AC/DC – Punchestown Racecourse Review

Well, Well, Well. It doesn’t get much better than this. Standing with a cold beer, with a gentle breeze watching the mighty AC/DC pile drive through some of greatest rock songs known to mankind on a stage filled with more props than Alice Coopers duffel bag. This is the life, and Tickets There won’t bore you with details about the utter disaster that was MCD’s organization skills. Instead, I’ve pasted a complaint to MCD on the MySpace, check out the link below.

Further down, I’ll do the gig review first.

Thanks to the fine people at Dublin bus I fortunately missed the Blizzards and more unfortunately, missed The Answer and surprisingly enough, anyone else I talked to didn’t see them either. How strange considering the majority of the Dublin fans in attendance paid a professional bus company to arrange the transport for us. Ah well. At least Tickets There was in time to see a giant moon appear on the massive screen around the stage sending eighty thousand people into a frenzy.

The roars and cheers throughout the opening video were astonishing and there are very few bands who can get away with a five minute long video about a train. With a massive explosion and a train/stage collision, Brian, Angus, Malcolm and co run across the stage and explode into Runaway Train from last years Black Ice album. Rather than lose momentum, the band continued to enthral the crowd with Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be and the massively popular Back In Black. New song, Big Jack sits a little silly on stage but everything’s rescued with the awesome Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Thunderstruck. Black Ice shows it weakness beside the Auzzies classics while War Machine proves its might, sandwiched in between Hell’s Bell’s and the iconic You Shook Me All Night Long.

The band perform each song with such extreme passion and energy, you’re almost distracted from the massive props, amazing lightening set up and theatrics that fill all two hours of the bands set. From the full sized train crashing onto the stage to the massive bell Brian likes to swing from during Hell’s Bells and the massive inflatable woman for Whole Lotta Rosie, not to mention the constant explosions and the scenes of some young Irish ladies proving their here for a good time during the dirtiest den of them all, The Jack.

Being on the road for so long after such a lengthy absence hasn’t held the guys back on bit and Angus still isn’t afraid to strip of the uniform and bear his AC/DC undero’s to the world. With an explosive performance of T.N.T., A boisterous Whole Lotta Rosie and a foot stomping, cigarette smoking, fist shaking, all round legendary Let There Be Rock that includes a ten minute guitar solo from Angus that sees him running down a ramp, climb up to the sound desk roof and face the back of the arena with six floodlights reflecting the pouring rain aimed on him. Before we could leave, the band come straight back for a crowd driven Highway to Hell and a incredible performance of For Those About to Rock, accompanied by twelve full sized cannons.

All in all an incredible show, except for the parts organized by MCD and Dublin Bus, such as the transport, area inside the arena, drink prices, lack of crowd control, overpriced food and beverages, overpriced ticket and extras and lack of apology for being treated like a cow. Tickets There may not be AC/DC’s biggest fan but there’s denying they put on one amazing show.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=279244428&blogId=497633376

Friday June 19th 1992/2009 – THE MIGHTY LEPP (Seventeen Years Later)

Today (Friday the 19th June) is the 17th anniversary of the first time I saw Def Leppard in concert. I don’t remember massive amounts from it since I was eight years old, but I clearly remember walking into the Point Depot and being more excited than I’d ever been before. I also remember being very surprised at the fact that a band as big as them would actually be playing a show in Ireland. I don’t recall (starting to sound like Forest Gump now ) as much about the show as I’d like and much of what I remember is just based on fact checking rather than real memory. One thing I will never forget is sitting on the balcony facing that stage with my little leather jacket on that I got in Birmingham (Leppard and Guns N Roses influence). The walls were dark and the arena felt more like a massive theatre rather than a cold empty hall. The red velvet curtains, yellow railings and trimmings and carpet added such class to the character filled Depot.

I’ll also never forget the moment when the house lights went black, surrounding the crowd in darkness. A voice shot out from the PA as the classic Dirty Harry intro boomed out while the massive black curtains surrounding the stage lit up as strobe and laser lights exploded behind them. The stage was in the round and the curtains remained hanging even when the guitars burst out playing the opening notes of Stagefright. With the anticipation building and the curtains still hanging, things hit fever pitch when they eventually dropped to reveal the mighty Leppard just as the bridge kicked in. Classic!!

After that I don’t remember a whole pile. Same with the second show I saw them play in 1996, also in the Point. Over the years, I’ve managed to see them a total of ten times and every time they play I try to absorb everything I can so in seventeen years time I don’t have to base my memories on facts from the web.

Here’s to another seveteen lads, I’ll have a pint tonight!!

Live Review: Man Raze, The Academy 2, Dublin

On a quiet Wednesday night in these recession times, surprises are welcome treats to break our attention from the constant news update about how screwed we all are. Tonight there’s more than one in store as The Academy fills up with members of Whitesnake, Def Leppard and their entourages to watch Man Raze in action.

Formed in 2004 by Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols) and Simon Laffy (Girl), Man Raze have been working on and off ever since. Because of the members touring and recording commitments with their other bands, they have only recently managed to release their debut album, Surreal and play a hand full of shows around the U.K. Tonight see’s them in Dublin for their first ever Irish gig which they’re using as a warm up performance for their set at this years Download festival.

Read More at Drop-D.ie

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

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….

Read More at Drop-D.ie

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

‘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.

TICKETS THERE – ‘BROKE AND BLOGGING’

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.

TURN – A History: 1998 – 2006

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

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

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

TURN

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.

TICKETS THERE – DUBLIN RECORD STORE GUIDE

MYSPACE REVIEW – ASH (RETURN OF WHITE RABBIT)

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.

MYSPACE REVIEW SPECIAL – BELL X1

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!

MYSPACE REVIEW – HOLY ROMAN ARMY

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.

MYSPACE REVIEW – SUPER EXTRA BONUS PARTY

Ah Monday again, one of the most daunting days of the week to any worker, student or child. So bad, they should ban it instead of picking of smokers. What better way to vent your frustrations or sooth your mood by discovering some new music and writing about it. (Why did I say vent first?)

Today’s choice is the oddly named Super Extra Bonus Party. A silly name like is bound to stick out from thirty other bands all trying to name themselves after Pixies songs. Will this be a case of never judge a band by it’s name or a gift wrapped present on this late Monday evening?

I’ve never seen the band live or heard their album (if they have one).

Right, lets start from the beginning. Everything Flows is a bad bands B-Side at best. Yet another (fuck me, how many of these can there be in this country?) indie style group of twats who enjoy mixing some break beats over a half dozen underachieving tracks. Terrible vocals (yes I know their meant to be produced like that but just because you set out to be that bad doesn’t mean you should get credit for doing it properly). Lead riff is the best thing here, everything else is a caricature of useless young bands wasting everyone’s time. Next!

Favourite Things is next. Intro appears to be ripped of Def Leppard’s Excitable…then again, everything’s ripped of Def Leppard in my books, even The Beatles. Oh joy, the song is some sort of white suburban garage/jungle dance mix. Hmmm, a surprise change in styles I have to admit. Pity the quality hasn’t managed the same leap. Pretty bad by any standards. So bad I think 1:58 minutes is more than enough for any listener. Oh wait, they’ve remixed Julie Andrews singing My Favourite Things, from the Sound of Music. How controversial lads. If only Brendan Grace had thought of doing that on Father Ted, maybe the lads wouldn’t have minded the music so much eh!. Next!

Great all this dance nonsense, gives so many terrible bands an ego and adds good filler to all their otherwise weak and obnoxiously boring compositions. I’m sure the song was written with the beats in mind, who am I too judge. Drone Rock Decal Mix is the third last song on 1:34 in, I’m still waiting for a reason not to jump ship. I don’t get credit or payment for this so…? Nothing here, very…drone sounding. With only another four minutes to go…I think it’s time for a cigarette. Ok, 5.28 in and no change. Boring, next!

Everything Thing Flows Jape Flow…a pretty shabby remix of their first track (did Jape do this? Was he drunk?). Short, bad and uninteresting. Very high industry qualities though, exactly the kind of tripe some of Ireland’s leading musical voice (ill-informed, useless ponces with opinions as respectable as Charles Masons) love to push. Good god make it stop, next please!

Think I’m being too hard on them? Saying to yourself that this is just another damning article after previous suggestions that I try to avoid this kind of writing? Well, I’ve been harsher on other bands and my opinions haven’t changed. MySpace Review is pretty random so I review what I find. Unfortunately, I usually only find shite. On the Skyline is last and once again, the last becomes TT’s favourite based purely on the fact that it’s last. Some girl singing wishy washy lyrics with terrible dance beats chopped up and thrown in…not to mention the sea swishing away in the back ground. Over.

Tickets There says…read the article and you’ll get the gist of it.

MYSPACE REVIEW – ANGEL PIER

You know, it’s getting harder and harder to do these MySpace Reviews. The actual writing time is pretty short, I think it takes roughly an hour to get the whole thing done and published (blogged TT, don’t try and make yourself sound important. Ed) and that’s not too bad considering some pieces of equal bad quality can take up to a month to finally finish off. What’s making them get harder is choosing the bands.

So many of (eleven) reviews so far have focused on tearing bands apart for their blandness and shabby attempts at song writing and I’m getting worried (as I mentioned before), that I’m going to get a name for doing just that, rather than writing about the good bands in Ireland today, the bands I’m here, claiming to endorse. Fortunately, I rarely go out of my way to discover terrible bands and I can reassure all four of my readers that I try to pick the bands as randomly as possible and very rarely for the purpose of ridicule (Grand Pocket Orchestra springs to mind).

So with that in mind, my choice for my twelfth review is Angel Pier. I don’t know where their from, I don’t know who’s in them or how popular they are. As I writing this I have their first song ready to go. Hopefully, I’ll get another chance to write a praising review and give everyone a surprise. I haven’t seen the band live or heard their album (if they have one).

After a lengthy introduction, I think the review is going to be quite short. Skull’s and Xs opens exactly the same way as every indie band out there. A very annoying and badly played riff that squeaks away behind the now standard indie drum beat, devoid of any change or imagination. Unfortunately for the song, the guitar insists on being just as annoying all the way through. Singer’s boring, Ian Curtis hand me down voice, covering the Manic Street Preachers but weak, very weak.

Make comes next and instantly strives to prove is just as much of a rip off indie track as it’s predecessor. So slow it’s making me extremely tired and bored. How people have the time to actually write and record this kind of run of the mill muck is beyond me. The hollowness of this band stands out a mile away and it’s pretty clear their personal communication to real music is a solid as sand.

It’s over thank Christ, next song Sprites. Oh J**** CH***, “It’s just our religion taking over, no-one wants to be that guy”. What the fuck are this band talking about? Whats this meant to be? The voice of a fucking generation? Political spokes persons of the music world? Get a fucking life lads. Try to actually write a decent song before you go thinking you can save the world with your music. Awful, worst I’ve heard in weeks. Skipping to the last song.

Scarfice is last (Thank Fuck!) and it’s just as slow, just as boring and just as useless as the others. Not even bothering to review it. If you thinks that’s unprofessional or unnecessarily rude and pointless, then stop reading, go listen to them and see what you think yourself.

Not a Tickets There Favourite to say the least. Avoid unless you have an addiction to self indulgence by a bunch of below par musicians and bad song writers.

MYSPACE REVIEW – DARK ROOM NOTES

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!!…

MYSPACE REVIEW – MASS EXTINCTION

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!

MYSPACE REVIEW – THE AMAZING FEW

Sitting in my normally sport-obsessed local of Friday, I was stunned to hear notes of music coming from the tele. The notes were those of The Amazing Few, who were on some Nationwide type of programme and the surprise was down to two and a half years of the head bar man reminding me what time the local emergency room closed at when ever I mentioned the possibility of sticking on VH1. Unfortunately for yours truly, the music only gave support to the idea that in my pub, sports dominate the viewing pleasures for the evening.

I don’t know who the Amazing Few are and after seeing them for a few minutes, I never wanted to hear them again…until I realized it’s been a while since I cut loose on some one. Who better the ridicule and criticize from afar than some half assed Indie / Bad Ska car crash like The Amazing Few.

As (almost) usual, I haven’t seen the band live or heard their album.

OK, lets get this started and out of the way quickly. Russian Girls starts like a childish folk piece. About 30 seconds in and here comes the bad ska. Pretty shit. “You went to India, you went to find some food”. Just seems I’ve found yet another band that hasn’t got the faintest fucking clue how to write a song. Really Shit, next!

Fairy Omar, hmm. Title kind of gives it away doesn’t it. Once again it’s shit. Wackyish, weak, annoying, Doesn’t hold your interest (unless you’re one of their fans….why?). Stronger than Russian Girls but not an excuse for writing it. Drags on ever so slightly by about three minutes and thirty one seconds.

Bruce Lee Movie Live is next (are you hearing my enthusiasm? because I haven’t got any for this pile). Once again, surprise surprise, a pile of shite. Pretty much continues the same sounding shite from the first track. I take back everything I said about the other bands I called the worst thing I’ve ever heard, The Amazing Few are quickly moving up the chart. Maybe some people like this bollocks, but not Tickets There. I think the major problem is that this is just another band who don’t actually know how to formulate a song and there seems to be a lot of them in Ireland Hell, there’s a lot of them in the world, but ….Ireland…. really loves to endorse this shit. Roll on recession (as long as it only affects the kind of people who write/buy or support this crap). May teach people value’s again.

Tomorrow only drags out the inevitable, my damning conclusion. I kind of have a grudge against them for having five songs on their MySpace. Ah well, it’s my decision to sit through it I suppose. What’s that you say? What do they sound like? Stop ranting and talk about the music you fucking retarded music critic piece of shit? Ah sorry, I’m glad you asked. The Amazing Few sounds like absolute bollocks. Bad everything all blended in together.

Finally it’s over. Bust It is easily my favourite song so far simply because it’s the last one. Actually, listening to it a little more, it is my favourite. It’s short and doesn’t have time to offend you much.

Conclusion – One of the worst, avoid like Fight Like Apes and Grand Pocket Orchestra.

MYSPACE REVIEW – WE SHOULD BE DEAD

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.

MYSPACE REVIEW – THE BROTHERS MOVEMENT

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

-www.myspace.com/thebrothersmovement