#hiveradio

So one of my staff members brought up the fact that our calender hadn't been listed properly on Ponyville LIVES! website so I took it to the admin chat.

It is a long running theme with me and the rest of PVL, I say something and war starts. I messaged this is the the chat;

"Soooo, I don't know what but our schedule is blank o_O http://www.ponyvillelive.com/events/schedule/station/the_hive_radio" Soon after followed a pissed Silver telling me about 'life'. When people play the 'life' card I can't help but want to kill them.

We all fucking go through shit in life and we all have things we have to do, using life as an excuse is pretty petty.

The past two months, while working with the hive in affiliation with ponyvillie live, I think have been the most stressful for me.

There is so much shit that goes on in PVL its not funny anymore, almost every week there is an argument about something either a station has done or about what some other media outlet has done.

This weeks argument has been about people needing to sign an NDA. Why does something about ponies need an NDA? Well because since one of the high heads went and left to join EFN, PVL now feels so insecure that is requiring admin staff to sign an NDA.

Now this is all fine and dandy but from my view it is just plain stupid let alone I can even sign it because I'm not of legal age in my country.

All in all, what is driving me to rant is that some thing related to ponies has gone as far to require a NDA and more legal shit just because one person left a media team that holds a grudge about another media team.

Although Parklife may have been coined to have the reputation of a  marvellously mainstream and fulfilled pop-tastic weekend, with some excitingly huge acts footing the bill, there's a few hidden indie and alternative gems amongst the mix of artists that Em Music Matters just can't wait to get her ears around...

Satruday's Main Stage kicks off with something for everyone on board, massive English rapper Plan B headlines after his directional debut in 2012 with urban melodrama Ill Manors. He's back to his soulful singing and commanding rap. A great contrast on the next act in line with a favourite of Em Music Matters taking the stage: The Maccabees with three colossal indie anthem albums under their

belt, the most recent Given To The Wild debuting at number four in the UK Albums chart. Third from the top, one fitting for the sunshine is Rudimental, their feel-good tracks: Waitin All Night, Not Giving In, and number one hit Feel The Love sure to get the crowd moving. Indie dance anthem creators Delphic along with Temper Trap announced on the list as special guests leaves wonder for what's in store. Is there a chance Heaton Park might hear the beauty of their leading single Sweet Disposition?

Another singer and rapper tops the listing on Sunday's Main Stage with cheeky-chappy Example sure to smash it with his collection of movers and number one singles: Won't Go Quietly, Kickstarts, Changes The Way You Kissed Me and Stay Awake to get the crowd bouncing in the sun (hopefully, stay with us weather!) Then if like Em Music Matters andthe likes of Rita Ora and Wretch 32 aren't your forte there's one stage you need to head to...

For those lovers of the indie and alternative worry no more, Sunday's Now Wave Stage has treat after treat in store, the icing on top of the cake psychedelic The Horrors their colossal Still Life to thump across Heaton Park. They are followed by Manchester's own Everything Everything, their unique and critically acclaimed sounds to blow your eardrums live, with tracks from both astonishingly creative debut album Man Alive, and perplexingly inventive Arc. Heavenly Record's: Toy shall also grace the stage, slowly building deserved success, indie-rock physcedelia from London, this is the band Em Music Matters is possibly most excited to catch. See you there?

Where you aware that Hive Radio Manchester's home university actually throws a fantastic live bash every Wednesday afternoon? Well Em Music Matters was thrilled to discover MMU Acoustic Lounge and she is very excited to tell you all about it! Each week MMU's own Holden Art Gallery sees a lovely little acoustic set from a talented up-and-coming act at around 12:45. A beautiful space becomes filled with some incredible, extraordinary sounds, you know where to eat your butties on a Wednesday lunch time now! (Oh and has it been mentioned that this rewarding experience is absolutely free!?) Get down!

Last week the elegant high ceilinged and creatively highlighted Holden Building saw the innovative sounds of singer-song-writer Alex Hulme in the afternoon sunshine. Em Music Matters was even lucky enough to catch the dear fellow for a quick chat after his chilling and charming set...

(MMU Acoustic Lounge runs every Wednesday 12:45, Holden Art Gallery.)

Amiable Alex Hulme an artist whom 'hops ship' across the North West, gigging from Manchester to Liverpool, found himself down at MMU Acoustic Lounge this Wednesday after gigging here 3 or four times earlier this year. He enlightens us he is a big fan of the venue: ' I love it, it's really, really cool to come down, it's a lovely little space, and no-one boo's, which is good!' The Liverpool based lad wows a crowd of revising students over their afternoon tea or lunch with his pop/folk feeling, melodious and harmonious, Alexs woo's his listeners with his impressive yielding, soft and compassionate voice. Watch out Ben Howard, you've got competition.

Today's session serves us with a variety of tracks, both his own compositions and a few artistically spun covers. Alex surprises and astounds eardrums with his loops, a master of the foot pedals, ditching the shoes in the gallery's relaxing ambiance  he rocks out this afternoon with his socks out! (Odd socks, reflective of Alex's quirky and fantastically out-of-the-box musical manner!) He tells us how he has been writing and recording since he was a mere ten years of age once owner of 'an awful line-six rift tracker thing that does everything in little four or eight bar phrases,' advancing later to lord of the loops. Dreamy echoes and harmonies are formed by Alex's talented toes!

(Alex in action.)

Alex tells us 'I very much lead a double life' gigging both his own music and cover sessions: 'I do my own stuff which I put my heart and energy into' in the week mostly we are told, but by weekend Alex hits pub and clubs with ingenious interpretations of well-known tracks, 'I'm not a fan of doing exact reiterations of a song, as a writer I like to put my own spin on it... put my own stamp on it.' And that he just does, the sampling of his covers today such as Paolo Nutni's: Last Request and Jessie J's : Do It Like A Dude, see the songs transformed by Alex's touch, advanced into something to marvel. Not the same-old, same-old guy with a guitar bashing out the Top 40 for a bit of recognition, but an imaginative and original performer. 

Hulme is most remarkable however, in presenting his own tunes. We are treated to tracks of his own efforts such as: All That I Have a serenade of echoes and resonance, amongst many other sensational numbers.

(Talented toes: Alex is master of the foot pedals.)

Having studied at Paul McCartney's school (and now performing arts university) in Liverpool, Alex found the chance to audition for and in fact achieved a one to one session with former The Beatles rock and roll star. Bashful and modest Alex tells 'it was amazing, absolutely incredible....' the talented chap once even 'had a jam with Billy Ocean as well.' Of course as these phenomenal opportunities arise he had to 'be a bit cheeky and grab a few quotes from them,' and just as his renowned fans, Em Music Matters is in awe of Alex's aptitude and ability.’

QUOTES FROM FURTHER FANS...

Sir Paul McCartney: "A beautiful song and a wonderful melody."

Billy Ocean: "A great voice and a great understanding for melody."

Check out Em Music Matters chat with Alex Hulme….

http://www.mixcloud.com/HiveRadioManchester/emily-schofield-the-indie-buzz-interviews-alex-hulme-mmu-acoustic-lounge/

And Listen out for his music and further chat on Hive Radio Manchester’s The Indie Buzz 10-12 Wednesdays!

Blog written by Emily Schofield.

A fan of Em Music Matters? 

Like me on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/EmThinksMusicMatters

Last Tuesday saw Em Music Matters joined by a few of Hive Radio Manchester's finest, at Manchester's Night & Day Cafe to catch a dubious combination: Temples and Drenge. The whole bunch where pleasantly surprised to find in the Northern Quarters small, yet intimate and characteristic venue that the couple made a powerful and perplexing paring. From the neo-psych, trippy-hippy, mysterious, 60's Beatles-esque Temples to the fantastically filthy sounds of heavy rock and grunge act Drenge, our eardrums where left both eerily enlightened and gloriously grimy. Each equally gifted band where kind enough to let the over-excited likes of Em Music Matters pester them with a dictaphone for a quick chat, after such stirring sets it was very lovely of them indeed...

After a mind-spinning show we grab the Temples backstage to hear how two of the bands members; Tom (bass guitar) and Sam (drums), are feeling 'exhilarated' after their first night on tour with Drenge whom they themselves where excited to watch as they have 'a lot of hype about them at the moment... and well deserved!' A first experience of what Tom describes as the bands 'cinematic'  sound, (though they find labelling their music is 'a tough question to answer, we want people to make their own opinion,') saw songs from the boys E.P. Which  features colourful and creative psychedelic debut single Shelter Song, along with bursting B-side Prisms. Bringing it old-school kaleidoscopic and mind-blowing this a band for fans of Tame Impala to get their ears around.

When asked what the future beholds for wondrous Temples the band claimed they are 'hoping to do an E.P towards summer... just gigging as much as we can at the moment', fans of any intimate venue like tonight's 'we like any venue that's really small, has character.' After adventures to Paris for Record Store Day with label friends at Heavenly records (Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs, Toy, Stealing Sheep) we are told to get down to the Soup Kitchen on May 21st to catch their 'label mates' Charlie and co.

(Trippy Temples.)

Moving in the musical-sphere from stupefying hypnosis to the dirty grunge experience of Drenge the night took an awesome transition. Catching up with the rock-duo and brothers from Castleton the pair; Rory (drums) and Eoin (guitar/vocals) after the set feel 'extremely sweaty' and 'need a shower right now' just like ourselves following the whirling mosh-pits created in honour of the Loveless brothers more than satisfactory sound at 'possibly the sweatiest gig we have ever done.' Our ears are left ringing after enduring fantastic filth, songs such as the epic: Bloodsports, a punky-rock racket of enormity and magnitude, along with Dogmeat from the same E.P and equally the epitome of mucky marvel.

The Loveless brothers create an immense sound for a mere two-some, keeping it in the family to avoid 'too many ego's' thinking perhaps if they were to expand they may 'one day get our Dad in to play saxophone or something.' Growing quick and vast they much hyped (quite rightly so!) duo tell us of their favourite venues across Manchester including Deaf Institute and the springy floored HMV Ritz after supporting The Mystery Jets. The boys promise another single to come to soon 'called Backwaters, about where we live,' them residing between Manchester and Sheffield, the other side of the Pennines, we were lucky enough to sample the next track on tonight's set and were very impressed. 

(Dirty Drenge.)

Watch this space folks, Drenge are here to rattle your ear drums with rock and Temples are here to warp your minds with psych. Both Em Music Matters and others at Hive Radio MCR cannot wait to see where the talented and unique acts go from here.

QUOTES FROM FURTHER FANS:

Tommy Smith: 'Drenge are definitely for fans of Queens Of The Stone Age and Nirvana.'

Zach Roddis: ' Temples are the revival of psychedelia at its' very best. They made Night & Day come to life.  Drenge: A gutsy set, full of twists and turns. The energy notched up after 'Bloodsports'. Their sound was dark and full of promise. Expect big things from Drenge in the future.'

 Check out Em Music Matters chat with each band....

http://www.mixcloud.com/HiveRadioManchester/emily-schofield-the-indie-buzz-interviews-temples-drenge-night-day-cafe-manchester/

And Listen out for both Temples's and Drenge's music and further chat on Hive Radio Manchester’s The Indie Buzz 10-12 Wednesdays!

Blog written by Emily Schofield.

A fan of Em Music Matters? 

Like me on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/EmThinksMusicMatters