Thirsty and Miserable with Gunning For Tamar, Oxygen Thief and Andy Oliveri

Max Levine Ensemble, Men Diamler and ONSIND Photo Special

Max Levine Ensemble, Men Diamler and ONSIND @ Slak Cheltenham Saturday 16th October 2010

This was one of the most exciting shows of the year for me so far, partly because it was the Max Levine Ensemble, partly because it was in a tiny little bar and partly because it was just two pounds to get in. With such an incredible line up on a Saturday night in a nice venue it was a show guaranteed to fill up quickly.

As ONSIND, or One Night Stand in North Dakota to give this Durham two-piece their full title, opened they turned mic stands to face each other; I feared the performance would be confrontational and aggressive. However, the face to face style actually made the sound more personal and created an equality to each track and emphasised the role each man has in the band. Musically the harmonies and balance between both voices were beautiful. The passion and emotion of lyrics and vocals created a live show which was compelling to watch. The quality of the set and balance between tracks was absolutely perfect with everything flowing gently into the next part. The intermissions were filled with awkward chatter, which only made the band more likeable.



After a performance full of honesty and emotion the evening progressed onto the wildcard that is Men Diamler, a man whose spontaneous performances mean you never know what to expect. The opening few songs were performed standing with a microphone, lulling the audience into a sense of false security before the show was taken to every inch of the venue. Audience members were serenaded and generally invited to participate in the set by singing, stamping, clapping, or in any way they felt appropriate. It’s hard to focus on the amazing level of the music and lyrics Men Diamler performs with as his live shows are so compelling. His impressive vocal range and clever lyrics balance surrealism and raw emotions in a very relatable style.

Although the previous acoustic acts didn’t lead up to Max Levine Ensemble’s punk pop, the surprise element of a band tearing through a set in such a small venue and at such a fast pace created a great atmosphere. The band fixated me from the first to last song of their set, as despite playing ferociously fast versions of tracks from their five releases, they did not sacrifice any musicianship or skill from the vocals. This was a fine example of what punk bands should aspire to with a positive DIY attitude, and gratitude to the audience for coming to see them play. The band put everything into every moment of the show and enjoyed themselves onstage, which is all a live music lover ever wants to see.

As this Washington based three-piece played I was left wondering how they (and the other two acts) had come to be playing in such a small venue, which made me realise how lucky I was to be seeing such a line up. The exclusivity you feel watching such a great show in a small venue adds to the memorable nature. This show was what DIY promoting is all about, surprising people with amazing line-ups in tiny venues.

Random Hand, JB Conspiracy and Stillbust Photo special

Random Hand, JB Conspiracy and Stillbust @ The Frog and Fiddle Cheltenham. Wednesday 13th October 2010

As far as first shows go Thirsty & Miserable’s first show in Cheltenham showed a level of ambition which is rare in new promoters. To put a line up on with essentially two headline quality acts is a huge statement of intent and shows that there are big things to come from this company. With tickets at a bargain seven pounds on the door the show unsurprisingly started to fill out as soon as doors opened giving openers Stillbust an adequate audience.



Within seconds of the opening song local hardcore four-piece Stillbust had enthralled the growing audience with their unique musical styling. The combination of hardcore, punk and occasional ska styled upstroke certainly make this band memorable. This is a band who put everything into every live performance and I could never imagine them playing at half effort. Within what didn’t seem like long enough the band finished after compelling the entire crowd for the full length of the set.



After the audience had been warmed up with the energetic performance from Stillbust the JB Conspiracy took the stage and proceeded to fly through a balanced set of old and new songs with brief pauses for witty intermissions. The technical skill level of the band was highlighted with a combination of saxophone and organ playing at the same time. This is a band whose reputation is widely based on their live performances and it is clear that every part of this reputation has been earned and is deserved. JB Conspiracy have a unique take on the ska punk genre and are deservedly at the fore front of the scene in this country alongside tonight’s headliners Random Hand.



Random Hand linked the line up together by taking similar hardcore elements to Stillbust and combining them with the more traditional ska and skacore styles taken by JB Conspiracy. The varied styles that have been mixed together to form the developed sound of Random Hand are diverse and numerous but one thing is clear every aspect has been beautifully combined into something fresh and original.



Again the live performances have been a large part in creating the reputation the band has and if tonight was anything to go by they deserve to increase in reputation ten fold. Every song was perfectly balanced within the set as tracks from the new album ‘Seething is Believing’ were mixed with offerings from the previous two records. As the set continued the audience became more and more enthralled and it was clear this was a special show.



Those who missed this show missed three bands at the top of their game playing their hearts out. The intensity, which each act played with, created a fantastic spectacle and credit must be given to the promoters for putting together such a show. If I were to give you one piece of advice it would be to go and see all three bands at the earliest opportunity you have, also don’t forget to support your local DIY promoters as without them there would be no music scene in your town.

Mike Scott and Ben Childs Split EP

This is a record that got me truly excited both artists used to be in bands I was inspired by in my younger years (Mike sang for Phineaus Gage and Ben was one of the founding members of Sonic Boom Six) so to hear what their solo work sounded like was going to be a treat.

This excitement was not wasted as from the first few bars of  Ben’s opening track of the album you can tell you are going to be in for a treat. I was surprised to hear the large folk influence within Ben’s six tracks but it totally works the addition of violin and banjo in parts creates an authentic folk feel. This folk influence combines beautifully with elements of reggae, which mostly come through from distinctive vocals and political and personal lyrics.

This first half of the split is perfect for summer and the general cheery musical style suit Child’s voice superbly. There are moments of raw emotion, passion and completely danceable passages overall this is the perfect showcase for what this artist can and will continue to do. Each track flows faultlessly into the next making this piece of work incredible for both individual tracks and  as an entire record. 

If New-Folk is the future of alternative music expect Ben to be at the fore front of the genre as it develops. These are the first six songs to be released by Ben Childs and to be completely honest they blew me away with a mixture of surprise and pure joy. If this is to be the style that solo work keeps to I will very much look forward to hearing what’s next.

Ben’s half of the split is beautifully balanced out with the more pessimistic style of Mike Scott who presents acoustic punk rock in a passionate honest style. Mike’s snarling vocals are backed by raw acoustic guitar and occasional backing vocals. Mike’s lyrics are political throughout his six tracks, two of which are perfectly selected covers (The Connells  and Propaghandi). Mike’s observational lyrics are inspiring and depressing in equal measure, his reverse political analysis makes it impossible not to continue thinking after listening to each track.

The honesty projected through lyrics and Mikes voice create an enchanting six tracks that seem to float by in a matter of moments. The balance of songs is again near perfect showing an incredible amount of thought has gone into song selection, the track listing flows smoothly and creates a varying array of emotion throughout giving this EP a real sense of longevity.

Although Mike Scott has a completely different approach to acoustic music to that of Ban Childs this creates a split, which is a thing of beauty and wonder. The contrasted styles fit together beautifully and this record has been a regular on my CD player and Ipod in the last month or so and I can see it staying there for a long time. I can only recommend that you go and buy this record and support this countries DIY scene.