Electric Circus and A Very Spinal Tap Themed Bunker.

 

I had arrived early, and I was eagerly anticipating the start of the show. It was about nine 'o'clock before Electric circus started and for one of Belfast’s up and coming new bands I can say that I was nothing short of impressed. A good ol' blues band style mixed up with the grooves of the seventies to present day style of music giving a lovely rounded effect.


But first perhaps I should explain a few things. It was a Spinal tap themed night after all. Following the success of their Rocky Horror Fancy Dress themed night, Zombi Music Promotions decided to create another highly explosive night. The symbolic Rock and Roll balloons (standing, in my mind at least, for all that is right and true in rock, a.k.a. Led Zeppelin) giant banners with quotes from the movie, and a not so giant to scale replica of Stonehenge. There was spandex everywhere, and enough hairspray to keep Def Leppard, and their road crew, happy for at least an hour.


Surrounded by countless cucumbers wrapped in tin foil, with the promise of a few Spinal Tap covers later in the set, this Panini of rock and roll was about to be released. I had already had a drink and got all my needs to smoke out of my system, preparing myself for a musical journey.


Standing quite close to the stage I watched as Electric Circus was setting up. A three piece band hailing from Belfast these guys wail. Once their set was under way I was amazed by their set. It was like some kind of crazy blues rock deity had blessed the stage. And having just finished my drink I was trying to formulate how something like this can go unnoticed in Belfast for long, and I don't think I can.


Having played quite a few gigs in Belfast the Circus have been steadily growing more popular, coming equipped with their own soundman it really seems as if the guys are getting it together nicely. They even have had a review in Kerrang! Magazine achieving a paramount four K's.


Sitting beside a banner stating that "It goes up to eleven..." I watched in amazement as fuzzed, hard, blues rock worked its way into my system, coupled with the funky low down bass lines, and nicely set off with the jazzy drumming techniques. Having set the bar already with a Robert Johnston guitar line, Andy (front man), sets off to his singing.


Immediately I'm reminded of at least a hundred artists in my vinyl collection, from Jim Morrison, to Cream, and John Foggerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), and even a bit of Van Morrison’s work on Astral Weeks. Remembering a conversation I had with Andy many months ago, I knew that he was heavily influenced by the Woodstock Legends and choose Havens in his artistry with an acoustic. As for how the lyrics are written, it sounds as if Jim Morrison and Marc Bolan brain stormed on something for a while before handing the final product to Hendrix to edit.


There are some that say that the measure of a band is what you take of the front man. But if you look around the stage Graham (drummer), and Sean (bass) have it going on. They work together with a closeness that a rhythm section can only work with out another guitar filling the ranks. Jazz funk combos to rival the sonic spree of the likes of the Panama Kings. But, I say to you, if you do only notice Andy, watch as he succinctly works with Graham and Sean during his solos, keeping up the balance between rhythm and lead guitar parts.


But this was nothing like listening to acoustic blues. With a vocal delay placed on the microphone, the effect of an almost melancholic quality, harking back to the days of yore, of tortured beatnik poets of the sixties and early seventies, the seemingly uncomplicated drum line, held together by a solid strong bass line, bent the parameters of the kind of bands and music we're used to seeing now.


With the Cream Dynamic in the bag it will be interesting to see how Electric Circus' recording career will pan out. Providing a rhythm on the tracks will only fill out their sound, creating a funkier and a more psychedelically earthly sound.

 

Electric Circus will be performing again in Mc Hughes Bar, on the 12th March and Walsh’s Hotel (Maghera) 20th March.

 

And now for a couple of bands to keep you eye on House of Shards, who are a grunge/progressive rock band, and In The Name Of, rock band with a Violinist, who also kept up the Classic Rock spirits.

 

Tapasia are a three-piece progressive rock band who formed in Strabane three years ago with just Darren Doherty (guitar/vocals) and Omar Ben Hassine (drums/samples) before moving to Belfast and meeting Ross Hunter (bass/backing vocals). They’re influenced by bands that range from Tool to Pink Floyd to Blink 182 and as Ross tells me, “It’s a big mix of bands and that’s what makes being in this band so much fun - you don’t know what is going to be brought to the table.”

While a lot of bands in Belfast are following the good old indie-brick-road, Tapasia have chosen to stand out and play the music they love rather than trying to follow the crowd and make fans that way: “We are quite different to what is going on in the Northern Irish scene at the moment and we like that because we are doing what we want to do and never make a conscious decision to be different. This is good as people are always looking for new types of music to get into and we could be it.” I can’t seem to think of another band in Belfast who sounds like Tapasia and it’s good to see that they, along with bands like A Plastic Rose and Fighting With Wire, are willing to just be themselves, but it can cause a few problems for them: “we don’t slot into indie gigs or metal gigs and it is hard to get the right mix of people to come to our shows but that isn’t going to stop us trying as there really is something for everyone in our set.” It’s always easy to tell when a band isn’t enjoying themselves on stage, and what better way to make things hard for yourself than to play music that is just for the crowd and not because you want to play it? “We play music for more than just wanting to make it big, it’s a spiritual thing so we honestly don’t think being different will hurt us too much.”

In March Tapasia go on tour in England with Alright the Captain: “We leave Belfast on March 3rd to play 5 gigs in the Midlands area, starting in Huddersfield and ending in Leeds. On the Irish leg of the tour we are being joined by another English band called ‘Monsters Build Mean Robots’. The Belfast date is Thursday 26th March at Radar in Queens Students Union.” It’s great to see a Northern Irish band working really hard and gigging across the water in England because so many bands from Belfast spend their whole lives gigging here before it’s too late and they’ve missed their chances to get out: “We are really excited about going somewhere new and playing our music to a whole new audience.. This is what being in a band is all about! We are doubly stoked because it’s the first time we will be playing our new songs live as we have taken quite a bit of time out of the scene. Keep an eye on our MySpace to see how we are getting on!”

So while Tapasia have many big plans for this year, including recording a new EP and a possible trip to mainland Europe, you should probably start off getting to know this band by checking out one of their tour dates, whether it be in Ireland or England – I’m 100% certain you won’t be disappointed.

‘In The Name Of’ are a band that I have been familiar with for quite a while now, but somehow familiarity bred contempt and it wasn’t until a gig in McHugh’s Basement last month with Mantic and Electric Circus that I remembered how fricking good they are.  

Vibrantly eclectic, but with focus pulled on blues-rock sufficiently spliced with awesome jams, their music floods me with memories of the Rotterdam Bar; when all members of the bands who played jammed together into the early hours of the morning or afternoon if the Jegar allowed it.  

But it’s not all about the free jams, the boys are more than willing to put in the hard graft and after self funding and organising a north of England tour last year, the lads are on the cusp of their second and with lessons learned and dues paid they cross over the water once again with eyes firmly set on the prize of international recognition, or national at the least.  When I met up with the band they insisted that there is help out there, if you look hard enough and don’t shy away from a bit of pencil pushing. (I would quote them but I lost my transcribed interview, it’s alright though, you’ll get the gist)  

Listing Myspace as a great resource for getting gigs in England and a girl called Claire who has launched a programme called ‘Give a Band a Hand’ (google it, I’m not yer ma) and lastly networking every living hour, it becomes very apparent that this band has really put in the time. And they have yet to lose their initial passion, which is a brilliant thing to see in a group who have been on the circuit for a few years now.  

Sighting independence as their primary ethos Mike on vocals lists making the most of your resources as the second on their list and I have to say, ITNO are one of the most resourceful and hard working bands I know. With brilliant, catchy, foot-stomping genre-crossing tunes and some ruddy hard work, I do believe these guys might actually make it!  

Check out their myspace for the video diary of their last and upcoming tour as well as blogs from the road, myspace.com/itno. The guys are playing on Sunday 8th in Auntie Annie’s.

Here's some info on Jennifers new radio show......

103.2 fm

Show Name – INDUS-TREE

6pm – 7pm Every Sunday from 15th March with special industry guests and competitions with prizes including a free music video from Ur Muzic and a photo shoot with Jamie Adamson. 

Are you in a band? If you need any thing at all, gigs, photos, recordings, England contacts…anything at all…let us know and we’ll try sort it out. (like challenge Anika!!)

Txt to 07874907620

Email to:     jenni_eccles@hotmail.com

“Agadoo’s Got A Killer Baseline”

February 27, 2009 in (TITS) Interviews | Tags: agadoo, battle of the bands, belfast, ben mccauley, creatures, dublin, fleet foxes, hard working class heroes, itunes, kings of leon, lastfm, manic street preachers, march, p.a, queens of the stone age, rory lavelle, save some for me, scott ferguson, sparks fly, start together studio, steve mcbride, stiff kitten, summer, Take In The Scene, tunecore, txtatrack

When your interview is punctuated by Fleet Foxes flowing out of the P.A mid discussion and the (albeit welcome) interruption by the editor of this ‘zine no less, shouting “I need your journalism!”, you do start to wonder - just what do Belfast rockers Sparks Fly make of all this…
 

    “…I‘ll buy you copy as a present and let you listen to it.”

Charming.

Relaxed yet serious about their music - Rory, Scott, Steve, Raimi and the absent (due to injury) Chris have steadily grown as a band since coming together, gaining local fans quickly before seeing success on a larger scale - winning a Battle of the Bands competition, and being called to Dublin last Summer for HWCH.

    “Hard Working Class Heroes was brilliant, we had been going less than a year whenever we got asked to do that so that was a big deal for us. The whole event itself was just phenomenal. We are in Start Together (Studio) with Ben at the minute. We were in two weeks ago, recording our new single ‘Creatures’ which is going to be out on the 30th of March via worldwide digital download - iTunes, Tunecore, TxtaTrack all that, and we have the single launch party on the 25th of March, in the Stiff Kitten.”

Sparks Flys Daily Routine

Sparks Fly's Daily Routine

Certainly, Sparks Fly’s fortune is not hollow. Their distinct, powerful sound manages to be light on the ears rather than heavy - reminiscent of bands like the Manic Street Preachers, echoing their familiar vocals and accessible riffs. Being a fellow Manics fan, Steve took that as a compliment (and I kept my teeth) whilst Rory and Scott took the discussion in a more technical direction.

    “I would agree with that to an extent. There’s a certain chord progression with the Manic Street Preachers - it tends to be E Major to A Minor for any of you buffs - and I like that sort of Major/Minor sound. In the studio recently, everybody was chipping in. We all know exactly what we want to sound like, and because there are three guitars in the band there’s a lot of arranging to be done. A reference I heard the other day actually was Queens Of The Stone Age and I wasn’t really happy about that…”

    “…we’re a bit slower, deliberate and…melodic. All three guitars are doing three completely different things, but they all compliment each other. We have three guitarists…so it is always going to be a big sound.”

With catchy, open lyrics such as “I like the way a song takes you elsewhere…” (from Save Some For Me) complimented by detailed, paced arrangements it is hard not to think of them as major festival material, - not headlining, but in a cult spot with a dedicated fan base. Their music is a reminder of just how much I enjoy that bright style of rock, which isn’t heavy but still has more than enough body behind it to sate your hunger for heavier fare.

As the chat turns towards Kings Of Leon, LastFM profiles and thoughtful insights into the merits of Agadoo, the last words must go to bassist Steve.

    “…we have a particularly attractive bass player.”

OK so there wasn't a huge amount of votes (40) BUT this is the official Top 5 Bands of 2008 voted by the readers of Take In The Scene ZINE:

1-ASIWYFA
2-General Fiasco
3-A Plastic Rose
4-Mantic
5-Not Squares

Not to be taken too seriously it was only a bit of fun :)

High-octane funk band Mantic are a six-piece cacophony of madness, fused together by the love of the job. Infectiously energetic, the boys sit opposite me in the pool room of Lavery’s and I feel like a very lucky girl as I try to stop them from interrupting each other. Bassist Odhran takes it upon himself to explain the ethos behind Mantic’s journey, “ We want to show the music goin’ masses that other genres of music exist and that these other kinds of music can be assembled to make some damn fine sounds, then unify that with a blistering live show”. Hailing from in and around Draperstown, the boys have been Mantic for just over 6 years now and are building a loyal and fun-loving fan base, but as percussionist Ravi explains, despite the fans loyalty the music scene can sometimes be a little hard to break into. “Music is about expression of originality and we are pretty damn sure we tick that box. We really put on a show, which is another reason why people would pay to come out and 'see' a band as well as hear them. Unfortunately we don’t seem to fit into the scene at the minute, which is a big reason why we continue to, well, 'Fall outside' the clique that has developed in Belfast.” That doesn’t seem to deter people like Paddy Glasgow from giving them a slot on the main stage of the ever growing local festival, Glasgowbury; or photographer Graham Smith from attending and photographing almost every gig the guys play. The band has been through a number of transitions in the past few years. Front man Jumanji took a break and was replaced with sensational soul singer Victoria and album Mahogany Gaspipe was released. Then another reshuffle saw the return of the often dress clad Jumanji and a much more focused, infused group. Fresh from recording their second album the lads are raring to go and guitarist Kev can’t help looking to the future. “It’s only a matter of time before people sit up and take notice of bands really trying something different. Human nature is just that, we get bored of the same things after a while. We have done and always will be providing what we consider to be good music for those that need something else...something different”, “Until it becomes the norm, then we’ll do somethin’ different”, front man Jumanji chips in, laughing.
Steely determination, a great sense of humour and a severe lack of ego (not to mention some amazingly catchy tunes) makes Mantic an easy band to fall in love with. Funkafied to the rafters these boys know how to put on a show. Join the psychedelic circus express that is Mantic. Go to www.experiencemantic.com for more details.

By Jennifer Warnock

Issue 3 front page (Jan '09) features Steven Rainy's debut article on Six Star Hotel, Marianne Baraniuk talks table tennis with Panda Kopanda,  Jennifer Warnock get up close and personal with Mantic, we take a look at the newest website dedicated to the N.Irish scene nichart.com and we begin our search for the 'the peoples' favourite Northern Irish band.

Panda Kopanda:
“After lengthy debate we decided to call the album ‘This Hope Will Kill Us’ and it will be released on Furious Tradesmen on January 19th,” Davey of Panda Kopanda tells me, “Basically it’s our whole lifetime’s work, and we’re quite proud of it.” Panda Kopanda’s last release was in 2006 so it’s been a long wait for this album, but we’re all hoping, and believing, it will be worth it. If you’re a fan of The Pixies, Nick Cave, Pavement, Arcade Fire or (according to the band) Cliff Richard, this album may be of interest to you.

If you’re hoping for another ‘Ocean of Fire’ you definitely won’t be getting that: “The album is definitely BIGGER sounding: more airiness, more feedback, more cowbell!” But what about the band themselves; what does it say about them and their music? “‘This Hope Will Kill Us’ gives a fair reflection of what we are, it’s challenging and serious but there‘s a sense of humour in there too. We’ve still maintained our pop sensibilities from our previous works, there’s still a lot of catchy tunes and hooks in there, but we’ve smothered it in all kinds of challenging goodness, we’re like Jelly Babies dipped in Marmite!” We all know about the cliché of the “difficult second album”, but after two EPs is it possible that Panda Kopanda may have just created a new cliché – the “challenging first album”?

Currently, the band are living together, which could go one of two ways – living in perfect peace and harmony or they might be doing it Big Brother style and getting angry because someone ate the last egg: “[It’s working out] great! We’re quite unflappable really, we’ve had 80mph car crashes together and Gavin’s dad threatened Jonny with a shotgun so domestic arguments always seem fairly insignificant. Initially our thought was that living together would make us really productive, but in the end we just ended up getting really good at playing table tennis on a 6’ by 4’ kitchen table.” Nothing to worry about there then...

Since the band are releasing the album so early in the year do they have any hopes for possible outcomes in 2009? “The album is the main priority, if we can get as many people to hear that as we can then we’ll be happy. For us that means gigging as much as we can across Ireland (North and South) and generally whoring ourselves around!”  And what about outside of the UK and Ireland altogether? “We’ve had a few enquiries from mainland Europe so we may end up going further afield as well. In conclusion for 2009 we want to: a) sell albums, b) tour and c) ultimately get more puntang.”

If you’re a fan of Panda Kopanda you have a lot to look forward to, and if you’re not a fan yet you’ll have plenty of gigs to attend, a new album to purchase and some banter along the way. Make sure to head to the album launch on Thursday 15th January at Two Step at the Limelight, with support from the fabulous Cutaways and Three Tales. “Needless to say we’ll be selling copies of the album at the show and our performance should feature some ’special guests’… although now that Coolio has joined the Big Brother House we need to organise his replacement.” Damnit, and that’s just who I wanted to see!

Bt Marianne Baraniuk

Yip Rory McConnell's right hand man is now writing for Take In The Scene we are delighted to announce. His first piece is on Six Star Hotel and is on the front page of this month's issue. Here's what he's made of:

 SIX STAR HOTEL
 
“Taking reservations now…”
 
Immediately after the madness and excitement of Christmas/New Year, traditionally we take a wee bit of time, slow down, and hibernate until the end of January. Not so for Six Star Hotel, who have chosen this particular time to explode back onto the local music scene, the contrary lot that they are.
 
Having been tipped for big things on a number of occasions, one would imagine that the weight of expectation hangs heavy upon their shoulders. We’re currently going through a spate of “Next Big Thing” predictions, which is always a potentially dangerous thing. Once we start to build things up like that, the danger of them falling down becomes even more apparent. Just ask any of the also-rans from the past ten years…
 
But Six Star Hotel are different. Always a supremely likeable bunch, they’ve been winning over audiences for a long time, and are well accustomed to dealing with the pressure. Rather than crumbling under the weight of expectations, they’ve gone from strength to strength, concentrating on what really matters – great, timeless, guitar rock.
 
Not afraid of kicking out the jams, Six Star Hotel are also perfectly capable of laying out chiming, interlocking melodies that stay with the listener long after the song has finished. An album, A Kind of Crusade, came out in 2007 generating a flurry of attention, making critics’ mouths water in anticipation of their next move. If this all sounds a bit congratulatory, don’t worry; Six Star Hotel are the kind of band who can deliver on the hype.

 
 
They’ve been quiet of late (what, with weddings and the like to attend to…..rock stars, I ask you!) but their return to the live stage is sure to be something worth braving these frozen temperatures for. Do yourself a favour, grab yr hat, yr scarves and yr gloves, head to the Stiff Kitten on the 23rd of January, and just soak these guys up (in the company of A Plastic Rose and Pocket  Promise too!). You’re in capable hands, they’ll look after you, I promise.

Not bad eh? Keep an eye out for the new issue about the town NOW!

Hey doods,

Take In The Scene is Belfast's newest Fanzine and you can pick up a copy in HQ Charlies Coffee Shop or about the town the usual cafes, music shops, train stations, take-aways etc. We're always looking for people to help out with distribution so if your walking by Charlies grab a handful and we can get it all over the place.

The zine is run by volunteers who make absolutely no money and who just wana see the local bands get a bit more exposer about their home city. Most of the writers are professional music journalists (who also get NO money) but we also have a couple who are just fans giving their opinion which is really cool I think.

We are now into our 2nd Issue and supported by the wonderful people at urMUZIC who fund the printing and are going to help out more as the zine grows. Because it's only just begun you may not have seen it yet so keep an eye out it's just a really cheaply made A4 sheet folded over to make a 4 page booklet type thing. It's not about being fancy or expesive as we don't have any fanancial backing apart from printing, we just want to get it out there and shove it into as many peoples faces as possible. Yes, we are shoving our TITS into your FACE!

Issue 2 (Dec '08) has Kowaski and Jackson Cage on the front page and also features General Fiasco, This Years Confession, Panama Kings, Two Step, ASIWYFA and Pocket Promise.

If your interested in helping message me here or email takeinthescene@googlemail.com

Support local music.

Godfrey Axe