Music | 'Ticket's There' - Irish and International Music Blog

Archive for the Music Category

Live Review: Def leppard / Whitesnake / Journey – O2 Arena, Dublin

Posted in Gig Review with tags Def Leppard, Def Leppard Dublin, Drop-D, Whitesnake on June 17, 2009 by Tickets There

3303945719_32116b896a

With the arena world filling up with reformed pop bands and mediocre indie acts like Coldplay, Snow Patrol and the Kings of Leon, it’s about time the people who do it best return and show the kids what a live performance is all about. When you take two bands like Def Leppard and Whitesnake and put them in a venue like The Ambassador or The Olympia, they’ll give you an incredible show, but when you throw them into an arena, they’ll put on a concert worthy of the gods.

These aren’t guys used to playing a corner stage in a tiny venue with an acoustic guitar, they’re road trained, crowd pleasing beasts who’s command of the crowd and stage only grows with a bigger space to fill. The last time Leppard played a big show in Ireland was 1996 at the Point Depot, tonight they return to the new O2 Arena to reclaim their crowns as kings of arena rock….

Marilyn Manson – The High End of Low (Album Review)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags High End of Low, High End of Low REVIEW, Marilyn Manson, Marilyn Manson review, Unlikable Monster on June 4, 2009 by Tickets There

‘Forbidden in Heaven, useless in Hell’

Anyone who knows me has a pretty good idea that I hold Def Leppard up high as the greatest rock band of all time (well, my personal favorite) but few know that I attribute Marilyn Manson as being directly responsible for my association with the music world today. How, you ask, do tell eh?? Or shut the fuck up and talk about the album maybe? Well I’m reminiscing so skip a couple of paragraphs if you don’t like it.

In 1992, I was introduced to Leppard, something I’ll write about in much more detail some other day. From there I discovered Guns N Roses, Meatloaf and Iron maiden. I was eight at the time and before these bands I had only ever heard Kyle Minogue, R.E.M., Michael Jackson, Madonna, Dire Straits and a hand full of others. In 1993, I discovered Nirvana and Green Day which left little room for Leppard and Guns. As I got older, Nirvana just seemed to make more sense and off course, for a kid trying to act like a surfer by the beech with a bunch of sixteen year olds, you had to like the coolest band or you were just a kid. After Kurt’s death, the MTV unplugged album and Green Day’s Dookie, my attention was diverted with new schools and soccer. Before long I was twelve listening to nothing but the radio on the school bus, passing no heed to the music world around me and things stayed like that until 1998 when I first heard Antichrist Superstar.

The album wasn’t really knows in Co. Leitrim and I only heard it after a new guy started in school and shock things up with his long hair and Slayers logo printed across his folder. Before him there was no interest in heavy Metal in my year, or any other can I can remember. The summer before he arrived, I’d been in London and one of my cousins had mentioned Marilyn Manson and how disgusted she was by him. Now, I had never heard of the man in my life but obviously I wanted to know more. Leitrim is quite a closed off place, even for someone who watched TV as much as me and since the internet wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, there was no-one I could ask for info about this illustrious monster. That was until (let’s call him – Metal Head 1) arrived. One of the first conversations I had with Metal head 1 was about MM. ‘Who was he? Why was he so hated? Oh, he’s a musician, what sort does he play? Metal eh, I used to like Def Leppard ya know, so I know I thing or two about metal’. Glad of someone to adopt as a protégé (or annoyed by the pesky prick asking him questions), he brought me in a very rough recording of Antichrist he made from Vinyl to Tape. The sound was distorted and muffled but absolutely incredible. Manson’s music was dark, frightening and, at the time, anything but cheesy or done before. He painted a horrifying world filled with the worst evils and bleakness man can force on its self. From the opening beats of Irresponsible Hate Anthem, to the fade out of Man That You Fear, Antichrist is one of the angriest, dirtiest, assaulting albums of all time. Sure there’s heavier out there and more graphic lyrics, but very few to compare to the tearing hatred behind Manson’s wastelands. Forget the singles and video’s, this was an album to be listened to in full, not a handful of hits that would ever fit right on a 4.99 greatest hits completion in Tesco. Needless to say I was hooked and couldn’t listen to anything else for months. Not even when Mechanical Animals was released could I stop, but eventually I moved on and spent another two or three months devoted to Animals. Needless to say, I became a fan.

Fast forward eleven years and as Billy Connolly put it, “in an uncertain world, it’s good to know that some things never change”. Manson has managed to produce another mind-bendingly great album. Although his last album, Eat Me Drink Me, managed to earn him a shocking amount of negativity, it also managed to disappoint all the emo’s looking for another album like The Golden Age of Grotesque (without a doubt, Manson’s worst to date) and lifted the public pressure a little. Instead, it saw him writing a full albums worth of unique love songs and moving his focus from the usual religious and social targets to a more personal topic. It wasn’t a typical MM release which put him right back on track as, no Manson album should be a typical MM album, it defeats the purpose. With the Billboard Number 1 phase over, he’s put the head down and managed to produce some crackin tunes with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

The High End of Low catches Manson in rather a weird place. Instead of trying to reinvent himself as he’s done with almost every album beforehand, he’s decided to take the music back to a mid way point between Portrait of an American Family and Antichrist Superstar. It isn’t as wacky or theatrical as Portrait and isn’t as horrifying as Antichrist, just a nice even mix. Although similar in styles, the music’s over all feel is that of upbeat anthems trying to escape the clutches of hell. Twiggy;s bass is a welcome return to the band and he’s rejuvenated the overall feel of the songs. Instead of tired old Beautiful People rip off’s, The High End of Low sounds like a band working to regain their creditability…with a few misses along the way.

Right, lets get the shit stuff out of the way first. Songs like Arma-Goddam-Motherfuckin-Geddon, We’re From America and I want to kill you like they do in the Movies are not the best. AGMG grows on you but still manages to sound like a poor attempt at recreating those Beautiful People, Fight Song moments. While We’re From America and I.W.T.K.Y.L.T.D.I.T.M. have the shock value of a librarian working on a Sunday.

In sharp comparison, tracks like Devour, Leave A Scar, Four Rusted Horses, Running To The Edge of The World, Unlikable Monster, I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell and Into the Fire are some of the best songs the band have ever written. The number of different styles on this record is not typical of a Manson album as the band jumps from hard riff driven animals like Pretty As A Swastika, Arma-Goddam-Motherfuckin-Geddon to more stripped back rock and roll sing alongs like Leave A Scar and Black and White before tearing through some brooding, slow, bellowers such as Running To The Edge Of The World, Wight Spider and Unlikable Monster before confusing everything with the likes of Wow.

On first listen, this album sounds a little weak and takes several listens to adjust but it’s worth it afterwards. When released, Leave A Scar will become a major airplay song and Manson will once again surprise his audience. While the likes of Despite first sounding like laid back versions of previous songs, The High End of Low really manages to carve out it’s own identity, one that doesn’t go out of it’s way for shock value or a character behind it like previous release and for the first time since the early nineties, Marilyn Manson sounds like a band again, not a decaying antichrist leading his devotees through hell.

Well worth your attention for the next few weeks and a welcome addition to the MM discography.

marilynmanson300

Leave a comment »

TICKETS THERE – ‘BROKE AND BLOGGING’

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Interview, Music on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

Rolling_Stone_Interview_jpg

After months and months of pestering different publications and E-Zines to do an interview with us, we finally had to lie…and it worked. None other that Trebor Harrington from Rolling Stone magazine, agreed to meet us over the phone and conduct a short but published interview (take that Enya!). Read on..

‘Hated by the mainstream, loathed by the independents and feared by newer bands, Tickets There has climbed it’s way from being a gag MySpace into the supremo of the Irish music journalism market‘…at least that’s what the press release they handed me says. I find myself taken aback by this interview. After spending the last year and a half working hard to become a semi-decent music journalist, my path seems to have taken several steps back. Not only had I never heard of the so called ‘God Blog’, (Tickets There), but after I looked though some posts, I still didn’t get it. What I see is spelling and grammar mistakes, hastily put together images using characters from Eyebrowy.com animations, repeated claims of ‘Championing‘ Irish music and ten times as many posts damning every Irish band under the sun except for a half a dozen or so. So, despite my lack of interest, the unresponsive nature with the lads behind Tickets There and the smell hanging in the air when I meet them (Ed – You had a phone interview Trebor. Please do not add insult to injury), I decided to go through with the interview.

According to the rest of the press release, Tickets There was started in 2007 by two of Ireland’s pioneering live entertainment promoters and sales representatives, as a voice for unsigned and local acts who weren’t getting the support they deserve or need from the Irish media. However, according to the lads, it was all originally started as a joke.

“When we started Tickets There, it waz only because we were fucking bored, ya know. Eyebrowy had based these two lads on us and we tried suing em, but they told us to fuck off. Den we realized they hadn’t gotten the rites to da MoiSpace so..Score!”

Rolling Stone: And what was your original purpose with the site when you started it?

Tickets There: We didn’t really know at first. Anto came up with the idea of adding some of the eyebrowy clips n dat to the page, let people know who we are and wat we’re up ta and shit. Then a few months went by and we started heading into some of the shows we were ehm, promoting and realized ders all these fucking deadly bands in the country ya never hear off”

Rolling Stone: But surely if they’re good, they will be heard of eventually?

Tickets There: Listen bud, your in Ireland now. Just because something’s fucking deadly doesn’t mean people are gonna like it or even hear about it. Don’t forget, we’ve had Home and Away and Pat Kenny on our screens for years and they wont go away”

Rolling Stone: What about the accusations that you illegally sell tickets for concerts?

Tickets There: Ah no, that’s shite. I mean, we used to all right but haven’t done that in weeks. Ever since the site took off in a big way, there’s been no point. Between the dole and advertising, we’re bringing in over four hundred euros a week between us. No need to sell the tickets any more. But if you’re asking, I could get yaz Slane Tickets?

Rolling Stone: No its fine, thanks. So tell me a little about how Tickets There developed. You claim it to be Ireland’s leading music blog. Quite a strong statement to make, considering the number of ones out there, how do you justify it?

Tickets There: Just look at da bleeding stats man, they’re of the fucking charts. Some days we could get up to ten hits from all over the county. That’s fucking success ya can’t measure bud.

Rolling Stone: Well, our website gets up to ten thousand hits a day.

Tickets There: Again man, you’re in fucking Ireland now. No site in dis country gets dat many fucking hits, except maybe U2.com, and that’s probably in Holland or somewhere now. It’s all politics, ya no what I mean?. The main stream doesn’t want us to succeed so they fabricate all this nonsense bout us and the site.

Rolling Stone: What are you talking about, how does that affect your blog statistics?

Tickets There: I don’t know, you’ve lost me.

Rolling Stone: Ok, moving on. I’ve read your manifesto and you claim Tickets There! to be a champion of Irish talent. Yet when I read your MySpace Review blogs, they seemed to focus more on slating the bands in Ireland and pulling them apart for bothering to get of the couch and make an effort at creating music. Don’t these ideals clash?

Tickets There: Bollocks. We don’t go out looking for bands to tear apart, they just seem to keep popping up. Da MoiSpace reviews were originally started to find random Irish bands and give them a bit of unbiased exposure rather than harping on about the select few we already like. It wasn’t meant to be about ripping every bands songs apart for our readers entertainment. It’s meant to be a real search for good Irish acts.

Rolling Stone: Was finding so many bad acts the reason you took a break from writing the reviews earlier this year?

Tickets There: Ya, we were becoming so frustrated and demoralized that there didn’t seem any point doing any more. We almost always choose acts we hadn’t heard or seen before so there wouldn’t be anything but their music to praise or criticize but after so many bands like Grand Pocket Orchestra, Fight Like Apes, Bats, We Should Be Dead..etc. Der didn’t seem any reason to continue. We did manage to find a few good ones like A Lazarus Soul, One Day International, Mass Extinction and Le Galaxie but then there just seemed to be so many we refused to go through with (Such as The Script) and the reviews ended.

Rolling Stone: Does it look likely that you’ll start doing them again soon?

Tickets There: Since we’re getting near the 100^th post on the site, we decided to hurry things along a little and we did a couple of special reviews which included Bell X1’s new tracks and the new ASH single. They turned out to be fucking wicked.

Rolling Stone: Those are very well established acts in this country, don’t you think you should have given the space to a more unheard of act like the others?

Tickets There: No.

Rolling Stone: So, you’re now in your second year of running Tickets There. Have you got anything special lined up for the future?

Tickets There: Well, the main thing is our Turn History Blog which will be fully published on July 16^th, the third anniversary of their split. We have a lot of surprises in store for that one including a competition to win an original 2000 copy of Antisocial and the Beretta 7″, and possibly, exclusive comments from the band. But all that’s under wraps at da moment and we’re still working everything out. Hopefully we’ll have all the details posted soon and we’ll start previewing extracts from the blog when the final copy is finished. Currently it’s over five and a half thousand words so be prepared.

Rolling Stone: Have you any plans to bring back your monthly ‘Wall of Shows’ and gig calendar?

Tickets There: We only ever really did dat when there was a good pile of shows on and this years been shite. But it will return wither this month or June. Also, the fucking Moispace calendar keeps acting the bollocks on us and deleting it’s self every bleeding time we sit down for three hours, looking through hundreds of bands for up and coming shows and that’s gets a bit tiresome.

Rolling Stone: One final question, we only know one of your names, can I ask the other?

Tickets There: Anto.

Tickets There will continue celebrating it’s 100^th post with more MySpace reviews, previews from the Turn history and more in the coming weeks. Find out more @ www.myspace.com/TICKETSTHERE

Words: Trebor Harrington.

Photo: Eyebrowy.com and Tickets There Studios Inc.

Leave a comment »

TURN – A History: 1998 – 2006

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

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

Coming July 16th 2009

Leave a comment »

CONCERTO FOR CONSTANTINE / THE AFTERMATH / ANIMAL CHANNEL – RADIO CITY

Posted in Gig Review, Music with tags Concerto for Constantine, concerto for Constantine review, Gavin Fox, Johnny Cronin, Mark Greaney, The Aftermath on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

3279029060_3b17f3216f

Stop the presses; Tickets There is doing a review of Concerto for Constantine and The Aftermath!!! Holy God, I’ll bet no-one say that coming.

OK, so my interest for these two bands may be the worst kept secret in the world but when two of 2009 Tickets There’s Choice Award Winners get together to play a show, I sure as hell aint letting it go without dishing out some praise. It’s been a few months since I did a live review and I have written about these bands so much I’m running out of things to say, so please bear with me.

Radio City is less than packed when I arrive. The first band of the night, Audio have already finished and the fifty or so people in attendance are evenly divided between the smoking area and bar. Good atmosphere in the place and the Guinness aint too bad. Radio City is a nice little venue. Very small, very poky, dark and a lot of little nooks and crannies, all the perfect trademarks of any underground club. It’s also on the north side which makes a nice change from the Wexford street scene.

With pints in hand and Animal Channel all set up, it’s straight to the smoking area I go. Despite the fact that it’s been about three months since I saw an Irish band live, I have no interest in watching one I don’t know tonight. Especially when they sound exactly like every other indie/Franz Ferdinand wannabe out there. I did give them a few go while en-route to the bar but they just didn’t grab me. They sounded great and the songs were tight but just too done before. Thank god the real support of the night are just around the corner.

After last seeing them supporting The Stunning in Tripod, it was great to see The Aftermath back on a small stage. Johnny and the boys never have any trouble filling a big space but they completely own Radio City tonight. With an enthusiastic crowd down the front the band belts out one perfect song after another. Six Days to Saturday, All I Want Is For You To Be Happy, I Wish My Love Would Die, One is Fun and many more I cant remember (blame the booze) thrill the growing crowd. There’s no ego in this band and there’s no experimenting or retro rehashing attempts, just good, solid, catchy, perfect rock songs. How anyone could not love this band is beyond me. Also, how Michael Cronin (Drums) can play a set in a leather jacket is a mystery. Hopefully more people will start paying real attention to The Aftermath soon, because these guys deserve it.

It’s hard to believe it’s been year since Concerto’s first headlining show in Fibber Magee’s. 2008 saw Concerto’s audience grow from former JJ72 die-hards and local hanger on folk, into a real fan base. Mark Greany’s days with the popular trio are well and truly over and it appears he has found his niche with Gavin and Binzer. The sher presence of the lads ooze’s stardom as they command the stage and crowd alike. By now, their fans have become more than familiar with tracks like Gaps, Minsk, Wasps and Killing Fields. While newer tracks like The Last Swim are fast becoming favourites. Sadly, Concerto play a very short set, only consisting of seven or eight songs but the audience laps up every minute of it. There’s even some light moshing up the front for the heavier material.

Despite several notable missing songs such as Silver, Everything and Cats Cradle (I don’t think they played this, beer again), the band did treat the crowd to, two brand new songs. Hard riffs with some serious blues style lead all backed by furious bass and drum beats. With an announcement about an EP coming our way in May, the band jump into The Last Swim before departing the stage without an encore.

It may have been short but it was sweet. Sadly Sinead what’s her names DJ’ing manages to clear the venue out before Tickets There decides to throw in the towel and head home. Looking forward to the next one.

The Aftermath

Concerto For Constantine

l_4ce040a3c17d4faa9518258dcbcda062

Leave a comment »

TURN

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music with tags Gavin Fox, Ian Melady, Ollie Cole, Turn on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

l_17d9374274fb4114a20b9dbfe99a4617

When you’re a fan of a genre, it’s generally because you found one band you fell head over heels in love with and you try desperately to find similar bands in order to discover new areas the sound can be brought to. My love for Irish music started with a truly legendary three piece from Kell’s, Co. Meath called, TURN.

The first time I saw Turn was in 2002 while the band were on a promotional tour for their latest single Another Year Over / Summer Song single. They were playing Rag Week with The Australian Nirvana as support. I remember having a week long debate with my friend Bob about who was supporting. How could some crappy little band no one’s ever heard off headline above Nirvana I wondered? Jesus, I was thick back then, hopefully I’ve lost that over the years. Well, it turned out Bob was right, Turn were headlining and I’ll never forget the last sight of the Nirvana tribute singer leaving the stage and three hundred people suddenly disappearing from the venue. What had been an over crowed grunge indulgence fest, turned into an empty, sweat smelling room as the nights headliners started setting up their equipment. Bob filled me in on the few new facts he’d acquired about the band and you could see the excitement build in him. Never one to write something off before I see it for myself, I caught the buzz.

Oliver Cole’s small, thin frame is hardly imposing, even in a suit, but the man’s power as a lead singer is astonishing. Physically, Turn all looked about the same height and weight, leading many first time viewers with a few laughs up their sleeves (you have to remember Lord of the Rings was still everywhere). There’s nothing as frustrating of realizing you’re watching a truly incredible band and not knowing any of their songs, Turns music pulled me in so fast, it was hard to stop it. Songs like Beeswax, Antisocial, Beretta, Too Much Makeup, Queen of My Heart and In Position are greatest songs any Irish band of the last twenty / thirty years. Turn embodied the raw, brute force of rock n roll, while still maintaining a powerful grasp of melody and beauty. Everything flowed so well and around every corner there was a surprise. I instantly became a dedicated fan, very rare for me to latch onto new bands….up until that point anyway.

Turn quickly became the number band of my college years. I stayed with them over four years going to ever show possible, buying every single album, single, ep or vinyl I could get my hands on. I saw them play with Bell X1, Mundy, Paddy Casey, Weezer, The Frank and Waters and .many, many more I saw them play Oxegen, Merion Square, The Village, The Temple Bar Music Centre, McGarrigles Pub, Collera House, Whelan’s, Vicar Street, The Point Depot, The Sligo Rocks Festival, NUI Maynooth and the Left Bank. I think I got to about 20/30+ shows all together, sometimes to going to three a week. I managed to get to two album launches and get to know each member and their tour manager well enough to have a drink with. I watched them lose Gavin and get Alan, only to lose Alan and replace him with Ciaran before Gavin rejoined the group again. I got to see them play some of the best songs I’ve ever heard in my life countless times.

Am I bragging with all that info? Nope, I’m listing all the truly thrilling things I got to do for the last four years of Turn’s existence. My previous favourites included Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, Oasis, Nirvana, Blur, Meat Loaf, Megadeth, Slayer, Cradle of Filth, Sepultura and Metallica. Not exactly touchable bands. But here was this amazing band, that were Irish and easy to go and see. Not touring once every ten years or past their prime. More bands fell into my heart after Turn, including The Future Kings of Spain, Bell X1, The Frames, Berkeley, Indigo Fury, Paddy Casey, Wilt and many more. I couldn’t believe that I’d been so unaware of the Irish talent that swarms this country. There were so many unique acts that all formulated their own defining sound. They could make you mosh / pogo / sleep / dance or rock out, all on the same album at times.

2006 marked the end for Turn. The lack of success, internal issues and record company fuck up’s that hounded the band all the way through their career, finally caught up with the members and over-whelmed them. The band simply disappeared after initially hinting at a final tour before the split, something that sadly, never materialized.

Three years on(well, 2 and a bit), and the members have all moved on. Ian moved home to raise a family, Ollie has recorded enough material for over three solo albums which he’s hoping to have out this year while Gavin Fox has gone on to form another exciting band in the heart of its prime, Concerto For Constantine. Things look grim for any hopes of revival in the near future and honestly, there are good things to come from the individual projects that should be heard before they ever consider a reunion.

Tickets There generally doesn’t condone reunions and objects to any legendary band cashing in their legacy’s and artist integrity for a few easy bucks and hamper any chance of a respectful future or musical advancement, but if Turn did reunite for a jaunt, I’d be there.

l_a2097191a9f84f22a0b6937ae74c7c9a

Leave a comment »

TICKETS THERE – DUBLIN RECORD STORE GUIDE

Posted in Music on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

l_c6faa467a0014d10ac54ebe8f8cee007

l_192a4838444044d7b416df32594d4d4a

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – ASH (RETURN OF WHITE RABBIT)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review, Single Review with tags as a-z, Ash, Ash A-Z Reviews, Ash a-z series, Ash return of the the white rabbit, IRISH NOISE! on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

Ash_myspacereview

Not a real MySpace Review but instead a look at Ash’s new single. Have some of their albums but have never had the pleasure of seeing them live.

Well, for anyone thinking the loss of Charlotte Hatherley would hurt Ash you’re about to get a serious wake up call. Return of White Rabbit is basically the promotional single for their novel A-Z Single series which will see the band release 26 singles every two weeks starting this September. The song sees the band return to their perfect pop foundations as they mix unbelievably crunchy bass riffs and samples with one hell of a catchy chorus. If this isn’t a dance floor favourite in the next week then there’s something seriously wrong with people.

I think I may be too hungry to describe this song properly so I’m just going to say this, download it! Download it now and be happy on this sunny Saturday.

1 Comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW SPECIAL – BELL X1

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags Bell X1, Bell X1 Blue Lights on the Runway, Bell X1 Review, Blue Lights of the Runway, IRISH NOISE! on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

MySpace_BellX1

I must start by apologizing for this review being so behind the times. I’ve been meaning to write this for a long time and I’m finally going to force myself through it. The Bellies release their fourth album (Blue Lights on the Runway) in January and three songs have been posted on their MySpace. As a special MySpace Review, Tickets There has decided to sit down and give them a go to see if the boys still have it.

The Great Defector starts things off with a strong beat built from techno/organ sounding keyboards and Paul’s typical strong drumming. Nice changes, typical wacky lyrics that always see to work and the always pleasing harmonies make the song a nice little slice of poppy rock. The guitars have a real sunshine and beaches party feel. This may be coming from the lads recent stints over stateside where they’ve been picking up some great press and even managed to make several TV appearances. Not a massive leap from their traditional style but pleasing all the same.

How Your Heart is Wired sounds like a lot of their previous work. A RnB drum and soft vocals backed by a slight piano melody before little guitar segments kick in. Instead of writing while listening, I decided to sit back after the last sentence and give it my full attention and it’s actually a great song. Lovely sounds that make it both atmospheric and tranquil. The lads have really harnessed their strong points and developed them far beyond Neither Am I and Tickets There’s personal favourite, Music in Mouth. From what I’ve heard so far, I think I’ll pop out shortly to get the album.

A Better Band is the last of the new material on MySpace. Different style once again and more in keeping with older tracks. Good use of a cow bell and soothing guitars while still managing to keep a strong presence. Not a fantastic number but certainly not a bad number either. The chorus is a little empty for my tastes and in comparison to the two previous tracks, this doesn’t hold it’s own as well. Also has a bit of a Grand Theft Auto: Vice City eighties feel to it. Emotion FM here we go. Half way through there’s a nice bridge that starts to turn the flow of the song around and eventually erupts in a start stop guitar burst followed by a slow but thumping drum beat before it all falls together and the lads go at it all guns blazing. No lyrics, just mighty, slow, rockin beats. God was I fooled into thinking this would be the weak song.

Overall, incredible stuff, sounds like the boys certainly do still have what it takes. Not sure who this is going down with their old fans but I’m converted.

Fair play!

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – HOLY ROMAN ARMY

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Holy Roman Army, Holy Roman Army review, IRISH NOISE! on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

MySpace_TheHolyRomanArmy

After an extremely long and underproductive break (our vinyl habit took over again, sorry all), we’re back and ready for action. No long intro, lets jump straight into it.

Todays choice is Holy Roman Army, an Irish band based in Dublin but originally from Carlow (according to their MySpace). I’ve never heard their album or seem them live. I picked them because I studied Classics in Uni and I liked the name 🙂 (yes, I keep switching between We and I. Just pretend I’m/We’re a schizophrenic).

Well, it appears I’ve stumbled on one of Irelands best kept secrets. Imagine this, an Irish band playing piss pour chick electronic music. Who’d have thought with this sea of culturally driven artists currently dominating the countries clubs and venues. Wait, sorry, that’s all bullshit. Irish people’s tastes have gone as bad as their dress sense. I’d forgotten just how bad poncy Irish bastards like their music to be. Elegy opens the short set of three tracks. Can’t really say music. A slow beat, very little hint of melody and sounds like they just played for one minute of the four minutes and thirty six seconds and pressed loop. Sounds a little like the cranberries under water. Next (and yeah, am I looking forward to writing yet another fucking bad review of a band. It’s every critics dream to just find shit every single fucking time they try and promote their nations talent).

Dublin in the Deadlight is so boring (and I’m sure to some listeners inspiring, atmospheric and enchanting…retards, try listening to real music and you might cop on a little). Pretty much the same thing again except the cheesy lyrics are more coherent. “Fractured Lights, I do not know her name, I do not know how to get back home“, Basically the sound of a band trying their hardest to be different while still doing their best to connect with all the spa’s you see around this countries towns and cities with blue tooth headsets and take away coffee’s because their too busy to either sit or hold a phone. God save us from the humiliation we lash on ourselves.

Stagger Gently Home is last and probably least. Broken beats with no hint of anything enjoyable. A total mess of nonsensical gibberish and badly placed instrumentals. Basically, this I the kind of thing Jape can do and make it truly special, while The Holy Roman Army just make it so boring you’d rather stare at the wall than stick on their cd.

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid. Roman armies of the past deserve more respect than this shower.

4 Comments »

MYSPACE REVIEW – DARK ROOM NOTES

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags Dark Room Notes, Dark Room Notes review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

darkroomnotes_Review

Well, it’s been a few weeks which I regret; people were actually reading things last time I was here so I wouldn’t mind keeping that going. Then again, it’s not too bad to take breaks and reassess what you’re doing. Too easy to get caught up in a cliché ideal and I could have been in danger of just becoming another ranting for the sake of it asshole.

However, today’s MySpace Review wont help matters much as I’ve decided to go ahead with the mundane eighties wanna be’s and current culture trend victims, Dark Room Notes. I had hopes that due to the steadily building fan base their acquiring, they might have something to offer the world but nay. Just another bunch of watered down rip off’s with as much imagination on their song writing as Cliff Richard.

As (almost) normal, I haven’t seen the band live or heard their album. Right, lets get started (once again). Lets Light Fires is first up to bat. Very done before intro, drums beats and synths the beg for New Order to sort out. Cant really make much out until the bridge as lead singer Ronan Gaughan wimpers how he and his group “No I wont back down” although it sounds like a stiff breeze would blow him a mile. Kind of hard to take it seriously when an electronic puppy is crying in the background. Lets Light Fires is weak, mostly because of the lead singers voice. The music does mange to get stronger as the song progresses but the chorus is a little annoying. New singer, new lyrics and redo the chorus, could be a decent tune.

The Same City Awaits Me is next. Another watered down mellow electronic intro. Kind of song that would have appeared on the beach f a good band got hold of it. Lead singers feeble voice slugs in again leaving a gaping hole of emptiness between good playing and his ‘contribution’. If it wasn’t for the moments of just music, this would be a terrible piece but if they ditched the singer, this band could pass themselves off as a poor mans Le Galaxie.

Elm’s next. God, I’m finding it hard to concentrate with the voice, it’s so useless and badly produced in comparison to the rest of the music. Then again, synths keeping butting in with little annoying moments. Imagine Joe Strummer with a vocal problem fronting Moby! That’s kind of it. Very boring, none of the songs stand out. Usually you can tell the difference between the mundane shitty songs and the flagship shitty songs but not this time. .

Each and Every One of Us finishes this mornings proceedings. Intro’s a little more interesting than the others, while still being done with exactly the same formula. Vocals kick in and sounds like Trent Reznor with problems. Whole thing is a little eighties again. What more can I say? It’s pretty much the same as the others except a little darker. Is possibly the contender for best song here but would need a new singer to be sure. .

Not Tickets There’s kind of thing and not good for what it is. I hate these kind of reviews because I keep tuning out and writing waffle. A reputable site would deem it unsuitable for publication, Tickets There has no such standards. .

AVOID!!…

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – MASS EXTINCTION

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags Dublin Metal, Mass Extinction, Mass Extinction review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

MySpace_massextinction

Tickets There is sick. Sick of Indie, sick of singer / songwriter, sick of all the heap of shit poncy, waste of space bands out there. Have I done anyone thing to stop these bands getting attention? No!, the four people that read my blog may never have known about some of the bands I detest if I hadn’t written about them. The MySpace review isn’t meant to be dedicated to tearing suspected shit bands apart (or about saying shit four hundred and sixty times in every review). It’s meant to be about finding a good band and a few months ago I did…

Mass Extinction came to my attention when I was in the grips of a Slayer / Megadeth buzz and being the internet nerd I am, I decided to see if Ireland has a thrash metal scene. Turns out it does and some of the acts aren’t half bad. Raging Conflict has a good bit of strength behind them, Gama Bomb have the odd good one but Mass Extinction take the cake. Real thrash aggression, powerfully played by a great band. Fuck Indie and read on.

As usual, I haven’t seen the band live and because I’ve been so dedicated to building up friends, listening to Judas Priest and going drinking, I haven’t had a chance to listen to the EP I bought about a month ago. Don’t believe me? Couldn’t care less, Tickets There doesn’t lie.

Global Assign tumbles along with a great little riff. Hard, fast thrash that assaults through the speakers. Volume has to go up for this one because the drums are the only thing lacking here and I want them pumping. There isn’t anything new in terms of sound or structure. I mean, Thrash metal is Thrash metal. If it sounded different it wouldn’t be Thrash, but these guys know how to fucking rock the boat. The only thing missing is the catch which generally isn’t captured by a band until they have some serious stage time under their belts. The singer isn’t trying to sound like any of the big four which makes a welcoming change and the band are tight as fuck. Wicked, what’s next!

Kill on Command thunders through the speakers now as the metal buzz grows. All the instruments come pounding together and lead singer Tom’s vocals roar through the verse likes there’s no tomorrow (a classic cliché if ever there was one). A common trait among new metal bands is half assed, rip off solos and thankfully, Mass Extinction has neither. Sure they probably sound like someone else’s but that’s just an unfortunate downside to playing music that’s been around for almost thirty years (for Indie fans, think of U2 and the Killers). Something I’ve noticed on these first two tracks is a refusal to explode into a dominating chorus, something that led to bands like Metallica and many others leaving their thrash roots. This makes it clear that ME have no desires on breaking Top of the Pop’s any time soon.

Nuclear Dawn wastes no time getting straight down to business with one of those awe inspiring intro’s of aggressive drums and solo’s. More powerful, darker and in your face than the previous songs. Did I actually complain about the drum sound earlier? Jesus, this thing would have your neck in pieces if you saw it live. The only flaw in this song is you have to wait for almost three minutes before Brian (or Adam’s) lead guitar comes tearing back, looking for vengeance. Obviously these lads were raised on a diet of Ride the Lightening and Master of Puppets. The influence ooze’s out but here’s where their different from all the Killers / Joy Division / Smiths Indie rip off bands, Mass Extinction can fucking do it well and make it sound fresh rather than sounding like BLATANT FUCKING SHITE!

Bound in Flesh sadly brings the most enjoyable MySpace Review I’ve ever done, to an end. Rather than opening with a tearing guitar solo, the band return to formula as pounding drums and a duel lead riff bounce back and forth before muting down into a brooding background behind Tom’s vocals. More reserved than the previous tracks but just as powerful. The bridge solo around two minutes in has a touch of Megadeth flat lining about it. Powerful, aggressive and totally fucking downplayed (in a good way). No showing off, no attempt to make the listener feel joy, just a hard, fast assault on the system. Not the strongest song of the bunch but pretty severe. The solo towards the end once again displays the lead guitars talent for perfectly placed solos without going into overkill.

Tickets There says…go and buy their E.P. right (might as well swear one last time) FUCKING now!

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – WE SHOULD BE DEAD

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags We Should be Dead, We should be dead review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

WSBD_MySpace_Review2

Sunday, very hung over, tired and a little grumpy. Time for a review me thinks! Not in the mood for a big intro so here the basic spiel.

Limerick locals, We Should Be Dead are today’s choice for a MySpace review. I don’t know much about them but I saw their album today in Golden Discs and decided to give them a go. I haven’t seen them live or heard the album.

Forget Romance, Lets Dance is first. Intro’s not bad, good strong drum beat and heavy guitars that are a little eighties-ish (Can people of the 21^st century not do something fucking new for a change, STOP RE-HASHING the Fucking past people, move on). But it works well here. Unlike other bands at the moment, WSBD keep it simple and this song doesn’t carry any of the wackiness nonsense others seem to be lapping up at the moment. Not a fantastic song by any means, very plain but strong. Whats next?

I Feel In Love With You pop’s along and wastes no time getting straight into the action. Basic guitars again and designed for sher fun. Sounds like A LOT of other music but I’m so happy there’s no lyrics about Ballet Shoes or Snore Bore Whore’s that I refuse to criticise a band who keep it simple and fun, how else could I justify being a Def Leppard fan? (Although, we’ll get into that another day). I Feel In Love With You in alright, but I find my focus slipping easily.

Playback introduces synths to the bands sound. Sounds a little like a song Weezer threw away. The singers voice lets the sound down a little, she doesn’t really cut loose and seems to concentrate on maintaining her ‘cool’ sound. Personally, I need my music to have a bit more strength behind it but what can you do. The more I listen to this song, I realize I cat tell it apart from the other two and it’s very possible the lead singer is using the exact same lyrics every time. OK, enough of that, next song.

Zero Point Five brings their MySpace selection to a close. So far, only the first one is holding any merits in my book. The songs just sound like average eighties, pop/rock tunes. Not much substance and nothing to distinguish them, leaving them to just kind of limp on and on. Couple of nice changes in the last one but my interest has left the building.

Tickets There’s opinion, not bad, would probably watch them live but wouldn’t pay for the privilege and wouldn’t buy the album.

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – THE BROTHERS MOVEMENT

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags The Brothers Movement, The Brothers Movement review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

TheBrothersMovement

After reminiscing with A Lazarus Soul earlier, I decided to check out fellow 80’s/early 90’s Madchester / Brit pop sound-alike’s, The Brothers Movement. Like ALS, I saw TBM by accident during the IMRO showcase week. They had only been a band a few months when they played the show but their set was tight and boosted incredible visuals. Not incredible enough to suck Tickets There in but good enough to pop back into my mind from time to time.
I don’t think they have an album and I was drunk when I saw them live.

Opening song Blind is nice. It’s late, it’s Saturday, I’m sitting on my couch chillaxing and this song is perfect. I’ll use one of my ‘imagine’ lines to sum it up. Liam Gallagher singing a song written by Noel and being preformed by The Stone Roses. Vocals are confident, music is perfect, harmonies are lovely. Deadly!

Nothing Means Anything comes along sounding a little like an opening to a Jape song. Before the classic Brit sound comes back with a slicing but slow guitar build. There seems to be a little U2 thrown in, but it’s more stonney than them. The song could be best described as gentle. Not as strong as Blind but okish.

A live recording of Leave Your Body Behind is up next and instantly packs more of a punch than the previous songs. Beating drums and guitars build and build as other instruments start to tap in. The song breaks into a lunging 60’s-esque electric guitar driven jam for over a minute before Neil Paxton’s vocals tear in. Similar to Joy Division’s Digital or Turn’s Never Needed. Excellent song, has my head sinning anyways.

Sometimes brigs an enthralling selection of songs to a close. Hippyish, acoustic bluesy song that doesn’t really do a whole pile, especially after the mad driven rock of Leaving Your Body Behind. Gets stronger as it goes on though and turns into a good candidate for a live favourite…. and I suddenly have an urge to listen to The Doors.

Great band, looking forward to seeing them again soon, but this time on purpose.

Check out their MySpace Below

–http://www.myspace.com/thebrothersmovement

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – A LAZARUS SOUL

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags A Lazarus Soul, A Lazarus Soul review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

MySpace_Review2_ALS

Dublin locals, A Lazarus Soul are definitely not getting the attention they deserve. I remember thinking that after seeing them by accident last year, when they supported Ham Sandwich in the Village. Made up of lead singer / songwriter Brian Brannigan and drummer Fin O’ Leary and completed by Joey, Bryan and Tony from The Future Kings of Spain. Several months on and I still haven’t heard much from them so I decided it was time to do a MySpace Review and see why people weren’t taking about them.

As usual, I haven’t heard their album but I have seen them live (which is fine by the rules).

Try to imagine Morrissey singing for Joy Division. Now imagine a Dublin band doing it, and doing it pretty well. While the sound of first song Icon may not be the most unique or original, it is good. We’ve seen the horror’s of bands trying to sound retro and ‘push the boundaries’ by mixing old styles together and insisting on recording their (and I use this term loosely) songs. So why not excuse one of the bands that take an old style and make it fresh again? Icon’s dark lyrics and musical styles paint a bleak picture. Musically, the song jumps between quiet and composed beating versus before the trade mark Joey Wilson guitar jumps in to turn the songs direction around. Not a bad start.

The Day Harry Left changes the tone with more of a sombre arrangement. Quiet guitar melodies and a beating bass keep a less imposing track going. Lyrically, the song is harking back to better times before the so called ‘Harry’ left for England, ending up with the narrator finding a new happiness without Harry. Nice, different, what’s next.

Srk starts off a little slowly and brings to mind a lot of previous songs. This time it’s more along the lines of New Order. The bridges and verses follow a similar tone to the previous tracks but don’t carry the same weight. It also moves very slowly and doesn’t boost any majorly interesting characteristics or changes.

Only Say The Word is last, and while it may not be as good as Icon or The Day Harry Left, it does bring an interest back to the group. Quiet and composed as always, the song opens with echoey snths’s before Brian’s vocals and the rest of the band kick in. Once again, the Verse lacks much f a kick but more prominent guitars and drums keep a steady beat going. Lyrically the song is one of the best. A Lazarus Soul may have more high notes thrown in than the previous tracks but its as dark as anything they have here.

I’m sorry for the lack of enthusiasm in today’s review, Tickets There is still pretty hung-over from the last two nights, but I can recommend A Lazarus Soul if your in a quiet, semi-morbid mood. Not sure they have the gist in them to take over the world but they have enough to keep you listening.

Check out their MySpace below,..

– www.myspace.com/alazarussoul

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags One Day Internation, One Day International review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

oNEdAYiNTERNATIONAL

After the joys of finally being able to write something good about a band in the previous MySpace Review, I’m filled with an actual want to do another. Picking an act is a little more complex that filtering bands and choosing randomly. If you come across a band playing dance when you’ve a headache, your not going to enjoy them and that’s not fair on the band. Fortunately, I’m in the perfect mood for what’s on offer over at One Day International’s MySpace. As usual, I haven’t seen the band live and haven’t heard their album (if they have one). This review is simply based on their MySpace.

I wont pretend to know anything about One Day International. I’d heard of them before writing this review but only their name. Once again, I’m pleasantly surprised by the strength of their songs and feeling behind them.

Little Death starts things off. Nice, un-interfering song that would sit perfectly in any little dark club. Piano’s and a soft drum beat. Singer Matt Lunson (I presume he’s the singer) manages to avoid lyrical cliché’s for such an emotional song that most Irish bands dive head first into. The music changes perfectly compliment each other and the vocal bridge that closes the song resembles Bell X1 at their finest.

Sleeping on Trains is next and doesn’t pull you in as quickly as the first song. More emotional and the lyrics about the trains are a little…ya know. About a minute into the song the music really kicks in with a sad kind of circus feeling around it. Lovely little track that really comes together in the second half.

When Miss Your Mouth comes on, it becomes very clear this band are not here to sing songs like Start Me Up or YMCA. One Day International are all about the heart on sleeve loss of life. Fortunately, the music is so strong, with such awe-lovely changes that you cant help but let it grab you. The quiet, powerful drums, violins and piano’s add real depth and fantasy to the singers deep, soft voice. This is the kind of music Radiohead have to make poncy and pretentious and ruined it for everyone. Miss Your Mouth continues the trend of this band getting better and better and has to have the best sing along chorus yet.

Not over Yet is another beautiful song. The vocals are incredible. I don’t think there’s enough respect for true, simple talent these days. There’s no gimmicks here, no illusions of grandeur. Just simple, perfect music. I’m almost fed up writing this because it’s interfering with one of the nicest songs I’ve heard from an Irish act in a long time.

Is it fair to say Tickets There is a fan? Fuck yeah. Its also fair to say I’ve rushed through writing this review so I can finish and properly appreciate their songs. I just saw their still recording their début and it’s defiantly going to be in Tickets There’s collection when it does come out.

Check out their myspace…NOW!
www.myspace.com/onedayinternational

And (god help us), try and catch them (in the worst possible environment), The Odessa Club on Feb 26^th. Great bands on the bill, terrible, terrible place for shows… and only because the poncy ass members who insist on being there.

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – LE GALAXIE

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags Le Galaxie, Le Galaxie review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

LEGALAXIE

Always a sceptic of favourite Irish acts these day, I’ve decided to pick yet another of Ireland’s hotly tipped underground acts for the fourth Tickets There MySpace Review. Le Galaxie are making quite the name for them selves these days. Their dance beats are finding friends with indie heads, metal heads and pop fanatics, not easy boundaries to break. As usual, I haven’t seen the band live or heard their album, the following review is based on solely on their MySpace tracks.

As I Feel The Fire loads up, I decide to take a sneak peak to get an idea of their style. After a few seconds I had to turn it off. Sunday mornings are not the best times to stick on instrumental dance. I can never understand those guys with dance beats blaring in their cars at nine in the morning. Then again, I can’t understand metal fan drivers who go around with Slayer on during the day either, well, not unless they plan of having some good old fashioned road rage and their driving monster trucks. I went straight to The Script’s MySpace to give them ago and about eight seconds in, I realized the very bad mistake I had just made. I heard they were poppy but sitting through music like that is on par with Nazi torture, except more drawn out and self inflicted.

LeGalxie it is and opening song, I Feel The Fire isn’t too bad, not too bad at all. It has a kind of THX Sound intro that you hear in cinemas with overdubs of a Resident Evil disaster warning. Good beats, nice synths that build steadily. At the end of the day, it’s a dance song. You cant write too much other than this is a pretty great song. About a minute in and there’s a burst of guitars, drum beats and vocals. Impressed and surprised to say the least. Theirs a true air of grandeur and an appreciation for the bodies connection with the sound. (in non-bullshit/waffle words, this is sweet!)

I have to stop I Feel the Fire on the third listen because it’s Sunday morning and I want to go back to watching the telly. LA Takedown’s up next. Kind of a soppy opening. Not as hard hitting as IFTF but nice. More based around guitars bass ad drums rather than dance beats and synth’s. Song bursts open again and displays some Arcade Fire traits. Eh, not really Tickets Theres thing. Sounds like a lot of indie stuff out there but without the lyrics. Probably nice in the middle of a live set though and has enough going on to keep you interested.

We Bleed the Blood of Androids brings the vibe back on par with the first song…but then doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s the floating, echoey beats or the drifting guitars but this is another brilliant song. Just as I was getting worried they might only have one. Riveting, powerful, uplifting. If I took pills, this would be on my play list for the first time.

The forth and self titled track, Le Galaxie sounds like a U2 remix. Worse then LA Takedown, not as good as the other too. Follows a similar formula to the previous songs but it’s a little more bland. Nice opening, kind of choppy but again, not my cup of tea.

3061 is the final song of the day and for the first time doing on of these review (yeah, like it’s been a million), I’m a little disappointed. Le Galaxie are a very, very good band. I’m not a major dance fan. I like The Prodigy, The Happy Mondays, New Order, Marshall Jefferson and some garage but not a whole lot else and sadly, 3061 is more of a phase out song rather than an actual track. Still after two brilliant songs, one okish one and one that I wont be rushing out to buy, Tickets There is finally happy to say we (as in I) fully recommend Le Galaxie. They may not be the most novel or unique act (Chemical brothers anyone?) but their good at what they do and that’s even becoming rare these days.

Catch them in Whelan’s on February 25^th.

And visit them on MySpace: www.myspace.com/lemusicgalaxie

Leave a comment »

MYSPACE REVIEW – BATS

Posted in Music, MySpace Review with tags Bats, Bats review on June 3, 2009 by Tickets There

MySpaceReview_Bats

Bats are currently building up a nice little fan base around Dublin. They’re listed a favourites on several notable music blogs, E-Zines, stores and magazines. To Tickets There, they sound like a mix of Chop, chop, stop! Indie with a tea spoon of metal. Once again, I haven’t heard their EP or seen them live. This review is based on the tracks they have on their official MySpace.

Opening song, Atom and Eve isn’t really a song. It’s more a mix of several styles, none of them their own, all thrown together into a blender. More than likely they mastered the song by cutting up a load of demo’s tapes and sticking them together randomly. It kind of starts, then the bottom falls out, then they add something to keep it going (like the blatant Metallica, Creeping Death rip of riff that pop’s up occasionally) but then it all stops again. The song never gets a chance to breath and find it’s feet leaving it a boneless little nuisance. The lyrics follow the same geeky, superhero rubbish so many other bands insist on spuing out these days. If you want to hear a real singer growl, listen to Joey Wilson from the Future Kings of Spain instead.

Next up is These Only Lay Egg’s. The opening bass/guitar n drums intro sounds like the first song you ever wrote when you picked up a guitar. Kind of annoying, like slow punk, without the anger. Once again the song lacks any sort of character and doesn’t pull you in, in the slightest. It’s a real shame that Irish singers feel such a desperate need to sing like all those California bands. That annoying little emo twinge in their voice drives me up the wall. A nice crunchy bass solo brings hope three minutes into the song and the ‘danger’ set’s in…..only to disappear again. The minute they start the build its gone, which would be fine, but they never deliver, not on these tracks anyway. Think they asked Wham to finish the last minute of the track.

Before I get into the third song, I’d love if someone could message me and explain why Geek’s have managed to take over the underground? It’s not just Bats (and believe me, they’re no where near the worst out there. At least Bats can play…just not formulate songs is all). I know Weezer were cool, but that doesn’t mean everyone has to drop their balls and whine all the time. Start thinking for yourselves people! You aint gonna write a good song, that means something to you, when all you do is rip off anything you can from the past. Has anyone ever heard 80’s Hardcore bands? They did all this better and they weren’t geeks about it.

Last song of the review, Death to Kent Hovind, is pretty much what it says, an attack of controversial conspiracy theorist, Kent E. Hovind. Nothing to praise, noting to slag. Possibly their best song on MySpace though, Not as long, or as thought out as the other two but more structured at least. It manages to sound like a real song.

Tickets There says – Try to catch them live, there are a few moments that sound like they’d be mental with a PA behind them. Definitely not a favourite though (I’m sure they care )

4 Comments »

JAPE – THE BUTTON FACTORY: May 23rd 2009

Posted in Gig Review with tags 'Jape, Jape Review, Jape the Button Factory on May 30, 2009 by Tickets There

God, its 2:37 am on a Saturday night (Ed. Sunday morning A-Hole) and I’m not only still awake but also sober! It’s not that I wasn’t out or can’t get booze, quite the opposite in fact. Tonight, I broke this years tradition of not leaving Dun Laoghaire for love or money and finally succumbed to the enchanting allure of seeing Jape live for the first time in five months and not only that, but I also managed to get back home by twelve, get food and wine (which hasn’t been drunk) and I know a shop where wine can be purchased twenty four hours a day. So why, you ask, am I sitting at home sober, when I could be in a night club right this very moment, telling some fella in a very loud slurry voice how stupid is hat looks and why Def Leppard ARE much cooler than The Killers?

I suppose it all started with getting into Temple Bar much later than planned. It’s amazing how a day doing basically nothing leaves you tired and unmotivated. Anyways, I managed to get in around 9.15, only to discover the gig was sold out. Since I wasn’t going to do a review (sometimes you just need to enjoy a gig and not nit pick), I could only look on at the million page guest list and struggle to keep my hand away from my phone, least I annoy performers. Luckily the ticket man took pity on the last few stragglers and re-opened the desk. There was enough time to run in, grab a pint from one of the most ignorant bar men in Dublin and squeeze past seven million people to the smoking area where my pouch was instantly drenched by some bastard who knocked beer all over the table. Town eh! Fantastic. What’s the point? It’s just 100,000 people who can’t handle their booze, rude bar staff in almost every place, swarms of people packed into every single quirky, gimmicky pub they can scavenge out and their unexplainably bad dress sense (hats, rainbow stockings, big thick military style glasses, cheesy seventies moustaches and hair do’s..etc are not fucking cool people. Try and get your own fucking image for once).So with all of that out of the way, it’s finally time for the show.

I’ve written about Jape so many times in the last two years that the English language can no longer supply me with words on credit. So instead of writing five hundred words about how fantastic Nothing Lasts Forever, Strike Me Down, I Was A Man and all of Japes other deadly tracks are live, I think I’ll write a little about the changes among Japes audience ever since the release of Ritual.

Over the last couple of years, Japes reputation and popularity has been growing at a rapid pace, despite not yet having a hit single or album. Fans are starting to flock to his shows all across the country and Europe for the matter. His biggest hit Floating managed to attract a lot of attention and his well thought out plan to burry it in his live sets and reserve the prime time slots for newer songs of equal perfection has worked exceptionally well. I was A Man is now the standard finisher for Japes set despite first time spectators urging him to play Floating from the word go. It works so well in fact that Jape doesn’t need to rely on this song anymore either and can pretty much do what he likes and get away with it, mostly down to the fact that every time Richie gets on a stage, he gets better and better at being a front man and is falling into the singer role with ease. Tonight’s set isn’t short of surprises either as Mr. Egan arrives on stage alone to open things up with a few quite numbers. Unfortunately for anyone in the audience who paid for a ticket to actually hear the man sing and play, you were disappointed instead, we’re forced into listening to hordes of retarded poncy prick bastards yelling at each other as loud as possible throughout every note, word and melody. The kind of people who have more love for Twitter updates, phone pictures and ‘wacky stories’, than the actual performance of a live show. Off course this is normal enough at an O2 show but I have to admit being a little astonished to see this at a Jape gig. Normally his fans are beyond respectful and attentive. They’re generally hanging on ever second of Japes quiet songs and act privileged to hear him tone things done to the levels of his first and second albums. Alas, this was to be the mood of the evening.

Cleary taken aback by the crowds refusal to ciúnas during the first two songs, Richie turns to Nothing Lasts Forever to dim out the noise of audience and continued into Strike Me Down, Floating and Graveyard which finally managed to subdue most of those in attendance. After a quick smoke (in Temple Bar terms, 15 minutes including the time to actually get in and out), I arrive back to see a great performance of I Was A Man and another new song before introducing the lovely Lisa Hannigan to perform what I hope will be a song from Richie’s next album (title escapes me). Unfortunately the crowd’s astonishingly rude behaviour sparks up again and the song is kind of destroyed by people all battling to be the louder than the PA. With that, the band leaves the stage only to return for a quick rendition of new song, Technology, which Richie dedicates to the members of the audience who remained quiet during the more mellow numbers.

Overall, a pretty strange gig. It seems that with success, come the inevitable shower of pricks who’ll always destroy the special aspect of what ever they can before they forget it and move onto the next big thing. On a more positive note, at least Richie is finally starting to get the numbers he deserves. Next stop, Marlay Park!

Leave a comment »

JUDAS PRIEST / MEGADETH / TESTAMENT – @ The O2 Dublin, LIVE REVIEW

Posted in Gig Review, Music with tags Gig Review, Judas Priest, Judas Priest Dublin review, Judas Priest megadeth dublin, Megadeth Ireland, Megadeth o2 Dublin review on February 14, 2009 by Tickets There

Since we were eight years old, The Point Depot has been our all time favourite venue for a gig. We saw our first four shows there and many, many more over the years. The brick walls, red carpets, yellow trimming and little bars dotted around were so unique in a venue of its size. The little men’s toilet was a war zone at the best of times and the red velvet curtains around the balconies and yellow railings made the place feel more like a massive theatre rather than an arena. To pit it simply, when you went to the point it wasn’t a gig, it was a concert.

We know many of you folks out there hated it. We’re not sure why but many, many people just couldn’t stand the Point. The main complaints were ‘It was too big’ (well duh, it’s a f**king arena for Christ’s sake!, Not everything can be the Lower Deck). The second, and most common hatred, was the sound. Tickets There can honestly say, that after 20+ gigs over a fifteen year period, we never once had any issues with the sound in the Point. It was always perfect. To say the least, we were upset the day it was announced they were remodelling it and last night’s first experience of the new O2 didn’t help in the slightest.

Before TT gets to the gig, we’re gonna bitch, bitch, bitch about the changes. First of all, the Point’s character is gone. Yes they kept a few walls but that’s about it. There are three entrances instead of one which is pretty cool, no more massive queuing all the way around the site but, there’s no grand entrance anymore. You walk through the gates, then through another door and your inside. The arena isn’t secluded at all, which just encourages people to walk around all the time instead of watching the bands. The bars, merch stands and food stalls are all inside the arena and because of this, the place is extremely bright with very little darkness. Something that destroys the buzz of a band like Megadeth. When we walked in the door, we were expecting the old foyer. Instead, we got Testament…maybe we won’t complain this on time.

Testament are a mental band. Savage thrash metal, that explodes inside your ears. Unfortunately, our curiosity got the better of us and we were forced into talking several wanders around the new venue to take in the bright lights, over priced ‘1 part pour’ Guinness and the venues one saving grace, a massive, massive smoking area. Testament’s sound was perfect. The guitars and vocals added a bellowing background to the massive steel structure ‘progress’ forced on us. The band seem to be in their element on this tour, playing their first show in Ireland in over 22 years (according to lead singer, Chuck Billy, who spent most of the night playing air guitar on his mike stand and lovin it! Hits from Ritual and New Order get blasted out but sadly, Ticket’s There’s personal favourite True Believer wasn’t played. Ah well, next time.

Honestly, we were only here for one band. In 2001, we got to see a show in the SFX that has remained one of the best gigs Tickets There’s ever been to and tonight, Megadeth are back. Dave Mustaine may not be as angry any more after finding Jesus n all, but that doesn’t stop Megadeth tearing through a set of blistering classics. Take No Prisoners, Wake Up Dead and Sleepwalker explode like machine gun bursts through the PA as the band stand their ground, drop kicking the audience with every world ending riff and solo. With the tri-colour firmly placed on the drum kit, the assault continues. Skin O’ My TeethIn My Darkest Hour and the iconic Hanger 18 roar out delivering rapid solo bursts and apocalypse bringing riffs that guarantee sore necks for 12,000 people in the morning. Fortunately Dave doesn’t fill up 40% of their stage time with long stories and assurances that Megadeth ‘loves you’, like certain other Metal giants out there. He also doesn’t attempt to use their hour to sell their latest album or appease hard core fans who would prefer to hear less known tracks. A Tout le Monde and Sweating Bullets are notably missing but you can’t have everything in onehour.

The set winds up with jackboot stompingTornado of Souls, the definitive Megadeth classic Symphony of Destruction and the mind exploding Peace Sell’s. Never a band to disappoint, Dave and co return for an amazing encore of crowd favourite, Holy Wars!. Considering Megadeth are now down to one founding member, tonight’s performance shows it’s business as usual in their camp. With a new album nearly finished, be sure you catch them on their next trip to ..Eire.. and see them in all their headlining glory.

After another trip to the bar, smoking area and bar again, it’s time for some Priest, Judas style metal that is! Theatrics’, leather, spandex and flying V’s galore as Glen Tipton and KK Dowling fly into view, before the shinny caped figure of Rob Halford shoots up to the top of the stage as the band launches into Prophecy from their latest album, Nostradamus. Opening with a new song is always dodgy but Priest jump back with the amazing classic that is Metal Gods from their 1980 album. British Steel. Halford appears decked out on leather and studs as the band make their best effort to remind the audience why their headlining and not Megadeth. Their stage show doesn’t boost anything extra special but then again, compared to Radiohead and Coldplay, it might as well be KISS up there. Devil’s Child, Dissident Aggressor and Death all get an airing before Priest un-leash the fury of their mighty classic, Breaking the Law.

Halford punishes the stage with slow motion movements that only exasperates his status as a god of metal. His imposing figure lurks behind the perfectly practiced hard rock gestures and poses of the Priest. Why did this band ever think it was a good idea to lose Rob? He’s always been the maindriving force behind everything they do and nothings changed. Hell Patrol, Angel, Sinner all round of the set as the roaring sound of Painkiller, easily the greatest metal track of all time end, the band set.

Before long, the sounds of a motorbike revving up booms through the PA as Priest return to the stage for Hell Bent for Leather with Rob riding a Harley Davidson onto the stage. The Green Manalishi and a rapturous performance of You’ve Got Another Thing Coming end the encore as the band hug and depart leaving Dublin with a desperately needed dose of hard hitting, in your face Heavy Metal. The Point may have now become a fond memory but it’s good to know the bands who make the venues special are still going strong.