I Am A Cider Drinker

Oxjam conference 2013. 14th -16th June. 

Today a little part of me had a little weep knowing that there’s no chance of Fleetwood Mac playing Glastonbury 2013. It was obvious that between them and The Rolling Stones the Eavis’ would have rather have had The Stones but I was quite optimistic. Stevie Nicks expressed how much they would love to play and The Stones said ‘yeah maybe it’d be alright if it wasn’t raining’ - true Glasto spirit there!! The rumours for The Stones died down and the ones for the Mac continued but I guess the one that made the most sense was The Rolling Stones.

I realise that nothing has been announced yet so this may all seem a bit preemptive but today Fleetwood Mac released extra tour dates in the US falling on Glastonbury weekend. In my opinion they wouldn’t have done that unless Glasto organisers had confirmed their headliners… i.e. their main competition, The Rolling Stones. Emily Eavis already stated they would never have both.

I’d like to take a minute for my bank balance because as soon as Fleetwood Mac announce their UK tour dates I am there… and I don’t expect they will be cheap.

In other Glasto headliner rumours… Arctic Monkeys for the Friday? I personally think it’s a strong possibility as much as I don’t think they have had any good material since their second album. I have been speculating Radiohead for the last 2 Glastonbury’s because both them as a band and Tom Yorke have appeared as surprise guests at the festival in recent years. This could be because they are too big to do anything other than a surprise or a headline slot.

For a modern day band to fill the last slot, it’s difficult. There is not a lot around that have made it big enough in the past couple of years. The nature of buying records has changed. Consumers get bored and are on to the next up and coming act. The anticipation for a bands' new album is just not the same anymore. Festival headliners are now only worthy if they have an iconic back catalogue of music.  

Although Mumford & Sons haven’t even played the Pyramid Stage yet… they could be a possibility. They’ve had an amazing year and headlined their own show at the O2. I could imagine them headlining or being second on the bill. Similarly, Florence and the Machine could be a contender having headlined Bestival and Benicissam (even though she didn’t make it), and had a number 1 single commercially last year with Calvin Harris. Glastonbury have been big supporters of Florence from the beginning of her career in conjunction with BBC Introducing.

Having now prepared three exam questions for my module on Music and Social Movements, it's gotten me really reflective of how music has actually impacted many social movements throughout history. I have been called ignorant in the past because I have never been that interested in history until recently. Having taken this module has opened my eyes to how interesting aspects of history can be and I just blame my school for not making it engaging enough! (Poor excuse, I know) Maybe relating it to music is what made me want to learn about it. Throughout the module I have learnt about how nearly every genre has impacted history somehow but the three topics I have chosen to focus on is:

The Riot Grrrl movement and how we have seen that replicated in 2012 with the imprisonment of Pussy Riot in Russia

The censorship of the Dixie Chicks because lead singer Natalie Maines spoke out in front of a British audience about the Iraq War, saying 'Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas'

The One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica, headlined by Bob Marley, as an attempt to stop the civil war and bring peace and unity to the country

What theme is evident throughout all these events is the question of freedom of speech and political expression through music (which I guess is the point of the module!) The quote I previously posted from Bob Geldof made me think about how much stars and celebrities can impact and influence a cause and it's actually kind of sad. Why do we need to told by a famous person to do good in the world? This is not a post of judgement because I am hardly an activist but it has made me think about how many causes I have participated in and why. I guess I have never felt that passionate about anything, I recently marched through central London against the cuts but again that was in support of my Dad who is a Paramedic and being directly impacted by the government's decisions.

Anyway, I digress.

The Oxjam Music Festival I participated in was an example of Music and Politics working together but perhaps if I had put on an event for a charity less well known then maybe I would not have been as successful? 

Is being famous the key to making a difference in the world? Then again if you look at Pussy Riot they were not famous before their stunt and now look at them, they are receiving worldwide support from artists everywhere because they deserve to exercise their right of freedom of speech to be anti-Putin. Similarly, the Dixie Chicks were blacklisted and shunned because of their opinion, their fame status was the reason why what they said was so controversial. 

I'm currently listening to 'Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac' and The Kills did a cover of 'Dreams' and it made me think of how many covers of this song have been done and I thought I'd post my favourite. I think everyone should have this version of Bastille & Gabrielle Aplin in their life.

Not that I'm biased but Gabrielle's a home grown girl from Wiltshire who I have loose connections with as she went to Bath College with some people I went to school with. She's had a very lucky break with being discovered on YouTube from having done some pretty good covers and then given the John Lewis advert at Christmas has just sent her rocketing into fame.

This version of 'Dreams' is dark but edgy - it has Bastille's sound but bringing in Gabrielle gives the authenticity of the original track due to Fleetwood Mac being famous for the male and female voices.I have to say Bastille are going to be my band of 2013. I have tickets for them in March and their album is the one I am waiting for. Their covers are so unique, the combination of my love of 90's 'Floorfillers' club classics and an indie twist on their free download album 'Other People's Heartache' is what made me fall in love with them. I love their original tracks but I probably wouldn't have looked them up so much if I hadn't found these covers. I'm hooked!

Download 'Other People's Heartache' from here: http://www.otherpeoplesheartache.com/

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012 was a pretty epic year for me, it's going to be hard to beat. I have been lucky enough to take part in almost everything that's been great in 2012. Starting with the Diamond Jubilee, being a part of the Floatila on one of the boats and standing in the Mall for the concert. Getting an amazing internship working for Bestival for 3 months, working at the Olympics and meeting some of the most amazing people that I will never forget. Getting the opportunity to put on an Oxjam event and raising £400 for that amazing cause with the support of my friends and family was definitely a personal highlight. It wouldn't be a post without me saying something about Glasto... so yes getting my Glasto 2013 ticket was obviously an awesome moment as it was looking like I might not!! Not only did all that happen but I also turned 21. Scary times, almost time for me to grow up!

2013 is going to be the year of enjoying my last months as a student including going on lots of holidays and city breaks before settling down with a fantastic job (yes I'm feeling optimistic!) It's also the year that I'm going to do more exercise, stop going to bed in the middle of the night and sleeping until noon, spend less money and not neglect my blog and write a lot more. 

BRING IT ON! 

Best wishes for 2013 

The quotation I just posted is from a book I am reading for my dissertation and it got me really thinking about what I would say to this person if I ever met them. I'm sure there was a backlash of response when this letter was published as the book is from 2003, but I know a lot of people do take the same view and it's still relevant today. So I thought I would respond...

I am all for taking a stand against commercialised music and I understand why people don't like the music that makes the top 40. A lot of the time music makes the top 40 because of who the artist is not because of the song or the music itself. For example, Rihanna has had almost 20 top 10 singles in the UK & US which is nearly every single she has released and she is bashing out albums with all of her singles on; like she eligible for a greatest hits already... at this rate she will be! Is it because her music is amazing, no? It's because people have bought into her. She's an image and an icon that is releasing songs that fit into the modern day market and she knows that people will buy them. Her collaboration with Calvin Harris - We Found Love, was recorded originally by Leona Lewis, and I bet that wouldn't have done so well which is why the decision was made to record with Rihanna instead. That hit has put Calvin Harris' career through the roof. 

Whereas if you take an artist like Florence and the Machine, who arrived on the scene through BBC Introducing, they have only had 2 top 10 singles in the UK and one of them was a cover of The Source's You Got the Love and the other, a remix (funnily enough done by Calvin Harris) of her song Spectrum. However, both of her albums have reached Number 1 in the UK chart.

In my opinion, these statistics say a lot about the modern market. Fans of Florence don't act in the same way as fans of Rihanna. Fans of Rihanna have control over the singles chart so if artists like Florence are making it into the Top 40, then that is an achievement because it is evidence of them appealing to a wider audience than those that have always supported her and bought her album. Florence wrote Spectrum and just because Calvin Harris put his spin on it, suddenly the song is a hit. 

I don't use this word lightly as it's meaning can be disputed but authentic musicians who write their own music and just want to share their passion with the world do not release single after single. They write an album and release that as a piece of work. A piece of work that the artist is trying to make a living out of. Is it a bad thing if that album does well? After all music isn't just art, it's a career and musicians need to make money. There's a difference between a commercial product and an artist who successfully makes money from their records. 

The author of this letter explicitly says that if they like a band that then does well they don't like them any more. Where's the logic in that? If you like a band, then you like a band! Their music doesn't change, just because their music appeals to a wider audience why do their original fans turn on them. Surely, you should be happy for them?

The most obvious example is when Kings of Leon released Sex on Fire suddenly most of their fans who have supported them for years turned against them just because that song reached a more mainstream fan base than they have ever had before. WHO CARES? 

Furthermore, who is this person to say that 'kids' don't have a clue? I'm only 21 and I wasn't alive when some of my favourite artists were at their climax. Am I not allowed to like bands from the past just because they're not 'indie' and 'alternative' any more? You may be proud to be an elitist but I'm proud to say music is music and you are allowed to like whom ever you want and whenever you want. Sometimes you just have to accept that there is a big corporate machine that is churning out artists like Rihanna but there is still artists that are trying to make a living out of what they love to do.

Tim Wall (2003) Studying Popular Music. 

After sleepless nights, stressing and constant worrying, Oxjam at the Ginglik is finally over and I am happy to report it was a success!! I have so many people to thank for their overwhelming support including everyone who came and all the amazing artists that played. 

You may be wondering why it has taken me so long to get round to writing about the night but as it so happens that it was my 21st Birthday last week (Halloween to be specific!) so along with celebrating that it was also the boyf's graduation on the 1st of November, I was working at all the other University Graduations and I spent another day in A & E because of a drunken birthday fall...  but we won't talk about that. I have also just spent the weekend with my amazing family celebrating my birthday so I really have had an insanely busy week since Oxjam but now I'm ready to rave about how awesome it was! I can't wait to post pictures of the event but I need to get the photos from my designated photographers! 

First things first, I raised £400 which although wasn't as much as I had pledged to raise, I was extremely happy with it because I was genuinely worried that no-one would turn up! Along with the amount of tickets sold, I had some raffle prizes donated and had donation boxes around the venue. Admittedly, I didn't have much faith in the raffle prizes - not that I wasn't extremely grateful for the donations! I had a bottle of Champagne, a bottle of Red Wine, 2 boxes of Batman Lego and a 'Bay Tree' Food Hamper. People were buying extra tickets just to get their hands on the Batman Lego!! The most amusing thing was, my best friend picked out her own name from the bucket and scored herself the first box of lego. It wasn't a fix... I Promise!! A lovely man who I didn't know won the Champagne and gave it to me because I had organised everything - I was extremely touched at his kind gesture. I enjoyed a champagne breakfast on my birthday so I definitely have him to thank for that.

Ally Hamilton kicked off the night by warming up the crowd with his mellow sound and his witty personality. He eased everyone into the night by playing a lot of original songs but also some covers which everyone knew and loved. He really did a fantastic job considering he is just starting out on his solo stuff having broken away from his original band Clown Breakdown. He brought a lot of support along and even had his girlfriend delivering drinks to the stage. Anyone that would like to listen to any more of Ally's stuff - 'Like' him on Facebook, Follow him on Twitter and listen to his SoundCloud.

http://www.facebook.com/allyhamiltonmusic

http://soundcloud.com/allyhamilton24    

https://twitter.com/AllyHamilton24

Beeming with pride over Eroding Republic, who stepped up to the stage next as the lead singer of this band is my little brother. Having played with other people as he was growing up, Ben found his place within Eroding Republic as he was asked to play with some Sixth Form lads for an A-Level Music piece. From there they became a band - he even replaced the former lead singer! Fairly inexperienced when it comes to playing live gigs the Ginglik was considered a warm up for them for a local gig the following day at a venue at home called 'The Cheese and Grain', which has been written about in Q Magazine as a hidden gem of small, local, live music venues. So check it out if you're ever in the Frome, Somerset area - we've had some amazing artists stop by and play there. Considering how nervous they were, you would never have known from their amazing set. Having a lot of people there who have known my brother for years they couldn't believe the transformation from Ben to lead singer of Eroding Republic. Not forgetting the mention of the other two members, Ally and Tom who found themselves some new found fans in some of my closest friends. Both their original songs and their twist on some classics found them very popular with the Ginglik audience. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eroding-Republic/213165752047988 https://twitter.com/ErodingRepublic

It was an absolute privilege having Richard Allan II play within my gig as I didn't know them, like I know all the other bands. They aren't personal friends - in fact I had the pleasure of watching Richard Allan's first band Richie and the Runners at Secret Garden Party in 2011. I fell in love with 'City Lights' as it's got a Mumford and Sons feel to it when you just want to get up and have a hoe down! I was so close to even getting him to play it for me during his set but one of his band members wasn't so sure on how to play it... but I may have convinced him to put it back into his set?! Who knows, if you ever get to watch them and he plays it maybe it was because of me!?? Despite him not playing the song that made me fall in love with his music, him and his band played a fantastic set with real passion to their music. This was their second Oxjam appearance as I managed to set them up with the Cambridge Take-Over event too as their manager is local to Cambridge. So although my event and audience was a lot smaller, they still seemed to be oozing with excitement and enthusiasm to play.

http://www.facebook.com/richardallanII https://twitter.com/RichardAllanII http://www.youtube.com/user/RichardAllanIImusic http://soundcloud.com/richardallan_ii

Finally, my headliners The Doll Mechanics came with an army of followers and supporters which I was massively grateful for. By the time they were playing I was able to let loose and I was up dancing with my friends waving the Oxjam banner as a sign of relief and success. Both Lauren James and Daniel Jones I wish to personally thank for their help throughout the whole of my Oxjam experience.

Daniel I have known all my life due to our parents being old friends as both our Dad's worked together in the ambulance service in Ilfracombe, North Devon. We then moved to Frome in 1996 when my brother was born, so although our families have kept in contact me and Daniel haven't actually seen each other since my older sister's 18th birthday party... a long time ago! Daniel put me in contact with Lauren to play at my gig and then when it came down to it he just was my knight in shining armour when it came to all the technical requirements for the night. He helped set up and managed all the sound checks with the sound engineer and I really couldn't have done it without him. 

Lauren James is such a sweetheart whose enthusiasm right from the start shouldn't go a miss. She was always doing everything she could to help, constantly posting about the gig online and helping to drum up interest. As for her performance on the night, they were the perfect band to round off the night with their upbeat tracks and Lauren's audience interaction. 

http://www.thedollmechanics.com/ http://www.YouTube.com/TheDollMechanics http://www.facebook.com/TheDollMechanics http://www.Twitter.com/DollMechanics http://www.Twitter.com/LaurenJamesUK http://www.YouTube.com/LaurenJamesOfficial http://www.facebook.com/LaurenJamesOfficial

I couldn't have asked for a better line up or a more successful night. Hopefully the venue was happy with the amount of bar sales - there were plenty of drunk people to prove the people were buying drinks! I am humbled with how many people came and said they enjoyed themselves. 

Ok, so now for my Thank You's:

Thank you to everyone who came and supported or just bought a ticket because you wanted to donate. Especially those who came from all over just to be there, I know a lot of you travelled far just to support me.

Thank you to the artists, it was a pleasure to have you playing at my event. I hope to hear great things from you all so I can buy your music to add to my collection.

Thank you to the venue who gave me Ginglik for free and trusted me to bring the people in and get them the publicity.

Thank you to Cards Made Easy who made it possible for me to get most of my printing costs for free.

Thank you to everyone who 'liked' Cards Made Easy so I could get most of my printing costs for free.

Thank you to my friends and family who put up with me throughout all of this.

Thank you to my Mum who sat at the door for most of the night dealing with the money, guest list and selling raffle tickets.

Thank you to my Dad for fulfilling his duty to buy drinks from the bar so the venue would make money.