So only 3 more days and 2009 is over! I can't remember the majority of it but some of the things I can remember
1. Moving out into my lovely apartment with my best friend and her lovely boyfriend.
2. Finally starting driving lessons.
3. Spending far to much money on Cd's.
4. Download and Reading!
5. So many gigs!
6. Reviewing for Brumlive!
7. Discovering loads of new bands!
So 2009 here we go
Top Albums
1. Alexisonfire- Old Crows/Young Cardinals
2. Manchester Orchestra- Mean Everything to Nothing
3. Bury Tomorrow- Portraits
4. Biffy Clyro- Only Revolutions
5. Thursday- Common Existence
6. Enter Shikari- Common Dreads
7. AFI- Crash Love
8. Billy Talent- III
9. Sights and Sounds- Monolith
10. Every Time I Die- New Junk Aesthetic
11. Thrice- Beggars
12. Dance Gavin Dance- Happiness
13. Chuck Ragan- Gold Country
14. mewithoutYou- It's all crazy, It's all a dream,It's all false It's alright!
15. Kevin Devine- Brothers Blood
16. In Fear and Faith- Your World on Fire
17. 30 Seconds to Mars- This is War
18. Moneen- The World I Want to Leave Behind
Biggest disappointment of 2009
Brand New- Daisy
Most anticipated 2010
Jimmy Eat World
We Are the Ocean
My Chemical Romance
Lostprophets
Favourite Songs of 2009
Manchester Orchestra- I Can Feel a Hot One
Kevin Devine- Another Bag of Bones
Enter Shikari- Juggernauts
mewithoutYou- Timothy Hay
Thrice- In Exile
Favourite Shows of 2009
Eastpak Antidote tour (Alexisonfire, Anti Flag, Four Year Strong & The Ghost of a Thousand) Birmingham Academy- 20/10/09
Alexisonfire- Lock Up Stage- Reading Festival- Aug 09
Manchester Orchestra/ Kevin Devine- Hare and Hounds- 19/07/09
Slam Dunk Festival- Leeds University- 24/05/09
Brand New- Old Birmingham Academy- 26/06/09
Rise Against-Old Birmingham Academy- 26/02/09
Favourite TV Shows of 2009
Flashforward
Top Gear
How I Met Your Mother
Gilmore Girls
Favourite Movies of 2009
Star Trek
Watchmen
So heres to 2010, let the music play!
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Monday 28 December 2009
Must be Santa
So Christmas has come and gone! A whole two days of work, wow! Pretty chilled out affair this year went back to the parents for a yummy Christmas dinner cooked by my excellent dad! I love my house at Christmas its really cosy and Christmassy with a huge tree in the corner and the fire on constant! Got the usual fare for prezzies and some money to buy a new camera, I have my eye on this one (purely because Kevin Spacey does such a great job at advertising it!)
As we all know Rage's Killing the Name is Christmas Number one, so on Christmas day we all watched the end of Top of the Pop's to see the video. My 70 year old Grandma then chips in with 'You actually enjoy listening to this kind of music?!' ummm yes, yes I do!
My Dad is more of a fan of the traditional Christmas songs with Bob Dylan 'Must be Santa' being his favourite and it not appearing on a single countdown of the 'best' Christmas songs he actually paid 20p for the video for 24 hours! Check it out its not too bad!
Next year watch out, my best friend and I are doing our own Christmas song!
Merry Christmas!!
As we all know Rage's Killing the Name is Christmas Number one, so on Christmas day we all watched the end of Top of the Pop's to see the video. My 70 year old Grandma then chips in with 'You actually enjoy listening to this kind of music?!' ummm yes, yes I do!
My Dad is more of a fan of the traditional Christmas songs with Bob Dylan 'Must be Santa' being his favourite and it not appearing on a single countdown of the 'best' Christmas songs he actually paid 20p for the video for 24 hours! Check it out its not too bad!
Next year watch out, my best friend and I are doing our own Christmas song!
Merry Christmas!!
Sunday 20 December 2009
Saturday 5 December 2009
Brooklyn Boy
Last night I went to see Kevin Devine for my first review for Birmingham Live!, I was very excited and very nervous and but it was amazing gig plus was on the guestlist oh yeah!
Here's my review
Here's my review
Christmas has come early for those at the Academy 3 tonight as the Big Scary Monsters Christmas Tour stops off in Birmingham bringing with it Shoes and Socks Off and Kevin Devine both signed to the independent record label. Its stripped down, festive affair tonight with all the acts playing acoustically and with crackers being pulled and paper hats being worn with pride!
The first support is already playing when I arrive, being 5 minutes late and only thinking there was 2 bands playing tonight things seem to be running annoyingly time due to the 9.45 curfew. I learn midway through the set they are called Henry’s Children a local band playing an acoustic set. With 3 members, 2 guys, one girl they play a good set, the lead has a great voice and the piano with it’s simple melodies adds that extra something and with some great harmonies provided by the female singer complimenting the singers voice nicely they put on a pretty good show.
Next up on stage is Shoes and Socks Off; it’s one man, a beard and his guitar. With no introduction and pretty much no crowd interaction Toby Hayes powers through his short set with sparse guitar and vehement lyrics. He has been described as being anti-establishment and that definitely shines through tonight but for all the wrong reasons as he manages to annoy the entire audience during Kevin’s set by talking really loud at the bar. It’s a shame really because he was something a bit different, not your average run of the mill singer songwriter.
Its 8.20 and Kevin Devine is wandering around the venue trying to find the sound guy who seems to have gone AWOL! However it’s not too long to wait and Kevin takes to the stage with no introduction and goes straight into ‘Brothers Blood’, it’s a hauntingly vulnerable rendition and even when not using his microphone he voice travels tantalisingly across the crowd. He then introduced himself ‘Hi I’m Kevin Devine and I’m from Brooklyn, New York’ he then heads straight into ‘Brooklyn Boy’. He plays a varied set including ‘Cotton Crush’, Yr Husband’, ‘Tomorrows Just to Late’ and ‘Carnival’.
Kevin Devine is very good at interacting with crowd and is a very funny guy getting a few laughs after revelations that his views on climate change are that it’s ‘scary and real!’ and pulling crackers with members of the audience after being told what to do with one! ‘Bag of Bones’ is pretty spectacular and with covers of Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘Holland 1945’ and ‘The sun will come out tomorrow’ thrown into the mix his amazing vocal talents are shown off. Closing with ‘Lord, I know we don’t talk’ the crowd have witnessed something a bit special tonight the only down point being the rudeness of a small minority of people speaking over him, why go to a gig, especially an acoustic one if your going to talk through the entire set?
Kevin Devine seems like such a genuine guy, making the effort to come and speak to fans plus I managed to get a limited edition split cd single with 'Splitting up Christmas' and 'Holland 1945' limited to only 25 copies which is pretty cool! All in all a great night!
Wednesday 2 December 2009
What makes a man
I don't what it is but it's something about a beard that makes a man just look more manly! Facial hair whether some humble stubble or a fully fledged beard it just makes a man!
Andy Hull- Manchester Orchestra
Dave Grohl-Foo Fighters
Simon Neil- Biffy Clyro
George Petitt-Alexisonfire
Dan O'Connor- Four Year Strong
Schuylar Croom- He Is Legend
Brent Hinds- Mastodon
This is by no means a definitive list but here's a few of my favourite beards in 'ROCK'! In no particular order
Andy Hull- Manchester Orchestra
Dave Grohl-Foo Fighters
Simon Neil- Biffy Clyro
George Petitt-Alexisonfire
Dan O'Connor- Four Year Strong
Schuylar Croom- He Is Legend
Brent Hinds- MastodonThis is absolution
So last night was Taste of Chaos! A great line-up with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Every Time I Die, In Flames and Killswitch Engage. We got to the academy just in time to see Maylene and the Sons of Disaster fronted by He Is Legend singer Schuyler Croom due to Dallas Taylor being absent from this tour and their previous tour! Not that you would have guessed that Schuyler was just filling in. He did a pretty spectacular job, getting the crowd going and singing his heart out a a lot of respect has to be given to the guy!
Next up where Every Time I Die, having only just started listening these guys after hearing their latest effort New Junk Aesthetic I couldn't wait to check them out live and they didn't disappoint, it was blistering loud hardcore with a southern rock edge. Keith Buckley's vocals are intense and songs such as 'Ebolarama' and 'Roman Holiday' powered their way across the crowd. They got a great crowd response and with minimal interaction they let the music speak for itself.
In Flames were next, I can't say I'm particular fan of their music, I have at least 5 albums on my computer and thought I'd give them a listen before the show but with not much variety in their songs I didn't hold much hope for them live. They did not convert me and I will probably never listen to them but they did put on a good show with paint by numbers metal I couldn't fault them.
Finally Killswitch Engage took to the stage all sporting white tuxedo t-shirts, very smart! It was quite clear who everyone had to come to see with horns raised high from the front to the back. Opening with My Curse with the crowd singing along to every word it clear from the word go that they were to here to have a good time. Howard Jones ever the charismatic front man and Adam Dutkiewicz 'bringing the cape back into metal' was on form bounding around the stage and cracking jokes between songs. Bathed in a red light for the majority of the show and an impressive stage setup Killswitch cranked out the hits, with 'My last serenade', 'The end of heartache' and 'Starting over' off the latest self-titled album all getting an airing. With an encore of 'Holy Diver' and with the crowd baying for more they left the stage to rapturous applause and I left with a smile plastered to my face.
Next up where Every Time I Die, having only just started listening these guys after hearing their latest effort New Junk Aesthetic I couldn't wait to check them out live and they didn't disappoint, it was blistering loud hardcore with a southern rock edge. Keith Buckley's vocals are intense and songs such as 'Ebolarama' and 'Roman Holiday' powered their way across the crowd. They got a great crowd response and with minimal interaction they let the music speak for itself.
In Flames were next, I can't say I'm particular fan of their music, I have at least 5 albums on my computer and thought I'd give them a listen before the show but with not much variety in their songs I didn't hold much hope for them live. They did not convert me and I will probably never listen to them but they did put on a good show with paint by numbers metal I couldn't fault them.
Finally Killswitch Engage took to the stage all sporting white tuxedo t-shirts, very smart! It was quite clear who everyone had to come to see with horns raised high from the front to the back. Opening with My Curse with the crowd singing along to every word it clear from the word go that they were to here to have a good time. Howard Jones ever the charismatic front man and Adam Dutkiewicz 'bringing the cape back into metal' was on form bounding around the stage and cracking jokes between songs. Bathed in a red light for the majority of the show and an impressive stage setup Killswitch cranked out the hits, with 'My last serenade', 'The end of heartache' and 'Starting over' off the latest self-titled album all getting an airing. With an encore of 'Holy Diver' and with the crowd baying for more they left the stage to rapturous applause and I left with a smile plastered to my face.
Tuesday 1 December 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
