LIVE: Dirty Sky Jones - Eastney Cellars 22nd April 2012

Now there are many reasons as to why I love living in Portsmouth, but one thing that really stands out for me is the amount of musical talent the island has to offer, despite only living here for three years I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the local musicians and witnessing their live performances. One lad in particular, who seems to be going from strength to strength is Sam Jones aka Dirty Sky Jones, an acoustic-pop singer songwriter with a unique voice and charming presence. I went down to his EP release show to see if there really is anything 'dirty' about this young man.

Luke Ferre, another local talent was the first support for the evening, who really defines the term 'raw talent' with nothing but his guitar, his voice created a beautiful atmosphere in the room and made us all laugh with his own take on Katy Perry's 'California Gurls', which he has re-written as 'Portsmouth and Southsea Girls'. Quite the comedian!

Andrew Foster also performed prior to the headline act, with a much more mellow vibe to his music, most of us all chilled out and soaked up his voice and the atmosphere. Another musician to keep your eye on!

Eventually Dirty Sky Jones took to his stage, along with his own bit of carpet for comfort (I don't know either, ask him!). He'd already sweeten'd up the crowd by providing mini bags of gummy sweets for everyone (see what i did there?!) so already he was off to a good start! Only recently has he been playing with a backing band, and although he can still perform well by himself, the extra instruments really brought his songs to life.

As he works his way through the tracks off his new EP 'This Town' we get an insight into what goes on in his life, with songs about mishaps in the bedroom and a duet with Becky Jerams about breaking up; but don't be fooled by his good-boy charm, one listen to his lyrics and it's revealed that there really is a lot of 'dirty' in the mind of Dirty Sky Jones! 

One of the great things about Dirty Sky Jones' music is that his songs are all very positive and optimistic about life, he writes about things we all go through, whether it's having a heavy night or being embarrassed about your cousin catching your whatsit on a fishing line. He's honest and that means a lot in the modern music industry, he's real and opinionated like the rest of us, it just so happens he can write fantastic songs about life. 

Overall it was a fantastic afternoon spent with amazing musicians. Dirty Sky Jones' EP is available on iTunes or from his store. If you're a fan of Frank Turner, Dave McPherson or Charlie Simpson than i urge you to check this guy out and show him some support! 

LIVE: Bombay Bicycle Club – Portsmouth Guildhall 24th April 2012

It’s not often that big-name indie bands choose Portsmouth Guildhall as a stop on their UK tours, usually travelling to Southampton or Brighton is the best bet for us music lovers in the South; so on the announcement of Bombay Bicycle Club I knew it was an opportunity that shouldn’t really be missed.

The support for the evening came from up and coming female singer-songwriters, Rae Morris and Lianne La Havas. Both had distinctive voices and played their songs well, however it would have been nice to have another band, or perhaps something slightly more uplifting to get the crowd, (who spent most of their time at the bar), in the mood for Bombay. Saying that both artists are likely to have a strong career ahead of them, with Rae Morris’ Ellie Goulding esque vocals and Lianne La Havis showing all of us ladies how a guitar should be played.

By the time Bombay Bicycle Club were due, most of the crowd had drunk the bar dry and were ready to let loose. Fitting you could say that Bombay’s introduction music was Sir Mix-a-lot’s Jump On It, not exactly what you’d expect from the indie four piece but it went down a treat.

As soon as the echoing vocals of ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ were heard, the crowd erupted, clapping and screaming in joy (probably helped by the alcohol). Bombay appear behind a transparent curtain displaying various cosmic-style patterns, vocalist Jack Steadman introducing the song in a somewhat charming fashion, before the curtain drops and the rest of the band launch into the track.

Now, personally my appreciation for a band can greatly increase or decrease when I see them live. If a band or artist puts as much effort into the set design and lighting as they do their music, it can really make the show so much more impressive. As Bombay lead into ‘Your Eyes’ the crowd are blasted with an incredible lighting display, with strobes and flashing lights galore, only adding to the emphasis they put into the music.  It’s clear from this point on that we are all in for one hell of a show and I was really quite excited to see what else was to come.

Bombay’s set had a brilliant mix of tracks from their three albums and each was delivered with just as much energy as the next, the guys had clearly thought this tour through carefully and selected some of their best tracks to perform. Lucy Rose also made an appearance throughout their whole set, as some will know her vocals appear on almost all of the tracks on latest record ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’, making the set even better than I had imagined it would be.

The only disappointment of the show was the performance of ‘Still’, which was completely stripped back with just Jack and Lucy singing together at the piano. A song that could have sounded amazing live if the crowd just stayed quite for the length of the song. Instead I stood struggling to hear anything over all the chatter going on around me.

“Save the best until last” sums up the final tracks on the setlist. Pre-encore saw ‘Always Like This’ send the crowd in a giant dancing frenzy, with mosh-pits turning into dance-pits that were full of love and appreciation for the band, and for the first time in a long time, I shuffled my way towards the front to make the most of it.

Bombay disappear for the briefest of moments before returning and going full blast into ‘Shuffle’ which had everyone up on their feet, jumping around and singing along. If it wasn’t for the roof over our heads and the warmth from being indoors, it could easily have felt as if we were all at a festival, the atmosphere was incredible. Finishing up with ‘What If’, both band and audience gave it everything they had, using up all their energy and leaving on a massive high.

After going in not really expecting much, I left completely in awe of everything I had just experienced and with a new level of appreciation for Bombay Bicycle Club as a band. Now if more bands could make room for Portsmouth on their tours, so I could have similar experiences that would be greatly appreciated, even if my bank balance doesn’t agree! 

Photography Credit: Danny Jack Photography

Live Review: Twin Atlantic - The Haunt, Brighton

Think of a great Scottish rock band…. I’m guessing the first band that comes to mind is Biffy Clyro right? Well now you need to push that name aside and make way for a Glaswegian four piece that are making a strong name for themselves in the alternative scene.

The weather in Brighton was certainly fit for the Scottish, (I definitely didn’t come prepared!) However this didn’t seem to faze the rest of the Brighton fans, upon entering the venue it was clear it was close to a sell out and pushing your way towards the front was a task not many could handle. The support acts were unfortunately a little disappointing, with most of the crowd spending their time at the bar during their sets.

Despite this, as soon as the lights lowered and the introduction music started, the crowd were ready and waiting to let themselves go. ‘Serious Underground Dance Vibes’ was the opening track and even though it has no vocals, it most definitely set up the atmosphere, leaving the crowd on edge for what was next to come. The Twin Atlantic boys then went full pelt into ‘Make a Beast of Myself’ and from that moment on they had the audience firmly in the palm of their hands. They made their way through most of the tracks from latest album ‘Free’, mixing it up with some older tracks such as ‘Human After All’ and a few from the first EP’s.  Each song provided evidence that Twin Atlantic were here to play a rock show, with circle pits taking up most of the venue and even lads shouting “I want your babies” in their best Scottish accents, it was clear that Twin Atlantic are fully accepted in the scene.

By the time it came to the encore everyone in the room was insanely hyped up, on returning we were treated to two of their latest singles, ‘Time for You to Stand Up’ and ‘Free’ which, quite frankly made me worry about the structure of the building as I could feel the floor bouncing underneath me. As the show came to an end, every last bit of energy was squeezed out and the crowd left rather sweaty but full of passion. There’s a lot of love for Twin Atlantic down south and it’s pretty awesome seeing so many people come together to celebrate their music.

If a proper rock show it what you are after, than I highly recommend going to see Twin Atlantic, I’m quite sure you won’t regret it! 

Live: Charlie Simpson - Concorde 2 Brighton

It’s been a while since I have felt the need to travel to see a band or artist play, but having missed Charlie’s first tour back in May, it was a definite that I would go wherever necessary to see the dapper young man at his best.

Charlie’s debut album ‘Young Pilgrim’ was released back in August and already is in my top 5 of ‘Best albums of 2011’. On top of that he was playing in one of the best music venues along the South Coast therefore it was a show that just simply couldn’t be missed.

As the 25 year old graced the stage there was a sudden uproar of screaming girls, (probably the only negative of the entire show) and it became clear that Charlie is still as much of a heartthrob as he was 10 years ago when he adorned many a bedroom wall with his fellow Busted members.

Charlie and his band gradually made their way through the tracks that feature on the album, as well as a cover of 80’s hit ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’ which seemed to go down a storm with an audience that were fresh out of the 90’s. With each song they played the band as a whole put everything they had into it, one that stood out in particular was ‘Riverbanks’. On record the middle instrumental is already quite powerful, but live, it is a whole new experience. You could see Charlie squeezing out as much energy as possible to intensify the sound, mix that with strobing lights and you’re left standing in awe of what is happening; I could even feel my ears struggling with it all.

Alongside the album tracks, Charlie also treated the crowd to a couple of B-Sides, including ‘Please Let Me Go’ which was performed completely stripped back with only Charlie, his guitar and one band member for harmonies. The performance left an incredible atmosphere, as everyone dealt with the tingles that were sent up their spines.

The show drew to a close, of course an encore was due and Charlie performed two more upbeat tracks so the crowd left on a happier note, however if everyone else felt the way I did afterwards, then Charlie has definitely mastered the art of connecting emotionally with his fans. His vocals could perhaps have been stronger, but after losing his voice just two days prior to the gig it’s a negative that I’m sure won’t apply for the rest of his shows on the tour.

Overall, a great performance from Charlie and his band. Long gone are the days of his spikey hair and poppy chorus’; these have been replaced by designer stubble, waistcoats and a lyrical genius.

Two Door Cinema Club - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Once again, this week i ventured into the world of experiencing live music completely by myself. It's an unsettling feeling, do you just go for it and not really care, or just stand at the back away from all the groups of people squeezing to the front? Usually, in this situation i am the latter, however after struggling to see most of the supporting act Polarsets i decided to shimmy my way as close to the front as i could get without being squished. Best idea i've ever had!

Two Door Cinema club casually walk onto the stage and quickly burst into the ever popular Undercover Martyn and all of a sudden the room has gone completely mental, this is a sold out show which is holding 500 people in one of the south coasts sweatiest venues, so it doesn't take long for everyone to become slightly damp. Sweatiness aside, the band work their way through tracks from their album Tourist History, with each song providing an even larger uproar than the last, particularly tracks such as Something Good Can Work and Do You Want It All. We are all then treated to two newer tracks which are to be included in their follow up to Tourist History which according to them is to be released later this year. Often when bands play their new songs at shows, the crowd calm down and just chill while they take in the new sounds. Not this crowd though, despite the fact none of us know any of the words yet, we can't help but carry on the dancing, the songs are utterly fantastic and give a very promising expectation for the new album.

The night begins to draw to a close with Two Door playing What You Know as a last push to squeeze every bit of energy out of the crowd. Of course though, as they exit the stage the crowd start the encore, the words 'TWO DOOR" repeated over and over by 500 people and lo and behold they come back, saying 'Thank you's' here there and everywhere, well what did they expect for a one off show in a city they have never played?! We then have the pleasure of hearing a third new track before they end on I Can Talk, once more the crowd are up on their feet, arms in the air singing along to every word.

Two Door leave the stage for the final time as echoes of clapping and wooing carry on for a good minute or so. They absolutely triumphed the Wedgewood Rooms, i left with a big smile on my face and ringing in my ears, and it has been a long time since that has happened from a live show. I can only hope that Two Door come back to Portsmouth very soon and all i can say is that i am VERY excited for their new record!