april 2008 • totally free

imperial vipers

british standard

+ a history lesson from Electric Prunes + rutherfords

inferno lesles savysavy favfav

wishlist we bite too.

2008 sees the return from “It’s gonna be good though, rock, even mainstream a brief hibernation of loads of people have said direction. I grew up listening everyone’s favourite they’re coming, press, to the Pistols, The Clash and crawling king snakes, promoters, publicity people The Ruts and stuff, so when I Imperial Vipers. and all that. Even a bloke write songs, those are the The Bedfordshire based from the News of the World sounds that I want to come glam/punk ass-kickers are who’s taken a liking to us. through. The new stuff that’s back with vengeance on Better hope he’s not been coming out is more like I their mind. This time they looking for any scandalous intended us to sound. Hard mean business, you can be dirt to dig up though!” yes, but punkier ‘cos that’s absolutely certain with the music I love, along with “Ha! He’d get everything he these boys, their bite is far the rockier influences too, like needs to fill his paper for worse than their bark. AC/DC and Led Zep”. weeks if he has” smirked So what’ve they been up to vocalist Ash, sporting a new The Ruts are finally getting a for the past year or so? raven black barnet.”F**k, bit more recognition and their Following a punishing we’ve done some stuff in our place in punk history has nationwide gig schedule in time that even he’d be grown in status since Gallows support of their debut album worried about putting in”. re-worked ‘Staring At The ‘Searching:Falling: Silence’, Rudeboys’. “I’m glad about Naturally, Imperial Vipers the boys have taken a that,” says Wevs. “The Ruts haven’t spent a whole year sabbatical to write new version is so much better than partying and doing rock n roll material and re-appraise the Gallows, people should search stuff just to keep the News of band’s direction. for the original”. the Screws busy. Songs have The live cobwebs were been written and some have OK. We mentioned the new dusted off with a warm-up been recorded too, with a album is planned, when is it gig at Cheltenham’s 2 Pigs new album now in the coming out? Wevs laughed prior to a London showcase planning stage. The new into his beer. “It ain’t even at The Embassy. This was the tracks seem spikier and more recorded yet mate! We’ve got perfect opportunity to punkish in their feel. “We a new single which we did exchange beers and words weren’t really totally happy with Steve Powells out soon and get the story from the with the first album”, explains though, to get things going Vipers themselves. “Yeah, the Wevs. “But don’t all bands again, we’re really happy Embassy, how did that say that? Ha, ha. We always with it as well”! 2008 is the happen?” laughs dreadlocked felt we were led by the studio year of Viper, believe it. axeman Wevs. people in a more traditional www.myspace.com/imperialvipers

fusewire www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

given away free to the lucky ‘Hesperus’, 5ive’s new full- The cabaret is hosted by Frank punters in attendance! so keep length LP, prods and provokes Percy OBE who got lost in Sunday 25th May free and the listener to ascend through Glasgow on a day trip from come join us in the Cavern a modulated mind muddle, Macclesfield and decided to start Club! some of you might be in attempts to exhume the the night off with his contacts in saying who’s si ‘jubb’ brimming melodic crest the ferret juggling world. carruthers... sounds like a P.G. slumbering beneath a cyclic Foul mouthed usherette Dierdre Wodehouse character or miasma of transformative will be on hand and you can get something, we’ll he's not, he’s a sound. your fortune told by the Govan rather splendid singer-songwriter Seer (a psychic from Govan); in the billy bragg/elvis costello mingle with Malcolm the sort of mould. and Manchester Orchestra thespian gorilla and Jazzbadger www.internationalpopoverthrow among others and will be performing at several showcases (a badger who plays jazz). at SXSW before heading out on Pink Hedgehog are also After the cabaret, Glasgow band the road again in 2008. welcoming a new signing – A Band Called Quinn play. indie-rockers Atomic – to the “To be bludgeoned to death by According to the Scotland On family and are getting ready to sound, by music, says Colour Sunday they might be launch their new album coming Revolt. We have you and are ‘Glasgow’s greatest band’. This Electrasy are having a huge Sunday, May 25, year sees the release of their gig in Beaminster, and you can The Cavern Pub up from the streets to the music not afraid.” fans of the UK. They have been album ‘Sun, Moon, Star’ which read all the particulars below! (Pink Hedgehog Records Ben Carr (Guitars) and Charlie doing great things over in www.myspace.com/colourrevolt is hotly tipped... Showcase 3:15-7:30pm) Harrold (Drums) after seven Saturday 29th March 2008, Europe, including support dates years of relative anonymity, have To round the night off DJ Town Hall, Beaminster, Dorset 3:15 Anton Barbeau Club Tromolo takes its brand with Babyshambles graced us again with both their Isambard Kingdom Brunel will 4:00 Freak Circus of wonky cabaret, music and Cost : £10 advance presence and a picture perfect spin some discs for people to 4:45 Si ‘Jubb’ Carruthers dancing on the road around (only 250 tickets!) Youthmovies at the ICA record, which serves as a frame Scotland. The List dubbed it dance to... 5:30 Electrasy Youthmovies + Lovvers + Foals worthy summation of the band's “The most original club night Electrasy headlining with support www.myspace.com/clubtromolo 6:15 Roger Tarry DJs + Pillow projections past impressions and conceptual in years”. from Spoof + DJ. There is a 7:00 Hamfatter 3 April: 8pm progression. 5ive, long-standing Wed 9th April licensed bar + huge big PA and A very special and potentially purveyor of the recently Classic Grand - Glasgow lights. This is gonna be a full on popularised metallic twosome, Sunday, May 25, extremely exciting end-of-tour, gig, not to be missed. All has, with ‘Hesperus’, generated Fri 11th April The Cavern Club album-launching party-gig (the proceeds (after costs) go to Harbour Arts Centre - Irvine album is called ‘Good Nature’ a centripetal force to be Beaminster Community Project Front Stage and it’s out now!). Described reckoned with. Sat 12th April (please don’t expect any free (Pink Hedgehog Records rather cunningly by Steve www.tortugarecordings.com The Loft - Lossiemouth tickets). Max capacity is 250 Showcase 8:00pm-12:15am) Lemacq as “a post-hardcore Tue 15th April people - book early for 8:00 Si ‘Jubb’ Carruthers Oxford, MS gloominaries brainstorming session on where Aros Centre - Skye guaranteed entry. Tickets Colour Revolt are extremely 8:45 Roger Tarry music should go next” and available £10 each from The Red excited about the release of Wed 16th April 9:30 Hamfatter rather despairingly by Kerrang! Lion, Beaminster: Phone 01308 their long-awaited full-length Lyth Arts Centre - Wick 10:15 Anton Barbeau as “sadistically unpredictable”, 862364 Looking forwards to a debut, ‘Plunder, Beg, and Witness amazing acts such as 11:00 Electrasy Youthmovies tonight bring us Thu 17th April fantastic night. MUSIC Curse’, the follow-up to their their mathy synthy rocky eccentric trombone-playing toff Gable End Theatre - Orkney WITHOUT INDUSTRY 11:45 Freak Circus self-titled debut EP released in Sir Clifton Sainsbury; Miss Leggy sounds, plus their friends Fri 18th April To mark the occasion, Pink October, 2006. P who charms her audience with Pink Hedgehog, the band’s UK Lovvers, while Foals will DJ and British Legion - Lerwick Hedgehog will be getting 100 easy listening classics and label, will be running a stall, Pillow projections will be taking Colour Revolt has toured with DVDs made featuring all their fashion circa 1933 and Cirque Thu 24th April selling lots of great music at charge of visuals. Dinosaur Jr., Brand New, Black artists who are performing at Du Twattes who perform static Eden Court - Inverness special prices and giving away International Pop Overthrow theatre (standing): £7.50 Lips, Okkervil River, Menomena, feats of derring-do. Fri 25th April Antobar - Mull stuff to boot! Liverpool 2008, which will be Explosions In the Sky, Malajube, 17-Jul Sheffield Corporation 16-Jul Southampton The Brook 15-Jul Glasgow Ivory Blacks 14-Jul Nottingham Rock City 13-Jul London Underworld Coliseum, enjoy the chaos: dates with Integrity and Converge’s upcoming UK tour all-consuming chaos”. musicians and erupt into moment it can overwhelm the desperation, a sense that any possessed of a clawing like Converge. Their music is is no other band quite “There Hard rock bible Kerrang! wrote, level in aggressive music. consistently set the next creative to watch, pacesetters who have Converge have been the band onslaught of 2001’s ‘Jane Doe’, hardcore pack with the savage Since breaking out of the July 13th in London. kick off their 2008 UK tour on metalcore, Converge, will The iconic pioneers of fuse wire creaturewiththeatombrain www.myspace.com/ Beware and enjoy! strangely melodic album. makes for a sharp, explosive yet ‘I Am The Golden Gate Bridge’ Elevators and Butthole Surfers. . but utterly fabulous 13th Floor bands like the largely forgotten the soaring pop of '60s and '70s sensibilities tend to be shaped by Gate Bridge’. Creature’s melodic first full album ‘I Am The Golden with his own project and very Creature is raising the stakes and European touring, the on his last album 'Bubblegum' Lanegan’s chosen one for synths Millionaire and/or Mark guitar and keyboard player in While still best known as the album to come out. waiting for the new Ween Barkmarket's Gimmick and is Presley, can’t get enough of wrote The Revenge Of Anus when the Butthole Surfers Of The Woods, was still young Elevators were recording Bull was born when the 13th Floor The creature, aka Aldo Struyf, Released March 31st. - I Am The Golden Gate Bridge Creature with the Atom Brian Saunders at [email protected] London, please email Rob play Deuce Night Unplugged in would like to be considered sets at these nights. If you would like to play unplugged and singer/songwriters who ambitious, professional bands Promotion is looking for 3 Deuce Management & Hendon Central tube station. just 5 minutes away from and late night licence. Situated full PA system, stage, lighting freshest intimate venue with a North London’s newest and Mannings Live Music Bar is 16th – Rio, Leeds 15th – Ivory Black’s, Glasgow Belfast Aunt – Annie’s Porterhause,14th 13th – Wheyland, Dublin 12th – Sin City, Swansea 11th – Underworld, London 10th – Pitz , Milton Keynes throughout April. playing the following dates your bag, then Danava will be cosmically long, winding songs is If epic sludge riffage and Gentlemen’s Pistols. alongside Witchcraft and UK and European tour to embark on their first ever cosmic rock cadets Danava are ‘Unonou’, Portland, Oregon’s Following the release of at www.myspace.com/fuseweb at only for now Buy Ash Of Blood • TwistedWings • Wishlist • Drymouth • Melonfarmer • Anon • Puck • Demise My Of Scene • Inferno Nukchorris• featuring:talent new hottest UKs the of some from punk and industrial metal, new Cuttingedge

anindustrial strength newnoize fest from the anindustrial strength pagesof FUSE e-zine. newnoize fest from the pagesof FUSE e-zine. £3.00 fusewire

Deuce Management & Promotion has recently collaborated with the Ripley Music Festival in Derbyshire; a week long event comprising of a selection of bands and artists playing original music in indoor and outdoor venues. The Ripley Music Festival is now in its seventh year, grown out of a desire to promote artistic diversity and creativity in the area. Last years event consisted of over 20 concerts with a large number of bands and artists performing at over 10 venues. The organisers are looking for bands and artists of all genres to Want a festival location that streets, ramparts and tunnels - a play this year’s event to be held takes your breathe away and walk through the mystical from 14 July – 20 July 2008. features over 600 fortress is like a trip through a performances on 25 stages? magical wonderland. The Dance If you would like to be Arena is regarded by many as considered to play at the Ripley Set within the walls of the the best in Europe and the Music Festival, please email Rob 17th Century Petrovaradin experience of dancing with Saunders at [email protected] Fortress, EXIT provides an awe 20,000 people as the sun rises inspiring backdrop for the Sam Isaac releases a new over the fortress walls is truly biggest music and cultural single, ‘Fire Fire; on March mind blowing. event in South East Europe. 24th. It will be available on The first acts to be announced Launched 9 years ago as a limited 7" vinyl and on include; Paul Weller, The Sex student initiated protest against download, 'Fire Fire' is upbeat, Pistols, Nightwish, Gogol the communist Milosevic optimistic pop at its best. Bordello, Ministry, The Hives, regime, EXIT has proved that Sam’s debut single ‘Sideways’ Sven Vath, Francois K, Ben music is a universal language received impressive BBC radio Watt and Claude Von Stroke that can connect and bring coverage. with many more to follow. people together to make the world a better place. EXIT is EXIT is the festival on everyone’s Sam has built a steady following, truly an amazing experience that lips, with over 10,000 Brits in 2007, he clocked up 200 has captured the imagination of making it their festival of choice shows, playing alongside The festival goers worldwide and in 2007 and winning ‘Best Pigeon Detectives, Edwyn although it gets bigger each European Festival’ at the UK Collins and Get Cape. Wear year, the sentiment remains. Cape. Fly and Ben’s Brother, as Festival Awards. EXIT is your well as doing gigs in fans’ living ticket to a once in a lifetime “I’ve never seen a better way to rooms, kitchens and back experience, celebrating music, ruin a 18th century fortress, f**k gardens. In February, Sam heads life, freedom and friendship with the past here’s to the future!” out on tour with Kate Walsh, like minded party people from Peter Hook (New Order) and will continue to play his around the world. Over 600 www.exitfest.org own shows. performances will take place on www.myspace.com/samisaac 25 stages connected by cobbled fusewire www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

The first Brian Jonestown Are you aged 14-25 and a Koopa will join forces with TV Smith & The Bragg, Kate Nash, Manic Street Massacre album in over musician/involved in making Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus to Bored Teenagers Preachers, The Horrors and The four years, ‘My Bloody music, based in Gloucester? produce their debut album. Perform Cribs all did a little bit to help by Underground’, is released on Crossing the wearing one of the daffodils we If you write songs, play in a March 31, recorded with Red Sea with gave out. A lot of people came band, sing, DJ or play in a members of the band, the Adverts At up to me after the awards and community group, and no Icelandic musicians, and Mark The 100 Club. said how proud of us they were matter what sort of music you're Gardener (Ride). and that meant more to me into - we’d like to hear from you. Last year singer-songwriter TV than anything that evening. Smith – former frontman of Complete our online survey to iconic ‘70s punk band The The Great Daffodil Appeal takes tell us about you and your Adverts – performed a special set place throughout March and the music. You can also register your in front of a sell-out crowd at idea is to get everyone across band/yourself to find out about London’s historic 100 Club. The the UK to give donations for things that develop to help gig was to commemorate 30 daffodils and wear them with musicians like you in Gloucester. Over the past year, Koopa has years since The Adverts played dignity. Every donation means www.myspace.com/ made music history by becoming their first gigs at the Roxy and more time for Marie Curie gloucestermusicforum the first ever unsigned band to released their classic first single Nurses to spend caring for With soon-to-be unleashed make it into the UK Top 40. ‘One Chord Wonders’. terminally ill patients at home. They have had three singles in Visit www.mariecurie.org.uk for album, ‘Gods of the Earth’ Ingue Records presents, on Backed by Spanish punks Los This is the thirteenth full length 2007 chart in the UK top 40, more information.” freshly laid to tape, Sunday 6th of April. At Mr Quattros (re-named 'The Bored album from the Brian Jonestown most recently reaching number THE SWORD continues to lead Wolfs Noodle Bar, Bristol. Teenagers' for the occasion), Laurent Barnard - guitar, Gallows Massacre, a psychedelic rock 16 with their latest release ‘The modern day metal’s forward Smith performed the Adverts’ band originally from San Fringes. Crash’ in November 2007. charge. cult debut album ‘Crossing the Francisco, California, led Post Rock. Their eclectic mixture of punk, Red Sea’ in its entirety for the The Sword are set to tour the by guitarist/singer Anton Bristol based band with an pop and rock has seen them first time since 1977. That night’s UK in March and April with Newcombe. energetic sound with the develop into the most exciting blistering performance, featuring fellow label heavy-weights brianjonestownmassacre.com inclusion of a saxophone giving Saviours as support. Dates are it an extra twist. act in the UK music scene today, some of the strongest winning 3 awards at The songwriting to have come out as follows: IAMX playing a handful of Theo. Glasswerk Music Award in of the British New Wave, is dates before they release their Tues 25th Mar Progressive Math Rock. London late last year. Work on presented on DVD in full. next single, ‘The Alternative’ NOTTINGHAM ROCK CITY Highly captivating and their album is due to start in at the end of March. A word from Gallows: Wed 26th Mar impressive one man band set up early April 2008. OXFORD ACADEMY March 25 Birmingham Barfly from Worcester. Building Most of you should know that South Coast ‘experimentalists’ Pennywise, one of world’s Thu 27th Mar beautifully intricate math Staring At The Rudebois is a March 26 Toupé have a few March gigs: most credible and influential BIRMINGHAM ACADEMY melodies using a loop. Theo cover of The Ruts. On the 21st Leicester Princess Charlotte punk bands release their new Fri 28th Mar then slings his guitar on to his Expect much music, magic and October 2007 the guitarist of March 27 Sheffield Corporation album ‘Reason To Believe’. MANCHESTER ACADEMY back to play drums over the top. madness... the Ruts, Paul Fox, lost his battle March 30 Liverpool Academy The album will be available on Sat 29th Mar www.myspace.com/theo1000 28th - The Vic, Swindon with Cancer. We dedicated our March 31 Glasgow King Tuts March 24th as a standard CD, GLASGOW KING TUTS 29th - The Wheatsheaf, Oxford performance at the NME The Jelas. with bonus DVD and as a Sun 30th Mar April 2 Oxford Academy 30th - GRANT SHARKEY Awards performance to Paul Experimental Punk Pop. limited-edition vinyl version with STOKE SUGAR MILL April 3 London Electric Ballroom COMEDY MAGIC SHOW - Fox, The Ruts and anyone who From near Bristol The Jelas play DVD and two bonus tracks. Tues 1st Apr NEWPORT TJ’S The Talking Heads, Southampton has been affected by cancer. experimental pop songs in a Pennywise helped define the Wed 2nd Apr PORTSMOUTH Frank gave out daffodils at the brisk fashion for people with Californian punk scene, 17 years WEDGEWOOD ROOMS end of our set as a symbol of short attention spans. later and over 3 million albums Thu 3rd Apr awareness. Not sure whether sold worldwide – the punk rock LONDON UNDERWORLD the cool kids who attended the www.myspace.com/thejelas legends are as strong as ever. Fri 4th Apr awards last night are even aware COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE of this but people like Billy www.myspace.com/pennywise fusewire

MELT! FESTIVAL 2008 Jazz // Crookers // dEUS** // TICKETS: FERROPOLIS, GERMANY Does It Offend You, Yeah? // Tickets start at 45 euros 18TH – 20TH JULY 2008 Editors // Efdemin // Ellen Allien (plus booking fee) and are on // Franz Ferdinand* // Friendly sale now: www.meltfestival.de Fires // Fujiya & Miyagi // Gui 1-day ticket Björk + 4 more acts With its unerring feel for the Boratto // Gus Gus // Hercules Box Office 01452 50-30-50 tba (Sun 20th July 2008): sound of now and its booking And Love Affair // Kate Nash // 45 euros (plus booking fee) BOOK ONLINE! www.gloucester.gov.uk/guildhall far from the standard fare, Melt! Kissy Sell Out // Klee // Len Faki effortlessly mixes guitars, // Mathew Jonson // 2-day ticket (Fri 18th & Sat 19th beatboxes and vinyl grooves so The Mitchell Brothers // July 2008 + free Sleepless Floor perfectly; indie boys dance with Miss Kittin & The Hacker** // on Sunday 20th July 2008): The Automatic raver girls while hip hop heads Modeselektor // Renato Ratier 65 euros (plus booking fee) plus Viva Machine wave their glowsticks. 2008 will // Sascha Funke // Stereo MC`s 3-day ticket (Fri 18th & Sat 19th We’re thrilled to welcome Wales’ finest be the 11th edition of the // Supermayer // Róisín Murphy & Sun 20th July 2008): festival and due to great // The Teenagers // Tobias guitar/pop/post-punk/rock act The 85 euros (plus booking fee) demand a third day has been Thomas // Tomas Andersson // Automatic, making their Guildhall debut. added to the program. More Turbostaat // Uffie & Feadz // www.mirkomarken.de The band rocketed to the nation’s attention than 80 live acts and DJs will The Whitest Boy Alive // (via paypal) thanks to a huge pile of finely crafted tunes, perform on 6 stages, firing the The Wombats crowd up from late afternoon www.TixForGigs.co.uk/melt most obvious being the sing-along inducing *only show in Germany 2008 until well into the wee small (via paypal) Top Ten hit ‘Monster’. Their album ‘Not **only festival show in hours… and the last beats don’t Germany 2008 www.lastminute.com Accepted Anywhere’ was one of the biggies of fade until long after the sun has 2006, and sent the band into orbit and on TRAVEL: Ferropolis is near risen over the lake again. MELT ON SUNDAY: tour all around the world. Due to the great demand Melt! Grafenhainchen in the heart of a Melt! has established itself on have decided to add a third day triangle between Leipzig, They hit 2008 with new horizons, however. Gone is keyboardist, vocalist and headline grabber Pennie, and the European festival landscape to the festival. It will now end Dresden and Berlin. Nearest in comes formidable former mycodenameis:milo singer and guitarist Paul Mullen. Reports are that the and is an unforgettable musical on Sunday, 20th July 2008 at airports are Berlin Tegel or experience that transcends all band’s new album is fantastic, and that this will be the year that they finally crush ‘Monster’ underfoot approximately 11 p.m. after Schonefeld (80 mins shuttle bus genres. The festival was also with an army of bigger tunes. Expect a turbo-charged live show, featuring the best of the old and the Björk's performance. The new ride), Helle/Leipzig Airport (60 voted most popular open air Melt! Sunday has a limited mins shuttle bus ride). For guests even better of the new… please visit www.theautomatic.co.uk for more information about the band. event by readers of top German capacity of 12,000 visitors and is from abroad arriving at Berlin Thursday 3rd April. Tickets £9 advance. Doors 7.30pm. Over 14's only. This is a standing event. music & style magazines Intro, also available as a separate airport there is a shuttle bus Groove and De:Bug. ticket. We therefore recommend service from Berlin Club Breed that visitors choose one of the Alexanderplatz. There is also a lot going on Club Breed: Alert Your Senses! Back in the heady days of the mid nineties, Breed was a clubbing institution three ticket categories on offer behind the scenes… Melt!’s Cool-Tours: Tickets in early on. The rest of Sunday’s in the region. With club nights in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Glastonbury and Bristol, the Club Breed brand professional area has long been combination with transport programme will be announced created a sensory overload of music, visuals, performers and a truly inclusive vibe. the an established meeting point from point of departure and/or soon and on Friday and for the German music industry accommodation Saturday, Melt! will take place in and is considered on of the www.cool-tours.de The main hall hosts Banco De Gaia and very special guests, club theatre, dynamic visuals and an summers fixtures by those in its usual form, spread across six immersive environment. The Cinema plays host to the World Café, a chilled and sumptuous space that the know. stages and with a capacity of up Cool Tours: Berlin shuttle from to 20,000 visitors. the Berlin airports Tegel and comes together like Buena Vista Social Club jamming with the most laid-back dub heads. Expect a THE COMPLETE LINE-UP Schönefeld, the main train rollercoaster for your senses, as Breed returns to remind us how much fun it was the first time around! DOORS OPEN: 3pm every day SO FAR: station and Alexanderplatz from Friday 4th April. Tickets £8 advance, £10 on the door. 9pm – 2am. Over 18's only. Alter Ego // Battles // Björk* // FIRST ACTS ON STAGE: 24 euros! There are also great Booka Shade // Boys Noize // 5pm every day deals when you buy your hotel Burger/Voigt // Cobblestone + ticket + shuttletogether. What’s On at Gloucester Guildhall Word of Mouth and the Guildhall presents Acoustica: Ian McNabb + Special Guests A very special Acoustica show to celebrate the Guildhall’s 20th anniversary.

The Liverpool Echo once called Ian McNabb “one of the people who make Merseyside great". He Box Office 01452 50-30-50 rose to prominence fronting the hugely successful BOOK ONLINE! ‘Icicle Works’. His 1993 solo release ‘This Way Up’ www.gloucester.gov.uk/guildhall was voted by Q readers as one of the best albums released during the magazines lifetime, and he’s collaborated with the likes of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse and The Waterboys. Bounce! – Gloucester’s Indie Club The Guildhall’s indie club returns with a big night of tunes from all across the indie/rock/dance spectrum. Since the year 2000 Ian has been prolific, releasing a number of albums which all displayed his uncanny Our ‘early doors’ event is strictly for the under 18s, while the over 18s get their indie fix from 10.30pm ability to craft winning songs, a knack for melody, and a pop sensibility that always shines through. 2008 until 2.30am. Always lively, always loud, Bounce! is one of Gloucester’s biggest and best nights out! began at a pace with a performance at ‘The Number One Project’ concert, an event celebrating 56 www.myspace.com/gloucesterbounce number one hits by Liverpool artists. Ian also appears on the project’s album, performing a cover of John Request songs, win tickets and see photos at www.bouncegloucester.co.uk Lennon’s ‘Woman’. Come and see him live and acoustic. Expect great things. Friday 25th April. 7pm - 10pm (13 – 17 yrs), £3 entry. "The sweetest guy in rock 'n' roll. A legend as far as I am concerned" Alan McGee 10.30pm – 2am (18+), £4 entry before 11pm (£2 NUS), £5 after. This is a standing event. Friday 11th April. Tickets £10 advance, £11 on the door. Doors 8pm. This gig is open to all ages – Dividing The Line see our booking details page for further information. This concert features unreserved seating. Plus special guests Linchpin, MCM and Throwing Paper Aeroplanes

4ft Fingers plus guests Dividing The Line are a six-piece screamo band from Worcestershire. If you liked them last time they came Prepare for a high-octane lesson in muscular, to Gloucester then you’ll be amazed this time, thanks infectious, melodic, fast-paced Brit punk rock as to a few line-up changes and loads of new songs. county heroes 4ft Fingers make a very welcome Energetic, jaw-dropping and intense, they give you a return to the Guildhall. Bristling with energy and live show you won’t forget! Linchpin are the most enough musical firepower to destroy a planet, the exciting young band in Britain (average age 17), mixing 4fts boys now have four albums’ worth of classic up rock and punk sounds. Their first video was tunes to whip up their audience, and with a new downloaded 33,000 times, their first pressing sold out album out soon, there’ll be some new stuff to be in 48 hours and they've been praised by Kerrang!, unleashed too. This is double-barrelled punk rock Metal Hammer and Rock Sound magazines. blasted out with energy and zeal. No wonder 4ft Fingers are still one of the UK’s best live acts. MCM return to the Guild Hall after performing at a sell out Wired gig in February 2007. These boys www.4ftfingers.com www.myspace.com/4ftfingers guarantee a fun, unmissable and energetic performance, with a blur of influences giving them a fresh, original sound and style. Completing the line up are Throwing Paper Aeroplanes, a five-piece pop punk New Beginnings of Old Stories - Album out 7th April 2008. band from Wiltshire, making their Guildhall debut. Expect to be impressed! www.myspace.com/dividingtheline Saturday 19th April. Tickets £7.50 advance. Doors 7pm. Over 14's only. This is a standing event. Saturday 26th April. Tickets £7 advance. Doors 7.30pm. Over 14's only. This is a standing event.

What’s On at Gloucester Guildhall fusewire

Bristol amongst hundreds that At the heart of the album is still queued patiently for their turn in the heaviness that dominated front of the Judges. the last record, this time though Witch is creating a style more The band are now preparing for their own. The exciting part Kyle the Live stages where they will feels for the band and fans is compete amongst fifteen other that “they are still developing a hopefuls in their Live show on sound that fully hasn’t shown the 29th March for a place in itself.” The band play their first the Regional Final. For more UK show on May 5 at information go to the website Underworld, London. www.LiveandUnsigned.UK.com Stroud based band Superjuice has over the last few years seen a number of changes but this year looks set to see its biggest changes. Following the sad departure of two Langhorne Slim “A mad members who left due to strummer from the heartland, other commitments the band a yelping choirboy looking for has had to start rebuilding love and sexual healing...” itself again. will release his self-titled Rather than see this is a hurdle album on April 28. Witch is no ‘indie metal super- the remaining members are A national tour will be group’ or side project. After looking at this as a chance to announced shortly. their self-titled debut in 2006, entirely re-launch. They have On the recording of the album Witch returned to the studio already found a new drummer Langhorne states, “This to work on their sophomore in the form of the very talented experience in Maine with Sam, album, ‘Paralyzed’. The new Stephan Meester and are now Malachi and Paul led us to our album, to be released this start the search for a new most comfortable, cohesive and spring on Tee Pee Records, bassist. The band are looking for soul-shaking music to date.” remains true to the classic submissions by sound file or e- Langhorne Slim began his heavy rock sound of the first, mailed cv to [email protected]. musical career in Brooklyn and but has evolved as the band All details must be received by has recently completed tours has learned to play to each 19th March 2008 and hopefuls with The Avett Brothers, Lucero, other’s strengths. will hear by 26th March 2008. Murder By Death and Rocky The Vermont based band’s new The deadline is very firm as Votolato. songs highlight the rhythm Superjuice will be relaunching under a secret new name with www.langhorneslim.com section of Dave Sweetapple (bass) and J Mascis (drums) who the new line up on 30th May MelonFarmer from Bristol return to their punk roots and 2008. Always mindful of their have made it through from attack with a more aggressive local fans the relaunch party will over 10,000 singers and bands tempo. This foundation allows take place at the Golden Fleece to perform at the live stages Kyle Thomas (guitar/vocals) to in Stroud. Anyone applying of Live & Unsigned. construct wailing vertical should take note that the band melodies of guitar and sinister is expected to be very busy over MelonFarmer made it through vocals. Witch has turned out a the next 12 months and 100% the auditions at St. Georges, record that burns with hostility. commitment is essential. fusewire

Gigs at the Windmill Brixton, a Thursday 10th April 2008 port in a storm for new bands DOORS 8pm, ADM £4 across the UK. Windie Miller’s Music Club Windmill Brixton, 22 Blenheim Windmill + Lonely Ghosts + Gardens, London SW2 5BZ A+E Line www.windmillbrixton.co.uk DJs: Windie Miller myspace.com/windmillbrixton Friday 18th April 2008 Tuesday 1st April 2008 DOORS 8pm, ADM £5 DOORS 8pm, ADM £5/£4 flyer Champions of the World Staying South. Danny George Wilson & The The Computers + The Scrape + Champions of the World + Hamfatter have a newsingle Small Mercies + We Are Power Indigo Moss + The See See + released in April called The Garden City Project ‘Do Something Stupid Friday 4th April 2008 Tonight’... it will be limited to DOORS 8pm, ADM £5 Sunday 13th April 2008 1000 cd singles, which will Fundraiser for Anchor Project. FREE BBQ at 5pm also feature 3 superb and The Cedars + Stanley + ADM £5adv/£6 door exclusive new b-sides. We Used To Make Things + Six Nation State + Screaming Tea do we prefer Eoin with his Opaque Party + The Duloks + Olympians beard, lets take a vote! + Reflections Of A Bull + The Sunday 6th April 2008 Chiara L’s + Spilt Milk The Garfields Birthday album is DOORS 5pm, ADM £5 finished and pressed and looking Sunday BBQ #2 Saturday 19th April 2008 pretty good. Its out on 19 May, The Low Lows + Simon Breed DOORS 8pm, ADM £6 adv and four brand new tracks are + The Johnny Parry Trio + Centro-Matic + South San now available as the (digital only) Show Without Punch + Gabriel + Treecreeper + Dan ‘Mollys Eyes’ EP, which can be Urb Scrunting Raza found at iTunes or most other Saturday 5th April 2008 Wed 23rd April 2008 digital music providers (every 79p DOORS 8pm-2am, ADM £4 DOORS 8pm, ADM £3 counts, seriously!): The album is Ratty Rat Rat present Jlesh Munce called ‘Let Them Eat Cake’. ‘A Night of Vermin’ Iron Pirate + Male Poo Woman Pink Hedgehog are already Special Guests + Ratty Rat Rat Shoe + B.C. organising this years IPO festival + Gypsy Girl Filth + Rum DJs: Datashat and guests in Liverpool... which looks to be Shebeen DJs: The Rats, Thursday 24th April 2008 a real bumper event with several Wednesday’s Wild Bunch DOORS 8pm, pink hedgehog artists taking Tuesday 8th April 2008 ADM £5adv/£6 door part. Should be a stonker! DOORS 8pm, ADM £4 The Research + The Tailors + www.pinkhedgehog.com Hreda + Theo + Pictures + Monica y Carlos Dascha Monday 28th April 2008 Wednesday 9th April 2008 DOORS 8pm, ADM £5 DOORS 7pm, ADM £5 Monday’s We Salute You! Oxjam Fundraiser Frightened Rabbit + Sukilove + Apples For Everyone + Green Stage Sages Phoenix + The Samanas + Ben Williams Band + Pyepi & Friends fusewire

Gay For Johnny Depp are coming back for their second UK tour of 2008. The Subways made their new ready to produce their finest New York’s hardest working and single ‘Girls And Boys’ work to date. most sexually ambiguous band available for download on the Recorded in Los Angeles, the will be supporting 65daysofstatic evening of March 25th. The twelve-track album marks a at the following sordid little song made its debut on Zane tremendous progression for the glory holes: Lowe’s radio show and is then band since the ‘Young For to be made available on the April 9 Bristol Thelka Eternity’ debut. Freshly inspired band’s official site - by bands including Death Cab www.thesubways.net. April 10 Nottingham Rescue For Cutie and Refused, the result Rooms The Subways are poised for a is an album that recalls the sensational return this year exuberance of ‘Young For April 11 London Indigo O2 when they release their second Eternity’ while embarking upon April 12 Leeds Cockpit album ‘All Or Nothing’ on June an adventurous sonic 16th. The album, produced by progression. The vehement April 13 Brighton Concorde II Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing opening riff of single ‘Girls And April 14 Wolverhampton Pumpkins, Sonic Youth), will be Boys’ is a bold reintroduction to Wulfren preceded by the singles ‘Girls the band and is followed by the And Boys’ (March 25th - dynamic ‘Kalifornia’ that April 15 Manchester Academy II download only) and ‘Alright’ contrasts the band’s most April 15 Portsmouth (June 2nd) as well as two vitriolic moment to date with an Wedgewood Rooms nationwide tours of intimate infectious, summery hook. club venues. Errors are also on the bill. It’s Track 'Girls And Boys’ will be going to be loud and it’s going In early 2007, Billy, the Welwyn available free to download at to be mint. Garden City trio’s, lead singer www.subways.net from March was forced to brave surgery on 25th. The download will then be Gay For Johnny Depp also his vocal chords, thankfully he available from selected websites release new single ‘Belief In God was given the all-clear after a on March 31st. Single, ‘Alright’, Is So Adorable’ on April 14 long lay-off and spent the rest will receive a full release on June through Captains Of Industry. of the year with The Subways 2nd with the album ‘All Or re-energised, refocussed and Nothing’ out on June 16th. The new darlings of the US underground Les Savy Fav are our new best friends. Their clattering, Pixies-esque art-punk vignettes are the freshest sound from Uncle Sam in years. Epic, concise, beautifully weird and sneaky too...

But Tim Harrington hates sneaks. “In art school, there are these text-book critiques,” explains Les Savy Fav’s frontman, who met his bandmates at the seemingly awesome-music-conducive Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

“‘Expose the Apparatus’ is a particularly ridiculous one, but it describes what we’re trying to do pretty well. We’re striking a balance between being direct and putting a lot of thought into something – being analytical, but not being sneaky.”

Harrington’s antics – humping furniture on stage, dressing like a cat, and massaging the feet of his adoring fans – don’t so much read as attempts to transcend overt intellectualism as spasms of psychic instability. But in true art-student form, the members of Les Savy Fav have put far more thought into their shows and music than a casual fan might surmise.

Over the course of five albums and countless singles, Les Savy Fav’s music ranges from the outright abrasive to the contagiously poppy. The latter variety has been greater cause for concern from the point of view of its members, who hail from what Harrington describes as a world les savy fav of “heavy, punk-noise art-school bands.” “At RISD, people thought our band was cheesy compared to other art school friends for life bands,” he recalls. When paired with a track like ‘The Equestrian’ (from their recent album, ‘Let’s Stay Friends’), which invokes nearly maternal worry for burn it. Not a real fortune, of course,” he “Very rarely do you hear someone say, see this, and then maybe five other people Harrington’s suffering vocal chords, laughs, “but a creative fortune. Then ‘Oh, I heard you guys on your MySpace will see something else. It’s impossible to concerns about being too mainstream throw it away.” page.’ Usually someone tells someone document something completely.” seem misplaced – unless, of course, that they have to come to the show.” you’ve ever been to a RISD party. The first track of their incredible singles The spontaneity of the live show is at the album, ‘Inches’, ‘Meet Me in the Dollar Notoriety by word of mouth is peculiar to heart of their slapdash aesthetic. “There were no prospects for a straight- Bin,’ aptly describes the band’s central Les Savy Fav. Although they make their up rock band,” he says of the late dissonance. Over grinding guitars, music for a certain type of fan – few In response to the question of why so nineties, when grunge-era leftovers Harrington sings, ‘There is no incident; would accuse this band of pandering to many journalists seem to miss the subtext appeared to have missed the memo that there is no incident; there’s nothing the market – circumstance has of Les Savy Fav’s shows, Harrington hard rock was on its way out. “But that’s incidental in this song. There is no complemented and played a part in their giggles, “For the most part, I’ve learned to what made it sweet in a way. When your accident; there is no accident; there’s master plan. turn my ears off to the ‘that crazy jackass’ only prospect is free beer, there are very nothing accidental in this song. There’s no stuff” (a somewhat apt description that, in few possibilities for sneakiness. Maybe coincidence; there’s no coincidence; there By colonising the New York scene before various forms, pops up in nearly every someone in the band would get laid – nothing coincidental in this song.’ iTunes and Pitchfork muddied the waters, piece written about the band). that’s about as sneaky as it got.” Les Savy Fav had a chance to spread their The idea of something perfectly composed wings when people were still just talking “On the other hand, I’d rather be ‘that “I’d rather be ‘that crazy jackass’ than yet ultimately defined by circumstance about music. crazy jackass’ than some pompous guy. some pompous guy. When pressed, I can verges on the Buddhistic; it also pervades When pressed, I can get analytical, but I get analytical, but I need to get worked beyond just the music and stage presence “I think that is part of the reason why need to get worked up into it.” up into it.” of Les Savy Fav. ‘Inches’, was released in there is such a tenor to our shows. Not to sound snobby, but it creates a kind of For the last few years, Harrington has 2004 as a compilation of the various largely avoided getting ‘worked up into But the stage diving and crotch bearing singles the band had released over nearly private party feeling. It’s not like everyone doesn’t spring from a need to stand out as is there because they read about it in it,’ at least in the context of Les Savy Fav. a decade – another example of playing Along with his bandmates Syd Butler, much as from needing to fill in the blanks, with time and intention to create a Entertainment Weekly.” Harrington reveals. Seth Jabour and Harrison Haynes, product that is equal parts careful And without a doubt, it’s the shows that Harrington has lately taken time to work “When you’re up there on stage and you planning and happenstance. cement Les Savy Fav’s (often fanatical) on other projects. don’t have an instrument, you feel like fans’ devotion to Harrington and his crew. Despite the band’s significant evolution Harrington and his wife Amy started you have to do something.” Conveniently, over the intervening years, the albums Often described in online forums as one Les Savy Fav strives for an authenticity to of the best live bands of its kind, Deadly Squire, a design company that falls together as though it were composed creates everything from baby bibs to pot which total insanity in a performance is in the same time frame but in different something about Harrington’s cultured well suited. lyrics and guy-next-door voice – and the holders bearing versions of mid-century moods or seasons. The resultant product Swedish textile designs. is variegated but far from disjointed. way he lays it over the band’s hard-rolling “There can be a disconnect between three chords – brings out the gleefully guys playing some sweet music and then Syd Butler, the bassist in the band, steers Their slow and steady rise to their status unrestrained in the most jaded onlookers. Frenchkiss Records, which now in addition one guy going crazy. But the thing that as ‘godfathers’ of the Brooklyn post-punk pulls it together is to try to do things that Harrington characterises his shows as small to Les Savy Fav, represents bands like The scene (to the extent that men in their Big Sleep, Thunderbirds are Now!, and are non-repeatable.” early 30s can be godfathers of anything) pieces of performance art: “In a live performance, you want to have one big The Hold Steady. “You work really hard to do something bears the same conspicuous signs of avant-gardism. thing – the show – but you also get Haynes runs an art gallery in North and hone something – try to maintain and infinite details. I go out into the audience be original – and then be prepared to be Carolina with his wife Chloe and “We have gone out and found people on and maybe I give someone a foot rub, and continues to paint prolifically. totally casual and throw it all away. That’s tour in our own way,” Harrington explains. I know that only a few people are going to the whole idea – make a fortune and then Hit thousands of new consumers from only £25.00 a month

But the band seems to be back together, Putting their mixed feelings about the and is playing more shows in support of potential for commercial success aside, Advertising in FUSE makes sense. Space costs last year’s acclaimed ‘Let’s Stay Friends’. Les Savy Fav are forging ahead with the Coming as their first album in two years, same mix of art-school erudition and from just £25.00 per issue. Harrington perceives more prospects on effortlessly raucous rock and roll that has this one than what Les Savy Fav faced in driven them to tour and record for the the past. last twelve years. FUSE is extensively read throughout the UK by “There are prospectors digging around And right now it seems clear that if now,” he speculates about the current pressed to decide, they would probably 1000s of music consumers and the music marketability of bands of Les Savy Fav’s go with the latter. “Let someone else say persuasion, “so there are possibilities. The the dirty words – aesthetic, authentic, all industry too. Tell them what you’ve got! album’s title, ‘Let’s Stay Friends’, is in that artsy crap. And we’ll pretend like some ways a defiance of our professional- we’re just partying.” email [email protected] for an info pack. ness,” he says, implying that Les Savy Fav may not remain such a well-kept secret, Whitney Kassel circulated quietly amongst friends. INFERNO are a hard rocking three piece The sheer frenetic simplicity and honesty of from Holyhead in Wales featuring ‘The Suicide Pact’ EP is what made it stand Joe Harvey – bass/vocals, Liam Jepson – out on first hearing, loud and very proud. guitar/vocals and Jay Lee – drums. They “Simple, energetic, passionate, rock n’ roll,” are a young band who been together for Liam offers as the driving force behind four years but with an uncanny knack of Inferno music. “We try not to complicate sounding like they have been rocking for things and clutter up our music. There are years. In a short space of time they have only three of us, so there is no hiding place. built a reputation for themselves with We really don’t understand why some bands white hot live performances, both in the have six or seven members, keep it simple!!!” UK and Europe. But for all their desire to stay true to their Typically, in conversation, the band come ideals and sound, Inferno are an intelligent across as being deeply sincere about their band who write from the heart. wildfire brand of heavyweight rock, Inferno genuinely care... “Emotions inspire us. The art of trying to put your emotions and feelings into three and a “The name Inferno represents a passion and half minutes has come a long way over the strength we feel about our music. It stands years, and it’s hard to try and better the for honesty, commitment and hard work, things that have been written in the past , but explains guitarist Liam. ”We believe all our it’s not impossible. We just put everything we live shows are as important as each other. can into a song and try not to repeat history, We treat them all as if they could be our but sometimes we’re just saying things in a last ever gig. It’s easy to look at the big different way to how it’s been said before.” ‘important’ gigs with more excitement, but we try and make every gig a night to “The music we all listen to is quite a mix remember.” sometimes, right now collectively it’s bands like Down, Clutch, Johnny Cash, Nine Inch “For that reason it’s hard to single just one Nails, music that’s written and played with gig out, but there was a gig we had in Turku, honesty and passion.” Finland that was a lot of fun to do. No reason in particular, it just felt really good.” Inferno are arriving into a metal and rock scene that is at present driven by bands with Inferno first came to our attention late last something to say, and bands who dare to be year when we had the pleasure of hearing different too. Metal bands in the recent past their awesome ‘Suicide Pact’ 6-track EP. A have often being accused of being hoary old collection the boys are rightfully proud of. cock-rock, or rather pretentious, Inferno are “The Suicide Pact is the best thing we have optimistic for the future though. ”It’s quite ever done as a band, it sounds like we healthy at the moment, there’s a massive imagined our music to sound back when we increase in the amount of new bands on the started, but 100 times better. It represents the gig circuit. Not all of them are good, but at way we feel about everything that affects us least they are out there doing it.” in our day to day life. It’s raw emotion, we “Is the world ready for Inferno too? Hell wouldn’t know how to write about anything yeah, it should be, If not, tough!!! We’re inferno else except what we know and feel. But the coming ready or not!!! You’re either with us best, as they say, is yet to come...” or against us.” On the back of a clutch of increasingly well- received gigs and the success of ‘The Suicide Pact’ EP, Inferno are ready to burn into 2008. “Yeah, target number one is to record our debut album and tour it to death.” laughs Liam. “A wake up call is needed, and that wake up call is Inferno. We want to achieve all the things a good band should want to achieve. Why settle for anything less?” “We want people to believe that a good band can still come out of Britain. Everything seems to come out of America nowadays, we want to shift the focus back to this side of the pond. And we want to show our audiences a good time. We’ve got everything you need and more. Come get your fill!” “We don’t see getting signed as the only thing to strive for. ‘Music people’ are beginning to take notice little by little. But it’s not enough, we will carry on regardless of what the music industry does. Our time is near. Why? Just come see us live, that will say it all.” www.myspace.com/inferno

As you know, FUSE doesn’t really do the Whether you like it or not, drugs had an past, the future of music is our prime impact; sometimes for the good of musical concern. However, when the chance of progress and sometimes just turning it into some words of wisdom from seminal ‘60s nonsense. The casualty list that succumbed to garage-psychedelics The Electric Prunes their excesses during this period is a long and came our way, we had to relent. So here depressing read, but drugs were a major part begins today’s history lesson... Look and of music at the time. learn pop kids. As bands became more musically proficient Pop music, or rather the modern pop music their music skills advanced and the desire to that started in the mid to late fifties, was experiment became a major focus for some. always considered to be a disposable The general public however, appeared to commodity; a fad among teenagers that either show little interest or little would soon be forgotten and, as far as the understanding of what was being presented. parents were concerned, the sooner the better. There are a number of significant 45’s Well, it’s still here fifty years later. While the released during the latter part of 1966 that music has undergone many transformations were indications of what was on the horizon, over the years each new generation of but they were just not getting the vital airplay teenagers gets the chance to have a on radio stations required to generate sales soundtrack to accompany them into and exposure to a wider audience. adulthood and beyond. There is one exception – a garage band from New idols rose to prominence, some more sunny California, of all places. They bucked palatable than others, but the accompanying the trend when they issued a single that had music was evolving at a slower rate. It was all the sonic experimentation wedded to a still either an R&B/blues/country hybrid or a dark, but nonetheless very commercial song super smooth ‘Tin Pan Alley’ style slick ballad. that caught the attention of the US record By the time of the British Invasion, there were buying public and vaulted onto the charts still elements of these musical styles in the toward the end of the year. The band was repertoires of The Beatles and The Stones, et (The) Electric Prunes. The song in question al. All that had really happened was that these was ‘I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)’. bands had managed to bring the true R&B From that point on there was a template for a roots of rock 'n' roll to the fore with the grit different style of music that was commercially and sassiness of the performers who viable and, at the same time, satisfying to the originated the style way back when. discerning population of the burgeoning ‘underground scene’. However, by the middle of the sixties there electric were signs of a change of style and approach The release and subsequent success of this to making music though, at first, the changes song was a major contributor to the scattershot and unfocused. Technology underground movement and musical genre available for music making was beginning to that would, a few short months later, become change the sound of bands and so came the known as ‘psychedelic’. But for the band the rise in prominence of the drug culture. opportunity to capitalise on this success was prunes subjected to so much restriction by the weren’t a success. There were too many other After the resounding success of ‘Too Much To bands competing in that musical arena and Dream’, the band set about finding a follow- the band were subsequently dropped by the up single. They came up with an inspired record company. However, amongst a set of arrangement of a Tucker/Jones song, ‘Get Me demos presented to the band by the To The World On Time’, which continued songwriting partnership of Annette Tucker where ‘Too Much To Dream’ left off with a and Nancy Mantz was a song titled ‘I Had host of studio created sounds from another Too Much To Dream (Last Night)’. In it’s world. It’s success, although not to the same original form it was a slow tempo ballad degree as it’s predecessor, brought about the intended to be a country ballad sung by a need to record an album, which subsequently crooner with an orchestral backing. Dave was released as 'I Had Too Much To Dream Hassinger liked its oddball title and suggested (Last Night)'. that the band have a go at working up an When Tucker and Mantz were again called arrangement and recording their version of it. upon to provide material for the album it was At the recording session, a ‘happy accident’ then beginning to become evident to the occurred. A tape reel was turned over to be band that their vision of sonic used again and accidentally the tail end of an experimentation was not really what Dave earlier recording was played back in the Hassinger had in mind for them. They wanted studio. It was the sound of guitarist Ken to boldly go where no band had gone before Williams’ Les Paul sustaining through a and he wanted it to be more like ‘hey hey tremolo unit to a fade which, when played we’re The Electric Prunes’. The album was the backwards, sounded like some buzzing beginning of a tug of war between band and monstrosity that was coming to get you. This producer, resulting in a mix of both killer and piece of tape was kept and added to the start filler tracks. The killer tracks have stood the powers that be, working behind the scenes, A change of name was deemed necessary, of the song. This sound barrage set the tone test of time but the filler sounds like the work that they were denied the chance to become one idea was ‘Electric Prunes’, in reference to for the rest of recording, wherein the band of another band entirely, very lightweight and the major figureheads for this new music. one of a series of wacky jokes doing the concocted a sonic collage of weird backward almost vaudeville. The band contributed They were virtually forced to watch from a rounds at the time. Hassinger thought the sounds that took the finished song far and songs but, by all accounts, it was an distance. But for a short while they were a idea was stupid and reportedly showed it to away from the ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ extremely difficult task to get them accepted guiding light. Mick Jagger at a Stones recording session style of music making that was de-riguer at by Hassinger for inclusion on the album. They laughingly saying something along the lines The band came together as Jim And The the time. The finished article, deemed too did not conform to his vision of pop of, “I asked the band to suggest a new name Lords in 1965 and then subsequently became strange to find favour with the public at large, ‘loveliness’. But some slipped through the and look what the bozos came up with!” To known as The Sanctions. Following a chance was put to one side and referred to only as defences and for that we must be thankful. hearing of a rehearsal in bass player Mark his shock, Jagger told him he thought that it ‘the odd song’. However, without a song that Further single success eluded the band. Not Tulin’s parents’ garage by Barbara Harris, an was a great name. Hassinger immediately did could be regarded as suitable material to because of a slip in the quality, but merely acquaintance of an RCA recording engineer a 180 a decided it was great name too. So release as a single, ‘the odd one’ began to because the difference of opinion in the Dave Hassinger, she recommended to him great in fact that only he could have thought look like the best shot for the band, so direction both sides thought the band should that they were worthy of his attention. A few of it and claimed the idea for himself!! Hassinger approached Warner Bros once be heading meant that Hassinger began to months later, the band signed on the dotted The first single to appear was ‘Ain’t It Hard?’ again and, miraculously, they agreed to lose interest. He rather foolishly thought that line at Warner Bros and recorded a set of backed with a band composition called ‘Little release it and re-signed the band. they were scuppering their chances of songs at the home of Leon Russell for possible Olive’. While both were great slices of becoming a teenybopper sensation! single release. proficiently played mid-sixties R&B, they There was still sufficient momentum to The two Dave’s soon set about using back Prunes’ ‘Are You Loving Me More (But allow the band to record a follow up up musicians to take the place of band Enjoying It Less)’ for evidence. album. Once again there was the power members. So, although the resulting album In the ensuing years, the band’s legacy has struggle over song selection, even to the starts with the whole band performing the been a source of inspiration for countless degree that songs opening track, one by one they fell away other bands and their cult status has just written by the band were presented to until the album closes with very little in the grown and grown. After the release of the Hassinger under a pseudonym, in order to way of band contribution. ‘Stockholm ‘67’ live album in the mid quell his aversion to what they were The album was released to a largely nineties and the onset of the possibilities for coming up with. But at least this way it indifferent public. This was more or less communication offered by the internet, the meant more of their material would get the final straw. One final slap round the band members gradually reconnected with included and the album that was released face for the band was the requirement for one another. A reunion album, ‘Artifact’, as ‘Underground’ was all the better for it. them to perform the ‘Mass’ album live was released followed by two more It has been suggested that the band was with only a few days to rehearsal. After releases ‘California’ and, most recently, allowed to ‘have it their way’ on the release of one last single, a ‘poppy’ ‘Feedback’. These releases offer a modern ‘Underground’ because Dave Hassinger felt offering called ‘Everybody Knows You’re day take on their classic sound and allowed that he could do no more with them and if Not In Love’ the band crumbled and them to be themselves and produce their he simply let them sink themselves it would eventually called it a day. History states music in a manner that was actively all be over. ‘Underground’ is a great album. that there were two more Electric Prunes discouraged all those years ago. There are a couple of examples of albums, but they were made by Axelrod The Electric Prunes are a vitally important Hassinger intervention but it hangs and some of the hired hands from ‘Mass’ link in the progression of pop music to the together pretty well and demonstrates that on the first offering, ‘Release Of An Oath’, more serious forms of music of the late the band’s inventiveness was in full flow and then more hired hands assuming the sixties. Their contribution is often and getting better all the time. name of the band for ‘Just Good Old Rock overlooked or, more cruelly, their As a last ditch attempt at exercising some ‘N’ Roll’. There is nothing intrinsically pioneering ideas are often attributed to sort of control over the band, a plan was wrong with either of these albums, but other more well known acts. They stand up hatched between Hassinger and they had nothing to do with the original on their own and have earned a rightful celebrated composer and arranger David band and their pioneering musical vision. place in music history. Just listen to their Axelrod to record an orchestrated musical At the time of their initial success they were albums and you can hear for yourself. Or Catholic mass. Written by Axelrod, it highly regarded by bands who were to better yet, this seminal band is still out and would use The Electric Prunes as the front become some of the biggest names on the about. Catch an Electric Prunes live show if for the project to be titled ‘Mass In F planet. Jimi Hendrix, when he met up with you want to experience some musical Minor’. Rightly or wrongly the band them on their arrival for a tour of the UK history first hand. agreed to go along with the idea. and Europe, was eager to question them Go google the Prunes kids... Sessions commenced in earnest but it on how they achieved their sound on soon became a source of annoyance to record. Syd Barrett was lifting their ideas Axelrod that, with the exception of Mark wholesale to help him define the With thanks for the history lesson to: Tulin, the band could not read the written psychedelic sound of Pink Floyd on their Janet Cairncross (journalist/photographer) score in front of them (they were a ‘Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ album. Just co-written by Kevin Wallbank garage band for heaven’s sake, what was listen to the intro of lead track ‘Astronomy he expecting?). Domine’ and compare it to the intro of the

BRITISH STANDARD are to paraphrase pub landlord Al Murray, a beautiful British band with a beautiful British name. They also make their music in a beautiful British tradition. Great songs and guitars, plenty of them too.

So who are British Standard? ”Matt, Rob, and Phil! I suppose that’s it really!!! No, seriously we are just three guys who all share the same love for music and get on really well AND have fun playing music! Matt is the vocalist and guitarist, Rob the bassist, and Phil bangs things that make pleasant sounds!!!?”

“Our name is more of a quote than a statement. Some of the greatest bands of all time have been British, from the Yardbirds, Zep,Floyd, Cream etc through to the Sex Pistols, The Jam, Stone Roses, Oasis, Radiohead to name but a few. So we saw it as Britain has set a standard in music history, and we are proud to aspire to be one of the thousands of great bands that have become a British Standard. We also saw the kitemark on a plug and liked the whole ‘Seal of British Excellence’ thing !!!”

In time-honoured British band style, the boys from British Standard are building their reputation for quality on live performances, with plenty of tyre rubber being burned throughout 2008. “We will be playing various venues in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and London, with plans to do a small UK tour in the summer. “We will be doing the coach thing for the London gigs, Dumblin Castle, Barfly, Purple Turtle.”

“We played London before at Dirty South in Lewisham supporting Bonehead (formerly Oasis). Great crowd, good sound system and a good night had by all!”

“We currently have our debut e.p ‘Scoundrel’ out with Brevan Records, available from our website, british standard myspace etc or independent record stores around the country (including Virgin megastore). “We hope that people think that we are in an unclassified genre of rock!!! We think that unfortunately new someone close to us that has had an impact in twice” People can believe in us too, we love our lives. What is important is not to get too music and go to gigs like everyone else does! bogged down in the trials and tribulations of We get excited by other bands music and just love! There are songs that are written about want to have a good time performing and things close to us but also things that amuse getting to meet people and bands at all of and inspire us, but all in all, things people can our gigs!” relate and listen too!” With a busy year in prospect and a “We are ready for the world so let’s hope it’s nationwide release in the offing, will it matter ready for us too! At least we have a different to British Standard if the music industry and sound from most of our peers in the music radio take no notice? scene, so its a bit of a gamble to go against “Yeah, we do kinda care, otherwise we would conventional fashion, but we can only not have signed to Brevan Records. There are produce the songs that we do and write 100’s of indie deals out there, and being naturally, never forced to mimic the current ‘unsigned’ seems to be fashionable at the trends. ‘The more ‘Now’ you are... the more moment, but surely all bands have to aspire ‘Then’ you’ll be.” towards getting paid for their work, which “We are hoping for plenty from this year, we means getting signed. The phrase is ‘Music are currently looking for a lead guitarist/ Business’. Half may be music but the other keyboard player, no rush as we like the three half is most certainly business!” piece deal, but if the right man comes along “So far, in our first year we have achieved a ... well.....never say never. We have a few a lot, this year we shall achieve a lot more bands seem to be so hung up about looking few gigs lined up in Camden and Islington hopefully. We have a whole new set of like the current chart bands and developing and we should also be on this year’s festival tunes for our next e.p and a great little tune an over bearing accent from where ever they scene. We will be releasing our debut single lined up for our single release!. I think our originate from and then go out buying and promo video around mid-May, which will name can have connotations to some people fender guitars that sound twangy and be chart registered. With the management that we are some right-wing skinhead band, fashionable. We have no issues with those and record deal, 2008 should be a busy but but that is becoming less of a problem once bands as we listen to some, but we would prosperous year for us indeed.” people have either heard or seen us play. like to think that British Standard are “We’d like people to believe when they come As we said before ‘British Standard’ is more different and non-conforming! We like to across us that they are watching three guys of a quote, but we will let the people decide hear rock with a bit of balls and strong who are having fun making and playing music for themselves. melodies, and in all of our songs and live that is not written to be fashionable or to performances we aim to deliver! Think The “Hopefully you’ll be seeing a bit more of make up the numbers in an ever increasing Who vocally with Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters British Standard in 2008. We also like iced ring indie pop culture! We also aim to include our and a twist of Fratellis... you might be near doughnuts ... and cheese too, but not at the audience and give them a performance that it, but still half the world away!” same time ... that’s just wrong, ha ha! makes them go away thinking ‘bloody hell ... For British Standard, it’s all about a great song I’m knackered” Check the band at www.britishstandard.net well-written and played, but where does their www.myspace.com/britishstandard “It’s important for us to really raise the bar inspiration come from? “It could be someone when we play live, and you never hear the or email the band at we meet in everyday life, or it could be same song performed in the same way [email protected] WISHLIST are Tim Clarke – Vocals, Dan Couch – Guitar/Vocals, Matt Epps – Drums/Vocals and Matt Couch – Bass. A ferocious, almost progressive, hardcore quartet from Plymouth, they are a band of many dilemmas and are not short on band crises either... “Thinking up the right name for your band is a horrible process” says bassist Matt casually. “We’d gone away from a rehearsal one week and decided we’d all give it some thought and see what ideas we could come up with by the next week’s practice. I guess at the time we weren’t really looking for the name we’d go by forever more, just something we could call it for the time being. We very cautiously started to read out the names we had scribbled on bits of paper, ‘nah, too metal, too punk, too… crap… there’s already a band called that’ etc etc. then our drummer, who’d been sat there very quietly throughout this, who didn’t have any ideas written down and had clearly put in no effort whatsoever said ‘what about Wishlist? I’ve always thought that’d be a good name’ it was just the kind of name that didn’t suggest any one thing so it seemed perfect for us.” “I have a love/hate relationship with it…” continued Dan, singing guitarist. “Rather like an unwanted ginger step child, ha!. I Hate it, because it sounds more like either a fashion- conscious boy band, whose lyrics deal with the topic of selling sex to the underage female chart music buying public, or a nu-metal band. We are neither. I love it, because it makes the band sound like it could be all of the above and more - it doesn’t tie us down to any particular genre, unlike all of my suggestions which would have made us sound like gore- hungry death freaks… I doubt we’d even have had the chances we’ve had if I’d gotten my way and called us ‘Crab Smasher’…”. wishlist The bands latest dilemma is how to take Wishlist forward to the next level, a process not without it’s pain it seems. Matt explained more. “At present we’re trying to sort out exactly what we all want from the live show. All in all it was a real success and it myspace page, for £5 plus a couple quid was great playing every night, but the postage. We also have T-shirts and badges highlight really was the last date/ available from the myspace! They’re pretty homecoming show in Plymouth. We played a sweet too.” great set, to a busy venue. It was Tim’s first Leaving dilemma and crisis behind, Dan flew gig in Plymouth with us and everything just into an expansive summary of just what fell into place”. Wishlist is all about. “Imagine a world where Dan picked up the story of great Wishlist live bands, instead of writing one song that moments too, “We’ve supported quite a few becomes their ‘trademark sound’, and playing great new bands, such as Architects and shows where they might as well just play Midasuno, but supporting Byzantine was their ‘hit’ over and over again, actually dared awesome, especially as they told us they’d to blend a multitude of musical stylings into rather tour with us than the bands they’d their repertoire, so that no one song or gig been lumbered with in the packaged tour ever seemed the same, and their recorded they were on… nothing like a bit of ego output was refreshing and dynamic and masturbation to brighten up your day… challenging, and a finely balanced blend of Either that, or on our 2007 tour literally aggression and melody… If that world playing to one man and his dog in appeals to you, then go check out Wishlist. Bournemouth, every band has to have a gig If you must insist on lazy genre classification like that to ‘ground’ them… stops any remote then I guess you could liken us to a semblance of ego making us too big for our ceaselessly inventive, alt-metal attack, that boots. Oh, the stark contrasts offered up by gets off on taking the more interesting the live music scene… musical styles to have emerged over the last three decades, and twisting them to suit our The first FUSE exposure to Wishlist’s caustic own nefarious purposes... yet majestic cauldron of sound was the aforementioned debut album, a record Dan is Matt was irritated by our request to define band in 2008. We did a two week tour last recent tour. “We decided to do a tour to especially proud of! Wishlist. “I hate this question! It’s the one Summer and for some of us that was the way promote our debut album, as we’d just finally thing no one ever agrees on! Reviewers “The most awesome debut album ever we should be taking the band, getting on the finished it, had the CD’s pressed, we made always call it something different from what recorded by an unsigned band! Entitled road as much as possible, playing in new some T-shirts and sorted out another band we the last guy did which I guess is a good ‘Failure Is Not An Option’, it sports more towns to new faces and pushing the band as could go with who had a driver and a van! thing… I dunno. It’s just down to the people inventiveness and variety than you could far as it will go. Certain members however, Then that band pulled out. Typical. We in the band not liking any of the same bands possibly imagine, all wrapped up in the most are letting life get in the way! They have weren’t sure about our singer at the time but still wanting to play together! I’m more deliciously dark artwork out there. And all for mortgages and partners.” Dan leapt to his though as he seemed to be getting better in into rock music, Dan’s mainly into death the unfathomably low price of £5… How can own defence at this point, “nope, for me it’s the studio but worse live! So we had a band metal stuff and Epps is just into whatever the anyone resist? We also had an EP ‘A Blot On all about my job demanding more and more meeting, which just basically involved 13 year olds are listening to this week, The Soundscape’, but it sold out in seconds. from me, I have a very understanding drinking a crate of Budweiser and a bottle of seriously, he’s currently into ‘30 Seconds to A hell of a lot of seconds admittedly, probably girlfriend who would like me to go on tour… Jaegermeister, and decided we knew Mars’ in a big way…” millions of them, but a unit of time or is she trying to get rid of me”. someone who would definitely give us what measurable in seconds none the less… There “We get likened to a really odd mixture of we’d always been missing. Wishlist has had a They have to put commitments before the was also an un-released EP, featuring a friend bands. I think its cool that people are listening few singers but we’d never really had a great band”, continued Matt. “So for them being of ours from another local band called so intently and thinking about it but why frontman. So we asked Tim Clarke to join, he in a band is about rehearsal once a week and Quarantine on vocals, of which one of the they’re so desperate to work out what bands also happened to know the van driver the a couple of local gigs a month. So we’re tracks features as a hidden bonus track at the it may or may not sound like I don’t know. other band had in mind so he was on board currently in the process of finding a new end of our album.” Normally they reel off a list of 5 or 6 bands too. We had three practices then played Tim’s drummer and possibly a new guitarist!” we sound like and half of them we’ve never debut gig at a venue in Exeter, then a week Not wishing to miss out on any promotional heard of. Put simply I’d say it’s a mix of Rock, This seems a crisis that has dogged the band or so later we set off around the Southwest. opportunity, Matt explained more. “You can Metal and Hardcore with progressive throughout the past few months. Matt Tim did a great job, despite our lack of get ‘Failure Is Not An Option’ from our leanings!” reminisced about the last date of their most rehearsals, and really made a difference to our “Our bassist Matt kind of defines our means that we’re swamped with young than a bronze statue of James Hetfield falling songwriting, continued Dan. “Cos if we dare bands, some admittedly extremely talented… down a mineshaft." Metal Hammer. – That’s to write anything that sounds like another however, it’s questionable whether they’ll why!” quoted Matt. “We’ve had some band, he gives us an F- and puts us in ‘stay the distance’, as what does a young kid smaller independent labels interested but to detention until we write something more know about writing music that’s lovingly be honest we haven’t really even started yet. worthy of inclusion in a ‘List song...” crafted to last when they’re brought up on You can’t sit around in your hometown the most disposal and commercial trash ever waiting for people to seek you out. There’s “Our influences are so varied, the sound of released onto the record buying (or should I thousands of other bands expecting that and me typing sounds like a great new rhythm to say record downloading) public? There should getting nowhere. We need to get out there write a riff on top of… Bands that don’t ‘do’ be an enforced apprenticeship period, and play as much as possible and make the standard ‘verse-chorus-verse-chorus- whereby these young bands aren’t allowed to people listen.” middle eight-chorus’ structures… We are play their music to anyone outside of kids of driven by all the crap bands we’ve ever heard, “I’m beginning to think that image is more their own age at a youth club, until they’ve and an all-consuming desire to not become important than music” sighed Dan. “If we either gotten bored of music and moved onto like them!” had some kind of ‘look’ then people would the next trend, or sufficiently honed their give the music more of a chance. You have to “I guess the songs are mainly inspired by a chops and songwriting abilities so as not to care about what the ‘Industry’ thinks, but not desire to keep everyone in the band happy!” offend my ears… “ to the point where you beat yourself up offered Matt diplomatically. “Being that none “Having said that, I’m pretty sure my parents constantly for not being ‘noticed’. After all we of us really like the same stuff you have to and their parents said the same thing about do this for the love of it, and the occasional keep skipping from style to style slightly to the kids of their generation… There also kind words and reviews (and interviews, such ensure everyone gets to be playing something seems to be a proliferation of Enter Shikari as this one) gives us a satisfaction that’s influenced by the genre they’re most style band wagon jumpers, merging hardcore unparalleled. Wishlist are looking to go on interested in. It’s great because each of us will and trance music, two musical styles that tour in a big way in 2008, after a successful be adding things to the songs that the others seem to appeal to completely different tour in 2007. Unfortunately, due to work and would never have thought of adding. Also it’s crowds… Not my kinda thing at all. Anyway, family commitments, not all of us will be able a desire to keep the band from sounding like 2008 for us it’s about tour, tour, tour and to take part in this to the extent that we other bands. You find with most music these record new stuff”. would like to. Therefore, we are looking for days that once a band has been successfully musicians to fill these two positions, who can pigeon holed if they stray from that at all Dan is at great pains to make sure the cope with life on the road and really make a people are on their backs about it straight Wishlist philosophy gets out there. We want go of the band.” away. So they end up releasing albums where everyone to believe that we’re not like other it’s like a different interpretation of the same bands. That we’re not trend hopping, image- “It’s sad that that’s what it comes down to’ song 11 or 12 times.” obsessed, demographic casualties or reflected Matt, “if we want to have a decent marketers wet dreams. That we don’t spend go at this we have to replace half the band… That’s got Dan started again now...“I think our time fellating other bands on the scene to I dunno, we’ll try and sort out a line-up to do we’re on the verge of a whole bunch of curry favour, and that we show respect to it, but if we can’t I guess we just keep Myspace bands exploding into the public eye, bands that deserve it. That we’re four honest, plugging away and make music for ourselves the way it has happened in America already hardworking (well, two of us anyway!) guys, and play local gigs. Seems a waste… but then with bands like Job For A Cowboy. Sadly, the who just want to write great music, and that I would say that!” number of ‘Friends’ you have and how many should be enough to impress anyone...” plays on your page doesn’t reflect a good “Tons of bands have had to do it, some band, just a band that spend too long sat at a Matt was equally adamant. “Just that music replace their entire lineup every time they computer. But these are the bands that the doesn’t have to be so dumbed down… record a new album. It’s not the end of the industry has an eye on and will get signed, as especially heavier music. People have said road, not by a long shot!” finished Dan they have the ‘right’ image and a ‘virtual’ fan we’re a ‘bands band’ and act like its kind of “People should love us because Wishlist loves ruefully. Let’s hope 2008 is the year Wishlist base. Also it seems as if anyone can get their over the heads of most people but I don’t the people, and it’s only fair that they extend emerge from the shadows. music out there these days, the comparatively agree at all. There’s nothing overly technical the same courtesy to us!” explained Dan. www.myspace.com/wishlistrock low cost of recording and equipment in what we’re doing there’s just a bit more compared to yesteryear, plus schools actively thought gone into it.” “Yeah, cos we’re more angular than a encouraging kids to take part in such activities textbook full of snooker shots and heavier

RUTHERFORDS hail from Nottingham way, bringing with them an eclectic blend of bubblegum punk-pop delivered with liberal doses of power-chords and broad grins, a kind of Ramones for the East Midlands... Tash Jones sets ‘em up with a Q&A to find out more.

Since you guys are from Nottingham, and I obviously don’t know a great deal about the scene up there, what’s it like – highs and lows? “Nottingham’s a great city, it’s got some great venues and we like living here. The punk scene here is pretty small for a city of its size, but it’s a cosy, friendly little group where everyone pitches in and supports each other. The style of music we play isn’t exactly flavour of the month and the majority of Nottingham venues tend to cater to the popular indie-rock that the students lap up. It can be tough to get a look-in but the few promoters/venues which have given us a chance have seen us go down really well.”

What venues do you play the most in, and why? “We play at the Victoria Inn in Derby all the time, it’s an absolute gem and Derby would be lost without it. We all grew up watching our favourite bands play there and then cut our teeth there ourselves when we started out in previous bands. Derby’s got a great music scene with lots of intimate little venues and really innovative and diverse bands. It’s always seemed to have this great creative relationship across the entire rock/alternative scene: the bands, promoters, venues, labels, studios and even the alternative shops in town all come together to make and promote great events. We always seem to be on the train to Derby rutherfords to watch something or other.” I’ll assume the band like comedy because of your ‘about the Rutherfolds’ section, would you ever incorporate that into your set? “Well, kind of. Our lyrical content isn’t exactly serious (‘She’s from outer space, fifteen earlobes hanging from her face’) but that’s about it. Even though the music we play is simple and light-hearted, we do want to be taken seriously for that music, so I doubt we’d ever do any joke songs or piss around on stage.”

What would you say to aspiring musicians from Nottingham, how would they go about possibly getting a gig with you, or just at a well-known venue? What’s the furthest North and South Anne and Derby’s own, the Atoms. Glyn had “As for getting a gig with us, we’re more than you’ve played? his first proper try at song writing and came happy to speak to people at gigs and if they “Getting to gigs is a serious issue with us at out with Rocket Ship which is still considered want us to check out their band by either the moment as only Glyn can drive and he by the band (and most of the fans) to be our handing us a demo, a myspace address or doesn’t have a car, so playing anywhere either best song to date.” anything like that then we’d definitely check far away or remote is riddled with problems. them out. We love meeting new bands and We’re very happy to jump on a train and play If you could hop on tour with any band helping out people who deserve it. Our somewhere far away, but it’s not always a (who are alive and gigging at present), general advice with getting gigs is that there’s viable option for us. Hence the furthest we’ve who would you choose? nothing like the personal touch. You really have been is the lovely town of Droitwich.” “That’s a seriously hard question! We’re lucky to get out there and talk to the bands, talk to enough to be playing a few gigs soon with the promoters. Don’t be afraid to promote How would you describe your music, one of our favourite bands, the Apers from your band, if you’re good enough and nice and what influenced you to make this Holland. They were one of the original enough you’re bound to be given a chance.” mix of music? influences when the Rutherfords first started “We play a mixture of late 70s/early 90s out. We’ve also got the possibility of a tour Finally, what do you hope for the band in punk rock and 50s bubblegum-pop/ coming up this summer with Darlington from the next 12 months! rock ‘n’ roll. the USA, which we’re all incredibly excited “We’re releasing our debut EP soon on about. In the end though, I think we’d all Knowhere Records, just putting the finishing The band started out from the breakup of the agree that above all we’d love to play with touches on the recording now. We’ve got the Dodgems who were a Derby-based melodic the Queers from New Hampshire. The material ready for an album too, so watch this hardcore band with Glyn and Greg on guitars. Rutherfords are named after their original space! Fingers crossed we’ll be touring the UK Glyn wanted to start up a new band doing a lead singer and he still joins them every once and Ireland with Darlington later this year, and different style from anything they’d been in a while. A while back he actually messaged finally, I think we’d really like to try and get a involved with before, the only rule was that it us saying he’d like to play with us sometime – couple of gigs over in Europe for a mini tour if still had to be fun music that we could play I think we’re still reeling from the shock! Just we can pull some money together in time.” aggressively. Glyn had been getting heavily need to scrape a few bob together for three into the Ramones at the time and was being www.myspace.com/rutherfordsband tickets to America and we’re sorted.” inspired by some great UK bands like Raggity fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

LES SAVY FAV – INCHES www.myspace.com/lessavyfav RECORD Brooklyn’s Les Savy Fav are pure inspiration. A real-time art-punk splicing of the very best in American music, driven deep underground by maniacal of the tendencies and aggressive, angular tunes that every band reading this MONTH wishes they wrote. The influence of albums well listened to are there for all to see, the experimentation of early Devo, a warmer Fugazi, the wilfullness of Pixies and the energy of Bad Brains, distilled, re-interpreted and made brand new again by creative minds. Now there’s an interesting thought... being creative with music rather than blindly following hollow leaders. Those smart enough to own a copy of last year’s seminal album, ‘Let’s Stay Friends’ will already know Les Savy Fav are the leaders. Those who want a way in look no further. Compiling all of the Les Savy Fav 7" singles that have been recorded over the last 5 years, ‘Inches’ features many songs that have been unavailable to even the most diehard fans and this 18 track compendium serves as the perfect introduction to Les Savy Fav as well as a much sought after piece by collectors. In total it features nine seven inch singles released on 8 different labels and a magazine covermount (Monitor, Cold Crush, Tiger Style, DeSoto, Self-Starter Foundation, Sub Pop, Suicide Squeeze, X-Mist and Chunklet Magazine.) But it gets better! Included in the initial pressing is a bonus limited edition DVD featuring videos, live footage, pictures and audio commentary featuring David Cross, Les Savy Fav, Fred Armisen and more. The band are fresh from a return to London in February for an appearance at the Astoria as part of the NME Awards Tour and their star is well in the ascendancy. Why? Easy, this is just one hell of a record. Right from the liquid synth intro of ‘Meet Me In The Dollar Bin’, the ideosyncratic American alt-punk genius of Les Savy Fav is firmly to the fore. The sonic experience of the Fav’s is like shaking a snake by the tail, wildly unpredictable in the sense that it may turn, bite and impart it’s venom at any time. Or it may just fix you with its glassy ‘I’m in control stare’. Les Savy Fav are an uneasy experience, glorious, euphoric guitars turn sharply at right angles into dexterous angry vocals. The opening guitar hook that heralds ‘We’ll Make A Lover Of You’ feels like its been borrowed by everyone from Hard-Fi to The Ripps and back again. As a result some songs have a familiar sound until you appreciate they pre-date their borrowers by several years. ‘The Sweat Descends’ is simply awesome and inspirational. An angular twitch through David Byrne via a Bad Brains rabble-rousing chorus. But that is Les Savy Fav, a stark, dangerous journey through the US underground. fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

OUR LAST NIGHT – THE ALPS – SOMETHING I THE GHOSTS AMONG US MIGHT REGRET www.myspace.com/ourlastnight www.planetofthealps.com Our Last Night, the New www.slicethepie.com Hamphire hardcore/screamo March 10 saw Greenwich band is approaching the band The Alps make music follow-up to their 2005 EP, STATE RADIO – history as the first band to ODD ZERO – ODD ZERO ‘Building Cities from Scratch’, www.myspace.com/oddzerony YEAR OF THE CROW release an album via www.myspace.com/stateradio with a refined sense of Slicethepie, a website which Odd Zero are an aggressive direction and skill. The group’s In a time where music is seen turns every music fan into a hard rockin’ bunch of punks new material perfectly blends as a way to sell cars or mobile record label. from New York, their intense enthralling cathartic melodies phones, State Radio scream and tight angular riffs with Released on the back of a year heavy duty sound has seen loud with a single-minded growls and brooding break- that has seen the band gain rave them become regulars in the mission to make people think downs, for one of 2008s most reviews for it’s live shows, US punk listings. for themselves again. ferocious new releases. including a Mighty Boosh a They can boast a clutch of East SOULAR – When once underground music JACKDAW4 – Our Last Night make for an after-show bash and heavy Coast gigs with US punk’s finest, LOVE CRASH HEAL provided voice for the subvert, BIPOLAR DIVERSIONS exhaustingly energetic explosion support from the likes of Steve including Backyard Babies and sparklepromotions.com/soular the disengaged and sparklepromotions.com/jackdaw4 of brooding US hardcore. It Lamacq and Zane Lowe, the Smithereens. Odd Zero look disenfranchised it is now Following airplay on more Two years after the critically builds from a groundswell of ‘Something I Might Regret’ is mean and sound mean, dangerously becoming a than 130 college radio stations acclaimed debut album lush soundscapes with a pin-sharp debut. definitely not to be messed with! corporate teenage tone of voice, in the US, Soular return with preaching conformism and ‘Gramophone Logic’, bloodpumping super-tight 11 cuts of uber-cool indie-pop Singer Mike Friedman is blessed “Love Crash Heal”, an mainstream commercialism. Jackdaw4 release their follow rifferama that effortlessly form which recalls the early street with a voice that grinds glass on ambitious, inspired collection With few exceptions, music has up, titled ‘Bipolar Diversions’. songs with the cross-over It’s a beautifully constructed muses of Hard-Fi and at times sight, wrapped in a ‘hope I die of melodic structures and lost its power to shock and immediacy of the UK’s own album, which combines vital the song-craft sensibilities of The before I get old’ attitude that is spacey sonic dins define promote radicalism. Enter Shikari bound tightly inside Jam, The Alps cut loose with a Soular’s distinct brand of energy with instantly swallowed whole by massive, State Radio are steadily memorable songs. near-death power-grunge. mature, exuberant, urban pop beefed up riffs. The Odd Zero atmospheric rock. returning the balance of power ‘The Ghost Among Us’ will sound that neatly balances deft, sound is almost unique to US ‘Love Crash Heal’ is a big album with a gritty fusion of rock, US ‘Bipolar Diversions’ is insane. It laughs in the face of super- quickly establish Our Last Night contagious melodies with an bands, all the punk sensibilities in every sense of the world. punk and reggae dance beats serious pop shoegazers and as genre heavyweights satisfying intelligent angst. of Bad Brains or Black Flag Huge spiralling sounds that hint underpinned with bitter smirks ironically at this year’s cross-genre moshers and neatly wrapped in the intuitive vignettes against the American The best bit is this album is at the darkness of 30 Seconds To pop darlings as they clutch adrenaline fuelled hardcore song-craft of American metal. Mars or the gravity-defying Empire. Aggressive diatribes completely fan-funded and against the crimes perpetuated desperately at pop’s coat-tails. fiends in equal measure. The off Oddly subtle are Odd Zero, soundscapes of Absolution- through Slicethepie, you can be at ‘Guantanamo’ or by ‘CIA’, kilter headrush of ‘Recovery’ inticing, melodic songs that draw esque Muse, but with an Jackdaw4 grin from ear to ear as part of the action too. As the State Radio are the voice of the with its disturbing timeshifts or you close, beat your brains out overdose of blissed out space they reel off hook after hook, advertising says, ‘Wish you’d put politically aware, who can dance which float effortlessly around the awesomely irresistable and break bones. Love new rock that drives straight at the a tenner on the Arctic Monkeys’ and party but who also want to 70’s pop kitsch, Blur style irony ‘Escape’ will crush all who dare solar plexus. well, put on The Alps instead. Punk, love Odd Zero. think as well. and even ELO style harmonies. stand in their way. fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

STAN – LOST FOR WORDS www.myspace.com/stanuk STAN are a pop/rock/jazz duo PAUL HAIG – from Hertfordshire, who play GO OUT TONIGHT in a variety of styles from www. rolinc.co.uk acoustic to full on rock. Their LAKI MERA – CLUTTER influences include classic Brit ELLE MILANO – ACRES OF Paul Haig is a legend. Why? www.myspace.com/lakimera bands across four decades, DEAD SPACE CADETS Because he is the former add to this a jazz influence, www.ellemilano.co.uk frontman of the legendary Laki Mera are a pan-European with a touch of Northern Soul, Elle Milano are not what you electro-punks Josef K, who sonic collective who fell to then you might have some expect. They are not a were one of those bands Earth in Glasgow three years idea of where STAN are seductive Latin songstress, destined to be largely ignored or so ago. coming from… neither are they a supermodel, by all but the enlightened few, Their combination of talents Describing themselves as nor are they a magazine. Elle but who have subsequently draws together a former punk ‘Internet-Café Jazz’, Stan (great Milano are a very fine three become retrospectively name!) build diverse sounds piece Brighton based band multi-instrumentalist from Rome MILLENCOLIN – acknowledged as being years around off-kilter West Coast formed at Uni a while back. in the guise of Andrea Gobi, the MACHINE 15 ahead of their time. They’ve ID GUINNESS – CURE FOR rock, Zappa-esque jazz breaks angel voiced Laura Donnelly and They are also very, very good, www.myspace.com/millencolin even got covered by Klaxons! THE COMMON CRUSH the diverse backgrounds of Kier and even rap vocals sometimes. probably far too smart for the Millencolin are in themselves a Buoyed by the success of last sparklepromotions.com/idguinness Stan songs deal in dark, cohesive kind of dumbed down radio Long, Tim Harbinson and Trevor contradiction, a Swedish punk year’s excellent album ‘Electronic themes of obsession, friendly indie the world seems to Helliwell. Together they make Id (rhymes with Syd) is a rock band! But they’ve shifted Audience’ Paul himself went into compulsion, addiction, love and want to be spoonfed right now. electronica from the top drawer. Canadian deep-thinking two million records and played loss and over the past three This album, which features the creative overdrive franticly troubadour who somehow with Foo Fighters, QOTSA and Lush, almost cinematically visual years they have attained cult new single ‘Meanwhile in creating its follow-up ‘Go Out makes the sounds of his life Blink 182. soundscapes build from spaced- status on several internet sites. Hollywood’, has a glorious one Tonight’. The album explores the fuse together and work. out synths and carefully band, one room live feel to it. ‘Machine 15’ probably owes idea that simple actions can On the face of it, Stan should controlled percussion into The big, intense production of You know, the sound that Pixies more to the US brand of have dire consequences and is not really work. Their strangely got with ‘Surfer Rosa’ or Nirvana modern punk than the spikier, spectacular ambient audio bliss. 70s Pink Floyd, Roxy Music and eclectic pot of sounds, on paper, laced with Big Brother style irony with ‘In Utero’. Not that they politically charged Euro David Bowie are invigorated by belongs in the dark corners of (that’s 1984 not Channel 4!), The album’s 11 masterpieces are sound alike, Elle Milano are very predecessors, but it’s crammed new wave invention and melded real ale pubs. In reality their dislocation and shadowy served ice cold, and gently English, and their particular live with floor-filling, flailing with white hot Asian and heady brew of internet friendly underworlds. Musically, it treads melted by Laura’s spine-tingling sound was achieved in a Kent anthems, big on harmony and Eastern instrumental styles. modern takes on classic themes vocals. Stunning, ambient cottage! Their tales of confusion, contagious tunes. angular, jerky electronic is strangely engaging. Add some electronica conjures shapes and Id’s songs are wide-open disgust and sarcasm draw from pathways that stand back and brooding Hammond organ and Each song, including the recent textures occasionally hinted at anthems, deftly layered and the heritage of British music and watch what happens when the result is uplifting music you’d finishes up as a kind of Suede single ‘Detox’ is crisply punched slashing new wave guitars meet by Zero 7 but not fully heard textured over bitter-sweet out in a kind of Beach Boys love to accidentally find being for 2008. bubbling techno synths. and appreciated since latter day lyricism, the soundscapes evoke played live in a week night bar meets Ramones meets recent Eno or ambient Japanese god, images of travel to the Earth’s when you want to chill out Superbly angular, rewired indie Foo Fighters way – heavy-duty The result? A creative genre- Ryuichi Sakamoto. darkest corners, and beyond. rather than party. pop for a smarter generation. rock-hard punk-pop. defining genius at his best. fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

TWISTED WINGS – A NATION’S TWISTED WINGS www. twistedwings.tk V0iD – BALLADS FOR CABARET RAT – Astonishingly, Gloucester BEAUTIES AND BEASTS FIGHTING WITH WIRE – SCARING LITTLE ALBERT based intelligent metallists www.myspace.com/voidwale MAN VS MONSTER www.cabaretrat.com Twisted Wings are on their myspace.com/fightingwithwire Cabaret Rat is Matt Prosac, third self-financed album, V0iD are a young indie-rock who grew up against a available form their website or act from Swansea who have Three lads from Derry City backdrop of freezing beaches, out of a box at a gig near you. enjoyed the input of Manic release their debut album with closed fun-fairs and fights on Street Preachers’ producers as maximum strength songs Across that three album the North West coast. His they look to set the world which build bridges between timespace, the Wings have bitterness was further ablaze with their debut album. Husker Dü and Foo Fighters. matured musically from a raw, developed listening to The NIZLOPI – It’s a classic story. A would-be heavy metal band to a more This collection of swooning, Cramps and Pop Will Eat Itself. MAKE IT HAPPEN band with a hunger to play very diverse, deeper sound. Still dizzying, grand scale stadium www.myspace.com/nizlopi heavy and hard as hell but with ROADRUNNER – loud music to as many people His ceaselessly gigging one man indie marks out a band ready to Despite releasing the 'JCB a more accomplished, complex ROADRUNNER: THE ALBUM who will listen. So they wrote a band has existed for three years take up the rock n roll challenge. Song’ once, Nizlopi are an sound filled with intricate myspace.com/roadrunneronline load of loud songs and packed and refined itself (if that’s the Their gigs are populated by in inspiration to new bands them into the back of a van with right word) into a sound buried passages and time changes. equal measure by zealous Roadrunner are young, very deep in the mire of American everywhere, genuine some big amps and hit the road. I guess musical parallels are there teenagers, wide-eyed girls and young. Average age 18 in fact. sleaze and industrial new wave independent success in a to be drawn with say Muse, but die-hard hairy rockers. ‘Ballads So what? The so what is that The latest chapter in the Fighting pop. The kind of bubblegum corporate, volatile industry. Twisted Wings are far more than for Beauties and Beasts’ is they play rock n roll as it is With Wire story is taking those pop that you’d find stuck to the Nizlopi are also a genuine live Muse-alikes. In truth their therefore an apt title for a record meant to be. Classic. songs, honed, refined and bottom of your shoe after a act, not a studio production at as far as V0iD are concerned. sharpened to a razor’s edge, burgeoning brand of crafted- Tight jeans, long hair and an seafront stroll. that is at the heart of this into the studio and turning them album’s songs. A satisfying metal hammers anvils halfway The album features the recent abnormally large collection of into ‘Man Vs Monster’ a Matt loves his pop, and his blend of easy vox, beatboxing, between the textured complexity single ‘Turn Away’ which has mid-70s Stones, Bad Company ferocious, explosive record. natural cynicism means his goal double bass and acoustic guitar of Muse or even Rush and the burned ears via many a radio and Free records are the staring in life is to deliver a number one makes for the kind of band that later years of Iron Maiden. station recently. Essentially, V0iD points for Roadrunner. Good, But it’s not just about kicking up hit that will drive you mad. would gather crowds and stop Yet the Wings retain a calm do massive songs in the mould of honest rock n roll from a time a monster racket. There’s a There is little doubt Cabaret Rat you dead if you heard them fellow Welshers Stereophonics, or when it was fuelled by Jack finesse and craftsmanship about is an acquired taste. Half of you busking in your High Street. In delicacy evidenced by the multi- the Manics at their most uplifting Daniels and blood, sweat and their songs which reveals a band will fall at his feet proclaiming a fact, their multi-cultural, message layered title track, the brooding with a Feeder-esque ear for an tears. It stands up very well and who’ve played hard enough and new musical messiah, the other hungry tunes are probably at ‘Digital Winter’ or the incredibly anthem. Polished, top quality lies easily next to new retro-ists often enough to know what half will walk from his gigs their best in that environment or dexterous intro to ‘Lucifer heritage rock with an engaging like Jet and Rooster. Let the they want from their sound... spitting his bubblegum back in late at night playing ad-hoc in a Effect’. As each year passes indie charm. good times roll. absolute dynamite. his face. Your choice! Festival field somewhere. Twisted Wings grow stronger. fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

MOBY – ALICE MILLION POUND GIVEAWAY LES SAVY FAV – PATTY LEE THE BRIGANTIES – THE GIRL THE PRETTY YOUNG THINGS THE HOUSEWIVES – www.moby.com – 3 PINTS FROM HAPPY www.myspace.com/lessavyfav HEAVEN SOLD TO THE WORLD – EYES GETAWAY www.sparklepromotions.com/ www.thebriganties.com www.theprettyyoungthings.co.uk myspace.com/hellohousewives The ever creative NY electro- One of the stand-out tracks for millionpoundgiveaway guru returns with a new single the awesomely good ‘Let’s Stay The Briganties are one of those Easy to dismiss as yet more The Housewives got together featuring the dual talents of Four lads with an abundance of Friends’ album, ‘Patty Lee’ is a bands who created an instant pretty boys with guitars, The late in 2006 to make hip- Nigerian hip-hop band 419 talent, a love of 60s music and signature slice of quirk-pop from buzz from the start. Record Pretty Young Things are in fact a swerving dancefloor indie. They Squad and the vocal dexterity of their won radio show. When the Brooklyn art-punks. All the labels literally raced around taut ball of controlled noise who like geometric haircuts, very lo-fi super-fast Aynzli. you put that lot together you ingredients are there, squealing Camden Town to win the right play hard and gig hard. A dark, pop music and have played with get a Million Pound Giveaway. guitars, a punky chorus and left- to sign them. ‘The Girl Who full-fuzz growl lies beneath the Young Knives and Belle and Darker and heavier than usual Their new five-track EP brims of-centre vocals. There’s also Sold Heaven To The World’ is a surface of each song, snarling, Sebastian. As you’d expect they Moby, with signature over with energy and bristles strange wildwest/hispanic core rollocking great rock n roll slow biting and menacing. Rabbles make very good songs too – explorations of world sounds, with wry lyrics and sharp, spiky to this song which recalls Pixies. burner, just huge. everywhere will be roused! twisted stylophone vignettes. it’s a mammoth hip-hop groove. Brit-pop guitars.

KUNG FU – CHEAP DISGUISE JAMES SEVERY – THE 7:21S – DISCO CHAPTERXIII – VALENTINE ISOSCELES – KITSCH BITCH BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – myspace.com/themightykungfu AT THE CIRCUS CIRCUS www.myspace.com/the721s myspace.com/chapterxiii www.myspace.com/voidwale HEARTS BURST INTO FIRE myspace.com/jamessevery Fresh from a sell-out support at The high-energy 7:21s delivery Largely hailing from Bristol, Triangular music for triangular The Bullets are flying fast. Their Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s A morning job on the London full-on post-punk power pop Chapterxiii make super-sized people. This type of exceptional final destination is to be the with The Enemy, Kung Fu Underground gave James Severy with verve and vigour. They’ve muscular rock songs that have art-pop can only come out of biggest metal act in the world, release a self-funded single. whole afternoons to make played gigs with Editors and earned them support slots with Glasgow and its usually on the as a result their edges are a little ‘Cheap Disguise’ is a ballsy, songs. Calling on Tom Waits, done Channel 4 TV too. ‘Disco’ The Stranglers, Diamond Head Art Goes Pop label. A fabulous smoother, their sound more choppy indie-rocker well-suited Dizzee Rascal and Hunter S is their latest single, as sassy a and Great White. ‘Valentine’ is trip through off-beat pop that polished. The latest single from to an Enemy support gig. Pace, Thompson, this boy isn’t afraid chunk of power-assed pop as an almighty track, building from recalls illicit late nights with a the mega ‘Scream Aim Fire’ passion and assured delivery to go right to the edge. James you’ll hear. Hear feet pound a church organ into a riffed-up, transistor radio, the lo-fi world of album is a surefire, radio- belies the band’s comedy Severy is a disconnected dance- deep into floors to the sound of powerful rock song, that Benny Profane and The Cardiacs friendly stadium filler. The history! Nice and sharp. floor troubadour. the ‘Disco’. Hot one this. bellows majestically to be heard. is safe with Isosceles, thank god. course is set enjoy the ride. fusedisks and downloads www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

LEVELLERS – IDA MARIA– STELLA SAFE 2 SAY – LIKE IT OR NOT SIXPEOPLEAWAY – COBWEBS – PRIESTESS – BLOOD A LIFE LESS ORDINARY www.myspace.com/idamaria www.safe2saymusic.com INTERMITTENT FAULT EP I’M YOUR DISEASE myspace.com/priestessband www.myspace.com/levellers www.sixpeopleaway.co.uk myspace.com/cobwebsinmymind The Norwegian nihilist is back Safe 2 Say are a Scots rock band Canada’s finest hard rockers Now in their 20th year, the with a new single telling the who are about to celebrate their Sixpeopleaway are an angular Sheffield based hard-rockers stormed the UK last Summer at Summer still looks as busy for story of God giving the world first anniversary of gigging. acoustic and vocal duo built Cobwebs and cast from shiny Download and on the Levellers with every festival away in exchange for a night Their self-promoted demo single around digital beats and sounds. steel, honed to a point and Megadeth tour. Some of you under the solstice due a visit. with a 43 year old NY hooker. features a band in the raw, but Their music is precision ready to do business. Their will have heard them on many a The new single is from their Ida makes dirty, seedy noise a one that’s driven by pure Celtic engineered, super-honest immense, dark rock sound video game too. Their new new album ‘Letters From The kind of garage-Strokes/PJ energy. Their developing sound acoustic charm flavoured with recalls latter-day Cult, The single stonks big time. A great Underground’ due soon, and as Harvey hybrid that fizzes and is a diverse kind of indie-rock clattering clip-beats, Scotland Mission or Sisters of Mercy bear of a track, jaunty yet dark, always features the band’s grunges through mean, dark that’s tastefully discordant and and heartfelt emotion. Their star watered down by Velvet understated yet hard as nails. brand of breathless folk-punk. drunken streets. Way cool. with a stylish verve. is flying higher and higher. Revolver’s Jack Daniels! A real fuzz-fest. Still sound great though!

COHEED & CAMBRIA – THE HUMANITY – VESPERTINE – RED FROM PLAN TO PROGRESS – THE OTHERS – PROBATE GALLOWS – JUST BECAUSE FEATHERS BASSLINEAR myspace.com/vespertineband A LOOK OVER www.myspace.com/theothers YOU SLEEP NEXT TO ME www.coheedandcambria.com myspace.com/thehumanity myspace.com/fromplantoprogress DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE SAFE The alternative rockers from The Others veer between The New York prog rockers According to the band ‘Bass Bristol are back in FUSE with Everything about bright young creatively wilful and self- Another single lifted from the follow up their US Top Ten Linear’ is the soundtrack to a their latest release ‘Red’. UK punks From Plan To Progress destructive. Their desire to do it monster selling ‘Orchestra of placing with a special UK release cultural recession, messaging a Vespertine are deeply intense, is delivered double quick. Super- their way has no doubt cost Wolves’ album. Gallows are set generation who have fast songs, a van that gets the featuring 10 live versions of the their music is volcanic in the them the recognition they to hit the airwaves with a huge remortgaged their souls amid band to twice the gigs of any song recording at each venue sense that large parts of their deserve. In typical Others slab of hardcore-punk, complete the credit-ability crunch. other band and a debut album on their Kerrang! tour. ‘Feathers’ songs rumble and brood fashion their gloomy, bleak but with guitar slides and Exploited According to FUSE it’s yet that lasted less than 8 minutes! is a new band anthem following underground and unseen only epic single ‘Probate’ is 9 minutes vocals. Aggression and another prize, lo-fi arty piece of A bright young band playing their especially incendiary show let rip fire and damnation when long. Lovely to see them back bitterness are buzzwords for in Southampton. inventiveness from the Happy you least expect it. Molten! melodic, provocative punk to still fighting the good fight. Release label. Seriously good. bright young audiences. Gallows, this is no exception. fusedisks and downloads

A BAND CALLED QUINN – DIY EP bIRdbATH – myspace.com/abandcalledquinn AND THEN www.myspace.com/birdbath A Band Called Quinn released their DIY EP recently on bIRdbATH are from Bristol, Tromolo Records. Available well known as an underground through i-tunes and all good creative hotbed, being the digital distributors. home of Portishead, Massive Attack, and more recently The video for their latest Trumans Water and this lot. release DIY is inspired by Fresh from a recent airing on Blade Runner, Metropolis and Last FM, bIRdbATH are out and em, Weird Science! Find it on V0iD – TURN AWAY about with a new album ...’and YouTube it’s a lot of fun. www.myspace.com/voidwale Then’ available from their MySpace and Ingue Records. Glasgow based A Band Called Welsh indie-rock trio V0iD are Quinn are super-cool in every Right from the opening track making plenty of noise, Turn ‘Silence is the new Heavy sense of the word. Fronted by Away comes from their newly Metal’, their quirky, jerky brand the ice-maiden Louise Quinn released album ‘Ballads of of uncompromising indie-art whose shimmering, glacier-like Beauties and Beasts’. rock wriggles and slithers into vocals will shiver the spines of In classic rock trio tradition V0iD life. Heavy on doomy basslines anyone still living. Their music is make a far bigger noise than and glittering off-tune guitars an aural ice sculpture, which could reasonably expected. ‘Turn bIRdbATH play to challenge slowly melts before your ears. Away’ is a huge song in the No radio friendly, off-the-peg Lead track ‘DIY’ in both it’s Stereophonics/Manics tradition. indie anthems here, and that’s forms is a twisted electro-funky An understated stadium rocker good news. Instead the nine floor-filler by any standards. with humming, shimmering tracks slash and slide through ‘Hey Chi Chi!’ is a off-kilter guitars to rock the rockers and countless meandering twists and guitar song built around a pop the poppers equally. V0iD turns with Ian Curtis-esque painfully danceable riff. In fact are destined to shudder the vocals and choruses kept in very the whole band wonky-cabaret foundations of big venues with short supply. Needs patience this style is joyous to hear. Cool, their big sound. Close your eyes one, but several listens will be funky and very unexpected. and jump! rewarded handsomely. fuseout on the town www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

YOUNG KNIVES / JOHNNY FOREIGNER GUILDHALL, GLOUCESTER Everyone’s new favourite geeks, Young Knives breezed into town with Johnny Foreigner in tow as part of their ‘Off The Beaten Track’ tour, which preceded the release of sparkling new ART BRUT / A. HUMAN of a very unpleasant Hell’s Angels incident at a album ‘Superabundance’ by a few days. GUILDHALL, GLOUCESTER Rolling Stones gig in 1969). Johnny Foreigner are a raucous new band from Eddie Argos arrived onto the Guildhall stage in a Art Brut delivered a very tight set punctuated with Birmingham, the enlightened Gloucester crowd will slightly over-stretched brown suit and tie and witty banter, their sound is a kind Fall-style wonky- have heard the name via NME is recent times. They rather endearingly declared that every item of guitar thing liberally sprinkled with ascerbic wit and played loud and jumped up and down plenty, but clothing he was wearing, he’d bought in Eddie Argos was very keen on the idea of taking his the main question they posed was this. What is it Gloucester the previous day. The Guildhall banter into the crowd on as many occasions as he about girls and basses? Name any boisterous indie- With the new album waiting in a van outside the crowd was his for the taking... could make possible. esque band with a female content and odds on shops, a rammed Guildhall was treated to the she’ll be throwing and oversized bass around. Was singles ‘Terra Firma’ and ‘Up All Night’. The on- The extremely obtuse and wantonly ‘difficult’ Art Brut breezed through ‘Post Soothing Out’, ‘My Kim Deal that great a role model? Who knows, stage repartee particularly between Henry and The A. Human opened up with their shape-shifting Little Brother’ and ‘Lesson Learnt’ among many answers on a postcard please. House of Lords was very funny and worthy of any electronic indie racket, the new single ‘Blue Moon’ other minor classics, never giving less than 110% to comedy club was warmly received, even a highly suspect cover the rock n roll cause. Oxford art-rockers Young Knives took the stage looking every inch like doctors in casual clothes, It is fair to say that new Young Knives numbers are version of America’s ‘Horse with no Name’ in their What Art Brut do, slightly leftfield art-rock, they do knitted ties, striped shirts and dodgy cord trouser in a little more polished and have lost a little of their repertoire only heightens their interest factor. extremely well and with boundless enthusiasm. superabundance. A rousing rendition of ‘She’s earlier charm, drawing them closer to their radio- And so came Art Brut for what can be best Despite the blood on the Guildhall’s sprung floor, Attracted To’ kick started the night and heralded all friendly contemporaries, but why not. All bands described as a true rock n roll night at the Guildhall, the finale was particularly strong with a really wild your favourites from the very fabulous ‘Voices of need evolution not replication to grow. The night blood was spilt with a bone-fide punch-up during a version of ‘Formed a Band’, which took place Animals and Men’ album. Oh yes, they were all closed for the baying crowd with an unexpected lively sprint through ‘Emily Kane’. completely on the dance floor, Argos nominating there... ‘Coastguard’, ‘Loughborough Suicide’, take on Adam & The Ants ‘Stand and Deliver’ and members of the audience to form bands with each ‘Tremblings of Trails’ and an exceptional reworking a very special ‘The Decision’. Yes Henry, you are the “Gloucester!” called a clearly bemused Argos from other. Art Brut’s interaction will serve them well... of ‘Weekends and Bleak Days’ (Hot Summer). Prince of Wales! the stage, “Twinned with Altamont…” (the scene fuseout on the town www.myspace.com/fuseweb• [email protected]

IMPERIAL VIPERS/MELAMAKI/SCREAMING 88s 2 PIGS, CHELTENHAM The first gig in ages for Imperial Vipers saw a return to one of their favourite venues, described by singer Ash as “one of the best venues and gig hosts in the UK”, praise indeed for Cheltenham’s very wonderful 2 Pigs. Melamaki got things started with a set filled with flailing hair, monster Sabbath style riffs. Songs such as ‘Sippin’ Whisky’ were delivered with twin lead UNDERSIDE / THE NEW SOCIALS/ ECHOES / In contrast Echoes were pure pop, a huge and very guitars, loads of overdrive and a certain familiarity. SCENE OF MY DEMISE young crowd gathered to watch them romp Riffs you grew up with? 2 PIGS, CHELTENHAM through a strong set of indie-Busted / Wombats The tight, whirlwind ball of energy that is Another top live night organised by fuelled crowd pleasures. Their infectious Screaming 88s took the stage next hammering exuberance ran through the crowd like static through their punchy, ball-busting rock n roll with Gloucestershire promoter Kiss My Face, this time electricity as the roof came off the Pigs. energy and proficiency. ‘Will To Live’ and “White a battle of the bands with a prized slot at Light’ drove the crowd to fever pitch. Wychwood festival for the winner. Where Echoes yelped and bopped, Scene Of My Such a shame that things were so much calmer Underside opened up with a razor-edged set of Demise roared and thrashed. We’ve seen them when it was Vipers time. Ash imploring the crowd power-pop tunes and equally sharp Fred Perry’s. before and each time they get tighter, harder and to party as it’s Friday. Don’t know why it got so A strong set of lungs on the singer and some very darker. A grunge-drenched hardcore thrash through low-key, Imperial Vipers were tight enough and tight Manics/Hard-Fi/Only Ones style crowd Deftones territory brought the Pigs to it’s knees. persuasive enough. Treats from the first album ‘Searching:Falling:Silence’ like the anthemic pleasers like ‘Take This Time’ warmed up the Pigs The ever awesome ‘Mute Point’ shook the ‘Mercury Rising’ and the awesome punky rabble- very nicely. foundations, moshing and beer-spilling a go go! rouser ‘Kick A Hole’ punctuated the sharp sounding The New Socials were equally as good, bringing Matt’s frenetic vocal style, and the gear-shifting new songs like ‘I’ll Guess’, ‘Check This’ and with them their stylish take on raw early Bloc Party hard as nails guitars lifted plaster from the walls as ‘Another Suicide’. The Vipers are always a hot live act, just sometimes people don’t appreciate them indie. It was raucous set, with people clambering the boys thrashed through ‘Signals’ and ‘Worst enough for it... the short distance to the Pigs stage and partying. Happens’. Frighteningly fierce... www.myspace.com/fuseweb

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