AIDEN GRIMSHAW THE SCRIPT // TWIN ATLANTIC
NEWTON FAULKNER // GRIZZLY BEAR // FRIGHTENED RABBIT ALSO : CD REVIEWS // GIG REVIEWS // MOVIES
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Contents
10
INSIDE ● www.thebanter.co.uk
6 INTERVIEW - The Script
The Script lead singer and The Voice judge Danny O’Donoghue talks to the Banter
16 CD Reviews
24
Tht We take a look at the best recent releases in the music world
6
28 INTERVIEW - Aiden Grimshaw
Natasha Reid talks to former X-Factor contestant Aiden Grimshaw
32 Gig Reviews
A round up of some the hottest gigs in Glasgow over the last few months.
42 Lawson
A look back at the 19th year of Scotlands number 1 festival, T in the Park
50 Movies
4
32 Editorial Team Editor
Ritchie Marshall
Photos
Daren Borzynski
News Team Maxwell Lynas Anna Gault Daren Borzynski Petra Raspel Martin Knox Laura Donaldson Natasha Reid Tony Connelly Cover Photo Daren Borzynski
A look at the upcoming movies to hit your screens over the upcoming weeks.
A loo
Contact
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THE BANTER | 3
Interview
NEWTON FAULKNER W
hen I speak to Newton Faulkner he is stranded in Berlin. He tells me that he travelled that morning to the airport but somehow ended up at another hotel instead so now he is staying in the German capital another night. This potential disaster actually has happy consequences though, as it means that Faulkner gets to indulge in something he rarely has the opportunity to: a day off. Newton says: “It was meant to be a travel day but then the travel was taken out of it and I was kind of like ‘hang on, does this mean this is…a day off?’ They don’t happen very often.” The 27 year-old singer/ songwriter is in Europe to promote his new album ‘Write It On Your Skin’. This title conjures up many ideas, a reason that made Newton fall in love with it in the first place: “I just really like all the imagery. It brings up so many weird mental images. From tattoos to just writing stuff on your hand and doodling, a memento, cheating in exams. So many weird ideas can come from that phrase.”
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INTERVIEW BY LAURA DONALDSON
PHOTOS // STUART WESTWOOD
He also aimed to distinguish from the titles of his previous two album ‘Handmade By Robots’ and ‘Rebuilt By Humans’: “I did want to separate it from the other two albums and break that cycle that I’d put in place. I feel like it is a different animal.” Newton’s first two records were released within two years, basically in succession, but there was a longer gap (three years) between them and the new album. This wasn’t deliberate though, and had Newton had it this way it would have been three albums in three years: “I wanted to release an album last year and I was working towards that. The record company didn’t want me to do a release that year for a number of reasons, they weren’t really in the position to do it, it was quite complicated.” “It was kind of a step back at that point. Like ‘oh ok so we’re doing next year now’. If someone had told that there was going to be three years between the albums….I would have gone on holiday. Due to not knowing, I basically worked solidly for three years.”
Interview This hard work clearly paid off as ‘Write It On Your Skin’ topped the UK album chart in July, beating Frank Ocean’s highly-anticipated debut ‘Channel Orange’ to the number one spot. Newton discovered the good news whilst he was working, playing his hit single ‘Dream Catch Me’ in a record shop to an audience of 200 people. He then went out for a few drinks but said he was “tired”: “I guess one of the celebrations we had was a whisky and coke on a six hour train journey.” Not the rock and roll celebrations we’re used to seeing other stars participate in but that’s the one of the things fans and critics love about Faulkner. He’s so down to earth.
it to myself to not help out a lot.” “I really want to go out and do stuff. I’ve had friends who’ve done conservation or they’ve gone and helped re-build whole villages. It’s just amazing. It’s so socially educational; it’s all about how other people are living.”
This personality trait is evident throughout the interview as he insists that there’s not one part of his job he doesn’t like: “I literally love all of it. It’s like I was genetically modified to do this.” He can’t comprehend why some artists moan about interviews, saying: “I really like talking to people. I really don’t mind. It’s not a struggle, it’s just a chat, its what people do all the time!” He also loves travelling, something which he has to do a lot, and says that he actually prefers sleeping on a tour bus to anywhere else: “From the first time I got on a tour bus I was like ‘this is perfect’. I wake up and I can just go outside in my boxers…there’s something very satisfying about it.” He adds that he has “no problem” with waking up in aI city having hard no clueto where is. findand it really findhe excuses to not do
things for charity. If all I have to do to help is go and play guitar and sing, which is what I do anyway, I can’t justify it to myself to not help out a lot.”
‘Write It On Your Skin’ is being taken on a UK tour in October and talking about his gigs, Newton explains that he takes a different approach to it: “The way that I gig is pretty stupid. I’m very relaxed and experimental. I like messing around with stuff: I’ll have an idea for a song whilst I’m talking and then I’ll just try and play it. It’s very loose. And then people are shouting out – I’ve had fairly normal conversations with 50,000 people! It’s really weird but you can do it. It’s one thing that has surprised me: how relaxed you can be on stage.” Between all the gigging and travelling, recording and releasing an album and singles, Newton has also been volunteering. He recently busked for homeless charity Centrepoint, an experience which he said was very fulfilling: “It’s a really good cause. I find it really hard to find excuses to not do things for charity. If all I have to do to help is go and play guitar and sing, which is what I do anyway, I can’t justify
Newton then proceeds to talk me through his top 25 most played songs on his Ipod, or as he calls it: “the weirdest collection of songs.” He says that the list gives a “vague insight in to his brain.” The tracks range from Nina Simone’s ‘Baltimore’ (written by Randy Newman, who is Newton’s “favourite songwriter of all time”) to, brilliantly, Snoop Dogg’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’. As he discusses the artists and tracks with me, suggesting some for me to listen to and dropping music trivia along the way, it is clear that this is a man who lives and breathes music. As the interview ends and I leave Newton to enjoy his rare day off in Berlin, I am left with the conclusion that Newton Faulkner is an extremely friendly, grounded, and generally nice person…who just happens to make great music on the side!
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Interview
THE SCRIPT INTERVIEW WITH DANNY O’DONOGHUE INTERVIEW BY ALYCE MACPHERSON
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Interview
Y
ou may know him as Danny from The Voice but he’s been Danny from The Script for way longer, this cheeky Irish chappy that graces your telly box at the weekends is more than just a talent show judge and he is adamant that he is one of a kind when it comes to talent show judges. With a new album out in literally a few weeks time it’s no surprise that the nations favourite Danny boy is on the edge of his seat with anticipation now, he admits that it has been a long hard slog to get the album done in amongst his other commitments but the sense of relief and building excitement is so worth it, to quote his emotions “I’m like ‘Woooo!’.” You heard it here first folks. The new album, simply titled ‘#3’ isn’t as simple as it looks. Although the number three was obviously symbolic of the fact that this is the bands third album it ended up meaning a whole lot more too, “There’s obviously a massive energy in the number three, it’s very lucky and even in religion, the symbol of three has been massive like the Holy Trinity and the pyramids. There’s three of us in the band but we really are one when we sing and perform but once we came up with three it kind of started taking on a whole load of other meanings. The studio, where we recorded the album, was number three and my birthday’s on the third of October as well, so all these things kind of added up.” Danny also mentioned that the album title is also a brilliant way to gauge someone’s age, “If someone goes, ‘Oh it’s called number three’ then I’ll be like, okay, you’re obviously older than 20 but if you call it ‘hashtag three’ then you’re obviously younger than 20.” As I had previously referred to the album as ‘number three’ I can firmly say that Danny’s hypothesis is correct, looks like he can add ‘great thinker’ to his list of achievements and accolades as well now! Aside from working on the new album with The Script Danny has also been very busy over at The Voice UK as one of the coaches but apparently juggling both tasks, as well as normal life, all at once was a doddle, tiresome really, “Even though I might have been tired doing TV stuff during the day, I ended up being more energised as soon as I left the TV studio because I was heading to the recording studio and it as like still music but different music. I’d been seeing so much great talent during the day that I just wanted to beat it out myself in the studio at night time. I love music, I wasn’t performing on the stage every night which was strange but it was really nice to just sit back and listen and enjoy the
experience as a punter rather than a performer, it was great.” Before Danny started on The Voice it’d be fair to say he wasn’t at the level of celebrity that he is now and before he did join The Voice he’s someone that you would least expect to have an interest in talent shows but he puts this down to the misrepresentation of the music business within these shows, “The reason I picked it in the first place was really to bring a band onto the panel. When I heard about the people that were actually going to be on the show, and the people that are on other shows, there isn’t actually anybody that represents an actual band, there isn’t a guitar playing or piano playing coach on any of the panels which I find very strange, we’re in the music business not the personality business.” Humble and honest as always Danny admitted that, at the time, The Script were thinking that it might be great for him to get on The Voice and to get the band noticed a bit more but he says that those sort of things aren’t important to him now and that he’s been able to see the fact someone who can play instruments as well as sing and have a great personality has had an impact on people who watch the show, “we found kids coming up to us afterwards and saying, ‘I actually saw you playing guitar and I’m taking lessons now’. That was amazing, or there was this other kid who was like ‘I saw you playing piano beside Tom Jones, I’m a piano player and I think it’s great and I want to be like you one day’, which I thought was great and y’know, if that didn’t happen, what, were kids going to say ‘I saw you on the telly and I can spin round on my chair really fast too’.” With The Voice turning out to be an overnight success Danny had to quickly deal with his celebrity status shooting up a few notches as well but he seems to be handling it all really well. He keeps his private life as private as possible and doesn’t get involved in everyone else’s mess, which seems to be the best way to live as a celebrity. More than anything, Danny describes it as ‘weird’, “When you’re in a band you just do it to make music and to sell tickets to shows and go out and play in front of people but it’s something that I don’t really understand, this whole thirst for what am I doing, who am I dating and what’s going on in my private life, I understand why but it’s hard to think of why my life would be important to other people. I don’t put that stuff forward, I put my music forward to be critiqued and looked at by the masses but I guess everyone just goes past the music and goes ‘Oh, his private life! Cool! Let’s take that instead’.” It’s quite something for someone who’s been in the music
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Interview
business for most of their life to deal with the toils and troubles of being an A list celebrity but to be boosted to such stardom for the younger kids that go on talent shows can only be ten times worse but we’ve to rest assured that The Voice looks after its potential stars, “The reason I’m on The Voice is because we give people bad news in a good way, we equip our singers with everything from singing coaches to psychologists, everything. I think, in fairness, you need to be in the right kind of mind to go on these shows, these shows don’t put people in bad positions, the people are in the bad position before they get on the show and it’s up to the shows to help them out but I can hold my head up high and say that on The Voice we had incredible talent and I don’t think we had one that needed any kind of serious help afterwards we gave them the best of care while they were with us.” It would seem that the only way is up for Danny and for those of you hoping to catch him on his new talk show that’s been a hot rumour for a while now, well, its bad news I’m afraid, it’s just that, a rumour. Although Danny did give me a charming insight into what could have been “I’m going to be doing a new kind of Jeremy Kyle
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show where I dish out my own brand of Irish justice to all the lawless people” before declaring that it was all rubbish. Shame, I’d quite like to see that show. So, one TV series down, a new album and a world tour on the way, things are looking busy for Danny just now but there are no signs of him slowing down, “we’ll be heading out on tour and then once that finishes it’ll be just in time for The Voice again and once that finishes it’ll probably be back on tour again or the new album! Yeah, I don’t really stop. Some people live to work but I just live all the time and somehow it’s managed to become my work, I enjoy what I do so I just never stop.” It’s hard to bottle commitment and enthusiasm but Danny O’donoghue might be just that. The Script might be on their third studio album but he is no less excited than it was their first and that need for new adventures and to just keep going along with his gigantic positive mental attitude makes him into a superhuman. He may have referred to the other judges on The Voice as the three celebrities but it looks like they definitely have major competition on their hands now.
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Interview
INTERVIEW KYLA LA GRANGE 10 | THE BANTER
Interview Kyla La Grange isn’t your typically demure singer-songwriter. With four critically acclaimed singles taking in striking rock, bewitching pop and intricate folk, including this month’s Vampire Smile (2nd April), the soaring choruses belie darkly emotional subject matter. She goes out on tour in April and her as-yet-untitled debut album follows in the summer. Your music so far has revealed such a wide range of styles. How do you go about describing your music? Oh, I’m terrible at doing that! There are a huge jumble of influences but at the core is folk and rock music, and there are loads of big harmonies and choruses to grab hold of. It’s often sad and sometimes angry. And that’s about as close as I’ve ever got to nailing it: I leave the rest to other people to work out! You don’t sound - or look - like an angry person. Where does it come from? Honestly, I go through months where I don’t write anything at all because I’ll feel happy and relaxed, like I am now. Unfortunately, being in that state is creatively unproductive for me! For as long as I can remember, ever since I was a kid actually, whenever I felt sad I would sit down and make something. And to this day it’s how I cope with feelings: I write a song. Vampire Smile in particular seems written from personal experience. For my debut album there are three specific relationships I’ve explored. I know that lots of people write about love and the end of love, but in a way it’s understandable because it’s often the most intense emotion you feel. I don’t have to write about love, by the way, but when I write, it has to provoke that same sort of intensity. Vampire Smile was written quite a long time ago. Does it feel odd to be raking up emotions, and even people, from such a distant place? Yes, it’s six years since I wrote that song. You know, I wish it did feel weirder. The problem is, the emotional themes that run throughout the song - of obsession, rejection, neuroticism - were written from the viewpoint of a 19 year-old, but have seemed to persist in all my relationships afterwards! I love Vampire Smile though: it makes the whole album hang together because it most clearly encapsulates what is behind a lot of the songs. You’re clearly very keen on intimate lyrics that tease out some pretty strong emotions. But how easy is it to fit them around songs that you presumably want people to THE BANTER | 11
Interview
be entertained by? To be honest I don’t think I’ve ever written a song with the express intention of entertaining someone. I don’t think I’d be able to do it! And I never actually imagined that I’d be able to write music for audiences; I was first of all doing this for myself because I really enjoyed it. For a long time I did find it quite hard to play live because it felt tough to take something that personal to me on stage. I did wonder why I wanted to make a career out of it, because that would mean sharing with everyone. But then, after a while, you get addicted to how it feels to do just that. Still, every song I’ve heard so far has a huge chorus. If you weren’t bothered about entertaining people, you wouldn’t take such care in writing such memorable songs. Right. I think that’s just what comes out of me when I write. There’s something really cathartic about writing something which sounds epic and uplifting when the subject matter is the opposite. In my head, I probably wish I was more of an indie, Elliott Smith-style introverted singer-songwriter. It’s certainly the music I listen to. But for some reason when I write it always has to have a hook. Believe me, I’ve tried to write in an understated, lo-fi way and I just can’t do it - I guess I just like working with melody! But I do see what you’re saying; you want to move people with the music as well as the lyrics. People like to feel sad sometimes, they like to feel they can identify with a song. Certainly when I’m listening to music myself the most, it’s when I’m feeling miserable - because I want to feel that sense of, well, comfort. We’ve talked a lot about the emotional, thoughtful side to 12 | THE BANTER
your music. Did studying philosophy at university have an impact, do you think, on your writing? Probably not: the songwriting is the irrational part of my brain whereas the philosophy is the measured part! But actually being at university did definitely have one benefit: it was the first chance I had to play at open-mic nights in front of people who I didn’t know - which was much less scary. It was very useful in that sense, in terms of learning what songs would work. And how does having a band these days impact on songs you’ve worked on for so long? I’m still a complete control freak I’m afraid! I usually write the song in my room and do a little demo on my computer, and because I’ve known the band for so long now, it’s then just a question of going into a rehearsal room and we’ll all try things out. Usually the bones of the song, the melody and lyrics and so on are already there. But the band are really good at bringing their ideas too. And what are your hopes for it? I really hope that people feel moved, that there are songs there that people can identify with, and in those moments, they’re swept up in the album. It’s not about depressing people, it’s about finding a catharsis. That’s what I’m searching for when I write them, I’m working out my issues, singing things I wouldn’t dare speak myself. It’s about feeling a sense of release. If that transferred itself to the listening experience, I would be absolutely delighted. Kyla La Grange’s album ‘Ashes’ is available now through ATC Label Group.
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Interview
grizzly bear interview
G
rizzly Bear are an indie-rock band from Brooklyn, New York. 8 years ago, they formed as a band and this year they have released an album which took the best part of a a year to write. The Banter’s SarahLouise caught up with founder and vocalist Ed Droste to find out a little bit more about them. What inspires you to write music? That’s a tricky one. It can be so many things, it’s not easy to choose one specific inspiration. It comes down to: the environment, relationships, the usual song-writing inspirations but I think what’s really integral to our songwriting is leaving behind the construction of city life, the internet etc and to get to a point where there’s an unstoppable desire to write music and all of a sudden, these feelings start bubbling up. Isolation is very important, for me and the rest of the band which is why we get up and go to these remote locations to write music and to get to the kind of place where there are no distractions. Our music is very organic and natural. What has been your favourite show to play so far and
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INTERVIEW BY SARAHBY LOUSIE INTERVIEW TONYKELLY CONNELLY
why? Once we had a really amazing show in Paris! Our bus had broken down and we were running really late to the point that the bus arrived at the show two hours after the doors had opened and everyone was waiting outside and they [staff ] wouldn’t let anybody in until we arrived with all of our stuff, they were all cheering us on when we arrived! We started getting ready as fast as we could, we set up our equipment in record time and then let everyone in. They were all excited for us to get a show on, there was a sound curfew so we couldn’t play for long but it was the most energy I have ever felt at a show, ever. I think, I have to say, that was my favourite show ever. Even though it didn’t last very long, it was unbelievable. When I think back to my favourite shows, it’s always that one that I think of, it was everything you would want your audience to feel, it was exciting and intense and the energy was just incredible. That sounds amazing! How would you describe your music to a new listener? That’s... I feel like we’ve evolved a lot, I don’t know
Interview
how familiar you are with our back catalogue... I’m not as familiar as I’d like to be, I only started listening to you recently. Oh wow! Well... You know what? I guess I’d ask you as a new listener what do YOU think as opposed to me who’s been doing it for 8 years! I’d describe your music as atmospheric, quite vibrant. Sometimes I can hear Simon and Garfunkel influences, also interesting and intelligent. I’ll take that, sounds about right. We harmonise a lot, we enjoy interesting song structures, the newest album is probably our most charged and energetic yet. I still consider us to be a pop band but I think other people’s definition of pop is very different to mine. Who are your favourite current artists? I like a lot of RnB, I like Beyoncé a lot which may seem a little strange considering the music that I make and at the moment, I really love Beach House. If you haven’t heard them, you should definitely check them out! Have you achieved everything you wanted to and if not, what’s left to do? I have achieved a lot more than I ever possibly could have imagined. I mean, when we started, we never thought we’d tour with Radiohead or play with the London Symphony Orchestra or we’d do any of the things that we’ve done. So, it’s pretty surreal to look back at all the things we’ve done. In saying that, I feel that it’s important to continue growing, meet new people and hopefully gain a lot of new fans. What have you got planned for the rest of this year? We are coming to the UK, doing some warm-up shows in Cambridge and Nottingham then we’re doing a festival in England and then Ireland for Oxygen festival, then London, then we fly home to do some press, then we are doing a full tour of the U.S, then we fly back to London, do a full UK/ Europe tour, then we’re doing an Australia/New Zealand tour, then we fly home and in the next year we’re doing some Asia and South America dates and hopefully Europe again!
Azelia Banks O2 ABC, Glasgow
29th September
Clock Opera King Tuts, Glasgow
19th November
B.o.B. O2 ABC, Glasgow
16th September
We are Augustines The Arches, Glasgow
7th October
The Script O2 ABC, Glasgow
19th September
The Civil Wars O2 Academy, Glasgow
2nd November
What should I expect from your live show? Energy, rock n roll, a really great light show. It’s fun! It’s not dance music, so don’t expect to dance all night! [laughs] but it’s a lot of fun. Thank you so much for your time, you’re lovely! Thank YOU for your time and I hope to see you when we play Glasgow, bye! Grizzly Bears new album ‘Shields’ releases on September 17 through Warp Records.
Dog is Dead King Tuts, Glasgow
27th October
Paloma Faith O2 Academy, Glasgow
28th January
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Music
CD REVIEWS PLAN B Ill Manors ATLANTIC There is something different about Plan B that isn’t so obvious in other artists. Plan B (real name Ben Drew) has drive and context. Certainly not a one trick pony, Drew is rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director from London who is not afraid to show his roots. After his second studio album The Defamation of Strickland Banks went straight to number one, Plan B has become a major player in the UK music scene. Now, his third studio album Ill Manors sees a triumphant return to his gritty hip-hop roots. Ill Manors proves that Plan B is the boldest artist on the spectrum right now, not afraid to speak out about the injustice felt by many or the dehumanising effect of poverty. He wants to put these ideas in the forefront of people’s minds where they can understand his sympathy for the underclass but also know that this is no glamorisation of ‘broken Britain’. The album accompanies Drew’s directorial debut in his crime drama film with the same name. Although the film has been out for a while, some recordings on the album were not completed until after the release of the Ill Manors in June. The album, however, is not a soundtrack but more of an expansion of his work in the film as he creates shocking character portraits and brutally clear scenes. The two opening tracks establish Drew’s agenda – he has something to say and he wants us to sit up and listen. Second track ‘I Am The Narrator’ says it all - Drew introduces us to the world we are about to enter where drugs, gang violence and prostitution is rife. He so correctly writes ‘I’ll be that lyrical rater, social commentator’ as he articulates his thoughts and visions with cinematic detail. Labrinth abandons his usually upbeat roots in his production of Playing With Fire, which tells the story of a young boy being 16 | THE BANTER
caught up in the ever growing gang culture. It is evident that Drew has some serious statements to make and doesn’t wish to hold back - even ending a verse with the line ‘and now he’s just another poster boy for David Cameron’s Broken Britain’. The album takes a dive into the depression and helplessness felt by those involved in the situations Plan B has depicted in the track ‘Deepest Shame’. He takes a step back from rapping and explores the vulnerability and despair of the many people trapped in the poverty circle. The soft tones of his voice create a feel of raw emotion and connection with the words he is saying. Drew has the powerful ability to switch between hard hitting raps to soft and vulnerable vocals within a matter of seconds and plays to this strength brilliantly on the album. Another of Drew’s draws is his ability for storytelling in a bold and unashamed manner. ‘Pity The Plight’ becomes almost uncomfortable to listen to through the use of dialogue from the film, the narration from Drew and eerie drones of John Cooper Clarkes voice. However, coming out the other side of the track, the listener has certainly grasped the brutality of the world Plan B is painting us a picture of. The closing tracks including ‘Lost My Way’ and ‘Falling Down’ depict a genuine feeling of hopelessness not only experienced by those characters created in the album but by Drew himself. ‘Falling Down’ represents a complete turnaround from the upbeat opening track, conveying the repetition of the lifestyle spoken of, as well as the lack of ambition. Plan B’s brilliance is excreting out of this record. He manages to captivate his listeners with the lives of the characters he has built for them, all the while creating a diverse and cutting edge sounding record. Even more brilliantly, he doesn’t let his production get in the way of his breath taking and brutal lyrics and storytelling.
HOLLY LENNON
Music DELILAH Scars and Stories ATLANTIC ‘From The Roots Up’ may be North London singer Delilah’s debut album but the singer is no stranger to the music scene. She burst on to the radar when she provided the vocals for Chase & Status’ smash hit ‘Time’ – a track which she also co-wrote. She then released ‘Go’, which samples Chaka Kan’s ‘Aint Nobody’ and earned herself a place on the shortlist for MTVs Brand New For 2012. The 21-year-old, real name Paloma Toecker, reached out for the help of producers Science, Ballistiq and LV for her debut LP and the result is a mix of mid-90’s trip-hop with Ella Fitzgerald-style vocals. The most incredible thing about Delilah is her ability so swing from sweet to soulful in the same sentence, a technique that is evident throughout ‘From The Roots Up’. Highlights include the fantastic ‘Only You’, which is reminiscent of Regina Spektor and was co-written by Ben Drew (aka Plan B), and a cover of Minnie Ripperton’s ‘Inside My Love’. Although the album is a highly enjoyable listen, none of the tracks make quite as much of an impact as ‘Go’. This is a fact which has unfortunately not escaped listeners, as none of her three singles after ‘Go’ (‘Breathe’, ‘Love You So’ and ‘Inside My Love’) have made any impact on the UK top 40. This is a shame as they are genuinely great songs, they’re just maybe not what fans expected after such a strong debut single. LAURA DONALDSON
ARCANE ROOTS Left Fire
PLAY IT AGAIN SAM ‘Left Fire’ is the debut album from experimental rock group Arcade Roots. The three-piece, made up of Andrew Grove, Adam Burton and Daryl Atkins, do an incredible job of creating their own identity throughout the record and look set to pave their own successful path with their variation and uniqueness. The album kicks off with an instrumental intro track before kicking right off with ‘In This Town of Such Weather’. The explosive energy of this track practically demands attention from the listener. This is a great opener for the record as it demonstrated the band’s song-writing and instrumental skills. Next, ‘You Are’ tones down the guitar to make room for the impressive vocals of the song’s chorus. Arcane Roots manages this switch in pace effectively and the mash up of genres throughout the album seems completely natural. The vocal performances of the album are incredible. The tone and range of Groves’ vocals are perfectly balanced with the screams during the album’s second half, which takes on a more aggressive turn. This aggression starts with ‘Million Dollar Question’’s harsh vocals, a quick switch-up from the first couple of tracks. The harsher sound continues into the first half of the final track, ‘Long & Low’. ‘Left Fire’ is a unique listening experience made up of influences from post-hardcore, pop, and rock. The impressive level of talent showcased throughout the record makes Arcane Roots a band to watch out for in the future.
LAURA DONALDSON
STATE BROADCASTERS Ghosts We Must Carry ELECTRIC HONEY State Broadcasters are a 6-piece folk, ‘Americana’ band from Glasgow signed by Stow College’s record label ‘Electric Honey’ who were the first label to discover Belle and Sebastian, an Indie institution of sorts. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been there, seen it, done it when it comes to Glasgow Indie artists. While there is obviously a lot of talent, a lot of potential and exceptional musicianship within the ‘scene’, sometimes it all gets a little too familiar. I was expecting much of the same with State Broadcasters; a lovely band, sure but nothing different from any of the others. What I got was something completely opposite to my expectations. There is something especially magical about State Broadcasters. Their songs have been written and recorded with the passion and delicacy that is becoming increasingly rare with recorded artists. Their lyrics are stories, expressive, integral to the sound as a whole. It’s almost as if State Broadcasters have made it their mission to go back to the roots of true, down-to-Earth homegrown music without any gimmicks. It is a cup of tea on a cold morning, it warms every part of you bit-by-bit. An array of instruments are used throughout the album, something else that adds to the magic and obvious extensive creativity that is carried throughout this album. Ukulele, trombone, cello, you name it, they’ve probably used it at some point. They’re not afraid of experimentation, expression or standing out from the crowd and that’s not something to be scoffed at. Ghosts We Must Carry is an introspective, sweet album filled to the brim with intelligent musicianship and lyrics. It’s definitely one of my favourite albums of the year so far and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
SARAH LOUISE KELLY
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Music GRIZZLY BEAR Shields WARP Grizzly Bear is perhaps one of the least appropriate names for this band; they are neither ‘grizzly’ nor bears. They are, though, formidably talented and perhaps that’s where they acquired their namesake. In spite of this fact, this relatively unknown band have been trying to stuff your ears full of their musical candy since 2006. Grizzly Bear don’t make music that grabs you by the ears and forces you to listen, they’re fairly quiet and unassuming but their strange psychedelic pop and folk mash just demands your attention without ever meaning to. Like a mix between late Beatles music and newer solo acts like Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran this is just music that has to be experienced to be believed. The vocal harmonies on this album are what make it really stand out though; they are just so chilling and beautifully captured. Usually an album full of vocal harmonies is an album that is trying too hard but it’s difficult to imagine this record without them, it just would not be the same. An album that, simultaneously, demands no attention whatsoever yet will hold your undivided attention is a rare find; rarer still is to find it among the new music section. If you need a calming influence in your life, look no further, Grizzly Bear are here to be your emotional teddy bear.
ALYCE MACPHERSON
SHARON MARTIN Natural High EP
PARLOPHONE Natural High is not an easy album to categorise, and this is in no way a bad thing. Martin has a powerfully soulful yet hauntingly beautiful voice, and the selection of eight wonderfully diverse tracks certainly demonstrate how versatile she is, both as a perfomer and a songwriter. Effortlessly crossing genres, she shows that her music does not need to be pigeon holed. Deliciously upbeat and catchy tracks like ‘Faith, Hope and Love’ are juxtaposed with the raw emotion of ‘Sorry’ and ‘Too Late’, where Martin’s real life experiences are stripped bare. It is usual (common even) to find a few tracks on an album which are simply there to fill a gap, but Martin has produced an EP which is, in the words of Sum 41, ‘All Killer, No Filler’. Every track has earned its right to a place on this album which is refreshingly different in that I had no desire to skip any track. The Doors and Jerry Lee Lewis inspired ‘Black Kettle’ is far too polished and accomplished for an artist without 30 years experience in the industry! In a world of increasingly manufactured pop nonsense, Martin is a breath of fresh air with her utterly unique and distinctive vocal style. ‘Love without sex’ is a personal favourite, a catchy track which will no doubt have you singing along, but also leaves you considering the truths behind the words. Performing for 10 years as front woman with bands such as Flesh and The Kingfishers, Martin has been pursuing a solo career since late 2009. Focused, passionate and intense, the distinctive voiced, infectious Glasgow based singer is certainly destined for great things. LOUISE ANNE GEDDES
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LOS LONELY BOYS Rockpango PROVOGUE RECORDS Never so quickly have I ever been impressed by an album before. Ten seconds into ‘Rockpango’ by Los Lonely boys and I was utterly hooked. Los Lonely Boys consists of three Texan born and bred brothers, Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza who play a style of music that they call ‘Texican rock and roll’. The album kicks off with the slightly heavier and explosive track, “American Idle” which, as the clever play on words might suggest, comments on the fact that the American Dream is simply to make money. ‘Fly Away’ is an upbeat and cheery song with great country style harmonies from the brothers that make this the perfect addition to any driving compilation that was ever created. It becomes abundantly clear that this is an album with huge country rock influences by the track ‘Road To Nowhere’ which slows the album down, a risky move so early into a record but this song just oozes the charm of Willie Nelson and is in no danger of pulling the album to a standstill. The album takes a funky turn in ’16 Monkeys’ and the album titled track ‘Rockpango’, a Spanglish word that means rock party. Rockpango gives Henry a chance to flex his guitar muscles and he does so in ridiculous style. Jimi Hendrix, his theoretical lovechild father, would be proud. This is an album that just should not, under any circumstances, be missed out on. No matter what your musical taste this is just a genre all on its own. Once you have Los Lonely Boys in your life you will wonder why you never had them there before.
ALYCE MACPHERSON
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Music MIKE TYLER Erection THE ART CANNOT BE DAMAGED Once cited as the world’s most dangerous poet after breaking his arm during a poetry reading Mike Tyler is perhaps the most celebrated non-academic poet to come out of the 1990’s. With so many people claiming to have drawn inspiration from him, including musician Beck and street artist Banksy it’s not hard to imagine that his talents are pretty far reaching. If you’re unfamiliar with Mike Tylers’ previous work it would be hard to see this album as anything more than a very unpolished punk poet collection of short songs but it is so much more than that. This album is like a short story told in playful nursery rhyme style and a slow, smooth drawl intermittently. In spite of the music not being the main feature on this album, strangely enough, Tyler is clearly aware of how to use music effectively and without drawing too much attention away from the words. This is most apparent in the track Stuttering Song II where he not only uses the musical pauses to emphasize the idea of stuttering but he also manages to use a sample to great effect without it sounding too cheesy or backroom produced. While the album is only a mere 33 minutes long you don’t feel let down or deflated by the time the last bars ring out in closing track, Lonely Tonight. This is definitely a prime example of what quality over quantity can really mean. It’s not a musical style that’s for everyone but if you’re already a Mike Tyler fan, just into poetry or quirky music with good little hooks that will stick in your mind all day then this is well worth a listen. ALYCE MACPHERSON
JOHN MAYER Born and Raised
COLUMBIA John Mayer is back with album Born and Raised. The singer is currently struggling with a throat condition,granuloma, that means he is unable to take the record on the road. This is a huge shame as it’s one of his best yet. On Born and Raised, the singer/songwriter worked with Grammy-winning producer Don Was to create a laid-back yet engaging record. The album kicks off with ‘Queen of California’, a gentle start that sounds straight from the 70s. ‘Shadow Days’, the first single from the album is classic Mayer at his best. ‘Speak For Me’ seems to take a pop at modern music as John says “the music on my radio ain’t supposed to make me feel alone”. ‘Something Like Olivia’ carries on the soulful vibe with added flavour from a church organ. The title track is a mournful one, as Mayer notes “it gets hard to fake what I won’t be.” On ‘Love Is A Verb’, Mayer gets deep about love but at just 2.24 the song feels too short. ‘Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967’ is one of the catchiest songs despite its odd story of a scientist/inventor. Just as you begin to feel that the album is a bit same-y, Mayer throws in a twist or turn to keep you entertained. Overall the album is a perfect piece of Californian-style, country and western music. Born and Raised is sure to please hard-core Mayer fans and gain him some new ones. LAURA DONALDSON
PROJECT X Project X Soundtrack EXPLICIT LYRICS Project X, in short, is the ultimate party movie - picture American teenagers, alcohol, drugs, music and a whole load of red plastic cups. The album covers all aspects of a party with all the best artists for the job. Appearances from Eminem, Pitbull and Kid Cudi as well as some phenomenal remixes, create an album that is likely to blow the roof off any party. Opening with Pusha T’s ‘Trouble On My Mind’ the album gets off to a slow start but soon picks up with the ultimate house party track ‘Tipsy’ whose catchy riff is likely to make even the most unwilling people want to get up and grind. Kanye West’s personal DJ A-Trak drops ‘Ray Ban Vision’ and remixes the indie classic ‘Heads Will Roll’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs creating a euphoric floorfiller. ‘Candy’ - an offering from Far East Movement and Pitbull is predictably catchy and upbeat. Remixes from Benny Benassi, A-Trak and Steve Aoki create a massive party atmosphere making it almost impossible to not dance. Meanwhile old school rap tracks ‘Nasty’ by Nas and Dr Dre and Snoop Doggs classic ‘The Next Episode’ give the album a hip hop edge. Penultimate track ‘Fight Music’ by D12 sets the scene for the darker side of the film where drugs and violence are present. Popularity of Project X is indisputably linked to its OST. Tracks used in the film and those chosen for the soundtrack help develop both the plot and overall feel of the admittedly party fuelled movie. This soundtrack is a must have for lovers of the film but also for hip hop fans alike. HOLLY LENNON
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Music LINKIN PARK Living Things WARNER BROS The cover artwork offers a rare insight into the album itself, an unidentifiable humanoid being has little definition and seems to be blowing away in the wind like ash, fragile and broken but definitely there, this could be said of the album and the band themselves. Their fifth studio album, Living Things, last a little under 40 minutes and the selfconfessional, ballad lyrics that run throughout show the band’s attempt to engage old friend with new listening as they try to establish a new sound for themselves. Opening the sleeve you will find the band-members names listed like an introduction, the opening tracks reminds the listener of the new direction the band are taking, titled Lost in the Echo, it experiments with lots of synthesisers and a generally more bubbly tempo and beat but its held down by the familiar interplay between Bennington and Shinoda. A stand out track is Victimised, the anthem quality with a scorching vocal chorus and the heady brash pace is well placed beside the more subtle lyrics, the other bookend of the album is Lies, Greed, Misery a bold departure from the norm loud. It is chaotic definitely but chaotic with auto-tune drums, wobbling bass and thumping undertone making it radical and clearly shows that Linkin Park are growing, evolving, Living Things. The third track Burn it Down, showcases their talent as the reigning kings of alt-metal but the album as a wholes is a brief insight into a new arena for the band, if they can marry the two into an engaging and coherent sound without losing the strong talent for metal and alt-rap long may they reign.
HEATHER CAMPBELL
THE TEMPER TRAP The Temper Trap
INFECTIOUS With awards such as ‘Best International Breakthrough Artist’ in 2011 and hit singles as big as ‘Sweet Disposition’ there is undeniably a lot grandiose expectations with Australian band The Temper Trap. Their second album, titled ‘The Temper Trap’, has some exciting songs that follow in the same direction as ‘Sweet Disposition’ however the ambition this time round is perhaps a little too pompous and the album as a whole ultimately feels underwhelming. On the other hand there are some enjoyable tracks on the album which fans of The Temper Trap are likely to enjoy. On the whole the album has a few good songs, make no mistake about it, it’s not 12 tracks with the same brilliance as ‘Sweet Disposition’ or anything close to it but for fans of The Temper Trap there’s definitely some enjoyment to be had with a few songs. Perhaps the success of ‘Sweet Disposition’ and awards such as ‘Best International Breakthrough Artist’ have created a declamatory aspect to their music or maybe expectations become skewered with such pernicious praise. The band fall short of their own grandstanding ambition and even after many listens, the album as a whole is a little underwhelming and fails to captivate like you could be lead TONY CONNELLY
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MODE MODERNE Strange Bruises LIGHT ORGAN RECORDS Hailing from Canada Mode Moderne, bring their dark surrealist indie-pop to global awareness in their new EP, Strange Bruises. It’s an interesting album I know that interesting may not be the most flattering adjective, do the Chinese not threaten their enemies with the words ‘May you live in interesting times’? The mournful tone of the vocals and the energetic, head-first-think-last dive into the obscure melodies remind me of 80s goth music, rebellious in their time but now a staple for anyone familiar with a family 50th birthday party. However, I said they are interesting not comical. At times the band over emphasis their influences as in Electrocute Me, yet as the album goes on Mode Moderne’s sense of themselves shakes a little, they lose, to their advantage a blind faith in their idols and a sense of something new and real emerges, but as soon as it pops out it runs away again and occasional dance beat thrown, albeit delicately doesn’t hurt either. Mode Moderne are indeed a dark and sombre group but their album plays joyfully with these themes making their music not instantly accessible, nor instantly enjoyable in one go, but find a favourite track and it will lead you down their torrid rabbit hole and once you’re their, it might just be the wonderland your looking for in an industry saturated with ready made bands and cookie-cutter stars.
HEATHER CAMPBELL
Music AIDEN GRIMSHAW Misty Eye RCA Whenever we first hear the whispers of an X Factor finalist releasing music, we instantly have our concerns that it can ruin a credible artist by turning them into cheesy manufactured pop. However, Aiden Grimshaw (an early casualty on the 2010 series) has released his debut album ‘Misty Eye’ to prove that real music can come from such a circus like show. The album demonstrates something much unexpected from the young Blackpool singer. It is very obvious that Aiden and his team want the music rather than his image to do the talking for him, which is an essential for listeners who enjoy good music. Misty Eye which was very artistically named tells a story from stage one of the young singer’s heartbreak, right until the very end. The singer provides listeners with a wide variety of tracks ranging from electro pop on ‘Is This Love’ to power ballads such as Poacher’s Timing. The lyrics on This Island are probably the most revealing of Grimshaw’s unanswered questions and insecurities with the unforgettable line; “you’re staring at the rainbow but your eyes are colour blind”. Aiden reaches his most vulnerable when he brings the album to a close with his latest single, Curtain Call. The album is carefully adventurous but still commercial enough to make it onto the music channels. Every track was penned by Aiden himself, making it a very honest record to listen to; almost as if he was writing down every feeling he had to help him get through his doubts and fears of being in love. Overall, the album proves that the future is extremely bright for Aiden Grimshaw. ROSIE O’NEILL
LANDSCAPES Morning Parade CITY OF GOLD RECORDS Landscapes have been dubbed as thee up and coming hardcore band and it’s not hard to see why. This lovely bunch of Somerset lads have produced some absolutely top class tunes on their debut album ‘Life Gone Wrong’. The album may only be nine tracks long but it’d pretty fair to say that it’s a good example quality of quantity. The album starts with the explosive Cemetary and that’s neatly followed up by the track ‘No Love’ which displays the holy grail of hardcore so well; the ability to convey emotion in such an aggressive way. The album does slow down a bit in the tracks Providence and Coming Of Age although the latter track is definitely the stronger of the two. Following these two tracks is an almost entirely instrumental song called ‘Forgiveness’ which is just a brilliant display of how talented this lot are. The lads end the album on a high note with Epilogy and Paradox. Paradox is a typically euphoric, building track with all the usual staples but, as seems to be the norm with this band, there are a few things that catch you off guard and just surprise you enough to make this a stand out track. All in all, this is an amazing debut album for the band and hopefully, like their predecessors in the scene, they’ll prove themselves not be one hit wonders and keep out doing themselves and building on a solid start that they’ve already given themselves.
ALYCE MACPHERSON
JOSH GILLIGAN Flesh and Blood HASSLE RECORDS Josh Gilligan is a 20 year old Floridian multi-instrumentalist and his debut album, ‘Flesh and Blood` possess an array of his talents which culminate into an upbeat blend of pop and folk. While the album is nothing groundbreaking, there is a sincerity and simple beauty to be had in listening to Gilligan’s talent. The album opens with Whispers in the Breeze which really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The track opens with a soft rapturous strumming on the acoustic guitar and is quickly joined by a lively upbeat drumming. The song has a catchy rhythm to it and is bristling with a simple yet genuine sense of joy. There’s no denying the beauty in Gilligan’s voice which has a vehemently passionate quality to it. It’s certainly one of the most defining aspects of his album and is perhaps illustrated best on the track Stowaway. This song has a more prominent folk sound to it than the rest of the album and displays a more sombre feel. Gilligan’s vocals shape the rhythm of the song as they do throughout the album but it’s the presence of just the acoustic guitar that allows him to display the gentle, sincere vocals that portray his natural talents. Another standout song on the album is Fear; it encompasses Josh Gilligan’s sound well and defines the vivacious feel to the album. The backing vocals on this track are harrowing and serve as intrinsic when the songs slows down and works to a climatic build up. The vocals are heartfelt and ingenuous and the rhythm is captivating. Let it Go changes things a little; the track opens with a steady beat on the keys and flows into a heartfelt swaying pop song. While the narrative of this song is less upbeat than the rest of the album it still cascades with optimism. Overall Josh Gilligan’s debut album is nothing groundbreaking but it’s important to realise that is irrelevant in the context of its beauty. It’s apparent that he has been true to himself with the music he has created and he cannot be faulted for that. There is genuine joy and sincerity in Gilligan’s music that is both unequivocal and beautiful in its own right. His music possesses an innocent and sincere joy that is a perfect match for his talents.
TONY CONNELLY
THE BANTER | 21
Interview
TWIN ATLANTIC INTERVIEW
BY MAXWELL LYNAS
T HE B A NT E R C H ATS TO R O SS AND BAR RY F R OM T W I N AT L A NT I C A B OUT THEIR SUCCESS, THEI R US TOUR A ND THE P E RIL S O F C H E ESE SAND WICHES AMO NGST OTHER THI NGS
J
ust over a year ago I had the pleasure of speaking to the members of the Glasgow rock band Twin Atlantic just before their new album “Free” was released, it is safe to say in just over a year’s time the band’s fortunes have improved dramatically. Since we last spoke the band released their album “Free” to critical and commercial success, the album nearly cracked the Top Ten, they’ve performed a near sell-out UK tour, with a sold out homecoming show at the Glasgow Barrowlands, countless festival dates, a US tour, more festivals and then another UK tour as well as releasing five singles from the album “Free” and racking up hours of radio play.
Now, I’m in the bowels of Glasgow’s SECC talking to Ross and Barry just hours before they warm up a 10,000 strong crowd for one of the biggest bands in the world, Blink 182. After the release of “Free” the band and its popularity seemed to explode, was that something the band expected? Ross: “No, not at all. It has been a pretty amazing year and because we have been away so much it is pretty hard to get your head around how lucky we are and how well it is all going because we are all about the shop you don’t really get a full grasp of what is going on.” Tonight sees the return of the band to Glasgow to support
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Interview Blink 182 once again, with Blink 182 being one of the biggest bands in the world do you ever come to terms with sharing a stage with an act of that size? Barry: “It is a bit weird, because when we play our own shows we feel that they are big shows, we play to 2,000 people and think “no way, there is 2,000 people here” then you play a show with Blink and there can be 20,000 people there, it is just the scale of it that knocks you for six, it is just the enormity of it.” Ross: “This show and last night’s show are the two smallest ones and they are still over 10,000 people and it is the fact you look at Blink on stage and they are totally unfazed by it.” Barry: “It is awesome to share a stage with them, more than anything it is just nice to be invited by the band to play with them, literally they could have picked any band they wanted so to turn round and ask us to play with them again, and it is a massive honour.” You are back in Glasgow tonight, with hometown shows one can only assume your phones are ringing off the hook with people looking for an elusive guest list spot? Barry: “[laughs] mine’s has been quite subdued actually I think people realise not to take the p*ss.” Ross: “See because it is not our own show, it’s hard trying to get your mum in let alone anyone else.” The band is just recently back off of a successful US tour, can you tell us how that went? Barry: “It was good but it was up and down.” Ross: “It was fine; it is just such a big country. It is just one of those places we feel so lucky to actually get to go there, but day to day it could be a massive high but the next day I don’t mean low because obviously you are get to do this amazing thing but for a small band or at least a band starting from scratch we are kind of making headway and it is fun and good and things are good well but it is a such a big place and it takes a long time to cover it properly. Some states are bigger than Scotland.” Do you feel Sam’s Scottish accent when he sings helps or hinders the band while they are in the US? Barry: “I think Sam was kind of learn to slow down and that his diction has to be spot on or people don’t understand him, that is the only hindrance as sometimes at gigs people are like “what on earth is he saying” but the good thing about it is for some reason Americans have this total affinity with Scottish and Irish people as well so when they find out we are a Scottish band they seem to give us a way warm reception than they would even an American band.” It was recently announced that Twin Atlantic would be joining the US Warped Tour, the Warped Tour is synonymous with Punk music does the band feel they will fit in on the tour? Barry: “We will find out when we get there but I feel like the Warped Tour previous years there certainly wasn’t many shows that I feel we would have fitted in to. This year looking at the Warped Tour there is the classic Warped Tour
band thing but there is also some singer/songwriters and indie bands this year. I feel we are in better company this year.” Ross: “So we are some in the middle of it somewhere, it is also a total trial and error thin, we just have no idea.” With the constant touring has there been a chance to write any new material? Ross: “We’ve got a few songs together for the next record, well quite a few… Barry: “About ten I think.” Ross: “Sam has a few more that the four of us need to get into a room and get to grips with the song and see where it goes, it is so hard on tour though there is no chance of us all to getting together until we are all off tour.” What can the fans expect from your upcoming autumn tour? Barry: “I don’t think we’ve fully decided yet, but they can obviously expect to hear our music, we will definitely play some new songs, we trial ran one new track on our last tour which we felt went down really well considering no one had ever heard it before, so on this tour we will trial run some more.” Ross: “We are going to try and put on more of a production this time and try and make it a more exciting visual performance. Barry: “Sparkly Jackets are the way forward.” With the constant touring, are there any songs that you dread playing now? Barry:”I enjoy playing all our songs, they are all good for different reasons, different songs make crowds react different. There are no songs that I hate, Ross probably has loads though.” Ross: “Not really, there are definitely songs that I prefer playing, honestly there was a period of a few months were I couldn’t be bothered playing “What is light? Where is laughter?” a song that was on Vivarium, just because if someone was like “do you want a cheese sandwich?” every day for the last 365 days eventually you’d be like not really but then you go through a period of not wanting that cheese sandwich then you start to learn that there is something good about that cheese sandwich.” Twin Atlantic are on tour on the following dates: October: 27th Glasgow, Barrowland 29th Aberdeen, Music Hall 30th Edinburgh, HMV Picturehouse November: 1st Newcastle, o2 Academy 2nd Manchester Academy 3rd Birmingham o2 Academy 5th Norwich, UEA 6th Bristol, o2 Academy 7th Southampton Guildhall 8th London, o2 Shepherds Bush Empire THE BANTER | 23
Interview
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Interview
INTERVIEW // NATASHA REID PHOTOS // DAREN BORZYNSKI Perhaps one of the most unique artists to have come
such shows no matter winning or coming 9th. Infact he
from the huge talent show, The X Factor, Aiden Grimshaw
would go as far as advising others to enter.
has returned after a two year break and is ready to showcase his highly anticipated new album, “Misty Eye.”
“I would definitely advise others to take the X Factor route or a similar one. I worked in Pizza Hut and the
Finishing The X Factor in just 9th place alongside the
highlight of my shift would be somebody forgetting to
likes of Matt Cardle, Cher Lloyd, and none other than One
eat a large majority of the pizza and on the way to the
Direction, Aiden feels that the X Factor was still a great
bin, I would eat a little bit of it. That was the highlight of
platform on which he could pursue a career in music. At
my day but today it is 10 o’clock and I’m in Glasgow just
just 18, he entered the competition in the hope of being
chatting about myself. “
a successful artist. Life has definitely changed for Aiden. From an 18 year old “The X Factor feels like a good memory. Whenever I think
boy to a 20 year old man.”
about it, I just think it is great that it has got me here. It’s weird, I can’t pick out individual memories but the whole
“ I think it was just more about developing myself as a
thing is just a great part of my past.”
normal person. I was only 18 when I entered the X Factor but it was good to get away from that, lose the quiff
Admittedly, he rarely keeps in contact with the
and just do some normal things like learn to change a
contestants of the show, apart from occasionally
lightbulb and pay bills.”
catching up with winner (although rarely heard of now) Matt Cardle.
“I think coming 9th in the competition and taking two years off has helped me to develop myself. If you do
For many wishful musicians, talent shows do not seem
something that is honest to you then it makes you
like the right path for them. Often, we here, from artists
honest.”
already in the industry, that the X Factor in particular is a set-up with no real talent. Aiden Grimshaw, 20, may well
And an honest sound is what Aiden was determined
be the definitive proof that real talent can be found on
to achieve. You cant help but remember his almost
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Interview haunting performance of “Mad World” on the X Factor. It
together the way that he had imagined it would be.
is a performance that will stay with him forever, for all the
“I think my album is autobiographical but I didn’t really
right reasons. However, the sound of his music now will
know what to write about when we first came round to
come as much of a surprise to existing fans of Aiden and
it because I am only 20. The biggest thing I think most
potential new ones.
people have been through is love. So I decided to write about that. So it is autobiographical in a sense because
“To develop myself as an artist I spent a lot of time in
you can make it a little more related to yourself.”
the studio writing with different people, working with different producers and trying to find a sound. I tried to
Of course there has to be influence taken from
find what I was good at and generally just finding out
somewhere. Aiden told us surprisingly that he is a
what I really wasn’t good at.”
massive Outkast fan and that if he could collaborate with anyone, it would be them. The song they would do would
“I would describe my sound as varied. I think there are
be an Outkast one, “Ms Jackson.” This is a cover and a
some big aggressive beats in there and some small ones
collaboration, I am sure everyone would look forward to
as well. I think it is all coherent. Honest.”
hearing from Aiden.
Honest is a word that Aiden is using often to describe not only his album but the process which led him to writing
As his debut album, Grimshaw is feeling more excited
such a great album. Like any other 20 year old, he found
than nervous. He set out to make an album he was proud
himself being inspired on nights out.
of, and part of that process was to make one that his family were proud of as well.
“If ever I was to have a night out and get a bit drunk, I would usually get an idea and the next day I would
“My family are all big music fans so my first goal coming
just roll into the studio and be like ‘this is my idea, this
off the show was to make an album and for them to like
is where I’m coming from.’ So it was just starting from
it and me not to feel embarrassed about it and I’ve done
scratch really.”
that.”
“The best way to making something that is honest is to not have a brief and make a song similar to Adele’s
“The best part of the album process was I got my dad to
‘Someone Like You’ or any other song that has done
come to London to see the flat, I got him a bit drunk (I
particularly well. It’s important just to make a sound that
don’t know if that was cheating), put the album on then
is personal to you rather than a bit of somebody else.”
went away to make some toast, turned back around and there he is dancing with a big smile on his face. So I knew
A process that can only be admired by music lovers.
he liked it.”
There is nothing worse than musicians who take things that have already been done and apply it to their own.
“Misty Eye”, the debut album from Aiden Grimshaw is
It is originality that makes good music. Originality is
available for pre-order now as well as the second single
something which Aiden applies. His album is that of a
“Curtain Call” following the massive success of the first
personal one, taken from personal experiences and put
single “Is This Love.”
26 | THE BANTER
Feature
POP GOES THE MUSICAL F
our of the West End’s top musicals play host to very special performances by pop stars to benefit the BBC’s Children in Need charity as part of POP Goes The Musical this year. Alexandra Burke will be taking to the stage of the Queen’s Theatre on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue on September 18 to perform a hit song from the legendary “Les Misérables” – the world’s longest-running musical. “I’m so excited to be part of BBC Children in Need this year. It’s an amazing cause and helps so many people,” said Alexandra. “I was absolutely blown away by Les Misérables when I saw the show and to join the cast of one of the West End’s most famous musicals is a real honour. I hope everyone goes to www.lastminute.com/pudsey to buy tickets and support the charity.” Boy band Blue will be taking to the stage of the Prince Edward Theatre on London’s Old Compton Street on October 11 to perform a hit song from the musical “Jersey Boys” – the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. “We are so excited to join BBC Children in Need’s POP Goes the Musical,” they said. “Blue will be turning Red for BBC Children in Need when we put on the famous Jersey Boys’ Red Jackets for this one-off performance. It is an amazing
28 | THE BANTER
chance and for such a great cause!”
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell will take to the stage on October 25 for Singin’ In The Rain. “I have a thing for rain, so I am very excited to be performing in the West End musical Singin’ in the Rain and it’s all for BBC’s Children in Need,” said Geri. “Just imagine – for one night I get to perform in this classic musical!” And Macy Gray and Stooshe will be taking to the stage of the Lyric Theatre on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue on November 15 to perform a hit song from “Thriller: Live”, a celebration of the hit songs of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. “We are sooo excited to be a part of BBC Children in Need POP Goes the Musical,” said the girls from Stooshe. “It will be a totally, brand new experience to get up on a West End stage in Thriller: Live, but we can’t wait to help such an amazing cause!”
Interview
RABBIT
frightened BY SARAH LOUISE KELLY
F
rightened Rabbit have had one hell of a year and their EP hasn’t even been released yet! After touring for a while and gaining fans outwith Scotland, they did what very few bands seem to do; they toured the highlands which have some of Scotland’s most remote venues amongst them. Vocalist Scott Hutchinson says “this year’s been great fun, touring the highlands was always a big dream of ours and it’s one of the things that I’d always hoped we’d accomplish as a band”. Frightened Rabbit have rocketed from being a huge part of Glasgow’s Indie Scene to touring North America and their music being used on hit TV shows across the pond such as Chuck and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. They haven’t forgotten their roots though, members can be spotted at a lot of unsigned shows around Scotland, they still offer a lot of support and respect to upcoming bands and their latest EP “State Hospital” is the perfect example of modern Scottish folk music, something that has
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been used lightly throughout their musical careers but is only prominent with the latest release. In today’s economic climate, it’s hard to get anywhere with your aspirations no matter how talented or qualified you are and on top of this, the music industry is notoriously hard to get into, most musicians have a second job and have to consider their musical careers to be hobbies. Frightened Rabbit have surpassed all expectations of most modern bands, Hutchinson describes having his band as his only job to be “like a dream” and “something we weren’t ever expecting to happen!”. Surprisingly, despite his career being like a “dream”, Scott admits there are downfalls to it and the biggest one is one that most bands look forward to more than anything; touring! He admits that performing is a lot of fun and he always enjoys it but the touring in between? Not so much. “It’s frustrating. The more I perform, the more inspired
Interview
One to Watch For:
Amelia Lily I get and the further away from home I am, the less I can do about the inspiration. I find myself really wanting to come home and get stuff recorded. I obviously miss my friends and family a lot while on tour, as well, it’s knackering but very much worth it.”
X Factor finalist Amelia Lily is set to release her debut single You Bring Me Joy through Xenomania/Sony music on 2nd September. The track is taken from her
To further their success, an obvious option would be to go more mainstream, to adhere to the standards and styles of today’s chart music and significantly reduce the originality of their sound. As unappealing as it may seem, many bands seem to have headed that way, toned down who they are, what they stand for and given into mainstream demands. I wondered if this was a temptation that the band have come across. ‘Not at-all, as a band, in the past ten years we’ve grown a lot and I’m very happy with where we are now but in my mind, we are what most people’s idea of pop music is anyway. Most of our songs have the standard verse-chorus-verse set-up. It’s not a temptation of ours at-all, we like who we are but I don’t think we’re very far from the mainstream kind of sounds anyway.’ I spoke to him briefly about the underground indie scene in both Glasgow and Edinburgh and he is very passionate about the bands involved, he says there’s “endless” great bands out there, a fantastic selection and something that is “consistently vibrant”.
as yet untitled debut album, which will be released in November 2012. Amelia was just 16 when she blew away the judges at her audition in 2011. She became the first of the girls’ category to be eliminated from the live shows by her mentor, but was reinstated by public vote several episodes later – finally ending the competition in third place during the finals. Having kept a low profile since the show, Amelia Lily signed to Xenomania earlier this year, and has been writing and recording her debut pop album with Brian Higgins (Sugababes, Girls Aloud), and they’ve been hav-
As for the rest of this year? State Hospital is released on September 24th, they’ll be going back on tour, across Scotland and Ireland and maybe at some point, Scott will get to see the family and friends he misses whilst away. Frightened Rabbit are a band that create beautiful music with lyrics that are all at once beautiful, poignant and intelligent. They reach out to people of all ages from all backgrounds and have only just started to really leave their mark on the world. If there’s any band you should be listening to this year, it’s them.
ing fun incorporating elements of dance, drum & bass and dubstep as well as the rock you’d expect from her spectacular Xfactor live performances, on the album. Amelia has just returned from LA, where she recorded the video for You Bring Me Joy exactly one year on from that very first audition. THE BANTER | 31
Music
G I GS Photo - Daren Borzynskl 32 | THE BANTER
Music MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS 02 ABC, Glasgow GIG REVIEW
Upon the release of her second studio album “Electra Heart”, Marina and The Diamonds set out on her X date UK tour entitled “The Lonely Heart Club” which arrived at Glasgow’s o2 ABC on the 20th of June. Although not a sold out gig, the venue was packed with one of the most varied crowds I have been a part of, and undoubtedly one of the most bizarre. Much of the same can be said for Marina’s stage set up. It had an extremely old school/retro approach. Hanging in the left hand corner of the stage was what seemed to be an old fashioned theatre sign saying “Lonely Heart Club” and a luminous pink flashing “Electra Heart” sign to the right of it. There were various other props filling the stage including an old black and white TV, a glamorous looking coat stand and not forgetting the piano, drum kit and other musical instruments that her five piece band would soon take to the stage with. It was clear from the start that this was not just a Marina and The Diamonds gig but, in fact, a Marina and the Diamonds spectacular. And spectacular it was. Opening her set with, “Homewrecker”, the crowd were warmed up and ready to dance as she followed with other popular hits “I Am Not A Robot and “Starring Role”. The seventh song into the set was disco pop anthem, “Living in a State of Dreaming” which was received with loud cheers and the crowd singing along. By now, the themes of disco pop and almost 60s vibes were very much apparent. Continuing her set with “Bubblegum Bitch,” which she claims to be one of her favourite songs to perform live, it was hard to imagine her set would ever slow down. Disco/ pop tune after disco/pop tune. Toward the end of her set, the audience joined her in singing her most recent single “Primadonna” which again had the audience geared up and ready. However, it was the close of her set that was the highlight of the night. Ending on a definite high, Marina And The Diamonds finished with the dance, anthemic single “Radioactive”. A true light and sound spectacular, she showcased herself perfectly as an artist and a performer. Not surprisingly, she wasn’t finished yet. Her encore consisted of “Teen Idle”, “Fear And Loathing” and one of her first singles to be released “Hollywood.” Marina And The Diamonds did not just put on a gig. She performed a fantastic show and she will undoubtedly be welcomed back to Scotland with open arms. THE BANTER | 33
Music BLINK 182 SECC, Glasgow GIG REVIEW
It’s 20th June 2012, a date that will always stay with me, not least because that was the day I officially became old and turned 25 but it was the day Blink 182 blew my tiny little mind at Glasgow’s SECC. Before Blink 182 could do dirty things to my mind, Glasgow gave Twin Atlantic a reception fit for the return of a conquering hero, the boys from Glasgow took command of their small 30 minute opening set and gave their hometown crowd something to shout about with rousing renditions of their hits Edit Me, Make a Beast of Myself and Free. While watching Twin Atlantic up on the SECC stage you realise this is where this band belongs and it won’t be long until it is Twin that is performing to a sell-out crowd of their own fans at the SECC. It seemed All American Rejects had set out to try their hardest to ruin my birthday, well at least their lead singer Tyson Ritter did, their hit songs Dirty Little Secret, Move Along and Gives you Hell received a great response from the crowd but lead singer Tyson just came across as an ass and I felt his voice was terrible and whiny. Blink 182 flew out the traps unleashing a barrage of hits on a rapturous sold out crowd; Feeling This, Up All Night, The Rock Show, What’s My Age Again, Down and Miss You were the first six songs and all massive hits in their own right.
There is just something about Blink 182 that makes you feel young again, fart and dick jokes become the highest level of humour when the spew out of Mark and Tom’s mouth and who doesn’t love a “I just had sex with your mom” joke between a forty year old man and a thirty-six year old man. Blink 182 live shows are synonymous with the childish banter of Tom and Mark but it seems their performances have become incredible tight and powerful as they run through a mix of their greatest hits with some tracks from their fantastic Neighborhoods album with Heart’s All Gone, After Midnight, Wishing Well and Ghosts on the Dancefloor all seamless fitting in the set list between huge hits like First Date, Always, Josie, Man Overboard and All The Small Things. After All The Small Things, the band go off stage for the tried and tested encore routine but Blink change it up a little as Mark and Tom appear at the sound desk just in front of the seating area at the SECC and perform Reckless Abandon and Wasting Time which is a great surprise to those stuck in the seating section (i.e. ME!) Travis then unleashes a solo performance of his single Can a Drummer Get Some and then the band launch into Carousel, Dammit and Family Reunion to bring their performance to a close and leave the Glasgow crowd stunning and with this one fan with a blown mind. MAXWELL LYNAS
SUMMER NIGHTS - BROWN BEAR & THE BANDITS, THE SEA KINGS, LOVERS TURN TO MONSTERS, AARON WRIGHT KING TUTS, Glasgow GIG REVIEW
During the remarkably rainy festival season, it’s not surprising that people were less keen to venture out anywhere to watch bands. But Craig Johnston has a plan to get people out in support of our great local talent whatever the weather, in the form of King Tut’s annual Summer Nights festival. I was invited along to one night in particular. The venue’s downstairs bar was bustling an hour before show time, and I became excited for the night’s forthcoming acts - I knew that some had never played at Tut’s before. After sitting down and taking in the atmosphere, a kick drum beckoned me and I made my way upstairs to the pleasant tones of Aaron Wright and his band, which would set a relaxed scene for most of the night. Kyle Wood, aka Lovers Turn To Monsters, made his way onto the stage rather timidly, behind the comfort of an old acoustic guitar. He suddenly came to life, frantically strumming away. The fact that this was his first ever performance at King Tut’s became all the more genuine and convincing when he switched to playing his banjo for one song and broke a string, and the vulnerability in his voice and unashamed honesty of his lyrics is very admirable. Some members of the audience even vocalised their appreciation of the performance. The Sea Kings portray a wiser, more experienced and well matured vessel than the average ensemble - their title and laidback style go hand in hand - and to quote Robert Louis Stevenson, “I thought I had only found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered.” I couldn’t help but look from left to right across the stage at this well-oiled machine, to see and believe exactly what I was hearing. The floor quickly filled for the last act, Brown Bear & The Bandits, and I’d only ever heard of them. I was curious. Compared to the previous acts, their setup is minimal, but with a big sound they powered through from an early start, so as to fit in more of their furious Chicano rock style. A commendable act. On acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Matt (Brown Bear), along with bass player Stuart and drummer Kay, brings the difference in style and stage presence that the night was looking for. The band were still supercharged after having played at T in the Park less than two weeks before, and staying warmed up for their festival dates afterwards did not look like a problem. MARTIN KNOX
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Music CHRIS CORNELL O2 ACADEMY, Glasgow GIG REVIEW
Being a recent Chris Cornell convert is an overwhelming experience in itself, he’s a man who’s been in an impressive number of successful bands and he’s also proven himself as a strong solo artist, there are very few people who can lay claim to that level of talent. Chris Cornell could be considered somewhat of a veteran of his trade, he’s been in the music business since the 80’s and it has in no way jaded or disillusioned him, if anything, Chris Cornell is thee most laid back man in the music industry and he’s just so human that makes him all the more appealing. It’s a daunting task to be a support act at a gig, granted, but you can only speculate as to how many times that feeling would be amplified if you were supporting a seasoned musician but apparently, for singer songwriter Paul Freeman, that’s not an issue. Not only was he supporting Mr Cornell he’s not long off a tour with the legendary Roger Daltrey. If that’s not an amazing feat then nothing is. Generally, support acts can be considered a nuisance as it’s just more noise to talk over until the main act comes on but this was just not the case with Paul Freeman. He might have only occupied a tiny corner of the stage but he certainly reached ever corner of the O2 Academy from where he was standing. Paul lives in the USA right now but he hails from the valleys of Wales and like most music acts to come out of Wales, he’s damn good. With an already large following on YouTube and a debut album coming out imminently, he is one to watch closely. Paul played a tight set and as a testament to how popular he is he managed to get a sing-a-long from some of the crowd to his song ‘Tightrope’. Paul is a truly charming chap with bags of talent and he proved to be a great way to warm up the room ready for Chris. If anyone’s voice was going to sound good in the O2 Academy, it would be Chris Cornell’s. With a mind-blowing vocal range at his disposal Chris is just someone you need to see live to believe it’s not all smoke and mirrors. Even then, I found myself trying to catch him lip-synching at points because I just could not fathom that he was able to produce such beautiful sounds with nothing but his voice box. I usually cringe when I go to a gig and a musician or band does a ‘cover’ of a song, as I imagine most people do but I can genuinely say that the two covers that Chris played were just as good as the originals. When Chris covers a song he doesn’t just play it like the original, he makes it a whole new song of his own and that it just phenomenal. When Chris played a requested cover of Michael Jacksons ‘Billie Jean’ I can honestly say that for the first verse I wasn’t even sure that he was playing ‘Billie Jean’.
ALYCE MCPHERSON
The absolute worst nightmare of anyone heading to a gig that’s to promote a forth coming album is that the musician or band just play all the new songs that no one knows yet as it is an ideal way to murder any good vibes; thankfully Chris is as wise as he is talented as he played not only older solo songs but a nice mixture from Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. The man knows how to please a crowd. Incidentally, I wasn’t sure how an acoustic version of ‘Black Hole Sun’ would translate into acoustic but it honestly sounded as though that’s the way it had originally been written. You could almost feel your brain run out of your ears as it refused to believe that it was the same Soundgarden song that you were so accustomed to hearing. For me, the highlight of the entire gig was most definitely when Chris strayed into the Temple of the Dog and played one of their best known and best loved songs, ‘Hunger Strike’. It was just such a haunting moment as he sung it so softly and everywhere around me people were singing along quietly too. It was one of those gig moments that will be with you forever just because it was so striking. There was no doubt that Chris Cornell would not disappoint on any level but he infinitely surpassed it at Glasgow O2 Academy with two standing ovations from the crowd. Never, in my entire life have I felt the tingle of my hair standing on end so continuously for such a prolonged period. Every moment of seeing Chris Cornell live is astounding and purely magical. THE BANTER | 35
Feature
HOW TO USE THE IPAD EFFECTIVELY AS A SINGER BY PETRA RASPEL
I am not shy to admit it: My life as a singer and coach has become so much easier since I own an iPad! I can still remember the “good old days” of having to source sheet music in a library or music store. What a nightmare! You could either never find what you were looking for, someone else had already borrowed it and you had to wait for at least 4 weeks, or you had to order stuff – and again sometimes wait a considerable amount of time. The iPad doesn’t just offer great possibilities to source sheet music though, so here are some ideas how to use the iPad as a singer/musician. Additional Hardware I didn’t purchase much additional hardware since I don’t really need it as a singer/vocal coach. If you are an instrumentalist of some sort, you might want to purchase a bit of additional equipment (like MIDI connector kits etc), but for me, the following items do: 1. Good Headphones: The more musically sophisticated your 36 | THE BANTER
usage of the iPad, the more you should of course invest in decent quality. I won’t recommend specific headphones for that very reason – all you should obviously look out for is that they fit into the 3.5mm headphone jack (I am not a big fan of adapters in that case). 2. A good quality speaker set: I use a SONY SRS BT-100 wireless speaker, for the very reason that it runs via Bluetooth and therefore doesn’t occupy the 3.5mm jack. You just need to make sure that you don’t need to charge your iPad at the same time. This speaker only has 30W, but it is powerful enough for listening to music or playing back accompaniments (either streamed via Internet, or files I already have on iTunes). The great thing about them is that the sound quality is really superb for their output – and that they are portable, so you can carry them with you wherever you need them, and you don’t need to worry about sufficient cable length. 3. Some additional cables/adapters: This will especially be interesting if you don’t just want to connect a speaker, but let’s say your amp, or other hardware.
Feature My suggestions are: A) CAMERA CONNECTOR KIT/USB ADAPTER: I would really invest into the original Apple product, because the cheaper ones I have tried are very flimsy and don’t seem to work that well. The camera connector kit in a way doubles up as a USB connector, so in theory, you can connect any USB device through it. Be warned though: It is a bit hit and miss – especially devices that need a bit of power won’t always work. Don’t be taken aback by error messages though – you can usually just ignore them with one tap, and the device often works perfectly well. B) AUDIO CABLES THAT CONNECT TO THE 3.5MM JACK: What connector you have on the other side obviously depends on what you need to connect it to – it could be a 6.35mm for your guitar, a stereo 3.5mm ... Don’t scrimp on the quality of these cables – the cheap ones are awful and can create hissing, humming and all sorts of other unpleasant noises, so really invest in a decent set. I, for instance, connect my P.A. through its auxiliary stereo channel – it turns the iPad into a lightweight, more portable and fully functional mixing and effects deck. C) MICROPHONE: The built-in iPad mic is okay for using Skype etc, but if you want to record vocals whilst e.g. rehearsing, or to capture ideas, it just won’t do in my opinion. I already have a wide selection of both dynamic and condenser microphones. I use them through my P.A. system, so usually, I don’t need to think about compatibility with the iPad. If you want to use your XLR microphones: IK Multimedia brings out the iRig PRE soon, which will connect XLR microphones of any kind. If you use USB microphones with your desktop studio, you can try to connect them via the camera connector kit – some work, some don’t. I invested in an iRig microphone. It is a very decent condenser mic for the price, and more than enough for brainstorming, or recording sessions/songs. It has the added advantage of a dual 3.5mm jack connector, so you can still use e.g. your headphones whilst the mic is plugged in. Software/Apps: This is where it gets really interesting. Your iPad comes alive with the apps you put on it – some very good ones are even free, or you can get them for a very small price of often under £5. I will tell you a few of my favourite ones: 1. Books & Reading: I use iBooks and Kindle. Both are amazing for purchasing reference books/material you might need (and they free up floorspace in your flat). They also double up as PDF readers, so you can keep a significant library on a virtual bookshelf. 2. Office & Browsing: For sketching ideas, there is the free Documents app – it does text, spreadsheets and paint. If you have to type a lot, I would recommend to either connect a wireless/Bluetooth keyboard, or simply use your PC/Mac though.
Another great app is Skitch – it lets you brainstorm by drawing, recolour/edit existing photos or pictures, take photos and screenshots of webpages etc, and then save everything to e.g. Evernote. I find that Safari usually does as a browser, but there is no possibility to use Flash with it, so some webpages/applications won’t work. I found a nifty little app called iSwifter, which can be used for these “emergencies”. It can sometimes be a bit laggy since it runs through a remote server, but it does the trick if you absolutely have to use a Flash site on your iPad. 3. Sheetmusic/Lyrics/Tabs: This is of course more interesting for a musician/singer. It saves you from purchasing whole books if you only want one song, and it also (again) frees up shelf space in your home. Last but not least, it makes sheet music so much more portable. I will just give you a very short overview of the sheet music apps I use, I am sure there are more out there. The apps are mostly free, you just pay for the in-app purchase of your sheet music download (and prices vary considerably across platforms, so always cross check). •Etude by Steinway – rather a piano music app, but also very helpful for singers (quite a bit of vocal music for all styles in it as well). •MusicPad – you will need an account with MusicOnline. com for this. I just got it because I used to buy music through Freehandmusic in the past, and everything I had already purchased was also available to transfer to my iPad. I feel though this app is not quite as advanced as some of the others out there (it also crashes every now and again). •Musicnotes – same idea as the MusicPad, so you will need an account with Musicnotes.com. A far better working app though. •NoteStar – this works like Etude and is essentially a Keyboard app by Yamaha. Again, a lot of material for singers on it as well, even with demonstrations of the melody line. •Perform – this is actually just a sophisticated PDF sheet music reader. It lets you load all your sheet music, provided you have it as a PDF (it even has a built-in Google search). The great thing about it is that you can switch from swiping to scrolling mode if you need to change pages, the latter meaning you don’t need to manually turn pages anymore. Scroll speed is fully adjustable. You can try it for free, the full version costs £2.99. •SheetMusDirect – in my opinion the best (and most costeffective) sheet music app out there at the moment. Very intuitive, great selection, transposing etc is really easy. •TabToolkit – for everything you cannot find sheet music for. It is basically a guitar tab / chords reader, the latter also being very handy for musicians other than guitarists – chord progressions at the push of a button (okay, sometimes you THE BANTER | 37
Feature need to tweak them a bit)! Virtually nothing you cannot find on there. 4. Singing/Voice: Finally, I would like to introduce you to some apps which are specifically designed for singers, or come in very handy in a voice studio. The built-in Music app is of course the first one that springs to mind. Another app that comes pre-installed is YouTube - if you ever need reference, you will probably find most of it on there. Always bear in mind though that not everything you might find is necessarily legitimate in terms of copyright. •ImproVox – if you like playing around with vocal ideas, this might be one for you to try. It is essentially a vocal effects app (contains all the “traditional” ones like reverb and echo) and gives you the opportunity to create harmonies in different musical styles.
•VocaLive – an app that comes with the already mentioned iRig microphone. You can get the free version even if you don’t have this particular microphone though. The full version is essentially a real-time vocal processor. A very powerful app, and I sometimes connect it to my amp. For this, you plug in the iRig microphone, and then connect the whole iPad to your amp via the headphone jack (see comments about hardware/audio cables). This way, it provides you with different effects chains without having the need for an additional vocal processor or mixing desk. •VoiceJam by TC Helicon – basically a looper, so if you like this type of vocal music, you might want to give it a try. •GarageBand – I don’t think any iPad should be without GarageBand. It turns your iPad into a portable recording studio, you have virtual instruments at your free disposal, so it is great for sketching/recording ideas. •Tune TransFormer – a really great little app to change pitch and speed of any given sound file/playback in real-time. No more practising to tunes in the wrong key! •SoundCloud – if you want to share your recordings, probably the app to go for. 38 | THE BANTER
Life has its ups and downs You can talk confidentially online or by phone whenever you need to. Whatever your worry, it’s better out than in.
www.childline.org.uk ChildLine is a service provided by the NSPCC. Registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717. 7244/11
Interview
A
band that’s now been writing and releasing music for almost two decades without ever losing their original sound or line up, impossible you say? Billy Talent are a band that are full of surprises. At first glance these Canadian lovelies are first and foremost a great band but once you delve deeper into their world you learn that there are many layers to one of the longest running and successful punk pop bands on the planet. With a new album being released in September there’s no doubt that these lads already have a plate full of commitments but they’re still squeezing in two intimate UK dates in London and then Edinburgh before heading home to tour and once again gracing our shows for the album tour in November. The band may already have so many things on the go but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have for themselves, as Ben told me he’s just recently gotten married, Aaron had a child and open heart surgery, which was ‘pretty gnarly’, and John had another child. It’s a wonder the lads have any time to breathe let along do anything else but they’re
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due to release their new album Viking Death March in September this year and they’re all still in high spirits about it all. Writing a new album is always a challenge, you have to keep things fresh while still holding onto the elements that attracted your fans in the first place but Billy Talent are a band with a particular knack for doing just that, “Ian, our guitar player and songwriter, he comes up with these ideas and we all kind of just start working away at them and we don’t really think about does this sound fresh, does this sound new. If it’s exciting to us then... if it moves you then it has to move other people.” “When Ian and I were first starting to work on this record we were like, ‘What are we going to do, what are we going to write about, what are we going to talk about, what are we going to say that we haven’t said before?’ Y’know? And that’s a pretty important thing, especially as we’re getting older, we’re getting further along in our careers and having had five records throughout our lifetime, you don’t want to go down the same road
Interview because that’s boring and it’s not fresh and it’s not challenging and we’re not going to benefit and, more importantly, you’re not going to benefit.” Aside from the fact that the band have managed to keep together such a tight sound over almost two decades of being together they’ve also managed to keep their original line up which, in all honesty, it like gold dust these days but Ben doesn’t put it down to any magical force, “I think it’s more or less, it was like we made this like bond and pact with each other at a very young age and we’ve all just honoured that agreement and we have our disagreements and we get along as family members do and we spend a lot of time together and things like that but there’s always an underlying sense of as soon as we get on stage together there’s something that happens that’s really special and we love that and we appreciate that it’s what keeps us going every day. So yeah it’s a mutual respect.” The forthcoming album, Viking Death March has received a lot of attention for two reasons, the fact that the band are moving away from their tradition of self titling albums, “there’s no real back story, there’s nothing magical or mysterious about it, we were over it and this record was a clean slate and a fresh start”, and the rumours that this album has had setback after setback but Ben says that the album hasn’t ever been setback at all, “Well, there wasn’t really actually that many setbacks, I’m not actually sure as to how that all came out. What happened was there was someone from like a label, someone on earth, said that our record was coming out at a certain time and the internet is just a big dry forest and if a match is lit then it just spreads. So all of a sudden people were like ‘Your record was meant to come out in like April!’ and we were like, ‘No it wasn’t, who the f*** said that?’. So yeah there wasn’t any major hiccups but like I’ve said before, good food takes a long time to cook and we just weren’t quite ready to serve the meal yet.” There is absolutely no doubt that Billy Talent are veterans on the festival circuit having appeared at almost every Download festival there ever was not to mention a few other big guns overseas like Rock AM Ring in Germany and Pukkelpop in Belgium, but the band aren’t particularly drawn to festivals, it just so happens that they believe in touring as hard as possible and festivals are a great way to reach all your old fans along with some new ones,
“There’s something really special about playing a festival and there’s lots of people out, there’s those serendipitous, cosmic moments when the sun’s out or it’s the perfect time when the sun goes down and everyone’s had a few drinks, there’s this beautiful kind of symmetry that happens and you hopefully get to play in front of new people which is always great right but there is definitely something really special about playing in a small club. Like we’re playing the Liquid Rooms next week and we’re looking forward to that because we’ve played there before and it’s a smaller club and we know that there’s going to be this amazing energy there and the place is going to pop!”
The band also freely admits that they love playing the UK because it’s usually more challenging than anywhere else, “I mean, just the UK in general has been the platform for some of the greatest bands if not thee greatest bands of all time right? So you’ve definitely got to bring your A game when you play the UK or else they let you know!” In between ‘real life’ and ‘touring life’ it’s a surprise these four have any time to do anything else but they’re also a band who is highly involved with charity work whether it’s raising funds or just raising awareness. Back in 2006 they organised a benefit concert for the charity F.U.M.S which helps support people with M.S, which band member Aaron suffers from and most recently, this year, the band have been auctioning off tickets for a meet and greet at Edgefest for the Canadian charity, War Child. With so many accolades and achievements under their belt already it’s hard to imagine Billy Talent surpassing the high standards that they have already reached but as we’ve seen before, nothing is impossible for this quartet, they just keep growing stronger and overcoming obstacles. It’s almost terrifying to imagine how much of a force to be reckoned with that they are. Billy Talent’s new album Viking Death March will be released on the 7th of September and they will be touring the UK to promote their new album in November later this year, please visit www.billytalent.com/Tour to check the dates in your area. BY ALYCE MACPHERSON THE BANTER | 41
Feature
FESTIVAL FEATURE
BY NATASHA REID
T IN THE PARK 2012
In its nineteenth year, T in The Park continues to grow bigger and better every year. For the vast majority, this year was no exception. Although, perhaps a small number would argue otherwise. This years festival saw some of the worst weather to hit Balado airfield in Kinross. Festival goers were warned to prepare themselves for the heavy rain that was predicted over the weekend. However, on the opening day, everyone was welcomed under clear skies and warm sunshine. As tents were being pitched and the first few drinks were being had in the campsite, an amazing party atmosphere escalated. 42 | THE BANTER
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his atmosphere only continued as acts such as The Kaiser Chiefs and Example opened the festival. Olly Murs performed on the NME stage and had what was a massive turnout dancing and singing along with him to tracks “Heart Skipped a Beat” and “Dance With Me Tonight.” Meanwhile, on the main stage Florence And The Machine warmed up the crowd, closing her set with her number one single “Spectrum,” before Friday night Main stage headliners, Snow Patrol took to the stage. Yet, it was at the NME stage where the best party was to be had on the first night of T in The Park with headliner Tinie Tempah. Full of energy, Tinie Tempah bounced about the stage performing tracks such as “When I’m Gone” and “Wonderland.” Forever complimenting the Scottish crowd, he seemed somewhat humbled by the massive turnout, saying how it was only 24 months ago that he was writing and recording his first album and now he is headlining a stage at one of the biggest music festivals in the UK. He then continued his set with massive chart hits such as, “Written In The Stars” and his recent single with Calvin Harris, “Drinking From The Bottle”. Just when you thought the atmosphere of the crowd could not get any more electric, Tinie closed his set with an extended version of dance anthem “Miami To Ibiza” before an encore consisting of his single with Rita Ora “RIP” and what is undoubtedly his most popular hit, “Pass Out.” This left a buzzing crowd walking back to the campsite for what was sure to be a long night of more partying. Unfortunately, after what was an amazing opening day to the festival, everyone woke up on the Saturday morning to torrential rain, flooded tents, and mud baths. As predicted the rain continued all morning and surprisingly, for a lot of people, it was a complete dampener on their weekend and they packed up their things and left. For the rest, however, the rain did not stop the festival spirit. The sea of yellow T in The Park ponchos made their way into the arena for one of the first bands of the day. The Dryburgh Soul Band (aka The View.) They brought in an impressive crowd on what was effectively one of the worst afternoons, weather wise, T in The Park has probably ever seen. The crowd were not giving into the weather however, chanting their usual “The View are on fire” and singing along to familiar songs, “Grace” and “Wasted Little DJ’s” as well as the more recent single, “How Long.” Always a band to get the Scottish Crowd going, The View did not fail to put what was a falling festival spirit back up high again. Other bands unfortunate enough to have their slot on the wettest afternoon of T in the Park inlcuded The Vaccines. But, unsurprisingly, they put on a fantastic set with songs from both their first and second album. Their fans braved the rain and showed supprt for the festival favourite. However, pulling in the biggest crowd on the Saturday despite the weather was none other than Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Proving that there is definitely life after Oasis, Noel set the stage ahead of headliners The Stone Roses, playing crowd favourites from their album including “If I Had A Gun” and the anthemic “Stranded On The Wrong Beach.” Yet, as expected, it was the Oasis hits “Half The World Away” and “Little By Little” that received the warmest and heartiest cheers from the crowd. Looking, relaxed and happy, Noel closed his set with Oasis classic, “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” leaving fans also relaxed and happy. But not for long as The Stone Roses, of course, took to the Mainstage as the much anticipated Saturday night headliner. THE BANTER | 43
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Saturday night, however, was the night for dance music. The festival crowd were forced to choose between two of the biggest DJ’s in the world. David Guetta headlining the NME stage and Calvin Harris headlining King Tuts. It was well and truly a battle of DJ gods. Typically, being a Scottish festival, you would expect that Calvin Harris was the winner and in this case he was. But David Guetta was also very much a winner. There were no losers. Both DJ’s putting on a fantastic show of massive tunes accompanied by a spectacle of lights and lasers. There may mot have been a winner out of the DJ’s but there was definitely a winner between their fans. The crowd at David Guetta can only be described as absolutely mental. Singing, cheering and chanting so loud that after his encore he was allowed back on stage by festival organisers for a second encore in which he played “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, a song which he was involved in producing.
last day of the festival, and what was arguably the best and most anticipated day of the full weekend. My Sunday afternoon was spent in both the artists and media village where I was lucky enough to interview some of the bands to come later on that day. First up was first time “T in the Parker’s” and massive band of 2012, LAWSON. Having had huge chart success with debut single “When She Was Mine” the boys are set to follow this with second single “Taking Over Me,” due to be released August 5th. “This is our first year doing the festival circuit. We’ve heard the Scottish crowd is quite rowdy and our set is quite ‘rocky’ really. We like to put on a good show with big guitars and big choruses.”
After a display of fireworks, the second day of T in The Park was over. The rain from the day was almost forgotten about as the thousands of happy campers made their way back into the campsite once again for a night of more partying.
“Things have definitely stepped up for us as a band in the last year, doing a bit more on TV and Radio. I think people see you a bit differently when you have been involved in all that. The main difference is when we go on stage and people are singing along. It’s just been amazing. That is the best part!”
Fortunately, festival-goers did not wake up to another morning of rain and therefore spirits were still high for the
“We love playing up here. Especially in Glasgow, the crowds just keep getting bigger. It is definitely our favourite place
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Feature to play, and we’re not just saying that.” Lawson are going to be releasing another song ahead of their album which they said we can expect around October. Another popular band from the day that were able to chat with us before their set was SPECTOR. Again first time “T In The Parker’s” they were excited to get out and win over the Scottish crowds.” “We’re told that the crowd here at T in The Park are the best crowd in the world. It could go either way but any time we’ve played in Scotland before, we seem to have went down OK.” “We do festivals every year but there is always a different atmosphere in Scotland compared to in England and Wales. They are different from normal gigs because with normal gigs, people have paid to come and see you where as with festivals a lot of people might not know who you are. So you have to go even further to win them over. People can walk away at any moment with festivals.” “The Scottish spirit, even in the rain, is brilliant.” It seems, that this year was the first time for a lot of the bands playing T in The Park. THE WANTED, after having success on both sides of the pond, showed festival go-ers that they are more than just a mainstream pop band. “We’re T in the Park virgins but we feel really confident. As a boyband, you always get a bit edgy about doing festivals. We want to see a mosh pit out there. We saw one last year when we did V festival and though that was cool.” “We’re doing a Coldplay medley, four songs mixed together where we all play our own instruments and stuff.” “The good thing about T in the Park is that it is the only place you can do the toilet in the middle of a field and nobody will care!” It is good to hear, that all the bands have positive things to say about the festival before they go on and it is the same story through their set until they are sitting backstage with a beer after their set. I spoke to “The Milk” after they had played. “Our sound is the best bits of sixties and early seventies soul music with all the best bits of contemporary dance music and ultimate hip hop in a high tempo party atmosphere.”
“We’ve been quite busy this year. Played Isle Of Wight, and a few other festivals. We love festivals. Everyone seems to let go a bit more. If they come to a milk gig, some people have work the next morning. We’re turning up to festivals this year and playing in tents filled with about 2 thousand people.” “We didn’t know what to expect from the crowd at T in The Park. We’ve only played in Scotland 3 or 4 times. Our first experience here has been pretty cool.”
“We’re told that the crowd here at T in The Park are the best crowd in the world” Closing the festival and bidding farewell to us forever was 3 DJ legends who go by the name of Swedish House Mafia. Pulling in one of the biggest crowds ever to be seen at T in the park, it created the highest level of excitement of the full weekend. Opening with massive track of this year “Greyhound” the atmosphere was electric. Not one foot was on the ground as the crowd jumped to every single beat. At one point in their set, the crowd were asked to sit down (in half a metre of mud) and jump up all together. There has never been a crowd as united as that at T in The Park before. Closing with “Save The World,” it marked the end of the last ever set in Scotland by Swedish House Mafia as well as the end of T in The Park 2012. It was without a doubt, the highlight of the weekend and indeed the last few T in The Parks together. In a country as patriotic as ever ahead of the Olympic Games, Scotland plays a huge part in showcasing a music industry we can be proud of. T in The Park is often described as one of the best music festivals in Britain, but for us, it is not one of the best. It is THE best. That is largely down to the musicians that play each year and every year it seems gets better. However, what really makes a festival a festival is the people that go and the atmosphere that they create. Whatever the weather, T in The Park can always rely on the fearless, Scottish music fans, to make every T in the Park the best weekend of the year.
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Interview
JAKE BUGG I INTERVIEW PHOTO // STUART WESTWOOD
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Interview A Nottingham teenager who combines the folky charm of Donovan with the insouciant Northern attitude of Arctic Monkeys, Jake Bugg’s unique voice, once heard, is never forgotten. After debut single Trouble Town alerted tastemakers such as Zane Lowe and Jools Holland, he played most of the major festivals this summer, supported the likes of Michael Kiwanuka and Noel Gallagher and sold out his autumn tour. Current single Taste It is playlisted on daytime Radio 1 and just after his debut album is released in October, he reunites with Gallagher on a US tour. We find out how Jake’s coping with these heady times? Just over four months ago you were releasing your debut single, and wondering how it would be received. Now you’ve made daytime Radio 1, done Jools Holland, played loads of festivals and sold out an autumn tour. Of course you always hope that success might come your way, but what’s happened must be incredible. It is. When I was younger and writing my very first songs, obviously you dream of a life like this. But I never once thought that it would actually happen, especially not to the level I’ve got to now. Honestly, I never thought it would pan out like this, or this quickly. Can you put your finger on why people have really taken Trouble Town, Lightning Bolt and Taste It to their hearts in such a big way? It helps when Zane Lowe calls them the hottest records in the world! But it is difficult to explain. I think a lot of it might be down to the fact that there isn’t actually that much new guitar music around these days, to be honest. So when you do come up with something that seems to work, people really really like it. But that’s just one theory. I think everyone who makes popular music would like to know why it’s their songs that people latch on to rather than loads of others! So what have you particularly enjoyed as the excitement has built over the past few months? Doing Jools Holland’s show was just a great day all round. But getting the nod to go on an American tour with Noel Gallagher and Snow Patrol in the autumn is a massive achievement for me. I’ve always wanted to go and play my music in the States, and to do that with two such massive acts is actually a bit difficult to take in. Hopefully it’ll sink in at some point.
What would you say to people who haven’t heard you yet by way of introduction? Well, I play my tunes. I write my songs. I like to swing from genre to genre - country, indie, even a bit of reggae. I take influences from all over but people are calling my stuff rootsy, which is fine by me. There’ll be an EP at the end of May which has quite a lot of punch and attitude to it, but then I’ve also got lots of softer, more intricate stuff too. Grit and rawness, mixed with quietness and delicacy, that’s how I’d put it. The first thing people will think when they hear you is that this is the work of a classic, back catalogue artist who is far older than you are. Did writing these songs come naturally, or were you trying to ape some of your heroes? It’s not a secret that when you start out, you want to try and be like your favourite artists. When you first learn guitar, you don’t immediately sit down and write songs, you try and work out the songs you already like. And I did that when I was 12. But somewhere along the line, you find your own sound, you work on it and develop it. To be honest, I just prefer older music. Like what? Well, in the last ten years Arctic Monkeys, definitely. But then I’m just as happy listening to Robert Johnson or Donovan. The Beatles, of course. That’s not a playlist on most teenagers’ iPods. Particularly not Donovan. Actually, people have been comparing me to Bob Dylan too. And he is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but maybe a lot of people say that because they don’t really know Donovan. My Mum always played Catch The Wind, and some of the songs he wrote are just phenomenal, so gorgeous; just really mellow and nice to listen to. Your parents are musicians, aren’t they. Would it be fair to say their musical tastes rubbed off on your songwriting? There is a bit of that. But I also think you find out for yourself that the songs were better back then. Too much music today sounds the same, the songs have got no vibe about them. The other distinctive element of your music is your voice. Where did it come from, because it’s hard to imagine many other Nottingham teenagers channelling the likes of Bob Dylan or Donovan when they start writing songs. That’s a tough question really. I started writing at 14 and I didn’t really notice that my voice was developing in a particular way. At first, to be honest, I couldn’t sing a note. But I worked and worked at it. The weird thing is, what I hear isn’t what other people hear. To me it just sounds like I’m singing a song, I’m not deliberately trying to sound like anyone else. But then I do get people saying I sound really different. It’s a strange one. THE BANTER | 47
Interview Trouble Town has the memorable line ‘the only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out’. Do you have a love/hate relationship with Nottingham? I love Nottingham, actually. But when you’re growing up, you want to get away, don’t you? I think that’s a feeling that everyone’s experienced as a teenager. You want to go out, travel the world, see things for yourself. And luckily, I’m doing that through my music.
The idea of a persona is interesting because there is an element of storytelling in your songs, isn’t there. Will that be a feature of the album too? I like telling stories in my songs. But what I’ve learned is that it’s cool if they’re true, but it’s not the be all and end all. Creating stories out of things you’ve dreamed or fantasised about is just as interesting and important.
But did growing up in Nottingham have an impact on your music did you think? Totally. You’re right to spot that Trouble Town is based on Nottingham, even though it could be anywhere. But the city does support its local artists - not least because it’s not really so well known for its successful musicians. There are a lot of gigs, a lot of bands. It’s helped me get noticed. And can you pinpoint the exact moment you did? Absolutely. It was when I uploaded a song onto the BBC Introducing website. I got an e-mail literally the next day from BBC Radio Nottingham saying they wanted to play the track. I couldn’t believe it. And before I knew it I had a manager and got signed, all within six months of taking a deep breath and uploading the song. And from that I went on Radio 1 and Glastonbury. Incredible, really. What was the Glastonbury experience like? It was fantastic to play there. I’d auditioned for this event called Glastonbudget, which is a tribute festival to Glastonbury, and they turned me down. And then the next day Radio 1 rang and asked me to play the actual thing. It was mad. Actually playing on that stage was phenomenal for me, a great achievement. Who were you up against on the other stages? Er, Beyonce was on at the same time as me! So I didn’t have the biggest crowd. But in a way it was the footage of me playing at Glastonbury which was more important. This summer you’ve been honing your live act at lots more festivals. They’ve been just as important to your momentum in a way, haven’t they? There’s been a few mad ones, yes! Some of them were booked before I was signed, so there was this family festival in South Yorkshire somewhere which was a bit strange - but cool too. And I really liked The Wickerman, particularly when they actually burn a wickerman. But it’s been interesting, because you do quickly understand that you’re there to entertain, and sometimes one man and a guitar won’t be enough.
And of course, in the end, the song’s the most important thing. Absolutely. You know, what I really hope for the album beyond the obvious - that it’s successful - is that it’s the kind of record which might inspire teenagers to pick up guitars and write songs again rather than messing around on midi keyboards all day. When Bradley Wiggins wins gold in the Olympics everyone’s riding around the streets in all the cycling gear. And a good guitar record can do the same for guitar music.
So how did you adapt? Well, after you’ve played a few gigs you realise that you need to create a persona for yourself, I think. You have to put on a show rather than just playing eight songs and going home. So even though there are a few songs I will play on my own, I’ve got a bass player and a drummer now, which means a gig of mine can be much more varied.
Maybe some were inspired by Arctic Monkeys at the opening ceremony... Yeah, they did Come Together as well, didn’t they? You know, it was great they were there. Every time people say guitar music is dead, it comes back stronger. And I hope I can be a part of that renaissance. We’ll see what happens. I’m intrigued to see what happens, anyway!
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Movies
KEITH LEMON: The Movie
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Celebrity Juice host and international ladies‘ man Keith Lemon is making the leap to the big screen with Keith Lemon: The Film which follows Keith in his dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur, just like his hero Richard Branson. He comes to London from Leeds, becomes an overnight billionaire then an over day failure before finding the road to redemption.
TOTAL RECALL 12A THATS MY BOY 12A
FROM 7TH OCTOBER While still in his teens, Donny (Adam Sandler) fathered a son, Todd (Andy Samberg), and raised him as a single parent up until Todd’s 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd’s world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills. 50 | THE BANTER
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Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he‘s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind–trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super–spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of this world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers hi true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
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THE EXPENDABLES 2 15 FRANKENWEENIE 15
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From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous. A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience. In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
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are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell–bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time – six pounds of weapons–grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world.
The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old–school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables
But that‘s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. That is done the Expendables way…
THE THREE STOOGES
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Left on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns, newborns Moe, Larry and Curly grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuknyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Now their childhood home may have to close due to financial difficulties. But Larry, Curly and Moe, employed as the foster home’s inept maintenance men, are determined to come to the rescue. Only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot while stumbling into starring roles in a phenomenally successful TV reality show. THE BANTER | 51
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PASSING THE HUNGER BATON D
ouble Olympic champion Mo Farah passed the baton in the Race Against Hunger to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, as Sunday’s Global Hunger Summit fired the starting gun on what could be the biggest-ever push against hunger. Developing and rich countries, as well the private sector, agreed to commitments at the Summit that will help the world tackle the scourge of childhood malnutrition which claims the lives of 300 children every hour of every day. But the summit was only the start of the Race Against Hunger. Next year, with Britain’s presidency of the G8, David Cameron has a historic opportunity to lead the world in delivering real change for the world’s poorest children. Save the Children UK chief executive Justin Forsyth said after the summit: “The important commitments made here – from wealthy and developing world nations as well as the private sector – are just the beginning. “If we are to save 25 million more children from malnutrition by the Brazilian Olympics in 2016, then we need unprecedented political action, private and public investment and a massive increase in life-saving programmes.
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“With the presidency of the G8 next year, David Cameron and the UK government can deliver global leadership on hunger, ensuring a historic legacy for the world’s poorest children from London’s golden games.” Olympic hero Mo Farah, fresh from his 5,000 metre victory, joined Save the Children child ambassadors, Olympic great Haile Gebrselassie and football legend Pelé at Downing Street, before the summit. The 10,000 and 5,000 metre champion, said: “Winning my second gold last night was a dream come true, but I’m here today for perhaps the most important race of all, the race to tackle hunger and malnutrition around the world. “I am really pleased to meet with the Prime Minister and talk to him about this issue which is very close to my heart. “Last year I visited Somalia during the famine. It was shocking to see people in the country where I was born simply not having enough food to eat. “The London Olympics have been an incredible two weeks. And now we have an opportunity to make the legacy of these Olympics one that will inspire generations at home and also one that could save the lives of millions of children, and give them the chance to thrive and to fulfil their potential.”
Life has its ups and downs You can talk confidentially online or by phone whenever you need to. Whatever your worry, it’s better out than in.
www.childline.org.uk ChildLine is a service provided by the NSPCC. Registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717. 7244/11
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ith our consumerist society ever growing and expanding, thoughts maybe need to turn to how we can slow things down. Spending money on things that aren’t really necessary is a habit for many people around the world... and this is where Oborrow have discovered their target market. Oborrow is a service that pools together some of the most borrowable items in one place. The site, which works entirely through Facebook, helps make better use of the products you have bought and only used a handful of times... as well as making it easier to access items that you may need but are not able to afford. Linking to Facebook means users are only lending to and from people they know and trust ensuing goods are safe and well looked after. It also makes it easier for friends to join Oborrow, hopefully leading to an ever growing list in the items available to borrow. Joining Oborrow is an easy process that requires 54 | THE BANTER
only a few steps ... and also helps the environment. Unused everyday items are clogging up houses all over the country driving over-production and environmental damage. The idea behind this smart and savvy project is to expand on the idea that access often trumps ownership that it is not a necessity to own goods that we could so easily borrow. There has never been a more opportune time to make a positive impact on our planet.
Don’t Buy it... OBORROW It... With rising product and commodity costs, we need to look at ways in which to benefit ourselves financially and get rid of our throw away culture by leading by example and showing that it isn’t necessary to buy everything brand new. We need to look at ways to protect our environment besides recycling and using public transport by addressing the issue of more and more goods being sent to landfill.
Feature HARRY POTTER COMPANION BOOKS RELEASED AS EBOOKS
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Our society is fortunate to have the power of access. We have the ability to communicate with those close to us in ways that were never there before, which is why Oborrows time is definitely now. With over 1 billion users on Facebook, there has never been a more opportune time to capatalise on what our Facebook friends can offer us. As recessionary pressures continue to plague the country, there has never been a better time to look at ways in which to save money. Oborrow offers a smarter, more cost effective, environmentally friendly way to go about getting the most out of the products we buy. Simply joining through Facebook will create a positive impact not only on your finances, but on our environment. Oborrow has the potential to be a disruptive, positive force in the consumer goods market worldwide. It has the potential to change the way we spend as well as the relationships we have with our Facebook friends. To join Oborrow visit www.Oborrow.com
hey’ve been hugely popular since 2001, and now J.K. Rowling’s two companion books to the Harry Potter series, which she kindly wrote for Comic Relief, are available to buy as eBooks for the first time via www.pottermore.com Over the past 11 years, sales of Quidditch through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them have raised nearly £18 million – an amazing amount of money that is already hard at work changing lives. One way in which this money helps is by providing vital education to children who live in extreme poverty across some of the world’s poorest countries. Fans of the Harry Potter series can now get these informative and enjoyable volumes as eBooks exclusively at the Pottermore Shop, with at least 40% from the sale of each eBook being donated to Comic Relief. Quidditch through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp is perfect for anyone who ever asked themselves where the Golden Snitch came from, or how Bludgers came into existence. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander is a duplicate of Harry Potter’s own copy of this guide to magical creatures, complete with his and his friends’ informative notes in the margins.
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G L A S G O W YO U T H O LY M P I C B I D BY LAURA DONALDSON London is currently buzzing with life in the aftermath of the 2012 Olympic games and Glasgow could soon be getting a piece of the action as it begins its bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympics. If the city was to win the bid, Glasgow could continue the legacy of Great Britain, following the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, also hosted in Glasgow. The bid is supported by the ‘Be a Champion in Your Life’ campaign, which seeks to deliver a Games that empowers young people globally to believe they can be champions in their lives. Prime Minister David Cameron visited Glasgow on July 31st to give his backing to the campaign and said: “All our great athletes started at a young age and I believe that the Youth Olympics is about opening young people’s eyes to the possibility of sport and inspiring the next generation of Olympic heroes.” Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, 56 | THE BANTER
backed up Cameron’s support, saying: “Glasgow would be the perfect host city for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.” He continued: “We are a proud sporting city and have a proven track record of delivering world-class sporting events but over and above that we have a very real commitment to young people. They are our champions and they will be our strongest voice as we work to win the right to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.” So what are the Youth Olympic Games? Well they are similar to the Olympics in that athletes compete in the same sports, but at the same time, they participate in a Culture and Education Programme focused on Olympic themes. The event is for young athletes aged 15 – 18 and takes place over 12 days. Athletes take part in a wide range of activities alongside their sporting programme that are focused on five themes: Olympism and Olympic Values, Skills Development, Well being and Healthy Lifestyle, Social Responsibility and Expression through Digital Media. The athletes attend workshops, take
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part in practical activities and have the opportunity to take part in excursions, all designed to tackle issues relevant to young people, the challenges they face and the opportunities open to them. Glasgow is hopeful that its number nine ranking in the 2012 Ultimate Sports City Awards will make it the perfect choice for the 2018 Youth games. Since securing the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow has been able to attract further high-profile events including the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s - the Scottish leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series, the 2013 UCI World Junior Track Cycling Championships, the 2013 IFNA World Youth Netball Championships, the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2015 IPC European Swimming Championships. The 2018 Youth games would be an incredible addition to this list.
“Glasgow would be the perfect host city for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.”
The city has also been working on its hosting duties by increasing the quantity and quality of venues. The Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome are both due for completion this year. There is also the Scotstoun Sports Campus which was recently reopened following refurbishment, the Tollcross International Swimming Centre which is currently being re-developed and the SECC, which would provide the perfect venue for netball, judo, weightlifting, and wrestling. So let’s hope that the Scottish passion, spirit and sporting history can win us the bid and make us the third city to ever host the 2018 Youth Olympics. The first games were held in 2010 in Singapore and the 2014 games will be held in Nanjing, China. Glasgow will be up against other cities competing for the 2018 games, including Rotterdam, Buenos Aires and Poznan. The winner will be announced next Summer but you can read more about the bid at Glasgow2018.com. THE BANTER | 57
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YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS SCOTLAND GET INSPIRED BY MUSIC
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nspired by music? The Young Scot Extra’s new Pathways To Music could be for you. The project, run by Young Scot and Creative Scotland will give high numbers of young people an opportunity for young Scots aged 16-26 to participate independent music making giving them an opportunity to increase and develop their skills and helping to create a path to further opportunities and careers. You don’t need any musical experience to get involved, Beginners will have the chance to try playing a new instrument sparking their musical interest and talent. Each week the Pathways To Music InfoMobile trailer will visit towns and cities across Scotland and allow young people the chance to chat to experienced musicians about the music industry and to try it out for themselves. During each local Pathways To Music week, Young Scot Extra will be working with local youth partners and services to run a number of taster sessions and a free end-of-week workshop, which will offer more in-depth activities with the help from the professionals. The project has already been at music festivals across Scotland all summer, as well as running events in Inverclyde and Stirling. This year’s project builds on the success of the 2011 Pathways To Music, which saw the creation of an online bank of articles and case studies about Scotland’s music scene, podcasts featuring unsigned acts, a consultation with young people and an end-of-project seminar event. This year, Young Scot hope that Pathways To Music will build on the success and legacy of the inaugural project.
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Pathways To Music is funded through Creative Scotland’s CashBack for Creativity programme, which re-invests the monies seized from criminals back into cultural activities for young people across Scotland, the programme is supported by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities Initiative. Rachel Edington, project lead at Young Scot, said: “The Pathways To Music project will offer young people across Scotland the opportunity to put their passion for music into practice and learn a new creative talent. With support from local youth organisations, young people who attend will be directed to local musical opportunities to develop their skills, helping to create pathways to further opportunities and careers in the creative industry.” Interested? For more information about Pathways To Music, please call the Young Scot Infoline on 0808 801 0338 or visit www.youngscot.org
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