Spiridion Show 2nd of April at The Point, Cardiff

Spiridion are one of my favourite up and coming metal acts at the moment. They're certainly the best metal band to come out of Wales since... well they probably are the best metal band I've heard coming out of Wales (and they seem like lovely guys too). Just my humble opinion...

The guys are going to be playing a show on the 2nd of April at The Point in sunny Cardiff. This is going to be a huge show for them, and they need everyone to get along and support them!

I will be doing a review on their EP soon, which is pretty good from what I've listened to so far, I just wish I was a bit closer to Cardiff so I could get along!

If you are interested, make sure you contact the band through their Myspace page, you'll save yourself £6 if you get your tickets through them instead of on the door.

Spiridion Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/spiridion

Mínus @ Leadmill, Sheffield 21st March 2008

Last night I headed out to see Icelandic rockers Mínus (pronounced Mee-noose, or so they told me) playing at the Leadmill in Sheffield. It wasn't a well advertised show, as it was purely by chance that I was talking to a friend about the band, and checked out their Myspace profile and saw they were playing here the following week.

I've been a fan of the band since Halldór Laxness came out in 2004. I've seen them a couple of times before (supporting Amen at the Garage in Glasgow, and headlinging the G2 in Glasgow), and scared the living daylights out of their old guitarist, Frosti, when asking if he was feeling better (I'd heard on the radio he wasn't well, and was just showing concern). The band line up has changed since then (two of the members I spoke to have both left... Ooops), and I hadn't listened to their latest release, The Great Northern Whalekill, because though I knew it was due out (after being released in Iceland last year), it just wasn't advertised!

It was a poor turn out, with a very small queue outside, but we just put it down to it being early when we arrived. We knew Mínus weren't going to draw a huge crowd anyway, they hadn't the last time we saw them either, but I was pretty sure things would get busier later on.

So the first band came out, I have no idea who they were. A local band, who didn't introduce themselves properly, but that was no big deal, they weren't memorable anyway. The guys could play, it was just a shame all their material sounded the same (and it wasn't even that interesting to start with), and that the vocalist didn't know what the microphone was there for, as he darted past it whilst singing in what sounded like a very put on gruff voice.

The second band on, however, really caught my attention. They were another local band, Mybe. Now, they won't be a band that will appeal to a lot of our readers here at Metaholic, they were a happy-go-lucky sounding punk rock band. The Yorkshire/Derbyshire equivalent to Bowling For Soup perhaps (but without the fat dude) or maybe a little more serious (but still funny) Presidents Of The USA, with catchy songs and a load of good humour thrown in. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, mocking themselves in parts (especially when something went wrong with the bassists equipment with few people noticing, their vocalist piping up, "I told you we didn't need you!").

They have been going for a few years, and they did bring quite a large number of people in with them, as the crowd swelled when they were due on. But there was reason behind this, they were pretty damn good, and certainly a band I will be keeping an eye on in future!

As Mybe left the stage, so did the majority of the audience. I have to say, this really did upset me, as they had yet to see the headline act! The numbers got smaller and smaller as Mínus started to prepare the stage for their set. Why go to a show and not stay for the main act?!

I assume Mínus felt equally as deflated by the dwindelling crowds when they finally took to the stage. As I say, I haven't heard the new album yet (and never managed to get into their first album, Jesus Christ Bobby), and I didn't recognise the first few tracks, but it wasn't long until they plowed into their older material. But this wasn't the Mínus I recall seeing back in Glasgow. Perhaps they saw the crowd before they came on and thought they were gaining in popularity in the UK, perhaps it was because those who were left just didn't show much enthusiasm as they asked how Sheffield were. But they lacked the sparkle they had on the Halldór Laxness tour.

Not only was the sparkle gone, but their vocalist, Krummi, seemed to be messing around with vocal effects pedals to an extent where he was missing lines of the songs out. On one of their singles from the last album, Angel In Disguise, they seemed to cut the song in half.

The band lacked enthusiasm, as did the majority of the 20 or so people left in the hall. There was almost no interaction between the band and crowd, and as time approached for the end of the set, the guitarist, in a little girly hissy fit, bounded off the stage, closely followed by the bassist and drummer, leaving Krummi on stage faffing around with the effects pedals. He then took off, leaving a whole load of noise and feedback pouring through the speakers.

I can fully understand the frustration of the band, but with a lack of advertising of the new album and the tour, you can't be surprised by it. And the strop they threw at the end was not only pathetic, but it alienated the already uncomfortable feeling fans, even more.

I was a fairly big fan of Mínus before this show, but I'm feeling a little bit let down by their antics, I don't know if I'll bother to get along to their next tour.

Mybe's Myspace: www.myspace.com/mybe
Mínus's Myspace: www.myspace.com/minus

FREE SHOW! Generator @ West Street Live, 25th March

This coming Tuesday, 25th of March, Sheffield rockers Generator will be playing a FREE SHOW at West Street Live, Sheffield. Doors open at 7.30pm. So if you're in the area, make sure you get yourself along!

For more information on the band, get onto their Myspace page: www.myspace.com/thesoundofgenerator

Drag The Lake: Dates For Your Diary

Drag The Lake are about to play a few dates around the midlands, starting tomorrow night (28th February) at Junktion 7 in Nottingham. Not a band to be missed!

Feb 28 2008 8:00P Junktion 7 - with Lordaeron, Blood Divided Nottingham
Mar 1 2008 8:00P First Floor - with Lordaeron, Reth Derby
Mar 2 2008 3:30P Junktion 7 - MASKFEST with ETERNAL LORD/ POSTMORTEM PROMISES/ EYES OF A TRAITOR + More Nottingham
Mar 14 2008 8:00P Scruffy Murphy’s - with Last chance at Rampton, I am Colossus. Birmingham

Check out their Myspace page for more information on the band and a chance to hear their tunes! www.myspace.com/dragthelakeband

Down European Tour

I am sure most of you reading this will already know that the mighty Down are playing a number of dates in Europe starting next month!

The important dates you need to know:

Mar 18 2008 8:00P	B1	Moscow
Mar 19 2008 8:00P	Port Club	St. Petersburg
Mar 21 2008 8:00P	Pakkhuone	Tampere
Mar 22 2008 8:00P	House Of Culture	Helsinki
Mar 24 2008 8:00P	Debaser	Stockholm
Mar 25 2008 8:00P	Rockefeller	Oslo
Mar 26 2008 8:00P	Pumpehusset	Copenhagen
Mar 28 2008 8:00P	Rock Cafe	Prague
Mar 29 2008 8:00P	Stodola	Warsaw
Mar 30 2008 8:00P	Huxley’s	Berlin
Apr 1 2008 8:00P	Elserhalle	Munich
Apr 2 2008 8:00P	Longhorn	Stuttgart
Apr 3 2008 8:00P	AB	Brussles
Apr 5 2008 8:00P	Melkweg	Amsterdam
Apr 6 2008 8:00P	Bataclan	Paris
Apr 8 2008 8:00P	Academy	Glasgow
Apr 9 2008 8:00P	Academy	Birmingham
Apr 10 2008 8:00P	UEA	Norwich
Apr 12 2008 8:00P	Academy	Manchester
Apr 13 2008 8:00P	Brixton	London
Apr 15 2008 8:00P	Ambassador	Dublin
Apr 17 2008 8:00P	013 Roadburn festival	Tilburg
Apr 18 2008 8:00P	Schlachtof	Wiesbaden
Apr 19 2008 8:00P	Bourges Festival or Lyon @ Radion	Undetermined
Apr 21 2008 8:00P	Rohstofflager	Zurich
Apr 22 2008 8:00P	Alcatrazz	Milan
Apr 24 2008 8:00P	Apollo	Barcelona
Apr 25 2008 8:00P	Joy Salva	Madrid
Apr 27 2008 8:00P	Coliseum	Lisbon

Make sure you don't miss out!

Smokescreen Spring Tour 2008

The fantastic Smokescreen are about to head out on their Spring Tour, with several shows around England! These guys are definitely worth checking out, and I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more of them for a long time to come!

The all important dates you need to jot down in your diaries:

Mar 8 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Barfly, Cambridge - w/ Panic Cell + Speedtheory	Cambridge
Mar 14 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Football Club, Spalding	Spalding
Mar 19 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Mercury Flux, Preston	Preston, Nr. Manchester
Mar 20 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Park, Peterborough	Peterborough
Mar 21 2008 8:15P	SPRING TOUR -The Underworld, Camden (LONDON)	London
Mar 23 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Vic Inn, Derby	Derby, Midlands
Mar 29 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - Queens Arms, Kings Lynn	Kings Lynn, Norfolk
Apr 5 2008 8:00P	SPRING TOUR - The Avon Centre, Cannock	Cannock, Nr. Birmingham

Make sure you get yourself along!

Melloboat 2008, 8th of March

Now this to me looks like the coolest thing ever! On a boat, with some of the most amazing acts entertaining you over 2 nights!

So who's going to be there? How does this sound?

OPETH
COMUS
KATATONIA
LEAF HOUND
ANEKDOTEN
TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET
BO HANSSON with Eric Malmberg & Niklas Korssell
MATS/MORGAN ALL STAR TEAM
THE COLINS OF PARADISE
PROMISE AND THE MONSTER
QOPH
PLANKTON
EMMA NORDENSTAM
CECILIA KLINGSPOR
EMIKA KLASDOTTER
PIU
MARTIN AXENROT and NATHALIE LORICHS

Yeah Opeth and Katatonia being on the same boat for 2 days sound good to me, haha!

For more information, please check out their website:

www.tallinksilja.com/sv/tab1/hobbyTrips/cruiseMelloBoat.htm

Or alternatively, their Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/melloboat