Milk Teeth @ The Joiners 14/05/2016

You know you've struck a chord with a fanbase when the entire venue jumps up and down as one.
"This is fucking mad" mouths Milk Teeth drummer Oli Holbrook as he and his band round off 
their UK tour at Southampton's Joiners Arms. 

Everything that could have gone right for Milk Teeth on the night did. Everyone crammed into the sweat-box that is otherwise known as The Joiners was up for it. Nobody more so than Milk Teeth themselves who announce their intentions early on. "Let's have a good one tonight Southampton" demands vocalist Becky Blomfield and the night does not disappoint. Throughout the set, fans of the band hurl themselves on and off the stage from opener 'Brain Food' all the way through to 'Vitamins'.

About half way through the set, the members all look at each other seemingly in disbelief at what they have just witnessed. 'Swear Jar' had just left the misty air of The Joiners and Milk Teeth are in complete awe of the crowd who had just bellowed every single word straight back to the four-piece. It is at this moment that Oli mouths "This is fucking mad" to guitarist Chris Webb who simply nods in agreement. It's a testament to how far Milk Teeth have come since 2013, headlining tours, playing big name festivals and growing a dedicated fan-base.

Having released Vile Child, their first full-length album at the tail end of 2015, Milk Teeth want to showcase it the only way they know how. By turning it up fucking loud. Guitarist Billy Hutton, who already looks like a rock star, adds wailing sounds and thrashing riffs and at the same time, he adds dreamy shoegaze like effects. Particularly on 'Swear Jar'. 'Kabuki' is met with stunned silence. The reason for this is as Becky explains is because "this is one of the most personal songs I have ever written," she spoke to the crowd directly before 'Kabuki' about encouraging people to open up about mental health issues having suffered from them herself. This was very commendable and brave of her to talk about this so openly herself.

The set ends with the frantic 'Vitamins' a song which every five seconds somebody either left, or joined the stage. The song itself is just as chaotic as the scenes surrounding the stage. But this was more than a performance. This was a group of early 20-something's making a statement. There is clear passion evident in this performance, they certainly left the foundations of The Joiners cracked,

8/10

Southampton Leisure Complex Could Become Massive Music Venue

The leisure complex - that was opened 19 years ago - lit up Southampton. But Leisure World could be bulldozed to make way for massive music venue.

This is the latest piece of the masterplan to turn Southampton into the "capital city of the south". The city council chiefs want to build a rival to Bournemouth's International Centre. Southampton City Council leader Simon Letts was on site last week to set out his vision for the centre which would attract big name bands, star comedians as well as academic conferences.

He said: "Southampton has a rich history and industrial past. And now it needs to be a modern; vibrant European city and the capital of the south of England." Comparing the planned centre to London's O2 Arena, he said it would link with other developments to turn the waterfront into a "vibrant public space rather than being a collection of streets bombed by the Luftwaffe and reconstructed after World War Two.

Council officers will analyse the scheme's feasibility over the next nine months, with plans coming together before the end of 2017.

Gig Guide April 2016

Here at The Real Thing we know that live music makes the world go round. Therefore every month we will bring you some gigs that we think you should definitely fork out for. Here are our picks for April 2016.

The Coral @ Concorde 2 Brighton
Tuesday 5th April
Contact Venue For Tickets

Noel Gallagher once said that The Coral were the greatest band to come out of Liverpool. High praise indeed. The Coral returned with a brand new album in March this year to critical acclaim and are out on the road promoting this release. Indie dancefloor classics like 'In The Morning' and 'Dreaming Of You' will no doubt appear in the set and will leave you dancing all night.

Eliza and The Bear @ Islington Assembly Hall

Thursday 7th April
Tickets £13.50 - www.seetickets.com/event/eliza-and-the-bear

Indie rock outfit Eliza and The Bear will play a homecoming show at the Islington Assembly Hall. As a live entity, the band are energetic and seamless. Their style of breezy indie-rock is always going to be a crowd pleaser, but it's the ease at which the band flow from song to song which impresses us.

The Big Moon @ The Joiners Southampton
Tuesday 12th April
Tickets £6 - www.seetickets.com/event/the-big-moon

One of the most talked about bands of 2016 in a tiny sweaty venue. What more could you want? The Joiners is steeped in history, and bands will ALWAYS want to play there. The Big Moon will be hoping the history of the venue will set them on their way.

Jah Wobble @ The Talking Heads Southampton
Thursday 21st April
Tickets £15 - www.wegottickets.com

Post-punk pioneer Jah Wobble will play an intimate set in the heart of Southampton on the 21st of April. With a wealthy back catalogue and having been in one of the most influential bands of the 20th century (PiL), this is one not to be missed.

VANT @ The Dome Tufnell Park London

Wednesday 20th April
Tickets £8 - www.seetickets.com/event/vant

VANT are another one of those bands on everybody's lips. They broke on to the indie scene last year and have since gone from strength to strength. This year they released their single 'Fly-By Alien' which firmly asserted their position on the underground scene. But with great songs and an ever growing fanbase, VANT won't be part of that underground scene for much longer. 

The Fall @ The Garage London
Monday 25th April - Thursday 28th April

Tickets £25 - www.allgigs.co.uk/The_Fall

One of THE most important bands of the 20th century - who are still making music to this day - are The Fall who hail from Manchester. Mark E Smith and Co, were part of the first punk movement that shook the north of England in the late 70s. They aren't conventional punk as you know it. They were/are incredibly anti-fashion and created really dark, pounding music. As they progressed, their style changed and they became more of a commercial outfit. With over 30 albums and goodness knows how many singles, Mark E Smith is one of England's most enigmatic musicians. This one will be be worth forking out for/

High Tyde @ The Haunt Brighton

Friday 29th April
Tickets £6 - www.seetickets.com/event/high-tyde

Having previously championed High Tyde, we know exactly what the Brighton-based indie outfit are all about. The combine super indie pop melodies with aggressive (at times) guitar bursts. There is a lot to be excited about if you're already a fan of High Tyde because with clear parallels to The 1975 the band should aim high.

Introducing - Ko_Plune

Southampton based experimental four-piece Ko_Plune are
examined under the music microscope.

Southampton has the blessing of a diverse and vibrant music scene. There is huge interest in metal, dance, club and pop music. Somewhere in the middle of these entities lie Ko_Plune. An experimental, progressive band making waves along the south coast. 

In February this year Ko_Plune released their Auditory Atlas EP via bandcamp (link below). On this EP they show clear experimentation, going completely against the conventions of how songs should be structured. 'Rare Error' is an example of this. Halfway through, the song completely shifts dynamic and goes down a soft and delicate path only to then slowly build up again and rejoin the original route. The song is largely an instrumental, but the vocal that is present soothingly flows across the top of the music in the same way that Pavement's Stephen Malkmus does on the bands album Slanted and Enchanted - minus the female voice.

Listening to the other songs available on the bands bandcamp account, it's obvious that they have a clear vision for the band. 'Hydra' is hark back to the early 90s shoegaze era. With its jangly guitars and angelic vocals it wouldn't sound out of place on a Slowdive record. But, in no way are Ko_Plune one of those revivalist bands we see more and more of these days. Their desire to constantly try and catch you off guard is admirable. And at the same time, this experimenting isn't overdone. Instead it's weaved cleverly into their songs creating a really distinctive and polished sound. 

Having not (yet) seen then band live, there is no way to determine how this strange - but intriguing - music is portrayed on a stage. Ko_Plune may leave you confused and bewildered, but it's just so different and weird that it makes for a really interesting listen.

Bandcamp - koplune.bandcamp.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/Ko.PluneOfficial
Twitter - @Ko_Plune

Telegram @ Lennons Southampton

Telegram @ Lennons Southampton
26/02/2016

After celebrating the release of their first full-length LP (Operator) just two weeks ago, Telegram hit the road and stopped off in Southampton to play a storming set at Lennons. 

The four-piece walk onto the stage looking like they've stepped out of a time machine forty years too late. Decorated in glam-style jackets and hair to match, you immediately think of the first wave of British heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath. Far from it. The set begins with 'Telegrame' which in many ways is the perfect opener. The song starts off very quiet and soft, and slowly the dynamic changes. The guitars get louder and the drums get quicker like an erupting volcano. Then suddenly almost as if they haven't finished the song, they propel into 'Rule Number One'. 'Rule Number One' is a manic frenzy in comparison the opener, the beat is pulsating leading it to bounce all around the bar. It's clear from this point that the band aren't just a heartless throwback to an era of yesteryear. There is clear thought behind their music. They seemed to have incorporated lots of sounds and created something fresh. 

'We've Got a Friend (Who Knows)' is an example of this. There's so much going on within the song that it feels like you're falling into a whirlpool. It's also clear by this point that the musical talent within the band is there in abundance. Guitarist Matt Wood adds tremendous texture to music and he does this throughout the performance. The band even treat the audience to a cover of David Bowie's 'Heroes' which (predictably) gets one of the biggest cheers of the night.

Overall, Telegram played a truly stunning set. There was more than enough going on within the music to keep the crowd interested, everything from the ever so catchy vocal melodies to the hammering drums. 'Taffy Come Home' as requested by the crowd signals the end of the show. It's a song that favours the loud-quiet dynamic much like their set. It builds slowly and then explodes into life. Telegram have all the ingredients to become a band for an age as this performance certainly showed.

8/10

The Kooks Live @ Guildhall Southampton

The Kooks @ The Guildhall, Southampton
27/01/2016

We first met The Kooks in 2006 after a string of bands caught the twangy guitar and floppy hair wave. Since then they have treated us to lots of great indie hits that can fill concert halls as well as dance-floors. Ten years and four albums later, the Brighton-based four-piece arrived in Southampton for the last show of their tour.

The set-list starts strongly, with the band dipping into Inside In, Inside Out to start the show. 'Seaside' begins the night, and naturally, the crowd are at their loudest. Another rarity from the same album follows up, the somewhat heavier 'See The World' is where we are introduced to guitarist Hugh Harris. Who, in my opinion is one seriously underrated guitarists from that early 00s era of indie music. His playing can range from aggressive chords, to intricate melodies adding great depth to The Kooks' sound. Those aggressive chords continued throughout the opening to the set, 'Always Where I Need To Be' erupted out of the speakers and despite a few vocal wobbles from Luke Pritchard, it was a strong opening few songs.

Photo credit - @touristfuture (on twitter)

It was as The Kooks arrived at the point in the show where they would play songs from the new album that doubt entered my mind and that of the audiences. That doubt about whether or not the group are relevant any more. There just wasn't  a strong reaction to any of the songs like 'Down' and 'Bad Habit' which left the room feeling flat and lifeless. Even Harris's guitar playing couldn't save them. This might have been because he was put behind a synth for many of these songs. And when Pritchard went all Chris Martin on the audience and sat behind a piano, this seemed to be the final straw. The saving grace from 2014's Listen was 'Forgive And Forget'. The songs incredibly danceable beat woke the Guildhall up again. Musically, it's like a sped up Roxanne, the guitars are twangy and strummed in a slightly jaded way, but put that with the dace-style drums and you get a decent pop song. 

'Shine On' was a strange choice to begin the encore. It's a tad lacklustre in its delivery and at this point it's clear that Pritchard's yelps throughout the set had caught up with him. His voice can at times divide opinion. On the record it can be unique and distinctive, but live it sounded soft. 'Junk Of The Heart' from the bands forgotten third album with the same name revived the crowd for one last time as the song that many people had been waiting for followed. 'Naive's instantly recognisable intro turned the Guildhall from an OAP's disco to a heaving indie-club. Overall, The Kooks have failed to hit the heights of their first album, and this shows not only on their albums, but also when they play. I cannot fault them as musicians, and the early stuff sounds just as fresh as it did in 2006, but Pritchard's vocal performance and the crowd's reaction to songs from Listen signals that The Kooks may be nearing the end. 

JAWS Live at The Joiners Southampton

JAWS live at The Joiners Southampton

09/12/2015

Since supporting fellow Birmingham-based indie bands like Swim Deep and Peace, JAWS have progressed significantly, creating a diverse sound and enhancing their live shows. On Wednesday the 9^th of December they played the Joiners in Southampton and only enhanced the aforementioned credentials.

Amongst the sea of denim shirts and skinny jeans stands the Joiners stage where in a few moments JAWS will blow the roof off the venue. The set begins with a new song. ‘What we haven’t got yet” which harks back to the band’s debut album “Be Slowly” full of great indie-pop hits. From the first couple of songs it’s clear that the band are great musicians. The guitars are melodic, intricate and have a really nice summery twang to them. The drums are solid, and the bass holds everything together. This all comes to a head when the band treat the audience to ‘Toucan Surf’ a track form their “Milkshake” EP. The floor begins to shake as the crowd started to seriously get in to the music. As the pace of the night is slowed with the harmonic “Think too much feel little” JAWS show us that whilst catchy two and a half minute indie-pop songs are all well and good, it’s great to have those subtle tracks which add depth to the bands live shows.

The highlight of the night arguably is the run of song leading up to the climax. ‘Be Slowly’ the perfect accompaniment to a summers afternoon lights up the dingy joiners, before another new track ‘Bad Company’ completely changes the mood. It’s a heavy and grunge-tinted song which shows the band in a new light. Gone are the summery guitars and in their place come distorted guitars which don’t lack any bite at all.

With a new album recorded and ready to go, JAWS are a band definitely on the rise and with live shows that are as polished as a band who have been on the road for 20 years, the future looks bright for the band. 

All photos taken by me. 

Sleaford Mods at The Joiners March 2015

Beloved by the NME and self confessed electronic minimalist punk-hop rants for the working class, a statement that clearly outlines their manifesto, it is with no surprise that Sleaford Mods walk on to the stage looking like a pair of extras from the latest Shane Meadows film.

The duo are a pair of forty something Nottingham bruisers who are still being swarmed with hype around the recent release of their album ‘Divide and Exit’. Their live show, in a packed joiners feels like you are being yelled at by a drunk on an overcrowded train.

One member Andrew Fearn a lanky, gaunt figure sporting a baseball cap and tracksuit bottoms simply pressed play on his laptop. Whilst swigging his beer he began to sway to the beats, his night is over. The other member, Jason Williamson looked like a wound up pitbull a he strutted on to the stage looking straight in to the whites of the audience’s eyes with a look of disgust. There was then a silence as a simple, rudimentary drum beat filled the room and then the Williamson’s voice, one full of pure anger took over as he began the opener “Bunch of C***s” which opened into a rant about the lost members of the human race who aimlessly walk around shopping centres.

The NME and the duo themselves have stated that they are the new voice for the working class. And if you wanted a voice to follow which is made to attack and complain then Williamson’s is that voice. Williamson rages against life in modern Britain with such intensity.  Complaining about a government that has created a nation full of young offenders, life on the dole and wages that don’t fit the hours demanded. “You’ve got to be able to sell yourself”, he angrily shouts down the microphone during ‘Wage Don’t Fit’.

Amidst the simple hip hop inspired beats composed by Fearn, Williamson has a lot to say on the repulsiveness of everyday life. These include buses, office toilets and off licenses. This is why the entire Sleaford Mods discography would fit perfectly in a film directed by Shane Meadows, its angry, gritty and rough similar to the Meadows’ film This is England. Williamson’s strong stage presence is also evident throughout the performance. As he yells his punk poetry straight to the ear drums of the audience. You can see the spit leave his mouth and the veins on his face look like they are about to burst whilst he swings his arm around his head like he’s being given electric shock treatment. During the set he expressed his opinions on the audience, asking them numerous times to “wake up”. Meanwhile five feet away, Fearn still swigging his beer and nodding along to the backing tracks.

Sleaford Mods have criticised many aspects of the music industry.  Stating that “pop has eaten itself. We’re fed up with it”, and as they return to the Joiners stage for their encore, Williamson still has time to vent more anger on people living an everyday life. With the set closer “Tweet Tweet Tweet” twitter bears the brunt in this Williamson rant calling the users “Zombies” and moaning about how bleak their life. This leads to Williamson signing off with a simple f*** off. After a forty five minute barrage of anger and frustration, the set ends and the duo leave the stage leaving the audience feeling as if they have been told off by a strict headmaster. 

8/10