Unit 23

Unit 23 skatepark is the largest indoor skate park in the Uk and has been open since 2002. This post will be a dedication to it. Even though they dont specialise in music it does cater for bands when it can, and the gigs are entertaining and spacious (unlike other venues "cough deadbeats cough").

At 56,000 sq-ft we have ramps spread over 3 halls, that are designed to suit everyone and every skill level, including a massive replica of the legendary little devil bowl, The Uk's largest foam pit and a huge outdoor 3 and a half acre dirt jump / trails area.

As i said Skating is obviously its top priority but it does hold gigs, particularly in conjunction with "Y sort" it. The Pulse provides a wide variety of free activities for 12 – 18 year olds throughout West Dunbartonshire. The skatepark os one of the venues that work with the pulse and usually tickets are free (although limited in number) so effectively this gives young people in the community to attend a free gig (keep them on the straight and narrow perhaps?) Some of the bands that have played in pulse gigs at the unit are playDEAD, Rarebreed(:3), Kazbah, Mellifluous, This ship is sinking and Closed off comedown.

They also provide workshops for different types of activities. They have a street dance workshop (i sat in for one of the classes and dam that shit is hard!)a yoga class and a music workshop with DJ Alex Laurenson. Its honest to god refreshing to know young people can go somewhere like this to learn some really cool things and chill out with friends for free (again helping them on the straight and narrow).



when i was younger it was my regular hangout and it was a really cool place to be, not just for music lovers, they cater for much more than that and they do a huge service for the community. Even though for gigs, deadbeat studios and the burgh hall take most of the share, the skatepark gig are honestly of much higher quality.
Its spacious, cheap, and better sound quality and the staff are really nice and engaging.

If your in the local area and you haven't already check unit 23 out. I COMMAND IT!
nahh am kiddin, but you really should :3

http://unit23skatepark.co.uk/

Shout Out Too Ma Bouyz! - White Heath

Hello again :) This will be a series of posts dedicated to new and up coming bands...or shout outs if you will.



These will just help promote and up sell bands that should have a bigger future, so if your in a band and are interested in being featured in the shout outs just lemmie know via facebook.



White Heath are an Edinburgh-based 6 piece who are currently signed to Glasgow record label Electric Honey which is a student run label that is responsible for Biffy Clyro and Belle & Sebastian at one point (im also one of the students :3)in regards with compostion there music contains a fusion of contemporary rock and pop with western classical cannon, there music can inspirie emotion and thrill you at the same time. However its very hard t put a label on them. They are not a typical rock and roll band, yet they arent folk either. They are somewhat of an enigma bewteen genres. Which i love actually, anything thats differant from all the shit autotuned sex sold down your throat music we hear ALL THE FUCKING TIME!! Its nice to have a change of pace band.

They have just finished recording their debut album 'Take No Thought For Tomorrow' inside of the halls of Stow College and is due for release on June 6th 2011.



So yea....what do u think of this album cover? me and my college group seen this before it came out, some liked it, some didnt, some reeeaally didnt like it. Even though i have no idea what the hell is going on with these space wooden jelly men, it actually kinda reflects the bands music. A good album cover is an important factor in the success of any band. Its mysterious, just like White Heath and very eye catching (even though some of the space jelly men might be having a not so secret orgy if u look real close)

These guys are definatley differant music wise, and to be honest i didnt like them at all when i first heard them, but after meeting them and seeing the finished product of the new album ive learned to like them as a band, and even like the music a little, there not my favourites but they are definatley worth listening to and check these guys out if your up for a good gig cause they honest to god shine when they play live.

Regognise WHITE HEATH!

http://www.myspace.com/whiteheath
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592076178#!/whiteheath

Fever Review - By Dean Walsh

Hello fellow internet lovers this is Dean Walsh and I am one of the many reviews on this site and today I am going to begin with a review of an album. This album is by one of my favourite bands, but after listening to this album they have gone from number 1... to number 2! out of 5 (Top Favourite Bands)

Fever is the third studio album from Welsh metal core band Bullet For My Valentine, the album consists of very melodic guitar riffs which at times worked very well in making this album a lot more different that there previous two albums. Does that make it a good album? Well it all depends on what you like about Bullet For My Valentine; the first album the Poison in my opinion was a masterpiece centering around very fast pace hard hitting beats and mixing it with very slow and gracious melodies which separated Bullet For My Valentine from all the other metal bands in their field. The poison was also much more different due to the fact that each song linked together making a story about love, betrayal and revenge. The second album Scream Aim Fire was just as good as the poison album and was the album which secured their place as one of the best British metal bands in the UK as they would win that particular Kerrang award 4 times in a row. While Scream Aim Fire had better guitar riffs it drifted away from the lyrical side of their music – their lyrics were still well very well written in some songs like Waking The Demon and Hearts Burst Into Fire but you could definitely see the difference in their lyrics compared to the poison album and the story from the first album did make much more of a difference when it came to the overall flow of the album.


With Fever... Well. There certainly “change” but I mean with this album the lyrics become much more basic and well... bland. And it wasn’t as if we weren’t warned about change. In several Kerrang interviews they stressed time and time again that this album was going to be very different from their two previous albums and that they were planning on moving away from the typical all screaming no singing style and focus more on the melodic side and singing more remembrable lyrics for their fans while creating a more hard rock feel to the music instead of in your face breakdowns. But wait there’s more. Before the album was released they posted two teaser tracks on their fan page Your Betrayal and Begging For Mercy, which were both the complete opposite of what they had stressed in their interviews to the fans! Your Betrayal and Begging For Mercy are the two heaviest songs in the album with Your Betrayal having a hard hitting in your face rhythm from the start which is the centre point of the entire song, and Begging For Mercy consisting of almost all screaming and almost no singing! What’s the point in talking about the rock and roll style of your album if your then going to post the two heaviest songs on the album? But to its credit when they finally released The Last Fight as an actual single and not just another teaser it was a good example of the new rock and roll style that Bullet talked about while at the same time being able to show remnants of the older style of Bullet.


Well like any Bullet For My Valentine fan when I first bought this “album” I was excited to hear the new style that Bullet had to offer and on first listen could already see the new changes they brought to the album and felt that it was a well written stand alone album. But God did they change everything. After listening to the album a few times I realise that compared to the first two album it doesn’t feel like an album written by Bullet, I mean maybe it’s just me but we like screaming senselessly into peoples ears about shit we can barely make out – its the way God intended it. the album at times can be somewhat bland and boring like Breaking Out Breaking Down which for fuck sake is the most god awfull song on that entire album! It pains me to have to even mention this song but from what I could gather from the lyrics is about always staying positive and aiming high to achieve your goals - theirs nothing wrong about that but just mentioning things that are tough in life isn't going to give us a clear idea of the tough things you're facing in life, and the lyrics are so bland and basic it doesn’t feel as though they put any thought into them, it seems as though they just hide behind imagery saying that “there’s still a mountain left to climb” and that “each day will bring us brand new scars.” – hmm emo much? Something about it just doesn’t feel as though these lyrics actually mean anything to them its like they were just thrown in for filler. They did at times mention in interviews that they had in fact scrapped all of their previous lyrics as they felt they were to similar to lyrics from previous albums, and with the album already so far into production the lyrics at time just seem last minute and don’t really mean much to the band.


Now I’m not saying that all of the lyrics from this album are simply thrown in, the lyrics in songs like The Last Fight and Dignity which flow together very well with the music that follows. With that said I have to say that in my own personal opinion, the best song off the Fever album for me would have to be “Alone.” Not only is Alone a fast past song with memorable riffs but oh my god its soo good i mean from the open finger tappy part to the symphony violins – ALL METAL BANDS SHOULD USE SYMPHONY IN THEIR SONGS! IT IS MANDATORY I MIGHT HAVE EVEN STOOD TO LISTEN TO BREAKING OUT BREAKING DOWN A LITTLE LONGER. BREAKING OUT BREAKING DOWN! Although I was disappointed at the fact that only one song had a symphony orchestra in it, it did separate Alone from all the other songs on that album making it stand out and in my opinion is the best song on the Fever album.


Overall compared to the first two albums Fever is the worst of the three; its seems to counterbalance itself at times when for instance with every bad song like Breaking Out Breaking Down the better songs like Alone counterbalance the bad ones, but that wont improve the quality and continuity of those bad songs. By the time Scream Aim Fire came out, although it make Bullet the band they are today you could tell the difference between that and of the poison and naturally Fever was bound to slip up as well. I personally blame the band, not for the continuity of the album or what they written but just the way that they oversold their album in the countless interviews they had prior to its release. They spoke countless times about how this was to be their greatest album and that it was different from the other two. It was certainly different but that doesn’t always mean it’s going to be good. Overall I give this album a 6 out of 10; though creative and different from the previous albums, it seems as though Bullet lost track of their old roots or at least didn’t feature them enough to produce an above average album.

Front Liner 3

You just cant get rid of me can you :) here is another first hand, up close and personal interview, this time with The Rare Breed.

1. What is the music scene in dumbarton like? is it healty?

The music scene in Dumbarton is quite healthy, but limited by lack of support and promotion. There's not much diversity in bands and if there is then its unheard of due to the previous points stressed.

2. Do you feel there should be more gigs for young people

Yes we feel there should be more opportunities for young people to experience live music in and around Dumbarton.


3. Do you think there should be more facilitys for live music for young people?

Yes, since the loss of The Studio ( Deadbeats) we feel there is not much legitimate venues for live music on a larger scale for younger people (younger people being 14-17 years).

4. Is there any specific genre of music that is followed in dumbarton.

Pop/Rock has probably the strongest following in Dumbarton but Heavy Metal has a dedicated following aswell.

5. What would you like to see change in dumbarton?

More chances for gigs to be played and seen in the Dumbarton area, more diversity at gigs and more promotion for bands/gigs such as fanzines, websites etc.

6. Is there a future for dumbartons local music?

There could be a great future for music in Dumbarton, theres some great talent here and the past has proved that (Mendeed).

7. What are your main influences as a band?

Our main influences as a band are lamb Of God, Cancer Bats, Pantera and Whitechapel.

8. Do you feel you have to travel away from dumbarton to experiance more music?

We feel that the majority of gigs take plave in Glasgow and is inconvenient for younger people.

9. is there a strong demand for music in dumbarton?

We believe there is a strong demand in Dumbarton for more music.

10. What are the main sources for yourselves and young people to actually access music in terms of newspapers, online blogs, radio............fanzines?! lol XD..

Facebook and Myspace seem to be the only available way to access local music, more popular music can be accessed through magazines, other websites and off course music channels.

Front Liner 2

Jamie here again, and incase anyone actually reads this im gonna put a nice interview with E is for Exile to find their thoughts on their progress

1. What is the music scene in dumbarton like? is it healty?

In Dumbarton there is a variety of bands raging between, punk, alternative and metal. Despite the difference in genre we always mix well with the other bands such as "Play dead", "Hot Rails", and the "Rare Breed." Selling out venues with fans from different scenes coming together as one!

2. Do you feel there should be more gigs for young people

Definitely, there are many venues which do one off gigs such as the "Burgh Hall" and the "Unit 23 Skatepark" but we would like to see more venues around Dumbarton to allow other bands to have more experience and get themselves more noticed.

3. Do you think there should be more facilitys for live music for young people?

Yes definitely, they're never enough gigs around Dumbarton!

4. Is there any specific genre of music that is followed in dumbarton.

If we had to say it would probably be the alternative bands but again these bands can range between different ends of the alternative spectrum!

5. What would you like to see change in dumbarton?

We would definitely like to see more new bands around Dumbarton and more facilities for them to practice and record.

6. Is there a future for dumbartons local music?

There's not a huge success rate for bands in Dumbarton but that doesn't mean there's a lot of potential for these bands. If they were given the changes they could definitely make something of themselves!

7. What are your main influences as a band?

As a whole band our main musical influences come from bands like "Bullet for My Valentine," "Atreyu" and "Killswitch Engage." But individually we all have very different influences for instance...
Mark Boyle (Lead Vocals) - "Foo Fighters"
Danny McCollum (Drums/Percussion & Vocals) - "Avenged Sevenfold"
Dean Walsh (Lead Guitar & Vocals) - "As I Lay Dying"
Dave Bonner (Rhythm Guitar) - "Metallica"
Steph Colquhoun (Bass & Vocals) - "Breaking Benjamin"
This mix all comes together to create our own personal and unique style & sound for the band.

8. Do you feel you have to travel away from dumbarton to experiance more music?

We do feel we need to travel into the city to experience new bands and venues as there isn't a lot of under 18's venues in Dumbarton but you can't expect bands like "Bullet for My Valentine" or "Atreyu" coming to a small town like Dumbarton. But at the same time you can't beat a bit of home team spirit!

9. is there a strong demand for music in dumbarton?

There's not usually a huge demand for music as they're plenty of bands in the Dumbarton venue alone. However, music is a huge part youth culture in Dumbarton.

10. What are the main sources for yourselves and young people to actually access music in terms of newspapers, online blogs, radio............fanzines?! lol XD..

There is a huge response from fans on social networking sites (Facebooks or MySpace) which help bands to get noticed and drag crowds along to gigs. Also the local newspapers like "The Lennox Herald" do a weekly article called "The Livewire" which reports on the local music scene and can help bands get noticed...Danny McCollum is typing ....

Here and Now Part 2 - The Rare Breed

This segment of the fanzine will be dedicated to two different bands that ive had the pleasure of working with.

As part of my college course last year i organised a gig in dumbarton at Dead Beats Studios. One of the bands that played were called "The Rare Breed" and it was there first time playing as a band together and this will basically be a progress review to see how far they have came since then.

The Rare Breed (or Hand Me My Funeral as they were known at first) are a four piece metal band from Dumbarton and are influenced by Lamb Of God, Trivium, Whitechapel, Cancer Bats and Machine Head to name a few. They formed together at the beginning of may last year (Just two weeks before there first gig!) they have just recently lost there second guitarist sadly but main members consist of

Jason Harris- Vocals
Rory Whitley- Lead Guitar
Adam Ronald- Bass Guitar
Sean McKay- Drums



When i first met them as a group, they were very similar to E is for Exile in that they wanted to start giging and loved music whole heartily. They had been informed that they had a gig in less then two weeks of hearing it (my fault btw XD). With very little time to practice or even write a song, the band pulled together and got a twenty minute set filled with covers and their own material. For twenty minutes they played out of time, messed up almost every song and played all round badly, but their energy and determination gave them a great reception and that night, The Rare Breed was born.



SOOOOOOOOO..........Hows things been in camp Rare Breed one year on?

They have steadily been playing gigs by themselves and have started recording material themselves as well. Despite losing there second guitarist they continue to keep going (good on you!) so that's defiantly an improvement from 2 weeks rushed work......(again sorry lol). They two have left thethe cradle of Dumbarton and played gigs at Ivory Blacks, Classic Grand and even played the Surface festival, even though they lost the chance to advance to the second round of the competition they still contended which is certainly something. Hell these guys even have there own merchandise!



Again Like E is For Exile they don't lack spirit either and they two have learned to take decision making seriously and get gigs by themselves and apparently a relative of Rorey is there acting manager. However there needs to be some changes if they wish to be a success full metal band. To make it in metal you need to be good..REALLY GOOD! which means tighten the nuts and bolts, most of the time when i hear you guys play its white noise, and i cant understand a word of what Jason says (fair enough your screaming but you need to work on your diction), working as a team and really grafting in rehearsals will pay off big time. The volume levels also have to be equal, no point having a singer if the guitar is turned up to max and drowns out the lyrics (this might not be the case but that's my opinion. I'm not bashing but if these are all tightened up, more fans will come your way, more tickets, more exposure, MORE MONEY!. Oh and its not all bad, Drumming is tight, bass is well paced Great guitar skill from Rory! and Jason has some great stage presence when he makes the effort. You've got your own fucking t shirts be proud of yourselves for that!




Expanding on merchandise, working on look and maybe revamp image as well, these are all things that could be done to help you get to the next level.

Overall one year on from the first graded unit project they have certainly improved, and the will continue to as long as they don't give up and think outside the box a little. Dumbarton Rocks! proudly supports them and if you are a metal enthusiast i would recommend seeing them.

My Chemical Romance - Live Review

Courtesy of Altern8 Scotland Alan the editor has graced us with his presence and offered to review one of his favorite bands for us....Well ain't that good of em lol
and its no doubt that there are a lot of MyChem fans in Dumbarton.

Altern8 Scotland is another fanzine based in Glasgow about alternate music and has a lot of good material and exclusives. Worth a look!

Anyhoo - On with the Show!



Gerard and the Boys, live in action.


“This next song, we dedicate to all you ladies out there...” screamed support band The Blackout’s frontman. “Because you’re all lying bitches!”, for some reason, this seems to go down well with the audience of tonight. A band of mediocre music and an obvious statement of looks over musical talent, The Blackout really impress with their live show. With a strong stage presence and comical views from both frontmen about how Scotland is better than England, but not as good as Wales, The Blackout wow the crowd into submission. It’s a shame the same can’t be said about their music.

This is an impressive feature for a small band from Wales, as tonight, they support world-renowned My Chemical Romance from New Jersey. Leaving the stage after their set, a message is played out informing everyone of their safety, while the screens flicker pictures and messages from the band. The veil is drawn down and MCR instantly erupt into latest single “Na Na Na”, whipping the audience into a frenzy. The band are certainly enjoying themselves too as frontman Gerard Way (complete with matching red hair and red eye make up) prowls the stage, screaming his heart out through Mama, Hang Em High, Give Em Hell Kid and I’m Not Okay, and Guitarist Frank Iero running around the stage like an ADHD Kid who’s had too much sugar. The audience are united as one for “Welcome To The Black Parade” and “Famous Last Words”, and although there is very little stage chat inbetween songs, it’s obvious this band are something truly special. Coming back for an encore, Gerard steps solo onto the stage for “Cancer”, making sure that there was not a dry eye in the boulding, before erupting into the ferocious and menacing “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” for the big finale.

Tonight was a truly special night for fans of My Chemical Romance, and although there was a lack of classics such as “Thank You For the Venom” and “To The End” in favour of songs from new album “Danger Days” they make up for it in performing a truly amazing fucking show!

Here and Now Part 1 - E is for Exile

This segment of the fanzine will be dedicated to two different bands that ive had the pleasure of working with.

As part of my college course last year i organised a gig in dumbarton at Dead Beats Studios. One of the bands that played were called "E is For Exile" and it was there first time playing as a band together and this will basically be a progress review to see how far they have came since then.

E is for exile was originally Is a four piece, Heavy Metal band from
West Dunbartonshire, Dumbarton, Scotland formed in 16th April 2008 by Daniel McCollum. The Founding members are Danny McCollum, Dean Walsh and Steph Colquhoun and have periodically went through a few drummers. They are Influenced by Metallica, Atreyu, Trivium and many other Metal/Rock bands.

When i first met them as a band they were just a group of friends that were enthusiastic about music and wanted to do it for real ad of course i was proud to give them an opportunity to play in front of a crowd. On stage they were raw new and surprisingly power full for a band that hadn't played before live. Of course there were timing issues and vocals were drowned out most of the timeby guitar. But to be honest on the night at Dead beats they were the strongest act and they Danny performed well as a frontman by building a rapport with the audience.

SOOOOO, How have things been since then a year on?

Well they have went through aline up change with Danny now a permanent drummer which solves the drummer problem........but what about front stage?! well newcomer Mark boyle has come into the fray. As well a Mark a new guitarist has joined by the name of David Bonner so the new line up looks like this!



from left to right we have Dean(Lead Guitar),Steph(Bass),Mark(vocals) and Dave (rhythm guitar)

Despite the change in line up they have stuck to their original music direction and have been organising gigs by themselves (self management...nice!) and have managed to play venues like Ivory Blacks and Classic Grand branching out from the cradle of Dumbarton.



These guys certainly don't lack in spirit, and they definitely look the part. To me it would seem they have learned to make decisions themselves and have set themselves goals. They have definitely grown one year on, but they still have a long way to go if they want to meet those goals. In order for them to succeed in this business they need to look at other options like merchandise, management, maybe an image revamp (despite the fact they look cool they don't look very unique)something that sets them apart from the other fish in the pond. The musical quality i know is good, however its drowned out by the volume level, and the songs could contain a few pauses in the music and go off in different directions which could be better than following the traditional ABABCA pattern. Of course this is my opinion and i hate writing this cause i honestly love these guys, but i cant be an editor if i lie can i? unless i work for the sun lol XD



Overall one year on from the first graded unit project they have certainly improved, and the will continue to as long as they don't give up and think outside the box a little. Dumbarton Rocks! proudly supports them and if you are a metal enthusiast i would recommend seeing them.

Here is the bands facebook page :)

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=213524095345776&id=100000645620256&ref=notif¬if_t=feed_comment#!/pages/E-is-For-Exile/145481785505950

Front Liner

Hiya guys Jamie here again, Im here with an interview with Harmonica Lewinsky who are one of the best blues bands performing in Scotland today. The members of Harmonica Lewinsky have over one hundred years of experience between them and are all accomplished musicians in their own right. Put them together and they produce outstanding blues. Ive had the pleasure of seeing them live and not only are they entertaining and engaging they are a bunch of really good guys that would get on well with anyone. If you ever get the chance go see them (especially if your a blues fan)

I had the chance to get an interview with Robert Ryan who is the front man for Harmonica Lewinsky and it went a little like this:


Jamie - What is the music scene in dumbarton like? is it healthy?

HM - For live music there aren't that many venues although the Burgh Bar has regular live music and others do it occasionally. Alexandria and the Vale of Leven seems to have a more vibrant live music scene with bands and jam sessions arranged in various venues.

Jamie - Do you feel there should be more gigs for all age groups

HM - we don't think you can beat live music but maybe we are biased. Some of the best gigs weve attended have been 'local' ones and it would be good to see that tradition continue, as you say, for all ages



Jamie - Do you think there should be more facility's for live music?

HM - We would like that to happen but really that is down to it being financially viable. If a venue puts on a live band they have to recoup that cost somehow.

Jamie - Is there any specific genre of music that is followed in dumbarton?.

HM - We don't think so although weve have been playing blues in the area for a number of years. Certainly the blues/rock genre has quite a following in the wider area (if you include Alexandria and the Vale)

Jamie - What would you like to see change in dumbarton?

HM - We would like to see more venues offer live music.

Jamie - Is there a future for dumbartons local music?

HM - we would like to think so. There are always young musicians who are keen to write and perform. Long may that continue.

Jamie - What are your main influences as a band?

HM - We play Blues and Rhythm and Blues. Our influences would be everything from Chuck Berry to Dr Feelgod, Sonny Boy Williamson to Tom Waits. We do mainly covers but are increasing the amount of our own material in the set.

Jamie - Do you feel you have to travel away from dumbarton to experience more music?

HM - we think that's true

Jamie - is there a strong demand for music in dumbarton?

HM - It's hard to say. The current economic climate means that people aren't going out so much and they have much more access to recorded music than ever before. Sometimes getting people out from the comfort Zone can be difficult.

Jamie - What are the main sources for yourselves to actually access music in terms of newspapers, online blogs, radio............fanzines?!

HM - To access music we use Spotify. As far as purchasing goes we do most of that online these days and most of our listening is done via the MP3 format.


Thank you for your time and effort :)

ITS ALIVE!!!

Welcome to Dumbarton rocks, the brain child of me Jamie Gillespie your village idiot, this is a fanzine that is going to analyse the Dumbarton music scene and good bands that are from Dumbarton.

Does music thrive in Dumbarton? or does music fall on deaf ears (no pun intended)in this town?

Find out on the next exciting edition of Dumbarton Rocks!!