Review: Flaming Fields EP Launch – The Maze – 24 July 2014

As they say, you should always start your day with a good breakfast. But how do brains sound to you? Kicking off the evening and testing that theory was BRAINS FOR BREAKFAST from Walsall, whose relaxed acoustic performance went down a treat. He has a great use of dynamics and some lovely vocals. Towards the end of the set, he got down into the audience, asking them to form a circle around him as he played. It was an unplugged performance that I was unsure about at first, as these massive audience interaction things tend to annoy me, but it actually felt intimate as he turned around, and by doing so it almost felt like played to each member of the audience individually. It was pretty personal and felt quite special. After this though, he did some promotion stuff, taking videos and photos of the audience etc, which I stepped out of as I felt uncomfortable, but the rest of the audience seemed game. It was a great set, and was a nice ‘breakfast’ to kick off the evening.

Next up were local Nottingham band BAYBO SQUAYBO. Having only been around since the beginning of this year, these guys are really starting to nail their gigs. Curry Bowl is moody and has an intensity which grows in the shared vocals. The bass is too loud on the deeper notes at times due to a technical issues, but I almost like it because the vibrations resonate in my feet and ground me to the music. “You’ll be talking to yourself at night when you’re gone” is an interesting and emotive lyric which exits the song with a melancholy, which is quickly resolved in the lighthearted and breezier Self Aware. The upbeat, indie vibes of this track are punctuated by really great drops where the rock gets injected back into the song. The layered guitars make you move, the vocals are deep so get masked by the guitars at times, but when they rise, they float above them which is really powerful and emotive. When Sam takes over lead vocals on Slip, the bassist Lewis supports on backing vocals, which is really nice to see the roles switching between the members in the band. This keeps things interesting and varied. Jazz Ting-a-Ling drops some really dirty riffs especially in the bass, and exactly where you need them. Frontman Joe’s extended ‘ooohs’ laced throughout the song over the top of paranoid guitars and Sam’s passionate vocals builds up the anticipation, which makes the song just feel kind of awesome. Emotions are pushed in the final track ‘Whales Afterwards’ which is paranoid again with some really desperate vocals and relentless guitars and drums which really push your emotions and ends the set well with spine tingling results.

FLAMING FIELDS were next to the stage, and as it was their EP launch they pulled in a good crowd and really got people moving. They kicked off their set with Wannabe, which has some really good instrumental sections where the bass and guitar have a chance to shine through in their solos, which could go a bit further, but they were effective none-the-less. The solos do heighten the song, and pushes it to an interesting end, where the bass dominates, and unfortunately features some feedback, but it’s a great opening to the set.

March Of The Dogs is next, and it picks up the pace for sure. When the drums kick in it’s a party. The chorus which is upbeat, groovy and the rhythms are infectious making your body move to it. Dorian Gray is the next number they perform, and it’s the first track off their new EP. The bass grounds the song and remains the same throughout, as do the vocals most of the time, which I find myself just feeling like I want more. When the vocals do begin to confidently explore the falsetto range in the chorus it’s great, and changes the dynamic of the song. The set in general is intrinsically rock, but has elements of dance and pop in there too, which keep people moving and makes it sound pretty groovy. The songs also seem to be arranged in a way where they hit you when you need it. Their next track from their EP called History is where we see Nic singing, and it’s a welcome change, with the following songs being more considerate of structure and use of instruments. It’s slower and has passionate outbursts vocally. Ghosts is described as a song about being in love, followed quickly by “I don’t know what it’s about really”… All I know is the chords are emotive and they build an intensity with the fingerpicked electric guitar and repetitive melodies. The laid back vocals allow the electric guitar to come through, and the drops are good, but not really enough. The slower down-key number is a change of pace, but the heavier sections are tantalising as they don’t seem to quite hit where they need to. However, they are really popular with the crowd and they are cheering and dancing and really enjoying themselves. The Big Squeeze ends the set, and it’s the single from their EP. It ends the set in a big way, with great riffs which reconnect you to the music and are attention grabbing. They are also really catchy, and keep you singing them into the evening. They leave a great impression, and despite being the focus of the evening, they leave the stage and let EMPTY POCKETS, their headline act, set up.

Lincoln band EMPTY POCKETS are post punk, guitar heavy whilst being upbeat and lively. This is their first ever gig, and they seem a bit nervous, but aside from that they’re professional and on form. They inject a bit of punk into the evening in the vocal delivery and the rhythm, which has a fresh sound at the end of the evening. The set seems to adopt a lot of different styles, with rock, blues and pop coming through, and it makes sense when this rock/pop/punk band throws in a Libertines cover of Can’t Stand Me Now. It remains close to the original, and although I like it when creative liberty is taken when doing covers, I could hardly fault it because it is their first gig, and they performed it well, and it was fun to sing along to. Throughout the set there are some excellent instrumental solos, and some brilliant drums which are controlled and measured, but burst just at the right time. I liked I’m Leaving, due to it’s fluidity and funky drums in the verse, and angsty catchy chorus. With Rachel Riley also being a short, snappy comical and light addition to the set, which is good fun and has a great energy. They really rocked their first gig, and were very entertaining and groovy, and I hope they gig more in Nottingham. The evening had a nice mix of sounds, and some great performances and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it all. Thanks everyone!

Review by Cassia Helme