Taking Hayley Farewell Tour

Taking Hayley, White Clouds and Gun fire and Twister

Rescue Rooms Nottingham and Academy 3 Manchester

February 15th and 18th, 2014

On the 6th December 2013, Taking Hayley, a relatively young band, announced their farewell tour, and as a thank you to their fans they announced that the show would be a free entry show, so it only seemed right to go and see them a couple of times.

The tour consisted of Taking Hayley, White clouds and Twister as the set bands on the bill, however, dependent upon which venue you went to you were treated to different guest acts.  At the Nottingham show we saw Kill the Ideal and In Hindsight and at the Manchester show we saw Bentley Park.

Of the guest support acts the one I enjoyed the most was the acoustic set offered by Michael and Isaac of In Hindsight.  They had great voices and a great stage presence, and considering that they were the only acoustic set on a full electric set they really got the crowd engaged.

Kill the Ideal and Bentley Park offered decent sets but neither of them really grabbed me enough to make we want to see them again, although I couldn't help but laugh when Bentley Park tried to get the audience involved, as I have never seen an audience that has been asked to bounce stand so still!

Twister are a four piece rock band from Newcastle.  They have great stage presence and a great sound.  Their set consisted of songs from their first album 'This Isn't Wonderland' and included 'Feeding Frenzy' and 'Famous Last Words'.

They also did a great rock version of Taio Cruz's 'Dynamite', which succeeded in getting the crowd moving and singing along.

Twister also managed to get me to do something that I very rarely do when I see a band for the first time.  I bought their CD.  

I can honestly say that I will be looking out for these guys coming to town as I really did enjoy them.

Next up were White Clouds and Gunfire, who I first heard in December.  I was impressed with them then and I was impressed with them again on both nights of this tour. 

Their set included songs from their new album 'For All The Believers', which included, 'Since You Were Gone' and 'Satellites'.

These guys have a great energy and really get the crowd moving.

Headliners Taking Hayley have obviously accrued quite a following during their three years together as they were welcomed on to the stage with  loud cheers.

Taking Hayley performed a jam packed set which included songs from their album 'Tricks and Games', including 'Tonight (We Come Alive)' and my favourite 'Crying Eyes'.

It's a shame that these guys have chosen to disband as they have the talent and the fan base to take it further.

Matt Pryor, Allison Weiss and Lacey

Matt Pryor, Allison Weiss and Lacey

The Bodega, Nottingham

February 16th, 2014

Tonight I found myself back in Nottingham and back to the first venue I ever visited in the city to catch up with that very same band that I saw on my first trip here.

Tonight is billed as a full band acoustic set by the Lacey boys but when I got there I was a little shocked to discover that they had a full drum set and electric guitars. 

Although tonight's set was a mellowed and slower set by the Lacey boys it was not a full acoustic set, however the Lacey boys didn't disappoint and played a short but flawless set including crowd favourite 'Lights Out' and their latest single 'Hometown', which they have recently recorded a video for and can be found on YouTube at http://youtu.be/FfKNYp7-miQ (or click the video clip at the bottom of the review)

After hearing the full acoustic versions of 'Burning Out' and 'Let It Go' on 'Beat on the Beeb' (BBC Radio Nottingham) just before Christmas I was really looking forward to hearing them play this way live so I have to admit that I was a little disappointed.  

I was also disappointed as I thought that the five song set was far too short! 

I guess I will just have to wait a little longer to hear them play a full acoustic show. 

Next up was Allison Weiss and although she was good, she didn't set my world alight! She had a very good voice and played well but it just didn't do it for me.  I found her songs very melancholy and she just didn't excite me or grab my attention in the way that some other artists have.

Headlining tonight was Matt Pryor of the Get Up Kids.  I have heard people raving about The Get Up Kids and after hearing so many good things I was really looking forward to hearing him, as he was someone I had not experienced before. 

Again I found myself slightly disappointed because although he was good and had a lovely voice, he failed to spark my interest and although I tried to work out what the all the fuss was about I just didn't see it. 

Maybe I was having an off day but I will be honest and admit that had it not been for Lacey I would have walked away quite disappointed.

Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and Zebrahead

Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and Zebrahead

Manchester Academy

February 3rd, 2014

According to the internet pop punk is dead but try telling that to the two and a half thousand people that helped sell out tonight's show at the Manchester Academy.

Starting the night were Zebrahead, from California, consisting of  Ali on Vocals, Dan on Guitar, Ben on bass, Ed on drums and Matty on vocals and guitar.

Their set consisted of songs from across their discography including the title song of their latest album 'Call Your Friends', along with 'Sirens', 'Rescue Me' and 'Hello Tomorrow'.

We were also treated to a special rendition of 'Manchester, Drink Till You Pee!' and two 'real life Germans' in lederhosen chugging beer.

The Zebrahead guys had a brilliant stage presence, a lot of innuendo and sexual references but they had the crowd singing and jumping along.  This is one band that isn't suitable for younger ears but for the adults among us they are a must see.

Zebrahead are back in Manchester in May and I'm now counting the days until their return!

Next up were Reel Big Fish from Orange County California.  These six guys are a ska punk band with massive personality who really know how to get a party started.

Made up of Aaron on vocals, Billy on trombone, Johnny Christmas on trumpet, Ryland on drums, Derek on Bass and Matt on Sax, these guys played a good length set consisting of songs such as 'Everyone Else Is An Asshole', 'Sell Out' and 'Beer'.

Reel Big Fish also had two guests joining them on stage for 'She Has  A Girlfriend Now' as they introduced Leila and Barney from Manchester band Sonic Boom Six.

Finishing with a cheeky cover of A-ha's 'Take On Me' they lifted the roof!

Between the catchy lyrics and the onstage antics you get much more than your average band and I guarantee you won't be able to stop yourself dancing/bouncing along.  I would not hesitate to go and see Reel Big Fish again.

Last on the bill tonight are Less Than Jake, a ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Made up of  Chris on vocals and guitar,  Roger on vocals and bass,Vinnie on drums, Buddy on trombone and JR on saxophone.

Again these guys played a good length set and really had the crowds dancing and bouncing along as they played songs from right across their 22 year career. 

They also managed to sneak a cover song into their set as they launched into their rendition of The Offsprings' 'Self Esteem'.

All three of the bands managed to get good circle pits going but the most spectacular had to be during the last song of the night, 'Gainesville Rock City', which saw the pit spread across half of the room.

The show tonight is the best party I have been to in a long time, for both entertainment and atmosphere, and I can assure you, punk, whether it be pop punk or ska punk, is definitely not dead!

Kill The Power Tour

Skindred, SOiL and Viza

Manchester Academy

February 2nd, 2014

Last night took us to the Academy at Manchester to see one of the most unique bands that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing, but before the main event we were treated to sets from Viza and Soil.

Viza are an unusual bunch of guys from LA, consisting of six metal looking guys, an oud and some very questionable dance moves.

Viza have a very international sound to them which is also reflected in lead singer K'noup's dance moves, as some seem to have a greek influence while other have a more bollywood style.  Making up the rest of the band are Orbel on electric guitar/harmonica/vocals, Shant on electric guitar, Andrew on the oud, Alex on bass and Chris on drums and percussion.

Their music is very upbeat and mixes international sounds with traditional metal.  However you choose to describe them musically they really know how to get a crowd moving.

I will be searching the internet to find out more of these and hopefully find their music as I am intrigued to learn more about these guys, as I have never heard anything like this before.

Next up were SOiL, a band that I first encountered at Sonisphere in 2009.

Singing songs that spanned their 17 year career, they got the mosh pit racing and the crowd jumping and singing.  Songs to note included 'The Hate Song', 'Shine Down' and 'Black Betty', which had the whole crowd singing along.

Closing with crowd favourite 'Halo', which Ryan sang from the mosh pit, SOiL left the stage to thunderous applause.

As soon as the stage had been re-set the Academy was plunged into darkness before the stage lit up in a rhythmic light show to the sound of AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck'.

If you have never experienced Skindred before it is safe to say that you will be amazed by the show. I know the first time I experienced them, again at Sonisphere 2009, I was stopped in my tracks in amazement.  

Skindred hail from Newport in South Wales and is made up of Benji Webbe on vocals, Mikey Demus on Guitar, Daniel Pugsley on bass and Arya Goggin on drums.  As Benji puts it 'four brothers and a prodigal son'.

One thing that is instantly noticeable about Skindred is that they don't have the typical Welsh sound as Skindred are a unique crossover of metal and reggae. 

Older songs in tonight's set included 'Nobody', 'Pressure', 'Doom Riff', and my personal favourite 'Stand For Something', the song that stopped me in my tracks five years ago.

They also played a selection of songs from their new album including the title track 'Kill The Power', as well as 'Worlds On Fire' and 'Ninja'.

Half way through the set we were treated a musical interlude which incorporated Arya on drums and DJ Dan Sturgess, featuring 'Intergalactic' by the Beastie Boys, 'Jump Around' by House of Pain and 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen to name but a few of the featured songs.

By the time Skindred left the stage to prepare for their encore it was already quarter of an hour over curfew, but they returned to the stage to do a couple more songs and to finish with 'Warning' and the now infamous 'Newport Helicopter'. For Skindred newbies the Newport Helicopter is a sight to behold!  During the song Benji instructs the audience to remove a piece of clothing and hold it still in the air, then when Benji reaches four you wave it around your head like a helicopter propeller.  We were lucky enough to be sat on the balcony and see the Newport Helicopter in all its glory and the sight of 2,000 t shirts being spun in the air really is an amazing sight.

Skindred really are unique and I defy anyone to go and see one of their shows and not come away totally buzzing! 

The Fly Awards Show

Swim Deep, Bleeding Knees and The Magic Gang

Manchester Ritz

February 1st, 2014

Tonight's concert was a surprise concert as I only discovered that I was going last night.  My husband won tickets to see three bands playing at the Ritz and never being one to turn down a night of live music I agreed to go.

The first band on the bill tonight was The Magic Gang.  These are a young four piece band from Brighton who sounded good  and had some great melodies, but they had a real melancholy sound to them which failed to get the audience excited.

Next up were Bloody Knees from Cambridgeshire and although they only played for 25 minutes they managed to do what the previous band had failed to do.  Their punk rock sound got the crowd bouncing and clapping along, and although they didn't get any takers,  they were encouraging crowd surfers.  (It's a good job no one took them up on the crowd surfing as there was no security presence front stage to catch them).

If you like your music with a bit of punk, these guys are definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Last up were headliners, Swim Deep, from Birmingham.  These guys came on to the stage in matching white long sleeve t-shirts to cheers and applause from the crowd.  Unfortunately  they had a very electronic sound to their music which wasn't to my taste. 

I did however persevere to see if they had any tricks up their sleeves...  until they announced that they would be playing a cover song and launched into Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun', which is a song I have always liked but when played and sung by men, it sounded really wrong!   Hence to say we did not stick around for much longer after that.

Usually I love it when we gets tickets for these kind of shows as it is a chance to hear music that we wouldn't normally listen to and maybe discover a new band or two along the way, but  had it not been for Bleeding Knees I would probably have walked away very disappointed. 

Monsters Overseas Tour

Mayday Parade, Man Overboard, Decade and Divided By Friday

Manchester Academy 2

January 30th, 2014

First up tonight were Divided By Friday, a pop rock band from North Carolina.

These guys were the perfect starting band for the evening as they had the crowd jumping, clapping and singing along to the point where the whole academy room shook.  Their music had a feel good vibe to it and stand out songs included called 'Relapse' and one called 'Better Off'.

Until tonight I had never heard of this band but after hearing them tonight I will definitely be checking out more of their music. 

Next up were Decade, a home grown band from Bath.  This five piece band had a heavier sound than the first band but still managed  to get the crowd joining in and jumping. 

Playing songs from their debut album 'Good Luck' such as 'Callous' and 'Fools Gold', they showed Manchester what they are made of.  This is another band that I will be checking out again in the future.

Following Decade, were New Jersey pop punk band Man Overboard.  Although I normally like pop punk, these guys did not grab my attention as much as the other bands in their genre or even the other bands on tonight's bill.  

Don't get me wrong they had plenty of energy and some good guitar lines but  they just didn't give me enough to make me want to listen to them again.

Headlining tonight were 'Mayday Parade' a five piece band from Tallahassee, who sound very pop punk with a rock edge to their music.

I first encountered these guys when I saw them support You Me At Six back in March 2012 and thought that they sounded great.

Tonight they sang a range of songs from across their discography such as 'Three Cheers for Five Years', 'Black Cat', 'Stay' and 'Hold On To Me'.

Mid way through the set lead singer Derek, requested permission from the audience to slow things down a bit, before singing 'Miserable At Best', just him and his keyboard.  This is a beautiful but sombre ballad and Derek's powerful voice held the audience throughout the song.

Mayday Parade left the stage to loud applause and cheers for more, before re-taking the stage to sing 'Jersey'.

 
  When I first heard them in 2012 I knew that I would see more of them in the future and in the last two years it seems that these guys have honed the raw talent that was evident back then and have become even better.