Wet Nuns - Birthdays - Tuesday 5th March 2013

A very quick review of Wet Nuns' gig at Birthdays in Dalston Kingsland. Also put on Grapevine's website.

Tuesday is the new Friday (Well, at least it was this week), because I went to a gig to see a fairly new band that seem to be gaining a fair bit of popularity, Wet Nuns, supported by two low and heavy metal bands, which I will go ahead and review first.

Limb were first up. Dirty, low, doom laden riffs vibrated the bones of those in the little underground venue. Vocally more what I would describe as ‘death metal’, lots of grumbling and low screams that mirrored the incredibly low notes played by the guitarist and bass. Not a single high note was struck as Limb continued to drive forward with dread laden bass lines and distortion. They reminded me of the heavier, grungier side of ‘Down’ with plenty of distortion. Whether the distortion was due to a pedal effect or overloaded speakers, I can’t be sure, but the speakers were still working when the next band stepped up so they must have been pretty solid.

Throne are a band I have seen before (the last time I saw Wet Nuns). I didn’t really see much of them the first time around so I was interested to get a full whack of Throne to the ears. Early Black Sabbath must be an influence, that brilliant early metal sound really sounded good in the tiny Birthdays basement. It was like metal distilled to its true origins, brilliant stuff with clean bass-lines and a great feel.

Finally we got some Wet Nuns. I love this band, their EP was released a little while ago (got the vinyl pre order, because, why not?) and since then I have been really looking forward to this gig. I last saw them when they supported Turbowolf at The Relentless Garage last year, but I was stood near the bar then, so this time I promised myself I’d get a bit closer. I was still near the bar, but downstairs at Birthdays the only place you can really stand is ‘near the bar’ due to the cosy size, but the low ceiling helped funnel plenty of noise , which Wet Nuns used to full effect. Bearing in mind they are a two piece they still blasted their flavour of head banging ‘blues punk’ towards our faces. The duo had a great crowd for them tonight and were they up for it with some funny banter between tracks and quite a bit of crowd surfing, but my personal highlight was the song that made me like them in the first place, Laura, I just really like that song. The crowd surfing continued and in the end the guitarist cemented the maniacal style the band possesses by doing a bit of surfing himself. Plenty of sore necks the next day I’m sure, but it think the whole crowd would agree it was well worth it

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/

Metal Hammer Magazine Halloween Party

This was Halloween 2012 for me, good night it was too. This one was posted on Grapevinelive.co.uk.
Monday 29th October 2012, O2 Academy, Islington
Written by Ryan Whitwell
"I didn't mind because those £1.50 pints were mighty tasty."

So a very good friend of mine got me a ticket to Metal Hammer's Halloween party at Islington O2 Academy. The line up featured Heaven's Basement, Huntress and The Defiled, oh and also the brilliant Black Spiders who happened to be half the reason I went, for the princely sum of £4.50. £4.50 for 4 bands and £1.50 pints of Hobgoblin, sounds pretty good.

My friends and I missed Heaven's Basement, which was a bit of a shame as they were the other half of the reason I wanted to go, oh well. We did see most of Huntress' set however and, as a person that hadn't seen this American metal outfit before, I was stunned. They were dark, near medieval in tone as their doom laden riffs rocked the venue and I was surprised to find that lead singer of theirs, well she has an amazing voice, so raw and powerful with the kind of 'metal screams' usually reserved for male lead singers.

Next were The Defiled (after a competition to find the best 'horror screamer' in the crowd) and they did what any other hardcore industrial metal type band would do and dressed in women's clothing. Outfits aside I am not a fan of their genre, I prefer a bit of definition in my music rather than a wall of distorted noise to a fast paced drum beat, but many of the crowd enjoyed it and I didn't mind because those £1.50 pints were mighty tasty.

And after a best dressed competition in which an Umbrella (Resident Evil) zombie won (my Jack the Ripper costume wasn't even considered for the top 7) it was time for the band I wanted to see, I haven't seen them since 2011 and I am a huge fan, the driving riffs the amazing bass line the mental drummer, yes it was time for those hard rock heroes, Black Spiders.

The intro music was the same as when I first saw them in 2009, the standoff music from the good the bad and the ugly, the crowd waited, then a man emerged in skull face paint then another until the 5 members were on stage and then, they rocked so hard our hands had no option but to make a fist of metal and raise to the air.

I have always loved this band and I was anxious to hear some new songs after we spoke to the bassist at the start of the night at the merch stand. Black Spiders played their best numbers and a few new ones that they are currently recording for their second album, the new stuff sounds great and I can't wait to hear more when their album drops next April or May.

Well done Metal Hammer for getting this show organised, but next time can you leave more time for the headliners? Because the final set was far too short.

The following picture is me with Black Spiders' bassist, Liam. This photo wasn't on Grapevine's website, so consider it a bonus.

The Treatment @ Camden Underworld, London

Excellent show by The Treatment, this review was posted on Grapevine's website.

Written by Ryan Whitwell
Saturday 15th December 2012,
 
A mild winter's Saturday I had A quick potter around Camden market for Christmas presents. Oh yeah, I also saw one of the best heavy metal bands around at the moment in the form of The Treatment at Camden Underworld.

Curren kicked off an early start to procedings. Solid with plenty of American style rock about them. The early start of about 6.30 meant the crowd was a little on the thin side but that didn't dampen Curren's spirit and the lack of numbers held up pretty well when faced with some audience participation. The band have a great vibe about them, good upbeat band with a solid set including a cover of Bob Seger's 'Rosalie' which matched their style really well.

Next up on the four band roster were the brilliant Four Wheel Drive. The high rollers were on form once again to cement themselves as one of my favourite bands right now. This was my second Four Wheel Drive gig but this time the band were penned in to the confines of Underworld's stage, so no bar top guitar solos (although that didn't stop one guitarist walking through the crowd riffing like a boss).

I'm not sure why but I always gain an involuntary smile when I hear a Four Wheel Drive track, much like the one I get when AC/DC is played on the radio. I guess my subconscious is so happy this brilliant music exists that my frontal lobe can't hide it. The same thing happened during the headliner's set, but more about them after I mention the third band of the evening.

Vega are a band that I had not seen nor heard before and their style of theatrical vocals and keyboards immediately made me think of that other side of eighties rock. They felt a bit Bon Jovi/Billy Idol but with boyband-esque key changes and vocals. Definitely a vocally focused band and the guitarist from Night By Night was playing along on stage, which was a nice surprise because he is a good guitarist. As the set continued I couldn't shake the image of a an 'attitude' laden film from the mid-eighties where the hero would at some point ride a motorbike for an entire song (probably by Stan Bush) because he had to battle the bully in the big dance tournament to get the girl. It wasn't bad and there were plenty of established fans singing along as I think all of the songs featured  an opportunity to chant the word 'hey' or 'woah' in leu of an extended guitar solo.

After what seemed like an especially long time, The Treatment glided on stage and proceeded to blow the roof off The Underworld and the World's End above it!

If you haven't heard of these young guns from Cambridge then you owe it to yourself to get a dose of The Treatment (Sorry, I promise not to do anymore medical puns). Rounding up what has been an amazing year for the traditional heavy metallers, supporting the likes of Motley Crüe, Kiss and Thin Lizzy both here and in the US. The Treatment powered up their amps and turned everything up to 'awesome' to prescribe some more volts to an already electric Camden crowd (I promise that was the last medical pun).

Playing a bit of their 'This Might Hurt' album and a couple of newer tracks, The Treatment have clearly learned a lot from the masters they have recently supported. The crowd were up for it and all five band members knew it. plenty of fist pumping, arm waving and head banging was going on as the barrage of hard and fast metal blasted into the very core of our beings.

By the end of the set the room was so energetic that a stage invasion ensued as the smothered band played one of my favourites, 'Shake The Mountain', to top off a set full of hit and miss crowd surfing, studded leather jackets and guitar solos and the band just took it all in their stride as if they've been doing it for 50 years.

Ending with a great encore featuring a cover of Saxon's 'Motorcycle Man', the band managed to add themselves to my list of best live bands I've seen this year!

I cannot praise this band enough and sincerely hope they go on for a very long time as we may well be witnessing the start of something very special in a new wave of British heavy metal, and it's just what the doctor ordered (OK, that one was really bad).

Black Keys @ O2 Arena, London

I'm not a fan of the O2 Arena, I've been there a few times and often feel disconnected to what is happening on stage because the standing tickets are usually too expensive. Still a good gig though, but I do really like Black Keys. This was posted on Grapevine's site.
Wednesday 12th December 2012
Written by Ryan Whitwell

You may already be aware of The Black Keys (www.theblackkeys.com), a popular two piece blues/rock outfit from Ohio that have been going since 2001. However, you may not know that I really like this band which is why I jumped at the chance to see them at London's O2 as they played one of the last two shows of their current European tour when a good friend asked if I wanted to see them.

The support came in the form of South London’s The Maccabees (www.themaccabees.co.uk), I only saw the last few songs as getting from North Essex to Greenwich straight after work isn't much fun, but what I saw of them was good. They had the crowd going and singing along to 'Love You Better' before finishing with another of their big hits that I know not the name of.  Then it was a short wait for a band I only really got into about a year ago (like a lot of people) but fell in love with after listening to their back catalogue.

The Black Keys are not what I'd call a 'big arena band', when listening to their albums I'm more inclined to imagine small venues and bars but The Black Keys came on strong with a little bit of help from two other musicians behind them to complete the bass and keyboard sections. I was seated in tier 1, because standing tickets were a bit overpriced, but from tier 1 you get a great view of the standing crowd and immediately the cameras and phones were in the air capturing the band as they played a good selection of newer and older songs. I was slightly envious of those down the front, they looked like they were having a great time, but we in the cheap(er) seats were still having a laugh and I couldn't help but notice a few air guitars/ drums dotted around as The Black Keys threw out their signature distorted blues riffs and the crowd did a great job during the sing along moments with the big selling songs like Lonely Boy and Dead and Gone from their most recent album.

Ticket prices aside, the O2 does manage to maintain an excellent quality of sound. Every note was crystal clear and the pounding drums kept our heads nodding. The stage lighting was excellent but the fancy projections behind the band were a little intermittent. One song would have a great display of images that coincided well with the sounds but the next would be more minimal focusing more on spotlights and lighting the crowd and a large prop (two mirror balls) was used for one song, which seemed a waste considering the amazing effect it achieved. I figured they were trying to create an intimate feeling by not relying on fancy graphics to keep those at the back interested, but the O2 isn't the place for that and the large crowd did seem slightly distracted during a couple of the quieter numbers, there is just too much distance between the band and the people up in the cheapest seats.

There was a spell when the duo gave the two extra members a rest and went back to their traditional two man formation to play the likes of 'Your Touch' and the first half of 'Little Black Submarines' which was a great sing along moment before bringing back the supporting pair to return to a four piece for the second half of the song and the remainder of the set.

The band did a great job of keeping maintaining momentum as the set continued with plenty of foot tapping and head nodding (plus a little more air guitar). The likes of 'Sinister Kid' and 'Money Maker' kept the capacity crowd bubbling away until the end of the set, which was followed by an oddly long break before the encore. The break was so long that a fair few people upped and left (possibly to beat the inevitable rush for the tube). A murmur did spread as many debated whether or not there would be an encore, but a quick look at our watches suggested it would have been a bit cheeky to finish at 10:20. Then the encore was confirmed as the two aforementioned mirror balls appeared, one from a box behind the sound stage and a giant one above the stage itself. Just the two main guys appeared to a chorus of cheers as the mirror balls came into play with a dazzling shower of dappled light dancing around the arena to the slow track 'Everlasting Light'. Unfortunately, being a quiet song, I could hear a lot of the crowd talking, but it wasn't long before the balls retracted and the Keys finished the night with one of my favourite songs 'I Got Mine'. It was a great way to finish the show as the pair reminded us why we like them so much, simple, honest, bluesy rock!

I would love to see them again in a smaller venue just to get that greater connection with the band but for now I’m really glad I’ve seen them live as they are an excellent band and I can’t recommend seeing them enough.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster @ Boston Arms, Camden

One of the support acts' (Muddy Miles) singer/guitarist is an old friend of mine from Uni. This was also my first prog gig and was posted on Grapevinelive.co.uk.

Thursday 6th December 2012, Boston Arms, Camden
Written by Ryan Whitwell

Prog, not a genre I'm well versed in but it is one that has intrigued me, the idea of having something seem so random and disordered but at the same time maintain a structure is interesting. However my knowledge of prog rock extends as far as ‘Yes’ and the stranger end of Pink Floyd, so tonight’s gig featuring three prog bands was going to be an experience regardless of the quality of music.

As I sat on the tube from High Barnet to Tufnell Park I listened to the EP of a couple of the three bands I was heading to see at The Boston Arms, Camden. Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster had top billing with support from Colchester’s Telepathy and Bristol’s Muddy Miles and I was excited to experience some bands that I wouldn't normally choose to see.

The venue was a bit sparse in terms of crowd, but a nice collective managed to form as the three bands progressed throughout the evening. Muddy Miles were first up. I had heard their recorded stuff before but live they managed to push their sound to a different level. I guess my favourite thing about prog is the chaotic nature much of the genre possesses, but it somehow remains ordered. Muddy Miles’ barrage of effects take the guitar and bass to places it was never meant to go and it all works surprisingly well. The level of distortion didn't interfere and Muddy Miles seemed loose but well rehearsed at the same time (after talking to the bassist I found out they hadn't played for a while, so maybe the loose organic feel was accidental, either way it worked so why worry?) Muddy Miles are planning to relocate to London so hopefully they will be playing a lot more gigs soon.

Telepathy, from Colchester, managed to take the chaos I mentioned earlier and rank it up to ‘certifiable’! The four piece seemed to be enjoying themselves as they moved around like a band possessed. The effects pedals were in full effect, altering everything, impressing everyone and the sound firing through the amps was nothing short of insane. The songs were all instrumentals, which meant the structures of the songs were far beyond the usual verse-chorus-verse format I'm used to. The shifting tempo and rhythm kept the songs moving in all sorts of directions.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster were the third and final band of the night. More reserved than the previous bands but still maintained the energy of the evening. They were also sporting a new bassist and I think they had another change in the form of a lack of vocals, but I don’t know enough about the band to know what happened there. The loss of vocals would be a dramatic change for many bands but Bridge Disaster's songs shift and morph to the point that you wonder where a vocalist might fit in such a thing. I really enjoyed all three bands tonight, so much so that I might start to give prog a bit more respect now.

All three bands have free songs and other stuff online through Band Camp, so you can get some free music and donate a few pounds if you like what you hear.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster :  http://BridgeDisaster.co.uk  and facebook.com/tnbduk

Telepathy : http://telepathyband.bandcamp.com/  and facebook.com/telepathyband

Muddy Miles : http://MuddyMilesBand.co.uk and facebook.com/muddymilesband

Four Wheel Drive @ Big Red, Holloway Road

My first time seeing this excellent band, they pop up in a couple of future reviews and Grapevine posted this one on their site.

Saturday 1st December 2012
Written by Ryan Whitwell

The freezing temperatures around North London greeted me as I walked up Holloway Road to The Big Red for a free gig. Luckily they had some spiced rum and hot apple at the bar, so the cold went away pretty quickly and I soon realised that The Big Red could be my new favourite venue. It’s hard to describe but I liked the mis-matched American style décor, the lovely bar staff and the retro movie memorabilia, but I wasn't there to look at Russ Meyer posters, I was there to see some high voltage rock and roll!

My ear drums were suitably rattled by a new heroine of heavy metal, Mia Klose and her band. If I had to describe them in one word, that word would be ‘eighties’. I was mightily impressed with the Swedish lass’ impressive vocals and solid rock songs as the Motley Crüe and Scorpions influences shone through. The songs were well received but the real highlight for me was the amazing guitar work coming from the two guitarists on stage. I love a good guitar solo and these guys had plenty to offer, with some old rock and roll and blues riffs running through most of the set list it all added up to result in a great sound.

The headliners, Four Wheel Drive, managed to build on the excellent vibe around The Big Red by performing an amazing array of songs. They started the first half with a barrage of covers that often rivaled the quality of the original recordings. The likes of AC/DC, Led Zep, Airbourne, Aerosmith were all given the Four Wheel Drive treatment but supposedly unrehearsed version of Guns and Roses’ You Could Be Mine featuring Mia Klose and the bassist from her band was a highlight.

After a short break the four piece delivered a set of their own songs, mixing their new EP with tracks from their 2009 album (both available on iTunes). I hadn't really heard too many of their songs before, only the ones I had seen on my Facebook news feed from my mates, but as soon as I got home I immediately went to the iTunes store. There were echoes from the first half of the show as all those influences came together to create an amazing blend of classic rock and heavy metal. Each song was a driving rock and roll onslaught. The guitarists were on fire, opting to use their wireless guitar pick-ups to their full extent by wandering around the bar in the center of the venue and standing on tables to give everyone a good view of their nimble fingers dancing around the fret board.

There wasn't a bad moment in the set and I would gladly be quoted as saying these guys are one of the best bands I’ve seen in 2012 so far. So good in fact that I’m seeing them again on the 15th of December when they support Cambridge metal merchants The Treatment at Camden Underworld. I'll see you down the front!

Want some Four Wheel Drive? www.fourwheeldriverocks.com
Or a bit of Mia Klose? www.miaklose.com

Massive thanks to my buddy Arran for telling about the gig, well worth it!

Turbowolf at The Relentless Garage, London

The loudest gig of the year, my ears were ringing for at least two days after this one! Also published on Grapevinelive.co.uk

Wednesday 10th October 2012, The Relentless Garage, London
Review by Ryan Whitwell


As I write this I'm sitting on the train home from seeing Turbowolf at The Relentless Garage, London (10-10-2012). I'm writing it now because I have an amazing memory that is amazing in that it forgets almost everything in record time.

I (and the rest of the crowd) were lucky enough to have 3 support acts tonight; Throne, Wet Nuns and the tour regulars Black Moth, so I’ll write a bit about those three before going on about Turbowolf.

So, first up was Throne. I missed the beginning of their set but as soon as I walked in I felt the jaw shattering bass macerate my teeth. Really good heavy metal, loads of dark and weighty bass-lines, musically reminiscent of the best parts of Black Sabbath. There were hints at other possible influences like Black Label Society and maybe a touch of Grand Magus. All together some really solid, steady, dark and heavy music, a great way to start the night!

A short while later it was Wet Nuns’ turn to continue the onslaught of dirty heavy metal. Standing at the back near the bar and the merch, the two piece came on to give our internal organs a good mashing. With a two piece band many think Death From Above 1979 and yes, they did remind me of them a bit at times but they seemed a bit more, well, mental! Lots of energy, sweat, loudness and loads of interesting stuff (even with only a drum kit and a guitar). The first number wasn't my thing, a bit too distorted and a more a cacophony of noise than a song, but then they continued and displayed a range of songs that I didn't expect, some stoner rock and punk styles with a few sections sounding almost bluesy. This resulted in the converting of myself along with a few of my mates to consider listening to them at home, of course it's important to mention they are a band when suggesting you 'like Wet Nuns' and as they started the set with a murmur of applause they to finished with a whole room full of new fans, because there's nothing quite like the sound of Wet Nuns on stage... Ok moving on.

Black moth have been the support for the duration of Turbowolf’s current tour. A friend told me that he had listened to some of their stuff online and they were good so we headed towards the front (although mixing with the ‘real’ fans at the front can feel a bit odd, like you're the only one that doesn't know the words). The group came out to rapturous cheers and applause from the front rows and as soon as the first chord was struck the heads banged and I could tell I was going to like this band.

Black Moth have a real classic metal feel drifting from thrash to something darker and a touch of punk to create a really rich and varied set list that I really enjoyed and the thoughts of other . Lots of great vocal sections with a few guitar solos and tempo/rhythm changes that were almost akin to the likes of Iron Maiden, which I liked a lot. It all added up to a great band that I will be sure to keep an ear on (which is why I put my email address on their mailing list).

Here we go folks. Turbowolf were the only reason I got the ticket, but on the minuscule chance they didn't deliver I could still say this night was a fantastic night, that was how much I enjoyed the support acts.

And Turbowolf delivered, in fact I'd say they brought along a lot more than I was expecting. I barely remember the last time I saw Turbowolf (I think they were supporting Black Spiders at the same venue), this current tour is their first headline tour and if tonight is anything to go by it has been an awesome example of what can happen if you build up a strong following as a support act before going all out and giving those early fans something to behold, because without fans a band cannot succeed and by the looks of it Turbowolf were on a mission to prove they are worthy of their brilliant fans because Turbowolf were amazing.

The energy, the sound, the volume all cranked to maximum and whatever was left of us after the brilliant support was well and truly blown away. The pit needed no encouragement and swelled in size as the band played tracks off their album (Roses for the Crows and Read + Write being real crowd favourites) and a couple of covers from their new covers Ep (which are now combined as a deluxe edition on iTunes but still separate if you already have the regular album).

For those of you that maybe don’t know who Turbowolf are, it's kind of hard to describe without just telling you to listen to their music. I guess the closet band I can think of sound wise is some of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster’s stuff but there are still too many differences (like the vocals, levels of distortion). Turbowolf like to experiment with sound plus their cover art and merchandise have some surreal images so at first glance you might assume they'd be classed as 'prog rock' and that would be quite a way from how they actually sound. The distortion and energy suggests 'punk' or 'thrash' but the synth, keys and the odd samples point towards experimental/psychedelic genres so I’m going to bail out and say Turbowolf are a genre of their own, which is why they deserve your attention and why I can't wait to hear more from them. Even more so as they played a new track that sounded great!

TL;DR Fantastic gig, I was happy enough to pay to see Turbowolf alone, but to have three new bands that I want to hear more of means the whole evening has been a great success!

Throne (I’m having trouble finding anything online for this East London based band, but there is a good introduction to them here www.spoonfed.co.uk/spooners/domzig-172/listen-here-throne-6953/ so have a look)

Wet Nuns can be found on Facebook, here www.facebook.com/wetnuns where they have a few tracks on their Band Page

Black Moth are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/themothpit with a couple of tracks and a store link

Turbowolf are on Facebook here www.facebook.com/turbowolf and Myspace here www.myspace.com/turbowolfband



I got a video of Black Moth that isn't on the Grapevine site, but the quality leaves a lot to be desired...

Jettblack @ The Underworld Camden

I ended up being a bit later than I wanted to be for this one, so I missed the support, but Grapevinelive liked this review enough to post it on their site.

Friday 26th October 2012
Written by Ryan Whitwell


First things first, due to whatever reason, I managed to miss the first support act of the evening (Sondura) and only saw a smidgen of the second band's set (The Mercy House), so I can't really go into detail about them or their music. But seeing as they were supporting the brilliant Jettblack, they must be good.

High Wycombe's heavy metalers, Jettblack, played Camden's Underworld as part of their first headline tour (not including the co-headline gigs they did with Heaven's Basement a couple of years ago). The main support were a band called Night by Night, whom I had never heard of until tonight but they did intrigue me.

Night by Night had a bit of a following with a fair number of the crowd singing along and raising hands, but I had my 'gig review' hat on and as soon as they began to play I tried to sum them up in a way that would describe them well to somebody that hasn't heard of them... I failed at that, coming up with the idea that they are musically a little bit like Fallout Boy or maybe Avenged Sevenfold but with the vocals of Backstreet Boys, which sounds like a terrible band description but Night by Night are actually quite impressive. I have only seen them live this one time and am yet to listen to any recorded stuff, but I'd say they are very much vocally led. Some great guitar solos and the lead singer was brilliant but what impressed me more was the harmonies from both the bassist and one of the guitarists (Night by Night are a 5 piece), harmonies that were so pitch perfect I almost wondered if they had pre-recorded it because that level of perfection is rare even for some of the bigger names.


Onto the headliners. I think the last time I saw Jettblack was at the same venue about two years ago with Heaven's Basement and Earth Prayer and I saw them at Ozzfest 2010, so it's fair to say I have faith in this band and I'd call myself a fan of theirs. Since I last saw them they have released their second album and are definitely progressing. A quick word about their second album (Raining Rock), in short I was a bit unsure of some of the tracks because lyrically a couple of the songs were a bit off putting, but the majority of the album was as good as (and sometimes better than) their excellent debut album. Fortunately, Jettblack's set was well thought out, they did the best possible thing and played the best tracks off of their latest offering and switched it up with the best their first album has to offer. Opening with the instrumental first track of their latest album and immediately setting the venue alight with the hard hitting 'Slip it on', one of the tracks that got me hooked on this band in the first place. The great tracks just kept on coming and with the venue jumping to the powerful 'Less Torque More Thrust' and 'Get Your Hands Dirty'. Even the slower ballads like 'Not Even Love' were greeted with a chorus of fans singing every word at full volume.

And the band seemed to be enjoying every second, the bassist especially had the cheesiest grin for most of the set as the crowd continued to make themselves known with plenty of movement and vocal encouragement, a sure sign that this band are worth investing your interest in. In my opinion, what makes or breaks a gig is the connection the band has with the crowd. When I saw Turbowolf a couple of weeks ago, they were on fire and the lead singer made sure we were all having a damn good time. Rival Sons, however, failed to connect, mostly because of their bizarre choice to play their entire new album note for note in the same order as the record but also because there wasn't much talking to the crowd. Jettblack were excellent entertainers, playing the best songs off of both albums and encouraging everybody to join in gave the whole gig a real collaborative vibe, as if we, the crowd, were being acknowledged as part of the band, because (as I've said before) a band without fans isn't a band at all and I think Jettblack displayed just how much they appreciate their fan base and I can't wait to hear more from them.

Rival Sons at The Electric Ballroom

This was the first review I sent to Grapevinelive.co.uk,

Monday 1st October 2012, Electric Ballroom, Camden
Review by Ryan Whitwell
 
Monday the 1st of October, the first of hopefully a good month of live music for myself. I took the train from Witham down to Camden's Electric Ballroom to see Rival Sons, a band I myself know little about. I've only really listened to their latest album, Head Down, and a few tracks from their two previous albums that friends have shared on Facebook.

The evening started with the first of two supports, Pint Size Hero. An Eastbourne based band that kicked things off with a solid and upbeat set to get the crowd nicely warmed up. Lots of bands came to mind as they performed; Oasis, Libertines, The Enemy, The Cure and a touch of the Clash about them, which all added up to a great sounding act. Quality songs all performed well, possibly one to watch in the not too distant future.

Ulysses, from Bath, were next up. Opening their set with a bouncy upbeat number almost like a rocky beach boys, the kind of thing that would suit a beach party, but a touch dirtier (the music is a bit dirtier, not the beach). There were also a few tracks that hinted at a Who influence. Ulysses sounded great and have already got quite a following if the Ballroom crowd was anything to go by. But the main event, all the way from California, would prove to be...

Brilliant! Really good stuff. Honestly, Rival Sons are a band well worth getting hyped about (if you're not hyped about them already). Performing their last show of the UK leg of their current European tour, they looked good, sounded tight and had the presence of a band that are deserving of big things.

However, and this was a bit of a thing between my friends and the surrounding crowd, they were playing their latest album, note for note, in the same track order as the album! Now, I've seen a fair few bands and I've never seen one that does that. They've had 3 albums plus one EP and they chose to play their current album as if they had plugged in an iPod and added some distortion. The atmosphere began at a good level, as many of the crowd had followed Rival Sons for a number of years, but steadily dwindled as the band continued to play the first 9 songs off their two week old album, but then something brilliant happened.

The band turned it up and played some of their older stuff, the fan favourites, like Tell Me Something and On My Way, really raw and powerful, as if the first part was a contractual obligation and suddenly they could do what they want.

The Ballroom lifted, the band connected with the crowd and suddenly I was surrounded by jumping fans and rapturous cheers as the first chords of 'Torture' were struck. The gig went from potential disappointment to a fantastic performance. Everything worked, the guitar licks were spot on and the vocals matched. We were witnessing a band that could very well go on to be something epic, with a sound that pleases both young and old (I know, I've tested it and the age range in the crowd proves it too) Rival Sons will be bigger, and better, but their set list might need some work as the doubt that they may not be good live was lingering for far too long and the lack of talking to the crowd felt a bit odd.

Overall the line up was great, the atmosphere matched and all three bands were firing on all cylinders (even if Rival Sons took a while to get the engine revved up)

If you want to see Rival Sons (www.rivalsons.com) now, then their next gig is in Spain. As for Ulysses (http://www.myspace.com/ulyssesgb) and Pint size hero (www.pintsizehero.com), they both have plenty of stuff online so be sure to give them a listen.