Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes Invade Leeds with The Mysterines

Millie Cain on 6 March 2024

Written and Edited by Millie Cain

Surrounded by bald heads and beards, leather jackets and dyed red hair, with my 17-year-old sister in tow (who is far cooler than me), we arrived at the hive of excited chattering that was 02 Academy on 13th February. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of pancake day fuelling the crowd, but the atmosphere was blinding from the first moment.

Dressed in all black, grinning, The Mysterines took the stage. Lia Metcalfe’s sultry voice captivated the whole room, with an effortlessly cool attitude as they broke out into opening track, an unreleased fan favourite ‘The Last Dance’. There was a real feel of a hive mind within the band, they seemed to move in a haze around each other as if they had their own gravitational field.

Their short support set left a poignant mark on the rest of the night, the alternative Wirral-based 4-piece packed a punch, with a mixture of tracks from their previous discography and upcoming album ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ which is out June 7th. The band released a total of 7 songs across two EPs on their own Pretty Face Recordings label before signing to Fiction Records in March 2021 and releasing their debut album ‘Reeling’, the following year.

During standout track ‘Stray’, Lia held the crowd in the palm of her hand, holding an impenetrable gravitas under the smoky red stage light, she faced the crowd arm outstretched and let us be consumed by the sounds of the lead single of their upcoming album. ‘Stray’ was written after The Mysterines “re-indulged” in the music that shaped their childhood and was inspired by 2022 film Meet Me In The Bathroom, which explored the New York scene of the ‘90s and ‘00s through bands like The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and Interpol.

“It’s almost feels like it would have made more sense if our albums were released the other way round,” Metcalfe told NME, with ‘Reeling’ focussing more on massive hooks and big singalongs while ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ sees the band leaning more on their psych, grunge and alternative influences. This album follows their UK tour supporting Arctic Monkeys, “That was the most surreal experience ever,” Metcalfe admitted. “It still feels like a fever dream we all had. They really looked after us and it was really inspiring to see a band from the North of England in their position. As huge and respected as they are, they’re so grounded and humble.”

“Because they were so relaxed and had so much fun with every show, that loosened us up,” Metcalfe added. “It allowed me to enjoy how mad it was that I was playing stadiums with my mates. It was also a good reminder that nothing has to be super serious all the time.”

With the honesty that comes with their music, there comes a shining light on sexism in the alternative music industry. Female songwriters are constantly having their songwriting credentials questioned, something the rest of her male bandmates are not victim to. Even after being invited to contribute lyrics to Paul Weller’s album, and a number 1 single, Lia still attests to the scrutiny she receives on such a higher level than the men in her genre.

To this crowd though, they had nothing to prove. A truly exciting, mesmerising performance which built an incredible ambiance with final track heavy rock hitter ‘Hung Up’ before Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes dived onto stage.

The fiery orange stage light opened the soft piano, a single poetic spotlight, he needed no introduction, the instantly recognisable Frank Carter stretched out, and the Rattlesnakes lit up behind him.

In a sharp suit, he dressed up for the occasion, slicked back Bond villain hair and launched into incredible vocals for the opening ballad ‘Can I Take You Home’ for Act I ‘Cloudy & Pink’ of their show, which contained 3 songs from their new album ‘Dark Rainbow’. Without pausing, the lead singer and guitarists alike were climbing the speakers, leaning so close to the crowd they nearly touched their noses as they launched into heavier track ‘Brambles’. The crowd of the 02 reached out to try to grasp the dark silhouettes on a red stage as they introduced themselves, with so much energy I thought Carter might take flight. “Who’s ready to dance Leeds? Because I fucking am!”

His point was proven – it wasn’t long before the suit jacket was off, pristine white shirt untucked, Carter was shaking his hair out, head banging along to the music. The whole band shared this intrepid current of excitement that bled through their music as they broke into Act II – ‘Like Lightning’.

A heavier, punkier part of the set that buzzed of feverish clapping, bouncing and general thrashing around to iconically beloved fan favourites such as ‘Devil Inside Me’ and ‘My Town’. They lit the stage with blue lights, even had heavy rain sounds preluding their tracks, the crowd was filled with whispers of people trying to predict upcoming songs, and wondering how big the mosh pit would spread.

The answer is huge. The fans were possessed, it felt like everyone in the room knew every word, Frank Carter was preaching to his own choir, and genuinely at times the crowd nearly drowned out the band themselves. Not that they seemed to mind – Carter gleefully twirled around his mic stand and pointed his mic out to the crowd to hear them singing back to him. For ‘Crowbar’ he crouched low, arms and legs in the air, throwing his body around the stage like a doll.

As the tempo increased for ‘Cupid’s Arrow’ his smile was so wide it could’ve split his face in half. The band themselves were so tight, ridiculously clean, for all their years of performing it really shows how polished a band of their experience should be.

For ‘Wild Flowers’ they announced, “this song is for some very special people tonight, this mosh pit is ladies only, if you want a mosh in a safe environment” and Carter couldn’t be more correct when he cried out that “You’ve never seen a happier mosh pit in your whole life!”.

By now we belong to the band, the cheeky and charming (without being cocky) Carter and effortlessly talented Rattlesnakes. It was a true shared -and sweaty- experience, watching trainers and doc martens float above heads as crowd surfers dived over and over into the air.

The band leeched off this energy, Carter himself dived in before screaming “this song is about how i kissed your boyfriend” and seemed to teleport straight back up on stage for the opening of ‘Honey’. Which was quickly flipped into ‘Parasite’ about your boyfriend, “who thinks he’s a comedian” , a furious number with big drops and an angry back and forth.

The band swung smoothly from these booming punk anthems into soul-crushing ballads, letting the crowd rise and dive with them every step of the way. There was a feeling of familiarity, I don’t doubt many people in the room had probably seen them over and over, but for me, on my first encounter with them, they drew me in as if I always had.   

“Leeds you’re beautiful as always, thank you so much for having us play” they constantly reached out, chatting away, letting the crowd chant back, listening to their people just as much. Carter crooned, threw himself into the passes, his vocals were immense, and he had some truly poignant moments to himself, but never hesitated to let his bandmates shine with him. 

Paramore, The Grammy’s and The Lack of Female Acts in their Best Rock Album Category 

Eszter Vida on 6 March 2024

Written by Eszter Vida, edited by Millie Cain

Legendary rock trio Paramore took home the Grammy for Best Rock Album this past month, commemorating their lead singer-songwriter Hayley Williams as arguably the most influential frontwoman of our generation to pave the way for female rock singers thus far. Before their time, the likes of Alanis Morrissette, Sheryl Crow and No Doubt have also been associated with the award amongst a wider company of male musicians who’ve won and lost out on this achievement; this year, the list included Foo Fighters, Greta Van Fleet, Metallica and Queens of the Stone Age. While a commercialised, exclusive award show like The Grammy’s should never be taken seriously over well-researched academic musicologist unphased by the music industry politics that usually plays out at these ceremonies – it does provide us with some microscopic insight into how female acts are assessed in the eyes of the music industry and how these factors may be the leading factors into why despite an equal interest in music, there are 4 men signed to UK record labels for every one female (The Gender Gap study).

The Grammy’s never fail to surprise me with their growingly controversial choices in nominations. It clearly panders to some major record labels and industry figures more than others, which is possibly timely to mention that not long after receiving this award, Paramore declared themselves independent with a strong desire to have long careers in the music industry while shedding light on Independent Record Stores. Who exactly are we pandering to at these award shows?

Data from Music Venue Trust already outlines the disparity between major acts versus grassroots musicians and how the lack of funding has been punishing the fresh talent of the UK especially, making it harder for new acts to rise to the scene when it’s so financially difficult. Music is in an ideal world and its subjectivity would always come before business, but that’s a complex topic that impacts massively on who exactly gets to have their break, whether short-lived or partially sustained by vain titles that act as knighthoods for the music world. 

This leads me to my next point: is our definition of ‘rock’ inherently male-centric? For decades in popular music, women have not been considered worthy enough of being labelled as rock acts, likely due to their perceived image as more passive consumers and fangirls (Beatlemania, Directioners, Swifties) and often more associated with the inferior fabricated version – pop music. 

Popular music is too vast to be labelled in such a way. It has evolved so much since it boomed in the 1950s and its beauty as a genre is that it often breaks traditions, experimenting and becoming more adventurous with the influences that constitute what exactly it is. That is partially how over the years these sub-genres of past decades have been birthed from different music scenes. I am not saying that acts like Olivia Rodrigo should suddenly get placed into this category for their pop-punk inspired albums, but we should start to recognise that rock is no longer or has only falsely been claimed as a male-only zone of expression. 

First presented in 1995, the award has missed out on awarding some notable female figures: The Cranberries, Wolf Alice, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolf Alice, PJ Harvey, Florence and the Machine, Avril Lavigne, Le Tigre and Hurray for the Riff Raff just to remember a small handful. No doubt, This Is Why is worthy of this award. Paramore proved their legacy as a rock band when they produced an energetic, post-punk revival of their established sound, notably attempting to escape the label of a nostalgia band by going back to the sounds of William’s youth in the 2000s by the likes of Bloc Party. 

The label of frontwoman itself can be problematic on my part; why make her gender so apparent when she does the same job as any other lead singer of a band? But her activism has always been clear and for that, Williams achieves the standards of the rebelliousness that rock should be about without being tokenistic in their sound or trying to cosplay as anything other than their authentic selves. That should be one of the qualifying factors of rock, if there were any major ones to begin with, as a genre of defiance that has shapeshifted over time. Their career is not short-lived and the hype around them will not just die once their members turn past the age of being accepted as musicians with the freedom to produce original albums. 

Depeche Mode bring Memento Mori to Manchester

Eszter Vida on 6 March 2024

Written by Eszter Vida, edited by Millie Cain

After a fascinating and expectedly dark comeback with their 14th album Memento Mori as well as a period of lament over the passing of keyboardist Andy Fletcher; Dave Gahan and Martin Gore prove they are still the biggest alternative synth-pop duo that the 1980s new wave scene ever produced. Contrary to the statement behind their album’s title, translated as ‘remember you must die’, Depeche Mode also remember their history as a group, playing a setlist that only strengthens their musical legacy for their diverse range of fans.

I attended the concert with my older brother, with whom our formative musical worlds as two very different musicians were deeply influenced by the group’s ominous sounds and flamboyant dancing, courtesy of a great frontman like Gahan. For me, they have always been a band close to home, having blasted the entirety of Black Celebration during late night road-trips, or better put, carpool concerts as well as receiving Facebook birthday posts from my parents, who would then tag the song ‘Little 15’ to match the appropriate age I was turning. This band has penetrated my upbringing in all sorts of ways. 

Before I was even born, their music connected my Hungarian parents, going to the same new wave club nights where they eventually met one another at the local youth disco ‘Petofi Csarnok’ in 1980s Budapest. Due to the Soviet’s censorship laws preventing Western music entering the borders of Hungary, the 1980s new wave scene was a glimpse at liberation, with Depeche Mode trailblazing as the kings of the genre. People like my parents were desperate to get their hands on catching up with the new romantic trends of rock and synth-pop. In short, Depeche Mode became one of these symbols of freedom for the 80s youth. There is now even a bar called ‘101 Klub’ dedicated to the legacy of fan clubs that were set up for the band, with the current owner being a long-time friend of my dad’s (great for discounted pints, but not that you’d need that when visiting Eastern Europe). 

You might say I’ve always had a ‘Strangelove’ for them, or that it was inherited by blood to listen to them. Therefore, after seeing their other contemporaries such as OMD, New Order and The Cure live with my family, to finally see them live was a full circle moment. We got there in time to catch the support Nadine Shah, a set that felt fitting for a support with the lead singer’s sultry and enchanting stage presence. As frontman Dave Gahan took to the stage, the entire room resonated upon the first note he sang; it was genuinely incredible.

Despite not being the most vocally trained singer, his voice is so distinct that it really wouldn’t be Depeche Mode without him. There is always a tone of surrender and carpe diem in their music and these messages that progressed throughout the decades are aptly depicted from the extravagances set up on stage. The looming M as their stage design acted almost as a Big Brother of their discography, as they took us through all their different eras. Embellishing the rest of the display was the dual synthesisers and drums, the only instruments arguably necessary.

The breadth of talent and artistic albums they had produced over their career is astounding to keep up with. Whether it’s the early refreshing sounds of synth-pop with Speak and Spell, my personal favourite dark ambience of Black Celebration or the heavy grungier Ultra, Depeche Mode are the producer’s musician and pioneers in the age of the synthesiser. 

Ironically, I hadn’t really considered just how dark yet strangely versatile all of Depeche Mode’s songs are. Martin Gore’s solo moment singing ‘Somebody’ brought a tear to my eye. For a band that’s so disguised by flashy synths, this and the special stripped back rendition of ‘Strangelove’ bore so much vulnerability and pure emotion. This also includes the remaining member’s duet of ‘Waiting for the Night’, (pictured above) as they extend their intimacy by reaching for the hands of their fans and connection. 
The fun in Depeche Mode is that they will always carry a legacy that represents experimentation and artistic freedom. The indescribable feeling of singing ‘Enjoy The Silence’ together with thousands of other people is unmatched, transporting us back a decade that will forever be remembered as one the synth-pioneering band ruled and continue to rule beyond.

Industry Plants – How the term damages the resurgence of female fronted rock bands like The Last Dinner Party 

Eszter Vida on 6 March 2024

Written by Eszter Vida, edited by Millie Cain

Industry plants: artists that music nerds love to hate and point out within seconds of hearing new bands that break through unexpectedly. Arguably, London-based indie rock band The Last Dinner Party became the centre of new music hype as well as a lot of unwarranted criticism for their unanticipated success, along with other bands like Manchester’s Picture Parlour and in the past, even Wet Leg. The key theme of these accusations? They’re somehow always women.

It’s no surprise why the average listener would accuse the music industry of wanting to take advantage of this gap in the market and creating what they would recognise as ornaments of progressiveness in the music industry. Female fronted bands barely scrape the line-up for traditional rock festivals and there’s no doubt always been a gender gap in the industry.

(Image Credit: Eszter Vida)

But I think it’s important to remain nuanced when approaching conversations on industry plants and consider the geographical and economic factors on whether a band makes it beyond a local status. It’s mutually agreed that since most record labels have always been based in London or getting your foot in the door would rely upon a complex network of connections or nepotism, a band like The Last Dinner Party may have been gifted the advantage of finding themselves in the music scene’s capital. Arguably, if you want to pass this judgement towards someone more suitable, there are surely other male indie rock bands with famous dads that wear shades and like to forefront themselves on social issues and equality; that is if the nepotism label sabotages your ability to simply enjoy music that much. 

I managed to catch The Last Dinner Party at Live at Leeds this past October. What I saw was not a plastically manufactured line up of industry puppets that were jumping to sell you corporate messaging and to fill their own pockets, but rather a band with a sisterhood quality, incredible talent and clever aesthetically pleasing image. The band present themselves as some fantastical quintet, catering to the girls who want to live out the romance of a pastoral renaissance novel, in the backdrop of living in our confusing modern world. They are certainly not ornaments for anyone’s gaze, except for the audiences they have since captivated. 

Lead singer Abigail floated around elegantly in her white Austen-esque dress, addressing the crowd like the host of a dinner party eponymously as she released guttural screams in ‘My Lady of Mercy’, among the presence of roaring guitars and booming synths. I personally sense a lot of influence from the likes of Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks: all veteran trailblazing female figures. What defines their image should not be that they’re all 5 women-presenting musicians but that they are truly a group that work in harmony and greatness. In alignment of this, it was extraordinary to see them tone their set down by way of singing a choral chant and was empowering to experience live.

The Last Dinner Party have been formulating this image as early as 2021, judging from the beginning of their Instagram account. They themselves have come to defend their origins as 18-year-olds who met during freshers week and got signed, as any university band ever dreams. I was quite shocked to learn that back in 2022, they were even on the line up to play alongside Northwest local acts like Seb Lowe and Pixey on the smallest stage of my hometown’s festival Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington before I had even learned of their existence. For female artists, constructing an identity to prove their relevance and the pressure to have outstanding marketing has somehow survived as this unkillable shadow since 1950s girl groups have been around to be recorded and exploited by greedy music bosses. I’d like to think that we are beyond the age of female passivity.

I’m relieved when bands like these women break into the mainstream. Whether you believe they are industry plants or marketing geniuses, one thing is true that the image of the band is beyond captivating. You shouldn’t leave their gig or finish enjoying their music by saying ‘I didn’t expect them to be THAT good’ or promote them later how ‘they ACTUALLY sounded decent’. Nails can be heard on distant chalkboards when I hear someone’s preconceived judgments; they are sadly not welcome into both band’s expanding musical worlds that should be treated with patience if you’re expecting some longevity. That’s the true renaissance of female acts in a male-dominated genre of rock.

‘I feel unsafe at a place that’s supposed to feel like home’: action urged on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate on campus

Reiham Amin on 18 February 2024

As the impact of the Israel and Gaza crisis continues to reverberate among communities on campus, Muslim students worry that concerns about Islamophobia and their safety are being overlooked. 

A student who attended a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Leeds has spoken to The Gryphon about a physical altercation which left them feeling unsafe.

“We were handing out flyers at the most recent protest and a man who was part of a big group of Zionists took a flyer, ripped it up, blew his nose with it and threw it on the floor.

“For the whole protest, this group was throwing our placards into the bushes, chanting over our speakers, and damaging the resources we spent so much time and effort making.” 

When asked if they had reported the issue, the student told The Gryphon they hadn’t done so because of a delay in resolving a previous complaint. 

“I’ve been dealing with one complaint I told the University about in October and it’s still not resolved. I don’t want to be in this long process again and deal with being ignored when I’m reaching out for help.”

Protests have intensified on campus following the return of Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch who had taken leave from his role as a chaplain last November to serve in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).  

Whilst the University maintains that he is not an employee and his views do not represent the institution, his return has left many Muslim and pro-Palestine students incredulous and angry at the University, with some calling for his removal.

Another student said they were shocked at the news, saying, “I was shocked, firstly, when I heard the news that the Jewish chaplain had gone to serve in the IDF. I was even further shocked when he was allowed to return to campus.” 

The student further elaborated on their concerns, adding, “The fact that he’s come back from serving an army which is being investigated by the ICJ for genocide, the fact that he’s been caught on video justifying the Israeli campaign that’s leading to the unnecessary and cruel deaths of so many Palestinians, and the fact that no one at this University seems willing to acknowledge either of these things, all three make me feel increasingly uncomfortable and unsafe, at a university where I’m supposed to feel like home.”

After recent incidents, Jewish students have seen a concerning increase in antisemitism on campus. Police are investigating at least two separate incidents after the vandalism of the Jewish Society building and threats which were made against Jewish students on their way to prayer.

In response, the University of Leeds has strongly condemned antisemitic remarks and acts, affirming its dedication to eradicating intolerance and discrimination on campus. 

However, in an email sent to its members last week, the Leeds branch of the University College Union (UCU) said that it was concerned the University statements neglected to address Islamophobia in addition to antisemitism. 

In a message sent to students after the UCU email, the University said: “We must stress that harassment and abuse of any kind – including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism – will not be tolerated on our campus or on social media.”

Following the attacks against Jewish students, the University said that police would be increasing patrols of the area.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “The University has detailed measures in place to safeguard our students and continues to adapt and increase our support for them. Our campus Security team and West Yorkshire Police are increasing visible foot and vehicle patrols of the area, as we continue to strengthen our partnership with the Community Security Trust (CST), as well as West Yorkshire Police, to ensure our community feels safe.”

Aisha Walker, the President of the Leeds UCU branch, said the union was concerned that this could make other minority communities feel less comfortable.

“Police presence on campus causes people from minoritised communities to feel unsafe and we are asking what steps are being taken to ensure that there is no targeting of minoritised groups.”

It appears that the chaplain’s departure is unlikely. However, this decision has not quieted concerns, with protests looking set to continue. 

University of Leeds scraps resit fees

Em O'Riley on 8 February 2024

Today (Thursday 8th February), the university announced it is removing fees for resits.

Resitting an assessment previously cost £2 per credit with a £50 administration fee. This meant that a single assessment worth all of the module credits could cost a student £90.

In a joint statement from the University and LUU, they said the removal of fees was a step in removing barriers to education.

Many students in Leeds are struggling from cost of living pressures. The critical extent of this problem was evidenced in an investigation for The Gryphon last month, which found that hardship fund applications had increased by 394%.

The University said it is responding to student feedback about the ‘hidden costs’ of university. In a context where living costs are rising disproportionately to the real-time value of maintenance loans, a resit fee is an unaffordable possibility to many.

The statement also cites student wellbeing as a reason for removing the cost pressure, “we also know that having to pay resit fees can add to the mental and emotional stress they may already be facing because their assessments haven’t gone to plan”.

The Gryphon spoke to Bethan Corner, the LUU Education Officer, who initiated the campaign to remove resit fees as part of her platform of addressing the hidden/additional costs of university. Unlike other proposals which would be course- or faculty-specific, resit fees are university wide. For Bethan, this meant this move was a “real win that we could do around hidden and additional costs”. She spoke about hearing from students who could not progress on their course, and had to drop out of university, because they could not afford the resit fee.

Bethan said the university were open to the idea from the beginning. Surplus profits from the 2022-23 academic year made the removal of fees possible beginning in January 2024.

The change means that no student would pay for resits for assessments taken from the January 2024 assessment period. Any student who has already paid for a resit following this will receive a refund. The removal of fees does not apply to assessments taken before January 2024.

On the possible critique that removing fees would de-incentivise students from working hard for their first-try assessments, Bethan said this was not a major consideration. She said that resits, especially those in the summer holidays, were already difficult enough for students and the net gain outweighs the small minority who may misuse this process.

The full University of Leeds and LUU statement is available from the following link