Live

With an ‘occasionally brilliant’ new album out soon, you’d think Simian would have chosen to reveal their darkly psychedelic brand of daft-pop somewhere other than a working men’s club. But they didn’t … You can have your sanitised, purpose built from the ground up, shiny new various-sized Ocean venues in Hackney. And while you’re at it you can certainly keep your quadruple figured, re-launched and re-branded, gourmet-restaurant affiliated, Dave- Bleedin’-Stewart-owned, shopping-centre-situated Marquee club in Islington. Sometimes it’s best to just Continue Reading

With US bands currently driving the burgeoning garage rock scene, Marc Sallis checks out two of the UK’s hottest prospects for world domination.22/07/2002 Sold-out within days of going on sale, the prospect of seeing two of London’s elite garage rock bands playing together at one of the capital’s most intimate venues had been billed as the ‘gig of the week’ by many in-the-know. With The Beatings kicking off their first UK tour to promote the release of their debut single, Continue Reading

Garage punk sells its soul down at the local Virgin Megastore. Is this the beginning of the end of the new wave of garage punk bands as two rising acts succumb to in-store gigs and subsequent signings at Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street, London, over two successive days? By Marc Sallis.10/07/2002 Monday 8th July, 2002 As I fought my way through the rush hour human traffic on London’s underground network I pondered what was waiting for me as The D4 prepared Continue Reading

James Berry weighs up the massively anticipated Oasis Finsbury rock revival. A load of old indie cobblers? Service Berry …10/07/2002 Stumble through the gates into Oasisworld and all seems familiar and well, yet another day in the land of fickle brotherly love. The Jam playing from loudspeakers, chunky sunburnt lads sparked out on their backs by 3pm and precarious cardboard trays of lager being ferried with varied success as far as the eye can see. Then there are the sporadic Continue Reading

Highly evolved promotional budget seeks diminutive rock tyrant for lasting relationship. A quickie around the back of the Leadmill, may however have to suffice. The moment of truth arrives in the cold, steely heart of Sheffield. Will Jenkins has the details.24/06/2002 The thought goes that when a man comes into a room it is not the motion that carries him into the room which is of interest, but what he does when he is in it; indeed what will come Continue Reading

If you go down to the woods today, be sure of a big surprise. Or even Sheffield for that matter. With leafy shadow all a flicker and the crunch of braken under foot, Will Jenkins reports back on Pulp’s pine-fest UK comeback.17/06/2002 Walking through the neatly arranged Pine forest towards the natural amphitheatre where the concert was to be held, traipsing behind all the other fans and teens intent on cheap lager and a brief flirtation behind the trees, I Continue Reading

Without bending to the far right, Crud indulges in a little patriotic fever of its’ own unremarkable making. Will Jenkins marched down to the Social in Nottingham for four men in search of a revival: The Libertines – British and reet proud of it.11/06/2002 Nationalism is never a kind thing, being patriotic will always lead you astray and make you so proud of your own country and identity that you will ignore almost anything else. With the current fascination for Continue Reading

With the face of an evangelical preacher on over-drive, is Ebbot Lundberg just another prog-head revisited? New gal on the block, Natasha House reports on another Swedish export.17/05/2002 The Soundtrack of Our Lives (SOOL) are in full, blistering, dramatic, iconic swing. Norse god cum-hippy rock Bungle look-a-like Ebbot Lundberg is singing like a man posessed by the spirit of every music legend to have graced planet Earth. Faces upturned to this musical revelation, the Northampton Soundhaus punters have their hopes Continue Reading