Tag Archives: Leeds

a/s/l: The Shits

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Remember the days of the old schoolyard? Remember when Myspace was a thing? Remember those time-wasting, laborious quizzes that everyone used to love so much? Birthday Cake For Breakfast is bringing them back! 

Every couple of weeks, an unsuspecting band will be subject to the same old questions about dead bodies, Hitler, crying and crushes.  

This Week: Off the back of releasing their new album ‘You’re A Mess‘, Callum Howe of Leeds lot The Shits answers a series of inane questions!

a/s/l?
26/Male/Writing these answers from one of The Shits’ biggest fans living room in Tottenham, Stinktown.

Have you ever seen a dead body?
Of course.

Who is your favourite Simpsons character?
Lionel Hutz.

What T-Shirt are you wearing?
Plain black.

What did your last text message say?
I was telling the band I was finally getting round to answering these questions.

What’s the last song you listened to?
Haven’t listened to any music in years.

How did you meet the people in your band?
Drinking.

What’s the first record you bought?
AC/DC – High Voltage on CD.

What was your favourite VHS growing up?
My Grandma taped a TV documentary on the life of Albert Einstein that I watched countless times.

When was the last time you cried?
Currently.

Have you ever kissed someone & regretted it?
And the rest.

Best physical feature?
You already know.

Worst physical feature?
You tell me, I’m on the far right hand side of our new album cover, submissions welcome, send to theshitsrock@gmail.com.

Do you have any pets?
The people who come to our shows are animals, do they count?


Ever picked up any injuries on tour?
Alcohol induced brain damage.

What did you do for your last birthday?
Ate fish garlic with pilau rice and peshwari naan at Sheesh Mahal, Kirkstall Road.

Name something you CANNOT wait for?
Not having to write anymore interview answers.

Do you have a crush on someone?
We’re married to the music.

What’s the shittest experience you’ve had as a musician?
Isn’t being one suffering enough?

If you could go back in time, how far would you go?
Don’t really have an answer for this one, probably some time before I started feeling bad all the time.

How do you want to die?
Soon.

What’s your favourite thing about pizza?
This one is terrible.

What are you craving right now?
Release.

Have you ever been on a horse?
Not that I can remember.

What did you dream about last night?
Very rarely remember my dreams unfortunately.

If you could go back in time and kill the baby Hitler, would you?
If you were capable of this; is killing a baby your only viable option for stopping him?

Do you like Chinese food?
Yes, furthermore, I’m not a fussy eater.

Have you ever been on TV?
Not yet.

Ever meet someone famous?
I hang out with the guys in The Shits all the time.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Why, in The Shits, of course!

‘You’re A Mess‘ is out NOW via Rocket Recordings – Grab a copy of the record here!

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Exclusive: Stream ‘The Committee’ – The new EP from noisy Leeds duo BELK

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From Yard Act to Gang Of Four to Cowtown to Blacklisters, there’s something in the air in the Northern city of Leeds that has its inhabitants coming together to form bands and churn out something solid. Sure their members may be from nearby towns and cities, or they may up sticks from Leeds and look to the bright lights of Manchester or *shudder* London, but if there’s a Leeds connection, chances are the band are going to be well above average.

In May of last year, we spoke of one such band – BELK, the duo of George Chadwick (drums) and Alex Pearson (guitar / vocals), who at the time were poised to reissue their ‘Umpire‘ EP on cassette. As we near the end of 2022, we return to the noisy pairing as they close in on the release of their latest EP, ‘The Committee‘.

Recorded and produced in May 2021 with Tom Goodall (of much missed Leeds noise outfit Cattle) at Hohm Studios in Bradford, ‘The Committee‘ hits hard from note one – guttural screams, yelps, hammer-the-nail-in drumming and flying off the handle guitar. It’s good ya know?

Out this Friday via Human Worth on a limited edition black 7″ vinyl (just 150 copies), a purchase comes with a download featuring two additional demo tracks. 10% of all proceeds will be donated to charity Action Bladder Cancer UK, but before you buy you can hear it in full below!

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Hey, have you heard about…Coded Marking

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As you can imagine, running a website that largely focuses on gig reviews took somewhat of a hit during the past two years. With the big bad pandemic grounding everyone to within four walls and subsequent restriction tightening knocking the wind out of everyone’s sails, enthusiasm took a right dip too.

Once upon a time, we travelled to Leeds at least once a month for a live show (three times in a week on one occasion, when we were feeling particularly spicy), but travel up Yorkshire way has sadly dried up of late.

We’ve always had a soft spot for Leeds though and luckily for us, there seems to have always been a ‘Generation Game’ style conveyor belt of top quality artists throughout the city, with new outfits cropping up seemingly every week.

Enter Coded Marking – formed in 2021, with their numbers having played in Super Luxury, Cattle, Bearfoot Beware and Hamer. Influenced by the likes of Killing Joke, PIL and Neu, theirs is the sort of moody post-punk/synth-punk that tickles our fancy and gets right under your skin, tailor made for hypnotising likeminded individuals in dark basement rooms.

The trio have already notched up some choice support slots alongside the likes of Snapped Ankles, Spectres and Flat Worms. With a full-length LP on the way this year, for now you can hear their debut three track EP on Bandcamp – at the time of writing, there’s one limited edition cassette up for grabs too!


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Live Review: Turnstile at the Refectory in Leeds 5 February 2022

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There have been a number of occasions (particularly as I get older, jeez) where I’ve had to curb my enthusiasm – especially when it comes to gigs – lest I build up whatever it is too much in my head and it ends up in disappointment. Prepare for mediocrity and anything else is a bonus, right? Following three sold out dates in London and Nottingham last week, the anticipation to see Turnstile live had been bubbling up, making it hard to stick to this credo. Then again, anything but fever pitch would seem inappropriate, considering I’ve listened to their latest album ‘GLOW ON‘ on and off every week since its release last August.

The outfit from Baltimore, Maryland hadn’t just got us worked up of course, their third studio album lighting up EOY lists a mere two months ago. With this being their only Northern date, it seemed everyone on the train into Leeds was off to the show. I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but it wasn’t a shock to see the lad with tunnels who got on at Huddersfield drinking a PBR tallboy re-appear later on at the Refectory…

As Whitney Houston blared out of the speakers at the venue, the room joined her in belting out ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody‘ in Saturday night right-on-it fashion. Before long, the lights went down and a big cheer went up as a pink ‘GLOW ON‘ style haze appeared on stage. The bass thud signalled the arrival of “Freaky” Franz Lyons, the bassist boo’d on arrival as he was inexplicably wearing a Man United shirt (if it was intentional trolling, fair play to him!)

Opener ‘Mystery‘ put to bed any sense of disappointment, the kick-off for the evening being a joyous burst of euphoria that would carry on throughout the night, everything from the new record sounding just as engaging from the stage. The crowd did their best to be just as loud as vocalist Brendan Yates, letting it all come out having patiently waited to hear the new album in a live capacity.

The sold out room came alive for just about everything dished out from on stage, often singing back riffs in between shouting back every lyric. “Shake it up!” Yelled out Yates not long after they’d raced through ‘Real Thing‘ from 2018s ‘Time & Space‘, one of the many instructions, encouragements and yelps given throughout the night as he vibed off the energy of the punters. Bodies shot up above the heads of others constantly, rolling about in the surf whilst a topless Yates threw his body about, prone to bust a move.

A change of vantage point from behind a pillar by the stage to nearer the bar provided a different atmosphere entirely and looking at the crowd as one from the back captured the room like an artist’s impression. The colours from on stage – pink, purple and a mist of blue for the rush of ‘FLY AGAIN‘ – lit up the crowd beautifully as the band did their thing from up above.

Yates told the people before him that if they had someone in the crowd they love, they should lift that person up and invite them to climb onto their shoulders. Having tweaked my back sweeping the living room earlier that day, I had to politely decline, but I was in the minority, and the outpouring of love was clear via the many jumping up onto their loved ones shoulders.

‘T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)‘ (one of our top 50 tracks of 2021) came in hot as the closer, the last chance to rip it up amongst the congregation. Multiple bodies flung themselves into the pit from the balcony above and my companion hit the deck himself whilst trying to two-step. The audio bled out long after the band had departed, the purple and pink lights shining on the crowd as they shot off into the night, coming down off a Turnstile high.

TS

‘GLOW ON’ – Reviewed here!

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Exclusive: WATCH ‘Money’ – The new video from Leeds based noise duo BELK

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“A place for bands who exist between the shelves in record stores, and live outside traditional genre lines” – That’s how London based indie label Glasshouse Records describe their collection of handpicked artists and what a lovely thought it is.

Of their latest signing BELK, they’ve quite knowingly suggested that their cassette reissue of the band’s EP ‘Umpire‘ deserves to be released on tape as it will “both enhance their janky sound and appeal to collectors.“

Leeds based noise outfit BELK create that sort of joyous, raucous noise you get when there’s just two bods involved, calling to mind our old pals from back in the day, Bad Grammar (with a bit more throat-shredding on offer).

‘Money‘ – the re-released single from the cassette reissue of second EP ‘Umpire‘ – has had the black and white video treatment and we’re pleased as punch to share it below. Get yourself set up with a pre-order for the cassette and T-Shirts ahead of its release on June 4th!

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Exclusive: Blacklisters are Fantastic Men – Watch their new video for ‘Fantastic Man’

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Following the reveal of a new Blacklisters album in the works via the video for ‘Sports Drinks‘ (featuring incredible athletic prowess on show from guitarist Dan Beesley), ‘Fantastic Man‘ – the title track from said album – features footage from way back when showcasing a particularly fantastic bloke with a strong neck, strong back, strong feet and strong internal organs. Forget that thick bloke doing youtube fitness tutorials, real fantastic men bounce up and down doing tiny kicks in their grundies.

Recorded by Lee Smith and Rob Slater at Greenmount Studios, ‘Fantastic Man‘ is out August 28th 2020, physically via our friends Buzzhowl Records in the UK and A Tant Rêver Du Roi in Europe, whilst you can pre-order it digitally direct via their own bandcamp here. As well as pre-ordering the new album, you can also buy ‘Sports Drinks’ for a weak pound (or more) and all proceeds will go to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

But don’t take our word for it on the new album, here’s main shouter Billy Mason Wood providing his own words – plus this photo (i’m sorry about the photo):

“How to be Fantastic Man: Lift weights, shout loudest, always be right. Show muscles. Short sleeves in winter. Short shorts for all seasons. Don’t listen to advice unless it is your own. Never hold doors. This is a weakness. Buy the latest model of every product. Shout at strangers. Drive fast. Regret nothing. Resent the success of others. Have a basement. Hide in basement, cry alone and nightly in basement. Tell children you were watching the football tv goals if they ask about crying. Humiliate your first born until they are fantastic too.”

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Gallery: Louder than God Festival at Temple Of Boom in Leeds 30 November 2019

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(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

(Photo Credit: Shaun Pugh)

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Gallery: Walt Disco at Headrow House in Leeds 15 October 2019

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(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

(Photo Credit: Callum Barks-Moores)

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Live Review: Pom Poko at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds 15 October 2019

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I was introduced to Pom Poko earlier this year, a recommendation via the predictable “golden source” that is Dr Marc Riley’s BBC6 evening show. Signed to Bella Union, the debut album ‘Birthday’ was released in February. Excited by the first two singles, the LP become a regular companion to my ears, speakers and headphones throughout 2019. Back in July I had the pleasure of seeing them at the fabulous Deershed Festival. It was one of those wondrous moments when a tent full of people get behind the first band of the day and most of them maybe don’t know who they are. With this in mind, I’d bought tickets for the Hyde Park Book Club gig many months ago, thrilled to see them in a more intimate environment.

Support band Orchards seemed an excellent choice to accompany Pom Poko, catchy pop/indie/rock with some really sweet vocals. They received a great reception from an already full basement as we arrived mid-set. As Pom Poko get ready to take to the stage another fantastic Nordic musician, Lindstrom, booms out of the speakers.

Starting off with blistering album opener ‘Theme 1#’ (referencing the Raccoons that star in the Ghibhli film which conceived their band name), it immediately showcases Martin’s intricate math-rock guitar skills, culminating in a squealing high-pitched frenzy that delivers huge applause from the sold out crowd. Some bands play it cool, but lead singer Ragnhild prefers to go “all out” from the first note, laughing, dancing and a constant reminder that the audience should be having the same amount of fun off stage as she has on.

The cowbell takes centre stage for ‘Follow The Lights’ and is then followed by a couple of new songs including ‘Theme 2#’. The audience reaction when they blast into ‘Day Tripper’ is a joy to witness, more and more people moving about as the dynamic foursome rip through the majority of their first album.

‘Leg Day‘ confirms the positive impact of acquiring a BBC6 playlist slot, a lot of the crowd singing along word for word. The pace changes and they (temporarily) slow things down, sweet ballad ‘Honey’ showcases a different but equally wonderful side to Pom Poko, with Ragnhild lamenting “It’s fucking lonely out here”.

‘Crazy Energy Night’ is absolutely thunderous, with drummer Ola working tirelessly on an extended ending, Jonas on bass accompanies him in a frenzy, triggering multiple effects and I’m not sure if he is actually playing, wrestling, shagging or strangulating his bass. Ragnhild breaks out into full on laughter – maybe that protracted ending wasn’t what they rehearsed. She also shares with us that she actually lived in Leeds as a child for just one year “Who would have thought I’d return here to a sold out crowd?”

The band retire to the adjoining dressing room but are soon back onstage, finishing with ‘Peachy’ in harmony with the album. People from the crowd are shouting them to repeat songs for a second time, but sadly it’s time for the fantastic foursome to finish. A crazy energy night that I’d really like to repeat again asap – I doubt anyone would disagree.

(Photo Credit: Mark Bowers)

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Exclusive: Listen to ‘Spoilers’ – The debut offering from Leeds DIY collective CORN

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Bloody Leeds again, eh? Ever since the birth of Birthday Cake For Breakfast, we’ve been unable to help ourselves from writing about the Leeds DIY scene and its never ending conveyor belt of quality.

Hot off the presses this month is ‘Spoilers‘, the debut EP from brand spanking new Leeds trio Corn, made up of players in and around DIY mecca CHUNK – Featuring Efe Cakar (OIL), Brian Scally (Ganglions) and Richard Vowden (Bearfoot Beware). Recorded with Tom Goodall of Cattle and former Bearfoot Beware drummer Mike Osborne, final production duties were handled by the latter – it’s a total family affair.

Whilst none of its members live near each other any more, who cares? This is 2K19 and you’re surfing the World Wide Web, baby! You can listen to the whole darn thing below and just use your imagination to imagine what it might look like live.

Whilst his baby kept him awake all night, vocalist Efe wrote some words down to shed some light on the new project:

“Much of the record is a futile attempt to marry Brian’s obsession with Algernon Cadwallader to Efe’s more post-rock and minor-key inspired influences, riffing off the back of the likes of Grails, Oceansize, and Jose Gonzalez. The combination (to the band’s ears at least) sounds like a shit Faraquet record.”

“… the instrumental version of this EP actually sat on the shelf for over a year, while the group unsuccessfully tried to convince anyone to sing on it in order to avoid having to do it themselves. Eventually, they decided to cut their losses and draw straws to see who would sing on each song, which Efe mostly lost. The lyrical themes range from the immigrant experience (Bruce Willis Is A Ghost), to climate change (Mr Orange), to Jordan B Peterson aka “yer Dad” (Statue of Liberty). That’s it. I’ve got work in the morning.”

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