Alex Young: My Reeling Dreams EP Launch

My Reeling Dreams EP Launch

Café Viva, Barnsley

Friday 24th Feb 2012

In an intimate, invitation-only setting, Barnsley’s Alex Young launched his EP to an appreciative audience. Having seen him play these songs live last summer, it is clear that Alex has polished and finessed them to capture a compelling glimpse of what he is capable of achieving.

In these times of cultural idiocy, where X Factor winners garner Brit awards alongside mainstream Indie ‘Gods’, if there can be such a thing Damon, what we have here is a truly independent act in both outlook and methods. Alex is giving 2012 his big shot at making music a job; self-financed and ambitious for opportunities, he has crafted and recorded a showcase of five of the best to support his campaign.

The title track, My Reeling Dreams, is a catchy, understated statement of intent. Throughout there are moments where guitar and vocals combine to soar away from the gloom of a February evening to an altogether sunnier setting; fourth track, Sevillian Heat, pulls off the same trick with more accomplishment. The backing vocals and percussion help to move the song towards the territory of a gentler New Model Army’s Green and Grey with its talk of Yorkshire’s green hills.

Closing track Walking Glass describes a walk beside a wintery Ouse, exploring a father/son relationship in intimate detail, while Young’s voice strains to fully explain his feelings, the imagery in his lyrics carries the weight. This is a collection of well crafted, earnestly delivered songs which deserve your attention.

Available for download through iTunes or CD Baby, more info at http://www.alexyoungmusician.com

Matthew Rhodie

WILD FLAG – Cockpit , Leeds, 29th January 2012

A bitingly cold quiet Sunday evening in Leeds, The Cockpit warmed only by the buzz of expectancy awaiting Wild Flag. Witchita Records Brighton/London three piece Peggy Sue sustained everyone’s interest with a fine support performance. The dual girl harmonies and folk tinged indie well received, especially during numbers as strong as ‘Cut My Teeth’ and ‘Song & Dance’, check them out.

A sign of Wild Flags high held regard was reflected by the presence of two thirds of The Cribs and Anna from Metronomy amongst several expectant band members in the packed crowd. Wild Flag, a Supergroup of sorts, many present sure to be admirers of the four girls many various bands. Me personally being a big fan of Carrie Brownstein and drummer Janet Weiss’s Sleater Kinney, a band whom I sadly never got to see, the closest being a band injury cancelled gig at this very venue in 2005. Rrrrriot Girl royalty and finally I was getting to see them Rrrrrock. And boy do they rock. This brand of power pop punk went down a treat with album highlights like ‘Electric Band’ and ‘Glass Tambourine’ and the perfect catchy gems that are ‘Future Crimes’ and ‘Romance’. Multi -talented, sometime comedy actor back home in Portland, six string Brownstein, shares vocals and competes with Mary Timony for riff wizardry and high kickerry. Rebecca Cole adds punchy keyboards with hints of the B-52’s, while Weiss holds it all together. Sounds from any number of US garage bands abound, The Stooges , Ramones and especially Patti Smith, as Carrie throws worthy shapes around the stage literally bouncing off Timony. There’s fun band/crowd banter too including a bizarre discussion on the merits of Eric Clapton. No slow hands here as the set raced on with more highlights like ‘Racehorse’ and a finale of a fitting Ramones cover, ‘Do You Wanna Dance?’ , where even the two false starts felt right. I sincerely hope Wild Flag are more than your average Supergroup and continue to record and tour together and keep flying the flag for all that is good in wild rock ‘n’ roll.

Liam Tyrell

John Cooper Clarke @ The Hop Review

John Cooper Clarke

The Hop, Wakefield

19th October, 2011 *

*Apologies for the lateness here - this has just been discovered, lost, in a folder of a subfolder on a hardrive in a cupboard.

A slightly oddly arranged evening, with the support bands playing downstairs at The Hop and John Cooper Clarke next door at Fanny & Barcadi's (due to capacity issues at The Hop). But an interesting one too.

Post War Glamour Girls were first up. Fresh from enjoying their fantastic single 'Splitting Pearls' I was very keen to check them out live. The first surprise was the age of this lot; baritone Nick Cave groaning and beautiful, powerful female backing

had led me to the conclusion they were, shall we say mature? Yes, mature. Surprisingly then they are all rather youthful and fresh faced, which for anyone who hasn’t heard them, will be of no interest. A young band? Good Lord!

But for me, it made me love them even more. They are so different from what I now see to be their peers and it was great to see a big crowd down there for them. Sinister, crawling novellas and impressive waves of sound, considering they are a pretty traditional 4-piece. I want more!

John Cooper Clarke appeared on stage with just a mic, a lamp and a table of gin. Well, that and his book of poetry. I was intrigued to see what he would be like. I know about him, but little of him. Like fellow Mancs Peter Hook and Mark E Smith he was around at the birth of punk at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. But would he be living off the past like Hooky or still pushing an individual furrow like Smith? As it happens; neither. It's hard to say since I wasn’t even alive back then, but I get the feeling that he is probably just STILL DOING THE SAME SET as he was 40 years ago.

He doesn’t wallow in the past by telling old stories. He is, surprisingly, a gag man, rapid fire 1 liners. Some are funny, no denying, even against my better judgement.

Some are very suspect. We are perilously close to actually collapsing the universe as it seems JCC is determined to return us to a WMC in the 1970's. I feel uneasy as one section starts with 'Bloody Gypo's eh?' to riotous applause. There are bits about Dyslexics. I’m not offended, it just seems real old skool. But the crowd, sycophantic to the core lap it up. It's funny to see some of them mouthing the words of his punk poetry to utter perfection.

Act aside, JCC is amiable though slightly wobbly on his feet. That'll be the endlessly flowing gin then. There's a warmth, and a slight absent-mindedness too that makes him seem quite sweet. Not the fiery, terrifying proposition I had expected and seemingly, not a cynical exercise in raking the past for some of that filthy lucre; more the wheeling out of an artifact, perfectly preserved. The museum piece rallies angrily and joyously for one more night.

And with the headliner out of the way, we head back to The Hop for the main support. Skint & Demoralised are an entity I have not come across for a long time. It's been an interesting journey over the last few years for Matt Abbott and one which I have followed from a distance. Tonight is the first time since the dual release of S&D albums 1 and 2 last month that I have seen the new lineup and they instantly impress. The spoken word stuff is now predominantly left to a billing of 'Matt Abbott' only. The light, 'Indie-Streets' vibe also seems to have been left behind. Tonight S&D are a muscular force of pent up energy, a raucous and shredding performance of character and passion. I enjoyed the fact they felt like a 'real' band, not a singer/songwriter and some brought in backing band. The tight stage helped, all 5 members battling for room and bouncing around one another.

It all feels like a much more appropriate setting for the kind of scenario's Matt writes about and he seemed to revel in it, giving much more of a engaging 'front man' performance. With the band already working on demos for a 3rd album, it really feels like they are riding a wave and on tonight's performance I hope they keep on riding it for a long time to come.

Dean Freeman

8 gigs that happened in Wakefield, in 2011

I guess I should have got this list together for Christmas shouldn’t I? Or published it 00:01, Jan 1st. Clogged up the twitter feed – look at my list! Of things!

Yeah well, I was having some fun and taking it easy. But as I returned to work and a face full of tedium, looped and slowed to the pace of an ice age, I started thinking about some of the cool gigs that had happened in Wakefield over the last year. It’s not definitive, but it’s the ones that stick out in my mind. I think it shows what a cool and diverse range things have happened, if you bother to come out and give something different a try. So, in no particular order:

Metronomy

23rd April

The Hop

Part of the enjoyment here was that I got to help promoter Chris Morse out with general hosting skills. So, I helped serve up Morseys infamous slow cooked chilli to them out on the rooftop. I ran the merch stall too and got some records for my trouble. And on top of that I got to interview Marc Riley who’d popped over from Manchester to watch one of his favourite bands.

But the gig itself was great too. One of those great times when a band have clearly been booked just before a mass of praise and press has swept them way above the level that would usually come to Wakefield. The room was packed and well up for a good time. The band sounded so good and it was just a joyous night, probably the sweatiest night I’ve ever encountered in The Hop.

Darwin Deez

11th June

Mustangs

Obviously Long Division was a biggy for us. So many great bands, yet I can really only take everyone else’s word for it. The most I saw of any band was 2 or 3 songs, tops. The stand out moment for me was Darwin Deez in Mustangs. I mean, that alone is pretty mental in itself. What a strange clash of cultures, the NME cool list into Mustangs, home of the kind of people and crowds we actively work against.

But as I walked in, to witness choreographed dance moves I wandered what the hell we had done. I looked around and saw the joy on everyone’s faces, people moving around, smiling, laughing, clapping. It felt great, a sense of spectacle, a real event that we’d made happen in Wakefield. It felt special, and kinda summed up the joy I felt for Long Division as a whole. A great day.

Pylon

8th July

The Hop

SO LONG I had waited for this! Pylon split in 2007, cancelling their ‘last ever gig’ that year. I’d forgotten until I found an old poster the other day, but they were also meant to play a gig for me whilst I was promoting gigs in Leeds as Geek Pie a couple of months before. It had become a sad series of similar stories over that last 6 months. I had just wanted to see them ONE MORE TIME.

And so in July, we did. I guess it would be hard to appreciate if you didn’t love them the first time around, but I can honestly say, the family tree of Rhubarb Bomb and the bands it loves and supports can be traced all the way back to them. The gig itself was wonderful, every song a pop gem, the crowd bouncing and singing along. The ‘hits’ just kept coming. I don’t know how many times I can say this, but really, if you don’t know owt about Pylon GO LISTEN NOW, then come back, and we can talk properly.

Freschard / Stanley Brinks

28th September

The Hop

Their third time to Wakefield; the first due to On The Ride (Hooray!) and the second for Long Division. The third saw them play at The Hop as part of their european tour. It was a different kind of night, with tables, candles and chairs laid out in the upstairs room. It was a quiet one, but a great one too. It had something that a lot of the gigs their can lack; atmosphere. And a sense of occasion too. Stanley and Freschard were in good spirits; once again I popped upstairs to see them and found them eating Morseys chilli – they were thrilled. It’s nice when people are glad to be in Wakefield. This happiness came across in both their at ease sets, with sweet asides and it sticks in the memory for being a lovely SOCIAL evening, sat with friends, enjoying good music. Doesn’t happen as much as it should.

The Spills

28th October

Chantry Chapel

Launching their ace debut album ‘Occam’s Razor’, The Spills hosted a lovely evening at Wakefield’s hidden gem of a venue, Chantry Chapel. ‘Above Us The Waves’ were the best I’ve ever seen them and ‘Yard Wars’ (Mike Ainsley and Tim Metcalfe) played their first gig (I think…). But The Spills themselves were great and the whole night had a sense of occasion, camaraderie and community that seems to have been lacking in recent times. Rammed full, people singing the words back, and basically a wave of goodwill from audience to band. Everyone knows The Spills have been working so hard for so long – I think everyone was just so pleased that they repayed the faith by busting out a top notch album. The fact it was BYOB, and I brought plenty, might have helped too…

Zoey Van Goey

5th November

The Hop

Personal highlight for me. I love this band and have been to Scotland to see them a few a times, so it was lovely to get them down. They are such lovely people and it was great to once again play host and see people have fun visiting our city. The set was special too, with a remix, full on dance conclusion to the evening. As the audience left, we had our own Indie disco (about 8 of us), then went to Inns for a few more, called in at the Pie Shop, then back to ours til about 4am. Top night.

Spokes

28th March

The Hop

What do I recall about this? I’m not sure. I can’t even remember who the support band was. I just have a memory of sitting and watching Spokes, with about 7 other people at the end of the night. The crowd had vanished, as it often does at the end of a Hop night. But those who stayed saw wonderful understated set by a great band. One of those special moments when you feel you are ‘in on the secret’ whilst everyone else is off getting pissed and been stupid.

Mike Ainsley / Mi Mye

25th February

The Hop.

Now, this was A LONG TIME AGO. I might be getting confused. I know Mike Ainsley, launching his album, played a great set with a full backing band. A great set, another great atmosphere and sense of kinship. The part I’m not sure on is whether this was the first time I saw the newer Mi Mye lineup. I reckon it was. The first time we saw the 3 piece Mi Mye was a bit of a revelation. EVERYONE loved the old band. But ALMOST EVERYONE loved the new one a little more. It was emotional and personal and, well basically the songs shined.

Honorable mentions (i.e. I couldn’t make it)

Babies, Spills, Fur Blend

November 20th

The Hop

Reports informed me this was AMAZING, Spills on top form, Fur Blend outstanding and Babies, another great booking by Morsey.

The Lovely Eggs / Wave Pictures weekender

Dec 3rd / 4th

The Hop

On The Ride again! What a double whammy of a takeover. Bringing back some of the great bands from Long Division paid off with some cracking gigs.

Willy Mason

18th May

The Hop

Why didn’t I make it to this one?! I cant remember!

Glasvegas

26th March

Balne Lane WMC

Complete sellout gig, a great accomplishment. Great use of Balne Lane for another large scale gig. Well done Chris Morse.

Indietracks 2011 Review

As followers of the RB Podcasts may be aware, I have enthused about Indietracks a hell of a lot over the past 12 months. The mix of DIY quirkiness and the genuinely friendly nature of the festival made it a winner for me last year. But as I said the other day, the NEW and the UNKNOWN are big aspects of what makes a festival for me. Would it be as good again?


For those late to the party, Indietracks is a small (about 1000 people) festival set within the grounds of Midlands Railway Museum. There’s an outdoor stage in front of a grassy area, an indoor stage in an old railway shed, a small stage in a corrugated iron chapel and various other small stages including a moving steam train and impromptu sets in the merch tent. It’s a lovely, compact setting with great views of the countryside all around.


Last year the first band I saw was The Hillifields whom I had never come across before but set a great standard of unknown gems for the rest of the weekend. This year, just the same, we came across Tiny Fireflies, a guitar / synth 2 piece that also feature in Very Truly Yours and many other bands. The sparse but warm interplay between the pair was wonderful, the minimal beats bouncing off the rail shed walls. A great start, though the aspect by which it set the standard for the festival was actually in the incestuous nature of the line up. According to the programme pretty much every band consists of members from at least 4 other bands whilst simultaneously playing in 3 different bands on the day. The first band on the Sunday were trying to soundcheck but their keyboardist was busy soundchecking on the other stage!


All of which suggests the kind of inclusive atmosphere of the festival. Also impressive is how far and wide many of the bands have travelled, with many bands from America and Scandinavia in particular. New York born Jeffrey Lewis was an absolute highlight, performing an electrifying set with his 4 piece backing band.


Man, he looked like he was having fun, his rambunctious anti folk giving an admittedly needed jolt of excitement amongst the occasionally pedestrian jingle jangle from the main stage. A cover of Sonic Youth’s 100% pleased the crowd as did a Tom Petty cover. Would have happily watched it all over again.

Edwyn Collins and Herman Dune were the headliners this year. Edwyn was a disappointment, though not through fault of his own. There were generator problems over on the main stage and he was switched to the shed last minute. Basically I couldn’t get in. The sounds wafting out were good, a tight band in place around him. After his brain haemorrhage I kind of presumed he was just ‘better’ now, but he seemed to struggle with his between song speech and clearly has a long way to go, so massive respect that he is out here on tour, entertaining the crowds and singing more than competently. Just a shame I couldn’t see anything, but ‘Rip It Up’ sounded good.


As for Herman Dune, well I didn’t get to see the whole set as my good lady Jayno had finally succumbed to a massive bout of flu and we had to head back to the tent. I liked what I heard though, surprisingly muscular with some parts coming off like ‘Spencer Percival’ by I Like Trains and, as I walked down the country lane to the campsite, the distant sound of a cover of Sonic Youth’s ‘Dirty Boots’. Dammit!


Elsewhere Indietracks has always been a good one for finding little nuggets of greatness. Victoria & Jacob, though previously known to RB have progressed nicely and threw a blinder in the chapel. Both with sets of Korgs and various samplers, the sound is full of layers but relaxed and laid back, Victoria’s vocals guiding the tracks to blissful highs. Afterwards, Heroes of the Mexican Independence Movement featured someone from Fonda 500 as well as loads of other guys from other bands. They were ramshackle but amusingly so (in the right way) and packed a fair few decent tunes.


Just Handshakes (We’re British) offered something slightly more lively than the MOR Indiepop on the main stage and their sound seemed to suit the open field, bathed in sunlight. Berlin Brides played some interesting and loud electro pop, a perfect mid afternoon wake up call.


White Town (of ‘one hit wonder’ fame with Your Woman in 1997) is a massive Indietracks fan and usually pops up somewhere. This year he did a short acoustic set in the Merch tent which was lovely, his delicate songs pleasingly honest and down to earth. His calm, hushed tones transformed the tent into a little haven for 15 minutes and he even played ‘the only hit I ever had, or ever will’ which was great for people like myself, not so familiar with his other work. A lovely moment.


Later in the tent I mistakenly (drunkenly) misread the handwritten sign stating what i thought said 'RM Hubbert' from Chemikal Underground was playing. Instead I got MJ Hibbett but thankfully he was great, with some spot on singalong stuff with some clever points being made about artistic credibility vs mass appeal plus a lovely cover of 'Boom Shake Shake Shake The Room' by The Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff.

These little unexpected moments are what Indietracks are about but this year didn’t quite have the magic of last year. I think this is likely because I am not a massive fan of Indie Pop. Hang on, I know it’s an Indie Pop festival. But last year had great crossover appeal, especially the Day 1 run of Standard Fare, Slow Club, Shrag and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. It seemed this year that the gaps were filled with rather generic offerings instead, the names of which, like the music, washed over me at the time.


Of course, it’s par for the course with a niche festival such as this. Bigger fans of the genre will have likely lapped it up. It wasn’t even a big problem, as that kind of thing is ideal when sitting on the grass with an afternnon cider. The festival had enough of those ‘ooo that’s cool’ moments but not enough ‘Wow!’ moments to match last year.

However, it’s great to see the festival is as strong as ever in terms of its individuality and commitment to providing an interesting and involving weekend. The tables in the merch tent, buckling under the weight of homemade record sleeves and DIY labels treasure troves of stock, with the labels and band members stood proudly behind them told me all I needed to know about Indietracks – that the scene is alive and well and events like this are core to keeping them alive. For that alone, Indietracks, I salute you.

Dean Freeman

Ash @ The Duchess, York, 25th July

I THINK I last saw Ash on their Free All Angels Tour and Snow Patrol were touring, back in the days when the SP live show featured some one on Decks and Beats. Christ, I’m showing my age aren’t I?

Well not really, for, as Ash perfectly prove, age is a state of mind. Frontman Tim Wheeler is but 34 yet Ash have a hugely enviable back catalogue behind them with many years still ahead. It’s 10 years since I saw them and in that time they’ve released ‘heavy’ album Meltdown, lost Charlotte Hatherley, released ‘final’ album Twilight of the Innocents’ and released a single ever fortnight for a year in their A-Z Series. In many ways they’ve ridden the changes of the industry pretty well and now have the dual benefits of being seen as legends whilst still being young and vital enough to roll with the times and make music that still matters.

All of which left me slightly surprised they were playing a venue the size of The Duchess in York. Surprised but excited. The Duchess is an old fashioned venue in the proper sense; underground, low ceilings, painted black artex walls and a LOUD sound system. Ash came onto the stage to a backing track that may have been a Bladerunner cut. Tim Wheeler, blessed with eternal youth sports a huge grin. Bassist Mark Hamilton, typically serious, is wearing a lovely vintage haircut of grungey curls, circa 1995. As the Tie Fighter SFX that opens ‘Lose Control’, the opening song from their debut ‘1977’ hits the crowd like we’re in a wind tunnel, I can tell we are in for a great night.

The first half of the set is very 1977 heavy, with ‘Girl From Mars’ coming 2nd in the set, closely followed by the classics ‘OhYeah’, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Kung Fu’. Tracks from the mini album ‘Trailer’ that proceeded ‘1977’ also make an appearance, yet they are all aired with the conviction of that band I saw 10 years ago, which is impressive in itself.

There’s not too much from the Hatherley era, though towards the end we get ‘Shining Light’ and the encore closes with ‘Burn Baby Burn’. The pure pop power of these undisputed classics does make it hard for the newer songs, especially the more experimental A-Z tracks to fit in. But most of it does. They play the instrumental ‘Sky Burial’ which is a good 8 minutes long, a massive sense of relief from the band that they managed to get all the way through. It’s a lull in the set certainly, but works as a mid set break and it’s pleasing to see something new, stopping the whole affair from becoming an exercise in nostalgia.

The enjoyment the band appear to be taking in this more intimate of gigs is clear to see. Wheeler, with coming up to 20 years experience in a band is still modest and a little shy with his between song banter and the whole event makes me feel part of something rather sweet. It’s also one of those moments where you check yourself, and realign your expectations; Ash are STILL brilliant. I always knew it, but this great gig was the little reminder I needed. To think I’d forgotten makes me feel rather ashamed. Must be the old age I guess.

Dean Freeman

Pylon @ The Hop - Live Review

Pylon
The Hop, Wakefield
8th July 2011

Last year Rhubarb Bomb ran an article on Pylon under its ‘Lost Bands’ header. The case for the prosecution to them being ‘lost’ was that they never completely fulfilled the potential they seemed to have. They were adored in Wakefield. They were part of a tight collective of amazing musicians and friends who made Wakefield an interesting place to be. They influenced a whole range of bands, as well as record labels, promoters and fanzine writers. But after the release of their debut album (proceeded by two EPs) they split, with a farewell gig pencilled in for Out of Spite Festival, 2007. As often seemed to be the case in those last few years, it fell through. Next week they play that final gig at Out of Spite. But tonight we have the amazing honour of seeing them in Wakefield and, goodness me, I’m excited.

It has been interesting talking about Pylon recently, as RB has on its Long Division Podcasts. I’m just old enough to remember seeing them at what was perhaps their prime during my late teens - the right age to be hooked. But to some of the bands coming through now they are just a name, partly mythical perhaps. So it was pleasing to see a real mix of people in the crowd. Those hot young things and those who remember it the first time round. One of my first gig experiences was seeing Pylon at Players – it was in that same venue around that time I was given a flyer advertising a coach trip to Joseph’s Well, Leeds to see the band that eventually became The Cribs. It’s good to see 2 of the Jarmans down to pay their respects.

Which makes it sound terribly austere. It wasn’t. It was fucking awesome.

Apologies are due to the support acts – I didn’t bother. I was here for one band and one band only. I was right down the front. The band looked a little nervous setting up. Rob Taylor is tootling on his Hammond and that classic sound (to these ears) takes me way back. I can see the setlist at the feet of singer Joe. There’s plenty to get through.


Pylon kick things off and instantly the sound is huge. I think the new PA in The Hop might be slightly too loud. Though to be fair I’m stood RIGHT NEXT TO IT. The sound is immense and the energy instantaneous. They kick off with a couple of earlier EP tracks, ones I’ve not heard for a while. But, somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind lie those words and melodies and I’m singing along. How much useless rubbish rattles around our brains? By the time they launch into ‘Name In Lights’, opener from their debut, the whole room is in rapture. The band are having a great time, there are smiles all round. There’s banter from the crowd and I’m sure I saw the raffle guy from the old ‘For The Love Of The Game’ nights.

About half way through it feels like they’ve played all their songs. But they keep digging out the ‘hits’, every one a gem I’d half forgotten. The pure power of Pylon is in their melodic abilities. Through the ear ringing howl the vocal hooks shine through. Every song over flowing with some shining, optimistic beauty. Because I’ve only had their recorded output to enjoy over the last FIVE YEARS I’d forgotten the power of them as a live band.

There’s something amounting to perfection in these songs, some untouchable glimmer of a singular, complete moment. Standing there I feel like I could actually be watching the best band that has ever existed. Now I know that sounds ridiculous but rather than a comment on their songwriting or WHATEVER, I’m really getting at the ideas of what makes a band ‘great’. Pylon are so unknown in the grand scheme of things but watching them inspires because it backups what you already know; that ‘local’ bands, ‘obscure’ bands, LOST bands can mean the world – and in this case they have the tunes to back it up. Pylon write such amazing, anthemic music they could be huge. But they don’t need to be huge to be amazing. Out of every band playing in the world tonight, Pylon could be the greatest but the only people who will ever know are the 100 or so in this room. That’s a good feeling.

So anyway, yeah, I quite enjoyed myself. I’m glad I got to see them again before they disappear for good. In a week where RB has also seen Pulp come back from the dead, it naturally leads to introspection and the nature of all this band malarkey. But looking back, as much as I love Pulp and they are one of the most important bands EVER to me – I FELT MORE hearing ‘Yo Yo Blue’ than Disco 2000 – because Disco 2000 feels like a point in time, wonderful nostalgia. ‘Yo Yo Blue’ and the rest, have something to give TODAY. I hope they manage to play more shows and even make more records. But the magic they had, and have again tonight, lives on in Wakefield and if that torch continues to be passed on, we have nothing at all to worry about.

Dean Freeman

Pylon play their last ever gig at Out Of Spite on July 17th

Pylon’s music is available here: http://pylon.bandcamp.com/

Battles @ The Cockpit, Leeds

Battles
The Cockpit
6th June 2011

New York trio Battles came to Leeds on the day they released their second album, Gloss Drop. This made for quite a strange gig at times as most of the crowd were not too familiar with any of the songs that were played.

Also frontman Tyondai Braxton had left the band midway through making the album so there was no material from previous album Mirrored played on the night. Although Braxton didn’t really sing too much he gave the band a focal point which had been replaced by screens at the back which allowed the guest vocalists from Gloss Drop to be there in projected form.

Just before the band enter the stage I look round and the main room is bursting at the seams which surprised me as I had earlier been told that the gig had been nowhere near to selling out. As the band strolled on they said nothing and went straight into album opener Africastle, which builds up slowly before progressing into a good dance rock number.

Battles also allow a lot of room for improvisation which extends most songs and makes things interesting as well as giving each show a unique feel. By the time they play Sweetie & Shag, which features Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino, they have definitely got everyone onside with their new material. The track is one of the highlights of the set especially with the bass line that pounds all the way through.

Battles finally get the crowd moving when they play lead single Ice Cream which is easily the most well-known song of the night. They follow this up with more album tracks, beginning with the calypso inspired Dominican Fade which keeps the high pace going. Futuraand Inchworm highlight the bands technical abilities after which they ended with My Machines, featuring Gary Numan, which is the heaviest, and also one of the best moments.

The band then return for a one song encore of Sundome which sounded good but was a bit of a let-down, as the show would definitely have been better without an encore as the band had just played constantly with no pauses for anything except a small mention of their new album. Despite this the gig was really good and the improvisation on songs was really interesting without getting pretentious.

Matt Hill