Tasty Fanzine live review – The Fuzz Club, York – 27/3/10
The Fuzz Club in York is what would be described as an ‘intimate’ venue. Hardly enough room for, at a guess, 50 people, it limits any playing bands audience significantly, but it also allows them to connect with those people present in a way that perhaps a larger venue wouldn’t.
Tonight, as Two Skies step out to entertain the 30 or so people in tonight, it’s difficult to imagine that their own brand of soaring psychedelic prog rock is best suited to this venue. From the very opening riffs it becomes plainly apparent that it most certainly is. The 3 piece band, consisting of drums, bass and guitar, create a noise so much greater than the sum of its parts. The drums are manic, the bass throbs and pulls you along by your balls and the vocals fill the small room.
Many of the audience here are people that clearly know their music. You get the impression you need to be such a person to even be aware of this little club. And they are appreciative of Two Skies efforts. From the very start knowing glances are exchanged and as the closing track finishes there are whoops amongst the furious clapping that sees the band leave the stage.
Two Skies are a band with a sound that can, and no doubt shortly will, fill bigger venues. Much bigger venues. But tonight, here, in this cosy, intimate and close gig they showed they can play music of the masses to the few as well as the many. A live experience that at least matches, and in several parts, surpasses their recently released EP.
This band will not be playing gigs this small for much longer. I would strongly recommend you get them seen before they explode onto the bigger stage.
Retrophobic – EP Review – Interview
(English translation)"Two Skies EP" 2010
The Two Skies are a young band from Sheffield. Their sound could be described as an intriguing mix of hard rock / groove sounds from decidedly seventies, seasoned with a blend of slow and deep psychedelic atmospheres.
Their EP "Two Skies" was released March 8. Entirely self-produced this EP reveals the attitude of the original and energetic band, from which we hope we can soon expect an entire Album.
"Last Letter" is the first track and is a song that refers to the heavy and distorted sounds of QOTSA, but is definitely enhanced by the lyrical quality of Dan Cuts (vocals and guitar) that weaves his vocal virtuosity with vibrant bass and guitar.
It then continues with "Wilderness of Mirrors ", in my opinion the best part of the EP. Heavy, dark and twisted to the right point in some ways recalls the sound of BRMC, although here, the genuine personality of Two Skies comes out loud and clear. Same goes for "Sundial", as if to emphasize the true nature of the distorted and lysergic band.
The conclusion of the 'EP is then assigned to the last song "Shipwrecked Sunday" open wide and slow paced, where you can feel a bit of the same spirit that inspired the early Verve.
The Two Skies and their debut EP have so pleased with our ears and our curiosity, that we contacted them for a brief interview.
Let's see what we were told.
Hello guys and welcome to Retrophobic. Could you please introduce the band to our readers?
We're Two Skies from Sheffield, North England.
Dan Cutts - words, guitar.
Oliver Harrap - drums.
Jamie Cheetham - bass.
Where does your "psychedelic" style come from, and how you'd describe it?
We do a lot of jamming, which helps to glue our ideas together and I'd say that has the biggest psychedelic affect on us.
You self produced your debut EP "Two Skies". What's the importance of choosing self production for you, and how do you think it could affect the way you get to your public?
We find it interesting to listen to music that's self produced. A lot of bands we like have started out that way. You get to hear a clear vision of the band. With DIY what you see is what you get. There's no chance that the producer is compensating for the band.
From a musical point of view it's great to have control at this early stage and it's our job to take the music to the people.
Either way, it's the music that should do the talking.
Listening to some online radios, like the NME radio for example, we noticed some "guitar bands" getting back to airplay, even some psychey stuff like the Besnard Lakes or The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Do you think a little "inversion" in respect to the 80s synth driven invasion could take place soon, getting some space for Two Skies?
It's obviously a great thing to be heard, the more the better, the same with playing live and if NME radio and other online stations play the sort of bands that we like then that's great...
We always serve the song. Last letter needed to feel like a heart beating out of it's chest.....whereas the other songs on the EP rested with a different dynamic.The future will have more of the same dynamic shifts but individually the songs will find their own way.
With the self titled EP out, and some dates sorted out, what's in the plans of Two Skies for the next times?
It's likely that an album will be next.