Photo: Lee Hammond

Following on from stints in Gallows and then Pure Love, Frank Carter has just released his second album Modern Ruin with his band The Rattlesnakes. On the face of it his latest incarnation doesn’t appear to be as visceral as his previous work, but things can often be very different live. Carter is not known for his shy and retiring performances. Tonight sees him continuing on his sold out UK tour and following rave reviews from the two dates previous, there is certainly an air of anticipation tonight.

As we arrive Yonaka have just taken to the stage and as the room fills their tracks lack any atmosphere, as they hit their stride the guitars sound weak against the thundering bass and drums. Similarly, the vocals seem to fade into the background, its unfortunate though as within the dirge of bass and drums there is something interesting. However, it fails to ignite the now packed audience who seem to lack enthusiasm for Yonaka.

It’s a very different story for Frank Carter though as the lights dim and the tension mounts, the band take their places and the thrum of ‘Snake Eyes’ fills the room. As Carter emerges in his gold pinstripe suit the crowd erupt into raucous verse, grabbing the microphone he immediately begins to taunt them. From the off the previously civilised audience turns into a mass of flailing limbs as the bravest surf on top of them.

Bodies drop over the barriers at will, Carter remains un-phased by the mayhem and chaos that has ensued following his arrival. Helping the odd one out and welcoming them to his stage its an energetic start, he shares his microphone before allowing them to re-join pandemonium. As he announces ‘Wild Flowers’ he provides a stern warning to all males in the crowd as another barrage of crowd surfing commences.

There is the odd moment of calm during ‘Bluebelle’ and ‘Jackals’, but any serenity is short-lived as the madness is always quick to continue. As the set reaches it’s crescendo it’s a trio of powerful and passionate tracks that see both Carter and the entire audience in full voice, ‘Lullaby’, ‘Devil Inside Me’ and the riot inducing ‘I Hate You’ all round out an insane set.

However, Frank Carter must be commended for his heartfelt passion and gratitude, he repeatedly thanks all involved including the often unrecognised security. For all his tracks are turbulent and incite unruly reactions, the affection that is shown from both the crowd and Carter himself is exceptional and often unheard of.

After releasing one of 2016’s finest LPs, Puberty 2, Mitski has kicked off her European tour by completely selling out London’s Village Underground, and following support from tight pop-punk outfit Personal Best, she takes the chance to give a fervent and career-spanning performance which certainly won’t slow her meteoric rise.

With the backing of her band, Mitski’s live performance packs a mighty punch and each hit is dispatched with an intensity that you didn’t realise was missing. There are still creases to iron out, as her voice is nearly drowned out by her band during the opening couple of tracks, but once she hits her stride, she does so with force.

This turns with Puberty 2’s ‘I Bet on Losing Dogs’, where her swirling guitar riffs and haunting vocals are allowed to take prominence. But rather than dining out on the success of Puberty 2, she revisits 2014’s brilliant Bury me at Makeout Creek. Through the pounding drums of ‘Drunk Walk Home’ andthe charming melodies of ‘First Love / Late Spring’, it’s a conscious nod to her earlier work, and a signal to recent converts that she’s long since earned her stripes.

Through a haunting rendition of ‘Happy’, and a spellbinding performance of her most recognisable song, ‘Your best American Girl’, she tees the night up perfectly for the performance’s standout moment.

Puberty 2’s ‘My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars’ comes in under 2 minutes long. It’s fast, and it’s almost deafening as she delivers an impassioned rallying cry over dirty riffs, for her millennial audience. There’s a moment where her words echo around the cavernous venue, leaving a lasting impact as she screams, “I want to see the whole world, I don’t know how I’m gonna pay rent, I want to see the whole world.”

She closes the night by delicately thanking the crowd for making her dreams come true, before launching into ‘Class of 2013’, from Retired from Sad, New Career in Business. It’s a fitting end, and refreshing to see a rising star so proud of their formative work, even though, on this evidence, the best is yet to come.

Having called time in 2014, Meursault are back, and The Lexington is a fitting venue for the launch of their first release in 5 years, I Will Kill Again. It feels intimate, despite being packed to the rafters, allowing a palpably thrilled Neil Pennycook the space he and his band need to deliver an animated performance of their new material.

They are supported by Faith Eliott, who regales twisting tales over beautiful folk strumming, before effortlessly switching gears to contribute backing vocals for Meursault.

Minor sound issues hamper the beginning of Meursault’s set, but there’s no stopping this comeback. They find their feet during a storming rendition of ‘By Gaslight’ from recent EP Simple Is Good, with Pennycook’s voice cutting powerfully through the wall of noise his band are capable of producing.

Understandably after a short hiatus, most of the attention is given to the band’s new material, as they air tracks such as ‘Belle Ami’, ‘The Mill’, and of course the title track, ‘I Will Kill Again’. As the latter picks up, Pennycook calls upon a guitar tech take his stead, freeing himself up to leave the stage to drive through the crowd microphone in hand, for a frenzied finale which leaves his amp thrown to the ground, and his glasses nowhere to be seen. Pun not intended.

In stark contrast, another highlight was I Will Kill Again’s ‘Ode To Gremlin’, which Pennycook delivers without any amplification whatsoever. He manages to hush the crowd momentarily, but they soon join in on vocals and percussion by way of stomping on the beer-soaked floor. The track focuses on heartbreak, acknowledging the well-trod ground of the subject matter, as he belts out the refrain of, “the last thing the world needs now, is another song about the fucking sea.”

They are called out for an encore, and true to form, they perform the brilliant ‘Flittin’’ from 2012’s Something For The Weakend. This gives the band a final opportunity to signal their return with another explosive performance. The song ends with Pennycook handing vocal duties to an overzealous fan in the crowd as he falls to the floor of the stage.

It’s these moments that not only make Meursault an impressive live act, but show how excited both Pennycook and their fans are about their return, leaving few doubting that they’re back stronger than ever.

This is the third time I have witnessed the Tall Ships live show, and it's undoubtedly the best. 

The first time was on what I can only assume was the Everything Touching release tour in October 2012, which featured the band's early material heavily; the second time in July 2014 was something of a transitional time with a lot of new material in the set, and I sadly can't remember which of those tracks made the cut for the new record; and this time seems like a celebration of the band's rebirth as a formidable alt-rock machine. 

Gone are the obvious quirks, and in their place are the sweeping soundscapes and powerful emotions which were only laced through the band's original material. Keep a look out from my upcoming review of new record Impressions (out March 31st), in which I plan to cover that evolution in depth, so I won't preempt myself here. 

The show itself was essentially transcendent. Swells in music and perfectly timed combinations of smoke and light helped to elevated the atmosphere to euphoric. The room wasn't quite at bursting, and I don't believe it was sold out, but everyone in attendance was treated to a heck of a show. 

There were three obvious gears throughout the night, with 'Ode to Ancestors' providing the slowest one, with a solo vocal and keys opening, building into an endearing yet undeniably geeky love song, and one of the band's most charming creations. The second was the progressive mode, characterised by new tracks 'Home' and 'Day By Day', in which the band command the evening with the dynamics of a post-rock performance, perfectly balancing the loud and quiet. Finally, there's the party mode, which inspired a powerful rendition of the classic 'T=0' as well as an aggressive performance of recent single 'Meditations On Loss', in which strong vocals descended into hair-raising and impassioned shouts. 

A hard decision between 'Vessels' and 'Plate Tectonics' for a closer was abruptly smashed when defiant shouts of "One more tune!" ensured the curfew was stretched far enough to accommodate both. In recent weeks I've been infatuated with <em>Impressions</em>, but following this performance my musical heart has been reminded of Tall Ships' greater beauty and talent. 

They are truly wonderful, and you should listen to them if you haven't before, and don't delay.