Author: birminghamreview

Words by Ed King / pic by Charli Rose

Friday 13^th December, Peace will be performing at the O2 Academy – brought to you by Birmingham Promoters.

On the road for ‘their biggest headline tours so far’, Peace return to the city centre venue after a significantly smaller homecoming back in April. Friday 13^th, auspicious for many reasons, will see Worcester’s Indie kings close out their 13 date UK tour, playing in the 02 Academy’s 3,000 capacity main arena. Exciting stuff.

Formed in 2010 (not counting any previous incarnations) and picked up by Columbia in 2012, Brothers Kossier & Co have seemingly lived the garage band dream over the past few years – hitting a zenith with their debut album, In Love, coming out in March this year.

Releasing album singles in quick succession, the (truly awesome) ‘Wraith’ was first out to play in January, followed by re-releases of ‘Follow Baby’ in March and ‘California Daze’ in April, and finally (the incongruously awful) ‘Lovesick’ being the last set free in June.

But despite a seemingly blessed rise to prominence, Peace made their mark the hard way (or the old way, at least) by building a solid local fan base and self releasing their debut single, ‘Follow Baby’, in April 2012. On 7” vinyl too, gaw’d bless ‘em.

Soon after, the media and majors started to take note (…which is where our story begins) and Peace quickly signed to Columbia – releasing EP Delicious in Sept 2012. ‘Wraith’ followed a few months later, confidently kickstarting the pre-album hype, and Peace prepared for a promising UK tour to push In Love. All good.

Then somewhere along the way ‘Lovesick’ happened, and the band that once described their style as “dark melodic indie techno” appeared to embrace a more marketable psychedelic pop approach; think Monkees not Leary.

And whilst Peace appear, from all the 3^rd party input we could garner, to be genuinely gregarious – and as much a rock and roll band as a rock and roll band should be, the sound of marketing mechanics is now subtly ever present.

As I write this preview the chorus to ‘Follow Baby’ runs round my head, as does the opening riff to ‘Bloodshake’; and Peace’s blistering attack on Binary Finary’s Trance anthem ‘1998’ is as ambitious and creative as any cover should be. But I also remember a shaky stage presence in April, limited love, and the spectre of self abuse casting shadows over a hometown crowd who really deserved more.

But when they get it right, Peace get it very right indeed. My fear is that the major label hunger for an easy image and quick fu… buck, will stifle this honestly bright band before they’ve had a chance to grow stronger and shine.

So it is with baited breath and fingers crossed, we once again shout:

Friday 13^th December, Peace will be performing at the O2 Academy – brought to you by Birmingham Promoters.

For more on Peace, visit http://peaceforeverever.co.uk/

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For more event listings at the O2 Academy Birmingham, visit http://www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk/

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/

Words by John Noblet, pics by Jonathan Morgan

With most Birmingham Review dispatches, I have some prior knowledge of whom I’m going to see and what the evening will entail. However before tonight’s gig I know very little about Har Mar Superstar.

I’ve heard the name, many years ago, but I can’t recall hearing any of his music. Those that have seen Har Mar before hint at him being somewhat shocking, so I avoid any contact with his music or videos prior to the gig – in order to maximise any potential surprise.

But before Har Mar Superstar we have Lizzo to contend with. She takes to the stage wearing black leggings, a short skirt, a blonde wig, a baseball cap with the word ‘grrl’ on it and a sweatshirt bearing the slogan ‘fuck nice’ (allow yourself a couple of seconds to roll the phrase ‘fuck nice’ around your brain, there’s more angles on it than you would think). Lizzo is joined on stage by Sophia Eris, who wears a matching baseball cap and takes her place behind a laptop at the back of the stage. There’s a couple of seconds’ preamble, then the speaker stacks explode with rumbling dubstep style bass and Lizzo‘s incredible rapping. By the end of the first song it’s clear she has everyone’s attention.

Put simply, Lizzo is a star rising rapidly. All her energies focused toward to the audience, utilising all she has to get her message across, she rarely puts a foot wrong up there – charming this shy crowd of Birmingham chin strokers to come closer to the stage and, you know, “make some motherfucking noise.”

And taking to the stage armed only with a backing track and some live backing vocals can be a bad move for many acts, however with Lizzo it seems like the correct choice, as not having any other musicians up there allows her all the more space to dance and perform.

And boy can Lizzo dance. At one point she claims “I invented twerking” and then proceeds to twerk the place to pieces, all eyes on her rotating arse. Her persona drips with classic Hip Hop attitude, balanced with cheek and self depreciation; bossing the crowd around one minute, and then mocking her own pushiness the next. This is Hip Hop at it’s thought provoking, booty shaking best – imaginative, compelling, passionate, bags of content, energy and intelligence; all the while never becoming too pretentious or clever. Lizzo, please get famous soon, Pop music needs you.

And Lizzo can sing, holding a pivotal role in Har Mar Superstar‘s backing band – who I now discover is a short, balding, rotund middle aged white man who can sing like a seventies Soul legend. The difference between Har Mar’s appearance and voice is the most shocking thing about the set to me, more shocking than his outrageous tasseled white leather jacket or his disturbing habit of whirling the mic around on the end of the lead (how is he so sure it isn’t going to fly off into the crowd and kill someone?).

I close my eyes as I’m pondering this, and sure enough I’m magically transported to somewhere in America about thirty five years ago, hearing some Soul Train hopeful put the world to rights with all his might. 

Another thing about Har Mar Superstar is that he’s funny, hilarious in fact. He might be one of the few performers I’ve seen who could just as easily work in comedy as in music. He’s more than aware that his appearance is more or less the exact opposite of what someone in his position should look like, and instead of being ashamed of this he makes it a feature.

Like towards the end of the set, when he pulls off his shirt mid song to reveal a proud, pale, solid looking gut, glistening with sweat. It’s a move that elicits a few laughs and a few cheers, but he’s a well travelled showman and knows exactly when to use such antics to pull the crowd’s attention back in, never allowing the comedic elements to distract from the main body of the show.

However something is lacking from Har Mar‘s set that was present in Lizzo‘s, and that thing is urgency. Whilst it’s difficult to imagine Har Mar playing a boring set, I didn’t feel like he really gave it everything he had (“how can you tell that Johnny?” I hear you ask – I am critic, I have special powers that you don’t).

In my opinion, Soul and Funk works best when the energy and emotion levels are pushed to such frightening intensity that it makes the average Gospel church look reserved. We’re not quite there tonight.

Admittedly this isn’t helped by such a reserved audience, some of whom look like they probably last lost it on a dance floor during the millennium celebrations. But I can’t help but feel Har Mar might be in a bit of a mid career rut – comfortable enough, with no need to prove himself and no radical changes in sight; he’s done this so many times its second nature to him. I can sense an extra level of insanity in Har Mar Superstar that he’s currently keeping hidden.

But it’s hard to dislike a man who sings the last song of his set standing on his head. And more than a couple of times tonight I’ve caught myself grinning like a loon. We’ve all heard classic Soul more often than we can remember, on car radios, pub sound systems, and shop public address systems; but it’s rare to experience it with such an unashamedly positive attitude. I find myself wishing he’d made a record with Amy Winehouse, maybe he could of found some joy in that magnificently moody voice.

And maybe tonight wasn’t his most passionate performance, but there’s more than enough on show to see Har Mar Superstar is undoubtedly a force for good. I‘ll be interested to find out what his next move is.

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For more on Har Mar Superstar, visit http://harmarsuperstar.com/

For more on Lizzo, visit http://lizzomusic.com/

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For more gigs at the Hare & Hounds, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings

For more gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/

 Words by Heather Judge

I didn’t see the support act, Paul Thomas Saunders, due to a queue to enter the room and eating squid with my sister. But I could hear him clearly as all the doors were open; it sounded like wailing, and there was nothing that made me want to leave my squid.

Lanterns on the Lake, however, I did get in to see; an odd mix, with a front woman – Hazel Wilde, who could be Lana Del Rey and Taylor Momsen’s long lost sister. And although Lantern on the Lake’s music comes from pure unadulterated talent, the band itself had no real stage presence. I’m not entirely sure they noticed their 150 spectators.

But the Geordie five piece were beautiful to listen to, especially with their original use of bells and violins, just sadly a little boring to watch.

After a half hour intermission, Frightened Rabbit (or Frabbits, as they’re known by their fans) finally graced the stage; the Scottish Rock all boy band entering as the epitome of Indie, with their plaid shirts, skinny jeans and converse trainers.

Frightened Rabbit consists of brothers Scott and Grant Hutchinson – on vocals and guitar respectively, Andy Monaghan and Gordan Skene – who both had a guitar in hand whilst taking turns to play the keyboard, and Billy Kennedy – on bass.

Their first track, ‘Holy’, didn’t have that electric spark generally expected for the opening song at a live gig, yet the crowd were enticed; like a snake to its charmer.

And throughout Frightened Rabbit’s set I couldn’t help but continue to crowd watch, with the audience seemingly entranced by the activity on stage. Perhaps so much so they forgot how to dance; even with more people ‘jigging’ than to Lanterns on the Lake it still seemed a little unenthusiastic.

Although Mr Hutchinson (the lead singer not the guitarist brother) did have a good sense of comedy, telling the crowd “This has to be the most slippery stage I’ve ever been on” before teasing them with a promise of Moonwalking. A promise he kept.

There isn’t really much for me to say about Frightened Rabbit, except that they weren’t my cup of tea (how British…). Even their most sung along song, ‘State Hospital’, seemed controversial to me; with lyrics such as ‘all thighs, hair and magpie handbags, Saturday’s uniform for the fuck me’parade’ and ‘but if blood is thicker than concrete’.

But I guess I was alone, in a room that seemed fervently following every antic on stage. But honestly, it was Frightened Rabbit’s loyal following that kept me most intrigued.

For more on Lanterns on the Lake, visit http://lanternsonthelake.com

For more on Frightened Rabbit, visit http://frightenedrabbit.com/

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For more form Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/