Failsafe, The Perfect Crime + Radicus – Club Revolution (Peterborough), 24/09/10

Having just appeared on everyone’s favourite juvenile comedy show The Inbetweeners earlier in the week, Failsafe seem to be edging closer to the top of that glass ceiling. Considering the fickle nature of casual music fans, it wouldn’t have been foolish to think that tonight’s gig would have been packed to the rafters with excitable youngsters hoping to catch a glimpse of a band that was on the box. Unfortunately the E4 hype machine obviously wasn’t working properly as turnout was pretty bog standard, a reflection on the town however, not the line-up…

Radicus have always been frustrating, as they are the kind of band that should be playing to a packed hometown crowd and touring the country with their infectious brand of technical yet melodic punk rock. Throughout the years they have progressed into a well-oiled unit, and tonight they showcased their obvious talent as they blasted out each aggressive anthem. Lee’s impressive voice cut through the skilful guitar lines with added help from powerful backing vocals. If Rise Against experimented a bit more on their riff-writing, they might sound a little like Radicus.

Next up were St Neots’ The Perfect Crime. They play progressive rock which sounds pretty huge considering there are only a three piece. The songs were atmospheric and intricate, and managed to keep the crowd interested despite not being everyone’s cup of tea.

For years Failsafe have toiled through the UK toilet circuit, notching up an impressive amount of gigs and supporting some sizeable bands along the way. The kind of band that appeal to a wide range of music palates due to their vast array of influences, Failsafe are always a pleasure to watch, and tonight was no different. Drawing heavily from their last album ‘The Truth Is…’, the band smashed out each song as if it was the last song they would ever play, with heaps of energy and enthusiasm. The crowd was treated to a couple of new songs that sounded BIG, and catchier than a swine flu epidemic. The band's effortless transition from complex and delicate instrumental parts to balls-out punk rock is extremely impressive. If Failsafe ever manage to break through the tough roof that encloses the UK punk/alternative scene, it’ll be their obvious knack of writing brilliant hits that gets them there, not a bit-part on a flavour-of-the-season comedy show.

Album Review: The Hacks - On Record With...

I’ve realised recently that I am very picky when it comes to genres of music that end in ‘billy’; especially when bands that are grouped using the aforementioned suffix incorporate elements of ‘punk’ into their sound. With that in mind I was a bit wary when I read the write-up on The Hacks, but I shouldn’t have worried.

Hailing from the south-west, this relatively new three-piece give a fresh take on the ‘punk & roll’ genre. If you imagine The Peacocks songs played without a double-bass but with an extra dose of 50’s influence, you’d be along the right lines.

A hefty measure of song-writing talent is brazenly apparent while listening to this CD - ‘Up Sticks’ is up there with The Living End’s greatest tunes, while ‘I Won’t Feel Bad’ draws heavily from the classic rockabilly tracks of the 20th century.

There’s no pretence about this seven-track record, it’s just a collection of well-executed pop songs. ‘Stand Down’ starts like a Blondie track, and yet moves into The Hives territory seamlessly, which showcases the range of influences the band can draw from.

For people who are fans of the ‘punk & roll’ genre, The Hacks are a must. It’s fun and easy to listen to, and their short sharp injections of energy could even keep the attention of people with just a fleeting interest, for half an hour at least.

Album Review: Ducking Punches - S/T

As most people will know, reviewing a friend’s musical output is always tough, so I’m going to try to be as unbiased as possible during this review.

Ducking Punches is the stage moniker for Dan Allen, with the occasional help of some extra backing vocals and violin playing. His debut album is a collection of well-written folk driven acoustic punk rock numbers, which at times seem like they’re drenched in whisky, southern USA style.

The most pertinent feature of this full length is the thoroughly thought out song structures. No song sounds the same, with each track having its own identity. There’s the jaunty folk-punk ditty ‘Punk Rock Girl’, the Chuck Ragan-esque ‘Out For The Count’, and ‘Adventures Of My Liver And Lungs’ that could easily be a Frank Turner b-side, all sitting comfortably side-by-side on this album.

My personal favourite however has to be ‘D.I.Y Or Die’ – a proud homage to the UK’s punk rock scene. I can easily hear the chorus becoming a group sing-a-long moment at DP gigs over the coming months.

There are however some odd effects used on the vocals in certain places – an echo in ‘Wolf’ doesn’t seem necessary but maybe it’s just personal taste. I also feel that every now and then the vocals are strained needlessly; Dan’s got a good vocal range but there are a handful of occasions where he strays out of it.

On the whole though, this is a very strong release. While some songs are better than others, there is no filler, and Dan manages to engage you throughout. If you’re a fan of Frank or Chuck, I’d certainly recommend Ducking Punches.

Blog attempt No. 2.

Welcome to my second attempt at keeping an up-to-date blog. I had mediocre success previously (http://themediocremessage.wordpress.com), but this time I aim to step it up a gear, maybe get a bit of help from some friends, and provide anyone that stumbles across this page with reviews, news, interviews and possibly a bit of 'art' thrown in.