Music

  • Frank Turner Interview

    Published on 4 December 2008

    One time hardcore singer Frank Turner has recently been causing a splash in English waters with his crossbreed of acoustic folk/punk. Impact caught up with him at Nottingham’s own Rescue Rooms on his current extensive European tour to find out how things are going.

    How is the tour going so far?
    Yeah it’s been really good, this is the biggest headline tour I’ve ever done, and two thirds of the shows have been sold out before we’ve got there. It’s always kind of a risk going up to the next level and it seems to really have paid off. I must admit when we booked the shows I was thinking ‘Oh God, we’re never going to sell enough tickets’ but yeah it’s been crazy.

    I understand you just got back from America?
    Yeah, I actually had a grand total of about half a day off between getting back and starting the tour. So I had zero time off. The first few days of the tour I was still on American time and everything so it was weird. But it was kind of nice cause a lot of stuff has been going crazy for me in this country but that was all happening while I was in America so it hadn’t really registered, so I arrived and then we went to Leeds and everything went totally nuts the minute we arrived. It was just like ‘what the fuck? What’s going on?’ it’s still 9 o’clock in the morning in my brain and everyone was going nuts! It was cool but it was strange.

    How did the American tour go?
    Yeah good, I’m still kind of starting out over there, doing support tours and stuff but it’s cool. I got to tour with some awesome bands like Fake Problems from Florida who I’ve toured with twice now – really, really cool band – and Chuck Ragan from Hot Water Music, I did a string of dates with him, and that was a fucking dream come true for me. Those shows were great, they were packed out and everything. He’s doing acoustic stuff now so what we do works together really well, so yeah, it was cool.

    At Reading you said something about being one of the few artists who gets to play folk shows and rock shows – do you find that you have a really diverse fan base, and is that important to you?
    I think so, I mean that might be a bit delusional on my part. One of the things I’m happy about and proud about is the fact that there is a really wide demographic at my shows. It’s not just the Kerrang! kids or the NME kids and it’s not just folkies and it’s not just people of one age group, it’s a nice mix of people. That makes me feel really good because I think my music is everyman music and when such people come that makes me feel like I’m doing something right.

    You used to play in Million Dead; did you find it a hard transition going from being in a band to being a solo artist, or is it a similar lifestyle?
    Musically it wasn’t so hard cause I felt like a had a lot of ideas stored up. I’d played hardcore for a long, long time so it was really liberating writing in a different style. In terms of career and stuff it wasn’t particularly easy. We went from doing the last Million Dead tour (we did 300 people a night and sold out shows and stuff) to playing to five people in another country and no-one giving a fuck. That was pretty demoralizing for a time but I stuck with it in the hope that it would improve and I’m feeling quite vindicated recently!

    It seems like your lyrics reference quite a bit of poetry (such as Eliot) is this important to you in your influences and what other influences do you have?
    Yeah, I’m not very knowledgeable about poetry, but I know what I like – Eliot, Larkin, Betjeman, people like that. Betjeman I’ve actually really been getting into lately. He’s deceptive because his poems have that sing-song rhythm to them and everybody thinks they’re silly, but if you kind of tear them apart then they’re awesome. I spend a lot of time on my lyrics so any kind of artistry with words is something I’m interested in. I’m not a poet myself. I’m terrified at the idea of writing poetry because with music you’ve got a structure – you’ve got to fill this many lines with this rhythm to fit with the music, whereas with poetry you’ve got a blank sheet of paper and a pen and that gives me the fear! So yeah, I read a lot of poetry but I don’t write any.

    You’ve been involved with the Breast Cancer Campaign with things such as your new single and the Lexapalooza festival – how did that festival go?
    Well basically Lexapalooza was set up as a thing between friends a few years ago, by my friend Lexie, and she ran it for two years just as an all day show with loads of bands playing. She died last September, so this year the group of friends involved in it decided that the most fitting tribute we could think of would be to carry on running the festival so we decided to do it and this year we did it in Nambucca in London, which is a place that is quite dear to my heart anyway. It was great, we got more than 200 people in and we raised about £2,000 for the Breast Cancer Campaign, and loads of bands played, and everyone got really, really wrecked, and these were the kind of things that we were hoping for. Onwards and upwards. My friend Evan is the main guy running Lexapalooza, and he’s going to be putting shows on through the year, not just festivals, but doing some charity work and promoting it around, so they’ve got some shows in Brighton coming up, they’ve got a month of shows in London. But every year we’re going to do the festival in London in September sort of time – there’s chat about where the next one’s going to be, but hopefully it should be big.

    And your single got to Number 65?
    Number 65, yeah, which was cool – we were the highest download entry, and we were the highest independent release in the chart as well, which was cool. We had this plan about trying to break the top 40 which didn’t happen. I guess the thing is that we were working with a download single for a song that’s already out on the album, so for most fans, unless you’re specifically involved in the campaign there’s not really any reason to pick it up because you’ve got it already. But with all that in mind I think we did good, I was pleased with how it went, and we raised a pile of cash for the Breast Cancer Campaign.

    Do you know how much you’ve raised?
    I don’t, they’re still trying to figure it out, but I think it should be around £1,000 which is a respectable amount of money for a week’s work.

    Do you have any future plans?
    Well yes, and they’ve actually been thrown into confusion by what’s happened in the last month. Originally we were just going to do the single and then get into the studio as soon as possible. But now with the way that everything’s gone, and with the success of this single my label has decided that they want to do another single and tour early next year, probably a physical release this time – get some new songs out to make it worth peoples’ while. Then hopefully work on the next record in the summer and get album number three out in September next year. Creatively the songs are all happening in my head. We’ll play a new song tonight, so there’s stuff around but it’s just taken a little bit longer to get the new songs out there than I would have liked.

    Ryan Neal

  • Album Reviews

    Published on 27 November 2008

    Fucked Up
    The Chemistry of Common Life
    (Matador, 13 October)

    Fucked Up are too heavy, and yet too tuneful at the same time, to be classified into one genre. For the hardcore fans this will easily please, trashing MTV’s toilet and being the most talked about thing this year, proving that they can create a scene. But for someone looking for more than this, will it deliver? Like Les Savy Fav, they deliver pleasing tunes and can cause the casual listener to hum in approval. They interlude ambient sounds between songs to give fluidity, which confirms their diversity and removes the ‘craziest band tag’ which gets them most of the attention. “Golden Seal” is a perfect example of this. Often the vocals surrender to the superior music, and on “No Epiphany” they truly have the “eh” factor. And this, my friends, makes them smarter than your average hardcore band.

    4/5

    Chris Jones

    Deerhunter
    Microcastle
    (Kranky Records, 28 October)

    Atlas Sound was the stepping stone that Bradford Cox needed to turn Microcastle into a rich, melodic album, focused and dense. There are traces of that band in Deerhunter’s debut Cryptograms where he was clearly trying to perfect his sound and voice - on Microcastle he delivers. Deerhunter’s distorted effects rightly lead them to be labelled shoegaze. They create calmness with ambience, gentle beginnings where Cox pours his heart out, creating very personal and emotional music, but then unleashing his guitar much like their peers No Age. The mix of the softer side of Cox and the warped guitar pumps energy into the band, justifying the legacy of Deerhunter as a band that can stand close to My Bloody Valentine. Add some psychedelics to the mix and you have a band that are captivating and intriguing, a band that will push the boundaries of whichever genre in which they plant their flag.

    5/5

    Chris Jones

    Bloc Party
    Intimacy
    (Wichita, 27 October)

    Intimacy is undoubtedly an extension of the soundscapes in A Weekend in the City, yet it’s more refreshing and bares similarities to the band’s debut, Silent Alarm. “Ares” opens with a cacophony of raging drums, sliding distorted guitars and Kele’s political vocals immediately instigate a new excitement. The band return to the splendour of previous songs such as “So Here We Are” in “Biko”, which is so utterly honest in its lyrics (“you’re not doing this alone/resist [against cancer]”). The progression of a sensual bass, overlapping of voices and pulsating synthesisers formulate an overtly beautiful song. Upbeat melodies also frequently juxtapose gentle ballads - “One Month Off” has the potential as a new live favourite with its dirty mix of heavily distorted guitars and jolting synths as does “Halo”, while “Ion Square” displays an epic closure with haunting keyboards and jangling guitars. “Trojan Horse” and “Zephyrus” are slightly stale; however don’t miss “Signs”, “Mercury” and “Better than Heaven”. Overall, a definite must-have!

    4/5

    Charlotte Krol

    The Present
    World I See
    (Loaf, 7 October)

    Cor blimey, what a treat! From the extraordinarily talented producer Rusty Santos (who has worked with the likes of Panda Bear and Born Ruffians) a new band, The Present, has been formed. The album entwines the varying backgrounds of its three members, including classical piano and traditional Japanese music, to create an ephemeral and original sound.
    Combining minimalist technique and drone-like chord structures, The Present hypnotise and draw you into a web of almost psychedelic noise. Speaking of The Present, Panda Bear says “When I listen to the sounds and the songs [...] I can hear light and dark, high and low, happy and sad, synthetic and organic and on and on like that forever and that’s a compliment to the production and the technique, I would say. Most of all, I like how I feel when I listen to the music.” Hear hear.

    4/5

    Elly Condron

  • Holy Fuck @ The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham, 15 October

    Published on 27 November 2008

    Holy Fuck are an experimental electronic band from Toronto (not a hardcore band, as name would suggest). In fact, they look far too polite and clean cut to even swear (but then again I guess it’s all part of that ‘ironic’ image, right?) Names aside, Holy Fuck strategically place themselves amongst the chaos of technical equipment and exciting looking non-instruments on stage. One of which is a 35mm moviola - a device, so I’m told, which enabled film editors to track the amount of film they’d edited in the cutting room.

    They begin with some of their more krautrock-esque sounds, luring the audience into their world of strange bleeps and high pitched wurring noises created by the old film equipment. What’s most impressive about this band is that there is not a laptop in sight, having returned to the old way. They use actual real instruments to achieve their sound, which is somewhat unique nowadays in the world of electronica, and makes it exciting to watch as they frantically change keyboards between each song bringing tense smiles every time across their faces. The drummer on the other hand stares straight ahead for the entire set with the concentration of a soldier in a military parade, contrasting with the fact that he’s barefoot.

    As the set progresses, so do the songs, which become more upbeat and dancy. “Royal Gregory” is the dance floor winner amongst the crowd, who are reserved as usual but are just about moving their hips to this song. Closing their set with “Lovely Allen”, it’s almost quite sickening just how lovely it all is. And as the crowd gaze romantically into space Holy Fuck leave the stage only to return again to treat us to two encores, eventually freeing us from their grasp.

    Elise Laker

  • The Interview: Gentle Friendly

    Published on 27 November 2008

    Daniel from up-and-coming band Gentle Friendly chats to Impact’s Elly Condron about life in the band, the technical aspects of “hitting things”, and where they find their unusual instruments.

    So, when and how did you guys meet?

    We were recruited by the great saxophonist Thom Hill for his bamitsva band.

    You’re Brummies, is that where you live? Do you like the scene up there?

    HOME IS RAD.

    Daniel, your drumming was pretty stupendous at the gig – where did you learn to play like that or are you one of those totally enviable ‘self-taught’ types?

    We both sort of suck at the instruments we play in the band. It’s totally primitive. Both myself and David play guitar. I guess we just started using other things so had to stick to it. I like not having any proper knowledge though. Writing good songs is way more important than playing well. That stuff comes later if it ever does at all. It always seems to me that the worst bands are the ones with racks of pedals and stupidly indulgent gear. That’s sort of lame I think.

    Where do you find all your machines? Is there an art to playing them or is it really just ‘hitting things’ (as your last.fm profile describes)?

    The two organs we use were sourced from different places. The Casio was stolen for me from Birmingham University by a good friend of mine from Minnesota. I have a Jen organ and that was brought from an old peoples’ home. I’m going to send them the record when it’s done.

    It’s just the two of you. Does that ever get hard – have you ever been tempted to bring others in?

    We sort of like limiting ourselves like that. It’s harder to play songs that sound good with just two people. We use endless tape loops and crappy effects pedals. We really just end up using stuff we have found.

    Which has been your favourite gig so far?

    For me the ‘No Shows Forever’ gig, this was a house show that our good friend Rachael organized. We played one 20-minute song with Baltimore’s mighty Ponytail. They are awesome and it was a really cool way to end the tour.

    When can we expect to be able to buy your music in shops?

    We have a tape out now with stop scratching and our 7″ “Night Tape” comes out on the 24 November.

    You’re playing a gig in Nottingham soon, just so our readers can get an idea of what your style is, if you had to compare yourselves to any bands who would they be?

    Paul Simon, Baby Venom, Cave Punk and a bit of Weed Tofu.

    Mmm. Cheers.

    Catch Gentle Friendly at the Bodega Social in Nottingham alongside Abe Vigoda and Lovvers on the 5 December.

    For a live review of their October gig in London go to our website. www.impactnottingham.com/music

  • Behind The Music

    Published on 27 November 2008

    Ever thought about a career in Music? Or wondered what it would be like to work behind the scenes of one of Britain’s major record labels? Impact’s Katie Feld tells all about her work experience at Polydor Records.

    The “music biz”; it’s one of glamour, style, scandal and gossip. Whether it be X Factor-ing with Cheryl Cole or partying on the streets of Camden with Amy Winehouse, there is a certain attraction to the industry. But behind every great artist are hundreds of people at their record label working day and night to make sure that we hear them on the radio, see them on TV, and buy their music. Which leads to the ever-asked question: what exactly does a record label do? And behind the scenes is it still glitz and glamour, or is it where the real work lies?

    As a music fanatic I have always wanted to work in the industry, completely clueless of what exactly I wanted to do, but as long as it was to do with music I would be happy. And so when I applied for work experience at the Universal Music Group and was offered a position in video at Polydor Records, it was then I realised that I actually had no idea how a record label functioned.

    The best way to describe a record label would be to juxtapose it with an American high school dining room; each area represents a clique. So first up in the corner is the coolest of the cliques, also known as A&R (Artist and Repertoire), which is probably the most competitive side of the industry. This department is home to the scouts, who go out and about town searching for and signing new talent. Whilst very appealing, scouting is the most competitive job in the world of music, and extremely male-dominated. Working alongside the scouts are the ‘admin’ A&R, who deal with the recording, production and (obviously) the administrative side of singles and albums.

    Next is the “alternative crowd”, or the Video department. Despite commissioning all music videos and online content for all Polydor artists, the video team consists of only 3 people, so walking into their office can sometimes feel like walking into a tornado of stress. That is if they’re not away shooting videos in LA, Copenhagen or Berlin. “Studious” Finance are always there to approve all budgeting and payments, alongside Business and Legal Affairs who make sure this all runs smoothly. Then there are the “cliquey” sub-labels, Fiction and Fascination. These sub-labels are part of Polydor but are created to help categorise artists by genre so that they get the best attention and work. Fiction (the indie label) deals with the likes of Snow Patrol, Elbow, White Lies and Kate Nash, whereas Fascination nurtures pure pop such as Girls Aloud, The Saturdays, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Whilst both sub-labels demonstrate an impressive roster, they themselves are made up of only a few more people than the Video department. However the main area of our high school canteen is dominated by the jocks and cheerleaders of Marketing. Most definitely the loudest section of the label, with the intensity of a Gordon Ramsay kitchen, this is made up of PUK (British) and PAL (American) teams of Product Managers and Assistants, Press and Publicity, Digital, and Radio and TV Promotions.

    As the new kid on the block (excuse the pun – their comeback single was released on Polydor) it’s quite intimidating being thrown into the frantic pace, but before long I got into the swing of the demanding lifestyle of the label. I can’t really describe a usual day at the office, as it can vary from having mini tea parties with colleagues or running out on set to fix something on a shoot, but most days started at half past nine and although formally ended at six, they generally tended to end towards seven or eight o’clock. Upgraded from photocopying and stapling, I was booking The Saturdays’ hair and make up, booking flights for White Lies, discussing potential video scripts with James Morrison’s management and helping Cheryl and Kimberley from Girls Aloud pick out X Factor songs. However most days usually consisted of solving last minute dramas and disasters, and I think I used the word “urgent” more times in three months than I had in twenty one years. Although music videos for bands like Kaiser Chiefs, Girls Aloud, Take That and Duffy seem to be exciting and glamorous, the process is somewhat lengthy and arduous. I seemed to spend most of my days (and evenings) attempting to lower video production budgets and begging Finance to approve them, but the end result of watching a completed music video is inexplicably satisfying. Despite the fact that working at a label is extremely stressful, unpredictable, badly paid and unreliable, there is no greater feeling than working in the very heart of the music that shapes and connects with society.

  • Mumford & Sons @ Bunker Hill 14th October

    Published on 27 November 2008

    I first saw Mumford & Sons in a makeshift hut in the middle of Glastonbury; the beauty of the music left me all warm inside, and I think it says a lot that I remember that so gig well. This time, upstairs at Bunkers Hill, they lived up to expectations and more as their sound filled the low-ceilinged room and spilled out of the open windows (oh, you lucky passers-by!) This is Folk at its most haunting, passing through delicate hymns of love and regret to peppery bluegrass anthems and stomping barnyard beats. The quartet switch effortlessly between a number of instruments including guitar, double bass, violin, and a xylophone in a natty blue case, but it was their use of vocals that particularly caught me. These guys are not afraid to lean on their voices, not afraid to put down the instrument, stand in a row and amaze you with good, honest harmonies. And the voice of lead singer Marcus is something else, confident yet slightly raw, like crackly records, or autumn bonfires. Not to mention lyrics you can believe in. I have only praise for this band, who are to be found doing the rounds with such peers as Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, other successes which prove that folk is back big-time, and in their hands it’s brilliant - what a breath of fresh country air after three grimy, bleepy weeks in the city. So lean out the window of that house party and take it in. In the words of Ted Mumford, “it’s what we all need.”

    Rosy Ross

  • Folk Music

    Published on 27 November 2008

    Folk Music: It’s back and it’s big, but is it what we need?

    Impact catches up with some of the most prominent Folk musicians in the scene right now to see what it’s all about and to see if it really is “what we all need.”

    Johnny Flynn @ Bodega Social, 22 October

    According to Johnny Flynn he’s part of an emergent, ever-growing scene known as “Folk ‘n’ Roll”. I’d be inclined to agree with him - as sharing the zeitgeist limelight with him are such increasingly popular acts as Mumford & Sons, and Noah & the Whale. The latter have even stolen Flynn’s sister away for their tour. “They pay better,” he jokes. Although Flynn is socially quite awkward, live he is something special. The Bodega Social is crammed full of people dying to see him play. “Tunnels” opens the set and the crowd reacts instantly with people swaying along in appreciation.
    After the first song, Flynn welcomes his band The Sussex Wit on stage with him. The band is comprised of his old school friends. Flynn told Impact that he started solo, with just his lowly guitar, but invited his friends to join him when he started making it in the industry.

    As a treat for the audience, ‘Sally’ makes a very rare live appearance. He also shows his versatility when he showcases a new song in which he swaps his guitar for a violin. On stage, Flynn and his band often change instruments, moving around the stage through the night. Although he has so far only released one album, A Larum, Flynn has already been likened to a Desire-era Bob Dylan – coincidentally, one of his favourite albums, and he seemed obviously chuffed with our compliment.
    Although shy on stage (and during interviews!) Flynn interacts with the crowd during a technical glitch forcing him to cut short his set, at just under an hour. Yet no one complains, showing the serene atmosphere this new genre has invokes in the crowd. Flynn is louder live than on record. His voice is less whispery, yet it loses none of its appeal. Highlights included ‘Shore to Shore’ with Flynn and his drummer sharing vocals, and ‘Hong Kong Cemetery’ with many musical instruments used including a trumpet and even the wall as a drum! Its eerie quality was even more exposed live.

    Typically saving the crowd favourites for the penultimate song and encore, ‘Tickle Me Pink’ and ‘The Box’ end the night in a euphoric climax with people actually beginning to dance along. Flynn is obviously buzzing from the atmosphere and the crowd reciprocates.

    Most people’s assumption of Folk would not be Johnny Flynn. But this somewhat ‘lost’ genre is very much alive and ready to change your opinion, given the chance. The future of “Folk ‘n’ Roll” is looking very good from where I’m standing (i.e., next to the man himself). Here’s hoping he’s not as shy in future.

    Rebecca Gazey

  • Airbourne “Runnin’ Wild”

    Published on 27 November 2008

    ‘Runnin’ Wild’ is a booze swilling, ‘cheap women’ loving album that harkens back to the glory days of AC/DC, maintaining a continuously upbeat pace, it’s a non-stop party with one objective in mind – to have a bloody good time. But subscribing to a framework 35 years old, it’s surprising that this Aussie quartet fail to bring anything new to the classic rock table.

    Originally released during the infancy of 2008, this rerelease features videos of the band’s entire set at the prestigious Wacken festival as well as videos to the album’s three singles. The live footage is the real gem here, illustrating exactly why Airbourne are currently conquering the world, the camera following Joel O’Keeffe as he jumps from speaker to speaker without missing a note, returning to the stage with a voice that has clearly been honed and perfected by a careful diet of, well – sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. If you already own the album then this probably isn’t worth purchasing, but it remains a solid testament to the scene that spawned them nonetheless.

    2.5/5

    Ryan Neal

  • Foals Interview (September 30 2008)

    Published on 6 November 2008

    Foals gambled their university education for a career in music. It seems to have paid off; they have since signed two major record deals, and released debut album ‘Antidotes’ earlier this year. Impact’s Elise Laker and James Ballard caught up with 22 year old front man Yannis to find out how the band is doing, and what the future holds.

    J: The bonus disc on your album was recorded in Nottingham, what do you think of the place?

    I like it, my brother went to university here. He used to take us out to Liars Club. I like the other side of it too; Gringo records and bands like Wolves of Grease when they were around. I’ve got an innate respect for Nottingham, and it’s also got Sherwood Forest and DH Lawrence as well.

    J: I read somewhere that you didn’t like Late of the Pier. Is that right?

    Where did you hear that? I like them a lot more since reading their interviews. Have you seen the feud they have got going with [TV presenter] George Lamb? That’s pretty funny. It’s really important to have a band as courageous as them. I just don’t listen to many new bands out of choice, because we play so much in a contemporary environment.

    E: Most of Foals are from Oxford, do you think Radiohead are one of the main inspirations for the music scene there?

    No, Radiohead don’t really belong to Oxford anymore, they kind of belong to the world. The Oxford music scene is small and self-satisfied. People smoke a lot of pot, so they seem to get on and just make experimental music. I really like being in a pop band surrounded by much weirder bands in Oxford.

    E: Who do you cite as your influences?

    At the moment I’m listening to a lot of surf rock like Dick Dale, The Ventures, and The Shadows. I’ve been getting into Krautrock, particularly Can, Harmonia, and Neu! We were listening to some Alan Lomax last night too. I like music that has its own sphere that is different to the one that we are in.

    E: Do you think that the current music scene isn’t being progressive enough?

    There is some really good stuff; I just need some time away from it. I really like Panda Bear, Deerhunter, Atlas, and TV on the Radio. That’s the sort of modern guitar music that we find exciting. To be honest I don’t find the bands that are currently on the cover of NME to be genuinely that exciting.

    E: You mentioned TV on the Radio and you produced your album with Dave Sitek. I heard a rumour that you fired him?

    He mixed ‘Antidotes’. We didn’t like the mix so we remixed it. He still produced the record. We have no regrets. He is an outsider genius, he thinks of music in a totally different way. He thinks if you listen to Górecki’s Third symphony, then your molecular structure changes forever.

    J: You’ve been touring a while now, are you working on new material? Are you going to be moving on from the sound of ‘Antidotes’?

    We try and do loops, but it’s quite difficult for us on tour as we can’t really sit down with an acoustic guitar. After our tours we are going to write together. I’m assuming there is always going to be a distinctive quality that will be recognisably Foals. I don’t want to scramble the chemistry between us too much, but I don’t want people to put on the new album and feel instantly comfortable, I want people to put it on and feel a bit weird. All we have been thinking about is the new record.
      

    E: Have you got any collaborations on the horizon? Any side projects?

    We’ve got side projects and stuff Jimmy and Walter have this band called Infinity Penis which is like this weird thing they do and then me and Andrew from Youthmovies have this band called Bins are for Bombs. As for collaborations, we’re going to try and do something with Cornelius, it’ll tie in with how we do the next record.

    J: The incident with John Lydon has been put down to drunkenness, do you have any last words?

    It wasn’t just a bit of a drunken misunderstanding. I think the way they behaved was pretty disgusting. It was more Lydon’s company, but I got arrested by Spanish police.

    E: Mathrock or krautrock?

    Krautrock definitely.

    J: Best or most memorable show?

    Last night, it’s the only one I remember. All the shows on this tour have been great; they have all been super violent.

    J: How is the hair growing pact going? Who’s winning?

    Pretty Badly. Is there any winner? How can someone win? I’m definitely not winning!

  • Foals @ Rock City (September 30 2008)

    Published on 6 November 2008

     

    If we were to follow Foals’ (yes it is just Foals, there is no ‘the’ – this was confirmed by a source close to the band, rather vehemently) rise to fame from a purely Nottingham-centric perspective, we would start with their performance at Liars club just over 18 months ago. They then returned to headline Rescue Rooms, and between that outing and their next at Trent Union, they lent their sounds to e4’s Skins adverts. It may then be no surprise that when they returned once again they did so to an effectively sold out main hall in Rock City.

     

    When the band took the stage, the anticipation in a packed Rock City main hall was broken with the opening track being ground out with machine-like precision to the delight of surprisingly diverse and highly animated crowd. The blend of razor sharp guitars with a heavy drum groove and rhythmic yet intriguingly melodic vocals was received with impressive enthusiasm from the audience who jumped and (tried to) dance as energetically at the beginning of the set as at the end. They performed without the brass section which was so well received in previous gigs but modified album tracks to add highly danceable instrumental interludes.

     

    Foals have been brave in their definition of their sound, Yanis and Jack’s previous experiments are often classified as ‘math rock’, and remnants of this are certainly present in Foals’ music, however the shift has been to add a certain amount of pop sensibility to the sharp, rhythmic and precise foundations.  Their somewhat surprising universal appeal has proven this experiment to be a success.

     

    Marek Duda

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