Cobra Starship, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, Wednesday 10th February 2010.

From the outside the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire looks impressive. A tall, towering building, it's got history and a personality much better suited as a music venue rather than the BBC Television Theatre it used to be. However, the queue was not so impressive. Considering we arrived over half an hour late I was surprised to see the doors still firmly shut and the queue winding all the way up the street. I was even more surprised when a truck pulled up alongside the queue and a woman inside proceeded to jump out and begin offering free cans of Monster (the energy drink) to all us stunned spectators. For some reason, she passed right by the two of us without a glance and I was ever so slightly offended. Inside, the view was even more impressive but the unorganised cloakroom let the venue down. 7.5/10.

Personally, I always like to catch the support bands when I go to gigs. I like to think they create some hype amongst the crowd and get things going. But sometimes they don't. By the time we got inside, the first support band had taken to the stage and a strange screechy wailing filled the room. At first I didn't pay attention as I was too busy heading for the merch table but when I began to listen I immediately had the urge to push ear plugs as far inside my ears as possible. On the stage were a group of girls who looked like they should have spent less time on their appearance and more time learning to play their instruments. You think I'm harsh? No, they were just crap. 10/100... Oh wait, I almost forgot to mention their name. The Plasticines.

You would have thought that the next band would be a significant improvement. I mean, surely ANY band would be a significant improvement. Sadly, I was wrong. Family Force 5 were a complete disaster, parading around the stage with 'Hulk Hands' pretending to have 'moves'. To be honest, it was possibly the most cringeworthy sight I have ever seen but at least they gave me something to laugh at for half an hour. 15/100. www.myspace.com/familyforce5

Finally, Cobra Starship took to the stage. After years (and I mean years) of waiting for this gig, I couldn't help but smile. Bring on the party! But after all that waiting, were they worth it? The answer to that is yes and no. To sum it up there were some good points and there were some unexpected negatives. So I'll start with the bad... When I first entered the venue I commented on the good sound quality but during Cobra Starship's set there seemed to be some kind of major fault that nobody bothered to fix. The sound was muffled and I could barely hear the instruments. Then there were the many speeches of Gabe Saporta. Don't get me wrong, I like a band to interact with their crowd but there is such a thing as over-doing it and by over-doing it I mean spending approximately a whole third of the set talking about Gabe's views on the world. Toward the end of one of these talks, the crowd got so fed up that they started chanting something along the lines of "Play a song!" I felt bad for Gabe but it's what we were all thinking. The other negative was the lack of enthusiasm from the rest of the band. While Gabe put everything he had (maybe a little too much) into his performance, the other band members looked slightly bored, which eventually turned into downright miserable. To be honest though, I can't really blame them. They just wanted to play some music. After that little rant I would like to move onto the positive. When they eventually got round to playing a song, they played well. And they played all their best songs; Good Girls Go Bad, Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous, Hot Mess, The City Is At War, Kiss My Sass, Smile For The Paparazzi, Send My Love To The Dancefloor... and The Church Of Hot Addiction. A perfect setlist for Cobra Starship. But the real highlights of the night were The Scene Is Dead; Long Live The Scene (which surprised me) and my personal favourite Guilty Pleasure during which the whole crowd joined in with the Guilty Pleasure dance. It may not have been the best gig ever but despite all my criticisms, it WAS a good gig and I would see them again. Fangs up. 70/100. www.myspace.com/cobrastarship













Photos courtesy of Laura :)

NOTE; Gemma wasn't here :'(

Lostprophets, Margate Winter Gardens, Tuesday 9th February 2010.

A word of advice: Always be prepared for cold weather. Especially in Britain.

So, back to the dreary Winter Gardens again. Much like before, walking into the Winter Gardens gave me the impression that I'd walked straight into some kind of Stamp Collecting Convention but one look at the crowd thankfully proved me wrong. However, unlike before, the entire back wall had miraculously disappeared to reveal rows of additional seats. I'm still confused as to how this happened and so, because the staff at the Winter Gardens can make walls disappear, I'm bumping the score up to 4/10.

From what I can remember, the first band of the night were called Hexes. I think I may have once said that the bass can never be too loud but after standing next to the speakers throughout their whole set, my ears suffered a little too much damage and so I take it back. As to their music, it was generally just a little bit too messy for my liking. There were times when they sounded half-decent but as a whole all I have to say is "No." 30/100. http://www.myspace.com/hexes

Which brings us onto Kids In Glass Houses. Having seen them a few times before, I'd previously arrived at the judgement that they (for some reason) are better as a support band. That's not to say that I don't enjoy their live sets. I was extremely excited about seeing them again but for once, I was sadly disappointed. They lacked something but I still can't put my finger on what it was. The only way to phrase it is that their sound didn't really FILL the room and so it failed to have an impact on me. I stand by what I said, I still prefer them as a support band but I'd like them to prove me wrong. 50/100. http://www.myspace.com/kidsinglasshouses





And so we have reached the headliners. I've always expected Lostprophets to be a loud, bold, in your face band when it comes to their live performances and I was proved half right. They weren't the most chatty band and the little that Ian said I couldn't understand at all (and that's not because he's welsh), it may just be because his microphone was turned down a little bit too low. However, unlike KIGH, their music definitely had an impact on the crowd. It echoed through every corner of the room and everyone was moving like someone had given them a giant electric shock. All of the well-known favourites were played; Last Train Home, Last Summer, A Town Called Hypocrisy, Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast) and Can't Catch Tomorrow while new songs Dstryr/Dstryr, It's Not The End Of The World But I Can See It From Here, Next Stop, Atro City and in particular A Better Nothing proved to any doubters (including me) that their new album IS good. However, the real highlights of the night were Burn Burn which evoked a crazy mosh pit, Where We Belong and their cover of The Prodigy's Omen which was unexpectedly brilliant. 80/100. http://www.myspace.com/lostprophets







Photos courtesy of Laura :)

NOTE; Gemma's ratings;
Venue: 6/10
Hexes: 40/100
Kids In Glass Houses: 60/100
Lostprophets: 82/100

Kerrang! Relentless Tour, Camden Roundhouse, Friday 5th February 2010.

So it was back to the Camden Roundhouse for us as we went to check out this year's Kerrang! Relentless Tour. One thing that the Roundhouse must be congratulated on is the speed at which they get the crowd inside. Considering we were at the back of the queue I was impressed that we got inside in about 15 minutes. The actual venue was pretty much exactly the same but I liked it more the second time round. Don't ask me why... 7/10.

Sadly (or maybe not so sadly) we missed the first band and spent their set on the London Underground. I'm not quite sure why we arrived late, it was probably the Underground cocking things up in typical style. Anyway, the only thing I have to go on is that they got a few half-hearted claps later on which suggests that they were most likely your average band.

Due to this misfortune we also missed about half of Young Guns set too. Never fear though, we made it upstairs in time to catch the last few songs. Having never heard them before I didn't really know what to expect but they gave a solid performance and sounded pretty decent to me. 60/100 because I only heard a few songs. http://www.myspace.com/youngguns

Taking to the stage next were My Passion. Now, I'm aware that Prejudice (the foul monster) is never a good thing but based on what I'd previously seen in magazines, I honestly thought they were going to be (to put it bluntly) s***. So I loved the fact that they proved me wrong. Indeed, appearances can be deceptive. They may look like 'emos' (hence my prejudiced views) but they were actually an immensely entertaining band. 70/100. http://www.myspace.com/mypassion

So, The Blackout? You either love them or you hate them. Or, if you're me, you spend ages hating them and then wake up one morning, give them another listen and think "Actually, I quite like them." This was my second time seeing them but my first time seeing them AND knowing any of their songs. They played a hugely enjoyable set and were always getting the crowd involved whether it be zombie impressions, getting everyone to "kneel the f*** down" or creating an epic circle pit during 'I'm A Riot? You're A Fucking Riot' (and I know it was epic because I was in it). So I can now safely assure you that yes, I do like The Blackout. 78/100. And a word of advice to the tossers who refused to kneel down... if Sean Smith tells you to kneel down, you'd better bloody do it. http://www.myspace.com/theblackout

The final band of the night: All Time Low. It's amazing how the crowd can change at the blink of an eye. One minute I'm standing there surrounded by sweaty men and as soon as ATL take the stage, I'm being pushed around by a hoard of teenage girls (and one lonely looking boy). Opening with Lost in Stereo, All Time Low played an energetic set which included all their best songs and an endless stream of jokes guaranteed to make the parents standing at the back frown and the kids down front laugh. They even included an excellently played acoustic Remembering Sunday which saw the whole crowd singing along. 82/100. http://www.myspace.com/alltimelow


NOTE; Gemma's ratings;
Venue: 7/10
Young Guns: 65/100
My Passion: 65/100
The Blackout: 80/100
All Time Low: 80/100

Soundhole, 23rd January 2010.

Here at Havoc Reviews (we don't actually have a specific location) we don't just go and see big or upcoming bands. No, we like to support our locals too and local to us is a gig called Soundhole. It features half a dozen bands from the surrounding area and although it's only a small event, we have a good time.

I won't be comparing these bands to actual professionals so the marks out of 100 you see here are based completely on Soundhole.

Let's start with the venue. Based at High Halstow village hall, it is really a rather small venue and sadly it's only about a quarter full tonight. So the roof may be missing some tiles, the walls are a bare white and those 'school cafeteria tables' are set out the back with Monster Munch and Magic Stars piled up for us all to munch on. Now, I quite like Magic Stars so I'm not going to complain about this. What I'm trying to say is that it may not be a venue with character but it's decent enough. 5/10.

First up then is a girl named Emma Holbrook. I commend her for getting up on stage in front of a crowd who are more worried about socialising than actually listening to her music. There were some who paid attention though and I was one of them. She switched between a guitar and ukulele (the latter amused both Gemma and I) and she played them both well. In terms of her vocal style we drew a comparison with Kate Nash, with the exception of her having a good old Kent accent. Overall, a very good set. 68/100. http://www.myspace.com/emmaholbrook1

Next up was Luke Paul Jackson. We've seen him before and he played just as well as last time. He even pulled out of nowhere a cover of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley as well as a combination medley of Kings of Leon songs; Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, both of which were surprisingly extremely excellent. A good singer and a set well done. 70/100. http://www.myspace.com/lukepauljackson


Onto the bands. The first band of the night were named Stacey and the Freeloaders so I was just a little bit confused about the fact that not one member of the band looked like a 'Stacey' due to the fact that every member of the band was male. This was all cleared up though when it was announced that Stacey was the guitarist... As far as I can remember the music was ok, a little average but the vocals didn't work. 40/100. http://www.myspace.com/staceyandthefreeloaders

Following them were Four Day Story. Now, I don't want to be mean but they really weren't my cup of tea. At all. On a more positive note, I've never seen a boy with shinier hair. 30/100. http://www.myspace.com/fourdaystory

So finally a band I liked: 10 to 7. They seemed to have some fans/friends in the crowd so they were a bit more interactive and they were the first people on stage who actually appeared to be having a good time. The guitarist broke a string after only one or two songs and so disappeared back stage, leaving his bandmates to entertain the audience, which they did with a well played cover song. The first band to put a smile on my face so they get 65/100.

Onto the penultimate band, Ultimatum. Another acoustic set, Gemma liked them more than I did but they weren't that bad. They could all sing well and they had a harmonica which bumps up their score a bit, even though it was only in one song for about two seconds. 55/100.

And so we have reached the final band. A Three Sided Square seemed to enjoy playing, it's just a shame that nobody else did. By this point, half of the 70 or so people had already left and we only stuck around to finish off the night. 32/100. http://www.myspace.com/athreesidedsquare


NOTE; Gemma's ratings;
Venue: 5/10
Emma Holbrook: 65/100
Luke Paul Jackson: 73/100
Stacey and the Freeloaders: 35/100
Four Day Story: 40/100
10 to 7 65/100
Ultimatum: 55/100
A Three Sided Square: 40/100

Upcoming 2010.

2009 was an excellent year for gigs. Fall Out Boy, Give It A Name, Gallows, McFly, Enter Shikari, Bowling For Soup, Biffy Clyro, Green Day and Paramore. Not to mention Gemma's trips to You Me At Six, The Blackout and the Jonas Brothers. (The last one is slightly questionable.) So can 2010 get any better? Of course it can...

UPCOMING GIGS:
Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 (All Time Low, The Blackout, Young Guns and My Passion), Camden Roundhouse, Friday 5th February.
Lostprophets, Margate Winter Gardens, Tuesday 9th February.
Cobra Starship, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, Wednesday 10th February.
Enter Shikari, Hammersmith Apollo, Friday 12th February.
You Me At Six, Brixton Academy, Saturday 20th March.
Pendulum, Wembley Arena, Friday 28th May.
The Prodigy, Milton Keynes Bowl, Saturday 24th July.
Muse, Wembley Stadium, Saturday 11th September.

And I have a feeling that's just the beginning. Happy New Year folks.

Paramore, Wembley Arena, Friday 18th December 2009.

So the final gig of the year has now been and gone for Havoc Reviews but getting there wasn't all fun and games. Yes, I'm talking about the weather. As usual Britain gets a few inches of snow and the whole country collapses in a fit of panic which made us pretty much screwed for getting to London. However, the trains managed to pull themselves together at the last minute and so everything turned out fine in the end with the exception of it being bloody freezing.

So onto the venue. Pretty much exactly the same as last time but with a few added improvements which came in the form of the giant screens they put up so everyone could see (although this may have just been because they were filming). Also, I finally stumbled across the mysterious invisible cloakroom that I'd never found before. All in all, pretty much the same as last time. 7/10.

Taking to the stage first were an unknown-to-us band named Now, Now Every Children. They started off well with their relatively calm and relaxing music. However, after about two songs the repetition started to take it's toll and after about four songs I was hopping from one foot to another simply to keep myself entertained. They sound ok on their Myspace so I recommend that you check them out. Just don't go and see them if you're expecting a lively gig. 35/100. http://www.myspace.com/nownoweverychildren

Following them were an unexpected addition to the line up called Paper Route. Like Now Now Every Children, Paper Route seemed to lack something vital for a good live performance, mainly energy. Not to be completely unfair though, like those before them they're not completely bad. 34/100. http://www.myspace.com/paperroute

It was obvious from the roar of applause that ensued when the lights went down next that a lot of the crowd were here to see You Me At Six. From what I'd heard about them I was prepared for something bold and energetic. Thankfully, that's exactly what the crowd got and so I found myself in a mosh pit for most of the set. However, the awful, muffled sound quality meant that they were nowhere near as good as they could have been. Luckily, we'll be seeing them headlining in the new year so watch out for a review where I'm sure they'll be getting more positive feedback. 55/100. http://www.myspace.com/youmeatsix

A word of advice that I'll give from firsthand experience: If you're going to a gig, remember to drink plenty of water. Sadly for myself, it just so happened that I forgot to have a drink all day and so was dehydrated big time by the time Paramore took to the stage. Not to be beaten though, we ventured forward into the chaos of the standing area and ended up being trampled. I was pleasantly surprised, expecting it to be a fairly tame set. Oh how wrong I was. Hoards of teenage boys and girls pushing, shoving and using my head as an arm rest. Paramore played an excellent set, a mixture of songs from all three albums with highlights including That's What You Get, Crushcrushcrush, Where The Lines Overlap, My Heart and an acoustic performance of Misguided Ghosts. However, the real highlight of the night was set closer Brick By Boring Brick which saw those down the front covered in silver confetti. In terms of entertainment though, I have to give it to the man who pulled his girlfriend up on stage and proposed to her amidst thousands of "Awws" from the crowd. Overall then Paramore were a Whole Lot Better than I ever thought they would be and I take back all the bad things I may have previously said about Hayley because she sure did prove me wrong. 85/100. http://www.myspace.com/paramore


NOTE; Gemma's ratings;
Venue: 8/10
Now, Now Every Children: 35/100
Paper Route: 35/100
You Me At Six: 65/100
Paramore: 88/100

Green Day, Wembley Arena, Sunday 1st November 2009.

I put to you the age old question: Is it better to see a band in a small, sweaty, dirty venue or a shiny, bright stadium or arena? To be honest, I prefer those dark, dingy little venues that parents do not often approve of their children going to. The sort of venues where you have to queue down some dark alley and you get strange people forcing leaflets upon you. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Well, sadly Green Day have obviously reached the stage where they play Arena shows instead, or Stadium shows (they play Wembley Stadium next year). But what of Wembley Arena? It has a nice fountain outside that lights up; the kind of fountain that little children run through and then complain when they get wet. Luckily, I did not see much of this fountain because I was in the queue for approximately one minute... one of the many advantages of having an arena with many entrances. The inside is of course typical venue style so I don't really have much to say about that. Overall, good security, lots of places for a good bottle of water (useful for when you nearly faint) and a pretty decent size. 7/10.

The one support act of the night were a band named Prima Donna. To be completely honest, sometimes image is important and if you take to the stage looking like a twat, people are automatically going to assume that you are in fact, a twat... Sadly, they looked like a bunch of twats. To make things worse, their music wasn't much better and they didn't excite the crowd much. I take that back, they didn't excite the crowd at all. Definitely not my cup of tea, or the rest of the crowds it would seem. 35/100. http://www.myspace.com/primadonna

And so, after years of Green Day deprivation, they take to the stage at roughly 8:01PM... after someone dressed up as a pink rabbit has paraded around the stage drinking beer and dancing to the YMCA. Their set somehow managed to last a staggering two and a half hours, and included a mighty setlist of over 30 songs. This setlist had something for everyone; old fans, American Idiot fans and new fans alike as well as a whole load of cover songs including: Dancing With Myself (Billy Idol), Highway To Hell (AC/DC), Iron Man (Black Sabbath) and Knowledge (Operation Ivy). The whole setlist also included: Song of The Century, 21st Century Breakdown, Know Your Enemy, East Jesus Nowhere, Holiday, The Static Age, Give Me Novacaine, Letterbomb, Are We The Waiting, St Jimmy, Scattered, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, 2000 Light Years Away, Hitchin' A Ride, Welcome To Paradise, When I Come Around, Brain Stew, Basket Case, She, 21 Guns, Minority, American Idiot, Jesus Of Suburbia, Macy's Day Parade, Wake Me Up When September Ends and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). Suprisingly, there were MORE songs than that. Not only did they manage to cram all these songs into their set but they also managed to get about 15 people up on stage with them. 10 who all fell on the floor, 3 to 'form a band' (the guitarist of this band then stage dived back into the crowd), one to wear a crown and one boy little boy who Billie Joe caught on his phone and was therefore embarrassed in front of everyone by being made to climb down from the seated section, climb onstage and stand in the middle waving his arms along to the next song. Other events also involved the whole band dressing up, Billie Joe getting a hose out to spray us folks down the front, and firing t-shirts into the crowd via a confusing mechanism that vaguely resembled a rocket launcher. Finally I would like to give a round of applause to the guy who decided to dress up as Tinky Winky. This was a night that I had been waiting for for years. It did not fail on it's mission to entertain. 90/100. http://www.myspace.com/greenday

NOTE; Gemma is beginning to miss TOO many gigs :(