Revenge Tragedies

http://www.designermagazine.org/LiverpoolSoundCityDEMOREVIEW.html
REVENGE TRAGEDIES
Bowie meets Nick Cave with the look straight out of V for Vendetta. Everything that the London scenesters are saying about Glasvegas right now they should be saying about Revenge Tragedies because the mini symphonies this band create are made of bigger subjects than are normally covered in contemporary music and that to date only Spiritualised can only pull off with any credibility. This is a band you need to witness now!!! - www.designermagazine.org

Live Review Jim Noir gig, Manchester Roadhouse

Jim Noir / Revenge Tragedies @ Manchester Roadhouse (..:namespace

Tonight's openers are Revenge Tragedies and they were very impressive. Each song was a fascinating journey and by the end of each one I was a little more hooked on them. There was a real sense of presence to their playing and I am sure they have a great future ahead. The songs are not easy to describe, just take it from me, they were good. Try to see them if they venture to your area…

Christine Brain, Sandman Magazine June 2008. - Sandman Magazine

Roadhouse review 2, 25th April 2008

Jim Noir - Roadhouse
With: Revenge Tragedies

Liverpool's Revenge Tragedies may have crashed on the M62 en route to the Roadhouse, but they held their composure and delivered a set of accomplished strangely-beautiful alternative rock. Despite not providing the same platform for the haunting voice of lead singer, Reid Anderson, which the majority of their material did, the immediacy and energy of Elbow-like 'Charm' was the night's highlight.


Simon Smallbone - High Voltage

- High Voltage

The magnificent BBC asked us to play at the Electric Proms Launch on Wednesday 22nd October and we had a smashing time chatting to Elvis and eating posh food. Check this:
BBC Electric Proms launch, Various locations

Oct 23 2008 by Jade Wright, Liverpool Echo

THIS year's BBC Electric Proms is all about creating unique musical moments, and you don't get much more unusual than crooner Tony Christie belting his lungs out on the Mersey ferry.

The plan was for the Is This The Way To Amarillo star to travel up the river, premiering his new album, recorded about his birthplace Sheffield with fellow sons of the city Alex Turner, Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley. All live on BBC radio.

But technical difficulties put pay to that, grounding the boat and its passengers.

A quick change of plan later, Tony and the BBC radio crew made their broadcast to the nation from Seacombe terminal.

The new album, Made in Sheffield, shows Tony reaching out of his comfort zone and into a much more modern bracket. Teaming up with Richard Hawley has clearly had a good influence on Tony, if this new material is anything to go by.

Meanwhile, back on dry land, Liverpool rising stars Revenge Tragedies shone with their simply performed showcase at Simply Heathcotes.

Even playing a busy launch, they have the power to stop the listener in their tracks, where we remained, locked in until the very last note.

Singer Reid Anderson has one of those voices you just can't get tired of listening to. Soul deep and truthful, his songs have a melancholy beauty.

His voice has something of Steven Fretwell about it – another Electric Proms artist.

The band also features composer guitarist Nils Wingerei and all-round creative sort Hannah Peel on violin, piano, trombone and backing vocals.

Aside from the band, Hannah composes for short films, adverts, and gallery installations. Oh, and she works with a collective of music and audio-visual artists to come up with dramatic works that feature music, projections and sound all in sync. Impressive stuff.

This band has huge talent, and it's a real privilege to listen to them at this early stage of what promises to develop into a stellar career. - Liverpool Echo

In The City

The 66,Revenge Tragedies Live Review @ Jabez Clegg (Manchester) - 06 Oct 2008

Live Review

Manchester's annual In the City music convention is a chance for the big-wigs of the music industry to get together and chew the fat. For the performers, the event is the biggest 'battle of the bands' competition in the world, the chance for them to perform in front of people who have the power to change their whole universe. Every band playing has dreams that the proverbial 'man with the big cigar' is in the crowd and will appear at the end, promising to make them stars. It would take quite a fantasist to imagine it happening here tonight though. Monday night at 7pm is surely the graveyard shift of the convention. Those who matter have had a long weekend of 'conferencing' and only the hardcore few are here to watch as two bands from along the East Lancs Road take to the stage.

Liverpool's Revenge Tragedies are up first and immediately catch the eye for being both different and for possessing possibly the largest number of musical instruments of the weekend. A violin and a trombone supplement the more conventional guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and drums. The most striking thing about Revenge Tragedies is the harmony between lead singer Reid Anderson and backing vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Hannah Peel. Songs like 'Never Wake Up' and 'Oh My Dear' are almost symphonic whereas the Divine Comedy-esque 'Charm' is a little edgier, darker even. Revenge Tragedies may just be the unexpected surprise of the weekend and it's a shame that a few more people are not here to witness it. - ITC

MTV Liverpool Music Week
Category: Music

MTV Liverpool Music Week - Revenge Tragedies, Hannah's Bar, 2/11/08
November 4, 2008 - 18:59 — Brownpants

Liverpool's thriving music scene means that you have to stand out from the crowd a bit in order to get noticed lest you end up a little needle in a big musical haystack and Revenge Tragedies certainly do just that. I'll be honest and say I knew nothing of them before Sunday's gig but they made an impression on me that automatically set them apart from alot of the other bands I've seen since I've been in this fine city. Firstly, they have the visual impact with lead singer Reid Anderson, tall and suited and looking ever so slightly foppish (in a good way you understand) flanked on either side by the dual female presence of multi-instrumentalist Hannah Peel and bass-player Ellen Forster. Female bass-players always, without exception, add coolness to any band and Ms Forster is no exception. And then there are the songs, each one strong, hook-laden and distinct from the last. "Charm" is an instant classic, a big punchy riff and some great drumming from Karl Penney driving the whole thing home whilst "Oh My Dear" has an instant singalong quality and an epic, sweeping feel which would come across in much bigger venues than this. The song that stuck with me though was the beautiful, understated shimmer of "The Tracy Swann Song", a slow-burning ballad that thanks to their Myspace page I have been able to enjoy a few times since. It's the strength of songs like this along with the original way they are presented that sets them apart. Hannah's wasn't packed, it was Sunday night after all, but all who were there enjoyed every moment of their charismatic set. I can be a cynical bugger at times when it comes to new bands, having been around just long enough to have seen plenty that, for all of their style and bluster, actually fail to leave a lasting impression. Not this lot though. They warmed my heart and put a smile on my face and I'll be hoping to catch them again sometime in the future.

http://www.myspace.com/revengetragedies



Paul Brown - Liverpool University

Review of Liverpool Zanzibar gig Sat 17th Nov 2007 - Kevin Melia
Current mood: tired

Revenge Tragedies played the Zanzibar club in Liverpool on Saturday night. I should begin with some background on the band, their line up, how they sound, and build up a review from there.


However, I'll get straight to the point. Get out, and go and see them live. They have something about them that suggests the making of a great band.

The line up consists of lead singer & guitarist Reid Anderson, Hannah Peel on keyboards and vocals, guitarist Nils Wingerei, Ellen Forster on bass and vocals, and Karl Penney on drums. This was their first gig with this line-up, having been playing together for a mere 4 months. Although a nucleus of Andersen, Peel & Penney have been playing together for over a year.

The first impression anyone in the audience gets from a band is visual. On this, Revenge Tragedies score highly; they do look great on stage. This is always a good start.



I love a band with a female bass player (Talking Heads' Tina Weymouth has a lot to answer for). The whole of the band also have a slightly quirky understated style to them that suggests a natural effortlessness. If the look isn't contrived it suggests authenticity throughout.

Of course all of the above is completely irrelevant if the songs and performance are not up to scratch. This is the first time I'd seen or heard this band, and it's always more difficult to fully appreciate, or enjoy songs without the additional comfort of familiarity. However, this band does remarkably well to impress on the first time of hearing.

If I'm honest, the opening song "Charm" didn't really appeal to me at first. The deep vocal of the opening verse, reminded me of a multitude of other singers, and I thought this guy has not really found his own voice yet. As the song progressed though, I overcome this bias to hear a good, albeit short opening number.

Further into the set, Andersens voice sounded more natural, and the additional vocals from Hannah Peel & Ellen Forster providing a nice additional layer of sound. Musically, the band is very tight, and obviously accomplished at their instruments. Keyboard player Hannah Peel exhibiting additional talents on violin for one number.

More importantly though, is the fact that they have some great songs. I particularly enjoyed "Take a little light". This one reminded me of early Waterboys and a maybe a little bit of Starsailor. Although, whenever I hear a band for the first time I'm always looking for a point of reference to liken them to, this does not take away from the fact that Revenge Tragedies struck me as an original and interesting new band. As I mentioned earlier, Look out for them, get out and go and see them live. - Liverpool Echo

"Revenge Tragedies...
a band from Liverpool whose style ranges from the eccentric and theatrical side of pop. Their songs exude a bitter-sweet euphoria for life that is both haunting and captivating."

- International Pop Overthrow Festival. - IPO Festival

Another review, Liverpool Echo, 11th May.

Revenge Tragedies – Something irresistible
Reviewed by Rikki Wright

There is something irresistable about Reid Anderson and his band, Revenge Tragedies. The songs on the player, The Tracey Swan Song, and Take a Little Light, are strange, haunting, intelligent and beautifully crafted. The melancholy guitar and silky vocals transport you to a sweet dark dreamy place of reverie and enchantment. I cannot categorise the genre Revenge Tragedies fit into, beyond being interesting, intense, original and poetic. To give a little flavour of their sound, I can say that I caught fragments of sounds a little like Brian Eno, Roy Orbison, Leonard Cohen, Jarvis Cocker, and something else that can only be Revenge Tragedies themselves.
Revenge Tragedies may not be to everyone's taste, but they wouldn't want to be – they are fiercely independent, highly unusual, and really rather wonderful!

Standout song on their MySpace player – Take A Little Light - Liverpool Echo

Revenge Tragedies get a review
Current mood: groggy
Category: Music

From: The Devil Has The Best Tuna
music blog
http://besttuna.blogspot.com/search/label/Revenge%20Tragedies.

I am so pleased to say that Reid Anderson (that's a pop stars name if ever I've heard one), the leader and sole member of Revenge Tragedies, is from my hometown of Liverpool and, thankfully, sound nothing like The Coral or The Zutons . The exquisitely named Revenge Tragedies have (has) more in common with pop eccentrics like Luke Haines , Jarvis Cocker and Pony Club . Wake Up hints of Liverpool bands of old such as the The Lotus Eaters and The Pale Fountains whilst RRH calls to mind Captain Beefheart at his poppiest. This is intensely euphoric, passionate, bitter sweet pop music that makes you want to fall in love and dance naked in the street. Unfortunately none of the tracks on the myspace site can be downloaded (and therefore shared) which is a real shame. You'll just have to take the trip to his myspace site to hear them for yourselves. - Devil Has The Best Tuna