Rock Revolver: Howland

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CloseUp Promotions are fast becoming one of the leading live promoters and booking agents in London and the Southern area. Now they are teaming up with ticketing giants, Ticketweb, to bring you a new series of monthly showcases specialising in bringing you the best indie, rock and electronic sounds to the iconic Bleach in Brighton.

The first showcase will take place on August 18th and locals lads, The Island Club will headline their hometown gig. As one of the most talked about and exciting new bands around, the Brighton five-piece were propelled into the spotlight by their recent single 'Let Go' and have since seen success come their way. Most notably, their set at The Great Escape Festival in May saw an outstanding turnout and they have been gigging hard to build up an even bigger support for themselves. The band are now primed for more performances in the coming months, including a slot at Brighton's Together The People Festival in September, Expect a packed room for what is likely to be one of their last intimate performances for quite some time.

Brighton/Southampton four-piece, Howland are another new group making waves on the South Coast. 2016 has seen them go from strength to strength with the release of their debut single 'Callout' and a debut tour under their belts. The band have also spiked the attention of Fickle Friends, Clean Cut Kid and High Tyde previously, which has led to a sizeable growth in their following. Howland are a band who get better with each and every performance and whilst their golden moment is still to come, it will be exciting to see what they have for us at Bleach.

JUDAS are no stranger to a close-up night. The London-based band have a captivating live performance that will get you on your feet in no time. Anthemic tracks like 'Sister' and 'Youth of the Young Age' go down a storm live and have fast become fan favourites. This is one outfit who are certainly gearing up to go places, make sure to get down to the London Road venue to catch their set.

Brighton four-piece, SEATS will open on the night. All four members of the band are currently enrolled at BIMM and have managed to gather a decent following in such a short space of time to their credit. Their music is the perfect sound to open the first night of what it set to become an established local showcase in Brighton.

Tickets are £5 and can be bought here.

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Words Lauren Wade

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WE'RE finally heading into those long-awaited summer months and as festival season approaches, there's plenty of gigs to wet your appetite in the mean time. As usual, we've got you covered with only the finest gigs to get yourself down to this month, so what are you waiting for?

Brighton's music scene is bursting at the seams with talent and Monday 9th sees London Road venue Bleach welcome triple threat. Pure Youth, Howland and Seats are all locally based bands who will thrill crowds with their promising material. This show is in support of War Child, an incredible charity that helped 98,459 children and adults last year directly effected by wars in countries such as: Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tickets are available on the door for £5 and £3 with valid student ID.

Photo by Amin Musa

Hailing from the North, Manchester's most exciting new band Spring King are heading back out on tour and hitting up Southampton's Lennons on Thursday 12th. Expect all the hits that fans have grown fond of, such as 'City' and 'Who Are You?' alongside fresh bangers such as 'The Summer'. With their debut album out soon, this show will provide the perfect opportunity to catch new material as it's debuted live.

Tickets are £6.60 and are available here.

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If there's one band set to tear up the festivals like no other this summer - it's undoubtedly Lisbon. The Whitley Bay four-piece will play Brighton's annual The Great Escape festival followed by a date at Norwich's The Waterfront on Sunday 22nd. Latest single 'Shark' went down a storm and it's a cut you definitely need to hear live. Lisbon are one of Britain's best new bands and their extensive tour provides many opportunities for you to become well acquainted with them over the summer.

Tickets are £6.60 and are available here.

Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms never fails to put on a good gig and Sundara Karma at the venue on Wednesday 25th will be no exception. The band have toured extensively recently and the crowds are getting bigger and bigger. Go be part of the action in Portsmouth, you won't regret it.

Tickets are £10.45 and are available here.

Words Lauren Wade

To give you a taster of what's to come this month from these eagerly-anticipated gigs, have a listen to Lisbon's new track 'Shark'.

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SOUTH coast four-piece Howland's debut single 'Callout' has been a long time in the making but what a worthy wait it's been. The band, fronted by Tyler Adams, have been racking up a series of impressive gigs down South and spreading their name around, which looks as if it's finally paying off. If you're not yet familiar with them, now's the time to get acquainted as they're going to continue to impress.

The group have previously supported the likes of Little Comets, Fickle Friends, Clean Cut Kid and Lisbon and debut release 'Callout' tears along at whirlwind speeds with Circa Waves inspired guitars from lead guitarist, Lee Vincent. The track is one that showcases the strength of songwriting craft within the band. It's terribly infectious and Adams delivers his best vocal performance to date as he sings 'Can you hear my voice?' which you'll no doubt find yourself singing along to.

It's almost impossible to turn away from the captivating lyrics and trance-inducing opening chords. Abrasive energy remains at the forefront of the sub-four minute cut and Howland's brand of music is shaping up be an unforgettable storm of endless possibility if 'Callout' is anything to go by.

There's no doubts that they have enough edge to crack the critics and continue to win over new fans - everything they craft is built with the foundations of potential and pure magic - a combination that sends them soaring time and time again.

'Callout/Slow Down' is available on 1st April.

Words Lauren Wade

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WHAT a month January was for gigs but February looks set to be bigger and better with all the gigs that are lined up. Whether they're local to you or not, make an effort to get down to the epic array of live shows we're tipping for this month. You won't be disappointed.

Fresh from supporting The Libertines on their UK arena tour, northern indie four-piece The Sherlocks are heading out on their headline tour in February and what a run that looks set to be. Catch the group responsible for the rumble of tracks such as 'Live for the Moment' and 'Heart of Gold' at The Joiners in Southampton on Thursday 4th for a night of indie bangers and madness. The group have evolved superbly over the last year or so and now the promise of a bright future beckons so get down to Hampshire's iconic venue and see them. Why wouldn't you?

Tickets are £7.70 in advance and can be bought here.

South Wales four-piece, Pretty Vicious have gone from strength to strength recently and are definitely going somewhere big but first they're stopping by Dingwalls in Camden on Thursday 11th for a headline performance as part of NME's Awards Shows 2016. This is one not to be missed as they tear through hits such as 'It's Always There' and 'National Plastics' that have already been released to national acclaim.

Tickets are £11.66 in advance and can be bought here.

Brighton's The Hope and Ruin plays host to mind-boggling Mancunians, Spring King on Wednesday 17th. The band are on a rapid rise and are producing a romantic post-punk sound that begs to be heard. Having previously toured with Slaves, the spotlight if firmly fixed on them now and we can't wait to witness them impress on the night.

Tickets are £7.70 in advance and can be bought here.

The infectious, upbeat indie of Fickle Friends are set to cement their position as worthy headliners at The Joiners in Southampton on Friday 19th. Everything they do sizzles infectiously with glory and ambition. Every track is a stand-out, however it's the likes of 'Say No More' and 'Could Be Wrong' that we're looking forward to hearing aired on the night the most. The five-piece, led by front gal Natti, are already conjuring up a storm and in the industry and with a record deal under their belts, they're going stadium.

Tickets are £7.70 in advance and can be bought here.

Symptomatic of the times are Little Comets, the indie quartet from Newcastle Upon Tyne, who inject funk-based fretwork fused with modern issues into the core of their tracks. The band will be bringing their catalogue of hits to Brighton's Concorde 2 on Sunday 21st and it's set to be a sell out; bag yourself a ticket whilst you still can.

Tickets are £13.20 in advance and can be bought here.

The Joker in Brighton experiences a triple threat in the form of Sahara, Cavaliers and Howland as part of a special show by CloseUp Promotions. All three groups on the bill are Brighton-based and ready to thrill with impressive riffs and huge choruses. As some of the sweetest bands of the South Coast at the moment, you'd be foolish to miss these promising acts in an intimate setting before they really make it big, as we predict will happen soon enough.

Tickets are £5 and can be bought on the door.

Words Lauren Wade

To give you a taster of what to expect from some of these eagerly-anticipated gigs, have a listen to Pretty Vicious' 'National Plastics'.

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LONDON/BRIGHTON five-piece, Sahara are embarking on their first tour of 2016 next month in support of new EP 'Amour'. Fellow Brighton band, Howland will be supporting on a select number of dates and the math rockers have dropped a video for new track 'Say The Right Thing' complete with tropical thrills and catchy hooks.

Previously described as "like Foals on anti-depressants" loose riffs swirl and intoxicate listeners on a tune that sees Sahara sounding their most anthemic to date. They push it to the next level and you can hear echoes and tremors of Peace with dreamy guitar wails.

Sahara are building the buzz across the nation, and it's not hard when you've got a sound like this. 'Say The Right Thing' is a swirling slice of what's to come from the band; they've fared well and their unwavering brilliance will see them succeed in 2016.

Words Lauren Wade

Watch the video for 'Say The Right Thing' below

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"OH boy, that was a bit good!" says guitarist Lee Vincent of Howland as they watch the main band of the night, Bel Esprit perform on the stage of The Joiners in Southampton, that they took to just hours earlier.

With a stellar local line-up and an iconic venue, you know you're in for a treat and nobody leaves disappointed. Brighton-based band, Howland who deal in the art of spawning hits like they're going out of fashion kick things off. Choosing to open their stunning set with upcoming single 'Slow Down' featuring tumbling riffs and the glitzy frontmanship of Tyler Adams, it's clear that the four-piece have stepped it up since their performances in 2015.

'Waiting For You' comes thick and fast, proving to be one of the many highlights of their set. With powerful drumming doused over huge, soaring riffs and integral bass lines fed by the tiny, yet epic masterpiece that is Tim Beavis - the combination is an utterly bewitching fusion and it's safe to say these lads are onto something big here.

Their live set continues with 'White Light' which sees Tim rival that of Este Haim's infamous bass face before the group dip into the major tune that is 'Bruises'. The vocal delivery sounds a lot smoother than previous airings and the band's clear-cut chemistry makes for an enjoyable atmosphere. Frontman Tyler is by no means shy, cracking a few jokes between songs as guitarist Lee remarks "you're not even funny."

The quartet plan to unleash tracks 'Callout' and 'Slow Down' on 1st April, which is no April Fool's trick they assure us, and it's the former track they select to end on. Howland are sending many heads spinning and they unquestionably have the tunes. Every ingredient of Howland works and now they're steadily building up a solid catalogue of successes.

Fever, who are like no other take to the stage next. The Southampton-based outfit have been around since 2013 and continue to blaze more impressively with age. They exist as a tasty template to show others how it's done and they're acing everything they do. Peaks of their set include latest track 'Sucker' with distorted guitars and captivating hooks.

The psych tinged groove of 'Shell Shock' that hooked fans in the beginning goes down a storm live. Watching the group, led by frontman Connor Smith is exhilarating and they've racked up plenty of local support in Southampton, which reflects in the assembled crowd.

Fever distill that much needed dose of beach groove into the South Coast and the monstrous rumble of their live set never lets up for a second. They once said that their ambition is to "become popular enough to slap Harry Styles and get away with it" and if they continue with such mind blowing material as that which has already been heard; they'll certainly be on their way to making that dream a reality.

The final performance of the night comes from Bel Esprit, who draw in the biggest crowd by far. The four-piece are also Southampton based and with a notable fan base backing them all the way. 'The Mad Ones' erupts with a wickedly infectious core, whilst slower number 'Midnight, Midnight' is announced and an adoring voice shouts "TUNE" at the band. The frenzied crowd turn slower numbers into floor shakers, which serves as testament to how white hot their brand of indie is right now.

Bel Esprit accessorise their set with a cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' which they more than pull off and leads to a smug feeling emerging from the crowd. It's a jubilant performance and the gem that is 'Lose My Mind' is the ace up their sleeve. Witnessing them live is equivalent to riding a white-knuckle wave of excitement. Bel Esprit deal in riff-orientated rock at its finest and their set is packed with belting tunes from start to finish and finish they do with a bang.

Bel Esprit draw the night to a close with a raucous cover of Palma Violets' 'Best of Friends' that might even be better than the original version. With circling reverb, crowd surfers and a chant-fuelled energy in the air of The Joiners, the cover that's all riffs and wails sees a stage invasion take place. Bel Esprit are the new ambassadors of feeling good and this is something they convey consistently throughout their set.

With a new single on the way soon, Bel Esprit are heading for the big league. The Joiners is an ideal venue, steeped in history and reputation, for Howland, Fever and Bel Esprit to tackle and win even more fans over in. The bar has been raised even higher as a new wave of talent has been ushered in. Southampton's display of the finest homegrown sound was nothing less than bone-shakingly exciting. Long may this musical hotbed continue.

Words Lauren Wade

Photo credit: Tara Matthews

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WITH the festive period come and gone, what better way to kick 2016 off and fight those January blues away than with a few gigs. There's plenty of artists to see this month, which is the silver lining to the dreariness of January.

To celebrate the release of their sixth album 'Curve of the Earth' Mystery Jets will be performing tracks in Brighton's Resident Music on Wednesday 20th. The album has already been described as: "The band's most personal and musically definitive record to date." We can't wait to see what the band have in store for this very special live set.

Pre-order 'Curve of the Earth' here to guarantee two free guest passes for the event.

Rock Revolver favourites and Brighton's very own Howland breeze into Southampton's Joiners on Friday 22nd when they support FEVER and Bel Espirit. All three are bands that we've championed in the past and will continue to do so - and with good reason. Howland are the emerging heroes of the South Coast and 2016 looks to be a promising year of growth and success for them. With new track 'Callout' to be recorded and released soon, the four-piece's set promises to go down a storm. Frontman Tyler Adams and guitarist Lee Vincent have been dubbed the new Pete and Carl too; you don't want to miss that.

Tickets are £4 in advance and can be bought here.

Newcastle's Lisbon have been on our radar for a while and we're digging their ace alt-pop sound. Having already toured extensively in the past, the band are back with a new tour for 2016 and they're stopping by The Hope and Ruin in Brighton on Saturday 23rd. With tracks like 'Rio' and 'Khaleesi' this is a gig not to be missed. We're predicting that Lisbon will be the band everyone's talking about soon; catch them at an intimate gig whilst you still can.

Tickets are £4.40 and can be bought here.

Southampton's O2 Guildhall plays host to NME's annual Awards Tour on Saturday 30th when artists such as Bloc Party, Drenge, Rat Boy and Bugzy Malone take to the stage. With their sixth album 'Hymns' out the day before, it will be a treat for Bloc Party fans to see fresh material played live. Drenge are an incredibly hard-working duo and 2015 saw them go from strength to strength and any opportunity to witness their live set is a win by our standards.

Tickets start at £29.30 and can be bought here.

Be sure to get down to these gigs to see the hottest and emerging gems of the South Coast in all their glory. To get you pumped, have a listen to Howland's debut track 'Bruises'.

Words Lauren Wade

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"I can only play when I'm drunk, otherwise I get really nervous," says bassist Tim Beavis before the four-piece take to the stage of The Hope and Ruin. It's the first time they've played in Brighton, despite being based in the city, and expectations are high.

Having previously tackled Scala in support of Foals and opening for Little Comets in Southampton, word is beginning to unravel about how incredible Howland's live show is and they certainly don't disappoint.

Choosing to open their set with 'Waiting For You' the catchy track excites immediately, warming the crowd up nicely before the group, led by frontman Tyler Adams, dive straight into 'White Light'.

The rising indie-rockers do justice to Peace with a cover of 'California Daze' adding their own signature twist to spice things up a notch, which goes down well with the crowd. The highlight of the gig is when stand-out track 'Bruises' is performed. Originally recorded in guitarist Lee's front room, this track is one that conjures up incredible riffing - a textbook banger from start to finish. The way the band connect with each other adds to their stage presence, with drummer Jake and bassist Tim exchanging smirks and laughing together throughout the set.

Howland finish their performance with 'Callout' which Tyler informs the crowd is their upcoming track to be released next year, so keep an eye (and an ear) out for that. As they come off stage, the band are buzzing and guitarist Lee grins, coming to a sudden realisation and telling the rest of the band: "We're on tour!"

That's the thing about Howland, they're charming, which is a major part of their appeal. Tyler commented on their gig saying: "It was good to get our first Brighton gig with a band like Animal House, they just want to have fun with everything they do. It was our first Brighton gig of many to come, and it was a pleasure to play in The Hope and Ruin. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did, although the hangovers weren't a high point for us!"

As well as the charm, they're remarkably humble and thank everyone who came down to see them, then they proceed to have a few drinks before the party is moved to The Green Door Store. At this point, Tim leaves the rest of his bandmates as he decides to turn to the art of stripping for one night and one night only (sorry ladies, you've missed your chance).

Once there, the band mingle with The Wytches' drummer, which is one of the many factors as to what makes The Green Door Store great - you're always likely to bump into a musician of some sort.

The night draws to a close somewhere around 5.30am and if there's one thing we've learnt from hanging out with Howland it's that frontman Tyler can sing and play guitar exceptionally well - but he just wants a Chicken Royale from Burger King.

Check out our previous review of the band's track 'Bruises' here and if you like what you hear get yourself down to their next gig in Southampton where you'll find them supporting Bel Esprit and Fever; make sure to give them some love (and a Chicken Royale in Tyler's case).

Words Lauren Wade

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BRIGHTON based four-piece Howland are the hottest new band to emerge from the South Coast and what an entrance they've made. With a Foals support slot at Scala in London already under their belts, the currently unsigned group are producing music that begs to be heard and other artists in the industry are taking notice too.

Despite only having their current line-up for a few months, the indie-rockers have also supported Little Comets at The Joiners in Southampton back in the summer. Their sound exists in the same vein as The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs and The Strokes with a hazier feel at times but Howland are certainly forging a musical identity of their own.

Guitarist, Lee Vincent spoke to the Southern Daily Echo, saying: "It was only back in February that we watched Little Comets at The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth, so to be the main support at one of their sold out Reading Festival warm-up shows was really special."

Frontman Tyler Adams, who studies at BIMM Brighton, also spoke to the paper about the group's debut single titled 'Bruises'. The musician stated that: "The idea of that song came to me about four years ago, but it was only recently that it's become a fully-fledged number which we're all really pleased with."

The band's name originates from a character from HBO fantasy drama Game of Thrones and they plan to extend their sound further afield to places such as: Bath, Bristol and Oxford in the near future. This is due to members of the band moving to various locations for University.

Give their track 'Bruises' a listen and if you like what you hear send some love their way. They plan to release another track in the new year titled 'Callout' so keep an ear out for that one too.

Words Lauren Wade