We gave you. All of our. Time.
Hello darlings, Frankie Ward here having a relaxing night in!
Although do bare in mind that relaxing for me tends to mean writing for you! (Aren’t you the lucky ones?)
Ahem! Forgive my seemingly arrogant words – I’m just in a jolly mood. My laugh has got a lot louder recently (I think it must be my new beanbag!)
So you’re reading this because of the gig I went to yesterday? Or because you’d like a sneaky peek at me attempting to take pictures of myself?
If you’re looking for the former, then you’re in luck! Last night I popped down to the Cluny 2 to see American happy rockers Fang Island play alongside local acts Holy Mammoth and Cult Image.
I’d seen Cult Image play a mere matter of days before this gig so I knew to expect Joy Division-esque post punk songs of insightful words and intricate guitar melodies. Once again, I was not disappointed. The band were reliably on form, with the venue providing better acoustics for singer Sean’s voice over Newcastle’s Discovery Museum (the site of their last live appearance.) I especially like Sean’s voice. It’s deep and edgy, but doesn’t lack warmth (despite the dark stylings of his songs.)
At Generator‘s NEw Wave Transmission event one panelist remarked that the band needed to write their own ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. Now I could imagine that the band would work with some keys (adding some brighter tones to the guitar/bass/drums/lone vocals mix) but surely that would be too derivative of the band’s clear influences. It might be controversial to say, but maybe the restrained occasional backing vocals and even a melodica part might make things really stand out… (I say melodica because Gorillaz used it to such effect on Clint Eastwood, and I wonder if it’s potential for creepy tones could work for the band’s music.)
At the same time, I don’t really want you to change Cult Image, because I really like you!
Before the gig kicked off I chatted to some of the guys from second act Holy Mammoth. They briefly mentioned concern about how their soundcheck went, but any issues were clearly resolved by the time the band took to the stage. Holy Mammoth are one of those bands who grow with every performance. There’s a sense of unity between band members that can be rare on the live circuit and it makes for compelling viewing.
And that’s before you get to the songs!
One of the things I really appreciated about last night’s gig was that for once, singer Andy’s vocals were clearly distinguishable above the well mixed instruments. Perhaps it’s because I know and appreciate the songs, but I can now seemingly nod every kick drum inflection, wiggle my fingers along to the guitar hooks and nod my head to the driving bass lines of set favourites such as Suggester and Weathered.
The band had to cut things off a disappointingly two songs early (I estimate) due to technical issues with a guitar, but it was a sterling performance all the same. If it weren’t for the burgeoning desire to see Brooklyn’s Fang Island, I could happily have watched the Mammoth boys for a lot longer.
Fang Island hit the stage complete with flamboyant outfits (colourful, oversized hoodies), cleverly coordinated, contrapuntal guitar melodies and an absolute lust for life on the stage. Infectious, joyful and spontaneous, the five piece were an absolute,(exhausting), delight to watch. They don’t call them ‘explosive happiness’ without reason!
I’m having an early night now! But I’ll be returning to the Cluny 2 tomorrow to see The Winter Hill Transmission supporting Elliot Brood.
Hairy times for Holy Mammoth
I had a little spare time before going out to tonight’s Cult Image, Holy Mammoth and Fang Island gig so I got a little silly with my Macbook camera
Tee by Urban Outfitters, skirt by Zara, tights by Topshop, shoes by New Look, belt by Primark
Trying to get the shoes into shot...
Hair flower by Accessorize
Hair; a product of genetics and a bit o' serum
I really need a camera, some ‘this season’ clothes and some sense of dignity.
I also need these shoes in a size smaller as I can’t wear them without tripling up socks – so I won’t be wearing them tonight I don’t think… boo.
Although I could layer up the trainer socks and hope no one notices…. I’ve done that with my ballroom shoes before… except the judges weren’t so impressed!
See you there.
Transmission – Ready to take off!
In my previous post I talked about some of the bands who were about to play this weekend’s Transmission events.
Unfortunately I lack a camera so have no pics of my own, but head to Jazzy Lemon’s Flickr photostream to check out some amazing shots of Tom Robinson rocking out with The Union Choir and Brilliant Mind. Here’s one of me and fellow Amazing Radio broadcaster, Tom Cotton watching the spell binding Nadine Shah.
All eleven acts I saw (completely free courtesy of the wonderful guys and girls at Generator) were on fabulous form. I particularly enjoyed cardigan clad post punk rockers Cult Image, blossoming math rock act Toyger (as in ‘Toight like a…”) Vinyl Jacket turned in a tight performance of fantastic calypso pop tracks with fantastic energy and boundless charisma. What was even more shocking was the revelation that temporary guitarist Stuart (of interesting indie band Grandfather Birds) had only been playing with the band for a couple of weeks due to the normal guitarist’s incapacitated wrist!
There are two wagons in particular that I reckon you need to jump onto as soon as possible.
The first is that of solo artist Nadine Shah. Unafraid to plough through her songs with the emotional intensity of the ‘first play’, she transfixed the audience with her ability to command the room with just her stunning, full bodied voice and a keyboard. Her track ‘The Duke’ is currently on rotation in my head. She’s been working with top producers in London, so I’m looking forward to hearing the results. Shah is going on an O2 Academy tour with Shakespeare’s Sister very soon so I’d recommend going just to see her! She is going to be big news very, very soon.
The second band that entirely enthralled me was Chased by Wolves. Their set was packed full of sexy, edgy, bluesy numbers with singer Emma Siobhan Williams’ voice adding real colour to the set. Fellow vocalist Richard Smith’s voice provided a perfect contrast as well as extra power. James Brown on bass was a particular delight and completely addictive to watch – his five string bass was grooved and thrown around the stage, as if the instrument was playing the player.
Congratulations to all the acts, a huge thanks to Generator for throwing the ambitious events, and to Tom Robinson for being ‘glad to be gay’ (joyous.)
Tomorrow (Monday 6th September) I’ll be off to see Holy Mammoth support Fang Island at The Cluny 2, and on Wednesday I’ll return to the same venue to check out The Winter Hill Transmission play alongside Elliot Brood.
Transmission: Who to see and what to wear?
On Saturday I finally felt brave enough to wear the trousers displayed in this previous post.
It was a trip to see the wonderful Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. I figured that most people would be watching the film rather than noticing me, thus meaning I could go about my high waisted business without a red face.
Jacket by Religion, tee by H&M, bag from charity shop, shoes by Primark and trousers from Zara
All of the items in the above photo are from past seasons – in fact aside from the trousers, the other items are over a year old. (Although the bag is of an unknown age, as I got it second hand a few weeks ago.)
Please forgive my messy room by the way! When this room was taken my wardrobe still lacked a rail, and currently I lack a lightshade so the low attic ceiling doesn’t spread light too easily. I also need a real camera and tripod!
My next dilemma is to decide what to wear to Saturday’s Transmission gigs.
Gig one
The first gig takes place at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum and features some local acts that I really love including Polarsets, Vinyl Jacket and Ajimal. The only problem is that it takes place from 12 – 5pm! I’ve seen Polarsets play a couple of times and they’re reliably fantastic – credible electro pop tunes with above average lyrics from lead vocalist Rob.
Vinyl Jacket are practically ‘friends’ of the show I produce for Amazing Radio, but I’ve never actually seen them on stage or met them in person so I’m going to get a bit nervous about saying ‘hi!’ They’ve got some intricate, indie pop gems in their set so I expect to be pleased!
I’m not sure if Ajimal will be a solo set from Fran, the keyboard player, or a gig with all three Ajimal members. I booked Fran to play a solo set for Amazing Radio but when he brought his two fellow band members with him I got a bit of a shock! The other members Ivan and Stefan are lovely – Ivan brings an electro influence and crazy hair, whilst Stefan brings a classic ‘folk’ voice and a fiddle. I’m hoping they’ve got a full set together as I think Fran’s wants the Ajimal audience to recognise that the music he’s currently playing is destined for group performance. At the moment it’s easy to think otherwise due to the intimate solo performances a handful of us have been honoured to witness (Fran on his own is something to behold.)
The following video is from the day I recorded the Amazing Radio session with Ajimal. If you don’t want to hear me gabbling with the guys, skip about 6 minutes in to hear a fabulous stripped back performance of their song When We Were Children. It’s very special indeed.
Gig two!
The second gig, at Newcastle’s The Other Rooms takes place from 7.30 onwards and features Brilliant Mind, Waiting for Winter and The Union Choir.
I absolutely ADORE Brilliant Mind. They’re punchy, witty and never fail to pop a smile on my face. I’ve briefly written about them before and really should devote a whole blog to their pop future. (Maybe I should call it The future’s bright… the future’s Brilliant???)
I’ve seen Waiting for Winter once before at the Cluny 2 and found them really interesting so I’m looking forward to seeing them in what has been described to me as an ‘intimate environment.’ I’ve heard that they’re also mad busy with recording over the weekend so this gig will probably feel like a studio break for them.
I’ve not seen The Union Choir before (to my knowledge anyway) and I’ve not heard much of Nadine Shah but I’m interested in both, particularly the latter as I’ve not seen many female fronted acts thus far in Newcastle. The few that do come to mind include the prolific Let’s Buy Happiness, Brilliant Mind Keyboardist Kate Edward’s project Agerskow and also rock outfit Retriever.
Hopefully I’ll be amongst them in the not too distant future…
So, onto the hard part! What to wear…?
Now I could go home between gigs for some food and a change, but I don’t want to appear high maintenance. However, on the other hand I am intending to publish this and people will now be aware that I am thinking about outfits! (I’m lacking things to do everyone, honest!)
Here’s what I was thinking for the second, evening gig.
Dress from sale by Zara
Boots by Peacocks (this season), headband by H&M
Jacket by Religion at Topshop, 'Love' necklace by Accessorize
(Notice that the clothes are gone due to drawers/wardrobe being fixed… hurrah!)
The Zara dress is a little too big but it was such an interesting lace that I couldn’t resist. (Plus it was on sale, of course!) Lace is still ‘in’ this season, so I shouldn’t risk looking ‘dated’. Although aviator jackets are the ‘must have’ jacket of the season, a little bit of leather always goes a long way (or in my case, pleather.)
I gather that I might not be able to get away with this during the daytime, but I haven’t thought about what I could wear during the day. I know that people will be reading this (particularly those who’ve stumbled upon this on Facebook rather than the original post) will be wondering why I’m fussed, but I think it’s because I want to feel different to how I do at work. At work pretty much anything goes, so I want to separate myself physically from ‘work mode.’ I also want to feel nice!
So, time will tell if I brave the outfit on Saturday night, but if you’re at the gig and see me be sure to say ‘hi!’
The Price of Milk vol 1.
I revealed my new obsession in this previous post about the (usually) handwritten signs I’ve been noticing in convenience shop windows.
Some may call it irony, that an obsession with the price of milk has brought a new personal obsession; following people’s obsession with the price of milk!
I gather that displaying the price of milk in a window sends out the message ‘we’re good value here!’ and also depicts that the shop deals in the traditional essentials of milk, bread and (most likely) tomato ketchup.
So the prices? Well make that price; 79 pence. All but one of the signs I’ve seen so far have been displaying that 2 pints will leave you with 21 pennies if you pay with a pound.
Here’s ‘volume one’ of my milk related gallery!
In Birmingham, it was always alcohol in the shop window! Kent tended to be about local produce – what’s in the windows near you?
How I wish I were a fashionista
When I was younger I hated shopping.
Maybe it was the freedom of a student loan, but once I hit uni, I became increasingly interested in clothes and fashion. It’s a growing obsession that sees me spending my lunch break on high street store websites and on fabulous blogs like Selina’s Flying Saucer.
I’d love to start my own fashion blog, but aside from the fact that most of my stuff is still in Kent (I moved from Birmingham to Newcastle with a suitcase and a supermarket ‘bag for life’) I’ve mostly been getting odds, ends and essentials from the shops.
I was wondering if my blog should focus on adapting pieces I already have to new trends, or combining new and old pieces, I’m not too sure. I don’t have a camera or a tripod at the moment so I’ve had to stick my macbook on top of my wardrobe to get the following shots…
High waisted trousers from Zara sale, 'Kenya' lion tee from Urban Outfitters sale
This picture, for example, consists of old and new.
The tee is from an Urban Outfitters sale. I got it a few months ago for a tenner and I really love it. It’s long enough to go with jeggings or leggings without swamping me.
The high waisted Zara trousers were lusted after by me for ages. I’d been looking for a ‘paperbag waist’ style for ages and happened to come across them on the Zara website. After work that evening, I was off to the Metro Centre like a shot!
I’ve teemed these with pink Primark brogues (£12), and a small copy of Mulberry’s ‘Alexa’ satchel. It was a bargainous £16.99 from Internacionale. I love that it doesn’t swamp me and can be easily mistaken for something of greater marketable worth! A friend recently did a double take in a nightclub… and I had to reassure her it was a desperate fake!
I’m still umming and erring about whether I can go out in public like this however! The trousers have not left my house yet since their purchase, due to the fact that I worry about how unflattering they might look. I bought some low waisted chinos too that have had a couple of trips, but because they sit lower on the hips, they don’t risk so much of a ‘belly bulge’ look. On the other side of things, I’m not too big (about a size 8-10) so I figure that if I do look bigger than normal, I still won’t look larger than your average person (and that can’t possibly be a bad thing… could it?)
Bag by Internacionale, shoes by Primark
You can probably tell that I’m in desperate need of a tripod… and also a proper wardrobe! I’ve just moved house and the wardrobe doesn’t have a rail in it. The bottom drawer of the chest in the background is also knackered!
Because I’ve been dealing with rent situations I’ve been a bit cash strapped recently, although I did some work in May that I’m awaiting pay for. Once that comes through I’ll hopefully shed myself of outstanding debts (student loan excluded of course!) and get myself a tripod and passable camera.
Whether people will want these posts from me is another thing… I don’t know if I have an audience for this blog, let alone a fashion loving one, so I’ll keep the clothing posts occasional, unless there is a demand for it.
In other news, I cannot wait for the Zara online shop to arrive! It’s coming on September 2nd, and as there isn’t one in Newcastle town centre, I’m guessing it’s going to become one of my most visited sites! I just love their clothes. I’d definitely choose Zara over Topshop, every time! Aside from Zara, I have to admit that my favourite store is Peacocks!
Parka, dress and shoes all by Peacocks
I got this dress a few months ago, even wearing it to my graduation. It was £20 with my student discount, and I absolutely love it. Clearly it can be dressed up with heels but easily worn with more of an edge, like in the picture on the right. My favourite way to wear it is with a pair of mid heel, tan coloured New Look brogues that I got from a charity shop for £3 and a pair of grey/brown hiking socks (my first lot were from Primark, but I can’t find them in there anymore… gutted!)
The parka was £25 and the heeled boots were £20 (mine are grey.) Both items are ‘this season’ but for some reason I can’t find the jacket online anywhere. (It was sold out in the Newcastle branch so I had to get mine from Gateshead. I have a feeling that it’s been rather popular.)
Peacocks parka, £25
I really did want a jacket like this months ago, (pre Glastonbury in fact). I searched all over Birmingham but couldn’t find anything so I was ecstatic when I found this.
Although someone told me it doesn’t rain much in Newcastle, it’s been torrential rain for most of August so I’m glad I found this jacket in time! My Primark pac-a-parka was just not doing anything for my rep in the Amazing Radio office!
The boots might raise eyebrows, especially when I tell you that they have a springy rubber heel – however I figured that rubber and shoes are both the subject of fetishes, and together they kind of cancel out their own fetishisation! This is extremely twisted logic. But this is also fashion. Maybe.
Peacocks 'Bella' boots, £20
So that’s pretty much it for my first attempt at writing about fashion. Hopefully I’ve been the opposite of elitist, and easy to read!
I do find it kind of strange taking pics of myself and posting so many up, but I guess it’s in the name of fashion! Plus, my angles are out of necessity rather than that very ’2005′ Myspace fad.
So if you think I should stick to writing about music/radio, that’s cool – and if you like what I’m doing then also please say so. I’ll still be writing about my career and work experiences for 4Talent’s blog… which I really need to do again sometime soon!
So until next time darlings…. goodbye!
Frank x
(p.s Lipstick is Lancome’s Le Rouge Absolut in Caprice, 132 with Body Shop lip liner in Red, 007.)
Things I’ve noticed about Newcastle
I’ve been in Newcastle for about two months and whilst finding my way have made the following observations:
- Male/female friendships aren’t as common here. At least not as they were at uni in Birmingham. The other day I was walking home with some male friends and some boys biked past and yelled ‘FOUR ON ONE!’ Despite this theory, I’m very much lacking girly friends! The music scene is rather male dominated, but when I go out it tends to be for a gig or a post gig drink, so I’m mostly around men.
- The aforementioned music scene is delightfully strong. There’s a fantastic sense of support between bands; local gigs are often packed out. The instrument of choice is the guitar – pedalled up with minimal distortion and lashings of reverb. I’ll be posting about local bands soon.
- Clothing is less fussy here. Unless you’re on a night out (huge heels and tight dresses are the uniform of female choice it seems), people tend to make practical style choices. In Birmingham the fashionistas come and go with the Summer, but I’m hoping it’s the opposite in Newcastle.
- I’ve been told it’s ‘cold but doesn’t rain much’ up here in Newcastle. I think I’ve been lied to.
- Housing tends to be fairly priced. Admin fees, however, are sky high. In Heaton (where I live), most properties are upper and lower maisonettes (three bedrooms.) I like living in my upper flat – I feel like I’m less likely to shut myself away when I’m at home now.
- Morrisons in Byker is the world’s worst supermarket in terms of layout. It’s nonsensical.
- All the landlords must be using the same bed shop. Everyone has these strange 3/4 beds. You can’t get sheets to fit them, although my double duvet drapes nicely over the top…
- There’s a convenience store on every corner. In town there’s a Greggs bakery on every street.
- Every shop window seems obsessed with the price of milk. I’ve seen so many convenience stores with ‘Milk, 2 pints – 79p!’ handwritten on stickers.
Milk
Milk
I like it here, but I’m still getting to know it. Town’s not as disorientating as it once was, but I’m not sure it’s sunk in that it’s my home – quite possibly because I have no set time for being here. It’s not like uni. I knew I’d be in Birmingham for three years, but with Newcastle I don’t know!
On the radio
I’ve moved to Newcastle to work full time as a producer/presenter/webbysocialmediapersonthing for Amazing Radio and I need ‘real people’ to help make my show sound fabulous.
So how can you do this? Well, in a number of ways…
Get your music onto amazingtunes.com
I know many an unsigned/independent band, particularly from Birmingham but I’ve always been a tad tentative about begging them to get their stuff onto amazingtunes.com. Therefore, consider this post asking. All of the acts that we play on Amazing Radio have profiles on amazingtunes.com, an ‘ethical’ music site where artists can upload their tracks for streaming, downloading or selling. If an act wants to sell their music it costs 79p per track and the act keeps 70% of this figure (about 52p.) This is far more than your average distribution/online marketplace (i.e iTunes) and cuts out the costly middleman. So far we’ve had some fantastic Brum-based acts on air including Tantrums, Tom Peel and OST – but I want to hear more!!!
Pick your own playlist
It’s easy… and wierdly addictive! If you create a profile on amazingtunes.com you can make playlists to your heart’s content. One of the features of The Afternoon Show is a user generated feature called The Four Tops. The idea is that you create a four track playlist, think of some reasons why it’s awesome… and then we play it! All you need to do is email it to me, and I’ll give it a good listen.
Prove your rock and roll credentials
We’ve got an awesome Operations Manager at Amazing Towers (HQ) called Kevin Read. He’s basically been to rock central and back. Every wednesday on The Afternoon Show we pit a competitor against the K-Train and see if they’ve got an edgier tale – essentially whether they can out hardcore Kev. If you think you’re up for the challenge get in touch! (It’s definitely my favourite feature of the week.)
Big up your music scene
We like to celebrate musical centres of excellence at Amazing Radio, and I can certainly think of a few musical regions I’m hugely impressed with, including Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham. The Newcastle scene itself is incredible (more about that another time!) If you think your region deserves a week of celebration on the airwaves, let me know why.
Find an unsigned act to love
I have to admit, there’s an irresistable feeling of smugness that I get when I find a new act that not everyone knows about yet – I feel even better when I spread said act on and other people agree. We’ve got a feature on The Afternoon Show that aims to fill your weekly smug-new-music-quota called Matchmaker. All you need to do is tell me three acts you love (old or current) and our ‘matchmakers’ will find you an act from the amazingtunes.com ranks to love. The musical boffs at Amazing Towers absolutely love to compete to see who can find the best pick – so start sharing!
Promote yourself!
Got a blog? We want to celebrate music bloggers and sites by featuring a new Website of the Week every Monday. The winners will also have a special post on the site dedicated to them – it’s all about helping those who help new music. If I do have readers, they’re probably bloggers – so there’s no excuse not to get in touch!
Share your words, not just your music
I present the Amazing Folk Roots Show every Sunday at 7pm and Wednesdays at 6pm (as well as producing The Afternoon Show every weekday from 3 – 6pm), and we’re always looking for poets to send us their words and recordings, so let me know if you’d like to hear your work on Amazing Radio.
So…
Here endeth the shameless self promotion post, but I’ll hopefully return to more regular updates soon. I’m going to find a band and maybe start reviewing again, I’ve not quite decided yet. My first task is to find somewhere to live for September! I moved up to start working at Amazing before I graduated so I’m confined to a suitcase and am living without proper internet at the moment. Newcastle is fantastic, but I miss everyone back in Birmingham and Kent very much.
Don’t forget to get in touch! Email frankie.ward@amazing-media.com
Turn up. Trade in. Help Out.
I admit that I feel like a bit of a thief, what with stealing the following from the Amazing Radio blog! But it’s pretty cool news, and hopefully will get more people listening to DAB digital radio. All digital radios come with FM recievers (some AM too if you’re that way inclined) and there are some great quality stations available such as BBC Radio 6 Music and of course, my new employers Amazing Radio.
So Spread the word… and get listening!
Radio Amnesty – Because you’re worth it
Friday, May 21st, 2010 | Kevin Read | Blog
You’ll hear some ads on Amazing Radio from tomorrow. We’ve not carried ads since our Amazing Christmas campaign but this is another great initiative designed to get you a cheaper DAB radio whilst opening up a world of opportunities to children in South Africa.
The lovely people at getdigitalradio.com are offering an amnesty on your poor old radio. The plan is simple, you trade in your old radio and get a discount on a snazzy new DAB radio from one of a host of retailers. For more information on the amnesty and how it works, head on over to http://www.getdigitalradio.com/digital-radios/radio-amnesty where you’ll also find details of how the scheme will help the Children’s Radio Foundation and UNICEF in Southern Africa.
You need this unsigned music in your life…
As all of the acts featured on this post are unsigned, their recordings vary in quality. Therefore get ye to one of their gigs before you make a decision on whether you’d buy a properly produced LP. I’ve always felt very passionately about giving acts a chance in a live environment, as it tends to be more of a testament to their songs and musicianship. For example, many can get access to Garage Band, but not everyone has the money for Logic. When I watch a musician play their own music I know fairly early on into their set if I want to invest in their songs. I also feel cheated when I’ve heard a fabulously produced record, but been spectacularly disappointed with the act onstage. The only type of music I can think of that is not intended for live performance tends to be found in a lift, and last thing I heard, ‘elevator music’ was hardly up there with the greats…
So here are some acts I recommend investing in tickets and travel for. (By all means listen to their demos, but please don’t think of them as the finished product):
Jake Flowers – Bluesy, beautiful, delicate finger spun melodies with understated, sultry vocals courtesy of Shropshire born Flowers. Drums and bass give a welcome added kick whilst lyrics are effortlessly fascinating. Utterly charming, scarily talented.
If you like… Ryan Adams, Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit, Mumford and Sons …you’ll love this!
Brilliant Mind – Newcastle bunch who blast out Johnny Marr inflected guitar riffs combined with self depreciating Morrissey-style lyrics without turning into a Smiths pastiche (although I just made them sound like one.) Features divine contrapuntal layers of guitar and organ melodies. Incredibly charismatic as a live act.
If you like… The Smiths, Young Knives …You’ll love this!
Ever Since the Lake Caught Fire – Newcastle rock orchestra with trumpets, occasional female guest vocals, splatterings of saxophone and lashings of indie pop goodness. A force to be reckoned with when live and always a joy to behold.
If you like… The Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Modest Mouse …You’ll love this!
Holy Mammoth – Amazing Radio DJ Tom Cotton’s third favourite band (after Radiohead and The National.) A live act that bursts with onstage chemistry developed from years of friendship and experience from touring under different monikers.
If you like… GOOD MUSIC …You’ll love this!
