Truck Festival 2008 (Steventon, Oxfordshire) review

Truck Festival

Truck Festival – Photo: Gina Policelli. 2008 marked the eleventh Truck Festival in the normally sleepy Oxfordshire village of Steventon. Not to be mistaken for an event celebrating all things of the vehicular variety, Truck represents one of the precious few independent music festivals …

Truck Festival
Truck Festival – Photo: Gina Policelli

2008 marked the eleventh Truck Festival in the normally sleepy Oxfordshire village of Steventon. Not to be mistaken for an event celebrating all things of the vehicular variety, Truck represents one of the precious few independent music festivals still going strong in the UK and has grown in fame and prestige over the last decade. No corporate slogans for this event; rather you can expect to see the local vicar pouring pints as the Didcot Rotary Club serve you up a burger and chips.

Founded by Joe and Robin Bennett, Truck is a truly unique affair: a mixture of the village fete and the music festival, it celebrates some of the finest music – new and old – you can possibly expect to enjoy over two days. Past years have seen acts including Garth & Maud Hudson, The Futureheads, Regina Spektor, The Magic Numbers and Mystery Jets do their thing on the stages, one of which is comprised of a truck (hence the name), another a barn.

For 2008 there were some new stages, including the Village Pub and Pavilion, offering even more choice than before at this loveable boutique festival. This year was my sixth Truck and I arrived on Saturday pleased that the weather was one of those wonderfully English summer days – no, not rainy you joker you – a genuinely lovely sunny day with a mild breeze and fluffy white clouds in a picture book blue sky. Which – given last years floods – was no less than a miracle for an event that was postponed after entire marquees were swept down the fields in 2007.

As usual the punters were spoilt for choice, with established artists like The Lemonheads doing sets alongside up and coming artists such as Noah and the Whale and Stornoway. Truck line-ups are never anything less than idiosyncratic and that’s why it’s so thoroughly charming.

Where was I? Ah, Saturday. Aside from a mildly shambolic set from Television Personalities there were plenty of highlights. These included an energetic set from Little Fish, a rock duo whose singer Juju has an intense, PJ Harvey vocal style and a whole lot of charisma to boot; and an utterly magical performance from Emmy the Great.

Emmy The Great
Emmy the Great – Photo: Lindsey Davis

As the breeze ruffled her hair and bubbles floated across the sky and into the fields beyond the stage, Emmy had a rapt audience at her disposal – a rare feat for an artist on so early in the day. As she stared into the sunlight, I am sure I wasn’t alone in wondering how big she would be this time next year – the girl has star quality whilst never seeming cocky. The enchanting voice, the looks, the likeable presence … Her folky music is married to winning lyrics which have a humour and self awareness that prevent anyone from making accusations of her being twee or overearnest. And boy has she got fans! Even at this early stage in her career, a hardcore group were eagerly standing at the front and bantering with her, which she clearly relished. She’s one to watch that’s for sure.

The Ralfe Band had a hard act to follow on the Truck Stage but acquitted themselves well, their brand of quirky pyschedelia going down well with the audience. From them we wandered off to the Market Stage for the nostalgia fest that was Dodgy. Anyone who was a teenager in the mid nineties will recall with fondness (or minor irritation) the jingly jangly indie pop produced by the Brummie threesome, and it was on this basis we found ourselves in the crammed circus style tent singing along to classics like “Good Enough” and “Staying Out for the Summer”.

Dodgy
Dodgy – Photo: Gina Policelli

The band sheepishly knew their audience and kept new tracks to a minimum, drummer Matt getting highly into the spirit of things. You can’t keep a good Brummie down! It was all very good fun; the band were consummate professionals and played a polished set which you’d have to be pretty curmudgeonly to walk away from and criticise.

I then stayed behind to catch Martin Simpson, whose name readers might recall from his days supporting Steeleye Span but who deserves credit on his own terms. One of the finest guitarists I’ve seen play in a long time, I was lucky enough to bag a place at the front of the audience and watch his precise, skilful fingers as they worked their magic on his guitar.

I should also add an apology to Martin here, for forgetting to turn the flash off my camera and inadvertently letting off a blinding light only a few songs in. The picture was unfortunately blurred so that’ll show me to be so inconsiderate! Sorry (hangs head) … Anyhows, back to the music. It was fascinating to watch him play and I adored listening to the wonderful tales his songs relayed, including “Highway 61” and the moving “Prodigal Son”, which he dedicated to his father. My own father recommended Martin to me and after seeing him live, I’m very glad he did. Martin had a warm stage presence and seemed comfortable to casually chat away to the audience, telling us that the previous night he’d played a town hall and was off to play the Royal Albert Hall the next night. What a wonderfully diverse triad of venues to do in the space of three days – evidence if any was needed of his love of playing no matter where!

The Market Stage then played host to Noah and the Whale which, having returned to it after grabbing a drink, we found so crammed it was impossible to get in. We headed off to see Okkervil River instead. Although they initially sounded like they were rattling around the large Truck Stage a little lost, things soon picked up and as the dusk fell, the band gave an increasingly assured and sprawling set. Their ornate folk rock and multi-layered instrumentation was perfectly pitched against the clear velvety skies and backdrop of whispering corn fields; and singer Will Sheff’s yelpy vocals were seemingly unaffected by his frenzied jumping around the stage.

They were more than a match for headliners The Lemonheads, who as a certain special guest argued very sweetly the next day, just didn’t seem like they wanted to be there. After deserting the silliness of hyperactive Klaxons-esque Munch Munch for Dando et al, I was left cold by the band’s absolute minimum of engagement with the audience. Their choice to play the entirety of album ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ proved to be a bit off – with the eponymous song played early on in the set, there was no ‘favourite’ for the crowd to wait for and the band seemed oblivious to all notions of whipping the crowd up. They were good, yes, but ultimately left no greater impression.

So although Saturday ended a little flatly with the much-feted headliners detached from spirit of Truck – i.e. the sense of fun and inclusion which artists and audiences rightly love it for – Sunday more than made up for it. By this point I’d already seen Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers wandering around the site and been so excited I could barely speak, and spent most of the day eagerly anticipating his set.

Whilst I waited and tried not to embarrass myself by approaching him, I took in Tristan & the Troubadours, Indigo Moss and Luke Smith. T&TT are a bunch of GCSE students whose age belies their evident knack for a tune. Their sparkly pop, backed by piano and violin amongst other instruments, is amazingly accomplished and these teens really are too cool for school. They seemed impressively comfortable on stage and put me in mind of a less geeky Belle and Sebastian. They even have their own backing singer! And a good name. Which is immeasurably helpful given the raft of crap names teenagers give their bands. These kids don’t need me to tell them they will do well – they seem to know it already.

Engaged couple Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou, who go by the name Indigo Moss, also played the Market Stage. Their cute rockabilly music takes in bluegrass along the way and their set mesmerised the audience. They were an apt match for the festival’s bucolic setting and were timed perfectly to gently wake people up after Saturday’s excesses. They drew some of their own peers too – Danny (of Danny and the Champions of the World) and Magic Numbers members all sat spellbound by the set. I must single out Hannah-Lou’s voice especially for praise; she’s got a pretty special sound and I want to hear more of her!

It was then off to see Luke Smith in the new tent the Village Pub. Canterbury-based Luke Smith specialises in cabaret style, piano led observational songs rich in wry humour and bearing titles like “I Like Being Cosy”. Now some would say he is irritating. Not me; I love him! I was charmed by him at a previous Truck and made a special effort to see him this year, where his attempts to get the packed audience not to join in drew much laughter. He’s lovely. From one hirsute wonder to another, I made sure I had a good view of the nicest man in music, Romeo Stodart. Yes, he was the special guest who along with bandmate Angela Gannon performed on Sunday evening.

Romeo from The Magic Numbers
Romeo from The Magic Numbers – Photo: Gina Policelli

Romeo is an artist who totally gets the Truck ethos and who, having mingled – or in his own words – been ‘led astray’ – by the punters the previous night, happily bantered with the crowd. And yes, it was him who very politely suggested that a certain Mr Dando could have thrown himself into the sprit of things a little more. He gave a lovely set of pared down Magic Numbers tracks with Angela providing accompaniment and showing off her angelic voice, which could honestly make grown men cry it’s so pretty. Danny of Danny and the Champions of the World joined for a song and a bit of a mutual appreciation society was formed which proved utterly heart-warming.

I then made a fantastic new discovery in the form of the politicised and impassioned Frank Turner, formerly of Million Dead. Wow. His lyrics are something else. And he has the tunes to back them up too. Combining the star quality of Bruce Springsteen with the polemics of Billy Bragg, he gave a magnificent performance which at the point in the day when revellers could easily flag as they wait for the main acts, drew a big crowd and made me and many others prick their heads up with immediate interest. Turner has a voice that urges you to listen and honest and powerful things to say, and delivers his messages with a conviction and intelligence weighted with authority and panache.

Laura Marling headlined the market stage and after much debate I decided I would eschew Get.Cape.Wear.Cape.Fly for the Berkshire-based songstress. The tent was spilling over with people and expectations were high. After what seemed like an age she finally came on and my first impression was: wow, she’s teeny! Followed by extreme jealousy of one so young and talented (yeah, she’s 18, yada yada yada … Enough about her age now!).

She exhibited remarkable composure in the face of such adulation and the complete purity of her voice hit me anew upon hearing it live. Sounding immaculate, she proved the beauty of her vocals on record is no engineered fluke. She delivered a set comprised mostly of songs from her debut ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’, plus a new track (Rebecca) and an encore of Five Years’ Time, that Noah and the Whale track on which she supplied backing vocals.

The set was, in short, sublime. Unperturbed by the idiots talking for the beginning of her set, who totally ignored the subtle and growing intensity of “Shine”, she projected a calm aura which soon transmitted to the audience, which was amassed of hyper kids, older folkies, and mid twenties former hyper kids like your good reporter. Everyone was transfixed a controlled yet delicate performance from Marling and her band, who live, lent the songs a greater thrust and body than on the album. As the drums and piano kicked in on My Manic and I and Night Terror, carving out a powerful backdrop for her clean and resonant voice, she treated the audience to some memorable hairs on the back of your neck moments. I’m sure those who saw her headline will agree that it is not overstating the matter to predict that it will become much harder to see her in a few years from now. If she’s this good before she’s out of her teens (I know, you can’t avoid it), what will she be like in Five Years Time (sorry – couldn’t resist)?

In all, Truck 11 was another wonderful weekend with wonderful artists. Although there seemed some underestimation of the popularity of some bands and a subsequent mismatch between stage and artist (Laura Marling in the Market Stage?), this is a minor gripe. The sun shone benevolently upon the festivities and topped off a weekend of quality music which introduced new artists and also reminded us of how great some of the established acts are – in short, it did exactly what a music festival should do. An event which is all about community, passion for music and a relaxed attitude to life, long may the Trucking continue.

By: Lindsey Davis

Enter Shikari ‘Take To The Skies’ album release, tour dates + watch videos

Enter Shikari

Despite mounting pressure to make their lives easy with all of the desirable lunches and dinners A&R expense accounts bought Enter Shikari, in November 2006 this band from St. Albans, England took it upon themselves to make the (possibly reckless) decision NOT to sign to a major label …

Enter Shikari

Despite mounting pressure to make their lives easy with all of the desirable lunches and dinners A&R expense accounts bought Enter Shikari, in November 2006 this band from St. Albans, England took it upon themselves to make the (possibly reckless) decision NOT to sign to a major label. Instead, they took a loan from their distributor, Vital/Integral, and announced they would be releasing their debut album on their own Ambush Reality label.

Enter Shikari’s debut album ‘Take To The Skies’ was released in the UK, Europe and Japan in March 2007 and quickly slammed into the Number 3 spot on the UK album charts – not to mention two singles hitting the number one spot.

Take To The Skies album

Then, in true punk form, Enter Shikari rejected US label options and partnered with label imprint Tiny Evil Records (Jimmy Eat World, Brand New, AFI) for the October 30th, 2007 stateside release of ‘Take To The Skies.’ The main benefits of this route are that Enter Shikari has never had to listen to anyone else’s advice but their own. They have taken themselves from ‘one man and his dog’ to capacity crowds. All without ever having to wait for a ‘tastemaker’ deem them this afternoon’s ‘next big thing’. Not bad for a bunch of St. Albans lads.

Edges that were once rough (and would surely have been smoothed over and dulled by advice from those with an interest in shifting product) have instead been sharpened by the road, turning Enter Shikari into one of the most exciting, brutal and explosive live bands on Britain’s screamo / post-hardcore / whatthefu**ever ‘scene’ to this date.

After playing a packed to rafter tent at 2006’s Download Festival and then opening up for My Chemical Romance, the loyal “Army of Shikari” was steadily growing at a rapid pace. Validating all their hard work, perseverance and a no compromise attitude, the lads went on to sell out the London Astoria, being the second band ever in the world to achieve such a feat without a record deal or album out.

Enter Shikari

How do they feel about being asked to play [the Give it a Name Tour]?

“We’re very excited about playing. And it’s some massive venues, with like seventeen thousand people. It’s a crazy line-up. I mean, we’re above Senses Fail, which is just incredible because we love them…I’m looking forward to seeing bands like Thursday and Brand New…AFI…HIM” – Big Cheese

When the late and greatly missed Tony Wilson walked into the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Show town hall one evening back in June 1976, he stumbled across a little known band called Sex Pistols, playing to a half empty room consisting of a bunch unenthused northern union workers and overeager junior industry folk. At that very moment Wilson knew he’d just discovered a band so utterly groundbreaking, exciting and ultimately inspiring upon that stage. A band that had credible music critics baffled and scratching their heads, ranting what a joke they were. Yet soon became genre defining icons, symbolic of a subculture that still resonates in various forms to this very day.

Last summer Tony Wilson himself, was ranting away to many about another band he’d also found in the UK in the summer of 2006. In came Enter Shikari…

Two parts post-hardcore, the other half synth-rock trance. With obvious nods to the 90’s UK rave scene along with another to punk and hardcore, they’ve managed to rally up even the most stoic of fans to mosh like madmen and wave their hands in the air like the most dedicated of ravers!

Enter Shikari has been called everything from punk to trancecore, trance emo to flat out screamo. UK Press labeling aside, what we have here is another groundbreaking and genre defying band. They’re the only band who walked away with 2 prestigious Kerrang Magazine Music Awards this year for Best British Band, and The Spirit of Independence Awards.

In true Keith Moon fashion, Rolfe is quite possibly the wildest member in the band, he is blatantly unable to physically stay behind his drum kit through out the set, continually moving stage front during (the) synthesized parts of songs – he’s a key element into what gets the crowd excited and what makes this band so utterly unique in their performances.

“Rou Reynolds’s snarled verses give way to choruses that are literally choral-unison vocals whose sustained notes and purity of tone uplift the spirit like sunlight pouring through stained glass”. – Blender

“We want to do things differently”, says Reynolds, “we always have. We want to do things ourselves and we want to take responsibility for the things we do. We want to make something that’s personal, because otherwise how can people be expected to relate to it? How can they be expected to like us?”

Watch video – Enter Shikari “Mothership” Live at Reading Festival:

Finally bowing to pressure from the fans they’ve collected online, this past spring they embarked on their first ever US tour. This was without any label behind them, they managed to wow the crowds in North America all on their own, with a short run of dates in Anaheim, Pomona, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Toronto, Worcester and New Jersey to start.

When they recently played in NYC at an all ages Bowery Show, over 300 kids who moshed and raved, then broke out the windmills, oozing the angst so familiar to audiences who went to see the Pistols back in the late 70’s. The enthusiasm of the Bowery crowd is a testament to Enter Shikari’s loyal fan base and, importantly, their ability to put on a kick-ass live show. The live performance this band delivers is supreme – complete with glow sticks and a heart-felt rapport with the audience.

In December 2007 they embark on a West Coast tour from Portland to San Diego to celebrate the long-anticipated release of ‘Take To The Skies’. But if this tour is anything like their previous New York show, fans will be screaming every lyric back at the band, despite an official album release duration of only one month.

Enter Shikari formed while still in school in 2003. As soon as the summer came around, they climbed in the van and hit the road. They’ve pretty much never come home since. It seems nothing will stop them and they have no plans of doing such a thing. Catch the intensity and infamous notoriety that is, Enter Shikari.

Enter Shikari

Read what some people are saying about Enter Shikari:

“Genuine musical phenomena”The Guardian (UK)

“Enter Shikari bring a fresh twist to the frequently botched dream of rocktronica. Where the Prodigy merged rave dynamics with cartoon punk tantrums, Shikari mesh hacking guitar riffs with serenely celestial synth-ripples…As fervent about dance culture’s hands-in-the-air rituals as punk and metai’s moshing and stage-diving…Shikari are all about the release of constructive aggression.”Blender

“An immeasurably thrilling proposition, tonight Enter Shikari ruled – in front of their own crowd they’re going to slay”NME

“Enter Shikari…have become the figureheads of a new anything-goes generation…Their marriage of both types of hardcore (techno and punk) and a flirtation with the trappings of rave culture have resulted in a unique combination that fuses the hard-hitting wide-eyed delivery of the Prodigy with the proto-screamo dynamics of Refused…”Alternative Press

“One of the most inventive UK bands in years”Uncut Magazine

“It’s as if the Prodigy got eaten by Muse’s crazy younger brother”Observer Music Monthly

Winter 2007 North American Tour Dates:

Dates could change! Go to Enter Shikari’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

November 30th – Portland, Oregon – Satyricon
December 1 – Vancouver, Canada – Plaza Club
December 2 – Seattle, Washington – Chop Suey
December 4 – San Francisco, California – Bottom Of The Hill
December 5 – Los Angeles – Troubadour
December 6 – Anaheim – Chain Reaction
December 7 – San Diego – Soma

Watch Enter Shikari “Sorry You’re Not A Winner” video

“Britain’s hottest band”Sunday Times Culture

“Sounds like Pantera getting off their nut at Manumission…Euphoric House forcibly buggered by teenage screamo tykes”NME

Band Members:

Rou Reynolds – Vocals/Electronics
Chris Batten – Bass/Vocals
Rory Clewlow – Guitar/backing Vocals
Rob Rolfe – Drums

More videos on YouTube – Ambush Reality
Enter Shikari on Myspace
Enter Shikari Official Website

The Priscillas Superhero review + video

The Priscillas - Superhero

London all girl band The Priscillas have been turning heads with their latest single “Superhero” and B-side “Y.O.Y.” by touching the heartstrings of those nostalgic for 80’s punk. They also bring to the table their own style and pop sass and something tells me, their live shows are not to be missed if you’re looking for a fun night out on the town […]

The Priscillas - Superhero

London all girl band The Priscillas have been turning heads with their latest single “Superhero” and B-side “Y.O.Y.” by touching the heartstrings of those nostalgic for late 70’s punk. They also bring to the table their own style and pop sass and something tells me, their live shows are not to be missed if you’re looking for a fun night out on the town.

The Priscillas formed in 2004 and as mentioned on their Myspace page, they’ve played shows with “Art Brut, The Pipettes, The Subways, and, uh, James Blunt” and have supported “all-time heroes such as The Damned, The Cramps, The Seeds, The Monks, and The 5.6.7.8s at bigger venues, including London’s Astoria.” This past weekend The Priscillas played the BBC Introducing Stage at the Bestival Music Festival and went down a storm.

They have a few videos available on YouTube and they’re quite a treat to watch. The video for “Superhero” features dancing Barbie dolls, red and blue satin superhero-like outfits and Superman. It’s great to see a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously and yet are able to convey the talent to entertain.

I know it’s not the time of year to bring up Christmas, but The Priscillas have a great Christmas song called “One Christmas Wish”. The video for it is in their YouTube Profile. I see that it was added one year ago, but hopefully they’ll release it as a Christmas single later this year and if they do, I would look forward to watching it climb the pop charts.

Trivia: Top designer Anna Sui mentioned The Priscillas in a recent interview with Metro New York. She saw them play in Cornwall, England while she was there for a literary festival.

Watch The Priscillas video for new single “Superhero”:

The Priscillas band members are:

Jenny Drag (vocals), Guri Go-Go (guitar), Kate Kannibal (bass) and Hege Hotrod (drums).

The Priscillas Official Website
The Priscillas on Myspace
YouTube video link for “Superhero”
The Priscillas Fan Forums

Related: Klaxons mystery song hijack solved – The Priscillas

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

Related: The Priscillas interview

Daisy Goes Green at Y-Not Festival

Daisy Goes Green have been slowly making their presence felt on the Manchester scene over the past 12 months. They’ve been busy, and this particularly sunny weekend in Derbyshire, England was no different.

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

Foo Fighters Live Earth review – Best of You video

With mixed feelings about the event, I spent most of Saturday July 7th watching Live Earth on the BBC. I was looking forward to seeing some of the acts that were playing locations around the world in Hamburg, Germany, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tokyo, Japan, Shanghai, China, Antarctica, Johannesburg, South Africa, Sydney, Australia, Washington D.C., New Jersey, USA and Wembley Stadium in London, UK – where the Foo Fighters played.

The Foo Fighters founder and frontman Dave Grohl is looking good and his passion and stage presence during their set at Live Earth was infectious. Passion wouldn’t be a word that I would use for some of the other acts that took to the stage before the Foo Fighters.

Technical difficulties were an issue. Bands were having problems with their sound on stage all day. Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell couldn’t hear anything through the monitors and when the Red Hot Chili Peppers played I thought we might get through a set without the sound drama. They sounded great and Flea was on fire, but after playing a couple songs, the Chili Peppers stopped to have what appeared to be a ‘band meeting’ on stage – at Live Earth in front of millions of people. At one point I could hear Anthony Kiedis say something about not being able to hear. I think after that they only had one more song to go.

Now I, as a singer, can understand sound problems on stage. I love to have a good mix in the monitors with some reverb coming back at me. But you know what? If I was playing only three songs with my band at Wembley Stadium – in front of millions (some say 2 billion) of people I think even I could handle not being able to hear and just play on like everything is okay. Especially since most acts only played two or three songs. As a viewer, I don’t want the distraction of stage problems and complaining while trying to enjoy a band and their music, well then again…these things do tend to make good ‘car crash TV’.

I’m sure the bands didn’t want to upstage their set by complaining about the sound and even though bands should know better, the first thing the stage manager or event director should have told them before they went out on stage, was “don’t mention the sound”.

The reason I’m even bringing this up is because knowing that there were sound problems all day at the new Wembley Stadium, it was brilliant to see Dave Grohl just get on with things, with the passion and the attitude that all rock fans love to see – and he played like his life depended on it. The band sounded great, they were having fun and if Dave Grohl had any problems hearing there were no signs or nasty expressions coming from him. Drummer Taylor Hawkins also put on an incredible performance. Excellent set by the Foo Fighters.

Watch Foo Fighters – “Best Of You” video from Live Earth:


Foo Fighters 2007 UK summer tour dates:

Tour dates could be added or changed! Go to the Foo Fighters Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

August 18 V Festival, Hylands Park Chelmsford, UK
August 19 V Festival Weston Park Staffordshire, UK
August 21 T On The Fringe: Meadowbank Sports Centre (Meadowbank Stadium) Edinburgh, Scotland
August 22 Marlay Park Dublin, Ireland

Foo Fighters Official Website
Foo Fighters on Myspace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

The Coral “Who’s Gonna Find Me” new single, tour dates + videos

The Coral are set to release their latest single, “Who’s Gonna Find Me” on July 30th 2007 in the UK. “Who’s Gonna Find Me” is the first single off of their fourth studio album ‘Roots and Echos’ out on August 6th.

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:


The Coral 2007 tour dates:

*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

Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Glastonbury crowd invited on stage + video!

Glastonbury 2007 Saturday night headliner Iggy Pop and The Stooges along with bass player Mike Watt from the Minutemen put on a memorable performance that completely took me by surprise.

Who would have thought that a 60 year old performer could upstage Glastonbury acts young enough to be his great-grandchildren? Iggy Pop can move on stage. No doubt about it. He entertained the crowd while singing his classics that included “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Down on the Street”.

Driving the set from behind was Mike Watt on bass, probably one of the coolest, craziest looking bass players out there. Wearing a jumpsuit and with his legs spread wide, Mike Watt looked as though we would all be safer if he was playing in a cage. The Stooges, brothers Ron Asheton (guitar) and Scott Asheton (drums) rounded up the lineup which also included Steve Mackay on saxophone later in the set.

I couldn’t believe it when during “Real Cool Time” Iggy Pop, the Godfather of punk rock, invited the crowd up on stage with him. One by one the Glastonbury festival goers began to jump the security barrier. I’m not sure if this has ever happened at Glastonbury before.

The fun lasted for about a song while the fans danced along to “No Fun”. The song that was, incidentally, covered by the Sex Pistols. Of course, then Iggy Pop tried to take his stage back from his new invited guests and asked the crowd to leave. I could only shake my head and think, “Well, this is what you asked for. Now what are you going to do?”

At first the crowd wasn’t having any of it, and continued to stand where they were or they were trying to get as close to Iggy Pop as they could. Meanwhile, Iggy was trying to coax everyone off in a deep calm voice on the microphone, reminiscent of a Vegas show host. “We’re coolin’ it out. Alright… Thin it all out, baby… Alright. Have mercy… How ’bout some standards… Popcorn, get your popcorn. Ice cream…”

Eventually everyone left the stage and the band played on.

This was one of those cringe-worthy, peer from under the covers, train wreck moments that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. But it was one of the best festival moments that I’ve ever seen on TV.

Watch video of Iggy and The Stooges + fans at Glastonbury 2007:


Glastonbury Festival Official Website

Iggy Pop and The Stooges Official Website
Iggy Pop and The Stooges on Myspace

Check out the Official Mike Watt website. “Mike Watt’s Hoot Page”. He’s got tons of information, pictures, blog (news page, tour diary), links and more.

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs