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.