Category Archives: youtube

Easter Holidays? Art Brut Vs Satan and Going gigging…

There is a question mark in my title.

I doubt very much that I’m going back to Kent this Easter for a number of reasons, mostly because I need books and have a lot of work and also because one piece of work, a 10-15 minute radio play requires me to use the computer network at uni.

One of the biggest common problems with Uni is it has a distinct lack of books. With thirty people or more writing the same essay often you can’t get the right book before the deadline. I’m popping into the library later before band practice with Pyschonaut  to see if I can find anything and then tomorrow I’ll begin my radio play. Its a play called Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World by Louis de Bernieres. I’ve got some ideas but not sure if they’ll work yet so I’m sure I’ll spend tomorrow finding out. My aim is to get this done by the end of the week. I wrote a 2,000 word essay over the weekend. To be honest my aim is just to get rid of my current backlog of work. I want to focus on bringing music back into the guild.

My music ‘manifesto’ as it is shaping out is to try and get Guild Venues to put on music acts. You can find out more and join the facebook group I’ve set up too and have your say. The group has only been in existence for a few days but its growing nicely. I’m going to email Adam Craig, head of venues at the Guild of Students later and see if I can set up a meeting.

I think I’m starting to get a reputation as a workaholic. 

I just like to get things out of the way so I feel responsibility-free…except that never happens because I take something new on! However I can’t afford train fare home so if I do get rid of all ‘to dos’ I still can’t go back. My real aim is to start recording better Get Frank demos, but my guitarist Nick isn’t around and he always plays my stuff differently to me! Martin from Urbanfly has asked me to play an unsigned showcase at the Victoria pub on the 4th June and even if Nick can’t make it, I’ll figure something out.

I was reading Eddie Argos of Art Brut‘s blogspot blog and read a Drowned in Sound article he wrote for them about new album Art Brut Vs Satan. I’ve just reviewed the new single Alcoholics Unanimous for Culture Deluxe and wrote a review of the album earlier today. I now wish I’d read the article first. I really really like the record, its another brilliantly realised collection of songs with more than your average share of wisdom. On my uni course we learn about postmodernism/challenging perceptions/going against the grain etc… and I completely ignored my own intellect and gave the record a 7 out of 10, when in my own personal opinion I’d probably give it a little bit more, I was just thinking in a ‘person reading the review’ rather than writing the review way. The band are playing the Academy 2 on the 28th April so I’m hoping to go see them. I’ve seen them a couple of times and both were awesome. The last time was at Lounge on the Farm in Canterbury. I managed to grab a quick interview with Eddie and guitarist Jasper Future for my BBC Blast page  but my bloomin’ dictaphone ran out of batteries without me realising. Grrrrrr…..

On thursday I’m playing a headline gig at the Birmingham Academy 3 with Pyschonaut . I play bass. It’s fun but I’m running out of time/ diary space so not sure how much longer I’ll be a part of them. I also want to concentrate on my own stuff – I need to find a bassist, possibly another guitarist, a drummer and a keyboard player but haven’t got my bum into gear yet. The gig on thursday will be my third gig at the Academy 3, having played there once with Psychonaut, and once on my lonesome (literally last minute supporting The Rileys.) Tickets, I believe, are £5. I’m not even sure who we’re playing with to be honest but details on request folks!!!

Frank x

If you see Atom/Business Time/Get Frank’s first gig

…I sent an email to Adam of Atom and His Package and got a response!

Apparently my email asking the retired musician to come play in England so I could sing on track ‘Head (she’s a)’ made his day, but unfortunately he has no plans to make a trip any time soon (or ever it seems!)

In other news I’m still searching for judges Burnfm‘s BOTB and getting messages from interested acts. Burn is sounding pretty er… ‘hot’ right now and I’m rather chuffed with everyone involved and their hard work.

I’ve got lots of work atm but I can’t help myself from watching Flight of the Conchords constantly! The new series is on Youtube…and I’m a tad obsessed. I even played ‘Business Time’ on my radio show on friday. 

MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!!

I’m playing my first gig as Get Frank on thursday at the Victoria on John Bright Street (behind the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.) It’s a Bohemian Jukebox in the City event organised by musician Ben Calvert. I’ve recruited friend/ Burnfm Head of Specialist Nick Mannix to play guitar for me so I don’t completely crack! I may play something aside from singing but haven’t decided yet. I really need to find someone to do precussion and someone to play glock and keyboard but haven’t got any takers as of yet. I should probably advertise but haven’t got a clue where to start…..

Get Frank poster

 

PLEASE COME! Any Q’s just email me or comment…

Frank x

frankiepromotes@googlemail.com

FREE FOR YOU!

I’ve popped some tracks in/on my Get Frank Soundcloud for you to download and enjoy at your lesiure.

If you like please come along to one of my gigs, at The Victoria on the 26th February or The Yardbird on the 8th March (both are in Birmingham.)

Also feel free to pass the link/tracks on. They aren’t the greatest recordings (just stuff I did in my room!)

I’m hopefully putting a band together for the gigs too so hopefully I’ll have a nice new and improved sound!

(Get) Frank x

Looking for my Nature Boy

This is an early incarnation of ‘Nature Boy’ which I wrote with my friend Fuzz. I was teaching her some simple chords for uke and she told me about a scenario which she wanted to turn into a song and hey presto!

When Fuzz was still at school she was ‘in love’ with a boy and wrote about him in her diary etc… One day she got him to participate in an art project for her. She took him to a park, put lots of jewellery on him and took a photo. To create her final composition she plastered diary entries over the picture. I haven’t seen it as I think Ikon gallery kept it after it was displayed (I need to check with Fuzz.) But I thought it was truly a lyric worthy tale.

Right now I am experimenting with finding a ‘video editing style’ on Youtube and currently favour a Bob Dylan style quick edit/written notes. My shtick is that my updated version is environmentally friendly as it doesn’t waste paper! I need to find a ‘nature boy’ for the video to do put jewellery on basically! He probably needs to emcompass an ‘indie’ boy style (Think Topman—cardigans and the like.) I could use more than one boy, I’m not sure yet. My audio recording is still shabby and has a maraca, keyboard and ukulele on it. There was something quite joyful about making it, I enjoy it’s raw feel. I’m not a pro so why pressure myself? Currently my recordings are so I can experiment visually. I’m hoping to make a great video for ‘Disappointed in Me‘ and another for ‘Whoops.’

Here is a music video which uses the style. This song has inspired me to start the ‘Fake Project’…but more on that another time.

This song, ‘Fake Joe Lean’ is simply about the idea of saying that someone you may be attracted to looks like someone else. For example if you’re trying to explain what someone looks like in a conversation you may say ‘he/she looks like so and so.’ I like to call these people ‘fake’ not because they are, but because they become a lookalike for someone well known often without even knowing it….

If you know anyone who may fit the bill give me a shout!

Frank x

Get Frank setlist no.1

I have decided to start doing ‘dry runs’ (um…less dodgy than it sounds I hope!) for when I do proper gigs. At the mo my voice is a bit sore so I can’t push it too much but hey…

What I plan to do is divide my songs into four song groups or ‘Get Frank setlists’. I also need to get used to my lovely new guitar!

This setlist involves one of my new songs (numero uno) followed by three ‘ole warhorses’

1. Cautionary Tale (apologies for my awful singing on this one…)

2. Disappointed in Me

3. Untitled

4. Whoops

On reflection….it is fairly obvious to myself that I should not have consumed wine before playing…therefore consume wine before watching!

Frank x

Skins: Courting controversy for the sake of it?

This is the first full trailer for teen focused drama, Skins.

The third series will focus on former lead character Tony’s sister Effie, and her friends. I’m looking forward to a casting change as I felt that the former characters lacked something (um…realism?)

Skins is one of those marmite programmes. I personally find it irritating, completely unrealistic, often poorly scripted, (the line “whoa nice swearing!” haunts my dreams…) and yet still utterly compelling.

The very first trailer for Skins a couple of years ago mixed semi naked revellers, sexual activity and lots of booze. The new trailer, as above, is oddly full of violence and more of the expected ‘aren’t we cool’ posing.

In the original series Effie, who at first appeared to be a dedicated privately educated school girl (but actually spent her evenings out partying) was involved in one of the more interesting plot twists concerning her adventure filled evenings out and her brother’s part in her double life.

This advert is probably nothing to do with the series, bearing in mind that the characters are just sixteen (!) It reminds me somewhat of the scene in Trainspotting when Begbie throws a glass over a balcony just because he feels like fighting. That however is not a scene that takes place with 6 posh teenagers in a Bristonian pub!

The second series took advantage of the fact that most of its cast had turned 18 and were legally allowed to flash more than before…one of the production team even wrote about having to film certain scenes late on in the schedule because they were waiting for a cast member to come of age. If they couldn’t shock with the partying, booze and drugs of the previous series they could fill it with sex and they did, usually with one sex scene per episode- Skins therefore telling teenagers not only how to party but how to ‘do it’ as well…

…what ‘how to’ will series three give us? How to draw blood without displacing elaborate hair?

Frank.

(HAPPY NEW YWAR!)

x

Christmas numero uno.

There’s one thing about christmas that has certainly lost it’s magic…

With the annual predictability of the number one made complete by ITV talent shows there is no excitement in that once all important battle for the xmas top spot.

This year Alexandra Burke, winner of the 2008 X Factor has broken records and shot to number one with her cover of Lenoard Cohen’s Hallelujah (+ Gospel Choir arrangement.)

The issue with Hallelujah is that the X Factor version is just a big fat showboat for it’s performer. Alex has an incredibly powerful voice for her 20 years but clearly has little life experience with which to fuel the emotion of the song. Hallelujah is not the song of a joyful winner and this is why I believe her version doesn’t work.

The production of the track is far too clean and detached: Karaoke with better backing vocals. The backing was not rerecorded for each X Factor finalist which means that any hope of ‘style’ that the acts might have cultivated for themselves would be buried beneath a non negociable tempo.

The ITV talent show has taken away the necessity of Xmas TOTP. How long before it removes the necessity for the Xmas chart full stop?

Frank. x

P.s- as I have been talking charts…

Got to no. 16 on the most watched uk musician youtube chart (day)

P.P.S

So far am no.67 on the most watched uk muso chart (this week)