Alkaline Trio - 19/04/2014 & 22/04/2014

So this week I did something I've not done before which is go to more than one date of a tour. The band was Alkaline Trio, who are my favourite bands, so if it had to be any band they seemed to be fitting! It was interesting though for me to see how the two compared.

Leeds Met - 19/04/2014

The last time I saw Alkaline Trio in 2012 was at Leeds Met, it isn't my favourite venue by a long shot, and with the (much bigger) Leeds Academy a stones throw away I don't know why they didn't go there! Anyway, the openers for the night were The Murderburgers, who are a punk three-piece from Scotland. They're a funny bunch, they don't speak much, in fact they barely stopped between songs to allow for applause!

Next up were Bayside, who as a support slot were a pretty big band. I admit to not having listened to much of their stuff, in my mind I had them pinned down as nothing like they actually are, and I really quite enjoyed them! They were fun, and you could tell a few crowd members had gone along really to see them which was nice.

Then came Alkaline Trio. Having seen them twice before I had an idea of what to expect from the show, and having peaked at the setlist I was pretty excited! They opened with This Could Be Love and moved into Hell Yes, two older songs which were bound to get the crowd going, but Leeds seemed to be lacking energy. I was on the barrier on the far right hand side but there was barely any crowd movement at all! Perhaps this was the beginning of their bad mood. By the time they got onto the fourth song, Every Thug Needs A Lady (one of my favourites), Dan Andriano was having trouble with his bass, he didn't stop the song and he sorted it out but you could tell that it had annoyed him, as it would any musician who was handed their instrument on stage and it wasn't properly tuned.

You could tell they weren't in a great mood, barely talking to the crowd, but they played on and they were great too. Leeds Met sound quality isn't anything special either. Then came "thumbs down guy", during Balanced On A Shelf, and Dine, Dine My Darling, (two newer songs) some guy kept putting his hand in the air with his thumb down. Matt Skiba noticed this, and was less than impressed. The guy did get thrown out, but after that, the mood was sour. I felt really bad for them, and couldn't get my head round why someone would pay £20 to see a band to then thumbs down them! So stupid.

They ended on Radio, as they always do, and everyone sang along. So while I left the gig on a high, I couldn't help but feel that it was a real shame those things had put them in a bad mood, and I was intrigued to see how Manchester would turn out.

Manchester Ritz - 22/04/2014

As a venue, I liked the Ritz, it's bigger but more built for purpose than Leeds Met. For this, my brother and I were situated on the balcony which was a good move really. A good view, less people and after Leeds really hurt our ears being directly in front of a speaker stack, we decided it would be better to keep our distance.

The Murderburgers and Bayside gave similar performances to Leeds, I think I enjoyed them more because I was more familiar with the songs this time. Then Alkaline Trio came on. It was plain to see they were in a much better mood! The crowd in Manchester were also full of energy, with mosh pits and crowd surfers aplenty. The setlist was exactly the same, but with more energy, so it made for a better show overall.

While I normally could never afford to go to multiple gigs of a tour, this has made me realise that sometimes it's worth it, and it's not something I would rule out doing again!

Artist of the Month - Radkey

Radkey are a punky trio of brothers from America, I first heard them earlier this month and quickly went to iTunes to download everything they had. I will say that they're not going to be for everyone, if you have a penchant for pop then they probably won't be for you, but if punk or hardcore is up your street then you just might like them.

The band is made up of Dee Radke (guitar, vocals), Isaiah Radke (bass, vocals) and Solomon Radke (drums). They are very young, aged between 16 and 20, which makes their music and achievements (playing Download Festival and just about to embark on a headline UK tour) even more impressive! Their sound isn't clean or perfect, but that's the point. They're punchy, the sort of band you would want to see in a tiny, dark, sweaty basement venue somewhere but sometimes they are the best gigs.

They certainly don't sound as young as they are, I've read Dee's vocals be compared to Dave Vanian of The Damned, and Glenn Danzig of Misfits, which I bet they'd be pretty pleased to hear!

My favourite song: Start Freaking Out

Review - Transgender Dysphoria Blues - Against Me!

If you are up to speed on the world of punk rock, or rock in general, then you should know about Laura Jane Grace. If, however, you don't, let me very quickly fill you in. In 2012, the lead singer of Against Me! came out publicly as being transgender (male to female transition), she has been given a huge amount of support since and rightly so.

That little bit of background is needed when listening to Against Me!'s latest, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. The record is a frank and open look at being transgender, lyrics such as "You want them to notice the ragged ends of your summer dress, you want them to see you like they see any other girl. They just see a faggot." from the album's title track open the record as in your face as it gets, and that is exactly what Grace set out to do. Fans of Against Me! will recognise those classic punchy beats and catchy hooks, the opening tracks Transgender Dysphoria Blues, True Trans Soul Rebel and Unconditional Love are definitely ones to be sung at the top of your lungs with your friends.

The fourth track on the album, Drinking With The Jocks, is the song I imagine Grace may have meant when she said "However fierce our band was in the past, imagine me, six-foot-two, in heels, fucking screaming into someone's face", it might be under 2 minutes long but it really does pack one helluva punch.

The album isn't all so in your face though, the almost ironically titled FUCKMYLIFE666 brings the album to a calmer pace, and it contains some of the most powerful lyrics on the album, "No more troubled sleep, there's a brave new world that's raging inside of me". The last few songs on the album take this slower pace, particularly Two Coffins, but the frank lyrics never cease. Apart from being a solid record of catchy lyrics and some very in-your-face songs, it is also a very honest and incredibly personal record, and at the same time it is so empowering not just for the transgender community, but for everyone regardless of their orientation. 

If Against Me!'s new album teaches us anything, it's that you have to be honest with who you are and love yourself, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and let's face it, that's probably the most punk thing you can do.