Tuesday 29 April 2014

I went to a gig yesterday. my first since about this
time last year.

it was also the first time I've taken any photos since the
iliketrains gig the week I got back from new york. It's
definitely the longest I've gone taking gig photos since 
I started doing it - and last year had the least amount 
of gigs I've ever seen in a year since I started going to 
gigs. 

at one point I didn't think I had seen any gigs last year
and was almost obsessed to remember that there must
have been one ... I just couldn't have had it that I had 
not seen one gig during the whole of the year ... but then 
I remembered I'd seen Simple Minds in Leicester - and 
even though it's silly, I was kind of relieved ... that there
had been one.



so I saw JAWS were playing Leicester and wanted to see
them after reading a small gig review in nme.

it's the first time I've been to the cookie. its a very small
venue (150 capacity) I got there as the first band was on, 
it was completely full!! I was right at the back, I thought 
that was it, I'll never get near the front. my hope was 
people would move as the support act finished, and they 
did! I soon made my way forward, getting a nice spot on 
the right.

2nd band Haus are pretty upbeat, jaunty with foals-like 
beats ... Surf had had a tiny bit of that, but they had other 
songs that I liked even more, when it all went a bit more 
widescreen sonically and touched upon a shoegaze vibe. 
but I enjoyed both bands. good stuff. 

I purposely didn't check out anything by JAWS before 
the gig, I like the feeling you get when a band impacts 
you when you see them live for the first time. and they 
were even better than I could have imagined. I was 
expecting them to be more scrappy and pop-punk(y)
but they were a mix of all my favourite bands, like if
I'd put together my perfect band ... disintegration-era 
cure, my bloody valentine, ride, slowdive, the smashing 
pumpkins, pixies ... yet sounding like their very own 
band, and not any kind of revivalist retro band ... I was 
hugely impressed. the lead singer had said something 
that he hadn't had a very good day that day, and this 
gig was making it a whole lot better for him. well I hope 
he realises the impact his music is having on people. 
I'm kind of intrigued though, if I feel this way after
just having heard the songs once live. how will I feel
when I know them inside out.

here are some videos. I'm really impressed how the flip
handles being right in front of the speaker, and doesn't 
sound all distorted ... when I last filmed something (on 
my blackberry) it sounded like *this*



   above - first song



   above: listen to the crowd singing along!

   the crowd got a bit lively!! ... I was glad I was tucked away
   near the speaker and the wall ... keepin the camera outta 
   harms way!



   I really enjoyed the whole night and realised how much I've missed
   talking photos. it's such a huge part of me and I have actually really
   missed the feeling that I get from it. ... I enjoyed the night so much 
   I've just got my ticket for this:



   SHONEN KNIFE!!!
   SHONEN KNIFE!!!
   SHONEN KNIFE!!!

   that will be packed for sure. I never saw them the last time they 
   came to Leicester, so am looking forward to seeing one of Kurt's 
   favourite bands. I don't even mind if I don't get any photos.

   not too keen on having to venture into the town centre on a 
   friday/saturday/sunday (a bank holiday weekend too!) and 
   encounter hoardes of drunk/loud/annoying people(!) but it 
   will be worth it. lots of bands playing all over. should be real 
   good.



   I'll be doing some updates the following day from the night 
   before, with little videos etc. so check back saturday morning 
   for the first.

   p.s. I've heavily got back into listening to the cocteau twins
   lately (I do this a lot with bands) ... and for the majority of 
   the time, it has just basically been me going back and forth 
   between these 2 songs (1 +2)

   anyone else like the cocteaus??

Monday 21 April 2014

currently a bit obsessed with this band.




    heathers.
    miserabalist guitar pop from los angeles.

   



    need this shirt.

Wednesday 2 April 2014

what music means to me.

  here's a new feature I've been thinking about doing for a while.
  I've always loved the whole music questions aspect from talking
  to people in the past ... but I wanted to know more than just the 
  last song they listened to or last album they bought ... so I could 
  get the bigger picture of  just what music means to them. 

  so I've got some questions that will find out just that.

  1. What is your favourite song?
  2. What is your favourite album?
  3. Favourite artist/band
  4. Has there ever been a song that has made you cry?
  5. What is your favourite song lyric?
  6. If you could recommend 1 song (or album/band) for me to check out
  7. If you could go back in time and see any one concert?
  8. What does music mean to you?

  I saw Matt near Bleecker street when I was in New York ... and 
  knew this cool dude would be perfect to ask. thanks for doing this 
  Matt!



   Matt



   1. What is your favourite song?

   my favourite song - of all time? ... that's tough because there's so 
   much good music. I'm really liking Kings Of Leon right now, I think 
   that's probably my favourite band at the moment ... but my favourite 
   song of all time ... I couldn't give you just one (okay give me a few 
   then 'cause I know it's hard to narrow it down ... a top 5) ... I like 
   a lot of Pink Floyd, I guess they're from your neck of the woods ... 
   anything from Floyd, Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin, that's a great 
   song ... Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd (I know it's hard to be put 
   on the spot, and you'll be remembering after I've gone ... you'll think, 
   this song and this song, why didn'I' say that)  yeah right ... Arizona 
   by Kings of Leon, that's like my favourite song right now anyways ... 
   what is it, Mr Bigmouth by the Smiths, that's a great song. I don't 
   know, I've got lots of them!

   2. What is your favourite album? 

   man ... again I listen to such a wide variety of music, so I can't really
   say I have one favourite album ... what do I always go to though?  
   I don't know, Pink Floyd's The Wall  is a good one ... favourite? I don't 
   know though ... I couldn't really tell you!


   3. Favourite artist/band

   my favourite artist ... Miles Davis is great, I love Miles Davis. favourite
   band, probably Kings of Leon. Mumford and Sons is great too, a really 
   good band.


   4. Has there ever been a song that has made you cry?

   ooh ... I can't remember, I can't remember ... definitely makes me 
   emotional though.


  5. What is your favourite song lyric?

   one of my favourite bands is Thrice (yeah yeah) ... you ever heard of 
   Thrice? (yeah) Dustin Kensrue has a song and it's talking about like, he
   sees his friends down below... (sings) 'I see my friends' ... no, wait, hows 
   it go? (laughs) ... oh man I'm like just drawing a blank (can you remember 
   the title of the song?) yeah yeah, it's ... oh man how's it go?!? (I'll google 
   it, I'll find it don't worry!) ... (starts singing to himself again) 'the rocks 
   are leaping for the sky' ... oh man I'm so bad right now, cause I'm never 
   put on the spot like this, so it's hard.

   ***  I found it from that! it's called 'See You In The Shallows - and it has
   great lyrics indeed (+ song) ... see it below!




   6. If you could recommend 1 song (or album/band) for me to check out

   Kings of Leon and Arizona, specifically that song ... it's just a beautiful 
   song, a 5 minute song ... real good, kind of ambient ... guitar riffs ... the 
   guy's a real good singer ... I don't know ... I think you'd probably like 
   that song.

  

   (a band to check out?) Thrice (I always meant to ... never got around 
   to) Thrice is a really good band ... Vheissu ... they actually just stopped 
   touring.

   

   Mumford and Sons, that's a great band you should check out (yeah I've 
   got the first album) I haven't heard Babel yet.


   7. If you could go back in time and see any one concert?

   ooh ... I'd like to see The Doors I think, I think to see Jim Morrison
   play ... would be pretty killer ... or Jimi Hendrix ... or even like Pink 
   Floyd when it was the original group.


   8.  What does music mean to you?

   It means a lot you know. I don't necessarily think it means everything 
   but I think it definitely means a lot to me you know ... I listen to music 
   every day, but there's also times when I just kind of like to be ... I need 
   silence. I don't know ... I think there's a mentality in the west, at least
   in america, where you see people have been tricked into thinking that 
   music is everything, but I wouldn't really hold that view because there's 
   got to be more than just THAT, as in just itself, like music. I guess more 
   like from a philosophical standpoint ... but ... I love music, I listen to it 
   every day you know, it just evokes emotion ... and just, it means a lot 
   to me.


   do you like this new feature?
   ... what would your answers be?
   let me know below!

   look out for a lot more of these in the future.