http://radiogetswild.com/ Radio Gets Wild en-us Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT 1440 Radio Gets Wild Radio Gets Wild Reviews http://backend.userland.com/rss http://radiogetswild.com/images/images/logo.gif http://radiogetswild.com/ http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=291.html Limit Fest Last night at chinnerys in Southend was one of the first of its kind in this well known local venue. This was an all day thing, 3pm until 10.30pm. The set was as follows: Tim (acoustic) 9 Days Down Heroes in the park Lunatic high 60 Mile Smile Never Means Maybe Kenai One fell down Postmortem Promises   Now seeing as I got there about 7.20, i missed the first 5 on that list. Though i asked someone and i was told 9days down and 60 mile smile were excellent. First band i saw were never means maybe. The picture above is them on their 2nd song. I found these guys to be energetic, enthusiastic and engaging. All e's, hehe. He did a lot of mic swinging, was waiting for him to drop it but he didn't. Noticed the looks of concentration on the guitarists. these guys were defiantly on form. And interestingly, loads of people were taking pictures. one person was in the way of my shot if you notice. Thought over-all they had a good quality metal sound. All the songs were good. one track had the singer of kenai helping out on vocals. This was good but the end of the song was a bit like a raw competition between the two. 9/10 for effort on their performance. Next up were Kenai, a band I have seen recently in the rocksoff semi finals. They (unfortunately) lost out to CB6 though for a place in the finals. These guys are a 5 piece and include a keyboardist for a fuller sound range. I personally thought they were enjoying themselves better last night than they did at battle of the bands. They were more relaxed and possibly played a better set too. These guys play a fairly upbeat tempo but still the heaviness. I think this was the best band of the night, i really enjoyed their set. As with the previous band, lead vocalist from never means maybe joined this band on a track on vocals. They ended with what they considered the best song on their EP, All that's yours. I give 9/10 on these guys. Third band up were One Fell Down. Now there's a very good reason i haven't played these guys on my show as I have the previous two. I think it was about the 3rd word out his mouth, yes he was swearing, and continued to do so in between as well as throughout the songs. This was the band to get the mosh pit going. What to say about the moshers... well, it wasn't the biggest pit I've seen. Luckily, sexy Dan from Caleb was in-front of me and i knew he was sturdy enough not to let anyone pass. One emo kid up front looked very unimpressed when his drink was spilt on him. Even shocked - though he was standing right in the way of potential flying bodies. All this action prevented me from giving the tattooed meatyness on stage much attention. These guys were defiantly the best looking band of the night, and arguably one of the heaviest locally. You cant be more hardcore than them. 9/10 for sexyness After too many beers, Dan from Caleb and his brother Joe from count the living thought it would be a good idea to start moshing/ throwing themselves around/ whatever boys do, and left me completely exposed to the elements, i.e. falling kids. Dan later told me some kid had kicked his knee and i saw him get his revenge by heading straight for him and flooring him, hehe. He looked very proud of himself after that. Finally the last band were called post mortem promises. When they started playing, i was a bit taken back. I stared blankly for a while then ventured to see other peoples faces. They looked pretty similar to me. They were very hardcore, everything was a big scream/rawr. Everyone I talked to was like, he's singing twinkle twinkle little star/ humpty dumpty... you just couldn't tell what he was 'singing'. I know I might be a little harsh and i know its not my style and others might like it, but my opinion wouldn't be valued if i just said every band were great. Referring to Joe's comment to them, 'say no to emo'. 5/10 for effort. Metal isn't my fav type of music but i did enjoy myself and i hope my friends Louise and Jay did too. Dan and Joe defiantly seemed to. Well worth the £5 entry, though more so if I had actually caught all the bands, not just the final four. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=296.html Friday night at chinnerys three bands played, in the following order, red track, then traffic to nowhere followed by forever december. Red Track These guys were on at 9pm, after i had been standing around for a good 20 mins. After talking to the sound guy Rob, i was very shocked to discover they were playing. Two of the bands who were meant to be on had pulled out, and red track had agreed to play only 11am that day. I also think one of the guys had been attacked as-well so good on them for getting up and playing. His jeans straight away attracted your attention. They were very bright as you can see in the pic. I noticed how skinny he is too, but i put that down to how active he is on stage - he definitely had a lot of energy, which is good to see in a frontman. As for their playing, i think they did a good set. They got some dancing going down the front, i think they played a variety of tracks, and really put a lot of energy into their performance. One song he said was available on the cd found in trash bags (The trash society club giveaway bag) which is interesting because i know bands have to pay £100 to get their songs on them. Overall a good set. 8/10 This was the second band, female fronted traffic to nowhere. These guys were decidedly more funky and were a five piece compared to the previous 3 so there was a sound advantage to them. As their set went on, i noticed what a great singer they had. They were definitely very involved with what they were doing, real pro's. I think they must have been around a while even though i haven't seen them before. I got that from the singer saying things like, 'going to play an old one now' and stuff like that. So really i would have thought i'd have seen them by now. I sure go chinnerys enough. oh well. I enjoyed them anyway. They even had a little loyal fan base down the front, including a guy from red dawn (another local band) who had a demo in his hand all night for me, but never recognised me to give it to me, hehe. A good band, 8.5/10 This was the final band of the night, and the band my friend had asked me there to see that night - forever December. As their set went on i realised i had pictured these guys before, a few months back with trash monroe. The guy with tattoos on the left definitely looked good on those. This night though, it seems he's put more weight on, but was still cute. These guys have progressed a lot since they last recorded material over a year ago. In the recorded stuff they sound a bit younger, and hearing them live shows how much their sound has improved. They need to get recording soon as possible really because i dont think they played any of that old stuff in their set. I still really liked these guys, the vocal work was good - but i did wonder how hot he must've been in a jumper. Being last band there obviously were less people, but a couple of people still got up to dance, which was good. 8.5/10 Not really one of my better nights at chinnerys. i really enjoyed the bands and could see they were good quality rock, but i just wasn't in the mood for it unfortunately. 8/10 for the night, 5/10 for my mood Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=160.html Attending a Darren Hayes concert is a bit like going to watch the Chippendale's. The fans are not going to the concert to see him perform songs half naked (although nobody would mind if he did). It's the atmosphere. The vibes. Middle-aged women on their night out, without their husbands or children to worry about, ready to have party. I'm far from the middle-age. To young to be called a woman, to old to be called a girl. Something in between. 19. But still, even I had the Chippendale-feeling. It's the feeling of experiencing something that was only ever in your own head. Like a dream or a fantasy. Sharing it with others, and not minding that. I am the kind of person who loves to listen to Darren's music on my mp3 player. I find it hard to listen to his songs on the radio. Knowing what those songs mean to me, and knowing that there are people who don't feel the same thing about those songs, it just feels wrong. Therefore I listen to them when I'm all alone. That's the only way I know everybody feels the same, even if that means that this 'everybody' is just one person, is just me. The week before the concert, I was starting to doubt whether it was a good idea to go. A bit silly, because I had been looking forward to this concert from the minute I heard that there was going to be a tour. To get in Bristol was difficult, and to pay for the trip, I had to work quite a lot. All kinds of disasters started running trough my head. What if Darren wasn't the person I thought he was? I always have thought very much of him, so it wouldn't be that hard to let me down... What if I lost my biggest idol in just a snap? What if I found it hard to share his beautiful music with all the other fans? What if I lost this personal contact with his songs? Sounds like fan-talk? Maybe it is*1. Honestly, when I look back now, it all seems very strange that I was thinking that. I know it sounds crazy, but it is absolutely impossible for Darren to let me down. Because Darren is like a canvas where the fans project everything they want on. And if that projection lets us down, it is only us to blame. Anyway, the concert. Yeah. It was great. I have never ever heard somebody with such a splendid voice. I have never ever seen somebody perform like Darren did that night. I have never ever seen such an interaction with the public. I have never ever felt such a positive, warm, safe atmosphere when I was in a room full of people that where complete strangers to me, in a country with such a different culture. Don't go thinking I am exaggerating, 'cause I'm not. I find it hard to write down in words what I felt, so I'm putting it in superlatives to get the message cross. All the songs that he sang that night, were our songs. They were truly the songs of everybody in the concert hall, and for once, everybody didn't mean just me. It were the biggest hits*2, which he has sang like a million times. But it felt like it was the first time he was performing them for anybody, and the last time too. All the songs *****d in the whole new concept of the show. When you go to the concert of some other artist, you usualy get the songs as you know them from the CD's. Not with Darren. He made the songs new, specially for the show. He made them shine, like they never did before. It was Darren-as-you-don't-know-him. Darren-even-better-than-you-know-him. Even if that sounds impossible for many fans. It were the small, dark diamonds, very intense. If the songs them selfs didn't give you thrills up and down your spine, the extremely hard basses had. The whole concert hall was shaking, the people by emotion, the building by the sound. The projections were so powerful... Even I, who am a rather rational person found it hard to keep the tears away. It where the comforting songs. It where the party songs. A Big Night In, that was exactly what it was. You know, having a part at home with some good friends*3, watching 'Bambi' or 'The Lion King' or another sad movie, eating comfort food (Chocolate cake is my personal fav) and after all this, have a blast of a party. Life seems so much more fun after your broken heart has been healed. Even more fun than before your heart was broken. Something like that. That was a Big Night In. Having a nice time with some superb songs, getting your heart broken/heaving a dark moment, being comfort and after, just before you have to leave, having the best time you ever had! If - you are passionate about great music - you appreciate an talented performer/singer/songwriter - your main hobby is to enjoy life, without being superficial - your motto is 'there ain't no sweet without the bitter" - you an real, original (in both ways) artist - you like honesty, artists who open up their hearts to show you yours - you like artists who aren't afraid from their public, who interact, who make you feel part of it rather than just somebody who looks at it --> then I'm pretty sure we will meet at the next Darren Hayes concert If however - you have never heard of Darren Hayes - you never heard how funny, talented, goodlooking, ... he is - you never had the chance to see him perform or to hear a song of him (which is very unlikely, unless you have been living on Mars the last ten years) - you have heard of him, but think he only sings/writes calssical lovesongs --> then you might think again, and we'll meet at the next concert anyway. xxx Eva *1 Have to admit it. I am a huge fan. But it's not that I was a fan first and then (and because of the fact that I was a fan) started to like him/his music. It was the other way around. I was touched by his music first, and then I became a fan. *2 I like your Old Stuff better than your New Stuff, Affirmation Chained To You, The Lover After Me, To The Moon and Back, Strange Relationship, Creeping up on you, I just want you to love me, Darkness, Unlovable, Void, Crash and Burn, Truly Madly Deeply, Break Me Shake Me, I Knew I Loved You, I Want You / Tears Of Pearls / Violet ( a mix of 3 songs), So Beautiful *3 the people around you/on stage felt like friends: they saw/heard the same, they felt the same. It was okay to be touched by the music, everybody was. There was no reason to hide what was inside. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=168.html Where do i start? lol my sis and I arrived in brussels at 3.15 that's about 6 hours before Robbie came on stage lol we went to stand at the gate of our part of the stadium and talked a bit to the security ppl, very nice ppl they were, joking around etc...at 4.20 we could go inside the stadium! my lord that place is huge! Turned out we had one of the best seated places quite far from the stage but u could still see ppl walking on it and we had a great view over the three big screens. At 6 the screens came alive...with questions popping up saying things like "What's wrong?", "What happened to your dreams?", "Who was your hero, growing up?". Ppl really payed attention to the questions and were all thinking very deep at times :D At 6.30 a band called Orson came on stage as the first supporting act, they're actually pretty good lol, the singer reminded me a bit of Daniel Powter but the songs were heavier and stronger...Ppl applauded them but they didn't really get the attention they deserved, they played for 45 minutes then we had to wait for 30 minutes and then came....Basement Jaxx! Those ppl know how to give a party!!lmao strange outfits, loud voices and amazing songs! just loved it! They did get the crowd singing and cheering! Just brilliant!! They finished at 8.15 then we still had to wait for another hour...then the crowd started to do the mexican wave to pass the time, the first 3 times we only got halfway and so 28.000 ppl were booing the part of the stadium that wouldn't cooperate in the wave:p I guess in the end they didn't dare to do anything else but go along! we wanted fun!!! Was great though think we went around with it for about 15 times...insane to see 56.000 ppl doing the wave, gives u chills! Then it was 9.15 and the screens came alive again, first showing a video of Queen's "We will Rock You" and then "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana, He had our attention! Then two more msgs on the screens, first one was "Ad Break" second "You're not alone"...and then...Fireworks!!! and Robbie finally on stage! the crowd went mad, it had been raining all afternoon and evening but no one cared!!!He started with "Radio", followed by "Rock Dj" and "Tripping"..after that he started to sing "singing in the rain"..he was soaked after only 10 minutes but he gave it all and yelled "F*ck The Rain!" We all agreed He played one song after the other, thankfully I knew most of them...except from Monsoon...my sis couldn't believe it *blushes* I guess the most amazing moment for me and my sis was when he sang "back for good" from Take That, my sis couldn't stand up, she was nearly crying, she couldn't believe she'd hear this song ever again! He was also talking about the big reunion tour of TT and said he actually really wanted to go along with the rest of TT but that he then realized he had a world tour to do :D. Again we agreed we'd rather have him passing by in belgium on his own then to stand on stage with TT in the UK! He was also joking about belgium not being at the World Cup, saying it's a shame that belgium wouldn't be there when Beckham would shoot the ball....hehe he didn't finish that sentence tho lol We also did a bit of Karaoke! We all sang "Strong" while the lyrics were rolling on the screen pointed at with big arrows, I must say those screens and the lighteffects made it a huge show! It was beautiful to see everyone singing along like that! Last song he sang was "Feel" again very beautiful..no other words for it. He went off stage but we knew there was more to come all we had to do was wait, but we were impatient lol clapping hands stamping feet and yelling like mad, he then appeared on the top of the stage construction to bring "Let Me Entertain You" My favourite song!!! It was mad, it was brilliant, he came down in some sort of an elevator thingy, again with fireworks, everyone was dancing and singing! After that finally came "Angels", again beautiful, breathtaking....he said goodbye after that song but we kept on singing that song Seeven Nations Army by The White Stripes going "oohohohoohoo" and he stood there, nodding and looking at us, think he was impressed :P, to then sing the final song "Kids" with his backingvocalist, who i must say has an amazing voice! Then right before he went off stage, he pulled down his trousers and showed his bum!! What a way to say goodnight Then it was truly over, the big lights went on and we had to go home..I gave my sis a huge hug and we decided that next time we will pay the full (tho very expensive) price to stand right at the front, coz that would be even more fantastic we believe! All I have to say is, if u can go then go! It was absolutely brilliant and I'm not even a big fan of him! Ow btw didn't get on the big screen with my wings, was too far at the back, next time setlist 1.Radio 2.Rock DJ 3.Tripping 4.Monsoon 5.Sin sin sin 6.Millennium 7.Make me pure 8.Me and my shadow 9.Strong 10.Back for good 11.Advertising space 12.A place to crash 13.Come undone 14.Feel 15. Let me entertain you 16. Angels 17. Kids xxx Johanna Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=327.html Open mic night at The Sun Rooms, Southend Wednesday 20th June 2007 This was another trip to the sun rooms for a relaxing evening watching some quality live acoustic. I really love this venue as it has such a nice atmosphere about it. We got there nice and early and very few people were there. By 9.30-10pm though, the place was looking much more lively. First on was Mark from Phillious Williams. This guy is always a joy to see play and whoever i bring to this night always comment on how good he is. He went through his usual songs, with Franko (resident homeless guy/drunk/gypsy) making random appearances. One song mark had to stop becasue i think Franko was trying to give him some money, hehe. Then Dave Wood***** was called up, but was in toilet so he did one more song, the hotel one - which i like almost as much as sweet debris. My friend said he sounded like Johnny Cash in the way he sang/lyrics but with a higher voice. So then Dave Wood***** played, a very good songwriter who plays in the maze as-well as the seasiders. He went through some of the songs he doesn't really play with the bands, but does as solo stuff - i hear he does a lot of solo gigs, one was even an old people's home i think. I recognised one or two i think. An enjoyable set, even though my friend wasn't keen. Also thrown in there was a bit of blur i believe... After this was a guy called Sam, who looked pretty familiar. I'm sure he is in a band locally but i didn't get a chance to chat to him after his set. He had a lovely voice, it was quite deeper than the previous two guys so it stood out. Did some nice songs, a couple of his own thrown in, some others from his band i think too. I tink they could have been heavier to suit his voice but after all it was acoustic night so you cant really get a whole band in. I managed to only get two shots which i've added here, then the batterys in my camera died. The next guy played in a proper rock 'n' roll style, which sounded fun and contrasted well with the other acts - didn't catch his name though. Then finally Billy from quality local band Redtrack played. I am so used to hearing these songs played as a full band but he really gave it his all that night on his own. It was unfortunate i couldn't get any pics of him but i think i have several reviews up already with him in (most likely wearing his tight red jeans XD). This set was the final i saw that night, and i really enjoyed it. He played a few i didn't know, but others i did, and i sang along to. The train station song i totally had in my head for two days afterwards, it is that catchy. Near the end of his set was when we left, so i didn't see whoever played after. I hear it goes on until 1am but this isn't really possible mid-week. I think Caleb played because all of them were there, it's just a shame i didn't get to see that. For pics of them check the last open mic review. A good night as always. Really getting to know the people down there now. Just a shame my camera died and it's mid week so i can't ever stay until the end. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=319.html Open mic night at Sun Rooms 06/06/07 This is my second review of this weekly night here in southend, where musicians get up and do a few songs - whether their own material or simply a few covers. First up was the guy from phillious williams. I was very glad to see this guy again because i really enjoyed the set he did last time. He went through his set playing songs i remember, but shockingly, i was able to sing along to parts. This guy must write such good songs that you can be familiar with them after only a couple of listens. This highlights how unique his style must be. A very enjoyable set. Next up was a guy who played guitar very well. He had a fast style to his playing which was interesting to listen to. Unfortunately he didn't have any vocals, whether this was intentional or whether he was too shy/didnt have a good voice i dont know. It was still a good little set. I think in between each set the first guy (also the guy who runs the night) did a few songs. I'm not sure why he did this. It could have been to break up the acts a bit but i think it may have been due to limited slots. After this were a group of kids who had sung a rap style song the week i had been there before. This time they were going to play a full set. Unfortunately this didn't go how they planned. To start with, they took a long time setting up. Then they annoyed the main guy who responded by smashing his pint glass on the floor and walking out. I was very shocked. Glass went everywhere. Despite this they started playing, but only halfway through this opening song the guy returned, pulling the plug on them. To me this is the point i would say ok guys, lets sit down. But no, they got plugged in and carried on. At least the singer sat down, but after a couple of songs without any vocals he ended up returning to finish what he started. I chose this time to go toilet, returning to find they had fizzled out and had all sat down. Up next had been dom, the resident chef. After feeling the atmosphere he decided not to, and the next group took to the stage - although it wasn't really a stage, just a corner of the room, hehe. These guys are called Caleb - one of the best local acoustic bands around. I hadn't seen them play sun rooms before so this was a nice opportunity. For some reason kids from local uni were there to film them. This was very interesting to watch, because if you know the sun rooms, you know there isn't much room - especially on a wednesday. So these kids with big video recording equipment really had to squish in and at times looked like they were trying to sit on Caleb's laps hehe. They played some good tunes as usual, and also i didn't know these tracks, or most of them anyway so they seemed really fresh. A great set as always from them. As soon as they finished i was dragged away so i didn't really hear whoever played next. But alas it was midnight and i had to be up at 6am. Did get a pizza on the way home though Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=312.html Chinnerys 21st May 2007 Noisy night III · Ten tigers · Anger is a gift · Rizzo · Zen motel This is the first time I had been to a noisy night, but was their 3rd one. It was also a celebration of noisy magazine being around two years now. Its definitely going from strength to strength. When we arrived the 1st band was already in full swing. They were called Ten Tigers and I already knew one of the girls so was cool to see them. It was their first proper gig, previously only playing a smaller acoustic set. The set up is two guys, two gals – Emma (singer) especially looked great. There was a bit of swapping back and forth on mic between the girls so this showed a nice bit of vocal variation, though the other girl did sound quite young I think. The songs definitely had a unique style of vocals. I would stretch and say old school punk in that u can hear the accent as the sex pistols did. But no way were these guys punk; in fact I’d be hard pushed to put them into a genre. I quite liked the track ‘1982’ and it also had some funny moves to it, which I found out later was actually only rehearsed in the toilets before the set, hehe. The track following that had a different edge to it, with a hint of retro funk. The track one before last was a good one, one of the guys sang via a megaphone to get that distorted sound, with the girls singing in-between. It was cool. They finished on a slower, more indie style track, again a good song. A great first set by this new band, even though you could see how nervous they were. Second band to hit the stage was Anger is a gift. I don’t think I’ve seen these guys before live so was nice to hear something a bit different to bands usually playing at chinnerys. I would also say that about the first band – noisy did well to put on such great variety. Straight away I noticed the singer had taken his shoes off, which is the first time I’ve seen that on stage. They kicked off with a song I really like called ‘step back’. I was happily singing along and dancing about to that, heh. You can tell that a major influence for this band is Rage against the machine, in music style as well as vocal technique. Song two was called sound the alarm, that was good but I do like that first track. The start of the third song really fooled me into thinking it was like System of a down but as it went on it slipped back into RATM. It still sounded really rocky though. I didn’t quite catch the title of the forth song but it sounded like it could be a type of tai chi heh and highlighted probable rap/hip-hop influences. By the fifth song I realised (maybe it was just me) that the songs seemed to be getting heavier as the set progressed. It was hard to take pictures of the singer because he was always moving, he didn’t stand still. I think the final song was called ‘eticate’ which seemed politically motivated like the first track, and sounded similar actually. I really liked these guys, even though they sounded like RATM, because they weren’t the usual indie/emo/rock that you usually get there. It was really refreshing. Favourite band of the night. Third band of the night was Rizzo. They consist of three guys and a female on vocals. I had already reviewed the demo for the website but hadn’t seen them live before. I’d say that their live set is actually a bit better than the CD, shockingly. You could really feel them, if that makes sense – there was more of an atmosphere watching an actual set than simply listening to a recording. I still wasn’t such a fan of her voice, but after talking to Sophia from noisy she told me these guys were her favourite band of the night. Was difficult to get that out of her though as she initially tried to be diplomatic and say she liked all of them, heh. Emma from ten tigers also said how she liked them. Mike Fisher and DJ Moonlight were there to show their support. I think it was them who said the vocal style was slightly like the yeah yeah yeahs/ Juliette and the licks. I wouldn’t know because I don’t listen to them, heh. I’ll say this for them; they had much more song variation than the second band by far. They ended on a song I’ve played on my show but I would say it sounded better on CD, as you can hear the tune more. I think they said that’s their single too. Overall a good set, it went down well. As the last band came on, Guitarist legend Steve hooker turned up with Steve Pegrum, the drummer from The Machines. Had a nice chat with both of them. The shot I got of them is at the end. Final band were called Zen Motel and I think were the headliners too. It was a shame there wasn’t a bigger crowd because they were definitely a high quality band. Just from looking at the thousands of friends on their myspace page, I thought there’d be more people. They started on a good track and sweet 16 was a quality rock song too. I think I must have liked every song on their set list. The lead singers guitar sure looked good – if you can see ok on the pictures. He was good enough to mention that Steve hooker was there, so everyone looked ro7nd at him at this point. I did a big woop as well hehe. One song they played I was told has actually been ripped off by marilyn manson so I think they’re going to take it to court. Really liked this band, a good quality rock band, very different from the other three bands. In fact all the bands were very different to each other. Liked that fact a lot, it helps you to remember a band. So overall a good night, good company, good bands, just a shame more people didn’t go. Hidden secret that night is, but then Monday nights wouldn’t be as popular as the weekend anyway. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=307.html Spudwinkles, Greeneyed Child, Soliss & Presence of mind at Chinnerys Friday 18th May 2007 Tonight i was at chinnerys to show my friend visiting from Canterbury what the local gig scene was like, and i knew soliss were going to be playing who i like anyway. The first band were called Spudwinkles and were the youngest band there. I think these guys are a grower band. The first song i wasn't sure about, but they improved as their set went on. I quite liked his voice but i wasn't that keen on the cover they chose to play, which was Sheila by Jamie T. Overall i think a good set, they will definately improve over time. They ended on 'Switches' which was a good track. Next band up was Greeneyed Child. I could tell straight away they were more rocky, i really liked their opening track. Their singer was also quite cute. One song, 'Hold on' was a bit slower and had high vocals, which sounded interesting. By interesting i dont mean bad - it showed they could perform a variety of styles not just heavy rock songs. These guys were older than the 1st band, and had shorter hair too. As the set continued, i realised the singer sounded very much like another unsigned band i know called INCA. Also i noticed as i was looking round, that a lot of the audience seemed to be there for social reasons rather than to watch the band, which was a shame because they were a really good band. After they finished i was able to get a three track demo from them. Didnt have the track listing on it but they emailed next day telling me so that was good. Next up was the band i was there to see, soliss. The other week i mentioned to the guitarist Adam how i'd be at chinnerys to see them and he hadn't found out yet that they were playing, heh. This was by far the best set of the night. Soliss are a 5 piece rock band with a classic rock edge to them. I think they're heavier than both bands who were on before them. I really liked the second track of their set but i'm not sure what it was called. All of the songs played were really good, i enjoyed how they performed them. As the set progressed, Adam looked more and more like cousin it, heh. They played my favourite in there too, 'Shallow man' and ended on another quality song, 'Dirty fingers' which i personally think is better live than on cd. The best thing about their performance was when they actually came off-stage into the audience. They mingled and got one fan to sing a line, Adam then getting on someones shoulders while still playing and parading around the floor breifly. Now that was a sight to see. It was very unexpected and went down great. I totally needed to have my camera in hand the whole time, but alas i didnt get time to get camera out and photo all this end of set antics. As you'd think, they got a lot of applause when they finished. Now for the final band, Presence of mind. I haven't seen these guys play in ages, so was nice to see how they've got on since then. The singer looked a little like Trent Reznor i think. They had a good solid rock sound with an old school tinge. The guy on drums actually seemed to be doing more talking than the singer, i think maybe he's the main guy in the band or something. During one song the singer did the old 'playing guitar on the back of the head' routine. I genuinely liked this band, they have a nice familiar sound to them. Halfway through the set the singer took off his top. The other photographer there found it amusing that as soon as he did, i rushed over with my camera, heh. They couldn't really compare with soliss's act but were still great musicans and i enjoyed their songs. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=310.html Rocksoff finals Chinnerys 19th May 2007 Bare suspect, Fat penguin, Murmur and CB6 We got to chinnerys about 8pm and I was immediately shocked at the queue. I have never had to queue to get into chinnerys in all the years I have been going there. We were stumped. Looking around at the people, it seemed there was such a variety of ages. Usually this venue attracts the younger ages, 16-20 but this night there were trendy looking people, mums and dads of the bands, and loads of other people. I was able to get this first picture outside while lining up. There were so many people that the queue I pictured in front of us was equalled behind us, so this shows how popular this night was. Once in there it wasn’t too hard to get a drink, surprisingly the bar was pretty free. We found a gap to stand over the far side and wasn’t long before the first band got started. I could only raise my camera over the crowds to attempt shot and people’s heads obscured most of them. This shot shows how many people they crammed in that night. A guy was standing near us most of the night, I felt sorry for him because his mate hadn’t managed to get in. I got talking to him though and he seemed really nice. Now for the actual bands. First up was Bare Suspect. This band has a quality Indie/rock sound and they are still pretty young guys. The support for them was impressive. I think they were playing really well, you could tell they were really trying to keep song quality high. When they finished I got up on stage to talk to them and was able to get a three-track demo. My friend also wanted one because she thought they were really good. Second band were Fat Penguin. Again my shots didn’t come out so well due to the sheer volume of people in there. One song created a little mosh pit, though I’m glad I wasn’t near that, it was way too squashed. These guys had more energy than the first band – they were much more active on stage. I realised that the first band must have been going for sound quality and fat penguin were trying entertainment value to get votes. I think they pulled it off without really compromising song quality. It definitely kept the crowd happy. It also helped that the singer was freed up from having a guitar unlike bare suspect, so he could work the crowd more. Third band Murmur were the band I was there to see. They started with ‘just out of reach’ that I’ve had a while from an old demo of theirs, so I was singing along. My friend said how she liked the keyboard sound to their songs, which does add variation to the tunes. It was during this set that I realised the bar was using plastic cups for my pints. They must have been busy to run out of glass ones. I don’t know if I was just enjoying their set so much, but it seemed they finished quite quickly. They played all the songs I knew so I was happy to vote for them. In my view these guys had a quality Indie style sound that was different to any of the other bands that night. They weren’t trying to be rock, or jumping about the stage, they just played really good songs. After talking to them when they’d finished, they told me they are working on a new CD, so I can’t wait for that. Final band were CB6. I remember seeing these guys in the semi finals and i thought they were good then. This time they again played really well, with lots of action, bounding about the stage. There was less audience by now so i was able to get some half decent shots, as i had with murmur before them. The guy i mentioned earlier who had been on his own now went up the front. He must have been here to see CB6 because he looked totally uninterested in the previous 3 bands. These guys were definitely the youngest band there, it was amazing how well they played considering their age. Unfortunately it was halfway through their set when we had to leave. I found out after that these guys were the winners of the night. It's a shame the band I voted for didn't win but all the bands were really good quality that night. Battle of the band winners: CB6 To see what I left early to do, check out the dance review section. On the way home from that I bumped into some musicians. They were in a shop doorway making a bit of music, and I instantly recognised the guy on the left from the red track gig in the high street the Friday before. He used to work with fellow DJ mike fisher. We briefly chatted before leaving them to carry on playing. Overall a really great night. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT http://radiogetswild.com/MReviews/op=show/rid=304.html The sun rooms wed 16th may 2007 - open mic night Every wednesday night is open mic at the sun rooms. Dan from caleb is always trying to get me to go but i rarely do. This week a friend wanted to go to check it out for himself to possibly play sometime, so we went. We got there just after 8pm so we could get a nice table, and caught the first guy soundchecking. Actual playing didnt start til after 10pm. When the first guy started we found out he was from a band called Phillious Williams. I would say he was the best guy on that evening. I was suprised at what a great voice he had, and his playing was interesting too, you didn't get bored of his songs because they all sounded different. After the 4th or 5th song another guy came in on the drums, though only a small section of kit (to fit into the corner i guess). His final song was he best, it was nice and upbeat, a very good track. Second up was the marvelous Dave from the maze & the seasiders. I think it was the maze drummer who joined him. The songs they played must have been from the maze cd they gave me because i recognised the 2nd (Happy as larry), 4th (eye of the beerholder), 5th (helena) and 6th (easy girls and jealous boyfriends) tracks. My favourite track on the cd is helena but live i prefered the easy girls track, so that shows they have a slightly different sound live. Dave was definately getting into the songs and seemed to be having a good time performing them. This picture was taken while eye of the beerholder was beng played - and i was singing away happily to it too, hehe. Although i really liked the first guy who played, i do have a soft spot for these guys. As soon as those two had finished, there were calls for a guy called Ed, followed by people looking about, before i heard someone say 'he's doing a no.1' which then had to be validated that it wasn't a no.2 since he was taking a while. Then cue clapping as Ed emerged from the bathroom along with cheering and shouting from his drunken friends. I think he only did a couple of songs. He had lit a couple of candles beforehand in memory of his dead uncle and then sung a song entitled 'uncle' which was very sweet. I dont think he has sung in-front of other people much, because he looked pretty nervous, bless him. But i think he was alright, a bit quiet, but alright. As soon as he finished there was more cheering from his friends and shockingly, they were the ones up next. As you can see in the pic they joined him up there for a one off song. It was a spur of the moment improvisation that somehow worked. The guy on mic was rapping with another on guitar and other random people clapping. Got loads of applause after. This kind of thing is what live mic night is all about, kids gettin up and making fun music for everyone to enjoy. Half the acts just randomly came up an did a couple of whatever they knew. was a great atmosphere. Now for a side point, i talked to dan (caleb) in-between songs here and he said they wouldn't be playing. Drummer phil had a stomach thing so wasn't even there, singer elyza wasn't feeling too hot either. So unfortunately no pics of them - maybe another week though. Now for another suprise for me. The next act was in-house chef for the sun rooms, Dom. He's a really sarcastic guy but quite funny, if your ever in sun rooms make sure you get some food in there, its very nice. I didnt even know he could play. He told everyone he was doing covers and that people should know them and sing along, so hopefully they'd drown out his singing. His singing wasn't that bad though and he could play alright too. He only played two and was gone again. It seemed really quick but i still managed to get a shot of him, heh. By this time it was around 11.30pm and i was getting tired. We said we'd go after this next guy, alex, so i have no idea who played after. He played some good tunes actually. Had a nice all round acoustic sound and had a nice voice too. I think he must have either been playing a long time or had practiced a hell of a lot. He ended on a track i immediately recognised. If you've ever seen the remake of dawn of the dead you'll know it, from the very end of the film. If you haven't guessed it was Johnny Cash - when the man comes around. I loved it, if only for its zombie link, heh. Well that was the end of my night, we left soon after. I wasn't sure if i would enjoy this night as recent gigs have just bogged me down. You can only take so much music in one week. But suprisingly i really really enjoyed myself. I had different company to normal, a pint of guinness in my hand, and some really good entertainment. Nice to have something different for a change. keeps things fresh. Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT