Click »here« to check out my New Music Favourites from Sheffield, ahead of Tramlines which kicks off today. Written for Q Magazine/qthemusic.com.
send your EPs to: nicolaclaireallen@gmail.com
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Click »here« to check out my interview with Tramlines’ Festival Director Sarah Nulty for Q Magazine/qthemusic.com
THE KILLERS - Runaways - SINGLE REVIEW
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After the release of the incredible ‘Hot Fuss’ The Killers’ always had a tough job on their hands to make an album that surpassed the hurdle they had created for themselves. ‘Sam’s Town’ got it’s mitts on the bar, whilst ‘Sawdust’ and ‘Day & Age’ missed the mark completely. ‘Runaways’ is the first taster of new album ‘Battle Born’, named after the band’s studios, and going on this preview the new LP has the calibre to knock the bar from its post. Brandon Flowers’ lingering vocals stitch together a stadium-level rock sound from the boys at the back making for a memorable first release for the Las Vegas quartet’s fourth studio album.
Rating:★★★★☆
‘Runaways’ features on the forthcoming album Battle Born, released on 17.09.2012 via Island and Vertigo records.
ELLIE GOULDING feat. Tinie Tempah - Hanging on - FREE DOWNLOAD
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In the wake of her debut album ‘Lights’, angelic-voiced popstrel Ellie Goulding has finally returned to the blogosphere with a dazzling cover of Active Child’s ‘Hanging On’. With rapper Tinie Tempah spitting some lyrics during the plot, Ellie’s notable voice douses her unique vocals all over her electronic take on the track. If this is a hint towards the sound of her new album, we’re in for a heartbreakingly beautiful LP. Ellie is back, and ready for more success.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Grab ‘Hanging On’ for free at: http://emailunlock.com/elliegoulding/hanging-on-ft-tinie-tempah
COLDPLAY - ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER - JUNE 9TH 2012
The blue half of Manchester was drowned in a multitude of colour last night as Coldplay rolled into the city, performing live as part of their 2011/2012-world tour that fans have dubbed the Mylo Xylotour.
At almost one year on since Coldplay’s fifth studio album ‘Mylo Xyloto’received its first UK airing at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, the setlist blended together the new, coming-of-age, pop material with alternative classics from the band’s back catalogue.
The show was opened by Rita Ora substitute, Charli XCX, a recent breakthrough artist who failed to win over the 40-odd thousand spectators in the stadium during her set. Swedish sweetheart Robyn, did slightly better thanks to her 2007 anthem ‘With Every Heartbeat’ and brilliant stage presence. That said, her most recent electro-heavy material received a decent reception and was enjoyable to listen to.
Coldplay’s new intro track ‘MX’ and second number ‘Hurts Like Heaven’ opened the main event in the breath-taking fashion that dressed the entire show, with the Etihad completely flooded in every lighting style possible – lazers, on-screen graphics, pyrotechnics and the infamous Xylobands. The remotely controlled Xylobands have been the focal point of Mylo Xylotour, allowing the crowd to become part of the lighting rig during a select number of tracks; and what a dazzlingly beautiful atmosphere they created as well. ‘Lovers In Japan’ from the band’s previous LP saw the confetti make a return from the last world tour, this time in the shape of the MX album symbols and another gorgeous part of the production. Chris (Martin, vocals) also took the time to dedicate eternal classic ‘Yellow’ to his wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Shortly after, predicted support artist Rihanna showed her face, albeit on-screen during her pre-recorded part of recent release ‘Princess of China’.
Despite performing at the Capital FM Summertime Ball in London earlier in the day, the boys never showed a lack of energy as they powered through ‘Mylo Xyloto’ favourites ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Paradise’ – the goose-bump creating couplet of the night, which were both set against a Xyloband backdrop. The quartet also made a dash to the back of the stadium to play ‘Us Against The World’ and ‘Speed Of Sound’ for those a bit further back.
The first track released from ‘MX’, ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ brought the set to an epic finale, with an incomparable performance by the boys on stage and the boys working on the luminous production.
On the whole, the show was still as mesmerising as it was on the Pyramid Stage last summer during Glastonbury. Coldplay are still as strong a unit as ever, and after that show they are most definitely not a band for accountants. Viva La Coldplay.
SETLIST
1. MX
2. Hurts Like Heaven
3. In My Place
4. Major Minus
5. Lovers In Japan
6. The Scientist
7. Yellow
8. Violet Hill
9. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
10. Princess Of China
11. Up In Flames
12. Warning Sign
13. Don’t Let It Break Your Heart
14. Viva La Vida
15. Charlie Brown
16. Paradise
17. Us Against The World
18. Speed Of Sound
19. Clocks
20. Fix You
21. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
VIDEO
Coldplay - 11 MINUTES OF HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER - 9/6/2012
All videos courtesy of my Dad, on YouTube as MrGigmania
(Source: nicolagetsvocal)
TENACIOUS D - Rize Of The Fenix - ALBUM OPINION
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As one of the world’s best known novelty music acts, the release of Tencious D’s latest LP ‘Rize Of The Fenix’ was perhaps one of the most exciting releases of 2012.
Featuring a whole host of dumb lyrics reminiscent of their top track ‘Tribute’, the latest crack of their comedy whip is very much the same as their older material, but none the less it still makes for great listening.
Lead track ‘Rize Of The Fenix’ is a stonker of an opening song with the duo’s infamous harmonious vocals, whilst next track ‘Low Hangin’ Fruit’ sees Jack Black’s mid-track scatting making a return. Story song ‘Roadie’ dips away from the hard rock theme, taking a more acoustic role on the LP as it narrates the workings of backstage crew.
The album as a whole is highly explicit making it unsuitable for younger ears but as a pre-festival novelty soundtrack this album is ideal. Tenacious D never set out to be the worldwide rock stars but when it comes to combining filthy comedy and music they’ve done a rather good job.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
THE HIVES - THE BORDERLINE, LONDON - MAY 1ST 2012
Swedish punk rockers The Hives made a riotous return to the UK live scene last night, during an electric headlining show on the tiny stage of The Borderline in Central London.
Playing ahead of the release of their fifth studio album ‘Lex Hives’ - out next month - the quintet performed to sold-out, 300-person strong crowd who were like putty in Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s (Vocals) hands during set opener and new track, ‘Come On!’. Despite being a short and lyrically repetitive number, it was classic Hives – simple, yet catchy. Adorned in suitably British top hats and tails, the five-piece rocked their way straight into old favourite ‘Try It Again’, with Pelle screeching, “It’s been a long time London!” over the transition.
“What have you been doing since last time?” Pelle asked, with the crowd throwing back various responses such as “Missing you!” and “Waiting for the new album!” which met the overly charismatic frontman’s approval. “Well you know what we’ve been doing don’tcha? We’ve been making the new album, and now we’re gonna play some of that new album!” he continued. Another newbie, ‘Take Back The Toys’ then punched its way around the room with a rhythmic beat for the crowd to simultaneously move to, be it bouncing or headbanging. Nicholaus (Arson, lead guitar) even treated himself to a crowd surf mid track, toppling onto the audience at his feet.
Another dip into the archives brought ‘You Got It All..Wrong’, ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ and ‘Main Offender’ to the room’s eardrums, along with Pelle declaring between tracks that “The Hives is the answer to everything”. A number of questions tested the statement after, including “What is your mother’s name?” and “Where was the Battle of Hastings?” Not surprisingly the answer was always “The Hives”.
‘My Time is Coming’ was perhaps the slowest track of the evening, and showed a more sincere side of The Hives with tame vocals laid over contrasting fast paced snare hits offered up by drummer, Chris Dangerous. ‘No Pun Intended’ slotted neatly between that and another new one, ‘Wait A Minute’ which sounded a little like 50s rock n’ roll particularly on the chorus, stepping away from their signature punk rock sound.
A double of oldies in the form of ‘Won’t Be Long’ and ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’ provided a perfect set up for another, final taste of the new album in the form of ‘Patrolling Days’. Group vocals lead in the chorus of the track, which was just The Hives all over – simple guitar chord progressions, overwhelmingly skilful bass from the Dr (Matt Destruction, Bass) in the corner, deafening drums from Dangerous, and howling vocals from the main man Pelle and Arson on the right.
An encore of released single ‘Go Right Ahead’ and anthem ‘Tick Tick Boom’, closed the night in the fashion it begun – riotous, loud and pure punk rock. Pelle left the stage during the breakdown of the latter track, following the bands infamous freeze, demanding that the crowd parted. He declared that he was going to run to the stage as the audience collide, with sceptical punters believing he would never make it. Alas, he does and as the track hit an abrupt end, he declared: “It’s good to be back”.
During the group’s five-year hiatus it was obvious that they have not lost an ounce of their charisma. No other band could get an entire crowd on any scale eating out of their hands like these Swedes can. Next time you get asked who you want to see live, give them the answer to all questions – “The Hives”.
SETLIST
1. Come On!
2. Try It Again
3. Take Back The Toys
4. You Got It All…. Wrong
5. Walk Idiot Walk
6. Main Offender
7. My Time Is Coming
8. No Pun Intended
9. Wait A Minute
10. Won’t Be Long
11. Hate to Say I Told You So
12. Patrolling Days
13. Go Right Ahead (encore)
14. Tick Tick Boom (encore)
VIDEO
The Hives - COME ON!/TRY IT AGAIN (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
The Hives - TAKE BACK THE TOYS (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
The Hives - MAIN OFFENDER (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
The Hives - NO PUN INTENDED (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
The Hives - HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
The Hives - GO RIGHT AHEAD (Live @ The Borderline, London 1/5/2012)
All videos courtesy of my Dad, on YouTube as MrGigmania
(Source: nicolagetsvocal)
GRAHAM COXON - THE LEADMILL SHEFFIELD - APRIL 20TH 2012
Blur guitarist and solo singer/songwriter Graham Coxon hit the Steel City’s Leadmill venue last night, showcasing a number of tracks from his new album, ‘A+E’.
Support came from Nottingham breakbeat rock quartet Yunioshi, who brought a selection of massive electro-filled tracks to the club’s main room. Hand picked by Coxon himself (as are all the supports on the tour), the band won the crowd over early on, and definitely won their appreciation as they handed out a selection of home baked cakes to the audience.
Graham and his band took to the stage half-an-hour later, opening the set with frantic ‘A+E’ opener, ‘Advice’ – a punk flavoured song that got the set off to a roaring start. The set took a dip into his previous album ‘Love Travels at Illegal Speeds’, with ‘Don’t Let Your Man Know’, ‘Standing On My Own Again’ and ‘I Can’t Look At Your Skin’ following in quick succession, and there’s no doubt the momentum that the show begun with is being maintained.
The room, which wasn’t as tightly packed as some of the other Leadmill gigs have been, surprisingly weren’t showing much movement at this stage, albeit a few head nods to the music. This, however, didn’t stop Coxon and co from putting on a musically admirable show, demonstrating incredible skill on all instruments.
‘The Truth’, ‘City Hall’ and ‘Meat + Drink + Pollinate’ all taken from the new album formed an eclectic trio of tracks, stretching from experimental, to synth, to pure groove guitar. The latter of the three was still played perfectly, despite Graham’s guitar strap making a run for it during the start.
Scuzzy, almost grunge guitar is utilised during the glorious ‘Bah Singer’, whilst Blur-style vocals play out in the verses of ‘Running For Your Life’. ‘You Never Will Be’ from ‘Crows Sit On Blood Tree’ made an appearance, along with ‘Happiness in Magazines’ ballad, ‘All Over Me’. The combo somewhat derived from the deafening punk-rock guitar that had taken centre stage throughout the show, giving the concluding minutes of the set a different side of Mr Coxon. Catchy number ‘Ooh, Yeh Yeh’ was an ideal set closer, which ended in applause on both sides of the barrier.
Mimicking a dinosaur on his return to the stage, the encore commenced with ‘Seven Naked Valleys’, and then ‘What’ll It Take’, both from ‘A+E’. The second track saw the first mosh pit of the night, which was quite fitting considering the lyrics include ‘what’ll it take to make you people dance?’ The pit continued into crowd pleaser ‘Freakin’ Out’, and ‘No Good Time’, ahead of ‘The Spinning Top’ ballad ‘Tripping Over’, which saw a gazelle-like stager invader attack Graham as the set closed.
Throughout the main set, one can’t help but feel that the set was let down a little with the lack of volume on the main microphone. Musically the set was incredible, with total expertise on Graham’s guitar part, but vocally his voice was lost, both whilst playing and between tracks. Regardless the entire set was nothing short of jaw dropping in terms of Coxon’s incomparable skill on his instrument. For a 43-year-old he sure threw some moves out, at one point even rolling around on stage whilst still playing, all without dropping a note. Guitar lovers everywhere – get to a Coxon gig and bow down to God.
SETLIST
1. Advice
2. Don’t Let Your Man Know
3. Standing On My Own Again
4. I Can’t Look At Your Skin
5. I Don’t Wanna Go Out
6. The Truth
7. City Hall
8. Meat + Drink + Pollinate
9. Bah Singer
10. Running For Your Life
11. You Never Will Be
12. All Over Me
13. Ooh, Yeh Yeh
14. Seven Naked Valleys (encore)
15. What’ll It Take (encore)
16. Freakin’ Out (encore)
17. No Good time (encore)
18. Tripping Over (encore)
VIDEO
Graham Coxon - DON’T LET YOUR MAN KNOW (Live @ The Leadmill, Sheffield, 20/4/2012)
Graham Coxon - I CAN’T LOOK AT YOUR SKIN (Live @ The Leadmill, Sheffield, 20/4/2012)
Graham Coxon - FREAKIN’ OUT (Live @ The Leadmill, Sheffield, 20/4/2012)
All videos courtesy of my Dad, on YouTube as MrGigmania
(Source: nicolagetsvocal)
KENWORTHY - Doors EP - EP OPINION
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Hailing from Leicester, jazz-infused indie pop trio Kenworthy are already causing quite a stir on the underground scene despite being together barely a year. Over the course of their career so far, they’ve played Leicester’s Summer Sundae festival and reached the finals of the infamous Live & Unsigned competition before signing to indie label, Flat Five Records, all culminating in the release of their debut EP ‘Doors’.
EP opener ‘Heartache’ features an introductory female vocal sample leading seamlessly into a funky bass riff, which underpins a simple plucky-guitar line on the surface. It’s a perfect summer pop track that harnesses subtle piano and synth in the breakdown towards the end.
Track 2, ‘O.N.H’ ups the ante, with potential to be named as the best track of the EP. It’s a cheery, soulful little number with the piano this time taking the limelight in a duet with frontman Jack Kenworthy’s amazing vocals. Imagine one of The Fray’s more up-beat tracks, particularly frontman Isaac Slade’s vocal tone and you’re pretty close to this youngsters singing style. Not to mention that if you listen closely the bassline is a little reminiscent of The Wombats’ ‘Moving to New York’, well delivered by Dom Potts. From start to finish it’s a well-crafted, passionate number demonstrating the band’s songwriting and playing ability.
‘Submarine’ brings the EP down in momentum for an almost a-capella interval in the centre of the five tracks. This is easy listening at it’s finest. All three instruments fit together perfectly in this track which carries a consistent, continuing rhythm of waves in the sea throughout. Perfect song structure for a track entitled ‘Submarine’!
‘Limbo Lover’ is the second-to-last track on this truly soulful release, and it kicks up the tempo again before the end. Lee Masters truly is a master on the drums, keeping the song subtly ticking along with excellent skill on the hi-hat. The last minute and a half hears the group hit an allegro style of play bringing a superb driving track to a delightful bright end.
Closer ‘Doors’ provides a gorgeous ending to a fabulous EP from a young, up and coming band destined for the big time. It’s another soulful number, showcasing the boys’ in writing a ballad. Towards the start most may turn over due to it feeling a little morbid, but hold out for an incredible, forte conclusion. The ending is one of those which in a live environment would be strung out for minutes, played loud with thrashing symbols and melodic group vocals; but even in an EP setting the song is nothing short of beautiful.
In general, this EP is perfection in music form. In under 25 minutes this trio have delivered pop, indie-pop, jazz, blues, and soul, through limited instruments and a silky smooth voice at the front. In a year they’ve shown just how successful they can be when passion is coupled with talent, and it’d be a shame not to see these boys on a bigger stage. For now though, get the ‘Doors EP’ on your holiday playlist - it just won’t be complete without it.
Grab the ‘Doors EP’ for £3.95 »here« (released via Flat Five Records)
Keep up with the boys via:
TWITTER: @kenworthyband
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kenworthyband
marc-bbb-shinner asked: THANK THE MANY SKIES ABOVE, another UK peep who likes B+M thought i was the only one! YAY. + I Know this is in the question bit but i'm crap at tumblr!
Heck yeah! I LOVE B +M! such a good band! thanks for checking it out and showing the love ! x
BRICK + MORTAR - Heatstroke EP - EP OPINION
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Most music fans are currently planning their annual summer playlists, the one that will carry them through BBQs-a-many and festivals galore, and American duo Brick + Mortar’s ‘Heatstroke EP’ will be a welcome addition to all of them.
Hailing from New Jersey, the pair have delivered a delightful trio of tracks ranging from a cheeky indie track, to a shadowy synth song and back again.
EP opener and title track ‘Heatstroke’ showcases the boys’ indie flavour, showcasing Brandon Asraf’s incomparable howling vocals along with a cutesy, danceable guitar line. The lyrics themselves are others indecipherable in terms of making sense (“heatstroke, yellow, maybe strawberry blue”) but still remain somewhat addictive. Imagine a festival tent with this track - this is the one that gets everyone vocally involved.
Track 2, ‘Move to the Ocean’ slows the EP down in momentum, bearing a resemblance to nu-rave trio Klaxons’ ‘Magick’ at the start. The similarly unique vocals from before stitch together repetitive sampling, forming an otherwise simple yet brilliant song. It is very much the interval of the EP slotting neatly between two lighthearted, summer-rock ditties.
‘For Yellow Walls’ takes the title of EP closer, and it does so with stunning ability. The samples chosen for the track hint at stereotypical funfair organ music, with a galloping drum track (courtesy of the duo’s other half, John Tacon) forming the foundations. Asraf’s vocals connect subtle breaks in the track giving it, again, a catchy edge like it’s predecessors.
On the whole, this is one of the best EPs on the underground circuit at the minute. In terms of fulfilling the criteria of ‘summer listening’ this is certainly one of the most satisfying. Granted they’re very much a small scale band at the minute, but with their mix of genres, sample and a fantastic vocalist, the pair are set to get somewhere, even if it only means properly breaking in the UK. Keep your eyes wide open for them - they’ll be hitting our stages soon.
Grab the ‘Heatstroke EP’ for free »here«
Keep up with the boys via:
TWITTER: @brickandmortar
TUMBLR: brickandmortar.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/brickandmortarofficial
KASSIDY - THE SOUNDHOUSE LEICESTER - MARCH 15TH 2012
Photo (c) Mark Allen
Pub venue The Soundhouse - deep in the cultural quarter of Leicester - was the location of choice for Scottish guitar quartet Kassidy’s penultimate spring tour date, in support of their new album ‘One Man Army’.
The support came from local musicians; firstly solo artist Dan Wright. Specialising in acoustic folk music, Dan songs ranged from tales of death to tales of confusion wrapped up in a mellow yet rough vocal style. Young trio Kenworthy took the second support slot, delivering a set of soulful pop that sounded like a mash-up of The Fray’s more upbeat tracks, and newcomer Aloe Blacc. In short, they were brilliant, and it ‘d be a shame to not see them make it on the national circuit.
At a late 10pm, the headline act Kassidy squeezed themselves onto the Soundhouse’s small stage kicking off the set with ‘The Lost’, the loudest galloping track from their debut album ‘Hope St’. It seems a collective favourite with the 100-strong crowd who all chanted along. ‘The Traveller’, another huge yet melodic track from the band’s debut record, follows with band collectively yelling “this is where I wanna be” during the track’s outro. This was swiftly followed by ‘Take Another Ride’, which provided a classic rock flavour and a long lingering chorus. The night’s first taste of the new album took forth position in the set, with a track entitled ‘Night In The Box’. It blended it perfectly with the tracks from the old album, and pointed towards a continuation of the band’s signature alternative folk sound.
If any track from ‘Hope St’ resembles a Wild West theme tune it’s ‘That Old Song’, fifth song of the night showcasing a galloping guitar beat and deep backing vocals. Lewis (Andrew, guitar) explained how his dyslexia had caused him to call the city “Lie-chester” instead of “Leicester”, before introducing ‘Oh My God’, one of the group’s early singles and a definite crowd pleaser.
“We recorded the new album in a studio in Wales where Led Zeppelin and Queen recorded their great albums, so there was a wee bit of pressure to not ruin history,” explains Lewis, ahead of title track of the new album ‘One Man Army’. Being a relaxed song with a somewhat gloomy undertone, it is certainly different to the boys’ previous releases, but it still carried the likelihood of becoming an anthem.
Another new track, ‘There is a War Coming’ (?) followed yells of tribute for the band’s tour manager ‘The Rabbi’ and roadie ‘Ginger Ninja’, who are very much celebrities in their own right. The track carried a bopping beat that had everyone nodding along, together with a powerful chorus of the song’s title. It was certainly and impressive and catchy track and definitely competed for song of the evening. ‘Waking Up Sideways’ and another new, recently released track ‘I Can’t Fly’ follow in quick succession, before a delightfully funky guitar medley ahead of ‘Stray Cat’. As a fan favourite, the band happily passed their microphones down to the front row of the crowd, allowing the vocals to be taken over by the punters.
‘The Betrayal’ is usually the end of the band’s set but there was no option for the typical encore. “As you can see there’s nowhere to go but through the crowd, and we’d probably get mobbed, so we’re gonna fake it,” announces Lewis, as the band remain on stage. He adds: “Bye Leicester… Hi again Leicester!”
A final taste of the last album was offered up as the second to last track, in the form of ‘This Life is an Ocean’, which very much resembles a campfire track or a sitcom soundtrack closer, but is still as beautiful as the band’s back catalogue. A sneaky bit of Aloe Blacc’s ‘I Need a Dollar’ is also covered before a final crowd sing-a-long to debut album track, ‘I Don’t Know.’
All in all, the night was a classic Kassidy show. A welcoming, intimate Scottish sing-a-long, that provided a cheery escape from the miserable stresses of everyday life. Not only that, but the tracks that were showcased from the new album were awesome and as good, if not better than the debut. Despite being an underrated band outside of their native, these boys will receive an abundance of recommendation post the release of ‘One Man Army’.
(?) denotes unsurity of the song title
SETLIST
1. The Lost
2. The Traveller
3. Take Another Ride
4. Night In The Box
5. That Old Song
6. Oh My God
7. One Man Army
8. There’s A War Coming (?)
9. Waking Up Sideways
10. I Can’t Fly
11. Stray Cat
12. The Betrayal
13. This Life Is An Ocean (?)
14. I Need A Dollar (Aloe Blacc Cover)/I Don’t Know
VIDEO
Kassidy - THE LOST (Live @ The Soundhouse, Leicester, 15/3/2012)
Kassidy - THERE’S A WAR COMING (Live @ The Soundhouse, Leicester, 15/3/2012)
Kassidy- I NEED A DOLLAR (Aloe Blacc Cover)/I DON’T KNOW (Live @ The Soundhouse, Leicester, 15/3/2012)
All videos courtesy of my Dad, on YouTube as MrGigmania
(Source: nicolagetsvocal)
A vital bit of programming for music and live music fans.
Hello all,
I know this blog is mainly for my reviews but after watching Dispatches: The Great Ticket Scandal, I felt this issue suitable to share on this blog. Please read, support and watch and protect your funds from being ripped off.
Re-blogged from my personal blog, nicolalovesyou:
Last night Channel 4’s Dispatches team exposed “fan-to-fan ticket exchange” sites Viagogo and Seatwave as, effectively, conmen and thieves. As sites which are meant to host consumer tickets, they were ousted for selling allocated tickets, buying their own tickets using books of credit cards and their personal addresses, and selling tickets bought by brokers. Not only that, but the resale tickets were sold at huge huge mark-ups on the face value. One worker even admitted that their practices are “highly highly immoral”, and they certainly are.
Viagogo were allocated around 9000 tickets for Coldplay’s autumn/winter 2011 tour, and 29,000 tickets for Take That’s Summer 2011 tour - and that’s just a couple of the many examples exploited by C4 Dispatches.
The programme features tales from fans going direct to the venues to get front row tickets to be told that the first 5 rows had in fact been allocated to the likes of Viagogo.
Not only that, but Viagogo applied for an injunction against the programme on the grounds of a ‘breach of confidence’. The only confidence being breached here is that of the fans in alleged ‘exchange’ sites. Luckily, the application was dismissed in the High Court allowing the programme to be broadcast in the public interest. Read the full story here:
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-dispatches-defeats-injunction-attempt-by-viagogo?jkhjklhjkhk
Finally, any spare tickets available on the day of the gig are dished around the office - for FREE - again taking away ticket availability from the fans.
As a music fan with touting as an issue that I have always despised with a passion, I found this documentary extremely infuriating to watch. The sheer smugness of the CEOs and workers of the companies exposed in it made me very much want to rip their throats out. How can such a business still be in operation?
The government recently ejected a private members bill brought by Sharon Hodgson MP, requesting the regulation of ticket resales. She suggests a cap of a 10% mark-up on gig tickets, making the business a little more justifiable. The government and the tories need to listen and bring the ticket touting bill back for a vote. Follow Sharon’s updates on one of the links below:
Sharon’s site (Bill page): http://www.sharonhodgson.org/ticket-touting-private-members-bill
Sharon’s Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sharonhodgsonmp
Music fans, now is the time we come together and boycott these sites. It is the filth of Viagogo and Seatwave making it a) harder to get tickets and b) conning us out of billions of pounds a year for tickets which should be affordable. Bring music back to its former glory, support the ticket touts bill and rid the world of these sites. Please, please please, take an hour out of your day to hit the link above and watch Dispatches: The Great Ticket Scandal.
Sign the petition here:
https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/8419
Also a huge well done to the Dispatches team. Another fantastic bit of investigative reporting by a professional team of journalists.
(via nicolalovesyou)
case of nostalgia: NME Awards Tour 2012 - Two Door Cinema Club review. It was a perishing...
NME Awards Tour 2012 - Two Door Cinema Club review.
It was a perishing winter night out in Newcastle but that didn’t hold back the Bangor trio, NME Headliners, Two Door Cinema Club, from putting on an excellent set at the O2 venue.
The band kicked off with first track of Tourist History,…
My cousin Jodi is starting to review some gigs, beginning with TDCC on the NME Awards Tour at Newcastle Academy - give her some support.
More reviews from me to come soon! Lots of EPs in the pipeline when this killer essay for uni is out the way!
Thanks for sticking by me and hope you are enjoying the blog.
Nic x
(Source: latenightinhaler)
JAMES MORRISON - DE MONTFORT HALL LEICESTER - FEBRUARY 6TH 2012
On a rather miserable, icy night in the city of Leicester solo singer-songwriter James Morrison brought The Awakening tour to town, in the gorgeous surroundings of De Montfort Hall.
Warm-up act Rainy Boy Sleep - real name Stevie Martin - fulfilled this slot with absolute finesse. Delivering a set filled with acoustic tales of teenage life, he also utilised a loop machine to play the part of the other instruments that should have featured in his music. RBS was very much a well-practiced, one-man band, however it was the vocals that seemed to astonish most of the audience, starting gently and ending with huge, growling notes.
Following a half-hour interval the main man, James Morrison, took to the stage to thunderous applause, kicking off the set with ‘Beautiful Life’, a catchy little number that got bodies swaying. Track from the first album ‘This Boy’ quickly followed, differentiating from set lists earlier in the tour. It was a cheerful, little acoustic number that suitably set up third track ‘In My Dreams’, a song that he dedicated to members of the audience who’ve lost family member. “I know how it feels to lose someone,” says James, who lost his Father a few years ago.
“Alright Lesta?!” proclaims James following the track. “I like accents,” he continues. “Northern Ireland is the most difficult one (Irish accent) NORTHERN IRELAND - anyway, here’s another track,” he concludes, laughing before playing ‘6 Weeks’, another mellow track from the new album that blossomed into a classic ballad. ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ followed in quick succession, showcasing the strength of James husky vocal tones and put itself as a strong candidate for song of the night. Jessie J collaboration ‘Up’ was sixth on the setlist, with Jessie’s vocals filled by one of James’ backing vocalists, who sounded very similar to the woman herself. ‘Right By Your Side’ slowed the night right down whilst an alternate rendition of ‘Broken Strings’ opened up the floor for crowd vocals, which James seemed very impressed with.
‘All Around The World’ also made an appearance in the set, with subtle Ska undertones before James told the crowd of his ‘meeting’ with the late Michael Jackson. “He came to me in a dream while I was trying to write a track,” he says, “he told me ‘James, give the people what they want, a rhythm’ - and so I wrote this track, it’s called Slave To The Music.” The most up beat track of the night it got most of the crowd dancing and singing along, as did the proceeding track ‘Nothing Ever Hurt Like You’ which ended in a cover of The Spencer Davis Group’s ‘I’m A Man’ - and an excellent cover at that.
“This next track my daughter calls ‘Baby Girl’, so that’s what I’m calling it from now on,” said James leading into the track which is actually titled ‘One Life’, a warm, little track that gave the room a beautiful atmosphere. ‘Precious Love’ was the soulful, penultimate track of the main set before debut single and set closer ‘You Give Me Something’ an orchestral classic and firm crowd pleaser - or so the sing-a-long suggested!
A three-track encore of electro-acoustic song ‘The Awakening’, the ever-brilliant and funky ‘Under The Influence’ and best known James Morrison single ‘Wonderful World’ brought a cosy, intimate gig to a memorable conclusion.
The setlist overall boasted a well-picked mix of tracks that flaunted James’ incredible talent, both lyrically and musically. Yet another highly satisfying performance from one of Britain’s best-known male solo artists.
SETLIST
1. Beautiful Life
2. This Boy
3. In My Dreams
4. 6 Weeks
5. I Won’t Let You Go
6. Up
7. Right By Your Side
8. Broken Strings
9. All Around The World
10. Slave To The Music
11. Nothing Ever Hurt Like You/I’m A Man (Cover)
12. One Life
13. Precious Love
14. You Give Me Something
15. The Awakening (encore)
16. Under The Influence (encore)
17. Wonderful World (encore)
VIDEO
James Morrison - THIS BOY (Live @ De Montfort Hall, Leicester, 6/2/2012)
James Morrison - I WON’T LET YOU GO (Live @ De Montfort Hall, Leicester, 6/2/2012)
All videos (c) nicolagetsvocal, shared by my Dad, on YouTube as MrGigmania
(Source: nicolagetsvocal)
