Counteract | National News with a Local Edge

Counteract to curate free Villa Park Festival

Richard Franks — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:11:56 +0000

Counteract Magazine can exclusively reveal the details of a FREE music festival being held at Villa Park on June 16 & 17, curated by none other than yours truly!

Building on our relationship with the club, where we’ve been selecting local music to be played at Villa Park on matchdays, the free two-day event showcasing the best in local music will give ardent fans the chance to check out the new range of Aston Villa shirts and training wear, as well as the opportunity to buy the new Macron home kit immediately. The away shirt will be available to purchase from July 14.

The fun-filled-festival will also be accompanied by a funfair, mini stadium tours, indoor football coaching, face painting, a food court and various other activities to give the free festival a real family feel.

Headlining the Saturday will be Wolverhampton-based band The Lines who have recently announced their biggest headline show to date on December 15 at the Civic Hall.

Speaking in light of the news, the band said: “Villa Park is one of those places with some proper history. It’s not just the home to Villa, it’s staged some amazing FA Cup Semi-Finals, and we’ve even been lucky enough to see the national team beat Spain there. So to get to play Villa Park is gonna be massive!“

Also joining them will be other local rising stars including Swim Deep, Dakota Beats, The Bluebeat Arkestra & The Culture – with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

We’re really pleased with the bands we have confirmed so far and there are more to be announced so stay tuned to our website and www.avfc.co.uk in the coming weeks!

The festival will be held at Villa Park across the Father’s Day Weekend of June 16 & 17 and entry is completely free.

Introducing: VOWS

Luke Deakin — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:23 +0000

Formerly PoloLounge, Nuneaton based VOWS have grown, not only in size but also in reputation, since the beginning of the year.

With power-house drums, jerky, cutting guitars, and the odd cheeky cowbell enveloping their soft yet characteristic vocals, the effervescent six piece have used their own infectious brand of burgeoning indie synth to become one of the most exciting unsigned bands in the Midlands at the moment.

Their live shows are an equal measure of sweat and exuberance, So much so that it has lead to them sharing the stage with such names as Mona, Various Cruelties and the incredible CSS.

They are currently making great strides in the Godiva Unsigned Competition, and will be playing in the semi-finals at Coventry’s Taylor Johns House on Saturday May 31. We strongly suggest you check them out.

Watch the video for their track, “Colours”, here:

Summary: Fun, dancey, indie pop with some considerable meat behind it
For fans of: Friendly Fires, Foals
Listen to: Colours, Lay Me Down
Online: Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Alabama Shakes, HMV Institute, Birmingham 11/05/12

Andrew Gutteridge — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:28 +0000

Alabama Shakes walk on stage as if they are strolling into their local bar on an average night. No nonsense, no fuss. Even though the reception that greets them is anything but.

When front-woman Brittany Howard launches into a Tina Turner style holler on opener ‘Party’, the crowd go wild. When she howls on ‘Hold On’, the crowd again respond like an obeying pack. The predominant blues sound is mixed up on ‘Always Alright’, with an ‘Eye of The Tiger’ pile-driving drum beat and a tickling organ flourish that brings to mind Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. It is one big melting-pot of a song with a funk soul. In Howard we have a front-woman with huge stage presence. Whilst bassist Zac Cockrell remains resolute beneath his cap, Howard walks around the stage, her face contorting with passion one minute whilst opining the next. In the more down-tempo numbers, like ‘Boys and Girls’, her voice is flecked with a Joplin spirit. She can carry a song with fragility, evoking a clear night sky with stars twinkling down or take it to the heart of a bar-room freak out. On ‘Be Mine’, she puts down her guitar and starts to walk around stage with the occasional pop and crackle of the mic. Undeterred she belts out the chorus as if feeding off the high voltage.

‘Mama’ is a deep down and dirty rock n’ roll stomp and stirs the crowd into a frenzy. When Howard sings the lyrics “so glad that you came” and “the best night God ever made” on ‘Heat Lightning’, it’s as if she is speaking directly to the crowd. Cockrell doffs his cap as they leave after the encore. Just another average night for the band, an unforgettable night for everyone else.

This show was brought to you by birminghampromoters.com.

Photos by Jonathan Morgan

Tribes, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham 09/05/12

Brit Dawson — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:27:04 +0000

“It’s the last night of the ‘Baby’ tour, let’s have it” declares Tribes’ frontman Johnny Lloyd, as the Camden four-piece grace the stage of Birmingham’s O2 Academy 2.

Tribes’ saunter onto stage and immediately ‘Whenever’ fills the room and the crowd surge forward, desperately attempting to reach the long-haired quartet on stage. Following with ‘Girlfriend’, the band clearly want to make the last night one to remember; the self pitying cries of the chorus ring out eagerly and are echoed by the crowd. ‘Sappho’, ‘Walking In The Street’ and ‘When My Day Comes’ prove popular with the crowd who soak them up and bask in their ridiculously charming glow. While slower tracks ‘Himalaya’ and ‘Nightdriving’ are gently taken in with sways and the occasional singing along.

Closing, as expected, with ‘We Were Children’, Tribes proved themselves to be a band destined for great things. The track is thrown out so perfectly that the crowd themselves can’t even flaw it with their excited, but sadly tuneless, shouting. Returning only for an encore of ‘Coming Of Age’, the band end on a calmer note, certainly needed after the wild enthusiasm that came with ‘We Were Children’. It’s safe to say Tribes closed their tour perfectly and I left feeling lucky to have experienced it.

Photos by Katja Ogrin

Album: The Fallows – Face The Wolves

Ciaran McDermott — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:15 +0000

Coventry’s new sons ‘The Fallows’ recently released their debut album ‘Face the Wolves’.

They describe themselves as “folk but with a real rock attitude”, which frankly doesn’t surprise me after the demand for that particular genre with the sudden rise of bands such as Bombay Bicycle Club and Mumford and Sons.

The opening trio of tracks on the album are undoubtedly the big hitters which will appeal to all ages. With clear vocals (supplied by Ross Darby) and catchy backing singers, I could well imagine ‘We Are The Hunted’ being sung around camp-fires this summer.

They themselves were originally a trio with Pete Rutherford and Sam Stokes joining Ross, until BBC Young Folk Awards 2012 finalist Neal Pointon got on board. The majority of songs portray a story in some way relating to fantasy, love and the country lifestyle. No maliciousness at all, that gives future radio plays the all-clear!

If I could choose one track that represents the album on the whole, It would have to be ‘Annecy’. Plenty of good-will folk strumming patterns, nothing lyrically that will boggle the mind, but far from disappointing in what you expect. A great positive about the record is the unfailing consistent level of energy the foursome depict from which a listener could gain quite a workout from the foot tapping there is to be had! I Found myself joining in for ‘Better to Burn’…

This package was pleasantly surprising and leaves the imagination charmed with a desire to see the band live. An educated guess would that they are coming to a festival tent near you soon, don’t miss it.

Watch: Spector – Celestine

Richard Franks — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:43:12 +0000

Check out the new video from Spector above. Following on from the cult phenomenon of ‘Chevy Thunder’, ‘Celestine’ is another 21st century love song and will be released through Fiction/Luv Luv Luv Records on May 21.

Let us know what you think below.

Slow Club, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 10/05/12

Jonathan Morgan — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:27 +0000

Slow Club

Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor aka Slow Club brought an end to their national tour tonight, playing new tracks off their forthcoming EP.

Local band Boat To Row kicked things off, bringing with them tales of acquired McDonalds Monopoly vouchers while also complimenting the Highlander movie soundtrack. Musically they were the perfect start to this folk evening, with longing guitar chords and toe tapping drumbeats aplenty.

Boat To Row

The vocals took me out of the venue and into a field with the sun bouncing off my face. I was most impressed with the last two tracks of the set, which will be available on a double a-sided single in June. It should be interesting to hear how good they sound on record.

We were all honoured to be in the presence of Magic Numbers Michele Stodart, who brought her solo performance to Birmingham. With a new album in the pipeline, her tracks were simply magical.

Michele Stodart

Joined by guitarist Matthew Skipper, the Hare & Hounds was treated to both brand new and old tracks. ‘Foolish Love’ was my favourite, a track everyone could find common ground with. A successful solo career is guaranteed.

One thing that can be said about headline act Slow Club’s performance is that it is very well planned. It has been such a long time since I have been to a gig where I find myself so surprised and impressed. Opening with a cover (yes a cover!) Pulp’s ‘Year 2000′ the room suddenly goes quiet from the first lyric and towards the end of the track the duo are joined by their other two musicians.

Slow Club

New track ‘Everything Is New’ went down very well but for me ‘Our Most Brilliant Friends’ and ‘Two Cousins’ were performed amazingly and will live long in my memories. I also enjoyed the chit chat of the duo, reminding me especially of The Lovely Eggs, who at one point were begging us to buy their records just so the money could go towards their fish and chip fund while they were in Brighton during the weekend.

Slow Club

With an encore that consisted of ‘Hackney Marsh’ sung without microphones, and a saxophone solo performed on the merchandise table in the middle of the room and then the amazing crowd stomping ‘Given Up On Love’ where the audience were told they had to dance or someone was going to get shot (it was all in jest obviously!) brought a perfect ending to a very entertaining evening.

This show was brought to you by birminghampromoters.com.

Photos by Jonathan Morgan

A Place To Bury Strangers, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 09/05/12

Samuel Lambeth — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:37:30 +0000

Continuing a furrow originally ploughed by Silversun Pickups and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, APTBS emphasise ear-splitting shards of melody on record, so live the need for earplugs seems forthcoming. The guitar onslaughts are best described as black sheets of rain. And tonight, it was pouring in Birmingham.

The packed crowd were doing more than just nodding along; the bodies were cascading around like the Hare & Hounds was experiencing a bomb disaster. Sure, it may not be original – bands going as far back as Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr have emphasised excessive decibels – but it’s still refreshing when a band lets rip, crushing audiences with a sound so ferocious it makes We Were Promised Jetpacks sound like Athlete. Sonically, the band is on fine form, but visually they remain pretentiously autered, like a more rough and ready Interpol.

Oliver Ackermann is blinding on guitar and vocals, and the new material from the EP ‘Onwards to the Wall‘ sees them engage in a duel between arty noise rock and atmospheric melody. It all bodes well for the new album Worship, and the fans are lapping it up. Old material such as ‘Keep Sliding Away’ also gets people twitching, as does other songs aired from Exploding Head.

APTBS have certainly got the talent and conviction to elevate further in the music industry, with their menacing walls of sound enough to frighten any venue in submission. The Hare & Hounds loved every minute of it, even if it means a year’s worth of tinnitus.

Bill Ward makes official statement on upcoming Black Sabbath gigs

Luke Deakin — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:29:43 +0000

Drummer and one of the founding members of Black Sabbath, Bill Ward, has finally made the long awaited statement as to why he isn’t involved in the current reformation of the legendary Birmingham band.

In a statement published on his website www.billward.com, Ward apologises to the bands fans for being unable to reach a contractually acceptable agreement, and emphasises just how much it hurts him not to be able to take part in something that he has played such a big part of his life.

He confirms that he will not be taking part in any of the upcoming gigs at the Birmingham O2 Academy, Download Festival and Lollapalooza, but still maintains optimistically open and in a “position of willingness to negotiate ‘signable’ terms with Sabbath’s representatives in the future”.

His main reason for being unable to reach agreeable terms with the bands representation is the apparent idea that he would only play 3 songs at the Download Festival headline slot, with another drummer playing the remainder of the set. He felt that this was unfair, both to himself, and to the fans.

To read the full statement, click here.

Tellison, The Rainbow, Birmingham 08/05/12

Tom Montgomery — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:18:30 +0000

Tellison

The Rainbow, in Digbeth, Birmingham, is one of the best venues in the country. I don’t say this because I am a Brummie, but because it not only has a great, intimate feel about it, it also has a magic in the air that brings the best out of bands.
Tonight, it was The Rainbow’s turn to make Tellison dazzle this eager crowd.

Opening the show, step forward the award-winning and incredibly impressive Bots – an eighteen year old and a 15-year old from LA, who provide a set that could be the love child of Primal Scream and Cypress Hill. Their set is almost perfect, and makes it hard for Tellison to follow.

The Bots

Two things you’re guaranteed to get at a Tellison show, is passion and enthusiasm. ‘Horses’ opens the set, and gets proceedings underway just nicely. Passion, gusto, and raucousness are the main ingredients in which Tellison deliver their songs, and this is an instant winner in the audience’s eyes. When the gem that is ‘Wasp’s Nest’, a stand-alone single (and absolute tune) from 2009, is thrown in, and the set has the makings of being a crowd-pleaser.

‘Gallery’, as always, goes down a treat as it sees Tellison in its infancy, and the origins of many a fan’s obsession with the four-piece. ‘My Wife’s Grave Is in Paris’ is nostalgic, and fits perfectly when played amongst wispy songs such as ‘Freud Links the Teeth and the Heart’ – a tune lead vocalist Stephen Davidson describes as a song about ‘psycho-analysis and generally being a creepy guy’. If ever there was a foot-stomper, then ‘Collarbone’ is it. Follow this up with the anthemic, sing-a-long ‘Henry Went To Paris’, and you can do no wrong.

Tellison

The set draws to a close with ‘Get On’- a track which details the band’s frustrations endured in the four years between their debut and second albums. “We had a bad year – we lost everything”… maybe so, but that was the past. Here, in the present, Tellison are a force to be reckoned with. What they have produced is a triumphant return from the abyss.

Many more nights like this, and Tellison’s future is that of a bright one.

Photos by Katja Ogrin