winter wonderland reviews
Posted: 17 Dec 2010, 00:29
http://www.beehivecity.com/music/suede- ... land78324/
Suede & Manic Street Preachers rock XFM Winter Wonderland
December 16, 2010
By Adam Sherwin
It’s a show guaranteed to sell-out almost as quickly as Macca’s 100 Club gig and a reliable guide to health of the “indie” music scene.
XFM’s Winter Wonderland boxes up a mini-festival of six acts, who deliver an ”all hits, no filler” set, if they’re smart in front of a festive Brixton Academy crowd, for a live radio broadcast.
Tennessee rockers Mona strut and pose like they’re headlining the O2 Arena, instead of opening the gig for 6:30pm early arrivers. Singer Nick Brown has an authentic Kings of Leon Southern rasp and beneath the blaring volume, the band seem to have the anthemic choruses to take them to the stadia they’re heading for – unless they get swept up by a KoL-backlash.
The Drums might have imagined they’d be playing further up the bill given the hype that accompanied the Brooklyn band earlier this year. Jonathan Pierce delivers on the Morrissey-esq twirls but the crowd only really respond to Let’s Go Surfing. After losing a guitarist, The Drums need to re-invent a jangling sound that is to candy-sweet over an extended play.
The floor fills up for Two Door Cinema Club, the young Northern Irish band that has been the under-the-radar breakthrough in a poor year for the guitar-based indie XFM thrives on.
In an audience, that includes greying Manics veterans and their offspring, the kids know every word to bouncy, compact sample-enhanced Two Door hits, aimed squarely at the indie-disco, like I Can Talk. The quartet play with bags of energy and Grint-faced singer Alex Trimble still looks surprised at the adulation the band has swiftly attracted.
There’s a danger they could be a “gap year” band like The Wombats but if there is to be a resurgence in guitar bands, Two Door are likely to get their rewards on next Summer’s festival circuit.
The Xmas spirit is quelled a little by White Lies, the London band whose melodic if a little gloomy debut album topped the charts two years ago. The lengthy tracks debuted from 2011 follow-up Ritual suggests the band are on a mission to create the most epic record ever released.
Harry McVeigh has a commanding baritone and whilst the crowd accepts the new stuff with patience, their breakthrough tracks, Fairwell To The Fairground and Death are greeted like conquering heroes.
They might not get a catchy song covered by an X Factor winner like Biffy Clyro but they could follow the Scots band in to the larger arenas enjoyed by Muse.
Suede were billed as special guests but drummer Simon Gilbert has flu and is a no-show. Rather than pull-out Brett Anderson performs a brief acoustic set with Richard Oakes and Neil Codling. Trash and The Beautiful Ones are sung back lustily by 4,000 fans. For those who’ve not seen the band on their triumphant comeback, it’s a tantalising taste of what’s to come next year.
And so to the Manic Street Preachers for a headline set. The band know what’s expected, so there’s no extensive excavation of the new album. They kick-off with Motorcycle Emptiness, run through singalong favourites If You Tolerate This, Your Love Alone…, You Love Us. It’s an embarrassment of riches, before signing off for Xmas with ultimate anthem, A Design For Life.
The Manics or Suede will probably be headlining this event in 10 years time, such is their catalogue of indie classics. There’s enough life in the newcomers tonight though to suggest that the next generation of indie guitar-slingers won’t let the old guard have it all their own way.
Suede & Manic Street Preachers rock XFM Winter Wonderland
December 16, 2010
By Adam Sherwin
It’s a show guaranteed to sell-out almost as quickly as Macca’s 100 Club gig and a reliable guide to health of the “indie” music scene.
XFM’s Winter Wonderland boxes up a mini-festival of six acts, who deliver an ”all hits, no filler” set, if they’re smart in front of a festive Brixton Academy crowd, for a live radio broadcast.
Tennessee rockers Mona strut and pose like they’re headlining the O2 Arena, instead of opening the gig for 6:30pm early arrivers. Singer Nick Brown has an authentic Kings of Leon Southern rasp and beneath the blaring volume, the band seem to have the anthemic choruses to take them to the stadia they’re heading for – unless they get swept up by a KoL-backlash.
The Drums might have imagined they’d be playing further up the bill given the hype that accompanied the Brooklyn band earlier this year. Jonathan Pierce delivers on the Morrissey-esq twirls but the crowd only really respond to Let’s Go Surfing. After losing a guitarist, The Drums need to re-invent a jangling sound that is to candy-sweet over an extended play.
The floor fills up for Two Door Cinema Club, the young Northern Irish band that has been the under-the-radar breakthrough in a poor year for the guitar-based indie XFM thrives on.
In an audience, that includes greying Manics veterans and their offspring, the kids know every word to bouncy, compact sample-enhanced Two Door hits, aimed squarely at the indie-disco, like I Can Talk. The quartet play with bags of energy and Grint-faced singer Alex Trimble still looks surprised at the adulation the band has swiftly attracted.
There’s a danger they could be a “gap year” band like The Wombats but if there is to be a resurgence in guitar bands, Two Door are likely to get their rewards on next Summer’s festival circuit.
The Xmas spirit is quelled a little by White Lies, the London band whose melodic if a little gloomy debut album topped the charts two years ago. The lengthy tracks debuted from 2011 follow-up Ritual suggests the band are on a mission to create the most epic record ever released.
Harry McVeigh has a commanding baritone and whilst the crowd accepts the new stuff with patience, their breakthrough tracks, Fairwell To The Fairground and Death are greeted like conquering heroes.
They might not get a catchy song covered by an X Factor winner like Biffy Clyro but they could follow the Scots band in to the larger arenas enjoyed by Muse.
Suede were billed as special guests but drummer Simon Gilbert has flu and is a no-show. Rather than pull-out Brett Anderson performs a brief acoustic set with Richard Oakes and Neil Codling. Trash and The Beautiful Ones are sung back lustily by 4,000 fans. For those who’ve not seen the band on their triumphant comeback, it’s a tantalising taste of what’s to come next year.
And so to the Manic Street Preachers for a headline set. The band know what’s expected, so there’s no extensive excavation of the new album. They kick-off with Motorcycle Emptiness, run through singalong favourites If You Tolerate This, Your Love Alone…, You Love Us. It’s an embarrassment of riches, before signing off for Xmas with ultimate anthem, A Design For Life.
The Manics or Suede will probably be headlining this event in 10 years time, such is their catalogue of indie classics. There’s enough life in the newcomers tonight though to suggest that the next generation of indie guitar-slingers won’t let the old guard have it all their own way.
but thanks anyway!!!!! 
I guess it's nice for the other two or three people who regularly visit this forum!!!!! 
