Meet The Band: Menace Beach

Back in the good old of days of 1990, Color Dream Games released Menace Beach for the then popular NES games console from Nintendo. Imagine skateboarding through a side-scrolling 8-bit world filled with balloons, clowns and disgruntled dockworkers in search of your cute pixilated girlfriend Bunny. It’s from this slightly surreal, esoteric world that this Leeds indie rock revolving cast of local luminaries, headed by Ryan Needham and Liza Violet, draw their name. It’s reference acts as the perfect backdrop to their 90’s American underground and pre-Brit Pop indie; melody heavy, supercharged pop that’s always surprising.

After the success of their EP Lowtalker in early 2014, British indie label favourites Memphis Industries snapped Menace Beach up with the band’s debut album in mind. It comes in the shape of Ratworld, a twelve song assault, a journey through a psyche tinged wonderland, documenting moving away and waving goodbye to the fractured rubble of an unhappy lifestyle.

Although Ryan and Liza are the creative core from which the wellspring of inspiration pours from, they’re now joined by Matt Spalding (bass), Nestor Matthews (drums) and Matthew ‘MJ’ Johnson (guitar). As everyone’s favourite Leeds based producer, MJ sits behind the desk and has been molding the sound in his Suburban Home studios since the start. It’s his keen ear and ability to thread and balance an artist’s sonic themes that is the foundation stone upon which these songs can explode and punch you in the gut. And they do. Over and over again.

Andy Howells recently put questions to Ryan from the band.

How Did you come together?
Me and Liza have known each other for ages but the band kind of haphazardly came together after we both ran off from the town we were living in and moved up to Leeds. We bumped into some old friends who were up for hanging out, eating pizza and playing music.

Where are you from?
We all live in Leeds. Liza is from somewhere on the South Coast and me and Matt S are from the Midlands originally.

How would you describe your music style?
Pretty loud guitar-y stuff. I like melody and noise pretty equally and my favourite records are all a bit rough and energetic and chaotic and kind of honest sounding, so hopefully it’s like that.

What’s been your best live experience?
I’m a big fan of festivals and Beacons last year was a really good one. We played at Bristol Fleece last December with pulled Apart By Horses and that was pretty wild. I found a pair of lost mosh-pit-casualty shoes after Horses played and they’re a real good fit. There’s also great coffee to be had next door.

You have a new single and album coming soon can you tell us more about that?
Tastes Like Medicine is the single that’s out now, we've just finished a video for it which has got some ghoulish animation going on. Our album is called Ratworld and is out on Jan 19th. It’s kind of a noisy document of feeling gross, running away from stuff, moving cities and starting again, that kind of thing. Its actually way more upbeat than that sounds!

What can people expect from your forthcoming Bristol gig?
I think Bristol is a few dates in and we should have learnt all the songs by then so we’ll be relaxed but maybe also fired up on caffeine from that awesome coffee shop that’s also a bike shop. I dunno, probably lots of feedback, the good kind, and some fabulous cardigans.

Where can people hear your music?
You should go to a record shop, you’re really spoilt for them in Bristol! I think there’s an album stream online or if you just search Menace Beach Ratworld I'm sure it’ll pop up.

• A version of this Q&A by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide during January 2015.
• Andy Howells' review of Menace Beach album Ratworld
• Official Menace Beach website

Billy J Kramer Remembers The 1960s With New UK Tour

“It was just a matter of the right time, the right place and things lining up with my schedule,” says Billy J Kramer as we talk about his return to the UK to perform his first concerts in 18 years. The original Mersey beat era star who scored Number One hits with Bad To Me and Little Children now resides in the USA will headline The Solid Silver Sixties Show as it tours the UK later this Spring.

Billy explains why he hasn't toured the UK for so long, “I did a lot of touring and I thought it was best to leave it off, I didn't want to do one tour after another as I thought people would get fed up with me!” The 1960s chart-topper couldn't be any more wrong as he discovered recently when performing to appreciative fans at several Beatles Fests in New Jersey, California, New York and Chicago with his old friend Mike Pender from The Searchers. “I knew The Beatles before they made records and was honoured to work with them when they became successful it was a wonderful period in my life.”

John Lennon and Paul McCartney regarded Billy so much that they penned both sides of his first two singles recorded with his backing group The Dakotas. “The day I was 20, John Lennon said “I have a song for you!” I said, “Well, play it.” He said “I'll play it the next time we're in Abbey Road.” When I went to Abbey Road he sat at the piano and played the song Bad to Me, later he said "I want to play you another song and I want your opinion," it was I Want To Hold Your Hand. I said “Can I have that?” and he said "No!"”

Bad To Me became Billy’s first chart-topper reaching number one in the UK charts during August 1963. “I didn't think it was anything I would achieve and it came as a complete shock, at first it was very difficult for me to handle. You've got women screaming at you that weren't screaming at you the day before.”

Billy is quick to credit his success to Brian Epstein who also managed the early careers of The Beatles and Cilla Black. “It was very hard coming from Liverpool, Brian had the right way about him and he opened doors. I just thought he was a gentleman the way he went about things. I remember when I got terribly overweight, he told me in such a compassionate way it really registered and I never forgot that.”

For years Billy led the campaign for the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame to recognise Brian Epstein’s contribution to music and even wrote a song To Liverpool with Love about his friend who sadly died in 1967. “I wrote the song before he got into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and I hope in my own way it helped a little. I felt that he’d been cold-shouldered. He'd brought the biggest rock n roll act to the world.” Ultimately Brian was finally given his overdue recognition early last year, where he was posthumously awarded the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement. Billy has since re-recorded To Liverpool with Love recognising this achievement for his latest album I Won the Fight.

I Won the Fight also features a version of The Story of My Life, originally a number one for Liverpool’s first pop star Michael Holliday in 1956. Billy also revisits a slice of his own history with a new version of the Lennon/McCartney song I’m In Love originally recorded in 1963 but not released at the time. “I had about 15 minutes for a session and John and Paul came in and said "we've got this great song,"" he recalls, “the guys learned it very quickly and we laid two tracks down. I don’t know why it was shelved but EMI have recently put it out by using technology to merge the two tracks. I thought for this album and the fiftieth anniversary I should revisit the song and do it well.”

Fans can expect to hear Billy perform his classic hits and songs from I Won the Fight when he plays St David’s Hall as part of the Solid Silver Sixties Show on April 1. Billy is looking forward to revisiting his hits, “I think it’s my duty as an entertainer because they (the fans) bought all these records that sent me around the world and gave me a wonderful life. I always say it was the most fantastic time in the history of pop music, there’s never been anything like it before or since and I don’t think there will be anything like it again.”

• Billy J Kramer along with Mike Pender, PP Arnold, The Merseybeats, Chris Farlowe and New Amen Corner will play The Solid Silver Sixties Show on April 1, 2015. Visit St David's Hall website for booking details.
• For more news on Billy J Kramer visit his official website.
• A version of this interview by Andy Howells appears in the South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 16.

Top Hat Stage Musical Pays Tribute To Fred and Ginger - Alyn Hawke Interview

The classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film musical Top Hat comes to life on the stage of Wales Millennium Centre next week. Packed full of Irving Berlin’s greatest hits including, Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie & Tails, Let’s Face the Music & Dance and Puttin’ on the Ritz, Top Hat tells the story of Broadway sensation Jerry Travers who dances his way across Europe to win the heart of society girl Dale Tremont.

Stepping into the shoes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, in the lead roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont, are Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Gooch who both return to Top Hat having previously performed these roles in the West End. Also part of the original West End cast is Bridgend born Alyn Hawke who returns to South Wales as part of the ensemble and Dance Captain for the show.

Alyn Hawke, Dance Captain for Top Hat

Alyn went to Brynteg Comprehensive School in Bridgend before going on to train at Arts Educational Schools in London for a BA (Hons) in musical theatre. Going into theatre work was a fulfilment of a lifelong passion for Alyn. “I grew up watching all the old movie musicals,” he says, “My Gran was very keen on them. I always knew that’s what I wanted to be involved in, in some way.”

On completion of the course he joined the European tour of Evita before moving on to the West End production of Top Hat, three years ago. Alyn has continued with the production on its 42 week UK tour as Dance Captain. 

“In a nutshell, The Dance Captain is to be the choreographer’s eyes on the show,” says Alyn, “because although they create the show they don’t come on tour with us. The Dance Captain has to uphold what the choreographer’s standard and expectation of the show is. We therefore have to make sure everyone is doing the right choreography as well as taking company warm ups, there’s lots of different things we are involved with.”

In all Top Hat features 29 cast members, 20 of which are dancers. The production features many iconic scenes that fans will be familiar with but something different too. "There’s lots of iconic bits of which our choreographer stuck to," says Alyn, " It wasn't until later on in the process he was given permission to choreograph his own original routines rather than copy the film. There have been lots of variations as Top Hat has gone on. It has strayed further away from the film while still keeping an authentic 1930s Fred Astaire feel to it. There are so many nods to Fred and Ginger and the songs of Irving Berlin. As much as we’d like to, no-one could ever replicate exactly what Fred and Ginger created, so it’s nice it has those original touches with that in mind."

With the production maintaining that 1930s flair does Top Hat still stand up as good entertainment today? Alyn seems to think so. "Top Hat as a show is escapist, easy watching and elegant it’s such a lovely show to watch and be part of."

• Top Hat is at Wales Millennium Centre from 14 – 24 January 2015. Tickets range between £18 - £46.50. Premium seats are available. For more information and to book tickets visit www.wmc.org.uk or call the ticket office on 02920 636464.
• A version of this interview by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 9, 2015

Chapter And Verse From Funeral For A Friend - Kris Coombs-Roberts Interview

Fourteen years after their formation in Bridgend, Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend release their latest album Chapter and Verse on January 19. Known for packing punch and purpose into their recordings, the theme promises to continue with their latest release but on a new level.

 “Its sonically different to a lot of records you hear at the moment,” reveals guitarist Kris Coombs-Roberts, “ We wanted to go for a very live production and something that feels human and real as opposed to something that is been constructed in a laboratory by a computer.”

The band finished touring with their last album, Conduit, in October 2013; it was then a process of looking towards their next project.  “ We all play guitar everyday and we’d all collected ideas over a year,” says Kris, “ When we finished touring we all sat down and tried to work out what we wanted to do with them. We put them into a Dropbox as we had 20 odd ideas. We chose what we thought were the best out of them then spent two weeks hammering them out into songs and went down to Southampton in January and recorded them in two weeks with Lewis Johns.”

Melding gruff attitude with melodic choruses, Kris says the band wanted a live feel for their new album “Pretty much what you’re hearing is a live performance., no guitar overdubs or click tracks, we wanted to get the feel and the emotion of the songs as opposed to sonically perfect. I’m bored of hearing records that are flawless they don’t sound like they are been played by human beings. Back in the day when everything was going on tape it was about performing and playing well and getting the feel  for the songs right and that’s something we definetely wanted to capture.”

Kris is also keen that Chapter and Verse is recognised as an album in the true sense of the word, “It works as a body of songs, a complete piece of work, there’s some styles on there we haven’t done for a while. Slow-burners I guess, not balladesque songs but slightly slower and longer and more expansive, it’s something that I feel quite happy to have back in our sound. With Conduit we were all in a different place and wanted to make a very aggressive fast record. We wanted something a little bit more experimental and tangible.”

Prior to Chapter and Verse’s release the band will begin a spring tour with a date at Bristol’s Fleece on January 15, Kris emphasises that the bands relationship with their fans at gigs is important to them.  “Its important to go everywhere and play,” says Kris, “ As a musician the thing you enjoy more than anything else is writing music, but then its going out and playing to people who appreciate your music and then you showing your appreciation to them for buying your records.”

• For more details about Funeral for a Friend’s New album and tour visit their official website
• A version of this interview by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 9, 2015

CD Review: Foreverly by Billie Joe and Norah

Foreverly arrived on the review desk before Christmas 2013 and inevitably before the passing of Phil Everly, so although it was recorded as a tribute by Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones it will no doubt take on an ever deeper meaning now to those who hear it.

Fans of The Everly Brothers will no doubt recognise many of the songs featured on Foreverly from the Everly’s album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.

It’s fair to say that both Norah and Billy Joe haven’t strayed to far from the arrangements of the The Everly’s. A good or bad thing?

Undoubtedly it would have been nice to have heard a more originality from the featured artists but an Everly Brothers tribute is long overdue and can only serve to introduce another generation of fans to their music.

• This review by Andy Howells was originally featured in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide during January 2013

Sam Kane Talks About Dual Role In Cinderella Show

Andy Howells meets Sam Kane

Andy Howells chats to Sam Kane who is currently directing and starring in the pantomime Cinderella at The New Theatre, Cardiff.

Actor Sam Kane is having a busy pantomime season. Not only is he currently starring as an Ugly Sister in Cinderella at Cardiff New Theatre but he’s also directing the production as well. “Its the first time I'm in that dual role,” Sam tells me,“ in fact I made my directional debut at The New Theatre in the millennium year with Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs .” 

“Its weird this year. As I have to pay a bit more attention to myself than I normally do, because I'm a joker and a comic anyway. I was actually down to play Buttons this year but you know what?  I kind of fancy been next to my best mate in a frock, I love it!” 

When Sam refers to his “best mate in a frock”, he is of course talking about his wife, the actress, Linda Lusardi who plays The Fairy Godmother. The pair met in pantomime at Darlington 20 years ago and have since married and had two children. “I was the handsome prince that year and she was Snow White. Its a fairy-tale. 20 years and its still going on we are blissfully married and have two amazing kids, its just an odd job to be in for normal people!” 

Sam who hails from Liverpool has always had show-business in his blood,” I always wanted to be a performer,” he says, “I wanted to be a singer when I was a kid and I was into pop music. I suppose I was extrovert without knowing it. I had a lot of brothers,  I had to be heard so was always in front of an audience, anyway I finished school went to a college, went to a drama school and knew that’s what I wanted to be. 

On stage Sam has starred in musicals such as South Pacific and Seven Brides and Seven Brothers while on television there was a regular role as lovable hairdresser Peter Phelan on the Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside, which he played for nearly three years. 

More recently Sam has appeared in a new film Vendetta which starred Danny Dyer and also directed the new stage play Kiss Me Honey Honey at the Edinburgh Festival. This was a huge success and went on to win a Fringe First Award. “I was thrilled to bits,” says Sam of the play, “we’re going back next year with another great writer and the same actors and really looking forward to it.” 

In the meantime, Sam is currently acting and directing in Cinderella alongside his wife Linda, Gareth Thomas, Lee Mead, Andy Jones, Mike Doyle, and Holly Bluett. For Sam it’s a dream cast, "What we have right here is an old style theatre bill where there’s a lot of people who can do the job on stage whether they be celebrities from television, stage or sport. We've got the whole gamut on one bill and everyone’s got an amazing ability or personality. That is the star of the show. Cinderella’s the best pantomime I've done.”

• Cinderella runs at The New Theatre until January 18, 2015. Tickets can be bought on 029 2087 8889 or online at www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
• A version of this interview by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 2, 2015 

Review: Whitney Houston Live - 2CD Ultimate Edition

Posthumous releases tend to usually offer something new, unreleased or rare from the featured artist. 

Whitney Houston Live - Ultimate Edition is a collection of live recordings from Whitney Houston's best television appearances (recently released as half of a CD /DVD set ) and a tagged on collection of 18 of her greatest hits (which was also released a while back).

I'm not quite sure who would buy this collection, as fans will likely own both albums already, also both albums feature the same song (although different studio and live versions) more than once. 

Search out both albums individually for a better Whitney experience in either the studio or as a live performer.

• A version of this review appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 2, 2015.