If music be the food of love, play on...

My Album of the Year

2010-12-22T12:35:00.001Z

Beach House – ‘Teen Dream’
This is arguably the seminal album in the plethora of dream-pop albums that are currently pleasing our ears. Each and every song on ‘Teen Dream’ is crafted beautifully. It is impossible to name stand-out tracks as they are all stunning in their own right.

Four Tet & Caribou - Coronet 19/11/2010

2010-12-22T12:27:00.003Z

When I think of my favourite albums of 2010, Four Tet and Caribou are two that spring to mind immediately, and the opportunity to see them both at once felt like an amazing prospect.

I've never been to the Coronet before, and it was absolutely rammed. This seemed to be the perfect vibe for the rave element this gig offered.

Caribou as a live band embodied a stylised aura with them all dressed in white, and songs like 'Odessa' and 'Sun' were mesmerising.

Seeing Four Tet felt like a spiritual experience - I have been in awe of him for so long, and this was the first time I had seen him live! Playing many tracks, from the more than pleasing 'There Is Love In You' it almost seemed effortless. Twinkly lights, dancers and balloons aside, Kieran Hebden does not need any gimmicks to show his true amazing ability.

Album Review: Mt Desolation - Mt Desolation

2010-10-17T22:08:00.002+01:00

In the vein of supergroups we have recently been treated to Them Crooked Vultures as a major highlight, and following suit we now have Mt Desolation who are boasting members of Mumford & Sons and The Killers. However, at the crux of the band are two members of Keane, and not the one that did cocaine that everyone knows. Thus the foundation of the band is not really the coolest or most credible of characters, so not expecting the most exciting of albums. Predictably the album has gone down the very popular folk movement that seems to be everywhere at the moment. No originality, just jumping on the bandwagon. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they have done a band job of it, the songs are enjoyable and perfect examples of the genre, but the album lacks the drive and the unique element that the listener is calling out for. Essentially this is an album that you wouldn’t choose to put on and listen to.

2 out of 5

Album Review: Chiddy Bang - The Preview

2010-10-17T22:06:00.001+01:00

Chiddy Bang first came to our attention with their mash up of MGMT’s awesome song ‘Kids’ named ‘Opposite of Adults’ - what they seemed to think was an original title… The track was different, but totally weak and poor in comparison to the original. And sadly their preliminary album follows suit. Filled with lifeless, obvious party tracks, there is no substance or stand out track. Even production from Pharell Williams can not save them. The idea that this is a placeholder until the full LP ‘The Swelly Life’ is released in 2011 does not bode well for what we can expect. Let’s hope by that time the additional songs will be considerably better.

1 out of 5

Mumford & Sons @ Rock City October 5 2010

2010-10-17T22:00:00.002+01:00

Mumford & Sons have had a phenomenal year where they have gone from practically nobodies to who is on everybody’s lips. After setting the festivals alight this summer with their sing along anthems, they are currently on the road selling out venues across the country.

At Nottingham’s Rock City, the crowd is mainly middle aged men and women and it is clear that the band has a universal appeal, albeit feeling sceptical about my first encounter with this band after becoming so mainstream. The band stroll on with an assertive confidence grown from their recent success, although, playing their banjos they still seem rather humble. In between songs the banter between the band and audience is on top form - this is a band that actually has charisma! Of course it is their singles and fan favourites ‘Little Lion Man’, ‘Winter Winds’ and ‘The Cave’ that are best received, and the crowd erupts singing along. But also previewing some new tracks, it seems that Mumford & Sons can look forward to more success with their flawless formula of a slow starting song, picking up speed and volume. Mumford & Sons are very tight knit and together, and certainly a band that people should see live.

Album Review: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl – Record Collection

2010-09-29T23:04:00.002+01:00

Ok, Mark Ronson may not be the coolest guy after the cover and massacre of that Smiths song and his awful peroxide hair, but ‘Record Collection’ has not left a bad taste in my mouth at all. Predictably Ronson has adopted a more electronic, pop sounding direction, and moved away from his renowned reliance on the trumpets, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. The LP boasts a pretty impressive eclectic mix of collaborations featuring artists such as Boy George to D’angelo, although ‘Bang Bang Bang’ is still arguably the best track on the album (and if you have not heard The Count & Sinden remix of it, you should youtube or Spotify it now.) Mark Ronson, in my eyes, has certainly redeemed himself for ‘Version’.

4 out of 5

Wild Beasts at The Troxy – 16/09/2010

2010-09-27T16:28:00.004+01:00

The Troxy is a grand art deco venue in the East End of London, a place of grandeur, a place where something special and momentous should happen. For three nights it was the location for the Campfire Trails, an event celebrating folk music, which over the three days featured performances from bands such as Mumford & Sons, White Rabbits and Adam Green. On the second night I had the pleasure of seeing Wild Beasts.

Wild Beasts have been around for a few years now, but have never really got the commercial coverage they deserve. Two Dancers, their second album, has seen them grow from an ok band with huge potential to an extraordinarily amazing band, and the album has been one of my favourites of the year - one that I just could not stop playing. Personally, I think they were the closest rivals to The xx for the Mercury Music Prize. So, I hoped they would live up to my expectations live. They certainly did not disappoint.

The set opened with ‘The Fun Powder Plot’, the first track on Two Dancers, and the audience were in awe of the presence and charisma of Hayden, the lead singer, and his countertenor voice. This gives Wild Beasts an unusual and unique presence which distinguishes them from other bands. The set continued with the band surrounded by a mist of dry ice which was fittingly eerie for songs such as ‘We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues’. This spread and covered the audience, almost involving them, and thus encouraging them to erupt into a mass sing-along for songs such as ‘All The King’s Men’ and ‘Hooting and Howling’. As a band they were enticing and exciting to watch, and most certainly more than justified their appearance in a grand venue. They announced to an appreciative and eager audience that they were going into the studio in the following week to begin work on their third album - the future holds something promising and special to look forward to, and perhaps they will then receive the recognition that they more than deserve.

Article from the first issue of Label '10-'11

2010-09-05T16:12:00.002+01:00

Published in first Label of the year (end of September)

Welcome freshers! We are Steph & Sam, the Music Sub-Eds, and we’ll be where you need to be coming fortnightly for your music needs, what albums you need to listen to, what you should avoid, and gigs around Loughborough, Leicester and Nottingham that you might have been to. We take the reigns from Jack and Luke, and only hope that we can do them justice!
2010; a new decade has begun, and with that a few early contenders for the next album of the decade, with great albums from Beach House, Arcade Fire’s third offering and Kele’s debut. However, I doubt Diana Vickers or 3Oh!3 are any front runners to threaten them, with their savage attack on our ears. It has been a year that’s provided us with the welcomed reformation of The Libertines, Lady Gaga becoming the most followed person on Twitter, and Justin Bieber continuing to offend our ears, and a collaboration with Kanye West being an even more painful experience. Not because of the music, but because of THAT ego. Anyway, with an album in the pipeline, Kanye will hopefully still pull it out the bag, in a modest fashion, as always. It just has been a year rammed full of quality music, from the big festivals to the massive success of Dub-boro, which is actually continuing as DB Events. The first event is on the 13th October at Echos, and is boasting a pretty impressive line up of Katy B, Scratch Perverts and Mistajam; definitely not a night out to be missed.
So back to this issue, we have a run down of the freshers ball, who’s going to be there and what to expect, a look back to a summer of awesome live music with a report from Reading, and a look forward to what music to look forward to this autumn and winter as the nights draw in, and the work pile begins to grow. So get cosy, try to avoid freshers flu, make sure you check out any bands playing at the union and get involved!

A late gig from last year..

2010-08-14T13:06:00.004+01:00

The Black Seeds - Shepherd Bush Empire 2/10/2009

The Black Seeds are not very well known in the UK and with a crowd of mainly people from New Zealand this is reflected quite obviously. Nonetheless their set injects a bit of sunshine into a cold October day. It is a fusion of dub, funk and soul, with highlights of the evening including 'Cool Me Down', 'Take Your Chances' and 'Slingshot'. They may not be a well known band, but everyone inside the Empire is dancing the night away, maybe they are a gem best kept quiet anyway.

Villagers @ Old Vic Tunnels 4/8/10

2010-08-11T22:23:00.003+01:00

The Old Vic Tunnels' doors are opened for the first time tonight, and it is the Villagers who play the first gig there. The tunnels are located underneath Waterloo station. It's a pretty cool venue with a sort of eerie atmosphere.
Tonight is actually the first time I've ever seen Villagers play as a band and not just a solo acoustic set, and this does not fail to disappoint. It becomes a more lively, and unified set. A more eclectically appealing personna, especially reflected in 'Ship of Promises'. Certainly, tonight Conor O'Brien has justified his Mercury music prize nomination, and this venue has opened on a high.

Plan B @ Itunes Festival

2010-08-11T22:16:00.004+01:00

I've seen Plan B many a time live. However, this was pre-Strickland Banks. This was when Plan B was an edgy, unique, rough diamond. A gritty hip-hop kid, telling stories with an acoustic guitar. His debut 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' moulded my growing up, coming out when I was 16, 4 years ago! That was, and still is an album I loved, and I always enjoyed seeing Plan B live.

Fast forward a few years, and Ben Drew has been completely rebranded as some kind of male Amy Winehouse, and the fact that he's trying to release a hip-hop version of Strickland Banks, reflects how awkward he looked on stage tonight. Of course the crowd, was not purely his fanbase, through the free ticket draw, but still Plan B has never been the charismatic showman, and I think it is mistaken that he is some kind of long lost member of Take That..despite dressing like one. Essentially, his voice seemed to struggle throughout his set. I did think it was generally an ok show, but there were some points I was bored, probably albums tracks that have never appealed to me. The best track was the almost cult classic 'Charmaine' from his debut, Plan B at his best. Unfortunately tonight he relied too heavily on Faith SFX, an unbelievable beat boxer, but at the end of the day I came to see Plan B, and maybe he has evolved beyond no return. And a drum and bass remix of Seal's Kiss From A Rose will NEVER be cool!

Hyde Park Calling 27/6/10

2010-08-11T22:15:00.003+01:00

Paul McCartney, Crowded House, Crosby, Stills and Nash

This is the second time in six months that I have had the honour of seeing Sir Paul McCartney live, and there is one thing for sure: this man does not know how to disappoint! It is one of the hottest days this year, and England are knocked out of the World Cup by Germany, but this can not dampen anyones spirits as McCartney delivers a career spanning set including Beatles classics, and his big hits. It is endless singing along, and many seem in awe of him. For him, dare I say it, it's almost effortless, he is a true performer, and to have seem him twice is an absolute honour.

Dub-boro Preview (Room 3)

2010-08-11T22:14:00.002+01:00

Printed in Label.

Dub-boro
Room 3:

A week today, most of us will be recovering from end of term antics, and if it’s not recovery from the tenth and last Dub-boro, I can assure you that you would have majorly missed out. In anticipation of one of the biggest night’s that the union has ever seen, I offer you a preview of one of the rooms, Room 3, which will be in JCs.

This room is going to be the place to be for the Autonomic showcase, led by the curators of this movement, dBridge and Instra:mental. This is quite new on the scene where by abstract broken beats are mixed with a drum and bass tempo with dubstep elements. A fresh and innovative sound. It is not as fast with a slowdown in tempo, embracing the mid-90s drum and bass’ musicality. This was debuted on a CD that dBridge and Instra:mental collaborated together on for Fabriclive which paved the way for their new sound to be introduced.

Below, I have outlined who’s going to be playing in Room 3, and what to expect. So, for those who have already got their tickets this is what you lucky people have in store, and for those still not sure about going, here is a chance to get to know who you can see, and why you should go and buy ticket pronto:

dBridge
dBridge takes a minimalistic take on high speed breaks. He is a regular at Fabric, and co-curator of the self-titled Autonomic.
Check him out in advance on: http://www.myspace.com/exitrecords

Instra:Mental
Like dBridge, Instra:mental is also Fabric favourite, and both are leading this new sound, promoting tracks with less BPM.
http://www.myspace.com/instramentaluk

Ramadanman
Ramadanman has followed a similar style and beat of music, shown through his mix on Dubstep Allstars Vol. 7.
http://www.myspace.com/ramadanman

Transit Mafia
Transit Mafia runs the drum and bass night, Detonate in Nottingham. It is one of the biggest drum and bass nights in the Midlands, taking place in Stealth, Rock City and Rescue Rooms.
Check him out in advance: http://www.myspace.com/transitmafia

DJ Take
DJ Take runs a dubstep night in Nottingham’s Bodega called Basslaced, and is embraces the new scene of slower tempo tracks.
http://basslaced.com/

Senate
Senate is a Basslaced resident, and no stranger to dubstep night.
He adopts the production alias Trutek, so check him out on this: http://soundcloud.com/trutek

Freefest - For Loughborough Echo

2010-08-11T22:13:00.001+01:00

Freefest
This is my first experience of Loughborough’s Freefest, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had many friends tell me I missed out last year, as they sunned themselves with a beer or two. However, this year there was rain. And a lot of it. This did not deter my enthusiasm for some local, free music, so I headed down on Sunday afternoon, and particularly enjoyed the Acoustic Stage. I in fact, stayed there until the stage was close. A favourite of mine was Womba, a solo female singer who closed the Acoustic Stage on Sunday evening. She played an acoustic set, including covers of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’, which she added her own twist to, and had such a beautiful voice. There was also the DJ Stage, or Dub-boro’s double decker bus as I think it could be better named. With the now household name DJs in Loughborough Dub-Boro DJs, Pasquale and Samiad playing music, this was the place to be if you wanted to have a dance. And after a visit to the VK Tent, this was probably the case! On the Bank Holiday Monday, Sykes, a student band opened the Main Stage, the venue for the biggest crowds, and where you could ride on the fairground rides while watching a band. Inside the Student’s Union there was the Fringe Fest offering anything alternate, a popular location due to the weather. Overall, my first experience of Freefest has been enjoyable and will be returning year after year.

First vs Second

2010-08-11T22:12:00.002+01:00

The Streets – Original Pirate Material Vs A Grand Don’t Come For Free

The Streets’ debut Original Pirate Material well outshines the rest of his work. ‘Turn The Page’ is quite possibly the best opening to an album ever. Skinner’s raw urban and garage beats with his mockney accent was so fresh on the scene back in 2002. ‘Weak Become Heroes’ is the ultimate garage club track, and makes me miss garage so much. A Grand Don’t Come For Free, a concept album, and probably one of the best ever made, is still remarkable in its garage sound, but lacks the edge, with Skinner perhaps even selling out to mainstream with ballad ‘Dry Your Eyes Mate’ even though it is a tune! The way music has progressed, means an album sounding like Original Pirate Material is a one off, and completely of its time.

The Killers – Hot Fuss Vs Sam’s Town

The Killers’ initial album Hot Fuss, burst them on to the scene with their unique use of synthesisers. Hot Fuss established The Killers as a credible band and provided the great sing along tracks such as ‘Mr Brightside’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’ but Sam’s Town offers so much more musically. So much for the difficult second album! The Killers’ breeze through their second with their sound growing with their sound offering such diversity on the album from ‘Bling (Confessions of a King)’ to downbeat ‘My List’, and ‘When You Were Young’ is quite possibly their best song to date. Sam’s Town is the most all rounded Killers album and provides a bit of everything, albeit being very polished. Hot Fuss is the raw and edgy debut that helped create the masterpiece that is Sam’s Town.

The Futureheads @ Rescue Rooms 27/4/10

2010-08-11T22:11:00.004+01:00

Admittedly, I kind of lost interest in The Futureheads after their first album, but tonight I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of their material. I still stand by 'Hounds of Love' and 'Decent Days and Nights' as my favourite songs by them, and they were the best performed tonight. But tracks such as 'The Beginning of the Twist' and 'Heartbeat Song' that I only vaguely knew, were so well received, and I could not help but really enjoy them. Ok, there was a bizarre new track 'Jupiter' which absolutely alienated a less than packed audience, but all in all it was a decent gig. I wouldn't rush to see them again, but I have definitely give their newer material a listen and a chance. They're decent.

Paul Mccartney @ The o2 22/12/09

2010-08-11T22:10:00.003+01:00

There is nothing that gets me in the Christmas mood more than a gig. And what better than going to see someone with legend status! (And also the fact he has a Christmas song, that isn't half bad!!)
This is the first time I've seen Paul McCartney live, and I feared that I would be amongst a crowd of people mainly old enough to be my parents, but the diversity and age range was phenomenal within the crowd, reflecting the universal appeal of McCartney. The set list was hit after hit, pretty much perfect, and with a wealth of songs like that you would not expect any less. McCartney played for over two hours, and absolutely blew me away. What a Christmas!!

Review of Example at Echos (Loughborough)

2010-03-22T23:28:00.008Z

This will be in the next Label, after Easter break, and is just a quick, cheeky review of the night, mainly bigging up my mate, Danny's company who booked and set this thing up, and are hoping to book some more acts and stuff..sounds pretty kushty to me:

Example – Echos Thursday 4^th March

Echos is not usually the venue in Loughborough you expect you would associate with live music acts you’ve heard of, but thanks to Danny Trevatt and Andy Rothwell, the duo who make up Spaced Out Promotions, all this looks like its about to change. Spaced Out Promotions hosted Example live at Echos on Thursday 4^th March. Example has recently achieved chart success with singles ‘Watch The Sun Come Up’ and Wont Go Quietly’. His sound has progressed from jokey rap to a more electro-pop sound; a sell out that has gained him access into the mainstream. Taking time off touring with Tinchy Strider, Example treated the Loughborough crowd to a set in a packed out Echos. The mosh-pit was fierce and unruly (I had an ear ring ripped out of my ear); a setting scene for a dirty rave, rather than a gig. With a variety of tracks from albums, and mixtapes, Example pleased a hungry crowd, especially with closing track ‘Hooligans’; fitting for such a mob. Dub-boro DJs were on hand to provide the music before and after Example, a fitting choice. If it means we are going to get some more live music here, then I look forward to it.

Music Events

2010-03-21T21:09:00.003Z

Just a brief round up of January - June for Label

Music Events 2010 – First half of the year
New year, and another music packed year to look forward to. First up, on January 31st is the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, with Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga dominating nominations. Following the theme of award shows, is the Brit Awards on February 16th at Earls Court. With no nominations released yet, we can only wonder if someone will clear up like Duffy did last year, or leave empty handed, like a multiple nominated Craig David in 2001. Following on from their amazing awards tour of The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Big Pink and The Drums, is the NME Awards Show on February 24th. Hailing the best in indie and alternative music. Renowned for special one off collaborations, and exclusives, like last year’s Blur reunion; this is a special night, that’s not to be missed.
March 17th – 21st sees the SXSW (South by South West) festival in Austin, Texas. With over 1,400 performers in about 80 venues over four days, this proves to be one of the biggest, and underrated festivals. Some bigger names over the past few years being Morrissey, Bloc Party and last year’s stand out act, The White Lies. At the beginning of May (1st and 2nd) is the Camden Crawl. Spreading across Camden Town, north London, in all venues big and small, the Camden Crawl gives the opportunity for bands, big or small to perform to audiences in over 15 different venues. It is notorious for bigger acts, playing small venues, pubs, to a smaller intimate audience.
Confirming the start of festival season on the 11th June is the Isle of Wight Festival, bringing the long awaited return of The Strokes, headlining the Saturday night. Along with Jay Z confirmed headliner for the Friday. This proves to be a big, explosive start to a summer of sweet music, booze and sunshine. Following on from this will be the Loughborough tradition that is Freefest, renowned for its variety of local bands. Perhaps the biggest festival of all, fully confirming the festival season with hopes of sunny weather, on 23rd – 27th June is the one and only Glastonbury. Being its 40th anniversary, this is going to be big! With headliners for the Friday night, U2, already confirmed, we can only wait impatiently to see who else will be revealed.

Something a bit different than music

2009-11-26T23:07:00.002Z

Do comedians have a moral responsibility?

Last week Jimmy Carr was criticised for a joke about servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was: "Say what you like about these servicemen amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan, but we are going to have a f***ing good Paralympics team in 2012". This joke raised negative attention towards Carr as a respectable comedian, with many people believing that this was a step too far, which begs to ask the question what is a joke too far? And should comedians have freedom of speech to joke about whatever they want? And are there any subjects that should just not be joked about? However, many servicemen have since come out and said that they are not at all offended by Carr’s joke. There also seems to be a general consensus, that awareness of amputees has been raised in the news, and that many amputees are happy that Carr told this joke as it makes them feel more human and included in society. This seems that if those in the joke are not offended, why are so many other people? If anything, Carr’s joke mocks Britain’s poor attempts and limited success in Olympic games. Nevertheless, Carr has since promised to raise money for a charity which supports wounded servicemen after the uproar caused from this joke about troops.
People who would willingly pay money to be in the audience at a Jimmy Carr stand up show, would know far in advance of the type of show that Carr would put on and how he is renowned for shocking and outrageous material. This criticism implies that Carr’s joke was something out of the ordinary, however Carr was just following his standard shockingly distasteful jokes, which most spectators will know is said ironically, and thus it should be what is expected. Comedians such as Frankie Boyle and Jimmy Carr make their living through their dead-pan style of jokes on crude and not politically correct subjects or opinions, so the audience should be expecting some sort of shocking material. This is purely their style of comedy, in the same way you would expect Harry Hill to use slapstick, and Michael McIntyre to use observational realism for jokes.
Out of context, Carr’s joke does seem very distasteful and offensive, but if those who are targeted are not offended, and there is freedom of speech, then comedians like Carr should be allowed to make their living as the type of comedian they have established themselves as.

Album of the year 2009

2009-11-26T23:05:00.003Z

My album of the year
Maxwell - BLACKSummers’Night
Maxwell’s fourth studio album, and eight years in the waiting, again reasserts him as the epitome of classy neo-soul. Despite not being very well known in the UK, Maxwell is perhaps the best soulful R’n’B artist out there, and this album doesn’t disappoint; full of soulful slow jams, with stand out tracks ‘Pretty Wings’ and album opener ‘Bad Habits’. Maxwell’s album, with his smooth sensual vocals, reminds us how good soul can actually be!

Dabbling in a couple of album reviews

2009-11-26T23:01:00.003Z

Cheryl Cole – 3 Words (Album Review)

Currently Cheryl Cole stands with the world at her feet. However, her idiosyncratic debut, ‘3 Words’, falls somewhat short of expectations. Standing at only 11 tracks, ‘3 Words’ is overproduced, generic R‘n’B, instead of the catchy dance-pop she is renowned for. The production is lazy and predictable, with Cole’s weak vocals skewed by the much-maligned vocoder, particularly on title track ‘3 Words’ and album track ‘Heaven,’ revealing the influence that Will.i.am has had on the LP. Cole seems to be targeting a mass US audience, rather than providing for her already established fan base. Cole, however, shines brightest on ‘Parachute’ and ‘Rain On Me’ where the (relatively) minimalist production complements, rather than overwhelms. Overall, it is not a bad album, but is somewhat underwhelming and lacks a standout track. Considering all the hype and interest surrounding Cheryl Cole, this album is unlikely to establish Cole as a credible female solo artist.
2 out of 5

N Dubz – Against All Odds

It’s been a fast 12 months for N Dubz since bursting onto the commercial scene, with help from Tinchy Strider earning them a number one. N Dubz sound has not progressed since their debut ‘Uncle B’; it’s still their trademark grime-pop crossover sound. Although this time, with collaborations with Mr Hudson, Wiley, Chipmunk, and surprise writer on album track ‘No One Knows’ Gary Barlow! Lead single, ‘I Need You’ sets you up for the rest of the album; accessible cheesy ‘urban’ music you know you shouldn’t like, but you’ll find yourself singing these irritating catchy tracks!
3 and a half out of 5

Which is better small intimate gigs or huge stadium shows?

2009-11-26T22:53:00.004Z

An intimate at Astoria before it closed.

A very full Wembley Stadium

Intimate Gigs Vs Stadium Gigs
The more success a band receives the higher the demand for big stadium gigs, which begs to ask the question which is better, a small intimate gig or a huge stadium gig? Small intimate gigs create a closed in atmosphere, which is much more personal, whilst, a big stadium gig creates a crazy atmosphere, with mass audience singing along. Small intimate gigs seem to be perfect for getting close to your favourite band, but stadium gigs are inevitably the ones where the most energy and effort are put into them, yet are always extortionate in their prices! Both types of gigs have their positives, and suit different types of bands. Bands like Coldplay and The Killers you would expect an outstanding stadium show, whilst smaller bands such as The Maccabees could not exhibit themselves in such a huge arena. Inevitably intimate gigs are going to be suited to smaller bands. So effectively, you need a mixture of big and small bands to make the most of both types of gig.

Arctic Monkeys – Nottingham Trent Arena 22/11/2009

2009-11-26T22:51:00.001Z

Arctic Monkeys – Nottingham Trent Arena 22/11/2009

First time I’ve seen Arctic Monkeys live, and I was hoping they would not neglect their old music. But a set list of balanced amounts of all albums was perfect. Playing all their singles and the big tracks, was ideal and encouraged audience participation, especially noticeable with ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ when people started singing after playing the first chord! Their third album ‘Humbug’ I was not so keen on before the gig, but after hearing it live, it has grown on me, especially album tracks ‘Pretty Visitors’, ‘Secret Door’ which had a massive confetti explosion mid-song and album ender ‘The Jeweller’s Hands’ which sounds better live than on the album. Arctic Monkeys have grown in their sound, and this gig certainly suited a larger venue.

The Killers - Royal Albert Hall - Monday July 6th 2009

2009-07-21T17:10:00.003+01:00

The Royal Albert Hall does not see the most obvious of places for a Las Vegas rock’n’roll band to be recording their live DVD, yet The Killers are not the most typical band. To kick things off Jimmy Carr is the alternative, personal choice of the band for the support act, which is a breath of fresh air from the usual mundane samey support bands. It seems appropriate for such a grand venue as the Royal Albert Hall to have a special start to the evening, especially as it gets the whole audience in good spirits. When the band do stroll on to the tiger printed floor with the palm trees scattered over the set, the crowd goes wild. The Killers kick off the set with the first single off their third album, ‘Day & Age’ Human. The venue is buzzing; the standing area is just a mass of bouncing heads, whilst people in the boxes are dancing around. In fact, Brandon Flowers barely needs to sing his own lyrics, because everyone is shouting them back at him. Flowers possesses exactly what a fan seeks in a rock’n’roll front man. He oozes charisma and is unbelievably likeable, especially with his erratic crazy dancing. The set seems to pass so quickly, most probably due to the expertly picked set list with a mix of all the albums that everyone can sing along with. It is most certainly one of the most enjoyable concerts I have experienced. In fact, I would not address it as a concert but more a performance and show, especially with the spectacular pyrotechnics at the end of the show. One thing is for certain the band are putting their all into this performance. When the band leaves the stage the crowd wait impatiently for the encore, the audience are even treated to a double encore, with Brandon announcing after they have played Sweet Talk and This River Is Wild how they did plan to go off again and come back on again for a second encore, but the impatient vibes from the audience suggest the band should play another song immediately! The Killers then end their set with Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Bones and finally their last song When You Were Young, which ends a perfect evening.

Atmosphere 24th June 2009

2009-07-02T16:25:00.001+01:00

What a better way to start than with discussing an Atmosphere gig.
I saw Atmosphere for the first time last summer in Bristol, and they were amazing. I spent the rest of the year complaining about how they needed to come back here and tour, so when I found their only UK date at the Scala in Kings Cross I was over the moon.
Atmosphere played music as early as Overcast right up to their modern stuff. With a 2 hour set, due to the set list being seen by people at the front of the crowd and Slug therefore feeling obliged to sing all the songs that were listed for possible encore choices.
By far one of the best gigs I been to. Atmosphere still remain an underground act that not many people know of, but once people are exposed they seem to be hooked.

Puppets at Scala: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oX7clqn-3U
Only video I can find online as my camera went mad!

Welcome

2009-07-02T16:23:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. Here I shall review most of the gigs I go to, and collate anything I write for Label Magazine or the Loughborough Echo, and a sporadic venture into album reviews every now and then.