Photo Review of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Live at the Lg Arena Birmingham

if you was at the show please feel free to add your comments and Mini Reviews

Full Set of photos of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS here

For Full set of images from RETOX live at the Flapper click here

For the full set of photos from the TANTRUMS final ever gig click here

For the full set of Enter Shikari photos click here
For the full set of  Yout Demise Photos click here
For the full set of Letlive photos click here

If you was at the show feel free to add you comments and mini Reviews

All Photos by Andy Watson / Drw-Images

Some bands have reputations of being wild and crazy on stage and when you go and see them you leave feeling disappointed and underwhelmed . But then there are bands like Dillinger Escape Plan and Monotonix who just leave you wanting more of the mayhem and chaos.. so on what side of the line do Chariot fall…

Chariot take the line roll it up stomp all over it then swallow it down with a Molotov cocktail of fire fury venom , only to regurgitate it and repeat song after song after song, never losing any of the passion they have for performing live and playing music the love and feel with every beat of the drum and strum of the guitar. Some people may not get bands like Chariot live as the songs aren’t always played note perfect. How can u play note perfect tho when the band spend more time crowd surfing than the crowd?

Right from the first note the bass player threw down his guitar and was like superman flying into the crowd to party with there friends. There are to many highlights from there set to mention. All I can say if your like heavy fast music and want to have the most fun you can at a show.. you have to go and party with the Chariot. As I said not go and see but go and party, because like a party everyone has fun..

Even the security guys who at first looked bemused when the band were flying in and out of the crowd , had huge smiles on here faces as they didn’t have to do much crowd control as anyone who fell down got picked back up by someone else with in seconds, that’s how it should be fire fury chaos but with control and respect for other,

 I am going to throw my hat into the ring and say the Chariot are one of the best live bands on the planet!

 Photos and Review by Andy Watson

For more images from this amazing show click HERE

 Die-hard fans queued for hours in the cold and wet weather conditions for a chance at being on the barrier at the second date of My Chemical Romance’s British leg of the tour.

After giving their UK fans three taster dates late last year, My Chemical Romance returned for their World Contamination tour, causing a riot at the LG Arena in Birmingham

The first support of the evening were the Derby rock trio, Lostalone. The band score big when American bands tour the United Kingdom, having supported both Paramore and 30 Seconds to Mars in the past. Being the first support most of the audience remained frozen in their place as they were still adjusting to getting into the arena. Despite this, the band did not lack in their performance. The music was ‘technically’ amazing, the riffs and solos performed by lead singer Steven Battelle were astounding, blasting through the speaker with a remarkable effect; Battelle’s guitar playing was backed up and enhanced by bass guitarist Alan Williamson, and drummer Mark Gibson. The trio’s chemistry was reflected through their incredible instrumentals. Lyrically, Lostalone’s songs all had a similar sound and as a result it was hard to differentiate between them. Regardless of this Lostalone projected enthusiasm into the arena, setting the crowd up for the second support

The second, and more mental, support were The Blackout. The insane post-hard core/hard rock band from Merthyr, Wales, did not hesitate to give a shot of energy straight into the veins of every single My Chemical Romance fan seated or standing. They started their set by singing/screaming their ‘Best in Town’ track ‘STFUppercut’; this high energy song seemed to get the crowd’s blood pumping as pushing and moshing started on the arena floor, shortly followed by Sean Smith leaping from the barrier into a sea of hands, frantically trying to grab any part of the Welsh singer. Gavin Butler performed the softer rock lyrics with Sean Smith screaming, or singing into a special effects microphone, as heard in their new single ‘Higher and Higher’, which was played for, and participated in by, the Birmingham audience. The single is from the band’s up-coming album ‘Hope’ which will be released in April. The Blackout’s sound, though heavier than Lostalone’s inspired movement and dancing in a lethargic audience. The combination of Sean’s humour, during the set he shot himself in the head and fell flat on his back on stage, Gavin’s powerful vocals and the rest of the band’s musical talents made The Blackout a perfect support band, providing the crowd with a taste of what they were going to receive from My Chemical Romance.

Suspense was kept behind a black curtain; eager fans starting chants of ‘M-C-R’ as images of the band were projected onto the two large screens either side of the stage. When the moment of ‘Look Alive Sunshine…’ arrived, a riot of mainly female audience members erupted, each one screeching pushing forward in a desperate need to get to the barrier. After the Dr Death Defying introduction the curtain fell to the floor revealing the band’s silhouettes seen amongst an array of colourful lighting. Once criticized for being too dark, My Chemical Romance proved that those days of obscurity were far behind them.

Front man Gerard Way, sporting his Killjoy red hair colour, gave an inspirational vocal performance. He mixed the soft ballad notes of slow songs such as ‘Cancer’ with the heavier rock tracks such as ‘Vampires will never hurt you’. Gerard flirtatiously played with the predominantly female audience by emphasizing thrusting dance moves, licking his hand, blowing kisses and acting slightly risqué during the questionable noises in the Danger Days track ‘DESTROYA’; all of these actions being gratefully received by a mass of screaming females.

he band’s bassist Mikey Way failed to break a smile during the set, taking a broody stance for the whole of the show. Guitarist Frank Iero seemed to be back to his usual on-stage antics, jamming with a passion and appreciation for his art and talent. Ray Toro was able to shred insane guitar solos without moving an inch, however his facial expression of a fixed smile conveyed his joy at being back doing what he is passionate about after the large break the band took between albums. New drummer Michael Pedicone has yet to be invited into the bond that is My Chemical Romance, in spite of this he proved to the fans that he could blow them all away with his drumming of old and new My Chemical Romance tracks.

The amalgamation of tracks from all four albums appealed to all phases of My Chemical Romance fans, from the old to the newer, every audience member loved each second of the New Jersey rockers’ massive twenty-one song set, including the encore.

With hints of a festival appearance this year, My Chemical Romance will definitely back to contaminate the UK once again, and by the reception from the Birmingham audience, the UK are eager to receive another dose of My Chemical Romance.

Review – Gemma Harling

Photos by Andy Watson – Drw-images.co.uk

SINGLE – IF I WERE YOU – FEBRUARY 13

CONFIRMED TO HEADLINE HMV ‘NEXT BIG THING’ GIG AT HEAVEN NIGHTCLUB – FEBRUARY 9

 ‘It’s very now, it’s very then, it’s a little bit the day after tomorrow, it’s basically amazing.’ – Popjustice

‘big, euphoric, dance pop’ – Q Magazine

‘a bundle of energy… infectious’ – Clash magazine

Diagram of the Heart are set to release their brand new single ‘If I Were You’ on February 13 through Deconstruction Records, the single is taken from their forthcoming debut album Vital Signs which will be out later next year. The band have also been confirmed to headline HMV’s ‘Next Big Thing’ gig at Heaven nightclub on February 9.

Presented by hmvlive and MAMA Festivals Heaven’s ‘Next Big Thing’ show is a special Deconstruction night featuring Diagram of the Heart (live), Retro/Grade (live and DJ set), Babydrum (live and DJ set), Burns (DJ set), Mike Pickering (DJ set) plus very special guests still to be announced.

Masters of epic sounding glorious pop music, Diagram Of The Heart have spent 2010 winning over fans with stand out sets at the likes of Wireless Festival alongside JAY-Z, Ibiza Rocks in support of Calvin Harris, Bestival beside Roxy Music, Gay Pride with Kelis and an iTunes special. They were also singled out to support Scissor Sisters on tour.

Live they shine as they belt out big, bold Balearic inspired beats, fused with classic pop sounds and heartfelt upbeat lyrics. With an already enviable fan base their first headline show at XOYO in November was a total sell out, The Fly noted “They have the quasi-military chic going on. They have – almost absurdly for a band that were born as recently as this summer – an obsessively-to-the-point-of alarm word-perfect and ruinously glamorous following.” The songs are anthemic and their live set is addictive, this band has one foot in the warehouse and one foot in the charts.

Dance-pop masterpiece ‘If I Were You’ follows the limited edition singles ‘Dead Famous’ and ‘Did I?’ which set dancefloors on fire earlier this year. The three tracks are taken from their forthcoming debut album Vital Signs. Self produced and written by the band it pushes the boundaries of pop, delves headfirst into the world of dance and is set to propel Diagram Of The Heart to the forefront of modern UK pop in 2011.

Live:

February Wed 9

LONDON HEAVEN NIGHTCLUB HMV NEXT BIG THING

Doors at 7pm.  Age restriction 18+. Tickets are £10 in advance (booking fee included in the ticket price) and available at: http://www.hmvtickets.com/events/2189

http://www.diagramoftheheart.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/diagramoftheheart

Tonight saw 29 year-old Kele Okereke, more famed for being the front man of Bloc Party, take to the stage at the Hmv Institute. After Bloc Party went on hiatus just over a year ago Kele has been busy touring his debut solo album, The Boxer and with a few festival and European tour dates now under this belt, he embarked on his second solo tour.

Opening with the slow off-kilter drums of ‘Walk Tall’, Kele seemed nervous as he sang the opening lines. The crowd stayed silent but this didn’t last for long as the dark electro bass kicked in mid song and the crowd got into party mode. Kele’s solo songs have carried over the more dance orientated feel of latter Bloc Party songs like ‘Flux’ (the set’s closer) and took them a step further.

This wasn’t your normal indie gig but more underground rave – at times I was half expecting to see the cast of Skins dancing away in the crowd. The “rave” feel continued for the whole gig with the Bloc Party frontman engaging a bit of banter with the crowd between songs and even dragging out a member of of his crew to get the crowd to sing happy birthday to her, before playing ‘Tenderoni’, the highlight of the set.

A few years back I saw Bloc Party in Manchester and as good a band that Bloc Party are, they were missing something. That “something” Kele has now found as a solo performer and has grabbed with both hands. I was hoping Bloc Party would get back together before tonight’s show, but it will be a shame if they do as Kele is only just hitting his stride.Set List

Walk Tall

On The Lam

Everything You Wanted

Unholy Thoughts

Medley

Tenderloin

Rise

———-

Yesterdays Gone

This Modern Love

All The Things

Flux

 Review and Photos by Andy Watson

If Marilyn Manson is the ‘God of Fuck’ then this dude deserves the moniker of God of What The Fuck – it’s William Control. I profess to having very little knowledge of Wil or Aiden (yes, I know, I’m ‘lame’) before tonight’s gig but, having watched a fair few William Control vids on You Tube recentlyI was sufficiently attracted by his nihilistic brand of synth goth to drag my similarly nihilistic self along for some mutual misery (it really does love company you know). In much the same way as Soft Cell and Depeche Mode (William Control’s spiritual granddads) were, our Wil is clearly obsessed with the sleazy side of life, the dangerous, erotic, messed up world that’s going on right under our noses.

Take the uncut video for ‘I’m Only Human Sometimes’ for example, featuring the odd bit of bondage, group sex, drug taking and the removal of one of Wil’s vital organs. How does all this sleaze translate in a live environment, albeit the cellar of the Flapper (the perfect place for a bit of mild S&M)? Well, given Wil’s penchant for getting up close and personal with his fans, it rapidly became less of a gig and more of a musical orgy. In fact I’ve seldom seen someone spend less time on the stage and, for large portions of the set, he was buried amongst a sea of moist teenage flesh, pawing away at his equally moist (but slightly older) body.

That was part of the charm of tonight’s gig though, singer and audience getting deep down and dirty together with none of the bullshit barriers (literal and metaphorical)that often stand in the way. ‘Beautiful Loser’ and ‘I’m Only Human Sometimes’, a pair of pounding synth driven self hate anthems stood out as particular highlights tonight, with Wil spitting out the bile flecked lyrics straight into the ears of the faithful. ‘Why Dance With The Devil When You Have Me’ (in which Wil names some of his favourite things…LSD, Cocaine, sodomy that sort of thing…I think Julie Andrews should cover it) also hit the spot.

Coming off like a twisted disco number it gave Wil another chance to camp it up with the crowd. After the gig he happily mingled with anyone who hadn’t already got up close and personal with him. He liked my ‘tache (he’s sporting one himself now) and I sensed some chemistry between us but there was a queue behind me so, sadly, I didn’t get the chance to snort coke off a stripper’s inner thigh with him. Oh well, maybe next time.

Words Daron Billings

Photos Andy Watson

He was born Anthony (Antonio) Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, in Astoria, Queens, in New York City.

One of his first singing performance at the opening of the Triborough Bridge at the age of 10. He studied music and painting at the New York High School of Industrial Arts but dropped out at the age of 16 as he had to support his family by working as a singing waiter in Italian restaurants.

During the Second World War Tony Bennett was drafted into the US Army. He served on the front lines until April 1945 and was involved in the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp at Landsberg, Germany.

In 1949, Bennett was invited on a concert tour by Bob Hope, who suggested him to use the name Tony Bennett instead of the stage name of Joe Bari which he was using at the time. In 1950, he was signed to Columbia Records and made his first big hit ‘Because of You’.

Since then he has released over 70 albums and has had more than 30 records in the charts

When a man of nearly 84 comes onto stage it is usual for comments like ‘doesn’t he look good for his age’, on this occasion though it was slightly different as a large number of his fans were his age or slightly older. The charming lady I sat next to referred to him as Young Tony told me that she had been a fan for 60 of her 87 years.

To list the songs he enchanted the audience with in the 11/2 hours he was on stage ( Yes one and a half hours without a break – modern groups please take note) would take too long. I may have missed a couple but I counted 23 including the iconic ‘Smile’ and ‘I left my Heart in San Francisco’ (ironic really as he is a very proud New Yorker). He interspersed the songs with anecdotes about how he started, and the people that had influenced his career. From any one else talking of the likes of Bob Hope, Marylyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra would seem like a serious case of ‘Name Dropping’, but he appeared genuinely humbled that they had all taken an interest in him and his career.

The high spot of the night for me was when he reinforced his view that The Symphony Hall is one of the top two concert venues in the world by singing ‘Stranger in Paradise’ without the aid of a microphone. I have to admit that I was one of the many who had not realised that he had abandoned the mike until halfway through the song.

He seemed genuinely moved by the ‘crowd surge’ late on in the performance. Well in all honesty surge is probably not the right word. In fairness though they did move as fast as the arthritis and support stockings would allow.

His last 5 songs were all greeted with standing ovations. His final song was ‘You can depend on me’ (first released in 1956), tonight he proved that you can depend on Tony Bennett to provide a fabulous nights entertainment.

He was ably supported by his daughter Antonia who has sung alongside her father since the age of four, and has obviously inherited a lot of his talent. The backing quartet were four of the most talented musicians I have seen for a long time, and received their own well deserved standing ovation when they finally left the stage.

OK so he couldn’t hit the high notes with the power that he used to, and what if he did forget the words to ‘They all laughed’- nobody cared. To produce a performance like he did tonight 74 years after his first public performance proves that this man is not just a legend, he is the yard stick against which all other legends must be measured.

Review – Paul Watson  Photos Andy Watson