Guillemots on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Anyone see this?

Must say I was a bit taken aback by the full-on-ness of the song they performed. Is this a change in direction or just The Guillemots expanding their repertoire? Love the fact they’re always willing to experiment with their music and don’t seem to worry too much about consequences. Sign of things to come though? Only time will tell….

Glastonbury 2007 Highlights

As a Glasto virgin I honestly didn’t really know what to expect and which bits of the hype to beleive, but the sheer scale of this festival leaves all others in the shade.

Highlights over the weekend in no particular order were:

The Blood Arm
Editors
£30 Gazeebo
Super Furry Animals
Gruff Rhys
Ghostbusters
Kasabian
Camp fires
Chemical Brothers – in particular the video/laser show
Getting out of the car park in 5 mins on Monday morning

I’ve read on many forums that the festival has lost its magic – I’ve nothing to compare it to but think it sounds like bollocks to me – these people can fucking stay at home next year and let someone else have the tickets.

Roll on Glasto 2008!

Guillemots @ Carling Academy, Newcastle – 05/02/07

Nominated for various “Live” awards, including a BRIT, an expectant crowd gathered at the Newcastle Carling Academy for Guillemots.  Even now they’ve been promoted to larger venues the stage never seems quite big enough for this collective, lead by the effervescent Fyfe Dangerfield, and all of their instruments.  The band took to the stage all dressed in white, to music belonging in a Hammer Horror film, the lunatics really had taken over the asylum.

Kicking off with a version of Made Up Love Song #43 early in the set, Guillemots endeavor to put on a show of which no two will ever be the same.  A smattering of new songs and rarities litter the evening’s entertainment, including Sea Out, an early demo that did not quite make either EP From The Cliffs or album Through The Windowpane.

A short interlude saw Fyfe playing alone before crowd pleaser Trains To Brazil brought the set to its climax.  However, the fun was not quite over as they played out with Sao Paulo accompanied by selected members of the crowd beating various kitchen implements and bubbles spewing out from the sides. 

Great band, great show – someone please give them an award!

If anyone has the set list please post it.

The Golden Virgins @ Independant, Sunderland – 27/10/06

Not much time for a full review but I can quickly say it was fucking mint.  Putting Maximo Park, The Futureheads and all the other local bands I’ve seen to shame. 

The set included excellent renditions of Staying Sober, I Am A Camera and curtain closer Renaissance Kid, as well as a track from the unreleased second album.

Alas they are no more.

The Rifles @ Carling Academy2, Newcastle – 26/10/06 (Live Review)

An absolutely choc-o-block Academy was treated to a tight performance, just reward given the mammoth tour The Rifles have embarked upon, of tracks from debut album – ‘No Love Lost’.

Each and every track was enthusiastically received, with special appreciation reserved for Soccer A.M. favourite ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Local Boy’.

The Rifles heavily retro/mod influenced music will probably result in an Ocean Colour Scene style witch hunt led by the morons of NME, however the songs are as catchy as any currently around.

If anyone has the set list, please post it as a comment.

The View @ The Cluny, Newcastle – 17/10/06 (Live Review)

In a slowly filling Cluny, the evenings support was provided by local artist Paul Jeans, a one man band on keyboard using a contraption to play base drum with his left foot and a snare with his right.  His pop ballads could be best compared to someone like Ben Folds, albeit a Geordie version, and were (luke) warmly received by the audience, a blend of catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics.  Not the best, but certainly not the worst unknown local support act I’ve ever been forced to endure (That award must surely go to The Jetsons).

By the time The View swagger onto the stage space is at a premium and their arrival is greeted by what to them must seem a obligatory crowd chant of “…The View are on fire”.  The first thing that strikes you is how young they look, but with that youth comes an air of cocksure confidence, as they greet the crowd with broad Scots accents which I’m sure no one south of the border could fully translate!  Luckily, as on record, once they start singing their lyrics are so simple even someone from “darn sarf” could understand.  

Following a comparatively low-key start, the crowd came to life during ‘Same Jeans’ and by the time lead singer and bassist swapped roles for ‘Skag Trendy’ everything was in full flow.  More potential hits followed with an almost trademark View style.

‘Wasted Little DJs’ proved to be the sing-a-long of the night and inspired a bout of crowd surfing, something I have never witnessed before at The Cluny, and the rock and roll riot scenes continued during ‘Posh Boys’ and set closer ‘Superstar Tradesman’, the latter of which is due for release as a single on Monday 23rd October.

If these young whippersnappers manage to survive the upcoming tour with Primal Scream then I very much look forward to a debut album early in 2007.