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The King Blues – We Are Fucking Angry

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Having hit the top 100 UK singles chart in 2010 with ‘Headbutt‘, The King Blues is a band all set to release its third studio album ‘Punk and Poetry‘ on April 18th, and in preparation for the release has made the track ‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ available for free download from BandCamp.

With a fast and furious vocal attack that reminds me a lot of Capdown in the chorus, ‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ is an extremely strong effort from The King Blues, and along with ‘Headbutt‘ and ‘Holiday‘ suggests that we can most definitely prepare to be impressed with ‘Punk and Poetry‘. ‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ is by far the most furious of the three, as you’d expect from the title of the track, and looking at these three tracks together demonstrates the great versatility that The King Blues is capable of; the band shows supreme strength in its ability to tackle and pull off a number of different styles.

‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ is a hugely impressive effort from The King Blues, an incredible sense of passion comes through in the sound here, and this is something that is always excellent to hear. It’s the vocals that hit hardest here, instrumentally the track is impressive also however, and everything about this track comes together well to provide for the overall excellence that is the ‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ single as a whole.

‘We Are Fucking Angry‘ is most definitely a single you should be listening to, and given that the track is available for free download, what real excuse do you have not to?

Label: Transmission Recordings
Release Date: January 27th 2011

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Tek-One, LightsGoBlue, Daywalkers @ Islington Academy, Wednesday 17th November 2010

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With the lead singer of Manchester’s Daywalkers on vocal duty, Tek-One took to the Islington Academy stage to blast through a number of tracks both old and new.

In a strong set that was packed full of energy, Tek-One most definitely had a lot to offer with this gig, and those that attended the show certainly seemed to leave with a smile on their faces. There was quite a mix of support bands that included We Die Tonight, LightsGoBlue, and Daywalkers, whilst We Die Tonight seemed an odd choice of support band however, LightsGoBlue and Daywalkers both put on strong sets and warmed the crowd up nicely for the emergence of Tek-One. With their mixing of reggae, drum and bass, rap, metal, and punk, Daywalkers was a band that made me think a little of fellow Manchester outfit Sonic Boom Six, whilst also of Rage Against the Machine. Daywalkers certainly offered up a strong set, and it was therefore good to see when the band’s singer once again took to the stage to join up with Tek-One. As for LightsGoBlue, they’re a fun pop punk inspired synth driven two-piece; they put on a good show, and their energy and passion for creating music is most definitely there for all to see with their live show.

When attending a live dubstep show you don’t necessarily except a pit, Tek-One most certainly brought the pit however, with the busy Islington crowd going mental as the band cracked through its set. With the crowd’s eagerness to mosh, it was no surprise that the Bring Me The Horizon mix went down well, and it seemed that there wasn’t a soul in the venue that wasn’t moving to the music.

2010 has been a big year for Tek-One, and more can surely be exprected heading into 2011.

Clock Opera, Tall Ships, Paper Crows @ Camden Barfly, Monday 1st November 2010

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The Camden Barfly was nice and busy for this Time Out London Sessions show; the audience sure looked the part and it was now up to the bands to make sure that this night was a success.

First up was Paper Crows, a minimalist London two-piece consisting of vocalist Emma Panas and keyboardist Duncan McDougall. Paper Crows provided a pleasant sound with their set, performing a number of smartly put together tracks and warming the crowd up nicely for headline act Clock Opera. Emma Panas’ vocals really did go down well, and Paper Crows was able to set the scene for a night packed full of hugely entertaining music.

Although the headline act, interestingly up second was another London based band in the form of Clock Opera. With great applause after every track played, Clock Opera was clearly able to impress its London crowd, and there were no doubt many that went home afterwards and downloaded the band’s new single ‘Once And For All’, released through Kitsune on the day of the gig. With every track the band had a lot to offer here, and it wasn’t hard to work out why Clock Opera had been chosen to headline. Tall Ships was still to come, the bar had been set incredibly high by Clock Opera however, and it was always going to be hard for Tall Ships to try and top the Clock Opera performance; clearly a large number of those in attendance decided that this was an impossible feat and chose to end their night after Clock Opera, this was most definitely a mistake though as Tall Ships is a high quality band with a great amount to offer with its live show. Clock Opera put on an undeniably excellent show at the Barfly and I’d very much be interested in seeing the band again in the future, Tall Ships was up next though and there was therefore no chance that I’d be heading for the exit quite yet.

Clock Opera vocalist Guy Conelly had many admirers to attend to once the band’s set was over; there were plenty of people hanging around to get a chance to chat to the man and he certainly seemed extremely appreciative of their support and pleased to talk to them. Clock Opera is a band that I’ll be expecting to hear a lot more from in the future and I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if they were to bag a major recording contract sooner or later; be sure to check out this band live if you get the opportunity as you’re extremely unlikely to be left disappointed.

So last but by no means least, it was time for Falmouth’s Tall Ships to take to the stage. Kicking off their set with ‘Plate Tectonics’ from the recently released ‘There Is Nothing But Chemistry Here’ EP, Tall Ships put on an extremely powerful show for the seriously diminished Barfly crowd. Many may have left after Clock Opera, Tall Ships sure made sure that those that stuck around were rewarded for doing so however, blasting through a very impressive half hour set that was packed full of quality material. Tall Ships is most definitely a band that knows how to impress with its mathcore sound; switching instruments multiple times throughout the set, the bands three members offered much with this show, putting smiles on the faces of those in attendance and ensuring that this Time Out London night ended on a high.

From start to finish this was a gig that pleased; all three bands very much did their job, for me though it was most definitely Clock Opera and Tall Ships that made the evening special. Both of these bands are ones to watch out for I feel, and heading into the future I very much believe that big things should be expected from both of them.

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Attack! Attack! – The Latest Fashion

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Having formed in 2006 from members of Dopamine, Adequate Seven, and Pete’s Sake, Attack! Attack! is a band that has come a very long way since the early days of its coming together. The band’s eponymous debut album was released in 2008, the track ‘You and Me’ from the album was included on the popular video game Guitar Hero 5 in 2009, and in 2010 the band has now released its second studio album through Hassle Records. Attack! Attack!’s profile has quickly risen, and in ‘The Latest Fashion’ the band has now released an album which sends out a very strong message that you should definitely believe the hype that surrounds this Welsh rock band.

Starting with ‘Everyone Knows’, the band here begins as it means to go on with a powerful little rock track which sets the mood nicely for the rest of the album. Neil Starr’s vocals here come across incredibly well on record, the guitar work is strong, and there’s a real sense here that Attack! Attack! is a band with a huge amount to offer. Gentler moments are offered with tracks such as ‘Best Mistake’ and closing anthem ‘No Tomorrow’, when it wants to the band can really hit hard with its music however, and you therefore find on this release a number of high energy, fantastic fun rock tracks.

Attack! Attack! is a band that is without doubt made up of very talented musicians; the band’s sound is tight, all four members clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to creating catchy rock, and we’re here treated to a very fine eleven track album offering. ‘Blood On My Hands’ and ‘Latest Fashion’ are two very different tracks here; the first emphasising the bands gentler sound whilst the latter demonstrates their power, both tracks are fine examples of the creative excellence that this band is capable of however, and these are two tracks that are most definitely well worth listening to. All eleven songs included here deserve to be heard truth be told, there’s nothing here that doesn’t put a smile on the face and I’m sure that this is an album that will go down extremely well with many.

2010 could well be a big year for Attack! Attack!; ‘The Latest Fashion’ is likely to be the best album to come out of South Wales for a good while to come, and if you’re looking for a new rock record to listen to then you could definitely do a lot worse than picking up this one.

Label: Hassle Records
Release Date: September 27th 2010

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Cradle Will Fall Review

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Cradle Will Fall

Short, sharp, and snappy; Cradle Will Fall is a horror film that many will no doubt enjoy. Directors Lars Jacobson and Amardeep Kaleka pack a lot into the film’s 69 minute runtime, there are strong performances from both Colleen Porch and young star Ridge Canipe, and the film provides for a very entertaining overall viewing experience.

With a mother suffering from postnatal depression, we watch on as her mental state deteriorates and she struggles to handle the pressure of looking after four children. Her husband forced to work heavily to cover the bills, the mother feels that she has no one to turn to, ultimately snapping as it all becomes too much for her.

The build up is well presented on screen, the breakdown itself extremely well covered, and directors Lars Jacobson and Amardeep Kaleka have here made sure that they’ve put together a really rather unnerving horror film. Cradle Will Fall is a really powerful film, one that hits hard and sticks in your mind for long after you’ve finished watching it.

If you’re sick of predictable horror then Cradle Will Fall may just be a film for you to check out; there’s a great sense of realism here, and with Lars Jacobson and Amardeep Kaleka both making their feature length directorial debuts, this is most definitely an impressive effort from the inexperienced directorial duo. Many films will surely follow for these two directors and it’ll also be interesting to track the progress of Ridge Canipe’s career as he really does seem to be a hugely talented young actor.

For fans of the horror genre, Cradle Will Fall is a film that very much deserves to be added to your rental queue as watching this film at least once is most definitely highly recommended.

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Johnny Get The Gun Mini-Album

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Johnny Get The Gun is a pop punk/rock band from Grays in Essex fully focussed on putting together some fun and uplifting musical gems. The refreshing thing about this band is that despite being influenced by the likes of Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and All Time Low, Johnny Get The Gun is not a band that tries to imitate those that inspire them. Even in opening track ‘You Will Be Mine’ where the band breaks down into a ‘Da da da’ vocal not too dissimilar to that found in Fall Out Boy’s ‘7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)’, Johnny Get The Gun is able to make this vocal sufficiently different so as not to sound like a Fall Out Boy tribute act.

Each of the six tracks on this mini-album have something different to offer, and after a few listens you find yourself singing along as the band hooks you in with its music. Johnny Get The Gun is a band that has obviously spent its three years since forming well as it’s demonstrated on this mini-album that they’re more than capable of penning some absolutely fantastic pop punk/rock tunes. Lead singer Wayne has an incredible vocal tone, the guitar work is strong here, and some pretty impressive drumbeats have also here been put down on record. These four guys from Essex really do seem to be able to play together well, something that is evidenced strongly on this debut mini-album. My only criticism of this mini-album would be that final track ‘This Night To End’ doesn’t seem to truly come alive until two minutes and forty seconds into the track; it’s by no means bad, it definitely seems to get a lot more exciting once the ‘She doesn’t love you, she doesn’t love you, love me’ vocal begins however, and whilst the other five tracks on the release are high in energy throughout, with this track you have to wait quite a while before its best moment arrives.

With this six track mini-album Johnny Get The Gun really shows that it’s a band to watch out for in the future; there are a lot of seriously strong signs here, and the band most definitely has the potential to become a big name in UK music. On the live circuit Johnny Get The Gun would no doubt go down well supporting the likes of You Me At Six and Kids In Glass Houses, and if the band continues to push on and improve then there’s really no reason why they can’t be as big as those bands in the future.

Johnny Get The Gun’s debut mini-album is not perfect, it’s certainly a release which hints at what the band is capable of however, and I for one will most definitely have an eye on what this band is getting up to in the future. Check out this mini-album if you’d like to hear an upcoming UK pop punk/rock band, and be sure to head along to one of the band’s live shows if the opportunity arises.

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Hassle Records Summer 2010 Sampler

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Providing a taste of what the label has to offer; Hassle Records is currently giving away a Summer Sampler featuring nine tracks from its artists. If you weren’t already convinced of the brilliance of this UK label then this ought to be the thing to do it, with a number of artists featured here including Alkaline Trio, We Are The Ocean, Cancer Bats, and Rolo Tomassi.

With the instrumental rock of 65daysofstatic, the mellow indie pop of fun., and the full on hardcore attack of Trash Talk there is therefore plenty to sink your teeth into here, with the label offering up some of its artists’ best material, completely for free.

Cancer Bats’ fantastic cover of the Beastie Boys hits ‘Sabotage’ is featured here, as too is We Are The Ocean’s superb sing along anthem ‘Look Alive’ from the ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ album, and the incredibly upbeat pop punk fun of Fireworks’ ‘Detroit’ is included here also. Hassle Records has got some supremely talented artists on its roster right now, and as you listen to this Summer Sampler this is something that quickly becomes glaringly obvious.

There’s a great deal of variety here and it’s therefore probable that you won’t enjoy all nine tracks equally, with so much variety here however the sampler should have something to offer for everyone, and as it’s available as a free download you can’t really go far wrong in giving these nine tracks a try.

This sampler provides fantastic evidence of what a great job Hassle Records is doing as a record label right now, putting out quality music of all different genres, and backing it up with a passionate team of music lovers that help give the record label the reputation it deserves.

Give this Summer Sampler a try and it surely won’t leave you disappointed.

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The following is the full list of tracks featured on the sampler:

65daysofstatic – Crash Tactics
Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
Cancer Bats – Sabotage
FACT – Slip of the Lip
Fireworks – Detroit
fun. – At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
Rolo Tomassi – Party Wounds
Trash Talk – Explode
We Are The Ocean – Look Alive

Slam Dunk South (2010) Review

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Slam Dunk South was a festival that I’d been looking forward to for some time, and as the festival hit Hertfordshire it certainly didn’t disappoint. There were some serious congestion issues in the main foyer for the latter half of the day, if you weren’t stuck queuing however then there were certainly some fun times to be had.

Every Avenue was the first band we got to see once we’d made our way to the Glamour Kills Stage, and whilst the vocals seemed to be drowned out in the mix; the band still managed to put on a pretty decent performance as it launched through its half hour set. Whilst the sound levels could have been improved that’s certainly not the band’s fault, and Every Avenue gave a good effort as they looked to warm up the Hatfield crowd.

Heading outdoors to the Jagermeister Stage, the next band we got to see was Young Guns, and with perfect sound the young Bucks band certainly put on a show to remember. Young Guns has supported Lostprophets in the past and there are definite similarities between the two bands; as vocalist Gustav Wood bounced around the stage there was definitely some strong energy in the set, and the crisp and clean sound really helped to make Young Guns’ appearance something rather special. Whilst the indoor sound quality had underwhelmed, being treated to such clarity from the outdoor stage was definitely something to treasure, and Young Guns was able to take full advantage of the strong quality of sound with its impressive display of passionate rock music.

Back to the Glamour Kills Stage and it was now the turn of Ohio pop punk band Hit the Lights to show what they had to offer. Just like Every Avenue before them, Hit the Lights was given 30 minutes to please, and used their time well as they went through a number of upbeat pop punk songs. The sound was still suffering from imperfect levels, Hit the Lights was having fun onstage though, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the performance also. As soon as Hit the Lights had finished their set, Southampton’s Not Advised began playing on the Kerrang! Introducing Stage at the back of the room, and this was another performance that was not to be missed.

Not Advised is a band that I’d not previously come across, I’m certainly glad to have seen them play at Slam Dunk though, and the band genuinely seemed to hugely appreciate the opportunity to play the festival. Not Advised vocalist Jim Thomas has an absolutely incredible voice, and this was something that stood out strongly as the band played through its set. The band had a lot of energy to offer, had the crowd singing along with its upbeat pop punk, and definitely did much to please its audience. If you get a chance to see Not Advised in the future then I would 100% recommend doing so as you’ll not be left disappointed.

Turning back towards the Glamour Kills stage and it was time to watch Set Your Goals; a band that a lot of people were clearly quite excited to see, and they played their set well with their interesting mix of pop punk and hardcore. Matt Wilson’s microphone wasn’t working at the start of the set and to begin with half of the band’s vocals were therefore inaudible, once the microphone situation was sorted though the band was really able to pack a punch with its dual vocal assault. Hoping to see some of RX Bandits set we missed the last few tracks of Set Your Goals’ set, due to congestion in the foyer however we had to forget about getting to see any of RX Bandits as we made our way back out to the Jagermeister Stage to watch We Are The Ocean.

Just like it had been for Young Guns at the Jagermeister Stage, the sound was absolutely perfect for We Are The Ocean, and the band put on the performance of the day so far as it punched through a powerful selection of songs. Covering material from its EPs as well as the ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ album, We Are The Ocean was really able to get the crowd moving, and chief screamer Dan Brown was a crowd hero as he jumped into the pit to get his screaming going from there. Dan also climbed a tree whilst out in the crowd, screamed from the branch, filmed the crowd from a video camera that was thrown up to him, and jumped back down again in slightly moss covered clothes. There was a lot to love about We Are The Ocean’s set; Liam Cromby has an absolutely sublime voice as the band’s clean singing vocalist, Tom Whittaker is a brilliant drummer, and the band always has a lot to offer with its guitars also. Add to this the passion and energy of Dan Brown and you have a live band that can never be accused of providing a dull moment. Aside from New Found Glory, We Are The Ocean was the band that stood out most at Slam Dunk Festival for me, and when the band tours in October I’ll be heading along to a few of the bands shows for more without a shadow of a doubt.

Back to the Glamour Kills Stage for one final time and it was not the turn of Four Year Strong to impress the Hatfield crowd. With four tracks from 2007s ‘Rise Or Die Trying’ and five from 2009s ‘Enemy of the World’, it was an even a split as the band possibly could have provided, and a nice selection of tracks from both of the band’s studio albums to date. Four Year Strong has never been my favourite pop punk band, they’re certainly not a bad band though and had good interaction with the crowd as they created a rather large pit and made sure that their music went down well with the fans that had shown up to see them.

When the Slam Dunk line-up was announced and I realised that New Found Glory and Capdown were going to clash, I have to say that I was bitterly disappointed. As much as I would have loved to have seen both of these bands, unfortunately a decision had to be made, and it was pop punk heroes New Found Glory that I ultimately decided to settle with, sadly meaning that I missed my favourite Milton Keynes skacore band. I’ll always have very fond memories of watching Capdown, getting into a fantastic position for New Found Glory I was not to be disappointed with my decision though, and New Found Glory for me was the ultimate headliner.

Celebrating in style a decade since the release of the ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ debut, New Found Glory launched through a set of 20 tracks, covering all six of their studio albums and even finding room for a couple of covers from the ‘From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II’ album in ‘Iris’ and ‘Kiss Me’. The performance was high in energy, packed full of fun, and there wasn’t a person in the room not having fun as the band gave its all from start to finish. The band mixed it up well as it played its way through the albums, and although the band left the stage after ‘Hit Or Miss’ having already covered a lot of ground; it was clear that the set was not yet over, and the crowd was well poised for the encore of ‘Truth of my Youth’ and ‘My Friends Over You’ as it began to chant ‘NFG’ rather loudly. For me, the only way the night could have been any better is if the band had played ‘Dig My Own Grave’ from the 2008 ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ EP released through Bridge Nine Records, sticking to the studio albums and cover album was certainly fine with me though, and not a single track of the 20 disappointed. The likes of ‘Head On Collision’, ‘Hit Or Miss’, and ‘Dressed To Kill’ were all there, as too were ‘All Downhill From Here’ and ‘Failures Not Flattering’ from the ‘Catalyst’ album, and as the band finished with ‘My Friends Over You’ I was left with a fantastic feeling of absolute satisfaction. New Found Glory put on an awesome show at Hertfordshire University, and if I’d gone along to the Leeds show the next day then I probably would have made the same decision again to finish the day with New Found Glory.

After an absolutely fantastic pop punk performance from New Found Glory it was time to head for the doors, as there was live music coming from the Jagermeister Stage it was clear that Alkaline Trio had not yet finished their set however and there was therefore time for a little more fun.

Arriving at the Jagermeister Stage we were able to catch closing tracks ‘Stupid Kid’, ’97’, and ‘Radio’, and the night therefore finished with the famous Illinois three-piece that is Alkaline Trio. There definitely wasn’t the same level of fun and excitement for Alkaline Trio that there was for New Found Glory, the band played the three tracks well however and before long Slam Dunk South 2010 was officially over.

All in all Slam Dunk South was an absolutely fantastic festival; there were a few problems with the sound on the Glamour Kills Stage, there were congestion issues with the venue, and next year there are a few things that will have to be done differently (presuming that Slam Dunk South is once again held at Hertfordshire University), a good day was still had though, and we at Alt-UK got to see a great selection of bands. Roll on Slam Dunk 2011, and here’s to hoping that some more brilliant bands will be booked for next year’s festival.

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Pennywise, Strike Anywhere, A Wilhelm Scream @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Sunday 16th May 2010

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Jim Lindberg may have departed, this show at the Shepherds Bush Empire however presented powerful evidence that Pennywise is still a band that is well worth watching. Ignite’s Zoli Teglas is now on vocal duties and this is a time of great change for Pennywise, all the passion is still there though, and the band is still clearly very keen on putting on energetic and exciting punk rock shows.

Having missed first support band Project North I therefore can’t comment, next up was A Wilhelm Scream however and thankfully I wasn’t too late to catch them. Drummer Nick Angelini may have had a hangover, that didn’t hold him back though as A Wilhelm Scream put on a strong set featuring a number of top tracks. The sound quality could have been better, the music of A Wilhelm Scream went down well nonetheless though, with the band belting out a number of classics including ‘The King is Dead’ and ‘Killing It’ as well as many more. Pennywise with Zoli Teglas was always the main attraction here, A Wilhelm Scream started to get the crowd on its feet though, had a number of people singing along, and warmed the stage well ready for Strike Anywhere to take to it.

Following on from A Wilhelm Scream, Strike Anywhere seemed to take a bit of time to warm up, a few songs into the set though and the band seemed to be well and truly in its stride as it began to get the crowd moving. Strike Anywhere will be back in August for Reading and Leeds, for this evening they were concentrating on pleasing the London crowd at the Shepherds Bush Empire however, demonstrating strong onstage energy and making sure that the crowd was having a good time. Drummer Eric Kane seemed to have his head down quite a bit as he drummed so perhaps he was feeling a little worse for wear after a hard night with Nick Angelini; I’m not really sure on that one, he was definitely on top form with his beats though and all in all Strike Anywhere certainly impressed.

So three bands had now taken to the Shepherds Bush Empire stage, the crowd was ready and waiting, and Pennywise was soon to appear to belt through a fine collection of classics. There was a vibrant mood in the venue and rightly so; I think the audience knew that they were about to witness something rather special, and Pennywise put on what was without doubt one of my favourite punk rock performances for years.

‘Every Single Day’ was the track that Pennywise chose to open with, and right from the word go the band had the crowd’s full undivided attention as they tore through the track before launching into many more. Some idiot thought it was a smart idea to throw a pint of water on stage just as Pennywise was coming on and this therefore caused a few problems to start with as Zoli slipped over and towels had to be brought on to clear up the wet, the singer seemed to take it all in good heart however and it certainly didn’t stop the band from putting on a show to remember.

With tracks such as ‘Society’, ‘Fuck Authority’, and ‘Can’t Believe It’ being played, there was therefore plenty to get excited about throughout the set, and never for a second did the Pennywise sound disappoint. The band was obviously having a lot of fun on stage, and the audience also was clearly feeling it in a big way as the evening flashed by. There was even room for the band’s ‘Stand By Me’ cover in the set, a song that really did seem to suit Zoli Teglas’ vocal tone well; the track was as energy packed as the rest and fitted in supremely well in what was a very impressive set.

As well as putting on an excellent show, Zoli Teglas also used the gig as an opportunity to raise awareness of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, of which he is an active supporter. In particular, Operation Blue Rage was spoken about, a project to protect the bluefin tuna. The Sea Shepherd Society will be sending out the Steve Irwin vessel to the Mediterranean this summer in order to stand against the illegal overfishing of bluefin tuna, and if you share in Zoli Teglas’ passion for marine conservation then you can read more about it here.

Pennywise managed to get about as close to perfection as possible in this show at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and when the night was over I’m sure that the entire crowd would have happily kept watching for several hours more. Ending with the brilliant ‘Bro Hymn’ the band really did impress hugely, and there were many arms raised in the air around the venue as the band passionately played through its final song.

Work has already begun on Pennywise album number ten, and although some may be sceptical of what the band can offer in the absence of Jim Lindberg, people should not forget that Zoli Teglas has seventeen years experience behind him as the vocalist for Ignite, and I for one am extremely excited to hear what the band can offer with its next studio release. A new vocalist may now have been acquired, going forward Pennywise is still a band that is as relevant as ever however, and although the loss of a vocalist of more than 20 years is tough to come to terms with, Pennywise seems to be doing just fine without Jim Lindberg and we’ll no doubt be hearing plenty more from the band in the future.

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Owl City @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Sunday 9th May 2010

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With new single ‘Umbrella Beach’ due for release here in the UK on May 17th, Owl City launched into this one first at the Shepherds Bush Empire, before then following it up with another track from the ‘Ocean Eyes’ studio album, ‘The Bird and the Worm’. It took a while for Adam Young to warm up the London crowd once taking to the stage, right from the word go his energy and passion for performing was highly apparent however and this was an excellent thing to see as he danced around the stage to his music.

With a guitarist, drummer, glockenspiel player, double bassist, violinist, and keyboardist all on this stage this therefore gave plenty of potential for an extremely full live sound, unfortunately however the levels weren’t perfect and this therefore meant that some of the instruments were unfortunately drowned out a little in the mix. Whilst there was a very crisp drum sound and the guitar and keyboards came through clearly, the glockenspiel in particular was quite hard to make out at times, and although the player very much looked to be enjoying himself; it would have been nice if his playing had been a little more audible. In addition to the inconsistent sound levels, more could also have been made of the lighting throughout the set; there was very minimal use of the lighting available at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and for the type of music that Owl City plays, a solid lighting show could definitely have been of benefit and increased the overall impact of the music.

With tracks played from 2007s ‘Of June’ EP as well as material from the albums ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ and ‘Ocean Eyes’, there was therefore a good mix of material both old and new, giving fans a chance to hear Owl City’s earlier sound as well as the more recent hits. The set seemed to fit together well, with the only real strange decision being that ‘Hello Seattle’ was played in the encore, with ‘Fireflies’ having been played about two thirds of the way through the set. ‘Hello Seattle’ has recently been released in the US and to a US crowd this therefore would have been a pretty reasonable choice of encore, as ‘Fireflies’ is currently the only single to have been released in the UK however, to have played ‘Fireflies’ as the final track would definitely have been a greater option. A nice touch could perhaps have been to play ‘Fireflies’ for a second time as this no doubt would have gone down a storm with the sold out London crowd.

The sound levels could have been improved and the crowd interaction could have been stronger, despite this however Owl City was still able to put on a pretty solid show in the sold out Shepherds Bush Empire and there were certain areas of the crowd that really did appear to be feeling the music. All in all it was a solid display of inoffensive electronic pop music, and even though there was room for improvement; there were a number of positives to be taken from the performance and the energy that was displayed on stage by a number of the performers.

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