UniTruck Festival @ The Union 03/12/09

UniTruck festival came to Bucks once again, in an explosive night of live music. There was seven acts spread across 2 rooms, with stalls and pretty festival lanterns that brought the feeling of summer back to a cold December evening.

The Vagina Monologues @ Wycombe Swan 02/12/09

It was a night for women everywhere! Well, in this case it was a night for women (and 4 men) in High Wycombe who came prepared to join the 2 million people who have already witnessed one of the 3,000 performances and 25,000 fake orgasms in the hilariously entertaining Vagina Monologues.
The fantastic new tour hit the Wycombe Swan on the 2nd December for one night only, the tour that has been screaming (quite literally!) around the country. It features Hollyoaks’ longest standing female character, blonde bombshell Sarah Jayne Dunn, Waterloo Road’s Zaraah Abrahams and the multi-talented writer, actress, comedienne and presenter Mel Giedroyc from comedy duo Mel and Sue to complete the star studded line-up.
Sex has never before been so funny or so moving than in this collection of stories are told by our three stars, collected by the show’s creator Eve Ensler. Ensler interviewed over 200 women of all ages, ethnicities and background to find out some of their most intimate secrets. She talked about birth, sex, orgasms and relationships, and if you’ve seen the show the results are truly phenomenal.
The show leaves no stone unturned as it battles with intense issues such as gang-rape in one story, then encourages the audience to shout the word c**t in another, all the time repeating at various intervals the magical ‘sex fact’, which I shall leave up to your active imaginations! (You’ll have to watch it to find out.)
The Vagina Monologues has been critically applauded and received nominations for prestigious awards including the Obie and the Olivier award. Make sure you catch it on tour as it continues around the UK.

Levis Ones To Watch: Marina and the Diamonds

Levi's one's to watch struck gold, or perhaps that should be diamonds last night (18/11/09) as pop princess Marina and the diamonds graced the stage during the half way point of a highly successful 5 night review.
Joined by Dragonette, Clock Opera and Wolf Gang, the night promised to be a massive success before it even started, having completely sold out of tickets way in advance, proving just how popular these nights are becoming.
The crowd packed itself into the fairly small Hoxton bar and Kitchen, patiently waiting for the first acts to emerge.
First up were Canadian band Dragonette. Despite being a long way from home, their fast fun pop rock tunes provided a fiery and energetic start to the night and made sure that everyone in the room was ready for a party. Undoubtedly a tough act to follow for the band next in line, Clock Opera.
The London four piece fronted by producer and singer Guy Connelly, blend together soothing synthesizers and mashed up samples to create stadium-esque sound reminiscent of Arcade Fire. They captured the eager crowd and as they walked off the stage fans were literally left begging for more.
Next on was the main support for Marina, fellow Londoner Wolf Gang; the stage name for singer Max McElligott. The pop star spent his earlier life at London School of Economics, but he now prefers wowing audiences up and down the country with his beautiful alternative pop music, which manages to be both catchy and original, whilst remaining stunningly simply.
As the last support act left the stage the already packed out venue seemed to fill up to almost breaking point. Anticipation was heavy in the air as eager fans waited for their pop goddess to take to the stage. She stepped out to glorious cheers and greeted the crowd with, 'I am Marina, you are the Diamonds', before unleashing her incredibly powerful voice over the excited fans, who were singing along with every song, despite the fact her album isn't due for release until February 2010. Although her set was quite short, adding up to only about 30 minutes, Marina managed to belt out singles, 'I Am Not A Robot' and 'Mowgli's Road', along with other favorites such as 'Seventeen' and 'Obsessions'. The set may have been short and sweet, but it was enough for a lot of people to be completely blown away by the power and the beauty that's in her voice (myself included). For her to be able to sell out a show before her album has even been released is truly an astonishing achievement, but it becomes crystal clear when you see her as to why. Keep an eye on Marina in the future, because her collection of diamonds is about to get a whole lot bigger.

Funeral for a Friend interview

Ffaf interview with Ryan
I managed to get an interview with Ryan Richards from Funeral for a Friend. Childhood dream come true...FACT. I LOVE this band. Anyway, here it is...

Jo: You just recently finished a UK wide tour. How was it?
Ryan: Yeah it was a lot of fun, we got to pretty much every corner of the UK, and over to Ireland so we covered a lot of ground, and got to play to a lot of people in the UK.
J: And you’re going to Japan in about a week to do a joint headline tour with Finch, are you excited?
R: Yeah, very much so, they popped up on my iPod a while ago, Finch, and I thought yeah yeah, next week will be fun. We were like, their first big support slot when they were in London a while ago, so it's gone like full circle, but it'll be good to catch up with the guys again, and to be back in Japan, which is one of our favourite places to play.
J: Do you get a different sort of reception from fans abroad?
R: Erm, I guess it's different because of all their little customs they have, Japanese fans are very generous, they tend to have little gifts waiting for you when you come over; they treat you which is quite nice. They have a lot of respect for you over there. It's almost like, it's weird because during a song they're going absolutely crazy, and then as soon as the song finishes and you stop to talk in between the songs, they're like deadly silent and completely attentive, it's a hushed silence while they're listening to what you're saying, it's good to go out and play there.
J: You’ve made a greatest hits album, what made you decide to do that?
R: Erm, I wouldn't say we really decided. It was just one of those things where we talked to our label and we took up the option to do that, and they just let us get on with it. We really wanted to make something worthwhile, so recorded four new tracks for it. We gave away a lot of the stuff that people had never heard before, we wanted to deliver like an authentic kind of package from the band instead of from the label. I know before there have been a lot of greatest hits albums where bands haven't really had a lot of involvement in it, just a bit of cash, and we really wanted to make sure it wasn't like that for us, and that there was something relevant on there, that the fans couldn't get elsewhere.
J: Yeah, because it isn't until you look at everything you've done you realise how many amazing songs you actually have.
R: Yeah, it was really hard, getting the songs together and actually agreeing on a track listing, we've all got our favourite songs on there, so yeah, it wasn't that easy getting a track listing, but then yeah there was the special 2 disc edition that had on like, all the unreleased B sides, stuff like that which some fans may have never heard before. But yeah we feel like it's the right time to do it, we thought about it and we just thought it would be a really good opportunity to do something really special.
J: It says on your twitter that you’re writing at the moment; are you planning another album for next year?
R: Yeah, yeah we are. That's the plan. We wrote the four new songs for our greatest hits and we got a really good response. There songs we really like playing live, and that we wrote together with our new bass player, so yeah it's going really good and it seems to be really easy at the moment, just writing as much as we can, when we're on the road, when we're touring, and when we've been back at home. We've been together every day this week, and yeah, we've got a lot of ideas, it's going to be a really exciting record. We're hoping to continue the same sort of theme as the songs on the greatest hits record.
J: Is the new album going to be anything like your older ones, because every one you have is slightly different?
R: Yeah they are, I think that with this one in particular we've put a lot of thought into how the tracks would come across when we play them live, yeah, an album full of songs that we just want to play live really. We've never really done that before, we just wrote so it sounded good on CD I guess. I think that with this way of doing it now the songs have a lot more energy, I guess the last time we did the tour we put the vote out for people to pick what they wanted us to play, and we really enjoyed it because a lot of people picked out the heavier and more energetic songs and it was a real buzz to play them, so I think that really set us on the path to go more rockier again.
J: You’ve been around for quite a while now, I remember getting into your music when I was about 14!
R: Haha, you make me feel old!
J: Yeah, because you've been around like 7 years now! What do you think it is that keeps people interested?
R: Erm, I think it's the fact that we've always progressed, always moved with the times I guess. Just try and keep ahead of things and not get stale. I think if we did the same record over and over again, people would be a bit tired by now. I think it’s a good thing that whenever a Funeral for a Friend record comes out you're never quite sure what it's going to sound like. I think that's what it probably is. That and we always tour hard and maintain a stable relationship with our fans.
J: At the minute the music industry seems to be full of x factor contestants that don’t even last 6 months. Does it make you feel proud of what you've done?
R: It does it does, it makes us feel very proud and I guess sometimes, it's hard for us to get perspective of reality. My wife was telling me the other day, she was watching the peter Andre TV programme, and it had the whole thing about him waiting for a phone call on the Sunday to see where his album was going to chart, and he was all ecstatic that he was number three, and I was just like, oh, our album went in at number three, we were like oh, same as Peter Andre (laughs). I think it's just though, that he's like a pop culture icon at the moment, but our record still went in at the same position as someone that everyone knows, and who is a real celeb, it's just weird, but it kind of puts it in perspective of what we've really achieved as a band, who are not really that commercially known.
J: And finally, where do you see Funeral for a Friend going; what would you ultimately like to achieve?
R: Erm, as long as we keep challenging ourselves, and really trying to just do better music than we have in the past. As long as we're setting ourselves new goals, and new targets and do the best we can. That's the best thing for the band I think, as soon as we start reflecting on the past I think that's the point I think we should maybe leave it, but yeah I mean with the new writing it has definitely been a step forward, so we'll see how it goes from there.
J: Cool, thanks.
R: Thanks, bye.
J: Bye.

Evita @ Wycombe Swan 17/11/09

It has more than 20 major awards to its name, has been turned into an Oscar-winning film starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, and now the brand new production of the smash hit show Evita visits Wycombe swan in a superb two-week viewing that will undoubtedly be the theatrical event of the year.
Starring West End superstar Rachael Wooding as Eva Peron who has featured in the multi award winning shows Hairspray, We Will Rock You, and Saturday Night Fever. Joining her in the role of Che Guevara is Seamus Cullen, a finalist from the hit BBC TV programme Any Dream Will Do, and Mark Heenehan as Juan Peron, whose film credits include The Road to Damascus, Spy Game and Thunderpants.
This fantastic new production is sure to capture the audience with its moving storyline and some of the most famous theatrical songs ever written, such as ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’, ‘On This Night of a Thousand Stars’, and ‘Oh What A Circus’. The extraordinary musical event that is Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita is at the Wycombe swan for 2 weeks only , make sure you don’t miss it, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Matthew Bourne returns to the Wycombe swan with his dark and seductive dance event, freely adapted from Oscar Wilde's masterpiece that is Dorian Gray.

Unlike the novel, the piece is set in modern day image-obsessed London, where Dorian suddenly finds himself thrust into the spotlight as the new 'it boy' of the modelling world. Struggling to come to terms with his new found fame we watch the untimely demise of our young Adonis, as he deals with the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle, ultimately proving that no one is immortal.

The themes in Wilde's cautionary tale still resonate throughout the story; the destructive power of beauty, the pursuit of pleasure, and the corruption and evil that lies beneath such a charming facade.

Matthew Bourne is best known for his adaptations of classic stories such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker! The Car Man and Edward Scissorhands. Dorian Gray is his newest production, and it reunites the team that created the double Olivier award-winning hit Play Without Words.

The dark and sinister nature behind this piece made it captivating to the audience, and the transformation of classic novel into modern day theatrical dance was achieved perfectly by such fantastic choreography. The adaptation of this ‘black fairy tale’, told just by music and dance showcases Matthew Bourne’s fantastic theatrical ability, and any production of his is definitely not one to miss.

Kid British interview

I managed to grab Adio Marchant and Sean Mbaya, aka one half of Kid British for a chat just before their set at the union when they played on Halloween.

Jo: So, how are you guys?

Sean: Yeah, we’re good thanks.

J: This is the last night of your uLive tour, how has it been?

S: It’s gone well, we’ve had some fairly good crowds come down, and we’ve done this tour after not really promoting anything, it’s just been good to get out there and the receptions been really good. We’ve been visiting places that we’ve not really tapped into before.

J: Do you like playing to students?

Adio: Yeah, we don’t mind really, we like playing to anyone who appreciates our music really.

J: Do you find you get a better reception from younger people?

A: Yeah, we do. We find that we’ve got a nice little crowd from a younger generation. But we get quite a mixture, one night there can be loads of young girls, and then the next day there can be hardly any girls and loads of guys, it’s just shows we’ve got an eclectic crowd.

J: Ok, so you’re on the new war child single. How did that come about?

A: We got asked by our label if we wanted to be on the track, and the people who are making the song wanted artists who could all come together and put a similar sort of vibe onto it, and we were glad to be a part of it. It’s mainly for the cause more than the song, because I don’t think the songs as good as the original. I think it’s a good take on it, but it’s more about what the cause is all about really.

J: What was it like working with all the other artists? Have you made any good friends?

S: Yeah, we all got on. Obviously when you get that amount of people together there’s bound to be a few ego’s knocking about but to be honest everyone was just really professional and friendly.

J: So it was an enjoyable experience?

A: Yeah, it was fun. The whole experience was fun. Recording the song, meeting the other artists. It was good to see what everyone was like, because I haven’t met most of them before, but I didn’t leave thinking that any of them were idiots, everyone was alright.

J: Are you going to be doing a tour with the other acts on the single?

S: Yeah, Chipmunk and Ironik, it’s called the ... tour and it’s going to be in February, which will be good to play to a completely different audience, because our audience is different to what theirs is. So it’s good to open out, we just like playing to everyone, we’ll let you know how it goes next year.

J: About you guys as a band, how did you all meet?

S: Basically we met about four years ago and Adaio and James were in a band called ‘The Action Mankey’, I was producing at the time, doing my own stuff, and because we were doing stuff together anyway and we had a good relationship, our manager now saw what we were doing and said it was similar and we should form one band. So we did it, and in the space of 6 months we got signed, and from then which was 2 years ago, until now it’s just developed as Kid British, we just stuck with the name. Originally they had a name and I had a name and we just shortened it down to Kid British, and that’s it really.

J: So, for someone who’s never heard of you, how would you describe your music to them?

S: Ooh, er, happy, eclectic pop.

A: It’s pop with a social commentary, anything that’s good is always classed as pop, and we’re not afraid to say that. We’re not going out there, dancing and doing back flips, we’re just a proper band.

S: We just play feel good music. Any aspect for me that’s got a pinch of indie, reggae, ska, you name it, like we said, its eclectic pop.

J: Who would you list as your influences?

S: We could talk for hours but we were range from The Beatles to reggae like Bob Marley.

A: Yeah I mean, I’ve got different influences, as do the other guys. It’s like all 4 of us coming together.

S: Yeah, we all like different stuff.

J: Have you got any plans for next year?

S: The plans are basically, we have another year just to get some more singles out, and other things like getting our name out, so people know what we’re all about. You can’t take over anything in a day, so we’re just trying to build up our reputation.

J: What can we expect from your show tonight?

S: Same as always. Energetic, fireworks, yeah, it’ll be good. We always put on a show. It doesn’t matter if there’s 5 people or 1000 people; it’s like a party on stage. Thing is we’re always knackered by the end of it. (Laughs)

J: Cool, thanks then guys

Both: Thanks.

Coming up...

In the next few days, Kid British interview on their part in the new War Child single.

J x

Calvin Harris @ Oxford academy 17/10/09

When the lights dimmed down on Oxford academy for many of the younger fans in the audience it was almost too much, the chants of “Calvin, Calvin”, rang out accompanied by high pitched screams and the frantic waving of glow sticks. When Harris finally jumps on stage to ‘Merrymaking at my place’ the crowd go wild, and from that point on there’s no going back. Smashing out hit after hit in the form of, ‘Ready For The Weekend’, ‘The Girls’, and number 1 single, ‘I’m Not Alone’ Calvin bobs and dances behind his keyboard as he conducts the chaos that is progressing in front of him. Finally, as he pauses for breath he gives the crowd one more opportunity to go mental. The excited and sweaty fans obviously need no encouragement as they’ve been going mental for the last 45 minutes. When he eventually leaves the stage and the young fans start to filter out, it is perfectly understood why he has become one of the biggest pop stars of 2009.

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Chew Lips 15/10/09

The union has once again been treated to another Thursday night of musical magic. This time in the form of Camden band Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and South London based Chew Lips.
First up were Ou Est. Made up of 3 very strange boys, the band managed to tear the stage apart with their dizzy mix of electro pop music combined with a massive amount of enthusiasm. Jumping into the crowd, dancing with fans and at one point, front man Andele even scaled one of the huge speakers before being pulled off by security. Not exactly the sort of set you can call boring, these boys are definitely ones to watch for the future. The stand out track for me was their next single, ‘Dance The Way I Feel’, which is available now to download on iTunes; it got the whole crowd dancing and eager for more.
Next up were indie band Chew lips. Fronted by the stunning Tigs, the electro pop trio played tune after tune of indie pop that will make you dance your legs off and stay spinning around in your head for days after. They captivated the audience who were dancing the whole way through the set, and when they’d finished the crowd were left feeling like they’d witnessed something truly special.

Recap

Hi.
I've been really busy over the past few weeks, and will update asap. I was really ill last week, to the point that I had a rash all over my face that looked like menigitis and I was convinced I was going to die...Needless to say, I didn't, and after a little 'moment', I am back to my chirpy self and ready to get on with things.
Coming up will be reviews from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, Chew Lips, Mr Hudson and Calvin Harris. Along with previews from Kid British and Dorian Gray (Yes I do theatre now as well!) It's all good...

J x

Dinosaur Pile Up

Tonight was the night for punk rock. London based girl band Bleech kicked off the night with their fiery rock and roll that infused early 90’s grunge with modern day indie pop. Happy, rocky, and good to dance to, it’s modern day grunge that will excite young punk fans all over the UK. Next up were our headliners for the night. Yorkshire based post-grunge band Dinosaur Pile Up, who got their name when a young Matt Bigland watched King Kong and thought it was rubbish! Subsequently, a lot of kick-ass songs were written and DPU were born. “Did you see the latest remake of King Kong? It was awful,” says DPU’s lead singer Matt. “There’s this bit in it where a huge gang of Brontosauruses get ambushed and they all end up falling over each other. I joked about naming a band Dinosaur Pile-Up, and when it came to naming us now, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It’s not meaningful, just funny.” The band seems to take a more light-hearted approach when naming their material, titling their new EP ‘The Most Powerful EP in the Universe.’ Whether it is or not isn’t certain, but it does have some powerful tracks on it that are definitely worth a listen. Matt describes the band’s sound as rocky, with influences from early Foo Fighters and Nirvana, but admits there is a more pop twist to his music, “I write really catchy songs, I don’t know why,” he laughs. “Some are even quite poppy.” I asked him what fans can expect from a typical Dinosaur Pile Up show, “good, catchy music with riffs which are driven by drums.” And the night was certainly that. A loud and ferocious yet catchy and fun set meant that the heavy rockers were satisfied, and the indie kids could still have a dance to it. Stand out tracks for me were ‘My Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Cat Attack!!’ Definitely 2 tracks you should download. Or if you really liked them, then you can buy their EP, ‘The Most Powerful EP in the Universe’, which is out now. But fear not, if you missed Dinosaur Pile Up you can still catch them. The band will be touring with Pixies until the end of this month, so get tickets now! They will sell out fast.

Russell Kane @ Wycombe Town Hall

Russell Kane has undoubtedly become one of the most highly established comics in the UK. In the space of a year he has been nominated for an if.comedy award (formerly the Perrier award), had a string of sell out tours, and stole the show when he performed on ‘Live at the Apollo’. An all round performer, Russell is a regular on our TV, having presented a week long residency on Big Brothers big mouth, and appearing on various comedy panel shows. This month Russell’s ‘Human Dressage’ tour came to Wycombe, where excited fans packed out the town hall eager to see the self-confessed ‘shy pikey from Enfield’. Joined by long term girlfriend Sadie Hasler who warmed up the crowd nicely with her hilarious impressions, including a manic depressive Sylvia Plath and a Russian lady who told not-so-nice stories to small children. After a short intermission we were joined by the man himself. Russell Kane took to the stage to ask a series of questions about human nature. The audience joined in as he explained why kindness is really just a way of seeking approval; why we strut and fret, and why life is all ‘Human Dressage’, a meaningless dance. All, of course linked in with jokes, swearing and stories about getting in trouble with his Nan. At first glance, the show is fast paced, hilarious and entertaining; but delve deeper and you find the interesting comic twist that makes you feel like you’re actually learning something as you watch! Russell is undoubtedly a comic genius, and I’m confident we will be seeing a lot more of him.

Better Late Than Never

Here is my Dizzee Rascal interview (A bit late I know, I've been a busy lady). It's in the latest edition of 'The Bucks Student', so you can pick that up too. You could be in with a chance of winning a signed Dizzee T-Shirt!

J: Hi Dizzee
D: Hi
J: Ok, so your new album is out now for us to buy isn’t it?
D: Yeah, ‘Tongue ‘n’ Cheek’.
J: Can you tell me a bit about it?
D: Err, yeah. Basically it’s a crazy pop album. It’s the type of album that you can like, have a party to. That was the idea, but yeah, there’s a lot of really up tempo, quite happy sounding tracks on it. Bits of dance music elements in it, elements of hip hop and stuff like that.
J: You’ve done a few collaborations now with the likes of Armand Van Helden and Calvin Harris, are there any more on the album?
D: Nah, that’s it for now on the album, some of the tunes have been produced by Calvin Harris, but he’s not featured in them, like holiday.
J: Do you like working with Calvin?
D: Yeah definitely, he’s one of the easiest people to work with, man.
J: Is there anyone else you’d like to work with?
D: Andre 3000, The Prodigy, there’s a few.
J: Do you twitter?
D: Yeah yeah, I got a twitter. It’s nice to let people know what you’re up to. I like to get people excited about my music.
J: What can we expect from a typical Dizzee live show?
D: Just a lot of energy, we bring energy to the stage. That’s what we’re going to do tonight.
J: Cool, thanks a lot
D: Cheers

Hot Club De Paris

Interview

I Interviewed Hot Club De Paris @ Pandapalooza festival. I spoke to Matthew Smith from the band. (The others were there too, he just talks LOADS!)

J: Hi Guys
All: Hi
J: So do you enjoy doing these university gigs?
Matt: Well they can be quite wide and varied bunch of shows. They can be amazing, or they can be the most horrific nights of your life, playing for 600 people who aren’t bothered.
J: That’s the thing with students; they can get really drunk and have an amazing time but they get bored quite easily.
M: Yeah, well it really depends, last night we played Kings College, and it was a lad we know that booked the show, and it was sold out, like 600 tickets and it was absolutely brilliant. But we’ve done stuff before that’s not been.
J: What have you been up to over the summer?
M: We’ve just finished recording a new EP, that’s coming out in January. We’re back on Moshi Moshi again, our old label. And we’re going to record something with Paul Smith from Maximo Park as well. We’re doing a track with him at the moment. We’re going to do a cover of ‘Cattle and Cane’ by ‘The Go Betweens’, he’s coming down to do the vocals next week, so I don’t know what we’re going to do with that.
J: Sounds good. So for people here tonight who have never heard of you before, how would you describe yourself?
M: Ha, yeah, that’ll be like 95% of the audience tonight. As we get older and the students get younger, there are more and more people who have never heard of us. Yeah, technical pop music, lean and taught (laughs). Yeah, were just quite technical, quite fast, fairly non standard sort of arrangements, a bit of a laugh really, isn’t it? Three lads having a laugh. That’s what most bands are really.
J: Who would you say your influences were?
M: Bands like ‘The Minute Men’, ‘Joan of Arc’, ‘Don Caballero’. I suppose, all kinds, just punk bands. Loads of experimental rock bands. Just anything progressive and interesting really, not ‘indie’, or not what is now known as ‘indie’, so independent music, made by people who like making music.
J: What can people expect from one of you r live shows?
M: About 40 minutes of us all standing in a row talking and playing songs, yeah just doing our best trying to go along with it really. Trying to cater for a drunk teenage crowd. One way or another it would be quite nice, or if the crowds not nice we’ll just be really really quick, then just pack up and go (laughs). Yeah, you could definitely expect us to be on the motorway less than 10 minutes after we’ve finished. Yeah we’re driving home to Liverpool tonight, it’s not too bad, we’ll be in bed by 4 in the morning, because you just stay and get pissed most of the time if you don’t. If we ended up getting a hotel, we’d just get pissed and be up until 4 in the morning anyway, (laughs).
J: So have you got anything planned for next year, where would you like to be?
M: Yeah, two EP’s and an album, yeah we’ve got like a 6 song EP coming out in January, hopefully followed up by another 6 song EP in March.
J: Do they have titles yet?
M: Yeah, the first one’s called ‘With days like this as cheap as chewing gum, why would anyone want to work’, it’s a quote from Matthew Welton, he’s a poet from Manchester. And I’m not sure what we’re going to call the second one, probably sorry we can’t release this (laughs), no I think it’ll be ‘bees, thunder, cats ,women, darkness’. It’s 5 things that people are afraid of. They were the answers to a quiz, and we thought it sounded funny when we were pissed, and it’s become the name of the record.
J: So have you got any tours planned.
M: Yeah a tour in January for the first EP and then another tour in March for the second, and then some stuff in Europe.
J: Cool, thanks guys.
All: Cheers.

Pandapalooza Festival

Pandapallooza 24th September

Bucks Students’ Union held its very first ‘Pandapalooza festival’ on Thursday night (24th) during its action packed fresher’s fortnight. In true festival form there were live Bands, market stalls, food and even a chill out area, making sure that all the fresher’s needs were properly catered for.
Kicking off the festival was Southampton band ‘Burn the Fleet’. Combining their heavy rock riffs with frontman Andrew Convey’s melodic voice was a real winner for the crowd, and they ensured their audience was captivated for the whole of their set.
Next we crossed over to the Venue, where we were treated to an extra special acoustic set by Tom from Towers, (formally ‘Waiting for Sirens’). Armed with just an acoustic guitar and his beautiful voice, Tom won over most of the excited audience, and when joined by Andrew from ‘Burn the Fleet’ for an acoustic duet, the rest of the crowd followed.
Back in the White room, eager fans were waiting for ‘Post War Years’ to take to the stage. Describing their sound as ‘ambient’, their set was 30 minutes of pure electronic beauty. Despite feeling stupidly sleepy after they’d finished, I thoroughly enjoyed it along with the rest of the crowd. Stand out tracks for me were ‘White Lies’, and ‘The Whole World on Its Head’, which can be found on the album ‘The Greats and the Happenings’. The band is also embarking on a UK tour supporting indie band White Lies. Kicking off on September 21st, the band will tour until October, releasing their new single in November as they prepare to stamp their mark all over 2010.
Going back to the Venue for the final time this evening, we were joined by ‘Eat Sleep Attack’, aka Sammy Little. Having spent most of the afternoon busking outside the union Sam decided to venture indoors and unleash his powerful pop tunes on the eager audience. His songs are both charming and sweet, definitely a worthwhile listen if its catchy pop music you’re after.
Finally, as the night was drawing to a close the crowd shuffled back into the White room for one last time, as the headliners, ‘Hot Club De Paris’, took to the stage. The three piece from Liverpool, who describe themselves as ‘3 lads having a laugh’, combine catchy riffs with their love of experimental indie, to create wonderful pop punk tunes that you can really dance to. Having earlier mocked the crowd as being ‘the stillest audience in the UK’, they were soon proved wrong, as a mini pit formed and a mass of sweaty students abandoned the room as the band left the stage.
As resident DJ’s took to the stage I decided to call it a night and I think overall it was an enjoyable night for everyone, even if the freshers got so drunk they forgot everything..

Alas...

I have been away for quite sometime now...Some would say having a well earned rest, I, on the other hand would say that I have been studying meticulously...Cramming in every last possible thought and idea that I could possibly use for my dissertation. Panicking? Me? I think not. Every fibrous inch of my brain has been working hard, and although as of yet I haven't come up with a single thing, fear not, something will inevitably spring into my mind, in what I think is now described as a 'eureka moment'...Yes, I very much look forward to having one of those...
Anyway, I did originally say that this was a professional blog, not one for noting down the ramblings of my brain. This is, however, just to let you all know that I am still alive...
Ciao
x

Lovebox Sunday 2009

Before I write my review of Lovebox- day 2, here are a few of my personal highlights.
1. Being a VIP all day without having any form of wristband...well done security.
2. Watching Tom Findlay from Groove Armada in a tent with about 10 other people.
3. Free drinks/ free entry.
4. Almost getting free Levi’s Jeans.
5. Weird, naked cabaret.
6. Getting stopped by a Japanese girl who wanted to take a photo of me because she liked my dress, completely unaware that people around her were now stopping and staring to see which celebrity they had just stumbled across. Very embarrassed I ran back to the VIP area to hide...my first taste of celebrity was rather uncomfortable.


Luck was definitely on our side on Day 2 of Lovebox. The morning began with an absolute drenching, but it soon dried up and the sun emerged, setting the scene on what would be a glorious day of sunshine. The crowd filtered in slowly throughout the morning, weary and hungover from the night before, (the advantage of this festival is the no camping policy). But they quickly awoke and livened up as the first acts took to the stages.
The atmosphere throughout the day seemed calm and relaxed, and it was nice to just be able to sit and chill rather than be trampled by a million drunk festival goers, but there was a lot to do in just one day. There was bowling, lots and lots of food stalls, different bars, and the arena was huge; so the majority of people were just milling around and generally having a nice time, which made a relaxed little me.
The festival, hosted by Groove Armada, and who were set to headline tonight’s festival put on a wide array of new and upcoming talent. Ladyhawke wowed the main stage with her electro pop tunes in the afternoon and pulled in the biggest crowd of the day so far, while Dance act Filthy Dukes tore up the Gaymers stage with an incredible live set with songs from their new album ‘Nonsense In The Dark’. A band that we should definitely be looking out for in the near future.
Keeping in theme from Saturdays 80’s heroes Duran Duran, another electro legend took to the main stage on Sunday in the form of Gary Numan. His dark and eerie rock songs raged through the arena captivating fans both young and old. Next up on the main stage were Doves, a simple indie band hailing from Manchester that never fail to charm an audience. Even when it started to rain, they carried on happily, telling jokes and amusing the crowd. They played hit after hit, and there were plenty of those to go around. Songs like, ‘Kingdom of Rust’, and ‘There Goes the Fear’, brought the crowd to a roaring applause, and were definitely one of the highlights for a lot of people.
Finally the night drew to a close, and the sun went down to illuminate the burnt orange London skyline. There was a tough choice this evening; to watch hosts Groove Armada on the main stage, or up and coming band Simian Mobile Disco on the Relentless stage. I opted for Groove Armada, and I was not left disappointed. Joined by Becky from The RGB's, the set was like a big explosive party. There were tinfoil suits, lasers and of course, a lot of noise; even the flaming pillars over at Relentless could not overshadow the true might of this band. Finishing off with ‘Superstylin’, there was not a single person watching that was not dancing like a complete idiot, but no one seemed to care at all. The set ended, and we wandered over to catch the last of SMD, which just sounded like a lot of noise, but I’m sure if we’d had been there for all of it (and were on something a bit stronger than beer) it would have been electric.
So that was it for another year, brilliant as always, and the weather stayed alright too. As the 25,000 music fans all made their way towards the same tube line, stressed and tired, they will surely be left with fond memories of the weekend.

Lovebox

I'm going to Lovebox...
That's about it really.
I'll write more at the end of the weekend, when there is actually something to write about...

Dear Lord, Please do NOT let it rain like it has done today.

Jx

Friendly Fires review

Can I just say, before I write my review, if anyone reading this wants to donate £500 so I can be a member to this club, please feel free. x

Levi’s ‘Ones To Watch 5 Night Revue’, came to a phenomenal climax on Tuesday night as indie pop band Friendly Fires took to the roof of the Swanky members club Shoreditch House.

The St Albans trio graced the 100 lucky fans who had won their tickets, whilst the elite members of the club could only watch through the glass partition. Curious at who was invading their luxury space, they were quickly sent away by the doormen.

The small crowd of fans gathered at the bar were quick to notice the not so cool £8.50 cocktails, and most opted instead for the cheapest drink on the menu, a bottle of Corona at £3.25, a far cry from what the bar staff would normally be used to.

Soundcheck issues meant that the band was a little late to start, but eventually they took to the stage about 9.30 as the sun was setting. The London city skyline hidden behind them, and 100 screaming fans in front of them ensured that this gig was going to be special for both band and fans.

The band who was accompanied by a brass section of trumpet and saxophone kicked off with an electrifying version of ‘Lovesick’, and followed it with ‘Jump In The Pool’. However fans decided to ignore the clubs best feature, and kept themselves dry. Not even the rain could put a damper on spirits, as the motorized roof sheltered the crowd, and protected the band from being electrocuted by their equipment!

There was an exited reception from the crowd half way through the set, when the band burst into their new song ‘Kiss of Life’, their first new material since their self titled album was released in September 2008. The track, ‘is a progression of Jump In The Pool’, says singer Ed, and the samba infused beats seem to be taking the band in a completely different direction that will surely have everyone talking.

Forty minutes after they first kicked things off, they finished with the massive track ‘Ex Lover’, and the elated fans headed back to the bar to grab a drink before they were hastily moved out.

The night was undoubtedly a huge success and the band consistently live up to the standards of the fans. Having just done an immense show at Glastonbury, the band is off to Lovebox festival this weekend, where they are most definitely the ones to watch.