// THE FALL // Chain Of Flowers / The Globe – Cardiff / 31-05 //

The Fall on stage @ The Globe

Everybody should go and see The Fall as only afterwards can you accurately assess to what degree you will be hooked. The predictable unpredictability of Mark E. Smith requires you to turn up just to see if he does the same or not. If he does, then what is he going to do?  The world of rock and roll has eccentric characters, and then, there is Mark E. Smith.

The Fall’s fans are true, and once caught in the bands net there is no escape. These same loyal lot will have witnessed both the worst and the best of the band over the last 35 years and they will keep coming back, as long as there is breath in their lungs. Smith’s lungs may be inevitably failing but their unmistakable sound and prolific output is as exciting as it always has been. Just listen to The Fall’s recent releases such as Ersatz GB and Your Future Our Clutter to name but a few.

Local indie/punk outfit Chain Of Flowers proved more than a worthy opener as the old faithful, gradually gathered in The Globe. With a brand new set list, Cardiff’s talented band of brooding punks oozed confidence and power from the outset with new single Nail Me To Your Cross. Singer Josh Smith leaves little in the locker as he twists and turns around his microphone wire, and in Crisis his commitment to performance is equalled by his slicing romantic lyrics.

With usual drummer Rich Clarke state-side, stand in drummer Josh Day only had a fortnight to practice the parts but anchored the band brilliantly, with all things considered. Chain Of Flowers have supported Eagulls on a UK tour and it is clear to see that that experience is manifesting itself in the bands song writing.

Cardiff’s Chain Of Flowers

Guitarist’s – Sam Hunt and Ross Jones styles couldn’t be more contrasting. By ear and by eye, they are total opposites stood side by side. Another new track Glimmers Of Joy roars to cataclysmic crescendo but Jones is unmoved, staring blankly towards a ghost he sees at the back of the bar. Hunt is oblivious to his partners catatonic state as he is visibly consumed by the sounds attacking him from the wood he yields. Bury My Love brings an end to a set that should alert all present to the potential of this band.

The time had reached 22:20 and the tightly packed crowd clearly feared the worst, a slightly controlled raucousness steadily fizzed to a certain ‘unsteady’. After 15 minutes of the band’s intro and then re-intro and so on, the keyboard player and wife of the main man huffed and sighed and left the stage. Elena Poulou (Now Smith) strode up the stuffed stairwell towards the Globe’s upstairs bar. She returned a minute or so later with Mark in tow. She lead him back down and a round to the stage door and that was the starting gun. It may have been a false start however, the band sunk straight into My Door Is Never but still no Mark E. Smith. His grunts and slurs drifted over the Globe as a faceless taunt. And then, Mark E was there. He staggered on, stopping to acknowledge each of his players one by one. What mood would he be in tonight? He looked content enough, not well, but not ill, more like a drunk uncle at a wedding.

Smith wandered the boards with some kind of scrappy manual clutched under his arm only to brandish the tatty, scribbled on pages at random intervals like a threatening school master. It is amazing to think how a band with little or no continuity, at least until recently, can maintain a sound signature that completely different members made their own decades before. The relentless rhythm was born in punk and matured in new wave, throughout indie and then Madchester the beat was constant. Tonight the beat was felt in the bones, bass and drum sending shock waves through all physiologies present. Hittite Man (From Re-mit) and Junger Cloth (Sub Lingual Tablet) saw Smith’s blue suit going a darker shade as the heat built. Barely looking up from his laces, Smith exited and re-entered the stage via the door to the right as if carrying out an inventory of the venue.

Mark E. Smith with his harmonica

It was Theme From Sparta F.C that sparked a standing room only scrum of seasoned punksters, the hardened out of the 50,000 Fall fans (that can’t be wrong) seized upon the first tune in the set list not released in the last ten years to surge with venomous intent. It may be due to lack of shelf space that the longer serving supporters were not as familiar with the latest of The Fall’s prolific output which accounted for the overwhelming majority of the material tonight.

The Fall are forever influential but always inimitable and it shows when after 20 or so albums they still produce such marvels as Your Future Our Clutter from which Weather Report 2 comes; Wolf Kidult Man from the incredible Imperial Wax Solvent, but most tunes were brand new from this years Sub Lingual Tablet. The Globe cut the aura of a furnace by the time the stand out Sir William Wray from 2013’s Re-Mit formed a rotunda of vicious bass. Mark E. Smith ducked and dived through the final few never letting up on his over-emphasis of last syllable drawl like an MC from the centre of a boxing ring.

White Lightning was the last of a set that seemed to flow like a sulphuric river. If any other band of such a prolific back catalogue lasted less than this hour and twenty, many would feel aggrieved but based on the prior anxiety, all present went away feeling they cheated history and witnessed the best of The Fall.

// End Of The Road Festival 2015 // Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset //

End Of The Road Festival – Flaming Lips 2014

A year cannot pass quickly enough so it would seem, and then, the first weekend of September is upon us and it is unfathomable how fast it has come around once more.

After traversing grand, Georgian Somerset gorges and negotiating a daring game of chicken by a bouquet of pheasants on windy rural tracks, the destination draws near. The open expanse of Wiltshire straddles into the archetypal beauty of North Dorset, Larmer Tree Gardens signals The End Of The Road and the start of the eagerly awaited festival.

A ’boutique’ festival it may be categorised as but on this, its tenth year anniversary, its organic nuances expel any idea of hipster gimmicks attempting to attract the cool crowd. End Of The Road Festival is concentrated on music wrapped up in nature, England’s habitat hosting the worlds finest artists and performers.

This year was Quiffed Owl’s third visit to End Of The Road, and on paper, seemingly the weakest of the three line-ups. That observation was emphatically disproven over the following three days as the constant quality consistently astounded audiences.

It was Ought who thankfully brought their idiosyncratic chaos to the manicured lawn of the glorious Garden Stage. Flanked by magisterial furs and oaks under a fast moving sky, the Montreal quartet plugged in their post punk and chased each others note-tails around a ring of arousing rock music. Lead singer Tim Darcy jerked and scuttled like a Jarvis Cocker peacock as if serenading the hens that wandered the Garden Stage’s verges.

Tim Darcy of Ought on the Garden Stage

Ought flickered between tracks from last years brilliant More Than Any Other Day album and their brand new record, Sun Coming Down. Although fresh and experimental, Ought could be likened to the Talking Heads doing battle with Pavement as Mark E. Smith weighs in with the odd jab. It was one of the new tracks that impressed the most. Beautiful Blue Sky like many of their tunes builds up steadily with a rattling low bass line, Darcy croaking out his internal monologue whilst posturing to the oblivious peahens. The title track of their first record ended an incredible performance of arrogance and excellence, whoever had not heard of them before went away feeling as if they had unearthed some buried treasure.

The Big Top Tent, for once, proudly boasted as many fine acts as The Woods and The Garden Stage. Prog rock giants Pond and Canadian grunge band Metz were more at home under the starry canopy, courtesy of the laser projections on the tents ceiling. Their respective forms of rock were more condensed in the enclosed heavy atmosphere with no route for the sound to escape. Pond came first and poured a psychedelic soup over the throngs of festival goers trapped inside. Songs from Hobo Rocket and Man, It Feels Like Space Again dominated proceedings. It is little wonder why this band from Western Australia are thought so highly of.

Before a return to the Big Top, a detour to the Tipi was in order to see Cardiff’s Gulp. They have enjoyed a splendid year owing in part to their inclusion in many end of year best album lists. Super Fury Animals bassist Guto Pryce’s side project embodies pop and krautrock fronted by singer and Aberdeen girl Lindsey Levin. In the afternoon light of the Tipi, the fresh cinematic sounds from their album Season Sun meandered around the bright auditorium acting as a nice filler before the all out offensive Metz back at the Big Top.

Toronto based Metz performed Friday afternoon at the Big Top

Metz came loud and cruel – a violent force of grunge echoing Nirvana’s Bleach era. A whirlpool of bodies span psychotically before the stage, impact after impact smashed and clattered as the music mirrored the mayhem below. The adolescent row of The Swimmer and Acetate fired in a chain reaction of aggressive 2 minute bursts. In Dirty Shirt,  Alex Edkin’s blood curdling screams rang around the heaving pit. Subpop Records have found a gem in this band.

The first evening drew in and at the Woods stage Django Django warmed up the growing crowds with their signature twiddly indie which seemed pleasing enough as the volumes of ales and local beers steadily got the better of some. The sun was yet to set when Tame Impala entered the fray, much to the audience’s excitement. They have quickly become a band that everyone wants to see since 2013’s Lonerism. By this time, new friendships were being forged as the sun and the smiles beamed around the Woods.

Comedian, DJ and EOTR stalwart Ronan Leonard would end the night at the Garden Stage. The silent disco was far from that – Rubber booted and well oiled, throngs of ravers duelled with pop princesses as each chose from the two channels on the headphones.

Ronan Leonard hosting the silent disco

It was a god send that Prodigy’s Out Of Space drowned out the singing along of The Spice Girl’s Wannabe as witnessed in the queue for the port-a-loos. The line shifted all kinds of shapes but in an orderly and respectable form – much like the privet hedges forming the corridor to relief for the well watered. They danced and chanted into the early hours with no regard for their energy levels needed for tomorrows itinerary.

The only way to start your EOTR day is with a spicy bloody Mary and a wander through the woods with all of its art installations, ending up at the piano stage and Ringo: Music Bingo. Ronan Leonard has become part of the furniture here over the years. He is well respected by the growing numbers of fans he has accumulated year on year with his sharp wit and irrepressible imagination. Not only does he get up early every morning to present his Breakfast With The Ink Spots at the tipi stage but he stays up later, as previously mentioned, hosting the silent disco. It is Ringo: Music Bingo for which he is best known, however. This interactive game of puns, music and improvised absurdity is a massive hit with families and youth alike and it is this perhaps, that encapsulates the community spirit of EOTR better than anything else. Where else could you see a game of invisible pass the parcel or a sing along to The littlest hobo theme result in camaraderie between complete strangers and shared fits of laughter amongst staff and the gleeful audience?  Long may Leonard’s services be sought.

Read this interview with Ronan Leonard to find out more about the man and his game – Ringo: Music Bingo

Saturdays music began with Slow Club on the Woods stage but it was The Unthanks sisters who owned the memories of the day. The Northumbrian duo cast a spell of melancholic optimism on the downward sloping meadow, evoking shades of 2012 when The Dirty Three did likewise. Unhurried and elegant, The Unthanks designed their own score to the scene of the England that swallowed them. Adorably synchronised strings and brass lovingly supported the songs of seven albums, songs that were seen to make tears stream from eyes dazzled by their beauty. The folk was only broken by the sisters charming interactions as they introduced certain tracks from their latest album Mount The Air from whence came the outstanding Flutter. Magpie and the title track, intermingled with examples of their earlier work ensuring that Dorset was the centre of English folk music. At least for the hour the sisters stood side by side.

A change of pace was brought by My Morning Jacket and in some style. A rollicking set of harmonious Americana exploded from the woods stage working the crowd into a frenzy of sorts. It was noticeable that a wide section of the onlookers were here especially for them and it was evident why. Unlike their contemporaries Band Of Horses and The Delta Spirit, My Morning Jacket offer additional dimensions other than rhythm and blues. Their sound is more progressive, more engaging, just more.

Inside The Big Top

A short but brisk strut to the big top was to be made next, in order to get as close as possible to one of the most revered live bands in the UK and see what the hype was all about for ourselves. The Fat White Family juxtapose their stance between The Doors and some crazed Willy Nelson at a Slits audition. The acid induced prog of Auto Neutron is contained and tense just for the all out unrehearsed bedlam of Is It Raining In Your Mouth to transform the look and feel of the atrium in which we jumped and stumbled. Nobody could accuse the south London 5 piece of going through the motions; their motions are not necessarily ones of which we are familiar. In Cream Of The Young the claustrophobic groan of Lias Saoudi was a phantom circling in the air above seemingly trying to escape the taunting of the guitar that followed his moans upwards. This was a stark reminder of the talent we are blessed with in this country and it is festivals like EOTR where they are most likely to be showcased.

Time for the headline act, an act that EOTR are particularly proud of securing this year and further highlighting the prestigious reputation of the festival. Sufjan Stevens whispered his lullabies into the moonlight and to the motionless mass of hypnotized eyes under his spell. In conversations had since that Saturday night, there have been contrasting opinions of Stevens’ performance. Some claim it to have been stagnant and flat and lacking in commitment but his mellow expression of fine folk rang true to, not only his new album Carrie And Lowell, but through tracks from Michigan and 2005’s Illinois, including the wonderful Chicago. The hairs that stood up on the necks of the several thousand whom sang in chorus with him during Chicago could be sensed. It was a particularly touching moment.

After the repetitive thump of the dissenting Sleaford Mods, it was to the woods disco and then to the eccentric family that is the Somerset cider bus. An unnamed genius free-styled his lyrical observations to the paying posse queued up to witness it, one would wager the majority didn’t even like hot cider. The party drove on – all 3 sides of the bus drank and danced only to stop when the poetic bar tender would grasp the microphone.

End Of The Road

Sunday lunchtime’s amble about the many stalls and stores was suitably scored by Houndstooth and The Dawes. Under the hot sun ladies perused the boutiques for vintage objet d’art, new and old friends met to share stories and to be quenched by icy cocktails. Times like these define a festival. Reality and responsibility are relieved and you are the master of your destiny, at least for another 16 hours or so.

Would comedy be next? a hearty and delicious meal? alas, the imperious Lisa O’Neil made up our minds. The singer songwriter from County Cavan accounted for the best hour of the entire weekend. Her lyrics are as pained as her gravelled voice, and in songs such as Dreaming her honest emotion captures the troubles of the heart and agony of love lost. In her introduction to England Has My Man O’Neil jokes that that is all that England has but her almost shy awkwardness disappears into thin air when those first chords begin. Lisa O’Neil announces she will be selling copies of her new record Same Cloth Or Not and who can resist after hearing its startling content? Neillie’s Song can only be bettered by the gut wrenching lament of Come Sit Sing. Whether it was one too many mojito’s in the midday sun prior to her taking the tipi stage, not many eyes were dry as this remarkable demonstration of passionate power drew to a close.

Lisa O’Neil was arguably the stand-out performer of the weekend

And so into the final evening’s entertainment we entered, with conscious ignorance of that fact a large crowd were drawn to the garden to see Mac Demarco’s lazy low-fi come to life. It was a surprise to many that Brakes were included on this years itinerary baring in mind how long they have been in the wilderness but the set was a foot stomping delight. 2009’s Touchdown album constituted the majority of the material to the die-hard’s contentment. Two Shocks, Worry About It Later and Crush On You were greeted with yelps of joy by frolicking 30 something’s as the Brighton band were buoyed by the support for them in the big top. The raging Red Rag seemed to lift the lid right off.

The final headliner was The War On Drugs and it was no surprise that Adam Granduciel’s band from Philadelphia would demand the biggest audience of the festival. Lauded by the music press The War On Drugs produced what was expected. It wasn’t mind blowing by any means but with tracks as mercurial as Red Eyes and An Ocean Between The Waves they were certainly worth a look.

It was fitting that it was not one of the big name bands that brought this charming adventure to a close. This festival is for lovers of music, no matter what age they are – it is a deep intrinsic passion and knowledge of music that forms the fundamental foundation for this festival to thrive. That may be true of others but never is it more true than at End Of The Road Festival.

Los Angeles psyche rockers Wand unleashed a torrent of fractured rock and splinters of stone sound to the Tipi’s faithful. They were thankfully one of the acts to perform twice, this their second showing of the day in the first of two secret gigs in the Tipi tent. With close links to Ty Segal, Wand balance a blistering guitar barrage with daring time signature changes which in turn can draw comparisons with The Oh-Sees and Tame Impala. This set was bruising and devilishly loud but a number of lagging torsos somehow resisted the energising decibels by remaining horizontal and oblivious to the magic being conjured up above them.

There are countless reasons why we will return in another year to The End Of The Road and marvel at the aesthetic splendour for all the senses. On the 20th anniversary in a decades time, the organisers have a hell of a lot to live up to.

// Make Or Break // An Interview with – The TWILIGHT SAD //

The Twilight Sad on stage @ The Fleece, Bristol

In a golden era for Scottish Indie music, yet another Glasgow band have stepped out of the shadows, casting a soul shattering spell on, not just the UK audiences, but far beyond. The Twilight Sad have recently returned from the U.S leg of a far reaching tour, which has seen them grip new audiences straddling both sides of the Atlantic and deep into Europe.

Quiffed Owl spoke with Twilight Sad lead singer James Alexander Graham about their travels, their latest album and the hero who has delighted him by covering one of his songs.

QUIFFED OWL:

Your album Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave has been critically acclaimed, not to mention making it to number 2 in Quiffed Owl’s albums of the year in 2014. If anything, what did you do differently this time, compared to previous albums?

JAMES GRAHAM: 

Each album we have made is a snapshot of who we are and I am proud of every single record that we have done. With this record, I think there was a lot more pressure this time because the band may not have existed if the record didn’t do as well as it has done.

QO:

Do you think it was that imperative? Was it make or break with Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave?

JG: 

I think it was yeah. We wouldn’t be able to tour or put as much into it if people didn’t embrace it as much. We have been doing it for 7 to 10 years and we have not made any money out of it but it’s not about that, if it was we would have split up years ago. We would have compromised everything and we wouldn’t have been who we are.

QO:

And we have seen that happen too many times..

JG:

It’s not even that, the band have slowly grown and it got to the point that we were really happy with the last album, it received really good reviews but it got to the point we felt like we were shouting up against a brick wall. I don’t know whether it was industry stuff or what but it wasn’t through the lack of our trying because everybody in the band believe in what we are doing. There are no doubts about- Do we want to do this? What the fuck else would we do if we didn’t do it?

There was a moment when we contemplated that this might be our last ever record.

QO:

At what point did you think that?

JG:

I actually thought that before I even started writing it.

QO:

Did that put extra pressure on the writing of it?

JG:

It possibly did subconsciously, aye.

It didn’t affect the songs because the third album was more electronic and we always wanted to kind of ‘open up’ after that. It was all about the band progressing and not really caring about what anybody else thought. It was a matter of just caring about what we were doing and that was all that mattered, even with this record. But, in my mind I thought this could be the last one we ever did because if it didn’t work out it would probably break my heart and i’d never write again.

QO:

So it was a really personal and emotional thing for you?

JG:

Yes. It was like…I might not have the chance to make another one.

I mean, after I went away and did a proper job working on building sites and what have you. I know what hard work is like but I have always worked harder for this band although I made a lot more money doing the other stuff.

We were all aware of the importance of this record, although myself and Andy never actually spoke about it. ‘Make or break’ is probably a bit strong because me and Andy would still write together because that is what we love, thats what we do. To do it full time though,…and tour. I don’t think it would have happened.

QO: 

But now?

JG:

It has inspired us to make more records. I never doubted the people who believed in us or bought our records, but when you are playing to small rooms and the shows are nowhere near sold out, you think “Do people really like this?”, but I am ashamed to have ever thought that given the loyalty of our fans and the success of this album (Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave).

The most important thing is that we see a progression in what we do and not concentrate on the outside world.

The five of us are best friends and we are out there playing music together. That is the most important thing and to see it grow is brilliant. But it has naturally grown, through word of mouth not promotion and people talking about us to each other.

We would never have played to 800 people in London last night or had our New York and Chicago shows sold out, or the Seattle show being sold out. I am not saying we are a big band but the numbers of people coming to see us show that people give a shit about what we do.

James Graham – giving all he has got on stage

QO: You mentioned your shows in the U.S, How have the American audiences taken to your style of Indie music, bearing in mind it is quite bleak and dark?

JG: The thing is, we started over there. Our American label put out a 5 track EP which was the first thing we ever did. Then they sent us over to do a big festival with CMJ in New York and then to mix our record in Conneticut. That meant we could tour and every Sunday go back and check on the mixing of our record.

We hadn’t played a gig in Edinburgh at that point yet we had played New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and there would be 100 people coming to see us every night. Nobody knew who the fuck we were in Britain but because we put out that EP in America, it was the opposite.

QO: How many times have you toured America, because you’ve been there twice since November?

JG: Fifteen times. There is something about our music that really connects with American people.

I know the music is miserable but there is something about it that is strangely uplifting. I think they like the fact that the music is honest, that could be the same for any country actually but a number of Americans have heritage stemming back to Scotland. They may not understand all of the lyrics but they understand the passion that is coming through in the music.

I wear my heart on my sleeve and I am not afraid to show emotions. Other bands might think that’s not cool but I don’t care. It’s all about the feeling. Even if you think “Oh fuck, Iv’e been a bit of a fanny tonight and gone too mental”, I just genuinely express my passion in the music and in my performance.

A Happy Twilight Sad and Quiffed Owl

QO: A lot of your song titles…

JG: Fucking long aren’t they?

QO: Now you are just walking over my questions James. Yes, they contain a lot of prose but they also have a sinister edge to them. Is that something you do to try and mirror the darkness of the music?

JG: What I find interesting is that I write my lyrics and my melodies. Andy writes the music and is the producer of the band. But, I find it really hard to name a song, because I have put so much into it, so Andy has actually named most of the songs.

QO: Do you think that is out of exhaustion?

JG: No. I think it is because I am too close to it. I have to detach myself from the song after putting so much into it. I will say that Andy hits the nail on the head with the song titles though.

Andy always gets where I am coming from. I filter my lyrics through him so he is actively involved in every way but very rarely would he tell me that a particular lyric or line doesn’t work. He is sort of my editor but my mate.

Many of the song titles are quotes from films, which you’ve probably noticed.

QO: Your lyrics aside, the power and the resonance in the notes that you hit assure your vocals are extremely emotive, especially with how atmospheric and cinematic the music is. You mentioned before – “the music is miserable”, I would argue it is bleak and dark but far from miserable because it is beautiful.

JG: I agree there is something very uplifting about it and there is a difference between miserable and sinister. We have been at festivals with other bands or touring with them and they are all happy and up beat on stage and they come off stage and they are miserable bastards.

We get it all out of our systems on stage and when we are writing. So we just have a right laugh on tour. We have our moments but I bet if you ask Mogwai and other bands that we have been on tour with they will say that they have had more fun when on tour with us.

QO: And that is why you are doing it in the first place I would imagine?

JG: Of course it is, it is a privilege to do what we do. 10 weeks of touring is like group therapy because I can get off my chest stuff you can’t talk about in real life. We believe in everything we do.

QO: Tell me about the Robert Smith (The Cure) thing?

JG: Aye, Robert Smith of The Cure has covered There Is A Girl In The Corner, the first song off our new record and that is a double A side. I will play you that now (Plays song from his phone).

I cannot believe that The Cure like our band, it’s fucking mental.

The Cure and The Smiths are my biggest influences. I love the Smiths, I have actually done a few sessions with Mike Joyce, he’s a really nice bloke. The Cure to me though, progressively are a band that have always tried new things.

QO: On a personal level, who has influenced your vocals do you think?

JG: For me, I would say Arab Strap and now – Aidan Moffat is one of my best friends.

He is releasing a film shortly and Andy and I are doing backing vocals on it. We have toured the Islands with him and when we go home we go to the cinema and pub together. It’s surreal sometimes to think about it, that the guy who inspired me to do what I do now is one of my best friends.

Aidan and Malcolm Middleton laid the path for countless Scottish acts. They are both lyrically phenomenal but when this film comes out people will see what a genius and funny fucking bastard he is.

QO: Finally, you recently did a short tour of UK independent record shops. Why was that?

JG: We think it is important to support local and independent record stores. As you know with your last article on Record Store Day.

QO: In your opinion what is important about them and what can they do to survive?

JG: Well, it is an experience to shop in these places. There was one in Aberdeen that closed down, they got everything right but it just didn’t work because people didn’t go in.

I think like in Pie and Vinyl in Portsmouth they have made the store appealing and interesting. By selling food and music you are appealing to people to go on in and have a look. Those with the passion, the best ones will survive. We went to Spillers in Cardiff, unfortunately we didn’t make it to Diverse in Newport but we were really glad we did that tour. It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of people through the doors.

Words and photographs by Jimmy Gallagher

THE TWILIGHT SAD OFFICIAL WEBSITE – For tour dates and info

 

Twilight Sad – Last January (Youtube video)

** MORRISSEY // The Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff // 18.3.2015 **

With a rush and a pull, droves of people descended upon Cardiff but on closer inspection, it would seem that a fair proportion of them knew little about, and had less affection for the man they came to see.

A well known car insurance company based in Cardiff had given out free tickets to their call centre staff, as is their way, and thus adding to the general apathetic confusion amongst the masses. The sentence “I don’t know his solo stuff, I am here for The Smiths songs”, became irritatingly familiar as the week and then the evening went along.

Morrissey is no longer in The Smiths for those of you who may need clarification just in case you planned on parting with your money for 3 songs.

Instead Morrissey has enjoyed a fine solo career spanning several classic albums, not least his latest World Peace Is None Of Your Business. It was, however a Smiths song that would signal the start of a fine performance.

The Queen Is Dead pounced upon us with energetic regality as the sawing guitar from Boorer’s and Tobias’ guitars scythed through Mozza’s equally sharp lyrics.

The head scratching in the soulless Cardiff vacuum began straight after The Smiths classic rolled into the early nineties anthem of Suedehead. Looks of ignorant suspicion stared upon those in the audience who sang along and beamed with excitement for the music. This would feature throughout the whole show.

The band behind Morrissey clearly put his mind at ease in comparison to those of years gone by. They are a visibly close unit which is mirrored in the music, especially when live.

Morrissey was quite jovial in Cardiff. You can make your own aspersions as to whether that is uncharacteristic or not, I guess we will never know and that even applies to the NME.

The set list was predictably similar to that of his European tour last Autumn bar a few chops and changes. As Morrissey fans will have grown accustomed to, his latest and current material takes priority for him. That is perfectly justified however it can tend to alienate the fence sitters into a state of quarantine as they restlessly look around hoping for the intro of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out that never came.

Staircase At The University is a sure-fire future favourite displaying Morrisseys trademark tongue in cheek, demure humour. Kiss Me A lot is as strong a single as he has ever penned and Istanbul floats the romantic questions of inclination beautifully.

After Throwing My Arms Around Paris, it was with some surprise that Stop Me If You Think That You Have Heard This One Before from 1987’s Strangeways Here We Come would help the temporary break up of the flow of his new album. The real fans were in raptures for it. This was magnified further when the blisteringly bleak Speedway reminded us of how good his solo career had been. 1994’s Vauxhall &I surely setting the mark to measure all else against.

Following his statement last autumn, it was noticeable how strong Morrissey’s voice was. One may have presumed that following treatment for throat cancer, his voice would have significantly weakened. It had not, if anything his range and resonance had improved.

Nobody in the ‘Convention Centre’; usually reserved for tattoo conventions and snooker tournaments, was listening to his voice when the sounds of the abattoir brought in the unapologetic Meat Is Murder. The horrific visions of the abattoir were projected above the stage for all to see as Morrissey forced his will in admirably shameless theatre.

Unfortunately the huge hollow shell was incapable of transcending the genius of Everyday Is Like Sunday and What She Said (Rubber Ring Medley) as one would have liked but the sing along was loud and full hearted. There was still time enough for First Of The Gang To Die to appear as an encore. The fans stayed to the last second to see their hero as the rest filtered out to beat the traffic and queues into the Welsh capitals melee of indifference.

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** HABITATS // FRI 20 MARCH – START THE BUS, Bristol **

Habitats are from Basingstoke via London

 

The vast space in Bristol’s Start The Bus is reserved mainly for the bar area so the bands audiences are forced to huddle together into the far dark corner of the building but that did not deter those who came to see Basingstoke’s Habitats.

A gaggle of smiley people surrounded the small stage, drinks in hand and hips nice and loose, already shaking to the jaunty funk-indie that met them. The band may well have been equally as ‘Cheshire’ as the crowd but one could not confirm this due to the masking of the mouths by the obligatory hipster beards adorning them.

Habitats released their Diamond Days EP on February 9th via their record label Club Fandango and have taken to the road to promote it. As is the case nowadays, they have received airplay on the ever supportive BBC courtesy of Huw Stevens and Steve Lamacq and they have supported the likes of Tennis.

The four hairy young men masquerading as primitive beasts in their variety of facial whiskers, contently bounced into the ecosystem of twiddly, indie funk to which they had given birth. The songs are joyous and fundamentally fun, they visibly rejoice in the music they make and the music they make is gloriously uplifting, especially amidst a well oiled mid-Friday evening in the best city for music in the UK.

Habitats are from Basingstoke via London

 

If a band does not offer something new or push the odd boundary, that is no crime in music, unless the artist claims that they do. Habitats make no such claim. That is just as well because they are the musical image of Oxford indie outfit Foals. To achieve that however, it is essential that the musicianship and song writing is strong enough to draw those comparisons. Habitats seem to have talent enough in both fields. The first impression of the band when entering the venue was an expectancy to have fun.

The band started the set with Should Know Better followed by Turn Down The Sun before the EP title track – Diamond Days. The latter in particular is a smooth ascending song, inter weaving busy bass and reoccurring jangling guitar grooves. As well as the obvious Foals similarity, one can also recognise Two Door Cinema Club like guitars enhancing the party vibe. They saved the best to last as the moving bodies, scattering the floor welcomed Jungles.

And so, we were sent out into Bristol’s cloak of darkness humming Foals favourites. Perhaps that is something this perfectly capable group should be wary of if they are to give life to their own habitat of up tempo indie.

** THE UNTHANKS // Live at the Albert Hall Nottingham // 27/2/15 **

Photograph is copyright of The Unthanks

Words by Ben F Gallagher

The best kept secret in Nottingham is perhaps the ornate Albert Hall. This was the perfect venue for folk music’s worst kept secret to offer up the release of their fantastic new album Mount the Air.

Amidst the intimate but Victorian splendor of this concert hall, the collective from Northumberland headed by the refreshingly down to earth Unthank sisters, appeared from the rear of the audience to centre stage to modestly but sincerely introduce themselves.  The luscious strings and lone trumpet would feature heavily throughout the evening suggested immediately as the opener – Hawthorn heralded the first of the new Unthanks arsenal.

The evening was interspersed with monologues and dialogues by The Unthanks sisters as well as the musical director and multi instrumentalist: Adrian McNally. The laid back atmosphere accepted and absorbed the naïve and apologist humour in raptures of heartfelt esteem.

As Mount the Air, the eponymous title track, soothed and soared its ten minutes of gorgeous, loves lost elegance, the audience swooned and were rewarded with further manner from folk heaven in an unbeatable and equally unfathomable rendition of Anthony Heggarty’s Spiraling. In this track, Becky Unthank staked her claim as one of the most heavenly vocalists of her generation. “She writes her first song and gets play listed on Radio 6 Music,” bemoaned McNally of Becky Unthank’s Flutter.  This beautiful song became the latest arrow to pierce the onlooker’s hearts.

The two separate halves of the performance were almost undecipherable other than the presence of previous Unthanks favourites such as the stunning Last and the sumptuously and expertly tailored Starless. Originally by 70’s prog rockers King Crimson, The Unthanks have undoubtedly improved upon the original, admitting “We decided to emphasize the melody and vocal line”, which can be heard by the most untrained of listeners.  The jaunty Lucky Gilchrist allowed a welcome rest from luxurious melancholy as the band looked back to Here’s the Tender Coming album.

What though would stick in the mind from this most precious of evenings? Perhaps the voice recording from Violinist and vocalist, Niopha Keegan’s father on the instrumental For Dad. Could it have been the discussion about death being “Very Unthanks” swiftly followed by the beautiful Died For Love?

I believe that anybody lucky enough to witness The Unthanks in this ominous form will be delighted with everything other than the moment they realized that they have finished and will not be returning to the stage.

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