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Fenech-Soler
Fenech-Soler - Fenech-Soler

Battlefields: is a really nice album opener, a nice synth riff with a solid beat touched up with excellent vocals. It’s a very driving number, a little more danceable than their early numbers.

Lies: What more can be said - great track - the re-release will be out 20th September as an album teaser.

Golden Sun: I have been lead to believe that this track is the renamed track "white hearts" but I can't be sure! Anyhow this track is very strong - similar dynamics to battlefields stunning vocal work over a synth lead track!

Stop and Stare: I really don't need to say too much about this track, it went top 10 in the dance and indie chart, I would say this is the most mature sounding track on the debut!

The Great Unknown: Is a vocal lead track starting off very atmospheric with a simple subdued beat, just showing off the beauty of the vocals!

Demons: Is a similar track structure to 'stop and stare' but this is with a more driving intro rather than the atmospheric intro that 'stop and stare' delivers. Again the vocals are the main feature of the track with the percussion just adding depth and a nice driving beat.

LA Love: this is one of my favorite tracks from the EPs I am fairly surprised that It’s on the debut as it was listed as a B-side on Lies EP, but amazing track - I won't be too bias and say that It’s the best track on the album, but It’s defiantly a contender. This track offers very dance able beats and a nice vocal blanket and more importantly a COW BELL!

Stone Bridge: is the down tempo number on the debut, with a slow dramatic piano into with a gentle burst of synths throughout the track. It’s not as depressing as most down tempo tracks and it adds a nice relaxing track to the album. Not very vocal or syth heavy just a nice relaxing track!

Contender: love the "wa wa wa" almost echo from the syths in this track, It’s a defiant offspring from the remix of Hollywood! I am almost to focused this rather than on the vocals or the rest of this track! I am sorry to say this is the most "boy bandy" track it sounds a bit too much like a remix of a boy-band with a sprinkle of FS magic.

Walk Alone: another relaxing track on the album, from the fast pace from Contender to the sultry tones walk alone is a nice track to end the album on.

//Summary//

There are two tracks that I really miss off this album "Black Keys" and "white heart" but all in all It’s a lovely debut - filled full of great EP tracks and tied together with some really nice tracks.
Really looking forward to seeing them at The Thekla later in the year, and just waiting to see the album artwork that will really seal this with a rubber stamp of approval!

Edit: my CD laser is going to burn a hole in this CD very soon its on that often!!

Edit: a massive grower, this album is amazing had it since august and its AMAZING! - have at least one track on per day!

Royal Bangs
Schocken, Stuttgart. (Apr 21)

Yeah, opps. set this document then forgot to write it. sorry!

Anyways, was my first Gig in Schocken, never been into the urine smelling, Daft Punk styled disco dance floor downstairs bit before. Anyways Royal Bangs put on a cool show, I guess they were a little disappointed with the few numbers of people that were there but anyways they cracked on and gave us a great little show.

If anyone knows the track names then comment and I will add them in - Tracks One and Three were off the "unreleased" new album that is set for release this year. Track Four was pretty amazing, its their track off the album that I always ask myself "Who's this" its a great little standout track.

Was great to have a chat with the 'insane' drummer at the end, my god that boy can drum.

Anyways, really cool show, really enjoyed the midweek shindig....Ride On!

Dear Paris, The Kimberlakes, The Beauts
Club Zentral, Stuttgart. (Feb 19)

Yeah, it was awesome. Dear Paris have defiantly matured with their new Drummer and Bassist. Some great new songs and it just rocked! Partying til' 6AM was a very good idea too. It's good to be back :)

Biffy Clyro
Die Röhre, Stuttgart. (Feb 8)

Dull and Unpolished are the two words that sum up Biffy Clyro's performance last night. They had a sound check that went for 40 mins and then EVERY time a track at finished the was at least a couple of minutes of 'shuffling around' in silence before the next song started!? Like WTF. For a band that has had 5 studio albums I expected much better.

The support act Blakfish were a lot more dynamic than Biffy Clyro. Yes their music was a bit "Shouty Shouty" but they interacted with the crowd, spoke and the lead "singer" got of the stage and sang a verse of the song from the crowd to add a bit of variation to the performance.

Biffy Clyro's arrogance drew me back to The Mars Volta's gig I attended a few years ago where they came on stage, sang their album and then fu*ked off. It just winds me up something rotten.

"WE KNOW WHAT THE ALBUM SOUNDS LIKE, WE ALL HAVE BOUGHT IT"

Add a bit of variation rather than being a manufactured music robot. It seemed there was no passion about the songs, they were there sing and that was it. it wasn't a show at all. A guy behind me told me it was like being in a rehearsal, that we had paid for...poor show.

All in all, was a bit shit. I Will not be going to see them again anytime in the near future unless they get out of their bubble of arrogance.

Good Shoes
Keller Klub, Stuttgart. (Feb 2)

The Stud - Were a bit shit. Trying to recreate britpop and "speaking" in a shit english accent doesn't make you good. AND they came on for an encore. who the f*ck did they think they were?

Anyways Good Shoes were wonderful. I have been informed they have Sell Out shows all across the UK. so Keller Klub is probably the smallest crowed they will be playing for a while. The crowd in Keller did not disappoint the friendly and welcoming atmosphere was great, Being my first gig in about 6 months it was a nice way of getting back into the swing of things.

Moments of interest were when the Microphone fell off the stand and a guy from the crowd put it back on for Good Shoes. This guy received multiple hugs and kisses from Good Shoes after this.

"The Paula Radcliffe of the Guitar world" is in referral to the guitarist with the odd facial hair who wobbled his head around just like "Paula Radcliffe" when she is running. very amusing.

Good Shoes' music is good, I don't think I will get their albums but it was good festival music and very entertaining for an evening.

Like these then try Jamie T, The Cribs and The Rakes (the latter have sadly split now)

Southside Festival
Take off Park, Neuhausen ob Eck. (Jun 19-21)

A little review of every Band I saw - walked past / experienced.

Firstly, what a nice setting, lots or tarmac to keep the mud down, the toilets were clean and the showers were warm. Ony comment is that the "weirdoes" were at a minimum, shame. I wanted a few more Nutters to be there. Obviously the bin racers were funny, but not quite odd enough.

Paolo Nutini
Great, came out pissed as a fart but really cool set.

Fleet Foxes
Amazing, really love theses guys beards, they are like how Kings of Leon were but a bit more harmonious, like these then check out Arcade Fire.

Keane
Seen before, in 2004 at the O2 in london, was the same fucking set ... but then again what should I expect from a cocaine sniffing druggy twat?!

Ben Harper
Nice Rug !!! He covered a classic Led Zeppelin track "Good Times Bad Times" and I think it was better than Zeppelin's version. Shame Ben had a bit of a hissy fit on stage "Rock n' Roll" ...

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Faultless, love these guys, great melody, great tune fantastic lyrics. Great set.

The Whip
Missed the first bit of the set, but the last 20 mins or so was incredible, looked like the crowd loved it.

Die Ärzte
Sorry, but what the fuck are these about ?!? - I know they are the "[one of the] best-known German punk rock bands" - but seriously they look like a bunch of doctors ... utter Garbage.

The Sounds
Shite, they are a warm up band.

Gogol Bordello
Same set as before. Not liking the novelty anymore.

Editors
From the same university as Editors! What's up with his hands, looked in pain when he was singing, reasonable set though.

Eagles of Death Metal
Beards and long hair = trying too hard - can still hear QOTSA in here, expected better.

Franz Ferdinand
These guys always get slated for that shit second album and rightly so, Love there new album, played some great tracks really good set, better than i expected!!

Kings of Leon
WHOOP! I pretty much paid my ticket price to see these guys, first time i have seen 'KOL' live, and it really was worth it. Played tracks of their first album and I am SOOOOO happy about that, played: Red Morning Light, Molly's Chambers and a few others - Shame the crowed seemed a little 'huh' when they played them as they seemed not to know them so well. as 'Only by the Night' was there really break through mainstream album, Fantastic. Was my best set until Moby played!!

The Rakes
What was his accent about, he should be for LAAAand-on, bu he sounded special needs. the set was a bit bland, bt it woke me up and the sun was shining....

Blood Red Shoes
One man and his drum and a bird with a guitar, A mirror image of White stripes. Shame the music wasn't that good, there was no melody, the drumming was strong (all be it the same for every song) but she want strong enough to carry the melody of the song, could be potential.

The Ting Tings
Poor Katie, her microphone kept breaking, think they did quite well to impress me considering I hate them. They are a festival band, entertaining, and a bit fun. Not a CD band....

Duffy
There is something about Welsh ladies that makes me excited, so had to have a look ;) - better bands about so i went for a walk . . .

Moby
Incredible set, great crowd activities singing 'Ring of Fire' and having a bit of a rave at 6AM was brilliant. really really love this guy more than ever I will be buying the new album in a few days time ... didn't get the stuff about George Bush ... but I am not an American ... The piss take of the 'Motherfuckers are you ready to rock n' roll' was very funny . . .

Kraftwerk
Glad it have 'seen' them.

Great festival, I will probably be back next year, or I will check out Rock n' Ring ...

Thu 11 Jun – Fischerspooner

"Stuttgart was fucked up but great"

Fischerspooner
Rocker33, Stuttgart. (Jun 11)

Well, I don't really know what to say I am still in shock to be honest....
Five years I have waited to see Fischerspooner, and it finally happened the shock, the randomness, the confusion, the obscurity, the drunkenness, the abspacken!

The welcome from Mr Spooner of, "I was warned about Glowsticks in Stuttgart" reminded me that leaving drunk messages on Twitter do get read sometimes....

Mr Spooner, was a little camper than what I was expecting, the thrusting and the gyration was a little OTT as my head was a little too close. The performance was faultless, the whole stage show was just amazing Casey was asking if were confused, and then he went even more obscure by going of on a tangent. The stage set-up was a mass of different media, a large projector screen at the rear, and two smaller TVs to the right and left, all playing different sequences, then with the dancers and Casey on stage just brought the whole performance to life.

Vanessa Walters' Choreography was just epic, the blank nothingness looks on their faces then into an animated psychedelic, acid fuelled face eruption was just perfectly timed, then back into that blank stare, the 'fun' side of the dance evolved when a mouthful of water found its way into Mike and Wills confused faces. Followed by Casey rubbing Mike's mop, and Screaming "Dance Motherfucker" at him. Fischerspooner performed some of my favourite tracks which made me just jump with excitement, even though Casey moaned it was old shit that he has to keep performing, as he donned the biggest shoulder pads and covered it with a gigantic black and red pom-pom, and then continued to rave !!

For the pre-encore Casey sat down and told us he was going to do stand up like Chris Rock, which the response was a joke about Two Peanuts that walked down the street. and one was a salted. He asked the crowd if anyone was an American, to which some very drunk German from Frankfurt decided to get on stage, and tell us Stuttgart is shit .. (what a prick) .. and then Casey asked the security guard to get on stage, to which the guard refused, to which the crowd gave him a "BOOOOO!".

Warren said that there was a few technical difficulties when we spoke to him at the end honestly did not notice them.

All in all it was a Fantastic show, Great performance.