Leicester rock gigs - and band news 2007
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| rock gigs | rock bands | rock clubs and venues | Review for 2008
Ego Armalade, The Charlotte, Friday 28th December 2007
The Charlotte gig saw a strong line up of local talent including The Utopians, The Heroes, M48 and others supporting Ego Armalade's headline slot. Ego have a passionate following and this is the only place where you will see fans crowd surfing ON the stage. The wildly enthusiastic fans surged on to the stage for the final song. The lead singer had to perch precariously at the edge and the health and safety man had to be given oxygen. But it was a super end to a night of quality music.
The support slots from the young bands went really well. The Utopians played a few of their catchy songs including a couple of new ones and the Heroes and M48 put in strong performances. Ego put on a great show; its full of passion and energy and they know so well how to work an audience. Ego are decidedly a performance band; being live on stage and creating a frenzy in the audience is what they are all about.
Leicester's rock scene is booming with several bands becoming big in the UK and beyond. Ego Armalade is established in the local rock band royalty.
Ego Armalade The Screening, Y Theatre, 22nd December 2007
 Drawing a big crowd to see a rock band play is not something that happens that often where our local bands are concerned. The Screening managed to fill the Y Theatre for their headline show. This is one of the most important and successful indie bands in Leicester and they do enjoy a sizeable following.
When they played at the first Secret Skins Party, a thousand tickets sold in a short space of time (bearing in mind that Bloc Party were also billed to appear at that event.)
The band played for an hour but then they have a considerable portfolio of songs. The audience clearly enjoyed their set, with one crowd of lads dancing and moshing continuously throughout the set. This was not a 16+ audience either; most of those who turned out on that Saturday night were 18 or over.
Tight playing, strong vocals and a really polished and well-oiled performance, makes this one of the top bands in the local rock scene. Two fans actually travelled from the USA just to see this show. The band enjoys a following over the pond, having toured there recently and they have management in the US. Many fans actually travelled long distances from other parts of the UK to attend this show.
Yes it was a great night and a quality set from one of our best local bands. The Screening
Backline, The Shed, Thursday 13th December 2007
 A fair sized crowd turned out to see Leicester band Backline play and it's no great surprise that this band enjoys an enthusiastic following.
This is a band that has all the right ingredients: memorable songs, a sizzling lead singer, and a strong stage performance from the rest of the band.
Backline have produced a number of hit songs, which above all have established their reputation as one of Leicester's leading young rock bands, including their flagship hit "Turn to you".
Backline's songs have an energy, passion and exuberance that makes them stand out.
Backline
Boy Hits Car, The Shed, Monday 3rd December 2007
 The gig of the year, an unforgettable experience - Los Angeles legends BOY HITS CAR - played at the Shed. It was one awesome show.
Visiting Leicester as part of the band's UK Tour, BHC visited 18 towns and played a gig every day. The band could have filled some of the country's largest arenas but instead they chose to play small venues, in order to get back to the roots of what rock is all about for the majority of bands. Traveling from gig to gig in a massive two story tour bus, the lads worked incredibly hard but, by all accounts, received a rapturous response from their adoring fans.
BHC have toured with System of a Down,
Incubus, Papa Roach, and Flyleaf to name a few. Not only do they have a repertoire of extraordinarily powerful and poetic songs, but they have a massive stage presence which makes a live encounter with Boy Hits Car, an exciting experience which is never forgotten. Formed in 1993, the band played at the Reading Festival in 2001. They released their first album in 1998 and their seminal album Boy Hits Car in the same year.
 Their heavy style of nu-rock is influenced by Eastern rhythms and sounds and sometimes includes ethnic instruments. The lead singer Cregg Rondell plays a 12 string acoustic guitar which gives many of the band's songs a distinctive sound. Sadly at the Shed gig some of the strings on it broke but Cregg carried on playing an still turned out an impressive performance.
I am so full of love
I am so full of hate
I am so full of these feelings
That tear me every which way
lyrics that we fans have been listening to for nearly six years on the album, and then suddenly there was the band performing them live only a few feet away from us - it was spooky! But just so amazing.
Clegg's guitar was mounted on a stand, rather than being attached to him by a strap, allowing him to sing and play and then take a few moment to leap around the stage or dance before going back to it for another sequence of song. A typical song reflecting this Eastern idiom would be "Going to India" (Track 8 from the 2001 Boy Hits Car album). When Clegg announced that the band were about to perform "As I watch the sun Fuxk the Ocean" a cheer went up from the crowd; this is perhaps one of the best loved songs and most of us know the words of the whole song.
 The performance put on this by band is one of the many aspects of the BHC experience that all fans remember; it out classes most other bands in its energy, aggression, tender moments, and massive explosions of sound. At the start of the show, the four band members gathered together in a group hug, similar to a rugby team about to play a game which they totally intend to win. They psyched themselves up to give a total performance and even though it was a small venue, the band played it like it was the Wembly Arena.
Their hour long set concluded with an encore, the crowd not letting the band go until they had one final song; indeed the audience would have happily soaked up a lot more.
Support bands included SYMPHONY CULT from Kent (note the drummer is the son of the one-time drummer from AC/DC), the delightful PINK STRIP, CAR CRASH TELEVISION and Oxford indie band FATALLY YOURS. Pink Strip gave an excellent performance, with lead female vocalists and rip-roaring rock songs.
The band ended its UK Tour at Camden's Underworld.
A full list of all the venues played on the tour can be viewed on the Boy Hits Car UK Tour page
Boy Hits Car Official Web Site | Boy Hits Car on MySpace | Boy Hits Car on Wikkipedia | YouTube movie of "I'm a cloud"
Stay true to the dreams of your youth.
Forty More Autumns, The Shed, Tuesday 27th November 2007
 There are a lot of good things about young Leicester rock stars Forty More Autumns, but one of them is their ability to pull out a great crowd to support their shows.
This is one local band that never plays to an empty hall. Headlining at a gig supported by Taste the Chase and Naked Gravy, this was one happy night of catchy tunes and dancy songs. These bands know how to work an adoring audience.
Many older and better established bands would envy their crowd surfing, mosh-pit laden shows and the enthusiasm of their fans. Musically, Forty More Autumns have come up with some hit songs, which are chart material.
The band has also pitched its rock idiom in a particularly popular and thriving corner of the market; they have taken rhythms from ska and reggae, laced them with a punky flavour and come up with a sound that is tasty and original. One band with a strong future if they can hold on to and grow that fan base.
Forty More Autumns
Jif, The Shed, Sunday 4th November 2007
 JIF is a progressive metal band with six members; unusually they have two lead vocalists. This duet works well because they share the vocals, Bilby singing one part of the song and Glyn, another. Their set was epic; they have carved out their own individual style of metal. This is a band that has bucked the traditions of metal in favour of creating something original, a sound which marks them out as one of the most accomplished bands in the county.
The vocals include well sung melodic passages, with screamo contributions from the lead singers and one of the guitarists. Three guitarists turn out some awesome playing. Jif should be heard from a large sound stage in the open air, with a powerful PA system, to bring out the full effect of their massive sound.
Jif played at the end of a really odd night, which featured five totally different bands playing totally unrelated styles of music. Little wonder then that there were few people to make an audience other than band members and the reps from Glastonbudget. Jif do however deserve to be heard and to share a line up with complementary bands and a solid crowd. This is one epic band which is, within their genre, arguably one of the best in Leicestershire.
Jif
For The Record, The Shed, Sunday 4th November 2007
 The Glastonbudget Festival's selection showcase night was the setting for the set played by young Leicester Band, For The Record. They sang six songs, two of them from their new EP. David provided the lead vocals and can carry his voice over the backing instruments with ease, and is the song-writing powerhouse of the band. Poz, the drummer and Ben the bassist also provided vocal accompaniment in some of the songs.
The band opened its set with "You Caught My Eye", a song with memorable lyrics and a strong melody. What marks this band out, is that they know to write songs that can remembered after the set. Catchy rhythms, strong tempos and thrusting beats ensure that most people are going to warm to this band.
For The Record are part of a clutch of young bands who often play together and represent the cream of young indie talent in Leicester. Whilst some of the others tend to be pop-punk, these guys have more a feel of acoustic, classic rock.
For a young band they played with remarkable confidence and polish. David, the lead vocalist plays most of the songs with an acoustic guitar accompaniment. They work well on the stage and they work their audience. This is a band that is growing stronger all the time. If they get signed within the next twelve months, no one will be surprised.
Their set ended with their hit song "High School Royalty", strong riffs, catchy lyrics and definitely a song which marks this band out from the rest.
For The Record
With A Story, Maddisons, Saturday 3rd November, 2007
 Leicester band "With a story" have a collection of really good songs, delivered by front man Ross Wimperis and backed by Blake "Raab" Jackson on Drums, Johno Dreijers, Guitar/Backing Vocals and Simon Phillips - Bass Guitar. Ross's singing style and voice has been likened to Jon Bon Jovi - clearly articulated phrasing with a slightly rough timbre.
Playing in the basement at Maddisons (a small room reminiscent of the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool), the huge sound of the band felt a little squashed. These guys could fill the De MontFort Hall with what they do, they pump out a big sound - not just loud, but full of gusto and energy.
Many of their songs are memorable ballads, such as "Melodies", with its tuneful chorus and catchy intro. Although the band has been likened to Audioslave, the band itself doesn't concur that this is one of their greatest influences.
This is one exciting band and what sells them is their ability to knock out really good 2-step songs. Memorable lyrics, equally memorable melodies, delivered with a generous slice of classic rock riffs. These guys are a highly talented band with a great future ahead of them.
With A Story
Taste The Chase, The Shed, Monday 29th
October 2007
 Playing at the Shed on Monday 29th October,
Leicester band Taste the Chase drew an
enthusiastic reception from their sell-out
audience. The audience danced, waved their
arms in the air and clapped along with
the infectious beats. The band put on a
great show for their adoring fans, with
a lot of interaction with the crowd, often
pulling them into the action of the music.
Taste the Chase
are a young Leicester band whose music
draws on the rhythms and melodies of
Ska and Reggae. The four band members
pushed out an infectious collection of
foot tapping songs. Lead vocalist and
guitarist Tom Mason was ably backed up
by Saxophonist Alex Hawkes, with Bass from “Smack” and
drums from Keiran “Kiz” Ryder.
A new addition to the line up was Trombonist “Cede”.
The blend of brass, drums and guitars
produced a big sound, quite different from
that of the more common all-guitar bands.
The band ably captured the colours and
fast throbbing rhythms of Ska and Reggae.
The band clearly enjoyed playing at their
hit gig and they showed it. The enthusiasm
of the audience was fervently echoed on
the stage by the relish with which these
young musicians tackled their songs. Having
a strong stage presence and working the
audience is, after all the essence of good
musical entertainment.
Strong beats, passionate performances
and confident stage presence, mark out
Taste the Chase as one of the most promising
young bands in Leicester.
Many bands have
one song that is an obvious hit tune
and “A perfect day” is
certainly that – with its catchy
phrase “You look good on the dance
floor”. If anything will bring this
band to the notice of labels and radio
DJs, this song is likely to do it for them.
Taste The Chase
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Gig Reviews 2008
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