Support: Delica Black

Words and photo’s by Michael Dickinson

Being that the weather had sucked balls the last fews day I decided to take some precautionary measures and wear by mac for the first time in ages. By the time I reach Barfly in the early evening though Mr. Sun has decided to come down from his cloduy perch and bathe Camden in a bright, sparkly sheen. I now feel like a tool for wearing a jacket but feel that I will commit to it, never now when the weathers going to turn. So I enjoy a few drinks with my book and my mac, I feel like I should be in a Europe Camp tent instead of downstairs in The Barfly.

Going upstairs though is a different matter entirely. It always is in The Barfly. It changes from a stylish little seating area to a den of anticipation, excitement and… more booze all within a few bounds of the staircase.

As Delica Black take to the stage I realize that my pleasant summers eve is about to become something much more intense, like The Last of the Summer Wine being taken over by Dog the Bounty Hunter (now that’s a show I would pay to see).

They tear the place up before they even get off the starting blocks. Within moments a small mosh pit has formed to my left and fans are head banging with pure glee. Vocalist Chris Watt proves himself a master of the octave range floating breathlessly from a broken hearted cry to a ghoulish roar bringing a great sense of schizophrenia to most of the tracks. There is something fundamentally romantic about their sound but in every case the romance is falling down around their ears and we get to hear every single moment of it. If this sounds terribly grand the guys in Delica don’t show it. They look like the kind of guys you could very easily have a chat with after, Watt’s between song banter showing him to be a guy who just wants us to have a good time and I believe everyone was.

On the drums Andy Patrick was a fucking wildman never letting up for a instant. It looked and sounded as though the drum kit was going to disintegrate by the time the set was done. On guitar Alix Goode was equally ready for war, but like in action film when it’s the quietest one who is also the most dangerous looking. Looking through my notes after I found I had scribbled “He can fucking play”. The sound of the band resembling the harder moments of the Deftones and at times a faint echo of some old school Psychedelic Furs. The set passes in a heartbeat despite being over a half hour long. The mosh pit continued, aided on by a strobe and I was now sweating my nuts off in my mac.

Ah! Here comes the string section with their sheet music and lamp stand. Hang on did I just fall unconscious and end up at the proms. No I’d gone to the bar and came back to find Hopeless Heroic setting up.

A band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now. One of the main elements which impresses me is their use of a violin (Fans of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds more recent stuff I think will agree there is much to be said for it). Tonight though Hopeless Heroic have brought another violinist and a cello player. And what’s more Alix Goode re-appears on stage, in a fresh shirt and is tuning up. Goode could easily be one of the hardest work men in the unsigned scene right now.

As vocalist Gavin Bain takes to the stage the string section lead by Tony Sabberton begin to swirl as though an orchestra really is about to begin the festivities. Instead the entire band explode into I Cried Wolf. The first time they played the song live, but you couldn’t notice. The string section compliment the hard rock tones of the song brilliantly. It sounds as though there are 20 musicians on stage and at the front Bain conducts it all. They quickly move on to single Guinea Pig Syndrome, for which the strings take a back seat to let the band really show what they can do. Once again Alix Goode shows how damned versatile a player he is. Robert Bayley, on bass, easily switches between providing a funky groove to desolate heartbeat. He along with Sabberton and Dai Knight on drums provide immense backing vocals throughout. All the while Gavin Bain works the stage like a man who was fucking born to do it. There are no airs or graces, no sense of preciousness just the sense that while he’s on stage your in good hands. He gives you his all and it seems only polite to give something back.

Especially when they kick in to the unmistakable opening for Blindly Apparent (admittedly one of my favourite tracks right now). An incredible song to see performed live. The string section fucking sore, the drums switch from a hip-hop beat to annihilating punk, the vocals flitter between rapping to anguished cries fitting the songs theme of heartbreak. Plus it’s an awesome moment for some call-response action with the crowd. Seriously it’s incredible song.

The onslaught is quickly followed by Death Whispers which just sounds down right evil in comparison. If the drum kit had survived the Delica Black set in must have been waving a white flag by the time Knight was through with it. Throughout the set the crowd seem to be loving it all, hands are in the air, voices singing along and all the while my mac remains on.

Hopeless Heroic are becoming a force to be reckoned with on the live circuit and I seriously recommend taking your hard earned pennies and spending it on what will be an undoubtedly awesome night of epic punk/metal/rock with a bit of hip hop swagger and some violent violin thrown in.

On their website they state that they want to “kill mediocrity”. This is certainly music to be murdered by.

As I leave Barfly a very happy bunny, though soaked to the bone I am delighted to discover it’s raining outside. I knew that mac would pay off in the end.

You could win two tickets for the Kick Out The Jam Festival, where you will meet Starseed and Hopless Heroic! If this wasn’t enough you will also receive signed copies of the bands albums, Clink badges and an amazing Atticus gift package (Shirt, Stickers, Badges) .

The lovely people at Kick Out The Jam have given Clink readers this fantastic prize package. All you have to do to win this awesome prize is…

1. Click this link
2. Save it to your hard drive and print it out (or make it your background on your mac / mobile / pc)
3. Put it up somewhere interesting and funny where lots of people will see it
4. Take a picture of yourself posing with it
5. Email it to this address along with your contact number (incase you win and we need to get a hold of you) or post it on the Fan Page wall
6. Best one wins and joins us for an amazing party!.

We need the entries by 17 March 2010 and we will announce and contact the winners that day so be ready to party.

You must live in the UK, be able to make your own way to the festival and be over 16. We are not responsible if you get arrested so please don’t put it anywhere where you think you could get in trouble with the police.

So what are you waiting for! Get out there and start taking some pics with the Clink logo. We really can’t wait to see your pictures.

Have fun and good luck !

Clink …. causing chaos for almost a year now.

Kick Out The Jams Festival launches on Friday 19th March 2010 at 229 in London featuring a line up of the U.K’s fastest emerging bands over two rooms.

KOTJ Fest aims to bring together punters who are passionate about seeking and supporting the new wave of ROCK talent in the country. TotalRock Radio, Clink Magazine and Blackstar Amps are proud sponsors of Kick Out The Jams as it is a festival run entirely by musicians and ROCK fanatics.

KOTJ embraces all styles of rock from metal to progressive to pop-punk and grunge. This event runs from 7pm through to 3am, with special guests and DJ’s from TotalRock Radio to turn the gig into a cranking rock club.

Confirmed acts include:
STARSEED | FIRETONE | HOPELESS HEROIC | FRANKO | 8th TIME LUCKIE | FURION | MAHAVIRA | AGENT | DUPLEX GAGE | SABATTA
& more to be announced soon!

Surrounded by tube stations (Great Portland St, Regent St and Warren St) and bus access makes it easy to get there and get home from literally anywhere.

Tickets are only £8 from www.ticketweb.co.uk, or £10 on the door.

229 is a 16+ venue. ID required. 7pm – 3am.

Words by Ian Dickinson

Genre killers Hopeless Heroic (HH) have one hell of a past and more importantly they have one hell of a future a head of them. HH are a distinctive and formidable new force on the music landscape with their combination of Punk, Metal, classical violin and a melodious Hip Hop flow, but let’s start things off with a true story of epic and almost unbelievable magnitude.

Gavin Bain (Vocals) and his friend decided that they were destined to become world famous Hip Hop stars. The only problem being that they were just two lads from Scotland. Scotland is not famous for its commercial Hip Hop scene and the pair found it difficult to get noticed. The duo known as Silibil N’ Brains, adopted American accents, at first only as a means to get their foot in the door, well they went through that door like Jack Nicholson in the Shining and before they knew it, their pseudo American alter egos saw them signed to Sony, touring with D-12 and hanging out with A-list celebrities. The pressure of the hoax became too much for the pair and luckily for us all things fell apart. If they didn’t maybe there would be no HH and that would be a tearful shame.

Hollywood blockbuster swindles and corporate cuckolding aside, it is time for the really important stuff; HH’s music. HH are a London based quintet which was conceived in January 2007 when Bain met Grant Magnus (Guitar). The pair was joined by classically trained violinist Tony Sabberton (Violin) and a hard rocking; violin brandishing, Hip Hop beast was born. The band is completed by Rob Bayley (Bass) and most recently Dai Knight (Drums) who make a formidable rhythm section that effortlessly drive the numerous styles of the band at a thunderous pace. Knight spoke exclusively to Clink about his feelings on joining the band; “It’s wicked being able to be ridiculously creative all the time, coming up with new ideas and interesting sounds with four stupidly talented musicians who all want to make music we love.”

The band released a five track EP titled Mechanical Lions on their own label in November 2009. I only have one problem with the EP. I want more. Five tracks does not get the monkey off my back. As soon as the last track, Biting Nails And Watching Clocks concludes the haunting tale of a broken man that commits heinous and violent crimes the repeat button is instantly slapped.

The opening track Mechanical Lions demonstrates HH amalgamation of styles magnificently. Bain effortlessly glides from a Hip Hop style that is reminiscent of the smooth style of 90’s classics Souls Of Mischief and The Pharcyde into powerful melodies and intimidating screams. Magnus’ mighty and magnificent riff in Guinea Pig Syndrome is sleazy and infectious. It has been wedged in my head since I first heard it along with Bain’s lyric; “we are puppeteers of discontent.” Sabberton wields his violin with a Shinobi precision garnishing the band with a grandiose, Danny Elfman’esque sound that faultlessly compliments Bain’s lyrics. The violin has an eerie charm that creates a sinister atmosphere through out. The pace of the notes played keeps the whole affair rocking fast. What appeals to me about the violin is the emotion and mood it creates.

As well as the violin, what really stands out and appeals to me about HH are the lyrics. It is the songs narrative that I find captivating. It is refreshing for song lyrics to have purpose and structure rather than just a random combination of sentiments. There is a precision and care taken in each song to tell a story in the manner that it truly deserves. The lyrics are evocative and lucid. I am sure Nick Cave or Nas would be proud to have written such violent, vengeful and touching tracks as Mechanical Lions, You Got What You Deserved and Biting Nails And Watching Clocks.

According to Knight, the band are currently recording their debut full length Become The Monster. Knight claims that he “can’t wait to tour its release in April. We have a mental time on the road and get some funny ass stories out of it!” This is not rock rap. Do not be fooled or allow yourself to be duped by misconceptions and stereotypes. This is the evolution; a hybrid. Very few acts posses a genuinely original sound but HH have achieved this. I can only look forward to the upcoming full length and a tour.