Tom Atkinson - HecklerSpray

TV Preview: Grandma’s House, Tonight, BBC Two

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

Simon Amstell is funny. He's also a bit like dog shit.

Explanation? It's funny when you see someone else stuck in the middle of it, but not so good when you've just landed a foot in it yourself.

We refer to Never Mind The Buzzcocks, where guests chuckled heartily as the life faded from the eyes of another young pop star whom Amstell was busily ripping the piss out of, but murmured nervously as his savage searchlight of sarcasm turned upon them.

It was mean, it was childish, it was loads of fun. Still, somewhere along the line, our Simon got a bit sick of it and returned to stand-up comedy, fading from the general public?s minds quicker than a Joe McElderry/ Jedward co-headlining tour.

Hecklergigs: Shearwater, Bush Hall, 17/09

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

The Bush Hall, in West London’s Shepherd’s Bush, is an unlikely spot for sensitive beauty, situated as it is on the Uxbridge Road, home to as diverse a collection of sights and smells as you’re likely to find in this patchwork capital.

Tonight, however, it is acting as a temporary home to Shearwater, creators of rather learned folk rock that ranges from the poetically ethereal to the scarily loud and fragmented.

Hecklergigs: Glasvegas, The Scala, 23/ 09

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

In the space of the last two years, Glasvegas have managed to attract a hype that would make even the marketers of Hollywood blockbusters jealous, drawing all kinds of comparisons for their audibly greasy and powerfully excellent chip shop rock n roll.

The most frequent and purposefully headline grabbing of these has to be their ‘new Oasis‘ tag, a label that seems fairly at odds with a band initially known for the strength of their Scottish accents, but one that does at least have a little weight.

Discovered by Alan McGee? Check. While playing third on the bill at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow? Check. Fronted by brothers? Check. Purveyors of moody, shouty anthems? Check, check and check again.

Of course, those kind of easy links are a record label’s dream, and the clamour won by Columbia for the signatures of the band has drummed up a fire and safety-busting capacity (and then some) crowd at the comparably small Scala in King’s Cross.

DVD Review: Smart People

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

Smart People is not, more’s the pity, a feature length actioner led by a bunch of immaculately well turned out gents in tweed.

No, when they say ‘smart’, the makers of this film mean the American version of smart, better known to us Euros as intelligent, clever or big bloody brainboxes.

Here, the smart person in question is Dennis Quaid, and for us, his brainy bragging rights are already well secured- after all, he did pilot his way out of Martin Short in Inner Space, which is no mean feat.

TV Review: Samantha Who, Sunday 14th September, 11pm, E4

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

Everyone has things they’d like to forget; that time you were sick and blamed it on the dog, the ‘homely looking’ date who ended up staying for breakfast, or perhaps the hours you wasted watching Echo Beach. Straight in the memory trash can every single one.

In new US import Samantha Who, however, the list of things to forget is as long and distinguished as Slider‘s Johnson, featuring a lead character who just can’t remember a damned thing.

As it turns out, that’s a definite plus for Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate), the victim of a hit and run who awakes from an eight-day coma only to discover she has retrograde amnesia.

Family and friends are strangers, but the one thing that our Sam can discern is that until right now, she has spent her life as a full time megabitch who could give lessons in how to lose friends and alienate people.

Hecklergigs: Big Star, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 28/ 8

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

$Big Star Live Shepherd\'s Bush Empire$ The Cambridge Dictionary (that’s the Online Advanced Learner’s edition for all you fact fans) defines ‘cult’ as ‘someone or something that has become very popular with a particular group of people’, and it’s hard to find a mention of American band Big Star without this word sneaking in.

What we generally take cult to mean is that the thing in question isn’t of much interest to the world in general, but thanks to a devoted bunch of obsessives, those who don’t know accept that it must be kind of cool.

Big Star are certainly that, and even if you haven’t heard them directly, you might have come across a cover by artists as varied as The Bangles and Elliott Smith or their song In The Street, used as the theme tune to That ‘70s Show (another cover by fellow 70s rockers Cheap Trick).

Even if you’ve missed all of that you’ll know about some of their supporters. Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie recently said “everybody in Primal Scream is a big fan of Big Star”, Wilco and Idlewild featured on a 2006 tribute album, and Teenage Fanclub practically are Big Star, but Scottish.

Hecklergigs: Black Kids, ULU, 18/6

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

Forget ‘The’ bands, 2008 is all about ‘Kids’ bands. There’s London electro punks Dead Kids, Floridian indie-meisters Black Kids and New Kids On The Block.

OK, so the latter are reforming and the only time they ever get close to anything to do with kids is probably late at night in tour hotel rooms (changing nappies, obviously, what did you think we meant?) but they still count. Honest.

Returning to Black Kids though – this year is, we’re told, really going to be a big one for them. They’ve already been marked out as ones to watch by the BBC and rock behemoth Rolling Stone, and all this before their debut album has so much as sniffed a shelf.

The record in question, Partie Traumatic, has been produced by indie stalwart and ex-member of Suede Bernard Butler, and will be released on July 7 for your listening pleasure. In the meantime, you can catch the Kids at Glastonbury, T In The Park, and pretty much every other festival this summer before they head back stateside to make more waves.

Album review: I’m Not There OST, Various artists

August 5th, 2012 By Tom Atkinson

$I\'m Not There OST Review$ Cover versions can be tricky little buggers. Rather like movie remakes, they can sometimes surpass the original (Heat), just about offer a flattering copy (The Ring), or completely murder the hell out of the original and leave all fans of it employing small animals to scratch out their eyeballs (Get Carter).

Songs are a lot shorter than your average film though, and therefore, should be a lot harder to make a mess of. Although not if you’re Mark Ronson, whose grindingly shit (and admittedly incredibly successful) take on covers involves simply a jaunty rhythm and a trumpet. Again. And. Again.

Anyway, whatever the failings of the twat in the hat, you surely can’t go wrong with an album packed full of Bob Dylan belters can you? Well, maybe in some ways you can.