Live: Spacey Jane at Brudenell Social Club

Roxanna Zoughi on 20 April 2022

The electric and lively show Spacey Jane delivered at the Brudenell was introduced with a prelude from the band’s supporting act, singer-songwriter Morgan Harper-Jones, who performed with just a guitar and her voice. The 23-year-old dazzled the crowd with a series of slow-paced yet vivacious heartfelt songs showcasing the raw emotion at the heart of her performance. During and in-between each song, her performance was embellished with witty banter which lightened the mood of the otherwise beautifully melancholy subject matter of her songs.

As the supporting act’s show came to a close, it was clear the crowd could wait no longer for the Australian band who would soon find themselves playing to a fully packed venue filled with fans who would had long awaited the band’s UK tour. Fans showed their support and enjoyment throughout the entirety of the show by singing along to every song, and jumping around in unison to every performance. The lighting only added to the electric and lively atmosphere as it switched between vividly shocking hues of blue to neon pinks and purples. The abrupt changes in lighting coincided with the eye-catching and vivacious movements of all members of the band who were stomping around to their music as much as the crowd were.

The indie foursome proved their musicianship and range with a series of tight-knit performances as they treated fans to loud, faster-paced hits to more mellow rhythmic favorites like ‘Booster Seat’. With their second album ‘Here Comes Everybody’ soon to release in June, along with a tour of the States, this Australian foursome promise there’s more to come yet.

Image credit: Bruce Baker

Live: Echo and the Bunnymen’s Electric Performance at the O2 Academy, Leeds

Roxanna Zoughi on 10 April 2022

Review of Echo and the Bunnymen’s electric performance at the o2 Academy – icons of the past whose music still insists its permanence and brilliance into 2022.

After roughly two years of live music taking what felt like a never-ending hiatus, The Bunnymen’s show at the o2 Academy on 5th April would have been many of the audience’s first gig since before Covid – and what better gig to reintroduce oneself back into the live music scene with than the Liverpool legends we know as the Bunnymen.

The band first formed in Liverpool in 1978 whose early releases secured them their position as legends of the post-punk genre. Ever since then their evolving sound has proven its musical dynamism from rhythmic pop releases of ‘Songs to Learn to Sing’ (1985) to the moody melancholia that so characterizes the post-punk essence of their 1980 album ‘Crocodiles’. Although the band have proven their skill and versatility as musicians through their ventures into jazz, guitar pop and even psychedelia, they nonetheless stayed largely true to their post-punk essence at the academy with electric performances of their early releases.

Their fantastic ranges in sound and style were perfectly captured in the show as they dazzled the audience through consistently enigmatic performances ranging from well-loved post-punk classics like ‘Going Up’, to dabbling in jazzy undertones. Regardless of the genres the band meandered itself in, the atmosphere of each performance was consistently electric thanks to Will Sergeant’s skillful yet modest mastery of the guitar, which complimented Ian McCulloch’s unwavering, and insistent vocals. As well as performing many of their older and comfortably familiar releases, the band also treated the audience to a new song, ‘Brussels is haunted’, an upbeat number promising there’s more to come from The Bunnymen yet.

Spyres explode into 2022 with ‘See Through You’ upon signing to LAB Records

Rishi Shah on 15 January 2022

With sixteen stages to choose from at Live at Leeds Festival 2021, and a plethora of emerging talent, only a select hundred or two would’ve found themselves at Leeds Beckett’s makeshift second stage at the relatively early hour of 3pm. Yet, the next half an hour was a rather defining moment for Glasgow alt-rockers Spyres. By the end of their set, they had secured themselves a record deal.

Mark Orr of LAB Records, like the majority of the audience, saw enough to be blown away by the versatility of the four musicians on stage. Spyres’ discography to date has showcased very different sides to the band, with an underlying theme of energy and unstoppable songwriting that has made each chorus even more memorable. Their latest anthem, ‘See Through You’, keeps them firmly on that path, with the catchiest of choruses evoking vivid memories of that Live at Leeds performance back in October.

The vocal chemistry of lead duo Emily Downie and Keira McGuire is one of the band’s most unique assets, with the partnership as fiery as ever in this ‘direct and punchy’ new single, as described by Downie. ‘See Through You’ was crafted in Glasgow’s Castle of Doom Studios with Christopher Marshall; an instant formula for success given the amount of recent Scottish talent under his belt – Gerry Cinnamon and Dead Pony to name a few. 

As ever, the drum tone is slick and powerful, with Alex White and bassist Jude Curran providing a masterful rhythm section that delicately complements the track’s changes of pace. The chorus has almost a nostalgic, pop-punk feel to it, especially when Downie and McGuire soar into the highest of harmonies towards the climax of the song. When you consider the duo’s acoustic roots, the effect of Curran and White cannot be understated in lifting their epic sound, which is ready made for the biggest stages.

Spyres have tested these waters, showcasing their live set to the likes of Glasgow’s Barrowlands and TRNSMT Festival. With this new, exciting era at LAB Records, the only way is if each new release continues to be this consistent and captivating. ‘See Through You’ is out now via LAB Records – keep posted for news on Spyres’ upcoming debut EP and a filmed interview with Leeds Student TV which will be released in the coming months.

Courteeners Dazzle Old Trafford at Hometown Spectacle

GryphonEditorAdm on 29 September 2021

There are artists with devout, cult followings in their local area, and then there’s the Courteeners. Alternating between Heaton Park and Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the band returned to the latter for their customary outdoor Manchester show that seems to happen every few years, as they once again proved why they have reached such heights in their great city.

Despite last year’s release ‘More. Again. Forever.’ their setlist has remained roughly unaltered for a number of years; it is truly difficult to imagine ‘Are You In Love With A Notion?’ anywhere than at the start. The crowd was instantly raucous, with sing-alongs drowning out Liam Fray and his band that could have definitely benefited from a little more volume. 

The triple screen layout that overlooked a magnificent Old Trafford added a majestic atmosphere to the gig, as Courteeners firmly cemented their status as a headline act — and no less — which was reinforced by their debut major headline slot at Glasgow’s TRNSMT two weeks prior. With Oasis, The Stone Roses and The Smiths now in ruins, Courteeners have been Manchester’s biggest band for some time now, now rivalled only by Liam Gallagher’s resurgent solo career.

The inevitable climax of ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ after a few acoustic numbers was refreshing, with the band packing their hits into the top and tail end of the set — a distribution that perhaps only Manchester could accommodate, with the crowd still knowing every word to deeper cuts like ‘Fallowfield Hillbilly’ and ‘Lose Control.’ 

It begs the question of if, after their fourth major outdoor show in Manchester, Courteeners will ever make the jump to the likes of Reading and Leeds headliners, or outgrow O2 Academies in the south. However, they will certainly be welcomed back with open arms in their glorious city for many years to come.

Neil Young Revives a Forgotten Era with New Live Album ‘Return to Greendale’

Roxanna Zoughi on 16 November 2020

Neil Young’s tour with Crazy Horse has been released as a two-cd, twoLP vinyl set and live recording, documenting his 2003 performance of his 25th album ‘Greendale’. The album, which was released in 2002, was a collaborative piece with rock band Crazy Horse, and its subsequent tour was a theatrical performance of the various individual stories and experiences of the inhabitants of a fictional Californian town called Greendale.

The tour shows the ten songs performed by a cast who lip-synch the words sung by Young. The animation of the character’s experiences through theatre form enhances the storytelling aspect of Young’s music which is especially integral to the original 2002 album. Young’s signature tenor vocals are typified by a naïve suggestion that is both juxtaposed to and enhanced by his punchy musical arrangements on electric and acoustic guitar, harmonized with the help of Crazy Horse.

But what about the words? Young emphasises various socio-political issues in his lyric, including ecological concerns raised in ‘Be the Rain’ which urge mankind to “save the Earth for another day”, whilst ‘Sun Green’ touches on the fear and lack of truth in the media which is only further perpetuated by the State; issues that are all the more relevant 17 years later. The release of Return to Greendale, especially with its accompanying concert film, revives what was a previously forgotten album amongst Young’s other works, and ultimately reasserts the pertinence of its socio-political direction to the 21st century.

Photo: Fraser Harrison/Getty images