Photograph by Nicole Peplow
Birmingham’s best dressed band and resident psychedelic shoegazers, Wide Eyed, invited friends and fans over to their practice room in the middle of an industrial business park just outside of Cannock (aka the middle of nowhere) to film the video for their debut single, Bleak.
Against all the odds an actual sun radiating actual heat (occasionally) shone down on the bunch of attendees as they swigged cheap beer whilst slumped on old knackered leather sofas with the likes of Nirvana and The Horrors blasting from the stereo; definition of rock ‘n’ roll or more like a scene from an indie version of shameless?
After a couple of hours of being totally chilled, the filming commenced in their incredibly cool practice room complete with all kinds of posters and music memorabilia; a haven for any music lover. The crowd assembled and downright chaos ensued as speakers fell to the ground, people fell onto the band and flowers were ripped up and thrown around. There was the case of the missing pineapple and the attack of the bumble bee which claimed the camera man as its victim. Despite the small space and low ceilings, crowd surfing was still a major event; it wasn’t just members of the small crowd either, as almost all of Wide Eyed gave it a go. When they weren’t swinging from the beams of the ceiling, they somehow managed to play a brilliant live set despite the fact they were being fallen on top of and their instruments were being bashed around. Along with ‘Bleak’ which was played a number of times, the band played another favourite ‘Still’ and treated the crowd to two new tracks which were equally well received. The hazy vocals and echoing guitar riffs make Wide Eyed one of the most interesting bands to emerge from the Birmingham music scene.
The special gig came to an end at just the right time as the cigarette smoke to oxygen ratio started to get ridiculously unbalanced in the room. Someone shouted “let’s get the fuck out of here,” and like something out a zombie movie everyone staggered out 10 times less attractive than they were when they went in; dripping in sweat, squinting at the sun they’d forgotten all about and desperately trying to cure their deafness; all conclusive evidence that the live set was tonnes of fun.
Wide Eyed proved themselves to not only be a group of lads with impeccable taste in fashion and heaps of musical talent, but also down to earth personalities. They were genuinely appreciative and humbled by the support of the people who starred in their first ever music video. Keep your eyes peeled for the finished result!
Published in Counteract Magazine here
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
