Firstly, and if you saw my post from 3rd November you will know that this lack of posting is not through general laziness! So onto those Apollo Junction lads! Following on from the rather excellent pub crawl at the end of last year one of 2022’s highlights from Apollo Junction was to play in the highest pub in England, the Tan Hill Inn at Richmond, Yorkshire. The ticket price included a coach from Leeds, an acoustic set and an electric set, and a rather nifty commemorative t-shirt. On top of that, we will also receive a live CD of the event too. I love what Apollo Junction do, yes they make great music and they are becoming a stunningly good live act. But they also challenge the norm by doing gigs like this one in the Tan Hill Inn. As I write this they are also scheduled to play a set at a haunted house in Derbyshire in November!
The acoustic set was wonderfully intimate with the Apollo Junction fan family lapping up every part of it. The highlights for me were the acoustic take of “On The Ropes” where the boys threw in a snatch of the 70s classic “A Horse With No Name”. The band also does a section where each member gets a chance to sing and play a brief excerpt from one of their favourite songs. So we were treated to snippets of David Bowie, Bob Marley, and the Pogues to name just a few. The boys premiered two new songs, one of which will already be available by the time you read this, it is called “Perfect Plan” and you will hear a bit more about that if you continue reading. The acoustic set ended with a fabulous sing-along of the James 90s classic, “Sit Down”. Incidentally, fact fans, while the song was a big hit in 1991 the original was released in 1989!
The full electric set in the evening was truly spectacular and featured all the great songs, frankly, this band doesn’t have any poor songs. “Two Car Family” was magnificent. We also had the privilege of being part of the filming for the video for the new single “Perfect Plan” which is an absolute belter of a tune and suggests that the new album may even top last year’s ‘All In’. The boys mimed through “Perfect Plan” twice while we were a fully fired up and excited audience, but that would have been the case whether this was being filmed or not. I have not been to see Apollo Junction yet where the crowd was less than mega-excited. I was going to describe Apollo Junction after these two excellent sets as a band on top of their game and they are, however, I still think they will continue to get better and better and the new album, which hopefully will be with us early in 2023 will be something very special. It will probably be among the contenders for Mayhem’s album of the year 2023! I always leave an Apollo Junction show very happy and with a huge smile and I know many others in the AP fan family are the same!
All photos and the T-Shirt design are the work of the wonderfully talented Justin Leeming
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Trueman and the Indoor League have quickly established themselves as a stunningly good and enormously entertaining live band in just a short space of time. Their set is filled with songs of everyday life and kitchen sink dramas. I can see why they have often been compared to Pulp, but they are so very much more than that. There is immense talent in their performances and in the songs and lyrics. Now to add to their already legendary live performances this Pound Shop E Street Band (who said that?) have released their first single. It is one of their many live favourites, “Flares”. This is a great tune that evokes memories of shitty nightclubs with sticky floors across the UK. Lyrics like “Let’s go to Flares, It’s only fair, Call an au pair, Let’s go to Flares, Right now” are simple and yet sublime genius. Only a decent British band could record songs as great as “Flares”. The video to accompany the tune is rather ace and at times very funny too. If only MTV hadn’t disappeared up its own arse, this would have been a surefire MTV classic on regular rotation. If you haven’t seen Trueman and the Indoor League play live yet, then you need to rectify that NOW! I am really looking forward to the first Trueman and the Indoor League album. Can we also campaign for this band to write and perform the next UK Eurovision entry in Liverpool in 2023?
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Tomorrow, 7th October, the fabulous Captain Ska release another take on their classic “Liar Liar”. It started with one attacking Gideon, Dodgy Dave, and Clegg, and the rapid merry-go-round of Tory Leaders since then means that there have also been versions of the tune directed at Maybot, Uber Liar Johnson, and the new one is aimed fairly and squarely at Thick Lizzie. To be fair it has been touch and go as to whether Truss would stay in post long enough for the new release, but it looks like she has. Although I suspect that Captain Ska will need to fashion yet another new version before the next election given the rather entertaining fighting and backstabbing that the Tories are doing at the moment. It is nice to see the Conservatives implode and what better to soundtrack that implosion than “Liar Liar #TrussMix” from Captain Ska. As usual, the video is excellent and, for me, it shows just how out of touch with reality and out of her depth Truss actually is. It is a great ska-pop tune and works for whichever hapless loser the Tories offer as their leader. Instead of M People’s Moving On Up” Thick Lizzie should have walked out to “Liar Liar” yesterday! Spread this tune around, let’s get it into the charts! Use the YouTube link below tomorrow to watch the video, download links will all be available tomorrow too.
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I have been lucky enough to see Laura Kindelan perform live five times since 2017 and she has always blown me away with her talent, individuality, and originality. I have compared her to Jeff Buckley in the past and I stand by that. Her new release, “The Other Side” is wonderfully different to anything that she has released previously. This song is issued using her new incarnation as, simply, Kindelan. The song kicks off a new chapter in her musical journey which will see the release of her first EP in 2023. “The Other Side” is a great song, the vocals are both soulful and ethereal and reminiscent of what the offspring of Nina Simone and Minnie Riperton might have sounded like toward the end. This is 21st Century R & B, with some sublime jazzy and folky twists and turns. The band is really tight and the production is perfect. It was co-produced by Laura and Ed Allen. I can imagine Solange doing a great cover of this song. The tune deals with the perennial issue that many of us encounter in believing that the grass is greener on the other side. Laura says this about that thought and how the song came about, “I’d always wanted more time to do everything, convinced I would then feel content. However, when lockdown hit and I got exactly what I’d wished for, I was left disillusioned. The Other Side was written exploring my personal experience with the idiom ‘the grass is always greener on the other side, and my impression that humans often wish for what they don’t have, but rarely make the move to reach this ‘greener’ place“. The lyrics are deep and I suspect that my interpretation of those words may be different to other people, but that for me is what makes a great song. I love the lines “we need the green, tell me why it always feels out of reach. I can see the other side one day I swear I’ll go there when I have the time“. As the first track to be issued from Kindelan’s first EP, it sets the bar incredibly high, but it is a bar that Kindelan will sail over comfortably. I am looking forward to hearing more tracks! Click here to buy the tune on Bandcamp. It is also available on Tidal, Deezer, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. You need Kindelan’s music in your life!
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This is the second time I have attended this incredible charity spectacle pulled together by the immensely talented and magnificently caring Big Ian from the York band HUGE. The event has been running for quite a few years now, although not during Covid, pretty much like everything else. The show is a proper old-school music revue with many artists taking vocal and instrumental duties throughout the evening and all giving their time for free in aid of some fantastic charities. Some of those benefiting are St. Leonard’s Hospice, Dementia Projects In York, and Bereaved Children’s Support in York among others.
The ensemble cast included a huge (at least 30 players) band led by George Hall with the whole evening being hosted warmly and skilfully by Big Ian. Given the news that had just hit he kicked it all off with a minute of silence for Queen Elizabeth on her passing. Singers and musicians performing on the night were Jess Steel, Heather Findlay, Beth McCarthy, Graham Hodge, Daniel Lucas (a.k.a Boss Caine), The Y Street Band, Gary Stewart, Simon Snaize, Annie Donaghy, Kieran O’Malley, Las Vegas Ken, musicians from York Music Forum and the Singing for All Choir led by Jessa Liversidge.
There were some great moments and particular highlights for me were; Big Ian leading the band through Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” at the start. Dan Lucas, backed by a great band, taking a walk through Dire Straits’ hit “Walk Of Life”. Heather Findlay sang a very strong rendition of the Kate Bush classic, “Babooshka”. Graham Hodge was supported beautifully by Kieran O’Malley on a sublime take on “Always On My Mind”. Simon Snaize preformed a rousing “Maggie May”. Gary Stewart’s 250 Ways To Leave Your Lover” was bloody good. The performance of the Bill Wither’s classic “Lean On Me” by George Hall left me emotionally drained, but in a good way. The night closed with a full on audience sing along for the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” followed by a thumping version of “Chain Reaction”. The latter is not one of my favourite songs, but Jess Steel poured her heart and soul into it and no one in the audience could resist sing and dancing along, including me! A fantastic show for some great causes, truly a night to remember!
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York band Pavilion released their new single “Delightful Horrors” last week. They have put out a couple of good singles previously, but this one takes a step up to great. It is a really mature-sounding tune with elements of the finest 60s and 70s rock combined with the kind of skillful tunefulness that Paul Weller does so well. This has radio hit written all over it with some sublime melodic hooks and a sound that shows a band in peak form. I love this and it has me drooling for a Pavilion album! The single was immaculately produced by Mickey Dale. The accompanying video, a satirical, psychedelic take on ‘The Office’, is supremely well shot and edited by ace photographer and filmmaker Nathan Luke Riley. I particularly loved the cake celebration vignette at the end. Click here to spin it on Spotify.
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This was my first visit to one of York’s finest venues, the Crescent, for some time. This was also the second gig in a row for me where I had never seen any of the bands before, and that really doesn’t happen too often. Headliners were Coach Party from way down south, the Isle Of Wight to be precise. But more of them later, there were two rather spiffing bands on before them. First up were Yorkshire-based White Roses. They are purveyors of fine classic rock sounds, but we are not talking covers, this is their own original material. Vocally is like a cross between Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks at times. The lead guitarist is a complete master of his art and plays his axe like a young Bill Nelson. This is definitely a band for the future.
White Roses
Next up was Priestgate from Driffield, which is where Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey hails from. As soon as they hit the stage and started making their huge noise I was blown away, a real what the fuck moment. Think Bauhaus, the Damned, the Skids, and even Big Country, particularly Stuart Adamson’s great guitar work with the latter two bands mentioned. Goth, punk, glam, this band has it all and then some. Lead singer and frontman Rob Schofield has that 1,000-yard evil rock god stare down perfectly, just like Jordan from Avalanche Party. The energy that Priestgate have is the equivalent of a billion Duracell bunnies and frontman Rob is one of the best I have seen in a long while.
Priestgate
I certainly wouldn’t want to be the band that followed Priestgate, but Coach Party did and they played an absolute blinder. They entered the stage with a weird and wonky cut-up/ remix of the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” and their set was weird, wonky, and wonderful throughout. The Isle of Wight has not been a hotbed of great rock music over the years, but I think Coach Party have the talent, skill, songs, and performances to change that. Up to now, we have seen Mark King (Level 42), Jet Harris (The Shadows), Snowy White (Thin Lizzy), David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals), Dick Taylor (Pretty Things), and more recently Wet Leg. Well, frankly they can all move over and make way for Coach Party. They are a band that uses wit and humour really well in their lyrics, but not without being able to get serious in some songs. Jess’s voice is spot on and enhances the tunes perfectly in the live environment, although to be fair the recorded versions are damned good too. There is a feel of 90s grunge in some of their tunes and maybe Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. They worked the crowd really well too and we all clapped and sang along. This was a great set from a band that has an air of greatness and coolness about them. Highlights for me were “Everybody Hates Me”, “Bleach” and the staggeringly good “Shit TV” with its lyrics of pathos and comedy! I love this band!
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.If you have enjoyed this article feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;
This was another visit to one of my favourite places and one that has the potential to become my second home. Yes, I was back at the Fulford Arms. Incidentally, when I eventually pop my clogs and leave this mortal coil many years from now I would like my wake to be held here and my ashes scattered in the Fully Beer Garden! But enough of me, there were two bands playing tonight, (interestingly I had seen neither of them before. The first was Highschool. they have a feel of New Order, the Killers, and perhaps a synthless OMD. Singer Rory’s voice at times reminded me of the softer side of Iggy Pop and also Julian Casablancas from the Strokes. This Aussie band is rather excellent and I am looking forward to their new single, due in October. Their 2021 EP ‘Forever At Last‘ is ace too.
Highschool
Headliners were Burnley’s the Goa Express, in the early part of their set the organ-style keyboard licks gave them a feel of the Inspiral Carpets or maybe Traffic. But overall their sound is a hard-rocking indie dance fusion with a bit of old-school classic punk styling thrown in a la the Clash. Are they Burnley’s finest band? probably yes, and almost certainly across a much wider area than that, among the best UK bands I have seen this year. At times James Douglas Clarke’s voice evoked the best of James Dean Bradfield, T.V. Smith, and Julian Casablancas. That is the second mention for Casablancas in the same review! They got more punky as the set progressed and the band is supremely tight. A very special shout-out to the ace bass player, Naham, who played some superb marching, melodic bass lines. I bought their 7-inch single, “Everybody In The UK”, from the merch stand and it is damned good. I will definitely be seeing this band again sometime!
The Goa Express
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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Day 2 of the Leeds Festival 2022 kicked off for me with Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes on Main Stage East. Frank and the Rattlesnakes are possibly the best live band in the country, and probably beyond, right now. Frank Carter clearly loves what he does and cares passionately about his fans and the wider festival crowd. The female mosh circles he got going were incredibly popular. But the highlight was Frank and Deano hoisted high in two separate circle pits while they carried on playing and singing. That takes balls and skill and this band has an abundance of both. I doubt that there is a more perfect band to kick off a day at this festival. Next, it was over to the Festival Republic Stage for Beauty School Drop Out. These manic LA glam metal punksters smashed it with a storming energetic set. I love this band that occasionally reminded me of Don Broco. I stayed at the Festival Republic Stage for the Scratch. This was fucked up folk music for all of us fucked up folks. This band is like an Irish Gorgol Bordello but on Lemmy levels of speed. The Scratch are definitely one of the best bands I have ever seen at a festival and also one of the oddest. There was even traditional Irish dancing going on in the mosh circle too. This was refreshingly different and bloody magnificent. I made my first visit to the BBC Introducing Stage on Saturday to see Sisi. Some of today’s R & B can be derivative and bland, but that is not Sisi. She is an ace performer and her voice has a majesty that only some of the greatest soul singers can match. Imagine the voice of Whitney Houston (in her less shouty moments) spliced with Millie Jackson’s immense soulful voice, that will give you some measure as to how good Sisi is. Witch Fever drew me back to the Festival Republic Stage. They are like a Bikini Kill for this generation. But they are even more magnificent, even more metal, and this last one might be hard to believe, but even more militant. This band wears their hearts and their beliefs on their sleeves. People should be more Witch Fever.
Sisi
I stayed at the Festival Republic Stage for Scene Queen who had Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” as their entry music. For a moment that did make me think what the fuck is happening here. But oh boy this was light years from AquaThis US band put on a proper rock show “Pink Bubblegum” was good, but “Pink G String” took the roof off and was accompanied by a huge ass-slapping circle pit. Scene Queen also played a cover of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” and made it their own. I need to see this lot again. I wandered over to Main Stage West next for some of Joy Crookes set. I would say that she is almost certainly influenced by a mix of Stevie Wonder and Amy Winehouse. She has a stupendous voice and some great tunes. I decided to spend a lot of time at the Festival Republic Stage and went back there for Kid Kapichi. Someone recommended them to me at an Apollo Junction gig last year and finally, I got to see them live. The band give it their all and some. They have a party hard and play music harder attitude. In the music family tree, they might fit close to Idles and Fontaines D.C. although they have a greater handle on great pop hooks in their songs. “The Gift That Keeps On Giving” is a fabulous anti-UK government anthem, which is perfect for these strange times. It was the turn of Deadletter on the BBC Introducing Stage next. If you were to put Yard Act, Talking Heads, and Eddie and the Hot Rods into a huge blender I think the resulting output might be Deadletter. Lead singer Zac has the best of the stage presence skills of Iggy Pop and Jarvis Cocker and he is a total master of his audience. He also has that classic Ian Curtis jerky St. Vitus dance moves. But above all that perhaps the best thing about Deadletter is the sheer scale and quality of their staggeringly great songs. If they didn’t make new fans from this appearance I will eat my notepad!
Dolores Forever
I returned to the Festival Republic Stage next for a band that sounds like Muse going full-on metal, but on steroids, I give you Tigercub. The mountainous riffage and the stellar drive of the rhythm section puts a beat right in your chest that competes with your heart. Tigercub grabs you by the throat and don’t let go until you succumb to their towering tunes or when you simply melt in the mosh circle and become a part of the Tigercub ether. Caity Baser was on the BBC Introducing Stage next. She has a pop rap style that draws on Lily Allen, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry. She has a stunning voice, even though on the shouty bit of the first song the ghost of Violet Elizabeth Bott loomed large. This was one of the biggest crowds that I have ever seen at a BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds or Reading. All Time Low were on the Main Stage West and I caught some of their show. With bands like these, it kind of does what it says on the tin, just perfect pop punk. Nothing groundbreaking maybe, but fuck they are still a good band and their canon of great tunes have aged well. The first time I saw All Time Low was at Reading Festival in 2010. The Festival Republic Stage became a home from home today and I went back there for Sick Joy. This lot reincarnated the ghost of Kurt Cobain with a grunge riff tsunami. The vocals were raw and matched the excellent songs perfectly. Singer Mykl even wore a dress, which Cobain did sometimes too. Dolores Forever were next on the BBC Introducing Stage. In the opening numbers, there was a whiff of 70s Fleetwood Mac about them. But songs like “Funeral” and “Party In My Mind” took them a long way from that comparison showcasing just how original they are. The vocals are sublime throughout, especially on “Kilimanjaro”. It would be incredibly hard not to like Dolores Forever.
Dan D’Lion
Tigress was the next band to occupy the Festival Republic Stage and I think it is fair to say that they have the combined power of a pack of a thousand tigresses. This was a marauding musical assault on the senses in a good way. The singer worked the disappointingly small audience really well. I guess everyone had gone off to see Little Simz, if that was you then you missed something very special by not seeing Tigress! The Festival Republic Stage was next host to Cleopatrick, a truly great name for a truly great band. This band are punk as in PUNK, they deserve to be huge. They deliver their cracking tunes with the power of a neutron bomb coated in megatons of passion. Bilk were next on the BBC Introducing Stage. These Essex lads come on like old-school 70s punks, at least musically anyway and they pull it off with style and supreme skill. “Be Someone” was my favourite song from an outstanding set. As It Is hit the Festival Republic Stage next and they hit us with molten melodic metal with hooks that Gods would sacrifice themselves for. This bunch are absolutely and officially as loud as fuck! Headlining the BBC Introducing Stage was Dan D’Lion. I sensed a range of influences from Justin Timberlake, to Jamiroquai via Plan B. But it is also crystal clear that Dan D’Lion is a rare and very special talent in his own right. What a fucking brilliant performance, he did not let up for a moment. This bloke even makes a tracksuit look cool. I would pay to see him again! Megan Thee Stallion was next with a spectacular performance. The scantily clad performer had the crowd screaming at every move, every word, every twerk, and every booty shake. She stopped the show to bring fans onto the stage to dance and I suspect some of those fans will be telling their grandchildren about that moment in years to come. I was perhaps a bit lukewarm on Megan Thee Stallion until now, she was fucking awesome! Surprise last minute guests on the Festival Republic Stage were the Interrupters a very classy LA ska punk band. The energy from this set could have powered the whole three days of the festival. “Take Back The Power” and “Raised By Wolves” were particular highlights in a set filled with banging tunes!
The Interrupters
Incidentally, there won’t be a report on Day 3 of the Leeds Festival for me as my car decided that Sunday was the right day for a meltdown, so sadly I missed what looked like the best day of the weekend, but hopefully, normal service will be resumed next year.
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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Regular readers will know that I left day 1 of the Leeds Festival early to come to this show, was it worth it? read on to find out! This was the last date in a four-date spin around the country titled “Ginger Wildheart Presents Summer Lovin'”. They also played Hastings, Birmingham, and Wigan. First to take the stage was one of York’s finest musical talents, Mr. Boss Caine, the Barry White of Country (thanks to Ginger for that description, yes Daniel Lucas! The new songs Dan played bode very well for his next release, there are some gems there. I would say the highlight for me, and there were plenty to choose from, was “Ghosts And Drunks”. It was also great to hear Dan dedicate a tune to “the pricks in Westminster”. This was a sublime solo acoustic set from Mr. Lucas which has made me look forward even more to the next Boss Caine (or solo?) release. Carol Hodge was up next and what a great performance it was. She has the voice of an angelic demon with the purity of tone of a Karen Carpenter for the 21st Century. It was like she was playing a small intimate show in your living room. This was the first time that I had seen Carol live and it definitely won’t be the last!
Ginger Wildheart was joined on stage by Jon Poole and the aforementioned Carol Hodge. There was some great delving into Ginger’s huge canon of stunningly good tunes, including some Wildhearts songs. “Boxes”, “Geordie In Wonderland” and “Why Aye (Oh You)” were superb, but the song that stood out in this marvellous set was “Paying It Forward” which is an absolute classic. But I can’t let this go without mentioning the beautifully eclectic range of cover versions performed. “Summer Nights” was there, but given the title of the mini tour/ 4 date extravaganza, I guess that was no surprise. “How I Survived The Punk Wars” (Hey! Hello!) was ace and “Run For Home” (Lindisfarne) gave us all the opportunity for a great singalong, as we did for the opening song which was a cover of the theme from Cheers a.k.a “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”. The most fascinating cover for me though was Focus’ “Hocus Pocus”, including the yodelling. Acoustic prog anyone? On paper that should not have worked, but on stage it certainly did! What I loved so much about this set was the intimacy, it was like we were all sat around a huge campfire (it certainly felt that hot!) listing to Ginger, Jon and Carol entertain us.
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 