Well, it has been an exciting Battle Of The Bands so far this year, six excellent heats and three semi-finals that were the closest ever! But only four bands can make it to the final and those talented bands are; Patience (Semi-final 1 winner), Theseus (Semi-final 2 winner), Offbeat (Semi-final 3 winner), and Sleuth Gang who were given the coveted Judge’s Wild Card. They were my wild card choice!) I have been involved as a judge in this fine contest for three years now (and sometimes stand-in compere) and it gets better. The talent in the music scene in York and Yorkshire is huge. Who will win? I have no idea it could be any one of these four amazing bands. I reckon it will be very close again too. Have you got a ticket? I hope so because they sold out in something like eight hours! It might not be as exciting as the other prizes on offer but if any of the bands would like to do an interview at With Just A Hint Of Mayhem sometime after the final, just give me a shout! (Theseus are ahead of the game and I am sorting out interview dates with them already!) See you on November 3rd! To get you ready check out the playlist below!
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I am always interested in seeing a band that I have never seen before and Plastic Factory are new to me. Are they named after the Captain Beefheart song of the same name I wonder? But I have seen and enjoyed both support acts before. First up it was Eugene Gorgeous, they are like a swampier, slightly less frenetic, but definitely still a tad bluesy Dr. Feelgood. They have some great songs, particularly the cannibal track. That one was hilarious, entertaining, and like no other band. There is a slight undercurrent of Nick Cave in their sound. They can be quite funky at the same time as showing their post-punk chops! Eugene Gorgeous creates gorgeous music for gorgeous people and not-so-gorgeous people too!
Victory Samosa have a complete arsenal of original pop-rock hooks. There is so much to like in their music which draws on some of the finest British artists. At times there were elements of the early Dire Straits, Rockpile, and Nick Lowe. Their songs are classic and well-thought-out story songs that are hard not to like. When they really put the pedal to the floor they sound like a more edgy Killers. Will Evans’ voice has hints of both Elvis Costello and John Lennon. I am still hoping that there will be a Victory Samosa album someday. Oh, and I have to say that the man on drums for Victory Samosa seems like the happiest drummer in the world. A truly great band!
Plastic Factory were here to give a formal launch to their album ‘Forgotten Dreams’ which was released a couple of days previously. They have a jingle jangle indie style with some cool ’60s vibes thrown in, think maybe the Byrds and the Hollies. The featured harmonica adds a fabulous extra dimension to some great songs. “The Bluest Eye” is based on Toni Morrison’s first novel, published in 1970, and is a stand-out track. Maybe I need to read the book now! “Tough Decisions” was a fine slice of funky rock which was like a polished Stranglers demo just missing the organ work of Dave Greenfield. My favourite track of the night was “Hollow Gesture”, a song which I believe is a smart takedown of that ridiculous clap for the NHS thing during Covid. The crowd participation, which was obviously clapping, was ace on this one! The closing cover choices were sublime and perfect; “Let’s Stick Together” (Bryan Ferry) and a magnificent take on the Feelgood’s “Down By The Jetty”. Plastic Factory played a blinder and I got to make two Dr. Feelgood references in one post, so all in all a great night of music!
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This was originally a headline gig for Belle Velvet, but unfortunately, they had to pull out which meant that the new headliner was Ryan Burnett, but more of him later. The first to take the stage was the previously unbilled Michael Collinson. Michael is a singer-songwriter with a fine collection of heartfelt, hook-driven songs. I love how he introduces a great percussive element via his guitar and rather nifty looping talent. He also used some great backing tracks. “Bring It Back Again” showcased his acoustic guitar skills. The highlight for me was “Crying” (an original song, not a cover of the Roy Orbison classic). He reminded me of some of the best 1970s troubadours mixed with some sublime alt.country stylings on this song. Well worth checking out!
It is a while since I have seen Moongate (a.k.a Cat), her songs are still very sad laments, but that does not take away how good these tunes are. “Junction 5” is possibly her saddest song, so she confessed that she doesn’t play it very often. Let us not forget that sad songs can be very good, especially when they are played with an abundance of the grace and talent that Moongate possesses. Apparently, everyone hates Jonathan, Moongate certainly does, given that two songs in this set were about him. The new one featured a backing track that was “not top-notch, but nearly notch”. After those two songs, I think I really don’t like Jonathan much either. Her closing song, “Trigger”, is divinely and deeply sad. Will Moongate ever write a happy song? Maybe she will, but when the sad songs are this good does she really need to?
Finally, it was the turn of Ryan Burnett and this was his first time playing solo at the Fulford Arms. The clarity and depth in his voice is comparable to Jeff Buckley at times. His cover of the Vampire Weekend song “Campus” was perfect, he made it his own rather than just a facsimile. Ryan’s new “dark” song sent shivers down my spine, in a good way, as the ghost of Jeff Buckley showed up again. This guy has a hugely understated talent and I don’t think that he realises how good he is yet. Even a new song which remains a work in progress was good, even getting a little lost in the middle of that one took nothing away from Ryan’s stunning performance. To cap it all he received his A-level results earlier in the day, and I hear that the boy done good! 🙂
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Sometimes I am attracted to a gig by the name of a band or artist and sometimes I am drawn by the opportunity to see someone I have never seen before. This gig pulled me in for both reasons; I had never seen either act and love the name Tercelvoice. I understand that it comes from the Chaucer poem ‘The Parlement of Foules’ and tercel was derived from the Latin word for “one third”, with “tiercel” referring to a male falcon which is one-third smaller than its female counterpart. There were only two acts on the bill; first, it was Makk from Harrogate. This was a wonderfully intimate set that perfectly showcased his confessional songs. There is an ethereal fragility in his canon of heavenly tunes. It was a set full of highlights, my favourites were “Valleys”, “Fifty” and “Rhyme Or Reason”. But the Radioheadesque “Two” soared high above everything else. If you get a chance to see Makk live then do it!
Tercelvoice is a very tight and hugely talented band. Frontman Andy Squires has a soulful voice that evokes Steve Marriott at times. On the more proggy tracks he projected a prog Tom Petty in his stylings. This is a band that is very difficult to drop into a specific genre box, there is prog, there is funk, there is rock, and many other strands. But most of all they are a bloody good band. The drumming was phenomenal throughout and drove the band to some stratospheric heights. “Hollowman” is gloriously Beatlesesque in its style and execution and was one of my favourites of the evening. There was a beautifully pulled-together Paul Weller and Robbie Robertson going on with “Call To Arms”. Meanwhile, “Take It Apart” has a delightful dark funk feel to it. They certainly saved the best to last with a colossal and perfect “This Is Our Time”, what a tune! Tercelvoice is a stunningly good and highly original band that shines in every department; drums, bass, guitar, and all that is overlaid with soaring and sonically superb voice. Get some Tercelvoice in your life. I met Andy Squires and he is not only a great singer and musician, he is a top bloke!
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Tonight was a chance to see a few bands that I hadn’t seen for a while. The headliners were Pennine Suite who I last saw in January 2022. Support was from Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands 2022 winners the Palava, I last saw them at the BOTB final in December 2022. The first act on stage was the White Roses, I last saw them in February of last year, they are not simply a rock band, they are a truly entertaining band. Each time I see them they get better and better. Vocally Eliie draws on Joan Jett’s rawness and Stevie Nicks’s completeness while Jack’s guitar is a highly original and essential part of the band’s sound. The voice harmonies evoke Fleetwood Mac. “This Town” is a great song, but the anthemic epic that closed the set was extraordinary indeed! They have a new EP due soon and on the strength of this set I reckon it will be a classy release!
The Palava have grown immensely in emotion, scope, skill, and ambition since I last saw them. Their songs have grown into more complex and wonderfully played mini-epics. There were some really great jazzy, punky, and funky licks with great use of some nicely incorporated major 7th chords in some of their tunes. They maintain an infusion of ’60s psychedelia and a pinch of 90s Indie.”Remedy” (which in its recorded version features Kitty VR) and “Lie To Me” were incredible highlights, but even those two Palava specials pale against the next single “Foreign Ground” which sounds like it will be the band’s best song to date. They looked like they were loving playing live, and that just enhanced their performance.
If I was a headliner I would not have fancied following the Palava onto the stage, but Pennine Suite raised their game and blew the fucking house down! They are a band on fire, but not just a little flame, I am talking super nova levels of heat! The set opener “Everything Begins” (what an appropriate song to start with) reminded me of the Cure. The depth of their sound grows with every gig. Louise’s keyboard licks, riffs, and motifs add huge breadth to the band. Her playing on “M.O.W.O” gives an eerie circus-like feel to the song. The new track “Manhattan” is thunderously good and needs to be a single, RIGHT NOW! Harry’s guitar was magnificent on this track and the power and drive from the mighty rhythm section of Moses and Louis is a close to perfect as you could get! The crowd was spontaneously chanting the band’s name four songs into the set. Clearly the crowd fucking love this lot and was in full voice from start to finish. There were plenty of highlights in their twelve-song set, the biggest for me was a pounding “Pass On You”. But even that was surpassed by beyond epic and truly awesome upcoming single “Tropical Fantasy”, when Pennine Suite rock out they do it like a huge bastard rock god. Frontman Nick has grown wonderfully confident over the years since I first saw him fronting the Receivers more than five years ago. He really commands his audience and the new songs are just so good. I am not sure where this thought popped up from but I would love to hear Pennine Suite do a funky cover of a Lou Reed song, maybe “Vicious” from ‘Transformer’. This was a stunning end to a brilliant night of live music.
As a footnote, I went on for a couple more drinks after the gig with Simon P from Northern Radar Promotions and Rusty and Pete from ace York band Lost Trends. Note to self, don’t do it again, and avoid a hangover from hell!
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I was initially attracted by the whole concept of the Blackheart Orchestra given the myriad of ways in which they have been described online; acoustically electronic and a duo that sounds like an eight-piece band. I was even more intrigued to discover that this gig was to be a very intimate all-seated show. So, what was the Blackheart Orchestra like? Read on dear readers I need to tell you about the support act first. She is called Autumn Dawn Leader and yes that is her real name. Her music is impassioned, passionate, and emotional electronic folk. Musically, on some songs, I felt a hint of the more ambient elements of ‘Low’ period David Bowie (with Brian Eno). Her more classical piano sound on other songs made me think of Philip Glass. Vocally I felt that Autumn has some Siouxse and Kate Bush vibes. She is a truly original artist with some great songs. I loved the power displayed in “Seaweed Dreams” which, for me, was on a par with Kate Bush in her most “out there” moments. Autumn is also a life model and she has written a gorgeous song, “Living Art”, about that part of her life. “Radioactive” was described by Autumn as a nerdy love song, it certainly is, but it is also a very fine one. She switched to guitar for “What It Is”, a deep, dark ballad, on which the hurt and the anger were almost palpable. She closed with the multi-octave epic “Howl”. It is hard not to love Autumn Dawn Leader. I am now a fan!
The stage set up for the Blackheart orchestra looked like it was set for many more people than just multi-instrumentalists Chrissy Mostyn and Richard Pilkington and I can confirm that they have a sound that is so mighty and potent that they do sound like an eight-piece unit. Their sound is a weird and wonderful mix of Gothish, proggy, and folky electronica. Imagine if you will the Eurhythmics taking their sound back to nature, that is one way that the Blackheart Orchestra made me feel. They are in possession of some stunning songs and heavenly harmonies. There is a rich vein of prog rock running through what they do and apparently, the prog crowd has adopted them. The obvious comparison with Chrissy’s voice is probably Kate Bush, but in her phrasing and projection on some songs I picked up traces of Dolores O’Riordan. The huge range of sound the band hits the audience with is cinematic in scope, vision, and ambition. It is often haunting, always phenomenal, and if music can be described as physically beautiful, pulchritudinous! “A Dangerous Thing” is the perfect example of the band’s enormous soundscape. Why was “Under The Headlights” not a huge hit? It has everything that a perfect rock or pop song needs; hooks, gorgeous melody, and the musicianship and voices are off the scale. In a set full of highlights my favourite moments were “Astronaut” and the majestically epic “The Flood”. The melodic use of the bass guitar is stunning! I also loved the playing the guitar with a bow moment, in homage to the dark master himself, Jimmy Page. The Blackheart Orchestra is an unbelievably classy act, can someone offer them the chance to record a James Bond theme, please? Even their merch is delightfully tasteful. They might have run out of tea towels, but a dedicated fan (a really nice chap) has built a Blackheart Orchestra Bird Box, now that just adds to the magic of this band. If you have not heard them before, start listening now, that is an order!
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The original line-up for this gig included Fully Arms favourites I Tell Lies, sadly they had to pull out. What was their replacement like? They might be a late addition to the bill, but what a fucking magnificent band Safe Harbour is! Heavy, passionate, emotional songs and they didn’t just play, this was a proper show. They played an explosive set, with intensity dialed up to 11, and gave it everything. The singer is totally captivating and has an awesome, soaring voice. There were many highlights but for me, the biggest were “Let Me Breathe” and “Sedated”. I hope I got the title of the second one right! This is a band that I think can become huge!
Next up it was one of Mayhem’s favourite bands Hærtstrings, winners of last year’s Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands contest. It is hard to believe that this band played their first gig around seven months ago. They get better every gig and I think I have now seen them four or five times. They clearly watched Safe Harbour and rose to the challenge of “how the fuck do you follow that” with a great performance. KJ’s face makeup gave him an ethereal look under the lights, although I think he suffered for that by sweating white makeup into his eyes. His voice was great, he channels his passion and anger perfectly, and he is shaping up to be a great frontman. The whole band were in top form, but I will mention guitarist Archie, who, despite a cut finger, played like a guitar god. I have always loved a band or artist that it is not easy or impossible to put into a genre box and Hærtstrings are one of those!
Finally, it was time for headliners the Apocalypse Disco. They have one of the best band names ever and were on fire tonight. If the apocalypse was truly happening then this gig would have been the one to end the world with! Ian and Robin make far more sound than you would expect from two people and what a sound it is. banging tunes that arise from the ashes of the Prodigy with an added punk attitude. Their music compels you to dance and if you were standing still during this set, what is wrong with you? “Welcome To The Disco” is a post-apocalyptic party anthem and “Alive”, which we were treated to twice, is an electro singalong like no other. I don’t believe that anyone was quiet during that song. And are there many better opening lines than “God loves a sinner, thank fuck for that”, I think not! They gave a lovely shout-out to Kurt Cobain and played an incredible cover of George Harrison’s “Art Of Dying”. Following Safe Harbour and Hærtstrings was a huge challenge, but the Apocalypse Disco did it with a performance which registered on the Richter Scale!
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This was a gig to kick off the launch of the new Soma Crew album ‘Confused OK’ which we reviewed here at Mayhem Towers a few days ago, click here to read it. But before I tell you about Soma Crew I have to speak about the two support acts. The first to take the stage was Pascallion. His guitar style was like Chet Atkins on a Hendrix trip with some Jeff Buckley thrown in. As for his songs, wow, imagine if a Thom Yorke demon had possessed Bob Dylan, that is how it sounded to me. Obviously, this just proves that sometimes demonic possession can be good, right? When Pascallion used prerecorded backing tracks (or were they samples) it was like Groove Armada attempting acoustic folk. This guy is very good!
Sewage Farm was next, they sounded like early Nirvana but leaned more towards garage than punk. There were some great hooks and melodies on display and some of these were quite Beatlesesque at times. There were occasions where they reminded me of ‘Monster’ period R.E.M. This band are three great musicians but I want to give a huge shout-out to the drummer he was stunning on the night. So based on this set, I can confirm that, at least musically, don’t stink! They probably don’t stink from a personal hygiene perspective either, but I didn’t get close enough to confirm.
Finally, it was time for the monumental, magnificent, magical, mesmerising, mighty musical powerhouse that is Soma Crew. This bunch is clearly one of the best bands to arise in York and their new album is, for me, possibly their best yet. Soma Crew is always a great live band and tonight was no exception. The new songs are superb on record but in a live setting, they blow up and rip the multiverse apart with more power than Thanos held in the Infinity Gauntlet. Frontman Si Micklethwaite tried to add another dimension to the show with white sheets and his white suit upon which some psychedelic, surreal, and epilepsy-inducing projections were played. Is this similar to those 1960s Pink Floyd Happenings? Incidentally, those projections worked perfectly on Si’s suit for most of the night. There were many highlights in this relatively long set, particularly from the new album. For me, the best moments were”Mirage” and “This Illusion” but the one that blew everything else out of the water was “Propaganda Now”. That really summoned up the spirit of Hawkwind. This has been one of the best gigs I have been to this year so far!
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Sunday nights are usually fun at the Fulford Arms and the visit of Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra on 25th February maintained that magic. This was another excellent show put together by Joe Coates of Please Please You. There was only one support act and it was the ever-wonderful Dan Lucas a.k.a. the Barry White of Country (that title comes courtesy of Ginger Wildheart!). Tonight Mr Lucas was performing using his esteemed title Boss Caine, this time as the Boss Caine Trio. The mighty York troubadour was aided and abetted by Kieran on violin and Jon on harmonica. It was a wonderful set with songs that touch on every emotion on the emotional spectrum and feed your soul as well. There were plenty of highlights, but my particular highs were “Ghosts And Drunks”, “Slave To the Song” and one of my favourite Boss Caine tunes, “Lonesome Crow”. But above all of those is the sublime and heavenly “Truck Stop Jukebox”
Next, it was time for the headliners Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra. How the hell have I never seen this lot before? Rob and the boys are a party band for the times when you don’t even know that you need a party. This is proper honky tonk, country, bluegrass, blues, and very early rock ‘n’ roll styles. There are plenty of excellent originals from this band, but the choice of covers perfectly fits them and the current times. Notably “Bank Failures” a song from 1931 (the year that my Dad was born) and recorded at the time by the delightfully named Bob Ferguson and his Scalawaggers. Rob Heron and his band are obscenely talented. If any period drama from the late 1940s or early 1950s in the USA needed an authentic sounding band for their production they should look no further than Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra. I bloody love “Hangover Blues” and that is something that Mr Heron might have suffered the following day after the on-stage tequila consumption. My high spot of the night was “The Horse That You Rode In On”. If you get the chance, go and see this band, you will not be disappointed and you will leave the gig with a smile. The band is recording a new album soon with Jerry Casino in an analog studio in Berlin. You can help to make that happen by contributing to their crowd funder, click here to add some cash!
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This was another Northern Radar show and as I have said before, Simon P, Head Honcho of that splendid promotions company has never let me down with a dud band…..yet! Did that change at this gig? read on to find out. First up it was King Thieves with some anthemic rock with a sprinkling of blues. This was coupled with soaring and soulful vocal contributions from the guitarist and drummer. The rumbling bass lines were sometimes evocative of New Order’s Peter Hook. They played a new song, “Lucifer” which was fantastic and made me think of early-period Manic Street Preachers. A great band that is new to me.
Next was the Hangnails, a band I had seen in a previous incarnation, as a two-piece in 2014. They were called And The Hangnails back then. They have developed so much and moved forward tremendously since then, they are now playing as a three-piece. Was that Mr. Blackwell on bass and keys? The Hangnails’ new material is spectacularly good and in describing their performance I will need to use the word anthemic once again. The vocals hint at Bono, Ian McCulloch, and Tim Booth. Their songs ooze emotion and are filled with hooks to die for. A phenomenally good band!
Finally, it was time for the headliners, King Nun, who apparently have been around for eleven years. How the fuck is that possible? Were they formed in primary school? This was their first gig in York and I hope it won’t be their last. I spoke to four people in the audience tonight who had come to see them here off the back of the support slots they did for Nothing But Thieves. Their sound has some Nirvana and Pixies influences with some classic punk sound, attitude, and poses thrown into the mix. Their multiple guitar assault fired riff, after riff, after riff into the happily shellshocked crowd. They packed the power of a Panzer Division in World War Two. If they turned their power up even half a notch they might have laid waste to the venue. I am pleased to say that didn’t happen. The band’s excursions into the crowd ignited the already excited punters. They cheekily threatened jazz, but thankfully they didn’t deliver on that. But one of the guitarists was so committed to the cause he gave his blood up in the final song! After tonight I am now a huge fan of King Nun! Oh and just to confirm, Simon from Northern Radar still hasn’t let me down! It was also great to catch up with so many people that I know at this fab venue (Simon, Joe, Chris, Billie, Tim, Amelia, and many more!)
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