Live Review
Live: Cancer Bats and Support, Manchester Academy 3, 23/2/16
What better way to spend a Saturday evening than in a tiny venue with four bands from varying ends of the metal spectrum? Cancer Bats and co. have definitely set out to create havoc on their Destroy The United Kingdom tour, and they deliver no less. First band Incite bring the party with their groovy, …
Live Review: Slaves – 02 Academy, Leeds, 10.11.2015
Slaves; the two-piece from Tunbridge Wells that unexpectedly rose to fame in 2015. Their debut album reached number eight in the UK album charts, they played Glastonbury festival several times in one year, they brought grime and punk together with their incredible cover of Skepta’s ‘Shutdown, they sold out their November tour with demand for …
Feature: Best of 2015: Backseat Mafia staffers pick their favourite gig photos from 2015
Before we start looking forward to 2016 and all that they may bring, Backseat Mafia’s live photographers have been taking a look back at the gigs we covered in 2015 and choosing their own personal favourite photos… STEVE BARNES – DESPERATE JOURNALIST One of our bands of the year, caught them at Crystal Bar during …
Live: Shed Seven / Inspiral Carpets – Leeds 22.12.15 / Sheffield 10.12.15
Seeing Shed 7 has become as big a part of Christmas as turkey and sprouts. Every second year the boys take their show out on the road, and treat us to a set full of their greatest hits. We caught them at Sheffield and again at Leeds for the final night of the tour. (All …
Festival Review: London Contemporary Music Festival
Spreading a festival over seven murky London nights is an ambitious move. Not only is it near-impossible to attend every single event, but one also gets an overbearing sense that the programme will wear itself thin over the week. Not so. Even though some work photographed better than it sounded and certain performances engaged the …
Live Review: Kim Wilde, Holmfirth Picturedrome, 16/12/15
When I was ten years old I fell in love for the first time. Her name was Kim. She was an older woman. That was when I heard Kim Wilde’s cover of The Supremes’ hit ‘You Keep Me Hanging on’. I’d never actually heard the original version of the song at that time, but listening …
Live: Maxïmo Park – Rock City, Nottingham – 15-12-15
I first saw Maxïmo Park as a gawky twelve-year-old at Sheffield Octagon with me dad and a mate, on their UK tour for their debut record, A Certain Trigger. The high energy set saw a smartly-dressed Paul Smith with characteristic hat pogo-ing around on stage to the delight of the crowd. Ten years on and nothing …
Live Review: Big Scary – The Lexington, 8 December 2015 plus Gallery
After impressing audiences throughout Europe supporting Courtney Barnett, Big Scary brought their funky indie pop to The Lexington on the last of two debut headline shows in London. The Australian duo of Tom Iansek (vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Jo Syme (drums, vocals) are joined on stage by a bassist/saxophonist to reflect the layers of sound …
Live: The Story So Far, Turnstile, Drug Church – Leeds University Stylus, 12/12/15
Drug Church aren’t the stereotypical choice for The Story So Far support, the crowd seem less than unsure until vocalist Patrick Kindlon says “If you’re unsure whether this is cool or not, I can asure you it is.” If that doesn’t indicate this is a love it or hate it band then what does. While …
Live: Nothing More, SHVPES, In Search Of Sun – Manchester Academy 3, 7.12.15
It’s brisk December and In Search Of Sun hold the task of warming the crowd up for the evening. There’s only about 20 people in the room by the time the band take the stage but if you didn’t turn around to look at the gaping empty floor you wouldn’t know it given the intensity …