ISSN 2040-5472
“Taking you on a musical journey up the A1”
Number One April 2009
'It's all happening!...It's all happening!' Polexia Aphrodisia's (what a name?!) wailings at the top of the ramp in Almost Famous. What's all happening? Anything you want! That's the beauty of music - it soundtracks anything, makes anything possible, makes anything happen.
CONTENTS As The Cribs would say, open all the boxes...
p3 Stuff we p4 A big chat with Little Comets p6 Money and music - credit So that's the title. crunching p6 IAH vs hype Take a love of music and a love of writing, the musical excitement drowning p8 CD/mp3/however you choose to listen reviews our new home cities of Leeds and P9 What’s in a (venue) London, mix them together, and tada, a name? zine is born! Not quite as easily as that, but like all zines, that has been the path of p10 Live reviews p13 Justifying an obsession creation for It’s All Happening. - why Florence rocks p15 The eternal record. Constant battles over which L city is where its at when it comes to music has p16 Spotlight on Brudenell Social Club made us realise how lucky we are to be travelling between the two all the time, and experiencing the musical buzz in both the north and south of the country. Whether the north/south divide exists in all things melodic is not clear – we’re hoping good music knows no geographical boundaries, and we're ready to explore! Music is all about opinions and we want to share ours with you, but at the same time we’d love to hear your thoughts so please contact us whether you agree or disagree with what we have to say, have any ideas, or generally love a good natter about music. Not ones to get all sentimental, we’d like to thank the various bands, venues and shops who have helped us pull together this first issue. We hope to be making musical things happen your way soon!! Enjoy, Francesca and Dan xx
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Flamboyant Bella - Do exactly what they say on the tin. Exuberant pop fronted by female Flo, perfect for throwing some indie pop shapes to.
The Molotovs - Soulful voice over angular guitars and souring choruses - very impressive. City's Guest combines stops and starts with a hooky chorus to lure you in. Rogues - Steve Lamacq darlings, it would be easy to ismiss these Harrow boys as more scenesters. The immediacy of debut Not So Pretty should ram itself into people's brains soon enough to put paid to that.
Banquet Records, Kingston They have more records than John Peel’s living room, make me feel like I have a cool friend on the pulse, put on brilliant club nights (New Slang is my new favourite place ever), run their own label, and have the cream of UK indie doing instores, The Maccabees, Jamie T and The Rakes are just a few playing with the guys recently. Think Hornby’s High Fidelity, but without the condescending attitude.. What’s not to adore.
2000 Trees festival Cheltenham, 17 & 18 July A green, ethical, musical festival. With good bands.
"When Miley grows up, she'll learn not to have such a sense of entitlement." Radiohead’s response to pop brat Miley Cyrus’s assertion that she will ‘ruin them’ after they refused to kiss air with her. I know everyone else is creasing up,over this, but I wonder if it made Thom smile. Doubt it.
Thankfully I’m a West London girl, cos my confession of partiality to All American Rejects’ ‘Gives You Hell’ would get my skinny jeaned clad arse booted outta Shoreditch quicker than you can say ‘but isn’t Hackney where it’s at now?’ I’m not sure if it’s the nostalgic memories of teenage years dancing around a living room after too many French stumpy beers that it evokes, or that the loud drum beat appeals to my most basic senses, or the happy bounce that allows me to pretend that I am indeed on a beach and it is 100 degrees, but either way I can’t help but sing along. It might not be technically brilliant, they may not be the scenester’s band of choice, 3 and whilst in my head I may be feeling a tiny bit ashamed, my tapping toes are having a whale of a time.
Dan chats to the energetic Little Comets, and finds them to be just as colourful and inspiring as the perfect indie pop they produce, seizing opportunity from unlikely sources.
You are well known for you unorthodox gigs, for example in university lecture halls, parties, shopping centres .. What draws you to these rather than the more typical venues? Have you had any embarrassing or funny incidents at such spontaneous gigs? These were all Micky's ideas. He wants to train us to socially fearless so one day we can play at Prime Minister's Questions. We just wanted to play in places with a captive audience where people had to listen to our music and it made a nice change from playing in a normal venue. It's really good for the skin too.In Edinburgh we played a house party where the beds snapped from people dancing on them. We thought it was really funny until we were told that was were we were sleeping...
Newcastle is a great city and I love the feel of the place, and I think that the buzz of the city is captured in your music. Why do you think more Newcastle born bands have not had more success in recent years? I don't know really... we don't really get involved with the whole Newcastle music scene, from the outset we've always tried to gig lots out of area and just play once a month at home - so with that we don't really keep to much of an eye on what else is happening musically in Newcastle. plus when we are at home we'll be locked 4 in smashed up buildings rehearsing or recording.
Many of your songs seem to recount the roller coaster ride of a relationship. Is One Night in October written from personal experience? Ha ha. No! I suppose it is loosely based on tales from friends that we've adapted into a story with some personal slights thrown in, but I'd like to think somewhere that this couple does exist.
Cultural Geordies, you're quite into your books and not just your music, do you think this has an impact on your song writing? I hope so... it is hard to tell really: I can't really pin down where ideas come from but I suppose that is quite good, otherwise I'd spend so much time trying to do things that I think will help writing that it kind of subverts the process.... aaargh! If that makes sense? Who are your greatest influences? What other bands are you listening to at the moment? Hmmm I suppose we have a wide range of influences, musically people like Elgar and Jocelyn Pook but then we might take a lot from something we see around town or from a book... at the minute we are listening to a combination of Neil Young, Golden Silvers and Nina Simone..... whatever is in the van really.
I think the personalisation of your CDs is a really great touch (you sent me a lovely note about addresses and soirees to Paris..!), do you think this is something you'll be able to keep up as your popularity grows? It must be quite time consuming.. Ha ha. That was a long day.... we had so many to do so we had to get creative, Mark was writing abstract poetry in his at the end, while Matt was just rocking in the corner. It is definitely something we'll keep doing..
As well as your unique locations the stage always tends to be filled with an array of cooking utensils—does your mother not mind that the contents of her kitchen are slowly diminishing? So far we've destroyed about four pans and a whisk. We also dropped a really expensive casserole dish which now resembles a landmine... Huw Stephens said of you "Little Comets are from Newcastle and they’re a lot of fun. I think with the recession coming, people need fun music again”. How does it feel being singled out as the solution to the world economic crisis?! 5 Well, we've never placed much confidence in Keynesian economic policy and Milton Friedman is overrated so why not. Apparently Huw Stephens has a phD in 'Fiscal Stimulii: 1984 Onwards', so he might be right.......?
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orry if you thought that this would be an 8 page respite from the two words reverberating round the world the past 9 months: credit crunch. The media is as dependent on getting economic woes in their stories as Pete is/was/will never be again on getting his fix.
with real heart know that music is as fundamental as air. And that music is different fr om a mus ic s c ene. Overpriced drinks and cool bars in Shoreditch may decline in popularity as scenesters promise to keep their pennies in their skinny jeans, but love of music will remain. Forever and ever. ven music is not immune Amen. to the effects of filthy lucre. Like a stone in a pond he unlucky ones made the ripples reach out and redundant for a start have touch all – but what will be the a sudden huge resource to effect of the economic spend on their love of music downturn upon music? and discover their talents: time. An acquaintance who here will be uncouth types has lost his (dull) job in with no soul who argue recruitment has been pouring that our attention will be all his efforts into his long diverted to those ‘important’ term side project, northern things in life, ‘real’ issues, like band Neon Kicks. Not only is food, water and warmth, and he far happier and got a all frivolous entertainment will spring in the step of his be forgotten. Bollocks. Those Converse, but their gig
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he last recession spawned a frustrated youth, who went on to create the monster of Britpop. Common People is the melodic bewilderment about them and us, those who do not really understand the plight of the masses. I’m sure there must be a song about poor bankers who will only earn tens of millions this year. Poor loves. Rock’n’Roll Star is the desire to break out of the cycle of dead end jobs. What great art that comes from struggle has is honesty combined with longing, which often results in hope.
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ecent ‘scenes’ have been criticised for being pretentious, and the preserve of the fortunate. For example, The Brit School is hardly a
It’s All Happening! take on media hype and give their views on the music currently making waves... One EskimO Graham Coxon Sorrows Army Imagine Damien Rice and Dido dressed as According to those in the know, Graham a pengiun, eskimo, giraffe and monkey can do no wrong. Graham Coxon has not singing a song co-written by Ronan Keating let the recent rekindling of love with Blur and Moloko, if you will. The lyrics are (the thought makes me all warm and fuzzy inoffensive enough to get radio play, and inside!) make him rest on his laurels. Nothchildren will love the characters, but since ing new and surprising from Mr Coxon, but when has 'for all the family' been a term of 6 why meddle with genius. This new single is praise for music? Commendable for their perfect for an indie ho down. He can do no creativity., but not worth the hype. wrong.
cheap proposition. Nitty gritty working class music has always been traditionally seen as somehow cooler and poor authentic. Whether this is the case, it’s time in the sequence for the poor guys to take the lead. Could it be that the m u s ic a l f as hi o n c yc l e demands economic problems to provide fodder for these guys to write and play, and it’s music really calling the shots. longside the romantic notion that an organic music scene will grow from people having the time to rediscover their passions it must be recognised that the music business is exactly that, a business, and money makes the world go round. Will cash strapped customers really spend their hard earned pound on the new must have song or 30 value pork bangers?
facts.) There’s only so much self imposed restriction we can take – stopping ourselves buying an expensive coat/ boat means that we can justify the CD to ourselves.
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he thrill of the purchase remains. Lipstick sales go through the roof in recession. (I’m not old enough to remember a recession, I just work in retail and am bombarded with such useless
Business problems are there to be challenged – Radiohead reacted to illegal downloading by appealing to our guilt side and asking for donation for In Rainbows; no record label would promote Lily Allen, so o one wants to forgo their she got attention via nights of pleasure Myspace. completely, so rather than staying in really being the new reativity thrives in going out, I predict more and adverse times. The soul more will turn to local bands clings to ideas, meaning, and clubs with a more escape – reality sucks, so any personal e x p e r i e n c e s , di v er s i o n is welc om e. avoiding the big venues Creativity can be beneficial where you have to mortgage and solve problems – lets your house just to see a dot face it, doing things the way that looks suspiciously like it they’ve always been done, could be Chris Martin. It pre focusing on the money, has dates the recession but the not done us any favours. Why rise of Brudenell Social Club not let the arty types give it a to become the flag bearer of go? all things indie in Leeds could be a symbol for how music ountless articles have can help revive a community been written about how and survive without big bucks. the credit crunch will forces us to reassess what is really rtists thrive without important in our lives. For so money – it’s the old many that is music, and now cliché, an impoverished artist is not the time to stop is a true creative. But artists believing in its power to help are also shrewd businessmen solve our problems. As John and women, and won’t let a Dryden wrote ‘What passion recession get them down. cannot music raise and quell!’
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Little Boots Hailed by so many as the one to watch this year, Little Boots, aka Victoria Hesketh, has the disco beats and eighties vibe en vogue down to perfection The bright lights and candy of Blackpool are evident, and Hot Chip's Joe Goddard has injected his magic into the kaleidoscopic electronic production She’s not big, may not be clever, but for pure neon thrills, Little Boots is where it’s at. Whether she'll last the whole of 2009 is another question.
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Miss Boots in her bedroom. Steady fellas.
Official Secrets Act Understanding Electricity 30 March 2009 Every song sounds different, but this is not a case of a finger in too many pies—more evidence of the supreme talent of this band. A delightful and sophisticated pick and mix of juxtapositions, Understanding Electricity is difficult to pin down. The plaintive crying of ‘save the town’ that sees out Momentary Sanctuary is a beautiful contrast to the soaring triumphant choruses that carry the song. The Girl From The BBC starts with an ominous piano, but as soon as the drum beat kicks the intensity of the song hits you. Head For Herod is the only potential contender for the skip button, lacking the change of pace that characterises so many of the songs. HoldThe Line must be a contender for the indie tune of spring, and So Tomorrow gets better and better as the song goes on. The frenetic edgy guitar that loops over and over at the end of the first chorus to plunge you into the verse gets more intense as the song progresses, so that by the end it’s all flailing limbs and smiling faces. All elegance and excitement, Official Secrets Act are a band to soundtrack all emotions. I don’t know what imperial history they learned at Leeds uni, but OSA are certainly looking to conquer.
Jack Penate Tonight’s Today 30 March 2009 Tonight’s Today continues where Jack left off, with the carefree attitude that pervades his songs. Crossing sun dappled melodies with club beats, Tonight’s Today is at once intimate and exciting. A collision of Afro-beats and cockney charm, Tonight’s Today is a typical Penate piece, light and fun, but still hammers its way into your head.
Hatcham Social You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil Out Now One of the best bands to come out of London recently, Hatcham Social make direct and passionate pop. Anyone who has seen their live shows knows the combination of magic and malevolence that infuses their songs, and this album is more of the same. Finn Kidd is the former Klaxons drummer, which will help answer questions about where nu rave has gone. With Fairas Badwan of The Horrors doing their artwork and Tim Burgess as Mr Manager, HS have no shortage of credentials to back them up. Fortunately they won’t be reliant upon this. Gritty and vivacious, Hatcham 8 Social have a longer life expectancy than their day-glo siblings.
Horrible Music Venues?
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he music world is a fickle one. We want everyone to experience the life changing effects of our favourite new tune, but equally keep it firmly under wraps, for fear that wide spread exposure will damage both our credibility and the fragile magic of the music. Popularity and integrity, cash and cool, forte and fortune are uneasy bed fellows when it comes to reputable music. So the news that HMV are buying main stakes in a number of music venues around the UK leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Hammersmith Apollo becomes the HMV Apollo. No longer the definitive The Forum, the Kentish Town venue will be the HMV Forum. But what's in a name? I doubt people will start inviting their friends down the HMV for a night out. Habits die hard; heck, I still call Starburst Opal Fruits. This new era in the venues’ history is not about labels. In a time when ends of an era are falling like dominos, perhaps this support and cash injection by HMV is what is
needed. At least it’s only a change in owner, rather than a sad demise. Hundreds of fans are mourning the close of legendary venues such as London Astoria and The End. Never one to miss out on a trend, the music scene is also suffering from the credit crunch, the cost of both playing and promoting, as well as attending gigs becoming more expensive. Whilst there will always be organic scenes sprouting new talent, let’s be honest, the music world isn't built upon word of mouth, and neither will it ever be.
bands, and will deter those who have belief in their music. But this is not inevitable. Branded venues are nothing new. Carling have done a phenomenal job in promoting music, and whilst there are cries of Reading and Leeds having sold its soul, there are numerous examples of young people who would not have fallen in love with music in the same way if Carling venues and promotions had not offered this accessibility.
So if HMV's role keeps venues open and live music in the Of course HMV aren’t doing public domain, it can only be a this out of the goodness of their good thing. What is often a heart. The live music business rickety area will become more is estimated to be worth £1 sustainable with such a billion a year. Getting a slice of formidable financial backer. this, and increasing the Why keep something out of the audience for their albums and way of the vast majority of merchandising equals big people. More gigs will be bucks for the music company. booked, and more risks taken on smaller bands. Problems could arise if HMV insist on a whole 360 degrees As long as the feet of fans way of promoting a band – continue to tap to the tunes, being tied into contracts that and are not dictated by his allow sales only in HMV stores, master's voice, the move is 9 gigs in HMV venues and welcome. merchandising restrictions will not help struggling upcoming
The Maccabees New Slang by Banquet Records at McCluskys 26 Feb 2009 ‘You stood out like a sore thumb; the most beautiful sore thumb I’d ever seen’ is genuinely one of the most beautiful and romantic lines to ever grace the song world. Slightly awkward and ungangly but sending shockwaves of wow to strike my heart every time I hear them, this is how The Maccabees are. Unfortunately tonight did not offer many opportunities for the guys to stand out. I’m considering stopping the article here, taking the advice of the (fantastic) new single No Kind Words ‘if you’ve got no
kind words to say, then life’s most brilliant you should say nothing at moments in vibrant aural all.’ Technicolor and soundtrack the private But I have plenty of kind anguish that words to say about The simultaneously feeds Maccabees, just tonight upon the soul. Whilst did not give them the dancing in sun dappled opportunity to shine. fields or waving your Awful technical arms on the dancefloor equipment that kept there is underlying fuzzing or just giving up vulnerability in the lyrics the ghost altogether, and and Orlando’s pained yet a crowd of eighteen year focus delivery. olds who at times seemed Unfortunately that more focused upon emotion and intimacy strawpedo-ing their VKs. that makes The Maccabees live shows an The Maccabees stop start experience more than just rhythms capture the a gig was missing hesitancy of expressing tonight. overwhelming emotion, and mean that behind the The call and response lyrics of wave machines interaction between and lego, there is always Orlando and Felix a deeper side to explore. continues to frame the 10 lies in Their relevance new songs, but at a much their ability to capture
slower tempo. This is not necessarily a bad thing – at moments Colour It In was exhausting, the speed of the songs creating the feeling that we had experienced every emotion of the past twenty odd years along with the boys. It just means that the songs were not as well received as live favourites Latchmere and About Your Dress. The songs are also darker and more epic, such as the case of Young Lions, limiting their appeal to the teenagers on E numbers tonight. 4 Maccabees is a trajectory that gives primacy to reason over passion. Thankfully I can ignore this terrible advice as the band have repeatedly stressed that their name has no connection with the religious groups and texts they share a proper noun with. My reason is telling me that this wasn’t the best gig ever, but the passion The Maccabees fire within be ensures that I’ll be back next time.
Hockey Cargo, Shoreditch 23 Feb 2009 Behind a curtain concealing the back room in this uber trendy bar under the arches in Shoreditch American band Hockey kicked of the week in style, ripping up the room with their garage rock cum rock’n’roll. Obviously not one for big entrances, there was little hustle and bustle as The Bear Club left the stage and on came Hockey, but the unmistakable fuzzy beat of opener Work got people running back from the bar. Upbeat and melodic, funky and direct, the music is made for dancing, if it was possible without bashing arses with everyone else in the club. Imagine The Strokes crossed with Hot Hot Heat, with the resulting hair nightmares not too far off the mark. Myspace headliner ‘Too Fake’ was a great finale, but the short length of the gig meant that it felt like something was missing. Taking up a new sport was my new year’s resolution, and I’ve got to say, Hockey has caught my eye. My appetite has been whetted, and I want more. 11
Bad Sneakers featuring Little Boots + Ipso Facto The Faversham 14/03/2009 Tonight was a night of contrasts. Ipso Facto and Little Boots are sonically similar, electro beats coming from female artists, yet in delivery are poles apart. If it was professionalism you Ipso Facto were after, then Ipso Facto didn’t disappoint. The four women came on to the stage and stormed through their set, seemingly content with just going through the motions. Ipso Facto have some good songs, yet they appeared to just play the whole set in first gear and there was a distinct lack of energy, both individually and as a band. There was nothing wrong with the performance, just it never really got that sparkle to make it ‘right.’ Little Boots on the other hand was the chalk to Ipso Facto’s cheese. Victoria Hesketh came on stage and immediately livened up The Faversham. Eighties style music could be dismissed as a bit of fad at the moment but Little Boots has managed to make it her own, with big bass lines and songs that get the limbs adancing. Hesketh went to university in Leeds and it was clear that she loves the city and, unlike Ipso Facto, Little Boots chatted between songs and transmitted her energy between stage and crowd. She genuinely seemed overwhelmed by the fantastic response she received from the Faversham audience, but I suggest she best get used to it as it’s likely that her fan base is simply going to grow throughout the year. These boots are made for walking, and they’re going to walk her right to the top.
Red Light Company, Prego Leeds Cockpit Room 2, 15th March 2009
London band Prego started the night off by getting on to the stage and immediately ripping in to the opener, and despite not having the looks The old adage states not to of a rock'n'roll band (it’s judge a book by its cover, definitely not a reality TV and that is exactly what you show then), the lead singer should do when seeing Red excluded, they certainly Light Company on their appear to have the songs to current tour. A band who more than make up for it. responded to an advert, and Incidentally, ‘prego’, means sing about Arts and Crafts… you’re welcome 12 in Italian. is this some kind of ITV reality TV show? Prego are in the unique
position of having financial support from NME journalist Mark Beaumont for the new single 'The Longest Calm', who, when he saw a live performance by the band decided that he wanted to back the release of the single. On tonight’s performance Beaumont seems to have backed a winner, as Prego showed definite potential with their intricate mix of powerful rock combined with wonderful Cont over there —>
Florence And The Machine Ten Reasons Thou Shalt Be My Idol Like all girls I’ve always had idols, from my Barbie doll to the famous people I ency for their perfect hair, musicians for the talent, or the girl at school for their boyfriend. I’m not the most faithful, and the objects of my adoration change regularly. Having said this, the character Penny Lane from Almost Famous and Audrey Hepburn are perennial favourites, and last year Laura Mary from Blood Red Shoes was the focus of my ohhhIwannabeher sighs.
She sings ‘You Got The Love’ not only around her bedroom into a hairbrush but on stage in front of thousands. She doesn’t have legs up to her eyeballs like the metaphor would suggest, just up to her hips like a regular girl. However, said hips are at list 10 inches higher off the ground than most of us. It seems these lovely legs are not the result of a dull gym routine like so many ladies in the limelight, but of bouncing around dancing like Zebedee after one too many blue smarties. Why do anything but party? The ‘Flo-Boutique’, her merchandise stall, is blissful retail therapy, all twee must haves. Genius fancy dress ideas. Talking to the Guardian she reminisces the party ‘where I carried a crumpled-up photocopy of my face in a jar and was dressed as Eleanor Rigby.’
melodies. Watch this space as the guys cross the finish line.
She’s done the loserish teenage bit yet come out hotter than hot – previous bands include The Toxic Cockroaches. Not the coolest name. Not just a pretty face, you get the impression that inside her head there’s as many colours and textures zipping about as on her flowery, sequinned adorned stage. Everyone wants to be in her gang. So much so that she doesn’t have one set band, but an ever changing machine, with Florence always at the wheel. She’s invented music genres –who else is doing grindcore, acousmatic, tape music and melodramatic popular song music? Finally people will stop asking Kate or Lily. It’s clearly Flo.
England (via New Zealand and Australia), United States (via Japan), Scotland, Wales and, er, Maidenhead.
but they're effective and transfer well on to the stage, making for an entertaining night out. Lead singer By the time Red Light Richard Frenneaux has a Company entered the stage With songs with a sing along cocky swagger - but you the Cockpit Room 2 was capacity as large as their can't blame him, these boys tightly packed, hardly geographical background, are good at what they do. surprising considering debut RLC have exactly what is album Fine Fascination needed to be successful in Who said making friends on reached number 13 in the the mainstream music the internet was a bad idea? charts. Red Light Company business: an album full of met up, and formed, in radio friendly, catchy tunes 13 response to an internet with strong choruses. The advert, bringing together the songs are pretty simple, and band members from hardly full of lyrical genius,
Low prices - think of a number. Halve it. And again. That’s probably how much we charge. Plus we can’t afford to do this forever on our own.
Or over there.
Readers in London and Leeds –arguably the hubs of UK music.
Or on the previous page.
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Page 4 maybe?
Live Forever? Definitely Maybe. Well initially, back in 1994, at the grand age of 7, I thought it was The Greatest Album Ever to impress the boy I fancied. Now, at the slightly grander age of 21, having just had a massive row with my boyfriend, I think it’s the greatest album ever for its ability to make me think ‘Screw you, I’m still happy, music is what matters.’ The intervening fourteen years have only served to confirm its pole position.
matches your heartbeat, are met in a fashion that far too rarely occurs.
It’s not even just the greatest album, it’s an amalgam of all the greatest. The obligatory presence of John and Paul is there throughout Shakermaker, Cigarettes & Alcohol shamefully lifts the riff from T Rex’s Get It On, Columbia could just as easily have been delivered by The It seems pretty pointless to Stone Roses. It’s as though describe songs 1-11. music was created and set Everyone knows Definitely on a process of progressive Maybe. It’s ingrained on the revelation, all working up consciousness of anyone until two mouthy lads from with a musical bone in their Burnage fused their record body. It’s how these 11 collections, brotherly love, songs make you feel, make drunken nights out, and, by you happy, encapsulate the association, their fans’ lives, euphoria of being young and into a masterpiece. free. Some guitars and a cocky Manc with a The classics such as Live monobrow, nothing special, Forever and Supersonic are but when set on the path to known and loved by all. True greatness by songs from Soundtracks To Our Lives. Noel Gallagher, the It’s the unrestrained energy melodies scorch themselves of the less well known that onto your soul. The basic makes Definitely Maybe 15 ‘Your yearnings of the rock’n’roll truly exceptional. soul: a loud guitar, a brazen friends will all go green/ For front man, a rhythm that my lasagne’ may not be the
kind of poetry that will have William Wordsworth spinning in his grave, but when listening to this William snarling out the words, who cares? Tintern Abbey never made me feel mad for it. The best thing about Definitely Maybe is it’s so ordinary. It’s you. Rock’n’Roll Star: confidence building before a night on the town. Live Forever: those moments when you’re with your mates, drunk, thinking ‘man, I love these people’. Slide Away: love – unrequited, headoverheels, first dance, break-up – just love. But this is ordinary sounding amazing. Ordinary taken, mixed with melodies and merriment, into an absolute riot, and thrown back at you, until you, the ordinary person, feel you rule the world. And that makes an album pretty special.
blueprints
Brudenell Social Club The first time I walked in to the BSC I thought that I had staggered into the venue of someone’s 80th birthday party. The plastic chairs, cosy carpet and beige walls of the venue are a nostalgic throw back to village gatherings, and I half expected to see a buffet of cocktail sausages, chip sticks and sausage rolls when I walked round the corner.
three albums over three successive nights (with support coming from Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Kate Nash). Homecoming gigs feel more homey when they seem as though they’re in your living room.
This unique almost domesticity means that upon entering fans and bands have an immediate attachment to the venue. In February of this year homegrown talent Sky Larkin were genuinely overawed to be playing at the In terms of bringing music to a Brudenell, having spent their new and excited audience, teenage years watching bands nowhere has done more in Leeds there themselves, dreaming of than the BSC, whatever day you musical stardom. It’s not just hot go, and whoever is playing, you air – the Brudenell has captured will always get a very diverse mix the hearts of those who have of people: young and old, danced the night away, drunk the students and locals. True to its night away, sung the night away, name, this is the place to social and somewhere underneath that network, accompanied with a big retro carpet its magic remains for dollop of indie. With a capacity of all who tread. Long may it 300 people the little Brudenell has continue to be a home for the a real intimate feel, which bubbling creativity in Leeds. And conversely is what makes it such long may we keep it our little a lure for big bands. At the back secret. end of 2007 the Cribs played their The end is nigh.... Contact us: Dan and Francesca, itsallhappening_music@hotmail.com Thanks to El for her front page illustration - eleanor.jahnz@btinternet.com Cheers to Pull Yourself Together and Vibrations for their advice. Little Comets photos by Jazzy Lemon; Little Boots photo http:// actionanddrama.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/little-boots.jpg; The Maccabees photo http:// 16 www.bbc.co.uk/collective/dnaimages/070111/main_maccabees.jpg; Hockey photo http:// dayandnightmag.ie/images/hockey.jpg; Definitely Maybe image http://home.zcu.cz/~liam/Oasis__Definitely_Maybe_(Front).jpg