Huron, Idiom and Skindred at Vault Rugby 17/12/12

Opening this extraordinary evening of metal was Huron, who formed in 2007. They instantly got the crowd warmed up, with huge riffs and energetic band members. Sean Palmer has a heavy sounding voice which was enjoyable to listen to and he was eager to get the crowd involved with their performance. Every song they played sounded unique, and they definitely impressed the crowd in Rugby. Expect big things from Huron soon.

Next up was Idiom, an alternative metal band from Devon. Matt Sharland has a unique vocal style which made Idiom interesting to watch perform live. They played their latest single, ‘Braindead’, which has a slight nu metal feel to it, and is available for free via their website. They were also an extremely energetic band and if you want to listen to something new and fresh then I recommend that you check them out.

Skindred were last on stage, but by no means least. Being one of the biggest bands to ever play in Rugby there were extremely high expectations from both the audience and critics, but Skindred were even more incredible than anyone ever expected. Benji Webbe has an amazing stage presence and it’s almost impossible to keep your eyes off him. They played classic hits, such as ‘Pressure’ and ‘Nobody’, which the crowd loved, and also many songs from their latest album, ‘Union Black’, such as ‘Doom Riff’ and ‘Cut Dem’. Skindred are known as one of the best live bands in the metal scene, and tonight at Vault in Rugby they proved exactly why they are. With passionate riffs, incredible vocals and catchy songs, they’re a band any metal fan needs to see before they die.

Check out Huron here: http://www.facebook.com/Huronofficial
Check out Idiom here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IDIOM/
Check out Skindred here: http://www.facebook.com/skindredofficial

Sons and Lovers, Yasmin and Ellie Goulding at O2 Academy Birmingham 16/12/12

Sons and Lovers were the first band on stage and this was their first ever tour. Their lead singer was very energetic, and it didn't take long for the crowd to warm up to them. All of the members were very talented musicians, and they were an enjoyable and harmless band to watch perform. Their latest song, ‘Golden’, which they played live is available to download from their Facebook page. Sons and Lovers are a good opening act.

Next on stage was Yasmin, a DJ from London. She played many unique remixes, including songs originally by Ms Dynamite, Kelis and Ricky Martin. Yasmin’s remixes have an ambient and relaxed vibe, whilst still sounding new and exciting, and the crowd enjoyed listening to a powerful female DJ. Expect big things from her soon!

Ellie Goulding arrived on stage in black shorts and a black top to an adoring crowd of fans. She instantly impressed the crowd with her incredibly beautiful and powerful voice. Not only is she a great singer, but during the concert she also played percussion and an acoustic guitar. She played a strong setlist, with songs such as ‘Figure 8’, ‘Hanging On’ and ‘Joy’. Her band were also all very talented musicians and all of her songs sounded very unique and even better than on record. Ellie revealed her favourite song that she had written was ‘My Blood’, and she played it very passionately. For the encore she played her impressive cover of ‘Your Song’ by Elton John, before ending her set with her most famous song, ‘Starry Eyed’. Ellie Goulding is an amazing female artist, who unlike most in the pop music industry, is very talented and her voice doesn't need auto-tuning.

Check out Sons and Lovers here: http://www.facebook.com/sonsandlovers?group_id=0
Check out Yasmin here: http://www.facebook.com/YasminOnline?group_id=0
Check out Ellie Goulding here: http://www.facebook.com/elliegoulding?group_id=0