17th July 2015
Flip Like Wilson
Tonight a Leicester band made a come-back at The Firebug. It might not have been the first time they had made a come back, but that did not stop a large number of people turning up to see them again.
Flip Like Wilson began life in 2011. Since then we have followed their progress and several reviews of their music have been published. Take for example:
Having started in March 2011, Flip Like Wilson are now planning their first EP release which will have six tracks on it. The pop punk trio ( Josh Vale: Vocals/Guitar, Jack Nejzer: Guitar/Vocals, Joe Greenough: Bass/Vocals) are in the process of recruiting a new drummer and hope to be gigging again in December. [Arts in Leicester magazine From November 2011]
28th June 2011 saw them taking part in a battle of the bands competition:
New Leicester band Little Forts won the Battle of the Bands competition that took place today at the Shed live music venue. On the night’s line-up were The Paul Moody Band from Quorn, established Leicester rockers Even More Than You, metalists Azidify, These Roads Aren’t Safe, Flip Like Wilson and new band The Amours.
Members of the audience completed voting slips with their first and second choice of bands. The event was organised by promoter Theo Crewe and was well attended, with a very large number of teenage fans making up the all-ages audience. [Arts in Leicester magazine, June 2011]
In its Review of the year for 2011, Arts in Leicester noted: Outside the Shed there were riots in the streets; inside the Shed Flip Like Wilson carried on playing playing [9th August 2011]
Kids Can’t Fly appeared at the Soundhouse with Neon Sarcastic and Flip Like Wilson [17th August 2011]
In September 2011 the band took part in a line-up that included Patchwork Grace and Teenage Casket Company, amongst others.
Neon Sarcastic played a headline show at the O2 supported by Flip Like Wilson (among others). A review of that night said:
Some felt that life at Leicester’s O2 Academy had got a little tame and uninspiring but the venue made a come back this year with some well attended and enjoyable shows. This was one of them.
Flip Like Wilson has surged ahead this year, particular when they recruited their lead singer Jake Sterland and they put on a number of shows at which they shone as young band that has become increasingly popular with younger fans. The show was opened by The Accidents – a band that has established itself this year in the popular music end of the market. Bands like Flip Like Wilson whose performance was nothing if not surprising. I had seen them launch on to the local scene back in 2011, play a few well attended gigs, falter a little (when they lost their drummer), re-staff the group and tonight had the hall marks of a come-back and relaunch.
Well if that is what they did do tonight, then they did it remarkably well. It was surprising (if not astonishing) that Jake Sterland had become their lead vocalist. The one-time drummer of Kicking Habits had secured a reputation for being one of the most talented young drummers on the local scene. Yet tonight Jake demonstrated his Dave Grohl-like gifts as he stood in front and sang to the audience. Flip Like’ do not just stand there and play their instruments. They live their music, giving their sound a strong visual element, dancing around the stage, jumping and gyrating to the rhythms and bringing just the right level of theatre to their musical show. Their vibrant pop-rock tunes continued to fan the flames of the fire started by The Accidents. They kept the crowd in the hall and Jake Sterland sang to them. That’s the mark of a really good rock star front man – singing to the audience not just at them. With the lights blaring in his eyes, he might not have been able to see right to the back of the large hall but he could see the front rows and he performed to them. It looked as though he had been a lead singer for years, reaching down to shake hands with the fans, singling out faces in the crowd for comment, setting up a chemistry between himself and the throng in front. Given that this was the first time Jake had sung to a large audience on a major stage, his performance as amazing. He told me afterwards “I was really nervous about tonight. I was petrified it wouldn’t work.” It looks like the adrenaline had kicked in and fuelled his natural talent because the 18 year old delivered a performance that was ten times better than a lot of lead singers I have seen who are twice his age. Flip Like Wilson’s set of punchy, catchy songs were tightly delivered and several of the rockerati in the audience commented favourably on what they had heard. If this was a come-back event, they pulled it off well. [Arts in Leicester magazine 21st July 2012]
On 2nd September 2012, the band performed at The Musician in a show organised by Artsin Productions. A report of the night said:
Jake Sterland used to be known as the demon drummer of Kicking Habits. Earlier this year he astonished us all when he emerged as the new front-man of Leicester band Flip Like Wilson. Suddenly sprouting unknown vocal wings, the young singer has injected the band with a dose of star-quality front-man-ship that has been nothing short of astonishing. Jake’s teaming up with the talents of Jack Nejzer, Joe Greenough and Kyle Palmer has created a ballistic device that is capable of detonating into a pop punk explosion. They brought the evening’s show to an exhilarating climax. [Arts in Leicester magazine, 2nd September 2012]
The band’s track – Lily – was released in November 2012.
In more recent times, the band played at The Soundhouse in 2013; we said:
Pop/punk is not dead; it’s alive and kicking and FLW do it incredibly well. With a fizzing lead singer – Jake Sterland – a team of musicians that has stage presence and a thumping set of high-powered songs, FLW brought the day’s show to a resounding end. This band can shine whether they are in a small venue or on a large festival or arena stage. Entertaining, dance-compelling music and with lashings of youthful energy, this is a band that has delivered plenty of really memorable performances. [Music in Leicester magazine, 2013]
In April 2014 the band was on the look out for a new vocalist. It was then that Joe Greenough joined the band.
Follow Flip Like Wilson on Facebook
See also:
Courtney Askey – Latest
The Heroes say farewell at The Shed
