Music is a huge part of my life. This section contains some articles and reviews that I have written for various publications. There is also quite a bit of zine-related gubbins in here, because zines are cool.
Vanilla Pod + The Waxing Captors + Damn This Town + The Washouts @ Ipswich – Royal Oak – 09/01/09
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 Ah, the first gig of the New Year, and a gig in a relatively new venue for this town. The Royal Oak has hosted gigs for years now but the current landlord (Andy) really appears to have grabbed the musical bull by the horns and has given plenty…
INNER TERRESTRIALS + ED ACHE + STATE OF URGENCY @ STEAMBOAT TAVERN – 21/11/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 Having not got the chance to see reggae-punk legends Inner Terrestrials all year I was seriously looking forward to this gig but was seriously pissed off when an instrumental prog-rock band was penned in for support. Luckily the promoters came to their senses and replaced them with the…
Continue Reading INNER TERRESTRIALS + ED ACHE + STATE OF URGENCY @ STEAMBOAT TAVERN – 21/11/08
New Found Glory + Set Your Goals + Four Years Strong + Crime in Stereo @ Norwich U.E.A – 20th November 2008
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 photo by me After working for the day in London and spending the entire journey home hoping the train wouldn’t crap out like it normally does I managed to jump in my Sooty van and bomb down the A140 to Norwich. Our van is a Daihatsu Hi-Jet so…
RED FLAG 77 @ THE ROYAL OAK – 14/11/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 The chance to see the flag for free usually only comes around once a year so I was expecting to see a good crowd when I arrived at the Royal Oak. I was not disappointed. The pub was pretty much packed out and most of the usual punk…
BEEBA @ MCGINTY’S BLUE ROOM – 7/11/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 Drum n bass/rock crossover solo artist BEEBA has been quietly working away in the background of the Ipswich music scene for ages now, building up a following gig by gig, and it seems to have paid off. The guy was on exceptionally good form at the blue room,…
THE PHANTOM PLAYERS @ THE SWAN – 6/11/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 The phantom players represent all that’s wrong with indie these days; from the way they look to the way they move, and of course the way they sound, this is every bit the jerky guitar driven, hi-hat crazy NME endorsed drivel that has all but rendered the genre…
ICH + The Tagnuts + Dead Batteries + 7 Day Conspiracy @ Rose and Crown, Ipswich Thursday 25/09/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 When I turned up at this gig and made my way up to the ‘loft’ at the rear of the Rose and Crown I wondered for a moment if I’d found the right place. I had gone along tonight to see Dead Batteries play the Ipswich leg of…
Pelican + Torche @ Engine Rooms, Brighton – Friday 12/09/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 Photos by me Torche have kinda exploded into my world recently, originally thanks to Lee Culture for lending me their E.P then due to Hydra-Head picking them up. I reviewed their latest album ‘Meanderthal’ in the last issue of Beat Motel so I won’t go into too much…
Continue Reading Pelican + Torche @ Engine Rooms, Brighton – Friday 12/09/08
Baba Luck @ PJ McGintys, Ipswich – Thursday 04/09/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 Baba Luck in Ipswich I must admit to being a little wary of going to see Babar Luck. Every clip I’ve seen of the man has him wheeling and almost fitting as he stares wild eyed at the room. When I saw the ‘intimate’ size of venue I…
Continue Reading Baba Luck @ PJ McGintys, Ipswich – Thursday 04/09/08
Frank Turner interview – Beat Motel
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 9 1) What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this interview? Working on tour preparation. I’m a control freak and I’m terrible at delegating, so I end up being knee deep in show contracts for April on a Monday night. Rock and Roll. 2) What were your…
The Sword + Saviours + Black Cobra @ Colchester Arts Centre – Friday 4th April 2008
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 This was a gig I had been looking forward to for blimmin’ ages. I first saw The Sword was totally by accident in this very same venue (a medieval church) about a year ago supporting Clutch. I’m not even sure why I went to that particular gig in…
Continue Reading The Sword + Saviours + Black Cobra @ Colchester Arts Centre – Friday 4th April 2008
AM NOT + [HAC]_B + PIKEY ESQUIRE + ASTROBOY + THE FEZ + MACHINOCHRIST + & MORE + @ ST. NICOLAS CENTRE, IPSWICH + SATURDAY 02/02/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 This was the second in a series of monthly electronica nights at the St. Nicolas Centre in Ipswich, and at only 3 pounds entry for a night that runs from 6pm till 1am I couldn’t justify not going down to check it out. So, arriving early and blagging…
Asteroid @ The Black Horse, Ipswich – Friday 01/02/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 Local stoner rock duo ASTEROID have enjoyed a very successful first 6 months as a gigging band, having built up an increasingly large and loyal following in the area, making their regular Ipswich gigs invariably packed out nights. Musically the bands KYUSS/QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE influenced rock…
Continue Reading Asteroid @ The Black Horse, Ipswich – Friday 01/02/08
Killing Seymour + The Dead Batteries + The Stinkbombs + @ The Spread Eagle Ipswich – Saturday 26/1/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 The Spread Eagle was always well known as one of Ipswich’s alternative pubs until it changed hands around 2001, but much to the joy of many Ipswich gig goers, The Spread is back how it should be and putting on gigs from a variety of alternative genres every…
Officer Down + The Extinguishers + Snitcho and the Dinosaurs + The Dead Batteries @ The Railway, Ipswich – Thursday 24/1/08
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 I’d seen quite a lot of promotion for this gig so was surprised to find only a modest turn out when I arrived at the railway, but many of the usual faces were in attendance and spirits were high regardless. Local boys THE DEAD BATTERIES were the first…
Innocent Civilian interview- Beat Motel
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 The BIG have been proper polular around these parts for years. When thier last album came out the second disc unlocked a great secret to the world and hinted at a side project singer Ed had been working on called Innocent Civilian, being nosey sorts we wanted to…
Pama International interview – Beat Motel
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 Pama International have been raising eyebrows all over the shop firstly due to the fact they sound remarkably like they’ve been playing since the 1950s (in a good way) and also because they were the first band to sign to legenary label TROJAN in many a long year. …
Inner Terrestrials interview – Beat Motel zine
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 The Inner Terrestrials were a band whose name I’d heard bandied about all over the place, it wasn’t until they played at the Red Flag all-dayer at the Steamboat in Ipswich in summer 2007 that I actually got to see them. It was the end of a VERY…
Continue Reading Inner Terrestrials interview – Beat Motel zine
Crime in Stereo interview – Beat Motel
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8 I bloody loved the last album Crime In Stereo put out, it came about at a time when I was getting totally numb to the hundreds of ‘hardcore’ albums I had been sent to review, I was never particularly fond of the genre anyway. Their last album ‘The…
Puke Plates – Beat Motel zine
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 8. We used to publish lots of non-music related content. But this one is going in the music consumption section of this site because every grim story here was provided by members of punknews.co.uk Much to our general bewilderment and abject amusement the fine users of PunkNews.co.uk continue to…
Inner Terrestrials + Red Flag 77 + The Ballistics + Suspect Device + Dangers Close – 28th July 2007 @ Ipswich Steamboat Tavern
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 7 All day shows have a very special place in the musical calendar of Ipswich, they are a chance to spend all day among friends exercising conversation, the ears and the drinking muscles. Whilst there are currently around six all dayers taking place throughout this soggy Suffolk summer the…
The Big / The Floating Maxwells – Steamboat Tavern – 24th November 2006
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 7 I was dead chuffed to hear this gig had been rescheduled following the unexpected demise of the Drum and Monkey recently. You can always rely on Val and the Steamboat to come to the rescue which was excellent news in this case as a Big gig is not…
Continue Reading The Big / The Floating Maxwells – Steamboat Tavern – 24th November 2006
Circle Takes Square – Beat Motel interview
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 7 Circle Takes The Square are one of those bands which are near on impossible to describe without gushing compliments in an uncontrollable manner. Put simply, they are one of the most interesting and beautiful bands out there in the screamo scene at the moment. For fans of Saetia,…
Power Tour Diary
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 7 Scan from the original article as published in Beat Motel zine POWER Tour Diary, Spring 2007 “We’re on Tour!!!” Wednesday 28th March, Club Quilt, Ipswich We kicked off our tour in our hometown of Ipswich, the Battle of the Bands final, Club Quilt. Usually I find these gigs…
Attack Vipers – Beat Motel interview
Originally published in Beat Motel issue 7 1. The Law of zines dictates that I have to ask you to identify yourselves before we continue. Tom: I’m Tom (Huss) and I play the bass! Joe: How do, I’m Joe & I sing. Mark: I’m Mark & I play drums & sing the odd backing vocal…