Deaf Havana - Oxford O2 Academy 2, 09/07/15

Last April, I saw Deaf Havana perform a sold out show at the Oxford O2 Academy, so when it was announced that they'd be playing a festival warm-up show in the smaller venue upstairs there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be there to witness this. Their first show of 2015, and their first show since recording new material, it was sure to be utterly unmissable.

Opening band The Gospel Youth have been getting some coverage on Rock Sound recently, so when they were announced as support I was interested to see what they'd be like in a live environment. While the first half of the set wasn't anything too unique, the second half of their set was mind-blowing, especially when you take into consideration the fact that they've only been a band since December.
Throughout their first couple of songs, I couldn't stop myself drawing comparisons to Yellowcard, Kids In Glass Houses and Deaf Havana - meaning that this support slot was a match made in heaven - but for their last three songs they really stepped up their game and played their best songs one after the other. The contrast between the speedy and hooking and the slow and melancholic 'If She's The Rope' was bravely done, but their risk definitely paid off because showing a range like that this early in a career is astounding. Final song 'Empires' kicked it up into the highest gear of the entire set, and with a bit of crowd participation on the "oh, oh, ohs" it showed that the band had converted some people into fans by the end of their half an hour slot. After proclaiming "we have been The Gospel Youth. We are not a Christian rock band, we are far from that!" and going on to perform a song with the repeated lyric "sing hallelujah" it seemed a bit ironic, but it stuck in my head all the more so for that.
With a voice that sounds like the British edition of Cody Carson, Sam Little really gives this band something to make them stand out in the UK scene. After hearing him do an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for a fan after the show his voice is as spectacular - if not more - in a closer vicinity. However, even with such an amazing vocalist the rest of the band still shined throughout the set, with riffs weaving through the songs that hint towards the grand ambitions the band must have for themselves. The musical risks that they're taking at this stage of their existence points towards magical goings on in the future. 

If you're interested in checking out The Gospel Youth, their EP, 'Kids', is available free on Bandcamp. At the show I managed to pick up a sample of their new EP, 'Empires', so come back in the next couple of days and I should have a review of those four tracks up for you.

Setlist: (H.L.B might not be right, but the rest of the setlist is correct. Apologies!)
Stay Positive
Lighting Fires
H.L.B
Kids
Homesick
If She's The Rope
Empires

This was my fifth time seeing Deaf Havana, and only my second time seeing a headline show, but their performance was absolutely phenomenal. I don't actively listen to Deaf Havana much - there's no reason why, it just seems to keep slipping my mind - but every time I see them in a room like this it just blows my mind how brilliant they are.
Starting off with an alternative version of 'The Past Six Years' that was much more Mumford and Sons than Deaf Havana was a genius move - many people didn't recognise the song instantly, but as soon as they saw what the band was doing it got the crowd so much more excited. With vocalist James Veck-Gilodi playing a tambourine throughout 'I Will Try', it definitely cemented how eclectic the show was going to be - this is not a band who are happy to disappoint, and for their first show in 2015 it had to be something remarkable. 

And remarkable it was. Running through all of their greatest songs, from 'Leeches' to 'Boston Square' (which still reminds me of Green Day's 'Know Your Enemy' combined with a CSI theme tune...) and round to '22', I was impressed by how brilliant the set was that they created - there were no moments that seemed throwaway or unnecessary, it was just great song after great song, with singalong moments at every possible opportunity. Putting in two acoustic songs ('Saved' and 'Anemophobia', the latter of which kicked into the full band version at the end in a genius musical vision) also added to the special atmosphere coming out of this set - I'd forgotten how beautiful Matthew Veck-Gilodi's vocal could be, so when James and he performed 'Saved' together I had shivers running down my spine, it was so breathtakingly beautiful. The same thing happened towards the end of the set as well, during 'Mildred (Lost A Friend)' and I really hope the band put more co-vocals on their new album.
This wasn't a typical Deaf Havana show, and you could tell how much thought and effort they'd put in to their first show in eight months. Someone else who had obviously been putting in the effort was stand-in drummer Craig Reynolds, who was astounding. Permanent drummer Tom Ogden has taken a brief hiatus from the band to spend time with his wife and new daughter, so Craig had to learn 16 songs in three days, and by how flawlessly he drummed on each and every single song, it's obvious that they picked the right man for the job. James told everyone how disappointed Tom was to be missing the shows, how he "was adamant he wanted to play these shows" but after his wife had to have a cesarean there wasn't really another option for him. However, there were a poignant few minutes towards the end of the set when the band face-timed him, getting the crowd to scream "oggy, oggy, oggy" and announcing "we love you, we miss you, see you soon". 

Everything seemed improved from the last time I'd seen them. As well as performing alternative versions (as well as 'The Past Six Years', we had a beautiful version of 'Friends Like These' that finally made it feel complete without a screaming vocalist) and acoustics, the regular versions of the songs that they were performing were still fabulous, and I don't think a single member of the crowd was disappointed. For such a small warm-up show, I'd been expecting it to be quite understated, so that the band could blow away the crowd at their 2000 Trees headlining slot, but it was quite the opposite - the guys all threw so much into this show that I'm unsure if they'll have any energy left for the festival! The level of interaction with the crowd had also improved from the last time I saw them, with James saying that it was an "insanely hot room. I know I'm not in the best physical shape, but god!" but that "even the sweaty room we're in isn't putting a dampener on my evening" and then educating us on the fact that beer actually does the opposite of hydrate you, prompting an angry beer-loving heckler to scream out "liar!", causing quite a lot of laughs with the band. 

My personal highlight of the evening was new song 'Trigger'. I'd been expecting new material to be performed at the show, but James told the crowd that the band would rather only play one song, because people prefer having songs that they can sing along to (and it would have been unfair on Craig to need to learn 17 songs!). With their Facebook profile picture still being a nondescript black square with a white four in the corner, it's a sure sign that there's going to be an album announcement sooner rather than later. If you'd like to hear 'Trigger' yourself, you can see the video I captured at the show down below...

I'm interested to know what you think of 'Trigger', and how excited you are about where Deaf Havana will go with their new album - I definitely think it's going to be their best, and I'm highly anticipating it. If you have any thoughts, please leave them down in the comments!

With the knowledge that Deaf Havana nearly didn't make it through 2014, it's amazing that they've come back from so close to the edge to perform a show like this to so many loyal fans. Boos echoed around the room when they shared the fact that they'd considered quitting, and going by the reaction I don't think this is a band anyone will be happy to lose any time soon. I'm definitely going to be listening to them more - I can't believe I left it so long! I certainly cannot wait for the new album - it's going to be a new era for these guys, and I think it's going to be bigger than ever before.

Setlist: 
The Past Six Years (alternative version)
I Will Try
I'm A Bore, Mostly
Leeches
Smiles All Round
Boston Square
Kings Road Ghosts
22
Saved (acoustic)
Anemophobia (acoustic)
Trigger (new song)
Friends Like These (alternative version)
The World Or Nothing
Mildred (Lost A Friend)
Caro Padre
Hunstanton Pier

'Minions'

Recently, I've been slacking with film reviews. Either the films I've been seeing have been good enough to not need reviewing, or have been average enough that I have nothing to say. That is not the case with 'Minions'.

It's appropriate that the main villain in this story is called Scarlet Overkill, because overkill is the crime that 'Minions' is committing. Boasting of telling the back story behind the "cute" little yellow creatures from the 'Despicable Me' franchise, this film is quite obviously a case of cashing in while there is still a chance, and an audience dumb enough to pay to watch it.

Oh, and stupid enough we were. A whole group of eight of us, paying £9.80 each (when did the cinema become such a rip-off?!) to sit through 91 whole minutes of this unbearable rubbish. 

If you've seen the trailers for 'Minions', you've already watched the whole first section of the film, which just repeated what happened there in excruciating detail - but surprisingly this montage section of the film is definitely the best part. 

After the minions find themselves without a master they become depressed, nearly dying from their despair, but then Kevin - our stretchy necked hero - steps in, and decides to save their lives (more's to the pity). Travelling all the way to America, our three companions (the other two being Bob on the left and Stuart on the right) discover the international Villain Con, where they decide to go to find a new person to mindlessly follow.

Enter Scarlet Overkill. With the most ridiculous nose I've ever seen on an animated character, and an over-the-top, grate on the nerves personality to match, her introduction just shoved the film even further into the slush pile. It might (MIGHT) have been okay, if she'd been a strong independent woman and there could have been some moral about how women could aspire to rule the world, but with the introduction of her husband, Herb, she turned into a melted pile of slush that had me rolling my eyes and bashing my head repeatedly against the back of the cinema chair. 

It must get better, surely? There must be some redeeming qualities? 

That would be a humongous nope. If you've ever read one of my reviews before, you'll know that I try to see some positives in everything that I review, but when a film is as bad as this one it's completely impossible. The stereotypes were inserted in a throwaway, haphazard manner that made no sense (and were obviously there to appeal to the adults rather than the children, so why even bother?) - moments such as a French man seeming rather interested by boobs (which were actually another minion's eyes) and the police chasing after the minions while drinking tea (ooh, British stereotype, so hilarious). The only thing that made me actually laugh out loud was the scene with the queen's corgis, in which they're being rode to play croquet; I love dogs, so that was always going to be a winner for me. 

If you're a fan of 'Despicable Me', don't assume that fact will make you like 'Minions'; I really enjoyed the first film, but this was such a disastrous pile of drivel. I've never been more disappointed with an animated film.

It's been nearly twenty four hours, and I still just feel so confused. Why did they keep endlessly singing? I can't remember that ever being a thing in 'Despicable Me' (and if it was, it wasn't employed so irritatingly). Why did they keep screaming "kumbaya"?

And how did anyone allow this film to get created?

COVER REVEAL: 'The Silent Treatment' by Melanie Surani

Another day, another cover reveal! This time it's for a book that sounds equal parts intriguing and terrifying, with an extra dose of spine-chilling right in the middle. Interested? Well, scroll down to see the cover, and I'll give you so more information about the book right after...

I have never, ever, read a book about silent film or silent film stars, but I think this cover is such a perfect portrayal of what the book is going to be about. I think it's a very well-designed cover, so kudos to the creator!

If you aren't convinced, read the synopsis - I'm sure it'll hook you:

Twenty-eight year old Katrina Jaitley is rebuilding her life after escaping an abusive boyfriend. The last thing she needs is the mystery she stumbles on during a bout of retail therapy. But she can't ignore the coil of film -- a piece of movie history -- she finds hidden inside her purchase. Unfortunately, Peter, the handsome host of the estate sale, disappears before Kat has a chance to return it to him. 

Curious, Kat watches the strip and is shocked to witness the brutal murder of a famous 1920's silent film star by a fellow actor. When a news article cites Kat as the film's owner, her already complicated life goes from bad to worse. Someone is stalking her. Are they trying to silence her or what she has discovered?

I just think this sounds like such an intriguing story! I've definitely never heard of any other books like it, and that's something that already makes it stand out for me.

About the author:

Melanie Surani is a blogger, hair stylist, and author with a heart for international travel. When she isn't cutting hair, Melanie is thinking about ways to kill people (for mystery novels). She lives with her husband and cat in New York City, where she is hard at work on her next book with Booktrope Publishing. Melanie is a member of the International Thriller Writers society. You can follow Melanie's adventures on Facebook, on Twitter and on Tumblr (where she posted an awesome collection of her previous designs for the cover of 'The Silent Treatment' earlier, check that out!) 

'Endings EP' by With Ghosts

After seeing With Ghosts supporting All Ears Avow at the end of June, I lamented once again about the fact that these guys didn't have an EP - so I need to say a huge thank you to the band for sending me 'Endings', which is being released pretty soon.

'Endings' is four songs of completely unadulterated, perfectly produced, pop-punk. It's an obvious fact from the first line of 'Bury Me'. Nathan Gregory's crystal clear vocal rings out over a beautifully played intro, hooking you into the song with a merciless grip, and it just gets catchier from there. This is a chorus that will stick in your mind for hours, or even days, on end; it's already driving me crazy, but I love it so damn much. 

'Just A Ghost' is my favourite song on the album, because it just struck a chord with me so powerfully hearing it live. One of the things I really appreciate about With Ghosts is that their lyrics get extremely dark in places, but the music is still upbeat and enlightening (in a similar vein to twenty one pilots), and even with the lyric "you were the noose around my neck, you were the chair I'll kick right out from under me" I still can't stop smiling through this entire song; the music is just so uplifting and fun!

Third track, 'Sorry, I'm Not Sorry', actually had a video released last night through Discovered Magazine - so first things first, go and check it out! Too often with upcoming bands their videos are cheesy and terribly shot, so it was brilliant that With Ghosts had such a fab production team behind them; I really enjoyed the video. 'Sorry, I'm Not Sorry' feels to me like the heaviest song on the album, and it definitely stands out; you can feel the confidence from the band, as they obviously know what they're doing and aren't afraid to take risks.
Last, but definitely not least, 'Strangers' cements once again how brilliant With Ghosts are lyrically. There isn't a dull moment on this EP, and all of the songs are as great as each other - there isn't a weak link to dull the overall effect of the collection, and fans are not going to be disappointed. After seeing them live multiple times, and already having my favourite songs, the band picked the best ones for this EP - the tracks complement each other brilliantly, each song standing out on its own but also helping to show the audience exactly who With Ghosts are.
If you're a fan of pop-punk, you're going to love this EP. It's been difficult to find a stand-out pop-punk band recently; You Me At Six have developed from their earlier sound, and after Canterbury and Kids In Glass Houses both split it was looking quite dire for the UK pop-punk scene for a while. However, if With Ghosts play their cards right and keep releasing songs like this, they could be filling those vacancies pretty soon. Any band that can write songs that get stuck in your head this early in their career have a huge amount of talent, and I am so excited to see where this band can go. 

Tracklist: 

Bury Me 

Just A Ghost

Sorry, I'm Not Sorry

Strangers

If you want to get 'Endings', please pre-order it on their Pledge Music to help the boys out! 

'Way Down Dark' (The Australia Trilogy #1) by James Smythe - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

First things first, I need to say a huge thank you to Bookbridgr and to Hodderscape, for allowing me to receive an advanced copy of this novel for review.

'Way Down Dark' is the first book in a brand new young adult science fiction trilogy. The Australia is a ship that left Earth hundreds of years ago after the planet broke down and destroyed itself; first of all by becoming horrendously overpopulated, then through depletion of all fuel sources. Scientists panicked, creating as many ships as they could to stuff full of people and send out into the universe, searching desperately for new hospitable planets. 

There are four clans making up life on the Australia; the Bells, the Pale Women, the free people and the Lows. The Bells are rumoured to have been genetically engineered soldiers, but due to a lack of command their strength has depleted to violence for the sake of violence. The Pale Women are extremely religious, living on the very top floor of the Australia and forcing themselves to live completely in darkness as a personal sacrifice dedicated to a higher being. The Lows are the bottom of society, dangerous and angry, but with complete control over a half of the sections of Australia. The free people are free, but as the Lows power grows and they start trying to take more sections their lives become even more hellish than normal.

We follow Chan, a free person struggling with life aboard Australia; she's only a young teenage girl, and she's attempting to deal with the death of her mother while also trying to keep promises that she made to a dead person. When Chan's mother died, she made her promise two things; be selfish, and stay alive. But as the Lows start invading her section of Australia, and she sees people she knows and works with being tortured in the most terrible ways, Chan needs to struggle with her promises and her own sense of what is right and wrong. 

'Way Down Dark' is split into three parts, and each of them progress the story in rapidly different directions, so I'm going to focus on the first part to avoid giving any spoilers to the later sections. Just know that this novel is a lot more than it seems at first glance, and if you think the wrap-up I've given above is covering even a quarter of the plot, you'll be completely mistaken. 

I really enjoyed 'Way Down Dark'. I haven't read many good space novels, because normally my brain cannot comprehend everything that's going on and so I give up quite early, but I'm glad I persevered with this one because it definitely ended up surprising me. As Chan is such a young character, I definitely felt sympathetic towards her for everything that she was experiencing on the Australia, but it was very cleverly written. One of the best things to include in this kind of novel is character development, and we really do get that in the bucket-load; Chan struggles with her morals and her personal beliefs because of the promise she made to her mother, so we have a lot of brilliant sections where she's utterly and completely torn between two choices. There are times when Chan annoys me, it's true; most characters do at one point or another! But because we have some set-up for her character at the very start of the novel it's very easy to follow through her thought processes, so everything she decides to do is logical for her and in line with her character. 

As well as Chan being a great character, we also have strong characters in the forms of Agatha and Jonah. Both become more focal towards the end of the novel, but I really do feel a kinship towards them even though they weren't as central to the book as Chan was. Agatha is one of Chan's mother's old friends, and we get sections of the novel told from her perspective as she recounts tales from her earlier life on Australia. Her voice is very distinctive, and I actually found myself wanting many more of her chapters; the back story of the ship was just so intriguing, and Chan's mother sounded like she was a menace in childhood, so it would have been great to get more of these excerpts spread throughout. 

On the other hand, Jonah doesn't really get much focus at all - he's a companion to the Pale Women, the only male who has ever been accepted into their inner sanctum. He also has great character development, but I'm more excited to see how his character develops over the coming two novels (if his character is indeed involved in them) because I definitely think there's a lot more promise there.

I haven't read any of James Smythe's novels before, but I definitely recommend 'Way Down Dark'. The imagery is effervescent and realistic, with some of the smells he describes feeling so pungent that at points I thought I could taste them in the back of my mouth. However, I do think that there are other novels out there quite similar to this one, most obviously 'Red Rising' by Pierce Brown. I can't compare them too in-depth, as I'm still trying to be careful what I say to avoid spoilers, but just know that if you've read 'Red Rising', this will probably be a book that you will enjoy, but it won't blow you off your feet as much as that one did. If you haven't read 'Red Rising' but are interested in it, I'd definitely tell you to read this one first - it's less fully-blown sci-fi, and the violence is a little bit more understated, so it's more well-suited to fans of the young adult genre. 

If you're not great at seeing where books are going, and you're looking for something that will shock you and take you on a rollercoaster, this is definitely the book for you. While I enjoyed 'Way Down Dark', I found some of the twists and turns a bit predictable, so I have got my fingers crossed that the second and third installments will do away with the cliched set-ups and be more unique. This is a series that I am going to continue on with - if not for the relaxed writing style and well-formed characters, then for the cliffhanger at the end of the novel - and I'm already anticipating where James will go next...

June Book Haul!

Couple of days late, but better late than never! I'm not going to go into too much detail on this one, as I bought quite a few books that aren't YA (in fact, I only bought three YA books this month!) as I've been in much more of a mood for contemporary and crime. I got 34 books this month (one of theme being my first Bookbridgr book - more on that later!) so keep reading to find out which ones...

Books in series:
This month I managed to find a lot of books in series/by authors that I'd previously read.

I've actually already read 'From Notting Hill With Four Weddings... Actually' by Ali McNamara - it's an adorable contemporary that is so completely over-the-top filled with cliches, but I adored it. 'From Notting Hill With Four Weddings... Actually' is the third (and I believe final) book in the series, and I'm most excited about that one out of all of these.

Crime books: 

As well as buying books in series, I also bought a few crime books from authors that I hadn't heard of before - or, at least, hadn't read/bought before. Some of these might be books in series, I haven't had a chance to look yet! 

I've wanted to read 'Elizabeth Is Missing' for so long - the synopsis alone sent shivers down my spine, so I couldn't believe it when I found a copy at my village fete for a mere 50p! 

Contemporaries: 

As the year gets warmer, and oh boy is it warmer, I always feel the urge to read contemporaries, so I had to pick up a few of those in June too...

I'm pretty excited for all of these. I've heard lots of good things about Judy Blume, but she's just one of those authors that I've never stumbled across before. I've been looking for 'The Miniaturist' for a while, and I bought 'The Shock Of The Fall' on my Kindle a few months ago, but the paperback copy is beautiful. 'The Two of Us' sounds heart-breaking, but I'm very judgmental on books like that one, so I'm a bit apprehensive about it. 

I'm probably least pumped for 'The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden', because the last Jonas Jonasson book I read didn't impress me too much, but that was nearly a year ago, so I'm willing to give him another try. 

Sci-Fi/Paranormal:

Didn't buy too many of these this month...

I'm very excited about 'Brave New Love', which is a collection of dystopian romances that includes short stories by Maria V. Snyder and Kiera Cass! 

Bookbridgr: 

Last, but most definitely not least, I received this beautiful advanced version of 'Way Down Dark' by JP Smythe. I want to say a massive thank you to both Bookbridgr and Hodderscape, because I really enjoyed this novel - in fact, my review is coming later tonight! 

Another month, another book haul - hot damn, where has the time gone? I'm going to try to save some money over this next month, as the new laptop has definitely eaten into the savings, so don't expect too many books in the July book haul, but have a great month! 

COVER REVEAL: 'Frost' by E. Latimer

First things first, I need to apologise for how little action there has been on my blog over the last couple of weeks! Life has gotten in the way, so I've had hardly any time to make posts - fingers crossed that should be changing over the next couple of days though, so watch this space.
Now that's out the way, join me in getting excited for the cover of 'Frost' by E. Latimer! If you're ready to see it in all its gorgeousness, scroll down now...

Phwoar! I just love how menacing it looks; the juxtaposition of the sparkly snowflakes with the katana? Utterly badass. 

This is E. Latimer's first novel, but I loved her writing when I read 'Polaris Awakening' at the start of last month. 'Frost' is published on August 25, so it's going to be a little bit of a wait until it releases, but I definitely think it's going to be worth it. If you're not convinced just by the cover, read the synopsis below...

Megan Walker's touch has turned to ice. She can't stop the frost, and the consequences of her first kiss are horrifying.

When her new powers attract attention, Megan finds herself caught up in an ancient war between Norse giants. One side fuelled by a mad queen's obsession and an ancient prophecy about Ragnarok, the other by an age-old grudge. Both sides believe Megan to be something she's not. Both sides will stop at nothing to have her. 

Fire or frost. It's an impossible decision, but she'll have to act soon, because the storm is coming. 

It sounds so unique and I definitely cannot wait for this one. It's published by Patchwork Press (of course!) so it definitely won't be disappointing. If you're as excited as I am, you should tweet E. Latimer and tell her, and pre-order the novel on Amazon UK or Amazon US.