. Not only are more venues hosting (regular) events but we have seen several bands that signed to record labels last year flourish and many bands expand out of Warrington/ North West. The Roughneck Riot (featured later on page 14) signed to Bomber Music in February 2012 whereas Slydigs signed with Flickknife records, with both having the support to be able to release fantastic albums and be able to tour across Europe & the UK respectively. With these two bands doing so well, the bar was raised for other bands to aim high and whilst many performed at local venues such as
Friars Court (now a bone a fide venue for music), no band toured quite as far away as Exile Parade who once again were invited back to China. Shows also included Yugongyishan Live House, Beijing, and Zebra Festival, Jinshan Beach, Shanghai – playing to a crowd of 30,000+. Its been a very good 18 months especially for the Parr Hall, the premier venue of Warrington, as not only did it host the very first gig by The Stone Roses in 16 years (May 2012), but Liam Gallagher was also in attendance and returned with his new band Beady Eye the following month. All this culminated in the venue reaching the final of the 2013 Music Week Awards, narrowly missing out only to the 02 Arena. It hardly seems like 12 months since the last Warrington Music Festival and whilst last years was the best yet,
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there was however heartbreak when Daniel Rimmer, former singer of The 66/ White Vinyl, was tragically lost just a few weeks after a very well receieved main stage set. With the towns music scene being quite a close nit community, people rallied around to show their support, with a packed out show at Osale Rooms to pay tribute. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? The power of social media is a great leveller for bands, with chance for bands across the world to engage with fans across the world, but with more opportunities for bands in the town, they no longer have to go to Manchester & Liverpool and we are seeing more out of town bands come to Warrington, which can only be a good thing. But music is best served live and loud, so get yourself down to a show and enjoy the sights and sounds of local music!
• LEE HARMAN
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
STORYOFTHEBAND feature
so what is [wam]?
[WAM] stands for WArrington Music and we are a brand new multi-platform website/ not for profit organisation with a non partisan look at all the Bands & Original Artists in the town of Warrington. Not only do we want to promote the great music in town, but also develop bands and the music scene of the town. SOMETHING NEW [WAM] was launched in September 2012 as a way to help promote live music in the rown. As someone who has done practically everything music related in the prior two years I was feeling a bit jaded, but after the music festival last July, I thought a website to champion the fantastic bands from Warrington that perhaps fly under the radar too often was what the “Music Scene” required. What I wanted to do from the start was to work with bands/artists of all genres but also the venues, writers photographers, etc. It was important that [WAM] was a
collective effort! THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE With Youtube playing such an important part in how people find new music nowadays, I wanted to make sure acts had great videos and so the Acoustic Sessions were born. A key component to the videos are that they are all done away from the traditional venues; not only did this prevent the same venues being reused but meant
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A variety of the music released by [WAM], with over 1600 downloads
it gave the people I was filming a chance to pick somewhere Special or unique to them. As a not for profit organisation it can be hard to sustain [WAM] and pay for basic things (main one being posters). We have hosted several shows across the town. The first was on the 30th November at Friars Court with Slydigs headlining two shows on same night (all age and 18+). An interesting experiment we’d
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
STORYOFTHEBAND feature
like to try again. One successful experiment came with the Bus Station events we have held twice (December ‘12 & April ‘13). Drawing inspiration from a similar project in St Pancras train station, there’s nothing better than seeing a family spend the whole day watching all the acts when they haven’t previously had a chance to do so together. We are hoping to do another one in October to coincide with the Contemporary Arts Festival in Ocotober, so watch this space! One of the first things we did was look to do a compilation album featuring some of the best Artists around which was released on 8th December 2012. I was blown away by the interest with 600 downloads in just 12 hours! By the time you read this, we are compiling
another album made up of acts playing this years July Music Festival, you can find all the music on our bandcamp page. THE FUTURE OF [WAM]? When I started [WAM] I only planned to be a website but since then it has really caught peoples interest and we find ourselves helping bands when they need advice, or a show to play. But we are also here if they feel aggrieved, we want to Slydigs played the first [WAM] show- help artists anyway we can, and case with over 200 in attendance see them grow!
Acoustic sessions have proved popular with over 20 artists featured
100+ aRTISTS FILMED. 1600+ DOWNLOADS. 5,000 WEBSITE HITS 140+ VIDEOES VIEWED ON YOUTUBE 10 EVENTS 5 music RELEASES 5
In the future you can expect more shows, more interviews and Acoustic sessions, plus many things we haven’t even thought of yet! If you have a passion for Music in Warrington, we would love you on our team! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT • LEE HARMAN
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Interview:
Do Not bend this
Do Not Bend productions was started 5 years ago, the founding members Phil State, Tim Lorlor, Martin Butterworth and Lee Mcglauchlin were sat around moaning about the lack of good nights out for us to go to in Warrington. We came up with a name for our first night and it stuck as the company name because we do not bend from our ideas. The solution was, well let’s put one on ourselves. We started off with very little equipment, begged, borrowed and stole, (not really stole) doing open mic nights and charity events (we still do as much for local charities as we possibly can), then through collaborating with other people we put on bigger nights. This allowed us to expand into other ventures such as recording bands, full production video’s for bands, short films, set building and art work. We thought that this was a great way of combining all of the arts. The Warrington music scene at the time was going great and we have worked with some amazing bands and acts over the years and hope that we can carry on doing so, we wanted the company to be more like a community and have had a lot of support and we have helped a lot of people out because we believe in what goes around comes around. We are looking to the future now and want to move to our own unit for storage and to set up a full working environment for filming music videos including an editing suit and full green screen. We are also looking at putting on a free festival in or around the Warrington area. We have won industry awards last year for one of our videos (Spooky Caravan http://bit.ly/14R2xgy), this video was done on a budget of zero money and we
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had so much help and support off so many people (you know who you are) we also have 3 more going to the awards this year. This year we have had the good fortune to base most of our musical ventures in a local town centre pub, The White Hart. The new management wanted to turn the pub around and change the reputation of the place, there is an awful lot of music history with the function rooms above the pub so the new management offered to help fund a new venture for us and we revamped The White Rooms. Now fully functional ,its a venue for bands to rehearse in and for lots of different nights to be held. The room now has a full P.A system, lighting system and stage. We have also involved a lot of local artists and each one has one piece of art work on the walls. We are still working on very low budgets as every penny we earn goes into one form of do not bend so that we can move forward with this and move into other fields of the arts. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has helped us over the years and may continue to do so, they and us will one day reap the rewards and so will everyone else as this means we can put on bigger and better nights. For any further information on work that we do look for Do Not Bend Productions on facebook. Peace to all and thank you all. Just a few thanks here. Ste Rauer, Paul Pyke, Ray O’Rauke, Clare O’Rauke, Hampson, Didster and everyone else.
• Phil State
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
Feature
...
a history of wmf BIGGER AND BETTER That’s the simple philosophy when it comes to the Warrington Music Festival, and as it enters into it’s 7th year there will be 7 stages with over 80 bands/artists playing alongside Salford Heavyweights, The Happy Mondays. Warrington Music Festival has been running since 2007, and it was the brainchild of Pyramid and Parr Hall Event Manager Christian Persoglio and Warrington Music Collective’s Co-ordinator Steve Oates who organised the first Warrington Music Festival, held in Palmyra Square, Queen’s Gardens, as part of CultureFest 2007 in the month of July, as it still remains.
Playing across two stages, 25 Parr Hall in 2011) in the form of the ‘plugged’ bands gave a taste of stage for bands the wealth of talent in under 18. They the town. move to Bank Park this year after bad Acting as a platform weather prevented it a change of site for local and regional last year. bands in the North West. This year is Friday 18th bigger than ever with the November 2011 saw Peter Festival taking place over three Andre sing at the Town Centre days and includes the towns light switch on and so to make first Folk Festival. use of the stage, Warrington It was In 2010 when the festival had its only (so far) winter moved into the old fish marFestival (with all the bands ket in the Golden Square (with asked to do a christmas song!) a gentle acoustic afternoon 2011 to ease people in.
2nd Stage 2007
The Music Festival however remained a presence in Queens Gardens (and also the
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What does the future hold for the music festival? Only a few people will have any idea, and they’re keeping us guessing!
• Lee Harman
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
feature With the amount of venues in Warrington now offering live music, it can often be spoilt for choice of where to go. We ask various people what is their favourite music venue and why. Parr Hall - Jenny St Helens Pyramid and Parr Hall is the place to be because it hosts an eclectic mix of events, welcomes local talent right through to international artists and has a fantastic atmosphere - we try to give a unique experience! The White Hart - Phil State The revamped White Rooms. Now fully functional ,its a venue for bands to rehearse in and for lots of different nights to be held, now with a full P.A system, lighting system and stage. Friars Court - Chris Fox Friars court, it’s manager simon and its staff are singlehandedly keeping the Warrington music scene alive, and giving artists a home. Thank you Friars. The Lounge - Bob Thorniley I’ve played in bands and DJ here and always a great atmosphere with great cocktails and Agwa! It’s also home of the Hawt Mess Club nights. Cant complain with the free Wi-Fi either! Palmyra - Matt McClure I think the reason why we love to play here is it is such a great place to drink to drink (seriously, check out their cocktails!), and they really believe in the music they showcase. The Ambience really sits well with us, like a close family! 10
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
The Cotton Mill - Foofah Dogglin Photographing the weekly heats and meeting the artists at the Cotton Mills next big thingis a privileged position for Vision4Dreams Production as a mini festival ensues with unmissable acts.
The London Bridge- Josh Healey I’ve played here a couple of times. Both occasions were well received. It’s a popular little hub of stockton heath, so you get a nice diverse crowd. Great drinks too!
Porters - Bob Rock I have been DJ at Porters for ten years and the people never change, always loyal. Since happy hour has started strangers are coming in and discovering the rock scene.
A few special mentions... Indeed these aren’t the only places in Warrington to find find live music. Many pubs such as The Blue Bell , Chevvys, Wilkies have live music throughout the month with many places having Open Mic nights. Live music has even made it into town centre venues that you’d next expect it to, with Darli Lounge hosting live music late 2012 and The Venue (previously fx bar) once again having bands play after a 3 year absence. In the past 12 months, Old Town House closed and reopened, to the delight of The Wookiees who have reformed and continue to enjoy their 2nd home. Unfortunately Osale Rooms (ex WA1) closed for good, Lets hope it is the last to go and there won’t be any more. Whilst it is still to reopen, based on recent press coverage, it will not be reopening as a live music venue. The Bus Interchange also made it’s debut as a music venue in two of our Saturday Acoustic Sessions (Dec ‘12 & April ‘13), which certainly turned a few heads! The [WAM] facebook page has a fantastic gig guide which is regularly updated with events from across the town so you are bound to find something happening near yourself. See page 20 for gigs coming up in the future months.
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
KIM JENNETT: DOLL LAID BARE
1. YOU WANT WHAT YOU CANT HAVE This song is one of the first songs i wrote of the EP. It is a fun up beat track and a cheeky track. A although the song is very happy I remember writing this song in floods of tears, I wrote it to make me feel better and it worked! Many find this song one of the “catchiest” on the ep. 2. SOLO Solo or so low. It’s track represents my movement from a duo to a solo artist, I also played on the the word solo as in so low and down. 3. WITHOUT YOU This song really developed in the recording process. A real reggae feel with the extra bass and guitar parts we put on. The guitar melody was one of the last things recorded on the ep and think it makes this song stand out. 4. MY LOVE Despite its name my love is another stong song about doingwhat you want to do in life and not letting people drag you Down. 5. MR BIG SHOT Mr big shot is a song I wrote about an ex partner, it is a bittersweet, sarcastic and numerous song. I love to play this live it is a lot of fun! 6. DOLL My personal favourite. It is the last song on the EP I wrote and stands out for the full drum kit we used in the song. I wrote it while stood next to a pub waiting for a bus outside my old college, were I used to think it was a great place I see it now as a bit of a dive. And this song is about how people can manipulate you change your opinion and personality. 7. LAST GOOD BYE A song I wrote about a close friend of mine who moved away to Australia , it’s all about aprisiating people while there here because one day they might be. And how the last goodbye is as important as the first hello. Doll , the debut EP is out now on iTunes, find Kim playing the Festival on Saturday 20th July at 4pm
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INTERVIEW
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
This is our day... A FRESH SOUND! The Roughneck Riot is not a band that is tied to heritage or their Nationality, that is clear on their 2nd Album ‘This Is Our Day’, many of the songs talk about the hometown in less than flattering circumstances, (‘Waiting to Die’) whilst many of the songs are politically based (‘Ignorance is Easy’). Not as if this 6 piece punk-folk band spends much time in their home town, with many European tours over the past two years, and no hesitation to popping over to France for a weekend of shows (cost permitting!) Originally consisting of Matty (Vocals, Mandolin), Ryan (Bass, Vocals) Simon (Drums), they were joined by Jade (Accordion), Chris (Guitar, Vocals) & Caitlin (Banjo) shortly before they recorded their debut ‘Night Train with the
Spannered, a grass roots festival organised by members of the band
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Reaper’. However when it came to ‘This Is Our Day’ they were fully aware of what they wanted. The band has benefited from being signed to Bomber Music, a label with a stable including The Skints & The Lagan, two bands of a similar style that have helped the band get their music out to a greater amount of people, not just in the UK but across the world. SPANNERED! When Cait & Matty aren’t playing in the band, they are promoting grass root shows in the North West, bringing over bands from overseas and from across the country to play in Warrington. Under the working name of ‘Born In A Barn’ it also includes the highly successful Punk/ Ska Festival which has recently had it’s 2nd year at Hales Superbole (nearby to Chester/ Wrexham). Having recently come back from Spannerd Festival, I had a fantastic time and it is safe to say it is in good hands. Of course,
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
NOT R OUGH NECK RIOT
On tour in Germany in October 2012 with such a fantastic sense of community at the festival, it is down to the bands, volunteers and fans that will ensure it continutes to grow. The Festival is also organised with help from members of Hated’ Til Proven (another Warrington band, signed to local TNS Records). Without ‘corporate’ sponsorship, all money raised by local shows goes towards the festival and supporting the Punk scene in the Northwest. The band have always been good supporters of [WAM] and have played for ourselves in the Bus Interchange many times and it’s a another sign of a good band when they are wiling to get involved in other projects.
MILLION MILES AWAY? Since the Album was released in July 2012, it had fantastic reviews online and coverage in the big magazines including Big Cheese and Rocksound (who put Ignorance Is Easy on their cover CD). It really demonstrate a fresh and unique sound that is almost impossible not to like, with frenetic energy that translates well in the live setting, you have to ask how far this band can go. If they remain focused they have fantastic potential. They are currently recording demos for album number 3 they aim to record in the winter so is a exciting time for the band. Perhaps due to the genre of music, the quaity, hardwork or maybe all of the above, the band is fortunate to have such a great response in Europe everytime they head over (this writer has been told about the many places in Germany where music fans are happy come out to watch the music, regardless of if they have heard of the bands before!), be sure to catch the band locally where you can. @lee_harman
‘This Is Our Day’, is out now on iTunes & CD. Find a review for the album on page 23
JUST COUPLE OF PHOTOS FROM SPANNERED FESTIVAL THIS YEAR AT HALES SUPERBOLE. [WAM] SPENT THE WEEKEND AT THE FESTIVAL SO EXPECT MANY PHOTOS & VIDEOS OVER THE COMING WEEKS
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
The housecat may not be a typical inspiration when it comes to song writing but for Ben Ashton, song writer and guitarist for The Ambersons, it came during a particular purple patch of writing 4 years ago... Since then, The Ambersons have made a name for live due to the level of effects and Layers, it does themselves over the past 3 years with their brand however make it onto the EP as the last track. of catchy pop tracks that has captivated Ben was very happy to say that the debut EP audiences across the north west. released in December 2012 is however doing fantastically well in Europe & America, with ‘A Not being one for standard band conventions Little Love’ doing very well in Sweden of all places! (you wont find ‘the ambo’s stood against a wall for photoshoots), the housecat is a story based on As someone who has done it all, I wasn’t able to his cat (Tina), with inspiration coming when she press Ben for an answer on what is next for the jumped across the keyboard during a time when band, it’s fair to say they will have ideas for their management interest were looking for a new set supporting the Happy Mondays this month. song every few days. Describing the song as a nice little metaphor, it is just one of the 300 songs Ben said he has wrote, which means the band has a extensive repertoire of songs to choose from. Towards the end of 2012, and with the help of a variety of ‘genuine, honest people’ the band came out of the recording process with 14 songs, 4 of which made the Debut EP, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’.
I was however lucky enough to hear ‘Hold On’, a possible new single never before heard recorded, which started all the label attention back before the band existed (“old manager hated it, labels loved it, so one had to go!”). It is only recently the song has made it into the live set after a long time of the track being ‘not quite right’!
As for Tina, perhaps anticipating the single release and in an act of Feline Defiance, she has started The original plan was to release all the songs as to spend a lot more time outside. I suppose just a album, inspired by Smashing Pumpkins & the like a Live Ambersons show, you can’t predict the ‘Mellon Collie’ Album, there is a varying style, to unpredictable! all the tracks, with the likes of ‘A Beautiful Mistake’ Housecat will be available for free download from being distinct in sound, but possibly unplayable
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the 22nd July from WArringtonMusicbandcamp.com
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
Slydigs return to the warrington music festival after 5
years away, but how has things changed and what can we expect Certain to return to the Music Festival with a bang (bang), Slydigs are ready to take on the pressure of headlining their hometown festival after a good few years of exile. With some self confessed “enthusiastic partying” in the past, they’re in defiant mood and keen to play to a crowd who may not get a chance to see them when they player further afield.
parallels with Slydigs, who have honed their musicianship and performance over the last few years. “WE AIM TO IMPRESS AND THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT” Last time we met up with Slydigs (see their interview on the [WAM] page) they had recently come off a run of tour dates and it would
“WE’RE BACK NOW HEADLINING SO STICK THAT IN YOUR PIPE!” When I asked Dean (Fairhurst, Guitar, vocals) and Louis (Menguy, Guitarist) what they remember from playing last time and how things have changed over time, they remember very different festival which has improved over time to become much grander with a better setup and it has
seem they’re not likely to stop quite just yet as only a week after the festival, they will be playing another at Friars Court supporting Catfish & The Bottlemen who are really making a name for themselves in UK music scene and Dean says this is a sign that the Warrington Music Scene is back up and running. They are also looking forward to seeing The Phoenix Experiment, Stillia (‘they were on the right track last time I saw them’) and 21
Exile Parade at this years festival whilst both are likely to be in the queue to see The Happy Mondays the night before with Dean being one of those to see the band play at the GMEX a few years back. “THE PRESSURES ON TO MATCH THEM...WE’LL SMASH IT THOUGH!” The band are certainly confident in their ability (we are the best at what we do, Dean) and it’s an infectious attitude, but what do they sound like? . “It’s what’s missing in the music industry and its what’s missing in your life haha don your best clothes, polish your shoes and see us down the front”. We aim to impress and that’s all there is to it. We play a unique brand of Rock n Roll and the best way to experience it is down at the front with the rest of our fans. The band assure me they have few surprise guests up their sleeve but in true form they wouldn’t give me any more information, so make sure you don’t miss out on Slydigs. @lee_harman Never to be tamed is out now on itunes through flicknife records
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
Black Knight Satellite (EP) the phoenix experiment
When The Phoenix Experiment came out of hiding with a unique 3 track eP Released for free from warringtonmusic.bandcamp. com their fans went crazy, but what do we think of it?!
After 9 months working on new tracks and less than a handful of live performances, there was a big anticipation and expectations were high, afterall, The Phoenix Experiment was made up of members from previous powerhouse, The 66. Describing themselves as being Influenced by a wide range of musical genres including psychedelic rock, electronica, blues, Africana and industrial, pulled together by the esoteric themes of light and dark, acting as a constant theme throughout the music...certainly sets the bar high! A much more experimental sound is the theme throughout here, with EP title track, ‘Black Knight Satellite’ , the perfect introduction to the experience you’re about to have over the next 14 minutes. The experience builds with Mike Bees’ ethereal vocals, a much more rock and roll swagger takes over in track two (‘Living Like Dogs’), and it is here where the tempo speeds up and you are treated to some duelling drums & guitar. What you can be sure of, by now, the psychadelic sounds will have invaded your mind and if you haven’t been nodding along to the music. ‘Chaos’ is the song you could play on repeat for hours. Live or on record, the band are something you need to experience!
@lee_harman
Download: All of them, they’re free! For fans of: Kasabian, The Stone Roses
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[WAM]REVIEWS
Below we have new music and some of our favourites from the past 12 months. Want to be reviewed? get in touch now! The Roughneck riot This is our day(album - bomber records) Opening with lead singer ‘Ignorance is easy’, this is a album that doesn’t hold back, and high tempo and catchy melodies continue throughout! This, the bands 2nd album really is showcase for what this 6 piece can do, with flourishes of punk rock from overseas (think Flogging Molly/Rancid) & English Folk all mixed in. As stalwarts of this genre of music, it’s a album that really sets a marker down, and with this much passion in the tracks (especially in Matty’s guttural tones), this is a band you need to check out, before they DO hit the big time! Lee Harman // @lee_harman
The Ambersons the magnificent ambersons (ep)
The Ambersons are a band that has been a staple of the Warrington music scene for many years, and first impressions were this was a fantastic release and the feeling only grew on repeated listens. Owing to the variety of styles on show. Each track shows how far the boundary of experimental electronic-rock and even folk music can be taken and refined. And with a clear direction now in place for this band, can’t wait to see what 2013 holds for ‘The Ambersons’. Lee Harman // @Lee_Harman
EngineVein
Exile Parade Hit The Zoo (album) Following the EP ‘Brothel Ballet’, the band released their debut Album, collecting together many of their classic tracks including anthemic ‘Fire Walk With Me’ & ‘Life of Crime’ which are primarily guitar led, mixed with songs which show a much more experimental side with songs containing plenty of synths/electronics. It is important that a great band has a great singer and in Lomax they have one of the best, with a vast range and the ability/confidence in each other, you see why Owen Morris (of Oasis fame) wanted to work with the band! Lee Harman // @lee_harman
7 day weekend the day we lived and died
‘ (EP) The bands 2nd EP came almost 12 months to the day since the last music released by the band and so comes with a lot of anticipation and intrigue as to how the band is looking to develop their sound. In TDWLD, 7 Day Weekend have returned with a very solid collection of songs which stick in your head and are bound to come mainstays of their live show. Technically, the band have developed as expected since the self titled EP and play to their strengths throughout with a maturing sound. One of those nights is bound to be a crowd pleaser! Lee Harman // @lee_harman
Josh Healey Lifeboats & Relationships (ep)
Revenance (ep) The EP opener, and my personal favourite, Shedding Skin’ is the kind of track that slaps you into the corner and forces you to listen to their point whether you want to or not. Probably the strongest points of‘The Victor’ are the breakdown sections, harmonic clean vocals and a vintage ‘foot on monitor’ guitar solo. Revenance is EngineVeins way of saying ‘We’re taking over’ with 20 + minutes of relentless energy and feeling. Listen to this band. Greg Dixon // @GregglesVitch94
Overall ‘Lifeboats & Relationships’ is really good, and I really do recommend it to everyone, especially if you like the work of the likes of Ben Howard. It’s a very calm and light set of tracks and they all mix in well really together, connect and flow great as an EP. Josh’s vocals are also greatly shown off and he’s at his own ease in each track. It’s a great EP and a great listen. Doesn’t particularly sound like any (other)artist, it’s just Josh at his best. Sean Bailey // @ruseano
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
[WAM]REVIEWS
Singles - All available on itunes unless otherwise stated Conquer Rio - Superman is Dead Combines the soothing sounds of the verses with the immense power that nearly takes you off your seat in the chorus, I wish I could say this more formally, but I don’t think it would do it justice: that guitar solo was amazing. Anyone can play a lot of notes really fast (takes skill I admit) but few can make a guitar sing like this. Piano has never been more excellently applied to an intro for this genre of music. @realjoshbooth Kim Jennett - Doll Kim warm warbling immediately reminds me of that song from the VO5 advert showing off the “1940’s look” last year. She has that “can’t-possibly-offend-you” sound, which has brought old-style pseudo-country/folk singer-songwriters back into fashion. The production is simple and effective & let’s Jennett’s voice steals the show. I’ll admit that while I can’t give the song’s lyrical theme my highest praise; some songs are just meant to sound nice - and this does. @scdradio The Anecdotes - Origami Waves Kicking off with a fairly catchy if slightly unsettling riff, the vocals kick in to provide some normality. However, it’s not long before the frantic guitar playing returns, despite their intensity these guitar riffs in the verse still manage to compliment the vocal rather than overwhelm it. Enter the chorus, and the bass and drums drive this song along. (bandcamp) @JDNalton
Cheap Cuts - Singing Along To A Song My, what a soothing intro! This relaxed, gentle song style continues throughout, but there is no doubt that this song has a strong rhythm that I can only describe as funky. This is possibly the catchiest song I have heard from an unsigned band. For me, the things that make this song so fun to listen to are the drums, vocals (lead and backing) and the guitar and keys solo’s. Until thus songI had never listened to Cheap Cuts, and ‘Singing along to a song’ has made me glad I did. @therealjoshbooth
Exile Parade - Beat Of Your Blood Mixing influences from chill wave to Britpop and combining the best of British with a wide variety of different, more experimental sounds, this track is definitely a breath of fresh air. Incorporating more texture with every new bar, the ambient ‘Gorillaz’ style rhythm, and harmonized vocals swaying over the frontmans smooth leads will leave you with the track stuck in your head long after it finishes. (bandcamp) @ adamh4rdman Slydigs - Bang Bang And My Bullet Was Gone With such a happy sounding intro that it’s hard not to smile and nod along. The song takes occasional breaks to showcase some extraordinary vocals that fit brilliantly with the background percussion. Never really deviates from the exciting classic rock n’ roll sound. Every instrument, bass, lead guitar, everything is fast paced and makes your heart pound… and that’s without mentioning the awesome solo!
The Electric Mafia - White Rhino Showcases some real metal, old Led Zeppelin style guitar riffs with a grunge twist whilst still retaining their own fist-pumping style. If you were expecting complicated, random, guitar solos and drumming, then you came to the wrong place. However, if you are looking for some well-written lyrics, raw vocals and a guitar-bass combo that makes you want to punch stuff, then look no further. (bandcamp) Roughneck Riot - Ignorance is Easy @realjoshbooth It’s hard to believe how far this band have come in the 8 years since I witnessed their first shows. The band stand on their political soap-box, Fancy writing a review encouraging the listener to “question for [WAM]? everything” they hear and see within a catchy celtic 3 minute number. A crowd send us your review for a single/ep/album no longer favourite, this one should be yelled back at vocalist Matty Humphries than 800 words to WArringtonMusic@gmail.com vehemently, with a pint of Guinness in one hand, and an air-raised fist for the other. @scdradio
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
Feature
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aTown mad for mondays? Your Twisting my Melon Man! The Happy Mondays were recently the subject of a Poll on the Warrington Guardian Website, 56% said they had never heard of the band. However 30% said ‘Yes, count me in’! So what can we expect from the Friday Night headliners? The Happy Mondays have followed a path where many others have been in recent years by reforming for an “anniversary” tour, and will include a show at the Warrington Music Festival on 19th July. This show will give many a chance to see and to re-live, what can be described as one of the North-West’s most iconic bands and one that helped to define an era in British music. Some might call it profiteering on the back of previous outings by other iconic bands, such as the Stone Roses’ highly successful reformation. I’ll be honest; I was never really a fan of the Happy Mondays, mainly because: 1. I wasn’t old enough to be part of the acid house culture of the time; 2. I never really appreciated Shaun Ryder’s vocal technique or their lack of any real musicianship and versatility. However, like many other northern, indie-loving
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lads in their thirties, I have been exposed to them quite a lot, mainly because songs like “Step On” or “24 Hour Party People” are a staple of an indie night out, played just at that point when you know it’s going to be a good night. The reason for that is because these are actually really good songs and fit for purpose: to drink, dance and enjoy yourself. On those occasions vocal technique, musicianship and \versatility don’t count one bit!
You can’t forget that this band helped define an era when Manchester music came out and said “I don’t give a f**k!”, which helped bring dance culture to the masses and which gave otherwise disenfranchised lads from Salford a chance to rattle the cages of the music industry. For further vindication, “Bummed” was placed at number 18 in Q Magazine’s Top 40 Albums of the Eighties and their follow-up “Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches” placed at number 31 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In summary, for all their failings, bitter public fallouts don’t let anyone tell you these don’t deserve their last waltz and their fan’s last chance to re-live what for many was their golden era of music. Ian Pollard @Ian_Pollard
[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
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[WAM]MAGazine • Summer2013
usic Warrington M Festival 2013 The Line ups
Tweet us at @ThisIsWAM #WMF13 We will be bringing you pictures & Videos from every act playing the Festival but would love to see yours!
The Golden Square:* Friday 19th July 8:00 In Blue Skies 8:30 The Ambersons 9:00 Happy Mondays
Plugged In @ Town Hall Sunday 21st July
Saturday 20th July 12:00 Sophie Morgan 12.30 Silver Lining 13.00 The Fifth Movement 13.30 Specs 14:00 Dan Solan 14.30 The Diamond Bays 15:00 Selfish Lovers 15.30 Red Mojo 16:00 Kim Jennett 16.30 Trisha McTeague 17.00 Chi & the Twelfth Wall 17.30 - BREAK 18.00 Black Lights 18.30 Sonnic Image 19.00 Stillia 19.30 The Black Circles 8:00 Dientes 8.30 Exile Parade 9:00 Cheap Cuts 9.30 China White 10.00 The Phoenix Experiment 10.30 Slydigs Keep up to date with everything happening at this years Warrington Music Festival and see the full line ups by going to our facebook event page @ http://on.fb.me/15wfM5f or scan the QR code to the right!
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Stage One* 18:30 7 Day Weekend 18:00 Above The Underground 17:30 If You Like To Dance 17:00 The Sensors 16:30 All Out Of Luck 16:00 Chaos In The Rain 15:30 Eve Drops Acid 15:00 Candidate23 14:30 Ellie Dibben 14:00 Arte & The Expandables 13:30 Kyle Richardson-Nickle 13:00 Into The Wormhole 12:30 Silent Conspiracies Stage Two* 18:30 Enginevein 17:30 High Rise 17:00 Sometime After Dark 16:30 The Electric Mafia 16:00 See You In July 15:30 Imperium 15:00 Like I Care 14:30 The God Complex 14:00 Opposites Attract 13:30 Demon Skull 13:00 The Amorphous 12:30 The Breeze (*Estimated times)