Gig season has started!!

So the infamous gig season has started. I've already been to three and i'm worn out! I've got so many more which means MANY reviews will be coming your way.

Bastille were absolutely amazing last week. I'd been looking forward to their gig for ages and I was definitely not left disapointed; especially as I got to meet half of the amazing Swiss Lips (fantastic support act) and Dan from Bastille himself.

Remember The Carpels? Well, they supported Reverend at the Makers at the o2 academy last week. I was looking forward more to The Carpels than I was for Reverend and the Makers, but I was pleasantly surprised; I enjoyed The Revs way more than I thought I would, despite the fact I looked completely out of place in a sea of 'proper' men (they all looked like they were members in Bikers groups - tattoos, the hair, the piercings, the leather jackets etc).
Ian McClure did an impromptu gig outside the academy once the main show was over. It was such a special moment, and he didn't get nicked (major bonus seeing as though we were surrounded by riot vans). Watch this video (it's not mine - all credit to 'I am Birmingham').

On Wednesday, I saw Dog is Dead - great band with loads of energy! I'm not as in to their music as a lot of the people there were, but it was still a great gig nonetheless. A highlight was one of their support acts, Beans on Toast (yes, the act is really called Beans on Toast). Beans on Toast is made up on one witty, talented, amazing man (or should I say MDMAmazing)...

NB - It's always the same two faces in these pictures, so just to let you know, I'm the Brunette.

Thanks for reading to the end! That was a long one

Stay tuned as reviews of ALL these gigs will be uploaded and published asap x

Introducing: The Carpels

The five Birmingham born lads that make up The Carpels have already caused a stir in the media due to their incredibly interesting and refreshing sound. Rather than just being another generic indie band, the Carpels have combined indie/rock guitar sounds with an almost ska/punk-like beat along with electro synths and unique vocals to create songs worth listening to.

The band kicked off their UK tour last weekend at Birmingham’s Artsfest. It’s only when you see them live that you realise the already made comparison between The Carpel’s lead singer Dylan Williams with Joy division’s Ian Curtis goes beyond the deep vocals and continues through to the unpredictable dance moves! The band are set to return to their hometown of Birmingham midway through their UK tour to support Reverend and the Makers – a night that shouldn’t be missed!

It’s obvious to see when they’re performing that the band ‘gel’ well together. Confidence and natural chemistry when performing are always good qualities for a band to have. Despite ‘messing around’ in bands since they were young, it’s a blessing that these talented lads have decided to make a go of it. With the attention that they’re already receiving, it’s pretty much inevitable that these guys are going to make it. Bring on the album!

See published review: http://www.danceyrselfclean.com/introducing/introducing-the-carpels

Birmingham Music

Birmingham is starting to lose its reputation as Chav City and is instead becoming Indie Kingdom. Being a Brummie girl myself, I'm so proud of the new bands emerging from B-town. The Carpels, Peace and Swim Deep are all phenomenal bands in their own right; bringing heaps of vintage style, straight from the streets of Digbeth, with fresh new indie sounds to the current music scene. You'll be missing out if you don't give these boys a listen.

The Carpels - Sand