Gnarwolves release Bottle to Bottle video

Yeah, you read that right; clips from Reading & so much more, looks like they had a pretty dreamy summer if you ask me! Have a look for yourself...

http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/music-2/top-picks-music-2/gnarwolves-premiere-bottle-bottle-huck/  

9 weeks, 9 shows - Part One

I'm back finally! I know I have been away for a while however a lot of changes have occurred in my life and I have been unbelievably busy, I finally feel like I am at a good place to sit down and write, hooray! 

So, I am sure you are all desperate to hear what I have been up to and as per usual; gigs, gigs & more gigs, so here is a breakdown (part one) of some of the shows I have been lucky enough to attend! 

Gnarwolves//The Black Heart, Camden//15.09.2014
I was extremely lucky to attend this intimate debut album release show, and of course Gnarwolves did not disappoint. The excitement of the release really shined through in the band's stage presence and this was reflected when the packed-in crowd erupted. If you are familiar with this band then you will of course be aware that no Gnarwolves show is complete without stage dives and crowd surfs, and having no barrier certainly allowed more than the odd stage dive. 

The Libertines//Alexandra Palace//28.09.2014
You can imagine the surprise when I discovered an email confirming that I had won tickets to see The Libertines, especially when I had forgotten that I even entered the competition! After a bit of faffing I managed to confirm that the tickets were legitimate and off I went. What an incredible night! The anticipation for the band to come on could be felt seeping out of the surrounding fans and when they finally did arrive there was not a drop of disappointment. Everything from the sound to the back drop was spectacular and the shorties like myself certainly appreciated the live cameras projecting onto a screen directly behind the stage. The Libertines steamed through their set and pulled out all the classics and most certainly ended their third night at Ally Pally on a high note.

Carry The Weight Fest//The Parish Hall, Brighton//05.10.2014
So, this was a very last minute decision I made. My best friend was travelling up this way for CTW Fest which meant I got to see him & some cool bands all in one day, plus I will always take up the opportunity to visit Brighton. Despite the long, rainy journey, this was a really enjoyable day. It had been a while since I had been to a Hardcore show and I only knew a couple of bands on the bill however, I came away with more than a few new bands to add to my playlists. Negative Approach headlined and Violent Reaction, Breaking Point & Renounced were in my top three bands for the day, every band showed buckets of enthusiasm. One of the top points of the day was the general atmosphere, everyone was super friendly and chilled. Also, I must add that the Vegan kebabs that were made on site by Beelzebab were INCREDIBLE. 

More Than Life//The Borderline, London//19.10.2014
I anticipated this show for so long! The last time I saw More Than Life before this show was on their 'last ever tour' and I travelled from Cornwall to Brighton for one night! This time it was a lot simpler, the train from Chelmsford to London is pretty easy. I don't handle excitement very well and can tend to be quite a hyperactive person therefore, you can imagine how I am when waiting to see a band that have been near the top of my list for a good few years now. I was pleased to see that Up River were supporting as I saw them a few years back and after their last performance they made their way onto my iPod. When More Than Life finally came out I was ecstatic, they played a substantial mixture of old and new tracks and could not be faulted on their set list. In all honesty, I don't think they could be faulted at all for their performance that night. Front-man, James, oozes emotion when projecting powerful vocals and the last song played, Love is Not Enough, was dedicated to his mum who had previously passed away a few months earlier; this hit me like a ton of bricks and the repetition of the line 'let me take away the illness that is dragging you down' resulted in a tear or two being shed by myself. More Than Life have continued to create excellent music and have built up an impressive fanbase. Musically, I believe that their sound was a lot tighter than when I saw them a few years ago and I think they will only improve. I will definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open for any more tours or one-off shows.

Buzzin' after More Than Life
Guest appearance from my best mate Jake.

The moment we've all been waiting for....

Finally, the much anticipated Gnarwolves debut album is available to stream on Sick Chirpse. 

Here is the link, you're welcome:

http://www.sickchirpse.com/exclusive-stream-gnarwolves-record/

Reading 2014: 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck you'

The bank holiday hits and everyone needs something to do, right? This year I joined all the school leavers and GCSE passers (or not) and spent my Saturday at Reading Festival. 

With my itinerary already planned I headed backstage at 10 o’clock to greet Gnarwolves who seem rather chilled considering they are about to play a show that could change their career path more than any other show so far. Opening the main stage at Reading and Leeds is something that these Cornish - migrated to Brighton - punks never thought they would achieve let alone being offered this spot only three years after forming. Their self titled album is yet to be released however, pre-orders are flying out the doors.
Midday hits and the nerves have finally kicked in, Gnarwolves take to the stage as I take a spot on the side balcony; what a view! Such an incredible turn out with dedicated fans sporting various Gnarwolves tees and a couple of fans have even taken their time to create banners which do not go unnoticed. 

Thom, Charlie and Max steam through a forty minute set opening with Melody Has Big Plans and ending with Limerence; both tunes off their latest EP; Funemployed. The crowd stay with them the whole time and although stage dives are near impossible, the endless circle pits and crowd surfers soon make up for it. 
The band give it their all knowing that this could be a make or break moment for them; there are certainly some important people watching and Gnarwolves do not fail to make a good impression. 
Vocalist/Guitarist Thom Weeks' comment 'This is madness!'  is more than enough to show how this band are feeling in this monumental moment of their career. 

The band could not be faulted for their sheer effort and enthusiasm. The set list is made up of a real mixture of songs from all three EPs and a couple of songs from their debut album are thrown in, including their latest release,Smoking Kills; it has only taken a month since the music video was released for the dedicated Cru to learn the words. 
Every song played is a fast paced banger, even the songs that seem to begin slow build up to exactly what the fans want; fast beats, heavy bass lines and raw vocals. 

In a moment of excitement, Charlie drops his bass at the end of the set and heads directly for the crowd only to throw himself into the arms of the loyal Cru; who says you can’t stage dive at Reading, well, kind of. 
As the band leaves the stage, the crowd begins to chant 'Fuck You' inspired by Gnarwolves themselves and their 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck You' catch phrase.

I caught up with bassist, Charlie, after the set who told me: "That was the most unbelievable experience; I think I'm in shock.

"We are so used to playing in tiny pub venues and even then we are often amazed by the turnout, but this was just something else entirely, main stage; madness!"

After this midday, opening performance the future can only look bright for Gnarwolves and I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. 

Gnarwolves’ debut album is available to pre-order here:
CD/LP: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves-preorder 
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves