Meatraffle at Fighting Cocks

Fighting Cocks

If you were lurking around Old London Road in Kingston Upon Thames late Friday night, you would have stumbled upon the sweat of the socialist spectacular that is Meatraffle. Finding their way from the 'south side of the river called the Thames to the south side of the river called the Thames' (quoting frontman Zsa Zsa) they came to the Fighting Cocks with an aim to create carnage, but instead all the they got was a luke warm sway. However, although the crowd was tame, their performance was anything but.

Performing first before Meatraffle, and seemingly who most of the crowd had come to see, were non-binary trio The Misters of Circe, and yes they were a Sisters of Mercy tribute act too, nonetheless. The second were the shouty foursome Fightmilk, who sang about the drags of working in admin, and how they envy your girlfriend (apparently). 

Meatraffle/twitter

After struggling with technical difficulties and already rocking a sweet sweat shine, Meatraffle were ready to serve a fat slice of death ragga. With loopers and trumpet sounds in abundance, they created a sweaty leftist utopia that apparently only a select few of the crowd were able to feel- given that they were the only ones dancing. The constant wait for a crush of people seemed to be endless and anti-climatic, despite the fact Meatraffle's setlist was a creation based on a socialist's wet dream. Playing tracks from their album 'Hi Fi Classics', The Wickerman, The Horseshoe, and Madame Hi Fi, as well as Brother From Another Mother, they offered a trip more psychedelic than taking lsd in 1943.

Drawing a close to the evening, the band performed The Bird Song, sung by their bassist (also known as DJ Lady Gaga) which addressed the fact that 'no one is any one's "bird"' and that we are all just humans. Unfortunately it was a great shame that some members of the crowd ignored this fact and instead took advantage of being in a gig environment and completely violated the personal space a friend of mine. This kind of behaviour is a disgusting act of objectification of another human who is definitely 'not your bird'.

However, despite a relatively monotonous crowd, Meatraffle still pounded out tunes as if their fingers were hammers and sickles.

Buy your raffle tickets here, and get porked:
Meatraffle/facebook
Meatraffle/soundcloud

Girls against/website (help stop sexual harassment at gigs)

Yuck at The Moth Club 2016

Yuck @ MothClub

In deepest, darkest Hackney Central is a pub that looks as plain as it gets, however once you go through the door that has a laminated 'entrance' sign on, it becomes clear this is a club like no other. With the club's history deep rooted in British military past  (MOTH standing for Memorable Order of Tin Hats) it's a surprise how well the club's original memorabilia complements the  glitter smothered ceiling and the gold shimmer curtains that drench the stage. It's a venue that is a must see to believe, suited and booted for any band that's going to create a good time and who will fill up the dancefloor, evidently Yuck suited the Moth Club down to a tee. With the launch of their newest album 'Stranger Things' on the day of their first gig at the Moth Club it comes as no surprise that they managed to fill floor with moshing indie kids, politely perched fans on the velvet sofas and the odd adolescent who seemingly had managed to sneak their way in (something im sure we've all done at some point).

Shark Dentist

Before Yuck hit the lit up stage, in all its shiny glory, were Shark Dentist. According to their facebok bio the band themselves harvested jellyfish in their childhood and until 2014 there was no such Shark Dentist. However, whilst their "history" and name, on paper, is laughable, any band who calls their genre of music 'sandwich metal' deserves some kind of recognition. The foursome's performance, simply put, encompasses their internet persona... frankly they don't give a shit and they are teeming with wit. Their setlist comprised of songs from their newest single 'Stranger' and the crowd favourite Cut Myself Shaving (as well as a few more), each song performed with the feral intensity of a wild animal and the angsty attitude of a pre-teen. With hilarity of their lyrics they combine the mundane with a rich sound that is anything but boring, unlike cutting yourself when shaving- it is this mixture of honesty and loud noises that make them so enjoyable. Watch this space.

Puppy

Following the delightful catawaul of Shark Dentist came another band with an animal themed title, Puppy.  Whilst the band aesthetically suit their syrupy sweet name, their music is quite the opposite, and it is for this reason that they are so surprisingly pleasing. Puppy's music is a creation of nuance heavy metal that takes the genre for a fast paced ride on the indie roller coaster, making them sound somewhat like Wheatus covering Metallica. However as strange as they sound, their live performance shows that there is method in the trio's madness, creating a sound that's unique but at the same is like having 80's classic rock blasted into your ears. On the night they performed music from their newest EP 'Forever' making for an evening of perfectly refined indie-metal ballads and a setlist built upon hammering drums, rough riffs and rambunctious harmonies all tied up neatly in a bow.

Yuck

It wasn't long before the headliner of the evening, Yuck, came on stage. The band entered the shimmering stage with a blaise presence whilst they were surrounded by glimmering tinsel curtains, which just asked the audience to glow and behold the ever cool foursome. Whilst the band's last two albums may have passed the music scene by, seeped within the shadows, their gradual release of new singles over both this month and the last Yuck have evidently been gathering more and more hype as this year progresses. Their growth in popularity, and support for new album 'Stranger Things' ,was represented by the abundance of fans who flooded the dance floor of the Moth Club on the 26th of February. Performing both classic Yuck hits such as Get Away and The Wall (the song the crowd insisted they played in between tunes) as well as their new stuff Hearts in Motion and Cannonball, Yuck merely excrete what it is to be a indie-grunge band in 2016.

The band finished the night with two more song's following their faux encore exit, giving one last chance for the crowd to get sweaty, before the start of the brilliantly selected DJ by the Moth Club. The night in general was just as glowing as the ceiling. And speaking of shiny, Yuck's shiny new album premiered yesterday and if you aren't listening it now than what are you doing?!

Gotta catch 'em all:
www.sharkdentist.bandcamp.com
www.puppytheband.com
www.yuckband.com

Music Menses

This is the first part of what will, hopefully, be monthly music segment, amply named music menses as much like a lady's womanly cycle it will be messy, most probably painful and is likely to be unpredictable. In the way of content, however, is hopefully where the feature will differ from the menses part and instead, provide a monthly instalment of new music from far and wide and all the right places.

Pixx herself
source: 4ad

To cut the metaphorical ribbon at the grand opening of 'Music Menses' is the celestial electronic-folk singer Pixx aka Hannah Rodgers. Whilst her home town of Chipstead isn't on the map for its musical luminary, her graduation from the Brit school tells a different story, as at only the age of 19 Pixx launches herself in the crowd of new notable creators such as likes of FKA Twigs and King Krule.

Her futuristic aesthetic combined with a classical melancholic tone not only sets her apart from many artists but also caught the eye of the credible 4AD- home to such epic bands as Beirut, Purity Ring and Pixies (!)- who no doubt signed her almost instantly. What with her Grimes-esk vibes and the folk themes similar to Iron and Wine the Record Label seems an undeniably perfect habitat for such an artist as Pixx, who herself claimed that "it's incredible to be welcomed with open arms to a label that is home to so many artists that have influenced me over the years."

Although the young chanteuse only recently released her EP 'Fall In', she has already made her mark in the indie music scene with her upcoming tour travelling all over the UK and performing in such popular music venues as Heaven in London and Patterns in Brighton. The EP itself maintains the same haunting tone throughout all four songs, yet that's not to say the songs are similar in any way, in fact they are all quite different from each other.

source: rockfeedback

Pixx begins her EP with the eponymous tune Fall In setting the tone for the chilled-futuristic-four-song adventure that you are about to embark on. Whilst the lyrics that state "we fall in and out and in and out" linger in your ears the next song fills you with an awkward displacement, but only in the best way possible; where you feel as though you are "weary and waiting" much like the song A Way To Say Goodbye claims.The shortest and most different song, Flee, follows and seems to stick out in between two very electronically driven songs, however, it's fair to say the almost classical interruption seems to express that this girl is versatile af and hats off to her. The fourth and final song Deplore seems to end on what we came here for and apparently it shows "from our head down to our toes".

Having seen her live, in the weirdest and most intimate space in the depths of Dalston (more to come), it's safe to say Pixx is as magical live as the EP promises. Her upcoming tour, mentioned above, still has tickets and the EP is available now, like right now, so get both here: Pixxmusic (you won't be disappointed).

Drenge at The Electric Ballroom

Drenge M8
source: www.theguardian.com

In one of the hip-est parts of London, Camden Town, there lies a nook in the wall which contains the Electric Ballroom- a Tardis-esk, rock n roll nightclub that seems like the ideal venue for the grunge trio Drenge. What with its dipped lighting and walls slathered in red, the 'scuzzie' aesthetic sets the perfect tone for a night rife with carnage. The band entered the music scene as a duo emitting enough teenage angst and aggressive witticism to pump out sounds that echo bands such as the grunge pioneers Melvin, the naughties infamous Milburn, and fellow duo Bass Drum of Death. The band released their first self titled album, 'Drenge', back in 2013 establishing themsleves as a band renowned for aural chaos and the rage-y pummelling of drums. In more recent developments the Loveless brothers have joined with bassist Rob Graham, refining their sound whilst keeping their feet firmly in grunge roots. This progression is materialised within their newest release 'Undertow', which catalysed their latest tour.

As a gig venue The Electric Ballroom is one to note down for generations, not to be hyperbolic. Its history and notoriety is formed on the back of rock musicians and their fans, with the likes of The Cramps, The Virgin Prunes and more recently Royal Blood performing there its popularity comes as no surprise. With a variety of standing options, even balcony window frames, its a great venue for any kind o' gig goer.

Big Deal.
source: www.hitthefloor.com

If you arrived fashionably late to the venue, never fear, there was still a chance to claim a space amongst the soon-to-be unruly crowd and would have made it just in time to see warm up band Big Deal. Big Deal are known officially as a duo, comprised of Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe, and what with two albums successfully under their belt the band have secured a reputation to be "more grunge than gooey". What with equal male to female ratio of band members (initially just a duo and now a quartet) and armed with fuzz tones for days it came as no surprise they put on an enjoyable show, complimenting the sounds that were soon to follow.

Crowd chaos.
source: www.gigwise.com

With the temperature of the crowd already rising- due to sheer capacity- Drenge's entrance on stage couldn't have come sooner. They Kicked off the night with Running Wild, which did in fact make crowd go 'wild' (I'm sure they would have run too given half the chance), transforming the crowd into a sea of failing limbs and catalysing the first shower of beer. The trio stormed through an impressive sixteen song set list made up of old and new, including faves I Wanna Break You In Half, Gun Crazy and Bloodsports, as well as new crowd pleasers The Snake and Never Awake. The theme of night seemed to embody the band's recent hit We Can Do What We Want, whereby the crowd thrived on aggression, ignored all the rules, and relentlessly gave each other a good old mosh bollocking. After bloodthirsty periods within the mosh and circle pits, slower tracks were much appreciated and thankfully received with a hearty howl-a-long to such songs as Fuckabout and the finale Let's Pretend.

Despite the minimal crowd interaction, the band's rebellious persona didn't go unnoticed, however nor was it scrutinised, rather the crowd merely embraced their presence, no doubt, finding their nonchalant attitude relatable. When attending a Drenge gig you should expect a night of (very enjoyable) pandemonium, to leave with a shirt dripping with sweat and a few souvenir bruises, and maybe feeling as though you've been broken in half.

Go find them:        https://bigdealmusic.bandpage.com
                     https://twitter.com/drenge
                     https://www.facebook.com/drengeboys
                     https://soundcloud.com/drenge

Ben Howard at Brixton Academy

I Forget Where We Were
Source: www.O2academybrixton.co.uk

Ben Howard is an artist who's name is not easily lost in the 'indie-folk' music scene, nor is he easily forgotten in the three year gap between albums. Howard's humble beginnings start back in 2008 when he self-released his first EP Games in The Dark followed by two more EPs in 2009-2010. He then was signed by the mighty record label that it is Communion and released his debut album Every Kingdom. Despite not churning out his second album hot on the heels of the first, he kept his fans entertained by releasing two more EPs. When I Forget Where We Were was finally released in 2014, after teasing fans by playing new content live and releasing songs 'I Forget Where We Were' and 'Conrad', it received much appreciation and the dose of Ben Howard goodness that fans craved; whilst delivering more mournful and soulful content.

Having seen Mr Howard only a season ago it seemed like an age and it was most pleasurable to see him again so soon. Not only that but the O2 Academy Brixton seemed to be a fitting place to go to my first Ben Howard gig, having only seeing him at a festival. Ben himself even claimed: "I don't think there's a better place to play in".

Hiss Golden Messenger

source: http://www.mergerecords.com/

Kicking off the night was the American 'folk' band Hiss Golden Messenger, from the land of North Carolina. The band's debut album Country Hai East Cotton was first released in 2009 limited to only 500 copies, the following year they released Bad Debt via record company Black Maps. The band released three more albums following the first two, their most recent album Lateness of Dancers was released via Merge record label (who they are now signed to) in 2014. They are labelled as a duo, consisting of M.C. Taylor and Scott Hirsch, despite this they arrived on stage with two extra players which on their Facebook page they have titled "pals". Having seen Hiss Golden Messenger, in the summer also, I anticipated a performance of good old rhythm and blues with folk chords to sink your teeth into- which they delivered. Their performance was intense and enthused, expressing their North Carolina blues background, giving the audience songs to "dance to". It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance and they looked like they enjoyed it too. 

When Ben Howard and his legendary four piece band entered the stage the atmosphere grew with anticipation. As the lights progressively rose Ben began to strum the first mesmerising chords of 'Small Things'. As the band flowed through the set-list, Ben's nimble fingers effortlessly plucking out near faultless harmonies accompanied by the virtuosity of his band (as well as the lights and screens surrounding them), the experience truly immersed and captivated the audience. The new works from I Forget Where We Were filled the set-list with marathon long compositions exposing his desire to perform music on a grand scale. Much to the audience's delight, Howard still performed classic favourites Black Flies, The Fear, Gracious and the oldest Oats in the Water, despite this the audience began to chant the riff of Wolves to which he replied "Yeah we did that one". Thankfully all was not harmed as the audience seemed to accept that although there was no opportunity to cascade into a sing-along to Keep your Head Up or Old Pine he set out to play new music and that's certainly what he delivered.

Ben Howard
source: www.gigwise.com

Howard ended the night with End of the Affair which was seemingly appropriate given that it was the first song that was released off of the new album and it was the end of an affair that left the audience running 'round in love with Ben Howard again-if not already. 

Catfish and the Bottlemen at Koko

The Balcony
source: www.catfishandthebottlemen.com

Ragey, rapturous and rambunctious are only a few words that describe the performance of Catfish and the Bottlemen at the incredible venue Koko in November. The four piece band formed in a small town in Wales all the way back in 2007. It was only in 2013 were they signed, after 6 years of touring small gig to small gig, by Communion records (the same label as Ben Howard and Half Moon Run). In the same year they released their first single 'Homesick' and their second single 'Rango'. In 2014 it was clear Catfish- as they are known in the "biz"- were heading for new heights obtaining a relatively big fan base and not only releasing four singles but also their debut album titled 'The Balcony', which reached number 10 in the UK album charts. In that same year  you couldn't escape Catfish and the Bottlemen's name on the line ups of  most of the major festivals in the UK and Europe.

Koko

I first heard the sounds of Catfish and Bottlemen when XFM released their single Pacifier for free, having listened to the song on repeat on my phone for a little while I felt somewhat like a proud mother when I heard them on the radio. When I heard Catfish were playing Koko it felt like the bargain of the year paying only £12 for a ticket. I already expected the gig to be amazing having seen them live in the summer at Somersault Festival. The journey to the venue was really easy and it's great that the venue is mere seconds away from Mornington Crescent tube station. The venue itself was wonderful inside and out; looking like an old theatre throughout and the inside was covered with light bouncing of the oversized disco ball. My friends and I arrived later than the time the doors opened, this gave a us a chance to see leader singer Van McCann himself by the stage door. He was seemingly caught up in conversation and so we chose just to head inside, so as not to seem too fan-girl and way cooler than we actually are. We were standing about three rows back but with a clear view, as fans poured in we noticed that the crowd was mainly formed of young people, at a gig! I know shocking... Then after a while the lights went down and Southern came on stage.

Southern
source: www.inveterate.co.uk

I was first told about Southern, the brother and sister duo from Belfast, by my friend who described them as beautiful-both physically and musically.  But don't let their beautiful exterior fool you, their music is raw with blue riffs of darkness and some passionate shouting from Thom (half of the duo). Currently signed by Marathon Artists they released their first self-titled 'Southern' EP in 2013. Then in 2014 they released their single 'Where the Wild Things Are'. They played songs from both the EP and the single, with popular songs as Cool Kid and World Don't Shine. Their stage presence was great allowing those who knew they words to join in and those who didn't were encouraged by their playing to do a little jig. If such an event came along I would most certainly jump to the chance to see Southern again, and if you haven't checked them out go do it... right now!

Catfish rocking out
source: www.gigwise.com

Once Southern left the stage, the suspense began to build once more as we all waited for Catfish to come on. Whilst the instruments were being set up the ever popular 'Lid', as he known by the band and fan base, Larry came out to do the sound check for the band and received some cheers from the crowd. Soon after the band entered the stage and the crowd went wild. Catfish started the show with Homesick which catalysed a crowd serge pushing all of us towards the front, as soon as the ragey chorus kicked in we all began to jump.  As they pounded through hit after hit from 'The Balcony', such as Kathleen, Pacifier and 26, the moshing in the crowd reached epic proportions. Don't get me wrong I'm all up for jumping like a nutter, sharing sweat and screaming the lyrics, but what I didn't really like was some of the crowd were literally shoving- which showed a lack of crowd etiquette tbh. But regardless Catfish's interaction with the audience and their impeccable musical performance showed genuine enthusiasm and appreciation, it also enabled us the audience to feel more comfortable with the fact that our bodies were being thrown around and made the band feel more accessible.  My highlight of the night was the moment of calm when my favourite song from the album Hourglass was being performed. At that moment the crowd and the band felt united, with the endearing lyrics and satisfaction shared between the band and the audience,it was by far the best part of the night. They appropriately ended the night with the final song of the album Tyrants, the song itself feels as though it was written to close a gig; starting slow with lyrics to shout along to and gradually getting more powerful when finally it reaches the climax, loud and hard core.

It was certainly one of the most wild and enjoyable gigs I have ever been to. Their performance is of epic proportions- it sounds like I'm exaggerating but I assure you I'm not- they sound as brilliant live as they do on the album. As a fan the moshing at this particular gig made me feel as though by sticking it out we were making them proud, giving them signs of how much the vast group of people supported and enjoyed their music. Speaking for the crowd I would say the performance definitely left us with a mind that is so hell bent on seeing them again.

They are touring in spring next year defo go grab some tickets, you won't be disappointed.

The 1975 Alexandra Palace

//

source:www.gigwise.com

The 1975, no matter how much stick they get from such critics as NME, are a band which I thoroughly enjoy listening too as much as I enjoy seeing them live. The four piece band originated from Manchester with big dreams to become famous. Their first EP 'Facedown' was released in 2012, the lead track of the EP The City attract the attention of national radio stations and was featured in BBC Radio One's introducing segment. Their second EP 'Sex' followed hot on the heels of the first in 2012, and was once again recognised by national radio stations. In the year of 2013 they released two more EPs, one of which contained arguably their most popular song Chocolate- which reached number 19 in UK charts, as well as receiving lots of air time on popular radio stations both in the UK and internationally. The 1975 released their debut, self-titled album in September 2013 and it went down a storm reaching No.1 in the UK album charts. From then on they were on an extensive world wide tour, attending major festivals such as Reading and Leeds in 2013 and more recently Glastonbury in 2014. They have played many venues with an incredible size gap from Camden's Barfly to more recently playing Alexandra Palace.

Having seen The 1975 in January of this year I knew the show was going to be incredible, it felt like it had been a life time ago since I had last seen them so I was very much looking forward to the gig. With high anticipations, dressed in black bar the small pink dragon on my-so-hideous-it's-cute shirt and a topped up oyster card, myself and two friends hit the trains to make our almost two hour treck across London to the great 'Ally Pally'. When we arrived the hike up the hill wasn't as bad as we first thought, when we reached the top the breath-taking views of London were surpassed fairly quickly by the hideously long queue to get in. Thankfully being in good company along with Alexandra Palace's good organisation skills the line moved quite fast. Before entering the crowd I nervously anticipated a great size difference between the O2 Academy Brixton (having only seen them there before) and Ally Pally and worried we wouldn't get a good spot. However we managed to land a good viewing space to the side, where we were fairly close and could see the whole of the stage.

The first warm up act was the band Y.O.U, we entered just after they had started and managed to miss the first song, but it wasn't so bad as many people where still pouring in so they must have missed the first song too. The stage was brightly lit with colourful, what can only be described as, light cubes and cuboids. The band members consisted of three men performing music which very much reminded me of 80s indie-pop songs, somewhat echoing melodies you'd expect to hear from Pulp or The Smiths. Even the opening of one of their songs sounded strangely similar to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (that classic 80s jam), so much so I was expecting a cover until it became evident the lyrics were different. Although the crowd didn't seem too enthused (to be honest I wasn't really) Y.O.U still managed to get the vast amount of people to clap with a few songs, a job well done.

Circa Waves

source:www.blacknightcrash.com

The second warm up act I am thrilled to say were Circa Waves! Before a gig I don't usually look into who the opening acts are going to be, so when I found out that Circa Waves were performing I was most excited as I can't make their show in November. The four piece band from Liverpool were amazing, playing their hits Young Chasers, Stuck in My Teeth and  (their newish song) So Long. Their stage presence and interaction with the audience was very enjoyable, plus their lively song choices made for a show that is meant to be danced to. However the dancing seemed to scarce around the area in which we stood so unfortunately our dancing had to be scaled down during Circa Waves' act. If you haven't yet heard any of Circa Waves' songs they are really worth checking out, plus (as addressed briefly) they are doing a show in November-which unfortunately I cant make- which I'm certain is going to an amazing night.

During the break between Circa Waves and The 1975 the lights which lit up the audience were turned on, during this time there was the odd serge of movement towards the front; which wasn't too bad as it got us closer to the stage it was just at inappropriate time really. So now everybody was a lot closer to each other the temperature of the crowd began to rise, and the waiting began to get a little tedious. When the time got closer to them coming on stage the lights began to dim painstakingly slowly, and a purposeful background humming was getting louder through the speakers, as smoke was pouring out from the sides of the stage. In retrospect this was a very clever and artistic move; building the suspense of the audience whilst being elaborate with really simple elements of the stage (smoke, lights etc.) but at the time my feet were hurting and I just wanted it to start. When the band finally entered the stage the excitement of the room went through the roof. All the band members entered and took their place, Matty entered with a 3/4 finished bottle of wine and once he sat it down they began with their classic The City. They then continued to perform hit after hit such as She Way Out, Settle Down and Heart Out. They also played my favourite song from the album which is Pressure which was so great to hear live again.

The 1975 -- Ally Pally

source: www.whenthegramophonerings.com

The setlist seemed to never ending, but when it did come to the end it was quite a melancholy anti-climax. But of course they returned to do the encore which was my highlight of the whole evening. They performed the ultimate crowd pleasers that were, Robbers, Chocolate and Sex. During Robbers Matty announces they were bringing a fan onto the stage. A girl arrives on stage looking like she is having the time of her life, Matty was incredibly nice and welcoming to the fan and it was a very heart warming moment, but also a moment which I very much wished I was the girl on stage... I would say the only negative of the evening was that although the three of us were belting out the lyrics to every song performed, what we really wanted to do was dance and go a little bit wild... yes it's a concert I think that's a normal request of such events. Yet most of the people around us hardly moved. However, once Sex came on we were persistent and jumped around like mad-men which seemingly encouraged others around us to join in and for the entirety of the song we were singing and jumping- this became the best moment of the night- it was amazing.

During the performance Matty stated that “This is the biggest fucking gig we’ve ever done”, making the evening a lot more special and something that feels almost a privilege to be a part of. The band announced that they were going to be away from the gig scene for a while in order to start work on a new album. So, fingers crossed, if the new album is anything like their first it will brilliant and will result in a good night out.