Limehawk/The Fall of Kings/The James Whitehouse Band @ Another Place, South Rd, Waterloo. 04/02/12 

(Image: Limehawk by Alan Jones)

The music scene in Liverpool is dead. It has taken a steep nosedive into a deep, watery filled ravine and never came back up for air. What was, once the beaming kindergarten where you would have been proud to cut your teeth as a budding musician and put on your (imaginary) CV. Now it is a wasteland of once great venues and half filled lesser ones. A post apocalyptic mess. Where only the brave and the stupid venture out amid the bustle of the other side of the city, the dreaded ‘’Concert Square’’. A place so hellish you can only walk through in the very height of daytime for fear of being ‘’scalled’’ by the ever growing population of miscreants who divide their time by wearing all black sports garments or plain shirts with various little animals embroidered into them (sorry for stereotyping, sometimes they wear cardigans as well)…

Or is it like this? Certainly over the last few months, people would have you believe this was the way. To be honest, things seemed like they were going a bit ropey at times and I wouldn’t have liked to say which way it was going to swing. It is definitely true that the musical landscape has changed. As with all things karma though, balance does and will need addressing at some point and it looks like the pendulum has swung its blade the other way for now. Over the past few weeks I have noticed resurgence in the budding unsigned scene. As well as a lot of bigger names returning to the city for the first time in a while. Is this merely luck? I don’t think so. I would guess it’s down to the hard work of certain individuals in this city and beyond that care too much for the scene to just let it die. Few of them have been round for years and never left for better climes, which has benefitted the city no end. Some are shorter in the tooth but have contributed significantly since their time here.

Step forward a Mr Tony Donaghey. Who, a few years ago, started a MySpace page called Liverpool Bands. Like a tin of Ronseal it was designed for bands from Liverpool to come together and form a community. The music player was only bands from Liverpool who were members, and it became a hub for budding musicians to communicate with each other through (and probably see what the competition was like out there). Roll on the present, and Liverpool Bands is now a website, as well as having much used facebook and twitter pages, and Mr Donaghey is sinking in to folklore with their ever increasing popularity. I could write a whole article on this alone, and maybe it will happen soon, but for now on with the main story.

So it comes as no surprise that Tony wanted to go that little bit further and put together a show that would benefit the local music scene. With the backing of the majority of the local scene, a venue was found, bands were handpicked and the rest, as they say, is history.

So it was on a chilly, wet night that I turned out in Waterloo to Another Place. A venue which, by all means should just be a bar, but with a bit of thinking outside the box and a promoter who genuinely loves music, a stage was erected and a P.A. was sound checked.

First on, The James Whitehouse Band. Never heard of them I thought. At the end of the first intro I was kicking myself for being so ignorant to new music and not getting on to these before. All hailing from the LIPA temple. This four piece are what is lacking from our local shores. Gutsy, bluesy, guitar based rock music that is somewhere in between Pearl Jam and Biffy Clyro. Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin are thanked for inspiration and suddenly I want to be at the front to witness this polished, yet raw energy emanating from ahead. James Whitehouse leads the way with sincere vocals and a guitar technique that is reminiscent of the past. Fat chunky riffs and power chords, distorted and mean. Underpinned by a heavy hitting rock beat and a fat arse bass groove. He is the frontman for a band who are so clearly in to what they do as well as having the natural talent that is clearly missing from many contemporaries. I can only say that this band is ready to fill a niche and I would hedge money on it that they will. The next act has a lot to live up to…………

Step up The Fall Of Kings. These boys have been knocking round for a while now and from what I understand, have gained quite a following. Having seen them before, I already knew what to expect. Classic British indie circa 90’s is what is dished up and the crowd lap it up. You already know what to expect, think early Blur, Suede and possibly a bit of Ash. The guitars are bright and well accompanied by the added layer of keys. A new addition since I seen them last being a violinist who created nice, melodic lines that sat along and complimented the melodic vocals well. This band create songs that are easily remembered and would be great to sing along to. They have got the image thing down to a tee and look exactly like you would expect them to. They are a solid band who, on the whole, give solid performances and obviously enjoy doing so. This performance was, however, not one of the best I have seen and it seemed like there was something missing tonight. What, exactly I don’t know. But the songs didn’t have their usual energy and flair and the performance seemed lacking. I suppose everyone has their off days though and I would definitely recommend getting down to see these scamps in action.

And so to the final act, Limehawk, which having not heard their music before, got me thinking I was going to see a heavy hitting, fast living hard rock band (its funny how band names make you stereotype them before you hear them). I was sort of right. Limehawk are a heavy hitting, hard rock band. It’s just that they are more progressive than what I thought they would be. This is in no means a bad thing. It’s just a lot slower than what I thought, and more dynamic. Three very talented musicians in their own field and who have the ability to put their own signature on the songs. Limehawk make songs that pull emotions out. Tony Reid’s heartfelt vocals are powerful and sincere, and his musicianship is well defined. He treats his guitar like an extension of his arms and makes it look like playing one is something learned in a day. The other two in the band know this and equally have control of their instruments fully. They remind me of those late 80’s/ early 90’s American bands. Faith No More, Pearl Jam, even a touch of Soundgarden or thereabouts. I may be wrong but they gave me a touch of nostalgia. You should get down and see if they do the same to you, or if you aren’t old enough to feel that. Then just get down to see them and watch their wizardry on stage. You won’t be disappointed.

(Image: Limehawk by Sarah Deely)

Just a quick word on the ground rules for Liverpool Bands Showcase Nights. First and foremost, Tony is a strong believer in giving the bands who play some sort of remuneration for their time. It is an expensive hobby being in a band and for long enough, unscrupulous promoters and venues have used bands to fill venues and make money without giving back much in return. Each band who plays these nights will receive at the very least their expenses for performing. The headline will always be given a fee and the support slots are given to bands with the view that they will, at some point, be given a chance to headline. With what has been happening in Liverpool lately and the discussions taking place on the various social media networks. It is refreshing to see someone who has a firm belief in the grassroots of our music scene and the commitment to do something about it which will only aid in building a stable foundation for the scene to flourish. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the city will take note and follow, although I have seen evidence of this already seeping through (Stop Rock and Roll is in its 4th month now, Zanzibar has just created a night where the bands get the ticket money they sell 100%). So there is hope.

Words: Phil Oskoui

Photography: As Labelled

Links

The James Whitehouse Band

http://www.jameswhitehouseband.com http://soundcloud.com/jameswhitehouseband http://www.myspace.com/jameswhitehouseband https://www.facebook.com/jameswhitehouseband?sk=info

The Fall Of Kings

http://www.soundcloud.com./thefallofkings http://www.thefallofkings.tumblr.com http://www.youtube.com/TheFallofKings http://www.myspace.com/thefallofkingslive http://www.twitter.com/thefallofkings https://www.facebook.com/thefallofkings?sk=info

LimeHawk

https://www.facebook.com/limehawk22?sk=info http://www.soundcloud.com/limehawk

Liverpool Bands http://www.liverpool-bands.com

https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolBandspage?sk=info

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