Rolo Tomassi, Tunbridge Wells Forum, 16/4/10

Quietly entering the stage dressed in a silver sequinned hoodie, Rolo Tomassi’s petite lead singer Eva Spence looks somewhat out of place amongst a room full of heavy-metal fans. However, after brazenly declaring, “there are no rules”, the band launch into the first song and any concerns The Fly may have had of this songstress getting flattened by an over-zealous mosh are hastily negated.

It is quite astonishing that these throaty, guttural vocals are produced by such a diminutive figure and their music is definitely not the sort to listen to if you suffer from headaches or a nervous disposition. With their distinctive 'mathcore-rock' sound, it would be fair to say that Rolo Tomassi are far from everyone's cup of tea, and the mere 150 people present tonight is perhaps testament to this. However, despite Eva declaring that tonight they are performing in “one of the coldest venues in the country”, it doesn't take long for this ardent crowd to be suitably warmed up.

Whilst the set features older songs such as 'Scabs' and 'I Love Turbulence', the band have been using this tour as an opportunity to debut material from their new album 'Cosmology'. Electronica and even elements of jazz are prominent, along with intermittent but swift changes into softer, more commonplace harmonies proving that Rolo Tomassi are not happy simply resting upon their laurels. New songs such as 'Party Wounds' and 'Unromance' demonstrate just how integral these electro elements in particular are to their sound, often taking them away from their metal roots altogether.

The undeniable star of this show is the young Miss Spence, who flits between throwing herself around the stage as if her life depends on it, and twirling about like a classical dancer. Combined with the almost demonic vocals, this Sheffield quintet provides a rather erratic spectacle that The Fly is certainly not going to forget in a hurry.


This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

Young Rebel Set, The Barfly, 29/3/10

Stepping unassumingly onto the stage wearing checked shirts and sporting the odd vagabond beard, Young Rebel Set are a long way off the rowdy demeanour that their name suggests. By the time acoustic guitars are hooked over shoulders and The Fly spots a harmonica, there is a flicker of doubt as to whether we're actually in the right venue. But sure enough, lead singer Matty Chipchase introduces the seven guys on stage as the band we were expecting and they launch straight into their self-described 'gritty urban folk'.

Young Rebel Set name The Pogues and Springsteen as two of their main influences, and traces of both these artists are incredibly evident in every aspect of their sound. Piano solos and guitar harmonies build into hearty choruses facilitating The Boss' renowned Heartland Rock style, and Chipchase's voice has a touch of the gravely, world-weariness about it that idol Shane MacGowan exhibits so exquisitely. Their songs live are faster than in recordings, and this creates a more jovial feel compared to the more melancholy tone set prior to seeing them on stage. Fast-paced folk tracks such as 'Down The Line' make feet twitch - we’re longing to burst into barn dance around some haystacks to this - and the thoroughly unpretentious nature of their stage presence creates the impression that they could really be playing for you in such a humble setting.

Talk of idealistic romances dominate, particularly in 'If I Was', but this is a refreshing change from woe-addled tales of love and misery that seem to be provided in abundance by many other bands these days. Their larger-than-average size (there’s seven of them!) means that there are more individual sounds to be woven in amongst each other and if you listen carefully you can hear how layers have been intricately slotted together. Positives aside, there are occasions whereby their influences seem to be on the verge of overwhelming their own sound, and this is something Young Rebel Set need to be wary of. That said, they always say it's the quieter ones you should look out for, and it's going to be these discerning young Yorkshire-men that live up to their name when you least expect it.


This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

Youthmovies, Borderline, 26/3/10

“Well that was pretty full on”, declares Moog maestro Sam after an outstanding set tonight at the Borderline. And The Fly couldn't have put it better ourselves as the band provide an emotionally charged and memorably boisterous set for their final London gig before disbanding.

Launching into ‘Ores’ to kick off proceedings, the crowd is enthralled, and this doesn’t let up until the boys finish eighty minutes later. Audience and band are discernibly as one, with Mears jittering about the stage and playing in amongst his devotees for extended periods of time. After being jokingly heckled as “fucking quitters”, the guys appear genuinely touched by the reception that they receive tonight, laughing that they are more popular now that they’re splitting than the entire time they've been together.

Youthmovies are the masters of tempo change and they flit back and forth so erratically between raucous and frenetic guitars to slower, more melodic vocals that you are left in a continual state of uncertainty as to what they might catapult at you next. The nine songs played in their set tonight flow into one another seamlessly, with it not always being clear where one track ends and another begins. Ska-inspired trumpet outbursts and distorted sound experimentation during ‘Last Night Of The Proms’, along with largely improvised ten-minute instrumentals, only serve to attest to the fact that they are one hell of an innovative group of musicians. 

The overall sound is undefinable. Taking its time to momentarily skim over a variety of genres but never resting upon one long enough in order to settle itself into a specific niche, this is what makes Youthmovies such an incredibly mesmerising live band. It's been eight wonderfully inherent years for this Oxford-based quintet, and they couldn't have provided a more triumphant last hurrah.


This review was originally posted at www.the-fly.co.uk

Editors, Brixton Academy, 25/3/10

As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it – and tonight Editors' performance is testament to this. Admirable as it may have been for the band to step outside their comfort zone and venture into the inscrutable realms of synthesisers for their latest album, these new-found submissions unfortunately don't seem to translate for them in the live arena as impressively as their older material does. 

Opening with ‘In This Light And On This Evening’, the title track to their third release provides a taste of Editors' quintessentially macabre sound, yet does little to encourage enthusiasm. Luckily, the vigorously guitar-riffed stormer ‘An End Has A Start’ soon stimulates the audience and it is during more energetic songs such as this that the venue seemed to really come alive. More recent ‘Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool’ acts as a sample of the traditional Editors style with poppier verses giving way to stirring drum poundings which reverberate around the venue. That said, there remains throughout a noticeable difference in crowd reaction to their newer music in comparison to classics such as 'Blood' and 'Bullets’. Execution of their rather more lacklustre current tracks sees the punters revert to idle chatter and migration towards the bar, yet the urgency behind the frenzied choruses of older material proves considerably more rousing, with the audience clearly soaking up every last note.

Despite a change in style, their newer songs are far from wanting when it comes to the familiar ardent lyrics. Tom Smith's unerring vocals contain such passionate yearning that you can't help but feel overwhelmed by the necessity of his words, and this is not something that many bands at the minute can truly boast. The effort is undeniably there then, but if Editors wish to perpetuate their status as being one of the best British bands in recent years, they need to retrieve and maintain the panache and energy that was exhibited in their early sound.



This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

Noah and the Whale, Roundhouse, 12/3/10

Taking a break from recording their upcoming third album, tonight sees Noah And The Whale return for a one-off gig at the venue where they launched their debut album two years ago.

The opening track is a choral-backed ‘Love Of An Orchestra’, which sets the musical tone for the rest of the evening, with rich, melodic violins and commanding bursts of trumpets. The band emphatically propel themselves through a set-list comprised predominantly of tracks from their lyrically raw second album, with ‘I Have Nothing’ amusingly causing lead singer Charlie to declare that he wished he’d come up with better song names. Legendary pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole arrives onstage to accompany the band during ‘My Door Is Always Open’, and fan favourites such as ‘2 Atoms In A Molecule’ and ‘Jocasta’ from Noah And The Whale’s more jovial first release are slotted in amongst their more poignant songs to get everyone dancing.  Somewhat disappointingly, it is ‘Five Years Time’ that draws the loudest response from the crowd, despite this being far from their most rousing of songs. And the band also take the opportunity to debut a new track in the encore, establishing that their new sound won't be a huge departure from their most recent work.

There is not an ounce of pretention with this folk act, and this modesty is part of their overwhelming charm. The simplicity of their performance, delicately meshed with poignantly intense lyrics, makes Noah And The Whale’s music nothing but sincerely heartrending. And for a band whose latest material is founded upon the tale of a loss of love, there is, ironically, a hell of a lot of it in the room tonight.

This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

Bertie Blackman, The Barfly 27/2/10

When a young woman named Bertie steps onto the stage with cat whiskers painted on her face, you could be forgiven for not expecting an overly stirring performance. However, as this feisty, petite, Australian songstress picks up her guitar and starts singing, it is immediately clear that she is about to demonstrate otherwise. 

One thing that is apparent from the off is that Bertie's live performance is extensively more exhilarating and intoxicating than her recorded work gives her credit for. Her don't-give-a-shit attitude on stage is intriguing rather than clichéd, and she sings with such a purpose it sometimes feels as though her entire being depends on it. Breathy, violin-backed opener 'The Sky is Falling' lulls the crowd into a certain state of relaxation, yet from second track ‘Thump’ the set swiftly ascends into a myriad of electronica and pop-rock, which doesn't slacken in pace until Bertie and her band triumphantly depart the stage forty minutes later.

Strong electro drum beats pulsate through the set creating more of a dance feel as the evening progresses, though the lead singer's early childhood influences of African percussion are not forgotten, and shine through in 'Heart', which is founded around a series of tribal beats and claps. Slower verses are transformed into heavy, guitar filled choruses, and soft, raspy vocals become tormented, throaty wails, continually jolting the enthralled crowd into the unexpected.

With her ability to deviate from one sound to another without seeming laboured, and the nonchalant vibe that exudes from her every pore, Bertie is everything that a lot of female artists are currently striving to be. Yet after seeing Blackman and her band it's evident many of these other pretenders still have a long way to go.

This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

It's been a while...

From now on The Ornamental is generally going to be a hub-point for everything I write for other publications, so anyone who is interested in keeping up to date with my music writing will be able to find it all in one place. Will start posting pieces asap, and as ever, spread the word and all that jazz!

Here's what I'm currently listening to for your audio enjoyment...



As much as I love Andy Warhol, he should never have forced Nico on them. Fact.

Ding, Dong, the Bells are ringing

Whilst M.I.A. is currently busy stirring various journos and focusing on her reputation rather than her music, the latest group to be signed to her N.E.E.T. recording label Sleigh Bells are busy packing a punch in all the right places. With their slamming guitars, thumping bass and screeching vocals, their sound is one that you definitely can't ignore. However, the pounding is so intoxicating that after you hear one song you're left craving more and luckily their new album 'Treats' is brimming with track after track of the dance punk sound that makes them so distinctive. Despite only releasing their first single in April, this Brooklyn duo are already causing such a stir that they played this year's esteemed Coachella Festival. Check out their stormer of a track, 'Crown On The Ground' below to experience this prodigious blitz on the senses yourself. If this band isn't one to watch, then I don't know who is.

Sleigh Bells - Crown On The Ground


www.myspace.com/sleighbellsmusic

Flyin' High

(This post is brought to you with the letters S and F and dedicated to the lovely Beary)

Raucous guitars and loaded beats are currently the sound de jour and even those artists who feel they are diverting away from such influences repeatedly find themselves enticed back into the familiar fold. However, San Francisco natives Still Flyin' are one of the few who can actually boast that they do in fact stand out from the crowd. This fifteen (yes, you read that correctly) strong group presents flighty, jovial pop, infused with elements of 1960s psychadelia and a hippy choral effect that makes you just want to get up and join in with their musical commune.

The band have just finished up a string of successful promotional dates in the UK and Europe, including playing the much-lauded ATP event and the Stag and Dagger festival in Shoreditch and will be back on English shores to promote their new EP in September. But for now, take a minute (or several) from the rigmarole of your every day existence and find yourself cheered by the sprightly innocence of Still Flyin'. It may be summertime for now, but these guys are year-round sunshine in a bottle.

Still Flyin' - Good Thing It's A Ghost Town Around Here


Still Flyin' - The Hott Chord Is Struck



www.myspace.com/stillflyin
http://www.takeyourshoesoffyoudontneedtheminthesky.com/

It's been a while...

...and I have neglected this page. I have been continuing with my music writing though and will post the stuff I've had published on other outlets on here as soon as I get a second.

To keep you occupied in the meantime, have a listen to these few songs which are current favourites of mine. The first is by a massively underrated band, The National who have been releasing and performing for nearly a decade now but are only just coming into the limelight. Next is angelic French songstress Charlotte Gainsbourg, who for her latest record has made an unlikely professional alliance with kook-meister Beck, but with some brilliant results. And finally is the pairing of actress Zooey Deschanel and folk charmer M Ward, who have teamed up to form She & Him, a melodic blend of Californian folk-pop.
Let me know what you think.

The National 'Slow Show'




Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck 'Heaven Can Wait'



She & Him 'Why Do You Let Me Stay Here'