Recently we interviewed Ben Romans (The Click Five), Cassie Petrey and Jade Driver from The One Love. They’ve been keeping busy blogging at The One Love website, where a community of bloggers have come together in support of their chosen charities. All profits collected from traffic to each blog page, from banner ads, are donated to the bloggers’ charity of choice. Ben, Cassie and Jade have also been traveling and putting on events for The One Love, including a recent songwriters show in London.

The One Love interview with BandWeblogs.com
By: Jenny May and Dave Tommo

BandWeblogs.com: What is The One Love?

Ben Romans: The One Love is a place to blog about your passion with music and the things that surround it, while supporting the charity of the blogger’s choice.

Who is behind The One Love?

Ben: It all started with Cassie Petrey, Jade Driver, and myself…and Cassie and Jade are the web whizzes…but really it’s the awesome bloggers who share their thoughts with us.

How did Ben, Cassie and Jade meet?

Ben: Waaaaaay back when, my band was starting to tour. Cassie and Jade were both helping promote and get things rocking.

Cassie: I was working for the Warner Music Group at the time, and The Click Five signed to Atlantic (which is part of WMG) while I was with the company. Jade and I then came across The Click Five and decided they were our new favorite band, and wanted to help promote the band in every way possible.

What gave you the inspiration to embark on The One Love mission?

Ben: I think that artists sometimes aren’t allowed to talk about why they really do music, so we figured why not start a community, even better, a charitable community.

Jade: Let’s just say I missed one show to see another, not my choice, and it was the best decision anyone else has ever made for me. I think my inspiration for The One Love began the day I first saw Ben’s band, The Click Five, in concert and realized that this music was some of the best pop music I had ever heard and I made it my mission to tell the world it existed and to make sure it got the respect it deserved. Cassie was in that boat too.

Years later Cassie, Ben and I were discussing this topic and thus the idea began. We went through over a year of throwing back and forth ideas, designs and names for the site. We put a lot of work and heart into making this site the best it could be and are still in the growing process, making changes constantly. We hope that the site can help people channel their energy to help others through the inspiration of people that they can relate with and look up to.

How did the current bloggers on The One Love website get involved and how can other people join in?

Ben: Friends, friends through friends…so forth and so on.

Cassie: Right now, the best way to join in is by visiting the site and reading what all the bloggers have to say. Just by doing that, people are raising money for the various organizations that the site supports. However, we will eventually open up the site to anyone who wants to blog for charity.

How are the bloggers helping The One Love mission?

Cassie: Just by sharing their thoughts and promoting the site to their already existing fan base, they are raising awareness and funds for an organization that they support. We wanted to create a place where people could give back without donating money out of their pocket, and that’s exactly what we’re doing!

Ben: The great thing about a community is…if a fan checks out an artist, they may discover another artist on the site who they enjoy, and it spreads like wildfire. The bloggers have the opportunity to promote what they do, and their charity if they wish. Bloggers will also have the opportunity to participate in events down the road if things keep rocking.

Other than being a blogger, how else can people get involved in The One Love?

Ben: Support the artists, and their charities. Come check out events…we have some coming up…and just keep checking out the site for info!

The One Love was recently in England. How did you spread the word about the mission while you were there?

Ben: We did a special songwriter’s show with myself and James Bourne for The One Love. Stop The Traffik is also based in London, and we met to discuss how we could help each other out.

Cassie: I think this trip was more about laying down the groundwork for The One Love in the UK, rather than trying to get the word out to everyone possible. We really wanted to expose the site to key tastemakers…if that makes any sense. Our Stop The Traffik meeting was really inspiring, and made us realize how much we could do to help. We also have some new potential bloggers, which is always good!

Do you have any good stories that you would like to share about your experiences in London?

Ben: We had an absolute blast, especially with the songwriter show…many friends in the same room…good times. When you’re in a whirlwind, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one story.

Jade: I will say that this was not my favorite trip to England. Every travel delay/problem that could have happened, did happen. But, it was well worth the journey and we came back with some memories we won’t often forget. I believe my favorite moment was when leaving a McFly concert in Bournemouth; I looked at Cassie and told her we needed to leave when the last song began since we were parked on the 12th floor of a parking deck and we had a few hours drive ahead of us. Our sleep schedule was whack and any time I could save was time for me to sleep.

So, right before the last song the lights are up on the audience and Cassie begins to leave. I grabbed her arm and told her not to because she would be called out. She shrugged me off and continued up the stairs with our friend Cathy. I began to sneak out too when I heard, “Hey you, what are you doing!?” I jumped back in my seat and looked up at Cassie. She glared at me with the “why aren’t you following me” look and I pointed to the stage and said, “They are yelling at you!” Her face quickly turned red under her white hat and Tom yells at her “Why are you leaving? Everybody can see you! Danny follows with, “Hey you! Hey, girl in the white hat. It’s okay if you have diarrhea and have to leave. We understand.” Classic.

Cassie: Yes, I enjoyed Bournemouth as well. We also had a 4am encounter with Old Greg, which was quite exciting.

So, Cassie – we read in your blog that you had some transport issues while in England. What’s your opinion of the British transport system?

Cassie: I absolutely LOVE the British transport system. Getting on a train and being able to go pretty much anywhere in the country is just absolutely amazing. I wish that option existed in the US. There’s some trains that even had wireless internet…and that is AWESOME. The tube is really great too…I like it a lot better than the subway system in New York. We tried out driving while we were there this time, which wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. A little tricky since it was on the opposite side of the road, but we managed. My only complaints are the small roads and lack of street signs. Other than that, we were good to go.

Do you plan on taking The One Love mission to other countries?

Cassie: Yes, of course. Singapore, Malaysia, and many other Asian countries are some of The One Love’s top trafficking countries, and we would love to get out there eventually.

Where has been the most welcoming place that you’ve visited so far?

Jade: Definitely Nottingham, where The One Love was born.

Cassie: Yes. I will forever be a fan of Nottingham. We met some absolutely amazing people there.

How did the songwriting showcase come about and who was involved with the one in London? What happens during a showcase?

Jade: In Nashville you find a lot of songwriters. Cassie and I currently live and run our business out of Nashville, TN. Ben lived here once also after college. We are all pretty familiar with the Nashville music scene and let me tell you, it’s not all country music. There are many, many songwriters in Nashville who constantly play small venues to showcase, or try out, their new material. These songwriters are not necessarily music artists, they mainly write songs for other artists. Songwriting is what they do. In some cases, they can be both. Many times you come across a trio of rough looking not so great singers who take turns playing a “round,” where each person plays one song at a time and it goes around as many times as the venue will allow it. They are there to play their songs, not perform them.

Many times people dismiss pop music as having no depth or meaning and think that all songs are generated by a marketing department and based on a not so real occurrence. In some cases this can be true. However, the talented songwriters who happen to be labeled as pop stars often miss out on the respect they should be given for their music. Being friends with people like Ben, his band mates, Tyler Hilton etc., we realize that their songs are true, meaningful and more complex than you may think. We wanted to show that these “pop stars” have more to offer than just a pretty face and wanted to showcase songs that they had written in a setting where they wouldn’t be judged by the way they were marketed as artists. We mimicked the Nashville model since it helped us with our ultimate goal of showcasing talent and not image.

The show was amazing. Being a huge fan of Brit pop myself, I was floored when James Bourne showed up to play along with Ben. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Bourne play a similar type of show in New York a few weeks prior and this surprise was more than enough to make me tear up a bit. James played some songs from his former band, Busted, and a song from his current band Son of Dork. He also played some McFly songs, a band that he writes with often. Ben played a few TC5 songs and a few of his own including a beautiful song called “Whiskey Street.” The highlight of the show came during The Click Five’s song “Jenny,” when James sang along and the audience joined in too. Often during rounds the musicians harmonize and play along with each other spontaneously.

You can watch video clips of the show here: The One Love on YouTube.

Do you plan on doing more? If so, where?

Jade: Yes! Our 2nd show will be held in New York City on January 21, 2008 at The Bitter End. Ben, Luke White, Eric Espiritu, Nate Campany and a few SPECIAL guests including some of these guys’ friends – if you get my drift – and others will be making special appearances. Other bloggers, of the non-performing breed, will be in attendance as well. Tickets will be $7 and all proceeds will be donated to charities supported by The One Love bloggers.

With Ben being a member of The Click Five, has the band been involved with The One Love? Do they have any plans to be involved in the future?

Jade: Several of the guys have expressed interest in being involved in different ways. Kyle recently wrote a guest blog under Ben’s blog and Joey is working with us to create an exclusive TOL tee-shirt through his new clothing line LTL, which gives a portion of its proceeds to the LTL Life Fund supported charities – http://www.ltlbackspace.com. There’s also talk of theoneburrito.org but that’s still kind of top secret.

How did The Click Five enjoy supporting Mcfly on tour and were there any memorable moments?

Jade: Ben didn’t get this far in the interview before I took over, but I was there during most of the tour and I’d like to say that my favorite moment was when Ben was wearing a braid in the back of his very stylish mullet and the camera man zoomed in, flashing that thing on the two HUGE screens above the stage! Okay, but even better than that, was that I got to spend two of the best weeks of my life seeing two extraordinarily amazing bands back to back each evening. This was what I called a little piece of heaven. I’ve never felt chill bumps like I did during those shows! I wonder if I’ll ever get that moment back?

Cassie: Braiding Ben’s hair, and then the fans ripping the braids out was definitely one of my favorite things about the tour. I also enjoyed the part of the show where giant beach balls were thrown into the audience every night. The Click Five really enjoyed supporting McFly, and we did as well.

What is the most exciting thing to do in Nashville?

Jade: The most exciting thing to do in Nashville is to hang out with Cassie and Jade of course. No, not really. We are pretty boring when we are at home. It is exciting however that there is live music to see every night! If you want to see a band you love or just some really good musicians or songwriters, there is always something going on. If you prefer to be on the other side of the mic, may I suggest Ms. Kelli’s karaoke in Printer’s Alley. They have about every song on Earth and it’s never too crowded so you can get in at least 4-5 good performances during an evening. As far as shows go, my personal fave venue is RCKTWN, but I’m sure Cassie has a different opinion. I prefer going down the road a bit to Franklin, TN for shopping in small boutiques…and if it’s food that you crave, may I suggest my fave restaurant Jackson’s. After eating the best paninis in town, please take time to indulge in the cookie egg rolls at least once in your life. Fellow blogger Nate Campany can attest to their amazingness!

Do you have more plans for The One Love website? If so, can you tell us what they are?

Jade: During the next six months the site will be changing a lot as we are working on a slow build and in it for the long haul. We will be adding the ability for people to comment on blogs, more bloggers and in the future we hope to make the site accessible for anybody to sign up to blog and support charities of their choice.

What is your message to the people of the world?

Jade: Love life. Love music. Love each other.

For more information and to read The One Love Blogs, go to:

Ben Romans’ Blog
Cassie Petrey’s Blog
Jade Driver’s Blog
The One Love Official Website

Simon Mees of www.AtlanticVideos.co.uk is one of a fast-growing breed of ‘do-it-all-myself’ film producers who will arrive in a VW Polo stuffed full of equipment and somehow manage to produce a music video as good as many that we see produced for mainstream bands.

When he gets back to Cornwall, England he turns a few hours of rough footage into something unique – something that will last forever.

You can see some of his music videos on his website. Get in touch with him direct if you would like an idea of the costs involved.

Atlantic Videos Official Website

Atlantic Videos on Myspace

Transfer is excited to announce their Fall 2007 tour of the United Kingdom. A highly anticipated tour for the San Diego band, they will be reunited with the explosive rock of Leeds, UK band Vib Gyor for a two week trek across England.

(Read the Transfer interview!)

Opening in Sheffield, on October 19th 2007, the tour hits major English markets including Leeds, Manchester, London and Liverpool before closing in Stockton at the Georgian Theatre on October 27. Additional cities and dates will be added and are available by visiting www.myspace.com/transferband.

Show goers can expect a high energy performance, blending a dynamic spectrum of thoughtful rock & roll and gritty guitars with emotionally charged vocals. Transfer, a four piece, consists of Matthew Molarius on guitar and vocals, Jeremy Chambers on bass, Jason Cardenas on guitar and Michael Cooper on drums.

Having spent the majority of 2006 and the first half of 2007 touring the American south and northwest in support of their critically acclaimed debut LP ‘Faded Signal’, Transfer found time to take home a coveted 2006 San Diego Music Award for “Best Alternative Album”, receive a ‘07 nomination for “Best Rock Band”, land a song on Sony Playstation’s “MLB the Show”, appear on MTV2’s “Bands on the Rise”, while receiving steady airplay on San Diego, CA stations 94.9 (KBZT) and 91X (XTRA).

Now, with their first single, “Sinking, Sailing” recorded and produced by Louis XIV’s Brian Karscig, Transfer embarks on a full scale tour of England armed with an exclusive UK EP release.

Maya Kroth of the Seattle Stranger adds, “At their most aggro, the guitar-bass-drums triangle set up a steadily propulsive platform for the impassioned vocals of incredibly tall frontman Matt Molarius, but the band are just as captivating when they’re quiet – though Transfer’s best songs are always both. In melody and lyrics, the word “epic” comes to mind.”

Visit Transfer Official Website or Transfer on Myspace for up to the minute tour news, information and dates.

If you’re looking for a gig to attend this Saturday, September 15th, 2007 in the London area, then you might want to check out The Priscillas at Bardens Boudoir in London.

The Priscillas have a great sound, and as I mentioned in my review of their latest single, “Superhero”, they would be a great band to go and see play live. The Bardens Boudoir website describes The Priscillas as, “Looking like they’ve just stepped out of a Russ Meyer movie, these four girls with big boots, big hair and very small skirts rip through a handful of punk charged sixties go go groovers, delivering a mix of punk and garage rock with pop hooks and attitude a plenty.”

Sounds good to me.

The Gypsy Hotel show also includes:

The Bricklane Boogie Boys
Miss Vicky Butterfly
Stuart Turner

Plus:

The Bees Knees
Gawkagogo
DJ Scratchy

And Loads More!!

A full night of entertainment.

Bardens Boudoir is located on the Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, East London.

For more details and directions, go to Bardens Boudoir Official Website

The Priscillas Official Website

By: Jenny May

With their meticulously crafted instrumentals and tight harmonies, they’re bringing the classic hits of the legendary Fleetwood Mac back to the masses once again. Rumours of Fleetwood Mac has perfected the legacy of blues, rock and pop classics that made Fleetwood Mac the icons of the music industry they are today.

With over 300 major theatre concerts behind them, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac have now performed to over 250,000 Mac fans worldwide and are recognised as the most authentic snapshot of rock super group Fleetwood Mac! Once again, they will wow audiences in cities across the UK in the autumn, starting 13th September 2007 in Dartford; This celebratory tour will see Rumours of Fleetwood Mac performing the whole ‘Rumours’ album in its entirety.

In an immaculate trip through outstanding musicianship, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac performs the classic hits of arguably the world’s first super-group. From their inception in 1967 with Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood through to the critically acclaimed ‘Rumours’ era in the seventies with Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and their continuing success in the eighties and nineties. From the blues and rock classics “Need Your Love So Bad”, “Albatross” and “Black Magic Woman” to the harmonic rhythms of hit melodies “Dreams”, “You Make Loving Fun” and “Go Your Own Way” Rumours of Fleetwood Mac pay tribute to the breathtaking blues of Peter Green, the thunderous Mick Fleetwood grooves, the monster bass rifts of John McVie and the brilliant guitar work of Lindsey Buckingham.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac formed in New York in 1997 when they played their first gig for personal friend and record producer Brian Rawling, the master player behind great chart hits Cher’s “Do You Believe” and Ricky Martin’s “Private Emotion”. The vocal harmonies and musical arrangements of, Dave Goldberg (Keyboards & Vocals), Louise Rogan (Lead Vocals), Amanda Kostadinov (Lead Vocals & Keyboards), Ian Robinson (Bass) Alan Hughes (Guitars & Vocals) and Allan Cosgrove (Drums & Vocals) blend to create an evening of the finest musical entertainment.

Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac – 2007 Tour Dates:

Dates could change! Go to the Official Rumours of Fleetwood Mac Website for the latest tour dates and information.

Thursday 13 – September 7.45pm Dartford, The Orchard 01322 220 000
Saturday 15 – September 7.30pm St Albans, The Alban Arena 01727 844 488
Sunday 16 – September 7.30pm Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre 0870 111 3000
Tuesday 18 – September 7.30pm Torquay, Princess Theatre 0870 241 4120
Wednesday 19 – September 7.30pm Swansea, Grand Theatre 01792 475 715
Thursday 20 – September 7.30pm Cardiff, St David’s Hall 02920 878 444
Wednesday 26 – September 8pm Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall 0870 4000 890
Thursday 27 – September 7.30pm Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 01892 530 613
Friday 28 – September 7.45pm Basingstoke, The Anvil 01256 844 244
Saturday 29 – September 7.30pm King’s Lynn, Corn Exchange 01553 764 864
Tuesday 2 – October 7.30pm Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre 0870 607 7533
Wednesday 3 – October 7.30pm Chatham, Central Theatre 01634 338 338
Wednesday 10 – October 7.30pm Newcastle, City Hall 0191 261 2606
Thursday 11 – October 7.30pm Buxton, Opera House 08451 272 190
Sunday 14 – October 7.30pm Stockport, Plaza 0161 477 7779
Monday 15 – October 7.30pm Northampton, Royal & Derngate 01604 624 811
Tuesday 16 – October 7.30pm Peterborough, Broadway 01733 316 100
Wednesday 17 – October 7.30pm Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 0115 989 5555
Thursday 18 – October 7.30pm Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall 0870 060 6649
Wednesday 31 – October 7.30pm Weston Super Mare, Playhouse Theatre 01934 645 544
Thursday 1 – November 7.30pm Salisbury, City Hall 01722 434 434
Friday 2 – November 7.45pm Barnstaple, Queens Theatre 01271 324 242
Saturday 3 – November 7.30pm Worthing, Assembly Hall 01903 206 206
Saturday 10 – November 8pm Aberystwyth, The Arts Centre 01970 623 232
Monday 12 – November 8pm Truro, The Hall For Cornwall 01872 262 466
Sunday 18 – November 7.30pm Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall 0141 353 8000
Tuesday 20 – November 7.30pm Aberdeen, Music Hall 01224 641 122
Wednesday 21 – November Inverness, Eden Court 01463 234 234
Thursday 22 – November 7.30pm Dundee, Caird Hall 01382 434 940
Sunday 25 – November 7.30pm Southport, Theatre 0870 607 7560

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac Website

The occasion was the Y-Not Festival, a small-but-growing independent three-day festival showcasing the best new talent around. So I packed my sunscreen and a family pack of Pot Noodles and headed out into the countryside to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t disappointed.

The band create a giant sound for a three-piece and what strikes you straight away is the presence and tightness they display in their performance. Comprised of brothers Rob and Will Robinson and lifelong friend, Rick Bevan, they seem to have an intuitive understanding and confidence in each other’s playing as they rattle through one barn-stormer after another.

Playing in the coveted ’sunset’ slot, the hypnotic rhythms and pulsating bassline of opening number “Inside Out” create the perfect soundtrack to the crimson-turning sky as the smoke machines and impressive light show kick into action. Suddenly everyone is paying attention and there is a real feeling in the crowd that the main event has begun.

Rick prowls the stage and demands attention with powerful vocals, while Rob’s harmonies add another dimension to the sound. From the ridiculously catchy “Lady of the Night” through spontaneous foot tapper “Mine Anyway” to the snarling set closer “SCALLY”, there is no let up and their 30-minute set seems to be over in a flash. Daisy Goes Green are a band that defy you to ignore them and on the evidence of this performance, it won’t be long before some of the industry big wigs start taking notice.

Check out Daisy Goes Green: Daisy Goes Green on Myspace

Daisy Goes Green played the Y-Not Festival, Pikehall, Derbyshire – 4th August 2007
By: jimilives

Even though he may have burned some bridges along the way, I would say that Prince has pulled off this free CD giveaway. Although I do like quite a bit of his music, I probably wouldn’t have gone out to the shop to buy the CD. So Prince has managed to reach at least one listener through his controversial means of distribution. I’m sure I’m not alone.

Planet Earth has ten tracks and there’s a lot going on with genres and sound throughout the album. The musicianship is superb and the songs range from funky, catchy guitar riffs, horns, laid back jazz, overlaid female backing vocals, gospel, rock, soul and r&b.

I like the eclectic mix of music on Planet Earth. I’m always interested to hear where Prince is going musically. Since each song has quite a different feel though, the average listener might lose interest and their patience with it. I can see the Planet Earth album working well at dinner parties. Some tracks like “Guitar” and “Chelsea Rodgers” will probably go down well in the clubs. But fans of those songs may not like the others and vice versa.

Occasionally there are reminders of the early 80’s Prince like his vocals on the opening track “Planet Earth”. When “Lion of Judah” started I immediately thought of “Purple Rain” because of the guitar effects – but then after the intro it doesn’t sound anything like it. There are times when it seems like he’s straining his vocals, but then, that could just be his style right now.

With the Mail on Sunday distributing Prince’s new album, free for a day, will there be another artist or band who dares to do the same? Will other newspapers get in on the act? Could this be the start of a new trend or was it just a one off? How will this effect Prince’s CD sales? Will his record company get over it? So many questions, only time will tell.

Ticket holders for Prince’s upcoming 21-day O2 Arena tour in London August and September 2007 are also set to receive a free Planet Earth Cd.

Buy: Prince – Planet Earth on amazon.com.

Planet Earth track listing:

1. Planet Earth
2. Guitar
3. Somewhere Here On Earth
4. The One U Wanna C
5. Future Baby Mama
6. Mr. Goodnight
7. All The Midnights In The World
8. Chelsea Rodgers
9. Lion Of Judah
10. Resolution

Prince Official Website
Prince on Myspace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

I wonder if there are kids still selling papers on street corners yelling out the headlines over and over to passersby. If they still exist that’s what they will be yelling this Sunday in England.

If you haven’t already heard the news, Prince will be giving away his new ‘Planet Earth’ CD in the Mail on Sunday. That’s this Sunday (July 15th 2007) mind you. There’s been so much talk about this free CD that every Sunday for the last month or so, I’ve been stealing cheeky glances at the papers to see if the Prince CD has been packaged yet.

Actually the hype has reached its peak this week and now the story has been all over the major TV news channels. I admit – the hype has worked it’s magic and I will be taking a trip to my local Londis early Sunday morning to buy my copy of the Mail on Sunday.

The negativity surrounding Prince’s decision to give away his CD for free in what the Mail on Sunday calls “The World’s Greatest Newspaper Giveaway Ever”, has created what I would call an interesting intentional or unintentional publicity stunt.

There have been many stories and articles mentioning that Sony BMG in the UK is so upset with this move that they have “refused to handle the release”.

Music retailers in the UK are upset with the concept of giving away CDs for free in the paper, that this devalues music. Virgin is angry with HMV for deciding to stock the papers in their stores this Sunday.

This is certainly interesting dinner table conversation for music industry types. Going over the pros and cons of the move. Prince apparently wants to reach as many people as possible with his music – so at least his fans are happy.

(Update: I’ve listened to the CD – Read my review of Planet Earth!)

Watch Prince “Guitar” video preview:

Buy: Prince – Planet Earth on amazon.com.

Prince will be playing his 21-date “The Earth Tour” at the new O2 Arena in London beginning August 1st 2007. Apparently a copy of ‘Planet Earth’ will be included with each ticket sold for the O2 Arena dates.

Prince: The Earth Tour dates at the O2 Arena are as follows:

Dates could be added or changed! For the latest tour dates and information go to Prince’s Official Website.

August 2007 – Wednesday 1st, Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th, Tuesday 7th, Friday 10th, Saturday 11th, Tuesday 14th, Friday 17th, Saturday 18th, Friday 24th, Saturday 25th, Tuesday 28th, Friday 31st.

September 2007 – Saturday 1st, Thursday 6th, Sunday 9th, Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Sunday 16th, Thursday 20th, Friday 21st.

The O2 Arena

Mail on Sunday

Prince Official Website – 3121.com

Prince on Myspace

By: Jenny May

There are quite a few bands included in the V Festival lineup that have been making the rounds during the 2007 UK festival circuit like The Killers, Kasabian, Snow Patrol, The Fratellis, Babyshambles and The Kooks. Even with all of their appearances, though, the festivals keep selling out. It’s good to see that live music is still selling tickets during these days of low CD sales.

Iggy and The Stooges are even going to be there – which should be one to watch after what happened at Glastonbury. I wonder if people will be invited on the stage for some chaos at the V Festival?

As always, it’s great to see Guillemots included on the lineup. They’re scheduled to play on the Channel 4 stage and The Coral – one of my new “bands to watch” is also playing on that stage but on opposite days. Foo Fighters I’m sure will put on a great show. Jet would be a cool band to see and Primal Scream and Happy Mondays fans will be treated as well.

Interesting to see Sinead O’Connor sandwiched in between Dizzee Rascal and Beverley Knight.

Following is the UK V Festival 2007 lineup:

Lineup and bands could change! Go to the Official V Festival Website for the latest news and information.

V Stage

Saturday Weston Park
Sunday Hylands Park

The Killers
Kasabian
James
The Fratellis
KT Tunstall
James Morrison
The Goo Goo Dolls
Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Saturday Hylands Park
Sunday Weston Park

Foo Fighters
Snow Patrol
Pink
Kanye West
Paolo Nutini
Editors
The Proclaimers
Just Jack

——

Channel 4 Stage

Saturday Weston Park
Sunday Hylands Park

The Kooks
Manic Street Preachers
Lily Allen
Mika
Guillemots
The Cribs
Mark Ronson
Captain
The Hours

Saturday Hylands Park
Sunday Weston Park

Basement Jaxx
Amy Winehouse
The Coral
Babyshambles
Jet
The Fray
Juliette and The Licks
The Thrills

——–

JJB / Puma Arena

Saturday Weston Park
Sunday Hylands Park

Damien Rice
Corinne Bailey Rae
Iggy and the Stooges
Lemar
Willy Mason
Rilo Kiley
McFLY
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Mutya Buena
Seth Lakeman

Saturday Hylands Park
Sunday Weston Park

Primal Scream
Happy Mondays
Jarvis Cocker
Ocean Colour Scene
Dizzee Rascal
Sinead O’Connor
Beverley Knight
Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers
Jesse Malin
Chungking

——

Virgin Mobile Union

Saturday Weston Park
Sunday Hylands Park

Graham Coxon
The Bravery
Stephen Fretwell
Bedouine Soundclash
Air Traffic
The Rumble Strips
Remi Nicole
Cherry Ghost
Tiny Dancers
UnkleJam
Passenger
Dodgems

Saturday Hylands Park
Sunday Weston Park

Bright Eyes
Boy Kill Boy
Plan B
The Holloways
Mr. Hudson and The Library
Mumm-Ra
Switches
The Wombats
Ghosts
Hoosiers
Pop Levi
Rebbeca

For more information go to the UK V Festival Official Website

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

After their recent stint at Glastonbury, the timing couldn’t be better for The Coral to be releasing their upcoming single. I watched their Glastonbury performance and from what I was able to see on TV, they were one of the best acts at the festival. The harmonies were a treat, their sound was tight and the songs had actual melodies. There have been a few bands coming out that I’m afraid have forgotten what a melody is.

“Who’s Gonna Find Me” is a great example of the melodic harmonies that The Coral produce. The single is so rustic sounding with a classic edge, that it could easily sit alongside songs like “Jezebel” by Herman’s Hermits and “She’s Not There” by the Zombies in an early 60’s soundtrack.

The Coral, who hail from Hoylake, Merseyside near Liverpool, England released their debut album ‘Shadows Fall’ in 2001. Since then they’ve had 8 top 40 singles and four top 5 albums (including mini album ‘Nightfreaks and Sons of Becker’). ‘Roots and Echos’ is sure to be another success for The Coral. A refreshing change from the norm for music lovers of all ages.

Listen to “Who’s Gonna Find Me” and watch videos by The Coral:

*Dates could be added or changed! Go to The Coral’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

June 28 2007 Stadpark Hamburg
July 2 2007 Zenith Paris
July 6 2007 T in the Park Balado, Scotland
July 9 2007 Columbiahalle Berlin
July 10 2007 Alter Schalchthof/Junge Garde Dresden
July 11 2007 Viena Arena Viena
July 28 2007 Lancashire Cricket Ground Manchester (Supporting Arctic Monkeys)
July 29 2007 Lancashire Cricket Ground Manchester (Supporting Arctic Monkeys)
August 18 2007 V Festival Chelmsford
August 19 2007 V Festival Staffordshire

The Coral band members are:

James Skelly – Lead vocals, guitars
Ian Skelly – Drums, vocals
Bill Ryder-Jones – lead guitar, bass, trumpet
Nick Power – Keyboards, vocals
Lee Southall – Rhythm guitar, vocals
Paul Duffy – Bass, vocals, sax
John Duffy – Percussion

The Coral Official Website
The Coral on Myspace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Now, with the release of ‘Cassadaga’, his sixth album, Oberst has taken his experiences of travelling across America and recorded an album of incredible proficiency and fragility with contributions from the key troubadours of the American indie-scene including Ben Kweller, M.Ward, John McEntire and Gillian Welsh. With sing-along single, “Four Winds” and the rousing “Soul Singer in a Session Band”, Bright Eyes are set to open the doors to a while new audience around the globe – catch them now while you can!

Bright Eyes are coming to the UK to play a few live dates around their festival appearances and we’ve got 20 tickets to give away for their dates at Carling Academy Birmingham (July 6th 2007) and Shepherds Bush Empire (July 4th 2007) – all tickets come with a few free pints of ice cold Carling for you and your mate so check out the Carling music competition site for your chance to win.

Bright Eyes Official Website

Metallica announced their “well kept Metallica secret” that fans have been “chatting about for weeks” on their Official Website. Apparently their show won’t be a full on Metalli-show and their performance will be available shortly after to download for a small fee on iTunes and on the Metallica download site: www.livemetallica.com. All proceeds from download sales will benefit four climate charities that Metallica has selected: Sierra Club, The Apollo Alliance, WWF and Rainforest Action Network.

Other acts scheduled to perform at Wembley Stadium for Live Earth London include Madonna, Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Spinal Tap.

The Live Earth SOS organizers are expecting the events to bring together 2 billion people from around the world to raise awareness about climate change and combat the climate crisis.

Live Earth Links:

Live Earth information on Band Weblogs
Live Earth on MSN
Metallica Official Website

By: Jenny May

But anyway…Band Weblogs isn’t a sports blog it’s a music blog but I can find ways to tie-in sports with music as in the past when writing about Red Nose Day and Mitchell and Webb’s snooker commentator sketch and their song “Table of Reds”.

The sports/music tie-in today are videos for “Snooker Loopy” and “Table of Reds”.

I shouldn’t say everyone, but most people in Britain are familiar with the Snooker Loopy theme. I wasn’t aware of it until I came to England a few years ago and then got into snooker. Snooker Loopy was most popular in the 80’s, and I’ve heard it sung usually by people that I know rather than played on the radio or TV.

Snooker Loopy was originally written and performed by Chas n Dave and was released as a single in 1986. The song featured snooker legends Steve Davis, Willie Thorne, Dennis Taylor, Terry Griffiths and Tony Meo as backup singers. There’s a more descriptive article about Snooker Loopy on the BBC website from 2000.

So it’s snooker crazy at the Crucible and the gang’s all there: Dennis Taylor, Clive Everton, Willie Thorne, John Virgo, Terry Griffiths and Neal Foulds have been commentating for the BBC with their Hawk-eye technology, Jan Verhaas has been reffing for Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry’s matches so far and there’s still plenty of snooker to watch. The World Championship will be going on until May 7th. Excellent.

In the meantime, here are a couple videos:

A short Chas n Dave Snooker Loopy video (best version of Snooker Loopy on YouTube that I could find).

Mitchell and Webb’s commentator sketch with their song “Table of Reds” to the tune of Chris de Burgh’s “Lady in Red” – with their special secret snooker words.

I wonder how the rest of the bands’ tickets will sell. At the time of this writing, there are still tickets available for these nights: 12 July: Mogwai, 14 July: Bert Jansch with Beth Orton and Bernard Butler, 15 July: Guillemots, 16 July: Lily Allen, 17 July: Mika, 18 July: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 19 July: The Roots and 21 July: Hot Chip.

It would be cool if all the nights sold out like Amy Winehouse and Kasabian so far. The Somerset House website has been keeping the concert page updated with the latest ticket availability which is good. There’s also contact information to purchase tickets for the nights that are still open. The Somerset House concerts seem like one of the best music nights out for July. If you have any desire to go, I highly recommend that you get your tickets ASAP!

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

At the tender age of 16, Leighton was a professional musician on the local club circuit and left school to set up his own studio. Just a mere two years later, he had written and produced enough material to release his debut album, Beyond Reflection. Rupert Leighton intertwined nuances from both acoustic and electronic music with jazz-infused piano. Airplay in Europe, Australia and the USA has increased his recognition around the world.

Take the Sidewalk (2006) is an organic maturation for the artist that reflects musical influences from St. Germain and Herbie Hancock to Prince and Sting.

Time will only tell where this young artist will be in the future. Meanwhile, be sure to check out clips from the eleven tracks of Take the Sidewalk.

“A great creator of sonorous atmospheres…original groove and stunning improvisation, rare refinement and rhythm”
- SCAZOLLA GIOVANNI PIETRO (Radio Gold Popular Network)

“A man beyond his years…A very bright future ahead of this young jazzman!”
- DR.STRANGEDUB (KFAI-FM)

Rupert Leighton’s Official Website