HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUT OF STEP

Out Of Step Presents APPLICANTS album launch

Monday saw Out Of Step present an album launch party for London based Art Punk outfit Applicants new release ‘Escape from Kraken Castle’. An album that has already created waves in the music press most notably with a very positive review in NME where it was rated eight out of ten.

The night kicked off with bad news as Ethical Debating Society couldn’t make the show due to car trouble on the plus side it did mean that the other acts could play longer sets. The first act to take the stage were Only Shadows a local band who mixed the sound of indie-rock, pop-punk and at times bands such as Jimmy Eat World. Although not specifically to my taste the audience including loads of people heading to the Band Of Horses show at the Civic lapped up their energetic style.

The second act completely blew the crowd myself included away with their individual and energetic style. Bad Apes are another local band who prove that the Wolverhampton scene doesn’t solely consist of bands trying to be the next Oasis. Their sound was pure noise punk and they definitely played it loud. Although I am no expert on noise punk the obvious comparison in my mind was to US Lo-fi two-piece No Age. They incorporated many elements that shouldn’t work for example offbeat drumming with mad guitar lines and created an eclectic sound which was overall mesmerising to watch mainly due to the energy which was put into the live performance.

This is a band that Out Of Step are predicting very big things from and with new recordings on the way I think these could be back to play an Out Of Step event very soon.

Finally Applicants took the stage and played an energetic selection of tracks from their back catalogue and more importantly the new record. They played like an experienced live outfit and had all the exuberance of punk rock throughout the performance. More importantly from start to finish they worked the crowd hard and created a real atmosphere with the audience worked into a frenzy.

As the set developed the only change I would have made to the live show would have been to include a keyboard rather than a backing track as it would have added a further layer to the music. However when travelling between London and Wolverhampton in a car it is totally understandable that a keyboard was not an option. I will hope to see the band playing on home turf and find out if a keyboard is included.

Overall all three acts played their hearts out for us and represent different sides of the DIY spectrum respectively. After such a successful album launch party we’re hoping to put more on so if you’re launching a record or a single and want to get Out Of Step involved contact Rich, Gem or Ben and we’ll get something hooked up.

BA

Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

The last band of the night were Cheltenham's folk punk heroes Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun. The band didn't even take the stage to start their set instead they brought the show into the audience with an acoustic number in the very middle of the room this turned out to be the perfect way to warm up an audience.

Again Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun showed a different musical direction with an obvious influence from folk music again combining the traditional folk style with more modern ingredients. The combination of traditional protest songs with aspects of youthful revolt create a style that it's impossible not to warm to.

In my time as a resident of Cheltenham I saw Jim Lockey & The Solemn sun develop into the band they have now become and with every performance they seem to improve. There is of course a nostalgic aspect in my appreciation of their music but this has now been overtaken by simple appreciation. Again like Joe Summers I'm looking forward to hearing the record when it comes out in July and we will be looking forward to the band returning to play for us again very soon.

Boat To Row @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

Boat To Row are a band who have attracted a lot of attention from local music writers in the last few months, this attention added an extra level of anticipation and expectation to the set. As they took the stage and started to play the opening track I knew this attention was more than deserved the individual style this four-piece has blends traditional folk with other aspects of acoustic music with comparisons to both Fiona Regan and Get Cape Wear Cape Fly made by other journalists I wasn't sure how they would work but they do work perfectly as a live act.

I'm scarred at how many of the local bands that Out Of Step admires have members of BTR involved and even more scary is how young these guys are. The maturity they show in the music they make is amazing and the instrumental balance created throughout makes live sets a pleasure to watch.

Sunrise Over Europe @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

Sunrise Over Europe were second up and created a great deal of anticipation from their sound check which can only be described as loud. This band like the other three acts on the bill create an individual style of folk inspired music which takes influence from a diverse range of musical and lyrical styles.

The most obvious style the band have is shoe-gaze although the distorted fuzzy guitars do mix beautifully with angular violins and soothing vocals. As a live act the band were intense with their energy on stage almost equaling the walls of pure noise delivered. The set was balanced perfectly with just enough quiet tender moments to balance the pure noise elements.

Sunrise Over Europe are definitely a band that you need to see to fully understand and we are looking forward to having them back sometime soon.

Joe Summers @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

Joe Summers was the first act to take the stage giving the audience a little taster of what to expect from his debut record which is due out in early July. It's rare to see an artist so young display such a great understanding of what it takes to make beautiful folk music. Joe's genuine accomplished style was a pleasure to watch and accompanied the transition between day and night wonderfully.

Joes style bridges the gap between the classic folk of Richard Thompson and the nu-folk and Americana scenes that are growing steadily at the moment. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from Joe and can't wait for the EP in July, with any luck he'll be back for an Out Of Step event very soon.

Out Of Step Presents Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, Boat To Row, Sunrise Over Europe and Joe Summers

As I'm sure you are aware last night Out Of Step welcomed four amazing acts who embrace folk in a completely different style. The night also included a stripped back approach to lighting with fairy lights adding a n intimate feel to the stage set up and projections of retro holiday and skate videos throughout each set.

As usual the next few posts will include individual reviews and a selection of the best pictures we could find from the night however if you'd rather see video of each band please head over to my Youtube channel here where you can find video of each band.

Failures Union

Last up was Failures union all the way from Buffalo NY, apparently we made a little bit of history for the band as we were the first venue they'd played outside the North American Continent. The band made a slice of Out Of Step history by becoming the first international band to take the Alchemy stage.

From the first moment of the set Failures Union balanced their material perfectly, the fast songs were loud and fast and slow songs were slow with smooth vocals. The musicianship from the whole band was spot on and they were genuine and funny when interacting with the audience.

Just like the other three bands they were great to have a chat to and you should take the opportunity to see them live.

Joyous

The third band to take the stage were half local big beat act Joyous who like all the bands played their hearts out for the full set getting very sweaty in the process. They held the attention of the audience with their unique brand of electronic indie rock backed up with some powerful soulful vocals, deep bass and neat angular guitars.

Here's what their set looked like in a 5 photo's, again a lovely bunch to have a chat with and if you get a chance go see them live!

Bronze Medals

As promised here's some pics of Bronze Medals form Monday, they were really good live and had a tight live sound mixing vocal harmonies with angular guitars and the drummer didn't miss a beat for the whole set. Unfortunately for them Wolverhampton traffic wardens ruined their dinner plans so they had to get some to reheat.

I would definitely recommend seeing them live if you get the opportunity and make sure you go and say hello to them to as they're really nice guys and interesting to have a chat with.