28th June 2008 @ The Metro: Humanfly + Queen of Swords + The Sontaran Experiment

As we've now reached the height of summer, you may be thinking that spending the night in a warm, dark club isn't probably the best way to entertain yourselves in June. You're wrong! The line-up of tonight's ABoF vs Subba Cultcha at The Metro is one filled with in your face doom-metal, a smattering of experimental drone rock and instrumental prog-inspired finery.

The Sontaran Experiment hail from Brighton. They hit the stage with wave upon wave of doom, experimental metal and pounding beats. Their set is like smashing your face against an impending wall of absoloute relentless noise. 

After that welcome assault on the ears, what better fodder for the ears than Queen of Swords. Queen of Swords are a band of many featuring Liam of Trencher on the drums. They play a spectacularly short set (lasting about 15 minutes) of one song it se

ems, stretched-out over catchy beats under a hypnotic rhythmic melody. After their short, but oh so sweet, set they receive a loud and much deserved cheer. The crowd seem to love it.

Now, the much anticipated Humanfly, who hail from Leeds. They enter to a darkened stage, lit only by three small white lights by the feet of each m

ember. They tilt and sway their guitars to riffs and melodies shaking a nod to the likes of a hardened Oceansize minus the vocals. Heads bob and rock notoriously to Humanfly's brilliantly crafted alt-rock 

melodies.

And as Humanfly leave to rapturous applause, we're humbled and please by the fact that people still choose to listen to such diverse and creative bands. We've won the war against summer once again as experimental live music prevails once more!

Photo: Kara Yui

12th June 2008 @ The Good Ship: Fighting Kites + Cherry But No Cake + The Cathode Ray Syndrome

ABoF have only ever ventured into gigging territory once in Kilburn. However, The Good Ship is such a friendly, inviting venue that we couldn't resist having another night of good fun!

We're surprised (in a good way!) that lots of people are turning up early to catch The Cathode Ray Syndrome. Being as the night is sunny and warm, we were expecting more gig goers to steer clear of the indoors tonight. But how could anyone resists the crashing, off-kilter tones of CRS. They make a racket but manage to maintain some sense of equilibrium as they jilt and jive under heavy chords.

Cherry But No Cake played for ABoF at The Pool Bar last year, so it's great having them back again. They are somewhere in-between Dinosaur Jr. and Shellac. Two of our favourites, and it seems everyone else is digging their sound too.

As Fighting Kites hit the stage, we are getting excited. The last time they played for us was back in April at ABoF's Club with Southern Records. their set is something akin to Tortoise but that's too general really... they are possibly better than that. Their sound is more precise, tight and their songs really stay with you. They play gorgeous post-rock tones with an underlying hint of math-inspired godness, but not too much, they are still very much themselves. Fighting Kites are truly brilliant.

And so that's it for another night. As The Good Ship shuts shop, we head home, satisfied and happy with another night of musical goodness...

Why Faraquet Are Awesome...

I recently wrote an article for the Southern Records website (I edit the WORD section of the website).

There is a monthly feature on the website called "Hindsight" whereby either one of Southern's staff or writers choose their favourite record and write a little bit about what that record means to them.

I wrote my review on Faraquet's The View From This Tower. A corker of an album.

Read it HERE.

6th June 2008 @ The Fly: ABoF vs Southern Records Club

ABoF has been quite "rocky" these first 6 months of the year so we decided to book bands of the more "indie" variety. 

The night begins with a quiet start and we anticipate that tonight's tube problems and the nicer weather are probably deterring people from entering a sweaty club. However, we are wrong and slowly people start creeping in as it gets a little too cold for al fresco drinking. 

Ice, Sea, Dead People are three charming young boys who play angular indie rock. With their influences being the likes of Jacrew and Fugazi, we had very high hopes. We were not disappointed. Their sound is reminiscent of XBXRX. They have such great energy and really are brilliant openers.

Love Ends Disaster are up next. They sound a little like The Smiths but far more uplifting and with the volume turned up to 11. They weave and turn and rock and roll and are the perfect remedy to a summer night of indie fun at The Fly.

The night rolls on, the DJs keep spinning. Just before Southern Records hits the decks, Underground Railroad take the stage to end the night before the dancing begins. They are signed to One Little Indian, a fantastic indie label. Songs like "Sticks and Stones" get your heart pounding, these guys really mean business. Their songs are almost harrowing and anthemic. They bring something of a tentative joyous feeling to the atmosphere and prove themselves to be a brilliant addition to the night.

And with that, Rock Sound Magazine hit the decks downstairs whilst Southern Records rock it upstairs. Rock Sound start the night with a little Fugazi and mix it up with Guns N Roses and other rocky delights! Later in the evening, The Attrocitator brings the party back to The Fly and gets everyone dancing until the very end. Rip This Joint keep it strictly alternative upstairs, their DJ set always comprises of some real aural gems!

We can't wait for the next one, roll on the party!

31st May @ The Metro: These Monsters + Wintermute + YouMeTheSwitch + And So I Watch You From Afar

What a line-up we have tonight. Each band is fuelled-up and raring to go! These Monsters and Wintermute are finishing their joint UK tour tonight in London and we feel more than privileged to be able to promote such fine bands at the Metro tonight.

And So I Watch You From Afar are four, friendly, Irish lads who emailed us late in the day about this gig. They were super friendly over email, honest and passionate. These are three key qualities we love in the bands that play for us. Having heard some songs on Myspace, we were fairly impressed but not as blown away as what we were as they hit the stage. Their music is a unique brand of the best bits of Isis with a hint of epic melody a la Oceansize. They make a glorious wall of noise and transport us away from the sweaty dark club that is The Metro into a stadium band like trance. They are deserved of very big things and can't wait to see what they do when they next hit the UK.

YouMeTheSwitch are up next and by far one of our favourite bands of the last year. They are impressively tight, succinct and captivating as a live band. They played dates with Japanese hard-hitting post-rockers LITE last year. As the crowds pour in, they are caught by YouMeTheSwitch's glorious sound.

Wintermute and These Monsters have been on tour together for the last week or so. Tonight is their last show of the tour. They both hail from Leeds and they are bother absoloutely brilliant. Wintermute are melodic, catchy, hard rocking and have a great presence on stage. These Monsters are, however, the icing on the cake. They all take the stage unassumingly, no bravado (with a saxaphone player in tow!) but as soon as the music starts they completely transform. They poster delightfully during their off-kilter, noise-infused set. Feet can't help but stomp to the beats and the crowd are head bobbing furiously to the beats.

Another wonderful night at the Metro, everyone leaves fully satisfied! Wintermute and These Monsters will be back later in the year and we seriously suggest you catch them when you can.

Recommendations from ABoF HQ!

There are so many great bands we've worked with in the last wee while, we would love to share with you some of our recommendations.

First up, Cinemechanica! They are an absoloutely awesome band from Georgia, USA. The play jerky, hectic, gloriously catchy tunes and are one of the best live bands we've had the honour of promoting in the last 6 months or so.

You can check out their video below:



We also suggest you check out Shield Your Eyes who are currently rocking venues all over the UK. They recently supported The Paper Chase at The Metro (see our previous blog post for a review of the night!) and are wowing audiences wherever they land with their unique brand of messy math rock.

Shield Your eyes live action below:



And finally, a record that has been spinning us right round (baby right round - sorry!!)... The Melvins release forthcoming album Nude With Boots in June and this has been a constant on our ipods for the last few weeks.

More recommendations soon, we thought we'd keep it short and sweet for now!

Over and out.

14th May 2008 @ The Metro: The Paper Chase + One Unique Signal + Geordi La Force + Shield Your Eyes

We were very excited to have The Paper Chase in town. They are in the UK at the moment as they are playing ATP this weekend.

Shield Your Eyes have not had a bad word said against them so far in their short existence. They play a messy, noisy, gloriously shouty/mathy set. Stef's unique guitar howls inter spliced with heavy handed picking and thrashes make their set absoloutely captivating.

On with the show and with Geordi La Force. GLF is one man, one laptop, one guitar and lots of noise! He seems determined to bring the riff back into fashion and his spikey chords and twiddling riffs dazzle and confuse the crowd all at once, but in a good way! His set is a mixture of jazz, metal and 80s rock. Fascinating.

One Unique Signal have played for us many a time before. They have a way of really making a venue burst with the sound of their rocking layered guitars. Their set is intense and they create a ruckus ambiance.

The Paper Chase are mild-mannered, unassuming guys from Texas. Who would've known how intense and impassioned they become once they hit the stage. John Congleton's off-kilter vocals fit well with the shapes he pulls to the tense and abrasive music. There's something really disturbing about their sound but there's a melody in its underbelly, which keeps heads boobing and bodies rocking. You cannot deny that they write bloody excellent songs and they play a set comprised of some of their best moments from "Hide The Kitchen Knives" and "Now You Are One Of Us".

And with that, we're off to the Cro Bar to share some drinks and toast a birthday! If you didn't get the chance to catch The Paper Chase on their tour or at ATP, then make sure you do soon. They're a force to be reckoned with on stage and a live band you won't forget too soon.

2nd May 2008 @ The Fly: ABoF vs Southern Records Club!

April's club night was unbelievably busy and we were hoping to emulate the same vibe at this month's club.

As the new summer sun loomed over London town, we were worried that most folk would just want to sit outside and drink in the sun, not head down to a small, dark venue in central London. We were wrong.

The doors opened at around 7.30pm but it wasn't until around 8.30pm, when Fago Sepia hit the stage. Fago Sepia hail from France and they were in the UK, added to our bill at the last minute, as they were doing a short tour here. They have a sound that's almost reminiscent to June of 44 in some places but with less of that jazzy edge. Their performance is tight and highly enjoyable and leave the crowd wooping for more!

It's time for Amit Sharma to take his place centre stage. Amit used to play in Stasi, who are unfortunately no more. Fortunately for us, however, Amit agreed to bring his one man band to our night on Friday and he attracted quite a crowd. It's just Amit, one oddly shaped guitar and some recording equipment (forgive me, I'm not clued-up on the technical terms here!). He records loops of his voice, hand claps, and beats against his guitar to create gorgeous layers of simplistic and captivating melodies. His set begins and ends in rapturous applause as he fills The Fly's tiny space with his haunting tunes.

Upstairs, all is well as we DJ playing a mixture of Riddle of Steel, Les Savy Fav, Man or Astro Man and Check Engine. Downstairs, Embers are about to go on. We promoted a show for Embers amongst others back in March at The Good Ship. They made such an impression on us that we simply had to have them back. Their intertwining guitars and brilliant beats make them ones to watch.

Before the DJs hit

the decks proper style for the last part of the evening, the wonderful Pennines

rock the crowd and show us that jagged rock can definitely co-exist with melodic sensibility. Heads are bobbing, songs are rocking. There are moments of American Football in there and possibly even some softer elements of old Minus the Bear guitar soloing. Whatever their influences may be, they are absolutely rockin' it as May's headliners.

And so with Pennines, ends the live acts. However, as the crowds flood through the doors, DJ FTW and Southern Records hit those decks bringing back the awesome sounds of Southern's back catalogue along with a few cheeky cheesy numbers thrown-in for good measure. Rip This Joint, rip it up upstairs for the last part of the evening as The Attrocitator brings back a mix of 80s indie, pop and excellent numbers from bands such as Big Black downstairs. Smiley faces and jiving bodies are aplenty as the folks at The Fly hit the dancefloor.

As we enter summer we're fire-up for the next few installments of the ABoF vs Southern clubs. It's been great fun and it wouldn't be possible without the bands and the DJs. We're most definitely looking forward to the next one now, roll on the summer!

London Zine Symposium 2008

On Sunday, myself (Claire ABoF) and a a few good friends headed to the London Zine Symposium. I used to write and publish a music fanzine myself back in the day but I was never really impressed with my efforts and it was bloody hard to get out there too so I really didn't know what to expect.

We entered a bustling room with an array of wonderfully creative looking fanzines (and vegan cakes!). As we meandered around the room, what struck me most about these fanzines were the number of different varieties and topics each covered. There were beautifully drawn comics, political, feminist and music zines and even zines purely based around art and photography.

I felt more and more inspired to draw and write about something again! There was a real community feel around the symposium, we even bumped into a few people there as well. It was nice chatting to all the lovely people and seeing so much creativity and positivity there was in one room.  I could have wandered around a little longer but we had a tight schedule to adhere to!

Despite the rush, I did pick up some brilliant zines whilst I was there.

Hey Monkey Riot

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists: We Never Gave Up

The Bedsit Journal

Fever Zine

You should check these out and try and get yourself copies if you can. I'm really looking forward to next year's symposium - you should try and make it down too!

26th April 2008 @ The Metro: Soeza + Buttonhead + Man Aubergine

A hot, sunny Saturday evening reigns over London. It's hardly gig weather tonight but somehow, people keep flocking down to the Metro to see this bloody fantastic line-up.

It's been a while since Man Aubergine have played in London but they hit the stage with the same quirky, off-beat enthusiasm as they always do, that's why we love them. The new songs are sounding great, beginning the evening with a sense of fun. They're a little like a countrified Primus on Prozac. Yes, that sounds a little odd but it's totally Man Aubergine. 

As the punters pile-in for Buttonhead, there's a sense of anticipation. Buttonhead are at the end of their Tour of Life April 2008. It's a bit of a slow start as a few problems are ironed-out before they hit the Metro with their unique brand of optimistic off-kilter, sing-a-long indie tunes. It's well worth the wait. Heads are furiously nodding and there are even a few dancers at the back, immersed in the music, grinning from ear to ear. Each song is an aural delight, the rocky start ends in gratuitous applause; the kids done good!

Now, it's time for Soeza! They're currently on tour to promote their latest offering 7 Obstacles, which is available via Gringo Records. Consisting of two drummers, bass, guitar, male/female vocals and a french horn, they are incredibly tight and succinct for such a varied line-up. "Brackish Waters" and "Make It" from their album Why Do You Do? has the kids' feet tapping with glorious joy. Soeza are a band who mean business, they make a wonderfully luscious racket!

The night ends with rounds of "woo's" and "yeah's". The Metro is sweaty with Soeza's gorgeously hectic set, Buttonhead's bopping fans and Man Aubergine's happy hoe-down! What a way to start the weekend.

(Photos by Krystal Sim)