Live Review: Yuck – The Joiners Arms, Southampton 17/02/2011

Yuck may be the buzz band of 2011, but they are a godsend for anyone still stuck in the year punk broke. The band’s self-titled debut is littered with references to the cream of the class of ’91. The sad, sedentary vocal delivery and the melodic guitar lines that litter Holing Out and Get Away are pure J. Mascis and they have a mini-Teen Age Riot in the urgent riff-o-rama, Operation. Elsewhere on the album, lush, languid, lo-fi ballads such as Suck and Suicide Policeman recall Pavement’s most tender moments.

But unfortunately for Southampton, none of the above is to be witnessed live tonight. All thanks (allegedly) to a blowtorch left on all day in the Chinese restaurant adjacent to the Joiners Arms, which caused noxious fumes to filter into the building while local support band Dead Rabbits were soundchecking. The fire brigade arrived, the police cordoned off the pub, and the disgruntled punters reluctantly piled into the nearby Plume and Feather, all hoping that they would be allowed back in to their much-loved locale before the night grew too old.

Certain excited members of the amassed crowd began liaising with members of Yuck and their tour support Fanzine, and a plan was hatched. The idea was to transport the band with their equipment to the nearby Soul Cellar venue, where they could set-up and play. This idea was run past Yuck’s tour manager who curtly declined the offer, as the gig had to be official due to contractual reasons. It’s best not to argue with tired tour managers, and this one was no exception, not least because he seemed to have, rather implausibly, two glass eyes. So, it was to be Joiners or nothing. But, at 10.30pm it was officially announced by the now very weary and stressed tour manager that the gig was off.

Since then, it has been announced that the gig will be rescheduled and it has been confirmed by the Southampton Guildhall Box Office that anyone who can’t attend the new date can get a full refund.

During sound check on the 17th, before the drama unfurled, Yuck’s otherwise charming drummer, Jonny Rogoff was overheard sneering: “Southampton has no real Rock ‘n Roll scene”. Let’s hope that the sheer optimism, dedication and passion displayed by the sizeable crowd who braved the bitter cold (and St. Mary’s Street) that night in the name of Rock and Roll has changed his mind.

Live Review: The Radio Dept & Team Ghost - Bush Hall, London 20/05/2010

Parisian Post-rock/Electro noiseniks Team Ghost are first to take the stage on this balmy May evening in Shepherd’s Bush. The band is fronted by ex-M83 cohort Nick Fromageau who has now teamed up with composer Christophe Guerin and producer Jean-Philippe Talaga. Opening track Blood instantly evokes the singer’s former band as ambient strings meld with echoing piano - but the serenity is soon interrupted by unforgiving, brutal guitars that lay waste to the first half of the song like wildfire would acres of treasured forest.

Fromageau’s vocal is pitched somewhere between Brian Molko’s bi-curious burr and the scuzzball drawl of J.Mascis. Additionally, the spooky melodies and Krautrock rhythms of Deaf give an idea of what a collaboration of The Horrors and Deus might sound like. Tonight’s special guests give the crowd a healthy slab of MBV Candy-pop with A Glorious Time before ending with the exhilarating disco thrills of Echoes. Team Ghost’s music aims for for the heart and for the feet, and if they continue to score direct hits like they do tonight they are likely destined for big things.

But the reason this ever so elegant venue has sold out tonight is, of course, for the rare chance to see Swedish Dream-pop recluses, The Radio Dept. Singer Johann Duncanson ambles awkwardly onstage, followed by hulking bassist Martin Carlberg and moustachioed keyboard maestro Daniel Tjader. The band, tastefully backlit by a sparkling starcloth (supplied by Ed Warren of Next Level Lights) kick off the proceedings with the joyous jangle of This Time Around and follow it up with recent single Heaven’s On Fire, both tracks from new album Clinging To A Scheme. This upbeat opening salvo is followed up with the red-eyed reminiscing of I Wanted You To Feel The Same and the fuzzy recollections of 1995.

Duncanson expresses his deepest sympathies for our countries’ current political climate before playing placid protest song Freddie And The Trojan Horse, the thumping beat-box and reverb drenched lead guitar of the intro drawing huge cheers from the crowd. The Dub Reggae rhythms of Never Follow Suit, and the delectable Lo-fi drone of Keen On Boys bring the seemingly short set to an end. Thankfully, the band do shuffle back on stage after the house lights go up for an unplanned encore, and we get to hear the best song the Pet Shop Boys never wrote: Worst Taste In Music. Here’s hoping the success of tonight will mean that greater commercial gains will be in store for this criminally overlooked Dept.

Album Review: Fionn Regan – The Shadow Of An Empire

The County Wicklow wordsmith turns the electro-acoustic up to 8 for his sophomore sessions.

With a first half that contains the more Dylan than Dylan opener Protection Racket, the anti-authoritarian garage-rock rant of Genocide Matinee and the brooding Mersey-beat of Violent Demeanour, it is clear that this certainly isn’t The End Of History Part 2. The Shadow Of An Empire is a rougher, more energetic affair when compared to the instantly accessible, lilting folk of his Mercury nominated debut. If The End Of History was a weather-beaten hike to a remote farmhouse to curl up, crestfallen, by the fire on the morning after, then The Shadow Of An Empire is the night before – a whisky and ale-fuelled barnstormer of a hoedown. But even so, it is still the slower numbers that provide the show stopping moments here. The romance riddled recollections of Little Nancy and the sweeping sentiments of Lord Help My Poor Soul betray Regan’s skill for sad-eyed songcraft.

Much like Laughing Bob, Regan has a unique way with words. His lyrics blur the boundaries between music and literature; he was even invited to speak to students by the Literary Society at Trinity College Dublin. It’s hard to think of many contemporary artists who can paint such vivid pictures of rural recreation or create such colourful, countrified collages.

While it is not as consistently stunning as his first effort, Empire is yet another effortlessly realised body of work and a glorious racket.

Album Review: Ke$ha - Animal

Animal is the debut album from obnoxious juvenile delinquent and sociopath Ke$ha. It opens with the cliché ridden whine-hop of Your Love Is My Drug and reaches a harrowing zenith on Blah Blah Blah - a tootling runt of a track so relentlessly and, it would seem, intentionally annoying you’d think it was produced and arranged by Michael Bay. The equally cretinous Dinosaur is a mean-spirited attack on an unfortunate barfly who Ke$ha believes is far too old to be admiring her (which probably means he’s over twenty-five), and contains the mind-numbingly churlish lyrics “you need to get a CAT scan” among the opening couplets.

It’s also quite unclear who Ke$ha’s demographic is. Lacking the lupine mystique of Shakira; the hip-shaking soul of Beyonce; the all American wholesomeness of pre-Right Said Fred era Britney or the unabashed dirt bag factor of Aguilera – Animal sounds likes Avril Lavigne remixed by Grooverider and spat out by a cross between Pink at her most brattish and Paris Hilton’s less attentive younger sister.

At the other end of the scale here, we have 6 Music playlist regular Tik-Tok, and this listenable La Roux-esque electro-pop paean to having a good time stands out like a sore thumb. The sun-kissed, vocoder driven ballad Stephen also provides brief respite. But ultimately, most of this disjointed jumble falls very wide of the mark.

Video Game Review: Aliens vs. Predator (Playstation 3)

In space, no-one can hear you swear at the screen when playing Rebellion’s old school-flavoured first person shooter.

Much like in the original PC and Atari Jaguar instalments of Rebellion’s AvP series, when playing as the Colonial Marine this next gen revamp is a genuinely terrifying video game experience. Like all true masters of suspense, Rebellion understand what you don’t see is more terrifying than what you do see. Throughout the game sudden bursts of steam from overhead pipes will bedevil your hapless grunt while loose grating panels will cry wolf and clatter open. This builds up a tension to ensure that when the hoards of unfriendly extraterrestrials do appear, the player’s already ghostly white knuckles will lock their trigger finger down hard until their weapon is empty.


When playing as an Alien or Predator, the most satisfying way to dispatch enemies is to physically grab them and perform a fatal grapple kill, triggering an animation that usually involves a gory decapitation. Unfortunately, the way in which to perform these instant eradications is based purely on luck, as the symbol which signals when you can perform them appears seemingly at random. The elusive icon may or may not appear when you’re stood ten feet away from an oblivious opponent or locked in a flailing, saliva soaked melee battle. If you’re lucky it will flash up for a split second whilst your enemy is running humiliating rings around you...or perhaps it won’t. This is particularly annoying in multiplayer and while it means players do have to vary their tactics and not use the same one hit kill every time, it is very frustrating to know that during a frantic death match your most formidable attack methods are wholly unreliable.


AvP is certainly not the prettiest next-gen FPS on the market, but thankfully Rebellion have certainly not skimped when it comes to gameplay and story - they clearly know the subject matter inside and out. In fact, it has been this games developer, along with Dark Horse Publishing, who strived to maintain the dignity and credibility of the franchise while the films have taken a creative nosedive. A nod must also go to the Alien campaign for sheer originality. There aren’t many games on the market that let you ‘be’ a lethal biological weapon that can scuttle across walls and ceilings at breakneck speed.

Hardened FPS veterans may be somewhat underwhelmed and feel short changed by Rebellion’s gritty, back to basics approach on what is essentially a slight graphical overhaul of a game released in the 1990s. But, if you can get over the bland visuals and ergonomic quirks of AvP, this galaxy spanning match-up will award you with an intense, immersive single player experience and a rip-roaring online romp.

Video Game Review: Batman - Arkham Asylum (Playstation 3)

The lunatics are running the asylum as the world’s greatest detective has to face his worst fears and survive a night trapped in Gotham’s home for the emotionally challenged, all thanks to his old enemy and super criminal, the Joker.

Judging by the games' tenebrific tone, rich, gothic visuals and the detailed character profiles, it is clear Rocksteady Studios have assiduously studied the cream of Batman's extensive comic book catalogue. Voiced by fan-favourite Kevin Conroy and dressed in the classic black and grey suit, the bulked-up Batman character model looks and sounds exactly how he should, heroic and intimidating. But where the London-based game developers have excelled is with their representation of the game’s arch-antagonist. When looking back at the more memorable screen portrayals of the purple-suited one, Jack Nicholson’s corpulent clowning can induce cringing, the hunched and lank haired Ledger looks a little too frumpy and the Joker from the stylish, early 1990s Saturday morning show Batman: The Animated Series was understandably neutered by the networks, unable to actually commit his gaseous mass murders. In Arkham Asylum, however, he definitely follows through on his threats. Lithe and lean with razor sharp cheekbones and a wicked sense of humour coupled with veteran voice actor Mark Hamill’s deliciously evil delivery, Rocksteady have truly captured the essence of the Joker.

What really strikes the player is the amount of extra effort put into the game, especially when tracking down items that unlock bonus content. The developers have gone to the trouble of creating intriguing asylum chronicles and highly entertaining patient interview tapes. Some of the cryptic clues to the Riddler’s hidden secrets genuinely test the grey matter. Rocksteady force the player to use brains as well as brawn to succeed and the results are very rewarding.

But the most fun part is, of course, when the player gets to use brawn. Hand to hand combat is thrilling and the freeflow mechanics are revolutionary. Hapless thugs wail and moan, their bones cracking as they receive effortless strings of punches, flying kicks, head butts, throws, and some very painful looking leg-twistin' takedowns from the caped crusader. Batman’s beautifully animated dance moves are all triggered by the simplest of button combinations and given the sheer amount of foes you’ll often face at one time it is just as well. The wide range of fighting skills, stealth tactics and Wayne-tech gadgets at your disposal gives the player a sense of power and control and for the first time ever in a video game you’ll really get a taste of what it feels like to be the Dark Knight.

Movie Review: Where The Wild Things Are

This film tells the story of Max, a frustrated young boy who is at ‘that difficult age’. He sails away to a fantasy island populated by small group of equally complex monsters who each represent one of his character traits or a fixture in his life. Like Max, this group of beautifully rendered bi-polar bears are looking for someone or something to blame for their feelings and the situation they are in.

This film eschews traditional plot structure in favour of raw emotion. It follows the basic narrative of Maurice Sendak’s 13-page book and fleshes it out with the sub-texts as identified and interpreted by director Spike Jonze and screenwriter David Egger.

The level of enjoyment for adults here will depend on how in touch you are with your inner child. If you vividly recall the emotions you endured at seven years old, this film will be a very gratifying experience – even more so if your home life was in some way disrupted.

For parents wondering whether it is appropriate to take young children to see this movie, the short answer is yes. Wild Things is no more disturbing than an episode of The Moomins and while it deals with themes they may not yet fully grasp, the film’s beguiling effects, bewitching score and lush cinematography ensure it will be an adventure they never forget.