WHILE SHE SLEEPS | TOUCHÉ AMORÉ | LOWER THAN ATLANTIS | THE HYPE THEORY | ARCANE ROOTS | EXIT TEN | SILENT DEsCENT
SPECIAL Featuring the likes of FOUR YEAR STRONG, LA DISPUTE, THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND, WE ARE THE OCEAN, & MANY MANY MORE!
LA DISPUTE
THE GHOST OF 1000
WE ARE THE OCEAN
INTRODUCING: HAVERA | BLUSH BANTER | ALT BEAUTIES | LETTER FROM THE FRONTLINE | REVIEWS | PAPI WANG
wastedmagazine.co.uk
CONTENTS:
Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr Editor Zoe Blush Creative Director Vicky Webb Imagery Robbie Candy Innis McAllister Martin Hobby Marcus Gilham Vicky Webb Alex Hesketh-Wells Ian Castle Tom Addison Rachel Tucker Writers Ian Gregory Jodie Shepherd Harry English Zoe Blush Adam Johnson Heidi Pullig Marcus Gilham Jessica Gough Want to advertise in WASTED? Want us to feature your band? Are you an aspiring Alt model?
THIS MONTH: 02 INTRODUCING: HAVERA 04 BLUSH BANTER: COCAINE & KETAMINE 05 ALT BEAUTY: KOSHIL 08 GETTING MORE PEOPLE TO GIGS 10 LETTER FROM THE FRONTLINE 11 HEVY FEST: PART 1 12 HILDAMAY 14 HARBOURS 16 THE HYPE THEORY 18 ARCANE ROOTS 20 WHILE SHE SLEEPS 22 AUTUMN IN DISGUISE 24 WE ARE THE OCEAN 26 TOUCHÉ AMORÉ 27 LOWER THAN ATLANTIS 28 THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND 31 LA DISPUTE 34 FOUR YEAR STRONG 37 THE FACES OF HEVY! 38 HARRY’S TRASHED TALK 40 APETHIA AT RAFA ALL-DAYER 42 FEI COMODO HIT IVY!
[W! #11] Hey guys! Now this issue took a little longer than planned, but when you see what we’ve got for you, I’m sure you’ll completely understand.
30 FOUR YEAR STRONG
24 THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND
Introducing HAVERA this month! We’re all for girl fronted bands lately so we feel these guys need to be brought to your attention, so flick over for them, make sure you check them out. We’ve got the wonderfully tasty Miss Koshil answering some questions in our Alt Beauties section this month. Whit-woo! HEVY SPECIAL! We sent Heidi and Vicky off to Hevy where they caught up with the likes of FOUR YEAR STRONG, LA DISPUTE, THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND, WE ARE THE OCEAN, TOUCHÉ AMORE, LOWER THAN ATLANTIS, THE HYPE THEORY and many more, all starting on page 11, so make sure you get over to that.
27 LA DISPUTE
44 LEOS PRESENT: EXIT TEN 46 WASTED! REVIEWS 48 PAPI WANG: Riots and the DEMONIZATION OF THE LOWER CLASS 49 WASTED! EVENTS: HEVY SPECIAL
Just when you thought that was enough to feast your eyes on, next month we’ve got PART 2 of the Hevy feature, speaking to the likes of GOLD KIDS, ACODA, OUR PEOPLE VERSUS YOURS, HANG THE BASTARD and more, as well as a full interview with both FOR EVERYTHING A REASON and OF MICE & MEN! How could you ever say we’re not good to you huh? Hope you’re all well and getting WASTED! this festival season. Lots of love Zoe Blush xo
23 LOWER THAN ATLANTIS
writeinto@wastedmagazine.co.uk © Wasted! Magazine All Rights Reserved. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment. Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher.
20 WE ARE THE OCEAN
12 THE HYPE THEORY
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HAVERA REVIEW:
who are you? Well, we’re 5 musical individuals who are passionate about composing and performing our own sound. George Davies (Drummer), Christopher Jinks (Bassist) and Daniel Woodley (Guitarist) were previously in a band together called, “Scarlett Occurrence”. Isabel Higuero (Lead Vocalist) and Daniel Ellis (Guitarist) were also in another band called, “Her Reason”. As both of those bands fell apart, we then fused together and created ‘Havera’. The first 8 months of being a band, we had duo vocalists with Steve Davies (featured on the Wolves E.P.) who was also in Scarlett Occurrence. Unfortunately, Steve decided to take another path and moved to Bournemouth, leaving the band as it is today. With his departure, came a new sound, a new way to express ourselves in a more intimate fashion by fusing ambience with rock/pop/punk making our songs distinct from others.
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where are you going? Our intentions as a band are quite simple. We want to create music, which is challenging and gripping. We would like to succeed in what we do and get our music out there as much as we can. We’ve just finished filming our first video for ‘Island Unknown’, which is out on the 20th June (If this is past June it’s already out WINNING). We’ve got another video in September with Sitcom Soldiers for ‘Shadows’. At the moment, we’re trying to see if we can get management and we have t-shirts coming your way! Hopefully we’ll be doing some more recording soon as we’re in the midst of creating new tracks. So, yes we’re very excited about what is to come for the rest of this year. what makes you different? What makes us stand out as a band is firstly how we have fused different genres together, creating a new sound that is
not only interesting but also gripping for listeners with the guitar hooks and catchy riffs, the rhythmical bass line and with varied drum patterns. Within our local music scene, we stand out by far, we have a female vocalist who has a distinct voice and produces beautiful melodic lines, which hooks the listener instantly, as well as the lyrics she writes that have an immediate impact on the listener. We’re often compared to Paramore, due to being female fronted band, but this is something most girl fronted bands will have to deal with, we would like to think were more original rather than a copy cat of that style of music. We create songs with different genres combined, with multiple sections, layers and melodies, either it being the vocal line or the guitar riffs. We have new exciting things to offer our listeners during the course of this year. We work hard and put a lot of effort into what we do, and we hope that shines through on our new single.
‘Island Unknown (Acoustic)’, ‘Shadows’ These new song are defiantly a step away from their 2010 E.P. ‘Wolves’, they have kept their original sound, yet taken a more sincere tone with both of the new songs creating an overwhelming ambience. In a way, their new songs seem to have more ‘heart’ behind them. Without a doubt, these songs took me back to the early days of Paramore; specifically their 2005 album ‘All We Know is Falling’. Like Paramore, the vocals are absolutely astonishing; true strength and emotion transcends through the chorus of ‘Island Unknown (Acoustic)’. In addition to the powerful vocals, ‘Island Unknown’ teems with beautiful lyrics. The catchy hooks are perfectly placed in simple verses which successfully merge with the instruments; thus creating songs that are haunting and memorable. However, it’s a common observation that the first 20 seconds of a song is what hooks your listener; perhaps in this matter, the instrumental being a whole minute is far to long before the vocals kick in. The second song ‘Shadows’ is undeniably my favourite of
the two new tracks; intense atmosphere is created at the beginning of the song which builds up for a minute and a half until the heavy chords are introduced moving the song to another level. By the time we are in the second minute of the song, a heavier melody is present accompanied by echoed lyrics; which brings back that poignant atmosphere of the beginning. The only fault I could find with this is song is at 2.25; a new guitar riff is introduced that lasts for over half a minute. At my original review of this track I thought it was repetitive, and honestly slightly annoying. I just felt like the riff didn’t fit with the rest of the song, perhaps even taking something away from the track. However, the more I listened to the song the more I came to like it. The change in riff even strengthens the song. I think it breaks up ‘Shadows’ giving it a sense of variety. Like the change between chorus, bridge and verses; Havera have constructed a piece of music that offers instrumental diversity. In ‘Shadows’ Havera created a subtly atmospheric introduction which grows into a heavier sound, they initiate different riffs, finally
commencing on something new again at 4.43 with the backing of the lyrics ‘And if we all’ by the other band members; all of which keeps the listener hooked. Both of the new tracks point to a well thought out and encouraging band that definitely do not take the easy option when it comes to writing their music. Havera have an indisputable sense of adventure; as opposed to others who might ‘play it safe’, Havera have explored their musical avenues. Like I mentioned at the beginning these guys very much remind me of Paramore, not only with the distinct female vocals, but instrumentally as well. They can also be compared to ‘Esben and the Witch’ in their atmospheric approach. Originality is key. However, I think this band has the potential to grow and evolve into their own sound; after all, both their talent and passion are undeniable. If these tracks are anything to go by, we can most certainly expect great things from Havera in the future. Words: Heidi Pullig
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So, taking drugs is pretty cool right? Living on the edge, experiencing new things that you wouldn’t other wise. Fitting in with all your friends and having a laugh? Well, for all of you who agree with all the above, I suggest you move on from this page. Drugs are all fine and dandy until a friend or family member gets hurt, and I think it’s actually quite depressing, the amount of wonderful people turning to them recently. So that’s what I’m going to be talking about this month. So here’s a little poem and a few facts about cocaine and ketamine. Enjoy. I’m going to tell you about a little pickle I’m in, to do with a loved one taking cocaine and ketamine. Now whether or not this story is true, I’m going to leave completely down to you but one thing I will definitely share is how much I would, and definitely should care. If I were to approach you personally I know you wouldn’t listen to me, which is why I have chose my dear, to tuck this letter away on this little page here. Personally I think you’re beautiful, & I believe in all the things we both know you can do, you just need to get out of this state of mind of thinking it’s acceptable to waste your life. You never chose to listen to me, when I told you how it was all about the company you keep and although I try not to insult,
COCAINE & KETAMINE I do indeed urge you to consult someone with more intelligence who possibly could introduce you to some diligence. For the hundreds of times that I have tried and the hundreds of times that you have lied, the hundreds of times I’ve sat wracking my mind, however long, I’ll still stay by your side and if you should feel helpless that’s fair enough, but I urge you to please stop taking this stuff. Stop pumping your body full of this shit, stop, take a second, talk and we can do something about it. “I’ve been sleeping For at least the last two years My dear, my princess, my sister, my lover, my friend. I made you a bed of thorns for every rose you ever left outside 10 Facts About Cocaine You Might Not Have Known: 1. Sharing straws used to snort cocaine can spread blood diseases like Hepatitis C.
be highly toxic. 5. In the first hour after cocaine use, the user’s heart attack risk is almost 24 times greater. 6. Cocaine can be extremely addictive, and very hard to quit, so much so that they are developing a vaccine so that people cannot feel its effects. 7. According to a “rational scale to assess the harm of drugs potential misuse,” cocaine is second only to heroin (and not by much) in its possible danger in terms of dependence and physical harm. 8. Simple possession of crack cocaine will trigger a mandatory sentence: 5 grams of crack will trigger a 5 year mandatory minimum sentence. 9. Extended cocaine use can reduce one’s sense of smell. This is called anosmia.
2. Mixture of cocaine with heroin creates one of the deadliest forms of cocaine, a speedball.
10. Cocaine can lead to sudden death, particularly if you have a preexisting heart condition and combine its use with alcohol and/ or cigarettes.
3. Prolonged cocaine can cause damage to the nose, to the point where abusers get plastic surgery to fix damage.
These facts were found at: http:// www.homehealthtesting.com/ blog/2010/10/10-scary-factsabout-cocaine/
4. Cocaine, especially crack cocaine, often contains adulterants, some of which can
You can also use this website for other helpful and interesting facts about drug use.
4BLUSH) & NOT OF WASTED! MAGAZINE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT I WOULD APPRICIATE iT IF YOU COULD KINDLY GO DO ONE :)
I DO NOT WRITE WITH THE INTENTION TO INSULT. ANYTHING WRITTEN ON THIS PAGE IS THE opinion of the author (ZOE
Name: Koshil Location: Kent Tell us three interesting facts about yourself? “My heritage is Mauritian, my birthday is on new years eve and I find the most unfunny things funny... like the old classics “knock,knock...who’s there.....Dr....Dr Who?... You just said it...” Gets me every time!“ What is your favourite band/ style of music? “To be honest my music tastes vary! I love bands like Four Year Strong and Set Your Goals but at the same time I’m very into dubstep and can spend days on end listening to just that. There is a lot more to dubstep than people think and that’s what I love about it. At the same time, I adore Ellie Goulding, her vocals are amazing. I also love The Roots,
Lauryn Hill,Incubus, Unicorn Kid etc... It all depends on what mood I am in, I definitely don’t just stick to one style of music. Where’s the fun in that?!” What is your favourite song? “Four Year Strong Catastrophe and NeroInnocence“ What was the best gig you’ve ever been to and why? “Probably the Snickers Game On event years ago.... I was front row for Cypress Hill....it was AMAZING!
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The Mad Capsule Markets were also immense, no gig I’ve been to since has lived up to the intensity of that one.”
to me there is nothing more enjoyable than going to a nice restaurant and having a meal....and a little wine!”
What is your favourite alcoholic drink? “I do love a big glass of Merlot.”
Where you think you’ll be in 5 years’ time? “haha, good question! Who knows, I’d ike to think still as happy as I am now. I’ll definitely be old in 5 years time though.”
Tell us about a typical night out with Koshil? “To be honest, I really don’t go out that much! I prefer saving up and going to dance festivals, the last one I went to was the Prodigy’s Warriors
Dance Festival last summer, that for me was perfect. I’m not big into clubbing or going out and getting wasted...pretty pointless. However, I do love going to the “Dubbed Out” events every now and again they are always so much fun! I do also love going out to eat, I am a big “foodie” and
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Your claim to fame? I’ve been FRONT’s ALT girl of the month before, it was cool having a spread in that magazine. What is your dream job? I would love to own my own
management company, we would specialize in managing alternative models only. What made you want to get into Alt modelling & how did you go about it? It all started way back when I was 18 and I came across the site Suicide Girls. I found it pretty spectacular that girls who don’t fit the typical ‘model stereotype’ were modelling and being very successful at what they do. This
inspired me, but it wasn’t until I was 21 that I decided to try it out. My friends at the time all encouraged me to try out so I applied for a laugh and next thing I know they sent down a staff photographer and I shot my first set and got the “Suicide Girl” status soon after that. The rest is history!
What (else) do you do & what do you enjoy about it? “I work at a tattoo studio, just doing the desk but I love the industry and I really enjoy chatting to the artists and clients that come in on a daily basis. My main passion is modelling but as a ‘pay the bills’ job I think I have it pretty sweet at the studio!” What has been the best year of your life & why? “I would have to say this year so far. I feel settled and happy with where my life is at the moment. But most of all I feel that I have so much to look forward to. Something which I’ve never felt previously. I have the most amazing people around me and I think it’s about me being finally comfortable with who I am. I have also managed to work with some amazing photographers and models this year which I am really happy about. So yes, definitely this year.”
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illustrations by Marcus Gilham
So you’ve gone to see some
I was born one Sheppey so I
bands and you feel like
know a thing or two about old
there should be some extra
shit venues. In my new town of
entertainment? In one venue they decided to also have a mud wrestling competition. Kent is
Metal Will save Kent’s failing
very muddy.
music scene. The gigs are so damn popular.
T-shirt give a ways is a success at
Brighton the most popular bars
nightclubs and now it’s time to
look like disused warehouses.
move it into the live music arena.
Get the grime back.
Of course the bands might disagree with them because they lose their money. Some Kent venues love to fuck over bands though.
I have never seen this at a gig This
before but I’m sure it will help.
is more based on
Everyone wants to be cowboys
nightclubs but the
still right?
offering of sweets does seem to pull the punters in. Offer up some old school
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A lot of venues and magazines (vice)
classics and they might even
Boobs? Tattoos? Rock kids? Is
use over the top advertising to get
keep the underage kids away.
this not what all venues want
you interested. Kent has some pretty
Where’s the fun in that?
through the door? Get front
disgusting things that would look rad
girls involved and this will
on a poster.
happen.
9
letters from the
frontline
Now here’s something some of you might not know: Frank Turner, acousticpunk troubadour, general man of the people, went to Eton. What, like David Cameron? Yeah, exactly the one. I only found that out this week (call me behind the times if you like, you’d probably be right), and predictably it sparked off a debate with a few friends of mine, mainly centring around his background in relation to what he’s doing now. Apparently if you claim to be ‘punk’ in any way, you have to have the credentials to back it up, and chief amongst those is categoric proof that you grew up in a shitty house in a shitty neighbourhood with no money and no prospects. Oh, and you can’t have gone to private school. Preferably no school at all, because we all know, it’s cool to be stupid. The overriding question here is this: should stuff like this really matter? Sadly, for some people, it does. You run into it a lot in my home sphere of punk rock, though thankfully for the most part it’s consigned to the hardcore ‘punk’s not dead’ merchants. But there will always be those who are prepared to hold someone’s background against them. Those who spout lines like ‘you’re rich, you don’t know what it’s like to have a shitty life’ and ‘oh, he went to private school, posh/Tory/upper class (delete as appropriate) cunt’. Funny,
isn’t it? To be downtrodden in rock ‘n’ roll music, it’s often seen as a badge of honour. And I can’t get my head around it. With punk in particular, there’s a delicious irony to such comments. The Clash, punk pioneers and originators of the ‘people’s band’, only had one member whom you could truly say was from a ‘punk’ background. Joe Strummer? His dad was a foreign diplomat. Hardly wanting for money, was he? Mick Jones? His homelife was the very definition of ‘sheltered’. Topper Headon? He spent his childhood playing jazz, for fuck’s sake! Going on this alone, The Clash had about as much punk credibility as your nan in a mansion, but guess what? None of this mattered a jot. They became the ultimate people’s band. They cared about social injustice and the plight of the man in the street. And perhaps most of all, they went above and beyond the call of duty with regards to treating their fans well. They worked hard, produced more albums in six years than Axl Rose ever will in sixty, sold two of those albums at almost half their normal price, and toured until they literally could tour no more. I could carry on, but the point of this overlong ramble is this: such trivialities as where they grew up mattered not a jot to their fans. Punk was, and always
has been, a mindset, and The Clash came to define that mindset for many. Maybe this is all an ingrained British thing. Going back to Frank, his background certainly hasn’t hindered his progress in the US - he’s currently signed to Epitaph Records, and can claim to be good buddies with NOFX and Bad Religion. Punk as fuck, you could say. The Clash also found the US a more accepting nation than the UK, where NME critics were making snide snipes at them over trivial things every other week (so what’s changed, then?). Perhaps the ingrained nature of the class system in this country means we will always be innately suspicious of those from different social status to us, but instead of advocating class war and the murder of the rich, maybe it’s worth remembering that not many of us choose what kind of life we are born into. And even more importantly, such things don’t always shape who we are, and who we grow up to be. As the old saying goes - ‘it’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at’. So basically, the moral of this story is; don’t hate David Cameron because he went to Eton. Hate him because he’s a slimy bastard.* Stay safe, much love and I’ll see you all next time.
on my play list this month
The Subways All Or Nothing
The Ruts The Crack
Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall
Adam
Them Crooked Vultures – Self Titled
*These views do not represent the political stance of Wasted! magazine. I don’t think we even have one. But if anyone tries to accuse us of having political bias, I’d like to counter that by stating that I also think Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband are bastards. There, unbiased, see?
TOUR DE LA HEVY FEST... We've got messy with some of the best in the business, so come take a walk with us as we PLOUGH OUR WAY THROUGH HEVY FEST 2011 !
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Hi guys! How is the tour going so far? Ollie: The tour is going really well! Mallory and Polar have been amazing! We have got a lot closer with them as friends as well as doing the whole music thing. It has just been such a good start to the tour for us. Chris: Yeh man! Every night is getting better! We all get on stage and sing along with one another... Ollie: Exactly! It is like... start as you mean to go on; and so far, we all absolutely love the tour!
Chris: Polar man! I can’t wait to see what Adam from Polar does... Ollie: Oh yeh of course Polar! Chris: Title Fight as well man! Ollie: Oh man the list goes on! Feed The Rhino as well... Chris: They are fucking good guys as well!
lads! Well lads on tour basically, just pissing around! Chris: I reckon we will be alright, like tomorrow night someone will say ‘come on, we need to bed down now guys.’ Ollie: Yeh someone is going to have to make the call... but I doubt it will be me! So Hevy Festival is your biggest venue yet! What is your dream venue or festival to play? Chris: I’d love to play Sonisphere! That’s such a good festival!
Excellent! So how‘s the band feeling today? When we spoke to you last, you guys said that you would be ‘nervous but fucking loving it’ about playing Hevy. Has anything changed? Chris: I reckon that I will be nervous on the Sunday morning before we play. I’ll probably wake up and be like ‘Fuck!’
You guys have two days until you perform. Potentially that is two whole days of pure obliteration! Are you boys going to be getting barbaric or do you reckon you’ll hang back in preparation for Sunday? Ollie: I’m barbaric already! (Laughs)
Ollie: But right now while we are here at Hevy it is just fun...
Chris: My plan is to get hammered today, like so hammered that I don’t even want to drink tomorrow, and then an early night tomorrow!
Ollie: But anything else is a blessing. Who knows, maybe next year if we are lucky we could be on a good stage at Reading.
Ollie: I’m going to try to pace myself...
Chris: I hope so man, I really do!
Chris: I doubt I’ll even be able to sleep tomorrow night, I’ll be too excited for the Sunday!
You guys are doing really well at the moment; you are getting played and featured all over the place! Do you reckon playing Hevy is going to help drum up even more support for your new single ‘This House Became Our Home’? Chris: I hope so! I hope a load of people check us out.
Chris: Yeh we are all really relaxed at the moment, but I think when it gets to the Sunday it is all probably going to kick in just before we play... Ollie: I’m really hoping nothing will go wrong while we play! Okay, well your performance aside, who are you boys most looking forward to see perform at Hevy? Chris: La Dispute! Ollie: I like Dillinger personally. But the line up is just so good...
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Ollie: I really don’t want to be too mangled for Sunday... but it is going to happen as much as we don’t want it to... Chris: Especially sleeping next to the guys from Polar! Ollie: Yeh! We are just surrounded by fucking
Ollie: I’d love to play any festival really... I mean Reading is wicked! Chris: Yeh to play one of the big stages or tents in Reading would be wicked!
Ollie: Yeh! I mean the response from that single on its own was mind blowing! We got an email
from our manager saying that we could have released that single as a paid download and that we could have even been in the itunes chart! Which is fucking wicked! Chris: But I’m glad we did it for free though man... Ollie: Yeh defiantly, it’s a cool thing. You guys always deliver a great show... but do you think that it is possible for Hildamay to up their game for Hevy? Ollie: As always... Chris: I mean we have got to really... Ollie: The only way is up! Chris: You have to just try to impress people... Ollie: Plus our fans are very loyal, a lot of them are our friends and they have been so supportive, like telling everyone to check us out, so we can’t let them down really! Finally the Wasted! Team want you to define Hildamay with one word. So, Finish this for us: ‘Hildamay is...’ Ollie: Astronomical! Chris: Bromance! Ollie: Yes! Bromance! That is the one; we are all about the bromance!
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“Yeah, it’s like, last year it was such a good local festival, then this year seems like it’s a tiny bit smaller, but the stage and stuff are like ‘mazin’ and the tent we was in was like incredible so, I think it, I think it, I think its sort of like its got a tiny bit smaller, but better? If that makes sense.”
review Hailing from Canterbury, the Harbours quartet has taken the music scene by storm. Playing shows with the likes of the notorious Brutality Will Prevail on the Rumble III line up at the infamous Camden Underworld, Harbours are managing to crawl their way onto peoples “Top 25 Most Played” iTunes playlist. Harbours are a lethal explosion of fast riffs, heavy bass lines and feral screams. Sounds like a massacre waiting to happen, right? Frontman Juan Miguel Figueroa Ball makes every show as explosive as the next, building more and more momentum within the local music scene. It comes as no surprise that Harbours are on the bill for Hevy Festival in early August appearing on the Front Magazine stage with Lower Than Atlantis and Carcer City. This band is on a freight train with a one way ticket to the big time. For fans of: Alaska, Dirty Money and Hang the Bastard Listen to: J.Smith W! How are you guys today? “Tired.” “Yeah it’s been a long day.” “Yeah, awesome!”
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W! You guys all on the Hevy Hype? [General Agreement] “So far been a really good day.”
W! How does playing a festival compare to gigs? “It was ridiculous, it was the best thing we’ve ever done I think. Erm, Gigs are like might be shit, depending on like the line up and stuff, if you’re on a bill that’s got a strong headliner then people are going to be there depending on where you are on the bill might not be bothered about watching you, especially like, someone like us.” “We didn’t know what to expect like, cos we were on so early on the first day it was kind of like “maybe there’ll be people, maybe there won’t, and it erm, just blew our minds.” “Yeah it was like, beyond anything we were expecting.” “It exceeded our expectations.” “I thought we would play to about 10 people erm, but to have a pretty full tent and for it to go off was pretty ridiculous. Yeah erm, festivals are better than gigs; probably because they’re more rare? the chance of us playing a festival has never come up before, especially in Kent as well. This is the BEST thing to happen.” “Yeah, we’re like half hour from home like so we’ve got a lot of friends here too.” W! Where you guys from? “Er like, Canterbury.” Who are you hyped up to see? “Lower than Atlantis, BWP, FTR, La Dispute, Touche Amore, Brotherhood of the Lake, YD.
Reader's questions
dylan asks
How do you feel about boats and anchors and all that good stuff? “I think pretty much every band.” “Dillinger, Architects, erm, Funeral for a friend yeah, gah, so many, so many, brother hood of the lake.” “It’s so good that Feed the Rhino have been added recently as well.” W! You’re a local band, so how did playing HEVY come about? “Erm, like John is amazing for us, John Daddy, (Deep Anchor Promotions) He basically, he, well we probably wouldn’t play any shows if it wasn’t for him, because we’re lazy fuckers, and he like gets our shows and he got us on this and basically if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have gotten on it [antiques road show theme plays in the background] yeah we’re on it because of John.” W! Are you guys planning on getting ‘Barbaric’ this weekend? “Erm I’m going to have a nap in a minute [laughter] cos I’m getting old and I’ve been up since half eight so I need some sleep ....and we started drinking at like half eleven .... Yeah, we’ve been drinking for a while. I was drinking a lot, cos I was shitting myself, so I had to drink a lot and
Photography Courtesy of Rachel Tucker, Review by Jimmy Holmes
Huh? Boats and Anchors? W! - its about your name, why are you called Harbours? to fit the genre by using a nautical theme? I just sort of thought of it, and we all kind of liked the way it sounded, and it kind of just stuck it’s really hard to chose a name and not sound... sort of... shit? Every names sort of been taken, Harbours has been taken, harbour has been taken... we just went to barcelona for my stag and the now I need to erm but yeah but yeah, we’ll get on it definitely, ignore the napping - can you take that bit out of this (er - no) it’s all about naps and leaving early.” W! What’s next on the agenda for you guys? “Er, Recording the album, we’re probably two tracks off of finishing writing it, and then we’re going to the studio to have it out in the autumn. Hopefully. so I think that’s it. Show wise.” “We’ve got a tour with Brotherhood of the lake, like TBC, which is meant to be happening at some point we’re just having er, just waiting to have it sorted out so-” “So that’s in the er, in the way to come about Tour with Brotherhood of the Lake, and er hopefully sorting out a tour with Breaking the day and Grappler? a Weekend with Grappler, something like that, so those three little tours, finish writting the album, get that out of the way, cos it should have been out in the summer, but we’ve been lazy, so yeah, we’ll hopefully get that out in autumn, so yeah, so that’s it.”
harbour in barcelona was kind of our stand, it was nice to chill out down there. yeh we just didnt want a name that just sounded like a generic sort of hardcore band, but yeh, harbours, that'll do. but yeh, boats and anchors are cool, we've all got boats and anchors tatooed on us but yeh they mean nufink, it's a rubbish name anyway [laughter] we had to be called something so yeh thats it.
W! For your WASTED! Readers, tell us a secret: “I love NAPS, but that’s a rubbish secret. Er, we’ve got a friend called Stu Pagdin? (contact info for tattoos?) he tattoos us, tattoos all of us, down in Whitstable, we went on a stag do last weekend, er, [laughter], cos he’s getting married and Eddie, almost sucked him off.” [laughter] “He kissed his willy.” “This was shortly after he shit himself.” “We had ten tequilas and then he kissed his willy.” W! Define yourself (as a band) in one word “Harbours are ______” SHIT [laughter]
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As much as we love getting sweaty with the lovely lads of hevy, it made a nice change to find a lady about the place, so of course we had to get our hands on her... yeah, we wish! How you guys feeling to be playing Hevy Festival? “Really excited, we’re really looking forward to our set.” “Yeah it’s going to be sweet.” “Yeah super excited, we’ve been looking forward to it for ages because the line up is awesome.” It’s nice to see a girl fronting a band within the altnernative scene, saying this it often means you’ll get compared to the likes of Paramore.
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Does this ever happen/has it happened often? “Oh uhmmm, hmm, this happens about a hundred times a day, everywhere we go.” “It happens a lot.” “Yeah all the time, it’s just something that we’ve got used to, it’s a bit like, I dunno it does get a bit like ‘ohhhh for god sake’.” “It’s alright though, it didn’t really bother me.” “It’s cool, it’s cool obviously because Paramore are a wicked band, obviously, but our music isn’t similar to theirs, I am a girl, obviously that is the similarity between us. So yeah, it would be nice if people could see past, y’know, the femaleness and listen more to the music.” You’ve played with the likes of Paige & Me Vs Hero before, are you looking forward to sharing a stange with them
again this weekend? “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out in the bar and stuff...” “We saw Me Vs Hero yesterday, they were really good.” “He pulled my boxers down! When he [points to fellow band member] picked me up and I was
just flying arounnd, upside down and then the guy from Me Vs Hero came up and pulled my boxers down!” “As you do, y’know. So we had loads of fun hanging out with them.” You make a video for your track ‘We Will Be Singing’ can you tell us a little bit about the video; the story behind it & why you chose that particular track? “We self-released that track when we were writing our album that we’ve just finished writing, which is going to be out in October and we were like, ‘what should we do, lets do a cool video’ and er, my Dad owns a strip club, so we were like ‘lets do it there, it’ll be really funny’ so then we had to come up with a story line that worked around that because of what the song is about, so we were like ‘lets make this work’ so,
it was pretty funny. We’ve got a new music video out now that’s being played on Kerrang! and Scuzz for our single that’s out now.”
So what are your festival essentials? We have a feeling yours are going to be much diffe-rent to the usual: “Yeah mine, I need make up, wipes, dry shampoo and a lot of different outfit changes. A hat a scarf, you need to think like, right, if the hair goes wrong, how are we going to fix this? Everyone else is like, ‘booze, drugs, one
pair of pants...’ “No, no, errr no. I need to have several just incase I sit in something gross and I can’t shower.” So, your music is quite summery, what is your anthem of the summer this year? “Anything by Mayday Parade, Cartel, You Me At Six.” “That’s all I listen to at
the moment, Mayday Parade.” “Bit of Limp Bizkit if we’re feeling a bit cheeky.” And finally, what are your plans post Hevy? “Well we’ve got the new single that’s just come out, we’ve got the album coming out in October so
we’re going to be touring the album for the rest of the year, well probably for longer than the rest of the year, but yeah that’s all we’ve got planned really.”
W! how are you feeling about playing at hevy? yeah excited, I mean, er, this is kinda one of the, well, second, kinda good big festival we’ve done, apart from sonisphere which we did a couple of weeks ago, um, yeah, it’s just exciting to be here and, I wasn’t sure how big it was gonna be, it’s kinda cosy, but in a nice way, where the stages are all set up, I haven’t had much of a chance to look around yet, but uh, yeah, I’m just excited to see Dillinger play, Architects I’m really looking forward to them, we played with Acoda, um, a couple of weeks ago, in the Lexington, they’re playing between Architects and Dillinger, so, it’s gonna be really cool to see them, I’ve spoken to them already and they’re really excited, it’s just really exciting to play, we just love playing anywhere, so, any festival, any gig, we’re up for doing it, especially one that’s got an animal park, I’ve not been there yet but I’m really looking forward to, definitely, if I get a chance to, I dunno what time it loses
though so, 8? Okay, well, I’ll finish at 5 doing this so I’ll definitely, monkeys all the way W! you recently released your latest album, let fire[?] where there any difficulties during the process of recording and releasing? Uh, we, initially um, recorded it, aww, I can’t even remember when we recorded it, a couple of year, a year and a half, couple of years ago? and we released it ourselves, and uh, y’know we kinda of, we only kind of little, we kind of put it out as much as we could, um, but then, uh, around September last year we started talking to devil PR, and after chatting with them we kind of got on board with them, and then we kind of remixed the album, and then we released it again, uh, with them, so, with them on board it’s been, obviously, with their skills, the networks and people they put out, it’s definitely been a big boost, to have them on board, and ahem, yeah it’s been great, kind of, lots of sales
have gone through, which is always nice, and uh, yeah, so with their help the album has being doing really well W! the album was received well yeah I mean, it’s kind of really humbling and nice to see that y’know, the work that we put in has kind of, the reviews are always kinda really nice, um, the people that buy it are really positive about it, and uh yeah, it’s really cool to have that, that people appreciate what you’re doing, it’s really nice, we did definitely put a lot of hard work into it, like, we kind of tried to make it kind of a, not, it’s kind of horrible to say a concept album, kind of, a body of work, with kind of themes and, there are kind of tracks on it, uh, kind of segways in between songs and uh, it’s kind of really cool that people kind of appreciate what we put together. W! so you made a video for your track, [something] of such weather, were there any difficulties during the recording, did you have fun? well, um, it was probably one of the most hottest, exhausting things we’ve ever done, we uh, we did it in a warehouse somewhere in north London, we hired so much equipment, like massive lights [BA-DING!] loads of smoke making machines, whatever they are called, and uh, because of
W! so who are you hyped up to see at hevy? uhhh, it’s gonna be Dillinger, all the way, definitely, definitely looking forward to that, um, who have we missed off... I can’t even think of who else is playiiiiiing,
our van, which we are sitting next to, is shitty, um, basically, we had to load, everything, so much equipment in here, and uh, yeah, the longest part was just getting everything to the shoot, luckily the shoot went really well, we’ve got loads of friends that we kind of picked up on the way that helped do everything for us, really doing photo’s, y’know, shooting the video we had artistic directors, people with cameras, um like all the cameras we used, we uh, ‘cuz our drummer Daryl, he works for a few kind of graphic companies where they just, they film and do various things with cameras, so luckily he’s got friends that kind of give their time for free, really, so we’re just lucky that we’ve got loads of people that kind of care, and are willing to put in a lot of effort, so yeah, we kind of had loads of cameras, loads of fun, and yeah, it went really well actually, and we were kind of really satisfied with the end result actually.
W! what are your plans post hevy? post hevy? uh, well, we are kinda still in the middle of writing our full length album, which we will be recording later in the year, we’ve also got a single coming out, in this time of such weather, and it’s kinda got a b side as well, to it, a song we recorded called [something or other] which originally started as one of the little segway pieces on [something] fire, so, luckily er, we’ve been able to record that very easily, we’re gonna release that with the single, and there are a few other things in the pipeline, kinda tour wise, that I can’t really mention at the moment, coming later in the year and also, next Friday which is the 12th, we’ve got a live kind of session with [not a clue] which should be good, I’m not sure when that’s gonna be airing exactly, but we’re definitely doing that this Friday so that should be good, looking forward to that, other than that yeah, just writing, preparing for possible tour and yeah, writing and recording a full length. W!
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EVEN IF THEY SEEMED OUT OF IT IN TRUE WASTED! FASHION & THOUGHT THE WILDLIFE PARK WAS SHIT, WE STILL HAD A LAUGH CATCHING UP WITH w LADS...
tent because you get the best of both, it’s like a venue gig but you’re at a festival.” So, who are you hyped up to see while you’re here? “Zebrahead.”
How you guys feeling about playing Hevy Festival? “We proper can’t wait to play but, I’m hanging so bad.”
“Architects were amazing last night, we saw Feed The Rhino, we knows those guys, they were amazing, we saw them last night.”
“We’ve been gagging all weekend to play.”
“November Coming Fire were sick, Gold Kids were sick, Dillinger were sick.”
“I’ve got the shakes.” What is it like playing a fesitval compared to playing a venue? “It’s good, everyone gives a bit more of a shit at festivals, like there’s more partying and the crowd is more fucking interactive.”
“Ghost Of A Thousand, ahh-” “Ghost Of A Thousand’s last show was fucking amazing.” So what can we expect to find in your festival essentials? “Fuck all.”
“I don’t bring a pillow, I don’t bring quilts, I just bring cut off t-shirts that are absolute dog shite.” [laughs] “Yeah we don’t really bring that much.” “I just came from Sonisphere, with the same fucking suit case.” “I stole a 12 man tent off of someone, don’t have nothing to go in it, just beer and cold tins of stew.” What’s your best experience as a band? “We played in Terrain with Shadows Chasing Ghosts, and it was just the most beautiful place we’ve ever been. We went to like, this big hill and you could see out for like-” “There was like this Cathedrial, place of worship whatever it was,
I don’t even know what it was but, it was just amazing, the view was just insane.” What’s been your most barbric experience as a band? “I woke up in a strangers tent this morning with no boxers on, I don’t even know why.” “This bellend climbed on this roof and it all kicked off, they turned all the mics off, all the PA off and everything, so we just got everyone from the crowd and brought them up on the stage and started bottling the sound out from the stage. The sound guys were just talking over us going ‘GET OFF THE STAGE’ & we’re just playing-” “GET OFF THE STAGE!” “That was quite barbaric weren’t it?”
WHILE SHE SLEEPS “It’s kinda cool playing a
“Yeah that was a good gig.”
crackly, so they had to say pardon before they-”
Are you guys planning on going to the wildlife park? “We’ve been!”
“Yeah, they had to ask again.”
“Yeah, an hour and forty minutes worth of Zebras, Rhinos... and shit.” “It was shit.” “It wasn’t shit, it was sick!” “Someone proposed!”
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“Yeah, but the megaphone was a bit too
“He was a nice guy though weren’t he?” “Yeah, but be looked so unbelievably nervous about doing it over the microphone.” If you could any any one of the animals for a day, which one would you trade places with? “Not the lion.” “Yeah you think you’d say
the lion because it’s King of the jungle and shit, but he were trapped in a little cage just pacing around not doing anything.” “I was impressed with the ostridge.” “And it’s balls were GIGANTIC!” “They’re the fastest bird on land aren’t they?” “Yeah they can’t even fly, they like glide and jump.” “Yeah they’re too fat for that shit.” What are you doing post Hevy, what’s next on the agenda? “Just writing and stuff,
writing for the new album.” “We got our headlining tour coming up in October with Bury Tomorrow and Feed The Rhino.” “And trying to write a new album.” And finalIf you could play any venue with anyone, who would it be? “Brixton Academy with Thrice.”
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“The one thing I kept on telling everyone to buy was a hard case and use it as a packed lunch box but only the smart people have done it. Everyone else has complained about their food going missing.” “Lots of booze, as well.” “Yeah, booze, baby wipes and a packed lunch box, pretty much. You can’t go wrong there.”
AUTUMN IN DIsGUISE How are you feeling about being at Hevy? “Fantastic! The sun is shining, we’re headlining tonight. It’s going to be fun!” Are you nervous? “Err, a little bit.” “Noooo.” “Just a little bit.” So tell us about what you’ve been up to recently? “This summer we’ve had the opportunity to play Download Festival, Sonisphere, Metal Hammer Awards ceremony and T in the Park, as well with
the Red Bull Bedroom Jam.”
And what was your favourite? “Probably T in the Park. Obviously, it’s our home festival, closest one to home, so yeah, that was very mad. I mean, we were the first band on and there were circle pits and crowd surfing and they were singing away the words and stuff, so, it was amazing, yeah.” Are you guys going to be getting barbaric this weekend? “A little bit.” “Friday night, not so
much last night-”
“It was fantastic, yeah.”
“I partied last night.”
What was your favourite animal? “The gorilla, man!” [laughs]
“You partied all day until this morning at 8!” So you’re not hanging back in preparation for your set? “Well, I think the rest of us-” “I had to stop for my own safety, like, I had to stop drinking.” Are you guys going to visit the wildlife park while you’re here? “We already have!”
“The gorilla charged at the window, so-” “There was this gorilla and he was the meanest thing I’ve ever seen, He was like, punching the windows and stuff and throwing rocks at people!” It’s because he’s hyped up about Hevy! So, what are your festival essentials? “Baby wipes.”
“I think just plenty of booze, because then you make friends when you get there.” So what are you up to, post Hevy? “We’re booked in for studio time to finish and record our new album which should be out by the end of September, and then we basically tour that across the UK in October.” “There’s going to be a video coming along for one of the songs from that mini-album, so-” “We’ll be busy, it’ll be a busy couple of months after that comes out.” Who are you hyped up to see while you’re here? “La Dispute.”
“I think We Are The Ocean, Four Year Strong, While She Sleeps, as well.” “We saw Architects last night and they were awesome.” “We bumped into Four Year Strong quite a bit. We played with them at an acoustic gig, so it was good to see them again, and we play right before they do, as well.” “They’ve done quite a few festivals that we have, so-” What is your summer anthem of choice? “Young Summer by Paige is such a happy song.” “Probably Reach For The Sun by a band called Dangerous Summer.” “Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder.” [laughs] “It was James’s birthday the other day and we filled our bath with balloons and we had cake-”
a festival compared to playing venue shows? “It’s very different. I feel, it’s so much more tense, like, because obviously you’re working with a stage manager as well and there’s an on-stage sound guy, so it’s like everything’s really, really pressured compared to gigs that we usually play and stuff.”
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He was l ik punchin e, gt window he s an d stuff a nd throwi ng rock s at peopl e!
“I think we’ve been lucky, most of the gigs we’ve played, touch wood, since the band started have been busy, so we’re still lucky to have that and then to go up stage and come to a festival, we’re just telling ourselves it’s just going to be a packed show, but it’s not, so-” “You have to work so much harder but it’s good though.”
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“Mascara.” [laughs]
“I don’t know, it gets better and better-” “T in the Park was my favourite part-” “Yeah, yeah, that was pretty mad, yeah.” “At T in the Park we looked round to each other and were just like, ‘guys, this is amazing’-” “We’ve never felt anything quite like that before.”
What is your best memory as a band?
“It wasn’t a cake, it was a fish.” “Oh, we bought a fish and just put candles in it-” “We can’t afford cake, y’see.” How is it playing
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How are things in the world of We Are The Ocean? “Very well thank you. Keeping busy, enjoying the festival season. Especially when the weather is as good as it is today. Although we have a curse that every single time we’ve played outside it’s rained and I mean every single time.. Even when it’s like this, when we come on it’ll rain, but fingers crossed.”
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Bet you’re hyped up to play Hevy? Not nervous or anything? “Yeah, a bit nervous a little bit. You have to be a bit nervous that’s where the excitement comes from. It’ll be good.” Who are you hyped up to see? “Ermm well I can’t really see many of the bands I want to see. I wanted to see La Dispute who are on just before us, so that’ll be close because we’ll be warming up and stuff. I’ll
see Funeral for a friend. They’re on after us, they’re good boys, so stick around, watch them.” How would you say your new album differs from your last one? “Umm it’s quite different; it’s definitely a change in direction I guess. I mean we just started writing and it turned out pretty different, but we didn’t wanna write the same album again do you know what I mean? Cutting our teeth run its course and we just wanted to kind of see what else we could do with the music just be prove ourselves a bit I guess.” We went and saw you guys in Camden a few months ago. You fell over
and hurt yourself didn’t you? “Well I didn’t really fall over, yeah I hurt myself I jumped into the crowd and I smacked my knee on the barrier.” Someone had to fill in didn’t they? “Yeah our guitar tech played guitar and Alfie just sung and yeah it was good. I went hospital, it fucking hurt.” Do you have a lot of stumbles around on stage? “Yeah, yeah I’ve hurt myself quite a few times. It’s all for the love of the game.” Confessions is a pretty powerful song. Where does your inspiration come from? “Me and Liam write the lyrics, sometimes he’ll do the song or I’ll do
a whole song. Confessions is about Liam’s Granddad actually so that was all him, there’s only like 3 lines in confessions so it’s pretty straight forward and to the point. Sometimes we’ll all write together. Sometime Liam will have full songs written down and I’ll be happy and won’t need to get involved.” Who comes up with the ideas for your music videos? “A lot of the times the directors we work with, we meet with a bunch of directors and film companies and see who has the best ideas and best contents I guess for the videos. A girl called Andrea; we used on “The Waiting Room” and “Run Away” videos, we
seem to work really really well with and she has some great ideas.” How does festivals compare to playing normal gigs? It’s a bit more nerve wrecking I guess, cos headline shows it’s your crowd, there isn’t the worry that you’re gonna have kids there that aren’t into you. At festivals people are waiting for the band after or something so they’re checking you out so you have to kinda of step up a little bit, to win over people who didn’t like the band.
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WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE WONDERFUL TOUCHE AMORE, WHO SEEMED MORE THAN HAPPY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH US: How are you feeling about playing Hevy? I feel good about it, it should be interesting! It is our first time here, none of us have had very much sleep but we will see how it goes! You released your album ‘Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me’ in June this year, were there any difficulties between the processes of recording & releasing the album? No, thankfully it all went pretty smooth. We got to record with a guy who we are all big fans of so getting to work with him was great! Thankfully everything went swimmingly! How was the album received? Was there any
negative feedback or was it mainly positive? So it seems thankfully. Has your sound changed at all between ‘Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me’ & ‘... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse’? I would say it all comes down to growth! We got better with our instruments and figured out our sound a little bit more. It was just the next step in the direction of where the band is going.
La Dispute? It is great! They are like our best friends, especially being so far from and being with your friends makes it a little easier... Like a second family? Exactly! Are there any bands in particular you’re looking forward to seeing/sharing a stage with this weekend? I just found out that The Bronxs are playing today and they are like one of my favorite bands! So that will be pretty cool!
You have toured with the likes of Converge, The Fall of Troy, La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, & Thursday. Tell us a bit about them? Who have been your favourite bands to play with? Definitely Converge! But all of the bands we have toured with mean the world to us! Every band has been very influential as well.
What would we expect to find in your summer festival essentials? I would normally say my ipod but I actually forgot it! I like to chill out on my own and listen to my music, but that hasn’t been happening. I guess it is not that essential after all, I mean I’m still alive right now.
How do you feel been constantly paired with
Who is on your ipod? I have pretty much been
obsessed with The National for like the last year now! But on the whole it is more relaxed music then what is on offer at Hevy this weekend. What are your plans after Hevy? We are playing four other shows in the UK, then we are going to Belgium then we are heading to Philadelphia and then we tour home. We are home for about a week and a half and then we are going to Australia. You gonna catch some Z’s at some point? (Laughs) Maybe! Hopefully! But it hasn’t happened yet. Lastly, do you have a message for your UK fans? Just thank you all for caring! Honestly, being this far away from home and having this support is overwhelming and just so awesome.
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How is the band feeling about being one of the biggest bands to play at Hevy this year? “That’s a nice question! One of the biggest bands to play at Hevy? I don’t know about that but its nice. We played here last year on the Red Bull stage, it was mental! We wdidn’t expect it! But the stage we are playing this year is a bigger stage but the capacity of people watching is the same, so I think it is a little bit silly really. But I’m excited and really looking forward to it!” You’re supporting YMAS on their big European tour, how did that come about? “Mike is friends with Max from the band and I guess they like our band so they were like ‘we wanna take you out!’ Then that goes onto our very first headline tour, just after the one in December with them... this is very exclusive information you’re getting here! We are also
going to be playing Brixton Academy which is like five thousand people, which is really exciting! Yesterday I saw that someone Tweeted that there was only a hundred tickets left, so I guess there all gone now as well! Which is like silly! “ You released your album ‘World Record’ back in April, what kind of feedback did you get from that? We didn’t really hear much at first because we were in America when it first came out. Then we came back and shit really started going good! Everything picked up and it was ridiculous; I’ve not really taken it in!“ You recorded a video for your track ‘(Motor) Way Of Life’? Tell us a little about the making of the video? Well, we got all of our fans to email us... like we did it at our friend’s house, she organised
it all, got our fans to come down and rock out for the video; you know get drunk and party! It was a laugh! What about your video for ‘Deadliest Catch’? Basically we went to Brighton beach to film it and we planned to film it as like the band messing about on the beach... like a cool little arty video! But it came to it and it was pissing it down with rain! The start of our video there is a bit where we are walking across Brighton beach that is basically the only footage we got! So we sat in a pub and it was about a week before we went to America and we were like fuck what are we gonna do! We knew it had to be done with the next two weeks and we had nothing! So we were like fuck it, everyone has seen videos like Feeder and shit... so we did it all why we were in America, sent it back and it turned out to be pretty good! But that was a bad day that actually turned pretty
good! What is LTA’s plan postHevy? We have Boardmasters next weekend in Newquay which will be it for festivals. Then it is the YMAS tour in October. What other bands are you looking forward to seeing this weekend? There are loads of bands I want to see this weekend! The Architects are playing tomorrow and I really want to check out Basement today! Title Fight and Man Overboard as well, but there are loads I wanna check out. Finally, what is in LTA’s essentials kit for festivals? Booze and a sleeping bag and your all set!
from music, we might start writing music together again. You guys might get a bit nostalgic... Jag: Yeh! You know looking at old band photos... I will probably end up missing it and wanting to do it again.
You guys enjoying Hevy? Jag: Well we just got here but it’s alright so far! I’m looking forward to Dillinger tonight! Architects as well because they are really good friends of ours so I’m really looking forward to seeing them! So this is your last ever show! How comes? Jag: It is really complicated but basically all five of us are at very different places in life, it was impossible to make it work anymore... it is like being in a relationship, you know it is not working, you could be living together but you know something has got to change. So yeh, we just need some time off from playing music for a bit. So what are your plans for the future? Jag: Band wise no. We just need a break; we have toured so hard and made some great records. I think that a lot of people don’t understand how hard it is to be in a band; you have to organise your own shows, write music and go on tour... and then when you have finished touring you are back writing music again. It is hard work! So right now no, but maybe after a year or so after we have had a good break
On the subject of nostalgia, as a band, what is your best memory together? Jag: There are so many! I would say Reading Festival 2009. That was the highlight show for us; we had just released our new album, we did a tour and it wasn’t great, the turn out wasn’t so good, but by the time we had got to Reading Festival everyone knew our songs and like 5000 people came to see us. You really could not have wished for a better response. So on the whole how exactly does playing a festival compare to playing venue gigs? Mem: Personally, I love it! It is honestly the best time of the year! It is where you meet all of your friends; it is where everyone starts hanging out. I mean it can be hard work like when it starts to rain but it is just the party vibe that makes it so good! Considering your love of festivals, does this mean you guys are going to stick around for the rest of Hevy to get barbaric? Mem: I will be! That is my job! Jag: I’m actually not.
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skype is the best invention ever
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when you guys are on the road playing festivals and touring, what are you essentials? What can’t you live without? Jag: I actually have a festival travel bag; it has like an air bed and sleeping bag... I have done festivals before where I have intended to go home but you realise that you actually want to party. Mem: A can of Oxygen! It is good to have on stage, you can breathe easier. What do you miss most when you are away? Jag: My girlfriend... I think Skype is the best invention ever! We went on tour for like seven weeks and I was on it as soon as I went to bed... (laughs) But I guess when we first started touring we were like any other band, you know like drinking so much that you wake up having no idea where you have been but then you look back and think all those memories... what’s the point because you can never remember any of it anyway! Mem: But the music comes first, like you can party and you should have a good time but the longer you tour the harder it is to find fun, especially if you have commitments like girlfriends. I guess it’s the same as anything; you get as much back as you put in really...
I think that
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a lot of people
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nd how hard it is
dont u n d ersta
to be in a band
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I know you said you don’t see any future performances as a band, but do you have any other music- based aspirations for the future? Jag: I’ll tell you what I would like to do, because Alexisonfire have just split, if they ever played again I would like us to support their reunion gig! But that is about it really. Okay Guys well enjoy the rest of Hevy, or in your case Jag, have a lovely evening with your mum. The Wasted! Team wish you the best of luck for the future whatever avenues you venture down.
LA DISPUTE We caught up with Jordan from La Dispute and after getting over the sound of his beautiful voice, we managed to ask him some questions... How are you feeling about playing Hevy? “So far so good, we’ve only been here for a couple of hours but we’ve been having a good time. It’s a beautiful day, it’s nice and sunny out.” Do you not get nervous about playing? “Not generally no, every once in a while but it’s what I do every day so I’ve kind of got used to it, not that there isn’t the occasional time.”
“The story behind the lyrics is kind of funny, what happened to us... We wrote that song at practice one day when we were waiting for one of our band members to show up, kind of just fooling around with the guitar parts and the first line written in that song was ‘I thought I heard the door open’ because I literally thought I heard the door to our practice place open, which is I guess, a kind of lame way to begin to write a very serious song, but that’s how it happened! That day when we were practicing we kept developing it further once our guitar player got there, I’d kind of
playing toying with the image... ? the only full album you’ve recorded is ‘Somewhere At the Bottom of the River Between VegaS and Altair’, how was this received by your fans? “Well for the bulk of people who listen to our band, that was the first thing they heard
from us, so I think from our fans it was probably received fairly positively and it’s been an interesting thing from us because it came out two and a half years ago and it’s been kind of a slow unfolding process with people hearing it, with us just starting doing very small scale DIY touring in the states, playing houses and everything and then kind of growing
We’d say that ‘Such Small Hands’ is your most popular and well known song, can you tell us the story behind the lyrics?
"
I'm sorr y that my feet weird y ou try to w out. I'll ear sho es tonight but I Ca make n o n Guaren tees. 31
"
How comes? Jag: I’m going to spend some time with my mum, she came down from Manchester to see us play... I say this now but after the show it will probably be carnage... my mum will probably get involved too! (Laughs)
into larger places and networking with all the friends we’ve made but it seems people still enjoy the record for the most part, two and a half years later, so we’re very thankful for that.” Your two latest releases were split E.Ps with Touche Amoure (Searching For A Pulse/The Worth Of The World) 2010, and Koji (Never Come Undone) 2011. What was it like working with these bands? “Fantastic! I mean the initial desision to work with those two bands was based on our mutual respect, the guys in Touche have been friends of ours for a long time and they’re a band that we respect a great
deal and care a great deal about, so it was really easy to make a decision to share oposite sides of our record with them. It was a really fun, creative process to work conceptionally outside of our comfort zone, in that we let people y’know, into our little bubble and they did the same for us, so it was a really gratifying experience, and probably one of the
things we’re most proud of. The same goes with working with Koji, that was really interesting because he’s such a different artist to us, so for us to have to work towards something that was a little outside of our comfort zone in order for it to be consistant sounding, was a really fun switch in the process. They’re people that we love and care about a lot, so it was really easy for us to work with them.” You’re constantly paired up with Touche Amoure, how does this make you feel? Is there a good relationship between you guys? “Yeah we’re like a package deal. There’s a great relationship
between us. Ever since we met we’ve been really close friends and the more time we spend around each other, the more we love each other and enjoy each other’s company so, it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. What can we expect to find in your summer festival essentials? “Well the thing I learned about this particular Europian tour is that I should pack boots that can handle mud and a rain jacket. So they are the only two things I can really think of that I absolutely require next time I play a festival because it’s a pain in the ass walking round in regular shoes. It rained pretty much every day on this tour
and everyone kept telling us like ‘you think it’s raining now, wait ‘til you get to the UK’, this is our first day in the UK and it’s beautiful and sunny.” What are your plans post Hevy? “We have a few more shows in the UK, we play Belgium, we go home, we wrap up the finer details of the record we have coming out and then we go on tour again for the US in October/ November.” Have you got anything to say to your UK fans? “For Vicky, [WASTED! Team] I’m sorry that my feet weird you out. I’ll try to wear shoes tonight but I can make no guarentees. [laughs]
To everyone in the UK thanks a lot, we’re really excited to be here again, we had a really good time last time but it was way too short, so we’re excited to spend more time here and make more friends.”
Readers questions:
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BEN ASKS:
HARRY ASKS:
JESS ASKS:
ZOE ASKS:
Are you aware of the La Dispute drinking game?
Communism or capitalism?
Have you met anyone interesting whilst you’ve been at Hevy?
Have you had any interesting experiences at Hevy?
“When you drink every time I say ‘darling’ or ‘lover’? Yeah, I think it’s hilarious! I mean, I guess I can’t be anything but flattered that people would think that much about it to get drunk to it. I hope they have fun doing it, and I hope I don’t say it so many times people get sick, or worse.”
“I have to choose between the two? Oh my goodness!. If I had to choose I would say communism. In an ideal world everyone helping everyone else would be great, if only it worked. Maybe in small circumstances.”
“I meet interesting people all the time, I mean I’ve met you guys [from the WASTED! team] you’re very interesting and I’m having a great time talking to you.”
“Not yet no, we’ve only been here for half an hour and then we started doing interviews [Are you going to make some tonight?] We’ll see. [Are you going to get barbaric?] Are you going to get barbaric with me? [Yeahhh!]
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Did you really think we'd go all that way without catching the main act? WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE GUYS FROM... How are you guys feeling about playing Hevy? Dan: I’m excited! But I’m kind of nervous. Alan: I’m a little tired but excited. Dan: Definitely tired! Tired is probably the most we are... out of all of the emotions. Jake: Is tired an emotion? Dan: It is today! I am emotionally tired! But when we play... it is going to be fun! We are going to jump around and I’m gonna yell... Alan is gonna yell, Joe is gonna yell, Jake is probably not going to yell.... he will chew a toothpick maybe? Jake: I remembered my toothpicks this time! Okay, well you guys have a new album coming out; can you tell us any details about it? Dan: We don’t know what it is going to be called... or when we are going to release it. We do know that it is going to have a name and come out somewhere between September and October. Joe: And there will be some songs on it.... Dan: There will be songs on it, and it will probably be released in a compact disc format as well as a
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digital format. (Laughs) Alan: We really don’t have anything worked out. We finished recoding it last week and we are kind of really procrastinating! Okay then lets brain storm...
feel about the departure of Josh? Alan: We feel like it was a long time coming, like it was inevitable to both halves.
Dan: ‘Raped By God’
Dan: Yeh! It has been a little while since he left and now I think we have all realised that it was the right decision for the band; we are a tighter band, everybody gets along better and we play better!
Alan: I love it! You heard it here first folks!
Jake: It wasn’t a bad thing to say the least!
Okay so name set, is the sound on this album going to be any different from your previous work? Or will it clearly still be Four Year Strong? Dan: Very different...
So do you guys feel like you have anything to prove now that you are a fourpiece? Dan: No more than we have ever had to before...
Alan: Errrrm ‘Grass Shadow Purple Shirt Car’
Jake: But a lot better! Alan: But it is still clearly Four Year Strong... just in a totally different way! Jake: There are some things that people expect out of Four year Strong that they will not get from this album; but there are some other things that people expect that they will get! There are some things that they don’t expect out of Four Year Strong that they don’t expect that they will get.... Expect the unexpected? Jake: Exactly! Expect the unexpected... and don’t expect anything! (Laughs) How do you guys
Jake: We are pretty much doing the exact same thing, but we have one less person. Alan: I think more than anything else, we don’t have to do anything to prove something, we want kids to our shows to prove that we are not really missing that much... we are still the same band! I think a lot of people were disappointed in the departure of Josh because of what he added to the live shows. But I think we still put on a pretty damn good show! Jake: I think so too! Alan: There you go, Jake agrees! Sonisphere this year! How was that
as an experience? Dan: It was fun! I was scared because we were playing against that comedian that everybody likes...
Dan: Today is different to when we normally tour; all I brought with me today was an extra pair of underpants and some socks...
Alan: Bill Bailey! Dan: Yeh Bill Bailey! So we were scared because everyone kept asking us if we were scared about it... and we were like well we are now because everyone keeps saying that! But it was great! The kids were jumping around having fun!
So are you guys planning on touring next year? Dan: Yeh in September we are doing a tour in South and Central America with Sum 41, then we are doing Soundwave Revolution in Australia. We are also
playing New Zealand, and then we are doing a headlining tour in the states for our new record, we will be with Gallows and Sharks among others. Who are you guys hyped up to see
today? Dan: Polar Bear Club, Man Overboard, Ceremony... they are playing today! I want to see them! So what can we expect to find in your festival essentials?
Jake: I need some kind of electrical device, whether it is an ipod or a computer... something like that. Joe: A rock polisher... (The guys all crack up!) Dan: We’ve been up for a long time! Almost 24 hours... you’ve got to stir in the giggles!
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we ran a competition in WASTED! for the best ‘Bearded Band’ & you guys won the vote. How do you feel about this? Dan: That’s great! We take a lot of pride in our faces... Joe: and our laziness... Dan: and our lack of razor usage... Jake: and our lack of hygiene! Dan: I think it is important for people to realise that you don’t have to be clean to be sexy! Joe: Thanks Dan! (Laughs) Jake: Well put!
what are you guys going to do posthevy? Joe: Eat some Wagamama and then go to the hotel! Then we have to fly home tomorrow at 10.30 in the morning. Wagamamas ay? What do you guys like to order? Alan: One of everything... Dan: Chicken Katsu Curry! Jake: Chicken Katsu Curry is so good! Dan: Yeh and Beef Teriyaki Soba... has to be beef, not the salmon, that is too much of a fishy fish!
Jake: It is soooooo fishy! Okay moving on from food, as a band, what is your best experience together? Alan: This moment right now.
Joe: " T
THE FACES OF
hat was beautiful (Turns to A lan) Can I kiss you?
Really? That’s beautiful. Joe: That was beautiful (Turns to Alan) Can I kiss you? (The guys all laugh) Joe: Just hold me... Dan: My eyes are starting to blur... Alan: Wear an eye patch
"
Alan: Sleep is for the weak!
on one eye! Okay guys, before Dan loses his sight, one last question... I want you to finish my sentence: ‘Four Year Strong are...’ Dan: Fucking hot! Joe: Turkey legs? Alan: Retarded!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GO TO THEIR FACEBOOKS
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A A A
H RRY’S TR SHED T LK
to not actually show up to Hevy as Trash Talk decided not to come a long but instead they were replaced by TRC which is more than a fair replacement seeing as they gave one of my favourite performances from last years hevy. The lads from TRC know how to get it done, they don’t piss around with the crowd they just get straight into the music, they don’t spend half the set talking to the crowd trying to make them laugh (Zebrahead) and although I’m not a big fan of the ‘fuck the haters’ or the tough guy schtick in music- for some reason these guys can get away with it and I don’t Hevy was, (excuse the shitty pun) P Carter the headlining acts on the know why. With short shorts to rival heavy, sorry I couldn’t help myself. Friday. I’m still not totally sold on mine and simple aggressive chugs I’ll basically sum up my weekend dubstep as a whole, if the weird kid that coexist to the point lyrics made with this. I managed to convince that used to be in my science class for a very charming set. It’s funny a boy I knew barely a day to get that watched hentai during lesson what lengths people will go to to get ‘all aboard’ tattooed on his cheek, that ‘loves’ dubstep, I’m not sure I free stuff, Big Deal clothing made apparently I can be very persuasive want to be apart of that - and well, when someone’s had a bottle of Daniel P Carter is a Radio 1 DJ, need amaretto in them - but then again I say more? who isn’t? A good article this does not make however. To the zoo, it was a shit tzu, I didn’t get to feed the rhino, I didn’t wrestle What is a music festival without a bear, there were no dead swans, the music? About 2 litres of wine, I didn’t punch a lion in the throat 1 and a half of Malibu and a few and mastodons are extinct. I did beers in I found myself in front of however, hear the sound of animals Don Broco with a blend of happy fighting. My mate also gave a zebra hardcore and their tongue in cheek head. In all seriousness though the lyrical input (who can’t resist the zoo was pretty crappy, how dare hook ‘sexy girls come up to me and animals sleep at 10 in the morning. they always come if you know what I mean) proved to be a good start Yeah Saturday consisted trying to get to the weekend, very energetic and free stuff (I ran off with both of Me vs enjoyable. Quite debatable how Hero’s drumsticks whilst some dude they started with ‘Thug Workout’ lay unconscious), my mate wearing the song I and I assume most people hot pants and a crop top (which was are most familiar with, after this I free) and watching bands obviously. found myself losing interest in the The first band of the day was Hang band as soon as I got clocked in the Bastard…. Well it would’ve been, the back of the head and my calf but instead we were treated to trampled in - most of their songs just Bastions who delivered a standard seemed unmemorable. I have a crap performance, which would later be attention span. made redundant by their second performance (more on that later). To the surprised of many I didn’t end up seeing Tek One and Daniel A lot of bands had the tendency
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us scramble to get boxes that were almost guaranteed to be empty. Front made me participate in a rolly polly race and the Impericon tent just gave me free lighters and shitnice gents. I don’t really care that much for Architects all I remember from their set is headbutting some girl in the back of the head, leaving a persistent shiner that is still here. It’s not that their music is bad, it just doesn’t really stand out to me.
to happen next, but you can’t stop yourself from watching. It didn’t become apparent to me during their set though that the sound for the Jagermeister stage was crummy, you could hear the instruments fine, but you could only just make out Greg’s high pitched screeches- and Dillinger should be listened to at ear blistering volume, if I can have a conversation with someone without shouting something is definitely wrong. Now I don’t really condone the use of Then there was Dillinger Escape drugs (or do I?) but the effects they Plan one of my favourite bands ever have on people are more often (expect bias). After seeing them than not, highly amusing. Basically twice now it still amazes me how a a few friends of mine managed to band can play at such a technical level convince this kid called Milky that and act so frantic, yet it’s still perfect he was god, now Milky bless him and not a note out of place. The best under the influence of too much way to describe their performance mdma believed this, and as any good is like a seizure, it’s chaotic and god he had his followers, about 50 your really not sure what’s going people following him around the camp site chanting ‘Milky’. From now on Hevy will now be known as Milky Mecca dedicated to our new Messiah, Milky. Sunday wasn’t that eventful to be honest, it was a day of rest, as the good lord Milky had intended. However Sunday did house my favourite performances of the weekend the first being Bastions, funny thing is I would’ve given these a miss knowing they’d be playing a second time. I must say their second performance blew the first out of the water, presenting us with a thrashy hardcore show that was intense and passionate, an intensity that was
perhaps lost on the bigger stage. What really made me appreciate this band however was a little speech the front man gave about ‘not allowing racism or homophobia in his music’. For some reason this resonated with me, I feel that if I know where a bands ethic lays I appreciate that much more. And then there was Ceremony, a hardcore four piece that harken back to the old days of punk. With vocals that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Napalm Death track and music straight from a Black Flag. Most bands tout being ‘hardcore’ but these cats were hardcore, laying into security guards and even at one point trying break the stage by repeatedly stomping on it. Most bands pretend to be pissed off at shit but you could feel hatred with every word the singer barked out at the crowd, angry and oldschool Ceremony were rad. Even the crowd was amazing for this, people climbing up 10ft poles and front flipping off, I’m sure even some dudes just climb up them and just chilled there for the set. I’m still bummed out by the fact that I missed La Dispute due to the fact I was watching Zebrahead with my mates, and they were trash boring songs that all sound the same making lame dick and vagina jokes for at least half the set. So that’s about it for my weekend at Hevy, if your going to learn anything from this, never drink 2 liters of gin and run into see Four Years Strong you will definitely almost start a fight with someone.
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A little last minute, in true WASTED! style, we arrived at Rafa not quite knowing what was in store, however you could tell by the amount of fans showing their support, that it was an eagerly anticipated show. Blind ambitions begin to set up and the croud wade in, the energy is electric. Blind Ambitions opened the second half of the show and I couldn’t have picked a better band to open with! They opened with a heavy song which got the crowd pumped from the start. All of the members were on their feet the whole way through the set and the vocalist didn’t stay on the stage. They had heavy tight breakdowns during a few of the songs and the crowd went crazy. They played a soft melodic instrumental before one of the heavier songs and the crowd loved it just as much! As the band played their last song, the pit opened up and people were literally thrown to the side of the venue. Sincerity. What a way to finish their tour! The five boys from Sittingbourne, Kent have the crowd moving from the moment they take to the stage. Vocalist Jamie Downs, was interacting with the crowd from the off whilst the rest were busy throwing themselves around, showing electric energy. A range of strong riffs and dirty screams show that the boys enjoy playing their music just as much as their fans enjoy listening to it, stopping half way through to announce that they had been signed to Monarchs Records! Taking the news in their stride, they purged through with strong, heavy breakdowns which were continuously met by the crowd moving and jumping about the place. They ended their set with their new track, ‘The Unbreakable’ which the crowd were still going mad for even despite the melodic intro. Definitely check out this band if you haven’t already!
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Charon. These 5 boys from Brighton bought a whole new sound to the stage. With more melodic riffs then the previous bands they had the crowd jumping from the start of their set. With the strong clear screams and melodic riffs everyone was nodding their heads along and clearly taking in the feel of the music. As the beat started getting heavier the pit opened up and the crowd started going nuts. The band were joining in with the crowd two-stepping on stage and jumping about. They had a really unique sound to their music, none
blind s n o i t i b m a
sincerit
Apethia. This was their last ever show and man did they make it a good one! The heaviest band of the night with dirty rough screams and heavy riffs, the crowd went wild before they even started playing. The vocalist was jumping into the pit and all over the crowd. They did a cover of “Boneyards” by Parkway Drive, the crowd went crazy, jumping on the vocalist, grabbing the microphone and smashing the shit out of each other. The had dirty heavy breakdowns in every song they played which set the crowd off. They had a few
clean vocals which surprisingly went really well with the ridiculously heavy music! If there was any final show of any band I’d want to see it would have definitely have been this one! Sadly due to transport issues we had to leave it there, but what a show! The four group of lads we did manage to catch were amazing, leaving the croud pumped for the rest of the night. On a closing note, I’d like to hold my hands up to Richard Pettman for putting on such an amazing show.h an amazing show.
n o r a ch
apet
y
like I’ve heard before. Easily the best band of the night.
h ia
41 Words by Jessica Gough, Photos by Robbie Candy
Dirty Vibes
Tank Trap
The Ivy Leaf Bar has played host to its fair share of music events over the years, and will continue to in the near future, thus Saturday 23rd July, was no exception; throughout the day, there were little over 20 bands playing across two stages. Many with a catalogue of songs destined to gain attention; which makes this considerably difficult to know where to begin...
“can-do-attitude”, movement is what they were determined to get. For reasons that surpass me Near Ruin played with two stand in drummers and a bassist with only two strings, but if we look past this we can enjoy their aim to deliver an active performance to their fans; though I am not always a fan of the symphonic and hardcore mix, it somewhat works in their favour.
New to the scene are a bluesy rock trio, known as Broken Banjo. Having only been founded in March of this year, they have a clear sound and their live performance landed them some new fans; myself included. Upon first glance I cannot say confidently I was expecting the voice we were greeted with. It is what I imagine, with time and much refinement, a culmination of Rory Gallagher and Eddie Vedder to sound like. A huge comparison to make I know, but despite the majority of the crowd being formed of bands waiting to play themselves, they had a great energy and I could see potential, and the outcome could be inevitable.
Romeo is Dead are a welcome act Saturday afternoon. There was a notable lack of crowd for the direct stage area, but the energy was recognised and is teamed with enthusiasm, along with the “we will play anywhere, anytime” statement. Having travelled from Thanet, I would say this is true. The defining moment of their set for me, was when what I call “melodicore meets hip-hop” and Romeo is Dead covered Flo Rida’s “Low”. It was exceptionally brilliant; who’d have thought something like that could work? The original track is catchy and recognisable as it is, but has now been given an enduring edge. They are not to be missed.
Ascend to Glory followed. Hailing from Medway with all the influences you would expect, they are focusing on “putting something new out there”, but are [fortunately] treating the “screaming” as a secondary aspect to the clean vocals. Fingers crossed this doesn’t change as it worked much better for their look and sound. The screaming aside, which put me off slightly, they had a good energy, and for a young band have a decent following which can only grow.
words and photos by Jodie Shepherd
Then the Wave Came
Near Ruin
Left of the Right Side is your band if you want genuinely good guys who give off a catchy, toe-tapping vibe. While the vocals could have been “punchier” across the majority of the set-list, they put on another good performance, earning them new fans, both young and old. Though they take what they do seriously, it is clear to see they have fun doing what they do, and this reflects on the audience. Their pop-punk and progressive influences come alive every time they play, and while there is still room to grow, they have the determination to do so. Being that it was still relatively early in the day, Near Ruin didn’t have the most responsive crowd, but neither did a number of acts before 7pm so it was through no fault of their own. But alas, it was a Saturday and the guys of this Kent-based “melodic-metalcore” ensemble wanted movement. And with their self-acclaimed
Alternative post hardcore/rock quartet I.R.I.S thrive on “performing live and getting in a sh*tty van and clocking up the miles”. To me, they were an indie group with an edge. The energy didn’t always appear to feed off of each other, but the energy is there! You could not deny them that. They had both a familiar and likeable sound, with hints of grunge and punk influences. I.R.I.S had a confidence to match the passion with the music. “Tuneful and heartfelt” are two words they use to describe their tracks, and I think this reigns true. I would happily see I.R.I.S play again, they had a vibe which worked. “Did you see something you like?” An understatement if there ever was one. It is 5:30pm on Saturday and Dirty Vibes speak for themselves; they are not for the faint-hearted, and put on another [dare I say it] thoroughly enjoyable performance. They are a sight to behold and I cannot find fault, however drummer Perry-Lee Angel seems expressionless at times, but he is the backbone to it all and I am being so meticulously picky just so that I have something to write. Now while the following statement is aimed for Thunder’s performance at High Voltage Festival via the Planet Rock blog, I feel it speaks for many in terms of Dirty Vibes, “There is no such thing as a ‘crowd favourite’ in this set. The whole set is a crowd favourite. The band are a crowd favourite”. It doesn’t even matter
After letting the guys cool down for an hour or so, and enjoying some fresh air while learning about the recent on-goings of the world through the joy of several smartphones, I ventured inside to catch the last 20minutes of After the Enclave’s set. After the Enclave are a hard-rock trio from Sittingbourne, who have changed bassist since the last time I saw them play at The Ivy. It was apparent that they were a popular band, though sometimes hard to tell whether this was through the music or general friendship to the band members; either way they played well and kept the crowd, a crowd who did respond well. After the Enclave ended their set with a cover of Puddle of Mudd’s “She Hates Me”, and was a “mellow treat” before what was in store. Heavy riffs and incomprehensible lyrics. While the stated genre pinned to Then the Wave Came is “cyber death groove-core” [and notably not my preferred taste, but for those whom like having their head f*cked] they had an unmistakeable energy and passion when they took to the stage. They put everything into their performance, so much so that the strain of the vocals was evident. Incidentally this was pushed aside, without even the notion of breaking into a sweat. One of the few lyrics I found to be comprehendible was “you leave us no choice”. Thus reflective of the promise of dirty grooves and brutalisation I imagine? Dethrone Exodus followed and like many bands throughout the day, there was nothing truly compelling. Yes I got some good photographs, and yes they had a good energy, they also had a rather good crowd who loved the performance, but I was uninterested. It is not a case that anything is necessarily lacking within the band, as they gave the crowd what they wanted; they just didn’t give me what I wanted. But what is one person’s opinion to a sizeable crowd of faithful fans? It was apparent that fresh air was needed again. Once I, and the majority of other folk at The Ivy, were satisfied with the intake of the desecrate air on offer in Sheerness, we ventured forth to watch Callous. One of many favourites to return to The Ivy; there is nothing I can say because the sweat from the excitable crowd says it all.
Speaking of crowd favourites and one that has recently supported Rival Sons, Tank Trap returned for another painstakingly good performance. With the “animal that knows no reason” Tank Trap are a four piece, bluesy grunge-rock band dripping with a cool edginess, and they always draw a crowd; many singing back the lyrics word for word. With the likes of Led Zeppelin, Wolfmother and RATM ranking in their influences, it is safe to say they can please anyone. We were also treated to a new song, with additional intro vocals, from guitarist Ben Atwood. And in a few simple words: they haven’t lost direction. They definitely know what works for them. Next up, Seven Year Kismet. It is clear to see that SYK have a strong following and they put on a good high energy, if somewhat vocal straining, performance; but the crowd, the vibe and the immediate enthusiasm did not match that of The Ivy Leaf’s “big weekend”. I know this because I did not have to fight my way out of the crowd, and there was no such cue to feel the need to leave. In fact, they, particularly vocalist Luke Sohn, provided me with many a spectacle of hair gestures to photograph. A myriad of people made their way to the second stage for Wires Faulty. Those who didn’t effectively missed out on one of the best performances to date, and a final farewell to bassist Chris Redman-Holland, who is moving on for personal reasons. Comments were made that it is like the “end of an era” but atleast “he went out with a bang”, the energy could be rendered stunning on all levels. Vocals were delivered back from the crowd word for word, which is not unusual for a Wires Faulty performance. They thrive on crowd participation and enjoyment, and I think it was a gig for Chris to remember. They always have an astounding energy; they have distinctive riffs and a determined attitude, so only time will tell if it is the end. Or atleast where a new bassist may take them.
Left on the Right Side
"
FEI COMODO & MORE AT THE IVY!
that Kt-Jo Webb forgot the words during “Ballroom Blitz”, or how I wasn’t surprised to find her stripped down to a corset when I returned from the toilet, she can have a sore throat and still be on top-form with the support and undeniable allure of the band as an entirety.
Heavy d n a s f f i r lyrics.
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To conclude, Fei Comodo were Saturday’s headlining act for the main stage. Fei Comodo, like the majority of bands who played, falls under the “hardcore/metal/ screamo” genre. However, they were the only ones confident, or audacious enough, to have a track playing while walking onto stage from the “dressing room” and have their own lighting arrangements. I will admit the lighting was an interesting choice and created a daze, which in turn created an atmosphere which added to the hype the band created amongst the audience. While the crowd went crazy, the turnout was not as I had expected; but the bands own jovial gag that the performance was “SHEER madNESS” reflects the energy and spirit Fei Comodo did convey.
e
l b i s n e h e r i n co m p
Wires Faulty
The opening band, Unforeseen Prophecy, play to a surprisingly packed out crowd and it clearly helps their confidence as they chug out
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their own brand of sludgetinged metal. Whilst I can enjoy a load of bands who play this kind
of metal, unfortunately their songs became increasingly formulaic, dragged on for too long and the lyrics (although clearly not the focal point of their music) were pretty juvenile. It pains me to say it, but the closest thing to a compliment I can give these guys at this point is that their sound has become synonymous with the term ‘Leo’s band’ throughout Gravesend. You can’t fault a group of mates
who decide to get together and write music amongst themselves, but if Unforeseen Prophecy have aspirations that lie beyond the pubs of Gravesend, they should attempt to think outside the box a little more. I genuinely hope the next time I see this band they’d have taken a bolder, more varied stance towards their tunes, but for now we’ll call it a ‘work
LEOS PRESENTS: EXIT TEN in progress’. Best of luck to them! Next up are local band, and subject of much column space in this particular ‘zine, Accidents. Back after a short break due to numerous lineup changes, the band rattle through tracks off their EP’s and demo’s, with a new track ‘A Little Dig At Everything’
thrown into give a taste of what’s to come. Personally (sorry, I’m about to indulge into irrelevant personal experience here) I tend to arrive at Accidents’ gigs with a sense of armfolded cynicism, expecting that breed of breakdownladen, synchronized headbanging, 21st century metalcore that has proved so fashionable over the last few years. However, time and time again I’m proven wrong by the passion and
determination of the band, backed up by a decent set of tracks. New ‘clean’ vocalist Rory, whilst perhaps not as note-perfect as their former singer, looks comfortable and commanding on stage, and his presence will be crucial in the development of their new (seemingly more melodic hardcore) direction. The same goes for new drummer Matt, who doesn’t miss a beat all night. Accidents’ 6 man line-up was strengthened, as always, by the seemingly never ending wave of long-fringed hardcore dancers throwing limbs at each other, a level of support which would certainly help bands like Unforeseen Prophecy in finding their footing in the community. Another band that seems to have no trouble with crowd participation are trancemetal outfit Silent Descent. I’d be lying if I said I was familiar with trance-metal as a genre, but the group certainly pack a punch. Sometimes reminiscent of modern melodic death metal, SD sound like In Flames being remixed by Tiesto (in a good way!) and the frontman Tom Watling comes across like a post apocalyptic holiday rep. All of this would imply that Silent Descent were suffering some sort of identity crisis, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The group seem to know their own sound indeed how to utilise it. Their synth/laptop section (half of which is dressed in a morph suit) holds the band together well, and the Jared Leto-esque posturing of the frontman toed the
line between cheesy and triumphant. On record, I am massively undecided about this band, but live they came across as a group who really knew what they were doing (although. And whilst the hook of the last song (‘eat, defecate, sleep, procreate’) may have seemed contrived at first, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t still stuck in my head almost a week later. As the headliners take to the stage, the difference between now and the Exit Ten of 2008 (when their début album ‘Remember the Day’ was released) is instantly apparent. Simply from the band t-shirts worn by the guitarists (Kvelertak, Johnny Cash and Pink Floyd), ET look like a band that have both matured and experimented. This nationwide tour of relatively small venues seems primarily to serve as a testing ground for new material, and for the most part it seems to be a success. The new tracks seem to have a more straight-up rock sound, as opposed to the distinctly British style of metalcore seen on their début. Frontman Ryan Redman’s rock star posturing is betrayed only by his nicer-than-nice banter with the crowd in between songs. Nonetheless, his near-flawless vocals and Freddie Mercury-esque command of the stage coupled with the ruthless efficiency of the band behind him seem destined for fortunes far bigger than Gravesend, or indeed the relative success that came with ‘Remember the Day’. They still give it their all
tonight, regardless of the fact that only one (one!) person in attendance can be bothered to shout ‘my heart keeps beating on’ back at them during ‘Warriors’. ‘Resume Ignore’ and ‘Technically Alive’ are treated like old friends by the crowd and the band
genuinely seem to enjoy playing through them, rather than using their most popular tunes as a ploy to hold peoples attention. The final song, ‘Lion’, builds from a relatively slow start to a triumphant, stadium rock finale. The chorus to that particular song was
punctuated by the words ‘you will see the lion in me’, and I don’t think there could be a more fitting statement for this band to live by. The new album is out at the end of September, and judging by the performance tonight, it’s going to show a lot more of the lion in Exit Ten.
Words by: Lewis Defrates Photography by: Ian Castle
The first show brought to the Red Lion by Balls Deep promotions, tonight is advertised as the first step towards ‘bringing decent bands to Leo’s!’, and whilst Exit Ten must surely be one the bigger names to hit the area in recent years, the presence of local support acts make this gig an unmistakably Gravesendcentric affair.
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The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual Miss May I – Monument (Deluxe reissue) Miss May I return with a bulked up package of their already mighty impressive album Monument, ahead of their intensive touring schedule for the rest of the year. Miss May I’s greatest achievement on this album is the fact that they still play that classic metalcore sound (circa 2006) without sounding like a rehash of early Bullet For My Valentine or an Asking Alexandria cover band. Their take on the genre is very easy on the ear, and as a result, this album is just so easy to listen to. On a technical note, this is a solid release. The sound is good, and every plays their instruments beautifully. The
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE – Ruining it for everybody. IWRESTLEDABEARONCE then… Let’s get past the name from the off and focus on the music. While it’s not an album which is especially easy to listen to at first, but once you get into it, the results are truly impressive. The guitar work especially is a standout feature on this release, an intoxicating blend of powerful riffs and fiddly lead work. This is definitely an improvement over the usual grindcore fret wankery, and shows the bands desire to do whatever they want. This is again shown in the vocal work, which is possibly the most impressive feature on “Ruining it for everybody”. The mixture of ferocious growls and almost symphonic, Nightwish-esque clean parts blend to create a totally unique sound. The actual sound of the album is suitably impressive for a bands
drums are especially impressive, Jared building up some serious double bass pedal speed. Vocally, the album is good as well, if somewhat limited in range. That would be the one criticism of this record – it is just a tad too repetitive. A solid album, but when listening to it a few bits seem to have been used before. Still, a good album for a really promising talent in the metalcore scene. Standout tracks are “Rust” and the ever brilliant “Relentless Chaos”. Overall, this is a good release, and hints at big things to come in the near future, from a band that are still very young. Buy this if: You like good ol’ metalcore, and want some spanking new tunes to listen to! - Jake Owens.
sophomore release, the record is well recorded and mastered, if perhaps a tad bass heavy. This isn’t a particularly big problem though, as it adds more kick to the guitar and drums. Standout tracks on this record are “Deodorant can’t fix ugly” and “I’m Gonna Shoot”. The track “Karate Nipples” is set to be released as a single before the album comes out (25th July) and this is also a good showcase of the bands sound. Over all then, a solid release from a really promising band, who look set to grow, even though they are truly a niché band, and one of the only bands in recent times to be doing something unusual. If only the album was easier to listen to… Buy this if: You enjoy challenging music and/or guitar work that will mess with your head. - Jake Owens
Ritual isn’t that good of an album. It’s an amazing album that highlights why metal (while it’s not metal in a traditional sense, there are so many convoluted sub-genres it’s best to stick to one broad umbrella term) is the popular genre it is. From the opening track to the ending track we are treated to an unrelenting assault of blast beats and sweet guitar slides. While this level of technicality which is to be expected from Black Dahlia, as a whole; Ritual sounds a lot different to all their other work comparing anything off of Ritual to any song off Unhallowed and it sounds significantly different. However this can be conceived as a negative thing as old Black Dahlia is class, but you can still tell it’s Black Dahlia Murder, albeit with better production values. I think this may be due to Trevor Strnad’s unique brand of vocals which range from ear drum shattering high shrieks to
Incubus - If not now, when? Incubus are undoubtedly one of my favourite bands of all time, so it would be expected that this look at look at Incubus’ latest endeavour to be a bias; it however is not. Before trashing all your Incubus albums and merch proclaiming that the band have ‘sold out’ think, “when have Incubus never been commercially viable?” All of their albums (bar one) went gold at least (500,000 units) and this isn’t even world-wide. If Incubus ever ‘sold out’ it must’ve been a long time ago. The main problem with the album is the fact that it’s too mellow and not even in a good ‘Morning View’ way, it just leaves most of the tracks boring and forgettable. It just lacks the innovation that I expect from Incubus, It’s your typical boring trash you hear on the radio. This being said however there are 3 tracks that
low grunts. What really impresses me though and even confuses me to some degree is how he’s able to transition from one to another in the matter of seconds (yes he does do it live) I can’t think of many vocalists that switch from high to low mid sentence and actually manage to keep the quality of screams intact. Lyrically however it kind of falls flat, playing into your typically metal imagery (unless you dig this kind of stuff) blood, death, satan etc. It just doesn’t really appeal to me, there are a couple of lines that are quite clever and a bit different ‘The grave robber’s work is never done it’s up all night and sleep all day the hours are shit with hell to pay’- but do you really listen to Black Dahlia for the lyrics? However with this being said I guarantee you’ll play the opening to Conspiring with the Damned over and over and over again. Is Ritual the best album ever? No. Is it the best album this year so far? Yes. You need it. - Harry English
stand out above the rest ‘Thieves’, ‘Switchblade’ and ‘Adolescents’. This could possibly be due to the fact that each track sounds like it belongs on a different album. ‘Thieves’ and ‘Adolescents’ sound like they belong on ‘Morning View’ whilst ‘Switchblade’ is an amalgamation of bass licks commonly found on ‘S.C.I.E.N.C.E.’ and vocals ripped straight from ‘A Crow left of the Murder’. I hope that Incubus can over come their mid-life crisis of sorts and release an album or even an ep that doesn’t purely rely on nostalgia for fans to enjoy. But one thing still remains, Brandon voice is still beautiful, but unfortunately is not enough to save the bland songs meshing together, give it a miss. - Harry English
v vs. For a long time this year, it seemed like the battle for my personal Album of the Year would be a one-horse race. Since it’s release at the tail-end of March, Random Hand’s ‘Seething Is Believing’ has rarely been away from my speakers or headphones. Until now, that is. Enter Melchett, and their effort, The Likes of You And Me. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Canterbury punk trio’s debut output, which led me to ask the question - is it good enough to knock the Bradford quartet off their lofty perch? Time to find out. In the red corner, battle-hardered veterans of the scene with two previous albums and over 1,000 gigs under their belts. In the blue corner, the plucky underdogs armed with wry smirks and a knack for hooks. Southern pride is on the line here, boys - no pressure or anything...
In terms of energy on display, there’s nothing to choose between the two at all, with the Hand’s raucous and powerful ska-punk riffage being matched by Melchett’s hyperspeed punky-hardcore attack. Both bands open their respective records at 100mph, and keep the pace set to frantic for most of the journey. But where RH have an immediate edge is in songcraft. The entire record bares the hallmarks of a band realising that they really don’t need to keep pushing their sound forward, rather, refine what they already have created. Guitarist Matt Crosher has long been a veritable box of tricks, but there’s an added level of restraint this time around which gives his and his bandmates’ efforts more impact. Take a song like ‘Not A Number’, where the pace slows to mid-tempo and a moody ska emphasis backs up
singer Robin Leitch’s socially conscious diatribes, building menacingly to the impassioned gang chants at the finale. Simple enough, but there’s an added degree of subtlety that wasn’t as present on previous records. Bassist Joe Tilston is the unsung hero of the record, backup up Crosher’s riffs and often taking a ‘lead bass’ style, one that suits him down to the ground. Unsurprisingly, this record is by far their most consistent work, with not a single under-par track on the whole record. Now you see the challenge that Melchett are up against, and it’s one they rise to with aplomb. Whilst they can’t match their rivals’ experience, they do have the power of rookie exuberance on their side, and they use it to great effect. The zenith of the record is the one-
two punch of ‘Lost Your Way’, which shows that hardcore beats and pop hooks can marry in perfect harmony with devastating results, and ‘Who’s To Blame’, a song bursting at the seams with summery melodies and the words ‘anthem’ written all over it. Frontman Dan Goatham has a great grasp of what to play at any given time, throwing arpeggios, counterpoints and chords into the tunes with relative ease and giving the music a deceptively catchy edge. Power trios rely entirely on a tight, razor-sharp delivery, and they have that in abundance thanks to bassist Kenny Razzell’s unfussy bass work and Rich Goodyer’s powerhouse drumming. The record is reliably entertaining, but when placed alongside the dexterity and ruthless power of ‘...Believing’, it swiftly pales in comparison, before
being blown clean out of the park by one of the finest punk rock ‘n’ roll songs in years - ‘Floating Ghosts’. I’m not joking when I say that this song, on it’s own, makes the record worth buying. It’s a perfect demonstration of devastating riffs and crashing downpours of drums initially, before revealing an ace card in the form of a slowed, tension-building bridge section, full of echoed guitar lines. The track begins to build back up again, slowly but surely, and suddenly, it’s walloping back in with all the destructive force of a nuclear tornado, leaving nothing but rubble and ruins by the time the closing notes ring out. Just to add insult to injury, lead-off single ‘Bones’ follows immediately after just to rub salt in the wounds, with Tilston clearly having
great fun laying down the superbly spunky bassline alongside the merry ska beats and trombone hooks, but it’s all a moot point anyway. Melchett are laying face down on the canvas, nursing a swollen lip and a black eye. The fight is all over. So in the end, it’s victory by fifth-round knockout for the Hand. Melchett were plucky and brave, and don’t go away from this thinking that their record is in any way bad - it’s an excellent little record definitely worthy of your time. It’s just that they happened to come up against a band playing at the very peak of their powers, armed with one of the strongest records the punk scene has witnessed in many a year. The way looks clear for them, although I hear My Third Leg have an album in the works...
So a man gets shot by the police, the police say that the man was armed, and then later back tracked on their original statement saying that he wasn’t armed at all. So they just shot him. The people of a community protest peacefully about this situation and then a peaceful protest turns into a full country wide riot after a 16 year old girl is allegedly beaten the shit out of by the police. A mix of angry people who have a cause, and criminal opportunists who want a new TV and some designer trainers have been scuffling with police, setting things on fire, smashing windows and other violent things that everyone enjoys talking about. Judging by the superfluous Facebook status’s I think people need to put this situation into context and take a look at the bigger picture. Parochial myopia is a worldwide catastrophe. If we look only at individual things that are happening without understanding WHY they are happening, then we are rather likely to have the opinion that many people have right now: that the rioters are scum bags; that they’re lowlife chavs that deserve to be shot. If we look at things carefully though, with all prejudices aside; if we remove the mirrors from our faces and step away from the TV, if we look at the repetition of history, if we look at the repetition of history, if we look at the repetition of history, we begin to see a trend. It is very easy to target the lower classes, to label entire communities of poor people as scum. But if you are going to complain about the actions of these people when they decide to lash out, then be prepared to face the real issues that perpetuate these problems such as inequality and poverty… do that, or shut up, because you are a part of the problem. You cannot condone some of the violent acts witnessed over the past few days, but what you can at least try
of slagging people off and demanding that the army be brought in, or that tougher policing should be enforced (we’ve seen with the student protests that tough policing amounts to abuse of authority) first make sure you are willing to understand the situation that these young people are in, and at least acknowledge the possibilities that equality could bring, that could eradicate or at least greatly reduce violence and crime of all kinds. Another thing to remember is that with a more calculated approach these people could be extremely powerful, but, as a decent education is something they are deprived of, they instead do things like smash up small businesses. This for me is the tragedy of it all and a quote that my friend put up on Facebook was quite poignant: “Hopefully when there is a cause worth fighting for the kids won’t forget how much power they have”. I think there already is something worth fighting for, and I can guarantee you that David Cameron’s Thatcheresque “Big Society” is certainly NOT it.
The government won’t mind the demonization of the lower classes because this will act as an adhesive for them to exploit the situation. They can play the hero, just as Thatcher played the hero in sending people to war in the Falklands diverting people away from the real issues one of which is the cyclical consequence of class inequality. The major parties ignore unemployment and the crime that comes with it, and they ignore the system that keeps reproducing it. This will happen again and again if people continue to ignore Another thing I need to mention is the the seemingly obvious facts. covert racism that has been floating I’ve cut some more stuff from that about. This issue is first and foremost article for context: Unlike the Student about class. But specifically for those and Cuts demonstrations that defined who need a history lesson, here’s one 2010, there was nothing middle class for free: It was white Europeans that about the Tottenham Riots. As it stands, colonised half of the planet, killing Tottenham falls under Haringey: a people and destroying their homes, borough that has statistically proven to destroying their customs and impeding be the 5th most deprived in London and their progression... and of course 18th in the whole of England. 61% of enslaving people and bringing them children live in low-income families and back to our unfamiliar shores. So keep Haringey experiences the 4th highest that in mind before you go off on your level of child poverty. With the recession ignorant BNP rants. worsening, budget cuts leading to the withdrawal of funding for key youth Oh and in other news... there is this services, rise in tuition fees and the famine going on in Somalia that nobody slashing of EMA, conditions are set gives a shit about. Loads of crime there to further deteriorate for poor youth too, I wonder why that is? Could that in areas like Tottenham. Desperation possibly have something to do with becomes one of many consequences inequality and poverty too? How about as things fester in a space of economic- using the money we use to send kids on socio-political depravity. crusades on feeding people and solving the issue of inequality, which has no Before you jump on the bandwagon place in the future.
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to do is understand why it is happening in order to prevent it from happening again. In the best article I read about the riots a woman wrote: “No one likes to see violence and destruction on their doorsteps. But like the events that spread like wildfire under Thatcher, they indicate a failing democracy: one that has a long history of disenfranchising poor, young people of colour”. The Neoliberalism that Thatcher introduced in this country is still rife, and it’s scarily working again here.
Riots and the demonization of the lower class50
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