Sonic Boom Six, 12th February 2013, Chinnery’s Southend

Southend-on-Sea on a cold Tuesday in February is not known for being a hive of activity, but in Chinnery’s an established ska/punk band were ready willing and able to warm Southend seafront up a bit. Manchester’s Sonic Boom Six are a band I have known of for a long time, but only recently really got into. They lean more towards the heavier side, with a bit of angst, a few heavy bass lines and driving guitar moments cut in amongst the bouncing reggae rhythms normally expected from a ska band.

There were four bands on the bill tonight, first were Killatrix. Opening the festivities at the early time of 7:30 is never easy, the crowd was a bit cold and sober but Killatrix got a few hands raised. It’s hard to pin point their style, which is a bit of a pain for a reviewer, so I’d describe them as an electro-breakbeat-house-metal-goth-punk band, with some strong female lead vocals. The use of pre-recorded samples sounded pretty good, but it does mean the band have to stick to the song and not go off on a candid jam session like some live bands. Vocally strong with some booming beats and a nice use of slide on a double bass for one of their more banging tracks showed that Killatrix have the skill to be a well rounded band.

Norfolk/Essex band, Under the Influence, were next up. Young and energetic they blasted onto the stage without introduction, which caught a few of us off guard. They had a kind of nu-metal feel to them, but the MC was trying to hype the crowd up a bit like the drum and bass MCs from a few years ago. Hardcore style tracks with shouty vocals, these youngsters were making me feel a bit old, angrily bouncing all over the stage with a bit of head banging in-between.

The front man really was working hard to get the crowd going but the crowd wasn't quite young or angry enough, undeterred they managed to slowly get some of the crowd onside with a massively aggressive cover of a Chase and Status track and they showed promise and if Chinnery’s was a bit busier they’d probably have gotten a stronger response.

The LaFontaines, Scotland’s finest hip hop band, have been the main support for Sonic Boom Six on the current tour and they got the crowd moving a bit with some great tracks. Managing to get the room warmed up a bit with their mash-up sound of indie rock, ska and drum and bass flair, plus some full on rap with a side of well tuned singing. A few jokes and some cheerful banter between songs cemented the care free feel I was getting from the group (even with the odd social commentary style lyrics). Plenty of head nodding and good fun and as the venue started feeling it The LaFontaines got better and looked like they were enjoying themselves as they ended the set with ‘Shark in the Water’. I met the front man as I bought an EP of theirs, he seemed up for a laugh, plus he liked my jacket, so he obviously has an eye for good taste. A short break and we were suitably limbered up for a good old skanking!

Sonic Boom Six have been around since about 2002 and still know how to get people moving. Heavy skanking down the front and lots of crowd participation, getting down, jumping up, hands high and spirits higher, SB6 really worked those in attendance well. A cover of The Streets’ ‘Push Things Forward’ got pretty much everybody singing along and even a couple of scuffles in the crowd did little to dampen the party mood SB6 had brought us on this chilly Tuesday. Playing a good selection of classics and newer tracks from their latest self titled album, SB6 accounted for all tempos from the slow and melancholic ‘Gary Got a Gun’, the skank-tastic ‘Piggy in the Middle’ all the way up to the leg kicking partner flinging almost metal tracks from along the band’s back catalogue. It was great to see a band that was willing to change the intensity so readily and do it well. We were treated to a very early SB6 song, ‘People Acklike They Don’t Know’ which was good for the old school fans (of which I spotted a few) and relative newcomers to the band like myself.

It almost felt like a greatest hits show, the crowd loved every song and I couldn't stop grinning and head banging as they nailed every drop and every rhythm change, but ska punk is an excellent genre, even more so for me when you aim towards a heavier sound. SB6 have built up a loyal fanbase, for ten years they have been working away, creating social commentaries and unique tracks and haven't changed too much, just enough to keep things fresh and that is a very difficult thing to do. (Also they don't over load on trumpets like most bands in the same genre, but that's more of a personal issue I’m trying to get over.)

I had a great time, a proper good knees up and my mates and I managed to say hi to a couple of band members by the merch stand. Really nice guys and very appreciative to those that came out to see them, which is always good for a fan to see.

Get some SB6 here - www.sonicboomsix.co.uk

Or some LaFontaines - http://thelafontaines.co.uk/

Under The Influence can be found here - http://www.undertheinfluenceofficial.co.uk/

And Killatrix are here - http://killatrix.bandcamp.com/

Scroobius Pip presents We Are Lizards, Saturday 9th February, Sunrooms, Southend

Saturday night in Southend, Essex poet Scroobius Pip took up the role of promoter/DJ upstairs at the Sunrooms. The bill was packed with acts but I had no idea what to expect as all the ticket said was ‘Scroobius Pip presents We Are Lizards’.

High/Low were the first band in the tiny room and I’d never heard of them before, so I wasn’t ready for the loud thrashy bass-lines that they delivered. The reminded me of early Feeder, with the punk style songs but with vocals that are sung not shouted. It felt like they were on a mission as they barely stopped for breath between each high energy, fast paced track. As High/Low powered through their set-list I noticed hints of Nirvana in their sound, especially the vocals, but when paying attention to the drummer I could hear some great technical moments that contrasted well with the simple chord based guitar and after paying attention to the individual components of the band I started to get a better idea of what they are about, not just thrashy angry punk-style rock but maybe something a bit more thoughtful, but I’ll need another listen to be sure (good thing I got a free EP from the band).

The second band was FutureAges, I’d describe them as a ‘prog-esque’ band, disjointed rhythms at times and changes in the entire sound mid-song sounded very much like what I’d expect from a typical prog band, but FutureAges had something a bit darker about them, a bit more serious than I was expecting. Brilliant lead vocals from the girl with the microphone really impressed me (although the volumes didn’t sound quite right at times as the vocals sometimes sounded a bit faded) and the guitarists’ effects pedals managed to transform the songs at every progression from prog to metal to punk. There was a technical problem with the bass that gave guitarist a few minutes to go full prog with a nice impromptu solo distracting crowd from bassist fixing the technical hitch. The vocals almost sounded like a pop style, clear and clean without the growling I would expect, even in the heavy bits. The distortion contrasted well with the clean vocals to create a great sound and the packed room seemed as impressed as I was.

Scroobius assumed the role of DJ, playing a very eclectic mix of old school rap, R&B and a few indie mash ups in the break…

Oh wait, that wasn't a break, it turned out the bands were done and the rest of the packet list were DJs, which was a shame because I was hoping Scroobius Pip was going to do an actual performance of some sort. Still the two acts that weren't DJs were very good and after a bit of reaching for the lasers in this tiny room of house and trip-hop (with a bit of drum and bass) it was time to call it a night. Well worth the £5 ticket price though, especially because I now have two new bands to keep an ear out for.

Get some High/Low - www.facebook.com/wearehighlow

And some FutureAges - www.futureages.com/

Four Wheel Drive, Friday 8th February Railway, Ipswich

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Ipswich (bit strange for a Grapevine writer, I know) but at the Railway on Friday 8^th February a band I quite like were playing. The band was Four Wheel Drive (I’ve reviewed them before) and tonight they were playing a big set of loud covers and a few of their own tracks to a good crowd of rock fans.

I hadn’t been to the Railway before but it seems like a good live venue. The people watching the band on stage were a mix of all ages and, judging from the posters of upcoming events, the place is dedicated to bringing some good quality rock and roll to the people of Ipswich, which was probably one of the reasons the attendees were well up for Four Wheel Drive.

The first set was all covers, including a bit of AC/DC, Guns n’ Roses and Airbourne. No half measures and a fair bit of dancing in the crowd as the drinks flowed.

Plenty of jumping around from the guitarists and the crowd alike greeted the band as they began the second half after a short break. The second half had a few more covers as well as some of the band’s own stuff, including an extended version of High Roller, which I’d say was the highlight of the evening. Even a mistake with the intro to Thunderstruck didn’t stop the crowd from singing along anyway, it was that kind of atmosphere, everybody having a good knees up on a Friday night.

When seeing a band too often it can be hard to write an interesting review that doesn’t read like a copy of an older review, so I thought I’d add a footer to this review to keep things interesting…

On the following Sunday I (along with a lot of other people) was invited to help Four Wheel Drive film their latest video for the booze filled track ‘Hammered Again’. The idea was to get the band, some sexy ladies, beer, dancing, beer, something to do with policemen, more beer and more sexy ladies in The Big Red to make a big old drunken mess and have it filmed. Well, at least that’s what I think was the idea? There was a structure and a plot, but I wasn’t involved in that so I maintained the ‘drunken mess’ idea instead. Nobody seemed to worry about us drinking too much and having fizzy wine poured over our faces! It was great fun, met some great people and may have lost a great bit of dignity, but was it worth it? Well, we’ll find out when the video is released, although I may not want to let anybody at work find out about it!

No doubt the video will be posted on here at some point facebook.com/fourwheeldriverock or maybe here fourwheeldriverock.com

Heaven's Basement, The Fighting Cocks, Kingston

My first gig this month, with a lot more to come, and what a way to start February! I noticed on Heaven's Basement's album that Kerrang had given it some praise, so I decided to email them a review to see if I got a response... Fingers crossed. I also emailed it to Grapevine Live, so hopefully they'll put it on their site too.
 
Heaven's Basement Album Launch, The Fighting Cocks, Kingston, Sunday 3rd February 2013

Sunday afternoon in Kingston-on-Thames and in that little venue called The Fighting Cocks a band called Heaven’s Basement were having their album launch.

I have never been to this bar before and upon entering I can tell it is a great little house of rock and roll! The venue itself seemed tiny, with sticky floors and no room on the stage for extra guitars, but it still managed to get a good 200 people or so in there ready for some pure and simple rock music from two excellent bands.

Cage The Gods took to the stage first, I hadn’t heard of them before today but there was no doubt this band was raring to go. Although a new band (only forming in summer 2012) they have a mature sound, not unlike the southern rock styles of Black Stone Cherry or Lynyrd Skynyrd. There were little flourishes of a Guns n’ Roses influence, but only flourishes and the solid rhythm and excellent solo sections made the band feel like they had been playing together for more than 6 months. It seemed they had a few fans already there and I’m sure they left the stage earning a few more (myself included). They did a great job of getting the crowd revved up for the headliners and managed to show some great musical talent with one of their slower, more melodic tracks, 'Promises', before cranking it back up with some good old fashioned hard rock. I can’t wait to hear some more of these guys and they are playing a few gigs around the country in the lead up to releasing their own album, so hopefully they'll play somewhere a bit closer to where I live soon.

The temperature was rising as a few more spectators added to the throng of people and a cheer greeted Heaven’s Basement as they made their way to the stage and promptly opened with their new album’s opener ‘Welcome Home’. I have seen Heaven’s Basement before, the last time was in 2011 with Jettblack and then again at the acoustic stage at Download Festival in the same year, but I have liked them since I first heard one of their tracks on a free cover CD from Classic Rock magazine in 2008, so I guess that makes me a fan. Nowadays only two of the original members remain, but the current lineup have been together since 2011 and they are really pushing themselves out there this year, with the album launch, recent European tours with the likes of Seether and Hailstorm, numerous videos and singles as well as a growing fan base and praise from many music critics, Heaven’s Basement are reaching for new heights and I’m glad they are still delivering their brand of honest straight forward rock music without pretension even after all the changes.

It could be argued that Heaven’s Basement have toned themselves down slightly, opting to play safer, more generic rock (with less crowd 'walking', where the singer used to walk along the raised hands of the crowd) in an effort to gain more interest form a wider audience. I would argue that they already have enough interest and, if today’s gig was anything to go by, they haven’t really toned down anything. The vocals are still belted out at full volume and the guitar work is still superb with the new songs sounding just as good as the older ones, the band have just matured a bit more but haven't lost the edge that made them such a good live band a couple of years ago.

The quality of the crowd was great too, singing along on cue and loving it almost as much as the band. It always feels good to be in a crowd that the band appreciates, and Heaven’s Basement really looked like they were enjoying it as they played a couple of their older songs like ‘Reign on my Parade’ and ‘Executioner’s Day’, which I think everybody knew the words to. Even the newer songs had a great response with a great moment to start the thumping ‘I Am Electric’ with the crowd helping to sing the opening lines. The latest tracks sounded great live and the band are set to play Download Festival this year, which I am very much looking forward to.

I haven’t listened to the new album yet (although I did get a copy with yesterday's gig ticket), but based on what was played today and the tracks that are already on Youtube, my first impressions are good and I am glad I have invested my faith in such a brilliant band over the years.

Cage the Gods can be found at www.cagethegods.com/ 
Heaven's Basement can be found on their own site, heavensbasement.com/

Undiscovered Live! Heat, Chinnery’s, Southend

Undiscovered Live! is a competition, there are heats and finals and all that but I can't find out anything about it online so I reviewed the bands I saw on Thursday 31st January 2013and ignored the poor marketing of the contest. 

This should be on Grapevine soon.

Thursday night and the seafront was quiet, fortunately I knew about a competition at Chinnery’s featuring four acts from various parts of Essex. I think it was called Undiscovered Live, apparently there have already been a couple of heats in Essex and tonight was another heat to find one band that will progress to the next stage of the competition.

I like Chinnery’s, over the years they have played host to some great bands, but tonight’s event wasn’t exactly well promoted. I didn’t know about it until one of the bands told me it was happening, but even they weren’t sure what was going on. But I’m not here to talk about the venue/competition’s online presence, I’m here to review some bands.

First up was a solo singer song writer type named Alex Fox.  Upon first hearing him I was impressed, with only a keyboard and a microphone Alex managed to perform some macabre songs that maintained the attentions of much of the audience. Vocally I’d immediately jump to Morrissey or Editors’ lead singer Tom Smith as a lazy description of Alex’s voice, but there was a uniqueness there that intrigued me and the occasional grin suggested he was enjoying himself. A couple of well worked covers including a simple staccato version of Wild Cherry’s ‘Play That Funky Music’ gave a break from the minor chords and sombre tones that Fox’s own pieces focused on. A nice bit of banter between songs kept the attendees on side as Alex came across as a nice guy doing what he likes to do. A good act to ease us in, but I didn’t know what the judges (whoever they were) were looking for so it was hard to tell if Alex had a chance of going to the next round, but I was impressed and look forward to hearing a bit more from Alex Fox in the future.

The second act was pop band Emy’s Parade. Key changes and upbeat tunes were in abundance as the four piece bopped through their set. With youthful enthusiasm from the lead singer keeping the happy pop vibe going but maybe the crowd wasn’t quite as up for it as the lead singer tried to get some crowd participation but it wasn’t really catching on, fair play for trying though. I’m guessing the likes of Avril Lavigne and Paramore are influences and like those influences Emy’s Parade’s songs were simple and a bit formulaic. The last chorus going up a key and the little break down sections before a crescendo ending are basic pop music 101 and they come across as a band wanting to have fun, which is fine by me. It was young and fun with all the associations that come with it; optimistic, confident but ultimately not mature or special enough to really wow me, a bit too much Radio 1 rather than the Radio 6 feel that is often expected at these kinds of gigs.

Calico were the third act on stage. I know Calico well, I’ve seen them many times over the past few years and although I know them I am always critical, probably more so tonight as this was supposed to be a competition. With no real following crowd to cheer them on, Calico had a room with about 30 potential new fans to convert. A strong start with a couple of jumping ska influenced tracks with some angst lined vocals and punchy rhythms. Calico are obviously a vocally led band, with two female lead singers, and there were many moments in the set that capitalised on that with some great harmonies ensuring Calico got their unique vocal style across. Some grungy power chords and almost ska-punk flourishes were well received but with limited banter between songs there were a couple of awkward quiet moments as guitars were swapped, which weakened the otherwise solid performance. Plenty of reverb and distortion with enough volume to match gave Calico the best chance of the evening so far, but there was one act left before finding out who won this heat.

A good following greeted The Ends, a bunch of lads having a bit of a laugh and there was a great energy on stage. Like early Arctic Monkeys without the social commentary, The Ends used their jangly guitar sound and splashy symbols to full effect. The laddish banter between songs matched the fast and loose sound that ran through the set. A few rhythm changes didn’t really deter from the simple shouty vocals that would suggest punk influences but the angst that one would associate with punk wasn’t there. A good fun band playing some good tracks and having the strongest following of the evening meant they got a bit of atmosphere in the crowd and even a sing along moment in their set. A very good way to finish the competition and after the uproarious finale it was time to announce a winner.

Apparently it was close, with the top three acts only having two points between them... But The Ends came out on top and go through to the next round, wherever that is, it’s difficult to find out anything about this Unsigned Live thing because there are a few competitions with similar names, but if I do find a link or something I will update this review, but for now here’s a few band links if you fancy finding out a bit about them.

Alex Fox – facebook.com/alexfox

Emy’s Parade – facebook.com/emysparade

Calico – facebook.com/calicox

The Ends - www.myspace.com/astheends

UPDATE: That Undiscovered competition does have a website, http://www.undiscovered.org.uk, and the final of the competition will be at Chinnery's... not sure when that is though.