Southsefest 2011

On Saturday we headed to Southseafest, the one day multi-venue event in Albert Road, Portsmouth.  For £16.50, this is amazing value for money, as we got to see a lot of music, albeit in short 30 minute sets.

Starting the day at Little Johnny Russels, we saw Gloryhole (rubbish name but good tunes), The Luke Ferre Band (brilliant version of Karma Chameleon) and The Planes (Umm, can’t really remember them, so guess they were ok, but can’t be sure).  We followed this by going to the One Eyed Dog for Aeroplane Attack (Mogwai/Explosions in The Sky sonic bombast, which I really liked) and then to a complete change of pace at the Globe for Fiona Bevan for some acoustic music, before heading to the Kings Theatre.

The Kings is an amazing venue which gets this run out once a year for a festival.   Kyla La Grange and Kill It Kid managed to held my interest, but didn’t really do the venue justice. Still, by that time, it was nice to have a sit down in a comfortable seat.

We then caught the end of the Joker and The Thief set, but I wish I had caught more, they sounded great, and I liked the gravelly voice.

Next up, the highlight of my da, Gideon Conn, a slightly bizarre, but charming character who plays a sort of twee acoustic hip-hop.  The last video that I posted was of a full band recording, but personally I prefer him on his own.  With songs about people who drive fish vans and electricity not being everybodys cup of tea, the venue wasn”t full, but it should have been for what was a fun performance.

After that we moved on to have some food and then to see Clock Opera at the Wedgewood Rooms.  I had really wanted to see them, but due to the bar being rammed, and someone spilling a pint over my arm, I didn’t actually get to see that much, and this also put me in a foul mood. 

This was lifted by going to see Sound of Rum, who I have seen a couple of times now and they have got better with each performance.  Kate Tempest appears to be growing in confidence as front woman, with her lyrics being as powerful as ever, and freestyling against the hecklers was brilliant.  Despite the technical difficulties, it was a great show.

Hopefully Southseafest 2012 will be as good next year.

 

One of those weeks!

You know when you have one of those days where nothing goes right.  Where everything you do goes wrong.  Well I have had one of those days, everyday this week. 

But it isn’t just me, it is everybody in my office and the mood is strained.  Hopefully everything will calm down in the next week or so, but I doubt it.  Management decisions made higher up are affecting everybody on the lower rungs.  I guess we all just keep our heads down and carruy on regardless.

I am glad that it’s Friday and with Southseafest to look forward too and some friends comuing to visit, it should be a well earned, well needed weekend. I have added a video for Gideon Conn, who I should be seeing tomorrow. Hope you like the tune as much as I do.

I Told You!

See, there you go, I told you Ghostpoet wouldn’t win the Mercury Music Prize.  Still I am quite glad that PJ Harvey did.  What I have heard of Let England Shake is good (I suspect that I will hear a lot more of it on 6 Music today though), so well done.

Mercury Music Prize (Albums that I Own)

I thought I would list the Mercury Music Prize Nominated albums that I own, after my last blog.  Turns out it is quite a lot.  I really wouldn’t like to say what is my favourite of them, but there is some classy music in there.  There is also a lot of dross, that given the choice I wouldn’t by again (Hard-Fi, The Thrills and Keane come to mind there)

 

1992

Primal Scream- Screamadelica

 

1993

Suede – Suede

 

1994

Blur – Parklife

The Prodigy – Music for the Gilted Generation

Therapy? – Troublegum

 

1995

Leftfield – Leftism

Supergrass – I Should Coco

 

1996

Pulp -Differen Class

Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go

Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory

 

1997

Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms

The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole

Beth Orton – Trailer Park

The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land

Radiohead – OK Computer

Suede – Coming Up

 

1998

Gomez – Bring It On

Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi’s Revenge

Cornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th Time

Massive Attack – Mezzanine

Propellerheads – Decksanddrumsandrockandroll

Pulp – This is Hardcore

 

1999

Blur 13

The Chemical Brothers – Surrender

Faithless – Sunday 8PM

Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

Beth Orton – Central Reservation

Underworld – Beaucup Fish

 

2000

Badly Drawn Boy – Hour of the Bewilderbeast

Coldplay – Parachutes

Doves – Lost Souls

Leftfield – Rythm and Stealth

 

2001

PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Elbow – Asleep at the Back

Ed Harcourt – Here Be Monsters

Radiohead – Amnesiac

Super Furry Animas – Rings Around The World

Turin Breaks – The Optimist LP

 

2002

Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper

The Coral – The Coral

Doves – The Last Broadcast

The Streets – Original Pirate Material

 

2003

Dizee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner

Athlete – Vehicles and Animals

Coldplay – A Rush of Blood To The Head

The Darkness – Permission To Land

The Thrills – So Much For The City

Martina Topley-Bird – Quiotic

Radiohead – Hail To The Thief

 

2004

Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand

Basement Jaxx – Kish Kash

Keane – Hopes and Fears

Snow Patrol – Final Straw

Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions

The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free

The Zutons – Who Killed……….The Zutons?

 

2005

Anthony and The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now

Bloc Party – Silent Alarm

Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV

Kaiser Chiefs – Employment

KT Tunstall – Eye To The Telescope

M.I.A – Arular

Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger

The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike

The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers

 

2006

Editors – The Back Room

Guillemots – Through The Windowpane

Hot Chip – The Warning

Muse – Black Holes and Revelations

Thom Yorke – The Eraser

 

2007

Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future

Bat For Lashes – Fur and Gold

Dizee Rascal – Maths + English

Maps – We Can Create

Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men

 

2008

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?

Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim

Neon Neon – Stainless Style

Radiohead – In Rainbows

 

2009

Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy

Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

Glasvegas – Glasvegas

La Roux – La Roux

 

2010

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

 

 

Mercury Music Prize 2011

Back when I used to listen to a lot more music, I took the Mercury Music Prize a lot more seriously.  I thought it recognised the good, but not popular artists.  Unlike the Brits, I thought, it had some credibility (although Simply Red did get a nomination at one point). 

In the past, winners have been outsiders, people that nobody really would have backed, Roni Size/Reprazent beating Radiohead and Suede in 1997 for instance followed by Gomez, Talvin Singh and Badly Drawn Boy. 

Now I own quite a lot of the Mercury nominated albums (Over 70 from nearly 20 years of awards) so I like to think that I know a little of what I am taking about. But this year, mopre than ever I hope that one of the smaller, less well known groups win.  If Adele, Tinie Tempah or Katy B win, I will give up on believing that the people in charge know what they are talking about.  Elbow would be a terrible choice too.  Build a rocket Boys nowhere near as good as The Seldom Seen Kid.

For me, Ghostpoet should win.  Out of all of the music there, it is the only one that excites me.  Mind you, as this is the one that I want to win, it won’t.

2000 Trees Festival 2011

Last weekend was time for the 2nd festival of the summer.  To be honest, you couldn’t get two more polar opposite of the festival world.

First was Glastonbury with 170000 people, 13 stages and more food stalls and shopping than you could possibly get through in a week.  Massive headline acts on all of the stages, and internationally renowned acts from all over the world littered the bill, which is why it cost £250 a ticket and your are on site for I suppose.

Second was 2000 Trees out in the Gloustershire countryside where 4500 people gathered to see 4 stages worth of New and Underground UK music.  The fact that most people wouldn’t recognice the main stage headliners, let alone many of the smaller bands really appeals to me.  For a £60 quid fee and 2 days of music you really can’t go wrong.

This was my 2nd year there, and this time the busy people have added another stage as well as setting out a completely new layout.  The new addition on the stages was called The Cave, and was the scene for the hardest music played this weekend.  Bands like Feed The Rhino, Kong Exit Ten and Japanese Voyeurs filled our ears with Rock music, making me remember how much I liked it.

Away on the Leaf Lounge stage and Main stage none of the acts dissappointed.  I saw Islet again, even though I didn’t really want to, because the sun had come out and I couldn’t be bothered to move for the first 20 minutes.  Dan Le Sac Vs  Scroobius Pip headlined the Friday night and have really grown into a proper festival band with some excellent banter and some even better tunes.

I came away with a list of bands that I need to look up and listen to again.  StringerBessant (2 ex members of Reef) and The Wave Pictures get special mention.  The Anomolies and Chewing on Tinfoil were both great

S0, I guess you can say that I enjoyed it, infact as we had such a good time we are already planning to go again next year.

What I Forgot to Mention About Glastonbury

I guess that if you read this regularly, you will know that I am a bit of a music fan.  I have been like this since I was young.  The first single that I ever had was “You can call me Al” by Paul Simon.  Now I have reached my thirties, I never expected to ever see this performed live, but I did get to in the sunshine at the Pyramid stage on Sunday afternoon.  I won’t say that it was the best performance I have ever seen (Chevy Chase wasn’t on the stage, and the whistley bit was done on a syntisiser) but it was great for me to experience that.

British Sea Power @ Wedgewood Rooms

Right, I know its been a long time again, but never mind.  Last Friday I went to see British Sea Power at the Wedgewood Rooms.  The tickets were a Christmas present from my sister so it was good to finally get the use out of them. 

I have liked the band since their 2002 album The Decline of British Sea Power, when they really sounded like David Bowie.  Now their sound has matured alot and they have turned into a really excellent live band.  I saw them a couple of years ago at The End of The Road festival in Dorset and have wanted to see them again for a while.  They played brilliantly for nearly 2 hours, and didn’t disappoint.

Sorry its a bit quick, but better this than nothing.

The Lovely Beth Orton @Wedgewood Rooms

I was meaning to write this last week, but due to being ill and then becoming addicted to Pokemon Diamond on the DS, but that is a different matter.

I have liked The Lovely Beth Orton since first hearing her guest vocals on the Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust album, through her proper debut album Trailer park, and everything up until Comfort in Strangers, so basically 15 years of great music.  I had wanted to see her live for years and finally I got the chance to do so at this intimate seated gig.

In my opinion there aren’t may voices better than hers and with 2 Mercury Music award nominations, her songwriting isn’t bad either.  Listening to her playing through the back catalogue was an absolute delight, She Cries Your Name opening the set was great and it got better from there.  I really cannot wait for the new album to come out.

One thing I will say is that she is taller than I thought.

The National @ Brixton Academy

Before I start, thanks to Beeskiffle for getting H and I these tickets as an Engagement present.

The Brixton Academy is an awesome venue (save for it being an Academy and them scalping you for your hard earned cash at every opportunity)inside an old theatre, so it has a loveley sloping floor, so even I could see the stage behind the tall people.  The stage looks like a set from Romeo and Juliet, with Italianate style bluidngs built around the wings.  All in all its a pretty epic venue.  Support for the evening came from Phosphorescent who were really good, but to be quite honest I was just a bit excited about what was to come.

I discovered The National late really, only after Boxer had come out and they were playing at an ATP festival.  Anyway, I had fallen in love with Boxer, and Alligator and the new one High Violet, so seeing them again was bound to be good.

Great songs from all albums were playes, with Slow Show and Apartment Story being my highlights, but the “I’m Evil” part of Conversation #16 getting a good sing-a-long.  The highlight however was the encore with a raucous version of Mr November including stage diving followed by the band asking for silence in the venue (which they got) and playing acoustically and singing without microphones.  What happened was the quietest sing-a-long in musical history, an almost lullaby like air, which still gives me goose bumps thinking about it.  Half way through the guy stood behind said to his friend “All gigs should be like this!”  I am inclined to agree.