mreed has written the following articles:
The first time I saw New Order was a religious experience. The last time I saw them was boring. Unlike most bands, New Order have always been contrary buggers - doing exactly what they wanted, whenever they wanted, because they could. The trouble with this is, if they don't want to do something, it'll be awful. Only s»
“LOUDER THAN WAR” they proclaim. But this, the third Manics longform video (a now near annual event for a tie-in live concert video) sees another fawning attempt to selfmythologise. Gasp! As James busks with Cuban stret musicians. Swoon! As Sean speaks. Yawn! As Nicky looks out over the Cuban sea. I love The Ma»
I’ve never seen this before. After nearly three hours of performance, he takes off his shoe, and asks if we can give him money. This is Jello Biafra – punk legend, former Presidential candidate, owner of Alternative Tentacles records, the man who's made 21 albums – and a near bankrupt. Last year he lost a court »
Cast your mind back ten years. Everyone had big shorts and crap straggly hair. Crusties were everywhere, vainly trying to avoid getting jobs. Every shop closed at 5.30. The only thing that was on late night TV was “Jobhunters Teletext” and crap French movies. Night buses still ran. The Internet only existed in the movi»
I could almost review this without even listening to it. Ingredients : one LA rock band, plus workaholic singer known for self-loathing. End result – pounding riffs with funk/blues jam, topped off with hoarse, frighteningly sincere screaming and unexceptional lyrics. Sounds like every other band that ever does anything»
Tonight the Manics achieve something I’d never thought they would – they were boring. Now, its not the Manics fault, I grant them – they tried to excel, but the elements are against them. The venue is tiny and overcrowded to say the least. Vast portions of the venue are roped off, covered in cameras, boom mikes, and te»
In some respects, it’s a miracle this record exists. Whilst New Order have never been the kind of band to really ever go overboard – despite the drug fuelled psychosis and financial haemorraging of epic proportions, they never ever came to blows. The worst they ever did was sulk and just not talk to each other for year»
"So the most common question The Wonder Stuff get asked is... 'So you're doing this for the money aren't you?.... and The Wonder Stuff answer is...'Why the fuck do you think you go to work?'..... And I admit the gigs we played last year were for the money.... but now I understand. You see, I've been making a record i»
Supply and demand. It’s all about supply and demand. It’s the way that capitalism works. See, say, you know you can sell, for example, 500,000 U2 gig tickets. But say, U2 want to create an air of exclusivity, an air of being “This weeks hottest ticket”, an air of getting back to the fans. They do numerous interviews to»
He sweats for Wales. He sweats for the world. He stands enormous. His skin pulsates with rivers of perspiration. Hell, I can smell him from here. He wears leather trousers. A shirt so smooth nothing – not even sweat – sticks to it. He even wears a jacket, like some casual rock god whose dressing down, but not too muc»
I tried to ring my brother from here so he could hear it but there was no signal. Anyway... the Royal Festival Hall is a weird venue. The site of Oasis' Unplugged farce. Blur's final gig. Radiohead’s bizarre return to UK shores. And now this, David Gilmour's first solo gig since 1984 (who? the quiet one from Pink Flo»
And so to the longawaited Play DVD. We've already had the album, the limited edition 2CD box set, a three year tour, eight singles, 422 advert tie-ins, and finally the warts n all DVD, with a remixes CD. Despite all this, can I just say, Please Moby, we love ya and that but can you please go away and make a new »
They say travel broadens the mind. They say the further you travel, the more you see, the more you experience. Not for me. Travels doesn’t broaden this mind. Travel teaches me that the further away you go, the weirder it gets, the stranger it is. For most people where we are now, is normal, ordinary, correct. Bu»
Dear all ... had a lovely time in London. Everything is grey and smelly and full of tourists. Went to see the Alabama3 play an instore at Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus, was very good. Was waiting in the queue whilst lots of people asked us why we were queuing and then walking off because they did understand»
It’s a long way down from the top. A long way down from even half way. When you start that slippery slide form public eye, when someone newer younger, more desperate and more unoriginal arrives, you know your time is numbered. There’s two distinct ways you can go. But either way points down. One proves you only »
I know it's late, but hey, I've only just got my PC fixed... anyway, Manics Mancehster way back in MArch. This is what I wrote at the time. Here's a quick review. Set list was FOUND THAT SOUL MOTORCYCLE EMPTINESS MASSES AGAINST THE CLASSES SO WHY SO SAD KEVIN CARTER OCEAN SPRAY YOU STOLE THE SUN»
What is Roskilde? Well, apart from the best festival in Europe, not much. A sleepy town just outside Copenhagen where there’s nothing to do and everything costs the earth. Except for 4 days every June where it becomes the most exciting place on earth excepting, maybe, Robbie Williams’ bedroom. It’s also a bitch »
It’s a weird one. The last time I saw this band, Radiohead, was ten long years ago. Let me set the scene for you. Beginning their descent, one-off indie heroes Kingmaker were touring their top 42 single “Armchair Anarchist”. Radiohead were first on, supporting a Juggler and fire-eater, and then Kingmaker thems»
Imagine Hell. Imagine 8,000 people all crammed into a darkened room. Outside the sky is on fire as the masses burn the night down. Inside a funfair at one end of a gigantic ancient hall spins and wheels into the night. At the other end a stage, and a 8 piece band perform what can only be described as a unmelodic »
Why Does “Directors Cut” and “Special Edition” mean More Music? Think of the words. Special Edition. First used in 1980, to promote the then ‘Directors Cut’ of Spielberg’s “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”, it began to mean, slowly, but surely, the way in which the directors of said film could ‘reclai»
Forget what you know. Forget all the crap you’ve been fed by the NME/Melody Maker and all their ilk, about whose cool, whose not, whose hip, whose not. Forget that the definition of indie has been diluted into nothing more than white boys with guitars playing stadiums and feeling persecuted, man. Forget the wicked lies»
One week on from my last Therapy? show in Stoke, I hadn't planned on writing this review but things have changed. Now in a much larger venue, Therapy? seem much hotter than last time, even if the choice of material is, at best, eclectic. The backdrop appears to be a Christ figure arising from a lake of fire,»
I'll admit it. I didn't even know The Wonder Stuff existed until September 1989, when some young girl I madly passionately loved brought a copy of some blue record called Hup into school. I fell in mad passionate love instead with the record instead. A far better choice. I don't know where she is now, but I'd»
It's not very good is it? A band, a stage. Some incoherent swearing and yelling from Liam. Note perfect renditions of the Hits, and one abum track from the most recent studio record. It's not rock n roll. It's cabaret. Hyperbolic sleeve notes that proclaim them ("Insert hype here") but fails to deliver. Does exactly wh»
Setlist Intro Church of Noise He’s Not That Kind Of Girl Suicide Pact Bad Karma Isolation Stop It You’re Killing Me Skyward Joey Turn Screamager Die Laughing Breaking The Law Diane Nowhere Evil Elvis Lonely Crying Only Meat Abstract Knives It’s weird watching band»
