Review: Imagine Dragons Gig at Bristol O2 Academy (2nd April)

Photo credit: Billabong Design for Humanity

It's been a while since I went to a gig to see a rock band and was especially excited to find that Imagine Dragons were on tour in the UK so scooped an £11 ticket; it’s no wonder it was a sold out gig at the O2 Academy, Bristol. This Las Vegas indie rock band  are soon to be the next big thing in the charts. Their song Radioactive is currently in the top 20 of the UK pop charts (and still climbing) and their debut studio album Night Visions entering the albums chart at 2 (as of 07/04/04).

All photo credits: by Nisha Haq

I first was introduced to Imagine Dragons by my boyfriend and after listening to their Night Visions album I quickly became a fan. They played the 2nd April and being an O2 customer I was able to skip the giant queue and get close to the stage which was great. At 8pm an alternative electronica support act called The Good Natured came on to entertain the crowd however the lead singer and bassist's lacklustre performance didn't wow the audience, only made us more impatient for Imagine Dragons. All the singer projected was non-confidence, a weak and mumbled voice which resulted with many 'boos' at the end of each song.

Dan banged the drum so hard it broke!

By 9pm we were becoming impatient and eager to see the main act especially after being unimpressed with the support. So when the lights went low and a gradual strange sound echoed through our ears; the sound of crickets, drums and synths getting louder and louder we all burst with anticipation. Finally Imagine Dragons came on stage and the crowd roared with excitement (mainly teenage girls screaming). We were all fascinated by the giant Adams concert bass drum on the stage and to my surprise the lead singer, Dan, played percussion and drove emphasis on loud drums that got us all clapping along.

Adams concert bass drum

They played a range of songs most notably from their successful first studio album, Night Visions and songs from their EPs. My favourite performance was Radioactive; the crowd went wild, everyone pushing and shoving and having a great time. What I loved most was the band’s brilliant energy, especially the lead singer which we all instantly felt and bounced off from. There’s no other place to feel this kind of energy than being stuck right in the middle of the crowd soaking up the rapturous atmosphere ; it was amazing. Other great performances were It’s Time and On Top of the World plus an intimate acoustic song that really connected with the audience. The distinctive drumming really made their gig unique, unlike any other performance I have seen and that is what really drives their individual sound.

Intimate acoustic performance was lovely.

In the Night Visions album there is a song for everyone with genres crossing over from rock, indie, pop and influences of dubstep and folk penned by British producer Alex Da Kid, it’s great to see how well their album is being received in the UK. It’s one of my favourite albums this year and I look forward to what they have to offer in the future. This gig was their first in the UK leg of their Night Visions tour, it certainly was a fantastic experience and I would love to relive it again.

Night Visions Tour Dates (2012):

April 2 - Bristol, O2 Academy
April 4 - Liverpool, O2 Academy
April 6 - Glasgow, Garage
April 8 - Manchester, O2 Academy
April 9 - Birmingham, HMV Library
April 11 - London, The Forum 

Buy the Night Visions album here: Amazon.co.uk




Nisha Haq
Creative Director

Review: Peter Hook and the Light (The Brook, 18th March)

Photo: Seekernews.co.uk

I arrived at the Brook early, not knowing what to expect, questions raced around my mind about the reasons for this tour – these questions have now been laid to rest, and I hope that this review will answer those questions for you too.

We began as strands of people in four different corners of a room until slowly but surely the venue hit full capacity, and we found ourselves stood as one movement. The barriers of age mean nothing to a true fan because the ideas that the music conveys transcends generations. We are the unrepresented youth, and Joy Division is our saviour.

As we were cast into darkness, our focal point was directed by the multitude of lights towards the area everyone was already fixated upon, a football chorus of ‘Hooky!’ roared around the room as a mob of forty-somethings yelled passive-aggressively towards the man with the bass guitar.

Hooky then squatted slightly, lowering the bass to his knees and introduced us to the world he had helped to create. I’ve always had a slight reservation when it comes to people singing Joy Division songs, generally because I’ve never witnessed a cover where the singer hasn’t attempted to don Ian’s trademark baritone and this gig was no different. What was different was the quality of Hooky’s voice; it soared miles above any cover I’ve ever heard.

Photo: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

This raised another question within me, “can it be classed as a cover or a tribute band when one of the original members is playing it?” to begin with I thought the obvious answer was a yes. Looking back at the gig over the last couple of days though, I’m left entirely uncertain and this is why - Peter Hook embodies what Joy Division is, as do the other members, and therefore in my mind, he isn’t just covering their songs – he is Joy Division.

The other members, the Light, were absolutely fantastic in their own fields. The drummer and keyboardist kept everything nicely held together whilst keeping the crowd entertained in between songs by keeping the beat going continuously as if you were listening to the albums on iTunes with seamless playback.

The bassist was also incredible though perhaps not in commanding the stage, but it was his job to keep the bass rolling whilst Hook was singing – he did his job too well at one point and broke a string. It was in this moment that my mind about Peter Hook was made, in an instant he took his bass off and passed it to the other bassist whilst the roadies were restringing it, joking afterwards “I feel naked without this thing, I take it to bed with me.”

The guitarist though was by far the superior musical being on stage, not only did he play the songs perfectly, he also commanded the stage in such a way that it felt that he truly believed the songs and it was because of this that it felt to me that he was making the songs his own.

The magic of the music is that Joy Division alienates each and every one of us. It does not invite us to sit down and have a cup of tea with it but through this isolation, we are left with the knowledge that there are millions that feel the same as we do. Though we may never become friends with each other or perhaps even acknowledge each other but it allows us to know we are not alone.

The Brook, 466 Portswood Rd, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD. For more information and upcoming gigs visit: http://www.the-brook.com

Ed Neal

Film/Music Editor

The Week Ahead... (21 - 27 March)

Tonight! (21st March)

The Travelling Band @ The Cellar

Tom Bombadil's Cabaret Open Mic Night @ The Hobbit Pub

Friday 22nd

The Arrival @ The Nuffield Theatre

Over the Weekend...

(Sat)
The Vintage Fair @ The Guildhall

(Sun)
Screening: 'Underground' @ Harbour Lights Picture House

Monday 25th

The Candle Club Open Mic @ The Talking Heads

SONAR Presents: Fundraising Show @ Joiners

Tuesday 26th

Cloudi Lewis (EP Launch) @ The Cellar

Performance/Audience/Film @ John Hansard Gallery

*opening*

Wednesday 27th

Exposure Film Group @ The Art House

L&F Team

Review: Vinyl Memories Exhibition at Southampton Showcase

Photo Credits: Ed Neal

Vinyl Memories is an exploration of the connection between people and vinyl. It’s been said from the beginning of the deterioration of the vinyl era, that vinyl holds a certain magic with the people that still collect them - the beauty of feeling the disc itself and knowing that there was an artisanship in its creation, gives it a powerful character.

What I found incredible about this exhibition was that it was not the vinyls themselves that stood out, but the meaning they held for their owners. I found it outstanding that some of the people really had a strong bond with their prized possessions; it reminded me slightly of being a youngster with a toy that you just can’t sleep without.

The vinyl that stuck out most for me was a copy of Exodus (Bob Marley, 1977). I find it prudent to mention that I actually own a copy of this same vinyl, so it was not the disc or sleeve that grabbed my attention except, perhaps, for a slight moment of recognition but the story that had been posted beneath...

Lindsey Darking, Consultant Copywriter and Editor, MCS:

“Later on I saw Bob Marley again at a concert at Crystal Palace in 1980. I had a boyfriend from Zimbabwe at the time, who was determined to speak to Bob Marley. I didn't rate his chances, as the band was heavily guarded in a compound with a high wire fence and Dobermans. But my boyfriend – no doubt because he looked like he could be with the band – just walked confidently past the guards and got in. He told me afterwards he had sat down and chatted to Bob Marley and shared a smoke with him. I’ll never know if it was true, but I think it was.”

In our era of instantaneous everything, I find myself unable to garner a connection with anything because of how quickly we achieve gratification. No longer do people spend hours, days and weeks wondering what that song they heard in the shop is – we have Shazam for that. No longer do we spend hours in the record shop flicking through mountains of crap for that one speck of gold we've been searching for – we have iTunes for that.

Having left the exhibition with images of a signed copy of The Queen is Dead (The Smiths, 1986), a picture-disc of Disintegration (The Cure, 1989) and the infamous photo of a cow acting as the sleeve of Atom Heart Mother (Pink Floyd, 1970) spinning circles around my brain in desire – I find myself thinking about my own vinyl collection, and the connection that it holds with me.

(the signature is on the other side,
so you’ll have to go if you want to see it!)

My friend Michael Davies was moving house and we were clearing out the garage, and we found boxes of vinyls stacked up at the back of room. I thought I was going to have a heart attack from happiness, having just been purchased a vintage record player (1973) for my birthday and only owning two vinyls at the time, I asked if I could take my pick. I ended the day with a box of over a hundred vinyls (which once you've experienced vinyl, you know is enough to break a weak man’s back) and a smile so wide that I probably looked like the Cheshire Cat.

My vinyl collection, which has now grown in size, is one of my prized possessions – containing multiple 1^st UK prints in mint condition from Led Zeppelin IV to Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway with a message “A Porky Prime Cut” etched by hand into the run-out groove, by the most accomplished record cutting engineer in the business, George Peckham.

In retaliation, perhaps, to modern society and technological evolution in all of its clinical glory – we find ourselves within a war between cultures old and new, as the resurgence of vinyl becomes ever stronger. I’m not one to take sides in a fight, generally attempting to understand both points of view but taking all of this into account, it haunts me to admit that iTunes is the anti-Christ.

Vinyl Memories is exhibited at the Southampton Solent Showcase (Sir James Matthews Building, Above Bar, Southampton SO14 7NN) from 1 March - 20 April to coincide with SMILEfest 2013. Admission free. More info.

Ed Neal

Music/Film Editor

SXSW Diary - Mick Scholefield

Austin, Tx, USA 12th March 2013

Going to the same place for a week, once a year, every year, must lack a little imagination, surely? Well  perhaps not. The place is Austin, Texas, the event is South By South West (more commonly known as SXSW) and once a year, what is euphemistically called ‘the music business’ descends on the place. The festival plays host to the majority of the indie and mainstream music industry (including booking agents, record pluggers and Radio DJs), along with a few thousand of the worlds best emerging and established artists - all of which adds up to the world's largest music party. That’s good of course as Austin just happens to have the reputation of being the live music capital of the world with some 500 venues, bars, warehouses and street corners hosting live music.

SXSW Festival 

Add to this, a major film festival and an Interactive innovation event all in the same place and you can see why your scribe had a tough time getting a hotel room.

I have been travelling to SXSW for many years now, originally because I had a connection with a now defunct radio station based there, called WOXY and more recently as an indie label, showcasing our artists at the festival. The fact that generally the March Austin sun shines all week like it’s high summer in Southampton helps make the decision to attend easier. Oh, and the little fact that with over 100 parties to choose every day with free food and booze, it’s like the best Spring Break ever.

Sure, there are downsides. Last year a friend who attended wore a pedometer and over the four days, clocked up 82 miles walking from venue to venue. SXSW all happens in a small area of downtown Austin but it’s not hard to see a different artist every 20-30 minutes. With acts starting just after breakfast and going on to 4AM, it’s an aural plethora.

So as I arrive in Austin this evening straight off an 13 hour trip from, it’s already 7PM and I have 10 acts to see tonight! Something tells me I’ll need some of that free booze…

Mick Scholefield

Lost & Found Contributor

Heist or Hit Records