Magnetic North - Islington Academy, London, 8/5//2012
by Daniel Cressey
published: 23 / 6 / 2012

intro
Despite poor sound quality and the cramped feel of the Islington Academy in London, Dan Cressey finds Welsh punk band Exit International, who were playing their first tour, to be a better band than the night deserved
London’s Islington Academy is never the most charismatic of venues, something that goes double for the smaller box room where tonight’s bands have been shunted. But faced with an appreciative, if not numerous crowd, Welsh band Exit International put on a show with enough energetic character go some way to making up this deficit. Focusing mainly on being loud, they smash through a short set that makes up in noise what it lacks in nuance or variation. The “I saw, you saw, he’s got a chainsaw” refrain of a song titled, with characteristic straightforwardness, ‘Chainsaw’ marks a particular highlight of their sound, which has shades of the Pulled Apart By Horses about it. A combination of two bassists, one drummer, and not guitarists was always going to make this gig rumbling, but the band is not entirely helped by some rather murky sound quality. Were they really singing “Where’s the glory hole?” at one point? And was that “thank you London” or “fuck you London”, as an opening nod to the crowd? It was hard to tell. Luckily for them, Exit International has an engaging front man in Scott Lee Andrews, who manages to get beyond these limitations. That is provided you are amused rather than offended by some slightly-schoolboy digressions about finger fucking and dead mothers. And to be honest, if this is too unsophisticated for you, perhaps a band named after a pro-euthanasia organisation is not for you in the first place. Exit International proved a better band than the night really deserved.
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/themagneticnorth/http://www.symphonyofthemagneticnorth.com/
https://twitter.com/magneticgonorth
Picture Gallery:-

reviews |
Orkney Symphony of the Magnetic North (2012) |
![]() |
Fabulous mix of the traditional and contemporary on debut album from electro folk super group, which includes Erland and the Carnival front man Erland Cooper, acclaimed singer-songwriter Hannah Peel and ex-Blur and Verve man Simon Tong, and that its takes its inspiration from Orcadian history |
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Sukie Smith - Interview
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Kim Wilde - Photoscapes
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Doris Brendel - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Kay Russell - Interview with Kay Russell
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Pulp - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Jay Reatard - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart