Forget Jools Holland and his boogie woogie piano, New Years Eve should be spent listening to some ludicrously good local bands. Featuring an all-star cast from the Nottingham music scene, THE MAZE was the epicentre for a cataclysmically good line up of music.
LEFTLION and I’M NOT FROM LONDON spoilt us with this juicy line up of GAZ from the BREADCHASERS, TRAY ELECTRIC, MOKSHAH, LONG DEAD SIGNAL, MANIERE DES BOHEMIANS, HOT JAPANESE GIRL, CAPTAIN DANGEROUS and BABY GODZILLA.
Walking into the main room of THE MAZE with a freshly poured pint as HOT JAPANESE GIRL are mid-set is not a good idea. Instantly the beer is soaking through some unfortunate woman’s dress as the mosh pit swallows in punters like a blackhole of insanity. No time to apologise though, only time to milk the HOT JAPANESE GIRL teets dry as their thumping titanic alt/metal is the sort of sound that translates into your brain as a command to do something crazy. If Charlie Sheen married Satan in a coke-fuelled, fiery madness this lot should play at the wedding reception.
2012 is a matter of minutes away, the bar is getting busier, guys are laying foundations for a midnight kiss but all attention is instantly captured by CAPTAIN DANGEROUS as they take to the stage. There is something about this band that is instantly lovable. They emit an utter love for music, appreciating every second of the performance with beaming smiles as they hustle for space on the modest MAZE stage. “Everything Beautiful Reminds Me of You“, is poetically heart-felt and “Forgive us we’re British“, is pure joy to the ears. Adam Clarkson’s vocals pulling on the heart strings like a monkey swinging from a rope…the sort of song that every human on earth should experience. Watch it here.
With ten seconds left of 2011, the countdown echoes around THE MAZE in a celebration of what has been a fantastic year for the Nottingham music scene shortly followed by a typically brilliant CAPTAIN DANGEROUS version of Auld Lang Syne.
Happy new year drunken phone calls are are abruptly ended as the headliners take to the stage: “Sorry love, gotta go, BABY GODZILLA are about to blow my mind!”
Storm clouds gather over 257 Mansfield Road as if the Gods can sense that something biblical might be about to take place. We can only hope that THE MAZE’s insurance policy covers damage by reptile with guitars. Destructive drummer Tom Marsh scrawls the words “Baby” and “Godzilla” on the backdrop signalling the start of what can only be described as a 40 minute long, frantic wrestling match between band and crowd with some thunderous riffs thrown in for good measure. Psycho/frontman Matt Butch Reynolds immediately launches himself at the crowd and I can’t help but think an all white outfit might not be the best choice for a guy that spends a lot of time thrashing around on the floor. Bass monster Paul Shelley’s t-shirt sums up everything about this band, “I AM AWESOME”. There are no boundaries between band and crowd with BABY GODZILLA, most of the time there are more fans on the stage than band members. Riff machine Jonny Hall stalks around the mosh pits like a sweaty sexual tyrannosaurus searching for prey. The last new years eve on Earth if the Mayans are to be believed, this lot play as if the apocalypse could happen any second. Absolute blood, sweat and beers.
With the new 7 track mini album “Oche”, released at midnight for the stupidly cheap price of 4 quid, BABY GODZILLA showcased that not only are they a band full of psychotic mentalists with unhealthy amounts of energy but they can make some frighteningly good noises too.
Watch their first official music video here and then buy the new album here.
Have a fantastic, armageddon-free 2012!
Yours in Love of New Music,
Tom Hadfield x
