Ever been to a music gig? Want to go again? Want to know who is worth seeing?
Music gigs and festivals is a blog dedicated to telling you where and when the coolest bands are playing in NY and the UK. In addition to this I will also be sharing reviews about gigs and festivals I have attended which are definitely worth checking out.
Want to go to a music festival? Well you still can.
Bestival is a four-day music festival held in the Isle of Wight at the beginning of September. Starting in 2004, this festival has grown from a medium sized festival to becoming the best major UK festival in the UK (voted 2010, 2012).
Although I have yet to attend this festival myself many of my friends have, and they all absolutely love it (so much so they are all going again!). When people talk about Bestival, the general consensus is "Glastonbury without all the walking!" - what more could you want...other than maybe the promise of no rain!?
Another reason why people choose Bestival is because you can STILL buy tickets. While all the other festivals this summer sold out months ago, you can go on their website and purchase a ticket for the great value of £180.
Obviously regardless of the price (and the weather) everyone looks at one thing when it comes to festivals: the line up. The 2013 Bestival headliners are: Elton John and His Band, Fatboy Slim and Snoop Dogg. Also playing are Franz Ferdinand, Jessie Ware, Tom Odell, Disclosure, Bombay Bicycle Club, Belle & Sebastian, James Blake, The 1975 and many many more. For more line up info check out: http://2013.bestival.net/line-up
So if you are regretting your decision to resist festivals this year, or you feel one or two festivals just isn't enough, than this is a great solution for you.
After hearing this indie pop band on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show I was left craving to hear more!
The Neighbourhood are a five man band from California, who only got together back in 2011. To date they have released two EPs "Im Sorry.." and "Thank You", and a highly successful debut album "I Love You" (April).
Despite this band having no upcoming british tour dates, they are playing a handful of dates around the US. The Neighbourhood, known for their black-and-white imagery which is demonstrated in all their music videos and artwork, have released to popular hits "Female Robbery" and "Sweater Weather."
If you like the sounds of Haim, and Smoke & Jackal, than this is a band for you.
Check them out, it will be worth it.
Tour dates:
22nd June. Main Street Armory - NY
26th June. Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
29th June. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
25th July. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - NY
I first came across the Villagers when they were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2010 for their fabulous debut album "Becoming A Jackal." Now, two years later, with the release of their second album "Awayland" (Jan, 2013) Villagers are finally receiving the attention that they so rightly deserve.
This indie folk band is made up of front man Conor O'Brien, Cormac Curran, Danny Snow, James Byrne and Tommy McLaughlin. If you like the artists; Dry the River, Low Anthem and Fionn Regan, than Villagers should be right up your street.
When it comes to putting on a live performance, these boys are no rookies. Having toured with the likes of Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, and Elbow, Villagers know what it takes to please a crowd, and please a crowd they do! They have grown quite the fan base over the years, and so it comes as no surprise their shows are often sold out. Hugely popular in Ireland, this band just keep on getting better and better. There is no doubt most of their success is down to the talents of Conor O'Brien, who as the lead singer, uses his voice superbly to deliver the beautiful and sincere lyrics of the band.
If you are still unsure about this band, check out their EP "Hollow Kind" which was released back in 2009 - it is really very good!
Tour dates
11th June. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
26th June. Glastonbury Festival - UK
11tth July. T In The Park - UK
15th August. Green Man Festival - UK
23rd August. Leeds/Reading Festival - UK
Kings of Leon are a four man American rock band from Tennessee. Although they first formed together in 1999 it was not until 2008 that they got their first big break. Their big break came from the two BRIT awards they won from the success of their platinum selling album "Only By Night." This album includes their three number one singles, Sex Is On Fire, Use Somebody, and Notion.
To date, this band has released five albums; "Youth & Young Manhood," "Aha Shake Heartbeat," "Because of the Times," "Only by the Night," and the most recent (back in 2010) "Come Around Sundown." Although this group have been on hiatus for the last couple of years, they are doing a series of gigs over the next upcoming months, and are also due to release a sixth album "Mechanical Bull," sometime this year.
I have seen Kings of Leon twice, once in Manchester and once in Hyde Park, London. For me seeing them play in Manchester on their sold out UK tour two years ago was the most memorable experience. I was originally put off by the price of the ticket and the size of the venue (absolutely massive!) when I was buying the tickets. Shockingly, although I was quite far back from the stage, and the arena was filled with hundreds of fans, the atmosphere was not only electrifying but intimate as well.
I have to admit I have never a seen a crowd of such magnitude become so wild and excited during a gig before. The reception that the band received when they first stepped out onto the stage was so great that it was five minutes until the band could even begin singing.
Considering the gig was only an hour and a half the crowd was certainly spoiled by the number of great songs they got to hear. When I saw them in Manchester their set list was flavorless and included Crawl, Taper Jean Girl, Molly's Chamber, Red Morning Light, Fans, California Waiting, Milk, Closer, Four Kicks, Charmer, My Party, Sex is on Fire, The Bucket, On Call, Cold Desert, and Use Somebody.
What made their performance even more memorable for me was the amount of effort and passion they put into each of their songs.The band seemed in both shock and gratitude by the response the crowd gave them. When it came to the encore, Kings Of Leon ended their show with four more songs including Knocked Up and Manhattan. I was generally gutted when the gig came to an end because the time seemed to fly by.
The quality of the music and talent shown by Kings of Leon was so high that the lack of on stage props and extras did not matter. I would certainly say this is a gig not to be missed.
Tour dates:
12th June. The 02 Arena - London
13th June. The O2 Arena - London
24th June. Manchester Arena - Manchester
25th June. Manchester Arena - Manchester
9th July. LG Arena - Birmingham
10th July. LG Arena - Birmingham
14th August. Boucher Playing Fields - Belfast
15th August. Bellahouston Park - Glasgow
17th August - V Festival
Green Man Festival is a music festival that has grown from a one day event(2003) to a four-day extravaganza. This festival is held is the Brecon Beacons, Wales and offers so much more than just music.
This independent festival has comedy, poetry, music (obviously!), hot showers (always a plus!), all night bon fires, and fun things/areas for people of all ages.
This is a festival, so although all the above sounds very exciting the main attraction is obviously the music. Although mostly folk, Green Man Festival delivers other genres: indie, dance, and Americana, across five stages. On top of this, every night an array of DJs play everything from electro to rock.
With a capacity of 20,000 this festival is nothing on Glastonbury (which has around 150, 000 people) however if you are looking for that quieter/ smaller alternative, than this is the perfect option.
In terms of the line up, this year's headliners are; Ben Howard, Band of Horses, and Kings of Convenience. Other acts to perform include Lord Huron, Roy Harper, The Horrors, Local Natives, and Patti Smith.
