Reverend And The Makers

It is apt that this review comes almost two months after the release of John "Reverend" McClure's latest full-length, in reference to both it's name and style. The album's title is the band's twitter 'handle', an idea that is extremely ham-fisted and one that will only hasten the sell-by date of a product that upon creation already felt dated.

Continue reading: Reverend and The Makers, @Reverend_Makers Album Review

Review of Reverend & The Makers A French Kiss In The Chaos

Continue reading: Reverend & The Makers, A French Kiss In The Chaos Album Review

Review of Oasis live at Wembley Stadium with support from Kasabian, Reverend and The Makers and The Enemy on Sunday July 13, 2009.

Continue reading: Oasis, Wembley Stadium, London Live Review

Reverend and The Makers
The State Of Things
Album Review

Reverend And The Makers release one Single and everyone seems to be on their backs straight away, for the right reasons?? Who knows? Alleged big mates of Arctic Monkeys it seems that Reverend Of The Makers have been labelled as free riders. Using this one (alleged) fact to help propel their own rise up the charts. If this is to be the case then why were they not one of the support acts at the Arctic Monkeys shows in Manchester? Lets face it they would have been cheaper that Amy Winehouse (although at least she turned up)

With their debut Single Heavyweight Champion Of The World reaching the heights of eight in the charts, Reverend and the Makers are now set to release their debut album The State Of Things.

Naturally there is quite a lot of hype around these guys, from Sheffield, mates of Arctic Monkeys, but does that really mean that will mean you are good as well? There is only one way to find out.

The album kicks off with the title track The State Of Things and instantly this track makes you wonder, is it a must to have an accent on the vocals to get anywhere in the music business nowadays? Other than that this and the next track The Machine are filled with energy and life bursting out.

Naturally the Single Heavy Weight Champion Of The World is in there and to be fair to Reverend Of The Makers they didn’t fall into the trap of banging it on the album as the first track! Not a lot that hasn’t already been said about this really, a real drunken sing-along song really.

Bandits seems like something just lifted straight off any of The Streets albums. Maybe they should of just offered this to Mr Skinner rather than putting it on their own record, because they are just going to be labelled as stealing ideas. Not that this is a bad track it is quite amusing, but would sit far better on The Streets album.

Then later on in the album you get to Sex With The Ex, which is a carbon copy of Despair In The Departure Lounge from Arctic Monkeys EP. A shame really because there are some good songs on this album, and then it gets spoilt with things like this.

The next Single looks set to be He Said He Loved Me, again back to the quick upbeat feel to it. Great track getting people to jump up and down like maniacs. Laura adds a bit of something different by adding her vocals onto the track. A bit mad but not bad all the same. For some reason as you get to the final hurdle of this album it pitters out into nothingness and fades away. Nothing to report here!

It would be easy to review this album in a paragraph, but where is the fun in that? In short and conclusion though The State Of Things is Happy Mondays, Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, Streets, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and Ziggy Marley all mixed together. If you like these artists then you might actually like this album. Just don’t take it too serious. Don’t you wish you just read the last paragraph now? (Like you did with the last chapter of the Harry Potter book)

Mark Moore

3/5

So, what do you want from a festival and what did The Secret Garden Party deliver? (in no particular order)
Easy entrance and exit? Tick!
Gorgeous setting and surroundings? Tick!
Clean toilets? Tick!
No queues for said toilets? Tick!
Chill out areas? Tick!
All night shenanigans? Tick!
Amazing line up of music? Tick!
Friendly, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere? Tick!
Readily supply of bars and eateries? Tick!
A surprise around every corner? Tick!
Bizarreness? Tick!
The weird and wonderful? Tick
The unexpected? Tick!
Something for everyone? Tick!
A full game of cricket in front of the main stage in the middle of Saturday afternoon? Tick!
A full set from The Sunshine Underground? Well you cant get it all!

At whatever time you arrive, the space to pitch you tent is available. As you wonder down through the camp site and towards The Sanctuary you realise that the atmosphere is stress-free and welcoming, and there is an air of tranquillity. But there is no doubt that if you want to find a night of mayhem or none sleep then just follow the throb coming out of one of the many various dance tents, curiously placed around the site. As you stroll across the wooden bridge into the main music area you realise that this festival is unusual in a very special way. There are hidden treasures around every corner, peculiar delights laid across you path and surprises in every hidden nook and cranny. There are very normal people walking around, some with their families and friends just enjoying a lovely summers evening. There are also the weird. Men with horses heads, gangs of middle age men in 1940's style cricket outfits, fairies, dwarfs, giants, demons, dogs, sheep, and the stung out hippies, getting away from their normal 9-5 lives sitting in a chicken coup in an office in the middle of the city.

And, if you saw this array of characters standing in line for the toilet if would look strange. But you don't. There are NO queues. Not for beer, toilets or food. And if you want to get right up to the front of the stage, within almost touching distance of your heroes you can. In fact, go on, touch them!

Then there are the many areas of relaxation. Hale bails covered in padded fabric. Under trees, in tents, in the middle of fields, almost everywhere and, you will find it very hard not to find space available. The lay of the land is such that you can lie back all day and watch the main stage, as well as the many other performance areas, on grass banks and only have to move to go to the beer tent or the occasional (non queuing) toilet.

As for the bands, there is such a variety of music that there is something for everyone. Eddie Temple Morris led the field on the Saturday night and mixed it up in the remix tent, with not a still foot in the house. Reverend and The Makers brought there individual dance/indie style to the same tent on the Friday, proving that they are going to be a big hit, if not this year, but next as the must band you have to see live. Then the Saturday evening band trail of New Young Pony Club, followed by The Sunshine Underground meant that all NME or Guardian readers had two hours of enjoyment. Although this does bring me onto the only negative point of the weekend. The Sunshine Underground. Not them, but the supposedly bad organisation which meant they could play 6 songs. As the band before the headlining act on the main stage, everyone was expecting a full set of songs, showcasing every song off of their amazing album, but for them to walk off stage after 6 songs (and not to mention the WWF wrestler invading the stage), it was bitterly disappointing.

But not to dwell on this point, The Secret Garden Festival is a must in the British Summer Festival season. But then again, maybe not. Maybe it is worth keeping it small and allowing it to deliver everything it already delivers, without the big corporate machine behind it, hedging for profits. Maybe it is just worth keeping a secret.

Charlotte Clayton