The XX, Brighton Centre Thursday 20th December

After upgrading venue sizes, tonight’s performance from The XX questions the potential of such a minimal sound in a 5000 capacity venue. Many of the audience openly speculate whether a band that became popular through their intimate roots will be able to adapt. Compared to Brighton Dome, the large corporate arrangement of the venue tonight lacks character and hospitality. On entrance it screams bleak conference centre. The tedious amounts of queuing and youthful audience almost confirm any thoughts that The Dome would have been a more appropriate setting.

Poor sound from support Mmoths and The Kindness suggest the headlining band may be in for a challenge. The dulcet tones of minimal collective Mmoths set the mood for the crowd but struggle to gain any momentum. The Kindness then take to the stage in an overly extrovert manner. Eccentric dancers and 60’s soul reaps through, leaving audience members feeling confused as to how they’ve ended up on tonight’s bill. The only element, which so far captivates are the accompanying retro visuals displayed on a futuristic backdrop.

Then emerging from behind a compelling projection of oil and metal, the military statures of The XX begin to loom on stage.  Three of the most enigmatic characters in pop music greet their audience nervously before ploughing straight into chart topping single ‘Angels’. The band have played a number of intimate venues in this influential seaside town “You’re like our second home to us Brighton”, singer Oliver Sims laughs. Within a few songs the venue is forgotten and you are transported into an evocative ambience.

The dark silhouettes imitate Romy, Oliver and Jamie as they ease their way through a set of hypnotic melodies from both their debut album The XX and latest release Co-exist, including cult classics ‘Crystallise’ and ‘Basic Space’. After ‘Nightime’, the venue encounters its first hint of movement, intense reverb shakes the balcony erratically but the crowd remain still.  Jamie Smith, manages to pick up the pace on ‘Reunion’ and ‘Islands’ with more sub rhythms and a glimmer of Dub. Older songs from their debut album are often reworked and remolded throughout the night providing interesting changes from their two years of live crafting. Half way through the show, it appears each member is becoming less reserved and we start to witness the characters behind the music.

Throughout the performance, continuous strobes and abstract projections are interspersed between songs to heighten the occasion. The fixating atmosphere, lo-fi instrumentation and lingering vocals are then interrupted by the band’s own take on Wham’s Last Christmas which fails to translate. Perhaps this is their suggestion against the serious personas they choose to adopt. The night’s aura is then regained with an increase of BPM for a stunning encore ending with the haunting emotion of ‘Stars’. Questioning of the venue is no longer necessary, as the audience stand mesmerised. A giant glowing X rises behind them, as the band walk off stage having achieved a musically flawless performance of melancholy noise and arena welcoming precision.

Interview with Charon

In the past year Charon, a melodic hardcore band from Brighton have gone from playing ‘2 or 3 shows before going to get proper jobs’ to touring Europe. Battling it out to pay their rent in a genre which in their own words is ‘just a trend’, I met up with brothers in the band Leon and Luke Buckmaster to see what sets  the band apart from others at their level. 

By Amber Ainsworth

Luke, vocalist of Charon, is first to greet me in the kitchen of the brother’s family home, phone in hand frantically making sure everything for tonight’s gig at The Scream Lounge, in Croydon, is in order due to him being the promoter as well as playing. After a short wait we are then joined by guitarist Leon, a lot calmer in contrast to his brother but with the same sense of humour. 

Charon, are vocalist Luke Buckmaster and brother Leon on Guitar, Dominic Bass on guitar, Rax behéshti on bass and William Lewis on drums. The band are getting ready for their biggest musical achievements yet playing a 6 date European tour sponsored by Vans and Monster, as well  as writing the follow up E.P to their 2011 ‘Migrating North’ and filming their  music video. With their first few shows played with Heart In Hand, Charon are already one step ahead of anything they have previously achieved. ‘I look back at our first band (Among Wolves) and it was probably one of the worst things we ever did but we wouldn’t be where we are now if we didn’t do it’-Luke explains, still tapping away at his phone. And how have things changed? ‘Well, Leon hasn’t grown but we’ve got a good manager now’ Luke continues to mention this whilst Leon shares his view on their developments ‘We’ve all grown up and we know what were doing now really’.

Things haven’t always been easy in the past year, they’ve played gigs where toilets have been blocked, large audiences have been crammed into 20 capacity venues and PA’s have broken but this band choose to make the best of a bad situation by throwing their anger into the performance. Luke exclaims, ‘It’s good because we all get so pissed off and so angry but when that happens we play so well!’ 

With individual musical influences in the band such as thrash, death metal and American hardcore it’s not hard to see what separates them from their peers. Leon explains their unique take on hardcore by explaining ‘We make songs which mix melodic hardcore with metal bits and alternative ambient bits, oh and some two-ey (Two-Step).’

And as for how they both feel about the current hardcore scene as it is, that’s where I find my title. Leon passes this question over to his brother due to his stronger views on the matter ‘We’re not part of it because it’s elitist. In the past six months it’s come into its own and it seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.  It’s pretty much a bunch of benders who were listening to heavy metal and now they’re getting on the hype.’

So with their ever apparent drive and vastly expanding fan base Charon are set to only go from strength to strength.   ‘ You have to put your life on hold and It’s not a straightforward line to get there, We’ve got to get up the stages left to right, do the ground work and keep going until eventually it’s there’.

Mainstream Impact

Since 2008 I have been religiously following my favourite local band, The Maccabees. I have watched the Brighton boys go from small scale local venues to their highest capacity venue yet, London’s Alexandra Palace. Album after album, the band continued to grow and develop into the potential stadium fillers they are today. 

Friday 9^th March 2012, the band returned to their roots for a homecoming gig at The Brighton Dome. Knowing that the event was sold out, I prepared myself for an audience consisting of both loyal fans and hipster-wannabe’s.  With the recent release of their third ’gown-up’ album Given To The Wild, I was interested to see what kind of crowd tonight’s show would attract. After any Maccabees gig, I always find myself cooing‘That was the best they’ve played’ which shows that as their music and albums progress, so do their performances. However on this occasion, although musically it was incomparable, I was left feeling disheartenedand anguished. 

There has been a considerable change in style from their ‘indie’ beginnings with 2007 debut Colour It Inbut The Maccabees continue to write positive songs which wasreflected in their fan base and atmosphere at their gigs. Much to my surprise I found myself in a situation which I hadn’t come across or even seen at a Maccabees performance before, a mosh pit. 

With the band at the peak of their careers and finally entering the mainstream this was inevitable.It seems as though when the audience profile widens and amove away from catering just for theniche followers occurs, the consequence is a complete change in attitude from the audience. It just concerns me that long time followers of the band who appreciate and embrace the music in its intended frivolity are now left feeling this way, but perhaps we should just be happy that our favourite bands have been able to reach this level of popularity?

Givers. The Green Door Store Brighton. 6.11.11

So after hearing much hype about this band recently from the likes of the NME and other music mags I decided to go and see Givers. It was the first time I had been to The Green Door Store in Brighton so I was intriqued to see this new venue hidden in the backstreets. The venue is a really unique and initmate place with a warehouse feel to it. As soon as I walked in, I felt I had been let into secret and questioned whether I was in the right place.

Unfortunately the support band wasnt even memorable enough for me to now say what they were called, however they did rip of bands such as The Subways and Nirvana. Badly. Givers, indie-pop band from Louisiana, however deffinately lived up to the hype. These guys may look abit awkward and preppy on first appearance but dont let that fool you. Every song was bursting with energry and positivity. Every tune full of spontanaity and frantic changes in time signature, key and genre which leave the audience wondering where the songs are going to go next. Givers are the kind of band that want to make sure their audience is having a good time by constantly smiling, dancing and intteracting with them too. They seem to be enjoying their time in the UK as they repeatedly tell the audience how they all want to move here which gets a overwhelming response from the crowd watching them tonight. There single 'Up, up, up' is deffinately the stand out track of the night with its afrobeat influences and catchy chorus. Described as cajun-flecked indie pop these songs are the kind that make you want to get yourself a coctail and reminise about sunnier times. Destined for big things and if you like your indie this is deffinately the band of the moment to brighten up your lives.

SBTRKT @ Audio, Brighton 5th October 2011

Sometimes artists who wear masks do so to distract you from the music. Sometimes artists who wear masks do so to create a persona of anonymity which lets the music speak for it self. The latter being SBTRKT.  London DJ and producer SBTRKT also known as Aaron Jerome knows how to get an audience dancing with his soulful vocals layered over post-dubstep and tribal like beats.  Tonight’s gig is at Audio, one of Brighton’s top music venues especially for electro and dance music. It’s a typical small ‘clubbers’ club. With the gigs held in the basement, there’s a dark, intimate atmosphere. The size of this venue allows you to get as close to your idols as possible and immerse yourself in every part of the performance.  With a new club night being launched after the gig this was just the beginning of the night for most of the audience although you could tell by looking around this was a room full of fans only.   As the performance starts and the strobe lights come on they reflect that of the colourful trademark mask the man who emerges from behind the decks is wearing. The set starts off with a few albums tracks which automatically get the crowd moving. Every track is different but full of energy which contributes towards the atmosphere within tonight’s audience.  This energy from the audience continues to stay constant as SBTRKT mixes his way through his own tracks and remixes. The catchy rhythms and electronic beats are covered with smooth vocals which compliment without dominating.  The audience continue to sing along to every word and move to every beat.  After around 45 minutes of build up the set then comes to a climax with SBTRKT playing his two biggest singles to date Wildfire and Pharaohs. With the help of Sampha on vocals on both these tracks the energy levels of the audience implode and there is not one person in the room not dancing.  The night then ends with SBTRKT giving the audience a polite thank you and smiling behind his mask as he gives his fans high fives. He then walks off stage safe in the knowledge that with his songs, every one in the room is now fully prepared for what the rest of the night has to bring.