Gig Review: KT Tunstall @ Brighton Dome

KT Tunstall @ Brighton Dome 10/11

Well after a series a hard rock gigs it was nice to have a change of pace and a bit of variety, and what better way to provide that than enjoy an evening in the company of KT Tunstall. On tour supporting her new album ‘Invisible Empire//Crescent Moon’, there was a selection of new songs alongside a smattering of old favourites.  Brighton Dome was packed and the crowd wasn't disappointed.

Before her though there was support from a new artist to me; a guy called Billy Hackett. He ambled on stage and seemed a bit shy at first but he let his music do the talking and I have to say I was really impressed.  He played from the heart with songs written about his dad, “how rubbish record companies are” and one influenced after he helped a soldier propose to his girlfriend (video is YouTube). He won the crowd over with his nervous charm and seemed genuinely thrilled to be on tour, “it’s changing my life,” he commented. He finished with a surprise cover of The Lumineers ‘Ho Hey’ which I particularly enjoyed. I really liked him and will definitely be keeping an eye out for him in the future.

KT Tunstall was next on stage and played a set consisting mainly of songs from her latest album ‘Invisible Empire//Crescent Moon’. Although I am not as familiar with the album as I am with her previous material I enjoyed it all the same. She told the story of how she made the new album in Arizona using old reel tapes. “I never want to see a computer when I’m making music again. You don’t make music with your eyes that way.”  She also mentioned how she forgets the lyrics to her older songs. When someone shouted out a request, Tunstall replied,” When I write new music, my head is filled with the new songs and doesn’t have much room for old ones. I have to Google my old songs to find the lyrics.”

Playing an acoustic solo show, without a backing band, she provided all the backing beats herself; either banging her guitar or using a percussion instruments. It was the same set up as her television debut back in 2004 when she appeared on Live… with Jools Holland. It was impressive to watch and provided a very gentle atmosphere, something which matches the mood of the new material.

While the new tracks were well received, the old favourites went down very well. ‘(Still A) Weirdo)’ was preceded by an anecdote about her “weirdo of the day”, Brighton’s being a busker ‘playing’ the pan pipes while smoking a cigarette; “he could of turned it off, but he didn’t care!”

‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” received a big cheer, particularly when she incorporated a version of ‘Seven Nation Army’ halfway through using a duck type whistle (it has a name which escapes me) to recreate the famous riff. She then played fan favourite ‘Suddenly I See’ during the encore, which had everyone on their feet… after a bit of encouragement. I particularly liked the way she captured the audience singing along so she could use it as her backing singers, as on the studio version.

Overall it was a brilliant evening’s entertainment. Having been to a number of loud rock concerts recently, it made a real change to go to a totally acoustic concert where it was just the singer, a guitar and piano (Not played at the same time… well apart from once). The new album has a more melancholy sound to her previous material but that didn’t stop her putting on a good show.

Gig Review: Ugly Kid Joe @ Concorde 2, Brighton

Ugly Kid Joe @ Concorde 2, Brighton 4/11

It was a 90s nostalgia trip for most of the crowd in Brighton last night as Californian rockers Ugly Kid Joe were in town. They are a band I never thought I’d get to see live. Enjoying the height of their success in the early 90s, the band split in 1997, ending a chance to see them before I’d heard of them. It would have been a shame because their 1992 debut album ‘America’s Least Wanted’ is one of my favourite albums. Not only did it have the classics ‘Everything about You’ and ‘Cats in the Cradle’ but also the epic ‘Panhandlin Prince’ and ‘Mr Recordman’. It’s a brilliant album from start to finish.  However in 2010 there were rumours of a reunion and new material. Roll forward three years and they rock up in the UK alongside Skid Row for a co-headline tour, so of course I had to be there.

First up were Australian band Dead City Ruins, and to tell the truth they were bloody brilliant. Australia sure knows how to produce a good rock band, and these guys continue the trend. With crunching riffs, epic solos and howling vocals, it didn’t take them long to win over the crowd. They may have only had a short set, but they were the perfect openers for the night.

Ugly Kid Joe were on next and they were on top form.  You would never have guessed that they had been away for the best part of 15 years.  Whitfield Crane is a fantastic frontman and had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very beginning. Be it clapping, cheering or bouncing up and down, they followed every word.

Playing songs mosty from their first two albums, songs such as ‘Neighbor’, ‘C.U.S.T.’, ‘Panhandlin’ Prince’ and ‘So Damn Cool’ were very well received. ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ was sung loud and proud, with the crowd going solo on the chorus with ‘Milkman’s Son’ and ‘Goddamn Devil’ also going down very well. They finished their set with the classic ‘Everything About You’, again with full crowd participation, before ending with a brilliant cover of the legendary Motorhead song ‘Ace of Spades’.  It’s a shame they didn’t include ‘Mr Recordman’ as, even though it’s an acoustic track, it’s one of their best songs. Talking of best songs, I can’t remember if they played ‘Busy Bee’. I think they did and if they didn’t they should have.

I am glad I finally got to see Ugly Kid Joe. They are such a fun bad, especially in live environment. Crane bounces around the stage with youthful energy while Klaus Eichstadt is a vastly underrated guitarist. Not only was the crowd loving it but the band was clearly having a great time as well, with Crane thanking the crowd more than once. They are a band that don’t take themselves too seriously but at the same time are very talented at what they do. It’s a good combination to have as they put on a great show and leaves you with a smile on your face.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Skid Row as I had leave after UKJ finished to catch a train home because I had a night shift at work to attend to. I’d seen the band I’d come to see though and they more than warranted the price of the ticket. 

Gig Review: Deap Vally @ Concorde 2, Brighton

Deap Vally @ Concorde 2, Brighton 1/11

There are a lot of girls on the rock scene at the moment. There’s Lzzy Hale from Halestorm, Orianthi, Emily Amrstrong and Siouxsie Medley from Dead Sara, Icon for Hire’s Ariel Bloomer and Taylor Momson from The Pretty Reckless to name but a few. The latest to throw their hat into the ring are LA duo Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards. Together they are Deap Vally and if you like no frills rock then these are the girls for you. All you get is two girls, a guitar and a drum kit. Oh and not forgetting some damn good music. I must admit I didn’t know too much about them before seeing them. I liked their singles and heard they had a good reputation as a live act so I decided to see what the hype was about myself. It was worth it.

Before them though there was support from TigerCub and Skaters. I only saw half of TigerCub’s set but they sounded pretty decent. They reminded me a bit of Nirvana. Not sure if that was the style they were going for but that’s who they reminded me of. New York band Skaters were on next and they have definitely gained a new fan. Their songs were catchy and had a good sound. They even had time to sing happy birthday to their drummer as well.

Once they had departed it was time for Deap Vally. There may only be two of them but they make a big sound. Best described as a blend of blues and alternative rock (think White Stripes and you get the idea), there is a rawness to their music that you can’t help but be drawn in by. There is also a strong chemistry and energy between the two of them, something that is clearly seen in their live act. Playing stuff from their debut album ‘Sistrionix’ their set included ‘End of the World’, ‘Walk of Shame’ and ‘Gonna Make My Own Money’.

Having graced the likes of Glastonbury and Reading Festivals already this year, it must have made a change to play a small venue like Concorde2, but it suited them just fine. It was packed and crowd loved them and they themselves looked to be having a great time. Lindsey even had time to do a bit of crowd surfing mid set. They are also really nice people. They were more than happy to have photos and sign stuff after the gig.  I met Lindsey at the merch stall afterwards and bagged myself a signed album which was an added bonus. After buying a ticket for the gig on impulse, I’m glad I went. Definitely a band I recommend you go and see if they play near you.

Gig Review: The Answer @ Concorde 2, Brighton

The Answer @ Concorde 2, Brighton 27/10

I don’t know what it is with The Answer, but I don’t seem to have much luck when I have tickets to see them. First time, back in 2009, the gig was postponed because the drummer had broken his finger. Second time, at their Portsmouth show a couple of years later, I was ill and had to miss the show. This time round, the weather tried its damned hardest to make life as difficult as possible with a rough storm hitting the south coast. I got there though and well, what can I say? They were brilliant. Well worth battling the elements to see.

Before The Answer though there was support from new British rockers Cage the Gods and Aussie trio Tracer. I was impressed by both of them actually. Cage the Gods were good. They had a classic rock sound, but gave it a modern edge that I liked. They also knew how to rock hard as well (as evidenced by an impressive drum solo) and they definitely won some fans. Tracer came on next and played a long set. I had heard of them before and knew they had a reputation for being good live, so I was looking forward to seeing them. I wasn’t all too familiar with their material but I liked what I heard and they definitely channel the same energy and enthusiasm as fellow Aussies Airbourne.

After they departed the stage was set for the headline act. The Answer came out straight into the title track from their latest album ‘New Horizon’. They played a mixture of songs from across their 4 album back catalogue, and even though there were a couple of favourites from older albums that were left out, there was a good selection of songs in the setlist. Personal favourites included ‘Under the Sky’, ‘On and On’ and ‘Nowhere Freeway’. The new songs sounded fantastic as well however with ‘Spectacular’ and ‘Concrete’ being particular highlights.

Part of the reason the songs sounded so good is because The Answer are a very good live band. They sound exactly the same live as they do on their albums, just with the volume turned up to 11. Cormac Neeson is a brilliant frontman. He loves interacting with the crowd and has a top notch singing voice while Paul Mahon is one of the most talented guitarists around at the moment. He may not be an A-List name but when I saw them live first time round, it was the guitar playing that made the biggest impression, and he was on top form again here. The riffs and the solos were just fantastic.

This was the end of the UK leg of their tour and wanted to end on a high and from where I was standing, they certainly achieved that. After a dose of American hard rock and Danish rockabilly metal last weekend, it time for a bit of good old classic rock and few bands around are better at the moment than The Answer. They are keeping the classic rock fire well lit.

Gig Review: Volbeat @ Brixton Academy, London

Volbeat- Brixton Academy, London 19/10

What a gig. The social networking sites warned that London was in for a brilliant night, and they were right. Volbeat were bloody awesome. They manage to be a heavy rock/metal band but still have an element of fun in their music that makes you smile.  So glad I finally got to see them after the last one got cancelled due to illness a couple of years or so back.

The support acts were pretty decent. I missed the first one (queue to get in and merch stall took care of that) but the second band, Iced Earth were quite impressive. It didn’t feel like watching a new band, and having since looked them up turns out I was right. Their debut album is the same age as me, so they have been around a fair while. Their experience definitely showed and they put on a really good performance.  The singer impressed me the most going from a James Hetfield type growl to a Bruce Dickinson-esque howl with ease. He also played the frontman role well, really getting the crowd going. Definitely had the crowd pumped up for the headliner.

As for Volbeat, what can I say? I’m not sure who enjoyed it more, the crowd or them. They came onto the stage to a huge roar from the crowd after an introduction by Motorhead’s ‘Born to Raise Hell’ and went straight into ‘Hallelujah Goat’, ‘Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood’ and ‘Radio Girl’ (one of my personal favourites). By then they had really got into their stride and when an acoustic guitar was bought onto the stage for singer Michael Poulsen, everyone had a pretty good idea what was coming up.

It was of course the old crowd favourite ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’ preceded by Johnny Cash’s legendary ‘Ring of Fire’ which had the whole place singing as one. “You like a bit of Johnny Cash then?” Poulsen replied. They then ripped into ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’ with the crowd in full voice. It’s a good song anyway, but live with full crowd participation it’s even better. Next was my favourite song from their new album ‘Lola Montez’. Judging by the crowd’s reaction I’m not the only one. I can’t vouch for previous gigs, but Poulsen seemed genuinely surprised when he sang the opening line and the crowd sung the first few lines back to him. After stopping to take it in, they carried on, and the song is just as good live as it sounds like it would be. Definitely an instant Volbeat classic.

They followed that up with ‘Heaven nor Hell’ and the impressive ’16 Dollars’, which sounds even better live than the studio version. One of the surprises of the night was the inclusion of the cover of the Young the Giant song ‘My Body’. I love the original and when I heard Volbeat’s version a few months back I was an instant fan of that too. It was great to hear it live as it really is a quality song.

They finished their set with a snippet of ‘Breaking the Law’ by Judas Priest, with Pete the drum technician on drums (very talented crew they have given the jam they did on sound check) before ending with the classic ‘Still Counting’, another song that had the whole place singing along.

They walked back on stage and played an encore of ‘Doc Holiday’, the fantastic ‘I Only Want to Be with You’ and ‘Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza’ (after inviting some girls to join them on stage). I am so glad they played ‘I Only Want to be with You’ as it is one of my favourite Volbeat songs. When I first heard it, I thought a metal version of Dusty Springfield couldn’t work but it so does.

Overall it was a top quality night; my ears are still ringing (although seeing Alter Bridge the night before might have something to do with it also). The band are fantastic and Paulsen is great front man, even managing to pull off a stage dive. They played all crowd favourites, all except maybe ‘The Garden’s Tale’, but you can’t have everything. The band looked like they enjoyed, but judging by the crowd’s reaction, I think they enjoyed it more.

Gig Review: Alter Bridge @ Wembley Arena, London

Alter Bridge, Shinedown and Halestorm @ Wembley Arena 18/10

This was a concert of firsts. First time seeing Shinedown. First time seeing Alter Bridge (although not Myles Kennedy). And my first time to Wembley Arena. I’d seen Halestorm before, but wouldn’t pass up a chance to see them again. I was lucky to go to the gig at all. I bought a ticket on impulse the weekend before and was lucky there were still tickets available. I’m really glad I did though as all three bands put on a brilliant evening’s entertainment.

First up were one of my favourite bands, Halestorm. They may have only had a half hour slot as the opening band, not enough in my opinion, but they gave it 100%. They were in awesome form as they rattled through songs from their last album ‘The Strange Case Of…’ including the Grammy award winning ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’. Their performance was typified by drummer Arejay Hale, often likened to Animal from The Muppets and on this performance it is easy to see why. He is crazy behind the drums. Given the chance to show off he wowed the crowd with a mental drum solo. While your attention is drawn to him it is easy to overlook the other members. Joe Hottinger is a very talented guitarist while Lzzy Hale showed why she is one of the best female vocalists around at the moment, especially on their cover of the Judas Priest song ‘Dissident Aggressor’. Certainly the perfect opening act for the night.

Next up were Shinedown. Now I must confess I’m not a huge Shinedown fan. They seemed to have passed me by a bit apart from hearing them on Kerrang and Scuzz every now and then. They were a very popular choice as support though, Shinedown t-shirts were everywhere, and their set went down very well with the fans in the crowd.  They played a couple of songs I recognised including ‘Unity’ and ‘Bully’ but they still showed their versatility with ballads such as ‘Second Chance’ and hard rocking songs like ‘Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay)’.  Singer Brent Smith also found time to deliver a rousing speech; “Rock n Roll isn’t a genre, it’s a way of life,” which received a huge cheer. The crowd was definitely pumped up for the headline act once they had finished their set.

This left just band to appear to stage, the mighty Alter Bridge and they showed exactly why they are one of the best hard rock acts in the world right now. They put on a performance that showed just how a rock show should be done. Crowd pleasers mixed with new tracks from their latest album ‘Fortress’, they were on top form. Opening with ‘Addicted to Pain’, the lead single from ‘Fortress’, it set the scene for things to come. With that fantastic riff it was a brilliant way to open the show.

Not bad for a crappy camera phone

Their set consisted mostly of songs from their 2007 album ‘Blackbird’ including ‘Rise Today’, a fantastic rendition of ‘Come to Life’ (my favourite AB song) and the acoustic ‘Watch Over You’. Kennedy said that the band had played around with the setlist a bit adding ‘Metalingus’ after people had complained it had been dropped from previous shows. They finished their set with the brilliant ‘Open Your Eyes’ before coming on for an encore consisting of ‘Slip to the Void’ and ‘Isolation’.

Alter Bridge are the ultimate modern rock band. They have the sound, the riffs, the solos and bass lines that all good rock bands need. It helps though that they have an incredibly talented guitarist in Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy who is widely regarded as one of the best singers of the current generation of rock artists. But seeing them live is something else. They know how to put on a fantastic show and they get everything out of the crowd. Definitely a band I recommend you go and see if you get the chance. You won’t regret it.

Big thank you goes out to Michael who took some pictures for me after my camera broke

Gig Review: The Weeks @ The Haunt, Brighton

The Weeks- The Haunt, Brighton 16/10

The Weeks at Hard Rock Calling

The Weeks are one of my favourite finds of 2013. It’s not often I  decide to see a band on the strength of one song.  After randomly clicking on one of their videos after it was suggested to me on YouTube, I fell in love with their track ‘Brother in the Night’. I was then delighted to see that they were on the bill for Hard Rock Calling in London, which I already had tickets for. They opened the main stage and were fantastic. Even though they were first on they won the crowd over with their energetic performance. This wasn't their only UK appearance during the summer either, as they have been acquiring fans over here supporting Kings of Leon on their recent UK tour. So when I saw that they were playing just down the road from me on their own stand-alone tour I snapped up a ticket straight away.


4 piece band The Dirty Flaws were the support act and I thought they were pretty good. I caught half their set but was impressed with what I heard. They play an interesting brand of indie rock and were the perfect support for The Weeks. I confess that I had never heard of them before but liked them enough to warrant looking them up after the gig.

The Weeks were next on stage and even though small venue wasn’t full the crowd that had gathered were eagerly anticipating the headline act. Don’t be deceived by their long hair and scruffy appearance (remind me of Jay from the film Dogma), they really know how to play good music. Hailing from Mississippi, they play a brand of indie rock with southern rock vibes. It’s a good mix and gives the band an interesting sound. Full of catchy hooks and grooves their songs come alive in a live environment as they play with an energy that is impossible to stand still to.

Playing songs from their latest album ‘Dear Bo Jackson’ including the title track, ‘Brother in the Night’ and ‘King Sized Death Bed’ they also played older songs such as ‘The House That We Grew Up In’ and ‘Mississippi’ Rain’ which spanned their older EPs and previous album.

They didn’t talk much between songs, except to say “We’re The Weeks, we’re from Mississippi and we love you guys,” but they didn’t need to. They let their music do the talking and they were every bit as impressive as when I saw them back in the summer.  They are definitely a band that will hit the big time soon. They are too talented to be missed by the mainstream but they are slowly building up a legion of fans over hear in the UK and they are very much winning people over the more shows they play. A band to watch out for that’s for sure.

Check out a 'The House That We Grew Up In' and 'Brother In The Night' below.

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