Music Diary, January 2014
Our selection of live music shows that we went to in January. ∏
brought to you by the contributors of the MIL writers group
See previous Music Diary pages for
The Last Dandys
were at The Soundhouse with Catbone, The Dirty G’s and The Bobcats at the Soundhouse
31st January
The DT’s supported by The Della Grants at The Musician
by Julie Kilminster
This fun-filled evening began with a pint and a front-row space at The Musician; I had been to watch the DT’s last year, feeling I had an awesome time and wanting to come back for more.
The evening opened with The Della Grants; a well-rehearsed, blues/rock band, they have been playing together for some time. They previously worked on cruise ships doing covers; later deciding to return to Leicester and work on their own material. Of course I bought a copy of their EP which features some of the songs they played that evening; definitely a band worth watching.
The DT’s were excellent this year; playing a lot of their more well-known material to a sold out venue. They have been round for a while and are also well worth keeping a lookout for. They hadn’t played live for some time before their comeback gig last year; let’s hope they continue gigging in the future, the evening will not be a disappointment. I bought an album from them last year which I very much enjoy, recommending others to do the same.
The Della Grants on Facebook | The DTs on Facebook
31st January
Charlotte Carpenter at The Cookie Jar
Photo Trevor Cobbe
with Bellawave and Joe Morrell
30th January
Furies and Flying Kangaroo Alliance, Pi Bar
by Adrian Manning
I was looking forward to this gig as I haven’t seen either band live before. It was a cold, wet Thursday and entry was free so the prospect of some great live music was warming and I wasn’t to be disappointed.
Photo Keith Jobey
I arrived early and was fortunate to catch Furies sound checking. They sounded great and this was translated into their performance later in the evening. Announcing that “we are a band from Leicester called Furies and this is called war in the city”, they kicked into a set of tight, muscular songs that crossed a range of reference points and displayed some great interplay between the four members. I tried to pinpoint some musical markers but the tracks weaved in and out of paces, riffs (some crunchingly heavy) and delicate finger work combined with a combination of solid rock beats and rolling fills to accompany varying vocals including many multi vocal calls and shouts that it became a unique sound of its own. Playing tracks from the Death Valley CD including ‘Punisher‘ and ‘Drink, Sleep, Fight, Fuck‘ plus the popular live favourite ‘On Your Own‘ the band’s intense set provided a high benchmark for the evening and I look forward to seeing them live again.
Photo Keith Jobey
Flying Kangaroo Alliance have released one single previously – containing the awesome ‘Hit The Wall‘, ‘Wasted‘ and ‘Drunk‘, so I was eager to hear these live. ‘Wasted‘ made an late appearance and highlighted what was great about this band – catchy vocals underpinned by a solid rhythm section of hard hitting drums and rumbling bass with great riffs and guitar embellishments.
‘Hit The Wall‘ preceded it and I found myself easily singing along against the infectious solid riff. In Meri Everitt, the band has an incredible singer and songwriter. Some tracks from her solo album made an appearance, including ‘America‘, which is slightly different in its overall feel to other material with it’s shuffling drums and its evoking of the grandness and sheer size of its namesake country, and the stripped down solo performance of ‘Lonely‘, which affords the other band members a chance to grab a quick beer.
The lyrics are often very sobering and tell of life’s difficulties faced by many of us but the music is uplifting and balances this aspect well. ‘What It Takes’, ‘Drunk‘ and ‘Prince Of Darkness‘ were other great tracks performed and overall it was a great set. As with the Furies, the band are a tight, solid outfit that create great songs!
So two great bands for free in a nice intimate venue. What a result and definitely one to look forward to repeating soon.
Follow Flying Kangaroo Alliance on Facebook
26th January
Acoustic night at The Shed
We were at the Acoustic night organised by Ruthie Coles; read our report.
25th January
Strangler Figs and Casino Empire
with Daz Lynch, Rhett Barrow, Albion and Die Wrecked
25th January
Mahalia at The Cookie Jar
Mark Granger reports on one of Leicester’s finest young singers.
23rd January
Jaws at The O2
Steve Kilmister was at the O2 tonight for Jaws, with Murmur, Feedback Voice, Surf and Clubs.
22nd January
Young bands night at The Shed
The Shed has long been recognised as a venue that particularly offers a stage for young and newly formed bands and many a group of teenagers has performed its debut there.
Having abandoned its Saturday afternoon matinée, the Shed is now putting on evening gigs for the younger acts.
Opening the show was fourteen year old singer Lydia Mason. Her astonishingly powerful voice soon had the audience warmly applauding her set of up-beat, contemporary cover songs. A singer to watch out for in the future, without a doubt.
The first band of the night – Bridged – saw three young musicians opening their set with a big number with vocals from the bassist and backing vocals from the guitarist. Think of White Stripes, to get an idea of their style. They played some of their own songs, along side some covers. Confident in their performance and displaying some good work on the strings, Bridged delivered a varied selection of tunes, including Kasabian’s Where Did All The Love Go. The trio, from Thrapstone, was playing their first gig tonight and it was certainly an impressive start.
The oddly named IV, four lads from Leicester, took to the stage with their singing drummer to present their set of pacey covers songs, tunes that had a goodly level of rhythm. Their cover from Queens of the Stone Age went down well.
From Derbyshire the four-piece band I Surrender were back at the Shed to give us another amazing set with the vocals being delivered by the guitarists, they covered the Arctic Monkeys You Look Good on the Dance floor, with some of the their own songs from their album. I Predict a Riot by the Kaiser Chiefs and When The Sun goes Down by the Arctic Monkeys gave I Surrender plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their verve and energy presenting themselves as an accomplished young band with a cart-load of talent.
Excellent
Follow I Surrender on Facebook | or on the band’s web site
18th January
obsUnplugged.
Read our review of the obsUnplugged at The Musician.
17th January
obsUnplugged.
obsUnplugged at the Musician. Read our review.
16th January
Kevin Hewick at the Criterion
Photo Rob Gurney of Digital Mechanic
16th January
obsUnplugged
We were at The Musician for obsUnplugged. Read our review
11th January
Goodtime Recordings III
Adrian Manning reports on The Pale Faces, Preacher and the Bear and Subtitles.
Photos by Kevin Gaughan.
Disclaimer! This review contains information about three of the best bands in the country! So if you are not of an open mind and don’t like to be excited turn away now!
Any of the three bands playing tonight could have headlined and, as a collective, the opportunity was shared equally. So, in what the Guardian billed as ‘a night of contemporary and classic blues’, it fell to The Pale Faces to open the proceedings. They are simply amazing. The sound and visuals could have arrested anyone and it was pretty hard to take your ears and eyes off them.
Janice Raw is a captivating lead singer, percussionist and performer. A natural show-stealer; she entered in a gold flowing cloak and multi-coloured headress as Danni Jeffery and Garry Greenaway, on synth and bass/drums respectively, began the throbbing, pulsing beat. The set included new songs such as ‘Now‘, plus favourites ‘No More Kisses‘, ‘Eat You Alive‘ and the final crowd participating vocal noisefest that was ‘Black Swan‘. Costume changes, heavy energy and a myriad of sounds ran through the set. The band must have found a time machine once upon a time that zooms them around soaking up the past and the future before blending them in a giant cacophony of sound – beautiful, dark, spacy, aggressive, loud, quiet – that encompasses everything in one immense experience. They get better every time I see them and there are moments when they transcend the space we are existing in.
Watch this video by Kevin Gaughan of the Pale Faces performing at the show
On stage next were Preacher and the Bear and Greenaway gets no respite, focusing on drums while the Bear ripped the blues out of six strings and the Preacher hammered his keys into eventual submission. If band energy alone could power the Musician, you could have seen the place from space!
‘Can’t Afford No Train‘, ‘Weed And Wimmin‘ and a rocking, rebel – rousing ‘Got My Mojo Workin‘ were such crowd-pleasers that the front rows couldn’t help but get on down, move their feet, shake their hips and holler along with the band! It’s electrifying!
This band might have the blues but they brought the Goodtimes along with them. The Bear asked if we wanted a slow one or a fast one and the answer is resounding! Fast! The Preacher and the Bear sound bigger, meatier and flashier with every performance and are now matching the Bear’s mighty physical presence.
So to tonight’s headliners – Subtitles. Since expanding to a three piece, they have become more manic, faster and more fun than ever. Think of a garage band of B-movie freaks on speed, at a high school bop, playing the last gig on earth and you get some idea of what they are like.
The crowd was well into it and moving like the floor won’t stay still. Opening with ‘Folsom Prison Blues‘, ripping through ‘Return of the Walking Dead‘, ‘I’m An Animal‘, ‘High School Confidential‘ and others, at a break-neck pace, hurtling around the stage, this is what it feels like to be alive – pure rock n roll energy in the moment.
Their blistering cover of ‘No More Kisses‘ completed the circle with The Pale Faces and a great cover of ‘My Boyfriend’s Back‘ featuring the mystery girls ‘The Kittenetes‘ (how do they magically appear?) are fantastic. The show ended with a brilliant version of ‘Whole Lotta Shakin‘, which climaxes with a stage invasion of shakin’ bodies and a pile up in the drum kit!
Finally in response to crowd response the three bands perform the Subtitles’ version of ‘Monster Mash‘, drinks are handed out and a buzz of satisfaction spreads around the venue. As Preacher Buck said “it’s definitely been a rock n roll night”.
Let the Goodtimes roll brothers and sisters, let the Goodtimes roll.
Watch this video, by Kevin Gaughan, of Subtitles performing at the show.
11th January
Smokin’ The Profit and Echo Marley at The Donkey
Welford Road
Two bands brought in a fulsome crowd to The Donkey tonight. Smokin’ The Profit and Echo Marley delivered a night of splendid music which everyone enjoyed.
Watch out for our special review coming soon.
10th January
Hardcore at the Shed
A good night of metal and hardcore bands at The Shed
Out of a good line-up we particularly liked
Invictus, Leicester metalcore band
and Eden Avenue from Leicester.
Altogether an thoroughly good night with Due Vendetta, Edict of Bedlam and My Legacy, all of whom were excellent.
7th January
at obsUnplugged
A night of brilliant music at obsUnplugged.
2nd January
at obsUnplugged 2014
The first show in the obsUnplugged series.
1st January
The Unknown At The Working Men’s – Syston
Photo by Jamie Borland
See also:
Our selection of the gigs of 2013
We went to see The Darkness at the O2