#343: THE CONJURING 2

2016

Directed by James Wan

Supernatural Horror, Psychological Horror.

Strap yourself in for another ride of intense jump scares, creepy atmospheres and scary entities! James Wan is back to direct the sequel to the hit film that is probably my favourite Horror movie of the decade thus far. The Conjuring 2 shifts the horror over to England and is set in 1977 (the second film released this month to be set in '77 after The Nice Guys) and is based on the real life Enfield Poltergeist case. This is one of the most famous haunted house cases in the UK, which has already been the subject of press coverage, documentaries and a TV mini series last year. The Conjuring aims to keep the majority of the real life events intact, but also adds more involvement of the real life Ed and Lorraine Warren (from the first film), the paranormal investigators who worked on the case.

The first thing that really impressed me about this American made film was that they got England right! Most times I see American's portraying English people, it is merely a series of horrible stereotypes, but the look and feel of England is spot on here, and there was nothing that annoyed me in that respect. Another of my pet peeves in cinema is annoying child actors, but the kids in this film weren't annoying also. Already we were off to a good start! In fact from the first minute of the film, I felt on edge, squirming in my cinema seat! James Wan doesn't do anything particularly new in terms of scare tactics, that you haven't seen in the first one or Insidious or many other ghostly Horror films. However he seems to just have a knack of doing suspenseful build ups and jump scares really well. He knows how to pick and choose his moments, backed up with very creepy art design and a suffocating dark ambient soundtrack with screeching violins. Wan also uses some really inventive camera techniques. The camera moves freely through all the rooms of the house and sometimes there are even POV shots that add to the tension. There were definitely more than a few moments in the film where I wished I had brought a pillow with me to hide behind! 

The Conjuring 2 very much does the whole sequel thing by just delivering more! Demons, poltergeists, possessed children, creepy old men and even a terrifying nun all crop up throughout. Running at 2 hours and 15 minutes, I think a couple of scenes could have easily been trimmed to advance the pacing, but in fairness there was rarely a dull moment as James Wan likes to test how many times someone can crap their pants in one sitting! Without giving anything away, perhaps the most scary and intense scene of the film involves merely a drink of water...! If you enjoyed the first film, there is plenty more to enjoy here, though aside from the UK setting, it isn't a drastic departure in style and execution over the first film (or perhaps Wan's Insidious series too). If you haven't seen the original, don't fear because this is an entirely different haunting case, so you can enjoy this film without feeling like you have missed lots of plot details from the first film. I say, if the film makers and cast can keep up the good quality, then I'll be happy to keep watching these films! 8/10.

#342: PARQUET COURTS + HOUSEWIVES: LIVE IN MANCHESTER

HOUSEWIVES

Opening for Parquet Courts tonight at Manchester Gorilla was a mysterious London based quartet named Housewives (in actuality an all male band). The band members walked onto the Gorilla stage with as much darkness as possible. Their vocalist opened up the set with the droning sound of the didgeridoo, as a guitarist and a man on electronic pads began to envelop the sold out crowd in a blanket of noisy feedback. Haunting, eerie electronics began to shake and rumble the room, making Gorilla seem even darker than what it was. A sinister atmosphere fell over Manchester as the band's sound escalated in dissonance. The man playing the didgeridoo soon swapped it for a guitar. Minimal pounding drums erupted from out of nowhere with rumbling sub bass and strobe lightning kicking in too. The guitarist jammed a single repetitive atonal drone riff, as the Electronics seemed to weave in and out. All of these elements combined to create a dizzying and nauseating effect, but in a sadistically enjoyable way!

Housewives soon transitioned into (ever so slightly) more accessible territory with a scatty Post-Punk riff sounding like Joy Division if they were playing out of tune guitars. Their guitarist and vocalist added super tripped out, reverb heavy vocals with a demanding, almost aggressive force behind them. Indecipherable yells filled the room in a cavernous manner. The guitarist started scraping his guitar with a drumstick, as the drummer played a robotic pounding riff on a rather minimalist drum kit (I'm not sure if there were even any cymbals). It was hard to tell if there were multiple songs being played or one giant continuous behemoth, as there were no breaks in the performance and they didn't communicate verbally with the crowd. Not that any of this mattered as I found myself deeply immersed in the sounds and intense atmosphere they were creating. Housewives gradually began to slow down and release the intensity a little, transitioning into a droning and hypnotic sphere. I closed my eyes to take in the music even more and it was a truly ethereal experience. In a further display of their oddness, the guitarist and vocalist then whipped out a saxophone because, why the hell not!?

I think that Housewives might not have struck a chord with everyone in the crowd, considering they are completely different to the headlining band, but the crowd response was a very positive one and I think people's minds would have been blown tonight like mine was. Housewives took the sonic freeform of PIL, the pounding repetition of Can and the scatty Avant Garde experimentation of This Heat, channeled into something new and fresh. One of the most intense performances I have seen in recent times that even threatened to outshine headliners Parquet Courts! 9/10.

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PARQUET COURTS

Hot off their 5th album "Human Performance", Manchester was treated to their very own human performance as the quartet took the stage. Considering the new album cover has the words "HUM it PERFectly MANCunian" stylised on it, I got the impression that New Yorkers Parquet Courts were happy to play in Manchester. They kicked straight into "Dust" with real enthusiasm... Well as enthusiastic as Slacker Indie Rock bands get of course! Their long haired guitarist doubled up with one hand strumming the guitar and another played a one handed melody on a nearby keyboard. A lot of their songs are pretty short, which gave them the freedom to belt through lots of their songs, performing practically everything off their fantastic new album, with oldies mixed in too.

I didn't quite expect it, but the sold out Gorilla crowd tonight seemed to mistake Parquet Courts for Slayer, as I was swept into a really brutal and painful moshpit that seemed to last for most of their performance. Even during the slower, more languidly paced songs, people seemed to want to mosh which kind of took the piss, but okay! I spent most of the show getting fucked up right at the front being pushed, pulled and squeezed into the stage, occasionally spilling onto it! For the most part Parquet Courts brought a true Punk Rock energy to the show, sounding louder, noisier and faster than on the records during their more aggro driven songs. In particular finale "Sunbathing Animal" was a wash of noisy, angular guitars with constant ranting vocals spewing over the top. I never realised just from listening to the albums, but both guitarists and their bassist not only come together to perform vocals, but will take in turns to take the leads on each song. 

A huge highlight for me was one of the more chilled out songs from the new album, "One Man, No City", driven by twanging Post Punk guitars with call and response vocals. Each splendid verse bled into Velvet Underground meets Sonic Youth style tangents of meandering guitar solos that jangled in and out of discordance. The title track of the new album was as close to a flag waving anthem as this band gets, with majestic, soaring vocals that erupt into a loud, shouty chorus! The robotic Funk of "I Was Just Here" took their show into a quirky direction that matched the group's good humour inbetween songs.

There is something refreshing about the way Parquet Courts play with half the band giving it a lively Punk welly, and the other two in more of a laid back stance. But I guess it perfectly encapsulates two worlds of Punk Rock and Slacker Indie meeting, shaking hands and then enjoying a drink at the bar together. The whole show was a real knockout, with me and most of the crowd leaving drenched in sweat and spilled beer. 9/10.

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June 18th 2016 @ Gorilla, Manchester.

#341: ACxDC: POWERVIOLENCE! GRIND! HARDCORE! ALLDAYER - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

In the same week that AC/DC performed with Axl Rose at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, US Hardcore legends ACxDC played Rebellion Manchester with a whopping 9 bands in support from all over the UK. With the price of only £7 for 10 bands, I feel like I underpaid to see so many fine quality bands. In contrast it would probably have cost 10 times this amount to see the real AC/DC!

Many people in the Extreme Metal scene and perhaps beyond will certainly have heard of the Temples Festival incident. Temples Festival was due to be running at the exact same time in Bristol, but was abruptly cancelled less than a week before it even began! Not only did this leave gig goers potentially with transport tickets and booked hotels that they were unable to get refunded at such short notice, but a lot of bands travelling from all over the world were left without a major platform to showcase their music. I'm not going to go too much into how it all happened, but thankfully promoters all across Britain worked their socks off night and day to make sure the majority of the touring bands had new gigs to play. Musicians in the underground music scene do not earn a comfortable living, and so the loss of playing at a packed out Festival could have been catastrophic. It was such a sight to see the Metal community pull together, with promoters and bands working tirelessly together to make sure all these bands had a stage to play on. And I hear that most of the travelling bands indeed got sorted in the end, even if it was a complete last minute job.

Winds of Genocide and Geist were both added to this bill at the zero hour. The show was originally billed to take place at the nearby Retro Bar, but ended up taking place at Rebellion after two different promoters pulled together to make the best of a bad situation. But anyway that's enough backstory, here's how the bands got on...

PIVORAPIST

Don't be too alarmed by their band name, as apparently it just means the band like to drink loads of Pivo Beer... Okay some alarm may be required! Pivorapist opened a fast and furious all-dayer in style. Self described as a Porno/Goregrind band, this automatically makes them a love it or hate it kind of act. Their music is obviously very tongue in cheek and those who have a very sick sense of humour will probably already own their entire discography!

Rebellion saw a strong crowd pouring in from the very start as Pivorapist shred through a set of one dimensional Death-Grind with a mixture of pig grunting vocals and growls that sounded like the lead vocalist was trying to regurgitate his breakfast! Their songs were all kind of a blur with very little variety, but the performance itself had a lot of passion and some mild intensity. In particular their drummer (who also plays guitar in Gorehead) looked exhausted by the end after a constant display of blastbeats nearly wore him down. Gorehead's lead vocalist and guitarist joined them on stage for a song about "Japanese women shitting on each other" for one of the standouts of their set. Despite any real memorable riffs or moments, Pivorapist still gave it a lot of welly, had people laughing and were just plain sick, twisted, demented and silly fun! 7/10.

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BRAINSHIT

To me, Brainshit is what happens when I have to get up a 7am to go to work on a Monday morning and I'm so tired I can't figure out which direction the alarm clock is beeping from! But for this Manchester duo, Brainshit is a super aggressive Powerviolence inspired band with just a drummer and a guitarist. I've heard a lot about this duo tearing a new sinkhole into Manchester, so I was very glad to see them at last! Brainshit's music is very playful but also very tense. They can be play a sweet, slow as fuck Sludge riff one moment, and then out of nowhere break into lightning fast Grindcore riffs, even if it's just for 10 seconds. Brainshit don't do formulaic music and were consistently unpredictable on stage. They have some very short songs, which gave their set a frantic stop/start energy that would throw the moshers off. I could only stand in true awe as I watched a relentlessly blistering set of supremely noisy and brash riffs. Drummer Jon especially looked like he had a full workout on the kit, also adding vocals. This duo are very tight and both share a fantastic vision of their music. If only Slap-A-Ham Records still existed! By the end of their set, Jon had beaten the shit out of his cymbals so hard they ended up shattering! The All-Dayer just went next level! 9/10.

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GOREHEAD

Manchester locals Gorehead play old school brutal Death Metal the right way! Their performance was chock full of technically proficient riffs and a dense, heavy sound with plenty of aggression. I've seen Gorehead a few times now and they seem to get better and better each time. Whilst their take on Death Metal isn't exactly full of originality (this also applies to 95% of modern Death Metal bands), they do nostalgia exceptionally well. You'll hear influences of Death and Obituary, with elements of early Sepultura and Entombed thrown in too. The last time I saw Gorehead, their guitarist and vocalist Luch was bound to sitting down on stage after suffering an injury. Tonight he made a great recovery and I have to say that Gorehead have comeback extremely well because this was the best I've heard them yet! 9/10.

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WOLFBASTARD

Wolfbastard are a Manchester based Blackened Crust Punk band who have been gathering a lot of momentum in the local scene. They share band members with one of Manchester's favourite Black Metal bands Burial. Wolfbastard's songs are a little more immediate than their blackened brothers, and pack a real punch. They have a knack of taking Punky Motorhead-esque riffs and dragging them through a muddy forest and then smashing them on the concrete, so that they come out agonised and filthy. Wolfbastard ripped through a high energy set of Satanic hate fuelled carnage, and in particular their vocalist Joe expressed so much passion and enthusiasm for his craft. Because I'm a huge Black Metal fan, their more Blackened leaning songs stood out to me more. One song had a vintage Darkthrone vibe, with a cold and eerie riff creeping through. They tried out an especially brutal new song which went down well, but who could deny the no nonsense horrors of their vile anthem "Sick In the Bath"!? 8/10.

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DEAD MOON LIZARD KINGS

Rebellion Manchester is usually no stranger to Doom, Sludge and Stoner bands, but today it had shifted over to the Star & Garter down the road where Bongripper were headlining a show. A day of fast bands was a more than welcome change, but they did manage to squeeze one slower band into the mix. Dead Moon Lizard Kings hail from Middlesbrough, and whilst they definitely expressed a Psychedelic/Stoner Rock sound, I could also hear faint Hardcore influences in their sound too. Particularly their energetic and animated frontman Metal Dan who had a shrill bark to his vocals that made me think of bands like Helmet and Drive Like Jehu.

Unfortunately for Dead Moon Lizard Kings, it felt like the odds were stacked against them tonight. Whilst this gig started with a very strong crowd, at this point of the day some Metalheads did start leaving to get to the Bongripper show where local favourites Boss Keloid were kickstarting their evening. Maybe it was because they were sandwiched between lots of fast bands, but the band seemed to be sapped of energy, with riffs that plodded along. I noticed that there were sadly more people outside in the smoking area than there were watching the band, leading to a deflated energy in the room. Even more disappointing for Dead Moon Lizard Kings was that their frontman Metal Dan was clearly very unwell, and just 2 songs in he ended up puking up on stage. Though I have to give him props because he soldiered on painfully through the whole set and he was by far the most animated man on the stage. In particular the bassist and guitarist looked very static and fed up whilst playing, with very limp backing vocals adding no extra impact. They did finish on what I thought was by far their best track, a self titled anthem, but this track seemed to just go on and on and on... I ended up getting bored of it by the end!

This was my first time hearing Dead Moon Lizard Kings and maybe the whole touring and Temples fiasco had got to them, because their set lacked enthusiasm. At least I can say the vocalist gave it his all, when they could have easily just pulled out of the show. Perhaps they would have went down better at the Bongripper show to a more like-minded crowd? Who knows, but I think even the band knew themselves that this wasn't their day. 5/10.

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BOYCOTT THE BAPTIST

Boycott the Baptist are a Powerviolence/Grindcore duo consisting of a guitarist and drummer, with both members delivering aggressive dual attack vocals... If you think this sounds exactly how I described Brainshit earlier in the show, well it is! The two bands are remarkably similar, but I am just happy to hear some Powerviolence on the go, as it seems to be a largely ignored sound in the UK (though to be fair even at its peak, PV was a shortlived and deeply underground sound). If Brainshit and Boycott the Baptist were to have a race though, I think Boycott would win as they managed to squeeze even more songs into their set, with a couple lasting maybe a second or two long, recalling Napalm Death's infinite classic "You Suffer (But Why)". 

Boycott the Baptist had an insanely loud and chunky guitar sound, making the lack of a bassist a moot point! After a bit of a lull from the previous band, Boycott managed to get all the smokers ploughing into the room and the place went mental! Boycott are very good at what they do, with an insane chemistry between these two nuns. "Ray Winstone Can Sit On My Face" was a 30 second blur of noisy grind, whilst a song about skating pulled off an old school Hardcore sound. 1 second wonders "What!?" and "The Happy Birthday Song", left the crowd in stitches. "Fuck Off Trump" appropriately sent the crowd into a violent moshing frenzy, whilst "Yoko Oh No" raged against conceptual art! But the standout for me was "Eels Up Inside You" which was not only hilarious to sing along to, but actually recalled the proper PV legends such as Crossed Out and Spazz! Boycott the Baptist played so ferociously that sound crew and audience members were frequently having to help pick up fallen mic stands and fix broken drum parts! The end result was a brutal, beautiful and hilarious blur of lightning fast aggression that seemed to be over way to soon. True Hardcore in all it's glory! 9/10.

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GEIST

Hailing from the North East of England, Geist ripped through a set of belting Hardcore with more of an emphasis on melody than some of their peers today. Geist delivered a high energy set chock full of hard hitting bass, Sludgy toned Hardcore riffs and insane blasting drums. Their lead vocalist came into the pit to scream his head off. In particular a really fast brand new song captivated the crowd, whilst an older song off their EP combined Isis-esque Sludge riffs that gradually escalated back into Hardcore. Geist's sound very much reminded me of Converge, and since they are one of my all time favourite bands, that is a high compliment. Yet I would also like to hear something that is truly theirs! 8/10.

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WINDS OF GENOCIDE

From the moment I first heard the vocals of Kat Shevil I was completely knocked back! Kat's death growls are some of the most powerful, forceful, aggressive and straight up brutal I have ever heard! Of course the whole band produced a similar force of power too, playing fast Punky Death Metal with some Blackened elements cropping up too. Winds of Genocide are heavily influenced by the D-Beat sound (think Discharge, Amebix, Disfear etc.) but I think the band showed a lot more versatility in their sound tonight. In particular the bassist was playing fast, complex scales and alongside the crunchy, bowel churning guitar chaos, their sound was a constant force of lightning fast motion. Geist's vocalist Ian proved himself to be multi-talented as he stepped onto drums for this band. Winds of Genocide is an appropriate name because their music hits you like a hurricane. Vocalist Kat poured so much passion and was possessed on stage like an older Regan from The Exorcist. Highlights from their set included the super fast "Nuclear Winter", and the old school vibes of "In the Shadow of the Sign of Death". I'm amazed the Rebellion stage was still standing after this onslaught! 8/10.

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BOAK

As more Metalheads started to pour in from the Bongripper show that had just finished, they were treated to one of the best band's of the day. After the slumberous riffs of Bongripper, Aberdeen's Boak must have been a jarring turn, as they were one of the fastest band's on the bill tonight. With a strong Grindcore/PV leaning, Boak tore through a relentless set full of very short, very fast and completely mental songs. The trio were just a blur of sheer noise and violent playing that never let up. The triple threat were completely in tune with each other, and the only times the velocity of their playing slowed down was to throw in some very brief Sludgy riffs, before erupting back into full on blasts and demented screams. This was a concise set of blistering Hardcore done the right way, making Boak the perfect way to lead into headliners ACxDC. 9/10.

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ACxDC

I'm going to put it straight to you... From the moment ACxDC hit the stage and started playing I was so lost in their performance that I forgot to even write down any notes. I believe one of the Rebellion bar staff did have to mop up the copious amounts of drool from my open jaw that flooded the floor! US Powerviolence revivalists ACxDC have a solid reputation built before them, and it's no wonder when they can turn up and play such blistering sets like they did tonight. There was barely any breaks between the songs or moments to catch your breathe as ACxDC pounded their way through what must have been about 50 lightning fast songs barely crossing the 30 second mark. Their musicianship was second to none, and full of so much genuine passion. So many insanely satisfying riffs, pounding drums that threatened to break the kit, and raw vocals that cut like a knife and tore down the walls. Their sound was particularly dense and suffocating, and yet there was something truly beautiful about their performance. After their set had finished crowdgoers demanded an encore. The guys also stuck around for most of the day, selling their own merch and taking time to chat to fans. Simply one of the greatest Hardcore acts around today and a very worthy way to end such a fantastic and exhausting day! Hardcore perfection from true legends! 10/10.

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June 5th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester. 

#340: THE NICE GUYS

2016
Directed by Shane Black
Mystery, Comedy, Action.

It feels like it's been a while since I had my last Ryan Gosling fix, but fortunately he has come back after a little break making The Big Short, and now this new film The Nice Guys. Here he is paired up with Russell Crowe, an actor I've always found to be very hit and miss. The Nice Guys is part Comedy, part Action and part Neo-Noir detective Drama. Set in 1978, it has a very vintage look and feel that was very well accomplished. Visually it reminded me of the films Anchorman and Boogie Nights, as the characters all wear their Disco influenced attires and go to seedy parties. 

Ryan Gosling plays a private investigator who is also a widow, left alone to look after his very mature 13 year old daughter. Russell Crowe's character isn't as fleshed out, with not a lot said about his personal life, but he essentially beats people up for money (I'm starting to see why they chose Russell Crowe for this role). At first he is sent to beat up Ryan Gosling for getting too deep into a missing persons case. Crowe comically breaks Gosling's arm in one of the funnier scenes in the film, and so they have fun with Gosling having to spend the entire film with his arm in a cast. Eventually the two "nice guys" end up working together when they realise they have the same pair of gangsters out to get them. They are also on a mission to try and find missing teenager Amelia.

The Nice Guys has two strong elements going for it. The first is that the acting is top notch. Gosling and Crowe have a very radiant chemistry on screen and make an unlikely good buddy duo. Certainly this is one of Crowe's best roles in a while now, and it seems naturally tailored to his personality. But the real star of the show is newcomer Angourie Rice, who plays Gosling's teenage daughter. Normally one of my pet peeves in cinema is children in leading roles, but she didn't annoy me one bit! The character is a little odd though, considering she is said to be 13, she looks closer to 16, but throughout the film she is seen driving cars, watching pornos and taking out bad guys. The running gag of the film is that she is better at solving the mystery than her PI dad is, and so she tags along for the entire film. I'm just not sure why they didn't make her character a bit older so that her personality traits were more fitting. The other strongest element of the film is that it has a pretty compelling mystery with some thrilling scenes. The best scene of the film takes place in a Playboy-esque mansion where a huge sex party is being held, and two have to interrogate people and search for clues. It definitely has nods to Film Noir and detective films. 

There were however some glaring issues with The Nice Guys. The biggest one being that, you could tell this film was attempting to be comedic all the way through, but I felt like so many of the "jokes" completely bombed. I laughed out loud only twice during the film, and I found the rest of the cinema were pretty quiet for most of the film too. The attempts at humour were so weak that I just couldn't understand why it needed to have Comedy parts at all. Especially when the writers have done a pretty good job coming up with a good Mystery/Thriller story. The drama elements work well too, with Gosling struggling to raise his daughter alone. The Nice Guys also feels the need to cram in big Action sequences. There are plenty of fist fights, gun shootouts and even a couple of car chases thrown in there. Again these Action scenes didn't really feel that necessary or add much to the film. In fact a rather large Action sequence near the end was so over the top and ridiculous that it ended up padding out the plot unnecessarily and I was just left wanting the film to reach it's conclusion. When the film does end, it throws in a sequelbaiting part which may be a little ambitious. 

Ultimately I have to say that I enjoyed The Nice Guys enough to recommend it. The Mystery plot is what compelled me the most, and the performances are very remarkable. Maybe others will enjoy the jokes and the big Action scenes more than I did, but for me they fell very flat. I think this film could have been improved with a re-edit, taking out some of the goofier parts and focusing more on the Mystery plot, and it would have been a tighter film. The movie definitely shares its blueprints with director Shane Black's earlier film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The Nice Guys is a good one watch film, but not great enough to be worth revisiting. 6/10.

#339: RICK ASTLEY - LIVE AT HMV MANCHESTER

80s Icon Rick Astley has just turned 50 and released a brand new album "50" to celebrate this milestone. "50" is his first album of all new material in 15 years, and in that time Astley has not done many live shows to the public. For fans of his, this intimate live performance at HMV Manchester would be a once in a lifetime experience!

Before Rick Astley even arrived, people around the store were feeling a little apprehensive, not knowing quite what to expect. Many will only know Rick Astley for his #1 mega hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" (which happened to be #1 on the day I was born). Some of the younger generation will also know him for the popular "Rick Rolling" internet meme from a few years ago, where people would be able to prank their mates by sending them an interesting YouTube video, only for it to revert into the music video for Rick Astley's mega hit after a few seconds! Because of the whole "Rick Rolling" phenomenon, I even found it difficult to actually convince people that Rick Astley was really performing at HMV today!

Even with expectations for the show being mixed, it didn't take very long for Rick Astley to convince people that he was for real. He came out with a 5 piece backing band all dressed in smart suits, consisting of a guitarist, bassist, vintage synthesiser player, live drummer and backing vocalist! From the very first song, Astley's deep Soulful vocals soared across HMV, holding notes effortlessly. If anything his voice has improved with age, and the sound he accomplished with his band was much more Soul and Funk driven, as opposed to the Synth Pop/New Romantic sound he was established with.

Rick Astley not only performed songs off his new album, but threw in a few old numbers. The first of these was his hit "When You Needed Somebody", which certainly got the *ahem* older people in the crowd clapping, dancing and singing along. New single "Keep Singing", Rick explained was about how even if life hands him lemons, he finds if he keeps on singing, everything will be okay... A gesture he has certainly proven this evening! Astley gleamed with so much positivity and sheer passion for his craft, which was reflected on the very enthusiastic crowd. Another new song "Pray With Me" was a Funky, uptempo number that had a real groovy bounce to it, showing that his backing band were really solid!

Rick Astley must have taken the whole "Rick Rolling" escapade with good humour, as the man was simply on fire tonight! Between and even during songs, he had the whole crowd in stitches of laughter, calling out his mate as a shoplifter! During his hit ballad "Cry For Help", backing vocalist Dawn sang her solo part so powerfully that it broke the microphone, so he jumped in and started singing soulfully "sorry about the broken microphone!" This song was particularly fantastic, not only showing how talented his band were, but he managed to convincingly capture a Gospel influenced sound. I think it sounded even better than the 1991 original did!

Of course no Rick Astley performance would be complete without a rendition of his mega hit "Never Gonna Give You Up". It's great to know the man doesn't take himself too seriously, introducing the song in a tongue in cheek manor. Some artists end up getting sick of playing their biggest hit song, but even at 50, he gave it welly. In particular the catchy synthesiser melody really shone, and Astley's vocals sounded absolutely flawless. The crowd went pretty crazy for this one, singing every word along and there were huge smiles on everyone's faces!

Most Pop artists who come to visit HMV, don't end up performing live. Perhaps it because it would be too hard to mime in such intimate venues! This evening Rick Astley proved that he was the real deal, with a stunning voice, a great backing band, and a lot of positivity, humour and passion to boot! He managed to turn the 80s cheese into a genuinely Funky Soul sound that worked wonders, with new and old songs sounding great. Even after a long hiatus, the man sounds like a born performer, and I expect his upcoming tour will be a spectacular one! Talking to the HMV staff afterwards, many were blown away by just how amazing he was, with some saying it was the best performance at HMV Manchester yet, and I would have to agree with them. No I am not Rick Rolling you, he really was that good!

June 10th 2016 @ HMV Manchester. Photography by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.

FRENCHIE'S LISTENING POST - MAY

FRENCHIE'S LISTENING POST

Because I don't get time to review all the new music I hear in depth, I have decided to start doing some smaller reviews, rounding up the best (and worst) releases of each month!

ALBUM OF THE MONTH:

KATATONIA - THE FALL OF HEARTS
Gothic Metal, Doom Metal. Peaceville Records.

Since their 1993 debut album, Sweden's Katatonia (not to be confused with the Welsh Catatonia) have been one of the most consistent Metal bands of the past 20 years. Like their close friends Opeth, the quality of their studio works rarely takes a dip, despite not changing the core mechanics of their sound too drastically. So baring this in mind, it's pretty fucking incredible that Katatonia's 11th studio album might just be their grandest and most impressive statement yet!!!

From the very first moment, "The Fall of Hearts" will have you gripped, enthralled and overwhelmed. Katatonia have finally found that perfect balance between heaviness and utter beauty. The album is full of roaring guitars and chuggy Tool-esque riffs, with double pass pedalling drums interspersed. Yet despite this, the overall mood of the record is quite chilled out. This comes after their recent decision to do an acoustic tour. What remains is an album that is packed full of incredible riffs and talented musicianship, but the feelings and the emotions of the music cut through even sharper. The use of haunting keyboards, and Jonas Renke's passionate clean vocals are utterly compelling and will stir powerful emotions within you. It's honestly hard to pick stand out tracks because the whole album flows so flawlessly, but "Serein" not only packs a heavy, energetic punch but has a sweeping melodic chorus that just might reduce the hardest Metalheads to tears. If you want your Metal to be violent and unforgiving, this could get lost on you, but if you want to hear something truly moving, yet still Metal as fuck, then "The Fall of Hearts" is truly a modern Metal masterpiece in the realms of Tool's "Lateralus" and Neurosis' "Times of Grace". 9/10.

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LONE - LEVITATE

Electronica, Breakcore. R&S Records.

Lone's previous album "Reality Testing" was one of my favourite albums of 2014, which combined dreamy Boards of Canada-esque synthesisers with funky Dilla-esque Hip Hop beats. For this follow up "Levitate", Lone has crafted a rather different sound. The funky Hip Hop beats are out in place of fast Breakcore beats reminiscent of 90s The Prodigy. "Backtail Was Heavy" is a fantastic lead single that has a strong hit of 90s nostalgia, whilst closing track "Hiraeth" shows he can still compose some great Ambient and atmospheric soundscapes. I have to say that I preferred his previous "Reality Testing" album, which sounded more futuristic and colourful, but "Levitate" is still a fine album and a step into a different direction. 7/10.

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GOLD PANDA - GOOD LUCK & DO YOUR BEST

Electronic, IDM. City Slang.

Gold Panda's debut album "Lucky Shiner" was an absolute gem, but I felt his anticipated follow up "Half of Where You Live" was too straight forward and a little bland. With that, his 3rd album could go in any direction here, but as predicted it is somewhere between the two. Yes I enjoyed it more than his previous album, but it didn't give me the immediate hit of joy that his debut album did. Still playing things a little too safe. The music here sounds like a second rate Four Tet, with chilled out, melodic Electronica played out over an array of different IDM tinged beats. It is obvious Gold Panda is trying out different sounds and styles across the album, but it feels like he hasn't found the confidence to make a single unifying sound. The lowest point is the acoustic guitar track "I Am Real Punk" (wtf?) featuring Luke Abbott, which kills the pacing of the record and goes absolutely nowhere. There are a few lovely moments and a few that will get your feet tapping, but as a whole it feels like a muddled experience with only brief flashes of the greatness shown on his debut album. It very much sounds like Gold Panda was muttering the album's title to himself all the way through making this record! 6/10.

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MARK KOZELEK - SINGS FAVORITES

Folk. Caldo Verde Records.

Mark Kozelek is one of my favourite musicians of all time and I consider him to be the greatest Folk musician alive today. He has been highly prolific over the last few years and this is the second album he has put out this year so far, following the album of the year contender Sun Kil Moon / Jesu collaborative album. For "Sings Favorites", Mark Kozelek has decided to cover a bunch of his favorite songs, and invited some of his famous friends to join him, including Mike Patton, Rachel Goswell, Will Oldham and more, though you wouldn't necessarily notice them on first inspection. 

There are two very big glaring problems with this album though. One of the greatest Folk guitarists of all time has decided not to play guitar across the entire album. Instead all of these songs are built on bland and generic piano playing as Mark croons away. The whole album has a kind of Christmas Carol sound to it or perhaps music that could be used in Hallmark adverts. The other big problem is that some of these songs have already been covered before on some of his previous albums and live recordings. Die hard fans would have already heard much better guitar renditions of "O Holy Night", "Send In the Clowns" and "Get Along Home Cindy" on previous releases. Plus Sun Kil Moon has already put out a much better Modest Mouse covers album, leaving the poor "Float On" rendition in the dust. I just don't know why Mark Kozelek needed to make this album. It sounds half assed and more like something that should be given away free, not sold in shops. Ignore this album and listen to the vastly superior Sun Kil Moon / Jesu album instead! 4/10.

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BRIAN ENO - THE SHIP
Ambient, Electronic. Warp Records.

Brian Eno is a very fascinating man and it will take too long for me to explain why here. He has one of the largest discographies of any musician, making music since the early 70s, but his work can largely be split into 3 categories: His vocal work, his Ambient work and his production work. But if there is one album in that vast discography that manages to draw from all 3 brains of Brian, it's "The Ship". After the incredible two albums working with Underworld's Karl Hyde, Eno performed vocals properly for the first time since the late 70s. In an interview he said he likes the sound of his voice more now since he has aged! "The Ship" is very much rooted in Ambient territory, reminiscent of his works "On Land" and "Thursday Afternoon". Gloomy, piano laden chords drift at a glacial pace as an array of Electronic textures and atmospheres gradually build. But for the first time in a long time, Eno has added his lovely vocals into the mix, finding a ghostly and soothing way to make them sound like Ambient and Minimalist instrumentation in their own right. These two 20 minute pieces are best heard whilst engaged in other activities around the house. The subtle beauty will reveal itself in its own time. However the final 6 minutes features a heartbreaking tribute to the late Lou Reed. A majestic cover of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Free" makes for a powerful finale where Eno's vocals are a dominant force, backed by sweeping strings, epic keyboards and swirling guitars. It's like Eno's separate Ambient and Vocal worlds have crash landed into each other! 8/10.
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THRICE - TO BE EVERYWHERE IS TO BE NOWHERE

Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Post Hardcore. Vagrant Records.

Growing up, Thrice were one of my favourite bands and many will consider them one of the true pioneers of the modern Post-Hardcore/Metalcore sound, alongside the likes of At the Drive In and Drive Like Jehu. Thrice haven't been active as a band in about 4 years now and I didn't even hear that they had got back together to make a new album, so this was a nice surprise when I saw it on the record store shelves. Unfortunately though, this album very much completes Thrice's journey from exciting and innovating Post Hardcore/Metalcore into bland mainstream radio rock that lies somewhere between Foo Fighters and early Coldplay. This was hinted at by the previous two albums that were much softer and straight forward, but still had interesting textures and songwriting. Listening to this album I hear almost nothing that really grabs me. The band feel slow, tired and like they are just going through the motions here. I've listened to it twice but I shall not be listening to it Thrice! 5/10.

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EAGULLS - ULLAGES

Post Punk, Gothic Rock, Alternative Rock. Partisan Records.

Eagulls will have to go down as the least original band I have heard this year. Even their name sounds like another band. The album title is just an anagram of their band name. But worst yet, they have tried to sound so desperately like The Cure's early 80s sound that it borders on sheer imitation. Unlike The Cure though, none of Eagulls songs grabbed me or made a memorable impression. It sounded so much like The Cure that it just made me want to listen to The Cure and forget about this band. Maybe they should become a tribute band instead? 4/10.

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TWIN PEAKS - DOWN IN HEAVEN

Blues Rock, Garage Rock. Grand Jury Records.

Following on from the wholly unoriginal Eagulls record I listened to was yet another album that lacked a unique sound. My first impression listening to Twin Peaks is that these guys really like The Rolling Stones. It sound like a second rate impression of Rolling Stones classic late 60s sound. That said though, the production had a raw(ish) garage sound, and there was some splashes of modern Indie Rock, so I wouldn't say it is a complete imitation. Though what was more annoying than the lack of originality on this album was the fact that this band have named themselves after one of the greatest cult TV shows of all time. You'd think a band named Twin Peaks would sound dark, mysterious and other-worldly? I feel like these guys should denounce their band name and let another more deserving band use that name! 5/10.

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JAMES BLAKE - THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING
Electronic, Future Garage, R&B. Polydor Records.

I absolutely adored James Blake's first two albums. There was something different about him, and he successfully combined innovative Electronic production with soulful singer/songwriter. His voice is absolutely lovely and I like the way he has always experimented with different moods and tones. Since winning the Mercury Prize for his 2nd album "Overgrown", James Blake has become a surprisingly big name, working with Frank Ocean and even collaborating with Beyonce on her new album "Lemonade". When this 3rd album was announced, part of me feared that he might become too big and commercial.

In a way, "The Colour In Anything" isn't much of a departure from his first two albums. His confidence as a songwriter has certainly continued to grow and develop. I can't help but feel that this record isn't too much of a leap forward. In fact the productions and experimentation of his sound seem a little calmer and safer here, like he had a more commercial album in mind. The biggest problem though is that is is 80 minutes long, making it nearly twice the length of each of his previous albums. Also James Blake sounds very depressed and miserable across the whole record. 80 minutes of music in this style, I found was far too much to take. Though there are 5 or 6 really strong tracks on this record, as a whole I found the experience of listening to it all the way through very draining and a real chore to get through. James Blake is still a talented soul, but he simply hasn't played to his strengths on this 3rd outing. He didn't need to bombard us with 80 minutes of a record that stays in the same mood and tone. He could have easily stripped this down to a 40 minute record and it would have been much more consistent. Seems like an easy mistake to avoid, but sadly this is an album I am not fussed about revisiting any time soon. 6/10.

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PERTURBATOR - THE UNCANNY VALLEY
Electronic, Synthwave. Blood Music.

The 4th album from French musician James Kent, who has become one of the most popular artists of the "Synthwave" movement. He composes imaginary soundscapes to Sci-Fi dystopian films that only exist in his head, and through the graphic novel inspired album artwork. Perturbator takes the influences of Horror and Sci-Fi composers such as John Carpenter, Goblin and Vangelis, but fuses their creepy and melodic synthesiser sounds with modern Electronic production. "The Uncanny Valley" kicks in immediately with Industrial thumping beats existing somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and Blanck Mass on standout track "Neo Tokyo", but it is actually the calmer, more Ambient leaning tracks that made the biggest impact for me. Whilst Perturbator is one of the most exciting Electronic producers of recent times, I can't help but feel that a lot of the sounds and melodies used on this album tread very similar grounds to his 3 previous albums, and at 67 minutes, this can be an overwhelming journey. But if you are a newcomer to this sound, you will probably hear some of the most exciting compositions in Electronic music right now! 7/10.

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MUDCRUTCH - 2
Americana, Country Rock. Reprise Records.

The second album from Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's other band away from his more established body of work with The Heartbreakers. Though to be honest, musically it isn't much of a departure, so even casual Tom Petty fans will find something to enjoy here. The same charismatic voice and American heartland based lyrics ring true across this album. There is a strong Country Rock vibe with touches of Blues and Folk around every corner. Whilst it is a sound that has been attempted many times before, Petty still manages to conjure up some truly catchy, memorable and down right brilliant tunes across the whole album. The best of them being "Beautiful Blue", that oozes a heartfelt chorus that'll get stuck in your head for days. "Victim of Circumstance" is another highlight that revisits a "Highway 61" era Dylan sound. Not exactly an album that will bring any surprises, but a very solid and worthy effort. 7/10.

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MARK PRITCHARD - UNDER THE SUN
Electronic, Ambient, Progressive Electronic. Warp Records.

The last time I heard from Mark Pritchard, he released the 2009 album "When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence" under the alias Harmonic 313, which turned out to be one of the most funky, upbeat and danceable records in the entire Warp catalogue, fusing Funky Hip Hop with wonky IDM rhythms. Baring this in mind, I was very taken aback when I popped in this new album "Under the Sun", to find it was the exact opposite of the Harmonic 313 record. The album begins with "?" (bizarrely this was released as a single in 2009 too), a beatless drone that takes about 5 minutes to even make a slight variation in sound. "Under the Sun" is a record that is incredibly slow paced, lethargic and has next to no resemblance to this man's Funky Hip Hop alter ego. That said though, if you give this record time to unfold, you will hopefully be overwhelmed by a truly beautiful, spacey and textured array of sounds that gradually grow and evolve like a flower slowly coming into bloom.

"Under the Sun" makes heavy use of the modulated analogue synthesiser, often with pulsing arpeggios and drawn out synthesiser chords. Mark Pritchard has obviously drawn from the influence of Tangerine Dream, but it also reaches out to the gloomy atmospheres of Boards of Canada, and the alien landscapes of Autechre's "Amber" record. The use of guest vocalists helps to improve the pacing, with brilliant singing parts from label mate Bibio, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, and a foreboding spoken word piece from Beans. Though the album is slow to unfold, Mark Pritchard has proven that he is a master of restrained and controlled sounds that will ultimately win you over. 8/10.

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J DILLA - THE DIARY
Hip Hop, Rap. Mass Appeal Records.

The late J Dilla is best known as one of the most highly praised Hip Hop producers of the 90s and 00s that just about any great Rapper would have killed to have worked with. He produced music for A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, Common, Ghostface Killah, The Pharcyde and many more legends, as well as making some brilliant instrumental solo albums. Before "The Shining", "The Diary" would have been his very first vocal album, with J Dilla trying out his rap skills and guest spots from Snoop Dogg and Bilal. For some bizarre reason this album was shelved indefinitely in 2002, with only the "Fuck the Police" single breaking into the daylight. Finally the album has been released and it only highlights that this would have probably been a good hit record if it had actually been released. For the first time on a J Dilla record, he has allowed other producers to include beats for him to rap over, such as friends Madlib and Hi-Tek, who are great producers in their own right. But in all honesty, the tracks that Dilla produced himself stand out much stronger, making the ones that aren't sounding a little weaker as a whole. J Dilla isn't the most technically gifted rapper (especially compared to the quality of his beats), but he has a strong charisma and can occasionally steal the show (as heard on "Fuck the Police"). As a whole, "The Diary" takes a few tracks to really make an impression, but once Dilla's beats start to dominate, you'll start to wonder how on earth this record was not deemed suitable for a release until now! 7/10.
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JESSY LANZA - OH NO
Electronic, R&B. Hyperdub.

The second album from the Canadian vocalist and Electronic musician. In 2014, FKA Twigs' debut album took the critics by storm, praised at having a very original and unique sound, though the largely ignored debut album by Jessy Lanza a year beforehand not only showcased a very similar sound, but in my opinion was a much superior album. Jessy Lanza at last turned critics heads with her fantastic duet with Caribou, "Second Chance", taken from his brilliant album "Our Love". Thankfully Lanza's second album was met with a well deserved buzz and it stands as a very worthy follow up album. Lanza has grown more confident in almost every aspect, with a more dynamic range of vocals, and carrying on her brilliant bass heavy tones that take in the influence of 80s R&B, fused with modern Electronic production. "Oh No" is much cuter and more uptempo than her debut which had a slightly trippier and mysterious sound to it. But the songs are very much still there and Jessy Lanza's more playful approaches on "VV Violence" and "It Means I Love You" are very much welcome. Highlight "Going Somewhere" is a slower, dreamier song reminiscent of her first album. On "Oh No" it sounds like she has been watching Anime and cartoons, but it is a very fun album with a gripping vocal range. Certainly one for fans of FKA Twigs and Grimes. 8/10.

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SE DELAN - DRIFTER
Dream Pop, Prog Rock, Post Punk. K-Scope.

Se Delan is a new project from multi-instrumentalist Justin Grieves (Electric Wizard, Crippled Black Phoenix) who plays all the instruments on this 3rd studio album. Belinda Kordic takes the front stage with her fantastic gloomy vocals reminiscent of Kim Gordon or Courtney Love. The album has a strong 90s nostalgia, with that reverbed 4AD sound similar to Pixies and Cocteau Twins. In some parts the music is very textured and dreamy, yet can easily switch into dirty bass heavy riffs at any point. Released on Steven Wilson's Prog label, it isn't quite as complex as Prog, and isn't quite as Metal as Grieves' past works, but the whole album is captivating enough to impress any open minded fans of Prog or Metal or Indie Rock. This album sounds like it could easily have came out fifteen years ago, but either way it's likely to be one of 2016's overlooked gems. 8/10.

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LUH - SPIRITUAL SONGS FOR LOVERS TO SING
Art Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Electronic. Mute Records.

If you remember Manchester's short lived mysterious Indie Rockers WU LYF from a few years back then you might recognise Lights Under Heaven (or LUH). LUH is a new project from WU LYF's vocalist, a project he has started with his girlfriend. Producing the album is Dark Ambient/Electronic producer Haxan Cloak (fresh off working with Bjork). Being a fan of Haxan Cloak's horrifying soundscapes, and WU LYF's cavernous Rock music, I was pretty excited by this collaboration. Unfortunately "Spiritual Songs..." is a total mess that does not highlight either artist's true talents. Ellery James Roberts' cookie monster vocal style worked well over the backdrop of WU LYF's dense chiming guitars, but this album has a lot of softer, acoustic material and the vocals are far too over the top compared to the music, sometimes coming off as unintentionally comical. Tom Waits he is not! As for Haxan Cloak, he is one of my favourite Electronic producers of the time, but his contributions to this album sound very timid and muted. On Bjork's "Vulnicura" he managed to bring some of his haunting and eerie sounds, but here he feels lost in the mix. Also the album takes a terrible turn into auto-tune and obnoxious Pendulum sounding Drum 'n' Bass in the middle of the record that had be reaching for the skip button. I failed to find any kind of coherent direction or inspired ideas here. A real mess! 4/10.

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ANDY STOTT - TOO MANY VOICES

Electronic. Modern Love.

Manchester resident Andy Stott's 4th full length album is perhaps his best yet. His previous album "Faith In Strangers" hinted at how diverse an aural pallet he could cook up, but in places the pacing felt lost. "Too Many Voices" is a much more immediate and complete sounding record, perfecting those sounds. Stott not only showcases his bass heavy, wonky beat driven Electronics, but finds a growing fondness for 80s style synthesisers, sounding somewhere between classic Prince and Dam Funk. "Butterflies" is a dreamy affair with hazy vocals chopping in and out. Each of the 9 tracks have a distinct voice and style of their own. The album gets progressively more warped and frantic as it goes on, with Stott's expert use of pitch-bending rhythms making it feel like the dreamy synth chords are being sucked into a vortex. But the ultimate highlight is "New Romantic", which could well end up being the catchiest Electronic track of the year! All in all "Too Many Voices" is a seriously impressive journey that is likely to stay in my car stereo all year long! 8/10.

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AUTECHRE - ELSEQ 1-5
Electronic, Drone. Warp Records.

Since 2008's "Quaristice" album, Autechre have been in their most prolific stage, with 2 hour long EPs, 12 hour long DJ sets and 9 hours of live sets being released. After their 2 hour long 2013 double album "Exai" boggled minds, out of the blue one evening in May, Autechre decided to drop their most ambitious release yet! "Elseq 1-5" is a 4.5 hour long new studio album that would have covered 5 CDs, though Warp and Autechre have clearly stated that this will be a Digital only release (sad for a band who have such amazing artwork on their releases). There are plenty of tracks that surpass the 20 minute mark here, built on heavy improvised rhythmic sections that almost recall a Krautrock ethos where bands such as Can would jam out a repeated groove for about 20 minutes. A similar ethos was present on The Knife's final album "Shaking the Habitual". It's noisy, droning, Jazzy and impossibly complex, and I've only made it onto the 2nd disc. No rating here, ask me again in 3 years time and I just might have got my head around the whole record. This could easily turn out to be the most exciting Electronic release of the decade, but either way Autechre stand as one of the most unique, exciting, ambitious and hard to process bands in the entire spectrum of music. ???/10.

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