Orbital

A truly fabulous duo.

As a fan of dance music, there is nothing I enjoy more than 'getting into the zone' and dancing along to the beat without a care in the world, or what others around me are doing or thinking. Once this happens you know you are having a great night and appreciating the music to its fullest. 

Although there is a variety of dance music out there, one dance band that I can never get enough of is the duo Orbital. Orbital is a British electronic dance band made up of two brothers. Orbital first hit the music scene and 1989 but decided to go on a hiatus in 2004. It was not until 2009 that Orbital announced their return and headlined at The Big Chill. 

I was fortunate to see this dance band live at Glastonbury, and boy did I love them. Their chilled out sounds although can be at times repetitive, were extremely captivating and had me enraptured. With the loud music, flashing lights, and packed crowd dancing, the duos set was epic and left me with a sense of euphoria.

If you are someone who doesn't really get the vibe or the feeling for dance music than skipping this type of performance is recommended. However, if like me, you love this type of genre of music than I urge you to get tickets. It will be well worth it.

Tour Dates
6th July. Bloc 2012 - London Please Gardens, London
8th July. T In The Park - Kinross
19th July. Secret Garden Party - Grange Farm, Huntingdon
6th September. Bestival - Newport
3rd Dec. O2 Academy - Bristol
4th Dec. O2 Academy - Leicester
5th Dec. O2 Academy - Newcastle upon Tyne
7th Dec. 53 Degrees - Preston
8th Dec. O2 Academy - Sheffield
9th Dec. O2 Academy - Birmingham
11th Dec. Brighton Dome - Brighton
12th Dec. O2 Academy - Bournemouth
13th Dec. O2 Academy - Oxford
14th Dec. O2 Academy - London.

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/20404/Orbital.html

Tallest Man On Earth

 

He may not live up to his name 'Tallest Man On Earth" but he sure can sing. 

Kristian Matsson is a singer/ songwriter from Sweden. Known for his on stage charisma and his love for his guitar, Tallest Man On  Earth is someone worth checking out. Critics have even compared Matsson to Bob Dylan in terms of his vocal and songwriting ability.

Bands similar to Tallest Man On Earth include Fleet Foxes, Iron &Wine, and Bon Iver.

To date Tallest Man On Earth have released three albums "Shallow Grave," "The Wild Hunt," and "There's No Leaving Now." Although I have sadly yet to see this guy live, I hope to do so very soon. As a live performer Matsson has received some great reviews, and has even toured with some great artists like
Bon Iver.

Tour dates:
2nd July. Rough Trade East - London, UK
3rd July. Hackney Empire - London, UK
17th August. Powys - UK
22nd October. HMV Forum - London, UK
23rd October. Colston Hall - Bristol, UK
28th October. Ritz Manchester - Manchester, UK
29th October. St Bartholomew's Church - Brighton, UK

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/319682-tallest-man-on-earth/calendar?page=1

Bloc Party

My absolute all time favorite band.

I can't express in words how much I love this band, and how ecstatic I was to hear they are back together again.

Bloc Party are a British indie rock band that formed together in 1999. Between 1999 and 2009, Bloc Party were very successful, releasing three popular albums "Silent Alarm," "A weekend in the City," and "Intimacy." Although they had a string of hits, and won 'Indie Album of the Year' at the 2006 PLUG Awards for their album "Silent Alarm," the band announced they would be going on a hiatus to focus on side projects.

It was not until September of this year that Bloc Party announced they would be reuniting and releasing an album in fall 2013. In addition to the album, Bloc Party have announced a string of tour dates in the UK and N. America (see below) that I would urge everyone to check out.

Although I have only been fortunate enough to see Bloc Party live once, I was able to see Kele Okereke (lead singer of Bloc Party) live when he performed solo at Glastonbury music festival.

I had a great time seeing both the band and Kele live. With a string of great hits such as "Hunting For Witches," "The Prayer," and "Two More Years" and Kele's awesome charisma, the crowd and I were kept thoroughly entertained. Although they have been on hiatus recently, this should have in no way impacted their ability to put on a great show. Go and see them - it will be worth it!

Tour Dates
19th June. Garage - Glasgow, UK
20th June. The Ritz - Manchester, UK
21st June. Koko - London, UK
8th August. Terminal 5 - NYC (support band: The Drums)
9th August. Terminal 5 - NYC (support band: The Drums)
12th October. O2 Academy - Newcastle, UK
13th October. 02 Academy - Leeds, UK
14th October. Academy - Glasgow, UK
15th October. Academy - Birmingham, UK
17th October. Guildhall - Southampton, UK
18th October. O2 Academy - Bristol, UK
19th October. Warehouse Project - Manchester, UK
20th October. Corn Exchange - Cambridge, UK

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://blocparty.com/post/20969842612/warm-up-shows or http://www.ticketmaster.com/Bloc-Party-tickets/artist/953414?tm_link=edp_Artist_Name

Laura Marling

I am a big fan of this artist. 

Laura Marling is an English Folk singer from Hampshire. This talented young singer can not only sing beautifully, but she also plays a variety of instruments including the guitar and the piano. 

Marling first hit the music scene when she was a member of original Noah and the Whale line up. Since parting with the band, Marling focused on her single career and has to date released two albums; "Alas, I cannot Swim," and "I Speak Because I Can." 

Laura Marling has, over the years, accumulated quite the fan base. Don't be put off by Laura Marling's shy and timid appearance - her vocal ability and sweet melodies will have you enrapt. Winner of a Brit Award and NME Award, and a successful tour under her belt, this artist is definitely someone you should check out. 

Tour dates: 

7th July. Royal Albert Hall - London, UK

13th July. Latitude Festival 2012 - UK 

For information regarding tickets check out: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Laura-Marling-tickets/artist/1223165

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey is certainly making a name for herself as an artist.

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, most notably known for her stage name Lana Del Rey, is an American singer and songwriter. Similar artists to Lana Del Rey are Marina and the Diamonds and Azealia Banks.

Lana Del Rey hit it big when she put a song "Video Games"onto the internet. After the song went viral, it was released as a single in October. Following the release of the single, Lana Del Rey released her debut album "Born To Die" in January 2012. This album proved to be a great success, with it reaching number one in seven countries.

Lana Del Rey has proven to be just as good live as she is on radio. Her unique and distinct voice only adds to the mysterious persona that she portrays during her shows. With the success of her album and high praise for her live performances, it comes as no surprise that tickets to her show sell out fast. I therefore urge you to move fast if you want to get hold of tickets.

Tour dates:
15th June. Victoria Park - London, UK
21st June. Seaclose Park - Isle of Wight, UK
23rd June. Hackney Marshes - London, UK

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2867646-lana-del-rey/calendar?page=1

The Maccabees

 

I am a huge fan of this band, however since the release of their second album "Wall Of Arms" in 2009, The Maccabees have been relatively quiet in terms of new material. 

The Maccabees, a five piece indie rock band from London, UK first got noticed with their debut single "X-Ray" from their debut album "Colour It In." Although, like mentioned earlier, this band has been quiet, they have recently announced they will be releasing their third album "Given to the Wild" on 9th January 2012.

Don't let their lack of new material put you off though. The Maccabees have still been performing a lot over the last year and have been the support act for a number of bands including Bombay Bicycle Club and The Drums. The Maccabees this year have been playing a number of warm-up gigs and have thus far proven to be better than ever. Most of their warm-up gigs were sell outs, and so I would definitely suggest buying tickets for their gigs asap.  

In terms of their actual gig I can tell you it will definitely be a hugely energetic show with a lot of crowd surfing, mosh pits and sweating! You have been warned!   

Tour Dates
14th June. Pembrey Country Park - UK
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK
25th August. Bramham Park - Leeds, UK


For more details regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/The-Maccabees-tickets/artist/1322472

Gotye

There is no question you have heard Gotye's number 1 hit single "Somebody That I Used To Know."

Gotye, otherwise known as Wouter De Backer, is originally from Belgian but grew up in Australia from the age of 2. He is both a singer and songwriter and to date has released three albums; "Boardface," "Llike Drawing Blood," and "Making Mirrors."

Although Gotye has achieved a great deal of success in Australia, he has yet to really make it mainstream in the US or UK. This will surely change however as he follows the success of his single "Somebody That I Used To Know" with his 2012 world tour.

As a live performer Gotye has received many rave reviews for his great voice and use of amazing visuals. I certainly will be looking to see Gotye live in the future, and I suggest you do too.

Tour dates:
25th September. Radio City Music Hall - NYC
27th September. Williamsburg Park - NY
12th November. HMV Hammersmith Appollo - London, UK
15th November. Manchester Appollo - Manchester, UK


For information regarding tickets and the rest of his tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/53929-gotye/calendar?page=5

Coldplay Review

This band were incredible live.

Coldplay have been one of those bands that I have been desperate to see live for quite some time now. I have previously posted about this band back in April (Coldplay).

First on stage were the support acts; Robyn and Rita Ora. Although I only caught the end of Rita Ora's set I was impressed by both her onstage presence and vocal ability. The same could not be said for Robyn however. Having heard a number of Robyn's songs before, I was interested to see how she would be live. Sadly the capacity of the Emirate Stadium in North London,  UK seemed  to great for her. She worked the stage well but her songs did little to work the sell out crowd. Another thing I was surprised/shocked about was Robyn's choice to cover a Coldplay song. Overall I would say Robyn's performance was very disappointing and one which I would not repeat again.

Support Act: Robyn

So the crowd were ready for Coldplay. The anticipation for the bands arrival was high - the  back to the future theme blared out from the speakers and the stage screens lit up - out walked the band and the crowd went wild.

The set list for the 4th June show was: Hurts Like Heaven, In My Place, Mylo Xyloto, Lovers in Japan, The  Scientist, Yellow, Violet Hill, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Princess of China, Up In Flames, Warning Sign, Dont Let it Break Your Heart, Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown and Paradise. 
Encore; Us Against the World, Speed of Sound (ft Simon Pegg on  Harmonica), Clocks, Fix You, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.

What was great about this show was the level of interaction between the crowd and Chris Martin. His constant jumping around the stage and continual forcing of the crowd to 'sing along' seemed to make the crowd even more pumped. To say he had the entire sell out crowd in his hand would be an understatement.

In addition to Coldplay's great vocal and instrumental performance, was the stage and visual effects. Upon entry of the stadium, each person received an Xylobracelet which we were told to wear on our writs for the duration of the show. Throughout the show each Xylobracelet lit up in various colours which made the atmopshere within the stadium even more awesome and unreal. Despite the brilliance of  bracelets, this was by no means all Coldplay had planned for the night. There were fireworks, confetti, inflatable balls, and even a surprise appearance from Simom Pegg who played the harmonica during the bands encore performance of Speed of Sound.

Overall I would say if you can, GO and see them live. I had an absolutely awesome night. I was fortunate enough to find a great spot on the pitch allowing me to see everything really well. However I will say this is definitely one of those gigs that whether you are seated right at the very back or at the front, you are still in for a great night. 

 

Simon Pegg on the Harmonica

Every Xylobracelet lit up

Kate Nash Music Gig

I have seen many great bands perform over the years. For every gig that I go to I go through the same feelings of excitement and anticipation beforehand. I love to see how each gig varies by the type of crowd it attracts, who is supporting, how good the band is live, and whether they can work a crowd or not.

I have experienced many gigs, from moshing to the Fratellis, standing in an intimate gig watching The National, to standing in a crowd of 100,000 to watch Faithless. Despite all these great experiences however there are the occasional disappointments, one being when I saw Kate Nash live at Glastonbury.

I really liked Kate Nash's debut album "Made of Bricks" as it included many great songs like Birds and Foundations. After the release of this album, Kate Nash continued to release a number of great tracks and personal favorites like Merry Happy and Mouthwash. However after the tour of her first album, it was reported that Kate Nash had a "proper breakdown." Since her return at the end of 2009, Kate Nash seems to have not only changed her appearance, but the style of her songs. I am not really keen on her new songs or her second album "My Best Friend is You."

When I saw Kate Nash live she mostly sang songs from her second album which was the first disappointment for me. Next, I disliked how Kate Nash constantly swore and repeatedly told the crowd to wake up, and at one point even told us to not be so "F****** shy" - not the best way I feel to work the crowd!! In addition to this, I found her performance very uncomfortable to watch as she seemed to shout her songs, rather than sing them.

Overall I would have to say give this gig a miss!

Nash is currently touring around the UK. To see her tour dates visit: http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/94689/Kate_Nash.html

The Vaccines

This band is pretty awesome. 

The Vaccines are an English indie rock and from London who released their debut album "What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?" in 2011. If you are unfamiliar with The Vaccines, than similar bands include the Drums, Arctic Monkeys and The Maccabees. 

The Vaccines got their first big break in August 2010 when they released their demo "If You Wanna" to YouTube. The song immediately received huge praise from people, including Zane Lowe. In addition to this, the record was named "Hottest Record In the World" on August 2010. 

The Vaccines announced earlier this year that their second album would be released after the summer when "we're ready." The new album has been reported to be more "intimate and close than their debut album."

This band have received great reviews for their live performances. So far, The Vaccines have toured with  the  likes of Arctic Monkeys, and performed at a number of festivals including Leeds and Reading. This is definitely a band to check out. 

Tour Dates:

2nd June. Field Day - Victoria Park, london, UK

10th June. Civic Hall - Wolverhampton, UK 

24th June. Isle Of Wight Festival - Newport

29th June. Heaton Park - Manchester, UK

7th July. T In The Park - Kinross, UK 

11th July. The Eden Project - St Austell, UK 

25th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK 

26th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK 

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: the vaccines