Tag Archives: reviews

Inherit The Stars at The Rocking Chair, 29 January: review

When Inherit the Stars announced they’d be playing one of Sheffield’s most talked-about venues – The Rocking Chair – for their first gig of 2016 the news created quite the buzz. People were excited, and I’m including myself! Although after an amazing show last year I was sceptical whether it could be topped – or even matched.

The Rocking Chair was absolutely rammed and the atmosphere electric, the clear support and admiration from the fans just shows that this is a solid group with genuine talent that is being recognised more and more every day. Growing in popularity and even more so in skill, it seems there is no end to what Inherit The Stars can pull out of the bag.

Daniel Jeffrey brought the crowd together by bringing a delightful duo of charm and charisma to the table, with the occasional quip from Lewis Wild (bassist) bringing us crashing back to earth with his dry banter which never fails to leave everybody smiling.

For me, I am very much a lyrics lady and having the opportunity to join in really does it for me so songs like Exit Plan, If We Fall, We Fall Together and oh, one more, Better Than This are absolutely on point.

Just the sheer quality of the production of the music is noteworthy, these guys don’t sound as though they belong in local venues but headlining stages at festivals everywhere. I find it difficult to fault Inherit The Stars because they just “sound” good, as if there is something for everybody in there, a tasty medley of metal, rock, pop with a cheeky serving of electro/synth sauce on top.

There is no doubt in my mind that the four lads are going to go further than they ever expected.

I strongly recommend giving them a try:

  • Their latest release Fortune Favours the Brave can be heard and seen on YouTube here.
  • You can also listen to my favourite track Exit Plan (amongst others) on Bandcamp.

Alien Ant Farm at Corporation reviewed

It’s a brand new year and what better way to start it off than by travelling back over a decade to see an old favourite play a sell out show at Sheffield’s biggest alternative venue, Corporation?

Playing through their platinum (US) selling album ANThology, this was a nostalgia party that everybody was invited to.

Corp immediately became a swarming hive of activity fuelled by the previous performances by the wonderful Dirty Youth and INME. Passionate and eager, we were psyched up and ready for AAF to arrive on stage. 

The performance given by Mitchell, Cosgrove, Corso and Peugh was nothing short of how I would have imagined it when I first heard “Movies” on Kerrang TV. Feeling somewhat sentimental and ecstatic in unison,  I think I can speak for most people who attended that evening when I say that this gig was something pretty special.

The crowd were absolutely insatiable throughout the entire set and the showmanship was simply incredible, from track 1 all the way to 14, and what better way to close the show than by playing their hugely successful cover of Michael Jacksons’ “Smooth Criminal.”

The band were truly on form and performed to an exceptional level, I’m sure this experience will be a memorable one that will stay with people for a long time.

Follow Corporation nightclub on Twitter for event updates! – @Corpsheffield

Review: Anti-Flag at Corporation

It all started with a perfect opening: Turncoat gave everyone an immediate rush of energy that possessed every person in the room for the entire show.

Anti-Flag have now (for twenty years or more) laboured to build and be part of a conscious community whose eyes are open to the world around them. Fully fuelled by activist political opinion, the group send a positive message to all to be respectful and live life to its full potential. The set list included Die For Your Government and War Sucks, Let’s Party to name a few of their more obvious political songs.

The gig was enthralling, people became united and threw their fists in the air and belted the band’s lyrics right back at them with passion. The crowd was encouraged to make some noise, jump and dance with all they had. This is one of the first gigs I’ve been to where the audience interaction was so consistent, short speeches and opinions on world affairs left people clapping and cheering in agreement.

The icing on the cake for me personally, was the moment Chris #2 (bass guitar, vocals) joined us in the crowd to finish up, it truly broke down the walls between performer and audience and was spectacular to see. Anti-Flag were bringing out positive activist records when I was less than ten years old and they have not lost a single spark of devotion for what they believe in.

The new album American Spring contains higher elements of pop in contrast to some of their earlier music, this is not to say however, that the band have lost of their initial hard hitting edginess. Whether the punk scene is your thing or not, it is difficult to argue with positive messages against racism and hate. It is a close knit community that goes deeper than just the music, and I was delighted to be part of it for an evening.

Review: Inherit The Stars at The Corporation

Inherit the Stars (who played at Corporation on 7 February 2015) are one of the few reasons that make me proud to be watching local bands in Sheffield at this time, writes Jade Knox. The tracks they play have been nurtured and practiced until perfect. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, a band that is true to the music that influences them and can avoid the slippery indie slope that Sheffield bands are so eager to fall down, are always a plus in my book.

Songs with heavy riffs or with pop twists ensure that the group don’t alienate themselves from other genres which leads to a wider and more varied fan base that they certainly deserve. It is clear that Inherit the Stars have gained extreme popularity as evident by the hectic dance floor antics and soul-felt singalongs. It’s no secret that the group have found themselves friends and not just fans.

Sounds similar to those of Enter Shikari and less well known I Set My Friends On Fire, reminded me of why I used to be so heavily involved in this music scene as an older teen. It is a fantastic crowd to be part of and a band I’d like to see go even further than they have already.

A solid performance from all four members, a true pleasure to watch.

Review: Inspiral Carpets at The Leadmill

Despite not being the only big name from the Madchester music scene in the 1980s and 90s, Oldham’s own Inspiral Carpets are veterans to the alternative rock scene of the time, having links with the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses, they are truly influential British legends.

Their Leadmill gig on 6th December saw fans young and old gather together to celebrate an extraordinary act. It was a flawless gig with a killer combination of old and new tracks, giving everybody something to love.

After seeing the Happy Mondays a year ago this month, there was a distinctive contrast between the two groups despite coming from just around the corner from each other. It was very evident throughout the Mondays gig that these guys had hit it hard over the last 30 years. In contrast, no spark had been lost from the Inspirals, a perfect sound and charismatic performance that sounded as enthused and energetic as I imagine it had done the first time they were on stage.

An unbeatable blending of dance and indie that made standing still impossible. The new single Spitfire should be purchased by anybody with any taste immediately.