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Mayhem Singles Round Up Part 6 – The York Special October 27, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:22 pm
Tags: Anthea Drive, Apollo Festival York, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Bull, CHAZ, Everything After Midnight, Fendry, Fervent Red, Heartsink, Heavy Bloom, Liv North, Offbeat, Pennine Suite, PERCY, Rowetta, Shed Seven, The Apocalypse Disco, The Exceptional Mr Hyde, The Rosettas, Vaquelin, YouVee

It has been a while since the last Mayhem Singles Round Up so I thought how about one that focused on bands and artists from or based in York? This post contains songs from eighteen different artists and showcases the diversity of styles, the strength of music, and the depth of the music scene in my adopted city of York. All these tunes were delivered into the world by the magical music stork in the last few months. OK fact fans, three of these acts have a link to the school that I currently work at, can you guess which ones? Click here to take a listen to a Spotify playlist of all eighteen tracks, which is more than an hour of fab music! In case you are interested, the order of the songs was simply drawn out of a metaphorical hat 🙂

“G.U.N.N.E.R” – YouVee YouVee get proper heavy on this blockbuster of a tune. Shades of early Kasabian and even Black Sabbath abound!

“Start A New” – Bull – This is a band that moves closer to perfection with each release and “Start A New” has the makings of a Bull classic. The harmonies are good enough to melt even the hardest of hearts with the genius of adding a school choir too.

“Make Up” – Pennine Suite – I reckon this is Pennine Suite’s finest song so far. It has power, awesome vocals, and a chorus that sticks around in your head for quite a while.

“In Ecstasy” – Shed Seven featuring Rowetta – York’s musical titans the Sheds are back and with an absolute banger featuring the unmistakable vocal support of the magnificent Rowetta.

“Break In The Weather” – Benjamin Francis Leftwich – A gorgeous ballad of heartbreak that shows the emergence of buds of hope. Potentially a real tearjerker.

“Rebellion” – Anthea Drive – Is this Anthea Drive’s heaviest tune yet? I think so. Full of mountainous, immaculate riffs and roaring vocals.

“Your Mind’s Closed” – Offbeat – A delicious slice of indie pop that will get everyone moving a indie nights everywhere. I felt like the ghost of Altered Images haunted this tune a couple of times.

“Said And Done” – Fendry and Liv North – British rap is alive and well and Fendry might one day be at the forefront of it. This delightful collaboration with Liv North has parallels with some of Eminem’s work with female vocalists like Rihanna. Ace beats and rap that bleeds feelings and passion.

“Alive” – The Apocalypse Disco – If the apocalypse is truly on its way then this bunch must be on your end-of-the-world soundtrack. This joyous slice of electro does make me want to stay alive though. Dance to it and tell the four horsemen of the apocalypse to fuck right off!

“Marionette” – Vaquelin – a deep, dark tune from one of my favourite rock bands, Vaquelin. As usual, the guitar sound is immense as are the vocals. But the stand out is the drumming which would give Bonham and Moon a run for their money!

“Kelly’s In The Garden” – Heavy Bloom – A wonderfully chilled indie-style pop tune, like Air with added guitars. This will be on my summer playlist for next year.

“Tomorrow” – Fervent Red – This hits you like a hard-edged Beatlesy Brit Pop tune. It has a slight psychedelic vein running through it and a rather nifty chorus.

“Solemn Power” – The Exceptional Mr. Hyde – Is this electro dance or heavy rock? Actually, it is both. If Hawkwind began in the 21st century they might sound like this. This bodes well for their upcoming album!

“Last Train To Selby” – PERCY – Those West Yorkshire Superheroes are definitely back on form. A song that only PERCY could deliver. A great singalong that highlights a ghost on the train lyric. Check out the excellent video below.

“On My Mind (Radio Edit)” – CHAZ – A pounding piano-led house anthem that would move even the comatose. Dance music is alive and well in York as this debut single from CHAZ proves. The vocals are brilliant too.

“Save Your Time” – Rosettas – This captures some of the energy and power that the Rosettas have on stage. A great tune from a great band and every member is on top form.

“How Can You Be” – Everything After Midnight – My favourite Everything After Midnight song from the first listen. It has been aired live in a different form. But now it is an all-round close to perfect tune. The guitars smack you in the face in a good way while Steph’s vocal is close to heavenly.

“Fixed Point” – Heartsink – Those cheeky pop-punk chaps Heartsink have another great tune for our delectation. A little more acoustic than usual, at least initially. But a song that turns the riffage and passion up to 11 towards the fade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ6Kemrmy9E

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The K’s – Fulford Arms, York – Monday 31st January 2022 February 6, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:12 pm
Tags: Fulford Arms, Independent Venue Week, Simon Pattinson, The Ks, YouVee

This was one of the many wonderful gigs that celebrated this year’s Independent Venue Week. It was at the fabulous Fulford Arms, one of the best venues in York. Headliners were the much-hyped the K’s. Did they live up to the hype? You will need to continue reading to find out because first I need to tell you about the support band. Also, this was another show from Simon of Northern Radar and so far he has never let me down! Support was provided by a great upcoming local band, YouVee. I have only seen them once before this, back when they supported one of my favourite bands, Apollo Junction at another great York venue, the Victoria Vaults back in September 2021. YouVee have grown in presence and talent in those short few months, particularly Travis Kyle on lead vocals and guitar. He really owns the stage now and is developing into a great frontman. Given that this month, February, sees their second anniversary as a band their development is as remarkable as it is mercurial. Ben Layfield’s guitar skills are easily comparable with Graham Coxon of Blur and also Steve Mason of Gene (my favourite British band of the Brit Pop era). YouVee has a kind of psychedelic pop sound with some tasteful indie elements thrown in. If I had to pick a highlight it would be their signature tune, “Ultra Violet” which is begging to have a major dance remix, it is a proper full-on indie banger. This is a band for anyone who appreciates great music. I hope they go far!

So then it was time for headliners the K’s, an unsigned band who as I mentioned earlier have been subject to much hype and occasional comments about them being just a mod band. Well on the evidence of this set they deliver beyond the hype and they are far from just a mod band. There are influences from the best of British rock in their sound, notably the Who, the Jam (no these were not just mod bands either), and the Clash. They certainly know their pop, rock, and indie history too, throwing in a little piece of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” in one song and a bit of “Dirty Old Town” the Ewan MacColl standard made famous most recently by the Pogues. Jamie Boyle has a great stage presence, really knows how to work the crowd (and this was damned close to a full house), and is the epitome of what a superb frontman should be. There was not a dud song in the set and their energy never waned for even a moment. Lyrically there is a strong social conscience and stories of real life. “Dacton And Wanderella” is a song that early Arctic Monkeys would be proud of and they closed an electrifying set with it. The best moment for me, and there were plenty, was “Sarajevo”, an instant anthem, although “Glass Towns” possibly pushed it close. In the olden days, these lads would have been signed a long while ago and would be reaching the higher echelons of the charts on a regular basis. The K’s are a really tight band with great musical chemistry. They play with power, passion, and purpose. I hope there is a K’s album in the offing because it will be bloody brilliant. I am now most definitely a huge fan of the K’s, give them a listen and you will be too.

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Apollo Junction – Victoria Vaults, York – Wednesday 8th September 2021 September 17, 2021

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 1:31 pm
Tags: Apollo Junction, Music Venue Trust, National Lottery, Revive Live, Victoria Vaults, York, YouVee

This was one of the many Revive Live gigs sponsored by the National Lottery and the Music Venue Trust and it brought the fast rising and magnificent Apollo Junction back to a small intimate venue. But more of the Apollo Junction set later, there was also a rather interesting support slot from York band YouVee. They say that you realise you are getting old when policemen seem so young. But for me it’s when the bands you go and see look like they are barely out of short trousers. But put that youthful appearance aside, because YouVee are bloody good. Musically their first song was like Blur with an added Madchester vibe. Speaking of Blur, YouVee’s guitarist has the potential to be every bit as good as Graham Coxon. “Sunshine State” is an ace song that feels like an epic anthem in waiting. Meanwhile “Gunner” flies like an Arctic Monkeys take on heavy metal. How could you not like the languid, heavy, classy indie rock of “Broken Baby” which will be released as a single later this year. They closed with what was their first release on Spotify, “Ultra Violet” which is a fine slab of heavy indie dance, on which I determined a nifty Prodigy influence. I am looking forward to hearing much more from YouVee!

Apollo Junction are definitely among my favourite current bands and these Leeds lads are getting bigger and I believe they will be huge someday. “Sometimes” from the soon to be released new album did everything it could to blow the roof off the venue, a real banger. The crowd were a bit subdued though, is that a post Covid thing? “Light Up The Sky” does exactly what it says on the tin and will prove to be another Apollo Junction epic when it appears on the new album. It has an authentic and truly awesome glam rock feel, especially the drums. Another new tune, “Two Car Family” is a sublime slice of post punk power pop which, rather appropriately, will sound majestic blasting out of your cars stereo. “Born For Now” is one of the bands finest, especially in a live environment. Lead singer Jamie roamed through the audience for most of the track and put on a great vocal performance in this awesome rabble rouser of a tune. Was that a bit of Underworld’s “Born Slippy” that snuck into the song? Current single “When We Grow Up” a great song, is enhanced hugely when played live. Click on the song title to check out the video, I am proud to say that I make a brief appearance in it too. In “This Could Be The Day” they have the perfect remedy for those post Covid blues. They closed the set with three classics, “Always Remember”, “Begin” and “Together”. Apollo Junction proved once again tonight that they are a feel good band that know how to make you feel better. I left the gig with a beaming smile which lasted for ages. If you don’t depart an Apollo Junction show without a smile then I suggest that you seek help!