Launching the SUB (thank you PW)
It was long awaited and let’s be honest, long overdue. Not since the Capitol Theatre, now buried underneath the Capitol shopping centre, has Cardiff had a venue worthy of the bigger acts which can attract 800 punters at full capacity. SUB29 came together through the courageous endeavours of Jason Phillips and Steve Bines, well known locally for their hedonistic “festival in a club” venture known as Tantrum Promotions. Tantrum brought the “alternative” people of Cardiff such gems as the Blowout Festival and Party in the Park, showcasing the local talents of some of the best acts to be found in the UK right here in Wales. Artists have included the wonderful world of Sicknote, much more than just a band, Cakehole Presley with their outstanding songwriting abilities akin to some of the biggest acts known all over the world, Staedler and Waldorf, currently gearing up for an American tour, and many more including Whistling Biscuits, Dirty Revolution, The Physicists, and so on. Their tendrils have also extended further afield to draw in artists such as Stanton Warriors, LX Patterson of the Orb, the mighty Dreadzone and their offshoot Dreadzone Sound System, Utah Saints and Alabama 3. In attendance at the launch of SUB29 was the Alabama man himself, local boy Larry Love who had chartered an EasyJet from Nelson to Cardiff to judge which of the evening’s performers would support them on their SUB29 debut on December 1st.
Perhaps it was with this in mind that the dynamic and completely skint duo Bines and Phillips launched the first night at SUB for the Tantrum faithful, with a line up which could rival any other in the land where undiscovered, genuine talent is concerned.
Hosted by the Queen Street legend Ninja, resplendent and striking dressed in white from neck to ankle, Sicknote opened the night, and I have it on good authority that, in true Sicknote style, it very nearly didn’t happen due to Johan Flapsandwich spilling a glass of Lambrini (class!) into his already used and abused applemac laptop only the night before. He could be seen right of stage frantically transferring Sicknote tracks from a back up source to a borrowed lappy, and with seconds to spare, managed to make it onto the stage at 5.30 p.m. to start the night’s shenanigans. Their set sounded crisp out front and hit its peak when they were joined on stage by the Sicknote Child Labour Team, sporting placards declaring “Death Before Employment” before they’ve even learned to spell “recession”.
Dan Dunne and the Reels followed. What can you say? Dan Dunne et al are a very accomplished, happy go bouncy folky blues combo who get the feet a tapping. They played a very nifty set, to be followed by Whistling Biscuits who cleared the dance floor save for the Biscuit dedicated who clamoured at least 20 feet back from front of stage.
Cakehole Presley, one of the hardest working bands around and still doing the circuit, belted out some diamonds including Gotta Know Your Name, Grab a Rock, and the beautifully penned Skipping Clouds. Punters got up close and personal and reveled in the delight that is the Cakehole sound, swaying from side to side, beaming grins from ear to ear.
I
t would be unjust not to mention an incredible set by the valley duo Clay Statues. How a bassist and a drummer can slam a sound so massive from a twosome is beyond belief, and these guys can write a lyric too. Favourite darlings of all venues Rhondda-like and indeed of the Workhouse Festival in Welshpool, Doz screamed his way through a blinding array of numbers familiar to those who know them, a revelation to those who don’t, as Mavis (Matt Davies) banged the drums like an anorexic on a gallon of Sunny Delight! These boys deserve support and recognition, which will undoubtedly come over the next year or two. Matt also appeared on drums with the Physicists, Cardiff’s 3 feisty chicks and a male drummer set – up, famed in the area for their amphetamine-like songs reminiscent of 1978 punk, including Sleaze Campaign and Gratuitous Solo.
The Welsh Billy Bragg (how many times has he been called that and how much does he hate it?) Cosmo closed the show and managed to get the remaining die hard punters kicking their legs in the air and singing along to his own brand of anarcho - acoustic ditties, and was then joined on stage by many of the previous acts, including Larry Love, to improvise and freestyle for what seemed like an eternity, but no-one seemed to want it to end.
It’s hard to find fault with a shindig organized by the Tantrum Duo, especially when they offer free CD’s of all the bands that appeared on the night. There is always a party vibe, always a feeling of belonging, a collective finger up to the authorities who would surely love to stop them doing what they do, but the truth is SUB29 needs a crowd. With what looks like a tough financial time ahead, only the paying public can determine whether or not Cardiff’s newest live act venue takes the Principality by storm, and hopefully attracts travelers from further afield to attend what has the potential to put Cardiff on the map alongside the London and Manchester scene, or will the apathy Cardiff and South Wales has become famous for see Sub29 sink without a trace?
Penny Wainwright.
Freelance Opportunistic Journo.
Showing posts with label sicknote. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sicknote. Show all posts
Monday, 24 November 2008
Sicknote @ TJ's
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sicknote : TJ’s, Newport: 11/10/08: by Penny Wainright
A shambolic triumph!
Utter chaos! That’s the way to describe Sicknote’s end of summer Holy Trinity Tour which culminated in an evening of bad timing, missed cues and botched improvisation.
Following London band Toy Toy, who gave a good performance, and Delinquent Dancers which was billed as Burlesque but was anything but, Sicknote took to the TJ’s stage which has helped propel many bands and artists into the limelight.
Opening with the dancefloor fave “Romance”, the crowd were immediately crazy for the Sicknote sound and the mentalist antics of Dr. Comker and lead man Doghouse. It didn’t take long for the whole thing to take a downward spiral with mic stands being knocked over onto feedback monitors causing the weirdest feedback and adding to the wacky noises eminating from Flapsandwich’s laptop, to visuals man P&O and drummer Filth writhing around grappling on the stage floor in a fit of love and hate. The crowd couldn’t get enough! The inevitable ensued with a stage invasion long before the set had finished.
A sensible bouncer, decked out in furry blue coat and a rather fetching easter bonnet, managed to clear the stage for at least ten minutes!
Cock up after cock up followed, but it mattered not a jot! Each song was greeted with shouts and screams and manic applause, beer flying over the heads of the audience and everyone loving it.
The madness continued, it being Doghouse’s birthday; he was out to enjoy himself at any cost, the cost being a mis-timed crowd dive by the delta blues man himself, straight through the middle of the crowd and onto the floor. Undeterred, he did it again, this time being caught, cradled and loved by the punters being crushed into a rickety stage barrier.
The band played on.
Two encores later, the set wrapped up with the ever popular if now out – dated Taxi For Mr. Blair. Enter stage left the compere for the evening who was speechless except for a stream of expletives to the effect that he had never seen the likes of such utter chaos at TJ’s in all his time as the intro man.
Some kind of shouting debate was occurring just off stage; Flapmeister had unplugged his faithful and treasured laptop, then realization dawned with a little help from the Sicknote stalkers shouting “DEATH! DEATH! You haven’t played DEATH!”.
Back to the stage, laptop plugged in, Doghouse back on the mic, Filth almost at his drums on time, the finale saw a breathtaking rendition of Sicknote’s manifesto mantra “Death Before Employment” lift the crowd to a state not yet achieved all evening.
So in terms of performance, Sicknote have played many a better gig, most memorables being Workhouse Festival, Nozstock Festival, Celtic Blue Rock Festival, Thimbleberry Festival, and Totaal in Holland, but Sicknote are more than a festival band. If they can manage to keep their heads together over the coming years, we will see them propelled onto the club scene with new numbers like Death and Burden, and they will undoubtedly play to full, larger capacity venues all over the UK and there can be no surprise if they take Europe by the sweatys too.
Sicknote are fresh. Each new tune is fresh. Every show is different, and their sound and image is unique. This band, one of the hardest working in the UK, will be headlining bigger venues and taking to the main stages of summer festivals in the coming years.
Sicknote : TJ’s, Newport: 11/10/08: by Penny Wainright
A shambolic triumph!
Utter chaos! That’s the way to describe Sicknote’s end of summer Holy Trinity Tour which culminated in an evening of bad timing, missed cues and botched improvisation.
Following London band Toy Toy, who gave a good performance, and Delinquent Dancers which was billed as Burlesque but was anything but, Sicknote took to the TJ’s stage which has helped propel many bands and artists into the limelight.
Opening with the dancefloor fave “Romance”, the crowd were immediately crazy for the Sicknote sound and the mentalist antics of Dr. Comker and lead man Doghouse. It didn’t take long for the whole thing to take a downward spiral with mic stands being knocked over onto feedback monitors causing the weirdest feedback and adding to the wacky noises eminating from Flapsandwich’s laptop, to visuals man P&O and drummer Filth writhing around grappling on the stage floor in a fit of love and hate. The crowd couldn’t get enough! The inevitable ensued with a stage invasion long before the set had finished.
A sensible bouncer, decked out in furry blue coat and a rather fetching easter bonnet, managed to clear the stage for at least ten minutes!
Cock up after cock up followed, but it mattered not a jot! Each song was greeted with shouts and screams and manic applause, beer flying over the heads of the audience and everyone loving it.
The madness continued, it being Doghouse’s birthday; he was out to enjoy himself at any cost, the cost being a mis-timed crowd dive by the delta blues man himself, straight through the middle of the crowd and onto the floor. Undeterred, he did it again, this time being caught, cradled and loved by the punters being crushed into a rickety stage barrier.
The band played on.
Two encores later, the set wrapped up with the ever popular if now out – dated Taxi For Mr. Blair. Enter stage left the compere for the evening who was speechless except for a stream of expletives to the effect that he had never seen the likes of such utter chaos at TJ’s in all his time as the intro man.
Some kind of shouting debate was occurring just off stage; Flapmeister had unplugged his faithful and treasured laptop, then realization dawned with a little help from the Sicknote stalkers shouting “DEATH! DEATH! You haven’t played DEATH!”.
Back to the stage, laptop plugged in, Doghouse back on the mic, Filth almost at his drums on time, the finale saw a breathtaking rendition of Sicknote’s manifesto mantra “Death Before Employment” lift the crowd to a state not yet achieved all evening.
So in terms of performance, Sicknote have played many a better gig, most memorables being Workhouse Festival, Nozstock Festival, Celtic Blue Rock Festival, Thimbleberry Festival, and Totaal in Holland, but Sicknote are more than a festival band. If they can manage to keep their heads together over the coming years, we will see them propelled onto the club scene with new numbers like Death and Burden, and they will undoubtedly play to full, larger capacity venues all over the UK and there can be no surprise if they take Europe by the sweatys too.
Sicknote are fresh. Each new tune is fresh. Every show is different, and their sound and image is unique. This band, one of the hardest working in the UK, will be headlining bigger venues and taking to the main stages of summer festivals in the coming years.
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