Chloe Munt oozes talent and following some absolutely stunning tracks in recent years when fronting My Wonderful Daze and Please Remain Calm she is back as her solo alter ego Pick The Flowers. Her new single, “Jigsaw”, is haunting and emotional. Chloe’s musical versatility has no bounds and this new song shows her skill as an electronic artist. She certainly doesn’t allow herself to be genre-boxed, this tune is very, very different from her previous bands’ much heavier output. I would love to hear a dance remix of “Jigsaw”. I think it would work really well. Check out this gorgeous tune now! It is available on all streaming platforms.
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This was my first Northern Radar gig for a while, but would it be fair to say that Head Honcho Simon P put on a good show, after all, he has never let me down yet. You’ll need to read on to find out how he did with this one though. Unfortunately, original headliners, Sick Joy had to pull out owing to illness, and on top of that only two-thirds of Please Remain Calm were able to make it for similar reasons, their drummer and bass player were missing This meant that Please Remain Calm took the stage first for an acoustic set. But this was no subdued, quiet acoustic set, it was a stunning tour de force. Chloe’s voice has become a towering force of nature with hints of both Amy Lee and Bjork. The guitarist was spectacular while maintaining the cool, calmness, and style of Bernard Butler in his Suede prime. “Smoke And Mirrors” has the makings of a classic future anthem, as does “Fall Apart”. Their cover of the Howl and the Hum’s “Hostages” was sublime, emotional, soulful, and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, truly a beautiful take on a fantastic tune. I am so looking forward to experiencing a fully amped-up electric set from Please Remain Calm soon!
Please Remain Calm
A new band to me, Sweet May was up next. This is another great band with a resurgent 70s rock style. The lead singer/ guitarist made me think of Paul Kossoff, both visually and through his splendiferous guitar licks. His voice was more Paul Rodgers than Paul Kossoff though. There is hard rock, blues, and a sprinkling of funk in Sweet May‘s sweet sounds. The funk element is courtesy of the superlative drum and bass partnership. On some of the more extended wig-outs, I sensed maybe a Uriah Heep vibe going on. Set closer “Insane” was truly insane, but in an astonishingly good way! I definitely want to see this band again.
Adrian – Vaquelin
Finally, it was time for headliners Vaquelin to storm the stage. After a few feedback issues during their opening number the band moved into a solid heavy rock groove playing songs from their stunningly good debut album, ‘Where Dreams Hurt‘. The band were headlining tonight as Sick Joy had to pull out. But one of the many things that I love about Vaquelin is that they seem to play every set like a headliner, personally, I would hate to be in a band that has to follow them! Callum told me later that he couldn’t hear his guitar for the whole show, presumably fall-out from the earlier feedback issues. But frankly, his playing was up to his usual Jimmy Pagesque best. Adrian was on fire in the vocals department and we need new song, “Broken Windows” to be recorded and released as soon as possible, that was a set highlight for me. Once again the bands showed that Led Zeppelin ‘Hammer Of The Gods’ power with a rhythm section forged in the depths of Asgard! I could watch this band again and again and so could their passionate fans who I previously named Vaquelinians. Well, I suppose I am a proud Vaquelinian too! Did I hear a rumour that they have another album in the pipeline? I hope so!
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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Please Remain Calm, a new Leeds based five piece rock band announce their arrival with a debut single that could knock the Incredible Hulk into next week and smash Thor’s hammer into a million pieces! I cannot see anyone remaining even moderately calm when gigs return and Please Remain Calm hit the stage. This is a huge metal anthem in waiting, riffs forged in the obsidian bowels of Mordor and a rhythm section that could not get heavier if they tried. There is an orchestral feel to the melodies, especially in the chorus. Flowers (a.k.a. Chloe) gets better every time I hear her, either solo or as the front woman of incredible York band My Wonderful Daze. On this track she channels her inner Amy Lee and frankly is as good, if not better than some of Amy’s finest Evanescence moments. On the strength of this single Please Remain Calm have the ability to be huge and I hope they are!
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