Cinders Fall, Cilice @Wreckless Intent, The Gander 7-3-09

Wreckless Intent’s is celebrating its 2nd Birthday on this cold March evening. It should be a time of fun and the excuse for a right old knees up, but whether it’s the economic climate or the outdoors one, the attendance tonight is poor. The previous times I’ve been to this well organised event, you haven’t been able to swing a cat, so I’m very surprised to say the least!

Usually bands can tend to not put as much effort in when the crowd is sparse but both of tonight’s outfit’s have come to kick ass. Fifty people or five hundred, it’s all about the music and those that have bothered to turn up get treated to a cracking good gig!





The first band on tonight has travelled all the way from Holland. They are Cilice and are on tour in the UK promoting their new album Deranged Headtrip. They get straight down to basics and deliver a head numbing set of rip-roaring metal. A lung busting vocal display by the singer, is perfectly complemented by the two guitarists desire to lay waste the ear drums of those assembled, with crunching heavy riffs. There is no bass player present, nor does there seem to be a need for one, as Cilice’s sticksman, takes on all of the rhythm duties. A truly impressive exhibition of drumming, that left everyone agog.





Cinders Fall hail from Essex and make no bones about where their influences lie. The Swedish Gothenburg sound is heavily evident in their music, but that is no bad thing. Take what’s around you and make it your own, is what they have done and the distinctly British result, literally speaks volumes. Their set is delivered with absolute conviction; this is clearly a band that has set their sights high.






Excellent guitar work from Ben Sullivan and main songwriter James Bartram, riff after riff rains down and we are pummelled into submission by shredding solos.
New bass player Jordan Pillai dashes around the stage like a man possessed, all the while keeping time with the frenetic drumming of Laurence Al-Shaar. Providing backing vocals is Colin Eatherton, who adds an extra edge to the sound with some outstanding keyboard playing.






The obvious gel that’s holding everything together is main front man Anthony Masters. He shouts, screams and cajoles the small but eager crowd to get down the front and start banging their heads. And in doing so, he makes everyone feel a part of the show rather than just spectators.

Up and coming British Metal at it’s best.

Wreckless Intent 7-2-09 Ramesses, Summa and Shy Of The Depth

Ramesses II was regarded as Egypt's greatest and most powerful pharoah. The word powerful certainly describes the ear splitting deluge of thundering riffs,that Ramesses the band use to crush tonight's audience with.


But Wreckless Intent kicks of tonight with Brighton 5 piece Shy Of The Depth. It's not easy being first band on, that said, their hook laden, tech-metal goes down well the crowd. Lead singer Eddy, let's the front row know what a good pair of metal lungs should sound like, by bellowing at them, until heads begin to bang. Good riffs, good show, great band.



Summa are a band local to Bournemouth, who have been gigging for about seven years but have decided to call it a day. This is their last show and judging by the brutal opening onslaught, they aim to make it count. Full on pile driver guitars and in-your-face attitude is the order of the day. Their set is fast and loose and the band members and audience are enjoying the whole vibe. On a table by the door, their EP CD is available for free and most people leave tonight with one in their pocket.

Down-tuned Doom Metal isn't to everyone's taste and small minority people head off when Ramesses hit the stage. It's their loss as the rest of us are rewarded with a master class in extreme musicianship, dredged up from one of the nine circles of Hell (probably the sixth!).
On the left side of the stage Tim Bagshaw stands as still as a statue but his guitar work is awesome. On the drums Mark Greening is just a blur of arms, pounding his kit with unbounded ferocity. The throaty roar that emanates from Adam Richardson's vocals is matched only by his heavy bass sound, which shakes the heart in your chest. They finish off with a wall of feedback and the drums being kicked all over the stage. Fantastic stuff!

Alice Cooper

Southampton Guildhall 25-7-08


As the house lights dim and the air of expectation rises, you can’t help but look around at the Guildhall’s high ceilings and chandelier type lights and think how well it complements the atmosphere that the man performing tonight exudes.

A huge drape with the legendary name ‘Alice Cooper’ emblazoned on it hangs at the front of the stage, concealing the rostrum from view. Suddenly a spotlight shines from behind onto the veil and into the beam strides the silhouette of Alice Cooper.
He punches the air and the crowd shout out their appreciation, but wait…another silhouette appears behind the first, holding a sword, he raises his arm and runs the first one through. The curtain falls and there stands a black leather-clad Alice Cooper over the still twitching body of his white tuxedoed doppelganger.

This is pure theatre and the Guildhall’s audience is eating it up. Over the next hour and three quarters, we are witness to one of the best rock shows in the world. Not only are we bombarded with a visual feast of entertainment but also the music’s not bad either!

This tour is promoting the release of his latest album ‘Along Came a Spider’ but Alice Cooper knows that what 95% of the crowd want is the ‘old stuff’ and boy does he deliver! No More Mr Nice Guy, Eighteen, Under My Wheels, Dirty Diamonds and Woman Of Mass Destruction are fired off in quick succession.

A short break for the man himself while Kerri Kelli and Jason Hook play two short guitar solos and then pitch in to help out (former Kiss drummer) Eric Singer play a thundering drum solo.

Alice returns for Only Women Bleed and his daughter, a classically trained dancer in her own right, twirls and pirouettes in time to the rhythm. At this point, being dragged on to the stage by grotesque henchmen, is a huge gallows. Cast to the floor and put in a straitjacket, Alice is then hauled up the stairs, has a noose placed around his neck and as a minion pulls the leaver activating the trapdoor mechanism, he plunges through it. Alice is then wheeled off the podium, swinging gently between the gallows posts.

Have no fear, he returns for an encore of his hit songs Billion Dollar Babies, Poison and Elected and judging by the general feeling as we head out into the night, Alice Cooper the master showman, made sure we all had a night to remember.

Motorkill

+ Voodoo Veags @ Mr Kyps 13-8-08



It’s a debut for Motorhead tribute band, Motorkill at Mr Kyps. A lot of people are turning up early to see the excellent Voodoo Vegas who are supporting them tonight.





The Vegas boys put on cracking show and their good time party rock songs such as ‘Perfect Girl’ and newie ‘The Ferry Song’ are the perfect introduction to the headliners set.






Motorkill play Motorhead’s classic tracks just like the real thing, very loud and very fast.
Opening with ‘Sucker’ and ‘Please Don’t Touch,’ they pound the crowd into submission and don’t let up once. Midway through the set, Lemmy invites Voodoo Vegas up on the stage to perform the song ‘Born To Raise Hell’, at which point things get very messy onstage and everyone in Mr Kyps is joining in the party.







It’s got to be said that the band has Motorhead down to pat and have obviously been listening to and studying them hard. Lemmy is very good and looks and sounds just like the man himself. Expect the word to spread and the next time they play here there will be twice the crowd. So book in advance and be prepared to have your eardrums blown to bits.

Whole Lotta Led

MR KYPS 27-6-08



I’ve heard good things about tonight’s band and I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Billed as a ‘sound a like’ rather than a ‘look a like’ tribute band, they take to the stage and deliver classic songs from Led Zeppelin’s immense back catalogue with aplomb.
The audience, granted, consist mainly of middle-aged blokes, but there is also a smattering of the younger generation. Kids probably curious about Led Zeppelin after reading about them in the rock press and having their fave bands cite them as a major influence. And not being able to afford £160 for a ticket to the O2 gig, this is as close as it’s gonna get.

There is no support band, so the show is split into two halves with a 15 minute break or thereabouts, in between. Singer Lee Addison does a fantastic job, as Robert Plant isn’t the easiest of singers to emulate. He also introduces each song and tends to give out a bit of relevant trivia i.e. if the song was ever played live; what album it was on; which gig etc.

These guys have a serious passion for their idols and the second half of the set is filled with the showpiece songs. Bass guitarist Geoff Hunt makes ‘Dazed and Confused’ a set highlight, as does Graham Twist on ‘Moby Dick’. Drum solos don’t usually go down too well in this MTV influenced age but this was a faithful recreation of John Bonham’s solo on ‘The Song Remains The Same’ album and I’m glad to say it went down a treat with the Mr Kyps faithful.

Of course the yardstick which every Zepp tribute act will be measured by is ‘Stairway To Heaven’ and they pull out an absolutely amazing rendition of this much loved classic. Climaxing with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and with ‘Communication Breakdown’ slotted in the middle for good measure, guitarist Nick Ferris excels himself and shows off his six string skills to the max.


If you haven’t seen this band before and you like Led Zeppelin, beg, borrow or perhaps more sensibly buy a ticket and be prepared to have one of the best musical experiences around. I know I did.

Mr Fungus, 11 April 2008 @ Gander on the Green

The Gander on the Green has put a lot of effort into raising it’s profile and making itself into an exciting live venue of late, the black paint job on the stage area adds to the atmosphere inside, the lighting rig could do with a revamp and maybe a spotlight for the lead singers but with an full itinerary of up and coming bands booked in for the next couple of months, my advice… keep an eye on this place you might just catch the next big thing.

A steady stream of punters are still making their way in when The Deltorers start their set, their toe tapping Indie Grunge suffers with some ‘opening band’ muddy sound but is remedied after a couple of songs. Bizarrely halfway through, the guitarist/singer and drummer swap roles and for the rest of the set the lead singer is playing drums at the back taking away the focal point for the audience. With that gripe aside, they do their best and with a few more gigs under their belt, they’ll soon be kicking up a storm.

The storm analogy applies in spades to the next band up, Voodoo Vegas, as like thunder and lightning they tear the place up with some kick ass classic rock. Front man Lawrence Case celebrates his birthday today and in between Jagermeister shots, eggs the crowd on to party hard. Airing a couple of new songs, guitarist Nick lays down some cracking solos; and Ash on Bass and Chris on drums keep the rhythm section as tight as a duck’s arse. Headbanging is rife and they leave the stage to rousing applause.

On to tonight’s headliners, it’s been three years since Mr Fungus have played live together, the trio having split to pursue different band projects. But they’re back and ready to rock. ‘Nacho’ Jase (on guitar) and the newly recruited Henry (bass) take to the stage with women’s fishnet tights with three balloons (going from large to small) shoved into each leg, then spend a minute or two trying to get their guitar straps over their hilarious heads, while drummer Paulie has a balaclava jammed over his! Once plugged in the music speaks volumes, good time party rock that gets the Gander hooting and hollering. Original material and a few cover versions thrown in (and the fact that the band are having just as good a time as the crowd) make it an excellent show. Finishing with the Spiderman theme tune amended to include The Simpsons Spiderpig skit, all I can say is these guys put the FUN in Fungus!