Well we promised you some Christmas surprises, and here is the second of those. This time it’s the turn of ace York band and devoted Leeds United supporters Skylights. Well guitarist Turnbull thanks to social distancing. But I am sure the rest of the band share that sentiment! Check out Turnbull’s Christmas message below. Regular readers will know that I am a big Skylights fan and if you don’t have them in your life yet, now’s your chance. Click here to visit there site where you will find a great collection of videos, music and some pretty tasty merch too 🙂 When gigs come back you really should get yourself down to a Skylights show, it’ll be well worth it!
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One of the best bands ever to arise from York, Skylights, are back to light up that Covid darkness for us all! Strangely with a song called “Darkness Falls”. It starts like a mellow acoustic driven song that the Who have been known for but it builds in gorgeous layers into an inspiring anthemic crescendo. A real giant of a tune. The production, by Jonny G, throws everything, including a full orchestra sound and the kitchen sink into it, and it works, on an epic scale. Rob puts in his greatest vocal performance to date with a commanding voice that soars above the music on a wave of soulfulness. The rambunctious rhythm section marshalled by Jonny and Myles keeps things ticking perfectly while the guitar fills, riffs and especially the solos from Turnbull weave around the melody like a gold thread made from the great lost chord. I also love that this tune ends rather than fades. Not only that it ends with a great drum fill from Myles, reminiscent of the way the Manic Street Preachers closed “A Design For Life”. Write these boys off at your peril, they are here to stay. It’s a tough call but I believe seeing Skylights playing live once more will be more exciting than having Leeds United back in the Premier League! It is out on 23rd October, I have ordered my yellow vinyl 7 inch, have you? You haven’t? Well just click here and get your copy sorted.
After October 23rd I will edit this post to include some streaming links, I will leave you no opportunity to ignore this classic in the making!
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This would be the sixth time that I have seen Skylights in 18 months. These boys keep getting better. But more of them later, first there were a couple of support acts to talk about. Kicking proceedings off were Mad Leisure from Leeds. They are clearly great musicians and a pretty tight band, the vocals are good too. But for me, their songs are all a bit derivative of Oasis and other Brit Pop sounds and lack a real spark. I would like to see Mad Leisure take a step higher and expand their horizons musically. If they don’t then I fear they will never stand out from the crowd.
The second act to hit the stage was something on another level entirely. I am talking about Sounds Like A Storm, also from Leeds. They are classic rockers for the 21st Century and I believe that they have a great future ahead of them. Most of this crowd was probably at the venue for the headliners but that did not bother Sounds Like A Storm in the slightest. They went for it and drew a lot of punters away from the bar with their heady mix of punk, classic rock, great tunes, and immense sass. There is a raw garage rock element to their sound which underpins the passion and honesty in their lyrics. Sounds Like A Storm acts like a band that was born for the live arena and I intend to get more of them into my life!
In 18 months Skylights have had some huge success and 2020 will see them become even bigger. These lads are massive Leeds United fans and like their team they have the potential to move up to the rock music premier league. Their musical roots run deep into British music history to the Small Face, slate 70s punk, Johnny Marr at his Smiths peak, Oasis when they were good and the Inspiral Carpets. But it is not just these roots, Skylights have their own unique talent that makes them more than just another indie rock band. They are possibly one of the tightest bands around. Jonny and Myles provide a rhythm that purrs like a finely tuned Rolls Royce while Turnbull throws magnificent guitar hooks, riffs, and shapes across every song that moves from psychedelic to moody shoegaze and covers every base in between. On top of that, you have Rob’s classic vocal performance with a powerful command of the stage. He has the manic 1,000-yard stare of all the best frontmen and he pulls it off far better than Liam Gallagher. But a band needs more than that to be successful and what Skylights have in abundance is an incredible collection of songs with a future as classics. We heard plenty of them at this gig. Particular highlights for me were “YRA” and new single “Enemies”. Later this year they will be headlining the rejuvenated Apollo Festival in York and supporting York legends Shed Seven in June in Halifax. I even got to meet Turnbull’s Mum, what a top lady she is!
All the photos apart from the gig poster were taken by me on my cheap Chinese android phone or by Eddie Parkinson (a.k.a. Vinyl Eddie) on his far more expensive phone! Eddie took the Skylights shot! The videos were all found on YouTube if one of them is yours and you would like a credit or for me to remove it please let me know.Â
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One of York’s finest bands, Skylights have a new single out, it’s called “Enemies” and personally, I think it is their best yet. So many things are looking up for Skylights at the moment. A hometown headline gig later this month, lots of airplay at their football temple Elland Road, a spin on Soccer AM, a support slot for Shed Seven at the Halifax Piece Hall in June and now on the bill at this years Kendal Calling Festival. As the lyric of “Enemies” says “dream those dreams don’t let ’em die”. These boys are living the dream and they damned well deserve this success, they work bloody hard.
“Enemies” is a mass sonic assault which grabs your brain and spins it around in your skull until you submit to its indie-rock power. Rob’s vocals are reminiscent of Ian Brown at his peak. Turnbull takes his guitar on a psychedelic riff-fest that means the power of this tune never ends. Meanwhile holding the rudder are Jonny and Myles, a rhythm section that it would be hard to better. It is all accompanied by a moody black and white video with clips of the band taken at The Wardrobe in Leeds. When it arrives the first Skylights album will be a fucking classic!
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This show was a promotion by Bands F.C., in fact, I believe it is their first promotion. In a nutshell, their core operation and unique selling point is “Bands as Football Teams, Football Teams as Bands”. I presume to tap into the tribalism that exists in music and football. Personally, I have always tended to separate the two, but I definitely understand the appeal. If you are a football fan there will be more footie comments and analogies later in this piece! First of the two bands to occupy the Brudenell stage was one of Yorkshire’s finest, the Skylights. This is definitely a band that is ready for the big time. In fact, I believe that Skylights will hit it way before their beloved Leeds United return to the Premier League or maybe a safer bet might be before Leeds return to European competition. The boys had their own Spinal Tap moment with bass player Jonny not managing to find his way to the stage at the same time as the rest of the band. Was he lost, was it nerves? I have no idea! This Skylights performance was incredibly tight with Rob’s vocals finding a level somewhere between the punk sneer of Johnny Rotten and the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” whine of Liam Gallagher from back in the days when Oasis mattered. Turnbull is a certified guitar virtuoso who could hold his own with the likes of Bernard Butler, John Squire, and the Edge to name just a few. Meanwhile the rhythm section of the aforementioned Jonny on uber bass and Myles smashing his kit into oblivion. I met someone in the crowd who said that Myles played like he was Animal from the Muppets and I find it hard to disagree. This albeit short set was another classic one from this excellent band. Highlights for me were “Nothing Left To Say” and “YRA”.
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The second and final band of the evening was raucous and refined indie yobs (and I mean all that in a good way) Dirty Laces from Manchester. Their Manchester DNA is obviously well displayed but their sound is also descended from original rock yobs, the Small Faces. Singer Charlie has the confidence, the swagger and just a hint of arrogance that all the best frontmen possess. He also has a great voice. Dirty Laces come across as an incredibly well-rehearsed bunch of very talented musicians. Plus they really seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, which for me is always a good sign of a great band. For me, the real powerhouse of the band was bass player Tom, although in some ways singling any one of the five out seems a little unfair, I did it anyway. If I was in a band I would not have relished following such a blistering set from Skylights who played like headliners, but Dirty Laces were undaunted and played like champions. They know their classic tunes too; they took to the stage after the Beatles “Because” was played over the venue PA. Then their penultimate song was a cover, not just any cover, but one of Dame David’s greatest songs, “Heroes”. I have seen so many acts screw up cover versions of classic songs, but Dirty Laces took “Heroes” and put their own indelible stamp on it. Never as good as Bowie’s original, how could it be, but an exemplary live performance of a great tune. That was one of my highlights of the night along with set closer “Set In Stone” which may be the harbinger of a new genre mashup; Indie Prog!
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A big shout out to Premier League referee Jon Moss (not the one from Culture Club) for a great DJ set. Sticking with football, this gig would have been a hard-fought FA cup match ending in a 4 – 4 draw (that’s a tie to US readers) with both bands sharing the spoils. When will the replay be?
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All the photos apart from the gig poster were taken by Trust A Fox Photography, please do not share or use without permission. You can find Trust A Fox here and also on Facebook and Twitter (@TrustFox). The videos were all found on YouTube if one of them is yours and you would like a credit or for me to remove it please let me know.Â
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I first heard “Nothing Left To Say” from those Yorkshire scallywags Skylights more than a year ago. I seem to recall then that they were planning a video for it. Well, that video has finally arrived for what is yet another anthem from this rather excellent band from York. It is a song that is made for roaring out across a hazy hot festival field. The band are at the top of their game, playing as though they were the musical equivalent of Leeds United from 1974 a team that were by far the best in England at that time! The video is an atmospheric take on how quickly modern life can make a person fall into sad, bad times. The song gets better with every listen and the video deserves plenty of airtime too. I don’t know who filmed it, but whoever it was they did an excellent job! Check out the video below. I am pleased to say that I will be seeing Skylights playing live once again before the end of the year!
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I can’t add much to what I have already said about the mighty, meaty “Britannia” from those Leeds United fanatics and one of York’s finest bands, Skylights. Click here and you will find my review of that song and another classic Skylights anthem, “Lifeline”. Why am I revisiting this riffadelic masterpiece? Well, “Britannia” now has a superb video to accompany it, filmed and produced by Adam Maxwell. It is essentially a great moody black and white film taken at their recent sold-out show at the Wardrobe. It is the kind of classy reel that would grace a fly on the wall documentary. You get the sense that the boys were having a lot of fun that night and I am sure that they were. This is a banging tune that will not fail to get you on your feet and dancing. Every member of the band is firing on all cylinders for “Britannia” It has all the hallmarks of a song that will be an encore tune for Skylights when they get to headline the bigger venues. If you have not heard it yet, then I need you to tell me why! But make up for your terrible oversight by checking out the video below.
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Those cheeky musically talented indie rascals from York, the mighty Skylights have new product out. Not an album, not an EP, not even a single, but two rather spiffing tracks. “Britannia” and “Lifeline“. If you like Mr. Gillespie’s finest moments with Primal Scream then you will bloody love “Britannia”. It is heavy with some gorgeous Turnbulltastic riffs and Rob’s vocals are perhaps his best so far. Then there is the anthemic “Lifeline”, a song I have heard in various states, from demo to almost ready and what shines through, especially now that it has been unleashed to the world, is that it is simply a great song. It would be impossible to understate the value of the Mercedes of rhythm sections on “Lifeline” provided by Jonny Scarisbrick and Myles Soley. Everything that I hear from this lot has me salivating over the prospect of a Skylights album. They are definitely one of my favourite bands right now. They will be making a video for one of these classy songs and they want to hear from you dear music fans to decide which one will get the full-on Skylights cinematic experience. It has been a long while since I started a poll on here, so how about you help the boys choose by voting in this little poll. Go on, you know it makes sense. After you have voted get yourself one of the last remaining tickets for their gig at the Wardrobe in Leeds on 27th July!
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This was the second time that I had seen the headliners in just over twenty-four hours after their sneaky set at the Fulford Arms the previous day (click here for my review of that show). In fact this is probably the first time that I have seen any band or singer twice in two days in more than 46 years of going to gigs! This was a showcase gig for Skylights who are powering along the path of success and greatness, it’s a long road but they have the means and the fuel to finish the journey. But enough of Skylights for a moment, they were supported by a couple of excellent bands. Taking to the stage in the Brudenell Main Room first were Pool Sharks from Leeds. They were having a great week after being featured on BBC 6 Music and now on stage at the iconic Brudenell in only their second gig! They had clearly rehearsed incredibly well and played like veterans of shows like this. At times I was reminded of early Franz Ferdinand and maybe to a lesser degree Orange Juice and Edwyn Collins. Their songs have depth, clever lyrics and great pop hooks. “Thank You, Have a Nice Day” has the makings of a big hit.
Second on stage and second on the bill were the Sheratons, all the way from……. Leeds! This lot are well aware of what great rock music is and inject their sound with a full on punky attitude. The live performance of their new single “These Kids” was a sharp and jagged riff fest and even better than the rather spiffing recorded version. “Hacienda” their song about the famous, or maybe infamous, Manchester venue was a particular highlight. But their choice of a cover version medley to close their set was awe-inspiring and a challenge that many bands would not have been able to meet, but the Sheratons totally owned their take on two classic tunes. Firstly it was the Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” (often used as an encore closer by Oasis) which they segued into a perfect run through the instrumental part of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. I bought the CD single of “These Kids” and I hope there is an album on the horizon soon!
Now for the nights main attraction, one of York’s best bands, Skylights. This showcase gig was a big deal for them and they were magnificent. Following a raucous crowd sing along to one of the few football songs that is quite good, “Leeds Leeds Leeds” (just in case you didn’t know, these boys are Leeds United supporters) they lit the fuse on an incendiary set with the opening bars of “Life Line”. The power, passion and pace did not let up once. Their biggest influences for me are some of the best bands from the Brit Pop era; Blur, Oasis and Primal Scream. Lead vocalist Rob had the audience eating out of his hands, even if by his own admission he is not a storyteller. Whilst Rob is a superb frontman and vocalist this is a great band because they are so much bigger than the sum of their parts. Turnbull’s guitar skills have future axe legend written over them, he makes smart use of his array of effects pedals to enhance his signature sound. Then in the engine room you have Jonny on bass with a sound that would have given John Entwistle of the Who a run for his money. Myles bashes those drums like the fate of the planet depends on it. “Britannia” is definitely becoming one of my favourite Skylights songs, but it still has a little way to go to usurp “What You Are” and the stone cold classic that is “YRA”. Skylights owned the Brudenell and if they are not taking this excellent sound to festivals before very long then I shall be forced to eat a Skylights T-Shirt. If you haven’t checked out Skylights yet then what in the damned world is holding you back? Trust me you really need some of these songs in your life. Get into them now before they start playing arenas!
Public Service Announcement: – All photographs (except the gig poster) were taken and edited by me using my cheap android phone from China. All videos were found on YouTube. If one of the videos is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be taken down please let me know.
Also very proud to see a quote from this blog on the poster!
