Spector / gig review

Halloween night brought ghouls and ghosts and slender-man from the woods; and we can't forget the Spector.

"I'm not what you want you fell in love with an idea and I was never never never never never enough so tonight I'm riding out of here".

At a halloween themed gig in the centre of Newcastle, students and adults alike had perfected their cat purs, whitened their faces with the colour of blood and there were also some sneaky front-man look-alikes to the left of the stage. Halloween was sure to be a treat (rather than a trick.)

"It's Friday night, don't ever, don't ever let it end"

In the small-box room of the Newcastle O2 Academy (the o2 academy 2) the feel for the night was set with the first support band - three drunken men dressed as a scientist, the hulk and Santa Claus... Yes, Santa Claus. The three mad men were in the form of support band Luls. With jangly indie influences which sounded like crashing through a wood, the three men bobbled and tapped on stage with the occasional head-bang from the hulk himself.

"One you started coming over, two you started sleeping over, three you started taking over, four you told me it was over"

Another half an hour in and the un-expecting crowd were hit with Kiss aka Swim Deep. With starry white faces the indie-pop band fronted by the handsome Austin Williams, bounced through their support set of a brilliant five songs. New single 'Honey' (which is available for purchase now) whipped the crowd up into a frenzy! Head nodding, shoulder sliding and arms high in the sky: Swim Deep really attracted the attention of the student crowd and prepared and built them up for what was to be - a truly amazing Halloween night.

"I'm holding on with both hands but I'm ready to let go"

Spector arrived on stage - in a one-night-and-one-night-only fashion. Dressed head to toe in fancy dress, Fred Macpherson grabbed the room with both hands and jolted into a fast-paced heart-rocking version of 'Twenty Nothing'. If you were on the barrier I sincerely feel sorry for you - the crowd was going crazy and it was quite possible to be an inch away from Macpherson's hand as he jumped straight into the juxtaposed song 'Grey Shirt and Tie'

"Hold me, wont you hold me?"

The mosh-pits were out in full force from the boys dressed in togas for a second encore of 'Chevy Thunder' "for one night Newcastle? Let's play it again" Macpherson hollered down the mic before being drowned out by the terrifyingly magical crowd.

"I know you laugh behind my back, I know you think I'm on my own"

Spector know how to raise the mood - and mellow it instantly with the click of their fingers. These aren't just another indie band with simple riffs and lyrics trying to make it. This is the indie band that is headlining their own tour of the country after playing support to hero's like Florence + The Machine. If anything; the night opened my eyes again to what a real gig looks and feels like: sweaty, hot, sticky and exciting. If you're given the chance to see Spector, go. Really.

                           "We didn't have to fall in love. We could of climbed down slowly"

Alt-J win the Barclaycard Mercuary Prize Awards

The 2012 Barclaycard Mercury Prize awards started and ended with a bang; awarding indie-pop quartet Alt-J (∆) the rightful winners of the most important music award of the year.

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize awards (previously named The Mercury Prize) have had a whole host of winners from different backgrounds and completely different genres over the past 21 years. Winners include: Pulp for album 'Different Class', Ms. Dynamite for album 'A Little Deeper', The xx for album 'The xx' and now: 2012's winner Alt-J (∆) for album 'An Awesome Wave'.

Nominations for this years Barclaycard Mercury Prize are as follows:

Alt-J(∆) - An Awesome Wave
Ben Howard - Every Kingdom
Django Django - Django Django
Field Music - Plumb
Jessie Ware - Devotion
Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough?
Micheal Kiwanuka - Home Again
Plan B - Ill Manors
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge
Roller Trio - Roller Trio
Sam Lee - Ground of it's Own
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild

The 21st ceremony started off with a controversial burst from rapper, actor and film director Plan B. Preforming his lead single 'Ill Mannors' from his prize nominated album of the same name. 'Ill Manors' could be named as a juxtaposed album: compared to the other eleven candidates on the short-list. It's a gut-hitting strong album which packs a punch; which is why it deserved it's rightful place on the shortlist.

 As soon as the final bang from Plan B was issued we were whisked into a world of co-ordinated shirts and mysteriously hazy drum beats - in the form of Django Django. The Scottish art-rock band's self-entitled album is one of the more iconic indie records to break through this year.

                             Performances from U.K's king of modern day folk, Ben Howard, North-East-born-and-bred indie rockers Field Music and 24 year-old soal singer Michael Kiwanuka also followed creating a more interesting air to the Roundhouse full of well-to-do music critics and famous faces.

Alt-J's performance of lead-single 'Breezeblocks' settled the argument on why this four-piece should be rightful winners of the award. Layers of rhymical beats and fragments of twinkling eyes - created a magical and effortless performance; summing up what 'An Awesome Wave' really is. It's a poem: a tale. A tale of boys going out into the world and creating something that is going to get teenagers shoe-gazing and bopping away to the riffs of guitars and an amazingly unique lyrical structure.

Beating other favourites The Maccabees and Ben Howard, Alt-J vowed that the 'Mercuary curse' would not affect their preforming or writing in the future. 'We have a real strong set of songs, future songs' is what Newman from the band said, rubbishing claims of the curse that may be set to develop over them.

All Mercury short-listed artists albums are available to purchase now
If you missed the awards ceremony be sure to catch-up with 4OD.

5 Songs of the week: 2/11/12

1. Teenage Daughter - Dog Is Dead
The five-piece indie-rock band from Nottingham have hand-picked summer memories to a T with this song. It's fresh jangly pop which will have you head-bobbing and shoe-gazing while you mimic the simple guitar riffs. giving so much power and empathise to the beautiful song. Bubbly and woozy; Teenage Daughter puts you in a lazy stupor of relaxation. Summer memories from the warm sea and bright beach with your loved ones can be brought quickly into the mind by just hearing the first chords. Dog Is Dead are finally getting the recognition they need; and Teenage Daughter is really one of the steps into star-dome



2. Flaws - Bastille
Most Youtube searchers would have found this song one of the more interesting adverts that are circling the Internet at the moment. Bastille, a four piece from South London, are an alternative and edgy sound to the usual indie-pop blaring from our radios. Flaws is a strong peppy sounding song. With a strong bass line; the drums in this song play a big part - along side the superior and powerful vocals of lead-singer Dan Smith. If it's possible to call a song pretty - then Flaws is a very 'pretty' song. Expect to be hearing a lot more from Bastille in the future.

3. Last Of The Summer Wine - Palma Violets
Even though the London boys have only broken through the barrier of mainstream success; they've already been on the front cover of NME and they're not just another indie-rock band trying to make it. They don't need to try very hard because they're succeeding with their new single,. Last Of The Summer Wine is a roller-coaster of emotional music. The hazy guitar riffs elevate you high into a sort of summer daze before the forcefully gruff voice of the memorising lyricist really sucks you in. The indie-rock feel lifts you up higher and higher until you're gently brought back down to earth with the feeling of post-festival depression... and that is what the repeat button is for.

4. Maths - deadmau5
The only possible way you can get a moody, sullen teenager to admit that maths is cool; is by putting it as the title of a hard-kicking electronic-house track. Maths by deadmau5 has been weaving its way through the hearts of hardcore mau5 fans for months recently appeared in the track-listing for new album >insert album name here<. Maths is kept simple with repetitive synthesised beats which gradually lift you from the floor of despair to party-lets-get-drunk mode. The build of rattling heart-drops and layers of hard-work can be heard from this song putting you in the mood for any occasion - from the first minute to the seventh deadmau5 continuously raises you off of the floor until you can get no higher then drops you - and repeat.


5. Genesis - Grimes
Take a 24 year-old Canadian called Claire Boucher, give her some models dressed up as futuristic psycho killers with pink dreadlocks, a snake and swords; and you've created a video to one of the most experimental sounds heard this year. Genesis is a whirlwind to say the least. A beautiful poem of words strung together and hung out to dry in a world of magic and adventure: that is what Genesis is. The almost immersed feeling of being dragged under a sea of water is created when Grimes whispers effortlessly into the microphone. Weaving in and out, on-top and below the beat of the music. Grimes really pulls you in and creates a sort of nostalgia to another time in your life. Finally some recognition of Grimes has been found on the radio 1 play list; so expect to be hearing her very soon.

nicki minaj / gig review

We all know her for her fake 'larger than life' bum, her silky blonde wigs and her tendency to use the word 'pussy' and 'hoe' at least once in every song. She's one of the most loved, and one of the most hated, in our every tiring music industry today. But there is no denying the fact that Nicki Minaj is one of the best American female rappers around; even if she says she's got it 'cracking like a bad back'.

From the release of 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded' 6 singles have already been released, including 'Starships', 'Pound The Alarm', 'Beez In The Trap' and her more recent single 'Va Va Voom'. The 19 track album has been credited as 'a mediocre rap album' leaving you with the feeling of wanting to 'drive off a cliff'. Given a 5/10 from NME magazine; it seems as if Minaj has created an album nobody wants to hear or think about: wrong.

The number 1 album in 4 countries has made the mark Minaj wanted. Proof? Her Roman Reloaded tour of the UK has been completely sold out, extra dates have been added and it's the tour everybody has been whinging and raving about... So what really is the fuss?

In Newcastle Upon-Tyne Nicki Minaj's support had come from Ex-X-Factor hopeful Misha B; who has lost the 'diva' edge to her voice and has started to mould into a more 'real' Nicki Minaj. With a snap-back and Doc Martens, Misha B looks stylish on stage, prancing and bellowing out the only two songs she will ever have in her career, which surprisingly the whole crowd videoed on their mobiles. With the lack of material Misha B also decided to throw in her own style of murder: in the form of Adele's 'Someone Like You'. Support was also given by rapper 'Tyga' (pronounced Tiger) where he - (also with lack of material) sang his one-and-only-one-hit-wonder known song 'Rack City Bitch' twice in five minutes. His gimmick of finding women in the crowd with big boobs and getting them on stage also set the mood for the rest of the concert - the starstruck feeling of happiness and excitement was fading - quickly.

The diva herself was late to her own slot - nine o'clock turned to quarter to ten before the superstar appeared on stage in a pink space rocket. The new elegantly named song 'Come On A Cone' was preformed first on a stage set which has been modeled on Minaj herself  (a haunted house stage set) followed by 'Roman Reloaded' and a song that is simply so sophisticated and brilliant the only words are 'Beez In The Trap'.

Surprisingly, only five costume changes, including a long pink dress and a stereotypical black rapper costume; customised with a jewelled snap back, were the outfits for Minaj in the night. Although The 'female weezy' has been credited to mime her way through sets: Nicki Minaj really sang every note, in every song to real perfection. With her 'real' voice (may it have been Martha, Barbie, Roman or Nicki) she preformed to a high professional standard of singing.

Burlesque dancers, a pink convertible car and real fire burning when Minaj sang 'Fire Burns'. The concert may have been gimmicky; but it really showed off Nicki Minaj's ability to look past lyrics of 'Stupid Hoe' an create something she could be proud of. Finishing on the springy hit which was 'Starships' Minaj's atmosphere she created was one of love and bouncy electrifying excitement.



Still not convinced Minaj is your favourite rapper yet?

Bloc Party live / gig review

The twelfth of October. Stood outside the O2 Academy Newcastle (formerly the Carling Academy) in the freezing cold anticipating the doors opening at half past six. This night was the night of something special. The first venue, the first show, the first night of Bloc Party's 8-city tour promoting new-album 'Four'. It was going to be special.

Hand-picked support was shown in the form of London quintet Theme Park. Having played on the bill earlier at Reading and Leeds festival and Newcastle's Evolution Festival; Theme Park couldn't of been a better support for the four indie-rockers.

Theme Park (to the right) were simply flawless. A mix of Hawaiian influences and breath-less vocals really got the crowd of 15-21 year olds shoe-gazing while mimicking the snake-hips and moves being trusted on stage. Songs such as 'Milk' and 'Jamaica' creating the most amazement and excitement from the well-dressed crowd. Theme Park supporting Bloc Party is only the start for this indie-rock band; watch this space - they're going to be huge.

At half 8 we were greeted with a dark blue light covering the stage and heavy dub step-influenced music. We could all feel the tension rising and rising until and enormous cheer had erupted from the crowd of brightly clad young-adults... Kele Okereke, Russel Lissack, Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong had walked out onto the stage: Bloc Party had arrived.

A light-show spectacular flashed from blues and greens while Bloc Party played an almighty set of 18 different songs; all of which were preformed to high standards and magnificence. Starting the gig with 'So He Begins To Lie' a slow, paced song to set the atmosphere for a night and slowly rolling into 'Hunting For Witches' and 'Positive Tension'.

The crowd participation from the start was fantastic! The fresh-faced uni students on their night out were in full swing down the front pit; literally inches away from the band striking chords magically and swooning with lyrics of destruction and love. The mosh-pits were a breathe of fresh air; who knew that an intro to Flux being Rhianna's 'We Found Love' would create complete havoc and madness in the middle of a pit?

A chorus of deep voices sprung for 'One Last Chance' (always a favourite for Bloc Party fans) really showing how much Bloc Party have been loved and missed over the years.

 "I've been watching that show... That Geordie Shore?" Says Okereke, a reply of boos was met and the front-man found himself laughing before saying:

"This song, is for all of you out there... who have been waiting a very long time to see us" the song in question was a beautifully understood version of 'This Modern Love'. Tears could be seen in many of the young adolescents eyes as Okereke blasted vocals through the whole of the O2 Academy.

Having two encores was un-familiar; finishing on 'Helicopter' the place was set-ablaze with joy. It has been a long time since I've truly felt a music high from a gig; and Bloc Party seriously gave it there all. If you've got the chance go and see them. They ask for quite a high price but the professionalism and smoothness of the band was phenomenal. A great great night.