Tag Archives: Leeds

Leeds Festival Review: Day 2

(Yes, I know, I’m shoving this up on the blog somewhat after the event, but I’m a busy man y’know.  Better late than never…)

Bloody hell, it’s windy.  Either that or someone has got hold of the outside of my tent and is flapping it about like a Killer Whale with a half dead seal.  Maybe it’s them Spam bastards paying me back for nicking their tent pegs.  One thing is certain – the noise it is making has rendered any further sleep impossible without tranquilisers.  I dare say there’s a fair bit of Ketamine washing around the festival site, but personally I’ll give that a miss if it’s all the same to you.

Horse tranquilizers: its a race horse called Horlicks, apparently.

Horse tranquilizers: it's a race horse called Horlicks, apparently.

I am a parent now and hurtling towards middle-age, so 8am is considered an indulgent lie-in anyway, so I get up and go for breakfast – the details of which started the first blog, so we’ll skip over that.  However, before I can go to eat I am refused entry to the festival main area as no one is allowed in until 9am.  Eh, do what?  The festival closes at night?  I thought this was supposed to be a playground of non-stop revelry and no sleep ’til Brooklyn.  Now I find that everyone went to bed before me, tucked up with a cup of Horlicks (other revolting bedtime drinks are available).

It occurs to me that I’ve not really had a proper look around the whole site, so I rectify this.  There’s not a great deal around other than food stands and stalls selling t-shirts with wanky slogans, although I do spot a place which sells ale as opposed to the rather flimsy Tuborg which is the only other beer available onsite.  Sadly, further investigation later in the day reveals the ale to be rather horrid as well. Continue reading →

Leeds Festival Review: Day 1

Before me sits the remnants of a full English breakfast, served to me with piping hot hash browns to mask the fact that the rest of it was clap cold. I’ve paid £7.50 for the privilege. I’m just wondering if I’ll manage to be be able to consume my body weight in orange juice from the refillable dispenser before they tell me to shit off.  You’ve got to get your five a day somehow, but fruit & veg isn’t especially forthcoming at a festival.

I arrived here yesterday morning intent (and with tent) on having enough time to pitch my canvas Shangri-La before going to catch The Walkmenopening up the Main Stage at Noon. But for a false start where I had to return to my temporary home after being denied entry due to possession of a can of well-known stout (cans not allowed apparently – though I later noticed that the novelty of the power wielded by the “Customer Protection Office” had waned after a few hours and his bag check became somewhat less censorious) and the fact that the splendid New York noiseniks start 8 minutes early for some reason, I’d have pretty much timed it to perfection.

The Walkmen: larger than actually pictured.

The Walkmen: larger than actually pictured.

Continue reading →

The Blowin Weekly Extra – Thorns of sin, flowers of paradise

Blowin 9-10pm Sunday 22 August 2010
More tunes than time…

Blowin now online at http://blowin.podomatic.com
Listen to BCB on 106.6 FM or www.bcbradio.co.uk

“..a really eclectic and refreshing listen.” podcast listener JP

Google meets gravity, and still works
http://mrdoob.com/projects/chromeexperiments/google_gravity/

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Sina Makossa – a lovely live version with the Soukous Stars

Continue reading →

Plugged In Yorkshire – Digital Music and Retail

Info below from a press release about an interesting event in September, that’s all from me for this blog, now over to them..

Venue:
The Carriageworks
3 Millenium Square
Leeds
LS2 3AD

Time: 6.00PM – 8.00PM
Date: Wednesday 22 September 2010

Digital distribution has changed the structure of the music business and had a significant impact on record labels, retailers and distributors. These challenges for the music industry also present opportunities for new music businesses and DIY artists. This panel will discuss the range of services available from digital retail to streaming services and how too generate revenue from your music.

Our panellist’s experience spans from online retail, label management to digital distribution and marketing.

Continue reading →

Scars On 45 Dish On Bradford’s Best Curries

Scars On 45 backstage at The Brudenell Social Club

A couple of months ago I had a chat with half-Bradford, half-Leeds bred indie rockers Scars On 45 before they went off to Texas to play SXSW with their new Chop Shop Records label-mates Fanfarlo and Marina and the Diamonds. Vocalists Danny Bemrose and Aimee Driver had a lot to say about their upcoming album, living the dream and… where to get a good curry in Bradford.

“People always get it wrong… they go to places like Aagrah and Akbar’s and nice places, but you’ve got to go to some proper dives to get a good curry. There’s Sweet Centre… there’s Karachi. Karachi was in The Guardian, it’s been going since 1965! And it’s either chicken and spinach, or chicken and potato… but it’s got to be masala.”

And his bandmate? “Spicy Cottage! Chicken tikka every time!”

Check out thejustaminuteproject.com for the video interview and myspace.com/scarson45 for some tunes.

Expo Leeds – This Weekend!

Hummm, the title of this blog Untitled Noise seems more applicable to this post than any other thus far.

Last night I was was lucky enough to sit through a talk on the history of sonic art delivered by David Rogerson from Sound and Music. It was most enlightening for someone such as myself who mainly works with visuals (apart from working on the radio). Appreciating modern music you see how the avant garde work of the past has worked its way into mainstream punk and modern electro. I won’t write at length about it but if you’re interested take a look at some stuff from the Noise scene, Microtonal Music and artists such as John Oswarld, Harry Patch and People Like Us.

Continue reading →

Leeds Festival Sunday – Cat Fight

The problem with writing on a blog is that your own personal opinions and convictions take hold; you start to believe your word is the law. Just give me a soap box, it’s already happened with the following article. So I must stress these are just my personal thoughts and musings, and that does mean they’re correct; it’s just you might hear other peoples ‘incorrect’ accounts elsewhere.

So I want to talk first about the two female solo acts of the day – Little boots and the much talked about Florence And Th Machine - and explain why one works and one…humm does not (that’s them opinions I was talking about).

Little boots was first, weith the her very “in trend” electo sounds and delivery. The crowd seemed pleased but the whole act felt a little muted; forced perhaps. Like the the decision was to take the trendy sound of the day and reverse engineer the act to fit. From the clothing to the quirky hand held synth played through out the act. Towards the end of the set “Victoria Christina Hesketh” pulled her brother on who proceded to perform some Bev style tambourine act because it was his birthday. To top even this odd event Boots pulled on the whole darn family, friends and there WAGs it seems for the last song, to stand giggling like children at the prospect of being on stage; while I stood scratching my head at the fact they were on stage at all. I don’t think the rest of the crowd seemed to mind, but quite frankly I did. Boots should go back and finish was she started with the wonderful dead disco, but alas this will not happen

Continue reading →

Leeds Catch Up – CRIME!

Wish he was here.

Wish he was here.

For every action in this world there is a equal and opposite re-action. So when I found that 50 pence on friday I should have known something was lurking just around the corner. PHONE STOLEN! I am no longer a single unit media machine I am afraid to say. I should have known better than to have gone to the Prodigy; where I was pickpocketed. Anyhow, a quick trip home and a call to the police, insurance and O2 and there is nothing more I could do but continue to report in a slightly more old school manner (sat at a PC). So if anyone sees anybody using an iPhone ask them where they got it, then do the slitty eye thing at them.

OK onto the actual music. Continue reading →

Boo hoo

Well, due to some thieving swine at the Leeds Festival, Adam Wells no longer has an iPhone from which to upload Audio Boos and other multimedia.  This is absolutely rotten, as Adam had worked so hard setting up this blog in time for the festival, and has gone to the festival full of enthusiasm for getting top quality content.  All this has been done as  a keen volunteer, so it absolutely stinks that his weekend has been tainted like this.

PM Report – Metric, Fightstar and Soft Toy Emergency

So we have been busy busy busy. Weekend Vibe grabbed a few mins with Fightstar earlier. If everything is working OK IMG_0106there should be a little audio boo of this on the right of this post. The lads seemed a lovable rouge style characters (bless Charlie from Busted, we will never forget). I also conducted a interview with Jimmy from Metric (in the band and also does all the production) from Metric, (no audio boo from this, sorry, but you can look at this wonderful photo, and don’t people say a photo is worth a thousand words right?) You can also catch up with our full interview on the Festival round-up show on BCB next week. Metric played a blinding set with front woman Emily clearly following my lead by wearing sailor attire. Their set was very like being hit in the head by synth style icicles in a very exciting way.
IMG_0097
Weekend vibe also took the lead and interviewed Soft Toy Emergency (I went to the loo). I have just gotten back from their set and I must say they are really one to watch. Undoubtedly the most exciting act I have stumbled across thus far. What do they sound like? Hmmm, think Foals, add a punky edge and you’re somewhere close.
The performance was stella – not just the front woman putting on a show but the whole band joining in the excitement of there sound. The crowd were also clearly very impressed with everyone joinning in with the ‘hotter nanny’. At one point they called to the crowd, “Is any one from Liverpool?” A massive cheer erupted. I glanced around nervously and checked for my wallet. Oh and I found 50 pence on the floor.
Gonna find White Lies now.