Friday, 17 June 2011

It Often Takes A War – Half Term Report

Attendance

Despite a cumbersome six man line-up the War boys have appeared at seven of their eight scheduled shows this term with only personal injury preventing a clean sweep of gigness. They have been joined by excellent DIY students Silent Front, Frau Pouch, Death Pedals, Data Errors, Calva, Commungos, Ragweed, Cherry But No Cake, Houdini, Bogong In Action, Common Deflection Problems, From Great Height, Plague Sermon, Lamp!, and Fat Bicth and proven to be a fine example to others, even with their penchant for being the class jokers.

Excellent
Good
Needs Work
Poor

Appearance and Presentation

IOTAW often display a healthy disregard for fashion and convention preferring to present themselves in a flurry of noise, chaos and questionable dancing. Whilst their post-hardcore tag could peg them for fringe wearing, earnest young men they have shown an inability to play by the rules which has marked them as “weirdos” to many of their peers. Smiles and inter-band heckling seem to contravene what we have come to expect from other students at this level and we do hope this flagrant ignorance of the norm will not harm their future development.

Excellent
Good
Needs Work
Poor

Communication

Embracing social media and embarking on a journey into websites and blogging has really begun to enhance the Warsters ability to communicate with other likeminded individuals this term. Despite the fact that their lyrical output remains pretty incomprehensible as it descends into various grunts and screams, on paper (on and offline), their personality and ethics have really begun to shine through. They consistently bang on about their DIY beliefs whenever prompted and thankfully have plenty to backup their rhetoric.

Excellent
Good
Needs Work
Poor

Conduct

The boys from IOTAW have firmly established themselves as excellent classmates on any given night. Prompt with their performances (never passing the 30 minute mark), low on demands (soundchecks appear to be a inconsequential despite audience’s belief that they probably should have them, monies and riders are never requested) and always eager to support fellow students with whoops, claps and general good natured banter (other children take note…sulking in the corner until its your turn in the spotlight will result in a loss in grade). What they lack in talent they make up for in sheer exuberance and, dare we say, volume.

Excellent
Good
Needs Work
Poor

Overall

These past six months nurturing the It Often Takes A War boys have been a real pleasure. They must now take the logical next steps and branch out from their safe haven of London’s underground and take their particular brand of “music” to more exotic climes (Scarborough maybe?). However, our only reservation is a lack of productivity in the past 6 months and we hope the summer break will see the boys concocting a few more slices of brutalness before the new term starts….if we have to hear those same six blasts of aggro again we may have to downgrade them to a C. 


B+

Monday, 6 June 2011

Next Gigs - Saturday 11th (Brighton) and Sunday 12th June (London)



Unfortunately we weren't able to play the Doubledgescissor Night on Saturday due to James twisting his ankle and being unable to play the drums. A real shame as it was a great night with Phil taking Yokozuna down to replace us (mighty fine job they did too) and stunning sets from Frau Pouch, Laps Around The Sun and especially Bad Guys!

Never fear though, we think James will be recovered for this weekend where we take part in a two day marathon with Silent Front, Nitkowski, Plague Sermon, Lamp! and Fat Bicth playing at The Green Door Store in Brighton on the Saturday night and the Windmill in Brixton on the Sunday. Both nights promise to be pretty spectacular so hopefully you can head down to one or both.

Full Details of both nights here:

Saturday 11th June @ The Green Door Store, Brighton - 
Doors 5pm, Entry £4
Trafalgar Arches Lower Goods Yard, Brighton BN1 4FQ

Line-up and stage times:

9.45 - 10.15 Plague Sermon -
http://www.myspace.com/theplaguesermon
9.00 - 9.30 Silent Front -
http://www.silentfront.co.uk/
8.15 - 8.45 Lamp! -
http://www.myspace.com/electriclamp
7.30 - 8.00 It Often Takes A War
http://www.myspace.com/itoftentakesawar
6.45 - 7.15 Nitkowski -
http://www.myspace.com/nitkowski
6.00 - 6.30 Fat Bicth -
http://fatbicth.bandcamp.com/

Green Door Store is right underneath Brighton train station - turn off Trafalgar Street opposite the Prince Albert.

Sunday 12th June @ The Windmill, Brixton -
Doors 3pm, Entry £4 (inc FREE BBQ)
22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, London SW2 5BZ

Line-up and stage times:

9.30 - 10.15 Nitkowski -
http://www.myspace.com/nitkowski
8.30 - 9.15 Fat Bicth -
http://fatbicth.bandcamp.com/
7.30 - 8.15 Silent Front -
http://www.silentfront.co.uk/
BBQ BREAK inc DJs sets
5.30 - 6.00 Plague Sermon -
http://www.myspace.com/theplaguesermon
4.45 - 5.15 Lamp! -
http://www.myspace.com/electriclamp
4.00 - 4.30 It Often Takes A War -
http://www.myspace.com/itoftentakesawar 

Thursday, 2 June 2011

Next Gig - Saturday 4th June 2011 - Urban Bar Whitechapel - FREE ENTRY!


This Saturday (4th June) we play the fantastic Doubledgescissor night as part of their first birthday celebrations! Entry is FREE! and we get to play with the amazing Bad Guys (saw them on Sunday at the Old Blue Last - absolutely brilliant), Laps Around The Sun and our wonderful friends Frau Pouch. It's all being held at The Urban Bar in Whitechapel.....Ripper country, suits us!

Doubledgescissor is a proper DIY night in every sense of the word run by the guys from Cutthroat Convention - some of the soundest ethics anywhere in the scene - so please come down and support them and hopefully we'll give you a good show too!

Doors at 8pm - we're on last (if we can stay sober....ish)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121510027927520