LUGHOLES: Albumz, Songz n Gigs (February/March 2025)

ALRIGHT YOU LOT???!!! So this un’s a joint post for February AND March because, Cerys, being what the French call “Le Incompetent”, didn’t do a Lugholes roundup last month like she said she would. BOOOOOOO! No, in all fairness, we’ve been ‘avin a bit of an experiment with Insta reels, TikTok n the like recently and its gone down pretty darn well (if we do say so ourselves) so there's no wonder we’ve been lacking in the words department- unless we’re being a bit bitchy in which case we’ve been screaming from the rooftops. 

Right, nuff said, excuses out the way, time to find out what albums, choons n gigs we’ve been treated our LUGHOLES to this month!

ALBUMS!!!

Right it’s been a busy ‘un these past two months so bring out the popcorn and grab yerself a bev, we could be here a while.

Open Wide by Inhaler

Everyone’s fave indie boyband made their return in Feb with their fab n third album, Open Wide. Whilst gaining mixed reactions from their dedicated fanbase, the phwoarsome foursomes latest lot of tunes once again takes them in brand spanking new directions. And whilst tracks like ‘Eddie in The Darkness’, “X-Ray” and ‘Little Things’ (the One Direction to Inhaler girlie pipeline is strong with this one) exhibit the edginess that's been seen on their earlier albums, there's some pure pop moments too. ‘Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)’ sounds like a lost Harry Styles track, though it's still very much their house as opposed to Hazza’s, even if the first single, the domestically dazzling, ‘Your House’ has a burst of le Buble about it (listen to the chorus, youll see worramean). Meanwhile, our soft spot (well, I don’t know if you can call it that…) for eighties style synths is well and truly satisfied, with the gorgey title track Open Wide oozing with the sounds of New Order and ver like. We likey We lighty. 

People Watching by Sam Fender

If you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel you’ll know I filmed my first reactions to this record and it was a rollercoaster n a half- and did wonders for ver blogs traffic. It’s no bloody secret that us lot at Ver Society are very much up Sam Fender’s arse. Having fell in love with him and his Springsteen ripoff songs in 2018 upon hearing That Sound for the first time, we feel like proud parents listening to the third installment to his ever expanding discography. People Watching very much carries on where Seventeen Going Under left off. More autobiographical anthems and soppy snifflers, he’s got a way of hitting us as listeners right where it hurts (‘Remember My Name’ I’m talking about you) as well as making us want to pick up the pitchforks with his sophisticated takes on social issues, like gays n God (“Little Bit Closer”). Perhaps the highlight of the record- though its definite in my book- is TV Dinner, ‘Poundshop Kardashians’ taller and broader big brother, which has the potential to be a banging Bond song (be honest, every artist needs one). Taking aim at celebrity culture and the tabloids, its dark and disturbing but we lap it up like the cats who got the cream. 

The Service Station At The End Of The Universe by Antony Szmierek

Right, take a deep breath because this isn’t the last you’ll hear us banging on about Antony Szmierek and his ravey poetry today. You have been warned. The Service Station At The End Of The Universe is everything and more we could expect from Ver Smez. Its a somewhat concept album set in, well, a “Service Station At The End Of The Universe” named Andromeda Southbound, within which there's a collection of characters who we will grow to know and love. Personal fave is Angie & her “Angels”, whose track made it to the last installment of Lugholes and sounds a bit like- and I quote- “it’s been nicked from Aphex Twin’s hard drive”, which therefore indicates that I’ve played it to death since its release. ‘Crumb’ is I Wanna Be Yours for the Netflix generation, had Alex Turner not got there first and nicked the John Cooper Clarke poem for the 2013 Tumblr classic AM. In this instance, the Ford Cortina & the Coffee Pot are replaced by a Dominos and a true crime documentary. It would be so easy to compare Szmierek to The Bard Of Salford, both poets with a proud n proper love for their city, their work well woven into the music scene of Manchester. Hell, there’s even a track on the record dedicated to the Stockport Pyramid (‘The Great Pyramid Of Stockport”) and an absolute mad lad known as 'The Patron Saint Of Withington'. In all seriousness- and trust me, it does get pretty serious- the album isn’t all that lighthearted. In fact, the words to penultimate track “Crashing Up” felt all too familiar (I’ll spare you the trauma dump) and the softly spoken “Restless Leg Syndrome” with its ambient bleeps n bloops leaves yer guts emotionally battered n bruised. Blimmin’ ‘eck Smez, what an album. A*. 

CHOONS

Turn Around by The Lottery Winners

This lot played my uni freshers gig way back in twennytwennyone and recently released this stonker of a song from their 2nd album (and 2nd number one might I add), “KOKO”- which may remind you of an iconic London venue but according to the speccy tot at the start, stands for “Keep On Keeping On”. You should know by now that I am an absolute (say it with me) SLAG for a synthesizer and if you are too you’ll be quite pleased by this twinkly little tune. With its catchy chorus which can only be described as an indie incarnation of the Cha Cha Slide and poppy positive lyrics (watch out S Club 7), its been on constant rotation this month, both on my playlist and in my brain. 

Jungle by Sugababes

They’re back! Back!! BACK!!! The band formerly known as MKS reclaimed their status as the sugariest of the babes a few years back and it was about bloody time they released some spicy new bangers. Having spent my childhood bopping around to Ver Babes and going back to ‘em as an adult when the big wide world gets a bit too scary, “Jungle” is exactly what I and so many others needed in a world that's nostalgic for the sounds of Y2k and our need for something new.  I am once again going all mushy over Mutya Buena. 

Gravestone by The Ks

We’re taking inspo from the indie twitter lads for this next one- “you can’t get a harder working band in the past year than The Ks”. Releasing a corker of a debut record, trekking round the country on tour and slaying several festival sets- all whilst secretly working on their second album- “Pretty On The Internet”, soon to be released in May. The latest sneak preview comes in the form of single, “Gravestone”. You’d think with a title like that itd be a bit morbid, bit murky- bit “My Chem”. But its classic upbeat Ks- A nice safe option if you just want to listen to some good fun guitar pop.

GIGS!!

Bilk @ Norwich Arts Centre

We’ve talked a bit about Bilk on here before, a review of their latest record made it to Jan’s edition of Lugholes, so it was only right that we’d go off to see ‘em live. Y’know, just to see what its all about. BUT (and as you can see its a big but) what if I told you I was in fact there mainly for the supports, which was coming from Nodge’s finest, Chest and Scotland's finest, Shambolics, who had to drop out last minute leaving me all mopey. I love Ver Shams, I really do, they bring out my celtic side and I was REALLY looking forward to hearing ‘Universal Credit’ again. Waaaa. In their place was Youth Killed It, also from Norwich, who sound a bit like Mike Skinner n Ver Streets if they wrote songs about dead cats called Molly and sampled “that one line Michael Caine says in The Italian Job that everyone's Dad thinks is peak humour”. Quite a vibe. But alas, RIP Shams, you were missed. What a sweaty one Bilk was though- and bizarre. Not in the sense that their music is completely and utterly bonkers, because it's not. In fact, it's more like going to see a group of mates just having a laugh on stage and you can’t really take them too seriously. But that's the whole point. It's all a bit of fun. At some points it's like you're watching a school assembly performance- though a bit swearier than a gaggle of 10 year old girls doing their Spice Girls routine they’ve been perfecting in the playground for weeks. Playing a pick n mix bag full o’ choons from new ‘uns a coupla old faves, it was ok I guess…whilst I secretly love the Rock n Roll Star ripoff that is…erm…’RNR’ and I blimmin love the albums closer 'Band Life Blues', songs like ‘Slag’ have me biting my bottom lip, in the words of a girl stood not too far away from me- “oh god not this one”. Very “The Inbetweeners: The Musical”- which I can only hope n pray will NEVER be a thing. Once again, it was “a bit of a laugh”, but I’m not rushing to see ‘em again. 

Antony Szmierek @ The Waterfront

Told yer he’d turn up again. If you’ve been following us on ver ‘Gram, you’ll know I turned up 20 mins before doors expecting a coupla people to already be there and nish. I felt like a camper compared to the rest of the people who turned up 2 mins before the shutters came up. As per usual, I bounded over to the barrier like the fiend I am and had a bloody great time, even more so as Getdown Services were supporting along with local lad, EV. Well, Bury St Eds, which used to have a Debenhams that looked like a spaceship to Lil Cezza. Getdown Services are quite possibly the FUNNEST band to come out in recent years. Hailing from ver West Country (Ooh-arr!), more specifically Bristol- no Minehead (where Butlins is), their mix of sprechgesang (that's a snazzy term for “talk singing”), SYNTHS (!!!) and Jamie Oliver slander (still dealing with their turkey twizzler induced trauma of 2005) is definitely summat special. Later, Ver Smez comes on to the CHOON that is Children by Robert Miles again and launches straight into the title tune, ‘The Service Station At The End Of The Universe’. There’s a good mix of old n new, including ‘Working Classic’ which I DID NOT EXPECT. Had my chins wobbling n everything. One of my faves off his EP “Poems to Dance To”, this ‘un reeks of coming home from school n having waffles n beans for tea whilst watching top kids telly. The highlight, obviously, is hearing my beloved ‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’ again. And maybe the collective booing from the crowd of canaries after "The I Word” was mentioned. “Fuck Ipswich” said Ver Smez. Too right. ANYWAY, If you’ve been following the blog for a while you’ll know that ‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’ is quite possibly up there as one of my favourite songs of all time & that Jools Holland has a lot to answer for when it comes to my obsession with this song. And it's only 2 years old! It’s practically a baby! And it's mine. It's my baby. It's a magical experience hearing this ‘un live. Everyone neglects their memories of the past few months and celebrates the New Year, all soundtracked by the opening bars of ver tune, some sensual synths that make me, being the slag for synths I am, go all giddy. What a gig. The only bone I have to pick with this bloke is the HORROR that is the absence of ‘How Did You Get Here’. Seriously Smez. I’m fuming.