Favourite reviews #2 Rolo Tomassi (live)

Date: 04/02/08 Venue: The Zodiac at the Academy, Oxford As a stark contrast, Rolo Tomassi are a far cry from the tender twinkles provided earlier by This Town Needs Guns, inhabiting a tenacious space someplace left of post-hardcore. Eva Spence is mesmerising – “A little girl out there, caught in the hands of a drowning

Kerrang Tours : Bring Me the Horizon [& Sylosis] @ Camden Barfly

Bring Me the Horizon [& Sylosis] @ Camden Barfly 19/08/2008 The first thing that strikes you about BMTH has to be the hair. We’re not usually so fickle, or shallow, when it comes to our music. It’s ability before aesthetics as a general rule; but, there’s just something so damn perfect about their hair, that

Kerrang Tours: You Me at Six & Rolo Tomassi @ Camden Barfly

You Me at Six & Rolo Tomassi @ Camden Barfly 18/08/2008 Sometimes you can get a bit ‘been there, seen that’ when you see bands more than once. Maybe it’s that they’ve nothing new to showcase or that they’re bored with doing the same set over and over again, and need to enliven their live

Download Festival – Saturday (Day 2)

Download – Day 2 (Saturday) Day two starts early for us at Gigwise, as we’re in desperate need of some sustenance after a heavy night before. We manage to catch hardcore (screamo) inspired band, Alesana, who, despite looking as scenecore as we suspect is humanly possible, scream down the Turborg stage. Despite having two albums

Download Festival – Friday (Day 1)

Download – Day 1 (Friday) So the weather is warm as Gigwise arrive at Download. With press passes tightly secured around our wrists, we head off to catch some rays/bands. The beers are flowing nicely so we’re well lubricated to check out some of the great bands on show. We head over to the Media

We the Kings with Cute is What We Aim For @ Oxford Academy

We the Kings with Cute is What We Aim For @ Oxford Academy, 2/06/2008 For a very small band playing their first shows in the UK, We the Kings appear to be doing something very right indeed. For when we’re walking past the Zodiac earlier in the night there’s a queue of fashion haired lovelies

Born Ruffians @ Hoxton Bar and Grill

Born Ruffians @ Hoxton Bar and Grill 27/05/2008 You’d expect any salt worthy person to be nursing their well deserved hangover the day after the bank holiday weekend of death, but nah, Born Ruffians are such a big deal this week that everyone is here, parked, watered and waiting for the next big thing. At

Simple Plan @ Astoria, London

Simple Plan @ Astoria, London 19/04/2008 The Astoria is a hub of activity this evening. Kids in Vans trainers and studded belts line the adjacent pavement, screaming and cheering and being dead excited because “Yay! Wicked! Simple Plan are playing tonight raaaaaarrrr”! This is a 14+ gig. Great! These kids have been decorating the pavement

Dashboard Confessional @ the Zodiac at the Academy

Dashboard Confessional @ the Zodiac at the Academy, 11/04/2008 “Hi. My name is Chris.” As in Chris Carabba, former member of Further Seems Forever, and pivotal figure in the American college rock movement. He’s the reason why the Zodiac room is crammed to full capacity this fine Friday evening. Tonight his band is having a

Frank Turner@ the Zodiac at the Academy, Oxford 8/04/2008

Frank Turner@ the Zodiac at the Academy, Oxford 8/04/2008 Frank Turner’s a bit of a God round these parts. Most people are indifferent to acoustic singer songwriters these days. It’s not like the market isn’t saturated with a million James Blunts telling girls how ‘beeeeeautiful’ they are. Thankfully then, ex Million Dead, sometime underground superstar,