If You haven’t heard of this group then it’s time you did. Wired Desire are one of the hottest rock bands Tickets There has heard in many a year. If you’re a fan of Guns N Roses, Aerosmith or ZZ Top, then you’re going to love this group.
Check out their MySpace Now
Welcome to the official Tickets There KISS-LECTION, 35 out our favorite KISS songs. A lot of them may be obvious but I’m afraid Tickets There isn’t here to entertain hordes of die-hard fanatics when it’s comes to KISS. This band are about rock n roll baby and this list is a compilation of the songs that brought TT into the KISS world and keep us there every day. In all fairness, filling the 35 in took about three minutes so you can probably expect another 35 in the near future because there are still a lot of classics to be discussed.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the hottest band in the world, KISS are a four piece formed in New York in the early seventies. They play straight up rock n roll and have done so for over three decades. Oh, and they wear full face makeup, wear six inch healed (platform) boots, black sparkly costumes (with wings in Gene’s case), travel the world with more pyrotechnics and fireworks than China, Fly across the audience at their live shows, have stages built on the roofs of their sound desk and stage rook not to mention the fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars and everything else.
They also have thousands of products for sale with their name on it. Everything from Candy to Coffins. Keep your eyes pealed this year for KISS M&M’s, KISS Mr. Potato Heads and much, much more. Don’t you wish every band in the world was as much fun as KISS
1. 100,000 Years – (KISS, 1974)
Ok, Lets start (actually this is the 20th one I’ve written but what the hell), 100,000 years comes from the bands debut album (half of which makes up this list). It’s not only brilliant. It’s so mouth wateringly wholesome and warm that it makes your heart smile and your soul fly with an airline that prides themselves on doing the exact opposite of Ryanair. Maybe a tad dramatic but there ya go, 100,000 years rocks folks!!
2. 2,000 Man – (Dynasty, 1979)
Can I include cover songs? Well I’ve got two on this list so it would seem I can include anything you want. 2,000 Man is a Rolling Stones cover and KISS do a superb job of it.
3. All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose – (Lick It Up – 1983)
The question isn’t why I like this song, it’s ‘Why don’t you like this song?
4. Black Diamond – (KISS, 1974)
Along with Cold Gin and a handful of others, Black Diamond is amongst the Crème de la Crème of KISS material. This is the real band and a sample of the glue that holds the whole KISS universe together. Without incredible, solid and full on hard rock belters like this, everything else would crumble. It’s always been about the music with KISS and this early little slice of brilliance proves that, no matter what gene tries to tell you 😉
5. Calling Dr. Love – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)
Calling Dr. Love is one of the highlights from 1976’s Destroyer. Gene’s voice always brings that something extra special to KISS song’s. His demon persona really comes across and he obviously loves it. That makes the songs so much more appealing and enjoyable. Dr. Love is, at the end of the day fluff, but it’s good fluff. All things KISS are always good.
6. Cold Gin – (KISS, 1974)
Great intro, incredible riff, great vocals, drums, flow, music, song, band, drink…aghh everything. Cold Gin should be a countries national anthem it’s so good. Gene growls his way through the verse, chewing every word and spitting em back out in your face, biotch! One of the true classics from KISS and an absolute must to hear live. Just listen to that melody thing near the end and the fade out….drools!!!
7. Crazy, Crazy Nights – (Crazy, Crazy Nights, 1987)
Ahhh, classic eighties KISS. Yet another of those ‘stick it on in a night club’ type classics. An absolute tribute to the post-makeup lineup and still a thrilling one to catch live.
8. Detroit Rock City – (Destroyer, 1976)
The first KISS song I would have called my favorite. Detroit Rock City is the band at their best. It’s one of those Cold Gin, Strutter, Love Gun kind of classics. Loud guitars, booming chorus, great riffs, the whole package. Then again, this is KISS not Radiohead and KISS always deliver!
9. Deuce – (KISS, 1974)
For the simple fact that KISS opened with this track when I saw them or for the reason that the last time I went to an Iron Maiden gig, myself and my girlfriend spent the whole thing standing at the bar singing this rather than watching Bruce and the boys, this is probably my favorite KISS song. It’s not only the way they come down from the top of the stage when they play it live or the routine Paul, Gene and Ace(Tommy) do live, it’s all about the sher brilliance of the track. A solid hard rock classic with one the greatest riffs in KISS-Tory!
10. Do You Love Me – (Destroyer, 1976)
The ultimate rock star track. Any Yoko’s or Courtney Loves out there? Well here it is, the singer finally singing about you folks. Why has the world suddenly started making Yoko Ono trendy again? The woman is really, really F**ked in the head and a total cow. She tried to sue one girl because she was a singer and her surname is Lennon!! Really people, stick her in the loony bin with Manson and let’s move on.
11. Firehouse – (KISS, 1974)
One of those KISS styled KISS Standards. Cant wait to see how many times I typed KISS in this review :D. Firehouse is great live, it’s great on record and it’s great to sing along to. Slow but deadly.
12. Flaming Youth – (Destroyer, 1976)
I know, how can Destroyer deliver any more classics? Well, it’s a KISS record so it can pretty much do anything it likes.
13. God Gave Rock N Roll To You II – (Revenge – 1992)
Yeah, Bill and Ted, so what? Anthem, Anthem, Anthem,. Forget every other song in this review I called an anthem,. This is it. Well, this and Rick N Roll All Night, that’s really is another KISS Anthem. Not one I’d rush to hear them play live but they generally have it on at the end of their gig on the PA and that’s a nice touch to finish the evening off.
14. God of Thunder – (Destroyer, 1976)
Not sure I was ever 100% comfortable with this one. One day I think it’s brilliant, the next day I can barely stand to hear it. Couldn’t ever leave it off a list though, it’s one of Gene’s classics and the man deserves a lot more mentions that I’ve given him.
15. Hard Luck Woman – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)
One of the reasons I would love to see Peter Criss back in band. Hard Luck Woman is Acoustic KISS at their finest. Apparently Paul Stanley offered this to Rod Stewart originally but Stewart rejected it (mistake fucker) so KISS recorded it. Not only that, but they did a damn fine job and Peter Criss proves he’s not all about Beth..which you’ll noticed can’t be found in this list!)
16. Heaven’s on Fire – (Animalize, 1984)
Someone’s gonna nail me on this one. If I get away with Tear are Falling then I’m getting shouted at for this one but…we’re not gonna take it. Brilliant song, deal with it. Eighties, guitars, big vocals, bigger chorus. Just watch out for the music video, that thing’ll scar you.
17. Hotter Than Hell – (Hotter Than Hell, 1974)
Hot, Hot, Hotter than Hell. Who could they be singing about I wonder (adds cheeky grin)?. Everything it says on the tin with an added dash of deadly!
18. I Love It Loud – (Creatures of the Night, 1982)
I Love It Loud, one of the few KISS songs you can listen to 18,000 times in a row and never, ever, ever,ever, ever, ever get sick off. It’s just a brute of a song with Gene’s bellowing voice booming throughout. Check out the Exposed DVD and you’ll see a clip of them playing this (the last show with their make-up) and you’ll be converted. 100,000 people, KISS and I Love It Loud!
19. Ladies Room – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)
I suppose I’m including this for the simple reason that it reminds me of a funny moment in Detroit Rock City. I’m not going to describe it because it’ll sound cheap and completely loose it’s humor aspect but it’s good. Fun song, generic KISS ya know?
20. Lick It Up – (Lick It Up – 1983)
Even if you aren’t a fan, you know this one. Lick It Up is without a doubt one of the top three singles from Eighties KISS. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s simple, it’s in your face KISS!. Put this song on in a nightclub and every girl there will super glue herself to the nearest pole and dance. Meanwhile all the guys will be worried that liking a band that wears make-up will make them gay. Anyone who worries about that is gay. Just helping you fellas out of the closet there.
21. Love Gun – (Love Gun, 1977)
Who doesn’t like Love Gun? If you don’t know go to YouTube and cop on. Possibly KISS’s finest recorded moment. A blitz of guitars, riffs, drums, screaming, everything. Love Gun is 100% American Made, Family un-friendly KISS-O-Rific
22. Modern Day Delilah – (Sonic Boom, 2009)
The one and only song to be included from Sonic Boom…so far. If this is anything to go by, several more new ones will be heading towards the top 35 soon. MDD is a fantastic song with Paul’s voice sounding stronger than it has for years. The riffs, the drums everything is great. May not pack the full wallop of the older material but given time, I think this song will mature very, very well.
23. New York Groove – (Ace Frehley¸ 1978)
I heard this on the Second Coming DVD and managed to find it on Ace’s 1978 solo record. A cover (the 2nd of the two) and another crackin’ one at that. Totally different from normal KISS but that’s not something to criticize……this one time ;). Good funky kind of beat, Ace singing one of the best songs he’s ever done.
24. Nothin’ to Lose – (KISS, 1974)
Was thinking of adding She instead but feck it, Nothin’ To Lose is a great song. When Gene sings, it’s always a great song. It’s real bop along kind of KISS with all the builds, suspensions and characteristics of a classic KISS anthem.
25. Parasite – (Hotter Than Hell, 1974)
What a riff to kick things off! Parasite is gold minted, platinum material. Best captured on their 1975 Alive album and a little gem for their collection and anyone’s ears. Hard rock babbbbyyyyyyyy! Parasite eyes!!
26. Psycho Circus – (Psycho Circus, 1998)
I will admit one thing; I was not a fan of this album. The songs sound sooo forced and wanting to be old KISS but it just doesn’t work…well, it does on one. Psycho Circus is a furious little track. Paul’s voice, the music, the energy and the lyrics, everything falls together just right on this one and anyone who hasn’t heard it is just missing out on one of KISS’s best songs.
27. Rock N Roll All Night – (Dressed to Kill, 1975)
I don’t care how cool you are, I don’t care how ‘Hard-Core’ you are with KISS, this is a song that must, At all times, be included on any list of the greatest songs. Rock N Roll All Night’s an anthem of the highest degree. KISS are the ultimate party band, this is their call, answer!
28. Shandi – (Unmasked, 1980)
I know, this is a strange choice but I just love, don’t you? The first time I heard it was from one of the KISS DVD’s and Paul just played it alone. The solo job sounds a lot less…ya know, that the recording but there’s just something so nice about the guitars I couldn’t not stick it in.
29. Shock Me – (Love Gun, 1977)
Like Hard Luck Woman for Peter Criss, this would be one of the main reasons I’d love to see Ace back with the group. Shock Me is a classic and sadly they don’t perform it live without Ace (as it’s his song). Great, iconic and legendary. Have I over hyped it? Probably but it’s still a savage track.
30. Shout it out Loud – (Destroyer, 1976)
How do you say the word Anthem for the 30th time in a row? Shout it Out Loud is a classic, 1970’s styled Live anthem folks. Everything you need to hear or know about the band is in this song. It’s not their best but it’s way, way up there. Shout it Out Loud has some of their best riffs, their best guitars, their best vocals, their best melodies…everything.
31. Strutter – (KISS, 1974)
Ah god, this list is great,. Every time I think I’ve gotten all the ‘best’ tracks done, another pops straight up. Strutter is full on sleazy rock n roll. Stick on the leather jacket, light up your smoke and down your whiskey to enjoy. It’s a monster of guitars n attitude.
32. King of the Night Time World – (Destroyer, 1976)
You may have noticed down the line that I have a fondness for Gene Simmons voice and songs. King of the Night time world is no exception, An absolutely brilliant track but then again, everything on Destroyer is a killer track, that’s why it’s such a deadly album. You don’t know that??? For Shame, out of the village, I cast you out heathen!!
33. Sure Know Something – (Dynasty, 1979)
Oh Yeah, kick back, relax and let Kiss blow those worries away..Cool!
34. Tears are Falling – (Asylum, 1985)
If you know this song and you’re judging me, back off. Tears are falling is eighties KISS and it’s so addictive it’s frightening. This is one of those times I actually do see the cheese going off in this song but I still love it. You want to make your own list of your 35 favorite KISS songs and leave this out? Go ahead, but this is Tickets There and we like Tears are Falling!
35. Uh! All Night – (Asylum, 1985)
So that’s it folks, the first Tickets There Alive 35 KISS-LECTION printed in surround sound just for you two that read my stuff. If I left any off, feel free to a comment for your favorite KISS tracks and tell Tickets There why you love them so much.,
All the best,
TT
KISS, the world hottest bands and currently ranked number 4 on the Tickets There’s all time favourites, will release their new album Sonic Boom on the 6th of October!!
How is Tickets There going to celebrate?? Well, Megadeth was good but I think KISS needs something special so we’re going to review 35 of our favourite KISS songs and call it …Tickets There’s 35 KISS-LECTION. If you can think of a better name, send it on punk!
We’ll also have a review of the record itself once we get our hands on it. Tickets There is 100% against illegal file sharing and downloading so we won’t have the review until the physical copy comes out.
And one final thing, we’ll be posting a review of Alive 1975 – 2000, one album at a time!! And as one final gesture of good will, we’ll be sticking up a review of their classic 1976 album, Destroyer
Hi There,
Tickets There has decided to create a list of the Safe (Good) Irish bands.
This list will only be based on our collective (my) personal tastes and will be updated as often as possible (Also, the Top Ten only includes bands that are still together and fairly underground / local. Thats why Ash aren’t on this list for example ;)).
Click on the band names to read what Tickets There has to say about them.
Safe: Top 10 Best Irish Bands & others worth checking out
TURN, The Mighty Atomics, Kill City Defectors, The Walls, One Day International, The Brothers Movement, Oliver Cole, The Answer, The Delorentos, Class of 1984, The Mighty Stef, The Frames, The Rapport, ,Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, Republic of Loose, Berkeley, The Murder Clues, Fred, Sickboy, TKO, Joe Rubix, R.S.A.G., The Stunning, And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, I’ll Eat Your Face, Cheap Freaks, Sound of System Breakdown, The Mighty Atomics, The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, Sweet Jane, C!ties, 21 Outs, Floyd Soul & The Wolf, The Bloody Shanks, The Pulpit, A Futurist Theatre, Beastmen, A Futurist Theatre, Solar Taxi, Ghundi, Stone Throwing Youths, House of Dolls, Fingersmith, Fighting With Wire, Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, Swanee River, The Black Strands, The Cold 100, Million Dollar Reload, Sirocco, The Whiskey Limbs, Lluther, Two Tales of Woe, Raging Conflict, Gama Bomb..more to come.
Cannot get enough of this. Strictly for fans of ROCK N FUCKIN’ ROLL!!
Great song
Richard Hell, that’s the name of the guy I was trying to remember when I started looking through some punk sites this evening. Anyone out there know him? Anyways, doesn’t matter. What got to me was the fact that every time I searched for punk, I was bombarded with article after article and picture after picture of bands like Green Day, The Offspring, NOFX, New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and the terrible Less Than Jake and I couldn’t help feeling that punk fans and the bands have watered down the music so badly that it’s no wonder people don’t even have respect for The Sex Pistols anymore!
Now, I know the world has a hell of a lot of very, very backward, stupidly stupid people in it but I would try and entertain the idea that even the simplest minded ‘punk rock’ fan does know why the whole thing started in the first place, but I could be wrong. For those of you who don’t know there’s one thing to get straight before you ever mention the bands, before you hear a note of the music, before you even think of shaving all but the middle of your head and tearing your cloths and before you even consider pogoing. That’s the simple fact that ‘Punk’ and ‘Punk rock’ are two very, very separate things. One is about being young, having dreams and ideals with a strength, determination and resolve never to let anyone stand in the way of you achieving them, no matter what the circumstances. Similar to the dreams of hippies from the sixties, Punk’s were about equality, individualism, originality and the notion that we can be anything we want to be. ‘Punk Rock’ is about hair styles, fashion, image, appearance, cliché ideals, un-originality, conforming all backed by a particular driving sound that helps sell the image. Obviously it’s the former idea that excites true fans of music history.
Although Punk music’s origins started in the States with bands like MC5, The New York Dolls, The Stooges and The Ramones, it took four young Londoners to pack all of those ideals and aspirations along with youthful angst and satirical commentary on modern society to make an album that would change the course of music forever. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols may be the best known and widely loved Punk album of all time but unlike most of the other punk rock albums out there, such as American Idiot and Out Come the Wolves, it’s an honour well deserved. But we’ll talk more about the Pistols and their legacy later.
Now you may think I’m being a little hard on modern punk bands because of the cloths they wear and the image they promote. ‘Why not?’, you ask, ‘who’s it hurting anyway?’. Well there’s a very simple answer to that question. It’s not hurting anyone. What it did was kill one of music’s most original and best efforts at provoking younger people to take pride in themselves, no matter how they looked or what people told them they could amount to. It pushed them to be creative and stand out from a world inhabited by mindless, happy to be controlled sheep. People who had long since given up their attempts at creativity or any hope or longing to just be themselves and not hide behind fashion or popular thought. The kind of people you see everyday that are so competitive and worried about standing out. People who are so worried about other people’s opinion that they cower away with the flock and spend their time sneering and spitting on anyone else that does have that courage to be themselves. You see them everywhere; It starts in school and lasts for the rest of their lives. How many times have you heard people taking endless amounts of crap on subjects like religion, politics, history, the recession, current social and political conflicts and trends? You know those loud mouths who talk and talk about these issues and you can hand pick every comment they make and know full well the film, rumour, hearsay or book they took it from in order to pass it of as their own, without even attempting to look further into the subject, take all points of view into consideration and voice their own, thought out opinion? Well if you can’t remember several times like this it probably just means you’re one of them or you you’re living in Plato’s cave (no philosophical similarity intended).
This may all sound a little off the point when you’re talking about punk music but that’s the point, it’s not off the topic. Those people who do think for themselves were and are punks. ‘Punk Rockers’ you see these days aren’t and I justify that comment with one very simple answer. They’re not punks, because they look like punks. That right there defeats the whole idea punk music started with. The foundation was about being different and not conforming to any system (system not solely meaning government, system refers to any system of control whether it be music, fashion or anything else). So, when the golden punk ideal became watered down with ripped trousers, hair styles and a particular sound, it signalled the end for one of music’s most exacting times.
In the mid-seventies, several punk rock bands of note and influence sprang out of England. Acts like The Jam, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Damned and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to name a few, but The Sex Pistols still managed to stand out above all the competition. These days it’s hard to look back and justify why the Pistols had such a strong influence at the time. Peoples minds are clouded with overweight fifty year olds, flogging a dead hoarse every few years for cash, the once scary, sneering Johnny Rotten now dressed in tweed selling butter and taking part in shows like Celebrity Jungle and the cliché of clichés, Mr. Punk Icon himself Sid Vicious’ image over used a billion times by people drinking in cocktail bars who couldn’t name a song the Pistols ever wrote, let alone any of Sid’s solo work. In Tickets There’s opinion there are justifications for all those actions. The Pistols never made any money when they started so why not let them now?, Sid wasn’t being a cliché punk at the time, he was one of the people who invented it, not copied it and Johnny, well Johnny can do what ever the hell he likes because he’s Johnny Rotten. But whether you agree or disagree, none of that can ever hamper their years together as a group and the impact their music and their short time together had on the world.
I say time because the Pistols influence goes deeper than the music. As I mentioned earlier, Punk and Punk Rock are two different things. The Pistols played punk rock in a band but they were punks. At least they started off that way. Their first two years together showed a band going through absolute hell in order to get their point across to the world. They may look like your typical punks and their lyrics, speeches and general attitude may resemble your traditional punk but that’s where it started. They were noting more than kids who had more talent that they were ever given credit for. Four kids angry at society, angry at the world around them who wanted to make a difference or at the very least get laid and have a laugh. They didn’t set out to shock the people at first, they just said what they wanted and that started all the controversy. They may have been naive and miss-lead but they weren’t fake and once they realized what was happening and that they were merely becoming the main attraction in a circus being built up around them they stopped. They simply refused to conform. That’s Punk! You can argue that Jonny leaving and Sid’s death had more to do with it than a general decision but the point is they didn’t carry on after their first album. They didn’t put the head down and deal with the ever growing joke their manager was trying to turn their efforts into and carry on for the sake of massive pay cheques and fame, two of music’s main pitfalls for many iconic artists. The band didn’t want to become manikins or puppets. They were strong willed kids who knew what they had started was too special to kill by opting for an easy life. That is why the Pistols will always be one step above all the other acts from that time, their actual refusal to conform, rather than their musical output. It just helps that Nevermind the Bollocks is the greatest Punk Rock album aswell.
Green Day, Rancid and bands like that? Guys wearing suits and ties with pretty hair trying to sing about their pain while they try and remember if they turned the pool heater of or not. Or guys covered in tattoos except on their hands and face so they can still conform and hide what they pretend to be when needed. Guys decked out in expensive leather, all the wallet chain’s, spikes, bracelets, accessories and quirky necklaces and t-shirts top dollar can buy. That’s not punk, that’s nothing but commercialisms orange parade to celebrate the fact that nothing on this earth can remain special, nothing can be left untouched by the greedy hand of economy and commercialism. Proof that no matter how pure and simple something is, someone out there will always exploit it, make it a product and tap a ‘target market’ and no matter how great the people behind it are and how strong their message is, the ever eager and obeying flock are always waiting to infiltrate, tear apart, burn down and destroy the goodness others have worked and longed for.
Punk is dead, leave it be!
Well don’t be upset, there’s much better things you can do with €240, the line-ups crap and lets be honest, it attracts 30,000 of Ireland’s wannabe hippies. The sort of people who love their hemp trousers, their pathetic looking dreadlocks and complaining that socialism is the way our country should go. Even worse is the families which are now being encouraged to go.
Anyways, don’t be upset. Here’s a couple if clips from last years festival to scrape the blues away.
I just copped on that I’ve now posted here 101 times (including this one). The last few months have seen my average monthly hits go from 31 this time last year to over 600 in August. Thanks a lot for reading all and I promise I’ll make more of an effort to discuss new bands going forward.
Cheers,
Tickets There.
I avoid Electric Picnic like the black death in summer time. I have notions about its organizers, attendees and ideals (surprise, surprise – Ed) and I don’t think it’s a festival that will ever sit well with me. I have my reasons (misguided to say the least – Ed) and I’ll go into them another day but since it’s the second biggest festival in the country, I better mention it.
There’s only a handful of acts Tickets There recommends and here they are,
Friday
Recommended
Rodrigo Y Gabriela: Think everyone in the country has seen and enjoyed this lot, so why not do it again?
The Aftermath: House band this year and more than worth checking out. One of Irelands brightest and best new acts.
Orbital: Not really a fan but I’m pulling at strings here folks and they’re better than a lot of the other stuff on.
AVOID!
MGMT: Don’t get sucked into the hype, snooooze fest galore.
Smash Hits: That can’t be good!
Saturday
Recommended
2 many DJ’s: Good dancy stuff and you should be well settled in for it.
Brian Wilson: 1, because he’s the Beach Boy and 2, because he knew Charles Manson.
Jape: Like you’d miss Jape, what the hell else would ya be doing??
Madness: Good tunes and funny. Well worth checking out.
One Day International: Great new band. Did a MySpace review of them and really enjoyed their stuff.
Lisa Hannigan: Tickets There Ain’t a fan, too singer song writer for my tastes but she’s just so lovable. Catchy Davey would be better.
AVOID!
Cap Pas Cap: Saw them before and they’re pretty damn awful!
Mundy: You know why! Someone once described Mundy perfectly to me, he’s not a musician, just a series of hats. Or to quote me good friend Bob, he’s a pig farmer from Offaly. Nice chap, terrible, boring music.
Sunday
Recommended
Bell X1 – Always a decent live show. Haven’t seen them since 05 but I’m sure they’re still a laugh.
Alabama 3: There aren’t many band who play more Irish shows than Aslan, but Alabama 3 are one of them. Great rave/country blitz atmosphere.
Rest is pretty mundane for a large festival. Then again, maybe my tastes aren’t as eclectic as EP’s followers. After all, I prefer music, beer and good times, not boutiques, D4 ponches and carbon emissions. Buts that’s for another time 😉
Enjoy folks,
TT
Shock, horror, amazement and astonishment. The blandest band in the world, Radiohead, actually played their biggest hit, Creep on Sunday night. Just saw the report on NME and I was almost bowled over with laughter. What sort of band headlines any huge show like that and ‘surprises’ the audience by playing the song everyone but the hardcore fanatics wants to hear. Like Metallica not playing Enter Sandman or Journey not playing Don’t Stop Believing.
This isn’t really a surprise though, Radiohead are a major part of the ever growing new breed of obnoxious bands that are dominating today’s musical landscape. If they’re not irritating pop/rock hairdressers, then they’re Radiohead wannabe’s or even worse, they’re Coldplay. I don’t understand how bands can be so arrogant and pompous to play shows of this size and act like they’re doing their fans a favor by playing a song like this. What’s worse is people put up with it. Why don’t you spend your money and time on bands who are grateful for your dedication and do exactly what you want on stage. I hear lots of Radiohead fans complaining about their newer albums and only the odd fanatic defending them as genius but the band still insist on filling up their set lists with a host of tracks from these records, rather than playing the music the people want to hear.
KISS are starting their world tour this month and you can damn well bet they won’t fill their set up with B-Side Eighties releases and new material. They play what the fans want them to play. Hell, they even let the fans map the tour for them. That’s what you want from a bands live show. Not two hours of ego fulfilling, time wasting nonsense.
What’s that you say, they even brought blue lights and cylinders on stage with them?? Wow, what excitement for those of you who were lucky enough to be there. How could you focus on the two hours of mediocre whining from a man so stuck up his own arse even Bono would have trouble competing when there was all that amazing technical wizardry going on around them…..sarcasm for those of you who didn’t get it. I’m all for letting the music do the talking, heck that’s my argument for Axl Roses current activities and the Chinese Democracy problems but if a band headlines a festival like this, wouldn’t it be nice if they did something special on stage and give people a truly epic show to remember. Not two f**king hours of tired old beer commercial references, cylinders, little snips of technical difficulties and the highlight of highlights, playing a song the whole crowd would know.
When Nirvana headlined |Reading in 1992, they opened with a play on the rumor of Kurt’s ill-health, shocking the audience before Kurt leaped from a wheelchair and burst into Breed. They followed with a 27 song set that included all their hits,. Remember, this was a band with two albums. Radiohead have seven albums and only managed 23 tracks which barley scraped the surface of their hits and had no frills.
Wake up folks and try to understand what a real band does and what posers, fakes and pricks like ‘the head’ do and see which you’d enjoy better.
What happened folks? In the mid 50’s, Mr. Elvis A. Presley walked into Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and became the very first, the best, the symbol, legend, embodiment and icon of rock n roll. Like Sid Vicious to Punk, Frank Sinatra to big band, Johnny Cash to country and western or even Dana to lunatics, Elvis was the total hero, founder and creator of rock n roll. Don’t listen to music nerds, geeks and critics (ahem), Elvis started everything. Forget who influenced him, forget who wrote for him and forget who marketed him, Elvis was it.
Ever since the Kings death, music has flourished through the efforts, talents and hard work, creativity of various people and constant changes in popular culture. From Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis in the fifties, rock expanded and produced the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and many others throughout the early sixties. Before long Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, The Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and many more appeared. The Doors came out of the west coast. The Who went rock, Led Zeppelin were formed and Jefferson Airplane stayed touring after Woodstock. Just before things could get civilized, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple came out. Queen, Clapton, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, T-Rex, KISS,…the list is endless people. Then came the 80’s, when pop reached a true peak before the ever looming wave of commercialism took it’s firm grip and strangled the genre, until it’s credibility was lower than Gary Glitters. On the other hand you had Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, U2, Judas Priest, OZZY, Slayer, Sepultura, before the end of the decade when Nirvana, The Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Blur, Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, The Pixies, Joy Division, The Happy Mondays, New Order (yes the 24 lot), Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails and then (phew this is a long one) onto Marilyn Manson, The Foo Fighters, Weezer, Korn and so on before the late nineties and boom…nothing happened……funnily enough, fuck all has happened since. How in the hell did almost five decades of amazing, astonishing and diverse creation suddenly grind to an almost complete stop?
Things seemed to fall completely off course. Metal bands suddenly merged rapidly with dance music and rap. Korn had dabbled but so did Aersomith and nothing happened to them. Instead of Angus Young and the D belting out solid, hard hitting blues rock anthems you had fat ugly guys in costumes roaring at you about being bullied and still being virgins living in their mothers houses. Metro sexual, stylish geeks whining on about falling and crying about some girl next door that Lemmy would probably kidnap and turn into a hooker on sun-set before the night’s out. These guys in fitted suits, wearing ties with spiky hair, tattoos and dog collars were mixing Kraftwork with the eighties glam rockers like Twisted Sister, Poison and the likes while wearing their hair like girls. And I don’t mean the old style of hairy bikers drooling over a bar counter girly style, I mean a female hairdresser on a night out style. Like they were trying to keep disobeying the nagging disapproval from generations past and pushing things to some ridiculous limit that nearly goes full circle.
As for Pop music, that fell into the hands of TV companies, dance got old and turned into some demented, hindered state of destruction while indie music became overwhelmed by a horde of Eco-Friendly, Voices of poverty, injustice, animal cruelty and environmentally conscious millennium hippies. Voices that turned away from Indies recreational drug use, love and loss, party image and transformed it into a voice for all the issues in the world rock stars shouldn’t give two shits about, at least not on stage. The likes of Tom Yorke, Chris Martin, Bono, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon, Kasabian and all that other horse shit. Their songs were so impotent, corpses of tax attorneys could laugh at them. Complaining, moaning and whining about the poverty and cruelty in the world they wouldn’t think of donating their profits to. Bands that appeal to societies total dregs. Bored children, housewife’s, grandparents, indie fans, jocks and just about every member of the heard the western world boasts. Droning brought to extremes of the human soul to a point it becomes so bogged down in ego, insincerity and boredom it would fail to shock a timid kitten.
Metal fell even more of the pits as the old genres piled up with hopeless hack impersonators before bursting at the seems into millions of decaying breakaways. Nu-Metal even buckled (not a bad thing, pile of shite aswell) as Emo broke through their last stand along with nu-punk and metal became even more appealing to the ugly, fat rejects of social society and the fashionable, jock culture more than ever before. After Radiohead’s Creep on the jukebox American Idiot and the Killers would follow and all the trendy’s and Goths alike would bop along. Metal was again infiltrated by main stream culture and unlike before the last ‘icons’ weren’t strong enough to tear it right back for the people of society who used the music as it should be used. Not for pusses crying and ugly nerds to find shelter. Metal is the music for the angry soul (sounds gay I know but hey, I am smoking in case you hadn’t noticed), the serious partiers, the ‘dangerous’ people of society.
Rock N roll lost it’s fight much earlier. After the Guns N Roses era came to a close, few rock bands ever managed to reach those heights again. Don’t even bother with the Killers and The Kings of Leon…or The Strokes bitch. I’m talking about real fucking n roll. The kind of rock n roll that made all the bad things bands these days demonize like drinking, sex, destruction, rebellion and a good hearty message of Fuck You to anyone who bothered them, fun!. Elvis shock things up, the Stones defined it, Aerosmith brought it miles higher while AC/DC put the fucking boots on before Guns N Roses perfected it in every single sense of the word.
The world is losing it’s icons. Right now I can’t think of any that have come out since the early nineties. I mean a true icon of rebellion. Pete Doherty, and Amy Winehouse make a mockery of drug addicted musicians which, throughout the history of music, have written some of the most amazing music ever created. The Beatles, Jim Morrison, The Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Keith Richards, Janis Joplin, Kobain etc. Bono, Yorke and Martin take the places of people like Neil Young with his stories, Springsteen and his zest for life and Bowies ever changing persona, image and style only to replace it with gilt tripping, giver of life wannabe humanitarian ideologist façade while they doge taxes and pontificate to fans what they should do, wear, believe in, live and breath. Forget ‘think for yourself’, the message was spelled out in bold impact lettering and strangely enough, a discontented mass fell for it, hook line and sinker.
That’s pretty much where we are in my eyes. I’ve forgotten many of the previous generation’s true greats but there’s only so much you can write in an hour and keep semi-coherent. I’ve also neglected some of the better talents to emerge on the international scene and some of the worse ones. Arcade Fire and MGMT to name a couple. But that’s how I see things, pretty much that black and white. Most of the old styles got confused, disjointed, lost in translation and overwhelmed in image, style and forced restrictions and beliefs and turned them into uninspired shells of their former selves. I’m not saying charity is bad, I’m not saying there’s no credibility in any of the new bands these days and I’m not saying looking after the environment is wrong, animals should be mistreated, people shouldn’t be nice to each other and drugs are good. I believe the exact opposite of each one and a conscious attitude is essential to the basic fabrication of mankind’s cohabitation together and civilized society. What I’m saying is people should learn this from other sources like parents and a proper education rather than one of mankind’s forms of entertainment. Aren’t we allowed to relax, switch totally off and dream sometimes with the horrors of some societies and the worlds problems being shoved in our face at every fucking turn?
Maybe there was one message spelt out by one of the golden age icons that we should listen to is the words of Jim Morrison.
“When the music’s over, turn out the lights, turn out the lights,”
Tickets There is very, very happy Friday has finally come. Expect a few new MySpace Review’s this weekend. Have a good evening all.
The legend behind the iconic Gibson Les Paul has just passed away and Tickets There wanted to commemorate his passing by showing a handful of our favourite guitarists that have used his guitar. I never knew a whole pile about Mr. Paul but I’ve loved his guitar since I fist saw a picture of Slash from a live show many, many years ago. In fact, I think the reason I started playing guitar in the first place was so one day I’d be worthy of purchasing and owing a Studio Classic model (that day hasn’t come yet but I did buy a lovely Epiphone LP).
Anyway, R.I.P. Les, you gave rock N roll one of it’s finest assets.
With all this hoopla about ticket prices, service and postage charges..etc, wouldn’t it be cool if one of Irelands leading promoters (there’s only two..well threeish) gave something back. I just had a cool idea about setting up an amphitheatre that would allow fans to see gigs for free. All you’d have to do is find a large open space with a long slope (like Punchestown) and build your main arena area (or outline it). Then you build a separate section at the band that would allow fans to see the gig for free.
Say you allocate a few thousand tickets for the back section and use it as an overflow area and distribute the tickets the day before the festival from selected outlets in nearest big city to avoid touts getting hold of them. This way the promoters get to keep the same attendance figures and still manage to accommodate a few more thousand people who would spend money on booze, food and travel. To avoid people opting for this option instead of actually buying tickets, you could have a rule that it’s only opened if the concert sells out. You could also place a massive screen in the free section meaning fans could still see the band close up despite being miles back from the stage.
You wouldn’t even have to use it for shows that are have 80,000 arriving. You could do it for smaller bands that might only sell 5,000 and have the show in the likes of Phoenix park and then dish out another few thousand free tickets through contests and various other promotional activities. That way the band would also get a lot of exposure outside their existing fan base.
Personally I think that would be kind of cool but I’m sure a load of logistical, administrative and financial reasons could be found to shoot it down. God forbid M*D or any of the other promoters out there would find away to give something back to the fans that shell out a minimum of 60 quid for all their shows. Ah well.
(and before you say it, f**k of with your ‘you’re paying for the band’s performance, not the promoters service argument. That’s greed talking. The promoters are a business and if there was more completion that offered these kind of perks and treats for people, the established companies would disappear.
Because Tickets There thinks you’re worth it, here’s a clip of KISS playing I LOVE IT LOUD!
Ireland has always had a reputation for great music. It’s been part of tradition and heritage for as long as any one can remember. However, another more recent element of this tradition is many of our acts getting lost in time and passed over for the sake of another group. Off course this is a common occurrence in the rest of the world and not just an issue within the Irish scene. Unlike other countries though, Irish people embrace American and English music far more than their own. Our country is small too sustain many acts due to most Irish people’s lack of interest in their local scene and therefore these bands are under pressure to make it in England and America or simply disappear if they can’t. With the exception of Aslan, very few bands can survive by touring and releasing albums in Ireland alone.
Therefore, I decided to write up a small piece of my favorite group on the scene at the moment Concerto for Constantine. While the members of the band have all carved out their own place on the Irish scene, they are now working together for something much bigger. National and International acclaim.
The band comprises of Mark Greaney (former vocals and axe man for JJ72, a very successful Irish group for the late nineties/ early millennium). Mark managed to amount great success in his time with JJ72 as they released two albums, selling nearly a million copies, and toured the world for years. An astonishing feat, especially considering that JJ72 was formed while all the members were still in the middle of their leaving cert. Unfortunately, JJ72 ran into difficulties. Original bass player Hilary Woods left to peruse a college degree and a family in 2003, leaving remaining members Mark and Fergal Matthews to carry on with her replacement Sarah Fox. The band appeared as if they were on a hiatus for two years while they wrote and recorded their third album. They returned in 2005 with a single She’s Gone and a tour in support of its release. Later in the year they released a second single entitled Coming Home and promoted it by doing a tour of small venues across the UK and Ireland culminating in a main stage slot of Donnington’s Download Festival.
In early 2006 JJ72 split under the frustration of issues with the release of their third album. Mark carried on working on solo material after the split and even went on a UK tour in support of Simple Kid to preview some of the material. While Mark was writing material for his solo début in New York, he received a call from old friend Gavin Fox that lead to the formation of Concerto for Constantine.
‘Even, Mark at one stage hinted that I might join JJ72 and play guitar on tour with them, but at the time Turn had just formed and were kicking off and JJ72 worked well as a three piece. Eventually the chance came up when I left Vega4. Mark was in New York working on his solo album and I gave him a call and said ‘Let’s do this, lets form a rock band now‘ – Gavin Fox, 2008.
Gavin Fox has an equally full experience on the music scene as Mark. Gavin first came to prominence with Irish indie legends ‘Turn’. The Kell’s group formed by Ollie Cole, Gavin and Ian Melady in 1998. Gavin spent roughly four years with Turn before leaving to join Idelwild. Like JJ72, Turn experienced many issues from the start of their career with the record industry. Although their first three singles and first EP (Facedown, Beretta, Beeswax and Check My Ears) all came out in quick succession, they were self financed and uncomplicated. It was their début that marked the start of Turn’s problems. (2000’s Antisocial). The album gained high acclaim from most critics, however, lack of endorsement from their label (Infectious) and no advertising or promotion budget forced the band to leave the label and once again try on their own. In 2001 the ‘In Position EP’ was released on their own ‘Nurture‘ label and once again put the group back in the Irish spotlight. Although once again the band didn’t have the funds to advertise or promote the album outside of touring.
While recording their follow up ‘Forward’ in late 2001, Gavin got a call from ‘Idlewild’ with an offer to join their group. Frustrated with Turn’s lack of growth, Gavin left to join the Scottish Rockers and remained art of the group for over four years. After Idelwild, Gavin joined ‘Vega4’, a London based group which he played in for just under a year. It was after leaving Vega4 he decided to call Mark.
The line up was completed by Paul ‘Binzer’ Brennan after an invitation from Gavin to come down and join himself and Mark for a rehearsal. Although Mark had never met ‘Binzer’, he was welcomed with open arms to the group on their first meeting. Paul has played with some of ..Ireland.. best acts and on many famous recordings, including ‘The Frames, Dance the Devil’ and ‘Bell X1’s Music in Mouth’ to name but two. He has toured and recorded with other acts such as ‘Paddy Casey, Mundy, Gemma Hayes, Halite‘ and many more. His experience and talent behind the kit made him the perfect choice for Concerto and completed the lineup.
Concerto started rehearing new material and songs that Mark had been working on for his sole release were shelved as the band decided to turn back to their roots and starting writing music based on their influences (Early 90’s alt/rock such as ‘Nirvana’, The Pixies ad The Smashing Pumpkins) while also giving the songs a more modern touch. Rehearsals started in late August 2007 and the band started writing and recording demos’ instantly. In September, they were invited to perform on the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR. A nation wide showcase held twice a year in order to give new groups a platform to play their music in front of live audiences and promote themselves. It was this invite that promoted the band to consider a name for their new group that properly reflected their new sound.
‘We were confirming the details and they asked ‘what’s the name of the band’ because they were doing up posters for the tour, so I said yeah it’s ready I’ll call ya back in a couple of Hours‘ – Mark Greany 2008.
The name was completed by using ‘Concerto for’ which Gavin had seen on ITunes while scrolling through song names and completed by ‘Constantine’, A name the Synonymous with a recurring dream Mark’s mother had been having for years about a young boy walking a lobster (on a leash) on a beach at night while a voice calls the name ‘Constantine‘ from beyond the sand dunes. Marks mother had told him only the week before the 2FM call that she had the dream again and Mark felt it was a sign.
Concerto for Constantine continued rehearsing and on the 28th September, made their radio début on the Jenny Huston show on 2FM. The band played two tracks acoustically which were recorded live on air. On the 15th November 2007, the group played their first live show at the Sky venue, Portlaois. The band later claimed this to be the worst show of the tour. They played a further 10 dates on the tour in venues across Ireland. By the end they had established a basic fan base.
The group spent a further two months rehearsing and recording before returning to the stage. The future single ‘Minsk’ was recorded between December and February’. An early version was posted on their Myspace along with four other songs ‘Gaps, Killing Fields, WASP’s and Cat’s Cradle’. However, this version was replaced by newer recording featuring a much raunchier bass line. In late January, the band announced that they were invited to support ‘The Smashing Pumpkins’ at their Irish dates in Dublin and Belfast (9th and 10th February 2008 respectively). They were also invited to support ‘The Futureheads’ for a one off show in Sligo’s newest venue ‘The Clarence’. The Smashing Pumpkins support slot fulfilled a life long dream for Mark who had come close to supporting Billy Corgan on to previous occasions while he was with JJ72. The band even managed to find three stage props for the occasion. Three box’s made to look like Amp heads with each word of the bands name in ‘Georgia’ font, that lit up.
During the Pumpkins support slot, the band announced their first headlining show at Dublin infamous rock bar ‘Fibber Magee’s’, an event organized by ‘Muzzle Music’. On February 22nd the group took to the stage playing nine songs, the five that had been previewed on their MySpace and four un heard tracks, ‘Silver, Falling, Everything and Knife’. The show was sold out and promotion for the night included everything from posters and flyer’s to stickers. It was considered a triumph and the band wasted no time announcing another headlining show in the same venue on the 17th March 2008, this time for ‘Secondlife.com’ who were web casting the show. They were also confirmed as special guests for 2FM’s ‘School of Rock….’ showcase. A competition for younger groups to play in a large venue and win prizes such as vouchers for musical equipment and recording time. Concerto played the event on the 9th March making it their second appearance in Whelan’s and also their second day time show (the first being the Village on the 25th November as the last date of the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR).
Unfortunately, the second headlining show in Fibber’s didn’t capture the magic from the first. The promoters for the event hadn’t advertised the show anywhere and there wasn’t so much as a poster put up about the performance. There was also an issue with stage times as the band were originally scheduled to appear at 8:00pm. However, the pub was next to empty (being St. Patrick’s day and a Monday, most people had finished drinking at 18:00 in order to be able to work the following morning. Instead they went on-stage at 10:30 and played for just under an hour. Their performance was further hindered by problems with Gavin’s Bass head and the lack of a crowd.
The following day, Concerto embarked for London to play two shows, the first at The Dublin Castle (March 18th), a legendary underground venue for Indie and rock talent. The second was at Club 229 (19th). Both shows were described as a massive success.
On March 11th the band announced their first headlining show in Whelan’s on April 15th. The event, which is being promoted by MCD and Phantom FM is the set to be the biggest headlining show the band have played to date. The are also set to play the IMRO showcase on the 11th of April in The Sugar Club. They also announced on the 8th April that they have been asked to support The Enemy at their show on the 9th in Dublin’s Ambassador.
08-04-2008 Update:
Concerto for Constantine have gotten ‘Minsk’ remixed by classic JJ72 and Turn producer ‘Marc Carolan’. The original recording and mix of ‘Minsk‘ was done by ‘Neil Mitchell’.
After only eight moths together the band have already achieved more than most bands with records and more dates under their belt could dream of in their first two years. Some critics of the band base this on each members already established reputations on the scene. Although this has made thing go a little smoother for the group, it would be very wrong to deny that their music isn’t up to scratch for the offers and acclaim they are receiving.
Fans of the band are hoping to see some material released in 2008 such as an EP or even a full debut album. In the mean time, the band are content with promoting themselves through their incredible live performances which show the work they have been putting in during breaks between shows. They have also amassed an albums worth of material which can only be added to over the year.
Concerto played their first full headlining show in Whelan’s and blew the place away. The venue was packed and the upstairs section had to be opened to deal with the amount of people who turned up. They played 12 songs with ‘Minsk’ opening and closing the show (I assume they played Minsk twice as a result of running out of songs and also to ensure the audience got to hear songs they knew as they still have no Single, EP or album for sale) They truly pulled out all the stops for what I can only describe as their best performance yet.
27th July 2008: OXEGEN Update.
Concerto have played four shows in July without much noise surrounding any of them. The biggest was their début performance at Oxegen. They opened up Saturday in one of the tents and I’m told there was a massive crowd in attendance. The word is (from people who’s taste I respect) that they were stellar and played a fantastic show.
However, the other ‘official report’ from Ireland’s leading U2 fanzine ‘HOT Press’ that they weren’t much of s spectacle. Read Stuart Clarke’s words below.
(Intro about finding an undiscovered gem in the morning and bragging about watching their show with 50 people when their headlining a stage next year)
Unfortunately for me (and therefore for you), the bands I happen upon in the early hours – namely Concerto for Constantine are unlikely to trouble such heights, mainly because their both pretty boring: the former throw all the right shapes but make none of the right noises.
Stuart Clarke – HOT Press Vol:32 Issue: 14, p.40.
This follows on from their last bad review in the Independent by infamous music knocker John Meagher (indecently a man who thought the Flaws released the greatest Irish album last year…J).
Check it out – http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/uninspiring-constantine-a-sight-for-sore-eyes-1352872.html> John Meagher’s Review @Independent.ie
With two of Ireland’s leading respectable Music writers against them, Concerto will have to continue to prove themselves as a band for some time to come.
Whelan’s – April 15th Set list:
Fibber MaGee’s – Feb 22nd 2008 Setlist:
Concerto Gig History: (Tickets There attended gigs in Bold – Pictures and Set lists available)
2007
Nov 15 – Sky Venue, Portlaoise
Nov 16 – Electric Avenue, Watherford
Nov 17 – Cyprus Avenue, Cork (All Ages Show + Evening Show)
Nov 18 – Trinity Rooms, ..Limerick..
Nov 19 – Roisin Dubh, Galway
Nov 21 – Left Bank Sligo
Nov 22 – Spirit Store, Dundalk
Nov 23 – The Stables, Mullingar
Nov 24 – Whelan’s, Dublin
Nov 25 – The Village, Dublin
2008
January
Jan 31 – The Clarence, ..Sligo.. (Heineken Green Sphere’s supporting The Futureheads)
February
Feb 09 – The R.D.S., Dublin (Supporting the Smashing Pumpkins)
Feb 10 – The King’s Hall, Belfast (Supporting The Smashing Pumpkins)
Feb 22 – Fibber Magee’s, Dublin (First Headlining Show) *(See Set list above)
March
Mar 09 – Whelan’s, Dublin (2FM School of Rock show)
Mar 17 – Fibber Magee’s, Dublin (St. Patrick’s Day Show)
Mar 18 – Dublin Castle, London
Mar 19 – Club 229, London
April
Apr 09 – The Ambassador, Dublin (Supporting The Enemy)
Apr 11 – The Sugar Club, Dublin (IMRO Showcase)
Apr 15 – Whelan’s, Dublin (First Headlining show in Whelan’s)
May
May 08 – TBC ***Postponed***
May 09 – The Trinity Ball (Trinity college Dublin)
June
18th June – Red Bull Oxegen Promo Tour – Waterford (Venue TBC) (This show seems to be cancelled)
19th June – Red Bull Oxegen Promo Tour – Ennis (Venue TBC)(This show seems to be cancelled)
20th June – Red Bull Oxegen Promo Tour – Letterkenny (Venue TBC)
21st June – Red Bull Oxegen Promo Tour – Belfast (Venue TBC)
July
12th July – Oxegen
13th July – T in the Park
October
3rd Oct – Andrews Lane Theatre (With the Aftermath, Phantom Show).
18th – The Ambassador, Dublin (Oxjam 08)
November
20th – Heineken Green Spheres – Crane Lane Cork
28th – The Academy (DJ Set Only)
2009
February
28th – Radio City (Revolver), Dublin (With The Aftermath)
March
1st – The O2 Dublin, Supporting Snow Patrol
15th – The O2 London, Supporting Snow Patrol
April
25th – Radio City, DJ Set Only
Recording’s
Four songs were recorded for a 2FM Live Session in September 2007. ‘Gap’s’, WASP’s, Killing Field’s and Cats Cradle‘. All current recordings are considered Demo’s and will be rerecorded for any official release.
‘Minsk’ was recorded between January and February 2008 and produced by Neil Mitchell. Two versions were mixed and previewed on MySpace. On the 7th April 2008 a new mix of the song was posted to MySpace. Mark confirmed this version had been mixed by long time JJ72 and Turn producer ‘Marc Carolan’ who now mixes songs for ‘The Cure’ and ‘Muse’
On April 10th, Minsk was released as a free download on Phantom FM’s official website,
There has never been any official word of Demos for ‘Silver, Falling, Everything or Knife’ although it’s more than likely that all four songs have been recorded for demo’s along with other unheard tracks especially considering Binzer’s comments about the support slot for ‘The Enemy’….
‘We figure it’d be a good opportunity to road test some new tunes for our Whelan’s gig on the 15th‘ – Binzer April 8th 2008On the 29th May, Concerto confirmed on their MySpace that they have spent the time since Whelan’s writing new material and getting ready to enter the studio to record their ‘first proper single’ the following week.
On August 18th, Binzer posted a blog on MySpace stating that Concerto or now preparing to record their debut album and are hoping to head into the studio in October/November, Currently the band haven’t confirmed if they have a decided on a studio or a producer yet.
TURN – A History: 1998 – 2006
Dedicated to everyone that made 
Oliver Cole | Ian Melady| Gavin Fox
Alan Lee | Ciaran Kavanagh | Terry McGuiness |Martin Quinn | Fiona Melady
“It’s All Over Now”
16th July 2006, Oliver Cole, lead singer of Turn, posts a blog on the bands MySpace announcing that the three piece have decided to call it a day, citing personal and professional circumstances as the main reasons for the breakup. After eight years of line-up and record company changes and many up’s and downs, the band finally had enough and thus ended one of Ireland’s most critically acclaimed, accomplished and talented acts. In their time together, they managed to release three studio albums, three EP’s and several singles as well as playing almost every single venue and major Festival Ireland has to offer, including several slots at The Point Depot, Witness and Oxegen. Their mix of alt rock and soulful song writing won over almost everyone who heard their records and their raw/energetic and always engaging live shows cemented a devoted fan base. From their first show in Da Club in Dublin to their very last in Sligo, December 2005, they gave it their all on stage every night and in the studio.
Writing about the origins of Turn is a done thing at this stage. When they started off in 1998, their reputation ad popularity grew so quickly that 11 years later, the internet is still awash with interviews, early stories and press releases. But any good history has to give all…..well, most of the facts so bear with me.
Oliver Cole and Ian Melady grew up in the small town of Kell’s, Co Meath. Both of them had played in bands in their younger years and had developed tastes for all kinds of music. Ollie is well noted as originally being influenced by bands such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The first live show he ever saw was Thin Lizzy and this set his dreams of becoming a rock star into motion. As with most kids, the metal phase wore off and a new door was opened by the Pixies whom Ollie caught on TV one day when he was home sick from school. Ollie was captivated. The Pixies represented a mix of the hard sound he’d grown up with and a softer, more melodic side that he yearned to produce in his own song writing. Everything seemed to make sense all of a sudden and he realized that bands didn’t have to play one style or the same riff for ever. Ollie’s first foray into the band world was handling singing duties for his brother’s band, Black-Hawx when he was sixteen. Apparently Black-Hawx played spandex, Slayer metal but I think any recordings the band made have long since been destroyed by Ollie. The group disbanded after a short spell together and his brother moved to Boston. Soon afterwards, Ollie moved to Dublin in search of a real band to join.
At the same time Ian Melady and his sister Fiona were discovering their own musical abilities and tastes. Ian learned to play drums while Fiona concentrated on piano and they both worked at song writing. Ian’s first band, Little Palace managed to achieve some measure of success and released two warmly received EP’s before disbanding. Little Palace was also home to future Turn collaborator Martin Quinn.
Swampshack | Revelino | Nero
Ollie and Ian first played together in Swampshack, another relativity successful band on the verge of bigger things before breaking up. Founded in late 94/early 95, Swampshack managed to release a EP and single in the year they were together. Playing bass duties in the band was John Mulvaney. Despite playing tours with Teenage Fan club, Soul Asylum and Ice-T, the band parted ways and cited ‘musical differences’ as the cause. Ollie admits to taking the breakup badly and rather than forming a new group, he shied away from the ‘band’ idea and reportedly spent two years on the dole playing chess and smoking dope but still writing material. He had also gotten a job in The Factory Rehearsal Space where acts such as U2, David Bowie and Def Leppard used to practice for European tours and store equipment which gave him much of his technical experience and introduced him to a massive variety of industry contacts. Ian on the other hand, went on to join Dublin band Revelino.
While working in the Factory in 1996, Ollie met Gavin Fox, a young bass player from Dublin on work experience. The pair became inseparable and shared a love for music, chess and general mayhem. Gavin was playing in a band called Nero at the time and Ollie and Ian had just rejoined forces and had started searching for a bass player. As the story goes, Gavin was asked to fill in on the drums for Ian one day because he couldn’t make a rehearsal with a new bass player they were testing out. Not happy with the new member, Ollie and Ian decided to drop him and Gavin suggested he jam with them until they found someone permanent. According to interviews with Ollie, the first song the three lads played together was I Still Believe and suddenly everything felt right. Gavin made the decision to quit Nero and concentrate on playing with Ollie and Ian full time. Since Gavin also played Guitar and drums, he was able to contribute to the song writing which strengthened his position in the group and ensured he became a key contributor to defining Turn’s sound. Years later Ollie admitted that one of the factors that led to Turn’s demise was Gavin’s exit from the band and the song writing duties falling solely on him. Ollie and Gavin shared a love for raw, energetic rock and the trio really started to connect after rehearsing a few times and band started to prepare for the next step.
TURN
After a handful of rehearsals the band really started to connect and wasted little time before settling down, perfecting their songs and lining up gigs. Ollie and Gavin’s strive for perfection ensured the kinks in their sound were worked out early on and new songs were written and laid down to a T in record time. The band started to line up shows around the country after playing their first gig in Da Club, on South William street in Dublin. According to Ollie there was about two people in attendance. Thanks to Ollie’s connections and the bands infectious sound their second show was playing support to Teenage Fanclub in the Olympia, quite a step up for a new bands second live show together and a tribute to how well the band was performing so early in their career. The band quickly started to focus their attention on the U.K. market with all three members knowing how hard it is to make it big by staying in Ireland. They decided to balance out their raw, slow, heavy sound by adding some theatrics to their live show. This included wearing custom made suits and light makeup. The band feverishly continued writing and rehearsing new tracks such as Beeswax and Gav and Anne. Not too long after forming, Ollie suffered a massive electrical shock from a mike stand (Reports of the incident vary on where the shock happened. Some suggest it was on stage and others report it was during rehearsals) . The shock was so powerful it left burn marks on his hand and even dislocated his shoulder meaning he had to visit a chiropractor for regular treatment. This incident led to a bout of depression which led to some major life changes for the singer and also altered his song writing and outlook on life. Rather than take the shock as a bad omen or let it develop into a fear of playing, Ollie started to write faster, heavier material while still keeping with the same basics of song writing as before. Tracks like Beretta and Facedown started to become fast fan favourites for the group and they finally had enough material to make a stab at showcases around the U.K.
In 1998, the band started to make regular trips to London to play on stage with several other bands each night in order to try and secure a record deal and cut a name for themselves in one of the toughest cities in the world. The band describes these visits and essential to the band early success but also some of the hardest shows they’ve ever played. Not being able to afford a roadie or any assistance, they used to use all their money to pay for travel expenses over and back, lugging all their equipment by hand and setting up every night by themselves. This left them drained and exhausted before most of the British shows and sometimes affected the performance. Despite this, the work started to pay off and the British Press started given the band a good deal of attention and their profile started to increase. After one show, a PR from Infectious Records approached the band and said the label might be interested in working with the band. Knowing their live strength was at it’s height in Dublin, the band asked if Infectious would be interested in travelling to Ireland to see them play to a home crowd. Less than a year after forming, Infectious signed the band.
Facedown | Beretta | Beeswax | Check My Ears
With things moving along for the group, they were given a new lease of life and they continued to play shows across the UK and Ireland, primarily showcase gigs in the UK. In 1999, the band travelled to Wales to record their first proper batch of material (although they had started recording demo’s in Oct. 97) at Rockfield Studios with Hugh Jones at the helm. At this point, they recruited Ian’s sister Fiona into the band to add more depth and power to the songs. Fiona because a short lived member and departed from Turn shortly after recording was completed but did manage to stay on board to play some of their bigger live shows in order to fill out the bands performance. The band worked for 15/16 hours every day to perfect the recordings. In the biography release by Infectious Records, Ollie Cole remembers these sessions as being quite gruelling.
“I felt really self-conscious”, he says. “Like I was getting too much attention. So I started drinking lots of beer and smoking. It helped. I just started going into the studio and singing along to the big speakers with no headphones. It was kind of trial and error.”[1]
The sessions resulted with enough recordings to start releasing their first material. On February 13th, 2000. The band released their first single Facedown, on their own Nurture label. Despite it being one of the least obvious choices for a début single, the band jumped to its defence by claiming it as being the “final jigsaw piece” that promoted them to record more.
“When we signed the deal with Infectious, in many ways it still meant that we had to make it happen, not them. ‘Facedown’ is probably the least obvious and strangest choice for a single we could make. ” [2]
“Facedown ties the whole new Turn, old Turn together I think. It sums up that whole time perfectly, when we affected change in ourselves as a unit. The album was nearly there and ‘Facedown’ was the final jigsaw piece that spurred us to record more, even though it’s not on the album.”[3]
Gavin also claims the release was a tactic to stop the band being labelled in the media,
“Facedown was released first so that people couldn’t pigeon hole us“[4]
Despite a record deal under their belts and building up a respectable fan base around Dublin, mainstream television and radio stations continued to ignore the band and refused to give then any attention except for Phantom FM who got behind the band after the release of Facedown. Again wasting little time, the band released a follow up single in April 2000. The fast, had hitting Beretta quickly secured new fans for the group and was featured on several compilations and promo CD’s. Like Facedown, Beretta was only publicly released as a limited edition clear 7” vinyl by the band. This only added to their underground status and their records quickly sold out due to high demand for their material. In order to continue their success, the band released a third single in May 2000. Beeswax was already a firm favorite among their fans and was also one of the earliest songs the band wrote. Again, it was released only as a 7” and added to Phantom’s playlist. Beeswaxs’ release was followed by their debut EP, Check My Ears, which was a compilation of the three singles and their B-Sides (Truth, Never Needed and Plan, respectively). The EP was a great success and finally gave Turn a CD format release to sell to a wider audience. Things were going brilliantly for the band and a successful tour around England with Seafood and Wilt in March/Aril 2000 had now provided for their very own fan base in the UK. Melody Maker, Hotpress, NME, Rock Sound and several other publications got behind the band and continued promoting them regularly. Turns crowd started to grow at home and abroad with every show and they still strived to improve every aspect of the band so things wouldn’t waver. The band spent the rest of the summer playing shows and recording material at Roundhouse Studios and Thomas Reed’s pub in Dublin. After 12 months of grueling work, single releases and non stop touring, they were finally ready to release their debut album.
Antisocial | Too Much Makeup | The Christmas EP
“Antisocial is the best indication of where we are now, for me it’s the best song we’ve done, maybe because of the strange music. Gav (Fox, bass) and Ian (Melady, drums and all-star backing vocalist) are playing a real off beat and I’m playing the most complicated guitar playing I’ve ever done. Something happened with that song. I broke through a wall or something, all of a sudden I was playing a different style and it’s probably the most representative of what the next album might sound like. ‘Queen Of My Heart’ is great. Hopefully we can release it as a single in November or December, although the record company might want to re-release ‘Beretta’ but I hope we don’t have to, you know, if people know it they do. If not, they’ll get to know it. I don’t want to go down a Muse path and release it a dozen times or something. So we’ll see.”[5]
Antisocial was officially launched at the Temple Bar Music Center on the 6th of October. It was met with critical acclaim in both Ireland and the UK. The hard work put in by the band had paid off and a wide range of music publications including Kerrang, Hotpress, Melody Maker and many others gave the album glorifying reviews with an overall agreement that Turn had managed to reproduce their energetic live performance in the studio. After the albums release, the band continued touring around the UK and Ireland to promote it as much as possible. The first official single from the album, Too Much Makeup, had come out in August and proved to be another great success among fans of the band. It seemed things couldn’t get any better for the trio and the buzz that surrounded the band was only getting stronger and stronger. They finished off 2000 by touring extensively which carried into early 2001 and even managed to release a mail order/gig only EP entitled The Christmas EP which featured Teen Star and a cover of Aerosmiths Sweet Emotion. For the remainder of 2001 the group returned to the studio to begin writing their next album and only played a handful of major festivals and showcases including the legendary SWSX Showcase in America.
By this time relations with Infectious records were turning sour and the label refused to put any financial backing behind the group. Hammered by a lack of activity for the first time since they formed, the band started to become frustrated and after a few months they eventually parted ways.
Nurture Records | In Position | Another Year Over / Summer Song
The split with Infectious was Turn’s first serious set back but they didn’t let this affect them as much as other bands would. Rather than parting ways and trying again separately, they regrouped and decided to go down the D.I.Y. route. They started touring again in late 2001 and in March 2002, the band released it’s third EP, The In Position EP on their very own Nurture label, which was once again well received by the media and the bands loyal fan base. Despite the maturity of song writing on Antisocial, In Position saw the bands sound develop even more and songs like Catch On You, Heart attack and the title track became massive fan favorites. Being on their own gave them complete control and freedom over their music releases and tours. They followed In Position by releasing a double A-Side single, Another Year/Summer Song in July 2002, which went into the top 30 in its first week. The band continued touring constantly and continued recording tracks for a second album. A nationwide tour of colleges and venues around the country helped push the single and once again it became a favorite on Phantom FM while Another Year Over took over from Too Much Makeup as their live closer. Once again everything seemed to be falling into line until another tragedy struck the group.
“There was always tension when making a Turn record and it was really nice not to have that”[6]
While recording their second album, inner relations in the band started to rapidly deteriorate and shortly before the mixing stage was complete, Gavin Fox received a phone call from up and coming Scottish rockers Idlewild who offered him a poison in the band. With Turn on the verge of cracking anyway, Gavin decided to jump ship and take a golden opportunity while it was on offer. He played his final show with Turn on New Years Eve 2002. Gavin’s departure from the band was a much bigger shock to the band than any of the events beforehand and the one the Ollie took mostly to heart. At the time, he was the glue hoping the trio’s relationship together and the end looked pretty close for Ollie and Ian.
Fortunately, Ollie’s girlfriends’ (Danielle Harrison) band, Skindive, were just after breaking up so he roped their bass player in to handle bass duties for the final mixing stages and the proceeding tour. Alan Lee was officially introduced as the new member of Turn in 2003 when the band started playing some live shows, including a slot on the 2003 Heineken Roller Coaster Tour around Ireland’s colleges, in order to generate some hype before the release of their second full length record.
Forward | Alan Lee | Martin Quinn
Forward brought about a change in the band. They had stopped wearing the full suits on stage in the previous years and had also ditched the makeup. Now Ollie started wearing leather jacks and Jeans while the other members dressed casually. Turn had lost the theatrics they worked hard on in their beginning and more and more, let the sher power of their performance speak for itself. The release of Forward in March 2003 saw the band achieve their best reviews to date and even managed to reach number eight in the Irish Charts after just a few days of sales.
They launched the record in Dublin’s renowned Vicar Street venue with special guests Mundy and Bell X1 (Turn would return to Vicar street in September 2003 to return the favor by supporting the Bellies at their Music In Mouth Launch), and played a set mostly comprised of material from the new record, a lot of which they had been keeping to themselves in order for it to be a surprise. From the stage, Ollie and Ian were both visibly relieved at the sell out crowd in attendance with Ollie even joking how their road manager (Terry ‘Batman’ McGuiness) had remarked there was only a handful just before the band walked on stage. New songs such as Cant Keep Waiting, Harder, Ain’t It A Love, Dumb As It Is and Even Though instantly became smash hits with the crowd and stood up considerably well beside the old favorites in the ensuing tour. Turn were firmly back on top and doing it by themselves. They followed the launch gig with a nationwide tour consisting of ten headlining shows, all of which were sold out. Press interest started to kick off again for the band and interviews, articles and reviews started popping up everywhere. Forward was one of the most popular Irish albums of 2003 and both Turn and Ollie ranked highly in Best Album and Best Songwriter categories in several Irish publications. Although the success didn’t carry over to their once thriving UK fan base, Turn were once again strong enough to make another stab at the big time, despite the absence of a record label. Their Irish fan base increased dramatically by word of mouth and they returned to play slots at the summer festivals and show case shows including the opening of Dublin Venue, The Village which they headlined with Paddy Casey.
Turn spent much of 2003 on the road and commenced on an even bigger nationwide tour in September. They enlisted x-Little Palace guitarist, Martin Quinn for the shows, to help boost their live sound. Much like they did with Fiona years beforehand. Martin’s presence with the band enabled Turn to perform a greater selection of their material which otherwise wouldn’t have had the same impact , such as Heart Attach, You Got Style and No More. Along with their own headlining shows, the band also hit the road with the Frames and played several large headlining shows in Dublin, including a headlining slot in Whelan’s.
TURN | Ciaran Kavanagh | Setanta Records
Turn toned things down in 2004 but did manage to play a headlining tour in February/March, most notably, a sold out gig in The Village on Wexford. Once gain the band faced line up issues as Alan Lee left the group. Although Alan was a long time friend of Ollie’s and was more than capable of handling bass duties, the band never seemed to connect as well on stage as the original line up. Ollie had also lost his song writing partner and friend when Gavin left. On stage, Alan and Gavin couldn’t have differed any more. Gavin’s love for classic 70’s rock stars had sharpened his performance to perfection. When ever a technical problem that even slightly threw them off, he’d be on top of it and when everything was running smoothly, he was every bit the iconic rock star he strived to be. Alan on the other had didn’t hold such a presence on stage. Off course being the new member in an established band is never easy and Alan also didn’t get to play with the band for as long as Gavin but the difference was noticeable on stage and the regular banter previously passed between Ollie, Gavin and Ian was now restricted to occasional moments between Ollie and Ian. In June 2004, Alan was replaced by Rags bassist, Ciaran Kavanagh in mid 2004 and made his live debut with the band at Oxegen a month later before Turn fell off the radar. For the rest of the year, Ollie continued writing and recording material for their third, and what turned out to be, final album.
“The writing process was never the same after Gav left. I was doing a lot more writing by myself and bringing completed songs to the rest of the band. We weren’t rehearsing as much as we used to either, so songs were not coming out of jams anymore. People always seemed to be in a hurry somewhere else[7].
The mood in the band was bleak by late 2004. According to an interview with Ollie in 2007, the band weren’t rehearsing nearly as much as they used to and Gavin’s absence from the group was adding a major strain to the song writing, leaving Ollie to write all of the material for their third record. Ollie even admitted that he tried leaving the group around this time. It was beginning to seem that every time Turn managed to get one step ahead in the business, they were instantly brought two steps back and this habit was taking a major toll on Ollie and Ian’s friendship and working relationship. The situation had gotten so bad that Ollie had stop writing ‘Turn’ material and had started on more acoustic melodic music instead. Things were on the verge of collapse for the band until a saving grace arrived which boosted them enough to make one more stab at success.
When Turn signed a deal with Setenta records in early 2005, everything seemed to be back on track. Ollie, Ian and Ciaran went into the studio to record the follow up to Forward with the hopes that they might get support in the UK once again, something they hadn’t enjoyed since before the release of Anti-Social. Working between the legendary Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath and Joe’s Garage (studio owned by Def Leppard lead singer, Joe Elliot) in South Dublin, the band readied the most radio friendly album of their career. The band only took time out to play the 2005 Oxegen Festival where they attracted a massive crowd for a mid day tent performance. Songs such as It’s About Nothing, Stop. No One’s Gonna Change Your Mind were a step in a very different direction that Turn fans were used to. They dropped the dark, raw sound of Forward and the heavy/blistering energy of Antisocial and Check my Ears and instead focused on more poppy songs with a catchy chorus. The band also brought back the idea of wearing suits and promotional pictures appeared featuring Ollie and Ian decked out in white suits and new hair styles. It looked like Turn were being groomed for success and also looked like they really had the goods to tap into the chart world.
Turn, their self titled third album was released on the 23rd September 2005 at a launch gig in the Village. Their set relied almost entirely on new material and in the proceeding promotional tours, many of the standard Turn classics began to disappear from their set lists. Tracks such as Beretta, Too Much Makeup and Ain’t It a Love completely disappeared, much like Beeswax, Facedown and Never Needed had years before. The album was met with massive critical acclaim, even managing to attract the attention of Irish pop mogul Louis Walsh who praised the new direction. Turn followed the launch with a massive tour of the country that included their own headlining shows and Irish support slots with Weezer(The Point) and Bell X1 on their tour for the massive selling Flock album. The group was now appealing to a much wider audience and their success started to grow all over again. Promotional tracks It’s About Nothing and Stop became regulars on several radio playlists and their support shows gave them exposure to a new breed of Irish music converts who were brought into the scene by Bell X1.
Just when tings were starting to look bright for the band, they got another surprise. On the 30th of October, at the last show of the Bell X1 tour in Sligo, Turn joined the Bellies on stage during their encore to play a cover of David Bowies We Could Be Heros’ and brought with them a special guest. Decked out in black jeans, a black top and Ciaran’s White suit jacket, Gavin Fox made his return to the group. There was a roar from the crowd at the sight of Gavin on stage again with Turn after a three and a half year absence. A few weeks later, Gavin was officially back in Turn and the band announced a December tour of the country.
The tour proved to be their final effort together. Despite Gavin’s return, Setenta records refused to put any further financial backing behind the group which meant they couldnt release any singles from the album or make any promotional video’s. It also meant they couldn’t travel abroad to the UK or the states to promote the release of Turn there and the band was once again back where they started. The shows themselves proved to be a big success but the mood of the band was beyond the point of saving. Their last show together was in Sligo at a venue called The Left Bank (formally The Garvogue) and for the first time in years, the stress of the last seven years was clearly visible. With technical issues (Their sound desk blew during rehearsals and had to be replaced with one that hadn’t been used in over fifteen years) and a half full crowd, Turn made a shambolic scramble through some of their greatest hits before concluding the set with a blistering and reworked version of Beeswax. It turned out that this was the night Ollie decided he had finally had enough of the chaotic, up down world of Turn and privately made the decision to end the group.
“As some of you might have already guessed, at the end of this year Turn will call it a day.”[8]
On July 16th Ollie made the announcement that Turn was finished and the band were to go their separate ways after one final farewell tour which sadly never took place.
2006 – 2009
‘The label we signed to was a joke and we really should have just brought the album out on our own label as we had with “In Position” and “Forward”[9]
Having done nothing together from January to July 2006 before their breakup, Ollie was now solely concentrating on his solo material while Gavin had moved on to join London outfit Vega4 in December 2006 while Ian took a break from playing with a band. None of the bane did much press about the breakup and it wasn’t until December 2007, at the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR showcase in Whelan’s that Ollie finally spoke about the real reasons behind the bands demise. In an interview with Claus.com, Ollie openly discussed the frustrations of the previous eight years, the inter turmoil among the band members and his new solo career. On the same night, Gavin also appeared with his new group, Concerto for Constantine which he and Mark Greaney, formally of JJ72 fame, had formed together a couple of months beforehand.
2008 saw Ollie start to make his live return, playing the HWCH festival and a handful of support and headlining shows around the country. Meanwhile, Gavin and Concerto For Constantine started to attract a massive underground following very quickly and played a handful of sold out headlining shows in Fibber Magee’s and Whelan’s along with a slot at the HWCH festival and the 2FM SKool of Rock. They also went on to play an early slot at the 2008 Oxegen as well as support shows for The Smashing Pumpkins and The Futureheads. They also managed a trip to London to play a couple of nights over there in order to grab the attention of a label rep. Currently the band are recording material for their first proper studio release with a summer 2009 date on the cards. Ollie is still working on his own solo material and reportedly has three albums worth almost fully recorded and ready to go. He spent much of the summer 2007 in Germany recording songs which will also guest star members of Bell X1 and Therapy. Currently Gavin Fox is filling in on bass duties until he finds a permanent member for his live band. And finally Ian has also made a return to the live circuit with his original band, Little Palace (also featuring Martin Quinn) and they’ve been in the studio and on the road re-building their profile and a solid fan base.
Conclusion
Turn’s story is like many Irish bands but there is still a lot to learn from their years together. Although the story of new bands being mis-handled and left to rot by their labels is as old as the recording business it’s self, Turns constant determination to struggle through the hard times for as long as they did should act as an inspiration for any new acts in this country. Despite some bad times, the bands dedication and commitment to each other paid off more often than not and the future for all three members holds great things judging by their solo projects. Whether the original line-up will ever re-unite seems unlikely at the moment but for almost ten years, Turn gave Ireland a truly great band we could be proud off and call our own.
[2] Feb, 2000. Hotpress Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.irishmusicdb.com/t/turn/turn_pre2.htm
[3] Oct, 2000. Claus.com Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.turnwebsite.com/biopress/bioinfectious.html
[4] 2000. Gavin Fox Bio | http://www.turnwebsite.com/biopress/bioband.html
[5] Oct, 2000. Claus.com Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.turnwebsite.com/biopress/bioinfectious.html
[6] December 2007. Claus.com Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.cluas.com/music/features/ollie-cole-turn-interview-8791.htm
[7] December 2007. Claus.com Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.cluas.com/music/features/ollie-cole-turn-interview-8791.htm
[8] July 16th 2006. Blog Post on Turn’s official MySpace | http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=4471165&blogId=145122710
[9] December 2007. Claus.com Interview with Oliver Cole | http://www.cluas.com/music/features/ollie-cole-turn-interview-8791.htm
Today (Friday the 19th June) is the 17th anniversary of the first time I saw Def Leppard in concert. I don’t remember massive amounts from it since I was eight years old, but I clearly remember walking into the Point Depot and being more excited than I’d ever been before. I also remember being very surprised at the fact that a band as big as them would actually be playing a show in Ireland. I don’t recall (starting to sound like Forest Gump now :D) as much about the show as I’d like and much of what I remember is just based on fact checking rather than real memory. One thing I will never forget is sitting on the balcony facing that stage with my little leather jacket on that I got in Birmingham (Leppard and Guns N Roses influence). The walls were dark and the arena felt more like a massive theatre rather than a cold empty hall. The red velvet curtains, yellow railings and trimmings and carpet added such class to the character filled Depot.
I’ll also never forget the moment when the house lights went black, surrounding the crowd in darkness. A voice shot out from the PA as the classic Dirty Harry intro boomed out while the massive black curtains surrounding the stage lit up as strobe and laser lights exploded behind them. The stage was in the round and the curtains remained hanging even when the guitars burst out playing the opening notes of Stagefright. With the anticipation building and the curtains still hanging, things hit fever pitch when they eventually dropped to reveal the mighty Leppard just as the bridge kicked in. Classic!!
After that I don’t remember a whole pile. Same with the second show I saw them play in 1996, also in the Point. Over the years, I’ve managed to see them a total of ten times and every time they play I try to absorb everything I can so in seventeen years time I don’t have to base my memories on facts from the web.
Here’s to another seveteen lads, I’ll have a pint tonight!!
'Ticket's There' - Irish and International Music Blog 