Get Frank needs you!

I’ve just been offered at support slot for Dan Smith at The Rainbow pub with 444 Club promotions on the 29th May.

I played with Dan Smith at the Yardbird last month and he was awesome, (think male Regina Spektor with a synth.)

So basically I need to build up a band with keys, bass, guitar and drums and for that I need people. Anyone really! If you’re interested email me, frankiepromotes@googlemail.com. You can listen to ‘fragments’ of my stuff on my myspace, watch me and friend Nick playing some stuff on Youtube and also grab some downloads of old songs on my soundcloud.

I don’t care about virtuosos or skills or anything. Keeping time is a good thing to have as is having instruments (although I’ve got some of those of course!)

So spread the word and if possible, come on board…it will be fun, promise!

Frank x

Get Frank gets featured…

Martin from Urbanfly (follow his tweets here,) has featured my live Rhubarb Radio version of ‘Disappointed in Me’ on his blog which was a lovely surprise. The track is available to download for free with a few others from my soundcloud.

I’ve met a few people in the last couple of days who have mentioned recording with me which would be great – I need to get some decent sounding tracks as currently I’m far too lazy. I like the group feeling of recording and its fairly uninspiring cobbling things together on my own. I call the recordings I’ve made so far ‘fragments’ because none of them are complete. Often I’ll be unhappy with the vocals but because I just want to get it down, I put up with unsatisfactory takes.

The song I really want to work on is ‘So Far Away’ (makeshift video below.) I recorded it as I wrote it, (as I usually do) I want to make it longer and use it to play around with my voice a bit more. I don’t really stretch myself vocally – its time to use my training! I’ll put the first version on my soundcloud as I’ve not uploaded anything for a while….

Frank x

How do you wear yours?

photo-31

This year Topshop are selling the official Fashion Targets Breast Cancer T shirts for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Above are some photos of me wearing mine. I saw this video on the Topshop site and had to have one! The song used is pretty cool…

photo-71

The tee has been updated from the old light blue circle design to a rather ‘now’ mono colourscheme. The oversized look fits in nicely with the ‘baggy top/ leggings look’ that seems to be appearing everywhere. I only wear leggings for drama however I tried on some purple, slightly high waisted ones under my new tee in the Topshop changing rooms and actually quite liked them… Perhaps when student loan comes in I’ll go crazy and get some, but probably shiny black – who knows! I’ve always been a dress or skirt girl but leggings can go under right? In the pics I was desperately trying to show what I was accessorizing the tee with (to go with the TS ‘How will you wear yours’ type campaign.) hence the picture of my purple clad legs in the air!

photo-101

I really want to show you all a picture of my new skirt which is from the charity shop at the end of my road (45 secs walk away!) Its the same pattern that I’ve seen on a lot of scarfs recently. Originally it was a lot longer and I cut it and did a makeshift sewing job of the hem. I was going to wear it as a dress but then thought that I’d wear it more as a skirt… It was £2….result! (Sorry this is an impromptue post so no time to change…)

photo-1

 

I also got a blue cheerleader type skirt from COW on Digbeth high street today for a bargainous £3. I love cobalt blue, particuarly with white…

photo-21

As readers of my blog probably know, I don’t tend to blog about clothes too much, however I’ve developed a bit of a fetish for fashion recently…not so much trends, just drooling over Love magazine and hair accessories in pretty much every shop I go into. You can probably see from the photos that my instruments (there’s more of them on the opp. side of the room to my shoes) and my shoes are fighting it out for space. I probably have about 30 pairs of shoes in my room currently. There’s some on the various ledges and in the hallway. I’m terrible! My collection is probably not worth anything because all of my shoes tend to be sale items. If you ask how much any pairs of my shoes cost, I’ll almost certainly be able to tell you…

Now…go buy that T-shirt (if not for you, for someone else. Its a calorie free, charity earning alternative to the ‘how do you eat yours’ creme eggs…but you can always get creme eggs as well!)

Frank x

ps.

Thankyou to Chris Unitt for buying me a listerine prezzie after my ‘7 things‘ blog. Anyone else wanting to donate, let me know!!!

7 Things you need never know about me…

Ooh I feel a bit Miley Cyrus!

So I have been set a challenge by Ms Gigbeth herself, aka the lovely Clare Edwards (who on turn given the task by Jaki Booth.)

1. My first job was before I was one (I think) modelling. I modelled for Cow & Gate and Lloyds TSB shareholders. They dressed me up as a boy for the latter because apparently all babies can look like a boy if you dress them in blue!

2. I wanted to be an opera singer but didn’t pass highly at grade 6 or 7 voice so didn’t audition for conservatoires. Then I got distinction at grade 8. Whoops.

3. I adore listerine, but cannot afford it!

4. I don’t get starstruck much but after I interviewed The Coral at Lounge on the Farm this year I got a bit overwhelmed and had to momentarily hide in a portaloo.

5. I always get people saying to me ‘Ah people who have curly hair always want straight hair.’ But I like my hair, it’s just a tad annoying at times!

6. I got involved in all things creative in Brum after trying to sign Chris Unitt up to Laura Marling’s mailing list in March 2008 (and then bumping into him and Steve Gerrard two days later at an Envy and Other Sins gig.) For some reason I always think this was actually November 2007…I have just proved myself wrong.

7. The blog I visit most religiously is Selina Jervis’s Flying Saucer. Addictive.

 

So I have to name several bloggers to take up the challenge…however I don’t want to repeat names…agh!

Ok:

Anthony Herron

Jacob Rickard

Selina Jervis

Steve Gerrard

Andrew Dubber

Andy Ward

Rich Walker

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

Let Battle Commence…

Tonight is the night!

Its the very first Burnfm.com Battle of the Bands at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students. Personally I’ve put LOADS of work into this, as have the societies who have been helping us, Vale Festival, Band Soc, Rock Soc and Metal Soc.

We’ve got 360 headlining which I’m very excited about…however I know I’ve blogged about this before so all I really need to say again is…

7.30pm, guild of students underground, tickets £5. Student bar prices!!!

On tuesday it was the guild of students Guild Awards. Burn didn’t win anything. Burn did not even have a photo in the slideshow of the years events.

We have had a number of issues recently and therefore I have decided to publish an email I sent to the sabbatical officer for Student Activities and Development…

I understand that the Guild want to support us however I really feel that currently we are not appreciated as a fully functioning society. At the Guild Awards we felt that we were unfairly left out of the proceedings, with any possibility of mentioning Burnfm completely overlooked. For example in the photo montage (and I sent in plenty of photos with nominations and after nominations had closed as I was aware that there would probably be a slideshow,) we were completely left out and the only look in burn had was a short, silent clip in a film made by GTV. Of course it is up to the discretion of the panel who chooses the shortlist for award winners and I totally respect those who won and was happy for them, but I think we deserved at least a shortlist position for Most Improved. We have worked so hard this year to get Burn back up and running. We visibly support the guild (including a ‘Guild news’ section of our hourly news bulletin,) advertise its events, give societies a spotlight in specially allocated radio slots and also allow the guild and societies to use our recording equipment, making time to show them how to use it, and often operating it for them. For example I have recorded podcasts with yourself in the past and today I helped Watch This! record voice overs for a production they are putting together.

Personally I feel my job has become a thankless one, it is not my agenda to recieve personal praise for what I do but to get the radio station noticed and appreciated. I’m sure you understand that. This is one of the reasons I do things like strictly brum, to try and get our society’s name recognised. I always do as the Guild asks me, including missing classes that my tuition fees have paid for but feel that the Guild do not always do what I ask of them. I am very grateful for the BOTB spot on the TVs in Joes bar however no A0 posters have gone up and there are still Got Involved posters up in the Guild that could be replaced. In the STA travel corridor there are at least two empty poster frames where the posters could have gone, without disrupting advertising for Fab and Friday or Stock Exchange.

Tonight I am writing this email after spending a great deal of time on the phone to Burn members who have not been able to do their last ever shows on Burnfm because Luke Mayer (?) of the sports night is refusing them entry on account that we have not given the guild a list of the DJs broadcasting after 8pm. This has never been requested of me or Burn, otherwise you can be assured that I would have done it. For the past two semesters we have been broadcasting until 11pm on a wednesday night. We have been broadcasting until 8pm on tuesdays, despite VIT’s cancellation (the Guild did not inform us of this, therefore wasting oversubscribed specialist hours) and this friday, despite not being informed, we have chosen to cease broadcasting at 8pm due to Fab and Friday. To make us cease broadcasting early on another day is ridiculous. It is another example of Burn being treated as though we do not matter. Mr Mayer refused to speak to me on the phone, but due to having spent 7 hours on shift at Burn today, I need to catch up on work and could not spare the hour or so required to travel to the Guild deal with an impossible situation and then travel back.

I would also like to be updated on the motion passed in Guild Council about Burn being played in Joes [bar]. I want to work with the Guild on making sure this motion is stuck to, and making sure that the broadcasts are of high quality. Next term we are going to formally write up how training will work (probably an hour or two talk with the committee, James Piggot of Legal Services and hopefully a radio professional) and then studio sessions with small groups. We will start to look at how we can really push the idea of producers to potential members and how to make sure shows are efficiently structured and broadcast. We also want to focus on our community of DJs next term by having more socials, applying for SRA awards and putting together podcasts with input from everyone and anyone – just giving a voice to whoever wants one (this includes societies, musicians and the Guild in general.)

The reason I am publishing this is because I have not yet recieved a reply from the officer I sent the message to. I feel that Burn is actually supported more by people outside of the Uni currently. I have recently been faced with a situation that required me to miss classes that my tuition fees have paid for. My time might not be worth money to the guild, but it is worth marks to me….

On Friday I participated in Strictly Brum Dancing for the University of Birmingham Ballroom and Latin Society. After speaking to DJ Steve LeMaq on his friday BBC 6 Music show. I didn’t win but apparently, for my quick efforts in learning a chacha and a waltz I have been named a ballroom dance prodigy…hurrah!

Frank x

Burnfm’s Battle of the Bands

botb-poster

Finally!

We have a Battle of the Bands poster! I don’t think I can get it to display, but the event is at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students at 7.30pm on Thursday 26th March.

I’m ruddy excited…We’ve got six university acts lined up to battle for a slot at Vale Fest 2009, and a headline slot from brilliant Birmingham act 360.

The finalists are:

The July Days

Varney and Sons

Motion

Battle Stations

Jessica Sharman

Wicked Messengers

We held a preliminary round to whittle the bands down and you can here recordings from this here, simply click on the BOTB link. We judged the acts by their live performances, not recordings as we felt that this was much fairer.

The final will be judged by Aaron Wright, music editor of uni paper Redbrick, Johnny O’ Callaghan who runs InD at Walkabout and two members of another Birmingham band, the almighty Scarlot Harlots.

We would love to have you along as profits are going toward Vale Fest and its charities. Vale Fest usually raises over £50,000 for charity, we hope to make that over £60,000 this year! Tickets are £5 and are available from Joes Bar (in the Guild) or on the door. It is not a student exclusive event and is open to all, so if you’ve never been to the Guild/Uni before, or are simply feeling nostalgic and want to check out both new and established talent, then please come! Group (10 or more) discount is £4 per person and can be arranged by emailing me, frankiepromotes@googlemail.com

If you would like to review/photograph this event also please get in touch.

The live music ends at 12am and will be followed by DJs until 2am.

Frank

x

A Brief History of Helen of Troy (or Everything Will Be Different.)

I’m writing some songs for a Mark Schufler play called A Brief History of Helen of Troy (or Everything Will Be Different.) One of these is ‘Bedspread’ which I’m playing as part of my Get Frank on sunday at the Yardbird.

You can find out more here. The gig is free!

Helen of Troy is going to be performed at the Custard Factory on the Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th March. Find out more here!

Frank x

ps

hope to see you sunday. It is free after all!