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Voodoo Glow Skulls
Saturday 8th August, 2009
The Maze, Nottingham
Support: Mouthwash + The Skints + Jimmy The Squirrel
Walking into the Maze this evening I am pleasantly surprised at how busy the venue is getting very early on in the night. Obviously attracted like I am at the tremendous line-up on offer this evening, which sees stalwart Nottingham band Jimmy the Squirrel, two of Rebel Alliance Records star acts The Skints and Mouthwash, and (all the way from Orange County) Voodoo Glow Skulls.
Jimmy the Squirrel have been favourites on the Nottingham scene for quite a long time, with their popular blend of ska and reggae and a strong independent streak that sees them on many people’s favourite ska label, Do The Dog. Front man Liam O’Kane keeps the crowd swaying with his smooth vocals as the band power their way through an impressive set, even more so because their regular drummer is absent tonight so they’ve had to make do with a stand-in, who fits in so seamlessly I didn’t even realise there had been a change until three quarters of the way through their set when I noticed a different face behind the sticks. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this band is going on to good things!
Next up comes the first of the acts from the capital tonight, with Rebel Alliance newcomers The Skints giving us their own impressive take on the mix between ska and reggae. Changing to a new instrument no fewer than four times in the first four songs, leading lady Marcia Richards shows a range of talents that is rarely matched in touring bands today. Making sure she keeps on her toes though, drummer Jamie Kyriakides flawlessly keeps the beat flowing while spitting out his lyrics with the full force of a whirlwind. The Skints are always a good show, and while their musical skill is as perfect as ever, something doesn’t feel quite so right tonight. They pepper their set with a lot of new songs, missing out some crowd favourites on the way, and while the new stuff sounds good, I think they could have achieved a greater balance between old and new tonight. But with a debut album release coming up in a few months, maybe this is to pave the way for the new tracks to hit the ground running. They don’t quite land it this evening, but I know they’ll be back here soon to impress us once more.
Main support is The Skints label-buddies and fellow Londoners Mouthwash. While The Skints might not have quite hit the towering standards they usually manage, Mouthwash most definitely do. With powering bass-lines the band get the crowd bouncing straightaway, dropping in album favourites “The Sound”, “That Girl” and “Everyday Feeling” among others. Everything you could have asked for tonight is delivered, the grime-ska sound getting the whole (by now very busy) venue involved. With their debut album already out and in the shops for the past few months, Mouthwash don’t have to worry about dipping their toes in the water with new songs, instead just happy to entertain with some tried and tested tunes.
Finally we get to the Voodoo Glow Skulls. With a singer reminiscent of Buster Blood Vessel (Bad Manners) and a stage presence to match, the Glow Skulls start the crowd bouncing and they just don’t let up for one minute. The singer looks like he’s ready for a fight (and with the size of him, he’d definitely eat most opponents alive) with his aggression being let out by constant jumping up and down on his toes. Honestly, there isn’t much I can say about the band this evening. They started playing. The crowd started skanking. Occasionally they paused between songs for a second to let people catch their breath. Then they started playing, the crowd started skanking, and so on. Eventually they finished. Pure awesomeness throughout. Nuff said. The Orange County music scene is, once again, a winner.
Saturday 8th August, 2009
The Maze, Nottingham
Support: Mouthwash + The Skints + Jimmy The Squirrel
Walking into the Maze this evening I am pleasantly surprised at how busy the venue is getting very early on in the night. Obviously attracted like I am at the tremendous line-up on offer this evening, which sees stalwart Nottingham band Jimmy the Squirrel, two of Rebel Alliance Records star acts The Skints and Mouthwash, and (all the way from Orange County) Voodoo Glow Skulls.
Jimmy the Squirrel have been favourites on the Nottingham scene for quite a long time, with their popular blend of ska and reggae and a strong independent streak that sees them on many people’s favourite ska label, Do The Dog. Front man Liam O’Kane keeps the crowd swaying with his smooth vocals as the band power their way through an impressive set, even more so because their regular drummer is absent tonight so they’ve had to make do with a stand-in, who fits in so seamlessly I didn’t even realise there had been a change until three quarters of the way through their set when I noticed a different face behind the sticks. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this band is going on to good things!
Next up comes the first of the acts from the capital tonight, with Rebel Alliance newcomers The Skints giving us their own impressive take on the mix between ska and reggae. Changing to a new instrument no fewer than four times in the first four songs, leading lady Marcia Richards shows a range of talents that is rarely matched in touring bands today. Making sure she keeps on her toes though, drummer Jamie Kyriakides flawlessly keeps the beat flowing while spitting out his lyrics with the full force of a whirlwind. The Skints are always a good show, and while their musical skill is as perfect as ever, something doesn’t feel quite so right tonight. They pepper their set with a lot of new songs, missing out some crowd favourites on the way, and while the new stuff sounds good, I think they could have achieved a greater balance between old and new tonight. But with a debut album release coming up in a few months, maybe this is to pave the way for the new tracks to hit the ground running. They don’t quite land it this evening, but I know they’ll be back here soon to impress us once more.
Main support is The Skints label-buddies and fellow Londoners Mouthwash. While The Skints might not have quite hit the towering standards they usually manage, Mouthwash most definitely do. With powering bass-lines the band get the crowd bouncing straightaway, dropping in album favourites “The Sound”, “That Girl” and “Everyday Feeling” among others. Everything you could have asked for tonight is delivered, the grime-ska sound getting the whole (by now very busy) venue involved. With their debut album already out and in the shops for the past few months, Mouthwash don’t have to worry about dipping their toes in the water with new songs, instead just happy to entertain with some tried and tested tunes.
Finally we get to the Voodoo Glow Skulls. With a singer reminiscent of Buster Blood Vessel (Bad Manners) and a stage presence to match, the Glow Skulls start the crowd bouncing and they just don’t let up for one minute. The singer looks like he’s ready for a fight (and with the size of him, he’d definitely eat most opponents alive) with his aggression being let out by constant jumping up and down on his toes. Honestly, there isn’t much I can say about the band this evening. They started playing. The crowd started skanking. Occasionally they paused between songs for a second to let people catch their breath. Then they started playing, the crowd started skanking, and so on. Eventually they finished. Pure awesomeness throughout. Nuff said. The Orange County music scene is, once again, a winner.
