Stu Whiston @ The Sugarmill - Stoke

Yesterday evening, I attended Stu Whiston's gig at my local venue; The Sugarmill in Stoke-On-Trent. Stu Whiston is an indie rock and acoustic artist from Staffordshire. Around 21:45pm was when Whiston and his band entered on to the stage. He politely asked the middle-aged audience to move to the middle, followed by Whiston introducing his opening song.

His opening song was called 'Silver'. This track grabbed my attention immediately due to the punchy guitars and hard-hitting drums, shortly to be followed by the vocals. You could tell straight away that all the members of the band are experienced musicians as there was no awkwardness on stage during their first song. The drummer had a noticeably excelling hypnotic performance, as he compeltely lost himself whislt playing and that is always an incredible thing to watch. The second song of the night was called 'Runaway' and you know that feeling that you get when a new song comes on the radio, and you just instantly know that you're going to like it? This was one of those moments. It was a very simple song, all the while it proved to also be very effective. 

 "Runaway, we could runaway."

On the third song of the night, Stu did a short introduction and stated that; 

 "This song was originally written on acoustic and was released about 6 months ago"

This track was called 'There Was A Time' and this is Stu's most successful song, therefore I can understand why he would be proud of it. This worked well with the band, however I have heard his acoustic version of the song online, and as a personal preference - I would have liked it if he had done the acoustic version at the end, to close off his set list. This is more of a meaningful, lyrics-based song so I can understand why it would be "pretty fucking big" as Whiston said on his introduction to the song.

"We used to be so happy, there was a time..."

The fourth track of the evening was called 'Not Enough Hours' and that was also followed by a short introduction; as Whiston stated that they are going to "slow it down a bit now" and he also innocently said how "there isn't enough hours when you think about it". The introduction was very slow and at the start of the song he sounded very similar to Jake Bugg, and as the song progressed you heard a bit of a Miles Kane twang to his voice. Half way into the set, Whiston performed a song called 'We Are The Ones'. Which surprisingly I thought sounded similar to Kings Of Leon - Beautiful War, due to the vocals and the melody of the track.

Before he performed his sixth track of the night he humourlessly said to the audience; "These can all fuck off now, I'm gonna do some acoustics". (On about the band). From this point, Whiston performed two acoustic solo tracks which were called; 'True To Life' and 'Another Day'. During the first solo performance; 'True To Life' Whiston had echoed vocals that proved to be extremely effective, and surprisingly quite a few of the audience members knew a lot of the words to nearly every song. So it looks like Whiston has already created a fan base. Then the second solo performance; 'Another Day' felt like there needed to be more of a punch to it, I think that this would sound better performed with a full band. But as the song is more lyrics- based I can understand why he performed it as an acoustic song.

The eighth song which was performed was one of my favourites it was called 'Dirty Day'. Stu got his band back on the stage again, and began to perform. I have listened to this song before and I liked it then. 'Dirty Day' really exposed Whiston's vocal range and his vocal ability. This track sounded highly inspired by Beady Eye, due to the whinning twang that Whiston has in his voice; like Liam Gallagher and Miles Kane. The second to last song of the evening was a cover of the well-known Oasis track; 'Bring It On Down'. The electric introduction did the song justice right from the beginning. Whiston had the Gallagher whine spot on, as I mentioned earlier he has a Miles Kane twang to his voice anyway. Oasis covers never usually quite make the cut, but this was an exceptional cover and you could tell that they have worked extremely hard on it and they did the britpop band justice. The last song to close off the evening was called 'Rock And Roll Show'. Whiston showed his showmanship skills as usual, by introducing his last performance of the night. There was a brilliant effort from the drummer, yet again. However, the bands performance as a whole was at its peak for their final performance of the evening.

"Rock the whole show, came and took my soul today."

The long instrumental also proved to be very effective, as it was different to their other tracks they performed within the evening. There was a phenomenal close off from the drums, and it was visually the best performance of the night.

In conclusion I thought that they pulled off a great show; and the only nit-picks that I really have, are just down to my personal preference. However, I would have liked Whiston to perform the acoustic version of 'There Was A Time' as this is also Whiston's most renowned track. He is a very captivating and talented performer and his catchy chorus lines are right up my street. You have got a bright future ahead of you and good luck with your future endeavours! Stu Whiston is releasing my favourite single 'Dirty Day' on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Spotify on the 25th of September so be sure to check it out on YouTube! Here is the link - https://youtu.be/h8m1byRiA38

Bring Me The Horizon - True Friends (Single Review)

Bring Me The Horizon or 'BMTH' are a five-piece Metalcore band from Sheffield. The male five-piece formed in 2003 and are currently formatting a new album called 'That's the Spirit' which will be released on the 11th of September. I know that BMTH are a little bit different to what I usually review, but I just thought that I would mix things up a little bit! Their most recent single release is called 'True Friends' and it got released on Youtube on the 25th of August. They have teased fans by releasing three other singles before their album finally gets released too, and they are called 'Happy Song', 'Drown' and 'Throne'. The five-piece consists of; Oliver Sykes on lead vocals, Lee Malia on lead guitar, Matt Kean on bass, Jordan Fish on the keyboards and Matt Nicholls on the drums. 

Bring Me The Horizon have been known to tone things down recently since their 2013 'Sempiternal' album which is drastically different from their previous work, due to minimal screaming being exploited and more singing being allowed. Their new songs are more similar to their recent work, than their previous songs. Anyhow, this evening I will be reviewing their most recently released track called 'True Friends'. 

The song introduces itself with a melodic guitar and Sykes' sharp vocals of;

"I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you, I'll forget but I'll never forgive you. Don't you know, don't you know? True friends stab you in the front."

After the chorus introduces the song; the guitar soon turns sour, the drums go heavy, the keyboard goes distinctively sharp and Malia on lead guitar and Kean on bass create ear-bleeding riffs. Then the second verse includes some of Sykes' notorious screaming;

"You got a lot of nerve, but not a lot of spine. You made your bed, when you're worried about mine. THIS ENDS NOW."

I'm glad that they have decided to keep a bit of screaming within their songs rather than getting distracted by just singing pop-punk as I think that they would lose their notoriority by just trying to create a new image for themselves. If you haven't listed to Bring Me The Horizon before; or don't think that they would be your cup of tea, I would definitely recommend that you give them a listen as they will be on your guilty pleasures list in no time! I actually really liked this song and I'm a fan of their work, whether it be pop-punk or metalcore; as I think that they are such versatile artists, they can pull any genre off. Therefore I cannot wait for the release of their new album!

9/10

Leon Bridges - Coming Home (Album Review)

Leon Bridges is an American gospel and soul singer from Fortworth, Texas. Bridges recently released his first album on the 23rd of June, 2015. His most recognised song is 'Coming Home', which ironically also has the same title as the album. 

The first song on the 10-track album is the most well- known song; 'Coming Home'. The introduction has the theme of Dreamboats and Peticoats, and that gives off a 1950's/1960's vibe to this song.

"Baby, baby, baby, I'm coming home. To your tender sweet loving, you're my one and only woman."

People say that monogamy is dead now; but in the 50's & 60's when you know that you have found your soul partner, you are completely and utterly devoted to them until death. I guess part of that is to do with no temptation from social media, as that did not exist back then. 

My favourite track is Bridges' fourth track called 'Smooth Sailin'. The 1960's rhythm appears again, forcing you to dance. I also love the use of the saxophone within this track, and the use of backing vocals as it really adds to the 1960's theme.

"Sweet pretty baby, won't you be my lady."

His fifth track on the album has a lot more of a melancholic theme to it, rather than a romantic theme. His fifth track is called 'Shine', and this song is about asking the Lord for forgiveness on behalf of his foolish sins that he committed in his youth.

"And father please elude my transgression, let them blow in the wind like sand."

Bridges also mentions in the opening verse;

"Lord don't remember my sins, my sins from my youth."

I think that 'Shine' is a great song to have as the mid-point within the album, as it shows that he can write songs about other things that are important in his life; apart from females.

The seventh track on this uplifting soulful album is called 'Flowers' and this is a lot more upbeat and faster compared to the other tracks on the album.

"So you better run, move fast like the bullet from a gun."

However I have no idea what the relevance of flowers are to do with this song.

His eighth song on the album is called 'Pull Away' and it has the Dreamboats and Peticoats theme about it again, very similar to Bridges' first track - 'Coming Home'. 

"I thought that our love was true, but all along I was wrong."

However this song contradicts 'Coming Home' as it appears as if his partner has cheated on him.

"Whoa girl, I poured out my heart to you, despite you put a knife in my back straight through."

It also seems to me as though the whole album is a story; as some of the songs connect to one another. Bridges' sixth track is called 'Lisa Sawyer' and this song describes in depth about a woman he is deeply in love with from New Orleans. Then later on in his second to last song called 'Twistin & Groovin' he mentions;

"I got a call from my baby, said she fed up with me. Said she found another lover in another city. Said she's doing fine in New Orleans."

Everything starts off perfectly at the beginning of the album; whereby he couldn't see himself with anybody else, then the tables quickly turn. Which links back to the opening of the song 'Coming Home', as perhaps monogamy was not as common as everybody makes out that it was in the 1950's and 1960's?

The last song to close off the album is called 'River'. This is about sins again, very much like 'Shine' as he mentions;

"But there is blood on my hands, and my lips are unclean."

This suggests to me that the blood on his hands could be from a potential murder that he may have committed? Also, when people mention lips or mouths being unclean, it is usually referring to when somebody has cursed. However, he mentions about his mother saying;

"Surrender to the good Lord and he'll wipe your slate clean."

This tells me that Bridges is obviously from a very religious background, as his Mother tells him to surrender to God and he will forgive his sins.

In conclusion; I love what Leon Bridges is trying to re-create, by bringing soul music back into fashion. However; I do think that perhaps an 8 track album would have done him more favours, as many of his songs are about women and love which makes the album seem bland and uninteresting. I liked how he added two songs about God into his album as that adds a personal touch, and I also admire how he added a gospel edge into this album. I would recommend his album, but it can get a bit bland at times. On the other hand; I do love his voice, but it's just a shame about his variety of songs.

7/10

Silverchild @ The Sugarmill - Stoke

First of all I would just like to announce a huge apology to all the readers of my blog, who don't already have me on social media - for not posting a review last Sunday. However I was very ill and I constantly kept falling asleep, therefore I was incapable of writing a review for you. On the other hand my next review will be on Leon Bridges new album - 'Coming Home' as that is the album review that I was supposed to post last Sunday, on the 15th of August. If you would like to be updated on my blog, you can go and like my facebook page -

https://www.facebook.com/musicblog89

Furthermore, I attended a rock gig yesterday evening on the 22nd of August at The Sugarmill in Hanley. The band that I am going to review are a local band called 'Silverchild'. Silverchild are a five-piece heavy rock band from Stoke-On-Trent. The five-piece consists of; female vocalist - Lex Hiley, Vic Jepson guitar, Eddy Jam also on guitar, Max Ryles on the bass and Al Burne on the drums.

I entered the Sugarmill around 20:45; and it was jam-packed full of eager rockers with a pint in their hand, in all-black and band tees. The audience was not of a specific age range. I would say that the majority of the fans there, were in their late-teens or upwards. The venue was scorching hot, due to the rammed and excited crowd. I got there in time to listen to a few of their support bands, and every song from every band got my foot tapping - so that got me really impatient to see the headlining act, I was looking forward to it so much! Then Lex Hiley, the lead singer created audience interaction straight away by thanking the audience for being there. Their set list consisted of nine songs, of which I am going to discuss for you now.

Silverchild's opening song was called 'Red Desert'. The guitars introduced this song; followed by the drums, and the instruments created a really powerful rock intro. Every band member was in their own zone right from the start, which was amazing to see! As usually, many bands are a bit awkward on their first few songs and then they begin to get into it later on into their set. I was mesmorized by Hiley's beautiful blonde wild locks, it really added that extra little bit to their performance, with her whipping it back and fourth, around in circles etc... I knew I was at a rock gig anyway, put it that way. This was a very captivating opening song, and the guitar riffs were spot on. The drummer and lead guitarist really stood out to me within this performance.

Right at the end of 'Red Desert' all of the guitarists did a solo, which exposed how talented all of the guitarists are. Following the guitar solos, the drums shortly accompanied them as they flowed into their next song called - 'Little Minds'. I'm not one for lead female vocalists; because there isn't many of them around, but this song made me realise that it's great to finally see a female vocalist and a female on the guitar! Also I espeically like how Hiley has a little bit of a country twang to her voice. Their next song to follow their set list was called - 'You Use Me'. This song was a bit more heavier than their previous two songs. Their instrumentals worked perfectly within every song, and this song particularly exposed Hiley's vocal ability. The bassist also stood out within this performance too as he really let loose and is so talented. The whole band is just mesmorizing, every performer gives it 110% - as if their life depended on it. Then the drums closed off this song.

Their fourth track was the one that really began to make the audience cheer and move; their fourth track was called - 'Birds Of The City'. The lead vocalist; Lex Hiley, does not just connect with the audience she also interacts with her band members on stage which is always a great thing to see. 'Black Cat Man' was their fifth song of the evening and the verses were very short, therefore this song was mainly dominated by the other band members apart from the vocalist. I guess it was sort of a paradox, compared to their other songs that they performed. Their sixth track was called - 'Jukebox Junkie'. Due to the crippling warmth in the venue, the lead singer even had to remove her jacket. The guitars got the song going, then the guitarists were shortly accompanied by the drums; like many of their previous songs. However; this intro was heavier than some of their other songs, and the guitar riffs were positioned perfectly into this song again, like usual. Hiley thanked the audience again and promoted the supporting bands by thanking them too.

Their seventh song was my favourite. Their seventh song was called - 'Fire Bird Revver' and it was by far the best vocal performance of the night. Amazing melody accompanied by a fantastic vocal performance, what can't you like about that? Every band members stage presence was still incredibly strong even by this point, and I would just like to say how the last note of the song was hit perfectly. Their second to last song of the night was called - 'Ain't Doin It'. Vic Jepson and Al Burne had another strong performance, yet again. Silverchild needed to do a guitar swap for their last song, and instead of waiting in awkward silence - Hiley interacted with the audience yet again! Their final song of the evening was called - 'Pluto Pass'. Even more of the audience were bopping their head to this long track. I couldn't hear Vic singing the backing vocals; however it was explained online how the microphone wasn't on, which is clearly out of their control.

In conclusion this is definitely the best local band that I have ever seen. The effort was at a constant peak, and I never saw it dip once. Visually, their performance was flawless. Silverchild reminded me how much I used to love rock music, so thank you for that. I would recommend you see Silverchild any chance that you get, they were that exceptional. I wish them all the best of luck, because every single band member is an immensely talented individual and it is extremely rare to get that. So I would just like to say a big thank you to Silverchild for a mint night. My foot did not stop tapping. ROCK ON!!!

Blossoms - Blown Rose (EP Review)

Blossoms are a five-piece psychedelic indie rock band from Stockport. The five-piece consists of; Tom Ogden on lead vocals and guitar, Charlie Salt on the bass, Josh Dewhurst on lead guitar, Myles Kellock on the keyboard and Joe Donovan on the drums. Even though somebody had recommended that I reviewed Blossoms' new EP, their name has been spreading like wildfire; much like Temples. I've been meaning to review some of their work for a while now, so I am glad that they had released their new four-track EP called 'Blown Rose', which was recently released on the 31st of July 2015. The four tracks that create this EP are called; 'Blown Rose', 'Madeleine', 'Smoke' and 'Stormy'.

The opening song of the extended play has the same title as the EP interestingly enough, therefore this tells me that they are going to give you a taste of what they're capable of. This track has an overwhelmingly powerful beginning, with no build up - just straight in, full throttle. After the strong beginning, the vocals shortly accompanied the instrumental within a few seconds. Kellock on the keyboards and Donovan on the drums particularly stood out for me within this song as they mainly dominated the track. Once the vocals commenced, they created a compilation which sounded similar to Peace and the Arctic Monkeys. However you can also hear some inspiration of The Doors within this track. This song has a very soothing melody to it, and the use of backing vocals compliments the band as it adds a slight psychedelic twang to their song; which makes it different. The lyrics that particularly stood out for me was when Ogden cannot figure out as to why his love is unrequited;

"I'm so lost when you say you don't feel it like I do."

After an impressive opening song, I was intrigued as to what was yet to come. Their second track on their 4-piece EP is called 'Madeleine'. The introduction sounds slightly psychedelic due to the use of backing vocals again, and the slow keyboard. The melody soon speeded up, which then created a rather groovy beat.

"And I know that when she's gone, she's gone, I know she's gone."

Whilst writing this review,  I am currently failing to resist the urge to sway and dance to this song. My favourite line would have to be the chorus line of;

"Madeleine you don't know what you do, when can I be yours? Madeleine, Madeleine, Madeleine, Madeleine."

However, towards the end of the song - the use of a solo on the electric guitar made the song sound a lot more rock, which I really liked as the song didn't just stick to one genre; it had several different genres within it.

Their third track on the EP is called 'Smoke' which sounds rather eerie and mysterious, so I am intrigued as of what is yet to come. This song didn't enter with a strong instrumental like their previous songs, it gradually built itself up; guitars first, drums second, vocals third and keyboard fourth. Within this track, lead singer Ogden reveals his inner Liam Gallagher using his Mancunian accent to his advantage, and doing that whiney, slow voice that LG and many other artists do. With their contagious chorus, you just simply cannot resist the urge to move!

"I get my fix from you I do, smoke with you."

The final track too cease off the album is called 'Stormy' and if you read my blog frequently you will know how much I love paradox's. This song is the paradox of the EP - and in all honesty, I was not expecting it. A complete contradiction. I love this song because it reminds me of when Alex Turner did a bit of solo work for the Submarine soundtrack. This song was another build-up song too; acoustic guitar first, keyboard second and the vocals followed third.

"There's a stormy love with you, if it's all I do - pieces of you flood me."

I'm not really one for psychedelic music, but I actually really like Blossoms. In one EP they've managed to show how much of a versatile band that they are, which is very difficult. However my favourite track would have to be 'Madeleine' as I just couldn't resist the urge to move, it is such a fantastic song! I did love their little paradox song at the end though, so therefore I am going to give Blossoms' new EP a well-deserved 9/10. Thank you for the suggestion, and I hope to hear more recommendations and suggestions in the future - keep them coming!

 

 

I look forward to hearing some more of their work.

9/10.

Eagles - Hotel California (Single Review)

Earlier on this week, somebody requested that I reviewed their favourite band. Their favourite band are the Eagles, and they kindly asked me if I would review their 1976 hit - Hotel California. So I checked it out, and I am going to tell you what I thought of the song first, and then tell you what the actual song is about. I am more than happy to take requests, so let me know what you think!

Eagles are an American four-piece rock band from Los Angeles, and they formed in 1971. The quartet consist of; Glenn Fray on vocals and guitar, Don Henley on the drums, Randy Meisner on guitar and Joe Walsh on the bass.

The track opens up with a very slow rhythmic acoustic guitar, and later on goes on to be followed by the very melancholic vocals with the first lyrics of;

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitis, rising up through the air."

According to some research that I have done; the term 'colitis' means 'little tails' in Spanish, which then translates to Mexican slang of marijuana. Therefore, when the lyrics mention "on a dark desert highway" you presume that it is an abandoned place that nobody goes to. However, if the smell of marijuana is "rising up through the air" unless he is smoking it, he isn't alone.

The chorus has a very reggae twang to it as the vocalist goes on to sing their very catchy chorus of;

"Welcome to the Hotel California, such a lovely place."

This song has some very interesting lyrics, and here are a few examples;

"So I called the captain up, please bring me my wine. He said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969."

However, wine isn't actually a spirit - therefore it gives off the impression that the Captain may be drunk, which instantly puts somebody in danger. The captain of a ship is drunk, how are you expected to get to where you're meant to be going when the captain of the ship is highly intoxicated?

The very end lyrics go on to leave a cliffhanger which is when they mention;

"You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave."

This leaves you puzzled. If you can't leave, then how can you check-out? Perhaps they have died from the captain sinking the ship?

This song is about a weary traveller who checks in to a luxurious hotel, in which he thinks will be incredible. Until he soon realises that it is hell. The hotel happens to be the music industry in the 1970's as this song is about self-destruction and the greed within that particular industry. Leading to the song basically being about the dark underbelly of the 'American Dream'.

I really hope that you liked my review, it never hurts anybody to try something different. I would appreciate it if I got more requests in the future, so thank you very much.

9/10

El Blackbirds - Electricity (Single Review)

El Blackbirds are an up and coming four-piece Indie Rock N Roll band from Liverpool. The quartet consists of; Shaun Hough on lead vocals & guitar, Callum Kelly on lead guitar, Liam Rudge on bass and John Appleby on the drums. El Blackbirds sound very similar to the likes of Oasis, Catfish & the Bottlemen and Arctic Monkeys. Their new single is called 'Electricity' and it is jam-packed full of quirky guitar riffs, contagious melodies and catchy lyrics. 'Electricity' was released in June as a taster of what is yet to come of the band, as they have only been together for five months professionally.

The track starts off with a deep sound on a distorted electric guitar; soon accompanied by the other punchy guitars and rhythmic drums, shortly followed by Hough's distinctive vocals. When the lead vocalist, Shaun Hough sings the first verse he mentions;

"The way you make me feel, I wanna scream and shout."

The rest of the song remains strong and speedy, with no lost energy. Which leads to the whole song relating back to this line as Hough shows his passion and affection for this person throughout the rest of the song through his vocals as he states;

"You make me feel like electricity."

Hough repeats this line several times throughout this song, which makes the track very catchy. I am intrigued as to what is yet to come of this band, as I think that they may have plenty more tricks up their sleeve. You can find this track on the link below. Good luck with your future endeavours, and I wish you all the best of luck. Watch out!

https://soundcloud.com/the-blackbirds-4/electricity