With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

Latitude Festival 2022- Day 2 – Saturday 23rd July July 31, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:22 pm
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I don’t think that there was a better way to open the Obelisk Arean Stage on Saturday than with York’s finest musical sons, Shed Seven. The band, formed in 1990 and named after a railway shed was the perfect choice for an early afternoon Latitude appearance. They are battle-hardened Brit Pop survivors who know their stuff and are still recording with a new album due out soon. The set was a definite 10/10, which is not bad for a band described on Twitter (by one David Callow) as a “shitty little band”. Segueing “Going For Gold” into “Suspicious Minds” worked very well. Note for Mr. Witter, the Elvis tune was released in 1969. The Sheds saved the sublime and magnificent, York City adopted terrace anthem, “Chasing Rainbows” until the end, closing a brilliant show! Rick Witter also gave his maracas as gifts to a couple of people, including a little kid that he had conversed with during the set. Next, it was back to the BBC Sounds Stage for relatively local lass Bessie Turner. She does soulful, folky pop and does it really well. It was a fresh, fun performance for a sunny afternoon. Apparently, her old teacher was in the crowd, I would have been proud had she been one of my pupils!

Shed Seven
Hamish Hawk

Now it was time for a quick dash to the Alcove stage for Scottish singer Hamish Hawk. The band is also called Hamish Hawk. This was an electrifying performance, a bit like early Ultravox but using more “organic” instruments, lots more emotion, and oodles of fun. There were some great songs, including one about ecclesiastical architecture. The closing track, “Caterpillar” gave the band the opportunity to completely wig out and they did it with aplomb and attitude. Hamish is an animated and passionate performer. His dancing style is totally original and feels like a Thunderbirds puppet after too many energy drinks. This is a great band, check them out now if you haven’t already. next it was back to the BBC Sounds Stage for Curtis Harding an extraordinarily talented soul singer which seems to display every emotion from ecstasy to deep pain. The band is superb and the set has the feel of a full-on Blues Brothers-style soul revue. Curtis is a great performer who works the crowd into a frenzy. He has a rich, soulful voice that comes across as a 21st Century Curtis Mayfield or Sly Stone. He and his band know how to party too!

Katy J Pearson

The Obelisk Arena was my next destination for the wonderfully named Los Bitchos. They supply Latin-tinged indie instrumentals, many of which could add something as a soundtrack to TV shows like ‘Breaking Bad’. Their sound reminded me at times of Colour Me Wednesday with added South American percussion and obviously no Jennifer Doveton on vocals. Los Bitchos are a very good band, but I felt vocals would have helped carry the tunes better. That said, a particular highlight for me was “Lindsay Goes To Mykonos” which is apparently about Lindsay Lohan. Katy J Pearson was next on the BBC Sounds Stage. I last saw her just over a year ago at the Crescent in York. Her music is rather special and she has a style that is quite difficult to compare with other artists. Although there were times when she sounded a little like Linda Ronstadt. If you like US West Coast country rock from the early 70s, or Americana and alt. country you will almost certainly love Katy J Pearson. The band has a great brass section and Katy’s voice was immaculate. “Beautiful Soul” was a highlight for me. I returned to the Obelisk Arena for Foals, a band I saw quite a few years ago when they sounded like a good Kasabian crossed with Kings Of Leon. Since then they have become perhaps one of the best bands in the UK, particularly in a live setting. The more dance-oriented material is perfect for bringing a festival to life and Foals most certainly applied a fully cranked musical defibrillator to Latitude. Foals didn’t just bring the crowd alive they took us to musical Valhalla. The light show and screen display were clever, powerful, and sublime. I especially loved the kaleidoscopic, Rorschachy style moving and evolving ink blots. The confetti explosion added an eeriness to proceedings as the confetti just hung in the air, maybe because of the heat of the day or the heat of the crowd. This was a stonking set from a magnificent band.

All the photos, apart from the poster, were taken using my cheap Chinese android phone. The videos were all found on YouTube. If one of them is yours and you would like me to credit you or take it down please let me know.

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“Dead Men Don’t Rape” – Delilah Bon July 30, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:48 am
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Just a few weeks ago the US Supreme Court voted to overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade case, which provided constitutional protections for abortions across the USA for nearly 50 years. The decision to allow abortion now rests with individual states which pushes America ever closer to the fictional land of Gilead in Margaret Attwood’s powerful dystopian novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. This decision is partisan and in my opinion reckless and grossly unfair. A woman must have the right to make decisions regarding her life and her body. The US Supreme Court Justices have taken that away. Not all the justices voted to overturn Roe vs. Wade, but five of them did. Just so that you know who these vile individuals are here are their names; Amy Coney Barrett, (yes a woman voted in favour of this), Samuel A. Alito, Jr, Brett Kavanaugh (although he tempered it with a desire to allow women to travel to other states to have an abortion, that hardly helps Brett, does it?), Neil M. Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas. I don’t usually wish harm and horrible luck to anyone, but I will make an exception for these five bigoted, evil scumbags. America, your democracy is far more broken than ours in the UK (although where you lead we will no doubt follow), when just five individuals can make a decision that takes away the rights of self-determination from millions of women you are clearly out of touch with reality. Wake up America, before it is too late. The justices who opposed this move, Justices Breyer, Kagan and Sotomayor warned that overturning Roe vs. Wade would threaten other high court decisions in favour of gay rights and even potentially contraception. On top of that, it is now crystal clear that guns are more important in America than women are.

Millions of people across the world have expressed their anger and concern over this decision including Delilah Bon (the alter ego of the obscenely talented Lauren Tate) who is a passionate advocate for women’s and minority rights and is not afraid to be very vocal in support of those rights. Unsurprisingly, Delilah Bon has a lot to say about what has happened to women’s rights in the USA. She has unleashed her righteous fury on rapists and the mostly old white men that make these vile decisions in her new single “Dead Men Don’t Rape”. Here is what she had to say about the USA Supreme Court decision and the new track. “After Roe vs Wade was overturned in the USA, I saw the very real aftermath on social media. So many women feeling completely helpless knowing their human right to bodily autonomy had been stripped from them. It made me think of how the system was failing women and those with uterus’ so badly, especially with such high cases of rape and the majority of those cases not resulting in convictions. Not only are the victims being punished in a system that’s meant to protect them, the punishment of illegal abortion in many countries is worse than that of actual rapists. It’s heartbreaking to see cases of women and girls killing their rapists in self-defence and spending their life behind bars because the system would not protect them. I wrote, mixed and produced this song in three days after being so deeply hurt by everything that’s happening right now.” She is absolutely right, why should women be punished for having an abortion? And why the hell do some rapists get less of a sentence than a woman forced to have an illegal abortion? Protest songs are so much better when the delivery has passion, intelligence and anger and on “Dead Men Don’t Rape” Delilah Bon has all three in abundance. The lyrics are stark, and powerful and should hit a nerve at misogynists everywhere. Although given the nature of misogynists they sadly probably won’t. While women’s and LGBTQ+ rights are being stripped away in this so-called civilised world the planet needs Delilah Bon. Everyone should be more Delilah, that is surely a way to help change the world and make it a better place. Be angry when need to be, but direct that anger at the right things. I have copied the lyrics to the track below the YouTube link, they are perhaps Delilah’s most powerful words to date.

You can see Delilah Bon on tour in the UK soon. Check out the dates below. I will be at the Leeds show on 1st October;

DEAD MEN DON’T RAPE
Lyrics & Music Written by Delilah Bon

Dead men don’t rape
Dead men don’t rape
Dead men don’t rape
They get so offended when I say
Dead men don’t rape
But where is their anger when I say
Women are women are women are dying?
This is my body
My body is mine don’t belong to the government
This is my body
It’s mine to decide what the fuck I can do with it
This is my body
My right to decide is my right to my freedom
This is my body yeah yeah
Not just a body yeah
They’re starting a war creating a scene
My body is not just a playground
For men with their guns religion and greed
They’re taking our freedom to breed now
If freedom to choose is taken away
How many more babies will die now?
How many women will die now?
Tell me how many more people will die now?
It’s never been pro life only been pro white
Black mothers fighting for justice
And what about babies you wanna save them?
You only care when they’re unborn
But you’re from the uk doesn’t affect you?
But in the same ship we’re sinking
Untapped is the anger feminist power
A new generation are screaming no
Dead men don’t rape
Dead men don’t rape
You get so offended when I say
Dead men don’t rape
But where is your anger when I say
Women are women are women are dying?
This is my body
My body is mine don’t belong to the government
This is my body
It’s mine to decide what the fuck I can do with it
This is my body
My right to decide is my right to my freedom
This is my body yeah yeah
I am somebody yeah
All of these men do it in secret
Not ready to be a father
So where are their voices where is their anger?
Acting like it doesn’t matter
Punish the victim making her suffer
Nobody even believed her
Now she is pregnant having his baby
Raped by her very own father
Oh i wanna scream
Scream til I break
They say i’m over reacting
But how can i smile put on a face
When all my sisters are dying?
But free are the rapists child molesters walking round
Tasting their freedom
Because of the system no more abortions
And fuck all the children that need them
Dead men don’t rape
Dead men don’t rape
You get so offended when I say
Dead men don’t rape
But where is your anger when I say
Women are women are women are dying?
Women are dying
And every day my thoughts have been spiralling
How many rights will they take from the women
Non binary trans people? Violence?
Is it the answer?
Maybe it is and they’re scared we’ll discover
The strength of our feminine power
The strength of our anger in numbers
We are the witches they burned at the stake
Black brown indigenous women replaced
With voices of only white women today
Who don’t know the struggles that these women face
But this generation is ready to change
We stand with our sisters of every race
We understand racism still has it’s place
In oppressing so many young women today
So keep your politics out of my uterus
And your hands off my body
Excuse me mr people are dying
People are people are people are dying
My body my choice my future
Keep your hands off my body
Excuse me mr women are dying
Women are women are women are dying
And when a guns got more fucking rights that a girl
Keep your politics out of my body
Excuse me mr children are dying
Children are children are children are dying
My body my choice my future
Keep your hands off my body
Women are dying women are dying
Women are women are women are dying
This generation has the tools to push for a brighter future
Where victims are not punished in a system that is meant
to protect them
Women,
trans, non binary and people with uterus’s will have the
rights to their own bodies
And rapists will not walk free anymore no
No
Dead men don’t rape
What the fuck
Dead men don’t rape
No
Dead men don’t rape
Dead men don’t rape

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Latitude Festival 2022- Day 1 – Friday 22nd July July 29, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:38 am
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After a relatively disappointing Day 0 at the Latitude Festival, I was looking forward to a more exciting day on Friday, officially Day 1. First up it was Larkin Poe on the Obelisk Arena stage, made up of sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell. One for fact fans out there is that the sisters are distant relatives of horror maestro and supremely talented author Edgar Allan Poe. They produce some fabulous southern blues rock, which fits given that they are from Atlanta and now reside in Nashville. Rebecca and Megan sure know how to rock and how to wow an audience. I would put them in the same lineage and rock Geneology as Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and maybe Lynrd Skynrd. Check them out, the most recent album, their fifth, ‘Self Made Man’ is rather good. Next, it was off to the Sunrise Arena for American singer-songwriter Penelope Scott. She is not a run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter though, she has deep lyrics and frankly some bloody hilarious lyrics. The dark-humoured and deep “American Healthcare” is a stunningly well-put-together song. The line “I did not become a doctor just to suck the devil’s dick” stayed in my head for ages. Penelope is an obscenely talented troubadour in the vein of Jonathan Richman combined with the wit and wisdom of Peaches. I haven’t seen an artist having so much fun on stage for ages. I am most definitely a Penelope Scott fan now!

Larkin Poe
Penelope Scott

The Alcove Stage was the setting for the next act that I encountered. The wonderfully named Sniffany and the Nits. This lot is a punk band from London who are very loud and sometimes hilarious. A bit like Siouxsie and the Banshees with the earnestness and seriousness stripped away. Ultimately though, and maybe it was just some muddy sound mixing, it was difficult to tell one song from another. Ripon’s magnificently talented Billie Marten was flying the flag for Yorkshire on the Obelisk Arena stage next. I last encountered Billie at a small gig in York some five years ago. Since then she has matured into a wonderfully voiced and eloquent songwriter. Her stage presence and audience rapport are spot on. Her album ‘Flora Fauna’ from last year is well worth a listen. I stayed at the Obelisk Arena for Mdou Moctar who blend Tuareg and Saharan sounds, especially the beats, with western rock. Moctar totally rocked the Arena Stage. This was a great performance from a truly great band. Almost 47 years ago the first band I ever saw at a festival was also an African fusion group. It was Osibisa at the Reading Festival in 1975. The Obelisk Arena had a great Friday line up so I remained for Rina Sawayama. She produces rich, dark, pop grooves which sometimes have a real hard rock edge. Rina getting the crowd at the most middle-class festival in the UK (and possibly the world) to chat “Shut the fuck up” was quite special. Some of the more synth-driven tunes are sublime slices of 21st Century R & B and pop hybrids. This woman oozes musical talent.

Sniffany and the Nits

Next, it was a quick dash to the BBC Sounds Stage for Maximo Park. This band has been around forever. Well technically maybe seventeen years which was when their debut album ‘A Certain Trigger’ was released. Amazingly they just seem to get better and better each time that I see them. The band is incredibly tight and Paul Smith’s social conscience is something to be proud of. But that doesn’t make them over-earnest and po-faced, Maximo Park knows how to entertain a crowd as well. I was keen to encounter Modest Mouse once again after a gap of quite a few years, so I ran over to the Obelisk Arena. In fact, I probably got into Modest Mouse quite late. After reading Johnny Marr’s autobiography I rediscovered them. They are a phenomenal band, especially live. Every song is a classic and frontman Isaac Brock is a man for these times with a world-weary philosophical view of life.

Self Esteem

A quick dash back to the BBC Sounds Stage to catch Self Esteem was next on the agenda. In 47 years of festival going this magnificent set by Self Esteem was undoubtedly one of the finest festival sets that I have ever experienced and I have seen some classics, notably Jeff Buckley, Nirvana, and Radiohead to name just a few. This was a truly spectacular and incredible performance from Self Esteem, a.k.a Rebecca, and her heavenly backing singers, booming bass player, and extraordinarily talented drummer. The latter being the token male in the band. Rebecca has a vocal range that many singers would be prepared to die for. It reminded me at times of Dame David at his operatic best. She has the power and presence of Lady Gaga and Madonna and works the audience into a perfect frenzy. I love that Rebecca brought on a fabulous group of LGBTQ people t the end of the set to dance on stage with her and the band. One Self Esteem lyric tells us that we “need to be more brave“, but it is clear that Rebecca is already super brave in attitude and performance. Self Esteem made Latitude 2022 a truly great festival and spectacle. Where did she get all those Boots Advantage cards? It was back to the Obelisk Arena after that for Maggie Rogers. After that mind-blowing set from Self Esteem, anything that followed was likely to be anti-climatic and less exciting for me. But Maggie Rogers was a gorgeous elixir to help ease that come down. She has a great R & B style voice and her band was magical. The audience lapped up every moment. Based on this I believe that her upcoming album will be something very special. It had been a long and emotionally draining day, thanks Self Esteem, so I headed off to my tent after Maggie Rogers. I really wasn’t up for Lewis Capaldi or Phoebe Bridgers. Although a good friend of mine told me that I missed a brilliant set from A Certain Ratio! I guess you can’t win them all, right?

All the photos, apart from the poster, were taken using my cheap Chinese android phone. The videos were all found on YouTube. If one of them is yours and you would like me to credit you or take it down please let me know.

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“Broken Window” – Vaquelin July 27, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:06 pm
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After the incredibly dark acoustic vibes of their last single “Roads Leading Nowhere” Vaquelin are back with a new one, “Broken Window”. This one is as heavy as hell and rocks that quiet/ loud approach made famous by the Pixies and used (some say stolen) by Nirvana. At times Adrian Boudry’s vocals sound like he has gargled with broken glass, and I do mean that in a positive sense, it is perhaps his heaviest vocal to date. I heard them play “Broken Window” live a couple of months back and it sounded very good, this recording blows everything else away though, like a huge rock juggernaut with no brakes. Callum Scott’s guitar playing could grace any British 70s classic rock hit without lowering the quality. Meanwhile, the rhythm section (Luca Vieira on bass and Jack Stephenson on drums) underpins the song with a drive that may have been carved from the bowels of Mordor. The Vaquelin boys have suggested there may be a new album later this year and if this and the previous single are tasters for that it will be awesome. It will indeed make choosing an album of the year more difficult though as currently their first album ‘Where Dreams Hurt’, released earlier this year, is on my list.

“Broken Window” was actually released a few weeks ago, although the band briefly withdrew it and then replaced it with a much meatier mix. Now the tune has a rather delightful video to accompany it, which was produced by Will Sash. It was filmed in the Fulford Arms in York and features the band running through a live performance of the song in an almost empty venue. There is a rather strange old bloke at the end, making strange faces and drinking a pint of Guinness at the Fully Arms bar. Just who is that old bloke? I feel like I know him. Check out the video below and click here to stream the track on Spotify. If you haven’t checked Vaquelin out yet, where have you been? Get on it now!

Who is the strange bloke at the bar?

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Latitude Festival 2022- Day 0 – Thursday 21st July

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:21 pm
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Having arrived at Henham Park in Suffolk Thursday afternoon for my fourth attendance at the Latitude Festival after a hellish drive from York I was determined to see at least something on what I will call Day 0 of Latitude 2022. I chose to see the Instant Scorechestra on the Lavish Lounge Stage as it was an act that had been recommended to me. Instant Scorechestra is an immersive concept that fuses music, which is very much improvised, played by three key musicians alongside a host of music students and musical volunteers. It is played live in an attempt to provide new soundscapes to classic films which are simultaneously shown on the big screen. I stayed for the ‘Dawn Of Man’ chapter of the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. Regular readers will know that my musical taste is eclectic and that I am open to experimentation in music. But for me, this was somewhat jarring and came across like a bad, very, very self-indulgent jazz workout. In the Instant Scorechestra’s favour, I thought it was great that so many people, including kids, were able to take part. The kid with the stylophone was really enjoying it. Bottom line though I think that John Lennon may well have described this as avant-garde. So not my best start to a Latitude Festival, but I was hopeful that things would improve. Did they? Well, you will need to read the next three instalments to find out!

The Dawn Of Man Chapter from 2001: A Space Odyssey – original soundtrack

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‘Savage Times’ – Marq Electronica July 17, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:06 am
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After releasing some great singles over the past couple of years Marq Electronica has just released his first album, ‘Savage Times’. I have reviewed a couple of his singles and I once said that he is a “Purveyor of some of the finest electronic pop you will find in the UK” This album cements that opinion. The album opens with “Next To Nothing” which has a great dance feel to it and is ripe for a club remix. Marq draws influence from the best of early 80s synth pop and makes it his own. At times his vocals reminded me of Boy George in his Jesus Loves You days back in the early 90s. Next, is “Feeding The Fire” which keeps the dancey feel of the first track and features one of the best vocals on the album. This track, in fact, much of the album, would be an excellent soundtrack to a good gym workout. In “Just Look Around You” I can hear a synth riff that instrumentally would fit well as the theme tune to a hard-hitting Channel 4 documentary. Meanwhile, it is overlaid with a wonderful really positive lyric, with a hook that stays with you long after the sound of the song fades. This really is a stunningly good dance album and, for me, “You Do What You Want” is an epic banging floor filler. The sublime 80s synthpop vibe returns with “Lifetime” with its wonderful abundance of pop hooks. “The Way I Feel” reminded me of early Soft Cell with the sweeping soundscapes putting Visage in my head too. The album closes with “I’m Waking Up To You” which is perhaps one of the most chilled tracks in this collection, although it still wears its dance credentials proudly. The music has a poppy happy vibe while the lyric is kind of dark and positive at the same time.

When I chatted to Marq recently he said that he was immensely proud of ‘Savage Times’ but nervous in equal measures as this is the first time he has given himself full artistic control. I reckon he should reduce the nerves and build up the pride. This is a great album. If I have one criticism it is that it is a little short for me, clocking in at just over 27 minutes, but there is absolutely no filler, this is all killer! Marq had this to say about the album “The album is my reaction to the trauma of losing my father, my crippling self-esteem issues, and the state of the UK and politics. I wanted to create something funky and dancey that reminded me of good times even though the topics were often quite dark – I like the dichotomy. The music reminds me of The Freemasons and Hed Kandi and is mixed with electro and deep house influences to create a full-on dance-pop vibe.” Based on what Marq has given us with ‘Savage Times’ he will clearly be around for a very long while! Get this album into your ears now, by any means necessary, well apart from anything that involves stealing or being unkind of course!

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“Red Dress” – The Last Of The Fallen Angels ft Hannah Robinson July 9, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 2:01 pm
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“Red Dress” is the new single from the Last Of The Fallen Angels and it is out now. The first minute builds wonderfully into something like a musical film noir. The synths are almost sinister at times and the bass rumble adds to the suspense. Hannah Robinson’s voice is haunting and mesmerising in equal measure. Conrad’s deep counter vocal adds to the darkness of the tune. It was produced and mixed by the band’s long-time collaborator Simon Ellis who you will know from his work with the Spice Girls, S Club 7, and Westlife. But trust me this song goes way beyond that group of acts and is a supremely good production. I believe that “Red Dress” may be about gender and how gender lines can be so fluid. The press release refers to the song as “a Trans Atlantic story of love separated by an Ocean. It plays with ideas explored in great songs such as “Lola” (The Kinks) and “Walk on the Wild Side” (Lou Reed). and I can see that. It also delves into online relationships and finding love (or lust) online. The video directed by Henry Phillip Thompson is a thing of sublime beauty and enhances the song gorgeously well. Is this the best single so far from The Last Of The Fallen Angels? I think it is, although they have another due out in September and a new album coming soon too. If this band is not in your life yet then I need a thesis from you explaining why! OK fact fans there have been quite a few songs called “Red Dress”, notably the Sugababes who took theirs to number 4 in the UK charts in 2006, and Alvin Stardust who took his to number one in the UK in 1974. “Red Dress” by The Last Of The Fallen Angels is not a cover and if there was any justice in the world it would match Alvin Stardust’s achievement and reach the top of the charts!

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“Silence Is Golden” – The Beths July 8, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:22 pm
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The Beths come tearing out of Auckland, New Zealand like alien visitors surfing on a comet’s tail with their towering new single “Silence Is Golden”. If you thought it was a cover of the Four Seasons/ Tremeloes hit of the same name, think again, this is a 21st Century song and not a dusty cover. The Beths are singer and guitarist Elizabeth Stokes, (I assume that is where the band gets their name from) guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck. The Beths release their third album ‘Expert In A Dying Field’ in September and after listening to “Silence Is Golden” I will be all over it, and so should you.

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“Trusted” – GmBt Life

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 8:41 pm
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GmBt Life is a French-based three-piece that makes exotic, electro sound collages that draw influences from many sources, particularly the Prodigy on their new single “Trusted”. I think the influence of their diverse backgrounds, I believe they all originate from different countries, shines through. The track is just over two minutes long, and while personally, I would like it to be longer, you can just ply it more (thank you for that advice Pennine Suite). Having listened to this cracking new tune I will be taking their new album ’10 Minutes’, for a spin soon. Thank you, Aleksi, Timo, and Nabim, I look forward to hearing more from you! The video for “Trusted” has a kind of dark sci-fi feel, but with weird soft toys, check it out below and click here to check out GmBt Life on Spotify.

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Sweet May – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 24th June 2022 July 6, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:53 am
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I have been to many gigs promoted by the very talented Simon Pattinson of Northern Radar and so far he has never let me down with a deluge of incredible lineups. Will tonight live up to that reputation? Read on to find out! This was two nights in a row for me at the magnificent Fulford Arms, Sweet May are the headliners, but before them, we were offered a nifty selection of support bands. So let’s talk about those for a while. First up were the Corsairs, a very young (all 14 and 15 I believe) York band playing their first gig at a packed, sold-out Fully Arms. What a great first gig for a young band, who despite their youth oozed confidence on stage. They were a bit Kooksy with elements of the Coral too. The B-Side (how do kids know what that is?) of their single sounded like a classy acoustic track from Just Jack. Definitely, a band to watch out for, if they are this good now what will they be like when they come of age? I love it when a band looks to be enjoying themselves on stage and the Corsairs seemed to be loving it! Following the Corsairs, it was the turn of another talented local band, Pavilion. They were incredibly well-rehearsed and tight and this lot gets better every time I see them. They write and perform epic story songs in the British rock lineage that goes back to the Kinks, and heads to the future via the Smiths and the Libertines. The sound is supremely enhanced and given immense depth by the Ray Manzarek-style keys. It brings a depth that is deeper than the San Andreas Trench. Keep your ears open, there is new music from Pavilion on the way!

Next up was Sun King, a band that I have never seen before, in fact, no one had, this was their first gig. The vocals were monumental, a bit of Robert Plant, some Paul Rodgers in his Bad Company pomp, some soulful Steve Marriott tones and then when he hit those falsetto lines a lot like Prince. The band played wonderful classic rock styles with a nod to soul, jazz, and funk, perhaps taking some influence from the Average White Band, Steely Dan, and a pre-Michael McDonald Doobie Brothers. This is a band I must see again and you really need to as well, that’s an order! Headliners Sweet May kicked off with two heavy tunes, but not just heavy, we are talking as heavy as fuck and heavier than osmium. But it wasn’t all heavy, as along comes “Deep Space”. The intro on this track lulls you into thinking it’s a prog-jazz thing and then it becomes a ground-shaking metal funk workout. Sweet May were on fire and blew the roof off the Fully, only metaphorically of course, but they definitely had the power to do it in real life!

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