Venue: Fitzwilliam & West

Bar 23 has undergone a transformation and is now Fitzwilliam & West.

Fitzwilliam & West is situated in West One Plaza, one of Sheffield’s premium cultural hot spots. Rather than being just another bar, Fitzwilliam & West is a place to divulge in lovingly crafted food with friends. The bar is now open from 11:00am every day in the hope of drawing diners in. ‘We’ve tried to put the emphasis casual food, casual drink,’ says manager Micah Cowan, ‘we’ve cut the bar in half to open up space and have replaced all the worn sofas with antique tables and chairs.’

Their menu is a smorgasbord of fresh food to suit every diner’s appetite. Starting with tea and coffee, with cakes to accompany, the menu ranges from light lunchtime snacks to warming, hearty platefuls. ‘For The Table’ included nibbles like; homemade pork scratchings, welsh rarebit and homemade scotch eggs. ‘Brunch’ (available until 2:00pm) spans the breakfast spectrum; from a comforting traditional English breakfast, to a classy eggs Benedict. Sandwiches are available until 7:00pm and start from an unbelievable £2.50. Starters and main dishes vary in price and tastes, making sure there’s something for every customer. Fitzwilliam & West are happy to cater for dietary requirements and can adapt most dishes to suit diners’ needs.

Food happy hour runs Monday to Thursday from 4:00pm until 7.00pm and offers diners 50% off dishes. Tuesdays are Sausage & Mash night; where the dish and a drink is £9 or alternatively, two diners can enjoy a dish each and a bottle of wine for £23. Thursdays are Steak night, with a dish and drink costing just £10, or again, two can dine with a bottle of wine for £23. Sundays see Fitzwilliam & West offer a traditional Sunday lunch, with all the trimmings and a bloody mary for just £11.

Their ‘Food With Friends’ menu (for a minimum of 10) is buffet style dining with dishes like Scallop and Chorizo lollipops, fish and chip cones and mini toad in the hole starting from just £2pp.  Also on offer is their ‘Feast’ menu (for 8 people or more) where all the food is served in the middle of the table, inviting diners to tuck in and share. Highlights include ‘King of The Sea’ starter which boasts a selection of fresh sea food and the ‘Feast Fit For A king’ main, which includes whole beef wellington, confit duck leg, loin of venison with haggis and hand cut chips.

Also on their eclectic menu is a vast array of steaks, starting with a humble 8oz sirloin ranging to a monstrous 30oz T-bone for the seriously hungry. All of Fitzwilliam & West’s meat is hung for at least 21 days to ensure a beautiful flavour when cooked.

Fitzwilliam & West strive to provide their customers with the best offers around and so they’ve decided to hold their ‘Happy Hour’ from 11:00pm until midnight on Friday and Saturday. ‘We know people don’t want to go out early, so we have accommodated that,’ Says Micah. £2.50 will buy house spirits & mixers or bottled beer; cocktails are reduced by £1.50 while premium spirits and wine are cut by £1.

Cocktail classes are quickly becoming a fun activity for a sunny weekend or parties and so Fitzwilliam & West are offering a cocktail masterclass where each member of the party gets the chance to make three cocktails with one of the experienced bar staff. The class costs £22pp and a two course meal can be added for a £10 surcharge.

With such an expansive and mouth watering selection of food, Fitzwilliam & West is quickly becoming the place to dine in Sheffield.

Album: Light Leaks

Label: Mole Listening Pearls

Release Date: 29^th April 2013

Words: Imogen Thomson

“It is about the innocent and eternal moments of our childhood memories. Light Leaks exposes a miraculous and wonderful world where a child enjoys colorful fantasy, ignoring boundaries. It is the child we follow as we go through dreamlands or wonder around in a cosmic utopia.” – Zager

After the release of ‘Space Medusa’ single, Zager fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the full album. Zager have not disappointed. This five-piece, Budapest based band, built up hopes with the free release of their single and have delivered an album to equally high standards. With the release of their last album ‘Cannot Walk, Fly Instead’ being nominated for two MTV Europe Music Awards, the band receiving second place in the Independent Songwriting Competition and their songs being included in the theme tunes for multiple CSI TV series, this album is exactly what we could have hoped to expect for.

The album has a slight sci-fi sound with a psychedelic twist. It’s the type of music you would hear while exploring the depths of space. As well as keeping to the electronic sound associated with this band that fans of this band recognize so well. This band is definitely one to watch, if there is more to come like they have given us already, we are sure to not be disappointed.

Album: Tell Where I Lie

Label: Dirty Hit Records

Release Date: 8^th April 2013

Words: Imogen Thomson

Fossil Collective’s new album starting with melodic sounds of  ‘Let It Go’, gives the setting for the rest of the album, a back to basics type sound with a modern twist. As contradictory as this statement is, it’s the way this band sound. With influences from Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel, this two piece band from Yorkshire create equally inspiring music.

From recoding an EP in a church crypt to supporting Benjamin Francis Leftwhich, this band have come a long way since forming little over a year ago. Some of their achievements include having a YouTube song receiving over 250,000 hits, having press support from such magazines as NME and playing live at Camden Roundhouse!

The bands EP ‘On and On’ in October 2012, was definitely a positive build up to ‘Tell Where I Lie’. David Fendick and Jonny Hooker are both incredibly multi-talented musicians. It is rare to find such raw talent come together to create such raw music.

We look forward to hearing more of what Fossil Collective can do and for those of you who can, catch them on their up and coming UK tour, 10^th of April 2013 – 4^th May 2013.

Artist: Miss May I

Ahead of Miss May I’s show at Corporation, singer Levi Benton took time out to talk to Sam Briggs about the pressure of releasing new material, touring and plans for the future.

For those who might not have heard of you, could you tell us a little about you and what kind of music you make?

We are a metal band plain and simple. Our band consists of 5 metal heads with long hair and walls of cabs. Our music is thrashy and heavy with some melodic parts here and there. By the end of the day we just strive for head bangs.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

When the band started it leaned more towards heavier stuff, into the As Blood Runs Black and All Shall Perish realms. Now though as the band has grown we are very influenced by bands such as As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engaged and Lamb Of God.

You released your first album while you were still at high school, did music always take precedence over other things?

Well in high school the band was basically a weekend getaway and something fun to do. We never thought about it being a career or that this success would happen. So when the record deal came we basically set school aside and decided being rock stars could be cool and we can put college off for a bit.

‘Forgive and Forget’ was featured on Saw VI and ‘Apologies Are For The Weak’ was featured on Saints Row The Third. Why do you think you music lends itself so well to media like that?

I feel like both of those media outlets in particular are one that have an intense and aggressive mood that comes with them. Our music has always been intense and aggressive as well and I think having our tunes in the back really enhances the audience’s experience either watching the movies or playing the games.

Did you feel any pressure releasing your 2nd and 3rd album? Were you nervous about how they’d be received?

I have always been nervous about anything we have ever released. The main reason being that we release what we would like to hear from a metal band and what we enjoy playing. But what we enjoy isn’t always the most popular thing or today’s hottest gimmicks. So when releasing anything we are always very nervous knowing we stray away from the main stream. Luckily though and by some miracle all of our head bang riffs and crazy lyrics have satisfied the metal heads listening to it today.

You’ve been on tour with some iconic bands, what do you take away from sharing a stage and a tour with other musicians?

After the fan boy in me fades away I always watch how they handle the crowd. As a vocalist I always want to be one step ahead of the next Joe Shmoe who is holding a mic. Watching these legends have so much confidence when holding the mic and talking to the crowd really inspires me to stand up and make each and every show one to remember.

You’ve been on the Warp tour a few times, how is that as an experience?

I would have to say the best thing about the Warped experience is playing to so many different fans. A lot of the crowd your playing to have never heard your band either they are waiting for the next band, they got stuck in your circle pit or they are just exploring Warped Tour. I feel we have gained a majority of our fan base from playing Warped Tour and we couldn’t be any happier.

You are sometimes labelled a Christian band because of your lyrical content? Do you think labelling like that is important, or is it something you ignore?

Its mainly something we ignore and the reason being that we think it is very unfair for the audience listening to these band to categorize and dislike bands for their release because that isn’t what the music is always about. There are so many people out there that will shun bands just because they curse or don’t say they are a Christian band when at the end of the day the bands could have a more positive thing to say than any Christian band out there.

Would you say you are a predominantly Christian band?

I am the only Christian in the band but I would never let it define us.

Are you looking forward to playing Corporation?

I am really looking forward to all of our UK gigs and the main thing being that UK fans go harder than any other crowd we play for in the world. Singing the loudest and basically destroying each other. It’s amazing!

You’re heading out on tour with Bullet For My Valentine at the same time, are you looking forward to that?

I cannot wait for the BFMV tour. Not only are we going to be playing in front of thousands of metal heads but we will be on tour with one of our influences as a band. None of us have even seen them live so we are just excited for that! It is about to be an amazing ride.

How do you think the UK music scene compares to that of America?

The music scene in the UK is way more family based then in America. In the US a lot of bands are very competitive and cut throat which we are used to. But in the UK so many bands help each other out and grew up with each other and know everyone. It’s very awesome to go there and see the brotherhood the UK scene has.

‘At Heart’ has been well received in the US, could you tell us a little about the ethos of the album please?

First off we went with a whole new team when we recorded At Heart which made the album sound completely different then our previous albums. But the main thing about At Heart was that we wanted to show everyone real topics and real stuff from the “heart”. All the lyrics were based on things I have been threw and things I know our audience could relate to. We didn’t approach the album to have the heaviest breakdowns or sickest pit calls but to have a real album that we were proud of front to back and that’s what At Heart is.

Are you pleased with the final result?

I am very happy that At Heart was accepted so well. We really took a shot in the dark writing the way we did and having the roots we did. Bringing back some old metal routines and not going with the times was very nerve wrecking but by the end of the day it turned out fantastic and now we can really go all out on the next record.

You founded Vursa Limited, tell us a little about that? Is it nice to have a different challenge to music?

It is very nice to have somewhat of a different challenge. The more successful we got the more auto pilot we got with all the managers and legal business that goes into the status we are. So when my baby MMI was out of my hands I started Vursa Limited to keep me busy and to inspire people to be

ambitious and do what they want. With fashion and urban culture being a huge addiction of mine I felt it proper to go into this realm of things. Also doing everything myself and being 100% hands on really is so rewarding. It has been a crazy journey so far and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

After you’ve done touring, how are you planning to spend 2013?

I get home from this stretch of tours and have my wedding that is followed by a nice relaxing honeymoon. Then hopefully recording a new album all summer long!

Miss May I play Corporation on Thursday March 14th. 

Interviewer: Cat Cutmore

Words: Cat Cutmore

SHUlife joined Fearless Vampire Killers on the ninth night of their eleven day run around the U.K with The Kerrang Tour. Formed in London in 2008, the band state that their genre is “theatrical alternative rock”, and their last two albums have been extravagantly eccentric concept pieces. Citing legendary artists such as Queen and David Bowie as influences, they are also known for their flamboyant sense of style which incorporates both steampunk and bohemian elements. We caught up with guitarist Kier, bassist Drew and drummer Luke as they relaxed in the dressing rooms of the O2 Academy and prepared for the performance ahead.
SHULife: We’re here on the Kerrang Tour with “Fearless Vampire Killers”, how are you doing lads?
Drew: Good, we’re doing good!
SHULife: How are you finding Sheffield?
Luke: I love Sheffield actually. Sheffield is my favourite place.

Drew: Actually, we do always end up having a good night in Sheffield!

Luke: What’s the club we went to? Corp?

Drew and Kier: Corporation!?
SHULife: Corporation is quite the legendary club in Sheffield, so that’s probably where it was. 
Luke: Yeah they had an inflatable wrestling thing there. With Superman and Batman costumes! I was Batman….obviously!
Drew: Last time we were at Corp it was my birthday, so we just got free drinks all night!
SHULife: Nicely done! So, you’re on your ninth night of your eleven day run around the U.K with Black Veil Brides, Tonight Alive and Chiodos on the Kerrang Tour. How has it been so far?
Kier: This is actually the NME tour….did you think this was the Kerrang tour!?
Luke: Aww god!
Drew: (sarcastically) That was such a hilarious joke.
Kier: (laughing) Anyway yeah…obviously it’s been brilliant!
SHULife: Do you get on with the rest of the bands?
Kier: Yeah, brilliantly actually.
Drew: Yeah, everybody is really nice.
Luke: We did the Harlem Shuffle yesterday!
SHULife: What shows stood out the most to you guys so far?
Kier: Ermm…Sheffield.
Drew: We haven’t played yet, but shush!
SHULife: Thank you, I’m sure it won’t disappoint.
Luke: Glasgow was really good, and Southampton was pretty cool.
SHULife: What’s the most rock and roll thing that’s happened on this tour?
Kier: Erm, we went to see Wreck-It Ralph…that was pretty rock and roll!
Drew: That was really intense!
Kier: And I was wearing some pretty cool 3D glasses.
Luke: Everyone was wearing them…
SHULife: You’re named after a film by Roman Polanski. What is it about that film that influenced you to take its name?
Kier: That was mainly Lawrence that came up with that. I was actually away on holiday and came home and was like “you called our band WHAT!?”
Drew: The name for one has always been something that stands apart because it either pisses people off or people really love it. The film itself visually we take a lot from aesthetically. The tone of the film as well, is quite comedic with a dark twist to it, which is very much what we try and do. We try and look pretentious, but we have a sense of humour.
Kier: I feel like that’s lost on a lot of bands nowadays. These theatrical rock bands feel like they have to take themselves too seriously.
SHULife: In terms of lyrical message, what would you say you are hoping to convey?
Kier: It’s a mixture of things, Lawrence and Drew are our principle writers for the lyrics. Our new release has actually twisted things around a little bit, we’ve all written a song each for the five characters in the story. Generally in our songs we draw from personal experience for the core of the song writing, and just kind of relate it to something that might be a little fantastical, we weave it into a yarn.
Drew: They’re often all about kind of being losers together. We have that proper outsider’s mentality. Stick it to the “normals” (laughs) really.
SHULife: You played Download Festival last summer, how was that?
Drew: That was incredible.
Luke: That was like our first, big show, so it was a bit scary. When we were announced to go on it, we got quite a bit of abuse from metal fans.
Drew: We thought we’d be killed as soon as we went in there.
Kier: They were going on about our make-up. But if you ask “who’s your favourite band”, they reply “Black Sabbath”, like Black Sabbath never wore any make-up!
SHULife: So if you could describe Fearless Vampire Killers in three words, what would they be?
Luke: I’ll go…drunk!
Drew: Fumbling!
Kier: Erm, camp!
SHULife: So there you have it, Fearless Vampire Killers; drunk, fumbling and camp! Thank you very much guys. 
Fearless Vampire Killers’ new single “Diamond Dust and Crimson Reign” is out for purchase now.

Band: Blink 182

Single: Boxing Day

Album: Dogs Eating Dogs

Blink-182 have officially unveiled their brand new Christmas single ‘Boxing Day’ after its first airing on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show last Monday featuring an interview with Mark Hoppus.

Fans tuned into the airwaves with much anticipation having eagerly awaited the first single release from the newly independent band’s upcoming Christmas EP ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’. The bright, mid-tempo scar punk track certainly doesn’t fall short of catchy hooks, charming listeners with its original, semi-acoustic and typically American sound. Past Christmas releases from the band have included the vulgar, comical and bordering offensive “Happy Holidays, You Bastard” and “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas”, a far cry from, as some would say, the newly matured trio’s third Christmas feature.

“The EP is one hundred times better than Neighbourhoods”, quoted Travis Barker, the bands infamous drummer in this months Rolling Stone magazine, having earlier in the year been quoted as having said “the best is yet to come” from the band.

Dogs Eating Dogs, released on December 18^th features five brand new, studio recorded tracks. The EP is also available in limited edition t-shirt bundles on the bands official website, also including wrapping paper, a special edition blink-182 Christmas card and other band merchandise which is soon to be made unavailable, so get logged on quick!

Band: Canterbury 

Sam Briggs caught up with four-piece Canterbury before their headline show at Corporation to talk about rock music, touring and future plans.  

Easy question to start, how did you all meet and come to be Canterbury? 

Luke: Three of us went to school together since we were about 11 years old,  so we’ve pretty much been lifelong friends. Then we met the fourth member, Mike; he went to a different college but we met him when we were still pretty young. Almost straight out of school we were the unit that we are now – Canterbury. 

Your first album ‘Thank You’ was released as a free download, how and why did you come to that decision?

Luke: We recorded that album pretty much straight out of school, we raised the money ourselves and we weren’t really expecting much from it. That was back in 2007. We didn’t want to release it to no one because we were an unknown band without a fan base. Instead, we hit the touring circuit and toured around the country with whoever would have us for as long as we could. A few years down the line we had a fan base but we still didn’t have any options in terms of record labels or anything so we were getting quite frustrated. We decided to leak the album just to get it out there. So we gave it away as a free download in exchange for an email address.  Looking back it was a no brainer. We couldn’t expect people to pay for it at that stage, and now literarily tens of thousands of people have the record. 

Canterbury always seem to be on tour. Do you think thats a key factor in the band’s success? 

Luke: Absolutely. I feel like the old school model of being in a band was about getting out on the road. When it was harder to record and release music it was all about the live shows and building a fan base on the live circuit. A few years ago it almost reverted back, because of the internet and how easy it was to release music and how affordable it was to record. I kind of feel like that’s almost too saturated now; there’s so many bands out there and it is so easy to release stuff that you now have to revert back to being on the road. There’s nothing that quite compares to playing in front of your fans. 

Who’s the best band you’ve been on tour with?

Luke: The best? [pauses]  Hmm. Well the tour we just finished a few days ago with Deaf Havana could definitely be a contender. They’re such good fun and they’re such a great band so they make amazing touring buddies. When you’re on the road any band will tell you any band you’re on the road with you want them to be 50% good and 50% fun and the companionship. We really got on well with those guys; it was a really great British rock line up.  

You’re starting your own headline tour, how’s it differ to be at the top of the bill?

Luke: Really, really looking forward to it, it’s going to be a lot of fun. We get to play some of the new album in a live situation, which will be nice. Obviously the rooms are going to be somewhat smaller, than when we were supporting, but we’re excited about that. It’s going to feel like real live punk shows. We can’t wait to see the fans.

What do you think of the state of guitar music at the moment? Do you think the surge in electro music has pushed it underground?

Luke: I think you’re exactly right and that it has being pushed underground slightly, but I really feel like it’s rising up again. It’s undeniable that at the moment Britain is churning out some great rock bands that are all really innovative. Each of the bands within the scene seems to have their own niche and sound. It’s really exciting. You’ve got bands like Young Guns, Twin Atlantic and Deaf Havana who are making mainstream radio headlines so it’s really exciting to be part of the British rock scene at the moment. All the bands are excited about it.

Being in a band is a dream job for many people, but does it have it’s downsides?

Luke: I kinda just want to say no it doesn’t. [laughs] I mean, there are a few. It’s not the way to make a fortune, I’ll tell you that. If you don’t want to sit in a van for nine hours shoulder-to-shoulder with your buddies then it’s probably not the best job, either. On the whole though, we’re in a band living out our dream so I couldn’t ask for anymore. 

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up?

Luke: We all agree that the first stuff we were really into was what our parents would play in the car, like when you went on a long drive on holiday or something. For all of us that was people like; Elton John, The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. All classic writers that you can’t even really put into a genre. I think that probably inspired us all to recognise the difference between good and bad songs. More recently we’ve been listening to more folky stuff, more electronic stuff, but that isn’t necessarily what comes out in the song writing. I think what you listen to at the moment might dictate what you write years down the line. Even stuff you don’t like inspires you because you think, I don’t want to sound like that. [laughs]

Do you think the rise in social media sites that allow bands and fans to interact is a good thing? 

Luke: I think its invaluable now. As a fan of bands when I was younger there was a lot of mystery surrounding a band and you didn’t really know them. It bridges the gap between band and fan, so often these days that gap is filled by labels and PR and middle men. It breaks down all those walls which is really excellent. 

The press have had a lot of kind words to say about Canterbury. Does that validation keep you going? 

Luke:  Big time. The satisfaction comes from when a fan tells you how much you mean to them or you see people with your album. When you get a good write up in the press it almost frames all of that stuff and makes it more special. You have to remember it’s only one opinion but it speaks volumes about the world of music. 

What’s been the highlight of the year for Canterbury?

Luke: I think probably July 9th, the day we released the album. We put it out ourselves, on our own record label and we’d been working very hard to make that happen. On release day it was finally in people’s hands and they got to enjoy all of that hard work. It was such an enlightening feeling and it got to number one on the UK rock chart on iTunes for a day which we didn’t expect.

Let’s talk about Canterbury’s future plans. 

Luke:  We’ve got this headline tour to finish off the year, then a little bit of time off enjoying Christmas. Then we’ll be straight back into touring. We’re going to mainland Europe next year, followed by hopefully another UK run. Then, write a new record. We’d rather not wait another three years to release again so hopefully have a new album in the summer time.

Photography: Imy Thomson

Venue: Leadmill

Date: 17^th November 2012

Chelmsford boys, The Milk, are currently on a thirteen-date tour of the UK, to promote their debut album, Tales from the Thames Delta. Made up of school pals, Rick Nunn (lead vocals & guitar), Mitch Ayling (drums), Luke Ayling (bass) and Dan LeGresley (guitar), the band are quickly making a name for themselves as they revive the 60s spirit of R&B soul. With a modern take on a retro sound, the band has a skill for blending the old-school Motown and Northern soul, with elements of hip-hop, dub and rock.

Their presence on stage at Leadmill gave the impression of modesty, as the band members rarely made eye contact with the audience, but this didn’t dispel the crowd’s excitement as they bounced along to ‘Broke Up the Family’. Lead vocalist Rick Nunn’s soulful howls and cockney drawls were formidable and were supported well by the rest of the group. This is an aspect of the band that is remarkable in itself, as it is so rare now to see a band, that is capable of commanding such a mix of different genres, harmonise so well.

Perhaps it is their long history which allows quartet to synchronise so effortlessly, both in their vocals and their ability to seamlessly flow from one track to the other. Although this provided little opportunity for ‘banter’ with the crowd, it was refreshing to see such organisation and not have to wait around for five minutes after each song, whilst the ‘divas’ of the band got into focus. The Milk were focused and ‘in the moment’ for the entire gig and it really shows their determination to move forward and make it big.

SHUlife’s Erika Harris and Imogen Thomson managed to grab a few minutes to chat with the band before the show.

Your debut album is called ‘Tales from the Thames Delta’. Where did that name come from?

Luke: There’s this band called Dr. Feelgood, and they were based just down the road from us in Camden. There was a documentary on them called Oil City Confidential, and they kind of referred to the Thames estuary – sort of, South End, where we’re all from – as the ‘Thames Delta’.

Dan: We’d decided that was going to be the album name 6 months before we’d written any of the songs, because we thought it was that good.

Luke: I think it was the Thames Delta bit that did it, because obviously it’s the soul influence, and that sort of made sense, so we were sticking with that. And then when we looked at what we’d written, each song was just another day in the life of what we do. So it just sort of wrote itself.

And where did the band name come from?

Mitch: We weren’t thinking at the time; we were drunk. (All laugh). It was before we’d even been properly conceived as a band, we just thought ‘Let’s just call ourselves The Milk’, and then before we knew it we were too far down the rabbit hole to go back on it.

Is that where the whole cat theme for the masks and the ‘cats in suits’ artwork originated?

Dan: That was my brother. He was doing the artwork for us at the time, because we needed websites and stuff doing, and he just came up with it. Again, that was just sort of a temporary thing that stuck.

Mitch: Yeah we’ve not got any strong feelings towards cats. They’re all right, but–

Rick: We’ve not got any cat fetishes. (All laugh)

And how have your fans have reacted to the album?

Rick: It’s been good. I mean, it’s always nice to hear from them on twitter when they tell you their favourite songs and stuff, but I think the weirdest bit for us, is when you can hear the fans singing along to the lyrics.

All: Yeah, definitely.

You all seem to be really in touch with your fans on Twitter and Facebook. Is there one person who ends up being on there more than the rest of you?

Luke: I think we all go on at some point.

Rick: Yeah it’s nice to see how the fans feel about certain songs and the gigs.

Luke: I don’t know why lots of other bands don’t really interact with fans too much on Twitter, because it takes so little time to respond.

Dan: It’s something to do while we’re on the tour bus as well.

Is there a particular song that you all enjoyed working on or performing at a gig?

Rick: I think it changes really. It all depends because obviously with the singles, they tend to get overplayed and so you sometimes end up being more drawn towards the ones you don’t play as often.

You played a gig earlier this year at Soyo, at Sheffield. What kind of gig was it?

Mitch: Yeah we did a gig there. It was for Plug Live.

Rick: Oh yeah, we did an acoustic set there, that’s right. Yeah it was pretty good.

Do you have a favourite venue that you like to play?

Mitch: I think the Roundhouse in Camden is great because there’s no stage, so you feel like you’re a part of the crowd itself. Whereas a lot of venues we play feel more like tunnels.

Luke: Yeah the architecture’s brilliant as well. There’s also the Deaf Institute in Manchester. That’s a nice place to play.

There seems to be a mix of everything on your album, and there have even been comparisons between you guys and Plan B. Where do all your influences come from?

Mitch: We were doing this way before Plan B. (All laugh). But yeah, we do have that sort of R&B and soul sound.

Dan: I think Amy Winehouse was a key figure, especially her album ‘Back to Black’.

Luke: There are a lot of the classics too, like The [Rolling] Stones, The Beatles, and of course Motown classics. We were looking to find a mix between modern and retro.

‘Inbetweeners’ prankster, James Buckley featured in your video for Every Time We Fight. How did that come to happen?

Rick: He was doing a bit of ‘Celebrity DJing’ at different clubs and we’d heard that he liked our stuff and wanted to direct our next video. Well, we ‘d already had the idea to have the ‘main character’ of the video be someone other than one of us, and then it ended up that James Buckley was going to star in it and direct it.

Mitch: But when we turned up for filming, that was the first time we’d met him, and we thought it was just going to be, you know, once the job was finished we’d probably never see him again. But no, we’ve actually ended up becoming quite good friends and we even went to his wedding the other week!

How did the band come together in the first place?

Rick: We all knew each other at school and these two (pointing at Mitch and Luke) are brothers as well. So yeah, we all played in a band back then, but we never actually considered doing it for real. So we all went off to jobs and universities, and then 3 and a half years ago, I’d just had enough of my job, so I rang these guys up and said we should all give it a go. And I’d been told that if you want to get anywhere in a band, you have to be fully committed and give it seven days a week, so we all decided to do it properly and quit our jobs.

And how long was it after that, that you got signed?

Mitch: I think it was near to exactly a year after deciding to give it a proper go, we got signed.

Do you think being based in London helped when you were trying to get signed?

Rick: Oh yeah, definitely. I really do feel for bands that are starting up in other cities in the country. I know there have been bands that manage to do it, like the Arctic Monkeys, who are obviously from Sheffield, but I really do think it’s so much easier to get signed when you’re in London and there are so many opportunities available to you.

Band: Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls

Venue: O2 Academy Sheffield

Date: 19^th November 2012

As always, Frank Turner was mind blowing. You can tell from the way he engages with the audience that playing live on stage is where he is in his prime. He was backed by ‘The Sleeping Souls’, a backup band made up of Ben Lloyd (guitar, harmonica, mandolin), Tarrant Anderson (bass), Matt Nasir (piano, organ, guitar, backing vocals) and Nigel Powell (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The Sleeping Souls are all equally as talented as Frank Turner himself, they are all so in-sync it is as if they have always been part of Frank Turners musical ensemble.

Despite a close friend of Frank Turners passing away the night before, he gave it his all and while he was on stage at least, the audience having a good time was his prime focus. Looking at the audience, his hard work paid off. Singing every word to every single one of his songs at the top of their lungs, the audience were truly enjoying themselves.

Despite playing a wide range of songs, from his very first hits such as ‘The Ballard of me and my Friends’ to his new stuff like ‘Wessex boy’ and ‘England Keep my Bones’. My personal highlight was his final encore song ‘Photosynthesis’ to the lyrics ‘I won’t sit down’ the whole room got down on the floor, ready for the music to kick back in, this was the moment when everyone jumped to their feet and started dancing and singing with all the energy that they had left.

Venue: 02 Academy Sheffield

Band: Lost Prophets

Date: 3rd November 2012

I have never heard of Lostprophets performing a bad live show and this was certainly no exception.

Since Lostprophets formed in Wales in 1997 and have come a long way! After releasing 5 studio albums and having two top ten hits and numerous world tours, they have truly earned such dedicated fans.

The O2 Academy was packed full! Everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs to every lyric that came out of Ian Watkins’ mouth. Each song was pitch perfect in every way and they definitely know how to get the crowd moshing.

The only down side was the set only being an hour long, however they managed to squeeze the majority of their hits into this time and it was definitely an hour well spent.

I would recommend seeing Lostprophets live to any music fan, they are guaranteed not to disappoint.