With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

‘Vertiginous Drops’ – Carol Hodge March 6, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:57 pm
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Carol Hodge, who has been featured on these pages quite a few times has a new album, her fourth, out on 10th March. I have been lucky enough to have been listening to it for a week or two and I can tell you that it is a fine collection of classy future classic songs. The album is called ‘Vertiginous Drops’ and it opens with a full-on production on “Best Will In The Word”. It is a song of good advice, common sense and perhaps most importantly hope. On top of all that it has some magnificent hooks and an uplifting brass refrain. “The Price” has a feel of Depeche Mode in its dark,bass-laden synth opening, but then it turns into an epic synthed-up power ballad when Carol’s vocals kick in. This tune made me think that an album of 80s covers by Carol Hodge would be rather good. “Grayson (Things Could Always Be Worse)” is a fabulous choice for first single from the album. It also has a darkness to it, but once again a vein of hope. Carol’s voice evokes huge emotion in this song. In a parallel universe “Grayson” would top the charts everywhere. I felt peak Human League, but far better vocals than that Oakey fella, when listening to “Never Run Out Of Things To Worry About” and if any track on this record was selected for a dance remix it should be this one. The multi-tracked vocals are ethereal, heavenly, and ravishingly luscious. “Clean The Slate” opens with a gorgeous choral vocal sound and builds to something that is stygian in its darkness with a heavy guitar onslaught, well at least I thought that was a massed guitar attack. Some of Carol’s best music has come from just her and a piano and while this album has immense scope and reach, “Giving It Up Now” is mostly Carol and her piano to the fore, the band is just a little more subtle here, at least until about two minutes in when the song takes off into the musical stratosphere and showcases the strength and range of Carol’s sumptuous voice. The song closes with the very clever coda of “all I can say with certainty is there will be uncertainty“. It sounds obvious, but not many have said it, have they?

If you love Carol’s ballads then you will adore “Oh, Amanda!”. The circus sideshow piano riff part way through adds a delightful eerie tone. I can imagine this track featuring on the soundtrack to one of Neil Gaiman’s darker tales. The next track, “Bitch, Don’t Break My Serenity” has a feel of someone digging through Brian Wilson’s brain and finding the stuff he was never allowed to record. In fact, a Beach Boys cover of this eldritchian style masterpiece would be very special indeed, perhaps with backing vocals by Carol herself and maybe Siouxsie Sioux as well. The harmonics and soft synth drone on “Wrong Side Of The Glass” got me thinking of ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’. I know that isn’t the subject matter, but just a feeling the song gave me. It certainly sums up someone possibly reaching the end of their time, deep down a very sad and yet sublime song. The album closes with what I consider to be Carol’s finest song to date. It evokes a derelict cabaret theatre in 1930s Berlin in the way it feels musically. But lyrically it is staggeringly deep and suggests the underlying futility in this life of ours and maybe how small a part of the universe we are. A true masterpiece of an album on which Carol proves just how big her talent is.

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Mayhem Singles Round Up Part 3 2023 March 4, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 12:55 pm
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You wait ages for a Mayhem singles round-up and then three arrive in just over two weeks! Here is the third for 2023, it includes a massive fourteen songs that have been passed on to me or recommended during the previous few weeks and months, there are some amazing tracks. It features three bands that have appeared on Mayhem’s pages before. All three are from York, proving that the music scene in my fabulous adopted city is thriving. Let me know what you think of this great collection of tunes! You will find a YouTube link to each song in the title (or a link to the audio of the track) and a link to the artist’s website or one of their social media pages when you click the artist’s name. You can also find the link to a Spotify playlist of all these songs by clicking here.

“Rebellion” – Skylights

The angriest track yet from York’s Skylights, also perhaps their punkiest song to date. So it is their punkiest yet, and their angriest yet, but is it their best yet? I certainly believe it is! A band firing on all cylinders and absolutely on fire! Turnbull’s guitar work on “Rebellion” is sensational!

“Black And White” – City Snakes

These lads are taking the fast track from a good band to a great band. This is an incredibly accomplished tune and it is superbly produced. Bass, guitar, drums, and most definitely vocals are turned up to 11. A great tip of the hat to classic rock. You need to see this band live.

“Jackie The Know It All” – The Corsairs

This is the follow-up to last year’s classy single “B-Side” and it is a tune that sticks with you. It has shades of everything from the Kooks, the Pigeon Detectives, the Arctic Monkeys, and classic UK post-punk. All of that is rolled up with a first-class pop sensibility

“Soda & Lime” – Jonny Payne & The Thunder

This sounds like a classic US west coast song, but Jonny is based in Oxford in the UK. If you want a song that will make you feel good and have you singing along then put “Soda & Lime” on repeat. This will be added to my summer barbecue playlist.

“Time To Rest” – Juniper Nights

Soft acoustic style rock reminiscent of Travis at their peak. It has some dark jangly indie guitar but for me what really makes the track is the vocal performance, especially the harmonies.

“Talk To Me” – Fellow Robot

This lot is all the way from Long Beach, California. They claim to have started creating music to bring the character Fellow Robot to life through music. Fellow Robot is a 140-year-old robot who is the main character from the WIP novel ‘The Robot’s Guide to Music’ written by frontman Anthony Pedroza. I am more than happy to listen to fine rock music like this from a great band while I wait for the book to arrive. Their album is due in May and on the strength of “Talk To Me” it is definitely one to look forward to.

“After Midnight” – Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown is an abundantly talented teenage singer-songwriter from the USA. “After Midnight” is a hopeful pop song for these dark times and would give Taylor Swift a run for her money. Her backing harmonies and counterpoint vocals are haunting and add some real depth to a great tune.

“Harder Now (For Love)” – Senses

A great rumble of a tune, Senses from Coventry have aced it with this single. A bit 21st Century Small Faces with some Paul Weller thrown in, this is damned good.

“I Need You Tonight” – Short Wave Craft

A multilayered beauty of a tune with some excellent samples. If you like Moby, Portishead, Air, and others like that you will absolutely love this close-to-perfect track put together by Dominic Owen and Tom Carr. I could listen to this for hours, and I probably will.

“Made Me Happy” – Wesson

Some might say that not much great music has come out of Milton Keynes, if they do then point them straight to Wesson. This tune starts out like a 60s psych-folk track a la Traffic. But then it moves into a magnificent pop-rock song which sometimes has a hint of the 1970s Scottish band Pilot, particularly the guitar sound. The video, inspired by ‘Tron’ is fun too. <EDITOR – If any other Milton Keynes bands would like some coverage, do give us a shout. I am sure we could be wrong about MK music!>

“Outside Of Town” – M. Byrd

German singer-songwriter knows his way around a beautiful melody and some often dark lyrics, but there is a hopeful side to this track too. The song is about someone having to flee a war with their daughter. I can picture myself meditating life to this song, maybe while drinking a cold beer.

“Wendy” – Holly Henderson

This has a 60s girl group vibe and vocals that Rumer would be proud of. The instrumentation is classy and happy to step away at times from simple tones. A song that stays in your mind long after it is over. A real lesson in how to produce an uplifting and sometimes sad song. I will be playing Holly’s new album ‘The Walls’ now I think.

“Villain” – Alexa Dark

Alexa is Spanish/ American and was raised between Barcelona, Munich, London, Paris, and NYC. The influences from all of those places are apparent in this song which is expansive and cinematic, in both scope and ambition. “Villain” is more than worthy of being a Bond theme.

“Lost It” – Hanna Ögonsten

Swede Hanna Ögonsten’s Spotify bio says “I’m glad you found your way to my silly little music universe in this big cyberspace! Here you’ll find reflections and memories of mine dressed up in danceable alt-pop beats”. I think she is much better than silly and little, her universe is rather big and pretty smart. She is right in describing her work as danceable alt-pop beats though, and “Lost It” is a prime example of a song that is infectiously danceable and memorable. Check out her rather wonderful EP from last year, ‘Bby Boo, Ögonsten & You‘

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‘Get Out Of My Mind’ EP – Symphony Of Sweden March 1, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:55 pm
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Swedish rockers Symphony Of Sweden released rather good albums in 2021 and 2022 and while they don’t have a new one ready just yet they wanted to surprise fans with a new four-track EP, called ‘Get Out Of My Mind’. It rocks like an absolute bastard and if it fails to move you or fails to make you move then check your pulse, you might be dead. “Get Out Of My Head” is a song about lost love, but it’s not a soft song, it is full of bad passion as it shows a protagonist that is wrought by not being able to forget a lover that no longer wants to be their lover. It has some towering melodies and hooks and the vocals overflow with passion. The riffs on “Down And Counting” carry more power than Thanos did when he used the Infinity Gauntlet. The verses reminded me of Europe, but with a harder edge. “Just Let It Bleed” is another track about pain driven from, perhaps, more unrequited love. This is a masterclass on marrying magnificent metal sounds to some awesome orchestration and the backing vocals bring a feel of metal gospel to proceedings. The EP closes with “Lay Them Down (A Broken Son’s Cry)”, a beautiful track about the worthlessness of war and how easy it seems for young lives to be wasted. A very poignant tune in the context of what the world is like right now. Take a lyric like “When will it end. They’re serving in hell. When will this madness end?” If pushed I would have to say that “Lay Them Down” is probably my favourite track on the EP, but there is not a bad one here. Take a listen and check out the band’s albums, you won’t regret it.

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Madam Misfit And Her Carnival Of Chaos – Fulford Arms, York – Thursday, February 23rd 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:02 pm
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I have seen many gigs at one of York’s finest venues, the Fulford Arms, but never have I experienced anything close to Madam Misfit and her Carnival of Chaos. David Bowie once sang the line “turn and face the strange” and that night we certainly did face the strange. This show wouldn’t have been out of place in one of the weirder episodes of American Horror Story, notably ‘Freak Show’ (series 4 from 2014). It wasn’t just a gig, although Madam Misfit did perform a few tunes, it was more like a travelling carnival sideshow from the US midwest in the 30s. There are a number of different types of carnival sideshows in the USA, one of those is the Ten-in-One which would offer a program of ten sequential acts under one tent for a single admission price. It might include a freak show, but would definitely include “working acts”, Madam Misfits carnival was most definitely built on those working acts. The master of ceremonies was Adam Washington, sporting a red frock coat suit and knee boots to appear just like the finest ringmaster you could imagine, a top hat would have made the outfit perfect. Adam kicked off proceedings with a rendition of “Pure Imagination” from ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’, it was a performance that was fit for a London Theatre Stage. He introduced a fine magical, medley of madness delivered by the campest magician in the world, Magic Adam, juggler extraordinaire Ed Mondo, daring, dangerous, and dynamic duo the Safety Last Side Show, and of course the Empress of Chaos herself, Madam Misfit.

The Safety Last Side Show team is a married couple the Indestructible Man and the wonderfully named Velocity Bollocks. A mat of broken glass was arranged on the floor and Velocity proceeded to walk over it barefoot, yes absolutely no shoes were harmed in performing this feat, to be fair I don’t believe her feet were harmed either. Later Ms. Bollocks lay on a bed of nails, which is something that really didn’t look too comfortable to me. The Indestructible Man (or should we call him Mr. Bollocks?) did everything he could to prove his invincibility. He ate a light bulb, I sure as hell didn’t want to be around when that came out at the other end. He deliberately trapped a finger in a rusty old animal trap, he barely winced at this, meanwhile paper cuts make me cry out in pain. Finally, he undertook a couple of daring feats of sword swallowing. The second attempt using a sword with no handle, but attached to a rope which he said he needed to anchor before he swallowed it, a few wags in the audience suggested that he might anchor it to his todger, to be fair he did say it was too small for that. But how he did anchor it was a strange and painful to behold, a surprise to the audience, and indeed shocking for some. He used a staple gun to attach the anchor rope to his torso. It was a brilliant piece of weird theatre, I have one question, apart from did it hurt, how the hell do you practice and rehearse that?

Magic Adam, is certainly magic and also manages to raise the campometer to a mercury-breaking level. He comes across as a larger-than-life Vaudevillian Villain. the trick where he offered £1,000 for simply picking the right number from five, which was very clever indeed. Has he ever had to pay out the grand? I suspect not. Meanwhile, Ed Mondo wowed the crowd with a staggeringly good juggling act which consisted of him juggling up to five bowler hats. He used hands, knees, feet, elbows, and his head and made it look easy. Madam Misfit made a few appearances throughout the whole show and she was there to close proceedings by showcasing some of her rather splendid chap hop tunes. The plentitudinous, evocative, mountebankery that is the new single “Chu Chi Face”, a cover of the old song from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. My particular favourite was the splendiferously performed “Skin You’re In”. The evening was closed with the whole troupe returning to the stage for a pizazz-fuelled take on the Monty Python classic, “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”. This was not just another great gig, it was a staggeringly great show! Huzzah to Madam Misfit and her cunning and courageous courtiers. The Arctic Monkeys once sang the line “four stars out of five”, they certainly weren’t singing about Madam Misfit and her Carnival of Chaos, if they were then they would have sung five stars out of five!

All photos, apart from the show poster, were snapped by the titanically talented Neal Rylatt.

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Mayhem Singles Round Up Part 2 2023 February 25, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 5:23 pm
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You wait for ages for a Mayhem singles round-up and then two turn up in ten days! Here is the second for 2023, it includes a massive fifteen songs that have been passed on to me or recommended during the previous few weeks and months, there are some bloody spiffing tracks here. It features five artists and bands that have appeared on Mayhem’s pages before. Let me know what you think of this fine selection of tunes! You will find a YouTube link to each song in the title and a link to the artist’s website or one of their social media pages when you click the artist’s name. You can also find the link to a Spotify playlist of all these songs by clicking here.

“Bravo” – Sheratons

Possibly the best single from the Sheratons, it leans towards early Arctic Monkeys in the sheer scale of riffage and has more hooks than you might find in a professional anglers kit bag.

“Brain Unchain” – Cadillac Muzik and Garret Shider

This is a gorgeous slice of chilled funk featuring Parliament/ Funkadelic royalty in Garrett Shider a.k.a. Starchild Jr. It retains a retro feel but is definitely made for the 21st Century. That guitar sound is at times Santanaesque and makes me dream of summer

“We All Rise” – The Bellwether Syndicate

This sounds like the Sisters Of Mercy bumped into Bring Me The Horizon in a dark, mucky Chicago back alley and started a fight which was refereed by Dave Grohl. It has goth in its veins but heavy rock in its brain

“I Hate Hate” – Ian Hunter

This is the second single from Ian’s next album, ‘Defiance Part 1’ which is scheduled for release on 21st April. At 83 this bloke still rocks and still writes great songs. The message of “I Hate Hate” is profoundly positive too. I am very excited about the new album now. Check out the previous single, “Bed Of Roses”, featuring Ringo Starr and Mike Campbell here.

“Feast” – Kindelan

This is Laura’s third release under the Kindelan name following “The Other Side” and “Hazel Frustration”. This is a sumptuous slice of chilled dream pop. The music evokes Lemon Jelly and the softer end of Groove Armada while Laura’s voice is close to perfection and a few times I found myself comparing it to some of Tracy Thorn’s finest moments. I love the way that food is used in describing relationships.

“Welcome To The Disco” – The Apocalypse Disco

The Apocalypse Disco’s bio claims that they make Apocalyptic Discotechno and based on this track that is 100% true. It has superbly crisp production, courtesy of Neil Mclellan, who has worked on some great albums, including being the engineer on the Prodigy’s ‘Fat Of The Land’. This track is the perfect opener to lead us into a pre-armageddon party and it will definitely feature on my end of the world playlist. If it is the last track you ever hear, then trust me, you have left this mortal coil on a good note!

“Flatline” – Blind Channel

A fine slab of heavy and hard riffage with an undercurrent of 80s European rock from Finland’s Blind Channel. The band has said this about the song, “Flatline is Blind Channel on steroids. We captured the energy of last year’s 130 shows into one song and threw it to a Berlin rave”. Steroids at a rave? Yeah, that works for me!

“Devote” – Pitou

Pitou, who is Dutch, releases her debut album next month, and if all the tracks hit as high on the qualityometer as “Devote” it will be something wonderful. This is a beautiful tune with some gorgeous multitracked vocal harmonies. Her voice has stunning clarity and occasionally made me think of Lana Del Rey and Liz Fraser.

“King B” – DZ Deathrays

Aussie rockers DZ Deathrays have been around for 13 years and they get better and better. “King B” hits you like an anvil on the head and doesn’t let up. This is a great track for some epic air drumming and headbanging. I hear there is a new album on the horizon, possibly.

“Again And Again” – Michael Hamilton

This is a hypnotic, haunting track that delves into the spirit of Mike Oldfield before moving into illegal rave territory. Probably one of the most wonderfully composed and constructed instrumentals I have heard in a while.

“Naked Times” – Kid Be Kid

Kid Be Kid is a Berlin soul and jazz singer, piano virtuoso, and human beatbox. “Naked Times” is not just soul, jazz, piano, and beatboxing, it is so much more! Damn it is such a great tune. Her vocal performance is off the scale! If Bjork and Laurie Anderson had a love child it might be Kid Be Kid. The video for “Naked Times” is well worth watching.

“Poseidon” – Fendry

UK rap was often the poor relation of US rap. Then along came Mike Skinner, then later Stormzy, Dave, and many others. Now there is Fendry! This kid has some great tracks with “Poseidon” the best so far for me. Great beats, a great atmosphere, and stunning ciphers. He is also from my adopted home city of York and the video for this track was filmed in York city centre.

“Holy Water” – Leah Marie Mason

Is it country? Is it blues? Is it gospel? No, it is Leah Marie Mason’s stunningly brilliant new song “Holy Water”. It is a deep, dark song about what sounds like a relationship gone really bad. I love the line “no the Devil ain’t in Georgia, he’s here in Tennessee” This will be on rotation for me for quite a while I think.

“Ugly Cowboy (Club Mix)” – Yves Larock and Eve Molla

Does Eve love her ugly cowboy or not? I vote probably not. But whether she does or not this track has the feel of a classic dance banger, one for which it is the law for you to get off your seat and shake your tush!

“Hit And Run” – Empyre

British band Empyre release their new album next month, “Hit And Run” is a sign that the album will be well worth a spin. Melodic rock with a slight sprinkling of prog. Overall it is a huge sound with a band that sounds on top form and vocals that launch passion and emotion grenades at the listener with every breath. I like this song a lot!

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Battle Of The Bands – Fulford Arms, York February 22, 2023

Filed under: News,Observation,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:38 pm
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The Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands event for 2022 took place from 26th October to 2nd December last year with four heats followed by the final. The final featured the four heat winners; the White Roses (Heat 1), The Palava (Heat 2), The Rosettas (Heat 3) and City Snakes (Heat 4), and the judge’s wild card, I Tell Lies. It was an absolute honour to have been a judge for this magnificent contest. Obviously, as I was judging the contest I didn’t think it was fair for me to also review it. I would like to say a huge thank you to all my fellow judges and the fabulous team at the Fulford Arms who put the whole thing together. There were plenty of prizes for the winners and I am happy to offer a cheeky little extra prize for all five finalists if you’re interested. So White Roses, Palava, Rosettas, City Snakes and I Tell Lies. If you want to be interviewed by With Just A Hint Of Mayhem give me a shout!

Huge congratulations to the Palava who won on December 2nd last year. There is a video from each of the four heat winners below, including the Palava. Unfortunately, I could not locate a video from I Tell Lies, so click here to check them out on Spotify! The event was so successful that the Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands for 2023 is even bigger. There will be six heats (the first is on 6th September), three semi-finals, and then the Grand Final on 22nd October. The poster above provides all the dates and details of how to enter. Who is up for it? I will be judging 9 of the 10 shows this time around. It would be great to see your band there, you know what to do! As a brief footnote, I enjoyed the event so much that I was a judge at a Battle Of The Bands contest at a local school, which also happens to be where I work now too!

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The Sheratons – Fulford Arms, York – Thursday16th February 2023 February 20, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:04 pm
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It seems like another age when gigs were forbidden during Covid, I am so damned happy that we are back to normal, well mostly! This show was the first time that the Sheratons, from Leeds, had played in York. This was the first date of a five-gig tour with three dates in England and a further two to come in Scotland. First up was the rather nifty and talented the Big Sleep. If Damon Albarn decided to add to his, already huge, musical portfolio and legacy by recording in a grunge style with a spoonful of prog it might sound a bit like the Big Sleep, although perhaps not quite as raw and not quite as good. This is a terrific band, but a special shout out to the drummer who oozes talent and drives the band like a wild human metronome. The second band to play was the White Roses from Leeds, this was the third time that I have seen them play in just around six months. The White Roses are not just a rock band, they are a band that always encourages the crowd to party, and we did! The singalongs and the getting down low worked really well. The last time I saw them was at the Battle Of The Bands at this very venue towards the end of last year. They were good then and they are even better now. The guitarist and co-vocalist carries the guitar hero poses incredibly stylishly, but this is not style over substance he is a bloody talented guitar player. The lead singer’s voice is occasionally reminiscent of Joan Jett. If you haven’t experienced the White Roses yet, sort it out!

Next up and in the penultimate position were the Sheratons, who I believe were the headliners, not sure why they didn’t close the evening though. The Sheratons are punk with a fine pop twist, but definitely not just a pop punk derivative, they are more original than that. I have previously reviewed three of their singles, but until now the only time that I had seen them live was back in November 2018 when they supported Skylights at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. The recruitment of a new drummer since then has added a brand new metal-influenced dimension to their already rather excellent sound. The Sheratons’ set had many highlights, notably “These Kids”, “Raving And Drooling” and the new single “Bravo”. The only disappointment for me was that they played a cover of “Ziggy Stardust” at their Manchester gig, for a huge Bowie fan like me that would have moved an excellent show up a few more notches to hugely magnificent. The band that closed the night was Balcony Plants who play swampy, bluesy, punky metal. I detected some Sex Pistols, Clash, and Damned influences occasionally. I occasionally like using superhero analogies in reviews sometimes, so here comes another of those. Balcony Plants veer towards the immensity, power, and feeling of Swamp Thing more than they do towards the cunning of Poison Ivy and I make that statement in support of a great band. There were some truly stupendous riffs and classy vocals. It is also hard to ignore the upbeat message that Balcony Plants convey too, they are heavy, heartfelt, and humble. The cover of the Madness classic “Baggy Trousers” was a total gem and took the song to a place it has probably never been before. While that Madness cover was good the Balcony Plants’ take on Jacko’s “Billie Jean” blew the place up. This is a band that everyone needs to see!

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Mayhem Singles Round Up Part 1 2023 February 15, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:28 pm
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It has been way too long since our last singles round-up. So here is the first for 2023, it includes twelve songs that have been passed on to me or recommended during the previous few weeks and months, there are some really classy tracks here. This is quite a Yorkshire-centric list, but I have lived in Yorkshire since 2007, so why not? Let me know what you think of them! You will find a YouTube link to each song in the title and a link to the artists website or Spotify page if you click the artist name. You can also find the link to a Spotify playlist of all these songs by clicking here.

“Chu Chi Face” – Madam Misfit

Feeling down? Feeling blue? I know exactly what you need to do! Just listen to “Chu Chi Face” by the frankly incomparable and obscenely talented Madam Misfit. This tune is a 21st Century (or 19th Century) take on the song originally featured in the 60s children’s classic film ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang‘. Madam Misfit does her Electro Swing Thing with it and takes it to another funderful dimension. Watch the video and if you are not smiling by the end of it get your face muscles looked at. The only gripe I have is the dunking of chocolate covered biscuits……why?

“Rebound” – Millie Manders and the Shutup

A cracking single from a cracking band, this bigs up their pop-punk chops, a song that needs to be all over the radio!

“Green Eyed Ocean Smile” – Honeytrap

This has the feel of a classy chilled 80s synth track with a real 21st Century vibe. For me, this is HoneyTrap’s finest song to date. It was released as a single last year and is now a part of their recently released EP, ‘Fenêtre Forming’

“Glue Song” – Beabadoobee

Bea gives us a truly gorgeous love song, which will be perfect for chilling in the garden, the park, or at a festival this summer

“The Cvlt Song” – Astrology For Men

This is a band that includes Luca from Vaquelin (more of them later) and it is a soft loud and frankly stupendous metal anthem in waiting.

“Scottish Snow” – Pennine Suite

York’s Pennine Suite are back with yet another great single. The way Nick and Louise’s vocals intertwine make this song linger in your head for ages, and I do mean that in a good way. If Bananarama did perfect jangly indie songs, this would be one of them.

“By The River” – Apollo Junction

I love bands that produce great music and seem to get better with every release. This bodes incredibly well for album number three from one of Leeds’s finest bands. Instrumentally the band is on fire and Jamie’s vocal pulls out all the stops. This has left me dreaming of the finest alternative 80s hits!

“On My Own” – The Kut

Possibly the hookiest, catchiest rock song in ages. I love all the “whoa whoa” backing vocals. Expect to hear your postman whistling this tune! If you love this, and why wouldn’t you, check out the earlier release “Fun When You’re Winning“

“Social Cyanide” – Vaquelin

Those Vaquelin boys are back with a really bluesy slab of classic rock. It has some softer-sounding moments, but even they have razor-sharp edges. The riffage is ace and can I hear strings low down in the mix or is that treated guitar. Album number two will be something very special indeed!

“Hazel Frustration” – Kindelan

This is the latest release from Kindelan, following hot on the heels of the rather splendid, “The Other Side”, these tracks will eventually form an EP. “Hazel Frustration” is a song of relationships and heartbreak, Kindelan styles it in a wonderfully softer modern R & B style. I have been a fan for quite a while and she continues to get better with each release.

“Reset” – Wolforna

What a fabulous slice of heavy rock this is, filled with gargantuan riffs and softer moments that evoke the less hard side of Led Zeppelin. The vocals are outstanding.

“Fatal Flaw” – Thrillhouse

This opens like a skilful take on peak New Order and moves on to draw on the likes of OMD and Eccho and the Bunnymen. A tremendously good pop scented rock track which is so joyful to listen to.

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Flip Top Head – Fulford Arms, York – Wednesday 8th February 2023 February 11, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 2:12 pm
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It was weeks between my last gig of 2022 and my first of 2023, but only five days between my first and second gig of 2023. I was back at one of my favourite establishments, the Fulford Arms to see Flip Top Head, a band I had never seen before take the headline spot. In fact, I had never seen any of the five acts on the bill before, which is quite rare for me these days. The lineup was put together by the uber-talented Tom Beer of one of York’s finest bands, Bull. First up it was Cat Redfern and if Bjork made eerie, ethereal folk-rock influenced by Radiohead it might sound like Cat Redfern. I believe that some of Cat’s songs might fit perfectly on a Twin Peaks soundtrack, check her out. The second act to play was Big Rain In The Morning, a band that plays psychy, proggy, and folky sounds with a slight nod to the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed. Their vocal harmonies are phenomenal. The band featured the aforementioned Cat Redfern on bass and Tom Beer off of Bull on drums (is there any instrument that this man is unable to play?) Is there a band around now that is anything quite like Big Rain In The Morning? Probably not, this lot are a true bunch of originators.

Cat Redfern by Aron Murray of Vexed Music Photography

Third, onto the stage was Ellis D, that is a great name and a fab pun on the hallucinogenic drug lysergic acid diethylamide a.k.a. LSD. Ellis D brings some psychedelic funky fun all the way from Brighton. “Homecoming Queen” rocks big time. Vocally I was reminded of David Byrne, Jonathan Richman and on the higher notes perhaps even Russel Mael. The drummer is like a more controlled Keith Moon, if he was a super hero he would be called Metronome Man. The band encountered a few technical issues during their set but they didn’t let them phase it at all. This lot are great and very difficult to drop into any particular genre box. The penultimate act was a band called Victory Samosa who have megatons of organic pop hooks. Yes, I did say organic, there is none of that battery farmed pop shite here. Victory Samosa reminded me strongly of Daryl Palumbo in his Head Automatica side project from a few years ago. This is underpinned by some shades of early Franz Ferdinand and Rich Kids with Midge Ure. “Equinox”, “Little Miss Golden Fleece” and the song that probably isn’t called Cecilia prove that Victory Samosa have an amazing cache of great songs. When will there be a Victory Samosa album? I hope it’s soon. I can say categorically that this band are definitely one of my new favourites.

Ellis D by Aron Murray of Vexed Music Photography

Finally, it was time for the headliners, also from Brighton, Flip Top Head. Michael Jackson once said something along the lines of “bad is good”, well I think something similar applies to Flip Top Head, wait, scrub that, with this bunch it is more like “mad, is good”, or even “Mad is GREAT”. This band issue forth a colourful cacophony of sound that at times feels like it may have originated extraterrestrially. The lead female vocals evoke the weirdness and beauty of the Cocteau Twins and the soul and feeling of Clare Torry’ wailing vocal on Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig In The Sky”. How many bands promote the trombone to the lead instrument in a few songs? Hardly any in my experience, but Flip Top Head do that with style and panache. Their songs are wonderful and I really like the contrast to the vocals with an almost spoken word narration, similar to “Private Investigations” era Dire Straits. I am looking forward to the release of their new single “Seventh Bell Number” next week. Incidentally, the song sounds excellent live. Alongside Victory Samosa I can confirm that Flip Top Head are another of my favourite bands. This was another banger of a night at the Fully Arms.

All the photos, apart from the gig poster, are by Aron Murray of Vexed Music Photography

Flip Top Head by Aron Murray of Vexed Music Photography

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The Rills – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 3rd February 2023 February 8, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:13 pm
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This has been a slow year for me gigwise so far, this is my first gig for 2023. This was another nifty little show promoted by Simon P of Northern Radar. I have lost count of the amount of Northern Radar shows that I have attended, but one theme runs through them all, Simon has never let me down with his choice of bands and artists. At least not yet anyway. Was tonight the first time I had seen a bad show from Northern Radar? Read on to find out! First up at the fabulous Fulford Arms was Everything After Midnight, I first saw them almost exactly a year ago at the York Vaults supporting Where’s Slater. What are they like? Well, there is prog, electric folk, metal, a pinch of Wolf Alice, and many other facets in their sound. Steph’s voice gets stronger every time I see them (this is the third time) and tonight I detected elements of Sandy Denny, Kiki Dee, and Ellie Rowsell. In a previous review of Everything After Midnight I said “Imagine Tori Amos if she took a much heavier direction with some added prog undertones, that is how Everything After Midnight sounded to me“, I stand by that comment!

Next up was Sun King a band that I have seen once before, back in June last year when they supported Sweet May at this very venue and that was their first gig. I can hear a whole range of influences in their fabulous sound; Small Faces, Paul Rodgers, Steve Marriot, Led Zeppelin, Paul Weller, maybe Prince on the falsetto lines, and at times a bit of that old Noddy Holder warble in the vocal. The band is tight and has a pitch-perfect grasp of the best classic rock vibes. But they go beyond just rock as they throw in some great jazz and funk licks for good measure. Seb, the lead vocalist was formerly with Naked Six and is related to British Metal royalty, he is Saxon frontman Biff Byford’s son. Biff was present humping gear for the band and later while chatting with Chris T of the Fulford Arms we thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to have Biff play a set at the Fully, maybe acoustic with Saxon, solo, or even the full band, perhaps even a residency! Biff if you’re up for that then get in touch, perhaps we can book Sun King as support!

The first time I saw Lincoln’s finest current band, the Rills was when they played the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival back in 2021. Their stature has grown at a rapid rate and this was an incendiary set from a magnificent band. “World Leader” was immense and hugely powerful. This was the fifth show in their intense mini tour for Independent Venue Week 2023. They started in Falmouth on 30th January and worked their way to York via Swansea, Bedford and Oxford. The sixth and final show of that hectic schedule was in Blackpool the day after York. They have huge energy and that was transferred to the supremely enthusiastic crowd. The riffs were full-on and spectacular. The Rills put on a stunningly good show. So has Simon of Northern Radar let me down yet? Definitely not!

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