The Gallows – 17-10-12 – Birmingham Academy 2 – With Support from Brotherhood Of The Lake and Feed The Rhino

Tonight is a good night for music in Birmingham, across town Trivium are playing the HMV Institute and here at the Academy 2 we have The Gallows. The Gallows, as most will know by now, have changed over the past year, singer Frank Carter left the band to start his new project Pure Love, so The Gallows had to get a new singer and this came in the form off Alexisonfire guitarist/singer Wade MacNeil. They’ve already released a new album that is amazing, so it’s time to see how much he adds to The Gallows live show. But before we get to that we have the supports in the shape off

Brotherhood Of The Lake, I arrive part way into their set, and the room is already busy and full of people rocking out to this 5 piece Metalcore band from Devon. They sound great, and are full of energy which comes out in the form off heavy riffs and massive vocals.  Singer Robert Clarke, takes the crowd through the paces and crouches down on the stage, screaming into the mic. They are a band to look out for in the future, and are keeping British hardcore scene ticking along, so if you like music with a bit of bite, then check them out. 3/5

Feed The Rhino are up next and are a 5 piece hardcore band from Kent, who have a reputation for being an amazing live band and tonight they don’t disappoint. Before they even start, us photographers get told to stay throughout the set and take as many photos as we like, as they’re filming tonight’s show, so were already expecting some crazy antics and as the band come out on stage to some pounding drum and bass the music stops and they burst into heavy screams and thrashing guitars for Flood The Storm.  Instantly you can feel the power and showmanship off this band, the guitarists jump around and are constantly moving on this small stage, whilst singer Lee Tobin pace’s back and forward forcing his vocals out into the crowd. They sound great and unlike some hardcore bands the vocals are not all washed up in screams, they are coherent and make for a different yet still awesome sound.  They play a great set including Burning Suns, Left For Ruins and ending with The Butchers.  During the set we see allot from the band, including Tim jumping into the crowd and commanding a wall off death before retreating behind the barrier and watching the chaos ensue, he also comes back out later in the set and stands in the middle of the crowd as he gets them all to sit down then jump up on his command. By the end of the set he’s truly worn out and is screaming his heart out in a heap on the floor.  This band are amazing live, and so if you get the chance to see them, do it, they’ll be back in February for a headline tour, so don’t miss it! 4.5/5

The Gallows are up next and are ready to blow everyone’s socks off.  They enter the stage to feedback which gets louder and louder until they blast into Misery from the Grey Britain album, instantly showing the crowd, who needs Frank when you’ve got Wade, as he bashes his way through the song singing every lyric with passion, and getting the crowd worked up so they sing back in the “And we love her too!” parts.  They then change the tune and play 4 tracks from their latest self titled album including Last June, Mondo Chaos and Outsider Art which go down as well as the old songs.  They then go back to old and play London Is The Reason, and remind us that they’re not forgetting their history, this continues throughout the rest of the set with old and new blending seamlessly throughout the show. 

They sound amazing, this band have their sound levels down like clockwork, they get in and get set up in no time and are keeping punk rock ethics going, they get in, get set up and rock out whilst putting on a great show.  The guitars thrash and the bass bellows throughout, whilst Wade screams and sings his heart out, he sings every song as if they were his own, it’s clear to see he loves the Gallows and they love him too.  He fits so well in the group, he pounces around the small stage trying his best to make use of the room, at one point he mimes injecting himself as he wraps the mic cable around this arm to make the veins show, Wade is a showman but likes to keep things short in-between songs, as they like to play rock songs instead of chatting the night away.  The rest of the band perform great, jumping and rocking about the stage, playing the songs as if the cd was playing out of the speakers.  They finish on Cross Of Lorraine, but the crowd know this isn’t the end of the set as nothing has involved them yet, yes the songs sound great but after Feed The Rhinos crowd antics they’re eager for more and want to show the passion they feel for The Gallows.  After a short moment, they re-appear on the stage and play Victim Culture then Abandon Ship, and finally start the final song; Orchestra Of Wolves to which Wade jumps off stage and into the press pit, singing as the crowd bulges forward, the singing stops and he dives into the crowd as they carry him across the room before falling onto the floor, he gets back up and sings as people gather round him, eventually moving him back to in front of the barrier before the circle of people envelop him, in which he loses his mic and just screams the few reaming words into the crowd before slipping back onto the stage and leaving with the rest of the band.

The Gallows, have impressed me tonight, I’ve seen them before with Frank and can say that there are a few things missing, for instance; his fuck off attitude that he gives to the crowd, but this is the new Gallows and what they miss in nostalgia they make up for in pure power and energy. If you were wondering whether Frank leaving meant the end, then I can assure you it is only the beginning and there is plenty more to come, so get your backside to a show and support British rock! 4.5/5

Halestorm with support from Zico Chain and Heavens Basement - Birmingham Academy 2 - 21-09-12

It's starting to get dark early now, and with reports that there will be no autumn just cold winter nights, it’s good to know that I can warm up inside the academy 2 with some heavy rock!

As normal it seems people are arriving fashionably late so most will miss the first act

Zico Chain, this 3 piece from London don't half make some noise for such a small group, with heavy hitting drums, wailing guitars and monstrous vocals! They're forced to play at the front of the stage due to the main acts equipment but this helps them get over to the crowd as there right in their faces. They sound to me a bit like breed 77 but without the acoustic guitars with some tool melodies thrown in for good measure. They play a quite a short set-list but with long songs and go down a treat! They get the audience joining in towards the end which is always good for an opening act.

Heavens Basement are up next this 4 Piece are allot heavier than Zico Chain, straight from the go they pounce straight into the first song with not a word spoken, then shake the room with the heavy pounding bass, the sound is not the best though, which leaves vocalist Aaron Buchanan trying his hardest to get up to par with the rest of the band. They're very rock and roll with the classic stadium hi hat noises and guitar solos, in most songs it's just a shame it's not coming over due to the sound issues. They do have allot of energy and Aaron prances about the stage like a cat ready for his supper, he also looks allot like Justin Hawkins from the darkness in his attire and stage antics which is always fun. They play newest single Fire Fire and thank the crowd for their amazing support recently as they’ve been making the latest album which will be out early next year. The sound problems clear up by the end of their set as the pace of song speeds up leaving the closing song Executioners Day sounding great. It’s a shame they only sounded good near the end as it seemed like the crowd where finally getting into them.

Halestorm are the main act tonight, and the room is full to the brim to see this female fronted 4 Piece from Pennsylvania. Halestorm have been going for a number of years now and have always had a dedicated following and tonight's crowd prove that, with everyone singing along even though it is a heavy rock gig, with allot of tough guys standing around in leathers (even though the room is so hot, it's like standing in a steam room). I think it's the power of singer Lizzy Hale that gets these rockers going, she's enchanting and bewitching whilst at the same time strong and commanding, as she has the audience in the palm of her hand as she blasts out heavy riffs on her guitar.

They open with their hit song, Love Bites (So Do I) and continue with songs such as Its Not You and Freaks Like Me. They sound awesome with great levels; meaning the vocals are crisp, the bass is raw, the guitars shred and the drums hit hard. They play through a nice sized set with not allot of interaction for the most part but who needs it when the crowd is having this much fun! They do slow it down in the middle and play Familiar Taste of Posion from their self-titled debut album, which leaves just Lizzie on the stage playing piano on her own. She thanks the crowd for supporting live music and thanks for the huge support and for helping to sell out the show, she seems nervous and admits that she's shaking from the adrenalin.

Halestorm do really well, even if they have some cheesey lyrics and let drummer Arejay do a ten minute drum solo, at least it’s entertaining and something you don’t see at every gig. I’d recommend seeing them, only next time they’ll be playing bigger venues so the atmosphere won’t be as crazy as it was tonight but I’m sure you’ll still have fun.

Zico Chain 3.5/5
Heavens Basement 3/5
Halestorm 4/5

Scouting For Girls – Birmingham HMV Institute Library – 19-10-12 With Support From Atticus Anthem and Lilygreen and Maguire

Arriving at the venue after doors open is never a good way to judge the atmosphere of a gig, but it does mean you can get in without long queues, and still catch the first band!

Atticus Anthem, this 4 piece from Nottingham don't have anything to do with the clothing label(as far as I know) and play a rather bland form of indie/pop/rock. They're a group of good looking young lads which mean they go down well tonight as the room is full off young girls. They play a short set and do nothing spectacular, they sound great though, with singer Bjorns wispy vocals flowing smoothly over the harmonic strumming of the guitars. They do what they do well, but they're hardly ground breaking, don't expect them to be the next big thing, just expect them to pass by in the background unless they get a bigger sound. 2.5/5

Lilygreen and Maguire, are normally a 2 piece but tonight are a 4 piece for that full band, live feel. These are much better than the first act and again sound good. They play acoustic pop rock songs, that are very upbeat and have very boy band sounding vocals with high pitched harmonies and the occasional New Kids On The Block ‘oh oh oh oh's’ sounds thrown in for good measure. They do a great job of working the crowd and chatting between songs, it is easy to work this crowd though, as at one point they ask ‘who has Twitter’ and most of the audience loudly screams, they could have said who has Live Journal and have got the same response. They play a nice set including their number 66 UK chart hit called Ain’t Love Crazy along with Falling Out Of Love. They close their set with a covers medley including Price Tag, Mr Brightside, Lazy Song, Someone Like You, Don’t Stop Believing and No Woman No Cry.  They then get the crowd to join in and end lines like “I say Go Go you say Power Rangers” which as I said before, is easy to do tonight as the crowd is up for anything. They do an ace job of warming the crowd up and I can definitely see them getting higher in the charts than 66 in the future as they’re very talented, non-offensive pop, which always goes down well. Speaking off non offensive pop the main band is up now... 3/5

Scouting For Girls come on stage to the Rocky theme to a massive wall of screams. This band knows what it’s doing, as they've been about for many years and have played almost everywhere. Their brand of pop rock is different to most out there which makes them rather accessible and credible at the same time as they play and write their own catchy songs. I am surprised, as I thought they would be rather rubbish, but to my dismay they sound amazingly good, the drums over shadow the vocals at times but for the most part they sound clear and loud. The harmonies are sweet and the keyboards add to their overall sound, which is switched to a grand piano on other songs to make a bigger sound. Singer Roy Stride doesn't stop moving when he's not playing keyboard, he prances about the stage making sure everyone can see him and so he can engage the crowd in the songs.

The stage set up is great as it is lit up with lights across the middle that look like flash bulbs and go off on the beat of the drums in certain songs. The Drums themselves are not centre stage(as is normal at rock shows) and is off to the side, the grand piano takes centre stage, which adds to the atmosphere of the more grand songs.

They play a good set list including, old and new, which gets the crowd singing along throughout. It also allows me to judge the atmosphere now, which is definitely fun and happy as they play mainly love songs and tell the crowd that their the 5^th member of the band and how they need them to sing along, which of course goes down to big screams.  They play songs such as; Heartbeat, Airplane, Rains In LA, and they also play the big hits Elvis Ain’t Dead and end on She’s So Lovely. They also play I Wish I Was James Bond, which they’ve not done for a while, as it’s the 50^th anniversary of Bond. They play for almost an hour and a half, which is really good for most ‘rock’ bands barely play for an hour. They get the crowd very excited, so much so a woman near myself at the bar, takes off her false leg and places it down on the bar as she dances wildly.

People who are normal regular readers of AV might turn their noses up at Scouting For Girls, but I'd definitely recommend them as they know what they’re doing, they interact well with the crowd and they sound awesome.

4/5

A Interview from Merthyr Rocks

Well A have been a band since around 93, a lot has changed in 21 years, so can you give us a brief history of A?
It took 3 years to get a deal, which happened in 96, then we toured and did 260 shows in one year and then 270 the next year. We then went to California to work on the album but it didn’t do well enough for us to keep touring. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t get big quickly but when we did it was good that we already had ‘How ace are building’ and ‘Monkey Kong’ so it meant that when we played would could have decent sets. As time moved on and music evolved like it naturally does me and Dan then moved on to producing so this is like a bit of a holiday for us at the moment.

Now you’ve not really been A since 2005, with just the occasional tour and breaks in-between, what keeps you coming back?
Just for fun really and wanting to play our songs. We haven’t even rehearsed and it’s nice to not have to care so much.

Now are A back for good? We’ve interviewed you a number of times over the past few years and you keep saying how you’re making new material, are you or is that dead and are you now just going to tour every now and again?
I’d love us to be back and write some songs but it’s just finding the time at the moment. I’ve been really busy the past few years and Dan has been really busy with his radio show so it’s just finding the time to do it properly.

Now how did this year’s re-union come about? Was it the Blackout that made you come back and play?
I was in LA in March and I went out for breakfast with a mate of mine who is a promoter and he said I’ll buy you breakfast if you come and play a show. We turned up and did that and then Sean asked us to do this, so the first gig was kind of our rehearsal for this one.

How does it feel to be playing festivals again? You’ve played some of the biggest in the world, so what’s it like playing in Merthyr?
I’ll tell you afterwards (laughter).

You were due to play a warm up gig in Coventry yesterday but unfortunately it was postponed till December, what can we expect from this exclusive gig, the site says you’re playing Hi-Fi serious in full, is this true? And are you worried that you’re going to be shot at again?
I have no idea who has said that, a lot of things about this gig have been a disaster so I don’t think we will be. We’ll play some songs from it but I’d like to play some songs from ‘Monkey Kong’ and ‘How Ace’ as well.

A’s fan base has aged over the years, do your gigs tend to have just the old fans or are you still attracting young fans?
I don’t know because we haven’t really done any shows. The last shows we played were with Bowling For Soup so it’s a bit hard to gauge.

Now you’ve had a long history, what are some of your main highs and lows?
Winning a Kerrang award was a big high, especially as that was when the fans first started voting for them. Playing Reading and Rock Am Ring were amazing as well as touring with Green Day and Blink 182.

Do you have a favourite A song? Also is there a song that you hate, but you have to play as the fans love it?
Old Folks I would say is my favourite or Starbucks but I also like Nothing because it is easy to sing (laughter).

Now Dan and Adam where members of the Bloodhound Gang, are they (you) still and if so is there anything in the pipeline for them, and would this make way for a A/Bloodhound gang tour again?
Yeah they’re still involved with that but being able to do something with the two bands would be definitely awesome.

What’s your opinion on the whole anti-piracy laws going on at the moment and how it will affect the music industry?
I think it’s good but a bit late because we’ve probably missed a whole generation of kids who will never change the way they get their music. Ten years ago people joined bands to become rich and famous and nowadays they realise that it is probably the hardest thing to do. I think it would be great if fans woke up and realised how hard they were making it for bands. I would never illegally download a song because I know how much goes into making it and I also think that downloading music is great value for money, it’s the same as two cups of coffee.

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
Can I be a polar bear? (laughter). I’d love to be a polar bear, they’re amazing animals.

Thanks for your time is there a message for your fans reading this?
Thanks for all the great times and thanks for not nicking our music (laughter).

Kids In Glass Houses Interview

You are headlining Merthyr Rock tonight, how does it feel to be closing such an exciting new festival?
It’s a big honour for us; it’s cool because it’s kind of a local show for us. None of us are from here but we played here loads of times when we were starting out so it’s great to end our summer in at a kind of hometown show.

What can we expect from your set?
When you play a festival you need to accommodate the festival goers in the sense that you can’t really play too many album tracks and instead concentrate on the singles. You want it to be fun and you want the crowd to enjoy it and not walk away. We just want to keep people entertained.

Have you managed to check any bands out at the festival yet?
Yeah so far we’ve seen our friends in Straight Lines and then I caught a band called Marmozets, who I heard a lot about and I was really impressed.

Your latest album ‘In Gold Blood’ has been out for just over a year now are you happy with how it has gone down with your fans and the press?
We knew it was going to be a departure from what we’ve done before and we knew it would probably get some mixed reviews but, I think it was something that we needed to do as a band. We took that conscious decision and we’ve felt the effect of that but it’s been either well received or badly received but as I say it’s something that we wanted to do.

When can we expect you to start working on your next studio album? And do you know what direction you want to go in this time around?
We’ve been busy with festivals this summer but we’ve been working on it in between. We’re quite far into the writing process but we want to take our time to do something fresh again. We’re playing a new song tonight actually so that will be a good indication of the direction that we want to go in.

What would you say your main high and low points as a band have been so far?
When you start out you’re kind of in owe of everything you do but when you get more into it you don’t take it for granted but you get more use to everything. The first time we played Reading was amazing but when you see the progress of climbing up to bigger stages than I think that’s more amazing. Being in a band you get to experience so many amazing things so it’s hard to just pick out one. As for lows, they aren’t really that memorable.

What’s your opinion on the whole anti piracy laws going on at the moment and how it will affect the music industry?
It’s kind of sad when buying music has kind of been written off but, I think it’s something that people just have to accept and adapt to. I think its narrow minded to just look at sales figures and say “why aren’t people buying music”. There is obviously a big reason and you just have to adapt to that and find another avenue. I also think that live music is as strong as it has ever been so that’s the positive side to it.

Where do you hope to see Kids In Glass Houses in a year’s time?
Personally I just want us to write our fourth album and be completely proud of it.

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
I’d have to say a Giraffe because the way they fight is amazing.

Thanks for your time is there a message for your fans reading this?
Thanks if you like us, thank you if you don’t and oh well (laughter).

The Menzingers with support from The Front Bottoms - Birmingham Hare and Hounds - 19-09-12

Well, I have to be honest I was quite looking forward to tonight’s gig, shooting and reviewing it but I’m never to keen to visit the Hare and Hounds on the opposite side of the city to myself. It’s a nice enough venue, but as it is based in a pub it just always feels more relaxed and when it’s a band like the Menzingers, with their punk styling’s, I get quite worried that it won’t be as good as other venues, but tonight I was wrong.

The room is quite busy, which helps add to the atmosphere, as last time I was here there was only about 20 people. With the room heating up and people getting drinks in its time for the first band

The Front Bottoms, with an obviously funny name take to the stage and instantly get a reaction from the crowd playing their unique brand of punk/ska/indie which goes down a treat. They’re upbeat songs and fun styling’s make for a great show. They’re full off energy and make an effort to get the crowd involved and keep the room moving throughout their nicely sized set which includes songs such as; The Beers, Legit Tattoo Gun and Swimming pool. I’d strongly recommend catching them when they next tour, as they’re fun and keeping the pop punk movement going into a new direction.

The Menzingers are the main act tonight and this 4 piece from Philadelphia are a band I’ve wanted to see ever since I was recommended them by The Wonder Years singer Soupy on his twitter. They‘re punky yet indie at the same time, which makes for a good mix of slow and fast, their album On The Impossible past is a stand out album and so I’m glad they play just as well live as they do on the album, with most off the songs from the album being play too.

They pack a punch with the raw energy they bring to the stage, starting off with The Obituaries, Home Grown and Irish Goodbyes which gets the crowd going crazy, jumping around, moshing and dancing like idiots. There’s definitely an atmosphere here tonight and that’s fun, and it’s all thanks to the Menzingers and their upbeat attitude and great stage presence, which keeps the crowd entertained throughout their 18 song set which includes a few songs from their older albums too, that end the set with, I Was Born, Richard Coury finally ending in A Lesson In The Abuse of Information Technology, which ends the night on a massive high.

I was very impressed with The Menzingers and look forward to them touring the UK again, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, as their due some more recognition on our shores.

The Front Bottoms 4/5
The Menzingers 4.5/5

Review By James Daly

The Maine with support from This Century - Birmingham Academy 2 - 20-09-12

Tonight is quite a nice night in Birmingham, the summer is fading but we still have one more night off warm weather which The Maine may have brought with them all the way from sunny Arizona. As well as the weather The Maine have brought country rock sounds and a support band also from Arizona, the first and only support band
This Century, are a four piece and a band, that to be honest with you, I have never heard off, and yet they are the only support band and so get a set off about an hour which is crazy when there are so many great bands out there who only get 15 minutes to promote themselves. The crowd don’t seem to have heard too much of them either, but as tonight The Maine are playing the crowd is full off young girls who will scream for anything, so they feel right at home as they bounce into their set of alt rock songs, which are fun and catchy but nothing new. The crowd take to them and by the end of the set they are singing along and having fun, but it’s not too hard to impress this crowd on the whole. Singer Joel Krantz decides to jump into the near to the end of the set after announcing “this is the best night of the tour so far”, he comes out a little worse for ware and the band leave the stage with a smile on their face. To be fair they did well, but there is just something lacking that would make them a great band instead of an average one.

The Maine are up next up, last time this 5 piece was here in Birmingham singer John O forgot the lines to songs and put on a bit of a lacklustre performance. Tonight though they are over this and the year off none stop touring has prepared them for their headline tour of the UK. They come out and play Identify, My Heroine and Listen To Your Heart to a wall of noise from the crowd, they constantly scream for the first 3 songs making heard to hear a word that John O sings. They sound pretty well once the screaming dyes down and you can hear the words coming from the stage instead of the audience singing them. They put on a good show but this alt rock/indie/country band just seem to relaxed, it’s pretty simple for them, just turn up get on stage and jobs done. The crowd will love them no matter what they do or say and it’s a shame, because they do sound good and have allot of passion behind the songs but when you’re constantly belted with screams from girls every night it’s easy to lose your edge, which is what I think has happened with their last album, but I hope they continue to play great songs and keep working hard at what they do and hopefully make some more songs that are as good as their older records.

There set is pretty good but mainly consists of songs from their latest album Pioneer, but they put on a good show and during Into Your Arms Joel Krantz comes on stage and joins The Maine in a belting performance, which calms the room down, amazingly the screams stop and people listen to what is being sung. Unfortunately this doesn’t last and after Joel leaves the stage the screams start again as the band play Misery, When I’m At Home and Inside Of You. They close their set with songs like Jenny and Hello World before playing the last song, the catchy Don’t Give Up On Us.

The crowd all seem like they’ve had fun but even though they performed better than last time, they just didn’t hit that explosive show that I’m sure they’re capable off. Let’s just hope they continue to get better and their next record is a corker, as they are capable of great things, it just seems there taking there time to get their.

This Century 2.5/5
The Maine 3.5/5

Review By James Daly