tag:,2008:/175 2008-07-24T09:05:23Z Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.02a tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.52419 2008-07-24T08:59:42Z 2008-07-24T09:05:23Z

Hamfatter are a trio from Cambridge consisting of Eoin, Jimbo and Mark. They formed five years ago and have released three albums, but earlier this year they decided to audition for the BBC Two show Dragon's Den. After a...

Jade Wright Hamfatter are a trio from Cambridge consisting of Eoin, Jimbo and Mark. They formed five years ago and have released three albums, but earlier this year they decided to audition for the BBC Two show Dragon's Den. After a gruelling interview process, entrepreneur Peter Jones decided to invest £75,000 in the band to help with costs of recording, touring and promotion.]]> To capitalise on the publicity, the band are re-releasing their third album, What Part Of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand?, on August 18. Their single The Girl I Love is available to download now, and gets a physical release on August 11. Go to www.hamfatter.net for more information. We talked to Eoin about the show and what comes next for the band. HOW DID DRAGON'S DEN COME ABOUT? Essentially, it was our manager's idea. I don't have a TV, so I'd never seen the show before we went on it. It was all a bit confusing. The idea was we were trying to get funding in a way that would still allow us control over what we do. I thought it was great if we could get a load of money and just give a percentage of profits in return. The other guys in the band were really against the idea, initially, but they've since come around. WHY WERE THEY AGAINST THE IDEA? I think they thought we'd go on and get ridiculed, because that happens to a lot of people. In the end what we decided was that we might as well do the audition, and if we got turned down, then that was the decision made for us. When we got the offer of the show, everyone thought we might as well give it a go, and if we got panned, we got panned. IS FUNDING THE MAIN PROBLEM YOU'VE BEEN HAVING SO FAR? I think that's the problem most new bands have. We've released three albums so far. The first one was home-recorded, and it's great, but there's only so far you can go with that. The second one was recorded in a day, and the third one, we managed to scrape enough money together to afford a couple of weeks in the studio, and the amount you can do in that time is amazing. We thought if we got a bit more money and spent a bit longer, then imagine how good it can be. HAVE YOU NOTICED A DIFFERENCE SINCE THE FUNDING CAME IN? Yes. There's definitely a buzz about us now, even though we couldn't publicise it before the show had been on TV. There are a lot of people in the industry who are very interested in us, and we've got a lot of things in place, TV and radio. The big thing is having people to book our tours and things like that. It used to take me or our manager a year to sort out a two-week tour in Europe. Now somebody else does that and it takes them 20 minutes because they know what they're doing. THE BANDMATES THAT WERE NEGATIVE, HAVE THEY CHANGED THEIR TUNE NOW? Yes. I think by the time we'd done the show, everyone was pretty much on board. We can definitely come out of this looking good, essentially because we think our music is really good and we think people will like it. The worst case scenario going in we knew, and that was that they'd say we like the music, but it's not what we invest in. And that's not really a bad thing to happen is it? HAS PETER JONES HAD MUCH TO DO WITH YOU SINCE? We got to see him at some business meetings, and also hung out with him a bit more socially too. He came up to Cambridge as well for a photoshoot, and we went punting. He was going to be in our music video as well, but he pulled out at the last minute. I don't think he wanted to be involved on a visual level. HAS IT IMPROVED YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY? No, not at all, we're still pretty clueless. I think it came across in the programme that we only half knew what we're doing. Saying that, we've had dealings with lots more people involved in the industry now, and it seems no one knows what's going on. I think we're in good company. The idea of some shadowy record label guy laughing at everyone from behind his desk is just a myth. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT BEING KNOWN AS 'THE DRAGON'S DEN BAND'? Yes. Yes we are worried, and we're sure for at least a month after we will be. I just hope we can settle down, and journalists will write things like 'Let's not mention the DD word' and they'll just write about our single which is coming out. The show was completely a means to an end. DO YOU THINK MORE BANDS WILL WANT TO GO ON THE SHOW NOW? I think they'll be inundated, but I don't think any other bands will get on. I read a huge online debate about whether we should've been allowed on or not, with some saying it'd be great, and some saying it would make the show like Pop Idol. That's why they auditioned us before we went on, to prove we could really play and that it wasn't just someone singing badly and getting panned for it. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT DRAGON'S DEN? We would have kept gigging and making other small advances. Maybe we would have had another big break in a year's time or something. If you keep getting better, someone's got to take some notice. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.51287 2008-07-07T15:56:07Z 2008-07-07T15:58:18Z

JUST six months ago the Ting Tings were just another up-and-coming band. The last time they played in Liverpool it was to the half empty Mountford Hall at January’s NME Awards tour. But that was before That’s Not My...

Jade Wright JUST six months ago the Ting Tings were just another up-and-coming band. The last time they played in Liverpool it was to the half empty Mountford Hall at January’s NME Awards tour. But that was before That’s Not My Name knocked Madonna off the top spot, and their album, We Started Nothing, shot to number one.]]> Their infectious, shouty pop has given us the most catchy tune of 2008, and at Glastonbury last weekend the duo drew the biggest ever audience to the John Peel Stage. “I thought it would be slightly more glamorous,� says Katie, speaking of the expectations she had of international pop stardom. “Not that I was in it for the glamour, but I just thought... I’m sure if I had a stylist, it would be a lot easier. But I don’t, and I don’t want one. We’re quite DIY.� Brought up on an exclusive musical diet of radio pop music (“any old c**p really�) on a farm in the delightfully named Slag Lane in Wigan (“try living with that in the school playground�), Katie is an unlikely figurehead to stumble out of Manchester’s Bohemian margins. She speaks as she finds, admits to being fired up by “a massive chip on me shoulder� and hadn’t heard of The Smiths until she moved into The Mill, the band’s rehearsal space in Salford. Her lack of Smiths knowledge was nipped in the bud when erstwhile guitar God Johnny Marr started renting space at The Mill, dropping in on occasions to here the manic pop thrill that was going on down the corridor. Katie (don’t call her Stacey, don’t call her her, don’t call her Jane – that’s not here name) also possesses the unique ability to whip the stage up in a manner entirely befitting of a frenzied thrift shop messiah. You wouldn’t know it now, but she started her musical life in a girl band, which was, as she freely admits, “the sort of thing you did in the mid 90s, wasn’t it?�. She’s bluff Northern alternate-girl incarnate. Funny, brassy, not a boring bone in her body and with one ear always cocked to the chorus.   Jules de Martino is the ying to Katie’s yang. His Metropolitan charms are a direct counterbalance to Katie’s brusque Northern manner. Ting Tings are very much a two-way operation. They share lyric and music writing duties. “If it feels right,� he says, “then it goes in, whoever has come up with it.� Jules admits that it was Katie who taught him to accept the pure thrill of pop music. Even though we come from opposite ends of the musical spectrum, we have sort of reversed roles. I was always ‘the alternative one’, now it’s the other way round.� Jules and Katie have been writing together for over four years. They began exchanging visits between Wigan and his native London (“I’d stay at her dad’s farm and we’d write in a barn,� explains Jules, “it was a cheap way of doing things�) before Jules decided to bite the bullet and up sticks to the north for good. Their first serious endeavour, Dear Eskiimo, fell flat. “Suddenly I was angry,� says Katie, picking up the tale. “And I had something to sing about.� The defining moment came in their studio at The Mill when Jules had returned back to his first love, drumming, and Katie decided to pick up the guitar. The Ting Tings were taking shape. “She played a D chord that I’d taught her, badly. She was swinging the guitar round and screaming and kept dropping it. That was the moment. We found our energy through a bum chord that turned into Great DJ. We created a loop and we were off.� Precisely at the moment that they thought no-one was interested in them, the world came knocking. “We didn’t think anybody would listen to us or even be interested,� says Jules, “We just knew exactly what we wanted to do.� Their big break came with That’s Not My Name, the song that they wrote in direct response to the apathy of the record industry. In true DIY fashion, they pressed the record with limited edition, hand done artwork. Buzz built in the North West and the record sold out in days. And the excitement about then has been building ever since. When they play at the Carling Academy this time, their liveliness could well lift off the roof. Get tickets now, while you still can. For the Ting Tings intuitive pop nous is about propulsive energy, positive thinking and smashing up a couple of rules along the way. Who really wouldn’t want a little piece of that? The Ting Tings play Carling Academy Liverpool on September 20. Tickets available from the Academy box office or 0844 477 2000. For details see www.myspace.com/thetingtings. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.51236 2008-07-07T12:00:38Z 2008-07-07T12:07:19Z

My friend Neil showed me how to make a word cloud based on the words featured most frequently in this blog. Guess what the most used word was......

Jade Wright tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.51122 2008-07-04T14:06:26Z 2008-07-04T14:07:31Z

DURAN Duran are back in town. And you could be forgiven for thinking it’s time to dig out the leg-warmers, backcomb your hair and revel in a bit of 80s nostalgia......

Jade Wright DURAN Duran are back in town. And you could be forgiven for thinking it’s time to dig out the leg-warmers, backcomb your hair and revel in a bit of 80s nostalgia...]]> But while other acts from the same era might spend their careers reliving what once was, Duran Duran are determined to make what they do relevant to a modern audience. They were the most commercially successful of the new romantic bands and leaders in the MTV-driven second British invasion of the United States, but they’re also online pioneers, leading the way with new technology. And keyboard player Nick Rhodes says the band are looking forward to a night in Liverpool. “We haven’t played Liverpool in what feels like a lifetime,� laughs Nick, 46. “Mountains have risen and fallen, there’s been a couple of ice ages since we last played a gig in Liverpool. “It’s not been a conscious decision – you didn’t say anything to offend us – it’s just that there wasn’t a venue that was suitable. Now you’ve got the new arena,� he stops and corrects himself. “The new ECHO Arena, we’re really looking forward to playing. “Liverpool is somewhere that’s always been really good to us. In the 80s some of our best, and craziest, fans were Scousers. We played some great gigs there. It was somewhere we always looked forward to playing. I remember some great gigs at the university and the Empire. That’s a beautiful old theatre. The architecture in Liverpool is stunning.� Nick has always loved art, architecture and photography. A friend of Andy Warhol and The Factory crowd, he released his own book of abstract art photographs called Interference and has exhibitions of his work at galleries around the world. “I’ve always seen music and art as pretty much the same thing,� he explains. “It’s all creative expression, and that’s what I love doing.� Nick is also a record producer, having studied production techniques while in the studio with Duran Duran. He mixed several tracks on the Rio album, and was a co-producer on many of the band's later albums. In 1983, he discovered the band Kajagoogoo and produced their debut album White Feathers. He jokingly said he would never do so again because their hit single Too Shy kept Duran Duran's Hungry Like The Wolf off the number one spot on the UK charts. “But if you look at the way the music industry has gone, that’s what everyone’s doing now,� Nick explains. “In those days being a musician and a producer were seen as very different, but that’s not the case anymore. Look at someone like Mark Ronson – he’s really highlighted what producers do. “I always liked learning about the other side of the industry, and we were lucky that because of the producers we worked with, it was always at the cutting edge of technology. That was what made a lot of the Duran Duran sound. “Now, when you look at the technology that’s available, it’s a lot more user-friendly. Kids are making and mixing their own music in their bedrooms. They can put it up on MySpace and send it round the world in seconds. It’s amazing when you think about it, and when you think back to how it used to be.� Nick, born Nicholas James Bates, is the only Duran Duran member to have been with the band since its birth in 1978. He and John Taylor were the founder members with the later addition of Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor, and Simon Le Bon, though none of the Taylors are related. The group has never disbanded, but the line-up has changed, and after a five year absence John Taylor is now back on board for what promises to be a show to remember. It is part of their Red Carpet Massacre world tour, which takes in 30 shows in 16 countries. “We’re going to play a bit of everything for you in Liverpool,� laughs Nick. “As we haven’t played there for so long, I think you deserve to hear as much as you can. “It’s great for us to be on stage together again. We’ve always been a band, that has always existed, but now you’ve got the strongest line-up. I think it’s going to be a fun night. I’m looking forward to a Liverpool welcome. It might have been a long time since we played there, but I’ll always remember that warm welcome.� Nick, and the rest of the band, have also embraced technology. They have created a virtual island within online game Second Life, on which they perform actual live concerts. They were the first major group to announce a virtual world presence in the game – an online 3D digital world, which is imagined, created and owned by the residents. “When I first discovered Second Life, I was astounded by the possibilities that were there. “When I started looking at the figures running around, chatting and interacting, I thought this is somewhere between a bizarre virtual reality TV show, a surreal real-life experience and a video game. “Somehow the amalgamation was just irresistible - what became obvious was that Duran Duran should have a presence within there. It could be a fully functional, futuristic utopia. “Plus, you can be wandering around in this online world, and suddenly you’ll see a giant potato with legs walking down the street. It’s hard to resist taking part in something when you know that can happen.� Duran Duran play the ECHO Arena tomorrow as part of the Summer Pops. For tickets, call the ECHO Arena on 0844 800 0400 or visit www.accliverpool.com. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.51042 2008-07-04T08:41:24Z 2008-07-04T08:52:30Z

I've made a Glastonbury video. It's a bit wobbly as it's my first attempt at film-making, but if you want to see more of the Liverpool bands at the festival, plus my awful dinner lady dress that I bought...

Jade Wright I've made a Glastonbury video. It's a bit wobbly as it's my first attempt at film-making, but if you want to see more of the Liverpool bands at the festival, plus my awful dinner lady dress that I bought there, take a look...]]> http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/videos-pictures/videos/2008/07/01/jade-wright-at-glastonbury-2008-100252-21208099/ Oh, and here's my best monkeyface picture in front of the pyramid stage. I think I look like Ian Brown... I'll be making more videos in coming weeks, so if there's anything you'd like to see more of, do let me know... ]]> tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.50683 2008-06-30T12:03:26Z 2008-06-30T12:21:27Z

There has been an invasion at the Glastonbury Festival. Not nu-rave music, flies or even mud. This year it’s been Merseyside bands that have taken over the world’s most famous music gathering. And it’s been all the better for...

Jade Wright There has been an invasion at the Glastonbury Festival. Not nu-rave music, flies or even mud. This year it’s been Merseyside bands that have taken over the world’s most famous music gathering. And it’s been all the better for it.]]> It seems as well as the difference in stages, the whole Glastonbury experience has changed for the lads. “Last year we got down here on this really dodgy Transit van driven by a man called Gary - we kept thinking it would break down before we got here,� explains Murph. “This year we came in on a helicopter. It’s weird, man, really weird. I keep waiting for someone to come up and tell us it’s all been a mistake, that we don’t belong here, or that it’s just a really good dream and I’ll wake up in my bed at home.� “Not that we get helicopters all the time,� adds bassist Tord nervously - clearly conscious of Glastonbury’s eco-focus. “It was just that we couldn’t get here in time any other way.“We’ve hardly slept these last four days – we’ve just been travelling and doing gigs every night, so it was the only way we could fit it in.� As we chat presenter Lauren Laverne runs up and gives the lads a hug. Clearly, as well as the practical differences, the way the band are perceived has also changed dramatically. We’re talking in the backstage area for the Other Stage, surrounded by the Glastonbury glitterati. Lily Allen is standing nearby with her new boyfriend, Pixie Geldof is sitting on a bench in the sunshine and from time to time, Kelly Osbourne wanders back and forth in a long kaftan. Word goes round that Kate Moss is expected any minute. “Sorry about that,� apologises Murph, of Lauren’s brief interruption. “Last time we just camped up in the fields with everyone else, and we didn’t get any of this hospitality stuff. To be honest I wouldn’t have minded doing that again, but they’ve brought our tour bus down so we can go straight on to the next gig, so we’re staying in this backstage compound bit.� “But we’re going to make sure we get out and see real people,� laughs Tord. “It’s great to have access to all of this, but the real festival is out there with the people dancing.“Loads of our friends in Liverpool bands are playing here – on the Leftfield Stage, so it seems bit by bit Liverpool bands are taking over the world.� Also backstage at the Other Stage is Miles Kane, singer with Wirral hot young things The Rascals and half of The Last Shadow Puppets, alongside Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys. “It’s going really well,� he grins. “We played the Other Stage on Friday with The Rascals, and then on Saturday night Al (Alex Turner) and I did a little secret show. It’s been boss. Everyone’s dead friendly, there’s a really good atmosphere. We’d definitely want to play here again.� At the other end of the musical spectrum Liverpool seven-piece Amsterdam played the Acoustic Tent.“We’ve always wanted to play Glastonbury,� says singer Ian Prowse. “And that was one of the best gigs we’ve ever done. The crowd were amazing.“We’ve played all the other big festivals, so when the offer came up we knew we had to play it, but that was something else. “The Acoustic Tent has acts like Billy Bragg and Sinead O’Connor, and people come to actually listen to the music, so it seems the perfect place for Amsterdam. We had the full band, including our fiddle player and our flute player, so everything sounded great. �The band clearly enjoyed life in the more laid-back acoustic area. “We’re camping in the acoustic backstage bit, in the biggest tent you’ve ever seen, and it’s great,� grins Ian. “The sun is shining, the music is fantastic. We’re loving it. This is what festivals are all about.� And forget Kate Moss. When it comes to festival fashion, The Zutons have got it sorted. Singer Dave McCabe was on hand to give his top tips for Glastonbury headwear: “I’m down with the jester’s hat, but I’m not really a hat person,� he explains. “I don’t suit them. My hair is my hat. The only hats I do wear are woolly ones, and they’re not for summer. You’d get a sweaty head.� And Knowsley Village’s answer to Gok Wan also has some advice to festival drinkers too:“Cider – although not the pear stuff. A few pints would be nice. I’d recommend four or five pints.� The Zutons’ 9pm slot on the Other Stage was one of the highlights of a packed weekend. And today, as festival-goers wend their way home, more than the memory of West Country cider and fresh air, the thing that sticks in their heads will be the songs sprinkled with salt from the Mersey. ]]> tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49968 2008-06-20T11:12:33Z 2008-06-20T11:14:42Z

THEY may not be able to hear his cheers of encouragement – what with the 12,000 miles distance between Anfield and New Zealand – but every time the Liverpool team play, Neil Finn is glued to the action......

Jade Wright THEY may not be able to hear his cheers of encouragement – what with the 12,000 miles distance between Anfield and New Zealand – but every time the Liverpool team play, Neil Finn is glued to the action...]]> The Crowded House singer is a devoted red, having followed them for more than 30 years. “My obsession comes courtesy of Split Enz (the band that spawned Crowded House) bassist Nigel Griggs,� laughs Neil. “He lives, sleeps and breathes Liverpool, and it rubbed off on me. “It started in 1977 when they won the European Cup and the league. I’ve followed them ever since. “I’ve never been to Anfield, but this time I’m going to make sure I do. Even if I can only stand outside.� His love of Liverpool FC is just one of Neil’s connections with the city. “I’ve always felt very much at home in Liverpool,� he says. “There’s a sense of humour and warmth you get from the people. “Liverpool has always been a great place to play.� Neil’s last gig in the city has now passed into the realms of music legend. He was booked to play the Empire on the night that John Peel died, and former smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined him on stage for a special tribute. “I’ll always remember that night,� explains Neil. “We heard during the day that John had died – God rest his soul. He’d always been a hero of ours. “We were playing in his home town and it seemed right to do something to celebrate the love he had for music. “We’re mates with Johnny. He’s joined us onstage loads of times, and he was a massive John Peel fan. “When he came on, someone shouted: ‘Play Teenage Kicks’ and we did. Johnny knew it, and we all joined in.� Will Johnny be joining you onstage at the upcoming Liverpool date too? “We’d love him to, but I’m not sure what he’s up to,� says Neil. “It’s funny, I always thought there was a Manchester/Liverpool rivalry. I didn’t know how people would react to him in Liverpool, but the crowds have loved him. It’s hard not to – he’s Johnny Marr.� He pauses for a second, and laughs. “Plus, he’s a Manchester City fan, so he hates Manchester United as much as anyone.� Crowded House enjoyed massive success in Australia and New Zealand and made their international breakthrough with 1987 single Don’t Dream It’s Over, followed by Weather With You, Fall At Your Feet and Four Seasons In One Day. The band now features original members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour, as well as American Mark Hart, who joined in 1992. Drummer Matt Sherrod joined the band following the death of original drummer Paul Hester in 2005. Their Summer Pops date at the ECHO Arena promises to be something special. The band’s comeback has been greeted with widespread praise. Time on Earth, their first album in 14 years, has been hailed as one of their best yet and entered the charts at number three. “We’re a better band than we were years ago,� says Neil. “There’s more spark, more zip in the way we work together. “Loads of bands reform, but how many commit themselves to being a band to all intents and purposes after 10 years? “We are more attracted to the idea of being a band again than ‘appearing’ as a band again. “And playing live is what we’ve always loved best. When we play Liverpool there’ll be a few new songs, but lots of old stuff too. I’m hoping to hear the crowd singing along to some old favourites.� When Neil played The Picket in 2001, he gave his fans a chance to join his band for the day. Entitled the UK Band Of Strangers, he asked fans to send in tapes of themselves performing as well as writing a few lines about why they wanted to be involved. "I wanted to put the cat amongst the pigeons, stand back and see what happen,� he explains. "It started as a whimsical notion, then became a determined effort to become a band in a really short space of time.� The gig at the magnificent new ECHO Arena will be world apart from Neil’s first performance in Liverpool. Crowded House formed out of the ashes of Split Enz – who played legendary Liverpool club Eric’s. “I think our first gig in England was at Eric’s,� says Neil. “I remember it to this day. What a place! “For my generation it was like The Cavern had been in the 60s. You had all those amazing bands coming out of Liverpool. It was an honour to play there. “It’s just a shame it’s not open any more,� he pauses for a second and laughs. “Crowded House say bring Eric’s back!� Crowded House play the Summer Pops on Wednesday, July 9. Tickets, at £32.50 and £27.50, are on sale now for the concert on 0870 151 4000 or from The ECHO Arena box office at www.accliverpool.com and 0844 8000 400. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49960 2008-06-20T09:30:35Z 2008-06-20T21:47:38Z

We take a look at two chart topping albums from this week in different years......

Jade Wright We take a look at two chart topping albums from this week in different years...]]> 1977 Beatles - The Beatles Live At The Hollywood Bowl The Beatles were among the few major recording artists of the 1960s to not have issued a live album. So, after their break-up, in an attempt to squeeze as much material as possible from them, Capitol Records initially considered releasing their February 1964 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. Unable to obtain the necessary approval from the musicians' union, they instead released a compilation of their Hollywood Bowl performances from the 1964 and 1965 American tours. The quality of both recordings was considered poor, so the tapes from the Hollywood Bowl performances continued to sit untouched in a Capitol vault for more than five years. Meanwhile, among Beatles fans, pent-up demand for a concert album continued to build. In fact, John Lennon set off a minor frenzy when, in a 1971 Rolling Stone interview, he incorrectly identified an obscure Italian compilation album, The Beatles in Italy, as a live recording ("There's one in Italy apparently, that somebody recorded there"). In 1971, following his salvage project of the Get Back sessions, which was released as the group's Let It Be album, the Hollywood Bowl tapes were given to famed American record producer Phil Spector to see if he could fashion an album out of the material. Either Spector did not complete the job or his production was unsatisfactory, and the tapes continued to sit unreleased for another half a decade. Finally, with a rival record label's impending release of the Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Capitol Record's parent company, EMI, decided to revisit the Hollywood Bowl recordings. Beatles' producer George Martin was handed the tapes and asked to compile a listenable official live album. Despite the fact that the recordings were between twelve and thirteen years old, the album reached number one. 2005 Coldplay - X & Y Coldplay’s third album, debuted at the top of the UK chart, moving 464,471 units in its first week. It quickly became the best-selling album worldwide in 2005, shifting 8.3 million units during the year. The first single, Speed of Sound takes inspiration from the drumbeat of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill. Coldplay received permission from Kraftwerk to use the main riff from Computer Love for the track Talk, while Brian Eno played backing synthesiser on the track Low. The album's final (hidden) track, 'Til Kingdom Come, was originally written by the band to be recorded by Johnny Cash, but Cash died before he could record the song. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49724 2008-06-17T17:34:05Z 2008-06-17T17:34:53Z

The Wombats have apologised to fans after cancelling their gig in Liverpool tonight....

Jade Wright The Wombats have apologised to fans after cancelling their gig in Liverpool tonight.]]> The indie trio were forced to postpone their secret performance, due to be held at Zanzibar, at the last minute after singer Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy was diagnosed with laryngitis. The frontman was unable to speak, but the band asked for the following message to be passed on to fans: “We’re so sorry not to be able to do the gig. We really wanted to go on with it, particularly as it’s in our home town, but there is no way Murph can sing. We hope to be rearrange it soon.� tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49714 2008-06-17T15:25:18Z 2008-06-17T15:26:16Z

Liverpool has surged to victory in Arts Council England’s search to find the UK's Most Musical City. After six weeks of campaigning across ten cities and with thousands of votes cast, the home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes to...

Jade Wright Liverpool has surged to victory in Arts Council England’s search to find the UK's Most Musical City. After six weeks of campaigning across ten cities and with thousands of votes cast, the home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Zutons secured victory with 49 percent of the public vote.]]> Almost forty years after Merseybeat, 2008’s European Capital of Culture snatched the number one spot from Sheffield, which led online voting until the last week, and north-west rivals Manchester who finished third. As the winning city, Liverpool will be represented by The Affection – an unsigned local band who will perform in front of 5,000 people at this September’s End of the Road Festival in Dorset. ''Liverpool's music scene is renowned the world over be it for The Beatles, The Real Thing and Cream or The RLPO and Simon Rattle - as 'The Beat Goes On' exhibition at World Museum Liverpool will testify, when it opens in July. This award is great news and should serve to encourage those seeking to build on that legacy. The city today has a phenomenal pool of talent and its exciting that now, more than ever, it has the venues, the studios, the promoters and the festivals to nurture new ideas and diverse artists who will carry on Liverpool's best musical traditions.'' Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool city council and Deputy Chairman of Liverpool Culture Company, said: ''Music is in Liverpool's blood - the port nurtured an ear for the exotic and its been inspiring musicians and entertaining the masses ever since. From the days of sea shanties and Merseybeat to classical and dance, music is a major reason why we are European Capital of Culture this year and why MTV chose to host it's European awards here this November. To win this national award - voted by the public - is the icing on the cake for our '08 celebrations.'' The nations’ enduring love for the Fab Four along with new acts like The Wombats helped Liverpool beat off the challenge of cities including London, Birmingham, Bristol and Leicester which finished in a surprise fourth position thanks to strong support from fans of Engelbert Humperdinck who backed the city’s bid. During the Most Musical City search, unsigned acts from across the country were given the chance to perform at this year’s End of the Road festival. From the online auditions submitted, a panel of music industry experts chose The Affection as Liverpool’s best unsigned act. They will perform at the festival alongside two additional competition winners – Electric Tape Recorder from runners-up Sheffield and ‘Best of the Rest’ act Bianca Bohl from London. Michael Eakin, Executive Director, Arts Council England, North West said: “With both Liverpool and Manchester in the running for Most Musical City, there was always going to be strong competition. I am delighted to see the title awarded to Liverpool during Capital of Culture year, where the city has shown the world something we, in the North West, have already known for some time - that Liverpool is a world-class destination unsurpassed for its hospitality, art, creativity and culture. Congratulations go to Liverpool, Most Musical City.� With the success of bands such as the Arctic Monkeys Sheffield led the competition from the start and looked like upsetting favourites London, Manchester and Liverpool. While London remained unloved in eighth position, rivalry between the two north-west cities saw a surge in voting which confirmed Liverpool as the nation’s favourite. Most Musical City Final Result Liverpool Sheffield Manchester Leicester Birmingham Brighton Bristol London Colchester Newcastle For more information go to www.mostmusicalcity.co.uk tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49612 2008-06-16T19:35:42Z 2008-06-16T22:18:56Z

Thank you for all your fantastic competition entries to see The Wombats - the winners have now been notified. I'm interviewing the mighty marsupials tomorrow and I'd love to put your questions to them, so if there's anything you've...

Jade Wright Thank you for all your fantastic competition entries to see The Wombats - the winners have now been notified. I'm interviewing the mighty marsupials tomorrow and I'd love to put your questions to them, so if there's anything you've always wanted to know, now's your chance...]]> Just leave me a comment below with your name saying what you'd like to ask and I'll put as many as I can to them. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49574 2008-06-16T12:26:48Z 2008-06-16T12:28:17Z

Ever had one of those anxiety dreams where you’re in school and everything seems normal until you suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to put on any clothes – and everyone can see you’re naked? Well that happened to me this...

Jade Wright Ever had one of those anxiety dreams where you’re in school and everything seems normal until you suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to put on any clothes – and everyone can see you’re naked? Well that happened to me this week. Except it was work, not school. And it was real life rather than my over-active imagination. Well almost.]]> After my lovely holiday in the Lake District I had a bit of a tan and the continued clement weather made me go out on the lookout for a summer dress. As regular readers will know, I’ve lost a lot of weight in the last few months, so my old wardrobe is now redundant, and I’m having to replace it bit by bit. So I went out and started to try things on. The only one I liked was only available in two sizes – 12 and 8. The 12 is now too big, and amazingly the 8 seemed OK, so I congratulated myself on a good purchase. The dress looked fine at home. My housemate even said it looked nice. So I wore it for work on Wednesday, feeling full of the joys of summer. In the cold fluorescent light of the office, what had looked bright, breezy and summery suddenly looked like a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. My two best friends – voted Liverpool’s third best t**ts in a previous column, may I say – looked as though they were making a break for freedom, and at any moment they’d succeed. In fact, most of them already had. Like the time I cut my own hair with disastrous results, the reaction in the office was mixed. Some were very kind and tried to reassure me it was OK. Others mocked me openly about my inappropriate attire for work. I’d have attracted less attention if I’d been naked I think. So, at lunchtime I went out to buy a cardigan to cover my modesty. On my way I walked past a building site, and is it bad to admit that I was secretly pleased to hear the builders start to whistle? I know it’s frowned upon these days, but I love a good wolf-whistle. I walked tall and looked up at my admirers. And then a terrible thing happened. One of them shouted something, and I’m sure it was: “Not you, love!�. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more disappointed. I slunk dejectedly back to the office empty-handed. Ridicule didn’t seem so bad after that. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49358 2008-06-12T20:41:01Z 2008-06-12T20:57:43Z

THE Zutons are an odd band. Not as people – a nicer bunch you couldn’t hope to meet – but if they wanted to be, theirs could be some of the most famous faces in music. Instead, they reject...

Jade Wright THE Zutons are an odd band. Not as people – a nicer bunch you couldn’t hope to meet – but if they wanted to be, theirs could be some of the most famous faces in music. Instead, they reject the whole celebrity scene, preferring to let their music do the talking.]]> But the cover version of their track Valerie last year by musical dream team Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson has propelled them into the spotlight, whether they like it or not. Now it’s hard to walk down the street without hearing about her ginger hair, and the way she likes to dress. Today, sitting in St John’s Gardens in the spring sunshine, the quirky five-piece seem to take it all in their stride. “It was so weird at first,� laughs saxophone player Abi. “I remember the first time I heard it I was like ‘bloody hell it’s Valerie! It’s our song!’. “It took a bit of getting used to, but I like her version, and she’s taken it to a whole new audience. “It’s weird though, some days I’ll be walking through town and it’s playing in a shop or I’ll hear it in a bar and it’ll stop me in my tracks.� Bass player Russell Pritchard agrees. “It’s like it’s our song and it’s not our song. But we’re glad she’s done it. It’s always nice to have someone cover your songs. It’s a big compliment.� The band are just about to set out on the road to promote new album, You Can Do Anything, but for now they’re taking a break and enjoying being back home. They spent the winter in California, infusing the record with sun, sea and sand. “It’s so nice to be back,� says singer and songwriter Dave McCabe, originally from Knowsley Village. “I got homesick while we were out there. I didn’t think I’d miss Liverpool, but I did find myself thinking about it a lot. “I missed all the normal things – my mates, and my ma and dad.� Now they’re back in town, and with an increased celebrity status, the band must be getting spotted everywhere they go? “Dave and Abi get it most,� says Russell. “I think they’re the most recognisable.� “I don’t know, we don’t get that much, and people are friendly with it,� explains Abi. “They’ll come up and say ‘hi’ or that they like the music. We don’t get any trouble with it. It’s nice to be back. Liverpool has always been home.� So you’re not tempted to up sticks to America permanently? “No, not at all,� says drummer Sean Payne. “Why would we want to? We wouldn’t even want to move to London. I don’t think you need to do that to make music. Maybe in the past, but certainly not anymore. Now, with the internet, you can make music anywhere.� But you enjoyed spending time in America for a while? “Yeah, it was great working in America,� says guitarist Paul Molloy, the band’s newest member. Paul joined for the Deltasonic Christmas party at the Carling Academy, following the departure of Boyan Choudhury last summer. “It was good being all together somewhere that wasn’t home.� The new album is something of a departure for the band. Picking up where the big sound of Valerie left off, it runs with it in an altogether rockier direction. Do you think working on it in America has changed your sound? “All the songs were written in Liverpool, so I don’t think being in America influenced that, but maybe it changed the sound and the way we recorded it,� says Dave. “Our last two albums were recorded over here, so maybe there is a difference.� While they were recording, the band had a surprise visitor from home. “Ringo Starr came in to see us,� laughs Russell. “He was promoting his Liverpool album and he came in to see us for the day. We played him the new songs and he was boss.� “He was a nice fella,� adds Abi. “A really nice fella.� “We get to do proper mad things,� laughs Russell. “Sometimes you have to stop yourself and remember how lucky you are.� “We got to meet James Brown,� says Abi. “That was amazing.� Now the band are looking forward to an outdoor summer, playing at festivals up and down the country. They’ve also taken on a tour of Forestry Commission sites, including a big gig at Delemere. “Delamere should be great – we’re just hoping the weather stays like this,� says Abi. “It’ll be the first time we’ve played the new tunes so near to home, and all our friends and family are coming down, so it’s going to be boss.� “It’ll be good to play so much outside,� says Russell. “The festivals are always good for us. We’ve played some great Glastonburys.� “And I’m looking forward to the Isle of Wight,� adds Dave. “That’s always a good one.� It promises to be a relaxing summer for The Zutons, pottering from festivals to forests enjoying the laid back vibes. But is there a pressure on the band to make this album as successful as the previous two? “I think Dave sometimes feels like there’s a pressure on him,� says Abi. “You’ve got that thing where you have to prove yourself with your first album, prove it wasn’t a fluke with your second; by the time you get to your third it’s showing that you’ve still got it. There’s always a pressure, to an extent, but each time people have tended to like what we do.� And it seems they’re already sowing the seeds for a fourth album. “Sometimes you’ll see Dave scribbling lyrics down, but we wont properly start writing until we’ve finished touring this album,� explains Sean. “But it’s the same with any creative process. You can’t switch your brain off, there’ll always be things that come to you and you think ‘yeah, we could use that’. “We’ve worked together for so long now it’s kind of organic.� Do you think you sound like a Liverpool band – is there such a thing as a Liverpool band? “I suppose you could say there’s that four lads in a band type thing,� says Abi. “We certainly take influences from growing up.� “Some of that comes from bands we heard in the city, so there’s bound to be a Liverpool influence,� says Sean. “But we grew up listening to a real mix,� laughs Abi. “Everything from Abba to Miles Davis to Dave Brubeck, so who knows where our influences come from.� Away from the music Abi is quickly becoming a fashion icon. She’s just done an interview with Cosmopolitan about her style, and it seems it’s rubbing off on the rest of the band. “Abi bought me this jumper,� says Dave. “She bought me this too,� adds Russell, pointing to his T shirt. “She buys most of our clothes.� “I’m going to get myself a little credit,� laughs Abi. “The Zutons styling by Abi Harding of St John Bosco.� The Zutons play Delamere Forest on June 13. New album You Can Do Anything is out now. For details see www.thezutons.co.uk. tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49238 2008-06-11T12:58:01Z 2008-06-11T13:01:33Z

In the next of our series championing great Merseyside songs we have Alan O'Hare from The Trestles waxing lyrical about There She Goes by The La's......

Jade Wright In the next of our series championing great Merseyside songs we have Alan O'Hare from The Trestles waxing lyrical about There She Goes by The La's...]]> I’m nothing if not predictable. But it’s time to set a few things straight. The album it came from may have done more harm than good in Liverpool - but There She Goes, by The La’s, remains the best pop song to have ever emerged from our fair city. It’s a tune that gets a raw deal these days: over-familiar, on countless compilations, blamed for the cosmic Scouse culture and plucked by every busker this side of Bold Street. But so what? That’s not the song’s fault, right? Four wheels are still good enough to get an ambulance to an emergency - despite all our advances in technology - and There She Goes can still get the job done for me. It was American diner owners that decreed all pop hits should be around two-and-a-half minutes in length (more dimes in the jukebox baby!) and the greatest tune ever written by Lee Mavers obeys all the rules. Great riff (God, there’s an understatement). Massive chorus - that opens the song too, a little Beatles nod there. Perfect harmonies. Exciting drums. A left turn of a middle eight. And a yearning, bittersweet lyric. Perfect combinations for great pop music - and (this is Keef Richards’ rule) something different happens every 20 seconds. It always puts me in the right mood - but never the same one. There She Goes is a song to be sung by all different people, really. And that’s its trick - it’s a tune that works on every level. Bellowed by the lads on a night out, soundchecked by a band in The Zanzibar, screamed by the girls surrounding a busker on Church Street and hummed by your nan, when Billy Butler gives it its weekly spin on Radio Merseyside. See. All things to everyone - and there is still those “written about smack� rumours to keep the next generation of NME readers interested, alongside the old farts from Mojo and Uncut. A perfect pop song? It’s something to be ... The Trestles play 3345, Parr Street on Thursday, July 3 to launch Liverpool Music Today. The boys are also in the studio working on new material - check out www.myspace.com/thetrestles for more info.]]> tag:musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk,2008://175.49137 2008-06-10T16:31:14Z 2008-06-10T16:38:50Z

In the next of our series of guest columns on the best Merseyside songs ever written, we have Ian Prowse from Amsterdam championing Echo and the Bunnymen's superb Over The Wall. Read on and let me know what you...

Jade Wright In the next of our series of guest columns on the best Merseyside songs ever written, we have Ian Prowse from Amsterdam championing Echo and the Bunnymen's superb Over The Wall. Read on and let me know what you think...]]> It's the 1980's and I'm on a strict diet of the Style Council,Billy Bragg,The Smiths and The Stranglers with Prefab Sprout,Kate Bush,the Blue Nile and Lloyd Cole as side dishes. The punk wars have been fought and lost,Springsteen has yet to come and save my mortal soul and the The Waterboys are still making the big music (high on bluster low on grace). My first girlfriend the very wonderful Melanie Roberts has a brother called Martin.Martin has the best record collection of anyone I've ever seen (still true to this day).He has everything.Hundreds and hundreds of peices of vinyl of bands I have never heard of.All manner of exotic band names. This is before Q magazine or cable TV or anything so I can only imagine he got his tips from the once mighty (and then brilliantly written) NME. Martin however is incredibly precious about his collection and I'm allowed nowhere near it.Or thats what he thought.When he went out to work I went in to plunder.At first I busied myself with the artists I knew because Martin would have every rare B side,every 12 inch picture Disc,every banana yellow Dickies 7 inch single you could muster. After some time I began to be atrracted by the other delights this wall to wall collection might throw up.I was particularly taken by a front cover in blue of four silhouettes standing on a beach.It is an utterly magnificent photograph and I wanted to like the album held within immediatly I clapped eyes on the awe inspiring sleeve.That is a feeling no modern record can give you can it? The album is called Heaven up here and its by Echo and the Bunnymen.I've heard the name and I know its a local group but I'd never investigated,put off probably by some spurious 'Psychadelic' tag I'd probably read about. I was a straight forward rock and roll Clash and Jam kid.I didn't want anything poncey thank you very much.I hated synths and drum machines and the New Romantics such as Duran duran which came to represent the eighties (not my fucking eighties I might point out!). This however was different.As the opening two songs unfolded I felt like I was entering an undiscoverd underground,it was very unusual music to my young ears.Infact it still sounds unusual to me today. Now,when you're a kid music is a badge by which you live and die. You have to believe in it with all your worth because if it's yours and it belongs to you then you are gonna go out there and tell every fucker who will listen about this brilliant new band you've discovered and about how everything else is shit and how YOU are the coolest fucker in the world for discovering them.That moment came for me as track three unfolded in front of my dis believing ears on Melanie's pre war record player. 'Over the wall' has thee most foreboding intro of any rock and roll record.You know within 15 seconds you are going to listen to an utter materpeice.It's that good.AND its all drum machines with synths,I was going to have to adjust my teenage twatishness about such things very quickly. Over the wall absolutly nails atmosphere, it is brilliantly produced,nothing about it could be improved. Tension clings to it,fear stalks its verses and joy vaults from its chorus.Guitars are played like you've never heard them before and Mac puts in a vocal to hang your very life upon.I fucking well love it. Of course it's an Echo and the Bunnymen song so I have no idea what it means (tortoise shells anyone?) but to my 1980's just getting politicized teenage psyche it could only mean one thing.It was about the Wall,thee Wall,there was only one wall.The Berlin wall. Nuclear annihilation was never very far away from everyones thoughts in the 80's.It was a very real concept,always in the conversation,always in the back of your mind and when the TV programme 'Threads' went out it invaded all of our dreams as well.So to me the tension brilliantly portrayed in this song takes me back to those times when the Cold war was real and the Russians were most definaltly coming. It's joyous hope of two lovers escaping over the wall and being forever on the run lent the song impossible romanticism,yearning and sorrow.Or maybe Im just reading too much into it LOL. Anyway,the Bunnymen went on to become huge and of course thats when I stopped listening and went searching for other new bands to champion.Always hated it when my bands got big.What a fool I was.I have promised Damien Dempsey faithfully that I wont desert him when he gets his time comes, I've grown up now :-). Amsterdam play Glastonbury on June 29 and a national tour in the Autumn. For information, see www.amsterdam-music.com ]]>