The Go! Team and grasshopper at The Haunt

Posted on 05/07/2015 by brightonmusicblog

Over the course of June, The Go! Team took their new album The Scene Between on the road. The tour ended on 21st June in Manchester but didn’t include a hometown gig, so last night they reconvened and blew the roof off of the Haunt. The setlist was a Go! Team superfan’s dream taking in tracks from all four albums – including Thunder Lightning Strike’s closing track Everybody’s a VIP to Someone, complete with banjo – as well as a brand new track She’s Got Guns. The band were clearly out to enjoy themselves without any pressure to trot out their greatest hits – Ladyflash didn’t get an outing, but nobody cared because there was too much fun being had by all. Support came from grasshopper, who seem to be getting all the right attention these days after supporting The Charlatans earlier this year.

Here’s our pics from the night. Click to view large:

GAPS at the Prince Albert photo gallery

Posted on 27/01/2015 by brightonmusicblog

Last night we braved the cold to head out to the Prince Albert where GAPS played a hometown gig following their recent mini tour. Since the last time we saw them they’ve gained some rather lovely visuals which meant they were standing in the dark – that we got any photos of the band was something of a miracle. They’ve also written an awful lot of new material too which has broadened their sound while still operating within the bands existing premise of folk + electronica, now taking in breakbeats and some trouser shaking bass. Support came folk troubadour Lloyd Williams who did some very clever things with a guitar, a banjo and a floor mounted accordion. Here’s our pics, click to view large:

Time for T at Sofar Sounds

Posted on 28/08/2014 by brightonmusicblog

Brighton has it’s fair share of intimate venues, where you can go and see a band and be able to literally touch them onstage (not that we encourage that kind of behaviour), and recently added, but with no fixed abode is Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds, which had a reboot earlier this year, brings concerts into people’s living rooms taking intimate to a whole new level and last night they invited us along to this month’s event. In a slight change to proceedings last night’s gig wasn’t held in someone’s lounge, but in the basement of Nowhere Man Café just opposite the Windmill Pub, which doubles up as a rehearsal space for local bands.

Although last night was a very local affair, organised in Brighton with two of the three acts from Brighton, Sofar Sounds is an international concern and dozens of events took place across Europe and the US, all being tied together with the gig doubling up as a listening party for the new Karen O solo album at every venue.

Sofar sounds don’t have a headliner as such and all bands are treated as having equal billing, and first act to play was Darren Saunders – a local musician who hasn’t played a “proper” gig in over two years, but has been busking regularly. He was brought in at the last minute on the recommendation of one of the sound guys who said that he thought he had one of the best voices he’s heard. Despite nerves and a broken string great songs and a great voice won the day. Next up was Bec Sanridge, last night’s out of towner (all the way from Australia). I got the impression that Bec hides what a fantastic guitarist she really is, and despite earlier hints it was only in the last song in her Joan Baez-style folk set that her fingerwork truly shone through.

Last night’s final act was Time for T, recently back from a mini-tour of Portugal and with an EP about to be launched soon. A live hometown gig in a small venue obviously suited them as they appeared relaxed and confident on what could barely be called a stage. The lead singer performed a couple of solo acoustic numbers to begin with before being joined by the rest of the band for an assured folk-pop set peppered with tracks from the new EP. When the evening appeared to be over with final words of thanks being given by the Sofar Sounds people the crowd called for a genuine encore – a rarity these days when going off stage then coming back for a few more is all part of the plan.

(click the pics to view large)

Gallery – Blood Red Shoes at Concorde 2

Posted on 26/04/2014 by brightonmusicblog

Last night Blood Red Shoes played a hometown gig at the Concorde and we managed to sneak a view from the front, for the first three songs, at least. The two piece rocked hard, and the crowd loved it – We can’t remember the last gig we went to at the Concorde that had that such a great atmosphere. And it was loud – my goodness it was loud. Thank goodness for the earplugs which are a must for when we’re up the front shooting.

Fear of Men Album Launch / Spectrum at the Dome Studio Theatre

Posted on 18/04/2014 by brightonmusicblog

On Tuesday Fear of Men launched their new album Loom with a gig at the Dome Studio Theatre. Loom is out this monday, but if that’s too long to wait, you can buy the limited edition coloured vinyl edition as a Record Store Day exclusive tomorrow. If even that’s too long, it’s currently streaming on Pitchfork.

The launch gig was the first of a new set of regular nights at the Dome called Spectrum, put on in collaboration with Resident Support on the night came from Grace Carter, Grasshopper and Abi Wade. Here’s our pics – as usual, click to view large:

Photo Gallery – Les Enfants Terribles at the Blind Tiger with Momotaro, The Beautiful Word and Poles Apart

Posted on 30/03/2014 by brightonmusicblog

Friday night Les Enfants Terribles was back at the Blind Tiger, so were we with our camera. We missed openers Lunar Maria, but had a great time seeing the other bands (click images to view large):

Milk & Biscuits at the Green Door Store gallery

Posted on 02/02/2014 by brightonmusicblog

On Friday night we braved the rain and headed to the Green Door Store where despite the weather, Milk & Biscuits pulled in a full house. Here’s what our camera saw (click on the pics to view large)

Gallery post – IYES, Luo and Momotaro at Source New Music at the Dome Studio Theatre

Posted on 24/11/2013 by brightonmusicblog

On Friday night we headed down to the Dome Studio Theatre for the Source New Music Night. This month IYES headlined, supported by Luo and Momotaro. We hoped it was going to be a good gig, and it didn’t disappoint. Here’s our pics:

(click on the pics to view large)

Drugs at the Green Door Store gallery – Grashopper, Bentcousin, The Bright Ones, Skirts

Posted on 20/10/2013 by brightonmusicblog

On Saturday night we headed down to the Green Door Store for live music night Drugs. There were originally five bands on the bill, but Twins didn’t make it, but Grasshopper, Bentcousin, The Bright Ones and Skirts more than made up for it. Here’s our pics. As usual, click to view large:

IYES at the Prince Albert / The New Union at the Blind Tiger live gallery

Posted on 10/10/2013 by brightonmusicblog

Last night The New Union supported Let’s Buy Happiness at the Blind Tiger and IYES played their first headline show at the Prince Albert. We were torn – we’re fans of both bands – which should we go to? And then we figured that since The New Union were supporting and IYES were headlining, we should be able to make it to both.

When we first heard about the New Union gig, we read that they would be on at 8.15. On the day, we read on Facebook that it would be 8.30. We turned up at the gig to see set times that said 8.45, but the support act who was on before them didn’t get onstage until 8.50. In the end The New Union started just after 9.30, so we only caught a few of their songs before we headed to the Prince Albert. But those few songs sounded fantastic. Every time the New Union head into the studio, they come out sounding even better, taking everything they’ve learned and improving their live sound with it, and just recently they’ve been recording at Metway Studios with Matthew Twaites (of Electric Soft Parade, Milk & Biscuits, etc).

The normal career path for a new band is first to get support slots with other local bands, then headline your own small gigs, then get supports with bigger touring bands that visit. It’s testament to the strength of IYES demos that they managed to skip the first two stages, with all their gigs so far playing before more established national acts. As sods law would have it, the IYES gig was running late too, but that meant we got to catch Londoners Rivieras from the back of a packed room. When they were done, we took the opportunity to get to the front so we could make up for all of the photos that we didn’t take at the New Union gig. IYES were on top form, showcasing the demos that the crowd was familiar with as well as a brace of new tracks including the first play of their upcoming single Infinity.

Click pics to view large: