David R
Pai
Sarit Black
Webmaster
'Secret City'
long-awaited and critically acclaimed!
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1000 Watt
20th May 2010
Gig review... LONDON The Gaff 16/05/10
But, as they warmed up a bit, their raw classic rock sound really began to demand the audience’s attention, and David became every inch the rock star, swaggering and pulling shapes on stage and by the end getting a great response. Should be interesting to see what happens when they’re next down here playing full on shows.
28th December 2009
Live Review supporting The Mission Feb 2008
Music
The band itself names such bands as NIRVANA, JIMI HENDRIX, PIXIES, FAITH NO MORE or METALLICA among others as their influences. As you can see, this is quite a varied selection of bands from very different musical styles. The press very positively received the recent album ‘Hearts and Stars’ from which also the first six songs of the set list were taken i.e. the singles ‘Silence and Sound’ or ‘Empire Building’. With a combination of brilliant song-writing, clever arrangements and experienced singing, they convinced big parts of the audience at once. The raw and edgy energetic guitar sound presenting a male and a female voice immediately found its lovers within the crowd and so it was not surprising that the songs were welcomed with more than honest applause. A positive surprise for me too. Sometimes it is really worth to be early enough to enjoy the support acts too.
Performance
Well, there were these three people on stage - Paul nearly invisible behind his drums on the right, cool Ms Sarit with a huge bass on the left and in the centre David playing guitar. First the band seemed a little reserved but latest during the first song they spread their charm. David was as friendly to announce every song by name - very nice for those people who did not hear anything about this band before. He also thanked Wayne and THE MISSION for inviting them on tour. And we had to thank THE MISSION for that as well because this was a very good idea! Quite unusual for support acts, this band already served quite a good light show with different colour shades and flaring spots from behind. So you got something for the eye too, if the nice look of Sarit wasn’t enough. ;)
Setlist
01. Silence and Sound
02. No code
03. Empire Building
04. Down to the wire
05. Shot to pieces
06. Signals
07. Circle
08. Serenade
Rating
Music 8
Performance 7
Sound 8
Light 6
Total 7.4
14th November 2007
'Silence and Sound' review from ONE METAL 20/03/07
Manchester alternative art-rockers David R Black are back to the forefront of the scene with the release of their latest single ‘Silence and Sound’. Due to hit shops on March 26th on Mighty Atom‚ the single is taken from the ‘Hearts and Stars’ album and it is produced by Joe Gibb (Jane’s Addiction‚ Funeral For A Friend). The single is backed up by ‘Dark Halo’ which is taken from a Total Rock radio session.
In all fairness ‘Silence and Sound’ is a top tune. It shows how masterful David R Black are in terms of making simplistic guitar lines sound huge. The track is driven by David R’s unmistakeable punchy vocal styling‚ with gritty guitars and the subtle backing vocals of Ms Sarit Black. It is relentless and edgy‚ with just enough crunch to get you nodding along approvingly. ‘Dark Halo’ is moody and haunting‚ offering a stark contrast to the a-side and showing some tidy acoustic guitar work. The haunting feel is added to tenfold again by Ms Sarit Black’s backing tones‚ almost making it feel similar to the Snow Patrol track with Martha Wainwright.
It’s a great release‚ showing two contrasting sides to David R Black. It is refreshing in an overcrowded rock scene that constantly leans towards hardcore and emo. This is Brit Rock at its best.
The band are currently supporting the record with a UK tour then head to Europe to support The Mission‚ but return to the capital to finish it all off in style!!!
8/10
Reviewed by Mark Wrigley
7th April 2007
SILENCE AND SOUND review from ManchesterMusic.co.uk
:: David R Black ::
16 April 2007 / Mighty Atom / 2 Trk CD
By Manuel Ecostos
Taken from David R Black’s impressive album “Hearts And Stars” their new single sums up the bands stadium sized approach to rousing, rebellious rock anthems. “Silence And Sound” is true in every sense, to the world of rock and roll. A solid tempo, walls of guitars and harmonies help us remember a time when this kind of music was an honest and explosive collision of ideas and noise. It’s not the first single from David R Black to do this either, proving that they have more ammunition on board than a Gulf assigned warship. Fortunately for us all this band know how to use their sonic muscle in an inspiring fashion. With all barrels blazing, David R and co should be deservedly destined for even bigger things.
MMMM ½
28th December 2006
CLASSIC ROCK - Album Review
Album Review [8/10]
"Imagine a hot, sweaty summer day, that irresistible thirst you get for an ice-cold drink, and the “Hell, I needed that” when you finally pour one down your gullet. Well that’s the feeling this album gives you.
David R Black is very much a band, although it does share its name with its frontman whose razor-sharp delivery is similar to that of former Undertones warbler Fergal Sharkey. This Mancunian three-piece hone a unique combination of Undertones, Husker Du and Pixies influences. The statuesque, pop-tastic melodies, mature introspection and Who-esque riffs are simply intoxicating.
We’ll have the same again please – on the rocks!"
28th December 2006
Metal Hammer - December
"An emotive debut from UK art-rockers. Don’t go assuming that David R Black is some lame indie-rock solo artist. They’re actually an avant-garde garage trio, ready to add a ream of new cuttings to a scrapbook already brimming with critical praise. Sounding uncannily like former Undertones warbler Feargal Sharkey, the bleating vocal style of David R Naylor takes some getting used to at first, but after that, the band’s appeal becomes pretty bloody obvious. Having opened for acts as diverse as 3 Colour’s Red, Living Colour and Fishbone, David R Black’s dark, bass-driven mixture is derived from many influences including Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Therapy?, Placebo and The Pixies. Tunes like ‘Empire Building’, ‘Silence and Sound’ and ‘Shot To Pieces’ are likely to creep up on you after two or three spins, though they’ll be around for a while afterwards."
28th December 2006
FFRUK - Album Review
"Hurrah! This Manchester act remind me so much of Husker Du and Sonic Youth which can only be a good thing in my eyes. The music they create is just what this country needs - There’s just so many boring bands in the UK doing the rounds. What I like the most about this is how David Naylor and Ms Sarit Black have worked the vocal duties out. Sarit also plays a wicked bass, which compliments David’s guitar. All this kept in time with a top drummer called Paul Williams. There’s twelve tracks on this album and I can safely say there’s no fillers. Tracks like ´Down To The Wire´, ´Jet Fighters´, ´Shot To Pieces´ and ´Lost A Friend´ just have to be heard. Get yourself a beer and put this album on your player then immerse yourself in to this pleasurable experience. You will really enjoy what you hear and at the same time have a great musical experience. Nuff said!" 9.5/10
31st October 2006
Rock Sound Review
DAVID R BLACK [7]
Hearts and Stars
(Mighty Atom)
It's rare these days for rock bands to make it big on the merit of great songs alone, but David R Black may just do that. The Manchester trio recall a simpler time when raw, edgy, energetic guitar music had the power to impress without the aid of gimmicks or a six-figure marketing plan. Think Placebo, Skunk Anansie or Feeder, circa 1997. [VD]
30th October 2006
Album Review
Dead Earnest
There’s something about hearing an album where the combination of song-writing, arranging, playing, singing and production, all wrapped up in an unstoppable adrenaline rush of rockin’ proportions, that stops you in your tracks and leaves you jaw-dropped in amazement as song after glorious song just erupts into your consciousness and refuse to let go – ever! This is one such album. Who does it sound like? Oh hell, how the heck would I know – who cares anyway – it’s just sensational. There’s this trio who
whip up such a level of excitement on storm-force tracks that really just stand as they are – great songs set to contemporary indie-rock arrangements that allow the guitar, bass and drums to come shining through to superb degree. That churning sea of guitar riffs and leads set to dynamic twists and turns on songs that are consistent as they are cohesive, heavy but not metal, furious but not hardcore, indie but on fire and vocals that really take off to perfection, all provides a set of 12 tracks into which you dive headlong and stay under until the experience is over. Some of the songs have such a great sense of urgency and angst to them that the tension mixed with the adrenaline is enough to give you a heart attack if it was any more than three or four minutes long. The guitar sound throughout the album is amazing and on fire while the production has created one of the best rhythm section sounds on an indie-rock album that you’ll hear. This is talent personified from a band that can really write a stunning song – 12 of the things, in fact – and the enjoyment you’ll get out of this surging set of breathtaking songs, will keep you happy for ages to come.
30th October 2006
Single Review
Dead Earnest
Fresh young trio delivers classic rock anthem – yes, that’s exactly what happens here – this awesome slice of surging indie-rock erupts onto the scene with all the firepower of a small army but with a sense of song-writing that would put many to shame. There’s a distinct air of Sisters of Mercy-meets-Foo Fighters to this as the lead song powers its way through your head to intensely pleasurable proportions, sounding just sensational. But this is no one-track EP – no sirreee, Bob – the next track is “Shot To Pieces” that starts with strident rhythm section and impassioned vocals as the guitar layers pile in and the song takes off in a tornado of urgency, the guitar leads spiraling and flowing through a charging rhythm section as the vocals provide the verses and chorus to mesmerising degree. A third track, “Superheavy”, that isn’t on the album, makes this even more of an essential purchase as it takes a more emotional and highly charged slice of songwriting that slows things down slightly but loses none of the band’s intensity or firepower, instead preferring to smoulder before the whole thing catches fire. A superb song that is every bit as good as anything on the album and the other 2 tracks on this EP.
2nd May 2005
'MADE IN MANCHESTER: David R Black' - City Life / Issue 580 / 7-13 April 2005
What to expect: Anthemic, spiky, guitar-led Brit rock akin to Placebo or Pixies. "It's odd," observes Naylor, "but every gig we ever play, someone comes up and compares us to someone we've never thought about. We were told the other week it had a very Jeff Buckley-esque vibe, and that's the first time I've ever heard that."
The struggle so far: Forming initially as a two-piece with Naylor on bass and Black on drums (hence the band's name), the arrival of Williams led to a bout of instrumental re-jigging and settling into an alt-rock trio. Tapping into Naylor's contacts as a local gig promotor, they set about establishing a formidable live CV, and heavy gigging across Europe and the US followed, with several support tours with a diverse set of headliners including The Tubes, Living Colour and Three Colours Red, punctuated by a series of EP's and two excellent mini-albums, both called Trinity.
Justify our love: From their record covers to the songs and the admirable work ethic, David R Black come across like the finished article: polished, professional and individual. Wider appreciation can surely be a matter of time, although so far they've turned down larger label interest to follow their muse. "In hindsight, maybe it was brave or a stupid decision, depending on how commercially your mind works, but artistic freedom is such an important thing," says Naylor.
What next: Following a support tour, this time with the reformed Spin Doctors, it's back into the studio for a full-length album and another batch of gigs, this time hopefully in smaller clubs. "We've not had a problem being an underground band so far," explains Naylor. "It's given us a bit of freedom that we needed to find ourselves, but by the nature of our workload, we're going into the mainstream. It's not our choice but it's gathered a momentum and, if we keep up with it, that's the direction it'll go in."
Rob Haynes
23rd February 2005
Teletext review for Trinity Part 2 - 03/11/04
Their quirky take on avant-garde Britrock conjours up memories of Placebo, Compulsion, Fugazi and even The Undertones. It may work against the grain of what the beautiful people say should be flavour of the month, but it's all the more delightful for such arrogant defiance.
A better lesson in angularity could not wish to undertake.
4/5 (album of the week)"
23rd February 2005
City Life Review - Trinity - 26th May 2004
(JPW)
23rd February 2005
CMU Album review - Trinity - 19/05/04
29th June 2004
Trinity review from The Big Issue (June 7-13 2004 NO. 411)
Another highlight is the title track Trinity, which starts with a few pumping guitar rifts before the bass and drums lock in. An instrumental track rounds off the mini album proving that David R Black can actually rock. An impressive debut that suggests the band have more catchy guitar tunes to follow."
*** (3/5)
Trina Wallace
12th June 2004
Trinity review from www.indigoflow.co.uk
The band work best when playing fast and heavily distorted, as on the first four tracks of this CD. These songs are full of energy and very exciting. Things start to tail off at the end when they slow things down. These final two songs just aren’t as good as those which go before them, leaving you with not quite the memory you would have been. Of course, it’s a nice surprise when you go back to the CD to find that they are actually much better than you remember but I’m fairly sure that’s not what the band were aiming for."
Score: 3.5
By Andy Malt
28th May 2004
Trinity review from ManchesterMusic.co.uk
"Bury's own rock trio David R Black really drive home their infectious, hook drenched verve in 'Serenade'. There’s the grind of the powerhouse guitar and the locked in Bass / Drums and Dave Naylor’s Bono-challenging rooftop chorus. This is one of the best rock and roll anthems to come out of Manchester in the last 5 years. Period. With six tracks on offer, there's plenty of internal competition for best track, but the explosively addictive anthem of 'Serenade' is almost equalled by the punch-your-lights-out but restrained pomp of the leading title and brilliant epic 'Trinity'. It's the re-appearance of 'Dark Halo' with its screaming two note siren guitar riff and lumbering, gargantuan bass lines that continue to impress. This demands less words and more listening – this is David R Blacks first mini-album and it's on national release now via Cargo. Excellent."
MMMMM
Record of the Week
By JA
1st August 2003
David R's got the answers
AS Scot-Rockers Biffy Clyro said to nobody in particular: "You've got all these great answers to all these big questions." But as we perused the website of superior Manc sludge punks David R Black, we discovered that they have loads of answers to not many questions in particular.
Log on to their website and you'll find a section called Questions and Answers Minus Questions. Which turns out to be one of the less-baffling things about one of Manchester's most-underloved acts.
"It's based on the premise of trying to work out what question you may have been asked," says frontman David R. "It's just turning it on its head basically, because as a band I think we turn a lot of concepts on their head. It's kind of the opposite, but the same, as bands like The Darkness.
"Behind all their pomp, there's a serious rock band there as well. I think we're often perceived as being ultra-serious, because of the grunge tag that we get. But some of the things we do a lot of the time are just done for fun, really."
This is what we can establish about David R Black...
23rd July 2003
Tinderbox review by Dan Martin, City Life
"Ever reliable, David R Black have been flying against fashion with their melodic grunge for a good while now. Their Tinderbox EP, out through home-made label 1000 Watt, sees them ease up on the noise and concentrate further on melody and substance, edging closer to the atmospheric metal of Deftones than their bound-in-Seattle beginnings. Getting better all the time."
28th April 2003
Manchester Music: 'Tinderbox' Review
"Bury’s David R Black release their next CD on their own imprint 1000 Watt, which has also adopted itself as the voice of new rock in South Lancs. “Uneven” is pretty much copybook rock, which moves at a fairly measured pace. But its title and middle track “Tinder” which steals the show. And steals it does, like a shoplifter in H Samuels. The bass sounds likes it been mic’d up through a grate and the anthemometer has been set to 11. This is like a jeep ploughing through a Heaton Park picnic lunch or a torpedo blowing up a pedlo on the boating lake. It’s extreme and given the north Manchester settings its about time that someone tried to “blow the bloody doors off”. Think mid-season Seattle and new rock revolution and David R Black have got it sewn up – it’s probably their best to date and well worth getting hold of."
MMMM
Reviewed by Manuel Ecostos
9th April 2003
Tinderbox review from City Life
"Bury's David R Black help lead the new rock revival with a flag-waving collection of mosh-friendly tunes. Released on their homesprung 1000 Watt imprint, the standout track is 'Tinderbox' with its musclebound bass and wall-shaking guitars which gives this the blood and guts to go the distance. Like a tank. We think more Challenger MK3 than T55."
Reviewed by The SovTwins of Soviet Union Records
10th October 2002
Manchester Music: '3' EP Review
"David R Black is made up of three local scensters who's collective credits include Kings of Hong Kong and Obsessive Compulsive, and who's last bands all disbanded around the same time, and hence David R Black was born, screaming in Manchester. The opening track on this CD, released on 1000 Watt Recordings, sees the band raging against the state of the modern world and the lot of 21st Century Man, yet the music and delivery borders on the tepid, with no real conviction.
"Fortunately 'Rings' has more balls, creeping into your conscious with a neat spooky guitar lick and a certain gothic charm, while instrumental closer 'NYC Traffic' washes over the listener with its swathes of guitar and cyclical riff. The haunting effects and subtle textures help conjure images of a taxi edging through the Bronx, headlights illuminating rain, and like Travis Bickle, David R Black simultaneously conjure both danger and innocence, the uncertainty marking this as my favourite track. Although the first track is fairly uninspiring, the final two tracks are good and there is enough here to warrant further investigation."
Reviewed by Alex Ringsell
