Review and Photos by Paul Broome



I'd been looking forward to this line-up since it was announced at the tale end of last year. Two of our best live bands on the same stage in one evening. What a treat.








Over the last twelve months The Computers have had the kind of gig schedule that would make most bands of grown men openly weep and collapse to the ground with apoplexy. All the more remarkable given the quantity of energy, sweat and sheer chutzpah that they throw into each and every performance. Surely it's only a certain amount of time before front man Alex spontaneously combusts, or at the very least starts leaking steam from a ruptured windpipe. They hit the stage (to the sonorous tones of Johnny Cash) at full-pelt, and didn't relent for the next 30 minutes. As usual, Alex finished the performance somewhere at the bottom of a self-induced pit (I saw him finally emerge from the crowd, limping heavily, about 10 minutes after the rest of the band had retired to the dressing room). The recent addition of a live keys player has also rounded out those rock'n'roll riffs even more, giving them an extra string to their already fully-loaded bow. They gave me no reason to doubt tonight the assertion I made after I last saw them that they are currently one of the best live bands in the country, and ergo The World (as everyone knows all the best bands are British).







So a tough act for the headliner to follow, but if anyone could do it then I'd put my money on four blokes from Leeds. After all, it takes the kind of person who could punch a lion in the throat to follow The Computers. And Pulled Apart By Horses didn't waste any time in ratcheting up the already amped crowd - kicking off with that classic much loved track about big cat abuse, after front man Tom had arrived on stage with a particularly athletic roly-poly. The band cranked through the set - which featured tracks from both the eponymous debut and the recently released Tough Love. While the extreme vocal delivery style may unite the two bands on display tonight, the music couldn't be further apart - where The Computers exhibit fun-time, pedal-to-the-metal punk rock'n'roll (of the variety originated by Rocket from the Crypt - minus the horns, of course) - PABH's sound owes a lot more to both the grunge and post-hardcore bands which have gone before. That said though, they've managed to create something unique which takes the best aspects of both of those genres, while eschewing the worst. For example, grunge on the whole lacked personality and energy but PABH have both in bucket loads. Post-hardcore bands can be self-aggrandising and full of phoney intellectualism, PABH are down to earth and just out to have a good time. The honesty of both their sound and the inter-song banter is refreshing - and what's more, they took the challenge laid down by the support band and ran with it.

Honestly, it should be illegal to have this much fun on a Monday night. The sweat was running down the walls of the Institute Library, my glasses were steaming up, and my guts were full of hard, fast, and heavy music. What a way to start the week.

Words and Photos by Tony Gaskin


Midlands Rocks went over to the dark side last weekend and embraced the paradoxically colourful world of all things Goth! This was the inaugural Midlands Goth Fest and to be honest there had been nothing on this scale for this sub-culture in the Birmingham area as far as I can remember, so there were high hopes for this event to be a success and become an annual event.

The day kicked off in the morning when the Birmingham Ballroom opened its doors for people to come and enjoy the market stalls, sideshow and carnival games for free. I was unable to get down there but my spies tell me that despite the gloomy weather a steady stream of people enjoyed the days activities which culminated in a spooky ghost walk through some of the City’s creepy hotspots.

The evening was all about the bands, and to get the evening started we had Birmingham’s own Gothic Ghoul himself, Count Porl take stage to introduce the bands and first up was local duo Twilight Laboratory (T-Lab) with their Industrial/Electronic set which was well received by a decent sized early crowd. I like that N.I.N/Ministry/Rammstein style of heavy keyboard/guitar amalgamation, good start!

Next up was Zeitgeist Zero from Leeds. Now if Birmingham can lay claim to being the home of Metal then surely the Leeds/Wakefield/Bradford triangle in West Yorkshire can claim to be the birthplace of the real Goth Rock? Early exponents like Sisters of Mercy, Skeletal Family and March Violets defined a generation so not being familiar with this next band I had high hopes!

I wasn’t disappointed, although they were not the traditional Goth band by any means, but a more modern mix of garage/horror rock combined with a pulsating drum and bass back line. The highly entertaining Teresa Dead(vox) and Bex Noire (bass) enthralled the ever swelling crowd.

Despite the temperature in the club being on a par with a suitably gothic crypt, the atmosphere was warming up nicely and there was a genuine buzz about next act, Mechanical Cabaret .

The anticipation was well deserved as the duo of Roi Robertson and Steve Bellamy produced a set of dark and sleazy ballads that were straight out of the Soft Cell book of Cabaret. Not to say they were a Soft Cell Clone, they have more depth and intrigue to them than that, but you could see the influence the 80’s alternative club scene have on this band. I really enjoyed this set, you barely notice Bellamy as he weaves his magic with his Korg and other assorted keyboards and sequencers, all your attention is focused on Robertson has he flirts with the crowd constantly, a cheeky twinkle in his eye.

A tough act to follow as they say, but next up we had veterans of the 80’s Goth scene, Salvation. Again, from that hotbed of Gothic talent that is Leeds, Salvation built up a strong following with their more psychedelic and 60’s inspired gothic rock. Formed in 1983 and still going strong, albeit with various line-up changes, they’ve retained that distinctive sound. The set was lacking though in some of the bands earlier stuff and songs like Jessica’s Crime and The Shining were conspicuous by their absence.

Headlining this first and successful MGF was the long established and very popular Inkubus Sukkubus. With their Wiccan/Pagan themed Gothic Rock they enthralled the amassed throng, with many people announcing they were their favourite band of the night. Dark, atmospheric songs, the epitome of what this genre is all about. Thoroughly enjoyable, and Candia is a superb singer and performer.
To bridge the gap between the bands finishing and the DJ’s taking us into the early hours of Sunday we had the very entertaining Vince Ripper and The Rodent Show, a 50’s/60’s garage/horror rock themed show with the bone shaking Rat Fink as MC with Vince Ripper spinning the tunes. Old horror and B-Movies were projected onto a screen and 3D glasses were handed out so we could have the real bone shaking experience!

A lively end then to my evening and to what had been a very enjoyable one. I think from my perspective the day had gone very well and I hope that the organisers, Dark Heart Events will build on this and make it an annual event. So it was off to my bed before dawn and left the youngsters to dance the night away, well I did have to be in work for 6am!

Review by Paul Davis

Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson, on tour to promote his second solo album, 'Through A Crooked Sun' came to Oswestry's Ironworks this evening, the most intimate venue on the UK tour. Along in support was Dave O' Grady.

Dave O 'Grady is a Dublin born, Liverpool based singer songwriter performing a blend of folk and blues. His set goes down well, featuring songs from his debut EP, the title track 'Dirty Little Secret' and 'I (Don't Want To) Love You'. He gets the audience singing along with a cover of 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and closes with another cover, Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. Definitely one to watch.

There can't have been many occasions in the past twenty years, with 30 million album sales and sharing stages with the likes of AC/DC, Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, when Rich Robinson has had to walk through the audience to get to the stage, but that was the case here tonight.

Rich Robinson and his band perform an excellent set, opening with 'Gone Away' from the new album. 'It's Not Easy', 'Standing On The Surface Of The Sun' and  'Don't Hear The Sound Of You' are other highlights from Through A Crooked Sun, the latter with superb vocal harmonies from the band, reminiscent of something you might hear from the Jayhawks.

Having performed a variety of covers throughout the tour, tonight we are treated to 'Winter' by the Rolling Stones, apparently learnt by the band at soundcheck earlier in the day. Fleetwood Mac's 'Station Man' features tonight, this also appears on Through a Crooked Sun.

Rich Robinson, although not a natural frontman like his brother Chris, is quite clearly enjoying being out on the road and getting to these smaller venues where he is close to the audience, there is plenty of banter tonight too, with Robinson responding to shout-outs from his fans.

Closing out the main set with 'Fire Around' from the new album and 'Yesterday I Saw You' from solo debut Paper, Robinson then informs us that this is the part of the show where they normally leave the stage and go and wait in a little room. Tonight there is no little room so we have to pretend that the band has left the stage. The band then proceed to the encore, with Robinson promising to blow minds, which they do with extended jams on a couple of songs by War, 'Vibeka' and 'War Drums'.

The two hour set ends and for the 150 fans in attendance at Oswestry's Ironworks this evening, it was a privilege to be there at close quarters with such musical talent and in a great venue too.

Review and pix by Mark ‘Tosh’ Davies

Shinedown have come a long way since I first discovered them on a holiday to Florida back in 2004. A support slot with Disturbed way back in October 2008 was the U.K’s first introduction and the rest as they say is history.

I followed the instructions and got there at the specified door time but much to my dismay had missed Liberty Lies, sorry chaps but I was looking forward to your set, maybe next time.

Next up was the aural or oral, whichever way you want to look at it, Lizzy Hale and her cohorts Halestorm. Lizzy has one hell of a voice; however, many will agree this is not what she is going to be primarily remembered for. Making the front row sticky with the drool of pubestant boys and men alike she is certainly eye candy for the flashing cameras hoping to get a ‘revealing’ shot. The music is pure hard rock and the sight of a gorgeous front woman in hold ups strapped to a guitar that can play the damn thing is a sight to behold. ‘I Get Off’, ‘Freak Like Me’ and a cover of Skid Row’s ‘Slave To the Grind’ were all delivered with true conviction. Going down a storm (no pun intended), they certainly made many new fans and on this performance have a bright future.

Shinedown on the other hand are old hats at this gig lark having toured extensively for years. Front man Brent Smith is leaner and looking like he’s got something to prove. New album ‘Amaryllis’ is recorded and ready to go and we don’t have to wait long for our first taste. Kicking off with ‘Sound Of Madness’ it’s then straight into the new material. ‘Enemies’ is heavy and weighty ‘Adrenaline’ pretty much follows the same formula and they are sure to become live favourites. Shinedown excel on having catchy radio friendly hits combined with the heavy presents of guitar and stunning vocals, this is a potent mix which is delivered right on the chin tonight. Rock City is crammed to the rafters; the energy is simply electrifying with the band feeding right off it with a stellar performance. With encores of ‘Bully’ and Skynyrds ‘Simple Man’ the night belongs to the audience who simply stun the band with their participation on ‘Second Chance’. Shinedown have forged a strong following in the U.K which I’m sure will grow with performances of this magnitude, arena’s await Brent and the boys…you have been warned!

Shinedown’s album, Amaryllis, is released 26th March 2012 on Roadrunner Records. Watch their video for 'Bully' below...

Review by Paul Quinton and photos by Rob Stanley

To be frank, I was completely unfamiliar with Cryptex before they burst into song at The Robin, hadn’t even heard of them before this gig was announced, but in the end they turned into a very interesting surprise. At first they set up with keys, guitar and drums, which all seemed very 70s, and that impression was strengthened when the first part of their set reminded me very much of lost prog heroes Atomic Rooster. However, in the middle of the set they played a couple of acoustic numbers, then singer Simon Moskon abandoned his keyboards in favour of a bass. With the band moving into a modern rock crossed with prog metal mode that was far more entertaining and interesting than what had gone before, made it a very enjoyable support slot.

Pain Of Salvation were at the beginning of a lengthy European tour in support of their new ‘Road Salt Two’ album and were also in the process of introducing two new members, Ragnar Zolberg on vocals and guitar and Meshuggah bassist Gustaf Hielm. After a brief intro tape of the ‘Road Salt’ theme, the band introduced themselves with ‘Softly She Cries’ a song that builds slowly. There aren’t many prog bands playing at the Robin who begin their set with a Eurovison Song Contest entry, not that I know of, anyway. It wasn’t the most dramatic of entrances, but a good representation of the way the band put the set together, building the drama and intensity carefully throughout the set. Another early highlight in the show was ‘1979’ from the new album that grew into something of an epic.

Pain of Salvation will usually be put into the box marked ‘Prog Metal’, and not only because of Daniel Gildenlow’s collaborations with acts like Transatlantic, Ayreon and the Flower Kings, but there is far more to the band’s sound than that. They’re certainly a prog band in that their music doesn’t follow any narrow definition, but takes its influences from a number of sources, all bound up in highly complex arrangements and occasionally some bewildering time signatures. You can probably find influences from blues, folk, early prog and even more modern bands like the Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures. That’s not to say they’re derivative, it’s just that the whole is such a varied mix of sounds and styles, all bound up in the band’s overall sound.

The band have had some personnel issues in the last twelve months, three of the members of the band having only joined within the last year and during that time Daniel Karlsson has switched from bass to keyboards. At one point Gildenlow apologised if they weren’t quite as tight as they could be as they hadn’t had much time to practice. But anyone witnessing the spellbinding rendition of ‘Enter Rain’, which closed the main set, or a song like ‘The Politics of Gridlock’ would have found it hard to believe that such a tremendous performance of complex, epic music could have been achieved without putting in some serious rehearsal time.

Just over half of the set was drawn from the two ‘Road Salt’ albums, along with one or two cuts from each of the band’s other albums, with one notable exception, namely the somewhat controversial album ‘BE’. At one point Gildenlow asked for song suggestions from the crowd, at which point quite a few people called for ‘Disco Queen’, which were declined with a laugh, although I suspect it’s a song the band might be quite happy to wash their hands of. In the end we had over 90 minutes of intense, complex music, brilliantly played by a band, that for all it hasn’t been together that long, was as tight as the proverbial. It will be fascinating to find out where the band goes next, but for now we can be content with having seen a night of some seriously high quality music.

And you can see all of Rob’s pix from the show below:

Review by Cath Holland and Photos by Tony Gaskin

Can’t believe we’re into Feb already and this is our first gig for MR! Tasty little gig to get us off the mark though, up and coming young guns The Treatment with support from three local aspiring bands.

First up was In Dantés Eclipse a foursome from Wolverhampton. They look the part I’ll give them that, but although technically they’re not bad musicians, the songs lacked substance and when you describe yourself as horror glam/sleaze I would expect a bit more showmanship on stage. The guitarist having problems with his strings probably didn’t help. I’ll reserve judgment for now as I can see enough good points here, but they definitely need to get a couple of killer tracks written.

Next up was a band that could pass on a few tips to tonight’s openers. White Heather hail from the sleepy Oxfordshire town of Banbury but there’s nothing Middle England about these guys. With a punky hard rock edge to them, they have a swagger and confidence on stage with catchy tunes that soon get you drawn in. The whole band dynamics are worlds apart from IDE and show what a couple of years gigging and writing together can achieve.

I particularly loved the tracks No More Heros and Outlaw and will be looking forward to seeing more of these guys in the future.

This was the point I had mixed emotions about and was dreading to be honest!

We’ve followed Signify quite closely over the last couple of years and seeing frontman Craig and bassist Rob call it a day recently was a big shock, so this was the first gig with the two new members and it was really strange watching Signify with Rob standing next to me!

Thankfully my worries were short lived; new singer Rob Harris (formerly of Heresy) coped admirably with his first live performance for over a year and although he’s a completely different style of singer to Craig, his interpretation of the songs was pretty good. New bassist Darren Anthony Mills also played a blinder despite having to sit down due to a broken ankle! Many of Signify’s songs have killer bass lines so finding a replacement was just as hard, but this guy looks like he’ll nail it no problem. So, all in all not a bad start to the new look Signify.
Headliner’s TheTreatment have been working pretty hard over the last year or so to build a strong fan base. Rock impresario Laurie Mansworth has worked his magic again with this bunch of rebel rousing youngsters. Looks – check, ability – check, songs – check, result = one great rock  ‘n’ roll band. Not a hard formula to replicate you’d think but so many have tried and failed, simply because everything has to click in place, the stage presence and interaction has to work and most of all the band themselves have to believe. I think The Treatment have cracked it, I compared them to Airbourne, but that’s no bad thing. The songs are raucous, with classic grooves,  front man Matt Jones has all the swagger and arrogance of a much more experienced rock star, but done with a youthful exuberance and diminutive bassist Swoggle (nope I ain’t got a clue either!) makes up for his short stature by being the most energetic bass player I’ve seen apart from Black Spiders’ Adam Irwin.


A whole set of rip roaring rock songs, but for me the anthemic “Shake The Mountain” and the more bluesy “I Fear Nothing” were the stand out tracks. They’ll be back in the region in March as part of their European Tour supporting Steel Panther.

You can see more of Tony's photos below

Review by Rob Moody and photos by Carla Mundy

The falling snow did little to stop a big crowd gathering at the Rescue Rooms on Thursday night for an eclectic line-up headlined by one of the UK's fastest rising rock bands, Young Guns, who were touring in support of their new release, Bones.

Despite the early door time, a good crowd had already arrived for the opening band of the night, Polar., who got the crowd going with a true assault on the eardrums. Polar. play a chaotic mix of metal and punk music, with vocalist Adam Woodford delivering an intense, aggressive performance. The seven song set flew by, and the crowd needed very little encouragement to jump around, and even formed an impressive circle pit in the cosy confines of the Rescue Rooms. Signing off with the subtly named "Smile, you Son of a Bitch!", Polar. left the crowd wanting more, and with a full album out soon, expect to hear more from the band.

From Polar to the opposite, the second support of the evening was Tonight Alive, a Pop Rock quintet from Sydney, Australia. Any band of this nature with a lead female vocalist naturally draws comparisons to Paramore, but in this case they are pretty well justified. Vocalist Jenna McDougall led the band with an upbeat and energetic performance, and whilst she is not the most powerful vocalist, she hit all the notes precisely. The remaining members of the band did not detract from the performance, but equally they did very little to interact with the crowd - it was clear to even the most casual observer who the focus of the band was. Their cover of Mumford & Sons 'Little Lion Man' from the Punk Goes Pop series was well received, and recent single 'Wasting Away' did get the crowd going, but overall Tonight Alive are not quite that just yet.

So with the Rescue Rooms filled to near capacity, it was time for Guildford's Young Guns to light up the stage. And sure enough they did in no time at all, with people singing along from pretty much the first word. This is a band who have grown steadily over the past couple of years, taking a very loyal fanbase and expanding it at every show, and tonight’s show is a clear example of why. Musically, Young Guns play up-tempo rock and roll songs with catchy choruses sandwiched between more melodic verses and solos. Vocalist Gustav Wood leads the band effortlessly, and has no trouble in interacting with all areas of the crowd, at no detriment to the quality of his performance. The rest of the band follow in this vein, and all of them appear as though they are thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout the set. Whilst Young Guns have only just released their new album, this is a set that blends both newer songs and old, and whilst the new material is well received, it is the old favourites such as ‘Crystal Clear’ and ‘Sons Of Apathy’ that really get the crowd jumping. With the set lasting nearly an hour there was plenty of time for the band to showcase a full selection of their work, and the new material feels unique yet familiar. Young Guns are currently following the path previously followed by other UK bands such as You Me At Six, and if they continue to build their reputation with shows like this, they will be playing larger venues very soon.

And you can see all of Carla's pix below:

Review and photos by Krish Mistry

German power metal band Edguy have been around for twenty years, and following the release of their ninth studio album 'Age Of The Joker' last year, they are now on a world tour in support of it. Having started the European leg in July 2011 and playing the 70,000 Tons Of Metal festival in January in the Cayman Islands, tonight they play the second of only three UK dates at Birmingham’s HMV Institute Library.

First up was Birmingham’s progressive power metal band, Dakesis and the venue is quite full already. When frontman/ guitarist Wayne Dorman announces that they’rere from Birmingham, the Home of Metal, this is met with huge cheers from the audience. After asking if the crowd are looking forward to Edguy (huge cheers) and Voodoo Six (slightly less louder cheers!), the fast-paced harmony guitars from frontman Wayne and guitarist Matt Jones, keyboards from Gemma Lawler and driving drumming from Adam Harris, and bassist Amie Chatterley’s vocals win the crowd over. Matt has a chance to show his expertise with an extended guitar solo towards the end of the set, and then he interlocks with Wayne and they play each other’s guitars! Their set included 'Valhalla' (the first song they wrote) and 'Wings Of Steel' which was clearly a crowd favourite. This was a great performance and although they may not have sounded as tight as experienced touring musicians, tonight they marked themselves out as a band to watch out for in future.

Having previously seen Voodoo Six last year as a support for Michael Monroe, I was a bit surprised to see a classic rock-style band playing with two power metal bands. But nevertheless, they played an enthusiastic set and seemed quite well received by the crowd. There are clear blues influences in the melodic guitar work of Chris Jones and Matt Pearce, but also hints of grunge in Luke Purdie's vocals. The powerful bass lines from Tony Newton and Joe Lazarus’s drum beats keep the heads banging, with guitar solos soaring above the groove. Their set included songs such as 'Take Aim' from their 2010 album 'Fluke?' and a newer track 'Stop' from their latest album 'Falling Knives', all of which went down very well with the crowd. They put in a good solid performance and although sandwiched between two harder power metal bands, they still won over the audience and maybe even made some new fans.

As the stage goes black for Edguy, circus music plays over the PA system. Then the band take to the stage and kick off with 'Nobody's Hero' and 'The Arcane Guild', both from current album Age Of The Joker and then taking us back to 2001 with 'Tears Of A Mandrake.' Band frontman Tobias Sammet takes a moment to interact with the crowd and explains about how much he is enjoying being in England and an anecdote about an interesting train journey – now that’s rock ‘n roll! After announcing that they plan to include a song about England on their next album, the next song, 'Rock Of Cashel’, is introduced as being about Ireland with Tobias encouraging tap dancing, to which the crowd oblige! 'Robin Hood,' the single from Age Of The Joker, was a highly anticipated track and the band did not fail to deliver, guiytarists Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer being on top form and pulling off complex solos whilst running around the stage.

During the instrumental interlude, Tobias makes a joke about its resemblance to an Iron Maiden-style musical passage, imitating Bruce Dickinson's trademark 'scream for me Birmingham!' before Felix Bohnke gets to show off his impressive stickwork in a drum solo. The band returns and continue with 'Ministry Of Saints', Tobias commenting on guitarist’s faces when they solo as an indication on how difficult it is, and apparently it’s the same as when having sex (according to Tobias hacking Jens' webcam in his room). After the commercial ballad, 'Save Me', Tobias announces a song that was written the previous night on the tour bus, one that he hopes could be become a big hit one day. Including the first verse of 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden in the song may not go down so well with Maiden fans… ‘Superheroes’ closes the set and the crowd calls for more. The (Ed)guys come back on stage and treat us to the classic 'Vain Glory Opera'. After promises of returning to the UK and thanking us all, they finish on 'King Of Fools'.

Edguy played a great show in Birmingham that evening, one that was entertaining and put a smile on everybody's faces. If there could be one area of criticism, I would say the inclusion of more older songs would have been welcome, such as from Hellfire Club, but I guess they can't please everybody all of the time. Hopefully they will include some more when they return, and they did promise to be back!

Setlist: Nobody's Hero, The Arcane Guild, Tears Of A Mandrake, Rock Of Cashel, Lavatory Love Machine, Robin Hood, Drum Solo, Ministry Of Saints, Save Me, Babylon, Superheroes

Encore: Vain Glory Opera, King Of Fools

And you can see all of Krish's photos here:

Review and photos by Sam Bingham

La Dispute is a five-piece post-hardcore band from Michigan, USA. They have been together for around eight years now, with multiple tours across to the UK and Europe under their belts.

La Dispute followed two bands’ sets which, although consistently tight and well performed, got a mediocre response from the crowd (though that's not a comment about the bands in particular, but definitely shows La Dispute have built up a good fan-base around here in comparison). The venue was pretty much packed out and by the end of their set La Dispute had a great atmosphere going, with half the room running round and bouncing off each other. Every song was met with a good response but it was clear that their latest album has not had time to sink in yet as their older songs went down with a lot more excitement. It seems that at the live shows the older material comes off more energetic, but La Dispute’s latest release, Wildlife, is still packed with emotion and definitely warrants a few decent listens to get into it. The album, which came out in December last year, is incredibly well put together, all songs flowing into each other well and carrying some nice poetic themes throughout (‘nice’ probably isn’t the word to describe lyrics about sadness and tragedy, but it just works so well as an album).

Highlight songs of the gig (in my opinion) were Said the Kind to the River, Edward Benz, 27 Times and Why It Scares Me. One of the great things about this band is that they are really accessible for younger people (hope that doesn’t sound too patronising…) and people starting to get into genres of music like post-hardcore, punk and screamo, but also hold an older fan-base as well. At the end of the set, with enough shouting from the crowd, La Dispute finished off with a couple of songs for a well-deserved encore.

This gig had one of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced at this venue. Add to that the great music, it was probably one of the better gigs I’ve been to at this venue. Always good to see decent turnouts for bands like this in Nottingham.

View Sam's pix from the show below:

Review and Photos by Paul Broome


Time for another Silent Filter promotions gig at the O2 Academy 3, this time rising local heroes The Arcadian Kicks are back in the Midlands to headline the night with their unique blend of rock, pop, glamour and sonic freak-outs. Just what we need to warm us up on the coldest night of the year so far.


First up are Idle Playthings, another local band (from Nuneaton) who are starting to make a few waves in the live scene. I was quite taken with some of their songs - interesting time signature changes, effortless and lithe guitar licks, excellent bass work, some gut-pounding drums and crunchy synth sounds. Their sound is quite a difficult one to categorise - anthemic choruses lead into more ambient passages, jazz influences in some of the rhythm section - but they certainly know how to play.

Bassist/Vocalist Dan also has a really captivating voice, tuneful but full of character - indeed, his voice is so good, my one criticism would be that the band should use it more often rather than spreading the lead vocal responsibilites around the members. Definitely a unique band, and one to watch.



We make no secret of our love of all things New Killer Shoes here at Midlands Rocks. Over the last year they've dazzled and entertained us with their idiosyncratic brand of ska-tinged grit pop - and, as we predicted, the word is definitely starting to spread. There's a real buzz of anticipation in the Academy 3 as they take to the stage, and once again they give us a masterclass in stage craft and balls-to-the-wall rocking out. Some of their songs are starting to get that sheen to them that marks them out as future classics - forthcoming single 'Leave Me Alone', and 'Throwin' Shapes' being prime examples. Great bands are not only a solid cohesive unit, they are also individuals with discernable character traits, and that's what marks New Killer Shoes out from a lot of their peers.

The next time they're playing one of these Silent Filter gigs (in April), they'll be headlining - and that's all the indication you need as to their trajectory. If you haven't seen these guys perform live yet, then get on board the crazy train - it's a thrill-packed ride.






Speaking of upward trajectories, The Arcadian Kicks are a name that has been on a lot of industry lips recently. They've been rubbing shoulders with the great and the good, working in the studio with the legend that is Mike Chapman, and building a reputation around the country through their tireless touring and epic performances. And the buzz is certainly deserved, there's more than a little star quality on display tonight. Vocalist Rebecca prowls the stage with confidence and sassiness, while guitarist Thomas whirls around stage right with all the energy and coordination of a monkey on angel dust, Rebekah and Tommy (on keyboards and bass) balance things out with their quiet and brooding cool, while drummer Harry just pounds away like a man possessed. Their sound is a great combination of new wave and rock, with just the right amount of goth and shoegaze sprinkled over it.

Rebecca's vocals certainly have that Debbie Harry sultriness and power, but there's also a little Siouxsie Sioux in there, and even tinges of Patti Smith at times. They use light and shade variations in their songs to great effect, although I think they're at their best when the bombastic sections of the songs kick-in. This is most evident in the last track 'I Wanna Take You Home' which rises and rises on the back of a great chorus, before exploding in a wall of feedback and incessant rhythm - evoking My Bloody Valentine at their most pop-savvy. The Arcadian Kicks are a great band who I'm sure (and hope) we're going to see a lot of this year.

One final note, because the bloke at the back never gets the credit (or the lighting) he deserves, can I just say: three bands, and three of the best drummers on stage in one evening I've seen in a long while. Superb.