i caught the last song of The Kick Inside, playing the main stage. They sounded like they did the other week at The Enterprise, kind of ska and Smiths/Morrissey-ish, but the acoustics in the diesel shed did them no justice. The could have sounded so much better.
Other photies
Trev Lost
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Town Bike - Indietracks
Town Bike are on fire, first band of the day on the outdoor stage and punters are flocking to the front
They're like this generations answer to Shampoo, rude and bad girls loose on the streets. Bubblegum shirts, they are a living breathing cartoon band.
Songs about the guitarist from Busted, being bad, their bassist's first prom, they even have their own theme song where they introduce the band.
Its like they are possessed by the spirit of rock, Alice Cooper pulped and moulded into the shape of a riot pop act from Liverpool.
They'd won a poll on the Anorak messageboard to chose some of the bands at Indietracks, and I understand some idle remark was made about them playing a cover. So onstage they launch Smells Like B*witched, its like B*Witched songs played to the tune of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and there in the flesh, it was amazing.
Other photies
WeePop
Trev Lost
stn08
Penny Broadhurst
They're like this generations answer to Shampoo, rude and bad girls loose on the streets. Bubblegum shirts, they are a living breathing cartoon band.
Songs about the guitarist from Busted, being bad, their bassist's first prom, they even have their own theme song where they introduce the band.
Its like they are possessed by the spirit of rock, Alice Cooper pulped and moulded into the shape of a riot pop act from Liverpool.
They'd won a poll on the Anorak messageboard to chose some of the bands at Indietracks, and I understand some idle remark was made about them playing a cover. So onstage they launch Smells Like B*witched, its like B*Witched songs played to the tune of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and there in the flesh, it was amazing.
Other photies
WeePop
Trev Lost
stn08
Penny Broadhurst
Silence the Sea - Indietracks
There's five or so people on stage, Silence the Sea, they look kind of familiar from other bands. Two girls, one with melodica and a mic, one sat at a desk with a typewriter, there's this chap from Little My in an animal costume and bare feet (hippy) with an acoustic guitar, prowling the stage. Sounds like the coolest office to work in.
The songs are a wee bit sea shantyish, although warmer than most sea shanties, Hidden Cameras with half as many people on stage, aye bass and violin. Sometimes that Altantic FM warmth to the songs.
Charming, happy and relaxed girl harmonies with just a touch of reverb to balance the occasionally boomy bass. Kind of like the weather in heaven.
"The best advice I was ever given,
was shut my mouth and learn to listen"
Other photies
WeePop
Astrid
HayleyHawley
stn08
Trev Lost
Light-o
The songs are a wee bit sea shantyish, although warmer than most sea shanties, Hidden Cameras with half as many people on stage, aye bass and violin. Sometimes that Altantic FM warmth to the songs.
Charming, happy and relaxed girl harmonies with just a touch of reverb to balance the occasionally boomy bass. Kind of like the weather in heaven.
"The best advice I was ever given,
was shut my mouth and learn to listen"
Other photies
WeePop
Astrid
HayleyHawley
stn08
Trev Lost
Light-o
Monday, 28 July 2008
Indietracks - Indietracks
Indietracks in seven minutes
Or if you can't be arsed, here's the same sort of thing in 1:40 minutes
I like doing these things, making wee nuggets for the internet. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, then when people watch it, and tell their friends, it makes me squeee.
Or if you can't be arsed, here's the same sort of thing in 1:40 minutes
I like doing these things, making wee nuggets for the internet. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, then when people watch it, and tell their friends, it makes me squeee.
MJ Hibbett and the Validators - Indietracks
Its a warm summer's night at Swanwick Junction, folk are sat on the grass and on cushions around a small marquee. There's barely a cloud in the sky, and already I've spotted friends and people I know at the Indietracks festival site.
When I arrived I caught strains of The Validators tuning up, small children frolicked on the common, sheep idly ate their grass in anticipation of the weekend's thrills.
We've been fans of MJ Hibbett for a long time at this website, heck, I've been a fan for years. MJ Hibbett has spent years living his exciting life in rock and so is doing a show at the Edinburgh Fringe called My Exciting Life in Rock. Its just a one man thing, anecdotes and songs on his guitar, or where necessary, his ukelele. But this evening, as an Indietracks special he has his band, The Validators, to play the songs with him.
For his song "Do The Indie Kid" they had small children on stage demonstrating the dance steps, I forsee a long career in the music industry for them.
Things that occur to me whilst watching his show:-
a) Who can I get to draw the Dinosaur Planet comic? Who could do it justice?
b) MJ Hibbett was worried that the drums would be too loud, but would be relieved that they're them for the occasion
c) For the anecdote about getting drunk in Glasgow in '04, where I was there then, my overriding memory is when the first band to play in the tea room had had trouble with the PA system, when MJ Hibbett took to the stage he overcame the problems by stepping closer to the audience and by singing louder, such practical problem-solving techniques influence me to this day.
d) For the anecdote about playing a gig to an audience of three peoplein '05, one of them has gone on to become a singer with The Just Joans and another is now bass player for NME faves Dananananaykroyd. So it was kind of like the Sex Pistol's Free Trade Hall show.
If you happen to be in Edinburgh between the 4th and 9th of August, make sure you check out MJ Hibbett's Exciting Life in Rock
You'll love it
Other reviews
MJ Hibbett
Other Photies
Penny Broadhurst
Trev Lost
Thursday, 24 July 2008
HDIF: Even As We Speak, Mexican Kids At Home, Hong Kong In The 60s - Jamm
I'm very sorry, I missed the first band on, The Give It Ups, they're one of my favourite cartoon bands too, listen to their songs on MySpace. It was turning twilight when I got to Brixton, handfuls of indie kids stood outside enjoying the evening, inside it was dark and warmer, a band on stage.
Hong Kong In The 60s
Mexican Kids At home
Even As We Speak
Hong Kong In The 60s
Mexican Kids At home
Even As We Speak
Pocketbooks, The Zebras, Airport Girl - Buffalo Bar
So I toddled along to the Buffalo bar, say hi to Andy and Dan from Pocketbooks, I used to has teh fear of saying hi to people in bands, cos seeing them play live six times isn't the same as actually knowing them, compare and contrast with Idlewild who I saw 16 times in 1998 and wouldn't.
Suddenly Pav from Twee A Fuck wanders out of the Buffalo and says hi. Aw man, I never got round to finishing that review of the Twee As Fuck alldayer.
So I descend into the depths of the Buffalo Bar, spot Camila from weePop, and lounge at the bar for a bit drinking Tyger. MJ Hibbett wanders over, he's jolly excited about his Exciting Life in Rock show, I'm quite excited too, it should be fun on the Friday at Indietracks, but will I make it to Edinburgh to see the proper show in its native Fringe environment?
Before long, the first band take to the stage.
Pocketbooks
I like Pocketbook, I've seen them lots of times, they're in my top ten bands I've seen most often in the past two years, and now I can say hi to them and make small talk without feeling the urge to run away, hide in the toilets sobbing to myself, this you already knew, but have you considered the effect this has on my ability to review them honestly? It could be awkward.
I liked the older songs they played, and the new songs, which were possibly having their first publis airing, they sounded alright, they'll be great after a few plays to get ingrained in ma heid.
Ian the guitarist has new effects pedals, one of them was a chorus pedal, not sure what the other was, but it sounded great.
They were playing to a crowd of very attentive folk who I've seen at gigs before. Not like the second band on, for whom the crowd swelled with lots and lots of people, some with curious accents.
The Zebras
One of the most American sounding Australian bands
Airport Girl
I saw this youtube video the other day, and now, it could just be confirmation bias, but I can spot Pachelbel's Canon in D a mile away, Airport Girl's first song, aye.
The Airportettes
More women on stage
Suddenly Pav from Twee A Fuck wanders out of the Buffalo and says hi. Aw man, I never got round to finishing that review of the Twee As Fuck alldayer.
So I descend into the depths of the Buffalo Bar, spot Camila from weePop, and lounge at the bar for a bit drinking Tyger. MJ Hibbett wanders over, he's jolly excited about his Exciting Life in Rock show, I'm quite excited too, it should be fun on the Friday at Indietracks, but will I make it to Edinburgh to see the proper show in its native Fringe environment?
Before long, the first band take to the stage.
Pocketbooks
I like Pocketbook, I've seen them lots of times, they're in my top ten bands I've seen most often in the past two years, and now I can say hi to them and make small talk without feeling the urge to run away, hide in the toilets sobbing to myself, this you already knew, but have you considered the effect this has on my ability to review them honestly? It could be awkward.
I liked the older songs they played, and the new songs, which were possibly having their first publis airing, they sounded alright, they'll be great after a few plays to get ingrained in ma heid.
Ian the guitarist has new effects pedals, one of them was a chorus pedal, not sure what the other was, but it sounded great.
They were playing to a crowd of very attentive folk who I've seen at gigs before. Not like the second band on, for whom the crowd swelled with lots and lots of people, some with curious accents.
The Zebras
One of the most American sounding Australian bands
Airport Girl
I saw this youtube video the other day, and now, it could just be confirmation bias, but I can spot Pachelbel's Canon in D a mile away, Airport Girl's first song, aye.
The Airportettes
More women on stage
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