Glassbullet return to the O2 Birmingham

The next hard rock band to hit the music scene were back on stage with more than a thrill last night, at Birmingham’s O2 Academy in a gig set out by Forerunner Records, who have just recently released their first tracks to iTunes. Among other artists, the entire Glassbullet EP features on the compilation, with fan-favourites Misguided and Mind Reader.

Led by frontman Lewis Ward, Glassbullet’s set list featured their outstanding cover of Paranoid, originally by Birmingham rocker Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. Ward’s powerful and distinct vocals are a perfect for the two guitars between himself and Ben Evans who’s solos bring each of the songs alive. Along with a melting underbelly of bass, provided by Tom Bushell, you can’t go wrong.

Talking of solos, it is impossible to talk about a Glassbullet gig without mentioning drummer Bradley Hopkins, who mid-set broke out into a fantastically constructed solo before the band performed Rise of the River.

The perfectly formed set kept the crowd alive, lifting the roof of the venue owned by Academy Music Group.

For any hard rock fans, of any age, Glassbullet are definitely a band to add to your playlists. If you don’t, you have to accept the fact that you’re missing out on potentially the future sound of hard rock.

The bands EP is available to download from iTunes as part of the ‘Forerunner Records; TheFirst‘ album featuring other artists from the label. You can also find the band on Facebook.

Stratford Battle of the Bands – Semi Final at Cox’s Yard (Summary and Review)

Yesterday (March 7th 2012), I travelled down to Cox’s Yard, a wonderful venue in Stratford-upon-Avon, to watch a semi final round of the Stratford Battle of the Bands 2012! This particular round had Keep The Change and The Angry Bombs battling against each other for a place in the finals, where they will be competing against Man Half Machine and Rebecca And The Roses.

When entering the venue at 8pm, I walked into a dimmed room, containing supporters of both bands, a bar and of course, the well lit stage. Keep The Change, a pop/punk band, kicked off the show, catching the attention of the crowd and encouraging them to join in. Will Inns, the bands lead singer and bassist, got the crowd singing and dancing along to their songs, settling an incredible atmosphere in the room! After Keep The Change tremendously kicked off the night, they were followed by The Angry Bombs.

The Angry Bombs, who base their music around punk and rock, introduced heavier based music to the night. Their music sounded very consistent and got some members of the audience jamming!

As this was a Stratford Battle of the Bands contest, the audience and judges voted for who they thought deserved a place in the final. In addition to a place in the final, the winning band received a £200.00 cash prize.

Anyway, at around 10pm, the The Angry Bombs stopped playing and it was time for the voting to take place. Everyone in the room pulled out their little white slips to submit the vote, along with the judges. The votes were counted while some drinks and a bit of social time with others and the bands took place.

The winners of the semi final round of the Stratford Battle of the Bands were the young and talented Keep The Change, although the competition was tough against The Angry Bombs. We wish every band  competing in the final (Keep The Change, Man Half Machine and Rebecca and the Roses) good luck and continued success. We also wish The Angry Bombs good luck in their future activities!

After talking to Keep The Change backstage last night, they plan to spend their £200 on recording new tracks and to promote and advertise their music.

Get down to the final on March 21st at Cox’s Yard in Stratford-upon-Avon with just £3 for admission. Also, like Keep The Change and The Angry Bombs on Facebook.

Delilah’s No.10 at the Actress and Bishop

The small venue on Ludgate Hill in Birmingham was quiet when I arrived at just before eight o’clock. The Delilah’s No.10 were as excited as I was, hanging out in the lower bar area before the gig started. Once the doors opened, we made our way upstairs to the gig room and watched through Bullitstorm, a rock band from the Walsall area. Their last song finished, leaving the stage open for Delilah’s No. 10 to set up for their half hour set. Without warning, the room began to occupy more people, as I quizzed Laura (saxophone) on the setlist before they began. read more

Album review: Baby by Tribes

One of the bands to feature in the NME Awards Tour 2012 was a four piece from London. The songs performed at the gig had been stuck in the back of my mind since, so therefore I went out to purchase the album. My only mistake was not doing so earlier.

Titled Baby, the album was nowhere to be seen in themajor music retailers. I had been to three stores this morning, all of which had no copies left of the album by Tribes who were second on stage at the O2 Academy in support to Two Door Cinema Club. I didn’t give up there though, and bought the album online along with the We Were Children EP which has a couple of songs not on the album that the band played live.

The album starts with a summer feeling, Whenever has chilled out guitars and vocals and a highly addictive chorus you just want to sing along to. Track two is very much the same, with We Were Children. The lyrics are again very catchy and are destined to be sung along to. Performed live, front man Johnny Lloyd leapt to the barriers reaching out to the audience in the final chorus. It’s at that moment during the song when you almost return back to the gig in your head, which a lot of songs can’t do. I feel a sense of passion from the vocals too, which again call out to me to sing along to. Whenever I mention this song, I have to also include the fact that Zane Lowe labelled this song as the “Hottest Record in the World” on BBC Radio 1. I totally agree with this, as I am totally hooked from the start.

Corner of an English Field follows, a softer song to start with that builds up gently, but ultimately led by an acoustic guitar throughout. The cleverly written lyrics follow the success from the opening songs, urging me to sing along and putting a natural smile on my face. Halfway Home also starts soft, limited to guitar and vocals until the end of the first verse. A clean but electric guitar then plays a matching arpeggio over the top which compliments the acoustic beneath it. Light distortion flicks on through a chorus and leads the way to the end of the song. This leads nicely into Sappho which begins with a discreetly heavier intro, which is pleasant on the ears. The chorus is a contrast to the upbeat verse, being only acoustic guitar and almost spoken vocals. An idea which works very well in this song, before building back up for the verse. A slower Himalaya shortly begins, which in my opinion sounds like an album filler. The lyrics aren’t as catchy as the previous songs, and I don’t quite get the same attachment to it too.

I have heard a couple of versions of track seven, with the acoustic version being my absolute favourite. Although, I love the album version just as much. On their website, you can download Nightdriving as an acoustic for free, which has more raw vocals and no other instruments than the guitars. It is a beautiful song and totally worth listening to. The studio version has a more powerful chorus, where the acoustic has the power in the verse. It’s this song that is my overall favourite of the album, with the download as a special treat.

When My Day Comes is track eight, a faster song than others on the album. It has easier harmonies to listen to than what can be heard in previous songs, with a catchy chorus and guitar riff. The chilled out guitars continue through to Walking in the Street, where the vocals are relaxed with the same urge to sing along as the opening songs. It’s a soundtrack to the summer.

The second to last song Alone or With Friends begins almost too slow. There isn’t a build up into something big too, as it all piles in after the opening lines. It is also very repetitive throughout, making it a song easy to skip.

Finishing the album is Bad Apple, brining back the summer feel with it’s clean guitars. The chorus is definitely one to sit back and listen to with your eyes closed, allowing you to relax. A chord progression that isn’t predictable makes it a song that will stay in your mind for all the right reasons. It’s the perfect end to an album.

Songs which were played live that didn’t feature on the album include Girlfriend and Coming of Age which are on the We Were Children EP. Girlfriends has a catchy bass line and filled out drums, with some great lyrics too. I would have liked this to have been on the album, but seeing it live made up for it. Coming of Age is another acoustic song which the band used as their finale at the O2 Academy.

If you fancy going to see Tribes, they go on tour across the UK over April and May later this year. Click here for a full list of tour dates.

NME Awards Tour 2012

For the second time this week, I made my way down to the O2 Academy in Birmingham to another sold out night – this time it was the NME Awards Tour 2012. Showcasing the year aheads newest talent, Azealia Banks, Tribes, Metronomy and Two Door Cinema Club made their way on stage to gives one hell of a gig.

First on stage was Azealia banks, opened the night shortly after seven with a DJ from inland Europe. The singer and rapper from New York performed a half hour set, including her single 212which she released late last year.

Taking to the stage next was London band Tribes who wowed us with their set that featured songs from their debut album Baby including Girlfriend and finished with We Were Children which Zane Lowe labeled the “Hottest Record in the World” on BBC Radio 1. I can see why too, the song is a beautifully written and has powerful vocals led by Johnny Lloyd. The guitars are also immaculate, with a lovely warm tone to the distortion, which compliment the lyrics. Nightdriving, another hugely popular track, was also played in their set.

Metronomy were up next, which offered something new. The four piece which formed in 1999 and previously released three albums called Pip Paine, Nights Out and The English Riviera. The elctropop band also notably perform with push lights stuck to their chest, which look fantastic when lit up in the dark. Joseph Mount is the front man who has previously said;

“We did our first gig in Brighton and a few days before, I saw these lights in a pound shop and I thought ‘we’ll whack these on our t-shirts and do some synchronised light shows’. I’m totally aware that some people hate it, but equally I think some people enjoy it just for the fact that it’s a bit of fun”

Finally, the stage went dark. Two strobe lights flickered onto the stage, overheard by guitar feedback. The band walked on stage and opened with crowds favourite Cigarettes In The Theatreand Undercover Martyn, which sent the roof flying. With everybody dancing and enjoying themselves, Alex Trimble introduced Something Good Can Work…

“I know it’s February, but let’s imagine it’s summer in here”

The highly recognisable and catchy song was a real treat for everybody, with every word shouted back at the stage. Also on the setlist were songs that previewed their upcoming second album, these were Handshake, This is Moon and Sleep Alone – played before their outro of I Can Talk. It was no surprise that the venue had sold out, with other nights on the tour following suit. It was a night worth going down to, and I’m disappointed to know that I won’t get a chance to see Two Door Cinema Club again for a while as they take their tour to the US at the end of May.

Killtimers at the O2 Academy

It was a cold, wintery night outside as I strolled across Birmingham to the O2 Academy 3, ready to watch the Killtimers gig. This is a band that I have had the pleasure of watching on previous occasions, and with the promise of new material for me to hear, I couldn’t hide that I was excited. Despite the Kerrang! relentless tour being held next door, the room was packed and I struggled to make my way through to the door leading backstage. read more

Cancer Bats due six shows in London on April 21

Canadian hardcore punk band, Cancer Bats, have announced that they will be blasting out five different venues, one twice, in London come April 21, 2012. That’s right, six venues all on the same day, how exciting is that?

If you’re in the London area on April 21, then you’re in for thundering rumble when Cancer Bats hit the place! The set will start at The Old Blue Last at 11:30am, then they will progress to the other venues, including Brixton Windmill and Notting Hill Arts Club. At the very end of the day, at midnight, the band will return to The Old Blue Last for their final performance.

Tickets are available for £10 and more details can be found here.

The Old Blue Last (14+)
11:30am
38 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3ES
www.theoldbluelast.com

Notting Hill Arts Club
2pm
21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JQ
www.notting-hillartsclub.com

The Garage (upstairs) (14+)
4:30pm
20-22 Highbury Corner, N5 1RD
venues.meanfiddler.com/the-garage

Brixton Windmill
7pm
22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, SW2 5BZ
www.windmillbrixton.co.uk

Barfly
9:30pm
49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN
www.barflyclub.com

The Old Blue Last
12am
38 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3ES
www.theoldbluelast.com

Flatline Stereo!, The Artificial Day, Cartesian (o2 Academy Review)

On September 29 2011, me and my family attended the o2 Academy Birmingham to see some local talents perform their own material. Now let me say, all five artists possessed talent but three bands certainly stood out: they were Cartesian, The Artificial Day and Flatline Stereo!.

The first of the three bands on stage was Cartesian, and having never heard of them before, I really didn’t know what to expect. Cartesian really did impress me and I’m sure everyone that was there would back me up on that one. Check them out for yourself below:

Following those guys was The Artificial Day, who come from Solihull in the West Midlands, UK. If you’ve been reading through the AllWhatsRock Blog recently they you’ll realize that we often mention The Artificial Day and on here, and rightly so! Anyway, their performance on Thursday blown me and my family away, and I’m sure that it blown everyone else who as there away too. I couldn’t help notice two songs shine out from the rest though, and they were “Touching The Surface” and “Only Human”. Don’t get me wrong, every song The Artificial Day’s I’ve heard is awesome, but them two are my favorite. We have embedded “Touching The Surface” from our YouTube channel below:

And last, but certainly not least, we have the headlining band, Flatline Stereo!. I can’t even begin to put in words how amazing Flatline Stereo! were. Having listened to these before hand on YouTube, I kind of knew what to expect, and that’s a good thing! Like both the other bands, they possessed unique talent and they really do have potential to become a world famous mainstream band, like The Artificial Day and Cartesian. Anyway, I managed to film “Dancing In the Rain”, which is by far my favorite song by Flatline Stereo!. You can check it out below or find it on AllWhatsRockTV.

Overall, Thursday was a great night and all artists provided a whole new level of entertainment. Tickets were £5 and I have to say that they were worth every single penny. Please support the bands and like their Facebook pages or follow them on Twitter: The Artificial Day (Facebook – Twitter) Flatline Stereo! (Facebook) and Cartesian (We have no info for these so if you have any, please get in touch).