Scouting For Girls

Catapulted with cataclysmic force into the British mainstream musical consciousness, the four piece indie pop phenomenon that is Scouting For Girls are the ones responsible for men and women of all ages claiming ‘Elvis aint dead’, ‘she’s so lovely’ and ‘every time we meet, I skip a heartbeat’. Love or loathe them, it’s undeniable that these London lads have an ear for an infectiously catchy melody. They have been setting stages alight all across the county on the Just for a Day tour, and their sold out Newcastle show at the Carling Academy on Thursday 6th November was to prove no different.
After two truly excellent support slots from Sam Beeton and The Days the scene was set and the audience feverishly anticipated the main event. After a Bond themed introduction video the band took to the stage and performed their latest single, the aptly named ‘I wish I was James Bond’. The crowd, which, may I note was largely made up of screaming fifteen year old girls, was eager for more and the quartet did not disappoint, it felt as if every song played was a ‘big’ song, owing largely to the sing- along friendly hooks and dance inducing rhythms. In reality, all the band had to do was stand on stage and play their instruments as the crowd would gladly finish any line that front man Roy Stride began to sing. The audience response was huge, they knew every word and Roy’s interaction with the crowd was greatly appreciated.
Roy and his fellow band members seemed to have a genuine appreciation for the support shown by the people of Newcastle; the entire show was performed with a smile on his face, and at times the singer appeared speechless, taken back by the energy and admiration being thrown at him by the crowd. The band continually thanked the fans insisting they were the stars of the show and even went as far as to write a heartfelt song dedicated to all their followers. It would be hard to leave a Scouting For Girls gig without a smile on your face and some lyric or other in your head, so what if all their songs sound the same? The fact is they know how to entertain, and they do it well.

Review by Matt Blackwell

Rancid @ Carlin Academy

From the moment the lights go out, Carling Academy Newcastle is filled with excitement. Rancid always know how to entertain a crowd and tonight is no different. Opening song 'Radio', a noted fan-favourite, really sets the tone for the evening; whether the songs are fast or slow the band are completely captivating.
Tim Armstrong is fully connected with the audience, often sitting at the front of the stage on the monitors to sing to the front row, even shaking hands from the stage with this lucky fan. Lars Frederksen is the onstage voice of the band, thanking the crowd regularly and introducing each of the 30 songs performed that evening. His guitar playing is flawless, stage presence strong and his vocal lines are sung completely from the heart. Matt Freeman is undoubtedly one of the greatest bass players in punk rock. His extended solo in Maxwell Murder has to be seen to be believed and throughout the whole show his solid basslines lay a great foundation for the band to play over. The newest addition to Rancid, Branden Steineckert fits in perfectly to what must be his dream come true (Rancid were his favourite band before he was given the opportunity to join). He never drops a beat and even appears on stage sporting a Newcastle United football shirt.
At a Rancid gig, there is no such thing as a filler track. Whilst the majority of the material comes from 1995's '...And Out Come The Wolves', the setlist features tracks ranging from the most recent 'B-Sides and C-Sides' collection all the way back to 'Knowledge', the punk rock classic penned by Tim and Matt's old band Operation Ivy. Every track is a classic, though the personal highlight of the gig is the ska-tinged 'Who Would've Thought' from 1998's Life Won't Wait album, a great song that's really enhanced in the live environment.
This show is punk rock at its finest performed by some of the greatest talents in the genre. The band leave the stage with promises of a new record and another tour next year, so it leaves little so say except bring on 2009!

Review and photos by Mike Sherlock

The Pigeon Detectives, The Virgins, Red Light Company @ Newcastle Carling Academy 27/11/08

With a line-up like this - it’s no wonder I trotted down early to the Academy, my aim – to soak up as much of this evening as possible. On meeting my fellow Yorkshire-man-friend this was bound to be a night of beer-guzzling, Pigeon-chanting and general obnoxiousness, and I wasn’t to be disappointed.
Red Light Company opened the night with their brand of chilled-out tunes, sloshing about somewhere between Death Cab and The Manics. Easy on the ear though obviously easier to appreciate if you know the songs – checking out their MySpace should definitely be on your to-do list.
I was particularly excited to see The Virgins, as I had been recommended them by a friend. Supporting The Pigeons for the majority of this tour, there seems to have been a lot of hype around this band, so I was eager to see them in the flesh. As the lead singer shimmied and stomped on stage to what can only be described as ‘funky’ music, the crowd seemed won over. There’s something about this band that I can’t quite put my finger on, maybe it’s the slap bass that seems to underlie most of their songs, or maybe it’s their irresistible melodies and lyrics that mean that I now just can’t seem to stop listening to them.
As expected, the crowd began to get more of a buzz about them, rowdy in anticipation for a rowdy band. The excitement peaks when those five leather-clad lads appear and jump straight into their usual set-starter ‘Romantic Type’. Now safe to say I have seen this band a fair few times, and after seeing such a large variety of their gigs – different venues, from tiny crowds to massive Leeds Fest-type crowds, they still never disappoint me; I find my feet dancing before I even told them to. With lead singer Matt spraying out water from his mouth and swinging his microphone around higher than ever – you know what you’re getting with a Pigeons gig. Old tracks excite the masses as do newer ones such as ‘This Is An Emergency’. However whereas the first album’s tracks impress, the second ones’ don’t so much – as the gig goes on they play lesser known songs that don’t really stand out and aren’t all that necessary. But let’s face it – how can they go wrong with an ‘I’m Not Sorry’ encore?

Review by Marzena Dabrowska

NSR Session: Our Imaginary Friends

On the 26th of November 2008, Our Imaginary Friends played an exclusive gig for NSR in the Green Room. All photos by Solveig Werner.

The Valkarys at the Dog and Parrot 22/11/08

Short but sweet? Try short but simply spectacular. This 25 minute gig managed to rock the foundations of the Dog and Parrot in a short period of time providing mesmerising lyrics, powerful guitar solos and practically perfect drum structure. The Valkarys started their tour in Edinburgh with their new song Candy Girl, which already has 12000 hits on MySpace music. Even though they only had a small stage, no whiskey, no brandy and a 25 minute slot they were able to turn this seemingly small gig into a psycaldelic rock show. Playing some incredible songs such as their new single Candy Girl which included such unique and powerful vocals combined with an astonishing guitar and percussion concoction. Ending the night with my favourite of they’re tracks Protect and Serve, the band were able to get the crowd going wild young and old alike, while producing ear candy for all the listeners . It was a fantastic night by a fantastic band.
Never mind just being incredible artists the band were nice enough to let me interview them in their amazing tour bus, who needs the Iron Maiden tour plane when you have they’re bad boy bus. As they were going on stage soon I picked the best of the million questions in my mind to ask them such as my interest in they’re name. “The name is from the plot to kill Hitler but we changed the spelling around”, Scott, the lead singer answered. They have a sixties feel with influence such as Brain Jonestown and the Beetles its no wonder this band is able to produce such fantastic music. After a series of questions my final one was to find out what was the next step for the band. “We plan on getting an EP out with around 6 tracks, we also plan on getting into the student circuit”, the manager answer. Well I can say this they are very welcome to come back to this university. Check them out yourself!
Review by Aron Riordan

NSR Session: Kate Agerskow

On the 18th of November 2008, Kate Agerskow played an exclusive gig for NSR in the Green Room. All photos by Solveig Werner.

White Denim @ The Cluny 16th of November

The majority of reviews you’ll read about this band will no doubt mention their performance at SXSW this year. But the mark of a band is to build on hype, as hundreds of failed ‘next big things’ will testify. On a cold Sunday evening, Newcastle is a far cry from White Denim’s home of Austin, Texas. Support act, Six Nation State warm the arriving crowd with a mix of punk and coral-like balladry but make little lasting impression. In contrast, White Denim waste little time with a nonstop frantic performance of 3 tracks from their debut album ‘Workout Holiday’. The songs, which blend together seamlessly, show the band to be more then what a garage band pigeonhole would have you believe. Amid their powerful sound it’s easy to forget there are only 3 of them. The energy, rhythm and experimentation highlight that White Denim are at their best live. For forty minutes tonight the crowd were rid of their winter blues as the Texan trio delivered a fiery set to remember.

Read Christian's interview with the White Denim!

Review by Christian Allen