Be Your Own Pet's final gig

Welll I travelled 2 hours to London to see Be Your Own Pet's last ever gig and didn't get back till almost 3am but god it was worth it. It was at Camden Dingwalls, a small venue that holds under 500 people.


(Credit to Andy Parker)

Me and my friend Bex were 4th in the queue and got on the front row. The stage wasn't very high and was right next to the crowd which I've never seen in real life before. Soon enough everyone was falling or jumping onto the stage but kept getting kicked off by the band. It was quite scary to be right at the front of it but just the most amazing experience and I have the bruises as a bit of a memento ;)


(Credit to +++ponyrock+++ on Flickr)

In the last song everyone just got up onto the stage and it was so crammed the band could hardly play. I accidentally stopped John from playing drums at one point cause if I hadn't have held onto something I might have fallen right on top of the drumkit ahaha. Anyway BYOP were on top form as usual. I thought it would be sad but it wasn't. There was a bit of thanking the record label and the fans but it was too chaotic to think about what that gig actually meant.


(Credit to littlepants on Flickr)

Afterwards, after many arguments with the security guard we got to meet the whole band and me and my friend were the only ones left in the venue getting pics with them. When I saw Jemina i just said 'omg jemina' and kinda lunged myself at her and hugged her. I still can't believe I've met her, she's like an idol to me :') I bought each of the singles vinyls and got them all to sign their face ;D best gig of my life! They will be sorely missed.


Here's the pics of me and Bex with the band!


Us (I'm on the right) with Jemina and Jonas; Jonas kinda jumped into the picture unexpectedly so that's why I look so weird ahah.


Us with Nathan and Jemina. I almost forgot to get my vinyls back from Nathan!


Us with John. Bless him haha, he was the only one I could bring myself to talk to properly.


Us with John and the singer from the Hot Melts who were the support; have a listen, they are much better live than on the recordings tbh.


Us with Jonas. Aaaaa :) I've got to say I probably enjoyed having that picture taken the most.


And here's the one video I managed to get;




Hmmm anything else..
Oh yeah. You Me At Six. I'm obsessed with them at the moment.
I'm seeing them on their UK tour in October, they have an album out October 6th which I just can't wait for AND they have a new video for the song 'Jealous Minds Think Alike' which you can play below. It's all very exciting :)




That's it, see you soooooon x

Yes I'm still alive..

I've actually been doing quite a lot but to make up for the time without blogging, this is gonna be an extra long blog. I might even miss out some bands as I have SO many to write about!

I ordered 2 cd's a couple weeks ago and they arrived this week; Eight Legs - Searching For The Simple Life and William - Self In Fiction. I haven't had much time to play William's album yet because I've been far too busy playing Eight Legs. I actually just fell in love with the album on the first play, they're your typical indie band similar to The Kooks, Joe Lean and the JJJ and even sometimes The Futureheads and The Maccabees. If you haven't heard them, download 'These Grey Days' and 'Blood Sweat Tears'. However, William's album still does sound really good so far. They kind of remind me of Vampire Weekend on some of their songs, they're quite original as they mix indie beats with the unusual vocalist and it really works.


Kids Love Lies
www.myspace.com/kidslovelies

This is surely one of the most exciting new bands you'll listen to in a while. I don't have one bad word to say about them. Quite similar to Blood Red Shoes as they play mostly upbeat indie with a female vocalist. They're also really versatile as they have a perfectly sung slower song, 'Chimera' which is just as good as the rest. Infectiously catchy and instantly lovable, they're just far too good.
Recommended: every song on the myspace.


The Kabeedies
www.myspace.com/thekabeedies

Upbeat, happy, careless pop. Similar to bands such as Los Campesinos! and Johnny Foreigner as they are a band where a female and male share the vocals, and sing over beats made to dance along to. Singing about fun and light hearted topics such as mythical beasts, dancing and parties, it's clear to see this band is purely about having a good time.
Recommended: Palindromes, Lovers Ought To, Mythical Beasts.


The Xcerts
www.myspace.com/thexcerts

I've heard this band before, but this time round I realised I had underrated them. They're not too different from the majority of indie pop bands out there, but scottish 3 man band The Xcerts produce catchy music which works really well. Their songs vary in tempo and I the songs breakdown and pick back up again in exactly the right places. A really good band to sing to and even though you probably won't love them at first, but they're definitely worth a listen.
Recommended: Growing Old, Listen. Don't Panic, Just Go Home.


4 Or 5 Magicians
www.myspace.com/4or5magicians

Another band I'd heard before and actually liked but never got round to listening to again. Making music quite different from a lot of indie bands, it isn't just up tempo beats with catchy choruses. They have weird and different intros, long intros that aren't boring, but are a great build up to the song and a vocalist who's accent shows through in his strong voice. All of these factors should ensure that this band are remembered and seperated from the rest. All of their songs don't sound quite similar, so they haven't really made their own individual sound but have a lot of different sounds to make something totally different.
Recommended: Ideal Man, Change The Record, I'm In The Band.


A1 Bassline
www.myspace.com/a1bassline

Totally different to the music I usually write about, A1 Bassline is a DJ who produces garage dance songs, and mainly remixes of other songs. He's really amazing at what he does and I love basically everything I've heard so far. If you're into artists such as Partyshank, Glamour For Better or Pendulum, or like techno, dance or drum and base, you should like him straight away. There's actually a remix of Glamour For Betters' 'Shape Cutting Catalyst' up on his myspace now.
Recommended: Bad Man Horror Theme Clip, Shape Cutting Remix, Girl Thing.

- Speaking of Glamour For Better, their new album Darling You're Nothing is out now. Click here where you can find it on Itunes. On previewing the songs on there it sounds amazing as I would have expected so I should be getting it soon.


The other day, accidentally finding the website of Be Your Own Pet's record label Infinity Cat Records, I stumbled across quite a few new bands, a load of them really impressed me so I'm going to mention some here...

MEEMAW
http://www.myspace.com/pigsinpossumalley (yeah that's their myspace..)

Quite a different band, they produce indie, punk, garage and a lot of their songs sound different as they have two vocalists. I'm not quite sure they're taking this music thing seriously their song 'Smoking In The Sun' contains a very small amount of lyrics but they still manage to talk about milk, bread, diet coke and having a leather face.. it still makes good fun music though.
Recommended: Witch Solo, Smoking In The Sun, Dry Hump.


JEFF The Brotherhood
www.myspace.com/jakeandjamin

Featuring just 2 brothers Jake And Jamin (Jamin being the former drummer of Be Your Own Pet), who are both in quite a few bands on the label, this band is just those two making experimental punk, indie, very alternative rock which is completely fresh and good to hear when you're used to the majority of bands reminding you of something else. They have long intros, a lot of instrumental parts, unexpected change of tempo and beats and catchy lyrics when they do finally appear. It sometimes feels like you're listening to not just one song, but a whole medley of songs with them and it's exciting to hear what the song will develop to next. They definitely deserve to be heard.
Recommended: every one on the myspace.


Cake Bake Betty
http://www.myspace.com/cakebakeb

Saving one of the best till last, Cake Bake Betty, also known as Lindsay Powell (and sometimes a heap of other members including the band above) delivers a load of piano songs, sung with a beautiful voice not too different from Regina Spektor. If you like different female vocalists like her, Florence and the Machine and Kate Nash then Cake Bake Betty should be an instant love. She's one of the only artists I'm playing at the moment.
Recommended: yet again, every song on her myspace. She also has a new album, 'To the Dark Tower' out now.



That should do for now, the next blog should feature some new pop punk, and I'm seeing Be Your Own Pet's final gig ever on the 26th August so that should really be something to write about. See ya!

Underage Festival review

So yeah, Underage fest, 8th August, London. All in all it was basically an amazing day. I saw like 15+ bands which apparently is quite a lot haha. I got to see everyone I wanted to but had to watch half of a lot of sets to fit in everyone else. Even though bands dropped out (Mystery Jets, The Teenagers, The Horrors and who I was the most gutted about, Operator Please) and Glamour For Better didn't even turn up, it didn't really matter cause of the quality of the rest of the bands.

My favourite by far was The Maccabees. They were already one of my favourite bands and seeing them just reinforced my opinion on them, I just can't wait till they tour.

I really liked Foals aswell. I knew they'd be amazing live even though I'm not a big fan of their music usually. The tent was packed and practically everyone in the park ran to see them. They put on more of a show that just a gig. Another band I loved were Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds. Already having seen them before but in a venue with a 150 capacity, it was interesting to see how different they'd be with an audience of hundreds, and they were just as good as before. I'm seeing them again on their tour in October.

Gallows were the headlining band of the festival. They are good live like I expected but it gets too much after a while. The best bit of their set was definitely when they announced Lethal Bizzle was there and he came and did the song 'Staring At The Rude Bois' with them. Everyone also seemed to really enjoy Dizzee Rascal, who was actually really good aswell.

There weren't any bands that I found really disappointing but I was expecting The Rifles to be better, cause I really like the songs I'd heard from them before. But then again they were the last band so I was a bit drained by the time I saw them.

Here are some pics that I took there;

(I'd prefer if you didn't take them or atleast ask first..)

Florence and the Machine

Gallows

Dykeenies

Sons and Daughters

The Rascals

Maccabees

Furthest Drive Home

Kasms

There's also some videos from it on my youtube which is here.

Next blog will be some new bands!

Underage Festival Preview

So Underage Festival in Victoria Park, London is 2 days from now and I can't wait. This post is a short preview of the festival, introducing and talking about many of the bands who will be there.

With 6 stages and a DJ tent all packed with contemporary indie and electro music and with sponsors like Converse, NME and Topman it doesn't seem possible for it to not be an amazing day.

(Foals)

There's some already huge bands attending including Maccabees, Foals, Gallows and Dizzee Rascal (unfortunately, Mystery Jets dropped out today) and then a huge array of new and upcoming talent, some of which here;

Glamour For Better
www.myspace.com/glamourforbetter

Reading based electro/grimdie (grime + indie) band already have a huge fanbase and I discovered them a while ago but they deserve much more recognition. With their catchy indie beats and the vocalists memorable in-your-face kind of voice, they're an immediate catch for anyone who's into bands like Hadouken!, We Smoke Fags, Trash Fashion or Partyshank, who they're currently touring the UK with. (By the way, they're better than all of those bands so don't be put off haha, well except Partyshank).
Recommended Songs: Ryan VS Roundabout, Shape Cutting Catalyst.

Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds
www.myspace.com/cheekynosebleeds

These are like your typical indie band, with their simple lyrics and structure of songs, but it works so well and they make indie pop songs that you would want to listen to again. I first heard these when I saw them supporting Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong at the start of the year, and I've got to say they're even better live. They're also really nice people (they talk to me on myspace!! Haha).

Recommended songs: Slow Kids, Fascinating.

The Rascals

www.myspace.com/rascalmusic

By now, most people who know they're indie music must have heard of The Rascals. And it's thanks to the frontman, Miles Kane's side project with Alex Turner, The Last Shadow Puppets. The Rascals howvever, a completely different sound, are one fantastic band. Miles Kane's voice is very similar to Alex Turner but Rascals are a lot more gritty and different than Arctic Monkeys, and from the day I heard them, I immediately prefered Rascals to both of the other bands.

Recommended Songs: Out Of Dreams, Suspicious Wit.

Furthest Drive Home

www.myspace.com/furthestdrivehome

Not like any other band at Underage, FDH are a rock, pop-punk band with the harmonies, breakdowns, infectious choruses and excellent vocalist that could take them very far. Quite significant from other pop punk bands, they include electro and sounds from decades ago, giving them their unique sound and seperating them from other bands of their style.

Recommended songs: Forget His Facade, Diamond Watch.

Sons And Daughters

www.myspace.com/sonsanddaughters

Scottish based indie pop band include something in their songs which is one of my favourite qualities in a band, which is combine female and male vocalists. Their scottish accent shows through in their songs which I also love. Big choruses, catchy harmonies, this is a band to listen to if you're into bands such as Operator Please, The Fratellis, The Subways but to be honest they have their own unique sound.

Recommended: House In My Head, This Gift, Darling.

Florence and The Machine
www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic

One of the main hype starters for an artist is when they're featured on an advert or as a theme tune (look at Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control for Skins). And sure enough this has just happened to Florence when her song Kiss With A Fist was featured on the new Channel 4 Music Channel advert. Another obnoxious female vocalist with lyrics that catch your attention, it seems that she will very quickly become big. You'll like if you're into artists such as Kate Nash, Regina Spektor and Katy Perry.

Recommended songs: Girl With One Eye, Kiss With A Fist.

More band at Underage to look out for:

-Care Bears On Fire- teeny bop indie pop by a band with an average age of 12.

-Ipso Facto- like an all female version of The Horrors, dark, gothic, old fashioned indie.

-Nick Harrison- excellent vocalist producing catchy pop songs.

-Pull In Emergency- young sounding, feel good beats with simple catchy vocals.

-Team Waterpolo- overly hyped electro pop band who have also supported Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong.

-The Rifles- your typical South London indie/punk band.

-Kasms- gothic whiney female fronted indie/punk band featured on the blog before.

Wow that was a massive post. Well yeah it's gonna be amazzzing. I'll do a review after it, hopefully it won't take over an hour like this did aha. Comment, especially if you're going.

R.I.P. Be Your Own Pet.

Teenage punk band Be Your Own Pet split up yesterday. They have been my favourite band for a long time and are one of the bands who have influenced me the most.

Their blog/website reads;

"To all of our fans,We are sad to bring you the news that our upcoming shows in the UK (dates below) are going to be our last as a band. We thank you for all your love and support these past few years - its been a blast but the time has come for the 4 of us to go our separate ways.

22 August: Reading Festival - Reading, UK
23 August: Leeds Festival - West Yorkshire, UK
25 August: Carling Academy 2 - Liverpool, UK
26 August: Dingwalls - London, UK".



With just 2 albums released and their latest, 'Get Awkward' being released under 5 months ago and with them playing this years Reading and Leeds festival noone would have seen this coming.
I'll hopefully be attending their last gig ever in London. I've seen them before which I'm so glad about, they only played a 40 minute set but as they have some songs that are under a minute, it was only to be expected of them, but it was still amazing. Their fully energetic and obnoxious punk fronted by loud and feisty frontwoman Jemina Pearl will sorely be missed by many.



There is some good in it though, Jonas Stein and John Eatherly of BYOP are in another band called Turbo Fruits along with Max Peebles and I would definitely think that Jemina and Nathan Vasquez will go onto other things aswell.

Well it was good whilst it lasted..


Next blog will be a preview of some of the bands of the Underage Festival (http://www.underagefestivals.com/) that I'm going to, which is now in 5 days!! This will be followed by a review of the festival afterwards.