Mell Jones Reviews – Live Review @ Talking Heads, Southampton 15/10/2011
“…At last, an alternative rock band take stage at a Max Records gig, and what a delight they are. Broken Links are a three piece band from Southampton whom can only be described as ‘Epic’. The lead vocalist has an absolutely cracking voice, with a big set of lungs which sometime sound a little like a grittier Brian Molko, from Placebo. Despite there being an on-going theme of black with both clothing and instruments the band still stood out as one of the most individual acts of the night and there’s no surprise there seeing as the enthusiasm and passion in their performance was unquestionable. The compositions were overall well-written and the intense riffs suited the heavier genre of music,, they also mixed in electronic elements to the mixture which only intensified the flavor further and created an ambient darker feel. Their fan base was enthusiastic and possibly under the influence, actually scratch that they were definitely under the influence, but it was humorous to watch them clumsily dance around the venue anyway. An insane band, Broken Links are definitely ones to watch out for in the near future….”
The Edge – Live Review @ AIM’s Frequency, Southampton 08/11/2010
“…The headline act, Broken Links, brought a heavier alternative rock sound to Frequency. Built on Phil Boulter’s fantastic drumming, Lewis Betteridge’s fluent bass and the electrifying riffs of Mark Lawrence echoed by his haunting vocals, swept their way through The Bridge Bar. Hosting such talented musicians, Broken Links set-up a sophisticated and professional atmosphere, with music you can easily dance, jump around and sing-along too. The band, from Eastleigh, with such influences as Nine Inch Nails and Manic Street Preachers, challenged the previously set tone from ‘The Fruit Cellar’ and ‘Lyon Street’, with a much darker and booming sound. A sound that absorbed the crowd, holding all within its sway as it tumbled and consumed the atmosphere around them. As you sink deeper into the reverberating notes, it’s effortless to get carried off by it. And, with their 2nd EP already released and a studio album scheduled for May 2011, Broken Links are definitely a band to watch out for…”
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Unplug the Jukebox – Live Review @ The Joiners, Southampton 08/10/2010
“…The South’s kings of alternative rock Broken Links are up next with what they say will be their second to last show in the South for some time (the last is at The Brook on 28th November). The three piece - Mark Lawrence, Phil Boulter and Lewis Betteridge - clamber up on stage and immediately launch into “Therapy Sessions In The Dark” encompassing all the tension and confidence that we’ve come to expect. Not a minute is wasted throughout the set. It is phenomenal.
Mark is a confident frontman with Phil and Lewis providing solid and reliable backing. The sound that they make is mind boggling for a three piece. Songs like “The Best Laid Plans Of Mice & Men” and “Shelter Your Loss” are stadium sized anthems with a pitch black underbelly to them.
Despite the obvious darkness to the lyrics and the music as a whole, this is life affirming stuff doing what all great music should do. Moving people, touching on emotions. Grabbing you by the balls and demanding to be heard. Broken Links are a very, very special band. They deserve to be heard, they deserve to be huge.…”
The Dirty South – Live Review @ The Birdcage, Portsmouth 28/05/2010
“…A Friday evening at the Birdcage (above The Festing for those who don’t know) sees Eastleigh’s Broken Links play the cliché one man and his dog show. Sat around the venue – are the promoter, the band second on the bill and one incongruous looking bastard with a notepad. Everybody else must have been too busy choosing between their David Bowie or Ramones T-shirts. Not, of course, that this detracts from the band’s performance. Gig-hardened Broken Links still throw in enough grungy post-rock to enliven the Birdcage, swinging pendulously between early Muse influenced space rock and the grungy noise of an otherworldly Nirvana fronted by Keith Murray. The gig’s end sees the band at their most experimental, using echo on the guitar and a 7/4 time drum beat, filling the otherwise sparse Birdcage not only with a wall of sound but a huge display of imagination….”
Altercarnated Photography – Live Review @ The Purple Turtle, Camden, London 20/05/2010
“An alternative act from Eastleigh, Southampton. These guys just looked utterly professional tonight as they made their way through their set, playing their instruments beautifully and professionally. With tracks that could have had you chilling out in your seats to others that had you rocking out in front of the stage each track was different but all of them with great composure. this is one band that could go really far in the future.”
Playing Out Loud – Live Review @ The Joiners, Southampton 01/05/2010
“….Then this is it, Broken Links are an example to many ‘local’ bands on how great music alone is not enough, you have to work bloody hard to get any rewards and this is exactly what Broken Links do, tonight is testament to this. The lights build the anticipation and to rapturous applause Mark, Lewis and Phil enter the spotlight.
Opening with ’What Are You Addicted To?’ and followed swiftly by two tracks from the brand new EP, Broken Links play like a band at the top of their game and the crowd respond accordingly. Given that this is only marking their second release it is remarkable that the introduction of ‘old’ track ‘Best Laid Plans Of Mice And Men’ is received with the kind of reaction normally saved for veteran bands trawling out the classics, the audience even sing along. This just enforces the fact that Broken Links are something a little bit special, sticking their collective heads above the parapet of local scene obscurity and breaking through to the next level.
Showcasing their range of influences they do one cover tonight, ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’ by Ladytron from their 2005 ‘Witching Hour’ album. The electro sound of the original is put through the Nine Inch Nails filter and comes out the other side as an industrial rock stormer that sits easily alongside the rest of the Links catalogue.
They barely put a foot wrong tonight and whilst it is a close run thing, the new tracks do shine marginally brighter than some of the older tunes but the encore of new and old with ‘Choice/Decay’ and ‘Within Isolation’ is the perfect close to a new chapter for the group.
I am sure it won’t be long before people will be able to say ‘remember the time we saw Broken Links at the Joiners?’ as they make their way to a show at the Brixton Academy. The big time awaits, Band Of Skulls, Delays please welcome the next Southampton graduates. “
New Reviews – Live Review @ Ryde Theatre, IOW 04/12/2009
“A great, fresh band from Southampton. We have two reviews from these lovely guys as we also have an E.P review, but we’re going to start you off with the live review! Broken Links were playing at The Venue on the Isle of Wight, along with Arcade Eden, Bright as Vegas and Floors and Walls…
First, what a strong vocal, although I was standing a little too close to a nearby speaker (I didn’t fancy being shook about a bit in the middle of the crowd) taking photos, but I know a strong band with a heavy bass line when I hear one! I was loving the guitar, and of course the drummer was giving it everything!
The guitarist played every note to perfection and sang his heart out, and its always nice to see a band earning some brownie points with the crowd by actually communicating! Bands that stand and don’t even say a friendly hello to begin with, or even introduce their tracks are not much fun…
It’s also always great seeing a band rock out such a venue! Whilst some party their heads off (Not literally, that could be messy), even those keeping out the busy crowd are enjoying the music!
I knew for certain at the time that ‘Oh way oh, way oh!’ would be in my head for the rest of the night, and I was proved right!
If you fancy listening to these guys for yourself, check out their myspace.”
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Gig Review by MintSouth: Broken Links @ The Joiners, Southampton – 23rd September 2009
“We arrive late for my first writing assignment. As someone more used to photographing gigs than writing about them, I feel naked without my camera. The first support act are Broken Links; they’re energetically thrashing their way through their final song as we come through the door. The band creates a powerful and engaging sound, the scale of which brings to mind some of the earlier work of Muse; a comparison regularly made, always favourably. I really can’t make too many statements on this trio on the basis of the half a song, so I’d like to direct those with an interest to Mike Spall’s review of a few weeks ago.
http://www.mintsouth.com/2009/09/review-broken-links-the-joiners/
I mean no disrespect, but as I watch front man Mark Lawrence hooting and wailing into the microphone, I can’t help but have the image of a riotous and exuberant chimp brought to mind; all that said, it’s a chimp with impeccable guitar technique, and he’s not thrown any poop yet. As Broken Links bent the limits of hearing in a triumphant conclusion, I surveyed the crowd……..”
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Gig Review by MintSouth: Broken Links @ The Joiners, Southampton – 27th August 2009
“This is Broken Links biggest show to date. Headlining at The Joiners to an almost packed crowd of devoted fans and friends, they’ve even brought in a fantastic lighting rig especially for the occasion. However, whilst a good light show certainly adds to the occasion, they’ll never make a rubbish band sound good.
Thankfully for Broken Links, the lights serve their purpose fully and go some way to really making this young, new band come across as the awesome talent they so clearly are.
The slightly tinny sound of their demo is soon forgotten as the monstrous riffing, thunderous bass and clattering drums all collide to produce a rhythmic, pulsating sound-clash that gets my pulse racing. The smile on my face soon gets wider and wider. These guys sound immense! Capture this sound on record and they’ll do themselves a HUGE favour.
Lewis Betteridge and Phil Boulter are the bass player and drummer and they make an incredible rhythm section. No doubt, the able talents of Mike Breach working the Joiners mixing desk helps, but frankly, you can’t polish a turd. The sounds emanating from Betteridge’s bass are so huge they almost don’t need the P.A. and many drummers spend their whole lives just trying to get half this good.
Three pieces can often be let down by a lack of style and good choices from the guitar player, but thankfully, front man Mark Lawrence knows how to fill musical space superbly. A good use of choice effects and delays, without ever resorting to swamping the sound for the sake of it shows a sign of maturity too many younger bands lack. Unsigned bands shouldn’t be this professional. If they carry on this malarkey they might be in danger of getting a record deal!
If I had any criticisms to make of the band (and you know I do!), they still lack the killer vocal hooks that turn really good rock music into monster hits. Sure, they don’t have to drop creativity and individualism; they have worked hard to produce a sound, whilst reminiscent of bands like Muse, Therapy? etc, that is entirely their own. Nor do they need to start writing radio-friendly, twee choruses, but whilst I leave the gig blown away by everything else about the band, not one single song sticks in my head. When Broken Links start adding killer vocal lines (the vocalist is clearly capable of singing them) then they could well be unstoppable.
To see and hear what I’m raving about, see the band play live this month at the Joiners on the 23rd and the Soul Cellar on the 26th.”
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Exposure – Sunday 3 May 2009, Rubyz Bournemouth
“First up on the live stage upstairs were rockers from Southampton, BROKEN LINKS. This three-piece band did the rock world proud, with its two guitarists jamming away to a solid percussion beat, reverberating throughout the venue, and producing a sound reminiscent of ‘90s rock band Bush, or a slightly heavier Killers. At times I felt the vocals were drowned out by the instruments and some song’s percussion beats sounded too similar, but all was made well by the two guitarists – lead and bassist – who were able to make their guitars converse, not just talk!
A half hour set of original tracks saw this young band rock the crowd and demonstrate their talent and huge potential.
Broken Links recently took part in the “We Ignite Records” Battle of the Bands and came first in the second heat of this competition, sending them to the final, against three other bands, later this month. A huge accomplishment, so I would like to say, on behalf of the Unsigned Chart, well done and good luck to Broken Links!”
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Monday 13th April 2009 @ Surface Unsigned, The Boston Music Rooms, London
Broken Links are a dark alternative 3-piece from the Southampton area. The music is a dark atmospheric mixture of Joy Division inspired vocals and the fast paced, intense riffs that show off a skill of technicality that is reminiscent of Muse. The music has a great live feel to it and carries the rhythms across channels of musical creativity, especially the use of FXs that create a sound, which is part visionary, part rock genius, all good music.
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Hampshire Chronicle Review of Gig at The Talking Heads, Southampton – 26th February 2009
“EPIC is the sound that Broken Links are aiming for, which is easier to achieve in a stadium than a Hampshire pub. However, as part of the Red Stripe Music Awards Tour, they had a pretty good go at The Talking Heads in Southampton. They were buoyed by a large crowd, which seem to be drawn mainly from Eastleigh. Their trip down the A335 was not a wasted journey either, as their was plenty of good music on offer starting with Colditz, they impress with their catchy brand of powerful rock. Bag and Baggage and The Wrong Arm Of The Law also went down well, before finishing on Within Isolation. The crowd, which contained no shortage of supporters, certainly had fun, and their was even something bordering on a mosh pit at times. In that respect, maybe it was not so far removed from a stadium after all.“
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Red Stripe Music Award Judge Review of Gig at The Talking Heads, Southampton – 26th February 2009
“Next up was the big one. With a tremendous support and incredibly raucous following, local lads Broken Links, showed that they weren’t treating this gig like any other. Heavy guitar riffs and plenty of distortion came roaring from the amplifiers as the mosh pit began to take form. There were plenty of crazies in the pit and other onlookers were feeling the music passionately as Broken Links poured their hearts into their songs.”
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