Celina Macdonald

Surviving the live music scene with a camera and a biro.

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Wolf Alice at O2 Academy Oxford

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Wolf Alice, O2 Academy Oxford

Openers Bloody Knees play catchy skatepark rock, the drummer clicks them in and they dish out the noise of Never Change, nonchalant manes flying. With stubbornly trudging guitars and loud, stroppy choruses, they appear to have stepped out of the 1990s from somewhere between the grunge and indie scenes, nabbing a few items of clothing to bring with them for the journey. Playing dirty summer anthems, they pause only for matters of grave importance. “He just wants a bit of his beer,” the lead singer explains, as they pause to watch the bassist glug. “He’s tired. It’s okay, you can go home soon, mate.” On Stitches, they shout: “I’m covered in blood, but I’m having fun,” a lyric inspired by their last tour with tonight’s headliners. Second support act The Magic Gang’s music is about as cute as their name suggests. Guitars strapped so high they risk strangling themselves, they play catchy, introverted love songs while sounding like a 21st century Beach Boys with louder guitars. “I’m so shallow!” they all cry on Shallow, a song with a powerful quiet-loud dynamic and a strong sense of crippling self-awareness.

    Named after an Angela Carter story about a girl raised by wolves and originally consisting of singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, it’s been a while since Wolf Alice decided to drop acoustic guitars and open mics, seek out a rhythm section and go electric. In the playful video for Fluffy, the founding members play themselves as small-town YouTubing hopefuls, recording an ode to their cat before being rescued from boredom by bad kids played by bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey. This is the song they open with tonight, sending the crowd so wild photographers are struggling to focus lenses in the shaking pit. Using a harmonica microphone – a la The Breeders – to scream ghostly vocals into, Ellie Rowsell switches between tuneful narration and angry yelps with ease. Their entire sound strikes a balance between gentle and harsh; their ecstatic stage energy doubled by a sold-out crowd that jumps, grooves and climbs. Themes of being an outsider and struggling to find identity in the pressures of society recur in the lyrics, a narrative that continues into videos. In Moaning Lisa Smile Rowsell’s bandmates appear in sequins and heels to rescue her from school bullies, while in She the band appear as the peers of the video’s questioning protagonist, who is struggling with gender identity. Tonight Blush deals with the same themes in a quiet moment that has the crowd swaying and hugging. Then the intro of Bros begins and mayhem restarts with a new energy; girls starting a circle pit as the anthem of companionship rings out.

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Aquilo, The Bullingdon

Lancashire duo Aquilo expand to a four-piece live and create layers of gently haunting electronic loops and mellow, electric guitars. Slow, balladic keys and perfect vocal harmonies are showered with shimmering samples and their radio-friendly choruses are boosted with an appealing combination of electric and acoustic percussion and powerfully simple pop basslines. “This is a song about where we’re from,” they announce as electronic drums lead us into a sonic wilderness, perhaps evocative of their home landscape, with muted clicking guitars and pan-pipe like keys. But then a heartbeat drum kicks in, underpinning the fluidity as a strong chorus sneaks up to capture their audience. Mid-set they unleash their Usher cover, originally played on Radio 1. From inside the circle of instruments that he alternates between rapidly Ben Fletcher admits he was “a little wary” of the song choice “but Tom convinced me.” With organ keys and lulling vocals, it’s a minimal version of ‘Climax’ that sees both drummer and bassist practising the statue life. ‘Human’ shows that even three notes on Tom Higham’s guitar are enough of a refrain to carry a song forwards. Often it’s the way Aquilo use silence that makes their music work, carefully building up layer upon layer of sound and then demolishing it all suddenly at the perfect moment. Their final number sees a return to the epic pompom cymbal-rolls and muted, tribal-sounding guitar as Tom Higham’s narrative lyrics and the pulsing bass guitar bring us back to the start. The show feels like one fluid movement rather than a set of songs and when the restrained heartache of ‘Losing You’ comes to an end they close the show with ‘I Gave It All’. An irresistibly soulful and captivating song with a beautifully simple four-word chorus and a perfectly timed snare drum all wrapped up in an electric lullaby.

Aquilo played The Bullingdon on 4th March 2015. This review appeared in the March edition of Nightshift http://www.nightshiftmag.co.uk/

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Alvvays / Moon King at O2 Academy

Alvvays’ Canadian neighbours Moon King open tonight’s show. The normally-a-duo are a four-piece tonight and their doubled band create a depth of pleasant noise ranging from the organic to the sample-fuelled. ‘Only Child’ starts with eerily jarring keyboard samples before loud guitars pitch in and turn everything danceable, the song exemplary of the variety of their act as a whole. By the end of the number lead singer, maraca-shaker and guitarist Daniel Benjamin is wielding the mic stand above his head triumphantly, an intensely energetic and hip-swivelling frontman for a relatively peaceful style of music. By the third song Moon King reveal a strong quiet loud dynamic which allows their song-writing to properly shine through the previous volume-related lack of subtlety. The band’s bassy drive is provided by a rhythm guitarist whose work might pass as bass for anyone who doesn't pay too much attention to his headstock. In some of their best songs lead guitarist Maddy Wilde takes vocals as Benjamin provides a backing voice to create nice harmonies. Mid-set Benjamin has a sudden realisation "Oh yeah, it's Friday. People have been telling us that people in England go nuts on weekends" leading us to wonder what Canadians do on a Friday night. Maybe that's why there are so many decent indie bands from there right now. Moon King sways between hypnotic electronica and energized punk guitar work. Performing with vigour throughout, at one point Benjamin struggles to untangle his mic from its stand so takes the whole stand for a journey into the pit.

   Alvvays take to the stage armed with comprehensive Oxford knowledge. "You guys are smart apparently" lead singer Molly Rankin says uncertainly, before comparing this town to its Canadian doppelganger "Oxford in Nova Scotia is the blueberry capital." Placed early in the set is the upbeat drowning song that is 'Next of Kin,' its jangly surf guitar coasting over themes of a lover lost in the current. Surprised to hear a single “woo” on behalf of all those in preparation for exams, Rankin must be questioning the information she’s been given about Oxford’s residents, but is also enjoying the apparent novelty of English culture: “Oh yeah, it's Friday!" she points out. Alvvays are good at deceptively cheerful, 'The Agency Group' again displaying themes darker than Rankin’s voice as she  sings "when you whisper you don't think of me that way" in a heart-breakingly matter-of-fact tone. Their lo-fi style is reminiscent of 60s pop groups with short, simple tracks and memorable refrains. There is even some Oxford (the UK one) amongst their influences, with lead guitarist Alec O'Hanley enthusing "we're so excited that Ride are reforming.” Retro-sounding guitars intermingle with Kerri MacLellan’s synthesizer on ‘Party Police’ while ‘Adult Diversion’ is a perfectly insecure love song: “Is it a good time…or is it highly inappropriate” Rankin sings, purposefully failing to fit the awkward phrasing into the verse’s rhythm. There’s not a weak song in the show but ‘Ones Who Love You’ might be the star of their set, a moving track as driven as it is pretty. This track is directly followed by ‘Marry Me Archie’ which becomes a raucous sing-along lead especially enthusiastically from the back by the drunkest section of the packed crowd.

The bands played O2 Academy Oxford 30/1/15

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Royal Blood / Turbowolf at O2 Academy Oxford

“I’m not sure where you learnt todance” Turbowolf’s Chris Georgiadis sulks at the rabble’s less than enthusiastic attempt at following his orders. Despite his failure to incite partner-dancing, the lead singer and crew are setting a good mood for the night. Strewn with good old-fashioned rock key-words like “devil” and “voodoo” their set is persuasively energetic, and even the most lethargic members of the audience soon get involved in the four-piece’s psychedelia-tinged musical world. Urgent, high-pitched vocal samples and a frantic, Muse-esque bassline make ‘Solid Gold’ a stand-out; even if its lyrics might lend themselves to under-analysis (“This snake is wrapped around my neck: solid gold!”).

    Royal Blood’s trademark heavy riffing and tightly-orchestrated cooperation merge in a sound that’s had everyone from Dave Grohl to Jimmy Page singing their praises. They burst into tonight’s show with the compelling intro of ‘Come on Over,’ the first lone drumbeat creating a collective spine-tingle. A propelling feeling emerges from references to train journeys as the bass chugs towards squeals and contrasts Mike Kerr’s vocals. On ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ drummer Ben Thatcher’s hurried and primitive beats underscore another near impossible-sounding bassline, typical of their delicate balance that has a less than delicate effect on eardrums. Beyond a few niceties the pair say little between songs and it’s clear the audience don’t need encouragement to get lost in the music. Before long it seems the night draws towards a close with ‘Out of the Black,’ the opening force of their debut album. Moody vocals and suspenseful drums lead to a final riotous chorus and they revel in riffing off of each other to this particular eager crowd once more. Having headed fast and furiously into the world’s attention, Royal Blood have not had time to write more than one album of material, but even a short set such as this packs a punch and by the time the two leave the stage even the ceiling is sweating. 

8/1/2015

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Gerard Way - O2 Academy Oxford

This is the second date on Gerard Way’s first UK solo tour. Coming out of a dramatic career as the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, tonight’s sold-out show must seem a low-key affair in contrast to the mass-scale hysteria that he is used to gathering. Way and his band, a foursome adolescently dubbed The Hormones open with ‘The Bureau’, a song whose catchy chorus is purposefully obscured by rowdy guitars. But shortly afterwards ‘Action Cat’ exuberantly bursts into the mix. The song has a youthful, pop-punk tinge, while ‘Zero Zero’, with primitive industrial drums and a persistent whiny guitar, is super catchy and as aggressive as a Brit-pop inspired song could be. While the `Black Parade’-style theatrics have been ditched for Brit-pop influences and a Sleater-Kinney cover, this is about as endearingly American and over-the-top as Oxford shows get. “You,” Gerard points out a kid in the crowd, “Do you wanna play the tambourine?” The girl in question grabs him in a tight hug, he replaces himself with a tambourine in her grip and so they can all start the next track. Particularly memorable are ‘Maya the Psychic,’ a rallying cry with an unbeatable hook and ‘No Shows,’ a song that feels nostalgic for no reason and is irresistible for its unplaceable déjà vu. From tonight it certainly seems that Gerard Way has not just managed to gracefully manoeuvre into a very different style of music, but has already garnered a loyal and largely new audience. It’s safe to say it was worth his risk to value artistic integrity over forcing out MCR hits after his enthusiasm for the project dried out. As the man himself beautifully simplifies it: “What an amazing night. We’re alive and there’s music... And I’m still allowed to make music and that’s awesome.”

(As printed in Nightshift http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/2014/dec.pdf  Way played the academy on 6/11/14)

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Oxjam Oxford Takeover 2014

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Charlbury Riverside Festival 2014: Pony & Trap, Zurich (FKA The Scholars) and Vienna Ditto

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ALBUM REVIEW: Glass Animals - ZABA

Glass Animals, so the story goes, resulted from the insomnia Dave Bayley suffered while studying science at university. Having spent nights messing around on Garage Band Bayley shared early track Golden Antlers with three close friends who became his band mates almost before they realised what was happening. In this way, Glass Animals took the Oxford music scene by surprise with their super-smooth, swaying vibes. The band already have a confident and distinctive sound without sacrificing experimentation on their debut album. Soulful tracks like Black Mambo are connected with the catchy refrains of atmospheric indie tracks such as Gooey via a selection of band-proclaimed “weird interludes” with a variety of electronic and percussion instruments. Potential festival anthem Pools sounds like it’s just crawled out of the depths of the wilderness somewhere. Fittingly, the album’s title is pays homage to a favourite book from Bayley’s childhood, The Zabajaba Jungle, which finds its protagonist exploring a jungle full of mysterious plants and monsters before being kidnapped by a pack of mandrills. If any collection of songs could capture this strange exotic tale it is this eccentric yet sophisticated debut. 

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Drenge @ O2 Academy Oxford

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Drenge / The Bohicas @ O2 Academy

The Bohicas are pretty rock’n’roll as an outfit, bouncing around like a collective bundle of energy wrapped in leather jackets. `Rampage’ starts a circle of death from those members of the crowd whose parents have dutifully made themselves invisible around the bar after their necessary appearance at the box office. The fast song pairs heavy guitars effectively with 60s-boyband-style backing vocals. The four-piece wind up their set with latest single `xxx’, a ska-tinged number, whose insistent guitar riff and urgent bass line lend its lyrics a sinister feel. The overall sound is slightly dated, but it’s hard not to enjoy the solid set and impeccable colour-coordination.

    Having last seen Drenge supporting Peace at the Academy in December, it’s good to see they’ve grown into the headliner role by changing nothing, save for drummer Rory Loveless’ now increasingly luxuriant mane. The duo, brothers from a self-declared shitville up north, have a certain air of confidence about them, bolstered tonight by a large and rowdy crowd. Drenge are at their most anthemic with `Fuckabout’, which sparks revellers into a confident sing-along, circle of death perpetuators now swaying their arms from side to side. The rest of the set is compiled from tracks to which swaying is not an appropriate reaction. The songs occasionally approach sentimentality, singer/guitarist Eoin taking to any relationshipthemed topic with a tired tone of voice, but they brush off all the gross emotions and stuff with extremely audible vigour, such as on `Let’s Pretend’. The song has quite a moving build-up, crawling along with dark intention until growing into a breakdown that gradually picks up pace until its almost hilariously frenetic finale. During the extended outro-intros between tracks it is obvious that the brothers are extremely skilled at what they do. Amidst one complicated fill Rory repeatedly straightens his mic before inadvertently knocking it away with his sticks. He manages to complete this process – without missing a beat – in time for his backing vocals, which end up practically lost in the noise anyway. They finish with their debut single `Bloodsports’, reminding us that it’s actually only been quite recently that Drenge have stepped up to supply us with our daily allowance of self-awareness and general loathing of humanity.

-Drenge played O2 Academy 04/06/14.

-Review printed in Nightshift July 2014.

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My review of Glass Animals single "Gooey" as it appeared in Oxfordshire Music Scene (May issue). Photo by Chris Blizzard.

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Metronomy / Glass Animals - O2 Academy Oxford

Arms flailing and body swaying fluidly, Dave Bailey’s got the moves like Thom Yorke. Glass Animals have a gentle and hypnotic presence and their music translates perfectly from recording to stage. The drummer is set on the front of the stage beside Bayley, his work on a mix of drum pad and acoustic drums driving the set powerfully underneath otherwise ethereal instrumentation. Recent single Gooey makes an appreciated appearance, but their set is one immersive experience rather than a string of hits and filler. Having received attention from all corners of the world tonight seems a good opportunity to catch them before they are whisked away to headline tours of their own.             

    Metronomy start heir set by firing off Love Letters. With slightly mad retro keyboard and relentlessly upbeat drums, the release of their latest album’s title track caused a few raised eyebrows, the cheerful cacophony seeming like a sudden change of direction for the band. However eyebrows settled peacefully on hearing more of the new Metronomy, a band with such a distinctive sound that pretty much anything they could release would sound unmistakably theirs.  The modern theatricality of the stage dressing lends to the bright/cold atmosphere of the music, with restrained emotion always lurking in Mount’s voice. The keyboards are hidden behind large fluorescent glowing blocks and the drum kit is lit up garishly: It’s at once glamorous and trashy. The band wear matching suits except for drummer Anna Prior who has instead flawlessly colour co-ordinated her dress with their outfits. Everything Goes My Way is a nice surprise mid-set, with Prior taking lead vocals from the kit. I’m Aquarius is an obvious hit, a calm yet pulsing track with a generous helping of backing ‘Shoop doop doop ahh’’s throughout.  The Bay is a perfect example of Metronomy’s strange appeal: a bright yet slightly sinister song. You can’t help dancing, even while Joseph Mount sounds typically downcast as he plots his escape: “If you want to go, I’ll take you back one day” he promises.  The bromantic Heartbreaker shows off beautiful harmonies, as do most Metronomy tracks. The whole group contribute to backing vocals, the energetic Olugbenga Adelekan a particular star with his high voice and infectious smile. Mount may be alluding to the venue’s air conditioning when he claims: “This is the hottest we’ve ever been!” Overheated or not Metronomy are hot stuff tonight.  

- 25/03/14.

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Darlia at The Cellar

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Darlia / Sun Machine @ The Cellar

With the kind of bad haircuts that don’t currently happen to be fashionable Sun Machine may look like a bunch of scrappy teenagers but their music is more mature than you’d guess. With a Led Zeppelin influence that could be observed from a mile off – without even looking at the bassist’s band tee – they sport nice vocal harmonies with psychedelic guitars in concise rock tracks. They also manage to subtly incorporate trashy synth lines and alternate vocals between members to good effect. They finish with a slow, substantial track; a simple stubborn bass line and stroppy drums set up a conversation between the high riffing guitar and synthesiser, bringing to mind a sprightlier version of Toy. Not afraid to let a simple song run its course, they slowly build the intensity into a fun, crashing finale.

    Fresh out of Blackpool, Darlia seem to have appeared on the musical radar almost out of thin air, having released their debut EP late last year. Their grunge-soaked indie rock has seen them support the likes of nearly-boy-band The 1975 but for all the “ones to watch” hype tonight’s gig is one of only four dates on their current UK tour and draws a modest crowd. Darlia have a controlled energy which makes for an intense set, deafening the majority of Cellar dwellers. `Napalm’ is the best three minutes of the show, with frenzied drums and dirty guitar underscoring Nathan Day’s growling vocals; having drawn a few Kurt Cobain comparisons – you could blame the bleached hair as well as Nirvana’s obvious influence on the band – latest release `Blood Money’ has Day sounding more like a male Courtney Love. With his guitar switching from trembling frailly to crunching out chords, the track grows on the dynamic of `Napalm’ and takes it to new heights. Elsewhere `Candyman’, from their current EP, and `Choke On Bones’ – already introduced by the young band as “an old track” – are warmly recognised. Most exciting is an upbeat new song which races from start to finish, leaving behind a feeling somewhere between déjà vu and premonition, the sort of intangible quality that will no doubt see it sound tracking peoples’ summers.

(as printed in Nightshift, May issue)

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Bipolar Sunshine at The Art Bar

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Bipolar Sunshine / Indiana @ The Art Bar, Oxford 29/03/14.

Setting up, tonight’s support Indiana seems to be an indie cliché; but as Indiana herself takes to the stage it becomes clear that these vintage-clad boys are merely the “lovely band” supporting her vocal performance. Heavy with 80s-style synth and drum pad, Indiana’s music is at once fresh and reminiscent. This is pop without the often associated soul-crushing emptiness as gloomy lyrics and organ keys prelude bright moving choruses. A band keen to contest gender assumptions, her backing band are multitasking to the limits, playing at least two instruments at once while Indiana sticks with the singing, which is aided with a pre-recorded backing provided by one of the guys on keys. The Apple Mac player is singing along, and if only someone would give him a microphone he could provide backing himself, just to make things a little more real, if less perfect. It is rare that an act preaches the message “Love More, Worry Less” and attracts a crowd who seem to have a matching attitude. I get this impression as a girl spills half a beer on me before apologising profusely and, despite my immediate and very British acceptance, trying to dry me with her sleeve. 

    Bipolar Sunshine’s Adio Marchant teaches his audience the backing vocals and asks for their co-operation. They don’t need cajoling to join in at every opportunity. To use the word preach is not to suggest a force-feeding of morals but a wholehearted faith in his own philosophy that shines through his songs. There are gospel elements to some of their rousing choruses that somehow merge with squealing guitars and impressive drums to create radio-friendly indie pop. A short musical interlude shows that the band clearly rehearses together a lot and the outfit translates well live, especially the drums that give the set an extra element of drive which is sometimes inevitably polished out in the recording process. As the show nears its close Bipolar Sunshine play ‘Fire,’ one of the first tracks they released. It’s a quietly moving track, mixing world wary spoken word, an innocently hopeful-sounding chorus and samples from cinematic romance The Notebook. Because apparently there’s nothing Ryan Gosling’s voice can’t improve. Marchant tells us that the song still means a lot to him. His enjoyment of playing his own songs is apparent, which is important as he will surely be in demand to play them for a long while.  

-- As printed in Nightshift, May issue --