I'd say that this is the darkest song review I'd ever wrote.

It was 2007, and as the lyrics blasted out of the radio, I felt an automatic connection with the band on the other side. It wasn't Joy Division or The Smiths, I was never that cool, it was The Wombats. "Don't talk to girls they'll break your heart" was the first line I heard and it's stuck in my head ever since. I was 17 and in love, but she wasn't anymore, and as I downloaded their album and listened through for the first time, I felt I had finally found a band who conveyed how I felt at that time in my life. Songs of lost love, feeling alienated and most importantly, messing things up with girls were perfectly conveyed in the aptly titled album 'A guide to Love, Loss and Desperation'.

I never got a chance to see them live the first time round, and so when I saw that 20 extra tickets had gone on sale for their sold out gig at Leeds Met I decided now was the time to see the band that got me through my first broken heart.

It's been 4 years since their last album, and although a few singles have been released, I didn't know what to expect before I heard their new material. I was hoping for some punchy indie pop with lyrics that would take me back to my youth. I didn't exactly get that, but what I did get was something much better.

The band have changed their music style slightly for the new album 'This Modern Glitch', not too much that you can't recognise it's the Wombats, but just enough to see that they've matured. Maybe it's too early to say the new album is going to be a huge success and as good as their first, but from what I heard live, the songs sounded as catchy and clever as the last.

There's been a few leaks on the internet of songs from the new album, which back this up. One in particular 'Addicted to The Cure' caught my attention, as the title suggests a nod to the song from their previous album, 'Lets Dance to Joy Division', and a theme running through the band's albums of classic English band names slipping into their song titles.

The new songs seem to have a stronger electro sound to them than the previous with lead singer Matt Murphy, taking it in turns to play the guitar and the synth. But the classic Wombats sound is still apparant. Again the lyrics talk of lost love and other teenage troubles, in a tounge in cheek but truthful style. Whether the songs are autobiographical to the band, is unknown, but if they're not they are definately biographical to me and a few thousand other guys in the World I'm sure. I feel like the band have grown up with me. Where songs about school uniforms once stood, they are replaced with new ones about taking girls to sleazy hotel rooms. Thier latest single 'Anti-D' tackles depression, but the video shows the band aren't taking things too seriously.

The songs they played off the new album seemed definite crowd pleasers from the word go, with many singing along already before the album has even been released. One of my favourites being 'Valentine'. But the crowd really went crazy when some of the classic tracks from the first album were played. 'Let's dance to Joy Division', 'Moving to New York' and of course 'Kill the Director' all had the crowd jumping and singing along, me included.

James Corden of all people said during the Brits that "there's nothing quite like the feeling when you're listening to a song, written by someone you don't know, who you've never met, who somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt at a particular moment in your life." For me this is the band that do that. They may not be the greatest or the coolest band around, but for me The Wombats convey my feelings through song, time and time again, and I can not wait for their new album to give me new lyrics to take with me through the good and the bad times in my life.

Just Can't Get Rid of Us Tour- Leeds 16th October 2010

A pop punk tour de force rolled into Leeds on Saturday with 'Dollyrots', 'Forever The Sickest Kids' and veterans 'A', but I was only there for one band. With a 16 year history, 10 albums, and a new one due to be released next year, tonight I was going to see Bowling For Soup, as they brought their 'Just Can't Get Rid of Us' show to Leeds. I'd been waiting about 8 years for this gig, ever since I heard one of my (now favourite songs) 'Girl All the Bad Guys Want' on the radio as a kid, and finally I'd get to hear it live.

The 'Dollyrots' kicked off the show, but I'm not going to lie I didn't want to see them so I went to the show late just as 'A' were getting on stage. You might be thinking, like I was when i first heard they were supporting, "I'm sure I've heard of them but I just can't remember who they are...." Listen here and here. Remember them now?? Playing through a setlist of old and new songs, they were pretty good, especially for a band that seemed to have fallen off the radar about 7 years ago. Finishing their set they promised they would be back next year, which might be a good gig to check out for some old school pop punk.

Forever the Sickest Kids were up next, who never fail to play a good show. The cheer they got when they took to the stage was nearly as loud as the one for the headliners, which showed the love that the crowd had for them. Playing through some of their older hits, 'My Worst Nightmare', 'Woah Oh!' as well as a couple of new songs off their new album due to be released in February, they showed great energy and really got the crowd in a good mood. They encouraged the crowd to throw their clothes on stage as they had a photoshoot with 'Kerrang' right after the show and they would wear anything they got for it. The crowd went wild throwing up anything they could, the band got swamped with hats, hoodies, tee shirts, scalves and even a few pairs of knickers, which they all proceeded to put on while singing their final song 'Shes a lady'. They also promised to be back in the UK next year, and if you haven't seen them live yet, you definatly need to, you won't be dissapointed.

They were always going to be overshadowed by the headliners though, and as the lights dimmed and Parry Grip's 'Here come's Bowling For Soup' tune started up there excitmement in the air was immense. The band walked on stage to a huge cheer as they kicked into 'Star Song' and from their it was like a trip down pop punk memory lane, one big sing along from start to finish. Chris the lead guitarist was having fun with the crowd all night, doing tricks with his plectrums, like throwing them up over his head, catching them and continuing to play, which worked most of the time, and Jaret was clearly showing how pop punk he really was, swinging his guitar round his neck while playing, the classic move of any good pop punk group.

A band with ten albums were never going to be able to play all their greatest hits but the songs they did play did not dissapoint. They played through all their singles, with the music videos playing on a large screen behind them, which was sometimes a little depressing to see how much older and fatter, Jaret i'm looking at you, the band had got since all that time ago, but they still hadn't lost that Bowling For Soup sound or humour. Anyone that has listened to even one BFS song knows they have a great sense of humour, which was shown throughout the gig. Stopping in the middle of 'Punk Rock 101' for a "Bowling For Soup Photo Oppourtunity" which involved the band walking to either side of the stage and striking poses while Cee-Lo Green's 'Fuck You' played, before they jumped back into the end of the song. They also stopped to tell stories, and like any good old school pop punk band there was a large amount of 'Ass, Farting, Tits and blowjob ' jokes, for the crowd to enjoy. The highlight for me though was always going to be 'Girl All the Bad Guys Want', and they didn't dissapoint, I hurt my throat from singing it so loud, I haven't stopped singing this song since the gig either. The band came back onstage after playing '1985', a cover of 'SR-71', close friends of the band, to sing one final song 'A Really Cool Dance Song'. The first song on their latest album, a catchy and as the title suggest, fun song to dance to, the crowd loved it, dancing and singing along. As the band handed their instruments over to the roadies to finish the song, waved to the crowd and walked off stage with the song still playing, I knew it had been worth the 8 year wait to see them perform live. The third group of the night to promise to be back in the UK next year, with an acousitc and full band show, I'll definatly be seeing them again. I'm just upset that after all these years liking them, I still don't know what 'She wears a Two-Way' means.

Hurts- Leeds- 3rd October 2010.

With a 16 year history as a gig venue, the Cockpit in Leeds has seen plenty of top bands grace its stage. The Killers, White Stripes and Fall Out Boy, have all played in the club under the railway bridge, and it is supposedly the place that the Kaiser Chiefs all met each other for the first time. But tonight everyone was there for one band, Hurts. Hailing from Manchester, the synthpop duo have collabarated with Kylie Minogue and already had a top 5 album in the UK with 'Happiness', despite only having thier first live gig earlier this year. They have also been one of the first bands to fully utilise Spotify to advertise their music in a new and exicting way, with an interactive audio novel soundtracked with songs from their album, just try searching 'A5M4' on Spotify.

The support came from Clare Maguire. Backed with a full band, her powerful voice and catchy songs, were a great opener for the night. I don't like reviewers who compare one band to another but if I had to, I'd say she was a cross between Marina Diamandis and Florence Welch. Check her out here.

The crowd were here for Hurts though and as the lights went dark for the second time of the night, you could feel the excitement in the air. As Theo and Adam took to the stage, omnimous music played, setting the dark and almost eeire tone for the night, before they opened with their first song 'Unspoken'. With no guitars, the band are backed by just one other keyboard player and one other vocalist who I think definatly deserves a mention. He stood statuesque throughout the entire gig, calling for one member of the audience to ask Theo: "Is that fella behind you a robot?". When it was his turn to shine however, he proved he was all human, as his booming voice filled the room, which was one of the highlights of the gig as he sang the main part to the hidden album track 'Verona', getting a round of applause before the song had even finished. It was so good he managed to silence the audience. I have never heard it so quiet in the Cockpit as when he finished singing, everyone was in awe of him. Theo didn't do too badly either, with his voice sounding exactly like it does on the album, faultless and beautiful, and even haunting at some points, accompying the music brilliantly. It's a strange thing to say but it was one of the first times I have been at a gig and realised that I was enjoying the music just as much as the singing.

Theo was visibily pleased at how much the crowd were reacting and singing the songs back to him, although only stopping on a few occasions to talk to the audience, at one point reminiscing last time he played at Leeds in a church and how someone was stood on a pew dancing "God wouldn't have been happy" he quipped. Adam on the other hand sat in silence, letting the music speak for itself. Playing through their entire album, as well as a few extra tracks, the band couldn't be faulted, and as they burst into one of my favourites from the album, one of the more 'danicer', is that a word?, tracks, 'Better Than Love', the crowd, including me, went wild. As it finished and they walked off stage the crys of "We want more" were ringing throughout the venue. The bad thing about seeing such a new band is that they didn't have anymore songs and so wasn't able to do an encore, however as the old showbusiness saying goes: Always leave them wanting more.

You Me at Six-Leeds O2 Academy

Just over two years ago I was stood in the upstairs of a club with about 40 other people watching You Me at Six play a handful of songs, not knowing anything about them except the large amount of hype they had received on myspace. Fast forward two years and it's march 2010 and i'm stood in a sold out Leeds O2 academy waiting for the band from Surrey to take to the stage. They've had an amazing two years going from almost unknowns to one of the biggest upcoming bands in the UK at the moment, and as they take to the stage its obvious why.

The night started with the first support band 'Forever The Sickest Kids'. Basking in UV lights and playing a set of new and old songs they got the crowd in a great mood. With a pop sound mixed with electro, everytime I see these guys live they always sound great, and they're definatly ones to catch live. The second support act of the night are 'We The Kings'. A contrast to the pop electro start to the gig, WTK's brought a rockier sound, moving away from their pop punk sound we heard in their first album, they played songs from their latest album which seems to have a more rock sound, showing that their growing up.

However everyone was there for the headliners ' You Me at Six' who kicked off the gig with 'Safer to Hate Her' and 'Kiss and Tell' the band seemed to have kept it simple, playing in front of a black curtain, and letting the music speak for itself. However after the second song an air raid siren sounded with red lights flashing and the band ran off stage. After about a minute the black curtain dropped and the band jumped into the first song of their newest album 'The Consequence', the backdrop made up of old style flash cameras, flashing in time with the music, adding to the exciting atmosphere of the gig. This set piece alone shows how far the band have come from playing a tiny room in Hull two years ago.

As the band, joined by Travis from WTK's, played their last song 'Underdog', and ended their set Josh made a speech telling the crowd how grateful all the band were for how far they have come and how they owe it all to the fans. This is a band who haven't had mass media coverage and a large amount of radio play, yet they still manage to sell out gigs, solely through the use of social networking and the fans and the band know this and are massivly grateful, which can be seen as they take time out after the show to meet and talk to the fans.

So as the gig ended and I walked away from my third time seeing 'You Me At Six', I feel everytime I see them they are even better than before, and I can't wait to see them again, which may be sooner than I think as Josh let slip they may be playing 'Slam Dunk Fest' at the end of May.

"When You're Around Everything's Fun."

With a one star album review in NME and only getting to number 26 in the UK charts, this act may easily be writen off, however Friday 6th November was the gig i'd been waiting for all summer. I was going to see the guy with the best hair cut in showbusiness, Frankmusik at the Cockpit in Leeds, where I'd finally get to hear the song which was the soundtrack to my summer '09 'Better Off As Two' live.

A half filled venue greeted the support act for the night 'Killa Kela', but they more than made up for it in enthusiasm. Check him out on youtube if you haven't heard of him, as he's one of the best beat boxers in the UK at the moment, and since seeing him live i have been obsessed with beat boxing, he's also one of the best support acts i've ever seen. Killa Kela, sang some of his own songs off his new album as well as beat boxing a few more well known songs like 'Boom Boom Pow' and 'Milkshake'. This guy has an amazing talent and i'll definatly be going to see him again.

However he wasn't the person the sixty or so people were there to see, and so as the band took to the stage, with a fluorescent mic stand in the centre, we all knew what was coming. Vince sang most of the songs from his debut album 'Complete Me', although leaving out one of my favourites 'Wonder Woman' which the crowd didn't seem to be too pleased about. He did however sing a medley of his songs at the end of his set solo on his keyboard, slowing down some of the songs he had already sang. He also treated the crowd to an electro cover of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' and a Pet Shop Boys cover, however the relitively young crowd didn't really get this, although a few older people at the back managed to sing along.(You can always tell when you're a bit too old to be going to see an act when there's no queue at the bar.) A highlight was Vince starting the lyric 'All you want from me...' for the crowd to chant back '..is three little words.' to which Vince replied lets be having it then and jumping into one of his best songs 'Three Little Words', which the crowd went mad for. However the best part of Frankmusik's set was obviously going to be his best song 'Better Off as Two', which I, along with the entire crowd, sang along to at the top off their voice.

As the gig came to an end, i left the cockpit with a huge grin on my face, knowing it was one of the best gigs I had been to all year, for sheer fun and the talent we got to see on stage. It was a shame such a small crowd got to see the show, but it just goes to show that the small gigs can sometimes be the best, and that 'NME' are not always right. If you get the chance to see either of these acts, do it!!!

This Is It.

The day Michael Jackson died I was heartbroken, not just because a music legend had died, and call me selfish for this, I was also heartbroken because I wasn't going to get to see one of my heroes perform live. I had been counting the days until my trip to the 02 arena to see the 'King of Pop', and so on the 25th June 2009, I thought my dream was over.

'This Is It' opens up with dancers auditoning for Michael Jackson, talking of their excitment and how it has always been their 'dream to dance with MJ', you could call this bit cheesy, however it sets up the movies main theme which is dream's, it was MJ's dream to create 'the greatest show on earth' and from watching the film I think you'll agree, he managed to do it.

The film follows MJ whilst rehearsing for his 'This Is It' tour. We get to see how aspects of a show like this are put together, from filming the green screen movies that would play as a backdrop to the performance, to the King of Pop's hands-on approach to the music and choregraphy. Footage of MJ singing all of his greatest hits, are cut together with footage of the backdrop movies, to give the audience a feel of what they would have seen if the shows had gone ahead. Although the footage is only of rehearsal's the performances are amazing, my particular favourite being 'Thriller' with a giant robotic spider, 'Floating Brides & Grooms' and around thirty dancing zombies all on stage. Some people have criticised MJ's voice on the film saying it isn't as good as it used to be, but he obviously isn't going to give 100% at rehearsal's he even says this himself, this footage was never intended to be seen by the public and so didn't have to be pitch perfect, however at the key moments when he needs to be at his best, we get to see why he was named 'The King of Pop'.

The media have reported that many 'fans' don't want to see the film as it doesn't address how the large amount of shows had affected MJ's health, however this film is about celebrating MJ and his great performance skills as a singer and a dancer. There has been enough documentaries telling us 'what really happend', and whether it's the truth or not I don't think people care about that anymore, audiences want to see the 'King of Pop' celebrated for what he did best: perform. Even at 50 his dance skills hadn't changed, he still manages to keep up with younger dancers and he doesn't seem to have any health issues, whilst running and dancing round the stage.

If you're a fan of MJ or even if you just like a few of his songs, this film is definatly worth seeing, even more so at the cinema. Although the film could never portray the atmosphere and energy of a real concert, for the two hours it is on you feel like MJ is alive again, we get to see his passion for his music and I felt like I had finally fulfilled my dream of seeing him perform live. With great songs and spectacular performances, 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' gives you a front row seat to 'The Greatest Show on Earth'.

I'd Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Blog Is About.

'Jamie All Over' is one of my favourite songs ever. In the times when we used to use MySpace, it was my profile song for longer than i can remember, and it's one of about five songs I desperatly want to hear live. 'A Lesson In Romantics', the album the song comes from, is one of my favourites too, it's pop punk at it's best. So i was pretty excited when i saw Mayday Parade's new album on spotify 'Anywhere But Here'.
The theme is the same, love, with the first track 'Kids In Love' setting this up, but the songs just aren't as good as previous albums & EP's. I was hoping for more epic tracks like 'Miserable at Best' and 'Three Cheers for Five Years' (Both tracks sound amazing when done in acoustic), but they just weren't there. The closest track that comes to this is the second to last track 'I swear this time I mean it', which is the only acoustic track on the album and sounds more like it could be on a previous album than any of the other songs. Maybe i'm boring for wanting more of the old stuff, but I think that's when Mayday Parade where best. Don't get me wrong, I've not started hating Pop-Punk since I saw All Time Low (see the previous blog), i thought Boys Like Girls new album was really good, and this album isn't bad, I just think some bands are getting lazy and need to go back to the style that made them popular in the first place.
If Mayday Parade tour the UK i'll definatly be there, but only to hear the older tracks, and to finally hear 'Jamie All Over' live.