Skip to main content

HeartRock Live - Review: Dog and Parrot 11/3/15


This week the quirky and lively venue of the Dog and Parrot pub in Newcastle, played host to an intimate array of promising new bands. The bijoux environment allowed the acts to indulge in powerful sounds, build banter fuelled rapports with the audience and actually relax and enjoy performing.
Kicking the night off was Hawkeye Roadshow, a delicious mix of blues-meets-funk guitar riffs, classically clean drums and sexy 'slap that bass' lines. The band's full sound was a middle ground between the indie vibe of Bombay Bicycle Club and the blues of the Black Keys, creating a grittier more rustic Model Aeroplanes-esque sound. Their strongest number was Lucy, concocted of vivacious guitars, coupled with a rich bass lines, making it the perfect song for bopping along to without a care on those lazy Sundays.
Next up was the feel good tunes of Watercolour. Or at least half of them, due to two of the band members being unable to  attend. Despite this, the somewhat depleted band (now duo) endeared themselves to the crowd through their charming brotherly banter. The lads produced a happy go lucky fusion of folk and jazz, paralleling Royal Blood's 'small but mighty sound' - but somewhat more wholesome! The epitome of their 'cheeky chap' antics was there improvised number, entitled 'Cake' as requested by a particularly vocal audience member. The outcome was a hilarious bundle of random quips and blunders, leaving the whole room in stitches.
Thirdly was proud Glaswegian rockers Kill City Radio. The dynamic foursome sold their gritty,loud sound immaculately, the quintessential sound of angst fuelled heart and soul rock. Their performance featured some fantastic guitar riffs that made me nostalgic of Blink 182 in their prime, but accompanied with aggressive lyrics about revenge opposed to forgetting one's name. The highlight of the night however was their rock makeover of the iconic anthem Total Eclipse of the Heart. The number got the whole room singing, dancing and messing about with their mates. So much so, that some members from the earlier bands created a small mickey take mosh pit that resembled a game of 'dizzy ducklings'!

Unfortunately, I missed the final act Dead_Star, as one of my party members had a turn for the worst and we had to see her home. Missing their performance was so disappointing, as I have heard nothing but brilliant things about the band. Consequently, I shall be keeping my ears and eyes out for their next gig and can't wait to see them in person. Apologies to the band!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Track of the Week - Sarajevo - The K's

Merseyside natives The K's kicked off 2018 by announcing that they had been signed to Republic Music Management. With a handful of sold-out headline shows already under their belt, their tongue-and-cheek indie tunes are earning them a loyal fan base and plenty of buzz. Their debut single 'Sarajevo' is an infectiously catchy and utterly charming track. The vocals are akin to a more in-tune Jamie T, giving their witty lyrics a warm ambiance.  The upbeat melody gives a nod to early 2000s indie, but the ferocious riffs and hearty bass lines give it plenty of originality.  The track has already achieved half a million streams on Spotify and it's a sure bet that there's bigger and better things on the horizon for The K's. FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Poison - Mouses Track review

After relentless gigging, Billingham's lo-fi garage-punk duo Mouses are set to release their debut single: 'Poison'. If you haven't heard Mouses  before (firstly, where have you been for the past two years?), imagine the love child of  The Thermals, Dinosaur Jr  and Wheatus  on a generous kick of acid. The track opens by submerging you into a whirlpool of distorted guitar and fuzzy vocals, invigorating the track with a relentless energy. Despite the initially aggressive tone of the track, the infectiously catchy chorus provides it with a poppy undertone, making it incredibly upbeat and easy to dance/sing along to. I can envisage audiences belting out the lines: "I'm not breaking bones for you, I can be myself with a little bit of poison" - or at least that's what I presume Ste is singing under that heavy lo-fi disguise. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm unsure what the song is about, referencing' everything from; a 'crashing tiger...

Interview with Lee Allcock from NE VOLUME

I caught up with Lee Allcock, editor of   NE Volume , a music local magazine that celebrates everything the North East has to offer. Tell us about yourself and the story behind NE Volume ? My idea actually began back in college, where I basically wanted to go to gigs, review them, and get paid for it – I thought, at 16, that that would be the dream job. I then went on to study Journalism at Teesside University, and I worked voluntarily at another North East Music Magazine where I noticed they were covering the Newcastle area primarily. Whilst working for that magazine, I felt that bands, venues and music-related businesses in Teesside and the surrounding areas weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. So my idea basically came about because I wanted to help those involved in the music scene in this area – and the North East as a whole – to gain recognition for their hard work. Which artists and/or experiences fuelled your love of music and which albums do yo...