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March 23, 2018March 23, 2018

BPREVIEW: 30 Seconds to Mars @ Arena Birmingham 29.03.18

On Thursday 29^thMarch, Thirty Seconds to Mars will be performing at Arena Birmingham as part of their Monolith Tour.

Doors open at 7.30pm, with tickets priced from £37.60 (plus booking fee) as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

It has now been close to 20 years since we were introduced to Thirty Seconds to Mars, with their self titled debut album shooting them into the top end of the alternative music scene. Two decades later, the band are still rooted in rock but have evolved a sound that takes inspiration from a range of musical styles.

However, it was during 2005 that the Los Angles based three piece paved their way into commercial mainstream with the release of their sophomore album, A Beautiful Lie – containing singles such as ‘The Kill’, ‘Attack’ and the titular ‘A Beautiful Lie’. Moving away from the progressive and ‘space rock’ of their debut, A Beautiful Lie brought the band into a more personal context – as front man, Jared Leto, told the American broadcaster, USA Network, “on the first record I created a world, then hid behind it. With A Beautiful Lie, it was time to take a more personal and less cerebral approach.”

With a growing fan base, firmly rooted in the band’s music alone, Thirty Seconds to Mars would release of further two albums over the following decade – This Is War (2009) followed by Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). They would also win a cavalcade of awards, including a Guinness World Record for the longest concert tour by a rock band (just over 300 shows to be precise).

Then in November 2015, Thirty Seconds to Mars announced they were working on their fifth studio album – set for release in April 2018. So far two tracks have been released from America, with the album’s explosive and cinematic lead single, ‘Walk on Water’, hitting No1 on both the UK Rock and Metal and US Rock Airplay Billboard charts.

The supporting Monolith Tour was announced in October 2017, kicking off in Switzerland and coming over to the UK for five dates, starting with a show in Cardiff on 23^rd March and ending at Arena Birmingham on 29^th March – before heading back across the channel for shows in Portugal, Spain and a string of festival appearances.

‘Walk on Water’ – 30 Seconds to Mars

30 Seconds to Mars perform at Arena Birmingham on Thursday 29^th March, as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.arenabham.co.uk/whats-on/thirty-seconds-to-mars

For more on 30 Seconds to Mars, visit www.thirtysecondstomars.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more on Arena Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.arenabham.co.uk

March 19, 2018March 18, 2018

THE GALLERY: Feeder @ O2 Academy 14.03.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe / Pics by Phil Drury

“Satisfying but damaging in the long run.”

This is how, on the walk to the O2 Academy, my friend described my life decisions. Worryingly, it applies to most aspects of myself – my career, university, my student diet (sorry mum). It also applies to my music taste. Once I discover a band I love I can very easily run their music into the ground by playing them on repeat, which is exactly what I did with Feeder’s Echo Park album after my dad played it to me when I was younger.

Since then, I’ve viewed the band rather like how you’d see your distant relatives – comforting and nostalgic to begin with, but monotonous when listened to for hours on end. However, when Feeder announced a Best Of tour it only seemed fair to drop in and see if, after all these years, they still knew how to fire up a crowd.

Walking up to O2 Academy, I was stunned to see there was no queue. Had we come on the wrong day? Was security being surprisingly efficient on this particular Wednesday evening? Peeking our heads through the doors, we were greeted with a sight that would make even the most seasoned performer feel queasy – a half empty main room. Undeterred, we grabbed a drink from the bar and wandered through the sparse crowd to catch the support act.

First on were Sweet Little Machine, who won their support slot through a competition with Kerrang! Unsurprising really, as they reminded me of a reincarnation of Green Day just with better hair. Their singer coaxed the room into multiple singalongs – hardly a laborious task, considering most of the songs sounded the same. And yet, their charming demeanour swayed both me and the crowd, with song titles such as ‘Dickwad Prickface’ resulting in inexplicable laughter.

It’s clear to see that Feeder’s fanbase have not gone AWOL as we had predicted. On the contrary, as soon as Feeder took to the stage, the room suddenly swarmed with fans singing and dancing. Maybe booking 02 Academy’s main room wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

When Feeder announce a best of show, make yourselves comfortable – because you’re not leaving for a while. With a mammoth 24 song set you’re pretty much guaranteed to hear a song you know, even if you’re as forgetful and unobservant as I am. Of course, signature songs such as ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ went down a treat, but so did Feeder’s new material such as ‘Figure You Out’ which made it midway into the main set.

Visually the show was incredible too, with three large screens displaying various video clips that reminded me, nostalgically, of the kaleidoscope style clips I used to watch on Windows media player when I growing up. For a main room show, it was surprisingly personal too. Feeder‘s frontman and singer, Grant Nicholas, let the crowd choose between ‘Crash’ and ‘Cement’, candidly explaining the stories behind some of the bands most famous songs, from the writing to memorable performances.

Finishing their encore with their now iconic track ‘Just A Day’, it was clear to see why Feeder are still as popular as they were back in the 90’s. With a room teeming with fans both young and old, their music is as addictive now as it ever was. Which means I’m back to playing Echo Park on repeat for the next six weeks. Again.

Feeder @ O2 Academy 14.03.18 / Phil Drury – Birmingham Review

For more on Feeder, visit www.feederweb.com

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Sweet Little Machine – supporting Feeder @ O2 Academy 14.03.18 / Phil Drury – Birmingham Review

For more on Sweet Little Machine, visit www.soundcloud.com/sweetlittlemachine

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

March 7, 2018March 7, 2018

BPREVIEW: Feeder @ O2 Academy 14.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 14^th March, Feeder perform at the O2 Academy Birmingham – with support from Sheffield’s ‘one to watch’ pop/punk four piece, Sweet Little Machine. Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £31.45 – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Formed in 1994, as Seattle’s SubPop phenomena let go of the rock reigns, Feeder wasted little time in establishing themselves in the decade’s maelstrom of new music – garnering a demo based deal from the Chrysalis subsidiary, The Echo Label, in the same year they started. No stranger to the trials, tribulations, and changing hands of the live music circuit, all three original members had been working musicians before Feeder finally brought them together, with the artistry and ethics needed for a new band to be taken seriously.

But everything good starts with graft, and after a solid couple of years touring and releasing singles, Feeder got their debut Swim EP on shelf in 1996. The band’s follow up release and debut album, Polythene, was lauded by the rock press, with Metal Hammer giving it the No1 spot on their annual albums chart and Kerrang! likewise at No6.

Feeder’s balloon continued to rise as their sophomore LP, Yesterday Went Too Soon, entered the UK charts at No8 – with three of the album’s four singles breaking the Top 40 (‘Paperfaces’, the forth single, reached No41). Then in 2001, Feeder released Echo Park, with the band’s third studio album entering the UK charts at No5, reaching Gold status, and allaying any industry concerns about their pocket filling potential. Ah, the joys of creative cash flow…

But Feeder’s commercial zenith would also be their darkest time, as between the release of Echo Park and the band’s most commercially successful album, Comfort in Sound, drummer and founding member Jon Lee committed suicide. Mark Richardson took over the skins for Feeder in 2002, staying with them until reformation of Skunk Anansie in 2009 and handing his sticks to Solihull born Karl Brazil.

A workhorse of British rock, over their two decade and counting career Feeder have released 10 studio albums – their latest, Arrow, being morphed into a 41 track double LP, with a collection of what encompasses nearly all of the band’s singles.

Feeder are now bringing their new and old material to stages across the UK with The Best of Feeder Tour, landing at the O2 Academy Birmingham on 14^th March. And if you needed it, here’s a refresher from both sides of this particular rock rainbow.

‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ – Feeder (from Comfort in Sound 2001)

‘Veins’ – Feeder (from Arrow 2016)

Feeder bring The Best of Feeder Tour to the O2 Academy Birmingham on Wednesday 14^th March, with support from Sweet Little Machine – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/events/1021733/feeder-best-tour-tickets

For more on Feeder, visit www.feederweb.com

For more on Sweet Little Machine, visit www.soundcloud.com/sweetlittlemachine

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham