And so, it's all over for another year. Apologies for the lateness of this blog, due to iPhone/Safari disagreements. Full review to follow, but here's some random thoughts of Day 3 of the Festival Republic end-of-summer shindig:
Faith No More - Most people had gone to swoon over Caleb and his Kings of Leon on the Main Stage, but those people left in the NME tent were treated to a performance of quite awesome power from Mike Patton and his reunited men. And, for some reason, they treated us to the Eastenders theme tune too.
Little Boots - Maybe not the typical 'Leeds Festival' type of act, but she had the whole tent jumping in unison to Stuck On Repeat. She even invited her amusingly inebriated brother up on stage to wish him happy birthday, and then her entire family invaded the stage. Bless.
The Horrors - Considering their latest album is so damn good, this was a major disappointment. I know it's their shtick to be a bit grumpy and mysterious, but they looked disinterested and bored throughout. Shame
Florence & The Machine - Last year, she played to a handful of people on the Festival Republic stage. This year, she's Mercury nominated and drew the biggest crowd of the weekend to the NME tent.
The Big Pink - On at the same time as Florence, but those who ventured out of the rain into the Festival Republic tent were treated to a fine set from one of this year's best discoveries. Dominoes already sounds like an anthem in the making
Jack Penate - The year's most unlikely reinvention continues with a show of unrestrained energy and joy. He even lost his natty white shoe when diving into the crowd during Let's All Die. So he did the rest of his set barefoot.
Jamie T - Another packed out performance, and judging by what he played on Sunday night, the upcoming album Kings & Queens should quite a listen.
Instigate Debate - Carl Barat, Clint Boon, Jon McClure, NME journo Jamie Fullerton and a competition winner called Sophie debated the future of British music. Very entertaining, especially with Rev McClure in full on rant mode, tearing into the NME ("when you've got young kids in their bedrooms dreaming of making it onto your cover, and you stick two fuckin' comedians like The Mighty Boosh, or a fuckin' kids programme like Skins on the cover - well, that's a fuckin' disgrace Jamie") and lambasting 'landfill indie' ("any band who says they're indie and they're signed to Warner Bros - well, they can just fuck off"). I often find the Rev a tad annoying, but he was spot on throughout this debate. A good way to kick off Sunday.
Weirdest rumour of the weekend - Overheard on Saturday night: "Quick, get yourself to the Alternative Tent. Jay Z's playing now. Honest". He wasn't.
And now we're back, away from the rain and the mud and already thinking of next year's festival. Who'll be headlining? The rumours start now (our money's on a debut solo show from Noel G...)
So, day 2 of Leeds Festival at an end already. Here's some thoughts on the day's highlights.
Radiohead - 2 hour headliner set, the first half was gloriously atmospheric and then they cranked it up a gear. Ending with Paranoid Android, Just and Everything In Its Right Place. What's that? You were expecting Creep? Silly billy.
Broken Records - more people should know about this Edinburgh seven-piece. Intense Arcade Fire style rock with a healthy dollop of Celtic folk. Brilliant
The Hot Rats - aka Gaz and Danny from Supergrass covering, among others, Beastie Boys, Roxy Music, Doors and The Beat. Tremendous fun
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - I still say their last album dragged in parts but live they remain formidable. A gorgeous acoustic version of Maps moved more than a few people to tears
Frank Turner - weirdly, he leaves me cold on record. Live, the intensity and joy he creates is a thing to behold
The flag ban - ok you can see the stage now but the flags added to the atmosphere for me. It's not quite the same without them
That 'Yorkshire' chant - it's a bit annoying really isn't it? Can we stop it now please?
One last blog tomorrow night and remember to follow us live tweeting on Twitter @musicOMH
I'm blogging this on a phone, so it'll be reasonably short - but here's some thoughts on Day 1 of Leeds:
Them Crooked Vultures - Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones' supergroup made an unannounced appearance at the NME tent at around 4pm. Imagine QOTSA with some Zep flourishes backed by one of the greatest drummers in the world. And by God could they play.
Marina And The Diamonds - 2010's next big star. Cracking songs, utterly charismatic and even apologised for wearing a tshirt which said 'I love Marina and the Diamonds'. "I know it looks really sad but I thought I'd be the only one here". Did we mention she's pretty damn adorable too?
The Prodigy - They tore up the main stage tonight - hit after hit with not one of the thousands watching standing still. Potty mouths though!
Arctic Monkeys - a set heavy on new stuff seemed to confuse the crowd but still provided us with one of the great singalong moments of the weekend in When The Sun Goes Down. Also, is Do Me A Favour one of the greatest songs ever written?
Ian Brown - King Monkey still can't sing for toffee but who cares when he brings so much stage presence with him? Stellify is one of the year's great singles AND he sang Fools Gold, thud making everyone very happy.
Weather - muddy, bloody cold at times and a bit wet. But it's not damped anyone's enthusiasm
More about Day 2 tomorrow and follow us on Twitter @musicOMH
What happens in Internal stays in Internal. We’re not the first to make this comment but the message still stands: the less you know going in about this new show by Ontroerend Goed the better.
This is the second part in a proposed trilogy playing with ideas of intimacy of which the magnificent Smile Off Your Face was the first instalment. We’ll say only that it’s a show for five audience members at a time and involves a one-on-one encounter. Tickets are by now pretty hard to come by and there were people patiently waiting in the hotel lobby (the show is hosted by the Traverse but takes place in a room at the Mercure Point Hotel on Bread Street) in the hope that someone wouldn’t turn up for their ‘date.’
Some people have found the experience therapeutic and liberating others conversely have found it quite violating and afterwards described feeling quite used. musicOMH, being naturally guarded, perhaps did not give herself fully over to the experience and remained rather detached but it is certainly one of the more memorable 25 minutes of the Fringe and one that has lingered, stewing and brewing at the back of her mind.
musicOMH was also lucky enough to see another hit Traverse show, Grid Iron’s site-specific adaptation of the world of Charles Bukowski. Barflies takes place in the Barony Bar on Broughton Street (15.00). Your drink of choice is waiting for you as you enter the bar with its offal red ceiling and corner piano. Keith Fleming and Gail Watson play two trademark Bukowski characters, the drink-sodden writer and the volatile, self-destructive female, equally booze-pickled, though they retain their Scottish accents. They rut and totter and clamber on top of the bar while Silent Dave the bartender plays a gravely version of Lilac Wine. We weren’t quite as taken with Ben Harrison’s production as some have been (it possibly helps if you are a fan of Bukowski’s writing) but we enjoyed our trip into this sordid yet creative world.
For more information on either show visit Traverse.co.uk.
musicOMH is entering the homestretch: today marks the start of the final week of the Fringe. There is a buzz in the air about certain shows and some of the element of uncertainty inherent in Fringe theatre-going has been removed. Much of what we’re seeing now has been recommended or reviewed elsewhere. The hot tickets have been decreed and we are fortunate to have a couple of them smouldering in our pockets.
This means our hit rate is higher than it has been. We liked Crush at the Underbelly (15.15) a very well-acted two-hander about relationships in the internet age. Ella Hickson's Precious Little Talent at the Bedlam (14.30) is also is well worth seeing and it builds considerably on the promise she showed with Eight. We also really liked Frisky and Mannish’s School of Pop also at the Underbelly (21.00), but then they were already known to us. It was interesting to see them work an over-excited Friday night crowd in a bigger venue to the one we saw them in last time and their Lilly Allen does Noel Coward skit still made us laugh like a very happy drain.
We are forcing ourselves to acknowledge that we will probably not have time to see everything we want to see. There are simply too many things and not enough days left to cram them all in.
Edinburgh at least has remembered, if only for today, that it is August and therefore supposed to be summer. We are going to play in the sunshine while it la
musicOMH has been here there and everywhere over the last few days. We have been disappointed: Hoipolloi’s The Doubtful Guest at the Traverse (various times) was one of the things we were most looking forward to and it was something of a let down. Based on the world and work of Edward Gorey it was visually spot-on and yet utterly undercut the elegance and concision of the original with a drawn out performance style that had the characters explaining their every action as they carried it out.
We have also been captivated by Accidental Nostalgia, Cynthia Hokins’ barmy musical memoir thingy, also at the Traverse (22.30). We have sympathised with the sad, yearning faces in the Daniel Kitson returns line as they reach the front of the queue only to get turned away. We are tired but not fatigued. We still have hopes of seeing surprising, exciting, hidden things. We’re sure they are out there.
That said we are off to see Frisky and Mannish's School of Pop tonight at the Underbelly (21.00); we know they are good, we know we like them but sometimes the comfort of the famailiar is what's required.
For further information, tickets and things, as ever, see: EdFringe.com.
At Cologne's C/O Pop festival on 13th August, Patrick Wolf got a bit howly, as has been widely reported.
The YouTube footage (below) shows him hurling a mic and a stand and generally looking a bit menacing after his set is ended before he expected it to be.
Wolf has now apologised. As apologies go, it's a good one, and bears quoting in full:
A public apology to all involved in the c/o pop shenanigans
I am very sorry that I became too much wolf on stage at C/O Pop. I was singing Shakira’s new song "She Wolf" and I felt my animal instinct to protect my audience. My music is very tribal at the moment, I feel I am protective of all of them. It had been a very long day. I slept well but woke at 4 am to fly to Cologne to start a full day of back to back interviews and photos. My band and crew were setting up onstage and I had no idea of stage times as I do not wear a watch and wasn't informed that my set was being cut short before I went onstage by the relevant parties.
One of the many people milling around backstage told me that the "music industry conference" had gone on too long. Being someone that thinks the audience comes before the industry, in my tired and promo overloaded tour brain, I took this as a demand for justice for the audience. This is why I directed my aggression, which came at the end of a very heated set, not at a man or woman. I was throwing the stool and the microphone at a black hole part of the stage where no one would get hurt but there would be a statement made...
The spit did not land on anyone but was in general a display of "I don't respect you". As I said, my show is very tribal at the moment as there is a lot of good in the world to be fighting for. The words "bitch" and "motherfucker" really are not misogynistic words when you live near Soho, London, so let’s put that to rest. My tribe will know that I have over the past 10 years been a public champion for feminism, against ignorance and always fighting in the name of the good fight.
The very bad footage you see on YouTube does not explain that the lady to my left is Victoria my long term violinist and good friend who I protect like a sibling and is not the one I am directing my words or aim to when throwing a piano stool. I would rather hit myself then see Victoria hurt by anyone, or any of my band.
I'm terribly sorry if anyone was upset by this display of closure on a show, but as a human who works like a dog to keep myself in music during these hard times in the industry, I do have off days and bad moments like every other person in the world - although I am not sorry that I am passionate enough about music to care that my crowd didn't get their money's worth due to curfews and mismanagement of stage times. I hope you agree. The display of aggression was directed at nobody in particular, just life and darkness and hard times.
I'm sorry if any people got in the way and I hope you can forgive me for causing any damage due to excess negative personal emotion. As you heard or saw, the audience was encoring for almost half an hour.
My next album is about hope and romance and love, so I will bring you a bunch of bright red red roses and a box of After Eights next time from a helicopter when I see you all.
So, a summary, major miscommunications backstage x lack of sleep due to very busy schedule x singing many songs about battling x an intense education from the extreme parts of London nightlife/wildlife/streetlife as a teenager x Steve Strange going on very late x a full day of cameras flashing and questions x being 26 years old and should have known better = bad wolf
sorry. peace. pace. truce.
Patrick Wolf
Yesterday was the half-way day for musicOMH and we celebrated by lightening our load (i.e two shows instead of five) and going for a nice long walk in the bits of Edinburgh that don’t contain venues. We stopped and had a cup of coffee and, get this, read a book rather than spend the time scribbling down notes about shows we had seen. We tried to empty our heads, for a short while, of things connected to theatre.
Later, when happily caffeinated and sun-fed, we broke our fast with the wonderful Sporadical, part of the opening night happenings at the Forest Fringe (21.00). Sporadical is a folk opera type thing by Little Bulb, the company behind the inventive and moving Crocosmia. This new show is very different in style from their last, a far bigger thing with ghosts and mermaids and music and props made of cardboard and poster paint.
Little Bulb are artists in residence at the Forest and the show will be grow and evolve over the next fortnight. The Forest Fringe has a ridiculously exciting programme: Melanie Wilson, Rotozaza, Action Hero, and it has a truly exciting vibe, an unforced air of creativity and energy. Go visit.
Once upon a time the UK charts consisted of a top 40 list for albums and singles. It's been getting ever more complicated down the years since, though; with the addition of downloads, airplay and genre charts, there are more chances than ever for PRs to legitimately claim their artist has enjoyed a UK Number 1.
We caught blind aboriginal superstar-in-the-making Gurrumul, or Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu to give him his full name, at Brighton's Great Escape festival back in May. Finally his heartfelt acoustic debut album has been released to Blighty's denizens, long after his countrymen had already decided he'd be a huge crossover hit and showered him with awards accordingly. That slowburning critical success has now been followed up with sales data which declares the Australian's album to be the first ever UK World Music Chart Number 1.
This has been possible since The Official Charts Company, the custodian of many a PR's hopes and dreams, launched two new charts this month. While Gurrumul tops the new Official UK World Music Album Chart, a second list is comprised of world music compilations and goes by the snappy title of the Official UK World Music Compilation Album Chart.
Some shy away from the nebulous term 'world music'. It's as though everything sung in a language other than English should be banished to a corner, away from 'proper music', lest Anglophonic peoples raise their gaze to the horizon and discover with shock that there's a world out there, and in it people play music.
While the Official Charts Company declares that these new charts will "give consumers a practical guide to this specialist genre and provide retailers, labels and distributors with promotional tools dedicated to their market," the debate will likely forever rage about whether such segregation helps or hinders cross-cultural artistic appreciation, or indeed the artists it declares as 'other'.
While I have sympathy with Baaba Maal, Camille, Manu Chao and others who snarl at the use of the term, and while I'm far from convinced that everything ever recorded in a language other than English can realistically be called a "specialist genre", hopefully anything that helps to shine a spotlight on music that would otherwise remain undiscovered is more help than hindrance.
As such, maybe ear-opening labels like Honest Jons and Sublime Frequencies will be able to populate the compilation chart with found songs from 1950s Gabon, 1930s Baghdad, Syrian bazaars and other exotic locales while Wrasse, World Circuit, Six Degrees, Real World and others get some recognition for their valuable support for emerging artists from around the globe.
Check out our recent Africa Special, featuring reviews and features of and on, amongst others, Tinariwen, Oumou Sangaré, Rokia Traoré, Amadou & Mariam, Tony Allen and Fela Kuti.
Radiohead have released their second new song in the space of a fortnight. Following the British Legion charity download Harry Patch comes the freebie These Are My Twisted Words. Long-time producer Nigel Godrich was once again behind the controls.
On the band's official site Johnny Greenwood said: "Here's a new song, called These Are My Twisted Words. We've been recording for a while, and this was one of the first we finished. We're pretty proud of it. There's other stuff in various states of completion, but this is one we've been practicing, and which we'll probably play at this summer's concerts. Hope you like it."
As hinted just there, the band are expected to play new material at their forthcoming Reading / Leeds Festivals headline slot on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Download the MP3 or the torrent of These Are My Twisted Words at radiohead.com
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