Live Review: Isis/Mothlite

Artist: Isis + Mothlite
Venue: Koko, Camden
Date: 21/10/09

Arriving on British shores again in support of their latest release Wavering Radiant comes Isis, with new songs, new merchandise and most shockingly of all, a rather bedraggled looking frontman. But did all this focus on ‘new’ provide the goods?

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Live Review: A Fistful Of Fandango 3

Live Review: A Fistful Of Fandango 3 (Future Of The Left + Dinosaur Pile Up + White Belt, Yellow Tag + Kong)
Venue: 229, Great Portland Street
Date: 10/09/09

Tonight is the second event of the A Fistful of Fandango 3 indoor festival. Residing at the 229, this line-up certainly promises to be the one that will leave you going deaf, and if there’s anyone in doubt it’s evening openers Kong who give the majority of the 229’s smaller room a heavy case of tinnitus. But it’s not just an aural assault the trio give us – disguised in eerie masks and wearing scrappy red clothing gives the impression that this is a band that saw what Slipknot were doing 10 years ago and stamped an eccentric British stamp all over it. Frontman ‘Magpie’ threatens cold blooded murder with his wild eyes and grinding voice, and the songs themselves must be what it’s like to be trapped inside a psychopathic, schizophrenic serial killer’s mind. Seriously off-kilter and troubling, Kong have already cemented themselves as something you just have to see before you shuffle your mortal coil.

Live Review: Pearl Jam

Live Review: Pearl Jam
Venue: o2 Arena, London
Date: 18/09/09

Bringing their brief run of arena shows in Europe to a majestic close, Eddie Vedder and his ageing cohorts tore through a set that millions of younger bands could barely hold an iPhone lighter app to. With music from their vast back catalogue, some sneak peeks at their incoming tenth studio album Backspacer and an exhaustive conclusion of two encores, Pearl Jam were here with just one purpose: to amaze.

Live Review: Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction

Live Review: Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction
Venue: 02 Arena, London
Date: 15th July 2009

What’s to be said that hasn’t already been written, spoken or thought by the thousands of people crammed into London’s 02 Arena last Wednesday? It’s rare to see the countless faceless entities of the internet almost be in harmony about something, but a miracle seems to have occurred – the internet seems to have completely agreed on just one word to describe Nine Inch Nail’s final UK headlining show – wow.

Live Review: 2000 Trees Festival 2009

Ok ok, so this isn’t really a review as such. More a quick recap of all the interesting bands that took part in Cheltenham’s 2000 Trees festival this weekend just gone. Things got off to a typically British start with a diabolical amount of rain pissing on my group of ‘happy’ campers the moment we took the tent out of it’s bag. But as if that would dampen our spirits, with two days of interesting and unique acts to go get lost in. Here’s a recap of the ones I enjoyed and the ones I can remember.

Live Review: Yann Tiersen

Live Review: Yann Tiersen
Venue: Junction, Cambridge
Date: 13th May 2009

Best known for the charming melodies that accompanied the film Amélie you’d be forgiven for being a bit taken aback at Yann Tiersen’s performance tonight. I certainly was expecting something a lot mellower and thoughtful than the heavy rock vibe that Tiersen decided to present to the packed out Junction.

Live Review: Dub Trio

Live Review: Dub Trio
Venue: Underworld, London
Date: 17th May 2009

There’s a somewhat lacklustre atmosphere for tonight’s show, probably down to the none-too-encouraging turnout, seemingly put off by the dreadful prospect of another early Monday morning. But once the three members of Dub Trio eventually saunter onto the Underworld’s glorified platform, things immediately start to get a lot more exciting.