Thursday night on the Cowley Road, Oxford. It’s drizzly outside but warm in the O2 Academy, and as we enter we’re greeted by a steward who informs us of the forthcoming entertainment and hopes we enjoy the evening. So for some ale and to find a good spot to stand to see Little Comets.

It’s good to see a band self-roadieing – setting up – as well as hanging percussion instruments from a string strung above them, from one side of the stage to the other. After a short while they return to the stage, introducing themselves as coming from Newcastle and belt into their first song “Adultery” which is their new single and a damn good one to put out there.

The singer/guitarist Robert Coles is an interesting frontman cavorting around the stage strumming his guitar. They create a positive on-stage vibe which reverberates into the audience and I’m sure that tonight they would have scored themselves yet more fans as they continue their tour with the Noisettes.

They’re a good live band to see, in the same shop as Razorlight, The Twang and Franz Ferdinand. Lots of energy and an enthusiasm for playing live is always a good thing.

After their set and the obligatory queue at the bar for more refreshments, we mug some students off a leather sofa and rest our legs for half an hour until it’s time to get to the front, or as near as possible, to get a good look at the Noisettes. We manage to get close enough to see what is going on.

For some reason the drums are set up on the left side of the stage, which makes it difficult to see drummer Jamie Morrison and the backing vocalist is on a platform in the centre at the back… Anyway, they open up with “Wild Young Hearts” and Shingai straps on her bass and whips the audience up. This is the busiest I’ve seen the Oxford O2 for quite awhile so hats off to the Noisettes for playing their publicity cards all the right way.

They have the whole place in a party mood, you would think it was still the summer outside. They work the stage brilliantly, you wouldn’t believe that they had only been around for just six years.

I would say that the Noisettes are well worth the money for a fun night out, probably one of the best live bands on the scene for that good time vibe. I think they will be around for many years and could be one of those acts that get better with every album they produce.

Buy Music:

Noisettes on amazon.co.uk

Noisettes MySpace

Little Comets Official Website

By: Dave Tommo

FLEETWOODS MAC’S PETER GREEN & THE LIGHTNING SEEDS JOIN SCOUTING FOR GIRLS, SUGABABES & SHARLEEN SPITERI AT 2009 CORNBURY EXTRAVAGANZA!

CORNBURY FESTIVAL – THIS WEEKEND – JULY 11th & 12th

The UK’s most beautiful boutique festival continues its eclectic musical tradition as it announces the line up for its 6th glorious year.

With a fusion of indie pop Brit nominees Scouting for Girls and ‘Belle de Jour’ Imelda May, the stage is shared with inimitable girl group Sugababes and Chrissie Hynde’s legendery rock outfit The Pretenders.

“Cornbury is a unique experience in all manner of ways”, says promoter Hugh Phillimore. “We’re immensely proud of our musical diversity and family friendly ethos. Where else could you see The Damned and the Sugababes on one bill?”

The festival embraces the ‘something for everyone’ approach. From alt rockers The Magic Numbers and rising stars Teddy Thompson and Archangel, to the retro classic chic of Sharleen Spiteri, perfect pop from The Lightning Seeds and Fleetwood Mac founder, Peter Green, appearing in the UK for the 1st time in over four years, Cornbury attracts festival goers from all age ranges and with all manner of tastes.

Cornbury is about its beautiful Cotswold location, fantastic food, hot air balloons, the madness of the many morris dance pageant, children’s theatre workshops, great festival shops and a huge fairground all held together by a carefully selected spectrum of top music talent. Typically English – eccentric, eclectic and inclusive – a farmers’ market with a dancefloor, a county fayre with a rock ‘n’ roll twist indeed!

“The Most charming festival you will ever attend” – UNCUT

“Lush rolling countryside…champagne…VIP tents – I had a great time” – Dom Joly, THE INDEPENDENT

“Set in the natural bowl of the oak-strewn, verdant slopes of the Cornbury estate, it lays claim to the cleanest, cosiest and classiest fest that I have ever frequented” – MARIE CLAIRE

“Family friendly, with plenty of face-painting and sideshows to keep the kids happy” – THE OBSERVER

For all ticket information and the full line up, please visit www.cornburyfestival.co.uk
Or Credit Card Hotline for tickets : 0871 472 0420

Prices:- Adult weekend with camping £110 / Under 16 £65
Day tickets – Adult £55 / Under 16 £27.50
Concessions (not including camping): Children 12 & Under, Over 70’s, and Disabled FREE

Cornbury Festival Official Website

John Otway is a name most people might not be familiar with. In his own words, he is one of music’s most successful losers. He’s been playing since 1976, starting his career with Mr. Wild Willy Barrett on guitar. They first appeared on TV’s “Old Grey Whistle Test” back in 1977-78 ish.

This video clip shows how random John’s gigs were.

I was at that gig. It was at the Portsmouth Guildhall for a music film being made called “Urgh A Music War”. I thought John looked like my girlfriend’s dad at the time. This must have been 1979, and I was bitten by the Otway bug. I found his single “The Green Green Grass Of Home” in a local record shop. A Tom Jones cover. ‘Much greener than Tom Jones’ it said on the sleeve.

John had a love hate relationship with Wild Willy. You never knew whether you were gonna get John or John and Willy at gigs.

John is still playing live and has a very loyal and dedicated fan base. It’s like I said – once you get it, you are addicted to this man’s madness. He plays Oxford every May Day at six in the morning.

Back in 2002 he asked all his fans to choose a song for him to perform on Top Of The Pops, and then got everyone to buy it so that it would chart. The song was “Bunsen Burner”. This was probably the best 50th birthday present anyone could have given John.

Watch “Bunsen Burner” video:

If you fancy a new addiction – you know, something different, go check out his website and you may find yourself starting a lifelong obsession with this chap!

John Otway on amazon.co.uk

John Otway Official Website

By: Dave Tommo

What is there to do on a Wednesday evening in Oxford? Watch TV? Go down to the pub? See the cricket?

None of the above.

Oh well, it’s raining in June again, constant pitter patter. But hey look! The Damned are in town and they’ve brought some friends with them.

We arrive at the Oxford Academy and aim for the box office, but as we are fumbling around for money I spot this grey haired Irish chap offering us two tickets he had bought from the internet. So we buy them off him for much cheaper than the venue’s price, and proceed into the building.

It turns out that he’s friends with the first act on tonight. A Mr. Henry Cluney no less. He of Stiff Little Fingers fame. To be honest I am only here because Henry is playing. His band influenced me about as much as The Clash did when I was younger. I still have every record this lot ever made, preserved in see-through plastic bags at home.

Henry takes to the stage alone with an acoustic guitar and opens his set with “Alternative Ulster”. Brilliant. It’s so good to hear these song played solo. It makes you realise what great sing along songs they are without a whole band behind them.

Then I think he played “Here We Are Nowhere”. Again, what a great song. These are songs that Jake Burns and Stiff Little Fingers don’t play live anymore and it’s a shame because I still maintaine that ‘The Inflammable Material’ album was one of the best punk records ever produced, and Henry belts his way through most of the tracks from said album.

To be fair, Mr. Cluney does mess up on a lot of the tunes, but it doesn’t matter, as most of the audience is singing along with him providing the backing vocals to such songs as “Barbed Wire Love” and “Gotta Get Away”.

Henry parted company with Stiff Little Fingers way back in 1993 and to be honest I never thought we would be lucky enough to see him play live again. As co-founding member of SLF, Henry Cluney deserves to be up there playing these songs live with the tongue in cheek humor that he provides on stage. Apparently living in America, he has been known to do a bit of stand up comedy.

Carry on Henry, you know we love you!

Watch Henry Cluney – “Wasted Life” video (opening for The Damned at the Square in Harlow on 22nd May 2009):

The Alarm take the stage and we are all of a sudden propelled back to the early 1980’s with Mike Peters the singer reminding us that 1976-77 was what it was all about. More Bruce Springsteen influence than The Clash or The Sex Pistols, The Alarm belt their way through an average set of songs and then they are gone.

The highlight of the evening is The Damned. With the audience chanting “Sensible’s a w****r” they slam into their first song, “Ladies & Gentlemen… how do”, and straight into “Love Song”.

They blast their way through a set of songs which span three decades and yet sound fresher than any of the new paper thin bands who are clogging up the summer festivals these days.

Dave Vanian, the vocalist, is looking more dapper as the years roll by. It’s hard to believe these boys are over 50 years old, but then how long do vampires live for?

Captain Sensible looks more and more like a comic strip character the older he gets, and people forget what a great rock guitarist he really is.

The Damned should be easily one of the most famous bands on the planet, what with being the only surviving original punk band from this country and giving influence to so many artists around today. They deserve their place in the Rock and Roll hall of fame, but is that really punk rock?

The Damned on amazon.co.uk

Henry Cluney Official Website

The Alarm Official Website

The Damned Official Website

By: Dave Tommo

I’ve been a fan of social networks for awhile now, and over the years have tried a few. Some stuck, some didn’t. Twitter seems to be one that’s sticking. So far so good. I like Twitter. I like it a lot.

By using Twitter as a networking tool, I’ve been meeting some interesting people. Mostly music related because that’s my main interest, but there are also some people that I’m following just because they seem interesting. There are also some tech related twitterers that I follow because I like to keep up-to-date with the online tech industry.

Before I found Twitter, about a year ago, I knew that I wanted something like it. Because I’ve been spending more time lately publishing press releases and other people’s music reviews, my blogging has been lacking. Which is disappointing really, because I do enjoy it. The good thing, though, is that Twitter has allowed me to keep up with blogging – just on a different platform, and with shorter entries. Much shorter. 140 characters per tweet.

So Twitter has helped me to get back on the blogging saddle as well as meeting some cool people. Its become a great place for community. Special almost.

Through Twitter, I was asked by Oxford City Guide (@OxfordCityGuide) to review Swedish band Baskery at The Jericho Tavern in Oxford. It ended up being a great night out and I really enjoyed their music.

In the review, which included a short write-up of local Oxford band InLight, I noted that it would be great to see InLight play as a full band, as that night they were there as just a 2-piece. Well. Lead singer Charlie happened to see this, got in touch with me, and then invited me to see the full band play, which I did, and that then lead to an interview with Charlie for Band Weblogs. That’s just two bands as examples, that I’ve been turned on to because of Twitter.

My latest Twitter story is not affiliated with music – but baseball. I’m following someone (@GallagherMeow) who tweeted that he made a list of his ten favorite Red Sox players of all time. After following the link back to his blog, I noticed, in my opinion, a couple players were missing, so I replied to him on Twitter asking “Where’s Jim Rice and Fred Lynn?” because they happen to be my favorite Red Sox players of all time. He didn’t reply back, but that’s okay…he pretty much answered that question by writing up his own personal top 10.

The next day I opened up my email and saw that: “Jim Rice (Ask14) is now following your updates on Twitter”. I just sat there for a minute and had to digest the information. I re-read the sentence and clicked on the link. I was pretty excited.

I added a message on Twitter – “I can’t believe it. Is that the REAL Jim Rice following ME??? @Ask14″ hoping that I might get an answer.

Sure enough, a couple hours later I received a tweet from the real Jim Rice, “Yes. How are you?”. I was walking on air for awhile after that. Growing up in NH/VT area, when I was very young, Jim Rice was like a hero, along with Fred Lynn. Probably because my dad and my brother really liked them.

So, my “inner child” certainly came out the day Jim Rice unexpectedly got in touch and asked me how I was. Warm fuzzy childhood memories came rushing back, and the feeling of what me as a little girl might have felt like if I had met Jim Rice then.

The meeting wasn’t in person, and some might think Twitter is just a silly site they can’t figure out, but it’s because of Twitter that these wonderful experiences have happened.

Jim Rice – Ask 14 Official Blog

Jim Rice on Twitter

Follow me on Twitter!

Jenny May on Twitter

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Larry Reddington isn’t a new kid on the block. Not by any means. At age of 67 (68 in July) he’s been spicing up people’s lives musically since the 1950’s. From Oxford, England and originally a drummer, Larry has some pretty interesting rock n roll stories to tell, and often does if you visit him in his guitar shop (The Music Box).

When I asked him who influenced him to start playing he said, “No one really. Basically I couldn’t write songs on the drums so I decided to learn the guitar and I suppose working in a guitar shop is a good place to practice.”

Download track: “When You Gonna Learn” MP3

Last year Mr. Reddington travelled to America and went to Nashville. He was taken by the place. That country bug had bit him hard, and not too long after, he returned once more to the home of everything country. This time he recorded a CD – ‘When You Gonna Learn?’ – to take with him. While there, he visited the Elvis house in Memphis – which he was not impressed by. He only wanted to see the toilet that killed the king. But it wasn’t on the tour.

While in Nashville Larry got to play a couple of gigs. He played one night at The Full Moon Saloon and the second at The Nashville Palace. He also flogged a few CDs too. So not a bad outing after all.

‘When You Gonna Learn?’ is a 3 track EP and starts off with the title song, which when you think about it, Larry only started to dabble with guitar and vocals 5 years ago, and he sounds as good as any cowboy from Texas with or without a horse. Larry doesn’t need a stallion when he has the Cowley Flyer bus to take him home in an evening, but I digress. “When You Gonna Learn” has some brilliant lap steel guitar courtesy of Simon Tuke, who also plays bass on the EP. Coming out of retirement for Larry, is one Dave Herbert who performs lead guitar duties on the first track. Why would you retire when you can get the guitar to sound like that? And following up the rear on banjo and dobro is an ex band mate of mine Mr. Stefan D Hamilton.

Larry says he will be recording more tracks soon to turn the EP into an LP. But before that he is drumming with a reformation of a band called Steam who were originally around in the 1970’s. They will be playing at The Regal on Cowley Road, Oxford, Saturday 30th May 2009. Now that is well worth checking out. Go see Larry Reddington and his friends and tell them Dave Tommo sent you!

This is a CD that should be in the collection of any avid country fan.

By: Dave Tommo

You know when you’re drinking, and you find yourself somewhere you never planned on being? Well that happens to me quite often these days. I had no idea I would end up at The Cellar Bar in Oxford last Saturday for instance. But when you go out on the lash with Greig Stewart this is what happens. So we go down the stairs and there’s our old mate Jimmy at the sound desk and a band on stage.

“Who are this lot?” I ask. “They’re called Desert Storm” Jimmy replies. “They don’t look old enough to have stormed any deserts though.” I reply. But then I’m distracted by Greig clambering on to the stage while the band are in mid song, grabbing a spare drumstick from the drummer and starting to thrash a cymbal on the side of the stage. Fair go on the band. They carried on playing without a flinch as Greig made his way around the stage. I by now am at the front, head banging and enjoying their sound. They’re heavy but original with it, which is hard these days because there are billions of bands playing this type of music. Yeah heavy, but not heavy, if you know what I mean.

Matt Ryan has a powerful voice, growling over the music wearing a big ex army coat on stage. He says they’re from Oxford. They are doing the support slot tonight. But they must stay with it because I don’t think it will be long before they are pulling big crowds and playing high up on huge platforms.

There are twins in Desert Storm too. Twins are my next favorite thing to dwarves. There is Elliot Cole on drums and his brother Ryan on guitar. Twins must have so much fun confusing people. Sorry digression. Their bass player is very good at keeping it tight with the drums. This job goes to one Chris Benoist. Their other guitarist Chris White was absent tonight, but it didn’t distract from the sound. I look forward to seeing them in the future with full ensemble.

Desert Storm are newish to the scene, born in 2007 and should grow in confidence as they gig. You watch this space, because at this moment in time I am a fan. It takes a lot to get my toe a tapping these days. But Desert Storm managed it.

Find them at their MySpace page and say hello to them for me.

Desert Storm on MySpace

By: Dave Tommo

Ben Walker, best known around the internet for his “The Twitter Song” is getting ready for the innovative Ben’s Big Gig event, taking place in Oxford, England on May 1, 2009.

I first ‘met’ Ben on social networking site Twitter, and after reading a few of his ‘tweets’ and learning about Ben’s Big Gig, I was curious to find out more about the humorous singer/songwriter based in Oxford.

Watch The Twitter Song – “You’re No One If You’re Not On Twitter” video:

Ben Walker exclusive interview with Jenny May:

Jenny May: How and when did you discover Twitter?

Ben Walker: I first tweeted at 6:07 PM Apr 18th, 2007 and apparently I was “up too late”. It took a while to get into, to find the good people. I got a real boost when I met a whole room full of interesting Twitter people at the Tuttle Club in London in early 2008. They still meet every
Friday morning at the ICA, and I go along whenever I can.

Which social network are you currently using the most and why are you using that particular one the most?

Twitter, for sure. Because that’s where all my people are. I talk to people I know on Twitter every day (and plenty I don’t). For video updates, I’m really into 12seconds.tv. I guess there’s something about having to create something short and succinct that appeals to me.

Are there people that you’ve met in person after first meeting on Twitter? If so, can you give one or two examples of how that happened?

Absolutely. When I first went to Tuttle I met a guy called Steve Lawson (@solobasssteve), who is a bass legend and social media enthusiast. He introduced me to dozens of people on Twitter (musicians, techies or both) whom I later met at events like Amplified09 and Twestival. For me Twitter is about finding and engaging with like-minded people, so they are often the people you are likely to meet in real life too.

What is the best pop song written in the last 20 years?

Complicated (Avril Lavigne). Pure cheesy pop. I’ve been studying pop songwriting for a while, and that’s the song I go back to every time for the perfect combination of formula, hooks, production, beat, lyrics and attitude. It’s certainly not the best song, but it’s the best pop song.

What has the response been like to your song “You’re No One If You’re Not On Twitter” aka The Twitter Song?

It’s been huge. I still get a couple of comments and 10-20 new followers/subscribers on Twitter and YouTube every day who find me through that song. It was written as a bit of a joke, to amuse the people I knew on Twitter, but at the same time it was a bit of a cheeky experiment. I tried to write the ultimate Twitter song: open with a hook, have a funny video, make some in-jokes. Now it’s had 300,000 views and I have a lot of nerdy fans.

How would you describe your music?

English, quirky, satirical pop. I try to make all my songs entertaining. They are not always funny, but there’s always an undercurrent of humour.

You grew up in Oxford. Have you played/collaborated with many bands/musicians here?

Yes and no. I’ve been around the Oxford music scene for ten years now, but always on the edges. I’ve guested on keyboards with A Silent Film. Once. I had a year-long residency at the QI Club, playing with my band every Sunday night, and we jammed with loads of local musos there.

Where is the first place in Oxford that you would want to take someone new in town to?

The Firry Mic. I just discovered the Tuesday night open mic at the Fir Tree (Iffley Road), and it’s brilliant. It’s just a room packed with positive people, and the friendly atmosphere gives the songs a real boost.

Why did you choose Summertown in Oxford as the location for Ben’s Big Gig?

I chose Summertown for a few reasons. First, I wanted to see if it was possible to put on a Big Gig in a theatre as an independent musician, and the North Wall is the perfect venue. Everyone’s downsizing and playing house concerts these days. I love a house concert, but I wondered whether we couldn’t try upsizing too. Second, Summertown is my spiritual home. All of my songs have a North Oxford vibe (posh, green, jaunty). Third, I needed a venue that could handle my social media requirements. I needed wireless, a projector screen and cabaret tables. Again, the North Wall is perfect for that. And they love to be involved in interesting, experimental and fringe projects.

How have you been planning Ben’s Big Gig; what is on the agenda for the day?

I’ve been Twittering, crowdsourcing, blogging and videoing my heart out for the last couple of months, and it’s all starting to come together. The most exciting thing for me is that I have a couple of really talented performers to share the stage with. George Chopping has been touring with John Hegley, and is one of the funniest people I’ve ever seen. He’s compèring the evening. And Tom Greeves is opening the second half with a set of genius stand-up comedy. It’s going to be a real variety show. And along with all that, we will be broadcasting the whole show live on the internet and feeding the responses from Twitter, 12seconds, Flickr etc. back into the venue on the giant screen, so the internet audience will be able to interact with the live audience.

Who would you want to spend the day with – someone that you haven’t met in person – and what would you do?

Ben Folds. I would get a piano lesson from him. And drink tea and chat in the breaks. I’m a legendary pianist, but I envy the control he has on the keyboard. In the nineties I learned every Ben Folds Five song note for note. I recommend it for anyone who wants to play pop piano.

Do you have any musical influences? If so, who?

Ben Folds. The Band. David Bowie. Ray Davies. Julian Cope. Little Feat. Queen. Avril Lavigne.

How do you prefer to record music? What equipment are you using?

When I’m taking it seriously, I use Pro Tools on my MacBook and an MBox. I rarely need more than two channels, because I’m always recording alone. If I’m recording with the band, I borrow stuff. But these days more and more I’m recording on my phone (the Nokia N95 has great video) or the camera and internal mic on my laptop and uploading it straight to YouTube. My music isn’t “sit down with headphones and a candle and appreciate the production” music. It’s “check out this link on tinny headphones at work” music. It’s not that I don’t love well-produced music. It’s just not what I’m doing. I need a quicker turnaround.

How often do you write songs?

When I’m writing, I write every day. And I’ll usually write, rewrite and record a song in four or five hours over two or three days. Last summer I wrote 50 songs in 90 days as part of an online challenge. Half of them were great. The other half are crap but amusing. I’m not writing much at the moment, but once the Big Gig is over I’ll get back on the horse.

Do you really hate mornings?

No. I love mornings. I get up at 6am most days to work on music stuff. But not when I registered the domain five years ago. I’ll keep using it, though. It’s fun, and it’s a name to which a lot of musicians can relate.

How would you like to see the future of music?

I like the way it’s going. I want to see musicians weaned off the old record company model and rediscovering the real connections that can be made with music. In my ideal future, musicians would concentrate on making better music and connecting with people. At the moment they tend to do one or the other. I have much more to say on this, but I’ll save it for my blog.

For more information about Ben’s Big Gig, which takes place on May 1, 2009 in Summertown, Oxford, go to:

Ben’s Big Gig Official Website

ihatemornings (Ben Walker) on Twitter

Ben Walker’s blog on ihatemornings.com + music and more

Ben Walker press on Band Weblogs

Oxford born singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation, Ben Walker, is truly a modern day bard. His careful exploitation of web based communication tools and social networking sites have gained his quirky and satirical songs a worldwide following.

Since 250,000 viewers tuned in to YouTube to watch his song “You’re No One If You’re Not On Twitter”, it has become the unofficial anthem of Twitter worldwide.

Watch “The Twitter Song” video:

Now Ben is using the internet to create a new gig concept.

Ben’s Big Gig will be a concert with a difference at the North Wall Arts Centre in Summertown, Oxford on 1st May, 2009.

Not only will the gig be streamed live over the internet for his global fan base to enjoy, but screens within the venue will display real-time messages, photos and videos from fans around the world who want to join in. Ben’s Big Gig promises to be a truly interactive experience that is already a hot topic on Twitter!

Musician and social media expert Steve Lawson describes Ben as “a very clever man. He writes wonderful catchy songs, and then comes up with funny, engaging and interesting ways of letting people know about them. Once you’ve found him via one of his myriad internet presences, it’s all about the songs. Fortunately, they’re fantastic. I’m a big fan.”

Ben’s satirical songs explore the characters that are close to his heart: the North Oxford greenie, the lovelorn geek, the frustrated trendoid, and even celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall. The gig will feature Ben on the piano and guitar, backed by bass and drums and joined by many special guests – not forgetting collaborators and audiences from around the web and across the globe.

Ben comments, “Cabaret 2.0 is the working title I’m using for the gig. Not only is it going to involve lots of live connections to and from the internet with video, Twitter messages and photos, but the most interesting part is that they have ‘crowdsourced’ all the planning and promotion (even this press release!). My fans are a smart bunch of people, and I’m asking each of them to help with the promotion in their own way.”

Ben has already got his online fan base involved in helping him to promote his Big Gig. Within 24 hours of issuing a request on Twitter, fans from America, Canada and France had used a publicly editable wiki page to help write his publicity copy for the event. In the same way that he’s conducted live video song writing sessions on the internet in the past, Ben will also be documenting his progress and the results of his Big Gig to help other musicians.

Ben comments, “It’s the creative and collaborative attitude of social media users that has propelled my songs across the world. I’m using the same medium to give something back. I’ve already streamed live song writing sessions to inspire budding songwriters and I’m documenting my Big Gig experience to help other musicians who are looking to do something similar.”

Of course, Ben’s Big Gig, is not just a virtual concert. For those attending the gig at the North Wall Arts Centre on the 1st May, it promises to be a very entertaining and interactive experience.

Tickets for Ben’s Big Gig are on sale at £5 for students or £10 for adults. They can be purchased by phone from the North Wall box office on 01865 319450 or online:

Ben’s Big Gig tickets

The gig will also be streamed live on the internet at the same address.

Ben Walker – ihatemornings.com Official Website
Ben Walker / ihatemornings on twitter
Ben’s Big Gig on tumblr

Last Sunday night I went to see InLight at The Bullingdon Arms in Oxford. After watching two members of the band play an “acoustic” set last month at The Jericho Tavern when they supported Baskery, I was looking forward to seeing them as a full band.

It’s quite interesting hearing the stripped down version of a band first – with limited instrumentation. With InLight, when I saw them the first time, I was able to get a clear feel for their songs, and how the songs have the ability to hold their own without the need for ‘more’. Then, to go and see them as a full unit, songs colored in with drums and bass and more energy exuding from the stage, was even more of an uplifting experience. An enthralling performance.

Guitarist Mike Riddle is certainly one to watch – an unlikely guitar hero who from the start may seem like your normal “boy next door” is far from that, with his guitar technique and entertaining stage presence. With Riddle’s melodic guitar riffs in amongst frontman Charlie Cooke’s endearing vocals, exceptional piano skills and songwriting, makes for a clever combination for a pop band.

The rhythm section, bass player Johnny Hunter and drummer Pete Lawless, is just as important especially on their brilliant song “Bridges”, with Charlie’s pleading voice and emotional lyrics. “Space” and “Icarus” are great songs as well, that show just how good a band InLight is.

From what I gather, InLight is a band made up of nice people. I know that for some, nice isn’t the coolest thing to be called, but nowadays in my book anyway, it is. A band with so much talent and what seems, so little ego…is refreshing.

Charlie was cool enough to answer a few questions.

Jenny May: Have you lived in Oxford your whole life?

Charlie Cooke: Nope! I’m actually from Cambridge, which means that I’m now an exile in both places and have to hide quietly under the stairs and in neutral colours on boat race day. But I’ve been in Oxford for four and a half years. I came to University here and didn’t have particular plans afterwards but, when I heard Mike play guitar, I was determined to stay. I think when we first played ‘Paranoia’ was the moment I knew that this was going to get serious. We all looked at each other and thought ‘ok!’.

Where is one of your favorite spots in Oxford?

I love to walk around the back of Queen’s and New College. It looks the same as it must have five hundred years ago and hardly anybody knows it is there.

Does the band have plans to tour around England? Any festivals this summer?

Watch this space!

“The Butterfly Tattoo” trailer:

How did it come about that you would have your song “Bridges” featured in the Philip Pullman ‘The Butterfly Tattoo’ film?

I saw a MySpace advertisment saying that the movie was being filmed in Oxford and that they were looking for bands and for music. So I e-mailed the director and sent him ‘Bridges’, saying that I thought it would be perfect for the film. He agreed and said it was exactly what he was looking for and the rest is history! It is now in the trailer and the film’s climax, which is fantastic. When we went to the premiere at BAFTA I felt like I’d written it for the film, but it was actually written looking out at the Brooklyn Bridge in the cafe on Ellis Island in New York City.

Has your music been featured in other films/TV etc.?

Not yet, but if anyone’s listening we’re interested! I think our music does have a film-like quality, it often sounds ‘widescreen’.

What is the writing process for the band? Do you write together?

I tend to sit down on my own and write out what I would call the ’song’; the lyrics, melody, chords and basic structure. I leave it a few days and see if I can remember it, and if it’s strong enough to work stripped down. For me, that’s the test: if someone can’t sit at home and play the song with just an acoustic guitar and vocals then it’s not good enough. If you look at a band like The Beatles, there’s not a single song of theirs that you couldn’t gather people around a piano and sing recognisably. Once that’s done, I will then bring it to the band and we’ll work out how to arrange it. And that’s when it becomes an InLight song.

What kind of guitars are you and Mike playing at the moment?

Mike’s main guitars at the moment are a rare Gibson semi-acoustic (a CS336) and his recently acquired Strat. He’s also got an imported paisley Fender Telecaster, but there isn’t usually room on stage for that many guitars.. I’m playing Mike’s old acoustic and have done since day one. I’m also using a big red Epiphone 335 to play Icarus live.

Does Mike have his eye on a particular guitar that he would like? Do you?

Mike is currently enjoying the idea of a Les Paul. But when is he not?! I quite fancy a 50’s style Gretsch, but they don’t come cheap…!

Do you guys have any guitar heros? If so, who?

All the band are big fans of Matt Bellamy and Muse. Mike and I both grew up with the Beatles records, so George Harrison is a big influence. And more recently Kings of Leon have been doing some really interesting stuff.

Any plans to record an album?

We’d love to. We have enough songs now – and enough light and shade in them – to record an album. But we’d rather wait until we’re signed so we can do it properly. I love the recording process, and I have very definite ideas in my head of how things should sound. There’s a lot of perfectionism in this band. I think that’s why it works, but it does lengthen processes. Besides, I find it difficult enough to let go, and would probably need a label to drag me away from the mixing desk, buy me a drink and tell me it’s over!

What bands/artists would you love to tour with one day?

R.E.M, John Mayer and, of course, U2. I think our audience is theirs; they are all very song based and difficult to put into a particular ’scene’ category.

Are there any other projects outside of the band that the band members are working on?

No, this is our focus. Although we have combined other pursuits with InLight; we hand draw all the covers for our second EP ‘Postcards’. It’s time consuming, but well worth the effort! And we designed a lot of the stage show for our big showcase ‘Space’ back in May last year: video art, lighting, etc. That’s something we’re very into. I think growing up you’re either into one of two ideas of music. Some people like the stripped down bands who could just walk into a pub and be great, and others like the Pink Floyd approach. We’re in the latter. We can’t wait to take a big show on tour.

Have you been in other bands?

I was previously in a band called The Shambles which, after I had left, went on to become GoodBooks. But I’ve always played music and this is what I’ve wanted to be doing ever since I was a child. My parents gave me a portable tape machine when I was about four years old and it had an in-built microphone. I used to record myself playing piano on it and write ‘Parlophone’ on the tapes because that’s what it said on most of my Dad’s records!

How long has InLight been together?

Three years in various forms, but one year with this line-up. I really count us as being a year old as it’s since then that it has really clicked and we had a solid, committed, professional group of people whose main focus was the band.

You’re not currently signed to a record label…do you want to be?

We are currently unsigned. We’ve had some brushes with labels, including a day recording at Universal in London last October. We absolutely want to be signed. I think there is a lot of confusion in the industry at the moment as to where it’s going, and we’ve met an awful lot of bands which don’t want to be signed. We totally respect that, but we think we’d work best on a major label, and that’s what we’re aiming at.

InLight Official Website
MySpace

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Last night I had the pleasure of attending one of the best shows that I’ve seen in a long time. I was looking forward to going to The Jericho Tavern for a change – as opposed to the Carling Academy now the O2 Academy in Oxford. Actually, after listening to Baskery’s music on their MySpace page and watching one of their videos, I was quite surprised that their show was being held at the smaller venue, The Jericho.

From what I had heard before seeing them live, I thought either the Swedish band isn’t quite known here yet and the venue won’t be very busy on a Tuesday night, or the place will be packed to the rafters with fans. Unfortunately the place wasn’t very busy – but made for an intimate night of music.

Stevie One Bloke, One Mandolin opened the show. His name speaks for himself – except that “harmonica” isn’t included in the title. Stevie seems like an interesting character, with his colourful stories about life and friendship along with his descriptive lyrics and the unique combination of mandolin and occasional harmonica. It’s no surprise that he has a busy tour schedule this year.

InLight was next. The Oxford based band was stripped down to an acoustic set with just two members, Charlie Cooke and Mike Riddle. I’m not sure why they used the term acoustic though, since they were playing electric guitar and keyboard. Mike played an acoustic guitar for a couple songs – maybe that warranted the term? They sounded good, with witty banter at times, nice vocals and instrumentation. “Bridges” was a stand out song. I would look forward to seeing the full band at some point.

After their set, my anticipation high, I looked around the room and was surprised to see that people weren’t flooding in for the final act, Baskery. I had to keep reminding myself that they’re a new band and that not many people know about them yet.

As the girls were on stage, tuning up their instruments, something caught my eye. Why was the banjo player, Greta, setting up the snare drum on its side, on the floor, next to the kick drum? Well, as I soon found out, get this, she plays SLIDE banjo while sitting at the drums, playing the kick drum and the snare with her bare feet, sometimes while playing harmonica, and sings brilliant harmonies alongside her equally talented sisters, Stella on upright bass, and the youngest, Sunniva Bondesson on acoustic guitar.

The minute they started playing and singing their self-described “High voltage, Killbilly, Banjopunk, Blues-grass, Mud-country” music, with the tightest harmonies that I’ve ever heard live, I knew that I was in for a startlingly great night of music. That anticipation that I was feeling before they played was there throughout the set, after each song. Sometimes they would switch lead vocal parts, but thankfully, would always come back to those harmonies – harmonies so good that if you could see them, they might have looked like gold dust sparkling in the air.

That night we were treated to a Grammy Award winning performance by a very talented band that hopefully a lot more people will know about in the near future.

Baskery on amazon.co.uk

Baskery on amazon.com

Baskery Official Website
MySpace

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

The Baskery review is also featured on Oxford City Guide

Even six inches of snow couldn’t keep Rufus Wainwright from speaking at the Oxford Union yesterday afternoon.

In an amusing and informative hour long Q&A session he talked about his forthcoming opera Prima Donna, reminisced about Jeff Buckley, talked about making his next album with just piano and vocals. “I’m the opposite of Dylan, I’m going backwards, I’m going acoustic!” he joked, keeping the 200 plus crowd warm with laughter.

Rufus won’t be in sunny LA for the Grammy Awards this Sunday, where he has been nominated in the hotly contested ‘Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album’ category (for ‘Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall’).

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Grammy’s will be a performance by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Jason Mraz will also be in attendance. He’s been nominated in 3 categories: Song of the Year (for ‘I’m Yours’), Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Engineered Album.

His album ‘We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things’ is unstoppable at present and has just turned Gold and is still sitting in the Top Ten this week. His irresistible single “I’m Yours” is knocking on the door of the Top Ten and is currently No.11 in the chart.

Tickets for the summer leg of Madonna’s phenomenally successful ‘Sticky & Sweet Tour’ went on sale today in London and Manchester and sold out in minutes.

Madonna brings her acclaimed ‘Sticky & Sweet Tour’ to London’s 02 Arena July 4th, 2009 and Manchester’s MEN Arena July 7th.

Karima Francis is continuing to make waves this year, her infectious new single “Again”, out March 9, 2009, is the Radio 2 record of the week next week.

If you haven’t seen Karima she is playing London’s Barfly on Tuesday (Feb 10th). A must see gig and a chance to hear tracks from her forthcoming debut album ‘The Author’, out March 23rd. Details of her new UK tour in March will be announced next week.

We’re very excited about the new Lightning Seeds album in June, their first in ten years. Ian Broudie is back and has penned a disc full of wonderful new songs.

Early reaction to the Depeche Mode album ‘Sounds of the Universe’ is hugely positive. First single “Wrong” is a fine introduction and “Peace” seems to be a firm favourite. We can’t wait for the 02 show in May.

Will Young’s Question Time appearance raised more than eyebrows last night as it got the highest ratings for the last six years with 750,000 extra tuning in.

Vagabond played a short, tight set last week at Water Rats. They just keep getting better and better. Ladies down the front swooned over Irrepressible front man Alex Vargas, he really is one to watch.

Debut single “Sweat (Until The Morning)” sounds cracking live as does “I’ve Been Waiting” and “Don’t Wanna Run No More”. This guitar based six piece have an r&b pop sound like no one else.
We can’t wait for their debut album in May. Their producer Brian Higgins was in the audience on Tuesday.

Sara Cox has been bigging up Just Jack’s hot new single “Embers” out March 30th. She gave the track its first ever airplay and has been playing it ever since.

Just Jack releases his new album ‘All Night Cinema’ April 6th, with news of a tour to follow very soon.

The Fray release their eagerly anticipated self-titled new album on Monday (Feb 9th). On Tuesday (Feb 10th) they will showcase the album at a sold out show at the Scala.

Jersey Budd will support at Starsailor on Wednesday (Feb 11th) at The Luminaire.

Robyn Hitchcock has a busy week in-store. He kicks off his 11-date UK tour tomorrow (Feb 7th) in Glasgow, featuring a must see gig at London’s Union Chapel (Feb 12th). Next week he releases his stunning album ‘Goodnight Oslo’.

Miss this at your peril, R.E.M. re-release their seminal album ‘Murmur’ on Monday. The 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition features that original landmark album re-mastered plus an additional disc with a previously unreleased concert recorded at Larry’s Hideaway in Toronto three months after Murmur’s April release.

It was good timing to have been able to, on the same day, review Pete Doherty’s upcoming debut solo album, Grace/Wasteland, and then later that night – last night – to go out and see Mongrel play live at the O2 Academy (was Zodiac; Carling Academy) in Oxford. The connection between the two is that Pete Doherty’s fellow Babyshambles bandmate Drew McConnell plays guitar in Mongrel.

I didn’t say enough in the previous review about how much I enjoyed Drew McConnell’s bass on Doherty’s album, but now I get another opportunity to say how talented a musician he is. I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t playing bass last night, but it was interesting to find out that he’s an excellent guitarist as well. He did strap on the bass for one song – which was great – I think it was “Menace”.

This of course isn’t to take away from the other Mongrel band members – frontman Jon McClure from Reverend and The Makers with his mohawk in check, was fun to watch on stage, and I liked the band’s indie/punk/dub/funky hip hop mix with cool vocal melodies alongside Lowkey’s clever rap style.

Other members of the group include Andy Nicholson (Ex Arctic Monkeys Bassist), Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys Drummer), Joe Moskow (Reverend and The Makers), and female MCs Pariz 1 and Tor Cesay added a touch of class to the set.

Mongrel is still on tour in the UK – I highly recommend their live show.

Press info.:
Mongrel. A coalition of the willing. A force of nature based on musical artists who want to say something about the world they live in and be free of the merry-go-round of make record release make record release. Attached to the old fashioned notion that it’s cool to care about the world you live in made popular by the punks and the 60’s counter culturalists before them we got together and made a record from our own pockets to make a stand and put our sword in the dirt.

Bringing together people from different parts in the world of different musical styles, Mongrel merges the UK indie music scene with a hip hop community ignored for the large part by the wider media – tackling themes shied away from by mainstream musicians.

Mongrel on amazon.co.uk

For tour dates, music and more, go to:

Mongrel MySpace

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

The Tommos will be playing an acoustic set at the Obama Inauguration Party at Brookes University (Gipsy Lane) in Oxford, England on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 8:00pm.

Formed in Oxford, The Tommos features Jenny May and Dave Tommo. They’ve penned a new song for the upcoming event, “Celebrate, Obama”, and will be performing it on the night.

“We’re honored to have been asked to play at such an exciting event – on such a special occasion,” said Jenny May. “It’s incredible that Barack Obama has been elected President…we’re definitely ready for a change!”

Jenny May and Dave Tommo’s other musical projects include The Babylon Cowboys; hosting the Band Weblogs Podcast Show and the Trendy Bands Podcast with shows airing on CBS owned KYOU Radio and 1550 AM in San Francisco; recording with Greig Stewart and Fyfe Dangerfield from Guillemots on Jenny May’s song, “I Ain’t Got The Time”, and appearing in the Guillemots video for their hit song, “Trains to Brazil”.

Listen to Jenny and Dave’s random chat – Band Weblogs Podcast Show clip:

For music and more information, go to:

The Tommos MySpace

Barack Hussein Obama II is the President-elect of the United States of America, and the first African American to be elected President of the United States. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 3, 2005, until his resignation on November 16, 2008, following his election to the presidency. His term of office as the forty-fourth U.S. president will begin on January 20, 2009.

Barack Obama Official Website

Last night (4 November, 2008) I witnessed two sets from Martha Wainwright and her support act Angus & Julia Stone that couldn’t be more different. One look at the crowd told me the majority were lefty (I’m one too, before I sound like a fascist!), middle class professionals who were there for Martha first and foremost and who’d probably heard about her through the Observer (heck, an English teacher from my high school was there). However, by the end of Angus & Julia’s set they were clearly won over to their curious alt-folk – and quite right too.

Enchanting ingénues Angus & Julia Stone beguiled the crowd with their pretty folk sound in a set characterised by honest to goodness talent and quiet charm. The elaborately designed domed ceiling of the Oxford Town Hall was beautifully lit and gave the appearance of a fine lace cover over the stage which set off the pair’s delicate and breathy vocal styles perfectly. Julia’s witchy delivery was particularly spellbinding and a new track from Angus which peaked in an angry, rockier chorus was also notable.

It really is astonishing how talented the two are. And how they can put up with each other on the road. I don’t think my brother and I would last a day on a tour bus together! Their backing band are equally gifted.

Guitarist Clay had taught himself drums especially for the tour after their regular drummer was taken sick and he showed himself to be pretty proficient on the old skins. An unecessary apology for any mistakes (none that I could spot) was given before a rumbling and throaty “A Book Like This”, which was the high point of the set for me – that and an old song the siblings had written at band camp some years ago on the hoof which incorporated “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and provoked gentle chuckles from the crowd.

Given their wonderful music, it’s especially striking how shy the pair are – Angus in particular seemed content to hide behind hair and hat and left most of the inter-song banter to sister Julia. I guess they were new to most of the crowd last night but I predict that sales of their album will definitely increase after this tour finishes. I do love them so. “A Book Like This” is definitely one of my favourite albums of 2008 – possibly even my most favourite. They sound and look like they’ve stepped out of your most lovely imaginings and I hope their success builds and sustains over time. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

In contrast to the winsome humility of Angus & Julia, Martha Wainwright was her typical showy self – a presence massively opposed to her support but which was nonetheless compelling. Martha is herself one of famous siblings, and I couldn’t help but wonder as I watched her extravagant gestures and evident pleasure in being on the stage, what teatime at the Wainwrights must have been like with all those performers jostling for attention in one room. School friends must have been made of strong stuff to visit, for sure! The venue’s baroque décor suited Martha’s ostentatious and emotive vocal style perfectly. Boy can that woman belt out some tunes. By the time she got to singing a jazzy number in French, I concluded as a mere mortal, that’s just showing off …! “You Cheated Me” and a closing cover of Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” were my personal highlights although at times an overwrought and bombastic vocal style proved a little too much to take.

Martha’s between song patter was tongue in cheek and a million miles away from her confessional music, and was certainly evidence of her professionalism as well as a charismatic and dramatic personality. Thanking her excellent band and support as well as technicians alike (she rightly pointed out the sound men did wonders in what must have been a tough space to work with), she was slick and classy without sounding insincere. In fact I’d say her patter was refreshingly chipper and much welcome after the emotional gymnastics of her songs.

In all, gold stars are due to both acts. My fondness for Angus & Julia was admittedly my main reason for going and they didn’t disappoint; but credit where it’s due to the main act: Martha gave a set which no one could criticise for being sloppy or indifferent – she’s a born entertainer with a voice that demands to be heard. Now, thank you.

Martha Wainwright on amazon.com

Martha Wainwright on amazon.co.uk

Martha Wainwright Official Website

Angus & Julia Stone on amazon.com

Angus & Julia Stone on amazon.co.uk

Angus & Julia Stone Official Website

By: Lindsey Davis