Gigs and stuff!

As this is supposed to be a reviews page I thought it only right as I have been to quite a few gigs in the past month to do very small reviews on each of them. So here it goes....

Sept 12th-Smalltown America All Dayer-93 Feet East
Help She Can't Swim 9/10
Well this band cannot do any wrong in my eyes so I was never going to write anything bad about them, but they were on top form. Playing a few new tracks from their new EP "Commiting Socail Suicide" and loads of fan favourites from their debut album the band pushed themselves to the limits throwing themselves around the stage and almost ruining their instuments. Not much more can be said apart from "fuck your band, suck our band". Excellent!
Seafood 7/10
Slightly disappointed the crowd by only playing new unkown material. However, when the new stuff is as good as this you can't complain.
Hell Is For Heroes 7/10
I've never really liked this band but boy can they put on a good show. They've got some hardcore fans and I don' think they disappointed anyone.

Jimi's House (what date was this?)
The Wutars 8/10
What can you say about this band eh? They never get boring do they? I think the small cosey atmosphere suited them quite well. Very crowd pleasing.
Members Of The Public 6/10
Probably not the best I've seen this lot play, but you couldn't expect too much with a new setup and all. The new songs are really sounding great now though and the old favourites still sound as good as the first time I heard them. Very enjoyable non the less.

Sept 31st Camden Barfly
The Rosemary 8/10
the first time I've ever seen or heard of this band. I would find it hard to find a person in that building that night that did not feel something special within this band. With their retro sea shanty stylings these boys could go really far.
Kill City 6/10
Pete Doherty's childs mother.....yadder yadder yadder. Kill City are a serious band, not just a gimmick. However I think Lisa Moorish plays on her D-list status a little too much, but her excellent stage presence makes up for it. The songs are not so strong but I can see them getting better.


Oct 7th-Club NME-Koko
The Filthy Dukes 8/10
This band were excellent. They've got a really "now" sound and it would not surprise me if you find yourselves reading about them on the front page of NME next year.
Louis XIV 4/10
I think that was this bands name and I'm sorry if it wasn't, but they were either off form or terrible.
The Rakes 8/10
They couldn't dissapoint really. Too much fun, too many good songs.

Oct 8th-Frog-Mean Fiddler
The Noisettes 3/10
Interesting, noisey, nonsense.
Larrikin Love 7/10
I got on stage in a stage invasion (i'm a seasoned pro at this!) and played cowbell with the bass player from Mystery Jets! Woooooohooooo. Enough said. Oh yeah, the band were good.

Ramblings?

You know, everytime I go to write something here I have every intention of writing
about my life, about the way I feel and about what I want to do. However, I can't get past feeling that having to write about your life in words instead of expressing
feelings to your loved ones, friends and families face to face must mean you are a
very weak person. I love being able to talk to my friends and Elizabeth although it's sometimes hard to express my feelings and worries I've learnt that I just have to bite my lip and go for it, even if I know it's going to upset someone or annoy them. Life is hard and it seems to me it gets harder as it goes on. I don't know why I'm in such a philosophical and thoughtful mood because as my life goes I couldn't be happier right now and theres so many people I need to thank for making me happy and making me who I am today so here i go: (I tried to create an order but how can you create a hierachy of you're friends? so everyone in thius list is equally as important as the person before and after them)......


The Traders, Elizabeth (for just being yourself and being there for me), Ross and
Manda (always there), Scandal (super friendly), Rob (you're getting there son),
Moon, Murray, Charlotte (for listening to my shit), my super little sis (just stop
annoying me please), Ed (you're really not funny), Annette (bestest buddy), Caroline
you're way too kind and friendly), Soph P, and Jimi (LEGEND!), Psyche Out (for being the best local band around), Paul, Chappers, Gary and Woody (so inspiring), Smyley and asscociates, Audrey Tautou (just because!), Mum and Dad (hells yeah) The Arcade Fire, The Libertines (changed my life), The B-52's, The Cure, Help She Can't Swim, The Smiths and The Futureheads, Blur and Lightning Seeds (for being my first albums, thats not too bad!), Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Wise, Kerry Dixon, Frank Lebouef, Roberto Di Matteo and John Terry, and last but not least every single person in my phone book and everyone thats ever made an effort to be friendly to me. Thank you people.

The B-52's

The B-52's- The B-52's

This has to be one of my all time favourite albums, so I only thought it right to spend this grey and boring Sunday afternoon reviewing it.
The early B-52's were one of the most adventerous bands of their era combining a bunch of contradicting genres creating an eccentric arty punk sound. “Planet Claire” is probably one of the greatest album openers instantly making you want to move your feet to the extra-terrestrial keyboards and the almost robotic singing of Fred Schneider. During the more swinging “52 Girls” we get the same cleanly-produced but punchy guitars, slightly false harmonies by the 2 women, weird synth-accents, and a combination of girl group cheesiness and punk energy.The album begins to flow into its own at this point managing to make the most reluctant person at at a party dance with "Dance This Mess Around" and the real gem of the album "Rock Lobster". The second half of the album, on the other hand, is a bit less impressive, still amazingably listenable and danceable at the same time however. The ecstatic shrieks and excitable guitars of "Hero Worship" and "6060-842" push the album along with with jerky musicianship and a bouncy rhythm. The last song on the album is a cover of Petula Clark's classic "Downtown" which the B-52's don't fail to dissapoint by totally ripping the song to shreds with more cheesey keyboards, out of tune backing vocals and false harmonies.
This is definitely a party record, one that will crack you up guaranteed, and that will have you jerk and bounce along for almost 40 minutes. It proves they were truly a one-of-a-kind bunch that effortlessly dabbled in musical history and came up with a damn fine debut, which everyone, who ever plans on having a party, should have.
8.5/10

By Ben

Two Charlotte Poems

The little old lady sat at her window,
Looking out yonder and at what was below.
Her lovely house sat perched up in the mountain,
Up at the top with the waterfall and fountain.
She looks across the snowy mountaintops,
No will in the world to be in the buzzing shops.
It was quiet up there no wind or sound,
Not another person was ever to be found.
Yet she lived content and full of glee,
Not willing to see either you or me.
Because she was not lonely at all,
She had herself as company and noone to call.
For she knew what it was like to be surrounded,
A similar feeling up here she had founded.
Knowing that down there it made no difference,
Whether you were surrounded by people or a wooden fence.
It was a lonely place to live down below,
So she decided a long time ago that solitude was where she’d go.


As she treads in to this empty home,
To afraid to find someone or use the phone.
Shes all alone with noone around,
The love of her life is not to be found.
She hesitates as she walks into every room,
A horrid feeling of overwhelming doom.
Where has he gone? Where will he go?
She is terrified she will never know.
Wishing that moring shed uttered a word,
Though that sound he would not have heard.
A quarrel occurred and those words not spoken,
Now there is not love or any token.
Wishing beyond the stars that he is well,
Though for all she knew he could be in hell.
Whether he is alive or to be found,
The lovers together were bound.
Both ill-fated and lost to the world,
That night she was found dead and curled.
As she lay silently in peace and slumber,
Outside all to be seen and heard, lightening and thunder.

black triangles

A poem by the unquestionably messed up world of tamara! Me no understand.

black triangles.

yestrday i made the bath blue,
how i did it no one knew,
the ink of boredem from my mind,
and it made me feel fine
why i did it i dont know,
wrapping round my leg like a bow,
this mulatation of my skin,
was like tatooing without the pin.
it felt like cutting which i have never done,
yet at the same time it was kinda fun.
i ate cakes and drunk cherry colas,
slowly destroying my all my molars,
i sat and watched a film about basketball.
where all the kids spoke like uneducated fools,
as i carried out my plan,
i thought with intrest a man called batman,
i wondered why he did his good deed,
and why i had felt the need,
to colour my legs black and blue,
so i watched him find the final clue
then scrubbed the crap off my thigh,
and wondered if i should lie,
about how i turned the bath blue.

by tamara

The Never Ending Search For A Hanging Corpse

Here lies a poem from the depth of my brain:

The Never Ending Search For A Hanging Corpse

The ghosts left the body hanging in the stairway
All wet with blood in the darkness surrounding
The people came home to what they believed was their stay
When in fact the ghosts ruled all bleak within

When it was sent for examination
It turned out to be just a little dare
The girl thought it funny down at the station
Whose body was it hanging from the stair?

Well the body not mine I can tell thee
Not funny nor happy yet sad but true
Now the body is left in all it's glory
Its revealed today that it's the corpse of you....



By Ben Jammin Trader

The friendly man that was stuck

Here's another lovely poem from the even lovelier Charlotte:

There was a friendly man that lived in a box,
trouble was he was stuck in there cos of locks.
He didnt know what to do or how to get out,
he thought it inpolite to scream and shout.
So as people passed him by they thought him rude,
as he never came out and his personality became misconstrude.
He loved to see the great different people that came by,
however with him they became distant and shy.
The passers by thought him strange and rather bizarre,
they all had an opinion of him as they passed by in their car.
What they failed to see about this friendly man,
was that he was stuck and of them he was a fan.
So when you meet someone you dont understand,
try to help them and give them a hand.
The passers by missed out on a friend in the man,
they could not see it but you certainly can.

by char

Where we will end up so happy and fond.

Here's a poem written by Charlotte. Good to see rhyming couplets in use here!

As we go running through the trees and into the sea,
then we see what we can really be.
Who knows where we are going or where we'll get,
but it will delightful and beautiful i bet.
As the rain pours on our shoulders and down our backs,
we realise that we forgot our trusty macks.
The little local people come out and visit us every day,
they know that we will never stray away.
So friendly and kind and they know us well,
we'd hardly know they have us under a spell.
When we visit the clouds are clearing and we see blue,
the turqoise water glistens so tempting to take off your shoe.
Never before have we've seen such a display,
no doubt the sun will shine so bright this day.
And in the light of our recent lives,
in our next life we will have many wives.
So do you see where we are going with this?
all we have to do is give one kiss.......

......to the little people in the land beyond,
where we will end up so happy and fond.

by char

The Chiefs - Rock or Pop?

The Chiefs - Rock or Pop?
28th May - London Astoria 8.00 ish.

The night kicked off in a bit of a hurry as we excitedly rushed to the much loved Astoria, full of many lasting memories for us all I think.
As it happened we arrived in plenty of time, and within a couple of minutes the beers were in!!!! ( the most important part of a pre-gig build up.)
The first band arrived on stage shortly after. The unknown Leeds based Duels. However as with few supports we've seen over the years they did not disappoint. My description, a slick, energetic and most importantly sexy five piece including the cute Katherine (Keyboards), a cross between The Future Heads and The Kinks with a hint of The Killers.
With masses of true passion for their work, catchy lyrics "hold your hand up to the sky, hold your hand up and protect your eyes" mind bending tunes and a shit hot guitarists (Jim) they produced a grand start to the evening.
The Beat Up. The most hyped of the supports really were a let down. Boring. Dull and un-original. What more can I say, your average rock band with a distinct American style and predictability about them. Let down by the sound team a lack luster front man with quiet vocals failed too impress.
A long and unusually hot wait approached as the crowd eagerly anticipated The Chiefs. Preparing their advance to the stage silhouettes could be seen and Cries of Chiefs Chiefs rang out.
As The Kaiser Chiefs came on stage the crowd became a group of teenage girls, yelling and screaming and generally going wild. The Kaiser Chiefs had arrived.
As the first beats and strums of "Na Na Na Na Na" ( as predicted by Luke) came blaring out of the speakers the crowd started to liven up more than ever. The Chiefs kept the crowds energetic dancing displays up as they played the hits such as "I Predict A riot", "Oh My God" and "Everyday I love you less and less". The lyrics pounded through the Astoria as these songs got some of the biggest reactions out of the crowds. However all of the songs seemed to have the "oh so similar" effect of the audience of hyping them up. The Chiefs energy in their music and performance was infectious to the crowd and definitely kept fans energetic in the hot and sweaty pit as the front. Ricky jumped several times into the pit, everyone in the crowd desperate to touch, kiss and grope him! The high light of my evening seeing my brother holding his own at the front of 2000, Ricky dived in and landed right on top of him, Lukey scuffing up his hair and attempting kiss him a great sight and bodes well for the future of our indie rock revolution. The band went off for five minutes or so and came back on for their encore of two songs, which again revved the audience right up. As the set finally came to an end and the band threw all sorts into the pit, Ricky tempted the crowd with his famous public school boy-looking jacket, then gave a look "As if!"
Unfortunately for me I have to sum up The Kaiser Chiefs with the words of Charlotte, "oh so similar"- not their style but the they way every song sounded like the last and had a little too much of that "oh so similar" ring to them.

And my answer to the question "rock or pop"? POCK!. The Kaiser Chiefs. A truly entertaining pop band with great stage presence. Ricky knows how to work the crowd with his arrogant nature. Moderate rock attitude.
A highly entertaining night.
7/10

Ross and Charlotte

The Importance of an Image

In the modern world, it seems to be in a band your image must be as good if not better than the musical content. I admit myslef that for me to really be into a band they must look good onstage and when you see them grouped together, however there are many bands who I like that don't portray a certain trendy image (Sigur Ros, The Others, Ben Folds) . At present theres a huge wave of super trendy bands whos music is nowhere near as good as the way they think they look and there are way too many people that are falling for it. Maybe you can trace it way back to when The Beach Boys all wore matching shirts or when The Beatles all wore grey suits, its an image which isn't offensive and makes them look like a band.
Too many indie scensters dress to be in a band instead of playing decent music. Surely the whole point of calling yourself indie is to be INDEPENDANT and free.
People like Ray Davies, Joe Strummer, John Lydon and to the modern day Peter Doherty and Dom Masters didn't work that hard at trying to change the music scene, fashion scene and political scene just so prats like Brandon Flowers and Ricky Wilson could prance around the top 10 in their eye liner and shitty blazers making the most innofensive boring regurgetated piece of shit music ever. Maybe people feel they need to belong, maybe they feel the need to look like someone else to fit in, all I'm saying is that a little diversity wouldn't go amiss. Just look at The Traders, who could you really pidgeon-hole into one particular branch of fashion/music, theres so many influences within the group its hard to see where exactly those influences do come from.
Offend, antagonize, shock, repulse and provoke. Do it your own way not the trendy way.

By Ben.