Bowling For Soup - Gig Review - o2 Academy, Bristol

It’s just how it should be. A summary of my teenage years; scenie weenies, greebos in New Rock boots and awkward inbetweeners. Bowling for Soup is a relatively veteran punk-pop band from the 1990’s and they have enjoyed success in three decades. Despite pushing 40, Jaret and co still exude youth in their shows and this night was no different. The o2 academy in Bristol reeked comfortably of beer and sweat on first entry.

 The opening acts, Patent Pending and The Dollyrots, were both impressive considering they are fairly unknown bands in the UK. Patent Pending caters to the “moshers” craving for some rock reminiscent of the late 90’s.  The Dollyrots, with female vocalist Kelly Ogden, who was suitably gazeboed during the set, were Bowling for Soup’s equal. The Dollyrots clearly love interacting with their fans and spent half of their set chatting and pumping up the crowd.

Bowling for Soup made a typically comedic entrance as always with their larger than life lead guitarist Chris Burney and cheeky lead singer Jaret Reddick leading the coop. They opened with older hits such as ‘High School Never Ends’ and their newer song ‘Let’s Go To The Pub’. As they had finished these songs, in true BFS fashion, they stopped to have a chat with the crowd. They are self styled as “The band that waves”, boasting of how they are always dedicated to making their fans feel included and of course, I got a wave from bass guitarist Erik.

There’s always one imbecile who heckles at the band and this time, it went too far. Mid song, one young man decided to throw his iPhone on the stage. Big mistake. Jaret reacted with mock anger and a few mumblings about “f***ing douchebags” but didn’t fly off the handle like many pretentious bands would. The boy in question was pointed out and shamed by the rest of us. Possibly the most awkward and entertaining moment of the night. All in all, an enjoyable throwback to the good old days of wholesome entertaining concerts. Many bands play to the crowd but don’t interact but clearly Bowling For Soup know that just doesn’t work. The proof is in the pudding.

Manic Street Preachers - Artist Biography

The politically charged alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers exploded on to the Cardiff and valleys music scene twenty years ago.  The line up has changed a few times s to several different events. The original line up consisted of bassist Miles Woodward, guitarist Nicky Wire and vocalist James Dean Bradfield. In 1988, Woodward left the band while they were garnering some attention and the infamous Richey Edwards joined the band and swapped roles with Nicky Wire by becoming lead guitarist.  Just before Richey joined the band, the three piece recorded their self produced, self financed first single ‘Suicide Alley’. Richey was initially a roadie for the band but because his chemistry with Nicky Wire, he became a part of the band. He was very much the creative force behind the band during the early years.

In the early 1990s, they signed to indie record label Damaged Goods where they recorded one EP and then to a London based independent label Heavenly Records. Bradfield claimed the signing was informal  “I could never quite figure out whether we were signed to Heavenly or not!” Philip Hall, their manager and mentor, brought the obscure band from being relatively unknown to chart success. ‘Motown Junk’ was their first single on the Heavenly label which reached #94 in the UK charts.  “I can’t overstate Philip’s drive to have ‘Motown Junk’ out on Heavenly. He made it very clear to us that we needed Heavenly much more than Heavenly needed us.”

The band were accused of hiding behind an ‘artistic mask’ by NME journalist Steve Lamacq after a gig in 1991 and Richey carved “4 Real” in to his own arm requiring 17 stitches. The photograph of Richey had become an iconic image of rock in the 90’s. The troubles of Richey had been thrusted in to the public eye, especially his battle with anorexia, self harming and depression. These incidents interested many record labels and they were then signed to Columbia records where they really enjoyed the fruits of their labour.

Under the new signing, they released their debut album Generation Terrorists and another album Gold Against the soul. Amidst their success, their manager Phillip Hall sadly died of lung cancer in 1993. The Manics claimed: “Philip was the first person who understood us. He was more than a manager and input into the band was invaluable. Without his help, motivation and generosity, it is doubtful whether we, as a band, would have carried on.”

Their relationship with the press was a turbulent one. In 1995, they infamously performed their single “Faster” from their album Holy Bible on Top Of The Pops. Edwards asked Bradfield to wear a balaclava during the performance which prompted outrage because of the political difficulties with the IRA at the time. Bradfield claimed: “They (The BBC) told us it was the most complaints they'd ever received.” The Holy Bible came under scrunity because of the change of artistic direction. Despite their success, Edwards was still battling depression and on the 1^st February 1995, Edwards went missing. On the 17^th, his car was found at a service station near the Severn bridge which prompted rumours of why he disappeared and “spotting” by members of the public. He was presumed dead over ten years later.

After Edwards death, the band became really successful and their album Everything Must Go reached top ten in the album charts, containing hits such as “A Design For Life”. In the midst of the success, they were asked to play at a concert in Cuba at the Karl Marx theatre. They were noted for being the first western rock band to play in Cuba. The band members warned Fidel Castro that the concert would be loud and he claimed: “It cannot be louder than war, can it?”.

Since the millennium, the band have still been releasing records and living up to their legacy. They have released five albums since the concert and still continue to play music a little more under the radar. Still “infiltrating the mainstream” according to Wire but not releasing top ten hits. They have recently released a compilation album ‘National Treasures’ which features over thirty of their most popular songs. 

REVIEW: One Direction's Going Our Way documentary

This is a review I wrote for the North Devon Journal:

THE world premiere of One Direction’s movie This Is Us takes place in London’s Leicester Square this evening. Those who can’t wait to see the film might like to get their hands on a recent documentary about the boys called Going Our Way. Chloe Nichols reviews it.

IT’S safe to say that 2013 is the year of One Direction. Going Our Way, a recent documentary about the band, tells the story of their astonishing rise to stardom.

Not to be confused with One Direction: This Is Us (the new film directed by Morgan Spurlock), Going Our Way looks at how five wide-eyed young boys, who took to the X-Factor stage in 2010 as separate acts, found themselves thrust together by judge and former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger to become arguably the world’s biggest boy band of today.

With gossip from music insiders, journalists and celebrity fans, the documentary shows you how One Direction have become a pop phenomenon and taken the world by storm.

It features a tidy mix of both the boys clowning around together and just being One Direction with a range of celebrity know-it-alls discussing their global social media takeover and why they are so popular.

In the documentary, Samia Khan, an American internet personality, describes them as “vocally not the greatest of the boy bands”. However, nobody can argue that a modern version of Beatlemania has swept the music industry.

“First there were the Beatles, then the Rolling Stones and tonight, One Direction” are the words of Australian celebrity journalist Brad Blanks.

One Direction’s twitter account has more than 14 million followers but the boys themselves have millions of fans on their personal accounts.

Jodi Jill, an American celebrity columnist, tells how the boys themselves write their tweets and are not controlled by management so fans feel as if they’re connecting to them.

“I think that’s a really big issue right now. You could be one of the biggest superstars right now but if you aren’t tweeting yourself, no one’s really going to care.”

The film also skims over the short-lived romance between the band’s pretty boy Harry Stylers and singer Taylor Swift, who is also well known for emotive bubble gum pop. The Midas touch of One Direction managed to boost her career too.

Going Our Way tells the band’s story in under an hour, highlighting most of the significant points in their career. It’s suitable for people who have never even heard of them but will also appeal to the hard-core Directioner. The DVD is available on Amazon.

Scott Linn - New Artist Profile

“You've just got to get out there and play to whoever is listening.” In the midst of the acoustic storm, an artist from the North Devon coastal village of Braunton, has strummed his way through his teens to his twenties. Scott Linn, who manages independent record store in Barnstaple called Solo Music by day, cites many old school artists as his influences. ”I like songwriters like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan as well as modern songwriters like Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst and Brian Fallon.” His music combines husky vocals with harmonicas, self styled folk-punk-rock-n-soul. “I have just started playing with a backing band called The Broken Bottles so at the moment we are working on a set with the intention of playing some shows in early 2013.”

Although Linn has been mainly a solo artist, he has been in bands since his early teens. “When I was about about 14 or 15 just messing around at my friends houses. We sounded awful but we had fun. That's what it's all about. Especially when you are just starting out playing music.” Coming under a few names, his solo project has ranged from punk to acoustic. Going by his influences, his eclectic taste is reflected in his music. He is certainly an all rounder in terms of music. He also names writers as influences. “I read a lot by writers like Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski.”

He favours venues with a close knit atmosphere such as The Agricultural Inn located in Braunton, fondly named “The Aggi”, or The Factory in Barnstaple’s old Brannam Pottery site. Growing up in Braunton, he is a proper local “bey” and strongly believes in keeping music local. “North Devon has a really fantastic acoustic scene.” Many artists such as Ben Howard and Seth Lakeman have found success in Devon and broke in to the mainstream.  “Music trends come and go and there has definitely been a decline in guitar bands in the area over the last few years. With a younger generation more interesting in electronic and dance music but there are some great singer-songwriters in the area.”

He has recorded many EP’s and promo albums as an independent artist, most recently songs such as Mexican Candles in which blends harmonica and acoustic in one folk filled melting pot. He’s also recorded a demo called Natalie “I wrote it about one of my favourite Hollywood actresses Natalie Wood. I'm terrible at home demoing songs and rarely do it but I thought I'd give it a go with this track.” Despite being an independent artist, his devoted fans help promote his music through sheer word of mouth, Twitter and Facebook. 

Abe's Adventure - A step forward for Spastic Diplegia

Abe Astur, a two year old toddler from Winchester, suffers from a rare form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia.

Spastic diplegia causes the sufferer to have tight and stiff muscles, particularly in the limbs.

Therefore, this makes walking for Abe very difficult so he has the help of a walker. Not all spastic diplegia sufferers exhibit the same symptoms.

The family is raising money for a pioneering treatment in America called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. The aim of SDR is to relieve muscle spasticity.

The operation costs around £40,000 but physiotherapy, travel expenses and accommodation will cost an extra £10,000 so they are raising a total of £50,000.

The operation will be at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri.

A sponsored walk was held at Abby Gardens in Winchester, which gave his parents, Leigh and Gavin, a chance to raise awareness of the condition.

Abe and his family, followed by many friends and supporters of the campaign, joined in too and walked a lap around the park. A stall with cakes and coffee was also there to help raise extra money.

Gavin, his father, said: “Despite the illness, we are a normal happy family. There isn’t much impact on our daily life.”

They have created their own website for the cause which features a blog, a donation page and a gallery. So far they have raised over £25,000.

Good luck Abe!

http://abes-adventure.co.uk/about

Update: Since the sponsored walk last year, Abe has raised just under £40,000.

Update: Abe has had his operation and is recovering.

Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg - Album Review

Picture the lovechild of Bob Dylan and Eric Burdon.  Horrible right? Surprisingly, no.  It is unusual to find a modern folk album by such a young artist, untouched, out of reach, from the rut of the British music scene. Sure, Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran picked up a guitar and ashamedly sang about love but there was something missing. A teen with a guitar and the naivety that ‘everything really is going to be ok’ is nothing new but there is something special about Jake Bugg.

Barely in to manhood, Jake, 18, originating from Nottingham, has proved himself to be a real diamond in the rough. Don’t be fooled by his doe eyes, it’s obvious that this lad has seen more than your average middle class teen. His self-titled debut is sure to entice those begging for fresh meat, those craving some country. The crackling vocals and the influence of Dylan is plentiful; it’s almost too good to be true. A throwback to 60s Britain, Jake has managed to bring country-folk forward for a brand new audience to appreciate.

Bugg will have young misfits relating to the angsty album. ‘Two Fingers’ is essentially Bugg’s trophy. Laced with references to drinking and drugs, this track is his literal rendition of life in Clifton, Notts. It speaks to the troubled youth, in a hey-kid-it’ll-be-ok way. ‘Trouble Town’ recounts his feeling of being trapped in his dodgy town, reminiscent of ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ by The Animals. “The only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out”. Simple lyrics but straight from the heart. Although the album lacks a diverse sound, if you are a folk fan, this is a winner.

From the bloodcurdling estates to the private schools, he’s encountered a potentially wide fan base in a sea of X Factor puppets. Let’s not forget the baby boomers that grew up during the Dylan era. There is a danger of the mature listener questioning the validity of this perfectly produced package but he is certainly a grower.

University Weight Gain - How I'm Losing The "Fresher 14"

My first year at University has been great. New friends, independence and new experiences but unfortunately these have come at a price for me. I've put on the dreaded "Fresher 14" - for those unsure, this is 14 pounds or a stone in weight. High carb, high fat and cheap foods just seem like the easy quick choice when you don't have much time or money.

When my size 10's stopped fitting and my 12's started feeling way too snug, I thought it was time to face the facts - I have just put on too much weight. I spent much of the summer thinking I'd shift weight in uni due to always being busy and not wanting to cook much but it turns out that my body can't take eating badly without bloating up. My BMI was looking pretty rubbish. I was just embarrassed. It's taken enough courage to admit I hate my body so I thought a little guide on losing the extra few pounds would be a helpful thing for prospective Uni students or people struggling with weight.

I've had advice from people before "Eat less, move more" but in my case, that hasn't really helped. It's more what you eat rather than the portions. Of course, everything in moderation is absolutely fine but if you're eating the wrong foods then the pounds will start piling on. Some people are lucky. They can eat as much processed crap and drink as much alcohol as they like and still stay slim and healthy looking but being petite makes weight much more noticeable. As a result, my dress size changes at the snap of my fingers.

My mum has been on the Slimming World diet (which I found out was not for me) and although I hated doing it, the logic of it stuck in my head. Bread is possibly the biggest of my foes and 2 slices of bread a day is the absolute maximum anyone should eat if they struggle with weight. Also, fat content. If the fat content is too high, then forget about it. Start reading labels if you don't believe it. When there is a red colour on the little food labels on the front of packaging, pay attention to it. Do you really need to eat it? I sound like a bore but there's no point complaining about my weight if I just ignore stuff like that. Easter has been torture for me with all the chocolate about but as long as you don't gorge, it's absolutely fine. A creme egg a day is chocolate in moderation.

An interesting subject is the Quorn debate. It is indeed fake meat, made from fusarium venenatum (Basically, a high protein fungus) but it is so low in fat, it's too good to be true. If you REALLY need a cheeseburger (I sure crave them), then whack a Quorn burger in the grill, grab a wholemeal roll, stick some relish or tomato sauce in it and bam, a slightly better-for-you burger! I also tend to use quorn chicken pieces if I can but the mince just tastes plain weird so it is best to use real meat mince and drain the fat out of it.

Fruit and veg - most teenagers groan at the thought of eating it but it's so important. Not only does it lower your blood pressure, it has a heap of vitamins in that we're just not getting from cheeseburgers and ready meals. Even just a few pieces of broccoli on the side of the plate, a portion of sweetcorn mixed in with your pasta and rather than munching on a chocolate bar, pick up an orange. Lots of energy and to be honest, they taste pretty darn nice. A tasty snack to make is a fruit salad (just chuck some grapes, pieces of apple, pineapple and whatever you like in a bowl). My all time favourite diet snack is fat free strawberry yogurt mixed with fruit salad. Definitely try it if you're craving some sweetness.

Another issue is exercise. Exercise is such a boring thing to me. The thought of putting my body through sweaty workouts just to feel tired just bothers me. I worked out I was walking over a mile every day in Southampton which is probably why I didn't put on any more than a stone. Walking is an incredibly easy way to exercise and if you're eating healthily, you should see benefits. It tones your calves and makes you feel pretty good without being sweaty. I have been dabbling in some aerobics for 20 minutes a day which is just enough to feel pumped but not too much so you feel gross.

This has probably felt like a naggy lecture from your parents or doctor but it's just so if you have felt yourself put on weight and you don't feel comfortable with yourself, you shouldn't feel bad. It's so easy to put on weight when you're not living at home with your parent's cooking and when you just don't have the time/money to make delicious healthy meals. Just incorporating little bits in to your diet and reading labels can really benefit your health. If you've read this far, good luck on a new healthy you for the summer!