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VibrationsMagazine
LeedsandWestYorkshire
April2012
Free
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Ad
04 Editorial
06 British Wildlife
08 Hawk Eyes
12 Sam Airey
14 Leeds Fest with Melvyn Benn
16 Passport Control
18 Sam Saunders Returns
20 The Spills
24 Honour Before Glory
28 Reviews
34 Live Reviews
38 Women in Music
Vibrations is
Editor
Rob Wright- bert@vibrations.org.uk
Design
Ben McKean & Niall Hargrave
designers@vibrations.org.uk
Picture Editor
Bart Pettman - bart @vibrations.org.uk
Reviews Editor
Steve Walsh- records@vibrations.org.uk
Live Editor
Tim Hearson - live@vibrations.org.uk
Web Editor
Mike Price - webed@vibrations.org.uk
Web Design
Sam Hainsworth - ask@samhainsworth.com
Advertising
Tony Wilby - tony@vibrations.org.uk
Founded and Published by
Tony Wilby - tony@vibrations.org.uk
Jack Simpson - info@vibrations.org.uk
Contributors
Bart Pettman, Neil Dawson, Rob Wright, Ellie Treagust,
Tim Hearson, Steve Walsh, Hannah Cordingley, Simon
Lewis, Kate Wellham, Toby Hay, James Beattie, Mike
Price, Danny Payne, Chris Ensell, Tom Bench, Alessandra
Gritt, Rochelle Massey, Nick Pritchard, Emma Quinlan,
Benjamin Maney, Pete Ellis, Greg Elliott
Cover Photograph
Hawk Eyes by Horses By Tom Martin
The Search
Vibrations is looking for
Advertisers- 2000 magazines seen by music lovers across
Leeds. Contact tony@vibrations.org.uk
Writers, Photographers, Artists and Sub editors- Come be
a part of it, tony@vibrations.org.uk
Send demos in to:
Steve Walsh
Vibrations Magazine
Eiger Studios
New Craven Gate Industrial Estate
Leeds
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Hello readers,
This is my second, possibly third attempt at an editorial as
the rst two were shit. Im not promising anything more for
this one, but Im hoping it has more gags and swearing in
it than the last two, which were almost free of both. That, I
think youll agree, just wont do.
Another reason for another bite at the cherry is that this
issue is so choc full of quality writing, photography and
design that I feel I would be insulting the efforts of all
concerned by turning in a half arsed piece of work.
It should be whole arsed or
nothing.
I mean, just look at this qualitypublication. Go on, close it up,
ogle the ne looking gentlemen
on the front, feel the quality
of the paper, marvel at the
suitability of the typeface, then
search for the price.
Still looking? Thats right, you
wont nd one.
Then once youve nished this
go through this mag from start
to nish you dont even have
to stop to take a piss as the
size of Vibrations is designed
specically to be held one
handed, leaving the other hand
to... no, stop that. Thats just
not right. Oh, you dirty bugger.
Are you nished? Good, then I shall continue. Our
incumbent government is currently doing its level best to
strip the joy from everyones life (look, Im all for a priceper unit approach to alcohol as long as it literally means
just that 40p a unit, so a pint of Abbot Ale would be
2.00 a perfectly acceptable price. Jaipur IPA would be
just under 2.40 and that I could denitely live with) and
provide us with quite frankly shoddy value for money (I
know my minimum wage will incur less tax, but Im going
to end up spending the difference made on overpriced
under brewed beers thanks a lot, Camel-leg) but we
here at Vibrations towers are dedicated, yes DEDICATED
to providing the same value that we always have.
Let me present you with a little equation. Stephen
Hawkins said that you lose half your readership for every
equation you include so... glad you stuck around, both of
you, but Im going to lose one of you now:
Quality of product over price of product equals value.
Well, all you mathematicians out there should know that
if you divide any number (except zero) by zero you get
innity (actually, Ive had a few arguments about this: if
you divide zero by zero, do you get one? Think on that, if
you will) so considering that you paid nothing, nip, zilch,
nix, nish pence for this publication, you are holding in
your hand... innite value.
Well, fuck my old boots.
I hope you realise how lucky
you are to be able to touch the
innite on a bimonthly basis, and
here at Vibrations Towers we willendeavour to provide the same
level of quality every. Bloody.
Time.
Now before I let you off the hook,
a few hello/goodbyes. First off,
say hello to our new designers,
Ben and Niall I think youll
agree that theyve done a stirling
job long may they reign! And
goodbye to Leeds Guide, cruelly
cut off in its prime by... venture
capitalists, I shouldnt wonder.
Booooooooo!
Nearly done. Three festivals
to note for different reasons:
Live at Leeds promises to be
a ne affair again this year I might venture out, but I
am afraid I am too old to do the marathon dash around
that is L@L might just hole up in a venue and drink
until they ask me politely to leave because I havent got
an armband and a small puddle is gathering around myfeet; and that Peter Waterman debacle, Shit Factory
Live Steps, 2untalented, Jason Pissing Donovan, Rick
Cocking Astley? WTF? When there is no more room
in hell, the dead will walk the earth. Stay in Leeds and
go and see some quality old school bands, like Human
League, Heaven 17 and The Levellers (guilty pleasure
great live band) at M Fest yes, Morrisons; I know,
hard to believe, but therell be some top scran too very
important for a man of my expanding girth.
So off you go enjoy the mag. If you really like it, think
about getting involved be part of the innite...
Rob Wright
Ed with god-complex
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Editorial
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Friday 2 March Brudenell Social Club
First up, Super Luxury, a lo- four piece that started their
set with warm up screams and discordant guitar noise
leading into a murky opening number. No tricks, frills,
or melody. I suppose the pre-gig stretches shouldve
forewarned the crowd that the front-man would spendthe set in amongst them, wailing from table tops, with no
regard for the microphone lead that got entangled around
at least ve throats. Its all fun and games til someone
gets decapitated, boys.
Bad Guys. Double-headed guitars, bright red jumpsuits,
classic, clever metal. They manage to use droning
interludes - often detrimental to a live shows atmosphere
- perfectly. So much so that one of their breaks led to a
distinctly prog rock outro that mustve lasted 17 minutes...
Imagine if you will, the most painful headache of your life.
Now, imagine really quite enjoying it... Ultimate Thrush,
as I can best describe them. Three people shouldnt
be able to make such a huge sound, but with the help
of a small clarinet and a chaos pad, they master short,
gut-punching post-punk, not for the faint hearted or those
prone to hyperventilation... Somewhere in rural Austria,
Mozart turned in his grave as the clarinet was desecrated
in such an innovative fashion.
Three girls, one guy? Divorces music was even lthier
than an adult lm titled thus would undoubtedly be. Thetone got lower and the crowd moved in when their home
grown brand of captivating debauchery took hold. The
inevitable brawl broke out in the crowd, mirroring the
unharnessed adrenaline of the head thrashing alt-punk-
metal-hardcore/indenable-brashness.
Finally, if live via satellite is the future of live music,
then it should ALWAYS be Disasteradio. Playing a set
containing the most cheerful electronica ever made,
headlining for the darkest metal bands on the planet.
Because itd ALWAYS be this hilarious.
Benjamin Maney
Saturday 3 March Brudenell Social Club/Royal Park
Cellars
Well, what a varied programme Saturday was. It was
reassuring to experience a festival at the Brudenell/
Royal Park where the acts didnt all sound the same.
That doesnt mean they were all good, but any line-up
that includes Yugoslavian Boys smacks of something
reasonably radical. The programmed 6.30 start might
have been a little early for their set (which involved the
destruction of various food stuffs) but they were already
running late. Their set included sh ngers, two salami
batons, chips, a tuna sandwich, four drummers (two
of which were wearing son-of-God themed robes), a
cowboy, a mod, one assassin and a lot of pink hair. Idbe tempted to suggest their musical variation between
songs is none too important to them or the crowd, but
they were easily the most entertaining band of the day.
They screamed and cavorted their way through the set
and despite having doubled in size since I last saw them,
it wasnt to add diversity, just to add drums. Immense.
Teeth of the Sea provided a very different slant on the
playing of songs, both musically and practically. I do
approve of their stage lay-out (all members in one line
across the front) and although they threw their all into a
typically electronic set, I couldnt get as excited as they
were. Their music did have a decent all-encompassing
quality to it, but more in a physical sense than anything
else; it felt a little like we were underwater. Unlike
Yugoslavian Boys, this for me is one band that is best
served recorded.
The next band, Cold Pumas, I knew absolutely nothing
about, but they turned out to be another of the nights
pleasant discoveries. They played motorik rhythms
packaged up in an indie image (which did not do them
justice) to a slightly unresponsive crowd (who also didnot do them justice). There were some pretty soulless
sounding vocals that echoed over the music, but as a set,
it was far more absorbing than Teeth of the Sea. The only
downside was that they could be viewed as a little dull
compared to some of the other bands present, but for me
the diversity was very much appreciated.
Next were Hookworms, who brought an entire shipment
of 60s psychadelic rock with them. And it was loud. Very,
very loud. There was a lot of reverb. In my notes from the
set I have written Oh wow a song ended. Oh wait, no it
didnt. I dont remember any actual moments of silence.
It was at this stage that I regretted not bringing any
earplugs (but whats rock and roll about that?). They got
very into their music which is denitely a good thing, but
unfortunately I did not.
Resolutions were quickly dashed by Blacklisters, and I
havent seen many worse bands at the Brudenell (apart
from maybe Shining at 2010s Brainwash). There was
such an irritating wave of arrogant nonchalance that
came from the singer and it was impossible to focus just
on the music, and for a while I was wondering whether
it was performed in all sincerity. One begins to wonder
what the point of writing lyrics is if youre just going to
shout them. Why not just shout? It would be easier. To
quote John Betjeman, Im sure its all done with the best
possible intentions, but it did just throw me back to my
Trivium-infused younger teenage years.
And nally, the very late headliners Zun Zun Egui. With
their usual bizarre mix of styles, languages and footwear,
its hard to know which genre to dene this band by. Of
all the groups that performed this evening, they came
across as the most sophisticated (though I suspect
this is because they are). Its reected in their song
writing ability, which has them building up songs out of
a great many layers and elements. The songs are pretty
unpredictable and half the time I have no idea what he
is singing about (because its a different language, not
because hes shouting). Ive seen them create more
atmosphere than this before, but it was the end of the
night and running very late. Apart from Yugoslavian Boys,
they were easily the most interesting band of the day.
Ellie Treagust
Sunday 4 March - Oporto
The last day of the last British Wildlife Festival? Say it
aint so, Adam.
The jagged math rock of Magnapinna gets things
underway. They play a dry, gnarly kind of funk that feels
like you should be able to dance to it but in doing so
would surely lead to multiple dislocations. Fortunately that
leaves the synapses in your brain free to revel in the joys
of bands explosive, unpredictable music.
Manchester sextet Stanger Son utilise a brace of
keyboards and extensive percussion to open with a
formless wash of noodling that threatens to disappear up
its own jack plug, until everything morphs into a gigantic,
driving kraut rocky groove that seems to stop prematurely
before it blows the roof off. Thereafter the band take
simple ideas and work each into a similarly epic but
controlled frenzy. Lanky singer Gareth Smith stands like
he should be holding a cigarette and reads rather than
sings his songs in a deadpan, detached voice. The
music and lyrics almost sound like theyre (partially at
least) improvised and songs seems to stop after a nod
from Smith rather than anything else.
Jeff T Smith may have abandoned his truck load of
instruments and effects pedals for this gig, but hes still
trading as Juffage. So, apart from viola accompaniment
from Jenna Isherwood on the rst tune, its just Jeff, his
uncharacteristically reined in guitar and his fantastically
quirky, idiosyncratic songs. And what a treat it turns out
to be. There always seemed to be a mismatch between
the live and recorded versions of Smiths songs. Its
quite a sight watching Smith assembling his live sheets
of noise but the racket does tend to detract from the
actual songs. Here, without even the minimal musical
backing used on debut album Semicircle, the songs
sound almost free form and invested with a fragile
tension, Smith modulating the volume and attack of his
guitar and voice to create dramatic new readings of the
songs.
Its difcult not to like the sound of Galaxians thumping
instrumental disco funk, but this duo of Jed Skinner on
synths and programming and Matt Woodward on drums
dont really develop what they do much beyond the
opening bars of the rst tune.
On the other hand, Bearfoot Beware songs have so
many ideas and so much energy crammed into them,
they clearly nd it difcult to contain themselves in their
given form and sound like theyd be happy to throw
themselves off a cliff just for the hell of it. Guitarist Tom
Bradley and bassist Richard Vowden bounce all over
the stage when theyre not yelling into their mic, and
Michael Osbourne tries desperately to hold everything
together from his drum stool. Its a thrilling, riotous ride
alright.
Shefeld quartet Wooderson have been knocking
around since 2008 but its hard to see how their
derivative guitar driven rock songs have managed to
sustain such a long career. The songs are built around
musical and lyrical clichs and seem devoid of any realsense of dynamism. Dull.
London trio Gum Takes Tooth are well established on
the European noise rock circuit and provide a tting
climax to the festival. Thomas Fuglesang and Jaxon
Paine play two drum kits with one wired up and the
sound fed through homemade electronic instruments
to be manipulated and messed about with by Jussi
Brightmore. The drums and treated noise produce a
gigantic sound thats part noise ritual and part ecstatic
rave. Brightmore punches the air like a tripped out DJ,
his mangled vocals barely heard over the thundering
drums.
Steve Walsh
Herein be a recollection of the sixth and nal British
Wildlife. May she rest in peace. Feel free to reect
on these heart-warming and tting testimonials from
Benjamin Maney, Ellie Treagust and Steve Walsh. Oh
well, theres always Brainwash
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I am not sure if ye olde man setting of The Victoria Hotel
is the best place for meeting one of Leeds most intense,
ultra tech yet softly spoken metals bands, especially seeing
as it is a Saturday night and the place has suddenly lled
with suit-wearing, bellowing twats, but it is handy for free
parking on a Saturday night and serves Dandelion and
Burdock. This are the sorts of things you start thinking of
when you get old.
Though I am sure that I will not be thanked for this, Hawk
Eyes are no spring chickenhawks either I have fond
but vague memories of them as they were one of the rst
bands I ever wrote a review for, back in 2005. One of them
wore a mask. That much I remember. I also remember that
Paul used to drum as well as sing, but now Matt Reid is in
the band...
Matt is no longer in Hawk Eyes, announces Paul, whose
birthday is tonight (so you can imagine how popular I will
be as a result of keeping him from his irresponsibilities
and festivities). Woah, let me just get my head around
this. Im surrounded on all sides by Hawk Eyes in this dark
wood panelled booth and dont have a beer in my hand,and if they keep laying announcements like that on me,
I may need something a little stronger than Dandelion
and Burdock. Its all totally sanctioned, Paul reassures
me, hes just decided he wants to do something else,
which seems entirely in keeping with Hawk Eyes ethos,
if there were such a thing. Stepping into Matts shoes will
be the absent Steve Wilson of Japanese Voyeurs fame.
Interesting times...
For the more keen eyed readers among you, I should point
out that this is not the rst time Paul, Rob and Ryan have
graced these pages. Back in 2009, they made the cover
with a picture from Danny North. Jokingly I suggest this
made them.
I think if we hadnt got that at that time, confesses Paul
quite sincerely, after scurrying away for years and years
for basically our own benet and then all of a sudden
people, in this town especially, were saying this is quite
good... Were really grateful for that. We genuinely are. I
feel fairly thrown by this and have a strong urge to shufe
my notes or something. To cover my embarrassment, I go
on to say how, regardless of that, 2009 was a good year
for them anyway: a signing to brew, a lively slot at Leeds,
the zombie video... and then an abrupt name change.
Rob laughs at this. We dont like to make things easy forourselves. The thing is... he pauses almost dramatically,
we didnt really like the name and moving forward we
could see some... technical problems with it.
Chickenhawk was a military operation in Vietnam which is
currently undergoing the celluloid treatment. It is also an
American term for a predatory gay man who likes young
guys.
That as well, says Rob uncomfortably, if we wanted to
take our music over there... people talking about a band
called Chickenhawk and all that connotation... he lets it
hang for a moment, but it wasnt about pandering to what
we needed to do... its what we had to do ourselves.
Hawk Eyes are very clear on this point there is no grand
scheme involved; in fact, Paul gets quite incensed about
the implication: Theres never been a plan, he says
rmly, and weve been very lucky to get where we are
weve worked hard but weve never had the structure
and backing of... corporate music. Weve got to where
weve got by doing a bit of this, a bit of that... and thereve
been mistakes that weve made... yeah, its been prettymessy, but unless youre actually geeky enough to go and
read about it, youre never going to know how messy its
been... but thats possibly why we still exist.
Even though they say there is/was no plan, the (almost)
re-release of their debut album, Chickenhawk as Modern
Bodies did seem to have a certain... shape to it?
We got picked up by this management company, says
Paul, they asked what have you got? We played them
the CD and they said has anybody heard it? So they
wanted to rerelease it... and we were totally against it. So
much so that they dont actually count Modern Bodies as
a separate studio album. Paul sighs. It felt like... stalling,
not going forward or backward, it didnt make any sense
to us to put it out... and someone showed us the reality
wed sold 200 CDs but whod actually heard it? As a body
Last time we met them, we covered them in mud and
inadvertently showered them with glory. Now it looks
as if they are about to take the world out for dinner
and dancing and seduce the hell out of it. Rob Wright
tried vainly to resist their charms in the name of
quality journalism...
Dreamers, Not Schemers...
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of work, it acted as a calling card and a requiem, it seems.
Modern Bodies is Chickenhawk is dead, it wont happen
again... not that we knew that at the time... Paul laughs
freely, conscious of his own near slip into contradiction.
But Modern Bodies is most denitely an ending, as much
as Ideas is a beginning, and in the spirit of the new, it is
even being sold in a relatively new fashion. Though the
album is essentially paid for already, the whole thing is
being sold through Pledge. Its a way for us to give more
back to the fans, explains Paul, The whole point of it is
that people can choose to interact with us. People can
say I want that, I want that it makes it easier for fans
who really care about it to buy into it at the beginning. A
different approach to marketing in a different market? In
the last ten years theres been a massive change in the
dynamic of how the whole system works, Paul continues,
you cant just knock a great album, put a lovely cover on
it, get some good press and expect to shift loads of copies,
people dont want that anymore.
People download it for free, says Rob brusquely, thats
a generalisation, but people who use to buy music like
teenagers or young adults download it. In the majority. Soa release is more like a calling card to get you more tours
and actually drive some revenue back into the band to
keep it going.
There are plenty of good reasons to buy this album
though, one being Pauls vocals, which have undergone
a metamorphosis since Modern Bodies. I ask where
this amazing voice has come from. His rst answer is
a yarn involving old women, fruit and magical powers.
His second is a bit more coherent. When I was eleven
I joined the choral society at school... I had big braces
and big ginger hair and I sang soprano, he admits, I did
Handels Messiah in its entirety. Ive always been able to
sing, but that wasnt the point of the music we made. Then
everyone was like lets try some singing now, because
wed gained in condence as a band... Again, it sounds
like its planned, but its just a happy coincidence.
We thought lets not do another album full of chugging
guitars... says Ryan across the table, who has not been
entirely silent, but has been almost entirely drowned out
by the noisy clientele.
We can do different things on a guitar, laughs Paul.
And with a new style comes a different label Fierce
Panda. All told, Hawk Eyes have been on at least four
labels. Paul shrugs. I dont think bands need to sign to
one label for life, he says, whatever works at the time. It
can be quite dangerous to sign to multi album deals with
labels, because youre then beholden to them. Itstrue;
Ive heard about local bands whove got locked into the
wrong deal and suffered the consequences. But Hawk
Eyes narrowly avoided making these mistakes, making
them wise in the eyes of their peers and very thoughtful
on the album.
A lot of the record is about that... Paul
scrabbles for a description, that feeling of
hopelessness... really not knowing where youre
going and more generally the world not knowing
where its going. Theres a lot of stuff on there,
certainly lyrically I feel sorry for the other guys
sometimes because they dont know what Im
going to do lyrically... as long as the words t
and the melody suits the music Im pretty much
allowed to do what I like I try to involve [the
band] as much as I can I try not to make my
lyrics the Paul Astick show because thats not
what the band is the band is four people so
its reective of the moods of the music and all
the experiences that weve had together, our
opinions and values. But despite or as well
as this, it is still fun, just... serious fun. Theyve
also just released a nal EP with Brew called
Mindhammers as a kind of safety valve for their
creative overow. Considering what theyve got on the
go, its amazing theyve found time to talk to me at all.
Our time is nearly up and I can see that Paul is anxiousto enjoy his birthday, so I dont want to keep them, but
I still feel like Ive merely scratched the surface of Hawk
Eyes; theyre almost too mercurial as a band. I dont
think we should dene ourselves as one thing I think
thats very important for a band, explains Rob, not going
over the same ground twice lets progress.
Its all very grown up, very forward facing. Then one of
the band members suggests I take all my clothes off.
But that is another story...
You can Pledge for Hawk Eyes Ideas at www.
hawkeyesmusic.com or contact Brew for a copy of
Mindhammers. The album is due out on 26th March, but
I think you might be hearing a lot more from them before
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Sam Airey, mild mannered guitar slinger
with a hint of folksiness, has been stamping
like a buttery of late. From being the house
band at the recent Live at Leeds launch to a
Radio 1 Maida Vale set, he has been making
his quite presence known in quite a loud
way. Ellie Treagust cornered this timid yet
feisty little performer and pelted him with
questions which you, dear reader, might like
to know the answers to
ET- How would you like your music to be
described?
SA - I never really know how to answer this
question to be honest. Id rather people justmake their own minds up when they listen to
it. Id probably call it something along the lines
of indie-folk storytelling; theres a real folk
element to a lot of the songs but its not always
a dening feature, I think. Lyrically I try and
write with a strong narrative most of the time,
but its not always the case. With the latest
things weve recorded theres an emphasis
on atmosphere, trying to create a mood that
reects the content of the songs, I guess.
ET - How do you go about the song-writing
process?
SA - Theres no denitive method. Sometimes
Ill have pieces of lyrics or a melody in my head
and it can take the shape of a song within
minutes, other times its more forced and you
have to work at it a little more. I usually write
with a guitar but Ive been sat at the piano
a lot recently. However, Ive written whole
songs before without being anywhere near an
instrument; I wrote Endless Sea on a late-nightferry crossing from Ireland. It started with just
a couple of words, but in my head I could hear
everything - the chord progression, melody line,
and soon I had a whole song, without actually
making a sound. As soon as I got home I played
it in full, it was pretty odd how it came out
completely formed.
ET - Have you noticed much development in
your song-writing since you began, and if so,
how?
SA - I like to think so. Lyrics are a big thing for
me and I tend to spend a bit more time on them
these days. Musically, Im less afraid to let the
songs take course and change, so Im enjoying
layering them and nding new sounds. Youd
always hope youre constantly developing - if
your next song isnt as good or better than your
last, you probably need to sit back and question
what youre doing.
ET - Whats your favourite venue to play at in
Leeds?
I have a few. The Brudenell is an obvious choice
these days for all the right reasons. The sound
is always great, and Nathan does a brilliant jobof running it - its not just a cherished venue but
an integral part of the Leeds scene. In terms
of other venues, I like playing in slightly more
unusual spaces too. The new EP launch at Holy
Trinity Church will be the third time Ive played
there. Its a beautiful space and it lends itself
really well to the type of music I play. We did a
single launch last year curated by Anthologies,
inside the chapter house in Kirkstall Abbey, with
no PA or amplication at all - that felt like a risky
decision but it turned out to be one of the best
gigs. Finally, Oporto and Shopkeepers gigs
are always fun. Its brilliant they have a decent
budget for live music and yet put on so many
free shows.
ET - Theres been quite a surge of one man
and his guitar acts in recent years - what
makes you stand out?
SA - Ive always said theres an inherent aw, or
at least danger, with the term singer-songwriter,
if thats what you want to call this. The problemlies in the fact that the term attempts to denote
a genre, when all it really suggests is that it
concerns someone who both sings and writes
songs. However, these days we mostly come
to associate it with a great deal of bland/dross
music. One of the big problems for me is that
its quite easy to pick up a guitar and get your
songs on the internet - this may seem like a
good thing but it means you have to wade
through quite a lot before you nd something of
worth. Ive worked pretty hard the last couple of
years both on songwriting and learning how to
hold a crowd on my own, which at rst seemed
like the most daunting thing in the world.
But now that the recordings are increasingly
layered and orchestrated, Ill be doing more
with a full band too.
ET - Whats your biggest musical achievement
to date?
SA - There have been a few. Music for me
has always just been something Ive loved - I
never really intended to get to this point, but
with everything good that happens, it seems to
spur you on to the next. At rst it was a case of
I have these songs, Ill write some more, thenit was Ill record and release an EP, and now
two years down the line Ive released singles,
played around the UK, and Im currently writing
an album. I think the most overwhelming thing
has been the radio attention; the Radio 1 Maida
Vale session was a huge highlight for me.
ET - Do your songs always turn out how you
wanted them to or does the creative process
change them?
SA - Sometimes youll have an idealistic sense
of what you want the song to sound like, but
you have to let the process run its course
because you might end up with something that
sounds better than whatever you anticipated.
ET - How much inspiration do you take from
your surrounding area?
SA - A varying degree. Im from rural North
Wales originally, and bits of the songs are partly
inspired by my memories of it, and also by my
move to Leeds and getting used to life in the
city. But Id say I take just as much inspiration
from the people around me and the places I
visit.
ET - A quick run-down of whats in store
musically for you this year?
SA - Firstly theres the new EP A Marker & A
Map, released in March with accompanying full
band gig in Holy Trinity Church, and were alsodoing a London EP launch. Then Ill be doing
some touring in April including my rst gigs in
Scotland, then of course Live at Leeds in May,
and hopefully well be playing a few festivals
during the summer too.
ET - If you could host a fantasy dinner party of
seven guests, who would they be?
SA - Sam Cooke and Joni Mitchell would
come, and Id also make them sing. Ernest
Hemingway would be on drinks duty, Audrey
Hepburn for some elegance and stories,
Salvador Dali seemed pretty interesting too so
he could probably come along. Then Id invite
Charles Darwin and God, and make them have
an arm-wrestling duel.
13
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Camping It Up With Melvyn Benn Leeds Reading 2012
Anticipation. Despite what the hacks will try and tell you
i.e. that they know the line up for Leeds 2012 and have
done for months blah blah blah, there is a very tangible
sensation of anticipation in this room full of giggers,
liggers, bloggers, sloggers, tweeters and the occasional
writer. In ten minutes time there will be an electronic
barrage comparable to the EMP kicked out by a small
nuclear device departing from the cockpit, but for now...
anticipation.
By the time you read this, the line up will be old news.
There will be the usual accusations of playing it safe and
soooo predictable, but as for me... I still get excited by
this. Im loving the prospect of (hopefully) seeing The Cure,
re-acquainting myself with the Gallic dance metal insanity
of Justice, going bollocks-mental to Pulled Apart By HorsesON THE MAINSTAGE and... well... At The Drive In...
It could only get better if Soundgarden made an
appearance (crosses ngers).
And we havent even got to the FR or Introducing stages
yet... or the Lock Down/Dance line up... or the comedy
stage...
Yes, it is commercial, yes, it is full of pissed up teenagers
but it is still Leeds festival, a massive festival in our back
yard that bears our citys name and I have it on good
authority (from two guys who came all the way from
Reading to go to Leeds, so...) that it is the preferred
locality. And for that weekend, there will be that same buzz
of anticipation, only grown several magnitudes larger and
I have a feeling this is going to be a mighty weekend.
In a fug of free Gaymers, I am lucky enough to get a
moment of time with Festival Republic honcho Melvyn
Benn, a former Hullite and fan of fanzines. He is sipping
a white wine, leaning against a spare stage and looking
slightly relaxed but also slightly anxious about catching histrain down to the big smoke.
Seeing as this is a Glasonbury-free year, I ask him if he
feels like a kid in a sweet shop, literally having the pick
of the bunch when it comes to bands this year. I always
feel like a kid in a sweet shop, he res back, anyone
in my position should feel like a kid in a sweet shop.
Glastonburys a unique festival, entirely on its own.
Reading and Leeds are music festivals, they have music
running through their veins and essentially only music
running through their veins theres no clowns, no re
eaters, no snake charmers.
As well as being a fanzine fan, it also transpires that he is
a Pulled Apart By Horses fan, having been introduced to
them by their manager. He had to buy his own copy of the
new album, though. Opening on the Friday, I ask him if he
sees them as a warm up band: On the contrary actually
I think that world domination beckons - theyve got a
sound that will blow people apart in Germany, in America,
in Japan.
Not only are PABH playing the mainstage, but Leeds own
Kaiser Chiefs will be up there too. Has he gone for some
local action specically? Some people have said to me
do you pick the local bands for Leeds? but the festival
republic integrity wouldnt allow that. We pick the bands
because they deserve to be there.
As well as the big names, Leeds Festival will also be
hosting the winners of the Martin House Hospices
Centre Stage competition for a third year, demonstrating
FRs dedication to new music: The fact that it benets
the hospice is a plus, but its a real opportunity for
young musicians to be on stage and to learn about
their contemporaries. Hes also a champion of youth in
general: Ive always had young people at my heart I
abhor the way that young people are given a hard time by
the press. The young people in the audiences at Reading
and Leeds are tomorrows leaders of the country - Ive
been at festivals where the future king of England has
been excited by being stood at the side of the stage.
But more than that, he has vowed to put a beer anda burger in the belly of every individual who buys a
weekend ticket: In truth, nothing prompted me apart from
philanthropy - I do what I can to make the sponsors help
me if they dont do that, Ill pay for it. Im not naturally
a person that just takes and takes, I always want to give
things back and at festival republic we always work really
hard on charity projects. I just felt I needed to do it. And
for that, I salute you. Will there be haggis there this year
though? Can I get haggis...?
Rob Wright
Melvyn Benn & Leeds Fest. Interview by Rob Wright Images by Carl Fleischer
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Names?
Dan, and I play the trombone.
Derek, and I play Bass
John, Johnny Christmas, and I play Trumpet
Matt, I play saxophone and sing
Reason for Visit?Dan Well once a year a plane comes by each of our
houses, picks us up, and says you have to go dance like
a monkey, over within the UK. Since we dont really have
a lot going on, we usually get on that plane.
Business or pleasure?
Dan A bit of both. Between the hours of 9 and 10.30,
its business and the rest of the time, its business.
Derek I am in the business of pleasure.
Dan- Business is good.
Derek Business is a booming.
How has touring changed for you over the years?
We hope you wont be all... rock and roll.
Dan On this tour we tend to be our PJs by 11pm.
Johnny He is very happy about that.
Derek - Stage to PJs in ten minutes.
Dan Although last night there was a bit of partying.
Johnny In Glasgow.
When you come to the UK what do you enjoy the
most?
Derek Kebabs!Johnny Yeah, kebabs here are awesome. We enjoy
meeting all the people. The British fans are always so
awesome. We really appreciate that.
Matt You guys do really good deli meat. I enjoy the deli
meat. I do love some good deli meat.
When constantly touring do you ever get on each
others nerves and want space to yourself? I think
we have a free holding cell...
Dan I think we are old enough to know when someone
wants space.
Johnny yeah, denitely, we have learnt how to stay out
of each others way when we are feeling that way out.
Then the next day they will be ne...
Derek Actually, you should have each of us in the room
alone and ask the question again, and then see what
answer you get.
Drummers are known for being troublemakers,
bassists for being lazy how does a trombone player
behave?
Dan The trombone player is usually stoned, although
not now, I must stress that.
Matt They love Doritos. They can eat an entire bag of
Doritos in one sitting.
Dan That is not true
Matt And they lie
Dan I have not had a bag of Doritos on this entire tour.
I was ne being insulted by myself, but if you want to join
in, please do.
Calm down, gentlemen. How have you kept the band
relevant when ska is in and out of favour?
Dan It certainly is not by getting a sax player.Matt Oooohhhhh, like that now is it.
Dan You bet it is. I think Aaron has written the
soundtracks of most peoples lives from about 12 to the
age of 25. So he is dealing with all the problems that you
go through at that time.
Matt You are still going through them.
What is next for Reel Big Fish?
Dan We are actually working on a new record.
Johnny Yeyyy nally.
Dan Now I know we have had said we have been
working on a new record for what seems like years...
Derek It is years!
Dan ...But Aaron likes these songs, which is very rare.
So this time it should happen. It will happen... (stern face)
Anything else to declare?
Johnny Dont eat space cake and try to come back to
Britain.
(shouts: Blood test for Johnny...)
Dan I would like to declare, that I did wear these shoes
in an agricultural situation, and brought mad cow into the
country with the soil on my boots.Derek Yeah! I have something to declare... I am not
lazy!
Thank you, you may now proceed through passport
control. Enjoy Leeds.
Not ones to let the grass grow under our feet, weve
had a bit of a recruitment drive here at WYPC, so
please welcome Ofcer Rochelle Massey she
doesnt take any, as Reel Big Fish found out when
they got a proper grilling. Fish? Grilling? Oh, forget
it...
Ad
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New Pose Old School
Long before most Vibrations readers and writers
were even born, the insanity of providing quality
musical opinion, info, news and reviews for our
ne city was under the auspices of a certain Martin
Tindall. In 1977 he blazed a trail with his fanzine,
New Pose, for such mags as ourselves, so we called
on an old friend to big up his seminal publication,
now reissued after 35 years. Welcome back, Sam
Saunders!
In the middle of the blandest musical decade in history,
a young Martin Tindall was going about his wide-eyedlife listening to New York Dolls and The Stooges, being
expelled from Art College and visiting London.
In London, looking like a punk could mean hiding in
Malcolm McLarens shop for safety, with teddy boy
assailants locked outside, shouting for blood. In Leeds
it was worse. Hanging around The Queens Hall on the
night of a concert could lead to a kicking.
No matter; the Anarchy In The UK Tour brought The
Sex Pistols, The Damned, Johnny Thunders and The
Heartbreakers, and (Special Guests) The Clash to Leeds
Polytechnic on Monday, December 6th 1976. Unlike other
cities on the advertised tour, Leeds actually allowed the
gig to proceed. Martin and his pals were there, with hearts
pounding and a plan.
By the spring of 1977, Martin, with typing by Jayne Cobbe
and photos by Steve Dixon, had photocopied the rst
issue of a remarkable fanzine called New Pose. It was
copied, one sided, onto 16 sheets of A4 stapled together
and sold through outlets like Virgin Records (who quickly
put Martin in charge of their punk-record purchasing).With art school still in his blood, he got contributions
from cartoonists too: Mark Manning (founder of the band
Zodiac Mindwarp), Ray Burns (aka Captain Sensible)
and Jerzy Szostek of Knockabout Comics were active
contributors.
A lot of the text was handwritten by Martin. The
photographs by Jayne Cobbe and Matt Dixon (Elvis
Costello, Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Clash ...) are
densely zeitgeist (with contact prints in one issue to save
on processing costs). Pin-up cartoons by Mark Manning
(and Martin) are brilliant. The comic strip review of an Iggy
Pop gig and a comic strip biography of The Damned (by
Captain Sensible) are something else. Vibrations should
adopt the format immediately (duly noted any takers?
Ed.).
Over ve spiky issues through the whole of 1977 writing,
photographs, comic strips, cartoons, gig news and
personal views poured out. Alongside the few Yorkshire
artists like S.O.S., The Jerks, Cyanide, The Mirror Boys
and The Neck Fuckers there were reviews and interviews
with most of the best: The Ramones, The Stranglers, The
Vibrators and The Sex Pistols and loads more.
The fanzine has had a good deal of national attention
over the years. NME, championing punk at the time andfast becoming THE music weekly as Melody Maker lost its
bearings, put it second only to Snifn Glue as the nations
best fanzine. (Snifn Glue had started a bit earlier and
Martin thought he could make something that looked
better. He was right.) New Pose has since been featured
in TV documentaries of the era: notably in BBC 2s Arena
series in 1990 and Channel 4s The Stiff Records Story
in 2010.
But after ve issues Martin had run out of steam and the
Leeds punk scene was turning into something a lot less
exciting and a lot more commercial. New Pose stopped
while it was still hot. Each issue had got stronger than the
previous one, but things were shifting in Leeds. Martin
told me that those descendants of the skin heads and
football hooligans were starting to arrive at punk gigs,
looking for trouble and going for the smell of bands like
Skrewdriver who represented everything that punk had
stood against. The cult of punk itself was morphing into
goth and new wave. Record labels who had been fast
asleep in 1976 were starting to throw chequebooks atpeople like Elvis Costello who could develop their music
and make a series of big money albums. The erce
energy of the punk singles that Martin was selling in
Virgin couldnt maintain their impact on whole albums and
something had been lost.
He still remembers doing one DJ set at John Keenans
rst Stars of Today series at Leeds Polytechnic but the
pressures of his full-time job and putting out New Pose
made him back out of a future as a DJ.
The New Pose full-set reissue of ve can be bought from
Crash Records and Jumbo Records. If you have original
copies, treasure them and buy these to read all over
again.
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They like chilli sauce on beans on toast, eating sh andchips whilst recording and watching South Park. They
are The Spills, an indie rock quartet from Wakeeld who
in fact like watching South Park so much that we stop the
interview halfway through, so they can pay attention to
the TV in the room and watch a cartoon Rob Schneider
make a tool of himself. Sorry about that, says Sam, its
the best bit of the whole episode.
Were in the living room area at Greenmount studios
in Armley. A one-time place of worship, this converted
church has ceased to open its doors for the religious and
instead acts as a place for bands to record their music.
The Spills, consisting of guitarist/singer Rob, bassist
Sam, drummer Joe (who is sadly unable to attend) and
guitarist/singer Chad, have recorded here a few times
and dont seem to be put off by the weird eeriness that
surrounds the place.
We did our EP here and then we did our album here,
explains Rob, Lee and Jamie the guys who ran it then
did our EP and album and now I run the studio with
them. We just always really liked this studio and we
record to analogue tape and its got loads of vintageequipment.
Formed around six years ago, The Spills all met in
secondary school and began playing together when Rob
was in school and the others were in sixth form. We
started pretty young...I was 15 when I started writing
some songs and then me and Sam bought a four-track
tape recorder. Its been the same line-up [ever since] but
when you have been going from that young obviously its
very different.
You dont mean that of The Spills do you? interjects
Sam.
No, laughs Rob, Its so different. Its just that most
bands split up
Theyre like school bands, continues Chad, and then
they kind of break up and actually do something.
With this, they all begin laughing, which they continue
to do throughout the interview, normally at the expense
of one another. Basically, says Rob, we carried on
when we went to university [even though] we all went to
university in different places. In the rst year we took it a
bit slower and then we kind of built it up again. Then we
did an EP and then after university we did the album.
The album he is talking about is Occams Razor, their
fantastic debut that takes all the best bits of the indie
genre and whacks them together in one glorious CD.Their work has gathered a respectable amount of
praise from the music media (including this very ne
publication), which came as a nice surprise for the
makers.
We got a lot more reviews than we thought and they
were all really nice so it was a pleasant surprise really,
smiles Rob.
Yeah, chuckles Sam, I thought we would get like three
reviews or something...
Thankfully this has not been the case and instead
Occams Razor has ignited a ame The Spills and
shown the rest of Yorkshire how indie rock should be
done. However, even though they regard themselves
as an indie band, they arent fully comfortable with the
tagline.
Its quite an indie band, mulls Sam, but I dont like the
word indie because people always turn their nose up at
it. Hes got a point. If you say the word indie to people,most of them will envisage a bunch of posh lads, touting
guitars and annel shirts but The Spills are denitely not
one of these bands. [Our sound] is noisy and I dont
know if its heavy but its noisy and a bit rough. [Its] kind
of indie in the sense of American indie[like] Pixies and
Pavement.
So did these bands inspire The Spills to pick up their
instruments? When I started playing guitar I was like
10, remembers Rob, So probably [someone] like Jimi
Hendrix inspired [me] to start playing guitar. Apparently
this isnt the rst time Jimi Hendrix has been mentioned
during an interviewDo you remember that interview
we did when you kept referring to the Jimi Hendrix
tape in your dads car? smirks Chad. He doesnt, but
according to Sam he mentioned it over and over.
Just outside of Leeds (I know, bear with me) there
is a little star cradle of a town that has spawned the
likes of The Cribs, The Research, Runaround Kids
and now The Spills. Emma Quinlan managed to get
some sense out of them between ts of laughing and
breaks for South Park. YOU WILL RESPECT HER
AUTHORITAH!
Chills, Thrills and... The Spills!
Words Emma Quinlan Images Giles Smith
TheSpills
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The band breaks into more smiles and more giggles,
with Rob now the target for mockery. Yeah, my dad had
a Jimi Hendrix tape in his car jokes Rob, taking their
mocks in his stride. Apparently he also had a few others
including Bob Marley, but we dont need to go into that. I
didnt start playing until I was 15, says Chad, So it was
mainly that I liked a lot of bands but [also] that everyone
else played instruments and I just always wanted toso
I just did.
He makes it sound so easy and The Spills as a whole
make being in a band look easier than it probably is. For
these lads though, this isnt exactly an easy life - they all
have regular jobs as well as playing in The Spills. Theres
no Bono-style private jets and full stadium tours for them,
just small chapels with no bars and a bring-your-own-beer
policy. We did an album launch at Chantry Chapel, which
is a chapel in Wakeeld. The capacity is probably 50
people. Its a really little place, explains Rob.
Theres no bar so it was bring your own beer and no
toilets so people [were] just having a piss in the open,
adds Sam, I think [that was the] best gig of ours.
Not exactly the venue dreams were made of, but its
not all pissing on walls and cans of Red Stripe for The
Spills no, not all of their live appearances have been
this classy. Last year however they were booked for the
one-day extravaganza that is Live at Leeds and this year
they are doing Long Division (which they also did in 2011),
Wakeelds answer to Live at Leeds and according to
Sam, the festival that is putting Wakeeld on the map.
This brings a little grin to all our faces, but apparently
the claim is deserved. It actually is, says Chad, it was
amazing last year.
They sold it out last year, adds Rob, They had Darwin
Deez come over, and The Wedding Present. Is getting
Darwin Deez to play really
a thing to brag about? Its
pretty cool that he came
from New York to play in
Wakeeld, answers Rob
and when put like that, I
suppose I have to agree
So thats The Spills, past
and future (there doing a
split EP with Runaround
Kids scheduled for later
on in the year) but what
about the present and more
specically what are you
recording in this creepy old
church anyway? [Were
recording] a track for a
compilation, explains Sam.
Yeah, adds Rob, Doyou know who Rhubarb Bomb are? Queue the blank
expression. Its a Wakeeld zine thing and their doing a
compilation with loads of Wakeeld bands. Its coming out
with a big book on the Wakeeld music scene. Theres
us, Runaround Kids, The Cribs, Imp, The Research: its
Wakeeld bands past and present, so were recording for
that.
Sounds good to us but whilst I wish I could talk to The
Spills all night, we all have homes to go to and work to get
up for. Before we say goodbye though, any last words?
Not that I mean that to sound so terminal. Ill make a
pledge for this Rhubarb Bomb compilation. [Theres] loads
of memorabilia from gigs in Wakeeld like big prints of
Artic Monkeys playing Wakeeld for instance I think thats
one and theres one of Kate Nash playing Wakeeld.
Basically you make a pledge, a certain amount of money
for whatever item and obviously you get that item,
explains Rob.
Thats then funding the compilation and this big book on
the Wakeeld music scene [showing] the history of it and
the history of the magazine. You can make a pledge forthat online, so it would be good if everyone checks that
out, its a good thing. When is this out? [The compilation]
comes out April 21st I think and its called The City
Consumes Us. Is it not called The Bomb-palation?
Unfortunately not Sam, but by god we wish it was.
The City Consumes Us will indeed be available at the
end of April, complete with funky book. It is unclear as to
whether Robs dad still has a Jimi Hendrix tape in his car...
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Musician, label owner, manager, producer, promoter
- the man known as Whiskas has had many guises
throughout his long association with the Leeds scene.
Hes sat with me in a Headingley watering hole talking
about Honour Before Glory, the solo alias under which
he self-released the This Is Broken Lines LP in 2011
and its follow-up EP The Maison earlier this year. The
origins of the project can be traced to the dying days of
Forward, Russia!, with whom Whiskas played guitar
and rode the mid-Noughties New Yorkshire wave to
something approaching mainstream success. Breaking
into the charts, however, came at a price.
We got swallowed up by the machine, he tells me,
we were reacting to what other people were doing and
we werent taking into account what we needed to be
doing as individuals. Looking back it was mental that
we were hanging around with bands like Editors and
Dirty Pretty Things, thinking that we had the same kind
of appeal! We wasted a lot of time, energy and money
on promotion - it denitely got us bigger, but whether itwas the right thing in the long term I dont know. He
pauses. Its a bit like Chelsea really.
In 2007 Forward, Russia! decamped to Seattle to record
their second album, Life Processes. The sessions
were marked by a changing dynamic within the band.
I was coming up with things really quickly, Whiskas
recalls, before, I would just write a guitar part and wed
build a song around that, but now I was turning up with
fully-formed ideas. I would go in and say you do this
and you do that. I could hear in my head how the
whole thing worked. Some Buildings was the rst song
wed recorded in such an un-collaborative way. It was
awkward - it wasnt how the band worked and it jarred
with all of us I think. When there was downtime I would
disappear and mess around with ideas, but they didnt
really t with what we were doing.
Whiskas had unknowingly planted a seed which would
come to fruition with This Is Broken Lines indeed,
standout track Broken Bottles, Empty Hearts was written
in Seattle and could have been a Forward, Russia!
song. Upon his return to Leeds he tried to record somedemos with friends Jamie Lockhart (Mi Mye) and Jon
Foulger (Duels), but the project quickly stalled. I didnt
really know what to do with it, why I was doing it or what it
was for, he admits, I didnt want it to be another band,
but maybe a more coherent collective of people than it
ended up being. In many ways it was a reaction to the
experience of four people in a room trying to write songs
together. When youre in a band you dont think of every
detail - theres always somebody adding their two cents
and usually in a really good way. It was almost like an
experiment, pulling all of the ideas together myself and
seeing what happened. Thats probably why it took four
years! He laughs.
It was the demise of Forward, Russia! at the end of 2008
that started bringing things into focus. An interest in
production, sparked by the more holistic approach to song-
writing he had taken with Life Processes, led Whiskas
to enrol on a postgraduate course at LMU. Freshly up-
skilled, he entered the House of Mook recording studios
in Meanwood to begin work on his debut solo album. It
was a serious undertaking - as well as producing Whiskas
played every instrument himself, with the exception oflive drums performed by Simon Fogal of I LIKE TRAINS.
Backing vocals came courtesy of a cast of Leeds
musicians known to Whiskas from his famous association
with local independent label Dance To The Radio,
including Fran Rodgers, Sam Airey and I LIKE TRAINS
frontman Dave Martin. I would say to them I want this to
happen I trust you to make it good, he explains. Id
know I wanted a certain vocal range lling, or a transition
on the drums to get us from a verse into the chorus, but
people had the license to be creative and come up with
their own ways of achieving what Id asked for.
This was uncharted territory for Whiskas. For one thing,
he was placing a much greater emphasis on the sound of
the songs. I already knew about arrangements, he tells
me, like, in the second verse the guitars going to drop
out or the vocals are going to change melody or whatever
It actually came as a shock to realise that iForward
Russia! Have actually been on permanent Hiatus since
2008, but time ies and all that. Whiskas, not a man
to let the grass grow under his feet but having to deal
with the responsibilities of a young family, took time
out of his busy schedule to speak to Greg Elliott about
new Honours, new glories...
Not Back in The USSRthat. I could hear in my head how the
whole thing worked. Some Buildings
was the rst song wed reDUMMY DUMMY
DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUM-
MYWhiskas had unknowingly planted a
scorded in such an un-collaborative way.
It was awkward - it wasnt how the band
worked and it jarred with all of us I think.
When there was downtimDUMMY DUMMY
DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY-
Whiskas had unknowingly planted a seed
which would come to fruition with This
Is Broken Lines indeed, standout track
Broken Bottles, Empty Hearts was written
in Seattle and could have been a Forward,
Russia! song. Upon his return to LeedsDUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY
DUMMY DUMMYWhiskas had unknowingly
planted a she tried to record some demos
with friends Jamie Lockhart (Mi Mye)
that. I could hear in my head how the
whole thing worked. Some Buildings was
the rst song wed recorded in such an
un-collaborative way. It was awkward - it
wasnt how the band worked and it jarred
with all of us I think. WhDUMMY DUMMY
DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUM-
MYWhiskas had unknowingly planted a
sen there was downtime I would disappear
and mess around with DUMMY DUMMY
DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUM-
MYWhiskas had unknowingly planted a
sideas, but they didnt really t with what
we were doing.
Whiskas had unknowingly planted a seed
which would come to fruDUMMY DUMMYDUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY-
Whiskas had unknowingly planted a sition
with This Is Broken Lines indeed, stan-
dout track Broken Bottles, Empty Hearts
Honour Before Glory
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but now it was more like, okay, the drums are going
to pass through a lter, the kick drums going to bottom
out, all these synth and percussion things are going
to be happening. I was learning as I went. I enjoyed
the process, but if I couldnt get the sound the way I
wanted there was no one I could turn to. There were
some advantages to working in isolation, however. My
experience with bands is that you have a thing, then you
do another thing, then you do another thing, he explains,
you cant get into the detail too much. With Honour
Before Glory the songs are mainly verse-chorus-verse-
chorus-end, but theyre interesting because of how theyre
produced. I cant imagine being in a room with people
discussing why all these different things need to happen at
these very specic times.
This Is Broken Lines also represents Whiskas rst
experience of writing lyrics. Given that he became a
husband and a father while the album was if youll
excuse the pun gestating, did these
upheavals in his personal life inform itslyrical content? The album is musically
rather than lyrically driven, he insists, the
lyrics are quite insular they mean a lot
to me but probably not much to anybody
else! The feel of the album is very mono-
chrome; the ideas are all very black and
white. Fran [Rodgers, also a talented
illustrator if you ever wanted to type Lazy
Dane into Google] came up with some
great artwork to represent that.
So, he had a nished album he was
pleased with time to promote it with a
fuck load of live shows, right? Not by
the looks of the Honour Before Glory
website, which proclaims no gigs for the
foreseeable future. Its never been a
live thing - hence its problem with being
a live thing! explains Whiskas. With
my previous bands the songs were written with gigs in
mind and it was cool to be able to get away from that.
The un-live parts have dened the directions the songs
have gone in, rather than vice versa. Ive been ableto put two drum kits or ten guitars on a song because I
havent been worrying about how Im going to do it live.
Weve done some shows, but Ive found them really
unsatisfactory. Im not a strong singer and I dont feel
condent or comfortable fronting a band. Its a shame, but
there are other things I enjoy more. Im so busy I have
to prioritise.
These competing priorities aside from the obvious
responsibilities of home life - include playing guitar for
Sam Airey and Monte Carlo, producing their new EPs
as well as upcoming releases by Soul Circus and Kleine
Schweine, and organising the 2012 Unconference as
part of Live At Leeds next month. Thats not to mention
the day job, which sees Whiskas passing on his wisdom
as a lecturer at LMU. He remains passionate about
empowering musicians to take control of their art and
keep their integrity, prompting me to ask if the name
hes chosen for his latest project is a reference to this
continuing preoccupation. He nods. Its what Forward,
Russia! was about too - doing things in the right way and
for the right reasons. Its not about glory - I just want stuff
to get the recognition it deserves.
It might have been taken off the road for the time being,
but Whiskas is keen to stress that Honour Before Glory
is still a going concern. There are plans to go back into
the studio with some new songs this year, and there may
well be a quite different live manifestation of his muse
before too long. It can be whatever he wants it to be, after
all. The early songs were quite Americana-inuenced,
a bit more rock and roll, he tells me, things got more
electro as I went on. I really like the sound of the later
songs theyre a lot more synthetic. None of the songs I
recorded at the end had live drums and I didnt miss them.
So I have this idea that in the future I could do
songs like Shadow Into [a seven-minute epicof pensive ambience and perhaps the most
experimental track on the album] on my own.
He smiles wryly. I wouldnt expect it to be
exciting to watch though!
Well see.
This Is Broken Lines and The Maison are
both available via Bandcamp and, though you
may not see Honour Before Glory in a hurry, if
you see Whiskas, buy him a beer...
He remains
passionate
about
empowering
musicians to
take control
of their art
and keep
their integrity
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Bilge Pump/Two Minute Noodles/Cowtown @
Brudenell Social Club
First up is Cowtown, whose bouncy quirk-rock has yousmiling and nodding in the most positive senses of the
words. The Devo t-shirt adorned by synth-maestress
Hillary Knott gives a couple of ideas as to where one
should look for inuences, but for those unacquainted
theyre like a grungier White Stripes with a less tokenistic
drummer and far more frenetic sound. A little bit one-
dimensional perhaps its all a tad smash and grab but
still, by the end of their sharp set Im so happy I could piss
myself.
Two Minute Noodles step up now to have their say and
its another line-up that pleases me from the off. A duo of
drums and electric organ, this is what I imagine an ice-
cream van ghting its way through the zombie apocalypse
would sound like. What amazes me is how well it all
hangs together the drumming is especially brilliant (and
a pleasure to watch) with its frantic beats and its general
pissing about with tempo. All-out stomper Black Rod has
to be the clincher though; these are some badass tunes.
As if that wasnt enough, scene patriarchs Bilge Pump
line up for a dose of heavy rifng that has the heads going
once again. Fans of That Fucking Tank will recognise the
style of rock-riff mashups while the proggy lyrics assert
Bilge Pumps status as kings among nerds. Somethingabout them reminds me of Rush. Not sure why, but
I imagine that comparison might get me into trouble
somewhere. A more traditional rock sound to end the
night, but no less ballsy and excellent.
Tim Hearson
Hawk Eyes/These Monsters/Hookworms/Shallows @
The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
To kick start this metal packed montage of mayhem, a
worthy precursor for the headliners Shallows were the
rst band to take to the stage. Shallows talented female
singer dominated the zone with an unforgiving display of
strenuous vocal ability, which the crowd seemed to enjoy.
Hookworms were up next and their psychedelic, cool
style of rock was a pleasant change of pace in the venue.
The band was visibly hyped their elongated guitar riffs
and thoughtful combinations of very impressive keyboard
and drum vibes reinforced the unconscious journey that
everyone was being taken on.
After Hookworms, These Monsters geared up. I didntknow what to expect from this trio, but even after their rst
couple of songs I was blown away by how awesome they
were. Fast, sharp and tasty metal/rock riffs that smashed
everyone square in their faces! Sufce to say, everyone
loved it. The front-man emitted a screaming voice that
perfectly matched the speed of the composition, nishing
in a barrage of claps and cheers Denitely one to look
out for!
Finally Hawk Eyes. Although the crowd had diminished
slightly, the venue was still rammed and eager to absorb
the new tracks from their upcoming LP, Ideas. No time
wasted: they quickly showed the crowd why they are
one of Leeds nest live acts. Hawk Eyes blew the lid
off the Social Club, performing an explosive array of
metal. Tracks played tonight included Kiss This, NASA
vs. ESA and Headstrung, each producing a wave of
nodding heads that broke on each drum pulsation. Their
new drummer is an animal, and the band as a whole are
exceptional. An intriguing night.
Jonathan Lees
Pulled Apart By Horses @ The Leadmill, Shefeld
Taking to the stage to the not-so-dulcet tones of Requiemfor a Tower, its clear that Pulled Apart By Horses mean
business. Big business. Two albums in and threatening to
break the lock on the door of mainstream rock, they have
a lot to prove and tonight, in Shefelds The Leadmill, they
do so with aplomb.
If the sonic assault of opener I Punched a Lion in the
Throat heralds the battle, then Bromance Aint Dead
and new single V.E.N.O.M wage the war. Both tracks
are from new album Tough Love and the heavy but
remarkably tight riffs are recalled note perfectly, displaying
just how far PABH have come as a live unit.
The notably tattooed-older-male dominated audience
lends itself to some formidable circle pitting, even if
frontman Tom does put the kibosh on one audience
members drunken request for a wall of death. Pulled
Apart By Horses are not pugnacious men: in fact, they
come across as a humble and well-grounded four piece
who profess themselves this evening to be just a bunch
of shitheads playing music. All humbleness aside,
there is denitely something about their epic, chugging
breakdowns and brilliantly ludicrous song titles that seem
to demand a riotous crowd response more betting of a
Sunday derby between two Yorkshire teams, creating a
jubilant atmosphere that lasts long into the night. Mission
accomplished.
Jenessa Williams
Submotion Orchestra @ The Wardrobe
I was in the rare position of reviewing a band I had never
listened to before, a rare but good position. Before going
to the gig, I began to conjure up my own ideas about
Submotion Orchestra. My thoughts were solely based
on their name but it turned out my predictions couldnt
have been further from the truth. They werent quite the
orchestra I was expecting.
Entering a packed out venue was my rst indication
of Submotions popularity. For the rst half of the set I
couldnt even see the stage. Perhaps this was a positive
thing though, as I could make my judgments based
solely on what I was hearing.
To witness such an array of extraordinary sounds was
mind blowing; it was hard to tell whether I was at an
indie gig or an underground rave. The best word I can
use to describe the atmosphere in The Wardrobe was
buzzing; there wasnt one still body in the room. It
was also interesting to see the mixture of people at the
gig, proving that Submotions music reaches a wide
audience.
The voice of singer Ruby could easily rank high amongst
some of the greatest dance music singers of our time:similar to Katy B, but with much more depth. This voice
is complimented so perfectly by the unique dub-step-
meets-jazz sound created by the other multi-talented
members of the band. All hailing from various different
musical backgrounds, each member brings they own
avour to the exceptional Submotion Orchestra. Their
new single Its not me, its you is denitely one to add
to your iPod.
Stacie Lloyd
Extra Curricular @ Hi
Its the start of the night; were all thinking about dancing,
but no one is at that level where alcohol has replaced
inhibition so were all awkwardly shufing at the front of
the stage. The hardcore fans might take it up a gear to
a tentative two step in preparation for the band but the
whole room is self consciously holding onto their drinks,
savouring every sip, because otherwise were going to
have to think about what to do with BOTH arms.
However as soon as Extra Curricular take to the
stage, drinks are thrown back, clothes are coming off
and everyone, and I truly mean everyone, gets down.
Strangers are dancing with strangers and everyone has
forgotten whether their hair looks alright or if that guy
from Friday is here yet. Soon enough the whole room
is sweating, the kind of sweat that no one is going tojudge you for, the kind of sweat that makes passersby
on the street jealous because youve had a better time
than they have.
Its not just the music Extra Curricular creates - its
the atmosphere. The set was perhaps a little too short
(they could have played all night and it wouldnt have
been enough) but it did leave everyone wanting (and
chanting) for more.
Hana Walker-Brown
Arthur Rigby and the Baskervylles/Hunting Bears @
Nation of Shopkeepers
Openers Hunting Bears have a lush, full sound which
is impressive for a four piece and owes much to
the double bass/violin combo. Battling hard against
Shopkeepers punk-friendly acoustics, theres a buzz of
chatter thats never quite quashed until gorgeous closer
Only in My Skin, a tender 4-part harmony country
chorale, leaves the majoritys collective jaw hanging.
Personal favourite Heavy Tree also packs a bit of a
punch once it gets going but this gentle band could dowith perfecting their crowd handling.
Arthur Rigby and the Baskervylles are next up with
a massive pop sound and a booming baritone vocal
delivery: I cant help but feel like Im being sung to by a
1920s aviator. That said, its the creative, vibrant brass
arrangements that make this really special: fanfares,
chorales and the occasional sweeping ute line have
a pastoral charm and give the whole sound a massive
mid-range boost. One particularly effective song has
the rhythm section pounding out a low groove that
showcases this bands ear for the overall package.
If I am to gripe, all the most energetic and best written
songs seem to come at the start and I couldnt help but
feel like the performance seemed to settle down a bit
too much. Also, the drummers sense of timing is liberal
at best but to his credit I think it added a bit of extra
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energy to proceedings. These are very minor criticisms
though as Arthur Rigby... are one of the most inventive
bands Ive seen in a long time. In a word: sterling.
Tim Hearson
Pengillys/Garnets @ Brudenell Social Club
Opening up the night is Garnets who are mellow and
spacey of the ilk of Hernameiscalla, Tomorrow We Sail et
al. The slow moving compositions show a lot of promise
but prove somewhat formulaic. This kind of music needs
epic rises and falls to grab your attention but Garnets
music by and large plateaus around the mid-range. Also,
the laptop additions seem slightly tokenistic given the
onstage keyboard. Dont get me wrong, all the ingredients
are in there Garnets just needs the stones and the
variety to shake things up a bit.
Pengillys are a bit special. Frontman Ric Hollingberry has
a face youd love to punch and an unabashedly southernwhine (think The Kooks dialled up a notch) but their sound
is captivating. Stripped back, synth laden and cerebral,
theres a dark groove to these minimal tunes. Lead single
Tobys Hill starts with Hollingberry layering up a looped
chorale before dipping into a warm bath of electronica.
Add in some Radiohead-worthy basslines also a
shameless rip of the one from The Immigrant Song and
drums that sizzle and shimmer and youve got a band
who deserve every bit of the recent radio airplay theyve
been granted. A home crowd and fairly packed room
give this gig a great atmosphere leaving me very little to
quarrel with.
Tim Hearson
Asa Hawks/Round Window/Iona Dhrum @ Carpe
Diem, Leeds
Last time I was at Carpe Diem, someone came in and
spat at the barmaid, followed by a pitchfork wielding mob
shouting burn the witch! I really should get down more.
Actually, its not been that long (though the spitting part
is true) but it has been rather remiss of me not to check
out CD and Grain Division and to keep a weather eye onwhats going down in the town. Naughty Ed.
Ive always been a bit wary of projects and when Jess
Kershaw announces herself as the project Iona Dhrum,
warning bells start to chime. She then strikes up an
ethereal key on her Roland and sings about drifty stuff.
The drifty stuff is not really her though and hardly a
decent match for her voice, which is strong and warm.
Fortunately she picks up a guitar and does herself justice
with some more earthy tunes. This is the good stuff, stick
with it be loud, be proud, be Jess Kershaw.
I start doodling a bit of stick man porn during Round
Windows set, which is never a good sign. They are
denitely procient, but the music is interesting rather
than exciting a blend of prog, folk and good old
fashioned rock. Its a bit... indulgent and twiddly and
can be summed up by the lead singers confession of
writing this one in a conservatory. The last song really
steps it up, though, in classic Who style this is really
what everything else should sound like too. Get out of that
conservatory.
Despite coming on at 10.45, The Asa Hawks show no
signs of fatigue and strike up a jaunty country... sorry,
Americana, number that is chock full of joie de vivre.
Katy, in a very sparkly top, comes across as a Yorkshire
Kirsty McColl, vocally charming and approachable, while
the rest of the band creates a Dick Dale/James Yorkston/
Johnny Cash groove. Its funny, its enjoyable... its bloody
cheeky in places (especially the lifting of a Cure riff and the
casually dropped in homage to the Duelling Banjos) but
more than that, the band are loving it. That makes them
very likeable, for me and the rest of the audience. You
might like them too.
Rob Wright
Kane-Hession-DSilva/Swinepipe @ The Fox & Newt,
Leeds
This was the rst in a (hopefully long running) series of
jazz/improv gigs under the new Fusebox banner, actually
a collaboration between a revived Leeds Jazz and a
reactivated Leeds Improvised Music Association (LIMA).
Dont know about you but Im excited already.
Prior to this gig I hadnt really appreciated the full range of
instruments included in the clarinet family. Swinepipe, a
trio consisting of Richard Ormrod, Helen Baines and Ollie
Dover, come armed to the teeth with different versions of
the instrument, and are here to educate anyone prepared
to listen. They open with an Astor Piazzolla tango which
highlights the traditional, warmly woody sound of the
standard clarinet, but then move on to a piece with three
bass clarinets to create a deep, hypnotic drone, and nish
with their eponymous anthem which does a good job of
creating an ear splitting storm of noise not unlike electric
guitar feedback. No, really.
Leeds born drummer Paul Hession and Leeds baseddouble bassist Dave Kane are no strangers to the national
and international jazz and improv scene, while saxophonist
Karl DSilva may only be familiar to Leeds audiences from
his other band The Trumpets of Death. Hession and Kane
dominate this trio with some typically furious playing from
the former that cooks the music to boiling point repeatedly
throughout the set, and Kane rises to the challenge with
some raging playing thats clearly utterly exhausting.
DSilva seems a bit unsure of what to do in the quieter
passages, possibly prompting Hession and Kane to keep
things loud and fast, an approach which seems to suit
the saxophonists penchant for short, repeated phrases
anyway.
Steve Walsh
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Pelican + Guests @ Brudenell Social Club, Leeds 9
April
Sludge metal, post-metal or whatever, the genre bending
Pelican will be giving the Brud a good thwacking.
Runaround Kids/Imp/St Gregory Orange @ Nation of
Shopkeepers, Leeds 11 April
Another Philophobia-fest with Wakeeld darlings
Runaround Kids and support from the slimey electronic of
St Gregory Orange and raw indie of Imp.
Cowtown/Pifco/Wimwams/Super Johnny K and the
Bang Bangs @ Packhorse, Leeds 14 April
Choppy and bouncey, Cowtown and Pifco will be bringing
their edgy quirk-rock to the Packhorse. A line-up that never
fails to be bloody good fun.
Ellen & the Escapades/Paper Aeroplanes @ Brudenell
Social Club, Leeds 15 April
Rising star, gentle Country types Ellen & the Escapades
hit up the Brud. Not quite line-danceable but more-so than
say, Thom Yorke
Born to Brew/Chris Sharkey @ Fox & Newt, Leeds 20
April
Virtuosic, maniacal jazz keysmith Matthew Bourne
brings his esoteric duo Born to Brew to the Fox & Newt,
supported by Trio VD guitar demon, Chris Sharkey. Shit.
Renegade Brass Band @ Hi, Leeds 22 April
A horn-based funktacular from Shefeld, these can hold
their own against the likes of Hypnotic Brass, Youngblood
and Horndog.
Live at Leeds @ All over Leeds, 5 May
Yes, its time for the annual day-long music slog that is
Live at Leeds. Youll laugh, youll cry, youll probably need
a nap half way through. Absolutely something for everyone
with Los Campesinos!, Marina and the Diamonds and TheEnemy rubbing shoulders with the likes of Scroobius Pip,
Ghostpoet and Blacklisters (though probably not actually,
could you imagine..?).
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This Womens Work - Wombeatz
It is a sad fact that the music industry is not as groovy as
everyone would like to think there is still a lot of gender-
based inequality out there and it really needs to go the
way of the dinosaur. Fortunately, music tends to attract
the sort of people who want to do something about it, as
Kate Wellham discovered at the inaugural Wombeatz
Conference. Some of this may come as a shock to you
Its International Womens Day and were on our way to
a man-hating, hairy-legged musical event so militant that
its been organised exclusively for girls. Im imagining it as
a sort of training camp where we will learn such dark arts
as how to render a man infertile with the ick of a single
drumstick, and how to close the pay gap by taking our 17%
from the removal and sale of his now unnecessary organs
as maracas.
The inconspicuous venue has been made slightly more
conspicuous by the sporadic hanging of pink and blue
balloons both inside and outside the only indication that
anything sinister is going on.
Yes, pink AND blue. AND theres a boy here! And instead of
plans to take over the world, there are biscuits.
What subversion is this?
Sneaking a peek into the various rooms reveals many
perfectly friendly-looking women teaching and learning
the basics of sound engineering, DJing and recording
the technical sides of the business where females are
undeniably underrepresented.
What is clear from the happy participants is that this
obviously feels to them like a safe place to ask any kind of
question no matter how silly it seems, to play, to get things
wrong a few times, and to try something completely alien,
without worrying about the consequences: a fundamental
need in order for many of these women to even begin to trysome of these things, as they each later explain.
Were not saying were better than guys or we want to be
seen to be better than guys, its not about that, its about
offering the opportunity and encouragement to get more
women to try stuff like this, says Sarah Statha
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