Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler
Info
Train: Charing Cross (12 mins) Tube: Tottenham Court Rd (2 mins)
Reviewed Events
Alien Ant Farm at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Tue 11 Sep
With a world-wide tragedy happening the very same day, it’s a shame to have to witness one of the world’s more noteworthy Nu-Metal acts on a day like today. After releasing an exceptional debut and currently having a heavy-rotation Michael Jackson cover on display everywhere, the hard work Alien Ant Farm are cur»
Who's The Daddy Now? at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Fri 21 Sep
Cast your mind back ten years. Everyone had big shorts and crap straggly hair. Crusties were everywhere, vainly trying to avoid getting jobs. Every shop closed at 5.30. The only thing that was on late night TV was “Jobhunters Teletext” and crap French movies. Night buses still ran. The Internet only existed in the movi»
Akira (defunct), David Devant at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Mon 17 Dec
The aerial view of the main room is expectant - but it's that lax expectancy projected by a handful of friends hovering in an expanse of empty floor. It's that familiar air of seeing two bands with absolutely nothing in common play together, the two sets of fans mutually excluding and being happy that way, thanks all t»
Kids Near Water, The Movielife at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Sat 02 Feb
This being the Movielife’s first venture to the UK, the Mean Fiddler (grr) is packed tonight, and first on to whet the audience’s appetite are Kids Near Water. Not great talkers, they quickly get down to doing what they do best; the music. And how good that music is. Never disappointing, KNW’s brand of an»
Sparta, Silt, Magic Dirt at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Thu 06 Jun
There isn’t really much to say about openers Magic Dirt. The band takes the term ‘dull’ and runs away with it, taking it to new and unseen depths of … dullness. Female-fronted plodding grungesque rock. Pioneers of dullcore, perhaps. Fair enough, any band following that would seem alive in comparison, but w»
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Alec Empire, The Shizit at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Fri 04 Oct
Under the scrutiny of a clad-in-black crowd, a singer, Guitarist and DJ/Samples man take the stage. Recent signings to Canadian label E115 Media, The Shizit seem to straddle the divide between the inventive noise of Atari Teenage Riot and the more extreme end of industrial tinged metal bands such a»
Rachel Stamp, Girls On Top, Tidalmind at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Sat 05 Oct
NB: written with the help of my mate miKey Last time I saw Rachel Stamp live, they were a sorry bunch. They were playing the prog orgy of their as-of-then-unreleased second album "Oceans Of Venus" to a half full Astoria who didn't really care. Now, with a new single coming up, they'»
Strung Out, The Start, Not Katies, Cry For Silence at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Wed 06 Nov
For an alternative / punk / rock bill this is possibly as varied as it gets. The double billing of hard-edged So-Cal punk crew Strung Out and synth-pop, avant-punkers The Start may be a strange one, had they not shared the same manager. And the fact they’re sharing the stage with old-school hardcore act <»
British Sea Power, The D4 at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Mon 25 Nov
First lets get this out of the way. British Sea Power were incredible. At first the presence of a stuffed heron on the drum rise and what looks like soldier uniforms on the band is a little perturbing, but then it all comes together in a joyous chaotic mess of sound and lost percussionists and you re»
(Review of nothing)
I'm at the Mean (Kiddie - ho ho!) Fiddler, to see the band opening up the Martin oooh-I-sound-like-VAST-and-sold-out-to-kick-start-my-career-with-a-car-commercial Grech, Kerrang affiliated rock show, a band that we at DiS want the world to know about.
On wander
Stampin Ground, December, The Haunted at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Thu 20 Feb
We all knew this was going to be special. Sweden’s premier thrash-metal titans, Nevada’s heaviest thrash tigers and our very own beatdown kings head to head on a bill that looks to threaten the eardrums of even the most seasoned gumbie veteran. Although judging by the admirable barnets dotted around the venue such hair»
Cult of Luna, Isis, DJ Speedranch at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Sat 15 Mar
It's 10pm. Already the Mean Fiddler staff have booted everyone from the venue, and are about to start packing in the punters for their Saturday evening clubnight. The hundreds of empty beer cans piled up in the middle of the now empty room are the only indication of the brief but breathtaking musical display that took »
The Mars Volta at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sun 13 Apr
A year ago, the follically-unrivalled half of the late At The Drive-In, along with a new gang of comrades, took ULU by storm at The Mars Volta's debut London show, providing support to headliners Les Savy Fav. Few who came to sample their new musical wares left disappointed - they were a collect»
Gonzales at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sun 27 Apr
The Entertainist. The Worst MC. The tri-testicled genius that is Mr Chilly Gonzales played his last ever show in London last Sunday night. Drowned in Sound will be wearing deep mourning for the next year. If you have never seen Ol’ Trilogy live then resign yourself to a lifetime of recriminations and regr»
Pretty Girls Make Graves at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Thu 18 Dec
Should you be looking for a punk rock princess to tide you over until Courtney’s rehabilitation is complete, look no further than Ms Zollo, as she’s everything that what’s-her-face from The Distillers isn’t.»
The Blood Brothers at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Wed 23 Mar
Listen between the lines of chatter – the manic barking of miniature hell-hounds made human – and there’s something discernible, something appropriate:
“You said it’s dangerous to be so intimate.”»
mypetme at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sat 23 Apr
Following an exchange of guitarists and some time away from gigging mypetme make a re-energised and re-organised return to the stage; visibly proud and excited their performance tonight is refreshingly confident and well organised. The crowd are ecstatic, they have found their new local heroes.»
Team Sleep at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Thu 16 Jun
At Tottenham Court Road station, a Carling-approved busker is covering Dido’s ‘Thank You’; it almost sounds cutting edge when drowning in the clickedy-click pulse of a passing train. Perhaps the group upstairs should lower themselves a few levels and learn a few things in the process...»
The Raveonettes at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sat 16 Jul
The Raveonettes' billing at indie after-hours emporium Frog gives the Scandiwegian fuzzgliders a lucrative opportunity to show a throbbing London club crowd how far they've come in two years...»
Johnny Truant, Alexisonfire at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Thu 27 Oct
Alexisonfire are emo. Dreadfully rehashed, but not refurbished, emo. They have the singer and the screamer. That is about it. Johnny Truant were great, though.»
The Cribs at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Wed 07 Dec
Everytime I see The Cribs they just getting better and better but in the weeks between the ULU gig and the Mean Fiddler gig, somethings happened. The band are still as energetic and fun as ever but its the crowd that gets to me. Hundreds of screaming, »
This Is Menace: there are no rules
This Is Menace emerged from an unhealthy shroud of mystery early in 2005 with their debut album – a collection of heady names and fiery souls from the UK metal underground. DiS caught a few minutes with guitarist, Gez Walton ahead of the hotly anticipated show at the Mean Fiddler.»
Will Haven: The return of the prodigal sons
Emerging from the same Sacramento, California scene that spawned Deftones, Will Haven remains as easily the most devastating live band I have ever experienced first hand. The reformation of this band, early last autumn was obviously one of the defining points of my 2005. With so many question marks looming, it was only natural that Raz reached up high to collar Mike Martin and Cayle Hunter to get me some answers and some reasons.»
Look Look (Dancing Boys) at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sat 30 Sep
Look Look Dancing Boys, Young & Lost Room, Frog, Mean Fiddler 30 September 2006 It's 2am in a very hot and sweaty Young &»
Reuben, Enjoy Destroy at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sat 29 Sep
The first thing that crosses your mind is that the LA2 (yes, it’s finally been re/un-named) has been less full for ‘bigger’ acts. To say the Reuben are underrated seems obvious until you ask yourself, “underrated by whom?”»
Minus The Bear at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Thu 20 Dec
Minus The Bear make fabulous records that demand clarity in a PA system, so it’s deeply frustrating that they’re playing in the unapologetic of sound Astoria 2»
Vampire Weekend at London Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, Sat 19 Jan
Stepping out dressed like extras from frat comedy classic Animal House, Vampire Weekend are all white teeth and clean haircuts as they strike the stop-start first chords of album opener, ‘Mansard Roof’. What follows reveals the underlying strain of AOR imbedded in their DNA»
The Dillinger Escape Plan at Astoria 2 formerly Mean Fiddler, London, Sat 23 Feb
If this represents the last time The Dillinger Escape Plan will play London, then the New Jersey pioneers certainly blast out on a considerable high. Yet there's little feeling of finality to a show best summarised as As good as it gets»
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