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Thursday, 26 February 2009
Thursday, 11 December 2008
The Week of Britpop
OK, before I begin (as Mr Fry might say), some housekeeping. I've posted a crazy THREE times this morning, my excuse being that I'm sat in waiting for a UPS man to pick up my 360, which has succombed to the Red Ring of Death. Below you'll find my opinion on the "most anticipated album of all time" tm. and "the best night out ever" tm.
I'm now in my new house, broadband works (on everything but the Mac so far...grrr!) so I'll be posting more often. Also, I'll shortly be setting up a twitter, cos it's about time, I'll be updating it as often as I can be bothered. A few photos have also been added to the Leeds Post. Right, on we go...
On Tuesday I saw Supergrass, who were characteristically brilliant (if a little drunken, but HEY, IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!). They did loads of new stuff, but none of that mattered after a beautiful rendition of She's So Loose. Photos are below.
THEN I was reminded yesterday that I'll be seeing the vastly underrated Bluetones performing their vastly underrated debut Expecting to Fly tonight. More of which tomorrow.
Then to cap it all, came the announcement I've been waiting for for at least 5 years, but never really expected to arrive. Damon and Graham are cuddling on the cover of NME, Blur are doing Hyde Park in July and all is fucking right with the world.
Apart from my 360 being buggered, but hey, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been bored enough to blog, so think yourselves lucky.
As an aside, the landlord of my new house has left behind two DAB radios and, as such, I have now discovered the joys of 6music. Lovely. If anyone has any other reccommendations of good DAB stations, please let me know.
 |
| Supergrass |
Chinese Democracy
And another thing, while I'm catching up. As most of you now know, Chinese Democracy is fucking atrocious, but Timmy told me to blog it so I didn't piss him off complaining to him about it any more.
In the case of Chinese Democracy, whoever's been at the desk has been so heavy handed, Axl's voice loses all of it's character. On occasions it sounds one step away from a vocoder.
It's hard to believe that it took 13 years to make something that sounds so much like everything being thrown at a wall. There's no finesse, no subtlety. Even Death Magnetic sounded like a band playing songs, Chinese Democracy sounds like a Guns n' Roses simulator programmed by an excited teenager.
In brief, it's a horrible, horrible mess.
The level of overproduction, and the amount of autotune so ham-fistedly on display is gobsmacking. For comparison, take a listen to anything from Bat out of Hell 3. Now, bless him, Meat Loaf can't pitch like he used to, so there's a fair amount of autotune on that album. You have to listen real close to hear it though, because it's only done where absolutely necessary, and it's done with a light touch. The result is a Meat Loaf record which is in tune and still sounds like Meat Loaf.
In the case of Chinese Democracy, whoever's been at the desk has been so heavy handed, Axl's voice loses all of it's character. On occasions it sounds one step away from a vocoder.
It's hard to believe that it took 13 years to make something that sounds so much like everything being thrown at a wall. There's no finesse, no subtlety. Even Death Magnetic sounded like a band playing songs, Chinese Democracy sounds like a Guns n' Roses simulator programmed by an excited teenager.
Add to that the fact that the best song (the slow, piano one, fucked if I can remember what it's called) is lifted from a Polyphonic Spree song, and you have a record custom designed to piss me off.
I was going to give it some time to settle in, but much like the NME reviewer, I'm not sure I even want to give it a second listen.
I was going to give it some time to settle in, but much like the NME reviewer, I'm not sure I even want to give it a second listen.
Nah, bollocks. Life's too short.
Best. Night. Out. Ever!
Before I start on more recent events, I thought it only fair to post about, quite honestly, the best night out I'm ever likely to experience (unless Blur in Hyde Park turns out to be REALLY good).
Those of you who know me, know how much I love the Wildhearts. They are (for those unfamiliar) the perfect combination of Beatles pop tunes, Therapy? riffola and Aerosmith attitude and cool. Their first album, Earth Vs The Wildhearts is, quite simply, perfect and has been in my top five ever since I've had a top five. Glad was I when frontman Ginger announced that he was following the trend and doing a 15th anniversary show, playing the album beginning to end, with an encore of B-sides from the era.
The show took place one Saturday in September at the Shepherds Bush Empire. The Empire is a lovely venue, four storeys high but not too deep. There's a good view from everywhere and, due to The Academy Group's standardised pricing, the beer's cheaper than the pub across the road.
The sound was spectacular (not so onstage, apparently, but the band held up admirably), perhaps a little too loud for the Earth Vs set, to get over the volume of the crowd, but reduced to a more delicate level for the encore.
So, those who know me will also know that I, more dubiously, adore Andrew WK, who, as fortune would have it, was playing his first UK show in about 3 years at the Astoria 2 the very same night. I mean, that kind of timing only happens in London!!
There was no band, just him, a keyboard and a backing track, but that's all you really need. Pit injuries, the walk from Shepherds Bush to Charing Cross and the late hour (went on stage about 1.30am!) notwithstanding, Mr Wilkes-Krier got a very drunken me, very excitable indeed. No doubt much to the embarrassment of my companions.
But fuck 'em. Best night out ever.
Photos of the Wildhearts, plus supports The God Damn Whores and Eureka Machines are below. AWK photos will follow shortly.
 |
| The Wildhearts, God Damn Whores, Eureka Machines |
Friday, 12 September 2008
Leeds, then...
***ADDED PHOTOS, SCROLL DOWN!***
I went to Glastonbury 2004. The last really wet one.
Fuck all compared to Leeds 2008, and I didn't take any wellies.
But once I'd picked up what I thought were the last pair of size 10 wellies on site, but my other half discovered to be one size 10 and one size 9, I managed to see some bands and develop the bare minimum of WW1 diseases.
So, with comments where appropriate, here was my Leeds 2008:
Thursday
Wintermute
The Pigeon Detectives
"Secret" set on the BBC introducing stage. In a remarkable display of "lost sight of why we're doing this", the stage manager tried to pull them off before they'd finished. That's right, they arranged a secret set by a big selling act on a tiny stage, which thousands of people turned up to watch....and then asked them to finish up so they could get the local band on.
Friday
Eureka Machines
Brilliant. Follow this band to the ends of the earth and they will not disappoint.
MSI
Truly, truly awful
Adam Green
The Whip
Lightspeed Champion
Quite charming. Lovely to hear the full version of Midnight Surprise, which I have since been informed, is inspired by the Legend of Zelda video games. The folkiest geek in this hemisphere.
Johnny Foreigner
Hadouken!
First really big crowd of the weekend, and brilliant as ever.
Avenged Sevenfold
Crystal Castles
Feeder
Old faithful...Feeder never disappoint
Pendulum
Well, I say I saw them, what I actually did was squint to make them out on the video screen from about a mile and a half away from the tent, which was the closest I could get. They sounded alright.
Tenacious D
Sublime.
The Last Shadow Puppets
Got to give them credit for bringing an orchestra to a festival. Props. Songs are still a bit meh, though.
Metallica
Not loud enough, but as (I think) NME pointed out, Metallica just don't know how to be shit. Oddly, though, they kept leaving the stage through a little door at the back, through which I can only assume was a bevy of whores with lines on their bellies. Or something.
Saturday
Future of the Left
Best. Band. In. The. World. Today. It's only a matter of time.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Surprisingly meh. Was expecting better, but it didn't really translate well into a field....
Dizzee Rascal
You what, you what? Blinding. A proper highlight. Fix up sounded massive
Frank Turner
Very special. This is what Get cape should have been like. The Bragg comparisons are totally deserved.
Serj Tankian
Surprisingly diverting. Had a lovely moment where he spotted an Israeli and a Lebanese flag in the crowd, and asked them to come and meet each other in the middle. Think I have a photo somewhere. EDIT: Also, it's just come back to me that he covered ABBA's Money, Money, Money. Which was pretty fucking weird.
Biffy Clyro
On fire. Mountains may well be my single of the year.
The Enemy
Shite. On such a vibrant bill, they just seem so dull.
MGMT
This is where my alcohol intake makes things get hazy. Which is exactly the way MGMT should be enjoyed.
Vampire Weekend
Should have been outdoors, in the sun, but apart from that, wonderful.
The Bacchae
Can't remember what the fuck they sounded like, but the singer was really realy hot
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Seriously, guys. Very hazy indeed. Pretty intense in the little tent, as I recall, and though you may doubt me, it was totally worth missing the beginning of Rage for...
Rage Against The Machine
Did exactly what was expected of them. Not the highlight I was expecting it to be, nor the highlight everyone else said they were, but still a masterful performance.
Sunday
Santogold
Wonderfully out of place. A very surreal start to the day. Creator was immense!
Mystery Jets
By this point the stage management on the NME stage was starting to grate. The main stage has overrun by at least 20 minutes every night, and no-one's cared so far. But woe betide a new band who run over, despite playing a career defining set. Was interesting to see "Helmet Guy" (the stage manager, whose headgear came in handy when the crowd turned decidedly ugly...) squaring up to a guy on crutches. Sort it out, Festival Republic
The Ting Tings
Did exactly what it said on the tin. As usual, the crowd were more entertaining than the band, but still, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Dirty Pretty Things
We Are Scientists
Foals
Once again, Helmet Guy puts punctuality ahead of brilliant music and festival moments. Because we all paid £120 to come to Leeds to marvel at the efficient stage management. Foals overran by 60 seconds. Did they get asked to wrap up? No. They pulled the plug. Disgusting. Letters will be written.
Justice
I wasn't in the right place for this. Not enough substances in me, or something. I tried, and I'd like to see them again, in the right frame of mind.
Bloc Party
At the end, I remember saying "Right then Flowers, follow that, you fucker!" So it must have been good. Headliners next year. Or maybe the year after.
Alkaline Trio
Manic Street Preachers
Of the seven or so times I've seen the Manics, this was the best. The crowd were amazing, and Wire and Bradfield fed off them like vultures to a carcass. Brilliant set, such energy. The best band of the weekend. And Helmet Guy made them cut a song. (Only Autumnsong, but still, cunt.)
The Young Knives
A nice, post headliner oddity in the "Alternative" tent. I love the Young Knives, but I can understand why some people don't.
So that was that. The weather made it exhausting, but the line up made it worthwhile. I urge both of my readers to write letters of complaint to Melvin Benn about the stage management on the NME stage. Even if you weren't there to see it.
I went to Glastonbury 2004. The last really wet one.
Fuck all compared to Leeds 2008, and I didn't take any wellies.
But once I'd picked up what I thought were the last pair of size 10 wellies on site, but my other half discovered to be one size 10 and one size 9, I managed to see some bands and develop the bare minimum of WW1 diseases.
So, with comments where appropriate, here was my Leeds 2008:
Thursday
Wintermute
The Pigeon Detectives
"Secret" set on the BBC introducing stage. In a remarkable display of "lost sight of why we're doing this", the stage manager tried to pull them off before they'd finished. That's right, they arranged a secret set by a big selling act on a tiny stage, which thousands of people turned up to watch....and then asked them to finish up so they could get the local band on.
Friday
Eureka Machines
Brilliant. Follow this band to the ends of the earth and they will not disappoint.
MSI
Truly, truly awful
Adam Green
The Whip
Lightspeed Champion
Quite charming. Lovely to hear the full version of Midnight Surprise, which I have since been informed, is inspired by the Legend of Zelda video games. The folkiest geek in this hemisphere.
Johnny Foreigner
Hadouken!
First really big crowd of the weekend, and brilliant as ever.
Avenged Sevenfold
Crystal Castles
Feeder
Old faithful...Feeder never disappoint
Pendulum
Well, I say I saw them, what I actually did was squint to make them out on the video screen from about a mile and a half away from the tent, which was the closest I could get. They sounded alright.
Tenacious D
Sublime.
The Last Shadow Puppets
Got to give them credit for bringing an orchestra to a festival. Props. Songs are still a bit meh, though.
Metallica
Not loud enough, but as (I think) NME pointed out, Metallica just don't know how to be shit. Oddly, though, they kept leaving the stage through a little door at the back, through which I can only assume was a bevy of whores with lines on their bellies. Or something.
Saturday
Future of the Left
Best. Band. In. The. World. Today. It's only a matter of time.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Surprisingly meh. Was expecting better, but it didn't really translate well into a field....
Dizzee Rascal
You what, you what? Blinding. A proper highlight. Fix up sounded massive
Frank Turner
Very special. This is what Get cape should have been like. The Bragg comparisons are totally deserved.
Serj Tankian
Surprisingly diverting. Had a lovely moment where he spotted an Israeli and a Lebanese flag in the crowd, and asked them to come and meet each other in the middle. Think I have a photo somewhere. EDIT: Also, it's just come back to me that he covered ABBA's Money, Money, Money. Which was pretty fucking weird.
Biffy Clyro
On fire. Mountains may well be my single of the year.
The Enemy
Shite. On such a vibrant bill, they just seem so dull.
MGMT
This is where my alcohol intake makes things get hazy. Which is exactly the way MGMT should be enjoyed.
Vampire Weekend
Should have been outdoors, in the sun, but apart from that, wonderful.
The Bacchae
Can't remember what the fuck they sounded like, but the singer was really realy hot
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Seriously, guys. Very hazy indeed. Pretty intense in the little tent, as I recall, and though you may doubt me, it was totally worth missing the beginning of Rage for...
Rage Against The Machine
Did exactly what was expected of them. Not the highlight I was expecting it to be, nor the highlight everyone else said they were, but still a masterful performance.
Sunday
Santogold
Wonderfully out of place. A very surreal start to the day. Creator was immense!
Mystery Jets
By this point the stage management on the NME stage was starting to grate. The main stage has overrun by at least 20 minutes every night, and no-one's cared so far. But woe betide a new band who run over, despite playing a career defining set. Was interesting to see "Helmet Guy" (the stage manager, whose headgear came in handy when the crowd turned decidedly ugly...) squaring up to a guy on crutches. Sort it out, Festival Republic
The Ting Tings
Did exactly what it said on the tin. As usual, the crowd were more entertaining than the band, but still, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Dirty Pretty Things
We Are Scientists
Foals
Once again, Helmet Guy puts punctuality ahead of brilliant music and festival moments. Because we all paid £120 to come to Leeds to marvel at the efficient stage management. Foals overran by 60 seconds. Did they get asked to wrap up? No. They pulled the plug. Disgusting. Letters will be written.
Justice
I wasn't in the right place for this. Not enough substances in me, or something. I tried, and I'd like to see them again, in the right frame of mind.
Bloc Party
At the end, I remember saying "Right then Flowers, follow that, you fucker!" So it must have been good. Headliners next year. Or maybe the year after.
Alkaline Trio
Manic Street Preachers
Of the seven or so times I've seen the Manics, this was the best. The crowd were amazing, and Wire and Bradfield fed off them like vultures to a carcass. Brilliant set, such energy. The best band of the weekend. And Helmet Guy made them cut a song. (Only Autumnsong, but still, cunt.)
The Young Knives
A nice, post headliner oddity in the "Alternative" tent. I love the Young Knives, but I can understand why some people don't.
So that was that. The weather made it exhausting, but the line up made it worthwhile. I urge both of my readers to write letters of complaint to Melvin Benn about the stage management on the NME stage. Even if you weren't there to see it.
 |
| Leeds 2008 |
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Liquid Lunch
I swear I'll get the tracklisting up here tomorrow, along with another from tonight.
Incidentally, I spent much of today explaining to people who Calvin Johnson was, and why it was cool that I had lunch with him.
Incidentally, I spent much of today explaining to people who Calvin Johnson was, and why it was cool that I had lunch with him.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Live from Sheffield, it's Saturday night!!!
I've set up a myspace page for myself, trying to drum up some extra work. I need a recent playlist up there, and to save me the effort of retyping from scratchy notes, I'm going to put tonight's set on the myspace blog live, as it happens, from about 10.30pm (GMT)
I'll try and repost it over here with a director's commentary during the week. Don't touch that dial.
Facebook will follow shortly, although it's slightly irksome that if I want a page specifically for my work then I have to have "fans" instead of "friends". Which makes me sound a bit like a "wanker".
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