tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563465328164264182024-03-13T10:47:11.412+00:00Raggedy's World of MusicSharing tunes and writing things about the world of music.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-1143007722215819922018-04-17T21:36:00.001+01:002018-04-17T21:36:13.896+01:00Shonen Knife - The Portland Arms - 11/04/2018With the evenings still dark and the weather still heavy and wet, there are few things more fun to do on a weeknight than fit a couple hundred middle aged alternatives into the back of a pub and have them remember back to the 90s, when all the things we were angry about were so much simpler and the NME was still a thing (Ha! Die, you devil, DIE!). There is a chance that someone in that room, other than the touch-screen wielding venue technician) wasn't around when people first heard of Shonen Knife, thanks mostly to the words of Kurt Cobain, but if they were then they were nowhere near where I was standing. This was a place packed with weary travelers, making a journey after a busy day of adult things to see two sets of sprightly journeymen entertain and enliven them all. The atmosphere before the first chord was plucked was a mix of apprehensively buzzy mixed with reverent anticipation. People wanted to make a night of it, then get back home in time for the next day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3aLQKwVW_mOA6yH7ZFSFKq4IK1Co7sXEusSlj6TdCyEbOFh1Ok-kC4ZUfiScsshoj1GNhswnrKfzCyiHcVuVfJXen0CycWnqcWGV4i6tl43W0EISkUOYSJkur9qdSDJy225U9cu7GpU/s1600/20180411_195734%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3aLQKwVW_mOA6yH7ZFSFKq4IK1Co7sXEusSlj6TdCyEbOFh1Ok-kC4ZUfiScsshoj1GNhswnrKfzCyiHcVuVfJXen0CycWnqcWGV4i6tl43W0EISkUOYSJkur9qdSDJy225U9cu7GpU/s320/20180411_195734%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>First to take the stage were the unknown quantity: <a href="http://kolarsband.com/" target="_blank">The Kolars</a>. If anyone in the audience knew them they didn't give it away, as the reception to them as they walked on stage was polite, warm, but not too personal. Both members were bedecked in sequins and 50s chic, the guitarist's hair a majestic quiff, but with enough glam and modern touches to gave nothing too much away. Then the drummer stood atop her bass drum, and people just knew this was going to be different. The first three numbers were stompingly good rockabilly, stripped down and oiled up like a modern day Cramps that grew up on Happy Days and hope. The sound was embracing, the tapdancing drummer was an excitement to watch - halfway between a go-go dancer, a cheer leader, and an honest invitation for everyone to just have a good time - the lyrics were vivid and touching, and it if that had been the next 30 minutes people would have been happy with a great novelty Rock-And-Roll act.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHTh36yG4h0cGQ_bXFpo2MeKXVdXOofLWTwCH0_uNBqXDV_tKWhjBvAzPI1ic1p0NjK6oHcIT45xTP9MgprJM1Fl8RZaUROcFhZHzcP4Dnn_ccrpDoLvaLMKdUR3a2g7JezHCwxxjGLY/s1600/20180411_195951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="748" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHTh36yG4h0cGQ_bXFpo2MeKXVdXOofLWTwCH0_uNBqXDV_tKWhjBvAzPI1ic1p0NjK6oHcIT45xTP9MgprJM1Fl8RZaUROcFhZHzcP4Dnn_ccrpDoLvaLMKdUR3a2g7JezHCwxxjGLY/s320/20180411_195951.jpg" width="148" /></a>Instead, at song four. they knocked it up a notch and threw in a mix-tape blend of their native LA's space rock drenched in pop sensibilities to the proceedings and sat there for the rest of the set, turning the audience from welcoming observers to won-over participants. Nothing to thick or confusing, everything perfectly placed and approachable, but adding depth and colour. All of this was helped by the duo visibly having a good time, Lauren the drummer more so than the sometimes zenned out Rob, the singer guitarist. If you don't want this in your car when you're driving in the summer then you are missing a trick, and if this act doesn't get more attention then I don't know what's wrong with the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVxEaeNAfw2XRPqjRJ51nSxG4kGd8u3a9fZk9jHcmqf5qnLZ-2cFH0i9gpRRgGp7uWp30tK5e6DzSvd8-WVtWCve5MU5y39VIYYqXQOERsPlcXO1_DSB2WilCNbmxnO7r7k19l0RE3HU/s1600/20180411_211014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVxEaeNAfw2XRPqjRJ51nSxG4kGd8u3a9fZk9jHcmqf5qnLZ-2cFH0i9gpRRgGp7uWp30tK5e6DzSvd8-WVtWCve5MU5y39VIYYqXQOERsPlcXO1_DSB2WilCNbmxnO7r7k19l0RE3HU/s320/20180411_211014.jpg" width="320" /></a>As good as they were, the night was always going to be for <a href="http://www.shonenknife.net/" target="_blank">Shonen Knife</a> and their own take on power trio punk. Sitting halfway between early Buzzcocks, later period Ramones, and what Yo Gabba Gabba could have been if it grew up on the mean streets of Osaka. This is straightforward, easy to listen to, bouncy tunes about whatever Naoko Yamano has decided to sing (it takes a lot to get a cheer from the line "This is a song about my hobby, tennis"). Given that they have been playing music, that you can easily call twee and simple as a criticism or a compliment, around the globe for over 35 years, the reaction to them walking on stage in their powerpuff girls meet early 80s glam-metal costumes was about as welcoming as you would expect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLWQhoB1R0kn67GR3G30LVtE2Afri_bhHVbTUfsEOl6c7hrYC-ljopqvE3ogrQ0mdlnSuOovg1PSTgbGNzw2CD6Yr5cOiiEgDGMCLfw2sQ4xCtSIEf4nGrwe_ZEHw48TcsPO-hYwc718/s1600/20180411_221127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLWQhoB1R0kn67GR3G30LVtE2Afri_bhHVbTUfsEOl6c7hrYC-ljopqvE3ogrQ0mdlnSuOovg1PSTgbGNzw2CD6Yr5cOiiEgDGMCLfw2sQ4xCtSIEf4nGrwe_ZEHw48TcsPO-hYwc718/s320/20180411_221127.jpg" width="320" /></a>They had nothing to prove, as everyone in the room already loved them, and very little to do other than rip through an hour of tunes with minimal pauses and almost no mucking around. There was a little banter, but it wasn't clear if the minimal discussion was because they didn't have great English skills or if they just wanted to get on with playing with as much gusto as if they had just discovered how to hit their first note. It wasn't business like or disinterested, it was just efficiently wanting to entertain and show off their latest creations along with their classics. Their mood was infectious, the crowd lapped up every moment up, and whilst the whole thing only lasted an hour it was a perfect one.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-8258035680844160672018-01-07T14:51:00.000+00:002018-02-28T10:47:03.219+00:00We Are Fucked - Flesh Eating Foundation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vGPmSYzVR1SiyaQ0EmrOF76uY9KAf042cEXIDF8qDxVNAvd2xwp3nG7y6v_tFZLQihziP1b8tzc0EBG5XGtW4m3TOPv_Bcz-Z99vSUbaQhm7xi3PhyqcFEw4iVaCOhT0xBjMrLZ9O8I/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vGPmSYzVR1SiyaQ0EmrOF76uY9KAf042cEXIDF8qDxVNAvd2xwp3nG7y6v_tFZLQihziP1b8tzc0EBG5XGtW4m3TOPv_Bcz-Z99vSUbaQhm7xi3PhyqcFEw4iVaCOhT0xBjMrLZ9O8I/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Lets not beat around the bush here, the three-piece industrial collective that is the Flesh Eating Foundation are not in a happy mode in this new album. They are most clearly fucked off, and they want to make music that reflects this. Whilst they have retained some of the beats and groove that were ever present in their previous releases, this time the sound is bigger, the crushing distortion is more encompassing, and the urgency of things just being fucked are more present than ever before. This is not a fun album, this is a collection of angry thoughts and violent noises ejected out to share the hurt. Which is a long way of saying "this is bloody good stuff."<br />
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It's also a fairly experimental album, with a lot more variety in sound and approach than previous offerings. Tempos, themes, densities, and just what can be done to a soundboard to make it cry, are all played around with in varying forms of gay abandon. Not only are you not going to get bored at any point, you are also not going to get used to the punishment being hammered into your ears. Sounds as diverse as digital hardcore, aggrotech, and even ambient noise are all at play here, meaning that there is likely to be something for everyone (assuming its an everyone who likes a bit of a hellscape). This is the sound of a band isn't worried about having a specific sound, but determined to just go with an emotional backdrop tone and see how many directions that can take them.<br />
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Stand out tracks, at least to these ears, include the jackhammer direct, and probably most dancefloor friendly title track "We Are Fucked", the bad acid nightmare of "Punch Drunk", the stark, Cronenburgesque, "Futurelast", and the brutalist poetic rush of "Stand Up And Be Discounted". But pick any of the songs and you'll be happy with the results, or at least smiling once you've been rinsed out by it, and the diversity of it all shows that there is still more to come out of the Flesh Eating Foundation stable. Even if it might want to punch you in the head at first sight.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-58198483227607143822016-06-12T09:28:00.000+01:002016-06-12T09:28:36.386+01:002016 May Brawl - The Portland - 11/06/2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawj5GFQOCEHLTh58xYZXv8eOLjC9toUC6Im3xjdDb3xkxpwg_5mEms-Y6m0KaZ9eudB7xTkXx_JMLLZoTSv4pAhV47hwUHwpyaoAnIkzTSEGAR99FyVo3NUofT7CKgsbyad2qzE3En60/s1600/13239107_537693729747291_218951526140620172_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawj5GFQOCEHLTh58xYZXv8eOLjC9toUC6Im3xjdDb3xkxpwg_5mEms-Y6m0KaZ9eudB7xTkXx_JMLLZoTSv4pAhV47hwUHwpyaoAnIkzTSEGAR99FyVo3NUofT7CKgsbyad2qzE3En60/s200/13239107_537693729747291_218951526140620172_n.jpg" width="141" /></a>Cambridge University has a grand tradition for traditions, and one of them is the Rock Soc's annual live show, being held at the same time as the colleges May Balls (which are mostly run in June, because Cambridge University does that kind of thing a lot). After being absent from them since back when they were held at the Man In The Moon, mostly due to them turning into black/death metal overkill and me then not keeping track of them, I decided to give this years event a go. Besides, how can you go wrong when it's £6 to get in?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofmdFfGoy4bYqzQOUTetSHhOyMC-DqCbrsRcbgCcYv-Um3bex-Tc2noWQDhLJOco4_aN_pO-19d_0YJ4-A7eUa1IrzL55ZwEFSlOj12YtiM0RSQ_tPjCZ31lRpoKHUYTV1ZDrRK0fnYY/s1600/wtvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofmdFfGoy4bYqzQOUTetSHhOyMC-DqCbrsRcbgCcYv-Um3bex-Tc2noWQDhLJOco4_aN_pO-19d_0YJ4-A7eUa1IrzL55ZwEFSlOj12YtiM0RSQ_tPjCZ31lRpoKHUYTV1ZDrRK0fnYY/s320/wtvr.jpg" width="223" /></a><b><u>WTVR</u></b><br />
The event started quietly, with maybe 20 people milling around in all. Then a guy in leopard-print underpants walked onstage from nowhere, put a gas mask on and started making what can best be described as "one hell of an unholy racket", before then upping the ante by picking up an accordion. Then two other members of the audience walked up, jumped upon guitar and drums, and joined in with trying to redline the soundboard with what I can't really describe as songs or tunes because it was more of a wall of sound experience than anything else. Once it became clear that they were actually a cohesive band, I got around to trying to get their music, and failed in a quite pleasant way. It wasn't that it was especially cleaver or hyper-complex, it was closer to Muse on mcat than mathrock, it's just that it was filled with overdrive, feedback, and lyrics that were audible and poetic but basically a fever dream. I liked the experience, and when they focused on hammering out the tunes it managed to stay just far enough away from hipsterism to not irritate me. If pushed to pigeonhole it, I would say "avant garde alternative stoner", but given how wide-eyed the semi-naked vocalist was, a piss test would be required to prove the last bit.<br />
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<b><u>Malignant Germ Infestation</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42_l7SKIL7KTmb53R8ykxUK_bq9Y_Du7a5l2pjaEWrZIhKt5xYSpr4QvmahuAL0g3cbLkQiVdBkOHw0s6G1gYVSatOTSVnl2BiDDfNsu3Phg3TffMWz7J5Hzbt3gYPlyg489R9xIzYX4/s1600/mgi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42_l7SKIL7KTmb53R8ykxUK_bq9Y_Du7a5l2pjaEWrZIhKt5xYSpr4QvmahuAL0g3cbLkQiVdBkOHw0s6G1gYVSatOTSVnl2BiDDfNsu3Phg3TffMWz7J5Hzbt3gYPlyg489R9xIzYX4/s320/mgi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Next up was a werewolf in a boiler suit on the mic accompanied by a pig scientist on guitar, with a stage setup of a sacrificial satanic alter, bathed in blood, and assorted gender blowup sex dolls with sausages tied to them. The music was very heavy techno-grindcore, with 90's game/tv/porn clips thrown in between rounds, and the show consisted of the singer thrashing on the stage, at the front of the stage, and around the audience, like.... well, like a werewolf in a grindcore band. From time to time they would molest and / or torture the sex-dolls, suspending a number from meathooks on the stage, and given the titles of songs there was a strong over-the-top porno-gore thing going on but someone would have to workout what the lyrics were to give a call on that. It was certainly energetic and the duo were clearly playing their deranged parts with just the right levels of seriousness, including the final section which was a quiet, introspective bit of mime. In the grand scheme of things, it was more an art project than music, so as long as they continue to come up with dafter things to do on the visual side (and they don't kill themselves) they should keep on <span style="background-color: white;">charnel-</span>housing in the free world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXOcDc-ZE4yDMLfjHlhfZ3sZx9h7lkRgQAJD_SynidCW4TT9XfcpouZxWW_UaFzCl07LlLthu14E4r2XPeslT_gZctXeLGQpjwYXX8a_cIa64zTr2uaoEwx0PX6JgtngQtjWurJs94AE/s1600/Goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXOcDc-ZE4yDMLfjHlhfZ3sZx9h7lkRgQAJD_SynidCW4TT9XfcpouZxWW_UaFzCl07LlLthu14E4r2XPeslT_gZctXeLGQpjwYXX8a_cIa64zTr2uaoEwx0PX6JgtngQtjWurJs94AE/s320/Goat.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>Gout</u></b><br />
From one novelty extreme band to what appeared to be another, but whilst Gout came in with Hawaiian shirts on and Human Centipede level-of-humour song titles, it all soon got lost in them being a death metal band. Quite a good one, if that's your thing (which it was for a good chuck of the crowd were), but still essentially a death metal band in Hawaiian shirts. For devotees of the genre its probably a breath of fresh air, and I can see things like the whole band being listed as "backing vocals, backing drums" etc being comedy gold, but whilst they were quite good at what they did they could have been dressed in anything they wanted, including just a bunch of black jeans and t-shirts, for all the difference the schtick made. Not dull, not bad, I'm quite probably not their target audience.<br />
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<b><u>Petrol Bastard</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuDEYmurxp7kDKPDgBv6ZQf1em1GZ6qp5olojMnot5GWLt_zjIOjSQreHPllLV66nJfrcR6qljUkPpxEGrIy-oiMGnozLJRpRMx6mI3UxDioXScDLdMZpsXOxmtSEDGsuWB9s25SoFf8/s1600/Petrol+Bastard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuDEYmurxp7kDKPDgBv6ZQf1em1GZ6qp5olojMnot5GWLt_zjIOjSQreHPllLV66nJfrcR6qljUkPpxEGrIy-oiMGnozLJRpRMx6mI3UxDioXScDLdMZpsXOxmtSEDGsuWB9s25SoFf8/s320/Petrol+Bastard.jpg" width="320" /></a>For some this band are the logical end result of 90s industrial / underground electro; observing the disappointment of the promised future that never arrived, slapping it in the face with the realism of parochial, low-rent hedonism, and holding it up on an absurdist, reductivist, pedestal for loving parody and brutal ridicule. For others they're two blokes singing rude, daft, belligerent songs with choruses even the most drunken of audiences can vomit up, that are all done to a jackhammer up-for-it techno backing track that was ganked out of the Prodigies bin. Either interpretations is right, so you can be at the back with a wry, knowing smile or up-the-front dancing-your-tits-off and love it just as much. Easily the act that got the most motion out of the audience (including a can-can line) and certainly the most obsessed with shoving electronics up their arses,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzcL9slRc7774wG-kyS9TTCLFVft8OaTn-gKPZUS5EPB3-kkvrihdJK14wC3B6unwXbhOipwJ6JUv1A9Mjh6SQv91EJQj6uSkhiEWuZRpy7xS2KCdJtM9rnAy0EdQdQXGrKxo9cpGEV8/s1600/20160611_213547_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzcL9slRc7774wG-kyS9TTCLFVft8OaTn-gKPZUS5EPB3-kkvrihdJK14wC3B6unwXbhOipwJ6JUv1A9Mjh6SQv91EJQj6uSkhiEWuZRpy7xS2KCdJtM9rnAy0EdQdQXGrKxo9cpGEV8/s320/20160611_213547_11.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>Outright Resistance</u></b><br />
Four musicians on stage, thrashing away like the late 80s were back and they wanted to make it into the Big Five. Singer out front, belting out with fury and heart, and scaring everyone backwards because they might as well have had "Face Towards Enemy" stamped on their forehead they were that explosive. It was fast, it was furious, it was jolly good fun, and they are clearly on a mission. They also do requests, finishing on the most chest pounding version of "Safety Dance" I've heard because one of their fans asked them to. The fans that helped them recover from having £5,000 of kit stolen, and the ones that the band are happy to talk to whenever because sometimes you just need someone to talk to and if your listening to this kind of stuff it's likely that your life isn't just roses. I had a chat with the singer at the bar afterwards, and that just confirmed that they are a very genuine act. It's probably not redefining any genres or pushing back that many musical boundaries, but it was good, it was personal without being introvert, they were clearly enjoying being up their to give it their all and, that often makes all the difference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hM1Q6cqJ9cg-D8Hf4GcVWP8BTR-tXiLSZmzh72cyZRu2yCFvaRACYXCAVI86NvAGDy40xd8DbNyyh7jdm-bZYNciNAlbhWbxsijJOKL_tUq5WG4WSXEmLOv8d-HVNjZ1PMBbBZS5kOo/s1600/20160611_222908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hM1Q6cqJ9cg-D8Hf4GcVWP8BTR-tXiLSZmzh72cyZRu2yCFvaRACYXCAVI86NvAGDy40xd8DbNyyh7jdm-bZYNciNAlbhWbxsijJOKL_tUq5WG4WSXEmLOv8d-HVNjZ1PMBbBZS5kOo/s320/20160611_222908.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight</u></b><br />
It's a stoner band, playing stoner blues/doom rock in a stoner style. Their sing like their from Alabama and they talk like their from Essex. They introduced a song about wanting a women to get naked with them by saying it was about "a women putting their clothes on my floor" when the song is called "Clothes on my floor" and the hook lyric is "I want your clothes on my floor". Badoom-cha! What they did they did well with no surprises or deviation from the script. They mentioned that they had their album available in "delicious vinyl", I don't know if that was a comment on the format or it's taste. I wasn't stoned, so I failed to give a monkeys.<br />
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Whilst the line up was possibly a little heavy on novelty acts, rather than straight up rocking, there was enough range with the acts for their to be something for everyone to like (assuming you like the heavier side of rock in the first place). The crowd was pleasant, the beer was good, the venue just the right size, and I'll be adding the May Brawl back into my calendar.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-15859640864247310072016-02-18T22:47:00.000+00:002016-02-18T22:47:37.875+00:00Collective Punishment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtuZyngaPG5l62iFyMpjuhxX5bVqJEV8aSk5XUDSaxAaEX-DJR6FVBCtEtPY5fAFZGKufjiEUzzVreWruTnAJGICY6gYkH-OYXbDMX3AY9kQB35_KbBIKiBUhJ_vNWhymFAL8JbfPY6o/s1600/Stuff_the_Ballot_Box_xlarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtuZyngaPG5l62iFyMpjuhxX5bVqJEV8aSk5XUDSaxAaEX-DJR6FVBCtEtPY5fAFZGKufjiEUzzVreWruTnAJGICY6gYkH-OYXbDMX3AY9kQB35_KbBIKiBUhJ_vNWhymFAL8JbfPY6o/s1600/Stuff_the_Ballot_Box_xlarge.jpeg" /></a></div>
In a move to bring back the excitement to Eurovision, in a similar way that exploding nipple-clamps brings back excitement to a doomed marriage, the powers that be have decided that the 2016 dross-a-thon will have a public vote. Oh yes, I can hear the joy on your breath already - because, like I do - this brings to the forefront of the world's largest abuse of the word "talent" show, two of the things I love the most in the world: voting systems and throwing heartfelt and whimsical abuse at the Eurovision Song Contest.<br />
<br />
First, the technical side of things. Previously the vote was done by each country getting a jury of "music experts" / coked-up shaved monkeys to vote on the best act, the people of each nation that <i>actually </i>think Eurovision is worth voting on, to hit their phones to record their vote, and then it gets averaged out to give out the countries votes in preferred order/Russia as number one if within invasion range. So far, so inevitably not England winning and, because of the number of countries involved and a max of 12 points to hand out, it meant that half of the voting section of the show was wasted as a quarter of the way through someone had mathematically inevitably won and there are only so many times over twenty minutes you can show the same person trying to emote shock, surprise, and joy over something only an act of a god with a decent taste in music could stop.<br />
<br />The new system "creates TV magic" (their honest to god words, all complaints to info@eurovision.tv) by giving each countries' public an equal number of votes to their jury. After all, the official voting is drummed out with the monotony of a Thursday afternoon school assembly, and they will then, in reverse order, read out how many total votes each country got from the plebiscite. Technically this means that no-one knows who will have won until the very last moment, in reality it means that you get to sit through even more tedium on an already interminably slow show. Oh yeah, and it'll give the public an enhanced sense of empowerment, so it'll drive a lot text messages and give them more dollar. There is also, thanks to the app, the increased chance of someone trying to rig the vote in a more direct fashion, however Eurovision have assured everyone that that isn't possible, mostly by not admitting it is.<br />
<br />
Anyway: on a technical level its main advantage is that "politics" (i.e. Russia) can't be too involved with the final decision and the Jury can't disagree as much with the public as before, so there will be less outcry if "the wrong act" wins. However, you still have the same basic issue as before of, if a countries Jury gives an act a 2 and the public give it a 10 it still averages out as a six, it's just now out of a possible 24 rather than 12. You also continue to have the problem of the public voting politically, rather than on an "is it actually a good act" level (Russia is basically never getting another point from the Western public) that the jury may actually be skilled to vote on. You also continue to have the issue of Cultural Closeness, wherein countries with similar musical traditions and cultures will tend to vote for each other because they 'just like the tune' because it sounds like what they hear on the radio all the time, rather than being able to make an objective evaluation of it. Oh yeah, and boobs are really going to come into play here, as there are going to be a lot of votes up for grabs if you can convince the audience that there is a chance of seeing more butter being churned, even though<br />
<br />
So will any of that change things for the UK? No, obviously it won't because our selection criteria continues to be "<a href="http://raggedymusic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/we-are-still-going-to-lose-eurovision.html" target="_blank">are they a bloody disgrace compared to everything else we have on offer?</a>". It's just that now we get to firmly see how much the voting public of Europe hates it, in unequivocal terms. But mostly it's just a bit of pointless deckchair moving. As an attempt at trying to be a bit more representative of the public tastes it fails, as populations aren't taken into account, as an attempt to inject some excitement it fails, as there is still the tedium of the jury section before most of what's gone before gets made pointless by the lighting round, and as an attempt to remove politics it fails, as the assumption that the audience isn't political has been proven well and truly false over the last couple of years.<br />
<br />
About the only thing it really does is prove that the Eurovision are unwilling to deal with the basic overblown nature of the show, and that they think a bit of mid 2ks interactivity will shake things up in any meaningful manner. Because as far as Eurovision are concerned, the show will always go on, and on, and on, and on....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-20217389616195233372016-01-23T20:09:00.001+00:002016-01-23T20:13:23.928+00:00War On The Dancefloor - 22.01.16<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cJZwekQka6JQ5xc-lOoxTenrFzAXQX4iSCeO1OWrLRsLMiN-bJm07ss1M7luiA3hvwzAEIhnP5ZWMyTTtpWGPC_EGAFnyWVtLXq6p0NVNN4JsMIN-uO7sUdTRP_W-KJCGS4yg95dfu0/s1600/10381995_10153861439763185_1595843685861973273_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cJZwekQka6JQ5xc-lOoxTenrFzAXQX4iSCeO1OWrLRsLMiN-bJm07ss1M7luiA3hvwzAEIhnP5ZWMyTTtpWGPC_EGAFnyWVtLXq6p0NVNN4JsMIN-uO7sUdTRP_W-KJCGS4yg95dfu0/s200/10381995_10153861439763185_1595843685861973273_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frighteningly accurate enactment</td></tr>
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My first DJing of the 2016 and it's the stompy grounds of War On The Dancefloor at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QClubCambridge/" target="_blank">The Q Club</a>. Laying down the sets before me were Darren (who needs to be more confident and move himself up the listing) and Chris, and then Hallam kept them going till the end. For a Friday before the post Christmas payday it wasn't that bad a turn out, and they have started stocking McEwans Champion at the bar so it all got a bit tired and emotional near the end....<br />
<br />
<h3>
11:30 to 12:45</h3>
<div>
Police State - Birmingham 6</div>
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Land of Rape and Honey - Ministry</div>
<div>
Bomb the Clubs - Caustic</div>
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Scumbags and Spent Slags (Be My Enemy mix) - Flesh Eating Foundation</div>
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Airstrike - Seething Akira</div>
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Run You - The Quemists</div>
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Hallo Spaceboy - David Bowie</div>
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I'm Afraid of Americans (Nine Inch Nails mix) - David Bowie</div>
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Ace of Spades - The Chaos Engine</div>
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Survivalism - Nine Inch Nails</div>
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Beast - Rabbit Junk</div>
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Skinny Little Bitch - Anglespit</div>
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<b><i> {Brief Technical Pause}</i></b></div>
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Torn Apart - Stabbing Westward & Wink</div>
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Hammer of the Gods - Fadderhead</div>
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Everything is War - Combichrist</div>
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Revolution Action - Atari Teenage Riot</div>
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Ghost Rider - Suicide</div>
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<div>
The Brief Technical Pause was due to <a href="http://www.djuced.com/en/content/djuced-18" target="_blank">DJuced 18</a> crashing when I tried to move a song from another playlist into the one I was using. Bug report filled and hopefully it'll be fixed in the next update, but I'll be looking into an alternative program if it's going to start playing silly buggers like that. Thankfully the floor waited for me to get things back on the go and they keep moving 'til the end.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-15272062945731326172016-01-07T19:40:00.000+00:002016-01-07T19:43:40.300+00:00Turntables at CES<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9imyh4f0L6g5AemNyDl6hEy2eUAjT5Da8tlT7NWiBEUDpc6nnLxwcXUmjVUn5XVy68t4u82S-MimeWZ9Bc0QXHCNNpcUf76awwqNkxj4e9qUb2_Y2PZEDnmPExBzC0DeHNA-knWB53Xw/s1600/Posing-6-via-Posting-DJs-tumblr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9imyh4f0L6g5AemNyDl6hEy2eUAjT5Da8tlT7NWiBEUDpc6nnLxwcXUmjVUn5XVy68t4u82S-MimeWZ9Bc0QXHCNNpcUf76awwqNkxj4e9qUb2_Y2PZEDnmPExBzC0DeHNA-knWB53Xw/s320/Posing-6-via-Posting-DJs-tumblr.jpg" width="320" /></a>To go with the recent news that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35234297" target="_blank">"Vinyl Is Saving Music!"</a> (it isn't, it's 7% of the market that happens to be a more expensive product so makes up a lot of sales value), <a href="http://www.alphr.com/audio/1002355/the-record-player-revival-technics-and-sony-bring-vinyl-back-at-ces-2016" target="_blank">Sony and Panasonic</a> have turned up to the Consumer Electronics Show ("This is what you could have had for Christmas!") with a pair of turn-tables. And thus "Vinyl Is Back!" screams everyone who hasn't got a clue what they're talking about but this time hopes they're going to be on the Cool Train.<br />
<br />
Now firstly, and I want to make this very clear, the two decks in question are "Nice!". As in 'audiophile says these things are good bits of kit' nice. The Technics are essentially a more modern version of the SL-1200G which everyone of "a certain age" and calibre in DJing has used, because they were actually that good. Even if you weren't of the right calibre you've played on a rip-off of them, because they were just that ubiquitous for a reason, and now they have a nicer direct-drive motor in them so you'll get a smoother mix IF you still use vinyl. Which most people stopped doing years ago, which was why they stopped being made.<br />
<br />
The Sony offering PS-HX500 is different approach entirely; essentially the most tricked out version of the "convert you're vinyl to MP3" that everyone one in the days between after you started switching to digital and before you found out you could download someone else's better copy from Pirate Bay. It's got internal audio-to-digital conversion, edit/mixing software, and you can technically hook it up to a audio rig and play out on it at a real good quality.<br />
<br />
But you won't if you're serious about your music, because it's vinyl and vinyl sucks. Or, at the very least, it does when compared to modern formats. Yes, vinyl had a very important place in the history of music, and, yes, there was something nice about going to a record shop and fingering through the album racks, and, yes, if you must be the kind of person who's most important format decision is how obviously you can show off that you bought a record, it's nice to have a large physical item with a big cover on the front. I know this, because I've got a collection of vinyl myself as I go weak at the knees being able to touch a bit of music history; it mostly sits on the shelf whilst I listen to the FLACs. Some people still DJ on vinyl, however the two biggest reasons to do this are because it's all part of the performance of that particular event or they are stubborn die-hards that also don't set the levels back when they've finished their sets. Anyone who does it because it's only available on vinyl has long since converted the music to digital, because it's the only way to keep such precious content from falling apart.<br />
<br />
Vinyl is heavy, awkward to carry, deteriorates rapidly, and is expensive to produce, ship, and stock. The reason that CD and digital is doing so well right now is because it's about a million times better for most everyday usage, be you a DJ or a regular listener. At one time vinyl sounded the best for the period, before wear and tear kicked in, but those days are gone and you can demonstrably get a far better sound from digital now, as scientifically proved on a number of occasions. You can also, if you're into making music, get it out and about in minutes rather than months by using the magic of electronics.<br />
<br />
What's happened with the recent vinyl boom is that a bunch of people decided to be hip and focus on the iconography of vinyl and the retroism of it. The novelty of buying something which a whole generation are just not used to seeing anywhere has kicked in, it's become a cheap luxury item and a means to show musical eliteness with the minimum of effort. And because of that boom Sony and Panasonic have gone "lets make the thing that everyone is asking us for, because everyone's got an MP3 player or streaming device and they all threw their record players away in 2005". They are adding either some minor technical innovation (because it's a technology that stopped advancing 20 years ago) or some consideration to how the technology is being used these days (because the other formats are just more convenient). But they are not going to break the bank with these devices, because vinyl is not going to come back as anything more than niche. No matter how much people scream about it.<br />
<br />
Which is not to diminish the kit they are selling, because it is very nice.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-89963953515361290712016-01-04T21:32:00.001+00:002016-01-04T21:32:27.291+00:00The Sonics: Psycho-Sonic and This Is The Sonics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb8DIaWp8c_3xbSGjtfRVCQZwZqvBjq9JlSxuD7mujw8lu8GbVahkGetdIhfFZx-iJBD80WVBcl7IoZiuMR5hMhUyNCrSGZHlelDHHtoVw0s2RDwrILTvoZL-1q1MDpQy7kNCIXPii3M/s1600/1401x788-84911764+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb8DIaWp8c_3xbSGjtfRVCQZwZqvBjq9JlSxuD7mujw8lu8GbVahkGetdIhfFZx-iJBD80WVBcl7IoZiuMR5hMhUyNCrSGZHlelDHHtoVw0s2RDwrILTvoZL-1q1MDpQy7kNCIXPii3M/s400/1401x788-84911764+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsMxm_YpZD8KCpBaPrKXTChyphenhyphenmtfljsT0h13vxme7hOZVAcVeQLHnSYq9pYy5J8h_CqjUbTC_YG_ND5DQ7IApYdLx_2MN2g_CJtfL82NPNhFEyUtOQwVwl7DDYZkr5TrzBzVMEQKR4awQ/s1600/1401x788-84911764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The Sonics are one of those bands that never made it as big at the time as we now think they should have, because what they did didn't really make that much sense to a lot of people until many years later. For the brothers Andy and Larry Parypa in 1964 Tacoma, Washington state, that thing was to play a style of stripped down rock and roll that burned with a rawness, a passion, and a power that would be the tinder and the fuel everything in the line of American folk music that would eventually end up being called punk. Rather than follow the norm of the time and "move on" towards psychedelia, progression, or pop, they hunkered down and tried to find out how much more could be beaten out of the original formula.<br />
<br />
The result was the two albums, Here Are The Sonics (1965) and Boom (1966), which have been collected, along with with all the singles and alternative / live versions held from their time with Etiquette records, in the "Psycho-Sonic" album. In this you can hear their dance hall circuit origins in Boss Hoss, Louie Louie, and Roll Over Beethoven: tunes that they attack with a gusto and a sheer volume that clearly was beyond the means of that periods equipment to capture. It's a sound of people who grew up on Blackboard Jungle, rather than with it, and who just wanted to make it bigger. You can also hear the start of the outsider anthem, especially the triumvirate of The Witch, Psycho, and Strychnine, which mixed the dark social/horror themes of the blues with a James Dean swagger that had no clue where it was going or how but knew it had to get their fast. It was anger that wasn't sure why it felt that bad, and only felt worse because everyone else was having such a good time. Its a savage piece of America, but with a musicianship and core listenability that makes it enthralling and occasionally even introvert, and that carries the DNA that you can hear in the likes of The Stooges, The Ramones, and Nirvana (to name but a few of the bands fans). As an album it's a slice of a specific piece in time, of an underground that was just discovering itself, and a timeless piece of rock and roll mastery that you may have overlooked.<br />
<br />
Given the history of the band, of their signing to a major label to then have their sound neutered and for them to split before tasting fame, it's natural to ask "what would happen if they were given a second chance now that everyone knows how great they were?". Thankfully This Is The Sonics, recorded 50 years later in 2015 with 3 of the original 5 members and following on/off live performances since 2007, answers this with a clear and concise "exactly the same thing, only louder". "I Don't Need No Doctor", "The Hard Way", and "Livin' In Chaos" are stand outs by a nose, That a bunch of 70 year old's can continue to rock as hard as before impressive in itself, but that they can do it with a sound that comes across as classic rather than retro is pure brilliance. Even the dirty-distortion of their first period is maintained, technology having improved enough to get the full glory of their overdriven glory as this is a band that could play a triangle and make it sound like it was hocked into a Marshall stack. About the only change is that they sound a little more focused, a little less confused, but in no way any more mellow nor one jot less rocking.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-29058729093863488922015-12-29T08:22:00.001+00:002015-12-29T08:34:09.336+00:00A Small Selection Of Things Lemmy Did Other Than Motorhead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you are anything like me then the the chances are that today, and quite possibly tomorrow and a good number of days after that, your reaction to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMotorhead/posts/1107561019276205" target="_blank">the passing of Lemmy</a> is going to be playing a lot of Motorhead cranked up good and high. And after the 15 hours of blissfully wonderful studio albums, and god-alone-knows hours of incredible live recordings, (see multiple previous postings) you might want some of his other work to listen to so you can hear the true range of this mighty Rock & Roll Warrior's works. Because as long as we're still listening to him he's still with us.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rockin%27_Vickers" target="_blank">The Rocking Vickers</a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Gopal" target="_blank">Sam Gopal</a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawkwind" target="_blank">Hawkwind</a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Lockheed_and_the_Starfighters" target="_blank">Robert Calver's Band</a></div>
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Lemmy And The Upstetters</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Head_Cat" target="_blank">Headcat</a></div>
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And a massive list of other collaborations and guest appearances, as you can't keep that much music tied down to one thing.</div>
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RIP Lemmy, you will be missed.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-2802155781092319522015-12-06T19:22:00.002+00:002015-12-06T20:13:11.295+00:00Duran Duran @ The NEC Genting Arena - 04/12/2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRRf_qLzWjJvVAcMyMj0-updn1lsGMV4rumDkUjis8mANpwY9omGycwUWgVBYNdCmEj88M7XcANwdmvl3tUVni37zrks21QlbUTfC8KpEFoWrfu4q9hHNDY-pFdgzOolFXf10hwYvU8I/s1600/12243115_10153767205357733_6102047193239647754_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRRf_qLzWjJvVAcMyMj0-updn1lsGMV4rumDkUjis8mANpwY9omGycwUWgVBYNdCmEj88M7XcANwdmvl3tUVni37zrks21QlbUTfC8KpEFoWrfu4q9hHNDY-pFdgzOolFXf10hwYvU8I/s320/12243115_10153767205357733_6102047193239647754_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Genting Arena is best described as a cross between an airport departure lounge, what premier league football stadiums dream they are and an exercise in seeing how much you can overcharge for every kind of food and drink under the sun. It's also got lovely staff and on this brisk - but not too stormy - night, it was the venue for the return of Birmingham's greatest 80's export (or, as Simon Le Bon put it, it's "bastard children"). The venue was mostly rammed, the audience was mostly over thirty and everyone was moderately buzzing at the chance of going back to their youth. The only problem was: both the acts they had heard of had actually done a lot of stuff since they were last heard on the chart countdown.<br />
<br />
Before that: <a href="http://bloomtwins.com/" target="_blank">Bloom Twins</a>, a pair of quite talented Darkwave performers from Ukraine who do a good line in synths, live drums and mixing of 50's cinema tunes, with modern sounds that ends up being haunting, emotional and interestingly minimalistic. It was also wasted on the audience - the few that had turned up to see them by that point - and, in a neat nod to the 80's, suffered from the Ultravox problem of 'how do you make things look interesting on stage if everyone is stuck behind a sodding huge set of keyboards". I would happily listen to them again if their tunes came on the radio and would love to see them if they played in a club, but at 500 feet it was, inevitably, a bit of a non-event.<br />
<br />
Little known fact: <a href="http://seal.com/" target="_blank">Seal</a> has done seven studio albums since he released "Kiss From A Rose", something that he was quite happy to tell an audience that appeared to think he'd been keep in stasis since 1994. However they would be forgiven for having that thought, as 52 years olds really aren't supposed to be able to belt out tunes with that much power AND command the stage with that much presence AND interact with the audience with that much grace and warming wit. He started, perfectly, on Crazy and Killer which got a huge reaction. He then, perfectly, did a brace of soulful, R&B meets rock, classics from his other albums which were meet with polite applause from everyone more than three rows from the front, and finished on an, unsurprisingly perfect, rendition of "Kiss From A Rose" that got everyone singing and cheering.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.duranduran.com/" target="_blank">Duran Duran</a> have also not been resting on their laurels since their heyday of 1981 to 1989, especially with departures, returns and a brief hiatus when no-one really thought they would get back together again. They also (finally) have a really solid album (<a href="http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/new-site-news/" target="_blank">Paper Gods</a>) to show off and thus were more than happy to kick things off with the title track, before kicking into a set that was 50/50 classics/tracks most of the audience didn't know because they weren't written in the 80's. But they lapped it up because it's Duran Duran, they can rock it like devils and they were overly happy to be playing to their hometown crowd, so wanted everyone to know how chuffed they were to be there.<br />
<br />
The stage show wasn't anything too fancy and involved a bit of AV with well timed lights; the theatrics were kept minimal with only Danceophobia having any real choreography. But the impact was undeniable; the charm, charisma and confidence just dripping off every more and note. Simon Le Bon and John Taylor stalking their stage like the pop superstars they are, Nick Rhodes stayed at his keyboards like a conductor-general marshalling his forces and Roger Taylor just hammered his kit.<br />
<br />
When they played tracks the crowd knew, everyone was dancing; when they played tracks the crowd didn't, everyone was listening - and when the moment was right, then everyone was singing. The big moment for that was the encore with Save A Prayer; something that was obviously going to be emotional, given it having become somewhat of an anthem for the Paris attacks. Le Bon introduced it well, stating the facts and offering it up as a song of hope - and then let the audience do most of the legwork. Hopefully there won't be much call for things like this in the future, but that night it gave a much-needed sense of togetherness and optimism. Then they kicked into Rio and people got back with the main point of the night: brilliant Pop that's a bit daft, occasionally poignant, and always damn good fun.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-32897505347372854202015-11-22T21:18:00.004+00:002015-11-22T21:31:37.468+00:00Industrial Music: Caustic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKI5PMMovYPlZTHDJv305uS6AVUh-tql7RNUDEJC5RRlgc-9sXvvNZhSD6icfLi8rZNOvmjNc6e6GPyIEwIuAKKlMKafg3AmB-QpDclBxc3n6rNNckWVAsr5V99BBSOXXJ6VHKlYc_tQ/s1600/a1724776513_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKI5PMMovYPlZTHDJv305uS6AVUh-tql7RNUDEJC5RRlgc-9sXvvNZhSD6icfLi8rZNOvmjNc6e6GPyIEwIuAKKlMKafg3AmB-QpDclBxc3n6rNNckWVAsr5V99BBSOXXJ6VHKlYc_tQ/s320/a1724776513_16.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you were after delicately nuanced or subtly composed music, then the tenth album from <a href="http://www.tellmeaboutmyuterus.com/" target="_blank">Matt Fanale / Caustic</a> is not for you. <a href="https://causticngp.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">This album</a> is a steady, dependable, punch in the face; a throwback to the dawn times of industrial music that has gone "yeah - EBM, electro and the last twenty years of regular progression have been interesting and all that. But I just want violent, stompy noise and lyrics about hate." It's all stripped down, distorted beats, with shoutable tunes on themes of fucked-up feelings and disastrous emotions, designed to get people angry in the pit.<br />
<br />
Opener "Attention Please" has a keyboard roll and lyrical delivery that reminds you of early rap tracks, whilst the instrumental "Michael Fucking Ironside" has a kind of bastard trance all the way through it like Brighton rock. The finisher "Bleached Asshole/The Deafening Beat of My Heart" touches on drone and "Toxic Waste" has the most modern sounding, near-gabba drums in it (along with some kick-arse guitar). But the rest of it, including the ironically dancefloor friendly "Bomb the Clubs", have a familiarity of the old school to them that is, frankly, awesome and needed.<br />
<br />
Whilst experimentation and new directions are always welcome, it's great to have someone take it back to the start and go "no, this is how it's done and this is why its so damn good". It also doesn't sound like rework-retro or hipster lo-fi, as it has a clarity of sound and depth of production that many of the early classics were missing. It's just a selection of the core concepts of the genre done with none of the extraneous elements that can often overcrowd or over-complicate things. Think of it as a cool glass of water after months of complicated juice bars and experimental health shakes, that someone has now pissed in and is challenging you to down in one. True: its not going to be for everyone. But some folks think it could both fun and healthy for you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-2270507938637208582015-11-22T12:44:00.000+00:002015-11-22T12:45:52.866+00:00This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story Of The Misfits by James Green JR.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezpeLMIGiC36D7E4zcRfGORRsOsdBFhKaEmoIZ1yjDpr9apzOR4xl0IKxAapbW5yAlwjwViBvPhpkP1oGleLngm6iSVPyGLkoj1AW7YV9F99WyHDmviNuuFSw0kQlwQO95mGTXb31Yno/s1600/themusicleavestainscover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezpeLMIGiC36D7E4zcRfGORRsOsdBFhKaEmoIZ1yjDpr9apzOR4xl0IKxAapbW5yAlwjwViBvPhpkP1oGleLngm6iSVPyGLkoj1AW7YV9F99WyHDmviNuuFSw0kQlwQO95mGTXb31Yno/s320/themusicleavestainscover.jpg" width="201" /></a>I've been thinking about doing an article about the influence that horror, sci-fi, and similar B-Movie <br />
schlock has had on punk rock - and to a greater extent, rock music as a whole. However James Greene Jr.manages to do such a good job of it in pages 3 to 7 (covering the tradition of dark fantasy theme within rock since it's inception, the unrelenting thirst for content of 60s & 70s USA TV stations pumping the movies out, the move from 40's & 50's ideal lifestyles to economic pressures forcing mothers into the workplace causing more TV viewing by kids, and the kitschy anti-establishment & juvenile escapist joys found within them)... that there really isn't much more to add to his thesis.<br />
<br />
As an added bonus, his observations are followed by a full and fully researched <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Music-Leaves-Stains-Complete/dp/1589798929/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448195862&sr=1-1&keywords=this+music+leaves+stain" target="_blank">history of the progenitors of the Horror Punk genre</a>. Starting with the first musical endeavors of founder member Glen Danzig and working it's way through to the contemporary Jerry Only period of the band, this book uses a combination of the historical record and interviews with an extensive range of members and associates of the troupe. Whilst doing so, it also gives a wider idea of the Misfits place and importance in the history of punk rock as a whole; something that previous works like <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Hardcore-Steven-Blush/dp/1932595899/" target="_blank">American Hardcore: A Tribal History</a> have touched on but never truly given the credit owed, due to either the lyrical/performance content of the heavy metal elements of their work not fitting into the established narratives of the genre.<br />
<br />
Given the number of people who have gone through it's ranks, and the amount of disagreement over what did or didn't happen (often settled by legal action), the "give everyone's view, and let the reader decide" approach adopted by Greene is a practical solution to a complicated problem. It's also an approach that could leave the reader unsure as to what may have happened, however there is sufficient editorializing opinion thrown in to make it clear where the writer sits on many occasions. This could upset Misfits fans with a strong viewpoint on the personalities involved (which boils down to Danzig Vs Only), but the appreciation shown for the music and performances should avoid alienating all but the most entrenched of fans.<br />
<br />
What you mostly get is a clear yet wistful message that if the band hadn't had it's internal rifts, it would never have produced the content it did - but the band could also have been so much more successful than it was. You also get some interesting (and often sarcastically funny) insights into what is involved in writing a book such as this, plus the egos that can continue, decades after the events. Add to this the true story of a band that failed to succeed at the time but became a huge influence to those who followed and the eventual return (of sorts) to the deserved acclaim all of this, helps make this book a great read, be it for fan or soon-to-be fan of the band.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-16001366679251291142015-10-01T23:00:00.001+01:002015-10-01T23:00:28.749+01:00We are still going to lose Eurovision<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBG2pQiUnkZeE0fQ3AFhKVNh4yB95hcIM26v6SPP1qYC45q1p4c2WFzQ9ZHCnsSzBy4dysCrk4-z-MrO9s71BDNZQfjmFKPgTdMMpSpsvZ9G9YIwoxlkX1vDo_qD1nRBwm96aL9raOGI/s1600/3665_5thBattalionYork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBG2pQiUnkZeE0fQ3AFhKVNh4yB95hcIM26v6SPP1qYC45q1p4c2WFzQ9ZHCnsSzBy4dysCrk4-z-MrO9s71BDNZQfjmFKPgTdMMpSpsvZ9G9YIwoxlkX1vDo_qD1nRBwm96aL9raOGI/s320/3665_5thBattalionYork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So a couple of days ago, everyone who thinks that the Eurovision contest is important got all excited about headlines like <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34391365" target="_blank">this one</a> that implied that the Great British Public (known connoisseurs of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_Singles_Chart_Christmas_number_ones" target="_blank">good musical taste</a>) were actually going to have something to do with the selection of the song that will represent us to Europe. Yup, for a brief few seconds we actually thought that we might get to find and pick a blinder of an act (rather than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest#Contestants" target="_blank">raid the colonies for a ringer</a>) that could go forth to Johnny Foreigner and show them what the British Music scene has to offer (from a selection of acts that don't want to risk the career suicide of 'nil pois').<br />
<br />
Only it's not going to help at all, in any way, due to two major reasons. Firstly, the songs entered (of which I assume there will be many containing nothing but expletives) have to go through the <a href="http://www.ogae.uk/" target="_blank">OGAE</a>, i.e. the largest collection of people in this country who have sat through every Eurovision ever, including the secret ones where Wogan started demanding whisky and launch codes. These are people who have bought into the chintz of Eurovision to the point of being willing to spend £15.00 a year in the internet age to get a magazine about one of the most heavily promoted and publicised events out there. They are indoctrinated into and educated in the ways of Eurovision, the voting cycles and the tactics, the politics and the power-plays. Fundamentally, these are the people who would tell Lordi to turn it down or be worried that Conchita Wurst would upset the Russians too much, so the chances of an outsider or oddball choice is instantly gone as they focus on what will get "The Win".<br />
<br />
So once anything that is either new, exciting, or edgy (i.e. most of the music coming from anything even vaguely not-top-30) is binned, we get the barrier of "a professional panel and the public". The first bit sounds nice, but then you remember that professional panels were also why Electro Velvet, Scooch, Daz Sampson, Blue and other such aberrations were allowed to ever be thought "a good thing". Plus, because it'll be on the BBC and thus the decision process will be gunning for TV viewer eyes, it means the panel will include "names" like the git-demon Wil.I.Am, who will be going out of their way to make 'bold decisions' to promote their own agenda, rather than thinking "can we win this?" And then "the public" roll in, specifically the aforementioned TV viewing public. The kind of people who watch the X-Factor or The Voice for "the drama", which basically means someone having a good sob story or being attractive in a trying-hard way. Talent, beyond a certain base level, won't be the issue - it'll be about likeability.<br />
<br />
So, after several months of being promised that we might <i>actually </i>win this time and that it's <i>really </i>going to be different, we are going to get something that is scientifically selected to win last year's event, that has been vetted by people more interested in their own next album, and then approved by people who fundamentally wanted to watch Eastenders but with a bit more of a tune. And then folks will wonder why we hit the bottom and ask if we can just bring in a ringer again.<br />
<br />
Of course it's easy (and fun) to mock, Eurovision is an easy target for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest" target="_blank">awfulness </a> But there is a way that this could all be fixed and it's an incredibly easy one: actually let the public decide. Have an open list, have anyone be able to enter a song if they want, and then let people vote directly from that list. Have one big show where you announce the winner if you want, and then have the experts work with them to spruce up whatever it is they are going play to the absolute peak of it's potential (you can make a documentary out of it if you want). But make it actually picked by the public, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXt5dPEfeQ" target="_blank">actually representative of the British Public</a>. Because if we lose, it will be on our own terms - but if we win, it will be something we can actually be proud of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8oTtSTRdSw" target="_blank">for more than five minutes</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-36922198870701727412015-09-30T20:56:00.003+01:002015-09-30T20:58:06.602+01:00Breakout Festival - Brighton Racecourse - 26.09.2015<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMj4TJ-HD2gqe5b5fRNMbBEliQ_0ZoIWyXGR1JY2SkrLgFJYS2lSGX3P4vYNTHdAK1XnFXdyYf5FnW_Jnud4Zen692SfdV1QbWKeRWzyWMbUIv7g31F1Qv0sJtDMiwrfR4M0uAxTDCfw/s1600/BREAKOUTFEST_POSTER_3-small.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMj4TJ-HD2gqe5b5fRNMbBEliQ_0ZoIWyXGR1JY2SkrLgFJYS2lSGX3P4vYNTHdAK1XnFXdyYf5FnW_Jnud4Zen692SfdV1QbWKeRWzyWMbUIv7g31F1Qv0sJtDMiwrfR4M0uAxTDCfw/s200/BREAKOUTFEST_POSTER_3-small.png" width="140" /></a>It's not often you associate Brighton with heavy metal & hard rock, but from going along to the Second annual Breakout Festival it's quite clear that they go together as well as ice-cream and beach walks (well, the type that leave you happy, tired, and somewhat deaf). It's also quite clear from having attended this years event that the organisers know how to operate an efficient band-packed event, and that the local scene is filled to the brim with friendly folk out to have a splendid time of it all. And by "all" I mean 14 bands for the outrageously low price of £27.50 (including booking fee), starting at 10:40 and finishing almost 12 music-soaked and fist-pumped hours later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3jpwnoRo_Es4vyIS2ZBx3FCdDhyXRCfzXCn7hiU7qiG-3JigLDQzZIpmgoLQywoGqECSjtCbQJX0N7XVJugRz_ymPpEleT1Tc8RNzHESwTbIgsXJ8fp6c0PThgCrn4lWYTNRmetQpb0/s1600/wedeny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3jpwnoRo_Es4vyIS2ZBx3FCdDhyXRCfzXCn7hiU7qiG-3JigLDQzZIpmgoLQywoGqECSjtCbQJX0N7XVJugRz_ymPpEleT1Tc8RNzHESwTbIgsXJ8fp6c0PThgCrn4lWYTNRmetQpb0/s320/wedeny.jpg" width="320" /></a>Opening up was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wedeny" target="_blank">We Deny</a>, a quality pop-punk outfit that managed to pull people in through a combo of ridiculous amounts of energy for that time of the morning and a clear talent for catchy tunes. It was "light, but filling" in the best of ways, getting my feet tapping and face smiling before the first bite of coffee. Quite frankly, if you're under 25 and have even the slightest interest in being happy about things, then put this on your car stereo and just drive off to adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIBtkzExnwr_90nTW9YgPuxrnzVjzLldPMbj3ic7NoD2rh0PsLlaXDNBCCGc7hJ0OWOYUwBhphm-KBPZjWoygdFmNZ53SUfJ4kBGNhsEXVfeS0N6z6F6XGz_ky65FmfGikYmVjzcq6Gg/s1600/skint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIBtkzExnwr_90nTW9YgPuxrnzVjzLldPMbj3ic7NoD2rh0PsLlaXDNBCCGc7hJ0OWOYUwBhphm-KBPZjWoygdFmNZ53SUfJ4kBGNhsEXVfeS0N6z6F6XGz_ky65FmfGikYmVjzcq6Gg/s320/skint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And, whilst it was impressive being that happy at 10:40am, hats go off to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/skintcircusmusic" target="_blank">Skint Circus</a> for being so utterly pissed off at 11:20 when they rolled out their thick, sweaty, and highly energetic take on hardcore punk with breakdowns, beatdowns, and throwdown flying over the places almost as much as their singer did. Their lead guitarist didn't move much though, he just stood there in a suit jacket looking unnervingly cool. A band with that much anger has a lot to give, and I look forward to hearing more from them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGYBOnZa7NVnc29weZVEML6iA9A0d4X4tSD2zzoS1qQjW6ETl9GAdiioPeu9gH65su-J05rkwVkweQzcrzjk-nwVMWCNQnyWLaNe6EcmZqRUieNZ5GN56aS2WcyiMffVCqIrXnO9sKK8/s1600/seething.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGYBOnZa7NVnc29weZVEML6iA9A0d4X4tSD2zzoS1qQjW6ETl9GAdiioPeu9gH65su-J05rkwVkweQzcrzjk-nwVMWCNQnyWLaNe6EcmZqRUieNZ5GN56aS2WcyiMffVCqIrXnO9sKK8/s320/seething.jpg" width="320" /></a>Next up was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/seethingakira" target="_blank">Seething Akira</a>, a band who appear to have bridge the existential gap between Enter Shikari and The Midnight Beast. From their jolly intro of "Hello" to their rave-metal bouncing noise, this was everything you could ask for from a band that have one front man who looks like a young Alan Moore in a Lionel Richie t-shirt and another that you could envision your sister politely introducing to your mother. By song two they were both in the crowd, giving things a runaround - kicking off a moshpit conga line, sneaking a cheeky go on the bouncy castle near the stage, all the time accompanied by blood-pumping party revolution rawk. All of this meant that when they asked the question "Have you all had a nice time?" and gave the quippy "That makes us very happy" after the cheer, it came across as honest rather than affected, and just added to the fun factor that was washing over everyone. They have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ5i81Qqklc" target="_blank">single coming out</a>, get it and then try to see them live.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOcc0CuedMqw9BPghHHQzT81SN2FgAZEwI24qpsSCjJ0khNkJphcDfu-EX8Z9LtzkRkAvOFf52sm80NRFvpFzlJRXyt1yu4mcZ4FRTOHCHf-s-HR0ymdQPm8dOxA-bWvxPW8eohrRTZA/s1600/gospel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOcc0CuedMqw9BPghHHQzT81SN2FgAZEwI24qpsSCjJ0khNkJphcDfu-EX8Z9LtzkRkAvOFf52sm80NRFvpFzlJRXyt1yu4mcZ4FRTOHCHf-s-HR0ymdQPm8dOxA-bWvxPW8eohrRTZA/s320/gospel.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://thegospelyouth.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">The Gospel Youth </a>had a tough act to follow, and their more laid back, radio friendly, alt-rock approach was a good switch of pace from what had come before. Touches of Gaslight Anthem, the odd bit of Fall Out Boy, mostly just solid rock played in a no nonsense fashion. Whilst their look was the most regimented and sculpted of the day so far they were perfectly willing to just let the music and the lyrics do the work for them, so whilst they didn't get much motion out in the slowly growing crowd there were clearly a lot of ears open taking it all in.<br />
<br />
Another set, another change in style, something that seems to be the make of Breakout with a very broad range of the church of rock on display. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bydefinition" target="_blank">By Definition</a> were the next brotherhood on display, and they had come to give some very hard lessons on the benefits of blues based, groove heavy, slow and steady heavy rock. It was slow, it was steady, it was raunchy, and it was delivered with the restraint of a grizzly bear. Pretty much instantly everyone in the area started smelling of strong liquor and began tapping their hands, feet, heads, and assorted other appendages as the growling, swirling, bass-to-the-guts overload was hammered out.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhwUDsPe6sF1g5CUILQb8aTZrhTr0FudmK33-AoZJ3PsHqn065_UuVrkTKFf-NI81LAExBGGsLlEHwBqngPbw_UImfDVmxOGBhl9twgHh2CMyOEFNqMDG1Jn8G9ybuoImldCd6MHEok4/s1600/20150926_141912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhwUDsPe6sF1g5CUILQb8aTZrhTr0FudmK33-AoZJ3PsHqn065_UuVrkTKFf-NI81LAExBGGsLlEHwBqngPbw_UImfDVmxOGBhl9twgHh2CMyOEFNqMDG1Jn8G9ybuoImldCd6MHEok4/s200/20150926_141912.jpg" title="" width="112" /></a><a href="http://www.zoaxofficial.com/#iel" target="_blank">Zoax </a>were up next and rapidly pitched their tent as a screamo version of The Pixies with a heavy sound that saw more peaks and valleys than a bus going off the cliff in Wales. They also almost had the same visual impact on the stage at times, as all three of the guitarists were throwing their instruments around with so much abandon their mothers would have been worried someone would lose their whole head. Desperate to the crowd moving, their singer Adam stalked the pit like a demon whilst throwing his heart and lungs into every lyric. Not to sure on the safety of bringing a cabled mic into the thick of it, but no-one got hurt and it certainly added to the drama. Then he came over to the table we were sat at and he pinched my hat, so that's one to tell the Godparents once these guys make it big.<br />
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Then, for lack of a better term, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blacktongueuk" target="_blank">Black Tongue</a> happened. They just walked on stage, started playing something that sounded like five doom and death metal tracks all at once, hated everything in front of them for even existing for about half an hour, and then headed off. Occasionally they introduced a song with some horror movie sound track but other than that it was just "bang and gone". They even had a guest vocalist for one track that just walked on, screamed, and headed off. Like it, don't like it: they clearly did not have one fuck to give regards your opinion of what they did. Obviously the people who were into it loved it, whilst everyone else seemed a bit bemused. I'm assuming that was the intention. The only down side to their set was the sound techs not being up to task, as there was feedback and pops through out, which was a shame for an otherwise precision performance.<br />
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Representing the kind of poetic, polemic, and curiously swinging hardcore that seems to grow in London, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/trchardcore" target="_blank">TRC</a> bounded on with the goal of kicking up a riot and ensuring everyone had fun doing it. It was shouty, it was bouncy, it had riffs and energy you could listen to for days. It also had the line of "If you've got some energy, do it. If not, then get to the gym" and the request for the pit to get "a bit like strictly come dancing". The thrash-ier bits were intense, and all over, it got everyone up for a good time that showed the old school have still got it.<br />
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Shunning the simple pleasures of music, like tune or melody or even apparent structure, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/abandcalledHECK" target="_blank">Heck (aka Baby Godzilla) </a>landed next and dropped out a lot of sounds in about half the time you would think it humanly possible. Some might call it mathcore, or extreme jazz, or "all the notes ever, sometimes twice", or "Cream force-fed Napalm Death from birth" but mostly it was just an exhilarating exploration of what you can do when you say 'no' to almost every rule ever. I'm not going to claim to understand it, but it was compelling and enjoyable like some intricate puzzlebox, especially with the bands determination to hammer their instruments and play them anywhere other than the stage. It was also impressive to watch as there was no-one obviously holding the songs together, but regardless of how far everyone flew off in which direction it kept on coming back to one central point, Oh yeah, and they hate microphone stands. I saw three of them laid waste in the first track alone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7zdjHXSI6JdpyM0nBsC-3J4dB4zg2YC_v7y7D3RdDK_FeVDBP6XIKlZZjU-d6UYytkMHGwmY_BOPmXzd12KECSpMmSc6idCYQdz5kbR77Fe-DiWEIchNzoEqAeiTa9mnLMXJKVpSTOA/s1600/martyr+defiled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7zdjHXSI6JdpyM0nBsC-3J4dB4zg2YC_v7y7D3RdDK_FeVDBP6XIKlZZjU-d6UYytkMHGwmY_BOPmXzd12KECSpMmSc6idCYQdz5kbR77Fe-DiWEIchNzoEqAeiTa9mnLMXJKVpSTOA/s320/martyr+defiled.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.martyrdefiled.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Martyr Defiled</a> hit the stage next, playing something that sounded halfway between death metal and blastbeat-based hardcore. Sadly the performance almost instantly got hit by bad sound, so nothing came across with as much bite as it should have, in the first track. The sense of terror was further eroded by their vocalist sounding so amiable and friendly when talking between tracks, as someone who sounds that devilish when singing, should not instantly strike you as someone you would share cocoa with. It was technically proficient but the performance side wasn't theatrical or passionate enough to really grab up and hold you in its fist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk4kzr9DxEsgF_lSwEx5x6ZEg80C-yuNk47d8sVij-5CI1KX0uMl7S2TAYcUz21_bD8Fu9RRRmaFs8LK6wYG5ZAvjPkLkkynhS-AtuA7dpqLSYihJVdL9D67Wo-1tP19pzxgGdU1bwoQ/s1600/qemists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk4kzr9DxEsgF_lSwEx5x6ZEg80C-yuNk47d8sVij-5CI1KX0uMl7S2TAYcUz21_bD8Fu9RRRmaFs8LK6wYG5ZAvjPkLkkynhS-AtuA7dpqLSYihJVdL9D67Wo-1tP19pzxgGdU1bwoQ/s320/qemists.jpg" width="320" /></a>Finishing up the last of the daylight were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/theqemistsofficial" target="_blank">The Qemist</a>, a raging slab of power is pitched halfway between The Prodigy and Pendulum, but with enough of their own sound to not sound like a dodgy knock-off. From the off they had everyone bouncing to their uplifting sounds and welcoming stage presence. A couple of the callouts and platitudes to the crowd may have been a tad bit cheesy, but everyone was smiling too much to be offended and they all knew it was meant well. Still, you can't argue with the crowd and they managed to get a huge response as everyone rocked out to their rebel party anthems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCigq-r2gI9LMqEditfHqlY_XHHthH3rTA2wNdCkGfI0uRy0NVEtS6Ul6Ec2bWE01MUb-k92ytNfqzGCdnYMH5mIOng1j_UEyqqXAR7ylD3eYUWSnvEI1ONvCAs8k-g4QcNe5VIzBtjg/s1600/ocean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCigq-r2gI9LMqEditfHqlY_XHHthH3rTA2wNdCkGfI0uRy0NVEtS6Ul6Ec2bWE01MUb-k92ytNfqzGCdnYMH5mIOng1j_UEyqqXAR7ylD3eYUWSnvEI1ONvCAs8k-g4QcNe5VIzBtjg/s320/ocean.jpg" width="320" /></a>And then night was upon us, and as the stage lights kicked in <a href="http://wearetheocean.co.uk/live/" target="_blank">We Are The Ocean </a>took the stage and played something halfway between alt-rock and dad-rock. It was good for what it was, including a brave attempt at Dazed and Confused (a fifty year old song for a crowd that was mostly under twenty five), it's just that it was too much of a change from what had gone on before through the day. The crowd dwindled visibly, the cold started to suck at people's energy, and though there were moments that landed some response from those left behind, they never landed well enough to convince me they were the right pick for that point in the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUMRmdFL4jiBDiHhCqfSwGjA5C6QKXUlmN6QTBARZdEVUhZG0269ku8ta6BQGanUD7BZe39Uo6zTyvcio02ABpQQVlljImvc33oux-nTUrbTa8g7-EapozSigJodXd6lWk5DqzRqBDu8/s1600/sikth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUMRmdFL4jiBDiHhCqfSwGjA5C6QKXUlmN6QTBARZdEVUhZG0269ku8ta6BQGanUD7BZe39Uo6zTyvcio02ABpQQVlljImvc33oux-nTUrbTa8g7-EapozSigJodXd6lWk5DqzRqBDu8/s320/sikth.jpg" width="320" /></a>When <a href="https://twitter.com/sikthofficial" target="_blank">Sikth </a>got on stage there was a resurgence in numbers, mostly from the bar, as this was clearly a band that a lot of people had been looking forward to see. Whilst I wasn't aware of the band before today I can clearly see why people like their brand of prog-metal: it's loud, it's fast, it's filled with virtuosity, and it's almost certain to piss off your parents. It was also a highly energetic and frantic performance, which got picked up by the crowd and resulted in a lot of bodies thrashing around & building up a sweat. Personally I liked the spoken-word piece the most, as it was totally unexpected and yet fitted in perfectly with everything else before and after, and a fair chunk of the audience dug it as well. For a band doing their first gig of the year in September, they had clearly been doing more than just practising their tunes. If you are of the progressive music persuasion, then grab a ticket to whenever they play within travelling distance of you.<br />
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The day was drawn to a close by <a href="http://www.deafhavanaofficial.com/" target="_blank">Deaf Havana</a> and their brand of alternative rock, which sadly seemed to miss the mark of what the crowd were after in a similar vein to We Are The Ocean if the madly diminished audience was anything to go by. Those who stayed had a lovely time, listening to some heartfelt tunes and rocking singalongs, but for a lot of people it was either time for bed after an incredibly long day in the sun or just not their thing after the prog-metal blowout that had hit them before.<br />
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Still, with that much range and at that price, you can't have everything your way. However, you can have an incredibly well-organised and perfectly sized event, completed by a pleasant crowd and utterly pleasant staff. They was also the bonus of all the bands hanging out in the audience, so you could be both encouraged that they are actually real people who got up and did it, as well as get the chance to go up and say "thanks for the music". Book your tickets for 2016, because it's going to be worth it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-71357492475223818042015-09-13T15:20:00.001+01:002015-09-13T15:20:29.129+01:00Overkill Over AnalysedA wise man once said of rock music,<br />
<i> "Don't analyse it, man. Don't try to understand it, just enjoy it at face value". </i><br />
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That man was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r600m/heavy-metal-britannia" target="_blank">Lemmy</a> of the mighty Motorhead, a band famed for having released possibly the greatest and most well known Heavy Metal track of the last 30 years: The Ace Of Spades. It is a song that has been used to sell things from cars to snack food, a song referenced as a go-to 'look at the long hairs!' sting, and a song they consistently play as the second to last track at each of their shows. It is a great song, but it has overshadowed the song they consistently end on: I refer to the lesser known, often overlooked, and the literally show stopping Overkill.<br />
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But why is it such a great song and what is it about it that makes it such a perfect way to end an hour and a half of concert? I wanted to put this into words, because whilst it may look and sound very simple, there is a hell of a lot going on that deserves closer inspection.<br />
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First, the intro. Starting on a solid, speedy, hammering drum rift which essentially stays the same through the whole song, we have 16 bars of pure, primal pounding. Nothing flash, kick drums and cymbals laying down a 4/4. Then the first guitar kicks in for another 16 bars, a bass riff sounding more like a rhythm guitar and made of two notes being hammered away with more boogie than you can find in some pop-'funk' albums. Next spirals in the lead guitar, diving down and joining the bass for another 16 bars of raw rock and roll with a similarly limited set of notes in perfect accompaniment: simplicity given form and drive, an announcement of the power trio in it's most on target glory. To paraphrase Sun Ra: anyone can play it, only a genius can write it. The tune continues, almost without variation, through the first verse and chorus.<br />
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<i>"The only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud"</i><br />
A straightforward observation on the live music experience, but the usage of "noise" bringing a truth to the levels involved at a Motorhead performance and of the oeuvre of Heavy metal as a whole. Also "when it's good and loud" carries the mixed meaning of the music being of a high standard and the pure quantity of output having a positive quality all of it's own. This is not simple language, this is simple words used as poetry.<br />
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<i>"So good I can't believe it, screaming with the crowd"</i><br />
A line that captures the duality of the concert goer in that you experience it as an individual whilst feeding off everyone else there. It also gives permission to let it all go, to just express emotion in an incoherent level, a rock and roll tradition from the bobby-sock era reborn and given validity. The usage of "I" is important though, as it also bridges the gap between the performer and the audience, bringing them in as a whole. This is a unified experience, the singer working with the people who have come to listen and be an active part of what is happening. The line is critical, as it binds everyone together.<br />
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<i>"Overkill, Overkill, Overkill"</i><br />
A word by itself, perfectly expressing a multitude. Excessive, over what is required, but carrying a certainty of completion with it. Could everything until this point have been laid down quieter, slower, and with more complication? Yes, but it would not have been as good.<br />
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Under a minute in and it's time for the first bridge. The backline keeps things as before, but the guitar jazzes things up a bit - however, importantly, not too much. The core sound is still there, the tempo and attack has not restrained or reset itself. It's the musical equivalent of a minute's straight dash, exhausting but exhilarating. And then the second round begins.<br />
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<i>"On your feet you feel the beat, it goes straight through your spine"</i><br />
Motorhead have, on many occasion, held the official title of "worlds loudest band" so this is quite possibly a literal statement of what the audience is experiencing on a purely acoustic level. But the second section also expresses the release and euphoria many feel at such times. The tendency to foot tap to a beat, the urge to do things when highly motivational music comes on, and <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/11/23/music_gets_you_high/" target="_blank">the endorphins release associated with music</a> as a whole.<br />
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<i>"Shake your head"</i><br />
A clear reference to headbanging, the hallmark of heavy metal fan appreciation, and an extension of the original 'rocking out' that accompanied the earlier hard rock and heavy rock from which Motorhead came (and were the source of the term, as per the "Motorheadbangers" collective noun for their fans). <br />
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<i>"You must be dead, if it don't make you fly"</i><br />
Testament again to the euphoria gained from the live experience, but with more of the synthesis of the event. What will make you fly? Both the music and the engagement with the music. Also a brag as to the uplifting and inclusive nature of what is going on. Only the dead won't be excited by this song, but it is an un-rarefied<strike> </strike>experience open to all.<br />
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<i>"Don't sweat it, Give it back to you"</i><br />
There is no need to worry, the band will give unto the audience as well as the audience giving unto them. Again, the experience is not one way, or even two way. This is a group effort - a social event.<br />
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<i>"Don't sweat it, Give it back to you"</i><br />
Seriously guys, we're all going to have a great time.<br />
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<i>"Overkill, Overkill, Overkill"</i><br />
Further restatement of the overall impact of what is happening, and the set up to the second bridge. This time the lead guitar is a bit more wild, a bit more free. But still the backline is locked in tight, unbreaking at the minute and a half mark - then be rejoined at the two minute point for another couple of rounds of the main hook, before the final set of lyrics<br />
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<i>"Know your body's made to move. Feel it in your guts"</i><br />
No instruction on how you should move, but pure license to move in any manner you want. By now you should be lifted, you should be elated, and on a primal level you will be acting how you see fit. Action is the key, to what end is down to the individual.<br />
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<i>"Rock 'n' roll ain't worth the name, if it don't make you strut"</i><br />
A key line, possibly the most important and certainly worthy as the finishing statement. This is Rock & Roll, pure and simple. This is Blues, bubbled through fifty years and mutated through a Marshall stack, but it's rock and roll - and it needs to make you feel good. This is a gauntlet thrown down to others, this is a testament to everything you have heard in the show and it is the final closing endorsement of all previous markers highlighted in the song. Right here, right now, this is how rock and roll makes you. Anything else is a shame - accept no substitutes.<br />
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<i>"Don't sweat it, get it back to you</i><br />
<i>Don't sweat it, get it back to you</i><br />
<i>OVERKILL, OVERKILL, OVERKILL"</i><br />
A re-enforcement of the above, a final sing along of passion, a final one word chant that carries volumes with efficiency.<br />
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Lyrics sung, we have the finale. The guitarist is let loose, unrestrained but still running with the pack, darting around the unstoppable force of the drums and bass. They have done so little but it has filled vast voids, given the six-stringer the backing needed to highlight and carry it's work. Then the first tempo change, the first deviation from the last 180 seconds of breakneck rocking. Things slow, the notes are fewer, the cymbals are pounded in the classic marker that it is all done. Slightly over the regulation 3 minutes for a pop-song, but still on form for a classic.<br />
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But wait, it was a ruse! The drums start again, the same loop and the same pressure. We are literally back to the start of the song, as all the parts fill in again for another round. A second rush of steam, although with a more intense guitar lead from the off. Unleashed, unbound, unburdened by needs for words. You know everything there is to know about what will happen now, there is no need for communication as all there is is understanding. The band are off, the audience are off, it's pell-mell to the real finishing line! One last huzzah, one more minute of life at it's best. Then over, done, spent.<br />
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...Not really. It's called "Overkill", not "just enough". The pounding starts again, the engine now running on empty. The band gave it their all, the listener gave it their all, how can anything else be dragged up? Well, it is rock and roll so we best get going with it even if we are running on fumes. The bass and the lead are more urgent, still working the core tune like sirens going off. Rabid and exhausted, the song almost doubled in length from anything that previously seemed the requirement. And then, finally, a ridiculous five minutes after it all began, the actual conclusion of the song that has left you shattered and unable to go any further.<br />
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Although, with the live version - <a href="https://youtu.be/GlecTBevmzc?t=5m45s" target="_blank">it does</a>. The band leaves the stage, but their instruments continue though strength of pure feedback, the music no longer needing to be anything but literal force and presence. The wash over the crowd is total, nothing can be heard other than the aftermath of what has come before, a post orgasmic chill that can continue under its own existence, an adrenaline rush given musical form. You have survived, you have experienced - and you are going to have it ringing in your ears for days, as the concert, the rock and roll explosion, continues to be a part of your life from there on.<br />
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Ace of Spades is the classic, it's is the jab that startles and delights, but like all "one, two" combos, it is the second blow that floors you - and that does the real work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-3882457590442302572015-09-06T09:05:00.000+01:002015-09-06T09:55:15.441+01:00Bad Magic - Motörhead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If a 69 year old man with a walking stick walked up to you in the street and yelled "Victory or Die" in your face you would. most likely, be worried. When Lemmy does it at the start of Motörhead's twenty-third album it just sends a shiver down your spine and locks you in for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&field-keywords=bad%20magic%20motorhead&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=bad%20magic%20motorhead%2Caps%2C179&tag=ragsworofmus-21&url=search-alias%3Daps%22" target="_blank">fourty-two minutes of high-speed rock and roll</a>. That the album entered the charts at Number 10 in the UK (and similar high ranking elsewhere) is a testament to both the recognition that the band have achieved for being one of the true underground legends of rock and roll. and of the raw quality of the album itself.<br />
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Of the songs there is not much more that can be said than "the worlds finest speed-freak rock-and-roll", which is like saying "Mozart just did good classical music" or "Jimi Hendrix could play a tune". It's four-bar blues through Marshall amps, songs about love and sex and death and everything in between, and you're supposed to feel it rather than intellectualise or 'understand' it. Fundamentally if this video doesn't put a smile on your face and make you go "that's me when no-one is looking, that is!" then don't bother (and, possibly, radically reassess your ability to enjoy life).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eI90KW_5Vso/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eI90KW_5Vso?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
On top of that the stand out tracks for me were Fire Storm Hotel, which was AC/DC with the engine in the red, Electricity, which sounded had their 80's era proto-thrash grind, and Teach Them to Bleed that has so much boogie to it you could see Elvis giving it a shot. There was also Till The End, the slowest of the collection and also the one most likely to bring a tear to your eye because it seems to be the lyrical explanation of Lemmy's stubborn refusal to take a break and not die on stage. The finishing cover of Sympathy For The Devil is also rather good, and shows off the raw musical talents of the whole band. Who knows, maybe Keith Richards will show up at one of their shows and join in on it; after all <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ccx2tzH6Ng" target="_blank">Brian May joined them for Overkill</a> and does guitars on The Devil for this album so anything is possible.<br />
<br />
Whilst it's pointless to argue if it's their finest album (tradition says it always either "the first one I heard" or "Ace of Spades") it's mighty addition to their catalogue and, given <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/motorhead-lemmy-health-scare/" target="_blank">Lemmy's recent health problems</a>, if it's the last one they play live it will be a fitting final blast.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-1454937176779465782015-08-31T13:08:00.000+01:002015-08-31T17:25:47.378+01:00The Decline of Western Civilisation Collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7lObv_xB0htr0R1bF65sURxrujJ8pybrcubvjJ5sxsdwdhRHMrSMZY9xJAfBbcUdbacr_vR-5KJVGKOM2g9J6uQZ_vFYO4UDGcg1LzO_eTyhaqByXFOrNWHIODsJyM65sAfcVOsM3D0/s1600/1035x1308-TDWCC.BR.Cover.300dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7lObv_xB0htr0R1bF65sURxrujJ8pybrcubvjJ5sxsdwdhRHMrSMZY9xJAfBbcUdbacr_vR-5KJVGKOM2g9J6uQZ_vFYO4UDGcg1LzO_eTyhaqByXFOrNWHIODsJyM65sAfcVOsM3D0/s320/1035x1308-TDWCC.BR.Cover.300dpi.jpeg" width="253" /></a></div>
Over the course of 17 years, Penelope Spheeris has created arguably one of the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ZA0F1RW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00ZA0F1RW&linkCode=as2&tag=ragsworofmus-21">greatest and most influential music documentary series ever</a>. Set in Los Angeles and covering the punk scene of the late 70s, the heavy metal scene on mid 80s, & the gutter-punk scene at the turn of century, it explores the sound, performance, politics and business, that exist around each of these worlds and times. It's style was naturalistic, inquisitive, unobtrusive, and at times brutally honest, which was eloquent and effective enough to eventually become part of the DNA of everything that has followed - with clear impact on Reality TV and the rockumentaries of MTV & VH1.<br />
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At the core of each film is, fittingly, live performances which are used as showcases for the scenes by giving equal focus for those on stage and off. The style is naturalistic, observational, and intriguing as anthropological documents. They also sound great, even if not all of the bands presented are actually that good. Interspersed with this are interviews with a broad range of individuals involved: musicians, fans, promoters, businessmen and police/authority figures giving the scene outsider/"every-man" view of it all. The iconic set of the blank wall with a single, bare light-bulb hanging at head-height is used extensively, evocative and beautifully simple as it allows the focus to be directly on the individual and their words. Being set in LA it also has plenty of car-based drive-along interviews, which provide the bulk of representation of the city outside of the venues or scene-controlled spaces, giving impressive visual insight into the urban environment that helped shaped the action of the piece. It also demonstrates how super-imposed the scenes are, hyper-stylized worlds pushed up against the realities of everyone else's everyday lives.<br />
<br />
Although unified in style and approach, the content of the three is distinct and unique, giving each the flavour they merit. Part 1 has the largest variety of musical styles and shows a scene carving its way into the wider world on it's own terms and with a new sensibility of DIY. Part 2 shows a more homogeneous visual and musical approach and people unapologetically chasing financial success that the other two don't even think about as a possibility or goal, and Part 3 presents a nihilistic and often harrowing focus of fans living a vagrant life which they see no reason to attempt escaping. Through all this, the topics stay the same: sex, drugs, rock and roll, what will youth be doing in 5 years, is it all worth it, if the goal is art of money, and how people enter into the tribes that they have aligned themselves with. But the changes in the answers are telling, the reasons and motivations changing in each era.<br />
<br />
Picking a favourite or "best" is impossible, as each is it's own story. Part 3 is easily the most emotionally upsetting, dealing as it does with homeless under 18's who have basically given up on life as a concern and with 2 deaths happening among those interviewed whilst the "lucky kid" is someone in a wheelchair as they get to have a flat. Part 2 is the most entertaining, with the glam extravagance and heavy metal stupidity being instantly comedic. Part 1 tells the most optimistic story and has the widest range of motivations to be explored.<br />
<br />
But the key thing is that these are three fantastic social history documents that are able to carry the interest of anyone who watches it, regardless of their opinions of the music being explored, as they go beyond the successes or failures of individual artists or the benefits or durability of a scene. They are regularly considered classics of the musical-documentary genre because it's something that no-one else thought about capturing, and they have been captured with care, attention and consideration. They offer an insight into real, relatable people, and not just three rocking concert soundtracks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-31014380444579080322015-08-10T21:25:00.001+01:002015-08-11T19:24:41.206+01:00The imminent death of nightclubs: My2p<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2fMyhcmSpwOA3YEnOJ63mAaeEuIOgyppHaIkP5rSkEwm5Q3MGmnwfPWiH4UGDOeAxtA79tJ3YqICKdhy-Vr91uijBj6bUh4yvbZ4at95h6ezF7SLgoeJhJlNUyZyx3N5vYqXZ04tndk/s1600/College-prom-Lighting-nightclub-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2fMyhcmSpwOA3YEnOJ63mAaeEuIOgyppHaIkP5rSkEwm5Q3MGmnwfPWiH4UGDOeAxtA79tJ3YqICKdhy-Vr91uijBj6bUh4yvbZ4at95h6ezF7SLgoeJhJlNUyZyx3N5vYqXZ04tndk/s320/College-prom-Lighting-nightclub-room.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
<div>
So the fact that nightclub are closing all over the show <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33713015/uk-nightclubs-closing-at-alarming-rate-industry-figures-suggest" target="_blank">finally hit the headlines today</a>, about 5 years after everyone involved in the industry knew that it was happening, and a myriad of reasons as to why it's happening have been put forth. Of the ones flying around, mostly from people who can't remember the last time they put their head in a club, for the biggest one is "because pubs can now stay open into the small hours". And, worryingly, they're right. </div>
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11pm till 11:30pm used to be the golden hours at many a club, when it went from all but a few dedicated clubbers (or, in a rock club, those who turned up for the "Shite Death & Thrash Hour") to rammed and buzzing. These days any set before midnight has a good chance of being thought of as a warm-up slot for the new guy, which says a lot about why people used to go out and makes you wonder how important the music ever actually was. However there is a second reason that a lot of these folks are missing out on: a lot of pubs are now also nightclubs in and of themselves. Whilst not all of them have a dancefloor (though a growing number do), they will often have a nightclub grade sound-system and a some kind of DJ providing the tunes. So this isn't so much a change in consumer habits as it is in product availability for the portion of the market that liked expensive booze, deafening music, and shouted conversation.</div>
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<br></div>
<div>
Speaking of product availability, another big reason cited is that everyone is going off to festivals. "We can see all the DJs in one place over three days!" they say. This is true, but there is a silent "whilst off our tits on lashings and lashings of drugs!!" which isn't being spoken of. Whilst drugs in clubs are still available and consumed it has, in the majority of instances, become a more tricky proposition. Councils have been enforcing drug policies harder, which encourages clubs to do more monitoring and ejecting of people off theirs heads than before (plus there is a recession on, so a lot of clubs would rather you bought their booze than someone else's pills), especially at the smaller venues (which, often, the council are looking for an excuse to close down. More on that later). Add to this the outright prohibition on the countries' favorite illegal substance due to the smoking ban and it's a situation where the "true experience" can only be safely enjoyed in a field with 10,000 other people (though I'm not sure what's safe about being blitzed out of this world in a mudbath).</div>
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Next up you have people talking about the costs. Which is sensible, as nightclubs are bloody expensive to run. However the biggest issue isn't so much the running costs, it's the opportunity costs. Because, financially, nightclubs might as well be run on a foundation of burning money. No-one in their right mind would start a discussion with a bank manager by going "I want to hire a really large amount of floorspace but I only want to open it from when a lot of people are thinking about going to sleep till when people are either asleep or thinking about waking up. Oh, and I want it to be half full for most of the week and unusable during the day because of the smell that that many people dancing generates.". Obviously a number of venues get around this problem, using their sites during the day. But not everywhere has the ability to do that successfully, or without vast investment, and however you plan it there is going to be a "switch-over" time that is a financial deadzone when a lot of potential money is walking on by. On top of this is the amount of money that could be made from the venue (often in an attractive part of town, or somewhere cheap) by redevelopment (see Eddie's in Birmingham). Even if your venue isn't that tasty a prospect, it's presence can screw up developments in the area (Ministry of Sound is a prime example), or just piss off the neighbors a lot. </div>
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This is where the councils come in by the way, because they really don't like nightclubs at the moment. For whatever reason (pissed people making noise) they get way upset at nightclubs and are, according to some, "attacking the night-time economy". They aren't though, they are just attacking the part that has a whole load of people all leaving at the same time and in the same state (pissed and making noise). Late night pubs have more of a steady flow in and out, even if they have the same problems (making noise whilst pissed, seriously can folks not just learn not to yell or throw-up when leaving a venue?!), so they don't get so much trouble.</div>
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Another popular pundit choice is technology and The Internet! Specifically Tinder, the popular "dating" app. Personally I don't think that app alone makes that big a difference, however the technology issue is certainly an issue and dating apps/services as a whole will certainly have an impact. However the true story includes the increase of alternative digital distractions as a whole to going out on a Friday night, the growth of music distribution meaning you can now hear anything from any scene almost anywhere, and, quite importantly, the continued drop in the price of a sound system and lights. For five hundred quid / the price of a top of the range mobile phone you can have a mobile sound and lights rig, so why go out to a club when you can just setup at a friends house, a pub backroom, or somewhere out of town. It's not quite the resurgence of the 80's rave scene, but it's having it's impact on the traditional locations.</div>
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<br></div>
<div>
So, many, many reasons. And many, many club getting shut down. But is it a bad thing, beyond the loss of trade and jobs? Is it not just another phase in the ongoing changes that have been happening since the dawn of time? In many ways "yes", because nightclubs aren't going to die out as a whole and music nights are still going to be able to carry on in other locations. A lot of lazy venues, who didn't keep up with the trends, are going to be shut down or modified into late-pub style affairs (or even, horror of horrors, trendy bars! Which, as the high-street retail sector dies it's painful death, are going to be the phone-store and coffee-shop plague of the next decade),. It's part of the eternal cycle of popularity, the swing from one thing to another. The same happened with swing clubs and jazz hops and disco and even raves. Things just move on and change, and in this case they have changed because people who weren't that into the music side of the clubs have now got a whole raft of alternatives available to them. The market has changed, because it's quite possible the market was never actually there.</div>
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<div>
But, and this is a big but, it is sign of removal of a hell of a lot of small and medium sized venues (regardless of how good or well managed they may be) as the market switches to the Big and Super venues as being the only viable prospect in the bulk of places, and the death of those venues is another marker of the entrenchment of the <a href="http://raggedymusic.blogspot.com/2015/05/2005-year-it-all-went-bit-wobbly.html" target="_blank">Eternal Now</a>, as niche scenes fail to have the chance to make it big. Micro-venues may continue to be the spawning grounds of new things, but without the small and middle sized places for them to grow and mature there is so much less hope of making it into the remaining big and super clubs (even on a Wednesday!). Small and medium sized venues are, for a number of folks, social nexus's where they could meet people from their same style tribes. Micro venues are often feared to be too cliquey, big or super ones too intimidating (or just too large for a scene to even consider being able to fill it). With these going that facility is gone, and whilst we can pretend that we are a more accepting world it means that people in the more outsider and alternative style tribes can't go out as themselves. </div>
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On top of this distinct youth movements like we have seen over the last 60 years won't happen in or be centered around the music, they will be tried out at festivals and online - but I'm honestly worried they will either be too broad an appeal to actually be exciting, or too niche to ever get traction. Music might get picked up by the movements to come, but it won't be the driving force of it. I hope I'm wrong, I hope this is just my age kicking in and failing to get what the young are doing these days, but it's a further step towards a world that has a pop culture that, like the 50's, is dominated by the thirty-plus market (because they are the ones willing to pay for it). </div>
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So how do you stop this happening? Simple, you go out to a nightclub. All of this is happening because people aren't going out, so if you're worried or upset by it then the only act you can ever do to help is to go out (and tell your friends that you are going out, so they might come out with you). Keep an eye out for events you want to go to, consider hiring a venue and running an event if you don't find anything you like (trust me, there is going to be a final splurge of cheap hiring as the death knell rings), and if all else fails contact the venues and go 'I would go to something like X if it did Y' - because if things don't change, it's going to be a world of bars playing "Now that's what I call X-Factor 37", and I just don't want to leave that as a legacy for our children.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-47133826723571835132015-07-25T09:59:00.001+01:002015-07-25T09:59:28.345+01:00War On The Dancefloor - 25/07/2015<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfburHOvs-BvDaN-Ao5nxnuKgGTUv8vsupd7DMz4CyW8JM0vyyrKHrpVNWUDdM63semCBDc2TDeJ5iw1_oRBYVDGRLdaA20q1G33CRc-UWNwh-ILrDI9q-w6ElpXjOwgTt4eo9sPcESM/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfburHOvs-BvDaN-Ao5nxnuKgGTUv8vsupd7DMz4CyW8JM0vyyrKHrpVNWUDdM63semCBDc2TDeJ5iw1_oRBYVDGRLdaA20q1G33CRc-UWNwh-ILrDI9q-w6ElpXjOwgTt4eo9sPcESM/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 3 people got this and <br />lightly smiled. Totally worth it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Given the recent flooding massive thanks have to be given to Roger and the team for have done an excellent job of drying the Q Club out and putting in the new sound system. Rumors that wellingtons and inflatable armbands were now the "must wear" thing for all the cool kids were clearly false. everyone knows that all the <b>really</b> cool kids are wearing silver spray paint on their faces this year as anything else is mediocre.<br />
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On the technical front it was the first time playing out with a projector running off of my DJ laptop. Technically it worked really well but because of not wanting/being allowed to blind the audience it was projected on the ceiling and got all stretched out and <span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">avant</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">garde</span> for anyone who wasn't in the booth.<br />
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The next War is in about three months time, keep an eye on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QClubCambridge?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> for more details and turn up for awesome industrial clubbing fun.<br />
My next DJ outing will be the <a href="http://www.meetandgeek.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cambridge Meet and Geek</a> in September, turn up for a day of geek based activities and me doing a Psychocandyish set.<br />
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<h2>
<b>11:30 - 12:45</b></h2>
Danceslut - Nano Infect<br />
Emergent disfigurement - venal flesh<br />
NFN9 - 3JEAN<br />
Medicine - Empusa<br />
Not entertained - Tactical sekt<br />
Beatendwn - DYM<br />
Etika - DREDDUP<br />
Bad girl - LSD project<br />
Product - XMH<br />
Hope - Strictures<br />
Mindphaser - Electro synth rebellion<br />
Lovely day - front 242<br />
Ssssnakepit (Hamilton Mix)- Enter Shikari<br />
Voodoo Peoples - Pendulum<br />
Ace Of Spades - The Chaos Engine<br />
Never Wanted To Dance - Mindless Self Indulgence<br />
White Knuckle Head Fuck - Caustic<br />
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The main booth discussions were: Thomas The Tank Engine, MP3 DJing software, the breeding habits of cables and wiring, why Raggedyman isn't allowed to play with the smoke machine...no...stopit!, how people who turn up to an industrial night and demand we play Prince really can fucking do one, Pimms o'clock, the delicate balance between thumping bass and noise pollution law.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-8381458169420418682015-05-24T12:36:00.000+01:002015-05-24T12:36:03.731+01:002005: the year it all went a bit wobbly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I have a pet theory: the musical landscape was irrevocably
altered in 2005, and since then no new scene has managed to get
"Big". I appreciate that it's a controversial comment to make, and
that it also happens to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/new-study-shows-people-stop-listening-new-music-33-218752" target="_blank">around the time science says I stop listening to new music</a>,
so I want to make it clear that I'm not saying good new music stopped being
made then (because you can find awesome new music everywhere). I'm simply
saying that "Big" slowed down as being possibly for new acts and
scenes, at least in the context of what had happened before. And why am I
saying 2005? Because that was the year that YouTube landed, marking it as the
year that the shared cultural youth experience (one of the most vital things
for new things to become Big by) finally got a nail in the head and that
scarcity in youth culture stopped being a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Back in the day when the internet was just
this weird thing that either hadn't been invented by computer visionaries, was
a wild idea of computer science theorists, or was that strange thing the
computer students swore they weren't using to look at porn with, there was a
high cost of entry into any youth culture, driven by scarcity of the resources
relating to that culture. For example, if you wanted to listen to music you had
to go and buy the record, or at the very least the tapes to copy it from
someone who had bought the record, and you had to buy the means to play that
record, But even if you had that record you were limited on where you could
play it and you were limited by possibly not even knowing that the record
existed or how to contact the people who sold the record. Similarly if you
wanted to join a scene you had to spend a large amount of time finding out that
the scene existed, where it was, and then you would have to go along to it with
no real clue what the culture was like and with the likelihood of sticking out
like a sore thumb. If you then wanted to join that culture you would have to
invest a considerable amount of funds and effort on buying the uniform of that
scene, mostly due to the small number of places actually selling the clothing
in question. To put it bluntly: it was a total arse, and because it was a total
arse a lot of people didn't move that far outside of their youth scene, even
before the tribal violence and rejection fears of the times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Additionally there were very few media
outlets at all for youth music of any kind, let alone whatever scene you may
have happened to have been into. On the telly there was Top Of The Pops, and at
any given time one or possibly two other music programs (including "Youth
TV", which doesn't really count as that has always been terrible) which
generally compressed the whole world of music into one show so your rockers and
your indie kids and your ravers would all be watching the same show, and
'booo'ing and 'yayyy'ing along like football fans because they all had a lot of
stuff that you didn't really like but were willing to watch through for the one
or two acts that you did. But even then you would be more likely watching
because it was an act from the scene you liked rather than a bad you actually
raved on about, with you watching to represent and go "more of this kind
of thing please!". This is why The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays on
the same Top Of The Pops was heralded as the triumph of Madchester when they
sound like two difference scenes, why Blur vs Oasis was the battle of Britpop
rather than retro-pop vs indie-rock, why Rage Against The Machine got big with
the rave party kids via The Word and why everyone with a leather jacket I knew
watched Slipknot literally destroy the cameras on TGI Friday (even though half of
them couldn't stand them). Yes, from the mid 90's if you had access to the
mysterious "cable TV) you could watch MTV but that basically meant
"20 hours of Radio One a day, with one or two specialist genre shows a
night", so if you're scene wasn't flavor of the month then you still had
the bottleneck happening where everyone on your scene was watching the same
thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now, whilst this may all sound like a pain
(it was) those bottlenecks were also very useful because it gave
"Bigness" and avoided the cultural balkanisation and scene hopping
that is now happening (two contradictory but linked concepts). Because you had
a lot of people knowing the same songs (regardless of if it was their thing)
the songs could get "big" and get a decent floor going in the club,
because you were listening to a lot of music you would never think of listening
to a band could find an listeners from a wider audience, because niches were
part of a larger overall scene you had more people turning up to broad interest
events (well, at least outside of London) so there was more crossover, and
because you had to go an engage in a scene to discover things you actually had
to get out there and partake of it. From my personal prospective this gave us
things like the genre spanning Llollapalooza and leather jackets turning up at
raves because The Prodigy had thrown in some guitars and the goths had dug a
few Ministry Albums,(then again it also gave us the ubiquitous "Crap
Thrash Hour" at the start of every rock club so it may not of all been
good). New sounds, new scenes, new tastes could gain traction due to all the
reasons listed above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Then 2005 happened, and Youtube removed
the first bottle neck of scarcity. Very rapidly any music you wanted to hear
would be accessible to you in minutes, your very own Top Of The Pops playing
just what you want whenever you want it. So people ended up listening to just
what they wanted, because if you just wanted to listen to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardbag" target="_blank">hardbag </a>or<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres#Pornogrind" target="_blank">pornogrind</a> you could do, all day if wanted. You could
go as niche as you want and never have to touch anything else. Then MP3 players
and broadband became mainstream and took down the second bottleneck, meaning
that you could download a bands discography in less time than it would
previously of taken to find their single in a shop and you could carry it with
you everywhere you wanted with no compromise of availability. Then eBay removed
the bottleneck of stylistic scarcity, by making all the clothing available. You
didn't have to live near or travel to that one specific store that sold the
clothing you wanted, you could sit at home and have 5 stores come to you (and
at competitive prices!). All of this was aided by Google having taken down the
final bottleneck of knowledge scarcity, so if you wanted to know anything about
a scene, from what was happening where to where you could hire a venue to how
to spread the word to what was trendy and wearable, you could get it in a
couple of minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This was, and will continue to be, mostly
awesome. New things to listen to, new places to go, new sounds to hear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But not all of it is that great, as with
the removal of scarcity meant there was no underground for this to dwell in for
all that long before they go prematurely big. Or, at the very least, latched
onto an chewed through by the novelty hungry machine that was the media. As
more and more obscure things came into sight they were all now given their
moment in the sun, but often before they could organically grow enough of a
following to survive that moment or capitalize on it. Scenes didn't have enough
time to become actually big before being pronounced the Next Big Thing and then
tossed aside as the long queue of Next Big Things was worked through as rapidly
as possible. Things also haven't been helped by the increased discover-ability
to the listening public has come along an increased dispensability, as it too
goes through a thirsty journey towards novelty and freshness. It is perfectly
possible to hear about a new scene on the Monday, have listened to the music on
the Tuesday, to have sourced all the fashions on the Wednesday, and know about
all the events on the Thursday. Weather someone will then actually go to the
event on the Friday is up for debate, as they could easily have moved onto the
next thing before then. Scene-hopping and a cultural flatness brought on by
observing rather than engaging is developing, you don't even have to go to the
shows any longer as you can see it through someone else’s phone video so how
can a new scene maintain the excitement needed to become "big" when
all of it's mystique is gone at the very first whiff of discovery?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Instead of bigness we have, in most cases,
an outbreak of smallness. Niches and specific scenes are totally possible
because you can find enough people to keep them going, which is a great thing
in many ways but it also leads to the balkanisation that was described above
and a staleness that people don't seem to quite get. For example I recently had
a friend make the very reasonable and true comment that nothing new had
happened in Classic Metal for years now, but I had to point out that that was
because all the things that could happen with it had happened about 20 years
ago with Nu Metal. With any kind of music its the simple case that if you're
going to have a genre described by standing still and a scene made up of people
who want a very specific thing it can't evolve or significantly grow because
it's whole reason to exist is it's constraints, it's like looking at Baroque
and going "well I like it but can we throw in some synths and
blastbeats?" The availability of the niche scene has created its own
bottleneck where things can't evolve without having to exit the scene, and
because there isn't as much group experience available it's not by gathering
more people around it but by going and creating it's whole own new scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieI_isSD7lGnwzNE5GmoxEreyXl0Q-jhNzykaxf802NbUBAPfHecXPSo-IH-hpkxdHAS0sUMXUjNbBDJvod67h3I9323qUIPbMPXnEhkNfpqW2trPzltDO3edx9ZDCeXrzHyQvZvpj3D0/s1600/2005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</a><br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The fact that hardly any new acts that
could authentically be described as "underground" are making it into
the charts (even the previously awesome 40 to 20 region) is testament to this
by itself, with the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://raggedymusic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/why-are-festival-headliners-getting.html" target="_blank">aging of the headline acts at underground events</a> giving
further fuel to it. And it's only going to get worse, as the money is falling
out of music so bands and events have less ability to hang around that long and
more intensive to find and focus on a specific market. The removal of the
bottlenecks has leveled the playing fields, it's just that it appears to have
done it by driving things down rather than bringing everyone up. This is why,
more than ever, it's important to get out there and represent not just your
particular scene but the broad umbrella scene that it came from, to help and
keep everyone afloat. Plus, you never know: you might hear something you like
but never thought of listening to before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-7301634338116543102015-05-04T19:55:00.002+01:002015-05-04T19:55:45.433+01:00Decades are not genres<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Mayan-Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Mayan-Calendar.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Of the many things about the modern music scene that really piss me off (trust me, there are plenty of them) my single most consistent gripe has been people's usage of decades to define genres of music. It's a habit that has been around since the 80's (IMO pushed along by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Years" target="_blank">The Rock And Roll Years</a>, possibly the UKs biggest contribution to the rise of retro culture) even though it is a term that says nothing of any actual value, unless you use it as a highly weighted code. Actual genre terms can be a highly useful tool to give a rough description of what you can expect to hear and the intent of the content, however the most you can ascribe to a decade is the kind of instruments and recording technology that was available and, broadly speaking, what music hadn't happened until that point. These are not very useful for what the music actually is, especially when you take into account what you are actually trying to say.<br />
<br />
A decade in pop culture/pop music is, if people are honest, an incredibly long time. Hundreds of thousands of songs get released in a decade (possibly millions), whole scenes will rise and fall, the zeitgeist will move and mutate beyond all belief. Even if you look a headline acts they don't have half the impact people think they do, Elvis had a career from 53 to 77, but was only culturally relevant for 5 years before becoming a re-run pop-has-been (all be it with some outbreaks of performances and songs) by joining the army, so he doesn't count as being "so 50's" even if you do ignore all the folk music going on around him. The Beatles are constantly considered one of the most "60's" bands ever but were only around for 7 years in the public eye and had a massive contrast in their works. You can't even describe "Sgt Pepper's" as 'the sound of the 60's, as that was only released in 1967. The 70's pretends to be chintz-pop and prog/stadium, but it was also a lot of pub/punk/blues rock and the influence of soul and reggae. The 80's had "New Romantics" for about 3 years, but that covers everything from The Blitz-Kids to Post-Punk to Plastic-Soul so is neither that big a chunk of the decade or that definable a thing, and it totally ignores the nuclear impact of rap, As you go up the timeline towards things just get more cluttered, as recording, promotion, and distribution costs go crashing down and scenes can be created around thousands and eventually hundreds of people from around the globe. Any attempt to encapsulate even a five year period into "a defining theme" is going to fail, hard, as there are just too many sounds and too many intentions going on, so how you are going to double that is anyone's guess.<br />
<br />
Having said that it's always possible to go "oh, well I mean the music that was in the charts", but that doesn't work either once you get around to looking at the histories. The bulk of the charts has always been made up of either generic pap that is indistinct enough so as not to cause any offence (and thus noone in their right mind will listen to it again once it's done it's job) or things distinct enough from the rest to be remembered but too much of their own thing to be able to form into a cohesive narrative of what was happening at the time. It's also almost always utterly different to the music that will eventually be seen as important or significant in that time period. For example on sales The Sound of Music is the single most 60's album ever.<br />
<br />
What you need to do to use a decade of as a genre is to use it as a code, and what you are using it to do is say "This is how I wanted that period to be, even though I know damn well it wasn't". It's a willful rejection of what actually happened and a replacement of it with your own 'best of' collection (much like all of the retro-scene). It's also an attempt to gain authenticity for your choice, to empower your selection as the most valid version of what happened. It's an attempt to gain simplicity, to reject other songs as not passing the mark so requiring rejection from the records. It's also quite often an attempt to replicate the youth that you miss the most, because everyone is convinced that the music they listened to between 14 and 23 was the most authentic thing ever. And, yes, it's also a quick and simple marketing code to enable folks to go "generic collection of pop you heard from time X", and when have marketing folks ever worried about the terms they use being utterly nonsense?<br />
<br />
So is there ever a time to use a decade as a genre? Yes, whenever you are using it to describe a specific style or sound. If you go "Oh, I mostly do 70's ska and 80's electronic" then that actually says something useful and accurate about what you listen to. It shows a distinction, a vintage, and a musics place within the wider context. It also shows that you know what you are talking about, that you care about your music. Because there is nothing wrong with old-school music I listen to them all the time), but there is something about not giving them the respect that they deserve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-61713274975945888082015-03-31T21:47:00.002+01:002015-03-31T22:06:21.316+01:00Legally mandated post about Tidal<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/3/31/1427805996030/Madonna-Deadmau5-Kanye-We-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/3/31/1427805996030/Madonna-Deadmau5-Kanye-We-007.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tense moments at the Top Gear auditions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Upon it's launch, back in the mists of October 2014, <a href="http://tidal.com/" target="_blank">Tidal</a> was a brave streaming site with the novel idea of offering really high quality music, rather than the perfectly serviceable bitrates offered by the myriad of other streaming services all desperately trying to be the next Spotify. Then it was bought by Jay-Z, and that apparently made it even more interesting a contender to the title of "The Next Spotify" as the world plus it's dog lost it's collective shit about a business man with a portfolio including footwear, video games, champagne, and the occasional ground breaking album, decided to get a slice of the streaming pie. Then they gathered their collective shit and lost it again when he and <a href="https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/promo_650/public/media/tidal-tidaforall-16-owners-march-2015-billboard-650.jpg?itok=4fkVsDf8" target="_blank">around a billion dollars worth of close friends</a> did a fancy launch of the service, desperately screaming to the world "This Is The Next Spotify!".<br />
<br />
And it's all very lovely, all very impressive, Madonna got to <a href="http://www.justjared.com/2015/03/30/madonna-signed-the-tidal-declaration-by-mounting-the-table/" target="_blank">be a briefly erotic granny</a>, there was a lot of talk about paying artists more money than the other services (mostly by charging twice as much for in subscription as everyone else), and given that Mr Carter is somewhat of the entrepreneur it's going to make money. But will it conquer the world? Nope, I really don't think it will, because it's missing out on a couple of key things.<br />
<br />
Firstly it's claim of being better for the musicians, by boasting about how much it will pay the artists. This is actually somewhat misleading, as it will pay The Rights Holders more than other services. If you are an artist who owns their recordings then you are going to be doing good, however a lot of people aren't on that great a contract when it comes to streaming so until they get those changed they will mostly be making not that much times two. Don't get me wrong, double is good. But when it's double of almost bugger all once the record label has taken the cash it's not really that awesome, assuming that Tidal can get enough subscribers which it intends to do though sound quality and guilt trips.<br />
<br />
The sound quality thing is a curious "and" for me, as it's a kind of pointless exercise on a couple of fronts. If you are streaming at home then the other services product is available at sufficiently high quality as it is that you won't really notice the difference (especially when with high quality content you rapidly reach a point where the speakers rather than the source define a lot of what you hear). If you are streaming on the go then high-quality means lots of data means a service that's going to eat your monthly plan and/or your battery, assuming that you can connect to a solid enough signal to get the stream onto your phone. So you basically have something that you can already get at home via other services or that you are going to have to not use to it's full extent if you are on the go. This is before you reach the question of "can the listener really hear the difference?" which isn't being snobby but repeated experience of no-one I've meet really being able to tell if something is over 300kbps MP3 quality unless they really, really, concentrate very hard. I'm sure someone with a couple thousand pounds of audio equipment in their lounge would be able to tell the difference, but at that point you have to ask 'why haven't they got the CD, as that will always sound better'? And yes, you can download and listen offline, which is now basically the standard anyway and is done at perfectly acceptable quality levels by everyone else). BTW if <b>you</b> think you can tell the difference then <a href="http://abx.digitalfeed.net/" target="_blank">take the test.</a><br />
<br />
As the for the guilt trip? Given how much they go on about the artist and the way they "didn't like the direction the music was going" then it's clear that they are trying to attract the "real" music fan, by which they mean 'people who are willing to pay more for their music' and 'anyone who doesn't use those other, cheaper, nasty exploitative services'. Right... because history has proven that the average internet user is always willing to listen to moral arguments when faced with the choice of free-by-piracy or expensive-through-unnecessary-purchase. I can totally get that they are going to try for encouraging the fans, and week long exclusivity contracts, but other services had to keep their costs low for the single reason of the public's unwillingness to pay and I don't think having some of the richest starts in popular music standing in a line to go 'please, we need more cash!' is really going to help things. Maybe if they head a couple of unknowns or not so massive names on there as well it would have been different, but right now it's hardly presenting a radical redistribution of wealth that it's proportioning to be.<br />
<br />
So, will it work? Yes, it'll work. There is enough artistic weight behind it and Jay-Z is a great businessman who is brilliant at PR. But I can't see it becoming gigantic, and I certainly can't see it becoming the next Spotify. It will become, gradually, a premium option, something for people who want to show their support or opulence off with. It'll find an audience of it's own and that will grow, but the chances of mass appeal are limited, especially with its key product differential being so mostly pointless and limited by the improvements of various supporting technologies. Still, it gave everyone on stage some nice hype, so it worked out in the end.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-74385394408985754992015-03-21T08:37:00.000+00:002015-03-21T08:52:50.827+00:00Kanye West At Glastonbury Is PerfectIn what appears to becoming <a href="http://raggedymusic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/three-reasons-metallica-glastonbury.html" target="_blank">an annual tradition</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/31942909" target="_blank">people are moaning about the Glastonbury Headliner</a> and debating what is "the right type of music" for the headline slot, because whilst <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYsdtcSTyvA" target="_blank">rap has been at Glastonbury for years</a> it's apparently inappropriate to have it playing the main stage on the final night.<br />
<br />
This flies in the face of the entire history of the event as one of the biggest melting pots of music going in the UK (well, if you like middle-class blandness and faux-shock) and not, as some folks are claiming "a rock event". It makes you wonder how people are defining rock, beyond 'band with a guitar, what I like', as I thought the big bitch about last years headline (who went down really well) was that they were too rock. Or maybe it's not well known enough to be up there (I'm sure some of his 81 million sales have happened in the UK), even if the complaint about The Rolling Stones was that they were too old to excite the crowd (which they did). Or maybe they think it's too Pop, like Beyonce (who went down incredibly well) in 2011. Or maybe they think that the audience just won't like rap, like when they all loved having Jay-Z headline in 2008.<br />
<br />
Now, there are a lot of people commenting that the problem is with Kanye West The Person. This is a valid viewpoint, because as the President Of The United States of America said, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=078BGtKNL1o" target="_blank">He's a jackass</a>" (presumably the words "irritating fuckwit who keeps on wrecking award shows" aren't presidential). He is, he <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West#Controversies" target="_blank">really, really is</a>. But that's an irreverence, because if you were to ban annoying, arrogant, opinionated people from the event then you would have half the bill empty, along with half the venue. It's also missing the fact that, as one of the greatest producers of a generation, that he has earned that arrogance. Because what he does he does unbelievably well, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABk7TmjnVk" target="_blank">Including his live shows</a>, which have flamethrowers in them (so he's basically Rammsteinn but using the word "Nigger" to highlight the ills of racism).<br />
<br />
So what you have is a controversial booking of a highly successful and talented artist, that has managed to cause a controversy by being a bit outside of the box whilst having the professionalism and popularity to go down an absolute charm at the event. Further proof that Michael Eavis is a genius because he's managed to book a perfect act for his event. It's also proof that Glastonbury has got so big (thanks to the BBC) that people going 'I don't like it' is now a story that somehow shows the raw, racial undercurrents of the modern world, rather than the real headline of "IDIOT CONFUSES GLASTONBURY WITH V-FEST".Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-88297254001535284292015-03-20T23:14:00.000+00:002015-03-20T23:28:26.465+00:00We have reached peak Meghan TrainorI know, we all had the same hope. We all thought "here was someone to break the treadmill of pop cliches and do Modern Woman Pop". We all thought the sad old, worn out tropes of pop cliche would be removed by someone with a bit of sass and an average body type. But no, it's just the same "ladies, you're perfect if your man will fuck you" bullshit we've seen a million times before. And no, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of9dCIxez2g" target="_blank">it isn't all about that bass</a>, no matter how much you decide to rip off Lou Bega.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShlW5plD_40" target="_blank">Dear Future Husband</a>, her latest single, has a couple of modernistic tropes in it. For example it acknowledges that women are also now a part of the work force and... erm... No, that's about it. Skip beyond that starling revelation and it boils down (in order) to; put up with me when I'm being 'crazy', flatter my ego to get sex, admit you're wrong even if I was in error, never leave me alone or get on with your own thing, buy me things, and a chorus. That isn't a recipe for a good, positive, modern relationship. At worst it's a call to arms for the benefits of Stockholm Syndrome and at best it's all the pressures and social prejudices of the doo-wop era with a very minor backline beef-up added into the mix.<br />
<br />
For someone who's stock-in-trade is being outside of the current pop norms Meghan is surprisingly and safely within everything that has happened before, an Empress in slightly baggy clothing. All she is doing is trading on feminist rhetoric, without actually putting any of the concepts into her lyrics or the body of her work. It's a shame, a disappointment, and stealing the spotlight from artists who actually have something to say on the subject of bringing grown up concepts of equality and respect into love songs, (Looking at you; Adele, Florence, Lorde, and a thousand other equally talented but gimmick missing performers). That she has a sound that gets rolled out ever 10 years or so (think Jive Bunny with a proclaimed adoration of pie, yet suspiciously tailored jeans) only adds to the conceit, a well crafted revolution that is playing on nostalgia without having the guts to be as revolutionary as the Shangri-Las or even the bloody Spice Girls. Which is what leads to the main emotion here: disappointment, and anger at her devolvement into an also-ran. As with only a few lyrical tweaks, and a slight step away from the pop-nagging blueprint of 'empowered moaning', we could have had something truly wonderful on our hands.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-2313115628018815042015-03-01T16:45:00.001+00:002015-03-01T16:45:20.712+00:00A few words on tickets.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutFJgCLCwrmr8Gz4EDNOesEYMYU6yZBTfNIzZKpj-BAYz9F150jdxZEsOX3ArNsGMu2v6szyuhR0BFRNmtcfSFPf9qkxv5va5NEbUteSuZ42_nrpCR2zVibsb4r5xPBmjc8VkRm5_TXo/s1600/20150301_162531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutFJgCLCwrmr8Gz4EDNOesEYMYU6yZBTfNIzZKpj-BAYz9F150jdxZEsOX3ArNsGMu2v6szyuhR0BFRNmtcfSFPf9qkxv5va5NEbUteSuZ42_nrpCR2zVibsb4r5xPBmjc8VkRm5_TXo/s1600/20150301_162531.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is something magical about a concert ticket, something about what is quite often just a simple bit of paper with a touch of ink on it. Mass produced and designed to last, at most, a couple of months, they are a prized item for the music fan that carry far more emotions than simple reminiscence of the night itself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfvnK0useP-L-KZFO5w4JEoUJg4Em_-PeWJ_38wjnEq7jTbpiLom4Q5Gcdyn0Qgy7hWuyNAWG7icNfOo2Xn5Uy_wAdGIr1bLlnX7nOiDCqh4ZV7eNXuEGxLg_X8jkX0AJaGTpQctY1I/s1600/20150301_162621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfvnK0useP-L-KZFO5w4JEoUJg4Em_-PeWJ_38wjnEq7jTbpiLom4Q5Gcdyn0Qgy7hWuyNAWG7icNfOo2Xn5Uy_wAdGIr1bLlnX7nOiDCqh4ZV7eNXuEGxLg_X8jkX0AJaGTpQctY1I/s1600/20150301_162621.jpg" height="105" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a start there is the sense of occasion that a ticketed event brings with it. This is not a ‘turn up if you can’ show you may get down a pub or small venue (delightful though those are), this is an event that could sell out and that has asked you to confirm that you will be there with cash in advance. This is not a casual affair, this is an RSVP event for a limited few. And that limitation brings with it the apprehension of trying to get the damn thing in your hands. If it is a major event you have the phoneline and website hounding, waiting for the flag to be raised for you and the rest of the world to charge and grab the trophy; if it is a smaller event, it’s the quiet fear that you won’t get the ticket in time before the rest of the world realises how awesome the band is and decide to join in the fun. Either way, should luck or planning be on your side, once you have the ticket you want to hold it up high and show it off to the world as the rare prize it is.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv0oWz-gJ1EUmQLOJT_u1lDJY_RDhz11c7pidFdl018t0PxOiAokXqA9ZfyEwmfF_i__o416c3r2kaboAG4VNSeDKcJ63iEuCXYFnx8ntHdOse4dGNzGQ3H44LhgOR9bb0mavZ0EaJDU/s1600/20150301_162748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv0oWz-gJ1EUmQLOJT_u1lDJY_RDhz11c7pidFdl018t0PxOiAokXqA9ZfyEwmfF_i__o416c3r2kaboAG4VNSeDKcJ63iEuCXYFnx8ntHdOse4dGNzGQ3H44LhgOR9bb0mavZ0EaJDU/s1600/20150301_162748.jpg" height="98" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then, in a strange metamorphosis, it turns from a thing of joy into a totem of apprehension. The gig is only a few months away, but how many things can go wrong in those weeks? What if the band have to cancel? What if you can’t make the show? What if you don’t get there on time? What if you lose the ticket? So many things could happen, all of them turning those few cubic inches of printed matter from the token of high entertainment into a totem of bitter disappointment. But at the same time it also becomes a beacon of solace and a way to get through the daily trudgery. Whatever the world throws at you is survivable, as you have the solid reminder that the gig is coming. The magic that is live music, that is a live crowd, will be upon you soon. It’s a feeling that gets bigger as the date gets nearer: the ticket becoming more and more real, until it’s in your hand and you’re on the way to the show with it brandished like a pass to the riches of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then you arrive, you hand over the golden-ticket, and it’s just a bit of paper. Everything is on the music, the performance, the event. Until it’s all over, at which point it becomes a reminder of what went by; a thing </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">to look at and remember with, the trophy to mount on your wall amongst your other mementos of great nights of music. But it’s not a simple reminder of where you were or what you saw, it’s more complicated than that. You didn’t get to see a movie or a broadway show, this wasn’t a performance that will have been repeated a hundred days before and after. And it’s not the tour t-shirt, showing a multitude of concerts that you may or may-not have been at, that can be bought without even having to be near the venue. This is an indelible marker of that show at that place on that date, this is a point in time that you were a part of. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is your place in rock history, not just of the history of your own journey, as the show will never happen again. And it is the tool for the whole ride that is live music, of the emotional journey you have gone through with that ticket, from hope to triumph to foreboding to consolation to eagerness to elation to remembrance and permanency.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656346532816426418.post-55679171072223767232015-02-26T21:43:00.000+00:002015-02-26T21:43:38.020+00:00Enter Shikari @ The Cambridge Corn Exchange - 24/02/2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The opening act on the nights bill was <a href="http://iamanisland.net/" target="_blank">FatherSon</a>, who spent most of their set sounding something halfway between the pop-punk melodies FalloutBoy and the prog-alternative rocking of Biffy Clyro, but without the impact of either. They were very static, focused to the point of disconnected, and the vocals kept on dropping out as the singer didn't appear to know to keep his mouth near the mic. It was, to begin with, disappointing. Then they got to their last two numbers and started to come alive, with some really heartfelt stuff that if they could fill their set with would really get people swaying.<br />
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<a href="http://allusondrugs.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Allusondrugs</a> were up next and they kicked into some high-grade shouty fast sleaze rock. It had edge, it had swagger, it had a front-man that was confident enough to take the piss out of himself and still look cool. It also had a very dangerous singer-on-guitarists-shoulders moment, which just added to the schoolyard charm of the whole set. They are playing the Portland Arms soon, and I think they will be worth a look in.<br />
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If it takes a brave singer to dive into the audience it must take an utter lunatic to start the set in it, and <a href="http://www.feedtherhino.co.uk/" target="_blank">Feed The Rhino</a> have such a singer. The lunatic factor isn't hindered by him looking like a slightly younger Alan Moore, nor in the amount of conviction that he and the whole band put into their doomy metalcore assault. To say the crowd blew up was an understatement, arms and legs went everywhere and there was even the first wall-of-death I've seen at The Corn Exchange. But there were also some more touching moments, such as when they turned off all the lights and had the audience illuminate the band purely via their phone lights. A very good blend of soft and hard, occasional quiet and mostly loud. Definitely one to watch, as they should be going places very, very soon.<br />
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Speaking of phone's it was curiously satisfying to see so many of them with broken screens, because if you're going to bring a couple hundred quids worth of tech into a pit then it's likely to get broken. It was also deeply satisfying to see a really diverse crowd having turned up: gender, race, clothing style, everyone was represented in equal measure. Okay, so it was a bit weird when people started chanting Oasis's 'Wonderwall' between sets but these things happen and everyone was a generally friendly lot: all there to see Enter Shikari do their thing.<br />
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After five minutes of amusing tape intro, which had people singing along to soul classics and shouting along to various minutes warnings, <a href="http://www.entershikari.com/" target="_blank">Enter Shikari</a> finally took to the stage and began to play one of the best live sets I've seen. Bravely they took the bulk of the material from their <a href="http://raggedymusic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/the-mindsweep-enter-shikari.html" target="_blank">latest album</a>, with only a couple of their previous classics making the list. This shows a commitment to their material that you just don't expect from a band four albums into their career, however the audience reaction to material that's only been out for a couple of months shows that it pays off. Everything was fresh, everything was exciting, and everyone was loving it. As ever they performed with a warmth, genuine appreciation for their audience, and sense of fun which turned the whole thing into such a pleasant environment for people to let steam off in a friendly high-energy environment. It was also nice to have such a 'message band' not give any speeches or grand announcements, letting everything come through from the songs and the lyrics. Even the more fancy staging didn't get in the way of the music doing it's thing, everything managing to be impressive but simple and none distracting. Hopefully it won't take me another seven years to get to see them live again, because I don't know how much longer they can keep being one of the best live acts going.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00213818787677281270noreply@blogger.com0