We Are The Ocean review

--> Since overplaying (and still enjoying) their first studio album ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ I have been anticipating for new material from these lads. This week, We Are The Ocean released a new video for ‘What it Feels Like’ taken from the second forthcoming album ‘Go Now and Live’. They will be embarking on a headline tour in April after its release. The single track was made available to download from their website in January. Oh and they haven’t let me down in the slightest and to say I’m creaming for their gig would be an underestimation. Still an undercurrent post-hardcore band, the 5 piece from Essex swoon their fan base once again. Mixing a hardcore verse with a melodic chorus has been done before, right? But these chaps have a slight enchantment and style of delivery that packs a punch into your trunk. The bands climax comes down to the recipe of rhythm, Liam Crombys oily thick vocals and Dan Browns rasping screams, which I can imagine is a particular taste that does not necessarily suit all. Having said that, when they released their debut EP ‘we are the ocean’ in 2008, all 1000 copies sold in one day. We Are The Ocean auto-tune the introduction of ‘What it Feels Like’. The lyrics are coincidentally appropriate for the single pringles on Valentines Day tomorrow. In true fashion, they blast a coherent roaring verse then subsequently strip back to stunning vocals, a simple drum beat and rhythmic guitar. Like me, the fans are biting at the video like mosquitoes, blood thirsty for the melody again and again. 

Modestep review/live

This dub act has recently received frenzied attention from the copious hits on the internet, word of mouth and rumours about their insane live shoes, but do Modestep really rise to the overhype? or are they just going to sink into the wobbing mud of mediocrity that dubstep is swamped in these days. Punters on YouTube would agree with the latter.

Kerrang! Relentless Tour live

The Wonder Years and Framing Hanley, both considerably unheard of by me, play straight characterised sets, which sell a few of their songs to my ears. Including Framing Hanleys ghostly core-cover of 'Lollipop' originally by Lil Wayne. I might actually bother to purchase a few of their tracks when I get home, win.

The most favourable band of the night is Four Year Strong. Each armed with mic and instrument, the five men belt out a satisfyingly gritty gig. In this setting, with young GC fans, disco lights and serious lack of alcohol consumption, the band somewhat resemble your older brother and his senior friends, trying out a live gig in the school gymnasium (a fucking dazzling live gig at that) Penchant for their hooligan-chanting lyrics which crack with power and grip, they churn up the crowd into various mosh pits and hand-clapping mobs. Their albums are driven by double bass drums and the screaming guitars add the extra emphasis. Our chests definitely felt the impressive thudding beats, but sadly, the accent riffs were hard to perceive, perhaps due to the confined venue. Even so, whether recorded or right in front of your eyes, they successfully manage to blend pop punk with happy hardcore into some sort of metallic rainbow.

Cuddled up to my boyfriend at the back of the venue as aha! Keep your hands off my girl, Good Charlotte parade the stage. I feel nostalgic; I’m reminded of high school days with old friends who I’m currently missing a lot. We were noticeably veterans to this teen-pop-punk scene as we dodged gangs of inconsiderate jumping kids, the ones who feel a bit too emotionally involved and the little bastards who insist on flailing their sweaty limbs in every direction. Oh well, one would be a hypocritical fool to deny ever experiencing a fair wad of teenage angst. So enough babble about the crèche/crowd, the band onstage started 15 years ago, if anyone has old hand authority, its these boys. Not many 90’s award winning pop rockers can still entertain on mass, let alone maintain a first-rate set list which bubbles with radio hits and newly released tracks. I can congratulate and applaud Good Charlotte for that credit. They play some good routines, including one of my fav’s, ‘The River’. I haven’t got much to say about their music or vocals as such, its experienced, over played and laminated with rehearsal. You can hear it on your IPod. Whether that is a positive remark or not, that opinion swings. You’re so predictable I knew something would go wrong. So as for their performance, the Madden brothers make my face crease, no unfortunately not with joy, with cringe-worthy traded banter. The embarrassing sketches would introduce the following song, [insert chitchat about how cool Cardiff is] “you know what you guys look like, sex on the radio”... just guess what song they played after that gag. Very American (no offence) It was a plastic cliché overall.

PTV, Bayside & ADTR live

Three, two, one, and the Manchester O2 doors open to a queue that wraps around the backstreets of the academy “Du du du de du du du Du du du de du du duLet's go!” The foyer of the venue is jammed with the head liners devoted fans, counting out their pocket money for some merchandise, which admittedly is pretty fuckin’ cool. On stage, Pierce the Veil screech and strum to an impatient audience. Instrumentally they play with ease. Vocally, Vic Feuntes keeps his glass shattering singing up to standard. Their cover of Ke$ha’s ‘Fly like a G6’ is entertaining (YouTube it, if you want.) Unfortunately, their most famous track ‘Caraphernelia’ doesn't feature the original screamer, but it still satisfies the crowd for a few minutes. They leave the stage to boo’s and claps of relief. Evidently this crowd are too mature to stomach their acidic pop-core. The second support act, Bayside are like the colour magnolia (simple, easy, creamy-smooth and mediocre.) There are no faults in their music but live it lacks any amusement or emotion, so all their efforts just blow over everyone’s heads like an irritating chilly breeze. They finish their set to middle fingers and desperate cheers, a reaction more thrilling than their instrumentals. Diving into the depths of the audience, I already start the occasional routine of holding my face up to the ceiling for a decent breath of fresh air. Then, when guessing the amount of bruises I’ll escape with, ironically, punch bags are set up on the stage. A tide starts up in the crowd (synchronised pushing between the desperate back stabbers and front railing-ers) the house lights lower and the headliners present themselves, cue- cavernous breakdowns, attractive riffs, melodic vocals and memorable lyrics (Guessed who they are yet?) A circle pit swells up like a whirlpool, destroying the previous suffocating tides of pushes and shoves, allowing the kids to release their energy which is constantly being overcharged by the band. The set list surprisingly lacks content from their new album but surely enough, unlike their support, they blow us away. Engaging their devoted spectators with their most popular and favourable tracks. They even feature a calm ballad that involves two acoustic guitars and backings from the band to give it a powerful finale, this really impresses me and critically these boys tick all the right boxes. Fight. Rumour has it, that these boys cease to disappoint and all the shows sold out like hot cakes. These boys are unforgettable; these boys are A Day to Remember.

Spectrum live

crawling around the back streets of south London in a taxi
"where am I dropping ya' giwls?"
"that carpark..."
"bloody hell where you going?!"
"SPECTRUM mate"