Author Archives: Jason Miller

Britrock Must Be Destroyed brings together four of the best UK bands who were flying high in the ’90s, each with their own unique sound. It’s a welcome comeback as these Britrock pioneers execute their mission to exhibit to the world that they can still bring the noise bigger and better than any of their contemporaries. Technically speaking it was a triple headliner with The Wildhearts, Reef, and Terrorvision rotating each evening playing extended sets. The London show would see Reef as the final band.

Opening the evening was power pop trio Dodgy who were added to the bill as a special guest. I remember these guys from back in the day as they had a couple of minor hits in the States. Nigel Clark and company continue to release new music, and they put on one hell of a show—the perfect opener to set the stage for what would be an intense groove filled evening of Britrock history. Funny enough, even the band themselves mentioned between songs that they questioned how they fit on the bill.

Next up was one of West Yorkshire’s most successful bands, Terrorvision. I had never heard of these guys before as I don’t recall listening to them back in the States, but holy shit they were great. Lead singer Tony Wright sounded spot on, and he doesn’t seem to age, while guitarist Mark Yates was melting faces with songs like “Alice What’s the Matter” and “Discotheque Wreck.” Brilliant set from these guys and I’ve been digging on their catalog ever since, especially the surprisingly good “comeback” record 2011’s Super Delux.

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The sheer mention of Bryan Ferry immediately brings to mind the word class. Mention his music and the conversation turns to the seductive, sensual, and most importantly—legendary.

His band Roxy Music had two top ten albums and a number one album in the UK before I was even born. They were the original glam rock band and paved the way for so many, and while Bowie tends to get much of the credit for pushing the genre forward, I would argue that Ferry transformed glam into something no one had ever heard nor seen prior.

Some even go so far as to cite Roxy Music as the “first true band of the ’70s,” and while I’m certainly not the most qualified person to write a brief history of Roxy Music or discuss the legacy of Bryan Ferry, I can tell you that I was incredibly fortunate to see one of his sold-out London performances on his UK tour—and a first for me.

The Eventim Apollo was completely sold out. Every seat in the house was taken, and it was virtually impossible even to find a place to stand in the venue. Bryan Ferry took to the stage with a substantial backing band launching directly into the Roxy Music classic “The Main Thing,” quickly followed by Ferry’s signature tune, “Don’t Stop the Dance.” It was immediately clear that not only was Ferry still at the top of his game, but that his music is timeless.

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It’s been a while since I’ve seen a great metal show and the Trivium bill looked too good to pass up. How many other metal bands can maintain a twenty year plus career while keeping with the same label for more than half of that? Eight studio albums, one million records sold worldwide, and a massive international fanbase is the result of consistency, decent marketing, and a frontman who masterfully leverages the world of social media.

Touring in support of what is arguably their strongest record to date, The Sin and the Sentence, the Orlando quartet have been blazing a trail of sold-out gigs across the UK. Critics love the latest album and praise continues to pour in by the leading metal mags including Wall of Sound which has given the album a perfect 10/10 stating “a fantastic album …..you are in for a treat as they’ve taken everything they’ve learned over the years and just thrown it together strategically to please any (if not all) of their heavier music loving fans.” AllMusic also came in with a strong review stating that “the band has never sounded more confident, delivering a positively lethal 11-song set that strikes the perfect balance between unhinged and meticulously crafted.”

So how was the show? Trivium celebrate all of the core foundational properties of heavy metal plain and simple. Dual guitar harmonies, screaming vocals, epic choruses, and riffs the size of mountains brought to life through a mashup of styles including classic thrash, melodic metal, and a bit of hardcore.

I’m digging the trend of band’s opening up their sets with their latest single which in the case of Trivium is “The Sin and The Sentence.” Not only does this allow the band to come out all guns blazing, but it also gives the fans something new that they’ve not heard live before. Why the hell doesn’t every band do this? While the set weighed heavily on the latest record as it should, it left plenty of room for the classics including “Like Light to Flies” and “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr” which sounded better than ever.

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Hooverphonic continues to be one of the most eclectic and versatile groups on the planet. Hailing from Belgium, the core duo of the group, Alex Callier and Raymond Geerts, are the essence of cool as they blend elements of electropop, jazz, rock, and of course trip-hop.

When I heard that the group would be playing only one UK show in London at the Islington Assembly Hall, I jumped at the chance to see them. The last time I saw a Hooverphonic show was in support of the band’s 2000 masterpiece The Magnificent Tree. Geike Arnaert was the vocalist on this record as well as on the previous record, the critically acclaimed Blue Wonder Powder Milk, and she complimented the sonic landscapes of Callier and Geerts perfectly. I would argue that she had one of the best voices in the electronica scene at this time and it was incredible to watch the band evolve and explore new territory.

Fast forward to 2018 and Hooverphonic returns with new music and a new vocalist, Luka Cruysberghs. Cruysberghs was the winner of Belgium’s The Voice contest, which she won in 2017 alongside coach Alex Callier. While it might sound like a leap of faith to trust a reality TV show winner as the frontwoman and voice of the band with such large shoes to fill, she’s off to a great start. This would be a trial by fire in front of a sold-out London crowd.

Her voice is stellar, and she nailed Hooverphonic classics such as “2 Wicky,” “Inhaler,” and the crossover smash “Mad About You,” but there was an element of maturity that might have been missing based on the experience and confidence of the previous singers. That said, I do like the mystique she brings to the group, and it will be interesting to see how she grows and makes the role her own.

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This review should be titled “A metal guy goes to a Macklemore show,” as it’s something that is completely out of the norm for me. Then again, I am someone who can honestly say that I listen to a bit of everything (at one point or another in my life).

The fact is that Macklemore is so huge in the States that I really wanted to see how the world of hip-hop-pop translates to the UK, and it does big time. Two sold out shows at the legendary O2 Brixton Academy turned out to be one of the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen crammed into the venue. The show was like a giant party—the songs were hook-laden anthems primed for audience sing-alongs, and Macklemore himself strutted across the stage as if he were royalty.

Not being too familiar with Macklemore’s catalog or new album for that matter, I did prep myself a bit by watching video clips from the previous gigs (which is essential for a photographer to get a sense of what to expect). The surprise for me was the second song of the night called “Firebreather,” which is a full on, hard rock explosion. The multi-instrumental genius that is Macklemore guitarist Cinque Kemp was on fire. Man, this guy can shred on guitar, and he makes it look epic at the same time. The energy in the room fueled by the blaring red lights and multiple pyrotechnics looked like a full tilt rock ‘n’ roll party from hell—in a good way, that is.

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At The Drive-In and Death From Above sharing the same stage? Is this reality?

That’s the first question that popped into my mind when I saw the show announcement for the legendary Brixton Academy in London. Two bands that paved their way through a crowded clusterfuck of terrible early to mid-2000s alt-rock radio staples—one of them redefined the post-punk genre, and the other stripping rock ‘n’ roll down to its absolute core. Both have influenced many over the years—one could argue that their legacy is locked in place with neither have anything left to prove—yet none of that mattered this particular evening.

First up was Death From Above. Having dropped the unnecessary 1979 identifier from their name, the duo of Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastian Granger are currently touring in support of their first new record in three years Outrage! Is Now. It’s a bit of a different sound for the band as this time they’ve enlisted hitmaker Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Good Charlotte, Ride) to produce the record. The result is exactly what you would expect—slick production, big hooks, tight grooves, a bit of funk, and several options for keeping the band relevant for their core audience while introducing them to an entirely new one.

When most bands go this route, their live show tends to mimic their polished sound on record. I’m happy to report that this is not the case with Death From Above. In fact, they might have gone the opposite direction just to point out that they are a fucking heavy, heavy band live.

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Whoever is behind the marketing for Insecure Men deserves a prize.

I had never heard of these guys, but I’m a massive fan of The Moonlandinz and Fat White Family. In fact, The Moonlandinz 2017 release Interplanetary Class Classics was my favorite album of last year. Based on my love of that band I was targeted with Fat White Family and Moonlandingz guitarist Saul Adamczewski’s new project, Insecure Men. It was a beautiful campaign that not only turned me on to the band but also got me to pre-order the record, and finally get a ticket to the show. This is exactly how digital marketing is supposed to work, and thankfully someone in Saul’s camp gets it, or otherwise this would have slipped by me. Leveraging platforms like The Marketing Heaven could take such campaigns even further by boosting online engagement and visibility.

Insecure Men is a supergroup of sorts formed by Saul Adamczewski and Childhood’s frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft. The record is all sorts of lo-fi brilliance rolled up in ’70s AM rock production. Remember what MGMT tried to do on their second and third records and failed miserably? Well, Saul and Ben fucking nail it. Even taking it up a notch. It’s the perfect soundtrack for mellowing out while taking a break from the world as it seems to be destroying itself.

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Finally, I get to see a band that is equally as big in Europe as they are in the US. In the case of Imagine Dragons, they may actually be bigger. The Las Vegas natives treated the sold-out 3Arena in Dublin to a spectacle of rock for the ages. It was exactly what the Irish capital needed before the snowstorm of the century known as the “Beast from the East” would bring the entire country to a standstill.

It’s refreshing to see a band of this magnitude lose the rock star mentality and use their platform for something bigger than just their music. During the show frontman Dan Reynolds shared an intimate moment with the capacity crowd detailing his struggles with depression and later rallied the fans around LGBT rights and the sad state of politics in the US. For those who say they don’t want a side of smart social commentary with their pop rock music, I’d ask what have you done to change anyone’s life? And by the way, there’s no line at the merch booth at the moment in case your bored in between songs.

It’s interesting to read the reviews from across the UK and Ireland. One critic called the band shallow (don’t bother the delicate genius), while others called it exhilarating. While not my exact cup of tea, one cannot deny that these guys can write some fucking massive hooks and fuse genres like no one else at the moment. At the end of the day critics should always take a back seat to the fans, and in this case I didn’t see or hear one disappointed fan out of the thousands who were there. Funny how that ratio doesn’t translate to many of the jaded critics.

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The fact that it’s been a decade since MGMT’s debut album Oracular Spectacular was released is mind-blowing to me. I remember getting an advance copy of this album back when I was working at Sony Music and playing it for everyone I knew. The reception was the same universally; this record was an instant classic. It was one of the most unusual records I had ever come across during my time in the music business, but it was brilliant, and the label was incredibly excited to release this one as was I.

I saw MGMT about a dozen times that year. From SXSW to the relentless touring, it was really exciting to witness a band go from completely unknown to one of the biggest buzz bands on the planet. I had met the band numerous times through a couple of tours, various retail promotions, and a slew of SXSW events. Both Andrew and Ben were pretty quiet, Andrew seemingly more of an introvert than Ben, but they were really cool guys. I don’t think they ever expected to be thrust into the limelight so quickly, then again they did sign to one of the biggest records labels on the planet.

It’s interesting to me how an artist responds to the pressure of following up a hit debut record with their sophomore effort. When Congratulations was released, it was pretty much a giant middle finger to the entire music business. MGMT had abandoned the hooks and synth-pop from their debut and went total Syd Barrett. I had heard rumblings that the label was pretty baffled as to how to promote this one, but they couldn’t say no to their new crossover darlings of the hipster music scene. But then it got even more confusing with the release of 2012’s self-titled record which the band admitted to fans that they would be “laughing with them.”

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Is there a better way to see a Scandinavian melodic death metal band live than on their own turf? I think not. Last week I was in Oslo for a keynote speech on digital marketing (my day job), and after the gig, I ran over to the Rockefeller Music Hall. Oslo’s a beautiful place, and you can pretty much walk to anywhere in the city, but holy shit it was cold. I’m talking minus 16 cold. The entire city was like one giant block of ice, and I was wearing clothes for “London cold,” which as you can imagine put me in a tight spot.

Either way, I made it in time for the opening bands as I like to do. The venue was sold out, and it was jammed inside. (For the record, security and personnel at the Rockefeller were super helpful for a first-time photog at the venue, which is pretty killer all around.) I love the metal crowds—these are my people! I grew up with metal, and as I’ve mentioned before, there’s a certain camaraderie between metal fans, and as I’ve traveled around the world to see different metal shows, I’ve confirmed that it’s universal.

First up was Ukrania metalcore band Jinjer. This was my introduction to the band as I’ve never seen or heard of them before. They reminded me a bit of old school Lamb of God mixed with a bit of thrash and nu metal (yes, I hate that word as much as you do). Jinjer bassist Eugene Kostyuk recently told Metal Horizons that his band doesn’t like being compared to other female-fronted groups. He explained, “Firstly, we don’t see the point in differentiating a band by the gender of a front person.” I would agree—frontwoman Tatiana Shmailyuk is a force to be reckoned with and is a clear stand out among many of the current metal bands on the scene.

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It blows my mind to see the differences in popularity for a band from the UK and the US. How can one audience be so different? How can a record label not figure out the right strategy or differentiate one? Why is the band on one label in the states but another overseas? I don’t get it and probably never will, but I will tell you as a global marketer myself I don’t see that big of a difference in the crowds at the shows in the UK versus the US, and vice versa. Asking Alexandria is one of these bands, but maybe their latest record will finally bridge the gap between two all-important metal nations.

I was a bit late to the Asking Alexandria party as the first time I came across these guys was while I was photographing the red carpet at the 2016 Metal Hammer Golden God awards. They walked in and played the rock star part better than any of their counterparts, even seasoned vets such as Anthrax and Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine. But there were only three of them that night to accept the award for Best UK Band. I would later figure out (I had moved to the UK the week before) that the band had recently parted ways with their original singer and were on a path to reinventing themselves with a new singer and new album that had just been released to stellar reviews across the board.

I’ve come to dig these guys over the past couple of years as they seem to have something that the other bands in their class didn’t: substance. Asking Alexandria might have started off in the metalcore/emo whatever category but they continue to evolve. I loved their last album The Black. I thought it was brilliant. It reminded me of the time when Eighteen Visions released their self-titled record back in 2006 on Epic Records where I worked at the time. One of the promo reps from Epic called it a “heavy modern-day Def Leppard Hysteria” and I agreed. Too bad the entire rest of the world disagreed, but who fucking cares. I loved that record and still do. The Black was Asking Alexandria evolving. New singer, new(ish) sound, new direction, and all things looked to be on the way up.

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I was first introduced to Cults back in 2011 when I was working at Sony Music. The band had a HUGE buzz about them, and Columbia Records was THE label to be on at the time. I was excited to have an opportunity to work this record to my accounts at the time, but alas they were given to the independent arm of the label and released through RED Distribution.

This was a play for credibility which didn’t make sense to me at the time. I mean, was the band on a major label? Yes. But they didn’t use the distribution? And who could work on this record? Would the band graduate to Sony Music proper? This happened all the time, and I’m not sure if anyone benefitted from the thought process here, but at least I got a copy of the debut record on vinyl.

There was a lot of mystery around Cults then too. I thought that was pretty cool at a time when social media was taking off that a band would forego all of the attention and retain their mystique. This was pre-Sia, so it certainly wasn’t the cool thing to do. The record was fantastic and had a ’60s California AM radio pop feel to it. The critics loved it, Pitchfork was all over it, and it looked like there was no stopping Cults from dominating the indie rock scene for years to come.

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I’ve seen Queensryche about a dozen times over the years. They’re a band I grew up with and continue to celebrate. When they were fractured in two, I was devastated and confused. Always leaning toward wherever Geoff Tate took them, I followed him out of respect for his incredible work and his brilliant solo releases. But whatever happened, I still loved the band and wanted as much music from any incarnation moving forward.

The results were two very different things. Queensryche with a new singer went back to their roots and delivered a brilliant, crushing couple of records. Geoff Tate’s Queensryche focused more on pushing into new territories. The results were two releases that polarized the fan base and to be honest, probably cast a shadow of doubt on the future of both versions of Queensryche.

All that drama and bullshit was cast aside in London at The Garage on Monday night as Geoff Tate brought his band Operation: Mindcrime to perform the remarkable album with the same name in its entirety. Operation: Mindcrime (the album) isn’t just one of the best concept records of all time, it sets the bar for all others to be measured by—and continues to do so. I was a bit skeptical about seeing Geoff perform one of my all-time favorite records without the backing of his original bandmates, but holy shit was I happy that I went to this show. It was flawless, brilliant, sonically stunning—I can’t say enough good things about this show.

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