LIVE: THE KILLERS @ THE LG ARENA 31/10/12

On a freezing Halloween night the Killers bring their own brand of spooky holiday cheer to Birmingham, opening their set with a ‘Zombie Hands’ music video showing the band suitably attired in Halloween garb. When the band eventually surface, only drummer Ronnie Vanucci is dressed for the occasion, choosing the skeleton onesie as his weapon of choice, but the band nevertheless is in very good form and spirits. They kick off proceedings with ‘Bones’ rather appropriately, and it is clear from the off that the crowd are in for a treat rather than a trick (no more puns, I promise).

What is also clear is the polished performance of Brandon Flowers as frontman and master of ceremonies. He embarks on a monologue during the refrain of ‘The Way It Was’, bemoaning the fact that we are distracted from engaging with our loved ones by things like ‘Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja’. Flowers is an utterly compelling performer, whether he is sermonising or serenading, and those who are at the show tonight feel lucky to just be in his presence.

Of course though, this is not a one-man band, and there are stellar performances all round tonight. Dave Keuning knocks out classic riff after classic riff without even breaking a sweat, and the instinctive musical connection spoken of so much between Vanucci and gentle giant Mark Stoermer is evident in their playing. Highlights include ‘When You Were Young’ and ‘Mr Brightside’, songs that will probably never leave the Killers setlist, as well as the spine-tingling ‘Flesh and Bone’. The band finish with ‘Battle Born’, a track made to be a closer; such is its magnitude and magnificence. As Flowers introduces each member of the band, he tells the audience that there are no ghosts that we see, but as the final notes of ‘Battle Born’ drift away there is a sense that something not of this world has just taken place. 

LIVE: MUSE @ THE LG ARENA 30/10/12

Here is a list of things that you will find at a Muse gig that are Not A Big Deal:

• Massive lasers
• An inverted pyramid that moves into different formations during the show and projects businessmen and cartoon men with Pringles-moustaches
• Drummer Dom Howard dressed as a ninja to fight off said businessmen

The band have honed their live show to a fine art, actually toning it down this time after the vertigo-inducing towers that Bellamy, Howard and Wolstenholme played on while touring The Resistance. Running around the back of the stage is a slanted wall of lights that, when it isn’t projecting thought-provoking and sometimes hilarious visuals, transforms into a roulette wheel designed to pick the last song of the main set. This playful suspense has been taken in the right spirit by the fans, who are no longer surprised by anything that happens during a Muse show.

And what of the music, I hear you ask? As the lights go down, the first strains of controversial track ‘The 2nd Law: Unsustainable’ blare out, and as the song reaches its ‘dubstep’ (I use that term very loosely) climax the band appear and thrash out noises never before heard from guitars. The track was written with opening live shows in mind, and it works perfectly, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. The afore-mentioned roulette wheel chooses Stockholm Syndrome tonight, and it is one of the highlights of the night, along with the resurrection of fan favourite ‘Sunburn’.

What is most surprising about the show is witnessing Matt Bellamy, who seems to be a changed man on stage. Gone is the near silence between songs; Bellamy is extremely chatty and interacting with fans, commenting on one fan’s flashing hair “I’ll have to get that done next tour”. For several songs such as ‘Undisclosed Desires’ and ‘Follow Me’ the frontman is unencumbered by guitars or guitar-shaped instruments and takes this opportunity to strut around the stage and venture into the crowd.

This is far from a one-man show, however, as bassist Chris Wolstenholme moves centre-stage to perform ‘Liquid State’, one of two songs written by Wolstenholme on The 2nd Law. His shy thanks to the crowd belies the assured performance of a satisfyingly heavy song, bound to become a live favourite during the course of the tour.  Muse have of late monopolised the ‘Best Live Band’ title at numerous awards shows, but this is not without reason, as even now the band are evolving their live show and adding more strings to their bows.

LIVE: LUCY ROSE @ THE TEMPLE, HMV INSTITUTE 26/10/12

Off the back of the release of debut album Like I Used To, Lucy Rose has embarked on a lengthy UK tour to sing some songs and sell her wares (the Lucy Rose tea and jam is particularly popular). On this chilly night in Birmingham, Pete Roe opened and tried to warm the crowd’s hearts with his pleasant voice and acoustic guitar. You can see why he has been picked to support Rose; he fits a similar musical mould to her, delivering heartfelt vocals accompanied by intricate folk melodies.

Roe set the stage perfectly for Rose, who shuffled into the limelight rather shyly, picking up her guitar and starting the first song without ceremony. It is this unassuming, down-to-earth personality which makes Rose such a well-loved artist right now, as well as the strength of her work. There is a mutual gratification at work throughout the gig; Rose is simply thrilled to be playing to a full crowd, and the crowd reflect her own warmth back at her in abundance. This atmosphere elevates the songs to a new level, buoyed along by a buoyant crowd. Single ‘Middle of the Bed’ gets a raucous reception and an impressive sing-along, while ‘Bikes’ provides a goose-bumps moment as Rose sings “everybody scream out loud” and the crowd obliges with almost religious fervour.

It would not do to pick out a single highlight, as there was not a weak moment to be seen. ‘Shiver’ was as utterly heart-breaking live as it is on record, ‘Watch Over’ just as bouncy and full of life. An encore performance of ‘Don’t You Worry’ capped off a terrific set which showed all the promise seen on Like I Used To and transformed it into full-blown success. Even with all the superlatives thrown her way, Lucy Rose still has her feet firmly on the ground, still selling her own merchandise and talking to fans after the gig. It is clear, through both her talent and humility, that she deserves all the superlatives she gets. 

LIVE - TALL SHIPS @ THE RAINBOW 14/10/12

To combat the rapidly falling temperatures that are upon us, I headed for the warmth of the Rainbow in Birmingham to see Tall Ships tour their debut album Everything Touching. The first act, Wax Futures, were the musical equivalent of an electric heater, harnessing the pure energy of punk rock and transmitting it in waves over the audience. This Telford trio were a tad unpolished but their set was full of promise, choosing the "fast and furious" mode of delivery which did not go unrewarded by those who watched them. 

Constant Waves, the second act on, took a rather different approach, going for atmosphere instead of in-your-face immediacy. The end result was extremely impressive, with excellent musicianship in all areas combining to make a sound not dissimilar to Mogwai-esque post-rock. The band have an EP coming out in the coming months and it will be interesting to track their progress.

The main support, Dad Rocks!, made for a surprising yet pleasant foil to the loudness that had come before. Albertsson and friends filled the room with a folk-pop hybrid sound, with such poignant tracks as the one about "when I found out that my girlfriend was having sex with Edward Cullen in her head". There is humour in abundance here but it is not just humour for humour's sake; it's the kind that makes you examine yourself and the world you live in. 

Finally it was time for the arrival of Tall Ships, who have been attracting a fair amount of attention in the build-up to the release of their debut record last week. The complexity of the material that they create has the potential to provide a stumbling block in terms of recreating the sound in a live setting, but the trio seem to have overcome this with ease, and as a result they really do pack a punch live. Intricate looping guitars scythed through the air during 'Plate Tectonics' and a lusty crowd sing-along made for a fitting ending to long-time fan favourite 'Vessels'. The new tracks went down just as well; 'Gallop' and 'Oscar' were particular highlights. The band finished their set with the gargantuan 'Murmurations', a nine-minute masterpiece with the most teasing, tantalising build-up transforming into a triumphant crescendo. There was no other way to end the show; Tall Ships started big, and finished even bigger. One cannot help but feel that their fledgling career is on the same trajectory. 

NEW MUSIC: JESSIE WARE - NIGHT LIGHT (WILD BEASTS REMIX)

Night Light- Wild Beasts Remix

OK so this remix has actually been kicking about for about a week now, but I've spent that time listening to it non-stop and purring because of how good it is, and when you hear it you will see why. Wild Beasts are fast becoming the Midas of the remix world; whether it be tackling a Lady Gaga track or paying homage to acts like Jessie Ware, everything they touch shines gold.