Seven Days, Ten Bands

It seems to be some kind of weird trend that all the bands I like decide to gig in the same week. Last week I went to three gigs in London. In October, I have three in a week in Birmingham. I can never work out if it's a good thing or not. Pros: Non stop high from dancing, singing, socialising, ear pleasure. Accumulated lack of sleep means that you don't really notice the lack of sleep. Cons: At the end of the week you feel a little bit lost, and the next week almost definitely feels empty in comparison.

Last week I spent around £80. Do I regret it? Not really. I love music, in particular I love LIVE music. People love expensive food, people love shopping for designer labels, both of which come with a large price tag. I got six trains, three gigs, ten bands, three gold bars (chocolate), one free t-shirt, a lot of laughs and hugs, and to see my friends doing what they do best owning stages and loving it, all for my £80.

I know it's cheesy and said too much but I genuinely get a buzz off of seeing how happy performing makes my friends, and I love turning up at their gigs to show them I support them every step of the way. Unsigned/just starting up bands are my FAVOURITE thing because I get to find them, know they're amazing, tell people they're amazing, and watch the size of their audience grow as time goes on. These bands are also the ones that let you know how much they love you turning up, and EVERYONE loves being told it's lovely to see them. And for less than £10 a ticket in most cases these gigs are absolute gems not to be missed, so get down to a little venue and watch a band you didn't know much about.

On a separate note on the topic of my epic quest to break into the music industry I went to my first meeting this week about some volunteering I'm doing at a local 2 day festival. It may only be a small one but everyone has to start somewhere. In two weeks time I'm going to be stage managing, if anyone actually wants to know about how it goes and follow my quest I'll be posting about that in a few weeks time. From what I've gathered from the meeting it involves shouting at people who don't get on or off the stage on time, exactly my idea of fun.

Anyway this was just a brief update on my music life, mostly to get back into the swing of writing because it's been a while. Laters x

PS Dip your toes into some of the bands I went to see this week: 

GrumbleBee 

Best of Enemies

Chisel Beeches

Speaking in Shadows

4th Street

Miss Vincent 

BRIGHTLIGHT CITY EP RELEASE @ KINGSTON // REVIEW

Friday 15th May at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston - Brightlight City launched their newest EP 'Adventures'. It took a lot of planning to get to this gig. Kingston is too difficult to get home from post gig, therefore Lauren and I booked a Travelodge, that's how much we wanted to see this band again.

We discovered Brightlight City early February time, when the band told me that they were playing at the Barfly and put me on the cheap list, resulting in me dropping a text to Lauren asking if she fancied a gig a few days later. All very spontaneously we jumped on trains, met in London and had the night out in Camden. We sort of went because it was a gig, I'd listened to Brightlight City a little bit but only once or twice, and Lauren was just trusting me, therefore when we got there and watched them we were very very pleasantly surprised. We liked them, a lot. They have a very well developed and distinguished style. They put on a veeeerrry good live show, being clearly in their element on a stage enjoying it and taking it in their stride. So that's how we came to the instant decision when they announced this show that we were definitely going no matter what the travel and accommodation plans would have to be. And THAT'S how I ended up in the Fighting Cocks at this gig.

The venue was a good one, I'd return. All the staff working there were pleasant and friendly and a laugh, which always helps. When we arrived there was already a decent amount of people there and a friday feeling atmosphere. We were greeted with smiles, an EP and a shot of jager, showing that this is clearly a band that know how to treat the people who support their music, ta lads.

The first act I saw were Chisel Beeches, followed by Best of Enemies, then finally Brightlight City. Chisel Beeches and Best of Enemies shall get their own blog post before this one gets too long, however I will say that Chisel Beeches put on an AMAZING performance. They were loud and tuneful, something which is a skill in itself. Best of Enemies have been my friends for a while now, read about the last time I saw them here

Brightlight City took to the stage to play tracks from their new EP Adventures and to provide us with a perfect night. They ran through their tracks. They loved every minute. They engaged with the people watching. The people watching engaged back. The songs of their new EP all have a dancey feel, genuinely challenge you to go and watch this band and not dance around even if it's just a little bit. There's always a strong beat through the songs that just forces itself through your body, and hey there you are you're dancing along. This beat joined by the top guitar riffs and chords and solid, fine tuned vocals create the individual sound of Brightlight City. The powerful chords give the rock feel but there's something about the riffs that makes their sound lighter and refreshing, it's new and fun. Fun. Not really the most exciting choice of vocabulary, especially when describing music but I think it's a really important part of what draws me to this band. This night was made so good by the fact that the atmosphere in the room was one of great support. Bands all watched each other, and took part and got involved. Everyone was so happy to see each other do well, which is what's needed in the music industry with all these emerging bands. Brightlight City believe in supporting bands and enjoying the music, which is an attitude you can see radiating off them, making it so so much more enjoyable to watch them. I honestly believe that this band is so worthy of a listen to. They're honest and lovely people, who write fun and interesting music, who perform with bags of energy and have a brilliant attitude. They're always playing shows, go out like I did as a gamble and grab them at a show.

Find Brightlight City:

Twitter - @blcband

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brightlightcityofficial

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/thebrightlightcity

TWIN ATLANTIC @ BRIXTON // REVIEW

Just over a week ago, on the 7th May, I went to see Twin Atlantic at the O2 Academy in Brixton. Arriving at the venue a little bit early, as we had nothing else to do, me and my mate spent a nice sunny day sitting on the floor outside the venue. I feel like here is an appropriate place to quickly drop a line about how well looked after we were throughout the whole duration of our time at the O2 Brixton. I've been to a lot of venues, I've been treated pleasantly and I've been treated disgustingly, but the guys here were some of the nicest I've encountered. Not only did the security guy outside make sure that everyone knew where they were going/queuing, but he also kept us entertained with riddles and encouraged everyone to chat to each other. This treatment wasn't limited to the outside of the venue. The security down at the front made sure they were always looking for sufferers who needed water, meaning that you weren't left desperately trying to grab a cup once every 6 songs. I'd never been to the O2 Brixton, but the combination of the beautiful building and the beautiful staff will mean that this will have definitely not been my only visit.

The support acts were The Lonely Brave and Eliza and the Bear. Both did a great job of warming up the crowd, not that much warming up was needed. Eliza and the Bear in particular made a lasting impression, I don't think I'm alone in saying that having seen them supporting Twin I'll be picking up a ticket to their headline tour in October. They all seemed so happy to be on stage, taking in every moment and working really well as a musical team. I didn't think I knew any of their songs, but it turns out they are behind that catchy tune 'Friends' on the bulmers advert.

As is standard, the lights changed and Bohemian Rhapsody came on over the speakers, sparking a mass karaoke and signalling the imminent arrival of the band. They exploded onto the stage going straight into "Make a Beast of Myself". It was so good to see a band I feel so deserving of great things owning the stage. Having missed the past few tours through clashing dates, this is the first time I've seen twin since about 3 years ago, where I saw them play the O2 Academy Birmingham. I've seen them play Reading for the past two years but it's just not the same. This band have come along so far in the past few years, gaining fans, expanding their audience, smashing out records oozing their distinct emotion filled sound. The songs that we know and love for being able to belt out. Which brings me to the next best thing about this gig. The crowd were absolutely brilliant. Everytime I've been to see this band I've been amazed by the atmosphere, so I can only imagine what it feels like to be Sam, Barry, Ross and Craig on stage. There's no greater feeling than being surrounded by the sound of hundreds of others in the same moment as you, singing their heart out. The air is full of energy, I've never left a twin gig not feeling like I've just done the most hardcore work out of my life. Both band and audience feed off each other, you could see and hear the pure joy and love that Twin had for the show they were playing. They never leave you feeling like you're not appreciated. Giving back to us with a setlist that just saw no breaks, giving it their all from start to finish, new songs, old songs, pumped songs, slower songs, giant balloons. Their live performances have always been good musically, I'm yet to see a bad song live. This time it was mixed up a bit more, upped the production and stage game, with an electric cello solo and the fun placing of some toms down the front of the stage, adding to the drive of the performance.

This band seems to be only heading up. Their songs are developing, and their newest album certainly didn't disappoint. Filling the Hydro in Glasgow at the end of their tour, it's clear that they're gaining the following that they deserve. I've never been let down by a show of theirs. Honestly, I wouldn't even think twice about buying a ticket to see them. If you're looking for an energy filled gig, full of raw emotion, loud singing in an awful attempt at a Scottish accent and a sweaty night, you should probably head in the direction of a Twin Atlantic gig.

Here are some of my photos, they're okay, to be fair to me it's pretty challenging taking a good photograph with a non stop wave of bouncing sweeping the audience.

Getting intimate with independent venues

The music industry is in a weird state. The sales of physical records seem to be on a downwards spiral. With songs being so easily robbed via youtube converters and download sites or the streaming options that are out there people tend to go online rather than opting for picking up a physical copy of the cd. The internet is a great place, but it's also a great tool for people who don't want to pay for their music. So, bands have to get out there, play shows, sell their merch and sell themselves to you in order to make you WANT to buy their music. You'll be so impressed with their efforts and sound that you'll pick up on of their CDs right? Everyone loves a good night out with some live music and fun and entertainment right?

So why is it that people just aren't going to smaller gigs anymore? Smaller bands NEED the support. They travel for hours in cramped transport to play gigs so that they can afford to carry on making music. As cliche as it sounds the bands of tomorrow need our help. The only way new music can emerge into the industry is if it's discovered, and if no one goes to the gigs there'll be no one there to discover it. So many talented bands and artists will be lost. Yes, go and see your favourite bands play arenas, I'm not saying you can't, just remember that all these huge acts started out playing to small audiences in hidden away venues. I'm just saying that every once in a while, check out what the little venues have on offer. If a cheap night out (tickets being about £6) isn't appealing enough, you can also boost your own morale by knowing that by going along to this little gig you've helped a band be a band. You enjoy a night out, they get to carry on doing what they love, it's a win win situation really.

It's not only the bands that need your support but also the venues. It's sad but true that venues are struggling, I've seen more stories than I'd like to about venues being forced to shut and changing into things like restaurants. These venues have history and their own stories of bands that have played for years before. They're where many of the bigger bands played their first gigs, to see them go is not only sad for the genuine music supporters who like attending gigs there, but also for the bands that have graced the stages of them. These days nearly every gig I go to is in a small venue which I didn't even know existed prior to the gig. They're great, you're closer to the band and the music all just feels more real. They're not completely over packed so you don't have to spend all night forcing someone's elbow out your ribs. These are the gigs where you actually get to talk to the band that have just played to you and find out a bit about them and tell them what you thought. Some of the best gigs I've been to have been tiny stages in hidden away venues and I'll do anything to make sure that these venues and gigs stay alive.

I hope that this blog post has maybe encouraged you to check out local venues and what's on there. Even if it's just once in a while try and make the time to bag yourself a bargain night of fun and help keep the industry going. If we don't do anything now to try and keep it alive it'll be lost. And then when it's too late everyone will complain that there are no venues left or new bands and new music coming through and that there are no affordable gigs to go to.

Amateur Band Photography

As someone who goes to a lot of concerts I like to sometimes take a few photos of the night (without being one of those people who does nothing but film/photograph the night) in order to keep a little personal token of the nights. I invested in a semi good camera, and I thought I'd share some of the results so far. They're not great but they're not awful, especially as this is amateur band photography. All of these plus any new photos that I take can be found on my tumblr blog dedicated to my musical adventures: http://10pointstogryffinwhore.tumblr.com

Comment if you'd like specific camera information or venue and gig info for the pictures or how I can make my photos better or any tips, I'm all ears.

NATIONS EP RELEASE @ CAMDEN // REVIEW

Friday the thirteenth, unlucky for some but not for me as I got to attend the launch of Nations' EP having sat waiting for it with open arms for what feels like forever. I was introduced to Nations on twitter by a mate and fell in love with them instantly. Lead singer Oli Ellis has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard, being simultaneously powerful and able to melt your heart. And that's how I came to find myself at the Nations EP release gig in Camden.

They played at The Black Heart in Camden, a super hidden away venue. Scary at first but still a really unique little venue with its own character. Shows like this at venues like this are swiftly becoming more and more my favourite kind of show to attend. The music seems more real, there's nowhere for a band to hide, and in my opinion it's at this stage where real talent can be seen. The risk with gigs like this is that, opposite to what you might think, it can seem really empty at times and there isn't always a lot of energy been driven back towards the stage. Apparently not an issue for Nations. By the time they hit the stage the small room was full of people who all seemed to be equally as up for a good and sweaty time as the band.

Having already seen them play an acoustic set I knew that they could perform live as a band, however an acoustic set up is obviously a lot different to a full force instruments one. The thing I love about Nations is the fact that their music is so full of sounds and layers. You can never get bored of it, each time you listen there's a new guitar part of little bit of vocals you haven't heard or payed attention to before. This isn't lost in their live performance either. The balance was spot on between all the parts, with each member shining through when it was needed. The energy being radiated from the stage was visible in the form of what the audience were throwing back, with people singing and clapping along as the lads utilised every inch of the stage (being led and encouraged by Sam subbing in on bass). The movement around the stage took nothing from the performance, showing that these are established musicians not put off by their dancing around.

Set list wise Nations played their new EP (obviously with it being their EP launch). Im not going to go into the individual songs, you're going to have to listen for yourselves here: Nations UK
They also covered Sia's Chandelier. It worked really well and had everyone singing along. They should put it on YouTube or something, hint hint.

Find Nations:

Twitter - @NationsUK

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nations/561428510540357?ref=ts&fref=ts

Web - http://nationsuk.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/NationsUKTV

CATO Academy

And so my Gap Year Fun continues and as promised here is my blog post about my first real adventure on this gap year. I'm now on my third week of CATO and so I can officially call myself a Cato Academy Student. Here's a little bit of information on what exactly the Cato Academy is, taken from their website (http://www.catomusic.com/#!education/c1du9)

Ever since I went to my first massive concert at the LG arena when I was about 8 years old I've been madly in love with live music, ranging from the arena tours to the tiny little gigs in venues that are hardly known of. I kept asking my teachers and parents if there was a course I could take in 'bands' to which I was always laughed at and told to not be so stupid, and so I continued with my subjects, took some A Levels, applied for a course I thought would be okay and was academic enough for everyone around me, then inevitably pulled out last minute because it wasn't what I really wanted to do. Then through a bit of searching and by some miracle I discovered the CATO Academy. One interview and a few months waiting over and I finally get to be learning and studying for what I REALLY want to do. The moral of this is, these days there's pretty much a course for everything, don't study something just because you can't find what you really want to do, keep searching until you find it.

SO an update on the course itself. The lecturers are great. Really great. Their work is what they're teaching, they've got plenty of experience and therefore can tell you exactly what you need to know (they're also proving to be pretty entertaining and fun too). I was a little worried before I started that I'd be the odd one out because I have next to no experience already, however I haven't felt that way at all AND I can now properly change a guitar string neat and pretty all by myself. The opportunities that have been offered to us already are high in numbers, and I don't expect that to change at all. That's the great thing about Cato, it's a functioning business, so we get the chance to learn and get all kinds of hands on experience at the same time.

Now I've settled down a bit I'll be able to keep this updated with all my new skills and what I've learnt to give you even more of an insight into this if you're interested. I'm genuinely loving every day of the course so far, and I can't wait to see what the remaining weeks have in store for me.