Solent SMILE Festival 2015

O

CIA FFI

L PROGRAM ME

MARCH 2015 FREE!

LET US ENTERTAIN YOU

There are loads of great events taking place over the next three weeks at SMILEfest. Check out the best of the fest below March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March March

6th 9th 9th 10th 10th 11th 11th 13th 13th 14th 14th 15th 15th 18th 19th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 26th 27th 28th

The Novatones and Bullybones @ The Alexandra SMILEfest Employability / Networking Event Luke Targett, Sammy Kettell + more @ The Alexandra Sarah Pardoe and Paul Solomons @ Goblets Lauren ‘n’ Ollie and Helen-Rose @ The Vestry SMILEfest Conference Jack Williams, Ellie Ford + more @ the Undercroft Multi-Arts Showcase @ Southampton Solent University Eagle & Weeks and Jamin With Steve @ The Alexandra VDub Jam Sessions @ Guildhall Square Feed The Kid + special guest @ Club Psychedelia (Lennons) Lost Cause All-dayer @ The Joiners Moose Events presents AudioVibe in the Garden @ SoBar Abdominal & The Obliques, plus support @ The Joiners SOSO Records launch @ Avondale House Club night @ Roxx (TBC)* Sleeping Tigers and Sounders @ The Alexandra Event @ The 1865 (TBC) Caroline Smiling + more @ The Alexandra Harbour Rocks! @ The Joiners (Afterparty @ Revolution) Event @ the Weigh house vault Kitchen (DJ Sets) – En Route, Carlington, and more @ Mango The Diamond Age @ Lennons

*Subject to change. Please visit solentsmilefest2015.wordpress.com for more details.

SMILE FESTIVAL 2015

Your SMILE bible for the month ahead

E D I T O R’ S LETTER Hello, and welcome to SMILEfest 2015’s official programme – giving you the rundown of everything you need to know about Southampton Solent’s very own inner city music festival.

Making this programme has been an amazing experience for the team and I, and we’ve really enjoyed the experience.We did it - 40 pages of glorious content for you to feast your eyes upon.

As a team, we would like to personally thank Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Sia for providing us with incredibly beautiful motivating music throughout the process of putting this programme together and, of course, the contributors and festival organisers for all their hard work. We hope you enjoy the festival!

- Zoe Coxon

04 11

FRONT TO FRONT History SMILEHop SMILE Playlist SMILE Bites

13 21

WHAT A TIME TO BE LIVE Introducing SMILE Live Centre Stage We Will Rock You Your and Your Opinion

04 06 08 09

13 14 18 20

22 31

CONFERENCE CALLING BPI Workshop Conference Sponsers The Cold Shoulder

32 38

BACK TO BACK Rise In Vinyl Radio Ga Ga Recycle @ SMILE Remebering Steve Strange

22 24 28 30

32 35 36 38

Co n t r i b u t o r s Chelsey Ferris // Adrianna Goran // Charlie Hill // Lydia Hughes // Rory Kelly // Edie Lawrence // Ruby Munslow // Tobias Pugh // Isha Shah Megan Smith // Tom Staniszewski // Kaitlyn Ulrich // Minnie Wright // Andrew Yates Winning SMILEfest poster illustration by Vetle Nes-O’Shaughnessy

a b y

twitter.com/solentsmilefest facebook.com/SolentSMILEfest solentsmilefest2015.wordpress.com

Editor: Zoe Coxon Art Director: Heather Lewis Design Director: Kayleigh Vincent Features Editor: Niamh Moore Editorial Manager: Laura Tompkins Content Manager: Ayesha Linton-Whittle

3

PHOTO KAITLYN ULRICH

4

WORDS BY CHELSEY FERRIS

The colourful history of SMILEfest

For the past seven years Southampton Solent promotion, performance and journalism students have come together with staff to create their very own festival. SMILEfest takes place around Southampton and includes live shows held at some of the city’s best venues including The Joiners, Avondale House, The Hobbit, Firehouse, Junk and Orange Rooms.

from the music industry to talk about their experiences and share their knowledge. In the past, SMILE has welcomed talks and interviews from The Blackout, ‘80s icon Steve Strange, TV and Radio personality Zoe Ball, Kerrang! Editor James McMahon, Jamie Warren (PR for Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand), and Mark Cann, who works alongside Michael Eavis at Glastonbury.

A conference is also held at the university in which music business professionals offer Solent students insight into working in different areas of the music industry.

SMILEfest has also hosted live shows from Reverend and the Makers and King Charles, supported by acts such as Little Comets, Sean McGowan and Brother Goose.

In 2010, SMILE added even more exciting events, which included Q&A sessions and a closing gig.

2010 also saw the launch of demo surgery and gave students of the university an opportunity to play their music to well known industry professionals, which in the past has included Tony Thorpe, head of Dubstep label, Steve Ager press and promotions guru, and the star of the 2010 conference, Bestival founder Rob Da Bank - who after watching a Solent Student perform, booked him straight away for Camp Bestival.

During the festival week, students will be able to take on a series of challenges which are supervised by music industry professionals who will help develop the skills of the students.

In past years SMILEfest has also included some outdoor events SMILE in the square, which took place outside the Guildhall and featured local bands and DJs. In 2013, SMILE added its first ever livebroadcast gig which became very popular on the Solent website.

SMILEfest welcomes key figures

These professionals will help the production and performance students take over the studios to record an ‘album in a day’ which include both original tracks and remixes. Meanwhile promotion students will create a one-day online campaign for a new album, while music journalism students create a magazine in a single afternoon.

Every year SMILEfest gets better, with more music industry professionals helping Solent students with their futures by giving them experience and sharing wisdom - and this year is set to be no different.

5

A time capsule of SMILEfest’s past...

2011

a

twitter

@SMILEfest11 2nd Mar 2011 magazine in a day challenge is finished!

Proud to say we’ve put together a 20 page SMILEfest11 special edition #smilefest11

@SMILEfest11 4th Mar 2011 Who else wishes they’d seen Plan B destroying people in Gallows’ mosh pit? #smilefest11 @SMILEfest11 4th Mar 2011 Demo surgery is going really well – we’ve got a load of talent at Solent! #smilefest11

2012

a

twitter

@SolentSMILE2012 9th Mar 2012 A brilliant insight to the industry from a woman who’s seen and done it first hand @BBCR2ZoeBall #SMILE2012

6

@SolentSMILE2012 9th Mar 2012 A brilliant insight to the industry from a woman who’s seen and done it first hand @BBCR2ZoeBall #SMILE2012

2013

a

twitter

@simon_price01 15th Feb 2013 One the subject of Visage… I’ll be interviewing @Steveisstrange onstage at Solent Uni’s @ SmileFest13 on Wed 27 Feb

@CarlLoben 28th Feb 2013 Magazine in a day challenge at Solent Uni going well–stories coming in, design templates set, newsroom buzzing @SmileFest2013 #maginaday

2014

a

twitter

@stephen90769827 14th Mar 2014 SOLENT SMILE FEST 2014 music industry conference was so good today, got to listen to oasis’ manager

b

Facebook

We hope you all enjoyed the SMILE show last night with King Charles! But we’re not over yet!!!!! Keep an eye out on our facebook, twitter, and our website for more SMILE updates, news, and reviews!

7

SMILE PLAYLIST

The essential soundtrack to this year’s festival VISAGE - FADE TO GREY The late, great Steve Strange was interviewed at SMILEfest back in 2013.

LILY ALLEN - SMILE Not only is it called ‘Smile’, but Lily Allen is also a key star in our female festival headliners piece.

THE SLITS - TYPICAL GIRLS The legendary riot grrl band’s guitarist Viv Albertine will be interviewed during this year’s conference.

HANNAH WANTS + CHRIS LORENZO - RHYMES This classic house track solidified Hannah Wants’ place in the British house scene, hence why she’s in our feature.

THE LIBERTINES - CAN’T STAND ME NOW Drummer Gary Powell features in this year’s Demo Panel at the SMILEfest conference.

JACK WHITE - LAZARETTO Air guitars at the ready! Jack White is featured in our Rise In Vinyl piece.

SMILE BITES Our food expert MEGAN SMITH offers a gourmet guide to some of Southampton’s best eateries.

In a culture mesmerised by the shameless consumerism of big name brands, familyrun METTRICKS TEA AND COFFEE HOUSE (Southampton high street) creates a humble and welcome opposition to the high street high-flyers Starbucks and Costa. Nestled in the quieter end of the old town lies this hot beverage temple; intending to bring a quality of coffee that wipes the floor with whatever else is on offer in this fair city, instead doing its best to match and surpass what’s being produced in the capital, and hold its own in the worldwide coffee game.

Mettricks’ espresso-based drinks are smooth and flavoursome, complete with attentive latte art atop each purchase. Locallysourced food and drink, pleasant service, piano music, free Wi-Fi and a ‘home away from home’ ambience; you can’t go wrong.

TURTLE BAY (Guildhall Square) is hands down the best sit-down restaurant in Southampton’s city centre. The smell that emanates from the place acts as bait, ensnaring unsuspecting members of the public, and before you’ve had time to check out any other restaurant in the vicinity, you’re sat down ordering your fifth happyhour Koko Colada and gorging on several authentic and spice-laden Caribbean dishes, because you simply couldn’t decide on just one thing from their exquisite menu.

For those of the veggie or vegan inclination, THE ART HOUSE (Above Bar Street) is a must.

Not only advocators of artistic and musical expression, this quirky and laidback café also strictly sticks to only organic produce, mainly Southampton-grown, to support neighbouring businesses. Equipped with an unusual but delicious menu, the Art House is a haven for the hippies and health-conscious amongst us.

Amongst the tacky pound shops and clothes stores of the Marlands lies an unlikely treasure, chocolatiers FREDERICK’S. Homemade choccies, surrounded by jars upon jars of traditional confectionary, make this the perfect place for purchasing charming gifts or treating yourself to something sweet.

LA REGATA (Town Quay) provides a more up-market and romantic approach to independent cuisine, offering authentic Spanish tapas and an à la carte menu rich with delicious seafood, mouth-watering meat dishes and fresh vegetables, all seasoned with divine Mediterranean flavours.

9

URBAN VS FIELD F E S T I V A L S Words by Ayesha Linton-Whittle The countdown to festival season is a gruelling brawl for city festivals. With these 200,000 capacity field festivals that have every magazine and website pleading to release the line-ups exclusively in one disgusting cooperate disarray, it is exasperating for a city festival to even attempt to surface in the wave of flower headdresses and UV paint.

SMILEfest is a festival that contributes to why city festivals conquer the festival season. Spoiler alert: you probably won’t attend a field festival ever again.

Your 20s are a burdensome period for attending festivals. You are simply too old to live off cereal bars and 2 litre bottles of frosty jacks, yet too young, and most probably too poor, to hire a luxury tipi and pitch a deckchair at the back of the crowd.

You no longer acquire the energy levels to dance for 5 days straight, even with the help of 10 vodka red bulls or baggies of narcotics. City festivals usually last for no longer than two days, a relieving fact for you 20-somethings who will probably be seeking a cup of tea and a bed before 2am.

10

The inevitable mornings of ‘waking up hungover and disorientated in a tent full of condensation and sweat then realising that you have at least another 3 days to go until you can even think about showering’ do not exist at city festivals.

City festivals, including SMILEfest, are mud-less and usually include shelter in the form of a marquee, pub or venue, which is great news for your vanity.

The Great Escape festival in Brighton is a sun kissed, hipster haven that involves countless venues with an annually unimpaired lineup. The weekend sees well-dressed swarms of adolescents, as well as more mature assembles of 40+ year olds, dancing in the basements of Brighton’s pubs and clubs until the early hours of the morning. The line-up tends to be a mass of up and coming surf rock bands and will probably be so good it will make it impossible for you to find a moment away from the venues.

Unlike field festivals, city festival attendees are consistently fans of the music. It is hard to find a lost adolescent upsetting everyone by their aggressive ‘dancing’ and evident lack of care for the band playing. You will not encounter bare chested lads, splattered head-to-toe in UV paint and wolf-whistling at the girls in front of them. In fact, city festivals are generally idiot-free and you are bound to find like-minded people.

There are always markets full of street food, just like you would find at a field festival, yet you do not have to queue in the mud or watch your falafel disintegrate amongst the rain and crowds. If you are at The Great Escape, you can sit on the beach to scoff your hot dog, or alternatively you can splash out on the city’s restaurants and treat yourself to some lobster.

The most endearing characteristic of city festivals is that ticket prices are persistently cheaper than field festivals and you have struck lucky if the festival is in your home city. For £20-£60 for a weekend of sheltered, energising fun, it is surprising anyone is still willing to pay £200+ for a sleepless, muddy weekend which will be inevitably ruined by the drunk girl that falls on your tent at 5am.

Tip: if you want to save money and have more fun in 2015, choose a city festival, and better yet, choose SMILEfest.

SMILEfes g n i c u t d Liv o r t e In

ILLUSTRATION: JOE WATSON-PRICE

Get the lowdown on some of the amazing live SMILEfest events taking place this year!

Every year SMILEfest brings you a whole host of live gigs, club nights and DJ sets across the festival.

From rock music to house club nights to big name DJs, SMILEfest delves into every nook and cranny of the music spectrum ensuring there is something for everyone.

For those who want to escape the throbbing bass lines of dance music, while taking a trip down

nostalgia lane, should head down to Lennon’s for Club Psychedelia - a treat for live music lovers, with a chilled out club vibe. Southampton duo, The Diamond Age will also be leaving a trail of their retrotinged, summer-vibe sounds in Lennon’s on 28th March.

More of a front row person, singing at full voice? Then why not head to one of the many gigs held at The Joiners over SMILEfest. Step into the infamous venue and take a trip into its musical heritage.

Greeted with poster-clad walls of bands who have played in the past, a dip into the musical history is a treat for any music lover.

This year, hip-hop band Abdominal and the Obliques will leave their mark on SMILEfest on March 18th at the Joiners for their eighth stop on their UK tour.

From heavy metal to acoustic strumming, live gigs to club night, SMILEfest 2015 is not one to be missed.

13

STAGE E R T N E We caught up with some of the most promising musical C up risers of SMILEfest’s past and present. Expect big things from these bands.

Groove Room is an alternative funk band based in Southampton. The quartet was formed in January 2014 and consists of Florentia Georgiou on lead vocals and keys, guitarist Robby Spencer, bassist Adam Porter and drummer Sam West. Since their beginning, they have performed at various venues in Hampshire as well multiple shows in London.

Groove Room writes and performs songs in a funk/ soul style, adding their own innovation to popular tracks as well as original material. “We want to keep our sound current, yet perform songs that are familiar to the audience,” says front-woman Florentia Georgiou. They have covered various artists such as Stevie Wonder and Daft Punk, interpreting the songs into their own style. “There are very few funk bands around today, and we wanted to bring something new and current to the music scene with an old school twist.” (Kaitlyn Ulrich) Groove Room play Lennons on March 14th.

What has eight members, a brass section and is sure to get toes tapping? It is only South coast ska band Bigtopp.

With vocalist PM weaving his energetic croons around brass melodies of Luke McGeney on Trombone and Jacob Humphreys and Amy Rabson on the saxophones, their distinctive ska influence places Bigtopp in a league of their own. Their live show oozes confidence, which has been solidified through the various large shows they have conquered, including the Isle Of Wight Festival.

Bigtopp’s success is only sure to grow with the band already having received airplay on BBC Introducing. Charismatic and confident, it is clear to see why the ska eight-piece are a staple on the touring circuit.

Ska may be an acquired taste, but Bigtopp are a ska gem. (Niamh Moore)

14

Bigtopp won last year’s demo surgery and their second album ‘Next Stage’ will be released during SMILEfest this year.

SMILEfest Live Indie rock five piece Brother Goose formed in early 2012 in Southampton. They released their EP ‘WHATS WHAT’ in 2014 which was a success for the group.

Having played with the likes of The Delays, Theme Park and a BBC introducing session, they are no strangers to the live music scene having played many gigs in Southampton and beyond which has helped them create a very polished, professional and unique live performance sure to make any audience stick around and take note. With influences that range from Vampire Weekend, Foster The People and The Smiths, Brother Goose are sure to appeal to a wide range of people, and coupled with their polished live performances, should gain big crowds – making them definitely one to watch for the future. (Tom Staniszewski) Brother Goose supported King Charles at last year’s big gig.

THE RABSONS

Southampton Solent trio The Rabsons may be difficult to pigeonhole. Their mix of soft acoustic strumming, with the raspy vocals of Paul Solomons and Patrick Rabsons, allows the band to defy all limitations.

“We would call it Acoustic Pop/Alternative. It’s hard as our style changes a bit,” Solomons states.

Formed in 2012, the duo, formerly known as Pat & Paul, finally established The Rabsons, the inclusion of Michael Fitzgerald on the Cajon cementing their toe-tapping rhythms and lively vibe.

Now a trio, their impressive three part harmony is what places The Rabsons into a league of their own. As the gravelly vocals of Solomons compliments the croons of Rabsons, the mixture of vocals establishes the Solent band from others that have come before. (Niamh Moore) The Rabsons play The Alexandra pub on March 22nd.

15

SC EN E AN D HE AR D W ELCO ME TO TH E CL UB Lydia Hughes and Ruby Munslow give you the low down on Southampton’s club and house scene

Southampton’s club scene encourages all kinds of genres, one of the biggest being a style that has recently become one of the most popular in the UK: house. Other clubs cater for genres suited to their style, including putting on live acts.

16

In the heart of the city sits Junk, a nightclub that has been around for years. Just this year Junk has held some of the biggest names in house, such as Eats Everything, Chris Lorenzo, James Zabiela, Flashmob, Miguel Campbell, and Joy

Orbison. Junk, which won ‘Britain’s Best Small Club’ in the 2013’s DJ Mag Awards, is famous for its cheap and intimate house nights, with famous DJs playing in the centre of the dance floor.

Also the atmosphere is really good.” On a Friday night, Juiced is the biggest student night in Southampton, playing chart and club classics. Saturdays are Warehouse Events featuring big names such as Bondax, Pete Tong, and Hannah Wants.

Southampton Soundclash Festival is to be held in a secret location within the city on May 2nd, with its own house stage Space Ibiza where Green Velvet, Shadow Child, High Tide and more will play. On the main stage will be Gorgon City, My Nu Leng, Kidnap Kid, and Hannah Wants. Soundclash will also

Lennons Nightclub also provides a night out for people who enjoy live music. With alternatively themed nights and affordable prices, Lennons is the perfect club for students to escape the mainstream, with their stage having seen the likes of The Klaxons and The Joy Formidable.

This is Music takeover on a Friday plays indie, soul, ‘60s, and rock n’ roll, while Saturday night is Club Psychedelia’s Dirty Dancefloors, with live music from 10pm - 12am.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLYN ULRICH

Newly named Switch is also popular for its house and club nights in Southampton as its multi-floor venue holds a range of themed nights. Second year student Corey-Leigh John at Southampton Solent says: “It plays all the different music that I prefer instead of the usual boring mainstream club music.

be holding their after party at Switch, which is promising to draw in the crowds.

You’ll expect to hear indie, rock n’ roll, Motown, ska, soul, and Britpop.

In conjunction with SMILEfest 2015, Club Psychedelia will be graced with the presence of Feed The Kid and Groove Room on March 14th and The Diamond Age on March 28th.

Make sure you get down to Lennons during SMILEfest to see Feed the Kid, Groove Room, and The Diamond Age.

17

L L I W E W U O Y K C O R

Rock music has always been an annual staple in the SMILEfest lineup. With previous guests including Welsh rockers, The Blackout and 2013’s headliners of the main gig, Reverend and the Makers, the rock scene continues to thrive, injecting its passion and throttle into the city of Southampton.

Rivalling that of the American titans who have graced our shores with their energetic live shows, the British rock scene is paving a league of their own.

Lying at the core of the rock scene is Southampton, a city with a legacy of rock names formed in the Hampshire city.

Hailing from Southampton, bands such as Bury Tomorrow and Desolated have gone on to tour the UK, their explosive live shows gathering them legions of fans, putting Southampton’s rock scene firmly on the map.

18

Along with these Southampton based bands are the groups and speakers that SMILEfest brings to the city each year. 2015 will see the infamous Gary Powell making his first SMILEfest appearance on the 11th March as part of the Demo Surgery panel. Drummer of indie-rockers The Libertines, Powell will be offering once in a lifetime advice to those aspiring musicians who attend the conference, the bands of the future.

Southampton’s live music scene was also marked with celebration in 2013 when the city’s infamous venue The Joiners Arms was crowned Britain’s Best Small Venue by NME. Seeing bands play at this intimate venue, it is clear to see why.

The posters covering the walls of The Joiners Arms add to their musical heritage.

The Devon trio Muse and Brit-Poppers Oasis are pasted proudly onto the walls,

Niamh Moore and Rory Kelly look at the current state of the British rock scene in Southampton PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDIE LAWRENCE

unknown then and musical legends now.

Crammed onto the small stage during the 90’s, these gigs are now milestones in history, a spectacle for any music lover and a moment in Southampton’s legacy that continues to live on. Still hosting gigs for up and coming bands, The Joiners Arms offers a once in a lifetime experience for youthful bands to share the same miniature stage as their musical heroes.

For more well-known artists of Southampton, the 02 Guildhall has become a staple in their touring circuit. Becoming an 02 venue in 2013, this venue has become the heart of the British rock and hardcore scene in Southampton. For one night of the year, the Kerrang! tour threatens the foundations of the 02 Guildhall for the biggest night in rock’s calendar.

Southampton metal band Bury Tomorrow joined this year’s Kerrang! tour line-up, touring the UK and Ireland, playing their frenzied live shows across twelve tour dates.

Along with the Kerrang! Tour is Advanced Promotions annual Takedown Festival. This day festival brings bands from all over the UK to perform, which has seen the likes of TRC, While She Sleeps and Feed The Rhino.

With SMILEfest set to bring established musicians to play across the festival and talk to the bands of the future, it seems like British rock music is in safe hands. Ready to instil the power and confidence back into the scene, the various gigs across SMILEfest will only emphasise that British rock has not died.

19

YOU

& OPINION YOUR

MEGAN SMITH

GERARD WAY AT THE O2 GUILDHALL (2015)

As an avid My Chemical Romance fan, I will always have a soft spot for Gerard and his artistic projects. It was an incredible, nostalgiaprovoking experience to see him still doing what he does best.

CHARLIE HILL

RISE AGAINST AT THE 02 GUILDHALL (2014)

INTERVIEWS BY KAITLYN ULRICH

The support acts were incredible as well as the main act. The audience was active and Rise Against had great crowd interaction.

20

ADRIANNA GORAN WTFEST AT THE JOINERS (2014)

I am a massive fan of a lot of the artists that were there so it was amazing to see them in such an intimate venue in Southampton.

ZOE COXON

DEAF HAVANA AT THE JOINERS (2011)

It was my favourite show because it was full of energy.

At one point a bunch of us got up on the stage and I was standing right by James (lead singer) and it was awesome.

WHAT’S YOUR

F AV O U R I T E

SOUTHAMPTON SHOW? ” KIWI VINCENT

BRAND NEW AT THE 02 GUILDHALL (2014)

I grew up listening to Brand New and I never thought I’d get to see them live. It somehow exceeded my expectations and I’ll never forget it.

ISHA SHAH

SUICIDE SILENCE AT THE MO’CLUB (2014)

The crowd was amazing and the band put on a great show. Their stage presence and crowd interaction was also phenomenal.

TOM STANISZEWSKI THE WYTCHES AT THE JOINERS (2014)

It was in a very intimate venue which made the show more special. Also The Wytches were brilliant live despite some technical difficulties.

AYESHA LINTON-WHITTLE OLIVER WILDE AT THE ART CAFE (2014)

Oliver Wilde at theArt House in 2013 was a beautifully intimate gig. There were about 20 people in the audience, all sat around tables and absolutely smitten on Wilde’s performance.

It was also the night I found a friend in local vegan ale.

21

MA RC H 9th

EM JM31 PLO 5 YABILITY

BPI

WORKSHOP The British Phonographic Industry will be running an employability workshop at SMILEfest 2015. This event will be taking place on March 9th and will give students the opportunity to get advice about working in the industry.

The event will allow students to meet graduates from Solent who have managed to gain a career in the music industry.

The guests include Stuart Davie, who graduated with a degree in Record Production and is now E-commer Manager at Beggars Group; Music Journalism graduate David Sullivan who is now a publicist

22

at Wilful Publicity and has been a freelance journalist for Mixmag; Oliver Gamston who will be talking about his career as a digital PR liaison, an artist liaison assistant and most recently his involvement with De Wolfe Music and Mitchell Stevens who is signed to Rob Da Bank’s Sunday Best label and will be discussing his involvement in PR and working on campaigns for some of the biggest artists in music.

Make sure you attend for advice on how to get into the music industry.

Words By Laura Tompkins

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY...

Organisers of the infamous BRIT Awards and co-owners of the Official Charts Company, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) boasts a very powerful membership of companies ranging from Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music to over three hundred independent companies in the UK. Along with these companies, the BPI also works alongside the musically avid youth of today, providing invaluable experiences and tips into breaking into the competitive industry.

With projects such as The Big Music Project, Head of Public Relations, Lynne McDowell, highlights how beneficial these sessions can be to the youth looking for a career in the music industry: “These projects are like a one stop shop of finding out everything in the industry. You would have opportunities to learn not just about the jobs but oneon-one mentoring, CV workshops and information on how to start your own journey in the industry.”

As part of SMILE week, BPI will be visiting Southampton Solent University for their first time, something that McDowell is excited for, “It will be great to be able to talk to young people who are studying music to find out how we can help them first and foremost, find out what it is they want to know about the industry and how they can play their part in keeping British music successful.”

For McDowell, it seems that educating students through the BPI’s workshops are a way to cement even greater success in the future, “we need to be engaging with the young people and educating them about the industry and the opportunities that there are for working in the business. We also need fresh thinking from them to help move forward and stay relevant in this digital age.”

Words By Niamh Moore The BPI will be holding a workshop on Monday 9th March.

23

MA R CH h 11 t

THE 12-6PM JM315 E CONFERENC Whether you are a performer, producer, writer or promoter, make sure you are at the SMILEfest 2015 conference as there are panels to suit everyone’s interests.

Digital Witness: The Future of Music?

Kicking off the conference this year will be a panel discussing the future of music.

Starting at 12pm, the conference will consist of Mike Smith, Anya Stafford and Tony Crean being questioned by Solent’s Johnny Hopkins on what the industry holds for the future of music in a digital age.

Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny 13.15 sees some of the biggest female names in music take to the stage to talk about the problems women face working within the music industry. NME’s Laura Snapes, Mute’s Zoe Miller, BBC Live’s Mel Lewis and tour manager Tre Stead will talk to Fiona Sturges about what it is like to work in a male dominated industry.

Viv Albertine in conversation with John Robb At 14.20 Louder than Words will be sponsoring Britpop inventor and punk icon John Robb, who will be interviewing The Slits star Viv Albertine on her legendary career.

24

Demo Surgery Following on from this, 15.30 sees the start of the Demo Surgery panel where Gary Powell, Alex Banks and Lou Cooper will be listening to demo tracks written and performed by Solent students. The panel will consist of the guests critiquing the songs and picking their favourite.

Hear the tracks that will be under interrogation at https://soundcloud.com/smile-fest.

Beyond EDM: With EDM dominating the airways, where next for dance music culture?

DJ Magazine will be sponsoring the Beyond EDM panel which features Radio 1’s Danny Howard, Mark Lawrence from the Association for Electronic Music, DnB legend Fabio, Ricky Simmons from Love & Other and DJ Magazine’s Editor Ben Murphy. They will be discussing where the Electronic Dance Music scene will be going next.

Make sure you don’t miss the conference by coming down to JM315 from 12 – 6pm on March 11th.

Viv Albertine The Slits guitarist, Viv Albertine, is in conversation with John Robb at SMILEfest to talk about UK punk rock. Having been in the first successful all-girl punk band, Albertine will undoubtedly touch upon women in music, where you will learn about her huge influence on punk rock and women in the music industry.

Since being in several punk bands including The Flowers of Romance, The 49 Americans and of course, The Slits, she has focused on being a director for the television which included her doing work with the BBC and began to perform as a solo artists in 2009.

Albertine’s memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, was published in 2014 and won the Sunday Times, Rough Trade and Mojo’s book of the year, and most recently NME’s book of the year. You can meet Viv Albertine and have her sign your copy of the book at the Waterstone’s pop-up shop at SMILEfest.

Gary Powell The Libertines drummer, who later got together with fellow band member Carl Barât to start the band Dirty Pretty Things, is here at SMILEfest to give you advice on you career.

Following a successful solo career and a reunion with The Libertines at Reading in 2010, his record label 25 Hour Convenience Store started to take shape, signing a variety of bands from hip-hop to alternative rock.

He’s here to share the wealth of knowledge that he has accumulated over the 20 years of working in the industry.

At SMILEfest’s Demo Surgery conference, you can submit a demo that Gary Powell, amongst two more influential industrytypes, discuss and criticise, which is the perfect gateway for your band or career as a solo artist. No other SMILEfest panel allows students to participate in such an amazing opportunity, so get a song up on Soundcloud and attend the conference.

25

Laura Snapes Laura Snapes is a hugely influential woman in the music industry.

Prior to being the features editor at NME, she has worked as the associate editor at Pitchfork and the assistant reviews editor at NME. Speaking to the SMILEfest 2015 programme team, Snapes told us why she first wanted to become a music journalist, “I first wanted to become a music journalist because it was a legitimate way to meet and talk to musicians I loved.” “The best bit of my job is being immersed in music all day every day.

As features editor I am always on the lookout for great stories - even if I’m not a particular fan of a certain artist, figuring out how to tell their story in a compelling, original way is always a treat.”

Her writing has also been featured in The Guardian, The Observer, Uncut, The Stool Pigeon, Under the Radar, and at The Quietus and eMusic, which has led to become an important figure for women choosing a career in music, which is why you should not miss her speaking at the Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny panel.

Danny Howard Danny Howard is the voice of the Saturday drive-time slot on BBC Radio 1 with his show ‘Dance Anthems With Danny Howard’. The DJ is set to make his first visit to Southampton Solent University, giving students first hand tips and advice for making it in the competitive world of radio. Danny is gearing up to speak on the SMILEfest Beyond EDM panel, a topic the DJ knows well, following the release of his debut album ‘Clubbers Guide 2013’ from Ministry Of Sound.

Exploding to the forefront of dance music, Howard has performed at various renowned venues and festivals across the world including Creamfields and the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, cementing himself as a worldwide leading DJ who will plenty of stories to share with you. Budding radio presenters, EDM enthusiasts or fans of Danny Howard do not want to miss this panel.

Fabio Fabio has been described as one of the best DJs of all time. His success as a drum and bass DJ, producer and owner of the record label Creative Source makes him the perfect panel guest for the Beyond EDM panel discussion. Having been considered the godfather of DnB and creating and coining the subgenre liquid funk, his knowledge and success in the industry will make for incredibly heated discussion at the conference. Fabio has curated numerous mix compilations, most notably his Fabriclive.10 mixtape, and joined together with Grooverider where they became leaders of the Acid House scene for over 20 years.

26

Mike Smith has been responsible for signing many acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Blur and Calvin Harris whilst working at MCA publishing, EMI publishing, Colombia Records and Mercury Records.He now works as President of Music at Virgin EMI at Universal Music Group and will have plenty of knowledge to show at SMILEfest’s Digital Witness: The Future of Music? conference.

John Robb has been featured at numerous conferences in the past few years due to his career in bands including The Membranes and Goldblade. His knowledge of music has allowed him to write a selection of biographies and will be great to watch in conversation with Viv Albertine at SMILEfest.

Alex Banks has built his reputation as a killer DJ thanks to his sets across Europe and his extraordinary remixes. He is now signed to the label Monkeytown and will be critiguing your music at the Demo Surgery conference.

Tre Stead Theresa ‘Tre’ Stead is a Freelance Tour Manager which started by helping her friends The Holloways out. She will talk about her time in the industry as a woman on the Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny panel.

Mark Lawrence is the first CEO of The Association for Electronic Music. In 2012 he launched PRS’s Amplify initiative focusing on the genre as well as co-owning independent house music label Black Rock Records with DJ Steve Mac. Mark Lawrence will be participating in the Beyond EDM panel discussion.

Ben Murphy has been the Editor at DJ mag for five years.

He is a huge fan of Electronic Music and has previously written for The Guardian, Time Out, Red Bull, Classic Album Sundays and held a regular dance column in Clash Magazine for several years. Ben Murphy will be joining Mark Lawrence amongst others at the Beyond EDM panel discussion.

Zoe Miller is Head of Press at Mute, where she’s worked for 17 years. Previously, she was a freelance music writer, most often for Pulp and her own fanzine.

Tony Crean is the manager of Goldfrapp, The Chemical Brothers and Portishead. He has over 20 years’ experience in record labels, management and international touring and will be talking about his career in the industry at SMILEfest’s Digital Witness: The Future of Music? panel.

Lou Cooper is Head Of Albums at Toolroom Records. Before that she was Label manager for Funk Farm, label assistant at Mau5trap and at Size Records and will be alongside other influential label managers to help critique your music at the Demo Surgery conference.

Ricky Simmons is a label manager at Love & Other, Radio presenter at Ministry of Sound Radio, Tour DJ for Ministry of Sound playing regular club nights throughout UK and Europe and Producer at Bordertown. His involvement in dance music will make for an undeniably great discussion at SMILEfest’s Beyond EDM conference.

Mel Lewis Southampton Solent alumni, Mel Lewis has achieved enormous success. Starting out on Solent’s own student station, Radio Sonar, Lewis now works as a live events assistant across BBC Radio 1, 1 Xtra, Radio 2, 6Music and BBC Introducing. She’s yet another influential woman in the music industry willing to discuss her opinons at the Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny panel.

Anya Strafford works for Caroline International as the International Marketing Manager. Her previous experience includes working as International Label Manager at Co-Operative Music.

27

Located in the seaside resort of Southsea is a place where kicking back, listening to vinyl and eating pie is a daily occurrence.

For music fanatics, and pie lovers, the infamous Pie & Vinyl café offers a unique experience, allowing the fans to delve into musical history while scoring the image clad walls of original gig posters of the past.

Mainly specialising in new music and artists, a trip to the café may unleash a love for an undiscovered band or the new soundtrack to your day.

TOP FIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES Major high-street bookstore Waterstones will be providing a pop up shop at the SMILEfest conference on March 11th where people who are attending the conference will be able to purchase various music books including Viv Albertine’s, which she will be signing during the conference.

Here is a list of the top 5 music-based autobiographies that Waterstones sell: Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys - Viv Albertine

28

A dream for all music fans, the infamous café is treating the students at Southampton Solent University for one day only with their pop-up shop, giving students a chance to take home a little piece of musical history and memorabilia from this year’s SMILEfest. Something that is not to miss, visit Pie & Vinyl’s pop-up shop on MARCH 11TH, During the conference.

Girl in a Band - Kim Gordon

New Order, Joy Division,and Me - Bernard Sumner

Autobiography - Morrissey

ANGER IS ENERGY - JOHN LYDON

Louder than Words is the genre-based literary Festival celebrating words.

It brings together authors, artists, poets, lyricists and all other people associated with working with words within the music industry.

Jill Adams highlights what Louder than Words is, “We have an annual festival in Manchester and we do programed events around the country and it brings together people who have a natural affinity and an association through words that are associated with the music industry.”

DJ mag is a monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. It was founded in 1991 and has been running now for 14 years. The magazine publishes two annual Top 100 lists, one for DJs and one for nightclubs, which are highly anticipated by the DJs, nightclubs and the fans of EDM music.

DJ mag is sponsoring the After EDM Panel at this year’s SMILEfest conference on the March 11th, where their editor Ben Murphy

As part of SMILE, Louder than Words will be sponsoring the conference, “We can’t wait… For us it’s a really good opportunity to have a closer reach out to the student population but also to Southampton more generally because of the geography of where we are, in the North, it is a natural fit for us to come and work collaboratively with Southampton Solent and SMILE festival.”

Louder than Words are sponsoring the SMILEfest conference on the 11th of March.

will be appearing as one of the guests. The panel will also feature Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard, Mark Lawrence from the Association for Electronic Music and DJ James Zabiela.

Make sure you come down and check out the panel at the conference as this is not one to be missed with some of the biggest names in the industry. It is perfect for any fan of electronic dance music.

29

IS THE FESTIVAL INDUSTRY G WOMEN THE COLD SHOULD WORDS BY MINNIE WRIGHT The shortage of women in all areas of the music industry is still the elephant in the room even during the 21st Century. During this year’s SMILEfest conference, a panel featuring some of the biggest names in the music industry will be discussing just this.

One of the major things that has become noticeable is the lack of female headliners at festivals – this was especially staggering last year. It wasn’t just one of those sneaky little patriarchal niggles either – everybody acknowledged it. It was widely noted that had Lily Allen not filled in for Two Door Cinema Club at Latitude, there wouldn’t have been a single female solo artist headlining any of the six major British festivals.

The headliner situation is evidence of a wider issue: a major imbalance in the number of women on festival rosters. In 2014, across Isle of Wight, Latitude, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Bestival, and V Festival, statistics showed a tragic underrepresentation of female artists. Aside from Lily Allen, only two other headliners even featured women in their lineups (Arcade Fire and Paramore). While all-male bands made up over 40% of festival acts, all-female bands made up less than 3.5%.

NME Features Editor and SMILEfest conference guest Laura Snapes commented on these findings: “We keep hearing heads of festivals saying that they hope and believe things are changing with regards to female representation at music festivals, but I think they’re forgetting that they are the necessary agents of change given the immensely powerful positions that they hold.”

30

“Since the Reading & Leeds line-up was announced, I’ve heard some writers say that it would be a depressing state of affairs if there was some sort of “woman quota” introduced to ensure something closer to equality at festivals. But what’s depressing is the idea that to increase the presence of non-whitemen on festival bills would be a box-ticking quota exercise rather than giving dues to the immense amount of world-beating, diverse acts out there. It really would not be difficult to populate any festival bill with a healthy amount of acts comprising different genders and races.”

Lily Allen being the sole representative of a mountain of phenomenal potential female solo headliners is symptomatic of a world where we are still working towards getting female participation equal to that of males.

We’re not asking for Pussy Riot to headline in 2015, neither are we asking for 50% of bands in festival lineups to be all-female, or even for there to be as many women members as men within acts - nobody cares. What we need is for the continued fan backing of female acts across all genres to be acknowledged and capitalised upon by festival bookers, no more and no less than male acts. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of great female acts who could pack out and own a festival headline slot.

Until women are properly represented at the top of festival bills, the issue of female musicians not aspiring to the heights of the biggest musical careers will persist. As in any industry, the more successful role models young women are shown, the more will work to join them.

Check out the ‘Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny’ panel at the conference on March 11th for more talk of women in the music industry.

GIVING

DER?

“IT REALLY WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO POPULATE ANY FESTIVAL BILL WITH A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF ACTS COMPRISING DIFFERENT GENDERS AND RACES.” - LAURA SNAPES

31

THE RISE OF...

VINYL

VINYL SALES ARE BOOMING AND TOBIAS PUGH IS HERE TO TELL YOU WHY

The world is experiencing a renewed love for vinyl, and for some it’s being pushed as the strongest alternative to the soulless digital download.

Right now, sales of physical records are at their highest since the Britpopenergised ‘90s, with 2014 seeing over one million sales. Whether the

32

format can keep up this resurgence is unknown, but there are many reasons why it’s a very good thing.

While digital MP3s and streaming are still dramatically the leading method of listening, they lack so many qualities a record provides. The warm analogue sound, the collectability, even the act

of putting vinyl on, all give records their charm. Manager of Southampton’s Oxfam Music Shop, Rob Milner highlights: “Vinyl is simply a better format and gives the music a kind of ceremonial element.

If there is an album you love, it feels like you are giving it respect for having it on vinyl rather than the disposable aspect of playing something online.”

It may also be for this reason HMV manages to survive - saving millions of jobs by producing more physical products.

“THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF VINYL IS WHAT WE’RE AFTER, THE ROMANCE OF IT...” JACK WHITE

Jack White of The White Stripes is just one of millions of record aficionados helping bring ‘the real deal’ back into the music consumer’s consciousness.

Speaking to NME, White said: “The whole experience of vinyl is what we’re after, the romance of it... The smell of vinyl, the smell of a newly opened record.

If we don’t see something moving, we lose romance. There’s no romance for me to sing to you about an iPod.” White’s Lazaretto album, with its innovative hologram technology, locked grooves, and hidden tracks, sold forty thousand copies in its first week. Along with Daft Punk, Mogwai, and Arctic Monkeys, he is just one of the big sellers proving there is still value, potential, and romance in a format you can hold and feel.

Be sure to visit Southsea’s Pie & Vinyl pop-up shop on March 11th.

33

THE VIRAL VIRUS

Ayesha Linton-Whittle talks about narcissism and vlogging The epidemic of adolescents drowning in their own vanity has been materialising ever since Bebo ‘luv’. The internet allows people we barely know to inject us with a false sense of self-respect.

YouTube is the newest culprit for teenage narcissism, seeing YouTubers become either viral successes resulting in a month or two of wealth and fame, or losing their dignity to a swarm of cold-hearted observers that spend their days sat in bed with pizza and picking at the flaws of courageous vloggers.

Internet sensations like Dan and Phil entice adolescents with their multi-coloured videos and charismatic ‘individuality’. Despite their YouTube success being catalysed by their award-winning The Radio 1 Request Show, their heightened success proves YouTubers are fundamentally killing the music industry.

Their berserk mannerisms and juvenile talk of chickens and computer games has the vast majority of kids howling at their computer

34

screens, resulting in these two exasperating youths robbing teenagers of good music taste.

However, vloggers like Anthony Fantano – known as The Needle Drop – are pushing kids into enjoying alternative music by filming themselves reviewing albums.

Fantano’s desirable knowledge of bands has allowed him to become a hugely influential face for alternative music fans. YouTube reviews are unarguably the future of music journalism. Fantano is well respected for his music taste unlike ill-informed music journalists that decorate their articles with unnecessarily fancy words.

We’re living in a world where YouTube is inescapably becoming the future, so to make it one worth living, skip the videos of the infuriating narcissistic vloggers talking about chickens and watch the people actually doing something for the future of music.

For more on this topic, see the ‘Future of Music?’ panel at this year’s conference on March 11th.

RADIO GA GA

Andrew Yates discusses the recent trend of student radio The chances are that if you’re a student, your university has its own student radio station. It might be an award winning station or a small one just for fun. Either way, student radio is an incredible opportunity for rising radio stars and one of the best first steps into the industry.

It is the perfect place for developing your skills and it is where a lot of people discover their passion for radio with so much to get involved with such as presenting, producing, sound engineering, marketing and more.

There’s also room for limitless creativity and a chance to show off just exactly what you can do to the industry giants.

Since the first station was created in the University of York in 1967, student radio has rose in popularity with stations spreading across the country. Along with the soaring numbers of student stations came the formation of the Student Radio Association in 2002, who run the annual Student Radio Awards. Winning one of these awards awards is the highest achievement in student radio with Solent University’s student station, Radio Sonar winning bronze in the ‘Chart Show’ category last year.

Radio Sonar alumni, Mel Lewis, was awarded Best Female Presenter at the Student Radio Awards in 2012. Starting her career on Radio Sonar, then known as Sin Radio, Lewis’ career went from strength to strength from being successful at the Student Radio Awards to then become live events assistant at the BBC. Student radio really is a golden ticket into the broadcast industry.

Solent University also offers Radio Addict, an internet radio station that is twinned with the music magazine Audio Addict, which are both created by students of the Popular Music Journalism and Music Promotion courses. The two work together to cover a wide range of musical genres and topics.

Student Radio is an amazing thing to be a part of, and it’s incredibly easy to set up with a bit of research and a decent team (if your university doesn’t have one). If you think the radio industry is the place for you then get involved, be creative and above all else, make great radio.

Mel Lewis features in the ‘Blurred Times: Music and Misogyny’ at this year’s conference on March 11th.

RECYCLE @ SMILE RECYCLING AT FESTIVALS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. CHELSEY FERRIS TALKS ABOUT THE FESTIVALS GOING GREEN

Festivals are known for generating large amounts of waste, not only in the form of rubbish but also environmental waste and noise pollution too.

With an ever-conscious world, which is always looking for new ways to become a more eco friendly environment, festivals have had to change their ethos in order to become more environmentally friendly. Festivals each year hold a variety of schemes, which contribute towards lowering their carbon footprint.

There’s an ever-growing number of festivals in the United Kingdom that have been at the forefront of promoting sustainability, with each festival trying to go green. Glastonbury, the biggest festival in the UK, has released online “green policies” where festival-goers can find out how to reduce greenhouse gasses and minimising waste while reducing the event’s environment impact.

Last summer was the most successful festival season ever for recycling - with

36

every festival doing something to help the environment. There was an out of home drinks recycling program, which recycled 15 tonnes of aluminium. Glastonbury had a Green Traveller program which helped reduce carbon emissions. To do this the festival made a traveller package which they hoped would help people to ‘go green’ and take public transport or cycle to the Somerset festival.

Even though SMILEfest is a local festival, there are still many things that we can do to make it more environmentally friendly.

Just like Glastonbury, SMILEfest wants to keep its environmental impact low.

Southampton offers a large amount of public transport links and recycling schemes, which can contribute to helping SMILEfest attendees minimise their own carbon footprint. With everyone taking part in lowering the amount of waste produced, we can all help make SMILEfest as green as possible.

37

Goodbye Mr. Blitz

‘80s legend and former 2013 SMILEfest guest Steve Strange sadly passed away on February 12th 2015 from heart failure whilst on holiday in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.

Strange was best known for his chart-topping success with synth pop pioneers, Visage. He was also known for being the force behind New Romantic clubs like Blitz, Club for Heroes, and People’s Palace. During SMILEfest 2013, where he was a hugely popular guest, he gave a styling masterclass to students before going on to provide a surprisingly revealing interview with music critic Simon Price.

Here, Price recalls that day, “Interviewing Steve Strange at SMILEfest was a real bit of wishfulfilment. As someone who also came from a small town in Wales, had a taste for outlandish clothes, and ran off to London to get involved with the pop world and the club scene, he was a bit of an inspiration to me.

“On the day, I could tell he was relishing working with young people, sparking off their energy and creativity. He was so charming and generous with his time. For someone who had a reputation as a bit of a diva, I think he understood that it wasn’t the time or place for that, and he got into the spirit of the event. He was actually slightly nervous backstage, which was surprising for someone who’d been there, and done that.

“My main memory, though, is the way that when a camera was pointed at him in the stairwell, he instinctively posed and pouted and tilted his head, instantly turning into Steve Strange from Visage before my eyes.

“I maintained a friendship with Steve afterwards – he DJ’ed for me at my club in Brighton, and he phoned me up frequently for a chat – and that would never have happened if it wasn’t for SMILE. I’m eternally grateful to Solent and SMILE for that.”

He was a pioneer, icon and friend of Southampton Solent University. His generosity and warmth will be remembered here at Solent with profound fondness.

R.I.P Steve Strange 1959 - 2015