Formats and Ratings

When sending in your reviews, please format as follows:

Live shows:

  • Use standard, black font (Calibri, Times New Roman etc.) of a reasonable font size
  • First line should consist of: band name, venue, location (for example: Avenged Sevenfold, Brixton Academy, London)
  • Next line should consist of the date of the gig (for example: 16th April 2017)
  • At the end of your review, immediately after the main text, you should write your name (for example: Dustin Kensrue)
  • Immediately underneath your name, give the gig a mark out of ten (for example: 8/10)
  • Paragraphs should not be indented – simply leave a line gap in between each paragraph
  • Do not mark song titles or album titles out with inverted commas or italics – all you need to do is use a capital letter at the start of each word in the title
  • Do mark song lyrics in inverted commas (single speech marks)
  • If you have your own YouTube channel, record one of the songs with your phone/camera, and send in a link to the video once you have uploaded it.
  • PLEASE TRY TO ATTACH A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE GIG TO RUN ALONGSIDE YOUR REVIEW (NOT A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOURSELF)

Albums:

  • Use standard, black font (Calibri, Times New Roman etc.) of a reasonable font size
  • First line should consist of: band name, album title (for example: Avenged Sevenfold, The Stage)
  • Next line should have the band’s record label in brackets (for example: (Capitol) – do no worry if you’re unsure – we will always check the label info
  • At the end of your review, immediately after the main text, you should write your name (for example: Dustin Kensrue)
  • Immediately underneath your name, give the album a mark out of ten (for example: 8/10)
  • Paragraphs should not be indented – simply leave a line gap in between each paragraph
  • Do not mark song titles or album titles out with inverted commas or italics – all you need to do is use a capital letter at the start of each word in the title
  • Do mark song lyrics in inverted commas (single speech marks)

 

Ratings:

What do you think of the record or gig you’re reviewing? When you send your review in, you will need to include 5 different marks out of ten.

For album reviews, you should give each category (lyrics, vocals, musicianship, emotion, consistency) a separate mark out of ten – do make sure each of those categories is clearly scored when sending in your copy.

The same goes for live reviews, although the categories are different (venue, showmanship, musicianship, crowd, support bands).

Below you will see how to decide on a number. If, for example, you think that an album’s lyrics make good sense but don’t quite blow your mind, then you will probably go for a 6 out of 10.


Setlist

  • 10: Perfect
  • 9: Missed out a classic or two but every song they did play was amazing
  • 8: An intoxicating blend of old and new
  • 7: Predictable but potent
  • 6: Unwieldy
  • 5: Routine
  • 4: All from the new album which is definitely not their best
  • 3: Self-indulgent
  • 2: Mean-spirited
  • 1: Lazy

Venue

  • 10: I want to move in
  • 9: Everyone was amazing, everything was so easy
  • 8: I could see the band, I could hear the band; the furnishings and fittings were fine
  • 7: One thing that bugged me, but generally fine
  • 6: Two things bugged me, but I wouldn’t mind going again
  • 5: Nothing special
  • 4: Sticky
  • 3: Would only go again if My Chemical Romance were playing a comeback gig there
  • 2: Had to stand on a table as well as use a periscope to see the band
  • 1: Security locked me in the bathroom and told me I couldn’t come out until I gave them a tenner…

Showmanship

  • 10: I saw things on stage I’ve never seen before
  • 9: Even my pet frog couldn’t believe how much leaping about there was on stage
  • 8: Whirled the crowd into a frenzy, that’s for sure
  • 7: The odd cartwheel, the occasional moment of crowd participation
  • 6: Definitely putting in a shift
  • 5: It’s all about the music with this lot
  • 4: Awkward
  • 3: Embarrassing
  • 2: I should have stayed at home and listened to the band on record
  • 1: Can’t remember why I thought watching paint dry was such a bad idea

Musicianship

  • 10: Couldn’t take my eyes off the drummer/guitarist/bassist
  • 9: I wouldn’t want to take them on at Guitar Hero…
  • 8: Made me realise I need to practice my scales at least twice as hard as I have been doing
  • 7: These guys can definitely play as well as they can write
  • 6: They do what they need to
  • 5: The songs are great but my little sister could play them
  • 4: Rusty
  • 3: Drunk as skunks
  • 2: The band have clearly never played together
  • 1: Acapella

Crowd

  • 10: A cross between a choir and a massive group hug – I made new best friends
  • 9: Knew all the words… a moshpit to remember… kindred spirits
  • 8: Did everything the band asked and more… no idiots
  • 7: Everyone tried their best… good people
  • 6: Too many cameras, too much talking during the quiet bits…
  • 5: Mixed – too few people on the same wavelength
  • 4: Sleepy
  • 3: Uptight
  • 2: Rude
  • 1: Aggressive


Lyrics

  • 10: Shakespeare ain’t got nothing on this
  • 9: Says everything the way I always wanted to
  • 8: I’ve never heard it said quite like this
  • 7: Beautiful
  • 6: Talking sense
  • 5: Not as interesting as they could be
  • 4: Heard it before
  • 3: Blah
  • 2: Clearly written in thirty seconds – by a raccoon
  • 1: Offensive

Vocals

  • 10: The voice of an angel/devil
  • 9: Immaculate
  • 8: Heart-meltingly genuine
  • 7: Perfectly suited to the music
  • 6: Full of potential
  • 5: Fine
  • 4: One-dimensional
  • 3: Soulless
  • 2: Tuneless
  • 1: Soulless and tuneless

Musicianship

  • 10: I have never heard instruments used quite like this
  • 9: I wouldn’t want to take them on at Guitar Hero…
  • 8: Made me realise I need to practice my scales at least twice as hard as I have been doing
  • 7: These guys can definitely play as well as they can write
  • 6: They do what they need to
  • 5: The songs are great but my little sister could play them
  • 4: Rusty
  • 3: Rudimentary
  • 2: Ridiculous
  • 1: Acapella

Emotion

  • 10: Only about seven million tons of the stuff
  • 9: My heart feels like it’s been in a wrestling match
  • 8: I could have cried or cheered
  • 7: Someone in this band’s definitely wearing their heart on their sleeve
  • 6: Well, it ain’t a record about economics, I’ll tell you that much
  • 5: It means well
  • 4: Droopy
  • 3: Drippy
  • 2: Does bored count as an emotion?
  • 1: As emotional as a spanner

Consistency

  • 10: Unforgettable from start to finish
  • 9: Ends as strongly as it begins
  • 8: 80% perfect
  • 7: Some ups and downs, but an overall sense of togetherness
  • 6: All runway, no take-off
  • 5: One or two moments of potential but not enough
  • 4: Clearly recorded in some kind of mad fit
  • 3: Like a bad relationship
  • 2: Equal parts metal, jazz, techno and indie
  • 1: It’s consistently horrible, if that’s what you mean?