Words by Emily Williams ItÔÇÖs a quiet Friday afternoon as I log onto Zoom to speak to Anchor Lane, who have just begun theirUK headline tour starting in Bradford. It is their first time touring an album after the scheduled tourfor their debut album Casino was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We chatted about influences, image, and intentions for their new album Call This … Continue reading In Conversation With Anchor Lane
Words by Emily Williams Up-and-coming Glasgow rock band Anchor Lane released their second album entitled,┬áCall This A Reality? on 27th January 2023.┬áThe album follows their first successful album┬áCasino┬áwhich reached Number 9 on Official UK Rock Albums Chart in its 2020 release.┬áCall This A Reality?┬áembraces indie undertones and showcases heavy guitar work that complements the vocals from Conor Gaffney. The guitar work is really what stands … Continue reading Album Review: Call This A Reality? – Anchor Lane
Words and photos by Alice Lumley On potentially one of the coldest and stormiest nights in Cardiff, I had the pleasure of going to see Spear of Destiny at a beloved Cardiff venue, The Globe. The Globe is one of my favourite venues in Cardiff as the staff are lovely, the venue is small and intimate but not too crowded and the drinks are cheap … Continue reading Spear of Destiny @ The Globe 23/11/2022
British rock giants Kasabian made an explosive return to Cardiff International Arena (formerly Motorpoint Arena), touring their new album The Alchemist’s Euphoria. Despite the awful weather that greeted us, we left the venue absolutely elated. Supporting Kasabian on this tour is The Lathums, a relatively young indie band hailing from Wigan; they were one of the best support acts I’ve ever seen. Their set was … Continue reading Review: Kasabian @ CIA 02/11/2022
Words and photos by Harry Taylor A chilly night in Cardiff is felt most bitterly when standing, waiting for the doors of the wonderfully intimate Clwb Ifor Bach to open. Descending upon these doors, equally eager and expectant, were fifteen to twenty people, displaying their identification with this music scene through various skull t-shirts, chains, hats, piercings and badges. I felt like the odd one … Continue reading Ocean Grove @ Clwb Ifor Bach 18/10/2022
Words by Rubie BarkerImage courtesy of Red Light Management The chance to sit down with Izzy B. Phillips, lead singer of Black Honey was not something I wanted to miss. I got to see them back in 2018 at Truck Festival before the release of their hit self titled debut album, Black Honey. But now with their second album, ÔÇÿWritten and DirectedÔÇÖ about to be … Continue reading An Interview with Black Honey
Words by Leona Franke With the aftermath of hippie culture and the blossoming of exciting new technology, the 1970s emerged to be a decade of variety and ideas, and this is no clearer than in the music that rose to prominence. However, no other face impacted the early 1970ÔÇÖs quite much as one, and he came in the vessel of a freakish figure, an instant … Continue reading Putting Stardust in the 70s: David Bowie’s Musical Legacy
Words by Francesca IonescuImage courtesy of Id Pr Glam Rock has been described by Robert Palmer as ÔÇÿrebelling against the rebellionÔÇÖ, taking rock as an outsiderÔÇÖs music genre and making it, well, glam. The genre started in the 70s, when Britain was in a tense political period, with the escalating Northern Ireland conflict and the economic crisis, a general unpleasant time just after the summer … Continue reading From Bowie to Miley: How Glam Rock Shaped Music Forever
When we write about music, we are bound to encounter subjectivity ÔÇôan element that we constantly try to supress in order to remain impartial. However, even if we do a great job at concealing it, it is always there. Imagine what would happen if we only wrote about music that we donÔÇÖt have some sort of emotional connection to. We would ultimately end up with … Continue reading New Artist Corner: Andr├®s Volkov
By Indigo Jones ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà I wanna rock, was one of my first thoughts as I approached the theatre. Rock of Ages is a colourful and comedic celebration of the music of the 80s! The musical tells the story of Sherry (Danielle Hope) who moves to LA to become an actress, she then meets and falls in love with Drew (Luke Walsh) and overcomes various problems … Continue reading Review | Rock of Ages
by Hannah Ryan ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå Diminutive though Lindsey Jordan ÔÇô better known as Snail Mail ÔÇô may be, her stage presence at Thekla in Bristol this week was anything but. Bathed in a melancholy blue light, she appeared, alongside her band, with little fanfare and introduced herself in the briefest of terms before diving straight into the odd little guitar riff for which her ÔÇÿHeat WaveÔÇÖ … Continue reading Live Review | Snail Mail performs a poignant set at Bristol’s Thekla
by Dylan Graham ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå My first reaction to hearing about Big Boy Bloater and the Limits was that of sheer amusement. What a wacky name for a band, I thought. However, the title stuck with me and I wasnÔÇÖt surprised to find out that they had been booked to play in a similarly eccentrically named venue in Bristol – Mr WolfÔÇÖs Noodle Bar. As I … Continue reading Live Review | Big Boy Bloater + the Limits at Mr Wolf’s Noodle Bar, Bristol
Quench Music talk┬áBuckingham Palace, Barack Obama and opening the show with alt-rockers Beartooth So, Beartooth, coming from an alternative background, how would you describe yourself to people who havenÔÇÖt heard you before? Taylor: Fast and loud. Caleb: WeÔÇÖre like a mixture of Pantera and The Beatles. IÔÇÖm just kidding, weÔÇÖre nothing like that. I donÔÇÖt know really. WeÔÇÖre loud, intenseÔǪ Taylor: Fast and loud like … Continue reading Interview: Beartooth
Now in its second year, Pili Pala festival is returning to SwanseaÔÇÖs Uplands from 16-17 May. The event will showcase the best of local music talent across four live venues. Regulars on the local circuits include Cardiff-based Houdini Dax with an onslaught of powerful, upbeat rock, while the alternative Tarsiers will be bringing psychedelic influences to the scene. Meanwhile, warm acoustic sets that falter in … Continue reading Festival Preview: Pili Pala, Swansea
ÔÇ£MikeÔÇÖs on daytime radio, and John played Reading + Leeds, and IÔÇÖm still playing the Purple Turtle on New YearÔÇÖs EveÔÇØ. So goes the lyric on Deaf HavanaÔÇÖs folk-tinged lament ÔÇÿThe Past Six YearsÔÇÖ, referencing friends in Lower Than Atlantis and Young Guns. Penned at a time when the band was struggling for direction and for their future, tonight sees them return to Cardiff having … Continue reading Live Review: Deaf Havana, The Great Hall
HUB Festival: 23-26 August 2013, Cardiff With new drinking holes and achingly hip ÔÇÿflea marketÔÇÖ Cardiff Fashion Quarter opening, Womanby StreetÔÇÖs alternative image became official at the end of August with the first ever HUB festival taking over 8 venues in the area. HUB presented an impressive line-up of 150 acts over the weekend, with an opening and very exciting closing party at The Full … Continue reading Festival Review: HUB 2013
