BlackWaters are a four piece from the depths of nothingness [Surrey]. And yet despite their murky background, they’ve turned aggro and pent-up frustration into rampant, shouty, spit-fuelled, BO-inducing, agitated punk rock’n’roll.

High-octane new release ‘Down’ is the hotly anticipated follow-up to their Carl Barât produced debut ‘So Far Out’. The Libertines frontman and high-priest of contemporary punk was drawn to the immediacy of their fledgling release, which was written as a reaction to Brexit – a decision that will impact the lives of these four lads long after their ancestors are gone.

The energy of the song is ten-fold when experienced live. BlackWaters are a statement band, but they’re not overtly political in their lyrics. Rather they’d like to be subversive by allowing their peers to break free and channel all their rage and apathy into their fire-starting anthems.

“There’s no inspiration, we’ve got no platform to say anything on. Our age restricts what we can and can’t do. If I was born a few days later I’d be able to vote on a decision that will change my life. I’m talking about the Brexit by the way…”

Primed and ready to roll, BlackWaters embark upon a co-headline tour with Blackpool trio Strange Bones for fifteen dates of short sharp introductions. New track ”Down’ will be released next month with an exact date tbc.

BLACKWATERS TOUR DATES

January 23rd – The Tin Angel, Coventry
January 24th – The Louisiana, Bristol
January 25th – The Bodega, Nottingham
January 26th – The Venue, Derby
January 27th – Boileroom, Guildford
January 28th – The Horn, St. Albans
February 1st – Brudenell Games Room, Leeds
February 3rd – Guildhall, Preston
February 4th – Bootleg Social, Blackpool
February 5th – The Fulford Arms, York
February 7th – The Polar Bear, Hull
February 8th – Think Tank, Newcastle
February 9th – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
February 10th – The Leadmill, Sheffield
February 11th – The Sugarmill, Stoke on Trent

https://facebook.com/BlackWatersUK/

2016 saw Rebellion Festival celebrate its 20th year alongside the 40th anniversary of punk with a spectacular sold-out event. Over four days at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, iconic bands from every aspect of punk across the world shared stages with new and emerging talent. And Rebellion 2017 already looks set to be no different. Returning to Winter Gardens in Blackpool from the 3rd to the 6th of August, the line-up is already shaping up to be another punk genre defining event.

LA punk legends Bad Religion are now confirmed to return to the festival for the first time in seven years, bringing their addictively melodic, politically-charged, high energy punk rock to the seaside punk event.

“Rebellion is by far the best punk festival on the planet,” enthuses Bad Religion (and Dag Nasty/Minor Threat) guitarist Brian Baker. “I went last year; it was so nice I saw Cock Sparrer twice! And this year you can see Bad Religion and Pennywise and the UK Subs, Sham 69, Skids, Angelic Upstarts and tons more. This is a great festival and i love playing it and I hope to see you all there.”

With every passing day, more bands are being added to the prestigious line-up that already includes such luminaries as mentioned by Brain Baker above who join the likes of The Vapors, Kent duo Slaves, The Skids, DOA, Alternative TV, Neville Staples Band, Good Riddance, Scream (who once featured Dave Grohl), Toyah, Richie Ramone, Leftover Crack, Ruts DC and many many more.

Day tickets are now available at £60 per day and there is also the opportunity to buy weekend tickets in instalments with a deposit.

More bands, running-order and stage times still to be announced.

Rebellion Festival is an ALL AGES, family friendly event and children under 12 are admitted free of charge (accompanied by an adult). More information and tickets are available at:

Website: www.rebellionfestivals.com
Twitter: @rebellionfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RebellionPunkMuskFestival

Announcing: Elevant’s first shows of 2017, a series of brand new studio recording for release later this year, plus an all-new festival in Liverpool of their very own design.

Teasing their first new material since their standalone single ‘Hide it Away’ last Summer, Elevant announce their return with the promise of a smattering of fresh cuts on the way, recorded at none-other than the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The tracks will be made available via the band’s own Loner Noise / Elevant Music Limited imprint later this year. Speaking about the band’s latest sessions, frontman Michael Edward says:

“We cut 5 tracks at Abbey Road, and there’ll be a release a little later into the year, though we haven’t decided what kind yet. The new material trades off a greater focus on hooks with weirder idiosyncrasies in the band’s playing. You can get away with something a little stranger if you wrap it up sweetly.”

With a sprinkling of dates across early 2017 aiming to whet appetites for the new releases in waiting, the genre-busting rock trio will be putting in shows at venues in Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow, whilst also making appearances at festivals including Threshold Festival (Liverpool). Full dates and details below, more shows to be announced in the coming weeks. Joining the band for the Liverpool and Newcastle shows will be the quickly emerging Coquin Migale, who have recently signed-up with the Fierce Panda label and last year headlined the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds. Federales and Gravves will also feature as support on other nights of the tour.

In addition, Elevant will be performing at an all-new festival for 2017 – WRONG – a festival in Liverpool organised and curated by the band’s own Michael Edward and the Loner Noise label he operates. Based in Liverpool’s docklands, the festival looks to bring together the heavier and weirder corners of rock music, from punk to noise to psychedelia and everywhere in-between. For one day in April, the festival will present a selection of some of the finest freaked out bands around including Bo Ningen, The Wytches, The Cosmic Dead, Heck, Blacklisters and of course, Elevant. A communal area with art installations, plus record stalls, and ‘Shangri-La’ like settings will also feature – for full details head to: http://wrongfestival.com/

Speaking about the inaugural WRONG Festival, Michael Edward adds:

“Organising WRONG has been about representing the underground rock scene that we’re part of. There are so many fantastic bands that we’ve toured with, and we wanted to really bring them all together to play with some of the legends of the scene and create something that could elevate everyone who played.”

Dates

18/2 – Liverpool EBGBs w/Coquin Migale, Gravves
23/2 – Newcastle Jumping Jacks w/ Coquin Migale
15/3 – Manchester Castle w/ Mums, Thing, Federales
22/3 – Glasgow, Bloc
23/3 – Leeds Packhorse w/ Honeyspider, Black Pudding
1/4 – Threshold Festival Liverpool w/Hey Colossus
22/4 – WRONG Festival w/Bo Ningen, The Wytches, Heck, Part Chimp etc.

Elevant are the thunderous genre absorbers heading the Loner Noise label. Since their formation in 2014 they’ve fused a host of disparate influences into a sound that can be dark and atmospheric, heavy and crushing, or irresistibly grooving. The trio sounds far vaster than the sum of their parts. Anchored by Tom Shand’s pummelling Bonham-esque beats and Hannah Lodge’s interlocking bassline weaves, lead singer Michael Edward’s lung bursting Chris Cornell-style lead vocals and bludgeoning guitar work make them sound like a six-piece.

Effortlessly twisting a pop hook to their post punk, psych and krautrock sound to great effect, there is an energy and vision that sets them apart from their contemporaries. In 2016, the band released their third and latest long player ‘There Is A Tide’, a record mastered by studio wizard Pete Maher (Jack White, Patti Smith, Scissor Sisters). The album followed their eponymous debut release ‘Elevant’ in 2014 and ‘Dreamface’ the following year.

Elevant are Michael Edward (Guitar / Bocals), Hannah Lodge (Bass / Backing Vocals) and Tom Shand (Drums).

Elevant will release new music in 2017 – watch this space….
MORE INFORMATION

http://elevantband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ElevantMusik/
https://www.instagram.com/elevantmusik/
https://elevant.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/shedlad93

Little Comets have announced the first track ‘Common Things’ from upcoming album, ‘Worhead’. Priding themselves on their ultra DIY ethic, the band like to operate on an entirely uncensored level and their latest offering, ‘Common Things’ is no exception.

Offering breezy commentary on the beauty that lies within the oft-mundanity of a comfortable relationship, the song explores the enjoyment of ‘common things’ in the situation – even if those common things include such sensory, uncompromising delights as being regularly re-contaminated by cold sores, as is the case presented here…The concept is subverted in the upcoming video with visceral visuals presented in ordinary scenarios, a raw chicken being taken for a walk in the countryside, a spot of knitting with cured meats and a woman’s hands replaced with crunchy fishfinger morsels…

Featuring sunny, syncopated beats, the song opens up into a warm, uplifting wash of golden synth before retreating back to angularity with afro-pop flashes and vocal bursts. The buoyant percussion part was fashioned after vocalist, Rob Coles played lead guitarist, Mickey Coles a combination of a djembe, a bottle, a bike pump and a bit snapped off an old snare drum.

On the subject matter, Rob says:

“I suppose it is semi-autobiographical up to a point as I am quite a simple person and take more from the gaps than the need to fill them…Me and Mickey (as usual) wrote this one in his garage after Mickey had been playing a really obscure riff, which we adapted for the chorus melody. The verses came later as the need for a narrative became apparent.

I think what helped is that the chorus line paints a real picture of what the verses should be about. It was just a case of filling in the bits of the story; which fed from the idea of a couple being satisfied with just the simple things.”

You can listen to the track here: https://soundcloud.com/littlecomets/common-things

Little Comets are Rob Coles (vocals and guitar), Mickey Coles (lead guitar) and Matthew Hall (bass)

Tour

FEBRUARY

T 09: OXFORD Academy2
F 10: BATH Komedia
S 11: PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
S 12: BRIGHTON Concorde2
T 14: CAMBRIDGE Junction
W 15: BIRMINGHAM Institute
T 16: GLASGOW St Lukes
F 17: LIVERPOOL Academy2
S 18: SHEFFIELD Leadmill

MARCH

T 16: LONDON Koko
F 17: LEEDS Stylus
S 18: NEWCASTLE University
S 19: MANCHESTER Academy

‘Pulse’ is taken from the forthcoming narrative album ‘Ouseburn’, which explores the post-industrial redevelopment of the North-East of England. The group say “‘Pulse’ presents a bleak future vision of a sterile urban landscape where the ‘pulse’ of fringe arts spaces and creative/community hubs are slowly eroded to make way for the ‘silence’ of homogeneous, sterile modern housing developments; Pulse is presented as the inevitable culmination of the shameless profit motivated construction projects already taking shape around us in our hometown of Newcastle”.

Musically this reminded me of the early days of synth/electro music, there are strong reminders of the early Human League there for me. What I din’t quite expect was Bea’s vocals which have a distinct folky vibe. It’s an interesting mix that really works. And it has that ‘organic’ sound that early synth stuff had.

The way the group describe it, you’d be expecting something really bleak, but what you actually get is something that is epic, huge sounding and has a lot going on. This is seriously good.

You can listen to the track below.

Tour dates

You can catch Twist Helix  on the dates below:

21/01/17 – The Cluny – Newcastle
02/02/17 – West Street Live – Sheffield
12/02/17 – Verve Leeds
19/03/17 – FabCafe – Manchester
01/04/17 – Buff’s Club – Glasgow

The info

Twist Helix are: Bea Garcia Cisneros (Vocals, Synthesizers), Michael Humble (Bass), James Walker (Drums)

Fronted by Bea Garcia, Twist Helix are an electronic alt-pop group based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Having launched their debut single ‘Decade’ in a SOLD OUT concert at The Mining Institute in January 2016, the group have recently returned from their first European tour dates (including dates in London and Madrid) promoting their 2016 indie-concept album ‘Manifesto’.

Having played 47 live shows in 2016 and performing alongside national and international bands like Everything Everything, the Icelandic group Samaris and the Canadian duo Vogue Dots, 2017 promises to be a bright year for Twist Helix.

Twist Helix have appeared on the BBC in the UK, Cadena Ser in Spain and have featured prominently on the UK festival circuit (Stepping Stones, VW Leeds, Richmond Live, Northern Electric, PandoraFest and Oxjam amongst others) gaining a reputation for their “dramatic and joyous” live shows (NE:MM) and have since been nominated for a UBEAT TV award (Best Alternative Act).

Web: https://www.twisthelix.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twisthelix

What people are saying

“A thrill of intelligent synthpop” – NARC Magazine, UK
“Energetic live show” – Cadena Ser Alicante, Spain
“Danceable melancholic synthpop that stays in your head” – IndieLocura, Spain
“Big, epic and complete sound with catchy and addictive melodies” – NE Volume, UK
“Sparkling dance-rock” – 24ourmusic, Canada
“(Decade) is an indie-pop gem balancing gratifying pop hooks with upbeat melodies” – Alternative Tracks, USA
“Unique sound” – Radio KC, France
“Captivating vocals” – SheWolfRadio, UK
“One to watch out for” – Radio SparkFM, UK

“It’s an honour to be a part of the Home of Metal. I am just a guy from Birmingham who’s been blessed to have had such dedicated fans throughout my career. Like I’ve always said ‘I am nothing without them.” Ozzy Osbourne

“Fans are our lifeblood, they’ve always been there to support us. The audiences have been getting bigger as the tour progressed, it’s been amazing. “ Tony Iommi

Established by Capsule in 2007, Home Of Metal is a ground-breaking project that examines the origins of Heavy Metal and its birthplace in Birmingham and the Black Country. Delivered across fifteen major arts institutions, including a large-scale exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Home Of Metal brought together unseen artefacts, relics, memorabilia and personal stories sourced directly from the fans alongside iconic items from bands including Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death.

Over 200 000 people attended events and activities during the summer of 2011 and it was shortlisted for a National Lottery Heritage award, for the title of Best Heritage Project.

Now, as Black Sabbath approach their final UK tour, Home Of Metal will be there at every show to take portraits of the fans coming to pay their final respects to the gods of metal. Come and find them in the foyer of each venue and they will also be situated at Birmingham New Street Station from Thursday February 2nd to Saturday 4th from 3-7.30pm.

The Birmingham New Street Station stand will also allow fans the chance to have a go on a Gibson guitar and Laney amp, the same set-up that Tony Iommi uses to create his iconic sound, albeit smaller and in practice amp form!

Home Of Metal aims to explore how the music of four working class lads from Aston, Birmingham captured the hearts and minds of fans globally. A testament to their loyalty, the project will pay homage to the fan’s devotion and document the forty year relationship. Home Of Metal will work with fans, volunteers and the community to harness the power of social media, make portraits and capture and collate stories that mark this unique moment in history. The content collected will be used to develop an active online archive which will form part of a future exhibition.

To help achieve this, Home Of Metal is asking all fans to contribute to the archive by uploading your photos of your related memorabilia to help inform the content of an exhibition that will tour internationally in 2018, followed by a summer season in Birmingham and the Black Country in 2019. We are working towards a permanent collection to celebrate the legacy of Black Sabbath and Birmingham, the birthplace of metal here: www.homeofmetal.com/the-archive

“An artist or band’s success can be measured by their relationship with the fans and the success of the ‘Home of Metal’ exhibition brought home just how dedicated and loyal ours are” explains Black Sabbath guitarist and founder Tony Iommi. “It’s always humbling to realise how you’ve touched people’s lives with your music, a project where fans are actively involved would be great.”

Come and find Home Of Metal on the Black Sabbath tour at:

Jan 22 Manchester – Manchester Arena
Jan 24 Glasgow – The SSE Hydro
Jan 26 Leeds – First Direct Arena
Jan 29 – London 02 Arena
Jan 31st – London 02 Arena
Feb 2 – Bham Genting Arena
Feb 4 – Bham Genting Arena

To get more info, contribute to the archive, or become a volunteer go to www.homeofmetal.com

Home of Metal is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, Laney Amplification and Live Nation