| PRESS |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Site design by J. Dicken (c) 2008 |
| 'START A FIGHT' REVIEWS |
| Comfort Comes (USA)
"The debut release from Lancaster trio Death In Public, recalls the joys of Sonic Youth and The Pixies but gives a nice British touch to the whole formula. 'Start A Fight' is really alternating between quieter verses and a louder chorus. But it still remains really punchy and catchy throughout the whole tune. 'Vincent Vega' sees them switch to a more Muse like formula. Massive sounding guitars and atmosphere, although the vocals here though leave a bit to be desired. Overall, the band have some good potential. They provide a nice mix of some pop songs and some heavier and more progressive tunes." Review by: John Siwicki Rating: 7/10 If you want to make a good song, put reverb on the guitar, understate the vocals and have a catchy hook where ever possible. It worked for My Vitriol, it worked for Deftones and by jobe I think it might just work for Death In Public. 'Start A Fight' has a promising beginning and all be it obvious but meaningful lyrics. The song doesn�t really enthral you with the passion they want you to have, as I found out when I looked at their myspace page, which gives you the bands mission statement to take on most indie bands because of their middle class roots and according to Death In Public �Thats not REAL. That is FAKE. We are genuine. We have something REAL to talk about�. Hmm, a big promise, and it might take more that capital letters to keep it. This song falls slightly short of it. However any one who can be compared to Deftones on any level is a band worth watching out for. They may not be worrying the likes of Razorlight, The Kooks or any one else from the plethora of middle class indie bands satura -ting the scene at the moment. But they are looking for a fight, Pete Doherty better be ready." Review by: Gabriel Larmour Rating: 7/10 Die Shellsuit, Die! "Now this lot left me puzzled. After umpteenth listens I still can�t really put my finger on where they�re coming from. I can detect bits of Fugazi, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse and Cooper Temple Clause. In fact that last one is the most common influence I detect. Hailing from picturesque Lancaster and displaying a level of restraint that belies their career so far I enjoyed it quite a lot. Being a 3-track self released effort they managed to get a decent level of production that allows all the instruments and ideas to shine through. Reverb drenched guitars give way to tender melodies and the vocals float across proceedings with just enough malice evident. Given the right kind of backing and push these lads could do well for themselves." Review by: Oliver Turner Rating: 7/10 Leeds Music Scene "Lancaster's Death in Public's release 'Start a Fight' is an inventive three-track disc. The title track is full of energy and enthusiasm and sets the tone for the rest of disc. 'Play it Again Sam', has a calm clean verse introduction before hitting the distortion for a power packed chorus. During the verses, 'Play it Again Sam' has a real nice laidback feel which provide a fabulous contrast to the gutsy chorus. The final song on the disc, 'Vincent Vega' is based around a fat fuzz soaked blues riff that rocks along. Death in Public have released three very good songs and while there is plenty of variety in the way the songs introduction and verse, they seem to use the same formula for the choruses. If they release an album in a similar vein then it might not sustain the interest, which would be a shame because Death in Public do have some excellent ideas. " Review by: Chris Audsley Rating: 7/10 Moderate Rock "Death In Public are sick of your favourite indie band. The Lancaster trio are so fed up with the constant queue of perfectly dishevelled rich boys looking to suck the last drop of inspiration from the bloated sow that is The Smiths back catalogue, that they want to put that particular fat pig down for good. "Fuck that shit. That's not real, that's fake. We are genuine," they say. It's certainly a brave and long overdue battle cry but for all their fighting talk, this here debut disc doesn't half sound like Bloc Party. There are few of the indie limits that that band impose on themselves but there's the same weird, wired darkness running through the spiky guitar lines, the same balance between fast pace and brooding sentiment and a sniff of a similar style that only clears at the shallowest quiets and brashest louds. So 'Start A Fight' is nothing revelatory but it's no hypocrite either. Inside the folds of Pixies worship (and there's no doubt that somebody owns a Morrisey record too) there's a post-rock power here that dullards like Keane and Razorlight could never understand. It's what drives the better cuts; the distorted bass of 'Vincent Vega' and the discordant emotional weight of highlight 'Play It Again Sam'. And it's that which suggests that there's far better to come from this band. Ones to watch as they might even manage their manifesto yet. " Review by: Simon T Diplock Rating: 7.5/10 Manchester Music "Lancaster�s Death In Public dust things up with �Start A Fight�, which besides the name is a clever rumble of disjointed guitars and lightly applied vocals. Whilst the singing avoids any signs of obvious violence, the guitar work strikes from its co-ordinated stabs to create a pulsating melee of shaking distortions and angular thrusts. Ambitious and with a punk spirit, such matters melt away on �Play It Again Sam� to the strains of single guitar and bass notes, that ring out like ghostly anthems separated by incidentally massive walls of noise on the chorus. �Vincent Vega� takes all of this and progressively mixes it into a tasty soup of c86 rock covered with what sounds like Buzzcock styled vocals. Splendid stuff from a band who mash genres without making it at all stodgy." Review by: J.A. Rating: 9/10 Rawkstar.net "Described as wanting hook laden, energetic, catatonic music on their MySpace page, Lancaster three-piece Death In Public's demo CD, Start A Fight, simply put, has been a joy to play on the stereo. Combining elements of jangle pop and a crescendo of overdrive guitars and crash-ridden drum beats, it is clear to see the influences that hew been drawn from such luminaries as Sonic Youth (accessible, pop-esque tracks), Pixies (the now staple alternative rock formula of quiet-loud-quiet) and even those they might not be familiar with... The third track on the demo, Vincent Vega is almost an amalgamation of post-grunge act Rueben and post-punk Leeds outfit The Wedding Present. It proves to be possibly the most emotive track on the demo, despite the other two tracks (Start A Fight, Play It Again Sam) being equally as good. Death In Public are another one of those bands, along with Ideamotion and The Code, who's material you should witness before their inevitable date with mainstream success." Review by: Ben Rating: 8/10 Nunu World Music "On their website, Death in Public namecheck bands such as My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Joy Division, but they seem to have left some others off the list too. The opening track, Start A Fight, could fit in well with the punky pop of the Undertones, and the singer�s voice does have an edge of Feargal Sharkey about it. The other two tracks on this single sound a lot more like their named influences, especially the 80s indie and Placebo influences. Seas of tight guitars that swirl around creating a dark, menacing feel, particularly on the final track Vincent Vega. This is a good strong debut release for a band, although it falls down a bit because it just sounds so much like other music that�s around. It�s early on, and there�s plenty of time for the band to build on their own sound." Review by: Jill Rating: 7/10 Cool Noise "The starting point of this EP is a similar breathless pace as This Et Al. As soon as the title track Start A Fight starts it is like a Roller-coaster ride. The momentum begins to build gently and you climb up the rails before the plunge into excitement is accompanied by fast strummed guitars. All the blood-coursing excitement of the Fair without the nausea: cool or what? Play It Again Sam adds the hint of Velvet Underground cool with a guitar overplay in the verse (such as that from Lady Godiva�s Operation). The transition into the chorus with the sudden distance of the vocal contradicting the increased guitar attack is a moment worthy of My Bloody Valentine. The final track of the EP, Vincent Vega, places more atmospheric guitar work with a touch of feedback into the mix. It does make me regret that Sonic Youth no longer make music with this sort of intensity. This EP is just too good to review and that is why all the tracks are at the top of my �most listened to� on LastFM. How am I meant to step back and assess sound and rhythm such as this? I love it." Review by: Dave Home Rating: 8/10 Leeds Music Guru "The first track is atmospheric, angst filled and utterly compelling. The production is well polished and the tracks sound heavy without losing their indie roots. There�s the obvious connections to Leeds band This Et Al, punk rock legends Fugazi and the kings of experimental Sonic Youth but Death In Public do seem to carry they�re own bite which is quite refreshing. It�s almost as if they are really fighting for this. With track one providing a heavy punch and a perfect opener the band go on to show that they are dynamic with a slightly softer and spacier �play it again sam�. Finishing the EP with 'Vincent Vega', the band pay tribute to the likes of Radiohead and Muse offering diversity whilst not straying so far away from their sound as to alienate their audience. I would love to see this band live to see if they really are as hard working and �real� as they�re myspace makes out. If they are then these guys are a band to watch out for and I would suggest you sit up and pay attention cause they�re out to �start a fight�, sorry couldn�t help it." Review by: Mike Evans Rating: 9/10 | Press & Review archive | |
 |