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Reading Review Part 1

Aug 30th, 2010 Leave a comment

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My first Reading Festival, and it was one of stand out performances, laughs, random chants and diva tantrums. This is the first part of the review of the Reading Festival I experienced, the main bands I saw, what made it great and what went wrong!

Thursday

Despite a 3 hour drive, queuing in the rain and mud for another 2 hours and setting up camp in a puddle, Thursday was the perfect start to the festival! Our evening consisted of sitting in TGI Friday’s for dinner wearing just socks on our feet, then braving the rain yet again to go to Q Club in the town centre where Ian Watkins was doing a pre-festival DJ set. As a lostprophets fan I was highly intrigued to see what his DJing skills were like, and have to say I was not disappointed! As one half of L’amour La Morgue he has increasingly been touring independently of the band, and his surprising enthusiasm for dance music was infectious.

Friday

Friday was made by one band; Young Guns. Watching them open the main stage with confidence and modesty was amazing. Only 4 months ago I saw them perform a crowd of just over 200 in a small club in Cardiff, and here they were in front of 1000s, proving just how much hard work and talent pay off. On top of that at the signing tent they were gracious and polite, and their following Radio 1 Live Lounge showed their ability to strip back as well as rock out. Lostprophets gave a polished performance as always but unfortunately, the sound let them down, with the bass and drums drowning Ian’s vocals in parts. We also struggled with the fact that halfway through the set there was such a crush in the crowd that even breathing was difficult, and you have to wonder why nothing was done to alleviate this, as it was during Libertines and Blink 182!

Later came Mumford & Sons, a band I love but missed at Glastonbury, and am so happy I got to see them at Reading. They have a reputation for putting on a great live show, and in no way did they disappoint! Even outside the tent the crowd was huge, and as well as having fantastic energy it was good to see that they still can’t quite believe so many people love what they are doing and sing along with gusto! Unfortunately we then proceeded to make the mistake of going to see Guns ‘N’ Roses. After an hour standing in the cold we turned to leave the arena just as they finally appeared on stage. Standing at the back we saw the first song and realised they were definately not worth an hour’s wait, sounded awful, and the idiot who made the mistake of trying to be Slash should have stayed at home! And to top it off Axl Rose has the cheek to go Twitter and ask everyone else to apologise, with no apology from the band itself! Disgusting behaviour from a band who should have known when to give up.

Saturday

The first half of Saturday was spent at The Alternative Stage. Originally we went in anticipation of seeing Kevin Bridges who, due to flight delays never actually turned up. Instead we were treated to a funny compere in the form of Andrew O’Neill introducing the worst so called comedian I have ever had the displeasure of seeing! Perhaps in America Neil Hamburger counts as funny, but at Reading he was heckled and booed offstage for being unfunny and callous to the point of offence. Mercifully, he was taken off in favour of the compere. And the whole tent was appeased by Jason Byrne, who spent nearly the entire gig improvising and bouncing off the audience, showing that he really is a naturally gifted comedian.

Saturday’s music was also impressive. Kids In Glass Houses showed just what a headline tour can do for a band, with a much more self-assured performance than when they supported Lostprophets in Cardiff at the beginning of May. Aled Phillips oozed confidence making for a huge improvement in the show. Over on the mainstage Dizzee Rascal demonstrated why he is the only rapper who can be accepted by Reading with his mixture of singalongs, dance-alongs and unique version of Smells Like Teen Spirit; and with that he has to be the only artist with the ability to get a moshpit started. On a completely diferent note, while sitting eating dinner outside the Radio 1/NME tent we watched Crystal Castles on the big screens, and if anyone can tell me the necessity for the singer I’d be greatly appreciative! Just did not get it I’m afraid.

On the other hand the two acts that followed provided the energy that Saturday nights were made for! Enter Shikari and Pendulum are two more bands famed for their live shows and it is easy to see why. Enter Shikari are by no means to everyone’s taste but their ability to cross genres is comendable, with everything from dubstep to metal making an appearance in their music with an ease that makes the combination sound natural. And their energy onstage amkes them the perfect warm up act for Pendulum. Having seen them I know understand why so many say their recorded music will never live up to the promise of a live performance, because live they a force to be reckoned with, and the atmosphere they create is almost one of Euphoria.

Sunday

Following the joy that was carrying everything back to the car, Sunday’s music began with All Time Low who, despite Alex Gaskarth’s Pink Sunglasses, managed to bring the rain with them. They performed with an infectious cheer, but knowing they started as Blink 182 covers band and having seen the real deal perform that night, you have to question how much it was a show in the hope of being the next big thing. You Me At Six are another band who seemed to be trying too hard to be something they’re not. Don’t get me wrong musically, they provided an accomplished set, but the crowd interaction left a lot to be desired as the lead singer tried to force the audience into circle pits during songs where jumping was only just appropriate. Perhaps they need to accept they are a band for singing along to, more than one for moshing to. Although, credit where it is due, bringing Hayley Williams onstage during Stay With Me was a massive coup, and a fantastic surprise for the whole audience. In spite of this, they were unfortunately overshadowed by Limp Bizkit who followed. With natural circle pits, huge crowd moments, and a seemingly humbled Fred Durst, as someone who is not usually a fan, I was both impressed and taken in. They ended with an unpredictable but phenomenal cover of George Michael’s Faith that truly woke up a Festival-weary audience.

Sitting watching Weezer on the big screens, for me they rarely strayed beyond the realms of being average, but on the few occassions when they did they were outstanding, mainly due to the crowd singalongs they inspired. Beverley Hills and Teenage Dirtbag were among the biggest crowd involvements of the weekend. Ending the festival came Paramore and Blink 182. Again, we stood watching on the big screens, but even from there it was easy to see why Paramore are one of the biggest bands on the planet right now. The way Hayley Williams commands the stage with strength and spirit, belies her age of 22, and her voice has to be one of the best in music at the moment. As a band they provide accesible rock music and, hopefully, their reputations will not be blighted by that, and their rise will continue to reflect their talent. In terms of Blink 182, I was slightly disappointed. The sound where we were stood wasn’t great, but even considering that I think I expected more. The band, undeniably have a great chemistry, but with the amount of anticipation there was for the appearance, unfortunately the band’s banter overtook the music. Even during songs such as Miss You and, to a slightly lesser extent, Rock Show there was a muted atmosphere, perhaps in part due to a large number of teengers in the audience who, judging by some of the conversations around the site over the weekend, only knew All The Small Things courtesy of Jedward; a very sad state of affairs.

Introducing…Two Door Cinema Club

Aug 20th, 2010 Leave a comment

For this week’s Introducing, I have returned to the slightly more mainstream, to highlight a band with a distinctively different sound to both Young Guns and Deaf Havana. Two Door Cinema combine geek chic with a cool electronic indie sound, that is infectious even upon first listen. My discovery of them also helps to highlight how the digital age has presented more opportunities to bands; I downloaded the song Eat That Up It’s Good For You, when it was available for free as Single Of The Week on iTunes, and fell in love with the charming sound of the band instantly.

This Northern Irish Trio’s music is unashamedly pop, synthesised to perfection without being cheesey, a trait maintained throughout the debut album, Tourist History. Clever, accessible lyrics fuse seamlessly with the upbeat melodies that make you smile and tap your feet. Live, they retain that sound. Even though I think some of that enchanting sound was drowned by a stage too big for them when I saw them at Glastonbury, they still had spectators new to their music bobbing along. In a smaller enviroment I am convinced their live show would thrive. And it cannot be denied that they suited the roasting sunshine of this years festival.

For many, Two Door Cinema Club will sound familiar, as their music is being used frequently in TV shows and adverts at the moment. It is more than possible, therefore, that you have heard them before and not even been aware, but hopefully that will change. If that is the case, then tap your feet, smile and enjoy Two Door Cinema Club, and watch this space, I think this is a band that have the potential to grow and grow in the coming year.

Klaxons – Echoes

Aug 18th, 2010 Leave a comment

A grower! Definately! When I first heard the new Klaxons song, I was unsure, could it match the epic nature of songs like Golden Skans, that defined their leap into the spotlight a couple of years ago? 3 or 4 listens later, and I think it can. With their electronic rock sound, they create catchy choruses appealing to a wide variety of music fans. It appears to be one those songs where even though your not quite sure of the words you try singing along anyway, because the music alone encourages you to do so.

This is a song that does not shy away from its ambition to be epic, even the video, with it’s neverending expanse of desert, is evidence of this. Do they achieve it? Almost. As I said, it is most certainly a grower, and after a few listens it gets stuck in your head, and it is undeniably a huge song, but I think it falls short of reaching the heights of songs like The Killers ‘Mr Brightside’ or Muse’s ‘Uprising’. For now, it is a good song, with an easy to remember melody. However, whether the song will be memorable enough to stick around for the forseeable future, I have to doubt. The lyrics aren’t always easily accesible, and I think that is where the downfall lies. For many, ‘Echoes from the otherworld turn horizons into endless ever present’, will make little sense, and for that reason they will not take the song as easily to heart and mind as other recent anthems. For now, it is a good song, that is well worth listening to a few times, and I don’t think it will be long before the Klaxons do release a song of truly worthy of being an epic.

Introducing…Deaf Havana

Aug 13th, 2010 Leave a comment

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Ok so, I have had a last minute change of heart over who I am going to pick as my Introducing band for today. I was going to cover a band called Futures but while listening to my Spotify have decided to cover a band that I know are going to be to fewer people’s taste, but whose current single, Nicotine and Alcohol Saved My Life, I seem to be playing on repeat at the moment. Therefore, for today, I introduce DEAF HAVANA. Ironically, the first time I truly appreciated Deaf Havana was only a couple of weeks ago at a Young Guns gig, when they were the main support. I had heard of the band before hand, and vaguely remember hearing Nicotine and Alcohol while Lava was on in the background at home, but it was the live experience that tipped me into the realm of fan. Hearing the final lines sung as one by a willing crowd brings home how well written the song is; that although the band enjoy some hardened rock screams they can blend that seamlessly with melodic, crowd-pleasing lyrical clarity.

Signed to A Wolf At Your Door records, along with fellow up and coming rockers Lower Than Atlantis, this quartet definately seem to have the ability to become the next big thing in metal. For many, including mainstream music outlets, they will be too hardcore, scream too much, but for fans of alternative music, they are definately worth listening to. Even at the Young Guns gig it was possible to see that there is a growing wave of support for them, with just over half the crowd anticipating their arrival on stage. Couple this with the fact they pleased the moshers with their uninhibited cries, and everyone else with their rousing sing along choruses, especially ‘You’ll Never Know Friends Like These’, you get a fantastic support act for any band, and the creation of an incredible atmosphere for a gig. Even if metal is not your thing, give them a go. If, still you are unconvinced by the appeal, then fair enough, but I firmly believe that this is a band that, given a chance, have a little bit of something to appeal to everyone.

For those of you who don’t get alternative music, below is Sal Paradise, by Futures, my original choice for Introducing… today. They present a lot more mainstream sound, with an undoubtedly catchy chorus. So if you cannot understand the appeal of Deaf Havana, perhaps Futures’ more pop sound will be to your liking.

The Sound Of Summer?

Aug 9th, 2010 Leave a comment

One look at the current top 40 and it is impossible to realise that we are in the middle of the summer holidays! However, there seems to be one thing missing this year, and that is the huge infectious summer song that you cannot escape! Nearly every year you get a song that encapsulates summer, followed in September the song of the clubbing season. Last year we had I’ve Got A Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas, the year before All Summer Long by Kid Rock, songs that in one listen make you think of summer. This year the closest we’ve come to that is We No Speak Americano or California Gurls, but neither quite have that spark that makes everyone want to abandon everything and baske in the sun (when it appears of course!). So perhaps this will be a year when we all have to go in search of our own summer defining song, instead of one that gets everybody in the holiday mood. My proposition; Let’s Go Surfing by The Drums.

The Brooklyn band claim to only write about two things; one of which is ‘the first day of summer…and being overcome with all of your hopes and dreams at once.’ Let’s Go Surfing is very much in that vein of thinking. Effortlessly summery, the song and it’s theme have flashes of the Beach Boys about it; that ability to invoke images of sun, beaches and clear blue seas, even in the worst of British weather. This is not an easy feat, and one that I don’t think has been managed with such skilfulness since All Summer Long, and even then Kid Rock had to use a sample to capture that sound. The Drums have managed to bring us a song that epitomizes not only the sound of summer for those who get the chance to enjoy it, but also the feeling of those stuck working while the sun is beating down; ‘Oh Mama, I want to go surfing’, is essentially saying all I want to do during this gorgeous sun is go to the beach; and as someone who works throughout the summer this is often what ends up being the main thought of the season! So for a song to reflect both of these ideas, is somewhat of a challenge, and one that has been met by Let’s Go Surfing. So, with an apparent lack of a song to define summer 2010, whether you are on holiday, planning to go away, or simply stuck at work day-dreaming out the window, The Drums can help make the sun shine a little bit brighter.

Introducing… Young Guns

Aug 6th, 2010 Leave a comment

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I have decided that Friday shall be Introducing… day. Every week I will post about a band who are still as yet somewhat under the radar that I think should be getting more attention, but I will be honest the majority of those I choose will be rock bands. Also, if there are any bands you would like to see getting some attention then let me know, and if I like them I shall put them up one Friday.

The first band I have chosen to Introduce to you is Young Guns. Now admittedly, this is a band who have already graced the cover of Kerrang on the release of their debut album, but with only that one album under their belt, I still class them as new. Personally, I have been a fan since last September when I stumbled upon their MySpace page, and upon hearing Weight of The World, immediately knew that this was a band to take note of. With sophisticated lyrics, soaring rock choruses, and riffs to please the most hardened of moshers, they seem to have the tools and the talents to make it big. To grace the cover of Kerrang just before the release of their first album is an acheivement in itself, but when you consider that they have achieved that without a record label, it is an even more amazing feat. This is not because labels are not interested, I am sure there are plenty that would snap them up in an instant, it is a voluntary choice they have made in order to retain creative control; and as such they have gained an amazing amount of acclaim within the industry for doing so.

The professionalism of the album, All Our Kings Are Dead, belies the fact that they are a DIY band, and live, they are also a force to be reckoned with. The first time I saw them live in Cardiff at the beginning of May, it was one of the best atmosphere’s I’ve ever know at a gig. The band mingled with their fans and watched their support, so that even before they came to perform, everyone was happy and raring for the gig to start. In addition to all of this, they also have a knack of choosing really good support acts, who enhance their live shows even more. So, if they are new to you, then I introduce Young Guns with Sons of Apathy, and highly advise you go get the album and try and catch them live. If you already know of them, then feel free to enjoy the video anyway, and spread the word about this rapidly growing band.

Magnetic Man – I Need Air

Aug 4th, 2010 1 Comment

As a self-confessed lover of rock music, it is very rarely I come across a dance song that I immediately fall in love with, but I Need Air by Magnetic Man is exactly that. It contains all the hallmarks of a classic, huge, dance tune, but the lyrics help enfuse this piece of dubstep with a bit of class. I am by no means a dubstep expert and often struggle to see the appeal of it outside of a club, due to the frequently repetitive nature of dance music in general. However, every now and then along comes an exception; I Need Air is one of those.  I cannot pretend that the lyrics are exceptionally sophisticated but they blend perfectly with the music to give a song worthy of becoming a club classic another level which makes it a fantastic song in its own right, independent of setting. And, actually, more than just being that rare dance tune that I enjoy, it has helped me understand why dubstep has become the force it has among dance fans, as it is perfect for a night out forgetting all your troubles, but equally can be enjoyed as a track in its own right when you are in the mood for simply sitting and listening.  So I present to you a track that has begun to educate me in the ways and appeal of dubstep, and which I look forward to seeing live at Reading Festival at the end of the month…

Linkin Park – The Catalyst

Aug 2nd, 2010 Leave a comment

Linkin Park’s brand new song, The Catalyst, went live today as part of the marketing campaign for the new Medal Of Honour game; and to be honest I cannot say I am impressed. The song is undeniably catchy, but it is just not Linkin Park. The electronic nature of the song means it sounds too much like everyone else, and even Chester Bennington’s trademark growl of a voice is dampened. Fora band that is known for it’s brooding sound, The Catalyst could not be much further removed from this. Perfect for the game the song may be, but at what cost? In all honesty until the new album is released, it is difficult to judge whether this is a permenant change of direction, or a very clever marketing ploy. Personally, I hope it is the latter as The Catalyst has none of the haunting sound that defined Numb and In The End, and created their careers. Hopefully the rest of the album will retain some of this, but for now watch the video below and decide for yourselves whether the new Linkin Park is for you…

Chart Roundup – The Power of the Boyband!

Aug 1st, 2010 Leave a comment

So, it’s official, brand new boyband The Wanted have had their debut single enter the charts at number 1!

I cannot say that I like their song All Time Low, but you have to admire the people behind them who recognise that the boyband is still a force to be reckoned with! Those of who grew up in the 90s especially, know that there was a time when you could not move for manufactured boybands – be it Take That, Boyzone or East 17 to name but a few. But the 2000s bought about a backlash against them when the manufacturing process was put before our eyes in the form of Popstars and it was no longer definate that a group of good-looking guys would succeed, and the decade was littered with boybands who fell by the wayside; then along came the reformed Take That and the brand new JLS and the rules have changed again!

I think there are a lot of people who question where The Wanted have appeared from, and it is hardly surprising when you consider that this is a band who have failed to make it on to the Radio 1 playlist, but more than coming from a team of incredibly clever businessmen, their success stems from a change of attitude to boybands. JLS’ appearance on the X Factor proved they still had power to entrance an audience in a way no other type of artist can (with the possible exception of Justin Bieber, but let’s not go there!). But JLS were different, they are manufactured in the sense that their success stemmed from a TV show, but they put themselves together, as opposed to being a disperate group of guys thrown together by a record label; The Wanted are exactly and unashamedly that. And it is only today, when they have leapt to the top of the charts, that personally, I have realised just how much power the boyband has regained. They literally whip teenage girls into a frenzy, and this has become cool in recent months in a way I remember it being so in the 90s. What worries me most is that today’s chart hails a new era of the boyband, in fact I am convinced of it. The Wanted cement this fact by being the first of the new breed to enjoy success without the backing of a TV show. I would go so far as to say that if 2009 was a year remembered for the emergence of UK Hip Hop as a challenge to the US, 2010 may yet be defined by the boyband’s return to power. And, depending on your view, what makes this such a bleak outlook is that it re-inforces the power of the big music companies who can use a fool-proof recipe to generate money and stars. No boyband can survive without the backing of a major record label simply because they need songwriters, stylists and so much more to be truly successful, and so few independent labels can afford or will be willing to supply this.

Being completely honest, I hope this not the case. I admit that when I was a teenager I was a Boyzone and a Westlife fan by turns and I know that boybands will always exist, they are a fact of music. But having spent a year working at independent labels, I think that a music industry in which a multitude of boybands can thrive is a bad thing. It steals the limelight from those working hard every year to achieve success, and who fail in the wake of those who are thrust into the public eye and granted immediate success because they look good. This is nothing against the bands themselves, they may have chosen to join, but ultimately it is management and record companies who are responsible, and who are purposefully perpetuating the circle of their success at the expense of so many others working hard to get the truly talented out there.

The boybands themselves are not the problem, it is the power they have regained over so many young and influential music fans looking for the next big thing.

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