Audio Addict #16 2013 by Audio Addict

AUD O ADD CT

The Post Tribal Bible #16 / May 2013 / FREE

Mount Kimbie Shaun Ryder Chapel CLub Charli Xcx Kid Cudi

Savages

“It’s not about being quiet, it’s about clearing some space to hear noises that matter”

WELCOME

The sun is finally out, the rain has gone and we’re back with our third issue of the year. Good times! In this issue we have the lovely ladies of Savages on the cover, the band’s first exclusive regional press! One of our lucky readers can win tickets to see Brit Award winner Tom Odell at Southampton Guildhall in our latest competition... aren’t we good to you lot? Along with another ‘What were you thinking?’ piece, flip through to see who made the page of shame. This issue’s rant and rave sees two of our editors focus on the use of mobile phones at concerts, which side are you on? Audio Addict are once again hosting another launch night in support of this issue after a cracking night at POP back in February. This time we have linked up with MILK, Hazy and SEMSU at Unit on Saturday 4th May when we welcome Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat to the south coast, it’s going to be a great night so make sure you come down! We do our best to provide our readers with the best features possible and this issue is no different! Our writers sat down with Rolo Tomassi, post dubstep pioneers Mount Kimbie and more… As ever we have our reviews section, with the likes of Charli XCX, Fall Out Boy’s comeback album, and some promising debut releases from American alt-pop duo MS MR and Brit troubadour Josh Kumra. Our live reviews section consists of; every Dad’s favourite alt-rock band Matchbox Twenty and surf rockers Peace. And to keep tradition, we have some great think pieces throughout, focusing on viral campaigns and album covers, finishing with The Future of Festivals. Editorial Team Matthew Cook - Front Section Mitch Stevens - Features Luke McFarlane - Reviews Mikey Rush - Design Twitter @AudioAddictMag Audio-Addict.co.uk To advertise or for press enquiries ontact us at: AudioAddictEditors@hotmail.co.uk Audio Addict magazine and blog are produced by students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism course at Southampton Solent University. The views expressed in the magazine and blog are the students’ and contributors for which the University and its staff can not be held responsible.

Contributors Adam Bouteloup // Aidan Ducker Alex Annabell //Billy Bentley // Connor Cass Coralie Pilté // Ella McClary // Ellis Ballard Fran Botham // George Percival Georgia Blunden // Hannah Woollven Indie Shaw // Izzy Coote // James Barlow Joe Madden // Katie Vowles Kiwi Vincent // Leo Troy Louis Kerry // Louise Egan Niamh Moore // Nicole Dimitrova Piers Le Moignan Raven // Rose Lyness Rebecca Rayner // Rory Gilbert// Sean Lewis Shannon Gibson // Shadene Lewis // Tommy Jones William Keenan // Zoe Coxon

CONTENTS Page eight

Returning this year with a new album, their first since 2011’s Palace, Chapel Club speak on their new sound and the new record.

page twelve

Rolo Tomassi talk to us about their non-conformist nature and giving back to the fans.

page eighteen

Exclusive to Audio Addict, the four piece Post-punk band Savages gave us their first regional interview.

page twenty-two

Legendary Mancunian frontman Shaun Ryder spoke to us about, well, everything really…

page twenty-six

As always we provide you with straight talking, honest album and live reviews, from Pop to Post-dubstep, we’ve got a great selection in this issue.

NEWS Richie Havens Passes away Woodstock veteran Richie Havens, best known for his opening performance at the historic 1969 festival, passed away on 22nd April. The Brooklyn born music icon was recently on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained with ‘Freedom’. It was this song that has cemented his name in music history, this improvised version of the gospel song ‘Motherless Child’ evolved into the anthem of the 1960’s hippy generation. Truly this man was a legend and his distinctive guitar and singing style set him apart from everyone else. Rest in peace Richie Havens.

Daft Punk break the internet Daft Punk are back with a record breaking bang. The French duo’s first single in eight years, ‘Get Lucky featuring Pharrell’, has smashed Spotify’s global streaming of a single in a day. The track soared past Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop’ and Bastille’s ‘Pompeii’, that held the record for US and UK streaming respectively. Will Hope, director of label relations at Spotify, said: “The robots have once again shown themselves to be true innovators, not only with their new musical direction and the stellar cast of collaborators they’re working with, but also by undertaking one of the best album campaigns we’ve seen for some time.”

Fugees Singer given lifeline Former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill has put ink to paper for a $1 million deal with Sony Music, which will put a dent in the $1.8 million she owes due to her failing to file for three years of tax returns. The New Jersey born singersongwriter representatives would not discuss further details about the contract aside from the fact she had signed one. All we do know is that this will be her first recorded piece of work since MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Hopefully she can generate a bit of cash for herself to pay off those debts as well as entertain her fans.

Win a pair of tickets to see tom odell perform live The Brits 2013 Critic’s Choice award winner Tom Odell has announced a second UK tour this October after selling out all of the dates in Spring. Odell’s debut album, Long Way Down, will be out in June after it’s release date was pushed back for a worldwide release thanks to the unexpected popularity of the Chichester born singer/ songwriter. The album continues the theme of heartbreaking love songs showcased on his Another Love EP, but develops their stripped back sound into fully fleshed out pop masterpieces.

what were you thinking?

To be in with a chance of winning just finish the following sentence for us: Tom Odell’s debut album is called... A) Short Way Home B) Long Way Down C) Long Way Round Email the correct answer to audioaddicteditors@hotmail.co.uk Mark Batty // Markbatty.tumblr.com

Dappy is at it again! The twonkish former N-Dubz star has been taped strollling around Cadbury House Hotel’s corridors with a rather suspicious white powder on his nose whilst proclaiming “I’m drunk” to other guests who were clearly mocking him. This isn’t the first time Costadinos Contostavlos has been in the papers for idiotic behaviour, but this misdemeanour is slightly less serious then his previous conviction of assault and affray. Dappy’s lawyers released a statement saying “Some girls there were messing about with make-up and talcum powder trying to make me look like Tony Montana from Scarface. What you can see on my face is talcum powder.” OK mate, whatever you say! Audio-Addict.co.uk

This issue’s Rant and Rave continues with the tradition of our editors battling it out with words, the chosen topic this time is the use of camera phones at concerts. Are you for or against?

RANT

You’ve been waiting to see your favourite artist for months now and get in extra early to get a good standing spot for the show, but as soon as the lights come up and the music starts blaring, what does everyone do? “Let’s get our mobiles/tablets/cameras out and continuously take pictures and videos throughout the entire gig”. I thought we were here to listen to music people not pursue a career in low budget film making? It has to be the most annoying part of modern day gigs, along with people chatting throughout the entire night. I’m all for memorabilia but why spend the entire time on your phone taking pictures, you’re here to listen to music, right? Just to show off on social networking sites, “look who I saw the other night!” It was great to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs confiscate phones from gig-goers at their show in NYC, more artists need to do this at their shows as it ruins the experience for everyone. You go to a gig to enjoy live music, so enjoy it!

New technology is constantly finding ways to improve our lives, particularly in the field of entertainment. With technology progressing so quickly, I find it baffling that members of the entertainment industry are refusing to embrace the filming of their shows through camera phones. While I can understand that if you’re behind an amateur filmographer armed with nothing but a 13” iPad at a gig, the urge to unleash fury upon them can be irresistable, but the benefits of these recordings can be massive. Let me put it to you like this, without such wonderful clips on YouTube, how would we have been gifted with Beyonce falling down a flight of stairs onstage mid-strut? Without these handheld Spielbergs, how would we have seen Justin Beiber throwing up his pre-show McDonalds during a chorus? Let’s face it, camera recordings at gigs pick up delights that others have not been fortunate enough to experience. Are we expected to believe Karen O has never scoured the net for live recordings of her favourite acts? Of course she has. Bands are meant to entertain, so please, lighten up.

Luke McFarlane - Reviews Editor

rave

Mitchell Stevens - Features Editor

Audio-Addict.co.uk

new religion

After parting ways with Universal, Chapel Club look set to release their new album Good Together later this spring via Ignition Records. Louise Egan caught up with Mike Hibbert to discuss the record, their new sound and touring.

Since their debut album Palace, Chapel Club have not only switched labels, but have taken on an electronic sample-based form; a stark contrast to their indie-pop style debut. Speaking to Chapel Club keyboardist Mike Hibbert, it’s easy to see the pleasure the band has had in creating the forthcoming album and the interest they’ve taken in discovering artists.

“The first album was always going to be an introduction; it’s like a TV show, in the first couple of episodes you really have to spell it out for people so they know what’s going on. I think it’s the way music has always been, and on your first album you really have to make a statement. You have to let people know what you’re about on your debut album, and on your second it’s a chance to explore things you haven’t done before”. Exploring is just what Chapel Club have been doing, and the difference in musical influence is evident on new tracks such as ‘Sleep Alone’ and ‘Good Together’, as well as another two which have been released on the band’s official

website. “There was a lot of synth based music, but mainly stuff from the late 70’s early 80’s. Lots of alternative disco kinds of stuff, New York stuff, a lot of Arthur Russell. We were listening to a fair amount of soul and even hip-hop towards the tail end of the album. Things like late 70’s early 80’s Talking Heads, maybe little bits of Jazz. People like Dorothy Ashby; it’s all harp based jazz and soul from the 60’s which is really good, lots of Flying Lotus and Alice Coltrane too. It was a lot of music we hadn’t really listened to before and I think we’re one of those bands that is very influenced by what we’re listening to at the time, but it felt very good to not really be considering guitars as a main instrument for the record. It frees you up quite a lot.” Mike seems to have found a new love for music, whether that be through writing of performing. They relish the thought of performing in their new style, “It’s exciting, we’re looking forward to working out how we’re going to do this, because we toured Palace for quite a while, and towards the end it feels like you’re just stepping through the motions a little bit... the interest

comes in playing with an instrument that you have never played before and I think that makes you play differently and take a different approach to making music. It’s exciting because you’re writing new songs and you have a reignited interest in terms of writing music.” Despite their change in musical style, Mike is confident that Chapel Club have not lost track of their foundations and talks about his favourite track on the new album: “There’s a song called ‘Force You’, and I don’t suppose anyone will have heard it yet. It’s one of the songs that’s going to lead our style in the future I think, certainly that and ‘Sleep Alone’. It’s a slow number, which I’m always a big fan of in our songs, it’s got a bit of a soul feel to it. And it has lots of harp, which is always a plus. It’s got a nice breakdown and then the harp outro, which feels very ‘Sergeant Pepper’s’. It’s my favourite song by a long way.” Mike also has great expectations for his band in 2013 and their new style is set to take them far this year. “I want us to be able to start writing

the new record pretty soon, it’s the part of the process we enjoy the most, and I feel as though we’re in a position where we’re confident with our song-writing, which hadn’t been the case, certainly for the first album and it took a while with the track ‘Good Together’ but I feel as though I’d like to start that again soon while we’re in a good place concerning our abilities. I’d also like to tour a bit. We haven’t toured in a while so it would be nice to tour the US properly and go to places we’ve never been before like Australia. I feel as though in the past we weren’t a very good live band, I would like us to be a band that people want to see and talk about and remember. I don’t go and see a lot of live bands, it’s not something I’m interested in, but I enjoy playing live and I think it’s a very important part of our jobs with the music we are making, to make it memorable.” Chapel Club play Dot-to-Dot and Reading and Leeds festivals this summer, as well as some of their rescheduled Spring Tour dates so don’t miss out on seeing them live, you’ll become a believer in no time. Audio-Addict.co.uk

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Is there a place in music for art any more? With digital becoming the primary source for music, have the canvases of 12” record sleeves become outdated in the face of technology? Matt Cook examines the relevance of album artwork in today’s music. Do you remember the days of playing Frisbee with vinyl covers? Well of course you don’t. You and I aren’t old enough, maybe you have had your ear chewed off by someone who can remember doing it. But how important is album artwork in today’s culture? In the age of digital downloading, is this once quintessential art form even relevant anymore? During the 20th century, technological advancement has created us, the generation of discontent. We want to consume our media then digest and discard it as soon as possible. This is why many a critic has surmised that the death of album artwork is nigh. But for a

music fan, such a viewpoint isn’t acceptable. Album artwork is the face of a band. It’s the first portal we interact with and gives us an immediate insight into the ideologies and beliefs of the band/artist. Iconic albums are known to many for their artwork including numerous works by the great Storm Thorgerson, who died last month. Thorgerson was an English graphic designer, best known for his work for rock artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Scorpions, and Biffy Clyro. Undoubtedly his most famous piece of artwork is the cover of Dark Side Of The Moon. This image has

become a symbol that epitomises what album artwork used to represent. Pink Floyd’s vocalist Dave Gilmour called him “an inseparable part of our work” and this idea that sound and vision go hand-in-hand is well established. We all know you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have an enticing exterior. Factory Records’ artists seemed to have to align with this idea, Joy Division being one of them. The band used artist Peter Saville to capture their album artwork and this tight partnership created some revolutionary artwork including their debut Unknown Pleasures. The minimalistic connotations of this album has become iconic. This minimalistic representation is a polar opposite to many of the 70’s progressive rock album art. But how have these connotations adapted over time? Everyone knows that the corporation of music has affected the output of musicians drastically. Artists often don’t necessarily have as much input on the cover work so the connotations and ideologies reflected often don’t always coincide with the band’s beliefs. This has meant that this intrinsic piece of art has become homogenous, boring and generic. It is this artwork that has stunted album art and has turned it into disposable media and

has diminished the integrity of the artwork that does reflect the musicians content inside. It seems some artists have to use obscene art nowadays to be noticed. The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s artwork for Mosquito is grotesque and uninformative, but then again so is the entire album. If artists have to resort to using sh***y artwork like this they should just have their music videos as their visual entity, at least they’ll contain direction and give the audience a deeper connection with the band’s beliefs. In summation, album artwork is personal and it completes the package. For music lovers this form is vital. And don’t worry, album artwork isn’t going anywhere soon. A boost for the medium was recently announced in the form of the sales figures of vinyl at Record Store Day, where sales almost doubled from last year. Vinyl stores must adore the hipster culture currently drowning the Western world. With this culture becoming more and more dominant in society album artists can breathe a huge sigh of relief because they are guaranteed an income seeing as these creatures will purchase anything, even if it’s just to be ironic. Audio-Addict.co.uk

ROCK AND ROLO 12

Rolo Tomassi have never been a group to take the easy route. Since their third album, they’ve been putting the fans and the music first leaving their own egos at the door. Songwriter James Spence sat down with Leo Troy to discuss their non-conformist nature. Throughout an eventful seven year career, three well received albums and thousands of touring miles under their belt, Rolo Tomassi is a name that should be on the tongue of any self-respecting fan of modern hardcore music. However, whilst sitting in his bedroom surrounded by “Old f***ed keyboards and guitar amps”, synth player and vocalist James Spence declares that despite their unflinching respect and dedicated hard work, they’ve never really been the poster children for the scene; “I don’t really think we fit in, we’ve never really fit in to anything”. For instance, front-woman Eva is much more familiar with knitting than mosh-pitting, their artwork is closer to psychadelic than psychotic and their complex sound is focused on brains rather than brawn. However last year, they released Astraea. The album tweaked their mathematical barrage, pushing it into much more accessible realms. “We wanted to make a structured record that still had the same intensity but was just a lot more together and coherent. Playing the kind of music we do can sometimes be a little bit exhausting and awkward to listen to, so we wanted something that still had the chaotic side but also included more of the melodic parts”. Evidently, Spence is resolutely passionate about the band and he admits himself that Astraea has had its critics; “there’s been some people who have said its less technical than the previous releases and they don’t like that, but the direction we’re going is playing to my strengths as a songwriter”.

Back in 2011 the band released Eternal Youth, a compilation of previous E.Ps, rare material and remixes. On the subject of this concept, Spence says it’s likely there will be more remixes to come from Astraea; “65daysofstatic did one of Illuminaire and I think if the right opportunity came and we got the right people in, then it’s definitely something we would look at. I think that a lot of the material on Astraea would lend itself a lot better to being remixed than previous material. We want to be remixed by people we like and we think could do the songs justice”. The forward-thinking attitude that Rolo Tomassi bring to their music is also an outlook they’re looking to bring to the finances of touring. Just last month they announced a budget tour with tickets at only £5 a piece. Spence explains the motive behind this; “I know that I can’t afford to go to several shows a week. When you factor in everything, you can’t really pay 12 quid to go and see a band and if you wanna buy other stuff, you can end up spending 30 quid easily. We just wanted to make it cheaper so people can afford to see us play. It’s just something we’re gonna stick with I think. Obviously we get paid less based on that, modifying the way we’re gonna be touring, but were just hoping it’s gonna attract more people to come to the shows”.

“I don’t really think we fit in, we’ve never really fit in to anything” The bands disregard of financial gain in lieu of being able to get out there and play to people has to be admired, whether it be for the benefit of the fans or their own love of music. Despite not fitting in, their DIY motive does tie them to UK hardcore scene; “We do most things ourselves, we’re heavily involved in booking and we’re in charge of all our own merch. The Audio-Addict.co.uk

ethic that is usually related to hardcore, I suppose we do fit in with”. Spence’s enthusiasm clearly drives the band and has even helped them overcome multiple obstacles. Just last year they lost guitarist and bassist Joe Nicholson and Joseph Thorpe respectively to other commitments, replacing them with Chris Cayford of No Coast and Nathan Fairweather of Brontide. But on the subject of playing with people who are already involved in other projects, James sees more positives in this line-up change than negatives; “It’s great! It’s really good to know that we’re playing in a band with people that are so creative and willing to continue with the project. I think it’s only gonna help rather than inhibit us”.

It’s crystal clear that nothing can stop Rolo Tomassi. After seven years as a mainstay, they’re proudly progressing, constantly battling against conventions and never conforming to the scene that surrounds them. For Spence, the band is simply the best its ever been; “I’m writing music that is making me a lot happier and I’m enjoying playing live a lot more”. With all their personality and unique nature, Rolo Tomassi may be a band that have never, and will never, fit in. But rest assured, despite the obstacles and hindrances, they will stick around.

THe ins and outs of:

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth 2010’s Crooks and Lovers was a landmark album for electronic music. So how do post-dubstep pioneers Mount Kimbie follow it up? Kai Campos of the duo reveals to Mikey Rush the how’s and why’s of the new record. How are you feeling with the album now that it’s finally on it’s way out? Yeah good, we’re happy with it so we just want to get it out there now. We didn’t have to sit on it for too long, we’d only just finished it before we started uploading stuff so yeah it’s exciting. Did you feel much pressure following up the first album? I suppose there was a slight pressure. You put pressure on yourself to do something good, and that’s kind of the main thing. I don’t really feel like pressure to make a certain record because Warp certainly didn’t… I don’t feel pressure from people listening to the record because I think you can’t really think about them when your making it. And I think if you actually follow through with what you wanted to do then some people come with you, some people won’t like it and some people who’ve never heard you before will get into it. So y’know, it’s the only option. There’s a lot more emphasis on lyrical content with this one, did you always plan to sing? I think maybe getting comfortable enough

with it to the point of putting it on a record was probably to do with playing live because I guess we used our voices a bit more as we were playing more and more shows. We were trying out these half finished songs when we were playing last year, and they had vocals on them which wasn’t a big deal but there were no lyrics and I was kind of making stuff up on the night. It was kind of more about the melody, and then by the time I came to do the record it felt like it should still be on there. I think probably in the past we’d have got somebody else to do it but I would have just had to tell somebody exactly how to do it and exactly what to say and I didn’t want to do that. So we just did the best with what we had really. How did the King Krule collab come about? We were just really into his stuff, and when I was listening to his music I just thought that his compositional style and his whole kind of delivery would actually work really well. I just got his email address, then went to a show and we had a chat. He didn’t live very far from our studio so it was quite easy for him to just pop in when he felt like it. The songs were quite unfinished at the beginning and he would take them away and then he came back in every now and again and we’d work on them together. Because it was important for us that he had ownership over them as well and wasn’t just coming in and putting a vocal over a finished song. So they were very much his songs as well. Audio-Addict.co.uk

Audio Addict’s Guide to Viral It’s no secret that if you can make your advert go viral, you’re on to a winner. After countless hours spent looking at cats on the Internet, Matt Cook is the perfect person to break it down. The radio, like all mediums of art, is always liable to backlashes and protests. The latest saga is that of the ‘DingDong Margaret Thatcher’ jibe. The hit song from the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz was attached to the death of the former Prime-Minister Thatcher as a mocking memorial by protestors against her policies. The song soared into the charts and left radios with a blistering headache. What I want to know, and I am sure you do too, is how these viral campaigns come to fruition and become so successful?

Humour is Key

First things first, humour is the quintessential hook upon which all viral campaigns are formed. Beware, adding humour into a humourless subject can work well but it can just as easily blow-up in your face. However, a campaign without humour is like having a crumble without the fruity goodness at the bottom, dry and rather fowl. This humour can be seen in many examples of successful viral campaigns, possibly my favourite is that of the “#waitrosereasons”. This hashtag was formed by the middle-class supermarket for customers to say why they enjoyed shopping at the overpriced supermarket. This backfired pretty quickly with jokers ripping the posh

clientelé with tweets including “I shop at Waitrose because it makes me feel important and I absolutely detest being surrounded by poor people #waitrosereasons”.

Know Your Audience

To rephrase ex-PM Tony Blair, it’s all about demographic, demographic, demographic. If you don’t understand the audience you are aiming to reach with this campaign, stop and try and do something more productive. Without anyone latching onto your idea, you are being a poo-head.

Have You Got The Influence?

Whatever you do in life, you need to be confident because confidence breeds success. If you can’t sell yourself and your campaign then it will not be as big as you imagine it will be. So grow some nuts and put yourself out there, because you ain’t getting nowhere sitting in-front of your laptop, tearing your hair out over a failing project. So if you are wishing to get your hashtag famous or create any form of viral campaign, try to think over the three sectors we have mentioned... you’ll need to!

quick fire q+A With PUP Torontonian Indie Rock group Topanga are no more. Say hello to the new and improved PUP. Fuelled by alcohol and leaving the indie tag behind, they’ve moved into the studio with iconic producer David Schiffman (who’s worked with The Bronx and Mars Volta) to record their debut album. We tested them with our quickfire questions. Describe the sound you guys make. Like a street fight between a kindergarten class and a pack of ugly wolves. Sweet but aggressive. Who’d win in a battle royale among the band? Probably Stef (lead vox). He’s got small hands. Good for poking eyes. If you could recruit a 5th member from anywhere, who would it be and what would they play? Jeremy Irons. He played Scar in the Lion King - which is a movie we all love. We would just

have him read lines over top of our music, constantly. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put maple syrup on? This seems vaguely racist against Canadians, so I am just gonna say BACON. Where do you want to be in 5 years as a band? Best case: playing the opening of a Starbucks. What’s been the highlight of your year so far? Tracking the glockenspiel orchestra for our record. It’s all glockenspiel. That’s cool, right? What animal best represents the band? Giraffe. No, wait. Obviously that isn’t accurate. I meant Rhesus monkey. You know, like they sell at Ikea? Toronto joke? Got a message for our readers? I really like that ensemble you’ve got going on today. Very intellectual.

Read the full interview online Audio-Addict.co.uk

In a regional exclusive, Audio Addict spoke to one of the UK’s fastest rising bands, Savages, about their debut album Silence Yourself, their live act and the gap between the ‘physical and emotional self ’.

Audio-Addict.co.uk

London all-girl four piece Savages are currently touring in support of their debut album Silence Yourself, released on the 7th of May. Their often dark, visceral tones have earned them massive critical acclaim in their careers, with their sets at this year’s SXSW being regarded as some of the best of the festival. Savages’ beginnings are far from extraordinary, with year-long discussions between Gemma Thompson and Jehnny Beth culminating in the formation of the band in 2011. Early 2012 saw them play their first live show alongside British Sea Power. But 2013 is the first year that the group have started causing a stir in the music press and have been assisted in this by an entry into BBC’s sound of 2013 list, as they prepare to unleash Silence Yourself onto the public. Drummer Fay Milton claims that the album is a message to their listeners: “It’s about silencing the distractions of the every day, which can come from the outside world or within yourself. It’s not about being quiet, it’s about clearing some space to hear noises that matter.”

“The idea when we started was to play fast and loud... these were the only parameters that were set.” Their sound is hugely reminiscent of the sounds of 70’s post-punk icons, such as Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees, with a touch of shimmering shoegaze. The Flying To Berlin/Husbands double A-side has revealed that their urgent, lo-fi anthems have the same raw spirit as their more obvious influences. “The idea when we started was to play fast and loud; in the very first conversation I ever had with the others, these were the only parameters that were set. We all have very different influences musically so the next stage in the process was for us to all play together, bring our palates of

sounds and ideas and then edit these down. And then when we had found something that sounded good, we edited some more to get rid of anything unnecessary. That editing process resulted in the sound that we have. You can call it post punk if you like, but to me that term is so inextricably linked to a specific and past era, that it’s not a genre name that I feel particularly attached to.”

“To play our music is a very physical thing, sometimes it feels as if our guts are all spilling out across the stage.” While they prefer to keep their personal lives shrouded in mystery, the group have made a point of expressing their band’s motivations and ideologies through their selection of manifestos. Usually, making a system of beliefs so easily available to fans is enough to leave their lyrics devoid of interpretation, yet Savages’ message is an essential part of their act, “Savages is not trying to give you something you didn’t have already” proclaims one manifesto. It’s their unique outlook on the connection bands and fans share that sets them apart from their contemporaries, who are more than happy to only acknowledge audiences via raw stage rituals or the spoken word. Savages boldly desire to change the way you experience day-to-day life; “Our manifestos apply to ourselves as much as they apply to others, it’s more of a call to arms - let’s break away from this monotony and distraction together. We respect our audience and are offering something to contrast the dumbed-downsoundbite-ridden-crap that is constantly forced into their beautiful faces.”. Savages claim that the band attempt to connect the listener’s ‘physical and emotional self ’. The band strive to replicate their ideologies onstage: “To play our music is a very

physical thing, sometimes it feels as if our guts are all spilling out across the stage. Control and release are present within all music and it’s interesting to try to have both things at the same time. To physically have total control over a total release…that’s something I think you can find in what we do. It’s no newsflash to say that humans are becoming less and less physical in their day to day lives - but the primal urge for movement, adrenaline and physical connection still live within all of us. We are channelling some of that primal sense through our live show and our music in an attempt to pass that energy to others.” claims Milton. This year they will be bringing their act to high profile festivals such as Coachella, Primavera and Glastonbury, while they’ll also be maintaining a cult status by invading Britain’s toilet venues. Savages have already gained a

reputation for intense, energetic yet deeply personal live shows: “When we put on a show, we like, where possible, to curate the whole event from the very start to the very end. That involves lighting, soundtrack, even the temperature of the room sometimes. It’s like when you put on a party and you want to make sure everything is right for your guests. But it goes beyond that too, it’s also about trying to quieten the distractions, to create a world that people can enter away from the tinned-80’s-classics and lurid colours of the outside world.” Savages, although only two years into their careers, show a tremendously focused intensity. Their album, Silence Yourself, is set to be one of the strongest and most refreshing debut releases in recent memory, as Milton puts it: “like a sharp slap on the ass”. Connor Cass

Audio-Addict.co.uk

Monday’s Child Mancunian legends The Happy Mondays are back together and touring... again. Shadene Lewis sat down with legendary frontman Shaun Ryder to talk music, UFO’s, One Direction and Australian jungle grub. It’s happened. It’s finally happened. The interview that seemed to be but a dream has finally become reality. To understand the trauma behind this tale let me take you back, if you will, to weeks been and gone. Where a not-so-young female was sat irritably on her sofa, armed with nothing but an inquisitive nature, a mobile phone and a recording device.

Desperately dialling digits into her phone for an awe inspiring conversation with non-other than the absolute legend that is Shaun Ryder. Yes, that’s right THE Shaun Ryder of THE Happy Mondays, one of THE greatest bands to emerge out of Britain...and that isn’t just my opinion...okay so perhaps it is, but the point still stands. I’m pretty sure we all agree that Happy Mondays are pretty darn awesome. So you can understand my excitement when given the opportunity to interview Shaun. The interview was scheduled for 2.20pm. Prompt and punctual, or as some might say, a little over excited, I make the call. The dial tone rings, the nerves kick in and wait! The dial tones stopped... OH. MY. GOD. This is happening.

I’m going to talk to Shaun bloody Ryder! I’m waiting, and waiting, and...wait! Helllooooo... voice mail. My first phone interview, how very anticlimactic. Trust me, there really is nothing more depressing than hearing the words “Welcome to Orange answer phone”. The conversation between my good friend Mr. Answer Phone and I continued for some time, the repetition was indeed deflating and it was at about this point that my expectations started to shrivel away. Running the risk of looking like a pest (calling 17 times in 1 hour isn’t a lot!), I decided to call it a day. It seemed like that was it, that it was all one big joke constructed by the editors. Until, what’s that? It’s been rescheduled? Ideal. Second time, surely I’ll have more luck. Wrong, turns out it’s been moved back a day. Third time lucky! Right? Well I guess the saying is spot on, because my third try was definitely lucky. It started with the standard hello which soon progressed into something far more wonderful. A shaky start, no doubt, but Shaun was kind and reassuring like a distant uncle that you don’t talk to often but is good at filling up awkward silences. With the first words uttered being “I better be careful what I say, hadn’t I?” This was going to be gold. I found out a bundle of exciting things from Shaun, like for example his favourite cheese. (It’s Lancaster, in case you were wondering). I found out that testicles taste like oysters and tarantulas taste like roast beef and that he is going to see One Direction with his daughters. All of which, whilst interesting and a little odd, aren’t the important things we need to know about Mr. Ryder. No. Lets get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. Like, will there be a new Happy Mondays album? Sadly not; “A new Monday’s album? There’s just no time! We said we would do one, it’s when we have the time. It could be next year, the year after. Who knows!” But don’t break down in tears just yet, Shaun has a rather fantastic solo album coming out later into the year. He informed me that

it’s a little like the Uncle Dysfunktional album, only more focussed. “Well, in 2006 we [The Happy Mondays] did the Uncle Dysfunktional album. The guy who worked on that is a real good friend of mine, he’s worked on my album and it’s sort of a bit like that only we spent more time working on it. With this we spent a lot more time writing and more care on it. It’s sort of like that, but not too much like that. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

There’s no sex, there’s no drugs, there’s just music. Despite no new album just yet, Shaun informs me that the Mondays are touring across the UK; “Basically we’re doing shows for the next two or three years, so.”, something which Shaun seems to be looking forward to: “It’s great performing now. 20 odd years ago there was a lot of drama with being young. Now there’s no drama! There’s no sex, there’s no drugs, there’s just music.” Wait. What? No sex? No drugs? That doesn’t sound very much like the wild reckless group that is the Happy Mondays to me! Well, that’s probably because as Shaun so eloquently put it “now we are a bunch of boring old f*****s...” How lovely. Whilst it seems like things with the Mondays are moving at more of a pensioners pace, Shaun himself has been very busy, very busy indeed. He’s been filming for an autobiographical film of his life and presenting a programme on the History Channel in which Shaun goes gallivanting to various places around the world looking at UFO’s and the unexplained...It really does all sound out of this world. Of course Shaun is no stranger to our television screens, he’s been on a fair few programmes in his time like Ghost Hunting with the Happy Mondays, which if you haven’t Audio-Addict.co.uk

seen, google it right NOW because I can assure you it’s the BEST thing you’ll ever see in your life... EVER! There really is nothing funnier than watching the Happy Mondays get blitzed on brandy and shouting “f**k off” at a ‘ghost’. Drunken ghost-busting aside, Shaun has also appeared on ITV’s All Star Mr and Mrs and, of course, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. The reality show in which we watch a handful of celebrities and a few ‘I’m-notsure-who-the-f**k-they-are-but-apparentlythey-are-famous-people’, endure the cruellest of tasks. Despite being made to bathe with crustaceans and creepy crawlies, sleep in a hammock and munch on bugs and things that should never pass human lips. But Shaun insists that the jungle was tip-top “It’s easier in the jungle to out here in real life.” A statement that I personally find very hard to believe but hey, whatever floats your boat. It is evident that Shaun’s career is a diverse one; he is seemingly a jack of all trades, well entertainment wise at least. However his career hasn’t always run quite so smoothly as I found out when asking the obligatory “If you could change one thing in your career, what would it be?” question. “I had years of legal problems, 13 years of it which really did y’know... if I’d have know what I know now, then. I’d have probably avoided all the legal s**t I got myself into. But everything else I’d keep pretty much how it was.” A sensible answer and a good choice, but little did I know that this question would lead on to a wonderful Ryder rant....

“I got asked just now, ‘Oh the press gave you a hard time’, the press didn’t give us a hard time. We played with the press. We used the press. There was loads of bands that started off when we started off in the 80’s that you never hear of because it’s not, it’s just not all about the voice. The game isn’t just about the voice, if it was it would be great. But it isn’t. You’ve got to come up with all the other bull” A sense of slight smugness and a clear passion resonated in his voice as he said this. The words just kept flowing like some kind of glorious speech in an epic film, the type with a war, explosions and a heart-warming love scene. Shaun was delivering to me the secret of the Mondays success in the form of a subtle brag and laugh at the press’ expense, and it was bloody grand. “In the 80’s it was so boring! If someone rolled a joint it was like WOW it’s the end of your career! Growing up with the Stones and the Sex Pistols and all that stuff that’s gone and we decided that we was going to bring that back. We used it, we played it and we got exactly what we wanted.” Genius, pure genius; who knew? And all from a man who swears at ghosts and ate kangaroo testicles on national TV. Ryder-rant over, the silence started to creep it’s way in and I suddenly remembered that I was in fact conducting an interview and that did involve talking. “Well they say there is no such thing as bad press...” I chuckled. To which Shaun rather sceptically replied. “Well, yeah. They SAY that.”

Presenting:

nina nesbitt ‘Presenting:’ is a guide to the most exciting new artists that we’ve found and want to share with you guys. It’s been running on the website for a short while but making the jump to the magazine with us for the first time is Scottish songbird Nina Nesbitt. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt has steadily risen to fame over the course of just a few years, and at the remarkable age of 18, has just reached her first top 40 UK single with ‘Stay Out’. The singer said “I didn’t even expect it to get played on the radio. It’s really really positive and to get in the top 40 is like my wildest dream”. The most obvious moment that Nesbitt had a hell of a lot going for her was at last year’s T in The Park Festival, in her home country, when she was one of the only acts to fill the BBC Introducing Tent all weekend “It was great, I was expecting about ten people”. Riding on that wave of momentum, she soon released single ‘Boy’, where most discovered

her clear potential, with her blend of witty lyrics and sombre melodies. Not even a year later, Nesbitt released her fourth EP, Stay Out. The release resulted in a big sales boost, more festival slots and even her own one off Radio 1 slot, gifting her a lot of attention despite her nerves for speaking in public: “I’m not that confident, I don’t enjoy speaking at things. I feel less nervous having to sing than having to speak... I think now I’ve done so many gigs and been in so many situations that I’m alright but it doesn’t come naturally to me. I had to present an award last week and I felt sick before I went on stage”. Clearly having all the time in the world for her 80,000 Twitter followers, Nina said there can be downsides to fame: “Sometimes obviously it can be quite hurtful to an artist...I guess you can be an artist that doesn’t go on twitter like Adele but I think that’s for a certain type of artist. I really enjoy being on twitter and chatting to my fans”. Having already toured with Example and sold out a show at the London Barfly there is no doubt that Nesbitt’s debut album will be a huge success with her ever growing fanbase. Louis Kerry Audio-Addict.co.uk

REVIEWS 26

Charli XCX True Romance Warner Records

Charli XCX has been a recognisable name to blog dwellers since 2011 after singles ‘Stay Away’ and ‘Nuclear Seasons’. From then until now, the singer has unveiled a slew of tracks and numerous mixtapes, as well as touring internationally with bands such as Coldplay and Santigold. Despite these massive achievements, Charli is yet to garner much in the way of mainstream popularity. With the release of True Romance however, she’s making a bid for commercial domination. The album opens with a layered soundscape before kicking promptly into electro tinged single ‘Nuclear Seasons’, a song that sounds cutting edge amongst its contemporaries, despite being released over two years ago. The Gold Panda sampling ‘You (Ha Ha Ha)’, much like the rest of the album exhibits an inspired twist on synth-pop, perfectly nuanced by the singer’s seductive tone. ‘Stay Away’ presents Charli at her most glacial. A large amount of the instrumentation on the album is reminiscent of Witch House act Salem’s 2010 album, King Night. Having worked with the singer before, the influence of Witch House on Charli’s sound is clear.. Vocal drones greet the listener on ‘Grins’, offsetting themselves with Charli’s more ‘organic’ delivery.

The musical arrangement on ‘Cloud Aura’ is massively predictable in comparison to the rest of the album, and after Brooke Candy is allowed her time to spout her cringe worthy verse, the track is beyond redemption. ‘What I Like’ is a throwback track that misses the mark somewhat, although it’s saved by J£ZUS MILLION’s production. New tracks such as ‘Take My Hand’ and ‘Black Roses’ seem derivative and not massively impressive. Overall, True Romance is a success. The mastery in the majority of the songcraft is massively noteworthy, whilst the singer’s delivery compliments the stellar production perfectly. Despite this however, more established fans of Charli’s work will feel alienated by the shortage of new material on the album, especially since the new music displayed defines its weakest points. This issue will be of little relevance to new followers of Charli XCX, therefore True Romance could go down as one of 2013’s most innovative pop efforts. Mitchell Stevens

The problem with this album doesn’t lie within the musical innovation, or even within the lyrical content. While it’s clear the singer has spent a long time crafting these tracks into individually great works of dark and decadent pop, the fact that so many tracks on this album have been released previously means that people familiar with her work will be disappointed by a lack of new material. That being said, some of the established work on True Romance is far from perfect. Audio-Addict.co.uk

Kid Cudi Indicud

G.O.O.D Music Once known for the nightclub friendly ‘Day ‘N’ Nite’, remixed by house duo Crookers, 2009 saw the rise of Kid Cudi. Where it caused a surge of UK attention for the rapper, it was released at the birth of the rap/dance crossover we see today. Featuring a video in what is essentially a rebranded Costcutter, it was filmed on a budget less than the price of Cadbury’s Freddo. Fast forward 4 years and Scott Mescudi came from being the shop assistant of a 24-hour newsagent to being one of the most diverse and influential rappers of this past decade. Following success of Man on the Moon and side project WZRD, his third solo album Indicud is a work of his own production. Released on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, it features collaborations from Haim, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky to name a few. Realistically, Indicud is an experiment, with introduction ‘The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi’ being purely instrumental.

Showcasing his ability to produce a record, ‘Just What I Am’ is the heaviest track on the album and reminds you of his usual topics of weed, God and depression. Low points of the album include ‘King Wizard’, which features an irritating use of vocoder, something best left to Daft Punk. ‘Beez’, which features Wu-Tang leader RZA is a bleak attempt to revive an old rappers career, also reflected in his collaboration ‘Take a Fall For Me’ on the new James Blake album. Fortunately it is mostly a respectable return and an evolution from Man on the Moon 2. With Cudi now reaching 30, it captures the period featured in the middle of an artists career. Although still talking about women, he captures this in a mature aspect with ‘Girls’ reflecting on this and ‘Cold Blooded’ talking about his decision to leave G.O.O.D music to focus on his own career. A strong and intrusive return, it opens your mind into the future of Cudi. Billy Bentley

Fall Out Boy

Save Rock And Roll Island

Cinematic, climatic and confident summarise the first track of Save Rock and Roll, Fall Out Boy’s first release after their five year hiatus. The Chicago pop-rockers sent cyberspace into chaos at the start of 2013, announcing their return to music along with details of the album fans thought they would never hear. As theatrical violins introduce the first song ‘The Phoenix’, you would be forgiven for thinking this was the new soundtrack to a Bond film. However, this is the second single off Fall Out Boy’s latest release featuring the new found confidence of vocalist Patrick Stump, personified through his improved vocals. ’My Song’s Know What You Did In The Dark’ has already divided Fall Out Boy fans, released as the album’s leading single and highlighting the more experimental side of the four piece. Setting the theme for the rest of the album, the big hooks and even bigger choruses highlight a band on top of their game.

Whether it be the disco-rock infused ‘Where Did The Party Go?’ with its infectious bass line or sit-by-a-campfire-roasting-marshmallows anthem ‘Young Volcanoes’, the album plays to the strengths of Stump, sounding better than ever on a Fall Out Boy record. Closing with the epic piano-led title track off the record, ‘Save Rock And Roll’ features Stump harmonising with Sir Elton John. A song that reflects the heart of Fall Out Boy in 2013, the band seems to reminisce on their hiatus “Oh no, we won’t go/‘Cause we don’t know when to quit.” Get ready for the ultimate boy band air-grab moment as the key change kicks in. Fans hoping for the band to pay homage to their previous releases may be disappointed. This is Fall Out Boy five years on; blurring genres, experimenting with sounds and progressing from their previous work. Could this save rock and roll? Probably not, yet it is one of the most confident Fall Out Boy albums to date. Niamh Moore Audio-Addict.co.uk

Mount Kimbie Cold Spring Fault Less Youth WARP

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth sees Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, AKA post-dubstep innovators Mount Kimbie return. This time they attempt to inject some of their uniquely innovative techniques into the stagnant pool of electronica. Upon first listen, the duo’s foray into uncharted waters seems to suggest they haven’t sailed far from their roots. Mount Kimbie have a sound that’s notoriously hard to pigeonhole and they’ve fashioned a unique corner of future electrionica combined with their markedly ambient, trademark sound. Featuring the vocals of King Krule on some tracks, they manage to create a sound that could rival The xx, yet Krule’s rapping on ‘You Took Your‘ actually sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger and ruins the atmosphere of the album. That aside, the album works, with ‘Made To Stray’ standing out as an outstanding piece of forward thinking music. In its entirety the album is a testament to Mount Kimbie’s proficiency in pioneering out-there production. Rory Gilbert

Fair Ohs Jungle Cats Dream Beach

After giving fans a taste in 2011 with debut Everything is Dancing, we knew we were in for something a tad off-beat with Fair Ohs. Opener ‘Green Apple Milk’ is a mixture of jagged, lo-fi indie beats intertwined with the wonderfully carefree sounding vocals of front man, Eddy Frankel. The heat and tempo rise as ‘Citric Placid’ keeps the pace along with ‘Ya Musfusta’, which is supposedly based on a song from the 1950s, but naturally with that bizarre Fair Ohs’ twist on it, it’s a great listen. ‘Silver Jade Mountain’ combines slow, sultry bass lines and a starchy guitar solo in the next brainwave idea from the boys. From smooth jazz to tribal rhythms, passionate punk-rockers to James Brown worshippers; almost every style of music is picked up, played with and conquered. Record stores will have a nightmare categorizing this album, for the exact reason that makes it so great. Indie Shaw

MS MR Secondhand Rapture Chess Club

Noir-pop duo MS MR’s debut effort Secondhand Rapture is almost like that one film you’ve wanted to see for months, yet you’re bitterly disappointed with how it turned out. Secondhand Rapture promises so much with lead single ‘Fantasy’, a great alt-pop track combining similar sounds of Haim and Florence and the Machine. What this album lacks is stand out tracks. Album opener ‘Hurricane’ is perfect for a summers evening, unwinding from soaking up all that sun. ‘Bones’ and ‘Head is Not My Home’ offer glimpses of brilliance and creativity, The only negative is that some of these tracks were released on a previous EP and the new material unfortunately leaves you wanting more. With this record With this record you’re inclined to carry on listening yet come to a disappointing climax. MS MR offer glimpses of excellence on Secondhand Rapture, unfortunately it lacks the cutting edge you really hope for. Luke McFarlane

Josh Kumra

Good Things Come To Those Who Don’t Wait RCA

After bagging support slots with singersongwriter Nina Nesbitt and OneRepublic, Swindon born Josh Kumra has come a long way since ‘Don’t Go’ with Wretch 32. What it lacks in excitement it more than makes up for in passion, and ‘The Answer’ provides an optimistic start to the album, with that husky, distinctive voice that is becoming quite the phenomenon these days. The standout track is ‘Lost Again’; delicate guitar strings are plucked intricately whilst pretty, fairy-like melodies ring out. You can just imagine chilling in the summer sun whilst listening to this tune, the mention of “butterflies” and “it’s all wonderful” boosts the image. At 22 years old, Josh Kumra’s debut release is the perfect summer album. With such chill out vibes and a voice to make the girls swoon, Kumra has done well. All you’ve got to do is turn it up. Shannon Gibson Audio-Addict.co.uk

Matchbox Twenty Guildhall, Southampton 14/04/13

American dad-rock favourites Matchbox Twenty treat their fans to a staggering two and a half hour long set. Whilst bands more rough and ready like Arctic Monkeys and Biffy Clyro became trendy, clean and polished acts like Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox have become dated. Still, they’ve managed to sell out the show with a crowd full of middle aged Absolute Radio listeners who don’t exactly seem to be used to a concert environment on a Monday night. Maybe it’s because they’re late onto stage or because the band open on the less than attention grabbing ‘Parade’, the reaction the band initially receive doesn’t blow the roof off the venue.

all.The band cover every area possible with outstanding musicianship, killer blues-inspired solos and elements of country.

Even with old time hit ‘Bent’ they struggle to get the crowd on their side. Like an American Stereophonics the band are less offensive than an Easter egg hunt. They don’t do anything to shock their audience or seem ‘rock n roll’. With a stadium-ready light show and typical American stage banter you’re surprised there’s no ‘‘USA’’ chant... In fact there’s no chants at

Matchbox Twenty may not be in Vogue anymore but they certainly have a devoted audience and go the extra mile for them. Yet whether an extra long set was the right answer is up for debate as half the crowd walk away looking like they were ready to get some shut eye an hour ago. Louis Kerry

Peace

Wedgewood, Portsmouth

23/04/13

With the sun shining and smiles all around, the mood was set for this date of the band’s first headline tour. Support act Superfood proved a pleasant introduction, providing a rare mixture of indie and funk contributing to the ever expanding sound of Birmingham. As Peace floated onto stage, the freedom of a headline tour was shown in full effect. Opening with ‘Delicious’, there is proof their sound has now become flawless. ‘Follow Baby’ instantly turned an enthusiastic crowd into a swarming room of bees, buzzing from the atmosphere. ‘Float Forever’ has become a beer anthem amongst the lads, placed efficiently within the

middle of the set, it provides a needed breather, calming things down for the energetic second half. The true love for Peace is saved for the final leg; ‘Wraith’ is one for the cold romantics and ‘1998’ expands on the already evident moshpit. Ending things with ‘California Daze’ and ‘Bloodshake’ they are more than ready for an incredible summer of festivals. Billy Bentley

Morain

Soul Cellar, Southampton 20/04/13 Between gigs on their UK tour with Canterbury, Wakefield-based Morain took the opportunity to introduce themselves to Southampton. Right from the start Morain demonstrated musical talent in abundance. Frontman Wil’s exceptional vocals flawlessly accompanied an overall incredibly tight band. Morain provide an energetic and engaging take on cliché anthemic indie rock and it works to no end. At The Cellar they promoted tracks off their debut E.P such as ‘Are We Lost’ and ‘Animals’ and emphasised their ear for sing-a-long atmospheric rock, a tricky sound to achieve, but it seems to come naturally to these guys.

A headline tour doesn’t seem to be such an outlandish possibility for them based on their performance here. Their mature sound oozes charisma which combined with their humble attitude, results in a potent cocktail that’s sure to propel them far. Ones to watch. Rory Gilbert

Efterklang

The Fleece, Bristol 21/04/13 Piramida was one of 2012’s best kept musical secrets. A triumphant album of Danish synth pop that brought to mind the slow thaw of snow in Spring. It was the draw of this record that had The Fleece packed to the rafters half an hour before even the support act was due to go on. Unfortunately the only highlight in Anna Von Hausswolff ’s set came from the mild entertainment of an audience collectively jumping in shock when the drums crashed in on their opening track, a church organ led deathmarch entitled ‘Epitaph Of Theodore’. Efterklang then took the stage, minus their frontman, and launched into album opener ‘Hollow Mountain’. When Casper Clausen did finally join the fray, casually strolling on to the biggest cheer so far, his vocals could have been ripped straight from the album. On stage they were a band at home, swapping instruments, wandering off to get beers and comfortably

sharing banter with the (apparently rather Dane-filled) audience. Their set encompased tracks from all five albums, bending each one a little out of shape along the way to give their sound a harder rockier edge; less melting snow, more glaciers crashing into each other. And they achieved this all whilst looking the epitome of class dressed dapper in dinner jackets and bow ties. Mikey Rush Audio-Addict.co.uk

What's the future of: Festivals Since the creation iconic festivals such as Glastonbury and Woodstock, music lovers have always had the urge to congregate as one and receive completely different musical experience to the ones they experience daily. Festivals since this era have been growing both in scale and quantity, there is now well over a hundred spanning the entire country. These festivals cater to all different tastes, from blues to classical. What I want to know is why do they seem to be on the back burner if they are able to cater to everyone? And what does the future look like for festivals? “THE FESTIVAL BOOM IS OVER!” Im sure like me you’re sick of hearing this shouted by naysayers the world over. Let’s be honest, last year was a crazy one for the entire nation and it ended up causing all sorts of problems for the festival season. Festival organisers blamed the bad weather, the Olympics, the economy, absence of Glastonbury and the Jubillee celebrations for a summer of poor ticket sales and cancelled events. I for one feel that this year the festival sales

will pick up due to 2013 being so much quieter then its predecessor. But certain festivals will take knocks if they overprice tickets and extort their customers. I mean, £200 is a lot of money for 3 nights, I do understand what Andy Copping, festival booker for Download, meant when he quoted; “the cost of a Download ticket is £155 but we’ve got 130 bands over the weekend. So I do think it is good value for money.” But for the younger audience these prices are still extortionate. Boutique festivals like Leefest and Looe, both of which are non-profit, should be on the ascendancy due to them offering festival fun without breaking your bank. Unfortunately, people are reluctant to take a risk on a homegrown festival that hasn’t got the draw of the big name acts that Bestival or T in the Park can afford. Another possible direction is the migration of festivals into our city centres. The Great Escape Festival in Bristol is fast becoming a vital weekend in the musical connoisseur’s calendar. Perhaps the future of festivals is decidedly more urban... Matt Cook

GIG GUIDE FOR May

Southampton

Brighton

4 - Cashmere Cat @ Unit

3 - Death Grips @ Coalition

10 - Sharks @ Joiners

8 - Angel Haze @ Concorde 2

12 - Skaters @ Joiners

11 - Deptford Goth @ Unitarian Church

16 - Rolo Tomassi @ Joiners

16-18 - Great Escape Festival @ Everywhere

26 - Coasts @ Unit

28 - Vondelpark @ Green Door Store

Bournemouth

Portsmouth

4 - Block Party @ Various Venues

4 - Bring Me The Horizon @ Pyramid

8 - Savages @ Old Fire Station

11 - Pigeon Detectives @ Wedgewood

21 - Mark Knopfler @ Windsor Hall

16 - Pierce The Veil @ Wedgewood

22 - Man Overboard @ Sound Circus

26 - The Specials @ Guildhall

27 - Ghostpoet @ The Winchester

31 - The 1975 @ Wedgewood Audio-Addict.co.uk