There was a time not so long ago when I See Orange was the most exciting new band in Swindon. Their latest offering released at the end of August, a single entitled Doll Guts, truly positions them way above that pedestal and I predict and hope, onto the international marketโฆ.
Though thereโs a nod to the bandโs roots in the accompanying picturesque video, in the way of stage show clips from Swindonโs premier venue The Victoria, itโs consolidated with professional storyboard shots of their playfully cute mien, contrasting their macabre component, commonly associated with grunge. Itโs an original design identity theyโve manufactured to great success, but never has it been so symbolically recognisable as in this song, and video. The title alone reflects the winsome-dark contrast and their penchant for dolls, and horror, yet thatโs only one element which causes me to hail it their greatest song to date, and the next level up.
Doll Guts is perhaps more melodiously memorable than anything I See Orange has put out in the past, the moreish affiliation of pop, without watering down those gorgeous roaring guitar riffs and thumping drums; greater than the chord simplicity of The Cardigansโ Losing My Favourite Game, but equally punchy. Imagine Hole writing the theme of Twin Peaks; this is evocatively fantasised themed, with a singalong chorus, rising and falling like the paragon of classic grunge, yet their own divine spin.
I loved the drive of Mental Rot, the spookiness of Witch, but Doll Guts is the delineation, incorporating all the elements and symbolism of I See Orangeโs design and launching them back out there in true colours. You have to love this, everyone in the human race, surely?! You donโt have to be the number one Nirvana fanboy. In fact, while mawkish soft metal turned me away from rock in the late eighties, causing me to miss out on grunge, it has been through local bands like I See Orange, Life in Mono, The Belladonna Treatment and Liddington Hill, which has opened my eyes to its power and worth, so, thanks for that!
I See Orange match with a chemistry every band must envy. Formed in 2022 when frontgirl Giselle, originally a folk-pop singer-songwriter moved here from Mexico, and an impromptu rehearsal session with Cameron and Charlie established potential magic. Inspired by nineties and millennial alt-rock, they add their own unique post-grunge flavour. I have believed it works for sometime now, an accolade burgeoning with pace, seeing them gig in London and beyond, and this song confirms the praise theyโre gaining is fully deserved.ย
Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward โEโ) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunesโฆ
Wiltshire Music Centre Unveils Star-Studded New Season with BBC Big Band, Ute Lemper, Sir Willard White and comedians Chris Addison and Alistair McGowan revealing theirโฆ
Daphneโs Family & Childhood Connection to Devizes Celebrations of Daphne Oram have been building in London since the beginning of December, for those in theโฆ
Part 1: An Introduction March 1936: newlywed French telecommunications engineer Pierre Schaeffer relocates to Paris from Strasbourg and finds work in radio broadcasting. He embarksโฆ
Yesterday Wiltshire Council published an โupdateโ on the lane closure on Northgate Street in Devizes as the fire which caused it reaches its first anniversary.โฆ
Join the St Johnโs Choir and talented soloists for a heart-warming evening of festive favourites, carols, and candlelit Christmas atmosphere this Friday 12 th Decemberโฆ
Hold on tight, the new single from I See Orange, Mental Rot embodies everything I love about this Swindon grunge trio, and takes no prisonersโฆ..
If there are few bands on the local circuit to have turned my head and caused me to wallow in self-pity that I sorely missed out on the grunge zenith, I See Orange is the kingpin to this personal change of tide; proof youโre never too old!
With sublime professionalism abound, theyโre creating riotous rock anthems; my untrained ear evaluates what I deem to be the conventions of grunge, and this tune in particular, while sits into the subgenre only subtly, relishes more in orthodox, good old punk rock, with perhaps a slice of metal, to be savoured, and not overly-pigeonholed.
In the words of Chuck Berry, who, face it, knew what he was talking about when it comes to rock n roll, โyou can’t lose it, any old way you choose it.โ Iโm getting more Joan Jett than Nirvana with this one, a timeless sound you cannot ignore, to that of what the Smalltown Tigers are more recently putting down.
Upon hearing the title was to be Mental Rot I wrongly assumed this new one would drift in the layers of melancholy and emotionally rise and fall, in that grunge formula many their past tracks follow, but this rocks out from beginning to end and sustains an explosive feel good energy aging punkers like me simply cannot whinge about! If, as the lyrics suggest, itโs โgnawing up and getting to the claw,โ hey, I like it like that!
They’re one of six finalists to play The Finsbury in London tonight for a place in The Musos Awards Soccer-Six finals at the Electric Ballroom in March; we wish them the very best of luck. Play like this new single, and I reckon you’ve got it in the pocket I See Orange.
There’s a trick and a treat for Halloween from Swindon’s finest alt-rock trio I See Orange; new single, La Bruja, or The Witch translated from Spanish, and it’s certainly cast a spell on meโฆ.
If you’re still unaware of I See Orange, it should be considered folklore cunning craft to overlook them after this; you’ll find yourself sinking in a river! Reviewing them at the Pump at the beginning of the year, I made a beeline to catch them again at Minety during warmer climates. In retrospect I should’ve reviewed their debut four-track EP Lonesome Joyreleased around the same time as the Pump gig, but missing that window I figured I’d await something new. And here it is, creeping up on us!
Lonesome Joy and a separate song from the same session are generally formulated like all good hefty grunge; rising and falling mood layers, and the single Simply, tended to take a commercial blues angle, as if a metal Cranberries. While these are all positives, with promising roots and truckloads of potential, La Bruja is a constant, progressive, and it doesn’t wait for you to attach yourself to the ambience; it’s a beautiful monster, stomping through a dark forest, chasing you, from beginning to end.
Yards ahead of their previous outpourings, I’d say, its theme perfectly captures the unique identity of the band; a grunge-riot grrrl-garage punk fusion. Charlie Hart and Cameron Hill proficiently drive a hard rock drum and lead guitar arrangement, respectively, behind bassist Giselle Medina, who plays out an ironic kawaii character, a kind of post-goth shลjo kogal, akin to Mieruko-Chan, or Ling Xiaoyu for the Tekken players!
It’s a spookily seductive look, therefore so is this song. It’s as if it’s a direct response to Kip Tyler’s She’s My Witch, with a contemporary edge; lots of haunting, rocking edge. Giselle’s divine, evocative vocals are like a non-stigma emo Greek siren, crying out either an enticement or warning, depending on your fixation for paraphilic disorders; scratch beneath her innocent superficie to discover how deep her โweird shit,โ delves, only at your own risk!
And it rocks sublimely, is risquรฉ and unearthly; nothing Monster Mash about it! Here’s their Linktree, and Bandcamp page, Spotify too. If you pop it on your pumpkin playlist, you’ll be grateful I told you and hopefullyfill my bucket with Haribo!
This afternoon I find myself contemplating what the future holds for historical discovery and learning for all ages, fun and educational exhibits and events inโฆ
Featured Image: Barbora Mrazkova My apologies, for Marlboroughโs singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโs debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโs moreโฆ
Having to unfortunately miss Devizesโ blues extravaganza on Friday, I crossed the borderline on Saturday to get my prescribed dosage of Talk in Codeโฆwith aโฆ
No, I didnโt imagine for a second they would, but upcoming Take the Stage winners, alt-rock emo four-piece, Butane Skies have released their second song,โฆ
Featured Image by Giulia Spadafora Ooo, a handclap uncomplicated chorus is the hook in Lady Ladeโs latest offering of soulful pop. Itโs timelessly cool andโฆ
Words by Ollie MacKenzie. Featured Image by Barbora Mrazkova.ย The creative process can be a winding, long, and often confusing journey. Seeing a project comeโฆ
Broke my Minety Music Festival cherry, and it was gurt lush! When it comes to live music and festivals, I initially set a high bar. My first concert was Springsteen in โ87, and aside from traveller’s free parties, my first festival was Glastonbury. These days hedonism is reduced to finding smaller local festivals to savour, enjoy a pint or four; I’m done with tired feet trudging acres of tents, and what’s more, paying a king’s ransom for a multitude of elements I’m unlikely to witness because it’s all going off simultaneously; my eyes were kaleidoscopic anyway.
Though I miss those heady days, finding middle ground is tricky. The disambiguation of โfestivalโ today is such a pub putting a man with a guitar under a gazebo and flogging undercooked hotdogs off a barbecue constitutes a festival, apparently. No, I need at least a taste of the heyday; monumental fun yet diverse, hassle-free adequate attractions without the notion I’m being taken for a mug. If my want was an ice cream, sure I’ve found some single scoop cones of vanilla, some even plop a flake into it, but this weekend I found the ultimate brownie, millionaire rocky road sundae; everything I want and expect from a festival, topped in caramel and sprinkled with Space Dust, close by, and easy to access in a tall glass. It’s called Minety Music Festival, near Malmesbury, and they’re so amicable they even supply those long-handled spoons to dip right into the chocolate sauce at the bottom; meaning, it was good to the end.
The intention was only a taster, pop down on the Sunday, check it out, report my findings, but I got a scrumptious bellyful from this alone. Minety is undoubtedly the best all-rounder local festival I’ve seen, period. It’s unfortunate the previous years I’ve advertised this on our event calendar and thought, now there’s a thing, but I hadn’t plunged in. It all now seems so foolish to have passed it off. Nearly all the bands we love and promote on Devizine have graced a stage here. Of them those lovely indie popsters Talk In Code bunged me on their guestlist, and it’s hardly Timbuktu, rather a twenty-five minute drive away; arm twisted, it’s now for me to justify my reasons for telling you how bloody fantastic Minety is, but it is.
Starter for ten, everything is bound around the edges of one gigantic field, you cannot get lost in a maze of tents. Between three stages everything you could possibly want from a festival is there. Kids are spoiled, something often overlooked at others; climbing wall, circus workshop, arts/crafts tents, storytelling, inflatables, face painting, arty kidz, and a cosy tent called the Tree House with an abundance of instruments to try; I swear bands were formed in there. Youths tended to dance or chill at a wonderfully decorated DJ venue, hosted by an eclectic online radio station, the Incapable Staircase, me too; Peter Pan, me, y’know!
I chose to dine there, takeaway Thai curry from a stall with a restaurant in Purton, on cushions thrown outside, next to a bathtub once filled with free waffles, now just furry pillows. Which brings me to my next reasoning; value for money. Food options were incalculable, any street food you fancy, but Minety also supplied a cafรฉ flogging beans on toast for a pound fifty, or burgers for three quid, and pints at the bar were ยฃ4.50, cheaper than some pubs. There was never the archetypal downer you were open to being ripped off, leaving enough in your pocket to consider browsing the great festival stalls of gifts, cakes, or clothes.
Everything has its place at Minety, it’s their seventh year, subtracting those we don’t mention. They know what they’re doing, and the attention to detail was immaculate, equating to a tremendous vibe of positivity. The mammoth task of organising something on this scale was putty in their hands, and I salute them for this and the given concept of booking a handful of averagely known names for headliners and leaving the rest to supporting local acts; this is my third and final reasoning to why Minety is fantastic, and that should be plentiful to tempt you.
Ergo, our loveable poptastic indie darlings Talk in Code, who absolutely and definitely knocked it out of the farm, by the way, preceded a gorgeous set from reunited nineties giants Sleeper, who I favoured over the grand finale of Irish rock band Ash, but others might argue this and quite rightly so, as both rocked. And this was just Sunday, other nights The Feeling headlined, with Elles Bailey and The Chase.
But Minety is also smooth around the edges, as you wander tent to tent. There were a few must-sees for me, Swindon’s grunge newcomers I See Orange were awesome as predicted, in a tent hosted by Chippenham’s Kandu Arts, and The Sarah C Ryan Band were equal, euphorically cool at the Minety stage. Then there’s the discovery element, whereby a number of bands have now come to my attention, none more so than Arkansaw Jukebox, who play singalong pop classics from Spice Girls to Queen, albeit in a bluegrass fashion, and when it’s time to cover a country classic, Country Roads takes on a ska offbeat to make Toots blush! This tenet of jollification brought the tent down.
Others noteworthy were Hooch, blasting some danceable covers, reimagining the Faithless classic, a youthful semi-gothic four-piece called Pavilion, and nineties Seattle grunge-inspired The Rain City Project, with astute Pearl Jam and Nirvana covers. With the range on offer as vast as acts booked, and hurtling between them as fast as my ageing legs will take me, it’d need an essay length review to cover all, and you’ll be bored shitless before I reach my epic conclusion; festivals are a โyou had to be thereโ thing, apologies to those I may’ve missed mentioning.
But if that popular shirtless tattooed entertainer Jimmy Moore covering the theme to Spongebob, Spice Girls on banjos, stripy stilt walk jugglers with bowler hats, or more upcoming young bands than you’d catch at a college talent show won’t satisfy you, or just this idea of wandering few steps to get from drum n bass at the aforementioned Staircase, to some middle-agers, Chippenham’s Free Spirits, in the Kadu Arts tent enjoy an enjoyable recital of Dire Straits doing the walk of life, and a conglomerate of kindly North Wilts and South Gloucestershire freakshow punters out to revel isn’t enough to rock your boat, you need to downsize your vessel, skipper, because Minety’s boot fits me; a blindingly stupendous do. I’m tempted, if not feel it compulsory to dust off my dome tent and do the whole shebang next year, even if it finishes me off for good!
Busy on the festival circuit Talk in Code are regulars here. Though they expressed a history of unpreventable technical mishaps, this year they were third from top billing, full of zest and gave the sublime show we love them for. The crowd were pumping along with their engaging and original poptastic stage show, โTalkersโ or not, a presence improving with every appearance, and proving them far more than musical fluffers for the following headliners. But as the story goes, I didnโt witness a single band at Minety which would make me look the other way.
In conclusion, if before Minety I held a dilemma of what’s best between coughing up dollar for multiple elements you’re unlikely to catch because they’re spread over multiple arenas miles apart, or a cheaper single stage plan whereby you get to see everything, if you wanted to or not, Minety is the middle ground. Centred in a single field, and averagely sized, it’s no trouble to saunter stage to stage, and being scheduled at different quarter of an hour timings, convenient should you have a change of heart. This, tripled with a buzzing aura, plentiful attractions, and a program delivered with clear intention of entertaining, and motivated by a desire to include local or upcoming acts, is cherries on the sundae, and for it Minety Music Festival is well worthy of your attention. If you only do one festival annually, Minety would make the perfect choice.
Whoโs ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lantern Parade opens in the Market Place; excited?! Well, I say magically, it actually takes a lot of hard work to put on; thank you to DOCA and all the volunteers.โฆ
One part of Swindon was in perfect harmony last night, and I donโt mean the traffic circumnavigating the Magic Roundabout. Rather The Lost Trades were at the Hop in Old Town, honouring a postponed gig from Septemberโฆ.. SoP Live, who run a regular Thursday night music club at The Castle, plenty of other gigs, andโฆ
Treated to a sneaky dress rehearsal of this year’s pantomime at Devizesโ one and only Wharf Theatre last night, if forced to sum it up in a word, the word would be โdelightfulโฆ..โ With Ian dedicated to all things theatrical here on Devizine, panto is reserved for my tuppence; that has become as much aโฆ
Itโs beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Rowdey Cow cafe and ice cream parlour; their Christmas Tree Light Switch On is this Friday, the 21st Novemberโฆ.. If you thought an ice cream parlour was restricted to summertime, think again! Itโs the first time the Rowdey Cow near Devizes has held a Christmasโฆ
Raging expressions of angered feminist teenage anguish this month, perfectly delivered by Steatopygous via their mindblowing debut album Songs of Salome, I hail as the pinnacle of Sketchbook Records to date. But it’s only been a year since Simon formed the label. It’s DIY, a contemporary local counterculture ethos; welcome to the Wiltshire underground ofโฆ
Local reporter of the month award, if I had a local reporter of the month award, which I don’t, but based on this, perhaps I should have a local reporter of the month award, goes to Newsquest senior reporter Sarah Dalton, whether she wants the award or not, not that there even is one!! Creditโฆ
The only good to have come from Wiltshire having a Police Crime Commissioner was proof The Conservatives used their power to reward their elite bum chums and family with overpaid, high power and often completely unnecessary penpushing jobsโฆ. A Devizes Conservative town councillor once told me if I โget the chance to interview Philip (Wilkinson)โฆ
And so it begins, the build-up, the tension; come all ye faithful round yon virgins and three kings of orient are, spreading joy to the world while shepherds wash their socks and Batman smells. In which, in order to spread warm emotions of peace and unity for the one day, itโs obligatory to rush aroundโฆ
If you need a reason to understand why I was so excited about The Sarah C Ryan Band coming to RowdeFest back in May, you wasn’t there!! And if you wasn’t, well, I’m not going to pick on you, just leave said example below and let you decide….. My Radio Silence, recorded for a sessionโฆ
Itโs nice to hear when our features attract attention. Salisburyโs Radio Odstock ย picked up on our interview with Devizes band Burn the Midnight Oil and they gained air time, but the interview was published short of year ago now, and the band have had significant changes to the lineup and their style. So, I theโฆ
Being our reporter Flo was unfortunately unable to attend the Devizes Youth Action Group’s second sell-out gig on Friday, I sought to catch up with stars of that show, Steatopygous, who were supporting at The Pump on Saturday tooโฆ
Three birds, one stone. The Pumpโs overdue another praising plug from us, being such the absolutely fantastic venue we’re smitten about. A chance to finally hear Steatopygous for myself, a band Flo’s been raving about, is a second reason to be here tonight. Third is to tick Swindon’s I See Orange off my must-see list; jobs done within an exuberant night, ears still ringing this morning!
You realise the Spanish understandably keep all the best oranges for themselves and send us the tasteless non-perishable ones, right? Try oranges there and they’re the tastiest ever. Well, this is one of those which evidently slipped through the net. Their name pops up as if set in my algorithms, I See Orange at the Vic, at Minety, and so on; now I’ve seen I See Orange, effectively I saw Orange, past tense, but I would see I See Orange again, if this makes any sense?!
Nestled between two Swindon drummer and bassist grunge lads, a strikingly attractive Latino girl confidently thrashes out stylised and euphoric originals in a manner sublimely nodding at punk’s heyday, fused with a thousand post-punk influences. It’s loud, proud, it’s imagining The Sugarcubes played Nirvana style, the Smalltown Tigers aimed a smidgen more metal, but it certainly doesn’t hang around for you to pigeonhole it!
Three minute heroes is their punk traditional ethos, with doll symbolism, a bubble machine and a penchant for bending backwards whilst maintaining remarkable handling of her lead guitar. It was showy, tight and, dammit, I never knew grunge could be so sassy and alluring! I See Orange are ones to watch, lively, original, producing some electric shock recordings and their debut show at The Pump fitted like a glove; I was suitably wowed by their presence and dynamic sound.
Such is it that while most celebrated venues seek the big names past or present, The Pump strives to showcase the next big names, especially when promoted by Sheer. Though my attendances past tend to be established local greats, the smooth folk of The Lost Trades, of Will Lawton, or chap hop Professor Elemental, it was tonight I witnessed the legendary Pump, literally pumping out it’s full potential with the names the youth there will boast to future grandchildren they saw them in their prime. That’s the spirit of this once folk club now small axe, and it stamps Trowbridge on the live music map of the UK with unrivalled gusto.
We’ve passed a short lived era of doubt, when Wadworth flagship the Lamb, which contains The Pump, changed hands. Pleased to hear of a fairytale ending where the new owners welcome its addition and also hosts conventional music nights of its own, largely open mics; phew!
Indeed there’s an air of greater potential at the venue, despite already punching above its weight. Any musician should consider a gig there as a benchmark to their achievement. I know Devizes-own Steatopygous have been building to this point, working hard, and now, since Sheer promoter Kieran asked me for their contact details, and staged them under the Future Sound of Trowbridge banner, here they are again, thrown off any potentially patronisingly and perhaps amateurish connotations of “youth” or “teen band,” they’re here with their own pride and right, and largest fanbase tonight.
Steatopygous are a trio to repel stereotypically passรฉ half-centenarians, who’d likely label them “witches,” being Fishy Rishi and his gang has receded us to medieval, yet it’s precisely these redeeming qualities I salute them for; I’m weird like that, historically! It’s punk in quintessence, and if you’re not offending someone you’re not doing it properly.
Riot grrrl is not only musical subgenre though, more counterculture tenet, an expression of feminist anarchy exposed equally via poetry, political standing and DIY zine culture as well as music, and it was through illustrating those punk-paste zines of the nineties I became aware of the movement and bands like Bikini Kill, encompassing it. Ode to my days of blim-holed Letraset, Pritt-Stick, and stapling your finger to photocopied pages for a return of 10p!
It deals with the anger and frustration of inequality. While considered socially acceptable for male musicians of past eras to express enraged emotions, the suppression of women to do likewise is riot grrrl’s angle, and Steatopygous embody this superbly. Such as it is, after they’ve screamed the house down, all is vented, so a chat with them was hospitable, intelligent, and involved subjects like completing their exams and future hopes.
On stage though, they’re a force, hammering out originals with thoughtful prose and screeching emotion, you cannot prevent them embedding their prose into your soul if you wanted them there, or not! On subjects keyed to the movement, yet contemporary, they shine. A cry to Israeli occupation of Gaza, for example, but their personal favourite shaming laddish behaviour, a quick blast called Little Boy.
If Nothing Rhymes With Orange set a high bar for current Devizes bands, Steatopygous will nuzzle underneath it and come up trumps via their own methods. I hope they don’t change this energy to be commercially viable, as it was a unique fuzzbox frenzied experience to savour and the young audience lapped it up.
Between these two divine outbursts saw perhaps a more archetype nod to punk roots. Hayden Lloyd as a Midlands trio provided a wonderfully delivered moment of sanity for elders present, blessed in the mod blues reminiscent of Paul Weller at his edgiest, and polishing his set with an astute cover of Hendrix’s Foxy Lady; deffo not riot grrrl! His was heaped in retrospection, of The Who and the progressive advances which got us to this stage, and it was done exceptionally well.
Another triple header night of excellent original music from the pride of Trowbridge, worthy of the short journey. The Pump is where it’s at, The Pump showcases what others wouldn’t dare to, and such is the other’s downfall. I saw Orange, that would’ve been enough to warrant an awesome night’s entertainment, Haydon and Steatopygous were bonus balls we’ll see headlining in future I donโt doubt for a second, both their performances last night surely sealed such a deal.
When Flo reported on the first Devizes Youth gig, she thought to interview Steatopygous, you can read it here, whereas I popped out for a damn tasty chicken burger from the stall down the street; it’s my reward for telling local live music aficionados The Pump is your pilgrimage!
In thanking everyone who supported this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards, Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events revealed his intentions of continuing with theโฆ
Featured Image: Lillie Eiger Frome Festival is launching itsย โ25 for 25โย fundraising campaign with a very special concert featuring three locally based acts:ย Tom Mothย โ bestโฆ
Iโve got some gorgeous vocal harmonies currently floating into my ears, as The Lost Trades release their first single since the replacement of Tamsinโฆ
Rolling out a Barrelhouse of fun, you can have blues on the run, tomorrow (7th November) when Marlborough’s finest groovy vintage blues virtuosos Barrelhouseโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ben Swann and Ian Diddams Self-appointed โMoroseโ Mark Harrison was once again on totally top form at Komedia last Sundayโฆ
Wiltshire Council confirmed Blue Badge holders can park freely in council-operated car parks again, following a vote at the Full Council meeting on Tuesdayโฆ
Featured Image Credit: Jamie Carter Special guests Lightning Seeds to Support Forest Live, Forestry Englandโs summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor, hasโฆ
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