Genesis tribute band The Musical Box set to play at De Montfort Hall in Leicester

By Courtney Stevens

The Musical Box performing at one of their shows (Image: publicity picture)

Genesis tribute band The Musical Box are set to play at De Montfort Hall in Leicester on Wednesday, February 8, as part of their global tour The Lamb lies down on Broadway.

The band will be playing all over the UK in February, starting off in York on February 2 and finishing off in Portsmouth on February 18.

The Musical Box are a Canadian tribute band for English Rock band Genesis, re-enacting their performances from the 1970s.

The current line-up includes singer Denis Gagne, guitarist Francois Gagnon, bassist Sebastien Lamothe, keyboardist Ian Benhamou, and drummer Marc Laflamme.

This tour will be re-creating the original band’s 1974 – 1975 show And the light lies down on Broadway, and will be complete with costumes, instruments and lighting.

The band promises a set that will take fans right back to Genesis’ 1970s peak with everything down to the setlists being identical to those played by the original band.

Since The Musical Box’s creation in 1993, they have performed shows across Canada, the US, Europe, and South America.

The band are also the only Genesis band to have received active support and permission from the original group, with members of the band being part of the audience or even appearing on stage with them.

Tickets are available now from https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/the-musical-box

TV Priest live at Firebug, Leicester: a raw, orchestral post-punk trip

Review by Shaikha Rahimi

Gone are the days where rock gigs are only about hair whipping and top-of-the-lungs screaming. From chest patting to the lyrics to swinging the microphone stand across the stage, Charlie Drinkwater draws a line between the audience and the band through emotion. And, above all, by being quintessentially TV Priest.

TV Priest’s debut album showcased who they are as a band as well as their versatility, and their second album hammered down their sound. Uppers was an unapologetic political statement and the predeceasing album seems to have traces of that, too. The earsplitting guitars and drums combined with Drinkwater’s vulnerable and honest lyricism created juxtaposition like no other.

Drinkwater, whose artistry is not limited to music, was profoundly immersed in the lyricism throughout the show. He did not stop at satisfying the audience’s ears; he brought the visuals into it. His stage presence is theatrical in a sense, and he almost innately feels the urge to act out his lyrics. “Life only comes in flashes of greatness,” he exclaimed, with his hands over his head. 

TV Priest on stage at Firebug. Image by Shaikha Rahimi.

One Easy Thing, one of TV Priest’s most known tracks, had to make it to the setlist, and the band’s ability to immerse the audience into the lyricism shone through once again as Drinkwater said: “And when you used to laugh, rooms used to open for you .. like a mother weeping.” 

He does it once again as he repeatedly patted his chest while building up the crescendo: “I need to sleep, so very, very deeply. But I am on the call, and I am waiting.” This moment was the highlight of the night. TV Priest put on a show that is well-rounded and strikes a balance between theatrical elements and rock music. I would not have been surprised to see curtains closing the show. 

With the size of Firebug’s venue in mind, it already felt like an intimate gig. But Drinkwater took the artist-fan interaction up a notch by sitting at the edge of the stage during Limehouse Cut, one of the many profound moments during the show. Contrary to the studio version of the track where Drinkwater’s vocals are low-pitched and sonorous, he howled and quavered: “Won’t you follow, follow me?” into the crowd without a microphone. Drinkwater is certainly au fait with sustaining fan interactions. “You can find us around our merch stall after the show selling T-shirts to pay for petrol,” he said mid-show. It seems transparency is not limited to his lyricism.

For the audience, this is a rollercoaster with consistent highs and no lows. It encapsulates meaningful lyricism, with zestful stage presence, and timeless sound. Drinkwater’s commitment to the vulnerability of his lyricism carried the audience through a plethora of emotions. He was clearly submerged in the guitar, bass, and drums. You could just see it in his face, and you cannot help but surrender to the intensity of their marvellous crescendos. Nothing held TV Priest back. This show was incised with energy, sensational vocals, and unparalleled stage presence.

The support act were London-based alternative-rock band Modern Woman. Their music is hard to label and is mysterious in its intent: post-folk-meets-art-rock. The layered instrumental excellence of the violin – yes, a violin – and the electric guitar with the rhythmic cymbals created a goosebump-inducing sound.

But it was TV Priest’s night: a show that felt like a raw, orchestral post-punk trip that gave the audience a thrilling adventure that was all about screeching guitars, pounding drums, and authenticity.

TV Priest’s current European tour takes in France, Belgium and Switzerland and concludes in Köln, Germany on Friday, November 25. Buy tickets at https://www.tvpriest.com.

TV Priest to play Leicester show

By Shaikha Rahimi

The post-punk band will play in Leicester’s Firebug at 8pm tonight.

London-based rock band TV Priest will play Leicester’s Firebug Bar tonight. The post-punk band are touring in support of their second studio album My Other People.

TV Priest are best known for being signed by Sub Pop Records, a Seattle-based record label that achieved fame for signing central players in the grunge movement such as Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden.

Frontman Drinkwater said the band enjoys travelling to refine the sense of community while playing shows for their fans. “We’re lucky to be out doing all of this and meeting our people. It’s the reason you get in a band, really,” he said.

“We have been all over Europe so far – and have been to Amsterdam for the first time, which is amazing. We just came back from the US and Canada in August, so we’ve been busy. It’s been a busy last couple of months.”

The band premiered One Easy Thing on February 15 as the lead single for their second studio album.

“The suit of armour [in the music video of One Easy Thing] is metaphorical in lots of ways in terms of how I interpret music and how music is so rooted in emotion.

“I always strive for an element of honesty in our performances. I like to bring a range of emotions. When you go to a show, you go through so many different feelings – one minute being more combative and angry, the next minute tender, and then maybe funny. I try to be as open and honest as possible in the way I am on stage by letting the emotion of the song be the conduit,” said Drinkwater.

This UK and Europe tour is the band’s second tour after they have toured their debut album Uppers.

“The first time we toured we were very keen to shake out and shake off a lot of the frustration we’ve had from being separated for two years. So, the nature of that tour was quite intense, punky, visceral, and loud. It’s not to say that we moved away from all that, but this album has got a few more tones by the nature of it. We’re very keen on showing that and playing with a bit of light and dark.

“We play loud music most of the time, but this time I want to show it’s not just who we are as artists. We’re capable of showing emotions other than anger,” said Drinkwater.

And, he added: “[On this tour] I’ve allowed myself to be more of a singer in lots of ways and to have moments where I draw melody. It’s really strange because sometimes when you listen to a song you sort of disassociate a bit, and for me, that’s really special. Even for the rest of the band, we try to play around with the technicalities of a song to expand the kind of sound we’re producing. The boys invest a lot of time learning about different sounds to create something that feels more considered than just back-to-back noise.”

“We play loud music most of the time, but this time I want to show it’s not just who we are as artists. We’re capable of showing emotions other than anger.”

The band kicked off their tour in Diksmuide, Belgium on October 23 and will continue touring the UK and other European cities before finishing in Cologne, Germany on November 25.

Doors will open at 7pm and the show will start at 8pm at Firebug Bar. Tickets are priced at a face value of £9.

Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.seetickets.com/event/tv-priest/firebug/2312962.

The band will play 13 European shows and 12 UK shows to include Leicester.