Manic Street Preachers - Monday 23rd Sept, Colston Hall

“Overweight and out of date” sings 44 year old Manics frontman James Dean Bradfield on a rare performance of ‘Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier’ as the Blackwood trio roll into town in support of 11^th album ‘Rewind The Film.’  Whilst the band may be carrying a few extra pounds from the heady Britpop days, they still have an adoring army of fans and positive reviews of the new release (an assured address to middle-age) seem to be pointing towards yet another resurgence.

The spectre of enigmatic guitarist Richey Edwards still looms large over every performance as the band fondly recount anecdotes of early gigs and the wild escapades of their disappeared/departed (you decide) former fourth member.  As the bands newer material is culpable of sliding into the Radio 2 friendly territory that bassist Nicky Wire lambasts of other bands weekly in NME one wonders what Edwards would make of the ‘no electric guitars’ policy on the latest record.  Thankfully it won’t be long though for fans of the early edgier albums to ride it out as the anticipation of next years rumoured ‘punk’ album sates the appetite for a more energetic approach.

Tonight’s gig begins with some real class and a ferocious ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’ showcases Bradfield’s sumptuous guitar licks that surprises everyone as an opening choice.  The offbeat, moody ‘Ready For Drowning’ follows and couldn’t be more of an antithesis, Bradfield’s glorious vocals shine in what now feels like an underrated album track.  Wire, looks typically garish in red trousers on the right but he ought to be wearing a striped black and white t-shirt and balaclava for his shameless theft of the Neighbours theme tune on latest hit ‘Show Me The Wonder.’  With honking gorgonzola trumpet buffoonery and sickly MoR chorus isn’t the groups finest hour and the crowd are largely inanimate, pining for the next Bradfield guitar solo.  Fortunately the understated melancholy of ‘4 Lonely Roads’ redeems well as silky-voiced welsh starlet Cate Le Bon joins them onstage.  There’s no Richard Hawley for the new album’s title-track and the frontman struggles with the Sheffield crooners depth on a track where clumsy lyrics threaten to spoil.  

‘You Love Us’ is humorously dedicated to the Bierkeller who made the band pay £100 to perform in their formative days.  With a heavily drenched brown jacket, Bradfield holds the stage unaccompanied for a mezmerising solo of ‘The Everlasting’ which follows dull as dishwater newbies ‘This Sullen Welsh Heart’ and ‘(I Miss The) Tokyo Skyline.’  Powerful political assault on the middle classes ’30-Year War’ is the pick of the new tracks showing that Wire hasn’t lost any of his biting lefty wit.  Finishing with glorious punk (‘Motown Punk’) and the colossal Design For Life’ we’re reminded of the true qualities of a band fighting the tides of time but still with the power to unite embracing strangers and fully wrench the guts.  It’s a hit packed set and for the most part one of impressive variety, above all though it’s one that proves the undying appeal of a band that will surely go down as one of the most important of the last 20 years.

Kindly published by Venue:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-m/21139-manic-street-preachers

Best Track: Click on link below
Manic Street Preachers - 'Motown Junk'

Setlist:

1. Motorcycle Emptiness 
2. Ready for Drowning 
3. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough 
4. Show Me the Wonder 
5. Anthem for a Lost Cause 
6. (It's Not War) Just the End of Love 
7. You Stole the Sun From My Heart 
8. 4 Lonely Roads (with Cate Le Bon)
9. Rewind the Film 
10. You Love Us 
11. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next 
12. This Sullen Welsh Heart 
13. (I Miss the) Tokyo Skyline 
14. The Everlasting 
15. Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier 
16. Revol 
17. Tsunami 
18. Sleepflower (Snippet)
19. 30-Year War 
20. Kevin Carter 
21. Motown Junk 
22. A Design for Life 

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Babyshambles - O2 Academy, Wednesday 11th September

Nobody divides public opinion quite like Pete Doherty.  Adoring Libertines fans have long since placed him on a stratospheric pedestal as a tortured genius, some sort of modern day prophet/poet, misunderstood and afflicted.  And to the non-believers he will always be a cautionary tale; a disgusting mess perhaps culpable for the tragic demise of national treasure Amy Winehouse.  Whichever camp you sit in there’s no denying that the unpredictable frontman is pure box office and from the early soundcheck adorned in just a towel and turban, the entertainment factor is never in doubt. 

 

 

It’s been a busy year for the eccentric ringmaster, still legally exiled from living in a London postcode Pete has enjoyed a bohemian renaissance with new room-mate Macauley Culkin in Paris where recent mischief has seen him banned from French trains for thieving uniforms.  After his underwhelming solo debut Babyshambles are back together for third album ‘Sequel To The Prequel’ –another new lineup and one feels, a final chance to reward their label’s patience.  With customary tardiness, Doherty takes to the stage in a sharp suit flanked by elder statesman guitarist Mick Whitnall and lively bassist Drew McConnell.  It’s a decent first half an hour which kicks off with Kinks influenced ‘Delivery’ followed by impressive new single ‘Nothing Comes To Nothing’ prompting some heavy showers of beer in the pit.

 

Doherty sheds his jacket to reveal an ill-fitting white shirt, in truth he looks awkward and anxious without a guitar, wafting his microphone around like a sozzled Ian Brown.  No longer the firebrand of ten years ago for sure but the mixed crowd of smashed hipsters and less animated voyeurs are at least treated to some reasonably tight work on new tracks ‘Farmer’s Daughter’ and lyrically amusing ‘Penguins.’  Then, a turning point.  Potty Pete puts down two pints to the crowd’s delight and accidentally switches his microphone off.  Further shrieking sound issues result in a stand being hurled into the crowd and the tottering singer swings the mic round repeatedly scraping the floor.  The band are now ragged throughout ‘Fuck Forever’, all eyes on the stricken frontman, his vocals reduced to incoherent mumbling.  Taking a trip on the stage he’s unceremoniously dragged to his feet and the group exit the stage. 

“Can anyone play drums?” –they’re back on minus drummer Jamie Morrison and Drew McConnell.  A reluctant roadie is drafted in and the remaining crew stand left of stage mouths aghast at what follows.  Playing the first thing that pops into his head and abandoning it almost as quickly Doherty covers in part, ‘Ask’ (Smiths), ‘Waterfall’ (Stone Roses) and ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ replacing the former for crack cocaine.  Stumbling around the stage he smashes the drumkit with the mic and grabs a trilby from the audience concluding that “If only you’d have given me the hat at the beginning everything would have turned out fine.”  More nonsense ensues before the venue cut the sound and Doherty collapses to be dragged off by hands and feet by the long-suffering crew.  Quoted as saying recently “I’ll need to cut my hand off to beat crack” it may well be too late for him to save his legacy, whether you consider tonight as horrific or triumphantly crazy, it’s one to remember.

Best track: Click on link below
Babyshambles - 'Albion'


Setlist: Coming Soon

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - 02 Academy, Bristol, Tuesday 27th August

It’s been an eventful 3 years for San Francisco gloom-rock trio BRMC since they last brought their dry ice fuelled glorious scuzzy wall of sound to Bristol.  A band so loud that one of their gigs was cancelled due to fears that the floor would collapse has had to overcome the backstage death of sound engineer/father of bassist Robert Levon Been as well as a curious combination of commercial decline yet critical and creative rejuvenation.  Often typecast as difficult and painfully introverted the band has rebutted lucrative corporate endorsements and stone-walled interviewers throughout their 15 year career.  Live though they’re a committed and powerful force as they mix up a two hour set of fuzzy garage rock, black-hearted blues and beer-spraying apocalyptic punk.  The opening half hour is a breakneck rock assault which can’t possibly be maintained.  From the moody funk of ‘Hate The Taste’ through neon-acoustic piledriver ‘Beat The Devil’s Tattoo’ the crowd fervently jostle and a vociferous pit forms. 

 

Guitarist Pete Hayes, all sideburns and oily hair looks like a bad-ass biker on the right sharing vocal duties between lighting up.  Early track ‘Ain’t No Easy Way’ has him at his snarling best on a retro barnstormer that would sit well on a Young Guns soundtrack.  Alongside him Robert Levon Been with Morrissey coiffeur and black leather jacket strums a battered hollow bass giving the band their trademark aggressive bone-shakingly distorted boom sound; later track ‘Stop’ proving his best moment as the place goes berserk.  What follows though is a lengthy mid-set lull as ill-advised acoustic turns from Robert then Pete are drowned out by audience chatter.  ‘Lullaby’ seems to take an age to get going due to perfectionist loop pedal tinkering but they pull it off in what is the closest to a heartfelt ballad as BRMC offer.

‘Specter At The Feast,’ their seventh studio album was a largely cathartic project for Been and his father’s biggest hit whilst with The Call; ‘Let The Day Begin’ is a suitably raucous but poignant cover that is widely appreciated.  Also on new brooding ethereal anthem ‘Returning’ Been again pays tribute as the event still clearly weighs heavy on his mind “I will follow you till we all return, till we know our souls survived.”  Behind the noisy boys ex-Raveonettes and relatively newbie drummer Leah Shapiro keeps a steady beat impressing in particular on the ferocious ‘Rival’ with some military spattering and handy fills. 

Thunderous anthems ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll’ and ‘Spread Your Love’ incite some cheeky crowdsurfing much to the anger of heavy-handed security bulldogs who quickly bundle them out.  Ending with ‘Sell It’ we’re reminded of what the band does best.  It’s dark, dirty and bordering on evil in places as blood-curdling bass and wild early Verve guitar thrashing make it a moody enjoyable mess with Hayes screaming “Get it, I got it on the run, sell it.”  Its top stuff and a ballsy way to end for an overlooked rock band still going strong where their peers have long since burned out.

Kindly published by Venue:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-b/21035-black-rebel-motorcycle-club

Best Track: Click On Link Below
BRMC - 'Stop'

Setlist:

1. Hate The Taste
2. Beat The Devil's Tattoo
3. Let The Day Begin
4. Rival
5. Ain't No Easy Way
6. Berlin
7. Screaming Gun
8. Returning
9. Conscience Killer
10. Shade Of Blue
11. Weight Of The World
12. Stop
13. Funny Games
14. The Line (Robert acoustic)
15. Some Kind Of Ghost (Peter acoustic)
16. Fire Walker
17. Lullaby
18. Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll
19. Spread Your Love
20. Six Barrel Shotgun
21. Sell It

Albums available here: