Bristol based four piece Mother Vulture have been making a name for themselves in the pits and dives of the South West music scene with their incendiary live shows over the past couple of years. In packed, claustrophobic venues, music fans watch jaws agape, as they witness guitarist Brodie Maguire and bassist Chris Simpson jerk about the stage like some invisible demon is prodding them with a red hot poker. Centre stage is a diminutive whirlwind of corkscrew hair, armed with just a microphone and the biggest voice this side of Mike Patton or even Rob Halford in his prime. I say centre stage, but take your eyes off him and Georgi Valentine is gone. Into the crowd, on his back on the dance floor singing his lungs out while his bandmates seemingly defy gravity, making a cacophony of noise as intense and brutal as anything you could wish for.
This is the world of Mother Vulture. But all this is inconsequential right now, as Coronavirus has put pay to this band taking off in 2020. So what does a band like Mother Vulture do while they await the go-ahead for their return to live-action? They only go and release a live album on an unsuspecting world!
Recorded live at Rockfield Studios in Wales, ‘Doing It Live’ comprises 10 tracks of high octane, rock ‘n’ roll music that captures the chaos and intensity of a Mother Vulture live show.
The singles are present and correct. Album opener ‘Tell Me’, ’Mr Jones’ and latest release ‘Fame Or Shame’ are all delivered with the confidence and bravado of seasoned pros. The musical chops of Rage Against The Machine, the bluesy howl of Wolfmother and the raw, punk intensity of The Stooges combine to create a glorious musical orgasm that leaves you longing to witness them in the flesh.
The between-song banter serves as a reminder that this album was cut in one take, live in the studio. Shit, this band is tighter than a duck’s arse! Tribal beats and big guitars are the order of the day in ‘Habits Die Hard’, Brodie’s inner Ron Asheton comes to the surface as cool lick follows cool lick. The playing is confident, the rhythm section of bassist Chris and powerhouse drummer Matt West deliver with precision throughout. Larger than life beats, a crackle of distortion and feedback lead off ‘Big Teeth’ before retro riffage and screamo vocals take it to another place entirely. In ‘Bleeding Feet Blues’ they take the genre and turn it upside-down. Not so much a blues lament, as a ‘rip your head off and shit down your neck’ kinda vibe!
Epic closer ‘Objectify’ shows a depth and maturity to a band greater than their years. Finger-picked guitar chords and haunting vocals lead the listener into a false sense of security before the band kick in with a wall of distortion and soaring vocals to make your ears bleed one final time before the (virtual) record stops spinning.
‘Doing It Live’ is not Mother Vulture’s debut album, they’ve not even got around to recording that yet! This is their career-defining live album, they just decided to release it before their career has been defined!
You want a reminder of the intensity of a hot and sweaty club show? You want a snapshot of a young, crazy and talented new band that are hungry to get back at it? Well, what are you waiting for? Hit the link and order this record. But be quick as there are just 100 copies up for grabs. You snooze, you lose, mofos!
Buy ‘Doing It Live’ Here
Its early March 2020 and Bristol based rock band Mother Vulture are really moving, fresh off hometown supports with Michael Monroe, Ugly Kid Joe and Bokassa, they’ve just played their 2nd only show in London to rapturous reviews (see below) and booked a bunch of Summer festivals including headlining the Rising Stage at Ramblin’ Man so it’s time to start planning the release of their debut album.
And then the world kinda stopped. They retreated to Bristol, some to key worker jobs, some to no jobs, and had a
think. Live is where they’d built their rep and back in September ’19 they’d been invited to Rockfield Studios in
Monmouth to record a session for the Abbey Road Institute France. They recorded the entire session completely live,
just pressed record and didn’t hold back, they performed a true MV show. With no gigs meaning no income, all of the band’s remaining money have gone into producing 100 limited edition vinyl copies of this session, produced, mixed and mastered by the band. It’s rough and ready and not without its imperfections but they believe it most accurately represents what it’s like to experience their live sound and energy. The album features 5 previously released tracks & 6 new tracks and is available to pre-order from www.mothervulture.uk Each vinyl ordered will be personalised / numbered, vinyl and digital purchases will also include an extended version of the album, not available through streaming. At a time where live music is virtually non-existent this a vital reminder of what’s on the other side of this.
Some of the writers managed to send in their list of the top ten live shows they went to in 2019. they attended hundreds of shows all over the place via trains, planes and automobiles. On another day I’m sure these lists would change many times over. RPM Online supports Rock and Roll and loves a live show and as you browse through the lists there are many genres covered as well as some familiar suspects there are many new entries this year. We’d love to take this opportunity to thank all the bands who toured and played shows all over the UK and continue to do so, All the festivals that supported independent music from Rebellion Festivals and Camden Rocks to Steelhouse Festival in South Wales and all the festivals around Europe and wider thank you. Continue to look after independent Rock and Roll and help it thrive and reach a wider audience if you want to get involved get in touch we always welcome fresh eyes and ears to spread the word: rpmonlinetcb@yahoo.com
Leigh Fuge
Ryan Roxie – The Asylum, Birmingham
Michael Monroe – The Fleece, Bristol
The Cult – University Great Hall, Cardiff
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – City Hall, Salisbury
Kiss – The Arena, Birmingham
Alice Cooper – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Paul Gilbert – The Fleece, Bristol
The Wildhearts – The Tramshed, Cardiff
FM & The Quireboys – The Globe, Cardiff
Nev Brooks
Pulled Apart By Horses – Newport Le Pub (Reviewed Here)
Primal Scream – Great Hall Cardiff
Alice Cooper, MC50, The Stranglers – Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Nick Cave – Millenium Centre Cardiff
Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bar Stool Preachers – O2 Bristol
The Hip Priests, DC Spectres, Deathtraps – Le Pub Newport
The Wildhearts, Towers Of London – SWX Bristol
Wonk Unit – Drogonfly Pontypool
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Sin City Swansea
Holy Holy – Tramshed Cardiff
Gareth Hooper
Duncan Reid, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana Bristol
Ginger & The Sinners – St John’s church Cardiff
Clowns, BBSC – The Exchange Bristol
Amyl And The Sniffers – Louisiana Bristol
Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – The Blackheart London
The Wildhearts, Janus Stark – Komedia Bath
The Hip Priests – Le Pub Newport
Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions – Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind – Jacs Aberdare
The Stray Cats, Selector, The Living End – Hammersmith Eventime London
Johnny Hayward
Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions, Social Experiment – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff (Reviewed Here)
The Hip Priests, Rotten Foxes, Flash House, Glitter Piss – The Pipeline, Brighton
Rebellion Festival 2019 – Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Jim Jones & The Righteous Minds, Heavy Flames, Deathtraps – Jacs, Aberdare
Death By Unga Bunga, Seek Warmth – Hy Brasil, Bristol
Dboy, The Vega Bodegas, Nigel – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
The Stray Cats, The Selector, The Living End – Hammersmith Apollo, London
Grave Pleasures – The Fleece, Bristol
Pulled Apart By Horses, Baba Naga, Dactyl Terra – Le Pub, Newport
Clowns, Broken Bones Gentleman’s Club, Glug – The Exchange, Bristol
Fraser Munro
Adam Ant – St Davids Hall Cardiff
Kiss – Kiss Kruise, Miami
Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Briatol
The Hip Priests – The Drippers, Deathtraps – JT Soar, Nottingham
Alice Cooper, MC50, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Turbonecro, The Hip Priests – The Chameleon, Nottingham
Dboy – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
The Damned – KK’s Steel Mill. Wolverhampton
Skidrow, Backyard Babies – The Forum, London
the Wildhearts, Towers Of London – Tramshed, Cardiff
Ben Hughes
Michael Monroe – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (Reviewed Here)
Duff McKagan/Shooter Jennings – Academy 3, Manchester
The Wildhearts – Stylus, Leeds
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Low Cut Connie – The Fulford Arms, York
Amyl & The Sniffers – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Ryan Hamilton Songs & Stories Show – Bloomfield Square, Otley
Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – The Fulford Arms, York
Levellers – The Minack Theatre, Cornwall
Hands Off Gretel – The Fulford Arms, York
The Stray Cats – O2, Birmingham
Saint Agnes – Plymouth Junction, Plymouth
The Wildhearts – Cavern, Exeter
Motörgoblin (Orange Goblin plays Motörhead) – St Moritz Club, London
Ginger Wildheart – St Johns Church, Cardiff
Queensryche – Islington Assembly Hall, London
Mother Vulture – End of the World Festival, Plymouth
Uriah Heep – Steelhouse Festival, Wales
Cradle of Filth – London Palladium, London
Ghost – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Blaze Bayley – The Junction, Plymouth
Dom Daley
Rebellion Festival – Winter Gardens, Blackpool (Reviewed Here)
The Damned – London Palladium, London
Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Bristol
Duncan Reid &The Big Heads, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana, Bristol
Amyl & The Sniffers – Lousiana, Bristol
Ginger & The Sinners – St Johns Church, Cardiff
Clowns – The Exchange, Bristol
Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – Black Heart Camden, London
New Model Army – Tramshed, Cardiff
The Wonder Stuff – O2, Bristol
we’ve reviewed their EP and shown the video before but we felt it was time you kids got some Rock and Roll forced down your ear canal and course through your veins again. It’s available on Spaghetty Town Records or via their Bandcamp Go Get some
Seconds out round two. How about something from these crazy bastards Mother vulture punk / blues they call it so why not get a fix.
Finally, our new squeeze at RPMHQ is Queen Zee and their crossover punk meets pop meets WTF. Its just Rock and Roll folks go fill yer boots.
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