Victorious Festival 2016

Here at LNM we are gearing up for what is looking to be a great Victorious Festival next weekend, the full line-up times are now up ... check them out here and plan out your day!

With a huge kids arena & family friendly atmosphere and impressive line-up including Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Manic Street Preachers, Ash, Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as a whole host great local acts we had a chat to some of the local performers in the run up to the festival.

Kassassin Street's Rowan told us what we can expect from their set "It’s always very much a highlight of the summer, playing to the home crowd. I’ll probably sing a bit, I may dance, I may break down uncontrollably, it’s all to play for to be honest". Check out the full feature here:

We also spoke to Public Service Broadcasting ahead of the festival and asked them what we can expect from their set at Victorious this year "A few things have changed since we played in 2014 though, and we’ve got some better songs and some more fun additions to the live show, so we’re looking forward to seeing how they go down." Check out the full interview here:

Pretty Vicious took time out of their busy schedule for a chat with us ahead of their performance at Victorious, we asked them about their musical influences "We all have different influences as musicians. But we all tend to listen to similar genres of music, mainly Punk, Grunge and your standard Rock. Iggy Pop is probably our biggest influence musically, although we also draw inspiration from bands like the Stereophonics, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Oasis, The Smiths and loads more". Check out the full interview here:

Behind The Scenes - Southsea's Local Music Talent

With so many music related things going on yet again this year in Southsea, not least Victorious which is shaping up nicely for the August Bank Holiday weekend, Icebreaker Festival and the return of Southsea Fest, we reached out to guys who are performing at Victorious this year to get their take on playing in Southsea ...

Nick Courtney has been promoting live music in Portsmouth since 2003 and booking the local and regional bands for Victorious since it began. 

“Each year Victorious Festival continues to grow and the standard of performers continues to get higher every year. This year we welcome a new World music stage and the RMA Tavern stage which has enabled us to increase the number of local performers at the event. The Portsmouth music scene has a great sense of community and I am told by visiting musicians that it is far better here than many other cities. There has been a massive rise in demand for local shows since the law changed a few years ago allowing smaller venues to provide live music without having to pay for a separate entertainment license."

"Portsmouth musicians are very supportive of each other and regularly attend each other’s shows. It's a great city for music and packed full of talent, so much so, that Britain’s got talent, The Voice and X-Factor all now visit Portsmouth during their National audition process.” 

Kassassin Street's Rowan also had a chat with us, so how do you describe your sound and how long have you been going? "Angular Indie ... never ask a lady her age! (nearly 5 years!)" 

Where are you based? "We are spread across Portsmouth but most of us live in Southsea. I love Southsea."

kassassin street

Have you played Victorious before ... what can we expect from your set there? "Absolutely, I believe we’ve played at every one. It’s always very much a highlight of the summer, playing to the home crowd. I’ll probably sing a bit, I may dance, I may break down uncontrollably, it’s all to play for to be honest."

How does your environment and people around you affect your music? "I wouldn’t write songs at all without the environment and people around me affecting me to be honest. Some form of social commentary seems to sneak it’s way into most of my songs and I think it’s a really important time to be alive. We’re a society amidst constant change and some awful, awful things have happened around the world in the past few years. Documenting that in art is incredibly important for us all."

What are your thoughts on the local scene, there seems to be a great sense of community? "Very much so, unfortunately I spend most of my time writing in my bedroom so I don’t get to enjoy as much of the scene as often as I’d like to. There seems to be a natural family feel here, and island mentality I guess."

How does this compare to other places you have played? "Everywhere is different I guess, I’m a big fan of travelling myself and love visiting new places. I guess all towns, cities, villages, castles have their own kinda soul. What I would say is that kids in the north dance harder at midday than they do in the south. Prove me wrong Victorious ..."

kassassin street

What is the best thing about living / playing in Southsea? "I walk everywhere. EVERYWHERE." Have you seen a rise in the demand for local shows since you have been involved here? "Sadly the opposite but I don’t wish to be negative"

We see people appreciating and getting down early to shows to support each other, have you found the same? "Yeah of course, supporting your mates is so important and it’s a vital step for any new band to get your mates supporting you. The best bit is, they still support you while you’re completely awful, it’s what mates do!" What could be improved here? The local train networks. Death to Southern Rail." 

UNDERGROUnD PILOTS

Mike Hartley from Portsmouth-based Underground Pilots had a chat to us, they have been going for 3 years now, so Mike, how would you describe your sound? "Our new sound is more towards the like’s of Tool & The Cooper Temple Clause – quite dynamic and still heavy!"

Have you played Victorious before? "Yes, this is our third year in a row and very fortunate!" So what can we expect from your set at Victorious this year? "A brand new set with our new direction which hopefully will leave you happy!" and how does Victorious compare to other places you have played? "It doesn’t, Victorious is a real festival without the camping!"

underground pilots

What are your thoughts on the local scene, there seems to be a great sense of community? "The local scene is growing again, it seems that festivals like Icebreaker & Victorious Festival gives bands opportunities to play in front of a large audience, which was missing from our scene for a long time, we now have a good number of venues and promoters to continue building on our amazing music scene. Playing in Southsea means you can always be part of the pulse and can be recognised on bigger stages such as Victorious, Icebreaker, SouthseaFest."

Have you seen a rise in the demand for local shows since you have been involved here? "I’ve been on the scene for 16 years now and seen it go from high to really low but I strongly agree it’s on the rise again!" What could be improved? "Bands could be more vigilant towards playing too many shows in a short space of time."

We see people appreciating and getting down early to shows to support each other, have you found the same? "Yes – I’ve been running the Wedgewood Rooms showcase this year and have found a lot of people are getting down early to support all the bands which is incredible to see!"

Skin For A Canvas has been going for about 5 years now, songwriter Ian Mortimer started the project as a duo with Dani Burnett who left to do his own thing, carrying on solo Ian is currently working on other projects.

Skin For A Canvas

“I use my own studio now so I am spending time making my old songs bigger than ever with more spacey like vibes.” “I played Victorious when it was in the dockyard, then a year later after they moved to Southsea Common I played again and now again this year”.

Your thoughts on the local music scene? “I know a lot of the bands in Portsmouth … there are some awesome bands around, I do feel that some of the bands don't get as much notice than I feel they should if that makes sense”. “You get to know some cool people and get to see people's bands play and they see you play the word kinda gets about”.

“I feel that not enough shows look after their bands or artist I've played shows and got zip for it I know it's not about money or anything like that but myself and others spend so much time doing what they do and out on great shows but then the places are just not giving back you’re playing in their place bringing new people and playing to their customers it's a shame because it can be off putting to do shows even when you play further abroad. In Europe I've been on tour with a band and you get looked after so much more, I just wish it kinda was the same here too."

"At the moment I'm hardly playing shows because I’m working on my studio stuff as I’m gonna be a dad soon … free shows don't really pay the bills but I guess as corny as it is Just keep at it and work hard!”.  

Novellas

Portsmouth’s Novellas played their first gig in April 2015, with their self-styled “Dreamy Rock N’ Roll” and play Victorious for the first time this year.

We asked them what we can expect from their set, which apparently will be “a pure high energy spectacle. To be pulled into our world for half an hour...”

How about playing in Portsmouth generally? 

“When you start to see a room full of familiar faces when returning to hometown gigs it’s a real honour, so inspiring. It makes you wanna work harder for them and really give them everything you have."

novellas

"Portsmouth has potential to have a great music scene if it wasn’t for the clique. I think if some of Portsmouth's promoters opened up the doors wider and really gave new fresh acts a proper chance it could be pumping out some of the greatest musicians in the country. The talent is here it’s whether certain people see it or not.”

Do you think there has been a rise in demand for local shows? “We couldn't say if the demand for shows in Portsmouth is increasing, however since June last year every Portsmouth gig we've played, other than one, the venue or promoter has approached us. So the response to us has been cool to see...”

What about the community of music-goers in general, do you see people appreciating and getting down early to shows to support each other? 

“The role of the support band is important - People should get down when doors open but equally a promoter needs to build a line up to convince people to not sit in the pub until the headline band!”.

Any thoughts on the music industry in general? 

“It'd be nice to see more bands saying and doing something different and being true to their own identity instead of an Oasis or Artic Monkeys cliché.”

Novellas play Victorious Saturday on the AMP Stage and Sunday on the Seaside Stage at 11:30am. Their eponymous double A-side of debut singles is out now on Spotify.  

Foxer

Sam Cutbush plays in Portsmouth’s own Foxer who have been going for 3 years now with their mix of grunge, blues and a bit of funk. As Victorious regulars this year will be their 4th year performing at the festival.

We asked Sam what we can expect from their set? 

“Foxer’s trademark loud noises are chilling out a touch as we play an acoustic set, headlining the Radweb stage. We write on a wide variety of subjects, and some of our songs make reference to the state of things, be they local or global. Some things you can’t ignore.”

foxer

On the Southsea scene, do you see a good sense of community here?

“Yes there is, you look at all the festivals springing up and the crowds that come to gigs, there is a lot of talent here and hard work to go with it. Having played in London, Southampton and Brighton we’re certain that Portsmouth has far and away the best scene in the south. There’s always something going on, if you’re not playing yourself you can be sure to catch one of your favourite local acts.”

Have you seen a rise in the demand for local shows since you have been involved here?

“I think so, there are some great acts that put on mind-blowing shows, and most promoters seem to want to build a show with acts that complement each other rather than cobbling any genres together.”

We see people appreciating and getting down early to shows to support each other, have you found the same? “I think that’s still up in the air. A lot of people do come from start to finish, but there are still plenty of people who clear out of a venue after seeing ‘their’ act. It’s their choice obviously. Sadly it happens with some acts too, they play their set and go. We always try to stick around even if we are miles out of town. It gets noticed. We think every gig should be an event, an occasion. Inviting people on Facebook is all that a lot of acts do. We all need to work hard and give people a reason to come see us. Be creative, be daring.”

Do you have any thoughts on the music industry in general you would like to share?

“Stay positive. The Justin Biebers of this world won’t last forever. Real music stands the test of time.”

We spoke to LST's Leigh who describes his sound "with the acoustic set up, which I like to call 'The Mandem' I would describe the sound as 'acoustic hiphop with a catchy soulful twist' but these days I'm also bringing club vibes along with me as well. Leigh started out as a grime MC working the club circuits and has been performing with 'The Mandem' for around 2 years.

LST

So it's been going well for your Leigh ... "yeah, we've performed a few gigs (understatement of the year) including showcases at Ronnie Scott's, Wembley, Common People Festival, Blissfields, Isle Of Wight Festival & Victorious Festival, performed live on BBC 6 Music with Steve Lamacq & more recently performed in the Live Lounge for BBC Introducing: The South in Brighton. I've also worked my way back into the club scene & have been lucky enough to support the likes of Kano, Wretch 32, Devlin, P Money, Ocean Wisdom & have been asked to support Akala at The Social, Southampton Friday 21st October which I count as a another blessing. "So you're playing Victorious again this year? "This year I am returning to victorious not only to perform an acoustic set on Sunday at the Nevada Music Stage (3:40-4:10) but I have also been invited as a special guest to perform my club MC set in the Beats & Swing Tent by the guys at Beats & Swing. (5:45-6:00). I performed for these guys at the Isle of Wight Festival this year & I'm honoured to have been asked to do it all over again at yet another amazing festival."

LST

"I write frequently in a team & by myself on all sorts of projects. I find that I'm effected quite a lot by my surroundings but a lot of the time it's subconsciously & I don't realise until I'm finished writing. I've learned to appreciate the good times & hold onto them for as long as possible...& the hard/bad times...I do my best to embrace them as much as I can ... sometimes you gotta go through some madness to get the goodness out!"

"The one thing I find with the local scene is that you get a very loyal following...I like that but that's not to say it doesn't happen else where. I'm yet to go to a place where I haven't been made to feel welcome & we've been to a place or two. The best thing about playing in Southsea is ... the people. "

LST

"The local scene has always been good to me & I'm grateful that I get asked to play in my area on a regular basis. Recently I have seen a rise in bookings for local shows which can only be a very good thing. Us guys always try our best to get down early to catch performances from other artists if we can, it's just what you do isn't it?!"

"I think the local scene is doing a good job of making noise about music. Just keep up the good work & no doubt things will just keep getting better. If the local scene can help acts earn enough to live a "normal" life from their passion & talent then that's a win in anyone's book."

So your thoughts on the industry in general? "My thoughts on the industry don't matter right now. All that matters is that you do what you love & love what you do. Too many people being unhappy out here. Be you & get there like everybody else but don't get there being like everybody else."

So if you fancy a trip down to the south coast, we highly recommend SOUTHSEA!

Albert Road is a hive of activity with an array of quirky shops and great venues like The Wedgewood Rooms and the Edge of The Wedge for both touring and local bands.

There are summer sessions down on the common at The Bandstand which are great for a summer's day and Castle Road's Pie & Vinyl is a great little venue for acoustic in-store performances as well as delicious pies!

For the morning after we recommend Smile cafe on Marmion Road for their friendly service and great (vegan-friendly as well as regular) breakfasts.

Thanks to all the super-talented guys who had a chat to us and are continuing to shape the local music scene in Southsea ... hope to see you all at some more great local shows real soon!

Tickets for Victorious Festival on August 27-28th are on sale now at www.victoriousfestival.co.uk, you can also check out full details of SouthseaFest for the October 1st event from southseafest.com, as well as all the local venues for fantastic shows all year round.

Pretty Vicious - Interview

Pretty Vicious have been tipped as ones to watch this year which is not surprising when you hear their swaggering, attitude-drenched melodies. Having toured extensively over the last year, next month’s set at Victorious will mark the start of more live dates throughout September, we caught up with them to find out more ...

It’s been a pretty meteoric rise for you guys, you’ve already played the major festivals and supported the Manics, how has your journey been so far? 

It's been incredible. We only formed 2 years ago and we were invited to every major festival in Britain just 8 months later! Last year was our 'getting used to being in a band' year, we played all over the place and did lots of shows outside of the UK. This year has been more of a 'behind the scenes' year, we've been doing lots of recording with different producers and getting loads of artwork and set-up done in preparation for a truly massive next year.

You are also working with Owen Morris who worked with Ash who are also on the bill for Victorious, how is that going?

After trying out loads of other great producers we chose Owen as he was the first to actually "get" our sound. We're about half-way through doing the debut album now and it's sounding insane!

Who would you site as your musical influences ... your work seems to draw on a range of genres?

We all have different influences as musicians. But we all tend to listen to similar genres of music, mainly Punk, Grunge and your standard Rock. Iggy Pop is probably our biggest influence musically, although we also draw inspiration from bands like the Stereophonics, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Oasis, The Smiths and loads more.

Is the band pretty collaborative, do you guys write together and share the same influences? How about your creative process, what really inspires you to create particular songs? 

All of the songs are written differently, but the main process comes through Brad writing a new riff and coming to us and we jam the full song out, all adding our own input into the song. After the song is finished Brad then goes off and writes the lyrics and we spend some time fine tuning the song to make it as good as it can possibly be.

Is there a story behind Cave Song? We love its bouncy energy!

Cave Song is basically the anthem of youth. It's based on what we used to get upto when we were bored on a Friday night when we were young teens, but the meaning behind the song is the freedom of youth and how the memories of fucking around in your younger years will stick with you for the rest of your life.

Is there anyone in particular you would say are so influential that if they didn't exist you wouldn't be doing what you are now? 

Lots of different artists were important in forming our music tastes and influencing the way we write but I wouldn't say there's any specific artist that was that important to us. It's more the culmination of all these separate artists that helped create our sound.

What’s next for 2016 ... have you got any new releases on the way, we see you are back on the road in September? 

There should be one or two new singles coming this year but really we don't kick everything off until 2017. That's when the album is coming and the majority of everything we're doing this year is the foundation for what we want to do next year. Our tour this September should be crazy though, we're proper up for that and everything that touring brings.

Is there a band /artist at the moment really inspiring musically, or that you think will go far this year / would like to see more of? 

Our favourite artists this year have been Drenge and Wolf Alice. We've played with Wolf Alice a few times now and they're reallygood people, proper cool like. Drenge are the biggest breath of fresh air we've heard in a while and we loved Undertow.

If you had to describe each band member (including yourself) in just three words, what would they be?

Brad - Rizla, Whiskey, Gum. Tom - Great Glorious Quiff. Jarvis - Hair, Sexual Deviant. Elliot - Chunky But Funky

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us, we are looking forward to catching you holding up the punkier end of the music spectrum at Victorious next month! 

We Are Carnivores - Theodor’s A Don, Bro (EP)

Nottingham based trio WE ARE CARNIVORES have just released the new EP ‘Theodor’s A Don, Bro’, a follow up to 2014's ‘Tex-Mexiconomy’. 

The EP combines angular riffs and in-your-face time changes, a great mix of techy-rock for fans of Marmozets, Enter Shikari and Reuben. With intriguing track names like 'You Can't Argue With Sharks' and 'I'm Not An Alcoholic, I Just collect Bottles' these guys seem to have a great sense of humour!

The three-piece math-punk gang have recently been touring their new material ... “Having almost caught the Loch Ness Monster with nothing but our charm and a bag of quavers while touring the ‘Tex-Mexiconomy EP’ in 2015, we are hoping ‘Theodor’s A Don, Bro’ coaxes a whole bunch of mythical creatures out of the woodwork towards the back side of summer 2k16!”

They are also back on tour this weekend:
06.08 CHELTENHAM - Summer Fest
07.08 SWANSEA - The Scene
08.08 LEICESTER - The Shed
09.08 SHEFFIELD - Mulberry Underground
10.08 GLASGOW - Old Hairdressers
11.08 BIRMINGHAM - Subside
12.08 BRIDGWATER - Cobblestones
13.08 NOTTINGHAM - Waterfront Festival

Chedk out the catchy title track Theodor's A Don, Bro here:

Public Service Broadcasting - Interview

Public Service Broadcasting consists of messrs J. Willgoose Esq. and his cohort Wrigglesworth. Their aptly named debut Inform-Educate-Entertain was received with widespread critical acclaim and last year’s The Race for Space was an epic depiction of some of mankind’s greatest achievements. PSB convey the wonder & amazement of information from the past, finding new relevance in old clips, brought right up to date with music of the future in such an intelligent and innovative way. Ahead of their performance at Southsea’s Victorious Festival next month we caught up with PSB to find out more …

What first turned you on to music in a big way - would you say you listen to a range of genres generally?

I’ve always loved music and been moved by it in a way that is unmatched elsewhere, but the one that really lit the touch-paper was Oasis’ Bring It On Down. Something about that song was just so exciting, it made me want to learn the guitar instantly and be in a band. Nowadays yes, I listen to pretty much everything - except some of the more extreme metal genres and two-step, I can’t really stand two-step in any form.

How do you go about sourcing the old public information films and propaganda material that you sample … will one clip sometimes inspire a song or whole project?

It tends to be the other way around these days, although certainly in the past finding some clips has led to some songs. But with The Race For Space, for example, I knew I wanted to write about, say, Apollos 8 and 11, so then it was just a case of finding interesting and new ways of presenting those while trying to avoid the most over-used lines.

Is it a very introverted process – do you spend a great deal of time trawling through archives? Has there been anything surprising you have found along the way?

It is introverted, yes, because I do the researching, writing and demo-ing mostly on my own so there’s a lot of self-doubt and all the usual fun and games that come with trying to create anything, but I don’t think I spend quite as much time trawling through archives as people imagine. I seem to get lucky with research and often hit the good stuff by accident, although I also think I have a reasonable eye for a good title – as soon as I saw ‘London Can Take It’, for example, I knew that it’d be worth watching. Some things just jump out at you, you just have to be ready and open to them.

Adapting samples for your own purposes, do you ever think of subverting their meaning out of context – are there any in-joke undercurrents only you know about?

We’ve done that pretty much from the start, yes, whether it’s poking fun at some of the more ridiculous driving safety films in Signal 30 or trying to undercut the somewhat manufactured patriotic message of Spitfire by putting a Krautrock beat behind it. On The Race For Space, E.V.A. for me is particularly ironic as the official version (‘ten minutes in space!’) differs so wildly from what actually happened – Leonov was out there for 20+ minutes and nearly died. Then they nearly died on re-entry, too! They really were a different breed. Mad, mad, brave men and women.

If you could create the soundtrack to an important upcoming event what would it be? Something technological, or maybe something in a completely different vein?

There are a lot of directors I really admire – I’d love to try and get into film scores at some point but we’re quite busy with our own stuff at the moment. We’ve also got a project in the works that would be amazing if we can get it away.

You have just released the The Race For Space Remixes album, remixed by a variety of contemporary artists showing you have massive respect from your peers. Is there anyone you have yet to work with you would like to and if you could pick any track to remix yourselves what would it be? (We think it might be amusing to see some moon landing conspiracy theory quotes slotted into a remix at some point!)

Oh god don’t start! The moon landing conspiracy stuff is so utterly, utterly depressing. It says so much about us as a race – we can be so technologically and spiritually triumphant against such odds and yet so pigheaded – wrong-headed really – and cynical that a disturbing number of people disbelieve it ever happened. But then as we’ve seen recently a lot of people have an aversion to facts and ‘experts’. Anyway, regarding the remixers, yes – we’re trying to work with a couple of different people on future projects. I never like to say too much though as there’s always a chance that people we really like think we’re terrible. Approaching people to work with them is a bit like asking someone out in that regard.

Is there anyone or anything in particular you would say are so influential that if they didn't exist you wouldn't be doing what you are now? Sometimes inspiration can be found in the strangest of places … what outside of music that really gets your creative juices flowing?

If I hadn’t heard that Archive Hour programme presented by Tom Robinson and had the idea of using the materials he mentioned then I’d never have made a PSB song I don’t think, and ironically it was Tom Robinson who ended up playing us on the radio first on his Introducing show. So many fortuitous things have happened, but then that’s life. You can’t really unpick it to that extent as there are so many millions of chance encounters across your life that change things in such massive ways.

We are looking forward to catching your live transmissions at Victorious Festival next month, are there any surprises we can look forward to in that set, will you have Mr B on visuals, any dapper new outfits?

Ha, we’ve never had any dapper outfits so we’ll be in the old tried-and-trusted cords. I think our look will probably stay the same as we move across different subjects – I think we’ll be the constant at the centre of a shifting choice of subject matters. A few things have changed since we played in 2014 though, and we’ve got some better songs and some more fun additions to the live show, so we’re looking forward to seeing how they go down.

If you had to describe yourselves in just three words, what would they be? (We would like to veto the word corduroy!)

Underwhelming. Self-effacing. Persistent.

Modest, innovative and engaging ... you can check out Public Service Broadcasting 's live transmissions at Victorious next month, they play Sunday on The Common stage.

www.publicservicebroadcasting.net

www.victoriousfestival.co.uk

Massive Attack - Hyde Park

Massive Attack have been performing well over 20 years with their gritty artistic and incredibly creative sound. Born of the Bristol sound-system scene of the 80's they combined sampling and looping electronica with a down-tempo hip-hop elements to become masters of their own genre, dubbed Trip-Hop. They have always had a great visual aspect, their videos being a cinematic experience and with the visual show an integral part of the live experience and this weekend MASSIVE ATTACK headlined BST Hyde Park with other performances throughout the day from Young Fathers, Patti Smith, TV on The Radio, Warpaint and Ghostpoet.

Legendary singer-songwriter, poet, writer and activist Patti Smith is one of the most influential figures to come out of the late 70’s New York scene as the ‘Punk Poet Laureate’. Last year saw the 40th anniversary of her seminal album ‘Horses’, which is often cited as one of the best albums of all time. Beginning with a poem, Footnote to Howl by Alan Ginsberg, Patti Smith and her band gave a great performance with her classic Because The Night, a tribute to Prince with a version of When Doves Cry and of course Land (Horses) which ran right into a cover of Gloria to the delight of the audience.

TV on The Radio are one of the leaders of Brooklyn’s indie renaissance with their distinct blend of propulsive art-rock and raw soul. They played a great set but were disappointed with the Hyde Park set up ... the majority of the crowd can only get so far forward "it's a shame you guys are so far away ... can we get these guys forward?" Unfortunately not. It was still a great set with the bouncing indie Lazerray and finale Staring At The Sun being particular highlights.

View of TV On the radio from the very front of the general admission aREA

California's Warpaint have a unique brand of intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals and driving post punk rhythms. Currently finishing up a new album which should come out later this year they are really ones to watch this year, their set was great showing they deserve the hype that is building around them.

Following his emergence and the Mercury-nominated debut Peanut Butter & Melancholy Jam in 2011, London-based Ghostpoet has marked his own path, propelled by the sonic illuminations of his third, and once again Mercury-nominated album, 2015’s Shedding Skin. For us his set was the highlight of the day and drew such a great and enthusiastic crowd.

The sultry tones and bass-filled clashing and merging sounds within Cash & Carry Me Home and especially Finished I Ain't filled the Barclaycard stage area with an ambience that enveloped the audience with all manner of people getting into the music. 

With the beautifully haunting duet vibes of X Marks The Spot and the reverence of Msi Musmid (check out the free download link below - we recommend you play this VERY loud for full immersion!) the whole performance was an absolute pleasure to experience - well worthy of a spot on the Main Stage.
 

Massive Attack recently released their Ritual Spririt EP and completed a sold out tour of the UK and Europe. Mercury Prize winning Young Fathers are familiar to Massive Attack fans, the Edinburgh trio has supported the band on their recent European tour and they gave a great show within the Massive Attack slot, including their collaboration Voodoo In My Blood.

Reggae legend Horace Andy was wheeled onstage after being unwell to the delight of the crowd and to Massive Attack themselves for Angel his distinctive vocals were great to witness live and after his performance was taken off "straight back to the hospital". With a velvety passion in his voice and the guys on stage showing such admiration for him to be there this was the absolute highlight of the set.

Playing Eurochild for the first time live since '98, getting on for 20 years later, this song is still highly relevant and poignant with Tricky's iconic lyrics ... Hell it seems is still Round The Corner. Tricky made an appearance onstage with Massive Attack for their most recent collaboration Take It There,

There was even a double rainbow over Hyde Park's Great Oak Stage and as the sun lowered in the sky the atmosphere was far more befitting their dramatic style.

The day finished with Safe From Harm in the encore and finally Unfinished Sympathy's beautiful soulfulness closed the set with full strings on stage and a backdrop emblazoned with the slogan "We Are In This Together". With their political musings throughout "this ... is bull****", and their thought-provoking, creative and beautiful sound it truly was an engaging show.

The Kills - Isle of Wight Festival 2016

At the core of The Kills is a bluesy, anthemic and uniquely alternative sound. Alison Mosshart brings a country edge to Jamie Hince's rousing soul-bareing guitar style and both fuse perfectly to form an effortlessly cool sound. 

Meeting in the middle collaboratively The Kills show just how much the two-piece can be an epic partnership with just the right amount of creativity to bounce off and inspire each other ... not too many cooks with so many great ingredients make for an awesomely delicious, perfectly constructed mix.

Ash & Ice, their fifth studio album is out now, with more electronic elements on this album ... it was great to see them live at Isle of Wight Festival to get the full live atmospheric experience of the new songs.

Alison explained "one of the first songs that Jamie brought for the record was called 'Ash and Ice,' and we loved the title. He does that all the time -- he just starts with the title and he hasn’t written a word for the actual song. I guess he was sitting at some bar or some party or someone’s house, and it was just like people ashing into a glass of ice, in that disgusting thing that you just see all the time." Jamie says "I had a drink, and I just threw my cigarette in this glass of ice, and it was just as simple as that. It was like ash and ice, and I said I’ll just call it that. Which is kind of dull. I wish I’d come up with a better story, but that’s the truth of it. And I just like the connotation. It just sort of sounded right, and I liked the idea of it being these two opposite souls. I liked it being the idea of someone with a joint in one hand and a drink in the other." 

The album was five years in the making in part due to Jamie five hand surgeries, resulting in him having to re-learn how to play guitar with a permanently damaged finger. It was during Hince’s recuperation from surgery that he first started sketching out what would become the songs for the album. To shake up the writing process, Hince booked a solo trip on the infamous Trans-Siberian Express for inspiration while Alison Mosshart, now residing in Nashville, wrote some of the most affecting, poetically candid lyrics that she ever has, painting word pictures that mine the dangerous terrain between romantic obsession, prophecy and tough love.

The first single from Ash & Ice Doing It To Death was amazing live, some tracks have more of a menacing edge ... you can see why they've been picked up by TV shows like Peaky Blinders for their fiercely dynamic, dark and soulful sound that would not be out of place set to any gritty, gripping imagery and makes for great music to stride about to in your own little world.

Now over a decade old No Wow still hits you right in the gut with its pure driving bassline rolling along like a quickened heartbeat, combined with Alison's sultry vocals as the song builds so does the onstage performance. Such a great song to hear played out over a festival as we approached dusk, the audience certainly were wow'd.

Even with their slower songs it is  hard not to get totally immersed in their rich well thought out sound. Kissy Kissy parallels a long and winding road where you can imagine you're riding in a convertible across the US ... even if you are standing somewhere in a field in Hampshire.

In such an amazingly captivating set we witnessed awesome renditions of our favourites U.R.A. Fever ... Cheap & Cheerful ... Black Balloon and so many more.

Having been a staple favourite band of ours for a good few years now, we were drenched with anticipation to finally catch them live. It is always slightly nerve-racking to see a band you already admire perform to see how they translate live - we needn't have worried! Jamie & Alison's exuberant set really added an extra dimension to the music, showing us how live music should be .. full of passion and personality, expertly delivered with captivating flair.

Isle of Wight Festival 2016

We traversed the sunny Solent to the Isle of Wight Festival as it geared up for the weekend. One of the biggest festivals of the year in the UK, not just for the south coast, the Isle of Wight Festival has had a long history of hosting music icons, this year is no less legendary with The Who headlining Saturday and Queen and Adam Lambert headlining Sunday with their only UK show in this year.

Stereophonics and electronica legends Faithless were also on the bill as well as Iggy Pop, Adam Ant, Buzzcocks and The Damned taking to the stage to celebrate 40 years of punk.

It's not just classic names there is something for everyone here with so many varied acts across many stages with plenty of things to see and do.

Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys in The Big Top brought us Faithless frontman Maxi Jazz's guitar band. Incorporating melodic funk and blues mixed with reggae beats, dub baselines, Jamaican melodies, and smooth insightful, penetrating lyrics from the most iconic wordsmiths, this lyrically poetic and playful set was a great chilled out set to start off the weekend.

Cast were a perfect pick to get that summer festival feeling flowing. With their hits Finetime and Alright they really stirred the crowd into the festival spirit in the Big Top.

We caught up with the Southsea contingent in the Hipshaker Lounge to round off Thursday as they kicked off non-stop entertainment with Rhythm of the 90's treating us to live 90's dance hits.

Friday started off with Busted playing the Main Stage with a mix of new songs as well as their back catalogue they really rallied the crowd in this early festival set including their hit Year 3000 which went down well.

Back together after over 10 years ... they said it would never happen hence their 2016 tour being named Pigs Can Fly! Bassist Matt Willis who won I'm A Celebrity in 2006 and also appeared on Eastenders returned to music in 2013 with McBusted, Charlie Simpson re-joined Busted this year and has had several solo projects including the rock band Fightstar.

One of the most successful Welsh rock acts Stereophonics were next up on the Main Stage. Singer Kelly Jones' gravelly vocals topped off their classics Dakota, Just Looking and Bartender & The Thief to make a perfect set for a fun fuelled Friday with a happy crowd singing along. 

Faithless were Friday's headliners and with over 20 years since the iconic Insomnia was released they still sounded fresh and entirely relevant. Faithless have sold over 15 million records worldwide, toured the globe and been dubbed responsible for the creation of a whole new sonic landscape for Dance Music.

As one of the first to mix dance, hip-hop, blues, folk and classical music and being integral to the whole dance music genre they have always had something poignant to say lyrically with their great mix of musical flavours. Almost ambient at times they created an awesome atmosphere and live show Maxi, Sister Bliss and Rollo rounded off the first day of Isle of Wight 2016 with the greatest performance of the day.  

The Lounge Kittens opened up Saturday's music in the Big Top which went down really well, beautifully rendered popular alt rock classics performed in their own lounge style was a great start to blow away the cobwebs of the previous night's festivities!

With Dodgy in the Kashmir Cafe performing their feel good hits Staying Out For The Summer and Good Enough to a packed out audience and Irish folk pop siblings The Corrs gracing the Main Stage Saturday was shaping up as another great day of music.

Festival organiser John Giddings led a tribute to David Bowie on the main stage while Andrea Corr and Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp gave a beautiful rendition of Bowie's Starman.

The Sex Pissed Dolls have just finished a tour playing songs by The Jam, The Clash, Nirvana and The Specials, and these fierce ladies were in their element celebrating The Sex Pistols to honour 40 years of punk.

At the core of The Kills is a bluesy, anthemic and uniquely alternative sound. Alison Mosshart brings a country edge to Jamie Hince's rousing soul-bareing guitar style and both fuse perfectly to form an effortlessly cool sound. 

Meeting in the middle collaboratively The Kills show just how much the two-piece can be an epic partnership with just the right amount of creativity to bounce off and inspire each other ... not too many cooks with so many great ingredients make for an awesomely delicious, perfectly constructed mix.

Ash & Ice, their fifth studio album is out now, with more electronic synthy elements on this album ... it was great to see them live at Isle of Wight Festival's Main Stage to get the full live atmospheric experience of the new songs in what was a really great performance.

Iggy Pop certainly is one of the most dynamic stage performers of all time known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics. He bounded on stage with epic amounts of passion and all the energy and enthusiasm we have come to expect, with absolutely no hint of restraint.

Smashing his set through our ears with epic amounts of on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival with the anthemic classics Lust For Life, I Wanna Be Your Dog and The Passenger this really was a truly captivating performance. The set could not have been better, Iggy cavorted about the stage writhing with such a passion and vigour, rallying the crowd and demonstrating exactly why he is known as the godfather of punk rock.

Almost 40 years since their inception Buzzcocks are still going strong and played a cracking set with all the energy and enthusiasm you would have expected in the early days. Their more melodic brand of punk still packs a punch and you can really tell how much these guys love playing together. On great form to a packed out audience they mixed new material with old favourites like I Don't Mind, What Do I Get and of course Ever Fallen In Love....

Punk pioneers The Damned are also on their 40th anniversary tour this year. With the iconic Captain Sensible cavorting around the stage they pulled off a great live show. New Rose went down a storm today and 40 years on from being the UK's first punk single, it is as fresh and rousing as it was then, performed with boundless snarling energy and enthusiasm. 

As Smash It Up's gnarled glorious noise rolled out over the audience reminded us all of the energy of of a generation of kick ass UK punk music and how that lives on today as they influenced future hardcore bands with their fast-paced style. 

Adam Ant rounded off the day for us in The Big Top with his alternative classics Stand & Deliver, Prince Charming and of course Goody Two Shoes. Adam Ant proved today that he is still the dandy highwayman and great entertainer!

One of the most influential rock bands in music history The Who headlined the Main Stage today, celebrating over 50 years. Pulling a massive crowd of adoring fans in with so many classics like My Generation and Baba O'Reilly they put on a cracking show. Roger Daltrey's gravelly vocals accented the large psychedelic, rounded out sound, demonstrating how they are still a great live band firmly cemented as the legends of rock that they clearly still are.  

Pendulum closed off an epic day of music with a storming set in the Big Top that started just before midnight and sent their light show streaming across the field. The still pumped crowd went absolutely crazy for their track Propane Nightmares and the night ended on a great buzz around the festival site.  

Sunday started off with Glasgow rockers Twin Atlantic playing the Main Stage and although a little slow for our tastes they played a good set and singer Sam McTrusty's unique vocals were really refreshing.

Billed as the "loudest silent movie on earth" we checked out Gutterdammerung in the Big Top which features a host of rock icons including Iggy Pop as a renegade punk angel Vicious, who sets the world on fire to test humanity and Henry Rollins, (also co-screenwriter) as a "priest Svengali". The brain-child of Belgian-Swedish visual artist Björn Tagemose, this is a fully immersive experience, primarily visual, with a live band playing the epic score to this dark fairytale. With Grace Jones portraying the "ultimate nemesis, an African goddess from Hell" and Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes as a bounty hunter who "kills sound for money," working for people who "use false morality as oppression" visual artist Björn Tagemose's film is a fully immersive experience.

Whilst primarily visual, this is like no movie you have ever experienced - a live band plays the epic score to this dark fairytale in  what is surely to be a cult classic. With so many iconic legends in one film, including Lemmy and Slayer's Tom Araya, the film showed us how sparce dialogue can be loud as hell! With a surprise appearance by Henry Rollins himself this was one not to be missed!

Indie pop-punkers The Cribs gave a great performance on the Main Stage having supported Sex Pistols, played on the Weezer Cruise and had Johnny Marr in the band for a while, this upbeat indie sound was the perfect summer Saturday afternoon tonic. 90's Britpoppers Ocean Colour Scene also brought out all the big hits, from the Beatles-esque Day We Caught The Train to the Riverboat Song and Hundred Mile City for a great festival set.

Another 90's band were up next in the Main Stage lineup, Reef's plodding melodic rock tune Come Back Brighter showed they were a great choice to go before Queen with Place Your Hands making the crowd erupt with singalongs and hands aloft.

Headlining the Main Stage today Queen & Adam Lambert played a sparkling set in their only UK date this year, playing a mix of their popular and lesser known material. Possibly the most recognisable song and loved by all kinds of music fans, their performance of Bohemian Rhapsody was a real sight to see live with rapturous sing-a-longs from right across the heaving crowd. Adam Lambert is truly a great frontman, with all the showmanship and poise you could want for such an iconic band. 

Welsh rockers Feeder played their one of very few UK festival appearances for 2016 after being quiet over the last couple of years. With their well loved singles Buck Rogers, Just The Way I'm Feeling and Just A Day this was a great set to close off an enormously varied weekend of superb music.

Iggy Pop - Isle of Wight Festival 2016

Iggy Pop certainly is one of the most dynamic stage performers of all time known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics.

He bounded on stage with epic amounts of passion and all the energy and enthusiasm we have come to expect, with absolutely no hint of restraint.

Smashing his set through our ears with epic amounts of on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival with the anthemic classics Lust For Life, I Wanna Be Your Dog and The Passenger this really was a truly captivating performance.

The set could not have been better, Iggy cavorted about the stage writhing with such a passion and vigour, rallying the crowd and demonstrating exactly why he is known as the godfather of punk rock.

Gallery - Isle of Wight Festival 2016 - Friday

Busted played the Main Stage at Isle of Wight Festival this afternoon, with a mix of new songs as well as their back catalogue they really rallied the crowd in this early festival set.

Back together after over 10 years ... they said it would never happen hence their 2016 tour being named Pigs Can Fly! Bassist Matt Willis who won I'm A Celebrity in 2006 and also appeared on Eastenders returned to music in 2013 with McBusted, Charlie Simpson re-joined Busted this year and has had several solo projects including the rock band Fightstar.

One of the most successful Welsh rock acts Stereophonics were next up on the Main Stage. Singer Kelly Jones' gravelly vocals topped off their classics Dakota, Just Looking and Bartender & The Thief to make a perfect sunset show for a fun fuelled Friday with a happy crowd singing along. 

Massive Attack - BST Hyde Park - 1st July 2016

Not long now until MASSIVE ATTACK are live headliners at BST Hyde Park with other performances throughout the day from Young Fathers, Patti Smith, TV on The Radio, Warpaint and Ghostpoet.

Massive Attack recently released the Ritual Sprit EP and completed a sold out tour of the UK and Europe. The show will see the band bring a new and provocative audio-visual live show to Hyde Park, designed by Robert 3D Del Naja and longtime visual collaborators United Visual Artists. 

James King, Senior Vice President, AEG Live comments: “With an incredible archive of music that has stood the test of time and inspired so many, Massive Attack are still providing a heartbeat for the World. More than that, their music and live performances form a message that makes us stop, think and evaluate when we are so often encouraged not to. With powerful beats, orchestral arrangements, beautiful melodies by incredible vocalists, inspired video art - it’s hard to think of a more important moment for the World to listen to Massive Attack than right now. The band's production has always been a shining light in live music and to see their video art across 900 square meters of screen on the Great Oak Stage will be a truly breathtaking sight.” 

Massive Attack have been delighting audiences for well over 20 years with their gritty artistic and incredibly creative sound. Born of the Bristol sound-system scene of the 80's they combined sampling and looping electronica with a down-tempo hip-hop elements to become masters of their own genre, dubbed Trip-Hop. They have always had a great visual aspect, their videos being a cinematic experience and the visual show an integral part of the live experience. 

Tickets are available here for what promises to be a show to remember: 

Despite Everything

Athens based melodic punks, Despite Everything hit the UK this week as part of an extensive European tour and we caught their show at Southsea's Birdcage.

Having formed in 2008, the band have build a solid fanbase in the European DIY punk rock scene having played well over 400 shows in every club, squat, basement, garage and bar in every town and city on route.

Following on from their debut album “The Dawn Chorus", Despite Everything have just finished recording their new record called “Trails” set to be released in late spring ’16.

Check out their single Joke's On Us and pics from their Southsea show:

Slowcoaches - Interview / Exclusive Tour Pics

We caught up with Heather from Slowcoaches this week to find out more on what they are all about after discovering their refreshingly raw yet melodic single "Ex Head" check it out below:

Slowcoaches are a 3-piece from Leeds and having already been in for a 6Music session with the legendary Marc Riley we're excited to see what's next for this band who have a great energetic sound filled with boundless attitude ...

Hey Heather, so how did you come together, how long have you been going?

Me and Matty met in Leeds - we just found each other one evening. We’ve been playing music together for about 4 years.

Are you very collaborative in your song-writing process … do you share the same influences mainly and would you say you listen to a range of genres generally? 

I’d say that Matty is the real bones of the music - the substance and I kind of mould it and shape it and give it words but it varies from song to song. In terms of influences, I mean we have cross overs - bands we like that are the same and then we have a lot of music that we aren’t as familiar with as the other. Matty is really knowledgeable about weird electronic music for example. At the moment I mainly like to listen to buddhist chanting.

Is there anyone in particular you would say are so influential that if they didn't exist you wouldn't be doing what you are now?

For me, I don’t think that the reason I play in a band is down to one person. Its a series of events and people thatguide youth want to play music. I’d say when we started Slowcoaches, I was listening to a lot of musicians who really convinced me that anyone could create art; Patti Smith, Daniel Johnson, Stephen Malkmus, Scout Niblett, Liz Phair, The Germs, Black Flag, Butthole Surfers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Die Kreuzen. Loads of stuff and I just though, ‘I want to do that’.

Sometimes inspiration can be found in the strangest of places … anything outside of music that really gets your creative juices flowing?

I like watching documentaries about creative people and serial killers and cults and stuff.

Are your songs sometimes autobiographical or social comment? Do you have a general message you would like people to hear?

I’d say that all our songs have an autobiographical or observational element. Each song has a different subject matter but I tend to write about a lot of things at once so some songs are about like, 3 or 4 or 5 different things that are going on at the same time. All of our lyrics are about life experiences.

What first turned you on to music in a big way? 

My parents always played lots of music in the car and stuff. I remember dancing to The Beatles with my dad in the living room when I was like 3 and thinking the lyrics were really insane. I guess when I got to about 14 - I bought a copy of Kill Em All and I never looked back. 

Is there a band /artist at the moment really inspiring musically, or that you think will go far this year / would like to see more of?

Radical Boy

 http://radicalboy.bandcamp.com/album/smears

How do you see the music scene generally in 2016. Is there anything you would change if you had a chance?

It’s thriving. I mean there are a lot of bands that seem to see a certain criteria for a certain band and slot themselves quietly and prettily in to it but there are also loads of bands ‘breaking that mould’ all the time.

I don’t specifically want to change anything about the scene. We just operate as a unit and the way that we behave dictates how people interact with us and experience our music. We create throw away tunes for a rotten generation. We seek to destroy the idea of women musician as ‘novelty’. We reject the marriage of high fashion and music for profit. We exist to entertain ourselves and if anyone else enjoys that then they’re welcome to.

If you had to describe each band member (including yourself) in just three words, what would they be?

Me: Early, Leggy, Blonde

Matty: Late, Leggy, Blonde

What’s next for 2016 … have you got any new releases coming up or are you off out on the road? 

We just came back from an awesome UK tour ... our debut Album, Nothing Gives is out this year and we’ve got a bunch of shows coming up. We may tour fully again before the year is out ... here are the upcoming dates:

9th June The Dome, Tufnell park

2 July* London, Moth Club

3 July* Brighton, Hope & Ruin

*with PAWS

22nd - 24th July Tramlines Festival, Sheffield

Thanks Heather!

We can't recommend highly enough you check them out, although we have yet to see them live we are pretty sure catching them live will only fuel what is already a firey fierce sonic experience ... especially with Loud Noises favourites PAWS on the dates above!

Slowcoaches gave us exclusive pics from their recent UK tour where they hung out with Radical Boy, took in the beautiful Edinburgh and chilled in the cinema when Matty wasn't playing with his pedals ... so tide yourselves over until they hit the road again next month and get these in your eyeballs and this in your ears!

http://slowcoaches.bandcamp.com/album/ex-head

The Duke Spirit - New Album / Instore

Bold and bluesy as ever The Duke Spirit return with their new album KIN which is out now.

Recorded in early 2015 in East London with long time collaborator and Producer Simon Raymonde, KIN signals a subtle shift in dynamic for the band. “Brimming with new sounds amid a vibrant energy, flecked with sublimely delicate, intimate spaces, and as such feels like a landmark recording for a band that are now in their 12th year” according to Raymonde.

The album features guest appearances from Mark Lanegan on the beautiful track Wounded Wing, Sam Windett (Archie Bronson Outfit), Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Gallon Drunk), Hackneys Deep Throat Choir, Mara Caryle, as well as some tender piano courtesy of Mr Raymonde.

We caught their instore performance at Southsea's Pie & Vinyl last night. It was well worth going out in the roasting heat for this show. Singer Liela Moss's delivery was spot on ... full of emotion she conveyed a sometimes beautifully haunting and their always epic full sound with sass. Their fuzzy full rock sound translates so well to an intimate instore performance as much as they would be at home on a grander stage. Their meandering blanket of noise was perfectly suited to the intimate setting. This really is a band that is versatile enough to bang out a cracking live show and a thoughtful intimate instore performance.

We highly recommend you check out KIN which is both introspective and highly engaging, if you get a chance to check them out live you should ... there really is nothing better than experiencing a well rounded band who gel so well together to deliver such an enchanting performance.

The Duke Spirit play Standon Calling & Boardmasters this year as well as a host of live dates. 

October 2016 tour:

Brighton Patterns, 10

Birmingham Rainbow, 12

Leeds Brudenell Social Club, 13

Glasgow King Tuts, 14

Newcastle Think Tank, 15

Manchester Gorillia, 17

Nottingham Bodega, 18

Bristol Fleece, 19

London Scala, 20

My Defense / The SLM / Misgivings - intimate show

Cologne, Germany's My Defense have been going for just over 10 years now, but their passion for writing honest and heartfelt music has not changed over that time.

Their melodic hardcore / punk ethos is all about having a great time driving hours and hours to play 30 minutes, having a beer and sleeping on dirty floors.

Over the last few years My Defense played hundreds of shows with the likes of Madball, Strike Anywhere, 7 Seconds, Terror and many many more including two european tours in 2015 and a UK-tour in 2016.

Misgivings were founded in 2013 after a drunken chat at a squat show in hamburg, combining a love of melodic punk, drinking beers and travelling.

These fast rising pizza punx have released their debut EP Delete History (released on Charlie's Big Ray Gun Records). With influences as broad as Hüsker Du,  The Replacements, Alkaline Trio Fugazi and Brian Wilson ... we recommend you check them out!

The SLM have been going around in the local scene for 14 years now, this 3 piece you can tell love playing together with their onstage banter and energetic delivery. Do you like Zombies? Sharks?...... Zombie Sharks......and even turtle sharks !! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Dinosaurs? Then you should check out The SLM's fast punk zombie-shark-core.

New album has been rumored to be coming around the start of July so keep you ears open for that one !!

Matilda's Scoundrels

Matilda's Scoundrels have a new single Crowley's Curse and their new album is out June 10th. With a stack of major festival appearances this year including Rebellion & Boomtown we caught up with Matilda's Scoundrels at their recent Hastings show to find out more... 

So guys introduce yourselves!

We are Matilda’s Scoundrels and we’re a folk punk band from Hastings.

When did you form and how long have you been going now?

We formed in early 2014 after talking about doing so for months. We spent the first 6 months or so writing material before our first show later in the year.

Who tends to write the music and who are your influences?

Most of the time someone will be an idea for a song to the rest of us and we’ll jam, we then work together from there. Most of the time it ends up completely different to how it originally started. As for influences the genre we play is the main but we are all into different styles, which is great for writing. Most of our newer stuff has been about our home town Hastings and people that have lived here.

You seem to be doing a big push this year, we see that you have Boomtown and Rebellion confirmed, anything else that you are excited about?

2016 has gone a bit nuts for us. We’re pretty happy that we’re going to be a part of two great festivals in Boomtown and Rebellion. We also have loads of other great festivals lined up including Outcider Festival and Common Ground. Another thing we’re really excited about is that we have multiple shows with Mischief Brew, who are a big influence. Supporting Days N’ Daze in Hastings will be a great one as well.

What are your plans for the rest of 2016?

Play as many shows as possible. We’re playing plenty of new places we’ve never played before as well as some of our favourite towns/cities. The end of the year is a little quiet for us gig wise, but we’re aiming to fill it recording our first album.

We didn't realise Aleister Crowley was from Hastings that is a pretty infamous influence for the new single ... do you think there is something about the seaside that inspires evil?

Aleister Crowley spent the last years of his life in Hastings and its believed he put a curse on the town. Apparently if you ever lived in Hastings you will always live there. Obviously we had to write a song about it.

https://matildasscoundrels.bandcamp.com/album/crowleys-curse