kasbah at coventry is bringing yet another great band to the area with the quireboys appearing this friday
http://www.kasbahnightclub.com/the-quireboys
this is one of the few great rock n roll bands that the uk produced when the industry was dominated by U.S bands
So,if its been a while since youve donned a bandana then get down there
Not sure they can still guarantee a sexy party but sure there will be a great show!!
This is a blog aimed at trying to develop a site for people who want Leamington to have a heart of art, music and culture. Perhaps a little off beat and certainly away from the sterile Corporate world that surrounds us It is a place which will be reliant on you letting us know the cool places to be and the inspired people in the town.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Ash at the Kasbah, Coventry
When I first heard that Ash were playing at the Kasbah my first thought was - I really used to like them and they had some great songs but I haven't listened to them in years. I think like lots of people after free all angels and the loss of Charlotte Hatherley i just seemed to lose touch with what they were doing. In fact all I could remember is that they had some big idea that albums as a physical format was dying and they were only going to release CD singles - then somewhat ironically they then ended up issuing all the singles as one CD (isn't that an album?!?)
It was therefore with a sense of intrigue that I attended the gig at the Kasbah where I really had no idea what to expect.
It has to be said they really are an excellent band and have done some really great songs (suppose they were very much "a singles band" all along). The most noticeable thing for me is how the whole group really do focus on guitarist and singer Tim Wheeler who is a fantastic guitarist and front man. I am always wary when you see a stage set up with only one microphone as for me choruses and harmonies really make a gig. Somehow, however, Tim manages to make one hell of a sound and all those great Ash choruses sounded as good live as they do on CD. It was also good to see Tim to continue to use the classic Flying V guitar.
The crowd also seemed up for the gig and especially the hits -always good to see a mid week mosh pit like there was for Kung Fu (although wish people could resist the fake kung fu fighting!). The only slow bit of the gig was a somewhat misplaced instrumental song which I guess the hardcore fans might have appreciated but the pop punk atmosphere was soon re established with Shining Light
In the end it was an excellent gig and I really shouldn't have doubted that would be the case, given the bands years of playing live and the brilliant collection of songs they have in their catalogue. I know they are touring again later in the year so if you get the chance make sure you go and see them
It was therefore with a sense of intrigue that I attended the gig at the Kasbah where I really had no idea what to expect.
It has to be said they really are an excellent band and have done some really great songs (suppose they were very much "a singles band" all along). The most noticeable thing for me is how the whole group really do focus on guitarist and singer Tim Wheeler who is a fantastic guitarist and front man. I am always wary when you see a stage set up with only one microphone as for me choruses and harmonies really make a gig. Somehow, however, Tim manages to make one hell of a sound and all those great Ash choruses sounded as good live as they do on CD. It was also good to see Tim to continue to use the classic Flying V guitar.
The crowd also seemed up for the gig and especially the hits -always good to see a mid week mosh pit like there was for Kung Fu (although wish people could resist the fake kung fu fighting!). The only slow bit of the gig was a somewhat misplaced instrumental song which I guess the hardcore fans might have appreciated but the pop punk atmosphere was soon re established with Shining Light
In the end it was an excellent gig and I really shouldn't have doubted that would be the case, given the bands years of playing live and the brilliant collection of songs they have in their catalogue. I know they are touring again later in the year so if you get the chance make sure you go and see them
Cool places - Coventry Kasbah
OK I know some people in Leamington regard going to Coventry as the equivalent of visiting the dark side. However it is a shame to totally discount what is the biggest local town and therefore can have a lot to offer.
This is certainly true of the Kasbah which has been around for years (previously known as the Colosseum).
If you haven't visited this venue for some time then you really are missing out - this is in terms of both as a venue and some of the bands they have had on (Ash, Mona, Hard fi, and indeed now big bands such as Arctic Monkey, la Roux and Baby Shambles).
The venue is really well set out with a couple of music rooms which can be used depending on the band/audience size. I am sure we have all stood in a venue which is only partly fall and then see the atmosphere suffer no matter how good the artist is.
There is also a fantastic outdoor, but undercover, bar which always has a very lively atmosphere and I am sure would be perfect on a summer evening (do we ever have those!)
I've yet to check out one of their club nights but once again the layout plays to its advantage where they can host different music types in each part of the club so should be something for everyone.
Full details are on the website (http://www.kasbahnightclub.com) where you will see there are already a wide range of acts booked - Cage The Elephant, Miles Davis, Jon Fratelli, Ms Dynamite, Toploader, Alkaline Trio and indeed Shaun William Ryder (not sure where the William has suddenly come from!)
Anyhow make sure you pay the club a visit because one thing that is clear is that the management are really trying to support music in the local area and this includes local bands, new bands and some well established bands so they really deserve our support.
This is certainly true of the Kasbah which has been around for years (previously known as the Colosseum).
If you haven't visited this venue for some time then you really are missing out - this is in terms of both as a venue and some of the bands they have had on (Ash, Mona, Hard fi, and indeed now big bands such as Arctic Monkey, la Roux and Baby Shambles).
The venue is really well set out with a couple of music rooms which can be used depending on the band/audience size. I am sure we have all stood in a venue which is only partly fall and then see the atmosphere suffer no matter how good the artist is.
There is also a fantastic outdoor, but undercover, bar which always has a very lively atmosphere and I am sure would be perfect on a summer evening (do we ever have those!)
I've yet to check out one of their club nights but once again the layout plays to its advantage where they can host different music types in each part of the club so should be something for everyone.
Full details are on the website (http://www.kasbahnightclub.com) where you will see there are already a wide range of acts booked - Cage The Elephant, Miles Davis, Jon Fratelli, Ms Dynamite, Toploader, Alkaline Trio and indeed Shaun William Ryder (not sure where the William has suddenly come from!)
Anyhow make sure you pay the club a visit because one thing that is clear is that the management are really trying to support music in the local area and this includes local bands, new bands and some well established bands so they really deserve our support.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Glastonbury Friday
OK before the band talk I suppose I must mention the mud. By the Friday it was pretty awful and it did make getting across the site a bit difficulty. To be honest though I think it is now part of what makes Glastonbury. Last year when the weather was very hot and dry the festival just didn't have the same atmosphere (despite it being the 40th anniversary). There's something about the mud which gives the whole festival more of a mad vibe and seems to make people even more keen to ensure they enjoy themselves.
OK on to some of the bands - I'll try to keep things brief and succinct so I cover all the ones I saw.
Festival proper began for me with Brother - must admit I didn't have great hopes for this lot but given they have been getting a fair amount of press thought I'd check them out. My opinion - they were "alright". They seem to have some good tunes and thankfully didn't come across as the totally arrogant band the press might suggest. The tunes themselves were of the pretty standard indie fair. One of those bands where the song starts, sounds pretty good and then just fades out until they start the new one (which doesn't sound much different to the last)
By contrast Mona were excellent. Another band which got a lot of press earlier in the year and were on many lists of ones to watch in 2011. Sadly their album got a very luke warm reception and they now seem to have missed the boat. Now I must admit I really love the album its kinda like a mellower Gaslight Anthem with the focus more on U2 epic songs instead of punk. Live, however, they take things to a different level and play with more a a passion and a fury. The lead singer tends to dominate the show but he displays the right balance of cockiness that a front man needs. Overall a top band and live certainly live up to the hype.
The same cant be said about The Vaccines -another band riding on the crest of press wave. I also loved their singles and the album when it first came out but surprisingly it wasn't one I revisited much. I was looking forward to seeing them live but they were really disappointing. Whilst Mona took the album and made it comes alive, The Vaccines made it sound really downbeat. The vocalist has a lot to do with this where he has somewhat of a monotone voice but in truth the whole set was quite dull and very disappointing.
The Wombats -are probably the opposite to the Vaccines - slated by the press, treated like a comedy band and not taken at all seriously. But importantly I think they recognise their own limitations and the fact is they have some great sing a long songs which were made for festival crowds. Importantly they act like they are enjoying playing and the result of that is a fun set.
I bailed out of the wombats a bit early to catch The Jim Jones Review playing in a small tent. Now this is a true Rock n roll band. They play a classic punk rock N roll/rockabilly set. Its very hard not to get caught up in the sheer exuberance of the songs and the crowd in the relatively small tent certainly did. Jim Jones gives every song his all and its a wonder he manages to perform night after night. Top band
After this we went to see who the special guests were at the Park stage (having heard rumours it was Pulp). Sadly it was Radiohead instead. I am not a fan of this band and having spent some time battling to even see them on stage gave up (on basis that if they were in my back garden I would have to think twice about drawing back the curtains to see them). Instead we retreated to one of the gypsy caravan/ bus stop things to seek shelter from the rain. Radiohead playing songs no one seemed to know and rain makes for a depressing time -BUT this is Glastonbury - by some very strange coincidence we ended up sitting next to two people from Leamington (what a small and weird world) and ended up having fun chatting and watching various drunken people make fools of themselves.
The headlines were of course U2. Again not a band I am a fan of but that is mainly due to Bono being such a dick! But I thought given they have so many great songs and this was my one chance to see them (I wouldn't pay to see just them) I gave them a go. Given their back catalogue, reputation for being a great live band and the fact they were headlining Glastonbury after pulling out last year surely the set would be fantastic?!?! - sadly it was nothing like that, disappointingly they played a very lacklustre set which just didn't excite at all and made you wonder how they ever became anything more than an Irish pub band - oh well at least one of the "must see" bands to take off the list.
Never mind it had still been a good day and there was still rum to drink before stumbling back to bed to try and sleep in preparation for the next day.
OK on to some of the bands - I'll try to keep things brief and succinct so I cover all the ones I saw.
Festival proper began for me with Brother - must admit I didn't have great hopes for this lot but given they have been getting a fair amount of press thought I'd check them out. My opinion - they were "alright". They seem to have some good tunes and thankfully didn't come across as the totally arrogant band the press might suggest. The tunes themselves were of the pretty standard indie fair. One of those bands where the song starts, sounds pretty good and then just fades out until they start the new one (which doesn't sound much different to the last)
By contrast Mona were excellent. Another band which got a lot of press earlier in the year and were on many lists of ones to watch in 2011. Sadly their album got a very luke warm reception and they now seem to have missed the boat. Now I must admit I really love the album its kinda like a mellower Gaslight Anthem with the focus more on U2 epic songs instead of punk. Live, however, they take things to a different level and play with more a a passion and a fury. The lead singer tends to dominate the show but he displays the right balance of cockiness that a front man needs. Overall a top band and live certainly live up to the hype.
The same cant be said about The Vaccines -another band riding on the crest of press wave. I also loved their singles and the album when it first came out but surprisingly it wasn't one I revisited much. I was looking forward to seeing them live but they were really disappointing. Whilst Mona took the album and made it comes alive, The Vaccines made it sound really downbeat. The vocalist has a lot to do with this where he has somewhat of a monotone voice but in truth the whole set was quite dull and very disappointing.
The Wombats -are probably the opposite to the Vaccines - slated by the press, treated like a comedy band and not taken at all seriously. But importantly I think they recognise their own limitations and the fact is they have some great sing a long songs which were made for festival crowds. Importantly they act like they are enjoying playing and the result of that is a fun set.
I bailed out of the wombats a bit early to catch The Jim Jones Review playing in a small tent. Now this is a true Rock n roll band. They play a classic punk rock N roll/rockabilly set. Its very hard not to get caught up in the sheer exuberance of the songs and the crowd in the relatively small tent certainly did. Jim Jones gives every song his all and its a wonder he manages to perform night after night. Top band
After this we went to see who the special guests were at the Park stage (having heard rumours it was Pulp). Sadly it was Radiohead instead. I am not a fan of this band and having spent some time battling to even see them on stage gave up (on basis that if they were in my back garden I would have to think twice about drawing back the curtains to see them). Instead we retreated to one of the gypsy caravan/ bus stop things to seek shelter from the rain. Radiohead playing songs no one seemed to know and rain makes for a depressing time -BUT this is Glastonbury - by some very strange coincidence we ended up sitting next to two people from Leamington (what a small and weird world) and ended up having fun chatting and watching various drunken people make fools of themselves.
The headlines were of course U2. Again not a band I am a fan of but that is mainly due to Bono being such a dick! But I thought given they have so many great songs and this was my one chance to see them (I wouldn't pay to see just them) I gave them a go. Given their back catalogue, reputation for being a great live band and the fact they were headlining Glastonbury after pulling out last year surely the set would be fantastic?!?! - sadly it was nothing like that, disappointingly they played a very lacklustre set which just didn't excite at all and made you wonder how they ever became anything more than an Irish pub band - oh well at least one of the "must see" bands to take off the list.
Never mind it had still been a good day and there was still rum to drink before stumbling back to bed to try and sleep in preparation for the next day.
Glastonbury 2011 -The builid up
OK Glastonbury is often called the best festival in the world and who am i to argue! I absolutely love it and this is in many ways "my" holiday for the year. Its when I get to go away forget work, a bit of "me" time (how American!) and leave the family to enjoy what is now virtually a week of beer and bands -whats not to like!
The build up actually begins days ahead with all the packing and checking etc but it officially starts on the Tuesday night when I drive down to my brothers to have one beer for bed and prepare for the 6 o'clock start. Next morning we venture on the road in the trusty (?!?) VW beetle listening to old tunes and praying for the moment we are there with the tent up and the first of many beers in hand.
The popularity of Glastonbury is amazing these days. Without wishing to sound too old I genuinely do remember when you could buy a ticket a couple of days before, turn up on the Thursday and still have loads of places to camp. Now even though we arrived on Wed morning we still struggled to find a place for two tents. Although to be fair we do always camp at one of the prime sites with a view to the Pyramid stage.
I wont go in to all the details of the next couple days or I'll be too tired to talk about the bands. Lets just say there was plenty of beer, wine, vodka and dodgy dancing in tents (special mention to the silent disco -which is a riot and if you haven't tried it you should!)
The build up actually begins days ahead with all the packing and checking etc but it officially starts on the Tuesday night when I drive down to my brothers to have one beer for bed and prepare for the 6 o'clock start. Next morning we venture on the road in the trusty (?!?) VW beetle listening to old tunes and praying for the moment we are there with the tent up and the first of many beers in hand.
The popularity of Glastonbury is amazing these days. Without wishing to sound too old I genuinely do remember when you could buy a ticket a couple of days before, turn up on the Thursday and still have loads of places to camp. Now even though we arrived on Wed morning we still struggled to find a place for two tents. Although to be fair we do always camp at one of the prime sites with a view to the Pyramid stage.
I wont go in to all the details of the next couple days or I'll be too tired to talk about the bands. Lets just say there was plenty of beer, wine, vodka and dodgy dancing in tents (special mention to the silent disco -which is a riot and if you haven't tried it you should!)
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
The Sharks "Joy of Living 2008-10" CD review
This CD is effectively a release of all their previous EPs to date. The format is two new songs and then each of the EPs in reverse chronological order.
Okay lets get this out of the way first - in terms of influences, this band don't only where their hearts on their sleeve they also have a t-shirt and denim jacket with a back patch saying "The Clash" all over them. Now in my opinion there are far worst bands to be influenced by and if it can encourage a new generation of fans to enjoy this style of music I am all for it.
There are numerous "clashesque" straight forward rockers on this CD including "Three Houses", "Capital Youth" and "It threatens". Special mention must also go to one of the new songs "Joys of living" where like the Clash this builds in the sounds of ska (and why not given Leamingtons closeness to the home of Ska!)
However it is too easy and unfair to regard this band as just clones. The song quality alone takes them well above that. This is clearly demonstrated by the other new song "Sweet Harness" which really shows how the band has developed over the past couple of years. This is a great rock song with a huge melody and suggests they picked up a few tips when supporting the Gaslight Anthem. This knack for melody beneath the punk rock is what will make them big and is shown on other songs such as "Common ground" and "it all relates" (love the woo hoo backing vocals!)
There is also a good change of pace with the song " Yours to Fear" which is slower and has a real big drum sound to it. I can imagine loads of American labels hearing this and thinking we could give it a huge production and turn it to "a hit". This however will be missing the whole point of the band because what makes them so good is the rawness and the passion in the music
Quick mention of the lead singers voice which I really love and its style is demonstrated on the holler out opening to "Trains". Its a classic punk rock voice which initially leaves you questioning if its good or not. The fact is that it is full of passion and really gets you in to the songs.
Overall this is a fantastic CD and just leaves you desperately awaiting new material and the debut full CD. The best summary of where this band is going is I live in their home town but had to order the CD from the States - this band is going somewhere and fast!
Okay lets get this out of the way first - in terms of influences, this band don't only where their hearts on their sleeve they also have a t-shirt and denim jacket with a back patch saying "The Clash" all over them. Now in my opinion there are far worst bands to be influenced by and if it can encourage a new generation of fans to enjoy this style of music I am all for it.
There are numerous "clashesque" straight forward rockers on this CD including "Three Houses", "Capital Youth" and "It threatens". Special mention must also go to one of the new songs "Joys of living" where like the Clash this builds in the sounds of ska (and why not given Leamingtons closeness to the home of Ska!)
However it is too easy and unfair to regard this band as just clones. The song quality alone takes them well above that. This is clearly demonstrated by the other new song "Sweet Harness" which really shows how the band has developed over the past couple of years. This is a great rock song with a huge melody and suggests they picked up a few tips when supporting the Gaslight Anthem. This knack for melody beneath the punk rock is what will make them big and is shown on other songs such as "Common ground" and "it all relates" (love the woo hoo backing vocals!)
There is also a good change of pace with the song " Yours to Fear" which is slower and has a real big drum sound to it. I can imagine loads of American labels hearing this and thinking we could give it a huge production and turn it to "a hit". This however will be missing the whole point of the band because what makes them so good is the rawness and the passion in the music
Quick mention of the lead singers voice which I really love and its style is demonstrated on the holler out opening to "Trains". Its a classic punk rock voice which initially leaves you questioning if its good or not. The fact is that it is full of passion and really gets you in to the songs.
Overall this is a fantastic CD and just leaves you desperately awaiting new material and the debut full CD. The best summary of where this band is going is I live in their home town but had to order the CD from the States - this band is going somewhere and fast!
Drive By Truckers - Live at Assembly 4/5/11
This was a really good band for the Assembly to get and in my opinion is what the owners should be trying to focus on. The DBTs have been around for years, have a huge back catalogue and rightly so are picking up fans on the back of the recent revival in Southern rock (Kings of Leon) and folk (Fleet foxes)
Quick mention for the support act Josh T Pearson - now this guy is a real Southern American gent not likely the pretty boys in Kings of Leon!. His set was a strange one where it consisted of relatively low key country rock numbers mixed up with a comedy act based on "musician/drummer jokes" (best one is whats the last thing a stripper does with her asshole before she goes to work?? Drop him off at band practice!). Whilst the jokes were good the set was subdued and sadly this seemed to effect the rest of the night.
It has to be said that the DBTs performed what would be termed a solid set. It certainly had the makings of a great set but just didnt quite get going. Clearly a band of extremely talented musicians who have a good collection of songs. In particular the way they mix the vocals up between the two lead guitarist has the brilliant effect of almost feeling like you get two bands for one, They both have very different voices but with their own unique sound. Indeed the backing vocals by the entire band were excellent.
I wonder if perhaps the crowd had an impact on the band where they were very quiet, Now granted Leamington on a Wednesday night is admittedly not exactly the centre of rock n roll and indeed the vast majority of the crowd appeared to be middle aged men but even the band commented on how quiet they were.
Despite this the band and the gig did come alive towards the end of the set when they played some more of their 'rockier' songs and perhaps it was a pity the band didnt do this earlier.
Overall a good show but perhaps a chance missed??
Quick mention for the support act Josh T Pearson - now this guy is a real Southern American gent not likely the pretty boys in Kings of Leon!. His set was a strange one where it consisted of relatively low key country rock numbers mixed up with a comedy act based on "musician/drummer jokes" (best one is whats the last thing a stripper does with her asshole before she goes to work?? Drop him off at band practice!). Whilst the jokes were good the set was subdued and sadly this seemed to effect the rest of the night.
It has to be said that the DBTs performed what would be termed a solid set. It certainly had the makings of a great set but just didnt quite get going. Clearly a band of extremely talented musicians who have a good collection of songs. In particular the way they mix the vocals up between the two lead guitarist has the brilliant effect of almost feeling like you get two bands for one, They both have very different voices but with their own unique sound. Indeed the backing vocals by the entire band were excellent.
I wonder if perhaps the crowd had an impact on the band where they were very quiet, Now granted Leamington on a Wednesday night is admittedly not exactly the centre of rock n roll and indeed the vast majority of the crowd appeared to be middle aged men but even the band commented on how quiet they were.
Despite this the band and the gig did come alive towards the end of the set when they played some more of their 'rockier' songs and perhaps it was a pity the band didnt do this earlier.
Overall a good show but perhaps a chance missed??
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