Category Archives: Miscellania

In the Spirit of the UK/USA ‘special relationship’ QUIMS has teamed up with …Stupefaction… to remember John Peel and give thanks for good music and the radio stations that are still aloud to play it……still miss you John! Continue reading →

I was chuft to be at the opening of this DIY style celebration of the Leeds live scene. QUIMS friend Tony Wolgar who’s donated many photo’s to our reviews, had a section of his prints up including a fantastic shot … Continue reading →

If you’re passionate enough to write about a gig or music in general – we’re passionate enough to post it here. Send us your reviews and maybe a photo too? Cheers

etal isnt going to conquer the charts but will bring out the faithful like the plague brings out the dead.
Support came from stropped back label mates Moss, a band I first saw two years ago who, quite frankly blew me away. Slow and intense songs created an atmosphere and the band took to the sides of the stage leaving a gap in the performance space. As soon as the last song ended they downed tools and were off stage before the last whine of feedback and the audience applauded and empty stage. Brilliant. Not tonight. Tonight they played a couple of newies showing a change in direction with clean vocals and, gosh, tangible riffs. Ending with from their last album Tombs of the Blind Drugged. Moss even thanked the audience for turning up. Ungrateful bastards! Gone is the arsey artiness of yore. Shame but still enjoyable.

Electric Wizard, a band who sound like they listened to far too much black Sabbath when they were stoned, successfully emulate the feel and imagery of sixties and seventies Italian horror movies. Check out the cover for their almum Black Massess and youll see what I mean. The original members were just a bunch of dopeheads from the New Forest but have created a monster with the addition of Liz Buckingham, a fiery force of blond hair and sonic fury on guitar and Rob Al-Issa on bass. Opening with the song I thought they would have closed with, namely the down-tuned Funerealopolis from their 2000 masterpiece, Dopethrone, they went on to play a robust set packed with classics from their repertoire and couple of new songs from Black Masses which made me glad Id pre-ordered it from Amazon.
Okay, so a giant Eddie didnt come stumbling out and Lulu didnt come bursting out of the curtains singing re-light my fire but the riffs came long and hard (ooh er) but they did what they did best; play dirges to the occult based around one ever expanding riff. For a band with a reputed large drug consumption they didnt let the pace drop and several hundred happy black clad doom metal fans went home with tinnitus and the memories of the last whine of feedback in their ears.

PAUL MELHUISH
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erly gig on his perilous Pedals and Pumps tour (hes had several run-ins with drivers and got knocked off on his way to our gig by the landlord of the previous pub, who was cycling with him).

This show could have run for several more hours and wed all have been very happy. His intelligent lyrics, punchy in the more rocky numbers and soothing and sensuous in the ballads hit home much more live than they do on recordings, and hes a great front man dancing and running around the stage, which was adventurous given the small barn we were crammed into at the back of the pub. A combination of new songs, older solo stuff and loudly-welcomed Housemartins numbers made for a night that, at £15 a head, was the best-value gig Ive been to in a long time. With an encore that included a great piece of political writing, performed with total conviction, only the need to get back and pay the babysitter stopped me from staying to buy the man a pint and talk about saddle sores and a Tory party in government.

Its gigs like this that remind you why you love live music in the first place. The proximity to the band, the vibrations through the floor and the connection with the music were fantastic at this gig and Paul, whos cycling between each pub on this 3 week tour had more energy than anyone averaging 60 miles a day should reasonably expect to conjure up. Support band Gus Devlin and The Resistance was a soulful-folky-country start to the evening and with Gus joining Paul on the cyclethon, itll be interesting to see how theyre both sounding at the last gig in Chorlton in a couple of weeks time.

Gill Perkins

Photos C/O dr-photography.com
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