LTW newsletter 104

Warriors!

It’s been a hectic week trekking up to Heaton Park for the Oasis shows, which have brought a real joy to the whole city. Over the weekend everywhere you went in town there were people from all over the world having a great time in the sunshiiiine and loving life, music and the city and the gigs really delivered. 

Whatever you think of Oasis, their gigs are so big that they, in terms of size and in terms of the story of the moment and the cultural events of the summer dwarf any other events in terms of numbers and clout. The gig itself sees the band never sounding better and the level of intensity coming from Liam was off the scale. They could have easily just knocked out the hits and taken the money, but it felt like they felt that there was really something to prove and that if this is the last hurrah, then they will leave behind golden memories of being one of the greats and not one of the nearly greats. Where they go from here is a question that they can only answer themselves but how do you stop this juggernaut? It’s taking on a life of its own, not only in terms of size and success, but in terms of the emotional release of the audience of all ages, shapes, sizes, genders, and colours who were a huge joyous mass…

It's hard to believe that Debbie Harry is now 80…pop has the habit of freezing people in time in the permanent state of one of their youthful peaks. The pressure on icons to remain in that space for the public gaze is immense but a true artist transcends that. As a creative force, Debbie Harry remains intriguing - her greatest hits live show with Blondie is beyond perfect and there is a much mooted new album due soon that, from early reports, is meant to be something pretty special. If the boy rockers like Mick, Bob, and Paul can keep going in their mid-eighties, then Debbie is actually still a young ‘un and instead of 80 defining her, she is redefining being 80, which gives hope to us all! Part of her classic iconography was her style and her perfect face and this photo book captures both. In Blondie In Camera 1978, renowned British photographer Martyn Goddard opens a visual time capsule that transports us to a defining moment in music and style. 

Another ageing like a fine wine classic is Neil Young whose recent show in London's Hyde park underlined his stubborn brilliance and visceral grunge guitar credentials. One of the founder father of modern rock music whose influence touches so many key bands from Oasis to Nirvana, Neil Young is still very much his own man and his songs of defiance and hope sound even more pertinent now in a modern world run by the sort of psychopaths that he and many of his generation railed against. When you are watching Neil, you are still rocking in the free world, and that guitar sound alone still gives us hope in a time of despair.

Of the new acts that are in that trajectory to take over these stadiums are Wet Leg who are one of the current front runners. Erroneously dismissed as ‘industry plants’ they spent ten years in various bands honing down their perfect wonk and their new album proves that they are far more than a one trick pony with a twisted pop that somehow manages to mangle a post-punk edge with a pop perfection just like Blondie themselves did way back in the late seventies. The new musical Wet Leg, both musically and physically, are even odder and quirkier and make this work to their advantage, and the album avoids the second album syndrome, but is a step forward from their debut. 

One of our albums of the week come from the Staffordshire golf punk band Headsticks who transcend the limitations of their genre to create something that is quite special. Back with their fifth studio album, they plead that you don’t spoil the apocalypse as it’s the best thing on TV. Neil Crud turns on, tunes in and doesn’t cop out.   https://louderthanwar.com/headsticks-the-best-thing-on-tv-review-album-of-the-week-2/ (Opens in a new window)

Louder Than War’s Andy Brown heads to Hyde Park Book Club for Live Inside A Dream, a night of shoegaze, dream pop and all things David Lynch. Live Inside A Dream Lines Of Silence | New Ghost | Forming | Abandoned Buildings | Lozenge | Night Swimming https://louderthanwar.com/live-inside-a-dream-hyde-park-book-club-live-review/ (Opens in a new window)

SOLAR EYES are a psych-shocking, sonics-rocking duo from Birmingham. They consist of centrifugal forces Glenn Smyth (vocals / guitar) and Sebastian Maynard Francis (supercool drummings). ‘Live Freaky! Die Freaky!’ (Pre-Order Here) is their second album, due for release September 26th via Fierce Panda Records, following on from their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, released February 2024. Fast work all round. https://louderthanwar.com/solar-eyes-announce-second-album-news-and-new-single-murdering-hippies/ (Opens in a new window)

With the release of Before The Robots Take Over, Birkenhead’s Crapsons have pulled one of those rare musical achievements; the capturing of a live recording that retains the energy and raw aggression of the actual gig – it goes without saying there are no overdubs, no studio malarky to enhance the sound… this is raw unfiltered joy!