Nothing But Thieves / Passport To Stockholm / Andy Ruddy [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 21/7/14]
Andy Ruddy
A really enjoyable acoustic-driven set showcasing plenty of great and engaging songs. Peaceful, serene, lush, and spacious new tunes hinted at serious future promise. Overall, a great start to the night. Read more…
Yeti Love – ‘Yeti Love’ [Review]
When an album brings to mind Boy Hits Car (one of my favourite bands of all time) and Spotlight Cannibal (one of my favourite bands of right now), it’s a winner in my eyes. On this, their eponymous debut album, Yeti Love are winning at music, and doing it in style. Read more…
Welcome The Howling Tones / The Greasy Slicks / Psyche / Ben Longman [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 10/7/14]
If you were to walk into The Boileroom today, you wouldn’t be able to tell that said widely loved and respected venue is currently under threat of closure from a couple of local residents. The staff and management are nothing if not professional, and last night’s show – the result of a collaboration between The Boileroom, promoters Noise Theory, and local music school ACM – went off without any externally obvious hitches. Read more…
Martha Paton – ‘Panoramic’ [Review]
After this weekend’s metal-focussed extravaganza, I decided to look for something a little more summery. Fortunately I didn’t have to search for long, thanks to a certain TMMP favourite. Read more…
Spotlight Cannibal / El Born / Calista Kazuko / Claudia Arnold / Cardboard Carousel [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 26/6/14]
A week after The Boileroom first announced its status as a newly threatened independent live music venue, it’s great to see the team there aren’t letting the stress and pressure get in the way of still more amazing shows. Tonight ran as smoothly as ever, and any raw and agitated nerves were most likely soothed (if temporarily) by the following acts: Read more…
Bare Jams / Indigo Children / Backwoods Creek / Taygan Paxton [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 11/6/14]
When you get to a small venue and see security standing outside, you know it’s going to be a busy night. It’s a neon-jacketed signal that tells you this show has already sold a significant number of tickets before it’s even opened its doors. Latecomers are likely to find themselves missing out. However, it’s also quite common for pre-booked punters to take their time preening and perfecting their looks before heading down to the venue – meaning that the opening acts may still end up playing to a fraction of the crowd drawn by the headliners.
It’s a common assumption that opening acts are opening simply because they’re not very good – but this evening’s headliners were also its organisers, and it’s very safe to say that Bare Jams have fantastic taste! Every act on this bill was high quality. So much for common assumptions, then…
If you took your time getting to this show, prepare to commence kicking yourself. The acts you missed were: Read more…
Bare Jams – ‘Rigglet EP’ [Review]
As I write this, I’m sitting outside in the sun. Birds are sitting on branches in the shade, there are no clouds in sight, and the temperature is just right. This EP is in my ears, and right now it feels like nothing else on Earth could soundtrack these moments better. Read more…
Nick Oliveri / Prosperina / Welcome The Howling Tones / Yeti Love [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 3/6/14]
Last night, I left this show in an ambulance. Now, given Nick Oliveri’s reputation as a hellraising rock demon, you’d be forgiven for jumping to conclusions here – but the truth is a lot less rock ‘n’ roll than whatever you’re thinking right now. More on that later. Before we get into why my exit was so dramatic, and of course how immense this show was, you need to know a little bit about the state of grassroots live music in the UK today. Read more…
Jack Barnett – ‘Keeping Time’ [Review]
Sweet, lilting atmospheres and nuanced, intimate vocals. A fantastic understanding of dynamics, understated instrumentalism, well-crafted lyrics and massive repeatability. The support of a great producer who knows exactly how to bring out the best in a worthy artist, and elicit just the right shades of emotion in the end product’s listeners. Read more…