OK Glastonbury is often called the best festival in the world and who am i to argue! I absolutely love it and this is in many ways "my" holiday for the year. Its when I get to go away forget work, a bit of "me" time (how American!) and leave the family to enjoy what is now virtually a week of beer and bands -whats not to like!
The build up actually begins days ahead with all the packing and checking etc but it officially starts on the Tuesday night when I drive down to my brothers to have one beer for bed and prepare for the 6 o'clock start. Next morning we venture on the road in the trusty (?!?) VW beetle listening to old tunes and praying for the moment we are there with the tent up and the first of many beers in hand.
The popularity of Glastonbury is amazing these days. Without wishing to sound too old I genuinely do remember when you could buy a ticket a couple of days before, turn up on the Thursday and still have loads of places to camp. Now even though we arrived on Wed morning we still struggled to find a place for two tents. Although to be fair we do always camp at one of the prime sites with a view to the Pyramid stage.
I wont go in to all the details of the next couple days or I'll be too tired to talk about the bands. Lets just say there was plenty of beer, wine, vodka and dodgy dancing in tents (special mention to the silent disco -which is a riot and if you haven't tried it you should!)
This is a blog aimed at trying to develop a site for people who want Leamington to have a heart of art, music and culture. Perhaps a little off beat and certainly away from the sterile Corporate world that surrounds us It is a place which will be reliant on you letting us know the cool places to be and the inspired people in the town.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
The Sharks "Joy of Living 2008-10" CD review
This CD is effectively a release of all their previous EPs to date. The format is two new songs and then each of the EPs in reverse chronological order.
Okay lets get this out of the way first - in terms of influences, this band don't only where their hearts on their sleeve they also have a t-shirt and denim jacket with a back patch saying "The Clash" all over them. Now in my opinion there are far worst bands to be influenced by and if it can encourage a new generation of fans to enjoy this style of music I am all for it.
There are numerous "clashesque" straight forward rockers on this CD including "Three Houses", "Capital Youth" and "It threatens". Special mention must also go to one of the new songs "Joys of living" where like the Clash this builds in the sounds of ska (and why not given Leamingtons closeness to the home of Ska!)
However it is too easy and unfair to regard this band as just clones. The song quality alone takes them well above that. This is clearly demonstrated by the other new song "Sweet Harness" which really shows how the band has developed over the past couple of years. This is a great rock song with a huge melody and suggests they picked up a few tips when supporting the Gaslight Anthem. This knack for melody beneath the punk rock is what will make them big and is shown on other songs such as "Common ground" and "it all relates" (love the woo hoo backing vocals!)
There is also a good change of pace with the song " Yours to Fear" which is slower and has a real big drum sound to it. I can imagine loads of American labels hearing this and thinking we could give it a huge production and turn it to "a hit". This however will be missing the whole point of the band because what makes them so good is the rawness and the passion in the music
Quick mention of the lead singers voice which I really love and its style is demonstrated on the holler out opening to "Trains". Its a classic punk rock voice which initially leaves you questioning if its good or not. The fact is that it is full of passion and really gets you in to the songs.
Overall this is a fantastic CD and just leaves you desperately awaiting new material and the debut full CD. The best summary of where this band is going is I live in their home town but had to order the CD from the States - this band is going somewhere and fast!
Okay lets get this out of the way first - in terms of influences, this band don't only where their hearts on their sleeve they also have a t-shirt and denim jacket with a back patch saying "The Clash" all over them. Now in my opinion there are far worst bands to be influenced by and if it can encourage a new generation of fans to enjoy this style of music I am all for it.
There are numerous "clashesque" straight forward rockers on this CD including "Three Houses", "Capital Youth" and "It threatens". Special mention must also go to one of the new songs "Joys of living" where like the Clash this builds in the sounds of ska (and why not given Leamingtons closeness to the home of Ska!)
However it is too easy and unfair to regard this band as just clones. The song quality alone takes them well above that. This is clearly demonstrated by the other new song "Sweet Harness" which really shows how the band has developed over the past couple of years. This is a great rock song with a huge melody and suggests they picked up a few tips when supporting the Gaslight Anthem. This knack for melody beneath the punk rock is what will make them big and is shown on other songs such as "Common ground" and "it all relates" (love the woo hoo backing vocals!)
There is also a good change of pace with the song " Yours to Fear" which is slower and has a real big drum sound to it. I can imagine loads of American labels hearing this and thinking we could give it a huge production and turn it to "a hit". This however will be missing the whole point of the band because what makes them so good is the rawness and the passion in the music
Quick mention of the lead singers voice which I really love and its style is demonstrated on the holler out opening to "Trains". Its a classic punk rock voice which initially leaves you questioning if its good or not. The fact is that it is full of passion and really gets you in to the songs.
Overall this is a fantastic CD and just leaves you desperately awaiting new material and the debut full CD. The best summary of where this band is going is I live in their home town but had to order the CD from the States - this band is going somewhere and fast!
Drive By Truckers - Live at Assembly 4/5/11
This was a really good band for the Assembly to get and in my opinion is what the owners should be trying to focus on. The DBTs have been around for years, have a huge back catalogue and rightly so are picking up fans on the back of the recent revival in Southern rock (Kings of Leon) and folk (Fleet foxes)
Quick mention for the support act Josh T Pearson - now this guy is a real Southern American gent not likely the pretty boys in Kings of Leon!. His set was a strange one where it consisted of relatively low key country rock numbers mixed up with a comedy act based on "musician/drummer jokes" (best one is whats the last thing a stripper does with her asshole before she goes to work?? Drop him off at band practice!). Whilst the jokes were good the set was subdued and sadly this seemed to effect the rest of the night.
It has to be said that the DBTs performed what would be termed a solid set. It certainly had the makings of a great set but just didnt quite get going. Clearly a band of extremely talented musicians who have a good collection of songs. In particular the way they mix the vocals up between the two lead guitarist has the brilliant effect of almost feeling like you get two bands for one, They both have very different voices but with their own unique sound. Indeed the backing vocals by the entire band were excellent.
I wonder if perhaps the crowd had an impact on the band where they were very quiet, Now granted Leamington on a Wednesday night is admittedly not exactly the centre of rock n roll and indeed the vast majority of the crowd appeared to be middle aged men but even the band commented on how quiet they were.
Despite this the band and the gig did come alive towards the end of the set when they played some more of their 'rockier' songs and perhaps it was a pity the band didnt do this earlier.
Overall a good show but perhaps a chance missed??
Quick mention for the support act Josh T Pearson - now this guy is a real Southern American gent not likely the pretty boys in Kings of Leon!. His set was a strange one where it consisted of relatively low key country rock numbers mixed up with a comedy act based on "musician/drummer jokes" (best one is whats the last thing a stripper does with her asshole before she goes to work?? Drop him off at band practice!). Whilst the jokes were good the set was subdued and sadly this seemed to effect the rest of the night.
It has to be said that the DBTs performed what would be termed a solid set. It certainly had the makings of a great set but just didnt quite get going. Clearly a band of extremely talented musicians who have a good collection of songs. In particular the way they mix the vocals up between the two lead guitarist has the brilliant effect of almost feeling like you get two bands for one, They both have very different voices but with their own unique sound. Indeed the backing vocals by the entire band were excellent.
I wonder if perhaps the crowd had an impact on the band where they were very quiet, Now granted Leamington on a Wednesday night is admittedly not exactly the centre of rock n roll and indeed the vast majority of the crowd appeared to be middle aged men but even the band commented on how quiet they were.
Despite this the band and the gig did come alive towards the end of the set when they played some more of their 'rockier' songs and perhaps it was a pity the band didnt do this earlier.
Overall a good show but perhaps a chance missed??
Sharks Live at Moo bar and then Head records
There aren't many bands from Leamington full stop let alone one that is able to have a farewell UK show before jetting off to the States on a country wide tour supporting Social Distortion and Chuck Ragan so these two gigs were ones not to be missed.
The first was in the evening at Moo Bar which seemed an unusual venue but I'm sure they were grateful to actually have a queue building up from 7 on what is probably normally a quiet night. The two support bands were very different -one being a more mature singer songwriter type and the other being a metal/dance hybrid band -but must admit neither did much for me! (Although credit to the second bands look -very 80's Motley Crue and took me back to my days at rock city in Nottingham)
During the night the guys from The Sharks were hanging around speaking to friends/family and fans before walking through the intimate crowd to hit the stage and boy did they hit it. The whole show was excellent and this is clearly a band who love what they do. Their passion for their music was clear in every song. The band played a load of their songs from their recent ep compilation CD (review to follow). Credit must also go the crowd who were young (indeed sure most of them weren't alive when the bands clearest influence the clash were around) and very enthusiastic.
The night ended with a rousing cover of the Clash classic "I fought the law" and what must have been the first time there has ever been a mosh pit in Moo!!!
check out the link below to see one of the songs peformed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlg5EZ6auzM
The following Saturday they then did a small show in Head record store for Record store day. Once again they gained a sizable following and a few familiar faces were there from the Moo show. I have to say it was quite surreal to see the band cramped in to a small shop window!
This acoustic show was also very impressive and it demonstrated the simple fact that a really good song can always be stripped back to the basics and still sound really good. It was only a 4/5 show set but it was good to hear some slow down versions of the songs.
It appears that bright things are ahead of the band with them touring the States, making good connections with other bands and enjoying great press and publicity.
I have a strange feeling that in a few years there will be thousands of people claiming they were there when The Sharks played in a shop window!!
The first was in the evening at Moo Bar which seemed an unusual venue but I'm sure they were grateful to actually have a queue building up from 7 on what is probably normally a quiet night. The two support bands were very different -one being a more mature singer songwriter type and the other being a metal/dance hybrid band -but must admit neither did much for me! (Although credit to the second bands look -very 80's Motley Crue and took me back to my days at rock city in Nottingham)
During the night the guys from The Sharks were hanging around speaking to friends/family and fans before walking through the intimate crowd to hit the stage and boy did they hit it. The whole show was excellent and this is clearly a band who love what they do. Their passion for their music was clear in every song. The band played a load of their songs from their recent ep compilation CD (review to follow). Credit must also go the crowd who were young (indeed sure most of them weren't alive when the bands clearest influence the clash were around) and very enthusiastic.
The night ended with a rousing cover of the Clash classic "I fought the law" and what must have been the first time there has ever been a mosh pit in Moo!!!
check out the link below to see one of the songs peformed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlg5EZ6auzM
The following Saturday they then did a small show in Head record store for Record store day. Once again they gained a sizable following and a few familiar faces were there from the Moo show. I have to say it was quite surreal to see the band cramped in to a small shop window!
This acoustic show was also very impressive and it demonstrated the simple fact that a really good song can always be stripped back to the basics and still sound really good. It was only a 4/5 show set but it was good to hear some slow down versions of the songs.
It appears that bright things are ahead of the band with them touring the States, making good connections with other bands and enjoying great press and publicity.
I have a strange feeling that in a few years there will be thousands of people claiming they were there when The Sharks played in a shop window!!
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Assembly Classics Club Night
If ever there was a "ronseal" name for a club night then this really is it.
As it says on the Assembly web page this Saturday night event plays "Anthems from the 90's, 00's to the present day"
Ive already commented on what a fantastic venue the Assembly is for seeing bands but I wasn't too sure how it would hold up to a club night -mainly due to the very large open main hall and indeed the size of the dance floor itself but I shouldn't have worried. It proved to be an excellent way to spend a late Saturday Night.
As for the music it really was classic song after classic song. It all started off with some fantastic stuff from the "Brit pop" era. Guess I am showing my age here but really there were some great songs written during this period. Most importantly they provided the perfect back drop to having a few more beers and to allow the atmosphere to build up in the venue. The music then moved more along in to the "Anthems" a bit more of the dance style of music. It is important to realise that the emphasis remained on great tunes which would have got anyone up on the dance floor, It was really impressive to look around the venue and see loads of people of different ages and styles just looking like they were having a great time.
I am conscious with pubs now being able to open to 2am at least and with nearly all of them free entry that the on the door price of £8 may look steep. However it is worth noting that the advance cost is only £5 and perhaps most importantly the prices of the drinks are very reasonable (Far lower than most club prices and indeed lower than most the bars in Leamington!!)
The best demonstration of how good this club night is, is the fact they I can honestly say I have never been to a night where such a high proportion of the people in attendance were actually on the dance floor and indeed looking like they were having fun! Overall this is a top night out and the best late night venue in Leamington
As it says on the Assembly web page this Saturday night event plays "Anthems from the 90's, 00's to the present day"
Ive already commented on what a fantastic venue the Assembly is for seeing bands but I wasn't too sure how it would hold up to a club night -mainly due to the very large open main hall and indeed the size of the dance floor itself but I shouldn't have worried. It proved to be an excellent way to spend a late Saturday Night.
As for the music it really was classic song after classic song. It all started off with some fantastic stuff from the "Brit pop" era. Guess I am showing my age here but really there were some great songs written during this period. Most importantly they provided the perfect back drop to having a few more beers and to allow the atmosphere to build up in the venue. The music then moved more along in to the "Anthems" a bit more of the dance style of music. It is important to realise that the emphasis remained on great tunes which would have got anyone up on the dance floor, It was really impressive to look around the venue and see loads of people of different ages and styles just looking like they were having a great time.
I am conscious with pubs now being able to open to 2am at least and with nearly all of them free entry that the on the door price of £8 may look steep. However it is worth noting that the advance cost is only £5 and perhaps most importantly the prices of the drinks are very reasonable (Far lower than most club prices and indeed lower than most the bars in Leamington!!)
The best demonstration of how good this club night is, is the fact they I can honestly say I have never been to a night where such a high proportion of the people in attendance were actually on the dance floor and indeed looking like they were having fun! Overall this is a top night out and the best late night venue in Leamington
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Forever Ink - Art Inspired by Ink
A bit ashamed of this as really should have posted a blog on this prior to the event to give it some publicity!! Oh well hopefully it will happen again and I can give you pre notice.
This was basically an event to allow local artist to show case their talents but was much more than a boring art exhibition, For a start all the art was tattoo inspired and the majority (all??) the artists were tattooists.
As to be expected, given these people earn a living making permanent pieces of art on bodies, the quality of the art was excellent. Lots of different styles which would appeal to people with different tastes.
In addition there was a load of other stuff including Burlesque performers, a Hula Hooper, live band, cake stall and jewellery stall and not forgetting free drink and sweets!!!
It was held at the Custard Factory in Birmingham and the place was absolutely rammed! Which is even more impressive given it was held on a Sunday night!!!!
More details on their face book page so take a look
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=183153635059424
Really great event which attracted a wide variety of people and I'm definitely looking forward to attending any future events
This was basically an event to allow local artist to show case their talents but was much more than a boring art exhibition, For a start all the art was tattoo inspired and the majority (all??) the artists were tattooists.
As to be expected, given these people earn a living making permanent pieces of art on bodies, the quality of the art was excellent. Lots of different styles which would appeal to people with different tastes.
In addition there was a load of other stuff including Burlesque performers, a Hula Hooper, live band, cake stall and jewellery stall and not forgetting free drink and sweets!!!
It was held at the Custard Factory in Birmingham and the place was absolutely rammed! Which is even more impressive given it was held on a Sunday night!!!!
More details on their face book page so take a look
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=183153635059424
Really great event which attracted a wide variety of people and I'm definitely looking forward to attending any future events
Sunday, 27 February 2011
gigs coming our way
As mentioned one of the main aims of this blog is to try and generate a 'music scene' so we can get some more decent bands to play in Leamington. So far this seems to be an aim that the Assembly has been valiantly performing on its own!
So a heads up on a few top bands that have been booked for the next couple of months. Now I am sure that you will all know that Peter Doherty is playing because he is such a "public" figure (although for me I'm still not convinced - I love the romantic notion of a song writer who is really a poet with a troubled state of mind -hey just look at the picture at the top of the page! but for me despite a few excellent tunes he is still missing the quality song book required)
Of more interest to me are the Drive By Truckers who are playing at the Assembly on Wednesday 4th May (day after Pete -sorry Peter!). Now given the considerable amount of interest in Kings of Leon, Gaslight Anthem etc I am surprised more people haven't picked up on the Drive by Truckers. I guess they don't have the same kind of air of cool about them and have been going for much longer but the sound is very similar i.e. rock with a country and Americana twist.
Having released 2 albums in the past 12 months the Truckers are clearly not seeing any creative drought!! This is exactly the sort of band we need to be supporting - great musicians, top quality song writing and the desire to keep touring and putting on a show for the fans.
Tickets are selling out fast so make sure you get yours and don't miss out!!
Interestingly the next day sees another well known but perhaps forgotten name playing - Cerys Matthews. I guess many people will sadly remember her for being in the jungle!!! However she has a wide musical background from being at the fore front of Brit pop with Catatonia (who can forget the rolling Rs on road rage) through to dueting with the legend known as Tom Jones on to her more recent material which again shows a leaning towards the more countrified/folk sound.
Round of applause then to the Assembly for hosting 3 quality artists on the trot - lets make sure we support them all and maybe one day you will be able to go out on any night of the week and see a good band!!!
So a heads up on a few top bands that have been booked for the next couple of months. Now I am sure that you will all know that Peter Doherty is playing because he is such a "public" figure (although for me I'm still not convinced - I love the romantic notion of a song writer who is really a poet with a troubled state of mind -hey just look at the picture at the top of the page! but for me despite a few excellent tunes he is still missing the quality song book required)
Of more interest to me are the Drive By Truckers who are playing at the Assembly on Wednesday 4th May (day after Pete -sorry Peter!). Now given the considerable amount of interest in Kings of Leon, Gaslight Anthem etc I am surprised more people haven't picked up on the Drive by Truckers. I guess they don't have the same kind of air of cool about them and have been going for much longer but the sound is very similar i.e. rock with a country and Americana twist.
Having released 2 albums in the past 12 months the Truckers are clearly not seeing any creative drought!! This is exactly the sort of band we need to be supporting - great musicians, top quality song writing and the desire to keep touring and putting on a show for the fans.
Tickets are selling out fast so make sure you get yours and don't miss out!!
Interestingly the next day sees another well known but perhaps forgotten name playing - Cerys Matthews. I guess many people will sadly remember her for being in the jungle!!! However she has a wide musical background from being at the fore front of Brit pop with Catatonia (who can forget the rolling Rs on road rage) through to dueting with the legend known as Tom Jones on to her more recent material which again shows a leaning towards the more countrified/folk sound.
Round of applause then to the Assembly for hosting 3 quality artists on the trot - lets make sure we support them all and maybe one day you will be able to go out on any night of the week and see a good band!!!
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