Gig notes diary 2009

Our diary of short reports, notes and reflections on gigs that took place in Leicester and the bands that played at them

More gig reviews | Reviews of visiting bands

Saturday 20th December

When the four young Leicestershire (Whitwick) lads from Identity Parade took to the stage at the Shed, we were all in for a surprise. This hardly known band got up a wiped the floor with most of the bands twice their age. All four of them contributed to the vocals, the lead singer - Connor Dearden - had a fine strong voice and they all shook the room with their energetic performance. Their punchy songs and crisp vocals were needed for the songs that had strong melodic content. The band engaged the audience, put some fire into the belly of their stage craft and gave the crowd a really thumpingly good set of songs. The drummer - James Spence - did an excellent job and the strings section displayed an admirable level of skill. Good songwriters, they did their work much credit as performance musicians. It was all very inspiring, thoroughly entertaining and worthy of a slot on the main stage at the Glasto festival.

Friday 18th December

The Heroes break into Blue Rave and the packed floor at the Charlotte breaks into frenzied dancing. Overdrive is not just a gig but one of Leicester's foremost club nights. It's a chance for lots of friends to meet up, listen to good music, dance and have a great time. A riot of crowd surfing and moshing, the 14+ night's only disadvantage is soft drinks only at the bar. But for 250 young fans, Overdrive is a must do event.

The Heroes have had a good year; they have written some amazingly good songs, run some of the biggest gigs and played at Glastonbury. There is a special magic about a Heroes performance. It takes exceptional talent to write memorable songs that have the majority of the audience singing along to. Flowers in Golden Times is just one of their songs that nearly all their fans know and love and which has also received favourable comments from top music celebs. It is one of the most iconic ballads ever written by a Leicester band.

"Slap me in my face
and tell me I'm wrong"

They have grown and developed; their music has moved on from the Libertines-alike pop-punk where they started. Like many top bands, their sound now has a harder edge with some punky passages, occasional shreds of ska-like beats and some of the new stuff is just pure rock n, roll.

Not difficult to see why they command the hights of our local live music tree.

Thursday 17th December

I go to a lot of gigs but not a lot of parties. Tonight was an exception. Formal Warning headlined at the shed and whenever they play it's more than just a gig. Tonight the famous five were on top form. Another sparkling show of energy and irresistible songs. The crowd sang along, the lasers shot green trails over the room and the smoke machine billowed up clouds on the stage. Formal Warning produces a show like no other. The passion and energy are unequalled. Ash stands at the front and his presence commands the crowd. Kyle and Leon dance and jump in time to the music, bringing the dynamics of the song to life. The bass and rhythm section (Alun and Zoe) are solidly keeping it all in time. For two years now, this amazing band have been putting on stunning shows. They have a large and ardent following who know their music well and are always there to support them. Tonight, Christmas arrived for me.

Formal Warning - sensational!

Sunday 13th December

It was a great night at the Musician! A big audience turned out on a Sunday night to see some top class bands. The Aynsley Lister Band (Manhaton Records) headlined the night and when I arrived the queue to get in stretched way down Clyde Street. But I was there to see one of my favourite bands. Swindon band Bodyglass (previously known as Soulsmith) are simply one of the best bands I have had the pleasure to listen to in recent times. Their captivating set of blues rock songs have been become a little harder and punchier following their makeover but what remains the same is their high quality playing and fine songmanship. The packed house stood in front of the stage and, even though the majority would not have seen this band before, looked genuinely engaged in the music and showed enthusiastic appreciation at the end of each song. Soulsmith originally were a three piece band but tonight they were joined by Pat Edmonds, their new guitarist. Mike Anstey is an exhillarating lead singer and with the backing of Ant Henderson on the drums, Paul Yallop on bass and now Pat on guitar, this band brings sheer enjoyment of the finest quality rock music you can hear on a live stage.

Absolutely wonderful.

Sadly I had to leave the Musician before Ainlsley Lister came on because I needed to go to the Shed to see some of the bands hoping to get on to the Glastonbudget Festival. A band I have seen several times before that have progressed and developed strongly in that time is Leicester band The Working Projects. The four piece have genuine talent and a strong presentation on stage. All four of them are vocalists, led by lead singer James, whose voice has developed a rich and ear-pleasing timbre, they delivered a well crafted and enjoyable set of songs. They proved that they are good at song writing, lacing each tune with catchy riffs and engaging vocal hooks. They weave everything together, creating evocative moods and clearly pleasing the audience with their dynamic rock songs and creative use of strings from three classying guitarists. A group of very likeable lads playing very likeable music.

Enjoyable, good quality music.

Friday 27th November

The Charlotte played host to a 14+ night with Weekend Schemers who played a really good set and had a great time, M48 (almost old-timers by now but still one of our top local bands) and the Kicks (another of Leicester's amazing young bands.) Everyone said it was a really good night.

Saturday 21st November

The Looking Glass. Down at Braunstone Gate (corner of Narborough Road), the Looking Glass played host to The Eaves, who put on a two hour set of their own songs plus a couple of their favourite covers. Led by legendary singer Nick Thornton, the Eaves delighted the crowd that had packed into the basement for this musical tour de force. An evening of solidly good music played by three professional quality artists, it was a great way to spend a weekend night. All good stuff and well worth going to again, when the guys come back on to the circuit early next year.

Excellent music.

Sunday 15th November

Leicester band Beauty KIlled The Beast (aka BKTB) won themselves a place at the Glastonbudget Festival with their storming performance at the Shed. Their set of energetic rock songs, with a strong lead by vocalist Elliott and some tight backing from the other four band members clearly impressed the festival judges, who acknowledged their talented performance with the offer a place on the new acts stage at the May 2010 festival.

Saturday 7th November

Fireworks as Autohype play to huge crowd

Leicester band Autohype entertained a crowd of 20,000 at the Abbey Park fireworks display on Saturday. While, Astromaniacs played to 4,000 in Countesthorpe. Bonfire night beats Halloween hands down.

Autohype on stage at Abbey Park

Saturday 7th November

The Shed put on a night of old school punk. Veteran punkers First Wave put on a rippingly good set. The night was topped off by The Vibrators who gave us a fabulous performance. Though not well attended it was a night of good music and a chance to get back to the roots of punk and good old fasioned rock n roll. Beltin'.

Sunday 1st November

The Shed. Up on the Glastonbudget Festival auditions stage was The Fuss. The Melton Mowbray four piece launched into their first song with strong vocals from guitarist/vocalist Josh Northing. His voice had volume and character and was backed by Lloyd Watson on Guitar and George Fleming on bass. The voices were well blended giving the songs depth and harmony. Ben Jackson did some sterling work on the skins and the songs drove forward with energy and vigour, proving the audience with an enjoyable blend of pop rock with a punky, indie edge. For their third song they did a cover, which worked pretty well. I liked the strong vocal lines, the sizzling performance and the passionate delivery. I can see this band developing into something big. Overall a really good package with a strong sense of musical taste and they looked as though they were really enjoying themselves on the stage. Great stuff from a young band oozing with talent and potential.

Saturday 31st October

The Half Time Orange is not the most popular venue in town although it is one of the largest. It's stage was graced by The Enemy, last time they played in Leicester, before they got really big, when they filled the place with over 600 fans. Today it was given over to the mammoth Faraja Benefit Gig, an all day spectacular that was book-ended by Primal Device at one end and the Heroes at the other.

The show was launched to a flying start by Milton Keynes hard rock band, Primal Device. Four great entertainers, these guys are at the top of my list for great bands; they tick all the boxes for me. They exploded into their first song, an iconic sounding ballad, bursting with magnificent guitar riffs and stunning vocal lines from guitar/vocalists Nick and Joe, it was a massive piece of nu-rock. Laden with strong rhythms, memorable vocal lines and punchy drum beats, this is top notch music that really stands out. Not all bands can create that special magic that makes you tingle with excitement but this is a band that reminds you what you got into rock music for. They set provides the thrills of hard rock blended skillfully with the technical wizardry of classic and huge sweeping statements of metal. Amazingly they have cleverly woven together a sumptuous sheet of richly coloured, spangled music that unfurled into the large hall and could easily fill a large arena. This is a strongly performance band, as good to watch as they are to listen to. Even without a large crowd, they can still create a sense of excitement that gets your adrenalin going. Sheer delight for 45 minutes. They kept it fresh; they kept it moving, with razor sharp stops punctuating huge wedges of dazzling music, they can suddenly drop into quiet, tender passages, before exploding back into great, sweeping volumes of sound. Truly symphonic and as Romantic as Brahms or Bruckner.

There isn't a band in Leicester who can touch them.

I can't not mention Third Time Lucky. Asked to play only hours before they walked on stage, the plucky young trio gave us a thoroughly enjoyable set of their own songs, well written, confidently performed, tuneful, catchy and more entertaining than much of the stuff played by older bands who followed them later in the day. Even their punked up rendition of the theme from the "Thunderbirds" puppet tv show was great fun, as was their cover of a Wombat's hit. This really nice little band was full of youthful energy and rather good vocals from Zack Whisehall, underpinned with tight musicianship and a real sense of wanting to entertain. Well done them!

What a good band.

The complete lineup at the Faraja all-dayer:

Primal Device
Third Time Lucky
Teenage Kicks
The Retro
All Systems Fail (were there but unable to perform due to technical issues)
Mike Sole Trio
Produkty
Pennyhangers
Weekend Schemers
The Heroes

Friday 30th October

For the Record playing Secret Skins in 2008

Sumo. Drive by Disco is now the new band formed from For The Record and still comprising Poz on drums, Dave on lead guitar and vocals and Ben on bass. Now with added synth samples, the band has completely revamped its sound and has come up with a very enjoyable set of dance songs. This was their first gig as the new band and I could see it going down really well when they eventually put their stuff in front of a large, happy crowd. It's got the vibes, it's got the energy, it's got the beat to move audiences. Strong sounds with compulsive rhythms and all the potential of great floor-fillers, I see the new set going down really well with the right crowd. Catchy beats and belting songs pumped by Dave's powerful vocals, backed by Poz from the drums, these are guys with their fingers on the pulse of contemporary dance music.

I liked it a lot.

Following Drive by Disco was The Buzzards, featuring Earl Grey on the drums (also of The Utopians.) The minute audience enjoyed the set of punky, rock n roll songs, including the girl with the pink mohecan fringe who danced on the stage and the two guys in the audience who did an installation dance with several yards of bog roll. A beltin performance from the Leicester trio and the cabaret really brought it all to life. Punk with lashings of funk.

Monday 26th October

The Shed's stage was taken over by Kicking Habits, four young guys from Groby who gave us a set of bouncy indie songs full of foot-grabbing beats with some rich vocal depth coming from all four band members. Special mention should be made of Jake, a particularly amazing drummer. Nifty guitar work and fizzy solo passages blended together to give a rich and full-bodied sound. Songs ranged from brisk and bracing through to melodic ballad, varied enough to hold the audience's attention. Their set included The Arctic Monkey's cover I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor which they played at punk speed and made their own. The band quotes, amongst its influences, Oasis, The Stereophonics and Kings of Leon and I could hear reflections of those bands in their work.

A young band with a bright future.

It was great to see Cheltenham band The Echoes back in Leicester. What makes this four piece band stand out is their two strong lead singers Chris Capewell and Myk Elliott. Vigorous power pop pumped by pounding guitar lines and compulsive dance rhythms, led by Charlie Pilsworth on the skins, comes together in a mature and well practiced sound. Catchy instrumental arrangements and driving beats are matched by a confident stage presence and passionate performance. Big on attractive indie melodies and capable of heavier, storming passages, they produced a well varied set and their energetic presentation makes them a great band to watch. A quality band, they ticked all the boxes for me.

Thoroughly enjoyable. A top notch band.

Friday 23rd October

I went to the Shed to see a band but they didn't turn up. Fortunately, I stuck around and saw a new Leicester band called The Wicked Messengers , and I liked them. The four piece was led by vocalist 'Joe Mojo Robey', with backing vocals supplied by drummer Nik Robinson (singing drummers are a brownie point for me) and guitarist Nick Pawley. The band played a strong set of pleasing and engaging songs, ably led by Joe's full and characteristic voice and delivered with passion and commitment from the whole band. Attractive vocal lines, stunning stuff from Nick's strings and held up by rich, rolling riffs, their songs had fulsome dynamics and gratifying melodic moods. Their style was canonical rock, creative and progressive, with a blues edge and it certainly did it for me and for the large crowd that had come down to see them. First class!

Wednesday 21st October

Sumo. A line up of Leicester's promising young bands. Not well attended but musically a good night none the less. Astromaniacs - three likely lads with a good sense of rhythm - put on a good set of their own songs. Despite lead vocalist Nik having a bad chest, he sung well and put on a strong performance. With a plentiful supply of compelling riffs and punchy beats the trio pumped out an energetic set. Dotted with big sounds and foot-tapping beats to back up the memorable melodic lines, it was all good.

People Versus from Cosby/Whetstone area launched their set with an upbeat song, punchy and full of good riffs. Having been around and got well established, they have moved on and have a lot of new material to add their existing repertoire. Interesting instrumental arrangements, tight playing and list enable music added up to a strong set.

The Pickpocketswas led by Omar on load vocals and rhythm guitar, backed by Dave on the drums and backing vocals, Jonathon on lead guitar and Glen on bass and vocals. Their songs were brisk and inventive pushed along by compelling beats and some nice rolling riffs and god on vocal depth and colour.

The lineup of youthful faces, skinny jeans and checked shirts was topped off by The Hordes, whose set out-classed the rest. The quartet of teenagers showed just good young musicians can be. Solid punchy songs underpinned by well rounded guitar lines, some stamping passages, drew the crowd to the front and brought the evening to a resounding finale. All through the set, you kept hearing well known sounds from bigger bands and some iconic phrases, suggesting that this a band that really knows what contemporary music is all about. Commanding the stage, they had a presence that was glittering with star quality. It's no mean feat to fire the crowd into spontaneous clapping, without being prompted, because the dynamics of the song demands it. Clappy, shouty, foot stomping sounds that were compulsive and appealing - brilliant!

Wednesday 14th October

An exceptionally good night at Sumo. A lineup starting with Razmataz and including Fazed and Exit Avenue was headlined by superband Arms of Atlas. This power-rock band played an thrilling set of hardcore/nu metal, laced with inspirational influences from a variety of idioms but we heard a huge set of pulsating sounds from the four vocalists, backed by some exceptional wizardry on the strings and skins. They drew a maximum crowd for their massively big sounding set of energy-laden songs and scintillating stage performance. Arms of Atlas deliver everything that is needed for top notch music: songs with compulsive clappy intros, huge waves of sound pouring out into the audience, rhythms as compelling as a tribal dance, some thrash, gloriously shouty vocals, some guitar fireworks ... it's bright, brilliant and electrifying. They bring to the stage everything you would look for in a top level band. Powerful music played with unrelenting passion. They even had a unique party piece, where they get the crowd to sit on the floor, until an explosive moment is reached in the song and then everyone jumps up and goes mental. An hour of hair, sweat and riot from a band that totally lives its music. At one point a man in the crowd got carried away but the band held the crowd and the incident passed. Arms of Atlas have reinvented the heavier end of rock and pushed the dark, gloomy, 80s style of metal off the ledge and given us a replacement that is fresh, new but just as electrifying.

See entry in our New Bands list for Arms of Atlas. See our last review of this band.

Sunday 11th October

The road to Glastonbudget was opened for young Leicester band Kicking Habits, as they went through the gates at the Glastonbudget autions at the shed. The band comprises Michael 17 - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar, Adam 17 - Vocals/Lead Guitar, Briggsy 17 - Vocals/Bass Guitar and Jake 15 - Vocals/Drums. A group rich in talent but the amazing drumming of Jake merits a special mention. Three strong vocalists front up the lineup and the whole band pumps out shafts of energy and passion. Their songs thump out enthralling rhythms which they reflect in their upbeat stage presence. Their engaging songs, lively performance and spirited set list went down well with the large audience and they were given a place at the festival. Well done Kicking Habits. You showed them how to do it.

Saturday 10th October

Jersey Budd and the Heroes performed at the Charlotte. It was a packed night, part of the opening series for the re-vamped Charlotte. Jersey Budd (said by some to be Leicester's answer to Bruce Springsteen) put on a stormingly good set and The Heroes went down a treat, including their new song "King of the Castle", which was warmly welcomed by the heaving crowd. Jersey Budd's next Leicester show will be at the Charlotte on 31st December. The Heroes are appearing at the big charity show at the Half Time Orange - full details on our gigs list.

Thursday 24th September

The heats of the Battle of the Bands at the smart Mandarin Lounge are producing some interesting results. First on the diminutive stage tonight was Weekend Schemers, a young band that has done really well for itself since starting out only a few months ago.

Led by vocalist James Hazell, and backed by the plucky guitar solos of Conor Evans, the band has figured out how to write engaging and listenable songs, full of attractive catchy hooks and ear pleasing vocal lines. These guys have a great grasp of rhythm, their tunes bounce along, with convincing dynamics in the songs, inventively jumping from piano to pianissimo. This makes a change from the monotony you get from less creative bands. It adds up to a set that holds the attention throughout - no desire to slope off for a fag in the middle of their set, no thinking "well I have heard the first two songs, so I get the idea". They have a good mix of moods and colours and have clearly put a lot of thought and time into composing their material. Added to that, they are an amiable and charming group of musicians. The Schemers should go a long way and have certainly attracted interest from bigger bands in the locality and so we should be seeing them at some of the larger gigs in the forthcoming calendar. A pleasing and enjoyable band.

Following them came The Bike Shed Effect, a similarly young four piece ensemble bursting with talent. A not dissimilar indie style of music, they gave us a contemporary sound. They have clearly studied current indie but have avoided slavishly emulating one particular band. You can hear echoes of several top bands in their set, suggesting that they have judiciously picked the best from the best and moulded it into their own work. I was impressed by the inventive hooks coming off the guitar of Rob Aldridge and the beautifully clear vocals of guitar/singer Louis Kallquist. A band with a future.

It was interesting to hear these two bands playing together - offering a sort of compare and contrast type experience. Both had similarities of style, age and musical ability and both have already secured attention on the local scene from those who can recognise genuine rising talent.

The heat was not won by either of these bands. Instead the judges gave the night's prize to the older, heavier, more invasive sounds of power rock band Product Recall. I have reviewed this band several times before in these pages and am in danger of repeating myself. But I have to say these guys are exhilarating. Reminding me of the first album of California's Linking Park - 'Hybrid Theory' [2005] - their set was full of the extensive walls of sound, explosive chords and roaring vocal lines harkening back to late millennium nu-metal and rapcore. Throbbing, pulsing beats, massive guitar and drum statements underpinned with expansive bass chords - it's sternly gripping stuff dudes.

Added to that these musicians were on stage with their guitars whilst the previous band members were still wetting their nappies. Even on on the cramped confines of the Lounge stage, PR had a stronger sense of stage craft, making the younger bands look a bit limp by comparison. Had the Schemers and the BSE played on different nights with other lineups they might easily have won their heats. Such is the stuff of competitions.

At the end of the evening, judge Damien StJohn from Leicester Sound announced the result to a delighted body of fans and everyone went home older and wiser.

Tuesday 25th August

Interesting lineup of bands at the shed for the semi-finals of the SilverBullet Battle of the bands.

White Ashes played first - a young band who played extraordinarily well and had a nice bouncy attractive set of songs. Members of the Heroes were in the audience to check them out and said they liked what they heard - so that was good.

New metal band Azidify put on a blazingly good set on Sunday at the shed and were back again tonight. I think they could be the next Slaine.

Kill the Batman have decided to change their name to This Empire Falls.

Popular indie kids Weekend Schemers were there too - so, all in all a great lineup. But I had to go to Walkabout to put on my own show, so it was a brief visit.

Friday 24th July

Battle of the bands Semi-Final took place at the Pavilion Venue with Sugarsnatch, Original Dave, Product Recall, Hail the Victim, Schemy and 6th Circle. Product Recall and Hail the Victim went through to the finals on 7th August

Product Recall came top with a set of heavy rock songs that were exhillarating, pumping out some thundering sounds and full-thoated screamo vocals. Songs such as "Bitchslap", "Twinkle, twinkle" and "Ode to Louie" were totally thrilling. In your ears and in your face, a band with a heavy slab of loud and pulsating passion.

Wednesday 8th July

A good "Winner Takes All" night at the Shed with some interesting and enjoyable bands. First on were Coventry band Conduit, who played a strong, energetic and stimulating set of progressive hardcore songs. Would be glad to see them back in Leicester again. Huge sounds and some spine tingling screamo - great stuff! They came third.

Young Leicester band White Ashes played an inspirational set. The 16 year olds were playing their first ever gig and did it so well they walked off with the night's prize, coming first in the public vote. Their set of rocky indie songs went down well with their substantial crowd of fans. Lead vocalist Joe Walker pushed the songs along with a good wedge of confidence and the band certainly had some catchy beats to enjoy.

Herts band 2 Feet Wide have played in Leicester several times before and the guys presented an awesome set of songs, that bristled with power and electricity. The band dripped sweat and adrenalin to give the crowd a set of thirlling songs, performed with total commitment, passion and vitality. Songs that provide the thrill of metal with the clean, razor sharp edges of nu punk and hardcore. Have felt exhillarated every time I have seen them.

Leicester band Kill The Batman are assiduously working to climb the ladder with their set of rocky songs and came second in the night's voting. A solid band, the guys are putting every effort into getting their name known and tonight their performance was even better than last time when they won the WTA competition. That's progress. Their progress as a band is impressive and matched by the commitment of the band members to make it work for them. KTB are one of the bands that are playing the opening night of the new Walkabout live nights season.

Wednesday 1st July (amended 13/6/09)

A heat of the back to back, ongoing "Winner takes all" competition, at the Shed, was won by Weekend Schemers. Sparkly Derby indie band Jet Set Disco came second, bringing down more fans than some of the Leicester bands and Shepshed's Hey Band came fourth.

Third Time Lucky are a young trio from Coalville who look like they could really go somewhere. Like a lot of inexperienced young bands they tend to treat the stage as an extension of the band practice room, but I was impressed by lead singer Zack Wisehall who, despite being very young, established himself as a front singer with presence, getting into the audience and bringing the performance out on to the floor. Whilst they don't stand out musically, they could go far if they develop some material with more originality and work up a bit of edge and rawness to what they do. Third Time Lucky

Hey band are four guys from Shepshed who started playing in about January 2009. They say their influences are based on the Smiths, Bloc Party, Foals, The Maccabees and The Dispacements. So they are certainly looking in the right place for inspiration. They are also great fans of Late of the Pier. Their ambition is to get to play on lineups with top Leicester bands, such the Heroes, The Dandilions and Autohype. They are making new songs but so far have only one track recorded.

The band made its debut at the Shed on Wednesday 1st July. Playing the headline slot, the five piece band featured the vocals of lead singer Scott Redfern, and produced a characteristic sound, full of captivating beats. Apart from playing their own songs, Hey Band also played a couple of covers, including the Wombat's "dance to joy division", to which they gave their own speedy interpretation. Whilst Scott had a good voice, he lacked the stage presence expected of a front man and seem afraid of looking at the audience, prefering to spend a lot of time gazing at the ceiling, which was rather off putting. Quite the opposit to the style of Zack Wisehall of Third Time Lucky who was excellent at engaging his fans and pulling members of the audience into the songs. At times the drummer and lead guitarist gave a hand with some backing vocals but not nearly enough to enrich the songs, throughout the set.

The band did however come out with some songs that had a different sound, which they played with a good deal of passion and commitment. Some of their songs show promise and potential and there is clearly some musical talent at work in the band and at times broke into some exhillarating rhythms. Hey Band has I think a future ahead of it, once they get some flying hours on stage under their belts and Scott learns to live his songs and sing to the audience, rather than appearing to read his lyrics off the ceiling! Hey band are on Facebook

Weekend Schemers comprises four lads, including a vocalist with a reasonably good approach to singing. Despite not having been together for very long, they put on a good, strong set. Their offering could be more catchy and will in time, I think, appeal to a wider audience. The new song they played had a convicing guitar intro but then tended to lose its sense of direction. A performance with a fair bit of energy and commitment, their songs could be improved by strengthing with some memorable lyrics and more easily recognisable melodic content, because their current stuff, although good, might need some improvement. this will happen as they play more and compose new material. The lead vocalist had some tuning issues, and their presence on stage was flat and uninspiring. All of these drawbacks are mendable and there is clearly some good song writing talent and solid instrumentation waiting to find its way and develop a style of its own. Weekend Schemers.

Jet Set Disco presented a listenable set, buzzing with energy and having some well blended and sparkling guitar work from the three string players, it was very NME, played with a good deal of passion and pumping out some compulsive material. The quartet from Derby were clearly the best band on the lineup. Having been playing for only a year or so, the guys were a weeny bit older than the other bands, but were also making their debut at The Shed. Solid vocals from the bassist lead singer Joshua were backed by vocals from two other musicians and their set was very contemporary, pumping out some rocky, compelling beats and melodies that were reminiscent of The Stokes. All three vocals came into play at times, giving the song colour and depth.

Enjoyable and engaging, they brought the show to life and stood out as an accomplished band that makes you want to see more of them. Jet Set Disco.

Monday 8th June

The Echoes from Cheltenham played at the Shed. They played a thoroughly enjoyable set of good pop rock songs. Tight, tuneful and catchy, their set got the show off to a good start. They have been quite successful so far, having appeared on Radio 1 on the Annie Mac show and have had a number of sell out gigs. Two lead vocalists who sang well together, though stage presence was a bit limp. So, let's hope they come back soon.

Also at this show we saw A World Defined from Derby. Lots of energy and action on stage, pulsating, powerful songs, some ear piercing screamo but exhillarating stuff all the same.

Also: A week of Summer - four piece pop rock band; compelling, thumping songs reminiscent of Exit Avenue.

Leicester band Last Edition (pictured) - five member ska band with trumpet and tenor sax. A tantalising blend of ska and rock, infectious, fast-paced songs with two strong lead vocals. Very pleasing and worth seeing again.

30th May 2009

Mango Mafia from Loughborough playing at the Shed. We also saw them in Birmingham at the Rainbow Warehouse in Digbeth on Tuesday 9th June, where they were playing a heat in the Surface Unsigned competition on the same bill as The Heroes.

Saturday 9th May 2009

The International Arts Centre

AUTOHYPE + DEAP PEOPLE + TIRED IRAE

Three top bands - one top night - nice venue. See gig reviews for more coverage

Friday 8th May 2009

Overdrive V - massive night at the Y

M48

The Fazed

The Heroes

All the bands were amazing - the Heroes were totally awesome. Huge crowd turned out to see them. One top night. Overdrive gigs - always good.

Thursday 7th May 2009

ABANDON (Midlands band) played at the Sun Bar. Top class band from Mansfield, these guys played a superb set of rock. They were brilliant - throbbing, pulsating, thrilling mainstream rock with a couple of favourite classic covers thrown in. An excellent band.

Sunday 3rd May 2009

A really good night with a large crowd and two sound stages. Just as good as the first one, Superfly live bands has established itself as a must see show. Top class bands and top DJs - the SUPERFLY brand is now well established as one of Leicester's best music nights.

with the Pennyhangers - they were great

+ The Utopians - new set of songs with a different sound

+ The Buzzards - class rock and roll

+ The Radio Collective - cool, different, quality sound

+ Twenty Below Zero - buzzing and throbbing - They won the vote and the prize for best band.

+ The Black Report - a singer songwriter with a solidly good set and a lot of presence

+ Natalie Squance - fine vocals and delightful songs

+ James Lewis - young singer songwriter with an impressive set of songs.

Definitely a top class show, in a nice venue.

Come back soon for a full review of the night.

Check what's happenong on the venue's web site Superfly

Saturday 2nd May 2009

Acoustics night at the Shed. A line up of some of the best singers in Leicester plus acoustics sets from M48 and The Wayward Trippers. A superb night of quality music. As one leading artist put it "this is such a great change to hear music this good at the shed. Some of the stuff that goes on the stage here is shocking".

Speaks Volumes presented a line up of top quality acoustic artists and bands Best of Leicester Acoustic Night

A gem of a night with some of the best singers Leicester can offer.

Steve Faulkner - stunning - a brilliant artist who put on a thrilling set of his own songs and some fine interpretation of covers including Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" - Steve's interpretation is miles better than the original.

Joe Morrell - a solidly good performance, songs with feeling and panache - excellent guitar work

Charlie Jones - gave a captivating performance of her own indie songs, delightful

Chris Armson - amusing, talented and very skilled

M48 Acoustic Set - three beautifully harmonised singers with a set of songs full of musical character.

Wayward Trippers (Acoustic set) - nice work from three members of the band

Friday 1st May 2009

The Loros Charity night saw thrilling performances from Birmingham band Strangle Kojak and Leicester powerpop band Formal Warning, plus good solid sets from Sleepercell from Ipswich and Nottingham's leading ska band The Harringtons.

Friday 1st May 2009

at the Musician, Original Bands Showcase (OBS)

The winner was Damp Matress

Thursday 30th April 2009

Backline played at the shed and again it was a treat to be remembered - sadly because this was guitarist Joe's last gig with the band but happily because they put on a stunning show and Chris did another brilliant front man performance.

Thurdsay 30th April 2009

The last of the first round heats of the Empire and the Land saw Twenty Below Zero put on a solidly impressive set and Deap People (including ex members of Ego Armalade) storming through one top set of sings. But the winner was M48.

Wednesday 29th April 2009

Mansfield classic rock band Abandon played at the Shed. They have a first class set of songs that provide all that is good from classic rock. Well worth seeing. Young Leicester band Astromaniacs played a solid set of their own poppy, rocky indie songs. Shed loads of promise in that band.

Sunday 26th April 2009

O Bar in Braunstone Gate was the setting for an acoustics night that included the great Steve Faulkner, rising indie star Charlie Jones, an acoustic set from The Truth and a storming performance by Steven Walker. Super set by Dead Slow - a band to watch out for .One good night. Show put on by Melting Pot; worth going to future gigs put on by them.