LIVE IN BARNSLEY COUNTDOWN: OUR GUIDE (PART 1/3)

It’s just days away from the second installment of the urban music festival that is Live in Barnsley 2014. Taking place on Saturday 21st June, in 13 venues throughout Barnsley town centre.
The festival is one to roam, venues are free entry and here is a map to give you directions.

In this first part of our guide, we have a look at venues on the south-side of town, taking in those south of Peel Street, which includes Silvers (formerly VouDou), Shakespear, Digital Bar, Chambers and Stereo. Each venues has a mix of genres and a mix of both Barnsley acts and those from around the region and in some cases, the UK – Barnsley acts will be highlights in bold font.

SILVERS (FORMERLY VOUDOU)
12:30 Automatic Thrill, 1330 Black Vines, 1430 The Rising, 1530 DB3, 1630 Chinese Rocks (Ramones Tribute), 1730 Euthemia, 1830 Hands of Industry, 1930 Under the Influence (indie covers), 2030 TBC*.

SHAKESPEAR
1200 Overclockwise, 1300 Sleeping With The Heartsless, 1400 Soulprint, 1500 THB, 1600 Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1700 James Coley, 1800 Mark Jackson’s Criminal Waste of Talent, 1900 The Hurriers, 2000 The Kingcrows.

DIGITAL BAR
1230 Taxi For Bob, 1330 Brainbom, 1430 Apnoea, 1530 Spy Eye, 1630 Stray Targets, 1730 Fluidity, 1830 Redmist Destruction, 1930 Bruja, 2030 Hitomi.

CHAMBERS
1230 Dave Hale, 1330 The Keatings, 1430 Invisible Grease, 1530 Casey Hall, 1630 The Sunbeams, 1730 Black Shoes, 1630 Red Jester, 1930 Demographic, 2030 Outsider.

STEREO
1200 Babies & Wind Turbines, 1300 TBC*, 1400 Lippy Kid, 1500 The Silhouettes, 1600 Soulfire Saints, 1700 Antesaint, 1800 Boxsmash, 1900 Forever Cult, 2000 Polybius.

*Sonnet was due to play Silvers at 8:30pm and This Condition was due to play Stereo at 1pm, but unfortunately, both have had to pull out last minute.

You can find full links to each confirmed act over on the Live in Barnsley website. For now though, here are a few of my own recommendations…

As ever, I have favourites band that I’ll be searching out and a couple of new ones I want to hear for the first time. Over at Silvers I’d specifically like to see Euthemia, as I thought their debut EP was fantastic, bit of early Killers and Muse mix with 70s glam and bits of Mott the Hoople. Black Vines always put on a good show too. For fans of Queens of The Stoneage, this fourpiece play Silvers at half one. Being a big Depeche Mode fan and a lover of industrial music, I’d like to catch Hands of Industry.

Overclockwise are a great alternative prog-rock back. Imagine John Grant fronting Tool! No, really. Three brilliant musicians and something really different to start the day with at Shakespear.
I’m a big fan of both Mark Jackson’s Criminal Waste of Talent AND The Hurriers, so The Shakespear could be the place to go for 6!

Over at Digital Bar, even if you aren’t a fan of Thrash Metal, Redmist Destruction is a band not to be missed. With one of the best frontment in town back by three blinding musicians, their gigs are always packed with lovers of all genres. Bruja is a band I really need to see live as I love everything I’ve heard on record so far. For fans of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana and The Vaselines.

I’m not much of a fan of indie, but I really think Invisible Grease are one of the better bands in town and they easily have the craft, songs and attitude and good equal measure. If I can make it, it would be good to see them at Chambers. Also playing Chambers in the last slot, is Outsider. I’ve followed them over the last year but still am yet to catch them live. On record they sound like Pixies crossed with Dinosaur Jnr and Husker Du with Joy Division.

Lastly over at Stereo, I’d say check out This Condition. Barnsley does a damn good job of breeding dark, psychadelic indie rock bands, and This Condition is a good example of that. Also on at Stereo is Antesaint, a great post-grunge alternative rock band, featuring one of my favourite female vocalists, Hayley Smith, a cross between Fiona Apple and Joan Jett. Musically, for fans of Deftones, Biffy, Paramore and Foos.

Don’t plan too hard. My top tip is to pick a couple of bands that you really want to see, and then let chance take you in regards to the others. You’ll probably discover something really neat and unexpected.
Last year I tried to squeeze a band in every half hour and that went out of the window two hours in.
Tomorrow we’ll have a guide to the band splaying Opium, The Londoner, The Underground and Funky Budha (formerly Blah Bar).

Hands of Industry @ Silvers, 6:30pm

The Hurriers @ Shakespear, 7:00pm

Bruja @ Digital Bar, 7:30pm

Invisible Grease @ Chambers, 2:30pm

Antesaint @ Stereo, 5pm