Category: Reviews
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EP Review: Hobo Chang – Clockwork Monster
Don’t let the colourful artwork fool you as you press play on Clockwork Monster, the latest EP from Colchester’s Hobo Chang. As the opening guitar ticks away, a dark, brooding, feeling creeps over the title track – the instrumentation is quite minimal when you break it down but what it does with it is impressive,…
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Review: Frank Turner – Nick Alexander Memorial Trust Show – Colchester Arts Centre, 26/01/2020
It’s been a long time since Frank Turner came to Colchester – he can’t recall exactly when he last came to town during his set but his informative archive of shows informs me that the only time he’s played here was show number 332, at the long defunct The Twist back in 2007. Given that…
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Live Review: Sleep Token, Poisonous Birds – Colchester Arts Centre, 24/01/2020
I’m pleasantly surprised by how busy things are when I arrive at the Arts Center – it’s hard to judge just how popular bands are locally but certainly there’s no shortage of Sleep Token fans in the local area. Their logo seems to a be a popular presence on people’s arms too, with more than…
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Off The Beaten Track – Rubber Jaw, Tibetan Night Terrors, Tundra, Goldblume – Coda, Colchester
Let’s start by saying this is a very good idea for a tour. Taking one band from Cambridgeshire, one from Norfolk, one from Suffolk and one from Essex and then playing a show in each county (plus London), the Off The Beaten Track tour is certainly onto a winner. The caliber of performers from each…
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Charli XCX – Astra Kulturhaus, 09/11/2019
With the release of her most recent album, Charli, it feels as though Charli XCX has pushed the boundaries of what you can do with pop music. The album itself mixes songs which take a more straight forward approach to the genre with songs which are genuinely quite out there. I was curious to see…
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Riot Fest 2019
(Header Image: The Flaming Lips – Timophy Hiatt) Back in 2018 I was introduced to the world of Riot Fest a home for punk and the more alternative genres of music in the heart of Chicago. They’re renowned for incredible reunions and album play throughs and this year’s lineup is a doozy. With the reformation…
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Review: Earthmass, Torpor, Jotnarr April 2nd, The Waiting Room
You know it’s a heavy night in store when it opens with Jotnaar, who, in the smaller constraint of The Waiting Room, sound even bigger than they did at the arts centre; the sound largely coming straight from the guitar amps rather than being boosted by a PA, ever nuience audible as the sound assaulted…
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Review: The Physics House Band, Black Peaks @ Colchester Arts Centre
I’d be the first to admit I’m a bit suprised that a year after their last appearance, supporting the excellent Arcane Roots, Black Peaks are back to headline the Arts Centre. I’ve caught them once since that show (ArcTanGent Festival) and I hadn’t really heard much buzz outside of small circles but the turnout is…
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Live Review: Off The Wall, Chasin Vegas, James Burrage @ The Waiting Room
Some shows you’re kind of taken aback by the crowd reaction at a gig. It’s great to see the Waiting Room busy for what I think would be fair to call the younger end of Colchester’s talented music scene. Mostly, as I walk through the door to the sound of James Burrage and band, everyone…
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Review: Eliza & The Bear – Colchester Arts Centre
You can generally get a good feel for how busy a show will be by looking at the Facebook event for it. Often there’s hundreds attending and people chatting about the show and other times there’s a handful of people and silence. I think it’s fair to say Eliza & The Bear fell into the…
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