Anonymous Iconoclasts - Send in the Suits - Album Review

In April 2018, I received a 14-track album by the south Wales collective, Anonymous Iconoclasts (Think Kiss without the glamour or platforms!) entitled ‘A.I’. It was so good that I dusted down my under-used laptop and wrote a detailed review.  This week marks my return to live radio after a bit of a break and what was waiting for me but a brand-new album from those shadow-lurking musos! If I thought the 14 track ‘A.I.’ was ambitious, the new offering, ‘Send in the Suits’ is a hefty 20 songs long!  ‘A.I.’ offered a glimpse of the horrors that technology has to offer and ‘SITS’ with an image of the House of Commons emblazoned on the front cover, keeps up the story. Sine their last release we’ve had  lockdown, of course and our ‘Anonymous’ friends have had a lot of time on their hands…

Musically the Icons are almost impossible to pigeonhole, as each song is a different style, or genre from its predecessor. ‘A Real Situation’ kicks us off, in full Talking Heads mode with the first lyrical use of the word ‘egress’, to my knowledge. The deadpan delivery of most tracks leads to a comparison with David Byrne and co, especially the choppy guitar work. ‘Let’s take a Trip’ has more of a country feel and includes a few jabs at some guy called ‘Elon’ and his space tourism adventures (who could they possibly mean?).

‘Just Because’ is a tremendous ‘list’ song, in which not so anonymous iconoclasts such as Marilyn and Jimmy Dean get name checked, amongst other 20th century cornerstones. ‘Don’t change my Dear’ continues, in the Americana style. ‘Keep on Moving’ has a beautiful, simplistic guitar run and more deadpan delivery, accompanied by shuffling drums and percussion. I first heard the next track, ‘Our new Norm’ back in the heady days of lockdown and it has several wryly witty observations on those curious months that we spent on Zoom, clapping hands, two meters apart. This version, produced by Danny Chang, has added a flute, to the demo that I first heard and is a genuine highlight, of the first half of this behemoth.

The upbeat ‘Green Tree House’ follows next. This had me thinking of early R.E.M. with a few McCartney style yeah’s thrown in and some Bob Dylan harmonica (kitchen sink, et al). ‘Chill in the Air’, ‘You took away My’ and ‘Baby Don’t Cry’ capture this band, in a snapshot, country ballad juxtaposed with quirky, indie pop. ‘Fall like a Fool’ is again typical; jaunty music with dark, sinister lyrics, featuring Beatles-esque stabbing strings.

Country twang returns with ‘Let it all Out’ and then the tempo livens up with ‘Learn to Live’ a ‘weird way of listening’, indeed!.  References to fingers in ears and the sometimes vocally strained delivery make the song intriguing, as well as weird! ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ has a latter day, Johnny Cash feel to it whilst ‘Come by and See me’ channels the ghost of Leonard Cohen via Roger Waters.

‘What d’you think about that?’ highlights the drummer’s impressive abilities whilst ‘Safe at Home’ takes us back to our shared COVID memories with some Donovan style finger picking for good measure. The (instrumental) title track, ‘Send in the Suits’ is a jazz shuffle, complete with scat vocalising, bizarrely features the phrase ‘more tea, vicar?’ during the intro! The whole shebang finishes with ‘This way Up’, a simple whistled melody, over a lo-fi, almost Bontempi organ-sounding keyboard riff.

Phew and that’s your lot, a complete smorgasbord of styles which like Zappa works most of the time with very few missteps.  SITS is available via Spotify but why not support the band? £7 for such a strong, 20 track album, is some bargain!

Please don’t leave it another five years, lads, or the next one will be a 100 track, box set! This is really great stuff but now it’s time for me to find the egress…   

Chris Philips BGFM Radio

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show - The New Theatre - 3/8/2023

There are plenty of good tribute bands performing classic songs of the last few decades, many perform at local clubs and venues we have all seen and appreciated.

Taking it to the next level, touring bands such as The Australian Pink Floyd and The Bootleg Beatles to name two.

What is needed from the perfectly competent local tribute to playing Theatres and large venues?

The answer can be seen tonight at The New Theatre, Cardiff. A stunning venue requires stunning performances.

Yes, The Ultimate Classic Rock Show performs the crowd-pleasing Classics, but boy do they do it well!

The attention to detail of each song musically, Sound and lighting, screen graphics and video is just perfect.

Two numbers also contained a very lively performance from children of Cardiff and Vale Music Education Choir, just brilliant!

From the opening Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” to many classic bands of the 60’s through to 80’s from Queen, Eric Clapton, Wings,Led Zeppelin,Deep Purple and many many more.

This really is a trip of musical nostalgia perfectly performed on all levels. It is not a Surprise tonight as well as many other dates are sold out.

In terms of a review all I can say is this is a thoroughly enjoyable night if you like your classic Rock bands with a touch of the AOR classics from Fleetwood Mac, Toto, and The Eagles for good measure.

Next year the band is playing at The Millenium Centre on 31/3 24, Just be sure to get a ticket now as this will sell out, and deservedly so. This IS the Ultimate Classic Rock Show.

Interview With An Anonymous Iconoclast

In an exclusive for KCL, Will Gregory interviewed the singer of Cardiff's Anonymous Iconoclasts about their third album, 'Send In The Suits'. They chatted about songwriting, post-lockdown creativity, encouragement for the live music scene and some of the twenty tracks (20!!) on the brand new album. As the band are 'anonymous', Steve's face is not available but his opinions are!

'Send In The Suits' is released on July 30th, 2023 and is distributed through Distrokid.

Physical CD's are available from the band's website: https://www.anonymousiconoclasts.com/merchandise

LOVE - The Earl Haig Club - 12/7/2023

Legend Johnny Keeps Arthur’s LOVE Alive

All Images Barry Morris

Forever Changes by LOVE is a piece of work that escorts you, from the callow to the creaky, through the twists and turns of your life. 

Its haunting and poignant yet exuberant tracks cry of youth, death, optimism, negativity, paranoia, naivety, happiness, sadness, fear, loathing and loving. It is both unsettling and reassuring; it is surprisingly in the moment and yet prompts a wistful longing for a lost age.

Arthur Lee’s Los Angeles-based psychedelic band recorded Forever Changes as their third- and clearly best- effort of four top class albums in the mid-sixties. This was no breakthrough album; they had already torn up the Strip and won the laurels of Laurel Canyon. Love and Da Capo had sold six figures or more each. They had houses and cars and a rock star way of life. The band- Arthur Lee on guitar and vocals for all but two of the tracks; Johnny Echols on lead guitar; Bryan Maclean on guitar and the other vocals; drummer Michael Stuart and bassist Ken Forssi- were drifting and disjointed and nearly not good enough to play on the tracks Arthur had written. In fact, it seems co-producer Bruce Botnik had session musicians ready to go and he did put down a few tracks with them (He also had Neil Young ready to work with him but that’s another story).

Arthur, in turn, was beset by his own demons, convinced he was likely to join many contemporary talents of that time and die very young. Working in one of rock’s rare diverse bands, in a predominately white industry, and against a background of the Vietnam War, his experiences and his inner fears did not allow him to wholeheartedly follow the beckoning bourgeoise flower power movement that was already fuelling nearby San Francisco’s hedonistic counterculture. He refused to tour and the band lost vital opportunities to tighten up the sound and spread the word of their talent.

These internalised pushings and pullings vied with Arthur’s never-doubted musical strength and inner belief in the music and his determination to transfer it into sounds to share. It all fired up Forever Changes- and riding shotgun with him was his childhood friend, guitar man Johnny Echols. Well, what else do you become when you’re from Memphis Tennessee and your middle name is Marshall?

Behind the crisp and clipped vocals, Forever Changes is an album of exquisite supplementary sounds that combine, overlap and standout throughout the eleven tracks. Harpischord, Tijuana brass, lush strings, multiple rhythm changes, flexible bass patterns- it is an incredibly bold, mature and complex sound for a group of musicians that were barely out of their teens.

And perhaps the most significant contributor was Johnny Echols’ chopping, coaxing, piercing, howling crystal-clear guitar work, a sound that helped to spawn many successors in the school halls and back bedrooms of the world as the new rock generation unfurled their wings.

Arthur avoided the curse of the 27 Club and in fact it wasn’t until 2006, aged 61, that his prophetic fears of death eventually came true. But LOVE live on, and, led by Johnny Echols, they came to the UK and they came to Cardiff’s Earl Haig Club to put a spring in the arthritic step of their original fans while inducting younger ones into rock’s hall of fame.

Were they any good? You bet. 

Any fears were dispersed after a few bars of “A House Is Not A Motel”, Arthur’s anti-war opus “By the time that I’m through singing /the bells from the school of war will be ringing/more confusions/ blood transfusions” with a fab burst of Johnny’s timeless guitar setting the mood and the pace for the night. 

The three guitar line-up (This LOVE is administered by Johnny’s tour band, Baby Lemonade , who had played with Arthur Lee and are a fine collection of psychedelia-ridden lads- Rusty Squeezebox, Mike Randle, drummer David Green and Dave Chapple on bass) chimed and riffed and chugged and boogied and managed to replicate the distinctive vocals and also power their way past the classic fills that had been previously designated to strings and brass.

Live and Let Live ; the brilliant The Daily Planet- and then Johnny came alive on the classic The Red Telephone, reaching back into the mists of time to replicate and reaffirm his set-in-stone belief in freedom from the very depths of his heart.

The wonderful AndMoreAgain and Brian Macleans’ magical AloneAgainOr were heart rending moments that both recaptured the immediacy of teenage angst and yearning but also depicted for us older fans a closed-off time of innocence and uncertainty, of lost yet loved years.

Yes, there were other great tracks from the other three albums (Four Sail followed Forever Changes) including You Set the Scene, Neil’s Song, Singing Cowboy (and they’ll be a few older fans with painful sides after overdoing the Yoo Hoo-backed arm stretches) and Revelation.

But Forever Changes remains the pinnacle of LOVE’s creativity.

So good, I bought two tee-shirts.

Praise for Love’s ‘Forever Changes’ LP:

‘The Second Greatest Psychedelic Album of all Time’

‘One of the Best and Most Highly Regarded and Influential Rock Albums of All Time’

‘One of the Finest and Most Haunting Albums to come out of the Summer of Love’

‘The Best Record Ever’ – The Stone Roses.

Five stars out of five -AllMusic 

Five stars out of five- The Encyclopedia of Popular Music  

Five stars out of five -Rolling Stone Album Guide

Ten out of ten-NME 

All Images by Kind Permission Barry Morris

Boo Hewerdine - Penarth Pier Pavilion 01/07/2023

TC Photography

Described in his Wikipedia biog as "one of Britain's most consistently accomplished songwriters" this evening's gig is all the proof needed to fully endorse that description. Quite simply Boo Hewerdine is a British musical treasure.

Since his formative years as lead singer and creative force in the much acclaimed band The Bible, Hewerdine has consistently produced songs of such quality that he’s attracted quite a few high-profile stars, either keen to record his songs or write with the talented Boo.

TC Photography

It’s highly likely that you may have heard a Boo song, but not have noticed. What he describes his “big hit” the Ivor Novello nominated “Patience of Angels” a hit for singer Eddi Reader features regularly on TV and Radio. Hewerdine’s version this evening was particularly moving with his audience singing in unison.

Playing another song, “Bell, Book and Candle” a tune originally recorded by The Bible, Hewerdine tells how the song as become the ‘go to song of death’ for many TV shows with a character leaving a programme never to return.

It was certainly proving a quite exceptional and intimate evening with the venue (and it’s wonderful acoustics) playing its part as Hewerdine sang the soulful “Graceland” whilst proving quite the raconteur, keeping his audience entertained between songs.

Ending the evening, Hewerdine stepped away from the mic to perform his song “Sunset” just as the sun went down on a beautiful evening.

Boo aside, there can’t be many better venues in South Wales as the Penarth Pier Pavilion for intimate gigs such as these and long may they continue in such a wonderful environment

By Tony Woolway

What’s LOVE got to do with it? Well, just about Everything!

How would you like to hear one of the very best albums of all time- don’t rely on me, rely on Rolling Stone, NME, The Great Rock Discography and many others- played live in an intimate setting in Cardiff?

Well you can on Wednesday July 12th, when Johnny Echols’ LOVE, led by the co-founder, guitarist and songwriter, will perform a set of classic psychodelia tracks from the seminal San Francisco band’s flower-power soaked catalogue.

Johnny Echols set up the band in the mid-sixties with his childhood friend Arthur Lee and their first three albums Love, Da Capo and, of course, the aforementioned legendary LP Forever Changes, fired them into the counterculture superstructure.

Joining Johnny Echols on the Earl Haig stage will be Baby Lemonade, who from 1993 until Arthur’s death in 2006 had become an essential part of the renaissance of LOVE’s music. 

Forever Changes may not have created a revolution in society but it did in youth culture, merging new rock and guitar conventions with intricate horn and string arrangements and embracing bandleader Arthur Lee’s ahead of his time (Geddit?) skewed scepticism of the flower power movement of the time.

So get to the Earl Haig Club on July 12 and enjoy THE gig of Cardiff’s summer of LOVE. And make sure you wear a flower in your hair- that is, if you’re lucky enough to still have some….

Praise for Love’s ‘Forever Changes’ LP

‘The Second Greatest Psychedelic Album of all Time’

‘One of the Best and Most Highly Regarded and Influential Rock Albums of All Time’

‘One of the Finest and Most Haunting Albums to come out of the Summer of Love’

‘The Best Record Ever’ – The Stone Roses.

Five stars out of five -AllMusic 

Five stars out of five- The Encyclopedia of Popular Music  

Five stars out of five -Rolling Stone Album Guide

Ten out of ten-NME 

Coldplay - Clwb Ifor Bach....and the rest is history !!

Images may be subject to copyright

As the mammoth Coldplay play their second night at a sell-out Principality Stadium it is cool to remember their humble beginnings and the band’s first solo visit to the Capital, the band playing the tiny Clwb Ifor Bach, in comparison to the giant stadia they find themselves in today.

It was the 20 June 2000, an amazing 23 years ago that the band made their first headlining visit to Cardiff, it could not be more different than where they find themselves today. The band had visited the city earlier in the year as part of a package that included Shack, Campag Velocet, Les Rythmes Digitales on the NME Premier Tour.

The band were just about to release their debut album Parachutes the following month, a commercial success achieving rave reviews on release, quickly reaching Number 1 in the UK, and currently certified 9x Platinum.

It won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002, the British Album of the Year award at the 2001 Brit Awards and many other accolades.

Parachutes is also the 22nd best-selling album of the 21st century in the United Kingdom. As of 2020, it has sold over 13 million copies worldwide.

Coldplay were apologetic during their Principality Stadium gig in Cardiff 17 years later that they had not performed in the capital sooner. Lead singer Chris Martin told the Principality Stadium audience: "We haven't been in Wales for a long long time and that's because we've been rehearsing for 17 years to make the best show we've done."

Formed in London in 1996. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey.

They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, first calling themselves Pectoralz and then Starfish.

Classic Album Review - The Libertines

After a tumultuous time in the recording studio; The Libertines were able to create an album as equally as chaotic as the band's off-stage antics.

At the turn of the 21st Century, indie dominated the UK charts. Bands such as The Strokes and the Vines paved the way for a new wave of garage rock musicians. However, The Libertines also contributed to this sudden revival of the scene. The strained relationship between front-men Pete Doherty and Carl Barat and Doherty's aloof personality and unpredictable behaviour mixed with their punk-infused debut album caused the band to be at the fore-front of the UK scene.

Despite this, a second album seemed unlikely with Doherty's health rapidly deteriorating due to a number of well-documented addictions. All of Doherty's problems culminated in 2003 when he was arrested and jailed for 6 months after burgling bandmate Barat's flat and damaging a number of items.

Surprisingly, the pair were able to set aside their differences and head into the studio; determined to recapture the magic of their debut record. To be able to harness the same feeling as 'Up the Bracket', former Clash guitarist Mick Jones returned to produce the album with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler also lending a hand with the production.

Jones' influence can be heard prominently on the opening track 'Can't Stand Me Now' with Barat and Doherty playing call and response guitar riffs that are reminiscent of the trademark Clash sound. The song itself delves into the strained friendship between the two charismatic front-men and how recent events affected them but eventually brought them back together.

The band continue their punk-infused assault on the ears with second track 'Last Post on the Bugle'. The rumbling guitar riff weaving a wall of sound and complimenting Doherty's lackadaisical vocal delivery perfectly.

Songs such as 'Music When the Lights Go Out' and 'What Katie Did' display a new side to the Libertines that had never been heard before on previous recordings. Both tracks are covered in a pop sheen with the group possibly desiring more radio airplay to catapult them into indie rock stardom.

However, the group still maintain their unadulterated punk sound throughout the majority of the album. 'The Ha Ha Wall' is a highlight of the record with an iconic swirling guitar riff chugging through the entirety of the run-time. 'The Ha Ha Wall' could potentially be seen as a tribute to Doherty's profession due to his lyricism making remarks about how music saved his life and prevented boredom in his youth.

The Libertines continue their raw, garage rock sound on tracks such as 'Arbeit Macht Frei', a chaotic and manic minute and a half of pure punk mayhem. Doherty's lyrics are uncharacteristically political, showcasing the ridiculousness of homophobia and racism.

The percussion section can sometimes be overlooked due to the erratic personalities of the two front-men but Gary Powell and John Hassell shine throughout. Powell is able to showcase his unbelievable timing on tracks such as 'Don't Be Shy' and 'Narcissist' where he is able to overcome the chaos and keep the songs on track.

Finally, 'What Became of the Likely Lads' is a perfect way to end the record, Doherty and Barat once again singing about their peculiar dynamic whilst also playing complex guitar riffs that are joyfully unconventional.

Overall, The Libertines eponymous album is a seminal record in the UK indie scene and is a must listen for anyone wanting to understand this intriguing sub-culture that captivated Britain in the early 2000s.

Rating: 8/10