Table Scraps

February 6, 2020

BREVIEW: The Devil and Saint Joseph @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.20

Words by Hassan Ul-Haq / Pics by Sam Frank Wood Photography

(Ed’s note: This review was taken from the This Is Tmrw 2020 Season Launch Party at the Hare & Hounds, with The Devil and Saint Joseph playing alongside Coffee Breath, MUTES, The Cosmics, Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, and Table Scraps.

Tackling a somewhat mammoth sized line up, we opted to cherry pick a band we’ve not reviewed before… may the Gods of garage-punk-indie-rock forgive us.)

When coming across the Birmingham music scene, in particular the fuzz esc locality of various bands across the city, you begin to familiarise yourself with those artists. Whether it be through their artistic and stylistic choices, or for their various side-projects.

That being said, The Devil and Saint Joseph might be familiar to many – as two of its members, Joe Joseph and Emily Doyle, where once part of the Trash-Blues band The Hungry Ghosts. Now that the former is dead, from the ashes rises a new project. Alongside guitarist Billy Beale, the new trio create a live experience that is immersive and experimental as it is engaging and mesmerising.

Opening the stage for the This is Tmrw 2020 Launch night (which had an array of incredible bands performing) The Devil and Saint Joseph kicked off the evening in a way I’ve not seen any local band do for a long time. Performing alongside a projector, that plays a fictional film created by front man Joe Joseph, their music is filled with various influences of country and psychedelic blues that immerses the audience into the creation of this new project.

Seeing The Devil and Saint Joseph play live for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking they are an American band with the Velvet Underground sensibilities and elements of The Psychedelic Furs. Front man, Joe Joseph, oozes an eerie mystique, one that is partially due to his love of Americana across both film and music. Singing songs like ‘Hollywood Babylon’, which showcase a different Joe Joseph from his previous incarnation, it is as if he has just been resurrected and born anew – reaching a new level of reinvention in the local scene.

We shouldn’t forget the contribution of the other members, who help to deliver a great performance. Emily Doyle – taking the stage as a drummer, keyboardist and programmer – layers the tracks with pounding percussion (especially on songs like ‘A Season of Crime’) and has some incredible vocal chops to add as well.

Whilst guitarist, Billy Boyle, delivers some incredible blues riffs that would make Muddy Waters blush. Boyle’s range on the fretboard often helps set the tone and are the highlight of the song ‘Motel Dreams’ – I a track straight out of the 60s psychedelic era. Again, you would be forgiven to think that the track was a Cream B-Side.

I like to think The Devil and Saint Joseph come from an alternative world, a world where their music is from an American TV serial based in a small city with a population of 51,201. I like to think they perform in a venue called The Roadhouse.

But for now, they are an Earth bound Birmingham band that everyone needs to check out – especially live, to experience the immersive nature of the music. Where they go next, we’ll have to wait and find out.

For more on The Devil and Saint Joseph, visit www.facebook.com/thedevilandsaintjoseph

**The Devil and Saint Joseph will be playing at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 8^th February, supporting Japanese Television – with Mutes also supporting. Promoted by Killer Wave, for more gig info and links to online tickets click here**

For more from This Is Tmrw, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.thisistmrw.co.uk

For more on the Hare & Hounds, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

________

NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual aggression in the music industry and beyond – from dance floor to dressing room, everyone deserves a safe place to play.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any issues surrounding sexual violence – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK website.

July 25, 2019March 29, 2022

INTERVIEW: The Cosmics

Interview by Abi Whistance/To the Local – Pic by Jessica H Ingram Photography

In June 2019, The Cosmics released their self-titled debut EP – a six track eponymous monster of noise rock, twisted indie, a splodge of Mazzy Star and some of the fastest guitar feet in the Midlands. We salute you and your ten toes Mr Boyle (the one standing up).

Celebrating with an out of town gig at Hackney’s The Old Blue Last on the BIG DAY itself, The Cosmics had previously introduced their new material with a launch party for the EP’s lead single, ‘Trust is Blind’, at The Sunflower Lounge back in November 2018.

A step away from the DIY garage rock that they started with, through singles such as their 2016 debut ‘Johnny’, the gig was a chance for their home town crowd to get a live look at The Cosmics’ new material – to read Ed King’s Birmingham Review of ‘Trust is Blind’, click here.

But never ones to rest of their laurels for too long, The Cosmics laid out a diary chock full of dates across the UK and Europe to promote their EP – bouncing around from Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton, London, Belgium and Paris until July this year.

And as their latest single, ‘Eyes’, grabs the attention of Radio 1, The Cosmics are coming back to Blighty to support Table Scraps at the Hare & Hounds on Friday, 26 July – with local prog/psych rockers, Nosuch, also performing.

Abi Whistance and To the Local (with Birmingham Review holding the camera case) caught up with The Cosmics the last time they were at the Hare & Hounds, supporting Feels, in June – grabbing a few words with the Birmingham three piece before the headed out on stage. Watch the full interview below.

Interview with The Cosmics @ Hare & Hounds 30.06.19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRYdhr2KRzo

The Cosmics’ debut, self-titled EP is out now – available to stream through Spotify, with limited edition vinyl available through The Cosmics’ social media. For more on The Cosmics, visit www.facebook.com/thecosmicsband

February 23, 2018

ALBUM: Autonomy – Table Scraps 23.02.18

Words by Ed King / Lead pic by Meg Lavender

Reasons to be cheerful: 1) Winter has fucked off, 2) Winter II has also fucked off, 3) It’s Friday, 4) Table Scraps’ new album, Autonomy, has been set free into the wild.

I’m feeling a little spring in my step, pun intended, so the ten-track-quick-hit-monster that is Autonomy could not have come at a better time. Just when I’m starting to plan my Fear & Loathing summer road trips, Table Scraps have come along with the perfect soundtrack to a bit of windows down anarchy.

Opening with ‘Sick of Me’ (which has a gloriously literal video – see below) the repeated riffs and dual vocals punch through with simplicity and style. Ain’t alliteration ace..? Garage rock as its most gorgeous, the 2 ¼ min opener sets us up for the slightly faster and drum punched ‘Always Right’, before a little dark self (kinda/sorta) deprecation with ‘I’m a Failure’. “I hate everything I do”… surely not. “And it’s all because of you”. Fair enough.

It’s difficult not to review this album track by track, but if you can listen to ‘Takin’ Out the Trash’ without thinking of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with elephantiasis of the kahunas… awesome stuff. Then just past the midway point we get the album’s lead single, ‘My Obsession’, which Birmingham Review saw smash itself into the world at the Hare & Hounds back in April 2017. ‘Fierce and threatening, in a good way, like some clever simile involving Christian Slater and a Magnum .44’ were the words I used then, and I’m sticking with ‘em.

And whilst the first half of Autonomy was full of summer fun and ferocity, like Day #3 of a barbecue hosted by The Beach Boys and the Ramones, the latter half turns a little more dark and twisted. As David Lynch gatecrashes with “some special meat for the flames… sshhh, just eat”.

‘Frankenstein’ leads the charge with some oil drum vocals and good ol’ fashion twisted blues rock, before one of my favourites, ‘Treat Me Like Shit’, stomps out with a heavy drum spinal chord and guitar lead skin from the off. I’m pretty sure there’s a Theremin in there too, but I can’t be certain. ‘More Than You Need Me’ pulls the foot off the gas a tiny, weeny, little bit, but makes up for any perceived loss by stretching it across the longest song on the album – before Autonomy comes to a close with the lighter, almost jangly, ‘Do It All Over Again’. Which is ironically what I did. And again…

A pretty ball out of the park release from one of Birmingham’s best bands (any beyond, but fuck it – a bit of civic pride), Autonomy is a step up from an outfit that didn’t have much room to maneuver in that direction to begin with. And if you didn’t know, Table Scraps will be unleashing this particular beast at an album launch party at the Hare & Hounds on 2^nd March – presented by This Is Tmrw, with support from Yo No Se, The Hungry Ghosts, Captain Süün and a DJ set from Black Mekon.

Otherwise, or even as well as, go out and get yourself a copy of this album – for the tiny rays of sunshine expected this year WILL MEAN LITTLE without it. Fast, ferocious, fun fun FUN, Autonomy is full of summer smashing rock and roll goodness. TVs and toll booths beware.

‘Sick of Me’ – Table Scraps

Table Scraps release their latest album, Autonomy, on Friday 23^rd February – with a nationwide tour, kicking off at the Foodhall in Sheffield (23^rd Feb) and coming to the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham (2^nd Mar). For direct info on the Autonomy album launch party at the Hare and Hounds, click here.

For more on Table Scraps, including full tour dates and online purchase points for Autonomy, visit www.table-scraps.bandcamp.com

For more from This is Tmrw, visit www.thisistmrw.co.uk

For more from the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

February 1, 2018February 2, 2018

ED’S PICK: February 2018

Words by Ed King

The shortest month of the year is here. Luckily it’s also the turning point, as life starts to push up through the thaw and Percy Thrower can start planning his planters. OK, bad example, but there’s a joke about daisies in the somewhere.

But luckily for us mortal coilers, the venues and promoters of this city are still packing a pretty heavy punch with February’s event calendar. If there truly is no rest for the wicked, then it seem incongruous that anyone got Christmas presents this year.

Comedy starts strong with the ‘queen of the acerbic broad smile’, or Katherine Ryan as she’s known in other publications, bringing her Glitter Room tour to the Symphony Hall (2^nd Feb) – a week before the Machynlleth Comedy Festival Showcase (9^th Feb) comes to mac with Joe Lycett, Tom Parry, Mike Bubbins, Rachel Parris and Danny Clives. Then it’s back to the Glee Club for a little end of the month self help, as Lloyd Griffiths (23^rd Feb) walks us through what it’s like to feel in:Undated in ‘a show about overcoming the overwhelming.’ I call them mornings, but we’ll see what he brings to the table.

Hurst Street is the home of dance this month, with Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella coming to the Hippodrome (6^th – 10^th Feb) whilst round the corner DanceXchange and Mark Bruce Company present a reworking of Macbeth (8^th-9^th Feb). And no doubt making St Valentine’s Day less of a massacre for many in this city, see what I did there, Birmingham Royal Ballet present The Sleeping Beauty back at the Hippodrome (13^th – 24^th Feb).

Music has everyone from the soon to be great to the already good coming through the city, kicking off with a cross city battle between Peach Club at The Sunflower Lounge (6^th Feb) and While She Sleeps at the O2 Institute (6^th Feb). A week later we have Iron & Wine at Symphony Hall (13^th Feb), followed by Bedford’s alt rockers Don Bronco at the O2 Academy (15^th Feb) as Dermot Kennedy plays the O2 Institute (15^th Feb). A day later there’s Mondo Royale spicing it up at the Actress & Bishop (16^th Feb) bringing a few different strands of your music rainbow across our city. In the days after that, we see Cabbage at the Castle & Falcon (17^th Feb), one not to be missed, The Ataris at The Asylum (17th Feb), Irit at the Glee Club (19^th Feb), Laura Misch at the Hare & Hounds (20^th Feb), Big Cat at the Indie Lounge in Selly Oak (23^rd Feb) and Puma Blue at The Sunflower Lounge (24^th Feb).

All the ‘big gigs’ this month are at the Genting Arena, in the shape of Imagine Dragons (24^th Feb) and the man himself, or one of them at least, Morrissey (27^th Feb). But there’s a few home grown releases this month worth saving your sheckles for too, as Amit Datani releases his debut solo album – Santiago (17^th Feb) and Table Scraps send another fuzz monster into the world with their latest long player – Autonomy (23^rd). Watch out for March’s listings for showcase gigs from both.

Exhibitions come from a multitude of angles this month, with the two blips on our radar being Factory Warhol at The Sunflower Lounge (10^th Feb) and The Dekkan Trap from Sahej Rahal in mac’s First Floor Gallery (17^th Feb) – with a few ancillary events to introduce both the artist and exhibition.

Some suitable love story based theatre starts treading the boards in this most Hallmark of months, with Penguins (1^st –10^th Feb) and Brief Encounter (2^nd– 17^th Feb) coming to the Birmingham REP, as The Last Five Years get played out at The Old Joint Stock (14^th – 18^th Feb). Then it’s the arguably less seductive A History of Heavy Metal with Andrew O’Neill & Band in mac’s Theatre (18^th Feb), before the award winning Mental has a three day at The Old Joint Stock (21^st – 23^rd Feb) and Terence Rattigan’s The Windslow Boy begins it’s run at REP (21^st Feb – 3^rd Mar). And for one night only each, LEFTY SCUM: Josie Long, Jonny & The Baptists and Grace Petrie present a mix bag of ‘Music! Comedy! Revolutionary socialism’ again in mac’s Theatre (27^th Feb) whilst back at The Old Joint Stock there is single An Act of Kindness (28^th Feb) to round off the month. But don’t worry, it’ll be back in March.

So, enough to keep you lovebirds busy this month – or to distract the kings and queens of singledom on that depressing light letter box day. But whether you face this world alone or together there’s always Fight Club for £1 at The Mockingbird Kitchen & Cinema (12^th Feb). Cheaper than a card, at least.

For more on any of the events listed here, click on the highlighted hyperlink. Ed King is Editor-in-Chief of Review Publishing, which issues both the Birmingham Review and Birmingham Preview.

September 22, 2017

BREVIEW: Beyond The Tracks… Saturday @ Eastside Park 16.09.17

Words by Damien Russell / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

Morning has broken. Seemingly over my head. The choices of the night before, prompted by the engaging festival feel and the desire to get all dance-y, now seem like a catalogue of errors. The chance of getting breakfast slips away; I am forced to embrace the fact that lunch and a recovery pint are the only way forward.

And so, being in a pub already, this is what we do. Down the stairs, to the bar, a sandwich and a couple of pints of something light. Back to my usual self again. Ish. Thank goodness we didn’t try to do the ‘4am finishing’ after party or today may have been lost.

The Old Crown feels further away from the Beyond The Tracks festival site today, as Paul and I wend our way through the town. We make it through the entrance process to find Carl Barât and the Jackals both looking and sounding cool. They’re a good choice for the festival daytime being slightly rocky, slightly punky, and slightly indie; a good balance of appeal across the audience.

They’re energetic but not so energetic it puts my shuffling state to shame, and while no one song stands out the set overall is good. Something in their deportment keeps screaming ‘LONDON’ at me, but I would be hard pressed to say exactly what.

After this solid introduction to Beyond The Tracks’ Saturday programme, the festival’s second stage hosts Sandinistas from South Wales. Sporting a bass made more of tape than wood, an approachable charm, and punk rock to knock your socks off they’re a total change of atmosphere. Upbeat and fun, with some excellent banter from lead singer/guitarist, Dan Hagerty, Sandinistas do a great job of entertaining; Beyond The Tracks is the first time I’ve seen this band but I would be keen to catch them again.

Following Sandinistas, local lads The Twang take to the main stage. The Twang are a band I’ve heard a lot about but never seen before so, while I have an idea what to expect, I’m not too surprised to find my initial idea was totally wrong. It can happen. Musically reminiscent of The Streets in some ways, The Twang bring an urban edge to the day which, while not entirely my cup of hot beverage, does mix things up nicely.

The real star of the show is Phil Etheridge, having a laugh with the audience and swigging from a can of Red Stripe. Etheridge makes full use of the stage, which I like, and while I can’t help feeling his voice isn’t as strong as it could be, with the band covering the music and Etheridge covering the performance The Twang deliver and engaging and enjoyable set.

A quick trip to the bar is in order while The Americas finish setting up; as they get started I’m reminded why I was looking forward to seeing them. Although I’m slightly surprised they’re on the second stage as I would have expected their ‘American road trip’ styled rock to be ideal main stage material.

Somebody has to take the smaller stage though and with a solid, easily accessible sound The Americas make it their own. Still reminding me of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in some ways, they continue the trend of bands either winning me over musically or by performance, but not both; it’s unfortunate, but with each of them being tied to an instrument the performance is a little static.

I think it’s fair to say at this point that, while I try not to be biased, with three such different days it’s incredibly difficult not to have a preference in some way. So, I give up and admit to myself that this, the middle day, is almost certainly going to be my favourite of the Beyond The Tracks triptych. That confessed, I have an open mind towards The Coral while also half expecting them to follow the day’s pattern and wow me with their performance over their music.

They don’t. The Coral are pretty static visually but musically their back-catalogue shines; ‘In the Morning’, as you may expect, goes down exceptionally well. The crowd is building up now and with more people comes more applause, more appreciation and more singing along. I was never massively into The Coral when they first hit the charts and found their sound to be confusing, somehow both new and old at the same time. Something about that always put me off a little bit but seeing them live, but they win me over at Beyond The Tracks and I plan to delve a little deeper when safely offsite.

It’s pit-stop time, following The Coral, and while I hate to miss any of Table Scraps’ performance having seen them earlier in the year I know they’ll do a top job. I do wonder if it’s the wrong day for them though, and to my mind they would possibly have been a better fit for Sunday. The good and bad thing with festivals, in equal measure, is that there’s always so much going on that you can’t catch everything. Plus at some point there must be a welfare break, and right now the Persian Kitchen is calling. And then the bar.

Sadly then, the last number is all I catch of Table Scraps’ set, but the crowd seem to be fully on board and I’m sure they’ve hit it as hard as they usually do.

This of course means that Maxïmo Park are about to start on the main stage. Having reviewed their latest album, Risk to Exist, earlier in the year and not being too impressed with it, I’m not holding much hope for their live set. If I’m honest, I’m almost biding my time until Ocean Colour Scene.

What a mistake. As soon as they start I can see and hear that Maxïmo Park mean business. The sound is spot on and they look cool; proper ‘rock-star’ cool. By the end of the first song, Maxïmo Park win me over and I’ve move as close as I can get to the stage.

Paul Smith, in particular, is excellent – climbing on the monitors, striding across the stage and generally coming across like a caged tiger. The band start with ‘What Did We Do To You To Deserve This?’ and power through to ‘Our Velocity’ and beyond. My biggest surprise of the day and a band I would heartily recommend seeing live.

At this point the crowd is super dense, so there’s not much chance of getting too close to Superfood on the second stage, but they sound decent from where I can get to (which you may have guessed is the bar). Musically they make a good follow on to Maxïmo Park and while the second stage doesn’t quite offer the same opportunity for a ‘big show’, Superfood maintain both the atmosphere and the crowd set by their predecessors.

In fact, with Ocean Colour Scene ever closer to coming on stage the crowd is swelling more than ever. And although the announcement of a reduced-price Sunday ticket for Saturday ticket holders gets a mixed reaction, the crowd is clearly buzzing with anticipation for the Saturday night headliners.

They sound great too. All the concerns I had about another situation like The Twang are instantly put to bed; Simon Fowler hasn’t lost any vocal clarity or power over the years, and Steve Craddock is as dexterous on the fretboard as he ever was. More so, perhaps, as he makes everything seem effortless.

In fact they all do, yet somehow that doesn’t come across well. It’s the same situation that has occurred throughout the day; musically Ocean Colour Scene are just as good live as on the records, they’re just not very visual.

They don’t seem to have brought much in the way of staging or lighting, with the band members almost fixed to their spots onstage. Ocean Colour Scene have also chosen quite a downbeat set for a headline act, starting with ‘Profit In Peace’ which in my mind is more of an anthemic closer than an opener.

That said, Ocean Colour Scene deliver all the back catalogue bucket list hits and the crowd singing along to ‘The Day We Caught The Train’ is a beautiful thing. Clearly Birmingham still has a great soft spot for this once Moseley mob, and while the atmosphere on stage could be better the atmosphere in the audience is something to behold.

As the last echoes of the amplifiers fade away, Beyond The Tracks’ Saturday crowd begins to move slowly back towards the city centre. I find it hard to imagine anyone not having had a good time today – passing happy face after happy face as we head back to our temporary nest at The Old Crown. Two down, one more to go.

Jaws – Beyond The Tracks @ Eastside Park 16.09.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe