With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

Jamnesty – Fulford Arms, York Friday 11th July 2025 July 13, 2025


On a baking hot July evening, the Fulford Arms in York was lit up with an electric mix of energy, activism, and genre-hopping joy for this year’s Jamnesty gig, a fundraiser in support of Amnesty International. (If you would like to donate, just click here) The lineup was packed with local talent and rising stars, each bringing something distinctive to the stage, a fiery combination that nearly blew the roof off. It was also great to see so many staff and students from Huntington School on the night and on the stage!

The evening opened with El & Ewan, a duo whose stripped-back acoustic set delivered a punch of raw honesty. Armed only with guitar and their voices they gave us a delightful set of gorgeously performed, mostly, sad songs. They both seemed a little nervous, but that didn’t stop them from playing a simply gorgeous cover of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”.

Next up, the Sparrows took the stage with a richer, bluesy, dirty garage rock sound. There were covers from the 60s to the 90s from artists that included the Stone Roses, Johnny Cash, Oasis (sadly), James and the Beatles. “Sit Down” was a mega hit with the crowd as they swayed, then stomped, then whooped. A huge shout out to the drummer who was, frankly, phenomenal! A great set from a fresh band.

The tone shifted both dramatically and delightfully with The Fruity Pebbles, who brought neon energy and a funk-pop vibe that was danceable and addictive. They had the room bouncing from their first song. Beneath their wonderfully playful façade was tight musicianship and a band that clearly seemed to have rehearsed well. Their take on Abba’s “Voulez Vous” poured funk into an already funky tune and the emotion was off the scale as they closed with a powerful take on Robbie Williams’ “Angels”.

Next it was a chance for deep groove to meet grit as the Apocalypse Disco lived up to their name. This was a fusion of funk, disco, and dystopian theatrics. Think Giorgio Moroder meets Nine Inch Nails in a synthy warehouse rave, or perhaps the Prodigy on speed. Frontman Robin led a hypnotic performance of “Alive” that turned the Fulford Arms into a sweaty dance floor, the ceiling was dripping sweat too. The apocalyptic groove ran deep as the duo showed that they were easily the most danceable protest music of the night. Namaste motherfuckers!

Then came Fendry, whose headline set proved exactly why they’re one of the UK’s most talked-about rap acts right now. He gave the early part of his set to the mightily talented Rashevos (I hope I spelled that correctly).After that Fendry commanded the crowd from his first rhyme to his last cipher. He has confidence, style, skill and just the right level of arrogance. He has the talent to be as big as Skepta or even Eminem. Fendry is a rapper and grime artist originally from York, but now based in Wembley, London. His recent rise has been through the PenGame rap battle circuit and a string of energetic singles, he continues making waves in the underground scene. He is undefeated in several battles, including wins against JM and Domi Dusk. He gave the crowd a bold, beautiful end to a night of music that meant something.

Jamnesty 2025 at the Fully wasn’t just a gig, it was a statement. The Fulford Arms provided the perfect DIY venue vibe, and the acts each channeled the spirit of resistance, rebellion, and release in their own way. Whether it was acoustic melancholy or disco-punk anarchy, the message rang clear: music can, and will, fight back! Our world needs more nights like this, if you fancy organising your own Jamnesty event then click here for more information.

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‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ – Delilah Bon September 14, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:55 pm
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Delilah Bon’s sophomore album is about to hit the streets, will it be one of those difficult second albums? Read on to find out! Album opener “Hey World” kicks off with Delilah introducing herself to the world over a synth-like orchestration and repeating a piano pattern reminiscent of Eminem in his prime. If you are new to Delilah this might me more to you, but either way it is a perfect start. next up is the previous single “Maverick” from March this year on International Women’s Day. It is another incendiary blend of rap and metal on which Delilah is in explosive form. Once again misogynists will be pissed off, but who gives a fuck about them? Delilah has this to say about “Maverick” “It is a song about self-worth and reclaiming your confidence, reminding yourself that you belong in the rooms you don’t always feel welcomed in. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and believing in your power without needing the approval of others.” As always Delilah is absolutely on point as the definition of maverick in my dictionary is “an unorthodox or independent-minded person“, Delilah Bon is clearly both of those!

The title track “Evil Hate Filled Female” came out in May this year. It is an anthemic metal masterpiece with buckets of punked-up funk underlying it. Some of the drum fills sound like a full-on machine gun attack. Meanwhile, Delilah’s words spit more venom than an Inland Taipan. If Delilah’s anger and passion could be bottled it would power the planet for ages. She unleashes her deepest rock growl on this track and it will scare the living fuck out of misogynists, homophobes, and all haters! The metal riffs are more metal than most metal bands could even hope to achieve. The “la la la” hooks were so obviously created in pop heaven. Some of the music in the verses has a warped far-eastern horror film soundtrack feel to it. If music could kill sex offenders, abusers, and misogynists then “The Internet”, would be a lethal weapon. Delilah has some sharp punk and rap influences but since her arrival, she has developed into one of the most original artists on the planet. This was the fourth single from this album. It is a brooding dark beat with the best Delilah ciphers so far. Speaking in the guise of female-hating keyboard warrior Harry Dick Delilah bares her fangs and aims her venom at the vile individuals that spout pathetic and worthless hate. For lines like “All these people offended by transgenders send your children to church to god-loving sex offenders” it is way above the competition and the glorious dig at professional sweaty nonce Prince Andrew is sublime. I love the way that Delilah continues to turn all the shit she takes and uses it to fight back.

From the fly buzzing sound that introduces this song to the weird horror vibe of the music to the deeply personal and inspirational lyrics, “Finally See Me” is Delilah Bon at her best. The song deals with Delilah/ Lauren being bullied at school and appears to be a paean of her triumphing over those who bullied her by becoming the incredibly talented artist that she now is. She passionately stands up for the bullied, the misfits, and the outcasts and she deserves huge respect for that. Musically this shows her starting to cipher as well, if not better than, Eminem. Meanwhile, this track has a feel of Jonathan Davis, Korn frontman about it. Delilah takes on old-school rap bragging style with “I Am The Best (Ask Your Momma)” and it works perfectly, this epitomises perfect rap with a sublime pop style. She has just released a video for this song and it is one of her best film moments! I was reminded of Eminem by the beats and instrumental hooks used on “Villain” but lyrically it is pure Delilah. This one has a dark musical tone and the music moves nicely into a creepy clown carnival vibe toward the end. “My Girlz” is a bouncy, brass-laden track with Delilah delivering one of her best rap performances to date.I also felt that this had some hidden Beyonce style lurking in the background.

I can imagine all the grown-ass misogynists getting their panties in a twist if they ever hear “Grown Ass Men”. When Delilah is angry everyone needs to fucking listen! “Freak Alert” has a great electro sound underpinning it and a repeated bass pattern that stays with you long after the track has ended. What is it with high-profile artists, well almost any artists, being so fearful of speaking out against the likes of Epstein and his ilk? Delilah has no such fear and she lets us know on the stunning “Epstein”. Meanwhile on “Volatile” she is brutally honest about how this world makes her feel but on top of that she ciphers about what is wrong with the state of the world. When her rhymes express anger the Bon bile is directed at misogynists and haters everywhere. (“Cos Mr Industry thinks that every woman’s the same”). This song is a slow and dark metal rap that only Delilah Bon can do as adeptly as this. It describes many of her negative experiences in the music industry. Sadly we don’t live in a perfect world, but if we did then “Drop Dead Delilah” would be a huge hit. I love the carnival sound from the keyboard. If you like a warped undercurrent of electro-ska punk and horror comics then the album closer “Committed A Crime” will be right up your street, it is weird, wonderful, and shows just how good Delilah is.

Delilah Bon’s sophomore album, “Evil, Hate Filled Female”, tops the heights of her first and is easily a contender for album of the year! Sexist pricks in the music industry and in society should fear the level of venom directed at them throughout the record, but sadly they will not, so it is up to all of us who believe in fairness and equality to join the Bon Bon Battalion and fight for it. Delilah is an inspiration to women and oppressed minorities everywhere, despite her own fears. Let us all stick up for those who are oppressed and can’t stick up for themselves. Let us be there for Delilah too. Minorities, those of you who have been abused and put down, we’ve got your back, and we stand up for Delilah’s punky, rebellious clarion call. Men, we know you mean well when you say, “It’s not all men”, but that doesn’t change anything does it? I am an old white male and I support equality for women, LGBTQ+, and all decent humans.

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“UNDER” – Ghost Arcadia June 13, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:16 pm
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London-based four-piece rock band Ghost Arcadia is back in the classy rock groove with their first single in 14 months, “UNDER” which hit the streets last month. It is an emotional-sounding, anthemic song with a huge sound to match the clearly massive ambition it carries. There are titanic guitar riffs, harmonic and guttural vocals from Reuben Beau Davies, and some cinematic synth patterns. This might seem a bit pop driven at times, but underneath it all it is as heavy as fuck! The band spoke about the inspiration for the track “It’s an exploration of the everyday battles we face within ourselves. From addiction to self-doubt, we all face battles at some point in our lives. The song conveys the message that even when you are at your lowest, there is still a way out; there is still a light left to guide you from the “Under”. Sometimes, we must dive into our darkest depths before we can finally find a way out.” The song is a great taster for their new EP ‘What We Become’ which will arrive later this year!

Click here to listen to “UNDER” on Spotify!

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Soma Crew – Album Launch – Fulford Arms, York – Wednesday 3rd April 2024 April 4, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 5:44 pm
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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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