Mumford & Sons, HMV Hammersmith Apollo 8/10/10

With support from Matthew & The Atlas, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit.

(I’m seeing a recurring pattern with the quintessential folk band name here...)

What a year it has been for nu-folk, such a year in fact that a new term to describe the musical genre was coined. This contemporary take on folk has gradually been emerging through London’s music scene and is now a fully fledged part of it. The Communion club night turned record label (co-founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons) is largely responsible for this. It has carried many musicians though to mainstream ears, most notably Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale, Alan Pownall and the most ground-breaking of them all, Mumford. It is this multi-instrumental quartet that have had tails wagging for a good three years now and tonight at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo I truly understand why.

Firstly we witness delightful sets from support acts Matthew & The Atlas and Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, who both surprise me with their stunning vocals and limitless musical ability (particularly Mr Flynn who seems to be able to play every instrument known to man). As I look around the room before the headliners commence, I realise that this may be the most diverse crowd I have ever been a part of. Even a few people surpass middle age (I know this for a fact because my mother was one of them!) She definitely wasn’t alone though and it was great to see people of all ages sharing a passion for this special band.

When Mumford and Sons eventually do take to the stage, the spirits of everyone in the room are instantly lifted. They launch into regular opener ‘Sigh No More’; a song that has gradually become one of my favourites from their debut of the same title. A lively ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ follows, prompting jubilant reactions and it’s soon clear that this hoedown is going to be exuberant. It’s great to see keyboard and piano-accordion player Ben Lovett dance about the stage during this song whenever he is not required instrumentally. During ‘Timshel’ I find myself smitten with guitarist/vocalist Marcus Mumford's gorgeous raspy voice, which in fact sounds just as effortless live as it does on record. But he is given the advantage of a band that can also sing well and their voices provide a great accompaniment on many songs. ‘After The Storm’ makes me realise the true poetic beauty of their lyrics; ‘there will come a time you’ll see, with no more tears, and love will not break your heart but dismiss your fears.’ As my favourite album track it was lovely to hear live in all its poignant glory.

On the night, two untitled new songs are introduced to us and both of these indicate their next record will definitely match and if not succeed the success of their debut. It’s during one of these songs that I realise this band have the potential to be huge and I don’t think it’s going to be long until they’re joining bands such as Arcade Fire at the top of their genre. But the highlight of the show undeniably occurs when they treat us to a charming acoustic performance of ‘Sister’. They each unplug their instruments, walk to the front of the stage and sing in perfect harmony to the stunned, silent crowd. Showmanship is something this band have nailed on the head (probably without even meaning to) and every member excels in brilliance tonight, especially banjo and guitar player Winston Marshall, who looks every bit the rockstar throughout. It’s easy to see why they have attracted such a large audience over the past two years. Yes their music is infectious and it makes you happy when you listen to it, but when you look deeper you can feel a certain passionate sincerity. You only have to look in the face of bassist Ted Dwane, heartfelt as he plucks away at a challenging bass line. Or Ben, eyes closed whilst playing his antique piano; together completely lost in the music. They genuinely appear overwhelmed at the praise and admiration they receive and the reason why is made apparent when they mention that this venue has special memories for them as they all grew up around the corner.

As the encore draws to a close, electric guitar, bass and drums are bought out for an electrifying rendition of ‘Dustbowl Dance’. To conclude they choose crowd favourite ‘The Cave’, which provokes the biggest reaction of the whole night. The last few minutes are truly magical as everyone skips and faultlessly sings the last few bars at the top of their lungs in complete unison. Before I have even had time to think, it’s all over and I realise that I have had a smile permanently fixed on to my face the entire time.

Kings Of Leon, Come Around Sundown Review

The Kings of the south are back with a brand new record and this one’s definitely not another Only By The Night, but is that a bad thing? The finest thing to come out of Tennessee since Jack Daniels, take a bold gamble.

The first teaser I had of Come Around Sundown was back in June when the band played four new songs for the very first time at their headline show in Hyde Park. As soon as I heard the chorus of ‘The Immortals’ drop, I was stunned. Its chirpy introductory guitar riff and anthemic corker of a chorus almost managed to put ‘Use Somebody’ to shame. As one the few songs on the album where the lyrics were actually written before hand, it beams a sense of accomplishment and finding happiness by following your dreams – “the path of greatness it’s at your fingers/go be the one that keeps on fighting” before adding “don’t forget to love ‘fore you’re gone”.

The record is formally begun by ‘The End’, which is confusing for even the brightest of people. With a strong melody and an Editors-esque guitar riff, it seems to pick up where Only By The Night left off. Spirits are uplifted immediately after with ‘Radioactive’, a recycled and restructured melody from the Aha Shake Heartbreak era. It doesn’t surprise me that this was chosen for the first single. ‘Mary’ is a mid-tempo rock n roll gem with a dirty blues bassline straight out of the 60’s. Lyrically, vocalist Caleb cries about his older brother getting married and then throws a few well placed “ha ha ha ha ha’s” in-between. Lead guitarist Matthew’s rocking solo gives it that extra special kick along with the background vocals. ‘Back Down South’ (sometimes referred to as ‘Southbound’) really risks their rock star credentials. This real laid back, gather round the fire, country bumpkin tune follows all the typical conventions. It’s cringe worthy in places but it’s a feel-good song that sees the band rejoicing their roots and influences. They’ve tried to touch on their earlier sound with a more grown up approach but unfortunately it comes across more Billie Ray Cyrus than it probably should. A side of the band we’re not very familiar with is unleashed in ‘Beach Side’, a melody that sounds more like a contemporary indie band than the biggest rock band in the world. But saying that, it’s fresh and summery, thanks to that lap steel guitar making an unexpected appearance.

The next part of the record is nothing short of a masterpiece. ‘Pyro’, ‘The Face’ and ‘The Immortals’ see Kings of Leon in their element, and that element is going to have those stadiums securely booked for years to come. ‘Pyro’ has a heart-rending vulnerability as Caleb sings “Bury all the pictures and tell the kids that I’m ok/ even if I’m forgotten you’ll remember me for a day”. ‘The Face’ is a stunning, poignant power ballad, beautifully structured with Caleb’s raw wail and brutal emotion. The chorus is so big and dreamy that it almost instantly becomes a favourite for emotional movie scenes.

‘No Money’ finally fulfils the desperate longing for a faster pace; it has echoes of ‘Camaro’ and the whole spirit of third record Because Of The Times in general. Bassist Jared brings back that distinguished dirty distorted bass that we loved so much in ‘Black Thumbnail’ and ‘Crawl’. In ‘Pony Up’ we get to hear this slick bass unaided in the introduction, something that has become part of the Kings charm. It is soon followed by Matthew’s spine-tingling riff, proving that the Followills haven’t completely lost their touch. Nathan proves his expertise as a talented drummer as he goes all out and seems to be playing four drum beats at the same time. ‘Birthday’, like ‘Radioactive’, has an uplifting feel thanks to its cheeky chorus and lyrics to match. I don’t think Caleb was far off when he mentioned he thinks ‘girls will like it’ in a 6 Music interview with Steve Lamacq. . ‘Mi-Amigo’ grows on me the more I listen to it (but for some reason that guitar hook and bass line have me convinced it’s going to launch into Elton John’s Benny & The Jets any second). Caleb’s unique vocals are laid bare in the stripped back ‘Pickup Truck’, a rarity but delightful one at that. The band revealed that this track was inspired by Thin Lizzy’s ‘Renegade’ and that comes across quite obviously in the introduction.

It’s clear that this album has influences from all over the place, it doesn’t seem to follow suit of their previous efforts and flow in one particular direction. Similarly to Only By The Night, it is full the brim of mammoth rock melodies but they’ve also thrown in some beach feel indie and feel-good country. Talking of country, this is a dominant theme within the record as it seems to centre on tradition and hometown glory. The video for Radioactive alone gives this away but its lyrical content confirms this further: “It’s in the water, it’s in the story, it’s where you came from”. Similarly, ‘The Face’ hears Caleb bestow ‘I’ll give you Tennessee, the only place to be”.

Individually, the tracks are extremely alluring and I admire them for having the guts to experiment with genres, instruments and melodies at a time when mainstream eyes are watching their every move. It’s certainly going to split the fans from the fakers. The magnitude of Only By The Night was staggering and it seems that this has relaxed any intentions to make this new one actually impress people. Instead they have done what they want and this may have caused it to lack another popular sell out single but that’s what’s unique about it. (Let’s face it though; it will sell out regardless because of their gigantic fan base). By the end of this record, hearts have skipped, toes have tapped and eyes have watered; but there is hardly a moment that really gets your whole body rocking out. This is quite unusual for a Kings of Leon record and I can’t help but yearn for a ‘Four Kicks’, ‘Black Thumbnail’ or heaven forbid another ‘Sex On Fire’. They used to be the rulers of fast-pace rock n roll beasts but this time the only song that comes close is ‘No Money’. Now they have become masters of the anthemic, stadium-sized chorus and my god can they produce a good one. Come Around Sundown is certainly more raw and meatier than Only By The Night and that’ exactly what that record lacked. But for some reason even after all that meat, you are still left not quite fully satisfied.

See this review on Clink: http://clinkmusicmagazine.com/2010/11/23/kings-of-leon-album-review

(photo source: tntmagazine)

'Prophets.

(source: Cambridge Jones photography)

New Band On The Block: Mona

Mona are currently my new band obsession. I'd describe their look and sound as something you'd get if you stuck Kings of Leon, Glasvegas and General Fiasco together. That may not sound like it should work written down but it really does. Have a feeling they are going to be very big and I cannot get enough off this song at the moment.

Muse, Wembley Stadium 10/09/10

Support from White Rabbits, The Big Pink & Lily Allen

After blowing the minds of everyone that attended Glastonbury this summer; the prodigies of live music return with a tour of colossal proportions to do exactly that all over again. They’ve been playing huge spots for a while now but each time they do, they bring a brand new spectacle and tonight 85,000 fans have packed out Wembley Stadium in order to witness it. But first things first, those lucky support acts. Starting things off are up and coming New Yorkers White Rabbits, who may not be familiar with playing huge shows but they surprisingly manage to fill the space with their indie-pop melodies. The band’s set up is far from conventional with two drummers and a lead-singer pianist (equipped with a great live voice) but it seems to work. They treat the early birds to a snippet of their second record ‘It’s Frightening’ and save the best ‘til last as they play out with critically acclaimed single ‘Percussion Gun’. The Big Pink turn up the heat (and bass) as they take to the stage with ‘Too Young To Love’ followed by the incredible ‘Velvet’. Their distorted, piercing electo-rock anthems effortlessly fill the stadium, proving that they could easily play venues of this magnitude on their own in the near future. Slightly drifting away from tonight’s conventions is Lily Allen who definitely puts on a better show than the last big gig she did at Wireless, but even she admits that this is probably her only chance of playing this venue. A quick cameo from Professor Green and a few dubstep remixes thrown in makes her set passable.

With the crowd satisfactory hyped, the band everyone came to see appear amongst a crowd of acting political protestors holding signs with lyrics taken from ‘Uprising’. Thankfully they disappear within a few minutes and we get to see the band play free of theatrics as they burst into the song followed by ‘Supermassive Black Hole’. But of course this doesn’t last very long; it’s just not Muse’s style. The show is certainly out of this world, and I mean that in a literal sense. At the introduction of ‘Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1: Overture’, a huge inflatable UFO floats through the air until an actual real person pops out of it and acrobatically dances their way around the stadium, simultaneously sprinkling glitter over the crowd. The stage itself looks like something E.T would live in and even their attire fits the theme. Drummer Dom Howard rocks skin-tight silver spandex whilst vocalist Matt Bellamy dons a sparkling silver suit and later steps out head-to-toe in glowing lights and flashing sunglasses to match. Style is something this band are not shy of and tonight they’re not afraid to show it.

They perform newest songs ‘Resistance’, ‘Uprising’ and ‘Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)’ which obviously weren’t heard the last time they were here. They go down well; ‘Resistance’ in particular, but it’s the classics that send everyone into Hysteria (excuse the pun). ‘New Born’, ‘Plug In Baby’ and ‘Time Is Running Out’ notably stand out but it’s not until an explosive performance of ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ that I am convinced they are possibly the best live act I’ve ever seen. As one of the heaviest, anthemic songs they have produced to date, it proves to be a highlight. After a second encore, they conclude with an atmospheric ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ which predictably provokes the loudest crowd sing-along of the night. There’s no doubt that Muse are firmly holding on to their commended credentials as a world-class live band, but what is admirable is how confidently and effortlessly they are doing it. The only question is, now that Earth has been conquered where can they go from here? If this band are anything to go by, Mars is not far off the radar...

See this review on Clink Magazine: http://clinkmusicmagazine.com/2010/09/10/muse-at-wembley-stadium

Lostprophets, Shepherd's Bush Empire 25/8/10

With a massive main stage show at the Reading and Leeds Festivals only days away, Lostprophets choose London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire to limber up and try out their set list. Joining them on the bill are fellow Welshmen Attack Attack who get the crowd hyped with their catchy pop-punk; something which should have been done initially by US rockers Foxy Shazam. To say an acquired taste is needed to appreciate this band would be quite accurate. Having been compared to Queen and The Darkness in the past, it is soon clear that this is apparent not only within their music but their persona too. There is no doubting their energy as frontman Eric Nally spends most of the set flamboyantly dancing about the stage and taunting the crowd. This proves to be a slight shock to the system for many people in attendance as they are received with occasional booing and heckling. Theatrics aside, the band’s live sound is strong and engaging as they perform songs largely from second record Introducing. They go all out for the last one, amid acrobatics as they furiously belt their instruments into a conclusive frantic frenzy. This gains a bit of respect from the crowd as they applaud the effort (then again this could’ve also been because they were leaving the stage). It was all so promising in the beginning, but unfortunately the dramatics were too much for the generic Lostprophet fan.

These fans finally get what they came for when Lostprophets take to the stage with Can’t Catch Tomorrow. They immediately commence with Burn Burn which sees most of the room engulfed within a massive mosh pit that goes on to last the entirety of the show. It’s Not The End Of The World and For He’s A Jolly Good Felon follow, but the focus doesn’t stay on the new songs for long. Killer record Start Something is the main star tonight as To Hell We Ride, Make A Move and We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan are dusted off for our hearing pleasure. It’s so refreshing to hear songs that they don’t play very often and this notably has a positive effect on the crowd. We Are Godzilla particularly boasts as it sends everyone into complete hysteria. Even with an amusing Backstreet Boys chorus thrown in before the drop, it was an improvement on what they played at the O2 Academy Brixton back in February. Apparently you can’t go wrong with a good old cheesy cover as the theme is continued when they pay tribute to Reading and Leeds headliners Guns N Roses by playing the introduction of Sweet Child Of Mine.

Vocalist Ian Watkins reveals that the last few songs involve us going “back in time”. After telling fans that they should be ashamed of themselves if they didn’t know the lyrics, they launch into Fake Sound Of Progress and Shinobi Vs. Dragon Ninja. He needn’t have been worried as they attract the largest crowd reactions, predictably along with Last Train Home and Rooftops. Even with this being the case, Where We Belong stands out for me on the night. Its uplifting lyrics and melody consistently make it a great live song and tonight it was the best I’ve heard it yet. Unlike their tour earlier in the year, it becomes clear that this gig is not about being serious and impressing anybody, it’s about having a good time and playing some old tunes. Because of this, the atmosphere is much more relaxed and feels like a typical laid-back Lostprophets show. Ian Watkins and Jamie Oliver even take it as far as rapping between songs. (Not badly I might add). In their usual style, they return for an encore and surprise the crowd with a gripping performance of Sway, another gem from 2004’s Start Something. As the only song on the set list I had never heard live before, it was a personal highlight. A one off show full of classic oldies was promised and that’s exactly what we got. If you weren’t there, you only have yourself to blame.

To see my review on Clink with pictures click here

Check out more of Marcus Maschwitz's amazing photos here

R.I.P Charles Haddon.

(source: thedubs.com)

Charles Haddon pictured far right.

Just heard the news about the singer of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool taking his own life after their gig at Pukkelpop in Belguim. According to festival organisers, it was confirmed in a press conference that he commited suicide by making a fatal jump in the artist car park. So sad.

Communion Sessions @ The Flowerpot 17/7/10

Featuring Alan Pownall, Mumford and Sons, Damien Rice and Angus & Julia Stone.

The Communion franchise has blossomed from a small club night into a fully fledged record label and essential music hotspot since it began in Notting Hill Arts Club in 2006. Founded by Ben Lovett (of Mumford and Sons), Kevin Jones and producer Ian Grimble, it has played host to many respected artists such as Laura Marling, Alan Pownall and Mumford and Sons; all of which began their careers alongside Communion. Earlier in the month, it was announced that a series of free gigs would be hosted at tiny Kentish Town venue The Flowerpot. A number of artists (most of which had worked with Communion before) were handpicked to spend the day collaborating and then asked to perform the finished product to an audience of 150 in the evening. The duration of the week saw the likes of Mt Desolation (led by Jesse Quinn and Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane), Lissie and Marcus Foster present captivating collaborations; but Saturday was definitely the most exciting date of the week. With only members of Mumford and Sons listed as playing, the crowd were treated with appearances from unannounced surprise guests Alan Pownall and Damien Rice.

By 8pm, the venue is already bursting at the seams, just as opening act Pete Rowe takes to the stage. The folk scene regular charms the crowd with his unique guitar playing and smooth vocals. Towards the end of his set, he is joined on stage by The Staves. The trio of sisters from Watford follow on nicely with their flawless harmonies and mesmerise us with a handful of their own serene melodies; accompanied only by acoustic guitar and ukulele. Australian duo Angus & Julia Stone then make their second appearance of the week. They play a few recognisable songs from their album, doing them even more justice live with their hauntingly good voices. Just as they are about to commence with their last song, they announce that they will be joined by special guest Damien Rice. They deliver a mellow, folk rendition of ‘You Are The One I Want’ from the musical Grease before Damien is left solo to give a special one-off performance. The atmosphere is booming as he invites members of the audience to accompany him on stage and enthrals every person in attendence within a mass sing-along.

The headline act of the night falls in the hands of Alan Pownall; an artist who has recently broke into the mainstream with his debut album ‘True Love Stories’. He effortlessly performs a handful from this record, particularly illustrating his appeal during poignant single ‘Colourful Day’. Between songs he questions the crowd “Has anyone seen Almost Famous?” He then delves into a cover of Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’, taken from the film’s most eminent scene. He may have had to read the lyrics from his BlackBerry, but that didn’t deter it from being one of the highlights of the night (mostly because it is my favourite movie and I was able to have a sing-song). He definitely lives up to his reputation as a fine entertainer and musician. Joining him on stage are Ben Lovett (on piano accordion) and Winston Marshall (on banjo) who form half of Mumford and Sons, a band who have recently re-defined the term ‘nu-folk’ with their multi-instrumental talent and charismatic live performances. Over the last two years they have stormed into the music scene, bringing folk back into the limelight along with artists such as Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale. Although tonight they only keep in the background, it is satisfying enough catching just a glimpse of their gift.

(photos by Me and Sanna Karim)