Gig it to me baby....

Bearing in mind music is my hobby and passion, I should really engage with all aspects of the musical experience.  I listen to as much as I can, wear the t-shirts and go to gigs if possible.  I must admit though, I have let the side down this week as I am not going to see FOB when they tour the UK much to my disappointment.  I should really pull my finger out and do it, but sometimes it's just not that easy.

I have been to a lot of concerts over the years, festivals, intimate gigs and all sorts. They are pretty much a crucial part of the fan experience as you are getting something as a one off (unless its recorded of course). It's just you, the band and the other people attending who have participated in this moment.  The banter, the shout outs, the comedy moments that "you had to be there" to appreciate.

I enjoy live music very much and have been lucky enough to see most of my favorite bands and singers in concert.  I've also seen a few that I've never heard of, but enjoyed none the less.  Let's go back in time to my first concert when I was about 11 years old...

The year was 1988 (I think!) and I would have been 11 years old.  My musical hero was Rick Astley and I begged my mum to go and see him live when he played at Wembley Arena.  I can't remember all the details, but we got tickets and I was really excited as it was my first ever concert.  When the day came my dad drove me and my mum to Wembley and we went inside.  We had seats about 6 rows from the front.  As this was over 20 years ago now I can't recall all the details, but I do remember my mum getting quite irate at the girls sitting behind us as they all had whistles round their necks which they proceed to blow throughout the concert!  I have no other recollections of the event, but it would be the first of many outings for me to see live music.

Growing up and living in London was great for music as all the big artists would play somewhere in the capital.  I can't say the same now though as I no longer live in London and this has become is a pet peeve of mine.  Anyway, I went to loads of London venues over the years including Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith Apollo, Wembley Arena and the Royal Festival Hall.  A lot of the musicians I saw were at the Shepherds Bush Empire which was a great venue. No idea what it's like now though.

One of my old friends had never been to a concert before so I took her with me for her first experience of live music.  It was an amazing double headline at Shepherds Bush of Ben Folds and the Divine Comedy.  It was the perfect gig for her as her first time.  Both acts were excellent and when they did a cover together of 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' with Ben playing guitar and Neil playing piano it was breathtaking. All in all a success!

Over the years I have seen my favourite band, Crowded House, somewhere in the region of 6 times.  Plus solo gigs for Neil Finn and an amazing intimate concert of the Finn Brothers at Union Chapel which is possibly one of the best venues I've ever been to.  The acoustics in the building were amazing. Go and see someone, anyone, there if you can.

I now live in Nottingham and there are some pretty good venues here too.  We have the famous Rock City which has to be seen to be believed!  Sticking to the floor is part of the charm!  We also have the Capital Arena which was the scene of the last gig I went to a few weeks ago.

Stick to the floor for free!

My friend at work was going to see Frank Turner at the arena with her daughter, but said daughter now wanted to bring her boyfriend instead!  Me and another friend said we'd get some tickets too and we could make a night of it.  Of course, being of the slightly older persuasion, we went for seats rather than being thrown around in the mosh pit in front of the stage.  And a good job that was too!!  Now, I didn't know any of Frank's work and had only listened to a few songs on YouTube.  "He reminds me of Billy Bragg" I said and I was kind of correct.  This was a first for me, attending a concert without having any idea of the songs, the type of music or what to expect.  I usually like to do my homework, but on this occasion I was going in blind. 

There were 2 support acts to enjoy first who again I knew nothing about either.  Beans on Toast was the first, and was absolutely brilliant.  Check him out online, he is awesome and a new poet for the generation. Next were Flogging Molly who are an Irish band that certainly got the crowd completely riled up!  There was much dancing in the mosh pit, some of which was extremely energetic and I was very glad to be sitting up in the crowd watching it from above. It was certainly a sight to behold.

And then to the main event - Frank.  Well, what can I say?  He was amazing.  The crowd loved it and I went away as a brand new fan.  It was one of the moments when I was so happy that I took the chance and went otherwise I would have missed a brilliant night. I'm now a Frank convert and follow him on Twitter whilst listening to his CD (well, not quite, but you get the idea) and love his music.  Sometimes taking a chance can bring you a lot of happiness along with something new and great to try out.  This is what music is all about.

Yes, I was there. Where were you??

So, where am I off to next?  Well, 2014 has been christened as the 'Year of Yes' to going to gigs and I have many more to go to this year.  Next I will be seeing Therapy? at Rock City in a few weeks time.  I was not exactly a fan, I like a few songs, but I am going for my sister in law as they are her favourite band.  In the vein of saying 'yes' to new experiences I decided to go along with her and find out why she loves them so much.  I have no idea what to expect, they are nothing if not loud, so I'm kind of a bit nervous about this one. Fingers crossed it turns out to be another excellent night.

What else?  Also coming up this year is my hero Neil Finn in a few months which I am really looking forward to.  I haven't seen him for a few years and he was tweeting recently about doing a 3 hour show if the audience had the stamina!  Should be a great one.

I am also waiting with baited breath for festival tickets to go on sale.  As I said earlier, I am being a bad fan and not going to see Fall Out Boy in concert this week when they play the UK.  But, I am going to make up for it by heading to the Download festival for the day this year to see them play.  They are on the bill along with Linkin Park and it should be a fabulous day.  Just waiting for those tickets to go on sale....

The panic in getting the actual tickets is a big part of gigging aswell.  Waiting for them to go on sale and praying that you get good seats.  Then there's queuing up to get to the front when you are standing.  My Frank Turner pals daughter is a veteran at this.  She queues all day and then rushes to the front to get a good view.  I can see the logic in that, but my lovely Twitter pals have gone one step further and are actually camped outside the venue overnight to ensure they get to the front for FOB.  What crazy and beautiful people they are!  I couldn't do it myself, I mean where would I plug in my laptop??!  I'm kidding of course.

Don't forget to fight over the set list if you can.  I got one once after I saw the High Llamas at the Garage in London, but I gave it to my mate Kev as he liked them more than I did. Small price to pay, but whip it off the stage afterwards if you can as they can be like gold dust.

Grrr! Give me that setlist you git!

There are a few reasons why I'm not going to see FOB live this week.  I am somewhat lame in my moaning as really I only have myself to blame for this one.  They are not playing near to me for a start.  My nearest venue would be Birmingham, which can be done, but I don't drive so it would mean public transport. Again, do-able, but it's on a Sunday night and I have work the next day.  I could take the day off of course and really I am just making excuses for the fact that no-one wanted to come with me.  I should have been brave and gone alone, but really that's just not me.  I like to be part of the group and share it with someone else and doing it alone means I have no-one to experience it with.  I think if they would have played in my home town I would have gone regardless, but not in a city I don't know.  I also think I have at the back of my mind that I have been spoilt by attending an acoustic set they did last year which was amazing, so how can anything ever live up to that?  I should have gone and I shouldn't moan about it, but I am no doubt missing out on a experience that will be amazing. Hopefully there will be a next time.

So, what have we learnt about gigs?  They are unique experiences and hugely rewarding. You get to see your idols perform live, buy some really cool merch, meet like minded fans and have a bit of a dance.  Oh, and pay over the odds for a bottle of pop with no lid on it.  Just saying...

What it feels like for a fan (aka Hi-Fives and Hugs)...

As you may know, I spend an obscene amount of time lurking on Twitter and have been lucky enough to meet some wonderful people on there and make friends in far flung places.  They have welcomed me into their conversations and I now feel like I am part of the FOB fandom.  We are a happy and friendly group of people who care about each other and just love talking about FOB.  It's great.

But this week we saw what I can only call the rudest tweet ever written being directed at one of our hero's, Patrick Stump.  It questioned his loyalty to his fans and basically belittled him into ignoring the fact that he was tired after travelling and leaving his hotel room to go outside and see some so called 'fans'.  No biggie you'd think, but this wasn't a pre-arranged meet and greet.  No, these people had stalked the band to their hotel and decided to wait outside in the hope of seeing them and when this didn't happen, one of them tweeted that he was letting them down by ignoring them.  It made him feel so bad (as he is a sensitive little thing) that he relented and went down to see them.  This act filled a great many of us with anger as we felt that ignorance and rudeness should not be rewarded with kindness. 

The tweet in question has since been deleted from the persons profile it would seem (although I have found it and thought I'd share it below). Thing is, the band don't actually owe us anything.  The fact that they do take the time to meet fans and answer so many tweets on Twitter is amazing in itself, but this display of rudeness was a step too far.  The person responsible then had the cheek to whine that people were being mean to her!  It made me so mad that I ended up insulting a tree, but that's another story....

Anyway, following on from this 'episode', it made me think about what being a music fan actually means.  The person in question is clearly not a fan as you would never in a million years behave in such a manner, especially to your idol.  So I asked my fellow Twitter friends what being a fan it means to them.  

Here is my friend Michelle's take on what being a fan means to her:

"I'm well over 30, and still what many would call a "fangirl".  I listen to my favorite bands (mainly Fall Out Boy & Patrick Stump) over and over again, watch hours of interview footage repeatedly, and read their websites, Facebooks, and Twitters in order to get a feel of the type of people they are and the things that make them tick and inspire them.  I can hardly have a conversation without one of my favorite bands or band members coming up, because they really are that inspirational to me and ingrained in my psyche.

That said, they are human beings with their own lives and the right to live them, and I respect that deeply.  I don't cry and beg for my favorite performers to be on Twitter any more than they themselves would like to, and I don't cry and beg for product from them (new songs, albums, videos, etc.).  

Quite frankly, I'm just overwhelmingly grateful that they exist and are doing what they do at all, not to mention the fact that they would take down the fourth wall and let fans in the way they do now.  I can remember when there was no way to contact your favorite celebrity--they were completely elevated away from us unwashed masses.  You might have been able to send a letter a PO Box in Modesto that might have been cleaned out once a month by a flunky to a secretary to a handler, and said flunky might spend the postage to send you back a generic typed reply, or (s)he might toss it in the garbage, for all you knew.  There was no internet, no Twitter, no Instagram, and certainly no direct replies or reciprocated support or gratitude from your heroes the way there is now.  

Again, though, they are still human beings.  They are not "perf(ect)", they are not ours, they are not commodities or things, and really, neither is their art.  Their craft, their lives, and their persons are THEIRS; they simply CHOOSE to share it with us, and we really ought to be OK with that being on THEIR terms, not ours.  Do be grateful.  Do be happy.  Do be supportive, positive, and kind.  DO BE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR OPINIONS, THEIR PERSONAL SPACE, THEIR WISHES, AND THEIR COMFORT LEVELS.  Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to treat these PEOPLE--that's right, PEOPLE--like they were your property or like they owe you anything.  They don't.  They've already given us more than we could ever ask or hope for, just by being themselves and doing what they do.  Respect that."  Michelle @littlehotmess77

And this is Ashley's thoughts on it:

"Being a fan to me means having respect for personal space and remembering that bands don't owe us anything.  They don't have to come out and meet fans, they choose to out of the kindness of their hearts and it sickens me when fans guilt bands or band members to come out and meet them.  Fans pay to see the show that's it.  Getting to meet your idol is just a bonus.  If you're lucky enough for that to happen and remembering that bands are busy and can't always reply to every single person that tweets them, but they'll certainly try their best so all in all the biggest thing is showing respect for boundaries and personal space." Ashley @ashleyriot

So what do you think it means to be a fan?  I guess it can means different things to different people.  For me, it's about being part of something and supporting the person/s that make me feel happy.  Music for me is a way of life and without it, I don't know what I'd do.  It's more than just a distraction in the background, it's finding something that moves me and makes me think and feel a variety of emotions. 

Especially when attending a concert and having a shared experience that only the other people who were there too will have is amazing.  Like a secret that only you and the band know about, it's mine and no-one elses cos I was there.  You can buy all the albums, the merch, attend all the gigs you want, but if you're just doing it because you think it's what  you should be doing, then you're not really a fan.  You should believe in the people you are listening to and they should mean more to you than just being there for your own disposal.  

They are not ours to dictate to and we shouldn't expect them to be at our beck and call.  Respect pays a big part and we should also respect the views of each other.  What I don't respect is that there are some people, like the person on Twitter, who think they are better than everyone else and who must get what they want.  Do you not think that we would all like a little bit of their time, or a reply to our tweet?  Of course we would, but some of us are polite enough to wait our turn.  And when it happens for our friends, we are pleased for them as we know how long they have waited for this moment.  I am not pleased, however, when I see a 'selfie' that has only been obtained by harassing someone into taking part in it because you made them feel like they owed it to you.  Nice picture, dumbo.

But, I can pretty much say this incident is a one off and I think the reason it made us so annoyed is because we are not like that.  The people I have met and speak to regularly are a lovely group of individuals who are kind and supportive to each other.  We genuinely want to know how each others days are going or like nothing better than to cheer each other up by sending pictures.  And most of all we love the music that unites us and the people that make it.  There are hi-fives and hugs in the fandom and if you come and speak to Michelle, me or any of our Twitter friends then we'll tell you about it! 

The tweet in question - the names have been deleted to protect the idiots...

Grouping the Superunknown

I was given a notebook for my birthday and thought I could use it to make notes of things I wanted to write about in this blog.  I started well and with the best intentions, but as of today I only have a few vague notes written in it.  Bit disappointing really.

Anyway, I was looking at my scribbles and what I had started to write about was supergroups and what this means.  I think someone was talking about it a while ago and I have been bouncing the idea around in my head for a bit and doing a bit of research on it.

So, what is a supergroup?  Well, let's refer to the great Wikipedia.  Here it tells us that its "a music group whose members are already successful as solo artists or as part of other groups.  Supergroups are often short lived, producing only an album or two.  They are sometimes formed as side projects and thus not intended to be permanent, while other times can become the primary project of the members careers".  Does this sound like anyone you recognise?

I think there may be a difference of opinion on what makes a supergroup.  In the news recently McFly and Busted have joined together and formed McBusted.  They are being referred to as a supergroup, but I don't really agree.  They are just 2 bands that have joined together.  Yes, they have each had success separately, but I think you require more that the input of 2 bands to be classed as a supergroup.  Let's look at some of the big named supergroups to see if you agree.

For me the original supergroup and still one of the best is Cream.  Formed in 1966 and featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.  They took their name from Eric Clapton's boast "we are the cream" and they regarded themselves as equals who had already enjoyed success elsewhere.  Eric Clapton had been in The Yardbirds whilst Jack Bruce came from Manfred Mann and Ginger Baker was the drummer in Graham Bond's Organisation. They lasted until 1968 and released 4 albums including 'Disraeli Gears' in 1967 which includes the wonderful 'Sunshine of Your Love'.  They were a great example of individuals coming together and making some amazing music.

From the late 60s onwards there were lots of supergroups appearing such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young / Emerson, Lake and Palmer / Bad Company who all feature artists from other successful bands.  Cut to 1984 when another mentionable group appeared.

The Power Station featured Robert Palmer, Tony Thompson from Chic and John and Andy Taylor from Duran Duran. I'm old enough to remember when this band appeared and the song 'Some Like it Hot' is still a favouite of mine.  Robert Palmer's voice is so distinct that I thought for many years that it was one of his solo songs.  They didn't last long, as appears to be the way of supergroups and Robert Palmer left to release some solo work,

More 80's mentionable bands include Mike and the Mechanics / Electronic and perhaps the ultimate supergroup - The Traveling Wilburys.  Now the reason why they are the ultimate is because of the amazing line up of musicians in the group.  I mean, come on. George Harrison (the Beatles), Bob Dylan, Tom Petty (the Heartbreakers), Jeff Lynne (ELO) and Rob Orbison.  You couldn't get any more talent in a band. These are big hitters who enjoyed enormous success as solo artists or in bands and they are totally what the term supergroup means.  

Formed in 1988, they had already worked together before and when they got together and jammed they found they enjoyed each others company so much that they decided to write some songs.  They released 2 albums with the second coming out after the death of Roy Orbison in 1988.  The one track I remember is 'Handle with Care' which came out in 1988 and I think I can vaguely remember seeing them on Top of the Pops.  

Continuing onwards we have lots of other bands who could be classed as supergroups. I mean The Foo Fighters were formed out of the untimely demise of Nirvana so they could be included.  Audioslave features members of various heavy rock bands as does Velvet Revolver.  The list could go on.

I guess it's your own opinion on what forms a supergroup.  For me, all the members should be equal, all should have had respective success elsewhere and the end product should be amazing and if it reaches a whole new audience then that's an added bonus. There aren't any real rules on this as it's each to their own on what you like.  I'm sure a lot of people will not like the Wilburys, but I find that knowing that those individual people have each released great music elsewhere means I get 5 for the price of 1.  A whole pool of great talent mixed to form something new where the elements that makes them so good are brought together.  What more could you ask for?

The state of things...

This post is one I have been meaning to write for a while, but I just never got round to it until now.  I keep a lot of mental notes of what I want to say, but getting them written down can be difficult.  Excuses, excuses...

Anyway, I have been thinking a lot recently about music and how it means different things to different people. I look at the charts now or the music channels on TV and a lot of the time I literally have no idea who these singers are.  Am I out of touch or has music just become a machine with an ongoing production line of newbies that come and go and often as you change your socks?

I have always been a big believer in liking what you like. It's quite rare for me to be suckered into liking some new band just because everyone else does.  That's just not me. I think Genesis said it best with "I know what I like, and I like what I know". To be fair they then talked about being in a wardrobe so it's not quite 100%, but you get the idea...  You just need to look at my CD collection to know that I don't dabble with the 'in crowd' of music.  Yes, I have a Coldplay CD, but I've listened to it once and it was cheap, ok??!!  My collection probably can't really be defined as it contains all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff from soft rock to jazz to classical to everything in between.  My lifelong love of music contains all eras, genres and mediums.

What I've been thinking about lately is the whole manufacturing of music debate.  I've never watched the X Factor, but I get the idea that its meant to be about finding talent. We seem to be inundated with these shows in the UK and as one ends, another one starts.  How much more hidden talent can there be?  I was more impressed with the premise of The Voice as I think that's what it should be about.  You just hear the voice and that's it, its not whether you look good and have brilliant white teeth.  I have to say I've never watched it though as the people judging are not what I would necessarily call music experts (with the exception of Tom Jones of course who does know a few things). These kind of shows lose it for me though as they are never really about the talent.  It's all about marketing, how can this person be sold to the public, who will love them and buy their records whether they are actually any good or not.  For me, Will Young and a few of the American Idol winners were the best talent to emerge from a TV show as they can actually sing.  I don't think I can name anyone else who came from a TV show really (apart from the ones causing controversy on social media) so you could say that this sums it all up.

I might not know everything about the music industry and I'm certainly not Mr Cowell, but I can usually hear whether someone has a good voice or not.  I can't stand singers who don't breathe properly when they sing and all you can hear between each line of a song is a massive intake of breath as they haven't been trained to use their voice properly.  Please don't sing those types of songs if you don't have the voice for it as listening to someone straining their vocal chords is just not entertaining.  Big songs need big voices, fact.  I can't sing myself (although I think I sound amazing in my own head) so perhaps I shouldn't really be commenting on people that put themselves out there, but that's the point.  They are in the public eye for whatever reason so if you are brave enough to go for it, make sure you are good enough.  There seems to be far too many second rate musicians and singers around now and I have no idea how they have got that far if they are no good.

The boy bands of recent years are a sight to behold.  Constructed mainly because of their looks rather than their talent, it's not easy to listen to.  I gave it a try not long ago and started to listen to a current band who shall remain nameless to see what all the fuss was about.  The intro was good, nice build up and then the lead singer opened his mouth.  I cannot describe what I heard, but it certainly wasn't singing.  It was terrible and left me with little doubt that this band are probably only popular because of their looks and not for their musical talent.  To be fair, I am probably not meant to get the boy bands of now as I am somewhat of an old fart so I'm not really the target audience.  Still, it would be nice to hear something good though.

For me it has to be the whole package.  A singer or band has to write their own songs (music and lyrics), play all their own instruments and sing.  If they produce it aswell, well good on them.  A simple formula which many people don't go for. My all time favourite bands do follow this path and yet some of them are still not as popular as they should be. Crowded House is a prime example.  They do all of the above (to a very high standard) and yet are still not considered to be a top band.  I just don't get it.  And yet on the other side of the coin you have some artists who have people to write for them, but they are considered to be top rated.  Songwriting is a talent, I do get it, and some partnerships over the years have consisted of both a singer and a songwriter which is fine as there is still a lot of talent there.  What I can't stand is some manufactured person who can't actually do anything at all except look pretty.  Although saying that I did read on Twitter recently something that Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy said in response to the question of singers who aren't talented having fans because they're attractive.  His response was that most singers who have fans have at least some talent as nobody coasts in the music business.  An interesting point of view from someone on that side of the fence.

With the age on online music there is no longer a need for someone to sell huge amounts of copies of their singles to chart anymore.  The days of the weekly chart based on people buying a cassette or CD single have long since gone.  This is why we now get all sorts of strangeness as top sellers.  I still possess some CD singles and I used to like buying them as you could get some good rarities on the 'B side' which were not available anywhere else.  Alas, the times they are a changing and you now need to be into downloading MP3s or using Spotify to keep up now.  I am not exactly a dinosaur to this regard as I do download things I can't buy, but I still love the feel of the physical CD in my hands and knowing that it's mine and I can read the booklet whenever I want by taking it off the shelf rather than booting up my laptop.  When the times do finally change completely I will be on board, but I think I've got a while to go yet.

So what's the answer?  Is music manufactured or are there people with real talent out there?  I think it's a mix of both.  We have the youngsters or those from the talent shows who are marketed to sell their music to the deemed population and then there's those very talented musicians who sometimes get overlooked.  It's very much each to their own with music, but what I would say is don't feel that you need to follow the crowd and listen to whatever is in the charts if you don't like it. Choose your own path and enjoy what you like.  Be original and you may find that you discover a whole load of new and exciting music that you never knew was out there.  I do on a regular basis, and nothing beats it!

I haven't slept with someone in Fall Out Boy, so all I've got is this stupid blog to write about them...

So, here's a question.  Should age matter in terms of liking music?  I sometimes feel I am too old for some of the bands I listen to as when I look at the age demographic of fans I'm slightly out of the ball park.  I notice this the most when I'm talking about my 2nd favourite band of all time, Fall Out Boy.

I guess I was a bit late to the party with them and only got into their music about 6 years ago when Folie à Deux was released.  Now, I had heard of them long before, but figured they wouldn't be my cup of tea as they were some emo band for kids.  Cut to me hearing 'I Don't Care' and thinking "man that's a good song" and "that dude has got some amazing voice on him" and so it was decided.  They became my new favourite band and I had to know more about them.

Back catalogue followed and they have remained in the top songs playlist on my iPod ever since.

For me, it was always hearing Patrick's voice that brought me to the band.  I'm a sucker for a good set of pipes and as much as the whole package of a song is important to me, its usually the voice that hooks me in at first.

The band went in hiatus for a few years and I was excited when Patrick released his solo album 'Soul Punk'.  It's a very good album which grows on you over time.  Its very different to FOB and it allowed him to step away from the band and make something completely new sounding.  The end result is an album of songs which are totally him as he did everything on the album himself.  No mean feat.  There are hints of Prince and Michael Jackson in there and the feel is very 80s in places.  In some corners the album didn't go down well which was a real shame.  I for one love it and listen to a lot of the tracks from it most days.  The EP that sits along side the album, 'Truant Wave', is also very different.  I find it very hard to pigeon hole what its meant to be, so I just enjoy it for what it brings.  I think 'Love, Selfish Love' is possibly my favourite solo song of Patrick's.

So, it's been quiet for a few years.  Most people think the band have split up as they are also doing a variety of other things, but this was just an extended break.  2013 rolls around and they finish their hiatus and hit us with 'Save Rock and Roll'.  The first single to be released is 'My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark (Light Em Up)' and it certainly knocked you for six.  A totally new era of the band started and I think actually made them bigger than before.  The videos that have been made to accompany the songs have been nicknamed 'The WFT Chronicles' as they form an ongoing story through the album.  Some people have been a bit critical of the videos, but I think that to be able to put together a series of what are basically mini films that follow through each song on the album is amazing.  I couldn't do it and I'm sure some film-makers would have a job to write a storyboard for an entire album of very different songs and link them all together so give them a break.

The new album took a detour and doesn't sound like old FOB.  I think if fans were expecting to hear Infinity 2 they were in for a surprise.  There are lots of collaborations on this album including Sir Elton John, Foxes and Courtney Love which adds to the feel of a new era of the music.  The comeback was a complete whirlwind and because the sound was new and exciting, a whole new legion of fans have come to the party.  Us oldies are now outnumbered by all the teenagers who want a piece of the FOB action!        

I was extremely lucky earlier this year to win a competition with a radio station to see them (well mainly Patrick) play an intimate set.  I had to travel over 200 miles to get there, but for this once in a lifetime opportunity I think it was a no brainer.  Me and about 15 other people were treated to a 30 minute live set of acoustic songs while standing within touching distance of them.  I think I held my breath the whole time in case I missed something.  When it finished we did hope for a meet and greet with the band, but alas this was not to be.  I did however manage to get a quick handshake from Patrick and a "it was nice to meet you" before they were whisked away.  Looking back on 2013 I think this moment was both my greatest and my biggest regret rolled into one.  I keep thinking "why didn't I say something cool?", but at least I have the memory of this moment to look back on as I grow old.  My heart melts...

Yes, this really did happen.  I was there!

So, does age matter in terms of music?  I'm thinking not really.  I guess being older means I have a larger frame of reference than some people and can see where the links are.  I mean, I have seen 'This is Spinal Tap' so I got why Pete was trapped in a giant pod during a live performance and thought it was hilarious whereas some people thought it was real.  It's just an age thing which totally doesn't matter and I guess this probably meant a lot of new people went away and watched Spinal Tap.  No harm, no foul.

Anyway, why should you like FOB? Patrick actually said "it either appeals to you or it doesn't".  This is very true.  You should like it because it's brilliant music and not because everyone else likes it or because the lead singer is hot.  Have a listen, see what you think and decide how it makes you feel.  If it moves you or helps you reconcile yourself in any way then maybe its for you.  If all you hear are a load of nonsense lyrics and a singer with a loud mouth, then maybe you're listening to the wrong band....

Looking for the magic....

Finding the time to write this blog has been harder than I thought.  I can spend an endless amount of time lurking on Twitter, but to actually sit down and write something reasonable hasn't been easy.  I  have plenty of drafts, but these aren't ready to rock just yet!

So, I followed my own advice and tuned into one artist only on my iPod over the last few weeks to try and re-connect with their music.  I think I was feeling like a bit of a miserable git, so I thought some jazz might cheer me up or at least get my feet tapping (much to the annoyance of my fellow bus travellers).

I like jazz, but haven't listened to any old school stuff in a while.  I am going to use my usual excuse now which is that nearly my entire beloved cd collection has been ousted to my loft.  This means I can't easily lay my hands on a cd anymore so I am left with whatever is already on my iPod or what I can download. 

Now that's another thing, I have not been a willing participant in the download evolution so far.  I totally get it and I'm not against it in any way, but I love having a physical cd in my hands.  I know, I know, they take up so much space and at some point soon they will disappear like VHS, blah, blah, blah, but until then the little shiny disc is for me.  My collection spans so many years and so many genres that I can't be without it.  Sad, but true.  And this is without mentioning my vinyl.  Bearing in mind technology is actually a big part of my 'proper' grown up job, I'm a bit behind with some things.  Whoops.....

Anyway, back to jazz.  So, I can't get to my cd's so I had to scroll through the trusty iPod and find something to listen to.  And guess who I found - Mr Jamie Cullum.  Now, I know he's probably not considered to be "proper jazz", but I love what he has done for the genre.  He brought a lot of flair to it and gained a lot of new listeners in the process.  His roots sit firmly in jazz, but he has managed to crossover and include other styles aswell which I reckon can only be a good thing.

I'm not entirely sure when I first heard Jamie, but it would have been in relation to his 'Twentysomething' album.  It was a kind of 'wow' moment when you hear something new that hooks you in and makes you want to hear more.  I love what he has done with some old school jazz standards and his re-invention of some of the modern tunes is totally amazing.  I remember buying the cd single of 'These are the Days' mainly because I wanted the b side which was a cover of 'Frontin' by Pharrell.  I made my friend play it in the car as she'd never heard it before and basically it blew her mind!  I think it was played on repeat about 20 times on the way home!

His tunes on heavy repeat at the moment include 'High and Dry', 'Lover, you Should Have Come Over' and his own compositions of 'Mind Trick' and Get Your Way'.  I really don't know how I stop myself singing out loud on the bus when these songs come on.  I get totally immersed in the song, the drumbeat, the piano, absolutely everything moves me.  Usually I would have a couple of days listening to one artist, but its been every day for the last 2 weeks now and I'm still not getting tired of it!  I am totally in love with the song 'Music is Through' from the album 'The Pursuit'.  In fact, I named one of these blog entries after it!  You have to hear it:

I really need to get my other jazz cd's out and doing some serious uploading, but until then I am quite happy listening to Jamie on repeat.  Check it out and do some serious toe tapping.

Private Universe

Every now and again I have a period where I will only listen to one band / singer on my iPod to reconnect with them.  I usually do this when perhaps I haven't listened to them for a while or maybe they have released something new and I want to totally immerse myself in their music from beginning to end.

I recently did this with Crowded House as apart from an odd song here or there I hadn't really had a lot of their songs on my playlist.  This is surprising really seeing as they are my all time favourite band.  In my defence, I always have Neil Finn's solo material on my playlists as he is my hero!

It was actually Neil that made me have a 'Crowdies' day this week as I was watching his recent webcast and remembering why I adore him so much and what makes his music important to me.

I got into Crowded House when they released Woodface in the early 90s.  I was still at school and I can remember hearing their music and knowing that it is something special.  I was lucky enough to see them live not long after when they toured with Woodface in the UK.  It was an amazing concert at the Hammersmith Apollo and it connected me totally with this band of amusing and highly accomplished musicians.  Anyone who has been to a live show will know that Neil is the ultimate crowd pleaser and his interactions with the audience are amazing.  He is extremely funny and sarcastic and brings a feeling of connection between the band and the fans watching.  If you ever get a chance to see him live, rush and take it with both hands as you will not be disappointed.

So, I have been listening to them for over 20 years now and their early music still sounds as good to me today as it did back then.  I particularly enjoyed listening to 'Into Temptation' this week as its such a beautiful and lyrically perfect song.  The music completes it totally and pulls at your heart right up until the bass ends and the music fades out.  Breathtakingly beautiful.

I have seen Crowded House around 5 times live and also Neil about twice with and without his brother Tim.  I consider myself to be very fortunate that I saw the original Crowded House ensemble before Paul Hester left the band.  He was an amazing drummer, a highly amusing man and he left a massive hole in the universe when he passed away.  I remember reading it on the news and the tears rolling down my face as they are now as I'm writing this.  Such a loss.

When the band split I was devastated, but knowing that they would continue with other projects was comforting.  Neil's solo work is amazing and his first album 'Try Whistling This' is a beautiful piece of work.  Listening to songs like 'Sinner' and 'Souvenir' make you realise how crafted his song writing is.  I think I listen to 'King Tide' on a daily basis and the rawness of the guitar never fails to move me.  I sometimes wonder how I stop myself from singing out loud on the bus to work in the morning!

It was a great day when the band got back together and released 'Time on Earth'.  It was a new version of the band with a new drummer, but the music was just as good.  I love this album and especially the songs 'Pour Le Monde' and 'Silent House'.  It was a long awaited comeback and it met the challenge very nicely.

Next came 'Intriguer' which is another great record.  Stand out tracks for me include 'Either Side of the World', 'Saturday Sun', 'Amsterdam' and 'Twice if Your Lucky' which is so, so beautiful to listen to.  Perfect vocals and spine tingling music with amazing lyrics.  Bliss.

I think I will definitely have more Crowded House only days as this week it actually lapsed over into 2 consecutive days.  Perhaps I'll dedicate at least one day a week to listening to just them and see what happens.  I'm thinking of making it a Tuesday...

Check out Neil's webcast here and hear some new tracks from his upcoming new album 'Dizzy Heights' which is out soon.