Monday, 24 August 2015

D.I.D – Fast Food

New name. Same hooks. The second taster of the new and improved Dog is Dead proves that they’ve not strayed too far from the familiar sounds of their debut album ‘All Our Favourite Stories’ as first new single ‘Hotel’ would’ve had you believe. 


Frontman Rob Milton’s voice is still as soft as velvet during this verses as it cascades over a springy, sunken bassline and a plucky guitar line that’s as radio friendly as Nick Grimshaw. But the hook and chorus are the real standout features of this track. Milton’s delivery quickens to spit out ‘Now all we do is eat fast food / All we do is fool around / What we do means nothing, nothing, nothing’ as if he’s dismissing a lover as cannon fodder. After this the whole thing continues to build to the climax of 'I can keep my head up / And if I let you down, I can keep my head up', which you can already tell is aiming for max crowd participation on their upcoming UK tour. 


The main thing that Fast Food accomplishes however, is that it keep us guessing as to what D.I.D. will do next. But one things for sure, it presumably won't be a venture into the takeaway industry. 



Fast Food is available to download now from iTunes and is also part of the Fast Food EP alongside fellow tracks Gameplan, Hotel and Big Lie which is released on the 18th of September.

Thursday, 20 August 2015

Tramlines - Sunday 26/07/2015

So the final day was upon us and unfortunately the sunshine that had graced us the previous day was replaced with unrelenting rain and cold temperatures. So much for British Summer Time eh?

Pulling on our waterproofs to brave the weather we headed out to Devonshire Green in order to see what all the fuss was about with local band The Sherlocks. The short answer is simply not much. They recall the landfill indie days of 2006 when anything with a Northern accent and a guitar got a record deal due to the rise of Arctic Monkeys, with past single ‘Escapade’ sounding like a carbon copy of The Courteeners ‘Push Yourself’. But the saddest thing is you can see why they would be popular and why they have amassed the fan base that they have; they’re shamelessly riding the coattails of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s equally as puzzling rise to fame, so any fan of one band would be a fan of the other. The Sherlocks will probably continue to get bigger and will always be a band you either love or hate and unfortunately for me it’s more of the latter.



That disappointing start aside and food consumed we arrived back at Devonshire Green to see the long awaited return of hometown favourites The Crookes. After having a year out the 4 piece sounded as tight as ever despite changing their line up following the departure of drummer Russell Bates and frontman George Waite looking as if he hadn't had a haircut in that amount of time meaning he now resembled Jesse Eisenberg. To prove they hadn't spent their afternoons "watching cash in the attic" they debuted a new track which was typical of the band's quirky take on songwriting, with a quicker pace and backing 'ooooooh's'. Apart from this the set drew heavily on the bands second album Hold Fast with airings for the sultry 'Maybe in the Dark' and laid back 'Sal Paradise', with the latter creating a total hush over the crowd. Finishing on the tried and tested 'Afterglow', it was a welcome sight to see The Crookes back and on form and with the brief airing of new material it looks as if they're back for good. Yes I did just quote a Take That lyric, deal with it. 



After surviving a downpour by taking cover under some trees near the temporary bar it was time for the headliner on Devonshire Green: Sheffield’s very own cult hero and former Milburn man Joe Carnall Jnr. Launching his solo career with brother Louis (also formerly of Milburn) and Reverend and the Makers' Ed Cosens as part of his live band, he opened with a dark, brooding number reminiscent of former Sheffield band Dead Sons. The tone got lighter from there with the help of some wit from Joe himself poking fun at some crowd members from Barnsley and the ballad of first single 'Three Things (Only a Fool)'. Interspersing the new solo material with blasts from the past provided the nostalgia the crowd were looking for with Milburn's 'Summertime' being played for the first time in 7 years, whilst an acoustic version of 'Chesire Cat Smile' added an air of maturity to the track so it didn't feel too far removed from the rest of the set. Although the nostalgia was nice, the old tracks were outshone by the fresher material. Both 'The Boy Who Was Struck By Lightning', which is possibly the most feel good and catchy thing Carnall has written yet, and 'Sharpshooter', with its Soft Cell type electronic drum beat and disco keys channeling the 80's perfectly, were, say it quietly not to upset those for hoping a Milburn reunion, streets ahead of any of the older cuts from the set. But this didn't stop the crowd losing their shit to 'Well Well Well' proceeding to send the security into a panic as crowd surfers came tumbling over the front barrier, which all in all sent everyone away happy.




Due to Joe Carnall running over we had to jump in a taxi down to possibly the best venue in Sheffield, Queens Social Club, to see the battle of the two pieces between Sheffield's adopted sons Nai Harvest and Scottish duo Honeyblood. The rush to get there was, thankfully, worth it, as up first were Nai Harvest despite frontman Ben Thompson visibly being under the weather due to a heavy weekend. This did mean there were a few sloppy mistakes but this didn't impact on the band's performance to the extent that it could've done as the polish that coated tracks from second album Hairball, which made up the majority of the set, was stripped off and replaced with fuzz and feedback. The punky yet sweet 'Ocean of Madness' proved a highlight whilst the normally rough around the edges 'Buttercups' might as well have been sandpaper due to Thompson's hoarse voice but that made it even better. The sprawling title track from the second album brought proceedings to a close complete with Ben's best rockstar moves draping himself over the speakers on the stage and standing atop Lew Currie's bass drum, much to the drummer's amusement. 




Honeyblood were next to grace the glittery curtain and they still remain as pessimistic as ever about love and relationships. This is most evident on the biggest fuck you to an ex ever recorded in song 'Super Rat' and the bittersweet contrast between breezy guitars and downcast lyrics on 'Bud'. But the duel sides of the band are made clear on two new tracks 'Love is a Disease' and 'Babes Never Die'. The former is heavier and hits like a kick to the gut whilst the latter is more melodic and poppy with a killer chorus, showing that although they can rip your guts out Honeyblood will at least give you a hug afterwards. Before closer 'Killer Bangs', frontwoman Stina Tweedale announced that they were the secret headliners at The Great Gatsby the same night, so there was only one thing for it; go get some drinks down us and then venture to Division Street to see them for the second time in one night.  



Arriving later than planned at The Great Gatsby we had to enjoy the first half of Honeyblood's second set from outside but we eventually made it inside to see a significant portion of their set. Adding the cheery jangle of 'Fall Forever' and darker, sneering 'No Spare Key' to their earlier set, things were a whole lot more chaotic in the small confines of the tiny upstairs room. With members of Nai Harvest, Abattoir Blues, Radical Boy and Best Friends in attendance, the crowd were much more mobile than earlier in the day with stage invasions (albeit with permission from Stina), moshing and crowd surfing, including Ed Crisp from Best Friends going atop the crowd at one point. The second set was easily the better of the two proving that although they're suited to the bigger venues, Honeyblood are truly at their best when pandemonium ensues. 




So with that, Tramlines 2015 was over and as my night disappeared down the bottom of a pint glass in celebration of the weekend, the only thing we could do was begin the countdown until next years festival. We'll see you soon Tramlines, you gorgeous little creature.


Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Tramlines - Saturday 25/07/2015

Waking up with a slightly muggy head due to a poor night’s sleep (I'm blaming you Heineken) was not the ideal way to begin the second day of Tramlines, but beggars can't be choosers.

Thankfully I found the perfect remedy to my problem (no, not more drink) Tropic of Youth on the Devonshire Green stage. It feels like the Sheffield 4 piece have bottled up the picturesque beach landscape with crystal clear blue seas and white sands and somehow managed to transform that into a handful of charming tunes. This grabbed the crowd’s attention as it grew as the performance went on despite being plagued with technical difficulties during ‘Hot Season’, its gloriously jubilant guitars shone through and dismissed the early glitches. Their perseverance was rewarded though as the sun emerged for the infectious penultimate track ‘Poa Kichizi Kama Ndizi’ and showed they were the perfect way to start the day. 



Next up we had a wander to the Crystal stage to see local band The SSS but unfortunately we got there early and had to endure half of Dirty Stirling’s set. They were every working class cliché rolled into one with the frontman looking like a cheap knock off of Paul Weller and their sound being reminiscent of a poorer version of The Enemy, which is a feat amongst itself. Thankfully I didn't catch too much of their set as I had to dash off to find some ear plugs otherwise my I think I would've lost my faith in music knowing that bands like this actually still exist. 

Post ear plug journey I managed to get back to Crystal just in time for The SSS, who are reminiscent of humbug era Arctic Monkeys but with an anthemic edge. This is a band clearly having fun with a cover of Don't You Want Me Baby cleverly focused the crowd’s attention with a singalong before launching into the thumping ‘Find a Way’. The best was still to come with the final two tracks, the first being the emotionally charged ‘Into the Sun’ with its dedication to a late friend, it seemed to kick the band into a higher gear. The set was brought to a fitting end with the catchy earworm of first single ‘Morning Light’ and leaving the chorus stuck in the head of the sizable crowd, showing that they still have a lot left in their locker.




Following The SSS we had to quickly rush back to Devonshire Green in order to see local DIY heroes Best Friends. Showcasing cuts from their fantastic and aptly titled debut album Hot. Reckless. Totally Insane. Their fuzzy live show seemed more suited to a tightly packed, sticky room as opposed to the outdoor stage. However their songs and the sunshine soon put this uncertainty to rest as with a set consisting of mainly fresher material, with highlights being the summery shuffle of ‘Cold Shapes’ and frantic ‘Shred Til You're Dead’. But there was still room for old favourites such as the hyperactive ‘Wasting Time’ and ‘Dude Love’ that were welcome treats. Frontman Lewis Sharman's voice seemed to be hanging by a thread throughout yet it held together for the rousing rally cry of closer of ‘Orange Juice’, which starts off in ballad territory before exploding into bitter sweet guitars, proving just how far this band have come in 4 years. 



Following Best Friends we had a couple of hours wait before our next fix of local music, we found some food from a dominos tent and walked down to local vintage shop Mooch Vintage on Division Street. The shop was getting into the festivities with free drink for every customer, a saxophone player and local DJ so it provided a nice rest bite from the frantic buzz of the festival. (This isn’t a shameless plug, I promise).

Once finished at Mooch we decided to head up to The Harley in order to catch RedFaces, who are hot property at the moment after having recently signed to legendary label RCA. The youthful band have the obvious comparison to The Strypes due to their age but it's as if they've been plucked from the golden age of 70's rock and transported to 2015. They have all the trademarks of a classic rock band with gravelly vocals similar to fellow new comers Pretty Vicious, hard hitting riffs and 3 part harmonies but the only problem is that these vocals sound too forced. Despite this small gripe their age simply means they have time to mature themselves and their sound which in turn means that they should have a long career in the music industry ahead of them. 



From the Harley we broke our run of seeing local bands as we ventured down to the Leadmill to see the unpredictably chaotic Fat White Family. But now the 6 piece from South London have toned down their lives shows considerably; gone are the naked, shit flinging days and instead there's hipshaking and convulsions a plenty from frontman Lias Saudi, who still manages to look like a wild animal on stage constantly swigging on a can of Guinness. Although there was no new material aired their headline set was nothing short of raucous with the crowd bouncing from the opening jangles of ‘Is It Raining In Your Mouth?’ and continued throughout the singalong of ‘Auto Neutron’ which turned it into some sort of twisted gospel. The final parting shots of the groovy ‘Touch The Leather’ and twisted ‘Bomb Disneyland’ resonated like two blasts from a double barrelled shotgun as Lias greeted the baying crowd during the latter before getting dragged into a crowd surf to end the night on a high, if you ignore the lyrics about dead kids that is.




So with that the second day at Tramlines came to an end and as I ventured off to get the last tram home to get an earlyish night, it was great to see the impact the festival has on the city as everywhere in the town centre was still bristling with people and venues having queues the length of the streets they were on. Tramlines really does transform Sheffield and its bloody brilliant.

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Tramlines - Friday 24/07/2015

Ah Tramlines, we meet again. As Friday dawned so did the 6th year of the eclectic Sheffield festival and the days events certainly didn't disappoint. Despite great deal of thumb twiddling that occurred during the day due to the festivities not commencing until the evening, the excitement was considerable as we travelled to the brand new main stage on Ponderosa Park. 


Once there it was only a short wait until Ghostpoet emerged to open proceedings as the slow spitting of rain began. For me being a total newbie to Ghostpoet, I was pleasantly surprised. The mix of hip hop drum beats and warm synths with cutting guitars from the full live band added a meatiness to his spoken word raps. The defining feature of this curious blend is his voice that holds the whole thing together, as it lays somewhere in between Morgan Freeman and Kano and seems to drip over the instrumentals and hang in the air. Yet, this proved to be a tame opening compared to what was to follow as the rain got heavier by the time Slaves took to the stage. 




The rain didn't dampen the primal (their words not mine) duo's spirits though, as they arrived with lightsabers and proceeded to have a battle that ended with both of them on the floor following opener ‘Are You Satisfied?’. This cheekiness carried on throughout the set, somewhat contrasting their thumping, aggressive tracks from their brilliant debut album, including  rousing singles 'Cheer Up London' and the sinister 'The Hunter'. However there was one glaring omittance as their self described aquatic ballad of Feed The Mantaray didn't get an airing. The Kent pair were their normal playful selves as they interchanged compliments and quizzed which member of the crowd had lost their shoes. Yet the charm melted away during their customary crowd surf to closer ‘Hey’ as Isaac refused to finish the song until his hat was returned from the crowd. After 5 minutes, chants of "where's his hat?" and Laurie making light of the situation, the hat was returned and the set was brought to a fittingly chaotic close. 



The contrast between Slaves and first day headliners The Charlatans couldn't have been more drastic. The former saw pogoing and moshing from the crowd whilst the latter saw kids on the shoulders of their parents and questionable dance moves from the middle aged members of the crowd. But The Charlatans proved they're still on form some 25 years after their first release with a career spanning set and cuts from new album Modern Nature. New tracks such as ‘So Oh’, which was given an extra atmospheric edge as dusk fell, and ‘Come Home Baby’ mixed seamlessly with the older, more familiar tracks from their back catalogue including ‘One to Another’ and the crowd pleasing ‘Only One I Know’ which still sounds fresh to this day. All of this shows that theirs still life left in the band yet as they brought their set to a close with a sprawling, woozily psychedelic 8 minute rendition of ‘Sproston Green’ that sent the crowd home happy. 

But my nights work wasn't done as there was still the small matter of seeing rising stars Yak at The Great Gatsby on Division Street where the upstairs venue felt like you were seeing a band in the living room of a terraced house. Starting half an hour later than planned due to technical difficulties and with frontman Ollie Burslem looking like a cross between Harry Koisser and Chilli Jesson with a maniacal grin spread across his face, their thunderous live show impressed the criminally small crowd. Coming off like a more psychedelic Queens of the Stone Age, it's easy to see why the band has their hype with the stop start ‘Smile’ and the furious ‘Hungry Heart’ hammering around the small room like somebody had let a jackhammer loose to spiral out of control. Mosh pits ensued for the raucous closer of ‘Plastic People’ and showed just why Yak are labelled as one of the next big things. 



With that the first day of Tramlines was over and as we went in search of a midnight snack, the most pleasing thought was that we get to do it all again the next day.