Friday 19th December 2014
Midnight Wire launch their Album
Crossing the Rubicon
at The Y Theatre, Leicester.
It was one of those nights you wait for it to happen for a long time – much-anticipated by many people and a night that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Leicester band Midnight Wire launched their new album tonight – Crossing The Rubicon – long-awaited but previewed by us. Supporting Midnight wire tonight were two Leicester bands that have made their mark on the scene this year: Casino Empire and Stop That Train.
The show was a sell-out success. The bar was packed with celebrities and the theatre was full – it’s one of the best auditoriums in Leicester – not too big and not to small but just right for a big night of live music.
The show was started by Leicester’s Casino Empire, a band that has made its mark this year with its own string of ‘sold out’ gigs. Four very good musicians and a lead singer (Tommy Cobley) whose stage act is like no other. Casino Empire is now a band with a lot of experience. They set the show off to a rip-roaring start. Plenty of powerful songs and tunes that were full of pulsating punchiness. Not the best night for this band; dogged by sound issues, the three string players looked rather sullen on the stage. That did not stop the irrepressible Cobley from strutting around and giving his usual high-standard of stage presence and singing. See our article about Casino Empire at the Cookie Jar.
Leicester’s Stop That Train delivered a captivating set of ska and reggae songs. It was good to see them at this kind of show. As a band they have found their own sound. Singer Geno Lynch led the band in a bouncy and upbeat set of songs, injecting a good level of singing, with help from the other bands members, to deliver well-harmonised vocals. The crowd was clearly enjoying the music, boogie-ing along to the tunes and engaging melodies. They went down well with the crowd. Ska and Reggae are popular genres in Leicester. They soon got a large section of the audience dancing to their rhythms.
When it came to Midnight Wire’s headline set, things really took off. Songs rolled off the stage, one after the other, top-class, memorable melodies with ear-grabbing, sing-along lyrics that are like no other. Midnight Wire’s song-writers are the best in the business when it comes to popular music. They have penned some of the best pop songs ever made by a Leicester band.
When Midnight Wire played at The Firebug, back in April, We wrote
‘Also noted as a popular and entertaining solo singer and songwriter, the one thing you can say about Alex Van Roose is that he is highly talented front-man. Part singer, part stand-up comedian, “Rooster” is a phenomenon on the Leicester music scene and tonight he was on top form.’ [Music in Leicester]
by Mat Borland
That was a really good show. We added:
‘Midnight Wire has, since its launch in 2011, produced one hit song after another: each one having memorable melodies and intensely exciting delivery. Songs rich in catchy rhythms, fired by beltin’ beats and driven by punchy passions, mark out Midnight Wire as a premier league indie band.’
The band played several of the tunes from tonight’s album, which we previewed recently, Crossing The Rubicon. That article gives links to many of the songs, if you want to check them out on Soundcloud or YouTube. The singles All For You, Not Just Selfish and Never Gonna Leave LA are included in the album, which is available on Amazon and iTunes.
I remember when Midnight Wire did their ‘secret gig’ about this time last year, at The Basement bar. Reporting on that night, Olly Stabler Wrote:
‘This was the first time I had properly seen Midnight Wire and they had a lot of hype to live up to. The band kicked right in with what sounded like a classic indie riff and immediately stole the attention of all in the room; it was clear that everyone there were big fans of the band and this is who they had been waiting for. Their lead singer, Alex Van Roose, has one of the most distinctive voices I’ve ever heard in the local Leicester scene. He’s also an incredible front man, egging the crowd on, getting them singing and making everyone laugh. I could tell just how good the band was right from the first song. For their next song Midnight Wire played a fan favourite called Shake It Baby, and had a few fans up to help sing the chorus of the song. It was clear how much this tune is one of the favourites, with my notes from the evening having “catchy as fuck” as the first thing that I wrote about it!’ [Music in Leicester, 2013]
You can find out more about Midnight Wire from the band’s Facebook page.
A few days ago, Midnight Wire also made a ‘secret’ appearance at The Shed, when they did a special headline shot at the Young Bands showcase night. [Music in Leicester, 2014]
On stage tonight the band’s new keyboard player, guitarist and singer Seb Preece. in Fact, let’s give the full list: Alex Van Roose – Vocals/Guitar, Jamie Fallon – Guitar/Vocals, Arjun Johal – Bass/Vocals, Nik Green – Drums/Vocals,
Seb Preece – Keys/Guitar/Vocals.
A very fine group of musicians without a doubt.
Personally, I had a really good time at this show, not just because I love the music of Midnight Wire and also am a fan of the other two bands, but because it was a chance to meet up with lots of people that I knew. It seemed like everyone was there. But then, I have been to several shows in the past at the Y Theatre both with Midnight Wire and the band that Alex used to be The Heroes. Those were nights to remember – just like this one. There was a magic about tonight – that you don’t often get here in Leicester.
Trevor Locke
See also:
Velocity at the LC Promotions gig in aid of Rainbows
