I’ve been to enough live music in my time to know my way around. Concerts can be just as stressful as they are enjoyable, especially for the inexperienced. The planning, the crowds and the logistics can all get under your skin and sometimes damper the thrill of seeing your musical heroes in the flesh. Thankfully with a few tips you can keep a cool head and ensure a truly incredible and stress-free concert for you and everyone around you. Continue reading
Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks
Despite only releasing one studio album, the Sex Pistols are one of the most influential and controversial acts in music history. So much so they were fired from 2 record labels, banned from performing in most venues, banned from radio airplay and Bollocks was not stocked in record stores. This only fanned the flames and made them the most famous punk band in the world.
The Clash – London Calling
The thinking man’s punk band. On London Calling The Clash broadened their horizons and included a range of styles including ska and R&B. Instead of raw indirect anger, they focused their rage about things that truly mattered to them, such as unemployment, drugs, the responsibilities of adulthood and life on the streets of London.
The Ramones – Ramones
The Punk movement was like most punk songs; loud and short lived. The band most widely credited with defining the punk sound and influencing the other major bands is the Ramones. Perhaps unsurprisingly their debut was commercially unsuccessful but it sparked one of the most important and divisive movements in rock history.
Death – For the Whole World to See
The original punk band was a band called Death. They started recording what would be their debut album but were dropped from the label for refusing to change the name of their band to something more friendly. The surviving tracks were later released as a testament to the band that created punk several years before the movement kicked off.
Despite it’s mixed reception, Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s on the Wall’, the theme for the latest James Bond Film Spectre, has made history by becoming the first Bond theme to reach number 1 in the charts. The prestigious honour of performing a track for a Bond film isn’t given to just anyone, but the end results have always been a bit hit-and-miss even with the big name stars. So who would be best suited then to perform the song for the next instalment? Who can match Smith’s chart success and yet find the universal acclaim that ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ has been missing? Continue reading
Britain and America have one almighty monopoly when it comes to modern music, hence why it’s surprising and refreshing when a great band pops up elsewhere in the world. Italian Indie band Afterwards are a perfect example. Their music creates an intricate and beautiful world of sound. The bright crisp guitars and drum flourishes that you’d expect from a top class indie band are present in spades, but they are much more than that. ‘Something New’ adds to the already complex soundscape with some 80s style synths and ‘Gloom’ features some fierce guitar work that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Iron Maiden album. The lyrics are deep and relateable and for a small band from just outside Venice, the vocals are to such a standard that they sound like they’ve been living in the UK for years. Any major label with any sense in their heads should snap them up in a heartbeat.
Their second EP ‘Rage‘ is out now and is a must for fans of Foals, Peace and all things Indie.
Rising star Sam Smith has been revealed as the performer of the theme for the latest James Bond instalment Spectre. The track ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ marks the first time in 50 years that a bond theme has been performed by a British male solo artist. The song has not been well received, especially in comparison with Adele’s ‘Skyfall’. Spectre premieres on 26th October and is Daniel Craig’s forth film as agent 007.
This soulful songsmith from London is set to take the world by storm. He draws inspiration from the golden age of soul and blues and gives it a new lease of life. Tracks such as ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ showcase his fun-loving side, ‘Autonomy (Slave) and ‘Everything’ carry a deeper message and are fine examples of his exemplary songwriting, whereas the raw, stripped back blues of ‘Redemption’ puts his powerful vocals in the forefront in a stirring yet vulnerable performance. Samm has surrounded himself with a formidable backing band of top class musicians and as far as live performances go he is a consummate showman. He knows how to write a hit and with his talent, style and charisma it’s only a matter of time before he makes it big.
Samm’s debut EP ‘The Sound Experiment’ is out now
Everyone needs something new and exciting in their life once in a while. The most new and exciting act in music this year has undoubtedly been Wolf Alice. They took their time to create an exemplary debut which is proving to be one of the finest albums of the year. It’s incredibly diverse and well crafted, and having wowed crowds at Glastonbury and Reading they’re also one of the top live acts in the country. So naturally it was worth the journey to go and see them up close and personal. Continue reading
Belwood Music 