Tuesday 13 March 2012

Sound of Guns

Tuesday 6th March

Tonight was the night! Sound of Guns were finally touring to promote the release of their second album, Angels and Enemies, of which I had been eagerly awaiting. I was also excited to see their first support band, Symphonic Pictures who are also a local favourite of mine.

Symphonic Pictures took to the stage in their now familiar white attire, opening with We All Come From Fire. A small crowd was starting to gather and the unique brand of psychedelic tinged tunes were hitting the right notes. Again my ultimate favourite track, Bootstrap Paradox was missing from the short set, but that didn't stop me enjoying the band.They finished with another firm favourite, Backwoods and left the stage to whoops and applause from the now growing audience.

Next to take the stage was Carly Connor, a singer/songwriter from Glasgow. Just as she was starting her first song, noticeably 'refreshed', she stumbled, over the monitor and nearly ended up face down in the front row. At this point I was kind of dreading her opening her mouth. But boy was I wrong. When this little blonde started singing I was really surprised. She had a really cracking rock voice that kind of  reminded me of Janis Joplin or fellow Scot Lulu in her heyday. If you get the chance to hear this girl sing, definitely go for it.

Finally the moment had arrived that I had been waiting months for. As the Liverpudlian rockers appeared on stage, the crowd (and me) went mad. They played a couple of familiar tracks from the first album, (Architects and Backs of Butterflys), which really engaged the gathered masses. As the guys went on to play new tracks Sometimes and Antarctica, (which I absolutely love), I was reminded why I adore this band so much. Through belting guitar riffs and frantic beating drums, the anthems these guys perform, for me, are up there with classics such as the Doors' Light my Fire.

By the time the band played their last song, half of the audience had their tops off, (and not just the guys) and one excited fan had evaded security and landed a place on the stage, singing along with frontman Andrew Metcalfe. If you don't get the chance to catch them live, you have to buy the album. It is a must for any serious rock fan.

Sunday 4 March 2012

Lone Wolf Presents

Thursday 23rd February

This was to be the first non-charity gig for Lone Wolf Promotions and judging by the lineup, and the early arrival of a large gathering in Independent's Little Room, promised to be a cracking night.

The first band to take the stage was Spray On Jeans. I had seen these guys twice before, one of those times being (rather unexpectedly) an acoustic set. But not so tonight - this, their first gig with their new frontman, was a truly electric affair. Right from the off, they grabbed my attention - totally different from the (mainly) Arctic Monkeys cover band I had previously witnessed. There was a really good crowd and it was evident that many were followers of this band, singing along throughout - obviously familiar with the songs. The new singer was a breath of fresh air, brushing away his first night nerves with amusing banter between songs.

Next up was the hotly-tipped Spoken Words. When I first saw them supporting Frankie & The Heartstrings, I'd been totally blown away by their sound and look. This four piece post punk/new wave inspired Wearside band had brought everything good from the early 80's bang up to date. The guitarist so reminded me of the 'Sunderland Trendies' (which is a good thing!) who used to frequent Genevieves when I was a teenager, back in the day.

They have a really unique electro-synth sound that isn't reminiscent of any current bands, and it is so refreshing to see something different. During 'Come Alive Inside', I was reminded of Psychedelic Furs, and was really pleased when they announced free CDs, featuring this song and 'Hullabaloo Dream', were available for anyone to take. I was definitely having one of those, thank you very much! These guys have also been voted ones to watch out for in 2012, by NME, so check them out.

The headline act of the night, We Beat the System, are a band I never tire of seeing. Playing to a packed-to-the-rafters venue and, visibly buzzing to the capacity crowd, they opened their set with my favourite song of theirs, the anthemic 'Only If'. I have seen this band play several times over the last year, and I can really see them growing and developing each time. I have always been a fan, but these guys have just got the whole package. They are so in-sync as musicians and Daniel Mason's powerful, soaring vocals are faultless. They went on to play an outstanding set featuring some familiar favourites such as Karma Culprits and some new songs - the fruit of recent recording sessions with Frankie & the Heartstrings' maestro, Mick Ross. I just can't wait for them to release an EP or album. This band are set for big things.

All in all it was an incredible night. If you missed it, you definitely missed a treat. But don't worry, Lone Wolf have a host of exciting gigs lined up, showcasing some of the North East's best musical talent, so be sure to check out the website: http://lonewolfpromo.blogspot.com/