Leeds Metal Fringe 2012
Friday 17th August through to Sunday 19th August 2012 saw Leeds Metal Fringe hit the Empire in Leeds. Featuring a hand picked selection of bands from around the UK, the festival showcased the best of the best from around the country to an eager audience, each band stepping up to the stage for roughly an hour long set and doing it all in the name of charity for Martin House Children's Hospice.
Due to some unforeseen issues, several bands were unable to play this years festival which was a shame, meaning that on the Saturday there was no Crysis, and on the Sunday there was no 14th Night or The Occupier - but other than these issues, the festival seemed to run smoothly, as planned, and successfully across the three days.
As part of Dave's summer tour, he travelled up to Leeds to check out the bands on offer, speak to some interesting and well informed people, have a couple of beers, and of course, get some reviews done for the site. Check out what he had to say below! See the bottom of the page for a slideshow of images from the festival as well.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Photos: Clive Vallance
Due to some unforeseen issues, several bands were unable to play this years festival which was a shame, meaning that on the Saturday there was no Crysis, and on the Sunday there was no 14th Night or The Occupier - but other than these issues, the festival seemed to run smoothly, as planned, and successfully across the three days.
As part of Dave's summer tour, he travelled up to Leeds to check out the bands on offer, speak to some interesting and well informed people, have a couple of beers, and of course, get some reviews done for the site. Check out what he had to say below! See the bottom of the page for a slideshow of images from the festival as well.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Photos: Clive Vallance
Down The MachineBeing the first band on stage at a festival is always going to be a daunting task, having to step up, open the festival and set the tone for what is to follow, and for Metal Fringe the dubious honour fell to local stalwarts Down The Machine (or is it Down The System Shortie??).
Despite having to go on first, the chaps in DTM stepped up to the stage, plugged in, switched on and owned the entire venue for the duration of their set. From the first notes of Slipping Away right through to the closing moments of Crawl, every single person in the venue was engaged with the band, listening intently to the tracks and watching the band hammer through their 10 track set list. My personal favourite track had to be Know Your Place, possibly because it's my favourite DTM track and possibly because of the one-upmanship which was clear between Neil Short and Steve Wilson, particularly on the final vocal section where there seemed to be a competition to see who could hit and hold the higher notes. |
Accompany the onstage showmanship with a musical ability which is frankly second to none, and the result was a set which I'm sure those who witnessed it will remember for a long time to come - I know I will. Set List: Slipping Away Losing Faith Cursing Warmonger Halfbreed Everything I Am Not Know Your Place Pariah Crawl |
Chasing DragonsFollowing an act like Down The Machine is always going to be a tough task, especially on home turf, so Chasing Dragons had a hell of a job to do and as such, perhaps had an unfair disadvantage from the off. Regardless, the band stepped up to the stage, kicking off with Hindsight and belting out their self styled take on heavy hard rock style music.
From the off there was an issue for the audience, the microphone for lead singer Tank simply didn't pick up all of her vocals meaning that to watch, we could hear the backing music throughout but only snippets of the vocal line. Vocal issues aside, the self styled approach to hard rock with an appearance straight out of the Van Halen dress code went down well with the crowd in the Empire, resulting in clapping, chanting, singing and a general sense of enjoyment throughout. For me, the highpoint of the set was the final two tracks, City Of Steel and Under The Earth, as by this stage there seemed to have been some solution found for the sound issues meaning everything could be heard. I also enjoyed the cover of Lady Gaga track Marry The Night, throwing out a take on the track which I'd never have thought of before, but it was cool! |
It would be unfair to say that Chasing Dragons weren't any good (and I'm not saying that!) as I've heard their album and as a result, was looking forward to seeing their set to see what they had on offer. Sound issues meant that for me, I couldn't hear a lot of what was going on this time around but I'll be making an effort to see them again as I don't think this was a representation of their actual sound. That said, I've read other reviews saying how good they were at Leeds Metal Fringe so perhaps it was my ears on the night - either way, one I'll be looking out for again. Set List: Hindsight Succubus Let Sleeping Lions Lay Mirrors Edge Marry The Night (Lady Gaga cover) Seeds Of Tomorrow City Of Steel Under The Earth |
LifescreenThis is going to sound really unfair to the other bands, but if there was one band I was really looking forward to seeing this year it was Lifescreen, there's simply something about their sound which I find interesting. I was concerned that the sound gremlins were going to stick around and cause issues for the band as they stepped up to the stage, but to be honest I forgot about it so quickly that I needn't have even bothered considering it.
As Lifescreen stepped onto the stage the mood of the room changed, shifting from the upbeat and 'dance along' mood that Chasing Dragons had created, and moving towards a mood where people simply stood and watched in awe as three blokes created a sound the likes of which I've never heard before. The bass seemed to rumble through the room as the pounding, energetic drumming backed it up and the intricate lead guitar lines combined with the pummelling riffs and gravelly vocal lines. The word powerful doesn't seem to do justice to the guys as quite simply, their set was mind blowing. Favourites from this set had to be Better and their final number, Crazy Horses, both tracks which showcased the bands ability to forge their sound and offer up a deep, rumbling, powerful and upbeat tone. |
I've heard Lifescreen before and as such, as I said before, was looking forward to seeing what they were like live, but nothing could have prepared me for this. As the band closed their set and tidied up their instruments I don't think a single person questioned who had been the band of the night, Lifescreen simply owned the place from the word go. Set List: Newest One New Old One Alternative Death To The Trota Better Depograph Opting Out Crazy Horses |
Project MetropolisSaturday night opened with Project Metropolis, a local band who had chosen to play their last ever gig to the Metal Fringe audience, and what an audience they brought with them! Nearly filling the place before they had even begun, the band took to the stage and unleashed hell from the word go - I think the appropriate term for what they caused is something along the lines of 'anarchy', but it was awesome to behold.
Hammering out a set featuring well known tracks, a cover, lots of drinking (and by lots, I mean more than the average alcoholic consumes in a month), throwing up on the dance floor, a human pyramid and general silliness throughout, it was a fitting send off for a band that clearly had a hell of a following in the local area. Regardless of the silliness in the set, the band managed to hammer out their tracks and keep the crowd happy, showing that they were born entertainers and that they had the goods to back up their image. The high point of the bands set for me had to be Oprah's Minge, a track which both the crowd and the band found amusing, to the point that I think there were several unscheduled breaks in the singing. |
It's always a shame when a band decides to call it quits, but the way in which Project Metropolis chose to bow out left things on a high, throwing in elements of humour throughout, showing that they had enjoyed their time, and finalising the deal by blowing out a candle on stage. Gone but not forgotten has never been truer, that was a set which I'll remember for life.
Set List: (apologies if this is wrong but I only got a photo of it before it was grabbed!) Cliche Sheenius By Default Home Oprah's Minge WTF Is A Gnot Interlude (+3 tracks afterwards the names of which I can't tell you!) |
EvilynFollowing on from a band with a huge following on their final set ever is possibly even more daunting than opening the festival, so fair play to Evilyn for stepping up next to take over from the Project Metropolis lads. Stepping up with their alternative rock stylings, the four young guns based just outside London managed to get on stage and turn the crowd onto them, getting everyone involved from the off and showing that age is no barrier when it comes to playing to an audience.
The 7 track set which the band hammered out was fast and furious, not really allowing a lot of time for banter between tracks but instead, opting to do what they were there for, play their music and hook new people on to their sound. From the opening moments of Thirty through to their closing track We'll Paint The Sky the band clearly knew what they were doing, knew how to play their instruments, and displayed a sense of musicianship far beyond their years. Stand out tracks for me were The Path and Chicago, as well as their cover of the Misfits track Dig Up Her Bones, each track showing the bands influences and displaying a humble sense of dedication to what they do. |
Evilyn are still young, both in terms of their age and in terms of the duration the band has been together (I think they only formed last November) so this set was going to be a test of their skills, playing between bands with bigger followings, more experience, and to an audience with high expectations. What's quite impressive based on that is that they did it, they sounded good, and I think a fair few people will have gone away and looked them up. This is a band to keep an eye out for as I think there's a lot more to come! Set List: Thirty The Path Wings Of A Butterfly (HIM Cover) December Dig Up Her Bones (Misfits Cover) Chicago We'll Paint The Sky |
BrokenNext to take the stage was Wakefield heavy rock unit Broken, stepping up and hammering out a blistering set of 10 tracks, each carefully crafted to satisfy and impress. Speaking to bassist Fraser afterwards, he said that this was the first time the band had played together in about a month due to holidays and the like, so was concerned about how they had sounded - well from where I was stood they sounded pretty damned good to me!
Opening with Stupid Games, the band showed that hard rock isn't dead, throwing out tracks laden with heavy riffs, pinch harmonics, rumbling bass lines and heavy assed drumming. Every track seemed to be a crowd pleaser, as track by track the band got the audience on side, got them clapping along and can walk away knowing they were another stand out band from the weekend, and a band that I'm going to be checking out to see what they sound like on CD. Stand out points for me had to be their cover of Cochise, and Defying Gods, both tracks which seemed to showcase the members of the band and their different styles. |
All in all, I was impressed with Broken, they've got a style which is primed to make a resurgence any time now and have got the musical ability to back up their ideas. Throughout their set they were entertaining, impressive musically and reminded us what it was like to see bands who played for all of the right reasons, the reason being that they enjoy it. Set List: Stupid Games Revenge Cochise Won't Say No Defying Gods Listen To Me Last Time This Life 20 Years Slip Away |
TriaxisClosing Saturday night was Triaxis, a band that describes their style simply as Metal, but deliver so much more on stage. There's only really one word to describe the set that these guys delivered, wow - and even that doesn't seem to come close to just how good they really were! As the intro music belted out and the anticipation grew, the band finally took to the stage like a tornado and laid waste to the entire place.
From the opening moments of Sand And Silver through to the closing cover of The Evil That Men Do I don't think there was a single person doing anything other than staring at the stage in disbelief at what they were witnessing, a band who could stand on stage, cover Iron Maiden songs, and make them sound like they wrote them. Accomplished, entertaining, clearly well practised and quite simply awe inspiring throughout, Triaxis stole the award for best band on the Saturday without any shadow of a doubt, absolutely mind blowing. High points for me were their cover of Wicker Man by Iron Maiden and their own track Lies, both of which seemed smooth, natural, and quite frankly amazing to bear witness to. |
Any band that can feature two guitarists, both playing Jacksons, and both doing those guitars justice throughout is ok in my eyes, but Triaxis took it to a whole new level. Mindblowing, amazing, incredible, I could use all sorts of words to describe them, but it's much simpler just to say to go and see them for yourself - you won't be disappointed in the slightest! Set List: Set Intro Sand And Silver Black Trinity Sker Point Wicker Man Gates Of Damnation And Shadows Creep Lies The Evil That Men Do |
IndianicOpening the stage on Sunday were Indianic, a band who started their set by saying they'd never played a metal gig before....which was an interesting start to make! Despite this, the band stepped up fuelled by several beers, and hammered through a 45 minute set of post punk style grungey tracks, each one different to the last and reflective of the bands style. Despite their initial statement, the band soon had the crowd onside, chanting along and joining in, encouraging everyone to clap along at times and at other times, simply entertaining.
Now, to me, any band that can incorporate a harmonica into a track is on a winner, so I enjoyed the set that these guys threw out. Entertainment was the key to Indianic and throughout, the band provided tracks which were good fun, fuelled by their image and kept the crowd listening and engaged, a perfect band to get the evening going on a lazy Sunday evening in Leeds. Stand out tracks for me were Revolute, Kill Em All and More Medicine, tracks which seemed to just work for the band, and ones which they clearly enjoyed playing. |
Indianic were entertaining throughout, and their songs demonstrated that they're a band that have got a message, but that they're not so preoccupied with that message that they lose track of what they're doing. In short, this is a band to check out on the live scene, the sort of band that on a sunny afternoon when you're sat back with a beer are going to be perfect.
Set List: Run To The Door Bitch Revolute No Regrets Messing With The Big Boys Kill Em All Love Shines High Do What You Wanna Do The Indianic Sounds Of Captain Spynex More Medicine Capaldi's Cafe |
Steve WilsonAfter having a couple of bands pull out, Steve Wilson (lead singer of DTM) stepped up and agreed to play a solo acoustic set to keep the flow of the evening going. Speaking to Shortie (DTM bassist) before the set he said that Steve had been quite nervous before doing this as normally he has the whole band on stage, so this was a set I personally was looking forward to, even if only to see how he got on performing on his own.
If Steve was nervous then firstly, it didn't show, and secondly, he needn't have been in the slightest. From the moment he stepped up onto the stage with his guitar, right up until the moment he left the stage to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) cheers of the entire weekend, the crowd was silenced as everyone stood and simply took in the mastery they were witness to. Track after track seemed to flow off of the stage, enveloping the crowd in a sense of calm and reflection, and putting a stop to the distorted and aggressive nature of a lot of the other music being played over the weekend. Highlights for me are hard to pick as simply, the whole set was nigh on perfect, but if I had to choose then it would be Black Hole Sun and Jeremy, both covers, but both quite simply incredible. |
I believe Shortie told Steve afterwards, but I couldn't stop raving about this set after watching it, and can honestly say that out of every band I saw over the weekend (and most of the summer whilst out on the road), this was one of the most amazing sets I've ever seen. Steve can't just sing, he can captivate with his vocals, and match the soft and soothing tones with his guitar work - if ever there was someone who needed to record a solo acoustic album then this is him, so get on it!
Set List: Pariah Closing In Black Hole Sun Every One Of Us Senseless Jeremy Hurt |
Beretta SuicideAfter such a calm and reflective set from Steve, it was always going to be a shock when Beretta Suicide took to the stage to take the lead, so I think a certain degree of mental preparation was required in advance! Building up from the off by using their intro track to get themselves and the crowd ready, the band took to the stage, cranked up the volume and reminded us once again that we were at Metal Fringe, and that as such, there had to be a certain level of noise!
Three things stood out to me during the set from Beretta Suicide - 1). The drum work of Kidd Pert (he's like a fricking machine on the kit...it was insane to watch!), 2). The guitar work of Noel Horton (again, a machine...only this time on the guitar...which isn't fair!), and 3). The way the band interacted with each other on stage. Throughout the set, despite the individual abilities from each of the members, there was a sense that we were watching a band who worked together, rather than just a group of individuals playing some songs. High points for me on the set were Another Wolf In The Wings and To Play And Win, tracks that if you've not heard them, you need to! |
I've been following Beretta Suicide for a fair while now as we featured them on the site quite early on, and Mr Horton writes reviews for us from time to time, so I was looking forward to seeing the live show for myself. As the band finished, I wasn't disappointed, I was left happy, satisfied, and thinking that I need to see them again sometime, definitely a band that have got a lot of potential to move forwards from here. Set List: Big Intro Run And Roam Itchy Changes To Play And Win Somewhere To All My Friends Tongue In My... Go Slow Another Wolf In The Wings Get Low |
LaikaDogAfter a weekend featuring so many different styles of music, so many high points and memorable tracks, finishing the weekend was always going to be as equally as daunting as starting the whole thing off, requiring a band with status, ability and skill to finish the weekend, and they only bloody well went and found one didn't they?! Pulling out all of the stops for the final hurrah of the weekend, LaikaDog, the legendary Keighley based band formed a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away (ok so I made that last bit up). Stepping up to the stage, the band closed the festival in style, playing to possibly the biggest audience of the weekend and showing that there's some serious talent locked away up there in Yorkshire.
The witty banter of lead singer Tony (he looks familiar doesn't he.....funny that...) kept the set moving from start to finish, joking about the absence of keyboard player Jay and suggesting the crowd close their eyes at certain points so they could see a river (?), the whole time doing what was required and entertaining the entire venue. Add to the entertainment a serious amount of musical talent and the closing moments of Metal Fringe 2012 were amongst the best of the weekend, closing as it began in style, and leaving the entire audience looking forward to 2013. High points in the est were Piano Song (without a piano) and Trouble, but when you're dealing with a band like LaikaDog every song is a classic, every song has everyone singing along, and every song simply flows out naturally and to perfection. |
As a final act for the weekend, there weren't many other bands that could have done what LaikaDog did, hammer out a set of crowd favourites before literally leaving whilst the crowd was wanting more, the sight of Tony scarpering off stage at the end of the set with his backpack will live with me forever. There's no question that if you've not heard LaikaDog then you need to, they're a band that are entertaining, professional, and hammer out tracks that, even if you've not heard them before, sound familiar and get you singing along. Talk about ending on a high! Set List: River Song Revelation Steven Bastard Piano Song Nothing But Grief Mercury Trouble Monkey Song Closed 4 The Summer Just Lately Frozen Kiss |
So that's it - that's Metal Fringe for another year. Massive thanks to Shortie for inviting us, Beth for letting us in, the bands for talking to us and giving me set lists when I pestered them for one, and the Empire in Leeds for hosting the whole event.
Bring on 2013.
Bring on 2013.