As part of their much anticipated UK tour, American punks Geese hit up Bristol’s record store and live music venue Rough Trade for a night of loud and angry music.

Opening the show was L’Objectif, from Leeds. These guys are certainly jumping on the indie-rock hype train that is currently sweeping the UK – and worlds – music scene by storm, combining wavy riffs, strong bass lines and softly spoken poetic words to be part of it. And these boys certainly do it well, with the almost matching dress code and great on stage energy.

My favourite song of theirs has to be Have Your Way, with its really solid beat and the heavier bass than most of their other songs, which matched front man Saul’s voice brilliantly. I really liked the bassist – Ezra – on stage energy, jumping and dancing around the stage like a mad man, and even going into the crowd for the bass solo of the final song!

And then it was onto the main act of the night. Even though they are a relatively small band over here, playing in the hometown of IDLES meant they drew a fair sized crowd at the show.

Right from the off, Geese brought all the energy they had with them, breaking into 2122 straight away. L’Objectif had done a good job of warming the crowd up, and it was needed as they went into the heavy, angry sound they are known well for. Just like Ezra, front man Dominic kept up the energy and dance moves throughout the set.

Most singers who don’t play an instrument normally choose one of two option on stage – awkward hand movements or dancing around like a mad man. Dominic certainly chose the latter.

After the third song, the stage lights all changed to pure red, an interesting choice and one I can’t quite understand, especially as it made the couple of photographers in the crowd a bit unhappy, but it certainly brought a certain mood to the show.

It’s a shame the crowd weren’t too into the show really, other than a few bobbing heads, all the energy was coming from the stage, and little reciprocation from the crowd. I think Geese were expecting a bit more from the people who came along, but sadly it just wasn’t there on the night. Even the attempts at a crowd clap-along were unsuccessful. For a busy gig that these people had paid to come to, it was a pretty disappointing reaction. As the set came nearer to an end, more people started getting into it, but sadly the room was pretty still.

And then that was it for the night, Geese put on a brilliant performance with plenty of energy and musical talent, and it was a shame the crowd weren’t as into it as they could have been. Maybe they were saving all their energy up for festival season?

Review and photos by Ted Stargatt

Celebrating the 11^th Anniversary of their self-titled album, Mayday Parade brought their show to Bristol’s Marble Factory for a night of emo madness with some familiar faces.

Opening the show was As It Is, who opened the show straight away with lots of energy and excitement. There were certainly a few passionate fans at the front, singing back every word to frontman Patty Walters. Getting right down to the front, Patty made even the first band of the night feel like a connection, and the fans who got down to the show early were not disappointed.

From the first band, I could tell this was going to be an interesting lighting design, with lots of strobes, smoke and cool colours going across the stage.

Even those who didn’t know all the songs were dancing along, with Patty organising the crowd like a conductor. There was an emotionally shared moment with the crowd, talking about the mental health impact of not touring and how good it was to be back, a thought shared amongst many people in the audience. And then for a lively final two songs, the band once again rocked out hard.

With Real Friends next, they would have a difficult job living up to the first set.

Now, Real Friends are one of my favourite bands out there, and I was really excited. It’s not often I’m singing along in the photo pit. Don’t get me wrong, the crowd was once again amazing and the stage energy from the band was great, but the mix was terrible. From all points in the venue, you could hardly hear the vocals, guitar and bass, where all you could hear was drums. I think Cody was also having trouble with his in-ears, as he spent a fair amount of time at the back of the stage talking into the mic and playing around with his belt pack and monitors.

Nevertheless, the set was still good fun, with Cody getting a circle pit going for Late Nights In My Car, and even getting people up to crowdsurf during Mess.

And finally it was time for Mayday Parade to come on.

The stage set alone showed that this would be an ace set, with the band logo in big behind them.

To start, frontman Derek came on solo, to start off Oh Well, Oh Well, before the rest of the band joined on stage for the drop. And once that drop hit, the crowd went wild! Straight away the mosh pits opened and the dancing started, and it did not stop for the whole night.

Celebrating a decade (and a bit) of the self-titled album, it was only right that the album was played in full, with Derek bringing the acoustic guitar out for You’re Dead Wrong, but in true pop-punk style that didn’t stop the crowd being as lively as they were already, if not more.

Keeping the album going, Derek then moved over to the keys for Stay, before going back to just vocals and running and jumping around the stage like a mad man for the rest of the set.

Sadly the mix was still pretty terrible, with too much drums and not enough of everything else, and although the crowd singing along did make up for it slightly, it still was difficult to hear the band as they should be heard.

After getting through the album in full, the band left the stage briefly before coming back to sing one of their new ones – Kids Of Summer, taken from last years EP What It Means To Fall Apart. And then of course the night couldn’t go by without the two favourites. Jersey and Jamie All Over rocked the crowd for one more time, with even more mosh pits and crowd surfers for one last time that night.

And what a show it was. My 16 year old emo self would be very happy, getting to see three amazing bands that were all a big part of my childhood at once on one great stage. All played amazing sets but it was a shame the mix was so off. Hopefully that was just a one off and it will be better for the rest of the run of the tour.

As always, a massive thank you to the staff and security at the venue, as well as the bands and crew for making it a good night.

Words and Photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

It has been said that Kate Rusby has often been hailed as the First Lady of folk and this year see’s her celebrate 30 years of being a professional musician and to celebrate she has released a special album entitled “30”. It is an album of newly recorded versions of some of her favourite songs from throughout her career. It also features some of the many artists that have inspired her along the way including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Richard Hawley, and Dan Kyminski to name but a few.

Friday night saw Kate visit the South West and Westlands Centre in Yeovil is the venue for this evenings show. Inside the venue it is all seated with neat rows all aligned to face the good sized stage and at the rear of the stage there is a big neon sign saying 30 to coincide with the name of the tour and album.

At 7.30 on the dot Kate and her fellow band members appear to warm applause from the audience. She starts by explaining the theme of the tour and her new album and thanks those that have bought it. The show opens with Benjamin Bowmaneer which draws a nice reaction and this was quickly followed by We will Sing which was recorded with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This song saw the crowd join in on the words We will Sing.

Later in the set came Hunter Moon, a crowd favourite which had the heads swaying and feet tapping, Kate explained that this song was about the moon being in love with the sun but he couldn’t tell her as he couldn’t catch her as they revolve around each other but she liked the passion that it brought. Only Desire What You Have followed which skipped along as a song Kate found in one of her old French song books which had been translated into English,she wrote the music for it. The song is about all the good things you have in life and accepting that what you have.

Later in the set came Three little birds, a Bob Marley and the Wailers cover which Kate has also created a version of on her YouTube channel with her two daughters while the country was in lockdown.

We were treated to Step and Pull which features the guys in the band as Kate goes off for a little break, and also features Kate’s husband Damien O’Kane on guitar. Kate returns and the band give us another cover, this time it’s Lye Lovett’s If I had a boat.

Kate introduces the song Jenny and asks if there are any ladies in the audience called Jenny and is surprised when 3 women reply “yes”. She tells a story about another gig she played and asked the same question and there was none and she seems genuinely surprised there wasn’t any and gives a warm chuckle.

Tonight has shown that Kate is still a firm favourite on the folk scene with her soft and mesmerizing vocals and her from the heart lyrics it’s safe to say we have all been entertained.

Words and Photos by Martin Smith for TrueStyleMusic

After the release of their new EP Disposable Life earlier this year, US Emo band Kucklepuck brought their show to the O2 Institute Birmingham for their first show in the UK in a long while.

The show was opened by Hot Mulligan, who were playing their first ever UK show. Now, with most support bands, a couple of people might know the songs, but normally most are hearing it for the first time, there might be a little bit of dancing and moving but nothing too serious. Well for Hot Mulligan this was not a normal support set.

To say they rocked hard would be an understatement. I have never seen a support band with so much energy on stage, they would equally be able to hold that stage as their own. And judging by the amount of people singing the words back to every song, they would be able to pretty much sell the room out.

Hot Mulligan had also released a new EP earlier this year, and played a couple of tracks for us from it. And once again, the crowd had done their research, and every word was sung back from the pit, just as loud as the band was singing.

The band shared a lovely ‘Midwestern emo’ moment with the crowd for Analog Fade, with everyone calming down a little bit, before they once again went insane for BCKYRD. I think security underestimated how mad the crowd would be for this show, and at times were not prepared for the crowd surfers coming over the barrier for the last song.

After all this insanity, Knuckle Puck had some big boots to fill with the main set of the night. But once again, the band brought everything and the crowd kept the energy going, with mosh pits, singing and dancing from the off.

Tune You Out was the perfect opener to the set, getting the energy going slowly but surely, and front man turned bass player Joe Taylor got the crowd to open up the mosh pits, and made sure that everyone was having a great time.

This show was also special for another reason: drummer John had broken his hand so could not play, but thankfully the usual bass player Ryan could jump on drums, which meant Joe had to juggle both bass and vocals for this gig. It did mean less of Joe running around the stage and jumping into the crowd like the madman he normally is, but the crowd certainly compensated for this.

The rest of the set was full of banger after banger, with non-stop singing and dancing from everyone there. Green Eyes brought the set to a slightly calmer state, getting everyone to save up their energy for the first big finish of the night. Untitled had everyone singing those infamous opening lines “Silhouettes On The Ceiling”, and luckily security were a bit more prepared for the crowd surfers this time.

You can tell the band were excited to play for this Birmingham crowd, as the walk-off-walk-on was barely two minutes, with the band coming back on to play the one final song they knew in this one time line up.

No Good rocked the crowd one more time, with plenty more moshing, singing, dancing and people coming over the barrier. It’s fair to say that Knuckle Puck had a great time playing their first UK show in a while, as well as Hot Mulligan playing their first ever UK show, and I hope that everyone in the audience did too. I know I certainly did.

As always, a massive thank you to staff, security, crew and bands for putting on a great show and a great night.

Words and photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

Celebrating the slightly belated 10^th anniversary of his debut self-titled album, Darwin Deez and his band brought their show to Bristol’s Thekla to play to a sold out boat.

The show was opened by Youth Sector, a 5-piece from Brighton. These young lads came onto the stage well dressed and well coordinated, all with stylish open button suits. Seeing them come on stage, I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was fully blown away. From the off, these boys threw all their energy into the set, culminating an indie-pop-funk sound, which quickly got the crowd on side.

As a band, these guys clearly got on well together, not only in matching outfits and energy, but in general presence and enjoyment, it was clear this was another band that just got on well together. You can tell these guys are mates for life.

Throughout the set, Darwin and greg periodically came out to sing and dance along to some of the songs, and got the crowd up and dancing as well. When the main act loves the support band this much, you know it’s been a good choice of show opener.

And then it was onto the main act of the night. After a quick change around, Darwin first came onto stage alone, with a backing track playing, before the rest of the band joined. I was expecting them all to pick up their relative instruments, but instead they launched into a finely choreographed dance routine. Unexpected but certainly nothing less than amazing.

Celebrating the 10^th anniversary of their debut album, it was only right that it was played through in full. Although a little less lively than Youth Sector, the crowd were still having a great time, albeit with slightly less in your face dance moves and slightly more singing along.

As an album and as a live set, there was a very dreamy feel to the night, with the stage backing resembling the stars, and twinned with opening song Constellations, this was one night almost under the skies.

The end of each song was met with rounds of applause and cheers from the whole boat, the music only broken up by the occasional dance break from the band.

As Darwin said, it really did help break up the show and made them a cut above the other bands that have graced that stage. Also it was an absolute joy to watch.

After playing the album in full, the band played a couple of other songs, but sadly before this I had to dip out of the show and start work. However I was assured it was a great show and the closer was met with more thunderous applause, and that everyone there had a great time.

As always, a massive thanks to the crew on board Thekla, as well as all the bands, staff, security and crew for making it a brilliant show.

Tickets to the last few shows of this tour can be found here.

Review and photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

Playing their second Bristol headline show of 2022, Yard Act graced Trinity Centre with their anarcho-post-punk, tunes. This show sold out quite a while ago, and we were lucky enough to be invited down to the show.

The show was opened by Nuha Ruby Ra. Normally I do some research on the support band before the show, but sadly last night I did not have time to. Her style was certainly a surprise to me, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that.

Her experimental and echoic style took a while to win the crowd over, but by the end of her set most people were onside and a few keen fans were dancing down at the front.

She made her unique sound by using two mics with different effects running through each, and partnered with a loud and rolling backing track. This dreamy, trance sound is very typical of Yard Act, they certainly book different acts to be their supports. Although not the kind of music I’d listen to in my headphones, I would certainly be seeing it again.

Only one support, before the main act of the night. Right from the off, Yard Act brought all their energy out to the stage. They opened with what was noted on the setlist as Strip, a purely melodic song with no lyrics. It was an interesting start to the show, and another example of the experimental style that Yard Act are well known for.

Then front man James comes on stage and continues to bring it all with him, getting straight on with Dark Days. Yard Act aren’t the easiest band to sing along with, but the crowd were certainly all with it for the chorus, shouting those two words right back at the band. Following this with The Overload was certainly a brave choice, but as everyone stayed for the rest of the set its clear these guys are no longer the one-hit-wonder than some used to think they were.

The stage presence and stage talk that Yard Act has is unparalleled, combing the perfect dry British humor and wit meant the show was much more than just the music. The kind of band that can make you go from moshing, to dancing, to laughing all within one song is rare, and Yard Act do all three perfectly.

James even stole a mini fan from someone down the front for Human Sacrifice, keeping himself cool and doing that thing we all did as kids, talking through the fan into the microphone. He also did a good job of keeping the rest of the band cool throughout the song.

Guitarist Shippo always does a good job of stealing the limelight for a small portion of the show, his playing style and sound unrivalled to any other guitarist out there, his solos and riffs keeping the already electric atmosphere going.

The first big finish of the night was The Trapper’s Pelts, keeping the crowd moving, before the walk-off-walk-on, but an extra person joined them on stage. Bristol’s own Katy J Pearson joined Yard Act for the encore, helping Yard Act do their version of her song Miracle. I’ve loved Katy’s work for a long time, and seeing these two icons of the new music scene was an extra special way to top off a brilliant show. Ending the show with Land Of The Blind topped it off, with one last cheer and excited applause from the audience that was it for the show.

As always, Yard Act played a blinder of a show, and if you still haven’t had a chance to see them yet, they are heading off on a third UK tour later this year, with a trip to Bristol’s Marble Factory on the list.

A massive thank you goes to the Staff and Security at Trinity Centre, as well as the band and crew for putting on an excellent show.

Words and photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic

Liverpool based indie-pop band Spinn brought their UK tour on board the Thekla, for a night of good music and good vibes.

The show was opened by local boys Enter Red, a familiar face on the boat. I’ve heard good things about these guys, and I’m so happy that I finally got to see them live! To say they blew me away would be an understatement, and the dedicated fans that turned up early to watch a brilliant band who brought everything with them. They’d certainly have every right headlining their own stage.

After their set, Adie from The Bristol Gig Guide interview Enter Red, and their interview will be live over on their Instagram soon.

Up next was another local band – Pentire. Another familiar face at Thekla and another band I’ve certainly heard great things about, these also didn’t disappoint. 5 minutes before their set started, it felt as if the venue suddenly became very full, and the eager crowd was gathered around the stage to watch Pentire play in full form.

Their latest single Fading Out was met with cheers from the crowd, and for their final song of the set, Best Friends House, the crowd went mad, with a decent sized mosh pit and people up in shoulders. With two out of three support bands already knocking me away, this was shaping up to be a good evening.

Third on the bill was Stay Lunar, also from Bristol. With three local bands, the promoters sure knew how to get the best crowd down for the show, and Stay Lunar lived up to every expectation I’d built up so far. Although their style was a bit softer and a bit more mellow than the first two, they still played a great set and by the end the crowd was fully on side and ready to rock out to Spinn. Stay Lunar also played a new single for the first time – I Like It When You’re Around. If the single sounds half as good as it did live, it’s going to be good!

Last up, Liverpool based indie band Spinn, touring on the back of their February released second album ‘Outside of the Blue’. Carrying on from the Stay Lunar vibe, Spinn’s indie pop, slick musicianship and feel-good guitars had a real summer, positive vibe. Front man Johnny Quinn, clad in suit, swayed and swung around the stage while delivering his warm vocals. The in between song banter was engaging, delivered with Johnny’s broad Liverpudlian accent and little stories, and the now full house really got into the sound.

The record is a little ‘smoother’ than this live show, but the sharper edges gave the performance some bite.

And then it was over. 4 quality bands, each offering something a little different to the indie pop space but a boat load of punters leaving happy

As always, a massive thanks goes to all the staff and security onboard the Thekla, and the team behind the show for making it happen.

Review of Enter Red, Pentire and Stay Lunar by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic
Review of Spinn by Glenn Morrison, writing for MusoMuso, used with Permission
Review and photos of Pentire shared and used by The Bristol Gig Guide with permission
All photos by Ted Stargatt for TrueStyleMusic