The Used/We Are The Ocean/Hexes - Gig Review

I arrive at the electric ballroom just in time to catch the last few songs of Hexes set and I'm gutted to have missed the rest if it, as they seem to have grown from a band that perhaps sounded a bit to much like their obvious influences to one that has found a sound of their own. Singer Dan Carter, now with caveman esque beard is an engaging and watchable frontman as he barks his way through their final few songs.

Sadly their joyfully rowdy noise falls on flat ears, as the audience stands static and indifferent. I was hoping they would snap into life for We Are The Ocean, but sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case. Regardless, WATO put on their usually incredible show. This band are so good and it's about time more people realise this. Storming through a set of songs lifted from their upcoming debut album along with a few old favourites, they have managed to move beyond the obvious Alexis elements of their sound and now possess a more aggressive, metallic sound, almost verging on Everytime I Die territory. Singer Dan is, as always, a ball of energy with his trademark whipping of his mic lead. Second singer Liam, meanwhile, surely possesses one of the strongest voices around. An aching croon that it is impossible not to love. A shame the majority of the audience here seem to care so little.

The Used just seem tired. Being honest, I leave early on, but purely cause it saddens me to see a band that I once loved and found exciting fall somewhere between bland and plain bad. Early hits bring out a few glimmers of the vitriolic sets of years gone by, but a babbling Bert McCracken and his wavering voice sees me heading for the door. A great shame.

The Vans Warped Tour 2009 Hits Vancouver

Ticket, check. Money, check. Water, check. Camera, check. Most importantly, Sharpie, check! And i’m getting a bus in a city i’ve known for half a day. I get to 41st street where I have to change buses, the bus behind throws up a selection of emo kids and tattooed punks. Follow the crowd i say. Upon arrival, bus upon bus empties the growing crowd. The road was decorated with coaches and vans.

Walking up the never ending queue i ran to the end before this loser got there first who is actually a really good friend now. A band called red city burning played for too excited to notice people in the queue. Signs read, no umbrellas, thank god I’m not in England then though the clouds were currently looming over us. No water. My Mcdonalds purchase was downed, well almost. Canadian water. So sweet I’d be glad to get rid of it. Wandered into the venue and just went straight for the mass of people crowding round a guy with a sparkly bum bag (which kind of looked like a Pokemon) was selling the schedule.

The Hold Steady At O2 Academy Islington

After last nights You Me At Six show left me feeling like a pensioner, tonights audience are so old I feel like a spring chicken! Sadly, the audience appears to be exceptionally tall as well as old!

Despite this, there is no way tonight is gonna be anything short of amazing. Quite simply, The Hold Steady don't play bad Shows! Tonight's setlist does fall a little short of perfect as the band drop a healthy does of new songs and obscure covers. The shocking omission of Chips Ahoy and Southtown Girls from their set is also nothing short of criminal! Regardless, the band still have the entire audience in the palm of their hands for the hour and a half they are onstage, and despite the already mentioned missing tunes, they still play an obscene amount of classic Hold Steady songs. From Party Pit to Stay Positive, there is a simple sense that this band can do no wrong. And as singer Craig closes their final song with his well versed mantra about what they do bringing so much joy there is palpable sense of celebration in the air.

Every time I see this band, it makes me want to play them to every person I meet who has never heard of them! So if you are such a person, go and buy Boys And Girls Of America and Stay Positive. If you don't love those albums, you have cocks for ears!

You Me At Six At The Underworld

Nights like tonight always make me feel old. Bar the industry bods milling around, there is surely no one over the age of 18 here! This ridiculously young audience is matched by the young age of the bands playing. Headliners You Me At Six have grown from the perrenial support band for every US pop punk bands to headliners in their own right. It's clear they have been paying attention to those bands as their set shows healthy doses of influence from the likes of The Audition and Fall Out Boy.

First up though are Southampton based Not Advised. They've been picking up some attention of late, but don't be fooled as the have been doing the rounds for a while and it shows in their rock solid performance and strong songs. They are only let down by their undeniable apeing of their US peers, right down to the accents. A shame as the strength of their songs holds promise.

The same argument could easily be levelled at tonights headliners, and perhaps a year ago it would have been justified. You Me At Six have grown up a lot in a year though and their songs and sound now sounds distinctly their own. As the band tear through a set mostly culled from their catchy as fuck debut album, the adoring masses lap up every second and scream back the words to every chorus. New songs such as Kiss And Tell suggest a slightly more considered sound whilst no less catchy. There is hysteria as the band drop their cover of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" which is unsurprising, but truthfully this is a band that no longer needs to rely on covers as they now possess a strength of performance and collection of songs that should see them lay waste to the competition. I have a sneaking suspicion that they may well be the band of 2010 if they can deliver a stonking second album.

The Lostprophets Tour 2009

For three days this week I have been out on the road with Lostprophets. Jumping in the Young Guns van on Tuesday morning, we make our way up to Manchester, with Jurassic Park playing on the tv's in the van. When we arrive at the Manchester academy, the site of the venue blows our minds. A giant cavernous room, the guys in Young Guns are visibly in awe of the prospect of todays show. Lostprophets however, roll through the motions of soundchecks like the consumate professionals they are.

Young Guns take to the stage a mere 15 minute after the doors have opened, but it appears they have risen to the challenge. Tearing into opener Dean On Arrival, it's clear they are on form. A short set sees them warm the crowd up perfectly.


Next up are The Dead Formats, who are a brilliant band, but sadly stick out a bit on this bill. Playing music far closer to what Lostprophets probably listen to than the music they play. As a result, they are met with a less than supportive crowd who display there displeasure vocally. This is sad as, despite some technical issues, they really are a great band.


Lostprophets take to the stage to a deafening cheer from the crowd. The venue is hotter than a sauna. Opening with a new song that is sadly lost in a wall of noise, they proceed to plough through an hour and a half set of classics along with four new songs. Of the new songs, a slower number, with a epic chorus stands out the most. They close with a pounding one two of "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" and "Burn Burn". Whilst clearly showing a bit of rust having not played for a year, they make it plainly obvious they are back.


Day two sees us at the Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall, a huge a beautiful venue. Dead Formats open tonight and it's a billing that works a lot better as they go down far better than the night before. Tonight sees Young Guns play the best set I have ever seen them play. The crowd are in the palm of Singer Gus' hand as he gets the clapping, bouncing and singing along en masse!

Lostprophets play an absolute stormer tonight, clearly haven shaken off any of the rust they showed yesterday. Their set is similar to the one they played the night before, though giving a little more room to their earlier material. Opening with "everyday Combat" definitely sees them playing a much more exciting set than the night before. The arrival of members of Kids In Glass Houses and The Blackout to the stage for a rowdy run through of Burn Burn sees them close the set on a perfect high.

Thursday sees us in Newport for something of a hometown show for Prophets. The venue is an odd one- the hall of a leisure centre where most of the audience are seated.

Tonight once again Dead Formats open the show and again the response is great. They really are an awesome band, and probably the sharpest dressed band around. Check them out.

Young Guns are once again on form tonight. Their sound is perfect, and again the crowd lap it up.

Tonight is all about Prophets though. From the opening song to their staple closer Burn Burn, they have their hometown crowd lapping up every note they play. filming for a video, they pull out all the stops, and it pays off. It's an incredible end to a great three shows. Roll on Reading!

Fightstar Rock The Roundhouse

We caught Fightstar's breathtaking set at the iTunes Festival last week. The gig took place at The Roundhouse in Camden (surely the finest venue in London, if not the UK). In Case Of Fire pulled out and were replaced last minute by rising stars Young Guns. Fightstar's performance was all conquering however, as once again the band lay to rest all those who prefer to highlight Charlie's previous musical outfit.
The band are 3 albums in now, and latest album, "Be Special", is a career high by a long way! Their set tonight is pulled from all three albums and every song is played with unending enthusiasm. Far more heavy than anyone gives them credit for, they incite chaos throughout and it is hard to pick a highlight, though surely it has to go to recent single "The English Way" which is, in my eyes, their finest hour.
Forget what you've heard, ignore the Busted link and simply give this band a chance, they truly do deserve your time.

The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Gig Review

So, last night EBTM went out to see The Voluntary Butler Scheme at Start The Bus in Bristol. Once again we were blown away. Rob Jones is not only the most loveable person we have ever met but the most technically gifted musician and writer of heartwarming, real life lyrics that we have experienced. Shy and unassuming as Rob is, The Voluntary Butler Scheme is the biggest noise you will ever hear from one man.
For anyone who hasn't experienced VBS here's how it goes. Rob, combined with sequencer and every other instrument available to man, creates a sound akin to Arcade Fire. On his own. But with better lyrics.
We recommend you check out The Voluntary Butler Scheme. Just don't stay out past bedtime and come to work feeling really, really rubbish…………..


Words By Whiney Crackhouse.

Download Festival - Review

Download Festival 09' - What an absolute blinder of a w'end!! EBTM were down in full force with our guys "The Whispering Eye" and "Murr Man", covering as many angles for you as possible. You were there right? So what were the highlights of your weekend, any bands blow you away, or fail to rise to the occassion? Did you see EBTM throwing out free T-Shirts? Add your comments to the bottom of this blog & let us know about your Download experience! x


Day 1 - Whispering Eye:

The sun is blistering hot when we arrive on the download site, which is nice as we were told it was going to rain all weekend.
First up is a trip to the Red Bull stage to see our friends in Young Guns, who put in a great performance to a busy tent. The sound was a bit hit or miss, but singer Gus doesn't let that deter him as he throws himself into a crowd to get people moving.
Next up we head to the mainstage to catch Billy Talent. Having seen them last week at the Underworld, it's great to see them playing just as an exciting set on the massive stage.

We catch two or three songs of Killswitch as we head over to see Bring Me The Horizon. Killswitch are on great form - their songs are massive and they always entertain.

Bring Me The Horizon are equally as exciting. The crowd love it as Sam from Architects joins them for a song. Horizons last album saw them silence a lot of the haters and their set today further enforces this. Top stuff.

We head to the Red Bull stage to catch new UK band Don Broco next. They put in a great performance, sounding similar to a more yobby Enter Shikari. Ones to watch!
So, next is the much anticipated return of Limp Bizkit. I was expecting it to either be terrible or amazing, but actually found it to be neither, just pretty average. There are some forms of music you can't play as you get older and watching a 40 year old Fred Durst bounce round the stage like a 16 year old poser, suggests that Nu Metal is one such genre.


We forgo half of Faith No More's reunion set to catch Blackhole and it's a damn good thing we did. Massive riffs and singer Rick's incredible voice and awesome stage presence makes then Band of the day in our eyes. We catch the second half of Faith No More's set on our way back to the guest bar and it is awesome. The entire stage is draped in red curtains and it looks amazing, but the band sound even better playing a set of hits alongside fan favourites, it really is a joy to watch. Perfect way to end day 1.

Day 2: Murr Man -

Arriving a day later after watching You Love Her Cos Shes Dead play Bristol the night before, (see previous blog, check this band out!!) I was instantly hit by the atmosphere of the place, the crowds still buzzing off Friday's sets and the parties across the campsites. I take time out to wander around the festival, the place is buzzing pure happiness & the vibe is great, even the queues for the beer tents this year were kind to us!
Down take to the main stage and tear the place up. Great set & the mosh pits feed off of Phil Anselmo's every word. I head over to the 2nd stage to witness Thunder, a fairly tepid set reduces the spirits a little after Down, but these guys are legendary so we can forgive them, can't we?

We arise hot and tired on Saturday. The sun is already beating down hard as we head to the Red Bull stage to see Exeter boys The Computers set. We miss the beginning where apparently there were some technical issues. By the time we get there however, they are firing on all cylinders and stomp their way through a set of Bronx-esque angry punk rock ditties.

Our next port of call is our pals in Fightstar. They pile through a huge set that sees them lean slightly towards their heavier material. They go down an absolute storm and have a crowd bigger than any other we see at the second stage the whole weekend. It would appear that the band have finally earned their spurs from the metal crowd as not a bottle is thrown and some of the biggest circle pits of the day are opened.


You Me At Six are also a band predicted for a hard time this festival, but as the band bound on stage, it appears that they are not going to let these worries affect them. The worries turn out to be unfounded after all as they put on a great show . Highlights include latest single Finders Keepers and an inspired cover of Lady GaGa'sPoker Face. (I have to agree here, the Lady GaGa tune was inspired, but busting out a Rage Against The Machine cover was ill advised!)

Pendulum are sounding massive as we make our way in front of the mainstage. After a bite to eat, it's time to check out Architects. The Brighton metallers are one of the most anticipated bands of the festival, and they don't disappoint, unleashing a tirelessly heavy tirade of riffs. Brilliant stuff!

The Blackout who are filling in for a sadly missing The Ghost Of A Thousand on the Red Bull stage. As much as I am gutted that TGOAT pulled out. The Blackout pull out all the stops. Banter is great and the songs are even better. They sound massive as they drown out the unrelenting barrage of Slipknot. We manage to catch the last 5 or 6 songs of Slipknot and they are massive. Revolving drum risers, getting the whole crowd to crouch down and jump up at the same time through to closing song "Spit It Out", they really are unstoppable. Absolutely awe-inspiring!

There's no doubting Pendulum's abilities, great set & the sound is huge but it just doesn't compete with past masters The Prodigy, so, after a few tunes I head to the second stage to see Liam, Keith & the unstoppable Maxim bring the house down.

Ripping into Komanchi, a gabba beat laden tune before launching into the classics of Firestarter & Smack My Bitch Up I can't bring myself to stop dancing and as the crowds carry the party on into the night & the echoes of Maxim's MC'ing ring through my ears there's only one place left for us to go, the Jager tent backstage :)

Day 3:

First up today is the brutal onslaught of Suicide Silence. I am picky of my extreme metal, but these guys are definitely on my list of loves. They are brilliant and as the sun bakes down once more, I am simply left wishing I had long hair so I could windmill it. New album is going to be a belter! Jett Black are the next band for us. These High Wycombe boys are always entertaining, and it's a crime that songs such as "When It Comes To Loving, I Have No Friends" have not seen them grow in stature more than they have. Still, if todays rammed tent and the bands ultra tight set are anything to go by- good times are ahead!


Taking to the stage at 11am on the 3rd day is never ideal, but brighton band Brides get things off to a great start in the Tuborg tent, expect big things from these boys. Constant between song banter with the crowd goes down well and they hit us with the tune Frank West before we say goodbye & wander back across the fields to take in the rest of the day. Despite all the weather warnings we're truly blessed with the sun this w'end.

Journey sound awesome -

(Epic set, easily the highlight of my w'end. No denying the crowd love Journey and in turn Journey love each and every one of us. Not a dull moment in this set, thanks guys!) as we make our way over to see stoner rocklegends Clutch. In a weekend with so many strong bands and incredible sets, it is testament to the might of Clutch that they seem to effortlessly drop one of the sets of the festival! New songs sound great and old faves are dropped with a heavy groove that no other band can come close to matching. If you do not know this band, go buy their albums. They are incredible!

Brief glimpses of Whitesnake (awesome, despite Radio 2 esque between song banter)

and Therapy? (sadly marred by terrible sound and also not quite pulling enough from the old albums for my liking!) lead us up to the Red Bull Stage where we catch the last 4 songs of Flood Of Red's set. The Scottish guys put in a great performance, and it would appear that the rumours of a massive leap forward on their imminent debut album is true. It does sound incredibly like Circa Survive however, which is a little bit worrying, but time will tell as to whether they can carve their own niche. Our lift home sadly calls two songs into We Are The Ocean's set which is sad as we were genuinely excited to watch the band close the RedBull stage. Still a promising start and a busy tent suggest they will have no trouble closing the weekend on a high.
We watch Def Leppard play one of the most boring and insipid sets on our way to meet our lift home. Shame it wasn't Slipknot closing as Def Leppard leave the weekend ending on a bit of a geriatric bum note!

Oh well, everything else has been incredible!

Billy Talent - Gig Review

So tonight is a busy old week- All American Rejects, Steadlur, Alexisonfire and Billy Talent are all in town doing shows. We opt for Billy Talent in the end, and it appears we've made a good choice.

Fresh from playing to 12,000 people in Europe, the band find themselves squeezed into the sweaty confines of the Underworld to thrash it out to a meagre 600 kids. Small numbers don't deter them however as they launch into a set of crowd favourites and songs from the soon to be released third album, cunningly titled III. New songs blend seamlessly into a set that includes classic tracks such as Red Flag and Try Honesty. The sound is perfect- loud but crisp, and the band are tight as anything, proving that 15 years in the game has paid off.

Just like any Billy Talent song on it's own, the whole set is a relentlessy energetic spectacle that hits you like a wall. The simple fact is they don't play bad shows. Tonight is proof of that. As sweaty kids spill out of the venue, we are left excited for the new album and their sure to be great set at Download.

Bring it on!

Words by Whispering Eye.

Gallows Rock The Purple Turtle

So we were one of a few people lucky enough to head to the Gallows XFM show at the Purple Turtle last night. Having seen the band headline their biggest show ever only last week, it was going to be interesting to see how the did heading back to a grubby venue like the Purple Turtle. Quite simply, they killed it! I watched in awe as they ploughed through a set with a fairly even mix of songs from Orchestra Of Wolves and stunning new album Grey Britain. Frank seems on fine form - his between song banter and huge grin throughout the set suggests he's loving every second of being in the band, a relief as he did start to appear frustrated at the end of their last tour cycle. It's utter chaos from start to finish, as any Gallows show should be. One guys staggers out of the venue with an apparent dislocated shoulder, everyone else leaves smiling from ear to ear.
The fact that Gallows can still tear a small venue like this apart and, more importantly, clearly love doing so is testament to how important and brilliant a band they are. Let's hope they keep it up.

A mention should also go out to openers Sharks. Very much a buzz band at the moment, their update on the sound of the original wave of punk bands is exciting and refreshing. They have all the song writing suss of The Clash and the swagger of Mike Skinner, and it's brilliant!
IT's genuinely refreshing to see bands like Sharks, Gallows, Frank Turner and The King Blues that are so clearly proud to be British. If tonight's set is anything to go by, Sharks could well be reaching, and even surpassing, the success of all of their peers. Here's hoping!

Words by The Whispering Eye.

SlamDunk Festival - Review

We hit Leeds this Bank Holiday Sunday for the always awesome Slamdunk Festival. Bigger than ever- 5,000 kids, sold out over 6 stages, the festival is host to a who's who of the current hip and cool crowd. Not bowing out to potential big name headliners, it instead relies on a feast of the current hot and happening bands, both from the UK and acroos the Ocean.

Our day kicks off with a brief set from UK hopefuls Young Guns on the Fishing For Eskimo stage. The place is still filling up, but the band are warmly received, including starting the first circle pit of the day.



Next up we catch a few songs of other UK hopefuls All Forgotten. By now the room is rammed and it appears that all the touring has paid off as these guys control an incredible crowd.



Next we head to the main stage to see The Audition lay down a set of pop punk dance tunes. Always reliable, the guys are on top form and see excited to be part of such a great bill.

Kids In Glass Houses set on the main stage is nothing short of a revelation. They storm through a set that peppers a few new songs between those from their incredible debut album, Smart Casual. Probably the only show they will do this year as they write for the new album, it's simply a joy to watch. Set of the day.

After a bite to eat, we catch the end of Cobra Starship's main stage set. I can't work this band out- how can one of the members of one of the great pop punk bands (long sinced defunct Midtown- check them out!) End out fronting this pointless and tiresome act. A true example of style over substance, the posturing and lame dance moves become tiresome very quickly.

In Case Of Fire are our next port of call. It's a shame these guys haven't attracted a bigger crowd. They are a brilliant band with a host of epic songs in their arsenal. Probably better suited on a bill with Muse that what is essentially a pop punk festival, they are fighting a losing battle from the first chord, which is truly sad as they are a great band.



The Blackout however have a huge crowd in the palm of their hands, and rightly so. It's great to see this band getting on their way to stardom. They are unbeatable live, and in new album, The Best In Town, they have a timebomb waiting to go off. As ever, dual vocalists control the crowd with ease, their between song banter is always hilarious. This band are larger than life and are going to explode this year.

It takes us forever to get out if the room so sadly we miss You Me At Six's conquering mainstage headline performance, though general opinion seems to be that it was as awesome as people have been predicting.

A good day, all in all, it was impossible to see all the bands we wanted to- top of those that we missed were The Ghost Of A Thousand, Attack Attack, The King Blues, Polar Bear Club and We Are The Ocean- go check them all out as well, they rule.

Were you at SlamDunk? Let us know who you thought rocked, that we missed!!!

Madina Lake & The Audition - Gig Review

Madina Lake and The Audition
Camden Electric Ballroom
Friday 8th May

I arrive too late for The Yashin and Flood Of Red. The Yashin have never done anything for me to be honest, but I have heard good things about the rejuvenated Flood Of Red. They have been away for a long time, but word on the streets is that they are a force to be reckoned with. Roll on the new album for sure. The Audition are on storming form despite the mess around their label meaning they have done little to no press (one interview in Alaska according to singer Danny). The bands set is energetic as ever. Three albums in and their songs are just getting bigger and better. New album "Self Titled Album" is an absolute stormer even if you haven't read much about it!

Which leaves Madina Lake to tie the night up, and they do so in typical excitable style. The energy this band oozes is insane, both twins Matthew and Nathan are never still, in and out of the crowd and bounding around the stage endlessly as they storm through a set taken equally from their debut and new album, Attics To Eden. The kids lap it up of course, and if this crowd is anything to go by, this band have proved themselves on that awkward second album.

Review by "Whispering Eye".

Cancer Bats - Gig Review

Cancer Bats @ The Underworld, Camden. Vans sponsored show...

Last night I swung by The Underworld to catch the ever awesome Cancer Bats destroy Camden. The last date on their Vans sponsored tour, the venue was rammed to the rafters and hot as hell- the perfect vibe for a C Bats show. We miss thrash skate punks SSS due to early doors, but are there in time to catch Leeds wreckers boys The Plight. Anyone who knows this band, knows they love to party and their music reflects this- with the rock and roll edge of Guns'n'Roses or Motley Crue, but with the metallic groove of Clutch or Mastodon. They go down a storm. After a distinctly average set by Canadians This Is A Standoff, Cancer Bats ripped through an incredible set chock full of stomping tracks. A cover of Murder City Devils is a highlight alongside the always crushing Hail Destroyer. Few frontmen are as engaging or instantly likeable as singer Liam Cormier. The fact that almost every song is dedicated to everyone in the venue perfectly examples how in love with their fans the band are. Last years Hail Destroyer was one of my favourite albums of 2008, so fingers crossed the next album will see the band hitting even bigger stages. Here's hoping!

Reviewed by "Whispering Eye".