Bon Iver

What a fabulous gig last night - Bon Iver live at the Manchester Arena.

I've seen these guys before, back in Birmingham. I remember vividly the circumstances, which looking back are highly comical - I recall a serious period of stress as I battled to juggle studies and a very exciting film project with acoustic musician Liam Blake. A project which turned out to be our mini-documentary about his album. I was at uni in Salford and I needed my car for this exciting filming endeavour however many miles away in Bath, we had to load up and get our kit there for Friday night. Happily, Bon Iver in Birmingham fell on a Wednesday, which we are allowed our afternoon's off Uni for sports, so I was able to hop home to Banbury on the train and leave almost immediately to head back up north in my trusty Corsa, stopping in Birmingham with my best pal on the way to watch this gig! Believe me, the madness resembled sporting intensity. End result, car positioned nicely, get to watch a great gig, and make it to Thursday morning lectures. Mad logistics, the whole film project was a logistic western-super in itself.

That first time round concert was bizarre, needless so say with so much faff with travel, we go there late and missed the support who was the sensational Kathleen Edwards. That tardiness might have had something to do with the time taken eating some curly fries in Moobah, which was probably quite sluggish in hindsight. We managed to station ourselves back-right of the concert hall and watched from a distance as the band tore up the stage!

Those days are so fresh in the memory and they are fond days. I had treasured this Bon Iver album ever since the tracks really grew on my taste palette early Summer '11. The emotion I derive in the songs comes mainly from the escapism they provided when I needed some down time on our Bulgaria lads holiday, a boundary-pushing experience! The unbelievably soporific and rich soundscape that album has was brilliant as a distraction from any discomfort, and still is.

Fly forward to the Birmingham setting...everything from the car park we used - the Apcoa (I got lost trying to get out once, when a group of pals and I saw Lissie perform on 31st Oct 2010..I remember because there were lots of fancy dressed brummies around!), the chippy; Moobah, also getting lost in the underpass at that previous Lissie gig...lots of the setting for this Bon Iver concert really hit home a sense of familiarity and fondness, which amplified a homely warmth in amongst a torrent of stress and juggling!

The Manchester Arena gig evoked different emotions, In fact the whole gig was a completely different vibe from start to finish.
Firstly, I went along with my girlfriend. We've had it in the calendar for months and it's slipped out of our minds as if it was water through a sieve. Ironic considering how close we hold the music to our lives. This was lovely, was a brilliant evening of laughs and spectacle. I even bought a T'shirt...which I subsequently left underneath my seat and I haven't seen since.
Also managed to catch the support act, who were again phenomenal. A group of girls called The Staves, who provided the perfect kind of acoustic-folk that you'd find mid-afternoon at Fairport.

The action then hit a level of incendiary you rarely find at a gig. I never expected Bon Iver to hit the stage with such force and drive...they had a perfectly synchronised light show, which complemented an epic 9-piece band. Flawless from start to finish, we saw Bon Iver push the intensity of his self-titled second album to instrumental realms I didn't realise existed!..the sound was so full of life and energy too. The neat mix from Perth into Minnesota to start the gig was a highlight - both for its instrumental quality and for the visceral pleasure of the whole thing!

Seriously one of the best gigs I'ver ever paid witness to, and I highly doubt he'll be on our again anytime soon to lap up the quality again. Fantastic again.

 

 

Ciao

Been a little while since I've posted a blog post that doesn't include a tag of melancholia and recollection, but here's one:

Had a superb week I would say - looking back with rose tinted spectacles on another week of hard graft in the North - and there were certainly some noteworthy highlights.

First of which is a note in itself - I've gone paperless for the first time in...ever. I've tried before now but always reverted back to the trusty pad and pen. I've got on one with Evernote again, an online note service that syncs to your various mobile devices. I'm hoping with the addition of a certain tablet (which I am desperate to lay my hands on) that there will be even less paper in my bag, and as a result, my back won't ache so badly!..

Mixing beautifully into, my bloody back! It's been aching and full of pain this week and it's a direct result of lugging that tonne of a rucksack around. I made the foolish decision at the start of the new academic year of rationalising a heavy bag full of media 'essentials', for example, I wanted my field recorder on me, various gadgets that would be handy in ridiculous but - as my rationalising brain deduced - possible situations... Alas, after a few months of wearing it day in day outC my back is really feeling the strain. I can also feel my posture really hitting the hay. I think this calls for two things...more stretching and more swimming.
On the stretching front, I live a sheltered life..definitely time to work the strings.
On the swimming front, I'm certainly doing more than I have been, but not enough to build back up the muscles being battered by that sodding bag! Time to hit the pool, I'm off tomorrow morning for some front crawl.

I have been in the pool a fair bit mind, maybe not swimming but doing my kayaking class - a right ball each week. It's a great group of guys who do it and I was disappointed to have missed out on freshers trip due to a lack of dollar and time! Infact, time well spent in the throes of a Bon Iver concert and celebrating mates' birthdays in country pubs. Hurrah.
Last time round, it seemed the trip had whittled away at the instructors and alas, no instructors to take the session, which soon descended into a mass game of water polo! I can't have played this game for years!!..not since the days of all inclusive holidays where foreigners in speedos are gagging to get the mid-morning pool antics going.

It was fantastic, certainly a good work out, it's taxing work having to circumnavigate the pool trying to aim at makeshift goal posts like year 4 football! I would love to join a club and I am seriously considering it (it was bloody good keep fit!)...if it wasn't for the apparent prerequisite of speedos which would severely hamper my current relationship and, how shall I put this...the battering, bruising nature of the sport!
Hey...we'll see.

Got back to the changing room and realised my shampoo had exploded in my other rucksack. I ended up with a phenomenally fragrant bag and a very glossy iPhone. Not a great week for bags.

My decision on the heavy bag by the way...I need to put it in a car boot or up/down-grade to a suitcase.

 

 

Graceland

New music is all well and good, I do plough thoroughly worthwhile time into looking for new music. I vividly remember my first trawl of the internet whilst hungover after a mate's birthday - my first plunge into Hypem to find cool House remixes of my favourite songs, and the start of my Spotify deluge.

My mates and I have always enjoyed a good foray into the live scene in London to catch up-and-coming artists...The Borderline has been a good venue for us to catch the likes of Nathaniel Rateliff and Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

Nothing though, quite matches the sense of discovery of a piece of music or an artist who has already achieved critical acclaim or has already established a good back catalogue. They may be considered masters of their art by their past audience, but for me, when I discover a past gem, I do take a lot of satisfaction from it, knowing that their music has probably shaped today's scene. 

Taking a look back at the Fairport Cropredy Festival line-up of past years can reveal some sickening missed chances. If, 5 years ago, we'd have all been aware of John Martyn's genius. There are some other missed opportunities with the likes of Ralph McTell, Seth Lakeman and Supergrass! 

I don't think music will ever reach a place where it has gone stale. There may be a current trend with the Top 40 of today, with the recipe for a chart hit consisting of David Guetta. Period. But the periphery to the mainstream is bursting with fresh, exciting new acts across all genres. To a certain degree our auto-tuned chart is actually bustling with good vibes if you're keen for some mood-improvement. One of my favourite things to see in the chart is a well used sample, like Etta James' vocal sampled in last year's Avicii - Levels. It reinforces to me that some of the stand-out material derives from the old-school music scene, which is the most rigid reassurance that music will continue to surprise. 

My current wonderment does come directly from the past and links back to the satisfaction I get from knowing older music can shape today's.

I interviewed Jack Savoretti a while ago and during the conversation we hit upon the subject of best albums of all time, where he remarked Paul Simon's Graceland was the one he'd take to a desert island with him. I thought nothing of this at the time, despite the popularity I have since grown to learn it had commanded in it's hey day, I wasn't aware of the album.

A few weeks later I was shopping in Milton Keynes with my girlfriend and we hit upon a vintage market outside John Lewis. She went off in search of bunting, I set about looking for vinyls and retro music. I found a stall who had turned CDs into place mats, sim cards into ear rings and among many other things, vinyls into book ends. These book ends immediately caught my eye and I had a browse through their selection. A Thomas Dolby 1984 Parlophone vinyl immediately struck a chord - complete with Hyperactive! I then hit upon Paul Simon - Graceland; the artwork was pretty standard, but I decided to make a purchase anyway... I remembered Jack has mentioned it, and there wasn't much other choice... 

I got home, immediately fired up Spotify and hit play on Graceland. Oh my goodness.

I listened to the album twice through, then listened to the audio description of Graceland. It's one of the most diverse, instrumentally sound and pure records I've ever heard. One of the most amazing things about the album is every instrument/vocal track on a song could easily be isolated and played on it's own and it would still captivate you.

The other incredible thing I took away from my listens was how worldly it was. With so much African influence and an embellishment of tribal sounds, you feel as if you're on a journey. I now feel well-travelled after listening! It actually evokes more of a desire to hit the road and discover. 

The lyrics are so genuine. You've probably heard those kinds of songs where you are shocked out of listening passively by hearing two or three poetic lyrics strung together. It's the same story with this album, you keep hearing eloquent lyrics all the way through it. 

You wait for a bus then three come along at once, after having had that first indirect introduction to this album by Jack, then by chance igniting the fire to have a listen in Milton Keynes, the final straw was earlier this week when we had Liam Blake in the studio to lay down some covers for my radio show - he brought along his loop pedal and started to build up a familiar pattern... all of a sudden You Can Call Me Al bursts into life and the Paul Simon incendiary sparked up again...

Refresher

Meet on the ledge!

It all went down smoothly last night, the Tales of Cropredy hit the air! The listen again page is on www.banburysound.co.uk and it's on again Monday night at 9pm.

Incredibly proud of the result of months of hard work - have you seen Connor's brilliant Introductory video yet?



Full of vibes... I want to be back there!

One month on...

It's pretty much a month on from the Cropredy festival and we're all still on a big high from it! It was a completely different dynamic from previous years, where you'd walk 20 paces and bump into a familiar face. This time round we had a very tight-knit group of pals and if you lost them then you were on your own for a bit!

Not too much of a drama, with my flitting in-between backstage, main stage and campsite to record more interviews for the doco, stock up on ciders and watch some bands, we were a more transient bunch this year. I quite enjoyed the continual changes of scenery though. There were moments where we had been sat  on some camping chairs in the main arena watching some music when all of a sudden I wanted a quick change or something new to do. Usually that meant going and getting a chinese, I did spend a lot of money on food.

The music was bizarre as well - ahead of this festival, one of our good pals Tom had confessed to spending a day in a grump after hearing the lineup announcement! There wasn't much familiarity in the bill this year, but normally it's those unknown bands that come out of their shell and surprise everybody! We had expectations for Joan Armatrading and Squeeze, but when they took to the stage we realised quickly that we only know 1 or 2 songs!..and the rest seemingly blended into one another. But then again we weren't listening overly intently, we busied ourselves with catchups and more trips to the Chinese.

What did pin our ears back were some phenomenal up-and-coming bands like Larkin Poe! Their hearty American similarity to the technical guitar-work of John Mayer really commanded my attention. Similarly, the eccentric lineup of Welsh trad-folkies Calan brought with them an exuberance that went down really nicely in the Saturday heat!

Their tour video with Chris Leslie from Fairport Convention is insanely good! How good must it feel to play with somebody quite clearly a master of his craft! Top work.

What really stood out about this year was Fairport Convention themselves. For years they've been a band I've always appreciated for the last half-an-hour of their set, where they pull out the musical rabbit from that hat. All the classics come forth and provide an enjoyable end to their marathon 3hr set on Saturday night. This year, with a more informed knowledge about the band through researching the documentary we'd be producing and through reading the hype about the band's 45th celebratory year, I was excited more than ever for their set! 

On stage were some truly phenomenal musicians... guys who had come back to play with the band and join in the celebration who were at the top of their game back in the 60s/70s and have only got better! It felt amazing to witness old school lineups of wonderful musicians, they are in a class of their own and I had never even realised it!

Despite the lack of familiar faces, our group of three as it was provided enormous fun through the weekend - we, as ever, had a cracking time and are now looking eagerly towards next year's festival. However as we drove our ridiculously large but packed up campsite back upto the village on Sunday morning, we were casting guesses towards next year's lineup...hoping Tom wouldn't be brought down to a grump again.
But alas, for myself and Connor who are working on this year's documentary aspects for Banbury Sound, it was time to reflect on the content gathered over the weekend, which on my part, shines as some of my brightest work.

Almost as soon as I was back infront of the laptop on Monday morning, I was racing through the material I had recorded, methodically piecing unexpected audio gatherings to the timeline I had previously drawn out in detail that was about to be remoulded for something better.

The core backbone of that initial plan did stick, but with so much audio to work with - unexpectedly vibrant clips of the Fairport atmosphere, confident vox pops, deep interviews and more -  I began dissecting the bulky conversation pieces and putting them up in a rough audio timeline.

I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in the business over the course of the weekend and in the weeks leading up to the festival - Simon Nicol, one of Fairport's founder members. Dave Swarbrick, widely acclaimed to be one of the greatest fiddlers! Dave Mattacks, a supreme drummer of great longevity in the business. Chris Leslie, whose authentic descriptions of Cropredy were wholly agreeable... and many more.


Of the chaps who you'll hear on the doco - that's Swarb in there on fiddle, with Dave Mattacks on drums, Simon Nicol guitar.

With each of the members of the Fairport repertoire of past and present, I tried to angle my questions in such a way that I could arrange answers on a timeline and there would be no need for narration to fill in the gaps. I realised this was a conversational lottery, but amazingly it worked out well!- the doco flows without any narrative bridges, there is a surprisingly clear story, told wholly by responses - I was chuffed with that!...time for another Chinese.

It was the most challenging piece of radio I've worked on in that respect - particularly with Dave Mattacks, a guy who commands a lot of respect in the industry. That interview with DM is something I am proud of but we certainly parted ways with my feathers ruffled!- he knew I wasn't going to be an acclaimed Fairport historian, who, at 19, would know the entire history of a band who's heritage spans 45 years! With that loophole to exploit, it was through picking DM's brains for his influences that my musical knowledge hit boundaries. The musicians he cited as pivotal in his musical development just weren't striking and chords with me! - which, being one of the first questions I asked, immediately lost me some credibility.

Suffice to say, the interview continued for 10/12 minutes and I was trying to stay on my toes for the duration, which eventually ended well, but it was definitely one of the most insightful experiences of the weekend!

With the Fairport guys interviwed and making up one lengthy part of the doco, the other half was left open for Cropredy village to fill. It was something I was keen to focus on last year too, but this time round it's become more wholesome as a clear section. The thing with Cropredy is that the festival isn't just a main-stage event. The music and the cheer continues through the village, which kind of orbits this grand festival a short walk away.
The pubs all put on music, which makes up the Fringe Festival, local community groups provide activities and breakfasts. The Old Coal Whaft opens up as a site for traders - particularly enjoyed my visit to the ladies of Hairport this year! - hairdressers for the festival, how clever. Making up a nice meaty section of the programme is interviews with the vibrant people who come to Cropredy each year, the landlord of the Brasenose Arms, the Cropredy School Breakfasts ladies and people who remember the early days of the festival.

So all in all, it's a way more thought-out project than last year and I'm very proud of the finished result, which I hope will go down smoothly!
We've done a little trail for it - ahead of broadcast on 107.6 Banbury Sound on Saturday 15th Sept at 6pm before being repeated the following Monday 17th Sept at 9pm.

It's Cropredy weekend!

It's the eve of Cropredy weekend - the few days of the calendar that resonate in a different way to all the rest.

For starters, Cropredy is our reunion weekend - I'm going to see faces over the next few days that I won't have seen since last years festival or even further back! It's got a habit of being exceedingly intimate, even despite it's relative size. In past year's it's been impossible to walk 5mins without bumping into someone you know. This sense of togetherness in amongst a dense 20,000 is epic.

Musically, Cropredy's a funny one - there's only a handfull of bands on the lineup that I am aware of, either through playing the music out on Banbury Sound, where classic hits are the abundance - or through my mate Tom making a playlist of the big hitters of the festival. In fact, through Connor I'm only aware of Brother & Bones but the other 'minnows' on the lineup, I have no expectation for. If last year is anything to go by, it's the unsuspected, unbeknownst bands that really shake things up!

This year too, with a lot of planning in bygone months, I've hit upon another commission for a Fairport documentary for Banbury Sound radio - something I did last year on a completely indie basis and to be honest, quite off the cuff - after wrangling a backstage press pass on Day 1 of the Festival last year, it was up to me and my mp3 sound recorder to make a mountain out of a molehill!



However, with some more time to prep myself, research and develop a battle plan. Also with more time to include my pal Connor Hawkins, a photographer/cinematographer from Banbury, it's going to be a two/three-fold project, with my radio doco spearheading the package, and professional visuals providing a rounded feature online.

It's a superb project to sink my teeth into - really keen to get the ball rolling after so many pre-festival interviews which have gone so well! Particularly with Chris Leslie and Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention, their insight into past years has been so interesting.
To have a chat with Chris about the years he spent in Newark studying the art of becoming a luthier (maker/restorer of stringed instruments) was captivating to say the least - to put in an academic context what he considered to be his true passion in life, you can imagine, feels good! To do that at a time where Dave Swarbrick wants your violin skills by way of performance adds to the feeling! It was a great conversation, which, sadly maybe won't see the light of day other than in another blog post - it's not the 100% focus of the doco, so with so much to squeeze in, that enchanting tale may well make a nice programme of itself.

Whichever way I look at the pre-production of this programme, I can already feel a burning desire to crack on and conquer - really hoping the end result matches my ambitions for it.

Roll on Cropredy, and roll on the cider.

Mayer is back

It's been a long time coming, with anticipation and excitement resonating from all the build up on Mayer's especially redesigned website, but finally the man is back in town with a masterpiece.

John Mayer returns with a brand new album: Born And Raised, successor to 2009's deep, dark Battle Studies, which in turn followed 2006's Continuum. The latter was a bluesy affair, complete with pop infused guitarwork, poignant lyrics and that blues swing, which made it so memorably definitive. Continuum was the album that introduced me to Mayer and tempted me with his back-catalogue, which explored the mainstream pop realm of guitar based music. Continuum was 10/10 across the board, with every song offering a different experience to the last. A truly wonderful piece of work and a compelling start-point for any newbies to Mayer's music.

He then decided to step away from the bluesy Continuum and tapped into his inner remorse and frustration to produce Battle Studies, an album rich with intimacy and tales of love, loss and living.

Born And Raised sees Mayer a maturer musician, with his guitar-work returning to the swingier style of Continuum and the messages of Battle Studies resonating through but without such frustrated depth. Mayer seems to have learnt from passed mistakes, overcome his present-day obstacles and gotten on par with himself and what he has around him.

Reinventing his image as a lost countryman, his pre-album photography portrays Mayer in cowboy hat with long locks, the tash is back and the Texan attire sings in harmony with the outback in the background. He is a different man to the one he describes in Battle Studies' 'Assassin', and long gone is the imagery of 'Your Body Is A Wonderland'.

It's a week to the day since the release, already it's set for No1 in the states and I've given Born And Raised a week of listening. I made my purchase a week ago and listened intently to what I consider to be Mayer's most profound work. It's very hard, looking at the track list, to criticise. It's even hard to make specific recommendations, the album is a masterpiece from start to finish. I considered as I listened that my review of the album would be biased, such as my adoration for the music Mayer can create. But having listened more and more, nobody would be able to begrudge Mayer's work here. It's not the pop-sing-a-long of years gone by, but Born And Raised is honest and earthy.

Immediately, the intricacy of Mayer's flawless guitar work on 'Queen Of California' set's the tone. It's late evening, Route 66, sunset mood immediately establishes the mellow, country-rock we're about to experience.
'The Age Of Worry' remains my pick of the bunch purely for how deep the message resonates with me at a particularly fitting time of my life. Produced delicately and beautifully by Mayer and Don Was, The Age Of Worry is a sweet stab of wisdom Mayer has acquired over the years.

The album then weaves it's way through Mayer's previous misgivings, presenting a true and gritty acceptance of his past and reconciling it. Shadow Days see's a heavy weight lifted from Mayer's shoulders, If I Ever Get Round To Living is evocative in the search for fulfilment in life.

On par with Battle Studies, the rock'n'roll element resides with Something Like Olivia, instead of Cream's 'Crossroads' on the previous album.

It is Love Is A Verb though, that portrays the maturity of this album, which has seen Mayer delve into the sweet realm of old-school, honest, earthy American country rock. It's a truly magnificent album.

Katzenjammer at Manchester Academy - Review

A week ago to the minute, my pal Connor and I were leaving Manchester Academy having experienced one of the best live sets of music I've ever paid witness to. Infact, it wasn't solely a set, but a show as well.
Katzenjammer blew away all the cobwebs of the working week and immersed the dense crowd in their unique world of folk infused cabaret rock. Confused? We may well have been slightly more baffled by the kookiness of their set had we not interviewed the charming girls earlier in the evening. To my delight, they were a joy to speak to. Some interviews can be challenging, with delving questions being hit for 6 right back over my head. Happily, Katzenjammer were inviting, warm and insightful in their welcome to Connor and I, and despite making a cuppa that was hotter than the sun, we chatted for quite a while...

They are a completely fresh outfit, practising a wholly admirable and original approach to their music. They each develop ideas, write and bring various compositions to their regular band meetings, before allowing each idea to evolve into a song. If a particular instrument is required to make that song work, then that instrument get's learnt and the song get's developed. There is no defeatist or no-can-do attitude here, just a group of incredibly talented young musicians who allow their musical horizons to flourish with boundless enthusiasm. 

Their latest LP release: A Kiss Before You Go, offers discerning listeners a chance to hear Katzenjammers refreshingly catchy (although cheese-free) folk pop singles (Rock, Paper Scissors and I Will Dance) as well as softer ballads like Lady Marlene, with experimental new material formulating the suburban edges of an album that lives like a busy city, with a different atmosphere and character wherever you go.  

The gig itself combined their aforementioned eclectic sound with a captivating cabaret style show. Pumping the crowd immediately with the latest singles before moving onto more well-known and receptive older tracks such as To The Sea. 

The crowd vocal participation on the track above was quite special. For a band new to the UK scene, they conduct themselves with exuberance and self-assurance as they lead you on a truly wonderful journey.

It's rare you'll see such a variety of instruments, played by a variety of people at a pop gig. Katzenjammer have an obvious love of their craft and if they continue to storm the UK gigging circuit like they're currently doing, I have no doubt that their infectious charm, quirkiness and unpredictability will carry them forward to huge success. This is a band who will never let things get boring.

Rage in the age of worry

10 minutes for a cuppa this morning looking out at a beautiful day.

The Subways rock the Ritz

It's been a while since my last rock gig. In fact I vividly remember my first ever gig in Birmingham when I was about 15. The Blackout, hot on their We Are Dynamite tour, played the Irish Club. An intimate venue that was surprisingly small for my goliath gig expectations. There was energy, moshing and sweating, so ever since most gigs have either been on par or considerably better behaved. I was concerned about being a late starter to the gig circuit, but then again my passion for music was slow-burning since that particular age was when I discovered a band called Breaking Benjamin. I'd never heard anything like the power and anger they could instil in their music whilst maintaining a melody.

That melodic rock is a quality The Subways 100% embody. Over the last few years my interest in a broad spectrum of styles and genres of music has intensified. Coupled with the intrinsic first-time soft-spot for an energetic party gig, I was excited for last night's offering. The Subway's brought their energetic show to the HMV Ritz in Manchester, with support from Royal Republic and Turbowolf, and I was privileged to be in attendance.

Opening the show as first support were Turbowolf, a high-intensity, all-guns-blazing rock band. Not my bag really, but there were plenty in the crowd who were well and truly worshipping their up-front attitude to music. We only caught the last few tunes, teeming with rebellious guitars and defiant vocals. Certainly a band to shake the cobwebs off.

For some reason, the last few weeks of my life have seen me mature into a very old man. I'm 19, yet I have a car a 40yr old would drive, and through choice I may have spent the majority of the gig watching with my girlfriend from the balcony rather than moshing around in the pit. There really is no explanation, apart from the bar being close and it gave us an opportunity to have a chat in changeovers without communicating through a sweaty metalhead bouncing around in front of us.

But something that did get us up and moving was second support band Royal Republic. Walking on stage to an epic fanfare, breathing confidence and quality, they sure did offer up quite a spectacle. The lead singer was the star of the show. Immediately I thought he was the Hoff. His hair slicked back with a full-on deal of product in it, leather jacket, tight jeans, handlebar tash...he opitimised the look of a chap who owns the stage. And he did.

Their lead guitarist rewrote the riff rulebook, the bassist produced a frenzy of earth-shattering licks and the dude on the drums teamed up with Mr Hoff for a drum duet to blow your socks off. The outstanding thing about this band was their superior live quality. When we got back in from the gig we immediately googled them and played through their music videos, all of which display a comical vibe that was amplified on stage by their jovial interludes and stop-joke-start approach to their songs. What we'd stumbled on here is a refreshing breed of band who, on the eve of a landing a record deal, wouldn't hand a rep their CD, they'd instead warmly invite them down to the live gig for a true showcase of their undeniable talent. Or if they don't do that, they should. Their main appeal lies in live entertainment, that's the best way to play it!

In extremely high spirits after Royal Republic's set, we were eagerly awaiting The Subway's anticipated headline slot. I'd been aware of The Subways music since 2008's All Or Nothing album and kept tabs on their single releases. I remember being shocked at how much of a party vibe rock music could encompass, the rock and metal I'd been aware of up until that release had been very gritty, deep and powerful. There's no traditional 'dancing' at a Killswitch Engage gig for example.
The Subway's latest offerings have sounded very fresh, It's A Party and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the latest singles sounding original and very vibey. Whatever they've been doing in the studio has got to have been good because when they came on stage...I was amazed that there were only 3 members of the band!  The drums and bass were great, both were melodic and complex, so they made up for the fact there was only one guitarist tackling both rhythm roles and providing those tasty licks to keep things interesting. To be truthful, he tackled it well! Royal Republic were so intriguing because a song would be developing at a steady rate before some insane guitar riff would bound forward and captivate... Having said that...................

.....it's important to appreciate The Subway's for what they are. The headline act of a big gig in Manchester, with a huge fan base and a massive repertoire of songs. They perform with a refreshing buzz that is contagious for the entire crowd. The lead singer was crowd-surfing, at one point racing up to the balcony where we were positioned to jump down into the crowd, rock'n'roll!
The female bassist was great to watch. They'd designed their stage so there was plenty of room to sprint around and unleash the energy. In all fairness one has to admire the way they create such an exciting vibe with only 3 instruments, it's hard, but they've mastered the art- great musicianship. On-the-whole they capitalised on their minimalistic approach and (myself included), nobody was really complaining! Their stage-presence again was very strong, they completely commanded their space. They bantered with the crowd, teasing them with well-known numbers and showcasing the exciting sound of their new album. The singles went down like a sugar in a brew, creating very much the party-like atmosphere their new music deserves.

Really good gig, but without the stage antics, banter and the ambience of a hard-core following, the 3-piece would be in danger reproducing the same indie/punk rock components throughout the gig, potentially making the show repetitive... Fortunately, they do have a sound presence when they do their thing, and they do it well! In fact.. I don't think this band will ever be in danger of going stale! I enjoyed it, great feel-good vibe.

Habit's the only place that you call home

I quite like starting new blog posts with lyrics or song titles, so feel free to click the title today and enjoy the sound of Caitlin Rose, who I had on in the car last night. She's pretty good, her music contains elements of John Mayer, KT Tunstall, lots of folk/country components as well.

I've just got back to the flat, it's 10:51 on Wednesday morning. It doesn't feel like a Wednesday, the day is idling with Friday sunshine, the weekend ahead. I'm getting flashbacks to sunny Friday afternoons at Sixth Form, not particularly bothered about how quickly or slowly 3pm would arrive, just enjoying the ride. Especially towards the end of my school days. I wasn't in a rush for anything, just relishing the moments.

Bulgaria lad's nicknames! Wogan is me.

I remember this time last year I was eager for University to arrive. By now I think I will have heard that I was in at Salford, so the promises and unknowns that went alongside the forthcoming 3 years were exciting and seemed so much more captivating than the day-to-day rigmarole that we'd grown used to.

In all honesty I'm still in that frame of mind, where if anything I'd love time to slow down! I'm in no rush. On 11th May, all of our assignments will be completed and as the clock strikes 4:01pm, deadlines will have passed and my first year at university will be ticked off. Year 1 has flown by, it looks blurry.. freshers week doesn't seem so long ago, all the angst, worry and apprehension at what was ahead, coupled with the most exhilarating few nights out of my life... and it seems only yesterday that bright, warm Friday afternoons razzing down the single-track in convoy with my mates were the norm.

Of course, I miss that simple life. Now though, I'm geographically positioned perfectly. Every day Manchester reassures me that it is the place to be. Imagine that when I came up here last September my tangled ball of University wool only had two real threads... going out to get smashingtons, and uni work. A few months later, I've somehow woven a cat's cradle of excitement into my world up here... student radio parties, 'The Source', Key 103, shooting a doc for Liam Blake.. the Radio Festival in Salford...gig after gig after gig, session, night out, gig, interview, gig, night out, uni assignment, Christmas in Manchester, Christmas at home, SRA Con......it's crazy, and all with new people. I've learnt so much in a short space of time...yet I'm in the same mind frame as a year ago, taking each week as it comes, letting the future wash over me in real-time rather than fret about how things will play out in 5 years needlessly.

"Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum" - Baz Lurhmann - Everybody's Free

"It isn't where you finish, it's the way you run this race, and I intend to go the distance, but I'll do it at my own pace" - Ben Marwood - Toil

Write something heavy and fast!

If you click this blog title, you'll be taken to a brilliant instrumental demo from Saosin from their most recent album: In Search Of Solid Ground. When Saosin released their debut album in 2006, every song was woven brilliantly. The album was on constantly in my car on the way to work and back. Those were the days of a suitably long journey from Banbury to Kenilworth, long enough time in the car to listen to a full album, the perfect journey length.

However, those songs were sculpted and crafted over a long period of time. Saosin didn't just hit the mainstream and provide. Prior to that awesome self-titled debut LP in 2006, they'd released an EP called Translating The Name some three years earlier, an instant success on MySpace (back in the day!) and reaped good sales. Three years is a long time to develop an album's worth of tunes, tour, try things out, promote and essentially hone their craft... so when the CD hit the fan, the shit was good.

Imagine that prior to Translating The Name, the band had spent years gigging together and circulating their local music scenes (I'm assuming they did). That's a long development process, which is absolutely essential.

That's rock music, on the other side of the coin I've just watched this short documentary about Laura Marling, whose acoustic folk I've recently taken a love to (live in York Minster is sensational).



The honesty in her music is beautiful. I've always liked what she's been about...dressing 'down' for her Brits appearance a few years ago, bare footed on stage etc. I like the little effort, it puts more emphasis on the music rather than a glittering image distracting from your flat vocals (applicable to most contestants on The Voice, especially the ones with backing dancers). Having said that I hadn't give her music much of a chance before, now however, I'm all over it like a cheap suit.



It's 11 well-spent minutes learning about how Laura came to be so popular. For me, her appeal comes from how raw and gritty her stripped-back, pure, folk songs are. She describes that when she was growing up, her pals and her would put on local gigs because there was nothing else to do! It was their passion so they created a community that enveloped the music. As the hype spreads, the community grows... to such an extent, that by the time she's playing gigs in concert halls and on the streets in India, her unique musical community is strong, true and still growing. That to me is the perfect progression because everything has been nurtured over time in an organic way. Laura will have made her fair share of mistakes along the way, but who cares?!..she has deservedly developed a loyal community of followers who take the time to share her passion.
In all walks of life, mistakes are the cornerstone of a career, without them, how can you learn. In the early stages of a musician's career, those first few EPs, gigging etc.. it's all mental prep as well. If you make it big, you want to make sure you've got the mental strength to survive! It's not an easy lifestyle! Saosin will have learnt their share of lessons along the way, and rather like Marling, those mistakes (whatever they may be) won't be so detrimental as, say, they would be for an artist fresh off the blocks like Lana Del Rey, an artist who is so fresh, I had to google her history to see if she even had one!

I've been avidly listening to Lana Del Rey over the last few weeks. Her debut album is astonishingly good considering it's her first real foray into the cut-throat world of pop music. I've discovered, in 2008, 'Elizabeth Grant' was snapped up by a label and coined her first work two years later and released it on iTunes before buying back the rights, starting over and returning in 2011 under the stage name Lana Del Rey with a simply amazing true debut album called Born To Die. The first single Video Games, a sombre tale of love and it was released in October 2011, with the video receiving widespread adoration on the Internet. She claimed a string of accolades and television appearances in the run-up to the worldwide release of the album on January 31st 2012. In the space of 3 months, Lana Del Rey went from being a relatively unknown US entity to a worldwide smash hit. It took Saosin 3 years to release their debut album to widespread acclaim. It's baffling.

Lana Del Rey will surely have gigged plenty in New York where she grew up, but that natural progression of a few EPs, the breakthrough debut album, tireless gigging, fearless promotion before relishing that hard-earned recognition is not a process Lana seems to have experienced.

Is that a problem?

It depends how you look at it, I'm not complaining because her album sounds amazing. Melodically, each song is captivating. Lyrically, some songs lack maturity, others delve into emotional territories I never know could be captured in pop music. Put together, the work is brilliant though and I rate it highly. Unfortunately, without chatting to her, I can only speculate at her limited opportunity make mistakes and develop her community.

Lana is in that position now where if she goes on Saturday Night Live and puts one foot out of line, spews out a dud note, the world is watching and that is costly. In fact, that very thing did happen.



It's not often you see over 11,000 dislikes on a video... it was proclaimed to be the worst SNL performance ever! She has gone from a relatively unknown lifestyle, to having the potential for hundreds of thousands of tweets of criticism coming through. I personally don't know how she is coping with her newfound success.

Maybe... maybe it has something to do with geographical positioning. Lana grew up in New York, I read that Laura grew up in a village in Hampshire. I have experienced first hand that living in the depths of the countryside, music is the centre of the community. It's a feat of entertainment and tradition. Every pub in our parts continually showcase organic folk, acoustic and indie musicians and they're all relatively well-known names because the community is small, yet strong.
Small in comparison to where I am now, Manchester, where there is a lot more choice for which gig to go to, so many that one small band/musician is diluted by the rest!

But then again I've now just read that at 16, Laura moved to London. So who knows?! All I know for sure is that Lana has set the bar for her forthcoming projects and the pressure to deliver will be astronomical. I'm sure she'll cope just fine, she's leapt of the line on the starting whistle and sprinted to a crazy level of success, without stopping much on the way to enjoy the journey..so she must be talented and capable...but I thought all the fun was in the chase?...

Little Comets - Manchester Academy

A promising gig, and one I was really excited about. Looking at the state of the chart at the moment we're blessed with infectious, processed and highly manufactured musicians dominating the Top 40, so presumably avid fans of purer guitar-based bands would be despairing. Not if any of them had gone down to Academy2 last night for a class showcase of the freshest and more promising indie rock talent in the UK though. I was certainly present.

I was set to interview Little Comets in the early evening. It has to be said, I did wander down to the Academy mulling over what was a truly lovely evening in Manchester. I've never seen Oxford Road, usually rife with student life, so quiet. A balmy sun setting over the 'promised land'.

Little Comets are great bunch of amiable lads from Newcastle. Kind of them to offer a brew in a plastic Klix water fountain cup > PG Tips with a sugar cube. The best combination, which went down very smoothly whilst the next 10 minutes unravelled. They discussed their retro influences, how they stand out the from the saturated indie market where theres's so many generic bands who hold their guitars horizontally rather than rock-sound diagonally, also how the remainder of 2012 is going to play out and their hopes and dreams for new single Jennifer- the soundtrack to my day today, with that single being an example: their licks are contagious, watch out. 

Lead singer Rob then humbly retired to his book, the band dispersed to sample Oxford Road's cuisine, and anticipation grew for their eagerly-awaited Manchester concert.
In the meantime, I hung around in their dressing room (not like a weirdo) and caught some time with one of the support bands Bwani Junction. I was keen to chat to The 1975, considering they'd played at AKA in Banbury, my hometown, a couple of weeks previous. Alas, the 70s boys never showed up, and Bwani Junction were kind enough to donate 5 minutes to tell me about their incredible triumphs at the Scottish Music Awards - a kin to our Mercury's. The boys have infact been nominated for Album of the Year and they can proudly boast themselves Best Newcomer. They're a band to watch for sure.

I retreated from the luxurious top-floor dressing room, overlooking the many referb works on Manchester Uni, descended the most ridiculous, Hogwarts-esque spiral staircase and let the evening roll on.
I love Academy2 as a venue, it's the best of the 3 in my opinion. Somehow they've just got the whole ambience spot on. There is always space to stand and enjoy the music. It's never cramped, and they seem to book a really wholesome list of artists. Because of the tall ceiling and the square shaped aesthetics of the room, the sound really has a chance to spread its wings and engulf the crowd. Upstairs in Academy3, the sound doesn't have a chance to breath. The room is too small for any atmosphere to build.

Bwani Junction took to the stage. At this point, I still wasn't aware of their music. Sure I'd interviewed them shortly before, but it was a spur of the moment thing where I was being enlightened about their history and projects just as much as anybody else listening. Fortunately, the band blew me away! Would have been very embarrassing if they were dire... Their riffs had power and pace, their melodies intriguing and catchy. Overall, I loved the sound, particularly a song called My Body, My Mind. Really sweet tune. I have to recommend this outfit really highly, was so impressed by their performance!

You can hear both Bwani Junction and Little Comets on upcoming Source podcasts from Shock Radio. Both interviews will be out soon, very excited to spread this music far and wide.

Before we move on to The 1975, Bwani have a new music video out- it's actually really annoyed Network Rail because the film was set near a famous railway bridge, which NR had just painted red... the video clearly shows the lads painting it blue! The riffs in this tune are incredible though. Enjoy and share.

The 1975 strutted on to the stage with an obvious allure, mystery and attitude. Immediately their music caught my attention. It builds with complexity throughout. Each song slightly different but just as interesting as the last. I was hooked...and in no small part down to the character of the lead singer. It was his flat peak and hood that caused a slight stir in my head. Initially I took a distaste to his over-confident self-assurance, but as the gig went on, I decided he was actually a brilliant front man. His attitude made it almost impossible for your concentration to waiver. His confidence was more selfless than I originally thought, it's infectious, and it makes the audience trust what the band are doing. There's no unnecessary drama here, just in-your-grill down-right sweet indie tunes. They're a band that grow on you in this respect, they'll hook you from the start then have you begging for more by the end. They're hard to track down though, going through their band life with a few different names, 'The 1975' is one that has now stuck and they're signed to Dirty Hit Records - same as Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Little Comets. They're the label to watch, they're bringing the heat this year!

The 1975-Sex from James Booth on Vimeo.

Impressed by The 1975, I was eagerly awaiting Little Comets... So when they burst onto stage with Worry, easily the most contagious and riff-heavy tune I hold dear in my iTunes catalogue, they'd captured the crowd in one fell swoop. Starting strong, then progressing to lesser known, equally appreciated, but slower indie songs... the gig for me went slightly by the wayside a few songs in. I could feel attention drifting. Yet, the clawed it back with a whole host of melodies, driven by pacey guitars, deep bass and energetic drum patterns. By the time the incendiary of Jennifer, Isles, Adultery, One Night In October and Dancing Song had resonated in the Academy2, the floor was shaking and the crowd were pumped.

They dispatched a range of songs from their latest Worry EP, the forthcoming Jennifer And Other Stories work and their acclaimed album In Search Of The Elusive Little Comets. It's pretty hard to pick any faults in their live performance. The ultimate test for a band is how to replicate the accuracy and clarity of studio work in a gig environment, whilst delivering it with the intensity a live audience craves, but these guys had no trouble in this department. Vocally sound and instrumentally tight, they have earned their reputation as one of the hottest guitar based indie bands tearing up the circuit in the UK.

Cheers to the Bwani Junction / Little Comets for their time. Great gig, and soon to be featured on The Source on Shock Radio. Podcast is currently available to download with a new one out next week!

Grass Roots

I've been back in the Chadwick household this weekend, enjoying Oxfordshire's home comforts. It is a fantastic place, rich with true countryside, rural winding roads, great people and a sense of distinction. But there must be other places like Banbury, surely?

We have the mighty Fairport festival in one of our dear local villages of Cropredy. In their 45th anniversary year, Fairport have turned their Cropredy reunion into the weekend of my year and the highlight of many others' calendar too.

With a stand-out folk music scene living strong in Oxfordshire today, new guitar-led bands and acoustic musicians are thriving as a result of organic musical roots engrained in the people. Local venues and pubs are constantly showcasing raw, beautiful and pure music that has no hint of fake production about it. The unwritten ethos seeming to be that if you don't have a guitar in your band, there really is no point.

A plethora of bona fide pubs reside in the many villages that bask in Oxfordshire's life. Each with their own unique heritage and each with their own bespoke and authentic food, real ales and rums (yes please). The pubs being the the identifying factor for the villages of these parts.

One of the most incredible features of the Banbury area of Oxfordshire is how well connected networks of people are. Nobody is solely tied to their own collage-based friendship circle for example. With healthy rivalry between collages but welcome camaraderie between friends: everybody seems to know everybody here. Whether you bump into an old mate in town whilst enjoying the limited but cherished nightlife, whether it be on the football pitch playing your rival team or whether it be in the Fairport field... either way, it's almost impossible not to bump into somebody you know.

The Brasenose Arms on Fairport weekend

I could go on listing the many factors of my home county of Oxfordshire (or more specifically, the town of Banbury) that make me miss it so much but make it so bloody good. It can't be the sole countryside gem in the UK. There must be other places to settle down with a similar music scene, traditional pubs, a busy nightlife and inter-village community, but how do you go about finding them?

Most people will grow up and appreciate their 'home', and many people will then continue to reside or revisit this place throughout their life, without much deviation in geography. It's quite a daunting prospect to move somewhere completely fresh, with it's unknowns, differences and ideals.

My passion in life is music, so I'm trying to get my head around what else is out there. For example, over the Easter weekend, I brought my girlfriend down to my beloved hometown to introduce her to the family for the first time and spend some time soaking up what Banbury has to offer. On Sunday we were in A.K.A. for a drink or 5 and saw some outstanding local talent. Firstly Nijinxky and Frances Mitson, who we'd seen the day before recording a live music video in a local church.

Being shot by my mate Connor, that finished film looks set to be quite a breath-taking watch. The fresh sound of Nijinxky's new music is very welcome too, Frances is a brilliant influence on his music. You can have a listen to their new tune on the fifth Source podcast here....

Then when those two had finished, an old pal of mine Luke May took to the stage to blow my girlfriend's socks off and perform a sweet 30minute set of folk-infused acoustic magic. The guy is so talented, and his new band Highway Alaska (also Banbury based) are sounding incredibly natural and promising. Either way you look at a small cross-section of Banbury bands, there is such talent that I relish.

But Banbury isn't the only town in the UK and presumably there are hundreds... thousands of equally talented musicians who are only being recognised locally? Surely. That's both very exciting but gut-wrenchingly sad and daunting. I want that music in my life, but where do you start looking?! I said at the weekend some pals of mine should do a musical tour of the UK, a road-trip cum holiday if you like. I've always been under the impression York has a phenomenal acoustic scene. 

Trouble is, I can talk freely, for hours, with passion about Banbury's musical offerings because they've been a part of my life for the last 19 years. So perhaps the only way to truly appreciate a whole array of fabulous, organic UK musicians who are hidden away in their respective counties is to make that daunting jump out of your home territory to live and breath the new battleground, rather than digest a nugget of the musical wonders via a slap-dash 'holiday'. 

Games People Play

For a few weeks now things have been so busy dashing around for work at Key, squeeeeeezing in uni work, recording some demo radio shows and excitingly, purchasing a new car. The new vehicle is spacious, sleek, modern and has excessive boot space. Say hola to the Seat Leon. A magnificent beast that dwarfs my old Vauxhall Corsa. Took her for a countryside drive when I went home last weekend, the summer country sun brings out my melancholy side like a bitter ale and a bowl of chips.
Having said that, my friend the other day confessed to me on a night-drive to Sainsburys: "at least it's dark, nobody's going to see me in it". Rude.

If I'm being honest, I can't decide what gender the car is yet. If you've been reading intently to the first few lines of this blog you'll notice I've referred to the generic car as a 'her', which is in built habit from my Corsa days, she was definitely a girl. On the flip side though, this Leon is a bit more of a bloke than my dextrous old Vauxhall.

My rationale for a fresher student buying a new car is that for my DJing, I have to toil away with the ridiculously big rigging trying to fit it in the Corsa's boot, it makes logistics a nightmare, whereas in the new Leon, it's very very simple.

The culmination of various other things consuming my time and the aforementioned radio and vehicular fun means that my new music radar is become somewhat detached. This is incredibly sad, my new music is one of my biggest passions, it's almost a hobby. So for it to be so neglected is poor. Fortunately I have designed this weekend with time in mind, and I'm hoping to get the high-quality cans on the go for a blast of a few new musicians filtering through my musical framework:

• Tall Ships
• Michael Kiwanuka's new album- heard some full, band based stuff from him the other day and it really stoked the fire I have for this guy, so I do need to give the album more of a listen.
• Sound of Guns -interviewed these fellas recently for The Source, top people.
• Volcano Choir
• Johnny Flynn
• Morning Parade
• The Shins
• Laura Veirs
• Lissie's new material... her sound is sentimental for me, the new track of hers Games People Play (title of this blog) is outstanding, especially in the sunshine at the moment. Have you heard her Fleetwood Mac cover yet?

Whether those guys are completely fresh and new, or just new to me, either way - I have some listening to do. Hardly a chore. The full playlist of music I have to catch up with is over 900 songs strong, but that goes back a long way and most of it I have listened to, but I don't know it yet, I like to be totally familiar with the songs so I can call on them again.

Having said that, there's loads of new promos filtering through my email inbox which means The Source on Shock Radio podcast will continue to flourish, we've just released a new edition actually. This time round features the Sound of Guns, Nijinxky & Frances Mitson, Katzenjammer and Bogdana Chivas. Lots of talent there.

Indeed, I keep chatting to the people making the new music and they're in for sessions at our studios nice and regularly. 

This keeps the ball rolling for another thought process in my life box. Happily, it's one of the most enjoyable things I do in my little world here, interviewing. That's why I've created a full demo of best bits from my interviews to try and promote what I consider to be one of my biggest strengths along side presenting... so this I think is a good way to hone in on the new music feature side of radio that I am striving for so relentlessly!