Extreme Noise Terror? - Extreme Metal Party Methinks

Metal Noise

On Wednesday I went to The Riverside to see a gig on the recommendation of several friends. It was going to be loud metal , but as I get older I have tended to come out of gigs without any effect on myhearing , until The Smyths the other week at the O2 , but somebody assured me that was due to the rubbish sound system at the  O2.

Anyway it's so long since I heard Combichrist or Filter and Rabia Sorda were new to me but recommended and they were on stage when I walked into the place. Part of my ethos is that generally , if a band is any good you don't need to know any of there songs , Gallery Circus are a prime example of that for me.


Rabia Sorda look metal and sound metal with goth threatening make up and eyeliner , and I still cant tell you any of their songs although they did play an impromptu acoustic song outside after the gig, they were also very engaging with the crowd both during the gig and after , and , though they were aggressive shouty metal , they sounded good , and no my ears didn't hurt. Rabia Sorda were actually worth the price of admission alone , which is a good omen for the third band on the bill.


Next up were Filter (awkward name to search for but not as bad as !!! )  , and this band really hit me with low frequency bass and drums, but again they sounded amazing and again I can't remember any songs but they played a wonderful set , crowd pleasing and as threatening as any good horror film. So after the Smyths doing my ears filter hit my body , making me feel the slightest bit queasy. The other thing was that their drummer was well hidden so I thought they were using a drum machine, but by the end of the their set you knew you were at an amazing gig , the second of two brilliant acts.


Finally we had Filter's co headliners Combichrist and after the low frequency attack from Filter , Combichrist had something else in store for me. Two drummers and an impressive sonic assault to start with , songs peppered with the word FVCK  and lots of raised metal fists among the crowds. Although bands like these seem to carry a threat for a lot of the public , they are all about having a brilliant time with great shout along songs like "What The Fvck Is Wrong With You"  and playing the encore finale with members of both the other bands.

However part way through the set I had to walk out , my eyes severely affected by the strobe lighting, outside every street light was a massive white brain searing blob. It eventually wore off and I went back it to watch the rest of the gig , and came away knowing I had been to an amazing one.

IF you get a chance to see any of these bands you should do, it was a brilliant re education for me.

Amazons in The Gallery (Circus) - Think Tank?

This week has been hectic and last night was no exception. Met with my friend Amy in Bar Loco and mentioned that where we were sitting was when I first encountered Gallery Circus in 2009 see here. I thought two angsty whiny students, turned out I was wrong , they were an excellent part of a great night and were the headline act at a Think Tamk? gig last night. I've seen them a few times since the Bar Loco gig and they get better each time I see them.

Anyway the gig:

Tickets were six quid , a pittance given the four bands you got for the money.

Heist:

Very much the token indie band , not really my scene but they got a good reaction from the crowd.

Cave Suns:

Their tuning up was a welcome noise fest and started off with some monolithic blues reminiscent of Captain Beefheart's "Hard Workin Man" . I've not found any decent video of them but they were more than worth the admission fee alone. Great crowd interaction and they have a new EP coming out soon . Track em down.

Amazons:

The surprising thing about The Amazons was the unfeasible number of guitars, but this four piece were another serving as good as if not better than Cave Suns  The nearest touchpoint was Liverpool's The Sound Of Guns , a great rock band deserving to be headlining at bigger venues. After the y finished their set I said to Amy that Gallery Circus mus be confident to top a line up as good as this and she agreed.

They had a large female following , but the music was riveting rock.

Their Don't You Wanna EP is on Amazon now here. 

Gallery Circus:

I have a confession to make . I don't know the titles of an Gallery Circus songs , but to me they are an irrestistable musical force that needs to be experienced in a live setting without any compromise. Despite an amp failure and disco curfew the did not disappoint. Energy , noise , and some incredibly music from the duo were delivered in spades . They have the "WTF" factor and delivered half an hour of amazing music , culminating unexpectedly with a thunderous take on Ziggy Stardust , which they have been playing for at least a year , but was still a touching reminder of Bowie's departure.


So all in all an amazing night, showing how much grass roots music is alive and kicking in various forms.

A Very Special Festival - Chase Park Whickham 2015

This is probably not going to be a normal music review, because it's more about the concept of this amazing festival. It's supported by Keiro (you can find out about them here) who cater for the needs of young people with disabilities. Keiro in Japanese for  "Pathway and/or Journey". Hence the festival featured Aukestra brought together by Autism and their love of music. I spoke with the lovely female singer who was wearing a great T-Shirt with the words "My Superpower Is Autism - What's Yours" on the front.

A Special Day

The thing about this festival is that it was designed so that people in wheelchairs could easily get about , with tracks laid on the grass. I spoke with people with various "disabilities" and it was just normal. This is how it should be in everyday life, everyone I spoke to was absolutely brilliant. I will be going again next year as it was totally amazing. Oh and the other thing they had someone signing all the songs for anyone who couldn't here. This festival really did bring everyone together.

Also it was family friendly so lots of children heard some brilliant music , so I'll run though the music now with the odd thing that stood out for me. When I first saw the poster I thought Turin Brakes were the headliners, then I looked at the snazzy graphic and realised they were second on the bill!

My next shock was the ticket prices £6 for an adult , £10 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children).

Anyway there was a lot of music on there so I will just point out a few as I said before.

First band that struck me were Hot Soles  , who I did get close up to but produce some excellent rock sounds and any bill with them on is woorth going to see.

Then next were Gallery Circus who get better every time I see them, Theres only two of them but they make an amazing noise and have come on in leaps and bounds since I first saw them in Bar Loco .. and they were good then.

Aukestra were again excellent and I talked about them at the start of this post, just great to see them enjoying themselves and entertaining the crowd and I did catch 15 seconds of them on my Instagram feed , which is here.

Hulkenburg looked and sounded as you would expect from the name , a monster challenging two piece who might have frightened the children but I certainly liked them.

Monogram came on around five and sounded awesome and epic , I suggest you check them out although only a three piece the sound that cam e just filled the area , in a very exciting way. Check them out .

Slug were next up , part of the Sunderland family that has brought us The Futureheads , Field Music and Beak, dressed to the nines and impressing the crowd with some amazing and sophisticated sounds.

Turin Brakes still have it and their songs hit the right chords with everybody, and amazingly rich sound provided by two acoustic guitars . There songs , once heard are never forgotten.

Finally Ash hit the stage and the crowd went sedately wild , there were children and and peopel with disabilities all having a great time. I included the filmed finale which blurs at times , but you can see the song being signed and the crowd having an amazing time. They played lots of hits , some new stuff including "Free" and  "Cuckoo" from Kablammo  finishing up with Burn Baby Burn.

An amazing and perfect day

I'm now looking forward to the next one.

King Charles Man Made Gallery Circus at The Riverside with a bit of Johnny Marr

Last nights gig was my first at The Riverside (formerly Sea), a night club about twenty feet away from the waters of the River Tyne and part of the Think Tank? empire. The gig was absolutely superb apart from the toilets overflowing and leaking onto the crowd below and threatening £30Ks worth of sound console that had to be protected by bin liners, they seriously need to resite the toilets. But I managed to avoid the shower and took a spot behind the consoles which gave us a better view of the bands. The names of the bands run together sound like some kind of profound statement and they all gave an amazing show

Man Made

Man Made on Tour

A three piece, long hair real rock ban, and another case of me not being too bothered about the support band, but I am so glad that I caught them . Shook hand and congratulated the guitarist after the gig and they can grace bigger stages than here. Vocals and guitars blended into excellent songs which made the time fly by and they are playing Think Tank? on March 7th so that gig should be put into your diary straight away but at the moment is not showing up on the web site.


The lead guitarist is Niles Marr son of Johnny Marr and he is pretty good, and that could explain a lot. I am so glad I saw them. Their facebook page is here.

Gallery Circus

I first saw Gallery Circus at a Burlesque night at Bar Loco (I think is was Barcolo then) , and expected a couple of angsty student, they were actually good and one of the highlights of the night. Five years and they are still a two piece playing a non stop exhilarating aural assault that took your breath away.The video for Hollywood drip gives you an idea of why you need to see these guys. Gallery Circus are something else.

By the end of their set, you really had had your moneys worth for the gig and the headliner was yet to appear....

King Charles

The fancy clothes and ringlets have gone , but there's still a fair barnet there, King Charles started with a new song solo, before the band hit the ground running with Mississippi Isobel. Kirsty said that every King Charles gig she goes to there's more and more people know the words to the songs. I still think he's the best thing since Adam Ant and the songs are catch as hell.

Several more favourites were run through before closing the main set with a cover of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" running into Lady Percy, the crowd stamped and chanted for an encore and they werent disappointed. Another triumphal gig for King Charles leaving the fans wanting more and awaiting the new album

Oh by the way , this gig cost £13 , after seeing the acts , double that would have been cheap.

A fantastic night.

The Cherry Blossoms Present a Night of Varietease in aid of Breast Cancer

Barkollo Front Room Stage

I have had the pleasure become Facebook friends with the delightfully named Tilly Tassle though a mutual love of rock and roll and related periphery. She is a member of the "Cherry Blossoms" burlesque troupe who were behind this night of entertainment compered by MC / Poet Richard Claire , raising money for Breast Cancer Research , a worthy cause:

The venue Barkollo , was a very cosy , with settees , tables , pizza and the like , with the added attraction of cupcakes from the gorgeous Cake!!

My Cake

Cake Display

Cake had a wonderful display of their wonderful cupcakes as you walked in , and I allowed myself one more having purchased a whole box from the shop earlier in the day

First up was George Sharpe , looking like Mickey Dolenz' long lost love child , he had a good voice , and good personality . I wasnt too struck o his songs but it takes all sort and he went down very well.

Then we had our first burlesque act all three Kitty Whispers trying to gain the attention of a disinterested gentleman reading a newspaper, soundtracked by Glenn Miller's "In The Mood". They certainly had the audiences attention , and let's face it , this was the reason most of the audience was here which showed a healthy 60/40 girl boy split. This is their excellent performance:









This was followed by Demi Demure though I may have this wrong , any way she was suitably seductive for the appreciative audience. Part of the act is below in suitably glorious Black and Whiite:




The first half finished with Claire Kelly accompanied by a "jazz" guitarist. Her voice was awesome , and whilest the guitarist was more than competent , his accompaniment seemed like just noodling to me and detracted from Claire's excellent voice , but what do I know? She is well worth tracking down though.

The second half opened with Gallery Circus , who were a revelation . A two piece band who played some excelelnt music despite the obvious limitations of the guitar drums line up , still it's worked for The Black Keys. This is the youtube video of their "21 Parties":

Next up we had Lulu Roxx looking very demure in white with parasol accessories. Again very good teasing , fun burlesque , much to the delight of the audience. A montage from the night is below, soundtracked by

The Champs "Train To Nowhere", download here

Tilly Tassle followed with a domestic cleaner / uninterested (female) scenario , which I filemed and will hopefully get in a fit shape to show . The audience thought it was excellent featuring lots of fune and a pleasant amount of exposure !! Here is my grainy video of the event!!:





This was followed buy a jazz trio who were far too noodly for me, and the addition of Claire Kelly's guitarist was the last straw , so at that point I left!! But a wonderful night was had by all and it was in an excellent cause.

This is the copy from the facebook promotion for the night:

New kids on the block 'The Cherry Blossoms' are hosting a flirtatious night of explosive Burlesque and Variety fun, ALL in aid of raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer Research....

Sizzling Burlesque Acts from:

The Cherry Blossoms:
Tilly Tassle
Lulu Roxx
Breezy Blush

The Kitty Whispers:
Demi Demure
Betty Bang
Fluffly Bryden

and the wonderfully beautiful Amber Von Tassle

Live Acoustic Musicians from the sensational:
George Sharpe
Gallery Circus

Traditional and Commercial Jazz music from the outstanding:
Claire Kelly
Peter Gilligan
Andrew Mckay

And bringing the whole night together with his handsome charm and quick wit.... Compere, Richard Claire