Interview - Crows
Given the perilous situation of the music industry since the pandemic began it would have been no surprise to see a deluge of acts throw in the towel and retire from the industry.
As is now common knowledge, musicians primarily make their money from touring and, seeing as that wasn’t an option for 18 months, the compulsion to concede against such overwhelming odds must have been nearly overwhelming. Hearteningly, it’s largely been the opposite, artists’ love for making music overcoming the insurmountable odds.
Four-piece rock band Crows are no exception. The band all have full-time jobs which offset their musical careers, a situation which obviously has its difficulties.
“We just make it work really,” he tells Live4ever. “The only money we make is when we tour. You don’t make much for records, you earn a bit back. We’re a self-funded band, we’ve never been signed to a label so we’ve never had an advance.”
“It’s a labour of love and when we’re able to we pay ourselves a little bit of money, but it’s quite rare that happens to most bands unless you tour 10 months out of the year.”
Yet during the pandemic Crows had one advantage. Their forthcoming album, Beware Believers, was near completion in early 2020, as Cox explains:
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/live4ever-interview-crows/
Echo & The Bunnymen - Live at the o2 Academy, Bristol - 20th February 2022
Never ones to undersell their legacy, Echo And The Bunnymen’s current tour is billed as, ‘celebrating 40 years of magical songs,’ which seems harsh on early singles ‘The Pictures On My Wall’ and ‘Rescue’ (released in 1979 and 1980 respectively).
Of course, this is pedantry in the extreme, not least because the UK tour was originally scheduled for last summer, and more obviously because ’43 years’ doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Either way, it’s not an invalid claim. Eschewing a support band (instead giving the legendary Alan McGee the opportunity to show off his musical taste, playing everything from David Bowie to his new proteges The Gulps in a DJ set), it soon becomes apparent as to why: it’s a big setup that takes up the entire stage, with six players in total.
Although ostensibly now only made up of two full-time members (Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant), there is only so much the pair can do and so the live players ably provide the scale that the songs require.
Looking resplendent in a trademark black overcoat, McCulloch rarely moves from his position at front and centre of stage, and asks for some help from the audience early on in the set.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/echo-and-the-bunnymen-live-bristol/
Stone - Live at The Louisiana, Bristol - 13th February
It’s a popular opinion doing the rounds that traditional bands are fast becoming a thing of the past.
The argument goes that, because of the advances in technology, it’s far easier for one person to make music in their bedroom which covers all the requirements of a band – the current ubiquity of Sam Fender suggests that is the case.
As Noel Gallagher recently said, being in a rock band is hard work. From the outset, the members have to share a vision as well as costs (the expense of rehearsal time and touring should not be underestimated), as well as the time required to hone their sound.
That’s to say nothing of the democratic strains that will be placed on a band throughout their career. Given all this, the longevity of U2, Radiohead and Coldplay (all made up of the original members, with everything split equally) are virtually miraculous.
Furthermore, do the kids care about ‘rock’ music anymore? Not judging by the looks of the Top 40.
All bobbins, of course. Young rock bands are alive and well, thanks for asking. While many are unchallengingly predictable ‘lad’ bands (The Snuts, The Reytons, The Sherlocks…The Courteeners have a lot to answer for) they do have passionate fanbases, for better or for worse. And there are now signs that the influence of Idles, Slaves and Shame is starting to filter down the years.
Enter four-piece ‘post-apocalyptic scally rockers’ (their words) Stone.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/review-stone-live-bristol-louisiana/
Glasvegas - Live at The Thekla, Bristol - 12th February 2022
Glasvegas have always consciously been out of step.
Cast your minds back, if you can dear reader, to 2008. Pre-COVID, pre-Brexit, pre-Trump, they were simpler times (although the financial crash was kicking off so they weren’t exactly halcyon days).
The indie world, when genres were still a thing, was grooving to the innocent sounds of Vampire Weekend, Friendly Fires and MGMT (and The Ting Tings, but the less said about that the better).
Meanwhile, a black-clad group of Glaswegians were forging their own path. After much hype in the preceding years, including acclaim from the NME, Glasvegas’ self-titled debut album was the sound of adolescence, broken homes and crime set against a backdrop of expansive, echoing and shimmer sounds which rightly earned them further platitudes, featuring as it did on most End Of Year lists.
Fourteen years on, they’re still doing things their own way. Despite his omnipotence, the influence of Elvis Presley is rarely apparent in contemporary music, but Glasvegas wear it proudly.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/glasvegas-live-bristol-thekla/
She Drew The Gun - Live at The Fleece, Bristol, 10th February 2022
‘Speaking truth to power’ is a noble idea in principle.
A non-violent political tactic to correct propaganda from authoritarianism, it’s in vogue in the UK right now because of the behaviour of the government.
Yet, it’s also an over-used phrase that is starting to lose meaning by virtue of its ubiquity. Given the current state of the world, countless musical artists are attempting to channel its sentiment in their lyrics, but many are so oblique as to render the exercise pointless.
Not so for She Drew The Gun. Fiercely outspoken, there’s a directness to their lyrics that leave no room for interpretation. Frankly, they don’t mess about, as demonstrated by this performance; while there is plenty going on with the band’s musicianship, Louisa Roach delivers her lyrics with a razor-sharp focus, even as keyboardist Lucy Styles gamely does her best to divide the attention.
Clad in a body suit in contrast to Roach’s (comparatively) understated leopard print parka, Styles is physical manifestation of every note and beat, expressive when playing keys and dancing when not required.
A whirling dervish and the yin to Roach’s yang, Styles is a delight to watch and the two women complement each other beautifully, while Jimmy Moon and Jack Turner (on guitar and bass respectively) stoically go about their business quietly, seemingly knowing there is little point trying to compete.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/review-she-drew-the-gun-bristol/
Andy Bell - Flicker
It’s high time Andy Bell received the recognition he deserves.
With his career in music spanning over 30 years – firstly with one of the most prominent bands of the shoegaze movement (Ride), and then one of the biggest bands of all time (Oasis) – he should by rights already have near-legendary status.
Over the last five years, his output has been astonishing. Inspired (if that’s the right word) by the death of David Bowie and his relentless prolificity, Bell has overseen two Ride albums, two albums and a glut of EPs under the GLOK pseudonym, and one ‘traditional’ solo album.
And now, with a tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ride’s debut album already on the 2022 slate, Bell has somehow found the time to unleash his biggest project to date: a double album of 18 songs as his second solo album. And a hefty undertaking it is.
The tracks date from 2016 (with some from even further back) when Bell and his former Oasis/Beady Eye bandmate Gem Archer laid them down, Bell adding meat to their bones during lockdown.
The 18 compositions cover a wide variety of sounds and feels; from his trademark wistful, dream fuzz to baroque pop and even country, while finessing a classic songwriting approach which finds Bell in a contemplative mood.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/album-review-andy-bell-flicker/
Interview - Britt Daniel, Spoon
As you’ll no doubt be aware, the pandemic has pushed a lot of things back. Some movies are still to hit the screens after all this time, live shows of all kinds are perpetually postponed or rescheduled, and the issues with vinyl manufacturers (albeit not entirely related to COVID) are causing huge delays in album releases.
Yet some artists used the delay to their advantage. One of America’s most well-regarded rock bands, Spoon hit the studio shortly after frontman and founder Britt Daniel had spent longer than anticipated working on their Greatest Hits collection, 2019’s Everything Hits At Once: "I thought; ‘compiling a record? How much time could that involve?’ Well, it ended up involving a bit more time that I thought! We recorded some songs for it and just the promotion of it took a really long time," he tells Gigwise. "I did go listen to all the records straight through. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that. It was revealing!"
"We were hopefully all set to complete the [new] record in 2019. We’d just come off this massive tour with Beck. We spent the whole summer doing that and then once we really got started, COVID happened." So the delay was down to the pandemic? "It was a few things at once. We were working on it for a long time. We toured a lot on [previous album] Hot Thoughts and there were a number of things that made this one drag out; one was that we ended up doing this Greatest Hits project. We thought we were probably almost done, then COVID hit and I wrote a lot more songs because I was alone. I knew that some of those songs had to replace some of the songs we had recorded because they were just better. But we couldn’t get together for another six months so I just kept writing."
alt-j - The Dream
As befitting their out-of-step status, alt-J’s career up to now has been one of dichotomy.
For every ‘cool’ accolade (Mercury Prize) there is an equally ‘uncool’ barb (working with Miley Cyrus), and the ubiquity of ‘Left Hand Free’ on both acclaimed Netflix content and Marvel movies best exemplifies this.
It’s an approach that has served them well over the last decade, and indeed applies to their work itself. Fourth album The Dream covers, in no particular order, the insights of a serial killer, heart-rendering recollections of a life partner and the joys of capitalism. Whatever else you can say about them, predictable alt-J are not.
Opening with the latter, ‘Bane’ is – as drummer Thom Sonny Green attests – the sonic palate of the album in microcosm. Delicate electric finger-plucked guitar, shimmering vocals, trip-hop…it’s all here. A familiar trope of the band’s, obtuse lyrics as metaphor, is once again prominent amid the thoughtful chaos which is essentially an ode to Coca-Cola.
As righteous music fans we should perhaps balk at this, but ultimately who doesn’t enjoy a glass or two? Singer Joe Newman is well aware of this, as the opening lyrics (‘I sold my soul’) prove. The song itself is a treat, unfurling surprises at every turn which suggest that even the band don’t know where it’s going, but it’s worth following regardless.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/album-review-alt-j-the-dream/
The KVB - Live at the Thekla, Bristol - 30th January 2022
Being regarded, either by themselves or by the music press, as an ‘audio-visual musical duo’ means that to fully comprehend The KVB, one has to experience them live.
It’s not the only reason to attend one of their shows (describing them as ‘gigs’ is probably doing them a disservice) – the main is that they are very, very good.
Musically it’s an eclectic set which, understandably, focuses on last year’s fine sixth album, Unity. The twinkling, scene setting ‘Sunrise Over Concrete’ opens both album and set, blinking the gig into life akin to drawing a huge breath before stuttering into the driving motorik pop of ‘World On Fire’, as both Nicholas Wood and Kat Day harmonise as expertly as an act with ten years’ experience should.
The 808 State/Madchester electro stomp of ‘Blind’ reverberates around the venue, while sky-splitting guitar breaks the gathering cloud of a song that is ‘Unbound’.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/02/the-kvb-live-bristol-thekla/
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
Brian Wilson has long been regarded as the mastermind behind one of the world’s most influential bands: the Beach Boys (although some would take umbrage at the claim). He is also one of the most mysterious, primarily down to the schizoaffective disorder from which he suffers. His recollections are emphasised in new film Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, which is succinct and brief, with the curtain left drawn from prying eyes.
There have been many films and documentaries covering the great man over the years, but director Brent Wilson (no relation) has opted for a different approach; something akin to a road movie. The concept is pretty simple; presumably attempting to make Wilson as comfortable as possible, he and Rolling Stone journalist Jason Fine drive through Southern California, taking in as many memories from the singer’s legendary life as they can. The dashboard-mounted camera conveys the intimacy between Wilson and Fine well, if at points feeling like an episode of Carpool Karaoke (sadly largely without singing) or Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (the likely inspiration).
The Blinders - The Electric Kool-Aid (Part 1)
Now this is more like it.
After a hugely promising start to their career with the astute, righteous and literary Columbia, The Blinders lost some momentum through a combination of the pandemic and an inferior (but by no means bad) second album in Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath.
With a fresh new line-up (moving from a three-piece to a five), the Doncaster band have renewed vigour.
The Blinders have thus far operated in their own world, and this EP starts in the same vein; a fading hiss opens the title-track, as if the listener has already missed something.
The band don’t care though, and launch into a succinct piece of clattering garage-psychedelia, and a mantra-esque delivery of the title (as verse) reassures that Tom Hayward is still observing human behaviour from afar, with cynicism. The Kool-Aid is seemingly addictive as the political and societal chaos continues unabated, even after more than half a decade.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/01/review-the-blinders-electric-kool-ep/
Orlando Weeks - Hop Up
‘There is no more sombre enemy of good art than a pram in the hall.’
So said the legendary English writer (and, significantly, critic) Cyril Connolly. As with all sweeping statements, it’s largely untrue given that parenthood is one of the defining features of humanity, but there is obviously something in it.
Marking ten years since the peak of his former band’s career (The Maccabees’ masterpiece, Given To The Wild), Orlando Weeks returns with his second solo album.
His debut, 2020’s A Quickening, was a necessary change of pace which saw him document the lesser-articulated anxieties and challenges of fatherhood against a soundtrack of sparse, minimal electronica.
It seems things have improved in Weeks’ world, and on the other side of the coin Hop Up offers an alternative perspective on the experience of nurturing a human being.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2022/01/review-orlando-weeks-hop-up/
Live4Ever - Singles of the Year 2021
The last 12 months have been, if nothing else, a year of extremes.
Although the first three felt like a year – the usual January blues maximised and extended to an intolerable degree with lockdown for a whole season – as the spring arrived, society began to slowly re-awaken.
But it wasn’t until late July that music fans could finally get to a full-blooded, cheek-to-jowl sweaty gig. Sadly, some real heavyweights didn’t live to see them, with the sad passing of Charlie Watts, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Don Everly amongst the fallen.
Since the summer it’s been about making up for lost time as venues have struggled to accommodate a backlog which includes the cancelled tours from 2020 and shows from acts with albums released during the pandemic. While the venues were surely happy just to make some money again, there is a real risk that some burgeoning creatives have been stifled.
Yet, compared to where we were a year ago, it’s a nice problem to have, albeit less so for the artists themselves who struggle to make a living without playing live.
The Broken Record campaign has made some real inroads in 2021, with parliamentary debates and actions following a report into the allocation of profits, which is nothing less than excellent news. (Note to Tom Gray: if you could get a ban on Spotify Unwrapped while you’re at it, that would be ace.)
Sadly, the other main revenue for artists (merchandise) is also suffering because of a backlog, with delays at vinyl manufacturers of approximately six months as the format’s revival stutters.
Which makes it all the more frustrating when there is so much great new music around, as our Best Tracks list is once again testament to: The Lounge Society picked up the accolade of our song of 2020 with ‘Generation Game’ and feature highly once again with the marauding glam-rock of ‘Cain’s Heresy’. Their debut album, when it arrives, should be something special indeed.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/12/live4ever-tracks-2021-dry-cleaning/
Sleaford Mods - Live at Bristol o2 Academy - 1st December 2021
Fifteen years ago, the very notion of a Sleaford Mods gig would have been dismissed.
Two middle-aged men – one who simply presses play on his laptop as the other shouts tirades into his mic, railing against the issues of the world that irk and enrage him – is a tough sell. Even writing it down, the concept seems laughable (and it also makes them incredibly difficult to review, so please bear that in mind as you read on).
A decade on, you either get it or you don’t, but increasingly more people are getting it. Their latest and eleventh album, Spare Ribs, cracked the Top 5 of the UK chart this year, and the duo arrive in Bristol a few days after an arena gig in their native Nottingham.
Of course, we operate in a very different society than that of 2007 (the year in which Sleaford Mods released their debut album). This was pre-financial crash, pre-Brexit, pre-COVID, and there was (seemingly) much less to rail against.
Which poses a question: we now have the evidence that the duo were unquestionably ahead of their time (with their fundamental approach having changed little), but does genius lie beneath the angry, knowingly-difficult-yet-carefree veneer? It can’t be dismissed as something for the youth, with the average age of those in attendance being the wrong side of 40, many probably feeling that Jason Williamson speaks on their behalf.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/12/sleaford-mods-live-bristol/
Shame - Live at the Marble Factory, 27th November 2021
Finally able to tour the album they released at the beginning of the year (Drunk Tank Pink), over the course of November Shame have played in all major British cities, with the last stop in Bristol having a celebratory feel.
Taking place on a Saturday night undoubtedly helps, as does the news of new COVID restrictions coming into force as winter draws its cruel veil, giving it more of an end-of-world vibe than perhaps is entirely necessary.
Despite The Goa Express gamely trying (and only marginally failing) to gazump the headliners (the last track being pure Give Out But Don’t Give Up-era Primal Scream, complete with harmonica), Shame are in no mood to leave anything behind them.
First song ‘Alphabet’ rattles the walls of the venue like a hurricane in a football stadium, singer Charlie Steen querying, ‘Are you ready to feel good?’. If it wasn’t written as a set opener, it’s hard to think of anything better in their canon to fulfill the function.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/11/review-shame-bristol-marble-factory/
The Charlatans - Live at Bristol o2 Academy - 26th November 2021
Remember Tim Burgess?
He’s had a quiet few years so you’d be forgiven for presuming he’d gone into early retirement, living a hermit life in his new found digs over in sleepy Norfolk, ruminating about the days gone by.
We jest, of course. Last year was a busy one for Burgess (solo album, EP and the biggest project of all; Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties), but in 2021 he’s really been making up for lost time.
The Twitter Listening Party empire shows no signs of slowing down, last year’s solo material has already been toured, he’s involved in numerous books, he continues to curate his Tim Peaks Stage at Kendal Calling, and The Charlatans have released a career spanning box-set: A Head Full Of Ideas. The Busiest Man In Rock is even doing tram announcements on the Transport for Greater Manchester service this week (seriously).
Hearteningly, it seems that nothing distracts from the day job. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of British rock is aware of The Charlatans’ history (and tragedies), but this most durable of bands just keep going and, like all the other lifers, it’s clear from the looks on their faces that they do it because they love it.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/11/review-the-charlatans-bristol/
The KVB - Unity
Some acts operate best under the radar or in the shadows. Much to their own (probable) frustration, mainstream appreciation is out of their reach, but the freedom such a lack of pressure allows garners much more interesting results.
The KVB (in fact couple Nicholas Wood and Kat Day), officially described as an audio-visual project – broadly, Wood provides the music while Day creates the visuals – have lurked menacingly beneath the surface for over ten years and five albums, and have been afforded the space and time to develop their own soundscapes. Unity is the finest realisation of their creativity to date.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a very visual piece of work, laden with imagery that, even if the song titles weren’t giving the listener a steer, would be apposite. Opening track ‘Sunrise Over Concrete’ blinks and percolates into life, the synths building until they become all-consuming as the sun does when it announces its arrival. Pretty on the surface, the undertones of dread perfectly capture a picture of 21st century city industrial life.
Quasi-title track ‘Unite’ follows (opening line: ‘Reconstruction of a nation, unity their habitation’), throbbing and clacking in the vein of Kraftwerk, which is an obvious but inevitable comparison.
Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time
If the pandemic was going to benefit any artist, or play to their strengths, then it was always going to be Courtney Barnett.
As her distinctive, languid vocal style is testament to, Barnett takes her time over things. After plying her trade in various projects in the early years of her career, mainly playing guitar or releasing material on her own label, the Australian belatedly released her debut album (its title – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit – emphatically proving the point) to much acclaim in 2015.
Amidst further side-projects, her second album followed in 2018, but since then a series of issues have bedraggled her, including breaking up from her long-term partner Jen Cloher, the wildfires which tore across her home country in the early part of last year, and the pandemic.
Fortunately, there have been some positives to come out of this turbulent time – namely Things Take Time, Take Time, which finds Barnett taking positivity and solace from the smallest of things.
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/11/review-courtney-barnett-things-take/
Interview - Dylan John Thomas
Dylan John Thomas is making up for lost time.
Within seconds of his conversation with Live4ever, with pleasantries out of the way, the young Scotsman’s enthusiasm and positivity radiates from the other end of the line as he recalls his hometown gig at St. Luke’s in Glasgow two days earlier:
‘It was absolutely bouncing. I can’t describe the buzz of looking out and seeing that many people bouncing. It’s my first Scottish headline tour as well, so it was the first time we embarked all round Scotland as the main act. It’s hard to describe and I’m getting a bit overwhelmed talking about it. People singing every word, it’s nuts.”
His short Scotland tour was the latest during a busy period of live gigs Thomas has played since restrictions ended. The lockdown in spring 2020 came at a particularly cruel time, as his debut single ‘Nobody Else’ in 2019 had laid the foundations for a promising career, aided in no small part by prestigious slots supporting Liam Gallagher and, firstly, his mentor Gerry Cinnamon.
“We toured around the UK and Europe, which is nuts!,” he tells Live4ever. “I was building up an audience of my own, and still doing a bit of busking during that. I put out some demos and live sessions and it just happened organically, in the sense of being gradual. We’d go to a venue and two people would listen, but those two people would join in on the journey.”
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/11/live4ever-interview-dylan-john-thomas/
Paul Weller - Live at the Bath Forum, 17th November 2021
As we’ve learnt over the last couple of years, it’s so easy to take things in life for granted.
Some things are just there, omnipresent throughout one’s life, barely noticed by some, like the company of a friend or a well-cooked meal. And Paul Weller.
During the lockdown he released his fifteenth and sixteenth solo albums, at least one of which is a worthy contender for his best solo effort. Such is the man’s prolificity that there were few eyebrows raised. It’s just what he does.
That’s as maybe, but with the cancellation of the On Sunset tour (last year) and the addition of the songs from Fat Pop Vol. 1, this lifelong touring musician was sure to feel the loss more than most, so this tour is largely about making up for lost time.
Weller’s response? A 35-song set spanning his solo career, sprinkled with some select cuts from his pre-1990 work. Or, in his own words: ‘We’ve got so many fucking songs to play you.’
https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/11/live-paul-weller-bath-forum/