Here we are, with our very first Band Weblogs Stance Awards, 2009.

One thing often overlooked when it comes to Rock ‘N’ Roll and unforgettable live performances, are the many great stances that we’ve seen on stage over the years.

With the Band Weblogs Stance Awards, there is a certain criteria to fill when it comes to picking the best stances on stage – along with a unique formula that we’ve used to determine our Top 5.

Since funds are limited this year, unfortunately, we were unable to give the winner an actual, physical award, but what they can walk away with, is knowing how high in our estimation they are.

After lengthy discussion and consideration, and having to narrow down quite a few great Glastonbury stances to the Top 5, the decisions were made.

Counting down from 5:

5. Karen O – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
With her, shall we say, interesting fashion sense and loyal fans, Karen O never lets us down when it comes to stage stances.

Website: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4. Alex James – Blur
During his Glastonbury set, bassist Alex James from Blur played a stand-out performance, but it was his stance that took it to another level. He spent a lot of time standing with both feet on the monitor, looking cool, while continuing to play hit after hit.

Website: Blur

3. Tom Jones
What can we say? He’s Tom frickin’ Jones. It was great seeing the legendary singer at Glastonbury. His voice is so good, it tends to overshadow his stage stances, but he’s able to pull both off with ease.

Website: Tom Jones

2. Gareth McGrillen – Pendulum
The second bass player in the Top 5, Gareth McGrillen from the Australian now British-based band Pendulum was a contender from the start. The band probably played one of the best shows at Glastonbury Festival this year, and it was Gareth’s stance that was a surefire stand-out – and it almost got him to #1.

Website: Pendulum

1. Bruce Springsteen
Talk about unforgettable live performances. Bruce Springsteen blew us away. The band was top notch, playing the classic Bruce Springsteen songs we all know and love, like “The River” and “Born To Run” and the couple of songs that I hadn’t heard before, like “Outlaw Pete”, by the end, I was singing along like I’d been listening to them for years. The band played a 2 hour and 40 minute set, breaking the Glastonbury curfew, which just goes to show the passion and dedication that Bruce has for his craft – and his fans. However, it was Bruce’s legendary stage stances, sometimes reminiscent of Joe Strummer, that got him to #1 on this list, and during the long set, we were entertained with countless amounts of them. 5 stars.

Website: Bruce Springsteen

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

Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Productions and Starr Hill Presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, are proud to announce the line-up for the second annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival.

The multi-faceted, three-day festival will once again take place in San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate Park August 28 – 30, 2009.

Tickets will go on sale Sunday April 19, 2009 at 10am PST via www.SFOutsidelands.com, and the festival’s presale for Visa and Visa Signature cardholders will take place April 15-18th. Visa cardholders will get advance access and limited time “eager beaver” pricing for three-day passes. Visa Signature cardholders also get exclusive access to VIP three-day passes during the presale. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.

In one year, the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival singlehandedly raised the bar for live music in Northern California. Now an annual gathering, this year’s lineup will solidify Outside Lands as the premier festival in the region, with unmatched creative programming that showcases leading artists in many musical scenes, including rock, pop, world music, soul, hip-hop and electronic.

Like the inaugural event, major national headliners such as Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz, Thievery Corporation, Ween, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Tom Jones, Built To Spill, Calexico, The National and Q-Tip, will perform alongside exceptional emerging artists such as Deerhunter, Heartless Bastards, Blind Pilot, Mastodon, Trombone Shorty and Dengue Fever.

Local acts such as The Dodos, The Morning Benders, Brett Dennen, John Vanderslice, Raphael Saadiq and SambaDa will be featured prominently as the festival strives to highlight the great artists of the region.

The complete announced lineup is listed below. More acts will be announced soon.

The 2009 Lineup video, produced by Ghost Robot, features the song “OUTSIDE LANDS (GO ON & FIX YOUR HAIR)” by RANGER DAVE & THE BISON.

Download “Outside Lands (Go On & Fix Your Hair)” MP3

Watch Outside Lands 2009 Lineup Announcement video:

Outside Lands has emerged as a familiar brand representing its own unique approach to celebrating the deep traditions of Northern California culture that are revered across the globe. At no other festival event can one experience the best music while eating world-class food and drinking some of the finest and most interesting wines available today. From tacos to raw food to oysters to nouveau to dim sum, San Francisco’s famously top-rated and diverse cuisine is on hand to offer fans the greatest culinary delights imaginable, while the artisan wine tent onsite assembles under one roof some of the most wonderful local wineries, all richly steeped in the history of the region. These wineries are looked upon as some of the best the world has to offer and it’s a rare and special occurrence when all of them come together in one location.

Besides music, food and wine, Northern California is best known as one of the technology and ecology capitals of the world. The festival celebrates the former with Crowdfire, the online Outside Lands community. In association with local company Federated Media, Crowdfire is an incredibly unique platform for sharing and creating event media within the festival grounds as well as with the online community at large. As for the latter, since San Francisco is front and center in the global discussion on ecological concerns, the festival has created Eco Lands, a place where the stage and cell phone charging station is powered by solar energy, where one can eat sustainable foods at an organic farmer’s market and where one can find the refillable water station and the recycling store. Outside Lands aims to be one of the largest carbon neutral events in the country and there is no better place to reach that goal than on the grounds of the one of the world’s most famous parks.

“We are so proud to have introduced this vital and unique annual event to the music fans in San Francisco,” said Superfly’s Rick Farman. “We are really excited to be back and can’t wait to unveil all we’re planning. The great lineup is just the tip of the iceberg.”

By continuing to bring an endless selection of the best music and activities that celebrate the vibrant culture of the Bay Area, this year’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival is poised to cement it as one of the premier music events in the country.

The Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival 2009 Line-up is below:

(Information subject to change.)

Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews Band
Beastie Boys
Incubus
Black Eyed Peas
M.I.A
Jason Mraz
Ween
The Mars Volta
Thievery Corporation
Modest Mouse
Band of Horses
TV on the Radio
Dead Weather
Atmosphere
Tom Jones
Silversun Pickups
The National
Q-Tip
Brett Dennen
Built To Spill
Mastodon
Raphael Saadiq
Calexico
Os Mutantes
Midnite
JJ Grey & Mofro
Kinky
Deerhunter
Lila Downs
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The Dodos
Bettye LaVette
Dengue Fever
Heartless Bastards
The Dirtbombs
Lenka
Akron/Family
John Vanderslice
Matt and Kim
Portugal. The Man
The Morning Benders
The Duke Spirit
Zee Avi
Blind Pilot
SambaDa
Ryan Bingham
West Indian Girl
Extra Golden

For the latest news and information, go to:

Outside Lands Official Website