With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

Welcome To The North – Young Thugs Studio Friday 24th March 2023 March 26, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:26 pm
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This was a free gig put together by Young Thugs Studio and Jericho Keys of BBC Radio York. It showcased just some of the vast musical talent we have in the north. Kicking it all off in a packed room it was the Feens from Scarborough. Like all the acts performing it was a five-song set, “Eyes Open” and the new track “Eternal Sunshine” were particular highlights for me. This was the third time I have witnessed the Feens playing live and if you like your rock nicely polished but with an edge, you will love them. I can hear elements of Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, 10cc, and New Order in their songs, but those are just minor influences, the Feens have originality and energy in abundance. Next, from the other side of the room, a very Later With Jools style set up, it was the hugely talented Kitty VR. She performed a batch of sublime new songs that she has been working on for a while, she has produced them all herself, and based on this set I can hardly wait for them to be out in the world. Kitty’s voice was pitch-perfect and dazzled the crowd. Kitty has some torch singer tropes and some gorgeous torch songs with a soft blues feel with jazzy undertones. Next, it was a monumental banging DJ set from ace DJ Rory Hoy. We were tightly packed but easily managed some constant fists-in-the-air action and even managed to do as the song instructed when House Of Pain’s “Jump Around” came on.

Now it was time for the grand piano in the corner to take centre stage as Max Dalton, formerly frontman of the rather amazing York rock band Hello Operator. This was all about Max and the piano, although he did have some guitar and percussion support. His new material is very different from what he did with Hello Operator and has a real 1930s vaudevillian jazz in a smoky gin joint vibe and bundles of 21st-century attitude. Lyrically I was reminded of early Leo Sayer, songs that tell stories. Finally, it was up to Kindelan to close proceedings. I first saw Laura Kindelan playing live almost six years ago and I have been a fan ever since. Kindelan’s EP will be released soon, with a launch gig at the Brudenell in Leeds in June. The strength of the songs that will be on that EP are truly immense. “Feast” (an unintentionally saucy tune) and “Hazel Frustration” are my current favourites. This was the first time I have seen Laura perform with a band and what a fine band it is. The sound was fabulously well-mixed and crystal clear. The chorale-style Beach Boys harmonies were ethereal and otherworldly. This is modern R&B with a smooth jazz injection. Kindelan’s songs and music is comparable to Kendrick Lamar and her vocals at times evoke Nina Simone. I love the way Laura and the band use the space between the notes and sometimes embrace the quiet.

It was great to meet so many stalwarts of the York music scene in the crowd at Young Thugs, including Marnie Glum, Nathan Luke, and members of Sun King, Pennine Suite, and the Corsairs. It was also great to have the chance to catch up with Laura Kindelan and Kitty VR at the end of the evening. An immense thank you to Jericho Keys and Young Thugs for making this happen, when is the next one?

Click here to listen to the radio broadcast of the show on BBC Radio York, it is available for 30 days and also includes some interviews with all the artists.

The previously mentioned Nathan Luke was co-director and editor on this rather spiffing video for Kindelan’s “Hazel Frustration”.

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The Rills – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 3rd February 2023 February 8, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:13 pm
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This has been a slow year for me gigwise so far, this is my first gig for 2023. This was another nifty little show promoted by Simon P of Northern Radar. I have lost count of the amount of Northern Radar shows that I have attended, but one theme runs through them all, Simon has never let me down with his choice of bands and artists. At least not yet anyway. Was tonight the first time I had seen a bad show from Northern Radar? Read on to find out! First up at the fabulous Fulford Arms was Everything After Midnight, I first saw them almost exactly a year ago at the York Vaults supporting Where’s Slater. What are they like? Well, there is prog, electric folk, metal, a pinch of Wolf Alice, and many other facets in their sound. Steph’s voice gets stronger every time I see them (this is the third time) and tonight I detected elements of Sandy Denny, Kiki Dee, and Ellie Rowsell. In a previous review of Everything After Midnight I said “Imagine Tori Amos if she took a much heavier direction with some added prog undertones, that is how Everything After Midnight sounded to me“, I stand by that comment!

Next up was Sun King a band that I have seen once before, back in June last year when they supported Sweet May at this very venue and that was their first gig. I can hear a whole range of influences in their fabulous sound; Small Faces, Paul Rodgers, Steve Marriot, Led Zeppelin, Paul Weller, maybe Prince on the falsetto lines, and at times a bit of that old Noddy Holder warble in the vocal. The band is tight and has a pitch-perfect grasp of the best classic rock vibes. But they go beyond just rock as they throw in some great jazz and funk licks for good measure. Seb, the lead vocalist was formerly with Naked Six and is related to British Metal royalty, he is Saxon frontman Biff Byford’s son. Biff was present humping gear for the band and later while chatting with Chris T of the Fulford Arms we thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to have Biff play a set at the Fully, maybe acoustic with Saxon, solo, or even the full band, perhaps even a residency! Biff if you’re up for that then get in touch, perhaps we can book Sun King as support!

The first time I saw Lincoln’s finest current band, the Rills was when they played the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival back in 2021. Their stature has grown at a rapid rate and this was an incendiary set from a magnificent band. “World Leader” was immense and hugely powerful. This was the fifth show in their intense mini tour for Independent Venue Week 2023. They started in Falmouth on 30th January and worked their way to York via Swansea, Bedford and Oxford. The sixth and final show of that hectic schedule was in Blackpool the day after York. They have huge energy and that was transferred to the supremely enthusiastic crowd. The riffs were full-on and spectacular. The Rills put on a stunningly good show. So has Simon of Northern Radar let me down yet? Definitely not!

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Cowgirl – York Vaults – Friday 19th August 2022 August 24, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:49 pm
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This was my first visit to the Vaults in a while, I will definitely try not to leave it too long until my next visit to this great little venue, especially after such a great lineup. First to take to the stage were the Rosemaries, a band that I saw for the first time back in April. I thought they were pretty good then, but in just a few months they are definitely a stronger band. While “Hullabaloo” is perhaps a derivative nod to Yard Act the band has oodles of originality too. They are a young band with immense potential. Their songs pack great power and their confidence is obvious. “Vampire” is a punk anthem in waiting. The singer has a great skill of not only singing but also drawing on a wonderful thespian vibe to make it much more of a performance like he is living the songs. The non-singing guitarist seems to be the musical glue that holds the whole Rosemaries unit together, like their musical director. If ‘Twin Peaks’ was ever remade and set in a remote English village this lot could be the house band in the English equivalent of the Roadhouse/ Bang Bang Bar.

The Rosemaries

Captain Starlet were next, they are a band who for various reasons I have not managed to see play live until now. I love the band name and surely they need to be on the same bill as the Mysterines one day. OK, you might need to be quite old to get that reference! So is the band as good as the name? Well if the Beatles were reincarnated as an indie Little Feat they would probably sound like this. The songs are incredibly well put together with elements of Pete Wylie, the Zutons, and Cast, along with the aforementioned Beatles. It looked like they were loving it on stage. Definitely a band I want to see live again.

Captain Starlet

I had not heard of Rory and the Nature Kids until this show. They carry an undercurrent of menace in their music, a la early Talking Heads. At times while reaching, and hitting, the high notes the vocals came on like a warped psychedelic yodel, and yes I do mean that in a good way! The bass sound was often worthy of Jah Wobble, can we have some dub versions of these tunes, please? I bloody love this band!

Rory and the Nature Kids

This was the fifth time that I have seen headliners Cowgirl play live and they most certainly get better each time. They are a stunningly accomplished and talented live band who draw on a plethora of great influences to create that unique Cowgirl sound. I can hear slices of the Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman (in his harder moments), the Strokes, and the MC5. Cowgirl are a magnificent garage band with, and I know this sounds weird, a positive slacker attitude. Their performance on some tracks evokes the finest workouts of Neil Young with Crazy Horse and Lukas Nelson with the Promise Of The Real. They are scuzzy, they are dirty and their often feedback-driven garage rock is something to behold. But it is not just garage rock, it is also distorted and warped electric blues that is a perfect fit for small, dark, sweaty venues like the York Vaults! This was an absolute barnstormer of a set.

Cowgirl

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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The Fabulous Fulford Arms – York, UK August 13, 2022

Filed under: Observation,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:10 pm
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The Fantastic and Fabulous Fulford Arms is most definitely one of York’s first-class music venues. (Other music venues in York are, of course, available!) If you enjoy intimate, sweaty gigs in a 150-capacity venue you will love this place. Regular readers know that I go there a lot, in fact, I will be there later this evening for what I am sure will be another great gig. The staff are wonderful, welcoming, and fun. Steph and Chris know how to run a great venue. On your way in don’t forget to check out the legendary Zac’s Shack, manned by Heartsink’s heartthrob Zac Roughton. I am proud to say that With Just A Hint Of Mayhem now has a page of Fulford Arms gig reviews on the Fulford Arms web page. I have had some great times at gigs and reviewing gigs at the Fully Arms and many other venues, but to get my reviews posted in this way is something that I am immensely proud of. Check out the reviews here, but more importantly get yourself along to the Fully for a gig or two, you won’t regret it! Support your scene good people!

Check out one of my favourite bands, Avalanche Party playing the Fulford Arms six years ago, blimey they look young don’t they?
Sweet May rocking the Fulford Arms earlier in 2022

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York Life Festival 2022 – Saturday 2nd April/ Sunday 3rd April – York City Centre April 11, 2022

Filed under: Observation,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:39 pm
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On Saturday 2nd April and Sunday 3rd April, the first (and hopefully not the last) York Life Festival took place on Parliament Street in the centre of York. It was free for all residents and visitors and was organised by Make It York. Activities took place for up to ten hours each day and included music, poetry, theatre workshops, instrumental workshops, face painting, comedy, and dance. Sadly I only made it for the last part of the second day but I couldn’t let it go unnoticed by With Just A Hint Of Mayhem. I arrived just after the magnificent Hyde Family Jam finished their set on Sunday. The turnout was pretty big, despite the somewhat chilly temperature. It was nice to see all of York’s fabulous range of music venues getting some good promo with posters and handouts throughout the weekend; The Fulford Arms, the Crescent Community Venue, the Vaults, the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM), York Barbican and Forty Five Vinyl Cafe. The crowd contained a veritable who’s who of anyone who is involved in the York music scene. Firstly three of the key players behind this event were there, obviously, Simon Pattinson (Northern Radar), Chris Sherington (Fulford Arms), and Harkirit Boparai (The Crescent), and I bumped into all of them! As well as meeting many of the band members of the Sunday performers (Trueman and the Indoor League, Bull and the Howl and the Hum) I also ran into Pennine Suite (who had played the previous day), Chloe (Please Remain Calm), Zac (Heartsink and Fulford Arms ace doorman), Andy and Paula (PERCY), Nathan (rock photographer extraordinaire) and many others. The incredibly cold temperature meant that I didn’t take my usual copious notes, however here are my recollections of the three bands that I did see.

First for me were Trueman and the Indoor League. Fronted by the titular Sam Trueman this band gets better every time that I see them. They really put on a show in almost a revue-style akin to the E Street Band. Regular readers will know that I have referred to them as like a pound shop E Street Band, but that was meant as a compliment. With more of the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their performances and some lucky breaks I can see them playing arenas one day. Next up was another fine York band, Bull, who released their wonderful debut album ‘Discover Effortless Living’ last year. As well as selections from that first class platter the band treated us to a few new songs, one of which suggested that Bull have hidden talents as an ace party band! The headliners on Sunday were perhaps York’s greatest band, although there is plenty of competition. I am talking about the Howl and the Hum. They played an amazing set at the iconic Minster last year which is available on most streaming platforms and frankly it is a scale above awesome. Their set was out of this world with the whole band firing on all cylinders. The new tunes bode really well for the sophomore album when it materialises. The highlight for me though was perhaps one of the best songs ever written, “Hostages”. This festival definitely needs to be an annual event going forward, where do we sign up to make that happen? We need to know! Bring on York Life 2023!

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Katy Hurt – Fulford Arms, York – Thursday 17th March 2022 March 20, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:05 pm
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Back when I was a teenager I couldn’t bring myself to listen to country music because that is the music that my parents loved. My Mum and Dad were great people but liking the music that they liked just wasn’t cool, or at least that is how my teenage brain saw it. But over the years I have grown to love really good country music. People like Roseanne Cash, Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and albums like ‘Sweetheart Of The Rodeo’ by the Byrds. I have also grown to appreciate artists like Elvis Costello and the Rolling Stone’s forays into country. In fact the classic Stones country pastiche from 1978, “Far Away Eyes” is one of my favourite Rolling Stones songs. Anyway having listened to Katy Hurt quite a few times recently, particularly her 2017 album ‘Pieces Of Me’, I thought I would check out her live show at one of York’s great venues, the Fulford Arms.

But before I tell you more of what Katy did, there is the little matter of the support act, Luke Saxton, a rather talented singer-songwriter from York. Luke is a storytelling troubadour with an immaculately downplayed sense of humour. This bloke knows how to entertain and has a wonderfully warm interaction with the audience. His songs remind me of an George Harrison, Harry Nilsson and sometimes lyrically of a young Mark Knopfler. His John Martyn cover was pretty ace, but his own songs are his real strength.

There was a positive hum of expectation as Katy Hurt and her band took to the stage. Katy is recognised as one of the British County music scene’s rising stars, but her authenticity in the genre is enhanced by the fact that she actually grew up in the USA, in Long Island New York. Still in her mid twenties Katy has been singing since she was four years old. The band kicked off like a Saturn V rocket off the launch pad with two proper thumping country rock tunes. Katy really knows how to work her crowd, and to be fair there were some real hard core Katy fans at stage front, apparently this was the third time that Nigel had seen the band this week! New song “Over And Done” sounded good when it was given a beautifully played airing early in the set. The band are hugely talented and help Katy show that she is more than “just” a country singer. There are blues elements, country rock like the Eagles and I suspect that this band could play any genre, particularly the guitarist who really makes his instrument sing. Katy’s song’s are what really makes the show though. Last year’s “Sounds Good In A Bar” single is clearly a fabulous song but also a brilliantly crafted crowd singalong fest. If pushed I would have to say that “Ride Home” was my personal highlight and is my current favourite Katy Hurt tune, although the first encore song,”Unfinished Business” was a close second. Both of these tunes are built on a kind of sad lament but build into fiery crescendos. The bluesy set closer totally showcased the depth of style that Katy and her band have. It was on this song that I thought Katy evoked her inner Dolly Parton so well. Check the tour poster at the head of this post, you might still be able to get tickets to see Katy play live!

Speaking of Dolly, she turned down her nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame this week which lead to a lot of on line chat about who might play on and produce the “hopefully great rock ’n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!” (extracted from Dolly’s Twitter statement). Well I reckon Katy and her band should be involved in that record somehow. Let’s get this message to Dollyworld as soon as possible!

All photos, apart from the tour poster, were taken by me (not on my cheap Chinese Android phone) on a proper camera! Videos were all found on YouTube.

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Fully Live Showcase #3 – Fulford Arms, York – Sunday 13th March 2022 March 17, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 12:12 pm
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This was the third Fully Live Showcase and I think the first that I have been able to make it to. It was originally scheduled to showcase four bands, but unfortunately New Age Vinyl had to pull out, hopefully, I will get to see them sometime soon. But that still left three bands on the bill, one of which I have seen before, so more of them later. A huge thank you to the Fully Arms team for pulling together such a great showcase! First on stage was Anthea Drive, a great band whose style brings some of the best 70s rock vibes into the 21st Century. Even before the arrival of new vocalist Michelle earlier this year Anthea Drive were very good but now they are stunningly good. Michelle took to the stage around three songs in after the lads had warmed up the crowd nicely. She adds an amazing new dimension and depth to the sound with her soaring voice and powerful stage presence. Michelle confided in me before she took to the stage that she was a little nervous, but that didn’t show at all, she and the band smashed it. The band is very tight and well-rehearsed and Michelle’s voice at times took me back to 70s rock a la Girlschool, Fanny, and even Suzi Quatro. Standouts for me were “Yes, I Want To Be A Ballerina” and the mountainous “Prisoner Of War”. I recommend you catch this band live as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed.

Anthea Drive

Next up was Doghouse Derelicts, I already liked them simply for the name. To be fair they were never going to be in the doghouse and they are most certainly not derelict. With at least three great singers in the band, their vocal harmonies were supremely well put together. At times I was reminded of Little Feat, Ronnie Lane, Free, and maybe the Eagles and I think that eclectic list of bands shows just how talented and versatile Doghouse Derelicts are. They know how to rock, they have soul and are simply a bloody brilliant rock band, I will definitely be looking out for more live shows from them. On top of that, they really seemed to be enjoying themselves too. Dave Budgen and Tim Hutton brought the band together some years ago while playing as part of the magnificent Dub Pistols. On stage, Tim Hutton was referred to as rock royalty and if you check out his cv that is probably true he has worked with so many music legends. Those legends include Afrika Bambaataa, Amy Winehouse, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Dub Pistols, Fela Kuti, Groove Armada, Lee Perry, Liam Howlett, Mike Skinner, Paul Oakenfold, Professor Green, and Tony Allen to name just a few!

Doghouse Derelicts

The last band on tonight was the rather wonderful City Snakes who I saw for the first time just last month, also at the Fulford Arms. If you could store the energy that these lads (and their hardcore fans) produce I reckon you could light up the city of York for a month. Are City Snakes the solution to the current energy crisis? Possibly! They have shades of the best of British punk and new wave in their sound from the Clash and the Undertones with an extra dollop of US class via the Strokes. They also have a similar approach and swagger to early Arctic Monkeys. I previously described them as having that dirty glam sound that the New York Dolls were so good at, and they have it in buckets! But don’t take the mention of all these bands to mean that I think these boys are copyists, they most definitely are a spectacularly good fuzzed up, punked-up garage band in their own right. The whole band was on form but I want to give a particular shout-out to the rhythm section, they were on fire to an erupting Vesuvius level tonight. City Snakes know how to rock and they know how to party, if seeing them live isn’t on your bucket list then there is something wrong with you! I should mention their fans too, who shorn of t-shirts and with snakes drawn on their backs moshed like their lives depended on it! I don’t want to reduce their street cred, but I met one of the band’s Dads tonight and he is a top bloke and obviously a huge City Snakes fan!

All the photos, apart from the gig poster, were taken using my cheap Chinese Android phone, hence the shady as shit quality! The videos were all found via YouTube. If any of the videos are yours and you would like me to credit you or remove them please let me know.

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“Yes, I Want To Be A Ballerina” – Anthea Drive February 11, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:15 pm
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If you love screaming guitars and sumptuous, swanky 70s style rock then you will absolutely dig the delightful new platter from York band Anthea Drive. The band formed in 2019 and has been through a couple of line-up incarnations before settling on the present team of Cash Richards (Guitar), Sam Elliott (Guitar), Conor MacKinnon (Drums), Dec Suddaby (Bass), and newest recruit Michelle Jade (Vocals). While Michelle doesn’t feature on the forthcoming ‘Russian Roulette’ EP and the lead single “Yes, I Want To Be A Ballerina” she has joined as lead singer. Having heard her playing solo, I think she will improve an already fabulous sounding band. A quick shout to all you fact fans, in case you wondered the band is named after a road in York.

“Yes, I Want To Be A Ballerina” encapsulates every ingredient that a great rock song needs; riotous riffs, pounding drums, bone-shaking bass, great vocals, and hooks that really do hook you. Some of the bands’ key influences can be heard at different points. Notably Guns N Roses and the Foo Fighters on top of that there is a real sense of post-punk and power pop here. Bands like Sniff ‘n’ The Tears, the Motors, Be Bop Deluxe, and in the melody possibly the Buzzcocks. Given the right exposure, and I think they can get it, this is a band with huge potential. Based on this track I am looking forward to experiencing Anthea Drive live very soon and to hearing more music from them!

The single is available now on all major platforms, including Spotify and Amazon (click the links and check it out)

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Rolla/ City Snakes/ Vaquelin – Fulford Arms, York – Thursday 10th February 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 5:16 pm
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Maybe it is that I am ancient, but tonight’s crowd seemed like a youth club crowd. But oh boy were they a brilliant crowd. First up was Vaquelin whose current album is a contender, along with Yard Act, for my album of the year already. The band absolutely stormed it and whether they set out to do this they played their set like they were headliners. Adrian’s vocals were soaring and powerful, do you think he looks a little like Enrique Iglesias? (Asking for a friend). Callum’s guitar playing was comparable with both Mick Ronson and Jimmy Page. How long will it be before he uses a violin bow on his guitar a la Page? Jack smashed his drums like he was possessed by the spirit of John Bonham and you could feel Luca’s bass in your chest. The so-far unreleased “Broken Windows” was incredible and needs to be a single! Vaquelin has a very strong core group of fans and I would like to name them Vaquelinians, Gaga has her Little Monsters so why shouldn’t Vaquelin have a fan family? You need this band in your life.

Next up was Rolla who signed a record deal this week. They are from Manchester, they have Brit Pop style, the lead singer, James Gilmore, wears a parka and sports a Liam Gallagher style haircut. That is how they appeared to me, but what did they sound like? Well the band seemed really tight and well-rehearsed and they do have some great songs, particularly “Sweet Lullaby” and “Show Me”. Gilmore also has the swagger, confidence, and charisma of a great frontman. But for me, they were a bit identikit Oasis. Is the world ready for a new version of the boys from Burnage? I said maybe………

The final band tonight was York’s excellent City Snakes and they were a bit special. Scuzzy garage rock like a punked-up Arctic Monkeys with an added portion of that dirty glam sound that the New York Dolls were so good at. The crowd went mental and created some pretty amazing mosh circles for such a brilliant intimate venue like the Fulford Arms. This is a band that knows how to entertain and they have an innate ability to whip their crowd into a frenzy!

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Where’s Slater – Victoria Vaults, York – Friday 4th February 2022 February 7, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:21 pm
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This was my second Independent Venue Week gig for 2022, this time at the Victoria Vaults in York which had a fantastic overhaul during various Covid lockdowns. This night was put together by Trailer Park Promotions and it was great to meet the Head Honcho himself, Sam. The boy done good! Four bands in one night, does it get better than that? Maybe but not often! The opening act tonight was Pennine Suite who I saw for the first time in their current incarnation around two weeks ago. It is clear that the band in this expanded form has a much greater depth of sound and they use it incredibly well to showcase their canon of banging tunes. Lead singer Nick continues to build and develop his array of frontman skills. He owns it and totally understands his crowd. The band is on top form Louise’s keyboards add a sublime melodic wave to the sound. Harry proves himself to be an excellent guitarist, having switched from the bass. Meanwhile, Moses, who has only been playing the bass guitar for six months smashes a great groove. But there is clearly no stopping the band’s own nuclear reactor Louis on drums, he was insanely good. If I had to pick a highlight, and there were many, it would have to be “Impatience”, a real barnstormer!

Next up it was the turn of Silvertones who I have seen just once before, back in January 2019 when they supported the Receivers (who became Pennine Suite fact fans!) at the Fulford Arms in York. Silvertones are a power trio that puts the emphasis on power. There were moments when the guitar sounded like none other than Johnny Fucking Marr. The bass player’s vocals were reminiscent of Liam Gallagher back in the days when he was good. There was also that idiosyncratic nasal whine a la John Lydon. Their slower tunes suggested perhaps Cast or even Hard-Fi. Essentially this was an uplifting riff-laden set from a band who know their stuff.

A band that is new to me, Everything After Midnight, were next. This York five-piece was truly epic in sound and performance. Imagine Tori Amos if she took a much heavier direction with some added prog undertones, that is how Everything After Midnight sounded to me. The title track of their current EP “Still Sleeping” was majestic and at times was like a slowed-down Nightwish. Was that three guitars and no bass that I spotted? If it was then there was no negative impact on the sound. The chanty backing vocals were a perfect foil to the singer’s gorgeous, ethereal, enthralling voice. The band were tight and well-rehearsed, the drummer was a very classy player.

I first saw headliners Where’s Slater when they supported Tommyrot at this same venue back in August 2021. For that gig, they were missing two band members but still put on a great show. There is a huge 70s influence here, but they are also very much their own original band. This is a polished rock sound, made by a highly talented band. While there is a darkness to some of their songs Where’s Slater are a bunch of people that seem like they are having a hell of a lot of fun on stage. If you took the Ray Manzarek’s keys away from the Doors and added extra heavy guitar riffs then you might get closer to that Where’s Slater beautiful noise. Their cover of “Hey Joe”, a song which many people have claimed to write and which became a huge sixties hit for Jimi Hendrix, was masterfulIt wasn’t just a cover version, these boys took it and made it their own. Where’s Slater look more like a group of final year nerdy Uni students than rock gods, but when they perform they also transform into their rock n roll personas. This is a band with a bright future. Incidentally fact fans, did you know that a “slater” is also the german term for “feeling of two moments of time not colliding, staying far, far apart” (according to the band bio on Spotify anyway)

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