Wide Eyed, Dumb, God Damn, Bad Moon and Laced play a secret gig in a Birmingham living room. No, really.

If you’re under the impression that the whole Birmingham music scene ‘hype’ has been exhausted to its fullest extent with the likes of Swim Deep and Peace making a name for themselves, oh how wrong you are. There is an immense underground scene exploding with undeniable talent. Jack Parker, or DJ Jacky P as he’s better known, was brave (or stupid) enough to invite a bunch of up-for-it music enthusiasts into his house on Friday March 15 2013 for a night of phenomenal live music, fun and frolics.

New kids on the block, Laced, opened the night with great success. They may not have the most live experience, but my god they’ve got potential.

Laced

As everyone squeezed into the living room, complete with decorative rock ‘n’ roll bunting, they listened intently to Gracie and Andy’s dreamy harmonies against the edgy psychedelic backdrop. With just two demos that haven’t even been put online yet, it’s incredibly exciting to imagine where this band will be in months to come.

Bad Moon were up next; another band with immense potential. As the crowd spilled out into the hallway and on top of radiators and poor old sofas (RIP), they enthusiastically nodded along as the band rocked out to their killer tunes.

Bad Moon

The dreamy sounds of their current available demo, ‘Quinton Expressway’ intertwined with heavy guitars and a rocky beat wowed the crowd. Is there no end to Birmingham’s talents?

As soon as Wolverhampton’s very own God Damn started playing, everyone completely lost their shit. Their loud and relentless set of heavy grunge and blues infused tracks shook the room into a state of energetic chaos. With feet in their faces and elbows in their sides, everyone went completely insane and moshed like there was no tomorrow to the band’s heavy rock tunes; especially recent single ‘I’m a Lazer, You’re a Radar.’

God Damn

By the time Dumb came on, blood alcohol levels were on the rise, and everyone was ready to continue rocking out. With vocalist Dylan playing with the front of  his top missing, bass player Adam crowd surfing during their set and Jacky P, the host himself, joining in with a cheese grater and a drumstick (a very worthwhile contribution, may I add), it’s clear that this gig was unique and downright crazy.

Dumb

Risen from the ashes of The Carpels, Dumb proved that they have all the makings of a great indie rock ‘n’ roll band. Their upcoming single Dive received the best reaction and finished their set on a high.

Headliners, Wide Eyed, triumphantly brought the one-of-a-kind gig to an end with their majestic psychedelic rock tracks. With crowd surfers and moshers still on full form, the crowd continued to appreciate the superb live music; so much so that they started to fall on top of the band themselves! Wide Eyed proved once again that they are a phenomenal live band as popular track ‘Bleak’ sent the crowd into a state of frenzied admiration.

Wide Eyed

B-Town, West Madlands, or plain old Birmingham; whatever you want to call us, we’ve got something truly special here which was proven by this legendary house party. Everyone who was lucky enough to be there witnessed something incredible. Musicians, friends, and fans alike came together in Jack’s living room to support and appreciate the talent that just won’t stop erupting from our very own hometown. It’s safe to say that the feelings the next morning were of great pride for Birmingham, along with a banging headache of course.

Photographs by Andy Hughes

Published in Counteract Magazine here

Album review: The Strokes - Comedown Machine

After the release of their debut album This Is It all those years ago, The Strokes were widely labelled as the most influential indie band around. The New York five-piece set themselves the seeming impossible task of ever topping one of the greatest debut albums of all time. Any band with such critical acclaim for their debut comes across the inevitable hurdle with their following albums; continue with their trademark sound and be criticised for not developing, or reinvent themselves and be criticised for selling out as musicians.  The Strokes’ fifth album Comedown Machine finally hits the right mark between innovative and familiar ground.

One Way Trigger, the first single to be released from the upcoming album, shocked many with Julian Casablancas’ experimental falsetto and the 80s new wave inspired synths with an undeniable comparison to A-ha. Once the initial shock wear off however, the track’s genius can be appreciated. One Way Trigger is a perfect taster for the album as it really sets the tone. Indie icon Casablancas’ messy falsetto features on many of the tracks including the dramatic opener, Tap Out. Don’t be alarmed though as his sexy, husky and slightly distorted vocals are still a main feature, especially in the stand-out track 50/50 which actually sounds like a Strokes song, as does the second single to be taken from the album, All The Time. Everything slows down with 80s Comedown Machine and Chances which border on the atmospheric and offer a contrast to the faster, rockier tracks such as Welcome to Japan and Partners in Crime. Each track has something to offer and it’s easy to imagine each one being a hit single.

The whole album is brought together into one complete musical triumph by the funky rhythm that encompasses each track. This take on 80s synth-pop intertwined with The Strokes’ signature sound makes for a legendary piece of work.

With a nostalgic video for the second single All The Time and a tribute to their record label as the album artwork, everything points towards the end of the road for The Strokes, and if true then what a way to end their career as one of the best loved bands of their generation. Whether they make another album or not, The Strokes will no doubt continue to influence bands far and wide for many years to come.

Published in Brum Notes here

Wolf Alice + Wide Eyed + Hoopla Blue, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham 23/02/13

Published on February 25, 2013

Wolf Alice

One of Birmingham’s most intimate venues, the Sunflower Lounge, filled to capacity with B-Town music enthusiasts eager to hear the latest in the underground indie music scene.

Local band Hoopla Blue were far from similar to the stereotype of small unheard of support bands; the experimental pubescent teens. Instead, their sound was precise, well refined and moreover interesting and exciting.

Hoopla Blue

Their 80s-esque debut track ‘Holy Ghost’ manages to sound soft and dreamy at the same time as dark and heavy; how masterful! They set the bar high for the other acts that night. There really does seem to be no end to the talents that keep being produced from Birmingham.

The venue soon became crammed with people, including other local bands, ready to show their support for Brummie band Wide Eyed; the next big name to emerge from the vastly growing B-Town music scene.

Wide Eyed

Lead singer Jake Bellwood dressed to impress with his suitably fitting accessory; a sunflower guitar strap. Wide Eyed truly have the whole package; they look and sound like readymade rock stars. Whether it’s the big hair or the psychedelic sounds, a complementary comparison with The Horrors has to be made; A harmonious take on The Horrors though, with a more rock n roll edge.

Wide Eyed

They finished their breathtaking set with their superb debut track, ‘Bleak.’ If Wide Eyed are already capable of stunning an audience with their headline-worthy set at such an early stage in their career, who knows what they’ll achieve in months to come.

Hot new band Wolf Alice, although from London, have been making a name for themselves within the Birmingham music scene and we seem to have adopted them as our own. During their set, front woman Ellie Rowsell joked, “Apparently we’re from here, so it’s good to be home.”

Wolf Alice

Ellie has the ‘rock chick’ persona down to an absolute T. Her soft vocals against the heavy guitars works so perfectly and is almost reminiscent of 90s punk band Elastica. Their jaw dropping set finished with a bang as they played their debut single ‘Fluffy’ – one to really rock out to. Wolf Alice are the band that you’ll be able to brag about seeing and knowing before they made it big, and judging by their performance at the Sunflower Lounge, that won’t take long.

Photographs by Jonathan Morgan

Published in Counteract magazine here