Page 44 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 102

BV102 pg44&45_BV102 pg44 30/09/2019 00:11 Page 1

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FIREBALL FUELLING THE FIRE TOUR - LESS THAN JAKE / GOLDFINGER / SAVE FERRIS / SNUFF / KING
PRAWN / LADY BIRD / THIEVES OF LIBERTY / LIKE GIANTS – BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY, 21.09.19
Now in its fourth year, Fireball’s Fuelling The Fire Tour is boasting arguably its best bill ever – in particular in Birmingham and London, which saw
each day stretching into an all-dayer rather than just an evening show. With doors opening at 3.40pm, not everyone had received the memo though
and Like Giants kick off the day to a fairly sparse crowd; a shame, because they are quality – and show exactly why they won the local band competition
to open the event. Despite only having a 20-minute slot, they win us with their catchy melodic punk rock and songs like single ‘Cut And Run’ are songs
you’ll want to catch and keep.
Second band on, Thieves Of Liberty, were named Fireball’s Hottest Band of 2019 and it’s no wonder – as this Sunderland band definitely know
what they’re doing. The most ‘rock’ band of the day, their songs are superbly written and performed. Lidya Balaban is one hell of a vocalist and with
Halestorm cited as one of the bands they look up to, Libya definitely looks set to follow in the footsteps of Lzzy Hale. ‘Medicine Wizard’ and ‘Mr.
Illusions’ ooze rock ‘n’ roll goodness. There’s no illusion here – Thieves Of Liberty are the real deal.
Lady Bird’s sound, in contrast, swings in the opposite direction. They’re a three-piece from Kent with a harsh, post-punk sound. The trio are very
upfront, brash and there’s a real rawness about them. Joe Walker on drums bashes his kit like a protégé Travis Barker. Joe is a drummer others will
soon be looking up to if they’re not already. His bandmates Sam Cox on vocals/guitar/organ and Alex Deadman on guitar (they have no bassist) both
do what they do very well too. While their style of music probably isn’t one we’d rush out to listen to, they put everything into their set and have a
uniqueness that could take them far.
King Prawn are the first band to bring a more ska punk sound to the Academy. The audience is trickling in a bit more and they start to skank along
to songs such as ‘Level Up’ and ‘Dominant View’. King Prawn are the first of the older, more experienced bands, having formed in 1993, although they
split up in 2003 before reforming in 2012. With trumpet, cornet and trombone amidst the instruments played, their worldly fusion of dub, reggae and
hip-hop is well-honed, but feels a bit
like a limp squid compared to the
previous bands.
Punk rock veterans Snuff are up
next. These guys formed in 1986
and have barely stopped – apart
from a brief stint between 1991 and
’94. With Duncan Redmonds singing
while playing drums, the chanty an-
thems of ‘Whatever Happened To
The Likely Lads’, ‘I Know What You
Want’ and ‘Arsehole’ are punk rock
party tunes with repetitive lyrics that
latch onto your brain and shake it up
and down. Guitarist Loz Wong jokes
that the shoutier ‘Kiss My Ring’ is
about registering to vote. “No, it
isn’t,” says fellow guitarist/key-
boardist Lee Murphy. “I know. I was
being weird!” comments Loz. Mad!
We’re down to the final three
and this is when it starts to heat up
– especially with Monique Powell of
Save Ferris’s little striptease, in
which she takes off an outfit to re-
veal another underneath (and then
again). Monique is a star performer
and really ought to be as well-known
as Gwen Stefani. Save Ferris is
Monique’s band and, after a legal
battle, brought the band back with all
new members a few years ago after
a ten-year hiatus. And we’re so glad
she did. Save Ferris’s set is one of
the highlights of the night. Monique
has a fabulous voice and is a great
stage performer. Her band aren’t
bad either! They are fun, entertain-
ing and captivating. Let’s hope they
return again.
We’re down to the final three
and this is when it starts to heat up
– especially with Monique Powell of
Save Ferris’s little strip tease, in
which she takes off an outfit to re-
veal another underneath (and then
again). Monique is a star performer
and really ought to be as well-known
as Gwen Stefani. Save Ferris is
Monique’s band and after a legal
battle brought the band back with all
new members a few years ago after
a ten-year hiatus. And we’re so glad
she did. Save Ferris’s set is one of
the highlights of the night. Monique
has a fabulous voice and is a great
stage performer. Her band aren’t
bad either! They are fun, entertain-
ing and captivating. Let’s hope they
return again.
CONCERTS