The Mindsweep: LIVE

WARNING: This post may contain unnecessary fangirling and extreme bias. Apologies.

It's been nearly six weeks since Enter Shikari released their fourth studio album The Mindsweep and as I may have already mentioned, it's amazing. Since then, I have been to three of their live Mindsweep shows, so I thought I'd give you all an idea of how they've gone down. Spoiler: they're insane.

Album Launch Show, Rose Theatre, 18/01/2015

The first glimpse of live Mindsweep was insane. The Appeal And The Mindsweep I, Slipshod, Myopia, Never Let Go Of The Microscope and Anaesthetist were all tested out along with some old classics like Gandhi Mate, Gandhi, Mothership and Radiate. In such a tiny venue, Rou was free to roam through the crowd and stand on whatever he wanted and as usual all four of them were full of energy and passion. This gig was a reminder (not that a reminder was needed) of how incredible Enter Shikari are as a live band, I mean they had been away from the UK live circuit for around a year after all! Despite having gone to the signing before the gig, I also went to The Mindsweep pop-up shop the day after and that was a treat. Shikari not only put on killer shows but they are beautiful souls as well.

Day one: The Mindsweep signing and release show were super fucking insane; Enter Shikari killed it tonight in Kingston 😍 Roll on day two of my mini Mindsweep tour! #entershikari #themindsweep #releaseshow #signing

A photo posted by Alice (@kell_soopreez) on Jan 18, 2015 at 4:03pm PST

The Mindsweep Tour, Night Two, Y Plas, 17/02/2015

My god, a crowd have never been so loud! Before the boys came on stage the crowd just kept chanting “Shikari! Shikari!” and it actually left me stunned. They burst on stage to begin with The Appeal And The Mindsweep I and it immediately kicked off. It was incredible. For the full two hours Enter Shikari played, the crowd were a constant sea of energy only fuelled more by the noise these four men create. The lights were amazing, the setlist was amazing, the musicianship was amazing. Just as the Motherstep intro was about to drop into Mothership there was a powercut which was pretty funny but it didn't phase Shikari; they just cracked some jokes and played some funny tunes. Then there was Batty C getting into the moshpit for Paddington Frisk and Rou smashed an actual vase during Slipshod which was great. Rou also gave some moving speeches about the crowd and them being a community, the fact that we as Earth are like a spaceship and that "if you think you're standing still you're not." All very educational but the best moment of the night was when Rou took to his “old Joanna” for a delicate and overwhelming Dear Future Historians. Rou cried and I think pretty much everyone else in the room did too, it was truly special and a gig that will go down in Shikari history.

The Mindsweep Tour, Night Nine, Camden Roundhouse, 26/02/2015

The same setlist, the same men, the same show and an equally incredible atmosphere. Despite more sound problems (maybe I'm a bad omen for them) they put on another insane show. Roundhouse was full to the brim with a crowd abundant in love and energy and it was just stunning. Highlights included Chris doing a cowbell solo and Rory C being crowdsurfed out of the venue as Sssnakepit ended. The Mindsweep Tour has been an incredible one, and let's face it, Enter Shikari are an incredible force. Here's to hoping they'll be back for round two soon!

Dear Future Historians was breathtaking tonight 😍 Thank you @roureynolds, this was a special moment. #entershikari #themindsweeptour #cardiff

A video posted by Alice (@kell_soopreez) on Feb 17, 2015 at 4:04pm PST

Just Like You by Falling In Reverse

Falling In Reverse are a contentious issue for many. They're a bit of a sore spot, like a scab that accidentally happened but you keep picking at it so it sticks around and stays with you in some way or another for longer than you'd like. Okay, so not the nicest of analogies but it's the best way to say that as much hate and criticism Ronnie Radke and co. come under, they're not going away. And with their third album, Just Like You, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

In the lead up to the release of this most anticipated record, Ronnie has been quite vocal about how different this album is to Falling In Reverse's previous two, saying it will shock many listeners. And he's right. It picks up all the bits from 2011's The Drug In Me Is You that were great and drops all the bits of 2013's Fashionably Late that never should have seen the light of day. What the 2015 offering is, is the sound of a more developed band, who have stopped trying to prove a point to the haters and have started making music for themselves (although they'll probably argue they've been doing that all along). It's grown up and honest but still remains comically satisfying with Ronnie teasing us with lyrics like "Like OMG you make you come-come-com-plete" on Sexy Drug.

Just Like You opens strong with Chemical Prisoner. A fade in intro (rare these days) makes for an exciting start and as latest single God If You Are Above... starts you know you are in for a treat. Both songs remain unmistakably Falling In Reverse but have an air of maturity about them which has been lacking in previous records. "I am aware, that I am an arsehole. I really don't care about all of that though. I've got nothing to prove, but honestly I'm just like you." That's the lyric which opens title track Just Like You and it's the most carefree Falling In Reverse have ever sounded. The album has several joyous party rock anthems like this (such as Get Me Out) but as for the rest of the album, the boys from party-central itself, Las Vegas, delve into some heavy noise. Ronnie's whiney vocals become throaty growls and it's definitely a side to this band we haven't seen before. There's far more riffs, far more breakdowns, far more sing-a-long moments and a more appropriate amount of rapping from Ronnie (that's if you ignore Wait And See).

Love them or hate them, this is a triumph for Falling In Reverse. And so it should be. They've worked hard for this so let the praise roll in!

Listen to: Chemical Prisoner, Die For You

7/10

POST 100

10 months in and I've reached my 100th blog post! To celebrate such a momentous occasion (I know you're all having secret parties in honour of this right now...) here's Slaves' video for their latest single, Feed The Mantaray. I gave this single a glowing review (which you can find here) and now there's a jaw-achingly great video to go with it. If you're having a bad day, or just like the surreal things in life, then this is bound to make tour life much better! 

Restoring Force: Full Circle by Of Mice & Men

When Of Mice & Men released their third studio album, Restoring Force, 13 months ago, it received glowing reviews from critics and fans alike. Just over a year later, the main body of the album is still as joyfully grizzly a listen as it was the first time we heard it, but it's reissue, Restoring Force: Full Circle, takes the album to a new level. Whilst reissues of this kind are often frustrating (because often you end up buying the album twice), this one brings four tracks which are all delicious enough to own multiple times.

Broken Generation is the first of three new tracks and boasts everything that Of Mice & Men are best at: big choruses and big riffs. Second of the three is Something To Hide which brings noise that could fill the arenas they've had a taste of playing. It sounds big and stands out. The final new track, Never Giving Up, is once again classic Of Mice & Men. It feels heroic and special and it fits perfectly with what Restoring Force is all about. Along with these three is an acoustic version of Feels Like Forever. It sounds like the original, just not as huge. It oozes passion and makes you really pay attention to what the song is about; it's a real goosebumps number. It's a beautiful reissue and leaves you wondering why these tracks weren't part of the original package!

Listen to: Something To Hide

8/10

Smoke + Mirrors by Imagine Dragons

"I'm sorry for everything I have done." That's the lyric which opens rock's latest giants, Imagine Dragons' second album. It feels like a bit of an odd apology seeing as, thus far, this band can't set a foot wrong. However, after listening to all 50 minutes of Smoke + Mirrors you find yourself taking that apology rather seriously.

Smoke + Mirrors, you see, is an experiment of sounds. Where 2012's Night Visions saw Imagine Dragons put out sure-fire anthems and festival favourites, this second offering really doesn't. Shots feels like it belongs in the past and Gold is a try hard anthem creating something which sounds like a second-rate Muse. Title track Smoke And Mirrors leaves a lot to be desired as it lulls it's way to an anti-climax. But then there's I'm So Sorry, Friction and Trouble which just about restore faith in the listener, boasting heavy bass and grizzly guitars. And to some extent this continues in the singalong sections of I Bet My Life. But 10 good minutes out of 50 doesn't make you want to listen to this album time and time again. Imagine Dragons deserve praise however. Although this album is largely boring, they have been brave and have created a sound which isn't the same as everyone else's. It's fresh and it's intriguing but will it be a fan favourite? It's highly unlikely. If you want to enjoy Imagine Dragons, buy Night Visions, but if you're happy with some background music for your spring clean, maybe give Smoke + Mirrors a spin.

Listen to: I'm So Sorry, Friction

5/10

Gravity by Against The Current

Gravity is Against The Current's debut release and it is a collection of the sweetest pop-rock you'll hear this season. Hailing from Poughkeepsie, New York, Dan Gow, Will Ferri and Chrissy Costanza have been covering the likes of Taylor Swift and The Bleachers whilst gaining quite the following on YouTube.

Unlike their previous releases, Gravity is all them, no covers, and it's super cute. Chrissy's voice never strains through the high and low ranges of the likes of Gravity and Fireproof and her two boy pals support her with fun and bouncy instrumentals. The catchiest of songs comes in the form of Talk, which is bound to get you singing along into a hairbrush. The only let down on the EP is closer Brighter which tries to be bigger than it actually is. Against The Current have shown what they're best at on this EP, the up-tempo fun bouncy pop tunes. Watch out, because Chrissy and co. have the potential to grow into something special if they carry on like this.

Listen to: Talk

6/10

Marmozets, Electric Ballroom, 19/02/2015

It's been exactly one week since Valentine's Day but tonight there is romance in the air. Okay, it's not the conventional boy-meets-girl type romance but it's the sort of special romance you only experience when you see a band live. Tonight, Yorkshire rockstars Marmozets play a sold out show to a 1100-strong crowd in the heart of Camden's Electric Ballroom and there is more love in this room tonight than there has been on any cheesy holiday.

Before the quintet obliterate the crowd, support acts Steak Number Eight and Thought Forms take the stage. Steak Number Eight are the sort of band that make your eardrums bleed and although they play to a largely still crowd, they perform fast and loud, the only way they know how. Thought Forms, in contrast, are a timid three-piece who play spaced-out reverbed rock. Although playing the hardest they can, they still look out onto a still crowd but the crowd's stillness is for a reason. A reason that is about to take the stage.

With energy conserved, the crowd suddenly erupts with screams, shouts and pushes as Marmozets take the stage. It's their biggest and possibly their first sold out show they've ever played and they do nothing less than kill it. Right from the off, vocalist Becca Macintyre bounces around the stage, hair in face, arms wide open reaching for the crowd, belting out lyrics like her life depends on it. And while we're here, her vocals are pitch perfect by the way. The four men which surround her play flawlessly too, through the fast and the faster and manage to avoid falling into Becca as she struts around the stage with confidence and passion. At many points throughout the night, you catch the band just admiring the crowd, almost in awe at the reception they're getting. After all, this is a band who little over a year ago were largely unknown. They play pretty much all the songs they have  and it is truly special. The likes of Love You Good emphasise that romance I was talking about earlier and then there's Captivate You which has become more anthemic than the songs of bands that sell out stadiums. It's one hell of a show and one which will stay in the hearts and minds of the fans here tonight for a very long time to come.

MARMOZETS 🐒🎸 What a fucking show! #Marmozets #weirdandwonderful #camden

A photo posted by Alice (@kell_soopreez) on Feb 19, 2015 at 5:51pm PST

Setlist 

Move, Shake, Hide
Is It Horrible?
Weird And Wonderful
Love You Good
Captivate You
Broken Reflection
Particle
Hit The Wave
Born Young And Free
Vibetech
Back To You
Who Do You Hate Me?

Kerrang! Tour, Y Plas, 13/02/2015

Valentine’s Eve and a queue of cold, slightly soggy people line the road of Cardiff University’s Student Union. No, they’re not all super keen for the Student Union’s Speed Dating event the day after, they’re actually queuing to see their favourite bands on this year’s Kerrang! Tour. It may be rubbish weather but the queue is buzzing and quickly moving, eager to get into the student’s beloved nightclub, Y Plas. Whilst not normally the home of alternative music, it’s as fitting a venue as any for such an occasion. 1000 fans crammed into the small space in front of the small stage makes for quite the view, plus, it’s close enough for the bands to do a bit of crowdsurfing themselves!

Opening the event are Ohio metalcore titans Beartooth. Tonight, they come with as much energy and furor as if they were headliners themselves; it is this aggression that they’re known for after all! The crowd are enthusiastic as the floor becomes a mosh pit and the lads from across the pond give one hell of an act to follow. This isn't problem however as next up are self-confessed metal kings Bury Tomorrow. The crowd are ready for more metal-onslaught and that is exactly what they get as lead vocalist Dani Winter-Bates preaches the ethos of metal through music and word. Arms wide open and an army of screaming girls in front of him, this man is a deity-esque image for all to feast upon.

Mid-gig, special guest’s Young Guns hit the stage with a three song special. The crowd just about have enough time to lap up the up-tempo pop rock before the stage is once again filled with crew to prepare for tonight’s fourth band, We Are The In Crowd. Fronted by possibly the only female on this whole tour, Tay Jardine, they pace through an array of bouncy pop tunes which closes the pit and unites the crowd into one giant jump-fest.

It’s been three and half hours since doors opened when headliners Don Broco burst onto the stage. Y Plas is suddenly one big party and all those who were stood at the back are suddenly flocking forward to get in on the action. The four of them give energy and smiles in abundance and take us through their classics, some old stuff and some new. It's by far the most exciting set of the night, complete with pyro and semi-naked crowdsurfers. Don Broco were made for the stage and they round off an amazing night on one of the most eclectic tours of the year.

DON BROCO 🎤🎸👊 Not only do they annihalate crowds but they move too fast to get a decent picture... #donbroco #pushupsquad #kerrang #kerrangtour #cardiff

A photo posted by Alice (@kell_soopreez) on Feb 13, 2015 at 3:20pm PST

This review is also available in condensed print in the February edition of Quench Magazine.

Slaves, Tunbridge Wells Forum, 12/02/2015

Tunbridge Wells Forum is at capacity tonight: it is as sold out as sold out shows come. Tonight, the duo that are Slaves play a one-off hometown show because, well, why the hell not!? And with them they bring support in the form of grunge two-piece Fucoco and Glaswegian trio Baby Strange.

Fuoco kick of proceedings with some intense grunge. The crowd, although lacking in size, are attentive to the growls, screams and quite frankly disturbing posture and faces that James Gale pulls. Despite their lack of material and experience, Fuoco's set is a pleasure to watch and one which means they leave with a few more fans than they arrived with. Baby Strange follow with an equally pleasurable set, the only difference is that these boys have drawn a serious crowd. Whilst not quite the 300 people Slaves will stand in front of in an hours time, the boys create mayhem on the floor beneath: kids bounce up and down and into one another and it's clear that Baby Strange aren't just cocksure showmen, they carry a bag of awesome tunes with them too.

Slaves finally take the stage after hanging around at the back of the crowd in their matching leather coats and pork pie hats for the past hour or so. It's safe to say at this point, carnage erupts. Young kids run into one another and proper adults relive a sound similar to that which they pogo-ed to in their youth. Isaac and Laurie play with visceral energy, integrity and honesty throughout and the crowd absolutely love it. Paradoxically, their old school punk mayhem is fresher than most things on the scene these days and it's thrillingly fun. Isaac gives his traditional pre-song stories (Where's Your Car, Debbie?) to which the crowd applaud and Laurie regularly banters with those who want to take him on. They speed through the likes of Cease Fire, Cheer Up London, Beauty Quest, She Grew Old and newest single Feed The Mantaray. It's during the latter that the boys are joined on stage by a man dressed as mantaray who then goes on to crowd surf like he was at home in the sea. It's this sort of humour that makes their set tonight all the more special. Slaves are a band that always give 200% and what's exciting is that this is only the start of their career. If tonight proves anything, it's that there's no stopping them now!

On a personal note, major props to the 50 year old woman who stood in front of me with her husband, drinking Bishops Finger's and shouting several times, "get yer vest off" at Isaac. You, my friend, are a hero.

Feed The Mantaray feat. a man dressed as a mantaray 🌊 #Slaves #feedthemantaray #areyousatisfied #TWForum #tunbridgewells

A video posted by Alice (@kell_soopreez) on Feb 12, 2015 at 4:15pm PST

Feed The Mantaray by Slaves

Last night, the awesome Kent duo Slaves dropped their new single Feed The Mantaray. The single, which is currently Zane Lowe's Hottest Record In The World, arrived with the news that after a long 3 years, Slaves will finally release a new album... YAY! The follow up to 2012's Sugar Coated Bitter Truth will be released on June 1st and be titled Are You Satisfied? The single itself is a lot of fun. It boasts everything you love about what Slaves are: it's raw, it's catchy, it's tongue-in-cheek. It's just a filthy 2 minutes 56 seconds of punk fun. As if that isn't excitement enough, the single has been released with a brand new version of OK and the ridiculous Shine My Shoes With A Dirty Vest which was recorded "because you asked us to" in Laurie's bedroom. Well, that's enough excitement for one post, check out the single below and check out the band's website for more about the new album and tour dates by following the link above!

By The Ground, We're Defined by Palm Reader

The poetically titled By The Ground, We're Defined is the second single from Palm Reader's second album, Beside The Ones We Love, due for release in April this year. Like all Palm Reader songs, it's pure adrenaline and noise. It's also a little look at how the boys have grown since their debut album, Bad Weather. Whilst it's still got that frantic Palm Reader trademark sound, By The Ground, We're Defined contains structure and a chorus that you could probably singalong to. If you like reckless riffs, severe screams and beastly breakdowns then this is a single you need in your life.

Happy People by Peace

Waifish indie boys Peace are about to return with the follow up to their 2013 debut, In Love. Similarly optimistic in title, Happy People is what the media would call the ‘difficult second’ album, yet Peace have managed to create something that feels easy and natural. The album, which juxtaposes unhappy lyrics with happy melody, is full of buoyant beats and joyful vibes: the trademark sound of the indie rock ‘n’ roll they are so insistent on keeping alive.

“I’m just trying to change the world you live in” croons surprise heartthrob of the last year Harry Koisser on opening track O You; an optimistic statement and one which this album probably won’t fulfill. Songs like Gen Strange take you back to an era previous and have you dancing around in a daydream haze and the gorgeous Money has you singing along like you’re part of the Brummie quartet yourself. A lot of indie rock is all guitars and bravado but Happy People is more than that. It’s clever, coy and incredibly catchy. The mix of past and present grooves removes you from your current concept of indie rock and has you re-evaluate it, helping you find something far more exciting.

“I wish I had perfect skin, I wish I was tall and thin, I wish I wore gorgeous clothes” pleads Koisser on the iridescent Perfect Skin, and then there’s I’m A Girl which simply oozes coolness. It’s bigger and bolder songs like these that really bring this album to your attention. Yes, there’s songs like title track Happy People and Under the Moon which have you wishing the formula for this album was the same as it was for In Love but overall, Happy People feels like the album Peace should have been brave enough to make from the start.

 8/10

Listen to: Gen Strange, Perfect Skin

Peace are currently on tour now and throughout March across the UK.

This review is also available in print in the February edition of Quench Magazine. 

Broken Generation by Of Mice & Men

Last night, Of Mice & Men dropped their latest single Broken Generation, taken from the soon to be released Restoring Force: Full Circle. The album is a re-issue of the band's 2014 full-length, Restoring Force, which will contain the original album plus a few acoustic and new tracks. Exciting, right!? Broken Generation is classic OM&M: big riffs, big hooks and big lyrics. What's nice about the single is that it is a continuation of the OM&M sound we all love. Unlike a lot of bands at the moment who are trying to expand and develop their sound, it's fresh to hear a band sticking to what works well for them. Whilst the single isn't breathtaking, it is a solid tune which is sure to be a hit, it's already Zane Lowe's Hottest Record (Radio 1) after all! With a UK tour next month, the future is looking bright for California's finest.

Elastic Heart gets covered. Again...

In case you didn't already know, Jono Yates from Blitz Kids has grown a beard and covered chart mogul Sia's latest single, Elastic Heart. It's pretty special, possibly even better than the original, but then again I may just be hypnotised by Jono's new look. Either way, it's a beautiful cover, check it out below.