| Review: Hit The Deck 2014 - Nottingham [Live] |

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Alternative-rock music has found it's way back to the Midlands for a day of dashing between the wonderful array of venues Nottingham has to offer, yes it can only be Hit The Deck 2014!  Teaming up with Corinne Cumming we went in to see what this year's line up had to offer.

Local Nottingham boys Adelphia open things up here today at the Rock City main hall with mild pop-rock melodies, guitar hooks that draw you in,  including a cover of

'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton which unites the crowd. However despite this,  vocals are not on top notch due to sickness which makes it hard to draw up a fair conclusion of the band's quality. (4/10)

Death Remains are next on the list to see at Stealth, a venue filled with hardcore acts today, strong vocals and tight guitar riffs are the order of the day here and the crowd seem to love the music here with cheers after every song. (7/10)

Verses are the next big band it would appear, with The Forum filling up for the Brighton boys coming off tour with Derby trio LostAlone, the band bring out strong songs and dancing vibes from their forthcoming album 'Feel It Faster' which gets the crowd thoroughly motivated and the audience are keen to sing along. (9/10)

Rat Attack are next on at The Forum and are struggling to get the crowd motivated after ex-vocalist Mike Hodges quit the band last month, and now tour manager Adam Bates is having to step in for guest vocals with the band, classing it as 'Glorified karaoke' which it sadly is, a sad performance from an otherwise great band. (4/10)

Lyger bring out their indie-punk rock to the Rock City basement soon after sounding reminiscent of old-school Queens of the Stone Age,  the band deliver an effective set bringing a great wave of energy throughout the crowd, who stretch all sorts of backgrounds - even men in Slayer tops can't help but move to the music. (7/10)

The Summer Set come onto the stage next at Rock City main hall, but as they do the venue soon disperses as the mellow pop-rock just doesn't seem to satisfy the crowd. Vocalist Brian Dales just doesn't seem to have any control over the audience, despite the fact that they are an established band, the music just isn't hitting the right response today. (5/10)

Neck Deep are the essential embodiment of every pop-punk vocalist here today with Ben Barlow on vocals jumping round on stage, bringing positive feelings to the Nottingham Rescue Rooms, a strong performance with the venue being filled to full capacity can only represent the success that is seemingly following this band around. (8/10)

The Maine bring out the Arizona rock music here at The Forum again, despite the fact the venue isn't entirely filled, the band take it in their stride and still aim to bring a great show filled with songs from across their career. However vocalist John O'Callaghan doesn't seem completely involved with the set, spending most of the set looking down at the ground. (6/10)

Baby Godzilla are bringing the power to Nottingham tonight, as Stealth quickly fills up in anticipation of the band's set. Not long into their set, we see amps, microphone stands, guitars and band members thrown into the crowd, with hardcore punk/thrash being the order of the day. In fact it would be a fair assumption to say that the band and their equipment sees more time in the crowd then it would do on the stage. As the band end, guitarists/vocalists Matt Reynolds and Johnny Hall  finish by tearing the strings off their guitars and throwing them into drummer Tom Marsh's drum kit. This band is the definition of young-adult angst metal. (8/10)

The Word Alive bring even more metalcore here today at Rescue Rooms, blasting out songs with guitar riffs that bend your mind, and aggression that would fit in with the likes of a high-end prison riot. Tyler Smith is interested in one thing and one things only; making this a gig to remember, encouraging the crowd to start mosh pits in every song, packing energy in everywhere that they can, a powerful set. (7/10)

Kids In Glass Houses quickly fill up The Forum here again tonight, with this being one of their last shows before their disbandment later this year, and fans are keen to be a part of this history. Foam fingers with the band's initials are thrown into the crowd, before Aled Phillips gets the crowd off their feet for an enjoyable set. To sum up, Kids In Glass Houses give a set that only they could. (8/10)

The Blackout are the last on here tonight at the Rock City basement, competing with main hall headliners Brand New, however despite this, the basement is filled to the brim for the Welsh-rockers. Opening to crowd pleaser 'I'm a Riot? You're a Fucking Riot' the lads blast out hits from all their albums, as well as vocalist Sean Smith clambering over to the bar and over the crowd to grind up against a pole. The set sees a great amount of energy surge throughout the crowd, with crowd participation being on top form here in Nottingham tonight. Ending on 'Start The Party', the band finish strong and leave to a roar of cheers. (9/10)

Memphis May Fire are the last act for us tonight, and the Texan metal act are ready to end tonight with a bang, opening to 'The Sinner', the crowd is turned into a rowdy group of moshers, before going into their 2012 material from 'Challenger' with 'Alive In The Lights'. As well as older material, the band are keen to show off music from their latest album 'Unconditional' playing opening track 'No Ordinary Love'. Vocalist Matty Mullins proves that he is not just an amateur vocalist with both clean vocals and screams on top performance tonight. The set also included key single 'Miles Away' but there's no Kellin Quinn guest appearance. As well as this the band play 'You're Lucky It's Not 1692' for the older, more loyal Memphis May Fire fans. To close their set the Dallas guys end on 'Challenger' by playing 'Prove Me Right' and 'Legacy' - a top class performance from Memphis May Fire. (9/10)

Overall it was an excellent day that really portrays the great music that the alternative scene has to offer at the minute and can only lead to greater things for the bands here who played at the festival this weekend. Be sure to check out the Hit The Deck page and Talk Of a Troublemaker for interviews with Rat Attack and The Blackout.

| Review: Of Mice & Men @ KOKO - 18/04/2014 |

First on stage tonight are Caleb Shomo's latest musical endeavour Beartooth - a hardcore metal punk band. Having worked with Austin Carlile previously in the bands Attack Attack! it's great to see the pair teaming up again on this tour. Having rocked the Barfly in Camden the night before on the headline tour, Beartooth are presented with a much bigger audience but step up to the challenge like champions opening with the song 'Set Me On Fire'. Driving the crowd into mayhem, Caleb Shomo's vocals destroy those on the floor, blasting out the song 'The Lines' , 'Pick Your Poison', 'Go Be The Voice' and 'Dead'. The audience is then split in half for a brutal breakdown. Beartooth's energy on stage is something that has to be seen to be believed, with guitarists and bassists diving off amp stacks left right and centre. Closing on their single 'I Have a Problem' ,the band has managed to establish themselves as a strong upcoming band that will surely have a great future ahead of them. (8/10)





From the moment the lights go to down, the crowd's cheers erupt from the crowd. It is time for the Atlanta-based metalcore group Issues to grace the stage. Opening with the first single from their self titled album 'Stingray Affliction', the band are keen to control the crowd from the very get go. Judging by the amount of action going down in the pits tonight, it's clear to see that Issues have a strong stage presence with vocalists Tyler Carter and Michael Bohn proving themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The set shifts into 'Love. Sex. Riot.' from their previous 2012 EP 'Black Diamonds' and the crowd responds with a positive vibe.When Tyler Carter comments Michael Bohn on being a tough guy, the question of whether there are any tough guys in the crowd tonight is thrown to the crowd. The pits begin to open up with increasing intensity as the band delves into 'King of Amarillo' showing the band that the fans are clearly interested in the band. Mid way into their set the band take a calmer approach with their song 'Never Lose Your Flames' which balances a strong vocal line from Tyler Carter and a rocking groove behind it. As the set closes, the band make sure to keep things moving and the energy flowing with 'The Settlement' which sees a surge of crowd-surfers get carried to the front of the stage much to the band's expectations. Ending their set on their single 'Hooligans', the crowd is joined in unison as everyone sings along to chorus, bringing the set to a close effectively and with new gained fans. (8/10)


Not Not long after Issues have left the stage the headlining act are getting ready to blow the crowd apart. Then out of the darkness and screams, Of Mice & Men come to the stage with vocalist Austin Carlile belting out the opening lines to 'Public Service Announcement'with the crowd strongly backing him up. Energy is not in shortage here at KOKO tonight as the audience is flustered into a hurricane of moshpits and bodies jumping together. Next up from the LA quintet is 'The Flood', a bonus track from re-issue of the album of the same title. The chugging riff is strong enough to break bones, bringing surging waves of power throughout the crowd. Austin Carlile asks "How many of you have come to see us before?" and the fans cheer with enthusiasm, to which Carlile dedicates the next song to the older fans, with hit single 'OG Loko' crushing the audience, who most definitely 'go hard in the paint' on the breakdown of this song. Given the band's line up changes with previous vocalist Shayley Bourget leaving, we finally get to see bassist and clean vocalist Aaron Pauley's debut on his first UK headlining tour with the band.



Tonight's setlist is primarily full of new material from the band's latest album 'Restoring Force' and the next three songs take from the album with 'Feels Like Forever' opening to guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby combining a soft reverb guitar line with heavy distortion. Pauley's vocals are on top form here tonight sounding just as good as on the record. 'Bones Exposed' is next on the setlist and really allows drummer Valentino Arteaga's chance to show exactly what he is capable of, with a pounding drum intro followed by Carlile's destructive screamed vocals. After this is 'Would You Still Be There' which has been gaining lots of radio time recently on American and British radio alike.

The The band then go back to their album 'The Flood' for 'Still YDG'n' which brings the crowd together and unifies them, soon followed by Carlile dedicating the next song to anyone who has lost someone in their life with 'Another You' from 'Restoring Force' before jumping back to their debut album for their most famous song 'Second and Sebring' a song which the crowd sings as one huge choir like voice - an emotional moment for sure. To end strong, the band closes on 'Glass Hearts' and 'The Depths' which some of the heaviest songs to be played here at KOKO tonight, we can see that Of Mice & Men follow by the rule of'go big or go home' ending strongly. To conclude their set they finish on the first single 'You're Not Alone' from 'Restoring Force' which is dedicated to each and every person here tonight. It is here that the unity between the fans and the band is really demonstrated and it is clear that the fans really are a huge part of pushing this band's career forward. Judging by tonight's show as well as all of the other dates on this European tour selling out within a month, it is clear to see that the band have surpassed any expectations they had which can surely guarantee that the band will go onto bigger shows in the future. An excellent show which really pushes Of Mice & Men's career forward in the right direction. (9/10)

| LostAlone Interview w/ Steven Battelle, Alan Williamson & Mark Gibson | 07/04/2014 | London Barfly |

"..I actually faith healed someone last night at the show. She had a migraine and I grabbed her head whilst I was doing 'Vesuvius' with the other hand." 

It's a rainy day in Camden today but despite this the Derby trio LostAlone are determined to bring a night of big riffs, anthem-like choruses and bloody good music to the London Barfly in celebration of the launch of their album 'Shapes of Screams'. I was lucky enough to chat to them about their tour and all things wacky:

TOATM - So LostAlone, London Barfly and it's the launch of Shapes of Screams, so how are you feeling?

Steven Battelle (Vocals & Guitar) - Relaxed looking forward to the show, we're always quite subdued before we play a show.

Alan Williamson (Bass) - When I think about the show tonight I'm quite excited, but right now I'm so fed up with this day and how it is outside. However I'd rather play it in this as opposed to last time we played here where it was ridiculously hot.

                                                                     

TOATM - How did you come together, how did LostAlone form?

Steven Battelle - For starters me and Mark (Gibson) were at school together and we were in loads of bands, we had like thirty bands, then we formed a band. We had a different bass player at that point, and he didn't like the note 'G' and I did, so we parted ways, then we found Alan (Williamson) and we found we're all on the same page.

TOATM - Well it's great to see because you're very in flux with one another and the chemistry really shows through when you're on stage. So you recently embarked on your tour in celebration of your album Shapes of Screams, and it's the fifth date today so how is the tour going so far?

Steven Battelle - Wow is it really the fifth date already? I didn't realise that!

Alan Williamson -  Yeah it's been cool so far and the shows have been great.

Steven Battelle -  Yeah it's been fun, we've been trying obviously the new tracks and new arrangements in the room, there's been times where I have played the entire gig in the audience.

TOATM - So what's the response to things like that been then?

Steven Battelle - Well I think it's been good, it's been bad for Alan and Mark they don't like me doing it. But for the audience it's been like they seem to like it and it's a special thing for them.

TOATM - Now I know you're a huge fan of Queen, I've seen some of the pictures, if you had to pick one song by them which describes where you are right now what would it be?

Steven Battelle - There's one called 'All Dead' that Brian May wrote about his childhood pet cat, so I'd probably go with that one. *laughter*

 TOATM - I'm also aware that you are a big fan of Jurassic Park..

Steven Battelle - Well who isn't?

TOATM - Well it's dinosaurs running around doing crazy stuff, it's pretty awesome. But do you say you would have a favourite dinosaur?

Steven Battelle - I wouldn't say I have a favourite dinosaur, but I have a favourite dinosaur from Jurassic park and that would be the velociraptor, it's very menacing.

Alan Williamson - I think mine would have to be the ones with the fans that come out from their neck and then they spit like this! *Imitates dinosaur with fan and spitting*

TOATM - Oh the Dilophosaurus? Yes they were pretty freaky to me as a kid!

Anyways back to the music - you said on this tour you're playing all new songs so what are your favourite songs to play live from the album?

Mark Gibson (Drums) - For me it would be the opening track on the album 'Crusaders' is my favourite to play as we put so much into recording on it and there was a long time between recording it to playing it live so we had to put a lot into playing it but it sounds really good now and it seems to go down really well.

Alan Williamson - I'm enjoying playing 'Scarlett Letter Rhymes' and 'Apathy' - We played that once and they are both great fun to play for me.

TOATM - I think my personal favourite on the album so far is 'Requiem' which I had as my alarm this morning, it was a great form of motivation.

Alan Williamson - We played that song live once on this tour already actually.

TOATM - Today is launch date of Shapes of Screams, so I was wondering whether you have anything special planned for tonight's show at all in light of that?

Steven Battelle - Well I think that as this is show five, we are specifically trying to home it on the album, as on the first few shows people probably didn't have the album. But I don't really want to go and put emphasis on this being a special show as it might be unfair to people coming to the show tomorrow for example. But there is no denying there is a special feeling because we put in so much work into making the record and today is such a release for us really to have it out.  You were saying about the reviews for it earlier, and me personally it's more the fans of the band's reactions that actually mean so much to me.

Alan Williamson - It really has been amazing yeah.

Steven Battelle - There's not really much to say but it's when there's a rush of messages saying 'This is my favourite album' from everywhere it's amazing. I've been really overwhelmed by the reviews and positivity so far, I've not seen any rubbish reviews for it yet!

TOATM - Well just like seeing the connection between you and the band it's great to see just how engaged you are with the fans through social platforms, it echoes very well with the fans.

Steven Battelle - Well I've never really understood with things like Twitter, and we're not in the 70's anymore where rock stars are so removed - I don't see any problem with replying to a tweet. I mean if I see a tweet I reply to it. Some people freak out but I don't get why, it's like if you send me a tweet about music I'll reply to them, but if they send me some boring thing about garbage I just won't reply to them but yeah if it's about music and they wanna talk I'll reply.

TOATM - Now big question.. we gave you some Lindt chocolate earlier..

Steven Battelle - Of course.

TOATM - We know you're a huge fan of it..

Steven Battelle -  Massive fan.

TOATM - So combining your two favourite things, would you rather have a Lindt size dinosaur or a dinosaur sized Lindt? It can be any flavour you want.

Alan Williamson- That's a great question *laughter*

Steven Battelle -  That is a great question actually, when you say a Lindt size dinosaur do you mean the little ball Lindt? Because I think it'd be ace to have a T-Rex that big that you can just get to run around!

TOATM - Is that the dinosaur that has featured on your track 'Doooooooooomageddon (Global Thermonuclear Metafictional Warfare)'?

Steven Battelle - Well that actually was a T-Rex harmonised with a Uruk-Hai from Lord of The Rings in D-minor.

Alan  Williamson - That noise actually ruined my hearing for four days! It was in the rehearsal studio, and Mark (Gibson)  had it on his little sample pad, and it was SO loud that I just had to go home - it still haunts me to this day.

TOATM - In Kerrang! we've recently seen you as a Rambo in quite a dramatic photo, so do you think you embody the power of Rambo on stage and if not who would you say would  is a great hero figure to represent you?

Steven Battelle - I'd say more a combination of.. well mentally Rambo definitely I've got that political corectness. Jack Bauer from 24, there's a lot of him in me.. that's what she said.. *laughter from everyone* . I definitely see myself as few characters from Lord of The Rings. I guess you could say that on stage I'm just an amalgamation of mythical people..

Alan Williamson - ..And John McClane?

Steven Battelle - Oh there is a LOT of John McClane in me!

TOATM - Do you just kick people off of the edge of the stage and watch them fall in slow motion?

Steven Battelle -  Well I actually faith healed someone last night at the show. She had a migraine and I grabbed her head whilst I was doing 'Vesuvius' with the other hand and just lowered her head like this *pushes Alan's head down* and started shaking it. There's a great photo of it and apparently it cured her for a few minutes.. what can I say there's a lot of healing power within these hands..

| Review: LostAlone "Shapes of Screams" - | Graphite Records [Album] |

"Shapes of Screams perfectly demonstrates the high quality of music that this magical music trio are capable of producing."

Majestic harmonised' vocals, shredding guitar work and a delivery that leaves you begging for more, it can only be another cracking album from the Derby-trio LostAlone with their latest release 'Shapes of Screams'. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of emotion as the band bring a whole new meaning to the term epic.

Two years after their previous release 'I'm a UFO In This City' , LostAlone have seen nothing but constant runs of success, with support slots on some of the big names in the industry at the minute; My Chemical Romance, Evanescence, Enter Shikari and Paramore to name a few. The group most recently came off tour being main support to The Blackout through January and February before shifting their focus to the release of their forthcoming album. The album itself was produced by Dan Weller who also has a strong CV including Enter Shikari and Young Guns. On their previous tours the band have been debuting songs from the album progressively, these tracks include 'The Bellls! The Bells!!' , 'Crusaders' and 'G.U.I.L.T.Y.'  

"The overriding theme of the record is 'time and lock of it' of destiny and of legacy played by a band pushing themselves to a collective limit and then passing that limit" - Steven Battelle (Vocalist and Guitar) comments.

This album really does take the listener on a dramatic journey through 'Shapes of Screams', opening up with the song 'Crusaders' which stars on a clean guitar chord intro with Battelle singing along in sweet harmony to the chords. The lyrics take us on a trip of self-appreciation and discovery with the line 'You'll only find yourself if you let go.' The song progresses from a slow beat to a fast paced chorus with the help of bassist Alan Williamson's bass grooves and drummer Mark Gibson.

The next track was the first single from the album, 'The Bells! The Bells!!' is probably the heaviest song on the album, opening with the chimes of church bells before the band erupt into the song with ferocious attitude. Strong vocal lines come together on this track with powerful lyrics including 'Everybody hopes for change but they don't know what to change about themselves.' The song falls into a solo that brings everything together before a climatic finish.

'Hostages' opens up the next string which is a song with a bed of dramatic strings in the background mixed with Battelle's vocals leading the song like an army's charge with chorus lyrics including 'We are hostages of our own attack, and the consequence there's no turning back, as we guard ourselves we were born to lead not follow'. The song has a great anthem like vibe to it which is matched perfectly by the sweeping solo that explodes out of the quiet ambience.

'Sombre Party' is the following sing which is the most pop like on the album which is a song focusing on the issues of questioning life choices 'We're afraid to love or is our love afraid' and our restrictions on ourselves 'We're a consequence of our fears and doubts...If you trust in fate our future's already made.' It's rocky, pop and just a damn good song.

The next song on the album is more recognisable to LostAlone fans who have seen them live in the last two years as 'G.U.I.L.T.Y.' is chanted out by the band - this song can easily demonstrate the band's love for structure and progression throughout the song as well as harmonies being a huge part on the song - drawing on Queen's material it may seem.

'Mental Health' is a more reflective song for Steven Battelle, reflecting on his past through the lyrics including 'When you're down and crying out for help, you've got to lose yourself inside your illusion commenting on the song:

"It's a strong title to put on a record, but it came from a real honest place... it's me being honest, and this is painfully clear what I'm saying and the music reflects it. Talking about when I felt I'd completely lost my mind"

With the next track 'Apathy' we see bassist Alan Williamson taking a strong presence on this song as the bass progresses through the song, the chorus is an undeniable hook which implants itself in your brain and stays there for the next few days

'Scarlett Letter Rhymes' is a return to the band's heavier side of the band, starting with a arpeggio chord progression before the pure brute force from the distortion driven bass and crashing drums destroy the tranquillity. The song just has pure awesomeness written all over it, however the lyrics are quite something to get your head around; 'The rhythms of life are not syncopated, a hurricane strike is a fate worth sailing on a fictional tide for.'

 'I Was Born To End This Way' takes us back to the rock-pop aspect that LostAlone heavily draw upon when writing. An upbeat guitar and synth combo combined with Alan Williamson's bass gives the song a strong body making the song an enjoyable song to listen to.

'Requiem' begins with a choir chanting in harmony with one another soon followed by the band's presence. The choir's vocals are an underlying audio bed in this song which is key to this song, and it definitely brings a homely feel to the song which brings positives feelings all around, 'I don't feel real, I don't feel distrust in my heartbeat. Everybody wants to know that there's a reason, everybody wants the world to hear their requiem'

If the song wasn't cool enough, 'Doooooooooomagedon (Global Thermonuclear Metafictional Warfare)' is a song which has a chant similar to that of a tribe fighting march call and it packs a punch with the head bobbing rythym, strongly lead by Mark Gibson's drumming. This song is a great closing song for the album to fade out on.

To close the albun 'Breathing in The Future, Exhaling The Past' once again slowly eases into the song with a choir chanting, and quite fitting it ends with Battelle's preaching lyrical wisdom (even more of it?) and ends the album on an emotional end which leaves you wanting to play the album once more.

In conclusion this album is simply fantastic, whether you're a fan of the band already or a person listening to the band for the first time, Shapes of Screams perfectly demonstrates the high quality of music that this magical music trio are capable of producing. This album deserves all the praise it has gotten so far and 2014 will be the year of LostAlone. Excellent work guys.

10/10

| Review: Yashin @ The Borderline 01/04/14 [Live] |

"An absolutely cracking set from the band,I only wonder whether anyone has seen The Borderline’s roof after Yashin blew it off"

First on the stage at The One Hundred, a four-piece metalcore act with heavy guitar tracks mixing with rap. The venue is half full but the band persists nonetheless trying to bring the crowd to life. Tight guitar riffs and crashing breakdowns come together, but the crowd response is disappointing given the guys’ constant perseverance to get the audience moving. Latest releases ‘Kingsmen’ and ‘Breed’ are signs of a positive future for this band, but the band’s vibes seem to clash with the crowd here tonight. Ending the set on one of their heavier songs, The One Hundred leave stage with a round of applause but there is an uneasy tension in the room. (6/10) Following up to The One Hundred is I Divide, a rock group from Exeter as main support to Yashin on these three dates. Bringing powerful rock melodies and strong vocals, the band quickly takes control of the crowd. Vocalist Tom Kavanagh takes the crowd in his hand like a puppeteer and gets everyone to move their hand in time to the beat of latest single ‘I’m Not Leaving’ claiming “We’re going to pretend we’re at a rap concert”. Blasting through hits from their album ‘What’s Worth More’ the band is firmly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with to any who did not know of them before tonight. For those who were here for the heavier tracks, I Divide brings out all the stops on the penultimate track and gets them singing along in harmony together to ‘Follow Me’. Splitting the crowd in two and unleashing a wall of death on the drop, a sudden outbreak of energy disperses throughout the crowd. Ending their set on ‘Burning Out’ the band ends strong and leaves a resonating wave of energy pulsing through the crowd. As the members leave the stage a strong response to the set list can only reassure the band on how great their set was – top notch guys. (8/10)
As anticipation beings to rise amongst the crowd, the lights dim and Yashin take to the stage, with scream vocalist Kevin Miles bellowing the opening to their latest single off the forthcoming album ‘D.E.A.D.’. Tonight’s show acts as a celebration to their single release of ‘D.E.A.D.’ and B-Sides ‘Lady Carousel’ and acoustic track ‘S.O.S.’; all of which make an appearance over the course of the night. The setlist brings out songs across all of the band’s albums, playing singles from ‘We Created a Monster’ including ‘Make It Out Alive’ and ‘New Year or New York’ which releases all the crowds energy, with constant mosh pits breaking out through the crowd –mainly due to other vocalist Harry Radford’s motivation. Mid-way through the evening the band takes an opportunity to slow things down where the electric guitars are exchanged for acoustic guitars. Here Harry Radford gets intimate with the crowd and comes into the crowd and gets everyone to sit down for a  “Little kumbaya song” where we see ‘S.O.S.’ and fan favourite ‘Stand Up’ played, allowing guitarists Connor MacLeod and Paul Travers to demonstrate their skills.Following the acoustic set, key tracks from the 2010 album ‘Put Your Hands Where I Can See Them’ formed into a medley of ‘Get Loose!’, ‘Friends in High Places’ and ‘Get Loose’ which is a firm reminder to show that the band still sticks to their origins. The high point of the evening comes as Harry Radford reveals that a new track from the new album (which Yashin claims is to be released by the end of the year) is about to be played titled ‘The Renegades’, where Kevin Miles claims “It’s going to get heavy right now.” The song packs a smashing guitar line with vocals that hit you hard like an uppercut to the jaw. To finish the Yashin lads close their set on their leading single from 2012 album ‘We Created a Monster’, the band ends on ‘Runaway Train’ which completely obliterates the venue. The crowd leaves the stage to cheers and applause from all those in the venue. An absolutely cracking set from the band,I only wonder whether anyone has seen The Borderline’s roof after Yashin blew it off. (10/10) 

The Dirty Youth Interview - Danni Monroe (Vocals) & Matt Bond (Lead Guitar)

The Dirty Youth are a female-fronted quintet from Wales and they are bringing out pop-rock melodies to the crowds. They recently set out on the Welcome Home tour supporting Heaven’s Basement alongside Glamour of the Kill. I managed to grab a ticket to see them at the Electric Ballroom in Camden and I took this opportunity to sit down with vocalist Danni Monroe and lead guitarist Matt Bond.

TOATM: So The Dirty Youth, how would you describe your music to anyone who hasn’t heard you before?

Matt – “Well our music is really good so I guess everyone should pay attention to us and definitely go buy our record!”

TOATM: I see that you have also been added to the line up for Download Festival this year on Saturday, are you excited for that?

Matt – “This is the third time that we've played it so to be playing the second stage it’s mega exciting – We can’t wait.”

TOATM: Well that’s great to hear. So you’re on the Welcome Home tour which has Heaven’s Basement and Glamour of the Kill on it, it’s a nice celebration of British music therefore. But more specifically what would you like to say you’re bringing to the future of Welsh music?

Danni – “Well we’d like to bring the best pop music ever since Tom Jones haha”

Matt – “It’d be nice to get our music and take it to the next level.”

TOATM: That’s great, I’m sure you will. On another note your bassist Leon (Watkins) has been noted to look a lot like Malfoy from Harry Potter, so on that note if you were going to Hogwarts, what house would you be in and why?

Danni – “Well I’m actually a really big Harry Potter fan and I’ve done the online test *laughter*  and I came out as Gryffindor.”

TOATM – “So only positive attributes and no dark side to you then?”

Danni – “Yeah there’s no dark side to me at all, I’m lovely... all the time.”

TOATM – “What about you Matt?”

Matt – “I don’t watch Harry Potter, It’s not that I don’t like Harry Potter I just don’t watch it.”

TOATM – “Ah that’s a shame – nevermind!”

TOATM: So looking back on your childhood and growing up would you say there are key influences that had an impact on you and would you say you bring any of it into your music?

Danni – “We’ve all got completely different influences, so like I say as a mixture we create our sound, but just massive rock stars like Queen, Foo Fighters.”

TOATM: Recently you released your single “Alive”, so do you have any plans to release an upcoming album or is it going to be another EP?

Danni – “Yeah we’re going to be releasing another full length album and we are going to bring out two singles before the album is coming out, and that’s coming out later this year.

TOATM: Seeing as you’re on a support slot with Heaven’s Basement at the minute, do you have any plans to do a full UK headlining tour of your own after this at all or any other tours?

Danni – “Yep, we’re going to be doing a full length headlining tour later in the year!”

TOATM: Regarding the band’s sound, is there anything you want to bring to music as a whole? Is there anything you haven’t seen in a while that you would like to see a revival of?

Danni – “Well I don’t think there has been a massive rock band since Queen, so to see a new band like Queen would be great.”

Matt -  “I think British female-fronted bands as well you’re not seeing much of them that much nowadays, so it would be cool to take the reins.”

TOATM – “It seems like there is Paramore and The Pretty Reckless doing well as successful current female-fronted bands, so I think you’re right and it’d be good to see you at the fore-front of music.”

TOATM: So regarding your set tonight what can we expect to hear from you tonight?

Danni – “We are going to be demoing about six new tracks from the upcoming album so it’s exciting to be playing them yeah.”

TOATM – “How’s the tour gone so far then with the new tracks and how are they being received?”

Danni – “It’s awesome and we’re getting really good responses from the crowd so it’s great for us!”

Matt – “I also think personally that it is three really good bands and it does seem like a really good show, I mean if I could I’d go and watch it definitely!”

TOATM: “Well thankyou for taking time to talk to me, it’s been great to talk to you tonight, good luck tonight!”

Danni & Matt – “Thanks, you too!”

Victorian Trout Conspiracy Interview w/ Fraser and Gerard

“We’re usually quite complex musically while being accessible to anybody that would want to hear it”

As I sit down to talk to guitarist Fraser Fulton and saxophonist Gerard Sykes, the Scottish gents find themselves out of water - two drunkards in a beer garden without any beer, a longshot at most but I go along with it. Fresh from a gig on Friday night, the pair is eager to open up secrets and tell us exactly what this damn conspiracy is.

So, Victorian Trout Conspiracy... What’s the catch and what sets you apart from the rest?

Fraser - “We set about playing in this band with the intention of putting on the most outrageous lives show that we physically could, there tends to be a lot of jumping around. Clothes are optional, except from our female band member, they're usually more of a legal requirement; then there's Phil who always gets his man nipples out. We're usually quite complex musically while being accessible to anybody that would want to listen to it.”

Victorian Trout Conspiracy has members stretching from various backgrounds and musical heritages In which there are various age groups, which you might not expect to flow. However when watching the Trouts you notice a strong bond of unity existing between all members which is somewhat of an essential element for bands to have:

Fraser – “Well initially we started off with four members and then we brought in more members. The band sort of formed like the Avengers It's gradually got to the stage where there is no room on stage - I've had bloody nose bloody lips and people bumping into me all the time on stage, but it’s regular now!”

As a band they class their sound as "ska dirty urban ghetto funk", when asked about the influences both Fraser and the band have their key bands and artists that influence the sound they ultimately look to produce when writing songs:

Fraser – “Personally from me, Biffy Clyro draw a big lyrical influence. There is also a (Red Hot) Chili's (Peppers) as well as an American jazz band called Snacky Puppy. Also Ryan Adams, not Bryan Adams... and dare I say it Snow Patrol.”

Gerard – “...I like Bryan Adams”.

Fraser – “It’s all drawing on different sounds and bringing them together, I mean we have funk, classical indie coming together – our percussionist even came from a metal background. The thing that we try to do is treat the brass as a main focusing point of the band's sound, almost treating it like that of a lead guitar which definitely brings something to the sound of the band itself and is a distinguishable feature in our live performances.”

Taking from the aspect of live performances, Victorian Trout Conspiracy recently embarked on a tour across the UK playing multiple shows in venues both close to home and far away. It was a great opportunity for the band to see that it wasn't just an exclusive scene in Scotland but could be popular all over.

Fraser – “It was brilliant and for the first time we had our tour bus. Prior to that we spent most of summer playing gigs travelling around with our instruments on our laps which was highly uncomfortable, but with the bus we could become proper rock stars.”

Gerard – “Yeah, plus we only got one parking ticket which was pretty good, though it was for a few hundred quid which was a bit bad - London charged us so much on the congestion charge for the bus as it's fricking huge! But it’s great as it means we can actually relax when we’re on tour, whereas before we’d be in loads of cars just holding stuff.”

Fraser – “When playing out of Scotland, the crowds are pretty universal which is nice as we thought it might just be a Edinburgh ska-scene, but everywhere we've played people get into the fact we don't take ourselves particularly seriously. Our crowds are usually split into two people, the people who are moshing and dancing about at the front, and then there are the people who are just listening to the music at the back, noticing what we've put in that music. It's when someone comes up to us at the end of the show and says they liked what we did with one of our songs that is what makes it for me, as that is a bigger compliment personally rather than complimenting the fact we jump around on stage and swear a lot.”

Even more recently, that ginger fellow Ed Sheeran turned up at their acoustic set in Aberfeldy and joined in – when asked about it laugher erupted from the lads:

Both – “Oh! Our mate Ed! Haha!”

Fraser – “There were rumours he was going to be there, he just turns up and then sits in through our songs. He then played a few of his songs, I got to play drums for him and then he joined in to jam for one of our songs. It's nice to see how someone who is probably one of the biggest stars to come out of Britain recently since he won a Grammy recently, and he's still so down to earth to hang around with a group of drunkards.”

“So is that one of your most interesting tour stories would you say or are there others?”

Fraser – “Well Gerard is narcoleptic so that’s always an interesting one. As far as he’s concerned we teleport to gigs which is really not fair as the journeys are boring as hell! But the greatest moment was when we went to London for the first time and I had a really good Chinese meal; I like the Chinese. That or the board game Articulate, I think there was even a game of even of I spy. There was a day in Camden where some weird guy with a ginger beard was following us so we ended up finding a shop called Cyber City or something  with giant robots outside! I was filming the day’s event but couldn't film inside so we just focused on the glow in the dark vibrators and neon butt-plugs; that was actually going to be our next EP title but then we decided to go against that idea”

In regards to future music recording, stories were kept all secret, could this mean talk of a new EP or album, but this is most likely just a ruse and one of the band’s many conspiracies. However there was talk of plans for another UK adventure in the upcoming months which is promising to any of the existing fans, whilst also being exciting for news to new members of the Trout cult:

Fraser –“Well our main activity is secret so we can’t divulge any information on that,  but our manager is trying to get us a tour sorted, we’re playing quite a few UK festivals I believe. There are also plans for going to London baby! That’ll be around March or April. There are also plans to go for Liverpool and Dublin, which is an interesting experience to give them a run for their money when it comes to drinking!”

To catch the Victorian Trout Conspiracy, keep your eyes peeled on the facebook group and look out for their deubt self-titled EP out now.

| Review: The Blackout - 'The Best In Town' Show @ O2 Academy Islington 18/01/2014 |

A bustling evening is on the horizon here tonight at the O2 Islington Academy as welsh-rock group The Blackout are preparing to take to the stage for the second night in a row. This set differs to the lads’ setlist last night, as tonight is a celebration of the seminal 2009 album The Best In Town.  The band is set to play the album in its entirety along with some other B-sides and fan favourites. 

The doors open and the venue is swamped with fans desperately trying to get to the front of the stage and clasp onto the barrier for dear life. Then as the lights dim, the first band take to the stage. With a name like Rat Attack, you might expect light rock riffs and sweet melodies in their songs. However these sleeping giants attack the stage with a ferocious stage presence that thoroughly gets the crowd motivated. Undertones of punk rock mixed with a glitz and glam come together as the band open their set to A Bird In Hand.  Judging by the looks on vocalist Mike Hodges’ face, it’s going to be a fun night. Clad in a glittery top, Hodges is a true icon of the party-punk sound they’re looking for.  As the set comes to a close, guitarist Charlie Wesson and bassist Dan Wilson get the crowd moving with their latest single Saturday Night Feeling which Hodges describes as “Catchy as FUCK!” Even if you’re not usually a fan of slick guitar riffs, you find it hard to not groove along to the band’s charm. A great opening act that set the bar high for tonight. (7/10).

Not long after, LostAlone step on stage and take formation in the dimmed light and they explode from the silence into their latest single The Bells! The Bells!  Vocalist/Guitarist Steven Battelle triumphantly takes place in the spotlight as the band takes control of the crowd. With riffs and guitar solos galore, the crowd is already left shaking by the end of the second song Do You Get What You Pray For?

 Following a mishap in the set order due to Battelle setting his setlist out completely in pictures, LostAlone take a moment away from the music to celebrate Lindt chocolate – an odd but funny topic of choice nonetheless. The band appears to be splitting the crowd in opinions, but the band is quick to combat opposition well by claiming “You’re going to get absolutely torn to shreds, especially on this next one!” It’s here that drummer Mark Gibson and bassist Alan Williamson show off their talents on track Vesuvius, which packs a face-melting intro, and chorus that you can’t help but chant along to.  The Derby guys close their set on their hit single Love Will Eat You Alive, the band plays with huge grins on their faces. They leave the stage also leaving fans with news of a tour in April. (8/10)

Anticipation begins to rise in the venue as the banner for The Blackout is raised and the fans begin to shout out for the music to begin. Then suddenly all members run out on stage, before sending the crowd into overdrive as the band open up to ShutTheFuckUppercut.  Based from the reaction purely to the first song, we can tell that vocalist Sean Smith has clearly been anticipating this show for a long time since vocalist Gavin Butler fell ill on their last tour. With their next track Save Ourselves (The Warning) the audience comes alive singing in harmony to the chants in the choruses that brings a huge smile to Smith and Butler’s face. Being only four songs into their set, it is evident to see that The Blackout are one of the few bands nowadays that seem able to perform just as well, if not better live then on the record.  Smith’s screamed vocals are spot on and Butler’s clean vocals create a sense of euphoria amongst the crowd.

Rattling off the iconic tracks from the album including Children of the Night and I Love Myself and I Wanna Live, Smith recalls memories from playing this venue in the past and the history it holds for the band – “The last time we played this song we supported a small female-fronted band, they can’t be that big, who are they? Paramore.”

Finishing The Best in Town on We’re Going to Hell, So Bring the Sunblock the band rushes off stage and coming back on for an encore of songs that will get the crowd off of their feet. Smith then decides to take the set back to The Blackout’s first album for singles I’m a Riot? You’re a Fucking Riot! and You and Your Friend vs. Me and The Revolution  explaining: “This comes off our first album when we used to be a post-hardcore band.”

Just by looking at the amount of action taking place in mosh pits here tonight we can tell that the audience is having a great time, and it only seems fitting for the follow up track to be Start The Party with Smith asking for “Circle pits! Diamond Pits! Octagon Pits! I don’t know what those last two are but I want them!” The crowd is ignited into a frenzy of dancing and jumping all over again and the band is having just as much fun as the fans tonight. Before the show ends The Blackout still have a few more aces up their sleeves as they delve into We Are the Dynamite with Prepare For a Wound as well as going into their 2011 album Hope for The Storm which is what ignites in the crowd as the guitar kicks in.  Their penultimate song Radio is key in the audience taking the audience’s antics to new levels in successfully getting members of the crowd to do handstands throughout the song.

To finish the set, they end on the single Higher & Higher from Hope which is a subtly fitting song for the future of The Blackout. After the performance here tonight, it is clear that the band’s career can only continue for the better – top show lads. (9/10)

| Review: Black Veil Brides @ Rock City - 20/12/2013 [Live] |

Ben Mills Gets The Crowd Moving With 'Seatbelts'

Hollywood hard-rockers return to Nottingham for an evening full of flair, hairspray and loud music after two years. It's the last date on the Black Veil Brides'  'The Church of the Wild One Part II' tour but the energy is still running high among fans and the bands themselves. This show like nearly all of the shows on the tour is sold out and this is evident by how tightly packed the venue feels. After the doors are opened, shrieks of the young teenage fans are heard as they fight to make it to the stage (almost reminiscent of an army storming the battlefield).

As the venue begins to fill, the first band to grace the stage take position, clad in black from head to toe with instrument in hands. The Smoking Hearts, a five piece punk-rock group explode into their set with 'Destroy!' a song which packs a top notch guitar riff, a killer drum beat and strong vocals from vocalist Ben Mills. Only two minutes into their set and The Smoking Hearts have already won the hearts of the crowd and gets them screaming along the track's chant 'THIS IS TIME TO DESTROY!'. By the end of the first song guitarists 'Nobba' and Calvin have smiles as big as the Cheshire Cat's, but it's hard to blame them really. The rest of the set goes down a treat with the crowd participation being a key part of their set, just going to show that even if the fans don't know your tracks you can still motivate them, good going guys. (70%)

Aaron Buchanan Poses as the Robot From '86

The next band run on stage with bounding enthusiasm and the crowd instantly perks up as Heaven's Basement begin their opening song 'Fire, Fire' which sees the crowd begin to jump and move in synch to Aaron Buchanan's chants. Judging by the response the band is met to after their first song, we can see that Heaven's Basement are the more well known support band here tonight. Being a four piece band you may expect there to be a lack of power in the music, but Heaven's Basement are pulling out all the stops tonight and the delivery is superb. The sound could be deemed reminiscent of recent Rise Against material and guitarist Sid Glover's solos are something that have to be seen to be believed. By the end of the set, these lads end their set triumphantly on the band's biggest singles 'I Am Electric' and 'Nothing Left To Lose'. Make sure to look out for them
in 2014. (85%)

Jinxx & Jake Pitts Gear Up For 'In The End'

Finally at long wait, the lights dim for one last time tonight and as the intro to 'Shadows Die' is played on the speakers over the chant of 'BLACK VEIL BRIDES', the crowd sways in harmony to one another. Then, one by one the members step out on stage greeted by deafening screams of adoration. Lead singer Andy Biersack takes centre stage with a huge smile on his face before screaming on the breakdown of 'Shadows Die'. The venue is instantly ignited with the sound of 2450 fans singing along to the song, with fans even treated to the rare event of guitarist Jinxx playing his violin on stage.

The set from Black Veil Brides is aimed mainly to promote their 2013 album 'Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones', however the band does aim to keep loyal fans interested throwing in hit songs from their first two albums 'We Stitch These Wounds' and 'Set The World On Fire'. As members of the audience scream out to the members, the band drop into their earlier material which is received positively by all attending as the guitar riff from 'Knives and Pens' and 'Perfect Weapon' pulses through the crowd. It is here that guitarist Jake Pitts gets to show off his guitar skills and take the set to a musical climax.

Andy Biersack Commands the Crowd With Ease

Following 'Perfect Weapon' drummer Christian Coma aka CC gets his time in the spotlight as he performs a stunning drum solo. However as much as it is a spectacle to watch, there is a feeling that the band has played the same solo time and time ago and it soon becomes repetitive to listen to.

Despite this however, Black Veil Brides are able to put on a great show for fans both new, and old. Returning for an encore the band prepares for two last songs, and Andy finally dons the santa hat thrown on stage by a fan.

They finish their set with hit singles 'Fallen Angels' and 'In The End' which seem fitting given that is the show that closes 2013 for the band. As bassist Ashley Purdy and Andy Biersack thank the crowd and wave goodbye the lights fade away. (90%)
With news that they will be returning to the recording studio in the new year it seems that Black Veil Brides have set themselves up for yet another busy year - bring on 2014!

| Review: 'The Best In Town' - The Blackout: Album Revisited [Album] |

In ten days, Welsh rock group The Blackout are set to triumphantly return to the O2 Academy in Islington to perform for two nights of rock and roll with an undertone of party fever, a show that only these lads could deliver. This follows their cancelled tour dates after singer Gavin Butler suffered health issues on the last stretch of their previous tour. However the show set for January 18 has gathered large amounts of interest thanks to the show being a special one; the band is set to play their seminal album 'The Best In Town' in its entirety along with some special songs as well. If you were lucky enough to bag yourself a ticket, it's time to revisit the album, put on your skinny jeans and get that 'emo' fringe firmly back in place.

Being the first album recorded on the Epitaph record label after moving from the Fierce Panda label, the band seem to have gained a true sense of respect amongst the alternative and post-hardcore scene and the album definitely stands to show that the band have upped their game to present this to the fans. The album explodes with the punchy riff of 'ShutTheFuckUppercut' and Sean Smith's scream vocals tear straight through the song, immediately setting the tone for what is to be a hell of a ride. Gavin Butler's vocals harmonise perfectly alongside the fierceness of Smith's lines. This is a key element to The Blackout's anthem like cheers that will hook you in and subdue you until you too are banging your head in time to the snare drum.

What sets this album apart from other albums is the element of diversity the band bring to the tracks, with tracks flowing from upbeat and hard hitting breakdowns like that in 'ShutTheFuckUppercut' and 'Said & Done' , whilst also heading into a subtle light melodies with 'Top of the World' and 'Silent (When We Speak)'. Not only does this show the fact that they have grown as artists but it clearly demonstrates that they are not focused on one sound, but more so they are set on writing excellent music which is something they do not fall short on.

Alongside 'ShutTheFuckUppercut', there were three other singles to come off of the album 'Children of the Night', 'Save Ourselves (The Warning)' and 'I Don't Care (This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things)' with fan favourite 'Save Ourselves (The Warning)' gaining the most coverage and became the most commercial single off of the album. The Blackout have proved to us that it doesn't matter who you are, you can still pump your fist whilst you screaming 'We're going out, going out going out!' and still get a kick out of it.

On an album where every track stands for itself, you find yourself constantly tapping your foot along to the track and singing along to the chants that Gavin Butler screams with pride. At little under 35 minutes 'The Best In Town' delivers a thoroughly enjoyable listen which will be taking over your most played playlist and tempts you back for more with every listen.

90%.

For Fans Of: Mallory Knox, Young Guns, You Me At Six.
My Key Tracks: 'ShutTheFuckUppercut' , 'Save Ourselves (The Warning)' and 'Said & Done'.