Scotland

Twin Atlantic: Birmingham 2024 – REVIEWED!

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Arriving at the Birmingham O2 Academy, we were surprised by queues winding around the block, only to find that the venue is not only host to Twin Atlantic tonight, but also Rag ‘N’ Bone Man. There’s a marked difference in attire and style for the two crowds, but it’s really uplifting to see so many people out for live music on a frosty Sunday night in November.

Heading upstairs to Academy 2, I am instantly transported back into the gig nights of my youth. Sticky floors, a merch stand on a trestle-table in the corner with hand scribbled prices, and youths in patch jackets shuffling about. I like knowing that the tune might change but the feeling is still the same. If you don’t get that pang of excitement before a gig, I am truly sorry for you.

Daytime TV

First out of the gates is fellow Scottish band, Daytime TV – with enigmatic frontman Will Irvine practically bouncing onto the stage, in his black suit and stompy creeper shoes. Sitting somewhere in the rock/pop-punk sphere, but with a well-blended electronic sound; Daytime TV immediately pique my interest.

© Anna Hyams for SFG – Do not use without permission

Songs ‘Fear’ and ‘Little Victories’ sport elements of indie alongside the clean rock edge, and it’s easy to get swept into the very singable lyrics early on. This is something I feel has been missing from mainstream rock for a while – an undeniable hook, and this band have it in spades. Yelling out “Make some noise Birmingham, thanks for coming down early to check us out tonight. This is a hometown gig for our Guitarist, he’s a Walsall boy!” Will elicits a huge cheer from the now dense crowd, before launching into the very fun ‘Domino’.

One thing I would really like to note about Daytime TV, is that they genuinely just look like they’re having a great time on stage. Dancing around, smiling and laughing through a stellar performance – closing song ‘Lost In Tokyo’ makes for a dynamic ending, and they’ve even managed to get the crowd clapping along – no easy feat for an opening band (especially on a Sunday night). I’d love to see them on some festival bills next year.

Twin Atlantic

Scotland for round two, tonight’s headliner Twin Atlantic hailing from Glasgow are preceded by the ethereal outpourings of… ahem… Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Just as the crowd is singing along (in a very Wayne’s World way, obviously) to the penultimate note, we are top-tier trolled into oblivion as the drop is interrupted by Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Boys Just Wanna Have Fun’. You’ve never heard a room full of people groan so loudly, I tell you.

As the band take to the stage in near darkness and enough smoke to power the entire Upside Down, frontman Sam McTrusty heads to the front to shout Hello to the Birmingham crowd – “Ohh it’s gonna be a good one, I can fuckin’ feel it”.

© Anna Hyams for SFG – Do not use without permission


Starting off strong with ‘Meltdown’ from this year’s (their seventh) album, it’s instantly clear that tonight’s audience are not the casual gig-goer brand, these are all full force Twin Atlantic fans singing along to every word, and I’m here wondering why they haven’t been back on a Download festival bill since the Pandemic Pilot era.

Barry McKenna (keys, vocals) looking like a slightly cooler version of Nandor The Relentless (IYKYK), laughs along when Sam yells “This is our last show in your country this year we realised, so thanks for coming to the last one! So… Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!” and we are treated to the extremely Scottish twangy ‘Free’. I may not be to roll my R’s but you’re damn right I tried to join in anyway.

© Anna Hyams for SFG – Do not use without permission

‘Barcelona’ is an absolute earworm of a song, it’s been on repeat on our car journeys and it’s not hard to see why – everyone is absolutely belting it out at the top of their lungs under the pulsing red lighting. I should mention here though, that it has been some of the worst lighting I’ve ever experienced in a small venue, there are no uplights on the band themselves and so much smoke that it’s hard to even see who’s on stage. Luckily the sound is banging to make up for it so we all shout back the refrain “I’m not invincible”.

“Is the the fatigue of Sunday setting in? You all good, you all where you wanna be? Sound, we’ll keep going then” they joke, before playing the gorgeously sentimental ‘I Couldn’t Miss You Much More’, as couples hug each other in the crowd. Ramping back up with ‘The Chaser’ and some intense strobe-lighting which further silhouettes the band into anonymity, and the heavier ‘No Sleep’ (my song of choice in the set) almost blows the roof off the O2. Again, I am left wondering why Twin Atlantic aren’t hitting more big festival bills.

‘Heart and Soul’ is another sing-along situation, but with minutes to spare Sam calls “Do we have time for one more?” and they sign off on the beautifully sombre ‘Crash Land’. “The last two weeks in England have been fuckin’ class” they lament, before (literally) bowing out. It might have been the smaller of tonight’s offerings at the O2 in Birmingham, but the actual Heart and Soul in tonight’s performance and the fact that this many people wanted to come out and pogo around on a Sunday night before work? Unquestionably awesome.

© Anna Hyams for SFG – Do not use without permission

Setlist

  1. Bohemian Rhapsody (intro track)
  2. Meltdown
  3. Yes, I Was Drunk
  4. Get Out
  5. Free
  6. Asleep
  7. World Class Entertainment
  8. Make a Beast of Myself
  9. Fall
  10. Hold On
  11. Barcelona
  12. Sorry
  13. Whispers
  14. Human After All
  15. I Couldn’t Miss You Much More
  16. Snow In Texas
  17. Haunt
  18. Brothers & Sisters
  19. The Chaser
  20. No Sleep
  21. Heart and Soul
  22. Crash Land

Download Festival 2022 – Biffy Clyro REVIEWED!

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Photo credit: Ⓒ David Dillon for Download Festival

So, right up front I have to note going into this headline review, that the arena is stunningly under-filled already. You can basically walk to the front in a couple of minutes from either side. This shouldn’t happen for headliners.

Scot-rock stalwarts Biffy Clyro are no strangers to Download Festival, having headlined here in 2017. Given the fact that we’ve been in Covid central for a couple of years, this actually feels more recent than the five years it has actually been. There’s no doubt that the band are musically brilliant, and the stage set up is impressive in its own way, but perhaps overshadowed by the previous two nights of high production headline sets.

The hometown crowd is representing at the front with giant Scottish flags flying, and ‘Wolves of Winter’ is a soaring masterpiece which absolutely deserves a place here. Yelling “We’ve waited three years for this, I know you have too. It’s wonderful to be back together again” frontman Simon Neil is clearly having an excellent time up there, but I can’t help but see the crowd is thinning even further. I wonder if they can see this from up there, and feel a little sad for them.

‘Space’ and ‘Bubbles’ come before an encore of ‘The Captain’, ‘Cop Syrup’ and ‘Many of Horror’ – all of which are performed beautifully and confidently, but it obviously isn’t hitting with a huge proportion of the Download crowd who are opting to be elsewhere. The band finish up with a set of stage top fireworks, but it’s not the crowning finale it should have been for this, the triumphant return of Download festival. If Download wants to sell enough tickets next year, those headliners had better be closer aligned to the main formula than Biffy were this weekend.

Glasgow’s Platform 18 Announces 2020 Edition with Richie Hawtin, Floorplan, Fjaak (live), ANNA and More

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Platform 18 continues to reshape the Glaswegian scene with its mouth watering 2020 edition on Saturday July 4th and 5th 2020, featuring world class headliners Richie Hawtin, Floorplan, Fjaak (live), ANNA and more all playing one visually spectacular main stage in a unique urban setting.
All this once again goes down on West Street, on the South side of the city, in a space that has only been used by Platform 18. It is a subway station car park beneath two bridges that has a raw, illicit feel that harks back to the earliest, purest days of raving. Enclosed by walls and the bridges themselves, it is a small, intense space that, in an echo of the iconic dance music phenomenon that is planes flying over DC10, has regular trains rattling by on the lines above, often adding to the electric atmosphere generated down below!
Platform 18 offer something new and fresh for Glaswegian house and techno lovers and has done since 2013. It comes from the mind of a promoter who has been putting on events for over 12 years and gives you an intimate connection with DJs: everything is set up so the raver and DJ are in sync, the selectors can join punters in the crowd for hugs and even high fives during set and they have done many times in the past, which always makes this a very special and standout occasion.
What’s more, from the beginning, Platform 18 have worked with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and created the healthy slogan ‘Everyone on the same level’. Over the years they have raised around £5000 in funds but more importantly continue to create awareness around the issue with young people who may be directly or indirectly affected.
The one main stage will be decided out with visuals and more production than ever before in 2020 and this year for the first time there will be a slot set aside for up and coming local artists Systematic and Tom & Gerry. “We really want to support the future and these lads have what it takes,” says founder Ivan Kutz, who also plays the festival again this year.
Musically it is another high class affair in 2020 with techno titan and Minus label boss Richie Hawtin bringing his avant garde futurism, Brazil’s leading techno proponent and Drumcode associate Anna, a live show from the jacking Berlin outfit Fjaak, and some true school Detroit sounds from the foster daughter duo of Robert and Lyric Hood, who imbue their timeless sounds with gospel influxes and get the floor in raptures every time they play. Add in cult underground legend Domenic Cappello, Glasgow’s man of the moment Fraz.ier and you have an all encompassing soundtrack.
Platform 18 is a two-day techno bonanza unlike any other in Glasgow, and the next edition is shaping up to be the best yet.
Saturday 4th July 
RICHIE HAWTIN
ANNA
FJAAK live
FRAZI.ER
GERRY KEARNS
TOM-E
Sunday 5th July 
FLOORPLAN
SPECIAL GUEST
DOMENIC CAPPELLO
IVAN KUTZ
SYSTEMATIC

Terminal V Adds 10000 Capacity Space ‘The Hangar’ Plus More Names

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‘The Reckoning’ from Terminal V is all set to be the largest Halloween rave Scotland has ever seen at Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre on Saturday October 26th.

It has just been announced that the rave now takes place over a third party space with an additional 10000 capacity, so the total goes to a whopping 20000 people. The new interconnected space will allow for even more lights, lasers, special visual effects and unique new stage designs to add to the unrivalled experience of the whole thing, making this potentially the biggest Halloween rave in Europe.

The second wave of names announced to play  include Âme, Annie Mac, Bontan, Horse Meat Disco, Jamie Roy, Krystal Klear, Laurent Garnier, Luciano, Maceo Plex, Sally C, Rennier Zonneveld, Stephen Brown, Theo Kottis, Michael Bibi plus 1 very special Terminal V favourite who will be announced 1st week of August. These artists join the already announced Ben Klock, FJAAK, Marcel Dettmann, DJ Koze, Gerd Janson, DJ Seinfeld, HAAi, Red Axes, DJ Tennis, Alan Fitzpatrick, Skream, Hot Since 82, Frazier & Rebuke, so you can be sure of an unforgettable night.

Good music with a good view. Rockness Day 1 Review.

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Having never been to Rockness, I didn’t have any idea of what to expect, putting aside the fact I’m positive I drove through The Shire on the way here and the 2 hour wait just to pick up my parking ticket from the box office (handsome boy but only capable of serving one customer every 20 minutes) you walk through the entrance to a beautiful landscape. It’s magical, breathtaking, no other words can describe it. You have the main stage lit up with lights and lasers from every direction, an explosion of light and in the background sits the Loch Ness, still, untouched by the noise and a complete contrast to the foreground (I’m now talking about the couple that walked in front of me groping one another and slowly destroying any innocence I once had).

Ellie Goulding, she has such control over her voice it doesn’t differ that much from her recordings. Although something you don’t get to see listening to her songs on the radio/television etc is this awkward bopping thing she does, with a foot stomp here and there. It gives us mere mortal girls a hope that maybe, if we too embrace our inner awkward we can roll about a bed with Calvin Harris like she does in her latest video for “I Need Your Love”.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Vaccines, I’ve never really given much time to listen to their music but their live performance did sway me, or maybe it was the drunken Loch Ness monster jumping up and down with his cider next to me that changed my mind, I really don’t know BUT I did enjoy their performance thoroughly.

My main highlight of Friday has to be Basement Jaxx, although slightly envious that I will never be able to pull off such colourful hair as the two women who joined them on stage to sing or the fact I’ll never be able to dance like them (I did attempt. Unfortunate to all standing behind me.) I could easily say after seeing Basement Jaxx live I would much rather pay to see one of their concerts than ANY big DJ at the moment. Nobody has the groove that these guys have. I said groove, my Mum doesn’t even say groove. I apologise. I can’t even find an appropriate word I’m still in such a trance. Please go see these guys live and you’ll understand.

The atmosphere at Rockness goes from chilled out (or passed out if you’re next to the Jagermeister van), to people climbing on sweaty, soggy shoulders and screaming as loud as they possibly can. There are people of all different ages, older couples lounging on the grass hill with their Ice Cream taking in the breathtaking view of the Loch Ness then groups of young friends bouncing around and singing with sheer joy. The site isn’t too large, so you can’t loose anyone for more than five minutes but it’s big enough you can go to one stage without the other stage’s music interfering. This festival has the perfect balance. If the thought of coming to Rockness, tomorrow (Saturday 8th) or Sunday has crossed your mind then you need to stop thinking and GET HERE NOW! The weather forecast for the next two days is meant to be phenomenal. See the link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/iv2

Check out the photos here

Beer, breakdowns and body odour. Welcome to Slam Dunk Scotland.

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            Although only having a fraction of the Slam Dunk South line up, Slam Dunk Scotland was a huge success. I don't think I've been that excited (or sweaty) at a gig in a long time. Not one band disappointed, every member of every band had explosive energy, jumping around the stage which only had a rub off effect on the audience who were simply brutal. I lost count of how many people were dragged over the barriers by security, even once over the barriers security were struggling to control them, resulting in a few of the security landing flat out on the ground (much to my amusement).

            The stand out bands for me were definitely Woe Is Me, Memphis May Fire, Pierce The Veil and Four Year Strong. Having not listened to Woe Is Me or Pierce The Veil their live performances definitely converted me in to a fan. If you get a chance you should definitely YouTube Woe Is Me, my words will do nothing for their music. Their songs contain everything you could possibly ever want, from gorgeous clean vocals from Hance Alligood to some heavy bass from Brain Medley.         

            As for Pierce The Veil, if their stage set up wasn't impressive enough (have a look through the Slam Dunk Scotland photos) their interaction with the crowd was something that needs to be seen, they have such a strong fan base over here in Scotland which you could hear when they played "Hell Above", the crowd was singing along so loudly that you heard them far better than you could hear the band.

            Finally, Four Year Strong – with beards almost as impressive as their music – completely blew away all expectations I had for them as a live act. With raging energy, the guys got the crowd so excited that I was told by security I had to stop taking photographs and move out of the photo pit because so many people were crowd surfing and having to be pulled over the barriers.

            This having been my first Slam Dunk experience, I can without a doubt in my mind, say that I will definitely be attending next year. If you haven't got a ticket for any up and coming Slam Dunk dates, then I suggest you do. You can find what venue is closest to you here http://www.slamdunkmusic.com/slam-dunk-festival . Even if it sounds a bit too rough for you, I suggest you buy a ticket (ranging from £15 – £38, depending on the venue) and stand peacefully at the bar, watching the madness from a safe distance because Slam Dunk won't be like any other festival you're attending this year.