Hey Vanity, Mallory Knox and Don Broco at The Joiners in Southampton 20/2/13

“We’re Hey Vanity from Essex and it’s a pleasure to be in you, Southampton!” Rock band Hey Vanity definitely captured the audience’s attention, especially with their up-beat cover of ‘Hey Ya’ by Outkast. They also played a song called ‘Terry Tibbs’, which was inspired by the popular television show Fonejacker. Hey Vanity interacted with the crowd well and put on a pleasant performance in Southampton. 

Mallory Knox definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations, and the band sounded even better live than on CD. Mikey Chapman’s vocals were astounding and there were some beautiful harmonies from the rest of the band. The energy that the band put into their performance was amazing, and it was easily apparent that Mallory Knox felt comfortable and happy on stage. Playing songs such as ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Wake Up’, they definitely got the crowd warmed up for Don Broco.  

Opening with the title track to their latest album, ‘Priorities’, Don Broco instantly made the crowd go wild. Rob Damiani has an incredible stage presence and an incredible vocal range. Don Broco’s setlist was varied, and included lots of songs from their latest album, but also older songs, such as ‘Beautiful Morning’ and ‘I’m Good’. ‘Thug Workout’ was definitely a crowd favourite, and despite their music style changing since then, it was a highlight of the set for many. Simon Delaney is an amazing guitarist and all of the band are very energetic whilst performing on stage. Ending their set with ‘Fancy Dress’, Don Broco definitely rocked Southampton tonight, and they’re one of the hottest rock bands for 2013! 

Check out Hey Vanity here: http://www.facebook.com/heyvanityuk/
Check out Mallory Knox here: http://www.facebook.com/malloryknoxuk/
Check out Don Broco here: http://www.facebook.com/donbroco/

Photography by Rob Campion

Interview with Mikey Chapman from Mallory Knox 20/2/13

Mallory Knox are one of the support bands for Don Broco’s ‘Priorities’ tour. I was able to talk with lead singer Mikey Chapman before their show at The Joiners in Southampton.  

Julia: What inspired you to start a band?

Mikey: We’ve been doing bands and stuff since we were about thirteen so we’ve had a lot of different influences, I guess. Mostly the bands themselves that you listen to. Sam takes a lot of inspiration from Blink 182. Myself, I kind of got into music via bands like Linkin Park and the older style stuff. I think that is primarily it, I mean James’ family are very much based in music and I’ve got family members based in music too. I think it was quite an exclective mix of reasons why we all got together.

Julia: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

Mikey: I would say our music is like a hard pop-rock. It has got an emotional side to it, it has got a hard side to it, but I think it also has a lighter, more picturesque side that people can refer to.

Julia: How does it feel to be on tour with Don Broco?

Mikey: Fantastic! We have known the guys for a little while now and they’re all absolute gentlemen. They are really decent dudes and we’ve been very excited for a long time to be a part of this tour. They’re obviously doing very well for themselves and we’re happy to be the guys that are supporting that rise to power.

Julia: How does it feel to be playing in Southampton tonight?

Mikey: Southampton is always one of our favourite places to play, we’ve played here quite a lot and it’s probably one of the more frequent places that we do play. So it’s nice to be back! It feels quite comfortable here and personally I’ve got quite a lot of family that live down this way too, so it’s nice to see a couple of them every now and then.

Julia: Have you got much else planned for this year?

Mikey: We’ve got lots and lots and lots planned this year! We’ve got a very busy festival season and we’re writing some stuff at the moment in preparation for the next album. We’re signing new things with new exciting businesses and companies that we’re going to be working with and we’re also planning a couple of headline tours too. As well as plenty of other support shows and stuff, so it’s going to be very, very, very busy for us!

Check out Mallory Knox here 

http://www.facebook.com/malloryknoxuk 
Listen to the interview here: https://soundcloud.com/juliaconopo/interview-with-mikey-from

Photography by Rob Campion

The Vestals, Turbogeist and Pure Love at Joiners Southampton 19/2/13

Rock band The Vestals were a great opening band to a fantastic night of live music in Southampton. With mellow riffs and powerful vocals, The Vestals performed an enjoyable yet short set. The crowd particularly seemed to enjoy a song called ‘Mrs Halloween’, which had an incredibly catchy chorus.

Turbogeist strode on stage carrying beer, calling themselves “broken-geist” due to their lead singer’s arm being in a sling. Despite his injuries, Jimmy is a powerful frontman and was still extremely energetic, giving an amazing performance. It was the power-pop band’s first time in Southampton, but they definitely left a strong impression on the crowd. Their song ‘Alien Girl’ was well-received by the audience and had a great bass line.

There’s no denying that Frank Carter is one of the best frontmen around, and tonight was no exception to this. Despite Pure Love being slightly calmer than Gallows, Frank still delivered an impressively energetic performance, proving that he always puts 100% effort into his shows. This show was definitely one to remember, as part-way through the band moved all of their equipment into the crowd and started playing in the middle of the audience. Frank and Jim probably spent more time crowd surfing than actually on stage, but despite this, the band still sounded amazing. ‘Bury My Bones’ received a great reception from the crowd, and their cover of ‘Teenage Kicks’, originally by The Undertones, was remarkable and unique. Frank’s interaction with the crowd was great, full of ‘banter’ and jokes. The atmosphere at a Pure Love show is incredible, as well as the music, so it’s definitely a win-win situation if you go to see them!

Check out The Vestals here: http://www.facebook.com/thevestals
Check out Turbogeist here:  http://www.facebook.com/Turbogeist
Check out Pure Love here:  http://www.facebook.com/therealpurelove

Palms and Pelicans, Coburg’s Widow and The Chapman Family at Joiners Southampton 16/2/13

Mattéa McKinnon’s raw and powerful vocals definitely made Palms and Pelicans stand out as one of the most memorable support acts that I have seen this year. The harmonies that they used were brilliant, and the songs were full of emotion and passion.

Coburg’s Widow are a great indie rock and roll band with lots of energy and catchy riffs. The guitaring was incredible and Jason Kaye’s vocals were enjoyable to listen to. Energetic and enthusiastic, Coburg’s Widow have a good stage presence and they’re a great live band.

Describing themselves as ‘noisy Northern English angst rock’, The Chapman Family stole the show tonight at the Joiners. With melodic guitaring and strong riffs, their set was passionate and it was almost impossible to keep your eyes off the stage. Sounding like they’re influenced by 80s rock, but with a slightly heavier twist, The Chapman Family received a great reception from the audience and it was definitely not like anything crowd had heard or seen before. With their unique songs and passionate performances, The Chapman Family definitely deserve to become more well-known, and I’d definitely recommend that you give their music a listen and catch them at a show near you soon.

Check out Palms and Pelicans here: http://www.facebook.com/palmsandpelicans
Check out Coburg’s Widow here: http://www.facebook.com/coburgswidow/
Check out The Chapman Family here: http://www.facebook.com/TheChapmanFamily

Ravenous ‘We Are Become Death’ Album Review

Ravenous are a thrash/grove metal band from Southampton, formed in 2008. ‘We Are Become Death’ is their debut album, which is released on the 16^th of February.

‘Abhor’ is the first track on the album, and it’s definitely a great opening. With killer riffs and heavy vocals, it’s obvious from the beginning that this is going to be an amazing album. Lead singer Dave Game’s vocals are very powerful and unique. It’s rare to hear the first track off an album from an upcoming metal band that makes you want to hear more, but Ravenous achieve this effortlessly.

The second track, ‘Reverse (Sympathy)’ has extremely impressive technical guitaring and it’s a song that would go down well at a gig; it’s almost impossible not to headbang along to.

The guitar solo in ‘Suffocate’ is astounding and the angry lyrics prove how passionate Ravenous are about their music, which shows in all aspects of their sound.

‘Deathstiny’ opens with impressive drum beat and it’s a song that could easily become a hit with the metal community.

‘Easter Island (We Are Become Death)’ has a slower pace compared to the rest of the album, but Dave Game’s vocals are enjoyable to listen to, whether he’s singing or screaming. As the song progresses and becomes faster, it’s easy to hear how adaptable and talented Ravenous are. ‘Easter Island (We Are Become Death)’ is possibly one of the best songs on this album and if you only listen to one song by Ravenous then I’d recommend this one.

The opening to ‘Ravenous’ has a thrash metal vibe to it, which is emphasised by the exceptional guitar riffs. Ravenous almost sound like a cross between Machine Head and early 80s metal bands, which is a good thing as they’ve taken influences from both old and new aspects of metal, creating a fresh and interesting sound.

‘Alone’ is a more gentle song, full of emotion and melodic guitaring. Ravenous seem to have mastered guitar solos, and many bands could take a leaf out of their book.

‘The Architect’ is yet another impressive metal song, proving that ‘We Are Become Death’ is a great album in which every song is unique and easy to listen to.

The final song on the album, ‘The Strawman’, is energetic and full of liveliness, exactly how all metal songs should be. A great ending to a great album, Ravenous are an amazing metal band who definitely deserve to be more well-known.

‘We Are Become Death’ is released on the 16^th of February through Coffee Jingle Records. 

Check out Ravenous here: http://www.facebook.com/Ravenousband/

My Grey Horse ‘Stop Before the Dry River’ EP Review

My Grey Horse are an alternative band from Stratford Upon Avon, who formed in 2009. Their latest EP, ‘Stop Before the Dry River’, is unique and enjoyable to listen to. The first track, ‘Need Wood’, opens with powerful vocals, melodic backing vocals and almost ambient guitaring. ‘Big Night’ is mellow and features almost techno-sounding instruments. The four-piece band are all creative (one member is an illustrator, one is a published writer, one is an animator and one is a film maker), this is all apparent in their work: My Grey Horse create beautiful songs with thoughtful lyrics. The vocals in ‘Last Chance’ are remarkable and the guitaring is also very impressive. ‘Catch Up’ is the last song on the EP, and the acoustic melody and echoing vocals create a very relaxing song. If you enjoy thoughtful and melodic vocals with beautiful harmonies, then My Grey Horse are the band for you.

Check out the EP here: https://soundcloud.com/crcmusic/sets/my-grey-horse-need-wood-ep/s-zaps3
Check out the band here: http://www.facebook.com/mygreyhorse

Whipping Princess ‘Child In Vain’ Single Review

Opening with a strong riff, the track is off to a great start. Jenny Jonasson’s vocals are as strong as ever, and it’s always empowering to hear great female vocals in the metal scene. Melodic guitaring and a catchy chorus make ‘Child In Vain’ very enjoyable to listen to. The Swedish metal band seem to progress even more with every song they release, and if you’re into powerful metal then I’d definitely recommend you to listen to Whipping Princess!

Check out the song here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hn8rI0rPF8
Check out Whipping Princess here: http://www.facebook.com/whippingprincess/

Tanya Cork ‘Coconut Groove’ EP Review

Tanya Cork is a vocalist from Birmingham. The first track from ‘Coconut Groove’ is called ‘Until You’re Back’, and it’s a very mellow and relaxed song. With her unique yet impressive vocals, Tanya provides the listener with melodious music, without being boring. ‘Everything I Do’ has more of an upbeat feel to it, and with almost techno-sounding backing music it’s definitely something different to the chart music around at the moment. The last song on the EP is called ‘Dance The Night Away’, and it’s definitely a good way to end ‘Coconut Groove’. If you enjoy strong female singers and relaxed music, then this definitely the EP for you.

Check out the EP here: https://soundcloud.com/tanyacork
Check out Tanya here: http://www.tanyaandthesapphirestones.com/

Six More Band Announcements for Reading and Leeds Festival

Alongside the success of their latest album ‘Opposites’, Biffy Clyro have just been announced as the second headliner for Reading Festival.  System of a Down, Fall Out Boy, Foals, Jake Bugg and Bring Me The Horizon have also been announced. The bands previously announced include Eminem, Deftones and Alt-J.

Get your tickets here: http://www.readingandleedsfestival.com/

Desolator, The Florentine Camerata, Seprevation and Flayed Disciple at the Firehouse Southampton 1/2/13

Thrash/speed metal band Desolator from Southampton were first on stage for this great night of live metal music. Inspired by Exodus and Megadeth, Desolator’s heavy bass lines and strong riffs were enjoyable to listen to. Desolator are currently writing their debut album, which will be out later this year.

The Florentine Camerata impressed the Southampton crowd from the moment they got on stage and started playing their groove death metal. Their guitarists were particularly impressive, and Gav Oxley’s heavy vocals worked perfectly with the riffs.

“We are Seprevation from Bristol, and we’ve come here to play some death fucking metal!” With their fast metal riffs and strong stage presence, Seprevation definitely received a great crowd reception.  They played a really strong setlist, including an incredible cover of ‘The Trooper’ by Iron Maiden.

Playing their first ever headline slot, Flayed Disciple rocked the Firehouse with brutal heavy metal. All of the band members are impressive musicians, and the heavy vocals of Tim Whyte were remarkable. Their cover of Slayer’s ‘Angel of Death’ was brutally heavy, and started a huge mosh pit, proving that the crowd loved it. This definitely won’t be the last that you hear about Flayed Disciple, they deserve to be huge!

Check out Desolator here: http://www.facebook.com/Desolatorthrash
Check out The Florentine Camerata here: http://www.facebook.com/theflorentinecamerata
Check out Seprevation here: http://www.facebook.com/Seprevation
Check out Flayed Disciple here: http://www.facebook.com/flayeddiscipleband

Fall Out Boy ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)’ Single Review

After months of speculation, Fall Out Boy have finally revealed that they’re back with a new single and album. ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)’ is the first single from their forthcoming fifth album, ‘Save Rock and Roll’, which will be released in May.

‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)’ starts with an almost hip-hop opening, with chanting and clapping. Patrick Stump’s vocals aren't as hard-hitting as they were in previous material, but his vocal range is still impressive. Sounding like a hybrid of rock and hip-hop, it seems like Fall Out Boy are heading in a different direction, however, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Although many fans may be disappointed in the new direction, ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)’ is a catchy song and it’s definitely going to be interesting to hear the new album.

Check out the single here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HsfY8iFbYjE
Check out Fall Out Boy here:  http://www.facebook.com/falloutboy