LTW newsletter 77
Welcome warriors…
At last summer seems to be blessing us with some gentle warming rays and pleasant sun stroked ambience - everything has gone green and sun bathed and the Bhudlia are bursting forth filling the scrap yards and rusting rail tracks with their purple perfume! There may be no butterflies left to flutter around the plats but the city is in a good mood and people walk slower and breathe easier and wear less as the damp grumpiness is drained out of planet UK.
On days like this it feels like the UK is the greatest place to be on the planet as long as you forget about the incoming winter!
There may be less smaller gigs at this time of years as music reverts to festival season but there is still bristling action at the grass roots. Last week I popped into the rather lovely and always vibrant Yes venue in Manchester city centre which is named after a Yoko Ono piece of art and run by the No Wave promoters which kinda tells you everything about the place.
I was there for a new band called Hungry who have been on my radar for a couple of months. Despite grumpy nay sayers who claim that all has been said and done music moves ever forward in its different shapes and directions. From electronic experimental wonk to black metal drone to yet another bunch of lads picking up guitars - music sprawls in its own myriad of directions whether you are listening or not.
Hungry are very much in the lads with guitars corner but damn they are good at it! Maybe it’s the magic of guitar/bass/drums/vocals that somehow when in the right hands it gets another twist and BOOM! Another potential generational defining band appears. Hungry have that potential.
They are that good and we were blown away by them…
On the Edge of a Lost and Lonely World is the second album from Rob Marshall’s Humanist project, features guest appearances from a stellar cast list of guest vocalists including Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), Tim Smith (Midlake / Harp), Isobel Campbell, Ed Harcourt, James Allan (Glasvegas), Peter Hayes (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), Carl Hancox Rux and more. The album is a further exploration of the visceral landscapes and collaborations from the UK guitar player - a dark energy post punk adventure.
https://louderthanwar.com/humanist-album-review/
Many years ago I saw the Verve at a similar level as the Humanist playing their take on the same kinda psychedelic Stooges free for all jam that was a glorious explosion of sonic grooves from stoned shamanic teenagers from Wigan. Decades after they hit the big time and then splintered singer Richard Ashcroft has somehow managed to place his shamanistic urges into pop culture classics with songs that were part of the mid nineties sound track. He can still pull a massive crowd and his return show in his home town of Wigan was a triumphant homecoming for the Lancashire lad who looks like he was created in a rock star lab from the DNA of Jagger/Iggy and Morrison…
https://louderthanwar.com/richard-ashcroft-robin-park-wigan-live-review/
Following on from falling in love with 2000 Trees Festival last year, what’s probably the best festival in the UK makes a triumphant return to Upcote Farm and LTW were there to witness the high decibel event that celebrates the rockier end of the spectrum with a bill that embraces many of our faves like the Nova Twins and Bob Vylan.
https://louderthanwar.com/2000-trees-2024-friday-festival-review/
You might remember Gemma Rogers from such cult summer hits as My Idea of Fun or from sitting in for Steve Lamacq a while back on 6-Music. She is back with a typically visceral yet philosophical track from her forthcoming ‘No Future’ EP on the newly-formed sister label to punk stable Holy Dotage. The song is great, the video is dark and the background fascinating, says Ged Babey.
https://louderthanwar.com/gemma-rogers-death-knocked-up-song-video-premiere/
Many moons ago in the baggy wars it seemed like every town had its own football firm armed with guitars and a surprisingly adept sense of combining esoteric indie to the dancefloor. Bridewell Taxis came from Leeds and I actually even interviewed them at the time in the Yorkshire city. The interview with the skinny young lads was about their hopes and dreams and their love of James the band who pulled a surprisingly hooligan audience at the time! Whatever happened to these likely lads? We tracked down their former lead singer to find out.
https://louderthanwar.com/bridewell-taxis-interview/
Comrades whose only reference points are themselves, ideological architects and musical outliers that defined the 90s as well as destroyed it, cult underdogs with a fanbase that would cut one’s throat in a heartbeat for fear of mutiny weakening the devotion to the pack, Manic Street Preachers and Suede bring their co-headline spectacle to Manchester. Britpop karaoke? Far from it. By Ryan Walker.
https://louderthanwar.com/manic-street-preachers-suede-castlefield-bowl-manchester-live-review/
Loose Articles are our album of the week with their ferocious yet melodic home spun punk rock from the streets and avenues of manchester. Its noisy. Its visceral but its also got great songs.
https://louderthanwar.com/loose-articles-scream-if-you-wanna-go-faster-album-review/
Garbage feel like they are from another time but still sound like are int he future. The supergroup who were constructed from the veterans of the grunge scene and beyond have always delivered great songs and with a great sound which is expected with the artillery at their command but can they still cut it years later….of course they can claims our reviewer.
https://louderthanwar.com/garbage-o2-apollo-manchester-live-review/
A Certain Ratio, punk funk pioneers, cut of the finest Northern cloth, have a new single out on Speedy Wunderground, another in the ongoing series and is it an excellent addition to the set? MK Bennett ponders.
https://louderthanwar.com/a-certain-ratio-clockwork-orange-single-review/
