Let's get physical...

I've been sitting with my feet up for a while considering how to write a piece on the whole downloading music vs CDs/vinyl debate. After doing a bit of research (or googling which is a very technical method of finding out information, just ask anyone who works in IT) I've decided to put down some thoughts on this matter. It's a subject which will no doubt go on and on, so I'm sure it will present itself again in the future.

The big debate

Anyone who knows me will back up the fact that music is my life. I ramble on about it, write about it, have my headphones permanently stuck in my ears and I also buy a lot of it. Friends that have been shopping with me will know that once I enter a music shop, I will disappear within the space of about a minute and you'll then have to spend a long time trying to find me. When I've moved house (which has happened multiple times so far) the transportation of my beloved CD collection has caused no end of nightmares (and heavy lifting) as it is so vast. Most of my collection has now been banished to my loft due to space issues and I shed a tear on a daily basis because of this. I think you will glean from this that I love my CD's.

I'm all about the physical aspect of having music. I love to buy a CD and hold it in my tiny hands. To be able to take the booklet out and read it or get that shiny silver disc out and hold it up to the light is a thing of beauty. It also means I need masses of space to keep them all hence the reason they are currently in my loft feeling neglected.

Now, I am not against buying music online. No way. I'm not some kind of luddite who thinks it's the work of the devil to get music via your computer. I have bought quite a few songs online and I actually think it's great. It's just not my preference when it comes to the music I love and want to keep.

How I feel most days

When I first started to buy music in the 80's it was on vinyl. Getting 7 inch singles from Woolworths with my pocket money was the thing to do. Albums were also bought on vinyl until I started to get cassettes. Cassettes! Remember them!! I still have a few of these knocking about somewhere. Anyway. CD's appeared in the 80's, but we didn't have a CD player so there wasn't much point in buying them at that time. I have no idea when I first bought a CD or who the artist actually was, but it was no doubt something a bit twee.

My extensive collection has grown over the years and if I had to do a rough calculation of how many CD's I now own it would probably be in 4 figures. Although as you should know, its not all about the size of your collection, it's what you do with it...

A small amount of my current listening...

Not all the albums I own are amazing, but then that's kind of what music is all about for me. Trying something new and seeing if you like it. I'm not actually sure whether I can say that there is an album I own where I think every single song is a winner. There will always be some kind of album filler that is a bit shite and was only added to get the track listing up. I'm sure most artists would admit to this if you asked them,

But what about this big debate then? Well, as I said I do download some music, but my heart belongs to the physical stuff I can hold on to. I remember watching a music documentary recently where Richard Hawley said something along the lines of "you can't hug a digital music download" which made me laugh because it's so true! It's not a material thing for me where I can show off what I own, it's just the basic need for me to have and be able to hold my favourite music. I know that by downloading you get it then and there, but I don't mind waiting a bit longer for something I love.

As far as I am aware there is the issue that some MP3 files are so compressed that the quality is not the same. With vinyl you get that beautiful 'hiss' and CD's pick up the great backing feed. But digital loses all of this which can sometimes be the best part. People I talk to agree and we hate the whole compression element as we love hearing that extra special stuff that you can sometimes pick up in the background.

Just yesterday I was told an interesting fact by one of my Twitter pals (thanks Michelle) about 'The Mother of the MP3'. This accolade belongs to the 1982 song 'Tom's Diner' by Suzanne Vega. The reason behind this is that the song was actually used to develop the audio compression scheme known as MP3. Great fact and you can read more about it on Wikipedia here.

The Mother of the MP3

From my 'research' (I use the term extremely loosely) it seems that Napster started the download phenomenon in 1999. Apple iTunes is the biggest supplier of downloads and it's an increasing market. The cost of a new CD is now around £9 which has dropped over the years, probably to compete with the online market. You can however buy second hand CD's online from retailers for as little as 1p which is amazing and can help you with your collection if you are looking for some older albums to add.

The choice is yours as to how you buy your music, As a geek and techie I should be excited about downloading music, but I can't help it, I just love buying CD's. I love browsing music shops and wasting hours roaming the aisles looking for bargins or rarities. You just don't get the same enjoyment looking at iTunes on a computer screen. It's what things like Record Store Day are all about and why I joined in the campaign to save a local record shop here in Nottingham earlier this year. The experience of buying music is also a big part of being a fan and although I have to sometimes resort of buying CD's online, my first choice will always be to go to a record shop and get the buzz.

If only I could work here...

However you get your music whether it be online, streaming or whatever, it's really up to you. My house is dominated by CD's and I can't honestly see that changing until they stop producing them full stop, which I seriously hope won't happen for a very long time.

Welcome to The Year of Yes...

So, I ramble on a lot about the 'Year of Yes', but I suppose I should really explain what this actually means. And before anyone asks, no it's nothing to do with the band 'Yes'. Wakeman was in my last post and I think that's about all of him I can handle...

I made a decision at the start of this year to go to more gigs. As a lifelong music fan and a bit of a know it all, I thought how can I actually talk about it when I don't get involved? So I made myself a promise and tried to be a bit like Danny Wallace to say yes more when people asked me if I wanted to go to a concert. It began with my friends at work asking if I wanted to go and see Frank Turner.

I have written about this briefly before, but as a bit of a recap, I didn't really know who Frank was. I'd heard the name and was under the impression that he was a bit like Billy Bragg, some sort of generation poet. My friends said that he was good and the tickets weren't too bad so I thought 'why not?' and agreed to go with them. It turned out to be a really good night, I discovered 3 new artists that night as the 2 support acts were also great and I now am slightly in love with Frank and all his tattoos! And it proved the point that if I hadn't have said yes, I would never have gone and discovered someone new to listen to. In fact Frank is now on regular repeat on my precious iPod (it never leaves my side, seriously) and we've looked at going to see him again later this year when he tours again.

iPod. I love it more than anything. Touch it and I will destroy you.

So what else did I say yes to then? Well, whilst checking out the upcoming gigs on an email mailing list, I noticed that the band Therapy? were due to come to Nottingham in April. I was vaguely familiar with their music and liked some of their songs, but more so I knew they were my sister-in-law's favourite band. Looking at where they were playing though it was only a few locations in the UK and nowhere near to her so I told her about it and said that I'd go with her if she wanted. She said yes pretty much straight away so I booked the tickets and prepared for a night of loud and heavy music. April rolled around and we went off the to famous 'Rock City' in the heart of Nottingham and joined the crowd for a night of having our ear drums burst. The support act were called 'Lonely The Brave' and were pretty good. In fact they are now getting a lot more popular so one day I'll be able to say "I saw them support Therapy? when no-one knew who they were" and feel a bit smug! Anyway, Therapy? were great, playing the whole of their seminal album 'Troublegum' which is now 20 years old (hence the tour) and other tracks that the audience loved. The thing I loved about them was how humble they were with the crowd. I think Andy Cairns thanked people for coming out about 5 times and expressed how grateful the band were for the fans support and dedication. It was a lovely thing to hear and see. My one downside of this concert was the fact that my ears did not stop ringing for 2 days afterwards. Seriously, it was bad. I've never experienced that before and it was very concerning at one point. Either the band were far too loud or the PA system sucked, but it was such a relief when the car alarm in my head finally ceased!!

Or your PA system sucks

I also went to see a couple of musicals at the theatre aswell which I guess counts as listening to music. I went to see Thriller Live and Rock of Ages which were both pretty fab. As much as I like Michael Jackson I don't actually own any of his albums and I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to him. Don't get me wrong, I like his songs when they are on, but I wouldn't seek them out if that makes sense. I have the same relationship with Madonna - good artist, wouldn't buy the music though. The Thriller live show was not exactly what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. One of the singers was particularly good and the female lead was from the 90's band Cleopatra (for those of you who remember 'Coming 'Atcha' being inflicted on us!). Now, the Rock of Ages show was amazing. Very funny, very near the mark, but great songs and the whole place was jumping. In fact, I was in the upstairs of the theatre and the floor was bouncing so hard at the end I thought I was going to end up in the stalls! Well worth seeing if the tour comes near to you.

Roll onto May and my all time hero Neil Finn was bringing his 'Dizzy Heights' tour to the UK. As soon as I found out I checked the dates and was annoyed to find he was coming here on a Monday night which for a concert was not great being at the start of the working week so I was fed up. It was only when I looked at the date again that I realised it was a bank holiday which meant no work that day! Huzzah, I could go! Tickets were booked straight away and I was very excited as I hadn't seen Neil live for a few years. The concert was great, Neil played for over 2 and a half hours and there was a section he did on his own with no backing support which was breathtaking. Not many artists can hold a large stage alone and completely own it, but he did this totally. Impressed was not the word. Even the stage backdrop was amazing as you can see in the picture below. It lit up and changed throughout the show.

Now, I have talked before about how much I love Fall Out Boy, but have never seen them live. When they toured the UK earlier this year I didn't go as they weren't playing anywhere near to where I live. Get off your arse and go and see them I was told, but I didn't so I can't really complain about it now can I. Anyway, when I found out they were playing the Download festival which is very close to where I live it seemed like the ideal way to see them play live. Looking at the line up there were lots of other great bands on too so it would be a great day out. My friend from work agreed to come too as Linkin Park were headlining on the same day so I booked day tickets as soon as they came on sale and excitedly waited for the day to come around. Festivals are known for being muddy and wet so wellies were purchased just in case and our pack'a'macs were put in our bags. On the day we arrived at lunchtime and enjoyed wandering around seeing the stalls and enjoying the atmosphere. I had to buy a hat because the sun was beating down and it was actually a very hot day. We spent most of the day sitting on a picnic blanket viewing the stage from a way back where we could see everything that was going on. Some of the bands were a bit questionable and I was surprised by the attitude of some of them and how they addressed the crowd. One up and coming band who I won't name (they are often on the cover of Kerrang etc) came onto the stage and basically everything the lead singer said was a swear word. He didn't seem grateful to be performing and ranted on a lot which put me and my friend right off. I even think they left the stage at the end of their set without saying thanks! Not good. My boys came on and were excellent as always. I really enjoyed seeing them although because I was watching it on the screens at the side of the stage it felt a bit surreal. I couldn't do the barrier thing though as I have a bladder the size of a pea so it just wouldn't have worked! Linkin Park closed the day and played the whole of their album 'Hybrid Theory' which was great. We really enjoyed it, but as the sun went down it started to get very cold and we were glad we were going back to the warmth of our houses rather than sleeping on site in a tent.

I still have a few more concerts coming up and in fact the 'Year of Yes' has rolled over into 2015. I'm looking forward to seeing Mark Morriss in October, Beans on Toast in November and the Black Keys next February. I'm particularity looking forward to seeing Mark as he features rather heavily on my current playlist and is pretty amazing. Someone asked me the other day if he was worth a listen to and I replied with "well, his songs are intelligently written with meaningful lyrics and great guitar" or something very similar to that. So yes, worth checking out. Beans on Toast supported Frank Turner so the power of the support act reigns! The Black Keys probably don't need any introductions, so I'll stick a video in below for them so you can sing along.

There's always an element of consideration when I look at an upcoming gig, but as long as the time and day are suitable, the artist is someone I like or want to know more about, then I think why not? Unless you go and see what artists are like live then you don't get the whole experience. I always remember an old friend of mine saying "yes, they sound good on the CD, but they aren't that great live". These are the things you need to find out. And you can only do that by saying yes....

What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Prog Rock?

So, I wanted to write a joint piece on music with someone. My sidekick in the fight against bad music, Mr Cooper, stepped up and agreed to join me in my quest to educate or perhaps just bore people to tears with our witty and entertaining insights. The subject of this piece is none other than, wait for it, Prog Rock. Why, I hear you ask? Well, I'm not that overly familiar with it (as you'll see) and Mr C has a lot of knowledge on it which makes it an interesting 2 fold account. I hope....

Anyway, firstly me and my side. What do I know about Prog Rock? Well, not much to be honest. When I think of it this is what I see:

Rick Wakeman wearing a cape and a wizard's hat playing the keyboard for around 2 hours straight. I also see a young Peter Gabriel dressed as a flower, jumping around on the stage in the early Genesis days. Or Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull standing on one leg playing the flute. To me it's long winded keyboard solos, artsy presentations and story telling with very obscure album artwork. 

Check out my cape mofos...

How's that for a summing up? But am I right or wrong? Let's refer to Wikipedia for their take on it:

Progressive rock, also known as prog rock or prog, is a rock music subgenre that originated in the United Kingdom, with further developments in Germany, Italy, and France, throughout the mid-to-late 1960s and 1970s. It developed from psychedelic pop (rather than psychedelic rock, as is often stated) and originated, similarly to art rock, as an attempt to give greater artistic weight and credibility to rock music. Songs were replaced by musical suites that often stretched to 20 or 40 minutes in length and contained symphonic influences, extended musical themes, philosophical lyrics and complex orchestrations. Music critics, who often labelled the concepts as "pretentious" and the sounds as "pompous" and "overblown," tended to be hostile toward the genre or to completely ignore it.

Progressive rock saw a high level of popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in the middle of the decade. Bands such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) were the genre's most influential groups and were among the most popular acts of the era, although there were many other, often highly influential, bands who experienced a lesser degree of commercial success. The genre faded in popularity during the second half of the decade. Conventional wisdom holds that the rise of punk rock caused this, although in reality a number of factors contributed to this decline. Progressive rock bands achieved commercial success well into the 1980s, albeit with changed lineups and more compact song structures.

So I am more or less correct. I am a Genesis fan, but I have to admit I don't actually like much of their early stuff. It was too elaborate for me and I wasn't really into the whole dressing up on stage and doing a concept piece. I have nothing against the long instrumental solos in some of their songs at all. In fact, I like some of them very much. I think it's the dressing as an old man and scaring the shit out of the audience that gets me. Strangely Peter Gabriel didn't really do that when he went solo did he? Perhaps he didn't feel the need to anymore as he'd got over his nerves.

Peter Misunderstood Flower Power....

Now, this is all very fascinating, but it's not really explaining the whole genre of Prog Rock is it? As I said, I have little understanding of this subject so I guess I should hand over to the expert for his take on it.

*Disclaimer - Mr C talks about music a lot*

Prog Rock has never won the hearts of the masses, it’s never been at the forefront of any musical revolution, it’s often described as pretentious or unnecessary, created by self indulgent big headed musicians with a ‘look what I can do’ mentality and listened to by lonely wannabe rock stars alone in their bedrooms. So if this is true, why has it just refused to go away!

So many musical so called revolutions have arrived and made an impression but then slowly dwindled, whether it be the ‘Grunge’ movement where bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden dominated the rock charts, or the Brit Pop movement where the famous grudge match between Damon and Liam was deemed as important enough to make headlines (Blur and Oasis front men for those of you that are too young or were living in a cave at the time).

So they were great times, everyone got on board, millions of albums were sold, people changed the way they dressed and even the way they acted, but always short lived and now classed as era’s to look back at in the history of music.

But Prog Rock is not an era to look back at, it’s still alive and well, evolving, changing and growing. It’s never been a favourite with the media, the big music festivals seldom have a true Prog Rock band on and it’s never been cool to admit allegiance to one of the many bands. So why is it still here? Does it contain some kind of magic ingredient that the general public have been denied access to?

But before we go further, what is Progressive Rock? I don’t think it can be summed up in one sentence, I have read countless articles on Prog Rock, seen documentaries and attempted to read books on it.

There are many interesting opinions but I think that the common agreed points are that it is created by instruments that are associated with rock music. It breaks the commercially accepted rules of a radio friendly song, ie time signatures, keys, subject matter and length, and that musically it is clever in some way (what does clever mean is debatable in itself) There are many definitions and I’m open to discuss!!

The origins again are debatable, for me some of the earliest signs of Prog Rock were when The Beatles released ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’, it broke all the rules and created the rule that’ there are no rules’, the essence of Prog Rock. As it grew, bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and Rush took it to different places, even early Queen was looking like they may go that way before they turned into a whole other monster of their own.

Bringing it up to date, some of the original bands are still around, the 90’s saw the birth of Spocks Beard, Porcupine Tree and the rise of (in my opinion) the masters of Prog Rock Dream Theater.

Dream Theater have managed to combine virtuoso playing which is impressive to any accomplished musicians standards, with well written songs that stick in your head AND they look ‘cool’ like any rock band should. From 4 minute ballads, to 18 minute long tracks in multiple keys, many time signatures and the exploration of genres from blues to classical they truly are a band that break all the rules and for me are the perfect example of unadulterated Prog Rock.

Not submitting to the industries rules means forfeiting radio airplay and TV coverage, but this doesn’t seem to hinder Prog Rock and led by bands such as Dream Theater who play larger venues every tour it seems that it is going from strength to strength.

So maybe the reason for the seemingly immortality of Prog Rock is due partially to the fact that it doesn’t get the commercial advertising of other genres or movements? So if it’s not sold to the masses as the latest thing that must be listened to, no one is persuaded to listen to it then I guess they can’t be persuaded to stop listening either!!!!

Or maybe the fact that Prog Rock breaks all the rules means that it will never get boring, there are no limits, literally none! So as one band dies another emerges, just as we think we have heard all it has to offer someone produces something else, different, new, fresh and exciting!

People constantly need new things, excitement, variation but the reliability and consistency that gives us security and a place to belong. Prog Rock gives us all of these things, and that’s why it hasn’t died and shows no signs of going anywhere yet!

So there you have it. Basically I don't know much about it, but Mr C does and highly recommends Dream Theater. To be fair, it is something that I need to go off and learn more about. Bearing in mind that I claim to love all music, I really do need to do my homework and buff up on these things. I really don't think you can use the excuse of not being of that generation to ignore older music nowadays. Everything modern pretty much has its roots in something from 'the olden days' so we should look back and understand the links of where our favourite bands come from and what inspires them. Perhaps that's a good explanation of Progressive Rock - understanding where it comes from and how it shapes the future.

Has Twitter Changed Music?

Many moons ago the way you found out about new artists was by someone recommending them or hearing them on the radio or in a club etc. To be approached by an artist directly was unheard of and was certainly not something that ever happened to me. But now, it's an entirely different story. In the age of social media, artists are using various sites to increase their fan base and also their selling power.

Where you used to listen to the latest music...

But is this a good thing? Does it have the same meaning behind it as in the past or is it just an easy way to gain fans without doing the hard work? Conundrum.

Well, for me, I was always an album buyer, not a singles fan. It was very rare that I bought a single and if I did, it was for a specific reason (cool b-side, limited edition, bonus tracks etc). Usually I would hear the single and decide that it was the entire album for me. My friend Roger is the same. He told me that he bought 'Frampton Comes Alive' because he loved 'Show Me The Way' so much. He was something of a pioneer in his day! But what has this got to do with social media? Okay, I'm getting to that...

Nowadays bands use sites like Facebook and especially Twitter to promote their music to the masses. And the way it's done is very clever. So clever in fact, that it inspired me to write this blog post about it. Come on then, how is it so I hear you ask. Well, here's the thing. Twitter is on its most basic level about how many people follow you and how popular you are. We all want to be popular now don't we? The more followers you have, obviously the most popular you look. So, as an up and coming band you want to have a lot of followers and look popular. What do you do? Start following as many people as possible that's what. In turn they will more than likely follow you back and your numbers will increase.

As an average joe on Twitter there is nothing more rewarding than being followed by a bonafide band, trust me. And what has this to do with singles and albums? Well, bands don't have to have completed an album to start promoting themselves in this day and age. A couple of singles or an EP will do and your on your way. No more waiting for a full album to be available before you can start selling your wares and this in itself means you can have a solid fan-base in advance. Not so good for me and Roger and our album 'issues', but hey-ho!

A little bird told me you like Fall Out Boy...

For me, there's a whole other side to this medium. One that has brought me a lot of enjoyment for a start. I'm talking about the discovery side of this little play. I have been lucky enough to be followed by many, many bands over the last few years. And I have a rule that I use with all of them which is that I do my homework. As a total music geek (my own words), I am nothing if not interested in new music so I will always, and I mean always, go off and listen to anyone that follows me. If I like what I hear I will follow back. It's as simple as that. If I like you a lot, I will recommend you to other people and retweet you. But what comes with this is something that frustrates me each time it happens. These 2 things: 

1) bands that don't wait long enough for me to make a constructive decision and unfollow before I've had a chance to listen to them

2) bands that unfollow you after literally no time at all as they want to find the next bunch of willing participants as you've served your purpose now. See ya...

Not good tactics people. I have unfollowed because of this as I don't take kindly to being messed around. You have been warned!

If it hadn't been for this method, I would not have discovered artists like Elliot Minor and so many more that make such good music. They are using Twitter as a platform to gain new fans and publicise their music which I think can only be good thing. If it opens people up to new things and you get introduced to an artist which changes your life, then it's served it's purpose. 

It also enables fans to get close to their idols in a way that was not possible before. In the good old days if you wanted to get in touch with your hero you had to write off to some obscure PO box address somewhere in the middle of nowhere and hope that the person you were writing to actually got your letter. Chances are they probably didn't, but what else could you do? Meet and greets were rare and the bands stayed very detached from their fans. You saw them live on stage and that was it. Now that has all changed. With so many people on Twitter you have a good chance of actually engaging with your heroes. I know I have. My all time hero is Neil Finn and not only does he follow me on Twitter (I know!), but he has actually replied to my tweets. There is no way that this would never have happened years ago. I do realise that he will still have absolutely no idea who I am, but for me, the fact that he replied and acknowledged my existence means the world to me. Such a small thing that probably took him 2 seconds to write made my day. It's an amazing thing and it is happening more and more. We should think ourselves incredibly lucky.

And then my heart broke

I guess it does depend on who the artist is though. The person I actually joined Twitter to follow does not appear to be someone who really engages with his fans. I'm not sure why, but I don't often see him responding to anyone other than his in-crowd of friends or talking about himself which can be somewhat disappointing. There is so much potential there to connect with people that I think it's a real shame if you decide not to take it. It's entirely up to you of course, and there does needs to be limits as they are (surprisingly) human beings at the end of the day.

I have an endless amount of love for FOB in particular as they do take the time to answer their fans as much as they can. I have only had replies from Patrick, but I treasure each one as he gets so inundated with people tweeting him that it must be like mission impossible to pick which ones to actually reply to. He is a true gent and is regularly online for hours doing Q&A sessions with fans as he appreciates how much it means to us. A small token which is gratefully appreciated. Just remember though, that they real people and they do not owe the fans anything if they do not want to engage. I'm just pointing out that there is a large potential there if they want to go down that route. 

So, has Twitter actually changed music? I think the answer is yes. There is more connection with the artists now, you can discover so many new bands and find unbelievably good music that you would be a fool not to be part of it if you consider yourself to be a music fan. I have made loads of friends online and now have people I can discuss music with which is something I have struggled with in the past. Finding like minded people is such a bonus as they can also introduce you to other fans or artists that you might like. There are also loads of music magazines or record labels with profiles that you can be part of that side of it too. It's a total win-win for everyone. But is it an easy way to gain fans? It can be, but people are so fickle nowadays that you need to do something to gain their interest in the first place and it's not a given that you will be popular from the off. You need to put in the work and be engaging with your fans to make them stay so it's not an easy task.

Anyone reading this who is a music fan and is not on Twitter, I would recommend that you get on there now as you are seriously missing out. Any bands out there who want me to listen to their stuff, hit me up. I might not be a 'proper' journalist, but I am interested in all music and promise to give your tracks a listen. I am now a dedicated fan of Elliot Minor and this is all because they followed me on Twitter. You see, good things do happen so jump right in....

I will now sell five copies of "The Three EPs" by The Beta Band...

I read a great article the other day by Patrick Stump (yes him again) about the 10 records that changed his life. It's a very good piece and it got me thinking about my own musical journey and whether I could actually say there was an album or albums that changed my life in some way.  I made some notes, pondered on it and did nothing.

I was then watching one of my favourite films of all time, 'High Fidelity', and this brought the question back to me again. John Cusack's character, Rob, talks about his top 5 records for certain circumstances in this life and I wondered if I had a short list of something regarding music in me. It certainly seemed more plausible than 10 albums anyway so I had yet another think.

I don't think I can honestly say an album has necessarily changed my life. I have certainly listened to some that have made me change the way I feel about music or have been significant at a certain point of my life, but changed it. I'm not so sure. Bearing in mind I have always had a lot of music around whilst growing up, I don't really consider albums as being time sensitive so I can't catalogue it in this way. If you look at what I'm listening to at the moment, it's as much old as new. In fact as I'm writing this I have been listening to 'Frampton Comes Alive' which was released in 1976 and makes it as old as me. This doesn't influence me in any way and I go backwards as well as forwards with my musical taste.

If I had to choose an album that stands out as a defining moment of my life, I guess I would have to say 'Woodface' by Crowded House. It was the first album of theirs that I heard and bought and it started my ongoing love affair with them which has never waned. They are still my favourite band of all time and without this album I would never have been as dedicated as I am. This was the album that got a lot of people into their music due to songs like 'Weather With You' and I guess it came along at the right time for me when I was looking for something. It was 1991 and I was still at school. I wasn't one of the cool kids, but I wasn't one of the picked on kids either. I was somewhere on the outside, not really fitting in anywhere. I guess music was a way to escape for me and I kept it to myself.

It had a big influence on what I wanted to do with my life and I made the decision that I wanted to be a studio engineer. Ideally I would have liked to be a musician, but my talent was somewhat lacking so I looked at getting into it from another angle. My college courses were based on this, but sadly I dropped out due to the pressure and my dreams of working on some top albums died with it. Speaking to a friend recently who is a session musician, he tells me that studio engineering is very different now to how it was back then. I had to go off and learn about physics and mechanical mathematics as you needed this type of understanding for the job, but now it's all about computer programming. How times change.

This hand should belong to me...

So did Woodface have any bearing on this? Maybe, or maybe not. I can't say for sure. It opened me up to a new sound and type of music and it was definitely a defining point for me, so maybe the answer is yes. When I have thought about what to write in this post it has been more about the music that started something for me. Something that I heard that stood out to me and made me think about things in a different way. The next album I can honestly say that about is 'Little Earthquakes' by Tori Amos.

I was never really into female singer songwriters much, but when I heard this album it was like a wow moment and something resonated inside me. I had never heard anything like it before, the voice, the piano, the lyrics, it was amazing. I think it was probably 'Silent All These Years' that I heard first and it hooked me in. She is still my favourite female singer songwriter and I have most of her albums. Strangely though, I can only find 1 or 2 people that enjoy her work too which I think is a real shame. One other female singer that I very nearly included in this post was Bjork with her album 'Debut'. It's a similar story with this one, although I was introduced to it by a friend so it doesn't stand out to me in the same way. A great album though with some fab tracks on it.

Go and listen to this album

I have been introduced to a lot of music over the years, but I think it was during my late teens that this happened the most. I was working at my first job (which I hated), but I had a friend there who was older and liked a lot of the same things as I did. He taught me a lot about music and made me a tape (yes a tape!) of amazing tracks which included bands like Sugar, Stereolab, The Blue Aeroplanes and many more that I had never heard of. I think it's only now that I realise the meaning behind giving someone a compilation tape, but unfortunately that ship sailed a long time ago and in fact said ship married someone else. Anyway... One of the other bands I was introduced to was The Divine Comedy. It was at the time their album 'Casanova' was out and on a whim I bought it, mainly to impress him. I had no idea that I would in fact grow to love it so much and they became one of my favourite bands. I've seen them live and still have their songs on my iPod today. Defining moment? Maybe.

So far all these albums have been in the past, but what about recently music? I considered if there was anything that I bought not long ago which I could say changed my outlook on music. The one that stands out to me the most is 'Solaris' by Elliot Minor. I'm late to the party with this band, and in fact I'm so late that they have just played some final, goodbye concerts. Fuck it. I can tell you exactly why I listened to them and it was all because of Twitter. They followed me on there and, as I always do, I went off to find out what they were like. I had no idea what they were about, they looked like some boy band with guitars and I didn't hold out much hope, but I am nothing if not interested and willing to give anyone a chance. I found them on YouTube and the first song I listened to was 'The Dancer'. As soon as it started I knew this was different. They were strings involved for fucks sake. A rock band with string arrangements, WTF was I listening to. I was blown away and have been ever since. Albums were purchased and I have also got my friend Paul into them too. He said the exact same thing as me when I played their music to him "Why have I not heard of this band before?". It's a great shame that we are so late with this one, but am I glad I have them in my record collection? Hell yeah! Did this album change my life? Well, no, but it certainly cemented the fact that there is new music out there to be discovered and that in this time of social media and online marketing, Twitter is a great way to find cool music. So much so, that this is going to be the basis of my next post.

But back to life changing records. I guess hearing 'Brothers In Arms' by Dire Straits was another moment I can remember. Maybe they are not such a cool band, but it was the guitar solos that got me. My brother came back from camping and told me that he had heard it there and liked it so much that he'd brought the tape. I listened to it with him and could see why it appealed to him. I haven't listened to it in a long time, but I can remember hearing it back then and thinking it was important. It could well have been this that got me into the guitar as a leading instrument, I don't know. Say what you like about Dire Straits, but man, Mark Knofler can play the guitar.

Speaking of guitars, I asked my friend Paul whether an album had changed his life in any way.  This is what he told me:

"It’s 1986, I’m 13 years old and just discovering music. I remember it clearly, I was at home and on the radio I heard ‘Friends Will Be Friends’ by Queen.

Although the song was catchy, and the vocals were impeccable, it was the guitar that caught my attention. I was already learning to play classical guitar, but this was different, the tones, the warmth it exuded and the melodic playing, it was if that guitar was actually talking to me, and then it changed, another tone, and then another with a different feel and it made me think (and that was unusual for me). How can one instrument do all that in the space of 3 minutes??  I knew from that day on that I needed an electric guitar.

On purchasing the album ‘A Kind Of Magic’, that the song was taken from (gatefold vinyl) I heard a plethora of tones, sounds, squeals, harmonies and chunky rhythms all from Brian’s Red Special and my love affair with Queen, and perhaps more importantly the guitar had begun.

Now it was 3 years later that I finally persuaded my parents that classical guitar wasn’t the instrument for me and they agreed to buy me an electric one, a Marlin Slammer cheap beginner’s package with amp, lead, strap and plectrum!

It didn’t stay in tune, the tone was awful and I couldn’t play anything that wasn’t offensive to the ears. But I loved every minute of it.

Many years later, I have bought, sold, given away, broken and acquired many guitars, amps and effects pedals. I have played in numerous bands, played full venues that seated thousands of people and recorded albums. I have met some great people and some not so great people in the eclectic world of music.

Would I have done all this if I had not discovered ‘Queen’? I honestly don’t think I would.

I believe I can honestly say that ‘A Kind Of Magic’ changed my life". @PaulCooper01

I guess I could go through my record collection and pick out my favourite albums, but that isn't what this is about. It's about whether I can say certain albums have changed my life. I'm still not sure if I can, but I can look at my musical journey and say that some things stand out more than others. They may not be cool or popular choices, but they mean something to me. 'August and Everything After' by Counting Crows was the first album I wrote a review about. 'Sheer Heart Attack' is my all time favourite Queen album and the first one I bought on vinyl. 'Greatest Hits' by the Eagles was one that I stole off of my dad and copied. 'Rubber Soul' is the only Beatles album I own. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea.

When Rob in High Fidelity rearranged his record collection, it wasn't by chronological or alphabetical order. It was autobiographical and I can totally get that. In fact, it might just be the way to go...

Not my vinyl I'm afraid

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...