Twisted Village Festival - Initial Line-up announced / CANCELLED

UPDATE: 19/06 - Unfortunately, owing to poor ticket sales and the financial risk this has incurred, the organisers of the Twisted Village Festival have made the sad decision not to proceed with year's event. A full statement on the event's cancellation can be found on the festival's website and Facebook page. 

UPDATE: 25/06 - The Portsmouth News is reporting that the festival's production company has gone into liquidation; the festival's website is still active, however its social media presence has been shuttered. 

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The tiny hamlet of Woodmancott, nestled roughly midway between Winchester and Basingstoke, might seem an unlikely destination for a new festival to pitch up. Yet here, at Vicarage Farm, is where the Twisted Village Festival will pitch tents for its inaugural outing.

Billed as a "festival of performing arts, music and curiosities" Twisted Village promises to be a compact and bijou affair, hosting 4999 souls on-site (a number which also includes both crew and artists), offering the seasoned festival-goer something more than big stages, huge crowds and annoyingly long queues for the amenities. If you didn't get Glastonbury tickets, or find that walking a festival site the size of Coventry isn't your bag any more, then this might be just what you're looking for.

Personally I'm a fan of a smaller festival; as much fun as a large sprawling site is to explore there is always something (or several) that gets missed. Limiting the number of attendees should hopefully make for a more comfortable stroll around the site, stumbling across promised curiosities, helping to create the "village vibe" that the organisers are striving for. 

The organisers have set out their ethos on the website, which includes their vision for a festival that includes dance, spoken word performance, theatre and street theatre as well as, obviously , music. The festival also boasts excellent environmental credentials, effecting a no plastic policy on the main site, asking festival-goers to bring reusable bottles to enjoy free refills at various water stations. If that wasn't enough the festival will also employ solar power & biodiesel-powered generators to lessen its carbon emissions.

So far so very right-on, but what's to see and enjoy at this shindig you may wonder. Well, the line-up announced so far includes Beans On Toast, LibraLibra, Yassassin, Alabama 3, Curl, Oh My God! It's The Church, Shoot The Duke, Megan Linford and the truly brilliant (and quite possibly worth the ticket price alone) joy that is The Lovely Eggs. With more acts TBA it's refreshing to note that the festival is also aiming to ensure female artists represent 50% of the final line-up (other, larger, festivals should take note).

Twisted Village Festival runs from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th August and Tier 1 (Early Bird) tickets are available now, priced at £90 for adults, via the festival website. Prices are scheduled to increase in Tier 2 (£105) and Tier 3 (£120), full pricing information and more can be found on the festival's FAQ page.

Wax Equities @ The Belle Isle

Portsmouth vinyl-only DJs Wax Equities, spinners of classic Funk, Jazz and Hip-Hop, are moving their Friday night residency from Southsea's HUIS to The Belle Isle. The Osborne Road venue has recently extended its opening hours, meaning that the music can play on until the reasonably small hours. 

Wax Equities will be continuing their Adventures In Wax guest DJ programme, with Dharma 77 joining them on their first night at the new locale, Friday 1st February, with a host of others announced for their first three months (see poster, below). The music plays from 2130 through until 0100 and entry is completely FREE.

Dials 2019!

Good news everyone, the excellent Dials Festival will be returning to Southsea this October! Last year's shindig saw various venues along Albert Road play host to some excellent talent, including Fake Empire, Curxes, Thyla and the jaw-droppingly good LibraLibra, hopes are therefore high for Dials 2019 to again bring the very best local and national emerging artists to the city.

It's far too early to hazard a guess at who might be on the line-up but it's a reasonably safe bet that, on the day, there be a surfeit of good music for all to enjoy. If this wets your appetite I'd advise marking Saturday 5th October on your calendar and keeping eyes on the festival's social media for announcements.

The festival has once more partnered with Solent Mind, a local charity which supports people with mental health problem across the South, to again both raise funds and awareness of mental health issues.

For those eager to attend a limited number of Super Early Bird tickets go on sale this coming Friday, 1st February, available via the festival's website from 1000 prompt.

UPDATE: All £15 Super Early Bird tickets sold out within 90 minutes, £18 Early Bird tickets now available.

Records & Real Ale (and a raffle)

Since opening in Gosport last year second-hand record shop A Slice of Vinyl has quickly and quietly established itself as the biggest little record shop in town. Located on the first floor above Katie's Vinyl Bar & Kitchen, on the pedestrianised High Street, the tiny shop offers a wide and constantly updating selection of new and old vinyl. 

Building on this reputation A Slice of Vinyl, also organisers of the  Gosport Record Fair, have joined forces with another of Gosport's finest, producers of real ales and craft lagers, Fallen Acorn, to combine their shared love of vinyl and good ale by hosting a record fair at the brewery. 

The fun starts at 11am this coming Saturday, 2nd February, with ample opportunity to both procure that album you've been looking for (and sample some of Fallen Acorn's excellent beers) until the shutters roll down at 5pm.

I must confess that, as much as I enjoy a good tune by itself, a good tune enjoyed with a refreshing alcoholic beverage is always a welcoming prospect (however I have found that a surfeit of ale can impact on the already small amount of restraint I have when it comes to buying shiny records). 

Entrance to the event is FREE however an optional entry fee of 50p-£1 can be paid at the door; all monies collected in this manner will be donated to Tonic - Music for Mental Health, a Portsmouth-based charity that both raises awareness and challenges the stigma associated with mental illness, via music and art based events. 

And yes, there's a raffle too.

Winchestival 2019 - Initial Line-up announced

Winchester's festival-in-a-day Winchestival returns for a third outing this June, descending once again on the city's North Walls for 12 hours of music, food and fun. The organisers have this week released details of the initial line-up and, it's safe to say, there's something here for everyone at this family friendly festival.

The Gannon-Stoddard Family Singers (aka The Magic Numbers) headline the Main Stage, with Reading's Only The Poets, Southampton four-piece Submariner and the Isle of Wight's Lauran Hibberd also on the bill. Joining them are indie pop duo Deco and, opening proceedings, Osborne School's rock choir, Rubik's Cube, with further acts TBA.

BBC Introducing Solent host the second stage this year, with a line-up featuring Southampton acts Bash! and Mystic Peach, south coast Beach Punks Remainders, the utterly mesmerising Bruch and, from Swanage, Galaxy Thief. For those who like to get their groove on there's a Disco Tent although, for my money, the Auntie Beeb's line-up looks the one to watch.

Winchestival 2019 takes place on Saturday 15th June, with advance tickets available now via EventBrite priced at £25 for adults, £13 for ages 5-17 and those under 5 getting in for FREE!

Jerry Williams - 'David At The Bar'

One Saturday in 2015 I found myself emerging from the dark basement of Brighton's Sticky Mike's (RIP), ears ringing from Kassassin Street's morning set, and stumbled across Jerry Williams playing a courtyard gig a few yards away. Barely a song in I was already aware that I was in the presence of a rare talent. Since then Jerry has continued to perfect her craft, releasing new material, touring far and wide, building up an ever growing legion of fans in the process. 

Having recently returned from New York, taking over Tidal's Instagram feed for a session whilst there, Jerry has since travelled to Germany for a string of live dates with her band before a return to the UK for further shows (including a gig at the Camden Assembly, the Barfly as was, on Wednesday 30th January and a visit to Southampton's Joiners the following night).

Current release David At The Bar is a reflective ode, a tale of a bar-side conversation the artist had with a young alcoholic she encountered; a soon-to-be new father, David promised Jerry that he'd stop drinking if she wrote a song about him, this affecting tune being the result. The lyrics reflect the drinker's fears for the future, whether they'll be able to put down the last glass, before toasting the artist with a plea not to follow the same path. 

It's a delicate song which progresses in tone over its two and a half minutes, powerfully building to an anthemic crescendo that, yes, I could picture a drunken crowd sing-a-long aloud. Irony is a wonderful thing. It's unknown what the titular character makes of the song he made his bargain for as David appears to have vanished into the crowd after the conversation. I'm hoping that he's seized the opportunity life has presented for him, made good on his promise, and is building on the future with his young family. Yes, I've always been a sucker for a happy ending. 

Beats & Swing Easter Weekender

Portsmouth club night Beats & Swing has this week released details of some Easter treats which, I know, seems a wee bit early given we're not out of January yet (I blame Cadbury's, my local corner shop had Creme Eggs in stock whilst I still had my Christmas tree up). However, given the line-up thus far announced, you'd be advised to get your tickets early before they up and disappear.

Traditionally Maundy Thursday is when HM The Queen dispenses alms to deserving citizens (and civil servants across the land spend an afternoon in the pub), this year though it also sees Madame Electrifie, the alter-ego of Techno DJ Little Jo, take control of the ones-and-twos at Southsea's premier bijou art space, the Coastguard Studio. Little Jo has played some of the UK’s leading venues in the near 15 years she's been behind the decks, including legendary clubs Turnmills and Ministry. Support on the night comes from Wesley Brown and The Feel Good.

After such an entertaining opener it's lucky that Good Friday provides ample opportunity for a recovery lay-in (and/or a restorative beverage or two) before the doors of the Coastguard open wide again. The second night of the Easter Weekender is headlined by chap-hop originator, the wax moustachioed MC straight out of Cheam, the one and only Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. If you've not encountered chap-hop before any explanation I could give would pale in comparison to hearing it the first time. Trust me, you're in for a treat. Support on the night comes from Bass-playing troubadour Grant Sharkey and Portsmouth singer-songwriter Dani Uziel.

Tickets go on sale at 10am prompt tomorrow morning, Friday 25th January, via Book.Events. A Weekender pass is available, providing access to both nights, priced at a very reasonable £18 or, alternatively, tickets for either night can be purchased separately for £10 each. And yes, I think this will sell out well ahead of time.

Horseflies - 'Fist'

Sometimes, after a bad day at life's coalface, all a body wants to do is sit at the back of the bus, earbuds securely seated, and listen to something loud and/or shouty enough to abate the demons resident on each shoulder. If this is you right now might I suggest you quieten the devils by cranking up the latest release from Horseflies.

Fist is the first track lifted from the Portsmouth alt-rockers imminent new EP, Lucidity, and a frenetically joyous assault on the ear it is too. Chunky riffs and chords combine to produce an energy packed rollercoaster of a tune; if the opening bars are a call to the mosh-pit the body of the song provides a soundtrack to a flailing mass of bodies, the piano coda allowing for the briefest of warm-downs. It's an intense three minutes of guitar and bass and drums and, yes, the other people on the bus aren't going to like it.

Fake Empire - 'Elders'

Portsmouth alt-rock trio Fake Empire, a band who I unfortunately missed out on seeing at Dials 2019, start the new year with a new single. Elders is three and half minutes of banging indie noir, combining twangy guitar, sullen lyrics, stratospheric mixing and a thumping rhythm that, on initial listen, reminded me very much of early Editors (this is not, I must stress, a bad thing).

I confess that the more I've heard of Fake Empire over recent months the more I like them, the collective of Becky Bellinger, Simon Brookes and Les Black have a knack in serving up songs that are a beautiful blend of some of my favourite bands yet making the resulting brew their own. A pinch of The National, a sprinkle of The Cure, a dash of Suede, stir well and serve loud with a garnish of early Simple Minds, there is a lot going into the pot here. It's all too easy to spoil a dish like this by over-seasoning but the finished product is subtly flavoured and not over-powered by its constituent ingredients.

In the interests of full disclosure I must admit to previously being someone who tutted and shrugged when presented with such material (as happened after my first listen to The Strokes debut album, mostly due to its aural familiarity to another band from New York). However, in my defence, I read the NME from front-to-back in those days, fully absorbing its slights of perceived muso pedantry and pretension.

Fake Empire might wear their influences easily but they are not cloning my record collection wholesale. They channel the best of it and make something new, interesting, powerful. Case in point, Elders, a track that fair pelts along like a fast ride in a sporty convertible, the soundtrack to an urgent and windswept journey on winding roads. It's reassuringly familiar, instantly hummable and most definitely ticks a lot of my boxes. Is it the best thing I've heard from the band? No (that would be this gorgeously widescreen number) but it's a cracker of a tune all the same. And next time I get the chance to see them I'm definitely taking it.

Open Mic @ The House of Rapture

I like live music, I like a good beer and I like to enjoy one whilst indulging in the other. With this in mind it would seem obvious that I'd be rightly appreciative of any event for new music that just-so-happens to take place in a venue which has a brewery attached.

The House of Rapture, Portsmouth brewers Staggeringly Good's new bar venture, is soon to play host to that most popular way of sampling new music, the Open Mic. In partnership with local band-cum-entrepreneurs Skaraman the new venue will be hosting regular Open Mic Nights, starting with their inaugural event on Thursday 29th February. 

Most Open Mics I've encountered have tended to limit themselves to solo or duo acts, trios at a push, with nary a sniff of a full band. Not so at The House of Rapture, the organisers are keen to welcome all to their stage; solo acts, duos, small ensembles and full band line-ups too, the venue will cater for all to plug-and-play. 

The doors open wide on the new night at 1900 and, as time slots won't be pre-allocated, would be players are advised to get there early.

You Tell Me - 'You Tell Me'

Sunderland's Brewis brothers have consistently produced interesting music, either together as Field Music or via their various solo guises and side projects; David Brewis has released a couple of albums under the School of Language banner (2014's Old Fears is an excellent listen, if you've not checked it out already I heartily recommend that you lend it an ear or two), brother Peter forming The Week That Was in 2008 to release a one-off album of self-penned tunes.

You Tell Me is Peter's latest excursion, a collaboration with Admiral Fallow's Sarah Hayes, the pair bonding over a mutual love of Kate Bush to record an eleven track collection of delicate folk-tinged indie, introspective alt-rock and stabby electronica. 

Initial single Clarion Call, a lilting folk number released last September, sounds far removed from subsequent single Water Cooler (which is itself heavily infused with Field Music's DNA). Listen to one after the other and you may even wonder if the same band is responsible for the two songs.


And yet, over the course of their recently released and eponymously titled album, the songs take their place amongst their cohorts, combining to make a very pleasurable listening experience.

The collected songs all have a conversational bent to them, first-person narratives of failing office romance, jealousy and intrigue, that occasionally take dark turns into internal turmoil, all set to beautifully arranged music. 

Trash Arts presents Alcuna Wilds

As mentioned previously the annual celebration of smaller venues that is Independent Venue Week will soon be upon us. Independent venues across the land (and even some across the pond) will be hosting events in the seven days between Monday 28th January and Sunday 3rd February. 

Once again one of my favourite venues, Portsmouth's venerable Wedgewood Rooms, will be taking part, and has announced that it will be welcoming Beans on Toast, Tankus the Henge, New York bluegrass/hip-hop (yes, it's a thing) outfit Gangstagrass and Canada's Cancer Bats, to name but three, to its stages over this period. Local promoters Trash Arts are also involved, they'll be hosting Anglo-Dutch foursome Alcuna Wilds at the Edge of The Wedge on Tuesday 29th January.

Alcuna Wilds consists of Brits Nadja Freeman (vocals, synths) and Pete Barnes (guitar) who, with Nederlanders Jordy Pama (synths, bass & backing vocals) and Sjaak van Dam (drums, samples), produce some rather beautiful, mellifluous, atmospheric and ambient rock:



Support on the night comes from local talent, with singer-songwriters Paddy Taylor and Teco Nicolello joined by self-confessed lumbersexuals The Jay Groovara Band. Tickets are priced at very reasonable £5 (advance, £6 on the door), which is an absolute bargain if you ask me.

Desperate Journalist - 'Satellite'

Ahead of next month's release of album number three, the intriguingly entitled In Search of The Miraculous (which I'm assuming is named after Bas Jan Ader's final work), indie rock four-piece Desperate Journalist have unleashed another screamer of a single upon the world.

Satellite is a jaw-dropping four minutes and twenty seconds of biting lyrics that lead into a melodic chorus, delivered over a guitar riff that won't do your lumbago any good at all. Jo Bevan's soaring vocals, Simon Drowner's driven bassline and Caroline Helbert's powered drumming join together with guitarist Rob Hardy's stellar solo (which is truly a thing of indie rock beauty) to create a song that practically demands repeated listening. 

Unlike previous release Cedars which, I'll admit, took me a few listens to fully appreciate the wonder of, Satellite grabbed me firmly by the lapels and demanded my attention.

The single is available for purchase now via all good digital platforms, new album In Search of The Miraculous is released on Friday 22nd February and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.

Sleaford Mods - 'Kebab Spider'

New year, new Sleaford Mods track; Kebab Spider is taken from the Nottingham duo's forthcoming long player, Eton Alive and, as you'd rightly expect, is fair full to overflowing with energetic beats and blistering wordplay. The club-based video, below, allows the pair to show off their funky moves amongst a crowd of friends and fans.

What, you may be wondering, is it about then? Well, Mods' frontman Jason Williamson has stated that the song is...

"the accumulation of torment for those that refuse to capitalise solely through mediocre channels and as a result are ejected back onto the concrete. Obscure and under the horror as a giant spider crawls out the crown of their small portion of street meat"

So, there you go, obvious when you know really. 

I'll admit that late night gyros aren't really my bag however, tucked away in the dark recesses of my brain, there sits a chemical memory of a boozy night many years ago in Faliraki. A surfeit of Ouzo means that several scenes are missing from the evening (how I got onto that bar I'll never know) but I definitely recall a kebab being waved in front of my vegetarian face at the end of the night. For all I know, a tarantula may indeed have crawled out from the salad and compressed meat to say hello. Did I mention there was a lot of Ouzo?

As for the track it is, to further quote Jason Williamson, proper, and kudos as always to rhythm man Andrew Fearn for supplying music that blends textures of late 80's Manchester dance with Mr Oizo's Flat Beat but makes something altogether better. It's a corker of a track and I wait with baited breath for a hard and dirty bass heavy remix.

Kebab Spider is available now with Eton Alive is scheduled for release on Friday 22nd February, with a UK tour kicking off in March (the chaps play Portsmouth Pyramids on Thursday 2nd May, Bournemouth's Old Fire Station on Friday 3rd May and Southampton's Engine Rooms on Saturday 4th May).

Nod Ya Head... in a field

They may not have hosted their first event of the new year quite yet but Fareham-based promoters Nod Ya Head are already planning something big for the Summer; an afternoon and evening of live music in the picturesque hamlet just north of the market town.

The sleepy village of Wallington is situated just a short stroll from the centre of Fareham and boasts a couple of pubs and a charming water-meadow where the Summer fête is usually held. However, on Sunday 7th July, the field will be alive with an afternoon and evening of live music.

Amongst the first acts announced as playing at Nod Ya Head's Summer Party are Brighton three-piece Mantras who are joined on the bill by Elephant Radio, an pop-rock outfit from Eastbourne. Also named in the initial line-up are Fareham pub-punk trio Lo-Fi Rebels, some catchy indie guitar pop courtesy of Portsmouth's The Deckards and a set from talented youngster Harrison Etherington (who, despite his tender age, has already played Victorious Festival (twice).







In addition to the music there promises to be a bar and a small record fair, all hosted with the music in a sizeable marquee. The organisers are also promising a hog roast, which is nice if that's your bag but I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a vegetarian alternative.

Early Bird tickets are now available online via Book Events, priced at £10 (for 18+) and £5 (13-17 years), with under 13s getting in FREE. 

UPDATE:

24/03 Unfortunately it appears Mantras are no longer part of the line-up however, as per the updated poster below, the bill has been bolstered by the addition of Portsmouth singer-songwriter Jamin, Bournemouth indie folk outfit Hello Hawaii and Gosport indie-blues trio Hooli. With yet more acts still to be announced this is shaping up to be a rather great way to spend a sunny Saturday in July.

Glastonbrewery 2019

For the most part my memories of attending Glastonbury Festival are good; a wonderful selection of music and entertainment, spread across a sprawling site, enjoyed amongst the excellent company of friends and several thousand other people. Admittedly walking through the mud can become a bit of a chore, any shelter from the elements depends on how much you paid for your tent, the sound of people giggling off nitrous can get very annoying and, obviously, the memory of the Long Drops famed aroma draws a knowing recognition amongst fellow travellers who've experienced its delights.

As I've grown older however the lure of urban festivals, such as The Great Escape in Brighton or Portsmouth's own Victorious, very much appeals; I can enjoy a surfeit of good music, seek shelter from the elements when required, and retire to the comfort of a proper bed at the end of the night. If only there was a way of enjoying Glastonbury in a similar manner, of savouring the music but without the mud or "interesting" toilet facilities? No long walk between stages, no chance of the stage view being blocked by That Guy with a ridiculous flag on a pole. If only.

This thought may well have occurred to the very nice people at the Staggeringly Good Brewery who, having both a tap room and a new music venue at the their disposal, have decided to stream the best of Glasto for the enjoyment of Portsmouth's beer and music loving punters.

Alongside the yet-to-be-announced-but-most-likely-excellent selection acts whose performances will be shown on the big screens will be a selection of the brewery's excellent (and unfined) ales. Add to this the promise of proper toilets, no mud and absolutely no chance at all of being stuck behind someone trying to get their significant other on TV by hoisting them onto their shoulders and it sounds like a winning plan to me. Obviously it won't be the same as being stood in a muddy field in Somerset but that's kind of the whole point. 

Best of all though is the price of the tickets; entry is absolutely FREE (which, given that I like many others missed out on a ticket to the festival's return this year, makes it even more of a bargain). Lovely super smashing great, as the late Jim Bowen was wont to say.

Calamity Cratediggers' IVW All-Dayer

Barely has the dust settled on the old year, heads still ringing from seeing in the new, and the gig calendar is starting to populate with new events to attend. Amongst the first of these is an all day event at the Edge of the Wedge, the Wedgewood Rooms' sister venue, held in support of Independent Venue Week.

An annual celebration of the UK's small music venues and the people that own, run and work in them, Independent Venue Week supports the stages where many artists receive their first taste of playing live to an audience, artists that may eventually end up playing to thousands at stadia and festivals.

Unfortunately the UK's smaller venues currently face threats from a variety of sources, whether it be rate increases, property developers or neighbourhood noise issues, resulting in names familiar to gig goers disappearing from listings across the land.
 
Independent Music Week 2019 runs from Monday 28th January through to Sunday 2rd February, with member venues throughout Blighty hosting gigs (locally this includes The Joiners and Suburbia in Southampton, Strings on the Isle of Wight, and the aforementioned Wedgewood Rooms).

Portsmouth DJs and event organisers Calamity Cratediggers have planned an all day shindig at the Edge, complete with record fair and local art showcase, for Sunday 3rd February. The first two confirmed acts playing are Slift, purveyors of psychedelic garage from Toulouse, and Khana Bierbood (คณะเบียร์บูด), a 60s influenced surf band from Thailand, with several more acts set to be announced soon;

Advance tickets are available now via the Wedgewood Rooms website, priced at a very reasonable £8. Yes, sounds a bargain to me too.

Update:

Calamity Cratediggers have announced more acts that have been added to the bill; from London comes punk four-piece Italia 90 and avant-rockers POSA, from closer to home are Portsmouth bands Violet Mud, The Staywakes and Highlights of Our Modern World.

Rounding out the bill is Chet Wynne (aka Adam Rickman from Jesse Wylde & The Stallions), the Battery Hens/Grief Daddy/Aeroplane Attack/Flubums supergroup that is Friday Night Weird Dreams, and Brighton's Squig. A rather natty poster, reproduced above, has been created for the event by illustrator Carl Tai Thompson and would, I feel, make a very nice framed addition for any discerning gig-goers wall.

Review - "Bros: After The Screaming Stops"

The modern Christmas has become a time for over-indulgence and excess, still for families but tainted with the everyday cynicism of 21st Century life. It is, therefore, rather apt that one of the standout musical highlights of this past Yule was a documentary on BBC4 about a pop band from the late eighties/early nineties, the quick-burning global phenomenon that was the brothers Goss, Bros.

It's hard to believe now but thirty years ago two peroxide-haired identical twins from Surrey, Matt (vocals) and Luke (drums), made the wearing of Grolsch bottle-tops on shoes a popular fashion choice for their fans. Managed by ex-Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins, and with chum Craig (aka Ken) on bass to temporarily rounding out the band as a trio, Bros briefly dominated pop charts, award ceremonies and the hearts of screaming fans all over the world. Catchy, slick and over-produced pop, with annoying vocal affectations that borrowed heavily from Michael Jackson, it's fair to say that Bros weren't my cup of tea (although, thanks to a chum of mine's near constant playing of When Will I Be Famous?, they were an act I was all too familiar with).

Taking its title from a Terry Wogan sound bite played near the beginning that queries the band what they'd do when the screaming stops, the film follows the band's reunion after years in pop's wilderness. Bizarrely the famed Irish presenter is also just about the only person in the piece to mention the third member of the band. Craig Logan (aka Ken) left the and in 1989 due to illness and, whilst it's understandable that he may not have wanted to be involved in the return of Bros, his absence from the film feels very much like a constant bass playing elephant-in-the-room (or at least it would if there were space between the twins' egos).

Following Craig's departure the brothers continued for two more albums, with subsequent singles charting lower in the Top 40 than their heyday, before finaly imploding in 1992. The pair subsequently forged solo careers in America, one in music and the other in movies, but the cause of and fallout from the split strained their relationship to breaking point. After barely speaking for nearly twenty five years the brothers decided to return for a series of reunion gigs, the often fractious process of which is captured on film in fascinating car crash detail.

It would be very easy to label Bros: After The Screaming Stops as a real-life Spinal Tap; whilst admittedly peppered with a jaw-dropping series of Tufnell-esque one-liners from lead singer Matt there is more at work here. The derailed relationship of the two brothers sits firmly at the heart of this botox-and-all look at the band's return. Opening in media res with a spat between the two brothers in a This Morning dressing room, a suitably hissy display of ego-fuelled temper from one that the other tries and fails to calm, the film then rolls back to before the reunion rehearsals began to introduce the players.

Luke lives in Los Angeles, ploughing a furrow in direct-to-DVD movies, whilst Matt has become a king of Las Vegas, receiving an icon award from the city's entertainment honchos. Despite their proximity they are removed from each other's lives, Luke is focused on getting his self-penned film completed, Matt seemingly immersed in a life that is detached from reality (adjacent to an ornate chair that forms his conversation corner there hangs a painting of his pet Bulldog, an item which has quickly become an internet meme). Matt has a selection of bandannas to help him focus, some joyously unfiltered rambling inanities and the founder of the Pussycat Dolls, Luke has his wife Shirley to lend support and kudos from famed character actor Ron Perlman.

With the introductions completed the duo are reunited in a nondescript rehearsal room in London where, in the month leading up to their reunion gig at The O2, a series of arguments and bitter reminisces ponder the question in the viewer's mind as to whether the planned reunion gig will actually take place. There is undeniably a love between these two, not just the bond that siblings have but the experiences that these particular two have shared, but fame and ego have tested the pair and the reasons for their split fester beneath the tan and plastic surgery; that roller-coaster relationship is what makes this documentary such an uncomfortably enjoyable watch.

I wasn't exactly in the target demographic for the band when they first appeared on the scene, and spending 87 minutes watching a boy band painfully reunite wasn't exactly on my Christmas to-do list, but a wave of positive posts on Twitter lured me into firing up iPlayer. This story of the two brothers' journey in and out of the music industry might be one enjoyed with a heavy shot of schadenfreude, at the end of which comes the realisation that Matt may never be a guy you want to be stuck in a lift with and Luke really really really deserves a hug, and that the old adage "you can't choose your family" is truer than you think.