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‘Reflecting Light And Causing Chaos’ – Dead Rat Society | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Every so often an album comes along that grabs you by the (metaphorical) balls and doesn't let them free until you submit to its masterful musical charms. 'Reflecting Light And Causing Chaos' by Dead Rat Society is such an album. It burst into the atmosphere on 2nd May like a comet seeking to plough a…
The Mayhem Charts – April 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Here is the Mayhem chart for April 2025, rather tardy I know, but better late than never right? Regular readers know the chart is based on my streaming listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. My taste in music remains 99% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart…
Sleuth Gang – Fulford Arms, York – Saturday 17th May 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
I have not reviewed a Sleuth Gang gig until now. Although this was the fourth time I have seen them. I was one of the judges for the Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands contest last year so saw them in the heat, the semi final and the final. But before I talk of the…
“On My Mind” – VHS Vegas | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
VHS Vegas is a brand-new band from York, well technically I suppose they are a York supergroup drawn from the ashes of three of York’s finest bands, City Snakes, Mayfire and Hærtstrings. Their upcoming new single, “On My Mind” harks back to the finest jangly indie rock of the Britpop era reminiscent of bands like…
Holy Holy – O2 Academy, Leeds – Friday 16th May 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
I first saw Holy Holy back in 2019 when they played the Barbican in York. Sadly that is now just over six years since then. But I was not going to miss this Leeds show. For those of you who are unaware Holy Holy is a band with the backbone of two David Bowie stalwarts;…
Lene Lovich – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 2nd May 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
The last time I saw Lene Lovich was back in 1979, nearly 46 years ago! Then it was at the Hammersmith Palais. This time it is in one of my adopted cities finest venues, the Fulford Arms. Before I tell you about her York show I need to tell you about the two support acts.…
“Worst Trimester” -peach|melba | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
From it's sparse but powerful bass driven opening chords "Worst Trimester" grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go until the song is over. This is the single that LA/ Brighton duo peach|melba released last month. I played it on repeat so much I still have the marks on my neck, but trust…
Matt Goss – Barbican York – Friday 25th April 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Those lovely folks at the Modern Record asked me to review Matt Goss when he came to York last month. Having not been a huge fan of Bros I was intrigued but not excited. How did Mr. Goss do? Click here to read my review on the Modern Record site, while you are their check…
Superconductors – Craven Brew Co 3rd Birthday – Skipton | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
The Craven Brew Co is a cask led brewery with a delightful taproom and award winning brewers. In April they celebrated their third birthday with a music driven mini festival which featured an array of talented covers bands; Hazjak, 1960 Four and Superconductors. Unfortunately I didn't get to see all the bands. I was there…
“Don’t You Know” – The Unnamed Band | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
I have been lucky enough to see young York music funsters the Unnamed Band a couple of times and each time they showed a lot of promise. Their delivery of some great classic rock cover versions were ace and their self penned songs were good but needed a bit of polish. Well they have had…
“Takedown” – Lost Trends | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
One of York's finest bands, Lost Trends, don't release new stuff very often. But when they do it is always fucking good! New single "Takedown" is no exception it explodes into action from the first note. At times it sounds like the Killer's with a harder edge. Rusty's voice is better than it has ever…
“Settle Down” – Apollo Junction (with Briana Corrigan) | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Apollo Junction seem to have an ability to up the ante with every release and there new single takes their talents up yet another notch. "Settle Down" is dripping with humongous hooks and pumped with pop passion. The AP lads are joined on this song by Briana Corrigan, formerly of the Beautiful South and a…
“BLAIR!” – Industry Standard | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
There is so much ignorance and apathy regarding climate change and environmental collapse. We should be thankful that some people are speaking up about it rather loudly. Industry Standard's new single "BLAIR!" highlights lead singer Gaby's stress, worry, fear and concern about our planet. It is a powerful call to arms as Gaby repeats the…
On This Day The Mop Tops Mopped Up The Chart! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On 17th April 1971 all four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with "Another Day" (no. 11), John Lennon "Power To The People" (no. 10), George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" (no. 25) and Ringo Starr "It Don't Come Easy" (no. 29). The most successful of the four was George Harrison as…
The WJAHOM Interview Podcast – Abs | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
It was an absolute pleasure to interview uber talented soulful, sultry singer songwriter Abs recently. We spoke about her music roots and what is next for her. She also gave us a couple of exclusives! Take a listen. It was a really enjoyable chat. I hope that you like it too. Just a quick note.…
The Mayhem Charts – March 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Here is the Mayhem chart for March 2025. Regular readers know the chart is based on my streaming listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. My taste in music remains 99% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if a classic artist releases something new…
The WJAHOM Interview Podcast – Elizabeth Sharkey | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
It was a delight and an honour to interview of historian, author, music fanatic and actress Elizabeth Sharkey recently. We spoke mainly about her excellent book, 'Why Britain Rocked' which I reviewed recently. You can find my review of that book by clicking here. It was a really enjoyable chat. I hope that you like it…
Millie Manders and the Shutup – The Crescent, York – Sunday 30th March 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
This was the fifth time that I have witnessed Millie Manders and the Shutup live. How good were they this time? I will tell you later, first you need to read about the excellent support acts. As usual Millie herself was in the audience to witness both support acts. First up was Wrex, a band…
Ruth Lyon – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 28th March 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Do you remember that wonderful band Holy Moly and the Crackers? You do? Well the band are no more but front woman Ruth Lyon has now embarked on a solo career. I was lucky enough to catch her live at the fabulous Fulford Arms in York last week. But before I tell you about Ruth…
“Clickbait Reissued” – Sally Pepper featuring Millie Manders | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Sally Pepper's songs are powerful, meaningful message carriers that issue a clarion call to the masses. “Click Bait” in its original form a fabulous song. Now Sally has rerecorded it with some support from her bestie Millie Manders. The new version, entitled, "Clickbait Reissued", is as punk as fuck and rocks out like a barely…
“Speak Medieval” – Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Two years ago I had an absolute blast witnessing Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii live for the first time, at the Fulford Arms in York. In my review of that night I used the opening narration from Rod Serling's original Twilight Zone TV Series to try and give some flavour and explanation of what Erotic Secrets…
On This Day Action Eminem Or G.I. Marshall Was Banned! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On 26th March 2001 The toy figure of Eminem was banned by some UK shops. Woolworth's and Hamleys refused to stock the dolls. Psychologists had warned that parents who buy the dolls for children will be inadvertently giving their approval to bad language. Well that sounds like total fucking nonsense to me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexLAjh8fPA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y If…
Wardruna – Barbican Centre, York – Saturday 22nd March 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Those lovely folk at the Modern Record asked me to review Wardruna in York at the weekend. I am always up for experiencing something a bit different, so obviously I went! I have been going to gigs for many years now and I have never seen anything quite like Wardruna. My friend from work, Eva,…
On This Day The Fabs Won And Failed To Turn Up While Elvis’ Dad Drank Lemonade! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On 23rd March 1967 at a ceremony held at the Playhouse Theatre in London, The Beatles were awarded three Ivor Novello awards. These were for 1966: Best-selling British single "Yellow Submarine",(Effectively the 'A' Side of the Record Issued in 1966 Which Achieved the Highest Certified British Sales) most-performed song "Michelle", and next-most-performed song "Yesterday". Incidentally…
The WJAHOM Interview Podcast – David Hepworth | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing ace music journalist, presenter and writer David Hepworth a few days ago. He has worked on Sounds, NME and Smash Hits and is the man behind Q Magazine and Mojo. He was a presenter on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Live Aid. He has also written a…
“This Is Life” – Winnetka Bowling League | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Los Angeles trio Winnetka Bowling League issued a deluxe edition of last years "This Is Life" single recorded with Dawes and Medium Build. This edition features the original song, a live version and an acoustic version. Sadly, the song passed me by last summer, but I am so glad I have found it now. It…
“Hand In Hand” – Drop Dead McPhee | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Regular readers will have read about York's Drop Dead McPhee on these pages before. I reviewed their support slot for Asylum last month, check that out here. They have just released their first single, "Hand In Hand". When I saw them last month I likened them to Brinsley Schwarz and I think the new track…
On This Day Stinky Got A Bingo Hand Job! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On 14th March 1991 R.E.M. played the first of two nights at London's Borderline Club under the name of Bingo Hand Job. The group were in the UK to promote their seventh studio album 'Out Of Time' and their current single "Losing My Religion". The single hit number 4 on the US Billboard chart, number…
“Wednesday” – Pick The Flowers | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Chloe Munt a.k.a. Pick The Flowers has just released another single, "Wednesday". This is around a year since her last release and oh boy has it been worth the wait. This dark, haunting, mesmeric, chilled, trance-like, cinematic anthem is her best yet. The soft electro sounds wash over you and just when you think you…
The Mayhem Charts – February 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Here is the Mayhem chart for February 2025. Regular readers know the chart is based on my streaming listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. After a slight blip last month my taste in music remains 99% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if…
On This Day The Temptations Were On Cloud Nine! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On March 11th 1969 the Temptations became the first Motown act to win a Grammy Award for "Cloud Nine" for the Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance. The single reached Number 2 on the US R&B chart, number 6 on the US Billboard chart, number 9 in Canada and number 15 in the UK. All…
“Songs In The Key Of You” – David Judson Clemmons | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
David Judson Clemmons has been an incredibly inventive musical artist for many years he is not afraid to try new things musically. He currently lives in a small town just north of Berlin, Germany, where he works as a full-time guitar teacher, an experience he describes as his greatest source of inspiration to date. He…
On This Day Claude Had A Lightbulb Moment, His Last! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On March 11th 1978 French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer Claude Francois, also known as Cloclo, was electrocuted changing a light bulb while standing in his bathtub. He was aged just 39. This was on the eve of a scheduled US tour. He sold more than 20 million records during his…
Mayhem Virgins – abs | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
This is the 24th entry in the Mayhem Virgins series where we showcase artists that have never featured in these pages before. This time it is the turn of supremely talented abs. She is a rising star in music and has been building a good following since 2019. This has been through a great collection…
‘Why Britain Rocked’ – Elizabeth Sharkey | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Most people, particularly Americans, assume (or are absolutely certain) that rock and roll began as a distinct musical style in the United States during the mid-1950s. It drew heavily from rhythm and blues, blues, jump blues, boogie-woogie, up-tempo jazz, and swing music. Clearly some elements of its make up existed earlier in the 20th Century…
“Eat My TV” – Liliths Army | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Liliths Army are Sylvie Studente on vocals and guitar, Tommy Mayo on bass and Sam Sherwood on drums. They are based in the UK in Northamptonshire. Their new single, "Eat My TV" is the finest slice of lo-fi British punk that I have heard for a long while. The song bemoans the fact that, in…
On This Day Dweezil And Moon Unit Went Fred For The Space Cadet With Steve And Eddie! | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
On March 4th 1982 two of Frank Zappa's kids son Dweezil and daughter Moon Unit formed a band called Fred Zeppelin. They were aged 12 and 14 at the time. Their first single was "My Mother Is A Space Cadet". That is a great band name in my opinion! In fact there is a Led…
Asylum – Fulford Arms, York – Wednesday 26th February 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
The volume of gigs so far for 2025 is simmering nicely. This was a bill with three bands and only one, the headliners Asylum, that I have seen before. First on stage were Rejected Reality a classic power trio playing punky power pop seething with emotion. The band were tight and played off each other…
Catch! – Fulford Arms, York – Monday 24th February 2025 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
I try to never pass up the chance to see a band or artist that I have never seen before, so this was an easy choice. There were four bands on the bill, none of which I had seen before. This was another gig put together by the delightful human known as Simon P for…
Under The Covers With Mayhem – Chapter 13 | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem
Here comes Under The Covers With Mayhem Chapter 13, featuring the iconic reggae band the Paragons with Roslyn Sweat and their take on the Beatles (Paul McCartney) song "Blackbird". Their version is titled "Blackbird Singing" and I think it came out in 1974 on the Treasure Isle label. The band formed in Jamaica the 1960s.…