Gimme shelter...

I was part way through writing another post on music television (which I'll publish soon) when my tiny brain was filled with lots of thoughts and ideas about gig venues and whether this can have an impact on your enjoyment of the music. As I started writing this piece I was also made to consider the actual venues themselves and what they can mean to the people visiting them or to the local community. I actually ended up changing my stance while writing which I guess is not such a bad thing really.

The main reason this subject has been in my mind is due to a gig I went to last week. I'm not going to name the venue or where it was, but let's just say it was possibly one of the worst places I've ever been to to watch music. It was a pub with a room at the back which they had decided could be used for music. Clearly it had previously been a back yard or similar as the walls were the exterior walls of the building which caused the whole room to be absolutely freezing cold. I nearly kept my gloves on for the whole night. True story.

Unfortunately at the time this kind of made the gig a bit of a downer for me and while I was moaning on about it to a mate it made me consider how much the venue can actually affect your enjoyment of the thing you have gone to see. Be it music, comedy or theatre, can the place the event is happening wreck your night or even sway whether you actually go in the first place? Well, apparently the answer can be yes.

I asked some nice folks what they thought about this and here's what my colleague Jo Cook had to say:

"I generally don't go to mass arena music gigs now. Too impersonal, not close enough, they are usually in London so it takes all day to get there and then the trains don't run in the evenings etc. Best gigs are usually small, intimate venues, same for comedy, learning  etc, lots of space, but small enough for individual conversation. There are bands/comedians etc I would like to see, but I don't bother because of the venue!".

This seemed to be a common theme when I was talking to people and I totally agree with it. They said they had deliberately missed going to see a band due to the venue that they were playing in. I've done it myself in the past to be honest. When I lived in London I was lucky as most of the bands I saw played at reasonably sized locations such as the Hammersmith Apollo or Shepherds Bush Empire. But I guess this was also due to the fact that the artists were somewhat well known so they needed to be in the larger, better venues due to capacity. But then, what about the smaller, upcoming artists?

This coming week is Independent Venue Week, a 7 day celebration of the small music venues around the UK. Places like The Fleece in Bristol and Surya in London will host both up and coming artists as well as some bigger names like Frank Turner. Frank is the ambassador for Independent Venue Week and has been publicising the current e-petition which has been set up to ensure that anyone who buys or rents a property within a set distance from a music venue should sign a waiver giving up the right to complain about the noise. The UK 'Toilet Circuit' as it's known is running the risk of these venues shutting down due to escalating rent and noise pollution orders along with redevelopment which could mean closure may well be around the corner. These venues have nurtured some big stars over the years and by considering closing them down we run the risk of preventing up and coming acts getting off the ground as these are the kind of places they will look to perform at. Take a look at an article from the Independent on this here.

Bigger venues can be a pain in the arse too though. I have been to a fair few arenas over the years and you either end up sitting miles away from the stage and having to watch it on a screen (if there is one) or you're in the nosebleed section, looking down at a dodgy angle and not really seeing much at all. I know I went to see David Gray at Earls Court years ago, but I have no recollection of actually 'seeing' him as I was so far away from the stage I could've been watching anyone. And of course, a bigger venue means bigger speakers which means blown eardrums. Not good. Sometimes though, you have no choice but to go to the arena due to who the artist is. Bigger bands mean that more tickets will be required for the fans and there is no choice but to schedule the gig at an arena.

Can you hear me at the back?

In Nottingham we have a variety of venues of different sizes which can suit most musical crowds. We have a rather large arena for the bigger acts, the famous Rock City which is of a big enough size to get lots of popular artists playing there and the smaller more intimate Rescue Rooms or Bodega. There are loads of others too which is great for those of us living here as it means there is generally always something going on somewhere. We have had closures here too though and most mornings on my way to work I pass Bar Seven (or Junktion 7 as it was also known) which was a great music venue, but has been shut for a number of years now. There was talk that it would be turned into student accommodation, but so far it still remains derelict.

Something else I have been following with interest is the Save Soho campaign which was set up following the closure of world famous Madam Jojo's. The aim of group is to protect and nurture the music and performing arts venues of Soho which are rapidly disappearing. The coalition (which is formed of performers, residents and politicians) understand that redevelopment has to take place, but they want there to be an assurance that the character of Soho is still kept. You can find out more information and sign the various petitions for Madam Jojo's, the Curzon Cinema or Save the Spirit of Soho on the Save Soho website which you can find here. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook. Look for 'Save Soho'.

The fight for Soho seems to be another in a long list of closures and I was also sadden to read about renovation of Denmark Street or Tin Pan Alley as it's affectionately known and the closure of the 12 Bar Club and Enterprise Studios. Since the 90's Denmark Street has been a parade of guitar shops, but it had great personality and remained untouched with no chain stores or coffee shops. Once upon a time it was the centre of the UK music industry with major music publishing and management companies being based there as well as recording studios which were used by artists such as the Kinks and Elton John. Redevelopment is inevitable, but it's still disappointing to see so much history disappear. Despite a petition to save the 12 Bar Club, it was ignored and the development moves on. The club has relocated elsewhere, but the heart has now been taken away from this small corner of London. This is something that seems to be happening more and more nowadays.

When I started to write this post it was mainly to talk about crappy venues and how they can ruin a gig or night out, but as I've been researching and thinking about it I have discovered this. The venue is important to the show. Of course it is. It can make or break your experience and if you end up somewhere that has a bad PA system or sticky floors you will probably come away feeling like the night has been shite. But here's the thing though. Sometimes those crappy venues are the starting point for a new artist who can't get to play anywhere else and without them, where can they go? An unsigned band is not going to be able to play the O2 arena now are they. Nope, it's the back room of the pub with the freezing floor for them along with the hope that one day they'll be playing somewhere a bit better to a bigger audience.

The fight to save these venues is an important one as without them the music scene will falter. We need to preserve the history of these great places and allow a whole new audience to enjoy and appreciate the reasons why they are there. I want to be able to tell people that I saw 'blah' perform in front of a small crowd in a tiny venue before anyone else knew who he was. And I can't do that if there are no tiny venues for him to perform in now can I? It may well be a ballache to go to the dodgy pub, but just think. It could actually turn out to be one of the best experiences you'll ever have so surely it's worth it in the end. Right? Just remember to take your gloves with you...

Blah? Yes, I saw him before he was famous

Music shop lovers of the world unite...

Right then. Hands up if you got some sort of music bought for you for Christmas. Now then, what was it? Did you get a nice CD or maybe some gorgeous vinyl? Yeah, me too. But I'm sure some of you also got either an iTunes voucher or the promise of some sort of downloaded music too. Correct? Thought so.

No feeling the presents

Now, I've written about physical vs downloaded music debate before, but this reared it's head again with me just before Christmas when it became apparent that the lack of music retailers available now is a huge pain in the arse. A friend of mine at work wanted to buy a relative a CD as a gift and had to ask where in town she could actually find a shop selling CD's. And you know what, when we thought about it there weren't that many to choose from. It left me feeling very sad. To make matters worse I saw a tweet from someone a few days later saying that HMV was absolutely rammed when he was out shopping. And why was that? Cos people want to buy bloody physical music and films, that's why. Pah. 

I went Christmas shopping at one of the faceless, massive shopping malls we all love so much and my partner had a look at what shops were there online before we went. He informed me that HMV had closed down and that there were no music shops there any more at all. I was gutted. He was in fact wrong though (or the internet was) as HMV was still there. And of course it was packed and we struggled to get near anything. Which is interesting if people are supposedly not buying physical music anymore. Hmm...

People, people everywhere...

I went to a gig last week and afterwards I bought a rather beautiful limited edition purple vinyl from the lovely merch lady and also got it signed by the artist. Now buying at a gig is all part of being a fan. You may be lucky enough to get some really great stuff that you can't get anywhere else. Could I buy this vinyl in a shop? Not likely. I may get it online, but would it be the correct one? Doubtful. And I definitely wouldn't be able get a signed copy of it. That in fact takes a mixture of a certain little smile, along with a little charm and a lot of style to go with it (wink). Or just polite harassment. You choose. Which is why buying in person for me is always better than taking your chances online. Plus I can now look at my signed vinyl and smile. I can't do that with a download can I? Well, I could, but I think people would be slightly more concerned about me than they usually are...

My partner knows that if I enter a music shop I will disappear without a trace in approximately 10 seconds flat. He's given up trying to keep up with me and knows that at some point I will appear again by the front door to find him. It's a fact of life. I go into a music shop, I will be kept occupied for a considerable amount of time while I roam the aisles. I love checking what is on offer, seeing if there's an album I haven't got or looking at the staff recommendations to find something new.

When I was younger we had a couple of independent retailers in my home town. Me and my brother used to love going to them and wasting away time looking for bargains. There was also the institution that was 'Woolworths' when we were growing up. I think I bought most of my 7 inch singles from there to be honest. It was a sad day when these shops closed down and our town had nowhere to buy music from. We had friends who worked in these stores and lost their jobs when they shut. We had to go further a field to buy CD's. It was the beginning of the end and for music fanatics it was the grim reality that it would never be the same again.

Who misses Woolies then?

Another mate of mine who also happens to be a musician, fully embraced the digital age of music not that long ago. He got rid of all his beloved vinyl and CD's and now only uses Spotify to stream his music. When I asked him why he'd chosen to do this he told me that he is fully aware that physical music is going to disappear in the near future and he is preparing himself for it in advance. Brave man. This is not something I can even consider doing though as I love my CD's way too much for that. When I moved house a few years ago I had to go through my boxes of singles and ended up chucking some of the older, rather obscure ones that I had collected over the years. It was a painful experience and even now I have the awful feeling that I might have accidentally binned something I wanted to keep. My partner didn't understand. He basically owns about 10 bloody CD's himself so he has no idea.

My brother on the other hand, does understand these things. He came to the gig with the last week and we were having an in-depth debate about vinyl on the way there. There has been a so called 'vinyl revival' of late where folks seem to be going back to buying this format over mp3. I said this to my bro who looked at me with a raised eyebrow and said "Well I've never actually stopped buying vinyl Nic". To be fair he is a DJ so I guess I can let him off on this occasion. But I do think he is correct. The muso's among us will no doubt be of the same opinion. Vinyl never actually went anywhere in the first place. We then had a long and rather interesting conversation about white label records and how you had to be in the know to be able to find the rare ones. None of this ordering them over the internet, nope. You had to visit a record shop and hope they had a copy somewhere under the counter (and that the they liked you enough to sell it to you) as they weren't advertised. Those were the days.

Mysterious white label record

When HMV collapsed a few years ago it didn't look good for music retail. The availability of cheap CD's in supermarkets was blamed and of course the online market such as Amazon. Funny thing is the supermarkets I go in only ever have a very small selection of CD's and usually only the so called 'chart' and not much else. Not the kind of place you would go to if you wanted to buy a specific album. Amazon does fare better I guess. I have bought quite a few albums from here, but mainly because I can't pick them up in a shop myself. Some of the HMV shops were saved, but the fact that the flagship store in Oxford Street has gone is somewhat of a crime. I spent a lot of time pacing those 3 floors and it was one of the many places I liked to shop when I lived in London. They now have a smaller place not that far away, but it's just not the same.

I was over the moon when a local campaign to save Fopp here in Nottingham worked earlier this year. The store was under threat of closure as their lease was coming to an end, but some local people got together to protest and finally they found somewhere it could relocate to. It's a great shop and every time I walk past it there and tons of people inside having a good look around. Fopp are leading on the vinyl revival and are proud to state on their walls that vinyl is killing mp3. Very nice indeed.

The debate is ongoing and could be considered to be about preference (as are most things in life). We sadly now have a lack of places where we can embrace music, be part of the discussion and spend our time thumbing through the LP's on offer in the hope of finding that little something special. We should support our local independent music retailers as much as possible because without them this becomes a thing of the past and those among us who truly love the physical aspect of buying and owning music will be left with no option but to become online consumers. And as someone whose house basically looks like a small branch of HMV, I can definitely say that it's not as much fun...

Got it, got it, got it...

It's the end of 2014 as we know it, but what did I find...

A few people I follow on Twitter have written end of year blogs about the music and other such things that have inspired them during 2014. So, as someone never wanting to miss out on an opportunity to ramble, I decided to jump on that bandwagon and do the very same thing. This may not be a in-depth review of the things I have been listening to, but I hope it will read as some of the music that has captured my attention and soul this year.

Someone recently asked me what was my album of 2014 and I have to admit this did leave me pondering a bit. As much as I love new music and am always open to suggestions on what to listen to, for me this year has been mainly about rediscovery. Or being a bit late to the party I guess. I have been revisiting my youth and catching up with some albums that I unfortunately missed at the time. This post should probably be called 'Better Late Than Never Dear'...

Anyway, so what has inspired me this year? I guess I should start with new albums of 2014 that I have been listening to. Firstly, there is 'Caustic Love' by Paolo Nutini. I liked Paolo when he appeared with 'These Streets' back in 2006 and some tracks on that album are still great to listen to now. I kind of left him for a bit, but I was watching an episode of 'Later' which he happened to be on and I really enjoyed listening to him perform some songs from the new album. And it is a great album. Possibly his best work to date and you can tell that he has matured as a performer and songwriter. The wonderful 'Iron Sky' stands out for me and hits all the right buttons as a modern soul / R&B record.

Those of you who have read my previous posts will know that my all time musical hero is Neil Finn. Well, Neil released his third solo album earlier this year entitled 'Dizzy Heights'. I have to admit that it did take me a while to get into this album as it's a sidestep from what he has produced in the past. But this is something I do love about Neil. He is constantly looking for new ideas and in his own words he says "I am working hard to get better all the time". I have grown to love this album over time and in particular the title track and the songs 'Flying in the Face of Love' and 'Better Than TV'.

Neil has received a bit of moaning online about this album, but at the end of the day I think as long as he is doing what he loves and making the music he wants to make then the fans will follow him and appreciate what he does. I was lucky enough to see him live in April and it was a wonderful show and he completely held the crowd in awe as he usually does. He is such a talented performer and I have the utmost respect for what he does. He always has been and always will be my hero,

Beautiful backdrop from Neil's live show

Another of the usual suspects in many of my blog posts is Mark Morriss. Yes, him out of the Bluetones. He released his second solo album this year 'A Flash of Darkness'. It was originally funded through Pledge Music, but it then got a full release through Acid Jazz this year. This album is brilliantly written and performed and shows how Mark has grown musically since his first album 'Memory Muscle' in 2008. There's not a bad track on this album and the songwriting and thoughtful lyrics are a wonderful treat. When I first listened to this album all the way though I sat back and said to myself "Wow, what the fuck have I just listened to?" and then I put it back on again. True story.

There are a couple of cover versions on the album (Mark does love a cover) and I have to say this version of 'Nightcall' in my opinion is better than the original. Just saying. My favourite track (and possibly my all time favourite Mark song) is 'Life Without F(r)iction'. A gorgeous song which features the equally gorgeous guitar of the equally gorgeous Adam Devlin (yep, the little one off the Bluetones! His words, not mine!). The video for a live version of this song has been my pinned tweet on Twitter now for a long time and I don't intend to take it down any time soon. I think overall I can safely say that this album is my number one for 2014 and I can't recommend it enough.

My album of 2014

Now onto my rediscovery. I missed the release of a couple of albums last year, but have now caught up. Firstly, one of my long time favourite bands, the wonderful Turin Brakes released their sixth album 'We Were Here' towards the end of 2013. It came to my attention earlier this year when the second single 'Guess You Heard' was released. I love this album very much and that track in particular as it's beautifully written and performed as is the whole album. It reignited my love for this band and I went back to the previous albums to reaffirm my connection with them. The acoustic style was what brought me to them in the first place and their particular 'sound' is something that I truly love. I am eagerly looking forward to a new album being released hopefully next year and I really do hope there will be a tour to accompany it.

Now, not only do I love the band in it's entirety, I also love lead singer Olly Knights as a solo artist. He released his first album in 2012 entitled 'If Not Now When' and I have the pleasure of owning it on CD and vinyl. It was lovingly put together in his own home using a unique and personal recording style. His journey to make this album was one of inspiration and I have to say I am totally and utterly blown away by it. I have immersed myself in it so much it plays on pretty much a constant loop on my beloved iPod every day. I often tweet Olly and he is good enough to reply to my ramblings about music and other such nonsense and I consider myself very lucky to be able to do this. I was on a train recently with my headphones in listening to the opening track on the album 'Ripcord'. In the quiet of the carriage I could fully lose myself in the track and at 3.38 into the song the most exquisite change happened and my heart completely melted. So of course I had to tell Olly this. I mean, why wouldn't you?

This album is also my favourite discovery of this year, but in the category of 'better late than never'. I have previously posted the documentary that accompanied the making of this album and I would suggest you have a look at it so you can fully appreciate the background to this piece of work. My love of simple, stripped back acoustics is played out here and it has actually made me want to pick up my guitar again and get back to playing. Sometimes less is more, which is what the man himself told me.

I've also been listening to my back catalogue of albums by the Bluetones lately too. I won't go overboard as by now you should be aware that they are one of my most beloved bands and basically they represent my youth. Their final album 'A New Athens' which was released in 2010 has been on my playlist of late and features some really great, under rated songs. It deserves a wider audience and I hope that perhaps it's just a slowburner and that people will one day discover it and realise what they have been missing out on. I can also give a massive thumbs up to the 2006 self titled album 'The Bluetones'. I have no idea why this album did not do better on release as it's possibly the album of theirs that I like most of all.

So, here is a little round up then:

My number 1 album of 2014 - A Flash of Darkness by Mark Morriss
My number 1 better late than never album of 2014 - If Not Now When by Olly Knights

A couple of other things to mention:

Gigs attended in 2014 - 8 so far
New artist I was introduced to this year - Frank Turner
Upcoming artist to watch in 2015 - Leon Bridges
Band to watch in 2015 (cos basically they're gonna tear it up!) - Concerned Citizens
Other albums of note - Lost in the Dream - The War on Drugs / Interlude - Jamie Cullum
Who you should follow on Twitter if you aren't already - Adam Devlin

So there you go. A real mixed bag of stuff which I hope may be of interest to you. It has been a bit of a strange year for me, but I have been to a lot more gigs than usual thanks to my 'Year of Yes' decision and I hope to continue this into next year. I already have 2 gigs lined up for the New Year with the promise of a lot more. There are also some new albums to look forward to including a Mark Morriss covers album and I hope a new Turin Brakes album. I have a feeling 2015 is going to be a good one.

Silent Sigh...

I have come to the conclusion that I am somewhat of a music snob. Or at the very least someone who thinks they know better than anyone else. I am always willing to listen to anyone's opinion on music and will go off and listen to recommendations, but here's the thing. I get very frustrated when I know something is really good and no-one else is on the same page as me. It's basically all about opinion at the end of the day, so why does it make me feel sad that some really great artists get no exposure whilst other dross is everywhere?

Sound familiar?

I went to gig last night. The artist was very good and the show was a sellout. Although the venue wasn't that big in comparison to the big arenas, it was still a lot of people jammed into a room. Now, this artist isn't really a household name, but fair play, he is very popular in the right circles and has a solid fanbase. I like to see smaller artists doing well, it's what it's all about. My quandary is this. How can someone not relatively known to many sell out a venue, whilst someone else who was say, a massive star in the 90s now not fill a room? It pains me, it really does. I'm not going to name names on this, but regular readers will know who I'm talking about.

I have to think that's it's about what's popular now. Just because that person was big nearly 20 years ago doesn't mean they will have the same appeal now. Good point. But what if the older artists have got better with age and are now doing something really good, but they still don't get the crowds in? What happens then? Is it all about marketing or is it as simple as 'you had your time and now you don't matter anymore'? This is what makes me sigh...

I have been revisiting my musical youth (no, not the band) a lot lately and have come to some interesting conclusions. I was discussing it last night before the gig as I do have a tendency to steer any conversation I have onto music as I love the debate. Anyway. My friend was asking my about musical influences and I said this. I like all genres of music. No doubt about that. But I have always been of the opinion that my roots sit firmly in rock as my overall favourite. However, I am now of the opinion that this may not be the case and my roots actually sit in 90s indie music. There, I've said it. Why do I think this? Well, as I have rambled on in the last few posts, my ongoing love affair with the Bluetones is still in full swing with no sign of slowing down and this made me think about other bands of that time. And you know what, I liked a lot of those too.

There has been a spate of 90s bands reuniting of late with one of the most recent being Ride. I was never really a fan of theirs and in fact I preferred the offshoot band Hurricane #1. Again, just my opinion. Interestingly Hurricane #1 have also reformed are going to be gigging again next year, but without Andy Bell who has now gone back to the reformed Ride. Confused? You will be!

Touring in 2015 apparently

My conversation last night continued with my friend asking me to explain why this music means something to me. I guess to a certain extent it's due to my age and the fact that this is what I was listening to at a particular time. Britpop and/or Indie was massive in the UK in the 90s, but I have to say that I wasn't in awe of all of the bands who come under this banner. There were a lot of one hit wonders and bands that never went anywhere. I remember bands like 'My Life Story', 'Tiger' and 'Babybird' who never really did much past the one song that brought them to our attention. 'Your Woman' by White Town went to number 1 in 1997 and I was one of those people who bought the CD single (remember those?). Yep, it was back when chart position mattered and I think the fact that Mark Radcliffe played the song on his radio show may have helped just a tiny bit. We never heard of White Town again though. Case in point.

Here is an article from NME on 50 forgotten bands of the 90s. See how many you can remember.

Whilst I was digging around for CD's lately I found my rather well worn copy of 'Everything Must Go' by the Manic Street Preachers. Released in 1996 after the disappearance of Richey Edwards, it was an album I listened to over and over again at that time. I was never a big fan of the Manics, but this album means quite a lot to me. I've loved listening to it again and shouting the lyrics out loud whilst I'm doing the washing up (not the ironing)! Below is possibly my favourite track from the album.

I was also reading an article recently on the songs that made the 90s. Basically the ones you should know. As I was going through the list and agreeing with a lot of them, it made me think about when I was at college as this was that era. I vividly remember being in the pub near to college celebrating finishing exams and singing 'Yes' by McAlmont and Butler very loudly. What a track. And when I hear it now it always reminds me of this night and the people I was friends with at that time. One of my oldest friends tried to resurrect this music by organising an Indie night at the local pub. My brother was the DJ (cos that's kind of what he does) and I helped in providing the set list. Great fun for us, but it didn't go down that well and our hopes of a regular night were dashed. Perhaps people want to forget this period of music or maybe it just didn't mean as much as some of the others. Bearing in mind that Ride fans are really excited about this upcoming tour, I think that maybe it's all about the bands and not so much the actual music. For me, I know a Bluetones reunion isn't going to happen and I'd have to put my thinking cap on to think of who else I'd actually like to see again. A lot of my favourites are still together so I guess on that level I can't really complain.

So, am I a music snob? Quite possibly. And what's the silent sigh all about? Well, it's just that really. A feeling of deflation that musicians I love from that period of time are still lurking under the radar, but never getting the recognition they deserve. The latest plastic pop creation can fill the big arenas, whereas an artist of long standing or someone who has a hell of a lot of talent can't even fill a room in a pub now. It makes me sad, but on the plus side I guess it means I'll always get a ticket to the show and a good view! Little victories...

Hey! I'm on the front row!

You can tweet me at @call_me_cynical if you have any comments. Or even follow me if you like. I don't bite and can sometimes even be mildly amusing :0)

Get under the bloody covers...

I was considering what to write about next last week and the whole cover versions debate came into my head. I was just about recovering from being subjected to hearing a someone sample 'Cecilia' by Simon and Garfunkel and it made me think about what a good cover version is. To be fair The Vamps haven't covered the whole song, they've just pinched the chorus. This song has been covered quite a bit, but the version I most remember is Suggs from 1995. Thing is, I don't remember it so much for the song. I have to admit that the reason I remember it is because Chris Eubank was hosting Top of the Pops when it was in the charts and due to his rather heavy lisp he had a lot of trouble reading out "At Six it's Cecilia by Suggs"...

Apologies to anyone with a lisp, it was the unfortunately chart placing that means it's stuck in my head not the fact that Chris had a speech impediment.

Anyway. Back to cover versions. When I listen to new music nowadays and I hear a sample or cover of an old song it does pain me somewhat if the new version has destroyed the original. As an example, I spent yesterday humming a little bit of a tune in my head as it was frustrating me why Olly Murs new single sounded so familiar. Now I'm not saying he has sampled someone else, but 'Wrapped Up' sounds very much to me like 'Love Come Down' by Evelyn Champagne King at the chorus. So much so that I took to annoying my other half by singing it over the top of Olly's song to prove my point.

It also makes me consider that perhaps new bands or singers don't have the talent to write their own music so they rely on classics to score a hit. Maybe or maybe it's a sure fire way to get them noticed and the managers are just playing it safe. The X Factor seems to rely on a lot of cover versions to score hits, although I don't watch the programme myself as I have other things to do, like watch some paint dry...

Was this always the case though? I'm sure back in the 80s when I was getting into music the issue would have been exactly the same. But I guess being of the age where you listen to that particular band or singer you probably won't know any different and just think 'hey, that's a good song'.

I asked, they told me

So I asked some lovely folk for their opinions on good and bad cover versions and this is what I was told:

"It has to do something different or add something to the original. Chili Peppers took Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground and added a shot of funk. Mark Morriss made Nightcall his own, blasted the original out of the water. If you want bad, then pretty much any One Direction cover takes the hook and loses the feel of the track" - Mike @mike_mimo

"Mindless Self Indulgence almost unfailingly does great covers, as well as Anthrax. 97 Bonnie and Clyde and Enjoy the Silence by Tori Amos. Bad would be Adele doing Love Song by the Cure. Already overdone and her version is pitiful". Michelle @littlehotmess77

"I think it needs to be something different or a really good take on the original without messing it up". Nicole

Now, I did ask Mark Morriss himself what he thought about covers as he has done a fair few himself with and without The Bluetones and is in fact putting together an album of covers which is hopefully being released next year. As somewhat of an expert I asked his opinion, but was told that "He's tied up at the moment, putting some stuff together and finishing off some important work". He was in fact doing his ironing at the time so was a tad preoccupied...! Nice to know that even the rock stars among us take the time to do their own housework. I'm sure his creases are amazing...

Worst superhero ever?

According to the all knowing Wikipedia, 3 different types of entertainers who might do cover versions are tribute acts, cover bands or revivalist artists. Tribute acts are bands who make their living by recreating the works of popular artists (eg, Bjorn Again, the Australian Pink Floyd Show). Cover bands are entertainers who perform a broad variety of crowd pleasing music for audiences on cruise ships or in bars (not sure about this one to be honest). Finally revivalist artists are bands who are inspired by a entire genre of music and dedicate themselves to introducing it to younger audiences who may not have experienced it before (eg, the Blues Brothers). A bit of food for thought there.

There are some bands though who just cannot be covered. I will always moan about people covering Queen songs as I don't think anyone could do it justice to be honest. Freddie Mercury had such an amazing voice and for anyone to try to emanate it, it would always fall short. That's just my own personal opinion though, as is most of what I write.

A few people mentioned that they like to hear something a bit different when an artist is covering a song and I would agree with this. Hearing the Bluetones do a cover of 'Woman in Love' by Barbara Streisand was quite unique as although it was written by the Gibb brothers, I don't think it was intended for a bloke to sing! The same with the Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson duet of 'I Know Him So Well' from the musical Chess. It has been covered by various people, but the one that stands out for me is the John Barrowman version which he recorded with Daniel Boys. Worth a listen I'd say!

Sing along everyone...

I don't think this post is actually answering the question of what makes a good cover version to be honest as I guess it's really all about opinion. Some people will love it, some people will think it's an abomination, but it's their choice. I like some, hate others and have no opinion on the ones that are just a waste of time. Whilst trying to appear a bit professional and researching online for some examples I came across the video below by Okkervil River. It's a cover of the 80's song 'Dance Hall Days' orginally by Wang Chung. It was listed in Paste as one of the best covers of 2013 and stated that with horn section and Will Sheff's unmistakable low-croon, it could slip by in a live set without younger fans knowing any better. Very true.

So to recap, basically it's all about opinion. I'll leave you with the best response I got to my quest for insight on covers which comes from Adam Devlin, guitarist extraordinaire. He summed it up very succinctly as "the good covers are good, the bad ones are bad and the TV ad 80s acoustic covers are the ugly". Amazing...

He speaks for the people

Band On The Run...

So, I wrote a post a while ago about the concept of an album changing your life. It was an interesting piece to consider so I have decided to take this a little bit further and talk about the bands that have had an influence on my musical experiences over the years. We all have a favourite band (or group if you like), but why are they your favourites? Have they changed your life completely or do you just buy their albums because you feel obliged to as a fan even though sometimes you may think they may have sold out? Let's ponder those thoughts a little bit.

Bands, bands, bands

I have mentioned my all time favourite band numerous times, but for those of you who don't know it is and always will be Crowded House. As a band they have bubbled under the surface since they formed nearly 30 years ago and it does seem to me that folks are embarrassed to admit that they dig their music. Neil Finn said recently "I have written some good songs. Don't ever apologise to your hip friends for liking them. They'll be singing them in a karaoke bar someday". I would never apologise for the fact Neil has written some down right amazing songs or for the fact that he is my hero. When someone has been in the music business as long as he has (don't forget he joined Split Enz in the late 70s) I think he deserves the utmost respect for his songwriting ability and longevity of his career. The band have been through some changes over the years and we've seen different line ups, but they will always remain in my heart as my all time number 1. Why? Well, because for starters Neil is a true master of his art. I watched him in awe on his solo tour earlier this year commanding the stage (and a rather large stage it was too) while he sat and played the piano completely alone. Not many artists can hold the audience completely spellbound in that way, but Neil does it with ease. One of the many reasons why I will never tire of the music he produces with or without the band.

I have to admit, I now struggle to name a second favourite band as honestly, I like so many others I don't think there is a clear winner. My taste has changed over the years and I'll get into a new band (like recently Alter Bridge) and then immerse myself in their back catalogue (if they have one) and get to grips with their style.

For many years I would always name Barenaked Ladies as my second choice, but now I'm not so sure. They are definitely up there, but I have to admit that after Steven Page left the band my interest faded slightly. His was the voice I tuned into and as much as I love the output from the rest of the band, it was his voice that drew me to them in the first place. Without him it just hasn't been the same. Don't get me wrong, I've still been to see them live without him and thoroughly enjoyed it as they are great performers, but it was just missing that something. His solo work is not too bad, but didn't really set the world on fire, although his album does have some really great tracks on it and I enjoy listening to it when it pops up on my iPod.

Fall Out Boy are another band that feature heavily in my playlists. I got into them when 'Folie A Deux' was released and once again it was the voice of Patrick Stump that hooked me in for the long haul. I was a background fan for many years, liked their stuff, but didn't go overboard with them really. This was until the made their comeback from hiatus and released 'Save Rock and Roll' last year. It was a well received album and they have been on the up ever since winning awards and gaining a whole new fanbase in the process. Interestingly though, just last week I was sent an interview that DJ Annie Mac gave where she informed the public that she couldn't stand FOB and that she actually found them 'offensive'. No idea why she feels this way, and although everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion, to say they are offensive is a bit much. They don't have rude lyrics, swear or degrade people so it's a bit much to state such a fact if you ask me. Anyway, during their enforced break Patrick released a solo album and EP which are both very good. Unfortunately the public didn't seem to agree and the album wasn't met with much success. I've never really understood why it didn't do better than it did as it's actually a really great piece of work. He did absolutely everything himself and you can tell that it's been lovingly put together. I was lucky enough to see Fall Out Boy when they played the Download festival this year and they do give a great show. Let's hope there's more to come from them next year.

Behold, the greatness that is Fall Out Boy

The last post I wrote on this blog was about the return to my youth in the 90s and my continuing love affair with the Bluetones. They therefore have to feature on this list as a band that mean something important to my life. They are nothing if not a quandary for me though. Massive success when they burst into the British charts in the mid 90s, followed by some lows, then success again and finally the sad conclusion that it was all over. I still find this hard to take and feel that perhaps the public weren't paying attention hard enough cos you know what? They were bloody awesome! Lumped in with the whole Britpop scene (which they weren't at all) they hit us with the jangly guitar of the wonderful Adam Devlin and lyrics which were something to behold. I followed them through their career, but was never fortunate enough to see them play live which is something I will always regret bitterly. I have, however been lucky enough to see lead singer and all round top bloke Mark Morriss play his solo material live (and Adam was with him so it was 2 for the price of 1!!) and I am doing so again very soon. Both Mark and Adam are kind enough to put up with my stupid ramblings on Twitter and I feel very privileged to be able to communicate with them both especially as I have been a fan of theirs for nearly 20 years and will continue to be for the foreseeable future (or until they get fed up of me pestering them)...

What platform for the last train to Clarksville guys?

So, who else? Other bands I've followed from the start include Counting Crows, The Gin Blossoms, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ben Folds Five, the list goes on. Lots of American acoustic style rock bands seemed to be my genre of choice in the 90s/00s. From a British point of view I love bands such as Squeeze, Genesis, The Divine Comedy, Teenage Fanclub, The Smiths, Del Amitri and the wonderful Turin Brakes.

It was being a fan of Turin Brakes which earned me some cool points a few years back as a ex mate of mine was trying to appear 'down with the kids' and asked me to name some good music so she could impress her workmates. I reeled off a load of stuff including the aforementioned Brakes and she told me she was greeted with "that's impressive actually, maybe she does know a thing or two". Yes, I certainly do thank you very much indeed.

I'm actually listening to a lot of Turin Brakes at the moment to be honest as their latest album is fab (We Were Here - check it out) and lead singer Olly Knights has a solo album called 'If Not Now When' which he lovingly put together in his own home using a very unique and personal recording style. I watched a documentary on the production of this album and it was a moving and inspirational journey for him and made me consider that perhaps not all music is constructed by faceless producers for the masses. This was a labour of love for him and a legacy that he could be proud of. It made me hopeful for the future of the industry and confirmed to me that there are still musicians out there who care about what they do on a higher level and these are the people we should be following with interest. Watch the documentary below.

I guess there are also the 'classic' bands that most people like (or say they like cos if you don't you appear to be an idiot) like the Beatles, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin etc. I love all of these by the way. We also have to give consideration to other such bands as Guns 'n Roses, Oasis, and even Coldplay and U2. Yes, bloody Coldplay and egomaniacal carnival ride that is U2. People seem to buy their albums and get them to the top of the charts, but whenever I speak to anyone, no-one actually seems to like them! So who is buying their bloody music then?? It can only be because people feel they 'should'. I never buy anything just for the kudos of it. It has to be something I am interested in and enjoy listening to otherwise what's the point? My CD collection is for me and no-one else and I don't feel the need to impress someone with my choices so they'll think that I'm cool. I mean, come on. Everybody already knows that I am...

Anyway, there are are tons and tons of other bands that could be mentioned in this post, but it would then go on forever and I have other things to do. I'm sure you all have your favoutites and that there are reasons why you particularly like them so think about it, chat about it with your friends and keep the conversation going. Or tweet me about it if you want. I'm always up for the debate.

Predictable in the 90's (or how I learned to stop worrying and write a review)...

If in the 90's you'd have told me that I'd meet the lead singer of the Bluetones outside the toilets in a Nottingham pub I'd have told you to piss right off. Seriously. But, guess what? It actually happened. True story.

Now, this is a sort of a gig review (I use the term review in the loosest possible sense), but as I am not a 'proper' music journalist please don't expect this to be a full blown account of the gig with set list and all that jazz. It's just a kind of review of the show based on what I thought about it and how it made me feel. Nice and simple, a bit like me. But like all good fairy tales, let's begin the beguine...

I loved the Bluetones from the very first time I first heard 'Bluetonic'. I would've been about 19 back then. Their debut album 'Expecting to Fly' is one of my all time favourites, and what a cracking debut it was. It took me a long time to appreciate the quality of the songwriting on this and the subsequent albums and I think it's only now as I've got older that I can fully understand it more. On the debut the songs 'Putting Out Fires' and 'The Fountainhead' both leave me with chills as to me they are achingly beautiful. I'm not sure that I can say that I felt the same at the time, but back then my appreciation and understanding of music was not the same as it is now.

The debut came at a time when so called 'Britpop' was in full flow, but I never actually considered the Bluetones to be in this genre. To me that was about Blur and Oasis and neither of those were my cup of tea (and still aren't). My old workmate and music pal once told me back in 1995 that he wasn't surprised that I liked the Bluetones cos it was my kind of thing. I was obviously predictable back then too. He also told me that they weren't very good live as I think he'd seen them as they were just starting out. To be fair, this is the man who saw Oasis in a room with about 6 other people before they were famous so he did know his music which is why I listened to his advice.

Basically my youth in a magazine...

I was never lucky enough to see them play live as basically no-one I knew back then was a fan and the voice of doom with his "they aren't very good live" mantra stuck in my head and I never actually bothered. I still however, bought all the albums, listened to them regularly, watched them on Top of the Pops (I can clearly remember them playing Autophilia with a backing choir whilst wearing very nice suits!), fancied the lead singer etc etc but that was it. And then they broke up... Story of my life.

Those of you who punish themselves by reading my other blog posts will know that I am somewhat of a Twitter Twat and that I'm pretty much on there every day, just stalking people or making ridiculous comments about nonsense. I follow mostly the musicians that I love and happen to follow someone called Mark Morriss. Self described as 'former Bluetones lead mincer' it should all now sink into place for you and get you up to date. Got it? Okay.

Well, Mr Morriss went solo and has released 2 spectacular albums. The first called 'Memory Muscle' in 2008 (while the Bluetones were still together) and this years 'A Flash of Darkness'. I cannot describe how good these albums are, but the songwriting and composition is just amazing. Mark's voice has also grown over the years (or at least it sounds that way to me) as sometimes when I listen to the early stuff it doesn't seem as rounded as it does now. The first time I listened to 'A Flash of Darkness' all the way through it was like "Wow, what the fuck have I just listened to?" And I then put it back on and listened to it again. Truthfully. One of the lyrics that always makes me smile is from the track 'Conseula' and goes "You can say what you like behind my back, you can keep on my case like you're Bergerac". That's a bit of a British joke right there which I find very funny. My favourite song on the album (and my constant pinned tweet on my Twitter profile) is 'Life Without F(r)iction' as it's just simply amazing. I wanted to add the video to this post, but can't for some reason so link it here.

Below is a live video of 'Unwanted Friend' from the Memory Muscle album.This song sticks in my head as it reminds me of someone in particular and the lyrics are very fitting for the basis of our relationship. In fact, most of Mark's lyrics speak to me in such a way that I have attached certain people to them. That's a great art right there. Making your audience resonate with you so highly that they feel you are singing on behalf of them. This is one of Mark's many talents.

Anyway, back to this bloody gig. It was at The Maze in Nottingham which is a 'live music venue'. In other words it's a pub with a room at the back large enough to fit a stage in the corner. I'd never been there before, but bearing in mind I am not actually from Nottingham I feel it's okay to state this fact. On the other hand, I have lived here for over 10 years now and am meant to like music so perhaps I should know where all the music venues are. Well, maybe...

As you will know I spend a lot of time doing all things music related (listening, reading, writing about etc) and I also check out the local gig guides to see who's venturing into Notts to play at our many fabulous venues. I can't quite remember how I found out that Mr Morriss was playing here, I think it might have been via his website, but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to go. I had no idea where the venue was, but my friend was game in coming with me and the tickets were a steal at just £13 each so we booked it. This was in early May and the gig was in October so just 5 months to wait then...

Mark shows us the art of sitting on a guitar case and not getting a sore arse

Cut to 10 October and the day of the gig. It was Friday and the yearly beer festival was in full flow at Nottingham Castle. My office is right next to the Castle so I spent the day listening to the various bands performing in the grounds (not all of them good) and enjoying one of them do a kick arse version of 'Ghostbusters'! This should have been getting me in the mood for an evening of live music entertainment, but when I checked the timings for the evening I noticed that there were 2 support bands and Mark was not on until 10pm. I was knackered and feeling grouchy so was not looking forward to having to wait until so late to see him. Pah.

We got to the venue at about 8.30pm and it was already pretty packed. Lots of fellow music lovers were in the bar area waiting for the back room to open and let us in. We got some drinks and then joined the queue and went through to the music room claiming our wristbands on route. The room was a fair size with a large stage and had a few seats and another bar. We nabbed somewhere to sit as we planned to stay on our arses for the entire night and found out later on that we were sitting with a music journalist and a photographer. Nice.

Of the 2 support bands, I preferred the first one who were called Hotbox and are 'an indie rock band from Nottingham, bringing a blend of intense indie rock and upbeat pop to create warm and catchy songs, with upbeat funky rifts and grooving beats'. They were really good. Soooo young, but very good and seemed to go down great with the crowd. Their EP was released that same day which was really exciting for them and they were selling it for just £4! Up and coming stars I would say!

The other support band were called Lois and seem to be regulars at the Maze. They are a four piece rock and roll band from Nottingham who note that they are influenced by some of the great bands of the 60s and 70s. And you could tell. There were hints of the Beatles, but towards the end it sounded to me very much like the Manchester sound of the 90s (very Happy Mondays / Stone Roses maybe). They finished their set and cleared the stage. This was the time I decided to nip to the toilet before Mark came on.

The loo's were out the back past the stage and when I came out of the ladies to return to my seat Mark and his band were standing waiting to go onto the stage (Adam Devlin was part of the band, but he wasn't there at the time). Usually I would never approach anyone famous as I am actually quite a shy person in reality, but for some unknown reason I caught Mark's eye as he was looking towards me and decided without thinking to go and say hello. He was kind enough to speak to me for a few minutes and actually told me he recognised me from my Twitter photo which was a bit of a surprise. Bearing in mind I look awful in almost every single photo I have taken, I now know that I also look awful in real life too!! Thems the brakes. But on the plus side it was nice to know that my tweets are memorable (or else I stalk him far too much, you decide).

What a very nice man he is

When Mark and the band finally arrived on stage at about 11pm, I can honestly say that the gig was awesome, but over far too quickly. He played the majority of 'A Flash of Darkness' and a few choice tunes from 'Memory Muscle' such as the night's great opening number of 'I'm Sick'. I should've been a bit smarter and nabbed the set-list, but sadly I'm not that on the ball. The crowd was a bit sparse which I found very frustrating, but there were some obvious fans there who were having a great time and one lovely chap even bought the band a shot each and some crisps! Nottingham hospitality at it's finest. I purchased a rather fetching t-shirt from the lovely ladies at the merch stall and have already worn it with pride. It was such a shame that there weren't many people there and I really do think that Mark is under selling himself on the ticket price as he gives a great show. But it's not just about the music. The banter and humorous comments with the crowd are all part of being a great performer. I've seen many singers who just get up and do their songs and don't really acknowledge the crowd at all, but Mark spoke to us all the way through and made the crowd laugh with his jokes. It felt nice to be in his company and be part of this gig with the other people who were there. I was sad when it was over, but knew I had seen a great performance which I will remember for some time. I tweeted Mark to say thanks the following day and he replied with a kind response of 'let's do it again some time'. Well, the next time will be in January as I've just booked tickets to see him play a solo show in Derby. And yes, I've told him I'll see him again, and yes, he replied and gave me a thumbs up. I do wonder if he is also preparing the restraining order against me, but I guess only time will tell on that one...

So, what have we learnt?

1. I watched Top of the Pops in the 90s and was a massive Bluetones fan
2. I foolishly listened to someone when I shouldn't and lost out on seeing them live which fills me with regret
3. I still don't know the music venues in Nottingham after 10 years of living here
4. Mark Morriss is a very talented and amusing man who is kind enough to put up with my annoying tweets
5. My gig reviews and shit

Addition 20/11/14

Okay. I have something to add to this post now following ground breaking news I've received this week.

In my quest for all the answers (which apparently I will receive when I turn 38 according to the lovely Olly Knights from Turin Brakes who told me so), I decided to ask my old pal for his take on the whole "they aren't very good live" debarcle so I can finally put it to bed.

So, I emailed him as I am nothing if not resourceful. He replied with "You expect me to remember something I said to you in 1996??!!" to which I countered "Of course I do. You should remember all of our conversations from nearly 20 years ago". Jeez. He then said that he didn't think he'd ever seen the Bluetones live so either I'd got it wrong or more likely he was being contrary. I was fuming. Before you start shouting at me, I have to explain that this person (who I shall now refer to as bellend) was very important to me at the time so I was inclined to believe pretty much everything he said. Call it being young and impressionable (or blinded by lust). Anyway, he then comes back to me and says he googled it and thinks he did actually see them at the V Festival in 1997, but doesn't recall their performance as he was more than likely drunk at the time. What can I say? He is basically nothing short of useless and due to his wanting to wind me up years ago I lost out on the opportunity to see a great band live.

Now, I can't hold him altogether responsible for this as I should have just ignored him and gone anyway. But in my defense, (and remember the lusty aspect) bellend was the person I usually went to gigs with at that time so if he was being an arse about the band then we probably wouldn't have gone to see them anyway. A poor excuse I know, but it's all I've got. I think we can now safely say that the matter is closed. I will reflect on my inability to grow a pair and chalk it up to experience.

As another update, I am also now going to Brixton in December to see Mark and his band play again. It's my Christmas present to myself. Costing me a small fortune, but I think it's worth it and I'm very confident it will be an awesome show. Only a month to go. I've been waiting nearly 20 years so a month should be a breeze...

About bloody time you dozy cow...