Mick Birchall Reviews

Where do you think your passion for music came from? I don’t know man. When I was a kid my parents tried to get me to take piano lessons and I really started to hate it after a while. Then I joined the school orchestra for no reason and I liked it, but when I moved back to Italy (I must have been around 11) I stopped giving a shit about music. But then when I moved to the Netherlands at 14 I fell in love with it. We went through a rough patch, music and I, but in the end, our struggles just made our relationship stronger. We still have our rough patches here and there, but we work through it like any strong couple would. We complete each other. Plus the sex is amazing! Who are your biggest influences? As bass players, Ryan Martinie, Sean Malone, Jeroen Paul Thesselig, Jaco Pastorius, amongst many many others. Musically, Devin Townsend, Steven Wilson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cynic, Leprous, and more. I’m very much influenced by what I’m listening to at the time so it tends...

You know, sometimes there doesn't have to be a crazy way to introduce yourself to new music. Sometimes, you can just hear about a good band that has a loyal fanbase so you decide to check them out. That's how I first heard about the British metal act,  RXPTRS . My friend told me about them and I was curious to hear their stuff. I mean, it's not groundbreaking music but it's damn fun to listen to and they definitely sound a little different to every other start-up hard rock/heavy metal acts that I've been listening to. RXPTRS  have been building up quite a bit of buzz as of late and the people who like them, really seem to be into their music and that doesn't just happen, there has to be something there. So,  I got my hands on their new EP and I have to say that I'm impressed. It's a good mix of modern day American alternative rock and some of that new hard rock sound that has been floating around the night clubs in Britain as of late. The result, a dam...

If there is one thing that I know to be true, there is absolutely no better way to spend a bank holiday weekend than going to another city and enjoying a day of music. You guys know me, I never can resist a good day of tunes being blasted. This is one of the things I can really praise this festival for, Quinphonic Festival is great for getting a wide variety of music into one day. I think this one was really great as well, as there was a real mix of genres on display. From rap-inspired metal to hard rock to symphonic metal to more electro-influenced rock music, it was so fun. The mix of styles and sounds made for a good day of live music. I was more than pumped to get things going. So let's talk about this great day. Opening up the proceedings were the pulse-pounding and heart-racing metal stylings of Pulverise . Right away they came on stage with a full head of steam and their own signature style of tunes. The rough guitar riffs and commanding presence were just the be...

Chasing Infinity are: Adele Halsall - Vocals  Paul McCormick - Guitar  Rob Saunders - Bass Where do you think your passion for music came from? Rob: I can think of two defining moments when I ponder this question. The first is me being sat at home and hearing ‘The Middle’ by Jimmy Eat World for the first time. This was the first song that made me stop and wonder what it would be like to play the guitar. The second is going to my first ever concert – Status Quo. Say what you like about them, nothing put me onto the idea of performing music quite like seeing Rick Parfitt for the first time as he dropped into a power stance and banged out the intro to Caroline. Adele: I think mine started as a child when my parents would play a lot of Michael Jackson. Sure, I know it’s controversial to say now, but I was mesmerised by his music and the way he commanded a stage. I also began singing at the age of 6 and realised I was pretty good at it, so I began to daydream about ...