Also, I forgot to mention the massive abount of celebrities that were spotted last night:
Robert Pattinson
Zane Lowe
The Cribs
Coldplay
Carl Barat
Luke Pritchard, Kooks
The Horrors
Thursday, 10 June 2010
The Strokes @ Dingwalls, Camden 09/06/10
The Strokes return after 4 years of solo projects, new bands and babies
The Strokes, quite literally exploded at Dingwalls in Camden last night, in what was their first live show in 4 years.
450 sweaty fans, industry bosses, celebrities and a very lucky me, crammed themselves inside the tiny venue to catch a glimpse of a band that usually sells out world wide arena tours. It’s hardly surprising that the few tickets available sold out in seconds.
The band, despite not having any new songs in their set, completely owned the stage and sent the fans crazy, proving that despite their absence, they're still one of the most influential bands of the last 10 years.
Security was tight around the venue. Overexcited fans tried to push their way in on hearing the music from inside and as people without tickets tried to shove their way through the barriers, big muscley security guards had to force large groups back to let latecomers in.
Playing hit after hit after hit was the aim of the band last night, a not-so-subtle reminder that they're still around, and to break the news that fans can expect new material from the band next spring.
Stand out songs were Juicebox, Last Night and Reptillia - which caused the biggest stir of the evening by far. After a short break, the band came on for their encore and performed a further 5 or 6 songs, before saying their thank you’s and disappearing off the stage.
By this point the venue was boiling, filled to capacity, sweat was literally pouring from the ceiling onto the screaming fans below. Not that they cared. As they filtered out there was talk from a lot of people saying that was probably the best gig of their life, and I wouldn’t want to disagree with them.
Now completely ready for their set at the Isle of Wight festival this weekend, the band will no doubt continue to thrill and amaze us, and I for one cannot wait to here what's next on offer from them.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Red Stripe music awards
Red Stripe music awards, headlined by the View @ Heaven 28/04/10
Heaven played host to the Red Stripe Music Awards 2010, which featured a whole host of new talent as well as a headline slot from Scottish band The View.
After hundreds of gigs played around the country in many different venues, the final group of bands were cut down to just four, who made it to the London finals to battle out as champions.
The winner of the competition wins a prestigious slot at the Great Escape festival, the leading festival for new music.
The four finalists were; The Laurel Collective, Come On Gang!, Hold Fast and Patrick James Pearson, and they all gave their very best shot at the prize. But after a great night Laurel Collective were crowned the winners, and personally I think they were the best band overall. They were presented with their prize, as well as many free cans of Red Stripe by last year’s winner Ben Howard.
As the four bands left the stage, the crowd and the Laurel Collective, who are now very happy and getting very drunk settle down to watch headliners The View. The Scottish band have been out of the spotlight for some time, but with a fantastic second album under their belt, the band are back in true force. Playing mostly new tracks, with a sprinkle of old ones the fans whooped and cheered the guys on until it was time to go home.
Overall, a good night, the best band won the competition and the headliners were a real treat!
Heaven played host to the Red Stripe Music Awards 2010, which featured a whole host of new talent as well as a headline slot from Scottish band The View.
After hundreds of gigs played around the country in many different venues, the final group of bands were cut down to just four, who made it to the London finals to battle out as champions.
The winner of the competition wins a prestigious slot at the Great Escape festival, the leading festival for new music.
The four finalists were; The Laurel Collective, Come On Gang!, Hold Fast and Patrick James Pearson, and they all gave their very best shot at the prize. But after a great night Laurel Collective were crowned the winners, and personally I think they were the best band overall. They were presented with their prize, as well as many free cans of Red Stripe by last year’s winner Ben Howard.
As the four bands left the stage, the crowd and the Laurel Collective, who are now very happy and getting very drunk settle down to watch headliners The View. The Scottish band have been out of the spotlight for some time, but with a fantastic second album under their belt, the band are back in true force. Playing mostly new tracks, with a sprinkle of old ones the fans whooped and cheered the guys on until it was time to go home.
Overall, a good night, the best band won the competition and the headliners were a real treat!
Elliot Minor
Elliot minor @ Relentless garage 13/04/10
Elliot Minor have always been one of those bands who I never really liked. I don’t mean that in a horrible way, just that I never really paid much attention to them in the same way I might other bands. However as I waited for them to come onstage at the relentless garage in London, surrounded by, let’s just say a lot of people younger than me, I had something of an epiphany. Counting all of the great songs they’ve had on my fingers I realise that actually this band have had a lot of damn good songs, and suddenly I’ve found myself quite excited.
They jumped onstage with a considerable amount of enthusiasm and smashed out hits such as ‘The White One Is Evil’, and ‘Parallel Worlds’, as well as a handful of brand new tracks. As the gig was in full swing I felt myself being won over by the York quintet, who excited the crowd with every song.
The highlight for me though, and probably a lot of other people as well was the cover the band did of Owl City’s ‘Fireflies’, and it was unbelievably stunning. If I wasn’t won over before, then this track really impressed me to the point where I actually decided that I might be turning into an Elliot Minor fan!
After the gig, the band came and hung out with a few fans before leaving; a really nice bunch of guys who really know how to perform, and even managed to convert me into a supporter!
Elliot Minor have always been one of those bands who I never really liked. I don’t mean that in a horrible way, just that I never really paid much attention to them in the same way I might other bands. However as I waited for them to come onstage at the relentless garage in London, surrounded by, let’s just say a lot of people younger than me, I had something of an epiphany. Counting all of the great songs they’ve had on my fingers I realise that actually this band have had a lot of damn good songs, and suddenly I’ve found myself quite excited.
They jumped onstage with a considerable amount of enthusiasm and smashed out hits such as ‘The White One Is Evil’, and ‘Parallel Worlds’, as well as a handful of brand new tracks. As the gig was in full swing I felt myself being won over by the York quintet, who excited the crowd with every song.
The highlight for me though, and probably a lot of other people as well was the cover the band did of Owl City’s ‘Fireflies’, and it was unbelievably stunning. If I wasn’t won over before, then this track really impressed me to the point where I actually decided that I might be turning into an Elliot Minor fan!
After the gig, the band came and hung out with a few fans before leaving; a really nice bunch of guys who really know how to perform, and even managed to convert me into a supporter!
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Why I hate X Factor...So very very much
X Factor? More like Z factor: A plea to the sane television producers out there...
Dear top ITV bosses, please make this year’s X factor as quick and as painless as possible. Unlike last year’s, which was about 2 months of crying, laughing, screaming and homophobic jokes (and that was just Danni). As well as badly mimed performances by Cheryl Cole on the night of the final, and a failed attempt at getting I-can’t-even-remember-who, to number one. This was incidentally won by metal band Rage against the Machine with single ‘Killing in the Name Of’ in a Facebook campaign whose main aim was to try and topple the might that is the X Factor. More like the zzz Factor. They didn’t really put up much of a fight did they? In the end Rage were the clear winners with something like 40,000 more sales.
So what can we expect to find on this year’s X Factor? A heavily pregnant Danni, giving birth during the live final maybe? That would certainly make interesting television, or Simon Cowell admitting live on air that his abnormally square head is due to getting it stuck in a vice during woodwork at school. Either way I certainly do not have high hopes for this year. Producers of the show need to realise that unless they change something (or my favourite idea, cancel the show altogether), viewing figures will start to drop, as we have already seen the record sales do. The idea of the show is to turn ordinary people into pop stars, a feat that has failed many times over the years; Leon Jackson, Steve Brookstein, Michelle McManus? Know who these people are? Didn’t think so, but they are all winners of either the X Factor or its former show Popstars. 41 year old Steve is now back singing in his local pub after being dropped by his record label; you can just imagine him sitting next to the elderly locals telling them, ‘I’m off the telly you know.’ And after appearing in various glossy magazines after her dramatic weight loss, people have forgotten that Michelle McManus is even a singer! A television show that has lost its way? I definitely think so.
It has the same design every year; mix together a bunch of deluded singers whose biggest fan is their mum, and you have the auditions. Then add the absolute no hopers, the weirdoes, the comic relief, the angry loser, the sob story, the person who may actually win and the one Simon Cowell wants to sleep with (tall, tanned, massive breasts, long dark hair). Mix in some cliché abuse from the judges, and some pointless remarks from Danni and you have the live finals. Cue the excited final, the British public go mad, ringing off the hook for their favourite loser. And you end up with a wannabe pop star, which is kind of what they were at the beginning, only now they have a record label that will drop them in 6 months and a guaranteed lifetime spot doing panto every year in Coventry or Plymouth.
Someone once said to me, “You might not like it, but 8.5 million people watched the live final last year.” To which I smiled, and casually pointed out, “Yeah, but there was 50 million who didn’t.”
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
And...
Just for reading all that heavy journalistic stuff, here is something a little bit more light hearted...
Bauer Declares War on Freelances
Bauer music magazines declare war on freelances
Magazine group Bauer are facing a standoff with their 200 freelance music writers and photographers, over a new contract that sees them sign away all copyright.
The document that can be seen in the Press Gazette applies to Kerrang! Q and Mojo, and outlines how freelances are being made to sign away their copyright but still take full responsibility for any legal action that may be taken against them. The NUJ believes this would leave freelance writers completely on their own to face legal action, and many of the writers and photographers are calling this new contract 'unfair'.
Bauer wants to introduce a new contract that,
"Removes copyright and all financial, legal and moral rights from freelances while simultaneously requiring that they provide Bauer with an unlimited lifetime financial indemnity in the event of legal action arising from their work."
They also encourage freelances to, "acquire licenses from their subjects for the company to use their image for its own profit as and when it wishes."
This means that Bauer would have the right to sell the stories or photographs to whoever they want to, without having to make reference to the writers, photographers or even the subjects of the work. The covering letter, sent with the contract to over 200 journalists issues an ultimatum; after April 16th 2010, if the contributors do not sign, they will no longer be commissioned.
The three music magazines involved rely heavily on contributions from freelances so it comes as no surprise that nearly all of the 200 contributors are refusing to sign the contract, being described as 'foolish', 'malicious', and an 'unprovoked and pointless declaration of war on freelancers.'
The three magazines are the first former Emap titles on which Bauer are imposing their new contract; however Managing Director of Bauer’s music titles, Stuart Williams confirmed the company are looking to extend into the other magazines Bauer bought from Emap. Some of which include, Empire, Heat, Closer, Grazia, Match!, FHM and Zoo.
Since a few contributors sent a letter of objection to Bauer the company have told freelances that there will be no further amendments to the contract and the April 16th deadline is final. As a result Bauer now face losing most of its best known music writers and photographers including Q contributing editors Billy Bragg, Miranda Sawyer and John Harris; as well as former Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan and former Mojo editors Mat Snow and Paul Trynka. Iggy pop biographer Trynka says, "Their behaviour is bizarre and counter productive." And acclaimed photographer Kevin Westenberg said,
"You’ll either have to sign the contract – signing copyright away; sign and be a slave – or not work for them again. I already decided not to sign a long time ago. Never give your rights away. This is your legacy."
The general mood amongst the music freelances is that what Bauer is trying to do is far more than just attack a specific group of music writers and photographers, what they are doing undermines the value of freelance journalism as a whole. It is no secret that being a freelance journalist is tough, and it comes with a number of risks. As well as having a fluctuating income they have to pay for their own equipment, come up with their own office space and training, without any of the statutory sick pay, maternity leave and holiday pay granted to regular staff. What Bauer seem to be doing is all rather odd; do they think that by forcing out all the best journalists they will sell more magazines? From a business point of view it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Magazine group Bauer are facing a standoff with their 200 freelance music writers and photographers, over a new contract that sees them sign away all copyright.
The document that can be seen in the Press Gazette applies to Kerrang! Q and Mojo, and outlines how freelances are being made to sign away their copyright but still take full responsibility for any legal action that may be taken against them. The NUJ believes this would leave freelance writers completely on their own to face legal action, and many of the writers and photographers are calling this new contract 'unfair'.
Bauer wants to introduce a new contract that,
"Removes copyright and all financial, legal and moral rights from freelances while simultaneously requiring that they provide Bauer with an unlimited lifetime financial indemnity in the event of legal action arising from their work."
They also encourage freelances to, "acquire licenses from their subjects for the company to use their image for its own profit as and when it wishes."
This means that Bauer would have the right to sell the stories or photographs to whoever they want to, without having to make reference to the writers, photographers or even the subjects of the work. The covering letter, sent with the contract to over 200 journalists issues an ultimatum; after April 16th 2010, if the contributors do not sign, they will no longer be commissioned.
The three music magazines involved rely heavily on contributions from freelances so it comes as no surprise that nearly all of the 200 contributors are refusing to sign the contract, being described as 'foolish', 'malicious', and an 'unprovoked and pointless declaration of war on freelancers.'
The three magazines are the first former Emap titles on which Bauer are imposing their new contract; however Managing Director of Bauer’s music titles, Stuart Williams confirmed the company are looking to extend into the other magazines Bauer bought from Emap. Some of which include, Empire, Heat, Closer, Grazia, Match!, FHM and Zoo.
Since a few contributors sent a letter of objection to Bauer the company have told freelances that there will be no further amendments to the contract and the April 16th deadline is final. As a result Bauer now face losing most of its best known music writers and photographers including Q contributing editors Billy Bragg, Miranda Sawyer and John Harris; as well as former Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan and former Mojo editors Mat Snow and Paul Trynka. Iggy pop biographer Trynka says, "Their behaviour is bizarre and counter productive." And acclaimed photographer Kevin Westenberg said,
"You’ll either have to sign the contract – signing copyright away; sign and be a slave – or not work for them again. I already decided not to sign a long time ago. Never give your rights away. This is your legacy."
The general mood amongst the music freelances is that what Bauer is trying to do is far more than just attack a specific group of music writers and photographers, what they are doing undermines the value of freelance journalism as a whole. It is no secret that being a freelance journalist is tough, and it comes with a number of risks. As well as having a fluctuating income they have to pay for their own equipment, come up with their own office space and training, without any of the statutory sick pay, maternity leave and holiday pay granted to regular staff. What Bauer seem to be doing is all rather odd; do they think that by forcing out all the best journalists they will sell more magazines? From a business point of view it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)