Saturday 19th July 08 - Party in the Park at North End Park, Driffield By Steve Rudd

Fast-rising sextet Divine Sinn have already managed to amass a loyal fanbase in the past six months since their debut gig at The Winston Churchill. They are now on the verge of releasing their second highly-anticipated album, The Seven Deadly Sinns, proving just how determined they are as an outfit to make a name for themselves. Kicking up a storm in the wake of Parkmoor before them, they immediately launched into Warning, a storming war-cry of an anthem that sounds more epic than ever due to Dave Gurr - a recent addition to the band - and his stunning keyboard melodies.

Proudly declaring that they were one of only a couple of bands on the day's bill to be playing original material, the kilted Tom Chadwick confidently prowled around like a true rock star in-the-making, regularly hopping off the stage and mingling with fans on the front row. Performing a mixture of new and old material, Pride gave the crowd a taste of what their forthcoming album has to offer, while the slow-burning malice of Smiler showed the band at their darkest, even if such a track is their least intense of all. Sinsation and Angels Eyes' also blasted out a treat, the stack of speakers stage-right threatening to blow as a result of such glorious noise.

Guitar heroes Ben Gladstone and Lee Sherwin play off one another spectacularly. Aaron Thurlow and Nick Dixon, meanwhile, concentrate on laying down bass-lines and beats par excellence. With future gigs confirmed in Sheffield and Doncaster, the band can do no wrong, as evidenced by the deafening demands for an encore at the close of their set. Finishing as they began, the six sinners once again launched into Warning - for the benefit not only of people who'd arrived late, but for everyone to enjoy one more time.

Covers band The Others strutted on stage next and proceeded to hammer out an eclectic clutch of popular tunes. Songs by the Kings of Leon and Franz Ferdinand jostled for attention against cuts originally written by the Stereophonics and The Kaiser Chiefs amongst others.

Well-known Driff boys Chaser provided the climax to the day's entertainment in fine style. Unfortunately, by the time they came on stage the heavens had opened, transforming the park into a Glastonbury-esque mud bath. Despite the deluge, Chaser succeeded in sustaining the size of the crowd, treating the brolly-wielding audience to numbers such as Paolo Nutini's infectious New Shoes, Greenday's Basketcase, The Fratellis' Chelsea Dagger and Muse's sensationally intense Plug In Baby.

Only last year rumours had circulated that Chaser were considering splitting up, but to do so would be a great shame. Having been around for over ten years, they've naturally built up an incredible array of songs. What's more, singer/guitarist Ash Lawson, bassist Nick English and drummer Don Steel always look to be thoroughly enjoying performing in front of a home crowd. Tonight, in the heart of the park, they positively lapped up the attention, playing a faultless set in due course. www.myspace.com/divinityuk www.chaser.org.uk www.myspace.com/chaserdriffield

Music Reviews - The Who 'Live at Hull'- Monday 16th February 1970 By Malcolm Holt
	I know that it has taken a long time to write a gig review from over 38 years ago, but rest assured that the memories are just as vivid now as they were back then. I was a young 17 year old and I spent 15s (that's 75p in real money) to see The Who perform Tommy live at Hull City Hall on 15 February 1970. The Who had released the double album in May 1969. Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 12th July 08 - Moonbeams Summer Gathering at Little Kelk By Steve Rudd
	Who would have thought that a star-studded music festival in a tiny Wolds village could rival the exhilarating splendour of festivals of Glastonbury's ilk? Very few, I'm sure. But then how many people would really believe that an annual music festival of any sort has taken place in Little Kelk for the past four years? Even fewer, I'm positive. Read more...

Music Reviews - Tuesday 15th July 08 - Chris Helme at Hull Lamp By Steve Rudd
	Alighting in Hull as part of a glorious string of intimate UK tour dates in support of his recently released solo offering Ashes, York troubadour Chris Helme had the sizeable Hull crowd in fits of ecstasy due to the strength of his voice and the intensity of the emotions conveyed both through his music and lyrics. Only a few days previously he had wowed the gathered masses at a private mini-festival Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 26th June 08 - Divine Sinn at Winston Churchills, Driffield By Steve Rudd Photographs by Matt Rudd
	Back playing in their hometown just a few days after their first gig in Leeds, Divine Sinn managed to attract the Metal-loving masses in their droves, despite the biblical deluge pounding the streets outside. Mixing and matching material from both their debut album, Redemption, and their forthcoming follow-up, The Seven Deadly Sinns, they energetically roared through Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 20th June 08 - Oli Brown Band at The London Bar, Driffield By Steve Rudd
	Whoever came up with the idea of putting a band on at The London Bar deserves a pat on the back. It was certainly inspired. Moreover, whoever decided to allow Oli Brown and his band to play deserves to be bought free drinks for an entire evening. Indeed, Oli Brown & Band put on an incredible show in what has to be Driffield's narrowest pub. Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 26th March 08 - Awash With AntleR At Adelphi By Michelle Dee Photographs by Ian Rook Photography
	My first impressions of Awash With AntleR as my slightly beer-stained notes allow from Wednesday 26th March at Adelphi. Do with them what you will... These girls have a mad penchant for taffeta, nylon clad feet and vintage headgear. There's something rather inviting about them. Reminds me of a Miss Marple novel with debutantes frippery Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 16th May 08 - Moonbeams Acoustic Evening at The Old Town Hall, Driffield By Steve Rudd
	A lot of people might not realize as much, but Driffield is fast becoming THE place to play host to a hotbed of musical talent from near and far, and it's all thanks to the impassioned enthusiasm and organizational capabilities of Kelk's Leila Slater. Leila adores live music so much that she's been putting on Acoustic nights at The Bell Hotel Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 17th April Rebel Music Presents Pog Wob Joseph Porter CrackTown with DJ Eddy And Dan Van By Michelle Dee (you'd better believe it)
	Billed as Another Class Night. The Rebel Music Presents night featured alt acoustic folk from Brighton, Pog, Wob ex Blyth Power, Joseph Porter also ex Blyth Power and Hull's own CrackTown (the love affair continues). Whether class described the classroom feel that some of Joseph Porters' delves into Greek history brought Read more...

Music Reviews - Wednesday 9th April 08 - The Blueskins (Last Ever Hull Show), Kal El's Cape and Kill Surf City At The Adelphi By Michelle Dee Photos By Winston Sanders (Blueskins) and Michelle Dee (others)
	After being approached by CRS Events to help promote The Blueskins visit to Hull it was with a sense of dismay that I learned that the band had taken the decision to split up the week before. They were playing their existing dates then calling it a day. It would seem that having EMI and Domino in your corner is not enough to guarantee successful tour attendances. Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 11th April - Scouting For Girls at Hull University By Gemma Durham
	Scouting for girls delivered a belting performance last Friday, it is safe to say their a 2008 success story and continue to deliver top class performances to fans. I have been lucky enough to know the band from 2005 as an original wolfcub. The band started in 2005 with lifelong friends Roy Stride, Pete Ellard, and Greg Churchouse. The success of the band is largely down to the fans, wolfcubs, and airplay by Radio One. Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 28th March 08 - Thisisull Live featuring CrackTown, Black and White Tango and Mermaids in the Basement at the Adelphi By Michelle Dee Photos by Lucinda Livingstone Photography
	A poorly fish was I on this dank Friday night, and after a series of delays I wasn't expecting the best of nights. How wrong was I? Just after eight there were queues outside and they kept coming in until well into the second band. An odd billing perhaps, putting CrackTown on with a couple of guitar and keys exponents but one which worked surprisingly well. Read more...

Music Reviews - Live Review and Interview with Alain from Isabel At Sunset (Tea Kettle Records) By Michelle Dee
	I caught up with the Italian front man Alain on Bank Holiday Sunday evening just before his band Isabel at Sunset were due to sound check. Isabel at Sunset the critically acclaimed Parma band made quite an impact with their debut album Meet The Gang last year. Rave reviews followed from amongst others, Treblezine who awarded the five piece indie rock band Album Of The Week. Read more...

Music Reviews - 14th March 07 Moonbeams Acoustic Night At The Old Town Hall By Steve Rudd
	Consistently featuring a wealth of talent, Leila Slater's acoustic Moonbeams events at The Bell are becoming bigger and better affairs every time. So much so that this, the third night of its kind, was relocated from The Maple Room into The Old Town Hall in order to accommodate the crowd. First act of the evening was Jasper & Smirt, a couple of local lads Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 29th February 08 - ThisisUll Live Featuring Spoken Word, The Rocky Nest and Hayokee Words and Pictures by Michelle Dee
	The second thisisUll gig of 08 promised a more organic kind of live music night. I am informed by the poets that they rarely have a fixed idea as to which pieces they will do in a set. The choices are made for them by the audience's reaction and response. Gauging the crowd and then responding there of is an important skill for every performer. Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 7th March - Hull Punk Mini-Fest Featuring The Vibrators support from The Cliques Go-Go Kings Mike Watts Words and Pictures by Michelle Dee
	In a back street club in Hull, a dark dingy place that smells of piss and vomit, crazed punk fans drunk on riot and revolution, hurl themselves this way and that to raw guitar sounds and anti-establishment rhetoric. If only that were the truth. The reality however is somewhat different. Two local bands and a spoken word artist support the now aged punk Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 1st March 08 - Edwina Hayes at Driffield Folk Club By Steve Rudd
	It's not every day you get to see a world-class singer-songwriter perform in Driffield. Similarly, it's rare for the singer-songwriter in question to actually live in town. But then Edwina Hayes, despite her profile and enviable acquaintances in the music industry, is thoroughly modest and down-to-earth. She doesn't seem the type of Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 14th February 08 - Divine Sinn at Winston Churchills, Driffield By Steve Rudd Photos by Matt Rudd
	It's been a long time since Metal fans in Driffield have had a band to call their own. Too long, in fact. So, thank the devil for new quartet Divine Sinn. Not to be confused with Swedish rockers Divine Sin, Driffield's Divine Sinn have been practicing hard for the past seven months in anticipation of performing live, with this being their first Read more...

Music Reviews - Tuesday 29th January 08 - Alison Moyet at York Grand Opera House By Steve Rudd
	Striding on in front of an eye-catching stage backdrop, Alison and her backing band immediately made themselves temporarily at home on the stage. And even sat up in the rafters of the fabulously preserved venue as I was, the sight down below was one to behold. It's not very often that Alison hits the road, making this date in York one to be savoured all the more. Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 25th January 2008 - ThisisUll Live at The New Adelphi, Hull By Benny Jenner, Life Burns Records Photographs by ChrisW Photography
	Half past eight on a Friday night, I'm stuck in Hull and I'm here at the new Adelphi club, a place I haven't been to in over eight months. Not due to my own fault I just haven't had the urge to check out many bands who play there, but tonight is different. I've been asked by thisisUll.com to come down and review three bands who played tonight. Read more...